John Ritter

Jonathan Southworth Ritter (September 17, 1948 – September 11, 2003) was an American actor and comedian. He was the son of the singing cowboy star Tex Ritter and the father of actors Jason and Tyler Ritter. Ritter is known for playing Jack Tripper on the ABC sitcom "Three's Company" (1977–1984), for which he received a Primetime Emmy Award and a Golden Globe Award in 1984. He briefly reprised the role on the spin-off "Three's a Crowd", which aired for one season, producing 22 episodes before its cancellation in 1985.
Ritter appeared in over 100 films and television series combined and performed on Broadway, with roles including adult Ben Hanscom in "It" (1990), "Problem Child" (1990), "Problem Child 2" (1991), and "Bad Santa" in 2003 (his final live action film, which was dedicated to his memory). In 2002, Don Knotts called Ritter the "greatest physical comedian on the planet". His final roles include voicing the title character on the PBS children's program "Clifford the Big Red Dog" (2000–2003), for which he received four Daytime Emmy Award nominations, as Paul Hennessy on the ABC sitcom "8 Simple Rules" (2002–2003) and an uncredited role for providing the normal voice as Three in "Seven Little Monsters" (2000–2003).
Early life.
Ritter was born at Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center in Burbank, California, on September 17, 1948. Ritter had a birth defect known as a coloboma in his right eye. His father, Tex Ritter, was a singing cowboy and matinee star, and his mother, Dorothy Fay (née Southworth), was an actress. He had an older brother, Thomas "Tom" Matthews. Ritter attended Hollywood High School, where he was student body president. He attended the University of Southern California and majored in psychology with plans to have a career in politics. He later changed his major to theater arts and attended the USC School of Dramatic Arts (formerly School of Theatre). Ritter was a member of Phi Gamma Delta fraternity at USC. While still in college, Ritter traveled to the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and West Germany to perform in plays. Ritter graduated in 1970.
Career.
Film and television.
Ritter headlined several stage performances. After his graduation from USC in 1970, his first television acting experience was a campus revolutionary in the television series "Dan August" starring Burt Reynolds and future "Three's Company" co-star Norman Fell. Ritter made his film debut in the 1971 Disney film "The Barefoot Executive". He made guest appearances on the television series "Hawaii Five-O", "M*A*S*H", and many others. He had a recurring role as the Reverend Matthew Fordwick on the drama series "The Waltons" from October 1972 to December 1976. Because he was not a weekly cast member, he had time to pursue other roles, which he did until December 1976, when he left for a starring role in the hit sitcom "Three's Company" (the Americanized version of the 1970s British Thames Television series "Man About the House") in 1977. In 1978, Ritter played Ringo Starr's manager on the television special "Ringo". In 1982, Ritter provided the voice of Peter Dickinson in the animated film "The Flight of Dragons".
Ritter became a household name portraying struggling culinary student Jack Tripper with two female roommates. Ritter co-starred opposite Joyce DeWitt and Suzanne Somers, and then later Jenilee Harrison and Priscilla Barnes. Much of the comedy centered around Jack's pretending to be gay to keep the old-fashioned landlords appeased over the seemingly sordid living arrangements. The series spent several seasons near the top of the television ratings in the United States before ending in 1984. A year-long spin-off "Three's a Crowd" ensued, as the Jack Tripper character has a live-in girlfriend and runs his own bistro. The original series has been seen continuously in reruns and is available on DVD. During the run of "Three's Company", Ritter appeared in the films "Hero at Large", "Americathon", and "They All Laughed". In 1986, he played the role of Dad in the music video for Graham Nash's song "Innocent Eyes" from the album of the same name. "Hooperman" was Ritter's first regular television role after "Three's Company". Detective Harry Hooperman inherits a run-down apartment building and hires Susan Smith (Debrah Farentino) to run it. A relationship follows, and Hooperman must juggle work, love, and the antics of Bijoux the dog. In 1988, John was nominated for both an Emmy Award and a Golden Globe Award for his work on "Hooperman". Ritter won a People's Choice Award for this role. From 1992 to 1995, Ritter returned to television for three seasons as John Hartman, aide to a U.S. Senator in "Hearts Afire". This series starred Markie Post as Georgie Anne Lahti and Billy Bob Thornton as Billy Bob Davis. He also played Garry Lejeune / Roger Tramplemain in the production "Noises Off" in 1992.
After his time on television, he appeared in a number of movies, most notably "Problem Child" and its first sequel. He played the lead role in Blake Edwards' 1989 film "Skin Deep", appeared in the film version of "Noises Off", rejoined Billy Bob Thornton in the Oscar-winning "Sling Blade" (playing a kindhearted, gay, discount-store manager), and co-starred with Olivier Gruner in the 1996 action film "Mercenary". Ritter starred in many made-for-TV movies, including "Gramps" (1995), co-starring with Andy Griffith, Rob Hedden's "The Colony" (1995) with Hal Linden, Stephen King's "It", "Danielle Steel's Heartbeat" with Polly Draper, and "It Came From the Sky" in 1999 with Yasmine Bleeth. Ritter also made guest appearances on television shows, such as "Felicity", "Ally McBeal," "Scrubs," "Buffy the Vampire Slayer", and an episode of "" (2002). He also provided the voice of the title character in the animated children's show "Clifford the Big Red Dog" and its animated film adaptation "Clifford's Really Big Movie" (2004), a role for which he received four Emmy nominations. His final film was "Stanley's Dinosaur Round-Up" (2006), an animated direct-to-DVD film based on the television series, which was dedicated to his memory. At the time of his death, he was starring in "8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter".
Theater.
In 2000, Ritter played Claude Pichon in Neil Simon's "The Dinner Party" at the Music Box Theatre on Broadway. It ran for 364 performances. Ritter won the Theatre World Award in 2001 for his performance in that work. In 2003, Ritter made his final stage appearance in "All About Eve" at the Ahmanson Theatre.
Personal life.
On October 16, 1977, Ritter married actress Nancy Morgan, with whom he had three children: Jason (who first appeared in the opening credits of "Three's Company"), Carly, and Tyler. They divorced on September 1, 1996. He married actress Amy Yasbeck on September 18, 1999, at the Murphy Theatre in Wilmington, Ohio. They had a child born in September 1998. Yasbeck played his love interest in the first two "Problem Child" movies, though as two different characters. Yasbeck also played Ritter's wife in two sitcom appearances. In 1991, both were guest stars on "The Cosby Show", in which Yasbeck played the in-labor wife of Ritter's basketball coach character. In 1996, Ritter guest-starred on Yasbeck's sitcom, "Wings", as the estranged husband of Yasbeck's character, Casey.
Death.
On September 11, 2003, Ritter fell ill while rehearsing for "8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter" on the Walt Disney Studio lot in Burbank, California. He was sweating profusely, vomiting and complained of having pain in the chest. He was taken to the Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center across the street (the same hospital in which he was born) at 6 p.m. that evening. Ritter was initially treated by emergency room physicians for a heart attack; however, his condition quickly worsened. Physicians then identified that Ritter had an aortic dissection, and he had surgery to repair the dissection, but was pronounced dead at 10:48 pm, six days before his 55th birthday. A private funeral was held on September 15, 2003, in Los Angeles, after which Ritter was interred at Forest Lawn, Hollywood Hills Cemetery, in the Hollywood Hills of Los Angeles.
In 2008, Ritter's widow Amy Yasbeck, on behalf of herself and Ritter's children, filed lawsuits against doctors involved in Ritter's treatment and Providence St. Joseph Medical Center in Burbank. The lawsuits against Providence St. Joseph Medical center were settled out of court for $9.4 million. A $67 million wrongful-death lawsuit against two of the physicians, radiologist Matthew Lotysch and cardiologist Joseph Lee, went to trial. Yasbeck accused Lee, who treated Ritter on the day of his death, of misdiagnosing his condition as a heart attack, and Lotysch, who had given him a full-body scan two years earlier, of failing at that time to detect an enlargement of Ritter's aorta. In 2008, at the Los Angeles County Superior Court, the jury concluded that the doctors who treated Ritter the day he died were not negligent, and thus were not responsible for his death.
Response and legacy.
Many of Ritter's co-workers expressed deep sorrow following the news of his death. Ritter's "Three's Company" co-star Suzanne Somers said: "I'm so sad for the family. We lost a good one, it was so unfinished". Zach Braff, who worked with Ritter on "Scrubs", called Ritter a "comic hero" of his, and said he had approached series creator Bill Lawrence to get Ritter to play his TV father (which Ritter did for 2 episodes and was slated to return for a third the week following his death). Katey Sagal testified in the wrongful death lawsuit, calling Ritter a "funny man who was funny like nobody's business". His "Three's Company" co-star Joyce DeWitt remarked he was "impossible to forget. Impossible not to love". "8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter" was later retitled "8 Simple Rules" following Ritter's death and continued for one and a half more seasons until the network canceled it in 2005. Ritter's character, Paul Hennessy, was said to have died after collapsing in a grocery store while buying milk. ABC aired the first three episodes of the show's second season that had been taped before his death, each of which was introduced by Katey Sagal. The remainder of the show dealt with the family trying to grapple with Paul's death. New male characters, played by James Garner and David Spade, were later added to the main cast as Ritter's replacements. Shortly before his death, Ritter had done a week-long taping with "Hollywood Squares", which was aired as a tribute to him, introduced by Henry Winkler, the executive producer of the show and very close friend of Ritter's. Four days after Ritter's death, Nick at Nite ran an all-night "Three's Company" marathon dedicated to his memory.
In 2004, Ritter was posthumously given an Emmy nomination for playing Paul Hennessy in "8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter", but lost to Kelsey Grammer for playing the title character of "Frasier". Upon accepting his trophy, Grammer's remarks included comments made in tribute and remembrance of Ritter. Ritter's final films, "Bad Santa" and "Clifford's Really Big Movie", along with an episode of "Scrubs" (his character in this series died, as well) and "King of the Hill", were dedicated to his memory.
On June 6, 2008, Hollywood High School dedicated a mural of Ritter painted by Eloy Torrez. In March 2010, the Thoracic Aortic Disease (TAD) Coalition, in partnership with Yasbeck and the John Ritter Foundation (JRF), announced the creation of the "Ritter Rules" which are life-saving reminders to recognize, treat, and prevent thoracic aortic dissection. The purpose of the JRF is to provide accurate information to the general public about the disease and its risk factors, provide support to individuals who have thoracic aortic disease or have lost a loved one to the disease, and improve the identification of individuals at risk for aortic dissections and the treatment of thoracic aortic disease through medical research. Yasbeck worked with the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) to establish the John Ritter Research Program in Aortic and Vascular Diseases with the goal of preventing premature deaths due to aortic dissection by identifying genetic mutations that predispose individuals to thoracic aortic aneurysms and dissections.


