Peter Mond, 4th Baron Melchett

Peter Robert Henry Mond, 4th Baron Melchett (24 February 1948 – 29 August 2018), also known as Peter Melchett, was an English jurist and politician. He succeeded to the title of Baron Melchett in 1973.
Background.
The son of the British Steel Corporation chairman Sir Julian Mond (later the 3rd Baron Melchett) and Sonia Melchett (now Sinclair), Mond was educated at Eton and Pembroke College, Cambridge, where he read law. He went on to take an MA in criminology at Keele University, and later researched the sentencing of cannabis users at the London School of Economics and at the Institute of Psychiatry (1971–1973). In the late 1970s Melchett was the first chair of a (short-lived) Legalise Cannabis Campaign. For over 30 years, Lord Melchett was a patron of Prisoners Abroad, a registered charity that supports British citizens who are imprisoned overseas. He was a Special Lecturer at the School of Biological Sciences, University of Nottingham, from 1984 to 2002, a member of the House of Lords Select Committee on Science and Technology (1981–1985), a member of the BBC's Rural Affairs Committee (2005–), the Government's Rural Climate Change Forum (2009–2010) and Organic Action Plan Group (2002–2008) and the Department of Education's School Lunches Review Panel (2005). Melchett was on the board of the EU £12m Research Project 'Quality Low Input Food'. He received an honorary doctorate from Newcastle University in 2013.
Political career.
Lord Melchett succeeded to his titles in 1973 upon the death of his father. When Labour won re-election in October 1974 he was made a Lord-in-waiting (House of Lords whip) by Harold Wilson, working in the Department of the Environment under Anthony Crosland. According to Wilson, he was the youngest government minister appointed at least in modern times, and he was promoted twice within two years. As well as departmental responsibilities, he took particularly controversial legislation through the House (including pension legislation and bills nationalising the aircraft and shipbuilding industries).
At the Department of the Environment, he chaired a Government inquiry into the then controversial area of pop festivals, leading to legislation that is still in force (credited by Michael Eavis as the basis on which the Glastonbury Festival has been able to continue to flourish), and it ensured that some of the UK's first wildlife protection laws were passed.
In 1975, he was made a Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in the Department of Industry, where he was responsible for small firms and workers cooperatives. When James Callaghan succeeded Wilson in 1976, Melchett moved to become Minister of State at the Northern Ireland Office, responsible for health (and social services) and education (including sports and the arts), two major departments covering almost the whole range of social policy, with by far the largest share of Government spending in Northern Ireland. Melchett increased teacher numbers to give the best pupil/teacher ratio in the UK, modernised provision for the mentally ill, and saw Northern Ireland provided with world class sporting facilities. He was responsible for the successful passage of a bill making it possible to set up integrated (non-sectarian) schools.
In his book "Minority Verdict – Experiences of a Catholic Public Servant", Maurice Hayes, the most senior Roman Catholic civil servant in Northern Ireland, spoke very highly about working with Melchett: [He] "did not have everything spelled-out or interpreted for him. More important, he related to the young people around, he was mobile, accessible, and very attractive to large numbers of people. He also had a lot of courage and fighting for issues that did not fall within his brief, which involved some aspect of human rights or discrimination or criminal justice." One such issue was a case in which Melchett helped to secure a pardon for a young girl who had been convicted and imprisoned for killing her father, who had sexually abused and assaulted the girl's mother and turned his attentions on her younger sister. In his book, Hayes also said: "Melchett chafed at the constraints that were put on him in the name of security or convention and on his ability to travel to any part of Northern Ireland. He went out as often as he could and on whatever pretext to what were regarded 'difficult areas' – generally places that no minister had ever visited before, or any representative of government more exalted or benign than a policeman or a summons server – and found the people always glad to see him."
After Margaret Thatcher won the 1979 election, Melchett served on the Opposition Front Bench in the House of Lords from 1979 to 1981, covering the environment and wildlife, and leading for the Opposition on the Wildlife and Countryside Bill, which became an Act in 1981. The bill faced around 1200 amendments at the Committee stage in the Lords, said to be more than any other Bill, many moved by Melchett. After amendments, the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 introduced proper protection for key wildlife sites (Sites of Special Scientific Interest) and additional protection for numerous species, including (controversially) bats, and Melchett's personal favourite, protection from shooting for the Curlew, insisted on by the Lords after initial protection introduced in the Lords was rejected by the Commons.
Career after politics.
Immediately after he ceased be a minister in 1979, Melchett was appointed part-time Chairman of Community Industry, a government funded scheme run by the National Association of Youth Clubs, which employed 8,000 young people in particularly deprived areas in England, Scotland and Wales. Community Industry aimed to give the experience of working in a real job, with a wage, to young people who were unable to get a job because of severe disadvantage. People were employed in groups of around 10, under the supervision of an experienced craftsperson, to learn basic skills and to get used to the routine of regular work. Melchett left Community Industry in 1986.
From 1979 to 1985, Melchett worked in a voluntary capacity for a number of wildlife groups and for the Ramblers' Association as President from 1981 to 1984 and Vice President from 1984. He also served for a spell on the Ramblers’ Council, which he claimed was his only elected office. In that period, he was also a Council member of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, and help found and chaired (1980–1987) the national liaison body for wildlife and environment groups, Wildlife Link (now Wildlife and Countryside Link), which brought together around 30 NGOs, including Friends of the Earth and Greenpeace, which had been excluded from previous liaison arrangements. He was a Trustee of WWF UK from 1977 to 1984 and an advisor to Friends of the Earth and the RSPCA.
In 1985, he took part in peaceful protest organised by the Snowball movement, at the Sculthorpe US nuclear air force base close to the farm in Norfolk. Along with many other protesters, he and his partner, Cassandra Wedd, made a symbolic cut to the fence around the air base, and they were arrested and convicted of attempted criminal damage.
Having announced himself sick of the 'lying game' of Westminster politics, and partly on the strength of his antinuclear campaigning and direct action, Lord Melchett was appointed to the Board of Greenpeace UK in 1985, and then took up position of Executive Director of Greenpeace UK in 1989.[4]
Greenpeace UK grew from an organisation with a turnover of £1.4m, 12 staff and 25,000 supporters in 1985, to a turnover of £7.5m, 80 staff and over 200,000 supporters in 2001. Greenpeace UK's financial contribution to Greenpeace International increased from £166,000 to £2m, and increased as a proportion of gross income from 5% to 25%. Greenpeace campaign successes in that period included a decrease in whales killed worldwide from around 70,000 to 1,000, international treaties banning the dumping of nuclear, industrial and oil industry waste (including Shell's controversial Brent Spar oil storage facility) and human sewage in the North East Atlantic, an international treaty protecting the continent of Antarctica, the temporary abandonment of building new nuclear power stations in the UK, the treaty banning nuclear weapons testing worldwide, and Greenpeace's worldwide, campaign against genetically modified crops and food.
Greenpeace launched its global campaign against GM crops in 1997, and Lord Melchett was arrested in 1999 when he took part in an environmental protest against a genetically modified crop trial in Norfolk, at which GM maize was cut down and removed by 28 volunteers. Melchett spent a night in police custody and then a night in Norwich Prison before being released on bail. The case came to court in 2000 when Melchett and his 27 codefendants were unanimously acquitted of theft and criminal damage.
When he left in 2001, Melchett was the longest serving Executive Director of a Greenpeace national office. The UK model of campaigning was increasingly adopted by Greenpeace's other 30 national offices and was accepted as being in part responsible for Greenpeace's successes with both the Brent Spar and genetic engineering campaigns.
Melchett was also Chair of the Board of Greenpeace Japan, which became the third largest and most influential environmental organisation in Japan, securing a number of significant changes in Government policy and corporate behaviour.
When he retired as Greenpeace's Executive Director, he remained on the organisation's international board and took up a part-time consultancy work with IKEA, Iceland and ASDA supermarkets, and briefly with industry PR company Burson-Marsteller UK.[6] Burson-Marsteller in the USA had formerly been PR consultants for the Monsanto Company, and Lord Melchett stood down from the Greenpeace International Board following accusation that his employment with Burson-Marsteller compromised his integrity.
He was Policy Director at the Soil Association from 2002. The Soil Association has campaigned against the introduction of GM crops and food, and for the introduction of support for English organic farmers through the Government's Organic Entry Level Scheme (subsequently Countryside Stewardship). The Soil Association has published reports and campaigned on school, nursery and hospital food, the poor quality of children's food in popular restaurants, organic farming and climate change, the nutritional value of organic food, resource use in agriculture, feeding the world, GM, pesticides, the abuse of antibiotics in livestock farming and animal welfare.
Melchett played a leading role in guiding the Alliance to Save Our Antibiotics, an alliance of health, environmental and animal-welfare groups – coordinated by non-governmental organisations Compassion in World Farming, the Soil Association and Sustain: the alliance for better food and farming, campaigning to stop the overuse of antibiotics in livestock. The Alliance was founded in 2009 and has helped put the issue of antibiotic resistance at the centre of farm policy. By 2018, large cuts in antibiotic use in British farming had been achieved, and the European Union had agreed to plans to ban routine farm antibiotic use.
Melchett was one of the leading people responsible for launching the Soil Association's successful school food programme, Food for Life and Food for Life Served Here, a certification scheme for healthy and sustainable catering, currently covering 1.7 million meals served outside the home daily. He was the first Chair of the Food for Life Partnership, led by the Soil Association – originally in partnership with the Focus on Food Campaign, Garden Organic and the Health Education Trust, awarded a five-year, £16.9m Big Lottery grant (2007–2011) that resulted in engagement with 20% of English schools (which now covers over half the primary schools in England), and which is delivering radical improvements in school meal take-up, significant improvements in attendance, behaviour and academic achievement, and major improvements in children's and their parents’ diets.
From 1973, Melchett was the managing director of 890-acre (360 hectares) Courtyard Farm at Ringstead near Hunstanton,[5],which was owned by his father, and is now owned by a charitable trust. The farm fully converted to organic in 2000, and crops include barley, wheat, and beans, all grown for seed, and clover and grass for cattle feed. The prize-winning farm is well known for the wildlife conservation work done there over the last 50 years, and for the high level of public access provided for more than 30 years. The farm has been involved in numerous agricultural and conservation research projects.
Personal life.
Peter Melchett was in a relationship with Cassandra "Cass" Wedd for 45 years, although they were never married. They had two children who were educated at a comprehensive school instead of the family tradition of Eton College. Lord Melchett's daughter Jessica Joan Mond-Wedd is a barrister, whilst his son, Justin "Jay"Julian Mond Wedd, is a farmer.
Lord Melchett was a vocal opponent of hereditary peerdom and declared in a BBC radio broadcast for "Desert Island Discs" that he had deprived his son Jay (who farms at the family farm in Ringstead) of the right to succeed him as 5th Baron Melchett of Landford in the county of Southampton and 5th Baronet of Hartford Hill in the county of Cheshire, arguably because his son was born out of wedlock. This meant the extinction of the barony and of the baronetcy.


