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HMS Mosambique (1804)
HMS "Mosambique" was the French privateer schooner "Mosambique", built in 1798, and commissioned as a privateer in 1804. The British Royal Navy captured her in 1804 and took her into service. She served in the West Indies, engaging in several indecisive single-ship actions before she captured one French privateer. She was sold there in 1810.
Origins.
"Mosambique" was built in 1798 and commissioned as a privateer in early 1804. She was cruising under the command of Captain Vallentes and provisioned for three months when captured.
Capture.
On the morning of 13 March 1804, "Fort Diamond", the tender to "Diamond Rock", was under the command of s first lieutenant, Thomas Forest. "Fort Diamond" weathered the Pearl Rock to bear down on a French privateer schooner, "Mosambique", which had anchored close to the shore under a battery at Ceron, outside the port of Saint-Pierre, Martinique. In cooperation with "Emerald" and "Pandour", which sent two boats each to create a diversion, "Fort Diamond" ran alongside the schooner, running into her at a rate of about nine knots an hour. At her approach, the schooner's crew fired a broadside and discharged some small arms before all 50 or 60 crewmen jumped overboard and swam ashore. The impact of "Fort Diamond"s strike broke the chain that anchored the "Mosambique" to shore, and the boarding party cut two cables to free her. "Fort Diamond"s casualties amounted to two men wounded. "Mosambique" turned out to be armed with ten 18-pounder carronades, though she was pierced for 14 guns. She was from Guadeloupe and under the command of Citizen Vallentes. In April 1827 head-money was distributed for the capture.
The Royal Navy took her into service as HMS "Mosambique".
British service.
The Admiralty registered "Mosambique" on 13 March 1804.
In January 1805, "Mosambique" recaptured the English sloop "Experiment", which was carrying a cargo of wood. "Mosambique" was commissioned in 1806 under the command of Lieutenant John Campbell. That year she was returning from having escorted several vessels to Tortola to join a convoy when she encountered the French privateer "Grande Decidé", of 30 guns and 250 men. The privateer tried twice to capture "Mosambique", but was driven off both times. "Grande Decidé" eventually left after "Mosambique" attacked with a view to boarding, a plan that "Grande Decidé"s anti-boarding nets frustrated.
In 1807 "Mosambique" was under the command of Lieutenant John Jackson. On 31 March she recaptured "Harriet", which she sent into Grenada.
Next "Mosambique" fought an indecisive action with the French privateer "Général Ernouf" off Guadeloupe. "Général Ernouf" had a crew of 110 men, more than twice as many as "Mosambique"s 45, and 14 cannon to "Mosambique"s ten. Still, in the engagement "General Ernouf" lost some 40 men killed and wounded and was forced to break off the action, taking refuge in port, while "Mosambique" lost only two men.
On 29 March 1808, , in company with "Lilly", "Pelican", , , and "Mosambique", sailed from Marie-Galante to attack the island of La Désirade. They arrived on 30 March and landed seamen and marines under the command of Captain Sherriff. As the squadron approached they exchanged fire with a battery of 9-pounders covering the entrance to the harbour. The ships' guns silenced the battery and the French surrendered.
On 21 April "Mosambique" captured the French letter of marque brig "Jean Jacques". "Jean Jacques" was pierced for 18 guns but carried only six long 9-pounders. She was 36 days out of Bordeaux and sailing for Guadeloupe. Captain W.H. Sherriff, of "Lily", the commander of the squadron to which "Mosambique" belonged, reported that he was particularly pleased at the capture as the "Jean Jacques" had been sent out for "the express Purpose of cruising in these Seas, and, from her superior Sailing, would have proved a great Annoyance to the Trade." While "Mosambique" was capturing the "Jean Jacques", the squadron saw a brig on fire. The squadron's boats went to the brig's assistance, extinguished the flames, and discovered that she was the "Brothers" of Liverpool, a prize to "Jean Jacques". In the entire affair, the British had no casualties and the French suffered only one man wounded.
On 13 October Lieutenant Stephen Briggs took command of "Mosambique". However, on 8 December he transferred to to take command of her.
On 20 December Admiral Alexander Cochrane appointed James Atkins, who had been Acting Master of "Grenada", to the rank of Lieutenant and command of "Mosambique". Under Atkins she was at the capture of Martinique. In 1847 the Admiralty authorized the issuance of the Naval General Service Medal with clasp "Martinique" to all surviving claimants from the action. The Admiralty appointed Atkins to the command of . Lieutenant Burton replaced Atkins in command of "Mosambique".
Fate.
"Mosambique" was sold in 1810.
Notes, citations, and references.
Notes
Citations
References |
Foreign relations of Egypt
The Foreign relations of Egypt are the Egyptian government's external relations with the outside world. Egypt's foreign policy operates along a non-aligned level. Factors such as population size, historical events, military strength, diplomatic expertise and a strategic geographical position give Egypt extensive political influence in the Middle East, Africa, and within the Non-Aligned Movement as a whole. Cairo has been a crossroads of the Arab world's commerce and culture for centuries, and its intellectual and religious institutions are at the center of the region's social and cultural landmarks.
Bilateral relations.
Israeli–Palestinian conflict.
Egypt has been seeking to play a role in the resolution of the Israeli–Palestinian conflict.
Egypt played an important role in the negotiations leading to the Madrid Conference of 1991, which, under United States and Soviet sponsorship, brought together all parties in the region, including for the first time a Palestinian delegation, to discuss Middle East peace.
This support has continued to the present, with former President Hosni Mubarak often intervening personally to promote peace negotiations. In 1996, he hosted the Sharm El-Sheikh "Summit of the Peacemakers" attended by President Bill Clinton and other world leaders.
In 2000, he hosted two summits at Sharm El-Sheikh and one at Taba in an effort to resume the Camp David negotiations suspended in July 2000, and in June 2003, Mubarak hosted President George W. Bush for another summit on Middle East peace process. Another summit was convened in Sharm El Sheik in early 2005, which was attended by Egypt, Israel, the Palestinian Authority and Jordan. The former Egyptian Chief of Intelligence, General Omar Suleiman, played a substantial role in negotiations between the Israeli and Palestinian sides and was highly respected on both sides.
Africa.
In the 21st-century Egypt has encountered a major problem with immigration, as millions of Africans attempt to enter Egypt fleeing poverty and war. Border control methods can be "harsh, sometimes lethal." This has strained relations with Egypt's southern neighbors, and with Israel and the members of the EU as these immigrants attempt to move on to wealthier countries.
The dispute between Egypt and Ethiopia over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam has become a national preoccupation in both countries. Egypt sees the dam as an existential threat, fearing that the dam will reduce the amount of water it receives from the Nile. Egypt's Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said: "Survival is not a question of choice, but an imperative of nature."
Europe.
European Union relations with Egypt are based on a partnership relation within the Euro – Mediterranean and Middle East area, which is of vital strategic importance and a key external relations priority for the EU.
The Euro-Mediterranean Partnership launched at the 1995 Barcelona Conference between the European Union and its originally 12 Mediterranean Partners: Algeria, Cyprus, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Malta, Morocco, Syria, Tunisia, Turkey, and the Palestinian Authority. Libya currently has observer status at certain meetings. Since the enlargement, in May 2004 and January 2007, the co-operation and needs covers 35 countries, the EU of 27, including Cyprus and Malta and the 10 Mediterranean Partners.
Egypt has also taken an active role regarding Euro-Mediterranean Partnership, such as its participation in the technical meeting of which it was the speaker for the Arab group. Additionally, the first meeting of the Euro-Mediterranean Parliamentary assembly was co-chaired by an Egyptian.
Egypt has been one of the leading recipients among the Mediterranean partners in terms of total funds received from the MEDA programme, the principal financial instrument of the European Union for the implementation of the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership. It is focused on policy-led, national structural reform and liberalisation programmes with a sector-wide approach.
The EU is Egypt's biggest trading partner currently accounting for 42% of Egyptian exports and 37% of imports, with the balance of trade still in the EU's favour. Trade between the EU and Egypt has risen by more than 5% in the last five years to reach around 11.6 billion euro in 2004. Egypt's main exports to the EU in 2004 were energy (39%), textiles and clothing (15%), agricultural products (9%), and chemicals (5%). Major imports from the EU were power generating machinery (21%), chemicals (16%), transport equipment (16%), and food and agricultural products (10%). Egypt has a serious but improving trade deficit that has put considerable pressure on the Egyptian pound.
Trade relations with the EU are good although there are several outstanding trade and phyto-sanitary issues. These range from specific market access issues and difficulties for businesses facing a highly regulated and complex system through to restrictions in the export of agricultural goods (potatoes) and fishery products because they do not conform with EU quality norms.
Egypt is included in the European Union's European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) which aims at bringing the EU and its neighbours closer.
Some time after the starting of the Arab Spring, in March 2011 the European Union adopted the joint declaration ‘ A partnership for democracy and shared prosperity with the Southern Mediterranean', aimed at making a number of initiatives in the field of civic society support, financial assistance and further access to the EU market dependent upon advancement in the democratization process.
As far as Egypt was concerned this declaration envisioned the further deepening of the previous Free Trade Agreement stipulated in 2004, geared towards the inclusion of areas such as trade in services, government procurement, competition, intellectual property rights, and investment protection. To the 2011 declaration, a preliminary phase of the negotiations followed in June 2013, when the EU and Egypt began an exploratory dialogue on how to deepen trade and investment relations, in particular through the possible negotiation of a Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement (DCFTA).
In August 2014, the European Union discussed the possibility of revising provision of aid to Egypt. However, divisions over the appropriate stance to adopt among European diplomats persisted, coupled by the fear that the vacuum might be soon filled by other actors, following a Saudi Foreign Minister's declaration that the Kingdom was ready to step in and those of Prime Minister Hazem al Beblawi about the possibility to appeal to Russia for foreign aid. Therefore, the only measure upon which the Foreign Ministers agreed was to suspend the sale of arms and materials that could be used for repression, but fell short to halt aid program which could damage civil society.
Earlier in July 2013, EU High Representative Catherine Ashton had visited Egypt in an attempt to promote reconciliation among the parties involved. She is credited for being the only foreign diplomat to get access to deposed president Mohamed Morsi.
In an official statement released at the end of a following visit held in April 2014, the Representative raised the issue of the death penalties and incarceration of journalists and activists. At the same time, her later declarations about el-Sisi's bid for presidential candidacy as “difficult” but “brave” sparked harsh criticism among supporters of the Muslim Brotherhood, who claimed the Representative, who advanced logistical reasons, did not make any efforts to get in touch with them and members of their Anti-Coup Alliance.
In April 2014, the European Union agreed to conduct electoral monitoring, for the first time, in occasion of the Presidential elections scheduled for 26/27 May 2014. Other organizations declined to join, as in their opinion this would legitimize what they called an unlawful take on power.
A contract for the sale of 30 Rafale fighter jets was signed between the defense ministries of Egypt and France in May 2021. The official value of the contract was not disclosed at first and was later exposed to be worth 3.75 billion euro or $4.5 billion, by an investigative website called Disclose. In December 2020, French President Emmanuel Macron received criticism for not controlling the sale of weapons to Egypt on its poor human rights record, stating counter-terrorism concerns. The Egyptian defense ministry cited that the deal would be supported via a 10-year loan without disclosing its value or any further details. Rights organizations have denounced the deal and accused the French president of overlooking the increasing violation of freedom in Egypt under the regime of President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi. France's armed forces, finance, and foreign ministries were unavailable for comment. However, French officials claim that Paris, under one of its policies, is avoiding criticism of countries on their human rights records to work with them effectively in private.
On 3 February 2022, around 175 Members of European Parliament wrote a joint letter to foreign ministers and ambassadors to the UN Human Rights Council and requested them to secure the establishment of a UN human rights monitoring and reporting mechanism on Egypt. The MEPs were concerned that despite devastating human rights crisis in Egypt, the international communities persistently failed to take any meaningful action to address the situation. The Egyptian authorities, under President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi, have “brutally and systematically” repressed all forms of dissent and severely curtailed civic space.
International involvement.
Egypt played a key role during the 1990-91 Persian Gulf crisis. President Mubarak helped assemble the international coalition and deployed 35,000 Egyptian troops against Iraq to liberate Kuwait. The Egyptian contingent was one of the largest in the coalition forces, along with the U.S., U.K. and Saudi Arabia.
In the aftermath of the Gulf War, Egypt signed the Damascus Declaration with Syria and the Persian Gulf states to strengthen Persian Gulf security. Egypt continues to contribute regularly to United Nations peacekeeping missions, most recently in East Timor, Sierra Leone, and Liberia.
Following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States, Egypt, which has itself been the target of terrorist attacks, has been a key supporter of the U.S. war against terrorists and terrorist organizations such as Osama bin Laden and al-Qaeda, and has supported the Iraqi Governing Council.
On December 25, 2006, the Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul Gheit called for end to "nuclear double standards" where sanctions are imposed on Iran for enriching uranium, but the Israeli nuclear program is not subject to any control by the International Atomic Energy Agency.
Egypt is member of ABEDA, ACC, ACCT (associate), AfDB, AFESD, AL, AMF, AU, BSEC (observer), CAEU, CTBT, EBRD, ECA, ESCWA, FAO, G-15, G-19, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MINURSO, MONUC, NAM, OAPEC, OAS(observer), OAU, OIC, OSCE (partner), PCA, UN, UNAMSIL, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNMIBH, UNMIK, UNMOP, UNOMIG, UNRWA, UNTAET, UPU, WCO, EFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, and WTrO. Egypt is one of only seven U.N. members which is not a member of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons. |
Reaganomics
Reaganomics (; a portmanteau of "Reagan" and "economics" attributed to Paul Harvey), or Reaganism, were the neoliberal economic policies promoted by U.S. President Ronald Reagan during the 1980s. These policies are characterized as supply-side economics, trickle-down economics, or "voodoo economics" by opponents, while Reagan and his advocates preferred to call it free-market economics.
The pillars of Reagan's economic policy included increasing defense spending, balancing the federal budget and slowing the growth of government spending, reducing the federal income tax and capital gains tax, reducing government regulation, and tightening the money supply in order to reduce inflation.
The results of Reaganomics are still debated. Supporters point to the end of stagflation, stronger GDP growth, and an entrepreneurial revolution in the decades that followed. Critics point to the widening income gap, what they described as an atmosphere of greed, reduced economic mobility, and the national debt tripling in eight years which ultimately reversed the post-World War II trend of a shrinking national debt as percentage of GDP.
Historical context.
Prior to the Reagan administration, the United States economy experienced a decade of high unemployment and persistently high inflation (known as stagflation). Attacks on Keynesian economic orthodoxy as well as empirical economic models such as the Phillips Curve grew. Political pressure favored stimulus resulting in an expansion of the money supply. President Richard Nixon's wage and price controls were phased out. The federal oil reserves were created to ease any future short term shocks. President Jimmy Carter had begun phasing out price controls on petroleum while he created the Department of Energy. Much of the credit for the resolution of the stagflation is given to two causes: renewed focus on increasing productivity and a three-year contraction of the money supply by the Federal Reserve Board under Paul Volcker.
In stating that his intention was to lower taxes, Reagan's approach was a departure from his immediate predecessors. Reagan enacted lower marginal tax rates as well as simplified income tax codes and continued deregulation. During Reagan's eight year presidency, the annual deficits averaged 4.0% of GDP, compared to a 2.2% average during the preceding eight years. The real (inflation adjusted) average rate of growth in federal spending fell from 4% under Jimmy Carter to 2.5% under Ronald Reagan. GDP per employed person increased at an average 1.5% rate during the Reagan administration, compared to an average 0.6% during the preceding eight years. Private sector productivity growth, measured as real output per hour of all persons, increased at an average rate of 1.9% during Reagan's eight years, compared to an average 1.3% during the preceding eight years. Federal net outlays as a percent of GDP averaged 21.4% under Reagan, compared to 19.1% during the preceding eight years.
During the Nixon and Ford Administrations, before Reagan's election, a combined supply and demand side policy was considered unconventional by the moderate wing of the Republican Party. While running against Reagan for the Presidential nomination in 1980, George H. W. Bush had derided Reaganomics as "voodoo economics". Similarly, in 1976, Gerald Ford had severely criticized Reagan's proposal to turn back a large part of the Federal budget to the states.
Justifications.
In his 1980 campaign speeches, Reagan presented his economic proposals as a return to the free enterprise principles, free market economy that had been in favor before the Great Depression and FDR's New Deal policies. At the same time he attracted a following from the supply-side economics movement, which formed in opposition to Keynesian demand-stimulus economics. This movement produced some of the strongest supporters for Reagan's policies during his term in office.
The contention of the proponents, that the tax rate cuts would more than cover any increases in federal debt, was influenced by a theoretical taxation model based on the elasticity of tax rates, known as the Laffer curve. Arthur Laffer's model predicts that excessive tax rates actually reduce potential tax revenues, by lowering the incentive to produce; the model also predicts that insufficient tax rates (rates below the optimum level for a given economy) lead directly to a reduction in tax revenues.
Ronald Reagan also cited the 14th-century Arab scholar Ibn Khaldun as an influence on his supply-side economic policies, in 1981. Reagan paraphrased Ibn Khaldun, who said that "In the beginning of the dynasty, great tax revenues were gained from small assessments," and that "at the end of the dynasty, small tax revenues were gained from large assessments." Reagan said his goal is "trying to get down to the small assessments and the great revenues."
Policies.
Reagan lifted remaining domestic petroleum price and allocation controls on January 28, 1981, and lowered the oil windfall profits tax in August 1981. He ended the oil windfall profits tax in 1988. During the first year of Reagan's presidency, federal income tax rates were lowered significantly with the signing of the Economic Recovery Tax Act of 1981, which lowered the top marginal tax bracket from 70% to 50% and the lowest bracket from 14% to 11%. This act slashed estate taxes and trimmed taxes paid by business corporations by $150 billion over a five-year period. In 1982 Reagan agreed to a rollback of corporate tax cuts and a smaller rollback of individual income tax cuts. The 1982 tax increase undid a third of the initial tax cut. In 1983 Reagan instituted a payroll tax increase on Social Security and Medicare hospital insurance. In 1984 another bill was introduced that closed tax loopholes. According to tax historian Joseph Thorndike, the bills of 1982 and 1984 "constituted the biggest tax increase ever enacted during peacetime".
With the Tax Reform Act of 1986, Reagan and Congress sought to simplify the tax system by eliminating many deductions, reducing the highest marginal rates, and reducing the number of tax brackets. In 1983, Democrats Bill Bradley and Dick Gephardt had offered a proposal; in 1984 Reagan had the Treasury Department produce its own plan. The 1986 act aimed to be revenue-neutral: while it reduced the top marginal rate, it also cleaned up the tax base by removing certain tax write-offs, preferences, and exceptions, thus raising the effective tax on activities previously specially favored by the code. Ultimately, the combination of the decrease in deductions and decrease in rates raised revenue equal to about 4% of existing tax revenue.
Federal revenue share of GDP fell from 19.6% in fiscal 1981 to 17.3% in 1984, before rising back to 18.4% by fiscal year 1989. Personal income tax revenues fell during this period relative to GDP, while payroll tax revenues rose relative to GDP. Reagan's 1981 cut in the top regular tax rate on unearned income reduced the maximum capital gains rate to only 20% – its lowest level since the Hoover administration. The 1986 act set tax rates on capital gains at the same level as the rates on ordinary income like salaries and wages, with both topping out at 28%.
Reagan significantly increased public expenditures, primarily the Department of Defense, which rose (in constant 2000 dollars) from $267.1 billion in 1980 (4.9% of GDP and 22.7% of public expenditure) to $393.1 billion in 1988 (5.8% of GDP and 27.3% of public expenditure); most of those years military spending was about 6% of GDP, exceeding this number in 4 different years. All these numbers had not been seen since the end of U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War in 1973. In 1981, Reagan significantly reduced the maximum tax rate, which affected the highest income earners, and lowered the top marginal tax rate from 70% to 50%; in 1986 he further reduced the rate to 28%. The federal deficit under Reagan peaked at 6% of GDP in 1983, falling to 3.2% of GDP in 1987 and to 3.1% of GDP in his final budget. The inflation-adjusted rate of growth in federal spending fell from 4% under Jimmy Carter to 2.5% under Ronald Reagan. This was the slowest rate of growth in inflation adjusted spending since Eisenhower. However, federal deficit as percent of GDP was up throughout the Reagan presidency from 2.7% at the end of (and throughout) the Carter administration. As a short-run strategy to reduce inflation and lower nominal interest rates, the U.S. borrowed both domestically and abroad to cover the Federal budget deficits, raising the national debt from $997 billion to $2.85 trillion. This led to the U.S. moving from the world's largest international creditor to the world's largest debtor nation. Reagan described the new debt as the "greatest disappointment" of his presidency.
According to William A. Niskanen, one of the architects of Reaganomics, "Reagan delivered on each of his four major policy objectives, although not to the extent that he and his supporters had hoped", and notes that the most substantial change was in the tax code, where the top marginal individual income tax rate fell from 70.1% to 28.4%, and there was a "major reversal in the tax treatment of business income", with effect of "reducing the tax bias among types of investment but increasing the average effective tax rate on new investment". Roger Porter, another architect of the program, acknowledges that the program was weakened by the many hands that changed the President's calculus, such as Congress.
Results.
Overview.
Spending during the years Reagan budgeted (FY 1982–89) averaged 21.6% GDP, roughly tied with President Obama for the highest among any recent President. Each faced a severe recession early in their administration. In addition, the public debt rose from 26% GDP in 1980 to 41% GDP by 1988. In dollar terms, the public debt rose from $712 billion in 1980 to $2.052 trillion in 1988, a roughly three-fold increase. The unemployment rate rose from 7% in 1980 to 11% in 1982, then declined to 5% in 1988. The inflation rate declined from 10% in 1980 to 4% in 1988.
Some economists have stated that Reagan's policies were an important part of bringing about the third longest peacetime economic expansion in U.S. history. During the Reagan administration, real GDP growth averaged 3.5%, compared to 2.9% during the preceding eight years. The annual average unemployment rate declined by 1.7 percentage points, from 7.2% in 1980 to 5.5% in 1988, after it had increased by 1.6 percentage points over the preceding eight years. Nonfarm employment increased by 16.1 million during Reagan's presidency, compared to 15.4 million during the preceding eight years, while manufacturing employment declined by 582,000 after rising 363,000 during the preceding eight years. Reagan's administration is the only one not to have raised the minimum wage. The inflation rate, 13.5% in 1980, fell to 4.1% in 1988, in part because the Federal Reserve increased interest rates (prime rate peaking at 20.5% in August 1981). The latter contributed to a recession from July 1981 to November 1982 during which unemployment rose to 9.7% and GDP fell by 1.9%. Additionally, income growth slowed for middle- and lower-class (2.4% to 1.8%) and rose for the upper-class (2.2% to 4.83%).
The misery index, defined as the inflation rate added to the unemployment rate, shrank from 19.33 when he began his administration to 9.72 when he left, the greatest improvement record for a President since Harry S. Truman left office. In terms of American households, the percentage of total households making less than $10,000 a year (in real 2007 dollars) shrank from 8.8% in 1980 to 8.3% in 1988 while the percentage of households making over $75,000 went from 20.2% to 25.7% during that period, both signs of progress.
Employment.
The job growth (measured for non-farm payrolls) under the Reagan administration averaged 168,000 per month, versus 216,000 for Carter, 55,000 for H.W. Bush, and 239,000 for Clinton. Measuring the number of jobs created per month is limited for longer time periods as the population grows. To address this, we can measure annual job growth percentages, comparing the beginning and ending number of jobs during their time in office to determine an annual growth rate. Jobs grew by 2.0% annually under Reagan, versus 3.1% under Carter, 0.6% under H.W. Bush, and 2.4% under Clinton.
The unemployment rate averaged 7.5% under Reagan, compared to an average 6.6% during the preceding eight years. Declining steadily after December 1982, the rate was 5.4% the month Reagan left office.
The labor force participation rate increased by 2.6 percentage points during Reagan's eight years, compared to 3.9 percentage points during the preceding eight years.
Some commentators have asserted that over one million jobs were created in a single month — September 1983. Although official data support that figure, it was caused by nearly 700,000 AT&T workers going on strike and being counted as job losses in August 1983, with a quick resolution of the strike leading workers to return in September, then being counted as job gains.
Growth rates.
Following the 1981 recession, the unemployment rate had averaged slightly higher (6.75% vs. 6.35%), productivity growth lower (1.38% vs. 1.92%), and private investment as a percentage of GDP slightly less (16.08% vs. 16.86%). In the 1980s, industrial productivity growth in the United States matched that of its trading partners after trailing them in the 1970s. By 1990, manufacturing's share of GNP exceeded the post-World War II low hit in 1982 and matched "the level of output achieved in the 1960s when American factories hummed at a feverish clip".
GDP growth.
Real GDP grew over one-third during Reagan's presidency, an over $2 trillion increase. The compound annual growth rate of GDP was 3.6% during Reagan's eight years, compared to 2.7% during the preceding eight years. Real GDP per capita grew 2.6% under Reagan, compared to 1.9% average growth during the preceding eight years.
Real wages.
The average real hourly wage for production and nonsupervisory workers continued the decline that had begun in 1973, albeit at a slower rate, and remained below the pre-Reagan level in every Reagan year. While inflation remained elevated during his presidency and likely contributed to the decline in wages over this period, Reagan's critics often argue that his neoliberal policies were responsible for this and also led to a stagnation of wages in the next few decades.
Income and wealth.
In nominal terms, median household income grew at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.5% during the Reagan presidency, compared to 8.5% during the preceding five years (pre-1975 data are unavailable). Real median family income grew by $4,492 during the Reagan period, compared to a $1,270 increase during the preceding eight years. After declining from 1973 through 1980, real mean personal income rose $4,708 by 1988. Nominal household net worth increased by a CAGR of 8.4%, compared to 9.3% during the preceding eight years.
Poverty level.
The percentage of the total population below the poverty level increased from 13.0% in 1980 to 15.2% in 1983, then declined back to 13.0% in 1988. During Reagan's first term, critics noted homelessness as a visible problem in U.S. urban centers. In the closing weeks of his presidency, Reagan told David Brinkley that the homeless "make it their own choice for staying out there," noting his belief that there "are shelters in virtually every city, and shelters here, and those people still prefer out there on the grates or the lawn to going into one of those shelters". He also stated that "a large proportion" of them are "mentally impaired", which he believed to be a result of lawsuits by the ACLU (and similar organizations) against mental institutions.
Federal income tax and payroll tax levels.
During the Reagan administration, fiscal year federal receipts grew from $599 billion to $991 billion (an increase of 65%) while fiscal year federal outlays grew from $678 billion to $1144 billion (an increase of 69%). According to a 1996 report of the Joint Economic Committee of the United States Congress, during Reagan's two terms, and through 1993, the top 10% of taxpayers paid an increased share of income taxes (not including payroll taxes) to the Federal government, while the lowest 50% of taxpayers paid a reduced share of income tax revenue. Personal income tax revenues declined from 9.4% GDP in 1981 to 8.3% GDP in 1989, while payroll tax revenues increased from 6.0% GDP to 6.7% GDP during the same period.
Tax receipts.
Both CBO and the Reagan Administration forecast that individual and business income tax revenues would be lower if the Reagan tax cut proposals were implemented, relative to a policy baseline without those cuts, by about $50 billion in 1982 and $210 billion by 1986. According to a 2003 Treasury study, the tax cuts in the Economic Recovery Tax Act of 1981 resulted in a significant decline in revenue relative to a baseline without the cuts, approximately $111 billion (in 1992 dollars) on average during the first four years after implementation or nearly 3% GDP annually. Other tax bills had neutral or, in the case of the Tax Equity and Fiscal Responsibility Act of 1982, a (~+1% of GDP) increase in revenue as a share of GDP. The study did not examine the longer-term impact of Reagan tax policy, including sunset clauses and "the long-run, phased-in effect of the tax bills". The fact that tax receipts "as a percentage of GDP" fell following the Economic Recovery Tax Act of 1981 shows a decrease in tax burden as share of GDP and a commensurate increase in the deficit, as spending did not fall relative to GDP. Total federal tax receipts increased in every Reagan year except 1982, at an annual average rate of 6.2% compared to 10.8% during the preceding eight years.
The effect of Reagan's 1981 tax cuts (reduced revenue relative to a baseline without the cuts) were at least partially offset by phased in Social Security payroll tax increases that had been enacted by President Jimmy Carter and the 95th Congress in 1977, and further increases by Reagan in 1983 and following years, also to counter the uses of tax shelters. An accounting indicated nominal tax receipts increased from $599 billion in 1981 to $1.032 trillion in 1990, an increase of 72% in current dollars. In 2005 dollars, the tax receipts in 1990 were $1.5 trillion, an increase of 20% above inflation.
Debt and government expenditures.
Reagan was inaugurated in January 1981, so the first fiscal year (FY) he budgeted was 1982 and the final year was 1989.
Business and market performance.
Nominal after-tax corporate profits grew at a compound annual growth rate of 3.0% during Reagan's eight years, compared to 13.0% during the preceding eight years. The S&P 500 Index increased 113.3% during the 2024 trading days under Reagan, compared to 10.4% during the preceding 2024 trading days. The business sector share of GDP, measured as gross private domestic investment, declined by 0.7 percentage points under Reagan, after increasing 0.7 percentage points during the preceding eight years.
Size of federal government.
The federal government's share of GDP increased 0.2 percentage points under Reagan, while it decreased 1.5 percentage points during the preceding eight years. The number of federal civilian employees increased 4.2% during Reagan's eight years, compared to 6.5% during the preceding eight years.
As a candidate, Reagan asserted he would shrink government by abolishing the Cabinet-level departments of energy and education. He abolished neither, but elevated veterans affairs from independent agency status to Cabinet-level department status.
Income distribution.
Continuing a trend that began in the 1970s, income inequality grew and accelerated in the 1980s. "The Economist" wrote in 2006: "After the 1973 oil shocks, productivity growth suddenly slowed. A few years later, at the start of the 1980s, the gap between rich and poor began to widen." According to the CBO:
Analysis.
According to a 1996 study by the Cato Institute, a libertarian think tank, on 8 of the 10 key economic variables examined, the American economy performed better during the Reagan years than during the pre- and post-Reagan years. The study asserted that real median family income grew by $4,000 during the eight Reagan years and experienced a loss of almost $1,500 in the post-Reagan years. Interest rates, inflation, and unemployment fell faster under Reagan than they did immediately before or after his presidency. The only economic variable that was lower during period than in both the pre- and post-Reagan years was the savings rate, which fell rapidly in the 1980s. The productivity rate was higher in the pre-Reagan years but lower in the post-Reagan years. The Cato study was dismissive of any positive effects of tightening, and subsequent loosening, of Federal Reserve monetary policy under "inflation hawk" Paul Volcker, whom President Carter had appointed in 1979 to halt the persistent inflation of the 1970s.
Economic analyst Stephen Moore stated in the Cato analysis, "No act in the last quarter century had a more profound impact on the U.S. economy of the eighties and nineties than the Reagan tax cut of 1981." He argued that Reagan's tax cuts, combined with an emphasis on federal monetary policy, deregulation, and expansion of free trade created a sustained economic expansion, the greatest American sustained wave of prosperity ever. He also claims that the American economy grew by more than a third in size, producing a $15 trillion increase in American wealth. Consumer and investor confidence soared. Cutting federal income taxes, cutting the U.S. government spending budget, cutting useless programs, scaling down the government work force, maintaining low interest rates, and keeping a watchful inflation hedge on the monetary supply was Ronald Reagan's formula for a successful economic turnaround.
Milton Friedman stated, "Reaganomics had four simple principles: Lower marginal tax rates, less regulation, restrained government spending, noninflationary monetary policy. Though Reagan did not achieve all of his goals, he made good progress."
The Tax Reform Act of 1986 and its impact on the alternative minimum tax (AMT) reduced nominal rates on the wealthy and eliminated tax deductions, while raising tax rates on lower-income individuals. The across the board tax system reduced marginal rates and further reduced bracket creep from inflation. The highest income earners (with incomes exceeding $1,000,000) received a tax break, restoring a flatter tax system. In 2006, the IRS's National Taxpayer Advocate's report characterized the effective rise in the AMT for individuals as a problem with the tax code. Through 2007, the revised AMT had brought in more tax revenue than the former tax code, which has made it difficult for Congress to reform.
Economist Paul Krugman argued the economic expansion during the Reagan administration was primarily the result of the business cycle and the monetary policy by Paul Volcker. Krugman argues that there was nothing unusual about the economy under Reagan because unemployment was reducing from a high peak and that it is consistent with Keynesian economics for the economy to grow as employment increases if inflation remains low. Krugman has also criticized Reaganomics from the standpoint of wealth and income inequality. He argues that the Reagan era tax cuts ended the post-World War II "Great Compression" of wealth held by the rich.
The CBO Historical Tables indicate that federal spending during Reagan's two terms (FY 1981–88) averaged 22.4% GDP, well above the 20.6% GDP average from 1971 to 2009. In addition, the public debt rose from 26.1% GDP in 1980 to 41.0% GDP by 1988. In dollar terms, the public debt rose from $712 billion in 1980 to $2,052 billion in 1988, a three-fold increase. Krugman argued in June 2012 that Reagan's policies were consistent with Keynesian stimulus theories, pointing to the significant increase in per-capita spending under Reagan.
William Niskanen noted that during the Reagan years, privately held federal debt increased from 22% to 38% of GDP, despite a long peacetime expansion. Second, the savings and loan problem led to an additional debt of about $125 billion. Third, greater enforcement of U.S. trade laws increased the share of U.S. imports subjected to trade restrictions from 12% in 1980 to 23% in 1988.
Economists Raghuram Rajan and Luigi Zingales pointed out that many deregulation efforts had either taken place or had begun before Reagan (note the deregulation of airlines and trucking under Carter, and the beginning of deregulatory reform in railroads, telephones, natural gas, and banking). They stated, "The move toward markets preceded the leader [Reagan] who is seen as one of their saviors." Economists Paul Joskow and Roger Noll made a similar contention.
Economist William A. Niskanen, a member of Reagan's Council of Economic Advisers wrote that deregulation had the "lowest priority" of the items on the Reagan agenda given that Reagan "failed to sustain the momentum for deregulation initiated in the 1970s" and that he "added more trade barriers than any administration since Hoover." By contrast, economist Milton Friedman has pointed to the number of pages added to the Federal Register each year as evidence of Reagan's anti-regulation presidency (the Register records the rules and regulations that federal agencies issue per year). The number of pages added to the Register each year declined sharply at the start of the Ronald Reagan presidency breaking a steady and sharp increase since 1960. The increase in the number of pages added per year resumed an upward, though less steep, trend after Reagan left office. In contrast, the number of pages being added each year increased under Ford, Carter, George H. W. Bush, Clinton, George W. Bush, and Obama. The number of pages in Federal Register is however criticized as an extremely crude measure of regulatory activity, because it can be easily manipulated (e.g. font sizes have been changed to keep page count low). The apparent contradiction between Niskanen's statements and Friedman's data may be resolved by seeing Niskanen as referring to "statutory" deregulation (laws passed by Congress) and Friedman to "administrative" deregulation (rules and regulations implemented by federal agencies). A 2016 study by the Congressional Research Service found that Reagan's average annual number of final federal regulatory rules published in the Federal Register was higher than during the Clinton, George W. Bush or Obama's administrations, even though the Reagan economy was considerably smaller than during those later presidents. Another study by the QuantGov project of the libertarian Mercatus Center found that the Reagan administration added restrictive regulations — containing such terms as "shall," "prohibited" or "may not" — at a faster average annual rate than did Clinton, Bush or Obama.
Greg Mankiw, a conservative Republican economist who served as chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers under President George W. Bush, wrote in 2007:
I used the phrase "charlatans and cranks" in the first edition of my principles textbook to describe some of the economic advisers to Ronald Reagan, who told him that broad-based income tax cuts would have such large supply-side effects that the tax cuts would raise tax revenue. I did not find such a claim credible, based on the available evidence. I never have, and I still don't ... My other work has remained consistent with this view. In a paper on dynamic scoring, written while I was working at the White House, Matthew Weinzierl and I estimated that a broad-based income tax cut (applying to both capital and labor income) would recoup only about a quarter of the lost revenue through supply-side growth effects. For a cut in capital income taxes, the feedback is larger — about 50 percent — but still well under 100 percent. A chapter on dynamic scoring in the 2004 Economic Report of the President says about the same thing.
Glenn Hubbard, who preceded Mankiw as Bush's CEA chair, also disputed the assertion that tax cuts increase tax revenues, writing in his 2003 Economic Report of the President: "Although the economy grows in response to tax reductions (because of higher consumption in the short run and improved incentives in the long run), it is unlikely to grow so much that lost tax revenue is completely recovered by the higher level of economic activity."
In 1986, Martin Feldstein — a self-described "traditional supply sider" who served as Reagan's chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers from 1982 to 1984 — characterized the "new supply siders" who emerged circa 1980:
What distinguished the new supply siders from the traditional supply siders as the 1980s began was not the policies they advocated but the claims that they made for those policies ... The "new" supply siders were much more extravagant in their claims. They projected rapid growth, dramatic increases in tax revenue, a sharp rise in saving, and a relatively painless reduction in inflation. The height of supply side hyperbole was the "Laffer curve" proposition that the tax cut would actually increase tax revenue because it would unleash an enormously depressed supply of effort. Another remarkable proposition was the claim that even if the tax cuts did lead to an increased budget deficit, that would not reduce the funds available for investment in plant and equipment because tax changes would raise the saving rate by enough to finance the increased deficit ... Nevertheless, I have no doubt that the loose talk of the supply side extremists gave fundamentally good policies a bad name and led to quantitative mistakes that not only contributed to subsequent budget deficits but that also made it more difficult to modify policy when those deficits became apparent. |
Campaign for the neologism "santorum"
The campaign for the neologism "santorum" started with a contest held in May 2003 by Dan Savage, a sex columnist and LGBT rights activist. Savage asked his readers to create a definition for the word "santorum" in response to then-US senator Rick Santorum's views on homosexuality and comments about same sex marriage. In his comments, Santorum had stated that "[i]n every society, the definition of marriage has not ever to my knowledge included homosexuality. That's not to pick on homosexuality. It's not, you know, man on child, man on dog, or whatever the case may be." Savage announced the winning entry, which defined "santorum" as ""the frothy mixture of lube and fecal matter that is sometimes the byproduct of anal sex"." He created a web site, "spreadingsantorum.com" (and "santorum.com"), to promote the definition, which became a top internet search result, displacing the senator's official website on many search engines, including Google, Yahoo! Search, and Bing.
In 2010, Savage said he would take the site down if Santorum donated US$5 million plus interest to Freedom to Marry, a group advocating legal recognition of same-sex marriages. In September 2011, Santorum asked Google to remove the definition from its search engine index. Google refused, responding that the company does not remove content from search results except in very limited circumstances.
Santorum's comments on homosexuality.
In an interview with the Associated Press on , Santorum said there is a relationship between the Catholic Church sex abuse scandal and liberalism and relativism. He argued that moral relativism involves accepting any adult consensual behavior in the privacy of people's homes, even if the behavior might otherwise be considered deviant. Santorum believes this attitude leads to an unhealthy culture.
Santorum said that, while he had no problem with homosexuality, he did have a problem with homosexual acts, "as I would with acts of other, what I would consider to be, acts outside of traditional heterosexual relationships. And that includes a variety of different acts, not just homosexual." He continued: We have laws in states, like the one at the Supreme Court right now, that has sodomy laws and they were there for a purpose. Because, again, I would argue, they undermine the basic tenets of our society and the family. And if the Supreme Court says that you have the right to consensual sex within your home, then you have the right to bigamy, you have the right to polygamy, you have the right to incest, you have the right to adultery. You have the right to anything. Does that undermine the fabric of our society? I would argue yes, it does.
Santorum said he was arguing against any relationship, other than heterosexual marriage between a man and a woman, which he viewed as the basis of a stable society, when he listed homosexuality, pedophilia, and bestiality as examples of what marriage was not.
The interview prompted an angry reaction from gay rights activists and some politicians. A spokesman for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee described Santorum's views as "divisive and reckless", while conservative activists saw them as a "principled opposition to same-sex marriage".
Response by Savage.
On , in a "New York Times" op-ed, Savage responded to Santorum's comments, arguing that the remarks amounted to an overt Republican appeal to homophobic voters. A reader of Savage's column, "Savage Love", subsequently suggested a contest to create a new definition for "santorum". Observing that he had previously sought to coin the sexual neologism "pegging", Savage agreed, writing on May 15, "There's no better way to memorialize the Santorum scandal than by attaching his name to a sex act that would make his big, white teeth fall out of his big, empty head."
He said on that he had received 3,000 suggestions, and posted several nominees for readers to choose from. On he announced the winner as "that frothy mixture of lube and fecal matter that is sometimes the byproduct of anal sex".
Savage set up a website, "spreadingsantorum.com", to spread awareness of the term; the site features the definition over a brown splattered stain on an otherwise-white page. Savage also set up another website, "santorum.com", that displays the same content. "The Philadelphia Inquirer" reported in July 2006 that the site appeared at the top of a Google search for Santorum's name. When asked whether he was concerned about the effect on Santorum's children, Savage responded that gays and lesbians also have children, who are required to listen to comparisons of gay relationships to incest and bestiality. He also said, "The only people who come at me wringing their hands about Santorum's children are idiot lefties who don't get how serious the right is about destroying us." Savage offered in May 2010 to remove the site if Santorum donated $5 million to Freedom to Marry, an advocacy group for same-sex marriage.
In February 2011, Savage said he would revive his campaign. , the sexual term was still the top result for Santorum's name on several search engines, including Google, Bing, and Yahoo.
In a July 2011 video on "Funny or Die", Savage proposed redefining Santorum's first name if Santorum did not stop criticizing homosexuality. In his column, Savage observed that "Santorum hasn't laid off the gay bashing, as it's all he's got," and endorsed a reader suggestion to re-define "rick" as a verb, thus making 'Rick santorum.' into a complete sentence.
, santorum.com and spreadingsantorum.com are still owned by Savage and display the neologism. Santorum.com remains the top search result in Google for "santorum".
Reception and political impact.
The word "santorum", as defined, has been characterized as "obscene", "unprintable", or "vulgar".
The American Dialect Society chose "santorum" as the winner in its "Most Outrageous" category in the society's 2004 "Word of the Year" event, as a result of which several newspapers reportedly omitted that category from their coverage of the announcement.
"Google Current" reported in 2006 that the word had inspired punk rock and blues songs; "Philadelphia Weekly" columnist Liz Spikol wrote that it had begun appearing on bumper stickers and T-shirts. Jon Stewart mentioned it on "The Daily Show" more than once; his reference to it in May 2011 caused the word to be one of the most queried search terms on Google the following day. Stephen Colbert of "The Colbert Report" also referred to it on more than one occasion.
Savage's campaign was widely discussed in the media, according to "The New Partridge Dictionary of Slang and Unconventional English" in 2006. The 2007 update of this work, "The Concise New Partridge Dictionary of Slang and Unconventional English", does not contain an entry for "santorum".
Stephanie Mencimer wrote in "Mother Jones" in 2010 that "some observers even suggested [the neologism] may have contributed to Santorum’s crushing 18-point defeat in his 2006 campaign against Bob Casey." Savage had attempted to contribute $2,100 to Casey's campaign, but the donation was returned.
Noam Cohen of "The New York Times" described the situation as a hijacking of online identity. He questioned whether automatic search algorithms should be entirely devoid of human discretion.
The issue resurfaced during the 2012 presidential primaries in which Santorum was a candidate. A commentary in "The Globe and Mail" suggested a difficulty in avoiding double entendres when writing about Santorum because of Savage's campaign.
Santorum's reaction.
Santorum discussed the issue in a February 2011 interview with "Roll Call": "It's one guy. You know who it is. The Internet allows for this type of vulgarity to circulate. It's unfortunate that we have someone who obviously has some issues. But he has an opportunity to speak."
In a June 2011 interview, Santorum said, "There are foul people out there who do horrible things. It's unfortunate some people thought it would be a big joke to make fun of my name. That comes with the territory."
In July 2011, Santorum said that news coverage of this matter would be very different if he were liberal instead of conservative: "The Mainstream Media would hit the roof—and rightly so!"
Google-bombing.
"The New York Times" reported in 2004 that people had tried to use Google bombs to link the names of several American politicians, including George W. Bush, Hillary Clinton, and Rick Santorum, to what it called "unprintable phrases". Bloggers linking to "Spreading Santorum" caused it to rise in Google's rankings.
In 2010, Michael Fertik of ReputationDefender (now "Reputation.com"), a company to help people influence their online presence, described the search engine issue as "devastating" and said it was "one of the more creative and salient Google issues" he had ever seen. Mark Skidmore of Blue State Digital said Santorum would find it difficult to shift Savage's site, because Savage had over 13,000 inbound links against 5,000 for Santorum's own site. Chris Wilson in "Slate" described the situation as a "classic 'Google bomb'."
Santorum's request for intervention by Google.
When asked in June 2011 whether Google should step in to prevent the definition appearing so prominently under searches for his name, Santorum said they should intervene only if they would normally do so in this kind of circumstance. In September 2011 Santorum asked Google to intervene by altering the indexing of the content, saying, "If you're a responsible business, you don't let things like that happen in your business that have an impact on the country...To have a business allow that type of filth to be purveyed through their website or through their system is something that they say they can't handle but I suspect that's not true." In response to Santorum's request, a Google representative said Google does not "remove content from our search results, except in very limited cases such as illegal content and violations of our webmaster guidelines."
According to Talking Points Memo (TPM), "Google did crack down" on google-bombing in the past. In an interview with TPM, search engine expert Danny Sullivan stated that Santorum mischaracterized the campaign as a "Google bomb", when it was actually a relevant use of the search query "santorum" to create "a new definition for the word". Sullivan argued that, in a Google bomb, pranksters persuade Google's algorithm to send the wrong results for a certain term (e.g., when pranksters caused the search term "miserable failure" to point to the Bush White House website's presidential biography page). In Santorum's case, on the other hand, the term "santorum" still points to a web page about a "santorum"—which happens to be Savage's neologism instead of the Senator from Pennsylvania. Sullivan concluded that, "for [Senator Santorum] to say Google could get rid of it would be like him saying, 'I don't like the word 'unicorn' and I think that that definition should go away.'"
Some sources describe the neologism campaign as a prank. However, despite three times as many inbound links, observers have noted that search engines Bing and Yahoo had been presenting the offending links second behind Santorum's web site.
2012 ranking algorithm changes.
In February 2012 the link to the site briefly vanished from the first page of Google search results for "Santorum" after Google changed its SafeSearch algorithm. A further change restored the site to the first page of Google results, and its ranking on other search engines underwent no significant changes. The placement of the site in search returns may vary depending on who is searching. Google stated that the change was not the result of manual intervention. |
Berrima Post Office
Berrima Post Office is a heritage-listed post office at Argyle Street, Berrima, Wingecarribee Shire, New South Wales, Australia. It was built in 1886 by R. N. Matthews. It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999.
History.
Berrima is the second oldest European settlement in Wingecarribee Shire and the oldest continuing settlement in the shire. The first town settlement in the district was in 1821 at Bong Bong, 8 km south-east of Berrima on the Wingecarribee River.
The site of Berrima was selected by Surveyor General Sir Thomas Mitchell in 1829 on a visit planning the route for a new road alignment from Sydney to replace the old Argyle Road, which had proven unsatisfactory due to a steep hill climb over the Mittagong Range and river crossing at Bong Bong. In 1830 Mitchell instructed Robert Hoddle to mark out the town based on a plan Mitchell's office prepared, along the lines of a traditional English village (with a central market place and as many blocks as possible facing onto the Wingecarribee River), and using the local Aboriginal name. The new line of road came through the town. Berrima was to be established as the commercial and administrative centre for the County of Camden.
Following the approval of Governor Bourke in 1831, the period 1824 to 1841 saw significant flourishing development as mail coaches changed their route to this new line of road. Early town lots were sold in 1833, predominantly to inn keepers and around Market Square, including the first town Lot sales to Bryan McMahon.
Governor Bourke designated Berrima as a place for a courthouse and gaol to serve the southern part of the state. With construction of the gaol from 1835 to 1839 and its courthouse in 1838 to serve the southern part of the state the town flourished into the 1840s as mail coaches called, public buildings including churches in 1849 and 1851, establishment of many hotels and coaching houses to service local resident needs and passing trades, persons and commercial travellers. Its 1841 population was 249, with 37 houses completed and 7 more in construction. Research has indicated there were some 13 hotels or grog houses in Berrima at the one time in the early days before the coming of the Southern Railway to the Moss Vale area, which by-passed Berrima.
There is some doubt about the early days of the Berrima Post Office. Apparently the Berrima Office was moved from Bong Bong in June, 1838.
A post office was opened at Bong Bong at least as early as 23 December 1829. John Lowe, Clerk to the Chamber of Magistrates, was given the responsibility of looking after the post office.
Between 1830 and 1837 a number of people filled the job as postmaster. Records state that James Higgins was appointed postmaster at Berrima 1 June 1838. It would appear that the office was moved from Bong Bong to Berrima on that date.
There is very little known of the Berrima Post Office from about 1840 to 1860.
The 1851 census showed the number of buildings remained the same, but the population had dropped to 192. During the 1850s Berrima experienced another boom period after the discovery of gold. When the Great Southern Railway bypassed Berrima in 1867, the town again began to decline as Mittagong, Moss Vale and Bowral developed. Berrima remained virtually unchanged for the next 100 years, preserving the town as an almost intact colonial village.
On 6 September 1858 the Berrima telegraph station was opened and in 1860 a building was bought for use as the telegraph station. At this time the Postal Department and Telegraph Department had no connection at all with one another.
The Berrima Post Office occupied several premises until the 1880s. In 1883 the post office was located in the Glad Tidings building. The telegraph office was nearby.
The telegraph business was now being carried on over a telephone line probably to Moss Vale. This was strongly objected to by the residents for the reason that the telephone system was then in its infancy and shouting into the receiver was necessary. Anyone handy to the post office could hear every word.
In June 1881 a petition was received from Berrima residents asking for the provision of a new post office. It was suggested that an ideal site would be land owned by the Government, where the old Toll Bar used to be. It was also pointed out that the Commercial Bank authorities were about to build a new bank nearly opposite the site.
The Postal Department approved the erection of a new post office on the old Toll Bar site, but finance was not available and the matter was shelved. As a result of further resident agitation and the dilapidated condition of the then post office building, the tender of R. N. Matthews & Sons was accepted 22 April 1886 for 777 pounds.
The Berrima Post Office was erected on the earlier "Old Tollhouse" or Tollbar site. The postmaster was moved into the new office on 17 August 1887.
It was not until 1890 that the block of ground, being Lot 19 of Section 2, was transferred to the Postmaster-General.
Because of the decline of revenue, Berrima was made a semi-official office and Mrs C. Reynolds took charge of it on 9 January 1909.
On 1 March 1912 she was succeeded by Mrs B. Walker.
A weatherboard wing was added 1930s.
In 1988, a new building was constructed at the rear of the post office. The post office was restored at that time, with internal modifications made.
In late 2019, the Post Office (store) moved out of the building to a new location next to the general store, located 200m north and opposite the gaol.
Description.
Berrima Post Office is a painted brick building with stone foundations. It has a corrugated iron roof and features a verandah to the front of the building.
It was reported to be in good physical condition at the time of its heritage listing, with low archaeological potential.
Heritage listing.
The Post Office is located on the site of the earlier "Old Tollbar". The post office is situated on a prominent corner site in the town of Berrima. It makes an important contribution to the historic precinct of Berrima.
Berrima Post Office was listed on the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999. |
Dante Livio Bianco
Dante Livio Bianco (19 May 1909 – 12 July 1953) achieved early distinction among legal professionals as an exceptionally able Italian civil lawyer, and then came to wider prominence as a wartime partisan leader. He was awarded the Silver Medal of Military Valor twice. He survived the war but nevertheless died at a relatively young age due to a climbing accident.
Biography.
Provenance and early years.
Dante Livio Marcel Angelo Nikin Robert André Bianco was born at Cannes on the southern coast of France, a short distance to the west of Nice. He was the first-born of his parents’ three recorded children, but in 1914 his sister Lydia died in infancy through suffocating on a bean, so that from 1914 until the birth of his brother Alberto in 1917 (1917-1997) he was his parents’ only child. Cannes had grown rapidly in extent and wealth during the final decades of the nineteenth century, largely on account of the European tourism boom triggered by industrialisation and the resulting increase in leisure spending. Gioachino Bianco (1859-1918), his father, had moved to Cannes from the family’s home base at Valdieri, a small town set in the mountains on the western edge of Piedmont. Like many of his family Gioachino Bianco was skilled in the craft of tailoring, and he arrived in Cannes equipped both with his tailoring skills and with significant entrepreneurial flair, which would enable him to become a leading member of the town’s business community and the proprietor of several retail outlets. Livio’s mother, Prospera "Rina" Sartore (1885-1969), is celebrated by admirers for the fortitude she displayed in bringing up her sons after she was widowed in 1918. In material terms, she was left well provided for, and there were also a number of supportive relatives in Italy. Two decades earlier Gioachino Bianco had arranged for the construction of a large villa in his home town of Valdieri, to which Rina Sartore now moved with her sons, and it was here that Livio Bianco spent the second half of his childhood and attended elementary school. When the time came to move on to secondary school has was sent to a boarding school in Cuneo. The boarding arrangement soon gave way to an arrangement that involved living during school days with the family of Giovanni Quaranta, who had been a friend of his father’s and who in 1908 had married Domenica Sartore, who was sister to Livio’s mother. The Quaranta sons, who attended the same school as Livio Bianco, were therefore first cousins to the Bianco brothers.
Student years.
On completing his schooling he enrolled at the University of Turin, where he studied for a degree in Jurisprudence. Mussolini had taken power when Livio Bianco was 13, and during his teenage years in the 1920s the institutionalised brutality of Fascist tyranny had become progressively more apparent. At the Law faculty in Turin he was taught and powerfully influenced by men such as , Luigi Einaudi and . Long before he received his degree in 1930 Bianco had, like many of his student contemporaries at Turin, become committed to the Gobetti legacy and thereby a staunch . A feature of life in Mussolini’s Italy was the pervasive application by the government and its agencies if street violence as a tool of social control. Some of it was organised from the top: some of it was more quietly “accepted” by the state. In 1928 Bianco was one of a small group of students caught up in trying to defend the Senator (and former University of Turin Law Professor ) when he faced a serious physical assault from the Turin . Ruffini was targeted because he had opposed the government in the senate over the ticklish business of reforming the electoral system. Bianco was badly injured in the attack. Some sources indicate that his injuries took him close to death. The experience was important in hardening his anti-fascist convictions. One of the few fellow students who joined him in attempting to defend the senator from the fascist students thugs was : Galante Garrone and Livio Bianco later became lifelong friends and allies.
Lawyer.
After graduating under the tutorial supervision of , Livio Bianco embarked on a legal career, working initially in Cuneo. From 1932/33, having evidently completed any necessary apprenticeship qualification, he worked and exercised his advocacy skills in the district at Turin, while employed at the legal practice run by the youthful Manlio Brosio. Brosio would subsequently make a considerable mark in the world international politics, notably as Secretary General of NATO between 1964 and 1971. He had also been a close friend of Piero Gobetti, a government opponent whose death in 1926 following a fascist beating had been widely reported at the time. The spirit of the firm, and indeed across much of the Turin middle class establishment, was antifascist.
Wartime resistance.
When war broke out north of the Alps in September 1939, the Italian government avoided military involvement just as it had done in 1914. As in 1914, however, the country came under intense international pressure to participate. In June 1940 a short-lived Italian invasion of France, though militarily inconsequential in itself, marked the beginning of military engagement, this time alongside Germany. In July 1942, when the so-called Action Party was formed, Livio Bianco joined it. According to some sources, he was among its founders in the important Turin region. The party was created by men of the intellectual centre-left who saw themselves an heirs to the political legacy of Carlo Rosselli and Piero Gobetti. It was both a reaction against fascism among men who would never have supported Mussolini and a response to a growing feeling across society more generally that the leader’s increasingly personalised alliance with Germany had placed the nation on the road to disaster. As the military situation deteriorated, towards the end of July 1943 the king had Mussolini arrested. Seven weeks later, on 8 September 1943, news emerged of an armistice signed between the new Italian government and Major General Walter Bedell Smith on behalf of the Anglo-American armies advancing from the south. Central and northern Italy remained under German military control. Four days after the news of the armistice surfaced, German forces rescued Mussolini from the mountain-top hotel in which he was being detained and installed him as the “ruler” in a puppet state corresponding, for the most part, with those parts of Italy still under German military control. In Cuneo these were trigger events for Livio Bianco and his called Action Party comrade, Duccio Galimberti. On 11 September 1943 there took place the first recorded meeting of a partisan group in Italy. The location for the meeting was Livio Bianco’s family home in the remote border town of Valdieri. The men present were Livio Bianco, Duccio Galimberti and ten of their friends. The group took the name "Italia Libera" (‘’”Free Italy”’’) for their group of fighting men, and made their way into the mountains above Cuneo. Livio Bianco had become an enthusiastic recreational mountaineer whole working as a lawyer in Turin, and was already familiar with the terrain. Initially travelling on horseback they made their way to the first secret base of what became the Cuneo “Justice and Liberty” Alpine Division. Their chosen location was marked by the little Madonna del Colletto sanctuary, between the Valle Gesso and the , high mountain valleys, positioned approximately halfway between Cuneo and the French frontier. The base was suitably inaccessible to motorised transport, especially during the winter months. They moved on a week later to Paral(o)up, further up the , later to San Matteo on the Valle Grana. Numbers quickly increased as new volunteers joined and other partisan teams emerged in the area, accompanied by a coming together of the groupings. They were engaged in harsh warfare against German troops and Italian fascist forces, roundups and arrests, capture and, as the Germans progressively withdrew, retention of some valleys, but also at other times temporary withdrawals across to the Langhe hills beyond Cuneo to the north, or indeed in the other direction, across the border into France. By the end of 1944 the partisans were holding a large number of German prisoners in their mountain retreats.
From the launch of the operation, Livio Bianco stood out as one of the principal drivers and organisers of the expanding network of Alpine partisans units. Despite a total absence of previous military experience, after m1945 he was commended by admirers for the formidable military efficiency he was able to instil and the passionate regional loyalties which he was able to access and enhance from then ingrained instincts of comrades. Among those under his command he also acquired a reputation as an uncompromising disciplinarian, determined that adventurers and profiteers should not be numbered among his men. There are reports that he did not hesitate to order the shooting of any thieves who might otherwise compromise the reputational integrity of the partisan brigades. During the Spring of 1944 he was placed in charge of the “Carlo Roselli” partisan brigade, operating as before in the Cuneese Mountains. Another member of the brigade was Nuto Revelli. Something of Livio Bianco’s attitude at this time can be inferred from the title of an article he contributed to a partisan newspaper, “Aria, luce, pulizia”. He was appalled that the possibility that the Otalian Social Republic, dominated by a Hitlerite Germany might become a permanent fixture with all the dark fascist inhumanity that had become the underlying context for life in post-democratic Vichy France since 1940. In his article he warned of Italy becoming permanently “flaccid, sluggish, and without confidence or legitimacy” ("fiacca, lenta e dubitosa") as the price to be paid if the war were to end with anything less than a total decisive defeat for fascism, whether home grown or imposed from Berlin.
Livio Bianco was also among those taking a lead in pushing for contacts between antifascist partisan fighters in Italy and Résistance groups across the border in France. These culminated in a meeting between representatives of the two organisations at Barcelonette on 22 May 1944 at which Livio Bianco and Galimberto led the Italian delegation: Livio Bianco led the negotiations. The French side was led by Jacques Lécuyer. The process culminated in the signing on 30/31 May 1944 of the , committing the parties to support continuing solidarity between the French and Italian people, politically and in the fight against Nazism.
In December 1944, following the betrayal and killing of Duccio Galimberti, Livio Bianco came down from the mountains and replaced his dead comrade as regional commander of the for the entire Piedmontese region. (There were by this time “Justice and Liberty” brigades, battling what remained of the fascist state structures and the slowly diminishing military effectiveness of Mussolini’s German backers, across most of occupied Italy.)
After the war.
War ended, formally, with the German Surrender of Caserta at the end of April 1945, by which time remaining German military units in the north had already been cut off from their ammunition and other supplies for some weeks. Further to the south, in Rome politician in the (previously secret) National Liberation Committee had been working on Italy’s post-war future since in June 1944. Livio Bianco had never shown much appetite for political involvement, but his wartime fame led to calls by Action Party comrades for him to accept a seat as a party nominee to the National Council, a provisional legislature which remained in existence till elections could be called: that happened in June 1946. He agreed to serve in the National Council, but did not pursue a political career after 1946, instead rebuilding his career, based in Turin, as one of the top civil lawyers in Italy. He sustained a public profile, however, keen to preserve and share the idealism that had inspired him as an antifascist resistance leader during the 1940s (and not infrequently critical of developments in national politics during the 1950s).
In 1953 Livio Bianco campaigned in support of "Unità Popolare" (UA), a short lived political party of the centre-left created by the former prime minister Ferruccio Parri with support from members of the old wartime Action Party. In the immediate term, "Unità Popolare" represented a response to government efforts to build into the electoral system that would have disproportionately favoured the Christian Democratic party. These threats to electoral fairness triggered such widespread outrage within the political class that it was never implemented, but the "Unità Popolare" party failed dismally to gain traction with voters, gaining less than 1% of the votes cast in the 1953 general election. But according to some commentators, both in parliament and in the media, support for and pressure from the UA nevertheless contributed powerfully to terminally discrediting the “scam law” before it could be implemented.
Death and celebration.
A passionate mountaineer from an early age, on 12 July 1953 Dante Livio Bianco was killed in a climbing accident while ascending the “Cima di Saint Robert” from the Valle Gesso in the ”Alpi Maritimi”, south-west of Cuneo and on the Italian side of the Franco-Italian frontier. Following his death, tributes to his memory flowed: a main street in Valdierei was renamed in celebration of his life, and in Turin, close to the city’s iconic Fiat factory a wide avenue with a shopping parade on one side and ample space for car parking was renamed “Piazza Dante Livio Bianco”. The body was returned to Valdieri where it was buried with appropriate quiet pomp in the local cemetery: Ferruccio Parri delivered a eulogy on behalf of his partisan comrades, many of whom attended the ceremony. The memorial that might have pleased him most, however, was constructed only in 1963, ten years after his death, and has renovated on a number of occasions since. This is a simple but robust refuge hut, located close to the mountain on which Livio Bianco died, slightly less than two kilometers above sea level, and able to accommodate approximately fifty mountaineers in a combination of dormitories and rooms. There are toilets – both indoor and outdoor – along with provision for room heating, hot water and a land-line telephone. During the closed season it is still possible to access basic accommodation for up to fourteen people.
After his death, Livio Bianco’s Turin legal practice was taken over by , the younger brother of Livio Bianco’s friend and, back in the 1920s, student contemporary. |
Art Kores
Arthur Emil Kores (July 22, 1886 – March 26, 1974) was a professional baseball player whose career spanned nine seasons, one of which was spent in Major League Baseball (MLB) with the St. Louis Terriers (1915). In the majors, he compiled a .234 batting average with 18 runs scored, 47 hits, nine doubles, two triples, one home run, and 22 runs batted in (RBIs) in 60 games played. He played all of his Major League games at third base. Kores played the majority of his career in the minor leagues with the Des Moines Boosters (1911–1912), Portland Beavers (1913–1914), Rochester Hustlers (1915), Nashville Volunteers (1916–1917), Louisville Colonels (1918), Toledo Mud Hens (1920), and Indianapolis Indians (1920). In the minors, he compiled a career .274 batting average with 1,225 hits, 212 doubles, 91 triples, and 29 home runs in 1,243 games played. Kores batted and threw right-handed. During his playing career, he stood at and weighed .
Early life.
Kores was born on July 22, 1886, in Milwaukee to John and Theresa Kores, both of Bohemia. John Kores worked as a cabinet maker. Art Kores had five siblings; sisters Cecilia, and Josephine; and brothers Chas, Fred, and Joseph. Art Kores played semi-professional baseball, and sandlot ball in Milwaukee, before turning professional.
Professional career.
Kores' professional baseball career began in 1910 with the Racine Belles of the Class-C Wisconsin–Illinois League. He played just a month and a half with the Racine club, being used as a first baseman. Kores spent his first full professional season with the Des Moines Boosters of the Class-A Western League in 1911. With the Boosters, he batted .215 with 127 hits, 17 doubles, nine triples, and four home runs in 161 games played. Defensively, he played all of his games as a third baseman. After the season, Des Moines general manager Jack Holland attempted to trade Kores to another team, but no organization showed interest.
The day before the Des Moines Boosters opening series of the 1912 season, Kores signed a new contract with the team. In his season debut, on April 19, Kores got three hits. With Des Moines that year, he batted .298 with 182 hits, 25 doubles, 10 triples, and 10 home runs in 162 games played. In the field, he played shortstop, committing 60 errors in 674 total chances. At the end of the 1912 season, the Portland Beavers of the Double-A Pacific Coast League drafted Kores from the Boosters. He was later drafted by the Chicago Cubs, but passed up the opportunity to play in Major League Baseball (MLB).
On March 1, 1913, Kores joined the Portland Beavers at their spring training camp in Visalia, California. He played 165 games with Portland that season, batting .282 with 24 doubles, eight triples, and five home runs. In the field, Kores played shortstop. At the start of the 1914 season, Kores was moved from shortstop to third base. During the season, "The Milwaukee Journal" described Kores as "the best clean-up hitter in the Coast league". With the Beavers that year, he batted .296 with 54 doubles, 21 triples, and five home runs in 187 games played. He led the Pacific Coast League in doubles, and triples that season. Kores was also third in the league in runs batted in (RBIs) with 94 that season.
In September, 1914, the New York Giants drafted Kores from the Portland Beavers in what the "Oakland Tribune" a "secret lottery". Kores rejected the Giants contract offer, stating that he could make as much money in the Pacific Coast League then he could in the majors. He demanded a US$2,100 a year salary from the Giants, which New York declined to give him. He eventually signed a contract with the Giants for an undisclosed amount. According to Beavers officials, Kores, who told the Giants he was only 23 years old, had to confess his real age to get the contract.
Before the 1915 season, it was reported that the St. Louis Terriers of the Federal League were interested in Kores, whose contract was owned by the New York Giants. At the start of the regular season, Giants manager John McGraw offered Kores' contract back to the Portland Beavers for a price of US$2,500, but Beavers manager Walter McCredie declined. Instead, McGraw sent Kores to the Double-A Rochester Hustlers of the International League. In 75 games with Rochester that year, he batted .275 with 76 hits, 11 doubles, 11 triples, and two home runs. On July 23, it was reported that Kores had left the Hustlers to join the Major League St. Louis Terriers. As a result, the Rochester club suspended him and fined him US$250. Officials from the Hustlers said that it did not come as a surprise that Kores had left the team, because he was in talks with the St. Louis club for months. Kores made his MLB debut on July 24, 1915. With St. Louis that season, he batted .234 with 18 runs scored, 47 hits, nine doubles, seven triples, one home run, and 22 RBIs in 60 games played. In the field, he played all of his games at third base, committing 10 errors in 251 total chances.
In 1916, the Federal League dissolved and the St. Louis Browns of the American League took over their operations. The Browns then sold Kores to the Class-A Nashville Volunteers of the Southern Association. With Nashville that season, he batted .275 with 117 hits, 21 doubles, and seven triples in 129 games played. In the field, he played third base. Kores re-signed with the Nashville Volunteers in 1917. That year, he batted .275 with 152 hits, 30 doubles, 13 triples, and two home runs in 154 games played. Defensively, he played all of his games at third base, committing 27 errors in 583 total chances. After the season, Kores joined a barnstorming team in Milwaukee.
Before the start of the 1918 season, Kores was sold from the Nashville Volunteers to the Louisville Colonels of the Double-A American Association. With Louisville, he batted .304 with 78 hits, 10 doubles, and seven triples in 71 games played. He played third base for the Colonels that season. After he completed his season with the Colonels, Kores signed with the semi-professional Lake Shore League. In 1919, he continued to play semi-pro baseball. He also injured his right arm that season. In late-March during the 1920 season, Kores signed with the Double-A Toledo Mud Hens of the American Association. Later that season, he joined the Indianapolis Indians, who were also members of the American Association. Between the two clubs, he batted .253 with 123 hits, 20 doubles, five triples, and one home run in 139 games played. He played all of his games at third base, committing 25 errors in 435 games played.
Later life.
After his baseball career, Kores settled in his home-town of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, with his wife Alma R. and their son Vernon T. Art Kores worked for a local oil company. He died on March 26, 1974, in Milwaukee. He was buried at Wisconsin Memorial Park in Brookfield, Wisconsin. |
Cri du chat syndrome
Cri du chat syndrome is a rare genetic disorder due to a partial chromosome deletion on chromosome 5. Its name is a French term ("cat-cry" or "call of the cat") referring to the characteristic cat-like cry of affected children (sound sample . It was first described by Jérôme Lejeune in 1963. The condition affects an estimated 1 in 50,000 live births across all ethnicities and is more common in females by a 4:3 ratio.
Signs and symptoms.
The syndrome gets its name from the characteristic cry of affected infants, which is similar to that of a meowing kitten, due to problems with the larynx and nervous system. About one third of children lose the cry by age of 2 years. Other symptoms of cri du chat syndrome may include:
Other common findings include hypotonia, a round face with full cheeks, epicanthal folds, down-slanting palpebral fissures (eyelids), strabismus, flat nasal bridge, down-turned mouth, low-set ears, short fingers, single palmar creases and cardiac defects (e.g., ventricular septal defect [VSD], atrial septal defect [ASD], patent ductus arteriosus [PDA], tetralogy of Fallot). Infertility is not associated with Cri du chat.
It has also been observed that people with the condition have difficulties communicating. While levels of proficiency can range from a few words to short sentences, it is often recommended by medical professionals for the child to undergo some sort of speech therapy/aid with the help of a professional.
Less frequently encountered findings include cleft lip and palate, preauricular tags and fistulas, thymic dysplasia, intestinal malrotation, megacolon, inguinal hernia, dislocated hips, cryptorchidism, hypospadias, rare renal malformations (e.g., horseshoe kidneys, renal ectopia or agenesis, hydronephrosis), clinodactyly of the fifth fingers, talipes equinovarus, pes planus, syndactyly of the second and third fingers and toes, oligosyndactyly and hyper extensible joints. The syndrome may also include various dermatoglyphics, including transverse flexion creases, distal axial triradius, increased whorls and arches on digits and a single palmar crease.
Late childhood and adolescence findings include significant intellectual disability, microcephaly, coarsening of facial features, prominent supraorbital ridges, deep-set eyes, hypoplastic nasal bridge, severe malocclusion and scoliosis.
Affected females reach puberty, develop secondary sex characteristics and menstruate at the usual time. The genital tract is usually normal in females, except for a report of a bicornuate uterus. In males, testes are often small, but spermatogenesis is thought to be normal.
Exceptionally, some with Cri du chat are very high-functioning and do not seem very different from developmentally typical individuals, with mostly the exception of mild learning difficulties, and do not have speech difficulties, although they may have milder facial features and a high-pitched voice due to their condition.
Genetics.
Cri du chat syndrome is due to a partial deletion of the short arm of chromosome number 5, also called "5p monosomy" or "partial monosomy." Approximately 90% of cases result from a sporadic, or randomly occurring, "de novo" deletion. The remaining 10–15% are due to unequal segregation of a parental balanced translocation where the 5p monosomy is often accompanied by a trisomic portion of the genome. These individuals may have more severe disease than those with isolated monosomy of 5p. A recent study suggests this may not be the case where a trisomy of chromosome 4q is involved.
Most cases involve total loss of the most distal 10–20% of the material on the short arm. Fewer than 10% of cases have other rare cytogenetic aberrations (e.g., interstitial deletions, mosaicisms, rings and "de novo" translocations). The deleted chromosome 5 is paternal in origin in about 80% of "de novo" cases. Loss of a small region in band 5p15.2 (cri du chat critical region) correlates with all the clinical features of the syndrome with the exception of the catlike cry, which maps to band 5p15.3 (catlike critical region). The results suggest that 2 noncontiguous critical regions contain genes involved in this condition's cause. Two genes in these regions, Semaphorine F (SEMA5A) and delta catenin (CTNND2), are potentially involved in cerebral development. The deletion of the telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) gene localized in 5p15.33 may contribute to the phenotypic changes in cri du chat syndrome as well.
Diagnosis.
Diagnosis is based on the distinctive cry and accompanying physical problems. These common symptoms are quite easily observed in infants. Affected children are typically diagnosed by a doctor at birth. Genetic counseling and genetic testing may be offered to families with individuals who have cri du chat syndrome. Prenatally the deletion of the cri du chat related region in the p arm of chromosome 5 can be detected from amniotic fluid or chorionic villi samples with BACs-on-Beads technology. G-banded karyotype of a carrier is also useful.
Treatment.
There is not a specific way to treat the condition as the brain damage caused by this condition occurs in the early stages of embryo development. Intensive treatment is rarely needed in infants and they can be treated in neonatal pathology departments. Children may be treated by speech, physical and occupational therapists. If infants have difficulty in suction or swallowing, then physical therapy should begin in the first weeks of life. Heart abnormalities often require surgical correction and specialist attention.
Prognosis.
Once the child has survived the first few years of life, the prognosis is good and the mortality level is low. In a series of case reports, the mortality rate was about 10%, with 75% of deaths occurring within 3 months of birth, and 90% within the 1st year. |
Ottoman dynasty
The Ottoman dynasty () consisted of the members of the imperial House of Osman (), also known as the Ottomans (). According to Ottoman tradition, the family originated from the Kayı tribe branch of the Oghuz Turks, under Osman I in northwestern Anatolia in the district of Bilecik Söğüt. The Ottoman dynasty, named after Osman I, ruled the Ottoman Empire from c. 1299 to 1922.
During much of the Empire's history, the sultan was the absolute regent, head of state, and head of government, though much of the power often shifted to other officials such as the Grand Vizier. During the First (1876–78) and Second Constitutional Eras (1908–20) of the late Empire, a shift to a constitutional monarchy was enacted, with the Grand Vizier taking on a prime ministerial role as head of government and heading an elected General Assembly.
The imperial family was deposed from power and the sultanate was abolished on 1 November 1922 during the Turkish War of Independence. The Republic of Turkey was declared the following year. The living members of the dynasty were initially sent into exile as "personae non-gratae", though some have been allowed to return and live as private citizens in Turkey. In its current form, the family is known as the Osmanoğlu family.
History.
The Ottoman dynasty operated under several basic premises: that the Sultan governed the empire's entire territory, that every male member of the dynastic family was hypothetically eligible to become Sultan, and that only one person at a time could be the Sultan. Such rules were fairly standard for monarchic empires of the time. The certain processes through which men rose to the Sultanate, however, were very specific to the Ottoman Empire. To go into greater detail about these processes, the history of succession between Sultans can be divided into two eras: the period between the reign of Orhan (1323–1362), the first person to inherit the Ottoman sultanate, and the reign of Ahmed I (1603–1617); and the period following Ahmed I's reign.
The succession process during the first period was dominated by violence and intra-familial conflict, in which the various sons of the deceased Sultan fought until only one remained alive and, thus, inherited the throne. This tradition was known as fratricide in the Ottoman Empire but may have evolved from tanistry, a similar succession procedure that existed in many Turco-Mongolian dynasties predating the Ottomans. Sons of the Sultan were often given provincial territories to govern until the Sultan's death, at which point they would each vie for the throne. Each son had to, according to historian H. Erdem Cipa, "demonstrate that his fortune was superior to the fortunes of his rivals", a demonstration that often took the form of military accomplishment and ruthlessness. This violence was not considered particularly unexpected or unusual. As Cipa has noted, the Ottoman words for "successor" and "conflict" share the same Arabic root, and indeed, all but one of the successions in this roughly 200-year period involved a resolution by combat. Over time, the combat became increasingly prevalent and recognized, especially after a Jannissary uprising negated Murad II's attempt to abdicate the throne peacefully to his son, Mehmed II, in 1444. During the eventual reign of Mehmed II (1451–1481), fratricide was legalized as an official practice; during the reign of Bayezid II (1481–1512), fratricide between Bayezid II's sons occurred before Bayezid II himself died; and after the reign of Murad III (1574–1595), his successor Mehmed III executed 19 brothers to claim the throne.
During the second period, the tradition of fratricide was replaced by a simpler and less violent procedure. Starting with the succession from Ahmed I to Mustafa I in 1617, the Ottoman throne was inherited by the eldest male blood relative – not necessarily the son – of the Sultan, regardless of how many eligible family members were alive. The change in succession procedure was likely instigated by numerous factors, including fratricide’s decline in popularity among Ottoman elites and Ahmed I’s decision not to kill Mustafa when inheriting the throne from Mehmed III in 1603. With the door open for a policy change, a political debate arose between those who supported unrestricted Sultanic privilege and those who supported a stronger, centralized law system that would supersede even the Sultan’s power to an extent. Historian Baki Tezcan has argued that the latter faction – with the help of the influential "şeyhülislam" Hocazade Esad Efendi – was able to prevail in this instance. The bloodless succession from Ahmed I to Mustafa I in 1617 "provided a reference for the eventual stabilization of the rule of Ottoman succession, the very regulation of which by an outside force was in effect a constitutional check on the dynastic prerogative," Tezcan has written. The precedent set in 1617 stuck, as the eldest living family member successfully inherited the throne in each of the following 21 successions, with relatively few instances of a son inheriting the throne.
Succession practices.
From the fourteenth through the late sixteenth centuries, the Ottomans practiced open succession – something historian Donald Quataert has described as "survival of the fittest, not eldest, son." During their father's lifetime, all adult sons of the reigning Osmanoğlu family's sultan were given provincial governorships in order to gain experience in administration (a practice commonly found in Central Asian tradition), accompanied and mentored by their retinues and tutors. Upon the death of their father, the reigning sultan, these sons would fight amongst themselves for the succession until one emerged triumphant. The first son to reach the capital and seize control of the court would usually become the new ruler. The proximity of a Şehzade (=Prince) to Constantinople improved his chances of success, simply because he could hear of his father's death, seize control of the Ottoman court in the capital, and declare himself Sultan first. A Sultan could thus hint at his preferred successor by giving a favourite son a closer governorship. Bayezid II, for instance, had to fight his brother Cem Sultan in the 1480s for the right to rule.
Occasionally, the half-brothers would begin the struggle even before the death of their father. Under Suleiman the Magnificent (1520–1566), strife between his sons Şehzade Mustafa and Şehzade Selim (later Selim II) caused such internal turmoil that Suleiman ordered the deaths of both Şehzade Mustafa and another son, Şehzade Bayezid, leaving Şehzade Selim the sole heir.
During the reigns of Suleiman I and Selim II, the "Haseki Sultan" (Ottoman Turkish: خاصکى سلطان) or chief consort rose to greater prominence. Gaining power within the Imperial Harem, the favourite was able to manoeuvre to ensure the succession for one of her sons. This led to a short period of effective primogeniture. However, unlike in the earlier period, when the sultan had already defeated his brothers and potential rivals for the throne in battle, these sultans had the problem of many half-brothers who could act as the focus for rival factions. Thus, to prevent attempts at seizing the throne, reigning sultans practiced fratricide upon accession, starting with Murad I in 1362. Both Murad III and his son Mehmed III had their half-brothers murdered. The killing of all the new sultan's brothers and half-brothers (who were usually quite numerous) was traditionally done by manual strangling with a silk cord. As the centuries passed, the ritual killing was gradually replaced by lifetime solitary confinement in the "Golden Cage" or "kafes", a room in the harem from where the sultan's brothers could never escape, unless perchance they became heir presumptive. Some had already become mentally unstable by the time they were asked to reign.
Mehmed III was the last sultan to have previously held a provincial governorship. Sons now remained within the harem until the death of their father. This not only denied them the ability to form powerful factions capable of usurping their father but also denied them the opportunity to have children while their father remained alive. Thus, when Mehmet's son came to the throne as Ahmed I, he had no children of his own. Moreover, as a minor, there was no evidence he could have children. This had the potential to create a crisis of succession and led to a gradual end to fratricide. Ahmed had some of his brothers killed, but not Mustafa (later Mustafa I). Similarly, Osman II allowed his half-brothers Murad IV and Ibrahim to live. This led to a shift in the 17th century from a system of primogeniture to one based on agnatic seniority, in which the eldest male within the dynasty succeeded, also to guarantee adult sultans and prevent both fratricides as well as the sultanate of women. Thus, Mustafa succeeded his brother Ahmed; Suleiman II and Ahmed II succeeded their brother Mehmed IV before being succeeded in turn by Mehmed's son Mustafa II. Agnatic seniority explains why from the 17th century onwards a deceased sultan was rarely succeeded by his son, but usually by an uncle or brother. It also meant that potential rulers had to wait a long time in the "kafes" before ascending the throne, hence the old age of certain sultans upon their enthronement. Although attempts were made in the 19th century to replace agnatic seniority with primogeniture, they were unsuccessful, and seniority was retained until the abolition of the sultanate in 1922.
External links.
In English
In Turkish
In French |
John Howard (lacrosse)
John Douglas "Hezzy" Howard (December 12, 1934 – July 19, 2007) was an American educator and college lacrosse player and coach. He coached the University of Maryland lacrosse team from 1966 to 1969 and amassed a 32–7–1 record. He attended Washington College, where in 1956 he received the Jack Turnbull Award as the nation's best attackman. Howard was inducted into the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame in 1978. At the University of Maryland, Howard also taught as an English professor and held various posts in the school's English department including acting chairman from 1979 to 1980.
Early life and college career.
A native of Annapolis, Maryland born on December 12, 1934, Howard attended St. Mary's High School starting in 1948, where he played lacrosse on the school's first team. He graduated in 1952.
Howard then went on to Washington College in 1953, where he played soccer, and lacrosse as an attackman and face-off man. He was a member of the Omicron Delta Kappa honor society. In 1954, Howard led the nation in assists and helped the Shoremen capture the Laurie Cox Division championship. The United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association named Howard an honorable mention All-American. The following the season, he repeated as the nation's assist leader and the USILA named him to its third team. In 1956, the USILA awarded him All-America first team honors and the Jack Turnbull Award as the nation's best attackman. Howard was invited to participate in the 1956 North/South Senior All-Star Game, and scored five goals and earned six assists on the way to a South squad win. Howard set the record for career assists with 173, which stood until broken by Tim Nelson of Syracuse in 1985.
After college, Howard served as a commissioned officer in the United States Navy. He attained the rank of lieutenant.
Coaching career.
Howard began his coaching career at the University of Maryland as the freshman team coach in 1960. In 1962, he was promoted to assistant coach under co-head coaches Jack Faber and Al Heagy. In 1966, Howard took over as the head coach himself. In 1967, Howard guided Maryland to an 8–1 record, which was enough to secure a share of the USILA national championship alongside Navy and Johns Hopkins. An upset of heavy favorites Johns Hopkins, 9–4, was the deciding factor in Maryland's title stake. The following season in 1968, Maryland defeated the dominant team of the period, Navy, 5–3, which was the Terrapins' first victory against the Midshipmen in eight years. That year also saw one of only four ties in Maryland lacrosse history, a 6–6 stalemate with Princeton.
Rennie Smith, a Maryland assistant coach and Lacrosse Hall of Fame inductee, said, "Hezzy was a bit of a free spirit, but he was very likeable. He was a handsome guy. We used to like to go to his office because the girls were always coming in and cooing, 'Hi, Hezzy.'" Bill Sbarra, who played as a defenseman under Howard, said, "He was the first coach I ever saw who inverted his attackmen and midfielders ... The day we upset Hopkins, we knew everything Hopkins was going to do. Hezzy's scouting report was brilliant."
While coaching at Maryland, Howard also played lacrosse at the club level. He played for the Washington Lacrosse Club from 1963 to 1967, including in the Maryland Box Lacrosse League in 1965 and 1966. He led the league in scoring in 1965.
Academic career.
While at Maryland, Howard also taught in the English department. He earned his master's degree in 1962 and Ph.D in 1967 from the University of Maryland. Howard began teaching as an English instructor from 1964 to 1967, while working towards his doctorate. He became an assistant professor in 1967, an associate professor in 1971, and a full professor in 1987. He served as associate chairman of the English department from 1969 to 1972 and 1977 to 1979, and then acting chairman from 1979 to 1980. From 1987 to 1990, he was the director of graduate studies. Howard authored numerous books, essays, and literature reviews, including several on English poet William Blake. Howard wrote "Infernal Poetics: Poetic Structures in Blake's Lambeth Prophecies" and "Blake's Milton: A Study in the Selfhood".
Later life.
In 2000, Howard retired to Greencastle, Indiana, where his wife taught at DePauw University. He attempted to foster the sport at the college, but failed. Howard explained:"I tried to start lacrosse at DePauw. We held a few practices in the fall. The kids had a problem—they would not believe you could catch and throw a lacrosse ball while you were running. They thought you had to be standing still ... After Christmas, nobody came back. Either I'm a lousy teacher or kids in Indiana just didn't like lacrosse."
Howard died of pneumonia on July 19, 2007 at the age of 72 at Saint Vincent Hospice in Indianapolis. He was inducted into National Lacrosse Hall of Fame in 1978, the Washington College Hall of Fame in 1983, and the St. Mary's High School Athletic Hall of Fame in 1996. |
Lakemba Mosque
The Lakemba Mosque, also known as the Masjid Ali Bin Abi Talib and officially the Imam Ali bin Abi Taleb Mosque, is Australia's largest mosque. It was the first purpose-built mosque in Sydney and is located at 71-75 Wangee Road, Lakemba. Owned and managed by the Lebanese Muslim Association (LMA), Lakemba Mosque and the LMA offices are situated contiguously at the same address.
History.
A small house on the current site of Lakemba Mosque was purchased and used by the Lebanese Muslim Association from the 1960s as a place of worship. The house was demolished in the early 1970s and construction of the current building commenced. Construction lasted five years, with the mosque being completed in 1977. The opening of the mosque was attended by the former Prime Minister Gough Whitlam. Fundraising for the mosque took place both locally and internationally, with about half the funds coming from the Middle East and the largest single donation coming from the Saudi royal family. Lakemba Mosque was the second purpose-built mosque in Sydney and remains arguably Australia's most well-known and important mosque.
While historically Muslims of Lebanese heritage constituted the majority of the congregation, today people of Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Somali and South-East Asian backgrounds also attend in significant numbers, along with a small but growing number of converts. The overwhelming majority of the congregation is either of Hanafi or Shafi'i background.
Controversies.
1977 'Holy War' document.
During Ramadan celebrations on September 30, 1977, around 4000 copies of a document calling for a "Holy War" (Jihad) was distributed to worshippers at Lakemba mosque. The document stated that Muslims must wage war against foreign interference and to spread Islam. It also made discriminatory references to Christians, Jews, Hindus and others, referring to them as "infidels" that must be fought. Middle Eastern Christian groups such as the Maronites and Copts believed that the document was created by Muslim Brotherhood members active at the mosque.
Taj El-Din Hilaly.
Taj El-Din Hilaly, the former Imam of Lakemba Mosque from the 1980s till 2007 (and whose wages were paid by Gaddafi's Libyan Islamic Call Society and private individuals") is known to have made numerous controversial statements.
1988 speech regarding Jews.
In 1988 when Hilaly delivered a lecture to a group of Muslim students at University of Sydney on the topic "The Disposition of Jews in the light of the Qur'an." He was quoted as saying:
Hilaly has not since apologised nor retracted his comments, in which he accused Jews of "causing all wars."
February 2004 sermon.
In February 2004 Hilaly gave a sermon at a mosque in Sidon, Lebanon, whilst overseas the text of which was translated by the Australian Embassy in Beirut. It appeared to show him supporting terrorist attacks. In his sermon, Hilaly said:
In his speech, he also predicted that Muslims would control the White House and appeared to support Hezbollah. The Australian Federal Police declined to investigate his activities overseas.
2006 Holocaust denial.
In July 2006 Hilaly was sacked from Prime Minister of Australia John Howard's Muslim Community Reference Group following comments he made in which he denied the Holocaust, calling it a "Zionist lie". He also referred to Israel as a "cancer". This prompted calls for legal action to be pursued against him in a country which has the highest per-capita number of Holocaust survivors in the world outside Israel.
October 2006 sermon.
In October 2006, Hilaly delivered a Ramadan sermon in Arabic in which he made statements concerning female clothing which proved highly controversial. The key part of these was:
He also said, "in the state of zina, the responsibility falls 90 per cent of the time on the woman. Why? Because she possesses the weapon of enticement (igraa)." Hilaly later claimed that he had intended to suggest that "if a woman who shows herself off, she is to blame...but a man should be able to control himself." He also contended that his references to the prison sentence of Bilal Skaf, the leader of a group of Lebanese Australians who committed gang rapes in Sydney in 2000, in which he said that women would "sway suggestively" before men "and then you get a judge without mercy (rahma) and gives you 65 years", were aimed at illustrating the need for harsh sanctions for rape.
There was a significant backlash to Hilaly's comments.
Alleged link to Al-Qaeda.
In February 2009, a "Sydney Morning Herald" journalist was ejected from the Lakemba mosque and the newspaper later reported that Anwar al-Awlaki, a key organizer, recruiter and spiritual motivator for the Islamist terrorist group al-Qaeda, spoke via phone link. A director of the mosque said that Shady Alsuleiman was in charge of organising evening youth events at the time of the sermon.
Alleged sectarianism.
In March 2015, adjunct professor Clive Williams at Macquarie University's Centre for Policing, Intelligence & Counter Terrorism wrote that Sunni Muslims did not welcome Shia Muslims at the mosque.
Christmas controversy.
In late 2012 Shaykh Safi told the congregation, during prayers, that they should not take part in anything to do with Christmas. A fatwa warned that, "disbelievers are trying to draw Muslims away from the straight path". The Grand Mufti of Australia, Ibrahim Abu Mohamed, said these views did not represent the majority of Muslims in Australia. Keysar Trad, former director and president of the LMA, said they previously greeted people with Merry Christmas, "I don't know what has changed."
Mosque personnel.
Lakemba Mosque has a number of staff who assist in the running and maintenance of the mosque. Currently the mosque has three official Imams:
Due its influence and significance, the mosque regularly hosts and is a first stop for visiting Islamic scholars from overseas.
Activities.
The mosque offers a number of religious classes, such as in prophetic biography, fiqh and aqidah. The mosque gives a platform to a number of local Shaykhs to speak and teach, such as Shaykh Wesam Charkawi. Since 2014, the mosque has served as the centre of the National Mosque Open Day event.
Several thousand worshippers normally attend weekly prayers on Fridays. In 2015 around 30,000 worshippers attended Eid prayers at the mosque and in the road outside, making it one of Australia's largest Eid celebrations. In 2016, an estimated 40,000-50,000 attended Eid prayers. |
Flight controller
Flight controllers are personnel who aid space flight by working in such Mission Control Centers as NASA's Mission Control Center or ESA's European Space Operations Centre. Flight controllers work at computer consoles and use telemetry to monitor various technical aspects of a space mission in real time. Each controller is an expert in a specific area and constantly communicates with additional experts in the "back room". The flight director, who leads the flight controllers, monitors the activities of a team of flight controllers, and has overall responsibility for success and safety.
This article primarily discusses NASA's flight controllers at the Johnson Space Center (JSC) in Houston. The various national and commercial flight control facilities have their own teams, which may be described on their own pages.
NASA's flight controllers.
The room where the flight controllers work was called the mission operations control room (MOCR, pronounced "moh-ker"), and now is called the flight control room (FCR, pronounced "ficker"). The controllers are experts in individual systems, and make recommendations to the flight director involving their areas of responsibility. Any controller may call for an abort if the circumstances require it. Before significant events, the flight director will "go around the room", polling each controller for a go/no go decision, a procedure also known as a launch status check. If all factors are good, each controller calls for a go, but if there is a problem requiring a hold or an abort, the call is no go. Another form of this is stay/no stay, when the spacecraft has completed a maneuver and has now "parked" in relation to another body, including spacecraft, orbiting the Earth or the Moon, or the lunar landings.
Controllers in MOCR/FCR are supported by the "backrooms", teams of flight controllers located in other parts of the building or even at remote facilities. The backroom was formerly called the staff support room (SSR), and is now called the multi-purpose support room (MPSR, pronounced "mipser"). Backroom flight controllers are responsible for the details of their assigned system and for making recommendations for actions needed for that system. "Frontroom" flight controllers are responsible for integrating the needs of their system into the larger needs of the vehicle and working with the rest of the flight control team to develop a cohesive plan of action, even if that plan is not necessarily in the best interests of the system they are responsible for. Within the chain of command of the MCC, information and recommendations flow from the backroom to the frontroom to Flight, and then, potentially, to the on board crew. Generally, a MOCR/FCR flight control team is made up of the more seasoned flight controllers than the SSR/MPSR, though senior flight controllers cycle back to support in the backroom periodically. One example of the usefulness of this system occurred during the descent of the Apollo 11 Lunar Module "Eagle", when "1202" and "1201" program alarms came from the LM. GUIDO Steve Bales, not sure whether to call for an abort, trusted the experts in the guidance backroom, especially Jack Garman, who told him that the problem was a computer overload, but could be ignored if it was intermittent. Bales called "Go!", Flight Director Gene Kranz accepted the call and the mission continued to success. Without the support of the backroom, a controller might make a bad call based on faulty memory or information not readily available to the person on the console. The nature of quiescent operations aboard the International Space Station (ISS) today is such that the full team is not required for 24/7/365 support. FCR flight controllers accept responsibility for operations without MPSR support most of the time, and the MPSR is only staffed for high-intensity periods of activity, such as joint Shuttle/ISS missions.
The flight controllers in the FCR and MPSR are further supported by hardware and software designers, analysts and engineering specialists in other parts of the building or remote facilities. These extended support teams have more detailed analysis tools and access to development and test data that is not readily accessible to the flight control team. These support teams were referred to by the name of their room in Mission Control, the mission operations integration room (MOIR), and are now collectively referred to by the name of their current location, the mission evaluation room (MER). While the flight controllers and their backrooms are responsible for real-time decision making, the MOIR/MER provides the detailed data and history needed to solve longer-term issues.
Uncrewed U.S. space missions also have flight controllers but are managed from separate organizations, either the Jet Propulsion Laboratory or the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory for deep-space missions or Goddard Space Flight Center for near-Earth missions.
Each flight controller has a unique call sign, which describes the position's responsibilities. The call sign and responsibility refer to the particular "console", not just the person, since missions are managed around the clock and with each shift change a different person takes over the console.
Flight controller responsibilities have changed over time, and continue to evolve. New controllers are added, and tasks are reassigned to other controllers to keep up with changing technical systems. For example, the EECOM handled command and service module communication systems through Apollo 10, which was afterward assigned to a new position called INCO.
Responsibility.
Flight controllers are responsible for the success of the mission and for the lives of the astronauts under their watch. The Flight Controllers' Creed states that they must "always be aware that suddenly and unexpectedly we may find ourselves in a role where our performance has ultimate consequences." Well-known actions taken by flight controllers include:
Common flight control positions.
There are some positions that have and will serve the same function in every vehicle's flight control team. The group of individuals serving in those positions may be different, but they will be called the same thing and serve the same function.
Flight director.
Leads the flight control team. "Flight" has overall operational responsibility for missions and payload operations and for all decisions regarding safe, expedient flight. This person monitors the other flight controllers, remaining in constant verbal communication with them via intercom channels called "loops".
Flight operations directorate (FOD).
Is a representative of the senior management chain at JSC, and is there to help the flight director make those decisions that have no safety-of-flight consequences, but may have cost or public perception consequences. The FOD cannot overrule the flight director during a mission. The former mission operations directorate (MOD) position was renamed FOD when the flight crew operations directorate (FCOD) was merged back with MOD beginning in August 2014.
Spacecraft communicator (CAPCOM).
Generally, only the spacecraft communicator communicates directly with the crew of a crewed space flight. The acronym dates back to Project Mercury when the spacecraft was originally termed a "capsule." NASA felt it important for all communication with the astronauts in space to pass through a single individual in the Mission Control Center. That role was first designated the "capsule communicator" or CAPCOM and was filled by another astronaut, often one of the backup- or support-crew members. NASA believes that an astronaut is most able to understand the situation in the spacecraft and pass information in the clearest way.
For long-duration missions there is more than one CAPCOM, each assigned to a different shift team. After control of U.S. spaceflights moved to the Johnson Space Center in the early 1960s, each CAPCOM used the radio call-sign "Houston". When non-astronauts are communicating directly with the spacecraft, CAPCOM acts as the communications controller.
, due to the shrinking size of the astronaut corps at the end of the Shuttle program, fewer astronauts are available to perform CAPCOM duties, so non-astronauts from the space flight training and flight controller branches also function as CAPCOM during ISS missions, while the role was filled solely by astronauts for the Apollo and Shuttle missions. Astronauts still take the CAPCOM position during critical events such as docking and EVA.
In the context of potential crewed missions to Mars, NASA Ames Research Center has conducted field trials of advanced computer-support for astronaut and remote science teams, to test the possibilities for automating CAPCOM.
Flight surgeon.
The flight surgeon directs all medical activities during the mission – monitors crew health via telemetry, provides crew consultation, and advises the flight director. A private communication channel can be established between astronauts and the flight surgeon, to provide doctor–patient confidentiality.
Public affairs officer (PAO).
Provides mission commentary to supplement and explain air-to-ground transmissions and flight control operations to the news media and the public. The individual filling this role is often referred to colloquially as "The Voice of Mission Control".
Apollo flight control positions.
The flight control positions used during the Apollo era were predominantly identical to the positions used for the Mercury and Gemini vehicles. This was because of the similarity of the vehicle design of the capsules used for the three programs.
Booster systems engineer.
The booster systems engineer monitored and evaluated performance of propulsion-related aspects of the launch vehicle during prelaunch and ascent. During the Apollo program there were three booster positions, who worked only until trans-lunar injection (TLI); after that, their consoles were vacated. Booster had the power to send an abort command to the spacecraft. All booster technicians were employed at the Marshall Space Flight Center and reported to JSC for the launches.
Control officer.
The control officer was responsible for the Apollo Lunar Module guidance, navigation, and control systems – essentially the equivalent of the GNC for the Command and Service Module.
Electrical, environmental, and consumables manager (EECOM).
The EECOM monitored cryogenic levels for fuel cells, and cabin cooling systems; electrical distribution systems; cabin pressure control systems; and vehicle lighting systems. EECOM originally stood for electrical, environmental and communication systems. The Apollo EECOM was responsible for CSM communications through Apollo 10. Afterward the communication task was moved to a new console named INCO.
Perhaps the most famous NASA EECOMs are Seymour "Sy" Liebergot, the EECOM on duty at the time of the oxygen tank explosion on Apollo 13, and John Aaron, who designed the drastically reduced power budget for its return. Aaron also saved the Apollo 12 mission by realizing that using the backup power supply for telemetry of analog capsule sensors would allow diagnosis of all the seemingly-unrelated problems caused by a lightning strike.
Flight activities officer (FAO).
The FAO planned and supported crew activities, checklists, procedures and schedules.
Flight director.
The flight directors held overall control of all of the individual positions in the MOCR. Some Apollo era directors were:
Flight dynamics officer (FDO or FIDO).
Responsible for the flight path of the space vehicle, both atmospheric and orbital. During lunar missions the FDO was also responsible for the lunar trajectory. The FDO monitored vehicle performance during the powered flight phase and assessed abort modes, calculated orbital maneuvers and resulting trajectories, and monitored vehicle flight profile and energy levels during reentry.
Guidance officer (GUIDANCE or GUIDO).
The guidance officer monitored on board navigational systems and on board guidance computer software. Responsible for determining the position of the spacecraft in space. One well-known guidance officer was Steve Bales, who gave the "go" call when the Apollo 11 guidance computer came close to overloading during the first lunar descent.
Guidance, navigation, and controls systems engineer (GNC).
The GNC monitored all vehicle guidance, navigation, and control systems. Also responsible for propulsion systems such as the service propulsion system and reaction control system (RCS).
Integrated communications officer (INCO).
The INCO was responsible for all data, voice and video communications systems, including monitoring the configuration of in-flight communications and instrumentation systems. Duties also included monitoring the telemetry link between the vehicle and the ground, and overseeing the uplink command and control processes. The position was formed from the combination of LEM and CSM communicator positions.
Network.
Supervised the network of ground stations that relayed telemetry and communications from the spacecraft.
Organization and procedures officer (O&P).
Supervised the application of mission rules and established techniques to the conduct of the flight.
Retrofire officer (RETRO).
Drew up abort plans and was responsible for determination of retrofire times. During lunar missions the RETRO planned and monitored Trans Earth Injection (TEI) maneuvers, where the Apollo Service Module fired its engine to return to earth from the moon.
Telemetry, electrical, EVA mobility unit officer (TELMU).
Monitored the lunar module electrical and environmental systems, plus lunar astronaut spacesuits. Essentially the equivalent of the EECOM for the lunar module.
Shuttle and Space Station flight controllers.
NASA currently has a group of flight controllers at the Johnson Space Center in Houston for the International Space Station (ISS). The Space Shuttle flight control team (as well as those for the earlier Gemini, Apollo, and Skylab programs) were also based there. Console manning for short-duration and extended operations differed in operational philosophy.
The Space Shuttle (and prior program) flight controllers worked relatively brief periods: The several minutes of ascent, the few days the vehicle was in orbit, and reentry. The duration of operations for Space Shuttle flight controllers was short and time-critical. A failure on the Shuttle could leave flight controllers little time for talking, putting pressure on them to respond quickly to potential failures. The Space Shuttle flight controllers generally had limited capability to send commands to the shuttle for system reconfigurations.
In contrast, the ISS flight controllers work 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. This allows the ISS flight controllers time to discuss off-nominal telemetry. The ISS flight controllers have the opportunity to interface with many groups and engineering experts. The mentality of an ISS flight controller is to preempt a failure. Telemetry is closely monitored for any signatures that may begin to indicate future catastrophic failures. Generally, ISS flight controllers take a prophylactic approach to space vehicle operations. There are command capabilities that ISS flight controllers use to preclude a potential failure.
Shuttle flight control positions (1981-2011).
Many Apollo program mission control positions were carried forward to the Space Shuttle program. However, other positions were eliminated or redefined, and new positions were added.
Positions remaining generally the same:
Positions eliminated or modified:
After retirement of the Space Shuttle in 2011, the operational concept of flight control of a launched crewed vehicle was used as the basis for the Boeing CST-100 Commercial Crew vehicle starting in 2019.
Assembly and checkout officer (ACO)/payloads.
Responsible for all Space Shuttle-based activities related to construction and operation of the Space Station, including logistics and transfer items stored in a multi-purpose logistics module (MPLM) or Spacehab. Also responsible for all Shuttle payloads, from Spacehab to the Hubble Space Telescope to deployable satellites. On Shuttle missions that did not dock with the ISS, this position was known as payloads.
Booster systems engineer (BOOSTER).
Monitored and evaluated performance of propulsion-related aspects of the launch vehicle during prelaunch and ascent, including the main engines and solid rocket boosters.
Data processing system engineer (DPS).
Responsible for data processing systems in a space flight. This included monitoring the on board General Purpose Computers (GPCs), flight-critical, launch and payload data buses, the multi-function electronic display system (MEDS), solid-state mass memory (SSMM) units, flight critical and payload multiplexer/de-multiplexer (MDM) units, master timing unit (MTU), backup flight control (BFC) units and system-level software.
The Space Shuttle general purpose computers were a critical subsystem, and the vehicle cannot fly without them.
Emergency, environmental, and consumables management (EECOM).
EECOM's revamped Space Shuttle responsibilities included the atmospheric pressure control and revitalization systems, the cooling systems (air, water, and freon), and the supply/waste water system.
MPSR positions
EECOM's critical function was to maintain the systems, such as atmosphere and thermal control, that keep the crew alive.
Electrical generation and integrated lighting systems engineer (EGIL).
Monitored cryogenic levels for the fuel cells, electrical generation and distribution systems on the spacecraft, and vehicle lighting. This was a portion of the job formerly done by EECOM.
MPSR positions
Extravehicular activity officer (EVA).
Responsible for all spacesuit and spacewalking-related tasks, equipment and plans when the EVA took place from the shuttle.
Flight activities officer (FAO).
Planned and supported crew activities, checklists, procedures, schedules, attitude maneuvers and timelines.
MPSR positions
Flight dynamics officer (FDO or FIDO).
Responsible for the flight path of the Space Shuttle, both atmospheric and orbital. FDO monitored vehicle performance during the powered flight phase and assessed abort modes, calculated orbital maneuvers and resulting trajectories, and monitored vehicle flight profile and energy levels during re-entry.
MPSR positions
Ground controller (GC).
Directed maintenance and operation activities affecting Mission Control hardware, software and support facilities; coordinated space flight tracking and data network, and Tracking and Data Relay Satellite system with Goddard Space Flight Center.
Guidance, navigation, and controls systems engineer (GNC).
Monitored all shuttle guidance, navigation and control systems.
MPSR positions
Instrumentation and communications officer (INCO).
