Drawn thread work

Drawn thread work is a form of counted-thread embroidery based on removing threads from the warp and/or the weft of a piece of even-weave fabric.
The remaining threads are grouped or bundled together into a variety of patterns. The more elaborate styles of drawn thread work use a variety of other stitches and techniques, but the drawn thread parts are their most distinctive element. It is also grouped as whitework embroidery because it was traditionally done in white thread on white fabric and is often combined with other whitework techniques.
Styles.
Basic hemstitching.
The simplest kind of drawn thread work is hemstitching, which is often used to decorate the trimmings of clothes or household linens. The transition from elaborate hemstitching to more advanced styles of drawn thread work is not clearly defined.
Needle-weaving.
This relatively easy type of drawn thread work is created by weaving (or darning) the embroidering thread into the barelaid warp or weft threads to create patterns of light-colored threads and dark openings in the drawn-thread cloth. Needleweaving is most often used for decorative borders. It is nearly always used in combination with other types of embroidery stitches. Together they create a complete design and, historically, in ethnic embroidery, distinctive embroidery styles, also known as "needle-darning."
Poltava-style drawnwork.
In Ukrainian and some other Slavic languages, "merezhka" (, ) is the general term for "drawn-thread" work. It includes all types of drawn-thread work including those mentioned in the paragraphs above.
In recent years (199(?)–2005), the term "myreschka", a variant of "merezhka", began to be used in some circles for a specific Ukrainian drawn-thread technique that is traditionally used in the central lands of Ukraine, esp. in the regions of Poltava and Kyiv, and areas along the Dniepro (Dnieper) River, and some have come to call it "Poltava-style" "merezhka". The technique has its own descriptive name in the Ukrainian language, which might be translated into English as "layerings".
The technique for doing Poltava-style "layerings"-"merezhka" basically involves withdrawing sets of parallel threads of weft while leaving others in place, then using the antique hem-stitch (called "prutyk") and this special "layerings" technique to create both the openwork "net" and the design of embroidering threads upon the "withdrawn" part of cloth. The designs which can be created in this way can be simple and narrow, or as complex and wide (high) as any one-colored embroidery design.
"Prutyk" (may also be spelled "prutik") is the "bunch" (switch or stick) that is created when you pull together each bunch of three threads together using hem-stitch.
In Ukrainian, "prutyk" is simply another name for "simple hemstitch" (i.e.: "merezhka-prutyk"), or it can mean each tiny "bunch" in the hemstitching.
Other drawn-thread.
A form of double-drawnwork, where both warp and weft are removed at regular intervals, consists of wrapping the remaining threads into "bundles", using embroidery thread to secure them, thus creating something similar to a net. Then embroidery threads are woven in patterns into that net using needle weaving or needle darning. The result is a pattern of the design in white (or colored, depending on ethnic region) embroidery on the "openwork" background of netted cloth.
Cutwork.
Hardanger.
Hardanger embroidery is a style of drawn thread work that is most popular today. It originally comes from Norway, from the traditional district of Hardanger. The backbone of Hardanger designs consists of satin stitches. In geometrical areas both warp and weft threads are removed and the remaining mesh is secured with simple weaving or warping or with a limited number of simple filling patterns. The designs tend to be geometric, if they include flowers or such they are very stylized due to the nature of the technique. Hardanger never includes Buttonhole stitches, except for securing the edges of a piece of fabric. It is usually executed using rather coarse fabric and thread.
Ukrainian cutwork.
Much like Hardanger, Ukrainian cutwork belongs to the category of 'cut-and-drawn' work, since, unlike merezhka (drawn-work), threads of the ground cloth are cut both vertically and horizontally and thus create specifically larger cut-work openings in the body of the fabric, when compared with drawn-work.
The Ukrainian word for cutwork embroidery is vyrizuvannya (pronounced "veree-zoo-van-nya" - translates into "cutwork").
There are several styles of Ukrainian cutwork, one of which closely resembles Hardanger cutwork.
Needlelace and drawn-thread work.
Reticella lace is a form of embroidery in which typical techniques of needlelace are used to embellish drawn thread work. It was first used in 16th century Italy. Needlelace evolved from this when the lacemakers realized that they can do the same things without any supporting fabric. High quality reticella is done with thread almost as thin as sewing silk. Ruskin lace is in fact a near-modern form of it. Warp and weft threads are removed, and the remaining threads are overcast with buttonhole stitches, as in needlelace.
Another embroidery style that combines drawn thread work with needlelace techniques is Hedebo from Denmark, which originates from the area around Copenhagen and Roskilde. It uses techniques that are clearly distinct from reticella and traditional Italian neddlelace on the one hand and Hardanger on the other. It does make extensive use of buttonhole stitches, but they are done slightly differently than in Italian embroidery.