Gerry Scotti

Gerry Scotti (born Virginio Scotti on August 7, 1956) is an Italian television presenter, actor and former member of the Italian Parliament.
Early years.
Scotti was born Virginio Scotti on August 7, 1956 in Miradolo Terme, Pavia. After giving up studying law, Scotti began his broadcasting career as a disc jockey" at Radio Milano International. In 1982, he moved to "Radio DeeJay" and a year later became the host of "DeeJay Television", the first Italian programme for music videos, broadcast by Italia 1. Scotti also hosted other music programmes such as "Festivalbar".
Television career.
Scotti was a member of the Italian Chamber of Deputies of the Italian Socialist Party from 1987 to 1992.
Since the 1990s, Scotti has been a television presenter, almost exclusively for Canale 5. He is known as a quiz show host, having presented "Chi vuol essere milionario?", the Italian version of "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?", "Passaparola" and "The Money Drop". He also directed entertainment programmes such as "La sai l'ultima?", "La Corrida", "Paperissima", "Buona Domenica" (with Harold Davies) and "The Winner Is". He was the co-host of the satirical show "Striscia la Notizia", and acted in several films and situation comedies.
In 2008, he returned as a host on "R101" (the former Radio Milano International), and became deputy-president of Monradio (the radio division of Arnoldo Mondadori Editore).
In 2011, after Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? ended, he presented The Money Drop, until its end in 2013.
He was the host of Avanti un Altro! along with Paolo Bonolis in 2014 and 2015.
In 2015 he presented Guinness World Record and Caduta libera, the Italian version of Who's Still Standing which achieved good ratings.
In the summer of 2017, he presented The Winner Is. In December 2017 he started to present the Italian version of the American game show The Wall. In January 2018 he returned to present Striscia la notizia.
Awards.
Gerry Scotti won the Italian television Telegatto prize in 1984, 1985, 1994, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003 and 2007.
In 2008, he won the platinum Telegatto, in the Excellence category.
In 2011, he was mentioned in the Guinness World Records as the TV host who hosted the most episodes of "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?".
Personal life.
On 27 October 2020 he tested positive for COVID-19 and spent time in the hospital. He since recovered.