Rough Collie

The Rough Collie (also known as the Long-Haired Collie) is a long-coated dog breed of medium to large size that, in its original form, was a type of collie used and bred for herding sheep in Scotland. More recent breeding has focused on the Collie as a show dog, and also companion. The breed specifications call for a distinctive long narrow tapered snout and tipped ("semiprick") ears, so some dogs must have their ears taped when young. Rough Collies generally come in shades of sable and white (sometimes mahogany), blue merle, tri-colored, and white.
Originating in the 1800s, the breed is now well known through the stories of author Albert Payson Terhune about his dog "Lad", and later with Eric Knight's character of "Lassie" and her novels, movies, and television shows.
There is a smooth-coated variety known as a Smooth Collie; some breed organisations, including both the American and Canadian Kennel Clubs, consider smooth-coat and rough-coat collies to be variations of the same breed. Rough Collies closely resemble smaller Shetland Sheepdogs or "Shelties", but the two breeds do not have an exclusive linear relationship.
History.
Both Rough and Smooth collies are descended from a localised variety of herding dog originating in Scotland and Wales. The Scottish variety was a large, strong, aggressive dog, bred to herd highland sheep. The Welsh variety was small and nimble, domesticated and friendly, and also herded goats. When the English saw these dogs at the Birmingham market, they interbred them with their own variety of sheepdogs, producing a mixture of short- and long-haired varieties. After the industrial revolution, dog ownership became fashionable, and these early collies were believed to have been crossed with the Borzoi (Russian Wolfhound) to get a more "noble" head (longer muzzle), which is today one of the true characteristics of the Rough Collie. It is not known conclusively if the Borzoi cross made it into the mainstream of the breed.
When Queen Victoria acquired a Rough Collie, after seeing one at Balmoral Castle, they were transformed into something of a fashion item. Continued breeding for show purposes drastically changed the appearance of the dogs; in the 1960s, it was a much taller dog than it is today (in the UK; in the US, the size standard has not been revised downward and dogs have remained between 24-26"). Earlier dogs were also more sturdy in build and reportedly capable of covering up to 100 miles in one day. In the UK the Rough Collie is no longer used for serious herding, having been replaced by the Border Collie, though in the United States and a number of European countries, there has been a resurgence in the use of the Collie as a working and performance dog.
The Collie Club of America is one of the oldest breed-specific clubs in existence in the United States (founded in 1886). The Collie Club in England dates from 1881.
Quoted from Collie Club of America:
Unfortunately, the Collie's exact origins are shrouded in obscurity. It has been the subject of much research and speculation. The word "Collie" is as obscure as the breed itself. The name has been spelled many different ways: Coll, Colley, Coally and Coaly. Generally, the most accepted origin of the word is "Coll" - the Anglo-Saxon word for "black".
In the 18th century, the Rough Collie's natural home was in the highlands of Scotland, where he had been used for centuries as a sheepdog. The dogs were bred with great care in order to assist their masters in the herding and guarding of their flock.
 Without a doubt, it is to the English fancy of the late 1800s that the breed owes its development as a popular show dog. Rough Collies were first exhibited in 1860 at the Birmingham, England dog show, in the generic class "Scotch Sheep-Dogs".
In 1879 the first English Rough Collie was imported to this country. It is from England that we find the famous pillars of the breed, from which the American fanciers sought not only their next big winner, but also their foundation stock.
By the turn of the century, the American Rough Collie was in a state of continued development. The breed continued to thrive in England. American show prizes were dominated by the British imports. As a result of the imports, the breed made rapid progress between 1900 to 1920. These dogs built the foundations upon which the present day Rough Collie is based and paved the way for the emergence of the great American kennels of the 1920s and 1930s
Appearance.
Recognized colours include:
All have white coat areas, in the collar, parts of the leg, and usually the tail tip. Some may have white blazes on their faces. Note that the American Kennel Club accepts "white", where the dog is predominantly white with coloured markings of sable, tricolor, or blue merle on the head and sometimes body patches. The downy undercoat is covered by a long, dense, coarse outer coat with a notable ruff around the neck, feathers about the legs, a petticoat on the abdomen, and a frill on the hindquarters.One of the characteristic features of the Rough Collie is its head. This is light in relation to the rest of the body, and resembles a blunted wedge tapering smoothly from ears to black nose, with a distinct stop and parallel head planes. The muzzle is well rounded, and never square. There is considerable variation in the color of the head, however. The eyes are medium-sized and almond shaped. The ears are supposed to be "semi-prick", or "tipped", with the upper third folded over. Ears which do not "tip" properly, however, are common, and many collies have their ears "taped" as puppies (using medical adhesive or paper tape) to encourage them to lay properly – no cutting or surgery is involved.
Rough Collies have a more blunt, gradually tapering, face than the smaller, but otherwise very similar Shetland Sheepdog, which is partly descended from the Rough Collie. The planes of the muzzle and the top of the skull should be parallel in collies, with a slight but distinct stop. (In shelties, the planes are not parallel.) The ears of a Rough Collie are similar to a Shetland Sheepdog's, but larger. Furthermore, once seen, the contrast between the Rough Collie head and that of a Border Collie is immediately apparent, the latter having a considerably shorter muzzle and a more distinct stop between muzzle and forehead. The ruff is also distinctive in distinguishing the two breeds.
The size and weight varies among breed standards; male collies can stand 55.8 to 66 cm (22 to 26 in) at the shoulder; the female averages 5 cm (2 in) shorter. The males are usually in the weight range (50–70 lbs), and the females are usually 5 to 10 lbs less. Collies in the US are sometimes reported to be over one hundred pounds, but a large collie typically weighs no more than 70 pounds. US and UK standards may differ. The UK standard calls for dogs to be significantly smaller than those under the American Kennel Club.
Temperament.
Rough collies should show no nervousness or aggression, and are generally great with children and other animals. However, they must be well socialised to prevent shyness. They are medium to large sized dogs, and they generally need a house instead of being in a small apartment. Like many herding dogs, collies can be fairly vocal, and some are easily trained not to bark. The amount of herding instinct varies, with some dogs being quite drivey and others calmer.
Rough Collies are very loyal and may be one-family dogs (although most make exceptions for children), but are very rarely aggressive or protective beyond barking and providing a visual deterrent. They are typically excellent with kids. They are eager to learn and respond best to a gentle hand.
The rough collie's long coat has made the breed successful on northern Midwest farms as an able herder and guardian of the farm during the winter. The dog needs to be gradually acclimated to the cold and a suitable insulated outdoor shelter must be provided for the dog along with ample quality food and a source of unfrozen water. The rough collie also relishes playing in the snow with children during the winter months. They guard the farm while the owner is away and are naturally protective of small children.
Health.
While Rough Collies are generally resilient and healthy, there are some health problems that can affect the breed.
Collie eye anomaly (CEA), a genetic disease which causes improper development of the eye and possible blindness, is a common ailment in the breed. More rarely, Rough Collies can be affected by progressive retinal atrophy (PRA), another genetic disease in which bilateral degeneration of the retina results in progressive vision loss culminating in blindness. Through genetic testing and careful screening program it would be theoretically possible to eradicate both of these problems in purebred lines, however, certainly in the UK, the Kennel Club does not require these tests to be done either for registration or showing. CEA is so prevalent that elimination of affected dogs except through very slow and careful breeding decisions to avoid shrinking the gene pool more than absolutely necessary. Rough Collie puppies should be screened at an early age (6–8 weeks) by a certified veterinary ophthalmologist to check for CEA. PRA has a later onset and can be detected by DNA test, but is much less widespread (in the US) than CEA. (In the UK, PRA is more common.) Note, the UK Kennel Club "Accredited Breeder Scheme" requires eye tests and "recommends" the genetic test for this class of members.
Canine cyclic neutropenia is a cyclic blood disorder that is usually fatal to affected puppies. The disease is also referred to as "gray collie syndrome", due to affected puppies having a pale gray, pinkish/gray or beige colouring, none of which are normal Rough Collie colours. Puppies that survive through adulthood are plagued with immune disorders throughout their lives and rarely live more than three years. DNA testing can help detect carriers of the recessive gene that causes the disease.
Hip dysplasia: As with most of the larger breeds, hip dysplasia is a potential concern for Rough Collies. Although this disease appears to be "multigene", careful selection by many breeders is reducing this problem. The UK Kennel Club "Accredited Breeder Scheme" requires hip-scores this class of members, however, a very small proportion of UK registered puppies are bred under this scheme. Hip dysplasia is rare in collies compared to their closest relatives and other breeds of the same size.Rough Collies may carry a mutant Mdr1 gene that results in a sensitivity to Ivermectin and related drugs. A screening test is used to determine if alternative medications are required. Overdoses from the proscribed medications can result in neurological impairment or even death. This faulty gene is present in several breeds, but is well known among collies.
In addition to these problems, all of which can be tested for, there are a number of problems which are thought to be genetic but for which no screening test exists. These include epilepsy, bloat, a tendency towards allergies, and thyroid disorders (primarily hypothyroidism.). Because no DNA tests exist for these disorders (and all can have causes other than genetic origins), breeders can only do their best to avoid producing them by removing affected dogs from the gene pool.
Grooming.
The double-layered coat needs to be brushed frequently and thoroughly to keep it in a show condition. Pet dogs need less maintenance but still a significant amount to keep the dog healthy. The profuse coat picks up grass seeds and burrs, and many dogs tend to mat to some degree, particularly behind the ears, around the collar (if a collar is left on the dog), and in the pants. Spaying and neutering can alter coat texture, making it softer and more prone to matting.
Working life.
Herding.
In the 18th century, the Collie's natural home was in the highlands of Scotland, where it had been used for centuries as a sheepdog. The dogs were bred with great care in order to assist their masters in the herding and guarding of their flock.
Collies are capable of being keen herders while remaining sensible, flexible family companions, whether as working dogs on a ranch or farm or helping out a suburban owner who keeps a few sheep, goats, or ducks as a hobby. Participation in herding helps preserve the special heritage of the Collie and opens up new opportunities for owner and dog. The qualities that make a good herding dog – trainability, adaptability, loyalty, soundness of body and character, agility, grace – are important in many areas, and contribute so much toward making the dog an outstanding companion as well.
Throughout the country there are local herding clubs that provide clinics, work days, trials and tests. Several organizations provide herding title programs in which Collies regularly participate. A Herding Instinct Test introduces Collies and their handlers to herding at the basic level. It is designed to show whether or not a Collie, who may have never had any exposure to livestock, still has the natural instinct to perform the function for which the breed was initially created. It is a non-competitive introduction to carefully selected and easily handled livestock under favorably controlled conditions.
Activities.
Rough Collies can compete in dog agility trials, obedience, conformation, flyball, tracking, and herding events. Herding instincts and trainability can be measured at noncompetitive herding tests. Rough Collies exhibiting basic herding instincts can be trained to compete in herding trials. The breed has also been known to work as search and rescue dogs, therapy dogs and guide dogs for the blind.