Responsible for all data, voice and video communications systems, including monitoring the configuration of in-flight communications and instrumentation systems. Duties also included monitoring the telemetry link between the vehicle and the ground, and overseeing the uplink command and control processes. The INCO was the only position that uplinked commands to the orbiter. This position was a direct evolution of the integrated communications officer from the Apollo program.
MPSR positions
Mechanical, maintenance, arm, and crew systems (MMACS).
Responsible for Space Shuttle structural and mechanical systems, monitoring auxiliary power units and hydraulic systems, managing payload bay door, external tank umbilical door, vent door, radiator deploy/stow, Ku-band antenna deploy/stow, and payload retention latch operations, landing gear/deceleration systems (landing gear deploy, tires, brakes/antiskid, and drag chute deploy), and monitoring the orbiter docking system. MMACS also followed use of on board crew hardware and in-flight equipment maintenance. This represented another portion of the job formerly done by EECOM, with additional responsibilities added by the specific requirements of Space Shuttle operations. The MMACS officer served as the point of contact for PDRS, Booster, and EVA during periods in a mission when these positions did not require constant staffing.
MPSR positions
Payload deployment and retrieval system (PDRS).
Responsible for Space Shuttle remote manipulator system (RMS) or "robot arm".
Propulsion engineer (PROP).
Managed the reaction control thrusters and orbital maneuvering engines during all phases of flight, monitored fuel usage and propellant tank status, and calculated optimal sequences for thruster firings.
Rendezvous (RNDZ).
Responsible for activities such as trajectory operations related to the rendezvous and docking/capture with another spacecraft, including Mir, the ISS, and satellites such as the Hubble Space Telescope.
Trajectory officer (TRAJ).
Assisted the FDO during time-critical operations, responsible for maintaining the various processors that helped determine the shuttle's current and potential trajectories. A FDO was certified as a TRAJ first. Shares the FCR with FDO.
Transoceanic abort landing communicator (TALCOM).
One of the few members of Shuttle Mission Control not physically present in Houston. If an emergency had occurred, such as loss of one or more main engine during a Space Shuttle launch, requiring the shuttle to land at one of the contingency landing sites in Africa, Europe or the Middle East, TALCOM would have assumed the role of CAPCOM providing communications with astronauts aboard the crippled orbiter. Like CAPCOM, the TALCOM role was filled by an astronaut. Three astronauts were deployed to the alternate landing sites in Zaragoza Air Base and Moron Air Base in Spain, and Istres Air Base in France. These astronauts flew aboard weather reconnaissance aircraft to provide support at the selected landing site.
ISS flight control positions to 2010.
The International Space Station flight control positions used by NASA in Houston are different from those used by previous NASA programs. These differences exist primarily to stem the potential confusion that might otherwise follow from conflicting use of the same name in two different rooms during the same operations, such as when the space shuttle was conducting mated operations with the space station. There are also differences in the control positions because of differences in the operation of the two. The following is a list of those flight controllers located in Mission Control Center – Houston. There are several other control centers which house dozens of other flight controllers that support the vastly complex vehicle.
Positions formerly used but eliminated or modified:
Starting in 2001, the ISS flight control room has consolidated six of the below positions into just two, to reduce staffing during low-activity periods. This concept is known as Gemini. After Assembly complete, the Gemini concept was eliminated in the realignment of the core ISS flight control positions.
Attitude determination and control officer (ADCO).
Works in partnership with Russian controllers to determine and manage the station's orientation, controlled by the on board motion control systems. This position also plans and calculates future orientations and maneuvers for the station and is responsible for docking the ISS with other vehicles.
MPSR positions
Biomedical engineer (BME).
The BME monitors health-related station systems and Crew Health Care Systems (CHeCS) equipment. The BME provides technical and operational support for CHeCS and all other medical operations activities. Along with the SURGEON, the BME serves as a Medical Operations Branch representative to the USOS Flight Control Team.
Communication and tracking officer (CATO).
Responsible for management and operations of the U.S. communication systems, including audio, video, telemetry and commanding systems.
Environmental control and life support system (ECLSS).
Responsible for the assembly and operation of systems related to atmosphere control and supply, atmosphere revitalization, cabin air temperature and humidity control, circulation, fire detection and suppression, water collection and processing and crew hygiene equipment, among other areas.
MPSR Position
ACE (Atmosphere and Consumables Engineer)
Extravehicular activity officer (EVA).
Responsible for all spacesuit and spacewalking-related tasks, equipment and plans when the EVA takes place from the ISS.
Inventory and stowage officer (ISO).
Responsible for the daily tracking and inventory of all US cargo on the ISS. ISO is the integrator for all cargo that is delivered to and from the ISS for ATV, HTV, Dragon, and Cygnus vehicles.
Integration systems engineer (ISE).
A specialist position, the ISE is the systems liaison between ISS and visiting vehicles that are berthed to the US side of ISS. The ISE flight control is responsible for the safety of the ISS such that the visiting vehicle can safely approach, berth, and integrate with the ISS. This includes HTV, Dragon, Cygnus, and even special missions like the deployment of Bigelow Expandable Activity Module (BEAM). ISE works closely with VVO.
Onboard data interfaces and networks (ODIN).
The ODIN is responsible for the Command and Data Handling (C&DH) system, the Portable Computer System (PCS) computers, the Caution & Warning (C&W) system, overall responsibility for commanding, and interfaces with International Partner avionics systems. The C&DH system consists of the Multiplexer/DeMultiplexers (MDMs) which are the ISS computers. Core software in each MDM (not User Application Software), the MIL-STD-1553 data busses, Automated Payload Switches (APSs), fiber optic network, Payload Ethernet Hub Gateway (PEHG), and the Ethernet network. This does not include the Ops LAN, Station Support Computers (SSC), or file server.
MPSR positions
Operations planner (OPSPLAN).
Leads the coordination, development and maintenance of the station's short-term plan, including crew and ground activities. The plan includes the production and uplink of the on board station plan and the coordination and maintenance of the on board inventory and stowage listings.
MPSR positions
Operations support officer (OSO).
Charged with those logistics support functions that address on-orbit maintenance, support data and documentation, logistics information systems, maintenance data collection and maintenance analysis. The OSO is also responsible for mechanical systems—such as those used to attach new modules or truss sections to the vehicle during assembly.
MPSR position
Plug-in port utilization officer (PLUTO).
The name PLUTO is inherited from the flight controller's original role, which was to maintain and coordinate changes to the U.S. segment of the electrical plug-in plan (PiP). The PiP is the tracking of portable electronic equipment, making sure equipment connected is compatible and does not violate constraints, and will not overdraw the power source. Along with this, PLUTO is responsible for maintaining the OPSLAN (Operations Local Area Network) and the JSL (Joint Station LAN). PLUTO has remote desktop administration and monitoring capability to the network from the ground. The PLUTO is also responsible for certain Station Developmental Test Objectives, or SDTOs during the mission. This includes programming the Wireless Instrumentation System (WIS) and also remote desktop commanding for ROBONAUT activities.
MPSR position
Power, heating, articulation, lighting control officer (PHALCON).
Manages the power generation, storage, and power distribution capabilities.
Remote interface officer (RIO).
Formerly known as the Russian interface officer. Responsible for integrating operations between MCC-Houston (MCC-H) and the other International Partner (IP) Control Centers. RIO is a FCR-1 position in MCC-Houston and works closely in conjunction with the Houston Support Group (HSG) teams located at the IP Control Centers:
Robotics operations systems officer (ROBO).
Responsible for the operations of the Canadian Mobile Servicing System (MSS), which includes a mobile base system, station robotic arm, station robotic hand or special purpose dexterous manipulator. (Call sign: ROBO) represents a joint NASA-Canadian Space Agency team of specialists to plan and execute robotic operations.
Thermal operations and resources (THOR).
Responsible for the assembly and operation of multiple station subsystems which collect, distribute, and reject waste heat from critical equipment and payloads.
Trajectory operations officer (TOPO).
Responsible for the station trajectory. The TOPO works in partnership with Russian controllers, ADCO, and the U.S. Space Command to maintain data regarding the station's orbital position. TOPO plans all station orbital maneuvers.
Visiting vehicle officer (VVO).
A specialist position, the VVO is the guidance and navigation liaison between the ISS and "visiting vehicles" such as Progress, Soyuz or Dragon.
ISS flight control positions 2010–present.
After "Assembly Complete" in 2010 (which was the name given to the phase following the completion of the ISS assembly using the Space Shuttle), the core ISS flight control positions were realigned and the Gemini manning concept eliminated. While the other specialty positions – ADCO, BME, EVA, ISO, ISE, OPSPLAN, OSO, PLUTO, RIO, ROBO, TOPO, and VVO – remain the same, the new core positions are:
Communications RF on board networks utilization specialist (CRONUS).
This is a combination of the previous ODIN and CATO positions. Responsibilities for this group include the control and monitoring of on-board command and data systems (i.e. computers). Video cameras, both on board and external, are managed by CRONUS. The Caution And Warning System is also used to alert the crew and flight controllers to serious and dangerous safety situations. Communication radios, both for space-to-ground communication (S-Band and Ku-Band) and space-to-space communication (C2V2) are operated by CRONUS.
Environmental and Thermal operating systems (ETHOS).
This consists of the ECLSS system responsibilities as well as the internal thermal control systems from THOR.
Station power, articulation, thermal, and analysis (SPARTAN).
This consists of the electrical power (old PHALCON) and external thermal control systems from THOR.
Exploration Flight Test-1 (2014).
The Orion program, later to become part of the Artemis program, had its own flight control team, mostly derived from Space Shuttle flight control positions. The Primary Team sat in the main flight control room (FCR), while the Support Team sat in the various multi-purpose support rooms (MPSRs) nearby. All positions named below had similar responsibilities to their Shuttle counterparts. The Orion flight control team operated out of the Blue FCR, which had previously been used in the early days of ISS. As this was an uncrewed mission, the CAPCOM and SURGEON were not needed on console.
Command and Data Handling (C&DH).
Responsible for the command and data handling system, including the flight control module, the on-board storage module, the Orion data network and portions of the power and data units.
Emergency, Environmental, and Consumables manager (EECOM).
Responsible for spacecraft pressure control and active thermal control systems.
Electrical Power System Officer (EPS).
Responsible for spacecraft electrical and mechanical systems.
Flight Dynamics Officer (FDO).
Responsible for the pre-launch heading alignment update and orbit and entry trajectory predictions.
Flight Director (FLIGHT).
The responsible authority for the spacecraft between liftoff and the post-splashdown handover to the Orion recovery team. Provide a go or no-go decision for Orion's launch to the Mission Management Team and provide recommendations on operations outside the flight rules as needed.
Flight Operations Directorate (FOD).
Formerly known as MOD (Mission Operations Directorate), the console position representing the Directorate was renamed when the directorate itself was, taking the Apollo-era name of Flight Operations Directorate.
Ground Control Officer (GC).
Responsible for ground data systems and data flows that interface with the Mission Control Center.
Guidance Navigation and Control Officer (GNC).
Responsible for operations of the navigation hardware, including inertial measurement units, barometric altimeters and the GPS receiver and antennas.
Guidance Officer (GUIDANCE).
Responsible for the onboard navigation performance; launch vehicle and onboard navigation state vector quality assessments; guidance performance monitoring and associated flight test objectives evaluations; ground navigation processing and best state vector source determination; and the Mission Control Center contingency state vector update command.
Instrumentation and Communications Officer (INCO).
Responsible for Orion's communication systems, development flight instrumentation systems, video systems and recovery beacon; INCO sends all nominal and contingency commands to Orion.
Propulsion Officer (PROP).
Responsible for the propulsion system hardware and software.
Commercial Crew, 2019-present.
While SpaceX manages its own Mission Control Center for Dragon 2 vehicles in Hawthorne, CA, the management of the Boeing CST-100 Starliner launch, orbit, and entry operations is controlled from various flight control rooms in MCC Houston (MCC-H) collectively known as MCC-CST. The concept of operations in MCC-CST is derived from the Space Shuttle flight control room, and the following positions are largely unchanged from Shuttle responsibilities: CAPCOM, EECOM, FAO, FDO, Flight, FOD, GC, GNC, INCO, PAO, PROP, RNDZ, Surgeon, and TRAJ.
Some positions were formerly Shuttle back-room positions: Crew Systems, Nav, Pointing, Profile, Timeline, and Weather
And the positions newly invented for CST-100: CDH, FDF, MPO (combining the Shuttle's EGIL and MMACS controllers), Recovery, SDO, and Tablet
Newly invented position for SpaceX Crew Dragon 2 is CORE (replaces CAPCOM among other roles)
Command and Data Handling (CDH).
CDH is responsible for monitoring the health and status of the CST-100 avionics systems including the on board computers, display units, keyboards, on board data bus, wireless networks, tablets, on board software, data services for payloads and more.
Crew Systems and Photo/TV.
The roles and responsibilities for CREW SYSTEMS include developing operations products supporting crew and cargo integration and being hardware experts for flight crew equipment that deal with crew escape, human habitability, productivity, and well-being. The docking system centerline camera and digital imagery experts from Photo/ TV group will be relied upon for direct mission support and training.
Emergency, Environmental, and Consumables Management (EECOM).
EECOM is responsible for the environmental control and life support systems; monitoring and control of the active thermal control subsystems; atmosphere; suits; consumables management and reporting; cooling services for payloads and ingress/egress support. EECOM leads an integrated team response to emergencies (fire/cabin leak/toxic atmosphere/loss of cooling), and to internal and EECOM system leaks.
Flight Data File (FDF).
FDF manages the development and publication of FDF books for use by the crew and flight controllers. FDF provides real-time support for crew procedures and other FDF related activities. Duties include coordinating technical changes to procedures with flight directors, flight controllers, crew, and international partners. The FDF develops software requirements for procedures tools.
Flight Activities Officer (FAO).
FAO leads the coordination and integration of the crew activities, ground activities and attitude timeline into an integrated flight plan that meets the mission requirements defined by the program. For missions to the International Space Station (ISS), the FAO also works with the ISS Operations Planner to integrate CST-100 vehicle operations and preparations into the station timeline during both the joint-mission timeframe and during quiescent operations.
Flight Dynamics Officer (FDO).
FDO is responsible for pre-mission planning and real-time execution of all CST-100 trajectory operations, including launch, undocking re-entry and landing.
Ground Control (GC).
The GC team is responsible for the ground systems infrastructure and ground communications necessary to perform planning, training, testing, execution and evaluation of human spaceflight mission operations at the Johnson Space Center Mission Control Center for Boeing CST Mission Operations (MCC-CST).
Guidance, Navigation, and Control (GNC).
GNC manages guidance, navigation and control hardware, and associated software during all phases of flight, including GPS, attitude controllers, the Vision-based Electro-optical Sensor Tracking Assemblies (VESTAs) and more.
Integrated Communications Officer (INCO).
INCO is responsible for monitoring the health and status of the communications avionics including the Space-to-Ground (S/G) and Space-to-Space (S/S) systems, handheld radio communication, command encryption, audio systems and associated loose equipment functionality such as handheld microphones and headsets.
Mechanical and Power Officer (MPO).
MPO is responsible for the CST-100 spacecraft electrical, mechanical, structural, and landing and recovery systems. These systems include batteries, solar arrays, power converters, interior lighting, vehicle structure, thermal protection, parachutes, airbags, crew hardware and more.
Navigation (NAV).
NAV is responsible for ensuring both the on board and ground segments of the CST-100 navigation system is operating properly. NAV monitors performance of the on board navigation hardware and software, sensor status and performance, acceptability of sensor data, navigation convergence, VESTA performance and the VESTA Ground Station. NAV supports the GNC officer for issues related to relative and inertial navigation hardware, and for inertial navigation performance. NAV supports FDO for relative navigation performance monitoring and troubleshooting.
Public Affairs Officer (PAO).
PAO duties will be shared between NASA and Boeing. PAO coordinates news media events between the news media and the crew and/or Mission Control, and provides mission commentary to supplement and explain air-to-ground transmissions and flight control operations to the news media and the public.
Pointing.
The Pointing console is responsible the integration of all CST-100 Tracking and Data Relay Satellite (TDRS) communication requirements, communication predictions and unique target lines-of-sight analysis for payloads and on board systems. Pointing also provides attitude optimization to support unique pointing requirements, as needed.
Profile.
The Profile console monitors the CST-100 relative trajectory and translational maneuvers to ensure performance within defined limits. Profile assists in monitoring the progress of crew and automated procedures related to rendezvous and proximity operations. Profile monitors vehicle compliance with applicable flight rules and provides to the Rendezvous position a go/no-go recommendation prior to Authority to Proceed (ATP) points. Profile maintains awareness of potential vehicle automated responses to failure conditions and the resulting abort trajectories.
Propulsion (PROP).
PROP is responsible for all aspects of the operation and management of the propulsion system hardware and software used during all phases of flight. This includes thruster performance and propellant usage, translation burns and attitude control maneuvers, and consumables budgeting, management and reporting.
Recovery.
The Recovery position is responsible for planning CST-100 recovery and executing recovery operations once the vehicle has landed.
Rendezvous (RNDZ).
The Rendezvous position monitors the CST-100 during integrated operations with the space station and ensures that all space station trajectory safety requirements are satisfied. Rendezvous is the primary interface to the space station Visiting Vehicle Officer (VVO) and monitors relative navigation, guidance, and trajectory performance in the proximity operations, docking, separation and flyaround phases of flight.
Starliner Duty Officer (SDO).
For the OFT mission only, the SDO is responsible for monitoring the CST-100 while it is docked to the space station in a quiescent configuration while the remainder of the CST-100 Flight Control Team is on-call. The SDO is responsible for leading the ground and crew response to Starliner events that result in cautions or warnings on the space station.
Tablet.
The Tablet position monitors crew usage of the tablet devices and provides assistance/advice to the crew as needed.
Timeline.
The Timeline position assists the FAO in all aspects of preflight mission planning and coordination, and in real-time planning and replanning operations. TIMELINE generates the pre-flight timelines for the flight plan, monitors in-flight crew activities and coordinates activities with other flight controllers.
Trajectory (TRAJ).
TRAJ tracks the spacecraft's position in orbit to support acquisitions, plotting, external notifications, conjunction screening, and debris conjunction message evaluation and notification. TRAJ coordinates trajectory planning and events with the mission planning team, and is the primary member of the team responsible for running the CST-100 simulation to accomplish replanning and position update tasks.
Weather.
The Weather officer provides weather forecasts and real-time weather observations for launch and landing operations to the mission management community, Flight Director, and flight control team. The Weather officer manages meteorological forecasting models and computer systems that access and assemble radar and satellite imagery, and provides mission-critical inputs to the flight director for go-for-launch and go-for-deorbit decisions.
Crew Operations and Resources Engineer (CORE).
CORE or Crew Operations and Resources Engineer is SpaceX Crew Dragon 2 specific position that replaces CAPCOM and is the point person between Mission Control and crew on board the Dragon 2 spacecraft. |
John Henderson (West Aberdeenshire MP)
John McDonald Henderson (1846 – 20 November 1922) was a Scottish chartered accountant, barrister and Liberal Member of Parliament.
Education and family.
Henderson was a native of the city of Aberdeen. He was educated at Gordon's College and at Marischal College, both in Aberdeen. In 1872, he married Kate Mary, the daughter of Thomas Francis Robins. They had one son and a daughter.
Career.
Henderson qualified as a chartered accountant. He was a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales. He appeared in court often, regularly being appointed a trustee for bankrupt companies, which perhaps encouraged him to go in for the law as well. He was called to the Bar by Gray's Inn in 1897. He also had business interests, being a director of Thomas Bolton and Son Ltd, brass and copper manufacturers, the Lancashire United Tramways Company and other firms.
Politics.
Liberal Imperialist.
Henderson was a member of the Imperial Liberal Council. The Liberal Imperialists were a centrist faction within the Liberal Party in the late Victorian and Edwardian period, favouring a more positive attitude towards the development of the British Empire and Imperialism and opposing the party's commitment to Irish Home Rule. In domestic affairs, they advocated the concept of 'national efficiency', a policy never definitively set out, but the implication in the speeches of its leading lights was that the Liberal Party in government should take action to improve the social conditions, education and welfare of the population and reform aspects of the administration of government to maintain British economic, industrial and military competitiveness.
Member of Parliament.
In 1905, the sitting MP for Aberdeenshire West, Dr Robert Farquharson, decided to stand down at the next election, and Henderson was selected in his place. At the 1906 general election, Henderson duly held the seat by 5,949 votes to the 2,791 polled by his Unionist opponent, R McNeill, a majority of 3,158. He voted in favour of the 1908 Women's Enfranchisement Bill. Henderson held his seat against a new Tory opponent in January 1910, defeating Mr G Smith by 5,901 votes to 3,194, a majority of 2,707. Henderson's majority again decreased at the December 1910 general election. Again facing Smith for the Unionists, Henderson won by 5,415 votes to 3,232, a reduced majority of 2,183 but still comfortably ahead.
Irish Home Rule controversy.
During the December 1910 general election, Henderson was unwittingly caught up in a row over Irish Home Rule. He received a letter from Lord Aberdeen who was at the time Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland. Lord Aberdeen wrote to Henderson saying he felt fears about the consequences of Home Rule were baseless, especially apprehensions concerning religious intolerance and that Henderson could quote this opinion during the election.
While "The Times" newspaper reported that Lord Aberdeen was not taken very seriously in Ireland, his remarks nevertheless gave offence to Unionists there, as the Lord-Lieutenant was supposed to stay above party politics. The question of his alleged interference in politics then became the issue. False rumours were that Aberdeen was about to resign. The controversy later rumbled into 1911, with the matter being taken up by the Parliamentary Committee of Privileges.
Lord Aberdeen tried to smooth the waters by explaining that he had written to Henderson in his capacity as Lord-Lieutenant of Aberdeenshire, but that backfired. In a fuller explanation later, he had to clarify that in sending his letters to Henderson he had never meant to use the authority of the Lord-Lieutenancy of Aberdeenshire to influence voters in the general election. Sensing that times were moving on, the Committee of Privileges concluded that Lord Aberdeen had not committed any breach of privilege of the House of Commons.
1918-1919.
Although he was by now over 70 years old, Henderson apparently had no wish to leave Parliament. His West Aberdeenshire constituency was being abolished by boundary changes for the 1918 general election. However, Henderson sought and won the Liberal nomination for the new seat of Central Aberdeenshire. He fought the election against Alexander Theodore Gordon, who stood as a Coalition Conservative, a supporter of the Coalition government of David Lloyd George who presumably received the Coalition coupon. Henderson lost by 638 votes, polling 5,908 votes to Gordon's 6,546. Even the defeat was not sufficient to force Henderson into retirement, however. Early in 1919, Gordon died, causing a by-election in Aberdeenshire Central. It was agreed that Henderson should be the candidate and stand as a full blooded Asquithian Liberal. That posed a difficulty for Lloyd George, who, despite his Liberalism, was being required to endorse another Conservative candidate against a Liberal who had represented the party in Parliament for 16 years. As a result, there was some speculation that Henderson would be asked to stand for the Coalition, which Henderson and his local Liberal Association were willing to accept this. Henderson exchanged letters with Freddie Guest, the Coalition Liberal Chief Whip, coming to an agreement to give overall support to the government, but the Aberdeenshire Tories would not adopt Henderson as the Coalition candidate and chose their own man, L F W Davidson.
In the end, Henderson decided not to contest the by-election and stood down in favour of his Liberal colleague Murdoch McKenzie Wood, who won the by-election with a majority of 186 votes, in a three-cornered contest with the Unionists and Labour.
Appointments.
In 1911, Henderson was appointed as a Justice of the Peace for the County of Suffolk, where he had a home in Felixstowe. He was also JP for the County of Surrey, where he had another home.
Death.
Henderson died from pneumonia in Aberdeen at 76. He was buried at Putney Vale Cemetery in Surrey, near his London home in Wimbledon. |
Fuhanken sanchisei
The was the subnational government structure in early Meiji Japan. It lasted from the Boshin War, the start to the Meiji Restoration, in 1868 until the replacement of all remaining feudal domains "(-han)" with prefectures "(-ken)" in 1871. During this period, prefectures, and , controlled by the new central government, and , still under their pre-restoration feudal rulers, formed the primary administrative subdivisions of the country. The exact numbers varied continually as adjustments to the feudal territorial divisions, mergers and splits started to take up pace, but very roughly there were about >250 -han and about <50 -fu/-ken in total during this time.
As the political borders changed all the time, ancient ritsuryō provinces, essentially static except for some modernizing adjustments in the North where the giant provinces of Mutsu and Dewa (both Tōsan Circuit) were split up and a new circuit (Hokkai Circuit) with 10 provinces was added on Ezo, remained the primary geographic frame of reference even in Meiji Japan until around the turn of the century – just as they had been throughout the late Middle Ages and early modern period.
Background.
Ignoring minor territories such as Imperial Court lands or spiritual (shrine/temple) holdings, pre-restoration Japan was subdivided two types of territories: 1. the bakufu/shogunate territories ("baku-ryō", subsequently also called "ten-ryō", "Imperial territories") held by the Tokugawa directly through local administrators ("daikan", "bugyō", etc.) or the shogunate's minor vassals (sometimes grouped separately as "hatamoto-ryō") and 2. other families' feudal domain holdings ("han-ryō"). In the Boshin War and the beginning Meiji Restoration, the conquered/surrendered shogunate lands and a few rebel/shogunate loyalist domains such as Aizu/Wakamatsu or Morioka/Morioka were organized in prefectures (urban "-fu" and rural "-ken") while all other feudal domains "(-han)" were allowed to continue to exist until 1871. Some domains were only newly created in the restoration, such as Shizuoka Domain which was granted to the Tokugawa after their fall and submission to the new government, or Tonami Domain which was created from parts of Morioka and left to a child heir of Aizu after the main territory of Aizu had been vanquished. The subnational administration in this period from 1868 to 1871 when centrally governed prefectures coexisted as primary subdivision of the country with domains, pledged into submission to the new Satsuma-Chōshū-dominated Imperial government, but still governed by their Tokugawa period feudal rulers, constitutes the -fu/-han/-ken system.
Territorial composition and naming.
Some of the current prefectures of Japan were created in this period, but they looked very different from what they are today, still with many disjoint feudal period ex- and enclaves as the domains remained mostly untouched and only the ex-shogunate/Imperial lands became prefectures. Some examples:
Other prefectures only existed under the fu/han/ken system. For example, Nirayama-ken replaced the Nirayma daikan, the shogunate administrator of shogunate possessions in Izu, Suruga, Sagami and Musashi provinces, seated in Nirayama in Izu Province. Its main part was merged into Ashigara Prefecture in 1871/72 while exclaves went to other prefectures. Since the 1880s, Nirayama's former territory is split between Shizuoka, Yamanashi, Tokyo, Kanagawa and Saitama.
It was the convention to name prefectures and "han" after the location of their [actual or in some cases: planned] prefectural/domain government, either by town/village or later often by ritsuryō district (e.g. Mie, Saitama, Inba, Gunma). "ken" created in 1871 are generally named after their precursor "han".
History.
In June 1868, an interim constitution called the was proclaimed, drafted by Fukuoka Takachika and Soejima Taneomi, which established central government in Japan under the Meiji government. The act dissolved the Tokugawa era court houses, creating government controlled prefectural governors called and . All other areas still under the power of a daimyo, "han", were left as they were with no structure changes, and an independent justice system.
On June 14, 1868, Hakodate-fu and Kyoto-fu were established as the first two prefectures under the new changes. At the time, the Imperial government army forces were fighting the Republic of Ezo in the Battle of Hakodate, and despite the proclamation, the city of Hakodate had not fallen yet. By end of June, 11 prefectures had been created, including Edo-fu.
In July and August 1869 during the abolition of the han system, the government issued to the remaining Han, asking them to voluntarily return their domains, and later were ordered to by the Court, on threat of military action. The Daimyo who agreed to this were appointed as , who had to follow the laws and instructions of the central government.
Many territories that became the first prefectures were territories confiscated from domains in the Boshin War, especially domains part of the "Ōuetsu Reppan Dōmei" alliance.
Areas in Kanto did not initially receive a proper prefecture name and suffix, even though they had appointed officials for the areas.
Establishment of urban prefectures.
When initially creating prefecture suffixes, the "Seitaisho" proclaimed all areas with a "" (castle minder), namely Osaka, Sunpu and Kyoto, the "shoshidai" or a "bugyō" were given the prefectural suffix "fu", while any other area was designated "ken". The first two were created on June 14, 1868: Kyoto-fu and Hakodate-fu. By the end of 1868, ten "fu" had been established: Kyoto, Hakodate, Osaka, Nagasaki, Edo (later Tokyo), Kanagawa, Watarai, Nara, Echigo (later Niigata) and Kōfu. Due to some prefectures gaining non-urban land or being amalgamated into other territories, in 1869 three remained: Kyoto-fu, Osaka-fu and Tokyo-fu. This remained the same until 1943, when Tokyo-fu and Tokyo-shi were merged to form Tokyo-to.
Aftermath.
After three major merger/reorganization waves and many smaller mergers, splits and border changes between the initially >300 prefectures (down to 75 by 1872, to <40 in the late 1870s), they took generally their present forms in the 1890s. The last change involving an entire prefecture was the separation of Kagawa from Ehime in 1888, a very late large territorial change was the transfer of the Tama area from Kanagawa to Tokyo in 1893. (Comparatively smaller changes through cross-prefectural municipal mergers or transfers of single neighbourhoods, border corrections through land changes, etc. continue to the day.) After the 1871/72 mergers, prefectures are contiguous, compact territories resembling or even identical to the ritsuryō provinces in many places.
Established prefectures.
The prefectures "(-fu/-ken)" listed below were all established before the replacement of all domains "(-han)" with prefectures "(-ken)", i.e. under the "fu/han/ken" system. Disestablishment is only listed if prior to August 29, 1871, the time when all remaining domains were turned into prefectures. For the >300 prefectures immediately after that, look somewhere else. For the 75 prefectures after the 1871/72 wave of prefectural mergers, see the List of Japanese prefectures.
For a complete list of not only "-fu/-ken", but all "-fu/-han/-ken" at two points in time, see the List of Japanese prefectures by population#1868 to 1871, it also indicates the (often disjoint) territorial extent of the prefectures and domains in this period by listing the provinces the prefectures/domains extended to and the number of exclaves.
Hokkaido and Tōhoku.
After the Daimyo of the northern domains were stripped of their social status in the Boshin War, the following Prefectures were created. These were mostly in name only, and did not function as proper entities. |
Mizar Commentary on Walter Rudin's Principles of Mathematical Analysis/Differentiation
The Derivative of a Real Function.
5.1 Definition
Mizar does not introduce differentiation via formula_1 as Rudin does, but works directly with linear and rest functions (see FDIFF_1:def 2/3). There is no reference associating the Mizar differentiation with the notation of LIMFUNC3, but there are FDIFF_1:12 and FDIFF_2:49. (On a side note, Mizar differentiation is not restricted to intervals formula_2.)
formula_3 is differentiable at formula_4 means f is_differentiable_in x (FDIFF_1:def 4), formula_5 is diff(f,x) (FDIFF_1:def 5). formula_3 is differentiable on formula_7 means f is_differentiable_on E (FDIFF_1:def 6), formula_8 is f`|E (FDIFF_1:def 7). See also FDIFF_1:def 8 and POLYDIFF:def 1.
One-side differentiation is covered in FDIFF_3.
5.2 Theorem is FDIFF_1:24/25
5.3 Theorem
(a) is FDIFF_1:13/18 or POLYDIFF:14.
(b) is FDIFF_1:16/21 or POLYDIFF:16.
(c) is FDIFF_2:14/21.
5.4 Examples
formula_9 for constant formula_10 is FDIFF_1:11/22, see also POLYDIFF:11.
formula_11 is FDIFF_1:17, see also POLYDIFF:12, and more general formula_12 is FDIFF_1:23.
Differentiation of polynomials is given by POLYDIFF:def 5/6 and POLYDIFF:61. The notations seems a little bit sophisticated because polynomials have quite some structure behind them in Mizar, see PRE_POLY and the POLYNOM series.
5.5 Theorem is FDIFF_2:23.
5.6 Examples
(a) is FDIFF_5:7.
(b) is FDIFF_5:17, although formula_13 has been explicitly excluded, no reference for that.
Mean Value Theorems.
5.7 Definition No reference.
5.8 Theorem No reference, although the statement is basically proven within the proof of ROLLE:1. #TODO Explicit reference that local extrema of differentiable functions have derivation 0.
5.9 Theorem is ROLLE:5.
5.10 Theorem is ROLLE:3.
5.11 Theorem
(a) is ROLLE:11 or FDIFF_2:31.
(b) is ROLLE:7.
(c) is ROLLE:12 or FDIFF_2:32.
The Continuity of Derivatives.
5.12 Theorem No reference. #TODO formula_14 implies the existence of an formula_4 such that formula_16.
Corollary No reference.
L'Hospital's Rule.
5.13 Theorem in L_HOSPIT, especially L_HOSPIT:10.
Derivatives of Higher Order.
5.14 Definition
formula_17 is diff(f,E).n (TAYLOR_1:def 5, see also TAYLOR_1:def 6), where formula_7 is the domain on which formula_17 is defined.
Taylor's Theorem.
5.15 Theorem
Set formula_20 and formula_21, then formula_22 is Partial_Sums(Taylor(f,E,c,d)).(n-'1) (see SERIES_1:def 1 and TAYLOR_1:def 7), where formula_7 is the domain on which formula_17 is defined. The theorem is TAYLOR_1:27 with formula_25 instead of formula_26.
Differentiation of vector-valued Functions.
5.16 Remark (about complex-valued functions)
Differentiation of functions from a subset of the reals to the complex are not formalized in Mizar, but definitions for complex differentiation are given by CFDIFF_1:def 6-9 and CFDIFF_1:def 12, see also CFDIFF_1:22. Continuity of differentiable complex functions is given by CFDIFF_1:34/35. The differentiation rules formula_27 and formula_28 are given by CFDIFF_1:23/28, CFDIFF_1:26/31 respectively. No reference for formula_29.
5.16 Remark (about normed spaces)
In NDIFF_1 differentiation is defined between normed linear spaces (see NDIFF_1:def 6-9), i.e. the domain doesn't need to be a subset of the real numbers. No reference for differentiability iff the components are differentiable. See also PDIFF_1.
That differentiability implies continuity is given by NDIFF_1:44/45.
formula_27 is given by NDIFF_1:35/39. No reference for inner product.
5.16 Remark (about vector-valued functions)
For definitions see NDIFF_3:def 3-7, see also NDIFF_3:13. No reference for differentiability iff the components are differentiable. See also NDIFF_4.
That differentiability implies continuity is given by NDIFF_3:22/23.
formula_27 is given by NDIFF_3:14/17. No reference for inner product.
5.17 Examples No reference. formula_32 is defined in SIN_COS:def 14, formula_33 is given by SIN_COS:25.
5.18 Examples No reference.
5.19 Theorem No reference.
Exercises.
1. is FDIFF_2:25.
2. is FDIFF_2:37/38 or FDIFF_2:45.
3. No reference.
4. No reference.
5. No reference.
6. No reference.
7. see L_HOSPIT:10.
8. No reference.
9. No reference.
10. No reference.
11. No reference.
12. No reference.
13. No reference.
14. No reference.
15. No reference.
16. No reference.
17. No reference.
18. No reference.
19. No reference.
20. No reference.
21. No reference.
22. No reference.
23. No reference.
24. No reference.
25. No reference.
26. No reference. #TODO Find reference that formula_34 implies formula_35.
27. No reference. #TODO Find reference for initial value problem.
28. No reference. #TODO Find reference for initial value problem.
29. No reference. |
Prismacolor
Prismacolor is a brand of professional visual arts supplies originated in 1938 by the Eagle Pencil Company (then taken over by Berol), and currently manufactured by Newell Brands. Prismacolor products include, colored and graphite pencils, soft pastels, erasers, pencil sharpeners, and cases. In past years, Prismacolor also produced watercolor paintings and charcoals.
History.
The Eagle Pencil Company founded in the 1800s in Yonkers, New York on John Street. After 5 years, Daniel Berozlzheimer's son Henry purchased the city's first iron-framed building for the new factory. The company produced pens, pencils, pen holders and erasers. In 1897, the London branch confirmed the policy of selling manufactured goods with high quality. Over the years, the company changed focus and goods. In 1952, Margros Ltd was founded by Mr. P.G.Hooley, who invented Powdered Colour and sold it directly to schools. The business grew and the company was sold to Eagle Pencil Company in 1967.
The company which later became Osmiroid International was started in 1824 by James Perry who joined his brother in the penmaking business. In 1989, the company was bought by Berol Ltd. The Newell Company joined forces with Berol on November 2, 1995. The merging of the two companies made Berol a branch of the Sanford Corporation.
Products.
Colored pencils.
One of Prismacolor's main products is their colored pencils. They have two lines of colored pencils called "Scholar" and "Premier". Scholar pencils are made with a hard type of wax and tend to have less pigmentation than the premier line. They are cheaper than the premier line, as they are made with beginning or developing artists in mind. There are 150 different colors total, which are available in packs of 12, 24, 48 and 60, 120 and 150. The Premier lines are available in several different sub-classes—Softcore, Verithin, Watercolor, Col-erase, and Art Stix. line.
With 150 different colors, Prismacolors's "Softcore" line has the most color variation of all their colored pencil lines. They have an 8mm round barrel, which matches the 5mm diameter wax core. Softcore pencils can be bought individually or in tins that separated the layers of pencils inside with plastic. The tins come in pack variants of 12, 24, 36, 48, 72, 132, and 150. The wax they are made with allows them to be smoother and easier to blend. However, it also causes frequent breaks when pushing down or sharpening the pencil. Some artists microwave them to try and fix this common problem. Another common problem is called "wax bloom." This occurs when there is more wax in colored pencils then there is pigment, or in users who are heavy handed. It causes a wax film to appear over the places the pencil is used, which makes the work look more white or "washed out." Wax bloom can be removed by gently rubbing the affected area with a soft cloth or tissue. Afterwards, some people choose to spray a fixative onto the end product to prevent re-occurrence.
This line has a pencil known as colorless blender. The blender pencil is a clear, colorless, wax pencil used overtop of the colored layer to aid in the color cohesion.
Verithin.
Prismacolor's Verithin pencils are colored pencils typically used for high intricacy work such as portraiture. The pencils first came to be in 1938 under the original "Eagle" brand, and have been sold since both under the "Berol" and "Prismacolor" brands. The pencils are known for having an incredibly hard core and bright pigment, and are very popular among artists.
Watercolor.
Premier Watercolor Colored Pencils provide smooth rich lay down and are water-soluble. They are available in sets of 12, 24, and 36.
Markers.
The line of markers Prismacolor produce are illustrating markers. The common method for using Prismacolor markers is to apply the colors in layers. The different tips allow for the color to be applied in various ways on the application being worked on. Artists use varying colors from the same color line to create shadows and textures on the artwork.
Pastel.
Prismacolor offers several varieties of pastels. There are two qualities to pastels: Artist and Student. Artist quality pastels have a higher ratio of pigment giving more intense color. Student pastels contain more fillers and byproduct to help the stick keep shape and allow the pastel to withstand pressure and crumbling. With artist pastels, the richer pigments and lack of binder cause the product to be more fragile yet costly. Hard pastels are made the same way as a soft pastel but contain more binder and less pigment. Hard pastels are more stable in different drawing techniques and come in both artist and student quality. Pastel pencils are for fine details and control. The shape and size of a pastel pencils resemble colored pencils and are suitable for outdoors work. The makeup of oil pastels is pigment coated in wax or oil giving lines and shading a crayon like texture. Oil pastels are more stable than a soft pastel and do not require a fixative to work. Unlike the other types of pastels, oil based pastels will not smudge, crumble or give off dust when working on paper. Although oil pastels lack the ability to blend into other colors, the pigments can be spread on a canvas like oil paints and are available in both student and artist quality. |
McDonald–Kreitman test
The McDonald–Kreitman test is a statistical test often used by evolutionary and population biologists to detect and measure the amount of adaptive evolution within a species by determining whether adaptive evolution has occurred, and the proportion of substitutions that resulted from positive selection (also known as directional selection). To do this, the McDonald–Kreitman test compares the amount of variation within a species (polymorphism) to the divergence between species (substitutions) at two types of sites, neutral and nonneutral. A substitution refers to a nucleotide that is fixed within one species, but a different nucleotide is fixed within a second species at the same base pair of homologous DNA sequences. A site is nonneutral if it is either advantageous or deleterious. The two types of sites can be either synonymous or nonsynonymous within a protein-coding region. In a protein-coding sequence of DNA, a site is synonymous if a point mutation at that site would not change the amino acid, also known as a silent mutation. Because the mutation did not result in a change in the amino acid that was originally coded for by the protein-coding sequence, the phenotype, or the observable trait, of the organism is generally unchanged by the silent mutation. A site in a protein-coding sequence of DNA is nonsynonymous if a point mutation at that site results in a change in the amino acid, resulting in a change in the organism's phenotype. Typically, silent mutations in protein-coding regions are used as the "control" in the McDonald–Kreitman test.
In 1991, John H. McDonald and Martin Kreitman derived the McDonald–Kreitman test while performing an experiment with Drosophila (fruit flies) and their differences in amino acid sequence of the alcohol dehydrogenase gene. McDonald and Kreitman proposed this method to estimate the proportion of substitutions that are fixed by positive selection rather than by genetic drift.
In order to set up the McDonald–Kreitman test, we must first set up a two-way contingency table of our data on the species being investigated as shown below:
To quantify the values for "D"s, "D"n, "P"s, and "P"n, you count the number of differences in the protein-coding region for each type of variable in the contingency table.
The null hypothesis of the McDonald–Kreitman test is that the ratio of nonsynonymous to synonymous variation within a species is going to equal the ratio of nonsynonymous to synonymous variation between species (i.e. "D"n/"D"s = "P"n/"P"s). When positive or negative selection (natural selection) influences nonsynonymous variation, the ratios will no longer equal. The ratio of nonsynonymous to synonymous variation between species is going to be lower than the ratio of nonsynonymous to synonymous variation within species (i.e. "D"n/"D"s < "P"n/"P"s) when negative selection is at work, and deleterious mutations strongly affect polymorphism. The ratio of nonsynonymous to synonymous variation within species is lower than the ratio of nonsynonymous to synonymous variation between species (i.e. "D"n/"D"s > "P"n/"P"s) when we observe positive selection. Since mutations under positive selection spread through a population rapidly, they don't contribute to polymorphism but do have an effect on divergence.
Using an equation derived by Smith and Eyre-Walker, we can estimate the proportion of base substitutions fixed by natural selection, α, using the following formula:
Alpha represents the proportion of substitutions driven by positive selection. Alpha can be equal to any number between -∞ and 1. Negative values of alpha are produced by sampling error or violations of the model, such as the segregation of slightly deleterious amino acid mutations. Similar to above, our null hypothesis here is that α=0, and we expect "D"n/"D"s to equal "P"n/"P"s.
Neutrality index.
The neutrality index (NI) quantifies the direction and degree of departure from neutrality (where "P"n/"P"s and "D"n/"D"s ratios are equal). When assuming that silent mutations are neutral, a neutrality index greater than 1 (i.e. NI > 1) indicates negative selection is at work, resulting in an excess of amino acid polymorphism. This occurs because natural selection is favoring the purifying selection, and the weeding out of deleterious alleles. Because silent mutations are neutral, a neutrality index lower than 1 (i.e. NI < 1) indicates an excess of nonsilent divergence, which occurs when positive selection is at work in the population. When positive selection is acting on the species, natural selection favors a specific phenotype over other phenotypes, and the favored phenotype begins to go to fixation in the species as the allele frequency for that phenotype increases. To find the neutrality index, we can use the following equation:
Sources of error with the McDonald–Kreitman test.
One drawback of performing a McDonald–Kreitman test is that the test is vulnerable to error, as with every other statistical test. Many factors can contribute to errors in estimates of the level of adaptive evolution, including presence of slightly deleterious mutations, variation of mutation rates across the genome, variation in coalescent histories across the genome, and changes in the effective population size. All these factors result in α being underestimated. However, according to research done by Charlesworth (2008), Andolfatto(2008), and Eyre-Walker(2006), none of these factors are significant enough to make scientists believe the McDonald–Kreitman test is unreliable, except for the presence of slightly deleterious mutations in species.
In general, the McDonald-Kreitman test is often thought to be unreliable because of how significantly the test tends to underestimate the degree of adaptive evolution in the presence of slightly deleterious mutations. A slightly deleterious mutation can be defined as a mutation that negative selection acts on only very weakly so that its fate is determined by both selection and random genetic drift. If slightly deleterious mutations are segregating in the population, then it becomes difficult to detect positive selection and the degree of positive selection is underestimated. Weakly deleterious mutations have a larger chance of contributing to polymorphism than strongly deleterious mutations, but still have low probabilities of fixation. This creates bias in the McDonald–Kreitman test's estimate of the degree of adaptive evolution, resulting in a dramatically lower estimate of α. By contrast, since strongly deleterious mutations contribute to neither polymorphism nor divergence, strongly deleterious mutations do not bias estimates of α. The presence of slightly deleterious mutations is strongly linked to genes that have experienced the greatest reduction in effective population size. This means that soon after a recent reduction in effective population size in a species has occurred, such as a bottleneck, we observe a larger presence of slightly deleterious mutations in the protein-coding regions. We can make a direct connection with the increase in number of slightly deleterious mutations and the recent decrease in effective population size. For more information on why population size affects the tendency of slightly deleterious mutations to increase in frequency, refer to the article Nearly neutral theory of molecular evolution.
Additionally, as with every statistical test, there is always the chance of having type I error and type II error in the McDonald Kreitman test. With statistical tests, we must strive more try to avoid making type I errors, to avoid rejecting the null hypothesis, when it is in fact, true. However, the McDonald Kreitman test is very vulnerable to type I error, because of the many factors that can lead to the accidental rejection of the true null hypothesis. Such factors include variation in recombination rate, nonequilibrium demography, small sample sizes, and in comparisons involving more recently diverged species. All of these factors have the ability to influence the ability of the McDonald-Kreitman test to detect positive selection, as well as the level of positive selection acting on a species. This inability to correctly determine the level of positive selection acting on a species often leads to a false positive, and the incorrect rejection of the null hypothesis.
While performing the McDonald–Kreitman test, scientists also have to avoid making too numerous type II errors. Otherwise, a test's results may be too flawed and its results will be termed useless.
Error-correcting Mechanisms of the McDonald–Kreitman test.
There continues to be more experimentation with the McDonald–Kreitman test and how to improve the accuracy of the test. The most important error to correct for is the error that α is severely underestimated in the presence of slightly deleterious mutations, as discussed in the previous section "Sources of Error with the McDonald-Kreitman Test." This possible adjustment of the McDonald–Kreitman test includes removing polymorphisms below a specific value from the data set to improve and increase the number of substitutions that occurred due to adaptive evolution. To minimize the impact of slightly deleterious mutations, it has been proposed to exclude polymorphisms that are below a certain cutoff frequency, such as <8% or <5% (there is still much debate about what the best cutoff value should be). By not including polymorphisms under a certain frequency, you can reduce the bias created by slightly deleterious mutations, since less polymorphisms will be counted. This will drive the estimate of α up. Therefore, the degree of adaptive evolution estimated will not be so severely underestimated, deeming the McDonald–Kreitman test to be more reliable.
One adjustment necessary is to control for the type I error in the McDonald–Kreitman test, refer to the discussion of this in previous section "Sources of Error with the McDonald Kreitman Test." One method to avoid type I errors is to avoid using populations that have undergone a recent bottleneck, meaning they have recently undergone a recent decrease in effective population size. To make the analysis as accurate as possible in the McDonald–Kreitman test, it is best to use large sample sizes, but there is still debate and how large "large" is. Another method of controlling for type I error of the McDonald Kreitman test in applications to non-coding DNA, Peter Andolfatto suggests establishing significance levels by coalescent simulation with recombination in genomewide scans for selection on noncoding DNA. By doing this, you will be able to improve the accuracy of your statistical test and avoid any false positive tests. With all these possible ways to avoid making type I errors, scientists should cautiously choose which populations they are analyzing, to avoid analyzing populations that will lead to inaccurate results. |
Penelope Fillon
Penelope Kathryn Fillon (née Clarke, 31 July 1955) is the wife of former French politician François Fillon. She was the Spouse of the Prime Minister of France from 17 May 2007 to 10 May 2012. Born and raised in Wales, Fillon is a graduate of the University College London and the University of Bristol Law School. She worked as an English teacher at a secondary school in France in the late 1970s, where she met her future husband. François and Penelope Fillon married in 1980 and have five children. They are Catholic.
Throughout her husband's political career, she has remained fairly uninvolved in national politics and has mostly stayed out of the public eye, and has been labelled "discreet" by the media. Despite her reputation as being private, Fillon ran for a seat on the municipal council of the Solesmes, Sarthe commune in which she and her husband reside. When François Fillon began running for the French presidency in 2017, she emerged in the public eye to campaign for her husband.
Penelope Fillon rose to prominence in January 2017, when French newspaper "Le Canard enchaîné" published an article in which she was accused of being paid €500,000 in public money over eight years as her husband's "assistant" while performing no or very little work. The public outcry that followed led the controversy to be labelled "Penelopegate" by some, despite her husband denying any wrongdoing.
Biography.
Early life and education.
Penelope Kathryn Clarke was born on 31 July 1955 in Llanover, Monmouthshire, Wales, United Kingdom. The daughter of George "Colin" Clarke, an English solicitor, and Glenys, a Wales native, she considers herself "Anglo-Welsh."
Fillon attended primary and secondary school at King Henry VIII School in Abergavenny, studying French, German, and English. She went on to attend University College London, earning a degree in French and German. She spent her final year before earning her degree as a teaching assistant of English at a middle school in Le Mans, France. It was there she met François Fillon for the first time. She described the encounter in 2007:"I was invited to a dinner and he was there. Of course I remember the dinner but, no, it wasn't a particularly heart-stopping moment."Fillon continued her education at the University of Bristol, earning a degree in law. She intended to become a lawyer like her father, and qualified as a solicitor. Rather than starting her career, however, she decided to pursue her relationship with François. She described her choice:"He would come over on the ferry and the night train to see me. Then when I finished my Law Society exams we decided to get married and I came to live in France, accepting that it would be for good."Penelope Clarke married François Fillon on 28 June 1980 in a civil ceremony in the groom's native Sarthe. The religious ceremony was held in the 17th-century St Bartholomew's Church in the bride's native village of Llanover. Shortly after, François's brother Pierre, and Penelope's sister Jane also married.
Career and political activity.
Shortly after their marriage, François and Penelope moved to Paris. In 1981, they relocated to her husband's home region of Sarthe. While her husband pursued his political career three days a week in Paris, Fillon remained at home with their growing family.
For much of her husband's political career, Fillon stayed home to care for their five children, and when François was a government minister, the family resided in an apartment in Paris's 6th arrondissement. When he was elected Prime Minister of France in 2007, the family moved to the Hôtel Matignon, living there until his term ended in 2012.
In 2014, her husband François Fillon chose not to run for re-election to the municipal council of Solesmes, Sarthe, the small commune of 1,500 people in which the Fillons reside. At the mayor's request, Fillon ran for his former seat, running as the Union for a Popular Movement candidate. She was elected, and has served on the council since 2014.
2017 presidential election.
In 2017, François Fillon commenced his campaign for the French presidency. Fillon, who for much of her husband's political career had remained in relative obscurity, emerged to campaign for him and especially to try to reach the female vote, representing the movement "Women with Fillon".
Personal life.
François and Penelope Fillon have five children: Marie (born 1982), a barrister, Charles (born 1984), a lawyer, Antoine (born 1985) and Edouard (born 1989), who both work in finance, and Arnaud (born 2001), who was a high school student. They also have three grandchildren.
Fillon supports the Wales rugby team.
Fictitious employment controversy.
In January 2017, "Le Canard enchaîné" published an article in which Penelope Fillon was accused of alleged fictitious employment, as her husband's "assistante parlementaire" for a total salary of €500,000 over eight years on the one hand, and as a "literary adviser" of "Revue des deux Mondes" on the other, with a monthly salary of €5,000, amounting to a total of another €100,000. A preliminary hearing immediately opened. The public outcry around this so-called "Penelopegate" was such that doubts were voiced about François Fillon himself, who was at the time the frontrunner for the 2017 presidential election, with an immediate sharp decline in the opinion polls.
On 31 January, new reporting by "Le Canard enchaîné" found that Penelope Fillon was actually paid €300,000 more than previously reported, for a total sum of €831,440 for 15 years of her parliamentary assistant work. It also reported that Fillon had paid two of his children €84,000 for little apparent actual work.
On 6 February 2017 Fillon held a press conference. He said "It was a mistake and I apologize to the French [people]" but also said that the salary of his wife was "perfectly justified". However, on 28 March 2017, she was placed under formal investigation following a day of questioning by magistrates.
In June 2020, Fillon was convicted of embezzlement of public funds and sentenced to three years imprisonment. Her sentence was suspended and she vowed to appeal the conviction.
On 9 May 2022, a French appeals court reduced Filon's sentence to a two-year suspended prison sentence. Her husband's prison sentence would be shortened to four years with three years suspended. The court maintained fines of €375,000 for each of them. |
Complete linkage
In genetics, complete (or absolute) linkage is defined as the state in which two loci are so close together that alleles of these loci are virtually never separated by crossing over. The closer the physical location of two genes on the DNA, the less likely they are to be separated by a crossing-over event. In the case of male Drosophila there is complete absence of recombinant types due to absence of crossing over. This means that all of the genes that start out on a single chromosome, will end up on that same chromosome in their original configuration. In the absence of recombination, only parental phenotypes are expected.
Linkage.
Genetic Linkage is the tendency of alleles, which are located closely together on a chromosome, to be inherited together during the process of meiosis in sexually reproducing organisms. During the process of meiosis, homologous chromosomes pair up, and can exchange corresponding sections of DNA. As a result, genes that were originally on the same chromosome can finish up on different chromosomes. This process is known as genetic recombination. The rate of recombination of two discrete loci corresponds to their physical proximity. Alleles that are closer together have lower rates of recombination than those that are located far apart. The distance between two alleles on a chromosome can be determined by calculating the percentage or recombination between two loci. These probabilities of recombination can be used to construct a linkage map, or a graphical representation of the location of genes and gene in respect to one another. If linkage is complete, there should be no recombination events that separate the two alleles, and therefore only parental combinations of alleles should be observed in offspring. Linkage between two loci can have significant implications regarding the inheritance of certain types of diseases.
Gene maps or Qualitative Trait Loci (QTL) maps can be produced using two separate methods. One way uses the frequency of marker alleles and compares them to individuals selected from the two tails of the trait distribution. This is called the Trait-Based approach and strictly uses phenotypic information only to select the individuals for a sample. The other approach is called the Marker-Base approach (MB), and uses both the difference in marker allele frequencies and the phenotypic values of each marker genotype when selecting samples.
Recombination During Meiosis.
In diploid eukaryotic cells, recombination can occur during the process of Meiosis. Homologous chromosomes pair up during meiosis before finally splitting, resulting in two haploid daughter cells each with a single copy of every chromosome. While homologous chromosomes are lined up, they are free to exchange corresponding segments of their own DNA with that of their homolog. This results in a chromosomes that carry both maternal and paternal DNA. Through recombination, daughter cells have the greatest amount of genetic diversity.
Methods of Analysis.
Hierarchical Clustering.
One powerful tool for interpreting and graphing linkage data sets is called Hierarchical Clustering. Clustering organizes things into groups based on similarity. In the case of linkage, similarity equates to physical proximity on a chromosome. Hierarchical clustering is a bottom-up approach to cluster analysis, in which the two closest data points are grouped together and are treated as a single data point for later clustering. In complete-linkage Hierarchical Clustering, this process of combining data points into clusters of increasing size is repeated until all date as part of a single cluster. The resulting diagram from a Hierarchical Cluster Analysis is called a dendrogram, in which data are nested into brackets of increasing dissimilarity. Two common issues with Hierarchical Clustering include designating a specific distance of “similarity” between two data points, in order to generate meaningful associations between data points, and also how to merge data points, in a way that will be helpful for further clustering once they have been deemed similar. A cross-clustering algorithm with automatic estimation of the number of clusters has been designed, which helps resolve some of these issues. By fine tuning the number of clusters expected, the possibility of associating two unrelated clusters is minimized. Again, under this type of analysis, a single resultant cluster signifies complete-linkage, since all data points are within the range of assigned similarity.
History.
The idea of genetic linkage was first discovered by the British geneticists William Bateson, Edith Rebecca Saunders and Reginald Punnett. Thomas Hunt Morgan expanded the idea of linkage after noticing that in some instances the observed rate of crossing-over events differed from the expected rate of crossing-over events. He attributed the depressed rates of recombination to the smaller spatial separation of genes on a chromosome; Hypothesizing that genes which are more closely positioned on a chromosome will have smaller rates of recombination than those that are spaced farther apart. The unit of measurement describing the distance between two linked genes is the Centimorgan, and is named after Thomas Hunt Morgan. A centimorgan is equivalent to the percent of recombination. two loci with 2% recombination frequency are located 2 centimorgans apart.
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Uses In Research.
Economic Benefits.
Being able to determine linkage between genes can also have major economic benefits. Learning about linkage of traits in sugar cane has led to more productive and lucrative growth of the crop. Sugar cane is a sustainable crop that is one of the most economically viable renewable energy sources. QTL analysis for sugarcane was used to construct a linkage map that identified gene clusters and important linked loci that can be used to predict the response to fungal infection in a specific line of sugar cane.
Medical Benefits.
Linkage mapping can also be useful in determining the inheritance patterns of traits such as psychological disease. Linkage studies of panic disorder and anxiety disorders have indicated regions of interest on specific chromosomes. Chromosomes 4q21 and 7p are being considered strong candidate regions for panic and fear-associated anxiety disorder loci. Knowing the specific location of these loci and their probability of being inherited together based on their linkage can offer insight into how these disorders are passed down, and why they often occur together in patients. |
Bedford Vehicles
Bedford Vehicles, usually shortened to just Bedford, was a brand of vehicle manufactured by Vauxhall Motors, then a subsidiary of multinational corporation General Motors. Established in April 1931, Bedford Vehicles was set up to build commercial vehicles. The company was a leading international lorry brand, with substantial export sales of light, medium, and heavy lorries throughout the world.
Bedford's core heavy trucks business was divested by General Motors (GM) as AWD Trucks in 1987, whilst the Bedford brand continued to be used on light commercial vehicles and car-derived vans based on Vauxhall/Opel, Isuzu and Suzuki designs. The brand was retired in 1991.
The van manufacturing plant of Bedford, now called GM Manufacturing Luton, is now owned and operated by Stellantis, following Vauxhall's acquisition by PSA Group in 2017.
History.
Until 1925, General Motors assembled trucks in Britain from parts manufactured at its Canadian works. This enabled them to import vehicles into Britain under Imperial Preference, which favoured products from the British Empire as far as import duties were concerned. Such trucks were marketed as "British Chevrolet".
In November 1925, GM purchased Vauxhall Motors with production transferred from Hendon to Luton, Vauxhall's headquarters, production commencing there in 1929.
1930s.
The AC and LQ models were produced at Luton from 1929 to 1931, and styled as the "Chevrolet Bedford", taking the name from the county town of Bedfordshire, in which Luton is located. The AC was bodied as a light van (12 cwt), and the LQ in a wide variety of roles, including a lorry, ambulance, van and bus versions. The name "Chevrolet" was dropped, and the first Bedford was produced in April 1931. This vehicle, a 2-ton lorry, was virtually indistinguishable from its LQ Chevrolet predecessor, apart from detail styling of the radiator, and was available as the WHG with a wheelbase, or as the WLG with a longer wheelbase of . However, the Chevrolet LQ and AC continued in production alongside the new product for a further year. In August 1931, a bus chassis was added to the range, and was designated WHB and WLB.
A large part of Bedford's original success in breaking into the UK and British Empire markets lay in the overhead-valve (OHV) six-cylinder Chevrolet engine, now known as Chevrolet Stovebolt engine – well ahead of its time, this smooth running inline six-cylinder engine formed the basis of Bedford and Vauxhall petrol engines almost until the marque ceased building trucks and buses.
In April 1932, a 30 cwt lorry was introduced, together with a 12 cwt light delivery van, designated as the WS and VYC models respectively. Bedford continued to develop its share of the light transport market, with the introduction of the 8 cwt ASYC and ASXC vans, a close derivative of the Vauxhall Light Six car. The AS series of vans continued in production until 1939.
Bedford introduced the 3 ton WT series in November 1933. Again, a short wheelbase WHT (), or long wheelbase WLG () version was offered. A change in design of the WLG produced the WTL, with its cab, internal combustion engine and radiator moved forward to allow a bodylength. In 1935, the WTB bus version appeared, and the WS and VYC models were updated – the latter being redesignated BYC as it was fitted with the engine and synchromesh gearbox of the Big Six Vauxhall cars. The 5–6 cwt HC light van was introduced in 1938, based on the Vauxhall Ten car, and the WT and WS acquired a newly styled grill.
Mid -1939 saw a complete revamp of Bedfords, with only the HC van continuing in production. The new range consisted of the K (30–40 cwt), MS and ML (2–3 ton), OS and OL (3–4 ton), OS/40 and OL/40 (5 ton) series, and the OB bus. Also on offer was a new 10–12 cwt van, the JC, derived from the new J Model Vauxhall car. Many of the trucks sold by Bedford between June and September 1939 were requisitioned for military use on the outbreak of World War II; many were abandoned after the retreat from Dunkirk, rendered useless to the enemy by removing the engine oil drain plug and running the engine. Because the German armed forces in 1940 were, contrary to their popular image, desperately short of motor transport, many of these captured Bedfords were repaired and pressed into service alongside Opel Blitz (also part of GM) trucks by the German armed forces – although the Bedfords mainly filled second-line roles, including civil defence.
Production of the new range ceased, apart from a few examples made for essential civilian duties, when Bedford went onto a war footing. Production resumed in 1945.
World War II.
In 1935, Bedford began the development of a 15 cwt truck for the British War Office. This entered service as the MW in 1939, and 65,995 examples had been built by the end of the war in 1945. The MW appeared in a wide range of roles, as a water tanker, general duties truck, personnel carrier, petrol tanker, wireless truck and anti-aircraft gun tractor – among others.
The War Office designated 15 cwt vehicles, such as the MW, as trucks, and larger vehicles as lorries.
The 1939 K-, M-, and O-series lorries were quickly redesigned for military use. This was largely a matter of styling, involving a sloping bonnet with a flat front with headlights incorporated and a crash bar to protect the radiator in a minor collision. The military versions were designated OX and OY series, and again were put to a wide range of tasks, including mobile canteens, tankers, general purpose lorries, and a version with a Tasker semi-trailer used by the Royal Air Force to transport dismantled or damaged aircraft. This variant was popularly known as the Queen Mary. A number of Bedford OXD 1.5 ton chassis were converted to make the Bedford OXA armoured vehicle. A total of 72,385 OY and 24,429 OX lorries were built. The Armadillo was an OY fitted for airfield defence with Lewis guns and an ex-aircraft COW 37 mm gun.
Bedford supplied numerous trucks and tanks to the Soviet Union during World War II.
A radical departure from Bedford's design norms came in October 1939, with the development of a four-wheel drive, forward control lorry, which entered service in March 1941 as the QL, quickly nicknamed the "Queen Lizzie". As with the MW and OY / OX models, the QL went on to serve in a large number of roles, such as artillery tractor, gun porter, command vehicle, wireless lorry and petrol tanker, as well as the troop-carrying QLD, the most common variant. An experimental version used the track unit of a Bren gun carrier (or Universal Carrier), as an answer to the German half-track vehicles, which had superior cross-country capability. Production ran at around 12,000 units per year between 1942 and 1944. Many QLs and other Bedford World War II military vehicles served with the British Army, and other forces into the 1960s, and many others were purchased for civilian use after the war.
After the Dunkirk evacuation in June 1940, the British Army had around 100 tanks, most of which were obsolete and inferior to the German tanks of the day. Vauxhall Motors was given one year to design and produce a suitable heavy tank. In May 1941, the Churchill tank derived from work on the A22 tank with Harland & Wolff went into production at Luton, some 5,640 units and 2,000 spare engines being produced at Luton, and other sites under contract to Vauxhall. The resultant need to continue truck production brought about the development of the new Bedford Dunstable plant, which came online in 1942.
For wartime production the OB was temporarily replaced by the "utility" OWB, with which Bedford became the only British manufacturer authorised to build single-deck buses during hostilities.
Apart from vehicle manufacture during World War II, Vauxhall Motors produced steel helmets, RP-3 rocket bodies, and components for Frank Whittle's top-secret jet engine.
1950s.
The HC 5–6 cwt van continued briefly after the war, and the JC 10–12 cwt was fitted with the column gear change; and engine from the Vauxhall L Model Wyvern in late 1948; and became the PC. 1952 saw the launch of the Bedford CA light commercial, signifying the end of the road for the outmoded HC and JC models. The CA was a range of vans and pick-ups similar in concept and size to (although pre-dating) the Ford Transit of 1965. These were semi-forward control, having a short bonnet with the rear of the engine protruding into the cab. Engines were the Vauxhall-based OHV in-line four petrol engine, with the option of a Perkins 4/99 or 4/108 diesel engine later on. Performance was adequate for the time, a maximum speed of being attainable with the petrol engine, and offering fuel economy of . The van initially featured a three-speed column gearchange, changing later on to a four-speed column change.
The CA was a huge seller both at home and in various overseas markets. The standard panel van was available in short- and long-wheelbase forms, and was also sold as chassis cab / chassis cowl, and became a popular basis for ice-cream vans, ambulances and camper vans. Known affectionately as "the Tilley", the CA enjoyed a very long production span, with only minor tweaks throughout its life, including the replacement of the two piece windscreen of earlier models with a single sheet. Production ended in 1969.
The CA was replaced by the CF, a highly redesigned vehicle, albeit architecturally similar, but rather larger, using new overhead camshaft (OHC) engines, which was to have a much harder time proving itself thanks to the Ford Transit.
Perhaps the major event of the 1950s, was the transfer of all non-car based commercial vehicle manufacture to the former Vauxhall shadow factory at Boscombe Road, Dunstable. Bedford Dunstable plant, dating originally from 1942, was extensively rebuilt and extended between 1955 and 1957, when all production lines were said to be over a mile long. Subsequently, all commercial vehicle manufacture would be concentrated there, with only vans and car-based commercials remaining at the Luton plant. Production of the Bedford commercial vehicle range remained there until production ceased in the 1980s.
The 1950s also saw the launch of the popular S type trucks, the so-called Big Bedfords, which brought Bedford into the 7-ton range. The S series was immortalised in RL form – a four-wheel drive, high ground clearance version, as the Green Goddess emergency fire tender, used by the Auxiliary Fire Service until 1968, then until 2004 over 1,000 were held in reserve by the Home Office for use in the event of fire-service industrial action or other serious emergencies. They were disposed of by the Home Office in 2005. Several have found new homes in African countries that lack a developed fire-fighting service, such as Kenya. The C series of 1957 was a forward-control derivative of the S series, and outwardly very similar to it.
These vehicles were available in rigid and tractor units, with either petrol or diesel engines. The UK military were a huge customer for Bedford RLs using a 4.9-litre straight six petrol engine. Many RLs found their way into the armed forces of Commonwealth countries and later into civilian use.
Alongside the S series trucks, the SB bus was released in 1950, and immediately became a big seller in India, Pakistan, Australia, New Zealand and Africa, as well as in the UK. The SB chassis was also used as a basis for specialised vehicles, such as mobile libraries, fire engines, and civil defence control units. The largest fleet of SB buses in the world belonged to New Zealand Railways Road Services, with 1,280 SB buses built between 1954 and 1981.
The Bedford TK range replaced the S type in 1959, but the RL continued in production until 1969, when it was replaced by the M type, which used the basic cab of the TK and the mechanicals of the RL with minimal changes.
The pre-war K, M and O types continued in production alongside the heavier S types until 1953. Vauxhall had already gone for a transatlantic styling with its E Model Wyvern and Velox saloons, and Bedford followed suit with its mid-range of trucks in 1953. Designated as the TA series, the new range were mechanically very similar to their predecessors, but featured a new Chevrolet-inspired cab. The 'T' designation meant "truck", so the range is generally referred to as the A series. Numbers 2, 3, 4 and 5; as in A2, etc., identified the weight rating. A factory-fitted Perkins diesel engine was an option. The TA (A) series was updated in 1957, and became the TJ, or J series.
The Bedford TJ normal control light truck was introduced in 1958, available with either petrol or diesel engines. Although never a big seller in the home market (with the exception of Post Office Telephones), it was a big export earner in developing countries, due to its basic layout and specification, and remained in production (for export markets only) until production of Bedford vehicles ceased.
1960s and 1970s.
The Bedford TK range was produced in large numbers since 1959, and served as the basis for a variety of derivatives including fire engines, military vehicles, horse-boxes, tippers, flat-bed trucks, and other specialist utility vehicles. A Post Office Telephones version used for installing telegraph poles was known as the Pole Erection Unit. The British Armed Forces still use four-wheel drive Bedford MKs – a variant of the TK.
Available with four and six-cylinder petrol and diesel engines, the TK was the quintessential light truck in the UK through most of the 1960s and 1970s, competing with the similar Ford D series. It was available in rigid form, and also as a light tractor unit, normally using the Scammell coupling form of trailer attachment.
The Bedford KM was a similar vehicle, using the same cab, but with a slightly restyled front end, and was marketed for heavier-duty applications than the TK, i.e. 16 tons and over. Many developing countries still use ageing Bedfords every day, their robust nature and simple engineering endearing them as highly useful vehicles in demanding terrain.
From 1961 to 1968, General Motors Argentina manufactured Bedford trucks and buses (based on a truck) in a plant at San Martín, Buenos Aires.
In 1967, a Bedford SB3 chassis with Plaxton's Panorama cab was used in the construction of seven custom mobile cinema units that toured British factories for the Ministry of Technology to "raise standards". The body was custom fabricated from extruded aluminium by Coventry Steel Caravans. One of these restored units is used as a vintage mobile cinema. The vehicle dubbed "The Reel History Bus" was used in the BBC Two television series, "Reel History of Britain" showing little known or totally unseen archive film of historical events, to the surviving participants and their families on board. They showed their reaction and interviewed audience members about their often newly jogged memories of events. The Vintage Mobile Cinema has appeared on "The One Show" and George Clarke's "Small Spaces", and continues to appear around the UK.
The smaller Bedford CF was less successful, competing directly with the market-dominating Ford Transit, although used by many of Britain's major utility companies, including British Telecom and British Gas plc. However, the CF was much less popular with fleet operators than the Transit, which was more popular with its drivers and seen as cheaper to operate and maintain. Part of the reason for the CF's relative unpopularity was the use of the slant 4 SOHC petrol engine from the FD and FE Vauxhall Victor – which was notoriously rough running, had high fuel consumption, and was susceptible to cam belt breakage. However, the CF became very popular as a base of special-bodied ice cream vans and mobile shops. The later CF2 used the more reliable Opel Ascona engine.
In Australia, the GM subsidiary of Holden began assembling the CF series with in-line six-cylinder engines borrowed from their passenger car range, in competition against Ford Australia's version of the Transit van which had been re-engineered to accommodate in-line six-cylinder engines from the local Ford Falcon.
Bedford's smallest products, car-derived vans, were the Bedford HA van, which substantially outlived the Vauxhall Viva HA on which it was based, and the Bedford Chevanne, a short-lived variant of the Vauxhall Chevette. An estate conversion of the HA van by Martin Walter was marketed as the Bedford Beagle. This was further developed into a camper van, the Roma, again by Martin Walter.
The company also made a number of bus chassis, its low price catering for the cheaper end of the coach market.
1980s.
The TK/KM/MK range remained the mainstay of production throughout the 1960s and 1970s, but with little serious product investment the range became increasingly outdated. In 1982, the TL range was introduced almost completely replacing the TK, although its military equivalents continued in production for the UK Ministry of Defence. In reality a long overdue update of the TK, the TL was never as popular as the model range it succeeded. This was largely due to more modern products offered by other companies (increasingly from the likes of Volvo, MAN and Mercedes-Benz).
The Bedford TM was the largest of all the modern Bedfords, with payloads available up to 42 tonnes GTW permissible. The TM was available with either GM or Detroit Diesel engines and enjoyed a small but loyal customer base, but could never compete with the volume producers, primarily Volvo and Scania. Turkey's Genoto assembled Bedfords under license.
A major blow came when Bedford failed to win a UK Ministry of Defence contract to produce the standard 4–ton 4x4 GS (general service) truck for the British forces, although in extensive tests the Bedford candidate had been the equal of the Leyland (later Leyland DAF) candidate, and the British Army expressed a preference to continue the trusted relationship with Bedford trucks.
The reasons for this decision were seen by many as political, as the Army 4–tonner contract was seen by the Thatcher government as essential for the long-term survival of Leyland, and the formation of Leyland DAF. The implications of the decision were also noted by GM in Detroit, who had already been refused permission to buy the Land Rover division of British Leyland, which they had intended to operate in tandem with the Bedford Truck division as a major force in the military and civilian 4x4 market.
In addition to this setback, by the middle of the decade, the more technologically advanced competition from other truck manufacturers was eating heavily into sales. In reality, the Bedford truck range, still largely based on the 1960 TK range, had become increasingly outdated when compared with the opposition, leading to a deep decline in non-military sales. It was therefore announced by GM that Bedford would stop production of all commercial vehicles, and the Dunstable plant would close in 1986.
From there on in, the Bedford name continued as badge engineering on smaller light commercials only. The HA compact van finally ceased production in 1983, having been kept in production largely due to continuing large orders from British utility companies such as British Rail and the GPO. It was replaced by the Vauxhall Astra-based "Astravan" and the later high-roof "Astramax" variant which were later rebranded as Vauxhalls. The CF van was facelifted in 1982 and was given Opel engines and continued until 1986. In 1985, the IBC Vehicles venture was founded which spawned the Suzuki Carry based Bedford Rascal microvan and Isuzu Fargo based Bedford Midi van range – later to be called the Vauxhall Midi.
Isuzu and IBC.
Bedford's first partnership with Isuzu came in 1976 when it marketed a rebadged version of the Isuzu Faster pickup truck as the Bedford KB. The vehicle was never a strong seller in Britain, (subsequent generations were badged as the Bedford/Vauxhall Brava), but it did pave the way for further collaboration – culminating in the IBC venture.
In 1986, the Bedford van factory in Luton was reorganised as a joint venture with Isuzu. The resulting company, IBC Vehicles, produced a locally built version of the Isuzu Fargo in 1985 (badged as the Bedford Midi).
In 1991, this was followed by a European version of the Isuzu MU Wizard called the Frontera, and a rebadged Renault Trafic van called the Arena, sold under the Vauxhall and Opel brand names. The Bedford name was dropped completely, as were all of its preceding range apart from the Midi, which was sold for a few years as the Bedford Seta.
In 1998, GM bought Isuzu out of the IBC partnership. The plant now operates as GMM Luton, and at first built the Renault Trafic which was badge engineered as a Vivaro under the Vauxhall and Opel marques, currently it builds a licensed version of the Citroën Jumpy.
David John Bowes Brown and AWD.
The Bedford trucks site in Dunstable and business was sold in 1987 to AWD Trucks, a company owned by David John Bowes Brown. The AWD name was used as GM would only allow the use of the Bedford name for military trucks. David John Bowes Brown was the designer in 1973 of the then DJB D250 Articulated Dump Truck, built in Peterlee, England, by DJB Engineering. DJB was renamed Artix in 1985 when the trucks were rebadged as Caterpillar. Artix itself was sold to Caterpillar in 1996.
AWD continued with the TL and TM range, and was still producing the TJ series for export. The AWD Bedford TK (a rebadged and modernised version of the Bedford TK / MK range) was also produced and supplied to the British military. Due to cheaper competition and the virtual collapse of the UK market in which AWD competed in 1989/90, the company went into receivership in 1992 and was bought by dealer network Marshall of Cambridge. The name was finally retired in 1998, becoming Marshall Special Vehicles, producer of various military vehicles.
Logo.
Bedford used the Griffin logo of Vauxhall Motors, derived from the heraldic crest of Falkes de Breauté, who was granted the Manor of Luton by King John. By marriage, he acquired property in London, known as Fulk's Hall, which over time, came to be the locality of Vauxhall, the original home of Vauxhall Motors. The griffin returned to Luton in 1903 when Vauxhall Motors moved there. The Bedford version of the logo differed from the Vauxhall version in that the Griffin did not hold a flag – although later versions of the logo showed the Griffin holding a flag carrying a letter "B" (for Bedford) instead of a "V".
Products.
List of products produced at Bedford / IBC Vehicles Luton:
Bedford models.
"Very approximately in size order" |
Olomouc Region
Olomouc Region (; , ; ) is an administrative unit () of the Czech Republic, located in the north-western and central part of its historical region of Moravia ("Morava") and in a small part of the historical region of Czech Silesia ("České Slezsko"). It is named for its capital Olomouc.
Olomouc region borders with the Moravian-Silesian Region (in the east), Zlín Region (in the south-east), South Moravian Region (in the south-west) and Pardubice Region (in the west). Furthermore, the region shares a 104 km long border with Poland (in the north).
Administrative divisions.
The Olomouc Region is divided into 5 districts:
On the territory of the region there are 13 administrative districts of municipalities with extended powers and 20 administrative districts of municipalities with authorized local authority.
Population.
In January 2019 the population of the Olomouc Region totalled 632,492 inhabitants. As of 2019, 50.3% of region’s population lived in municipalities with more than 4,000. Out of 402 municipalities located in the region (including one military area), 30 had a status of town. Region’s capital Olomouc is with approximately 100 thousand inhabitants the largest city. With 120.1 inhabitants per km2 the region was close to the national average of 135 inhabitants per km2. There were, of course, differences within the region: the lowest population density was in the Jeseník District.
In the long term, the population of the region has been aging. The average age of population in 2019 is 42.8, which is the 4th highest among regions in the Czech Republic.
Cities and towns.
The table below provides the list of region's most populous cities and towns as of 1 January 2019:
Geography.
The total area of the region amounts to 5,267 km2, which is 6.7% of the entire area of the Czech Republic.
The northern part of the region is of mountainous nature. The Jeseníky mountains are located here, including Praděd, which is the highest point of the region (1,492 m above sea level). The southern part of the region consists of the Hanakian lowland. The lowest point of the region is situated on the water level of the Morava River near to Kojetín in the Přerov District (190 m above sea level).
The Morava river flows through the region and the majority of the region's territory belongs to Morava’s drainage basin. A small northern part of the region belongs to the drainage basin of Odra River, which flows to the Baltic Sea.
The Olomouc Region offers a great variety of natural points of interest. Protected landscape area of the Jeseníky mountains offers a number of scenic places such as the largest Moravian peatbog Rejvíz and the 45m high Vysoký Waterfall. Another scenic place is Dlouhé Stráně water reservoir situated on the top of a hill. Protected landscape area Litovelské Pomoraví offers floodplain forests with many endangered species of plants and animals. Finally, many caves can be found in the region: Javoříčko Caves (), Mladeč Caves () and Zbrašov aragonite caves ().
Economy.
The region's economy focuses on traditional agriculture, processing industry and
services. Conditions for further development of the region are its attractive location, transport accessibility, developed infrastructure, enough qualified labour force and entry of foreign investors.
In 2011, the total economically active population of the Olomouc Region was 307.2 thousand people, of which 283.9 thousand were employed and 23.3 thousand unemployed. The unemployment rate in 12/2022 was 3,6%.
The Olomouc Region is an industrial area with developed services. The economy of the
Hanakian districts is more stable and diverse than the economy of the Jeseník District and northern part of the Šumperk District. The latter two districts belong to economically weaker regions due to their position, transport accessibility and disturbance of social and economic life after the Second World War (displacement of German population).
The gross domestic product of the Olomouc Region amounted to 4.7% of the nation GDP in 2021. The GDP per capita of the region reaches 79.4% of the national average. The average monthly wage of employees in the region reached 36,481 CZK (EUR 1520) in 3Q/2022.
Significant sectors of the region’s economy are agriculture, food industry, textile and clothing industry, manufacture of machinery, optics and optical equipment.
In 2011, there were 138,970 businesses, organisations and entrepreneurs based in the region. Most of them were private entrepreneurs registered according to the trade law (76.6%) and business companies (8.4%). 157 industrial enterprises had 100 or more employees, employing in total 41,222 employees.
Agriculture.
The share of arable land was 39.4% in 2011 but was showing a decreasing trend over past years while the share of non-agricultural land has been increasing and reached 46.9% in 2011.
Southern and central parts of the region belong to areas with the most fertile land. Crop yields (barley, wheat, rape and industrial sugar beet) reach the highest amounts of the entire country.
Transport.
Transport accessibility of the region is provided by 3,582 km of roads, of which only 12.3% are first class roads. The motorways with two lanes connect Olomouc with Brno (I/46), Ostrava (I/35 followed by D1) and the Pardubice Region (I/35). Once finished, the d1 motorway will connect Brno with Ostrava and will cross the southern part of Olomouc Region.
There is 601 km of railways in the region. Important rail junctions are in Olomouc and Přerov. The railway network is spread equally all over the Region´s territory. Road network is denser in the southern flat part of the Region.
Near to the city of Olomouc there is an airport for small airliners, which obtained status of an international airport.
Tourism.
The Olomouc Region belongs to regions with the smallest number of accommodation establishments. In 2009 there were 338 collective accommodation establishments. These were placed primarily in the Jeseník District and the Šumperk District that are most visited by tourists.
Quality of life.
In 2011, 14,347 crimes were committed in the region, of which 6,744 (47%) were solved.
Compared to other regions of the Czech Republic, the environment of Olomouc Region can be marked as relatively less damaged. The values of specific emissions do not reach the average national values. Mountain areas and foothills have excellent air quality and are important sources of drinking water.
Health care.
In 2011 the region counted 9 hospitals, 16 specialized therapeutic institutions and other health establishments by 2,897 physicians and 6,466 paramedical workers. Health care is provided also in many spa establishments that are placed all over the region. Well known spas are in Jeseník, Velké Losiny, Teplice nad Bečvou, Slatinice, Skalka, etc.
Education.
In 2011, the network of school establishments consists of 367 nursery schools, 369 basic schools, 20 grammar schools, 81 programmes vocational training and 8 higher schools. The second oldest university in the Czech Republic, the Palacký University (), is situated in Olomouc. It is attended by over 23,000 students.
International relations.
Olomouc Region cooperates with: |
TWA Hotel
TWA Hotel is a hotel at John F. Kennedy International Airport in Queens, New York City, that opened on May 15, 2019. It utilizes the head house of the TWA Flight Center, designed in 1962 by the architect Eero Saarinen. The TWA Hotel project added two buildings on either side of the existing head house. It contains a total of 512 rooms, as well as conference space, several restaurants, and an aviation history museum.
TWA Hotel was developed as part of a project to reuse the head house, which had stopped functioning as an air terminal in 2001. Morse Development developed the site along with MCR, which operates middle-to-budget hotels in the United States. It is the only hotel operating within the boundaries of JFK Airport.
History.
After the TWA Flight Center closed in 2001, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey sought to redevelop or reuse the terminal. The main building, or head house, was protected from demolition; it had been made a New York City designated landmark in 1994, and subsequently was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2005. The head house went largely unused until it was ultimately incorporated into an expansion of Terminal 5, which was completed in 2008 and is occupied by JetBlue Airways.
In April 2015, "The Wall Street Journal" reported that JetBlue and its partner, a hotel developer, were negotiating for the rights to turn the head house into a hotel. In July 2015, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo confirmed that the Saarinen building would be converted into a new on-site hotel for the airport's passengers.
Construction.
Groundbreaking took place on December 15, 2016, in a ceremony attended by Governor Cuomo, Queens Borough President Melinda Katz, and former employees of Trans World Airlines. A topping out ceremony for the hotel's first tower was held in December 2017, followed by the topping out of the second tower in March 2018. The next month, a model hotel room built inside a JFK Airport hangar was shown to the press.
That October, a Lockheed Constellation L-1649 Starliner was shipped to the hotel site for conversion into a cocktail bar. The Starliner arrived at the hotel site at the end of November 2018. In March it was displayed in Times Square.
The hotel started taking reservations in February 2019 in advance of a May opening. The hotel opened on May 15, 2019.
Description.
Morse Development developed the site along with MCR, which operates middle-to-budget hotels in the United States. It is the only hotel operating within the boundaries of JFK Airport. Beyer Blinder Belle is the architectural firm responsible for renovating the terminal, while Lubrano Ciavarra Architects designed the two new buildings. Stonehill Taylor designed the hotel rooms, and INC Architecture and Design designed the underground event space with 45 meeting rooms and a meeting hall. Arup provided structural engineering, with Jaros, Baum & Bolles delivering MEP services.
Two buildings named Saarinen Wing and Hughes Wing, north and south of the T5 terminal structure, encircle the original headhouse to the east. The two buildings contain a total of 512 rooms between them, as well as conference space, six to eight restaurants, and an aviation history museum. There is a rooftop infinity swimming pool and an observation deck with of floor space. The developers have a 75-year lease with the state.
Many of the TWA Flight Center's original details, such as the custom ceramic floor tiles and the 486 variously-shaped window panels, were replaced with replicas of the originals. These details were intended to give the hotel a 1960s-era vibe, and include brass lighting, walnut-accented furnishings, and rotary phones. The hallways contain red carpeting, evocative of the color of the furniture in the original TWA lounge. However, the rooms also contain modern amenities such as blackout curtains and multiple-pane soundproof windows. The large departure board, a split-flap display made in Italy by Solari di Udine and which has been a feature of the building since the Flight Center's opening in 1962, was fully restored as part of the hotel project. The TWA Hotel also includes a cocktail lounge installed inside a preserved Lockheed L-1649 Starliner, the last model of the Lockheed Constellation line of airliners; the lounge is nicknamed "Connie". The hotel includes the Paris Café, a Jean-Georges Vongerichten restaurant, as well.
During construction, a sales office and exhibition center, located on the 86th floor of One World Trade Center, was occasionally opened to the public.
Critical reception.
In the September 2–9, 2019, issue of "Time", the hotel was placed on the magazine's list of "The World's Greatest Places of 2019". The hotel was featured as the cover story in "Interior Design" magazine's September 2019 issue. |
Antimicrobial copper-alloy touch surfaces
Antimicrobial copper-alloy touch surfaces can prevent frequently touched surfaces from serving as reservoirs for the spread of pathogenic microbes. This is especially true in healthcare facilities, where harmful viruses, bacteria, and fungi colonize and persist on doorknobs, push plates, railings, tray tables, tap (faucet) handles, IV poles, HVAC systems, and other equipment. These microbes can sometimes survive on surfaces for more than 30 days.
Coppertouch Australia commissioned the Doherty Institute at the Melbourne University Australia to test its Antimicrobial Copper adhesive film. Lab tests proved a 96% kill rate of Influenza A virus with the film as compared to non treated surfaces.
The surfaces of copper and its alloys, such as brass and bronze, are antimicrobial. They have an inherent ability to kill a wide range of harmful microbes relatively rapidly – often within two hours or less – and with a high degree of efficiency. These antimicrobial properties have been demonstrated by an extensive body of research. The research also suggests that if touch surfaces are made with copper alloys, the reduced transmission of disease-causing organisms can reduce patient infections in hospital intensive care units (ICU) by as much as 58%. Several companies have developed methods for utilizing the antimicrobial functionality of copper on existing high-touch surfaces. LuminOre and Aereus Technologies both utilize cold-spray antimicrobial copper coating technology to apply antimicrobial coatings to surfaces.
Evidence.
As of 2019 a number of studies have found that copper surfaces may help prevent infection in the healthcare environment.
Microorganisms are known to survive on inanimate surfaces for extended periods of time. Hand and surface disinfection practices are a primary measure against the spread of infection. Since approximately 80% of infectious diseases are known to be transmitted by touch, and pathogens found in healthcare facilities can survive on inanimate surfaces for days or months, the microbial burden of frequently touched surfaces is believed to play a significant role in infection causality.
EPA registrations.
On February 29, 2008, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) approved the registrations of five different groups of copper alloys as "antimicrobial materials" with public health benefits. The EPA registrations now cover 479 different compositions of copper alloys within six groups "(an up-to-date list of all approved alloys is available)." All of the alloys have minimum nominal copper concentrations of 60%. The results of the EPA-supervised antimicrobial studies demonstrating copper's strong antimicrobial efficacies across a wide range of alloys have been published.
Microbes tested and killed in EPA laboratory tests.
The bacteria destroyed by copper alloys in the EPA-supervised antimicrobial efficiency tests include:
EPA test protocols for copper alloy surfaces.
The registrations are based on studies supervised by EPA which found that copper alloys kill more than 99.9% of disease-causing bacteria within just two hours when cleaned regularly (i.e., the metals are free of dirt or grime that may impede the bacteria's contact with the copper surface).
To attain the EPA registrations, the copper alloy groups had to demonstrate strong antimicrobial efficacies according to all of the following rigorous tests:
EPA registered antimicrobial copper alloys.
The alloy groups tested and approved were C11000, C51000, C70600, C26000, C75200, and C28000.
The EPA registration numbers for the six groups of alloys are as follows:
Claims granted by EPA in antimicrobial copper alloy registrations.
The following claims are now legally permitted when marketing EPA-registered antimicrobial copper alloys in the U.S.:
The registrations state that "antimicrobial copper alloys may be used in hospitals, other healthcare facilities, and various public, commercial and residential buildings."
Product stewardship requirements of EPA.
As a condition of registration established by EPA, the Copper Development Association (CDA) in the U.S. is responsible for the product stewardship of antimicrobial copper alloy products. CDA must ensure that manufacturers promote these products in an appropriate manner. Manufacturers must only promote the proper use and care of these products and must specifically emphasize that the use of these products is a supplement and not a substitute to routine hygienic practices.
EPA mandated that all advertising and marketing materials for antimicrobial copper products contain the following statement:
Antimicrobial copper alloys are intended to provide supplemental antimicrobial action in between routine cleaning of environmental or touch surfaces in healthcare settings, as well as in public buildings and the home. Users must also understand that in order for antimicrobial copper alloys to remain effective, they cannot be coated in any way.
CDA is currently implementing an outreach program through written communications, a product stewardship website, and through a Working Group which meets periodically to expand educational efforts.
More than 100 different potential product applications were cited in the registrations for their potential public health benefits.
EPA warranty statement.
The EPA warranty statement is worded as follows:
Note: With the exception of the product name and the percentage of active ingredient, the EPA-approved Master Labels for the six groups of registered alloys are identical.
Antimicrobial copper products.
Many antimicrobial copper alloy products have been approved for registration in healthcare facilities, public and commercial buildings, residences, mass transit facilities, laboratories, and play area equipment in the US. A complete list of registered products is available from EPA. |
Dave Roberts (California politician)
David W. Roberts (born 1960) is an American politician from Solana Beach, California. He was the county supervisor for San Diego County from 2012 to 2016, representing district 3, which includes portions of San Diego and most of north San Diego County. He was formerly the Mayor of Solana Beach. He is a Democrat.
Early life and education.
He was born and raised in Riverton, Connecticut, in 1960. His family has resided in Connecticut for 11 generations since 1629. After graduating from Northwestern Regional #7 high school he attended The Citadel, but left after he was beaten by a fellow cadet because of his sexual orientation. He wound up at American University in Washington, D.C., where he earned a BA in political science/economics and an MPA. He is also a graduate of the University of Virginia’s Sorensen Institute for Political Leadership, Harvard Kennedy School for State and Local Leaders, and the U.S. Air Force’s Air Command and Staff College and Squadron Officer School.
Career.
He was a Vice President for Government Relations with the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS), an international non-profit, but retired from that position when he was sworn in as county supervisor. Before that he worked as a Corporate Vice President in the healthcare business unit at Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC). Earlier he served as a budget analyst for the Department of Defense and as a staffer for Senator Lowell Weicker.
He has also served as a federal advisory commission member in the administrations of President George W. Bush and Barack Obama in the Department of Health and Human Services. He used to be co-chair of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Advisory Panel of Outreach and Education. Since becoming a county Supervisor in 2013, he has gained more state and national experience.
In 2014, he was elected Second Vice President of the California State Association of Counties (CSAC). In addition, he serves as co-chair of both the National Association of Counties (NACo) Membership Committee and Immigration Reform Task Force and as an active member of the CSAC and NACo Health Steering Committees.
Elective office.
Solana Beach City Council.
He was elected to the Solana Beach City Council in 2004 and re-elected in 2008. He served as Mayor in 2008 and as Deputy Mayor in 2011-2012. While on the council he is credited for work on traffic calming projects, a local coastal plan, business relations, opening new parks, a plastic bag ban, and support for the arts and North Coast Repertory Theatre.
San Diego County Board of Supervisors.
He was elected to the San Diego County Board of Supervisors in 2012 to represent District 3, replacing retiring supervisor Pam Slater-Price. He narrowly defeated Republican Steve Danon, chief of staff to Congressman Brian Bilbray, in the November 2012 runoff election. The race was so close that Danon did not concede until nine days after the election. The final tally was 51.14% for Roberts to 48.86% for Danon. He was sworn in on January 7, 2013.
Roberts was the only Democrat on the Board of Supervisors, which had consisted only of Republicans for more than two decades. (Local elections are nonpartisan under California state law, but most officeholders do identify themselves as Democrats or Republicans.) As supervisor he hoped to strengthen the county's mental health services and launch a solar energy initiative.
From June to November 2015, Roberts chaired the San Diego County Behavioral Health Advisory Board Suicide Reduction Workgroup, which made 10 recommendations to the Board of Supervisors to reduce suicides in San Diego County. Two of the 10 recommendations were implemented. In November 2015, he was unanimously elected First Vice President of the California State Association of Counties (CSAC). In February 2016, he was unanimously elected as one of two California representatives on the National Association of Counties (NACo). In January 2016, Roberts' colleagues unanimously elected him as Chair Pro Tem of the San Diego County Board of Supervisors, his third year in a county board leadership position.
In 2016 he ran for re-election. His opponent was Republican Encinitas Mayor Kristin Gaspar. The result was too close to call for more than a week after the election. At first Roberts was in the lead by 2,200 votes, then Gaspar pulled ahead by 15 votes with many ballots still to be tallied. By Thanksgiving, Gaspar's lead had grown to 1,090 votes, after steady gains throughout the preceding week. Roberts conceded on November 27.
Allegations of hostile work environment.
In May 2015, two of Robert's former staff members filed claims against the County of San Diego seeking monetary relief while alleging various acts of wrongdoing by Supervisor Roberts including misuse of County resources and employee favoritism. A third former employee filed a similar claim in June 2015. Roberts denied all of the allegations made against him. Roberts he conceded that he sent what he termed to be "jovial texting" to county staff stating that a particular employee should keep him warm on a county trip and claimed he would sleep in the same bed with him on a separate trip. That employee subsequently filed a lawsuit against two of the former staffers who had filed claims against the county regarding Robert's alleged behavior, for spreading “salacious rumors in the workplace.” Roberts was not named in the lawsuit.
On September 15, 2015, the "San Diego Union Tribune" and "Los Angeles Times" newspapers reported that the Board of Supervisors had agreed to settlements totaling $310,000 for three of Roberts' former staffers in relation to various claims that he had created a hostile work environment. The four presiding county supervisors who agreed to the settlement also released a statement, "In the opinion of the Board, activities that occurred in the District 3 Supervisorial office, at a minimum, showed poor judgment by the Supervisor. And, although not conclusive, the investigative material surrounding the inappropriate use of County funds, promoting a hostile work environment, an alleged bribe, campaigning on County time, improper use of a County vehicle and retaliation against District 3 staff members is significant and a matter of concern for the Board of Supervisors."
Personal life.
Roberts is a married gay man; he and his spouse Wally Oliver have five adopted children. They live in Solana Beach in the former home of singer Patti Page. Roberts and his oldest son are both Eagle Scouts. Roberts and his spouse are active members of North San Diego County Adoptive Parents Association and Friends of the Solana Beach Library. In 2014 amid the statewide drought, they removed over 6,000 square feet of turf and installed artificial turf to save over 165,000 gallons of potable water per year. |
Anthony Pym
Anthony David Pym (born 1956 in Perth, Australia) is a scholar best known for his work in translation studies.
Pym is Distinguished Professor of Translation and Intercultural Studies at Rovira i Virgili University in Spain and Professor Extraordinary at Stellenbosch University in South Africa. He was a fellow of the Catalan Institution for Research and Advanced Studies from 2010 to 2015, Visiting Researcher at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey from 2008 to 2016, Walter Benjamin Visiting Professor at the University of Vienna in 2015, and President of the European Society for Translation Studies from 2010 to 2016.
Biography.
Pym attended Wesley College (Perth, Australia) and the University of Western Australia, completing his BA (Hons) at Murdoch University in 1981. He held a French government grant for doctoral studies at the École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales, where he completed his PhD in Sociology in 1985. In 1983–84 he was a Frank Knox Fellow in the Department of Comparative Literature at Harvard University. In 1992–94 he held a post-doctoral grant from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation for research on translation history at the University of Göttingen, Germany. In 1994 he gave seminars on the ethics of translation at the Collège International de Philosophie, Paris.
After years as a professional translator, journal editor and organiser of cultural events in France and Spain, he taught in the translation departments of the Autonomous University of Barcelona and the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. In 1994 he joined the Rovira i Virgili University in Tarragona, Spain, where he set up the Intercultural Studies Group in 2000, postgraduate programs in translation in 2000, and a doctoral program in 2003. He has been a Visiting Researcher at the Monterey Institute of International Studies since 2006. His permanent residence is in the village of Calaceite, Spain.
Pym is Distinguished Professor of Translation and Intercultural Studies and coordinator of the Intercultural Studies Group at the Rovira i Virgili University in Tarragona, Spain where he also ran a doctoral program. In addition, Pym is Professor Extraordinary at Stellenbosch University and an international advisory board member for the Translation and Inter-Cultural Research Cluster at the University of Western Australia.
Pym was a Visiting Professor at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey from 2008 to 2016, where he conducted research and lectures. From 2010 to 2015, he was a fellow of the Catalan Institution for Research and Advanced Studies. He was also President of the European Society for Translation Studies from 2010 to 2016 and Walter Benjamin Visiting Professor at the University of Vienna in 2015. In 2017, he joined the University of Melbourne's School of Languages and Linguistics.
Thought and influence.
Pym was one of the first to move the study of translation away from texts and towards translators as people. He argued that translators are “authors” who can select the thoughts and emotions to express rather than “animators,” who merely present other's words. He views the translator as working with the author to create meaning, therefore, they both contribute to the meaning of the translation
According to him, the development of the translation field in the West has been essentially a "history of translation theory", a limitation that he proposed to address by focusing on the translators themselves and the contexts in which they operate.
Pym also conceptualized translating as a form of risk management, rather than a striving for equivalence. According to Pym there are three types and levels of risks: credibility risk, uncertainty risk, and communicative risk. The credibility risk concerns the specificity of translation and relations between people, where the risk is the probability of the translator losing credibility. The second, uncertainty risk, involves a translator's cognitive processes when they are uncertain about how to present something. The final risk that Pym identified, the communicative risk, involves the interpretation of texts and contextualizing them, while creating a balance between both the high-risks and low-risks and the interpretatio
He has hypothesized that translators can be members of professional intercultures, operating in the overlaps of cultures, and that their highest ethical goal is the promotion of long-term cross-cultural co-operation. Pym has stressed that the translators' loyalty should be in their profession and that the value of translation efforts lies in its contribution to intercultural relations and cross-cultural communication.
He has been attracted to the concept of inculturation, through which he sees translation as one of the ways in which minority cultures are absorbed into wider cultural systems and can then modify those wider systems. Pym has also cited the role of technology, particularly the Internet in the translation of materials tailored to a specific local market. According to him, the proliferation of information does not necessarily mean that these will be received, hence, care should be taken so that the translated texts appeal to its target culture.
Pym's ideas have been contrasted with those of the American translation theorist Lawrence Venuti by the Finnish translation scholar Kaisa Koskinen, and Pym's critique of Lawrence Venuti has been commented on by Jeremy Munday, and Mary Snell-Hornby
Works.
Pym has authored, co-authored, and edited over 30 books and 230 articles about translation and intercultural relations: |
Indigenous peoples of Florida
The indigenous peoples of Florida lived in what is now known as Florida for more than 12,000 years before the time of first contact with Europeans. However, the indigenous Floridians living east of the Apalachicola River had largely died out by the early 18th century. Some Apalachees migrated to Louisiana, where their descendants now live; some were taken to Cuba and Mexico by the Spanish in the 18th century, and a few may have been absorbed into the Seminole and Miccosukee tribes.
Paleoindians.
The first people arrived in Florida before the extinction of the Pleistocene megafauna. Human remains and/or artifacts have been found in association with the remains of Pleistocene animals at a number of Florida locations. A carved bone depicting a mammoth found near the site of Vero man has been dated to 13,000 to 20,000 years ago. Artifacts recovered at the Page-Ladson site date to 12,500 to 14,500 years ago. Evidence that a giant tortoise was cooked in its shell at Little Salt Spring dates to between 12,000 and 13,500 years ago. Human remains and artifacts have also been found in association with remains of Pleistocene animals at Devil's Den, Melbourne, Warm Mineral Springs, and the Cutler Fossil Site. A "Bison antiquus" skull with an embedded projectile point has been found in the Wacissa River. Other important Paleoindian sites in Florida include Harney Flats in Hillsborough County, the Nalcrest site, and Silver Springs.
Florida's environment at the end of the Pleistocene was very different from that of today. Because of the enormous amount of water frozen in ice sheets during the last glacial period, sea level was at least lower than now. Florida had about twice the land area, its water table was much lower. Its climate also was cooler and much drier. There were few running rivers or springs in what is today's Florida. The few water sources in the interior of Florida were rain-fed lakes and water holes over relatively impervious deposits of marl, or deep sinkholes partially filled by springs.
With water available only at scattered locations, animals and humans would have congregated at the water holes to drink. The concentration of animals would have attracted hunters. Many Paleoindian artifacts and animal bones showing butchering marks have been found in Florida rivers, where deep sinkholes in the river bed would have provided access to water. Sites with Paleoindian artifacts also have been found in flooded river valleys as much as under the Gulf of Mexico, and suspected sites have been identified up to offshore under of water. Half of the Paleoindian sites in Florida may now be under water in the Gulf of Mexico. Materials deposited in the late Pleistocene and early Holocene in sinkholes in the beds of rivers were covered by silt and sealed in place before the water table rose high enough to create running rivers, and those layers remained undisturbed until excavated by archaeologists. These deposits preserved organic materials, including bone, ivory, wood, and other plant remains.
Archaeologists have found direct evidence that Paleoindians in Florida hunted mammoths, mastodons, "Bison antiquus", and giant tortoises. The bones of other large and small animals, including ground sloths, tapirs, horses, camelids, deer, fish, turtles, shellfish, snakes, raccoons, opossums, and muskrats are associated with Paleoindian sites.
Stone tools.
Organic materials are not well preserved in the warm, wet climate and often acidic soils of Florida. Organic materials that can be dated through radiocarbon dating are rare at Paleoindian sites in Florida, usually found only where the material has remained under water continuously since the Paleoindian period. Stone tools are therefore often the only clues to dating prehistoric sites without ceramics in Florida.
Projectile points (probably used on spears, the bow and arrow did not appear until much later) have distinctive forms that can be fairly reliably assigned to specific time periods. Based on stone artifacts, Bullen divided pre-Archaic Florida into four periods, Early Paleo-Indian (10000-9000 BCE), Late Paleo-Indian (9000-8000 BCE), Dalton Early (8000-7000 BCE), and Dalton Late (7000-6000 BCE). Purdy defined a simpler sequence, Paleo Indian (10000-8000 BCE, equivalent to Bullen's Early and Late Paleo-Indian) and Late Paleo (8000-7000 BCE, equivalent to Bullen's Dalton Early). Later discoveries have pushed the beginning of the Paleoindian period in Florida to an earlier date. The earliest well-dated material from the Paleoindian period in Florida is from the Page-Ladson site, where points resembling pre-Clovis points found at Cactus Hill have been recovered from deposits dated to 14,588 to 14,245 calibrated calendar years BP (12638-12295 BCE), about 1,500 years before the appearance of the Clovis culture. Milanich places the end of the Paleoindian period at about 7500 BCE. During the early Paleoindian period in Florida, before 10,000 years ago, projectile points used in Florida included Beaver Lake, Clovis, Folsom-like, Simpson, Suwannee, Tallahassee, and Santa Fe points. Simpson and Suwannee points are the most common early Paleoindian points found in Florida. In the late Paleoindian period, 9,000 to 10,000 years ago (8000-7000 BCE), Bolen, Greenbriar, Hardaway Side-Notched, Nuckolls Dalton and Marianna points were in use, with the Bolen point being the most commonly found.
Most projectile points associated with early Paleoindians have been found in rivers. Projectile points of the late Paleoindian period, particularly Bolen points, are often found on dry land sites, as well as in rivers.