F-Zero

 is a series of futuristic racing video games originally created by Nintendo EAD with multiple games developed by outside companies. The first game was released for the Super Famicom in Japan in 1990, and along with North America’s Super Nintendo Entertainment System in 1991; its success prompted Nintendo to create multiple sequels on subsequent gaming consoles.
The series is known for its high-speed racing, characters and settings, difficult gameplay, and original music, as well as for pushing technological limits to be one of the fastest racing games. The original title inspired the creation of games such as "Daytona USA" and the "Wipeout" series.
The series has been dormant since release of "F-Zero Climax" in 2004 in Japan, although elements of the series have been represented in other Nintendo video games, most notably the "Super Smash Bros." and "Mario Kart" franchises. Past installments have been emulated across multiple Nintendo consoles with the Virtual Console service. The original "F-Zero" is one of the selected games emulated on the Super NES Classic Edition. "F-Zero" is one of the launch titles for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System: Nintendo Switch Online collection, released on September 5, 2019.
Games.
The first game in the series originally launched for the Super NES, "F-Zero" was also the first game for the platform to use a technique that Nintendo called "Mode 7 Scrolling". When Mode 7 was combined with scaling and positioning of the layer on a scanline-by-scanline basis it could simulate 3D environments. Such techniques in games were considered to be revolutionary in a time when most console games were restricted to static/flat backgrounds and 2-dimensional (2D) objects. The result was developer Nintendo EAD creating a game that IGN reviewer Craig Harris called the fastest and smoothest pseudo-3D console racer of its time.
Years later, "BS F-Zero Grand Prix" was released for the Super Famicom's satellite-based expansion, Satellaview. It was released in separate parts, and featured an update of the first game. It was followed up by "BS F-Zero Grand Prix 2", an expansion which featured brand new courses.
"Zero Racers" ("G-Zero") was a canceled game for the Virtual Boy. The game was previewed by Nintendo Power. Gameplay differs in one important point from its predecessor and all "F-Zero" games released afterwards. In "Zero Racers", unlike other "F-Zero" games, the vehicles race in all three spatial dimensions in tunnels.
After a seven-year hiatus outside Japan, the series made the transition to 3D with the third installment, "F-Zero X" on the Nintendo 64. The game introduces twenty-six new vehicles, while also including the four from the original "F-Zero" game. In addition to a Grand Prix mode, the game introduces a "death race" mode and a random track generator called the "X Cup". In the death race, the player's objective is to annihilate the twenty-nine other racers as speedily as possible, while the X Cup generates a different set of tracks each time played. The hardware limitations of the N64 resulted in the game running at 60 frames per second with thirty machines on screen at the same time, but with little processor power left for graphical detail and music.
A Nintendo 64DD expansion, "F-Zero X Expansion Kit", was released in Japan as the last 64DD add-on disk for the system. The "Expansion Kit" added a course editor, a vehicle editor, two new cups, three new machines, and new music. The course editor was the main attraction of this expansion, and was praised for its depth, as it was virtually the same program the game's designers used to make the courses.
' is the series' fourth released installment, but the first incarnation of the franchise for Nintendo's Game Boy handheld. It was the first title developed by first party subsidiary Nd Cube. This Game Boy Advance (GBA) launch title returned to the SNES "F-Zeros gameplay with a Mode 7-styled game engine.
"F-Zero GX" was released for the GameCube and developed by Sega's Amusement Vision team, and is the first "F-Zero" game to feature a story mode. The game was initially titled "F-Zero GC". The arcade counterpart of "GX" was called "F-Zero AX", which was released alongside of its Nintendo GameCube counterpart in mid-2003. The game had three types of arcade cabinets; standard, the "Monster Ride", and the deluxe (which resembled an "F-Zero" vehicle). "F-Zero AX" had six original courses and ten original characters. However, by certain difficult means, the six courses and ten characters could be unlocked in "F-Zero GX".
"" is the second handheld game released for the Game Boy Advance and the second installment featuring a story mode; however, this one is based on the anime series of the same name, introducing a new character named Ryu Suzaku/Rick Wheeler. Unlike the games before it, "GP Legend" takes place in an alternate continuity set in the 22nd century, instead of following the original continuity set in the 26th century.
"F-Zero Climax" was released in Japan for the Game Boy Advance on October 21, 2004. Like its handheld predecessor, "F-Zero: GP Legend", "Climax" was published by Nintendo and developed by both them and Suzak. This is the first "F-Zero" game to have a built-in track editor without the need for an expansion or add-on. Custom tracks can be saved to one of thirty slots for future use and they can be exchanged with other players via link cable. If memory becomes full or link cable connection cannot be done, the game can generate a password for the track; when it is input on any "Climax" cartridge, the password will generate the track.
Common elements.
Gameplay.
Each of the games in "F-Zero" series requires the player to beat opponents to the finish line while avoiding obstacles such as land mines and slip zones. The games usually require a mixture of memorization of the tracks and quick reflexes for its fast-paced racing gameplay. In "F-Zero" and "", a speed boost is given to the player for each lap completed. Starting with "F-Zero X", players may execute speed boosts if they have finished at least one lap, but now in exchange for losing energy when boosting. It is therefore necessary to use recharge strips around courses to replenish this energy, or risk exploding when it drops to zero. Strategically situated dash plates allow boosts without energy loss. In combination with course obstacles, drivers are allowed to attack each other with their vehicle bodies.
The games' planets include different climates and terrains, and are home to many different races and tribes of aliens. There are geographical differences from game to game, but distinctive locations recur, such as Big Blue, Mute City and Port Town. Circuits are usually set on the outskirts of cities or above them situated high in planet atmospheres at an elevation as much as above ground. They contain anti-gravitational guide beams on both sides of the course that keep them in place. Rich merchants from cities in the clouds or asteroids with almost uninhabitable environments invested their wealth in the construction of racing circuits. Some cities have multiple circuits—circuits not used for the Grand Prix are open to pilots for practice. The dynamic structure of the courses are colossal in scale, as most circuits feature a single lap that spans over six miles (10 km).
The vehicles used to race in these video games are known as "F-Zero machines", which are designed to hover instead of travel on wheels. An anti-gravity unit, known as the "G-Diffuser System" (first used by the "Star Fox" franchise's Arwing), allows an F-Zero machine to drive at high speeds while retaining a hold of the track, located from a few inches to a foot below it. However, the slip zones, also referred to as the "magnetic field block coat" in the first "F-Zero" game, blocks the vehicle from retaining a hold on the track. The racing machines developed for these tracks used the latest in this magnetic technology, and are able to perform tune-ups. Out of the over forty-four known machines, only five do not weigh over a short ton. "F-Zero" machines have a maximum speed exceeding that of sound. This is possible due to the ultra-compact micro-plasma engines used by the machines.
Each machine has four basic performance attributes: body, boost, grip, and weight. Body, boost, and grip are rated on a scale from A to E (A being the best, E, the worst). The higher a machine's Body rating, the more durable it is and the less damage it will sustain in a collision. Machines with a good Body rating are, therefore, able to withstand more attacks before exploding. The Boost rating takes into account the duration of a vehicle's boost, and how great a speed increase it provides. A machine with a high rating can travel at higher than normal speeds for a longer period of time. Grip determines how well a machine negotiates turns. A higher Grip rating means that the player's vehicle will execute steadier turns, while a low one will cause the vehicle to drift more, especially when turning tightly. Weight affects a vehicle's acceleration, grip, cornering ability, maximum speed, and the amount of damage it sustains in a collision. A lighter vehicle is superior in the first three categories, while a heavier vehicle has the advantage in the latter two.
Plot.
While there were originally four "F-Zero" pilots in the first game, this has grown with each title to over forty characters in the later games of the series. Each character has their own unique vehicle, story and reason for entering the F-Zero Grand Prix. The winner of the Grand Prix receives a huge sum of prize money, but many pilots have been lost pursuing it.
The "F-Zero" games are derived from the 20th and 21st century Formula One races and the fictitious F-Max Grand Prix races from the 24th century. The games portray races in the future as having come under the influence of wealthy ex-space merchants. They thought that a fast and violent race would be an effective way to get people to gamble, so the ex-merchants established the "F-Zero" Execution Project. The "F-Zero" Grand Prix dates to the 26th century, and is still sponsored by the wealthy elite who originally organized the Execution Project for those events. These races feature the most technologically advanced racing machines, competing in numerous circuits of fast-paced action. It is known for its wild fans, and usually eccentric competitors. Winners of the Grand Prix receive large sums of money, as well as a great deal of prestige throughout the universe.
The "F-Zero" games are primarily set on a futuristic Earth in the 26th century, although some games take place much earlier and some circuits have been set on different planets. "F-Zero X" defined the F-Max Grand Prix as the precursor to the "F-Zero" races which took place during the 24th century. According to the American version of "F-Zero GX", the greatest driver in the F-Max Grand Prix was Sterling LaVaughn; a statement that would lead to inconsistencies in the sequence of events of "F-Zero"'s storyline.
"F-Zero" begins in the year 2560 where the human race's countless encounters with alien life forms throughout the universe greatly expanded Earth's social framework resulting in trade, technology transfer, and cultural interchange are carried out on an interplanetary basis. An association of wealthy space merchants created the "F-Zero Grand Prix", in an attempt to add some excitement to their opulent lifestyles. When the first race was held, people were angered at the brutality of the competition, due to the various obstacles and traps along the raceway. As time passed, however, they became accustomed to these dangers, and even began to demand more excitement and danger in the races. Winning the "F-Zero" championship soon became the highest claim to fame in the universe. This period of time is called the "old-school" "F-Zero" days where the rules seemed non-existent in "F-Zero X".
"F-Zero X"s storyline starts after the seven-year suspension of Grand Prix races due to the Horrific Grand Finale. The game explains the "Horrific Grand Finale" was a violent and fiery accident that burnt fourteen drivers to death, including Sterling LaVaughn during the old days of F-Zero. A racer named Super Arrow escaped unscathed as the only survivor. No racing was allowed by the Federation after the crash; despite the "F-Zero" racing prohibition, the sport went underground where many racers went to hone their skills in secret. The crash ushered in the establishment of the "F-Zero Racing Academy", after a speech, by Super Arrow to the Federation Congress, which helped to lift the ban. The fictional competition was brought back with the rules and regulations revised.
"" takes place twenty-five years after the SNES title in the year 2585. Players race against the descendants of the original F-Zero racers. "Maximum Velocity" is considered a reboot continuity to the rest of the home console titles since the game has made no indication of the safety revisions carried forth after the huge accident, in fact it states just like the original "F-Zero" game, the extreme danger involved when participating in those races.
"F-Zero GX" does not mention the Grand Finale event, but instead the game states Sterling LaVaughn was racing during the "F-Max" era and the F-Zero Grand Prix was suspended four years ago. This game states the character Mighty Gazelle was injured in the huge accident four years ago. The Nintendo 64 game mentions that Mighty Gazelle's accident and the accident that suspended the Grand Prix were two separate events.
"" is set in a different continuity and begins in the year 2201. It was continued with "F-Zero Climax". These games feature some different incarnations of Captain Falcon, Zoda, and other characters.
Development.
"F-Zero" was one of the launch titles for the SNES that Nintendo Entertainment Analysis and Development had approximately fifteen months to develop completely. In Japan, only it and "Super Mario World" were initially available for launch. In North America and Europe, "Super Mario World" shipped with the console, and other initial titles included "F-Zero", "Pilotwings" (which also demonstrated the console's "Mode 7" pseudo-3D rendering capability), "SimCity", and "Gradius III". "F-Zero" later had a sequel for the SNES that was canceled, but was released unfinished through the Satellaview peripheral under the name "BS F-Zero Grand Prix". Takaya Imamura, who worked directly on "F-Zero" throughout its different incarnations, said in 2003 "hav[ing] worked on the "F-Zero" series, and seeing the results of the collaboration with Sega, I found myself at something of a loss as to how we can take the franchise further past "F-Zero GX" and "AX"".
In other media.
"F-Zero" has appeared in other franchises, most notably in Nintendo's fighting game crossover franchise "Super Smash Bros.", where Captain Falcon has consistently appeared as a playable character. His moveset is almost entirely original; as of "Super Smash Bros. Brawl", however, Falcon makes a reference to "F-Zero" by using the Blue Falcon as his "Final Smash", a powerful, single-use special move. The "Super Smash Bros." franchise also features a few stages directly derived from the games, such as Mute City or Big Blue, and includes many other "F-Zero" characters as virtual trophies, stickers, and spirits. The Blue Falcon appears in "Mario Kart Wii" as a vehicle, though only small characters can use it. The Blue Falcon also appears in "Mario Kart 8", albeit via "The Legend of Zelda × Mario Kart 8" downloadable content pack. The same DLC pack also adds a course based on Mute City, while the "Animal Crossing × Mario Kart 8" DLC pack adds a course based on Big Blue. A minigame based on the "F-Zero" series titled "Captain Falcon's Twister Race" is part of the Wii U ensemble game "Nintendo Land". Several playable characters can dress as Nintendo characters in the Wii U version of "Tekken Tag Tournament 2", where Bryan Fury can take on Captain Falcon's appearance.
Anime.
 is a 51 episode animated adaptation of the video game series produced by TV Tokyo, Dentsu and Ashi Productions and directed by Ami Tomobuki, with Akiyoshi Sakai handling series composition, Toyoo Ashida designing the characters and Takayuki Negishi composing the music. Shigeru Miyamoto and Takaya Imamura served as supervisors for the series. It debuted in Japan on October 7, 2003, on TV Tokyo; the final episode aired on September 28, 2004. 4Kids Entertainment licensed the anime series for North American broadcast. According to Kombo, in North America, the show was modified by 4Kids. Fifteen episodes of "GP Legend" aired on the FoxBox channel in the United States before its cancellation. It was being re-aired on Tokyo MX from 7:30 to 8:00 every Thursday in Japan. It is a reboot of the franchise taking place in the year 2201. Lifeforms from all across the galaxy come to compete in the new racing tournament called "F-Zero".
Police detective Ryu Suzaku (Rick Wheeler in the 4Kids adaptation) is one of the protagonists. He suffers a near-fatal car accident while in pursuit of an escaped criminal named Zoda. Ryu nearly dies, but is revived in the year 2201 by Mobile Task Force members Jody Summer and Dr. Stewart. The Task Force tries to keep prize money out of the hands of unsavory people like the Dark Million Organization run by Black Shadow and Deathborn. That organization is responsible for cryogenically evolving Ryu's old enemy Zoda, leading to Ryu joining the Task Force to help take down Zoda and the rest of Dark Million. While pursuing his objectives, Ryu unexpectedly meets up with the legendary racer and bounty hunter Captain Falcon, as well as several other various racers along the way.
Captain Falcon is one of the protagonists, and is shrouded in mystery. When not racing, he works at a bar that he owns under the name Bart (Burt in the 4Kids adaptation) Lemming. Later it is revealed that he is Andy Summer, Jody's brother, who supposedly died in the accident that revolved around Zoda (unbeknownst to the rest of the Mobile Task Force for the majority of the series). He fights constantly against Black Shadow and the Dark Million Organization, and often lends a hand to the Task Force. Towards the end of the series, "The Legend of Falcon" is told to Ryu by Dr. Stewart. According to the legend, Captain Falcon and Black Shadow are incarnations of light and dark, and in the manner of Yin and Yang, they cannot defeat each other on their own. Also, in the beginning of the Universe, after the Big Bang, six powerful objects called "Reactor Mights" were created, and the one who controls them all gains unimaginable power. It is also revealed that Ryu Suzaku is "The Savior" of the Universe and is destined to finally tip the scales in Falcon's favor. During the final battle, Falcon and Ryu team up to destroy Black Shadow's Dark Matter Reactor with their collected Reactor Mights. But before Captain Falcon fights with Black Shadow, Falcon tells Ryu that the name of "Captain Falcon" is a title given only to the best, that "only the one who can exceed Falcon can become Falcon". After telling this to Ryu, Falcon proceeds to fight Black Shadow ending in Black Shadow's defeat and Captain Falcon's sacrifice. Shortly after the battle, Ryu becomes the new Captain Falcon and driver of the Blue Falcon.
The anime uses two pieces of theme music in the series; one opening theme and one ending theme. The opening theme is called "The Meaning of Truth" and is sung by Hiro-x. The ending theme is called "Resolution" and is sung by Ai Maeda. The video animation for each changes after the first thirty-nine episodes. The final episode did not air with an opening due to the opening theme being played during the final battle scene.
Critical reception.
"IGN"'s Lucas Thomas called the design and style of "Mach Rider" as an influence to the "F-Zero" series noting its sense of speed where players have "only a split second to react before you crash into a rock or enemy road warrior". Matt Casamassina of IGN said in 2003 that the "F-Zero" franchise has remained regarded one of the best video game series in the racing genre.
In 2008, an editor from Pro-G stated "F-Zero GX" "still ranks as one of the best high-speed racers ever made, but the series has been lying dormant for years".
"The Tampa Tribune"s review of "GP Legend" mentioned that "it feels a little strange to see what was an esoteric-but-outstanding racing franchise attempt to go mass-market".
Nintendo World Report gave "Climax" a 7.5 out of 10. Siliconera praised the fast gameplay and track editor features, but criticized it for feeling more like an expansion pack than a sequel.
Shigeru Miyamoto commented in 2007 that past "F-Zero" and "Star Fox" collaborations with outside development houses turned out to be a disappointment for Nintendo. He stated that "consumers got very excited about the idea of those games, but the games themselves did not deliver".
Future.
"Edge" magazine asked Shigeru Miyamoto in April 2012 regarding a future "F-Zero" installment. Miyamoto stated: "I think at the time [F-Zero] was a really big surprise, a new thing, a product that made sense and the Wii and DS lacks to create a similar impact". In June 2015, news site "Nintendo Life" reported that in early 2011 Nintendo of Europe approached "Burnout" series developer Criterion Games to work on a pitch for a new F-Zero game which they hoped to unveil at E3 that same year alongside the then-unreleased Wii U console, and potentially release the game during the console's launch period. However, the developer was unable to handle the pitch as, at the time, they devoted much of their resources into the development of "" for multiple platforms. The site was tipped by an anonymous, yet "reliable" source, but they had confirmed this information when Criterion co-founder Alex Ward (who left the company in 2014) admitted that Nintendo of Europe did indeed approach the company for a potential "F-Zero" game on the Wii U. In April 2019 interview, Ward has since confirmed that this report was false. He clarified that he was contacted via an informal E-mail by a "very junior", now-former Nintendo representative. He added that Criterion Games could never develop any game without authority from parent-company and publisher Electronic Arts, and Ward himself is not even interested in the "F-Zero" series.
In January 2015, video from Smosh Games, Miyamoto was featured as guest star and stated that a new installment in the franchise could be possible if Nintendo were to develop a unique controller interface for one of their upcoming consoles that would be suited for a new game.
Six years later, the producer of "F-Zero GX", Toshihiro Nagoshi said that he would be open to working with Nintendo on another installment if the company were given the opportunity to do so, and that he would make a future "F-Zero" game challenging for advanced players, unlike the "fun and accessible" nature of Nintendo's "Mario Kart" series.