Lyell McEwin

Sir Alexander Lyell McEwin, KBE (29 May 1897 – 23 September 1988), always known as "Lyell McEwin" was a politician in South Australia.
History.
Lyell McEwin was born in the Hundred of Hart, the youngest son of Alexander Lyell McEwin (1862 – 29 December 1927) and Jessie Smilie McEwin née Ferguson who married 30 May 1888. He was educated locally and won a scholarship to Prince Alfred College. He attended the college for a period, but returned to the family farm at age 14.
In the 1930s he was a member of the Agricultural Settlement Committee, president of the Blyth Agricultural Bureau and the Blyth Veterinary Lodge, Captain of the Blyth Rifle Club, Vice-president of the Blyth Bowling Club, and a member of the Board of Management Blyth District Hospital, member of the District Council of Hutt and Hill Rivers; and a committee member of the Blyth Agricultural and Horticultural Society, and deeply involved in several organizations associated with the Liberal and Country League.
In October 1934, campaigning as a "practical farmer", McEwin won the Northern district seat in the Legislative Council made vacant by the death of William Morrow. He retained the seat until June 1975, when he retired.
McEwin filled the Cabinet positions of Chief Secretary from 1939, coupled with Minister of Mines and Minister of Health. It was perhaps as Minister of Health that he left the greatest mark. He oversaw the provision of many country hospitals funded on a subsidy basis: for every pound a local auxiliary raised, the Government contributed two. The major teaching hospital constructed on his watch was that at Elizabeth, later named the Lyell McEwin Hospital in his honour. While perfectly adequate, the building was designed with economy in mind. McEwin's "practical farmer" frugality appealed to Premier Playford.
He was elected President of the South Australian Legislative Council on 8 March 1967.
Family.
He married Dora Winifred Williams (born 9 May 1898) of "Fairview", Blyth, South Australia on 16 February 1921. They had four sons and a daughter. They lived at "Wyndora" homestead, north of Blyth.
Other interests.
He was a member of the Caledonian Society of South Australia and its chief from 1959 to 1968.
He was a longtime worshipper at St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church, North Adelaide.
Recognition.
On 10 June 1954 he was appointed Sir Alexander Lyell McEwin, KBE.
His portrait, painted by Sir Ivor Hele hangs in Parliament House.
His name is commemorated in the Lyell McEwin Hospital.


Chantilly Forest

Chantilly Forest or Forest of Chantilly (Forêt de Chantilly) is a forest that spreads across , located mainly in the Oise, north of Paris.