Paleoindians in Florida used a large variety of stone tools besides projectile points. These tools include blades, scrapers of various kinds, spokeshaves, gravers, gouges, and bola stones. Some of the tools, such as the Hendrix scraper of the early Paleoindian period, and the Edgefield scraper of the late Paleoindian period, are distinctive enough to aid in dating deposits.
Other tools.
A few underwater sites in Florida have yielded Paleoindian artifacts of ivory, bone, antler, shell, and wood. A type of artifact found in rivers in northern Florida is the ivory foreshaft. One end of a foreshaft was attached to a projectile point with pitch and sinew. The other end was pointed, and pressure-fitted into a wood shaft. The foreshafts were made from mammoth ivory, or possibly, in some cases, from mastodon ivory. A shell "trigger" may be from an atlatl (spear-thrower). Other tools include an eyed needle made from bone, double pointed bone pins, part of a mortar carved from an oak log, and a non-returning boomerang or throwing stick made from oak.
Archaic period.
The Archaic period in Florida lasted from 7500 or 7000 BCE until about 500 BCE. Bullen divided this period into the Dalton Late, Early Pre-ceramic Archaic, Middle Pre-ceramic Archaic, Late Pre-ceramic Archaic, Orange and Florida Transitional periods. Purdy divided it into a Preceramic Archaic period and an Early Ceramic period. Milanich refers to Early (7500-5000 BCE), Middle (5000-3000 BCE) and Late (3000-500 BCE) Archaic periods in Florida.
Several cultures become distinguishable in Florida in the middle to late Archaic period. In northeast Florida, the pre-ceramic Mount Taylor period (5000-2000 BCE) was followed by the ceramic Orange culture (2300-500 BCE). The Norwood culture in the Apalachee region of Florida (2300-500 BCE), was contemporary with the very similar Orange culture. The late Archaic Elliott's Point complex, found in the Florida panhandle from the delta of the Apalachicola River westward, may have been related to the Poverty Point culture. The area around Tampa Bay and southwest Florida (from Charlotte Harbor to the Ten Thousand Islands) each had as yet unnamed late Archaic regional cultures using ceramics.
Post-Archaic period.
Pre-historic sites and cultures in the eastern United States and southeastern Canada that followed the Archaic period are generally placed in the Woodland period (1000 BCE – 1000 CE) or the later Mississippian culture period (800 or 900–1500). The Woodland period is defined by the development of technology, including the introduction of ceramics and (late in the Woodland period) the bow and arrow, the adoption of agriculture, mound-building, and increased sedentism. These characteristics developed and spread separately. Sedentism and mound building appeared along the southwest coast of Florida (cf. Horr's Island) and in the lower Mississippi River Valley (cf. Watson Brake and Poverty Point) well before the end of the Archaic period. Ceramics appeared along the coast of the southeastern United States soon after. Agriculture spread and intensified across the Woodland area throughout the Woodland and Mississippian culture periods, but appeared in north central and northeastern Florida only after about 700, and had not penetrated the middle and lower Florida peninsula at the time of first contact with Europeans.
Early modern period.
European colonists encountered numerous groups of indigenous peoples in Florida. Recorded information on various groups ranges from numerous detailed reports to the mere mention of a name. Some of the indigenous peoples were taken into the system of Spanish missions in Florida, others had sporadic contact with the Spanish without being brought into the mission system, but many of the peoples are known only from mention of their names in historical accounts. All of these peoples were essentially extinct in Florida by the end of the 18th century.
Most died from exposure to Eurasian infectious diseases, such as smallpox and measles, to which they had no immunity; others died from conflict with European colonists in the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries. During the initial period of Spanish colonization, groups of conquistadors came into conflict with Florida Indians, which combined with Spanish-introduced diseases devastated their population. In the 17th and 18th centuries, English colonists from the Province of Carolina and the Indian allies carried out several raids against the Spanish mission system, further devastating the indigenous population of Florida. The few survivors migrated out of Florida, mainly to Cuba and New Spain with the Spanish when they ceded Florida to Great Britain in 1763 following the Seven Years' War, although a few Apalachee reached Louisiana, where their descendants still live.
Indigenous peoples encountered by Europeans.
This section includes the names of tribes, chiefdoms and towns encountered by Europeans in what is now the state of Florida and adjacent parts of Alabama and Georgia in the 16th and 17th centuries.
18th and 19th centuries.
From the beginning of the 18th century, various groups of Native Americans, primarily Muscogee people (called Creeks by the English) from north of present-day Florida, moved into what is now the state. The Creek migrants included Hitchiti and Mikasuki speakers. There were also some non-Creek Yamasee and Yuchi migrants. They merged to form the new Seminole ethnicity.
Groups known to have been in Florida in the latter half of the 18th century and the first half of the 19th century include:
A series of wars with the United States resulted in the death or removal to what is now Oklahoma of most of the above peoples and the merging of the remainder by ethnogenesis into the current Seminole and Miccosukee tribes of Florida.
20th and 21st century.
The only federally recognized tribes in Florida are:
The Seminole nation emerged in a process of ethnogenesis out of groups of Native Americans, most significantly Creek from what are now northern Muscogee. |
Qantassaurus
Qantassaurus ( ) is a genus of basal two-legged, plant-eating elasmarian ornithischian dinosaur that lived in Australia about 125-112 million years ago, when the continent was still partly south of the Antarctic Circle. It was described by Patricia Vickers-Rich and her husband Tom Rich in 1999 after a find near Inverloch, and named after Qantas, the Australian airline.
Description.
"Qantassaurus" was probably about 1.8 meters (6 feet) long, and about one meter (3 feet) high. If it resembled its relatives, it had short thighs and long shins, and probably was a fast runner. Its feet had claws for traction, and a long tail probably helped with turning, stiffened by ossified tendons. One characteristic of the "Polar Victorian" euornithopods are distinctive spurs, or trochanters, on the upper surface of the thigh bone (or femur), where muscle was attached.
"Qantassaurus" is only known from jaw fragments. These are foreshortened compared to related species so its face was probably short and stocky. It had ten teeth in each lower jaw. It probably had a beak, and possessed leaf-shaped teeth back in its cheek, which were shed as they wore down, and replaced by new teeth growing up from the jaw. The teeth had eight distinctive vertical ridges on the outer side with a single larger primary ridge in the centre.
"Qantassaurus" lived 127.2-125 million years ago in Australia, during the late Barremian age of the early Cretaceous period. At the time, Australia was part of the supercontinent of Gondwana, and partly within the Antarctic Circle, although the significance of polar conditions during the warm Cretaceous were greatly different from conditions in this region today. The average temperature of the region is contentious, with estimates ranging from -6 to well over 5 °C (21 to 37 °F). Conditions were likely to be at their coldest during the polar nights, which lasted up to three months.
One interpretation of the fossil material is that small ornithopods had adaptations to survive cooler conditions. Bone growth of presumed related taxa shows they were active all year round, so they did not hibernate through the winter. The structure of these bones also suggests warm-bloodedness, which would help maintain its body heat.
"Qantassaurus" was probably a browser, who grabbed ferns and other vegetation with its hands, and ran away from predators like a modern gazelle.
Classification.
"Qantassaurus" is a basal iguanodont ornithopod that was originally assigned to the Hypsilophodontidae in 1999. Today, this is understood to be an unnatural (paraphyletic) group, and "Qantassaurus" was recently recovered as a basal iguanodont by Boyd (2015), and more specifically as a member of the iguanodontian clade Elasmaria by Rozadilla "et al." (2016) and Madzia et al. (2017).
In this regard, it is one of four ornithischian species once considered hypsilophodontids from southeast Australia, along with "Leaellynasaura amicagraphica", "Atlascopcosaurus loadsi", and "Fulgurotherium australe". The four taxa are mostly known from isolated bones and teeth; however the thigh bones of "F. australe" are very diverse and may belong to three genera.
History.
The holotype of "Qantassaurus" was discovered on 27 February 1996, during the third annual field season of the Dinosaur Dreaming project, a dig jointly run by Monash University and the National Museum of Victoria. The dig occurred on the beach of the Bunurong Marine Park at the intertidal site known as Flat Rocks, near Inverloch, in southeastern Victoria, Australia. The rock outcrops at this site are part of the Wonthaggi Formation of the Strzelecki Group, which during the Barremian stage were deposited in floodplains with braided river channels. The holotype specimen, NMV P199075, a fifty-six millimetres long single left dentary of the lower jaw, containing ten teeth (three unerupted), was found by Mrs Nicole Evered, a long time participant of the dig. Two other jaws, specimens NMV P198962, a left dentary, and NMV P199087, a right dentary, found at the same site the same year have also been tentatively associated with, or referred to, the species.
It was named "Qantassaurus intrepidus" by Patricia Vickers-Rich and Tom Rich in 1999, in honor of the Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Services, which shipped fossils around the country as part of the Great Russian Dinosaurs Exhibit between 1993 and 1996, and sponsored expeditions to South America and Eastern Europe. "QANTAS" is an acronym, which is why a "u" does not follow the "q" in "Qantassaurus". The specific name means "intrepid" in Latin, referring to the climatic challenges the small dinosaur had to face. |
List of Dude, That's My Ghost! characters
This is a character list for the animated television series, "Dude, That's My Ghost!".
Main characters.
Spencer Wright.
Voiced by Rasmus Hardiker, Spencer is a 14-year-old boy and the main protagonist of the series. He is a budding filmmaker and makes his own amateur movies on a regular basis and aspires to be a famous film director. Spencer is a particular fan of horror-and-gore movies, with nearly all of his own movies having to do with either zombies or monsters in some way. Indeed, his favorite films are classics such as "The Exorcist", "A Nightmare on Elm Street", "Dawn of the Dead", and "Friday the 13th", but also likes horror comedy films like "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" and greatly admires Tim Burton. Additionally, he can be found reading the works of Stephen King and listens to heavy metal and glam metal artists like KISS. Spencer wears a blue guitar pick necklace that used to belong to Billy in order to see him. Because he is fairly new to Beverly Heights and is very different from the norm (in that he isn't wealthy, trendy, or the 'Hollywood type') he clashes with many people at his school and has garnered a number of enemies (Principal Ponzi, Lolo, & Kleet) although he receives help dealing with them from Billy. Likewise, Spencer helps Billy by protecting him from his enemies, like Madame X and Hoover. He also normally has to help solve problems caused by Billy as well, mostly pertaining to the effects of his ectoplasm and/or general antics.
Billy Joe Cobra.
Voiced by Darren Foreman, Billy is a fun-loving, mischievous, energetic, funny, hyperactive, and crazy ghost and Spencer's best friend. Before he died, he was an enormously famous pop-star, and is still very popular posthumously. He cannot be seen or heard by others unless they are wearing a personal item that belonged to him before he died (such as Spencer's necklace). Billy's personality consists of both a bro-centric best friend and a stereotypical narcissistic celebrity. He tries to help Spencer with his movies and fit in more with life in Hollywood, although many of his efforts normally cause more problems.
He often describes his days as a rock star, in which it is shown that he was extremely difficult to work with (showing up to a video shoot 2 days late and refusing to perform because he didn't like the camera man's jeans), loved to trash hotel rooms and wreck music video shoots, and treated his crew and staff horribly. He can also be somewhat temperamental, especially when someone insults him or his music. Nearly every one of Billy's songs involve him singing about how much he loves himself or how much everyone else loves him ("I'm Still in Love With Me", "I Am the Sunshine of My Life", "You Love Me, I Love Me More", etc.) although sometimes they are about things related to stereotypically extravagant lifestyles ("Big Yachts and Money"). Billy is extremely wealthy: possessing a custom limo, several private jets, planes, and yachts, a pet crocodile, and the large mansion that Spencer's family now live in. Billy's ghost body allows him to phase through objects and people, stretch his limbs, and transform into various things. He also has a number of powers, including the ability to possess people, instantly travel through computers and televisions, and telekinesis. Billy's most frequently-referred-to power (although one he has very limited control over) is the ectoplasm that his body is able to secrete. It is a blue, gooey substance that mutates or changes whatever it touches. Its effects are very erratic and unpredictable; it has the capability to mutate a small fish into a deadly piranha, give a video game sentience, and grant someone the abilities of a ghost. Its effects, however, can normally be reversed.
Billy regularly incorporates puns with the word "bro" into his vocabulary: (broaster oven, broham sandwich, George Bromero, Brohann Sebastian Bach, etc.) He does not share Spencer's love of horror films, despite being a ghost; and is acrophobic, despite having the ability to fly. He also loves smooth peanut butter, but hates chunky. He is a distant cousin to the Wright family. His real name is revealed to be Baruch Cohen in the episode "School of Terror".
Secondary characters.
Rajeev Baguiati.
Voiced by Rasmus Hardiker, Rajeev is Spencer's friend. He is a goofy teenager and self-proclaimed ladies man and party animal. He is also Shanilla's brother. He is very clumsy, socially inept, and can be a rather bad friend at times (especially when he is chasing after Lolo). He is normally cast as the lead in all of Spencer's movies, despite being a rather lackluster actor. He wears a red-buckled belt that used to belong to Billy in order to see him. He has a very public crush on Lolo and is relentless in his pursuit of her affections, despite her constant rejections and proclaimed hatred of him.
Shanila Baguiati.
Voiced by Larissa Murray, Shanila is Spencer's friend and Rajeev's twin sister. She is much more level-headed than her brother and is often the voice of common sense between the two. She wears a pink bracelet that used to belong to Billy in order to see him. She also has a secret crush on Spencer.
Hugh Wright.
Voiced by Ewan Bailey, Hugh is Spencer's dad. He works as an accountant but has a passion for inventing and tinkering with things. However, he is terrible with technology (especially computers).
Bernice Wright.
Bernice is Spencer's mom. She is normally more level-headed than Hugh. She also loves to style hair and attends beauty school. Billy Joe Cobra's distant-cousin relationship to the Wright has been implied to come from her side of the family.
Jessica Wright.
Voiced by Teresa Gallagher, Jessica is Spencer's 11-year-old sister. She is very athletic and even has a black belt in karate (which appears to be her favorite sport). She can be a bit obnoxious at times, and believes her brother is very weird for "talking to himself".
Mallory Merriman.
Voiced by Teresa Gallagher, Mallory is a pretty, popular girl who is extremely nice and friendly to everyone, including Spencer, Rajeev, and Shanila. She is secretly in love with Spencer yet she struggles to get a date with him.
Recurring antagonists.
Madame X.
Voiced by Larissa Murray, Madame X is a mysterious woman who is an extremely obsessed fan of Billy Joe Cobra. She has an enormous collection of BJC merchandise, pictures, and memorabilia, and makes it her mission to capture Billy and keep him in a jar, in order to complete her collection. She [and Hoover] appear to be the only other people (apart from Spencer and his friends) who are aware of Billy's existence and know how to see him. The upper portion of her face is always kept off-screen.
Sam Hoover.
Voiced by Steven Kynman, Sam Hoover is a very short, bumbling ghost-catcher and Madame X's right-hand man. He frequently attempts to capture Billy with his ghost containment unit (usually through numerous disguises or tricks), but is never able to hold onto him for long—usually due to his own incompetence. Hoover wears a pair of underwear that used to belong to Billy in order to see him. His base of operations is a van that is normally parked outside Billy's mansion.
Glenn Ponzi.
Voiced by Ewan Bailey, Glenn Ponzi is the principal of Beverly Beverly High School. He is a strict and bitter man who hates Spencer (believing him to be "weird" and a delinquent) and regularly attempts to get him kicked out of school. In addition to this, he is also a big detractor of Billy's music, making him a frequent target of Spencer and Billy's pranks. He can normally be seen with his pet bird Lorenzo. He also has a crush on Spencer's teacher, Ms. Rumsfeld, although these feelings are not reciprocated.
Lolo Calorie.
Lolo is a rich, spoiled, popular girl with a stereotypical valley girl accent. She doesn't like Spencer or his friends, as they usually stand up to her conceited and 'popular' attitude or just plain annoy her (mostly via Spencer's horror movies, Rajeev's flirting or Mallory's friendliness). In "True Party", is it shown that she might actually like Rajeev, despite being mean to him and rejecting him all the time.
Kleet Kleenerson.
Voiced by Darren Foreman, Kleet is a jock who enjoys bullying Spencer. He is a star football and basketball player at school and is very physically fit, but has the intelligence of a stereotypical jock and is normally outwitted by Spencer and Billy.
Recurring characters.
Adrian.
Adrian is Lolo's silent bodyguard and assistant who caters to her every whim. He usually ends up getting rid of Rajeev for her.
Buck.
Voiced by Steven Kynman, Buck is the owner of the Wi Fri. He seems to be friends with Spencer.
Buddy.
Voiced by Steven Kynman, Buddy is a somewhat popular student with a Southern accent. He appears to be an aspiring stuntman and makes frequent use of a giant cannon which he uses to launch himself out of.
The Delivery Guy.
The Delivery Guy is a goofy delivery guy that normally ends up on the receiving end of Spencer and Billy's antics.
Greg Slick.
Greg Slick is a local celebrity and entertainment show host who reports on big pop culture-related news in Hollywood.
iStevie.
iStevie is a short, nerdy looking student who is into high tech gadgetry. He communicates purely through beatboxing, which everyone else is somehow able to understand.
Kath Katherson.
Voiced by Teresa Gallagher, Kath Katherson is a newscaster who frequently reports on events happening in Beverly Heights.
Lorenzo.
Lorenzo is Principal Ponzi's pet bird and companion. He even wears a mini-toupée and pair of glasses identical to Ponzi's.
Miss Rumsfeld.
Miss Rusmfeld is Spencer's homeroom teacher. She appears to have been teaching for a very long time, as Principal Ponzi has admitted to being a former student of hers. She does not reciprocate his crush on her.
The Soapies.
The Soapies are three popular girls—Dorine, Morine, and Florine—who often hang out with Lolo. Their clique's nickname suggests they merely do this for popularity status. |
STS-68
STS-68 was a human spaceflight mission using that launched from Kennedy Space Center, Florida on 30 September 1994.
Launch.
Launch 30 September 1994 at 7:16:00.068 am EDT from Kennedy Space Center Launch Pad 39-A. The Launch window opened at 7:16 am EDT with a 2-hour-30-minute window. Orbiter mass at liftoff was 247,129 pounds (112,096 kg) including payload. Total vehicle mass was . Payload liftoff mass . Main Engine Cutoff (MECO) was at an apogee of and a perigee of at MET of 8 min 35 s with "Endeavour" traveling at . No OMS-1 burn was required. OMS-2 burn was 1 min 42 s () at MET 33 min.
The launch was originally scheduled 18 August 1994, but there was an RSLS abort at T-1.9 s after all three main engines ignited – the fifth (and final) time in the shuttle program where an RSLS abort occurred after main engine ignition. Previous aborts occurred on STS-41-D, STS-51-F, STS-55 and STS-51. The automatic abort was initiated by the onboard General Purpose Computers (GPC) when the discharge temperature on MPS Main Engine #3 High Pressure Oxidizer Turbopump (HPOT) exceeded its redline value. The HPOT typically operates at 28,120 rpm and boosts the liquid oxygen pressure from 422 to 4,300 psi (2.91 to 29.6 MPa). There are 2 sensor channels measuring temperature on the HPOT. The B channel indicated a redline condition while the other was near redline conditions. The redline limit to initiate a shutdown is at 867 K. This limit increases to 980 K at (5.3 s after Main Engine Start). Main Engine #3 (SN 2032) has been used on two previous flights with of hot-fire time and a total of eight starts. This was the first flight for the HPOT on Main Engine (SSME) #3.
A new launch date was set for early October and then moved up to late September. The procedure that has been used on previous aborts treats an RSLS abort after SSME ignition as a launch and to require a complete engine reinspection. A rollback of "Endeavour" to the VAB was done on 24 August 1994. Afterwards, "Endeavour"'s SSMEs were removed and inspected. Three flight certified SSMEs (removed from the "Atlantis" STS-66 mission) were installed on the orbiter and "Endeavour" was rolled back to the launch pad on 13 September 1994. SSME #3 was shipped to the Stennis Space Center in Mississippi for test stand firing over the Labor day weekend (5 September 1994).
Transatlantic Abort Landing (TAL) sites for the initial launch attempt were Zaragoza, Spain, Moron, Spain and Ben Guerir, Morocco. Abort Once Around landing site was White Sands Space Harbor, New Mexico, USA.
Landing.
Landing 11 October 1994, 1:02:09 pm EDT. Edwards Air Force Base concrete Runway 22. "Endeavour" did an OMS deorbit burn at 12:09 pm EDT about from the landing strip at Edwards Air Force Base. The burn lasted 2 min 17 s which lowered "Endeavour's" velocity . Astronaut John Casper flew the shuttle training aircraft at Edwards and said the weather was clear with light winds. Approach was from the southwest with a right overhead turn of 280 degrees. Nose wheel touchdown at 13:02:21 EDT. Wheel stop at 13:03:08 EDT. Rollout was approximately down the runway. Landing speed at main touchdown was approximately . Orbiter landing mass was . Payload landing mass was .
Landing was originally scheduled for KSC, 11 October 1994 at 11:36 am EDT. The KSC landing attempts on that date were waved off due to cloud cover over the Shuttle Landing Facility.
Mission Highlights.
On Friday, 30 September 1994 at 9 am CST, STS-68 MCC Status Report #1 reports: The Flight Control team in Houston gave the "Go for Orbit Operations" just before 8 am. The crew then began setting up the experiment and systems hardware aboard "Endeavour". The primary payload on this flight is the Space Radar Laboratory (SRL-2), making its second flight to study the Earth's environment.
Experiment operations will be conducted around the clock on this flight, with the astronauts divided into two teams. Commander Michael A. Baker, pilot Terrence W. Wilcutt and mission specialist Peter J.K. Wisoff are the "red team". Mission specialists Daniel W. Bursch, Thomas D. Jones and Steven L. Smith are the "blue team".
On Friday, 30 September 1994 at 5 pm CDT, STS-68 MCC Status Report # 2 reports: Shortly after 4 pm that day, flight controllers reported that the on-orbit checkout of the Spaceborne Imaging Radar-C (SIR-C) and the Synthetic Aperture Radar (X-SAR) had been completed, and that the primary SRL-2 instruments were ready for operation. Throughout the checkout, data takes were recorded over a number of sites, including Raco, Michigan; Bermuda; Bebedouro, Brazil; the Northeast Pacific Ocean and the Juan de Fuca Strait, between the United States and Canada.
In addition to the prime payload, Wilcutt also activated the Commercial Protein Crystal Growth Experiment, the Cosmic Radiation Effects and Activation Monitor, and checked on the mouse-ear cress seedlings growing in the CHROMEX-05 experiment. The crew successfully engineered an in-flight maintenance procedure to get additional cooling air to the CPCG apparatus after higher than desired temperatures were noted by crystal growth sensors.
On Saturday, 1 October 1994 at 9 am CDT, STS-68 MCC Status Report # 3 reports: Environmental studies continued throughout Saturday morning aboard Endeavour as six astronauts working around the clock in two shifts assisted the Space Radar Laboratory science team on the ground with real-time observations from space.
While Commander Mike Baker and Pilot Terry Wilcutt made attitude adjustments of the orbiter to assist in precisely pointing the radar systems, Mission Specialist Jeff Wisoff provided running commentary and tape recording assistance for the many ground sites as "Endeavour" passed overhead at an altitude of . The STS-68 mission's three other crew members—Steve Smith, Dan Bursch and Tom Jones—perform the same duties on the opposite shift, beginning at about 4:30 this afternoon.
Late Friday night, Tom Jones sent down some video of a volcano erupting in Kamchatka. The experiment scientists reported the volcano began erupting a couple of weeks ago, but the latest "burst" from the Kliuchevskoi (pronounced clue-chev-skoy) volcano occurred about eight hours after "Endeavour's" 6:16 am launch Friday.
The SRL team is planning a series of data takes using the radar equipment as "Endeavour" moves over that area of the world. Those images will be compared with similar radar images gathered during the STS-59 mission in April, prior to the volcanic activity. Other radar data gathering of the Earth's surface today included the desert regions of Africa, both the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans and mountainous regions of the East and West coasts of the United States.
Early Saturday, Mike Baker sent down a short video tape of smudges and streaks he noticed shortly after launch on several of the forward flight deck windows. None of the streaks would hamper visual observations during entry and landing slated for Monday, 10 October.
On Sunday, 2 October 1994 at 9 am CDT, STS-68 MCC Status Report # 4 reports: Radar data gathering today included forest areas of North Carolina, ocean current patterns in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, desert areas in Africa, and mountainous regions of the East and West coasts of the United States.
On Monday, 3 October 1994 at 10 am CDT, STS-68 MCC Status Report # 5 reports: "Endeavour's" Space Radar Laboratory equipment continued to search the Earth's land masses and oceans for environmental changes that have occurred since the last SRL mission in April.
The Red Team of Mike Baker, Terry Wilcutt and Jeff Wisoff will be on duty throughout much of the day while the Blue Team of Steve Smith, Dan Bursch and Tom Jones sleeps. Radar data gathering today included much of the East Coast of the United States, current patterns in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans as well as other bodies of water, desert areas in Africa, and mountainous regions around the world.
Mission Specialist Jeff Wisoff pinpointed storms, lightning and fires and relayed the information to the SRL science team. His observations help correlate and corroborate data collected from the science instruments, including the measurement of air pollution by satellite, which measures carbon monoxide levels in the atmosphere.
Taking such measurements on this flight helps understand changes in the distribution of carbon monoxide as well as other seasonal changes in the environment that have occurred since "Endeavour"'s last mission in April.
On Monday, 3 October 1994 at 5 pm CDT, STS-68 MCC Status Report # 6 reports: "Endeavour's" payload bay cameras sent to Earth dramatic video of the western coast of Oregon and the length of California and the Baja Peninsula that scientists will compare with radar images downlinked from Space Radar Laboratory-2 instruments earlier in the flight. The observations were part of a continuing effort to watch the Earth below for evidence of environmental changes that have occurred since the last SRL mission in April. The overall goal of the mission to better understand the differences in changes caused by natural processes and compare them to changes brought about by human activity. Radar data was recorded today over much of the East Coast of the United States, the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, Manitoba, Canada, and French Guiana.
Special readings were taken with the Measurement of Air Pollution by Satellite instrument as intentionally set fires were monitored by scientists from the University of Iowa and the Canadian Forest Service. The wind field and thermal evolution of the fires will be analyzed to provide a better interpretation of carbon monoxide emissions from the burning forest and to help calibrate color infrared photography taken by the STS-68 crew. These fires were planned in advance of the mission, and would have been set for forest management purposes even if the shuttle mission were not in progress.
Astronauts relayed information about storms, lightning, fires and clear cutting to the SRL science team that will be used to help understand the radar images and MAPS data on carbon monoxide levels in the atmosphere.
On Tuesday, 4 October 1994 at 9 am CDT, STS-68 MCC Status Report # 7 reports: STS-68 crew members this morning performed two slight maneuvers to fine-tune "Endeavour"'s orbit to mirror its track on the first Space Radar Laboratory mission to support a new experiment called interferometry. The trim burns adjust the orbit to within of where it was in April which will allow scientists to make near identical measurements with the radar equipment to develop a three-dimensional comparison of environmental changes during the six months separating the two missions—STS-59 and STS-68.
On Tuesday, 4 October 1994 at 5 pm CDT, STS-68 MCC Status Report # 8 reports: Space Radar Laboratory-2 scientists adjusted their observation plans to take advantage of an opportunity to train their instruments on the islands of Japan following a Tuesday night earthquake there. "Endeavour" passed over the Sarobetsu, Japan, calibration site about 3:30 pm CDT, and the Synthetic Aperture Radar sent down real-time data of the area below, allowing scientists to look for changes in the coastline of the islands that may have been due to the large tsunami waves associated with the quake. The Spaceborne Imaging Radar also recorded data on the area.
STS-68 crew members continued to perform slight maneuvers to fine-tune "Endeavour"'s orbit to intersect its track on the SRL-1 mission to support a new experiment called interferometry. The trim burns adjusted the orbit to within of where it was in April as it passed over the Mammoth Mountain, Calif., backup supersite. This should allow scientists to make nearly identical measurements with the radar equipment to develop a three-dimensional comparison of environmental changes during the six months separating STS-59 and STS-68.
Radar images over the Sahara desert and the North Atlantic will help scientists evaluate global changes and how they affect the climates in other areas of the world.
Also on 4 October, Payload Commander Tom Jones discussed the significance of radar systems and the Earth's environment in an interview with ABC's "Good Morning America". Mission Specialist Jeff Wisoff discussed the mission with CONUS Communications Syndicate affiliates WTKR-TV in his hometown of Norfolk, Va., and the All-News Channel in Minneapolis.
On Wednesday, 5 October 1994 at 8 am CDT, STS-68 MCC Status Report # 9 reports: Space Radar Laboratory scientists received some images of Japan, near the location of Monday nights earthquake, but any evidence of the natural disaster was not immediately noticeable. Other radar observations during the night included studies of other volcanoes including Mt. Pinatubo in the Philippines, Cotopaxi in Ecuador, and Teide in the Canary Islands.
Radar images processed on the ground included images of Pasadena, California, with sufficient clarity make the Rose Bowl distinguishable, as well as images of Washington State and Yellowstone National Park, both showing scars from forest fires.
During the night, the crew reported a missing thermal tile around one of the overhead windows of the orbiter. The tile apparently came off recently since crew members look out the window often to perform the visual observations that accompany radar operations. Flight controllers report that, while the tile is missing, the underlying thermal blanket is still intact.
Astronaut Linda Godwin, who served as the payload commander on the first Space Radar Laboratory mission in April, briefed the crew from the payload control room about 4:30 am Wednesday, commemorating the tenth anniversary of "Challenger"'s 41-G mission, which carried the Spaceborne Imaging Radar (SIR-B) and the Measurement of Air Pollution by Satellite (MAPS). She also noted the first flight aboard a Shuttle of that radar-imaging equipment on "Columbia" in November 1981.
On Wednesday, 5 October 1994 at 4 pm CDT, STS-68 MCC Status Report # 10 reports: Mission to Planet Earth observations by "Endeavour's" payload bay radar instruments were being suspended temporarily Wednesday afternoon to save fuel while flight controllers work to fix a minor problem involving the shuttle's small reaction control system jets.
One of the small rocket engines which help control the pointing of the Shuttle was turned off because of a temperature sensor problem. That caused all of the vernier jets, used for delicate pointing control, to be turned off and the larger steering jets to be used. The flight control team late Wednesday decided to allow the Shuttle's pointing to vary over a wider range to save thruster fuel while the initial problem was being addressed. A software change which will disregard the failed temperature sensor should be in place within 24 hours. Radar operations will be resumed once the update is made.
The radar instruments earlier Wednesday collected images over the Kliuchevskoi volcano in Kamchatka, Russia, which erupted about 8 hours after "Endeavour's" launch Friday. Images also were collected over Yellowstone National Park, Wyo.; Chickasha, Okla.; Ruiz, Columbia; Cuprito, Nevada; Colima, Mexico; the Galapagos Islands and San Juan, Argentina. Observations with the Measurement of Air Pollution from Satellite were taken, with one particular target being line fires in British Columbia, Canada.
On Thursday, 6 October 1994 at 8 am CDT, STS-68 MCC Status Report # 11 reports: "Endeavour"'s small steering jets are now back in continuous operation and Space Radar Laboratory observations are continuing on schedule after Mission Control sent a software update to the shuttle about 3:30 am today.
The software patch accommodated a failed temperature sensor in one of the vernier jets and allows "Endeavour"'s onboard computers to track the operation of the jet via a second sensor located near the failed sensor. While the patch was being developed and tested in simulators, observations by the Space Radar Laboratory continued at a reduced pace.
These small jets were used only when Mission Control had solid, stable communications with the orbiter when ground controllers could monitor the jet firings. The jets were turned off when communications with the shuttle were unavailable or intermittent, a common occurrence during standard shuttle operations.
The observations using the radar systems that were missed while the software patch was being put in place, had been performed at least once previously during the mission and are scheduled for observation again later in the flight. SRL scientists say the impact of the temporary pause is minimal on the scientific investigations under way.
One observation completed during the night was of a controlled oil spill in the North Sea designed to test the radar's ability to discern oil spills from the naturally produced film caused by fish and plankton in the water. In addition to the 106 gallons of diesel oil placed in the water, 26 gallons of algae products were placed in the water nearby for radar comparison. The ground team expected to have the oil spill cleaned up within about two hours using oil-recovery ships in the area. The experiment was conducted to prove the usefulness of radar systems to more rapidly detect spills allowing quicker cleanup.
On Thursday, 6 October 1994 at 5 pm CDT, STS-68 MCC Status Report # 12 reports: "Endeavour"'s astronauts this afternoon sent down spectacular videotape views of the west coast of California recorded as the shuttle passed about overhead on its 103rd orbit. The scenes covered the San Joaquin Valley, San Francisco Bay, Monterey Bay, Los Angeles, Vandenberg Air Force Base and San Diego Bay.
During the next few days, scientists will test a new technique called "interferometry" as the earth observations data collection continues. The technique is expected to yield topographic information of unprecedented clarity by using slightly different shuttle positions to provide three-dimensional images of the terrain below.
Among the Space Radar Laboratory observations today were the North Sea, where scientists intentionally released small oil and algae spills to see how well the SRL-2 instruments could track them, as well as observations of Bebedouro, Brazil; the Western and Northeast Pacific Ocean; Chickasha, Oklahoma; the Gulf of Mexico; Ruiz, Colombia; Sena Madureira, Brazil; Weddell Sea; the Kliuchevskoi Volcano in Kamchatmka; Stovepipe Wells, California; and the Galapagos Islands.
Earlier today, the Mission Management Team extended STS-68 by one day to allow additional science. "Endeavour" is now expected to land at the Kennedy Space Center at about 10:36 am Tuesday.
The orbiter continues to perform well. The only problem reported during the day was the failure of a primary reaction control system jet. The jet problem is not expected to have any effect on the mission since the orbiter has two other jets thrusting in the same direction.
On Friday, 7 October 1994 at 8 am CDT, STS-68 MCC Status Report # 13 reports: Observations made during the night included the volcano Merapi on the Indonesian island of Java; Duke Forest in North Carolina; the Gulf of St. Lawrence; Sydney, Australia; and the volcano Mt. Pinatubo in the Philippines.
Tom Jones, the payload commander for this second flight of SRL, spent some time this morning explaining the importance of the radar's volcanic studies. Demonstrating with three common types of volcanic rock, Jones explained how the radar's various frequencies allow it to map lava and ash flows around volcanoes. The work one day may lead to a permanent radar platform in orbit for use in assisting predictions of impending volcanic eruptions and safeguarding people living near active volcanoes.
Late Thursday, "Endeavour"'s astronauts sent down spectacular views of the west coast of California recorded as the shuttle passed about overhead on its 103rd orbit. The scenes included the San Joaquin Valley, San Francisco, Monterey Bay, Los Angeles, Vandenberg Air Force Base and San Diego.
On Friday, 7 October 1994 at 5 pm CDT, STS-68 MCC Status Report # 14 reports: Astronauts aboard "Endeavour" and Space Radar Laboratory-2 scientists on the ground today began in earnest to test the new technique of "interferometry" to produce even richer images of the Earth's surface.
From an altitude of , the Spaceborne Imaging Radar and Synthetic Aperture Radar recorded long swaths of interferometric data over central North America, the Amazon forests of central Brazil, and the volcanoes of the Kamchatka Peninsula in Russia.
This morning, "Endeavour"'s orbit was lowered from to support a new technique called "interferometry." The technique is expected to yield topographic information of unprecedented clarity by using slightly different shuttle positions to provide three-dimensional images of the terrain below.
The Measurement of Air Pollution from Satellite experiment also continues to function well, and the crew's infrared film, used to provide complementary still images of fires investigated by MAPS, has been expended. Controlled "line fires" in Ontario, Canada, were set as planned and observed by the crew in an effort to help calibrate the MAPS measurements.
On Saturday, 8 October 1994 at 5 am CDT, STS-68 MCC Status Report # 15 reports: As "Endeavour"'s seventh mission in space reaches the home stretch, scientific observations turn to the gathering of near three-dimensional views of various sites around the world to better understand climatic changes. The six crew members discussed the mission and the future of radar observations of the Earth during a news conference this morning.
The radar array aboard the shuttle began a series of observations above volcanoes, glaciers and other sites designed to create 3-D images. These spaceborne radar images, produced regularly on a long-term basis, eventually could provide scientists with insight into movements of the Earth's surface as small as a fraction of an inch.
Such close monitoring may allow scientists to detect pre-eruptive changes in volcanoes and movements in fault lines that precede earthquakes, providing an early warning of imminent natural hazards. Other future applications could include tracking the rate of global warming by monitoring the movement of glaciers and the tracking of floods and mudslides.
Earlier this morning, Mission Specialist Dan Bursch took a break from his work to provide a television tour of the crew's orbital home office, explaining the shuttle's displays, controls, computers and cameras, as well as living accommodations.
On Sunday, 9 October 1994 at 9 am CDT, STS-68 MCC Status Report # 16 reports: It has seemed like deja vu on board "Endeavour" as the crew spent much of the last 24 hours precisely repeating many Space Radar Laboratory observations to provide scientists with duplicate images for highly accurate three-dimensional maps of volcanoes, glaciers and other phenomena.
Overnight, Mission Specialists Jeff Wisoff and Steve Smith replaced one of three payload recorders which malfunctioned yesterday. The procedure, which the two astronauts trained for prior to the mission, was completed in about an hour and a half. Although only two of the payload high data rate recorders were functioning, the planned observations by the radar lab were not interrupted. The two recorders alone were sufficient for retaining the radar data obtained during the overnight shift of astronauts Smith, Dan Bursch and Tom Jones.
Small engine firings by "Endeavour" late yesterday aligned the spacecraft's trajectory to within an estimated of what had been planned when the spacecraft's orbit was lowered on Friday. This permits the precise repeat observations by the radar.
During the night, Bursch and Smith took a break from their environmental studies to talk with KGO Radio in San Francisco. The interview included phone-in questions from area children.
On Monday, 10 October 1994 at 10 am CDT, STS-68 MCC Status Report # 16 reports: In low Earth orbit, "Endeavour"'s systems are being checked out today to ensure they are healthy and ready to support landing Tuesday. The flight control surfaces will be tested using one of the hydraulic systems called an Auxiliary Power Unit, and ground station communications checks will be done.
Interferometry data gathering with the radar instruments in the orbiter's payload bay continued throughout the night and morning prior to the scheduled deactivation of the X- band Synthetic Aperture Radar. Interferometry will allow scientists to overlay radar images of the same site taken on successive days forming a three-dimensional image of the Earth's surface. These topographical images can be used to create a baseline used to understand the changes in the environmental and ecological climate around the world. |
Blackburn Type I
The Blackburn Type I was a single-engine civil two-seat monoplane built in the United Kingdom in 1913. Three were produced and used for flying demonstrations and training including seaplane pilotage.
Development.
The first Type I was built to the order of Dr. M.G. Christie as a two-seat version of the Type D. Dr. Christie was a student at the Blackburn School at Hendon but failed to obtain his Royal Aero Club pilot's brevet. He nonetheless remained deeply committed to aviation and the result was the brief for the Type I.
The Type I was of identical construction to its predecessor but it naturally was made longer to accommodate the extra seat, of greater span and with a modified fin and undercarriage. Both the passenger and pilot sat in a common extended cockpit, the former in front and over the centre of gravity so the aircraft could be flown by the pilot alone. For the first time, a Blackburn aircraft had the standard modern control combination of rudder bar and a column that moved fore and aft for pitch control. This column carried a wheel to control wing warping. The wings, braced from the undercarriage and from an inverted-V kingpost had the slightly rounded form of the modified Type D. The fin was shorter and less swept, not reaching the forward edge of the tailplane. The forward struts of the undercarriage were now forward-sloping.
The extra weight required more power, so an 80 hp (60 kW) Gnome rotary was fitted, with an aluminium cowling surrounding all but the lower 135° of the engine.
The Type I was first flown on or shortly after 14 August 1913 from the Yorkshire Aerodrome, Lofthouse Park, by Harold Blackburn. After the "Roses Race" described below, the cowling was modified with holes for carburettor air, and in December 1913 the double cockpit was converted into two by sheet-metal decking.
A second Type I was built as a single-seater with a freight compartment in place of the passenger's seat. It was externally distinguished by a single streamlined kingpost and by the absence of cowling in front of the engine. Surprisingly, this aircraft reverted to the "triple steering wheel" control of the Blackburn Second Monoplane. It was first flown by Harold Blackburn on 14 December 1913.
Since these two Type I machines had flown well, Blackburn produced the Improved Type I first seen at the Olympia Aero show in March 1914. Its forward fuselage was deeper, the engine almost fully cowled and the leading edge of the tailplane cut back to meet the fin. It flew sometime before 9 July 1914.
This machine was modified in 1915 as a seaplane trainer, just 1 ft (31 cm) longer than the landplane. It now had a 100 hp (75 kW) uncowled Anzani radial engine and dual controls. Twin main floats were supplemented by a small tail float. It was known as the Land/Sea monoplane, and could have exchanged its floats for wheels in a few minutes but was never required to do so. It first flew in this guise on 26 October 1915.
Operational history.
The Type I was initially used in a mixed programme of demonstration flights and cross-country training flights, visiting Yorkshire towns, with him and the owner together. Typical of these flights were joyrides offered at Bridlington in August and September 1913. On one of these flights Harold Blackburn took nine-year-old Miss Isla Tudor up to a height of 6,000 feet. On another occasion the noise of the engine caused a horse pulling one of Messrs. Ouston's rullies [carts] to bolt, running over the cart driver.
The Blackburn firm had its only air racing success with the Yorkshire-built Type I in a 100 mi (160 km) circuit via York, Doncaster, Sheffield, Barnsley and home to Leeds against the Lancastrian Avro 504 prototype for the Wars of the Roses trophy sponsored by the "Yorkshire Evening News" on 2 October 1913. The Type I was piloted by Harold Blackburn with Dr. Christie as passenger; the Avro 504 by F. P. Raynham with A.V. Roe as passenger.
29 March to 4 April 1914 was Sheffield Aviation Week, sponsored by the "Sheffield Independent". Harold Blackburn offered joyrides on the first Type I and, accompanied by a young lady known as "Little Miss Independent", on 4 April he delivered the early edition of that paper to Chesterfield, some 16 mi (26 km) south.
In June 1914 the aircraft was flying at Blackpool and on 22 July Harold Blackburn inaugurated the first scheduled service in Britain with flights every ½ hour between Leeds and Bradford. This machine and an early Avro 504 bought to form a circus were commandeered by the Government on the outbreak of war and only narrowly escaped destruction by fire in Harrogate, supposedly at the hands of German saboteurs.
The second Type I was flown by Harold Blackburn through the winter of 1913–4. A trip from York to Leeds in fog, rain and gales brought out a crowd estimated at 10,000. This aircraft also featured at the Yorkshire Show that year, but was later written off in York.
The Improved Type I was also commandeered by the Government at the start of the war, but having no military potential was sold to the Northern Aircraft Co. at Windermere, successors to the Lakes Flying Company as the Land/Sea monoplane. Large numbers of RNAS pilots experienced their initial seaplane training on this aircraft before it capsized on 1 April 1916. |
Statue of Mary Seacole
The statue of Mary Seacole stands in the grounds of St Thomas' Hospital, Lambeth, London. Sculpted by Martin Jennings, the statue was executed in 2016. It honours Mary Seacole, a British-Jamaican who established a "British Hotel" during the Crimean War and who was posthumously voted first in a poll of "100 Great Black Britons".
Subject.
Mary Seacole (née Grant, 1805–1881) was born in Jamaica to a Scottish father and a Jamaican mother. Following her mother as a "doctress" practising traditional herbal medicine, and as a hotel keeper, Seacole established a mess, the "British Hotel", at Balaklava during the Crimean War. Travelling to the Crimea independently after her attempts to join the official nursing contingent led by Florence Nightingale were unsuccessful, Seacole set up the hotel as a recreational and convalescence facility for officers and men and was referred to as "Mother Seacole" by the soldiery. Returning to England in 1856, she published an autobiography, "Wonderful Adventures of Mrs. Seacole in Many Lands", the following year. Falling into poverty, Seacole benefited from fundraising efforts supported by a number of illustrious backers, including the war correspondent of "The Times", William Howard Russell.
After her death in 1881, Seacole largely disappeared from the public consciousness. The centenary of her death saw the beginnings of a revival of interest; the Mary Seacole Memorial Association was founded in 1980, and an English Heritage blue plaque commemorated her residence in George Street, Westminster. In 2004 Seacole was voted first in a poll of 100 "Great Black Britons", and the president of the Royal College of Nursing called for the erection of a statue to honour her memory. Over a decade later, and following considerable controversy, the statue in the gardens of St Thomas' Hospital was unveiled by Floella Benjamin on 30 June 2016.
Description.
The statue stands in the gardens of St Thomas' Hospital, facing the Palace of Westminster. The figure of Seacole is cast in bronze and the sculptor Martin Jennings depicted Seacole in motion to represent her "marching defiantly forward into an oncoming wind, as if confronting head-on some of the personal resistance she had constantly to battle". The sculpture stands on a plinth of Cumbrian slate with Portland stone dressings. Seacole stands in front of a disc, again cast in bronze although with a lighter patina to accentuate contrasts and shadows, which shows the land surface where Seacole established her "British Hotel" in the Crimea. Jennings intended the disc to have both literal significance, as a depiction of the place where her reputation was first established, and symbolic meaning, as a block to her ambitions.
The plinth carries two inscriptions. To the front is carved Seacole's name, occupation and dates, together with words from her autobiography; "Wherever the need arises on whatever distant shore I ask no higher or greater privilege than to minister to it". The reverse describes the meaning and purpose of the disc, and carries words by William Howard Russell, the newspaper correspondent who covered the Crimean War, and Seacole's contribution; "I trust that England will not forget one who nursed her sick, who sought out her wounded to aid and succour them, and who performed the last offices for some of her illustrious dead". In 2017 the sculpture was shortlisted for the Marsh Awards, established by the Public Monuments and Sculpture Association to raise awareness of Britain's monument heritage. Seacole's statue is generally considered to be the first in Britain to recognise a named black woman.
History.
The idea for a statue to commemorate Seacole was raised in 2004, when she topped an online poll to identify 100 Great Black Britons. Her victory led the then President of the Royal College of Nursing, Sylvia Denton, to call for the erection of a commemorative statue. The idea was supported by the London M.P. Clive Soley, who had become interested in Seacole when a group of black women from his constituency, who had served in the Women's Royal Voluntary Service, approached him for help in identifying and refurbishing Seacole's grave in St Mary's Catholic Cemetery, Kensal Green in West London. Soley subsequently became chair of the Mary Seacole Memorial Statue Appeal which undertook a twelve-year campaign to raise the necessary funds to pay for the statue. Over £500,000 was raised in private donations, and this was supplemented by the granting of £240,000 by the then Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne, who diverted fines levied following the Libor banking scandal for the purpose of landscaping and preparing the statue's site.
The commissioning of the statue generated controversy. Opposition was led by the Nightingale Society, and its co-founder Lynn McDonald, the editor of the 16-volume "Collected Works of Florence Nightingale". The society's main objection was to what it perceived as the embellishment of Seacole's work and reputation, to the detriment of that of Florence Nightingale. The proposed site for the statue, the grounds of St Thomas', provoked particular hostility, as Seacole had no connection to the hospital while Nightingale had founded her school of nursing there in 1860. In 2013 the controversy became linked to, ultimately unsuccessful, efforts by the then Secretary of State for Education, Michael Gove, to remove mention of Seacole from the English schools National Curriculum. The statue's sculptor, Martin Jennings, noted the substantial length of time it took to raise the necessary funds, contrasting it with the more usual period of around two years, and asked, in an interview in "The Guardian" newspaper in 2016, "would there really be such energy behind the[..] resistance if the person the statue honours was white-skinned"?
By 2016, work on the statue, cast in the foundry of Pangolin Editions in Gloucestershire, and on its site, was complete. The statue was unveiled on 30 June 2016 by Floella Benjamin. Speaking at the unveiling, Elizabeth Anionwu, Emeritus Professor of Nursing at the University of West London and vice-chair of the appeal committee, referenced the importance of the site and of the statue itself; "There are not enough statues of women, let alone of black women. St Thomas’ are proud to host the statue of Mary Seacole both in recognition of the work done by their black and minority ethnic healthcare staff, and also because of the diverse community they serve". |
Postglacial vegetation
Postglacial vegetation refers to plants that colonize the newly exposed substrate after a glacial retreat. The term "postglacial" typically refers to processes and events that occur after the departure of glacial ice or glacial climates.
Climate Influence.
Climate change is the main force behind changes in species distribution and abundance. Repeated changes in climate throughout the Quaternary Period are thought to have had a significant impact on the current vegetation species diversity present today. Functional and phylogenetic diversity are considered to be closely related to changing climatic conditions, this indicates that trait differences are extremely important in long term responses to climate change. During the transition from the last glaciation of the Pleistocene to the Holocene period, climate warming resulted in the expansion of taller plants and larger seed bearing plants which resulted in lower proportions of vegetation regeneration. Hence, low temperatures can be strong environmental filters that prevent tall and large-seeded plants from establishing in postglacial environments.
Throughout Europe vegetation dynamics within the first half of the Holocene appear to have been influenced mainly by climate and the reorganization of atmospheric circulation associated with the disappearance of the North American ice sheet. This is evident in the rapid increase of forestation and changing biomes during the postglacial period between 11500ka and 8000ka before the present.
Vegetation development periods of post-glacial land forms on Ellesmere Island, Northern Canada, is assumed to have been at least ca. 20,000 years in duration. This slow progression is mostly due to climatic restrictions such as an estimated annual rainfall amount of only 64mm and a mean annual temperature of -19.7 degrees Celsius. The length in time of vegetation development observed on Ellesmere Island is evidence that post glacial vegetation development is much more restricted in the Arctic and colder climates as compared to milder climatic regions such as the boreal, temperate and tropical zones.
Vegetation Responses.
As land became exposed following the glaciation of the last ice age, a variety of geographic settings ranging from the tropics to the Arctic and Antarctic became available for the establishment of vegetation. Species that now exist on formerly glaciated terrain must have undergone a change in distribution of hundreds to thousands of kilometers, or have evolved from other taxa that have once done so in the past. In a newly developing environment, plant growth is often strongly influenced by the introduction of new organisms into that environment, where competitive or mutualistic relationships may develop. Often, competitive balances are eventually reached and species abundances remain somewhat constant over a period of generations.
Studies done on the Norwegian Island of Svalbard, have been very useful in understanding the behavior of postglacial vegetation. Studies show that many vascular plants that are considered pioneers of vegetation development, eventually become less frequent. For example, the abundance of species such as "Braya purpurascens" has fallen nearly 30% due to the introduction of new species in the area.
Postglacial Vegetation in North America.
Arctic vegetation has distinct postglacial development characteristics compared to the more temperate zones of lower latitudes. A study of postglacial moraines conducted in the Canadian Arctic on Ellesmere Island have found that dwarf shrubs of "Dryas integrifolia" and "Cassiope tetragona" are often good indicators of vegetation development and progression. Dwarf shrubs have been found to increase with the age of the moraine, with "Dryas integrifolia" becoming the most predominant. As well the cover of vegetation, including lichens and bryophytes showed consistent increase with the moraine age, suggesting directional vegetation development. It is also suggested that part of the high proportions of polypoids occurring in arctic floras is the result of speciation as continental ice-sheets withdrew.
Pollen diagrams from northern Quebec, Canada, show advances throughout the Holocene of post-glacial vegetation development. The initial phase of open vegetation began about 6000 years before the present. Following deglaciation, shrub and herbaceous tundra plants dominated for a brief period of time. Plants such as the "Larix laricina", "Populus" and "Juniperus", were also important in the initial vegetation development. Some species that followed later include: "Alnus crispa", and "Betula". Though later vegetation development was mainly dominated by "Picea", shortly following deglaciation, they reached their present day limit. Today black spruce is mainly dominant throughout much of northern Quebec.
The continental U.S. is considered to have strongly contributed to the re-establishment of postglacial vegetation in Canada following the last ice age. Roughly 300 taxa of vascular plants and mosses that were found to have existed below the extent of the last glacial period within the United States were also found to have migrated to Canada. These patterns are recorded within either pollen or macro fossils.
Anthropogenic Impact.
Studies done by Reitalu, (2015) have found that human impact throughout much of Europe has negatively influenced plant diversity by suppressing the establishment of tall-growing, large seeded taxa. Although human influence has facilitated many ruderal species, this is believed to have led to an overall decrease in phylogenetic diversity.
Research Methods.
Many pollen diagrams around the world indicate that major climate changes caused the last continental ice sheets to retreat, leading to dramatic effects on the distribution and abundance of plants. By converting pollen data into plant functional type (PFT) assemblages and interpolating the data, researchers have been able to reconstruct postglacial vegetation patterns around the world. Core sampling and analysis of lake sediments that contain pollen and other plant remains are often used to obtain good records of past pollination cycles. Such paleorecords preserved in lake sediments can be used to reconstruct the history of post glacial vegetation. Lake sediments have an advantage over other core sampling sites, such as fen and bog peats, as they provide no overwhelming local pollen components. As well, lake sediments contain stratigraphic changes in soil character, which are useful for understanding changes in vegetation development over a period of time. Macrofossils that are obtained from sedimentary deposits are also useful for constructing the history of changing postglacial vegetation. |
Wang Shin-lung
Wang Shin-lung () is a general officer of the Republic of China (ROC) in Taiwan. Born in Xincheng, Hualien, ancestry from Dinghai, Zhejiang. He became Commanding General of the Republic of China Army on 1 December 2016. He is the current Vice Minister (Armanents) of the Ministry of National Defense since 1 July 2021.
Life.
Wang Shin-lung was born in rural areas of Hualien County, Taiwan. His father Wang, Ing-far was a veteran, after retirement, settled in Hualien. To support the family, he had been working temporary in the brick-making factories and wineries, and later on found a permanent job as a janitor at Xincheng Junior High School. The family was very poor. Wang Shin-lung graduated from Hualien private Joseph (now Haixing) Primary School, then Xincheng Junior High School and finally Hualien Engineering Electronics Polytechnic School. He entered the first generation (G1) of the Army College Specialist Class (1980 classes) and studied in the mechanical engineering and Army infantry department. After graduating from the Army College, he served as an Army officer in different posts around the country for several years, then was admitted to study at Army Infantry School, then the College of the Armed Forces (1992 classes), and the University of War (1998 Classes). Army Headquarters gave high evaluations on Wang Shin-lung's academic performance as "hard-working, laying solid foundation of military academy and accomplishment." For Wang Shin-lung's birth background concerned, when he was promoted as major general, lieutenant general and the general continuously, Hualien County Magistrate Fu, Kun-chi, Speaker Lai, Jin-kun, and Xincheng Township Mayor He, Li-tai recognized and praised him unanimously as the "Glory of Hualien."
Career of the Army College Specialist Classes
Wang Shin-lung was admitted to the Department of Mechanical Engineering of the Army College Specialist Classes (G1) on April 28, 1978, and graduated on October 29, 1980. He was awarded a two-year college diploma and appointed as Army lieutenant with a total of 1,058 G1 alumni.
Military career.
April 27, 2016 lieutenant general Wang Shin-lung was the vice minister of the Ministry of Defense and major general Li Guofang, the Army Airways 601 Brigade Chief, accompanied members of the Foreign and Defense Committee of the Legislative Yuan Ms Lu Yuling and Mr. Lin Changzo for official inspection.
Wang Shin-lung was promoted to major general in July 2004, his early important career, including Director General of the Manning and Equipping Division, Department of Strategic Planning, Ministry of Defense, 119th Brigade Commander of the Army Infantry, Commander of the Army 34th Division, Commander of the Taitung Regional Command, Deputy Commander of the Army Taitung Command and Director General of the Planning Department of the Army Headquarters.
In August 2011, he was appointed Deputy Commander of the Army's Sixth Corps Command. In January 2012, he was promoted to lieutenant general, and he was promoted to the personnel vice minister of the Staff Headquarters of the Ministry of Defense. In January 2014, he served as commander of the Army's Sixth Corps Command. During his Six Army Commander's service, he was responsible for commanding troops to rescue the TransAsia Airways Flight 235 incident in 2015. In February 2015, he was promoted to the vice minister of the Ministry of Defense. His deputy commander, lieutenant general Ren Ji-nan succeeded him as the commander of the Sixth Corps Command and continued the casualty search and rescue mission.
Wang Shin-lung was promoted to the deputy chief of staff of the General Staff Headquarters of the Ministry of Defense in June 2016, he was promoted to general of the Army in December the same year, this make him the first Hualien born general. He was then appointed as the First Commander of the Army. He was the first graduate from the Army College Specialist Classes to serve the post in the history of the Republic of China (Air Force College Specialist Classes is Admiral Li Tianyu). After Wang Shin-lung took the office, on behalf of army officers and soldiers, he paid respects to the late President Chiang Ching-kuo and Chiang Kai-shek for their death anniversaries on January 13, 2017 and April 5 respectively in Taoyuan Daxi and Touliao mausoleums.
Honor Award
As a citizen, Wang Shin-lung was award “Honorary Citizenship” of Hualien County, “Grand Protector of the Country”, Hualien County Council's “Heroic Defender of the Nation”, Xincheng Township's “Glory of Xincheng” Medal, and Hualien Engineering Electronics Polytechnic School's outstanding alumni.
As a soldier, Wang Shin-lung was awarded six medals of meritorious service, such as one 3rd grade “Order of the Cloud and Banner”, one 4th grade “Order of the Cloud and Banner”, and one “Order of Precious Tripod with Special Cravat” and three “Order of Loyalty and Diligence”.
He was also awarded with five medals for Armed Forces Service, such as one grade A-2 “Medal of the Armed Forces”, one A-1 grade “Medal of the Brilliant Light”, one A-2 grade “Medal of the Brilliant Light”, one A-1 grade “Medal of Victorious Garrison” and one A-2 grade “Medal of Victorious Garrison”. With a total of 16 medals for Army service, such as two “Medal of Army Brilliance”, three “Medal of Outstanding Service”, three “Medal of Outstanding Staff”, four “Medal of Army Achievement” and four “Medal of Excellent Efficiency”. |
Culture of Shiraz
The culture of Shiraz concerns the arts, music, museums, festivals, many Persian entertainments and sports activities in Shiraz, the capital of Fars Province. Shiraz is known as the city of poets, gardens, wine, nightingales and flowers. The crafts of Shiraz consist of inlaid mosaic work of triangular design; silver-ware; carpet-weaving, and the making of the rugs called gilim (Shiraz Kilim), and blankets called Jajim found in the villages and among the tribes.
According to some sources, Shiraz is the heartland of Persian culture.
The garden is an important part of Iranian culture. There are many old gardens in Shiraz such as the Eram garden and the Afif abad garden. According to some people, Shiraz "disputes with Xeres (or Jerez) in Spain the honour of being the birthplace of sherry." Shirazi wine originates from the city; however, under the current Islamic regime, liquor cannot be consumed except by religious minorities.
Shiraz is proud of being mother land of Hafiz Shirazi, Shiraz is a center for Iranian culture and has produced a number of famous poets. Saadi, a 12th- and 13th-century poet was born in Shiraz. He left his native town at a young age for Baghdad to study Arabic literature and Islamic sciences at Al-Nizamiyya of Baghdad. When he reappeared in his native Shiraz he was an elderly man. Shiraz, under Atabak Abubakr Sa'd ibn Zangy (1231–1260) was enjoying an era of relative tranquility. Saadi was not only welcomed to the city but he was highly respected by the ruler and enumerated among the greats of the province. He seems to have spent the rest of his life in Shiraz. Hafiz, another famous poet and mystic was also born in Shiraz. A number of scientists also originate from Shiraz. Qutb al-Din al-Shirazi, a 13th-century astronomer, mathematician, physician, physicist and scientist was from Shiraz. In his "The Limit of Accomplishment concerning Knowledge of the Heavens", he also discussed the possibility of heliocentrism.
Cuisine.
There are many restaurants and cafes in Shiraz, both modern and classic, serving both Iranian and cosmopolitan cuisine. Shiraz wine is famous both in Iran and in the world. By the ninth century, the city of Shiraz had already established a reputation for producing the finest wine in the world, and was the "Iran's wine capital". The export of Shiraz wine by European merchants in the 17th century has been documented. As described by enthusiastic English and French travellers to the region in the 17th to 19th centuries, the wine grown close to the city was of a more dilute character due to irrigation, while the best Shiraz wines were actually grown in terraced vineyards around the village of Khollar. These wines were white and existed in two different styles: dry wines for drinking young, and sweet wines meant for aging. The latter wines were compared to "an old sherry" (one of the most prized European wines of the day), and at five years of age were said to have a fine bouquet and nutty flavour. The dry white Shiraz wines (but not the sweet ones) were fermented with significant stem contact, which should have made these wines rather phenolic, i.e., rich in tannins.
Shirazi salad ( "sālād shirāzi") is an Iranian salad that originated from and is named after Shiraz. It is a relatively modern dish, dating to sometime after the introduction of the tomato to Iran at the end of the nineteenth century. Its primary ingredients are cucumber, tomato, onion, olive oil, herbal spices and verjuice, although lime juice is sometimes used in its preparation. Shirazi faloodeh (or Paloodeh) () is a special version of Faloodeh from the city of Shiraz, is particularly well-known.
Festivals and holidays.
Iranian festivals.
Nowruz.
Iran's official New Year begins with Nowruz, an ancient Iranian tradition celebrated annually on the vernal equinox. It is enjoyed by people adhering to different religions, but is considered a holiday for the Zoroastrians. It was registered on the UNESCO's list of Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity in 2009, described as the "Persian New Year", Shiraz Municipality organizes festivals during Nowruz. During Nowruz, many tourists visit the city and Nowruz is one of the best times for visiting Shiraz. On Nowruz, Shiraz attracts a large number of foreign and Iranian tourists.
Chaharshanbe Suri.
Chaharshanbe Suri is one of the most popular festivals in Shiraz. On the eve of the last Wednesday of the preceding year, as a prelude to Nowruz, the ancient festival of "Čāršanbe Suri" celebrates Ātar ("Fire") by performing rituals such as jumping over bonfires and lighting off firecrackers and fireworks.
Sizdah Be-dar.
On this day, the people of Shiraz enjoy the green space and parks of the city. The Nowruz celebrations last by the end of the 13th day of the Iranian year (Farvardin 13, usually coincided with 1 or 2 April), celebrating the festival of Sizdebedar, during which the people traditionally go outdoors to picnic.
Mehregan.
Mehregan that is also widely referred to as the "Persian Festival of Autumn" is a Zoroastrian and Persian festival that has been preserved in Shiraz for centuries.
Fashion and clothing.
Shiraz traditional clothes usually have "happy" colors. In some sources it is mentioned as a symbol of peace and happiness.
Sports and athletics.
Soccer is the most popular sport in Shiraz and the city has many teams in this sport. The most notable of these teams is Bargh Shiraz who are one of the oldest teams in Iran, Bargh was once a regular member of the Persian Gulf Pro League; however, financial issues and poor management have led them dropping to League 3 where they currently play. Shiraz's other major football team is Fajr Sepasi who also played in the Persian Gulf Pro League; however, now they play in the second tier Azadegan League. Shiraz is host to a number of smaller and lesser known teams as well, such as Kara Shiraz, New Bargh and Qashaei who all play in League 2.
The main sporting venue in Shiraz is Hafezieh Stadium which can hold up to 20,000 people. The stadium is the venue for many of the cities football matches and has occasionally hosted the Iran national football team. Shiraz is also home to another stadium, Pars Stadium, which have been completed in 2017 and can host up to 50,000 spectators.
Music and dance.
Shiraz hosts music concerts by famous Iranian artists. Although there is no standard concert hall in Shiraz.
Museums and galleries.
The most visited museum in Shiraz is the Pars Museum. it is located in Nazar Garden. It is also the burial place of Karim Khan Zand.
Religion.
Most of the population of Shiraz are Muslims. Shiraz also was home to a 20,000-strong Jewish community, although most emigrated to the United States and Israel in the latter half of the 20th century. There are currently only two functioning churches in Shiraz, one Armenian, the other, Anglican. |
Jim Doran
James Robert Doran (August 11, 1927 – June 30, 1994) was a National Football League (NFL) wide receiver for the Detroit Lions (1951–1959) and the Dallas Cowboys (1960–1961). He played college football at Iowa State University. He was a two-way player, playing both on offense and defense. He played 94 games as a defensive lineman, usually defensive end, and 115 games as a tight end.
Early years.
Because of the small size of Beaver High School, it had no football program, so Doran practiced basketball and baseball. As a High School basketball player, Doran once scored 36 of the 38 total points scored by his team in a single contest. On the baseball diamond Doran possessed prolific home run power as a switch hitter while playing the catcher position. Against Rippey High School as senior, Doran belted 3 home runs, 2 as a right handed hitter and 1 as a lefty. His first exposure to the sport of football was at Buena Vista College in the fall of 1947, on the "B" team, joining after a short stint in the navy during World War II. He played defensive tackle despite being a relative lightweight at 190 pounds.
Doran transferred to Iowa State University in 1947, joining the track team as a sprinter, high jumper and shot putter. Doran had his 1948 football season end in the season opener with a broken right ankle. In 1949, he helped the team post a 5–3–1 record, the school's first winning football season in a span of 14 years, and being named to the All-Big Seven team at offensive end, with 689 yards on 34 catches, breaking the single-season Big Seven receiving mark by over 200 yards.
He also set a national college record against the Oklahoma Sooners by catching eight passes for 203 yards, a mark that remains unbroken in the Iowa State University record book.
In 1950, his 652 yards on 42 receptions and six touchdowns as a senior, earned him first-team All-American and All-Big Seven honors. He was the Cyclone's only football All-American in two decades, and more recently he was voted to the modern All-time All-Big Eight team. Doran closed out his Cyclone career owning virtually every Iowa State and Big Seven receiving mark. He also played in the Hula Bowl and East–West Shrine Game in 1951.
In 1997, he was inducted into the Iowa State University Athletics Hall of Fame. In 2005, he was inducted into the Iowa Sports Hall of Fame. In 1983, he was inducted into the Iowa High School Football Hall of Fame, despite never playing high school football. Doran was deemed an "outstanding example for the young men of the state of Iowa".
Professional career.
Detroit Lions.
Doran was selected by the Detroit Lions in the fifth round (55th overall) of the 1951 NFL Draft. He became a starter as a rookie at defensive end. He also was used on the offensive side, registering 10 receptions, 225 receiving yards, a 22.5-yard average (fourth in the league) and 2 touchdowns.
In 1952, he was voted the most valuable player on a Lions team that won the 1952 NFL Championship Game. His teammates nicknamed him the Graham Cracker, because of his ferocious rushing of Otto Graham as a defensive end, in all of the Detroit-Cleveland games he played in.
In 1953, he started playing both offense and defense because of injuries to teammates. The biggest play of his pro career occurred in the 1953 NFL Championship Game, when he caught a 33-yard touchdown pass, that pulled out a 17–16 victory. Doran kept playing the offensive end position and led the Lions in receiving in 1957.
After the 1959 season, because of his age, the Lions left him off their list of players who were exempt from the 1960 NFL Expansion Draft.
Dallas Cowboys.
Doran was selected by the Dallas Cowboys in the 1960 NFL Expansion Draft. He was converted into a tight end at 33 years of age, becoming the first starter at that position in franchise history, while registering 31 catches (led the team) for 554 yards (led the team) and 3 touchdowns.
At the end of the season, he had the distinction of becoming the Cowboys’ first Pro Bowl player in franchise history, and also scoring the Cowboys' first touchdown in franchise history, a 75-yard pass from Eddie LeBaron against the Pittsburgh Steelers on September 24, 1960.
Doran started the franchise's legacy of Pro Bowl tight ends that includes: Dick Bielski, Lee Folkins, Mike Ditka, Billy Joe Dupree, Jackie Smith, Doug Cosbie, Jay Novacek and Jason Witten.
He was released after playing two seasons in Dallas and a total of 11 seasons in the NFL, compiling 212 receptions for 3,667 yards and 24 touchdowns.
Denver Broncos.
On July 22, 1962, Doran signed as a free agent with the Denver Broncos of the American Football League, but his season ended after injuring his back during a victory against the Dallas Texans and being placed on the injured reserve list on August 27.
Personal life.
Doran rejoined his old Detroit Lions head coach, Buddy Parker, as an assistant with the Pittsburgh Steelers for the 1964 and 1965 seasons.
He returned to Iowa to farm after football. Two of his sons, Jim jr. and Lant Doran played football for Iowa State University. The father-sons combined for 9 varsity football letters at ISU, a record for the University. Jim died on June 29, 1994, of a heart attack. |
Kallil Temple
Kallil Temple is a hindu temple located at Kerala, South India. It is 8 km away from Perumbavoor in Ernakulam district of Kerala. Kallil in Malayalam means 'in stone'. It is one of the most ancient hindu temple in Kerala. It is one of the protected monuments in Kerala under Kerala State Department of Archaeology.
Overview.
The temple, located in a 28-acre (113,000 m2) plot, is cut from a huge rock, and a climb of 120 steps leads to the temple. To reach the temple one has to travel a distance of about 2 km from Odakkali, on the Aluva Munnar Road and 10 km from Perumbavoor. The temple is owned by the Kallil Pisharody family. The present Karanavar of the family turned over all the administrative control of the temple and all its belongings to 'Chenkottukonam Sree Ramadasashramam'. But all that retrieved back due to some hassle between local people and Ashram authorities.
Location
The temple is located at Methala near Perumbavoor in Ernakulam district. The temple is located at a distance of 10 km from Perumbavoor. It is located at a distance of 4 km from Odakali between Perumbavoor and Kothamangalam.
Kallil Bhagavathi Temple
There are many temples where history and legend converge. The temples that still stand tall today with unbelievable stories and myths that overcome it. The Kallil Bhagwati Temple is one such temple. The story of the Kallil Bhagwati Temple is located in the village of Methala near Perumbavoor in Ernakulam district. To the highlights of the "Kallil Bhagavathi Temple," which is believed to be over five thousand years old and has become a part of the history of Kerala itself !!!
Perumbavoor is famous for its stone Bhagavathi Temple, which can be reached by crossing over a hundred steps in the jungle. The temple is said to be over five thousand years old and is marked by Perumbavoor on the temple map. It is now preserved as a protected monument under the Archaeological Department.
Legend
If you search for the history of the Kallil Temple, you will come across Jainism. It is believed that this was a Jain temple in the early days. It is believed that Padmavati, the Yakshiya of Jainism, is worshiped here as Bhagwati. It is believed that the Jain temple later became the Bhagwati temple. It is believed that this change took place in the ninth century. The legend spread here is related to a woman. Once upon a time, people came to the forest and saw a woman of extraordinary beauty. They disappeared when he went to see them playing with stones. They hide in the cave with the stones they were playing with. It is believed that the goddess was Bhagwati. It is believed that the stone that went up while the goddess was playing became the roof of the temple and came down as a seat.The stones that were worshiped by the Goddess are still here today ... The huge rock that stands on the roof of the shrine does not touch the ground. This rock that stands tall in the air does not move even if 15 elephants pull it together!
The two most important vows here are the stone vow and the broom vow. The broom vows are made for women to grow hair and for men to change family troubles. The broom vow is made of wool without touching the iron and offered to the temple.
The stone vows to complete the housework that was stopped half way. If you bring two or three stones from the house where the work is being done and bring them to the temple for prayers, the work will be completed within a year. People who can do whatever they want come here and give thanks again and make vows and pray.
Cave Temple
This temple is also known as the Kallil Cave Temple. The Goddess is enshrined in a cave made of stone. As it is a cave temple, it is not possible to walk around behind the shrine like in normal temples. Therefore, when circling Bhagwati, the circumambulation is completed by bowing to the stone.There is ample evidence that this was a Jain temple in the early days. The idols of Parshvanath and Mahavira in Jainism have become idols of Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu.
Pooja time
The festival is celebrated on the Karthika day in the month of Scorpio. The festival lasts for eight days.
Until a few days ago, it was customary to walk after noon pooja.
This was due to the difficulty of returning so far for evening poojas. But now even though the walk is closed for noon pooja, the walk is reopened for evening devotional and Athazha pooja.
Main deity.
Rock-carved images of the 23rd Tirthankara, Parshvanatha, "Vardhaman Mahavira" (24th "Tirthankara") and Padmavati devi are present in the temple. "Padmavati devi" is worshipped as "Bhagawathi" by the local population. The major festival of the temple is celebrated from Karthika of month Vrishchika and usually lasts for a week. |
Ivan Borkovský
Ivan Borkovský was a Austro-Hungarian Empire-born Czechoslovakian archaeologist. He spent his early career as a soldier fighting for the Austro-Hungarian Army against the Russians in the First World War. He later served in the Ukrainian War of Independence and fought for both the White and Red Armies in the Russian Civil War. Borkovský fled to Czechoslovakia in 1920 and, after a period in internment camps, settled there. He graduated with a degree in archaeology from Prague's Charles University and headed up excavations at Prague Castle as well as at Czernin Palace.
Borkovský's discovery of the Prague Castle skeleton led to conflict with German occupying forces during the Second World War who were keen to find evidence of early German involvement in the region. Under threat of being sent to a concentration camp Borkovský was forced to issue a paper identifying the skeleton as of Germanic origin and to withdraw a book publicising early Slavic pottery from the area. After the war he came under suspicion from Soviet forces for his pro-German interpretation and, after being spared from being sent to a gulag, issued a paper retracting his earlier interpretation and describing the skeleton as a Slav. After the war he carried out further excavations in Prague, including at the Levý Hradec, and served as chairman of the Archaeological Society of the Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences.
Early life.
Ivan Borkovský was born on 8 September 1897 at Chortovec near Horodenka, which was then part of the Austro-Hungarian Kingdom of Galicia and Lodomeria and since 1991 lies in West Ukraine. He was born to a poor Ukrainian noble family and was named Ivan Borkovskyj-Dunin. Borkovský attended grammar school at Stanislavov between 1909 and 1913 and afterwards studied to become a teacher.
Borkovský joined the Austro-Hungarian Army in 1915 and fought against Russia during the First World War. Between 1918 and 1920 he fought in the Ukrainian War of Independence and also became involved in the Russian Civil War, first as part of the White Army and then for the opposing Red Army. Borkovský was one of a large number of Ukrainians who escaped the war to Czechoslovakia in 1920. He spent the next year interned in a number of camps at Holešov, Liberec and Josefov before being released. Borkovský found that his previous education was not recognised by the Czechoslovak authorities so he had to attend grammar school again at Josefov from which he graduated in 1925.
From 1922 Borkovský attended lecture on the prehistoric era at Charles University in Prague and from 1923 to 1926 was a volunteer scientific assistant at the State Archaeological Institute. He later joined a degree course at the university and graduated in 1929. Early in his career he specialised in the Later Stone Age.
Prague Castle skeleton.
In 1926 Borkovský was appointed assistant to Karel Guth, Head of the Historical Archaeology Department of the National Museum and placed in charge of the museum's excavation work at Prague Castle (as part of the Prague Castle Research Commission). In 1928 Borkovský excavated the Prague Castle skeleton, a ninth-century burial. The discovery was not published at the time, as Guth controlled this aspect and was often late with his articles; the skeleton would however play a key part in Borkovský's later career.
Borkovský carried out excavations on an early Slavic burial ground in Loreto Square in front of Prague's Czernin Palace in 1934–35. He also led the excavation of a medieval burial ground in Bartolomejska Street in 1936, ahead of the construction of a new police headquarters. Between 1932 and 1936 he also managed the cataloging of the archaeology collection of the Josef Antonín Jíra Museum. It was here that he discovered the first early Slav ceramic artifacts that proved the presence of the Prague culture in Bohemia in the early 6th-century AD. Borkovský published his findings in the book "Old Slavonic Ceramics in Central Europe" which he produced at his own expense in 1940. Borkovský transferred to the Czech State Archaeological Institute in the same year.
During this time Borkovský played an active role in the Ukrainian exile community in Prague. From 1933 he lectured at the Ukrainian Free University as an associate professor. He later became a full professor and served as rector from 1939 until 1942.
Nazi Germany occupied Czechoslovakia in the lead up to the Second World War and were keen to promote a narrative of an early Germanic and Nordic involvement in the region to legitimise their occupation. Borkovský's findings about early Slavic settlement were unhelpful to the German cause and he was forced to withdraw his 1940 book under threat of being sent to a concentration camp. Under German pressure he published an article identifying the burial as of Nordic origin. Soviet forces occupied Czechoslovakia in 1945 and Borkovský came under suspicion for his pro-German paper. He was arrested by the NKVD, the Soviet secret police, in May despite protesting that he had been forced to write the paper. Borkovský was loaded onto a transport destined for a Siberian gulag but was saved at the last moment by the intervention of Jaroslav Böhm, director of the State Archaeological Institute. In 1946 Borkovský published a revised paper that identified the burial as a Slav noble of the Przemyslid dynasty.
Later career.
Borkovský later became director of the new Department of Historical Archaeology at the Institute of Archaeology; which joined the Czech Academy of Sciences in 1952. He contributed greatly to the understanding of the appearance of the Prague Castle through history, particularly during the early Middle Ages. In 1950/51 he discovered the foundations of the Church of the Virgin Mary in the castle grounds which, dating from the second half of the 9th century, was the oldest church in the castle. Borkovský also carried out research into the Convent of St. Agnes, Convent of St Anna and the demolished Bethlehem Chapel in the Old Town, which were important to building an understanding of the medieval development of Prague. He led the investigation of the Levý Hradec until 1954 and was also involved in research into the monastery of St. Jiří.
From 1954 Borkovský was employed by the Institute of Archaeology to continue investigations at Prague Castle. In the same year he received the Science Award of the City of Prague and was awarded a Doctorate of Science degree. He remained in the employ of the Institute for the rest of his life. Borkovský served as chairman of the Archaeological Society of the Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences from 1968 until 1975 and has been described as the founder of modern Czech medieval archaeology. He died in Prague on 17 March 1976. |
Shelly Chartier
Shelly Lynne Chartier (born 1983/1984) is an indigenous Canadian woman of the Chemawawin Cree Nation.
Chartier was most well known for her online involvement in a catfishing scandal involving NBA basketball player Chris Andersen and a teenage aspiring model, Paris Dunn, among others.
Early life.
Shelly Chartier led an isolated life as a self-proclaimed "hermit" for years, caring for her sick mother Delia inside their small home in the tiny town of Easterville, Manitoba. As a result of her mother's condition, she was mainly raised by her aunt, Cathy George, until her death in 2011. Chartier obtained only a 6th grade education, with her mother pulling her out of school following constant bullying, including other students stealing her shoes. The few friends she had around this time later drifted away from her. Chartier had had little to no contact with the outside world following this, saying "I went through a period where I didn’t leave my house for 11 years". Chartier utilized the internet installed in her community in 2011 to facilitate connection and communication but had little real world experience.
Chris Andersen catfishing.
When Chartier was 27 in 2012, Paris Dunn, 17, an aspiring actress, commented on a public status posted by NBA player Chris Andersen, 33, leaving her cell phone number. Seeing this, Chartier messaged Dunn as the NBA player and engaged in an online relationship. Chartier proceeded to set up fake social media accounts for Andersen and Dunn, as well as reach out to the real Chris Andersen from the 'Dunn' account.
"Tom Taylor" (another fake account), a fictional friend of Andersen's, was used to facilitate a meeting between the real Andersen and Dunn, in Denver. It is unclear if Chartier is behind this account as she states she is not multiple times. During the in person meeting the 33-year-old NBA player engaged in sexual contact with a then 17-year-old Dunn. The online relationship continued after the meeting but fizzled out. Subsequently, Dunn continued to message the 'Andersen' account and Chartier claims that in an attempt to stop the 'annoyance' the Tom Taylor account was utilized in a blackmail scheme that threatened to release the explicit images Dunn sent, at which point the police were involved. Chartier disclosed in the episode of "" based around the case that the "Tom Taylor" profile was never her and was the creation of another participant who the police were aware of.
The nude photographs of the teenager considered child pornography, necessitating an investigation into Andersen. Andersen engaged in an online and in-person relationship with a 17-year-old, as she had given him the impression that she was a legal adult. Although the relationship was initiated through the profile created by Chartier, Andersen and Dunn did have an in-person meeting where the 33-year-old had a sexual encounter with the teenager—who had lied about her age—in an incident Dunn labels as a "kiss" in the "Catfish: The TV Show" episode where she is continually sympathetic to the adult man. Andersen was not charged with any crimes.
Chartier was arrested on 15 January 2013. Chartier eventually pleaded guilty on 20 August 2015 to various charges of impersonation, extortion, uttering threats, and fraud under CA$5,000, stating that she was pregnant and that she was told if she pleaded guilty she would get house arrest. A Gladue report was created, but it was barebones and did not provide the court with much information about her prior life circumstances. Chartier was sentenced to 18 months in prison on 14 October, the maximum penalty requested by the Crown, and served a year of the sentence, including 50 days in solitary confinement, at the Manitoba Women's Correctional Centre in Headingley. She was denied parole three times during her incarceration. She was released on 22 October 2016. Following the arrest, she would come to be known as the "Ghost of Easterville", occasionally still being harassed when seen in public there, and has repeatedly expressed a desire to be allowed to move on with her life after serving her time. Chartier has stated she is remorseful for the incident but has not changed her story involving another participant. The incident was called "the biggest catfish [case]... ever solved". Following her release in Canada, it was reported that she still had an active warrant for her arrest out of Colorado, and if convicted of the charges there she could face multiple decades in prison.
The case inspired the ' episode "Intent". Further, a 2017 episode of ' included both Dunn and Chartier. Dunn wrote into the show after Chartier served her sentence in an attempt to reinvigorate attention surrounding the incident, continuing to frame Chartier as a master manipulator with a high chance of reoffending. "Indictment: The Crimes of Shelly Chartier", a 2017 CBC documentary by Shane Belcourt and Lisa Jackson which aired as an episode of "CBC Docs POV", has refocused the conversation around the case to center the isolated indigenous woman whom the media portrayed as the villain. In the documentary, psychologists stated they believed money wasn't the main goal, and that Shelly may have acted in the way she did "to have other people in her place acting as avatars so she could experience what the others were experiencing" while not having to deal with the fear of leaving the safety of her home for the outside world.
Personal life.
In 2014, Chartier married Rob Marku from Yonkers, New York on Christmas Day. A documentary of her life was produced by the CBC in 2017 and she was the subject of Season 6 Episode 12 of "Catfish: The TV Show". Chartier does not drink alcohol or smoke, saying she can't after seeing how her grandfather became irritable and mean while drunk often in her youth. Until 2017, Chartier was unemployed, and as a result could not sponsor her husband for a visa to stay in Canada with her permanently. She eventually got a part-time position as a janitor in her Reserve's band office, and is now considered employed full-time as her mother's caregiver. |
Anna Magdalena Bach
Anna Magdalena Bach (née Wilcke or Wilcken) (22 September 1701 – 27 February 1760) was a professional singer and the second wife of Johann Sebastian Bach.
Biography.
Anna Magdalena Wilcke was born at Zeitz, in the Duchy of Saxe-Zeitz.
While little is known about her early musical education, the family was musical. Her father, Johann Caspar Wilcke (c. 1660–1733), was a trumpet player, who had a career at the courts of Zeitz and Weißenfels. Her mother, Margaretha Elisabeth Liebe, was the daughter of an organist.
By 1721 Anna Magdalena was employed as a singer (soprano) at the princely court of Anhalt-Cöthen. Johann Sebastian Bach had been working there as "Capellmeister", or director of music, since December 1717. It is possible that he first heard her sing at the ducal court in Weißenfels, where he is known to have performed as early as 1713, when his Hunting Cantata was premiered there.
Anna and Johann married on 3 December 1721, seventeen months after the death of his first wife, Maria Barbara Bach. Later that month, the couple's employer, Leopold, Prince of Anhalt-Köthen, married Frederica Henriette of Anhalt-Bernburg. Bach believed her lack of interest in music caused the musical life at the court to decline, although there is evidence that other factors were involved. There were budgetary constraints caused by Prussian military demands of which Bach may have had limited knowledge because it's unlikely that the prince would have discussed his financial problems with Bach. In 1723, the Bachs moved to Leipzig when Johann Sebastian accepted the position of Cantor at the .
Anna Magdalena continued to sing professionally after her marriage. In one notable example of her continuing involvement with music, she returned to Köthen in 1729 to sing at Prince Leopold's funeral. The Bachs' shared interest in music contributed to their happy marriage. She regularly worked as a copyist, transcribing her husband's music, which she sold as a means to contribute to the family income. Bach wrote a number of compositions dedicated to her, most notably the two distinct "Notebooks for Anna Magdalena Bach." During the Bach family's time in Leipzig, Anna Magdalena organized regular musical evenings featuring the whole family playing and singing together with visiting friends. The Bach house became a musical centre in Leipzig.
Apart from music, her interests included gardening.
Together they raised the children from his first marriage and had 13 of their own from 1723 to 1742, seven of whom died at a young age:
After Johann Sebastian's death in 1750, his sons came into conflict and moved on in separate directions, going to live with other family members. While the Bachs ensured their sons were educated, their daughters never went to school. Anna Magdalena was left alone, with no financial support from family members, to care for herself and her two youngest daughters, plus her stepdaughter from Bach's first marriage. Anna Magdalena became increasingly dependent upon charity and handouts from the city council. Probably her only child or stepchild who provided any support to her was her stepson Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach, whose letters show he provided regular financial assistance. She died on 27 February 1760, with no money at all, and was buried in an unmarked pauper's grave at Leipzig's (St. John's Church). The church was destroyed by Allied bombing during World War II.
Claim of composership.
Recently, it has been suggested that Anna Magdalena Bach composed several musical pieces bearing her husband's name: Professor Martin Jarvis of the School of Music at Charles Darwin University in Darwin, Australia, claims that she composed the famed six cello suites (BWV 1007–1012) and was involved with the composition of the aria from the "Goldberg Variations" (BWV 988) and the opening prelude of "The Well-Tempered Clavier". These ideas were also made into a TV documentary "Written by Mrs Bach".
These claims have been virtually unanimously dismissed by Bach scholars and performers. Christoph Wolff said:
When I served as director of the Leipzig Bach Archive from 2001 to 2013, I and my colleagues there extensively refuted the basic premises of the thesis, on grounds of documents, manuscript sources, and musical grounds. There is not a shred of evidence, but Jarvis doesn't give up despite the fact that several years ago, at a Bach conference in Oxford, a room full of serious Bach scholars gave him an embarrassing showdown.
Writing in "The Guardian", cellist Steven Isserlis said, "I'm afraid that his theory is pure rubbish," and continued, "How can anybody take this shoddy material seriously?"
Bach scholar Ruth Tatlow has written a refutation at length, centred on the TV documentary, in the journal "Understanding Bach", where she calls Jarvis's claims "flawed and untenable".
Biographical sources.
A fictitious autobiography "The Little Chronicle of Magdalena Bach" was written in 1925 by the English author Esther Meynell. This sentimental narration of the family life of Bach is not based on any sources and is probably far from the personality of Anna Magdalena Bach.
A compilation of material about Anna Magdalena Bach was published by Maria Hübner in 2005, "Anna Magdalena Bach. Ein Leben in Dokumenten und Bildern", completed by a biographical Essay of Hans-Joachim Schulze.
Celebratory cello and dance performance.
The Bach Cello Suites Festival, held at New York's Carnegie Hall on 3 March 2020 to commemorate the tercentenary of their composition, highlighted Anna Magdalena's role in helping to immortalise the six suites. Her life was celebrated in a collaborative rendition of the Fifth Suite by cellist Stephanie Winters and dancer-choreographer Julia Bengtsson. |
Second Battle of Petersburg
The Second Battle of Petersburg, also known as the Assault on Petersburg, was fought June 15–18, 1864, at the beginning of the Richmond–Petersburg Campaign (popularly known as the Siege of Petersburg). Union forces under Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant and Major General George G. Meade attempted to capture Petersburg, Virginia, before General Robert E. Lee's Confederate Army of Northern Virginia could reinforce the city.
The four days included repeated Union assaults against substantially smaller forces commanded by General P. G. T. Beauregard. Beauregard's strong defensive positions and poorly coordinated actions by the Union generals (notably Major General William F. "Baldy" Smith, who squandered the best opportunity for success on June 15) made up for the disparity in the sizes of the armies. By June 18, the arrival of significant reinforcements from Lee's army made further assaults impractical. The failure of the Union to defeat the Confederates in these actions resulted in the start of the ten-month Siege of Petersburg.
Background.
The First Battle of Petersburg occurred on June 9, when Major General Benjamin Butler dispatched 4,500 troops from his Army of the James in the Bermuda Hundred area and assaulted the Dimmock Line, the outer line of earthworks protecting Petersburg. The Confederates, under the overall command of General P. G. T. Beauregard, numbered 2,500, many of whom were teenage boys and elderly men. Timid leadership on the part of Union Major General Quincy A. Gillmore and Brigadier General August Kautz led to the failure of the assault, squandering a prime opportunity to seize lightly defended Petersburg. Butler's men returned to their positions in Bermuda Hundred.
After the Battle of Cold Harbor in Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant's 1864 Overland Campaign, the Union Army of the Potomac slipped away from General Robert E. Lee and began crossing the James River. Although the Overland Campaign's objective had been to defeat Lee's Army of Northern Virginia in a decisive battle, Grant changed his objective to be the city of Petersburg, an important rail junction that controlled the supplies leading to the Confederate capital of Richmond. Grant knew that Lee could not protect Richmond if Petersburg fell and he would be forced to battle Grant in the open. He also knew from the unsuccessful first assaults on June 9 how weak the Petersburg defenses actually were. Speed was essential to Grant's plan, requiring success before Lee realized Grant's objective and could reinforce Petersburg. Lee was not in fact fully cognizant of Grant's moves until June 18, assuming until then that Grant would target Richmond. Beauregard, however, had been loudly warning of the danger to Petersburg since June 9.
Grant selected Butler's Army of the James, which had performed poorly in the Bermuda Hundred Campaign, to lead the expedition toward Petersburg. On June 14 he directed Butler to augment the XVIII Corps, commanded by Brigadier General William F. "Baldy" Smith, to a strength of 16,000 men, including Kautz's cavalry division, and use the same route employed in the unsuccessful attacks of June 9. The II Corps of the Army of the Potomac, commanded by Major General Winfield S. Hancock, would follow Smith. Grant wrote in his post-war memoirs, "I believed then, and still believe, that Petersburg could have been easily captured at that time."
One advantage for the Confederates was the strength of the Dimmock Line, formidable artillery positions connected by earthworks and trenches for over , circling the city and anchored on the Appomattox River to the east and west. Since Beauregard had insufficient men available to defend the entire line, he concentrated 2,200 troops under Brigadier General Henry A. Wise in the northeastern sector, between Redan number 1 on the Appomattox River and Redan number 23, protecting the Norfolk and Petersburg Railroad to the southeast. Even with this concentration, infantrymen were spaced apart. His remaining 3,200 men were facing Butler's army at Bermuda Hundred.
Battle.
June 15.
Baldy Smith and his men crossed the Appomattox shortly after dawn on June 15. His force consisted of the infantry divisions of Brigadier Generals. William T. H. Brooks, John H. Martindale, and Edward W. Hinks, and the cavalry division of Brigadier General August Kautz. The transport vessels delivered these divisions almost at random to landing sites on the opposite shore, confusing Smith's plans and wasting time reorganizing. Kautz's cavalry division was ordered to clear the line of advance for the infantry, Brooks and Martindale would march down the City Point Railroad, and Hinks's U.S. Colored Troops would approach on the Jordan Point Road.
Delays in the advance continued after the landing. The cavalry encountered an unexpected stronghold at Baylor's farm northeast of Petersburg. Hinks's men launched two attacks on the Confederates and captured a cannon, but the overall advance was delayed until early afternoon. Smith performed a reconnaissance and, despite his sense of nervousness about the strength of the enemy position, planned to carry the defensive works with a strong skirmish line. He was delayed again when his artillery commander allowed all of the horses to be watered simultaneously, making it impossible to bring up his guns until about 7 p.m.
While Smith was delaying, Kautz reached the railroad near Redan number 20 on the right flank of the Confederate line around noon. Approximately 600 Confederates under Brigadier General James Dearing bombarded Kautz with artillery and the Union cavalrymen got no closer than from the line. In a manner similar to the June 9 battle, Kautz listened for evidence that Smith was attacking to his right and, hearing none, gave up and withdrew.
When Smith finally started his attack, his skirmishers swept over the earthworks on a front, capturing Batteries 3 and 5–11, causing the Confederates to retreat to a weaker defensive line on Harrison's Creek. Despite this initial success and the prospect of a virtually undefended city immediately to his front, Smith decided to wait until dawn to resume his attack. By this time Winfield Hancock had arrived at Smith's headquarters. The normally decisive and pugnacious Hancock, who outranked Smith, was uncertain of his orders and the disposition of forces, and uncharacteristically deferred to Smith's judgment to wait. Smith's timid service on June 15 would turn out to be his last combat command. Butler indirectly accused Smith of "dilatoriness" and the dispute escalated to Grant. Although Grant originally contemplated replacing Butler by Smith as commander of the Army of the James, he eventually retained Butler and reassigned Smith to New York to await further orders, which were never issued.
Beauregard wrote later that Petersburg "at that hour was clearly at the mercy of the Federal commander, who had all but captured it." But he used the time he had been granted to good advantage. Receiving no guidance from Richmond in response to his urgent requests, he unilaterally decided to strip his defenses from the Howlett Line, which was bottling up Butler's army in Bermuda Hundred, making the divisions of Major Generals Robert Hoke and Bushrod Johnson available for the new Petersburg defensive line. Butler might have used this opportunity to move his army between Petersburg and Richmond, which would have doomed the Confederate capital, but he once again failed to act.
June 16.
By the morning of June 16, Beauregard had concentrated about 14,000 men in his defensive line, but this paled in comparison to the 50,000 Federals that now faced him. Grant had arrived with Major General Ambrose Burnside's IX Corps, addressed the confusion of Hancock's orders, and ordered a reconnaissance for weak points in the defensive line. Hancock, in temporary command of the Army of the Potomac until Major General George G. Meade arrived, prepared Smith's XVIII Corps on the right, his own II Corps in the center, and Burnside's IX Corps on the left.
Hancock's assault began around 5:30 p.m. as all three corps moved slowly forward. Beauregard's men fought fiercely, erecting new breastworks to the rear as breakthroughs occurred. Upon the arrival of General Meade, a second attack was ordered and Brigadier General Francis C. Barlow led his division against Redans 13, 14, and 15. Confederate artillery fire caused significant Union casualties, including the death of Colonel Patrick Kelly, commander of the famous Irish Brigade. Although Barlow's men managed to capture their objectives, a counterattack drove them back, taking numerous Union prisoners. The survivors dug in close to the enemy works.
June 17.
June 17 was a day of uncoordinated Union attacks, starting on the left flank where two brigades of Burnside's IX Corps under Brigadier General Robert B. Potter stealthily approached the Confederate line and launched a surprise attack at dawn. Initially successful, it captured nearly a mile of the Confederate fortifications and about 600 prisoners, but the effort eventually failed when Potter's men moved forward to find another line of entrenchments. Their mobility was limited because of tangled logs in a ravine behind them and Confederate guns were able to strike them with enfilade fire.
At 2 p.m., the IX Corps launched a second attack, led by the brigade of Brigadier General John F. Hartranft. They were somehow sent forward at a right angle to the Confederate line, which left them vulnerable to enfilading fire. In the evening, Brigadier General James H. Ledlie's division also failed in its assault, during which Ledlie was observed to be drunk (a behavioral pattern that would repeat itself notoriously at the Battle of the Crater).
During the day, Beauregard's engineers had laid out new defensive positions a mile to the west of the Dimmock Line, running along a creek named Taylor's Branch to the Appomattox. Late that night the Confederates pulled back to their new position. Beauregard expressed his frustration with the lack of support or concern from Robert E. Lee, writing years after the war, "The Army of Northern Virginia was yet far distant, and I had failed to convince its distinguished commander of the fact that I was then fighting Grant's whole army with less than eleven thousand men." Lee had systematically ignored all of Beauregard's pleas and it was not until his own son, cavalry Major General W.H.F. "Rooney" Lee, had verified Grant's movements across the river, that he acknowledged the current perilous situation at Petersburg. He immediately dispatched two divisions of his men, exhausted from the Overland Campaign, to Petersburg, beginning at 3 a.m. on June 18.
June 18.
With the arrival of Lee's two divisions, under Major General Joseph B. Kershaw and Charles W. Field, Beauregard had over 20,000 men to defend the city, but Grant's force had been augmented by the arrival of Major General Gouverneur K. Warren's V Corps and 67,000 Federals were present. The first Union attack began at dawn, started by the II and XVIII Corps on the Union right. Hancock began to suffer effects from his lingering Gettysburg wound and he turned over command of the II Corps to Major General David B. Birney. The men of the II Corps were surprised to make rapid progress against the Confederate line, not realizing that Beauregard had moved it back the night before. When they encountered the second line, the attack immediately ground to a halt and the corps suffered under heavy Confederate fire for hours.
By noon, the IX and V Corps, which had a longer distance to march to join the attack, came up alongside the II Corps. Major General Orlando B. Willcox's division of the IX Corps led a renewed attack but it suffered significant losses in the marsh and open fields crossed by Taylor's Branch. Willcox's division emerged with only 1,000 men standing. Warren's V Corps was halted by murderous fire from Rives's Salient (also known as Battery 27, the position where the Dimmock Line crossed the Jerusalem Plank Road, present-day U.S. Route 301), an attack in which Colonel Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain, commanding the First Brigade, First Division, V Corps, was severely wounded. His wound was believed to be mortal and Chamberlain was granted a battlefield promotion to brigadier general by General Grant. At 6:30 p.m., Meade ordered a final assault, which also failed with more horrendous losses. One of the leading regiments was the 1st Maine
Heavy Artillery Regiment, 900 men that had been converted from essentially garrison duty manning artillery to be infantrymen at the start of the Overland Campaign. The regiment quickly lost 632 men in the assault, the heaviest single-battle loss of any regiment during the entire war.
Aftermath.
Having achieved almost no gains from four days of assaults, Meade ordered his army to dig in. Union casualties were 11,386 (1,688 killed, 8,513 wounded, 1,185 missing or captured), Confederate 4,000 (200 killed, 2,900 wounded, 900 missing or captured). Grant's opportunity to take Petersburg easily had been lost, but Lee, who arrived at Petersburg around noon on June 18, was unable to prevent the Union army from laying siege to the city. The siege would last until April 1865. |
Miracle Workers (2019 TV series)
Miracle Workers is an American anthology comedy television series created by Simon Rich for TBS. It is based in part on Rich's writings, with the first season being based on his 2012 novel "What in God's Name", while the short story "Revolution" provided the basis for the second season. The series stars an ensemble cast comprising Daniel Radcliffe, Steve Buscemi, Geraldine Viswanathan, Jon Bass, Karan Soni, Sasha Compère, and Lolly Adefope.
"Miracle Workers" premiered on February 12, 2019, with its seven-episode first season. A ten-episode second season, subtitled "Dark Ages", premiered in January 2020. The third season, subtitled "Oregon Trail", premiered on July 13, 2021. In November 2021, the series was renewed for a fourth season, subtitled "End Times", which will premiere in 2023.
Premise.
Season 1.
The first season follows Craig, a low-level angel responsible for handling all of humanity's prayers, and Eliza, a recent transfer from the Department of Dirt. Their boss, God, has pretty much checked out to focus on his favorite hobbies. To prevent Earth's destruction, Craig and Eliza must achieve their most impossible miracle to date. The season is based on Rich's novel "What in God's Name".
Season 2.
The second season is set during the Dark Ages, and is based on Rich's short story "Revolution".
Season 3.
Reverend Ezekiel Brown leads his dying, famine-stricken town for a better life on the Oregon Trail, taking in notorious outlaw Benny the Teen as trailmaster.
Season 4.
Season four will take place in a post-nuclear apocalyptic setting.
Production.
Development.
On May 17, 2017, TBS announced that it had given the production a series order for a first season consisting of seven episodes. The series was created by Simon Rich and based on his novel "What in God's Name". Executive producers were expected to include Rich, Lorne Michaels, Andrew Singer, Daniel Radcliffe, and Owen Wilson. Production companies involved with the series were slated to consist of Broadway Video and Studio T. On October 19, 2017, it was announced that Wilson would no longer be serving as an executive producer and would be replaced with Steve Buscemi.
On May 15, 2019, the series was renewed for a second season. On November 20, 2019, it was announced that the second season, titled "Miracle Workers: Dark Ages", would premiere on January 28, 2020. On August 6, 2020, the series was renewed for a third season that will focus on the Wild West and Oregon Trail. On May 19, 2021, it was announced that the third season, titled "Miracle Workers: Oregon Trail", would premiere on July 13, 2021. On November 3, 2021, TBS renewed the series for a fourth season. On October 27, 2022, it was announced that the fourth season, titled "End Times", would premiere on January 16, 2023. In early January, TBS quietly postponed the season premiere to a date yet to be announced later in 2023.
Casting.
Alongside the initial series order announcement, it was confirmed that Daniel Radcliffe and Owen Wilson would star in the series. On October 19, 2017, it was announced Steve Buscemi had replaced Wilson in the role of God after the latter had decided to vacate the part. In November 2017, "Deadline Hollywood" and "Variety" reported that Geraldine Viswanathan, Jon Bass, Karan Soni, and Sasha Compère had been cast in series regular roles. On March 25, 2018, it was announced that Lolly Adefope had joined the cast in a main role. On May 27, 2021, Quinta Brunson joined in recurring role for the third season.
Filming.
Principal photography for the first season took place in December 2017 and January 2018 in and around Atlanta, Georgia. Filming took place in Norcross, Georgia, on December 29, 2017, and in Piedmont Park on January 16, 2018.
Release.
On December 4, 2018, TBS announced that the series would premiere on February 12, 2019. On February 8, 2019, TBS released the first episode of the series on its official YouTube channel. In Australia, the series has same day release on the streaming service Stan as a Stan Exclusive.
Marketing.
On December 5, 2018, TBS released a teaser trailer for the series. On December 19, 2018, the official full length trailer was released.
Premiere.
On January 26, 2019, the series held a screening of the pilot episode during the 2019 Sundance Film Festival. Those in attendance included Daniel Radcliffe, Geraldine Viswanathan, Karan Soni, and Simon Rich.
Delay of season 4.
The first episode of "End Times" was released on HBO Max in some countries on January 16, 2023. However, the episode did not air on TBS in the U.S. that week as previously scheduled, and was removed from HBO Max two days later, with the remainder of the season delayed indefinitely. According to a spokesperson for TBS, "Miracle Workers" was “one of the impacted series” in a January scheduling adjustment. The network said the scheduling shift would allow TBS to “better support the series later in the year.”
Reception.
Critical response.
On Rotten Tomatoes, the first season has an approval rating of 74% based on reviews from 39 critics, with an average rating of 6.26/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "More charming than clever, "Miracle Workers" functions as a palatable showcase of Daniel Radcliffe and Steve Buscemi's quirky star power." On Metacritic it has a score of 61 out of 100 based on reviews from 19 critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, the second season has an approval rating of 78% based on reviews from 9 critics, with an average rating of 5.60/10.
Accolade.
Radcliffe was nominated for Choice Comedy TV Actor for his work on the series at the 2019 Teen Choice Awards. |
James Edwin Richards
James Edwin Richards, also known as Jim Richards, (ca.1945 – 18 October 2000), was an American citizen journalist, editor and publisher of "Neighborhood News", a weekly e-mail newsletter, that reported on crime in Venice, California. Richards was murdered at his Oakwood neighborhood home, one convicted assailant was sentenced to 16 years in prison, and the anniversary of his death is honored by locals.
Personal.
James Edwin Richards was 55 years old at the time of his murder. He had lived on the 700 block of Vernon Ave for 20 years and in Venice since 1969. Richards was known in his community as a local anti-crime activist, block captain for the Model Neighborhood Program, and a member of the Community Police Advisory Board.
His hometown was Dayton, Ohio. After attending Catholic schools in Dayton, he went on to earn his BA degree from Ohio State University. He then studied at UC Berkeley graduated with a master's degree in business. Before turning to citizen journalism, Richards had established himself as a house painter, property manager, and real estate agent.
His memorial service was held at Church of St. Mark, Oakwood. Richards was survived by his older sister Rita, his companion Cynthia Jean Moore and her two children.
Citizen journalism.
Richards reported on criminal activity in the Oakwood neighborhood for around three years and was known by residents to be a "controversial" figure.
As part of his activism against crime, Jim Richards became a citizen journalist focusing on local crime, and he edited and published an Oakwood neighborhood e-mail newsletter, which he published from his home in Venice, California. Richards was known for reporting what he had heard on crime scanners, visiting crime scenes—often arriving first—and investigating criminals and even photographing drug deals for "Neighborhood News". The "Neighborhood News" published a listing of crimes, such as shootings, drug sales, thefts, and vandalism.
Death.
James Edwin Richards was known as a "controversial" figure in the community, according to Ruth Galanter, a Venice city councilwoman. She called Richards' killing "a straightforward assassination." Galanter said Richards' stance and activism against crime had made him a highly visible obstacle to crime elements and attracted many enemies as a result.