Giuoco Piano

The Giuoco Piano (Italian: "Quiet Game"; ), a branch of the Italian Game, is a chess opening beginning with the moves:
"White aims to develop quickly – but so does Black. White can construct a pawn centre but in unfavourable conditions a centre which cannot provide a basis for further active play."
While some authors refer to the opening as the Italian Game , that name is also used to describe all games starting 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4, regardless of Black's third move. Used in this way, the name "Italian Game" includes 3...Nf6 (the Two Knights Defence), as well as the less common 3...Be7 (the Hungarian Defence) , 3...d6 (the Semi-Italian Opening), 3...g6, 3...Nd4 (the Blackburne Shilling Gambit), and 3...f5 (the Rousseau Gambit).
History.
The Giuoco Piano is one of the oldest recorded openings. The Portuguese Damiano played it at the beginning of the 16th century and the Italian Greco played it at the beginning of the 17th century. The Giuoco Piano was popular through the 19th century, but modern refinements in defensive play have led most chess masters towards openings like the Ruy Lopez that offer White greater chances for long-term .
In modern play, grandmasters have shown distinct preference for the slower and more strategic Giuoco Pianissimo (4.d3, or 4.c3 Nf6 5.d3). Anatoly Karpov used the Giuoco Pianissimo against Viktor Korchnoi twice in the 1981 World Championship match, with both games ending in a draw; Garry Kasparov used it against Joël Lautier at Linares 1994, resigning after 29 moves; Vladimir Kramnik chose it against Teimour Radjabov at Linares (2004); Viswanathan Anand used it to defeat Jon Hammer in 2010; and Magnus Carlsen used it against Hikaru Nakamura at London 2011, winning in 41 moves.
Variations.
The main continuations on White's fourth move are:
Other continuations are:
Main line: 4.c3.
White plays 4.c3 in preparation for the central advance d2–d4.
The main move 4...Nf6 was first analysed by Greco in the 17th century. Alternatives include 4...Qe7, with the intention of holding on to the centre.
4...Nf6.
5.d4 exd4 6.cxd4
6...Bb4+
7.Nc3 (including Greco Variation and Møller Attack).
7.Nc3 Nxe4 8.0-0 (diagram)
8...Bxc3! 9.d5
9...Bf6
10.Re1 Ne7 11.Rxe4 d6 12.Bg5 Bxg5 13.Nxg5 h6!
14.Bb5+
14...Bd7 15.Qe2 Bxb5 16.Qxb5+ Qd7 17.Qxb7
17...0-0 18.Rae1 Rab8 19.Qxa7 Nxd5 20.Qd4 Qf5 21.Nf3 Rb4
7.Bd2.
If White does not want to gambit material, 7.Bd2 is a good alternative. The game could continue 7...Bxd2+ (Kaufman recommends 7...Nxe4!? 8.Bxb4 Nxb4 9.Bxf7+ Kxf7 10.Qb3+ d5!? [10...Kf8 11.Qxb4+ Qe7 12.Qxe7+ Kxe7 is safer, reaching an equal endgame] 11.Ne5+ Ke6! 12.Qxb4 c5!?) 8.Nbxd2 d5 9.exd5 Nxd5 10.Qb3 Nce7 (10...Na5 is an alternative, inviting a repetition of moves after 11.Qa4+ Nc6 [threatening 12...Nb6] 12.Qb3 Na5) 11.0-0 0-0 12.Rfe1 c6. In this position White has more freedom, but the can be a weakness. 7.Nbd2 is also a viable move for White, although this still only offers approximate equality. It has not been a popular choice among human players, but it seems to be recommended by computer engines. 7.Kf1?! has been largely abandoned.
4...Qe7 and alternatives.
Black can try to hold a in the centre at e5 with 4...Qe7, a move which first appeared in the Göttingen manuscript around 1500. After 5.d4 (5.0-0 usually transposes) Bb6, White's options include 6.0-0, 6.d5, 6.a4 and 6.Bg5. A typical continuation is 6.0-0 d6 7.a4 a6 8.h3 Nf6 9.Re1 0-0 (Leonhardt-Spielmann, Ostend 1907).
4...Bb6 usually transposes after 5.d4 Qe7.
Other moves are considered inferior.
Giuoco Pianissimo: 4.d3.
With 4., White plays the Giuoco Pianissimo (Italian: "Very Quiet Game", a name given by Adolf Anderssen). White aims for a slow buildup, deferring the to d4 until it can be prepared. By avoiding an immediate confrontation in the centre, White prevents the early release of through exchanges and enters a positional maneuvering game. 4.Nc3 Nf6 5.d3 is the Giuoco Pianissimo Deferred.
If White plays c2–c3, the position can take some characteristics of the Ruy Lopez if the bishop retreats to c2 via Bc4–b3–c2. This idea has been taken up by some grandmasters, such as Anish Giri, in order to avoid the drawish Berlin Defence in the Ruy Lopez. The game can also retain an Italian flavour after c3 if White plays a4 and b4, staking out on the . Despite its slow, drawish reputation, this variation became more popular after being taken up by John Nunn in the 1980s. The common move orders are 4.c3 Nf6 5.d3 ("ECO" C54), and transposition from the Bishop's Opening: 2.Bc4 Nf6 3.d3 Nc6 4.Nf3 Bc5 5.c3 or 5.0-0 d6 6.c3.
"ECO" codes.
Codes from the "Encyclopaedia of Chess Openings" ("ECO") are:
References.
Bibliography


List of chess gambits

This is a list of chess openings that are gambits.
The gambits are organized into sections by the parent chess opening, giving the gambit name, "ECO" code, and defining moves in algebraic chess notation.


Starwing Paradox

 is an arcade game by Square Enix with animation produced by Sunrise. The game features character designs by Yoshiyuki Sadamoto, mechanical designs by Ippei Gyōbu and Junya Ishigaki, and a script by Yoichi Kato. The voice cast include Mikako Komatsu, Ryoko Shiraishi, and Ayaka Suwa.
Gameplay.
In Starwing Paradox, two teams of eight players each pilot giant humanoid mechs in a battle to control the playing field and assault the opposing team's base. The object of the game is to destroy the opposing team's core, which is protected by a barrier that can only be brought down by capturing three of the five neutral objectives, known as ports, on the map.
In addition to the standard flying, shooting and sword-fighting actions expected of mech combat, the players’ mechs can enter a high-speed “Full Drive” mode to move between objectives in a matter of seconds. Prior to each game, players can customize their mechs with an assortment of weapons and head/body/limb models to suit their play style and role within the team.
Cancelled tournament.
Tournament events for the game were supposed to be held in Tokyo, Yokohama, Nagoya, and Fukuoka on August 17 and August 24, 2019. However, the tournament events were canceled due to Square Enix receiving death threats.


Jumble (TV series)

Jumble is a British game show that aired on ITV from 12 March 1991 to 4 September 1992 and is hosted by Jeff Stevenson.
Gameplay.
The game was played with two contestants each with a celebrity partner.
To start, a cartoon puzzle was revealed, along with its caption. Each puzzle had four words associated with it. The team in control decided amongst themselves, who will be the "yeller" and who will be the "speller". The yeller has to unscramble a word within 15 seconds. The speller's job is to rearrange magnetic letters, but cannot spell a word until the yeller correctly says it. A correct guess awards some money. If the team in control can't solve it, the opposing team is allowed to try. If both teams fail, the host places letters one at a time until one team gets it.
The letters appearing in the red spaces, like the circled letters in the newspaper version, are then brought over to the cartoon puzzle. They have a few seconds to guess the punny phrase. If they don't solve it, another word was played. But if they do solve it, the contestant wins bonus money.
Four puzzles were played, the first two were worth £25 and £10/word and the last two were worth £50 and £20/word. The team with the most money at the end of the game, goes to the bonus round for another £200.
In the bonus game, one final cartoon was revealed. This last puzzle had six jumbled words that relate directly to the cartoon. The winning team had 60 seconds to unscrambled & guess as many of those six words as they can. For each word correctly guessed, its key letters moved over to the cartoon. When the time was up or if all six words were guessed correctly, the team was given another 10 seconds to think of a solution and then, solve the puzzle. Solving the puzzle awarded another £200.