Forestry in India

Forestry in India is a significant rural industry and a major environmental resource. India is one of the ten most forest-rich countries of the world. Together, India and these other 9 countries account for 67 percent of total forest area of the world. India's forest cover grew at 0.20% annually over 1990–2000, and has grown at the rate of 0.7% per year over 2000–2010, after decades where forest degradation was a matter of serious concern.
As of 2010, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations estimates India's forest cover to be about 68 million hectares, or 22% of the country's area The 2013 Forest Survey of India states its forest cover increased to 69.8 million hectares by 2012, per satellite measurements; this represents an increase of 5,871 square kilometers of forest cover in 2 years. However, the gains were primarily in northern, central and southern Indian states, while northeastern states witnessed a net loss in forest cover over 2010 to 2012. In 2018, the total forest and tree cover in India increased to 24.39% or 8,02,088 km2. It increased further to 24.56 percent or 807,276 square kilometres in 2019.
Unless India makes major, rapid and sustained effort to expand electricity generation and power plants, the rural and urban poor in India will continue to meet their energy needs through unsustainable destruction of forests and fuel wood consumption. India's dependence on fuel-wood and forestry products as a primary energy source is not only environmentally unsustainable, it is a primary cause of India's near-permanent haze and air pollution.
Forestry in India is more than just about wood and fuel. India has a thriving non-wood forest products industry, which produces latex, gums, resins, essential oils, flavours, fragrances and aroma chemicals, incense sticks, handicrafts, thatching materials and medicinal plants. About 60% of non-wood forest products production is consumed locally. About 50% of the total revenue from the forestry industry in India is in non-wood forest products category.
History of forestry in India.
Forestry in ancient and medieval India.
The forest ("vana/araṇya") played a major role in early Indian literature, usually presented in opposition to settled society. It was represented as the setting for royal hunts, and as the home of hermits, whose hermitages are depicted as idyllic societies in harmony with the natural environment.
Yajnavalkya Smriti written before the 5th century AD prohibited the cutting of trees and if a tree is cut punishments were prescribed for such acts. The Kautalya's Arthashastra written in the Mauryan Period, says about the need of forest administration. It also says how a forest is important for a successful kingdom.
Forestry in Colonial system.
In 1840, the British colonial administration promulgated an ordinance called Crown Land (Encroachment) Ordinance. This ordinance targeted forests in Britain's Asian colonies, and vested all forests, wastes, unoccupied and uncultivated lands to the crown. The Imperial Forest Department was established in India in 1864. The British state monopoly over Indian forests was first asserted through the Indian Forest Act of 1865. This law simply established the government's claims over forests. The British colonial administration then enacted a further far-reaching Forest Act of 1878, thereby acquiring the sovereignty of all wastelands which in its definition included all forests. This Act also enabled the administration to demarcate reserved and protected forests. In the former, all local rights were abolished while in the latter some existing rights were accepted as a privilege offered by the British government to the local people which can be taken away if necessary. These colonial laws brought the forests under the centralised sovereignty of the state. Sir Dietrich Brandis, the Inspector General of Forests in India from 1864 to 1883, is regarded as the father not only of scientific forestry in India, but as the "father of tropical forestry."
An FAO report claims it was believed in colonial times that the forest is a national resource which should be utilised for the interests of the government. Like coal and gold mines, it was believed that forests belonged to the state for exploitation. Forest areas became a source of revenue. For example, teak was extensively exploited by the British colonial government for ship construction, sal and pine in India for railway sleepers and so on. Forest contracts, such as that of "biri pata" (leaves of Diospyros melanoxylon), earned so much revenue that it was often used by the people involved in this business as a leverage for political power. These contracts also created forest "zamindars" (government recognised forest landowners).The government gave out these contracts without any restrictions in regard to conservation and these contractors began cutting trees indiscriminately as a result forest around train tracks disappeared. The British agenda regarding forest in India displaced the locals and natives of India who had ideas in cognizance with coexisting with the forest with industrial exploitation of forest and used it to create revenue for the British Crown. The Forest Act of 1865 amended twice in 1878 and 1927 aimed at declaring the forests of India the property of the government ergo a resource of the British Crown. These actions of the British government took away the livelihood of the local people. The British government cleared vast lands of forests for cultivation of plantations similar to those in Africa and America, wherein abundant exploitation of people was prominent. This indiscriminate exploitation of Indian Forest in was done under the banner of "scientific forestry". Additionally, as in Africa, some forests in India were earmarked by the government officials and the rulers with the sole purpose of using them for hunting and sport for the royalty and the colonial officials.
Forestry in India from 1947 to 1990.
In 1952, the government nationalised the forests which were earlier with the "zamindars". India also nationalised most of the forest wood industry and non-wood forest products industry. Over the years, many rules and regulations were introduced by India. In 1980, the Conservation Act was passed, which stipulated that the central permission is required to practice sustainable agro-forestry in a forest area. Violations or lack of permits was made a criminal offense. These nationalisation wave and laws intended to limit deforestation, conserve biodiversity, and save wildlife. However, the intent of these regulations was not matched by reality that followed. Neither investment aimed at sustainable forestry nor knowledge transfer followed once India had nationalised and heavily regulated forestry. Deforestation increased, biodiversity diminished and wildlife dwindled. India's rural population and impoverished families continued to ignore the laws passed in Delhi, and use the forests near them for sustenance.
India launched its National Forest Policy in 1988. This led to a programme named Joint Forest Management, which proposed that specific villages in association with the forest department will manage specific forest blocks. In particular, the protection of the forests would be the responsibility of the people. By 1992, seventeen states of India participated in Joint Forest Management, bringing about 2 million hectares of forests under protection. The effect of this initiative has been claimed to be positive.
The growth rates have been slow through these years.
Post 1990 Forestry in India.
Since 1991, India has reversed the deforestation trend. Specialists of the United Nations report India's forest as well as woodland cover has increased. A 2010 study by the Food and Agriculture Organisation ranks India amongst the 10 countries with the largest forest area coverage in the world (the other nine being Russian Federation, Brazil, Canada, United States of America, China, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Australia, Indonesia and Sudan). India is also one of the top 10 countries with the largest primary forest coverage in the world, according to this study.
From 1990 to 2000, FAO finds India was the fifth largest gainer in forest coverage in the world; while from 2000 to 2010, FAO considers India as the third largest gainer in forest coverage.
Some 500,000 square kilometres, about 17% of India's land area, were regarded as Forest Area in the early 1990s. In FY 1987, however, actual forest cover was 640,000 square kilometres. Some claim, that because more than 50% of this land was barren or bushland, the area under productive forest was actually less than 350,000 square kilometres, or approximately 10% of the country's land area.
India's 0.6% average annual rate of deforestation for agricultural and non-lumbering land uses in the decade beginning in 1981 was one of the lowest in the world and on a par with Brazil.
Forest Types and assessment.
India is a large and diverse country. Its land area includes regions with some of the world's highest rainfall to very dry deserts, coast line to alpine regions, river deltas to tropical islands. The variety and distribution of forest vegetation is large: there are 600 species of hardwoods, including sal ("Shorea robusta"). India is one of the 17 mega biodiverse regions of the world.
Indian forests types include tropical evergreens, tropical deciduous, swamps, mangroves, sub-tropical, montane, scrub, sub-alpine and alpine forests. These forests support a variety of ecosystems with diverse flora and fauna.
Forest cover measurement methods.
Prior to the 1980s, India deployed a bureaucratic method to estimate forest coverage. A land was notified as covered under Indian Forest Act, and then officials deemed this land area as "recorded forest" even if it was devoid of vegetation. By this forest-in-name-only method, the total amount of recorded forest, per official Indian records, was 71.8 million hectares. Any comparison of forest coverage number of a year before 1987 for India, to current forest coverage in India, is thus meaningless; it is just bureaucratic record keeping, with no relation to reality or meaningful comparison.
In the 1980s, space satellites were deployed for remote sensing of real forest cover. Standards were introduced to classify India's forests into the following categories:
The first satellite recorded forest coverage data for India became available in 1987. India and the United States cooperated in 2001, using Landsat MSS with spatial resolution of 80 metres, to get accurate forest distribution data. India thereafter switched to digital image and advanced satellites with 23 metres resolution and software processing of images to get more refined data on forest quantity and forest quality. India now assesses its forest distribution data biennially.
Distribution of forest by States/Union Territories.
According to the 2019 Forest Survey, the State of Madhya Pradesh has the largest forest cover in the country. In terms of percentage of forest cover Mizoram (85.41 percent) is the most forest rich state. The States/Union Territories that showed larger increase in forest cover is Karnataka followed by Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, and Jammu & Kashmir while the States/Union Territories that showed loss of forest cover are Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh and Mizoram.
The 2015 forest census data thus obtained and published by the Government of India suggests the five states with largest area under forest cover as the following:
The 2019 forest census data thus obtained and published by the Government of India suggests the five states with largest area under forest cover as the following:
Strategy to increase cover.
In the 1970s, India declared its long-term strategy for forestry development to compose of three major objectives: to reduce soil erosion and flooding; to supply the growing needs of the domestic wood products industries; and to supply the needs of the rural population for fuelwood, fodder, small timber, and miscellaneous forest produce. To achieve these objectives, the National Commission on Agriculture in 1976 recommended the reorganisation of state forestry departments and advocated the concept of social forestry. The commission itself worked on the first two objectives, emphasising traditional forestry and wildlife activities; in pursuit of the third objective, the commission recommended the establishment of a new kind of unit to develop community forests. Following the leads of Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh, a number of other states also established community-based forestry agencies that emphasized programmes on farm forestry, timber management, extension forestry, reforestation of degraded forests, and use of forests for recreational purposes.
In the 1980s, such socially responsible forestry was encouraged by state community forestry agencies. They emphasized such projects as planting wood lots on denuded communal cattle-grazing grounds to make villages self-sufficient in fuelwood, to supply timber needed for the construction of village houses, and to provide the wood needed for the repair of farm implements. Both individual farmers and tribal communities were also encouraged to grow trees for profit. For example, in Gujarat, one of the more aggressive states in developing programmes of socioeconomic importance, the forestry department distributed 200 million tree seedlings in 1983. The fast-growing eucalyptus is the main species being planted nationwide, followed by pine and poplar.
In 2002, India set up a National Forest Commission to review and assess India's policy and law, its effect on India's forests, its impact of local forest communities, and to make recommendations to achieve sustainable forest and ecological security in India. The report made over 300 recommendations including the following:
India's national forest policy expects to invest INR 20,00,64,43,50,000 (US$26.7 billion) by 2020, to pursue nationwide afforestation coupled with forest conservation, with the goal of increasing India's forest cover from 20% to 33%.
Effects of tribal population growth on forest flora and fauna.
Due to faster tribal population growth in forest / tribal areas, naturally available forest resources (NTFP) in a sustainable manner are becoming inadequate for their basic livelihood. Many tribal are giving up their traditional livelihood and taking up farming and cattle rearing in the forest areas causing irreparable damage to forests. The erstwhile protectors of forests are slowly turning into the bane of forests and its wildlife. The government should devise schemes to avert this process and save the dwindling forest area and its flora and fauna. Tribal people have extraordinary understanding of forest flora and fauna which can be productively utilized. All the tribal peoples shall be employed by the government in the expansion and protection of forests and its wildlife till their descendants get educated and diversify into industrial and service sectors.
Economics.
Significant forest products of India include paper, plywood, sawnwood, timber, poles, pulp and matchwood, fuelwood, sal seeds, tendu leaves, gums and resins, cane and rattan, bamboo, grass and fodder, drugs, spices and condiments, herbs, cosmetics, tannins.
India is a significant importer of forest products. Logs account for 67% of all wood and wood products imported into India due to local preference for unprocessed wood. This preference is explained
by the availability of inexpensive labor and the large number of productive sawmills. In trade year 2008–2009, India imported logs worth $1.14 billion, an increase of about 70% in just 4 years.
Indian market for unprocessed wood is mostly fulfilled with imports from Malaysia, Myanmar, Côte d'Ivoire, China and New Zealand.
India is growing market for partially finished and ready-to-assemble furniture. China and Malaysia account for 60% of this imported furniture market in India followed by Italy, Germany, Singapore, Sri Lanka, the United States, Hong Kong, and Taiwan.
The Indian market is accustomed to teak and other hardwoods that are perceived to be more resistant to termites, decay and are able to withstand the tropical climate. Teak wood is typically seen as a benchmark with respect to grade and prices of other wood species. Major imported wood species are tropical woods such as mahogany, garjan, marianti, and sapeli. Plantation timber includes teak, eucalyptus, and poplar, as well as spruce, pine, and fir. India imports small quantities of temperate hardwoods such as ash, maple, cherry, oak, walnut, beech, etc. as squared logs or as lumber. India is the world's third largest hardwood log importer.
In 2009, India imported 332 million cubic metres of roundwood mostly for fuel wood application, 17.3 million cubic metres of sawnwood and wood-based panels, 7.6 million metric tonnes of paper and paperboard and about 4.5 million metric tonnes of wood and fiber pulp.
Biodiversity in Indian forests.
Indian forests are more than trees and an economic resource. They are home to some of earth's unique flora and fauna.
Indian forests represent one of the 12 mega biodiverse regions of the world. India's Western Ghats and Eastern Himalayas are amongst the 32 biodiversity hotspots on earth.
India is home to 12% of world's recorded flora, some 47000 species of flowering and non-flowering plants. Over 59000 species of insects, 2500 species of fishes, 17000 species of angiosperms live in Indian forests. About 90000 animal species, representing over 7% of earth's recorded faunal species have been found in Indian forests. Over 4000 mammal species are found here. India has one of the richest variety of bird species on earth, hosting about 12.5% of known species of birds. Many of these flora and fauna species are endemic to India.
Indian forests and wetlands serve as temporary home to many migrant birds.
Trading in exotic birds.
India was, until 1991, one of the largest exporters of wild birds to international bird markets. Most of the birds traded were parakeets and munias. Most of these birds were exported to countries in Europe and the Middle East.
In 1991, India passed a law that banned all trade and trapping of indigenous birds in the country. The passage of the law stopped the legal exports, but illegal trafficking has continued. In 2001, for example, an attempt to smuggle some 10,000 wild birds was discovered, and these birds were confiscated at the Mumbai international airport.
According to a WWF-India published report, trapping and trading of some 300 species of birds continues in India, representing 25% of known species in the country. Tens of thousands of birds are trapped from the forests of India, and traded every month to serve the demand for bird pets. Another market driver for bird trapping and trade is the segment of Indians who on certain religious occasions, buy birds in captivity and free them as an act of kindness to all living beings of the world. Trappers and traders know of the need for piety in these people, and ensure a reliable supply of wild birds so that they can satisfy their urge to do good.
The trappers, a detailed survey and investigation reveals are primarily tribal communities. The trappers lead a life of poverty and migrate over time. Their primary motivation was economics and the need to financially support their families.
Trapping and transport of trapped birds from India's forests has high injury and losses, as in other parts of the world. For every bird that reaches the market for a sale, many more die.
Abrar Ahmed, the WWF-India and TRAFFIC-India ornithologist, suggests the following as potentially effective means of stopping the harm caused by illegal trading of wild birds in India:
Conservation.
The role of forests in the national economy and in ecology was further emphasized in the 1988 National Forest Policy, which focused on ensuring environmental stability, restoring the ecological balance, and preserving the remaining forests. Other objectives of the policy were meeting the need for fuelwood, fodder, and small timber for rural and tribal people while recognising the need to actively involve local people in the management of forest resources. Also in 1988, the Forest Conservation Act, 1980 was amended to facilitate stricter conservation measures. A new target was to increase the forest cover to 33% of India's land area from the then-official estimate of 23%. In June 1990, the central government adopted resolutions that combined forest science with social forestry, that is, taking the sociocultural traditions of the local people into. As a part of which nearly 179,000 square kilometres area was afforested during the 1951-91 period. However, despite large-scale tree planting programmes, forestry in India has actually regressed since independence. Annual fellings at about four times the growth rate are a major cause. Widespread pilfering by villagers for firewood and fodder also represents a major decrement. In addition, the 1988 National Forest Policy noted, the forested area has been shrinking as a result of land cleared for farming and development programmes.
Between 1990 and 2010, India has reversed the deforestation trend. In 2010, FAO reported that India is the third fastest in the world in increasing forest cover. According to a NASA study in 2019, India along with China was leading in increasing the Earth's greenery over the past two decades.
In 2019, 220 million trees were planted in a single day in Uttar Pradesh as a part of afforestation drive of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. In 2019, Prime minister Narendra Modi released Rs 47,436 Crore for Afforestation to State government.
The 2009 Indian national forest policy document emphasizes the need to combine India's effort at forest conservation with sustainable forest management. India defines forest management as one where the economic needs of local communities are not ignored, rather forests are sustained while meeting nation's economic needs and local issues through scientific forestry.
4.95% of the area of India (156,700 km2) called Protected areas of India is reserved for the in situ conservation of species and their natural habitat.
Issues and threats.
Chipko Movement.
Chipko movement in India started in the 1970s around a dispute on how and who should have a right to harvest forest resources. Although the Chipko movement is now practically non-existent in Uttarakhand, the Indian state of its origin, it remains one of the most frequently deployed examples of an environmental and a people's movement in developing countries such as India. What caused Chipko is now a subject of debate; some neopopulists theorise Chipko as an environmental movement and an attempt to save forests, while others suggest that Chipko movement had nothing to do with eco-conservation, but was driven primarily to demand equal rights to harvest forests by local communities.
According to one set of writers: Since the early 1970s, as they realised that deforestation threatened not only the ecology but their livelihood in a variety of ways, people have become more interested and involved in conservation. The best known popular activist movement is the Chipko Movement, in which local women under the leadership of Chandi Prasad Bhatt and Sunderlal Bahuguna, decided to fight the government and the vested interests to save trees. The residents declared that they would embrace—literally "to stick to" (chipkna in Hindi)--trees to prevent cutting of ash trees in their district.
According to those who critique the ecological awareness and similar theories, Chipko had nothing to do with protecting forests, rather it was an "economic" struggle using the traditional Indian way of non-violence. These scientists point out that very little is left of the Chipko movements today in its region of origin save for its memory, even though the quality of forests and its use remains a critical issue for India. To explain the cause of Chipko movement, they find that government officials had ignored the subsistence issues of the local communities, who depended on forests for fuel, fodder, fertiliser and sustenance resources. These researchers claim that local interviews and fact finding confirms that local communities had filed complaints requesting the right to commercially exploit the forests around them. Their requests were denied, while permits to fell trees and exploit those same forests were granted to government-favoured non-resident contractors including a sporting company named Symonds. A protest that became Chipko movement followed. The movement grew and Indian government responded by imposing a 15-year ban on felling all trees above 1000 metres in the region directly as a result of the Chipko agitations. This legislation was deeply resented by many communities supporting Chipko because, the regulation further excluded the local people from the forest around them. Opposition to the legislation resulted in so-called 'Ped Katao Andolan' in the same region, a movement to cut the trees down in order to defy the new legislation. The people behind Chipko movement felt that the government did not understand or care about their economic situation.
Chipko movement, at the very least, suggests that forests in India are an important and integral resource for communities that live within these forests, or survive near the fringes of these forests.
Shifting cultivation.
A major threat to forests of India are in its northeastern states. From ancient times, the locals have practiced slash-and-burn shifting cultivation to grow food. Locally called "Jhum", it supports about 450,000 families in Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura, Assam and Meghalaya. Approximately 15,000 square kilometers of forest land is under "jhum" cultivation, and just a sixth of this land is actually producing any crop at any given year. The tribal people consider it a tradition, and economic ecosystem. However, the slash and burn causes damage to a dense forest, to soil, to flora and fauna, as well as pollution. The crop yields are very poor with "jhum" cultivation. Between 2010 and 2012, satellite studies confirmed a net loss of forest cover over these northeastern states. The lost forest includes primary dense forests. There is a concerted effort by the state government officials to educate, incentivize and train "jhum" dependent families to horticulture and other high value crops, along with an offer of food supply security. Bamboo-based textiles and value added forest products industries are also being encouraged by the local officials. States such as Arunachal Pradesh reported reduction in Jhum cultivation practice in 2013.
Timber mafia and forest cover.
A 1999 publication claimed that protected forest areas in several parts of India, such as Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka and Jharkhand, were vulnerable to illegal logging by timber mafias that have coopted or intimidated forestry officials, local politicians, businesses and citizenry.
Despite these local criminal and corruption issues, satellite data analysis and a 2010 FAO report finds India has added over 4 million hectares of forest cover, a 7% increase, between 1990 and 2010.
Forest rights.
In 1969, forestry in India underwent a major change with the passage of the Forest Rights Act, a new legislation that sought to address the needs of forest dwelling communities that resulted from the failure to record their rights over forest land and resources. It also sought to bring in new forms of community conservation.
Forest laws in India
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Borlaug Award