Police believed that two assailants murdered Jim Richards. Police said his murderers waited for him and shot him several times in his driveway after he returned home in his camper van from a workout at an all night gym around 4:15 a.m.
Legal investigation and prosecution.
Police carried out an investigation into Richards' premeditated murder. Initially, police said they did not have any leads and the Los Angeles City Council established a $25,000 reward.
Police investigated a conspiracy to kill Richards. A man was sentenced on 24 February 2003 to 25 years in prison for his role in a national cocaine ring, and it was also believed that he and others were linked to the slaying of James Richards. Richards kept tabs on the crime activity in his neighborhood and police believed others had conspired to kill him. It was alleged that Richards was killed because the people in the crime ring thought he was giving police information about their operations. The indictment indicated that Richards murder and the attempted murder of an unidentified man were meant to further the individuals criminal enterprise.
There was also a conviction in another case against a person believed to be the only surviving assailant. Byron Lopez, a.k.a. "Crook", who was arrested 26 February 2002 and later pleaded guilty and did not contest the pre-meditated murder charges brought against him. He was sentenced to 16 years in prison.
Context.
Venice, California had experienced a wave of gang-related violence during the 1990s, especially from 1994 to 1997, and experienced a resurgence prior to Richards' murder. In response, police, under the leadership of LAPD Chief of Police Bernard C. Parks, established a Model Neighborhood Program that placed more police in the neighborhoods who were regular patrolling within a zone while at the same time the city of Venice, according to advocate councilwoman Ruth Galanter, would use city resources to clean up vandalism and involve citizens. Richards' Oakwood neighborhood is located in Venice, California and is about 12 city square blocks in size.
Impact.
The city of Venice designated 18 October, the anniversary of Richards' murder, as "Jim Richards Day", which has been observed since 2008.
Reactions.
As the investigation began, L.A. Police Lt. Horace Frank said, "people ought to be outraged by every murder. We're outraged by every murder and will pursue every murder aggressively."
In reaction to Richards' murder, Venice residents spoke of a climate of fear that was settling in as a result of the violence.
Ruth Galanter, a Venice councilwoman representing Oakwood, said, "It is a heinous act meant to intimidate the community and threaten residents into staying quiet in the face of a criminal takeover of their community by gang members and drug dealers."
Vanessa Celentano, Jim Richards' neighbor, said, "People are going to be more worried now than ever. The fact that the block captain got shot to death, I mean, where does that leave us? It's scary."
Resident Patt Morrison wrote about the intimidation that neighbors in Oakwood felt about talking about Richards' murder, the complacency of residents about the neighborhood's problems, and the admiration for Richards' activism in an atmosphere of fear.
In the 2008 proposal to create a day of commemoration, Galanter said, "Jim was a brave and dedicated man. The city and the community owe a debt of gratitude to him. Those who believe they can intimidate this community have sorely underestimated the good people of Oakwood." |
Buronson
, known by the pen names and , is a Japanese manga writer. Making his debut in 1972, he first found success with the hardboiled detective manga series "Doberman Deka" (1975–1979) alongside illustrator Shinji Hiramatsu. He is best-known for creating the post-apocalyptic martial arts series "Fist of the North Star" (1983–1988) with artist Tetsuo Hara, which is one of the best-selling manga in history with over 100 million copies in circulation. He has since worked with Ryoichi Ikegami on several series, including "Heat" (1998–2004), which won the 2002 Shogakukan Manga Award for general manga. Buronson received a Special Award at the 2021 Saito Takao Awards for his continued contributions to manga, including his training of younger artists.
Early life and career.
Buronson was born on June 16, 1947 in Saku, Nagano. In 2017, he established a scholarship program in his hometown. The following year he started a manga school, , at the Sakudaira Community Center in Saku on April 15. Tuition is free, and students attend 20 lectures from professional writers, artists and editors throughout the year for a total of 100 hours.
After leaving junior high school, Buronson entered the Japan Air Self-Defense Force because his family was poor. He graduated from there in 1967 and served as an Air Force radar mechanic. In 1970 he left the Self-Defense Force and was hired by Hiroshi Motomiya as a manga assistant in 1971. He made his manga writing debut in "Weekly Shōnen Jump" in 1972 with the one-shot "Gorō-kun Tōjō", illustrated by Yō Hasebe. He was credited by the pen name Buronson, a nickname given to him by colleagues at Motomiya's studio after they all saw the film "Adieu l'ami" and felt he was similar to its actor Charles Bronson. He began his first serial, "Crime Sweeper" with Gorō Sakai in 1973. Its title was later changed to "Pink! Punch! Miyabi".
When he wrote for Kodansha for the first time, he used the pen name Sho Fumimura. It was coined by rearranging the letters of his real name when written in English to "Syo Shimura", then writing it in Japanese and changing some characters. He explained that he generally uses Buronson for action series and Sho Fumimura for comedy and other genres, although there are exceptions to both.
In 1975 Buronson began his first hit in "Weekly Shōnen Jump", "Doberman Deka" drawn by Shinji Hiramatsu. It ran until 1979 and was adapted into two live-action films and a TV show. Shortly after beginning "Doberman Deka", Fumimura worked for Futabasha for the first and only time with "Hakkyū Suikoden Hoero Ryū", drawn by Mitsuru Hiruta. Also as Fumimura, he started the baseball manga "Daiki no Mound" for "Weekly Shōnen Magazine" in 1977 with Kenji Iwasaki. When he also began the Self-Defense Force manga "Phantom Burai" in "Shōnen Sunday Zōkan" in 1978 with Kaoru Shintani, he was writing three series simultaneously for three different publishers.
In 1980, he began "Oh! Takarazuka" with Shinji Ono for the launch of the "seinen" magazine "Young Magazine". The following year he started "Rettō 198X" with Hajime Oki in the same magazine and serialized both at the same time. Also in 1981, Buronson began his first and only "shōjo manga", "Hold Up!" in "Margaret" with Hikaru Yuzuki. He worked with Yuzuki again on "Maji da yo!!" (1987–1988) for "Monthly Shōnen Jump".
Buronson's greatest success, "Fist of the North Star" drawn by Tetsuo Hara, made its debut in "Weekly Shōnen Jump" in 1983. Ending in 1988, it spawned a massive franchise and went on to become one of the best-selling manga in history with over 100 million copies in circulation. From 2001–2010 Hara created a "seinen" sequel in "Weekly Comic Bunch", "Fist of the Blue Sky", that Buronson supervised and gave advice on.
In 1989, Buronson worked with Kentaro Miura on "King of Wolves" for Hakusensha. They began a sequel entitled "Orō Den" in 1990, before working together again on "Japan" in 1992. From 1995 to 1997, Fumimura worked for Enix on the series "Tenkū Ninden Battle Voyager" with Satoru Yuiga.
Although he first worked with Ryoichi Ikegami in 1979 for the one-shot "The Scar", the two did not work again until "Sanctuary" combined politics and yakuza in 1990. When the successful series ended in 1995, they began "Odyssey". Although that ended rather quickly after only a year, the team created "Strain" (1996–1998) and then "Heat" (1998–2004) in succession. "Heat" earned them the 2002 Shogakukan Manga Award for general manga. At Ikegami's request, the author used Sho Fumimura for "Sanctuary" and "Odyssey", and Buronson for "Strain" and "Heat".
About five months after "Heat" ended, Buronson and Ikegami began their fifth series together, "Lord" (2004–2011). In 2010, Buronson teamed up with Daichi Matsuse for the manga "Full Swing" in "Monthly Shonen Sunday". He and Ikegami then wrote a sequel to "Lord", "Soul Lord 2" (2011–2013), before creating "Rokumonsen Rock" (2013–2015). As Fumimura, the author worked with Yuka Nagate on "Silencer" (2012–2014) about a hitwoman, and with Ikegami on "Begin" (2016–2020). Buronson and Shiro Yoshida launched the series "Too Beat" in "Big Comic Zōkan" on May 17, 2021. |
Shot Heard 'Round the World (baseball)
In baseball, the "Shot Heard 'Round the World" was a walk-off home run hit by New York Giants outfielder and third baseman Bobby Thomson off Brooklyn Dodgers pitcher Ralph Branca at the Polo Grounds in New York City on October 3, 1951, to win the National League (NL) pennant. Thomson's dramatic three-run homer came in the ninth inning of the decisive third game of a three-game playoff for the pennant in which the Giants trailed, 4–1 entering the ninth, and 4–2 with two runners on base at the time of Thomson's at-bat.
The game was seen by millions of viewers across America and heard on radio by millions more, including thousands of American servicemen stationed in Korea, listening on Armed Forces Radio. The classic drama of snatching victory from defeat to secure a pennant was intensified by the epic cross-town rivalry between the Giants and Dodgers and by a remarkable string of victories in the last weeks of the regular season by the Giants, who won 37 of their last 44 games to catch the first-place Dodgers and force a playoff series to decide the NL champion. The Giants' late-season rally and 2-to-1-game playoff victory, capped by Thomson's moment of triumph, are collectively known in baseball lore as "The Miracle of Coogan's Bluff", a descriptor coined by the legendary sports columnist Red Smith.
The phrase "shot heard 'round the world" is from the poem "Concord Hymn" (1837) by Ralph Waldo Emerson about the first clash of the American Revolutionary War. It later became popularly associated with Thomson's homer and several other dramatic historical moments.
Background.
The principal National League (NL) contenders in 1951 were the New York Giants, Brooklyn Dodgers, and Philadelphia Phillies. The Dodgers quickly pulled into first place, and widened their lead as the season progressed. On August 11, with a -game lead over the second-place Giants, they appeared certain to face the New York Yankees in the World Series. "Unless [the Dodgers] completely fold in their last 50 games", wrote an Associated Press writer, "they're in." The Phillies, games back, faded from contention; but the Giants won 16 straight games from August 12 to August 27, cutting the Dodgers' lead to six games. By September 20, they had pulled to within games, still a prohibitive margin with only ten days remaining in the season; but the Giants won all of their final seven games, while the Dodgers lost six of their last ten. The two teams concluded the regular season deadlocked with records.
The NL used a three-game playoff at that time to break ties for the pennant. The Dodgers won the coin toss to determine the playoff schedule; they elected to play the first game at home and the second (and third if needed) at the Polo Grounds, reasoning that after a likely win in Brooklyn, they would need to win only one of two at the Giants' park. Nevertheless, in game one at Ebbets Field, the Giants, with Jim Hearn on the mound, defeated the Dodgers' Ralph Branca 3–1, thanks to home runs by Bobby Thomson and Monte Irvin. In game two at the Polo Grounds, with the Yankees team in attendance as spectators (another version has the Yankees at Game Three but leaving before the fateful home run to beat the traffic), the Dodgers tied the series, winning 10–0 on home runs by Jackie Robinson, Gil Hodges, Andy Pafko, and Rube Walker, who was catching in place of an injured Roy Campanella. Clem Labine pitched a six-hit shutout against Sheldon Jones. The 1–1 deadlock set up the deciding third game at the Polo Grounds on October 3.
The game.
For game three, Sal Maglie was on the mound for New York, while Brooklyn called on Don Newcombe. In the first inning, Robinson singled in Pee Wee Reese for the game's first run. A Giants rally in the second inning, initiated by Whitey Lockman's single, fizzled when Thomson, trying to stretch a single into a double, failed to notice that Lockman had not advanced to third base, and was tagged out by Robinson. The score remained 1–0 through the sixth inning. In the seventh inning, Irvin led off with a double for the Giants. He was bunted over to third, and scored on a sacrifice fly by Thomson, tying the score at one run each.
In the top of the eighth, the Dodgers came back with three runs. With Reese and Duke Snider on third and first after back-to-back singles, a Maglie wild pitch allowed Reese to score and Snider to advance to second. Robinson was walked intentionally to set up a double play, but Pafko's ground ball to third bounced off the heel of Thomson's glove; Snider scored and Robinson took third. Billy Cox added another single to score Robinson, making the score 4–1 in favor of the Dodgers. Newcombe set down the Giants in order in the bottom of the eighth, while Larry Jansen did the same in relief of Maglie in the top of the ninth.
Newcombe had pitched a complete game on September 29, four days earlier, in Philadelphia, followed by innings in relief the following day during the last game of the regular season. According to some accounts, after eight innings on only two days' rest he attempted to take himself out of the game, but Robinson demanded that he continue: "You go out there and pitch until your arm falls off!" Newcombe himself insisted that he never asked to be relieved—a version corroborated by Snider and Pafko.
Giants shortstop Alvin Dark singled off Newcombe to start the bottom-ninth rally. At that point, the Dodgers made a crucial defensive mistake: With no outs, a runner on first, and a three-run lead, the normal strategy would be to position the infield for a possible double play; but first baseman Gil Hodges played behind Dark — apparently guarding against a highly unlikely steal attempt — leaving a large gap on the right side of the infield. Don Mueller, batting left-handed, hit a single through that gap, advancing Dark from first to third. Instead of a rally-killing double play, the Dodgers found themselves facing the potential tying run at the plate with two runners on base, nobody out, and Irvin, with 121 regular-season RBIs, at bat; but Newcombe got Irvin to chase an outside pitch and foul out to Hodges. (Sportswriter Bud Greenspan and others have argued that, had the Dodger infield played Mueller at double-play depth, Irvin's pop-up would in all likelihood have been the season-ending third out.)
Lockman followed with a double down the left field line, driving in Dark and advancing Mueller to third. Mueller slid awkwardly into the base, injuring his ankle, and was replaced by pinch runner Clint Hartung. With Thomson coming up, Dodgers manager Chuck Dressen finally pulled the exhausted Newcombe. In the bullpen, where Branca and Carl Erskine were warming up, coach Clyde Sukeforth noticed that Erskine — who had been troubled by arm problems all season — was bouncing his curve balls short of the plate, and advised Dressen to use Branca in relief. That decision has been continually second-guessed by fans, sportswriters, and baseball historians: Branca had lost six of his last seven decisions, and gave up a game-winning home run to Thomson in the first playoff game. Dressen's options, however, were severely limited: the only other available pitchers with crucial-situation experience were Clyde King, who was sidelined with biceps tendonitis; Preacher Roe, who was left-handed; and Labine, who had pitched a complete game the day before. Nevertheless, it was the second questionable decision by Dressen that inning.
Thomson was now at bat, with first base open and Willie Mays (soon to be named the NL Rookie of the Year) on deck. Mays had gone 0-for-3 with two strikeouts against Branca in the first playoff game; but Dressen was unwilling to put the winning run on base, and worried that a veteran pinch hitter might be brought in to bat for Mays if he did so. In a third controversial decision, Dressen elected to pitch to Thomson rather than walk him intentionally. Thomson later recalled that as he left the on-deck circle, Giants manager Leo Durocher turned to him and said, "If you ever hit one, hit it now."
Branca's first pitch was a called strike on the inside corner. His second was a fastball high and inside, intended as a setup for his next, a breaking ball down and away; but Thomson connected strongly, driving the ball down the left field line. The ball landed in the lower-deck stands near the left field foul line for a game-ending, three-run home run. Thomson ran the bases, then disappeared into a mob of jubilant teammates gathered at home plate. The stunned Dodger players began the long walk toward the visitors' clubhouse under the center field bleachers; Robinson turned to watch Thomson, making certain that he touched every base, before following his teammates off the field.
Later, after the celebrations had calmed down, a delegation of Dodgers—Reese, Snider, Roe, and Robinson—visited the Giants' locker room to offer their congratulations. "I just want you to know that we didn't lose the pennant," Robinson told them. "You guys won it."
Thomson's role in the game.
Before hitting the game-winning home run, Thomson was involved in several crucial plays throughout the game in all three facets of hitting, fielding, and base running.
At the plate, he went 3-for-3 and batted in four of the Giants' five runs. He erased both Dodger leads in the game, tying it at 1–1 with a sacrifice fly in the seventh, and, of course, winning it with his home run in the ninth.
Thomson was also involved in several plays that hurt the Giants. His base running error in the second inning ended a potential rally for the Giants, who were trailing 1–0 at the time. Gordon McLendon, who was broadcasting the game on the Liberty radio network, drew comparisons between Thomson's mistake and Merkle's Boner, which cost the Giants the pennant in 1908, and Red Smith structured his game report around that play.
After Thomson tied the game with a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the seventh inning, the Dodgers scored three runs in the top of the eighth to go ahead 4–1. Two of the Dodger runs scored on balls hit towards Thomson, one deflecting off his glove into foul territory, and the other passing him into left field. Red Smith commented on the latter hit by asking—and answering—the rhetorical question, "Where does [Billy Cox's] hit go? Where else? Through Thomson at third."
After both teams went down in order in the next inning, it was under these circumstances that Thomson stepped to the plate in the ninth inning with one out, two runners on, and the Giants trailing by two runs.
The broadcasts.
Several television and radio broadcasters captured the moment for baseball fans in the New York City area and nationwide.
Russ Hodges.
The best known live description—"arguably the most famous call in sports"—was delivered by Russ Hodges, who was broadcasting the game on WMCA-AM radio for Giants fans. His call captured the suddenness and exultation of the home run:
Broadcasts were not routinely taped in 1951, and no one at any of the local radio or television stations was recording the game. The WMCA call survives only because a Brooklyn-based fan named Lawrence Goldberg asked his mother to tape-record the last half-inning of the radio broadcast while he was at work. In later years, Hodges told interviewers that Goldberg was a Dodgers fan who made the tape "so he could hear the voice of the Giants weep when Brooklyn won". In fact, Goldberg had been a Giants fan since childhood.
In 2020, the Library of Congress inducted Hodges' broadcast into the National Recording Registry for "cultural, historical and aesthetic importance to the nation’s recorded sound heritage."
Ernie Harwell.
Hodges' broadcast partner, Ernie Harwell, called the game for the Giants' television flagship WPIX; the independent station's broadcast was carried nationally on the NBC network, the first coast-to-coast live telecast of a Major League Baseball game. His description was not recorded; he later recalled saying simply, "It's gone!" almost at the moment Thomson's bat struck the ball—and then watching in dismay as the ball began to sink. "I said to myself, 'If that ball drops into Pafko's glove, I'm in deep trouble.' " As the ball disappeared into the lower deck, he recalled, no further commentary was necessary. "The pictures took over."
Red Barber.
Dodgers announcer Red Barber, calling the game for WMGM-AM radio, straightforwardly said, "Branca pumps, delivers – a curve, swung on and belted, deep shot to left field—it is—a home run! And the New York Giants win the National League pennant and the Polo Grounds goes wild!" Barber was openly critical of Hodges' famous call, labeling it "unprofessional".
Gordon McLendon.
Only local Giants fans heard the famous Hodges call live. Most listeners heard McLendon's call on the Liberty Broadcasting System, which carried the game nationally. McLendon's account (complete with a similarly enthusiastic yell of "The Giants win the pennant!")—preserved on Harwell's "Audio Scrapbook"—remains the only professionally recorded broadcast account of the entire third game.
Other.
The game was also called on radio by Al Helfer for the Mutual Broadcasting System, by Buck Canel and Felo Ramírez for a Spanish language network, and by Nat Allbright in a studio re-creation for the Dodgers' secondary network in the South. Harry Caray, who had called St. Louis Cardinals games during the season, was in the WMCA booth with Hodges and may have also participated in broadcasting the game.
Aftermath.
"New York Herald Tribune" sportswriter Red Smith titled his October 4 column "The Miracle of Coogan's Bluff", and began it with what has been called "the greatest lede ever written":
The Giants lost the ensuing World Series to the Yankees in six games.
Sukeforth resigned his position as bullpen coach in January 1952, after 19 years with the Dodgers. He denied that his role in the final inning of the Shot game had any bearing on his decision to leave. Some historians have since speculated otherwise, based on Dressen's post-game reply to why he brought in Branca: "Sukeforth said he was ready." Sukeforth told a journalist in 2000—the last year of his life—that "everybody knows the manager is responsible for decisions." He added, "It didn't matter what anybody said ... Branca was the only one who could come in when that big guy [Newcombe] couldn't go any further."
Individual recollections of Thomson's home run continued to emerge decades after the event. In the 1990s, Thomson received a letter from a Marine who had been stationed in Korea in 1951:
In the fall of 2001, surviving members of the 1951 Giants and Dodgers, including Thomson and Branca, met at Coogan's Bluff, overlooking the site of the long since demolished ballpark, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the game.
Thomson's baseball legacy rests almost completely on the Shot, despite his other notable accomplishments, such as eight 20-home run seasons and three All Star selections. "It was the best thing that ever happened to me", he told a reporter toward the end of his life. "It may have been the best thing that ever happened to anybody."
Origin of the phrase.
According to baseball historian Jules Tygiel, "[t]he phrase ['shot heard 'round the world'] was in the air", having been used literally or in a slightly deviated form in connection with the 1935 Masters and a Jackie Robinson home run just three days prior to Thomson's home run to force the playoff series. The day after the game, October 4, 1951, the "New York Daily News" ran a front-page game recap under the headline, "The Shot Heard 'Round the Baseball World". and a "New York Times" editorial that same day called Thomson's homer "the home run heard round the world." According to Tygiel, the "two phrases merged in the popular memory" and quickly spread to other media, and "Shot Heard 'Round the World" soon became the most popular epithet for Thomson's homer. It is a direct reference to a line in Ralph Waldo Emerson's poem "Concord Hymn" to describe the opening shot of the Battle of Concord.
In addition to a historical and literary reference, the phrase can also be seen as a sign of the times. Tygiel reads it as a reflection of "American postwar arrogance", and sportswriter Eric Neel considers it as an example of many sportswriters of the time displaying a "Cold War feel for the apocalyptic" in their writing—dramatizing sports through war and battle metaphors. As a matter of fact, the very same day that Thomson hit his home run, the Soviet Union set off an atomic bomb test, which created the juxtaposition of the "'unrepeatable, communal joy' of […] Thomson's gallop around the bases and the collective fear inspired by an escalating atomic race" in the next day's newspapers.
That being said, the nickname may have simply emerged and stuck as a result of extended media coverage. This three-game series was "the first baseball ever televised on a truly national basis", as coast-to-coast cable had just been installed. Moreover, the game was broadcast nationally on the radio and to "hundreds of thousands of American military personnel stationed 'round the world' who heard 'the shot' on Armed Forces Radio."
The circumstances of the Giants winning the 1951 N.L. pennant are also referred to as the "Miracle of Coogan’s Bluff", which was used as the headline in the "Herald Tribune" the day after the game. However, "Shot Heard ‘Round the World" stuck as the primary epithet for Thomson's home run.
"Miracle of Coogan’s Bluff" has also been used to describe the Giants' 1951 season as a whole. The team overcame a seemingly insurmountable deficit of 13 games in the National League standings on August 11 to force the three-game playoff series against the Dodgers.
Sign stealing.
In ensuing years, rumors began to circulate that during the second half of the 1951 season, the Giants engaged in systematic sign stealing—stealing the finger signals transmitted from catcher to pitcher that determine the pitch to be thrown. The Associated Press reported the rumor in 1962, but with no specifics, and based on an anonymous source. In 2001, many of the 21 Giants players still alive at the time, and one surviving coach, told the "Wall Street Journal" that beginning on July 20, the team used a telescope in the Giants clubhouse behind center field, manned by infielder Hank Schenz and later by coach Herman Franks, to steal the finger signals of opposing catchers. Stolen signs were relayed via a buzzer wire connected from the clubhouse to telephones in the Giants dugout and bullpen—one buzz for a fastball, two for an off-speed pitch. "Every hitter knew what was coming," said pitcher Al Gettel. "Made a big difference." Joshua Prager, the author of the "Journal" article, outlined the evidence in greater detail in a 2006 book.
Although backup catcher Sal Yvars told Prager that he relayed Rube Walker's fastball sign to Thomson from the bullpen, Thomson repeatedly insisted that he was concentrating on the situation, and did not take the sign. Branca made no public comment at the time. "I made a decision not to speak about it," he said. "I didn't want to look like I was crying over spilled milk." Later he told "The New York Times", "I didn't want to diminish a legendary moment in baseball. And even if Bobby knew what was coming, he had to hit it ... Knowing the pitch doesn't always help." In another interview, Branca pointed out that luck and circumstance were involved as well; had the coin toss gone the other way, Thomson's Shot would not have been a home run at Ebbets Field—nor would the game-winner he hit in the first playoff game have been a homer at the Polo Grounds.
Whether the telescope-and-buzzer system contributed significantly to the Giants' late-season 37–7 win streak remains a subject of debate. Prager notes in his book that sign stealing was not specifically forbidden by MLB rules at the time and, moral issues aside, "...has been a part of baseball since its inception". Sign stealing using optical or other mechanical aids was outlawed by MLB in 1961.
Artifacts.
Some of the artifacts from the historic moment have been preserved. Thomson's game bat and shoes are the centerpieces of an exhibit dedicated to the Shot at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. The exhibit is one of the Hall's most popular attractions, according to curators.
Thomson's game jersey is most likely in the collection of Dan Scheinman, a collector who owns a small minority stake in the Giants. In 2005, he bought two 1951 jerseys—one home and one road—from Thomson, who told him that he had worn them in the World Series, but could not remember whether he had worn the home jersey for the Shot game. Scheinman has said that he is "about 90 percent" confident that the home jersey is indeed the one Thomson was wearing when he hit the Shot: The Giants almost certainly wore the same uniforms for the Series—which began the day after the Shot game—that they used during the second half of the season (as did the Yankees), and Scheinman's jersey displays distinct puckering around the numbers, probably as a result of steam pressing, that is visible in photos of Thomson taken during and immediately after the Shot game. According to a professional textile conservator, such puckering cannot be mimicked or reproduced, and would not repeat itself in exactly the same pattern on a different jersey.
The location of the ball is unknown. Documentary filmmaker and author Brian Biegel attempted unsuccessfully to authenticate a vintage baseball, autographed by several 1951 Giants, that his father had purchased at a thrift store for four dollars, and believed to be Thomson's home run ball. He chronicled the project in his 2011 book "Miracle Ball", followed by a documentary film of the same name.
Legacy.
The Shot game placed second on ESPN's "SportsCentury" ranking of the Ten Greatest Games of the 20th Century, behind the 1958 NFL Championship Game. "Sports Illustrated" ranked Thomson's home run fifteenth on its list of the 100 Greatest Moments in Sports History.
The event was incorporated as the prologue in Don DeLillo's 1997 novel, "Underworld", in which the fate of the ball is a central focus of subsequent events spread across decades. It was also featured in altered form in DeLillo's "Pafko at the Wall", subtitled "Shot Heard 'Round the World", originally published as a folio in the October 1992 issue of "Harper's Magazine" and re-released in 2001 as a novella. |
Jimmy Snyder (sports commentator)
James George Snyder Sr. (born Dimetrios Georgios Synodinos, September 9, 1918 – April 21, 1996), better known as Jimmy the Greek, was an American sports commentator and Las Vegas bookmaker. A regular contributor to the CBS program "The NFL Today", Snyder predicted the scores of NFL games, which sports bettors used to determine the point spread. In January 1988, Snyder was fired by CBS after he made comments suggesting that breeding practices during slavery had led African-Americans to become superior athletes.
Early life and career.
Snyder was born in Steubenville, Ohio. According to his "New York Times" obituary of April 22, 1996, Snyder's family roots were in the village of Tholopotami (Θολoποτάμι), on the island of Chios in the Aegean Sea. As a teenager in Ohio, he became acquainted with bookmakers. When he was ten years old, he lost his mother when his uncle, driven mad by the loss of his wife, shot and killed Snyder's mother and aunt, who were walking home before killing himself. Snyder told his mother that he wanted to stay at the grocery store that his father was running and play rather than walk home with his mother, which he cited as likely saving his life but also as a reason he became a gambler.
According to his autobiography "Jimmy the Greek", Snyder bet $10,000 on the 1948 election between Thomas Dewey and Harry S. Truman, getting 17–1 odds for Truman to win. In a later interview he indicated that he knew Truman was going to win because Dewey had a mustache and "American women didn't trust men with a mustache".
He invested money in oil drilling and coal mining, but those ventures failed. He lived in Las Vegas after moving there in the 1950s. He worked as an oddsmaker and gambler, at places such as the Vegas Turf and Sportsroom. In 1962, he was convicted of interstate transportation of bets and wagering information alongside conspiracy and violating the Federal Communications Act (having been caught giving a betting tip over the telephone). He was fined $50,000 and labeled a convicted felon. He worked in public relations for a time, including a couple of years working for Howard Hughes. In the mid 1960s, he began a news column involving a sports betting line for the Las Vegas Sun, which eventually received widespread publication.
In 1974, he received a presidential pardon from Gerald Ford.
"The NFL Today".
The sports line eventually led to a 12-year stint on the CBS Sunday morning show, "The NFL Today", a pregame show for National Football League (NFL) games, starting in 1976. Known simply as "Jimmy the Greek," he would appear in segments with sportscaster Brent Musburger and predict the results of that week's NFL games. While already famous in gambling circles, his rough charm made him into a minor celebrity. He would have conflicts with both Musburger and Phyllis George, with a 1980 fight happening between Musberger and Snyder while George was brought to tears by a comment made by Snyder over her husband. While Musberger would make light of the fight (covered by the press), George would request to have Snyder tape his segment with Musberger in advance so that Snyder and George were not on the set at the same time.
As sports betting was illegal in most of the United States, and was at the time a general social taboo, his segment would not overtly mention betting or gambling. Instead, Snyder would predict the score of each game; for example, he would say the Los Angeles Raiders would beat the Los Angeles Rams by a score of 31–21 (ten points). This allowed bettors who knew the line of the game to be able to deduce his selection when betting the point spread: If the spread in the example game was the Raiders by five, bettors would know Snyder was picking the Raiders to beat it. The NFL was adamant about avoiding any official connections between gambling and the league, but NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle was an acquaintance of Snyder and made it clear that his work on CBS was acceptable.
Racial comments and dismissal.
On January 16, 1988, Snyder was fired by the CBS network (where he had been a regular on "NFL Today" since 1976) after making several questionable comments about African Americans during a lunchtime interview on January 15, 1988, with Ed Hotaling, a producer-reporter for NBC-owned WRC-TV, at Duke Zeibert's Washington, D.C., restaurant. Hotaling said that he had been doing interviews with various people in the restaurant for a program celebrating the birthday of Martin Luther King Jr. and what they thought the next step in civil rights progress for African Americans should be. He put the question to Snyder. "It was all on the occasion of Martin Luther King's birthday," Hotaling said. "So I thought it was an appropriate, forward-looking question, and got a backward-looking answer."
One of Snyder's more controversial responses to the question was that African Americans were naturally superior athletes at least in part because they had been bred to produce stronger offspring during slavery:
According to the "New York Times" obituary, Snyder expressed regret for his comments: "What a foolish thing to say." His CBS coworkers publicly stated that they did not agree with Snyder's theories and that they did not oppose CBS's decision to fire him. Black former NFL player Irv Cross said in the "30 for 30" documentary about Snyder that he had worked alongside Snyder for a long time and did not consider him to be a racist at all. In the same documentary, Frank Deford sympathetically noted that Jimmy often tried to sound more educated than he actually was and that his comments were basically him trying to make a point about a subject on which he knew nothing.
In the same WRC-TV interview, Snyder, whose remarks were termed "reprehensible" by CBS, also commented that the only sports realm in which white people then dominated was coaching and that if Black people were to "take coaching, as I think everyone wants them to, there is not going to be anything left for the white people." Snyder, during his remarks, emphasized he was not meaning to be "derogatory" but said the only thing then that "whites control are the coaching jobs — the Black talent is beautiful, it's great, it's out there. The only thing left for the whites is a couple of coaching jobs."
In 1991, Snyder sued the CBS network for age discrimination, defamation, and breach of contract. Snyder maintained that his firing aggravated his personal health problems, according to court papers. Snyder's attorney, Jeffery L. Liddle, stated that by "firing and repudiating Mr. Snyder, CBS quashed his dream, his dignity, and his spirit." Snyder lost the case.
In popular culture.
Snyder appeared in a cameo in the 1981 comedy film "The Cannonball Run" as a bookie. In the movie, he offered 50–1 odds against Formula One driver Jamie Blake (played by Dean Martin) and gambler Morris Fenderbaum (played by Sammy Davis Jr.) winning the Cannonball coast-to-coast endurance race. Snyder and Dean Martin were childhood acquaintances in Steubenville, Ohio.
On November 10, 2009, ESPN aired a show in their "30 for 30" series titled "The Legend of Jimmy the Greek," which was produced by Fritz Mitchell. Commentary was provided by, among others, Brent Musburger, Irv Cross and Phyllis George from "The NFL Today", plus Anthony Snyder (Jimmy's son), as well as his brother Johnny and sister Angie. The show also acknowledges his role in the first sportscasts of poker tournaments.
Although Snyder was largely unknown outside of the United States, in 1974, his name achieved international renown. After beating George Foreman to regain the world heavyweight championship, Muhammad Ali, in the midst of an interview with David Frost, looked into the camera and addressed his doubters. "All of you bow" he said. "All of my critics crawl... All of you suckers bow... If you wanna know any damn thing about boxing, don't go to no boxing experts in Las Vegas, don't go to no Jimmy the Greek. Come to Muhammad Ali."
He was parodied in sketches on "Saturday Night Live" and "Second City Television", portrayed on the respective programs by Phil Hartman and John Candy. His comments about black athletes also inspired an appearance by Hans and Franz.
Snyder is also parodied in an episode of "The Simpsons" titled "Lisa the Greek", which was named after him. A character modeled after him named "Smooth" Jimmy Apollo (played by Phil Hartman) is featured in the episode giving dubious predictions about football games.
Snyder was referenced in an episode of "The Golden Girls" titled "And Ma Makes Three." Rose asks Dorothy if she is really going to dump her mother in order to spend alone time with her boyfriend, Dorothy responds with "Faster than CBS dumped Jimmy the Greek."
Personal life.
Snyder and his wife Joan lost three of their five children to cystic fibrosis.
Snyder suffered from diabetes in his later years and died of a heart attack on April 21, 1996, in Las Vegas, Nevada, at the age of 77. He was buried at Union Cemetery in his native Steubenville. |
2019 Barcelona City Council election
The 2019 Barcelona City Council election, also the 2019 Barcelona municipal election, was held on Sunday, 26 May 2019, to elect the 11th City Council of the municipality of Barcelona. All 41 seats in the City Council were up for election. The election was held simultaneously with regional elections in twelve autonomous communities and local elections all throughout Spain, as well as the 2019 European Parliament election in Spain.
The contest was won by Republican Left of Catalonia (ERC), which under the leadership of Ernest Maragall—brother of former Barcelona mayor and president of the Government of Catalonia Pasqual Maragall with the Socialists' Party of Catalonia (PSC)—came out on top in a municipal election in Barcelona for the first time in history, as a resurgent PSC drew votes away from incumbent mayor Ada Colau's Barcelona in Common (BComú). Colau was able to retain the mayorship through an BComú—PSC alliance that received the support of Barcelona for Change (BCN Canvi) councillors under Manuel Valls, the former prime minister of France, who after his failed run at the 2017 French presidential election was nominated by the liberal Citizens (Cs) to become their mayoral candidate in his city of birth. Valls's support of Colau's investiture was based on his stated intention to prevent the pro-Catalan independence camp from securing control over Catalonia's capital city.
Together for Catalonia (JxCat), the new brand of former Democratic Convergence of Catalonia (CDC) members who had openly embraced a Catalan independence ideology following the dissolution of the Convergence and Union (CiU) federation in June 2015, fell to fifth place to a record-low 10.5% of the vote under the leadership of Joaquim Forn, the former Interior minister who was at the time at preventive detention because of his involvement in the organization of the controversial 2017 Catalan independence referendum. Concurrently, support for the People's Party (PP) plummeted even further to its worst historical showing, barely passing the five percent threshold with 5.01%, whereas the Popular Unity Candidacy (CUP) was expelled from the city council altogether.
Electoral system.
The City Council of Barcelona (, ) was the top-tier administrative and governing body of the municipality of Barcelona, composed of the mayor, the government council and the elected plenary assembly. Elections to the local councils in Spain were fixed for the fourth Sunday of May every four years.
Voting for the local assembly was on the basis of universal suffrage, which comprised all nationals over 18 years of age, registered and residing in the municipality of Barcelona and in full enjoyment of their political rights, as well as resident non-national European citizens and those whose country of origin allowed Spanish nationals to vote in their own elections by virtue of a treaty. Local councillors were elected using the D'Hondt method and a closed list proportional representation, with an electoral threshold of five percent of valid votes—which included blank ballots—being applied in each local council. Councillors were allocated to municipal councils based on the following scale:
The mayor was indirectly elected by the plenary assembly. A legal clause required that mayoral candidates earned the vote of an absolute majority of councillors, or else the candidate of the most-voted party in the assembly was to be automatically appointed to the post. In the event of a tie, the appointee would be determined by lot.
Council composition.
The table below shows the composition of the political groups in the City Council at the time of dissolution.
Parties and candidates.
The electoral law allowed for parties and federations registered in the interior ministry, coalitions and groupings of electors to present lists of candidates. Parties and federations intending to form a coalition ahead of an election were required to inform the relevant Electoral Commission within ten days of the election call, whereas groupings of electors needed to secure the signature of a determined amount of the electors registered in the municipality for which they sought election, disallowing electors from signing for more than one list of candidates. For the case of Barcelona, as its population was over 1,000,001, at least 8,000 signatures were required.
Below is a list of the main parties and electoral alliances which contested the election:
Campaign budget.
According to a report from the Catalan newspaper "Diari Ara", BCN Canvi–Cs candidate Manuel Valls would have received funds from a group of businessmen to prepare the campaign, that would have included a salary of €20,000 monthly for him. Valls rejected those accusations and said all funds he received for the campaign were declared.
Opinion polls.
The table below lists voting intention estimates in reverse chronological order, showing the most recent first and using the dates when the survey fieldwork was done, as opposed to the date of publication. Where the fieldwork dates are unknown, the date of publication is given instead. The highest percentage figure in each polling survey is displayed with its background shaded in the leading party's colour. If a tie ensues, this is applied to the figures with the highest percentages. The "Lead" column on the right shows the percentage-point difference between the parties with the highest percentages in a poll. When available, seat projections determined by the polling organisations are displayed below (or in place of) the percentages in a smaller font; 21 seats were required for an absolute majority in the City Council of Barcelona. |
Daniel Berger (golfer)
Daniel Berger (born April 7, 1993) is an American professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour. After turning pro at age 20 in 2013, he won the FedEx St. Jude Classic in both 2016 and 2017 and the Charles Schwab Challenge in 2020, the first PGA Tour tournament played after a three-month hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In February 2021, he won the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am; clinching victory with an eagle on the 18th hole.
Early years.
Berger was born in Plantation, Florida, to Jewish parents, Nadia and Jay Berger, a former tennis pro (ranked seventh in the world in 1990), coach, and head of men's tennis for the United States Tennis Association. His grandmother, Roslyn Swift Berger, was an accomplished amateur golfer who was inducted into the Greater Buffalo, New York Sports Hall of Fame in 2000. He has two brothers and a sister.
Berger grew up and lived in Key Biscayne, Florida for about thirteen years and began playing golf at age 10. He began taking lessons from PGA Master Professional, Kevin Perkins on a weekly basis and also attended Perkins' golf camp that summer and fell in love with the game. At that early age, Berger indicated to his father that he would like to become a professional golfer. Berger went on to have good success early, by finishing tie for 22nd in the US Kids International Championship, Boys, age 12, shooting rounds of 75, 79 and 75. Berger later moved with his family to Jupiter, Florida, where he also had his first hole-in-one at age 13. He graduated from William T. Dwyer High School in 2011, though he did not play high school golf.
He played college golf at Florida State University in Tallahassee. There, in the spring of 2013 he won both the SunTrust Gator Invitational and the Seminole Intercollegiate, and that season he led the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) with a 69.36 stroke average. He tied for second at the 2013 NCAA Golf Championships as a sophomore, and was named a two-time first-team All-American by the Golf Coaches Association of America and "Golfweek", and named to the All-Nicklaus team, All-ACC team, and PING All-Region team. He turned pro after his sophomore year, at age 20.
Professional career.
In late 2013, Berger qualified for the Web.com Tour and played four events. The following year, he finished T2 at the TPC Stonebrae Championship and ranked 15th in the season-long Web.com Tour standings, which earned him a promotion to the PGA Tour for the 2014–15 season.
In March 2015, Berger shot a 6-under-par 64 in the final round of the Honda Classic to get into a sudden-death playoff, which he lost to Pádraig Harrington. Had Berger won, it would have been the second-largest final round comeback in PGA Tour history; he began the final round nine strokes behind 54-hole leader Ian Poulter. Three weeks later at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, Berger made a double eagle at the par-5 sixth hole during the third round.
During the 2015 season, Berger made the cut in 17 of 31 events, had six top-10 finishes, including two seconds, and was the only rookie to make the Tour Championship field in late September. He finished 11th in the FedEx Cup rankings, 25th on the money list (earning over $3 million), and was the PGA Tour Rookie of the Year.
Berger gained his first PGA Tour win in June 2016 at the FedEx St. Jude Classic near Memphis, which moved him to 29th in the Official World Golf Ranking. He earned $1.1 million.
At the beginning of the 2017 PGA Tour Season, Berger began using Callaway clubs and balls after switching over from TaylorMade, which he used in his first two seasons on tour. Later that season, Berger successfully defended his FedEx St. Jude Classic title, and moved to 24th in the world. By July, he was ranked 20th in the world. He made the 2017 US Presidents Cup Team.
At the 2018 U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club, Berger shot a third-round 66, putting him in a 4-way tie for the lead with Dustin Johnson, defending champion Brooks Koepka, and Tony Finau. However, a final round 73 left Berger in a tie for 6th place, 5 shots behind eventual winner Koepka.
On June 14, 2020, Berger won the 2020 Charles Schwab Challenge, and received a winner's check of $1.375 million. This was the first PGA Tour tournament back after a three-month hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Berger won the tournament when Collin Morikawa missed a very short putt for par on the first playoff hole. With the victory he was ranked No. 31 in the world. He had a streak of 32 consecutive rounds at par or better in 2019–20, the eighth-longest streak since 1983, one round fewer than the streaks of Kenny Perry and Harris English.
Berger won the 2021 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am shooting a 65 in the final round. He eagled the final hole to win by two strokes ahead of Maverick McNealy.
In September 2021, Berger played on the U.S. team in the 2021 Ryder Cup at Whistling Straits in Kohler, Wisconsin. The U.S. team won 19–9 and Berger went 2–1–0 including a win in his Sunday singles match against Matt Fitzpatrick.
Personal life.
Berger currently resides in Jupiter, Florida.
Professional wins (4).
PGA Tour wins (4).
PGA Tour playoff record (1–2)
Results in major championships.
"Results not in chronological order in 2020."
CUT = missed the half-way cut<br>
"T" = tied<br>
NT = No tournament due to COVID-19 pandemic
Results in The Players Championship.
CUT = missed the halfway cut<br>
"T" indicates a tie for a place<br>
C = Canceled after the first round due to the COVID-19 pandemic
Results in World Golf Championships.
1Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic<br>
QF, R16, R32, R64 = Round in which player lost in match play<br>
WD = Withdrew<br>
NT = No tournament<br>
"T" = Tied<br>
Note that the Championship and Invitational were discontinued from 2022.
U.S. national team appearances.
Amateur
Professional |
Order of the Crown of Westphalia
The Order of the Crown of Westphalia () was instituted in Paris on 25 December 1809 by King Hieronymus I of Westphalen, better known as Napoleon's brother Jérôme Bonaparte.
The motto of the Order was "CHARACTER UND AUFRICHTIGKEIT" (Character and honesty). At the back stood the words "ERRICHTET DEN XXV DEZEMBER MDCCCIX".
The ribbon of the Order was dark blue.
History.
On July 7, 1807, Napoleon I gave his youngest brother Jérôme Bonaparte the kingdom of Westphalia, created from scratch from hitherto independent German states. After entrusting the organization to confirmed French statesmen, such as Count Joseph Jérôme Simeon (1749-1842), he invited Jérôme to take possession of his kingdom on December 7, 1807.
The organized kingdom, the sovereign was wanting only a decoration to give to his subjects. Jérôme presented to the Emperor in July 1808 a project of order and motivated:
"The institution of a Westphalian order should please the Germans ... Your Majesty knows their character, many of them have been forced to leave their decorations and nothing will be more pleasant to them than to see a new order of theirs founded kingdom. "
The insignia, in the form of an eight-pointed cross with spokes, would have been placed in the center of the Westphalian eagle. The institution would have taken the name of Order of the Blue Eagle. Napoleon did not accede to the wishes of his brother. The insignia was too much like that of the Legion of Honor, and then the Emperor considered the sovereignty of his younger brother to be too recent for him to consider rewarding anyone.
Finally, on December 25, 1809, "with imperial authorization," the king was able to sign the royal decrees of creation of the Order of the Crown of Westphalia.
According to the decree of February 5, 1810, the insignia, inspired by the coat of arms of the kingdom created in 1807 under the direction of Talleyrand, revealed a complex symbolism: a snake biting its tail, symbol of immortality, surrounded a set of motifs illustrating the composite nature of the kingdom, all surmounted by a crowned imperial eagle. "There are too many animals in that order! Exclaimed the Emperor, reading the decree.
Jérôme gave his work on the job. A new decree was drawn up, issued on April 25, 1810, which definitively fixed the composition of the insignia, with a general outline close to that of the Order of the Iron Crown. Above a crown bandeau, we find the symbolic elements of the previous badge: heraldic animals, snake in bail, and of course the imperial eagle encroaching a lightning.
Despite all the pomp that surrounded him, the Order disappeared with the kingdom of Westphalia in 1813. Jérôme nevertheless continued to wear the insignia until his death in 1860.
Organization.
The members were divided into three and four classes. This order was to consist of:
10 Grand Commanders or dignitaries, three of whom each have a large commandery;
30 Commanders;
300 Knights of 1st class;
500 Knights of 2nd class.
Not included in this number are the princes of the imperial family and foreigners to whom his Majesty would like to confer this decoration.
The King is Grand Master of the Order.
The Royal Prince alone rightly receives the great decoration of the Order.
The Grand Commanders have the title of Excellence, and enjoy the civil honors bestowed on the Grand Officers of the Crown, and military honors rendered to the highest rank.
The Commanders receive the same civil honors as the state councilors, and the military honors attached to the rank of officer.
Description.
The decoration is composed of a crown with eight gold florets without apses, placed on a blue enameled headband, on which are written in Roman letters in gold and in all its periphery, the motto of the order): "CHARACTER UND AUFRICHTIGKEIT "(in French:" Honesty and character "), as well as the date of its founding:" ERRICHTET DEN XXV DEC M. DCCC IX ".
On the bottom of the crown and in the middle pose an eagle and a lion backed and crowned by a single crown.
On the right side of the lion, is the horse of Westphalia; on the left, on the side of the eagle, is the lion of Cassel.
The whole is surmounted by the imperial eagle crowned and carried on its lightning, on which is written: "I THE UNITED. "
The decoration is suspended from a big-blue ribbon moiré, by a ring having the shape of a snake biting its tail, symbol of the immortality.
The reverse of the cross is absolutely similar, with this difference only, that there is on the eagle and lion backed, an azure shield on which are the Roman letters "H N" intertwined.
The Grand Commander's decoration is thirty lines high, from the underside of the crown band to below the crown of the imperial eagle. That of Commander has only twenty-three leagues high and that of Chevalier only sixteen.
The Great Commanders wear the decoration, over the suit, from right to left.
The knights fastened a badge of silver to the clerk, and the commanders hung a jewel of gold around their necks. The great commanders wore daily a plate - novelty compared to the decree of February 5, 1810 which did not provide - and a cord. On solemn days, they wore a gold necklace. |
Jessie Newbery
Jessie Newbery (28 May 1864 – 27 April 1948) was a Scottish artist and embroiderer. She was one of the artists known as the Glasgow Girls. Newbery also created the Department of Embroidery at the Glasgow School of Art where she was able to establish needlework as a form of unique artistic design. She married the director of the Glasgow School of Art, Francis Newbery, in 1889.
Early life and education.
Born Jessie Wylie Rowat in Paisley, she was the daughter of Margaret Downie Hill and William Rowat, a forward-thinking shawl manufacturer. A visit to Italy when Newbery was aged 18 stimulated a lifelong interest in textiles and other decorative arts. She enrolled as a student at the Glasgow School of Art in 1884.
Work and career.
Newbery became an accomplished and original embroideress, though embroidery was not formally taught at the Glasgow School of Art. The profile of embroidery was raised at the school through the work of the "Four" – Charles Rennie Mackintosh, Herbert McNair, Frances Macdonald and Margaret Macdonald Mackintosh – who all designed embroidery as part of their decorative schemes. Newbery started the first needlework and embroidery class at the school in 1894. Newbery was noticed for embroidery designs that were quite different from the output of the Royal School of Art Needlework. Her works had a hint of seventeenth-century crewel-work and her designs featured floral forms with angular stems and a strong decorative quality. She is credited as the inventor of the angular Glasgow rose, which has been likened to a cabbage. She also imported the new Glasgow style lettering into her embroidery designs.
Students who took part on her embroidery classes did so as an extra subject, or because they hoped to earn a livelihood as professional embroidery workers. At the turn of the century the Scottish Education Department issued guidance which envisaged embroidery as an important part of the national school curriculum. Hence women teachers attended Newbery's classes as part of their teaching qualification. Newbery was considered an "enthusiastic teacher and encouraged a strong sense of design in her pupils' work." She opened the doors to women students with a generous admission policy and a reformed curriculum. Keen to promote embroidery as a form of art for all levels in society and for men and women, Newbery established an Embroidery Department and Saturday classes, attended by over 100 women, at the Glasgow School of Art.
Newbery was careful in her choice of colour and materials. She preferred to use a lighter palette than was traditional, focusing on light purples, greens, blues and pink. She also encouraged the use of "unusual techniques such as needle weaving" and included additions like beads, ribbons and card as well as contrasting hemming, Newbery felt that design, in addition to utility, was important in her work. Her approach to design was egalitarian: "I believe that nothing is common or unclean: that the design and decoration of a pepper pot is as important in its degree, as the conception of a cathedral." She got noted for her "materialism, her commitment to socialism and her contribution to community." And her approach was commended in "The Studio" magazine, for its innovation and taking everyday things and "seeks to make them beautiful as well as useful".
Newbery incorporated elements of the emerging Glasgow Style in her design works and in turn shaped the decorative style of the movement. Together with her husband she promoted a range "novel genres", such as metalwork, glasswork, pottery and woodcarving, at the Glasgow School of Art. The Glasgow Boys had emerged as the pioneers of a revolt against the Scottish artistic establishment and its grip on institutions. In this spirit Jessie and Francis Newbery established the Glasgow Girls as a group that embraced a range of genres and placed arts and crafts on an equal footing with other works of art.
She taught dress design alongside embroidery. She thought clothing should be practical and took an interest in rational dress, while also believing that clothes should be beautiful. This approach to women's clothing was considered "avant-garde" and "radical". Newbery first experimented with a "Renaissance flavor" in her own clothing, often choosing looser styles, materials such as silk velvets and lightweight wools which she embroidered herself. Additionally, she held classes in mosaics, from 1896 to 1898, in enamels from 1895 to 1899, and also in book decoration in 1899.
Support for women's suffrage.
Newbery was an active member of the Glasgow Society of Lady Artists. Along with sponsoring many friends and students for membership, she also provided exhibition and studio space for women artists. She was keen for women to have more of a place in society, and was an active member of the Women's Social and Political Union, organising the "Arts and Curios" stall at the Grand Suffrage Bazaar held at St Andrews Halls, Glasgow in 1910. She helped to make materials for related movements, such as the suffrage banners, along with Ann Macbeth, including one with embroidered signatures of 80 force-fed Holloway prisoners, which was in the mass suffragette procession from 'Prison to Citizenship' in London, 1911.
Later life.
After an illness Newbery retired in 1908 as Head of Embroidery at the Glasgow School of Art and was succeeded by Ann Macbeth, a former student of hers who had been her assistant since 1901.
Newbery did continue to create her own work and showed her embroidery in exhibitions, including one at the Louvre, Paris. In 1911 she took part in the planning for the Scottish Exhibition of National History, Art and Industry, on the committee of the Decorative and Fine Arts Section.
Newbery died in Corfe Castle, Dorset, where she and her husband, Francis Newbery, had gone to live after retirement. |
Harry Donenfeld
Harry Donenfeld (; October 17, 1893 – February 1, 1965) was an American publisher who is known primarily for being the owner of National Allied Publications, which distributed "Detective Comics" and "Action Comics", the originator publications for the superhero characters Superman and Batman. Donenfeld was also a founder of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine.
Biography.
Early years.
Harry Donenfeld was born into a Jewish family in Iași, Romania, and at the age of five emigrated to the United States of America with his parents and his brother Irving. A few years later the family was joined by Harry's two elder brothers Charlie and Mike. Little is known of his early life, as is common with many people entering America during the days of mass immigration; but the family entered America via Ellis Island and took up residence in New York City in the Lower East Side area.
Donenfeld spent his early life in and out of school, and later in and out of gangs, refusing to settle down or find an occupation like his brothers, who had set up a printing enterprise. Harry became a clothing salesman working in the city, and saw himself as a class above the ordinary working man, and wanted a better life, but preferably without the hard work. After he avoided the draft in 1917, he married Gussie Weinstein in 1918, and thanks to a loan from her parents he was able to open a clothing store in Newark, New Jersey.
Martin Press.
When consumer spending dropped in the US in late 1920, Harry and Gussie's store fell on hard times and by early 1921 they were in debt. Harry's skills of flattery and fast talking were of no use when the country was in economic decline and despite Gussie's best efforts the store went broke. Under pressure to find a steady income, Harry found work with his brothers' printing company, now called Martin Press, as a salesman and fourth partner. During the 1920s Martin Press saw a vast expansion in capital. It is speculated that Harry, through links with gangster Frank Costello, moved alcohol, now illegal during the prohibition, along with legitimate Canadian pulp paper across the border. By 1923 Donenfeld had managed his most important sales deal of his life, acquiring the rights for Martin Press to print six million subscription leaflets for Hearst magazines such as "Cosmopolitan" and "Good Housekeeping". This was partly due to his new underworld contacts having close connections with Hearst newspaper salesman Moe Annenberg. The company was able to move from their earlier downtown location to a twelve-story building in the Chelsea district. 1923 also saw the emergence of the competitive business side of Donenfeld as he took control of Martin Press and forced his two older brothers out of the company, leaving Irving as a minority partner and head printer. Donenfield then changed the company name from Martin Press to Donny Press.
Pulp magazines.
From around 1925, Donenfeld began working with Frank Armer to produce lines of girlie pulps published under the auspices of different company names. Donenfeld acquired the girlie pulps "Ginger Stories", "Pep Stories" and "Snappy Stories" from William Clayton, and put them out under the name of DM. He used the names Merwil and later Irwin Publishing to release more magazines along the same lines: "Hot Stories", "Joy Stories" and "Juicy Tales".
In November 1933, Donenfeld drafted Armer to form a company called Super Magazines which ended up specializing in the mixed girlie/genre pulps, "Spicy Adventure," "Spicy Detective", "Spicy Mystery" and "Spicy Western." After getting charged with obscenity, and narrowly escaped jail, Donenfeld changed the name of Super Magazines to Culture Publications. In January 1943, again trying to clean up their image, he changed the word 'Spicy' to 'Speed' in the four magazines with that name. "Speed Western" lasted the longest, ceasing publication in 1948.
National Allied Publications.
In 1929, as a favor to an old client, Julius Liebowitz, Donenfeld gave work to Julius' son, Jack. Jack and Harry had little in common, but Jack soon emerged as a man who could run finances. Whereas Harry would promise the world to clients without understanding the economic realities, Jack was bookish and ensured bills were paid on time and helped create a respectability in the firm. Soon the two men were spoken of as a partnership. With the financial backing of Paul Sampliner, Irving Donenfeld as head printer, Harry as salesman and Jack Liebowitz running the finances they launched the Independent News Company in 1932. Now Donenfeld was a distributor as well as a publisher and was now no longer reliant on others to run his business.
In 1935, Major Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson approached Independent News in a bid to relaunch his comic book "New Fun", having lost his previous backers due to poor sales and debts. Donenfeld accepted to distribute the comic but with heavy loss of rights to Wheeler-Nicholson. The major produced two more titles to be handled by Independent News, "New Comics" and "Detective Comics" (which would later see the first appearance of Batman), now under the banner of Detective Comics Inc., in which Wheeler-Nicholson was forced to take Donenfeld and Liebowitz as partners. In 1938, Donenfeld sued Wheeler-Nicholson for nonpayment and Detective Comics Inc. went into bankruptcy. Donenfeld then bought up the company and Wheeler-Nicholson's National Allied Publications in their entirety as part of the action.
The fourth publication under National Allied Publications would be "Action Comics" (1938). Issue #1 introduced the superhero, Superman, created by artist Joe Shuster and writer Jerry Siegel. Donenfeld was initially repelled by the seemingly ridiculous fantasy of the character and ordered it never appear on the cover again. However, the property proved tremendously popular and profitable enough to change his mind by issue 7 to make "Superman" the title's feature. As such, Donenfeld enjoyed not only healthy comic book sales, but also in merchandising such as toys, costumes and even a radio show featuring the character. At the end of 1941 Donenfeld's comic businesses took in $2.6 million. Shuster and Siegel had sold the rights for the character to National Allied Publications, so as Donenfeld became rich, they continued on flat employee fees. Legal actions between the creative pair and National Allied Publications for compensation would continue for decades to come, but Donenfeld allowed Liebowitz to handle this side of his empire.
American Comics Group.
Donenfeld also owned a stake in a competitor comics publisher, American Comics Group (ACG). A gin rummy and traveling partner of Benjamin W. Sangor, in 1943 Donenfeld helped Sangor start ACG, which published until 1967. (ACG was also distributed by Donenfeld's Independent News.)
Injury and death.
In 1962, the week before he was set to marry his second wife, Donenfeld fell, injuring his head, which resulted in a lack of memory and speech from which he never recovered. He died at a care home in 1965, and is buried in Mount Ararat Cemetery, East Farmingdale, New York.
Donenfeld was posthumously named in 1985 as one of the honorees by DC Comics in the company's 50th anniversary publication "Fifty Who Made DC Great".
Family.
Harry's son Irwin Donenfeld was born in 1926, and worked for the firm from 1948 to c. 1968, holding the titles of Editorial Director and Executive Vice President. Harry's daughter Sonia (known as "Peachie") was born in 1927. She was married to Fred Iger in 1947, had 2 children and the marriage ended in divorce after 15 years. |
Meiners Oaks, California
Meiners Oaks is an unincorporated community lying west of the city of Ojai in Ventura County, California, United States. The population was 3,571 at the 2010 census. For statistical purposes, the United States Census Bureau has defined Meiners Oaks as a census-designated place (CDP).
History.
German native John Meiners had immigrated to America in 1848 and established a successful brewing operation in Milwaukee. In the 1870s, he acquired the land that would become Meiners Oaks as payment for a debt. When a friend and business associate, Edward D. Holton, travelled through California and investigated the land, Meiners learned that he had acquired one of the largest oak groves on flat ground in southern California. Upon arriving in person, Meiners also found the climate agreeable, and established a ranch. Several hundred acres, north of the oak grove, were used quite successfully to grow lemons, oranges, plums, apricots and apples, as well as oats, wheat, barley and more. Meiners lived on his ranch intermittently until his death in 1898.
Geography.
Meiners Oaks is in the mid-northern section of the Ojai Valley, and is bordered by the community of Mira Monte to the south, and the City of Ojai to the east. Meiners Oaks is in the heart of the Ojai Valley, very close to the Ventura River, where there are several hiking trails.
The community is north of Los Angeles. The census bureau definition of the area as a CDP may not precisely correspond to local understanding of the area with the same name.
Climate.
The climate of Meiners Oaks is Mediterranean, characterized by hot, dry summers, at times exceeding , and mild, rainy winters, with lows at night falling below freezing at times. During dry spells with continental air, morning temperatures, due to Ojai's valley location, can drop well below most of Southern California, with the record being on January 6 and 7 of 1913. On the other hand, Meiners Oaks is far enough from the sea to minimize marine cooling, and very hot days can occur during summer, with the record being on June 16, 1917 – when it fell as low as in the morning due to clear skies and dry air.
Typically for much of coastal southern California, most precipitation falls in the form of rain between the months of October and April, with intervening dry summers. As with all of Southern California, rain falls on few days, but when it does rain it is often extremely heavy: the record being on February 24, 1913, followed by on January 26, 1914. During the wettest month on record of January 1969, fell, with a whopping in eight days from January 19 to January 26. In contrast, the median annual rainfall for all years in Meiners Oaks is only around and in the driest "rain year" from July 2006 to June 2007, just fell in twelve months. The wettest "rain year" was from July 1997 to June 1998 with .
Demographics.
2010.
At the 2010 census Meiners Oaks had a population of 3,571. This reflects a decrease in population of 4.8%, as compared with the 2000 census (not a difference of "one person" as noted above). The population density was . The racial makeup of Meiners Oaks was 2,789 (78.1%) White, 14 (0.4%) African American, 58 (1.6%) Native American, 51 (1.4%) Asian, 1 (0.0%) Pacific Islander, 549 (15.4%) from other races, and 109 (3.1%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1,068 persons (29.9%).
The census reported that 3,565 people (99.8% of the population) lived in households, 6 (0.2%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and no one was institutionalized.
There were 1,283 households, 460 (35.9%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 607 (47.3%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 178 (13.9%) had a female householder with no husband present, 81 (6.3%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 101 (7.9%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 11 (0.9%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 311 households (24.2%) were one person and 130 (10.1%) had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.78. There were 866 families (67.5% of households); the average family size was 3.24.
The age distribution was 851 people (23.8%) under the age of 18, 300 people (8.4%) aged 18 to 24, 845 people (23.7%) aged 25 to 44, 1,116 people (31.3%) aged 45 to 64, and 459 people (12.9%) who were 65 or older. The median age was 40.2 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.4 males.
There were 1,396 housing units at an average density of 991.3 per square mile, of the occupied units 798 (62.2%) were owner-occupied and 485 (37.8%) were rented. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.1%; the rental vacancy rate was 6.7%. 2,200 people (61.6% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 1,365 people (38.2%) lived in rental housing units.
2000.
At the 2000 census there were 3,750 people, 1,288 households, and 941 families in the CDP. The population density was . There were 1,325 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the CDP was 83.12% White, 0.43% African American, 1.09% Native American, 0.91% Asian, 0.08% Pacific Islander, 10.77% from other races, and 3.60% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 23.09%.
Of the 1,288 households 42.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.0% were married couples living together, 14.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.9% were non-families. 21.0% of households were one person and 7.7% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.90 and the average family size was 3.32.
The age distribution was 29.9% under the age of 18, 8.0% from 18 to 24, 28.4% from 25 to 44, 23.5% from 45 to 64, and 10.2% 65 or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.7 males.
The median household income was $51,811 and the median family income was $56,778. Males had a median income of $49,083 versus $28,839 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $23,152. About 8.1% of families and 11.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.3% of those under age 18 and 6.6% of those age 65 or over.
Education.
Schools in Meiners Oaks are served by the Ojai Unified School District, including Meiners Oaks Elementary School. There are also several private schools located in Meiners Oaks.
Libraries.
Public Libraries: Ventura County Library - 14 locations with three branches in the Ojai Valley: Meiners Oaks Library, Ojai Library, and Oak View Library. |
Paige Smith
Paige Smith (also Novak) is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera "Neighbours", played by Olympia Valance. The actress was cast in February 2014 after a lengthy audition process, which included four call-backs. Series producer Jason Herbison said Valance was cast in the role as she was "the perfect fit" for the character. Valance had been a successful model prior to her casting and Paige marked her first acting role. Valance's half-sister Holly Valance previously appeared in the show as Felicity Scully. Valance was initially contracted for three years. She made her first screen appearance during the episode broadcast on 2 June 2014. Valance filmed her final scenes in November 2017 and Paige's departure aired on 30 March 2018. Valance returned on 24 February 2020, as part of the serial's 35th anniversary celebrations. On 4 May 2022, Valance confirmed that she was returning for the show's final episodes and Paige returned on 20 July 2022 until the show's final episode on 28 July 2022.
Paige is portrayed as being "feisty", "tough", "unpredictable" and resourceful. Valance said Paige was not a mean character and often hid her softer side behind a "hard exterior". The character was introduced as the biological daughter of Brad Willis (Kip Gamblin) and Lauren Carpenter (Kate Kendall) and her early storylines focused on building relationships with her parents and half-siblings. Paige initially chose to keep her identity a secret as she was scared that she would not be accepted. Paige also developed a relationship with her housemate Mark Brennan (Scott McGregor) and was blackmailed into selling illegal car parts alongside Tyler Brennan (Travis Burns). The character has received mostly positive attention from critics, with one saying she had caused "quite a stir" since her debut and another who noted that she had a distinctive on-screen presence. Valance earned a nomination for Most Popular New Talent at the 2015 Logie Awards for her portrayal of Paige.
Casting.
On 9 March 2014, Colin Vickery from news.com.au reported that Olympia Valance had joined the cast of "Neighbours" as Paige Novak. Valance had been a successful model prior to her casting in February and Paige marked her first acting role. She won the part after a lengthy audition process, which included four call-backs that got "harder and harder" each time. Of her casting, Valance commented "When I got the call to say the part was mine, I was so excited. In Australia, if you're on "Neighbours", you're considered to have one of the best jobs in the world. It's iconic." One of the first people Valance called was her half-sister Holly Valance, who previously appeared in "Neighbours" as Felicity Scully. She later said that working with people who knew her sister made her feel "very comfortable" on-set.
Series producer Jason Herbison confirmed that Valance had won the role based on her own talents, saying she was "the perfect fit for Paige". Valance was initially contracted for three years. She made her screen debut as Paige on 2 June 2014. In December, Valance commented that she would leave "Neighbours" at the end of her contract, as she had a desire to move to London. However, in October 2016, Fiona Byrne of the "Herald Sun" reported that Valance had decided to extend her contract with the show for another six to eight months. Valance commented, "I love my job and I don't feel ready to leave just yet and they were happy to have me for a bit longer."
Development.
Backstory and characterisation.
In her fictional backstory, Paige had "a miserable upbringing" with her adoptive parents, and always felt second best to brother Ethan (Matthew Little). After leaving her boarding school, Paige became self-sufficient and worked various jobs. Her adoptive parents would send her "guilt-induced cash gifts" which she spent quickly on holidays and parties. Ahead of her introduction, Valance said "Paige isn't a mean character – she's cool and sexy and a bit edgy — and I think everyone is going to love her." She also thought Paige's personality had many layers and hoped viewers would like her and find her interesting.
Valance later described Paige as being "feisty", "unpredictable", "funny" and "very compassionate". She called Paige resourceful and said her "hard exterior" often hid her softer side. The "Neighbours" official website branded Paige "tough" and "volatile", adding that she works hard and enjoyed partying and skateboarding in her spare time. Valance liked her character and said she could identify with her family situation, as she is one of eight half-siblings. She also felt lucky to be playing someone with "such a complex history".
Family.
Paige first became aware that her biological parents, Brad Willis (Kip Gamblin) and Lauren Carpenter (Kate Kendall), were looking for her when Brad met with Ethan in Adelaide. Valance told "All About Soap's" Carena Crawford that Paige felt relieved that she had finally found her parents, but there were so many unanswered questions surrounding them and her adoption. Paige became curious about her parents and followed them back to Erinsborough to find out more about them. She decided to keep her identity a secret, in order to find out what Brad and Lauren were really like. Paige checked into the local hotel with the fake surname Novak and made up a back story about being from Tasmania. Paige immediately ran into Josh Willis (Harley Bonner) and flirted with him, unaware that he was her half-brother. Valance explained that Paige was naturally flirty and thought Josh was "pretty hot" until she learned they were related. Paige's actions also put her half-sister, Amber (Jenna Rosenow), offside as she was dating Josh at the time.
Paige met her mother at her café and managed to get herself a job as a waitress. Lauren and Paige made a good impression on each other and Valance said there was a connection between them. Paige also engineered a meeting with Brad by joining the gym he managed, and Valance commented that Paige really liked her father. However, Brad's wife, Terese (Rebekah Elmaloglou), was quite suspicious of who Paige was, especially as Paige had no ID and had checked into the hotel with "disposable cash". Paige also struggled to get along with her other half-sister, Imogen (Ariel Kaplan), as she was also suspicious of her, but Paige bonded well with her younger half-brother Bailey (Calen Mackenzie). Valance thought that deep down Paige was scared that her parents would not accept her as their daughter. She later said, "She builds relationships with people on the street who think she's someone she's not. Afterwards, people will find it hard to accept her because of it. There are a lot of people involved."
Paige's grandmother, Kathy Carpenter (Tina Bursill), was the first to discover her true identity. Paige learned that Kathy had hired a private detective to find her granddaughter and realised that she would soon have to tell everyone the truth. When Kathy asked Paige to mind her own business, Paige became angry and "in the heat of the moment", she took Kathy's heart medication. Valance insisted that Paige regretted her actions and intended to return the pills. While they were out for a drive together, Kathy found Paige's sketchbook with a drawing of Lauren inside that had the world "mum" underneath it. Kathy was so startled that she drove away without concentrating and crashed into Toadfish Rebecchi (Ryan Moloney). Kathy then struggled to breathe as her scarf was choking her, and Paige had to step in and save her. Valance commented, "This isn't the way she wanted things to work out, of course, and she knows that she has to do everything she can to save Kathy's life."
After Kathy was rushed to hospital, Paige decided to leave town, believing that everyone would be disappointed in her. Valance said it would be hard for Paige to convince her parents that she did not mean to cause trouble, as she had been lying to them for so long. Paige left two teddy bears Lauren gave her at birth on her doorstep and caught a bus. Lauren managed to catch up to her and they had a "very emotional" reunion. Lauren then took Paige to Brad who was shocked at the revelation. When he asked Paige for a DNA test, Valance understood why. Her siblings had mixed reactions; Amber was not happy about Paige being her sister, while Imogen and Josh were accepting and started "to warm to her". However, Amber later showed them Paige's sketchbook and the unkind things she had written about them, which undermined the progress Paige had made with them. Valance did not think things would be easy for Paige going forward, but hoped that her new family would realise her heart was in the right place, even though she went about things the wrong way.
Neither Terese or Matt were pleased when Paige revealed her identity. When Lauren asked Matt to welcome Paige into the family, he agreed. But Terese then asked him to join her in excluding Paige from both their families. When Matt learned Paige was responsible for trashing Harold's Store, he was forced to arrest her. Paige trashed the store after becoming frustrated over hiding her identity from Lauren. Paige admitted to the crime, while Lauren pleaded with Matt to go easy on her, but he could not give Paige any "special treatment" and they had to leave it to the law. Things between Paige and Terese eventually got easier, and Elmaloglou explained that there was a point where Terese finally accepts that Paige is not going anywhere. She hoped that Terese would take Paige under her wing in the future.
Relationship with Mark Brennan.
Paige became Mark Brennan's (Scott McGregor) new housemate when she moved onto Ramsay Street. Valance did not rule out a relationship between Mark and Paige, saying "Hmmm, she is single, he is single – I can't say anymore!" In August 2014, it was confirmed that producers had planned a romance storyline for Paige and Mark. They grew closer and realised that they had a deeper connection than friendship. During a gym work out, Paige proposed a little competition that meant whoever lost had to buy the other dinner. Paige pushed Mark over, causing him to lose and agree to take her out, but neither of them call it a date. Valance commented that Paige had been "really attracted" to Mark from the start, so she gets dressed up for the dinner. However, Mark struggled with the idea of moving on from his deceased fiancée Kate Ramsay (Ashleigh Brewer), and even though he knew it was a date, he had not admitted it out loud.
Mark made the situation worse by ignoring Paige afterwards, causing her to confront him as a storm hit Erinsborough. Valance explained "They're both saturated from bringing in everything from outside and she's super fired up. She just loses it and screams in his face." Mark and Paige then consummated their relationship. Paige and Mark's first official date ended abruptly when Paige turned up wearing Kate's dress, which she had purchased from a charity shop. Mark reacted angrily and accused Paige of being up to something, before shouting at her to get out of the bar. Mark later realised that he had been too harsh on Paige, but just as he decided to give their relationship another go, he saw her kissing another man. McGregor commented "He thinks he's blown his chances with her – but he's also wondering if this is what he really wants." McGregor was cautious about his character getting involved with Paige, as he believed that they were "at different stages of their lives". There was an age gap between them and a difference in maturity, which McGregor thought would impact on their future as a couple.
Paige later witnessed Mark kissing Dakota Davies (Sheree Murphy), leaving her "hurt and frustrated". After sitting down to discuss their relationship, Mark told Paige that he had been undercover with the police and was investigating Dakota, who kissed him. Paige made it clear that Mark had not been treating her right, especially as he did not confide in her about his job. They then decided that their relationship was not working. A few weeks after their break-up, Mark invited Paige to an afternoon tea for Sonya (Eve Morey). But when she arrived she witnessed Mark engaging in "a heart-to-heart" with Rain Taylor (Airlee Dodds) and she left. Following Brad's advice, Paige told Mark that she loved him, but he explained that he did not feel the same way and probably never would. Valance told Alana Wulff of "TV Week Soap Extra" that being with Mark was the first time Paige had "ever fallen deeply in love". Even when he moved on with Naomi Canning (Morgana O'Reilly), Paige did not give up hope that he might reciprocate her feelings eventually.
The following year, Mark realised that he still had feelings for Paige, but did not act on them as he believed she was dating his brother Tyler (Travis Burns). When he learned Paige and Tyler were about to break up, he offered Paige his support. Paige then tried to kiss him, but he rejected her advances. Valance commented, "Paige still has deep feelings for Brennan, and it's very hard for her to keep them under wraps." The actress thought that Mark pulled away because he was scared to get involved while she was still with Tyler. Valance backed a reunion for Mark and Paige, telling Digital Spy's Sophie Dainty, "Paige just absolutely adores him. She completely loves him and even now that she is doing whatever with Tyler, deep down she is just completely besotted with Brennan." Valance stated that the relationship had become popular with viewers and wanted to work more with McGregor, who she felt she shared a good chemistry with. The couple did reunite after Paige "pours her heart out" to Mark following a stalking incident. Paige was "touched" when Mark came to check on her, but when he told her he was just doing his duty, she confronted him and they ended up kissing.
Mark and Paige later become engaged, after Paige proposed. Valance described the moment as "a bit of an accident" and thought it happened rather suddenly. The actress also pointed out that Paige was not sure about whether she wanted to get married, but she did want to be with Mark. When Paige started planning the wedding, she began to realise that she did want to get married and she became excited about it. Valance had fun picking out her character's wedding dress and she enjoyed having her hair and make-up done differently. Ahead of the wedding, Paige had been framed for several robberies, so she was unable to enjoy her hen party. She also told Lauren about her fears that Mark will soon find out what kind of woman he is marrying. On the day of the wedding, Paige assumed that she had gotten away with handling the stolen items. But when Mark turned up at the house, he arrested her in front of their friends and family. Mark then ended their relationship due to a lack of trust between them.
Tyler Brennan and working for Michelle Kim.
Mark's younger brother Tyler began flirting with Paige after realising that Imogen did not have feelings for him. Paige initially told him that she would not be his second choice, but she later changed her mind. Tyler was wary that Paige was using him to get back at Mark, but Paige managed to assure him that she was genuinely interested in him. After spending the day flirting, Tyler and Paige kissed, but during the moment Paige called out Mark's name. Valance commented that it was just "a slip of the tongue" as she was constantly thinking about Mark. Paige and Tyler decided to just be friends. However, their attraction to one another grew stronger and they kissed again. Valance thought "Tyler and Paige were "too much alike", but they brought out the best in each other."
When Bailey took a stolen car from outside the garage, Paige reported it to the police and told Tyler. However, she was overheard by Michelle Kim (Ra Chapman), who ordered Paige and Tyler to give her $8000 or steal another car. Paige then learned Tyler was working for businessman Dennis Dimato (David Serafin) stripping stolen cars for parts. Michelle blackmailed Paige with video footage of Bailey stealing the car and then forced Paige into taking a job at the garage selling the stolen car parts. Paige and Tyler faked a relationship to cover up their illegal activities and tried to raise some money to pay off their debt by taking part in a bikini car wash. After realising that they made a good team, Tyler made a romantic advance towards Paige, but she rejected him. However, Paige later changed her mind and returned to the garage with the intention of having sex with Tyler, but she discovered he had already moved on with a customer. Valance told an "Inside Soap" columnist that Paige was better off with Tyler's brother, as she needed someone with more maturity.
Paige and Tyler tried to turn the garage into a legitimate business, but they soon realised that they were not rid of Dimato when his nephew Joey (Steven Sammut) left them a bag of money and Michelle ordered them to make a drop-off. When they discovered that a community fundraiser was taking place near the drop-off point, they decided to put the money in an old well and retrieve it later. However, they became stuck in the well when a crowd of people gathered nearby. During their rime in the well, Paige and Tyler gave into their feelings for each other. Paige later admitted that still had feelings for Mark and Tyler told her that he just wanted to be friends. Paige and Tyler later learned that there was $6000 missing from the bag and Tyler was beaten. When Nate Kinski (Meyne Wyatt) learned of their debt, he offered to lend them the money. Paige was unhappy that someone else had become involved, and Valance said "She's also annoyed that Tyler didn't discuss it with her first. They're heaping lie upon lie, and she feels that their situation is escalating."
At the end of the year, Michelle seeks Mark's help, while he believes she may be able to lead the police to Dimato. Paige was wary and Valance explained that when Michelle tells Paige she was trying to get away from Dimato, Paige does not believe her as she has been "badly burned" by her before. However, Paige began to feel sorry for Michelle when she says she does not feel safe at the caravan park, where the police have hidden her. Michelle also opens up to Paige about her past and how she has found religion. Mark warns Paige that Michelle is manipulating her, but she does not listen to him and goes off to meet Michelle. Paige was then kidnapped and locked in a car boot. Of the scenes, Valance said "Paige is terrified – and as soon as that boot closed on me, I got a real sense of what that would feel life. The whole thing shocks Paige, but she works out it has something to do with the Dimato situation." Paige managed to escape her captor by striking him over the head and running out of the door. But as she ran down the road, Paige was unaware of the speeding car behind her until it clipped her, leaving her unconscious.
Weeks later, Michelle came to Paige asking for her help as Dimato had been physically abusing her. Valance commented that Michelle was "a convincing victim" and Paige accepted that she needed help. Although Mark warned Paige that Michelle was playing her, Paige agreed to organise a SIM card in her name and a flat lease for Michelle. Valance told an "Inside Soap" columnist that Paige's sympathy for Michelle "clouds her judgement" and if she learnt Michelle was playing her, she would be very hurt. After a word from Paul Robinson (Stefan Dennis), Paige found the flat she leased for Michelle was full of stolen goods. During a "tussle" between the two women, Michelle managed to pin Paige to the ground and admitted that she was getting her revenge for Paige sending her to jail. Paul warns Paige that she needs to get rid of the stolen items as soon as possible, and Paige takes them to a charity bin, where she is almost caught by Mark. Paul later points out that Paige's plan is flawed and when she tries to get the items back, she finds them gone. Mark and Detective Ellen Crabb (Louise Crawford) find Paige's fingerprints on the items and learn that she has a second phone fill of incriminating message. Ellen tells Mark to bring Paige in for questioning.
Departure.
In early 2017, Valance admitted to Holly Byrnes of the "Herald Sun" that while she wanted to pursue acting opportunities in London or Los Angeles, she would find it hard to make the decision to leave "Neighbours", explaining "A lot of people don't get this opportunity, so I feel very lucky and very blessed to have been given this chance. To go and throw it away for the unknown ... it's going to be really hard because I've loved the cast, I love the crew." Valance also revealed that she had asked the producers not to kill her character off if she did leave, as she wanted to return for guest appearances. On 1 December 2017, a reporter for "The Daily Telegraph" confirmed Valance had filmed her final scenes that week, and would be leaving the show to pursue new acting roles. Valance's step-father Ross Wilson, who filmed a cameo in the same week, later confirmed that Valance felt it was time to move on and she would be moving to Los Angeles in January 2018. He added "It's an emotional week for her. I know there will be a few speeches and a lot of tears." Paige's exit scenes aired in March 2018.
Returns.
On 24 November 2019, "Neighbours" confirmed that Valance would reprise the role for the serial's 35th anniversary celebrations. Valance was asked by executive producer Jason Herbison to return, but she only agreed upon hearing that McGregor was also returning. Paige returns on 24 February 2020, followed shortly after by Jack. It soon emerges that the couple's relationship is on the rocks and Paige suspects Jack may have had an affair. Paige and Jack later end their relationship and she reconciles with Mark, whom she marries as one of the five weddings featured as part of the serial's 35th anniversary. Valance commented that the wedding felt like "the happy ending we wanted for Paige and Mark all along." She also said that she was "so thrilled" upon hearing the storyline and revealed that Mark was the person she always wanted Paige to end up with.
On 4 May 2022, Zoe Thomaidou of "Neos Kosmos" announced Valance would reprise her role for the show's final episodes. Of her return, Valance stated: ""Neighbours" has always felt like home to me. It was my first acting job, and it taught me so much. There is a reason why everyone refers to "Neighbours" as the best training ground in the world." Herbison welcomed Valance back and commented "Paige Smith has an edge to her that is guaranteed to shake up things – stand by." Paige returned during the episode broadcast on 20 July in the UK and 25 July in Australia, as she comes back to Erinsborough with Chloe Brennan (April Rose Pengilly) to help sell Number 24.
Storylines.
After learning her biological parents, Lauren Turner and Brad Willis, came looking for her, Paige follows them to Erinsborough. Paige gets a job as a waitress at Lauren's cafe and moves in with Mark Brennan on Ramsay Street. She does not reveal her identity to her parents as she wants to get to know them first. Her behaviour makes Lauren and Brad's spouses, Matt and Terese, suspicious. Paige also struggles to get along with her half-sisters Amber and Imogen, but bonds with her half-brothers Josh and Bailey. When Paige feels Lauren has rejected her, she trashes Harold's Store. Ethan visits and encourages Paige to tell her family who she is. Paige learns Lauren's mother, Kathy, was responsible for her being adopted and decides to get revenge. When Kathy tells Paige she is getting too close to Lauren, Paige takes her heart medication. Kathy later finds Paige's sketchpad, which contains drawings of her family, and realises Paige is her granddaughter. Kathy has a heart attack and hits Toadfish Rebecchi with her car. Kathy's scarf restricts her breathing and Paige saves her. Paige decides to leave town, but Lauren catches up with her, finally knowing the truth. Lauren takes Paige to Brad and tells him they have found their daughter. Paige's half-siblings have mixed reactions to the news. Terese learns Paige trashed Harold's Store and Matt is forced to arrest her. Terese later drops the charges and tries to be more welcoming.
Paige and Brennan develop feelings for each other, but Brennan struggles to move on from his deceased fiancée Kate. After a few problems, Brennan and Paige eventually begin dating. Brennan starts acting secretively and Paige sees him kissing Dakota Davies. Brennan tells Paige that he was investigating Dakota along with the police. Realising that their relationship is not working, they break-up and Paige moves in with the Turners. When Paige admits that she still has feelings for Brennan, he tells her does not feel the same way. Paige strikes up an online relationship with Bryson Jennings (Brodie Derrick). Paige designs a logo for the Erinsborough Festival, but when her design is altered to cover up the female figure, but not the man, Paige stages a topless protest and the logo is changed back. When a large sum of money is stolen from the Turners, Bryson becomes the prime suspect. Paige invites him to meet her and after his arrival, Bryson is questioned by the police and cleared. Bryson realises Paige is not interested in him romantically and leaves. Bailey later admits that it was his fault the money was taken. Paige almost has sex with Brennan's brother, Tyler, but she leaves after realising she still loves Brennan. She and Tyler later kiss again, and Paige says Brennan's name in the heat of the moment. She apologises and they agree to be friends.
Paige sees Tyler checking out a car to steal, and later discovers that the same car was involved in a hit-and-run on Matt the same day. She finds the car at the garage and accuses Tyler, but Danni Ferguson (Laura McIntosh) admits she did it. Matt dies of his injuries. While supporting her family, Paige calls Lauren "mum" for the first time. She later accuses Imogen of spending too much time with Daniel and tells her to let him concentrate on Amber. She later realises that she has been unfairly taking out her anger on Imogen. Bailey takes a car from the garage, leading Paige to discover that it was already stolen and was part of an illegal car ring. She is blackmailed by Michelle Kim into helping Tyler raise $8,000 and is made manager of the garage. Tyler makes it clear he has feelings for Paige, but she tells him she is still in love with his brother. When Paige becomes jealous of Brennan's new relationship, she asks Tyler out, but then finds him with another woman. Paige tries to make the garage a legitimate business, but Joey Dimato soon leaves them with a bag of money. Paige and Tyler throw the bag down a well and when they go to retrieve it, they kiss. They later discover some of the money has been stolen. Paige suspects Jayden Warley (Khan Oxenham), but it turns out to be Glen Darby (Luke Jacka). When Tyler is beaten, he refuses to let Paige take him to the hospital, so she steals a prescription from Karl Kennedy (Alan Fletcher) for strong painkillers.
When Nate Kinski is almost attacked by the man who beat Tyler, they tell him everything and he pays their debt. Jayden tries to blackmail Paige into having sex, but she gives him strawberries laced with laxatives, and then threatens to release a video of him relieving himself outside if he does not leave her alone. Brennan admits that he has feelings for Paige, but refuses to act on them out of respect to Tyler. Paige plans to get Lauren and Brad back together, but Terese learns of the plan when she sees a text message from Ethan. Paige celebrates her 21st birthday at The Waterhole and her adoptive mother, Mary (Gina Liano) turns up unexpectedly. Paige claims Mary neglected her, while Brad and Lauren try to get them to reconcile. Paige eventually confronts Mary about the time she overheard her saying she ruined everything. Mary explains that she had just learned that Paige was stolen from Lauren and her husband had lied to her. They reconcile and Mary invites Paige to go to Singapore. When Tyler disappears Paige tells Brennan about her part in the stolen car ring. They find Tyler, and Dimato and his gang are arrested, with the exception of Joey. Brad confronts Paige when Terese tells him about the plan to get him and Lauren back together. Paige apologises to Terese. She fears Joey is after revenge, and he later holds Paige hostage in her back yard. Paige manages to overpower Joey and ties him up, before he is arrested. Paige confronts Mark about his feelings for her and they get back together.
Paige helps Tyler to track down items stolen from the garage and he kisses her. She makes it clear that she loves Mark, but Amber suggests that she is too flirty and might be dating the wrong brother. Mark asks Paige about them having children, and when she confesses she does not want them for a long time, it makes things awkward between the couple. Paige helps out at the Erinsborough High sleep-out protect, and ends up trapped in a lift with Tyler when a fire breaks out. Tyler confesses his love for her, and she admits that though she loves Mark there is something drawing them together. Tyler then passes out, but they are both rescued by Mark. After discussing their future, Mark and Paige get engaged. When Dimato is released, Michelle asks Paige to help her escape him. Paige goes to meet Michelle, but is knocked out and abducted by a man who mistakes her for Michelle. She escapes but whilst fleeing is hit by a car. Her injuries aren't serious and Michelle visits her in hospital. Later Mark urges her to marry him as soon as possible. Paige tells Mark she will have no more contact with Michelle, but then Michelle turns up with a bruised face in Paige's back yard. Paige finds accommodation for Michelle, who she thinks is turning her life around, but actually is still working for Dimato, and is trying to frame her for theft. After Paige learns the truth, Paul Robinson (Stefan Dennis) blackmails Dimato into leaving town and advises Paige to hide the stolen items. She disposes of them in a charity bin, but they are found by the police. Mark arrests Paige on their wedding after learning her fingerprints were found on the items, and she explains everything to him. Furious at her for lying to him again after promising they would have no secrets, Mark calls off the wedding.
After a brief trip to Singapore with Mary to deal with her heartbreak, Paige enrols in a fine arts course at Eden Hill university, hoping to find some direction in her life. She tells Mark she does not want to get back together, believing they are too different. In an attempt to move on from Mark, Paige agrees to a blind date and Courtney Grixti (Emma Lane) sets up her up with their older university lecturer Noel Creighton (Kristian Beddow). When the boiler at Lassiter's Hotel explodes, Paige is saved by a John Doe (Andrew Morley). Wanting to thank him, Paige stays by his beside until he wakes up. John suffers from amnesia and does not know who he is. Paige decides to help him recover his memories and she eventually falls in love with him. John's memories return and he tells Paige that his name is Jack Callahan and that he is a priest. Paige tries to seduce Jack, who struggles to choose between his faith and pursuing a relationship with her. Jack sees Paige kissing Dustin Oliver (Kevin Clayette), causing tension between them. Jack eventually chooses the church over Paige. To deal with her grief, Paige throws a party and begins a casual relationship with Tyler, upsetting her sister Piper Willis (Mavournee Hazel), who is in love with Tyler. Paige ends the relationship with Tyler in order to spend time with Jack and learn about his work as a priest.
Paige pursues a boxing career, with Tyler helping to coach her and Aaron Brennan (Matt Wilson) as her manager. Paige's first boxing opponent is Angelina Jackson (Sarah Howett), who Aaron thinks is too strong. Paige contemplates pulling out, until she learns Aaron will go into debt if the fight is cancelled. During the fight, Angelina gets the upper hand, but Paige manages to knock her out. However, Angelina suffers a brain haemorrhage and Paige blames herself, until the doctors discover Angelina had a brain tumour. Paige bonds with Angelina's sister, Nikki Jackson (Tiarnie Coupland) and helps out at Blaze Outreach. Jack once again rejects Paige for his faith. Out of anger, Paige dresses up as a nun for Lauren's hen's night, which Jack sees. During a hot-air balloon ride the following day, Paige tells Lauren all of the things she wants to say to Jack, which Piper records and sends to him. The burners go out and as the balloon descends, Paige decides to jump from the basket. Jack finds her on the shore of a dam and takes her to a nearby shack to warm up, as she is suffering from hypothermia. They consummate their relationship, before being found by Brad. Jack leaves town to gather his thoughts, but when he tells Paige that he needs more time, she tells him she is done with their relationship. Jack's childhood sweetheart Simone Bader (Kahli Williams) comes to visit him and asks Paige to let him go, because she is in love with him.
Paige worries that some people are put off attending Blaze because of its connection to the church. She clashes with Jack over her plans to display material about sex education and LGBT issues. A council meeting gives control of Blaze to the church, and Paige and Jack fall out. After feeling overemotional, Paige takes a pregnancy test and learns she is pregnant with Jack's child. During a night out in the city with David Tanaka (Takaya Honda), Paige starts spotting and worries she is having a miscarriage, but an ultrasound shows the baby is okay. Paige tells her family about the pregnancy, but refuses to name the father. David later offers to say he is the father and Paige agrees. She later allows David to end the pretence early. She then confirms to Brad and Lauren that Jack is the father of the baby, but she struggles to tell Jack the truth. Paige decides to move to Queensland with her parents. She is involved in a car accident, and has to be cut free from her car. Before she is taken into surgery, Paige tells Jack that he is the father of her baby. Brad and Lauren announce that they are moving to the Gold Coast, and Paige decides to join them and raise her baby there without Jack's help, but Jack convinces her to stay as he wants to be in the baby's life. Paige drinks a tea made from mushrooms, and has to be taken to the hospital, where Jack blames Piper for not looking after Paige. Mark invites Paige to move into Number 24, after she admits that she is lonely at home. Paige learns the baby is breech and she worries about becoming a mother. The ladies of Ramsay Street form a club to support her. Paige returns to the shack where the baby was conceived and she goes into labour. Karl and Jack find her and she gives birth to a son. She then loses consciousness and is rushed to hospital for surgery. Lauren returns to support Paige and Jack. Paige names their son Gabriel (Kian Bafekrpour). Paige learns that Amber has a burst appendix and accompanies Lauren to Queensland to help out. Paige returns to find Jack has left the church. She decides to move in with Terese and Piper at Number 22. It soon emerges that Mark visited Paige in Queensland and they kissed, but Paige told him it was a mistake. Paige rejects Jack and realises that she has feelings for Mark. While Paige is at home with Terese and Gabe, a Specialist Response Group enter the house having been called about a baby being threatened with a knife. The call is found to have been made by Piper's online troll.
Paige puts a note on the new wishing tree about her continuing feelings for Mark. Elly, who is dating Mark, sees it and thinks Steph wrote it. When she learns it was written by Paige, Elly estranges herself from her and Mark, but eventually reconciles with them and sets them up together. Jack becomes jealous of Paige and Mark, thinking Mark is becoming a replacement father for Gabe. When Mark is investigated for tampering with evidence, he and Paige fall out as she is angry he covered up Sonya's crimes but arrested her on their wedding day. Jack also asks Mark to stay away from Gabe, as he is a suspect in Hamish Roche's (Sean Taylor) murder. After taking an ill Gabe to a medical centre on Christmas Day, he is kidnapped by Louise McLeod (Maria Theodorakis), who steals Paige's car. Louise contacts Mark to demand $20,000 and a fake passport for Gabe's safe return. After Louise is arrested she refuses to reveal the whereabouts of Gabe, but the baby is left on Paige's front door step by an unknown person, later revealed to be Cassius Grady. Gabe's kidnapping ultimately pushes Paige and Jack back together, culminating in them having sex a month later. Mark proposes to Paige, forcing her to confess that she had sex with Jack. They attempt to stay together, but ultimately decide it is too difficult. Paige and Jack eventually reunite, but their relationship proves too difficult for Mark and Jack's girlfriend Steph Scully (Carla Bonner) to deal with. They decide to make a fresh start in Queensland, near Paige's family.
Two years later, Paige returns to Erinsborough alone and is attacked by her cousin, Roxy Willis (Zima Anderson), who believes Paige is breaking into her house. Paige tells Terese that she thinks Jack is having an affair. Jack later joins her and reveals that he wants to go back into the priesthood, leading to their amicable break up. Paige spends time with Mark, who has returned for work, and Aaron and Chloe Brennan conspire to set them up together. After a few dates, Paige proposes to Mark at the Lassiters Wedding Expo and he accepts. After another couple drop out of their wedding, Mark and Paige take their place. Jack brings Gabe to Erinsborough and Mark and Paige marry. Paige is also surprised to learn that Terese and Paul are now married. Paige soon returns to Queensland to pack up her house and move to Adelaide, while Mark stays behind for work. Paige rings Mark while he is still in Erinsborough and tells him she is pregnant. Shortly before Christmas, David and Aaron receive news that Paige and Mark have birthed a son called Freddie.
Two years later, Paige returns to help Chloe Brennan sell her house as a real estate agent and meets Chloe's housemates. She tells Terese that it will be her first job as a real estate agent and Paige plays with her niece, Isla Tanaka-Brennan (Mary Finn). Paige also tells Terese that she is surprised that she is now dating Paul's half-brother, Glen Donnelly (Richard Huggett), while Glen's daughter, Kiri Durant (Gemma Bird Matheson), listens in. Paige gets an offer on Chloe's house from Izzy Hoyland (Natalie Bassingthwaite), Susan's nemesis, and Paige asks Izzy if Susan would accept her living on the same street. Paige helps Toadie Rebecchi (Ryan Moloney), Terese and Wendy Rodwell (Candice Leask) erect sale signs on their front lawns. Paige continuously notices Terese thinking about Paul and teams up with Roxy to get Terese to admit she still loves Paul and to reunite the couple. They overhear Terese defending Paul in front of Glen and Terese later tells Glen that she still loves Paul. Paul and Terese rekindle their marriage and Paige sells Shane's house, however the other residents decide to stay. Paige and Lauren attend Toadie's wedding to Melanie Pearson (Lucinda Cowden), then attends their reception on Ramsay Street.
Reception.
For her portrayal of Paige, Valance received a nomination for the Logie Award for Most Popular New Talent in 2015. She was also nominated for Best Daytime Star at the "Inside Soap" Awards. Paige and her storylines have received mostly positive attention from critics. A reporter for the "Daily Record" observed that Paige's arrival "ruffles some feathers". Kirsty Nutkins from the "Daily Express" quipped "Paige Smith has been causing quite a stir since her arrival in Ramsay Street". Digital Spy's Daniel Kilkelly praised Valance's addition to the cast, calling her a "standout" despite her lack of acting experience. He also thought Paige had "an instant and distinctive presence on screen". A reporter for "The Age" branded Paige "mysterious and cranky". Glen Williams from "TV Week" disliked Paige's lies, saying her "conniving deceit is simply chilling". While his colleague Stephen Downie thought Paige was "probably the last person you'd go to for advice."
A "Soap World" columnist noted that "Neighbours" had "mastered the art of big event storytelling" with plots such as the Paige reveal. "All About Soap's" Claire Crick was a fan of Paige and Brennan's romance, commenting "It's sad Kate died, but we can't help but love the new Prennan romance, it's about time someone put a smile on Mark's oh-so handsome face and there's no denying they make possibly one of the best-looking couples ever to grace Ramsay Street!" During a review of 2014, Kilkelly commented "We've been gripped by the huge repercussions from Paige's arrival in Erinsborough". In 2015, Kerry Barrett from "All About Soap" placed Paige at number 28 on the magazine's list of 30 favourite "Neighbours" characters. Barrett quipped that Paige "caused quite a stir in Erinsborough!" and thought her best moment was "revealing her true identity to mum Lauren." Melinda Houston of "The Sydney Morning Herald" was not a fan of the character, saying "she's certainly proved herself psychopathically untrustworthy and the latest carry-on looks highly suss."
Of Mark and Paige's doomed wedding, Crick ("All About Soap") quipped, "Wow! We thought we'd seen it all when it comes to soap weddings here at "All About Soap" – but never before have we seen a groom arrest the bride just moments before the ceremony is about to start!" Crick went on to say that the wedding would "go down in Erinsborough history" for the wrong reasons, and that she thought Mark and Paige seemed like they were "made to be". In December 2015, Ethan Sills of "The Spin Off" said that Paige was "probably the show's best character right now" and Valance would "most likely" go to Hollywood the following year. |
Albina du Boisrouvray
Countess Albina du Boisrouvray (born 1941) is a former journalist and film producer who has become a global philanthropist and social entrepreneur working with AIDS victims and impoverished communities around the world. She is the founder of FXB International, a non-governmental organization established in memory of her son, François-Xavier Bagnoud.
Du Boisrouvray is a grandchild of the Bolivian "King of Tin", Simón Patiño. She is a second cousin of Prince Rainier of Monaco and godmother to Charlotte Casiraghi, daughter of Princess Caroline of Monaco.
Early life and education.
She is the daughter of Count Guy de Jacquelot du Boisrouvray (1903-1980) and Luz Mila Patiño Rodríguez (1909-1958) (her name is also reported as Luzmila). Her paternal grandmother was born countess Joséphine Marie Louise de Polignac, sister of Prince Pierre, Duke of Valentinois, the maternal grandfather of Rainier III, Prince of Monaco. Her maternal grandfather was Simón Patiño, one of the wealthiest men in the world at the time of her birth.
Her father was part of the Free French movement and her family left the country while she was an infant. Du Boisrouvray grew up in New York City and lived at the Plaza Hotel. Her family later moved to Argentina, and du Boisrouvray lived alone in Switzerland, Morocco, England and back to France.
Du Boisrouvray attended University of Sorbonne in Paris where she studied psychology and philosophy.
Career.
Du Boisrouvray began her career as a journalist. She worked as a freelance journalist for "Le Nouvel Observateur", covering international stories such as the death of Che Guevara. She later co-founded the literary magazine "Libre" with Juan Goytisolo.
In 1978, du Boisrouvray ran as a candidate for the Friends of the Earth party in parliamentary elections.
She founded a film production company, Albina Productions, in 1969 and is credited with producing 22 films over a period of 17 years. These films include Pascal Thomas' first film, "Les Zozos" (1972), "" and "Une Femme a sa fenêtre", both of which starred Romy Schneider, and "Fort Saganne" (1984), directed by Alain Corneau and starring Gérard Depardieu, Catherine Deneuve and Sophie Marceau. "Police Python 357" (1976) notably was one of the few films which starred Yves Montand and Simone Signoret, a well-known couple, in the same film. Du Boisrouvray began serving as the chairperson of SEGH, her family's real estate and hotel management group, in 1980.
FXB International.
Following the death of her only child, du Boisrouvray sold three-quarters of her assets including a jewelry collection auctioned by Sotheby's in New York for $31.2 million, an art collection of $20 million, and a substantial part of her family real-estate business which garnered $50 million. The Sotheby's auction was the largest jewelry sale since the Duchess of Windsor's auction. The sale included pre-Columbian gold, jade and other notable pieces accumulated by the noble French family. Du Boisrouvray allocated part of the profits to the FXB Foundation to create programs, including an at home palliative care program for the terminally ill in Switzerland and France, a rescue helicopter control centre in the Swiss Alps, and a professorship at the University of Michigan (her son's alma mater). The rest of the funds were used to found FXB International in memory of her son, François-Xavier Bagnoud, a search-and-rescue pilot who died while serving as a transport pilot in Mali during the Paris-Dakar rally in 1986.
Du Boisrouvray founded FXB International is to fight poverty and AIDS, and support orphans and vulnerable children left in the wake of the AIDS pandemic. FXB International offers comprehensive support to the families and communities that care for these children, and advocates for their fundamental rights. The organization has helped over 17 million people from programs in more than 100 countries, with a staff of over 450. Du Boisrouvray broadened its work from supporting children impacted by AIDS to also include all families needing support to emerge from extreme poverty and become self-sufficient through the FXBVillage methodology. In 1991, she developed the FXBVillage Methodology, a community-based, sustainable approach to overcoming the AIDS orphans crisis and extreme poverty. Each FXBVillage supports 80-100 families, comprising approximately 500 individuals, mostly children. Over a three-year period, FXB provides communities with the resources and training needed to become physically, financially and socially independent. According to FXB, the FXBVillage program has graduated over 69,500 participants from eight countries and has over 12,500 current participants.
In 1993, du Boisrouvray founded the FXB Center for Health and Human Rights at Harvard University, the first academic center to focus exclusively on health and human rights.
Awards and recognition.
Du Boisrouvray was made Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres in 1985. In 1993, the University of Michigan conferred upon her a "Doctor of Humane Letters Degree," and she was made a "John Harvard Fellow" by Harvard University in 1996.
She received a Special Recognition Award for "Responding to the HIV/AIDS Orphan crisis" at the second conference on Global Strategies for the prevention of HIV transmission from mothers to infants in Montreal, in September 1999. In 2001, Harvard students presented her with the "Harvard Project for International Health and Development Award".
Her philanthropy and humanitarian efforts earned her a knighthood of the Légion d'Honneur in 2001 for her pioneering work in home palliative care projects. Also in 2001, because of the innovative cost-effective projects that she formulated and directed within FXB, she was selected as a member of the Social Entrepreneurs Group of the Schwab Foundation. This recognition enables the 54 social entrepreneurs of the group to participate in the Davos World Economic Forum and to present and to share their expertise with world business leaders in the civil and public sectors.
She was awarded the 2002 North-South Prize by the Council of Europe. In November 2003, du Boisrouvray received the "Lifetime Achievement Award" at the 4th International Conference on AIDS in India, in recognition for the projects that she initiated in the 35 States and Territories of India. In 2007, the French Fédération nationale des Clubs Convergences gave her an award for her activities on behalf of orphans and vulnerable children affected by AIDS in the world.
In 2004, Albina received the Thai Komol Keemthong Foundation Award for Outstanding Personality for the year 2004. The award was given in appreciation of her contributions to Thailand and Burma in the fields of protecting children and women's rights, education, vocational training and support of HIV/AIDS-affected children and their families.
In April 2009, French President Nicolas Sarkozy presented du Boisrouvray with the insignia of Officer in l'Ordre National du Mérite. The President honoured Albina and her work, saying "Your NGO is a model throughout the world. You are a woman involved. Your solidarity is exemplary and that is why the Republic will distinguish you." She is the first film producer to be awarded L'Ordre National du Mérite. In June 2009, du Boisrouvray received the BNP Paribas Jury's Special Prize.
In 2013, the Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS) awarded du Boisrouvray their KISS Humanitarian Award which recognizes individuals with exceptionally high contribution to society and who have distinguished themselves as humanitarians.
Personal life.
Du Boisrouvray was married twice, first to Swiss aviator Bruno Bagnoud and second to French film producer Georges Casati, whom she divorced in 1982. She met Bagnoud while living in Valais. They were married for four years and had one son together, François-Xavier Bagnoud, born in 1961.
She lives in Portugal, near Lisbon, part of the year and has homes in Paris, New York and Switzerland. |
The Nut-Brown Maid
"The Nut-Brown Maid" is a ballad that made its first printed appearance in "The Customs of London", also known as "Arnold's Chronicle", published in 1502 by the chronicler Richard Arnold. The editor of the 1811 edition of the chronicle suggested it might be based on a German ballad.
An alternative explanation is that the poem may be based on the exploits of Henry Clifford (1454-1523), the tenth Baron Clifford, and his wife Anne St John. Like the knight in the ballad, Clifford was said to have spent part of his early life as an outlaw.
The literary scholar, Walter Skeat suggested the ballad was "almost certainly written by a woman" based on internal references and the poem's vigorous defence of the constancy of women.