Bumper Stumpers

Bumper Stumpers was a Canadian game show in which two teams of two players attempted to decipher vanity license plates in an attempt to win money.
The show was a joint production of Canada's Global Television Network and the United States' USA Network, in association with Barry & Enright Productions and Wink Martindale Enterprises. This was one of three original series that USA and Global co-produced in the 1980s, with a 1985 revival of "Jackpot" and 1986's "The New Chain Reaction" preceding it; of the three, "Bumper Stumpers" was the only one that was not a revival of a previous series.
"Bumper Stumpers" premiered on June 29, 1987 and aired concurrently on Global and USA until December 28, 1990. It was created by Wink Martindale, the second creation of his to make air ("Headline Chasers", which Martindale launched in syndication in 1985 in the United States with himself as host, was the first) and developed by Mark Maxwell-Smith. Al Dubois, who at the time was a weather forecaster for Global, hosted the show with Ken Ryan serving as the announcer. The show was taped at the Global Television Studios in Toronto, Ontario.
Reruns of the series were seen on Global in Canada from 1990 to 1995 and on Game Show Network in the United States in 1994–95 and 2000. "Bumper Stumpers" later aired on the Canadian specialty channel GameTV from October 1, 2012 until 2017, from January 8 to February 25, 2018 and again from February 4, 2019 to March 1, 2019.
Main game.
"Bumper Stumpers" featured two teams, one usually a returning champion pair. The teams' goal was to correctly solve the Super Stumper, a puzzle designed to resemble a vanity license plate that consisted of seven spaces and was said at the beginning of each game to belong to someone or something. After host Dubois relayed that information to the teams, the first space in the Super Stumper was revealed. Each space concealed either a letter or a number, which was only revealed after the team chose a space.
To reveal the spaces in the Super Stumper, the teams would have to correctly decipher a series of other vanity plates. Using the top two monitors of a seven square game board, the teams were shown a pair of plates. One of the plates belonged to a particular subject, and the first team to buzz in was given the selection. If one of the teammates chose the right plate, the other was given ten seconds to try and decipher it. If not, the other team was given ten seconds to see if they could solve. If the team that buzzed in first did not choose the correct plate, the other team got first crack at solving the plate and both teammates could offer guesses. Once a team correctly deciphered a plate, they were given a choice of one of the blank spaces to fill and, once it was, five seconds to guess.
If all seven spaces were filled and the team that filled the last one could not solve the Super Stumper, the opposing team was given one last chance to solve. If it was still unsolved after that, a speed-up round was played with a new Super Stumper. Control started with the team that gave the last correct answer, and they chose a space and were given five seconds. If they could not solve, the other team chose its own space to fill. The teams took turns filling in the blanks until one of them solved the Super Stumper.
The first team to solve two Super Stumpers won the game and , and advanced to the bonus round for a chance to win more money.
Originally, solving a Super Stumper won the team that did so and the right to play the bonus round. If a Super Stumper went unsolved, the next one was played for an additional , and play continued in this manner until a Super Stumper was solved. Also, the team who correctly buzzed in first was able to play or pass; this was dropped relatively early in the run after many more contestants elected to play.
Plates.
The writers on "Bumper Stumpers" had various methods they used to relay the necessary information to lead the contestants to the identity of the subject owning the plate.
For instance, a plate belonging to Bill Cosby might read IIPI, with the solution being his television series "I Spy". Another plate belonging to swashbucklers might read PYR88, with the solution being “pirates”. In this case there are pairs of letters and numbers, and they are meant to be read as plurals instead of “eye-eye” or “eighty-eight”. This was the case in most uses of pairs, but not all.
In other instances symbols like Roman numerals might be used, such as in the plate IVTHST8. This plate reads “fourth estate”, with the number four represented by the IV at the beginning of the plate. Also, any plate that had “H2O” in it would have something to do with water, as that is its chemical symbol.
Other plates simply required the contestants to figure out proper pronunciation, such as for the plate TPRT (tea party), CUNL (see you in Hell), or TYRDFHM (tired of him). In most cases the use of vowels implied that the long pronunciation of the letters was being sought, such as in the plates “ARAD” or “SPRARAD”, which translate to “air raid” and “spray Raid”.
Bonus round.
This show had three bonus rounds throughout the run.
Bonus round #1.
The first bonus round was split into two halves, with the objectives being different depending on the outcome of the first portion.
In thee first half, the team trying to identify up to seven plates within 30 seconds. Correctly solving all seven plates before time ran out won the champions .
If the team had not solved all seven plates but had solved at least one of them before time ran out, they received a second chance to win some bonus money in the second half of the round, which was referred to “The Final Stumper”. This portion of the round was played two different ways.
Format #1.
The seven game board monitors each displayed a letter in the word “STUMPER”, and each letter concealed something underneath. For each plate the team correctly solved, money amounts were added to the board. The first amount added was , and depending on how many plates were solved up to five additional amounts would be added. was added to the board first, second, third, fourth, and an additional space was added last. Any letter that did not receive a money amount instead concealed a stop sign.
The team could keep choosing as long as they kept revealing dollar amounts and could stop at any point. Revealing a stop sign ended the round and froze the team's winnings. If they managed to find at least $500, the money was doubled. A team could win a maximum of $1,800 in this portion of the round (, , = , multiplied by two).
Format #2.
In the second format, the goal became to accumulate $1,000 or more. This time, in addition to the five dollar amounts one of the letters in STUMPER hid a space marked “WIN”. That space was added first, then the rest of the dollar amounts.
If the team managed to accumulate $1,000 or more or find the WIN space, their bonus total was augmented to $2,000. This time, finding one of the stop signs cost the team all of their bonus winnings.
Bonus round #2.
In the second bonus round, the team was given 30 seconds and up to five plates to solve. They were required to solve four of them before time ran out. If they did so, they were rewarded with ; otherwise, the round ended there and they won nothing additional.
If the team did correctly solve the necessary four plates, they were presented with a chance to take their winnings and quit or risk the money to try and double it by solving another plate. If they decided to take the risk, they were shown the plate and given seven seconds to solve it.
Up to three additional plates could be played, and the team could win up to for correctly solving all three. They could also stop at any time and take their winnings, and the same double-or-nothing principle was in play for every word.
Bonus round #3.
The third "Bumper Stumpers" bonus round consisted of a series of five plates connected to a subject, with each plate serving as a clue to the subject's identity.
This time, only one player from the winning team played the first half of the round. That player was given 30 seconds to decipher the plates, with given for each. Unlike the previous bonus round formats, Dubois did not give out clues to the plates. After the time was up, the player was given a choice: either stop with whatever money he/she had accumulated, or risk it to see if the other player, isolated backstage, could come up with the owner of the plates. If the team took the risk and the second player was able to identify the subject using the solved plates, the team's winnings would be tripled. Thus, the maximum amount a team could win was .
Winning teams could stay on the show until defeated or winning five matches. Under the original format, where the bonus round was played after each game rather than each match, a team could also be retired by being defeated twice in the front game.
Tournament of Champions.
Near the end of the show's run, airing on USA in September 1990 and repeated in December 1990, a "Tournament of Champions" was held, with 16 undefeated teams returning to compete. The winning team received an additional $10,000, while $5,000 was awarded to the runners-up.


Richard G. Rosner

Richard G. Rosner (born May 2, 1960) is an American television writer and reality television personality known for his alleged high intelligence test scores and his unusual career. There are alleged reports that he has achieved some of the highest scores ever recorded on IQ tests designed to measure exceptional intelligence. He has become known for taking part in activities not usually associated with geniuses. Rosner claims that he has worked as a stripper, roller-skating waiter, bouncer, and nude model. He has appeared in numerous documentaries and profiles about his activities and views. He has also appeared in both a Domino's Pizza commercial as well as one for Burger King and sued the quiz show "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" over an allegedly flawed question he missed as a contestant in 2000. He wrote and produced for quiz shows and several programs produced by Jimmy Kimmel, including "The Man Show", "Crank Yankers", and "Jimmy Kimmel Live!"
Early life and education.
Rosner grew up in Boulder, Colorado. He reportedly spent 10 years in high school, leaving in 1987. Rosner began working on a theory of everything around age 21, and had returned to high school at age 26 in order to have "one of those desk-chair combinations" in a quiet place to think about how the theory might work, drawing a comparison in an interview to Albert Einstein's Swiss patent office.
After he graduated from high school and attended University of Colorado, Boulder on and off, where he was a member of the Phi Kappa Tau Fraternity, Rosner appeared as a body builder in early choreography by Nancy Daw Kane. As an aspiring media figure, he placed a number of ads with titles about physics in the entertainment trade journal "Variety" while attending college. Rosner moved to New York City and wrote for MTV. When his wife accepted a job offer in California, they moved west.
Although he is not practicing, Rosner identifies as Jewish.
Intelligence tests.
In 1985, he scored 44 of 48 on Ron Hoeflin's Mega Test, a test described in a history of IQ testing as "a nonstandardized test put out by an obscure group known as Mega, supposedly the world's most selective organization of geniuses." A score of 44 of 48 represents an IQ of about 180. In 1991 he retook the test and achieved 47 of 48 (IQ 190). From 1991 to 1997, Rosner was editor of "Noesis", the journal of the Mega Society. Rick completed Hoeflin's Titan Test and is the first individual to have answered all 48 questions correctly, with a 15-year-old C. Minor later having done the same, thereby becoming the only individual to match Rosner's Titan and surpass his Mega scores in a single attempt. He achieved an IQ score of 192 in the high-range IQ test Mathema by answering 13 of 16 questions correctly, as well as 190 on the CIT - Form 3E by answering 76 of 78 questions correctly, ranking him second in the United States and third globally behind Minor, as well as Dr. Katsioulis of Greece - even without inclusion of either age corrections or any additional IQ 200+ results, of which Minor is the singular global proprietor in any data stratum.
No professionally designed and validated IQ test claims to distinguish test-takers at a one-in-a-million level of rarity of score. The standard score range of most currently normed IQ tests is from IQ 40 to IQ 160. A score of 160 corresponds to a rarity of about 1 person in 30,000 (leaving aside the issue of error of measurement common to all IQ tests), which falls short of the Mega Society's 1 in a million requirement. IQ scores above this level are dubious as there are insufficient normative cases upon which to base a statistically justified rank-ordering. High IQ scores are less reliable than IQ scores nearer to the population median.
Rosner has argued that "the whole idea of IQ is a little wobbly" due to its attempt to measure linearly what he views as a property with many different aspects.
Media activity and appearances.
Rosner began writing for quiz shows in 1987 on the MTV series "Remote Control." He then scripted a number of clip shows, countdowns, and outtake programs in the 1990s. Rosner's 2000 appearance on the quiz show "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" led to a lawsuit over an allegedly flawed question he missed on the elevation of various country capitals. Rosner was asked, "What capital city is located at the highest altitude above sea level?" and given four answer choices: Mexico City, Quito, Bogota, and Kathmandu. Rosner answered Kathmandu, which is at about half the altitude of Quito. Nonetheless, Rosner sued. Rosner's demand letter to the show insisted that a different city, not on the list of four answer choices, was the world's highest capital. The show responded that that did not matter.
Rosner's letter-writing campaign and attempts to get brought back on the show led to his being profiled in the Errol Morris series "First Person". Jimmy Kimmel later hired him as a writer, producer and occasional on-air talent. In 2008, he appeared in a Domino's Pizza ad for a line of oven-baked sandwiches. In April 2009 and August 2013, Rosner appeared on Bill Simmons' ESPN podcast "The B.S. Report". In May 2009 Rosner was featured on an episode of A&E Television's "Obsessed". The episode focused on his obsession with working out due to a fear of aging and dying.