The Borlaug Award is an award recognition conferred by a fertilizer company, Coromandel International, for outstanding Indian scientists for their research and contributions in the field of agriculture and environment. The award was created in 1972 and named in honour of Nobel Laureate Norman E. Borlaug. It carries a cash prize of Rs 500,000, a gold medal, and a citation.
The award should not be confused with the IFA Norman Borlaug Award of the International Fertilizer Industry Association or the Borlaug Award for Field Research given by the World Food Prize Foundation.


Great Dane

The Great Dane, also known as the German Mastiff or Deutsche Dogge, is a breed of dog from Germany. The Great Dane descends from hunting dogs known from the Middle Ages and is one of the largest breeds in the world.
History.
Hunting dog origins.
In the middle of the 16th century, the nobility in many countries of Europe imported strong, long-legged dogs from England, which were descended from crossbreeds between English Mastiffs and Irish Wolfhounds. They were dog hybrids in different sizes and phenotypes with no formal breed. These dogs were called "Englische Docke" or "Englische Tocke" – later written and spelled: "Dogge" – or "Englischer Hund" in Germany. The name simply meant "English dog". Since then, the English word "dog" has come to be associated with a molossoid dog in Germany and France. These dogs were bred in the courts of German nobility, independent of the English methods, since the start of the 17th century.
The dogs were used for hunting bear, boar, and deer at princely courts, with the favorites staying at night in the bedchambers of their lords. These "Kammerhunde" (chamber dogs) were outfitted with ornate collars, and helped protect the sleeping princes from assassins.
While hunting boar or bears, the "Englische Dogge" was a catch dog used after the other hunting dogs to seize the bear or boar and hold it in place until the huntsman was able to kill it. When the hunting customs changed, particularly because of the use of firearms, many of the involved dog types disappeared. The "Englische Dogge" became rare, and was kept only as a dog of hobby or luxury.
In Austria and Germany the Molossian hound, the Suliot dog and other imports from Greece were used in the 18th century to increase the stature of the boarhounds.
Name change.
In 1878, a committee was formed in Berlin which changed the name of the "Englische Dogge" (English mastiff derivatives) to "Deutsche Dogge" (German mastiff), this being the Great Dane. This laid the foundations from which the breed was developed. During the 19th century, the dog was known as a "German boarhound" in English-speaking countries. Some German breeders tried to introduce the names "German Dogge" and "German Mastiff" on the English market, because they believed the breed should be marketed as a dog of luxury and not as a working dog. However, due to the increasing tensions between Germany and other countries, the dog later became referred to as a "Great Dane", after the "grand danois" in Buffon's "Histoire naturelle, générale et particulière" in 1755.
Description.
The Great Dane is a large German domestic dog known for its big size.
As described by the American Kennel Club:
The Great Dane combines, in its regal appearance, strength, and elegance with great size and a powerful, well-formed, smoothly muscled body. It is one of the giant working breeds, but is unique in that its general conformation must be so well balanced that it never appears clumsy, and shall move with a long reach and powerful drive. The Great Dane is a short-haired breed with a strong, galloping figure. In the ratio between length and height, the Great Dane should be square. The male dog should not be less than at the shoulders, a female . Danes under minimum height are disqualified. From year to year, the tallest living dog is typically a Great Dane. Previous record holders include Gibson, Titan, and George; however, the current record holder is a black Great Dane named Zeus that stood at the shoulder before his death in September 2014. He was also the tallest dog on record (according to Guinness World Records), beating the previous holder, the aforementioned George that stood at the shoulder.
The minimum weight for a Great Dane over 18 months is for males, for females. Unusually, the American Kennel Club dropped the minimum weight requirement from its standard. The male should appear more massive throughout than the female, with a larger frame and heavier bone.
Great Danes have naturally floppy, triangular ears. In the past, when Great Danes were commonly used to hunt boars, cropping of the ears was performed to make injuries to the dogs' ears less likely during hunts. Now that Danes are primarily companion animals, cropping is sometimes still done for traditional and cosmetic reasons. In the 1930s when Great Danes had their ears cropped, after the surgery, two devices called Easter bonnets were fitted to their ears to make them stand up. Today, the practice is common in the United States, but much less common in Europe. In some European countries such as the United Kingdom, Ireland, Denmark, and Germany, and parts of Australia and New Zealand, the practice is banned or controlled to only be performed by veterinary surgeons.
Coat.
According to the breed-standard, Great Danes have five to six (depending on the standard) show-acceptable coat colours:
Other colours occur occasionally, but are not acceptable for conformation showing and they are not pursued by breeders who intend to breed show dogs. These colours include: white, chocolate, smokey fawn or buckskin, blue fawn, blue brindle, blue harlequin or porcelain, mantled fawn, mantled brindle, mantled blue, onyx or reverse brindle, various merles (fawn merle, brindle merle, blue merle, mantled merle, chocolate merle, silver or platinum merle and tri-coloured merle), piebald, fawnequin, brindlequin and merlequin. The white Great Dane colouring is typically associated with vision and hearing impairment.
Temperament.
The Great Dane's large and imposing appearance belies its friendly nature. They are known for seeking physical affection with their owners, and the breed is often referred to as a "gentle giant".
Great Danes are generally well disposed toward other dogs, other noncanine pets, and familiar humans. They generally do not exhibit extreme aggressiveness or a high prey drive. The Great Dane is a very gentle and loving animal and with the proper care and training is great around children, especially when being raised with them. However, if not properly socialized, a Great Dane may become fearful or aggressive towards new stimuli, such as strangers and new environments.
Health.
Great Danes, like most giant dogs, have a faster metabolism. This results in more energy and food consumption per pound of dog than in small breeds. They have some health problems that are common to large breeds, including bloat (gastric dilatation volvulus).
Nutrition places a role in this breed's health. Bloat, or gastric dilatation-volvulus (GDV), is the greatest killer of Great Danes. To avoid bloat, a rest period of 40 minutes to one hour after meals is recommended before exercise. Their average lifespan is 6 to 8 years; however, some Great Danes have been known to reach 10 years of age or more. Like many larger breeds, Great Danes are at particular risk for hip dysplasia.
Dilated cardiomyopathy and many congenital heart diseases are also commonly found in the Great Dane, leading to its nickname: the heartbreak breed, in conjunction with its shorter lifespan. Great Danes also may carry the merle gene, which is part of the genetic makeup that creates the harlequin coloring. The merle gene is an incomplete dominant, meaning only one copy of the gene is needed to show the merle coloring; two merle genes produce excessive white markings and many health issues such as deafness, blindness, or other debilitating ocular issues. Great Danes can also develop wobbler disease, a condition affecting the vertebral column. Since these dogs do grow at a rapid rate, the bones in their vertebrae can push up against the spinal cord and cause weakness in the legs. This can be treated with surgery or may heal itself over time.
Cultural significance.
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South Central Farm