John Milton Berdan, described the ballad as the 'epitome of Medieval Latin influence'. The poem must have been popular in the early sixteenth century, since there are references to it being sold separately by 1520 for one penny. In 1537 John Scott published a religious song called 'The New Nut Brown Maid' which employed the same phraseology and the same stanza form of the original, in which the dialogue is now between the Virgin and Christ. This presumably represented an attempt to utilise a popular piece for pious purposes. The Nut-Brown Maid was apparently still popular enough in 1575 to have been performed for Queen Elizabeth at Kenilworth Castle in a show put on by the Queen's favourite, Robert Dudley.
After falling into obscurity during the Stuart Period, 'The Nut-Brown Maid' became better known again in the eighteenth century and was reprinted many times. The earliest version was that published in the 'Muse's Mercury' for June 1707.
Later versions included one by Thomas Percy in his popular and influential "Reliques of Ancient English Poetry" (1765). Another widely-published version was that by the renowned nineteenth-century literary scholar William Hazlitt. Later versions of the text employ more modern spelling and orthography.
Synopsis.
A man and woman talk of women's fidelity, he disbelieving, and she producing the nut-brown maid as proof. They discuss her story. Her love comes to her, a knight but banished as an outlaw. She tells him that she loves him alone. He tells her that he must go to the greenwood, and she says that it grieves her. He asks if she would not find time easing her and urges her to let it, and she declares that she would go with him to the woods. He warns her that men will slander her for it, that she will have to take a bow as if a man, that if he is caught and executed, no one will help her, that the way will be hard, in the wild and exposed to weather, that meals will be scarce and beds non-existent, that she will have to disguise herself as a man, that he believes she will give it up quickly, that being a baron's daughter and he a lowly squire, she will come to curse him for this, and that he might fall in love with another woman, but to each one, she retorts that she will still come, because she loves him alone.
He tells her that he is not, after all, banished, and she says she is glad but knows that men are fickle. The man assures her that he will marry her, and that he is, in fact, an Earl's son from Westmorland.
Legacy.
Matthew Prior's 1709 poem "Henry and Emma, a poem, upon the model of The Nut-brown Maid". The enormous popularity of Prior's poem in the eighteenth-nineteenth centuries stimulated interest in "The Nut-Brown Maid", on which it was based.
Francis Cotes's print, "Anne Sandby as "The Nut-Brown Maid"" (1763) features Anne (wife of Paul Sandby) posing as Emma from Matthew Prior's version of the poem.
Ursula March is referred to several times, in Dinah Mulock Craik's "John Halifax, Gentleman" (1856), as the "Nut-browne Mayde," highlighting her status as a faithful woman who marries beneath her station.
Joseph Edward Southall's painting 'The Nut Brown Maid' (1902-4) depicts the ballad.
Philip Lindsay, "The Nutbrown Maid" (London, 1939). A novel combining the ballad with the story lines of some of the Robin Hood ballads.
B.B's 1944 novel ‘Brendon Chase’ opens with an excerpt from the ballad.
The final poem of John Ashbery's 1977 collection "Houseboat Days" is 'Fantasia on "The Nut-Brown Maid"'. |
Saint Petersburg–Warsaw railway
Saint Petersburg–Warsaw Railway (() (transliteration: Sankt-Peterburgo–Varshavskaya zheleznaya doroga)) is a long railway, built in the 19th century by the Russian Empire to connect Russia with Central Europe. At the time the entire railway was within the Russian Empire: Warsaw was under a Russian partition of Poland. Due to territorial changes, the line now lies within five countries and crosses the eastern border of the European Union three times. Therefore, no passenger trains follow the entire route. Passenger trains between Saint Petersburg and Warsaw today travel through Brest instead and a new line called Rail Baltica is under development to improve the direct connection between Poland and Lithuania.
History.
Construction.
In February 1851 the Tsarist Government of Russia made a decision to build the St. Petersburg–Warsaw railway line with a length of approximately 1,250 kilometers. It was built to Russian gauge. Construction was completed in 1862.
The first section of the railway was completed in 1853 between Saint Petersburg and Gatchina, with daily scheduled train service started on 31 October 1853. On 19 July 1858 the first train arrived in Pskov.
In May 1858, construction started near Vilnius on the first section of 19 kilometers. On 1 May 1859 the ground works started along the entire route Daugavpils–Vilnius–Lentvaris–Kaunas–Kybartai. The end of summer of 1860 marked the end of the construction of the Ostrov-Daugavpils–Vilnius railway. The first train from Daugavpils arrived in Vilnius on 16 September 1860. In 1861, this branch was completed to the Prussian border, and between Verzhbolovo Station in Kybartai and Eydtkuhnen in Prussia (now Chernyshevskoye in Russian Kaliningrad Oblast) the first junction between Russian gauge and standard gauge railway systems was built, with rails in both gauges between the border stations.
The construction of the section from Lentvaris to Warsaw was completed on 15 December 1862.
The first locomotives for the St. Petersburg–Warsaw railway were bought in England, France, and Belgium. They were “G” class 0-6-0s with two cylinders. They were produced in Manchester in 1857, in Paris in 1860, and in Belgium in 1862. Their weight was 30–32 tons.
The portion between Vilnius and Warsaw was rebuilt in the standard gauge in the 1920s when that area belonged to Poland. The railway was partly destroyed during both world wars.
Present.
A 224km section of the line between Zielonka, some 13km north-east of Warsaw and Kuźnica Białostocka on the Polish-Belarusian border, some 54km north-east Białystok is today designated by the Polish National Railways PKP Polskie Linie Kolejowe as PKP rail line 6. It is one of countries major trunk lines. Since 2014 the line is being modernized to ultimately allow passenger trains to run at and freight trains at , works include renewal of tracks and overhead lines, replacing level crossings with tunnels or overpasses and installation of ETCS level 2. The line is electrified along its entire length, and has two tracks up to Białystok.
In Zielonka a 9km long line built in 1933, today designated PKP rail line 449 branches of from the former Warsaw-Sankt Petersburg railway south to the former Warsaw–Terespol railway and through it to the Warsaw Cross-City Line and the other trunk lines of the Warsaw Railway Junction. The original route continues south-west as PKP rail line 21 terminating at the Warszawa Wileńska station in Warsaw Praga district, without reaching the city center. This segment is used only for local passenger traffic in the Warsaw metropolitan area, however due to large passenger volumes it is designated as a "primary line". Line 21 also extends north-east from Zielonka to Wołomin along line 6, giving a total of four tracks on this segment.
From Białystok to Kuźnica Białostocka line 6 has only one track, which shortly before the Polish-Belarusian border is joined by a broad gauge track designated PKP rail line 57, with several transshipment facilities along its route. Both lines extend across the border and continue from Bruzhi into Hrodna, with the standard gauge line electrified at 3 kV DC which is commonly used by the Polish railways, rather than 25 kV AC used on the two Belarusian trunk lines. This allows Polish trains to reach Hrodna without the need for time consuming break of gauge operations and replacing traction power, and before 2020 Polish companies offered regular connections there.
From Hrodna however only the broad gauge track continues to Uzbieraž on the Belarusian–Lithuanian border. The track from the border to Marcinkonys in Lithuania has been dismantled at some point at the beginning of the 21st century, from Marcinkonys to Vilnius and further north-east the line remains in use for local regional traffic, although there have been some sporadic connections between Vilnius and Daugavpils.
Trains traveling between Warsaw and Vilnius today have to take a long detour through Ełk and Kaunas. With Belarus under the Łukašenka regime being a rogue state it appears extremely unlikely a direct connection through Hrodna might be restored in the foreseeable future. Instead a project called Rail Baltica is underway to upgrade existing infrastructure and build new standard gauge lines in order to improve the rail connection from Poland to Lithuania, Latvia, further to Estonia and eventually to Finland, running entirely within EU territory. |
Anadol
Anadol was Turkey's first domestic mass-production passenger vehicle company. Its first model, Anadol A1 (1966–1975) was the second Turkish car after the ill-fated Devrim sedan of 1961. Anadol cars and pick-ups were manufactured by Otosan Otomobil Sanayii in Istanbul between 1966 and 1991.
Seven Anadol models were produced: A1 (1966–1975), A2 (1970–1981), STC-16 (1973–1975), SV-1600 (1973–1982), Böcek (1975–1977), A8-16 (1981–1984) and Otosan P2 500 pick-up (1971–1991).
Production of the Anadol passenger cars was discontinued in 1986, while the production of the Otosan 500 Pick-Up continued until 1991. At present, Otosan builds Ford Motor Company's passenger cars and commercial vehicles, which are exported to numerous countries in the world, particularly to the European Union member states.
Anadol A1 (1966–1975).
The Anadol A1, code named FW5 by Reliant which developed the prototype upon Anadol's request, went into production on 19 December 1966. The styling of the A1 was by Tom Karen of Ogle Design. In 1967 a New Zealand entrepreneur, Alan Gibbs, announced that he intended to also produce the car in his country as the Anziel Nova. This project never proceeded beyond the initial announcement and prototype.
Production of the A1 started at Otosan's new eastside Istanbul plant on 16 December 1966 with the 1200 cc Cortina engine, but in October 1968 it was replaced with the stronger 1300 cc Kent engine. In 1969 the dashboard gauges were updated with a new design and their positions were changed, while the ergonomic design of the steering wheel was improved. In 1970 the two round headlamps at front were replaced with oval headlamps, a new transmission system was introduced, and the bumpers were changed. In 1971 the interior of the roof was covered with vinyl, in accordance with the fashion of that period. The design essentially remained this way until April 1972.
In 1971 a special model of the A1 was developed in dedication to the Mediterranean Games in İzmir, called the "Akdeniz" (Mediterranean). Anadol Akdeniz was like a prelude of the new model which arrived in 1972, and had bumpers which were integrated to the shape of the bodywork, a different front grille, rectangular headlamps with white signal lamps, and different rear lights. The interior of the car was also completely changed, with a new dashboard, new seats and new finishing materials. Starting from 1972, this model became the standard coupé of Anadol until its production was stopped in 1975.
The five-seat body was built from fibre glass and affixed to an h-frame chassis. The Anadol was originally only available as a coupé, but in late 1973 was joined by a saloon (sedan) and an estate version. The chassis had independent front suspension utilising coil springs and leaf springs on a live axle for the rear. Brakes were disc in the front and drum in the rear. The steering system used a recirculating ball mechanism.
Anadol A1 was also the first Turkish rally car, and "Anadol Ralli Takımı (ART)" became the first Turkish rally team. The first official rally in Turkey, the 1968 Trakya (Thrace) Rally, was won by the famous duo of Anadol A1 pilots, Renç Koçibey and Demir Bükey. Other famous Anadol A1 rally pilots included Romolo Marcopoli, İskender Atakan, Claude (Klod) Nahum, Mete Oktar, Şükrü Okçu and Serdar Bostancı.
Still in 1968, another Turkish driver, İskender Aruoba, participated in the 30,000 km Africa-Asia-Europe Tour, which lasted 8 months, with his Anadol A1.
Anadol A2 (1970–1981).
Anadol A2 was both Anadol's first four-door model, and the first fiberglass bodied four-door sedan in the world.
Its prototype was prepared in 1969 and the car was introduced to the market in 1970.
Apart from having four doors and a single wide front bench seat for both the driver and the passenger, the first versions of the A2 shared the same technical specifications with the A1. Starting from April 1972, the front part of the A2 received the same changes that the A1 received that year (including the new nose, front grille and headlamps) and this design went on until the end of 1975.
In 1976 a new version of the A2, the SL, was introduced. The biggest changes in the exterior appearance of the car were made in the front and the back, with new lamps. Particularly the rear lamps had a completely new appearance. The interior was also completely changed, with a new steering wheel, new dashboard and new finishing materials.
The A2 was also the first Anadol model which received extensive crash tests in order to improve the safety of the car.
Since the A2 was primarily designed as a family sedan, and was also suitable for commercial uses (usually as a taxi), it became the best selling Anadol passenger car, with a total of 35,668 units sold. The A2 was replaced by the A8-16 in 1981.
Anadol P2 500 / 600 (1971–1991).
In trying to fill a need for light transports, the first prototype pickup truck (on A1 basis) was developed by Bernar Nahum in 1970. Serial production began the following year, equipped with the 1.3-liter Ford Crossflow engine also used in saloons. The P2 also received the new nose of the facelifted A1. In the 1980s this was upgraded to the 1.6-liter Ford Pinto, as seen in other Anadols as well. After 1983, the 600D version was released, with a 1.9-liter diesel engine which necessitated a slight bulge in the hood. Always high in demand, and used extensively by the Turkish Post (PTT), the pickup continued to be in production until 1991, when 36,892 had been built. Many saloons have also been converted to pickup trucks.
Anadol STC-16 (1973–1975).
A sports model, the STC-16 was produced between 1973 and 1975. The first prototype was introduced in 1972.
Designed by Eralp Noyan, the STC-16 was the first Turkish sports car. It was also the second completely Turkish-designed car after Devrim, which was produced in 1961 as the first Turkish designed and built automobile.
In 1971 Erdoğan Gönül, the General Manager of Otosan and the son-in-law of Vehbi Koç, convinced the latter on the production of a sports car. The car was aimed at the upper segment of the Turkish market and would participate in international rallies, thus bringing prestige to the Anadol brand. The creation works of the STC-16 were assigned to Turkish designer Eralp Noyan, who had graduated from the Royal Fine Arts Academy in Belgium. The STC-16 was a completely new Anadol and looked nothing like the previous models of the brand, although it had similarities with other sports car models of that period, such as the Datsun 240Z and Ginetta G21.
The car's name, "STC-16", was originally an acronym for "Sports Turkish Car 1600", but as it was also intended for international markets, STC was alternatively named as the "Sports Touring Coupé". Among the Turkish youth, however, STC was popularly interpreted as "Süper Türk Canavarı" (Super Turkish Monster).
The STC-16 used a shortened and modified Anadol chassis and suspension system, while using a 1600 cc Ford Mexico engine. The transmission system, on the other hand, was the one that was used by some high performance Cortina and Capri models in Britain. The STC-16 had all the typical dashboard gauges and indicators which the British and Italian sports cars of that period had. Apart from the speed and rpm indicators, a resettable cruise distance indicator (something new for that period) as well as a Lucas ampermeter and Smiths oil, fuel and engine temperature indicators were installed on the dashboard.
Following an initial development period of 11 months, the first three prototypes of the STC-16 became ready for road tests, which took place at the Cengiz Topel Naval Air Station along the D.100 highway (back then known as the E-5 highway), in the town of Köseköy within Kocaeli Province. The first crash tests of the STC-16 were also performed in this period. Afterwards, the STC-16 was taken to England by Nihat Atasagun, Otosan's Production Manager, who tested the car at the MIRA circuit. The car received great attention at the streets and highways of England, where most people thought it was the prototype of a new British sports car. Several traffic police officers stopped the car in England, which had a special testing licence plate, "320-E", interested in finding out more information about the new model. The STC-16 was tested by British drivers at the circuit, and modifications were made according to their suggestions, following which the car's performance and safety characteristics were improved. Finally, at the beginning of April 1973, the first STC-16 rolled out of the Otosan factory in Istanbul and went into the showroom.
The global oil crisis of 1973 meant bad news for the STC-16. The rear-wheel drive STC-16 had a relatively high fuel consumption, and the sports coupé market in Turkey appealed to a very small segment, particularly to the young members of high-income families. Unlike other Anadol models of that period which were sold for 50,000 to 55,000 Turkish Liras, the STC-16 had a price tag of more than 70,000 Turkish Liras. When all these factors came together, the primary customers of the STC-16 remained the rally drivers, sports car enthusiasts and young celebrities.
A total of 176 Anadol STC-16s have been produced between 1973 and 1975, the majority of them in 1973, until the global oil crisis in that year reduced demand and slowed down production. Most of the STC-16s were painted in "Alanya Yellow", which became synonymous with the car. Some of them were red with white racing stripes, and some white with blue racing stripes, as was fashionable with the sports cars of that period.
Anadol STC-16 in motorsports.
Instead of the heavy steel chassis of the road version STC-16, the rally version had a lightweight FRP chassis, combined with a modified engine.
The STC-16 became synonymous with its era in the memory of that period's Turkish youth, and the upgraded motorsports version of the car won numerous victories in rally competitions in Turkey and Europe. Famous Anadol rally drivers in the 1970s included Renç Koçibey, Demir Bükey, Romolo Marcopoli, İskender Aruoba, Cihat Gürkan, Ali Furgaç, Şevki Gökerman and Serdar Bostancı.
Anadol SV–1600 (1973–1982).
The SV–1600, which headed to the showrooms at the end of 1973, was the world's first fiberglass-bodied 5-door station wagon (estate) car. It had a completely different design and appearance than the 4-door Anadol models, and was inspired by Reliant's Scimitar sports-station coupé.
Several details of the car bore similarities with the station wagon designs of Bertone and Pininfarina in that period. The first examples of the SV–1600 had single-colour paint, while the front hood had a spoiler, which was something new for station cars.
After some time, a more luxurious version was produced, and bi-colour paint were applied, while new interiors were introduced. Starting from 1976, the SV-1600 received aluminium wheels, a new steering wheel, new side mirrors, and a single-colour paint with a black-and-white stripe on the sides. The car also had retractable seats for further enlarging the trunk space.
Production of the SV–1600 continued until 1982.
Anadol Böcek (1975–1977).
The "Böcek" (Bug) was designed by Jan Nahum who worked at Otosan's Design and Development Department in this period. Later in his career, Nahum became the General Manager of major companies like Otokar and Tofaş, the Head of International Business Development at FIAT, and later yet the CEO of Petrol Ofisi. Jan Nahum's father, Bernar Nahum, played an important role in the establishment of the Anadol factory and the development of the Anadol A1. Another close family relative, Claude (Klod) Nahum, was an Anadol A1 rally racer, as well as the developer of the Otosan Anadol Wankel engine. He is currently a founding partner of the KIRAÇA Group of Companies, which also includes KARSAN Automotive Industries.
Böcek made it to the showrooms in 1975. The vehicle, similar in appearance to a fiberglass dune buggy but different in design concept and characteristics, was developed upon request for a similar vehicle by the Turkish Armed Forces. Otosan also predicted that the rising popularity of Turkey's tourism and beach resorts would guarantee a certain level of demand for a civilian-use version of such a vehicle. The Böcek's roof could be opened, it didn't have any doors, and its windshield had the same inclination as the hood. The futuristic front panel and gauges of the Böcek were ahead of their time, and were used many years later by future passenger vehicles in Europe.
The Böcek had a 1298 cc Ford engine, which provided very good performance given the vehicle's small dimensions. In line with the pop-art designs of that period, the Böcek had asymmetrical front and rear ends. The front grille was asymmetrical, while in the rear there were 3 brake lights at left and 2 at right. The rear-view mirror, which was formed of five differently angled mirrors which provided a telescopic view, was mounted on top of the windshield. The front tyres were 225*55*13 in dimension, while the seats were fiberglass covered with vinyl.
Several different versions of the Böcek (Bug) were designed for institutional and civilian use. There was a version with gull-wing doors, a version for the Turkish Radio and Television Corporation (TRT) which was optimized for using film and video cameras, an offroad version, a tractor/trailer version, and a military version.
The Böcek was a design concept that was ahead of its time, but just like the STC-16, it was not a great seller due to the economic situation in Turkey and the rest of the world in that period, caused mostly by the 1973 oil crisis. Only 203 examples of the Böcek were produced between 1975 and 1977.
Anadol A8-16/16 SL (1981–1984).
Production of the 4-door, 5-seat A8-16 series began in 1981. The design concept of the A8-16 was largely inspired by the Volvo and Saab models of the 1970s, including the groundbreaking Volvo VESC (1972) safety concept car and the first generation Saab 900 (1978), with futuristic details such as the large headlamps, inclined nose and the high-positioned rear trunk. However, it also had details that appeared obsolete in 1981, such as the rear lights which originally belonged to Böcek, but didn't look good on the A8-16. The interior design and the materials used also did not please the traditional Anadol customers. Many of the design characteristics, especially the door windows and frames, were borrowed from older Anadol models such as the SV-1600 which was designed in 1973, and most potential customers saw this car as a hotchpotch of old Anadol spare parts, mixed with some new ideas. The new body still sat on a box-type perimeter frame with crossmembers, with independent coil sprung front suspension and a live, leafsprung rear axle. Steering is rack and pinion, transmission by the way of a four-speed manual.
Even the higher performance 1.6 Pinto E-Max engine, which were used in the first A8-16s that were produced between 1981 and 1982, could not improve the popularity of these cars. As a result, in order to reduce production costs, this engine was no longer used in the A8-16 SL models of 1983–1984 which reverted to the older 1.6 engine. Only 1,013 examples of the A8-16 were produced between 1981 and 1984.
Anadol prototypes (1977–1986).
Wankel engine.
Otosan Design and Development Department employed many talented engineers, such as Claude (Klod) Nahum, who led the group which developed a Wankel engine that could produce more than despite its small size. But due to its high development costs and the well-known problematic character of Wankel engines, this engine was not used in Anadol's models. Today, one of these Wankel engines is displayed at the Rahmi M. Koç Museum in Istanbul.
FW 11.
In 1977 Marcello Gandini designed the "FW 11" for Anadol and Reliant, the latter naming it as the "Scimitar SE 7". Four prototypes of this car were produced, two of which remained in England with Reliant badging, and two other examples, one of them white and the other one blue, were sent to Turkey with the Anadol badge. The car, which had a modern design and "luxuries" for that period's European cars such as electric windows, was deemed too expensive to produce profitably by Anadol and the project was shelved. The two Anadol prototypes were held in Koç Holding's (which owns Otosan) depot in Istanbul's Acıbadem district for nearly 25 years. Since 2004 one of them is occasionally displayed at the Rahmi M. Koç Museum in Istanbul.
One of the other prototypes, the "Reliant Scimitar SE 7", is currently displayed in England. Following Anadol's decision not to build the FW 11, Reliant exhibited the Scimitar SE 7 at its stand as a prototype during the Birmingham Motor Show.
The FW 11's overall design themes were recycled by Gandini for the Citroën BX, premiered in 1982.
Çağdaş.
During the late 1970s, Jan Nahum developed several prototypes and worked on new Anadol designs. Many of these new prototypes, which even included full-scale models, however, could not be mass-produced.
Otosan, in that period, aimed at creating modern cars, in line with the developments of the automotive industry worldwide, while reducing the amount of fiberglass which it used for building the body parts of its vehicles. To meet this demand, Jan Nahum designed and built two different prototypes of the Anadol "Çağdaş" (meaning "Contemporary"). The bodywork of Çağdaş was made of fiberglass parts fitted on a steel skeleton. The Wankel engine developed by Claude (Klod) Nahum was installed on it.
"Çağdaş" won the top prize of the Turkish State Fine Arts Academy in Istanbul in the industrial design category, and Jan Nahum received the award from Prof. Dr. Önder Küçükerman.
Turkish newspapers made detailed coverage of the car, stating that production would begin either in 1980 or 1981. However, due to the political, social and economic instability in the country, the project could never be realized.
A single prototype of Çağdaş is today displayed at the Rahmi M. Koç Museum in Istanbul.
A9.
The A9, designed by Bertone, was the last prototype of Anadol. It was a 4-door sedan with a very modern design for the early 1980s. The rear parts of the car resembled the future Peugeot 405, while the overall form resembled the Volvo sedans of the mid-1980s.
A new and more contemporary-looking Anadol logo was developed for the A9.
The design of the wheels were also characteristic of the European cars of the mid to late 1980s.
However, the A9 couldn't make it to full mass-production and the prototype was destroyed.
Anadol subsequently ceased to exist as a car brand in 1986, as the Otosan factory began producing Ford Motor Company's passenger car models. |
Newcastle Brown Ale
Newcastle Brown Ale is a brown ale, originally brewed in Newcastle upon Tyne, England.
Launched in 1927 by Colonel Jim Porter after three years of development, the 1960 merger of Newcastle Breweries with Scottish Brewers afforded the beer national distribution and sales peaked in the United Kingdom in the early 1970s. The beer underwent a resurgence in the late 1980s and early 1990s with student unions selling it. By the late 1990s, the beer was the most widely distributed alcoholic product in the UK. By the 2000s, the majority of sales were in the United States, although it still sells 100 million bottles annually in the UK. Brewing moved in 2005 from Newcastle to Dunston, Tyne and Wear, in 2010 to Tadcaster, and in 2017 to the Heineken Brewery in Zoeterwoude, the Netherlands. As of 2019, it is also brewed by Lagunitas Brewing Company in Petaluma, California, and Chicago, Illinois, for the American market.
Newcastle Brown Ale is perceived in the UK as a working-man's beer, with a long association with heavy industry, the traditional economic staple of the North East of England. In export markets, it is seen as a trendy, premium import and is predominantly drunk by the young. It was one of the first beers to be distributed in a clear glass bottle and is most readily associated with this form of dispense in the UK.
History.
Tyne Brewery, Newcastle.
Newcastle Brown Ale was originally created by Lieutenant Colonel James ('Jim') Herbert Porter (b. 1892, Burton upon Trent), a third-generation brewer at Newcastle Breweries, in 1927. Porter had served in the North Staffordshire Regiment in the First World War, earning his DSO with Bar before moving to Newcastle. Porter had refined the recipe for Newcastle Brown Ale alongside chemist Archie Jones over a period of three years. When Porter actually completed the beer, he believed it to be a failure, as he had actually been attempting to recreate Bass ale. The original beer had an original gravity of 1060º and was 6.25 ABV, and it sold at a premium price of 9 shillings for a dozen pint bottles.
Newcastle Brown Ale went into production at Tyne Brewery in 1927, with Newcastle Breweries having occupied the site since 1890, with brewing on the site dating back to 1868.
The blue star logo was introduced to the Newcastle Brown Ale bottle in 1928, the year after the beer was launched. The five points of the star represent the five founding breweries of Newcastle.
After the merger of Scottish Brewers with Newcastle Breweries in 1960, Newcastle Brown Ale became a flagship brand of Scottish & Newcastle alongside McEwan's Export and Younger's Tartan Special.
By 1997, Scottish and Newcastle claimed that it was the most widely distributed alcoholic product in both pubs and off licences in the country.
Move to Federation Brewery, Gateshead.
Despite investing £16.6 million in a new bottling plant at the Tyne Brewery in 1999, Scottish and Newcastle announced its closure on 22 April 2004, in order to consolidate the brewing of beer and ale in the Federation Brewery site in Dunston, Gateshead, which was to pass to them with their £7.2m purchase of the Federation Brewery. The purchase and consolidation at Dunston created the new brewing company, Newcastle Federation Breweries.
The last production run of Brown Ale in Newcastle came off the Tyne Brewery line in May 2005. Pre-production trial brews were conducted at Dunston to ensure no change occurred in its taste after the move.
The Tyne Brewery site was bought by a consortium of Newcastle University, Newcastle City Council, and the regional development agency One NorthEast, as part of the wider Newcastle Science City project. Demolition of the former brewery began on 8 March 2007. The triggering of the controlled demolition of the former Barrack Road bottling plant opposite St James' Park was ceremonially performed by Sir Bobby Robson on 22 June 2008.
Move to John Smith's Brewery, Tadcaster.
Bottling of Newcastle Brown Ale moved to the John Smith's Brewery in Tadcaster, North Yorkshire, in 2007.
Heineken bought Scottish and Newcastle in a joint deal with Carlsberg in 2008.
In 2010, Scottish and Newcastle closed the Dunston brewery, moving production of Brown Ale to the John Smiths Brewery in Tadcaster. The company cited the general fall in the market for beer, over-capacity in its plants in general, and the fact that the Dunston site was operating at just 60% capacity—despite the fact that sales of Newcastle Brown Ale had never been higher—as reasons for the closure.
In 2015, the caramel colouring, which has been used since the beer was launched, was removed for health reasons. Instead, roasted malt was used to darken the beer.
Move to Zoeterwoude Brewery, the Netherlands.
In 2017, Heineken moved some production from the John Smith's Brewery, Tadcaster, to the Zoeterwoude Brewery in the Netherlands. The company claimed this would allow for shorter order lead times and faster transportation to the U.S. and allow distributors to purchase by the pallet rather than the container. In 2019, the company started making a different version in America and ceased importing Brown Ale from Europe. Newcastle Brown Ale is still brewed in Tadcaster, Yorkshire, for the UK and some EU markets, and also in the Netherlands for the export market.
Production and distribution.
Newcastle Brown Ale is brewed with pale malt and crystal malt. It has a lower hopping rate than traditional English bitters.
The beer is one of the United Kingdom's leading bottled ales and is in the top 20 highest-selling ales overall, selling around annually. At the time of brewing moving to Dunston in 2005, Newcastle Brown was being exported to 41 countries. At times, over half of the brewery's output is directed overseas to the U.S. In 2010, more than of the beer were sold in the United States, more than double the 2001 total. Newcastle Brown Ale is no longer available in the United States. A product labelled “Newcastle Brown Ale” is still sold but it is produced by Lagunitas Brewing Company and has little in common with the original product.
In Canada and France (Brittany), the beer is available in short and tall bottles and in cans. The beer is also available in British-themed pubs as a draught beer in Australia and New Zealand, brewed in the UK and imported by World Brands Australia Pty Ltd. The UK-brewed bottled, kegs, and cans are widely available in Australian liquor outlets as part of their international range. It is also popular in Canada, available on draught at many British-themed pubs.
Names and phrases.
In 2000, the beer was renamed "Newcastle Brown" with the "Ale" being removed from the front label. This change, only in the UK, was due to market research claiming that the term "ale" was outdated and costing the company sales in the youth drinking markets. The older name was reinstated with no fanfare in 2004, when it was realised that the change had made no difference to sales.
In the North East, Newcastle Brown Ale is often given the nickname "Dog", alluding to the British euphemism of seeing a man about a dog. It is also known as Broon, "brown" pronounced in the Geordie dialect. Elsewhere in the UK, it is known as Newkie Brown.
Serving.
Newcastle Brown Ale is traditionally sold in Britain in and, more recently, bottles. Typically, the ale is consumed from a Wellington glass. This allows the drinker to regularly top-up the beer and thereby maintain a frothy "head". In the United States, it is sold in servings. In April 2010, Heineken USA introduced the Wellington glass, branded as the "Geordie Schooner," for Newcastle Brown Ale consumers in America. The glass features a nucleated base.
Association with the North East.
Like many British breweries, Newcastle Brown is strongly associated with its local area, in this case north east England. While the name provides a lot of this, the sponsorship of Newcastle United and the depiction of the River Tyne in the blue star has helped ensure its association. Its local provenance gave the brand an association with "hardy, working class traditions and values".
Under European Union Protected Geographical Status laws introduced in 1992, the name Newcastle Brown Ale was registered as a Protected Geographical Indication in 2000. In 2007, this was removed when brewing of the beer moved away from its place of origin to Tadcaster in Yorkshire. The company was not obliged to make a formal application to cancel it, but not move its production outside the area designated in its PGI application years before.
The closure of S&N's Dunston brewery in 2010 left Camerons Brewery in Hartlepool as the only remaining significant volume brewery in the North East of England.
Variations.
Special editions.
When the Australian brewer Elders IXL launched a takeover bid for Scottish and Newcastle, locals of Newcastle began the "Keep Us on Top!" campaign. As a sign of solidarity, the Newcastle Brown label was inverted until the takeover was quashed.
In 2005, the last 3,000 bottles produced in Newcastle were given commemorative labels "121 years of brewing history, last bottles produced at Tyne Brewery April 2005." and given to the brewery staff.
In 2006, a special production run of 2.5 million bottles celebrated the career of Newcastle United striker Alan Shearer, who had recently broken the club's scoring record and was about to retire from football. The brewery produced the special editions featuring Newcastle United's black and white stripes and Shearer's portrait, in exchange for a donation to Shearer's testimonial match, and they went on sale from 17 April that year.
In 2007, a special edition was released to celebrate local rock band Maxïmo Park. The label was designed by the band and the beer released to coincide with the band's concert at Newcastle Metro Radio Arena on 15 December. Also in 2007, a special 80th anniversary themed bottle was distributed.
In 2013, Newcastle partnered with Taxi Magic to brew a Black Ale called "Newcastle Cabbie" as part of an Anti-Drunk Driving campaign.
Other Newcastle brands.
Newcastle Exhibition is a draught pasteurised keg beer (4.3% ABV) first introduced in 1929 and commonly found around the Newcastle area.
Newcastle Amber Ale (1032 OG) was a light ale available until the 1980s. It was a diluted version of Exhibition. Amber Ale and a much stronger aged stock beer were formerly blended to create Newcastle Brown Ale. This method was discontinued sometime before the brand was moved to Dunston.
Newcastle Star was a strong bottled beer (7.5% ABV) available from 1999 to 2006.
In 2010, Heineken USA launched Newcastle Summer Ale in bottles. In 2011, Heineken USA launched Newcastle Werewolf (fall ale) and Winter IPA. In 2012, Heineken USA will introduce Newcastle Founders ale (an Extra Special Bitter style) as their spring seasonal.
In 2012, Summer Ale (4.4%) and Founder's Ale (4.8%) were launched in Tesco across the UK.
In winter 2012, Newcastle winter ale (5.2%) and Newcastle nocturnal ale (4.5%) were also launched in Tesco stores across the UK. |
Honeywell
Honeywell International Inc. is an American publicly traded, multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina. It primarily operates in four areas of business: aerospace, building technologies, performance materials and technologies (PMT), and safety and productivity solutions (SPS).
Honeywell is a Fortune 100 company, ranked 94th in 2021. In 2022 the corporation had a global workforce of approximately 97,000 employees, down from 113,000 in 2019. The current chairman and chief executive officer (CEO) is Darius Adamczyk.
The corporation's current name, Honeywell International Inc., is a product of the merger of Honeywell Inc. and AlliedSignal in 1999. The corporation headquarters were consolidated with AlliedSignal's headquarters in Morristown, New Jersey; however, the combined company chose the name "Honeywell" because of the considerable brand recognition. Honeywell was a component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average index from 1999 to 2008. Prior to 1999, its corporate predecessors were included dating back to 1925, including early entrants in the computing and thermostat industries.
In 2020, Honeywell rejoined the Dow Jones Industrial Average index and the following year moved its stock listing from the New York Stock Exchange to the Nasdaq.
History.
The Butz Thermo-Electric Regulator Company was founded in 1885 when the Swiss-born Albert Butz invented the "damper-flapper", a thermostat used to control coal furnaces, bringing automated heating system regulation into homes. The following year he founded the Butz Thermo-Electric Regulator Company. In 1888, after a falling out with his investors, Butz left the company and transferred the patents to the legal firm Paul, Sanford, and Merwin, who renamed the company the Consolidated Temperature Controlling Company. As the years passed, CTCC struggled with debt, and the company underwent several name changes. After it was renamed the Electric Heat Regulator Company in 1893, W.R. Sweatt, a stockholder in the company, was sold "an extensive list of patents" and named secretary-treasurer. On February 23, 1898, he bought out the remaining shares of the company from the other stockholders.
1906 Honeywell Heating Specialty Company founded.
In 1906, Mark Honeywell founded the Honeywell Heating Specialty Company in Wabash, Indiana, to manufacture and market his invention, the mercury seal generator.
1922–1934 mergers and acquisitions.
As Honeywell's company grew (thanks in part to the acquisition of Jewell Manufacturing Company in 1922 to better automate his heating system) it began to clash with the now renamed Minneapolis Heat Regulator Company. This led to the merging of both companies into the publicly held Minneapolis-Honeywell Regulator Company in 1927. Honeywell was named the company's first president, alongside W.R. Sweatt as its first chairman.
The combined assets were valued at over $3.5 million, with less than $1 million in liabilities just months before Black Monday. In 1931, Minneapolis-Honeywell began a period of expansion and acquisition when they purchased Time-O-Stat Controls Company, giving the company access to a greater number of patents to be used in their controls systems.
W.R. Sweatt and his son Harold provided 75 years of uninterrupted leadership for the company. W.R. Sweatt survived rough spots and turned an innovative idea – thermostatic heating control – into a thriving business.
1934–1941 international growth.
Harold, who took over in 1934, led Honeywell through a period of growth and global expansion that set the stage for Honeywell to become a global technology leader. The merger into the Minneapolis-Honeywell Regulator Company proved to be a saving grace for the corporation.
1934 marked Minneapolis-Honeywell's first foray into the international market, when they acquired the Brown Instrument Company, and inherited their relationship with the Yamatake Company of Tokyo, a Japan-based distributor. Later that same year, Minneapolis-Honeywell would also start distributorships across Canada, as well as one in the Netherlands, their first European office. This expansion into international markets continued in 1936, with their first distributorship in London, as well as their first foreign assembly facility being established in Canada. By 1937, ten years after the merger, Minneapolis-Honeywell had over 3,000 employees, with $16 million in annual revenue.
World War II.
With the outbreak of World War II, Minneapolis-Honeywell was approached by the US military for engineering and manufacturing projects. In 1941, Minneapolis-Honeywell developed a superior tank periscope, camera stabilizers, and the C-1 autopilot.
The C-1 revolutionized precision bombing and was ultimately used on the two B-29 bombers that dropped atomic bombs on Japan in 1945. The success of these projects led Minneapolis-Honeywell to open an Aero division in Chicago on October 5, 1942. This division was responsible for the development of the formation stick to control autopilots, more accurate fuel quantity indicators for aircraft, and the turbo supercharger. In 1950, Minneapolis-Honeywell's Aero division was contracted for the controls on the first US nuclear submarine, USS Nautilus. The following year, the company acquired Intervox Company for their sonar, ultrasonic, and telemetry technologies. Honeywell also helped develop and manufacture the RUR-5 ASROC for the US Navy.
1950–1970s.
In 1953, in cooperation with the USAF Wright-Air Development Center, Honeywell developed an automated control unit that could control an aircraft through various stages of a flight, from taxiing, to takeoff, to the point where the aircraft neared its destination and the pilot took over for landing. Called the Automatic Master Sequence Selector, the onboard control operated similarly to a player piano to relay instructions to the aircraft's autopilot at certain way points during the flight, significantly reducing the pilot's workload. Technologically, this effort had parallels to contemporary efforts in missile guidance and numerical control. Honeywell also developed the Wagtail missile with the USAF.
From the 1950s until the mid-1970s, Honeywell was the United States' importer of Japanese company Asahi Optical's Pentax cameras and photographic equipment. These products were labeled "Heiland Pentax" and "Honeywell Pentax" in the U.S. In 1953, Honeywell introduced their most famous product, the T-86 Round thermostat.
In 1961, James H. Binger became Honeywell's president and in 1965 its chairman. On becoming chairman of Honeywell, Binger revamped the company sales approach, placing emphasis on profits rather than on volume. He also stepped up the company's international expansion – it had six plants producing 12% of the company's revenue. He also officially changed the company's corporate name from "Minneapolis-Honeywell Regulator Co." to "Honeywell", to better represent their colloquial name. Throughout the 1960s, Honeywell continued to acquire other businesses, including Security Burglar Alarm Company in 1969.
In the 1970s, after one member of a group called FREE on the Minneapolis campus (U of M) of the University of Minnesota asked five major companies with local offices to explain their attitudes toward gay men and women, three responded quickly, insisting that they did not discriminate against gay people in their hiring policies. Only Honeywell objected to hiring gay people. Later in the decade, when faced with a denial of access to students, Honeywell "quietly [reversed] its hiring policy".
As well, the beginning of the 1970s saw Honeywell focus on process controls, with the company merging their computer operations with GE's information systems in 1970, and later acquiring GE's process control business. With the acquisition, Honeywell took over responsibility for GE's ongoing Multics operating system project. The design and features of Multics greatly influenced the Unix operating system. Multics also influenced many of the features of Honeywell/GE's GECOS and GCOS8 General Comprehensive Operating System operating systems. Honeywell, Groupe Bull, and Control Data Corporation formed a joint venture in "Magnetic Peripherals Inc". which became a major player in the hard disk drive market. It was the worldwide leader in 14-inch disk drive technology in the OEM marketplace in the 1970s and early 1980s especially with its SMD (Storage Module Drive) and CMD (Cartridge Module Drive). In the second half of the 1970s, Honeywell started to look to international markets again, acquiring the French Compagnie Internationale pour l’Informatique in 1976. Eight years later, Honeywell formed Honeywell High Tech Trading to lease their foreign marketing and distribution to other companies abroad, in order to establish a better position in those markets. Under Binger's stewardship from 1961 to 1978 he expanded the company into such fields as defense, aerospace, and computing.
During and after the Vietnam Era, Honeywell's defense division produced a number of products, including cluster bombs, missile guidance systems, napalm, and land mines. Minnesota-Honeywell Corporation completed flight tests on an inertia guidance sub-system for the X-20 project at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, utilizing an NF-101B Voodoo by August 1963. The X-20 project was canceled in December 1963. The Honeywell project, founded in 1968, organized protests against the company to persuade it to abandon weapons production
In 1980, Honeywell bought Incoterm Corporation to compete in both the airline reservations system networks and bank teller markets.
Honeywell Information Systems.
On April 12, 1955, Minneapolis-Honeywell started a joint venture with Raytheon called Datamatic to enter the computer market and compete with IBM. Two years later in 1957, their first computer, the DATAmatic 1000 was sold and installed. In 1960, just five years after embarking on this venture with Raytheon, Minneapolis-Honeywell bought Raytheon's interest in Datamatic and turned it into the Electronic Data Processing division, later Honeywell Information Systems (HIS) of Minneapolis-Honeywell. Honeywell also purchased minicomputer pioneer Computer Control Corporation (3C's) in 1966, renaming it as Honeywell's Computer Control Division. Through most of the 1960s, Honeywell was one of the "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" of computing. IBM was "Snow White", while the dwarfs were the seven significantly smaller computer companies: Burroughs, Control Data Corporation, General Electric, Honeywell, NCR, RCA, and UNIVAC. Later, when their number had been reduced to five, they were known as "The BUNCH", after their initials: Burroughs, UNIVAC, NCR, Control Data Corporation, and Honeywell.
In 1970, Honeywell acquired GE's computer business forming Honeywell Information Systems. In 1973, they shipped a high speed non-impact printer called the Honeywell Page Printing System. In 1975, it purchased Xerox Data Systems, whose Sigma computers had a small but loyal customer base. Some of Honeywell's systems were minicomputers, such as their Series 60 Model 6 and Model 62 and their Honeywell 200; the latter was an attempt to penetrate the IBM 1401 market.
In 1987, HIS merged with Groupe Bull, a global joint venture with Compagnie des Machines Bull of France and NEC Corporation of Japan to become Honeywell Bull. In 1988 Honeywell Bull was consolidated into "Groupe Bull" and in 1989 renamed to "Bull, a Worldwide Information Systems Company." By 1991, Honeywell was no longer involved in the computer business.
1985–1999 integrations.
Aerospace and defense.
1986 marked a new direction for Honeywell, beginning with the acquisition of the Sperry Aerospace Group from the Unisys Corporation. In 1990, Honeywell spun off their Defense and Marine Systems business into Alliant Techsystems, as well as their Test Instruments division and Signal Analysis Center to streamline the company's focus. Honeywell continues to supply aerospace products including electronic guidance systems, cockpit instrumentation, lighting, and primary propulsion and secondary power turbine engines. In 1996, Honeywell acquired Duracraft and began marketing its products in the home comfort sector.
Honeywell is in the consortium that runs the Pantex Plant that assembles all of the nuclear bombs in the United States arsenal. Honeywell Federal Manufacturing & Technologies, successor to the defense products of AlliedSignal, operates the Kansas City Plant which produces and assembles 85 percent of the non-nuclear components of the bombs.
Home and building controls.
Honeywell also began the SmartHouse project to combine heating, cooling, security, lighting, and appliances into one easily controlled system. They continued the trend in 1987 by releasing new security systems, and fire and radon detectors. Five years later, in another streamlining effort, Honeywell combined their Residential Controls, Commercial Systems, and Protections Services divisions into Home and Building Control, which then acquired the Enviracare air cleaner business. By 1995, Honeywell had condensed into three divisions: Space and Aviation Control, Home and Building Control, and Industrial Control.
Industrial control.
Honeywell dissolved its partnership with Yamatake Company and consolidated its Process Control Products Division, Process Management System Division, and Micro Switch Division into one Industrial Control Group. It has further acquired Measurex System and Leeds & Northrup to strengthen its portfolio.
1999–2002 merger, takeovers.
AlliedSignal and Pittway.
On June 7, 1999, Honeywell was acquired by AlliedSignal, who elected to retain the Honeywell name for its brand recognition. The former Honeywell moved their headquarters of 114 years to AlliedSignal's in Morristown, New Jersey. While "technically, the deal looks more like an acquisition than a merger...from a strategic standpoint, it is a merger of equals." AlliedSignal's 1998 revenue was reported at $15.1 billion to Honeywell's $8.4 billion, but together the companies share huge business interests in aerospace, chemical products, automotive parts, and building controls.
The corporate headquarters were consolidated to AlliedSignal's headquarters in Morristown, New Jersey, rather than Honeywell's former headquarters in Minneapolis, Minnesota. When Honeywell closed its corporate headquarters in Minneapolis, over one thousand employees lost their jobs. A few moved to Morristown or other company locations, but the majority were forced to find new jobs or retire. Soon after the merger, the company's stock fell significantly, and did not return to its pre-merger level until 2007.
In 2000, the new Honeywell acquired Pittway for $2.2 billion to gain a greater share of the fire-protection and security systems market, and merged it into their Home and Building Control division, taking on Pittway's $167 million in debt. Analyst David Jarrett commented that "while Honeywell offered a hefty premium, it's still getting Pittway for a bargain" at $45.50 per share, despite closing at $29 the week before. Pittway's Ademco products complemented Honeywell's existing unified controls systems.
General Electric Company.
In October 2000, Honeywell (then valued at over $21 billion) accepted a takeover bid from then-CEO Jack Welch of General Electric. The American Department of Justice cleared the merger, while "GE teams swooped down on Honeywell" and "GE executives took over budget planning and employee reviews." However, on July 3, 2001, the European Commission's competition commissioner, Mario Monti blocked the move. This decision was taken on the grounds that with GE's dominance of the large jet engine market (led by the General Electric CF34 turbofan engine), its leasing services (GECAS), and Honeywell's portfolio of regional jet engines and avionics, the new company would be able to "bundle" products and stifle competition through the creation of a horizontal monopoly. US regulators disagreed, finding that the merger would improve competition and reduce prices; United States Assistant Attorney General Charles James called the EU's decision "antithetical to the goals of antitrust law enforcement." This led to a drop in morale and general tumult throughout Honeywell, and in turn, the then-CEO Michael Bonsignore was fired as Honeywell looked to turn their business around.
2002–2014 acquisitions and further expansion.
In January 2002, Knorr-Bremse – who had been operating in a joint venture with Honeywell International Inc. – assumed full ownership of its ventures in Europe, Brazil, and the USA. Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems became a subsidiary of Knorr-Bremse AG. Although declining in influence, Honeywell maintains a presence in emerging industries, such as Northern Alberta's oil sands. Honeywell's Plant integrator is currently deployed in some of the most important plant-sites in the Oil Sands (Syncrude, Suncor, and others). In February that year, Honeywell's board appointed their next CEO and chairman, David M. Cote. Cote was instrumental in uniting the company cultures of Honeywell, AlliedSignal, and Pittway. Since 2002, Honeywell has made more than 80 acquisitions and 60 divestures, while adding $12 billion in new sales and increasing its labor force to 131,000 as a result of these acquisitions. Under his tenure, Honeywell's stock has nearly tripled from $35.23 in April 2002 to $99.39 as of January 2015.
Honeywell made a £1.2bn ($2.3bn) bid for Novar plc in December 2004. The acquisition was finalized on March 31, 2005. In October 2005, Honeywell bought out Dow's 50% stake in UOP for $825 million, giving them complete control over the joint venture in petrochemical and refining technology. In May 2010, Honeywell outbid UK-based Cinven and acquired the French company Sperian Protection for $1.4 billion, which was then incorporated into its automation and controls safety unit.
2015–present.
In 2015, the headquarters were moved to Morris Plains, New Jersey. The 475,000-square-foot building on 40 acres in Morris Plains featured state-of-the-art technology and greater energy efficiency than Honeywell's Morristown campus, which was underutilized, outdated and costly, according to Cote.
On December 29, 2015, Honeywell completed the acquisition of Elster for US$5.1B (announced on July 28, 2015) entering the space of gas, electricity, and water meters with a specific focus on smart meters and hoped to be a growth driver for Honeywell in 2016 and beyond. The deal also complements the HON Combustion business with the addition of Elster with strong brands such as Kromschroeder and Eclipse. Honeywell International Inc. then acquired the 30% stake in UOP Russell LLC it didn't own already for roughly $240 million in January 2016. In February, Honeywell entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Xtralis, a leading global provider of aspirating smoke detection along with advanced perimeter security technologies and video analytics software, for $480 million from funds advised by Pacific Equity Partners and Blum Capital Partners. The deal was completed on April 1, 2016. In May 2016, Honeywell International Inc. settled its patent dispute regarding Google subsidiary Nest Labs, whose thermostats Honeywell claimed infringed on several of its patents. Google parent Alphabet Inc. and Honeywell said they reached a "patent cross-license" agreement that "fully resolves" the long-standing dispute. Honeywell sued Nest Labs in 2012. In 2017, Honeywell opened a new software center in Atlanta, Georgia.
David Cote stepped down as CEO on April 1, 2017, and was succeeded by Darius Adamczyk, who had been promoted to president and chief operating officer (COO) the previous year. Cote served as executive chairman through April 2018. On October 10, 2017, Honeywell announced plans to spinoff its Homes, ADI Global Distribution, and Transportation Systems businesses into two separate, publicly traded companies by the end of 2018.
In 2018, Honeywell spun off both Honeywell Turbo Technologies (now Garrett Advancing Motion) and its consumer products business (Resideo); both companies are publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange. For the fiscal year 2019, Honeywell reported net income of US$6.230 billion, with an annual revenue of US$36.709 billion, an decrease of 19.11% over the previous fiscal cycle. Honeywell's shares traded at over $158 per share, and its market capitalization was valued at over US$113.25 billion in September 2020.
Honeywell relocated its corporate headquarters in October 2019 to Charlotte, North Carolina. On July 1, 2019, Honeywell moved employees into a temporary headquarters building in Charlotte before their new building was complete.
Honeywell Forge launched as an analytics platform software for industrial and commercial applications such as aircraft, building, industrial, worker and cyber-security. In collaboration with Carnegie Mellon University National Robotics Engineering Center, the Honeywell Robotics was created in Pittsburgh to focus on supply chain transformation. The Honeywell robotic unloader grabs packages in tractor-trailers then places them on conveyor belts for handlers to sort. GoDirect Trade launched as an online marketplace for surplus aircraft parts such as engines, electronics, and APU parts. Honeywell announced, in March 2020, its quantum computer is based on trapped ions, its expected quantum volume is at least 64; which Honeywell's CEO called the world's most powerful quantum computer. Honeywell announced the spinoff of its quantum division into a separate company named "Quantinuum" in November 2021.
COVID-19 pandemic.
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Honeywell converted some of its manufacturing facilities in Rhode Island, Arizona, Michigan and Germany to produce supplies of personal protective equipment for healthcare workers. In April 2020, Honeywell began production of N95 masks at the company's factories in Smithfield and Phoenix, aiming to produce 20 million masks a month. Honeywell's facilities in Muskegon and Germany were converted to produce hand sanitiser for government agencies.
Several state governments contracted Honeywell to produce N95 particulate-filtering face masks during the pandemic. The North Carolina Task Force for Emergency Repurposing of Manufacturing (TFERM) awarded Honeywell a contract for the monthly delivery of 100,000 N95 masks. In April 2020, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti announced a deal with Honeywell to produce 24 million N95 masks to distribute to healthcare workers and first responders.
United States President Donald Trump visited the Honeywell Aerospace facility in Phoenix on May 5 where he acknowledged the "incredibly patriotic and hard-working men and women of Honeywell" for making N95 masks and referred to the company's production as a "miraculous achievement".
In April 2021, Will.i.am and Honeywell collaborated on Xupermask, a smart mask made of silicon and athletic mesh fabric that has LED lights, 3-speed fans and noise-canceling headphones in the mask.
Business groups.
The company operates four business groups – Honeywell Aerospace, Honeywell Building Technologies, Safety and Productivity Solutions (SPS), and Performance Materials and Technologies (PMT). Business units within the company are as follows:
Honeywell Aerospace provides avionics, aircraft engines, flight management systems, and service solutions to manufacturers, airlines, airport operations, militaries, and space programs. It comprises Commercial Aviation, Defense & Space, and Business & General Aviation. In January 2014, Honeywell Aerospace launched its SmartPath Precision Landing System at Malaga-Costa del Sol Airport in Spain, which augments GPS signals to make them suitable for precision approach and landing, before broadcasting the data to approaching aircraft. In July 2014, Honeywell's Transportation Systems merged with the Aerospace division due to similarities between the businesses. In April 2018, Honeywell announced to develop laser communication products for satellite communication in collaboration with Ball Aerospace and plans future volume production. In June 2018 Honeywell spun off and rebranded its Transportation Systems as Garrett.
Honeywell Building Technologies and Honeywell Safety and Productivity Solutions were created when Automation and Control Solutions was split into two in July 2016. Honeywell Building Technologies comprises Honeywell Building Solutions, Environmental and Energy Solutions, and Honeywell Security and Fire. On December 7, 2017, Honeywell announced that it has acquired SCAME, an Italy-based company, to add new fire and gas safety capabilities to its portfolio. Honeywell Safety and Productivity Solutions comprises Scanning & Mobility, Sensing and Internet of Things, and Industrial safety.
Honeywell Performance Materials and Technologies comprises six business units: Honeywell UOP, Honeywell Process Solutions, Fluorine Products, Electronic Materials, Resins & Chemicals, and Specialty Materials. Products include process technology for oil and gas processing, fuels, films and additives, special chemicals, electronic materials, and renewable transport fuels.
Corporate governance.
Honeywell's current chief executive officer is Darius Adamczyk. , the members of the board were:
Acquisitions since 2002.
Honeywell's acquisitions have consisted largely of businesses aligned with the company's existing technologies. The acquired companies are integrated into one of Honeywell's four business groups (Aerospace, Building Technologies (HBT), Safety and Productivity Solutions (SPS), or Performance Materials and Technologies (PMT)) but retain their original brand name.
Environmental record.
The United States Environmental Protection Agency states that no corporation has been linked to a greater number of Superfund toxic waste sites than has Honeywell. Honeywell ranks 44th in a list of US corporations most responsible for air pollution, releasing more than 4.25 million kg (9.4 million pounds) of toxins per year into the air. In 2001, Honeywell agreed to pay $150,000 in civil penalties and to perform $772,000 worth of reparations for environmental violations involving:
In 2003, a federal judge in Newark, New Jersey, ordered the company to perform an estimated $400 million environmental remediation of chromium waste, citing "a substantial risk of imminent damage to public health and safety and imminent and severe damage to the environment." In the same year, Honeywell paid $3.6 million to avoid a federal trial regarding its responsibility for trichloroethylene contamination in Lisle, Illinois. In 2004, the State of New York announced that it would require Honeywell to complete an estimated $448 million cleanup of more than 74,000 kg (165,000 lbs) of mercury and other toxic waste dumped into Onondaga Lake in Syracuse, New York, from a former Allied Chemical property. Honeywell established three water treatment plants by November 2014, and the chemicals cleanup site removed 7 tons of mercury. In November 2015, Audubon New York gave the Thomas W. Keesee, Jr. Conservation Award to Honeywell for its cleanup efforts in “one of the most ambitious environmental reclamation projects in the United States.” By December 2017, Honeywell completed dredging the lake and, later that month, the Department of Justice filed a settlement requiring Honeywell to pay a separate $9.5 million in damages, as well build 20 restoration projects on the shore to help repair the greater area surrounding the lake.
In 2005, the state of New Jersey sued Honeywell, Occidental Petroleum, and PPG to compel cleanup of more than 100 sites contaminated with chromium, a metal linked to lung cancer, ulcers, and dermatitis. In 2008, the state of Arizona made a settlement with Honeywell to pay a $5 million fine and contribute $1 million to a local air-quality cleanup project, after allegations of breaking water-quality and hazardous-waste laws on hundreds of occasions between the years of 1974 and 2004.
In 2006, Honeywell announced that its decision to stop manufacturing mercury switches had resulted in reductions of more than 11,300 kg (24,900 lb), 2800 kg (6200 lb), and 1500 kg (3300 lb) respectively of mercury, lead, and chromic acid usage. The largest reduction represents 5% of mercury use in the United States. The EPA acknowledged Honeywell's leadership in reducing mercury use through a 2006 National Partnership for Environmental Priorities (NPEP) Achievement Award for discontinuing the manufacturing of mercury switches.
Carbon footprint.
Honeywell reported Total CO2e emissions (Direct + Indirect) for the twelve months ending 31 December 2020 at 2,248 Kt (-89 /-3.8% y-o-y) and aims to reach net zero emissions by 2035.
Criticism.
On March 10, 2013, "The Wall Street Journal" reported that Honeywell was one of sixty companies that shielded annual profits from U.S. taxes. In December 2011, the non-partisan liberal organization Public Campaign criticized Honeywell International for spending $18.3 million on lobbying and not paying any taxes during 2008–2010, instead getting $34 million in tax rebates, despite making a profit of $4.9 billion, laying off 968 workers since 2008, and increasing executive pay by 15% to $54.2 million in 2010 for its top five executives.
Honeywell has also been criticized in the past for its manufacture of deadly and maiming weapons, such as cluster bombs. |
Daniel Inouye
Daniel Ken Inouye ( ; September 7, 1924 – December 17, 2012) was an American lawyer and politician who served as a United States senator from Hawaii from 1963 until his death in 2012. Beginning in 1959, he was the first U.S. representative for the State of Hawaii, and a Medal of Honor recipient. A member of the Democratic Party, he also served as the president pro tempore of the United States Senate from 2010 until his death. Inouye was the highest-ranking Asian-American politician in U.S. history, until Kamala Harris became vice president in 2021. Inouye also chaired various senate committees, including those on Intelligence, Indian Affairs, Commerce, and Appropriations.
Inouye fought in World War II as part of the 442nd Infantry Regiment. He lost his right arm to a grenade wound and received several military decorations, including the Medal of Honor (the nation's highest military award). He later earned a J.D. degree from George Washington University Law School. Returning to Hawaii, Inouye was elected to Hawaii's territorial House of Representatives in 1953, and was elected to the territorial Senate in 1957. When Hawaii achieved statehood in 1959, Inouye was elected as its first member of the U.S. House of Representatives. He was first elected to the U.S. Senate in 1962. He never lost an election in 58 years as an elected official, and he exercised an exceptionally large influence on Hawaii politics.
Inouye was the second Asian American senator following Hawaii Republican Hiram Fong. Inouye was the first Japanese American to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives and the first Japanese American to serve in the U.S. Senate. Because of his seniority, Inouye became president pro tempore of the Senate following the death of Robert Byrd on June 29, 2010, making him third in the presidential line of succession after the Vice President and the Speaker of the House of Representatives. At the time of his death, Inouye was the most senior sitting U.S. senator, the second-oldest sitting U.S. senator (seven and a half months younger than Frank Lautenberg of New Jersey), and the last sitting U.S. senator to have served during the presidencies of John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson, and Richard Nixon.
Inouye was a posthumous recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Order of the Paulownia Flowers. Among other public structures, Honolulu International Airport has since been renamed Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in his memory.
Early life (1924–1942).
Daniel Ken Inouye was born in Honolulu, Territory of Hawaii on September 7, 1924. His father, Hyotaro Inouye, was a jeweler who had immigrated to Hawaii from Japan as a child. His mother, Kame ("née" Imanaga) Inouye, was a homemaker born on Maui to Japanese immigrants. Her parents died young and she was adopted and raised by a family in Honolulu. Both of Daniel's parents were Christian, and met at the River Street Methodist Church in Honolulu. They married in 1923. This heritage makes Daniel a "Nisei" (second-generation Japanese-American) through his father and a "Sansei" (third-generation) through his mother. Daniel was named after Kame's adoptive father.
Inouye grew up in Bingham Tract, a Chinese-American enclave in Honolulu. He was raised Christian, and was the oldest of four children. As a child, he collected homing pigeons which he hatched from eggs given to him at an army base in Schofield Barracks in return for him cleaning the coops. As a teenager, he worked on the local beaches teaching tourists how to surf. Inouye's parents raised him and his siblings with a mix of American and Japanese customs. His parents spoke English at home, but had their children attend a private Japanese language school in addition to public school. Inouye dropped out of the Japanese school in 1939 because he disagreed with his instructor's anti-American rhetoric, and focused on his studies at President William McKinley High School. He intended to go to college and medical school after his planned 1942 graduation.
Inouye witnessed the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, while still a senior in high school. The Japanese surprise attack brought the United States into World War II. Being a volunteer first aid instructor with the Red Cross, his supervisor called on him to report to Lunalilo Elementary School which had become a Red Cross station. There, he tended to civilians injured by antiaircraft shells that had fallen into the city. After the United States declared war on Japan the next day, Inouye took up a paid job from his Red Cross supervisor to work there as a medical aide. For the remainder of his senior year, Inouye attended school during the day, and worked at the Red Cross station at night. He graduated from McKinley High School in 1942. Although Inouye wanted to join the armed forces after graduating, he did not possess that right as a Japanese-American. The United States Department of War had declared all Japanese-Americans as "enemy aliens", which stipulated they could not volunteer or be drafted for military service. Inouye enrolled at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa in September 1942 as a premedical student with the goal of becoming a surgeon.
Army service (1943–1947).
In March 1943, US President Franklin D. Roosevelt established the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, an all-"Nisei" combat unit. Inouye applied and was initially turned down because his work at the Red Cross was deemed critical, but was inducted later that month. The unit was composed of over 2,500 "Nisei" from Hawaii, and 800 from the mainland. Inouye went with his unit in April to Camp Shelby in Mississippi for a 10-month training period, postponing his medical studies. While in Mississippi, the unit visited the Rohwer War Relocation Center in Arkansas, where Inouye witnessed the internment of Japanese Americans first hand.
The 442nd shipped off to Italy in May 1944 after the conclusion of their training, shortly before the liberation of Rome. Inouye was promoted to sergeant within the first three months of fighting in the Italian countryside north of Rome. The 442nd was then sent to eastern France, where they seized the towns of Bruyères, Belmont, and Biffontaine from the Germans. In late October, the regiment was transferred to the Vosges Mountains region of France, where they rescued 211 members of the 1st Battalion of the 141st Infantry Regiment, otherwise known as the "Lost Battalion". Inouye received a battlefield commission to second lieutenant for his actions there, becoming the youngest officer in his regiment. During the battle, a shot struck him in the chest directly above his heart, but the bullet was stopped by the two silver dollars he happened to have stacked in his shirt pocket. He continued to carry the coins throughout the war in his shirt pocket as good luck charms, but lost them later, shortly before the battle in which he lost his arm. The 442nd spent the next several months near Nice, guarding the French-Italian border until early 1945, when they were called to Northern Italy to assist with an assault on German strongholds in the Apennine Mountains.
Arm injury.
On April 21, 1945, Inouye was grievously wounded while leading an assault on the heavily defended Colle Musatello ridge near San Terenzo, Italy. The ridge served as a strongpoint of the German fortifications known as the Gothic Line, the last and most unyielding line of German defensive works in Italy. During a flanking maneuver against German machine gun nests, Inouye was shot in the stomach from 40 yards away. Ignoring his wound, he proceeded with the attack and together with the unit, destroyed the first two machine gun nests. As his squad distracted the third machine gunner, the injured Inouye crawled toward the final bunker and came within 10 yards. As he prepared to toss a grenade within, a German soldier fired out a 30 mm Schiessbecher antipersonnel rifle grenade at Inouye, striking him in the right elbow. Although it failed to detonate, the blunt force of the grenade amputated most of his right arm at the elbow. The nature of the injury caused his arm muscles to involuntarily squeeze the grenade tightly via a reflex arc, preventing his arm from going limp and dropping a live grenade at his feet. This injury left him disabled, in terrible pain, under fire with minimal cover and staring at a live grenade "clenched in a fist that suddenly didn't belong to me anymore."
Inouye's platoon moved to his aid, but he shouted for them to keep back out of fear his severed fist would involuntarily relax and drop the grenade. As the German inside the bunker began reloading his rifle with regular full metal jacket ammunition to finish off Inouye, Inouye pried the live hand grenade from his useless right hand with his left, and tossed it into the bunker, killing the German. Stumbling to his feet, Inouye continued forward, killing at least one more German before sustaining his fifth and final wound of the day in his left leg. Inouye fell unconscious, and awoke to see the worried men of his platoon hovering over him. His only comment before being carried away was to gruffly order them back to their positions, saying "Nobody called off the war!" By the end of the day, the ridge had fallen to American control, without the loss of any soldiers in Inouye's platoon. The remainder of Inouye's mutilated right arm was later amputated at a field hospital without proper anesthesia, as he had been given too much morphine at an aid station and it was feared any more would lower his blood pressure enough to kill him. The war in Europe ended on May 8, less than three weeks later.
Rehabilitation and discharge.
Shortly before the Japanese surrender and end of World War II in August 1945, Inouye was shipped back to the United States to recover for eleven months at a rehabilitation center for wounded soldiers in Atlantic City, New Jersey. In mid-1946, Inouye was transferred to the Percy Jones Army Hospital in Battle Creek, Michigan, to continue his rehabilitation for nine more months. While recovering there, Inouye met future Republican senator and presidential candidate Bob Dole, then a fellow patient. The two became friends and would often play bridge together. Dole shared with Inouye his long-term plans to attend law school and become an attorney, and later run for state legislature and eventually the United States Congress. With Inouye's plans to become a surgeon dashed due to his injury, Dole's plans for a career in public service inspired Inouye to consider entering politics. Inouye ultimately beat Dole to congress. The two remained lifelong friends. In 2003, the hospital was renamed the Hart–Dole–Inouye Federal Center in honor of the two World War II veterans, as well as Democratic senator Philip Hart, who had been a patient at the hospital after sustaining injuries on D-Day.
Inouye was honorably discharged with the rank of captain in May 1947 after 20 months of rehabilitation. At the time, he was a recipient of the Bronze Star Medal, Distinguished Service Cross, and three Purple Hearts. Many in his regiment believed that, were he not Japanese-American, he would have been awarded the Medal of Honor, the nation's highest military award. Inouye eventually received the Medal of Honor on June 21, 2000, from President Bill Clinton, along with 19 other Japanese American servicemen in the 442nd.
Entry into politics.
Inouye decided to study law hoping it would lead him into a political career. He enrolled at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa in late 1947 as a prelaw student, majoring in government and economics. He relied on the financial benefits of the G.I. Bill to fund his education. When not in class, Inouye would volunteer for the Democratic Party at the Honolulu County Democratic Committee. He had been talked into joining the party by John A. Burns, a former police captain and future governor, who had ties to the Japanese American community. Though the territory of Hawaii had been politically dominated by the Republican Party, Burns convinced Inouye that the Democratic Party could help Japanese Hawaiians achieve social and economic reform. During these years, Inouye met speech instructor Margaret Awamura at the university, whom he married in 1948.
After graduating in 1950, Inouye moved with his wife to Washington D.C. so he could continue his studies at George Washington University Law School. While there, he volunteered at the Democratic National Committee (DNC) headquarters to gain more experience to bring back with him to Hawaii. Inouye earned his J.D. degree in two years, and moved back with his wife to Hawaii in late 1952. Inouye spent the next year studying for the Hawaii bar exam and volunteering with the Democratic Party. After passing the bar exam in August 1953, Inouye was appointed assistant public prosecutor for the city and county of Honolulu by the city mayor and fellow Democrat John Wilson.
At the urging of Burns, Inouye successfully ran for the Hawaii Territorial House of Representatives in the November 1954 election, representing the Fourth District. The election came to be known as the Hawaii Democratic Revolution of 1954, as the long entrenched Republican control of the Hawaii Territorial Legislature abruptly ended with a wave of Democratic candidates taking their seats. The election also filled the legislature with Japanese American politicians, who previously held few seats. Inouye was immediately elected majority leader. He served two terms there, and was elected to the Hawaii territorial senate in 1957. Midway through Inouye's first term in the territorial senate, Hawaii achieved statehood. He won a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives as Hawaii's first full member, and took office on August 21, 1959, the same date Hawaii became a state; he was re-elected in 1960.
United States Senate (1963–2012).
In 1962, he was elected to the U.S. Senate, succeeding retiring fellow Democrat Oren E. Long.
He was the chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee between 1976 and 1979, and the chairman of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee between 1987 and 1995. He introduced the National Museum of the American Indian Act in 1984 which led to the inauguration of the National Museum of the American Indian in 2004. He was chairman of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee between 2001 and 2003, chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee between 2007 and 2009 and chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee between 2009 and 2012.
He was reelected eight times, usually without serious difficulty. His closest race was in 1992, when state senator Rick Reed held him to 57 percent of the vote; this was the only time he received less than 69 percent of the vote. He delivered the keynote address at the turbulent 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago and gained national attention for his service on the Senate Watergate Committee.
Inouye was also involved in the Iran-Contra investigations of the 1980s, chairing a special committee (Senate Select Committee on Secret Military Assistance to Iran and the Nicaraguan Opposition) from 1987 until 1989. During the hearings, Inouye referred to the operations that had been revealed as a "secret government", saying:
Criticizing the logic of Marine Lt. Colonel Oliver North's justifications for his actions in the affair, Inouye made reference to the Nuremberg trials, provoking a heated interruption from North's attorney Brendan Sullivan, an exchange that was widely repeated in the media at the time. He was also seen as a pro-Taiwan senator and helped in forming the Taiwan Relations Act.
On May 1, 1977, Inouye stated that President Carter had telephoned him to express his objections to a sentence in the Senate Intelligence Committee's report on the Central Intelligence Agency.
On November 20, 1993, Inouye voted against the North American Free Trade Agreement. The trade agreement linked the United States, Canada, and Mexico into a single free trade zone and was signed into law on December 8 by President Bill Clinton.
In 2009, Inouye assumed leadership of the powerful Senate Committee on Appropriations after longtime chairman Robert Byrd stepped down. Following the latter's death on June 28, 2010, Inouye was elected President pro tempore, the officer third in the presidential line of succession.
In 2010, Inouye announced his decision to run for a ninth term. He easily won the Democratic primary—the real contest in this heavily Democratic state—and then trounced Republican state representative Campbell Cavasso with 74 percent of the vote.
Inouye ran for Senate Majority Leader several times without success.
Prior to his death, Inouye announced that he planned to run for a record tenth term in 2016 when he would have been 92 years old. He also said,
1980s.
In 1986, West Virginia Senator Robert Byrd opted to run for Senate Majority Leader, believing that his two opponents to claiming the position would be Inouye and Louisiana Senator J. Bennett Johnston. Cutting a deal with Inouye, Byrd pledged that he would step aside from the position in 1989 if Inouye would support him for Senate Majority Leader of the 100th United States Congress. Inouye accepted the offer and was given the chance to select the new Senate sergeant-at-arms.
Foreign policy.
In early 1981, Inouye called for tighter restrictions on what Americans can ship overseas, citing his belief that American international stature would be harmed along with the country's foreign policy interests in the event of the shipments causing environmental damage.
In March 1981, Inouye was one of 24 elected officials to issue a joint statement calling on the Reagan administration to compose a method of finding a peaceful solution that would end The Troubles in Northern Ireland.
In July 1981, a Federal commission began hearings to decide on rewarding compensations to Japanese-Americans placed in internment camps during World War II, Inouye and fellow Hawaii Senator Spark M. Matsunaga delivering opening statements. In November, during an appearance at the opening of a 10-day public forum at Tufts University on Japanese internment, Inouye stated his opposition to distributing reparation fees for Japanese-Americans previously incarcerated during World War II, adding that it "would be insulting even to try to do so." In August 1988, Inouye attended President Reagan's signing of legislation apologizing for the internment camps and establishing a $1.25 billion trust fund to pay reparations to both those who were placed in camps and to their families. In September 1989, during the Senate's debate over bestowing reparations to Japanese-Americans interned during World War II, Inouye delivered his first public speech on the issue and noted $22,000 were bestowed to each captive American in the Iran hostage crisis.
In October 2002, Inouye was one of 23 senators who voted against authorization of the use of military force in Iraq.
Domestic policy.
In March 1982, amid controversy surrounding Democratic Senator Harrison A. Williams for taking bribes in the Abscam sting operation, Inouye delivered a closing defense argument stating the possibility of the Senate looking foolish in the event the conviction was reversed on appeal. Inouye confirmed that he had received telephone calls regarding Williams critiquing his remarks during his defense of himself the previous week and questioned if the Senate was going to punish him "because his presentation was rambling, not in the tradition of Daniel Webster" and for his wife believing in him.
In October 1982, after President Reagan appointed two new members to the board of the Legal Services Corporation, Inouye was one of 32 Senators to sign a letter expressing grave concerns over the appointments.
On December 23, Inouye voted against a 5 cent a gallon increase in gasoline taxes across the US imposed to aid the financing of highway repairs and mass transit. The bill passed on the last day of the 97th United States Congress.
In March 1984, Inouye voted against a constitutional amendment authorizing periods in public school for silent prayer and against President Reagan's unsuccessful proposal for a constitutional amendment permitting organized school prayer in public schools. In August, Inouye secured the acceptance of the Senate's defense appropriations subcommittee for an amendment meant to cure mainland milk arriving at Hawaiian and Alaskan military bases sour, arguing thousands of gallons of milk coming from the mainland must be dumped due to their souring and said shipments were arriving eight days after pasteurization.
In February 1989, after Oliver North went on trial in Federal District Court amid accusations of a dozen crimes in accordance with his role in diverting profits from the secret sale of arms to Iran to the Nicaraguan rebels and Jack Brooks questioned North's role in composing a "contingency plan in the event of an emergency that would suspend the American Constitution," Inouye replied that the inquiry touched on both a classified and sensitive matter that would only be discussed in a closed session.
Gang of 14.
On May 23, 2005, Inouye was a member of a bipartisan group of 14 moderate senators, known as the Gang of 14, to forge a compromise on the Democrats' use of the judicial filibuster, thus blocking the Republican leadership's attempt to implement the "nuclear option," a means of forcibly ending a filibuster. Under the agreement, the Democrats would retain the power to filibuster a Bush judicial nominee only in an "extraordinary circumstance," and the three most conservative Bush appellate court nominees (Janice Rogers Brown, Priscilla Owen, and William H. Pryor, Jr.) would receive a vote by the full U.S. Senate.
Electoral history.
Inouye never lost an election.
In August 1968, President Lyndon B. Johnson placed a phone call to vice president and Democratic presumptive presidential nominee Hubert Humphrey, urging him to select Inouye as his running mate. Johnson went as far as to request a background check on Inouye from the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Johnson told Humphrey that Inouye's World War II injuries would silence Humphrey's critics on the Vietnam War: "He answers Vietnam with that empty sleeve. He answers your problems with (Republican presumptive presidential nominee and former vice president Richard) Nixon with that empty sleeve", Johnson said. Humphrey eventually chose Edmund Muskie as his running mate, and lost the election. According to his chief of staff, Jennifer Sabas, Inouye knew that he was being considered as a vice presidential pick, but was uninterested in the possibility, apparently content with his current position.
Family.
Inouye's first wife was Margaret "Maggie" Shinobu Awamura, who was working as a speech instructor at the University of Hawaiʻi when Inouye was attending as a prelaw student after the war. The two married on June 12, 1948, at the Harris Memorial Methodist Church in Honolulu. She died of cancer on March 13, 2006. On May 24, 2008, he married Irene Hirano in a private ceremony in Beverly Hills, California. Hirano was president and founding chief executive officer of the Japanese American National Museum in Los Angeles, California. She resigned the position at the time of her marriage, in order to be closer to her husband. According to the "Honolulu Advertiser", Inouye was 24 years older than Hirano. On May 27, 2010, Hirano was elected chair of the nation's second largest non-profit organization, The Ford Foundation. Hirano outlived him by more than seven years; she died on April 7, 2020.
Inouye's son Kenny was the guitarist for the hardcore punk band Marginal Man.
Honors.
Awards and decorations.
On May 27, 1947, Inouye was honorably discharged and returned home as a Captain with a Distinguished Service Cross, Bronze Star Medal, two Purple Hearts, and 12 other medals and citations. In 2000, his Distinguished Service Cross was upgraded to the Medal of Honor.
Death.
In 2012, Inouye began using a wheelchair in the Senate to preserve his knees, and received an oxygen concentrator to aid his breathing. In November 2012, he sustained a minor cut after falling in his apartment and was treated at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. On December 6, he was again hospitalized at George Washington University Hospital so doctors could further regulate his oxygen intake, and was transferred to Walter Reed Medical Center on December 10. He died there of respiratory complications seven days later on December 17, 2012. According to the senator's Congressional website, his last word was "Aloha." Prior to his death, Inouye left a letter encouraging Governor Neil Abercrombie to appoint Colleen Hanabusa to succeed Inouye should he become incapacitated; instead Abercrombie appointed Hawaii's Lieutenant Governor Brian Schatz.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid announced Inouye's death on the floor of the Senate, referring to Inouye as "certainly one of the giants of the Senate." Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell referred to Inouye as one of the finest Senators in United States history. President Barack Obama referred to him as a "true American hero".
Inouye's body lay in state at the United States Capitol rotunda on December 20, 2012. President Obama, former President Bill Clinton, Vice President Joe Biden, House Speaker John Boehner and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid spoke at a funeral service at the Washington National Cathedral on December 21. Inouye's body was then flown to Hawaii where it lay in state at the Hawaii State Capitol on December 22. A second funeral service was held at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu the following day.
Legacy.
The "Daniel K. Inouye Graduate School of Nursing", founded in 1993, is part of the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences.
He made a cameo appearance as himself in the 1994 film "The Next Karate Kid", giving the opening speech at Arlington National Cemetery for a commendation for Japanese-Americans who fought in the 442nd Regimental Combat Team during World War II.
In 2007, The Citadel dedicated "Inouye Hall" at the Citadel/South Carolina Army National Guard Marksmanship Center to Senator Inouye, who helped make the Center possible.
In May 2013, Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus announced that the next would be named "". The destroyer was officially christened at Bath Iron Works on June 22, 2019.
In November 2013, the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association renamed its Trailblazer Award in honor of Inouye, posthumously honoring him with the "Senator Daniel K. Inouye NAPABA Trailblazer Award".
In December 2013, the Advanced Technology Solar Telescope at Haleakala Observatory on Maui was renamed the "Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope".
Numerous federal properties at Joint Base Pearl Harbor–Hickam and around Hawai'i have been dedicated to Senator Inouye, including the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration "Daniel K. Inouye Regional Center" (2013), the Hawaii Air National Guard "Daniel K. Inouye Fighter Squadron Operations & Aircraft Maintenance Facility" (2014), the "Senator Daniel K. Inouye" Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency building (2015), the "Daniel K. Inouye Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies" at Fort Derussy (2015), and the Pacific Missile Range Facility "Daniel K. Inouye Range and Operations Center" on Kauai (2016).
In 2014, Israel named the simulator room of the Arrow anti-missile defense system in his honor, the first time that a military facility has been named after a foreign national.
A Boeing C-17 Globemaster III, tail number 5147, of the 535th Airlift Squadron, was dedicated "Spirit of Daniel Inouye" on August 20, 2014.
The Parade Field at Fort Benning was rededicated to honor Senator Inouye on September 12, 2014.
On April 27, 2017, Honolulu's airport was renamed "Daniel K. Inouye International Airport" in his honor.
In 2018, Honolulu-based Matson, Inc. named its newest container ship, the largest built in the United States, the "Daniel K. Inouye".
The University of Hawai‘i at Hilo dedicated its pharmacy college the "Daniel K. Inouye College of Pharmacy (DKICP)" on December 4, 2019.
In August 2021, while visiting Japan for the Tokyo Olympics, First Lady Jill Biden dedicated a room in the U.S. ambassador's residence to Inouye and his wife, Irene. |
Markus Åkesson
Markus Åkesson (born 10 July 1975) is a Swedish artist working with painting and glass sculpture. He lives and works in Nybro, Sweden with his wife, the ceramist Ellen Ehk. His painting studio is in the former Glass Factory at Pukeberg in Nybro and he collaborates with the glass studio Kosta Boda. He is one of the most prominent international painters in the neo-figurative style.
He is represented by Galerie Da-End in Paris, Berg Gallery in Stockholm and by VIDA Museum & Konsthall on Öland in Sweden. His works are represented in private and public collections such as The Alice L. Walton Foundation, The Lord James Palumbo Collection, Jacques-Antoine Granjon Collection, and Foundation Francés.
Early life and education.
Åkesson was born in the small village of Sporsjö outside of Kalmar in South-East Sweden surrounded by seemingly boundless forests, making it impossible to grasp the horizon. His father worked as a forester, and his mother, a homemaker. Åkesson was the youngest of four boys and spent many childhood hours drawing the world around him, nurtured by the universes of comic books in which he had a great interest. He is passionate about myths and magic, and is especially fond of the forest that makes them almost real. Growing up surrounded by woods, this magical environment has been Markus' primary source of inspiration since a young age, encouraging his imagination and keeping its mystery, beauty and ancient lore alive. In an interview with Johanna Sandell from the book, Insomnia, Åkesson says "To anyone who knows my history, it’s not difficult to see connections [to my childhood] in my paintings. I grew up in the countryside, in the forest. I played a lot on my own, I was always out in the forest and I drew a lot".
Not coming from an artistic family, Åkesson’s creativity manifested itself in the ways that came most naturally in his world. In high school, he studied to be a mechanic and spent his free time airbrushing designs on cars and motorcycles. Growing up in the heart of Sweden's "Crystal Kingdom" it was natural for the artistically inclined to gravitate towards work in the glass industry, and as an adult, he found a job as a crystal engraver in a nearby factory.
Unlike many of his Scandinavian peers, Åkesson has limited formal academic training. He studied briefly at , but is otherwise self-taught, taking most of his cues from history, philosophy, and literature. In this period, his culture expands at a great speed, and he discovers the work of other figurative artists like Lucian Freud, Michaël Borremans or Jenny Saville.
Paintings.
Åkesson's realistic style of oil painting was not in vogue during his early years as an artist and one of the modern world's most traditional forms of visual art was therefore considered an untraditional choice for a young Scandinavian artist in the 1990's. However, after establishing himself locally, Markus Åkesson had several solo exhibitions and public works projects early on in his career that proved to be important stepping stones towards his current representation and international acknowledgment.
In 2013 the French gallery Da-End contacts the Swedish artist to start a collaboration that lasts until today. A first painting, "The Weight" (150 x 250 cm), illustrating an elephant laying on a carpet, is exhibited the same year at the Grand Palais on the occasion of the international contemporary art fair Art Paris Art Fair. This will be followed by solo and group exhibitions in galleries and institutional venues.
Markus Åkesson's artistic tone has been likened to that of the Pre-Raphaelites, a group from which he has indicated that he has drawn a great deal of inspiration. Contrastingly, his work with patterns and fabrics is laced with symbolism and is an obvious point to Magical Realism in its more recent definition. A commentary on Åkesson’s solo exhibition "Strange Days" written by French critic Grégoire Prangé describes his work by saying, "A painting by Magritte comes to mind, a magnificent kiss from two veiled lovers, an impersonal embrace, universal love. In all these works, hidden behind a succession of mythical motifs, lies human nature and all its secrets. But Markus, by drawing the contours of it, little by little, will end up painting its portrait."
He takes the subject of his work from a medical term called "Dysmorphia". Dysmorphia is one of the most common mental disorders that some people suffer from today, and perhaps those who are hidden in his paintings next to the beautiful fabrics suffer from this disorder.
The in-between.
Markus Åkesson's works are greatly influenced by myths and fairytales. During his early years of painting, his work revolved around themes such as the passage from childhood to adolescence, with a tinge of mystery and a rather dark atmosphere. As Markus works a lot with series of paintings, his series "The Woods", "Black Pond" and "Psychopomp Club", exhibited in his solo show "'The Woods"' in 2013 at the Da-End gallery, transcribes his pictorial universe of the time, representing children in an enigmatic space, people half asleep, skulls of animals, psychopomps, settings full of symbols and nods to nature. All his paintings seem to have as a common thread the theme of the in-between, a recurring topic in all of his series.
This state of in-between, this aspect of transition from one state to another is something that have long preoccupied Markus Åkesson. We find symbols in his works that takes us to rites of passages, such as children and adolescents inhabiting his imagery, being between childhood and adulthood, between sleep and being awake, between presence and dreaming. By working in a classical way with brushes and oil paint and projecting models from the real world – such as his children – in these mysterious environments, he allows the viewer to go on a journey in a place in-between, not exactly a fact but not exactly fiction, causing this state of awe, this transitional moment where the paintings act as “windows that allow the audience to glance into another world”.
The patterns.
Patterns have always been present in Markus Åkesson's pictorial universe. Starting rather shyly with patterns on rugs and tapestries, he begins to integrate textiles more prominently into his paintings in his solo show ""Let me sleep through the night" (2018). Plunged into mysterious situations with a psychological dimension carried by the subjects and the settings, Markus' works are filled with various ornaments, drapes and clothes. He then gradually began to focus entirely on fabric and its patterns, which eventually became the primary subject of his paintings, especially with his series "Now you see me"" shown in his solo show "Strange Days" (2020). We find the silhouettes usually present in Markus' paintings, but this time they are completely hidden, covered with sheets of various patterns and textures.
"Sleeping Beauty scandal".
Åkesson often speaks of a "mythical world that parallels everyday life". It was natural then, that his works often reflected the mysteries of childhood during the years that his own children were young. During this time he was commissioned to do several public works projects, both paintings and sculptures. The most recent of which was commissioned by a grade school in Ängelholm, Sweden. Åkesson was asked to create a large painting in the setting of a dark forest. He chose to paint his interpretation of the familiar story, "Sleeping Beauty". The primary subject of the painting is a young girl in a bright red dress, surrounded by a group of children who are staring off into the distance. The girl in the red dress is lying on a pink and orange quilt on an iron bed-frame. When the work was delivered, employees of the school felt that the painting was too ominous to hang in the cafeteria, its intended place. The painting, "Sleeping Beauty", now hangs in the school's library.
The incident sparked nationwide interest and led to discussions surrounding censorship and challenges facing modern children.
Åkesson's response to the school's decision was evidently rooted in curiosity. In an interview with The Swedish Television agency, he says, "I find the debate that has surfaced in response to the incident very interesting. It is rather eye-opening to witness the power of art in our society, that it can have such a strong effect on our emotions."
In 2018, Kalmar Konstmuseum curated a retrospective exhibition of Åkesson’s work titled "Sleeping Beauty", due, in part, to the school's reaction to the painting.
Collaboration.
In 2013, during his solo show "The Woods" at the French gallery Da-End, designer Jun Takahashi discovered the work of Markus Åkesson. Some time later, he became fascinated with his work and would state his desire to collaborate with the painter. The collaboration is materialized by the printing of 3 paintings on shawls for the Fall/Winter 2014 ready-to-wear collection, which was shown in 2014 at the Palais de Tokyo during Paris Fashion Week.
Jun Takahashi reiterated his collaboration with Åkesson for the Fall/Winter 2021 collection, in which 4 of Markus Åkesson's paintings were selected ("Chesterfield dreams (Edvin)," 2011, "Childs Play," 2011, "Insomnia (Moths)," 2017, "The Woods (Insomnia)," 2013) and printed on outerwear as well as knitwear and shirts for both the men's and women's entire collections.
Glass Sculptures.
Before becoming a painter, Åkesson was trained as a welder when he was young. Then he started his job as a glass engraver when he was around 20s. He loved working with the creative manner in the glass industry, but after a while he found the urge to express himself through another method which is oil painting.
Now Åkesson has his own atelier in an old Glass Factory called Pukeberg. In 2021 Åkesson returned to the glass industry, this time as an art glass design partner for Kosta Boda.It was through his wife and fellow artist, Ellen Ehk Åkesson that Åkesson came into contact with Kosta Boda. Since spring 2021, the couple has shared a studio in Kosta, in addition to their studios in the old Pukeberg Glassworks in Nybro. They share numerous intersecting points, not just privately but also artistically, having grown up near one another in the forests of Småland. The mystery of the forest is a strongly shared theme in their art. Ever since his time as a glass engraver, Markus Åkesson has experienced what he calls a powerful pull to glass. He has previously experimented with glass sculptures.
Some of his earliest glass pieces were exhibited at the Duo-exhibition 'Skogens Hjärta' at VIDA Museum & Konstall in the spring of 2021. His art glass was also exhibited alongside his paintings at Market Art Fair in Stockholm in the spring of 2022. We find his use of patterns in his sculptures as well, which he spends the most time engraving.
In 2022, along with Kosta Boda, Åkesson created a glass sculpture "Medusa" that shows the supple side of the glass. This sculpture was exhibited in the exhibition "Μέδουσα | Scyphozoa" at Da-End Gallery in Paris.
Exhibitions.
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022 |
Sun Yi
Sun Yi (184–204), courtesy name Shubi, was Chinese military general and politician who was a younger brother of Sun Quan, the founding emperor of the state of Eastern Wu in the Three Kingdoms period of China.
Life.
Sun Yi was the third son of the warlord Sun Jian and his wife Lady Wu; he had a younger full brother, Sun Kuang. He was known for his martial valour and fiery personality, which made him resemble his eldest brother Sun Ce. He was nominated as a "xiaolian" (civil service candidate) by Zhu Zhi and served in the office of the Minister of Works. After Sun Jian was killed in action at the Battle of Xiangyang in 191, Sun Ce succeeded him and took over command of his troops. Between 194 and 199, Sun Ce launched a series of conquests in the Jiangdong region and established his power base there. In 200 CE, when Sun Ce was mortally wounded during a hunting expedition, his adviser Zhang Zhao and other subjects believed that he would designate Sun Yi as his successor, but Sun Ce chose his second brother Sun Quan instead.
In 202, Sun Quan killed Sheng Xian, the Administrator () of Wu Commandery. Some of Sheng Xian's associates and protégés went into hiding in the mountainous areas of Jiangdong. In the following year, Wu Jing, the maternal uncle of Sun Quan and his brothers, died in office while serving as the Administrator of Danyang Commandery (). Sun Yi, who was 19 years old then and held the rank of a Lieutenant-General (), was appointed as the new Administrator of Danyang. Danyang was adjacent to Wu Commandery, so Sun Yi reached out to some of the disgruntled followers of Sheng Xian, enticing them to Danyang and offering them positions in the Danyang administration in order to stabilise the region. Two of these men, Gui Lan () and Dai Yuan () came to work for Sun Yi. Dai Yuan was appointed as a Civil Assistant () while Gui Lan was given a high military command with the slightly irregular title "Grand Chief Controller" ().
Gui Lan and Dai Yuan were still dissatisfied and they harboured the intention of rebelling. They forged close ties with Bian Hong (邊鴻, also rendered 邊洪), an aide of Sun Yi. Once, when Sun Quan was away on a campaign, they took advantage of the situation to set their plans into motion. At the time, the various chiefs of the counties in Danyang were scheduled to meet Sun Yi in the commandery capital. Before the meeting, Sun Yi asked his wife, Lady Xu (), who was versed in divination, to predict the events of the meeting. Lady Xu predicted ill luck and advised her husband to postpone the meeting, but Sun Yi wanted to settle the meeting quickly because the Chiefs had been waiting for some time since they arrived, so he hosted a banquet for them. Sun Yi often carried a sword with him when he travelled around, but he became tipsy after the feast so he was unarmed when he saw the guests off. Just then, Bian Hong attacked him from behind. The scene was thrown into disarray and no one came to Sun Yi's rescue so Sun died at the hands of Bian Hong. Bian Hong escaped to the hills after murdering Sun Yi, but was later killed by Gui Lan and Dai Yuan.
Post-mortem events.
After Sun Yi's death, Sun He (孫河), a relative of Sun Quan's family, came to Wanling County (宛陵縣; present-day Xuancheng, Anhui), the capital of Danyang Commandery, to restore order. He blamed Gui Lan and Dai Yuan for Sun Yi's murder but was unable to exert control over the military forces in the commandery. Gui Lan and Dai Yuan became worried because Sun He, who had no blood relations with Sun Yi, was already so upset over Sun Yi's death. They believed that they would be in deeper trouble if Sun Quan (Sun Yi's brother) personally came to Danyang to pursue the matter, so they murdered Sun He as well. They then sent a messenger to Liu Fu, the Inspector () of Yang Province, and expressed their willingness to defect to Liu's side.
The other officers in Danyang were well aware that Gui Lan and Dai Yuan were the masterminds behind Sun Yi's murder but were unable to take action against the two men because their powers were limited. Gui Lan took over Sun Yi's residence and seized Sun's concubines and servants for himself. When he wanted to take Lady Xu (Sun Yi's widow), she declined, said that it was too soon after her husband's death to remarry, and told him to wait for a month. During the intervening period, Lady Xu secretly contacted Sun Gao (), Fu Ying () and other former subordinates of Sun Yi, informed them of the circumstances, and plotted with them to avenge her husband. On the appointed day, Lady Xu changed out of her mourning garments and invited Gui Lan to her personal quarters, where Sun Gao and Fu Ying, in disguise as maids, ambushed and killed Gui Lan while the others slew Dai Yuan. Gui Lan and Dai Yuan's heads were cut off and offered as propitiation at Sun Yi's altar. This incident shocked everyone in Danyang. Shortly thereafter, Sun Quan came to Danyang to reward those who remained loyal to Sun Yi and punish those who conspired with Gui Lan and Dai Yuan.
Family and descendants.
Sun Yi's son, Sun Song (), served as a Colonel of Trainee Archers () and was made a Marquis of a Chief District (). Sun Song was known for being a gregarious and generous person and was the closest to Sun Quan among all of Sun Quan's younger male relatives. When Sun Song was stationed in Baqiu (), he was often reprimanded by Lu Xun, a senior Wu general and minister, for not maintaining good discipline in his unit and allowing his men to fool around. On one occasion, Lu Xun punished Sun Song's subordinates by ordering their heads to be shaved. Sun Song died in 231. |
2014 United States House of Representatives elections in Ohio
The 2014 United States House of Representatives elections in Ohio were held on Tuesday, November 4, 2014 to elect the 16 U.S. representatives from the state of Ohio, one from each of the state's 16 congressional districts. The elections coincided with the elections of other federal and state offices, including a gubernatorial election.
Overview.
Results of the 2014 United States House of Representatives elections in Ohio by district:
District 1.
The 1st district is based in Cincinnati, stretching southwestward to Ohio's borders with Kentucky and Indiana. It represented by two-term Republican Congressman Steve Chabot.
District 2.
The 2nd district takes eastern Cincinnati and its suburbs, including Norwood and Loveland, and stretches eastward along the Ohio River. This seat has been held by Republican Brad Wenstrup since 2013.
District 3.
The 3rd district, located entirely within the borders of Franklin County, taking in inner Columbus, Bexley, Whitehall, as well as Franklin County's share of Reynoldsburg. It's been represented by Democrat Joyce Beatty since 2013.
District 4.
The 4th district, nicknamed the "duck district", sprawls from the Columbus exurbs, including Marion and Lima into north-central Ohio, taking in Oberlin. It has been represented by Republican Jim Jordan since 2007.
District 5.
The 5th district encompasses Northwestern Ohio, taking in Findlay, Defiance, and Bowling Green. It's been represented by Republican Bob Latta since 2007.
District 6.
The 6th district encompasses Appalachian Ohio, including Steubenville, Marietta, and Ironton. It's been represented by Bill Johnson since 2011.
District 7.
The 7th district is based in northeastern Ohio, and includes the city of Canton. It's been represented by Republican Bob Gibbs since 2011.
Democratic primary.
Former Democratic Representative John Boccieri (who served in for a single term, from 2009 through 2011, and was defeated in his bid for reelection in the 2010 elections by Republican Jim Renacci) filed paperwork to run in the 7th district in January 2013, but has put his plans on hold and may run in another district or not at all. Ultimately he didn't run for any seat.
District 8.
The 8th district takes in the northern suburbs of Cincinnati, including Butler County, as well as taking in Springfield. Republican John Boehner, the Speaker of the House, has represented since 1991.
Republican primary.
Though Republican aides believed Boehner would step down as House speaker in 2014, Boehner had insisted that he would run for reelection to the House and as Speaker. Boehner faced primary challenges from two conservatives, Eric Gurr and J.D. Winteregg
District 9.
The 9th district spans the coast of Lake Erie from Toledo to the west side of Cleveland, taking in Port Clinton, Sandusky, Lorain, Lakewood, Brook Park, and Brooklyn. Marcy Kaptur has represented since 1983.
District 10.
The 10th district encompasses the Dayton metro area, including Dayton and the surrounding suburbs. It's been held by Republican Congressman Mike Turner since 2003.
District 11.
The 11th district takes in eastern Cleveland and its suburbs, including Euclid, Cleveland Heights, and Warrensville Heights, as well as stretching southward into Richfield and parts of Akron. It's been represented by Democrat Marcia Fudge since 2008.
District 12.
The 12th district encompasses the northern Columbus metro area, taking in the northern Columbus suburbs, including Dublin, Westerville, Gahanna, and New Albany, as well as, Newark, Mansfield, and Zanesville. It's been held by Republican Congressman Pat Tiberi since 2001.
District 13.
The 13th district covers the Mahoning Valley in northeastern Ohio, including Youngstown and eastern parts of Akron. Democrat Tim Ryan is running for reelection.
District 14.
The 14th district is located in Northeast Ohio, taking in the eastern suburbs and exurbs of Cleveland, including Mayfield Heights, Solon, and Independence, as well as Ashtabula, Lake, and Geauga counties, northern Portage County, and northeastern Summit County. Republican Representative David Joyce has represented the 14th district since January 2013.
Republican primary.
Joyce was challenged in the Republican primary by State Representative Matt Lynch. Joyce, who has been called "Ohio's most vulnerable House Republican", did not win a primary election for the seat in 2012 after incumbent Republican Steve LaTourette retired months after winning the primary unopposed, leading local party leaders to pick Joyce to replace him.
District 15.
The 15th district encompasses the southern Columbus metro area, taking in the western and eastern suburbs of Columbus, including Upper Arlington, Hilliard, and Grove City, as well as Athens. It's been held by Republican Steve Stivers since 2011.
District 16.
The 16th district takes in the western suburbs of Cleveland, including Westlake, Parma, and Strongsville, as well Medina, Norton, and North Canton. It's been held by Republican Jim Renacci since 2011.
Democratic primary.
Democrats were hoping to recruit a strong challenger to Renacci, as he had only won by 4 points in 2012. |
Dance from Cuba
Cuban culture encompasses a wide range of dance forms. The island's indigenous people performed rituals known as areíto, which included dancing, although little information is known about such ceremonies. After the colonization of Cuba by the Spanish Kingdom, European dance forms were introduced such as the French contredanse, which gave rise to the Cuban contradanza. Contradanza itself spawned a series of ballroom dances between the 19th and 20th centuries, including the danzón, mambo and cha-cha-cha. Rural dances of European origin, such as the zapateo and styles associated with punto guajiro also became established by the 19th century, and in the 20th century son became very popular. In addition, numerous dance traditions were brought by black slaves from West Africa and the Congo basin, giving rise to religious dances such as Santería, yuka and abakuá, as well as secular forms such as rumba. Many of these dance elements from European dance and religious dances were fused together to form the basis of la técnica cubana. Cuban music also contributed to the emergence of Latin dance styles in the United States, namely rhumba (ballroom rumba) and salsa.
Dance styles.
Danzón.
Danzón is the official musical genre and dance of Cuba. It is also an active musical form in Mexico and is still beloved in Puerto Rico. The danzón evolved from the Cuban contradanza (also known as the habanera). In Cuba, these dances were influenced by African rhythmic and dance styles and so became a genuine fusion of European and African influences.
The danzón developed in 1879, and has been an important root for Cuban music up to today. Its precursor is the habanera, which is a creolized Cuban dance form. The danzón was developed, according to one's point of view, by either Manuel Saumell or Miguel Faílde in Matanzas.
The form of danzón created by Miguel Faílde in 1879 ("Las alturas de Simpson"), begins with an introduction (four bars) and "paseo" (four bars), which are repeated and followed by a 16-bar melody. The introduction and "paseo" again repeat before a second melody is played. The dancers do not dance during these sections: they choose partners, stroll onto the dance floor, and begin to dance at precisely the same moment: the fourth beat of bar four of the paseo, which has a distinctive percussion pattern that is hard to miss. When the introduction is repeated the dancers stop, chat, flirt, greet their friends, and start again, right on time as the paseo finishes.
Early danzón was played by groups called "orquestas típicas", which were based on wind instruments. They had several brass instruments (cornet, valve trombone, ophicleide), a clarinet or two, a violin or two and tympani (kettle drums). At the beginning of the 20th century, the lighter and somewhat more elegant sound of the "charanga" emerged (see Early Cuban bands). Initially, they were small orchestra of two violins, a cello, flute, timbales, güiro, and doublebass. Charanga and típicas competed with each other for years, but after 1930 it was clear that the days of the típica were over.
Mambo.
Mambo is a musical form and dance style that developed originally in Cuba, with further significant developments by Cuban musicians in Mexico and the USA. The word "mambo" means "conversation with the gods" in Kikongo, the language spoken by Kongo slaves taken to Cuba. Modern mambo began with a song called "Mambo" written in 1938 by brothers Orestes and Cachao López. The song was a danzón, a dance form descended from European social dances like the English country dance, French contredanse, and Spanish contradanza. It was backed by rhythms derived from African folk music.
Cha-cha-cha.
The cha-cha-cha, or simply cha-cha, is the name of a dance of Cuban origin. It is danced to the music of the same name introduced by Cuban composer and violinist Enrique Jorrín in 1953. This rhythm was developed from the danzón by a syncopation of the fourth beat. The name is onomatopoeic, derived from the rhythm of the güiro (scraper) and the shuffling of the dancers' feet.
Styles of cha-cha-cha dance may differ in the place of the chasse in the rhythmical structure. The original Cuban and the ballroom cha-cha-cha count is "two, three, chachacha" or "four-and-one, two, three". The dance does not start on the first beat of a bar, though it can start with a transfer of weight to the lead's right.
Nevertheless, many social dancers count "one, two, cha-cha-cha" and may find it difficult to make the adjustment to the "correct" timing of the dance.
Bolero.
The Cuban bolero dance originated in Santiago de Cuba in the last quarter of the 19th century; it does "not" owe its origin to the Spanish music and song of the same name. In the 19th century there grew up in Santiago de Cuba a group of itinerant musicians who moved around earning their living by singing and playing the guitar.
Pepe Sánchez is known as the father of the "trova" style and the creator of the Cuban bolero. Untrained, but with remarkable natural talent, he composed numbers in his head and never wrote them down. As a result, most of these numbers are now lost, but two dozen or so survive because friends and disciples wrote them down. He was the model and teacher for the great trovadores who followed.
The Cuban bolero has traveled to Mexico and the rest of Latin America after its conception, where it became part of their repertoires. Some of the bolero's leading composers have come from nearby countries, most especially the prolific Puerto Rican composer Rafael Hernández; another example is Mexico's Agustín Lara. Some Cuban composers of the bolero are listed under Trova.
Salsa.
Salsa dancing originated in Cuba and Cuban salsa is danced around the world. It evolved from earlier dance forms such as Cha cha cha and Mambo which were popular in New York, and incorporated elements of Swing dancing and Hustle, as well as elements of Afro-Cuban and Afro-Caribbean dances such as Guaguanco and Pachanga. In many styles of salsa dancing, as a dancer changes weight by stepping, the upper body remains level and nearly unaffected by the weight changes. Weight shifts cause the hips to move. Arm and shoulder movements are also incorporated. The Cuban Casino style of salsa dancing involves significant movement above the waist, with up-and-down shoulder movements and shifting of the ribcage.
The arms are used by the "lead" dancer to communicate or signal the "follower," either in "open" or "closed" position. The open position requires the two dancers to hold one or both hands, especially for moves that involve turns, putting arms behind the back, or moving around each other, to name a few examples. In the closed position, the leader puts the right hand on the follower's back, while the follower puts the left hand on the leader's shoulder.
Ballet.