Opposing Rook

In shogi, Opposing Rook (向かい飛車 "mukaibisha," also Opposite Rook, Second File Rook) is a class of Ranging Rook openings in which the player's rook swings over to the second file if played by White or the eighth file if played by Black.
The "opposing" name is used since if the Opposing Rook player's opponent is playing Static Rook, then the Opposing Rook player's rook will be on the same file as the opponent and the rooks will be facing or opposing each other.
In order to play Opposing Rook, the player's bishop must be moved from its starting position (88 or 22 squares). This is usually done by either moving the bishop to the seventh file for Black or the third file for White or by exchanging bishops. If the opponent initiates the bishop exchange, the Opposing Rook player will capture the opponent's bishop with their rook.
Traditional Opposing Rook.
White's Opposing Rook.
The opening starts by the usual four-move sequence that characterizes Static Rook vs Ranging Rook games as shown in the first adjacent board position. (See: Traditional Ranging Rook.)
3. P-25. Black pushes their rook pawn to the middle rank threatening to trade the second file pawns.
Opposing Rook games played by White are usually triggered by this move.
The more common professional move by Black at this point is 3. S-48 as this move is more flexible than 3. P-25. S-48 is said to prevent White's Opposing Rook since moving the bishop to 33 after Black's 3. S-48 will greatly reduce White's set of possible strategies.
As examples, White no longer has the option of using a strategy with B-22 and S-31, and White playing a Fortress opening after 3. S-48 B-33 would be awkward. Additionally, B-33 after S-48 reveals very early White's likely Opposing Rook strategy.
3...B-33. White prevents the pawn trade by moving their bishop to the third file defending the 24 square. This move also clears a path for White's rook to swing over to the second file early.
The moves up to this position can, of course, be transposed to the less common sequence below:
4. S-48. Black moves their right to the fourth file – a standard move against Ranging Rook opponents.
At this point, White has the option of immediately swinging their rook to the second file allowing their king to start castling. Alternately, White can delay the rook and instead start moving their left silver upward to reach the 67 square.
Ōno.
Ōno Opposing Rook (大野流向かい飛車, "Ōno ryu mukai bisha") is an Opposing Rook variation named after professional player Gen'ichi Ōno (1911-1979). It's played by "sente" (black) and it's characterized by inciting "gote" to make a bishop exchange, following which "sente" will capture "gote's" bishop with the rook. If "gote" doesn't go for the bishop exchange "sente" will go with Center Vanguard Pawn.


Danish Gambit

The Danish Gambit, known as the ' in German and the ' in Dutch (both meaning Nordic Gambit), is a chess opening that begins with the moves:
White will sacrifice one or two pawns for the sake of rapid and the attack. However, with care, Black can accept one or both pawns safely, or simply decline the gambit altogether with good chances.
Although it may have been known earlier, Danish player Martin Severin From essayed the gambit in the Paris 1867 tournament and he is usually given credit for the opening. The Danish Gambit was popular with masters of the attack including Alekhine, Marshall, Blackburne, and Mieses, but as more defensive lines for Black were discovered and improved, it lost favor in the 1920s. Today it is rarely played in top-level chess.
History.
From the very beginning the nomenclature of the Danish Gambit was very confusing. The idea stems from a famous correspondence game London–Edinburgh, 1824: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.Bc4 Bc5 5.c3 Qe7 6.0-0 dxc3 7.Nxc3. The Swede Hans Lindehn played 1.e4 e5 2.d4 exd4 3.c3 on a regular basis from 1857 at the latest. He defeated the later World Champion Wilhelm Steinitz with his gambit in London, 1864. It is possible that Martin Severin From met Lindehn in Paris in this period and learned about the gambit there. According to Graham Burgess, in Denmark itself, the opening is called the Nordic Gambit.
Many games transposed to the Göring Gambit, as Nf3 for White and ...Nc6 for Black are logical moves. As Carl Theodor Göring also used to play the double gambit, there was hardly any difference.
Remarkably enough, the idea to sacrifice just one pawn (Nxc3) is older in the Göring Gambit than in the Danish. Paul Morphy encountered it at the first USA-Congress of 1857 against Alexander Meek. In the Danish, especially Alexander Alekhine applied 1.e4 e5 2.d4 exd4 3.c3 dxc3 4.Nxc3, but on unimportant occasions.
Main lines.
The Danish Gambit is a variation of the Center Game that is important enough to be treated on its own.
It is C21 in the "Encyclopaedia of Chess Openings" classification.
After 1.e4 e5 2.d4 exd4 3.c3, Black can safely decline the gambit with 3...d6, 3...Qe7, or 3...d5 (Sörensen Defense or Capablanca Defence). If Black enters the Danish Gambit Accepted with 3...dxc3, the main possibilities are 4.Nxc3 and 4.Bc4.
Alekhine Variation: 4.Nxc3.
Alekhine recommended that White play 4.Nxc3. This line often transposes into the Göring Gambit of the Scotch Game. There are only few lines with Black omitting ...Nc6 and/or White omitting Nf3. This move order enables White to avoid the critical main line of the Göring Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.c3 dxc3 5.Nxc3 Bb4) by keeping open the option of meeting an early ...Bb4 by developing the to e2 rather than f3 and thus preventing Black from disrupting White's pawn structure, as Alekhine did in his game against Pomar above.
Lindehn's continuation: 4.Bc4.
White can instead offer a second pawn with 4.Bc4. The second pawn can be safely declined by transposing into the Göring Gambit. Accepting the pawn allows White's two bishops to rake the Black after 4...cxb2 5.Bxb2. White will often follow up with Qb3 if possible, applying pressure on Black's b7- and f7-squares. Combined with White's pressure on g7, this can make it difficult for Black to develop his bishops. A similar position arises except for Black in the Ross Gambit, a variation of the Scandinavian Defence.
Carl Schlechter recommended one of the most reliable defenses for Black: by returning one of the pawns with 5...d5, Black gains time to complete development. After 6.Bxd5 Nf6 (6...Bb4+ is also possible) 7.Bxf7+ Kxf7 8.Qxd8 Bb4+ 9.Qd2 Bxd2+ 10.Nxd2 Re8 (Nyholm–Tartakower, Baden 1914), Black regains the queen. Most theorists evaluate this position as , but some believe that the queenside gives Black the advantage in the (Schlechter suggested 10...c5).
The popularity of the Danish plummeted after Schlechter's defense was introduced as the resulting positions are not what White generally desires from a gambit opening. There have been attempts, especially by German correspondence player Ingo Firnhaber, to revive the gambit idea with 7.Nc3, but according to Karsten Müller and Martin Voigt in "Danish Dynamite", this line gives insufficient compensation after 7...Nxd5 8.Nxd5 Nbd7 (8...c6 9.Nf6+) 9.Nf3 c6, since the piece sacrifice 10.0-0 is dubious on account of 10...cxd5 11.exd5 Be7 If White instead plays 6.exd5, his light-square bishop is blocked and after 6...Nf6 7.Nc3 Bd6 Black can complete development relatively easily.
The big advantage of Göring's move order (Nf3 before c3) is avoiding Schlechter's Defence, since after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.c3 dxc3 5.Bc4 cxb2 6.Bxb2 Black cannot safely play 6...d5 with the queen's knight committed to c6. The big advantage of 2.d4 exd4 3.c3 is the option to meet 3...d5 with 4.exd5 Qxd5 5.cxd4 Nc6 6.Be3 instead of 6.Nf3 transposing to the Göring Gambit Declined (the main objection being the Capablanca Variation, 6.Nf3 Bg4 7.Be2 Bb4+ 8.Nc3 Bxf3 9.Bxf3 Qc4, when White must exchange queens or give up castling). It also has the advantage of avoiding Black's other options after 2.Nf3, mainly 2...Nf6 (the Petrov Defence).
References.
Bibliography