The South Central Farm, also known as the South Central Community Garden, was an urban farm and community garden located at East 41st and South Alameda Streets, in an industrial area of South Los Angeles, California (known as South Central Los Angeles) which was in operation between 1994 and 2006. At , it was considered one of the largest urban farms in the United States. The farm was sold in 2004, and the farmers were evicted in 2006. On July 5, 2006, workers began bulldozing the farm amidst strong protest and acts of civil disobedience. The farmers disputed the validity of the sale in court and staged vigils in protest. The farm is the subject of the 2008 Academy Award-nominated documentary film, "The Garden". It was also the subject of the PBS documentary, with an AFI Film Festival Premiere, in the Natural Heroes Series, "South Central Farm, Oasis in a Concrete Desert." This documentary has the only first-hand commentary from the developer. As of December 2017, the land remains an empty lot.
History.
Before the creation of the garden, the land belonged to nine different owners, the largest of which was Alameda-Barbara Investment Company, a real-estate firm which purchased its share in 1980. The company held 80% of the property that would become the present urban garden. The City of Los Angeles acquired the land by eminent domain in 1986, for the purpose of building a waste-to-energy incinerator known as the Los Angeles City Energy Recovery Project (LANCER). This idea was abandoned because of community opposition, led by Concerned Citizens of South-Central Los Angeles. The city paid $4,786,372 for the property.
The final order of condemnation under eminent domain included a right to repurchase the land for the largest landowner, Alameda-Barbara Investment Company, should the city sell it for non-public or non-housing purposes within ten years of the condemnation. The City sold the property to the L.A. Harbor Department in 1994.
In July 1994 the Harbor Department granted a revocable permit to the L.A. Regional Food Bank – a private, nonprofit food-distribution network housed across the street from the Lancer incinerator site – to occupy and use the site as a community garden.
In 2001, Ralph Horowitz, a partner in the former property owner Alameda-Barbara sued the City for breach of contract, for failure to honor the original right of repurchase. The City denied his claim.
In 2003, the City of L.A. settled with Horowitz, in a closed-door session. The sale was for $5,050,000, slightly above the $4.8 million the City had paid for it in the eminent domain seizure. The settlement was done to comply with the repurchase clause as the court had mandated. Horowitz agreed to donate of the site, valued at nearly $3,000,000, for a public soccer field, as part of the settlement. The City Council discussed and approved the terms of the settlement in closed session. The South Central Farm's lawyer, Patrick Dunlevy, claims that despite repeated requests, negotiation documents relating to the session have never been released.
Shortly thereafter the project was abandoned. In response the farmers formed an organization calling themselves the 'South Central Farmers Feeding Families'.
On January 8, 2004, Horowitz issued a notice to the gardeners setting February 29, 2004, as the termination date for the community garden. In response members of the South Central Farmers Feeding Families obtained legal counsel (Hadsell & Stormer, Inc., and Kaye, Mclane & Bednarski LLP) and filed a lawsuit seeking to invalidate the sale of the property. The Los Angeles County Superior Court issued a temporary restraining order and later a preliminary injunction halting development of the property until the lawsuit could be settled. The farmers lost the lawsuit and the court dissolved the injunction, freeing Horowitz to evict the farmers.
Initially, Horowitz sought $16.3 million for the property, more than three times the 1986 eminent domain valuation. In a deal brokered in cooperation by The Trust for Public Land, the SCF successfully raised a little over $6 million. Fundraising efforts continued as farmers and celebrities began both a tree-sitting campaign and occupation of the land, while under the threat of forced eviction by the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.
On June 7, 2006, the Annenberg Foundation announced that they would donate the money to buy the farm. Horowitz, however, did not respond to the offer, since it came after his May 22 deadline.
At 3 a.m. on the morning of June 13, 2006, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department arrived at the farm, fully surrounding it by 4 a.m. At 5 a.m., the sheriffs entered the farm, giving the occupants 15 minutes to evacuate. At that point, most of the occupants of the land left, with a few verbal skirmishes reported. According to the Los Angeles Times, more than 40 protesters were arrested. Actress Daryl Hannah was removed from the walnut tree in which she and another tree-sitter had been protesting the eviction and was arrested.
In June 2006, the farm was protected by a private security company hired by Horowitz to prevent members of the South Central Farm returning to squat on the land. Horowitz told the "Los Angeles Times" and KFI that he would not sell the land to them even if they offered him $100 million, because of the picketing of his house and anti-Semitic remarks directed towards him.
On July 5, 2006, workers began bulldozing the farm amidst protest and acts of civil disobedience. One protester chained himself to a bulldozer and another lay down in front of a bulldozer. Both were arrested. Two others were also arrested, one for throwing a milk crate at a police officer and the other for assaulting a bulldozer driver. Ten people were arrested in total.
On July 12, 2006, Judge Helen I. Bendix heard pre-trial arguments in a class-action suit filed by the farmers that the sale of the land to Horowitz "should be nullified on grounds that there was no prior public notice" of the transaction. The farmers' arguments were rejected on July 27, 2006 when Judge Bendix upheld the sale of the land to Horowitz. Dan Stormer, the attorney for the plaintiffs, said he would appeal.
As of September 2008, Horowitz and Forever 21 were working on a proposal for a warehouse and distribution center on the now-bulldozed site.
As of June 2011, the land remained an empty lot.
In 2011 a new campaign, OnebodyLA, was launched to restore the land for Los Angeles by means of a 'worker owned' effort.
Plant life.
The SCF held an estimated 100 to 150 species of plants, 37 of which have been identified by Devon G. Peña, professor of anthropology at the Acequia Institute of the University of Washington. According to Peña, the inventory of plants present at the farm represent its connection to "Mega-Mexico", a Vavilov Center and one of the original anthropological locations where plants were domesticated. This Vavilov center stretches from the southern end of Mexico (Chiapas) up to the Southwestern United States. Some of the plants present have been reintroduced to the area by the farmers, descendants of the original inhabitants of Mesoamerica. The relationship between traditional farmers and their plants is not like the relationship between modern farmers and their crops. Many plants that are seen as weeds by modern farmers have multiple uses to traditional farmers. Similar to dandelion, wood sorrel and clover which may be used as salad ingredients, these plants function as crops, herbal medicine, spiritual use, and as companion plants.
Farmers.
The South Central Farmers consist of approximately 350 families of moderate means from the neighboring community. They are a self-governing organization. This group transformed the property from a junk-filled space into one of the largest urban gardens. Since the notification of the impending destruction of the garden, the group became politically active and gathered supporters in politics, higher learning, entertainment, and abroad.
The operating framework of the SCF is made up of elected roles recruited from the "General Assembly" of the farmers. Some of these positions are publicly visible representatives of the SCF, such as Rufina Juarez and Tezozomoc. These two "voices" are often mistaken for the organization's leaders because they often need to interact with the outside public. All roles taken by members of the SCF exist solely to fulfill a need or set of needs to continue the healthy life span of the farm. On the farm women fulfilled most roles from accounting to that of lot monitors.
Criticism.
Criticism of the SCF occurred primarily from the property's current owner Ralph Horowitz, a partner in both the Alameda-Barbara Investment Company and its current incarnation the Libaw-Horowitz Investment Company. He maintained that his property rights were being denied by the farmers. He also claimed that the SCF is not an "open" organization, since the entire city cannot be members nor can all residents have access to farm on the land. Horowitz had proposed to build a soccer field for the community, built on a set-aside portion of . The field was intended be accessible to all city residents, unlike the SCF. Horowitz stated that the use of the remaining portion of the property would be "market driven". He also stated that he would consider giving preference to a "quality tenant", alleging that anything that he does with the property will generate jobs in the community, unlike its use by the farmers. Horowitz also made the claim that the operation of the SCF was not fair since there was no cap on the number of years that a farmer may use his or her plot of land and there was also no need to make room for someone else; that the farmers simply wanted to keep the land forever.
Other critics of the farmers included Los Angeles Councilman Dennis P. Zine, who alleged that the SCF was a confrontational group, and Daniel Hernandez who wrote an article about the SCF titled "Bushel of Complaints". Claims of internal corruption within the South Central Farm such as farmers being evicted for not supporting the actions of Juarez and Tezozomoc had also been made.
Activist Juanita Tate opposed the community farmers who wanted to keep the South Central Farm. She advocated the eviction of the farmers and the construction of a sports field in place of the community garden.


Madiran

Madiran is a commune in the Hautes-Pyrénées department in south-western France.
It is the centre of a wine-producing area.
Madiran wine.
Wine is produced around Madiran under three "Appellations d'Origine Contrôlées" (AOCs): Madiran for powerful red wines primarily from the grape variety Tannat, Pacherenc du Vic-Bilh for sweet white wines and Pacherenc du Vic-Bilh Sec for dry white wines primarily from the grape varieties Courbu and Petit Manseng. The production area for Madiran wine, which consists of of vineyards, is spread over three departments of France—Gers, Hautes-Pyrénées, and Pyrénées-Atlantiques—and is a part of the South West France wine region.