Ballet is one of the most popular and well-focused areas of dance in Cuba. Ballet shows are performed at the cabaret, which is where people go and watch the shows, while surrounding the stage enjoying food and beverages. Cabarets are very well known especially when a ballet show will be performing, although the more advanced ballet shows are performed at major theaters such as the Paris opera Ballet. Cuba has ballet schools across the country. The Cuban National Ballet School "(Escuela Nacional Cubana de Ballet)" in Havana, with approximately 3,000 students is the biggest ballet school in the world and the most prestigious ballet school in Cuba. It is directed by Ramona de Sáa. The Cuban National Ballet is also a renowned ballet company located in Havana. There are different types of ballet, but one of the most recognized and well distinguished is psycho ballet. Psycho ballet is a therapeutic art developed in 1973 by Alicia Alonso. This specific ballet is known to release spiritually satisfaction and enhance self-development. Psycho ballet is taught by a team leader and psychologist in many hospitals, schools and community centers across 17 countries for those who suffer from mental, motor, and several other disabilities. Their goal is to improve and strengthen the individuals sense of personality, growth, and a higher quality of life. Other countries that have experience this type of treatment are developing more research as it continues to guide and heal those who need it. Cuban ballet promoted a post colonial repositioning to the countries dance culture. This was a huge turn around for the dance community because dance is not only for those who have a passion for it, but those who have an interest, but never thought they could. In Cuba everyone knows ballet is a high career and the admission is intense with earning to be more than doctors. Today a government subsidized preprofessional ballet school operates in each of Cuba's fifteen provinces, this shows the importance of ballet and how much they value the art of it, as well as how the institute expanded as a whole. |
Pure and Simple (song)
"Pure and Simple" is a song by British pop group Hear'Say, the winners of the UK version of "Popstars". It was a cover of the original version recorded three years earlier by English-Dutch girl group Girl Thing, who were dropped from BMG before the song was given to Hear'Say. It was written by Pete Kirtley, Tim Hawes, and Betty Boo (under her real name, Alison Clarkson). The song was released on 12 March 2001 as the lead single from Hear'Say's debut studio album, "Popstars" (2001). The B-side is a cover of Simon & Garfunkel's "Bridge over Troubled Water".
"Pure and Simple" debuted at number one on the UK Singles Chart after selling 550,000 copies in its first week, which, at the time, made it the fastest-selling debut single of all time in the United Kingdom. It spent a total of three weeks at the top and has sold over 1.08 million copies in the UK. As of 2012, it is the seventh biggest-selling debut single of the 21st century in that country. The song also topped the New Zealand Singles Chart for five weeks and reached number three in Ireland.
Background.
The song was co-written by Pete Kirtley, Tim Hawes and Betty Boo (under her real name of Alison Clarkson); however, nearly 14 years after the song was released, Linzi Martin of the band Girl Thing made the assertion that she was responsible for the majority of the song's composition, having written the verses after Pete Kirtley (her then boyfriend) had brought the chorus of the track to her as a gift. In the 2014 series of The Big Reunion, other members of the band including Michelle Barber recall the band being present and contributing to the song, but none received credit as co-writers. Girl Thing then found out, after the song was written, that their manager Chris Herbert (who also managed Hear'Say) had given the song to the newer band as their debut single, an act that upset Girl Thing. Band member Nikki Stuart described the incident as "digging the knife in."
Critical reception.
Many critics noted that the song had a distinct resemblance to Oasis's "All Around the World" and All Saints' "Never Ever". BBC Radio 1 DJ Chris Moyles even recorded a parody version of "Pure and Simple" that included the song lyrics from these two songs. Despite this, Noel Gallagher took no legal action due to his own self-confessed borrowings from other artists. The song and band were also criticised by several contemporary musical acts at the time, including Stereophonics, David Gray, and Blur.
Commercial reception.
"Pure and Simple" was released on 12 March 2001 in the United Kingdom and received a continental European release in April 2001. On 18 March 2001, "Pure and Simple" debuted at number one on the UK Singles Chart. It sold 160,000 copies during its first day on sale and 549,823 copies during its first week, becoming the fastest-selling debut single of all time in the UK, a record beaten a year later by Will Young, the winner of the first series of "Pop Idol", with his debut single "Evergreen" / "Anything Is Possible". It was also the third-fastest-selling single in UK chart history at that point, behind "Do They Know It's Christmas? by Band Aid and "Candle in the Wind 1997" by Elton John. The song spent a total of three weeks at the top of the UK chart.
"Pure and Simple" sold 1.07 million copies in 2001, making it that year's second best-selling single. It was beaten only by Shaggy's "It Wasn't Me", which sold 80,000 copies more. By the time Hear'Say split up in 2002, the song had been certified double platinum for sales of over 1.2 million copies, making it one of the few singles to achieve that feat during the 2000s. It is also one of only 167 singles ever to sell 1 million copies in the UK, and has sold over 1.09 million as of November 2016. "Pure and Simple" is the seventh biggest-selling debut single of the 21st century in the UK, the second biggest seller by a mixed-gender group and the UK's 96th best-selling song of all time. The song was also a number-one hit in New Zealand, where it topped the RIANZ Singles Chart for five consecutive weeks in July and August 2001, earning a gold certification for selling over 25,000 copies.
Track listings.
UK CD single
UK cassette single
European maxi-CD and Australasian CD single
UK DVD single
Credits and personnel.
Credits are lifted from the "Popstars" album booklet.
Studios
Personnel
Other versions.
"Pure and Simple" was covered by "America's Got Talent" winner Bianca Ryan for her self-titled debut album in 2006. |
28 Days Later (comics)
28 Days Later is a comic book series published by BOOM! Studios, written by Michael Alan Nelson and drawn by Declan Shalvey and Alejandro Aragon.
The series follows on from the events of "28 Days Later", initially taking place in the gap between it and the sequel, "28 Weeks Later", much like the graphic novel "", and as such references the upcoming American-led NATO occupation. Issues 22, 23 and 24 directly reference events from the second film, and takes place in the same time frame, ending with the Rage Virus spreading into continental Europe.
Main characters.
Selena - One of the three survivors from the first film. Selena lives as a refugee in Norway.
Clint Harris - An American reporter who learns that a U.S.-led NATO force will soon enter London to start the restoration process. In an effort to get the "whole" story, Clint plans on sneaking past the quarantine into infected London with his team with Selena as his guide.
Derrick - An American cameraman reporter and Clint Harris' best friend.
Captain Stiles - The main antagonist and a good friend of the late Major Henry West, from the first film.
Plot.
It has been two months since the Rage outbreak. At a refugee camp in Norway, Selena is visited by an American journalist named Clint Harris, who asks her to help him sneak through Britain's island-wide quarantine and act as his guide in London. After initially refusing, Selena reminisces about her life prior to the outbreak and decides to join Clint at his helicopter. Clint introduces her to the rest of his team: Derrick, Trina, Hirsch and Acorn. Selena and Derrick instantly dislike each other. Upon being attacked by a U.S. aerial patrol, the group lands in the Shetland Islands. They soon discover that Infection has spread to Shetland from mainland Britain.
After fighting Infected at an abandoned hotel, the group drive a hot-wired van to Sumburgh, fortifying themselves in a pub. Selena and Derrick are able to sort out their differences over a drink and a game of Texas Hold'em poker. Unfortunately, Selena is forced to kill Hirsch when he is bitten by Infected, leading Trina, his lover, to hold a psychotic vendetta against her. As the pub is attacked, Trina bites Selena's arm in an unsuccessful bid to have her killed as an Infected. The group escapes the pub and commandeers a boat, heading for Scotland. Everyone except Selena, Clint and Derrick is killed when the boat is attacked by a U.S. fighter jet.
Selena and Clint are left to guide a blinded Derrick towards the shores of Scotland. As the former two set up a campfire, they discuss what to do with Derrick, since it would be difficult to get a blind person all the way to London. Derrick refuses to allow Selena to kill him, and she reluctantly agrees. In a flashback, we see Clint's initial efforts to cover the Rage pandemic during the original outbreak, during which he travelled to France and witnessed the U.S. military's human experimentation with the Rage virus on the Isle of Wight, which was unaffected by the Rage Virus. Seeing the contagion's effects, Clint decided to approach Selena at the refugee camp.
Selena and Clint save Derrick from two oncoming Infected, and learn that despite claims and reports, some of the Infected in Scotland have not died off. They find cover in a village, where Derrick falls ill and the other two struggle to care for him. Selena once again tries to convince Clint to euthanize Derrick, but he refuses. The following night, a horde of Infected destroy their van. The damage being merely cosmetic, Selena, Clint and Derrick take off in another van and run into a group of armed survivors led by a woman named Kate. Kate sends Selena and Clint to Halkirk to search for antibiotics in what she tells them is a pharmacy; however, it turns out that she sent them to recover her son, Douglas.
The three are captured by U.S. intelligence personnel, which experiments on Douglas with the Rage virus for the purpose of weaponizing it. Clint and Selena manage to escape as a forest fire nears the U.S. camp, which is overwhelmed by fleeing Infected. After recovering Derrick, Selena and Clint commandeer a train in Inverness; Derrick, however, is killed in the process. Travelling to Edinburgh, Selena and Clint discover that the survivors in the city are locked in a resource war with delinquents in Glasgow.
Upon entering England, the pair are confronted by a Captain Stiles, a former British Army officer who seeks revenge against Selena for her role in the death of his commander, Major Henry West. After several close run-ins, Selena is captured and taken to Manchester; Clint is abandoned and is eventually found by the U.S. Army. Stiles takes Selena to the mansion which West and his troops had fortified and tortured her. He meets his death as he walks across the lawn, which is laced with landmines. Selena is rescued by U.S. troops, who had been tipped off by Clint where Selena had been taken.
Selena and Clint are both taken to London, which is being repopulated by British refugees who had escaped during the outbreak, under NATO supervision. Selena leaves shortly afterwards, sneaking out of the green zone to search her former home. There, it is revealed her husband had been infected during the outbreak months earlier, forcing Selena to kill him. Selena and Clint are eventually reunited as the infection once again breaks out in London, and successfully escape across to France via boat. They board a flight to the United States just as the infection breaks out in France and the Infected storm Paris, escaping the infection. |
Reduviidae
The Reduviidae is a large cosmopolitan family of the order Hemiptera (true bugs). Among the Hemiptera and together with the Nabidae almost all species are terrestrial ambush predators: most other predatory Hemiptera are aquatic. The main examples of nonpredatory Reduviidae are some blood-sucking ectoparasites in the subfamily Triatominae. Though spectacular exceptions are known, most members of the family are fairly easily recognizable; they have a relatively narrow neck, sturdy build, and a formidable curved proboscis (sometimes called a rostrum). Large specimens should be handled with caution, if at all, because they sometimes defend themselves with a very painful stab from the proboscis.
Taxonomy.
The Reduviidae are members of the suborder Heteroptera of the order Hemiptera. The family members are almost all predatory, except for a few blood-sucking species, some of which are important as disease vectors. About 7000 species have been described, in more than 20 recognized subfamilies, making it one of the largest families in the Hemiptera.
The name Reduviidae is derived from the type genus, "Reduvius". That name, in turn, comes from the Latin "reduvia", meaning "hangnail" or "remnant". Possibly this name was inspired by the lateral flanges on the abdomen of many species.
Common genera include:
While members of most subfamilies have no common names other than assassin bugs, among the many subfamilies are a few with their own common names that are reasonably widely recognized, such as:
Morphology.
Adult insects range from roughly 12 to 36 mm, depending on the species. They most commonly have an elongated head with a distinct narrowed 'neck', long legs, and prominent, segmented, tubular mouthparts, most commonly called the proboscis, but some authors use the term "rostrum". Most species are bright in colour with hues of brown, black, red, or orange.
The most distinctive feature of the family is that the tip of the proboscis fits into a ridged groove in the prosternum, where it can be used to produce sound by stridulation. Sound is made by rasping the proboscis against ridges in this groove stridulitrum (stridulatory organ). These sounds are often used to discourage predators. When harassed, many species can deliver a painful stab with the proboscis, injecting venom or digestive juices. The effects can be intensely painful and the injection from some species may be medically significant.
Feeding.
Predatory Reduviidae use the long rostrum to inject a lethal saliva that liquefies the insides of the prey, which are then sucked out. The saliva contains enzymes that digest the tissues they swallow. This process is generally referred to as extraoral digestion. The saliva is commonly effective at killing prey substantially larger than the bug itself.
The legs of some Reduviidae have areas covered in tiny hairs that aid in holding onto their prey while they feed. Others, members of the subfamily Phymatinae in particular, have forelegs that resemble those of the praying mantis, and they catch and hold their prey in a similar way to mantises.
As nymphs, some species cover and camouflage themselves effectively with debris or the remains of dead prey insects. The nymphal instars of the species "Acanthaspis pedestris" present one good example of this behaviour where they occur in Tamil Nadu in India. Another well-known species is "Reduvius personatus", known as the masked hunter because of its habit of camouflaging itself with dust. Some species tend to feed on pests such as cockroaches or bedbugs and are accordingly popular in regions where people regard their hunting as beneficial. "Reduvius personatus" is an example, and some people breed them as pets and for pest control. Some assassin bug subfamilies are adapted to hunting certain types of prey; for example, the Ectrichodiinae eat millipedes, and feather-legged bugs eat ants. A spectacular example of the latter is "Ptilocnemus lemur", an Australian species in which the adult attacks and eats ants, but the nymph waits until the ant bites the feathery tufts on its hind legs, upon which it whips around and pierces the ant's head with its proboscis, and proceeds to feed.
Some research on the nature of the venom from certain Reduviidae is under way. The saliva of "Rhynocoris marginatus" showed some insecticidal activity "in vitro", in tests on lepidopteran pests. The effects included reduction of food consumption, assimilation, and use. Its antiaggregation factors also affected the aggregation and mobility of haemocytes.
The saliva of the species "Rhynocoris marginatus" (Fab.) and "Catamirus brevipennis" (Servile) have been studied because of their activity against human pathogenic Gram-negative bacteria (including strains of "Escherichia coli", "Pseudomonas aeruginosa", "Proteus vulgaris", and "Salmonella typhimurium") and the Gram-positive ("Streptococcus pyogenes").
Some species are bloodsuckers rather than predators, and they are accordingly far less welcome to humans. "Triatoma" species and other members of the subfamily Triatominae, such as "Rhodnius" species, "Panstrongylus megistus", and "Paratriatoma hirsuta", are known as kissing bugs, because they tend to bite sleeping humans in the soft tissue around the lips and eyes. A more serious problem than their bites is the fact that several of these haematophagous Central and South American species transmit the potentially fatal trypanosomal Chagas disease, sometimes called American trypanosomiasis. This results in the death of 12,000 people a year.
Phylogeny and evolutionary history.
Current taxonomy is based on morphological characteristics. The first cladistic analysis based on molecular data (mitochondrial and nuclear ribosomal DNA) was published in 2009 and called into question the monophyly of some current groups, such as the Emesinae. Reduviidae are monophyletic, and the "Phymatine Complex" is consistently recovered as the sister to the higher Reduviidae, which includes 90 percent of the reduviid species diversity. The origin of the species dates to around the middle Jurassic. The oldest fossils of the family are from the Late Cretaceous (Cenomanian) aged Burmese amber, represented by nymphs and the genus "Paleotriatoma," belonging to the subfamily Triatominae. |
Hermanus
Hermanus (originally called "Hermanuspietersfontein", but shortened in 1902 as the name was too long for the postal service), is a town on the southern coast of the Western Cape province of South Africa. It is known for Southern Right whale watching during the southern winter to spring seasons, and is a popular retirement location.
History.
Hermanus Pieters (ca.1778–1837) was a Dutch teacher who arrived in Cape Town in 1815. He was recruited by Dutch-speaking farmers who disliked that English was the only language used in all government schools. He settled in Caledon, but taught Dutch to farmers in a wide area around that town, including the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley. He often vacationed at the spring ("fontein") in present-day Hermanus, where he fished and grazed his sheep, the place eventually became known as “Hermanus Pieters se Fonteyn”. He died before the village Hermanuspietersfontein existed. 65 years after his death the postmaster decided to abbreviate the name to Hermanus.
The parents of Roger Bushell, leader of the "Great Escape" (the escape by Allied airmen from Stalag Luft III in World War II), retired in Hermanus after World War II, and are buried there. Bushell's name is one of those commemorated on the war memorial.
Location.
Hermanus lies along Walker Bay on the south coast of the Western Cape. It is located about 115 km southeast of Cape Town and is connected to the Mother City by the R43 highway (or coastal R44 scenic route) and N2 motorway. The R43 continues to Cape Agulhas, the most southerly point of Africa. Hermanus is 40 km from Gansbaai, a spot where people can dive amongst the great white sharks.
It is also notable that Hermanus still boasts a historic railway station building without a railway line. The founders of the town decided not to lay any tracks as this would have made Hermanus more commercial and felt that Hermanus needed to stay a small fisherman's village. To this day the locals still refer to it as "the village."
The town of Vermont borders Hermanus to its east.
Sandbaai lies on the coast at the entrance to the Hemel-en-Aarde (Heaven and Earth) Valley. It is the most recently developed and fastest-growing residential area of Greater Hermanus. Zwelihle, designated a "black" area by the apartheid era government, is a residential area that consists mainly of shacks. Following the COVID 19 pandemic the town has emerged as a popular destination for very wealthy South Africans to move to.
Climate.
Hermanus is classified as having a warm-summer Mediterranean climate (Köppen). It receives roughly 520 mm of rain per annum, the majority of which falls during the winter months of June to August in the form of frontal precipitation. Average midday temperatures range from 25 °C in February to 16 °C in July. Extremes above 30 °C and under 10 °C are not uncommon. Summer and Winter months are characterised by strong south-easterly and north-westerly winds respectively.
Facilities.
The Space Science Directorate of the South African National Space Agency, previously the Hermanus Magnetic Observatory (HMO), is a research facility of the National Research Foundation and forms part of the worldwide network which monitors variations of the earth's magnetic field.
Environment.
Beaches.
"Grotto Beach" is the largest beach in Hermanus and has also been proclaimed a blue Flag beach. Blue flag beaches meet international environment, safety and management criteria. Other beaches with Blue Flag status include "Voëlklip", "Onrus", "Kammabaai", "Langbaai," and "Hawston".
The rugged coastline also hosts many other smaller beaches, coves and tidal pools.
Floral diversity.
Hermanus is in the Cape Floristic Region and thus has one of the highest plant diversity levels in the world. The principal vegetation type of this region is fynbos, a mixture of evergreen shrub-like plants with small firm leaves. In the local Fernkloof Nature Reserve, 1,474 plant species have thus far been collected and identified.
Bird watching.
Over 100 varieties of bird species reside in the Greater Hermanus area. Species such as the Orange-breasted Sunbird, the Cape Sugarbird, Victorin's Warbler, and other rare animals, make Hermanus a destination for bird enthusiasts.
Whales and whale-spotting.
The town is noted for the presence of whales that often swim within sight of the coastline of the town. Although the Southern Right whale is the most prolific species in Hermanus bay, it is not the only species in the area. The whales can be seen from the cliffs all along the coast from as early as June and usually depart in early-December. They were once hunted in the nearby town of Betty's Bay, but are now protected. The Old Harbour Museum contains several exhibitions that explain the local whaling industry, and the De Wetshuis Photo Museum houses an exhibition of photos by T. D. Ravenscroft that depicts the history of Hermanus. The Whale Museum houses a skeleton of a whale and shows an audio-visual presentation of whales and dolphins twice daily.
Visitors can watch whales from the cliff-tops, from the air or via boats. Since August 1992, Hermanus has had the world's only whale crier, the first being Pieter Classen 1992-1998, then Wilson Salukazana 1998-2006, and Zolile Baleni since April 2006, who sounds his kelp horn to announce where whales have been sighted. In 2005, Zakes Mda wrote the novel "The Whale Caller" in which the Whale Crier of Hermanus is the main character, a man who gets enthralled by a southern right whale he names Sharisha. The book was adapted into a 2016 movie by the same name.
Whale festival.
Hermanus hosts an annual Hermanus Whale Festival at the end of September, to celebrate the calving and mating season. Eco-Tourism is the main theme of the Hermanus whale festival with the Eco-Marine Village. Residents and visitors celebrate the migration of Southern Right Whales and other marine wildlife with ocean-themed activities and exhibitions, emphasizing education and environmentally responsible adventures and activities. Prior to this main whale festival, a Kalfiefees (or Calf Festival) is held, to welcome the first whales (usually in August). Both festivals are characterized by food and craft stalls, environmental presentations, and South African drama productions. |
Washington Metro
The Washington Metro, often abbreviated as the Metro and formally the Metrorail, is a rapid transit system serving the Washington metropolitan area of the United States. It is administered by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), which also operates the Metrobus service under the Metro name. Opened in 1976, the network now includes six lines, 97 stations, and of route.
Metro serves Washington, D.C., as well as several jurisdictions in the states of Maryland and Virginia. In Maryland, Metro provides service to Montgomery and Prince George's counties; in Virginia, to Arlington, Fairfax and Loudoun counties and to the independent city of Alexandria. The system's , serving Dulles International Airport and Loudoun County, opened on November 15, 2022. It operates mostly as a deep-level subway in more densely populated parts of the D.C. metropolitan area (including most of the District itself), while most of the suburban tracks are at surface level or elevated. The longest single-tier escalator in the Western Hemisphere, spanning , is located at Metro's deep-level Wheaton station.
In , the system had a ridership of , or about per weekday as of , making it the third-busiest rapid transit system in the United States, in number of passenger trips, after the New York City Subway and Chicago "L", and the fifth-busiest in North America. In June 2008, Metro set a monthly ridership record with 19,729,641 trips, or 798,456 per weekday. Fares vary based on the distance traveled, the time of day, and the type of card used by the passenger. Riders enter and exit the system using a proximity card called SmarTrip.
History.
During the 1950s, plans were laid for a massive freeway system in Washington, D.C. Harland Bartholomew, who chaired the National Capital Planning Commission, thought that a rail transit system would never be self-sufficient because of low-density land uses and general transit ridership decline. But the plan met fierce opposition, and was altered to include a Capital Beltway system plus rail line radials. The Beltway received full funding with funding for the ambitious Inner Loop Freeway system was partially reallocated toward construction of the Metro system.
In 1960, the federal government created the National Capital Transportation Agency to develop a rapid rail system. In 1966, a bill creating WMATA was passed by the federal government, the District of Columbia, Virginia, and Maryland, with planning power for the system being transferred to it from the NCTA.
WMATA approved plans for a regional system on March 1, 1968. The plan consisted of a core regional system, which included the original five Metro lines, as well as several future extensions, many of which were not constructed. The first experimental Metro station was built above ground in May 1968 for a cost of $69,000. It was and meant to test construction techniques, lighting, and acoustics prior to full-scale construction efforts.
Construction began after a groundbreaking ceremony on December 9, 1969, when Secretary of Transportation John Volpe, District Mayor Walter Washington, and Maryland Governor Marvin Mandel tossed the first spade of dirt at Judiciary Square.
The first portion of the system opened March 27, 1976, with available on the Red Line with five stations from Rhode Island Avenue to Farragut North, all in Washington, D.C. All rides were free that day, with the first train departing the Rhode Island Avenue stop with Metro officials and special guests, and the second with members of the general public. Arlington County, Virginia was linked to the system on July 1, 1977; Montgomery County, Maryland, on February 6, 1978; Prince George's County, Maryland, on November 17, 1978; and Fairfax County, Virginia, and Alexandria, Virginia, on December 17, 1983. Underground stations were built with cathedral-like arches of concrete, highlighted by soft, indirect lighting. The name Metro was suggested by Massimo Vignelli, who designed the signage for the system as well as for the New York City Subway.
The , 83-station system was completed with the opening of the Green Line segment to Branch Avenue on January 13, 2001. This did not mean the end of the growth of the system: a extension of the Blue Line to and opened on December 18, 2004. The first infill station, (at the time called the New York Ave–Florida Ave–Gallaudet University station) on the Red Line between and , opened November 20, 2004. Construction began in March 2009 for an extension to Dulles Airport to be built in two phases. The first phase, five stations connecting East Falls Church to Tysons Corner and Wiehle Avenue in Reston, opened on July 26, 2014.
Metro construction required billions of federal dollars, originally provided by Congress under the authority of the National Capital Transportation Act of 1969. The cost was paid with 67% federal money and 33% local money. This act was amended on January 3, 1980, by the National Capital Transportation Amendment of 1979 (also known as the Stark-Harris Act), which authorized additional funding of $1.7 billion to permit the completion of of the system as provided under the terms of a full funding grant agreement executed with WMATA in July 1986, which required 20% to be paid from local funds. On November 15, 1990, the National Capital Transportation Amendments of 1990 authorized an additional $1.3 billion in federal funds for construction of the remaining of the system, completed via the execution of full funding grant agreements, with a 63% federal/37% local matching ratio.
In February 2006, Metro officials chose Randi Miller, a car dealership employee from Woodbridge, Virginia, to record new "doors opening", "doors closing", and "please stand clear of the doors, thank you" announcements after winning an open contest to replace the messages recorded by Sandy Carroll in 1996. The "Doors Closing" contest attracted 1,259 contestants from across the country.
Over the years, a lack of investment in Metro caused it to break down, and there have been several fatal incidents on the Washington Metro due to mismanagement and broken-down infrastructure. By 2016, according to "The Washington Post", on-time rates had dropped to 84%, and Metro service was frequently disrupted during rush hours because of a combination of equipment, rolling stock, track, and signal malfunctions. WMATA did not receive dedicated funding from the three jurisdictions it served, Maryland, Virginia, and D.C., until 2018.
Seeking to address negative perceptions of its performance, in 2016 WMATA announced an initiative called "Back2Good," focusing on addressing wide array of rider concerns, from improving safety to adding Internet access to stations and train tunnels.
In May 2018, Metro announced an extensive renovation of platforms at 20 stations across the system, spanning all lines except the Silver Line. The Blue and Yellow Lines south of Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport station were closed from May to September 2019, in what would be the longest line closure in Metro's history. The stations closed on May 25, 2019, and reopened on September 9, 2019. Additional stations would be repaired between 2020 and 2022, but the corresponding lines would not be closed completely. The project would cost $300 to $400 million and would be Metro's first major project since its construction. Coincidentally, the same set of stations were eventually closed again in 2022 for roughly eight weeks (closing on September 10, 2022, and reopening on November 6, 2022) while Metro worked on the infill station at Potomac Yard.
In March 2022, Metro announced that, beginning in September 2022, it would close the Yellow Line's bridge over the Potomac River for seven to eight months in order to complete repairs and rebuilding work on the bridge and the tunnel leading into the station at L'Enfant Plaza. Metro stated that this was the first major work that the tunnel and bridge in question had undergone since they were first constructed over forty years prior.
Opening dates.
The following is a list of opening dates for track segments and infill stations on the Washington Metro. The entries in the "from" and "to" columns correspond to the boundaries of the extension or station that opened on the specified date, and not to the terminals of the lines.
Rush+ and late-night service patterns.
On December 31, 2006, an 18-month pilot program began to extend service on the Yellow Line to Fort Totten over existing Green Line trackage. This extension was later made permanent. Starting June 18, 2012, the Yellow Line was extended again along existing track as part of the Rush+ program, with an extension to Greenbelt on the northern end and with several trains diverted to Franconia–Springfield on the southern end. These Rush+ extensions were discontinued on June 25, 2017.
In addition to expanding the system, Metro expanded the operating hours over the first 40 years. Though it originally opened with weekday-only service from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m, financial paperwork assumed prior to opening that it would eventually operate from 5 a.m. to 1 a.m. seven days a week. It never operated exactly on that schedule but the hours did expand, sometimes beyond that. On September 25, 1978, Metro extended its weekday closing time from 8 p.m. to midnight and 5 days later it started Saturday service from 8 a.m. to Midnight. Metrorail kicked off Sunday service from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on September 2, 1979, and on June 29, 1986, the Sunday closing time was pushed back to midnight. Metro started opening at 5:30 a.m., a half an hour earlier, on weekdays starting on July 1, 1988. On November 5, 1999, weekend service was extended to 1:00 a.m., and on June 30, 2000, it was expanded to 2:00 a.m. On July 5, 2003, weekend hours were extended again with the system opening an hour earlier, at 7:00 a.m. and closing an hour later at 3:00 a.m. On September 27, 2004, Metro again pushed weekday opening time an hour earlier, this time to 5 a.m.
Starting in 2016, Metro began to temporarily scale back service hours to allow for more maintenance. On June 3, 2016, they ended late-night weekend service with Metrorail closing at midnight. Hours were adjusted again the following year starting on June 25, 2017, with weeknight service ending a half-hour earlier at 11:30 p.m.; Sunday service trimmed to start an hour later – at 8 a.m. – and end an hour early at 11 p.m.; and late-night service partially restored to 1 a.m. The service schedule was approved until June 2019.
On January 29, 2020, Metro announced that it would be activating its pandemic response plans in preparation for the looming COVID-19 pandemic, which would be declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization on March 11. At that time, Metro announced that it would reduce its service hours from 5:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. on weekdays and 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. on weekends beginning on March 16 to accommodate for train cleaning and additional track work. As of 2022, pre-COVID service hours have been restored.
Busiest days.
The highest ridership for a single day was on the day of the first inauguration of Barack Obama, January 20, 2009, with 1.12 million riders. It broke the previous record, set the day before, of 866,681 riders. June 2008 set several ridership records: the single-month ridership record of 19,729,641 total riders, the record for highest average weekday ridership with 1,044,400 weekday trips, had five of the ten highest ridership days, and had 12 weekdays in which ridership exceed 800,000 trips. The Sunday record of 616,324 trips was set on January 18, 2009, during Obama's pre-inaugural events, the day the Obamas arrived in Washington and hosted a concert on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. It broke the record set on the 4th of July, 1999.
On January 21, 2017, the 2017 Women's March, set an all-time record in Saturday ridership with 1,001,616 trips.
The previous record was set on October 30, 2010, with 825,437 trips during the Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear. Prior to 2010, the record had been set on June 8, 1991, at 786,358 trips during the Desert Storm rally.
Architecture.
Many Metro stations were designed by Chicago architect Harry Weese, and are examples of late 20th century modern architecture. With their heavy use of exposed concrete and repetitive design motifs, Metro stations display aspects of Brutalist design. The stations also reflect the influence of Washington's neoclassical architecture in their overarching coffered ceiling vaults. Weese worked with Cambridge, Massachusetts-based lighting designer Bill Lam on the indirect lighting used throughout the system. All of Metro's original Brutalist stations are found in Downtown Washington, D.C. and neighboring urban corridors of Arlington, Virginia, while newer stations incorporate simplified cost-efficient designs.
In 2007, the design of the Metro's vaulted-ceiling stations was voted number 106 on the "America's Favorite Architecture" list compiled by the American Institute of Architects (AIA), and was the only Brutalist design to win a place among the 150 selected by this public survey.
In January 2014, the AIA announced that it would present its Twenty-five Year Award to the Washington Metro system for "an architectural design of enduring significance" that "has stood the test of time by embodying architectural excellence for 25 to 35 years". The announcement cited the key role of Weese, who conceived and implemented a "common design kit-of-parts", which continues to guide the construction of new Metro stations over a quarter-century later, albeit with designs modified slightly for cost reasons.
Beginning in 2003, canopies were added to existing exits of underground stations, due to the wear and tear seen on escalators due to exposure to the elements
System.
Since opening in 1976, the Metro network has grown to include six lines, 97 stations, and of route. The rail network is designed according to a spoke-hub distribution paradigm, with rail lines running between downtown Washington and its nearby suburbs. The system makes extensive use of interlining: running more than one service on the same track. There are six operating lines. The system's official map was designed by noted graphic designer Lance Wyman and Bill Cannan while they were partners in the design firm of Wyman & Cannan in New York City.
About of Metro's track is underground, as are 47 of the 97 stations. Track runs underground mostly within the District and high-density suburbs. Surface track accounts for about of the total, and aerial track makes up . The system operates on a track gauge of , which is narrower than but within the tolerance of standard-gauge railways.
The least time taken to travel through all 97 stations using only mass transit is 8 hours 54 minutes, a record set by travel blogger Lucas Wall on November 16, 2022, the first full day that Phase 2 of the Silver Line was in passenger operation.
In an effort to gain revenues, WMATA has started to allow retail ventures in Metro stations. WMATA has authorized DVD-rental vending machines and ticket booths for the Old Town Trolley Tours and is seeking additional retail tenants.
Financing.
Metro relies extensively on passenger fares and appropriated financing from the Maryland, Virginia, and Washington D.C., governments, which are represented on Metro's board of directors. In 2018, Maryland, Virginia and Washington D.C. agreed to contribute $500 million annually to Metro's capital budget. Until then, the system did not have a dedicated revenue stream as other cities' mass transit systems do. Critics allege that this has contributed to Metro's recent history of maintenance and safety problems.
For Fiscal Year 2019, the estimated farebox recovery ratio (fare revenue divided by operating expenses) was 62 percent, based on the WMATA approved budget.
Infrastructure.
Stations.
There are 40 stations in the District of Columbia, 15 in Prince George's County, 13 in Fairfax County, 11 in Montgomery County, 11 in Arlington County, 4 in the City of Alexandria, and 3 in Loudoun County. The six most recent stations were opened on November 15, 2022, completing Phase II of the Silver Line to , beyond in Virginia. At below the surface, the station on the Red Line is the deepest in the system. There are no escalators; high-speed elevators take 20 seconds to travel from the street to the station platform. The station, one stop to the north of the Forest Glen station, has the longest continuous escalator in the US and in the Western Hemisphere, at . The station is the deepest station on the Orange/Blue/Silver Line, at below street level. The station features the second-longest continuous escalator in the Metro system at ; an escalator ride between the street level and the mezzanine level takes nearly two minutes.
The system is not centered on any single station, but is at the intersection of the Red, Orange, Blue, and Silver Lines. The station is also the location of WMATA's main sales office, which closed in 2022. Metro has designated five other "core stations" that have high passenger volume, including: , transfer station for the Red, Green and Yellow Lines; , transfer station for the Orange, Blue, Silver, Green and Yellow Lines; , the busiest station by passenger boardings; ; and .
In order to deal with the high number of passengers in transfer stations, Metro is studying the possibility of building pedestrian connections between nearby core transfer stations. For example, a passage between Metro Center and Gallery Place stations would allow passengers to transfer between the Orange/Blue/Silver and Yellow/Green Lines without going one stop on the Red Line or taking a slight detour via L’Enfant Plaza. Another tunnel between Farragut West and Farragut North stations would allow transfers between the Red and Orange/Blue/Silver lines, decreasing transfer demand at Metro Center by an estimated 11%. The Farragut pedestrian tunnel has yet to be physically implemented, but was added in virtual form effective October 28, 2011: the SmarTrip system now interprets an exit from one Farragut station and entrance to the other as part of a single trip, allowing card holders to transfer on foot without having to pay a second full fare.
Rolling stock.
Metro's fleet consists of 1,318 rail cars, each long, with 1,290 in active revenue service as of February 2020. Though operating rules currently limit trains to (except on the Green line, where they can go up to , they have a maximum speed of , and average , including stops. All cars operate as married pairs (consecutively numbered even-odd with a cab at each end of the pair except 7000-series railcars), with systems shared across the pair.
"In the "Active railcars" table, font in bold represents the railcars that are currently in service, while the regular font represents cars that are temporarily out of service"
Metro's rolling stock was acquired in seven phases, and each version of car is identified with a separate series number.
The original order of 300 railcars (all of which have been retired as of July 1, 2017) was manufactured by Rohr Industries, with final delivery in 1978. These cars are numbered 1000–1299 and were rehabilitated in the mid-1990s.
Breda Costruzioni Ferroviarie (Breda), manufactured the second order of 76 cars delivered in 1983 and 1984. These cars, numbered 2000–2075, were rehabilitated in the early 2000s by Alstom in Hornell, New York.
A third order of 290 cars, also from Breda, were delivered between 1984 and 1988. These cars are numbered 3000–3289 and were rehabilitated by Alstom in the early 2000s.
A fourth order of 100 cars from Breda, numbered 4000–4099, were delivered between 1991 and 1994. All 4000-series cars were retired by July 1, 2017.
A fifth order of 192 cars was manufactured by Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles (CAF) of Spain. These cars are numbered 5000–5191 and were delivered from 2001 through 2004. Most 5000-series cars were retired in October 2018 and the last few in spring 2019.
A sixth order of 184 cars from Alstom Transportation, are numbered 6000–6183 and were delivered between 2005 and 2007. The cars have body shells built in Barcelona, Spain with assembly completed in Hornell, New York.
The 7000-series railcars, built by Kawasaki Heavy Industries Rolling Stock Company of Kobe, Japan, were delivered for on-site testing during winter 2013–2014, and first entered service on April 14, 2015, on the Blue Line. The cars are different from previous models in that while still operating as married pairs, the cab in one car is eliminated, turning it into a B car. This design allows for increased passenger capacity, elimination of redundant equipment, greater energy efficiency, and lower maintenance costs. The National Transportation Safety Board investigation of the fatal June 22, 2009 accident led it to conclude that the 1000-series cars are unsafe and unable to protect passengers in a crash. As a result, on July 26, 2010, Metro voted to purchase 300 7000-series cars, which replaced the remaining 1000-series cars. An additional 128 7000-series cars were also ordered to serve the Silver Line to Dulles Airport (64 for each phase). In April 2013, Metro placed another order for 100 7000-series cars, which replaced all of the 4000-series cars. On July 13, 2015, WMATA used their final option and purchased an additional 220 7000-series railcars for fleet expansion and to replace the 5000-series railcars, bringing the total order number to 748 railcars. On February 26, 2020, WMATA accepted the delivery of the final 7000-series car.
The 8000-series cars will be constructed by Hitachi Rail. While these railcars would have a similar appearance to the 7000-series, the 8000-series would include more features such as "smart doors" that detect obstruction, high-definition security cameras, more space between seats, wider aisles, and non-slip flooring. In September 2018, Metro issued a request for proposals from manufacturers for 256 railcars with options for a total of up to 800. The first order would replace the 2000 and 3000-series equipment, while the options, if selected, would allow the agency to increase capacity and retire the 6000-series.
Signaling and operation.
During normal passenger operation on revenue tracks, trains are designed to be controlled by an integrated Automatic Train Operation (ATO) and Automatic Train Control (ATC) system that accelerates and brakes trains automatically without operator intervention. All trains are still staffed with train operators who open and close the doors, make station announcements, and supervise their trains. The system was designed so that an operator could manually operate a train when necessary.
Since June 2009, when two Red Line trains collided and killed nine people due in part to malfunctions in the ATC system, all Metro trains have been manually operated. The current state of manual operation has led to heavily degraded service, with new manual requirements such as absolute blocks, speed restrictions, and end-of-platform stopping leading to increased headways between trains, increased dwell time, and worse on-time performance. Metro originally planned to have all trains be automated again by 2017, but those plans were shelved in early 2017 in order to focus on more pressing safety and infrastructure issues. In March 2023, Metro announced plans to re-automate the system by December of that year.
The train doors were originally designed to be opened and closed automatically and the doors would re-open if an object blocked them, much as elevator doors do. Almost immediately after the system opened in 1976 Metro realized these features were not conducive to safe or efficient operation and they were disabled. Metro began testing reinstating automatic train door opening in March 2019, citing delays and potential human error. If a door tries to close and it meets an obstruction, the operator must re-open the door.
Hours and headways.
Metrorail begins service at 5 am Monday through Friday, 7 am on Saturdays and Sundays; it ends service at Midnight Monday through Thursday, 1:00 am Friday and Saturday, and Midnight on Sundays, although the last trains leave the end stations inbound about half an hour before these times. Pre-pandemic, trains ran more frequently during rush hours on all lines, with scheduled peak hour headways of 4 minutes on the Red Line and 8 minutes on all other lines. Headways were much longer during midday and evening on weekdays and all day weekends. The midday six-minute headways were based on a combination of two Metrorail lines (Orange/Blue and Yellow/Green) as each route could run every 12 minutes; in the case of the Red Line, every other train bound for Glenmont terminated at Silver Spring instead. Night and weekend service varied between 8 and 20 minutes, with trains generally scheduled only every 15 to 20 minutes.
Other service truncations also occur in the system during rush hour service only. On the Red Line, every other train bound for Shady Grove terminated at until December 2018, in addition to the alternating terminations at Silver Spring mentioned above. For the Yellow Line, all trains bound for terminate at . These are primarily instituted due to a limited supply of rail cars and the locations of pocket tracks throughout the system. However, as of 2022, both Red Line service truncations have ended, and the Yellow Line serves all stations to at all times.
Until 1999, Metro ended service at midnight every night, and weekend service began at 8 am. That year, WMATA began late-night service on Fridays and Saturdays until 1 am. By 2007, with encouragement from businesses, that closing time had been pushed back to 3 am, with peak fares in effect for entries after midnight. There were plans floated to end late-night service due to costs in 2011, but they were met with resistance by riders.
WMATA temporarily discontinued late night rail service on May 30, 2016, so that Metro can conduct an extensive track rehabilitation program in an effort to improve the system's reliability.
On June 25, 2017, Metro cut its hours of operation with closing at 11:30 PM Monday–Thursday, 1 AM on Friday and Saturday, and 11 PM on Sunday, with the last trains leaving the end stations inbound about half an hour before these times. As of 2022, the pre-2017 service hours have been restored.
Special service patterns.
Metro runs special service patterns on holidays and when events in Washington may require additional service. Independence Day activities require Metro to adjust service to provide extra capacity to and from the National Mall. WMATA makes similar adjustments during other events, such as presidential inaugurations. Due to security concerns related to the January 6 United States Capitol attack, several Metro stations were closed for the 2021 Inauguration. Metro has altered service and used some stations as entrances or exits only to help manage congestion.
Rush Plus.
In 2012, WMATA announced enhanced rush period service that was implemented on June 18, 2012, under the name "Rush+" (or "Rush Plus"). Rush Plus service occurred only during portions of peak service: 6:30–9:00 AM and 3:30–6:00 PM, Monday through Friday.
The Rush+ realignment was intended to free up space in the Rosslyn Portal (the tunnel between Rosslyn and Foggy Bottom), which operates at full capacity already. When Silver Line service began, those trains would be routed through the tunnel, and so some of what were Blue Line trains to were now diverted across the Fenwick Bridge to become Yellow Line trains running all the way along the Green Line to . Select Yellow Line trains running south diverted along the Blue Line to (as opposed to the normal Yellow line terminus at ). Until the start of Silver Line service, excess Rosslyn Tunnel capacity was used by additional Orange Line trains that traveled along the Blue Line to Largo (as opposed to the normal Orange Line terminus at ). Rush+ had the additional effect of giving some further number of passengers transfer-free journeys, though severely increasing headways for the portion of the Blue Line running between and . In May 2017, Metro announced that Yellow Rush+ service would be eliminated effective June 25, 2017.
COVID-19 and 7000-series derailment.
Headways have been lengthened as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic in Washington D.C. starting early 2020. Near-pre-pandemic service was restored at times until October 2021, but due to the 7000-series derailment near Arlington Cemetery, and subsequent removal of all 7000-series cars from service (which made up 60% of the WMATA fleet), headways were lengthened again to every 15 minutes on the Red Line and every 30 minutes on all other lines beginning October 19, 2021.
, headways were every 8 minutes on the Green Line, every 10 minutes on the Red Line, and every 15 minutes on the Orange, Silver and Blue Lines; the Yellow Line was shut down. Additional Blue Plus service operated every 15 minutes between Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and New Carrollton. The headways were the same during weekends and late nights; there was no extra rush hour service due to the ongoing train shortage.
, Red Line weekday rush hour (6-9am, 3-7pm) headways were increased to every 8 minutes to alleviate crowding.
Passenger information systems.
A Passenger Information Display System (PIDS) was installed in all Metrorail stations in 2000. Displays are located on all track platforms and at the mezzanine entrances of stations. They provide real-time information on next train arrivals, including the line, destination, number of cars in the train, and estimated wait time. The displays also show information about delayed trains, emergency announcements, and other bulletins. The signs were upgraded in 2013 to better reflect Rush Plus and Silver Line schedules, and to prioritize next-train arrival information over other announcements. New digital PIDS signs were installed at the six stations south of National Airport in summer 2019 as part of the Platform Improvement Project.
WMATA also provides current train and related information to customers with conventional web browsers, as well as users of smartphones and other mobile devices. In 2010 Metro began sharing its PIDS data with outside software developers, for use in creating additional real-time applications for mobile devices. Free apps are available to the public on major mobile device software platforms (iOS, Android, Windows Phone, Palm). WMATA also began providing real-time train information by phone in 2010.
Fare structure.
Riders enter and exit the system using a stored-value card in the form of a proximity card known as SmarTrip. The fare is deducted from the balance of the card when exiting. SmarTrip cards can be purchased at station vending machines, online or at retail outlets, and can store up to $300 in value. Metro also accepts Baltimore's CharmCard, a similar contactless payment card system.
Metro fares vary based on the distance traveled and the time of day at entry. During peak hours (weekdays from opening until 9:30 a.m. and 3–7 p.m.), fares (effective 2017) range from $2.25 to $6.00, depending on distance traveled. At all other times, fares range from $2.00 to $3.85 based on distance traveled. Discounted fares are available for school children, people with disabilities, and senior citizens. Metro charges off-peak fares on all federal holidays.
Parking fees at Metro stations range from $3.00 to $5.20 on weekdays for riders; non-rider fees range from $3.00 to $10.00. Parking is free on Saturdays, Sundays, and federal holidays.
Since June 25, 2017, the first fare hike in three years, peak-period rail fares increased 10 cents, with $2.25 as the new minimum and $6.00 as the maximum one-way fare. Off-peak fares rose 25 cents, to a $2.00 minimum and $3.85 maximum, as will bus fares. A new one-day unlimited rail/bus pass became available for $14.75, which is presently available for $13.00.
Passengers may purchase passes at farecard vending machines. Passes are loaded onto the same SmarTrip cards as stored value, but grant riders unlimited travel within the system for a certain period of time. The period of validity starts with the first use. Four types of passes are currently sold:
In addition, Metro sells the Monthly Unlimited Pass, formerly called SelectPass, available for purchase online only by registered SmarTrip cardholders, valid for trips up to a specified value for a specific calendar month, with the balance being deducted from the card's cash value similarly to the Short Trip Pass. The pass is priced based on 18 days of round-trip travel.
Users can add value to any farecard. Riders pay an exit fare based on time of day and distance traveled. Trips may include segments on multiple lines under one fare as long as the rider does not exit the faregates, with the exception of the "Farragut Crossing" out-of-station interchange between the and stations. At Farragut Crossing, riders may exit from one station and reenter at the other within 30 minutes on a single fare. When making a trip that uses Metrobus and Metrorail, a 50-cent discount is available when using a SmarTrip card.
When entering and exiting at the same station, users are normally charged a minimum fare ($2.25 peak / $2.00 off-peak). However, since July 1, 2016, users have had a 15-minute grace period to exit the station; those who do so will receive a rebate of the amount paid as an autoload to their SmarTrip card.
Students at District of Columbia public schools ride both Metrobus and Metrorail for free.
Fare history.
The contract for Metro's fare collection system was awarded in 1975 to Cubic Transportation Systems. Electronic fare collection using paper magnetic stripe cards started on July 1, 1977, a little more than a year after the first stations opened. Prior to electronic fare collection, exact change fareboxes were used. Metro's historic paper farecard system is also shared by Bay Area Rapid Transit, which Cubic won a contract for in 1974. Any remaining value stored on the paper cards was printed on the card at each exit, and passes were printed with the expiration date.
Several adjustments were made to shift the availability of passes from paper tickets to SmarTrip cards in 2012 and 2013. In May 2014 Metro announced plans to retrofit more than 500 fare vending machines throughout the system to dispense SmarTrip cards, rather than paper fare cards, and eventually eliminate magnetic fare cards entirely. This was completed in early December 2015 when the last paper farecard was sold. The faregates stopped accepting paper farecards on March 6, 2016, and the last day for trading in farecards to transfer the value to SmarTrip was June 30, 2016.
Safety and security.
Security.
Metro planners designed the system with passenger safety and order maintenance as primary considerations. The open vaulted ceiling design of stations and the limited obstructions on platforms allow few opportunities to conceal criminal activity. Station platforms are built away from station walls to limit vandalism and provide for diffused lighting of the station from recessed lights. Metro's attempts to reduce crime, combined with how the station environments were designed with crime prevention in mind, have contributed to Metro being among the safest and cleanest subway systems in the United States. There are nearly 6,000 video surveillance cameras used across the system to enhance security.
Metro is patrolled by its own police force, which is charged with ensuring the safety of passengers and employees. Transit Police officers patrol the Metro and Metrobus systems, and they have jurisdiction and arrest powers throughout the Metro service area for crimes that occur on or against transit authority facilities, or within of a Metrobus stop. The Metro Transit Police Department is one of two U.S. police agencies that has local police authority in three "state"-level jurisdictions (Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia), the U.S. Park Police being the other.
Each city and county in the Metro service area has similar ordinances that regulate or prohibit vending on Metro-owned property, and which prohibit riders from eating, drinking, or smoking in Metro trains, buses, and stations; the Transit Police have a reputation for enforcing these laws rigorously. One widely publicized incident occurred in October 2000 when police arrested 12-year-old Ansche Hedgepeth for eating french fries in the station. In a 2004 opinion by John Roberts, now Chief Justice of the United States, the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld Hedgepeth's arrest. By then WMATA had answered negative publicity by adopting a policy of first issuing warnings to juveniles, and arresting them only after three violations within a year.
Metro's zero tolerance policy on food, trash and other sources of disorder embodies the "broken windows" philosophy of crime reduction. This philosophy also extends to the use of station restroom facilities. A longstanding policy, intended to curb unlawful and unwanted activity, has been to only allow employees to use Metro restrooms. One widely publicized example of this was when a pregnant woman was denied access to the bathroom by a station manager at the station. Metro now allows the use of restrooms by passengers who gain a station manager's permission, except during periods of heightened terror alerts.
On January 22, 2019, the D.C. Council voted 11–2 to override Mayor Muriel Bowser's veto of the Fare Evasion Decriminalization Act, setting the penalty for fare evasion at a $50 civil fine, a reduction from the previous criminal penalty of a fine up to $300 and 10 days in jail.
Random bag searches.
On October 27, 2008, the Metro Transit Police Department announced plans to immediately begin random searches of backpacks, purses, and other bags. Transit police would search riders at random before boarding a bus or entering a station. It also explained its intent to stop anyone acting suspiciously. Metro claims that "Legal authority to inspect packages brought into the Metro system has been established by the court system on similar types of inspections in mass transit properties, airports, military facilities and courthouses." Metro Transit Police Chief Michael Taborn stated that, if someone were to turn around and simply enter the system through another escalator or elevator, Metro has "a plan to address suspicious behavior". Security expert Bruce Schneier characterized the plan as "security theater against a movie plot threat" and does not believe random bag searches actually improve security.
The Metro Riders' Advisory Council recommended to WMATA's board of directors that Metro hold at least one public meeting regarding the search program. , Metro had not conducted a single bag search.
In 2010 Metro once again announced that it would implement random bag searches, and conducted the first such searches on December 21, 2010. The searches consist of swabbing bags and packages for explosive residue, and X-raying or opening any packages which turned up positive. On the first day of searches, at least one false positive for explosives was produced, which Metro officials indicated could occur for a variety of reasons including if a passenger had recently been in contact with firearms or been to a firing range. The D.C. Bill of Rights Coalition and the Montgomery County Civil Rights Coalition circulated a petition against random bag searches, taking the position that the practice violates the Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution and would not improve security. On January 3, 2011, Metro held a public forum for the searches at a Metro Riders' Advisory Council meeting, at which more than 50 riders spoke out, most of them in opposition to the searches. However at the meeting Metro officials called random bag inspections a "success" and claimed that few riders had complained.
After a prolonged absence, , bag searches have resumed at random stations throughout the Washington Metro area.
Safety.
Accidents and incidents.
Several collisions have occurred on Washington Metro, resulting in injuries and fatalities, along with numerous derailments with few or no injuries. WMATA has been criticized for disregarding safety warnings and advice from experts. The Tri-State Oversight Committee oversaw WMATA, but had no regulatory authority. Metro's safety department is usually in charge of investigating incidents, but could not require other Metro departments to implement its recommendations. Following several safety lapses, the Federal Transit Administration assumed oversight at WMATA.
Collisions.
During the Blizzard of 1996, on January 6, a Metro operator was killed when a train failed to stop at the station. The four-car train overran the station platform and struck an unoccupied train that was awaiting assignment. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigation found that the crash was a result of a failure in the train's computer-controlled braking system. The NTSB recommended that Metro grant train operators the ability to manually control the braking system, even in inclement weather, and recommended that Metro prohibit parked rail cars on tracks used by incoming outbound trains.
On November 3, 2004, an out-of-service Red Line train rolled backwards into the station, hitting an in-service train stopped at the platform. The rear car (1077) was telescoped by the first car of the standing train (4018). No one died, 20 people were injured. A 14-month investigation concluded that the train operator was most likely not alert as the train rolled backwards into the station. Safety officials estimated that had the train been full, at least 79 people would have died. The train operator was dismissed and Metro officials agreed to add rollback protection to more than 300 rail cars.
On June 22, 2009, at 5:02 pm, two trains on the Red Line collided. A southbound train heading toward Shady Grove stopped on the track short of the Fort Totten station and another southbound train collided with its rear. The front car of the moving train (1079) was telescoped by the rear car of the standing train (5066), and passengers were trapped. Nine people died and more than 70 were injured, dozens of whom were described as "walking wounded". Red Line service was suspended between the Fort Totten and Takoma stations, and New Hampshire Avenue was closed. One of the dead was the operator of the train that collided with the stopped train.
On November 29, 2009, at 4:27 am, two trains collided at the West Falls Church train yard. One train pulled in and collided with the back of the other train. No customers were aboard, and only minor injuries to the operators and cleaning staff were reported. However, three cars (1106, 1171, and 3216) were believed to be damaged beyond repair.
Derailments.
On January 13, 1982, a train derailed at a malfunctioning crossover switch south of the station. In attempting to restore the train to the rails, supervisors failed to notice that another car had also derailed. The other rail car slid off the track and hit a tunnel support, killing three people and injuring 25 in its first fatal crash. Coincidentally, this crash occurred about 30 minutes after Air Florida Flight 90 crashed into the nearby 14th Street Bridge during a major snowstorm.
On January 20, 2003, during construction of a new canopy at the station, Metro began running trains through the center track even though it had not been constructed for standard operations, and a Blue Line train derailed at the switch. No injuries resulted but the crash delayed construction by a number of weeks.
On January 7, 2007, a Green Line train carrying approximately 120 people derailed near the station in downtown Washington. Trains were single-tracking at the time, and the derailment of the fifth car occurred where the train was switching from the south to northbound track. The crash injured at least 18 people and prompted the rescue of 60 people from a tunnel. At least one person had a serious but non-life-threatening injury. The incident was one of a series of five derailments involving 5000-series cars, with four of those occurring on side tracks and not involving passengers.
On June 9, 2008, an Orange Line train (2000-series) derailed between the Rosslyn and Court House stations.
On March 27, 2009, a Red Line train derailed just before 4:30 pm just south of station causing delays but no injuries. A second train was sent to move the first train but it too derailed when it was about from the first train.
On February 12, 2010, a Red Line train derailed at about 10:13 am as it left the station in downtown Washington. After leaving the station, the train entered the pocket track north of the station. As it continued, an automatic derailer at the end of the pocket track intentionally derailed the train as a safety measure. If the train had continued moving forward on the pocket track, it would have entered the path of an oncoming train. The wheels of the first two cars in the six-car, White-Flint-bound train were forced off the tracks, stopping the train. Almost all of the estimated 345 passengers were evacuated from the damaged train by 11:50 am and the NTSB arrived on the scene by noon. Two minor injuries were reported, and a third passenger was taken to George Washington University Hospital. The NTSB ruled the crash was due to the train operator's failure to follow standard procedures and WMATA management for failure to provide proper supervision of the train operator which resulted in the incomplete configuration of the train identification and destination codes leading to the routing of the train into the pocket track.
On April 24, 2012, around 7:15 pm, a Blue Line train bound for Franconia–Springfield derailed near Rosslyn. No injuries were reported. On July 6, 2012, around 4:45 pm, a Green Line train bound for downtown Washington, D.C. and Branch Avenue derailed near West Hyattsville. No injuries were reported. A heat kink, due to the hot weather, was identified as the probable cause of the accident.
On August 6, 2015, a non-passenger train derailed outside the station. The track condition that caused the derailment had been detected a month earlier but was not repaired. On July 29, 2016, a Silver Line train heading in the direction of Wiehle–Reston East station derailed outside East Falls Church station. Service was suspended between Ballston and West Falls Church and McLean stations on the Orange and Silver Lines. On September 1, 2016, Metro announced the derailment of an empty six-car train in the Alexandria Rail Yard. No injuries or service interruptions were reported and an investigation is ongoing.
On January 15, 2018, a Red Line train derailed between the Farragut North and Metro Center stations. No injuries were reported. This was the first derailment of the new 7000-series trains.
On July 7, 2020, a 7000-series Red line train derailed one wheelset on departure from Silver Spring around 11:20 in the morning.
On October 12, 2021, a 7000-series Blue Line train derailed outside the Arlington Cemetery station. This forced the evacuation of all 187 passengers on board with no reported injuries. Cause of the derailment was initially stated to be an axle not up to specifications and resulted in sidelining the entire 7000-series fleet of trains, approximately 60% of WMATA's current trains through Friday, October 29, 2021, for further inspection. On October 28, 2021, WMATA announced that the system would continue running at a reduced capacity through November 15, 2021 as further investigation took place.
The inspection determined a defect causes the car's wheels to be pushed outward. As of July 2022, the system was still running without most 7000-series cars. Workers manually inspect wheels on eight trains daily to catch the defect before it becomes problematic; the remaining cars are out of service pending an automated fix.
Safety measures.
On July 13, 2009, WMATA adopted a "zero tolerance" policy for train or bus operators found to be texting or using other hand-held devices while on the job. This new and stricter policy came after investigations of several mass-transit accidents in the U.S. found that operators were texting at the time of the accident. The policy change was announced the day after a passenger of a Metro train videotaped the operator texting while operating the train.
Smoke incidents.
On January 12, 2015, during early evening rush, a Yellow Line train stopped in the tunnel and filled with smoke just after departing L'Enfant Plaza for Pentagon due to "an electrical arcing event" ahead in the tunnel. Everyone on board was evacuated; 84 people were taken to hospitals and one person died.
On March 14, 2016, an electrified rail caught fire between McPherson Square and Farragut West, causing significant disruptions on the Blue, Orange, and Silver lines. Two days later, the entire Metro system was shut down so its electric rail power grid could be inspected.
Future expansion.
WMATA expects an average of one million riders daily by 2030. The need to increase capacity has renewed plans to add 220 cars to the system and reroute trains to alleviate congestion at the busiest stations. Population growth in the region has also revived efforts to extend service, build new stations, and construct additional lines.
Potomac Yard station.
In 2008 officials began to explore the possibility of adding an infill station called in the Potomac Yard area of Alexandria, on the Blue and Yellow Lines between the and stations. In 2010 the Alexandria City Council approved a portion of the proposed $240 million construction of the station. Construction started in December 2019 and the station is expected to open in May 2023.
Planned or proposed projects.
Line extensions.
The original plan called for ten "future extensions" on top of the core system. The Red Line would have been extended from the Rockville station northwest to Germantown, Maryland. The Green Line would have been lengthened northward from the to Laurel, Maryland, and southward from the to Brandywine, Maryland. The Blue Line initially consisted of a southwestern branch to Backlick Road and Burke, Virginia, which was never built. The Orange Line would have extended westward through Northern Virginia past the Vienna station to Centreville or Haymarket, and northeastward past to Bowie, Maryland. Alternatively, the Blue Line would have been extended east past Largo Town Center to Bowie. The future Silver Line was also included in this proposal.
In 2001, officials considered realigning the Blue Line between and stations by building a bridge or tunnel from Virginia to a new station in Georgetown. Blue Line trains share a single tunnel with Orange Line and Silver Line trains to cross the Potomac River. The current tunnel limits service in each direction, creating a choke point. The proposal was later rejected due to cost, but Metro again started considering a similar scenario in 2011.
In 2005 the Department of Defense announced that it would be shifting 18,000 jobs to Fort Belvoir in Virginia and at least 5,000 jobs to Fort Meade in Maryland by 2012, as part of that year's Base Realignment and Closure plan. In anticipation of such a move, local officials and the military proposed extending the Blue and Green Lines to service each base. The proposed extension of the Green Line could cost $100 million per mile ($60 million per kilometer), and a light rail extension to Fort Belvoir was estimated to cost up to $800 million. Neither proposal has established timelines for planning or construction.
The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) announced on January 18, 2008, that it and the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation (DRPT) had begun work on a draft environmental impact statement (EIS) for the I-66 corridor in Fairfax and Prince William counties. According to VDOT the EIS, officially named the I-66 Multimodal Transportation and Environment Study, would focus on improving mobility along I-66 from the Capital Beltway (I-495) interchange in Fairfax County to the interchange with U.S. Route 15 in Prince William County. The EIS also allegedly includes a four-station extension of the Orange Line past Vienna. The extension would continue to run in the I-66 median and would have stations at Chain Bridge Road, Fair Oaks, Stringfellow Road and Centreville near Virginia Route 28 and U.S. Route 29. In its final report published June 8, 2012, the study and analysis revealed that an "extension would have a minimal impact on Metrorail ridership and volumes on study area roadways inside the Beltway and would therefore not relieve congestion in the study corridor."
In 2011 Metro began studying the needs of the system through 2040. WMATA subsequently published a study on the alternatives, none of which were funded for planning or construction. New Metro rail lines and extensions under consideration as part of this long-term plan included:
In September 2021, a report on the capacity improvements of Blue/Orange/Silver lines recommended converting the Blue Line into a circle line, extending it to National Harbor and Alexandria. The proposed extension starts from a new station at , continues to Georgetown through a new tunnel under the Potomac River, then runs under the M street NE, just north of the existing Blue/Orange/Silver central segment, to the new . Then it turns south to the Navy Yard and National Harbor, and crosses the Woodrow Wilson Bridge to Alexandria, connecting at on the current Yellow Line, which is re-routed to . Three alternative routes are also considered, including a Blue Line extension to , a Silver Line Express service from to with an extension to , and a Silver Line extension to ; they use the same central segment layout from Rosslyn to Union Station through Georgetown. NBC4 Washington further reported on the proposed loop in December 2022. At the time, there was a crowding problem at the Rosslyn station, and the proposed Blue Line loop could be the solution to solve this crowding problem. WMATA planned to publish a final design sometime in 2023.”
Individual and infill stations.
Before construction on Metro began, a proposed station was put forward for the Kennedy Center. Congress had already approved the construction of a station on the Orange/Blue/Silver Lines at 23rd and H Streets, near George Washington University, at the site of what is now Foggy Bottom station. According to a "Washington Post" article from February 1966, rerouting the line to accommodate a station under the center would cost an estimated $12.3 million. The National Capital Transportation Agency's administrator, Walter J. McCarter, suggested that the Center "may wish to enhance the relationship to the station by constructing a pleasant, above-ground walkway from the station to the Center," referring to the soon-to-be-built Foggy Bottom station. Rep. William B. Widnall, Republican of New Jersey, used it as an opportunity to push for moving the center to a central, downtown location.
The 2011 Metro transit-needs study identified five additional sites where infill stations could be built. These included Kansas Avenue and Montgomery College on the Red Line, respectively in Northwest D.C. and Rockville, Maryland; Oklahoma Avenue on the Blue, Orange, and Silver Lines near the D.C. Armory in Northeast D.C.; Eisenhower Valley on the Blue Line in Alexandria, Virginia; and the St. Elizabeths Hospital campus on the Green Line in Southeast D.C.
Related non-WMATA projects.
A number of light rail and urban streetcar projects are under construction or have been proposed to extend or supplement service provided by Metro. The Purple Line, a light rail system, is under construction as of 2023 and is scheduled to open in 2026. The project was originally envisioned as a circular heavy rail line connecting the outer stations on each branch of the Metrorail system, in a pattern roughly mirroring the Capital Beltway. The current project will run between the and stations by way of and College Park. The Purple Line will connect both branches of the Red Line to the Green/Yellow and Orange Lines, and would decrease the travel time between suburban Metro stations.
The Corridor Cities Transitway (CCT) is a proposed bus rapid transit line that would link Clarksburg, Maryland, in northern Montgomery County with the station on the Red Line. Assuming that the anticipated federal, state, and local government funds are provided, construction of the first of the system would begin in 2018.
In 2005, a Maryland lawmaker proposed a light rail system to connect areas of Southern Maryland, especially the rapidly growing area around the town of Waldorf, to the station on the Green Line.
The District of Columbia Department of Transportation is building the new D.C. Streetcar system to improve transit connectivity within the District. A tram line to connect Bolling Air Force Base to the station and was originally expected to open in 2010. Streetcar routes have been proposed in the Atlas District, Capitol Hill, and the K Street corridor. After seven years of construction, the Atlas District route, known as the H/Benning Street route, opened on February 27, 2016.
In 2013, the Georgetown Business Improvement District proposed a gondola lift between Georgetown and Rosslyn as an alternative to placing a Metro stop at Georgetown in its 2013–2028 economic plans. Washington, D.C and Arlington County have been conducting feasibility studies for it since 2016. |
Tom Vandergriff
Tommy Joe Vandergriff (January 29, 1926December 30, 2010) was a politician from Texas. He served as Mayor of Arlington from 1951 to 1977, as a U.S. Representative from from 1983 to 1985, and as County Judge of Tarrant County from 1991 to 2007. For the greater part of his life, Vandergriff was a Democrat, but he became a Republican around 1990.
As Mayor, he was instrumental in several projects, including a new General Motors assembly plant, moving a Major League Baseball franchise to Arlington, and the opening of Six Flags over Texas.
Early life and education.
Tom Vandergriff was born in Carrollton, Texas on January 29, 1926. His father, William Thomas "Hooker" Vandergriff was a prominent businessman who operated a local car dealership with his father, John Thomas Vandergriff. In 1937, Hooker and his wife, Charles Pleasant Mayes, moved the family to nearby Arlington to open a new downtown Chevrolet dealership. At the time, Arlington was just with 3,500 residents.
Growing up, Vandergriff suffered from a speech impediment. With the help of a speech therapist, he overcame the disability and developed an interest in oratory and a deep, baritone voice.
By the time Vandergriff was 16 years old, he applied to work as a radio broadcaster for KFJZ in Fort Worth, which was operated by Elliot Roosevelt, the son of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Vandergriff had sent an audition tape to the station, who hired him before learning of his age.
In 1947, Vandergriff graduated from the University of Southern California earning a bachelor's degree in broadcast journalism. After graduating, he auditioned for a position at KNX radio in Los Angeles, only to lose the job to Chet Huntley. Huntley would go on to co-anchor the NBC evening news program, The Huntley-Brinkley Report.
Feeling a sense of rejection, Vandergriff moved back to Arlington to work for his father's Chevrolet dealership. Two years later, in 1949, he married his high school sweetheart, Anna Waynette Smith, and later that year became president of the Arlington Chamber of Commerce.
Mayor of Arlington.
During his 26 years as Mayor of Arlington from 1951 to 1977, Tom Vandergriff brought a General Motors assembly plant into Arlington, brought the Washington Senators to Arlington as the Texas Rangers, saw Arlington State College elevated to University status and become The University of Texas at Arlington, helped create the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, and saw Arlington grow from about 8,000 people to over 120,000. Vandergriff served as founding president of the North Central Texas Council of Governments, as the first chair of the Texas Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations, and as a member of Lyndon B. Johnson's White House Commission on Urban Problems.
Arlington Memorial Hospital
In 1958, the Vandergriff family spearheaded the original fund-raising effort and donated the land to construct Arlington's first hospital, Arlington Memorial Hospital. In honor of their contributions, the hospital dedicated the Vandergriff Professional Building on campus.
Tom Vandergriff served as the hospital board chairman for more than 35 years, and in 2007, the Tom Vandergriff Surgical Tower was named in his honor.
Arlington's Sister City
Following the aftermath of World War II, Allied forces divided Germany into sectors. The Bavarian town of Bad Königshofen fell just three miles west of the Soviet Sector. As the threat of Communism grew, refugees fled across the border, overwhelming the small farming community of just 5,000 residents. In 1951, Vandergriff and the City of Arlington voted to adopt Bad Königshofen as Arlington's sister city and organized a charity drive called "Let Freedom Ring." On February 1, 1952, hundreds of Arlington residents gathered downtown to launch the first of numerous relief shipment – 12 tons of food, clothing and supplies loaded in railroad boxcars.
In honor of the long-standing friendship, Bad Königshofen named the town's only municipal park after Arlington with the city's "Flying A" logo carved into a 14-ton stone. In return, Arlington constructed the Bad Königshofen Recreation Area at S.J. Stovall Park. Today, Arlington holds its annual Christkindl market in December. The event was inspired from a city visit to Bad Königshofen in 2011. Arlington's Christkindl market has grown into the largest of its kind in the South, with approximately 100,000 visitors in 2013.
The University of Texas at Arlington
Tom Vandergriff was one of the driving influences behind the transformation of Arlington State College (ASC) into The University of Texas at Arlington.
Throughout the 1950s, Mayor Vandergriff and Arlington State College led campaigns to turn the two-year college into a four-year university, which at the time was an affiliate of Texas A&M University. In 1951, 1955, and 1957, the school sent bills to the Texas Legislature with no success. But, on April 27, 1959, Governor Price Daniel finally signed the bill making ASC a four-year university. Vandergriff later recalled the signing of the bill "one of the most satisfying moments of his life."
In the early 1960s, the 50-year relationship between Arlington State College and Texas A&M began to deteriorate over issues regarding graduate school and the construction of new facilities. In 1965, Mayor Vandergriff worked with State Senator Don Kenard to remove Arlington State College from Texas A&M and transfer the school to the University of Texas System. On April 23, 1965, Governor John Connally signed the bill officially transferring ASC to the University of Texas System. Later in 1967, the school was renamed The University of Texas at Arlington.
Six Flags Over Texas
While attending the University of Southern California, Vandergriff became fascinated with the post-war growth of the greater Los Angeles area, particularly with Anaheim. Disneyland first opened in 1955 and by 1960 the city was to be awarded a Major League Baseball expansion franchise. Vandergriff felt that Arlington could also be the beneficiary of such development and become an entertainment destination as well.
In 1958, Vandergriff met with Walt Disney in an attempt to persuade him into building a second Disneyland park. At the urging of Vandergriff, developer Angus Wynne Jr. and the Great Southwest Corp. offered Mr. Disney the land for the project, but Disney ultimately rejected the offer. Instead, Wynne chose to develop the park on his own calling it Texas Under Six Flags.
In August 1961, the $10 million theme park opened its gates to the public under a new name, Six Flags Over Texas. Since then, the park has attracted 3 million visitors each year and has become a nationally recognized brand.
Seven Seas
With the success of Six Flags Over Texas, Mayor Vandergriff wanted to capitalize on Arlington's entertainment district and build a second theme park that would flank Turnpike Stadium (later renamed Arlington Stadium). In the late 1960s, Vandergriff approached Walter Knott of Knott's Berry Farm about building a similar park in Arlington. When Knott declined, he suggested Vandergriff explore the newly built marine park in San Diego, SeaWorld. Founder George Millay also rejected Vandergriff's offer. With a marine park in mind, Vandergriff turned back to Angus G. Wynne of Six Flags with the idea. Vandergriff and Wynne agreed that Arlington would finance the building of the park and Wynne would design and operate it.
In 1972, Seven Seas opened it gates to the public. The park was located directly next to Turnpike Stadium, adjacent to Six Flags. Similar to SeaWorld, the park featured birds, elephant seals, dolphins, and a killer whale named Newtka. By the time the park opened, the project had cost the city $10 million, $2.4 million over budget. The park lost $500,000 in its first season and continued with losses of $462,000 in 1973 and $516,000 in 1974. Then in 1975, SeaWorld and George Millay, who initially refused to listen to Vandergriff, offered to purchase Seven Seas for the 1975 season, provided the city sell the animals to him for $125,000. The city agreed and Millay remodeled the park hoping to boost attendance. But, the park ended up losing money, once again, and the park was forced to close in 1976. Vandergriff took much of the responsibility for the park's failure and worried the debacle would one day damage his achievements.
Resignation
During a regularly scheduled council meeting in January 1977, Vandergriff unexpectedly announced his resignation, effective immediately. Vandergriff's 13th term would be expiring that April, and had he resigned earlier, a special election would have been required to fill the remainder of the term. Vandergriff purposely waited within 90 days in order to avoid the city from having to finance a special election. Mayor Pro Tem S.J. Stovall succeeded Vandergriff to fill the remainder of the term. He would go on to win the general election and serve six terms
U.S. House of Representatives.
Election of 1982
Prior to the 1982 election, both political parties heavily lobbied Vandergriff to run on their respective tickets in the newly formed 26th District. The district lines were set up to favor a Republican, having been carried by President Reagan with 67.1 percent of the vote in 1980, but Vandergriff ultimately chose to run as a Democrat. His opponent was Republican candidate Jim Bradshaw, who had previously run for District 12, but lost to incumbent Jim Wright then serving as House Majority Leader.
Despite personal campaigning from Vice President George H. W. Bush, Bradshaw lost the election to Vandergriff by only 436 votes. The race was so close, Bradshaw asked for a recount. But, Vandergriff's election was confirmed, having won 50.1% of the vote, by a newly counted 344 votes.
98th Congress
Tom Vandergriff was sworn into the 98th Congress on January 3, 1983. He was assigned to the Public Works and Transportation Committee, serving on the Subcommittees on Aviation and Surface Transportation, as well as the Select Aging Committee and the Small Business Committee.
During his term in Congress, Vandergriff favored a decrease in congressional salaries, advocated for better military service benefits, and supported Texas Instruments efforts to keep the $7 million HARM program. Known as a conservative Democrat, Vandergriff often broke party lines, even voting against his party's 1984 alternative budget, which included a $174 billion deficit.
"Equal Rights Amendment"
In 1983, Vandergriff co-sponsored a revival of the Equal Rights Amendment with full support from Speaker of the House Tip O'Neill. The bill contained nine amendments, most notably pertaining to issues of abortion and women's military service.
The bill was ultimately shot down in the house because it did not receive two-thirds majority vote. In a last-ditch effort to push the bill through, O’Neil broke procedure and brought the bill to the floor by suspending House rules, which would thus not allow for any amendments to be included. Disappointed by the break in procedure, Vandergriff, along with 13 other co-sponsors from both political parties, reversed course and withdrew support from the bill.
"Military spending in Nicaragua"
In 1983, Majority Leader Jim Wright and Speaker O’Niell proposed an annual intelligence authorization bill opposed by President Reagan that would defund undercover U.S. military aid to the Nicaraguan rebel group fighting the Sandanistas government. Vandergriff, once again, broke party lines and supported President Reagan. The bill would go on to pass by a 228-195 vote.
Election of 1984 and defeat
In 1983, a House redistricting committee approved a bill that would incorporate roughly 50,000 more residents from Arlington in the 26th Congressional district. Although the district still leaned Republican, the move was considered favorable to Vandergriff's re-election bid. However, Tom was defeated by Republican candidate Dick Armey, former chairman of the economic department at North Texas State University, by riding a wave of straight Republican voting and a last-minute media blitz by President Reagan. Tom's campaign left him with almost $800,000 in debt from spending his own money and Armey would go on to become House Majority Leader from 1995 until his retirement in 2003. To date, Vandergriff is the last Democrat to garner even 40 percent of the vote in the district.
Vandergriff considered running again in 1986 in an attempt to regain the seat, but ultimately declined. Sports announcer Bill Mercer, one of the original Texas Rangers broadcasters in 1972, called Vandergriff's defeat in 1984 "one of the great tragedies of politics in this part of Texas."
County judge.
Tom Vandergriff was elected Tarrant County Judge in 1990. He won as a Republican and served in that capacity for 16 years until his retirement in 2007. During his tenure, he was instrumental in building a $41 million Family Law Center, developing the Trinity River Uptown Plan, selling its convention center to Fort Worth, and playing a role in bringing the Dallas Cowboys to Arlington. Tarrant County also implemented an expanded, online tax-payment system that won an Excellence Award from the Texas Association of Governmental Information Technology Managers.
Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act
In 1991, newly elected County Judge Tom Vandergriff worked with the Texas Congressional delegation, Fort Worth Mayor Kay Granger, and Dallas County officials to advocate for a $151 billion transportation bill which would create roughly 900,000 jobs annually over its six-year life. On December 18, President George H. W. Bush traveled to Dallas–Fort Worth to sign the bill into law. Bush hailed the bill as the most important transportation act since President Dwight D. Eisenhower launched the interstate system 35 years prior.
The Heartbeat of Arlington
Since 1954, the General Motors plant in Arlington, now the seventh-largest city in Texas, remained a driving force for the local and state economy. However, the economy began to weaken during the recession of the early 1990s, which hit General Motors hard as they struggled to compete with foreign rivals amidst a narrowing budget.
In a cost saving attempt, chief executive Robert C. Stempel announced that the company would close either the Arlington plant or its sister plant in Ypsilanti, Michigan to consolidate the production resources of the rear-wheel car. Stempel called Arlington Mayor Richard Greene to let him know of the pending decision. Immediately, Greene phoned Judge Vandergriff, who offered his support. Vandergriff would recall in an interview with the New York Times that the plant had been a "Rock of Gilbraltar for us [the city] that gave us confidence to do some great things. You simply couldn’t imagine in your worst nightmare losing an entity like General Motors."
The potential closure was part of a plan to rid the company of 74,000 jobs and 21 plants. The loss of the Arlington plant would cut 3,800 local jobs and another 4,000 jobs from local suppliers and other retailers. In an Arlington press conference, Governor Ann Richards said the plant would cost the state economy $816 million a year. The plant's closing would also deal a major blow to the city's economy which, at the time, contributed nearly $4 million in local taxes, including $2.1 million for schools.
Once again, Greene and Vandergriff teamed together to spearhead a public campaign called "Keep GM, the Heartbeat of Arlington." Within weeks, the campaign developed into a statewide effort involving Richards, Senators Lloyd Bentsen and Phil Gramm, and the Texas Congressional delegation. The effort culminated in the creation of an economic incentive package that would provide GM up to $23 million in tax and utility breaks. The state also offered to train 1 million workers.
After months of lobbying from the Texas contingent, General Motors elected to keep the Arlington operation open and close the Ypsilanti plant. GM would thus move production of the full-size Oldsmobile, Buick and Chevrolet station wagons to Arlington by 1993. Over 3–4 years, 1,000 jobs would be added.
Cowboys Stadium
As County Judge, Vandergriff was instrumental in luring the Dallas Cowboys to Arlington with the campaign "A Win for Arlington." He was featured in a series of TV and radio commercials promoting the public funding of the construction of a new $650 million stadium.
Retirement
In 2006, Vandergriff announced he would not seek reelection. He would officially retire from public office in 2007 at the age of 80.
Major League Baseball.
Judge Roy Hofheinz of the Houston Astros tried to block any attempt Vandergriff made in his efforts to bring a ball club to Arlington, which he attempted to do for over ten years. In 1971, Washington Senators owner Bob Short was wanting to relocate his team, managed by baseball legend Ted Williams.
Many people in the D.C. area were highly opposed to the move. Vandergriff was thrown out of a cab because the driver learned who he was. Ultimately, the Washington Senators relocated to Arlington's Turnpike Stadium. The stadium was expanded and renamed Arlington Stadium.
The Texas Rangers.
Sports broadcaster.
When the Senators moved to Texas, the City of Arlington agreed to pay the Rangers $7.5 million over 10 years in return for the radio-TV rights. In an effort to save the city approximately $50,000 per year, Tom worked without pay as the color commentator for Texas Rangers TV broadcasts from 1975–1977 alongside play-by-play announcer Dick Risenhoover. Vandergriff was also known for spending his own money on traveling expenses for road games.
The Ballpark in Arlington.
In 1989, a group of investors led by future president George W. Bush and Dallas financier Edward "Rusty" Rose purchased the team from oil man Eddie Chiles. The group named investor Tom Schieffer as Partner-In-Charge of Ballpark development and charged him to select a site to build a new stadium. After Schieffer decided Arlington was the best location in Dallas–Fort Worth to build a new stadium, Arlington Mayor Richard Greene led the efforts, with the help of Vandergriff, to convince Arlington voters to raise $135 million in bonds for its construction. In 1991, the bond package was passed by a two-to-one margin.
The new stadium, named The Ballpark in Arlington, opened its gates for its inaugural season in 1994.
Texas Rangers Hall of Fame.
In 2004, Tom Vandergriff was inducted into the Texas Rangers Baseball Hall of Fame along with Gold Glove third baseman Buddy Bell and Hall of Fame pitcher Ferguson Jenkins.
Memorialized.
In 1997, a full-size bronze statue of Vandergriff was dedicated in the centerfield plaza, which bears the name Vandergriff Plaza.
Car Dealerships.
Tom Vandergriff worked in his family's businesses including a chain of car dealerships. His father, Hooker, owned Vandergriff Chevrolet and Vandergriff Buick, until he split the dealerships between Vandergriff and Vandergriff's sister, Ginger.
After losing his Congressional re-election bid, Vandergriff returned home to operate the family car dealerships. With a mountain of campaign debt, the Vandergriff family fortune had weakened. Then in 1989, Vandergriff's son, Victor Vandergriff, purchased the family's interest and steered it through the recession of the early 1990s. In 1997, Victor and a group of investors sold the car chain to V.T. Inc., where he would serve as the company's Vice President. Victor later served as Chairman of the Department of Motor Vehicles Board from 2009–2013 and in March 2013, was appointed by Governor Rick Perry to serve as a member of the Texas Transportation Commission.
In 2014, Berkshire Hathaway Automotive INC. purchased V.T. Inc. Today, the dealership chain include Chevrolet, Toyota, Acura, Honda, and Hyundai.
Personal life.
The JFK assassination.
During the 1960 Presidential election, then Senator John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson traveled in a parade through Dallas–Fort Worth making a campaign stop in Arlington. The motorcade was greeted by Mayor Vandergriff and a crowd of thousands near the downtown Arlington State Bank.
Three years later, on November 22, 1963, Vandergriff attended a breakfast in Fort Worth hosted by the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce in honor of President Kennedy. Vandergriff was part of a welcome "honor guard" that escorted President Kennedy at the Hotel Texas. When news broke of the assassination, Vandergriff was still in the car traveling home from the Fort Worth breakfast.
Coincidentally, Lee Harvey Oswald's mother, Marguerite, was the family's personal nurse. She was also employed by Amon G. Carter, a prominent businessman in Fort Worth. Just months before the assassination, Lee Oswald and his wife, Marina, visited the Vandergriff home to pick up a high chair for their newborn daughter.
Death.
At the age of 84, Vandergriff was in attendance at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington on October 22, 2010 for the final game of the American League Championship Series in which the Rangers beat the New York Yankees 6-1. It would be his last public appearance. Later that night, Vandergriff fell and broke his hip, forcing him to miss the team's first World Series. Vandergriff died two months later.
In memory of Vandergriff, the Texas Rangers gave the family the very first 2010 American League Championship ring. In a statement from the organization, president and CEO Nolan Ryan said, "the passion and determined efforts of Tom Vandergriff made the Texas Rangers a reality nearly 40 years ago. Because of his work, we are able to celebrate an AL Championship."
On Opening Day of 2011, Rangers Ballpark in Arlington held a moment of silence to remember Vandergriff after the family unveiled a large banner of Vandergriff in left field that served as a season-long tribute.
Legacy.
In addition to statues of Tom Vandergriff at Globe Life Park in Arlington and Arlington City Hall, there are several places in the Dallas–Fort Worth area named in Vandergriff's honor. Some of them include Vandergriff Park, the Vandergriff Building known as the Historic V, the Vandergriff Town Center, Vandergriff Plaza at Rangers Ballpark, Vandergriff Way adjacent to the General Motors plant, the Tom Vandergriff Surgical Tower at Arlington Memorial Hospital, and the Tom Vandergriff Civil Courts Building in downtown Fort Worth.
Posthumous honors
In 2012, The University of Texas at Arlington constructed College Park, a mixed-use district with a state-of-the-art arena, retail shops, and student housing, including a dormitory named Vandergriff Hall, in honor of Vandergriff's contributions to the university.
In 2015, Tarrant County opened a new $74 million downtown-Fort Worth courthouse, officially named the Tom Vandergriff Civil Courts Building. |
Uncle Bun
Uncle Bun is a 1991 Indian Malayalam-language film written and directed by Bhadran, and starring Mohanlal in the title role, as an obese youngster. The film is a remake of the 1989 film "Uncle Buck" and also the official Malayalam debut of Tamil actress, Khushbu Sundar.
Special costumes were designed for Mohanlal, for his obese look by art director Sabu Cyril. The film included a lot of special effects sequences including a shot featuring a 360-degree head-turn. A. Vincent and Jayanan Vincent were hired for the special effects photography, as there were no computer-generated graphics during the time.
Plot.
Jameskutty Chacko aka Kuttichan (Nedumudi Venu) is an ex-NRI settled in a hilly town along with his wife, Sarah and three children. One day, James and Sarah are forced to rush back to the US to look after his brother-in-law, who gets critically injured in an accident. Despite Sarah's protest, James resorts to entrusting his children's custody to his younger brother Charlie Chacko (Mohanlal). Charlie has a heart of gold, is very fond of pets, especially rabbits, and is good in music and dance. However, he is obese and asthmatic, while leading a solitary life spending his spare time smoking and drinking, as a result of a bitter past. Sarah considers Charlie responsible for the untimely demise of her younger sister Rosie (Charmila), who once used to be Charlie's love interest.
Charlie moves into the family home to take care of the children, Asha, Vinu and Mariah. Charlie wins over the younger children, even earning the nickname 'Uncle Bun'. However, the 16-year old Asha, who is a typical spoiled teenager, treats Charlie with contempt. While staying with the family, Charlie is often tormented by the memories of the past, when he was in love with Rosie. Asha clashes with Charlie when he sternly forbids her to meet her boyfriend Roy, who apparently had a shady character. At a local club, Charlie runs into Roy, who is revealed to be a serial womanizer. There, Charlie also meets Geetha (Khushbu), a dancer in the club who gets attracted to an affable Charlie.
Asha runs into trouble for cheating during a class examination, which triggers her expulsion from the school. However, Charlie, as her guardian in charge, manages to earn the respect of the matrons in charge of the school and give her another chance. On their way back, they run into Geetha, who follows Charlie all the way to his house and gets acquainted with the rest of the children as well, much to Asha's chagrin. Charlie manages to interrupt another of Asha's date with Roy. She reaches her home and vents her rage by physically abusing the elderly housekeeper Gloria, (Philomina) who leaves the house in tears, much to the shock of Charlie.
Upon Geetha's persistence, Charlie shares his sordid past with her, which further deepens the bond between the two. Charlie thwarts another date of Asha with Roy at a film theater, leaving her seething. When a child's play goes hilariously awry, Mariah is greeted by the young neighbor, who also liked Charlie. When Charlie goes there to fetch Mariah, Asha sees it as a golden opportunity to turn the tables against him. Asha asks Geetha to go and see things for herself. An otherwise harmless dancing spree frames Charlie in front of Geetha as a flirt. Devastated, Geetha splits up with Charlie.
Roy arranges a private meet up with Asha at an isolated house. Picking up a stray lead, Charlie reaches the place in time, beats up Roy and brings Asha back home. A violent Asha attacks Charlie and accuses Charlie of destroying Rosie's life. It is revealed that while dying in Charlie's arms, Rosie told him that her act to commit suicide was the result of her being cheated on by another man. Charlie silently took the blame all for himself, not wanting to tarnish her name. It is that chain of horrid events, which has made Charlie to save Asha at all costs, while under his watch.
In a fit of frenzy, Asha locks up Charlie while struggling with his asthma, cuts off the power supply, leaving her siblings scared in the dark. She runs away from her house and reaches Roy's. However, Roy and his friend try to rape Asha. Like another divine intervention, Charlie breaks in and saves Asha after a gruesome fight. Asha tries to commit suicide, just like her deceased aunt. However, Charlie stops her in the nick of time. On their way back home, Charlie tells Asha all about the past and why he took the blame for the past fourteen years.
The film comes to an end, where everyone, including Sarah, welcomes Charlie into their hearts. Asha makes up for her previous hostility towards Charlie, by approaching Geetha and paving the way for the couple to reunite and live happily ever after.
Music.
The score was composed by Johnson while the songs were composed by Raveendran and lyrics were penned by Pazhavila Rameshan. |
Don't Play Us Cheap
Don't Play Us Cheap is a 1973 American musical comedy film written, produced, scored, edited and directed by Melvin Van Peebles. The film stars Avon Long and Joe Keyes Jr. as Brother Dave and Trinity, a pair of demons who take human form to break up a house party thrown by Miss Maybell (Esther Rolle), an African American woman, in honor of her niece Earnestine (Rhetta Hughes), who is celebrating her 20th birthday in Harlem. Trinity's devotion to his mission comes into question when he falls in love with Earnestine. "Don't Play Us Cheap" was part of a diptych with Van Peebles' stage musical, "Ain't Supposed to Die a Natural Death", which presented a darker vision of African American life compared to the lighter portrayal in "Don't Play Us Cheap".
"Don't Play Us Cheap" was filmed in 1972 as Van Peebles' follow-up to his hit film "Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song", but he could not find a distributor, and subsequently wound up adapting the script for a Broadway stage play based on the film. The film later received a limited theatrical release on January 1, 1973, and was not widely seen until it was released on home video. The film's plot has been seen as an allegory for African American resilience in the face of adversity. The house party has been described as a stand-in for the Black Panther Party, and the imps turned human as a metaphor for attempts to thwart the black power movement. The film has also been described as a defense of the United States.
Plot.
Trinity and Brother Dave are a pair of demons looking for a party to break up. They come across a party in Harlem. Although Trinity is eager, Dave warns him not to touch it. "When black folks throw a party, they don't play!" Trinity joins the party, already in progress, thrown by Miss Maybell in honor of her niece Earnestine's birthday.
Trinity first tries to break the records ("you can't have a party without music"), but finds that they are unbreakable. He drinks an entire bottle of liquor, thinking he has depleted their supply of alcohol, but finds out that all of the guests have brought their own bottles, and when he tries to eat all of the sandwiches, another plate is brought in.
Trinity finds himself unwilling to continue being mean after he insults Earnestine, making her cry. Trinity apologizes to her, and tells her that he has fallen for her. Three more guests show up, Mr. and Mrs. Johnson, and their college-educated son Harold. Earnestine ignores Trinity for Harold. Trinity becomes jealous.
Brother Dave arrives in human form, eager to break up the party, but Trinity is unwilling to. Mr. Johnson tells Harold not to get involved with Earnestine, because her family is too "common," and he can't risk the big future he has ahead of him. Earnestine approaches both Harold and Trinity to dance, but they are pulled back by Mr. Johnson and Dave.
Dave persuades Trinity to try to break up the party before midnight, when they will both be turned into the thing that they pretend to be: human beings. As time runs short, Dave and Trinity find themselves at the dinner table with the rest of the guests. Dave insults Mrs. Johnson, prompting her to leave with her husband and son. The rest of the guests tell Dave that they're glad that they left.
After the dinner, Trinity stands up and announces that he and Earnestine are getting engaged, an announcement which infuriates Dave. Dave makes one last attempt to break up the party by trying to make a move on Miss Maybell. When Dave finds that she is all too willing, he turns himself into a cockroach and tries to sneak out the door before being smashed by Miss Maybell.
Production.
Conception, themes and analysis.
Melvin Van Peebles conceived the story of "Don't Play Us Cheap" after attending a New York City party thrown by an old black woman. When he returned to his home in France, he thought of what would happen if these wonderful, kind, open people were invaded by imps bent on destroying their party. He used this idea as the basis for his French language novel, "La fête à Harlem" (1967), which he subsequently translated into English to adapt into a film.
"Don't Play Us Cheap" was produced as Van Peebles' follow-up to his film "Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song". It is part of a diptych with his concurrently running stage musical, "Ain't Supposed to Die a Natural Death", which represents the darker side of African American life, with its characters recounting experiences of anguish in a combination of newly written songs and songs that previously appeared on Van Peebles' albums. In contrast, "Don't Play Us Cheap" focuses on "positive vision of triumph via community and attitude. It's also nothing less than a philosophical examination of good and evil that emphasizes the importance of adopting a positive attitude for making positive change because your vision affects the world", according to a 2021 piece on Van Peebles' films published by PopMatters. Film critic Armond White, in a retrospective review for "National Review", opined that the film was a defense of the United States as a nation, calling it, "the most heroic counterpoint to black pop conventions ever made." White continued to state that the film's "farcical fantasy" served to remind viewers "of what we’ve lost", referring to the entire United States. "Van Peebles — a man of nonconformist personality, as a writer, director, composer, and performer– produced works of quintessential American imagination and language. He defied the patronizing approval given to James Baldwin, August Wilson, and Spike Lee and had the good fortune to surpass them all." White also felt that the film "overturns the presumptions of every cultural institution now pledged to make statements on 'diversity' and 'equity,' instead of making art."
According to an essay written by Lisa B. Thompson for the Criterion Collection, Van Peebles' direction of the musical numbers, having solo performers song their songs while the other cast members perform as background singers, is part of the film's social commentary, presenting "the black middle class as an impediment" to individual African Americans finding love and joy. The characters of the Johnsons are used to present the theme that "pretension and inauthenticity are nearly as evil and destructive as the devil’s work, at least to the necessary goals of Black community cohesion and self-determination"; the Johnson family's "bourgeois values" are "phony airs" that the rest of the party guests see through, with Mrs. Johnson wearing fake fur and Mr. Johnson being revealed as another imp who has taken human form.
The character Brother Dave's motives of trying to "break up the party" have been interpreted as a metaphor, with the house party serving as a stand-in for the Black Panther Party, and the imps as to represent attempts to thwart the black power movement. His attempt to spread rumors of adultery fails when the couples in question reveal that they are "quarter-separated", in open marriages, which serves as a class-based argument in favor of free love, because "the Bible and law books and other books, sometimes agree and sometimes don’t and seem to favor those who can afford expensive solutions, but poor people take their laws from 'the Book of Life'," according to a 2021 piece on Van Peebles' films published by PopMatters. Justin Remer, reviewing the Criterion Collection release "Melvin Van Peebles: Essential Films" for "DVD Talk", said that the film is "an allegory about black folks' ability to carry on in the face of whatever roadblocks that the devil or the man or whitey or capitalism or whoever puts in their way."
As part of the film's set decoration, Van Peebles displayed pictures of Malcolm X, Martin Luther King, Isaac Hayes (via the cover to his album "Black Moses") and Van Peebles himself, via the cover for his own album "As Serious as a Heart-Attack". The opening credits declare that the film stars "brothers and sisters getting their groove on", a callback to the opening credits of his previous film, "Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song", which contains the credit that the film stars "the black community".
Music and lyrics.
The film combines the idioms of American and European musicals, with Van Peebles drawing influence from the works of Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill. The film's songs draw from rhythm and blues, gospel, soul, jazz, rock, pop, doo-wop and blues. Rather than using the songs to traditionally move the plot forward, Van Peebles uses them to "form a portrait of the time and place", Harlem in the early 1970s on Saturday evening. The characters, within the context of the narrative, are singing along to records which they selected to hear at the party, and are depicted as discussing the songs that form the musical's score. The lyrics of "The Eight Day Week" contrasts the labor-intensive lives of Harlem residents with the work of a chain gang. Van Peebles' lyrics are often in contrast to the musical style of the songs, as exemplified by "Saturday Night", which espouses the singers' delight in secular values to the tune of gospel music. In the audio mix for "I'm a Bad Character", mixing effects were applied to singer Joe Keyes Jr.'s vocals, and dissonant sounds were added to the mix, in order to reflect the character of Trinity's "internal struggle over good and evil", according to Lisa B. Thompson.
Release.
Media.
After the film was completed, Van Peebles could not find a distributor, and instead staged the script as a musical play on Broadway. The stage production ran for 164 performances. Van Peebles received two Tony nominations, including best book of a musical. A soundtrack album was released in 1972 by Stax Records, as a double album, containing the following track listing:
The film received a limited theatrical release on January 1, 1973. It was largely unseen until it was released on videotape in the mid-1990s. In 2021, the film was released on Blu-ray Disc as part of the Criterion Collection's Melvin Van Peebles film collection, "Melvin Van Peebles: Essential Films".
Reception.
In his retrospective review for "National Review", Armond White wrote that ""Don’t Play Us Cheap" elevates lowly caricatures from minstrelsy and "Porgy & Bess" via Van Peebles’s affable vision. He respects their vulgarity as signs of life, endows them with humor, intelligence, and resilience." Justin Remer, reviewing the Criterion Collection release "Melvin Van Peebles: Essential Films" for "DVD Talk", wrote that ""Don't Play Us Cheap" is my less-than-conventional pick for favorite of this collection. And a huge part of that is related to the musical score and performances." Chris Wiegand wrote for "The Guardian" in 2022, covering the film's Blu-ray release, "even with the film’s dated visual effects and uneven comedy, ["Don't Play Us Cheap"] is an irresistible soul-saver of a musical". |
Te Wera Hauraki
Te Wera Hauraki (?–1839) a "rangatira" (chieftain) of the Ngāti Hineira and Te Uri Taniwha hapū of the Ngāpuhi iwi from the Northland region of New Zealand. From about 1818 to 1821, Te Wera went on expeditions and fought battles in the Bay of Plenty and the East Coast. In 1823, he was one of the leaders of the Ngāpuhi attack which defeated Te Arawa at Mokoia island on Lake Rotorua. Following the attack, Te Wera and his wife, Te Ao-kapurangi, negotiated a peace that prevented Ngāpuhi from taking further action against Te Arawa. After the conclusion of peace, he continued east and settled at Māhia Peninsula in Hawke's Bay, where he allied with Te Whareumu of Ngāti Rakaipaaka and Ngāti Hikairo and Te Pareihe of Ngāti Te Whatuiāpiti, helping them to fight off incursions from other tribes, especially Ngāti Te Ūpokoiri and Ngāti Raukawa. He remained at Māhia until his death in 1839.
Early life.
Hauraki was the son of Kaiteke or Kaitara, a leader of Ngāti Hineira and Te Uri Taniwha hapū of Ngāpuhi. His mother may have been Inu of Ngāti Pou. He had a brother, Te Kōpiri. He lived in Pukenui pa at Te Ahuahu, in the Bay of Islands in his youth.
Hauraki and Te Kōpiri fought as young men in the battle fought by Whāingaroa to drive Ngāti Pou from Taiāmai to Whangaroa and Hokianga. In 1817 Hauraki was living in the village of Motuiti, downstream from Kerikeri.
Expeditions to the Bay of Plenty and East Coast.
In 1818, Te Wera joined his relative Te Morenga on a campaign to the Bay of Plenty. The force landed at Te Teko and marched inland up the Rangitaiki River. He had returned to Motuiti by October 1819. Probably on this expedition, he captured Te Ao-kapurangi, a chieftainess of Ngāti Rangiwewehi and took her as his wife. They had a child who got accidentally burnt, from which Hauraki took the name Te Wera ("the burning").
1819–1821 expedition.
At the end of 1819, Te Wera, Tītore, and others set out on another expedition to the East Coast, which lasted sixteen months. They may have helped Peehi Tūkorehu of Waikato to attack Rongowhakaata on the Waipaoa River in Poverty Bay and Pōmare to capture Te Whetū-matarau pā at Te Kawakawa (Te Araroa) on the Awatere River. They certainly attacked Te Māhia peninsula, where Te Wera captured 40 prisoners, including Te Whareumu of Ngāti Rakaipaaka and his sister, whom he probably married.
Mokoia campaign, 1823.
In 1822, at the instigation of Te Rauparaha and Te Whatanui, Te Pae-o-te-rangi of Ngāpuhi was killed by members of the Tūhourangi iwi of Te Arawa at Lake Rotokākahi. Other members of his expedition were killed as they fled by Ngāti Whakaue at Ōhinemutu. When the news reached Ngāpuhi there was a protracted debate about how to respond. Te Koki and Ta-waewae called for an immediate attack, saying “blood has flown; do not let it get cold!” But Te Wera convinced Ngāpuhi to wait a year, saying, "leave it for next year, so that dried kumara and fish may be obtained for the belly that supports the legs."
Thus, in February 1823, Te Wera, Pōmare, and Hongi Hika led an expedition to the Bay of Plenty. The force landed at Tauranga and headed up the Pongakawa valley to attack Mokoia Island on Lake Rotorua, where the forces of Te Arawa had gathered in expectation of the Ngāpuhi attack. Te Ao-kapurangi, who was related to the people of the area, negotiated safe passage up the valley for the expedition. In exchange, she got the war party to agree that they would not attack the members of her own hapū on Mokoia. Hongi Hika agreed to this on the condition that everyone who was spared had to pass between her legs. She went into Mokoia with her co-wife, Tahu, and tried to convince her hapū to leave the island before the battle, but they refused.
According to Hongi Hika, Te Wera and Pōmare attacked the island first and were driven back. Hongi Hika then attacked with the main body of Ngāpuhi troops and they succeeded in landing. Takaanui Hōhaia Tarakawa says that Hongi Hika was at the front and was knocked down by a bullet to his helmet, while Te Wera and Pōmare were in the second wave. Te Arawa fell back after 170 men had been killed. Te Ao-kapurangi went into battle with Ngāpuhi, climbed up onto the roof of the wharenui Tama-te-kapua, which had been designated as the safehouse, and called her people to come into the house to safety (passing under her legs in the process), inspiring the saying "Ano ko te whare whawhao a Te Ao-kapurangi" ("this is the crowded house of Te Ao-kapurangi").
After the battle, Hone Te Hihiko, the son of Te Ao-kapurangi by her first husband came secretly to Mokoia island and met up with her and Te Wera. The next morning, when Ngāpuhi gathered to discuss continuing their campaign against Te Arawa and settling permanently in the area, Te Wera, called up Te Hihiko, saying, "Behold! O Ngāpuhi!... my back has been climbed by one who is now in your presence" and he insisted that Ngāpuhi make peace with Te Arawa and end the campaign. Tarakawa concludes that Te Wera and Te Ao-kapurangi's quick action saved Te Arawa from destruction. After this, Hongi Hika and the majority of the war party departed northwards.
Restoration of Te Whareumu, 1823.
Te Wera had promised to return Te Whareumu and his people to Te Māhia peninsula, so he took his step-sons and continued eastward with Pōmare via Whakatane and Ōpōtiki, where the local people were frightened by the force and fled inland. At Wharekura near Te Kaha-nui-a-Tiki, the local people, Te Whānau-ā-Apanui, attacked Te Wera's force and killed his nephew, Marino. Te Wera avenged his death the next day at Whangaparaoa, when he killed the chief Te Pakipaki-rauiri. At the Waiapu River, Pōmare decided to lead his forces elsewhere.
At Turanganui (modern Gisborne), Te Wera was met by Te Kani-a-Takirau of Te Aitanga-a-Hauiti who had clashed with him on one of his previous expeditions, but now wanted Te Wera to help him in his ongoing conflict with Ngāti Porou and to help find the tribe's leader, his grandmother Hinematioro. Te Wera agreed to do so, once he had returned Te Whareumu to Te Māhia.
When Te Wera arrived at Te Māhia, Te Whareumu's people, Ngāti Rakaipaaka, were scattered in the hills and Ngāti Hikairo had fled to Waikawa island, as a result of raids by Te Aitanga-a-Hauiti and Ngāti Raukawa in 1821 and 1822. Te Wera persuaded them to meet him at Pukenui Beach, at the neck of the peninsula. Te Whareumu was returned to his people and he called for them to allow Te Wera to settle permanently and help them restore the lands that they had lost to Ngāti Raukawa, saying "he will be a father to us; he will be our fort and he will shelter us from the winds that blow from the south." Te Wera was given lands on the peninsula and allowed to settle there as the community's leader. Although he had intended to stay only briefly, he ended up remaining at Te Māhia for the rest of his life. His force was armed with muskets, which the local people did not yet possess.
Campaigns in Hawke's Bay.
Te Wera was approached by two local "rangatira" who wanted his help in getting revenge for injuries that they had suffered and he agreed to help them. Te Hauwaho of the Ngāti Pārau hapū of Ngāti Te Whatuiāpiti, who was based in Heretaunga (Hawke's Bay), had lost his brother, Hungahunga, at the hands of Ngāti Te Ūpokoiri. Te Waikōpiro / Te Waikōpua of Wairoa had lost his young son Whakapararākau to people in the Wairarapa.
Together with Te Whareumu and Te Hauwaho, Te Wera led a force to Ahuriri (modern Napier), where they killed some women of Ngāti Te Ūpokoiri. They went south to Cape Kidnappers and attacked Kurupō Te Moananui of the Ngāti Hāwea hapū of Ngāti Te Whatuiāpiti. Then they planned to move inland and attack Te Pareihe, the leader of Ngāti Te Whatuiāpiti, but they were stopped at Waimārama by Tiakitai of Ngāti Kurukuru. Te Wera made camp at Tānenui-a-rangi on the Ngaruroro River near Pakowhai.
Te Pareihe and Tiakitai now came to Tānenui-a-rangi, intending to make an alliance. Te Wera's forces surrounded them, but they negotiated a peace. Te Pareihe's "tau" (song sung at the start of a speech) is preserved by Takaanui Tarakawa and John Te Herekiekie Grace. In it, he calls Te Wera his "awhe pumahuru" ("steadfast plume"). Te Pareihe wanted to reclaim his pā on an island in Lake Rotoatara (near Te Aute), which had been captured in 1822 by a Ngāti Tūwharetoa force from Lake Taupo under the command of Mananui Te Heuheu in the Kahupapa Battle and was now occupied by Ngāti Te Ūpokoiri. Ballara says that the combined force successfully took back the fortress.
Some of the forces of Te Wera and Tiakitai went with Te Waikōpiro to get revenge on the Wairarapa people.
Titirangi, 1824.