Gonzalo Frasca

Gonzalo Frasca (born 1972) is a game designer and academic researcher focusing on serious and political videogames. His blog, Ludology.org, was an important publication during the early 2000s for academic researchers studying video games (see ludology for more information). For many years, Frasca also co-published Watercoolergames with Ian Bogost, a blog about serious games.
Frasca was born in Montevideo, Uruguay, where he established Powerful Robot Games, a video game studio. He is Chief Design Officer at DragonBox, a Norwegian pedagogy studio which produces math-learning videogames. Frasca is also a professor at Universidad ORT Uruguay.
In video game theory, Frasca belongs to the group of "ludologists" who consider video games to be simulations based on rules. They see video games as the first simulational media for the masses - which means a paradigm shift in media consumption and production.
Frasca's game studies are influenced by the work of Norwegian game academic Espen J. Aarseth. Beginning in December 2004, Frasca has studied games at the Center for Computer Games Research at the IT University of Copenhagen. He received his PhD in Videogames studies on August 2007.
His most famous game is the art game, "September 12", a response to the September 11 attacks. It is based on the political argument that a direct military response will only increase the likelihood of further terrorist attacks on the West. In spite of being controversial at its launch, it is now recognized as a notable early example of both political videogame and newsgame (a term Frasca is credited with coining to refer to a videogame based on real, newsworthy events). In 2009 it received a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Knight Foundation.
"Simulation versus Narrative: Introduction to Ludology" (2003).
This work expands on concepts of narratology and ludology as modes for framing game analysis. These concepts were established initially by Frasca in his 1999 text Ludology meets Narratology: Similitude and differences between video games and narrative. He defines ludology as the play-oriented aspects of games, such as mechanics and control schemes. Narrative aspects provide a context for the play-oriented features within the gamespace. As noted in the text's introductory paragraphs, Frasca's writing on ludology was spurred by a desire to address the inadequacies of games studies literature. He states that games studies literature of the late 1990s and early 2000s involved the framing of game analysis within dramatic and narrative frameworks. This could include the framing of games within understandings of film and written literature. There was no existing model to consider games on their own terms (namely play and interactivity); a significant limitation in academically engaging with the medium. Interactivity is an intrinsic facet of the medium, however, no formal academic discipline existed which could address it.
Through the proposition of a ludic framework, Frasca aims to encourage analysts to consider how play elements interact and convey meaning. This model of game analysis works similarly to Espen Aarseth's theoretical framework of digital textual analysis involving the reading of texts as cybernetic systems.
Simulation versus representation.
Frasca distinguishes between simulational and representational media, with videogames being part of the former and 'traditional' media being the latter. The key difference, he argues, is that simulations react to certain stimuli, such as configurative input data (button presses etc.), according to a set of conditions. Generally, representational media (he provides the example of a photograph) produce a fixed description of traits and sequences of events (narrative), and cannot be manipulated.
He places emphasis on the importance of serious games, most notably the use of games for political purposes. Unlike traditional modes of storytelling, simulation is not binary by nature. According to Frasca, this has benefits when applied to the political propaganda simulation. Defeat in-game could convey the inspirational message that "hope and even victories cannot be attained without losing something..."
Simulation output is also discussed, with Frasca drawing attention to the argument that the sequence of signs produced by the film and the simulation look exactly the same. Frasca notes that what these commentators have failed to understand is that simulation cannot be understood solely through its output; the player's direct input is a fundamental part of simulation.
This is reminiscent of Aarseth's work on user engagement in games and simulations. He argues that it is insufficient to "merely observe the audiovisual output from someone else's playing...", and that in order to fully understand an interactive digital text one must experience it first-hand.
Paidia and ludus.
Frasca draws links to the game-type categorisations established by Roger Caillois in Man, Play and Games (1961). Specifically, he engages with concepts of ludus and paidia; that is, play and game, or the rule based structures of games. Frasca expands on Caillois' original definitions, and positions them in relation to narratology, ludology and contemporary games. According to Frasca, "ludus" is associated with more linear, narrative oriented with clearly defined goals and grounded in a set of rules. "Paidia", while also based in a system of rules, is more abstract. Players are able to create their own goals within the game world in the style of emergent gameplay.
Drawing on his redefined concepts of padia and ludus, Frasca establishes varying levels in simulations which can be manipulated in order to convey ideology.
Influences and responses.
While Frasca maintains the importance of play elements in games and simulation, he acknowledges the narratological paradigm should not be disregarded. He posits that it is necessary to understand the structure and elements of games, creating typologies and models for explaining game mechanics.
Since the establishment of ludology as a formal approach to reading games and simulation, numerous academics have framed their works within the ludic and narratological paradigm. However, unlike Frasca's work, scholarship has emerged which discounts the significance of the narrative. In ′Ludologists love stories, too: Notes from a debate that never took place′ (a response to misinterpretation of Frasca's position on ludology and narratology), Frasca cites Rune Klevjer's critical misunderstanding of ludic principles. Klevjer suggests that the ludologist deems anything other than pure game mechanics as essentially alien to the medium's true aesthetic form, and that games should shift toward a more abstract and play oriented models.
Frasca's ludic and narratological principles have also influenced scholarship on the cultural colonialisation of videogames. This area of study deems the common practice of framing games within filmic traditions as detrimental to game analysis, as games should "reject any intervention from other disciplines..." Furthermore, it is argued that cinema is a highly privileged medium due to the fact that it can be used to frame game analysis.
Other pro-ludic arguments have claimed that contemporary videogames are unable to effectively model player actions within the narrative. Particular areas of games studies suggest that games are unable to create a coherent ludonarrative. One of the most notable examples of this is Clint Hocking's blog post on ludonarrative dissonance. Such dissonance, according to Hocking, occurs when a game exhibits conflicting ideas expressed via narrative and gameplay means. Specifically, using the example of Irrational's Bioshock, he argues that the game's core theme of Randian self-interest (explored through the Little Sister mechanic, whereby the player has the choice to harvest a powerful substance known as ADAM from these NPCs or free them) is undermined by Jack's aiding of Atlas; a scripted and predetermined narrative sequence.


Man sa yarbah 2 malyoon

من سيربح 2 مليون (English translation: "Who will win 2 million?", transliteration: "Man sa yarbah 2 malyoon") was a Middle Eastern and North African game show based on the original British format of "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?". The show was hosted by George Kurdahi.
Top prize was 2.000.000 SR. This is the successor of the first season of "Man sa yarbah al malyoon" with 1.000.000 SR as the top-prize. The first season of "Man sa yarbah al malyoon" was aired since Monday, September 14, 1998 after the tenth episode of British WWTBAM to help and prevent the hiatus situation of British WWTBAM.


Three Pawns handicap

The Three Pawns (歩三兵 "fu sanbyō") handicap in shogi is used to teach novice players the vulnerability of bishops and the threat of dropped pawns.
White has only their king on the board with no other pieces (like the Naked King 裸玉 handicap) and three pawns held in hand. Black has the usual setup of twenty pieces.
Opening.
1...P*86. As with all traditional handicap games, White has the first move. The standard first move is to drop a dangling pawn (垂れ歩) on the eighth file attacking the head of Black's bishop (角頭 "kaku tō"). White is threatening to promote this pawn to a "tokin" (と) on their next move.
The test here is to see if Black can respond adequately to this threat. There are three ways to respond to avoid the loss of the bishop.
Silver response ☗ 2. S-78.
2. S-78. Moving the silver up to rank 8 defends the 87 square rendering White's pawn attack futile.
2...Px87+, 3. Sx87. Although White can promote their pawn and capture Black's pawn (obtaining 3 pawns in hand again), Black can simply capture the promoted pawn.
Furthermore, Black's advanced silver can always retreat back to the 78 square if White threatens with another pawn drop (3...P*86, 4. S-78).
If White does drop another pawn and Black captures it (3...P*86, 4. Sx86), then Black's silver offers no protection for the bishop from White's subsequent pawn drop. However, now the 79 square is free for the bishop to retreat to. White's pawn on 87 is not a threat.
If Black plays from here on without major errors, they should become the victor.
Gold response ☗ 2. G-78.
2. G-78. Moving the gold to defend the bishop's head is a standard move in many Double Static Rook openings, such as Bishop Exchange, Double Wing Attack, or Side Pawn Capture. In the Three Pawns handicap, using the gold is slightly more complicated than using the silver (shown above).
2...Px87+, 3. Gx87. White's pawn promotes, and Black's gold recaptures.
3...P*86. White can then strike with another dangling pawn.
4. Gx86. Unlike the case with the silver defense, a gold cannot retreat and must move forward and capture the pawn.
4...P*85. White will try another a drop with a striking pawn (叩きの歩). The hope is White can lure Black's gold forward.
5. G-86. The correct response to the striking pawn is for the gold to retreat. After this, White's attack on the eighth file is exhausted.
If instead Black captures the striking pawn (5. Gx85?), the gold will be positioned on the 85 square and no longer able to defend the bishop's head, the 87 square, where White can drop their last pawn (5...P*87!) and capture Black's bishop on their next move (6...Px88+!).
Similar comments apply to the gold moving sideways to either the left (5. G-96?) or right (5. G-76?).
Bishop diagonal ☗ 2. P-76.
2. P-76. Another possible but suboptimal move is to create an escape hatch for Black's bishop.
2...Px87+, 3. B-33+. Although White can promote their pawn, Black's bishop can escape to 33 and promote as well checking White's king.
After White resolves Black's check, White has a further chance to exchange pawns for more powerful pieces. For example, White can sacrifice a pawn (4...P*98, 5. Lx98) and then drop another pawn (5...P*88) in order to attack both Black's lance and knight allowing White to trade a pawn for a lance and possibly the other pawn for another piece.
Thus, although Black has saved one their most powerful pieces, opening up the bishop diagonal gives White more of an advantage compared with protecting the bishop's head with a silver or gold. Furthermore, the bishop's diagonal can always be opened after proper defense of the bishop's head.
Blunder ☗ 2. Px86.
2. Px86? Black reflexively capturing White's pawn on 86 is a blunder. Although this captures White's pawn, it does not remove the threat to Black's bishop as the bishop's head is still vulnerable.
2...P*87! White can now drop a pawn directly on the bishop's head. At this point, Black has no way to prevent White from capturing their bishop and dramatically improving White's chances.
This pawn drop on the bishop's head is a tactic that can be applied to real even game openings such as the Double Wing Attack opening if either Black or White does not appropriately defend their bishops' heads.


Missus Goes a Shopping

Missus Goes A-Shopping was one of the earliest game shows to be broadcast on live television. The show first aired on CBS Radio from February 17, 1941 to December 21, 1951. The daytime TV version began November 19, 1947. It was "CBS's first commercial daytime series."
On August 3, 1944 the early CBS Television network began airing a primetime TV version until January 22, 1946. The original host was John Reed King.
Hosting Changes.
King hosted through the debut of the CBS Television Network's daytime television version (which began on November 19, 1947 and ended on November 10, 1948), after which he was briefly replaced by Bud Collyer with a new title of "This Is the Missus" on November 17.
In December, Collyer was replaced by Warren Hull until the series ended on January 12, 1949. Throughout the run, future "What's My Line?" producer Gil Fates served as a substitute host.