David Fagan

Sir David Alexander Fagan (born 1961) is a New Zealand sheep shearer, who has won the New Zealand Golden Shears contest a record 16 times. From Te Kuiti, Fagan has set 10 world records, and won five world, six world team, and 16 national titles, making him New Zealand's most successful competition sheep shearer.
In 1990, Fagan was awarded the New Zealand 1990 Commemoration Medal. In the 1999 Queen's Birthday Honours, he was appointed a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to shearing. He was promoted to Officer of the same order in the 2007 Queen’s Birthday Honours, and further promoted to Knight Companion, also for services to shearing, in the 2016 New Year Honours.


Fonjallaz (vineyard)

Fonjallaz is a traditional winery in Epesses, Switzerland, the family business founded in 1552.
The basic facts:


Jimmy Doherty

Jimmy Doherty (born 24 May 1975) is an English farmer and television presenter. A childhood friend of Jamie Oliver, Doherty is known for the show "Jimmy's Farm", detailing the operation of the Essex Pig Company that he and his wife Michaela Furney own in Suffolk.
Biography.
Born in Ilford, Doherty moved to Clavering in Essex at the age of three. A childhood friend of Jamie Oliver, he studied at Newport Free Grammar School, has a degree in animal biology from the University of East London and studied for a PhD in entomology at Coventry University's zoology department.
In 2002, he appeared as a friend and guest on "Oliver's Twist" in the episodes "Painting Party in 2002 "Flash in the Pan" in 2003.
He then trained as a pig farmer, where, in 2002, he met runner Furney, when Channel 4's filming for "Jamie's Kitchen" took it to the Cumbrian farm where he was working.
After returning to Essex to run his own farm, Doherty and Furney set up The Essex Pig Company using free range meat production practices. The operation raises various rare breeds, most notably the endangered Essex, together with the Berkshire, Gloucestershire Old Spots, large and middle Whites; Soay and Jacob sheep and Red Poll cattle. Jimmy's farm is in Suffolk near Ipswich. There are currently 20 full and part-time staff. Their efforts were followed by a series of fly-on-the-wall documentaries which aired on BBC Two.
In 2008, Doherty presented a series for BBC2 called "Jimmy Doherty's Farming Heroes" which aired from July 2008 to August 2008, followed by various other series and single documentaries for the BBC. Notably, "Jimmy's Food Factory", in which he demonstrated the industrial techniques used in the production of processed foods, ran for two series on BBC One. When the Controller of BBC One at the time, Jay Hunt, left to become chief creative officer at Channel 4 at the end of 2010, she signed up Doherty to present exclusively for Channel 4. Doherty's last series for the BBC, "A Farmer's Life for Me", was broadcast in February and March 2011.
Since 18 June 2011, "Jimmy's Food Factory" airs as "ProSieben BBC Spezial – Jimmy's Food Factory" every Saturday on German TV channel ProSieben.
In December 2012, Jimmy and Jamie Oliver presented the Channel 4 series "Jamie & Jimmy's Food Fight Club". Since 2014, Doherty has co-presented the prime-time Channel 4 series "Jamie & Jimmy's Friday Night Feast" alongside Jamie Oliver.
In 2016 Jimmy became the youngest ever President of the Rare Breeds Survival Trust a charity closely linked to his work and passions.
Personal life.
Jimmy and Michaela Furney were married on 22 August 2009. The reception was held at their farm, Pannington Hall in Wherstead, Suffolk.
They have four daughters, born between 2010 and 2018.
In August 2014, Doherty was one of 200 public figures who were signatories to a letter to "The Guardian" expressing their hope that Scotland would vote to remain part of the United Kingdom in September's referendum on that issue.


Mount Margaret Station

Mount Margaret Station is a pastoral lease that operates as a sheep station and more recently as a cattle station. It is located about west of Quilpie and south of Windorah in Queensland. The property has extensive and reliable water supply with of double frontage on the Wilson River and associated creeks.
Mount Margaret was once Queenslands and Australias largest sheep station, occupying an area of which makes it larger than the nation of Brunei.
The station was sold in 2010 for $12 million, it was free of stock at the time but included all plant and equipment and was sold to New South Wales cattle producer Kilburnie Pastoral Co.
In 1937 the Peel River Pastoral Company who had acquired the station in 1925 sold the property for £50,000 to the Killeen Brothers, at this point the station was stocked with 10,000 head of cattle and 250 horses, but it was believed that the Killeens would make the change to sheep.
Owned in 1956 by the Killen family's Pastoral Development Holdings (formerly Elsinora), the property ran a flock of 76,000 sheep and 5,000 cattle. The adjoining properties include Malagarga and Kihee stations, both of which, at different time, have been owned along with Mount Margaret. The property was then purchased by Mr T. M. Gadsby in 1969 and was owned and managed by the Gadsby family until late 1979.
The station was acquired in 2004 by Mike Gordon's, the Bydand Pastoral Company, from the Yass based Reid family.
Bydand put the property on the market in 2009 and sold in 2010 to Kilburnie Pastoral Co. which still owned the property in 2012. The station has been breeding and selling Angus cattle. The price tag, with no stock, was approximately 12.5 million.


John Goleby

John Philip Goleby (22 March 1935 - 10 September 1985) was a member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly.
Biography.
Goleby was born in Cleveland, Queensland, the son of Philip Eric Goleby and his wife Carolena Amelia (née Holzapfel), and lived in the area all his life. He was educated at Mount Cotton and Thornlands state schools before attending Wynnum High School and, after finishing his education, worked on the family farm at Thornlands. He later bought a property at Mount Cotton and continued his farming career.
On the 14 April 1956, he married Margery Day and they had a son and a daughter. Margery died in 1979 and in December 1980, he married Betty Lind. Goleby died in a tractor accident on his Mount Cotton farm in September 1985 and was accorded a state funeral, which proceeded from the Cleveland Uniting Church to the Cleveland Cemetery.
Public career.
Goleby was a councillor on the Redland Shire Council from 1961 until 1980, and during that time was chairman of the Finance and Works Committee from 1967 until 1975, and then chairman of the Works Committee from 1975 to 1978.
In 1974, he successfully stood as the Country Party candidate for the seat of Redlands and represented the electorate until his death in 1985. From 6 December 1982 until 10 September 1985, he was the Minister for Water Resources and Maritime Services.


Achaia Clauss

Achaia Clauss is a Greek winery located in Patras in the Peloponnese. It was founded in 1861 by the Bavarian Gustav Clauss. It is most famous for its fortified red wine, Mavrodaphne. The winery was the main sponsor of the local basketball team, Apollon Achaia Clauss.
History.
In 1859, Gustav Clauss, a representative of the Bavarian company Fels and Co., purchased an area of of land from the landowner George Kostakis in Riganokampos in Patras at an altitude of 500 meters. His initial interest was in blackcurrants, but he built a summer residence there, where he planted a few vines as a hobby.
In 1861 he established the winery Achaia Clauss, which initially was managed by the estate of the Jakob Klipfel company. The first years of Achaia Clauss were extremely difficult since the property was attacked almost daily by gangs of brigands. The new venture nevertheless managed to survive and to establish itself in the region through its links with the central government of the Bavarian King Otto.
In 1872 the owners of Fels and Co., together with Theodor Harburger and Gustav Clauss, founded the "Achaia Wine Company". From 1873 until 1881 the company was managed by Emil Werl, and from 1883 by Gustav Clauss himself. From 1908 the company specialised in production of the Mavrodaphne and Demestica wines.
Clauss died shortly after, and the company passed into the hands of a German named Gudert from whom on the outbreak of World War I the Greek government confiscated the winery as an enemy alien asset. In 1920 it passed into the ownership of Vlassis Antonopoulos, and from then on, with a slight pause during the German occupation in World War II, the company developed rapidly.
A major landmark was in 1955 when the company took on Konstantinos Antonopoulos, who installed new machines in the winery and recruited a team of specialists. In 1983 the company launched their new bottling plant. In 1997 the position of chairman and chief executive was taken by Nikos Karapanos.
Since its establishment the site has always been a popular destination for visitors and continues to be so.
Winery.
The Achaia Clauss winery has many storage areas with a total capacity of about 7500 tonnes. The main ones are the storage of old Mavrodaphne wine, the storage of table wines, the subterranean tanks, and the Danielis storage room.
Famous visitors.
Through the years many important people have visited Achaia Clauss: Eleutherios Venizelos, Melina Merkouri, empress Sissy of Austria, General Montgomery, Alexander Fleming, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, Pavlos Koundouriotis, Aristotelis Onassis, Omar Sharif, King Gustav Adolf of Sweden, Kings George I, Konstantinos I and George II of Greece, Queen Alexandra of Great Britain, Queen Louise of Sweden, Queens Olga and Sofia of Greece, princess Marie Bonaparte of Greece and Denmark, Nadia Comaneci, Thanos Mikroutsikos, Manolis Glezos, Agnes Baltsa, Karolos Papoulias.


Thuringian goat

 The Thuringian goat breed from Thüringen in central Germany is utilized for the production of milk. It is a variety of the German Improved Fawn goat breed. The Thuringian goat breed is derived from the selective-breeding of crosses between Toggenburg, Harzerziege, Rhönziege, and Thüringer Landziege goat breeds. It is well-adapted to mountainous regions but is almost extinct.
Taglines.
"She Helped Her Husband Destroy His Brother By The Most Immoral Act Imaginable"
"She Kept It All In The Family!"
Plot.
Robert Strong (John Savage), a singer-songwriter who has been traveling the country, makes a mistake when he goes to visit his brother, Edward (Will MacMillan), and gets involved with his bored sister-in-law, Joanna (Anne Saxon).
Robert and his brother's mistress, Deborah Holt (Meridith Baer), try to help his brother get away from working in drug smuggling.
It may or may not be a mistake, which turns out deadly.
Principal cast.
Feature film debut of Anne Saxon, who plays the titular sister-in-law. This is also the only known film appearance by Ms. Saxon. There has been some speculation that she used an assumed name while making the film.
John Savage who starred as the principle lead in this film also provided much of the music. He wrote and performed three original songs for the film.
Michael Ruben: close family member of the film's director, writer, and producer Joseph Ruben appears as the young son of Edward and Joanna Strong.
Home media.
Like other films distributed by Crown International Pictures, "The Sister-in-Law" is readily available through VOD and often included in DVD collections of similar films from the 1970s such as The Pom Pom Girls and Blue Money, through Mill Creek Entertainment and other companies.