In 1824, Te Mautaranui of Tuhoe and Ngāti Awa gathered a force in order to get revenge on Ranga-ika of Ngāti Kahungunu for killing the Tūhoe "rangatira" Rangiwaitatao. Among his allies was Pōmare of Ngāpuhi, who landed at Te Māhia with a war party armed with guns, joined Te Wera, and marched up the Wairoa River to the Ngāti Kahungunu stronghold at Titirangi, located on the Waiau River and defended by Te Whenua-riri, Hipara, and Ranga-ika.
According to Tūhoe tradition, when Ngāti Kahungunu scouts reported to Ranga-ika that a war party armed with "pū" (“guns”), he was completely unfazed, because he knew "pū" only as the Māori word for a type of trumpet. Pōmare attacked immediately and as his forces loaded their guns, the Ngāti Kahungunu defenders stood there asking one another why Ngapuhi were pointing the narrow end of their trumpets at them instead of the broad end. Te Whenua-riri and many other defenders were killed, but Hipara and Ranga-ika escaped.
Te Pakake, 1825.
In 1825, Te Pareihe's tohunga, Toiroa, had a dream that Waikato would soon invade the region. In response, Te Wera returned to the Māhia peninsula and persuaded Te Pareihe to lead Ngāti Whatuiapiti back there as well. Many people of Ngāti Kahungunu refused to follow him. Instead, the tribes of Ngāti Hinepare, Ngāti Hāwea, Ngāti Tukuoterangi, Ngāti Rangikamangungu, and Ngāti Matepu settled at Te Pakake Pā, on an island at the mouth of Ahuriri lagoon. Soon after this, a force of Ngāti Tūwharetoa, Waikato, Ngāti Maniapoto, Ngāti Raukawa, and Ngāti Maru led by Mananui Te Heuheu and Te Wherowhero arrived in the region and destroyed Te Pakake.
Attack on Tuatini.
At an uncertain point before 1827, Te Umu-ariki of Ngāti Awa and Tūhoe was killed along with three of Te Wera's men by people of Rongowhakaata and Te Aitanga-a-Mahaki at Turihaunga (near Whāngārā) in Poverty Bay. Therefore, Te Wera took three canoes north to get revenge. He reunited with Te Kani-a-Takirau, whose Te Aitanga a Hauiti hapū joined him. Te Wera led his troops to Tokomaru Bay, where Ngāti Porou had gatherd at Tuatini pā under Te Rere-horua. After a couple of days, the Ngāpuhi men climbed up to the walls of the fortress, threw ropes over the palisade, and used them to pull down the posts, so that they could enter the fortress. Te Rere-horua, Kha-wai, and others were killed. Te Wera returned to Te Mahia after that, but a state of hostility endured until 1838, when the people of Tokomaru Bay asked the missionary William Williams to broker a peace with Te Wera for them.
Sometime after this, Te Wera joined Tiakitai on an expedition south to attack Hakikino at Maungarake (near Masterton in the Wairarapa). They captured many slaves, including the chieftainess Matahi of Ngāti Hika-rahui.
Attack of Te Momo-a-Irawaru, 1827.
In 1827, a group of Ngāti Raukawa decided to make another attempt to settle in the Hawke’s Bay region, as a result of attacks on them by Ngāti Paoa and Ngāti Haua. They convinced the Ngāti Te Ūpokoiri and Ngāti Te Kohera to join them. The Ngāti Te Upokoiri contingent was led by Te Whiuwhiuhoia, Motumotu, and Te Puke. The Ngāti Te Kohera force was led by Te Momo-a-Irawaru.
Te Momo-a-Irawaru attempted to recruit Te Heuheu, but he refused because of the magnitude of the defeat he had received at Te Whitiotu in 1823. Te Momo-a-Irawaru decided to attack anyway and Te Heuheu was so angry at this that he secretly sent messengers to Te Wera, Te Whareumu, and Paraihe saying "Do not allow the ashes of Te Momo's fire to take hold. Extinguish them!" thus warning them of the attack to come. Tiakitai also sent warnings to them. At Te Mahia peninsula, Te Wera, Te Whareumu, and Paraihe gathered a force of 2,000 men, armed with muskets and set out to defend themselves. At Ahuriri, they were joined by Tiakitai.
When they arrived in Hawke's Bay, Te Momo-a-Irawaru led part of the force to Lake Rotoatara and Te Whiuwhiuhoia led the rest to Lake Poukawa. At Rotoatara, Paraihe had built a new pā on the edge of the lake, called Te Kahotea, which Te Momo captured.
According to Grace, Te Momo received a message from a friendly local chief, Paerikiriki, warning him about Te Wera, Te Whareumu, and Te Pareihe’s approaching force and they therefore marched to attack him at his pā, Pakowhai. According to Tarakawa, Paerikiriki led a force of 140 men to attack Te Wera and his allies at Te Upoko-o-te-arawhata. Either way, Paerikiriki was defeated and attempted to flee, but was shot by one of Te Wera's chiefs, Te Ipututu Tarakawa, from an enormous distance. A lament for Paerikiriki is preserved by John Te Herekiekie Grace and Takaanui Hōhaia Tarakawa.
The force continued on to Lake Rotoatara, where victory was predicted for them by Te Pareihe's tohunga, Toiroa. The force moved on to Kahotea, where Toiroa pointed out a broken musket, asserting "By this gun shall the chief die!" The force easily took Kahotea and the defenders fled for the Ruahine range. Ngāpuhi pursued some of the routed enemy towards Ohau-heihei and fought a short engagement with them before the chieftainess Parerape and Te Ipututu Tarakawa brokered a truce.
Te Momo-a-Irawaru was away while this was happening, collecting kōrau (black tree fern), so the attackers waited for him to return. He came walking with his two children and was attacked by a warrior called Karaitiana and had just managed to fight him off when he was shot with the broken musket by a Ngāpuhi chief called Peketahi.
Conquest of Lake Rotoatara.
Te Whiuwhiuhoia now led his men from Lake Poukawa to join the remnants of Te Momo-a-Irawaru’s forces at Lake Rotoatara. From there, he raided the kumara fields of Ngāpuhi and Ngāti Whatuiapiti at Te Whanganui a Orotu (on the Wharerangi flats west of Napier), killing all of the women who were working there. Te Wera and Te Pereihe launched an expedition in revenge, taking their canoes up the Tukituki river to Papanui (near Patangata), where they hauled the canoes over to Lake Rotoatara and besieged the island fortress for two months (according to Grace) or six days (according to Tarakawa). Te Wera offered safe passage out of the fortress for Tamahaere and his daughter Rangi-wawahia, because they were relatives of Te Ipututu Tarakawa, but they refused.
When the defenders were out of food, Te Pereihe landed on the island by night and attacked suddenly at dawn, taking the pā, and killing most of the defenders. Te Motumotu attempted to escape with his wife and daughter in a canoe, but was caught and killed. Other chiefs killed included Te Puke, Te Whiuwhiuhoia, Tamatehura, Taina, Marukuru, Tamahaere, and Heriheri. A lament by Te Waingongo of Ngāti Takihiku for Tamahaere and Heriheri is preserved by John Te Herekiekie Grace. Among the captured prisoners was Rēnata Kawepō.
Battle of Te Whiti-o-Tū.
All of Te Wera and Tiakitai's forces had now returned to Rotoatara. Pareihe said "O Wera! will you and your young people take me to the oven in which were cooked my elder brethren and relatives," so Te Wera agreed to send 140 Ngāpuhi up the Waipawa River, commanded by Te Hihiko and Rangituruturua, in order to get revenge for Pereihe. Near Tikokino, before they had crossed the Ruahine ranges, they unexpectedly encountered a force of three hundred men of Ngāti Tūwharetoa, Ngāti Te Upokoiri, Ngāti Whiti, Ngāti Tama, Tūhoe and Ngāti Hinemanu led by Te Wanikau, Te Huiatahi, Te Whakaheke and Toatoa. They wanted a more decisive victory than the one achieved in 1822, and in the event of a victory, they planned to settle in the region permanently.
Te Hihiko and Te Huiatahi were related, so they met to discuss, but as Te Hihiko returned to the rest of his army, the enemy opened fire. Ngāpuhi feigned a retreat (Māori: "manukāwhaki"), fleeing up Te Whiti-o-Tū hill. Whakaheke had just caught up with Rangituruturua's part of the force and was about to strike a fatal blow, when Te Hihiko's men opened fire. Te Whakaheke was shot by Te Rangihau (with his broken musket) and Totoa was shot by Tarakawa. Tūwharetoa and their allies broke and ran. More than fifty Tūwharetoa died, including all the commanders except for Te Wanikau.
On returning to Rotoatara, Te Wera called a meeting at Tanenuiarangi and he convinced Pareihe and Tiakitai that the situation was still dangerous and that they should bring all their people to Māhia, where he could protect them.
Battle of Kaiuku, 1828.
In 1828, a coalition of Ngāti Maru, Ngāti Raukawa, Ngāti Tūwharetoa, Te Arawa, and Waikato invaded Hawke's Bay, seeking revenge on Te Wera and Te Pareihe for various earlier defeats. According to Grace, this may have been the largest force assembled by Māori up to that point. They besieged Te Pareihe and Te Wera at Ōkūrārenga pā on the Māhia peninsula. The defenders became so short on food that they were reduced to eating clay and as a result the event is known as Kaiuku ("eating clay"). Eventually, however the Tūwharetoa contingent under Te Heuheu and the Te Arawa contingent under Te Mokonuiarangi withdrew and the siege came to an end.
Battle of Te Ruru.
After 1826, Te Whatanui of Ngāti Raukawa gathered a war party to get revenge for the death of Te Momo-a-Irawaru. He was joined by his allies Ngāti Mutuahi and Ngāti Pakapaka of Rangitāne. They came through the Manawatu Gorge and killed two distinguished women, Paeroa and Kutia. In revenge, Te Wera attacked them at the Battle of Te Ruru (near modern Dannevirke).
In 1832, Te Wera made plans to join the attack of his kinsman Tītore on Tauranga, but this did not come to pass.
Expedition to Toka-a-Kuku.
Around 1836, Te Wera attacked Te Whānau-a-Apanui in order to get revenge for the death of his nephew Marino in 1823. Te Wera set out by canoe in March, rowing around East Cape and landed at Toka-a-Kuku pā (near Te Kaha), which he placed under siege. The local chief Tatua-harakeke took his canoe along the Bay of Plenty coast, gathering allies to come to his aid.
The allies arrived five days later. A hundred of them snuck into Toka-a-Kuku in the night, while another eight hundred landed at Hariki beach and planned to attack Te Wera from behind. As they landed, the defenders of Toka-a-Kuku launched a sortie but Te Wera split his forces, sending seventy musketmen to attack the new arrivals, leaving a hundred to maintain the siege. Although attacked three times, the force of seventy men defeated the army of eight hundred. When the defenders in Toka-a-Kuku saw that their reinforcements had been beaten back, they launched a desparate all out attack on the besiegers, but they were defeated, too, and Te Wera took Toka-a-Kuku pā. Seventy chiefs of Te Whānau-a-Apanui were killed, including Rangipaturiri, Te Kaka-pai-waho, Te Hautorua, and Tuteranginoti.
After the battle, Te Wera had a platform built and hung the dead bodies on it. He gave a speech proclaiming that these deaths had avenged the earlier death of his nephew Marino and forbade his men from eating the dead. Then Te Werea said, "I will return now, as well as you, to Nukutaurua [Te Māhia]. You will never be abandoned by me, and I will die with you, O Ngāti Kahungunu," and he returned with them to Te Māhia.
Death.
Te Wera died of old age in 1839. His funeral was attended by the people of Ngāti Porou, Ngāti Hauiti, Rongowhakaata, Te Aitanga a Mahaki, and Ngai Tahupo. His body may have been taken to his childhood home at Te Ahuahu in the Bay of Islands for burial. Takaanui Tarakawa says of him:
Takaanui Tarakawa also preserves a waiata composed for Te Wera:
Family.
Te Wera married Te Ao-kapurangi, a chieftainess of Ngāti Rangiwewehi, who claimed descent from Tāwhaki, after he captured her during the raid to Rangitāiki in 1819. She had children by her previous marriage to Rauru of Tapuika Hone Te Hihiko and Te Ipututu Tarakawa.
He probably married the sister of Te Whareumu of Nukutaurua, whom he captured at Māhia in 1820/21.
He also married Tahu.
Sources.
The story of Te Wera was recounted in the "Journal of the Polynesian Society"'s 1899 and 1900 volumes by Takaanui Hōhaia Tarakawa, the son of Te Wera's step-son Te Ipututu Tarakawa. Te Wera's activities are also recorded by Percy Smith in "Maori Wars of the Nineteenth Century" of 1910, based in part on Tamarau Waiari (1835-1904) of Tūhoe, and by John Te Herekiekie Grace in his 1959 history of Ngāti Tūwharetoa. |
Fannie E. McKinney Hughey
Elizabeth Frances "Fannie" McKinney Hughey (August 4, 1857 - 1929) was a music teacher who developed the Color-Music method to teach music to children.
Early life.
Elizabeth Frances "Fannie" McKinney was born on August 4, 1857, in Durban, South Africa, the daughter of Silas W. McKinney and Fanny Melissa Clark Nelson, foreign missionaries.
Some of her ancestors were among the early settlers in the colonies. One of these belonged to the company made interesting by Richard Mather's story of the voyage from Southampton, England, in the "James" in 1635. Thirteen of her ancestors fought in the French and Indian wars, and one, Samuel Chapin, also known as "Deacon Chapin," is an interesting figure in history and story, whose statue — the work of Augustus Saint-Gaudens, called "The Puritan" — is one of the conspicuous monuments in Springfield, Massachusetts. Two bronze copies of this may be found — one in the Dresden Gallery and the other in the Louvre, Paris, while a colossal statue of the same confronts the visitor on entering the Saint Louis Art Museum in Forest Park (St. Louis).
The qualities of the New England pioneer mingle with those of the family of Hughey's father, who were prominent in Southern New York and Northern Virginia all through the life of the colonies, and the subsequent history of the United States.
After the death of McKinney's mother in South Africa, her father was forced to return to his native land on account of the ill-health of his daughter, Fannie, and because of this urgent need, boarded the first vessel coming into port. This was a freight vessel, with a prize cargo of saltpetre for the federal army, which was in the midst of its struggle with the Southern States in the War of the Rebellion.
Of this voyage, Hughey has a fund of thrilling stories as well as many anecdotes. She liked to tell of the custom of Sunday evening prayers on deck at the sunset hour. Her father had a very good tenor voice, and as he led the hymns, his clear tones mingled with those of the others, the soft sounds of the water, together with the wonderful changing colors of the ocean, made a never-to-be effaced impression of the exquisite harmony of colors, music, parental and divine love, and to those influences Hughey attributed the beginning of what later has developed into her method of teaching music by the color system.
Hughey's education had been rather out of the regular order. Owing to poor health she spent a part of her early life in the invalid's chair or bed, and much of her time when not suffering greatly from pain and weakness was occupied in developing some subject in which she was for the time especially interested. In this way she learned how to think, how to search for desired information, and how to express herself.
At a very early age she showed great devotion to music and later became very fond of writing. Her studies during those years were carried on with frequent interruptions, which acted as a stimulus to her mental endeavor, either in private lessons with her father or small private schools; and she claimed that the intimate association with her teachers was a far better education than all the text books which she might have had. After a partial college course in the Western Seminary at Oxford, Ohio, she seemed drawn about equally toward a musical and literary career. Following a period of sickness were four years of great activity as a teacher of music in a private school in Philadelphia. During this time she also studied piano with William H. Sherwood, and later entered the musical conservatory of Ingham University at Le Roy, New York, which was the first woman's university in the United States. From there she went to Rochester, New York, to take a special course under Mrs. C. S. P. Gary, and the following year, 1880, graduated from the Lyons Musical Academy in Lyons, New York.
The next season was spent in Boston studying musical composition and pipe organ with Whitney Eugene Thayer, and piano with William H. Sherwood. Such opportunities proved too great a temptation to her ambition and again she taxed her limited strength beyond endurance, and just as she was timidly bowing to possible success her health gave way and she was forced to abandon all hopes of concert life.
While in Philadelphia she also studied composition with Dr. Hugh A. Clarke, and rhythmic law, melodic forms, kindergarten principles and practices and various philosophical deductions with Daniel Batcheller. Some of her associates there were Ida Waugh, the child painter; Fred Waugh, the landscape artist; Theodore Presser of the Etude, and others more or less known to fame.
Hughey's fondness for analysis and enjoyment of a keen argument dates far back to earliest childhood when, oftentimes too weak to play, she would lie in her father's arms and listen to animated discussions with some visiting clergyman, lawyer or college professor; and those debates created a desire to know what is really true and right and to choose always the good in life.
Career.
The first work in Missouri done by Hughey was in foreign missionary circles and for the Woman's Christian Temperance Union. Later when obliged to return to music teaching to help provide a home for a little son and daughter, she was surprised to find musical thought in the West not yet up to the
advanced ideas which she had studied in the East before her marriage.
The first attention attracted to Hughey's musical work in St. Louis was because of an unusual intelligence which became a characteristic of the playing of her pupils. Instead of being poor copyists of their teacher, they exhibited an ability to recognize the content of a musical work, and to acquire an independent, although correct expression of it.
During this period her work in organizing and conducting the "study class" of the Union Musical Club attracted wide interest, the plan being copied by others in the National Federation of Musical Clubs, and the idea being written up by Eastern and Northern papers and magazines. This chairmanship was only resigned in order to take the presidency of the club; she is still giving practical aid to interests begun in that class.
In 1905 the attention of music lovers was attracted to Hughey's article in the Etude, "Do I Teach My Pupils or Do They Teach Me?" for which she received the first prize in the contest for the best paper on practical teaching. This contribution won for the author many professional and other friends.
Another article on Church Music, in which the writer unmercifully held up to view the possible disturbances caused by organs run by electricity, together with the sins and failings of the organist, choir singers, and music committees, aroused a lively interest and many comments — but through carelessness on the part of the printer the author's name was omitted and the editor of the organ department of the "Etude" had the unexpected pleasure of suffering for, as well as enjoying, the criticisms unfavorable and favorable.
Hughey was chairman of the Sacred Music Committee of the National Federation of Music Clubs, and edited the column "Mothers, Babes and Music," in the "Musical Monitor" — the official organ of the national organization.
Gradually through her lectures and writings she was recognized as a little ahead of her time, and the fact that her methods were generally adopted prove the practical value of her ideas.
As a lecturer she was absolutely fearless, being perfectly at home on any platform, and expressing herself before the largest audiences with the greatest ease and fluency. She was wholly devoted to her profession, and the success of her efforts in musical and literary lines had been a source of
commendation and approval to the music lovers of St. Louis.
Hughey was a member of The Society of Colonial Daughters of the XVII Century, The National Society of Daughters of Founders and Patriots of America and Daughters of the American Revolution.
Color-Music system.
Fannie E. McKinney Hughey conducted The Hughey Color-Music Model School for children from two to seven years of age, and normal training classes for mothers and teachers at the Milliken Conservatory of Music, Decatur, Illinois. Along with the musical training went instruction in number work, nature work, bodily exercise, and for the more advanced pupils languages were taught. The training school was for those who wish to learn the Hughey system, either for teaching or for home instruction.
Fannie E. McKinney Hughey's book on her method of teaching music by the color system, "Color Music for Children," which was published in 1912 by G. Schirmer, New York, was calculated for and addressed to babes and kindergarten pupils. As Hughey rightly observed: "Instruction began formerly with the adult's conception of things; the object being to impart this knowledge to the child. Modern methods begin with the child's experience, and the things which interest him, and broaden out to include the whole field of learning. A child's imagination is very active and sensitive; his power of imitation is just as keen. His world is made up of imagination and imitation. If we would have him love music and desire it, we must go to him where he is, rather than expect him to come to us with our grown-up ideas."
"If we would help him to think, feel, render and love music, we must teach him by imagery, mimicry and imagination. So we associate musical sounds with colors, making pictures for the eye and pictures for the ear, and in order to make the pictures definite and reasonable the colors are given the shapes of birds, because birds are not only pretty to look at but to listen to. Thus the little ones learn to write and render music as they "learn to paint a picture or compose a story."
The interesting part of Hughey's system is that she insisted it is best to begin music before a child is able to walk, in happy play with its mother. Little children, three, four and five years old, could learn music faster and more accurately and enjoy the study more than at any later period, provided they had the right start. A little child would hardly learn to love music when it is plumped down on a hard music stool, and watched by a severe instructress while stumbling through the scales and five-finger exercises, its eyes anxiously fixed on the guiding lead pencil. No wonder children looked upon it as a distasteful task, and conceive a lasting hatred for music lessons.
From earliest infancy children were attracted by colors; Hughey had simply taken advantage of this fact and developed a natural and logical system from it. A thorough test of the color method had been made before presenting it to the public, and the eagerness with which children took up the lessons, and their enthusiasm over the work, had amply demonstrated its practicability. By its means the drudgery attendant upon the first period of the child's musical studies was entirely eliminated.
Work became play; rapid progress was made in ear training, in accuracy in determining intervals, and in technic. In class work the color method was a fascinating process, the children vying with each other in eager endeavor.
The method could be adopted by the mother in the nursery for the instruction of her own children; any private student could use it with a small group of children belonging to the families of friends and neighbors as an amateur instructor, and the professional music and public school teacher could apply it to their regular classes.
The part played by color was easily grasped. Tonic, Dominant and Third were the three primary colors, red, blue and yellow, respectively; the second was Orange (red plus yellow); and the fourth was Green (blue plus yellow), the Octave light red; the sixth Violet (blue and light red), and the seventh Pink (violet and light red). Instead of these technical names for the scale degrees, the Tonic Sol-fa names doh, ray, me, fah, soh, lah, te, were used, and the colors were supposed to be brought down from Rainbow Land by beautiful, bright-hued birds with sweet, soft voices that sound the several tones. The Doh-bird came down first, then the Soh-bird, and so on. The children placed the tacks corresponding in color to the several birds on the appropriate "perches" (lines or spaces); they were taught to sing the tones in perfect tune and to point out the proper "nest" (piano-key) for each bird. All this was in the spirit of happy play and innocent rivalry.
Personal life.
On July 19, 1888, Fannie McKinney married Rev. Albert Stinson Hughey (1856-1930) and they had two children: Albert S. Hughey Jr. and Florence Hughey.
She died in 1929 and is buried at Fort Hill Cemetery, Auburn, with her husband. |
Rothenbrunnen
Rothenbrunnen ("Giuvaulta" in romansh) is a municipality in the Viamala Region in the Swiss canton of Graubünden.
History.
Rothenbrunnen is first mentioned in 1472 as "Hof Juvalt". In 1572 it was mentioned as "zum Roten Brunnen".
Geography.
Rothenbrunnen has an area, , of . Of this area, 11.6% is used for agricultural purposes, while 67.7% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 9.4% is settled (buildings or roads) and the remainder (11.3%) is non-productive (rivers, glaciers or mountains).
Before 2017, the municipality was located in the Domleschg sub-district, of the Hinterrhein district, after 2017 it was part of the Viamala Region. It is a linear village on the right hand side of the Hinterrhine river. It also includes the settlement of Ravetsch ().
Coat of arms.
The municipality's coat of arms is "Argent a Fountain proper Gules and in Chief Azure a Mullet Or". This is an example of canting where the name of the municipality is translated or represented on the coat of arms. In this case, in German "Rothen" means red and "brunnen" means fountain. The fountain refers to the source of medicinal waters for which the municipality was known.
The coat of arms is also the coat of arms of the Friie von Juvalta, but modified with a star. The coat of arms of the "friie" was: "D'azur à l'étoile de cinq / six pointes d'argent / or". Later, the coat of arms was augmentend to "taillé, d'azur à l'étoile de cinq / six pointes d'argent / or et d'or à l'aiglon de gueules". All these variants or brisure where chosen to distinguish the older from the younger brother(s).
Demographics.
Rothenbrunnen has a population (as of ) of . , 11.2% of the population was made up of foreign nationals. Over the last 10 years the population has decreased at a rate of -6.5%.
, the gender distribution of the population was 47.5% male and 52.5% female. The age distribution, , in Rothenbrunnen is; 58 people or 13.7% of the population are between 0 and 9 years old. 28 people or 6.6% are 10 to 14, and 39 people or 9.2% are 15 to 19. Of the adult population, 38 people or 9.0% of the population are between 20 and 29 years old. 70 people or 16.6% are 30 to 39, 67 people or 15.9% are 40 to 49, and 68 people or 16.1% are 50 to 59. The senior population distribution is 31 people or 7.3% of the population are between 60 and 69 years old, 11 people or 2.6% are 70 to 79, there are 8 people or 1.9% who are 80 to 89, and there are 4 people or 0.9% who are 90 to 99.
In the 2007 federal election the most popular party was the SVP which received 44.6% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the SPS (22.4%), the FDP (15%) and the CVP (10.5%).
In Rothenbrunnen about 58.1% of the population (between age 25-64) have completed either non-mandatory upper secondary education or additional higher education (either university or a "Fachhochschule").
Rothenbrunnen has an unemployment rate of 1.29%. , there were 11 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 4 businesses involved in this sector. 31 people are employed in the secondary sector and there are 5 businesses in this sector. 230 people are employed in the tertiary sector, with 13 businesses in this sector.
The historical population is given in the following table:
Languages.
Most of the population () speaks German (83.2%), with Romansh being second most common ( 7.6%) and Portuguese being third ( 2.1%).
Heritage sites of national significance.
The ruins of Hochjuvalt Castle are listed as a Swiss heritage sites of national significance.
Weather.
Rothenbrunnen has an average of 101.1 days of rain per year and on average receives of precipitation. The wettest month is August during which time Rothenbrunnen receives an average of of precipitation. During this month there is precipitation for an average of 10.9 days. The driest month of the year is February with an average of of precipitation over 10.9 days.
Transportation.
Rhaetian Railway operate services to Rothenbrunnen (Rhaetian Railway station). |
Hate Story
Hate Story is a 2012 Indian Hindi-language erotic thriller film directed by Vivek Agnihotri and produced by Vikram Bhatt. It stars Nikhil Dwivedi, Gulshan Devaiya and Paoli Dam and the film was released on 20 April 2012. The first installment in the "Hate Story" film series the film was a commercial and critical success. The premise of the film chronicles a woman and her struggle to fight against the man that betrayed her. The film was controversial when the lead actress accused maker Vivek Agnihotri of sexual harassment.
Plot.
Journalist Kavya Krishna (Paoli Dam) and her best man friend, Vicky, pull off a sting operation against a big company which happens to belong to tycoon Siddharth Dhanrajgir. Siddharth, being a rich and cocky young man, wants revenge. He offers Kavya a job in his company with a three hundred percent raise in income. Kavya accepts his offer immediately. They go on a business trip together, and Kavya helps Siddharth get his company a good deal. That night, Siddharth takes Kavya to dinner, where they connect romantically and end up having sex. Upon returning, Kavya brings gifts for Vicky and tells him she loves her job.
The next day, Kavya goes to work and finds out that her entry pass to the office has been cancelled. She goes to talk to Siddharth, who arrogantly talks about his plan and pulls a gun out, tortures her, and says that he never had any feelings for her; he just wanted revenge for the sting operation she pulled. Heartbroken, Kavya leaves and applies for another job with Vicky's support. Vicky takes her to the doctor only to find out that she is now pregnant with Siddharth's child. Kavya immediately meets Siddharth who once again humiliates her but she tells him that she can prove that it's Siddharth's child through DNA testing. That night, Siddharth calls her and pretends to be sorry. He has her kidnapped, her foetus aborted, her ovaries taken out, and then disposes of her.
Vowing revenge, Kavya becomes a prostitute and seduces various businessmen related to Cementic Group to get to Siddharth. First she contacts the CEO of cement company Cementec, Rajdev Singh, sleeps with him, and without his knowledge copies email from his phone. From there she learns that Cementec is going to do a joint venture with a German company due to which all shares of Delhi Cements company will fall. She leaks this information to Delhi Cements Chairman, Deshraj Tandon at the cost of 40 million. Deshraj Tandon then organizes a press conference and withdraws his support to Cementic Group causing a huge loss to Siddharth and his company. Kavya then reveals this to Siddharth and challenges him that she will destroy him. Siddharth then has cameras placed all over her house without her knowledge but Kavya realises this after spotting a camera when she notices that her furniture had been rearranged. Kavya uses this weapon against him by inviting Rajdev to her home and seducing him. Knowing that Siddharth is viewing the footage, Kavya is able to entice Rajdev for more information regarding Cementec's future operations and scams, while in return, providing him with false information regarding Cementec's competitors.
Siddharth views this footage and learns that Rajdev is responsible for the leaking of information by Kavya. Siddharth also comes to believe the false information provided by Kavya to be true, resulting in Cementec suffering a loss of 100 billion. Siddharth has Rajdev killed and puts the blame for Cementec's downfall on Kavya resulting in her arrest. Kavya takes help from a cabinet minister to escape from jail by blackmailing him. She also offers to sleep with him at the cost of recovering the police file which contains her name and nominating her to the post of director of IIBI bank which holds account details for Cementec.
She becomes a board member for Cementec and accesses their files discovering a big scam with the help of her best friend and silent lover Vicky. However, Vicky is devastated by Kavya's actions in the order she's taking revenge. He tells her to sleep with more men to help her out. Kavya confronts Vicky and tells about her suffering and motivations. She never slept with anyone but only with those people connected to Sidharth to destroy him. All this leads to an argument where Vicky confesses his love for Kavya which she was unaware of. Kavya feels guilty of trusting Sidharth instead of Vicky. Vicky, while still in love with Kavya agrees to help her one last time and exposes the entire scam of Sidharth. To stop Kavya from reaching the meeting, Sidharth gets Vicky kidnapped and blackmails Kavya to not bother him during the meeting. He also orders his men to kill Vicky once the meeting is over. However, Vicky manages to free himself, fight with Sidharth's goons and somehow escapes, manages to call Kavya and pushes her to go to the meeting at all costs.
Kavya now all prepared exposes the entire scam at the annual general meeting. Siddharth is arrested for stealing millions from shareholders. Kavya after taking revenge decides to start a fresh life with Vicky. She goes back to her own house to get the watch gifted to her by Vicky. There she finds Rajdev's wife waiting for her with a gun. Rajdev's wife shoots Kavya thinking that she killed her husband. After killing Kavya she shoots herself too. The movie ends with Kavya's background voice saying, "Mare hue log kabar se nahi dara karte, Vicky."(Dead people are not scared of the grave, Vicky).
Production.
Vivek Agnihotri confirmed that the sex scenes in the film were not simulated. "I had explained to Paoli that I didn't want to sham the nudity or the love-making," he said. "She understood what her character was supposed to do. I expected my leading man to be shy. Usually in our films it's the male who has more inhibitions about stripping, kissing and love-making. There's too much performance anxiety in the male. Gulshan was every bit as unabashed as Paoli. What we've captured in the film is the kind of explicit love-making never seen in Hindi films."
Release.
Censorship.
Before the release of the film, the CBFC (Central Board of Film Certification) ordered the sex scenes in the movie to be reduced by 50%, dialogues were left untouched. Vikram Bhatt has sarcastically praised the censors and was quoted to have said - . "The censor board has been great. They've passed all the dialogues and only got us to cut the excesses in the love-making scenes. I'm extremely pleased with their progressive thinking".
Critical reception.
Subhash K. Jha of IANS has given 3.5 out of 5 Stars by saying "'Hate Story' is a most riveting and aesthetic saga of a woman's revenge against the man.". Taran Adarsh of Bollywood Hungama gave the film a score of 3 out of 5 and said, "On the whole, HATE STORY banks on the age-old vendetta theme, but what takes it beyond the mediocre mark is the cat and mouse game played by the protagonist and antagonist, besides, of course, the bold and provocative scenes that add spice to the proceedings. Though engaging in parts, there's no denying that the second hour seizes your attention, making it a watchable experience.". Srijana Mitra Das for The Times of India has given 3 out of 5 stars and says "'So, yeah, Hate Story exposes a lot - underneath Delhi's surface, that is, not really, as the adverts so tantalizingly showcased, of leading lady Paoli Dam. The film instead blows the top right off the dirty deals, the, well, intercourse between different power spheres ruling India's capital - business, politics, journalism, police, all meet in this slick flick. Depending on who you are, the intersections provide some pleasure - and lots of pain."
Raja Sen for Rediff.com has given 1.5/5 stars and says, "Despites its bold promos, "Hate Story" offers very little skin show."
Soundtrack.
Background score of the film is composed by Amar Mohile.
Box office.
The film was a commercial success collecting 16.43 crore worldwide. The film's total nett gross was 12.01 crore and was declared "Average" by the Box Office India.
Sequels.
A sequel, entitled "Hate Story 2" released on 18 July 2014. The film stars Surveen Chawla, Jay Bhanushali and Sushant Singh. Its second sequel is "Hate Story 3", starring Sharman Joshi, Zarine Khan, Karan Singh Grover and Daisy Shah. It was released on 4 December 2015. Both sequels were commercially successful. On 9 March 2018 "Hate Story 4" was released starring Urvashi Rautela in the lead, which was not very successful at box office. |
Myanmar Writers and Journalists Association
The Myanmar Writers and Journalists Association (; MWJA) represents writers and journalists in Myanmar.
At first closely associated with the Ministry of Information, in the 2011-2012 period the MWJA achieved greater independence.
Early years.
Myanmar writers formed an association on 8 March 1944, during British colonial rule.
In November 1993 the Myanmar Writers Association was reconstituted as the Myanmar Writers and Journalists Association.
The Burmese writers established the MWJA with permission from the Ministry of Information.
The MWJA is a nationwide confederation with a central headquarters and associations or branches throughout the country.
The MWJA was started with a 25-member executive committee.
It held its second conference in June 1997.
In its conference on 23 June 1998 the MWJA decided on three tasks. "The three tasks are: the association members are to actively participate in serving national interests by having ... the people imbued with correct concepts and high morale with the use of literature and journalism: to the extent organisation for new members consolidate organisational set-up of the association, raise leadership role and make organisation work dynamic and effective; to bring about improvement of skills of MWJA members, look after their welfare and regularize creation and publishing of literary works, and to strive for increasing the readership".
The MWJA sponsors the annual Sayawun Tin Shwe Award named after the writer Sayawun Tin Shwe.
It organises an annual book fair on Writers' (Sarsodaw) Day.
On this day the MWJA also organises lectures, talks and traditional gatherings of writers.
At these gatherings junior writers show their respect for their seniors and make offerings in cash or kind.
Political changes.
Under the MWJA constitution, as an independent association no members could belong to a political party.
In August 2010 four senior members of the executive resigned so that they could compete in the national elections.
They were chairman U Tin Kha, vice-chairman Dr Tin Tun Oo and Central Executive Committee members U Aung Nyein and U Hla Tun.
In 2010 the French media group Reporters Sans Frontieres ranked Burma 171 out of 175 nations for press freedom.
The 2010 Myanmar Press Award ceremony was planned for 31 December 2010, organised by a group of journalists.
It was postponed at the request of the Press Scrutiny and Registration Division (PSRD), who said it needed permission from the MWJA.
On World Press Freedom Day in May 2011 the MWJA secretary Ko Ko said: "Flourishing of the fourth pillar [journalism] is a necessary feature of a democratic system and we believe that the government including President Thein Sein, if looking to bring about a democratic system, would understand this. We request [the government] to make this happen in practice".
However, Ko Ko recognised that it would take time for government organisations to change their habitual hostility to the media.
With growing expectations of media liberalisation, some MWJA members acknowledged that after fifty years of weekly publication and censorship the change might be difficult.
Some papers did not have the physical equipment needed to print daily issues.
For journalists, the stress of producing responsible journalism under tight deadlines would be a new challenge.
Media executives expressed confidence that they could quickly adapt.
However, MWJA secretary U Ko Ko, chairman of Yangon Media Group, said "Every journal would say it was ready to go daily if granted a licence; but only those who are really ready will remain in the industry and the rest will stop".
Regulatory liberalisation.
In May 2011 U Ko Ko Hlaing, a retired colonel and vice-chairman of the MWJA, was appointed to a nine-member advisory board to the president U Thein Sein.
Ko Ko Hlaing was one of three members of the political committee, the others being a former editor of the state-run newspaper Kyemon (“Mirror”) and the General Secretary of the Myanmar Hoteliers Association.
In January 2012 the MWJA Vice-president U Ko Ko Hlaing said the association expected to establish a national press council later in the year.
The Union Minister of Information U Kyaw Hsan had approved this move in mid-December, which would be needed as the government's censorship organisation, the PSRD, gradually wound down. The purpose was to ensure that journalists would work within ethical and legal boundaries, while protecting their freedom of expression.
At the end of January 2012 the government introduced a new media law drafted by the PSRD to a meeting jointly organised by the MWJA and the Asia Media Information and Communication Centre based in Singapore. Over 100 domestic journalists and news editors participated. Representatives from non-Burmese news organisations also attended.
The PSRD based the new law on the 1962 Printers and Publishers Registration Act, which had long been used to restrict freedom of expression.
Conference attendees were invited to express their opinions on the draft law.
The Burma Media Association later issued a press release saying the new law might not guarantee press freedom.
The International Federation of Journalists has also expressed concern about the new law. |
Gondolin
In J.R.R. Tolkien's legendarium, Gondolin was a secret city of Elves in the First Age of Middle-earth. The story of the Fall of Gondolin tells of the arrival there of Tuor, a prince of Men; of the betrayal of the city to Morgoth by the king's nephew, Maeglin; and of its subsequent siege and catastrophic destruction by Morgoth's armies. It also relates the flight of the fugitives to the Havens of Sirion, the wedding of Tuor and Idril, and the childhood of their son Eärendil.
Scholars have noted the presence of tank-like iron fighting machines in Morgoth's army in early versions of the story, written soon after Tolkien returned from the Battle of the Somme. They have likened the story of the Fall of Gondolin to the sack of Troy in ancient Greek literature, or to Virgil's "Aeneid"; the role of Tuor's wife Idril has similarly been compared to that of Cassandra or Helen of Troy in accounts of the Trojan War.
City.
Foundation.
The city of Gondolin in Beleriand, in the extreme northwest of Middle-earth, was founded with divine inspiration. It was hidden by mountains and endured for centuries before being betrayed and destroyed. It was the mightiest of the elven homes in the Hither Lands.
Gondolin was founded by King Turgon in the First Age. It was originally named 'Ondolindë'. According to "The Silmarillion", the Vala Ulmo, the Lord of Waters, revealed the location of the Vale of Tumladen to Turgon in a dream. Under this divine guidance, Turgon travelled from his kingdom in Nevrast and found the vale. Within the Encircling Mountains, lay a round level plain with sheer walls on all sides and a ravine and tunnel leading out to the southwest known as the Hidden Way. In the middle of the vale there was a steep hill which was called Amon Gwareth, the "Hill of Watch". There Turgon decided to found a city, designed after the city of Tirion in Valinor that the Noldor had left. Turgon and his people built Gondolin in secret. The Hidden Pass was protected by seven gates, all constantly guarded; the first of wood, then stone, bronze, iron, silver, gold, and steel. After it was completed, he took with him to dwell in the hidden city his entire people in Nevrast—almost a third of the Noldor of Fingolfin's House—as well as nearly three quarters of the northern Sindar.
Customs.
The hidden and isolated city of Gondolin developed its own Elvish dialect. Tolkien stated that "This differed from the standard [Sindarin] (of Doriath) (a) in having Western and some Northern elements, and (b) in incorporating a good many Noldorin-Quenya words in more or less Sindarized forms. Thus the city was usually called "Gondolin" (from Q." Ondolin(dë)") with simple replacement of "g-", not "Goenlin" or "Goenglin" [as it would have been in standard Sindarin]".
The smiths of Gondolin, using Elven craft, made powerful weapons. In "The Hobbit", the swords Orcrist, Glamdring and a long dagger later named Sting were found in a Troll-hoard. Each of these weapons forged in Gondolin had the ability to detect Orcs in the immediate vicinity by glowing. They had the property of striking fear in the hearts of Orcs when used against them.
According to "The Book of Lost Tales", the city had seven names: "’Tis said and ’tis sung: Gondobar am I called and Gondothlimbar, City of Stone and City of the Dwellers in Stone; Gondolin the Stone of Song and Gwarestrin am I named, the Tower of the Guard, Gar Thurion or the Secret Place, for I am hidden from the eyes of Melko; but they who love me most greatly call me Loth, for like a flower am I, even Lothengriol the flower that blooms on the plain."
Houses and heraldry.
"The Book of Lost Tales" states that the active male Elves of Gondolin belonged to one of the 11 "Houses" or "Thlim" plus the bodyguard of Tuor which was accounted the twelfth. Each house had a distinct symbol: a mole, a swallow, the heavens, a pillar, a tower of snow, a tree, a golden flower, a fountain, a harp, a hammer and anvil, and finally the triple symbol of the King, namely the moon, sun, and scarlet heart worn by the Royal Guard. The scholar of heraldry Catalin Hriban writes that the Gondolin emblems are simply figurative, depicting familiar objects, and that similar devices can be found in standard British texts on heraldry. He notes that Maeglin the traitor, of the House of Moles, fittingly has the colour black; like the animal, his people are miners, used to living underground in the dark.
Fall.
The city stood for nearly 400 years until it was betrayed to Morgoth by Maeglin, Turgon's nephew. Maeglin was captured while mining outside the Encircling Mountains against Turgon's orders. Maeglin betrayed the location of Gondolin after he was promised Lordship as well as Turgon's daughter Idril, whom he'd long coveted. Morgoth then sent an army over the Crissaegrim, the northernmost precipitous and dangerous portion of the Encircling Mountains, during The Gates of Summer (a great Gondolin festival), catching them unawares and sacking the city with relative ease. In addition to orcs, Balrogs and dragons, Melkor's (Morgoth's) army, in early versions of the story, included iron machines powered by "internal fires" and used to carry soldiers, to surmount difficult obstacles, and to defeat fortifications. Idril, noted for her intuition, had the foresight to prepare a secret route out of Gondolin prior to the siege. While her father Turgon perished as his tower was destroyed, Idril successfully fled the city, defended by her husband Tuor.
Analysis.
Classical literature.
Tolkien scholars including Alexander Bruce and David Greenman have compared the Fall of Gondolin to the sack of Troy, noting that the city was famed for its walls, and likening Tolkien's tale to Virgil's "Aeneid". Both have frame stories, situated long after the events they narrate; both have "gods" (Tolkien's Valar) in the action; and both involve an escape. Greenman finds it fitting that Tuor, "Tolkien's early quest-hero", escapes from the wreck of an old kingdom and creates new ones, just as Aeneas does, while his later quest-heroes in "The Lord of the Rings", the hobbits of the Shire, are made to return to their home, ravaged while they were away, and are obliged to scour it clean, just as Odysseus does in Homer's "Odyssey".
Greenman compares and contrasts Idril's part in the story to Cassandra and Helen of Troy, two prominent female figures in accounts of the Trojan War: like the prophetess, Idril had a premonition of impending danger and like Helen, her beauty played a major role in instigating Maeglin's betrayal of Gondolin, which ultimately led to its downfall and ruin. Conversely, Greeman notes that Idril's advice to enact a contingency plan for a secret escape route out of Gondolin was heeded by her people, and that she had always rejected Maeglin's advances and remained faithful to Tuor.
Bruce writes that Tolkien's tale parallels Virgil's account, but varies the story. Thus, Morgoth attacks while Gondolin's guard is lowered during a great feast, whereas the Trojans were celebrating the Greeks' apparent retreat, with the additional note of treachery. The Trojan Horse carried the Greeks into Troy, where they set fire to it, paralleled by the fire-serpents which carried "Balrogs in hundreds" into Gondolin. Tolkien's serpents are matched by the great serpents with "burning eyes, fiery and suffused with blood, their tongues a-flicker out of hissing maws" which kill the high priest Laocoön and his sons. Aeneas and his wife Creusa become separated during their escape; her ghost pleads with him to leave when he searches for her, and he travels to Italy; in contrast, Tuor and Idril escape to Sirion together, eventually sailing from there to Valinor.
Tolkien appears to have based one scene on another classical source, Euripides' play "The Trojan Women". Maeglin tries to throw Idril's son Eärendil from the city wall, just as Hector's son Astyanax is thrown down from Troy's walls. Tolkien changes the outcome: Eärendil resists, and Tuor appears just in time to rescue him by throwing Maeglin from the walls instead.
According to Hamish Williams, the seven gates of the city of Gondolin may be based on Herodotus's description of the Medean city of Ecbatana with its multi-layered defence on a hill. Williams identifies this as a "perfect space" in the Utopian West of Middle-earth.
Tolkien's wartime experience.
In his book "Tolkien and the Great War", John Garth states that Tolkien wrote his 1917 story "The Fall of Gondolin" in hospital after returning to England from the Battle of the Somme. In his view, the tale's first half seems to reflect Tolkien's "slow acceptance of duty" at the start of the war, while the second half "surely reverberates to his collision with war itself."
To defeat Gondolin, Melkor (at first called Melko) uses monsters, Orcs and Balrogs, supported by "beasts like snakes and dragons of irresistible might that should overcreep the Encircling Hills and lap that plain and its fair city in flame and death". The monstrous beasts are not of flesh and blood, but are made by "smiths and sorcerers". There are three kinds, Garth explains: heavy, slow, bronze dragons that can break gaps in Gondolin's walls; fiery monsters, unable to climb the steep smooth hill on which the city sits; and iron dragons in which Orc-soldiers can ride, and which travel on "iron so cunningly linked that they might flow ... around and above all obstacles", and are armoured so that they clang hollowly when bombarded or attacked with fire. Garth comments that these are not so much like mythical dragons as "the tanks of the Somme", and that to the story's Elf-narrator, a combustion engine would look like "a metal heart filled with flame". Anthony Appleyard similarly likens the mechanical dragons to vehicles driven by internal combustion engines. |
Chiayi County
Chiayi County (Mandarin pinyin: "Jiāyì xiàn"; Hokkien POJ: "Ka-gī-koān") is a county in the titular Taiwan Province of the Republic of China. Located in southwestern Taiwan surrounding but not including Chiayi City, it is the sixth largest county in the island of Taiwan.
Name.
The former Chinese placename was Tsu-lo-san (), a representation of the original Formosan-language name "Tirosen". A shortened version, Tsulo, was then used to name Tsulo County, which originally covered the underdeveloped northern two-thirds of the island. In 1704, the county seat was moved to Tsulosan, the site of modern-day Chiayi City. Following the 1723 Zhu Yigui rebellion, the county was reduced in size. In 1787, the county and city were renamed "Chiayi" (; ) by the Qianlong Emperor to acknowledge the citizens' loyalty during the Lin Shuangwen rebellion.
History.
Qing dynasty.
Chiayi County was originally part of Zhuluo County during the Qing dynasty. It was given its modern name by the Qianlong Emperor after the Lin Shuangwen rebellion in 1788 for its role in resisting the rebels.
Empire of Japan.
From 1920, during the Japanese rule of Taiwan, the area of Tainan Prefecture covered modern-day Chiayi County, Chiayi City, Tainan and Yunlin County.
Republic of China.
After the handover of Taiwan from Japan to the Republic of China on 25 October 1945, the area of present-day Chiayi County was administered under Tainan County. In October 1950, Chiayi County was established as a county of Taiwan Province. Chiayi City was designated as the county seat.
In July 1982, Chiayi City was upgraded to a provincial city, thus in December 1981, Chiayi County government relocated the county seat to Dongshiliao Farm in Taibao Township.
In March 1989, Wufong Township was renamed Alishan Township. In July 1991, Taibao Township was reorganized as Taibao City. In November 1991, Chiayi County government relocated the county seat from Dongshiliao Farm to Hsiangho New Village in Taibao City. Puzi Township was reorganized as a county-administered city in September 1992.
Geography.
Chiayi County borders Mount Yu to the east, Taiwan Strait to the west, Tainan City to the south and Yunlin County to the north. It spans over , about 5.35% of the area of Taiwan. Chiayi County is located along the Tropic of Cancer.
Administration.
Chiayi County is divided into 2 cities, 2 urban townships, 13 rural townships and 1 mountain indigenous township. Taibao City is the seat of Chiayi County and is home to Chiayi County Government. The Chiayi County Council is however located in Puzi City. Weng Chang-liang of the Democratic Progressive Party is the incumbent Magistrate of Chiayi County.
Color indicates statutory language status of the Formosan language in the respective subdivision.
Demographics.
The current population of Chiayi County as of May 2022 is 490,423 people. The county has been experiencing a population decline since 2009 due to higher migration out of the county and a higher death rate than birth rate. In 2013, the birthrate in the county was 5.89, lower than the average in Taiwan of 8.91, and the second lowest after Keelung.
Education.
Chiayi County is home to the government-owned National Chung Cheng University and National Chiayi University. Private universities and colleges including Chang Gung University of Science and Technology, Nanhua University, Toko University and WuFeng University. Education-related affairs in the county is managed by the Educational Department of Chiayi County Government.
Economy.
Over the past 20 years, Chiayi County had often been left out in the regional economic development due to its less strategic location, lack of infrastructure and appropriate industrial land to attract manufacturers to set up factories in the area. All of the existing industrial parks in the county were built before 1981. Class 2 and class 3 industries have been developing slowly throughout Chiayi, thus the economic development is sluggish as well, resulting in slow urban development.
Three industrial parks named the Dapumei Industrial Park (), Ma Chou Hou Industrial Park () and Budai Intelligent Industrial Park are currently under planning in the county. Industrial parks in the neighboring counties and cities also contributed to the difficulty of industrial developments in Chiayi County.
Energy.
The Zengwen Hydroelectric Plant and Chiahui Gas-Fired Power Plant boasted the total national grid capacity of 50 MW and 670 MW respectively. Both of the power plants are located in the county.
Incinerator in the county is Lutsao Refuse Incineration Plant.
Tourist attractions.
Museums.
Notable museums, cultural centers and monuments in Chiayi County are the Dongshi Natural Ecological Exhibition Center, Mei-Ling Fine Arts Museum, National Radio Museum, Ping Huang Coffee Museum, Southern Branch of the National Palace Museum, Xikou Township Cultural Life Center and Tropic of Cancer Monument.
Natural.
Bordered by mountains on one side and sea on the other side, Chiayi County holds three major national parks, which are Alishan National Scenic Area, Southwest Coast National Scenic Area and Siraya National Scenic Area, each represents a unique view of nature's wonders, from mountains, plains to ocean views. It also houses the Chukou Nature Center,
Haomeiliao Wetland and Meishan Park.
Dams.
Renyitan Dam and Zengwen Dam are located in the county.
Buildings.
The county houses the Dongshi Fisherman's Wharf, Chiayi Performing Arts Center and High-Heel Wedding Church.
Transportation.
Air.
Chiayi County is served by Chiayi Airport, located at the junction of Shuishang Township, Taibao City and neighboring Chiayi City.
Rail.
Taiwan High Speed Rail stops at Chiayi Station in Taibao City. Taiwan Railways Administration stations include the Dalin Station, Minxiong Station, Nanjing Station and Shuishang Station. The Alishan Forest Railway leads to Alishan National Scenic Area, with stations in Zhuqi Township, Meishan Township and Alishan Township.
Water.
Budai Harbor in Budai Township provides ferry services to Magong City, Penghu. |
James Maitland, 8th Earl of Lauderdale
James Maitland, 8th Earl of Lauderdale, (26 January 1759 – 10 September 1839) was Keeper of the Great Seal of Scotland and a representative peer for Scotland in the House of Lords.
Early years.
Born at Haltoun House near Ratho, the eldest son and heir of James Maitland, 7th Earl of Lauderdale, whom he succeeded in 1789, he became a controversial Scottish politician and writer. His tutor had been the learned Dr. Andrew Dalzell and James Maitland then attended the universities of Edinburgh and Glasgow, completing his education in Paris where, it is said, he became radicalised.
Parliamentary career.
Upon his return home in 1780, he was admitted a member of the Faculty of Advocates and successfully stood for election to parliament the same year. From 1780 until 1784 he was a member of parliament representing Newport and from 1784 to 1789, Malmesbury. In the House of Commons he supported the prominent Whig Charles Fox and took an active part in debate and was one of the managers of the Impeachment of Warren Hastings.
From 1789, in the House of Lords, where he was a representative peer for Scotland, he was prominent as an opponent of the policy of William Pitt the Younger and the English government with regard to France. He was a frequent speaker and also distinguished himself by his active opposition to the "Habeas Corpus" Suspension Act, the Sedition Bill, and other measures. Upon the outbreak of the French Revolution, of which he was thought to be in sympathy, he ostentatiously appeared in the house in the rough costume of Jacobinism.
In July 1792, he fought a bloodless duel with Benedict Arnold after impugning Arnold's honour in the House of Lords.
French Revolution.
In 1792, in the company of John Moore, Lord Lauderdale travelled again to France. The attack on the Tuileries and the imprisonment of King Louis XVI took place three days after the earl's arrival in the French capital. After the massacres of 2 September, the British ambassador having left Paris, the earl left Paris on the 4th for Calais. However, he returned to Paris the following month and did not leave for London until 5 December. Upon his return from France, he published a "Journal during the residence in France from the beginning of August to the middle of December 1792".
According to the antiquarian Andrew Thomson, "James Maitland 8th Earl of Lauderdale was known as 'Citizen Maitland'. An extremist, he was in Paris during the French Revolution and was a personal friend of Jean-Paul Marat. He rarely visited Scotland". The earl had helped to found the British Society of the Friends of the People in 1792.
New peerage.
Upon the formation of the Grenville administration in February 1806, Lauderdale was made a peer of the United Kingdom as Baron Lauderdale of Thirlestane and sworn a member of the Privy Council. For a short time from July 1806 he was keeper of the Great Seal of Scotland.
Napoleonic treaty.
On 2 August 1806 the earl, fully fluent in French, departed for France, invested with full powers to conclude peace, the negotiations for which had been for several weeks carried on by the Earl of Yarmouth. Arriving on the 5th he and Yarmouth set about the arduous task of treating with Napoleon and Tallyrand. Yarmouth was recalled on the 14th and Lauderdale was left alone.
In his 'Memoirs ' Eugène François Vidocq wrote that circa Battle of Copenhagen (1807) Boulogne was also bombed. According to Vidocq at this moment Lauderdale was right in Boulogne, and was almost lynched by Frenchmen.
He was an Englishman, and the exasperated people were desirous of revenging themselves on him: they surrounded him, mobbed him, and pressed upon him; and in defiance of the protection of two officers who were attending him, they showered stones and mud upon him from all sides. Pale, trembling, and faltering, the peer thought he was about to fall a sacrifice, when sword in hand, I cleared my way through the rabble, crying 'Destruction to whoever strikes him!' I harangued the multitude, dispersed them, and led the way to the harbour, where, without being subjected to further insult, he embarked on board a flag of truce boat. He soon reached the English squadron, which the next evening renewed the bombardment.
Following the renewal of hostilities he left Paris for London on 9 October. A full account of the progress and termination of the negotiations appeared in the "London Gazette" of 21 October 1806.
After acting as the leader of the Whigs in Scotland, Lauderdale became a Tory and voted against the Reform Bill of 1832. Lord Lauderdale was made a Privy Counsellor in 1806 and a Knight of the Thistle in 1821.
Banner dispute.
In 1672 on the death of the Earl of Dundee, the Duke of Lauderdale was appointed
Hereditary Bearer for the Sovereign of the Standard of Scotland, and this right was retained by his heirs until 1910.
In 1790, James Maitland, 8th Earl of Lauderdale matriculated arms in the character of Hereditary Bearer for the Sovereign of the Standard of Scotland and Hereditary Bearer for the Sovereign of the National Flag of Scotland.
In 1952 after a meeting with the Earls of Lauderdale and Dundee the Lord Lyon advised the Queen to confirm the Earl of Lauderdale's right to bear the saltire as the Bearer of the National Flag of Scotland, and to confirm that the Earl of Dundee as the Bearer of the Royal Banner bears the Royal Standard of the lion rampant.
Writings.
Maitland wrote an "Inquiry into the Nature and Origin of Public Wealth" (1804 and 1819), in which he introduced the concept that has come to be known as the "Lauderdale Paradox": there is an inverse correlation between public wealth and private wealth; an increase in the one can only come at the cost of a decrease in the other. This work, which was translated into French and Italian, produced a controversy between the author and Lord Brougham; "The Depreciation of the Paper-currency of Great Britain Proved" (1812); and other writings of a similar nature.
The "Inquiry" was the first work to draw attention to the economic consequences of a budget surplus or deficit and its influence on the expansion or contraction of the economy, and was thus the basis of the later Keynesian economic theories which are now widely applied.
Death.
He died at Thirlestane Castle, near Lauder, Berwickshire, at 80.
He is buried in the Maitland vault, also called the Lauderdale Aisle, at St Mary's Collegiate Church, Haddington.
Family.
On 15 August 1782, he married Eleanor Todd (1762–1856), the only daughter and heiress of Anthony Todd, Secretary of the General Post Office. They had ten children:
None of his seven sons were married. |
William Henry Hunt (painter)
William Henry Hunt (London 28 March 1790 – 10 February 1864), was an English watercolourist. Hunt was "one of the key figures
in nineteenth-century English watercolour painting. His work was extensively collected in his lifetime, particularly his genre pictures of children, often in humorous situations, and his detailed, naturalistic still lifes of fruit, flowers, and birds' nests that earned him the nickname ‘Bird’s Nest’ Hunt."
Early life.
Hunt was born at 8 Old Belton Street, now 7 Endell Street, near Covent Garden. His father, John Hunt, was a tin-plate worker, making and selling small containers, such as canisters and boxes, which he also decorated. Hunt's uncle, a butcher, is recorded as having said of the artist, "He was always a poor cripple, and as he was fit for nothing, they made an artist of him." This is at least partially true, as Hunt had deformed legs that hampered his movement and may well have contributed to his eventual abandonment of landscape work in favor of still life and figures.
In 1806 Hunt persuaded his father to allow him to train as an artist, becoming apprenticed for a term of seven years to John Varley, the watercolorist, drawing master, astrologer, and a close friend of William Blake. Apparently Hunt made good progress under Varley's tutelage, as he exhibited three oil paintings at the Royal Academy in 1807 and continued to exhibit there for several years following. In 1808 he was admitted as a student to the Royal Academy Schools.
Through Varley, Hunt was introduced into the circle of the collector, amateur, and patron of artists Dr. Thomas Monro, Principal Physician of Bethlem Hospital, whose informal drawing academy attracted many gifted young artists. Artists met at the doctor's home in Adelphi Terrace on winter evenings and also at his country home at Bushey, Hertfordshire The doctor often invited Hunt to Bushey for extended periods, to paint from nature under the doctor's instruction. According to Martin Hardie, "Some of [Hunt's] most charming outdoor drawings were made round about Bushey, 'where he was trundled on a sort of barrow with a hood over it...while he made sketches'.". Dr. Munro's patronage proved critical to Hunt's progress as an artist.
Royal Watercolour Society.
By 1822 Hunt was living independently of his family. From 1822 to 1825 he again exhibited at the Royal Academy, after which he ceased entirely. This may be because on 9 April 1824 he was elected an associate member of the Society of Painters in Watercolours (later the Royal Watercolour Society), becoming a full member two years later, in June 1826. From his earliest contributions until 1864, the year he died, Hunt was a prolific exhibitor at the society's annual exhibitions, contributing a total of 765 works in all.
Painting style.
Hunt's early work shows the influence of his teacher, John Varley, as well as his patron, Dr. Thomas Munro and Henry Edridge, a close associate of Munro. Architectural subjects and country landscapes dominated his early work. Loose drawing in pencil or pen and fluid, clear color washes are the hallmarks. His subjects, especially those of his later life, are often simple; but, considered technically, his works exhibit all the resources of the watercolour painter's craft, from the purest transparent tinting to the boldest use of gouache, stippling on prepared opaque grounds, use of rough paper, and scraping for highlights and texture. His sense of colour is perhaps as true as that of any English artist. He was, says John Ruskin, all in all, the finest ever painter of still life. Several characteristic examples of Hunt's work, as the "Boy with a Goat," "A Brown Study, Plums," "and Primroses and Birds' Nests" are in the Victoria and Albert Museum.
According to the Redgraves, "The works of Hunt differ widely from his contemporaries: they have a character of their own, and many qualities which place him as an artist, in his somewhat narrow range, on a level with the highest.".
Death.
Hunt died of apoplexy on 10 February 1864. He was buried on the western side of Highgate Cemetery on 15 February 1864, attended to the grave by a number of artist colleagues. "The Reader" (27 February 1864) opined "we were but faintly beginning to appreciate and understand his genius when he was taken from us--one the greatest artists of the Century."
Collections.
Examples of Hunt's work are held in a number of public collections, including the Victoria and Albert Museum, Tate Gallery, The British Museum, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC, Yale Center for British Art, Cummer Museum of Art and Gardens, The Huntington Library, Whitworth Art Gallery, Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, Lady Lever Art Gallery, National Portrait Gallery (London), Art Gallery of New South Wales, Williamson Art Gallery and Museum (Birkenhead), Harris Museum and Art Gallery (Preston, Lancashire), Ashmolean Museum, Courtauld Institute of Art, Fitzwilliam Museum, High Museum of Art, Atlanta, The Higgins Art Gallery and Museum, Blackburn Museum and Art Gallery, Towneley Hall. (Burnley), Leicester Museum & Art Gallery, Hastings Museum and Art Gallery, Aberdeen Art Gallery, Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, Morgan Library and Museum, Royal Watercolour Society, among others. |
Scottish pork taboo
The Scottish pork taboo is a purported historical taboo against the consumption of pork amongst the Scottish people, particularly Highlanders. The phrase was coined by journalist Donald Alexander Mackenzie, who believed the aversion stemmed from an ancient taboo.
Several writers who confirmed that a prejudice against pork existed, or a superstitious attitude to pigs, do not see it in terms of a taboo related to an ancient cult. Any prejudice is generally agreed to have been fading by 1800. Some writers attribute a scarcity or dislike of pork in certain periods to a shortage of pig fodder.
Mackenzie's ideas.
Donald Mackenzie gave a lecture on the Scottish pork taboo in 1920 when he explained his idea that prejudices against pork-eating could be traced back to a centuries-old religious cult. When he published these theories in the 1930s, he suggested the taboo was imported to Scotland in pre-Roman times by Celtic mercenaries, influenced by the cult of Attis in Anatolia. (The cult of Attis did not abstain permanently from pork; it was a purification for their ceremonies.)
He dismissed any possibility that the pork taboo originated from a literal reading of the Bible, and disputed this with various arguments, noting that early Christian missionaries did not snub pork. He conceded that archaeological evidence was found of pigs being eaten in prehistoric Scotland, but suggested this might have come from pork-eating peoples living near others who did observe the taboo, or be related to ceremonial use of pigs. Later pork production was for export, not for local use, just as eels were caught to send to the English market, while they were unacceptable as food in Scotland. The taboo died out in the Lowlands earlier than in the Highlands, and by the 1800s, most crofts in the Highlands and Islands would have kept a grice.
Other folklorists, such as Isabel Grant, have accepted this theory of a taboo.
Writers cited by Mackenzie.
In addition to proposing ideas developed from studying the mythology and folklore of Scotland and other cultures, Mackenzie quoted writers of the 18th and 19th centuries.
Walter Scott referred to Scottish Highlanders' dislike of pork in more than one book, and around 1814 explained that
Pork or swine’s flesh, in any shape, was, till of late years, much abominated by the Scotch, nor is it yet a favourite food amongst them. King Jamie carried this prejudice to England, and is known to have abhorred pork almost as much as he did tobacco.
Scott's remark that Ben Jonson "recorded" the king's aversion to pork in his masque "The Gipsies Metamorphosed", when the king has his hand read, is based on these words:
You should, by this line,<br>
Love a horse and a hound, but no part of a swine.
Samuel Johnson found an "abhorrence" of pork and bacon on Skye in the 1770s.
It is not very easy to fix the principles upon which mankind have agreed to eat some animals, and reject others; and as the principle is not evident, it is not uniform. […] The vulgar inhabitants of Sky, I know not whether of the other islands, have not only eels, but pork and bacon in abhorrence, and accordingly I never saw a hog in the Hebrides, except one at Dunvegan.
Mackenzie suggested that a verse in the English satirical song "The Brewer" from "A Collection of Loyal Songs" referred to the taboo:
The Jewish Scots that scorn to eat<br>
The flesh of swine and Brewer's beat<br>
'Twas the sight of this hogshead made 'em retreat<br>
Which nobody can deny!
He believed that this, and other comments associating Scots with Jews, confirm the existence of the taboo, but have nothing to do with its origin. However, Celtic Christians had long faced accusations of 'judaizing'.
He described a superstition about touching or saying "cauld airn" (cold iron) when pigs are mentioned. This was discussed by Dean Ramsay, and is also included in Walter McGregor's "Notes on the folk-lore of the north-east of Scotland" (Folklore Society 1881).
Among the many superstitious notions and customs prevalent among the lower orders of the fishing towns on the east coast of Fife, till very recently, that class entertained a great horror of swine . . . .
Mackenzie disagreed with Edward Burt, whose "Letters from a Gentleman in the North of Scotland" (1754) discusses an “aversion” to pork in the Highlands, but says it is not “superstitious”.
Other writers referring to a prejudice against pork.
Bishop John Lesley's "History of Scotland" talks of "our cuntrie peple" having "lytle plesure" in pork in the 1570s. In contrast to the alleged tastes of country folk, pigs were supplied to the royal household for the table of Mary, Queen of Scots from former monastic lands.
At least four ministers writing about their parishes for the Statistical Accounts of Scotland in the 1790s speak of a prejudice which is starting to fade: for instance, "The deep rooted prejudice against swine's flesh is now removed: most of the farmers rear some of that species, which not 30 years ago, they held in the utmost detestation." (Ardchattan, County of Argyle) Account of 1791-99, volume 6, page 177)
Twentieth-century historian Christopher Smout speaks of "a universal superstitious prejudice".
An archaeological survey of pork consumption in Scotland by the Society of Antiquities in Scotland in 2000 states: "Whether there is any archaeological evidence of this prejudice against pigs, for whatever reason, is open to question." and that "During the medieval period, it has been noted that rural sites contained more pig bones than urban sites, and that the lowest relative frequencies come from the most southerly of the burghs considered, Peebles and Perth. This contradicts the notion that it was the ‘Highlanders’ who abhorred pork, unless it is assumed that, despite this dislike, they continued to produce it for sale to others."
Writers disputing Donald Mackenzie's theories.
Historian William Mackay Mackenzie published his thoughts in the "Scotsman" letters pages (8 October 1921) as part of a long-running debate arising from D. A. Mackenzie's lecture in 1920. While agreeing there had been a "sporadic prejudice" against pork in parts of Scotland, and offering illustrations of this, he was against the idea of a link to a "religious cult". He saw economic factors at work between 1500 and 1800 which would discourage pig-keeping. He cited several examples of pork consumption in the Middle Ages, and described a "temporary lapse" when "the great forests disappeared from Scotland".
In 1983, American anthropologist Eric B. Ross put forward arguments based on a detailed study of Scottish agricultural history, and asserted the value of cultural materialism rooted in evolutionary anthropology for studying dietary customs, thus avoiding explanations based on "relatively esoteric" beliefs. Because of deforestation, a loss of beech mast and acorns for feeding pigs occurred, and potatoes were not produced in sufficient quantity to offer a useful alternative until the late 18th century. Throughout this gap in pork consumption by the general population, many of the Scottish upper classes continued to eat the meat. He summed up:
In the years of the 18th century and probably earlier, swine were rarely raised in Scotland, particularly in the Scottish Highlands, and subsequent writers have gone so far as to postulate the operation of a taboo on the eating of pork. Unfortunately there is almost nothing known today about local sentiments of that era, and we have only the intellectual rationalizations of educated writers who all too easily found an explanation for the scarcity of pigs in the assumption that a 'foolish prejudice' was at work. |
En El Jardín
"En El Jardín" () is a song written by Kike Santander and performed by Mexican recording artist Alejandro Fernández. It was co-produced by Santander and Emilio Estefan and features Cuban-American singer Gloria Estefan. It was released as the second single from "Me Estoy Enamorando" by Sony Music Mexico in 1997. The song is a pop ballad and portrays both singers falling in love, as if the love blossomed from a garden. A music video featuring both artists was made for the track.
It reached on the top of the "Billboard" Hot Latin Songs chart in the United States and spent a total of seven weeks at this position. "En El Jardín" was met with positive reviews from music critics. The recording led to Fernández and Estefan receiving a nomination for Pop Group or Duo of the Year at the 10th Annual Lo Nuestro Awards while Santander received a BMI Latin Award for the track in 1999.
Background and composition.
Since 1992, Alejandro Fernández established his music career as a ranchera singer like his father, iconic ranchera singer, Vicente Fernández. His previous albums, "Alejandro Fernández" (1992), "Piel De Niña" (1993), "Grandes Éxitos a la Manera de Alejandro Fernández" (1994), "Que Seas Muy Feliz" (1995), and "Muy Dentro de Mi Corazón" (1996), helped solidify Fernández as a ranchera singer. Although his last album, "Muy Dentro de Mi Corazón", was a success, Fernández did not want to simply record another ranchera album. "If I had released another album of just rancheras, people would have just expected the same thing, and then they would have begun to judge me by that one [musical] theme", Fernández explained. He also noted bolero's popularity on radio stations and cited his waning radio airplay. After listening to "Mi Tierra" by Gloria Estefan, Fernández sought Estefan's husband Emilio Estefan to have him produce Fernández's next album. After hearing Fernández's proposal, Emilio Estefan agreed on the idea to produce the album.
"En El Jardín" is a ballad duet with Gloria Estefan. It was written by Colombian songwriter Kike Santander and co-produced by Santander and Emilio Estefan. The song features Santander performing the accordion, acoustic guitars, and vihuela. In the lyrics, both singers describe falling in love with each other that was blossomed in a garden of loves. In the music video for the song, Fernández and Estefan are singing in a garden with musicians playing in the background. Fernández and Estefan performed the song live during the "Jalisco en Vivo" concert in 2009. The track was included on Fernández's compilation album "Más Romantico Que Nunca: Sus Grandes Éxitos Romanticos" (2010), and on Estefan's compilation albums "" (2004) and "Mis Favoritas" (2010).
Reception.
"En El Jardín" was released as the second single from "Me Estoy Enamorando". In the United States, "En El Jardín" debuted at number 20 on the "Billboard" Hot Latin Songs chart on the week of 6 December 1997. It reached on top of the chart three weeks later, succeeding Marc Anthony's song "Y Hubo Alguien". It returned to this position two weeks later succeeding Fernández's song "Si Tú Supieras" and spent a total of five weeks on top of the chart. The song ended 1998 as the eighth best-performing Latin song of the year in the US. The track also reached the top of the Latin Pop Songs chart where it spent eight consecutive weeks in this position. In November 1999, "En El Jardín" was labeled as one of the "hottest tracks" for Sony Discos in a list including the most successful songs released by the label since the launching of the "Billboard" Hot Latin Tracks chart in 1986.
Knight Ridder music critic Howard Cohen called it a "creamy" duet. Ramiro Burr of the "San Antonio Express-News" described it as "a glorious ballad on the moment love is born". "The Dallas Morning News" editor Mario Tarradell praised the track noting that Fernández and Estefan "works not only as an ideal pairing - there's palpable chemistry in their voices - but the cut's sexy mix of acoustic guitar, trumpet and maracas capture the intoxicating allure of a private paradise." Eliseo Cardona of "El Nuevo Herald" felt that Estefan's performance with Fernández made her sound better than she should be on her albums.
The song led to Fernández and Estefan receiving a nomination for Pop Group or Duo of the Year at the 10th Annual Lo Nuesro Awards in 1998, but lost to Juan Gabriel and Rocío Dúrcal. The track also led to Santander receiving a BMI Latin Award in 1999 in recognition of the best-performing Latin songs in 1998.
Personnel.
Credits adapted from the "Me Estoy Enamorando" liner notes. |
N-Acetylglutamic acid
N"-Acetylglutamic acid (also referred to as N"-acetylglutamate, abbreviated NAG, chemical formula C7H11NO5) is biosynthesized from glutamate and acetylornithine by ornithine acetyltransferase, and from glutamic acid and acetyl-CoA by the enzyme "N"-acetylglutamate synthase. The reverse reaction, hydrolysis of the acetyl group, is catalyzed by a specific hydrolase. It is the first intermediate involved in the biosynthesis of arginine in prokaryotes and simple eukaryotes and a regulator in the process known as the urea cycle that converts toxic ammonia to urea for excretion from the body in vertebrates.
Discovery.
"N"-Acetylglutamic acid is an extracellular metabolite isolated from the prokaryote Rhizobium trifolii that was characterized using many structure determination techniques such as proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR) spectroscopy, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.
In "Rhizobium", extracellular build-up of "N"-acetylglutamic acid is due to metabolism involving nod factor genes on a symbiotic plasmid. When the nod factors are mutated, less "N"-acetylglutamic acid is produced.
Biosynthesis.
Prokaryotes and simple eukaryotes.
In prokaryotes and simple eukaryotes, "N"-acetylglutamic acid can be produced by "N"-acetylglutamate synthase (NAGS) or ornithine acetyltransferase (OAT).
Ornithine acetyltransferase (OAT) synthesis.
OAT synthesizes "N"-acetylglutamic acid from glutamate and acetylornithine and is the method of choice for production in prokaryotes that have the ability to synthesize the compound ornithine.
"N"-Acetylglutamate synthase (NAGS) synthesis.
"N"-Acetylglutamate synthase is an enzyme that serves as a replenisher of "N"-acetylglutamic acid to supplement any "N"-acetylglutamic acid lost by the cell through mitosis or degradation. NAGS synthesizes "N"-acetylglutamic acid by catalyzing the addition of an acetyl group from acetyl-coenzyme A to glutamate. In prokaryotes with non-cyclic ornithine production, NAGS is the sole method of "N"-acetylglutamic acid synthesis and is inhibited by arginine. Acetylation of glutamate is thought to prevent glutamate from being used by proline biosynthesis.
Vertebrates.
In contrast to prokaryotes, NAGS in mammals is enhanced by arginine, along with protamines. It is inhibited by "N"-acetylglutamic acid and its analogues (other "N"-acetylated compounds).
The brain also contains "N"-acetylglutamic acid at trace amounts, however no expression of NAGS is found. This suggests that "N"-acetylglutamic acid is produced by another enzyme in the brain that is yet to be determined.
Biological roles.
Vertebrates and mammals.
In vertebrae and mammals, "N"-acetylglutamic acid is the allosteric activator molecule to mitochondrial carbamyl phosphate synthetase I (CPSI) which is the first enzyme in the urea cycle. It triggers the production of the first urea cycle intermediate, carbamyl phosphate. CPSI is inactive when "N"-acetylglutamic acid is not present. In the liver and small intestines, "N"-acetylglutamic acid-dependent CPSI produces citrulline, the second intermediate in the urea cycle. Liver cell distribution of "N"-acetylglutamic acid is highest in the mitochondria at 56% of total "N"-acetylglutamic acid availability, 24% in the nucleus, and the remaining 20% in the cytosol. Aminoacylase I in liver and kidney cells degrades "N"-acetylglutamic acid to glutamate and acetate. In contrast, "N"-acetylglutamic acid is "not" the allosteric cofactor to carbamyl phosphate synthetase found in the cytoplasm, which is involved in pyrimidine synthesis.
"N"-acetylglutamic acid concentrations increase when protein consumption increases due to the accumulation of ammonia that must be secreted through the urea cycle, which supports the role of "N"-acetylglutamic acid as the cofactor for CPSI. Furthermore, "N"-acetylglutamic acid can be found in many commonly consumed foods such as soy, corn, and coffee, with cocoa powder containing a notably high concentration.
Deficiency in "N"-acetylglutamic acid in humans is an autosomal recessive disorder that results in blockage of urea production which ultimately increases the concentration of ammonia in the blood (hyperammonemia). Deficiency can be caused by defects in the NAGS coding gene or by deficiencies in the precursors essential for synthesis.
Bacteria.
"N"-Acetylglutamic acid is the second intermediate in the arginine production pathway in "Escherichia coli" and is produced via NAGS. In this pathway, "N"-acetylglutamic acid kinase (NAGK) catalyzes the phosphorylation of the gamma (third) carboxyl group of "N"-acetylglutamic acid using the phosphate produced by hydrolysis of adenosine triphosphate (ATP).
White clover seedling roots.
"Rhizobium" can form a symbiotic relationship with white clover seedling roots and form colonies. The extracellular "N"-acetylglutamic acid produced by these bacteria have three morphological effects on the white clover seedling roots: branching of root hairs, swelling of root tips, and increase in the number of cell divisions in undifferentiated cells found on the outer-most cell layer of the root. This suggests that "N"-acetylglutamic acid is involved in the stimulation of mitosis. The same effects were observed on the strawberry clover, but not in legumes. The effects of "N"-acetylglutamic acid on the clover species were more potent than the effects from glutamine, glutamate, arginine, or ammonia.
Structure.
"N"-Acetylglutamic acid is composed of two carboxylic acid groups and an amide group protruding from the second carbon. The structure of "N"-acetylglutamic acid at physiological pH (7.4) has all carboxyl groups deprotonated.
Proton NMR spectroscopy.
The molecular structure of "N"-acetylglutamic acid was determined using proton NMR spectroscopy. Proton NMR reveals the presence and functional group location of protons based on chemical shifts recorded on the spectrum.
13C NMR spectroscopy.
Like proton NMR, carbon-13 (13C) NMR spectroscopy is a method used in molecular structure determination. 13C NMR reveals the types of carbons present in a molecule based on chemical shifts that correspond to certain functional groups. "N"-Acetylglutamic acid exhibits carbonyl carbons most distinctly due to the three carbonyl-containing substituents. |
Firing of Shirley Sherrod
On July 19, 2010, Shirley Sherrod was fired from her appointed position as Georgia State Director of Rural Development for the United States Department of Agriculture. Her firing was an administration reaction to media reports on video excerpts from her address to an event of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People in March 2010 and commentary posted by conservative blogger Andrew Breitbart on his website. Based on these excerpts, the NAACP condemned Sherrod's remarks as racist and US government officials called on the official to resign. However, review of her full speech showed that the excerpts had been selectively edited, and that her remarks – understood in context – were about the importance of overcoming personal prejudices. The NAACP and White House officials then apologized for their earlier criticisms, and United States Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack apologized for the firing and offered Sherrod a new position.
Extensive media coverage of the excerpted videos, various parties' comments, and later corrections after the full story was discovered, exacerbated the affair. The event brought to the forefront current debates regarding racism in the United States, cable news reporting, ideological websites on the internet, and decisions made by President Barack Obama's administration.
The Obama administration apologized to Sherrod, and offered her a full-time, high-level internal advocacy position with the USDA, which she ultimately declined. In 2011, Sherrod filed suit against Breitbart and co-defendant Larry O'Connor for defamation. In 2015, following lengthy pretrial proceedings, Breitbart's death, and efforts by Breitbart's estate to have the suit dismissed which were rejected, the parties settled the suit on undisclosed terms.
Before media coverage of videos.
Shirley Sherrod aware of videos on July 14.
When Shirley Sherrod addressed the Federation of Southern Cooperatives/Land Assistance Fund on August 21, 2010, she said she had been aware of the videos on July 14, 2010, five days before they were posted on Andrew Breitbart's BigGovernment website. Sherrod says that she immediately notified the USDA about the videos, saying that they did not convey the entire or accurate story. She heard nothing from the USDA until Monday, July 19, 2010, when she was put on administrative leave and then asked to resign. Released White House emails show the Obama administration was aware of the situation, but there was no evidence that the dismissal of Sherrod was under orders of the White House.
Excerpted video.
On July 19, 2010, two different video clips were posted by the conservative commentator Andrew Breitbart to his BigGovernment website, along with a nearly 1,000-word blog post in which he accused the mainstream media and the NAACP of falsely labeling the Tea Party as racist.
The first video showed Sherrod describing an experience of working with a white man seeking help to save his farm. She struggled with helping him at a time when many black people were losing their land. In the excerpt, she says "So, I didn't give him the full force of what I could do." She took him to a white lawyer, telling the audience that —"his own kind would take care of him."
Subsequently, the posted video was shown to be a selected excerpt of broader comments that conveyed a very different meaning, in which Sherrod learned from her experience, and realized it was about the “haves and have nots” and not white versus black. She then worked diligently to help the man save his farm. The excerpts posted by Breitbart ran for 2 minutes, 38 seconds in total, while the full video was 43 minutes 15 seconds long. Breitbart said he did not edit the video excerpt which he released and did not have a copy of the entire speech. The full video was produced by a Douglas, Georgia, company that filmed the banquet for the local Georgia chapter of the NAACP. The owner of the video company, Johnny Wilkerson, said on July 20 that he was sending the full video to the national NAACP and would post it in full once he got permission to do so. Breitbart's source for the excerpt remained confidential .
Controversy timeline.
Much of the controversy related to the incident involved which parties took which actions and when. Media Matters for America, a liberal media watchdog organization, compiled an extensive timeline of the affair. Greg Pollowitz of "National Review Online", a conservative publication, said that the Media Matters timeline was "as good as any I’ve seen."
Initial media reports.
The first news outlet to report on the Breitbart video was FoxNews.com, which posted an article about the story on its website. The New York City affiliate for CBS posted a report on its website later that afternoon. The "Atlanta Journal-Constitution" website soon picked up the story. In addition, the story was picked up and reported widely in the blogosphere.
Resignation of Sherrod.
Sherrod later said that on the afternoon of July 19, she received numerous demands from government officials to submit her resignation, demands which she characterized as harassment. In response to a call from USDA deputy undersecretary Cheryl Cook, Sherrod submitted her resignation via email that same day. Sherrod said that Cook told her White House officials wanted her to quit immediately because the controversy was "going to be on Glenn Beck tonight", which was disputed by White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs.
Official comments about Sherrod.
That same evening, the President of the NAACP, Benjamin Jealous, posted a tweet saying that his organization was "appalled" by Sherrod's comments. The following day, the USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack released a statement explaining his agency's actions and suggested that Sherrod's statements as shown damaged her effectiveness at a time when USDA was working to improve its previous civil rights abuses.
Initial broadcast of Breitbart video.
The Breitbart video was first broadcast that evening on "The O'Reilly Factor", a talk show on the Fox News Channel; host Bill O'Reilly said Sherrod should resign. At the time of the taping of the show, news of Sherrod's resignation had not yet been reported, nor had the NAACP yet released the full video. But, the program was not broadcast until after Sherrod resigned and O'Reilly's staff had confirmed that fact with the USDA.
Dana Loesch, an organizer for the Tea Party in Saint Louis, Missouri, mentioned the video in an appearance on "Larry King Live"; it was also shown on "Anderson Cooper 360" (both on CNN). It was discussed on "Hannity" and "On The Record with Greta Van Susteren" (both on Fox) as well, but notably not on "Glenn Beck".
Sherrod's account.
In the full video, Sherrod related her experience in 1986 with the first white farmer to come to her for help. (On July 20 CNN received a telephone call from the farmer's wife and learned his name was Roger Spooner.) Sherrod said that his land was being sold, and "had in fact already been rented out from under him." At first, she felt that he had a superior attitude toward her, causing her to recall harsh aspects of her life in the South, including the murder of her father; Sherrod went on to say that she had not let that get in the way and did not discriminate against him. They became very good friends as a result of her help. She admitted thinking at the time that white people had "all the advantages" but learned that poverty affected both races.
According to Sherrod, she did her job correctly by taking the farmer to a white lawyer who she thought could help him, and she looked for another lawyer when needed. Sherrod rejected descriptions calling her racist and said she "went all out" to help the man keep his farm. She said that the incident helped her learn to move beyond race, and she told the story to audiences to make that point.
Spooner family's account.
Roger Spooner, the farmer, said on CNN that Sherrod is not a racist, that she did everything she could for his family; more than 20 years later, he and Sherrod remain friends. The Spooners credit Sherrod with helping them save their farm: "If it hadn't been for her, we would've never known who to see or what to do", Roger Spooner said. "She led us right to our success." His wife, Eloise Spooner, said that "after things kind of settled down, she brought Sherrod some tomatoes out of her garden, and they had a good visit." Eloise Spooner recalled Sherrod as "nice-mannered, thoughtful, friendly; a good person." The couple were surprised by the controversy. "I don't know what brought up the racist mess", Roger Spooner said. "They just want to stir up some trouble, it sounds to me in my opinion." Eloise Spooner said that on seeing the story of Sherrod's resignation, "I said, 'That ain't right. They have not treated her right.'"
Full video.
The extended unedited video of her speech released by the NAACP showed that in her full speech, Sherrod emphasized what was only touched on in the excerpt: she said that she learned from the incident that poverty, not race, was the key factor in rural development. She said she ultimately worked hard to save the farmer's land.
Other references to race in Sherrod's speech related to a story of her more recent help of a black family to prevent forced sale of their farmland. It was a case in which distant cousins, among numerous heirs, were forcing a sale of land that the family had owned since the grandfather bought it. She noted finding some honest lawyer who happened to be white, and also that the cousins in the North had lined up a white buyer.
Subsequent events.
Reactions to the incident.
Within hours of the excerpted video's being shown, Benjamin Jealous, president of the NAACP, condemned Sherrod for having abused her power and criticized the apparent audience reaction as well.
After the NAACP released the entire videotape, its officials retracted their previous statement and said:
During the uproar over Sherrod's resignation, Vilsack released a statement on July 20 saying that the USDA would "conduct a thorough review and consider additional facts". Sherrod said that she might not want the job any more.
On July 21, 2010, Sean Hannity rejected the NAACP's blaming of Fox News for inflaming the situation. While the story was not mentioned on the Fox News Channel until after Sherrod's resignation, the edited video and an accompanying article had been published on the Fox News website, as well as those of several other news organizations, prior to her resignation.
Later, the White House sought official review of the case. Sherrod watched live at the CNN Center when Robert Gibbs, White House press spokesman, extended her an apology. She said she welcomed the review and accepted the apology.
On July 21, Vilsack of USDA apologized personally and publicly to Sherrod for forcing her resignation based on an "out-of-context video". He said that he had offered Sherrod a new position in the department, and that she was taking time to consider it. That night, Bill O'Reilly apologized to Sherrod for his remarks calling for her removal from office. He had been the first on cable television to air the video excerpt posted by Breitbart.
Reactions from Breitbart.
Initially, Breitbart said that Sherrod harbored racist sentiments. On July 20, 2010, in an interview with CNN's John King, Breitbart said that releasing the video was "...not about Shirley Sherrod. It's about the NAACP. This was about the NAACP attacking the Tea Party and this [the video of Ms. Sherrod] is showing racism at an NAACP event. I did not ask for Shirley Sherrod to be fired. I did not ask for any repercussions for Shirley Sherrod. They were the ones that took the initiative to get rid of her." Breitbart questioned CNN's acceptance of Eloise Spooner's self-reported identity in a phone interview. In a July 30 interview with "Newsweek", Breitbart said he would be glad to meet with Sherrod privately. He agreed that the excerpted video took her statements out of context and said that if he could do things all over again, he would not have posted the excerpted video, but he did not apologize to Sherrod.
Reactions and subsequent statements by Sherrod.
President Barack Obama spoke to Sherrod personally in a phone call that lasted for seven minutes. Although he did not apologize personally to her, Sherrod said she was "very, very pleased with the conversation." On July 22, Sherrod said she planned to sue Breitbart, who published the excerpted video that led to her resignation. She also said that she would like to see Breitbart's BigGovernment website "shut down".
In an interview with the CNN reporter Anderson Cooper, Sherrod referred to Breitbart as "vicious" and a "racist", and said that he would "like to get us stuck back in the times of slavery". "National Review" commentators suggested she owed Breitbart an apology, and "Salon's" Joan Walsh said Sherrod's assertion came from her own viewpoint.
After learning of Breitbart's death on March 1, 2012, Sherrod released the following statement: "The news of Mr. Breitbart's death came as a surprise to me when I was informed of it this morning. My prayers go out to Mr. Breitbart's family as they cope during this very difficult time." Andrew Breitbart's widow has taken his place as defendant in the ongoing lawsuit.
Selected analyses and commentary.
General politics.
Commentators attributed the rivalry between the left and the right as an important factor in the controversy. The NAACP had passed a resolution asking the Tea Party to repudiate racist language among its members. Breitbart said he posted the videos in response. Commentators from each side noted that racial issues were being manipulated for political gain. Imani Perry, a professor at Princeton's Center for African American Studies, said some conservatives manipulated white fears for political advantage:I think many white Americans are fearful that with Obama in the White House, and the diversity in his appointments, that the racial balance of power is shifting. And that's frightening both because people always are afraid to give up privilege, and because of the prospect of a black-and-brown backlash against a very ugly history. Some liberals have long maintained that racism requires power, and so black people can't be racist. Obama's election undercut the first argument and made the specter of black racism appear more threatening.
Reactions to incident and debate about media's role.
After the release of the full video, media outlets across the political spectrum criticized the decision to force Sherrod to resign.
Jeff Greenfield of CBS News criticized the role of the 24-hour news, saying,
The old United Press International wire service had a slogan: 'Get it first, but first get it right'. In the wake of the Shirley Sherrod story, it's worth asking whether more and more the second half of that slogan has been dumped into the trash bin.
The BBC commented about "the absurdity of the spin-cycle in which American journalists and politicians are intertwined and about the febrile atmosphere that surrounds any story about race." "The New York Times" noted that, "Politically charged stories often take root online before being shared with a much wider audience on Fox. The television coverage, in turn, puts pressure on other news media outlets to follow up".
Mediaite's Steve Krakauer reported that although FoxNews.com broke the story, it was later reported by other online sites such as "The Atlanta Journal-Constitution"s, and that it was repeated by a number of people on various shows and networks. He noted full coverage by other networks and channels, so Sherrod's resignation was not simply because of the Fox News coverage. Howard Kurtz said in "The Washington Post" that the Fox News network, with the exception of brief comments by O'Reilly, did not discuss the story until after Sherrod's resignation was widely reported. Clemente of Fox News said that it was a mistake to have put the story on their website before Sherrod's resignation was announced.
In an interview with Chris Wallace of Fox News, the civil rights activist the Reverend Jesse Jackson said that he regretted that coverage given to the Sherrod incident had overshadowed more important federal actions that month. The government had settled longstanding legal claims of racial discrimination in programs of USDA and the Department of Interior. Jackson noted the landmark nature of the national settlements of these cases and that tens of thousands of people benefited from the compensation for previous injustices. He said:
Appearing on ABC's "The View" on July 29, President Obama characterized the controversy over Sherrod's firing as a "bogus" one generated by the media; he said his administration overreacted in forcing her out.
Defamation lawsuit and settlement.
In February 2011, Sherrod filed a lawsuit in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia against Andrew Breitbart, Breitbart News' Larry O'Connor, and a "John Doe," who, according to the complaint, is "an individual whose identity has been concealed by the other defendants and who, according to defendant Breitbart, was involved in the deceptive editing of the video clip and encouraged its publication with the intent to defame Mrs. Sherrod." In her complaint, Sherrod accused Breitbart of defamation, false light and intentional infliction of emotional distress. Following Breitbart's death in 2012, Breitbart's estate was substituted as a defendant.
The defendants removed the case to federal court. Breitbart and O'Connor filed joint motions for dismissal on First Amendment grounds, stating that the suit was barred by an anti-SLAPP law. The motion was denied, and in February 2012, the U.S. District Court issued a six-page "statement of reasons" which accused Breitbart and O'Connor of wasting "a considerable amount of judicial and litigant resources" on their "'novel' if not overreaching motion." This ruling was affirmed by a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit in June 2013.
The case was assigned to U.S. District Judge Richard J. Leon, who repeatedly expresses frustration with the U.S. government's delays in providing discovery. In July 2014, a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit overturned Judge Leon's order directing Secretary of Agriculture Vilsack to give a deposition as part of pretrial discovery. Sherrod was represented by the law firm of Kirkland & Ellis.
In October 2015, the parties settled the case on undisclosed terms, issuing a joint statement saying: "The parties regret the harm that Mrs. Sherrod suffered as a result of these events. In a gesture they hope will inspire others to engage in the difficult but critically important process of bridging racial divides, the parties have agreed to resolve this lawsuit on confidential terms."
External links.
Primary documentation
Commentary by principals
Biographies
Works |
Line printer
A line printer prints one entire line of text before advancing to another line. Most early line printers were
impact printers.
Line printers are mostly associated with unit record equipment and the early days of digital computing, but the technology is still in use. Print speeds of 600 lines per minute (approximately 10 pages per minute) were achieved in the 1950s, later increasing to as much as 1200 lpm. Line printers print a complete line at a time and have speeds in the range of 150 to 2500 lines per minute.
The types of line printers are drum printers, band-printers, and chain printers. Other non-impact technologies have also been used, as thermal line printers were popular in the 1970s and 1980s, and some inkjet and laser printers produce output a line or a page at a time.
Designs.
Many impact printers, such as the daisywheel printer and dot matrix printer, used a print head that printed a character then moved on until an entire line was printed. Line printers were much faster, as each impact printed an entire line.
There have been five principal designs:
Because all of these printing methods were noisy, line printers of all designs were enclosed in sound-absorbing cases of varying sophistication.
Timing-sensitive designs.
Several designs of printers have similar characteristics.
Drum printer.
In a typical drum printer design, a fixed font character set is engraved onto the periphery of a number of print wheels, the number matching the number of columns (letters in a line) the printer can print. The wheels, joined to form a large drum (cylinder), spin at high speed and paper and an inked ribbon is stepped (moved) past the print position. As the desired character for each column passes the print position, a hammer strikes the paper from the rear and presses the paper against the ribbon and the drum, causing the desired character to be recorded on the continuous paper. Because the drum carrying the letterforms (characters) remains in constant motion, the strike-and-retreat action of the hammers has to be very fast. Typically, they are driven by voice coils mounted on the moving part of the hammer.
Large mechanical and electric stresses occur when the line to be printed requires firing all of the hammers simultaneously. With simple type layouts, this happens when the line consists of a single character repeated in all columns, such as a line of dashes ("----...---") To avoid this problem, some printers use a staggered arrangement, with the characters in each column rotated around the drum by a different amount. Then simultaneous firing occurs only if the printed line matches the character layout on the drum, which should not happen in normal text.
Lower-cost printers do not use a hammer for each column. Instead, a hammer is provided for every other column and the entire hammer bank is arranged to shift left and right, driven by an additional voice coil. For this style of printer, two complete revolutions of the character drum ara required with one revolution being used to print all the "odd" columns and another revolution being used to print all of the "even" columns; however, on the plus side, only half (plus one) the number of hammers, magnets, and the associated channels of drive electronics are required.
At least one low-cost printer, made by CDC, achieves the same end by moving the paper laterally while keeping the hammer bank at rest.
Dataproducts was a typical vendor of drum printers, often selling similar models with both a full set of hammers (and delivering, for example 600 lines-per-minute of output) and a half set of hammers (delivering 300 LPM).
Printers with horizontally moving print elements.
Chain printer.
Chain printers place the type on a horizontally-moving circular chain. As with the drum printer, as the correct character passes by each column, a hammer is fired from behind the paper. Compared to drum printers, chain printers have the advantage that the type chain can usually be changed by the operator. A further advantage is that vertical registration of characters in a line is much improved over drum printers, which need extremely precise hammer timing to achieve a reasonably straight line of print. By selecting chains that have a smaller character set (for example, just numbers and a few punctuation marks), the printer can print much faster than if the chain contains the entire upper- and lower-case alphabet, numbers, and all special symbols. This is because, with many more instances of the numbers appearing in the chain, the time spent waiting for the correct character to "pass by" is greatly reduced. Common letters and symbols appear more often on the chain, according to the frequency analysis of the likely input. It is also possible to play primitive tunes on these printers by timing the nonsense of the printout to the sequence on the chain, a rather primitive piano. IBM was probably the best-known chain printer manufacturer and the IBM 1403 is probably the most famous example of a chain printer.
Train printer.
Train printers place the type on a horizontally-moving circular train of print slugs. with multiple characters per slug, on a track, The technology is almost identical to print chains.
Band printer.
Band printers are a variation of chain printers in which a thin steel band is used instead of a chain, with the characters embossed or etched onto the band. Again, a selection of different bands are generally available with a different mix of characters so a character set best matched to the characters commonly printed can be chosen. Dataproducts was a well known manufacturer of band printers, with their B300, B600, and B1000 range, the model number representing the lines per minute rate of the printer. (The B300 is effectively a B600 with only half the number of hammers—one per two character positions. The hammer bank moves back and forth one character position, increasing the average number of band movements required for each line.)
Bar printer.
Bar printers were similar to chain printers but were slower and less expensive. Rather than a chain moving continuously in one direction, the characters were on fingers mounted on a bar that moved left-to-right and then right-to-left in front of the paper. An example was the IBM 1443.
Common characteristics.
In all three designs, timing of the hammers (the so-called "flight time") was critical, and was adjustable as part of the servicing of the printer. For drum printers, incorrect timing of the hammer resulted in printed lines that wandered vertically, albeit with characters correctly aligned horizontally in their columns. For train and bar printers, incorrect timing of the hammers resulted in characters shifting horizontally, printed closer or farther from the next character, albeit on vertically-level printed lines. The vertical misalignment of drum printers is more noticeable and annoying to human vision (see the sample pictured in this article).
Most drum, chain, and bar printers were capable of printing up to 132 columns, but a few designs could only print 80 columns and some other designs as many as 160 columns.
Comb printer.
Comb printers, also called line matrix printers, printed a matrix of dots instead of individual characters in the same way as single-character dot matrix printers, but using a comb of hammers to print a portion of an entire row of pixels at one time (for example, every eighth pixel). By shifting the comb back and forth slightly, the entire pixel row could be printed (continuing the example, in eight cycles). The paper then advanced and the next pixel row was printed. Because far less print head motion was involved than in a conventional dot matrix printer, these printers were much faster, and competitive in speed with formed-character line printers without being restricted to a set of available characters, thus being able to print dot-matrix graphics and variable-sized characters.
Printronix and TallyGenicom are well-known vendors of comb printers. In 2009, TallyGenicom was acquired by Printronix.
Wheel printers.
In 1949 IBM introduced the IBM 407 Accounting Machine with a wheel print mechanism that could print 150 alphanumeric lines a minute. Each of the 120 print positions had its own type wheel which rotated under electromechanical control. Once all were in position, print hammers struck the wheels against a ribbon and the paper. The 407 or its wheel line printer mechanism was attached to a variety of early IBM computers, including the IBM 650, most members of the IBM 700/7000 series and the IBM 1130, the last introduced in 1965.
Paper (forms) handling.
All line printers used continuous form paper provided in boxes of continuous fan-fold forms rather than cut-sheets. The paper was usually perforated to tear into cut sheets if desired and was commonly printed with alternating white and light-green areas, allowing the reader to easily follow a line of text across the page. This was the iconic "green bar", "blue bar" or "music-ruled" form that dominated the early computer age. Pre-printed forms were also commonly used (for printing cheques, invoices, etc.). A common task for the system operator was to change from one paper form to another as one print job completed and another was to begin. Some line printers had covers that opened automatically when the printer required attention.
Standard "green bar" page sizes included portrait-format pages of 8½ × 11 inches (letter size), usually printed at 80 columns by 66 lines of characters (at 6 lines per inch) or 88 lines (at 8 LPI), and landscape-format pages of 14 × 11 inches, usually printed at 132 columns by 66 or 88 lines. Also common were landscape-format pages of 14 × 8½ inches (legal size), allowing for 132 columns by 66 lines (at 8 LPI) on a more compact page.
These continuous forms were advanced through the printer by means of "tractors" (sprockets or sprocket belts). Depending on the sophistication of the printer, there might simply be two tractors at the top of the printer (pulling the paper) or tractors at the top and bottom (thereby maintaining paper tension within the printer). The horizontal position of the tractors was usually adjustable to accommodate different forms. The earliest printers by IBM used a hydraulic motor to move the forms. In later line printers, high-speed servomechanisms usually drove the tractors, allowing very rapid positioning of the paper, both for advancing line-by-line and slewing to the top of the next form. The faster line printers, of necessity, also used "stackers" to re-fold and stack the fan-fold forms as they emerged from the printer.
The high-speed motion of the paper often developed large electrostatic charges. Line printers frequently used a variety of discharge brushes and active (corona discharge-based) static eliminators to discharge these accumulated charges.
Many printers supported ASA carriage control characters which provided a limited degree of control over the paper, by specifying how far to advance the paper between printed lines. Various means of providing vertical tabulation were provided, ranging from a paper carriage control tape loop to fully electronic (software-controllable) tab simulation.
Origins.
Tabulators built by the U.S. Census Bureau for the 1910 census could print their results. Prior to that, tabulator operators had to write down totals from counter wheels onto tally sheets. IBM developed a series of printing accounting machines, beginning in 1920. The 285 Numeric Printing Tabulator could read 150 cards per minute. The 405, introduced in 1934, could print at 80 lines per minute. It had 88 type bars, one for each print position, with 43 alphanumeric bars on the left, followed by 45 numeric-only bars. The IBM 402 series, introduced after World War II, had a similar print arrangement and was used by IBM in early computing devices, including the IBM Card-Programmed Electronic Calculator.
IBM's first commercial computer, the IBM 701, introduced in 1952, used a line printer, the IBM 716, that was based on the type wheel IBM 407 accounting machine. The 716 was incorporated in subsequent mainstream computers in the IBM 700/7000 series.
An early drum printer was the "Potter Flying Typewriter", in 1952. "Instead of working laboriously, one character at a time, it prints whole lines at once, 300 lines per minute, on a paper band. ... Heart of the machine is a continuously spinning disk with the necessary letters and numbers on its rim. ... As the disk revolves, 80 electrically operated hammers tap the back of the paper against an inked ribbon in contact with the disk, thus printing the proper characters in the proper places on the line."
Influence on hardware and software.
The names of the codice_1 and codice_2 commands in Unix were derived from the term "line printer". Analogously, many other systems call their printing devices "LP", "LPT", or some similar variant, whether these devices are in fact line printers or other types of printers. These references served to distinguish formatted final output from normal interactive output from the system, which in many cases in line printer days was also printed on paper (as by a teletype) but not by a line printer. Line printers printed characters, letters and numbers line by line.
The parallel ports of computers so equipped were usually designated LPTx, for line printer. |
Phaans
Phaans () is a Pakistani drama television series created and developed by Shahzad Javed, written by Samina Ijaz and directed by Syed Ahmed Kamran. It premiered on Hum TV on 20 February 2021. It features Sami Khan, Zara Noor Abbas and Shehzad Sheikh. Sheikh portrayed an anti-hero for the first time in his career. The series follows the struggle of a sexual assault survivor. It last aired on 23 July 2021.
It mostly received positive reviews for its progressive storyline and social messages, and received praise for the performances of Abbas and Sheikh.
Plot.
The story begins by showing Shakeela working as a maid for the upper-class family of Nadia. Nadia's daughter Hafsa plans to marry Samad. To arrange the marriage and to serve as a helping hand, Shakeela stays at Nadia's house along with her daughters; Zeba and the younger Farah. Zeba, a college-going girl comes across with them. Sahil is Nadia's autistic son. At night, everyone is busy with the marriage.
Zeba receives a call from her fiancé, Hashim. He demands to see her and calls her in an under-construction building. Zeba at first refuses, but later agrees to meet him due to his insistence. Zeba goes there and someone rapes her. She returns to where everyone is already looking for her. She enters with Samad from the main gate and everyone there mistakes Samad as the culprit. Zeba is taken to hospital where a doctor changes the reports as Siraj had already called him and ordered him to declare her as a patient of hysteria. The doctor does and, disappointed, Zeba goes to her home with her mother. She tells everyone that Sahil is the culprit, but no one believes her. Samad helps Zeba to seek justice. Zeba learns about her pregnancy.
Farah and Hashim's mother goes to Samad's house and tell him that Zeba is going to be a mother of his child. Samad calls Zeba and Shakeela picks up. Shakeela thinks that Samad is the rapist and he blackmailed her to blame Sahil. Hashim and Farah marry.
Shakeela gives abortion pills to Zeba and kills her unborn child. Zeba goes to hospital to take the DNA results but the doctor says that there was a problem in the lab. Zeba makes a video against Sahil and puts it on social media where it goes viral.
Sahil is again hospitalised. Hafsa makes a video against Zeba and Samad. Nadia calls Zeba and tells her that she learned the truth about Sahil. Zeba and her mother go to Nadia's house and some news reporters are there.
Nadia says that Zeba lied for money. Zeba goes home. Farah learns of her pregnancy. Zeba and Shakeela reach home and Shakeela has an angina attack. Zeba takes Shakeela to the hospital. She tells Farah about Shakeela. Farah reaches the hospital and taunts Zeba that if she remained quiet, her mother would be fine. Shakeela and Zeba go home and Zeba decides that she will not fight for justice ever again. Shakeela tells Zeba to call Farah. Zeba goes to their house where she learns that Farah is pregnant. She pleads with Tai to take Farah with her but she refuses. When Zeba arrives home she sees Shakeela dead.