Staunton chess set

The Staunton chess set is composed of a particular style of chess pieces used to play the game of chess. According to the rules of chess, this style is to be used for competitions. The journalist Nathaniel Cooke is credited with the design on the patent, and they are named after the English chess master Howard Staunton, who endorsed it; the first 500 sets were numbered and hand-signed by Staunton. This style of set was first made available by Jaques of London in 1849, and they quickly became the standard. The set style and its variations have been used around the world since.
Old-style chess sets.
The increased interest in the game of chess, particularly in international play during the late 18th century and early 19th century, brought about a renewed demand for a more universal model for chess pieces. The variety and styles of the conventional form, begun in the 15th century, had expanded tremendously by the beginning of the nineteenth century. Conventional types popular during the period included the English Barleycorn chess set, the St. George chess set, the French Regence chess set (named after the in Paris), and the central European forms.
Most designs then in use had pieces that were cumbersome during play, tall and easily tipped, but their major disadvantage was the similarity of the pieces within a set. A player's unfamiliarity with an opponent's set could alter the outcome of a game.
By the early decades of the 19th century, it was all too clear that there was a great need for a chess set with pieces that were easy to use and universally recognized by chess players of diverse backgrounds. The solution, first released in 1849 by the purveyors of fine games, John Jaques of London, sport and games manufacturers, of Hatton Garden in London, was to become known as the Staunton chess set after Howard Staunton (1810–1874), the chess player and writer who was generally considered the strongest player in the world from 1843–1851.
Although Nathaniel Cooke has long been credited with the design, it may have been conceived by his brother-in-law and owner of the firm, John Jaques.
One theory of the development of the set is that Mr. Cooke had used prestigious architectural concepts, familiar to an expanding class of educated and prosperous gentry. London architects, strongly influenced by the culture of Greece and the culture of ancient Rome, were designing prestigious buildings in the neoclassical style. The appearance of the new chessmen was based on this style and the pieces were symbols of "respectable" Victorian society:
There were also practical innovations: For the first time a crown emblem was stamped onto a rook and knight of each side, to identify their positioning on to the king's side of the board. The reason for this is that in descriptive chess notation, the rooks and knights were often designated by being the "queen's knight", the "king's rook", etc.
Another possibility is that Jaques, a master turner, had probably been experimenting with a design that would not only be accepted by players, but could also be produced at a reasonable cost. In the end, he most likely borrowed and synthesized elements from sets already available to create a new design that used universally recognizable symbols atop conventional stems and bases: The resulting pieces were compact, well balanced, and weighted to provide an understandable, practical playing set.
It may have been a combination of both theories with the synergy of Mr. Cooke the entrepreneur and Mr. Jaques the artisan.
Chess books from 1820 on were using in diagrams icons of chess pieces similar in many respects to the Staunton chessmen, including a recent change from arched crown to coronet for the queen. This shows that the Staunton design may have been taken from these diagrams, very likely picked up by a printer.
Design.
The ebony and boxwood sets were weighted with lead to provide added stability and the underside of each piece was covered with felt, allowing the pieces to slide easily across the board. Some ivory sets were made from African ivory. The king sizes ranged from 3½ to 4½ inches and the sets typically came in a papier-mâché case, each one bearing a facsimile of Staunton's signature under the lid.
The Staunton pieces broadly resemble columns with a wide molded base. Knights feature the sculpted head and neck of a horse. Kings, the tallest pieces, top the column with a stylised crown topped with a cross pattée. Queens are slightly smaller than kings, and feature a coronet topped with a tiny ball (a monde). Rooks feature stylised crenellated battlements and bishops a Western-style mitre. Pawns are the smallest and are topped by a plain ball. Pieces representing human characters (the king, queen, bishop, and pawn) have a flat disk separating the body from the head design, which is known as a collar.
Patent.
Jaques then approached his brother-in-law for advice. The design was registered at the Patent Office on 1 March 1849, to Nathaniel Cooke, 198 Strand, London, England as an "Ornamental Design for a set of Chess-Men", under the "Ornamental Designs Act of 1842". At that date, there was no provision for the registration of any design or articles of ivory; registration was limited to Class 2, articles chiefly made of wood.
Marketing.
Cooke was the editor for the "Illustrated London News", where Staunton published chess articles. He convinced the champion to endorse the chess set.
Staunton not only endorsed the product for Jaques of London but promoted it to an extraordinary degree including the lambasting and derision of any other design of chessmen then proposed. The Staunton, as it became known, became available to the general public on 29 September 1849. The Staunton style was soon the standard on which most tournament playing pieces have been made and used around the world ever since. The low cost of the Staunton set allowed the masses to purchase sets and helped to popularize the game of chess.
The Staunton set obtained the stamp of approval of FIDE, the World Chess Federation, when in 1924 it was selected as their choice of set, for use in all future international chess tournaments.
Variants.
There are 17 recognized variants derived from the original 1849 Staunton chess set, classified as follows:
Modern times.
The Staunton chess set has proven to be extremely popular and is likely to remain so in the future. The design is successful because of its well-balanced and easily recognized pieces. It is currently the official standard for tournament chess pieces. Anthony Saidy and Norman Lessing wrote that, "if a vote were taken among chess-players as to which pieces they most enjoyed playing with, there can be no doubt that the Staunton chessmen would win by an overwhelming margin. They are invariably used in major chess tournaments. No self-respecting chess club would be without them. They afford the most pleasing combination of utility and aesthetic appeal."
Wooden Staunton chess sets were often turned on a lathe, then non-circular details were added by hand; the knights were made in two parts (head and base) which were stuck together with adhesive.
Knight variations.
Even among sets of the standard Staunton pattern, the style of the pieces varies. The knights vary considerably. Here are some examples.


Fear Factor Live

Fear Factor Live is a stunt show attraction located at Universal Studios Florida, and previously, Universal Studios Hollywood. Both attractions opened in Spring of 2005. The Hollywood attraction was closed on August 14, 2008 to make way for , which opened in Spring 2009. The Florida attraction began operating on a seasonal schedule on June 3, 2005. The attraction began running again on a full-time basis (except for Halloween Horror Nights considerations) in the Summer of 2010. The attraction is based on the NBC television series "Fear Factor", and features theme park guests becoming contestants in various stunts inspired by the show.
Universal Studios Florida.
Main show.
There are 3 main stunts in each show (which uses 6 volunteers which are picked before the show for controlling of the stunt elements), along with two mini-stunts (which uses different volunteers which are selected at least 30 minutes prior to each show).
Main stunts.
Stunt 1: Endurance Hang.
In the Endurance Hang, 6 contestants are asked to hang from a stationary "y-bar" 35 feet in the air and will have to hang on as long as they can. Adding to the challenge is that 0:15 seconds during the stunt, fans (controlled by volunteers) will be activated which blow strongly towards the contestants. The first 2 contestants that drop will be eliminated and asked to make the "Walk of Shame".
Stunt 2: Eel Tank Relay.
This stunt consists of two parts, and the 4 remaining contestants will be paired up in groups of two (one of them will be tethered while the other one is not). The first part of the stunt has the non-tethered contestants retrieve bean bags from an aquarium full of "carnivorous eels". The second part consists of the non-tethered contestants throwing the beanbags to their tethered partners holding buckets, however instead of beanbags, "rancid" octopuses will be used (and the amount of octopuses thrown by the non tethered contestants is determined by the amount of beanbags retrieved in the first part). Adding to the challenge to the second part is that volunteers will use water cannons to impede the progress of each team. Both parts of the eel tank relay has a 30-second time limit. The winning team is determined by whoever can get the most squid within the 30 second limit. In the event of a tie, the team that had a member hold on the longest during the first stunt (Endurance Hang) will bring their partner to the finale.
Stunt 3: Stuntman's Challenge.
In the final stunt the winning team of the Eel Tank Relay is split up again, and will pit both remaining contestants against each other. The first segment involves both contestants retrieving four (4) flags which are hung from window sills. Adding to the challenge to this segment are 3 things: rain sprinklers, air cannons which blast wind from the windows, and a foam ball cannon (which is similar to the ones in the ball factory in Curious George Goes to Town at Woody Woodpecker's KidZone) which shoots balls. Once all flags are retrieved, the players end up getting into a yellow convertible where they must wait until they reach the top (28 feet in the air – 15 degree angle). Once the car reaches the top, the contestant will retrieve flags from the car. Once again, the volunteers picked before the show will be impeding the contestants by triggering rain sprinklers. Once all flags are retrieved, the contestant will be able to pick up a "rocket launcher" to shoot at a target. When this happens, three pyrotechnic cues are hit, and the building facade falls on the host and the winner is declared.
Mini-stunts.
Mini Stunt 1: Desert Hat Ordeal.
In this mini stunt which happens between the Endurance Hang and Eel Tank Relay stunts, a volunteer will be strapped to a chair where their head will be encased in a transparent box while wearing protective equipment (swimming goggles for eye protection and a mask which covers the nose and mouth). Then the volunteer's partner will be asked to spin a wheel which determines what will be placed in the box (this includes scorpions, snakes, spiders, cockroaches), however, the wheel always lands on scorpions so the spinning of the wheel is actually irrelevant.
Mini Stunt 2: Guess What's Crawling to Dinner.
In this mini-stunt which happens between the Eel Tank Relay and Stuntman's Challenge stunts. Two teams of two guests each will have 30 seconds to complete a mixture of meat, seafood, "sour milk" and insects. Whichever team completes both mixtures will be the winners of this stunt.
Universal Studios Hollywood.
Stunt 1: Endurance Hang.
The Endurance Hang for the Hollywood version of the show was almost identical to the Orlando version, however it didn't have the industrial fans which blew the contestants.
Stunt 2: Eel Tank Relay.
Although sharing the same name with the Orlando version, the stunts are completely different. The four remaining contestants from Stunt 1 have to collect flags from a tank full of eels, and then put them onto a hanging pole which has their contestant number on it. While doing this, there is a rotating 'roundabout' section of the stage which has a few obstructions to make it more difficult for the contestant to put the flag onto their pole. Once repeating this to get 3 flags, one at a time, they then can go to a table which has smoothies made from fish guts, pig hearts and dead insects. They must drink the entire smoothie to win. The first 2 contestants to do this move on to the final round.
Stunt 3: Shock and Roll.
In the final stunt, the two contestants must hold onto a wheel with 2 electrodes on it, and spin the wheel to add to an illuminated meter. While doing this, they would be electrocuted with a "high voltage" current, and the higher the meter got, the more frequent the shocks would be. The contestants are also attached to bungee cords, which resulted in the loser to be catapulted away from the wheel. The presenter also claimed that the audience must "be seated at all times, on their metal seats", which appears to be a joke, although claimed to not be.
Audience participation.
Universal invites guests to become contestants in the show. Guests who wish to participate must be at least 18 years of age or older and may sign in at a booth located across from the attraction. Guests sitting in the front rows during the show are also invited to participate during the performance.
History.
The show opened in May 2005 at both theme parks, replacing The Wild Wild Wild West Stunt Show at the Florida venue and Spider-Man Rocks at the Hollywood venue. The Hollywood venue closed on August 14, 2008 due to lack of popularity, was replaced by "Creature from the Black Lagoon: The Musical." The venue at Universal Studios Florida is shut down in the Fall season to allow performances of "Bill and Ted's Excellent Halloween Adventure" during Halloween Horror Nights, which takes place late September through early November allowing the attraction to re-open in mid-November.
Universal Studios Florida's "Fear Factor Live" attraction was temporarily closed February 5, 2009, a casualty of the current global economic crisis. The park expects to offer the attraction during peak attendance periods, if demand calls for it. The attraction was open from April 4 until April 18, 2009 for Spring Break performances.
Since summer 2010, the show has remained open in a full-time, non-seasonal capacity (outside of the three-month closure for "Bill and Ted's Excellent Halloween Adventure"). It closed from August 9, 2020 and to date, it remains temporarily closed.