Aaron Yonda

Aaron Yonda (born January 19, 1973) is an American comedian, writer, actor, director, and YouTuber from Menomonie, Wisconsin.
He portrays the title character in "Chad Vader: Day Shift Manager", a web serial he co-produced with his friend Matt Sloan, who provides the voice of Chad.
Early life.
Yonda is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire.
Career.
His short film, "The Life and Death of a Pumpkin", swept the Chicago Horror Film Festival awards, receiving "Best Short Film" and "Concept". His shorts have been screened worldwide including the Just for Laughs Festival and the Worldwide Short Film Festival in Toronto.
Yonda is also a member of the comedy troupe Monkey Business Institute in Madison, Wisconsin.


Harry Bedford (music hall)

Harry Bedford (1873 – 17 October 1939) was a British music hall comedian and singer.
Born in Pimlico, London, he made his first onstage appearance at the age of seven. He was an apprentice in a boat-building business before becoming a professional entertainer in 1888, making his first appearances in pantomimes and minstrel shows. By 1895 he had become a leading music hall entertainer, appearing at the Middlesex Music Hall in London and developing an act that was considered somewhat risqué for the time. Described as a "low comedian", his popular songs (written by others) included "A Little Bit Off the Top", "The Cock of the North", and "When I Get Some Money".
He died in London in 1939.


H.E.L.P.

H.E.L.P. is an American television drama series which aired on ABC for one season as a mid-season replacement for "", which was a replacement for "Mr. Belvedere" in March 1990. John Mahoney starred as Chief Patrick Meacham of the New York City Fire Department. Wesley Snipes played police officer Lou Barton and David Caruso played police officer Frank Sardoni of the NYPD.
The premise of the show was based on an experimental combined emergency services station (the Harlem Eastside Life-saving Program, or HELP) in New York City that co-located the resources of the Fire Department, Police Department and Emergency Medical Services.
Although "H.E.L.P." was canceled after only a brief initial season, the concept of a show involving all three branches of NYC emergency services was successfully reintroduced nine years later with the 1999 debut of "Third Watch", which ran for six seasons on NBC.


Joanna Bessey

Joanna Bessey (born 1976) is an actress and director from Malaysia. She is best known for her role as Marie Tan in the situation comedy Kopitiam which ran for 7 seasons.
Early life.
Bessey was born in West Sussex to a British father and Malaysian mother of Malay descent with Minangkabau lineage.
Career.
Bessey has appeared in over 200 episodes of television, 6 TV movies, 5 feature films, commercials with 2 major celebrity endorsements, voice-over work for commercials and animated series and numerous theatre productions, over the last 10 years. Other TV credits include "La Dolce Amira", "Bilik 13", "All Mixed Up" and Island FM. She has been in feature films such as Lips to Lips, Buli, "" and "Waris Jari Hantu".
Bessey appeared on BBC World News hosting the
travel documentary "Exploring Malaysia". She is also an environmentalist.
In 2020, Bessey made her videogame debut by voice acting as Eve in "No Straight Roads"
Personal life.
She is married to German husband Aurel Wunderer. They have a son born in 2011.
Accolades.
She has had the following nomations: 'Best Actor in a Supporting Role' at the 'Boh' Cameronian Arts Awards 2007, "Best Director" for her directorial debut of Ibsen's 'An Enemy of the People", 'Best Actress in a Comedy Role' for the award-winning sitcom, "Kopitiam" at the Asian Television Awards (Singapore) and was highly commended. She was voted Best Female Artist in 2000 by a public online poll.


At the Top of the Pyramid

At the Top of the Pyramid is a 2014 American teenage drama film directed by Lawrence Jordan and starring Steve Guttenberg, Dean Cain, and Elle McLemore.
Premise.
A young cheerleader attempts to overcome her inner demons after being traumatized by a tragic incident at a cheer leading competition.
Production.
The film was shot in Centreville, Virginia, Arlington County, Virginia and Fairfax, Virginia.
Reception.
Frank Scheck of "The Hollywood Reporter" gave the film a negative review, writing that it "doesn't manage to attack the crowd."


Alina (film)

Alina is a 1950 Italian melodrama film directed by Giorgio Pastina. The film stars Gina Lollobrigida as Alina and Amedeo Nazzari as Giovanni.


Elio Zamuto

Elio Zamuto (born 1 May 1941 in Syracuse) is an Italian actor and voice actor.
Life and career.
Born in Syracuse as Elio Mazzamuto, Zamuto started his career in the mid-1960s, and had a prolific career between television and cinema, especially during the 1970s and mainly playing roles of seducer, gangster or police officer.
As voice actor, he is best known as the official Italian dubbing voice of Tom Selleck in the TV-series "Magnum, P.I."


Asami Yoshida (voice actress)

 (May 15 - ) is a Japanese voice actress represented by Arts Vision. She is a graduate of the Japan Narration Performance Institute.


Christine Cromwell

Christine Cromwell is an American crime drama television series that aired as a rotating element of the "ABC Mystery Movie". It debuted on November 11, 1989, and ended on February 17, 1990, with five episodes presented semi-monthly.
Premise and cast.
Christine Cromwell, portrayed by Jaclyn Smith, is a lawyer for a prestigious law firm in San Francisco with cases that involve famous, wealthy people. She was valedictorian of her class in Harvard Law School and worked as a public defender for a decade.
Cromwell enjoys high-society activities with her mother, Samantha (Celeste Holm) and works in the law firm with senior partner Cyrus Blain (Ralph Bellamy). Other regulars were Sarah the secretary (Rebecca Cross) and Nanny the housekeeper (Ellen Albertini).
Dick Wolf was the executive producer.
Reaction.
Mark Dawidziak, in an article distributed by Knight Ridder newspapers, praised the first episode's production values but described the plot as "horribly hackneyed." He added that the program went from fun in the first hour to being a dud in its conclusion.


Frank De Lima

Franklin Wilcox Napuakekaulike De Lima (born July 8, 1949), an American comedian and Catholic deacon from Hawaii.
Biography.
Franklin Wilcox Napuakekaulike De Lima is of Portuguese, Spanish, Irish, Scottish, English, Chinese, and Hawaiian descent. De Lima is known for light-hearted "Portagee" (Hawaiian Pidgin English for "Portuguese") slurs in his routine.
In Honolulu, De Lima attended the Cathedral Elementary School, Damien Memorial High School, and Saint Stephen Minor Seminary, later graduating with Bishop Clarence Silva of Honolulu at St. Patrick Archdiocesan Seminary in Menlo Park, California. He was subsequently ordained a deacon in the Roman Catholic Church, serving at Holy Trinity Church, Kuliouou, Honolulu.
As a service to the community, De Lima also administers the "Frank De Lima Student Enrichment Program". Through the enrichment program, Frank travels around Hawaii to various schools to perform motivational speeches.


Kathleen Breck

Kathleen Breck (b 1940), is an English actress. She was born in Mutare, Zimbabwe (then Rhodesia).
She was chosen to star in "West 11" over Julie Christie. The film was directed by Michael Winner who said "She quit acting, found a handsome and rich husband, and settled down to a delightful life with Allan Scott. He's both a famous screenwriter and the owner of a legendary Scotch whisky company."


Breaking the Rules (film)

Breaking the Rules is a 1992 American drama film directed by Neal Israel, executive produced by Larry A. Thompson, starring Jason Bateman, C. Thomas Howell, Jonathan Silverman and Annie Potts. Jason's father, Kent Bateman, has a role in the movie as well.
Plot.
Phil (Jason Bateman) is a cancer-stricken man who tricks his two best friends, Gene (C. Thomas Howell) and Rob (Jonathan Silverman), whom he hasn't seen in a long time, to go on a road trip, by inviting them to a fake engagement party. This has the potential for problems because Gene once stole Rob's girlfriend. Phil gets them to be friends again. He tells them of his illness and all three decide to go to Los Angeles for Phil's dying wish: to be a contestant on "Jeopardy!" On the way there they meet an attractive wild woman with a heart of gold (Annie Potts).
Reception.
Roger Ebert savaged the film in his contemporary review, damning its inauthentic script wherein "one appalling scene follows another". In an exasperated tone, he asked: "Was there no one to cry out, "Stop this madness?" No one to read the script and see that it was without sense or sensibility? No one to listen to the dialogue and observe that nobody in the world ever talked like this?"


The Big Heart of Girls

The Big Heart of Girls () is a 2011 Italian drama film directed by Pupi Avati.


Carolina Acevedo

Carolina Acevedo Rojas (born October 7, 1979) in Ibagué is a Colombian actress. She played the lead character in the TV Series "Mariana & Scarlett".
Life and career.
She is the eldest daughter of Ricardo Acevedo and Silvia Rojas. Acevedo also has a sister named Marcela that was born in 1982. She acted in a Colombian television tv series called Clase Aparte and Conjunto Cerrado. Acevedo started with her career in 1993 acting in the TV series "De Pies a Cabeza" directed by Andres Marroquin. In 2000 she was the protagonist in "Pobre Pablo" a novel of the RCN channel. She played María Alcalá, the daughter of a rich flower distributor in the USA. She also plays Gabriela in Narcos.


Darby Lloyd Rains

Darby Lloyd Rains (born in 1948) is a former adult film performer who was prolific during the 1970s. She is a member of the XRCO Hall of Fame. She appeared uncredited as a stripper in the 1971 film "The French Connection".


Simon Ardizzone

Simon Ardizzone is an editor and filmmaker. He produced and directed the documentary "Hacking Democracy" (2006) and co-directed "Kill Chain: The Cyber War on America's Elections" (2020) with Russell Michaels and Sarah Teale. He was an editor on the TV documentaries: "God Is Green" (2007); "Britain's Greatest Monarch" (2005); and "What Made Mozart Tic" (2004).
Ardizzone studied at Durham University. He later graduated from the National Film and Television School in 1995.


Inspector Hornleigh Goes To It

Inspector Hornleigh Goes To It is a 1941 British detective film directed by Walter Forde and starring Gordon Harker, Alastair Sim, Phyllis Calvert and Edward Chapman. It was the third and final film adaptation of the Inspector Hornleigh stories.
It was released in America by 20th-Century Fox under the title Mail Train.
Plot summary.
Hornleigh and Sergeant Bingham join the army in an effort to uncover a ring of German spies.