Sahil becomes attracted to Resham. Siraj tells Resham to leave the house and holds her arm. She runs to Nadia and Nadia says that Siraj also tried to do it which he did with Zeba. Saba (Samad's mother) listens and tells Nadia that Shakeela is dead. Nadia visits Zeba and apologizes to her for what she did. Hashim comes to Zeba and apologizes to her for remaining quiet while he knew the real culprit. Samad asks him about the culprit. He says that while he was waiting for Zeba, he heard Zeba's scream and saw Sahil raping her. Sahil goes to Resham's room and tries to rape her while Nadia watches. Sahil thinks that Nadia doesn't know about his reality, but she learns about Sahil's reality. Nadia says to Sahil that she will expose his real face to everyone. Sahil goes to Zeba's house and tries to kill her, but Samad saves her. Nadia goes to a lawyer to file a case against Sahil. She tells Samad that she wants to meet Zeba. Samad takes Zeba to Nadia where Nadia tells him that she discovered Sahil's actions and files a case against Sahil. She takes Zeba to her house where everyone is shocked to see her with Nadia. Everyone asks Nadia to take her out of her house, but she refuses and stands with Zeba. Sahil pushes Zeba to withdraw the case but she refuses. Hafsa goes to Zeba and says leave us alone. Sahil knocks at the door and Hafsa hides in the closet. Sahil again tries to kill Zeba and Hafsa learns of Sahil's behavior. Zeba takes the gun from Sahil in order to save herself. Police come to take Sahil. When they see the gun in Zeba's hand they take her, too. Hafsa apologizes to Nadia about her behavior. Zeba is released from jail. Everyone learns about Sahil's misdeeds. Sahil is about to get punished for what he did. Farah apologizes to Zeba. Samad proposes to Zeba. Hafsa tells Zeba to marry Samad. But Farah is blessed with a daughter and Zeba names her "Umeed". Sahil is punished at the end. Zeba and Samad get along and Zeba is shown to be a powerful lawyer seeking justice for other women.
Production.
The show was initially titled "Badzaat". The serial was directed by Syed Ahmed Kamran, who previously directed serials such as "Baandi" and "Zun Mureed." It was written by Samina Ijaz who previously collaborated with the director for the 2020s commercial-hit "Mohabbat Na Kariyo". |
Adèle Haenel
Adèle Haenel (; born 11 February 1989) is a French actress. She is the recipient of several accolades, including two César Awards from seven nominations and one Lumières Award from two nominations.
Haenel began her career as a child actress, making her film debut with "Les Diables" (2002) at the age of 12, and quickly rose to prominence in the French entertainment industry as a teenager. She received her first César Award nomination for her performance in "Water Lilies" (2007), which also marked the beginning of her long professional and personal relationship with director Céline Sciamma. In 2014, Haenel received her first César Award for her supporting role in "Suzanne", and in 2015 won the César Award for Best Actress for "Love at First Fight". She continued to garner recognition for her performances in "BPM (Beats per Minute)" (2017), "The Trouble with You" (2018) and "Portrait of a Lady on Fire" (2019).
Early life.
Haenel was born on 11 February 1989 in Paris. Her mother is a teacher and her father is a translator. She grew up in Montreuil, Seine-Saint-Denis in what she described as "a very left-wing, artistic neighborhood". She has Austrian heritage through her father and speaks fluent German. Haenel started acting at the age of 5 and was involved in local theatre. As a child, Haenel would mimic cartoon characters, particularly the characters of Tex Avery.
Haenel studied economics and social sciences at the Lycée Montaigne. She had planned to attend HEC Paris and took a preparatory course, but ultimately failed the entrance exam. Haenel continued her studies in economics and sociology, eventually receiving a master's degree. She also pursued studies in physics and marine biology.
Career.
Haenel made her film debut in 2002 at the age of 12, playing an autistic girl in the Christophe Ruggia film "Les Diables". She had been chosen for the lead role after accompanying her brother to the audition. After "Les Diables", Haenel took a five-year break from acting. In 2007, she was persuaded by casting director Christel Baras (who had cast her in her film debut) to resume her film career, taking up the part of a synchronised swimmer in Céline Sciamma's debut feature "Water Lilies". Manohla Dargis of "The New York Times" highlighted Haenel's performance in an otherwise mixed review of the film, recognizing her as having "the makings of a real star". For her role in the film, Haenel was nominated for the César Award for Most Promising Actress in 2008. In 2012, she was nominated in the same category for "House of Tolerance" (2011), a period film directed by Bertrand Bonello, in which she played a prostitute at an upscale Parisian brothel at the turn of the twentieth century. She also received the Lumières Award for Most Promising Actress along with her co-stars Céline Sallette and Alice Barnole.
Haenel played one of the two sisters in Katell Quillévéré's "Suzanne" (2013), for which she received the César Award for Best Supporting Actress. In 2014, Haenel starred in the Thomas Cailley romantic comedy "Love at First Fight" as Madeleine, a graduate-school dropout and survivalist. She won the César Award for Best Actress for her performance. In the same year, Haenel co-starred with Catherine Deneuve in André Téchiné's crime drama "In the Name of My Daughter", playing the daughter of a casino owner. Writing for "The Village Voice", Melissa Anderson compared her performance to that of Isabelle Adjani's in the 1970s and '80s, and declared her a worthy successor to Deneuve in French cinema. For her roles in both films, Hanael received a Best Actress nomination at the 20th Lumières Awards.
In 2016 Haenel made her German language debut in the film "The Bloom of Yesterday" playing the French descendant of German Holocaust survivors.
In the 2017 Robin Campillo film "BPM (Beats per Minute)", Haenel portrayed Sophie, a headstrong HIV/AIDS activist of the Paris chapter of ACT UP. She received a nomination for the César Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance.
Haenel starred in the 2018 Pierre Salvadori crime comedy "The Trouble with You", playing a widowed detective based on the French Riviera. David Rooney of "The Hollywood Reporter" noted her performance as evoking the "classic screwball heroine", a departure from her usually more serious roles, and complimented her on the "grace and buoyancy" she brought to the character. She was again nominated for the César Award for Best Actress.
In 2019, Haenel appeared in three films which played at the Cannes Film Festival: Quentin Dupieux's "Deerskin", Aude Léa Rapin's "Heroes Don't Die", and Céline Sciamma's "Portrait of a Lady on Fire". In "Portrait of a Lady on Fire", Haenel portrayed Héloïse, a young aristocrat in 18th-century Brittany who is to be married off to a nobleman from Milan. "The New Yorker"'s Richard Brody took note of her chemistry with co-star Noémie Merlant and complimented the actresses for being "relentlessly graceful, endowed with physical aplomb, contemplative insight, and strong emotion". A. O. Scott of "The New York Times" considered Haenel's performance worthy of an Oscar nomination for Best Actress, and Bilge Ebiri of "Vulture" described the climax of the film (which features Haenel) as "one of the finest pieces of acting and one of the most moving images I've seen in eons." Haenel was nominated for the César Award for Best Actress for her performance, her seventh César nomination.
Since 2019, Haenel and co-star Ruth Vega Fernandez have prepared to perform director Gisèle Vienne's adaptation of Robert Walser's "L'Etang" ("The Pond") for theatres in France and Switzerland. After performances were repeatedly delayed or cancelled by restrictions necessitated by the COVID-19 pandemic, the play made its world premiere at the Théâtre Vidy-Lausanne in Switzerland in May 2021.
In May 2022, during an interview for German magazine "FAQ", Haenel told that she was stepping away from film acting as "I tried to change something from within. [...] I don't want to be part of that anymore”. She cited the industry as "[defending] a capitalist, patriarchal, racist, sexist world of structural inequality. This means that this industry works hand in hand with the global economic order, in which all lives are not equal". Haenel's last project was to be "The Empire", written and directed by Bruno Dumont, but she explained that she left the film as "it was a dark, sexist and racist world that was defended. The script was full of jokes about cancel culture and sexual violence. I tried to discuss it with Dumont, because I thought a dialogue was possible. I wanted to believe for the umpteenth time that it was not intentional. But it's intentional. [...] Just as they make fun of the victims, of people in a situation of weakness. The intention was to make a sci-fi film with an all-white cast – and therefore a racist narrative. I didn't want to support this." Haenel indicated that she was focused on theatre work.
Personal life.
In 2014, Haenel came out as a lesbian during her César award acceptance speech and acknowledged her relationship with director Céline Sciamma, whom she met on the set of "Water Lilies". The couple amicably split in 2018, before they began work on "Portrait of a Lady on Fire". Haenel and Sciamma have remained close after the end of their relationship.
Haenel identifies as a feminist. She is a prominent face of France's #MeToo movement, and was the first prominent actress to speak publicly about abuse within the French film industry. In a November 2019 "Mediapart" interview, Haenel accused director Christophe Ruggia of sexually harassing her from the time she was 12 to 15 after casting her in his film "Les Diables". Following the experience, she considered abandoning acting altogether. Haenel's account was backed up by many people who had worked on the film and noted Ruggia's inappropriate behaviour towards her, along with letters he had written her at the time proclaiming his love for her. As a result, Ruggia was expelled from the Société des réalisateurs de films, the guild for French directors. Though Haenel had explicitly chosen not to go to the police with her accusations, citing the justice system as "usually condemning so few sexual offenders" and "only one rape out of a hundred" and stating that "the justice ignores us, we ignore the justice", the publicity garnered by her interviews about the abuse led the Paris prosecutor's office to announce they were investigating Ruggia. Haenel later changed her mind about working with the police and officially filed a complaint against Ruggia in late November 2019. In January 2020, the police officially charged Ruggia with sexual aggression against a minor by a person of authority and sexual harassment.
On 28 February 2020, Haenel, along with Céline Sciamma, Noemie Merlant, and Aïssa Maïga, walked out of the 45th César Awards ceremony after Roman Polanski, who was convicted of raping 13-year old Samantha Geimer, won the award for Best Director for his film "An Officer and a Spy". As Haenel left, she waved her fist and shouted "La honte!" ("Shame!"), and after exiting the auditorium, she was filmed clapping sarcastically and shouting "Bravo la pédophilie!" ("Bravo, paedophilia!"). |
Henry Haslett (United Irishmen)
Henry Haslett (1758 – 1806) was in 1791 a founding member in Belfast of the democratic-revolutionary Society of the United Irishmen, and one of the twelve original proprietors of its Painite newspaper, the Northern Star. He had been representative of a group of merchants in the city who had chafed at the Navigation Acts and other measures enacted under the British Crown that restricted Irish trade and industry. He was released from fourteen-months detention just before the Irish Rebellion of 1798 in which he played no role. After the 1800 Acts of Union incorporating Ireland in a United Kingdom with Great Britain, he was again active in the commercial life of Belfast promoting its growth as a port.
Free trader and Volunteer.
Born in Limavady, in Belfast Haslett initially set up business as a woollen draper but soon diversified with investments in Whitbread Porter, shipping and insurance. In the 1790s he was leading member of shipping syndicate known as the "New Traders". The New Traders (who commissioned several ships from William Ritchie's yard in Belfast) protested English restrictions on Irish trade and industry and called for "free trade". Together with parliamentary reform. This was a demand taken up by the Volunteer movement.
The Volunteers formed in the American War as a reserve militia in the event of a French invasion, mobilised Protestants but, more especially in the north of Ireland, Presbyterians in opposition to the landed Ascendancy and its deference to English interests represented by the government of the London-appointed Lord Lieutenant.
With many other men of his class, Haslett joined the Volunteers becoming in a captain in a Belfast corps. He shared in the general patriotic enthusiasm for liberties seen as secured in America through independence, in France by the Revolution, and vindicated in Thomas Paine's Rights of Man. When, nationally, the Volunteer movement split over the question of whether to broaden its membership and appeal to the Kingdom's disenfranchised Catholic majority, Haslett took a more radical course.
The United Irishmen.
In October 1791 Haslett was among the group of nine Belfast Presbyterians, Volunteers and Freemasons, who gathered in Belfast to meet Theobald Wolfe Tone and his friend Thomas Russell. Tone had published an "Argument on Behalf of the Catholics of Ireland" in which he maintained that the Crown exploited the division between Protestant and Catholic in Ireland so as to balance “the one party by the other, [and to] plunder and laugh at the defeat of both.” He called for a patriotic union to break the connection with England which maintained the Ascendancy and blocked the path to a national and representative government. Convinced of his case, those gathered convened themselves as the Society of United Irishmen.
Haslett became one of twelve shareholders in the Society's paper, the Northern Star, edited in Belfast by Samuel Neilson. In June 1794, with the Crown at war with the French Republic, as a proprietor Haslett was convicted of seditious libel. The paper's presses were destroyed and publication suppressed in May 1797. The Society had replicated in the market towns around Belfast in the north-east, in Dublin and, in alliance with the Catholic Defenders across the Irish midlands and into the south-east. Despair at the prospects for reform and hopes of French invasion, encouraged preparations for insurrection. The government using martial law measures that gave its forces virtual impunity to break up and to disarm the movement.
Imprisonment and the Rebellion.
In September 1796, Haslett was arrested along with Russell and Neilson, understood by the Lord Lieutenant, Earl Camden to be "the most leading characters in Belfast" and "all men of abilitys". Haslett was held for 14 months in Dublin's Kilmainham Gaol before his release in December 1797. While he was in jail two of his children died, as well as his sister who was taken ill in Dublin while coming to visit him. She was 23.
Haslett took no part in the insurrection when it finally came, beginning in May in the south and in June in the north-east. In spite of having done much to counsel moderation and calm tensions in his native Limavady and Roe Valley, he was again arrested and held until December 1799
Last years.
After his release from prison, Haslett, possibly to allay suspicion, made a public donation to the loyalist Belfast yeomanry. The early historian of the United Irishmen, R. R. Madden, does say that, after the rebellion, Haslett supplied the government with information.
Haslett's business survived and in 1802 and 1804 he served on the Belfast Chamber of commerce, concerned particularly with issue concerning Lagan navigation and improvement to the port.
Haseltt died in 1806, at the age of 48, and was buried in Knockbreda Cemetery, Belfast. His oration was given by his old comrade in the United Irishmen, Reverend William Steel Dickson. |
Post-structural feminism
Poststructural feminism is a branch of feminism that engages with insights from post-structuralist thought. Poststructural feminism emphasizes "the contingent and discursive nature of identities", and in particular the social construction of gendered subjectivities. A contribution of this branch was to argue that there is no universal single category of "woman" or "man."
Areas of interest.
Like post-structuralism itself, the feminist branch is in large part a tool for literary analysis, but it also deals in psychoanalysis and socio-cultural critique, and seeks to explore relationships between language, sociology, subjectivity and power-relations as they impact upon gender in particular.
Poststructural feminism also seeks to criticize the kyriarchy, while not being limited by narrow understandings of kyriarchal theory, particularly through an analysis of the pervasiveness of othering, the social exile of those people removed from the narrow concepts of normal.
France.
French post-structuralist feminism takes post-structuralism and combines it with feminist views and looks to see if a literary work has successfully used the process of mimesis on the image of the female. If successful, then a new image of a woman has been created by a woman for a woman, therefore it is not a biased opinion created by men. Along with Luce Irigaray and Julia Kristeva, Hélène Cixous is considered one of the mothers of post-structuralist feminist theory. Since the 1990s, these three together with Bracha Ettinger have considerably influenced French feminism and feminist psychoanalysis.
"L’Écriture féminine".
"Écriture féminine" literally means "women's writing." It is a philosophy that promotes women's experiences and feelings to the point that it strengthens the work. It is a strain of feminist literary theory that originated in France in the 1970s.
Hélène Cixous first uses this term in her essay, "The Laugh of the Medusa" in which she asserts:
"Women must write through their bodies, they must invent the impregnable language that will wreck partitions, classes, and rhetorics, regulations and codes, they must submerge, cut through, get beyond the ultimate reserve-discourse, including the one that laughs at the very idea of pronouncing the word "silence," the one that, aiming for the impossible, stops short before the word "impossible" and writes it as "the end.""
Critique of classical psychoanalysis.
Sigmund Freud established the initial theories which would serve as a basis for some of Cixous' arguments in her writings. Freud's analysis of gender roles and sexual identity concluded with separate male (Oedipus) and female (Electra) theories of which Cixous was critical. For Bracha Ettinger both Oedipus and Electra are complexes that belong to the phallic paradigm. She proposes a different paradigm: the feminine-matrixial borderspace.
Important French post-structuralist feminists.
Hélène Cixous.
In the 1970s, Cixous began writing about the relationship between sexuality and language. Like many other feminist theorists, Cixous believes that human sexuality is directly tied to how people communicate in society.
In Hélène Cixous' essay "The Laugh of the Medusa", she discusses how women have been repressed through their bodies all through history. She suggests that if women are forced to remain in their bodies as a result of male repression then they can do one of two things. The first option is to remain trapped inside their bodies, thereby perpetuating the passivity women have been a party to throughout history. The second option is to use the female body as a medium of communication, a tool through which women can speak. This is ironic given the body, the very thing women have been defined by and trapped within, can now become a vehicle in transcending the boundaries once created by the body.
In the original myth Medusa was a beautiful woman who confronted endless hardships that were brought about by the actions of men. She was raped, killed, and beheaded by various gods. However even in the face of tragedy and disgrace, Medusa was still portrayed as a meaningful figure. Following the moment her head was cut off, a Pegasus flew out of her body, representing the birth of beauty.
In the more popular version known by most today, Medusa is a monster with hair of a thousand snakes whose glance will turn anything she looks at into stone. Cixous claims that this monstrous image of Medusa exists only because it has been directly determined by the male gaze. Even though this version of the myth is misrepresentative of the original version, people continue to believe the modern version without question.
Cixous suggests that it is important for women to expose the flaws in language that currently exist. Through the awareness of such flaws, as well as the invention of new ways of expression, women can overcome the obstacles that are constructed by what she labels a phallocentric discourse. She argues that even through attempts to expose current inadequacies, it will always be impossible to define a feminine practice of writing because this practice can never be theorized, enclosed, coded. "It will always surpass the discourse that regulates the phallocentric system; it does and will take place in areas other than those subordinated to philosophico-theoretical domination. It will be conceived of only by those who are breakers of automatisms."
Luce Irigaray.
Born in Belgium in 1932 Irigaray is a French feminist, psychoanalytic, and cultural theorist. Best known works: Speculum of the Other Woman (1974) and This Sex Which is Not One (1977).
She was inspired by the psychoanalytic theories of Jaques Lacan and the deconstruction of Jaques Derrida. Her work aims to reveal a perceived masculine philosophy underlying language and gestures toward a “new” feminine language that would allow women to express themselves if it could be spoken.
Julia Kristeva.
Born on June 24, 1941 in Bulgaria Kristeva is a Bulgarian-French philosopher, literary critic, psychoanalyst, feminist, and (most recently) novelist, who has lived in France since the mid-1960s. Julia Kristeva has become influential in today's international critical analysis, cultural theory, and feminism after publishing her first book "Semeiotikè" in 1969.
Although Kristeva does not refer to her own writing as feminist, many feminists turn to her work in order to expand and develop various discussions and debates in feminist theory and criticism.
Three elements of Kristeva's thought have been particularly important for feminist theory in Anglo-American contexts:
Criticism.
Poststructural feminism has been criticised for its abandonment of the humanistic female subject, and for tactical naivety in its rejection of any form of female essentialism. |
Aranyaka
The Aranyakas (; ; IAST: "" ) are a part of the ancient Indian Vedas concerned with the meaning of ritual sacrifice. They typically represent the later sections of the Vedas, and are one of many layers of Vedic texts. The other parts of the Vedas are the Samhitas (benedictions, hymns), Brahmanas (commentary), and the Upanishads (spirituality and abstract philosophy).
"Aranyakas" describe and discuss rituals from various perspectives; some include philosophical speculations. For example, the Katha Aranyaka discusses rituals connected with the "Pravargya". The Aitareya Aranyaka includes explanation of the "Mahavrata" ritual from ritualisitic to symbolic meta-ritualistic points of view. "Aranyakas", however, neither are homogeneous in content nor in structure. "Aranyakas" are sometimes identified as "karma-kanda" (कर्मकाण्ड), ritualistic action/sacrifice section, while the Upanishads are identified as "jnana-kanda" (ज्ञानकाण्ड) knowledge/spirituality section. In an alternate classification, the early part of Vedas are called Samhitas and the ritualistic commentary on the mantras and rituals are called the Brahmanas which together are identified as the ceremonial "karma-kanda", while "Aranyakas" and "Upanishads" are referred to as the "jnana-kanda".
In the immense volume of ancient Indian Vedic literature, there is no absolute universally true distinction between "Aranyakas" and "Brahmanas". Similarly, there is no absolute distinction between "Aranyakas" and "Upanishads", as some Upanishads are incorporated inside a few "Aranyakas". "Aranyakas", along with Brahmanas, represent the emerging transitions in later Vedic religious practices. The transition completes with the blossoming of ancient Indian philosophy from external sacrificial rituals to internalized philosophical treatise of Upanishads.
Etymology.
"Aranyaka" () literally means "produced, born, relating to a forest " or rather, "belonging to the wilderness". It is derived from the word "" (अरण्य), which means "wilderness".
Several theories have been proposed on the origin of the word "Aranyaka". Originally, as per Oldenberg (1915), it meant dangerous texts to be studied in the wilderness (Taitt. Ar. II). A later, post-Vedic theory holds that these texts were meant to be studied in a forest, while the other holds that the name came from these being the manuals of allegorical interpretation of sacrifices, for those in Vanaprastha (retired, forest-dwelling) stage of their life, however the Vanaprastha Ashrama came into existence only well after that of the Sanyasin (Sprockhoff 1976), according to the historic age-based Ashrama system of human life.
Four Ashrams consist of Brhmacharya up to 25 years for learning and grooming for life; Gruhastha from 26 to 50 years for marriage and worldly activities; Vanaprastha from 51 to 75 when person/couple retire from active family/social life and devote time in religious, philosophical pursuit. It is so named after Vana-Forest life by moving to the forest. From 75 till end of life person lives life of an ascetic, contemplating on supernatural, pure philosophy, accepting whatever is available for sustaining the life. It is mostly in helping the society in whatever manner possible, giving benefit of long experience and knowledge accumulated during the lifetime.
Taittiriya Ar. 2 says, "from where one cannot see the roofs of the settlement", which does not indicate a forested area.
Discussion.
Structure.
"Aranyakas" are diverse in their structure. Jan Gonda summarizes:
Many "Aranyaka" texts enumerate mantras, identifications, etymologies, discussions, myths and symbolic interpretations, but a few such as by sage Arunaketu include hymns with deeper philosophical insights.
Contents.
The Aranyakas discuss sacrifices, in the language and style of the Brahmanas, and thus are primarily concerned with the proper performance of ritual (orthopraxy). The Aranyakas were restricted to a particular class of rituals that nevertheless were frequently included in the Vedic curriculum.
The Aranyakas are associated with, and named for, individual Vedic shakhas.
The Atharvaveda has no surviving Aranyaka, though the Gopatha Brahmana is regarded as its Aranyaka, a remnant of a larger, lost Atharva (Paippalada) Brahmana.
Aitareya Aranyaka.
There are five chapters each of which is even considered as a full Aranyaka. The first one deals with the regimen known as ‘Mahaa-vrata’. The explanations are both ritualistic as well as speculative. The second one has six chapters of which the first three are about ‘Praana-vidyaa’ – meaning, Prana, the Vital Air that constitutes the life-breath of a living body is also the life-breath of all mantras, all vedas and all vedic declarations (cf. 2.2.2 of Aitareya Aranyaka). It is in this portion of the Aranyaka that one finds specific statements about how one who follows the vedic injunctions and performs the sacrifices goes to become the God of Fire, or the Sun or Air and how one who transgresses the Vedic prescriptions is born into lower levels of being, namely, as birds and reptiles.
The 4th, 5th and 6th chapters of this second Aranyaka constitute what is known as Aitareya Upanishad.
The third Aranyaka in this chain of Aranyakas is also known as ‘Samhitopanishad’. This elaborates on the various ways – like pada-paatha, krama-paatha, etc. – of reciting the Vedas and the nuances of the ‘svaras’.
The fourth and the fifth Aranyaka are technical and dwell respectively on the mantras known as ‘MahaanaamnI’ and the yajna known as ‘Madhyandina’.
Taittiriya Aranyaka.
There are ten chapters, of which, one to six form the Aranyaka proper. The first two chapters are part of the aṣṭau kāṭhakāni (the "8 Kathaka sections"), which were not native to the tradition of the Taittiriya shakha. They were adopted from the Kāṭhaka shakha, and mostly deal with varieties of the Agnicayana ritual and with Vedic study.
Chapter 1, is a very late Vedic chapter, which even has some Puranic names; it is usually called the Āruṇa praśna for the particular styleof fire-brick piling dealt with in the text. It is also referred to as the "Surya namaskara chapter" by South Indian Brahmins who have created a ritual of reciting it with surya namaskara exercises after each of its 132 anuvakas. Parts of the Kaṭha version of this section has been published by L. v. Schroeder in 1898.
Chapter 2, discusses the five Mahā-yajñas that every Brahmin has to do daily, most importantly the daily recitation of the Veda (svādhyāya). Further, the sacred thread, the yajñopavīta, sāndhyā worship, that of the ancestors (pitṛ), the brahma-yajña, and the cleansing homa-sacrifice ('kūṣmāṇḍa-homa') are all treated in detail. – In this chapter the word 'shramana' is used (2-7-1) in the meaning of an ascetic (tapasvin); this word was later used also for the Buddhist and Jain ascetics. – Discussed and translated by Ch. Malamoud (in French, 1977); the Kaṭha version of this section has been published by L. v. Schroeder in 1898.
Chapter 3, treats technicalities of several other homas and yajnas.
Chapter 4, provides the mantras used in the pravargya Shrauta ritual that is considered to be dangerous as it involves heating a specially prepared clay vessel full of milk until it is glowing red.
It is fairly close to the Kaṭha version.
Chapter 5, treats the Pravargya-yajña in prose discussion (brāhmaṇa style).
Again, it is fairly close to the Kaṭha version.
Chapter 6, records the ‘pitṛmedha’ mantras, recited during the rituals for the disposal of the dead body.
Chapters 7, 8 and 9, are the three vallis of the well-known Taittiriya Upanishad.
Chapter 10, is also known as the "Mahanarayana Upanishad". It has several important mantras culled from the three Samhitas. TA 10.41–44 is known as the "Medha sukta".
Katha Aranyaka.
The Katha Aranyaka is fairly parallel to the text of the Taittiriyas. It has been preserved, somewhat fragmentarily, in just one Kashmiri birchbark manuscript. It has recently been edited and translated,; cf. the early uncritical print by L. von Schroeder
Kaushitaki Āranyaka.
It is also known as Shankhyayana Aranyaka. There are fifteen chapters:
Chapters 1–2 deal with the Mahavrata.
Chapters 3–6 constitute the Kaushitaki Upanishad.
Chapters 7–8 are known as a Samhitopanishad.
Chapter 9 presents the greatness of Prana.
Chapter 10 deals with the esoteric implications of the Agnihotra ritual. All divine personalities are inherent in the Purusha, just as Agni in speech, Vayu in Prana, the Sun in the eyes, the Moon in the mind, the directions in the ears and water in the potency. The one who knows this, says the Aranyaka, and in the strength of that conviction goes about eating, walking, taking and giving, satisfies all the gods and what he offers in the fire reaches those gods in heaven. (cf.10-1).
Chapter 11 prescribes several antidotes in the form of rituals for warding off death and sickness. It also details the effects of dreams.
Chapter 12 elaborates the fruits of prayer.
Chapter 13 treats more philosophical matters and says one must first attitudinally discard one's bodily attachment and then carry on the ‘shravana’, manana and nidhidhyasana and practise all the disciplines of penance, faith, self-control etc.
Chapter 14 gives just two mantras. One extols the “I am Brahman” mantra and says it is the apex of all Vedic mantras. The second mantra declares that one who does not get the meaning of mantras but only recites vedic chants is like an animal which does not know the value of the weight it carries.
Chapter 15 gives a long genealogy of spiritual teachers from Brahma down to Guna-Sankhayana.
Brihad-Aranyaka.
The Aranyaka of the Shukla Yajurveda is part of its Brahmana: Satapatha Br. 14,1–3 in the Madhyandina version. Like the Taittiriya and Katha Aranyakas it exclusively deals with the Parvargya ritual, and is followed by the Brihad-Aranyaka Upanishad (Satapatha Br. 14.4–9).
Rahasya Brahmanas.
There is also a certain continuity of the Aranyakas from the Brahmanas in the sense that the Aranyakas go into the meanings of the 'secret' rituals not detailed in the Brahmanas. Later tradition sees this as a leap into subtlety that provides the reason for Durgacharya in his commentary on the Nirukta to say that the Aranyakas are ‘Rahasya Brahmana’, that is, the Brahmana of secrets. |
Phytophthora megakarya
Phytophthora megakarya is an oomycete plant pathogen that causes black pod disease in cocoa trees in west and central Africa. This pathogen can cause detrimental loss of yield in the economically important cocoa industry, worth approximately $70 billion annually. It can damage any part of the tree, causing total yield losses which can easily reach 20-25%. A mixture of chemical and cultural controls, as well as choosing resistant plant varieties, are often necessary to control this pathogen.
Hosts and symptoms.
"Phytophthora megakarya"'s only known host is "Theobroma cacao", or the cocoa tree, located in West and Central Africa. It is considered to be the most virulent species of "Phytophthora" which infects "T. cacao", causing the greatest percentage of yield loss. This pathogen causes black pod disease which produces an array of symptoms throughout the host’s life cycle.
"P. megakarya" is a facultative parasite that can infect any part of the cacao tree at any time under optimal environmental conditions. Trees as young as seedlings may show symptoms of infection such as blight or root rot. Bark wounds, called cankers, can form on stems and branches as a result of disease. Infected cocoa pods rot and turn black, providing insight on the origin of the disease name. Other symptoms that may occur include damping off, dieback, lesions, mummification, premature drop, soft rot, and shriveling.
The process of infection by "P. megakarya" is quite rapid. Small translucent spots on the pod can be seen 2 to 3 days after infection. Whitish spores can be seen growing on these spots 3 to 5 days following their emergence. The spots will grow and darken in color until eventually the entire pod turns black and becomes mummified. In more advanced stages, the pathogen may take over the internal tissues and cause the cocoa beans to become warped. "P. megakarya" also readily forms stem cankers that are usually confined to the lower part of the tree, but may be present anywhere on the tree. Canker lesions may extend beneath the soil surface, providing a source of primary inoculum.
"P. megakarya" can be distinguished from other "Phytophthora" species by its production of gametangia. These gametangia have large nuclei containing five to six chromosomes and sporangia growing off of medium-length stalks.
Disease cycle.
"P. megakarya" is an oomycete that has a polycyclic disease cycle, producing three asexual spore types: sporangia, zoospores, and chlamydospores. Although it is rare, "P. megakarya" can also produce sexual oospores through heterothallic mating which requires two different mating types; so far none have been observed. Mycelium plays an important role in the infection of the cocoa trees; mycelium found in the soil and in cankers on the bark develops into sporangia, which can then germinate. Zoospores are produced from these sporangia as secondary inoculum. They may infect the plant either directly or indirectly depending on the availability of water. A direct infection by the zoospore results in the production of more mycelia, which may develop into sporangia capable of releasing more inoculum or chlamydospores. Chlamydospores serve as survival structures for "P. megakarya", in some instances surviving as long as 18 months. An indirect infection results in the formation of encysted spores in the absence of water; mycelium production occurs after germination of these spores.
"P. megakarya" depends heavily on the correct environmental conditions to cause disease. Primary infections usually occur in June, however, disease peaks between August and October. Under humid conditions a single pod may produce up to 4 million sporangia. These sporangia can be dispersed by rain, movement of planting materials, insects, rodents, and contaminated harvesting tools.
Pathogenesis.
Not much is known about the pathogenesis of "P. megakarya". Like all oomycetes, zoospores produced by "P. megakarya" need free water on plant surfaces in order to encyst, germinate, and penetrate host tissues. For the pathogen to enter a plant cell, the effector protein of the pathogen must attach itself to the binding protein of the plant, thereby getting carried into the cell. A germ tube is formed during germination of the zoospore which typically gives rise to an appressorium. These structures penetrate the epidermal cells of the plant’s tissue and form haustoria. Haustoria invade the plant intracellularly to retrieve nutrients while further dispersing the pathogen within the host. Chlamydospores that survive in the soil produce mycelia that can also infect plant structures. Infections of stems and branches lead to the formation of cankers while infections on cocoa pods cause pod rot. The development of cankers has also been associated with insects that burrow into the bark of cocoa trees.
Environment.
"Phytophthora" spp. occur wherever cocoa is grown and is the most economically detrimental pathogen of cocoa in West Africa where the two species "P. megakarya" and "P. palmivora" dominate. West Africa’s environment is characterized by a dry season from November until February. During this time, moisture-laden air from the equator moves in, providing ideal moisture conditions for the growth of both cocoa trees and "P. megakarya". Cocoa is known to grow well in countries that occur in the subhumid zone, primarily in the forested areas of the countries. The forested regions of West Africa near the equator receive 1500mm to 2000mm of rain; cocoa is planted in these areas where the forest is cleared. Since "P. megakarya" favors wet conditions, these forested regions are ideal during the wet seasons.
"P. megakarya" survives in the soil during elongated dry periods. When the conditions are right, zoospores swim toward the surface of the soil where a fine aerosol is produced in the presence of water to transport the spores to the pods. In comparison to "P. palmivora", "P. megakarya" is able to produce greater quantities of inoculum more quickly and can distribute it earlier in the season; thus it may infect more pods in a shorter time than "P. palmivora".
Management.
Chemical control.
Chemical control is often necessary to conserve yield, although it can come at a very high price. Chemical control targets the initial inoculum, reducing the amount of mycelium and sporangia present. In west Africa chemicals are applied using spray tanks. Fungicides such as copper oxychloride, Mancozeb, and Metalaxyl+Mancozeb are typically used. Mixtures of these chemicals can be used to prevent the pathogen from acquiring resistance to certain chemical compounds. Many of these fungicides contain heavy metals which can be damaging to the environment. Spraying is recommended 4-6 times a year from the last week of May to the end of the growing period. Overuse of chemicals will result in increasing amounts of heavy metals being absorbed into the environment.
Cultural control.
Cultural practices not only reduce the incidence of disease but also allow for better use of chemical control. If the disease is not causing much damage, cultural control alone may be sufficient. Removal of infected plant parts reduces sporangial inoculum and is an effective cultural control. Weeding reduces the humidity of the surrounding air which is unfavorable for the production of sporangia. Frequently harvesting the pods reduces the amount of sporangial inoculum. Another form of cultural control is the burning of the pod husk piles to destroy additional sources of chlamydospores and sporangia. These cultural practices can limit disease caused by "P. megakarya" significantly.
Biological control.
In certain regions of Africa, "Trichoderma asperellum" is used as a biological control agent. It is applied as a wettable powder, containing cassava flour and "T. asperellum." Though this method has shown positive results, the formulation is not practical for such a wet, tropical region. Research is being done into examining different formulations that can more effectively be applied.
Genetic resistance.
Choosing a resistant variety of plant is an effective method of minimizing the damage of "P. megakarya". Breeding for resistance for either "P. palmivora" or "P. megakarya" will increase the plant's resistance to both pathogens simultaneously. Much of the current research into "P. megakarya" and black pod disease is looking at the cellular processes involved in infection. Through the examination and understanding of these processes, researchers can alter the genetic makeup of "T. cacao" trees in hopes of more effectively controlling the spread of black pod disease. Growing a cocoa variety with resistance can also increase the effectiveness of chemical applications. Resistance will also reduce the quantity of infectious plants, thereby reducing the amount of cultural control required.
Importance.
"Phytophthora megakarya" is the most important cocoa pathogen in central and west Africa. It is endemic to Cameroon, Nigeria, and Ghana and is present as an invasive pathogen in Côte d'Ivoire. These countries account for four of the top ten world producers of cocoa, Côte d'Ivoire being the number one producer worldwide. In some cases, when left untreated, the pathogen has led to an 80% loss of cocoa pods. However, the infection may not always be localized on the pods. Cankers formed on the bark of the cocoa trees lead to a reduction of tree vigor and total yield, and in extreme cases, result in a 10% loss of trees annually. As the trees age pod production decreases; warnings of chocolate shortages as soon as 2020 have been predicted based on the combination of these factors. |
Dipylon Amphora
The Dipylon Amphora (also known as Athens 804) is a large Ancient Greek painted vase, made around 750 BC, and is now held by the National Archaeological Museum, Athens. Discovered at the Dipylon cemetery, this stylistic vessel belonging to the Geometric period is credited to an unknown artist: the Dipylon Master. The amphora is covered entirely in ornamental and geometric patterns, as well as human figures and animal-filled motifs. It is also structurally precise, being that it is as tall as it is wide. These decorations use up every inch of space, and are painted on using the black-figure technique to create the silhouetted shapes. Inspiration for the Greek vase derived not only from its intended purpose as a funerary vessel, but also from artistic remnants of Mycenaean civilization prior to its collapse around 1100 BC. The Dipylon Amphora signifies the passing of an aristocratic woman, who is illustrated along with the procession of her funeral consisting of mourning family and friends situated along the belly of the vase. The woman's nobility and status is further emphasized by the plethora of detail and characterized animals, all which remain in bands circling the neck and belly of the amphora.
Discovery.
The Dipylon Amphora was found intact on an aristocratic gravesite at the Dipylon cemetery, near the Dipylon Gate, in Kerameikos, the ancient potters' quarter on the northwest side of the ancient city of Athens. The cemetery is referred to as such, for that it was located near the Dipylon, or "double gate", which was also the city gate.
Attribution.
It is one of around 50 examples amongst the Dipylon gravesites attributed to an unknown artist given the notname of "the Dipylon Master". Also known as the Dipylon Painter, the Dipylon Master is one of the earliest individually identifiable Greek artists, who specialized in not just large funerary vases, but pitchers, high rimmed bowls, tankards, as well as giant and standard sized oinochoai. This artist was therefore named for their supposed work on many stylized pieces found within these graves that have been ascribed to the same creator and workshop by multiple historians.
The main characteristics of the Dipylon Painter's works include characteristic human figures where geometric shapes are utilized including triangular torsos that narrow at the waist, concave-outlined chests, prominent chins, and wasp-like legs that are thinner towards the feet. These figures are silhouetted, as well as the animal motifs, and are all deliberately placed as to not overlap one another, emphasizing the theme of pattern by the painter.
Description.
The amphora was made on a potter's wheel in three sections that were joined to form a single large vessel, standing at over five feet tall (1.55m).The artist's construction was intended to fit the specific proportions of having the same height and width, and possessing a neck that's half of the body's length. The base has a hole to allow libations to be poured for the dead, and it has small handles on the shoulders of the ovoid body.
The supposed purpose for the shape of the Dipylon Amphora potentially stems from the artist's usage of the composition for the decorated registers on the piece. A specialist of ancient ceramics, Dr. Thomas Mannack, indicates that the style of the Geometric period derived certain aspects of the Protogeometric and intertwined new features, hence the separated bands on the neck and body of the pottery. The geometric patterns are what define the style, with an array of shapes within and around the friezes: including battlements, concentric circles, meanders, and key patterns. The entirety of the vase, excluding the main frieze, is ornamented with precisely balanced patterns utilizing light and dark pigments; these decorative forms including meanders have been proposed by multiple scholars to be the invention of the very Dipylon Master.
The belly of the vase between the handles is not only the widest section, but structurally the most delicate since the clay is the thinnest in width at that point, further dictating that the frieze within that format is the most important visual aspect of the scene. A rectangular panel between the handles on one side depicts a prothesis scene, the lying in repose of a draped dead woman on a bier, with a checkered shroud above the body, and stylized mourners to either side. There are thirty-nine human figures total- both men and women- on the handle zone of the piece. Placed underneath each handle are six figures, with eight more on the backside panel, and a large group of nineteen people depicted on the frontal frieze. The tall cylindrical neck, includes bands of repeated stylized deer and goats. The goats in particular, are shown with their legs tucked underneath and heads turning back upon themselves, almost as if to simulate the meanders throughout the amphora.
Historical Context.
The Ancient Greeks had a plethora of inspiration from the surrounding regions' cultures, but the shift of political and social power presumably impacted the intake of artistic reference towards the Geometric style. Concerning the collapse of the Mycenaean culture, contact became closed off from highly developed surrounding Eastern empires that the Greeks referred to for artistry and innovation. As a result, it is assumed that many artists were compelled to return to Greek-rooted forms of art. Basketry and weaving were just some of the crafts possibly utilized for depicting visual motifs within Geometric vase painting. These types of crafts were first thought to be integrated by the Dipylon Master within the Geometric style, and would also elucidate why their works are amidst of some of the first figural scenes discerned on Greek vessels since the fall of the Mycenaean civilization.
Funerary Rituals.
The Dipylon amphora illustrates the funerary practices of Athen's wealthy population, which is proven by its location at the aristocratic cemetery. These kraters and amphorae were positioned upright over the graves as markers and possibly functioned as libation chutes, as postulated by R.M. Cook. Alternatively, Jeffery M. Hurwit suggests that the vase not only received offerings, but served mainly as a commemorative piece; it symbolized the noblewoman's memorial monument and signified her tomb. Athenians in previous centuries would cremate the dead and place their ashes in the properly designated vessels. However, this shifted when inhumations resurfaced in Greek religious practice and culture; and as a result the remains were placed underneath the amphorae and kraters, which is signified by the findings near and under the Dipylon Amphora.
Subject.
This funerary monument's size emphasizes the seemingly elite status of the deceased who is also presumed to be a woman, due to the vases commonly indicating the gender: kraters for men and amphorae for women. There is further evidence in the graves at the Dipylon cemetery containing items of wealthy women that indicated their status; these artifacts were discovered by amongst and within the large-belly handled amphorae. Painted amphorae of this size were made as grave markers. It is presumed that the vase was solely created for the dead woman depicted on the frieze.
In the frieze, the woman's body is shown lying on a bier; depicted on top of the her is a checkered shroud that covers her entirely from the top of her head to her feet. Interestingly, the pall curves around the deceased to provide clarity for the audience of the piece so they can recognize the dedication of this individual. The nearby figures surrounding the noblewoman are likely grieving friends and family; all of the members of the funeral are shown displaying a symbolic gesture of intense grief in which the hands are elevated towards the head. |
Gaussian gravitational constant
The Gaussian gravitational constant (symbol ) is a parameter used in the orbital mechanics of the Solar System.
It relates the orbital period to the orbit's semi-major axis and the mass of the orbiting body in Solar masses.
The value of historically expresses the mean angular velocity of the system of Earth+Moon and the Sun considered as a two body problem,
with a value of about 0.986 degrees per day, or about 0.0172 radians per day.
As a consequence of law of gravitation and Kepler's third law,
is directly proportional to the square root of the standard gravitational parameter of the Sun,
and its value in radians per day follows by setting Earth's semi-major axis (the astronomical unit, au) to unity, :(rad/d) ()0.5·au−1.5.
A value of rad/day was determined by Carl Friedrich Gauss in his 1809 work "Theoria Motus Corporum Coelestium in Sectionibus Conicis Solem Ambientum" ("Theory of the Motion of the Heavenly Bodies Moving about the Sun in Conic Sections").
Gauss' value was introduced as a fixed, defined value by the IAU (adopted in 1938, formally defined in 1964),
which detached it from its immediate representation of the (observable) mean angular velocity of the Sun–Earth system. Instead, the astronomical unit now became a measurable quantity slightly different from unity.
This was useful in 20th-century celestial mechanics to prevent the constant adaptation of orbital parameters to updated measured values, but it came at the expense of intuitiveness, as the astronomical unit, ostensibly a unit of length, was now dependent on the measurement of the strength of the gravitational force.
The IAU abandoned the defined value of in 2012 in favour of a defined value of the astronomical unit of exactly, while the strength of the gravitational force is now to be expressed in the separate standard gravitational parameter , measured in SI units of m3⋅s−2.
Discussion.
Gauss' constant is derived from the application of Kepler's third law to the
system of Earth+Moon and the Sun considered as a two body problem,
relating the period of revolution () to the major semi-axis of the orbit () and the total mass of the orbiting bodies ().
Its numerical value was obtained by setting the major semi-axis and the mass of the Sun to unity and measuring the period in mean solar days:
The value represents the mean angular motion of the Earth-Sun system, in radians per day, equivalent to a value just below one degree (the division of the circle into 360 degrees in Babylonian astronomy was likely intended as approximating the number of days in a solar year).
The correction due to the division by the square root of reflects the fact that the Earth–Moon system is not orbiting the Sun itself, but the center of mass of the system.
Isaac Newton himself determined a value of this constant which agreed with Gauss' value to six significant digits.
Gauss (1809) gave the value with nine significant digits, as 3548.18761 arc seconds.
Since all involved parameters, the orbital period, the Earth-to-Sun mass ratio, the semi-major axis and the length of the mean solar day, are subject to increasingly refined measurement, the precise value of the constant would have to be revised over time.
But since the constant is involved in determining the orbital parameters of all other bodies in the Solar System, it was found to be more convenient to set it to a fixed value, by definition, implying that the value of would deviate from unity.
The fixed value of 0.01720209895 [rad] was taken to be the one set by Gauss (converted from degrees to radian), so that
42:(2 2 ) ≈ 1.
Gauss' 1809 value of the constant was thus used as an authoritative reference value for the orbital mechanics of the Solar System for two centuries.
From its introduction until 1938 it was considered a measured quantity, and from 1938 until 2012 it was used as a defined quantity, with measurement uncertainty delegated to the value of the astronomical unit.
The defined value of was abandoned by the IAU in 2012, and the use of was deprecated, to be replaced by a fixed value of the astronomical unit, and the (measured) quantity of the standard gravitational parameter .
Role as a defining constant of Solar System dynamics.
Gauss himself stated the constant in arc seconds, with nine significant digits, as .
In the late 19th century, this value was adopted, and converted to radian, by Simon Newcomb, as .
and the constant appears in this form in his "Tables of the Sun", published in 1898.
Newcomb's work was widely accepted as the best then available and his values of the constants were incorporated into a great quantity of astronomical research. Because of this, it became difficult to separate the constants from the research; new values of the constants would, at least partially, invalidate a large body of work. Hence, after the formation of the International Astronomical Union in 1919 certain constants came to be gradually accepted as "fundamental": defining constants from which all others were derived. In 1938, the VIth General Assembly of the IAU declared,
However, no further effort toward establishing a set of constants was forthcoming until 1950. An IAU symposium on the system of constants was held in Paris in 1963, partially in response to recent developments in space exploration. The attendees finally decided at that time to establish a consistent set of constants. Resolution 1 stated that
Resolution 4 recommended
Included in the list of fundamental constants was
These resolutions were taken up by a working group of the IAU, who in their report recommended two defining constants, one of which was
For the first time, the Gaussian constant's role in the scale of the Solar System was officially recognized. The working group's recommendations were accepted at the XIIth General Assembly of the IAU at Hamburg, Germany in 1964.
Definition of the astronomical unit.
Gauss intended his constant to be defined using a mean distance of Earth from the Sun of 1 astronomical unit precisely. With the acceptance of the 1964 resolutions, the IAU, in effect, did the opposite: defined the constant as fundamental, and the astronomical unit as derived, the other variables in the definition being already fixed: mass (of the Sun), and time (the day of seconds). This transferred the uncertainty from the gravitational constant to uncertainty in the semi-major axis of the Earth-Sun system, which was no longer exactly one au (the au being defined as depending on the value of the gravitational constant).
The astronomical unit thus became a measured quantity rather than a defined, fixed one.
In 1976, the IAU reconfirmed the Gaussian constant's status at the XVIth General Assembly in Grenoble, declaring it to be a defining constant, and that
From this definition, the mean distance of Earth from the Sun works out to , but with perturbations by the other planets, which do not average to zero over time, the average distance is .
Abandonment.
In 2012, the IAU, as part of a new, self-consistent set of units and numerical standards for use in modern dynamical astronomy, redefined the astronomical unit as
and hence abandoned the Gaussian constant as an indirect definition of scale in the Solar System, recommending
The value of "k" based on the defined value for the astronomical unit would now be subject to the measurement uncertainty of the standard gravitational parameter,
formula_1
Units and dimensions.
is given as a unit-less fraction of the order of 1.7%, but it can be considered equivalent to the square root of the gravitational constant, in which case it has the units of au⋅d−1⋅−, where
Therefore, the dimensions of are
In spite of this is known to much greater accuracy than (or the square root of ).
The absolute value of is known to an accuracy of about 10−4, but the product (the gravitational parameter of the Sun) is known to an accuracy better than 10−10.
Derivation.
Gauss' original.
Gauss begins his "Theoria Motus" by presenting without proof several laws concerning the motion of bodies about the Sun. Later in the text, he mentions that Pierre-Simon Laplace treats these in detail in his "Mécanique Céleste". Gauss' final two laws are as follows:
He next defines:
and declares that
is "constant for all heavenly bodies". He continues, "it is of no importance which body we use for determining this number," and hence uses Earth, defining
He states that the area swept out by Earth in its orbit "will evidently be" , and uses this to simplify his constant to
Here, he names the constant and plugging in some measured values, = days, = solar masses, achieves the result = .
In modern terms.
Gauss is notorious for leaving out details, and this derivation is no exception. It is here repeated in modern terms, filling out some of the details.
Define without proof
where
Next define
where
Note that every variable in the above equations is a constant for two-body motion. Combining these two definitions,
which is what Gauss was describing with the last of his laws. Taking the square root,
and solving for ,
At this point, define . Let be the entire area swept out by the body as it orbits, hence , the area of an ellipse, where is the semi-major axis and is the semi-minor axis. Let , the time for the body to complete one orbit. Thus,
Here, Gauss decides to use Earth to solve for . From the geometry of an ellipse, . By setting Earth's semi-major axis, , reduces to and . Substituting, the area of the ellipse "is evidently" , rather than . Putting this into the numerator of the equation for and reducing,
Note that Gauss, by normalizing the size of the orbit, has eliminated it completely from the equation. Normalizing further, set the mass of the Sun to 1,
where now is in solar masses. What is left are two quantities: , the period of Earth's orbit or the sidereal year, a quantity known precisely by measurement over centuries, and , the mass of the Earth–Moon system.
Again plugging in the measured values as they were known in Gauss's time, = days, = solar masses, yielding the result = .
Gauss' constant and Kepler's third law.
The Gaussian constant is closely related to Kepler's third law of planetary motion, and one is easily derived from the other. Beginning with the full definition of Gauss' constant,
where
From the geometry of an ellipse, the semi-latus rectum, can be expressed in terms of and thus: . Therefore,
Substituting and reducing, Gauss' constant becomes
From orbital mechanics, is just , the mean motion of the body in its orbit. Hence,
which is the definition of Kepler's third law. In this form, it is often seen with , the Newtonian gravitational constant in place of .
Setting , , , and in radians per day results in , also in units of radians per day, about which see the relevant section of the mean motion article.
Other definitions.
The value of Gauss' constant, exactly as he derived it, had been used since Gauss' time because it was held to be a fundamental constant, as described above. The solar mass, mean solar day and sidereal year with which Gauss defined his constant are all slowly changing in value. If modern values were inserted into the defining equation, a value of would result.
It is also possible to set the gravitational constant, the mass of the Sun, and the astronomical unit to 1. This defines a unit of time with which the period of the resulting orbit is equal to . These are often called "canonical units". |
List of acupuncture points
This article provides a comprehensive list of acupuncture points, locations on the body used in acupuncture, acupressure, and other treatment systems based on Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM).
Locations and basis.
More than four hundred acupuncture points have been described, with the majority located on one of the twenty main cutaneous and subcutaneous meridians, pathways which run throughout the body and according to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) transport qi (). Twelve of these major meridians, commonly referred to as "the primary meridians", are bilateral and practitioners associate them with internal organs. The remaining eight meridians are designated as "extraordinary", and are also bilateral except for three, one that encircles the body near the waist, and two that run along the midline of the body. Only those two extraordinary meridians that run along the midline contain their own points, the remaining six comprise points from the aforementioned twelve primary meridians. There are also points that are not located on the fourteen major meridians but do lie in the complete nexus referred to as "jing luo" (). Such outliers are often referred to as "extra points".
There is no anatomical and physiological basis for acupuncture points and meridians. In practice, acupuncture points are located by a combination of anatomical landmarks, palpation, and feedback from the patient.
Eight Extraordinary Meridians.
The eight extraordinary meridians () are of pivotal importance in the study of Qigong (氣功; Chi kung), T'ai chi ch'uan (太極拳), and Chinese alchemy. Though many are listed, only the Governing Vessel and the Conception Vessel meridians have points not associated with the previous 12 meridians.
Nomenclature.
Some acupuncture points have several traditional names, for example "tài yuān" () and "gui xin" () are two names used for the 9th acupuncture point on the lung meridian. The World Health Organization (WHO) published "A Proposed Standard International Acupuncture Nomenclature Report" in 1991 and 2014, listing 361 classical acupuncture points organized according to the fourteen meridians, eight extra meridians, 48 extra points, and scalp acupuncture points, and published "Standard Acupuncture Nomenclature" in 1993, focused on the 361 classical acupuncture points. Each acupuncture point is identified by the meridian on which it is located and its number in the point sequence on that channel. For example, "Lu-9" identifies the 9th acupuncture point on the lung meridian. The only ambiguity with this unique systemized method is on the urinary bladder meridian, where the outer line of 14 points found on the back near the spine are inserted in one of two ways; following the last point of the inner line along the spine () and resuming with the point found in the crease of the buttocks (), or following the point in the center of the crease of the knee () and resuming with the point just below that (), found in the bifurcation of the gastrocnemius muscle. Although classification of the extra points often tries to utilize a similar shortcut method, where a numbered sequence along an assigned body part is used, there is no commonly agreed-upon system and therefore universal identification of these points relies on the original naming system of traditional Chinese characters.
The tables in this article follow the WHO numbering scheme to identify the acupuncture points of the main channels. For extra points the tables follow the numbering scheme found in "A Manual of Acupuncture".
Lung meridian.
Abbreviated as LU, named "The Lung channel of Hand, Greater Yin". This refers to the meridian starting in the arm, the lung's association with yin, and that it is considered more easy to find.
Large intestine meridian.
Abbreviated as LI or CO (colon), named "The Large Intestine channel of Hand, Yang Bright".
Stomach meridian.
Abbreviated as ST, named "The Stomach channel of Foot, Yang Bright".
Spleen meridian.
Abbreviated as SP, named "The Spleen channel of Foot, Greater Yin".
Heart meridian.
Abbreviated as HE, HT or H, named "The Heart channel of Hand, Lesser Yin".
Small intestine meridian.
Abbreviated as SI, named "The Small Intestine channel of Hand, Greater Yang".
Bladder meridian.
Abbreviated as BL or UB (urinary bladder), described in Chinese as "The Bladder channel of Foot, Greater Yang".
An alternative numbering scheme for the "appended part" (beginning with Bl-41 in the list below), which places the outer line along the spine after Bl-35 () instead of Bl-40 (), will be noted in the Alternative names column.
Kidney meridian.
Abbreviated as KI or K, described in Chinese as or "The Kidney channel of Foot, Lesser Yin".
Pericardium meridian.
Abbreviated as PC or P, named "The Pericardium channel of Hand, Faint Yin".
Triple burner meridian.
Also known as San Jiao, triple-heater, triple-warmer or triple-energizer, abbreviated as TB or SJ or TE and named "The Sanjiao channel of Hand, Lesser Yang".
Gallbladder meridian.
Abbreviated as GB, this meridian is named "The Gallbladder channel of Foot, Lesser Yang".
Liver meridian.
Abbreviated as LR or LV, named "The Liver channel of Foot, Faint Yin".
Governing vessel.
Also known as Du, abbreviated as GV and named "The Governing Vessel".
Conception vessel.
Also known as Ren, Directing Vessel, abbreviated as CV and named "The Conception Vessel". |
Jonathan Higgins
Jonathan Quayle Higgins III, VC is a fictional character in the 1980–1988 comedy and crime television series, "Magnum, P.I." portrayed by actor John Hillerman. Hillerman won an Emmy for the role in 1987.
The character of Higgins appeared in crossover episodes of two other television shows: "Simon & Simon" in 1982, and "Murder, She Wrote" in 1986.
Origin.
Although the character is English, actor John Hillerman was American, and had served in the U.S. Air Force. Hillerman practiced the English accent in onstage productions in Ohio before taking the accent to Hollywood. The character widely known as Jonathan Higgins began life as Simon Brimmer in the 1975 TV movie "Ellery Queen: Too Many Suspects" and the 1975–1976 TV series "Ellery Queen". Brimmer was an arrogant and self-assured character who used these personality traits as a foil to Ellery Queen (Jim Hutton). Hillerman said that playing a snob came easily to him.
Fictional character biography.
The character Higgins was born sometime in the year 1920. In the episode "Echoes of the Mind" he reveals that he is the second son of the Duke of Perth. a retired senior British Army officer, and Baron of Perth in his own right, though he rarely uses the title. He went to school at Eton College and Sandhurst Military College, but was "sent down" from the latter after another officer cadet allowed him to take the blame for a prank that had resulted in the serious injury of a third cadet. Higgins obeyed an honour code among the cadets by not revealing the true identity of the culprit at the cost of being rejected himself by Sandhurst for an officer's commission. Unable to face his father, he enlisted into the ranks of the West Yorkshire Regiment and he was awarded the Victoria Cross.
Higgins has three half brothers, portrayed on the show by Hillerman. The first was an American, Elmo Ziller. The second was an Irish priest, Father Paddy McGuinness. The third was Don Luis Mongueo. A fourth named Soo Ling is mentioned but never seen.
The character served for 37 years in the British army in the Second World War, the Indochina War (assisting the French), New Guinea, India and Kenya, among others. Higgins carried the discipline of his military background into his civilian life. He earned the rank of sergeant major in the British Army, and was in MI6 of the British Secret Service.
The character holds a 1947 doctorate in mathematics from University of Cambridge. This is revealed when he tells a pregnant woman (correctly, though misleadingly) that he is "a doctor". He owns two highly trained and intelligent Doberman Pinschers, Zeus and Apollo (whom he often refers to as "The Lads").
Higgins is well versed in both armed and unarmed (kung fu) combat techniques. He expresses fondness for older British Army weaponry such as the Sten and Sterling submachine guns, although he is more than capable of using modern weaponry such as the Heckler & Koch MP5. There is a small collection of weaponry (mostly pistols and shotguns) at the estate that he and Magnum have use of as needed. Occasional episodes show Higgins utilizing less common weapons, such as a 19th-century brass cannon and a samurai sword. Like Magnum, he does not make a habit of carrying a gun.
In regard to his personal life, Higgins was once nearly engaged to be married; years later his old flame visits him in Hawaii. He described her as being built like the Prince Albert Memorial.
Higgins is the estate manager for Robin Masters's beachfront estate on Oahu, called "Robin's Nest". The rich, eccentric (and perpetually travelling) Masters was largely an offstage character on the show, though frequently referred to. After Orson Welles (who voiced Robin Masters) died, the show's writers decided to have Thomas Magnum, a private investigator and Head of Security for Robin's Nest, begin to suspect Higgins "is" Robin Masters. This took some retconning, as Higgins had previously been shown alone in a room conversing on a speakerphone with Masters. There were numerous other prior examples of Masters being a different person from Higgins, but Magnum came to suspect these were staged with the help of an actor hired by Higgins to portray "Masters". The idea that Higgins could secretly be Masters became a long running gag in the series after Thomas told his friends Theodore "T.C." Calvin, and Orville "Rick" Wright about his idea.
In the final episode of the series, Higgins tells Magnum that he "really is" Robin Masters. However, Higgins later recants at Rick's wedding.
Character.
Higgins plays Magnum's foil. Higgins has been described as representing "the pomposity, elitism, and stuffiness of the Old Guard (literally and figuratively)". John Hillerman has stated, "Higgins in any situation thinks he's the only sane person around while everyone else is raving mad." Despite this, all four main protagonists formed close friendships, although there were the constant squabbles.
In one episode, a rabbi recounts an encounter with a young Higgins. He describes how in 1946 Higgins refused a standing order to fire on Jewish refugees trying to reach Palestine. When asked how he could disobey, Higgins replied, "I was obeying a higher law that does not permit me to shoot unarmed refugees looking for a home."
Higgins is known for his tendency to ramble when someone asks him a question. He usually manages to relate it to a story in either Korea or World War II, but sometimes other events. In one episode, when he is being robbed by people in costume, he says, "I believe I've been in a situation much like this ... actually, no, this is a first ... but I read about something like this once."
Crossover with "Murder, She Wrote".
Higgins is revealed to be a fan of Jessica Fletcher in the crossover episode with "Murder, She Wrote" and helped her free Magnum from prison in the "Murder, She Wrote" episode "Magnum On Ice". "Magnum On Ice" is the conclusion of the "Magnum P.I." episode "Novel Connection", which had a crossover with "Murder, She Wrote".
2018 reboot.
For the 2018 reboot, Higgins was re-written as a woman, named Juliet Higgins, portrayed by Perdita Weeks.
In the reboot, Higgins has a more active past in British military intelligence, having been a field operative (Magnum's CIA ex-fiancé Hannah identifies her as "the first woman to infiltrate the Russian Secret Police"). She was also "widowed" in the field when her fiancé, a fellow operative, was murdered by a contract killer she later unmasked as her mentor. It is also implied that she may be related to Robin Masters; in the reboot, Magnum describes Masters as having been "embedded with the troops", making this the first instance that either Magnum or Higgins has actually met Masters. Unlike the original Higgins, Juliet is more taciturn and curt and does not ramble. She retains the "lads" (Zeus and Apollo, two highly trained Doberman Pinschers) of the original Higgins, but enjoys setting them on Magnum in retaliation for his using the "privileges" of Robin's Nest more than the original one. This Higgins is more involved in Magnum's cases than the original, to the point that she is considered a member of Magnum's squad: he requests that she formally partner up with him in the second season, and she eventually accepts. In episode 17 Juliet says she has trouble with her visa, Thomas asks her to marry him to get her green card. She refuses at first, but later in the episode when she finds out that her lawyer can't do anything about she accepts Magnum's proposal, although she breaks the engagement three episodes later. Robin agrees to let her become the owner of Robin's Nest, which allows her to stay in the country. |
Sara Josephine Baker
Sara Josephine Baker (November 15, 1873 – February 22, 1945) was an American physician notable for making contributions to public health, especially in the immigrant communities of New York City. Her fight against the damage that widespread urban poverty and ignorance caused to children, especially newborns, is perhaps her most lasting legacy. In 1917, she noted that babies born in the United States faced a higher mortality rate than soldiers fighting in World War I, drawing a great deal of attention to her cause. She also is known for (twice) tracking down Mary Mallon, better known as Typhoid Mary.
Early life.
Baker was born in Poughkeepsie, New York, in 1873 to a wealthy Quaker family. After her father and brother died of typhoid, Baker felt pressure to support her mother and sister financially. So, at the age of 16, Baker decided on a career in medicine.
After studying chemistry and biology at home, she enrolled in the New York Infirmary Medical College, a medical school for women, founded by the sisters and physicians Elizabeth Blackwell and Emily Blackwell. The only class she failed—"The Normal Child", taught by Dr. Anne Daniel—led to her fascination with the future recipient of her attention, "that little pest, the normal child". Upon graduation as second in her class in 1898, Baker began a year-long internship at the New England Hospital for Women and Children in Boston.
Baker began practicing as a private physician in New York City following her internship. In 1901, Baker passed the civil service exam and qualified to be a medical inspector at the Department of Health, and worked as a part time inspector in 1902. Known as “Dr. Joe,” she wore masculine-tailored suits and joked that colleagues forgot that she was a woman.
Career.
After working diligently in the school system, Baker was offered an opportunity to help lower the mortality rate in Hell's Kitchen. It was considered the worst slum in New York at the turn of the century, with as many as 4,500 people dying every week. Baker decided to focus on the infant mortality rate in particular, as babies accounted for some 1,500 of the weekly deaths. Most of the infant deaths were caused by dysentery, though parental ignorance and poor hygiene were often indirectly to blame.
Baker and a group of nurses started to train mothers in how to care for their babies: how to clothe infants to keep them from getting too hot, how to feed them a good diet, how to keep them from suffocating in their sleep, and how to keep them clean. She set up a milk station where clean milk was given out. Commercial milk at that time was often contaminated, or mixed with chalky water to improve colour and maximize profit. Baker also invented an infant formula made out of water, calcium carbonate, lactose, and cow milk. This enabled mothers to go to work so they could support their families.
Baker aided in the prevention of infant blindness, a scourge caused by gonorrhea bacteria transmitted during birth. To prevent blindness, babies were given drops of silver nitrate in their eyes. Before Baker arrived, the bottles in which the silver nitrate was kept would often become unsanitary or would contain doses that were so highly concentrated that they would do more harm than good. Baker designed and used small containers made out of antibiotic beeswax that each held a single dose of silver nitrate, so the medication would stay at a known level of concentration and could not be contaminated.
Through Josephine Baker's efforts, infants were much safer than they had been the previous year; blindness decreased from 300 babies per year to 3 per year. But there was still one area where infancy was dangerous: at birth. Babies were often delivered by midwives, who were excluded from the formal training available to doctors. Baker convinced New York City to license midwives to ensure some degree of quality and expertise.
While Baker was campaigning to license midwives, treat blindness, encourage breastfeeding, provide safe pasteurized milk, and educate mothers, older children were still getting sick and malnourished. Baker worked to make sure each school had its own doctor and nurse, and that the children were routinely checked for infestations. This system worked so well that head lice and the eye infection trachoma, diseases once rampant in schools, became almost non-existent.
Early in her career, Baker had twice helped to catch Mary Mallon, also known as "Typhoid Mary". Mallon was the first known healthy carrier of typhoid, who instigated several separate outbreaks of the disease and is known to have infected more than 50 people through her job as a cook. At least three of the people she infected died. Mallon was not the only repeat offender nor the only typhoid-contagious cook in New York City at the time, but she was unique in that she did not suffer any ill-effects of the disease and in that she was ultimately the only patient placed in isolation for the rest of her life.
Professional recognition.
Josephine Baker was becoming famous, so much so that New York University Medical School asked her to lecture there on children’s health, or "child hygiene", as it was known at the time. Baker said she would if she could also enroll in the school. The school initially turned her down, but eventually acquiesced after looking unsuccessfully for a male lecturer to match her knowledge. In 1917, Baker became the first woman to receive a doctorate in public health.
After the United States entered World War I, Baker became even better known. Most of this publicity was generated from her comment to a "New York Times" reporter. She told him that it was "six times safer to be soldier in the trenches of France than to be a baby born in the United States." She was able to start a lunch program for school children due to the publicity this comment brought. She made use of the publicity around the high rate of young men being declared 4F (not eligible for draft due to poor health) as a motivating factor for support in her work on improving the health of children.
Baker was offered a job in London as health director of public schools, a job in France taking care of war refugees, and a job in the United States as Assistant Surgeon General.
Personal life.
Baker spent much of the later part of her life with Ida Alexa Ross Wylie, a novelist, essayist, and Hollywood scriptwriter from Australia who identified as a "woman-oriented woman". When Baker retired in 1923, she started to run their household while writing her autobiography, "Fighting For Life". In 1935 and four years before her autobiography was published, Baker and Wylie decided to move to Princeton, New Jersey, with their friend Louise Pearce. Based on the similarity of tone and phrasing of "Fighting for Life" to Wylie's memoir, "My Life with George", writer Helen Epstein postulates that Wylie may have helped Baker write her autobiography"." Beyond the memoir, little is known about Baker's life, as she "appears to have destroyed all her personal papers."
Retirement.
In 1923, Baker retired, but she did not stop working. She became the first woman to be a professional representative to the League of Nations when she served on the Health Committee for the United States from 1922 to 1924. She was also active in many groups and societies including over twenty-five medical societies and the New York State Department of Health. She became the president of the American Medical Women's Association and wrote four books, an autobiography, and 250 articles across the professional and popular press.
Sara Josephine Baker died from cancer on February 22, 1945, in New York City. |
Jailen Peguero
Jailen Lorenzo Peguero (born January 4, 1981) is a Dominican professional baseball relief pitcher who is a free agent. He played in Major League Baseball for the Arizona Diamondbacks. His uncle, Leo Peguero, was a minor league player in the Yankees organization. A song in honor of Leo was released in 1999 called Leo Peguero, You Are My Hero.
Professional career.
Houston Astros.
On May 18, 2000, Peguero signed with the Houston Astros as an international free agent. He made his professional debut in 2002 with the Low-A Tri-City ValleyCats, posting a 3.44 ERA in 25 appearances. In 2003, Peguero played for the Single-A Lexington Legends, pitching to a 5-13 record and 3.64 ERA in 31 games. He spent the 2004 season with the High-A Salem Avalanche, recording a 5-6 record and 3.87 ERA in 86.0 innings of work. He spent the 2005 season in Double-A with the Corpus Christi Hooks, pitching to a 2.94 ERA in 50 appearances. He split the 2006 season between Corpus Christi and the Triple-A Round Rock Express, accumulating a stellar 2.04 ERA in 75.0 innings pitched. On October 15, 2016, Peguero elected free agency.
Arizona Diamondbacks.
On November 20, 2006, Peguero signed a minor league contract with the Arizona Diamondbacks organization. He was assigned to the Triple-A Tucson Sidewinders to begin the year. On June 8, , Peguero was called up to the major leagues for the first time when reliever Brandon Medders was optioned to Tucson. He made his major league debut that day in the ninth inning of a 10-3 loss to the Boston Red Sox, retiring the only three batters he faced, Jason Varitek, Coco Crisp, and Doug Mirabelli, in order. In 18 appearances for Arizona in 2007, he pitched to a 9.20 ERA. Peguero spent the majority of the 2008 season in Tucson, and pitched to a 4.82 ERA in 7 games for the major league club. On March 19, 2009, Peguero was released by Arizona.
Los Angeles Angels.
On April 3, 2009, Peguero signed a minor league contract with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. On May 19, 2009, Peguero was released by the Angels organization. He had appeared in 16 games for the Triple-A Salt Lake Bees, owning a 0-1 record with a 9.98 ERA with one save and 15 strikeouts.
Rojos del Águila de Veracruz.
On June 4, 2009, Peguero signed with the Rojos del Águila de Veracruz of the Mexican League. He pitched to a 2.03 ERA in 28 appearances before being released on August 14, 2009.
Texas Rangers.
On August 15, 2009 Peguero signed a minor league contract with the Texas Rangers. He finished the season with the Triple-A Oklahoma City RedHawks, recording a 3.86 ERA in 8 games. In 13 games for Oklahoma City in 2010, Peguero pitched to a 4.09 ERA.
Houston Astros (second stint).
On June 10, 2010, Peguero was traded to the Houston Astros in exchange for future considerations. He finished the year with the Double-A Corpus Christi Hooks, registering a stellar 1.70 ERA in 32 games.
Rojos del Águila de Veracruz (second stint).
On April 2, 2011, Peguero signed with the Rojos del Águila de Veracruz of the Mexican League. In 43 games, he pitched to an excellent 1.40 ERA with 47 strikeouts. In 2012, Peguero pitched to a 3.04 ERA in 50.1 innings of work.
Pericos de Puebla.
On March 23, 2013, Peguero signed with the Pericos de Puebla of the Mexican League. He appeared in 51 games for the team in 2013, posting a 5-3 record and 4.67 ERA.
Vaqueros Laguna.
On April 1, 2014, Peguero signed with the Vaqueros Laguna of the Mexican League. He struggled to a 7.36 ERA in 18 games before being released on May 13, 2014.
Piratas de Campeche.
On May 17, 2014, Peguero signed with the Piratas de Campeche of the Mexican League. Peguero pitched to a 4.15 ERA in 5 appearances before he was released on May 27, 2014.
Winnipeg Goldeyes.
On March 10, 2015, Peguero signed with the Winnipeg Goldeyes of the American Association of Independent Professional Baseball. In 49 games for Winnipeg, Peguero recorded a 5-4 record and 3.76 ERA with 67 strikeouts. he remained in Winnipeg for the 2016 season, where he pitched to a 2-4 record and 5.89 ERA in 18 games. He became a free agent after the season and did not play professionally in 2017.
Road Warriors.
Peguero signed with the Road Warriors of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball for the 2018 season. In 12 games for the club, Peguero registered a 3.48 ERA with 8 strikeouts.
York Revolution.
On June 5, 2018, Peguero signed with the York Revolution of the Atlantic League. In 35 games for York, he pitched to a 2-4 record and 4.93 ERA in 49.1 innings of work. He became a free agent following the 2018 season.
San Rafael Pacifics.
In 2019, Peguero signed with the San Rafael Pacifics of the Pacific Association. In 34 games for the club, Peguero pitched to a 6-4 record and 1.88 ERA, and earned Reliever of the Year honors after the season. He did not play in a game professionally in the 2020 season.
Gastonia Honey Hunters.
On May 21, 2021, Peguero signed with the Gastonia Honey Hunters of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball. He became a free agent following the season. |
Higher education in Sri Lanka
Higher education in Sri Lanka is an optional final stage of formal learning following secondary education. Higher education, also referred to as tertiary education occurs most commonly universities or degree-granting institutions. These may be public universities, public and private degree-granting institutions which award their own degrees or degrees from foreign universities. High visibility issues include limited capacity of public universities to cater for the demand and opposition to private universities from certain segments.
Types of universities and institutions.
Universities.
There are only 15 universities in Sri Lanka under the direct administration of the University Grants Commission which controls funding and appointments. The prominent ones are University of Colombo, University of Peradeniya, University of Kelaniya, University of Sri Jayawardhenapura, University of Moratuwa, University of Jaffna, University of Ruhuna.
Other government universities.
Apart from the national universities controlled by the University Grants Commission, there are several other universities administrated directly by several government ministries.
Degree awarding institutions.
In recent years, with amendments to the University Act, a few institutes and private companies have been given permission to grant their own degrees: The most prominent is the Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology.
Professional institutions.
There are many local and foreign professional bodies active in Sri Lanka such as Association of Chartered Certified Accountants, Chartered Institute of Management Accountants, British Computer Society, Association of Chartered Certified Accountants, etc. There are institutions provide entrance to professions such as the Sri Lanka Law College.
Vocational training.
Vocational education and training in Sri Lanka are managed by the Tertiary and Vocational Education Commission of the Ministry of Vocational & Technical Training. Training includes course based curriculum at vocational technical training centers and apprenticeship at private or public organizations. Higher education in vocational fields could be archived though several universities. The National Vocational Qualifications Systems in Sri Lanka (NVQSL) provides a structured seven levels of qualifications from Level 1 to Level 7. Vocational education and training is carried out for degree level at the Open University, Sri Lanka and the University of Vocational Technology, as well as at diploma level at 37 technical colleges, Institute of Engineering Technology, Sri Lanka Institute of Advanced Technological Education and the Sri Lanka School of Agriculture.
History.
The beginnings of modern higher education in Ceylon commenced in 1870 with the establishment of the Ceylon Medical School, followed by Colombo Law College (1875), School of Agriculture (1884) and the Government Technical College (1893).
The origins of the modern university system in Sri Lanka dates back to 1921 when a University college, the Ceylon University College was established at the former premises of Royal College Colombo, and was affiliated with the University of London. The college provided courses of study in art and humanities, science and medicine prepared undergraduates for examination at the University of London.
In 1942 the first university was established in the country was the University of Ceylon which had several campuses island wide, Colombo (established 1942), Peradeniya (established 1949), Vidyodaya (established 1959), Vidyalankara (established 1959) and Katubedda (established 1972). Vidyodaya and Vidayalankara were established under the Vidyodaya and Vidayalankara University Act No 45 of 1958. The University of Ceylon was modelled on the Oxbridge formula, at its inception the university only accommodated 904 students, which later expanded to cover a number of universities and it remained as an elite-oriented university as stated by Sir Ivor Jennings, catering to a small number of students and exclusively residential. It was dissolved in 1972 to establish the University of Sri Lanka. In 1974 the Jaffna campus was added to the University of Sri Lanka.
The change of the government in July 1977 led to dismantling of the single university apparatus with the plan of establishing independent universities. With the promulgation of the Universities Act. No 16 of 1978, state university status was restored to the six separate campuses. The University Grants Commission (UGC) was also created to plan and coordinate the state university education. After that, a number of state universities were created. All these state universities are registered under the University Grants Commission, but a few come under the auspices of ministries other than the Ministry of Higher Education, in which the UGC is a part of. Most of the state universities depend on funds given by the University Grants Commission, as it is their primary and sometimes only source of funding. Therefore, the UGC has a direct control over these universities and administer the undergraduate intake. The UGC is subordinate to the Ministry of Higher Education.
Legislation.
Universities in the Sri Lanka have generally been instituted by Special Presidential Decree, University Orders, Acts of Parliament and the Higher Education Act 1978.
Admission process.
Undergraduate education in state universities is free but entrance is extremely competitive, limited and standardized. Fewer than 16% (less than 16,000 students) of those who qualify get admission to state universities and of that only half graduate. Admission to the university system is based on the highly competitive GCE Advanced Level examination. Selection of students is done on the basis of rank order on average Z Scores obtained by candidates at the GCE Advanced Level to replicate a district basis representation. Only the top students from each district get admissions, as appose to their overall island rank.
Funding.
All state universities are funded through the government and undergraduate education is free in these universities. All postgraduate education is fee-levied, unless sponsored by the government. Government also provides grants for students through the Mahapola Higher Education Scholarship Trust Fund.
Criticism.
Z score.
Due to the limited intake into state universities, admissions are based on the student's rank order on average Z Scores obtained by candidates at the GCE Advanced Level to replicate a district basis representation. The top students from urban and rural districts get the chances of having tertiary education. However, top students who got qualified under the minimum Z Scores requirements for admissions from remote districts may get in with relatively lower marks than those from urban districts. As a result, many students who are not granted admission find other means of higher education.
Graduate unemployment.
Sri Lanka has a large number of unemployed graduates numbering 43,000 in 2017. Low economic growth, limited vacancies in public sector as well as unemployable skill set of graduates who have studied aesthetics subjects, while there is a major shortage of technical knowledge. Calls for reform of the university system has been called for to address these issues and the successive attempt to grant government jobs to these graduates mainly in teaching.
Ragging.
ragging has been widespread in Sri Lankan universities. Certain student groups such as the IUSF uses ragging as a means of attracting a following among more backward students. Student groups claim that ragging served as a social equalizer in the universities. But with the emergence of JVP-backed student unions such as IUSF, ragging has served primarily to ensure the continuing domination of JVP political power within the universities, academics suggest with several student death associated to it.
Academic standards.
The academic standards of Sri Lankan universities have been questioned as they fare extremely low in international rankings with the University of the Colombo ranked 801 in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings and 8 in South Asia. |
Mary Astor
Mary Astor (born Lucile Vasconcellos Langhanke; May 3, 1906 – September 25, 1987) was an American actress. Although her career spanned several decades, she may be best remembered for her performance as Brigid O'Shaughnessy in "The Maltese Falcon" (1941).
Astor began her long motion picture career as a teenager in the silent movies of the early 1920s. When talkies arrived, her voice was initially considered too masculine and she was off the screen for a year. After she appeared in a play with friend Florence Eldridge, film offers returned, and she resumed her career in sound pictures.
In 1936, Astor's career was nearly destroyed by scandal. She had an affair with playwright George S. Kaufman and was branded an adulterous wife by her ex-husband during a custody fight over their daughter. Overcoming these stumbling blocks in her private life, she went on to greater film success, eventually winning an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her portrayal of concert pianist Sandra Kovak in "The Great Lie" (1941).
Astor was a Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer contract player through most of the 1940s and continued to work in film, television and on stage until her retirement in 1964. She authored five novels. Her autobiography was a bestseller, as was her later book, "A Life on Film", which was about her career.
Director Lindsay Anderson wrote of Astor in 1990 that when "two or three who love the cinema are gathered together, the name of Mary Astor always comes up, and everybody agrees that she was an actress of special attraction, whose qualities of depth and reality always seemed to illuminate the parts she played."
Early life and career.
Astor was born in Quincy, Illinois, the only child of Otto Ludwig Langhanke (October 2, 1871 – February 3, 1943) and Helen Marie de Vasconcellos (April 19, 1881 – January 18, 1947). Both of her parents were teachers. Her German father emigrated to the United States from Berlin in 1891 and became a naturalized U.S. citizen; her American mother was born in Jacksonville, Illinois, and had Portuguese roots. They married on August 3, 1904, in Lyons, Kansas.
Astor's father taught German at Quincy High School until the U.S. entered World War I. Later on, he took up light farming. Astor's mother, who had always wanted to be an actress, taught drama and elocution. Astor was home-schooled in academics and was taught to play the piano by her father, who insisted she practice daily. Her piano talents came in handy when she played piano in her films "The Great Lie" and "Meet Me in St. Louis".
In 1919, Astor sent a photograph of herself to a beauty contest in "Motion Picture Magazine", becoming a semifinalist. When Astor was 15, the family moved to Chicago, Illinois, with her father teaching German in public schools. Astor took drama lessons and appeared in various amateur stage productions. The following year, she sent another photograph to "Motion Picture Magazine", this time becoming a finalist and then runner-up in the national contest. Her father then moved the family to New York City, in order for his daughter to act in motion pictures. He managed her affairs from September 1920 to June 1930.
A Manhattan photographer, Charles Albin, saw her photograph and asked the young girl with haunting eyes and long auburn hair whose nickname was "Rusty" to pose for him. The Albin photographs were seen by Harry Durant of Famous Players-Lasky and Astor was signed to a six-month contract with Paramount Pictures. Her name was changed to Mary Astor during a conference among Paramount Pictures chief Jesse Lasky, film producer Walter Wanger, and gossip columnist Louella Parsons.
Silent movie career.
Astor's first screen test was directed by Lillian Gish, who was so impressed with her recitation of Shakespeare that she shot a thousand feet of her. She made her debut at age 14 in the 1921 film "Sentimental Tommy", but her small part in a dream sequence wound up on the cutting room floor. Paramount let her contract lapse. She then appeared in some movie shorts with sequences based on famous paintings. She received critical recognition for the 1921 two-reeler "The Beggar Maid". Her first feature-length movie was "John Smith" (1922), followed that same year by "The Man Who Played God". In 1923, she and her parents moved to Hollywood.
After appearing in several larger roles at various studios, she was again signed by Paramount, this time to a one-year contract at $500 a week. After she appeared in several more movies, John Barrymore saw her photograph in a magazine and wanted her cast in his upcoming movie. On loan-out to Warner Bros., she starred with him in "Beau Brummel" (1924). The older actor wooed the young actress, but their relationship was severely constrained by Astor's parents' unwillingness to let the couple spend time alone together; Mary was only seventeen and legally underage. It was only after Barrymore convinced the Langhankes that his acting lessons required privacy that the couple managed to be alone at all. Their secret engagement ended largely because of the Langhankes' interference and Astor's inability to escape their heavy-handed authority, and because Barrymore became involved with Astor's fellow WAMPAS Baby Star Dolores Costello, whom he later married. In 1925, Astor's parents bought a Moorish style mansion with of land known as "Moorcrest" in the hills above Hollywood. The Langhankes not only lived lavishly off of Astor's earnings, but kept her a virtual prisoner inside Moorcrest. Moorcrest is known not only for its ornate style, but its place as the most lavish residence associated with the Krotona Colony, a utopian society founded by the Theosophical Society in 1912. Built by Marie Russak Hotchener, a Theosophist who had no formal architectural training, the house combines Moorish and Mission Revival styles and contains such Arts and Crafts features as art-glass windows (whose red lotus design Astor called "unfortunate"), and Batchelder tiles. Moorcrest, which has since undergone a multimillion-dollar renovation, remains standing. Before the Langhankes bought it, it was rented by Charlie Chaplin, whose tenure is memorialized by an art glass window featuring the Little Tramp.
Astor's parents were not Theosophists, though the family was friendly with both Marie Hotchener and her husband Harry, prominent Theosophical Society members. Marie Hotchener negotiated Astor's right to a $5 a week allowance (at a time when she was making $2,500 a week) and the right to go to work unchaperoned by her mother. The following year when she was 19, Astor, fed up with her father's constant physical and psychological abuse as well as his control of her money, climbed from her second floor bedroom window and escaped to a hotel in Hollywood, as recounted in her memoirs. Hotchener facilitated her return by persuading Otto Langhanke to give Astor a savings account with $500 and the freedom to come and go as she pleased. Nevertheless, she did not gain control of her salary until she was 26 years old, at which point her parents sued her for financial support. Astor settled the case by agreeing to pay her parents $100 a month. Otto Langhanke put Moorcrest up for auction in the early 1930s, hoping to realize more than the $80,000 he had been offered for it; it sold for $25,000.
Astor continued to appear in movies at various studios. When her Paramount contract ended in 1925, she was signed at Warner Bros. Among her assignments was another role with John Barrymore, this time in "Don Juan" (1926). She was named one of the WAMPAS Baby Stars in 1926, along with Mary Brian, Dolores Costello, Joan Crawford, Dolores del Río, Janet Gaynor, and Fay Wray. On loan to Fox Film Corporation, Astor starred in "Dressed to Kill" (1928), which received good reviews, and the sophisticated comedy "Dry Martini" (also 1928). She later said that, while working on the latter, she "absorbed and assumed something of the atmosphere and emotional climate of the picture." She said it offered "a new and exciting point of view; with its specious doctrine of self-indulgence, it rushed into the vacuum of my moral sense and captivated me completely." When her Warner Bros. contract ended, she signed a contract with Fox for $3,750 a week. In 1928, she married director Kenneth Hawks at her family home, Moorcrest. He gave her a Packard automobile as a wedding present and the couple moved into a home high up on Lookout Mountain in Los Angeles above Beverly Hills. As the film industry made the transition to talkies, Fox gave her a sound test, which she failed because the studio found her voice to be too deep. Though this result was probably due to early sound equipment and inexperienced technicians, the studio released her from her contract and she found herself out of work for eight months in 1929.
New beginnings.
During her time off, Astor took voice training and singing lessons with Francis Stuart, an exponent of Francesco Lamperti, but no roles were offered. Her acting career was then given a boost by her friend, Florence Eldridge, (wife of Fredric March), in whom she confided. Eldridge, who was to star in the stage play "Among the Married" at the Majestic Theatre in Downtown Los Angeles, recommended Astor for the second female lead. The play was a success, and her voice was deemed suitable, being described as low and vibrant. She was happy to work again, but her happiness soon ended. On January 2, 1930, while filming sequences for the Fox movie "Such Men Are Dangerous", Kenneth Hawks was killed in a mid-air plane crash over the Pacific. Astor had just finished a matinee performance at the Majestic when Florence Eldridge gave her the news. She was rushed from the theatre to Eldridge's apartment. A replacement, Doris Lloyd, stepped in for the next show. Astor remained with Eldridge at her apartment for some time, then soon returned to work. Shortly after her husband's death, she debuted in her first talkie, "Ladies Love Brutes" (1930) at Paramount, in which she co-starred with her friend Fredric March. While her career picked up, her private life remained difficult. After working on several more movies, she suffered delayed shock over her husband's death and had a nervous breakdown. During the months of her illness, she was attended to by Dr. Franklyn Thorpe, whom she married on June 29, 1931. That year, she starred as Nancy Gibson in "Smart Woman", playing a woman determined to retrieve her husband from a gold-digging flirtation.
In May 1932, the Thorpes purchased a yacht and sailed to Hawaii. Astor was expecting a baby in August, but gave birth in June in Honolulu. The child, a daughter, was named Marylyn Hauoli Thorpe: her first name combined her parents' names, and her middle name is Hawaiian. When they returned to Southern California, Astor freelanced and gained the pivotal role of Barbara Willis in MGM's "Red Dust" (1932) with Clark Gable and Jean Harlow. In late 1932, Astor signed a featured player contract with Warner Bros. Meanwhile, besides spending lavishly, her parents invested in the stock market, which often turned out unprofitable. While they remained in Moorcrest, Astor dubbed it a "white elephant", and she refused to maintain the house. She had to turn to the Motion Picture Relief Fund in 1933 to pay her bills. She appeared as the female lead, Hilda Lake, niece of the murder victims, in "The Kennel Murder Case" (1933), co-starring with William Powell as detective Philo Vance. Film critic William K. Everson pronounced it a "masterpiece" in the August 1984 issue of "Films in Review".
Soon unhappy with her marriage, due to Thorpe having a short temper and a habit of listing her faults, Astor wanted a divorce by 1933. At a friend's suggestion, she took a break from movie-making in 1933 and visited New York alone. While there, enjoying a whirlwind social life, she met the playwright George S. Kaufman, who was in a strong, but open marriage. She documented their affair in her diary. Thorpe, by now making use of his wife's income, had discovered Astor's diary. He indicated her liaisons with other men, including Kaufman, would be used to claim she was an unfit mother in any divorce proceedings.
Custody case.
Dr. Franklyn Thorpe divorced Astor in April 1935. A custody battle over their four-year-old daughter, Marylyn, drew press attention to Astor in 1936. Astor's diary was never formally offered as evidence during the trial, but Thorpe and his lawyers constantly referred to it, and its notoriety grew. Astor admitted that the diary existed and that she had documented her affair with Kaufman, but maintained that many of the parts that had been referred to were forgeries, following the theft of the diary from her desk. The diary was deemed inadmissible as a mutilated document because Thorpe had removed pages referring to himself and had fabricated content. The trial judge, Goodwin J. Knight, ordered it sealed and impounded. Florabel Muir, then with the "New York Daily News" is known to have invented fabricated diary passages in her articles. Interestingly, the plot in a 1934 Perry Mason film in which Astor had recently co-starred, "The Case of the Howling Dog", featured an attempt to access the incriminating diary kept by a woman suspect in a murder case who was having an affair with her married boss.
News of the diary became public when Astor's role in "Dodsworth" (1936), as Edith Cortwright, was beginning to be filmed. Producer Samuel Goldwyn was urged to fire her, as her contract included a morality clause, but Goldwyn refused. With Walter Huston in the title role, "Dodsworth" received rave reviews on release, and the public's acceptance assured the studios that casting Astor remained a viable proposition. Ultimately, the scandals caused minimal harm to Astor's career, which was actually revitalized because of the custody fight and the publicity it generated.
In 1952, by court order, Astor's diary was removed from the bank vault where it had been sequestered for 16 years and destroyed.
Mid-career.
In 1937, she returned to the stage in well-received productions of Noël Coward's "Tonight at 8.30", "The Astonished Heart", and "Still Life". She also began performing regularly on radio. Over the next few years, she had roles in "The Prisoner of Zenda" (1937), John Ford's "The Hurricane" (1937), "Midnight" (1939) and "Brigham Young" (1940). In John Huston’s all time classic "The Maltese Falcon" (1941), Astor played scheming temptress Brigid O'Shaughnessy. The film, based upon the novel by Dashiell Hammett, also starred Humphrey Bogart and featured Peter Lorre and Sydney Greenstreet. For her performance in "The Great Lie" (also 1941) she won an Oscar as Best Supporting Actress in the 14th Academy Awards. As Sandra Kovak, the self absorbed concert pianist who relinquishes her unborn child, her intermittent love interest was played by George Brent, but the film's star was Bette Davis. Davis wanted Astor cast in the role after watching her screen test and seeing her play Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No. 1. She then recruited Astor to collaborate on rewriting the script, which Davis felt was mediocre and needed work to make it more interesting. Astor further followed Davis's advice and sported a bobbed hairdo for the role.
The soundtrack of the movie in the scenes where she plays the concerto, with violent hand movements on the piano keyboard, was dubbed by pianist Max Rabinovitch. Davis deliberately stepped back to allow Astor to shine in her key scenes. In her Oscar acceptance speech, Astor thanked Bette Davis and Tchaikovsky. Astor and Davis became good friends.
Astor was not propelled into the upper echelon of movie stars by these successes, however. She always declined offers of starring in her own right. Not wanting the responsibility of top billing and having to carry the picture, she preferred the security of being a featured player. She reunited with Humphrey Bogart and Sydney Greenstreet in John Huston's "Across the Pacific" (1942). Though usually cast in dramatic or melodramatic roles, Astor showed a flair for comedy as The Princess Centimillia in the Preston Sturges film, "The Palm Beach Story" (also 1942) for Paramount. In February 1943, Astor's father, Otto Langhanke, died in Cedars of Lebanon Hospital as a result of a heart attack complicated by influenza. His wife and daughter were at his bedside.
That same year, Astor signed a seven-year contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), a move she soon came to regret. She was kept busy, playing what appeared to be under-written and largely interchangeable supporting roles, a category Astor later dubbed "Mothers for Metro". After "Meet Me in St. Louis" (1944), the studio allowed her to debut on Broadway in "Many Happy Returns" (1945). The play was a failure, but Astor received good reviews. On loan-out to 20th Century Fox, she played a wealthy widow in "Claudia and David" (1946). She was also loaned to Paramount to play Fritzi Haller in "Desert Fury" (1947), the tough owner of a saloon and casino in a small mining town. Before Helen Langhanke died of a heart ailment in January 1947, Astor said she sat in the hospital room with her mother, who was delirious and did not know her, and listened quietly as Helen told her all about terrible, selfish Lucile. After her death, Astor said she spent countless hours copying her mother's diary so she could read it and was surprised to learn how much she was hated. Back at MGM, Astor continued being cast in undistinguished, colorless mother roles. One exception was when she played a prostitute in the film noir "Act of Violence" (1948). The last straw came when she was cast as Marmee March in "Little Women" (1949). Astor found no redemption in playing what she considered another humdrum mother and grew despondent. She later described her disappointment with her cast members and the shoot in her memoir "A Life on Film":
The studio wanted to renew her contract, promising better roles, but she declined the offer.
Middle years.
At the same time, Astor's drinking was growing troublesome. She admitted to alcoholism as far back as the 1930s, but it had never interfered with her work schedule or performance. She hit bottom in 1949 and went into a sanitarium for alcoholics.
In 1951, she made a frantic call to her doctor and said that she had taken too many sleeping pills. She was taken to a hospital and the police reported that she had attempted suicide, this being her third overdose in two years. The story made headline news. She maintained it had been an accident.
That same year, she joined Alcoholics Anonymous and converted to Roman Catholicism. She credited her recovery to a priest, Peter Ciklic, also a practicing psychologist, who encouraged her to write about her experiences as part of therapy. She also separated from her fourth husband, Thomas Wheelock (a stockbroker she married on Christmas Day 1945), but did not actually divorce him until 1955.
In 1952, she was cast in the leading role of the play "The Time of the Cuckoo", which was later made into the movie "Summertime" (1955), and subsequently toured with it. After the tour, Astor lived in New York for four years and worked in the theater and on television. During the 1952 presidential election, Astor, a lifelong Democrat, supported the campaign of Adlai Stevenson.
Her TV debut was in "The Missing Years" (1954) for "Kraft Television Theatre". She acted frequently in TV during the ensuing years and appeared on many big shows of the time, including "The United States Steel Hour", "Alfred Hitchcock Presents", "Rawhide", "Dr. Kildare", "Burke's Law", and "Ben Casey". In 1954, she appeared in the episode "Fearful Hour" of the Gary Merrill NBC series "Justice" in the role of a desperately poor and aging film star who attempts suicide to avoid exposure as a thief. She also played an ex-film star on the Boris Karloff-hosted "Thriller" in an episode titled "Rose's Last Summer."
She starred on Broadway again in "The Starcross Story" (1954), another failure, and returned to southern California in 1956. She then went on a successful theatre tour of "Don Juan in Hell" directed by Agnes Moorehead and co-starring Ricardo Montalbán.
Astor's memoir, "My Story: An Autobiography", was published in 1959, becoming a sensation in its day and a bestseller. It was the result of Father Ciklic urging her to write. Though she spoke of her troubled personal life, her parents, her marriages, the scandals, her battle with alcoholism, and other areas of her life, she did not mention the movie industry or her career in detail. In 1971, a second book was published, "A Life on Film", where she discussed her career. It, too, became a bestseller. Astor also tried her hand at fiction, writing the novels "The Incredible Charley Carewe" (1960), "The Image of Kate" (1962), which was published in 1964 in a German translation as "Jahre und Tage", "The O'Conners" (1964), "Goodbye, Darling, be Happy" (1965), and "A Place Called Saturday" (1968).
She appeared in several movies during this time, including "Stranger in My Arms" (1959). She made a comeback in "Return to Peyton Place" (1961) playing Roberta Carter, the domineering mother who insists the "shocking" novel written by Allison Mackenzie should be banned from the school library, and received good reviews for her performance. According to film scholar Gavin Lambert, Astor invented memorable bits of business in her last scene of that film, where Roberta's vindictive motives are exposed.
Final years and death.
After a trip around the world in 1964, Astor was lured away from her Malibu, California home, where she was gardening and working on her third novel, to make what she decided would be her final film. She was offered the small role as a key figure, Jewel Mayhew, in the murder mystery "Hush...Hush, Sweet Charlotte" (1964), starring her friend Bette Davis. She filmed her final scene with Cecil Kellaway at Oak Alley Plantation in southern Louisiana. In "A Life on Film", she described her character as "a little old lady, waiting to die". Astor decided it would serve as her swan song in the movie business. After 109 movies in a career spanning 45 years, she turned in her Screen Actors Guild card and retired.
Astor later moved to Fountain Valley, California, where she lived near her son, Anthony del Campo (from her third marriage to Mexican film editor Manuel del Campo), and his family, until 1971. That same year, suffering from a chronic heart condition, she moved to a small cottage on the grounds of the Motion Picture & Television Country House, the industry's retirement facility in Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, where she had a private table when she chose to eat in the resident dining room. She appeared in the television documentary series "Hollywood: A Celebration of the American Silent Film" (1980), co-produced by Kevin Brownlow, in which she discussed her roles during the silent film period. After years of retirement, she had been urged to appear in Brownlow's documentary by a former sister-in-law Bessie Love who also appeared in the series.
Astor died on September 25, 1987, at age 81, of respiratory failure due to pulmonary emphysema while in the hospital at the Motion Picture House complex. She is interred in Holy Cross Cemetery in Culver City, California. Astor has a motion pictures star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6701 Hollywood Boulevard. |
Husarln
Husarln ("Hussar") is a mid-20th century, three-hand card game of the Austrian branch of the Tarot family. It is a 42-card variant of Illustrated Tarock and appears to be a close Austrian relative of the 42-card Hungarian tarock card games. The game is dominated by the distribution of Tarocks, giving it a "brisk and energetic feel" that is reflected in its name. It is also known as Block Tarock, although that name was given to a quite different and older game.
History and etymology.
Husarln is one of a family of classical Austrian card games known as Tarock games; so much so, that the area of the former Austro-Hungarian Empire, in which they have a strong tradition, has been described as 'Tarockania'. These games have been featured in literature such as Herzmanovsky-Orlando's "Maskenspiel der Genien" and Johann Nestroy's "Zu ebener Erde und im ersten Stock". There are numerous variations of Tarock, many still played today, including the challenging four-player games of Königrufen (the "game of kings"), Zwanzigerrufen and Neunzehnerrufen, the original three-handed game of Tapp Tarock and its derivatives, Illustrated Tarock and Point Tarock, and the "attractive" two-hander of Strawman Tarock.
According to Dummett, Husarln is a close Austrian relative of the 42-card, three-handed Hungarian games such as Hungarian Tarok and Hungarian Tapper. In the earliest known rules, Löw states that the bidding is similar to that of Illustrated Tarock, a game also first recorded by him in 1954. The game is later recorded by Beck (1965), Grupp (1975) and, more recently, by Bamberger (2011). Confusingly, Beck, Bamberger and Grupp call it "Block Tarock" which, as Dummett notes, is the name of an earlier and quite different game. However, all three note that it is also called Husarln. Since "Husar" is German for "Hussar", the name "Husarln" means "playing [the game of] Hussar". The name may therefore reflect a Hungarian origin in a similar way to the 2-player, 54-card game of Kosakeln ("playing Cossack"). Mayr and Sedlaczek note that Husarln is a "dialectic name for Tappen with 42 cards." The Kings lose their significance and the game is totally dominated by the distribution of the Tarocks [Tarot cards]. This gives the game "that brisk and energetic feel that is so succinctly expressed in its widely used name 'Hussar'".
Cards.
Like a number of other Tarock games played in Austria and the lands of the former Habsburg Empire, Husarln uses a 54-card deck of the "Industrie und Glück" type described at Königrufen ("pictured"), but with all the pip cards removed, bar the black Tens and red Aces, to leave 42 cards. Thus the pack contains 22 tarocks as trumps (numbered from I to XXI plus the Sküs) and 20 suit cards in the four French suits of Hearts, Diamonds, Spades and Clubs. Tarocks rank from Sküs (highest) then XXI to I (lowest). Suit cards rank K Q C V 10 in the black suits and K Q C V A in the red suits. The game uses the same values as other Austrian Tarock games like Königrufen: the Kings and Trull cards ("Sküs", "Pagat" and Tarock 21) are worth 5, Queens 4, Cavaliers 3, Valets 2 and the rest 1 card point each.
Rules.
There are no official rules. The game follows the basic rules of Tarock games, with the exception that, because only 42 of the usual 54 cards are used, only 34 points are needed to win. Bidding is similar to that in Illustrated Tarock with bids of "Zweiblatt" ("Two Cards"), "Einblatt" ("One Card") and "Solo", but the lowest bid, "Dreiblatt" ("Three Cards"), is omitted. The rules given here follow Löw (1956) except where stated.
Shuffling and dealing.
After shuffling, the dealer lays the first six cards face down on the table as the talon. He then deals 12 cards to each player in 2 packets of six cards.
Bidding.
The auction ("Lizitation") proceeds as in Illustrated Tarock, but there is no bid of "Dreiblatt" ("Three Cards"). Beginning with forehand, players may either "pass" ("weiter"), overcall the highest current bid, "hold" ("mein Spiel") the highest bid if they have positional priority, or say "good" ("gut") to indicate they are dropping out of the bidding. A player who has passed, may not re-enter the bidding. The possible bids are:
"Zweiblatt".
In a "Zweiblatt" ("Two Cards"), the declarer turns up the top two cards of the talon. If he 'buys' them without looking at the other four, the game is worth 2 points. He adds the pair to his hand and selects two cards to discard, face down. If he rejects the first two cards and, instead, turns over and buys the next two, the game is worth 4 points. If he rejects those and picks up the remaining two cards, the game value rises to 6. If, after exposing all six cards, he goes back to the first two, the game is now worth 8 points. Finally if he goes back to the second pair of cards, the game value rises to 10 points. If the declarer picks the first or second pair without exposing the remaining four or two cards respectively, those unseen cards remain face down and count towards the defenders at the end of the game. All exposed cards count to the declarer. The two cards discarded in exchange for talon cards count to the declarer at the end of the game. They may not include any honours (Kings or Trull cards) and may only include a Tarock if there is no other option, in which case it must be shown to the defenders.
"Einblatt".
In an "Einblatt" ("One Card") a similar procedures is followed. The declarer initially turns over the top card of the talon and, if he buys it, the game is worth 3 points. For turning over subsequent cards the game value is: second card - 6 points, third card - 9 points, fourth card - 12 points, fifth card - 15 points and sixth card - 18 points. If the declarer returns to the first card the game is now worth 21 points, the second - 24, the third - 27, the fourth - 30 and the fifth - 33. The same rules about discards and unexposed cards apply as in a "Zweiblatt".
"Solo".
In a "Solo" the declarer plays without the use of the talon for 40 game points.
Announcements.
Once the declarer has made any discard(s), he may make one or more of the following announcements, followed by the other players:
Playing.
Forehand leads to the first trick. The trick is won by the highest tarock or, if no tarock is played, the highest card of the led suit. Players must follow suit ("Farbzwang") but do not have to win the trick (no "Stichzwang"). If the led suit cannot be followed, a tarock card must be played ("Tarockzwang"). Tricks must be placed face down; players may view their own tricks, but not their opponents'.
Scoring.
As in other Tarock games, scoring is carried out in two stages. First, the card points or 'pips' ("Augen") are added up to determine the winner of the deal. Second, the game points for winning and for bonuses are calculated and added to the players' scores for the session. Card points are counted in threes using the usual Tarock system. The card values are: Kings and Honours (I, XXI, Sküs) – 5; Queens – 4; Cavaliers – 3; Valets – 2; remaining Tarocks, Aces and Tens – 1 point. From the total points for each group of 3 cards, 2 card points are deducted e.g. King + Cavalier + XII = 9 points, minus 2 points gives 7 points. If fewer than 3 cards remain, 2/3 points are deducted from the total. 1/3 or 2/3 points are rounded up or down at the end to the nearest whole number.
The following table shows the game points scores used by Löw, Beck and Bamberger for comparison. These are added to the player's bonuses to work out his total score in game points. Bamberger acknowledges that the normal scoring system (Bam 1 in the table) appears to be rather illogical; for example, if a player has a good hand in combination with the first pair or first card that he turns over, why would he not then turn over the rest of the pack in order just to increase his potential points? To that end, he records a variant with a more logical scoring scheme (Bam 2 in the table).
Note: the column 'Card Selection' refers to the process for exposing and selecting cards from the talon. e.g. "1st pair" means that the player has declared a "Zweiblatt" and selected the first 2 cards of the talon without exposing any of the others. "Back to 4th" means that the player has declared an "Einblatt" and has successively exposed all the cards of the talon and decided to go back and choose the 4th card he turned over. |
Subsets and Splits