Radio orchestra

A radio orchestra (or broadcast orchestra) is an orchestra employed by a radio network (and sometimes television networks) in order to provide programming as well as sometimes perform incidental or theme music for various shows on the network. In the heyday of radio such orchestras were numerous, performing classical, popular, light music and jazz. However, in recent decades, broadcast orchestras have become increasingly rare. Those that still exist perform mainly classical and contemporary orchestral music, though broadcast light music orchestras, jazz orchestras and big bands are still employed by some radio stations in Europe.
Famous broadcast orchestras include the NBC Symphony Orchestra (1937–1954) conducted by Arturo Toscanini, the five orchestras maintained by the BBC, particularly the BBC Symphony Orchestra founded in 1930, the MDR Symphony Orchestra founded in 1923, the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra founded in 1949, the Tokyo-based NHK Symphony Orchestra, the Danish National Symphony Orchestra founded in 1925, the Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra founded in 1969 and the Tchaikovsky Symphony Orchestra of Moscow Radio (formerly the USSR State Radio and Television Symphony Orchestra among other names) founded in 1930.
Germany has an especially large number of radio orchestras. Twelve radio orchestras perform and produce classical as well as contemporary music and jazz for Germanys public broadcasters. North German Broadcasting (NDR) has two orchestras in Hamburg and Hanover as well as the NDR Big Band also in Hamburg. West German Broadcasting (WDR) has two orchestras in Cologne and a Big Band, Southwest German Broadcasting (SWR) with two orchestras and the SWR Big Band in Stuttgart and Baden-Baden/Freiburg, Bavarian Broadcasting (Bayerischer Rundfunk) with two orchestras in Munich, Central German Broadcasting (MDR) with one orchestra in Leipzig, Saarland Broadcasting (SR) with one (2006 merged) orchestra in Saarbrücken/Kaiserslautern, Hessian Broadcasting (HR) with one orchestra in Frankfurt and the (Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra), Berlin.
The British Broadcasting Corporation operates five full-time permanent orchestras, as well as a full-time chamber choir, the BBC Singers and the BBC Big Band.
Denmark also maintains orchestra in the form of the Danish National Symphony Orchestra, the Danish Radio Big Band, Chamber Orchestra and Radio Choir.
In Norway NRK runs the Norwegian Radio Orchestra (Norwegian, Kringkastingsorkestret, abbreviated as KORK). The orchestra specializes in classical music as well as popular music. This makes it quite unique in that the musicians are trained
both classically and rhythmically too a high degree. The Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra and Stavanger Symphony Orchestra also have agreements with NRK too make a number of broadcast recordings a year.
In the Netherlands, the Muziekcentrum van de Omroep ("Broadcasting Music Centre"), an umbrella organization of the Netherlands Public Broadcasting associations, supports the Radio Filharmonisch Orkest, the Radio Kamer Filharmonie, the Groot Omroepkoor ("Netherlands Radio Choir"), and the Metropole Orkest, the world's largest professional pop and jazz orchestra.
The last surviving broadcast orchestra in North America was the CBC Radio Orchestra founded in 1938. On March 28, 2008 the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation announced that the orchestra would be dissolved at the end of November. The ensemble has continued independent of network affiliation as the National Broadcast Orchestra based in Vancouver.
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) in Australia operates six state radio symphony orchestras through its subdivision Symphony Australia.
The house band for the "Late Show with David Letterman" whimsically called itself the CBS Orchestra though it was not a classical musical orchestra and did not perform on CBS outside of the "Late Show". The last permanent studio orchestra in America was The Tonight Show Band, also known as the NBC Orchestra, a big band led by trumpeter Doc Severinsen.


Editorial Galaxia

The Xeración Galaxia (Galaxy Generation) were a group of Galician language writers centred on the Editorial Galaxia (founded 1950) which was established to publish and translate modern texts that would develop Galician national literature. The name echoes that of the 1920s intellectual group Xeración Nós ("Generation We Ourselves") who promoted Galacian culture in the 1920s.


Dueling pianos

Dueling pianos (also known simply as "sing-along") is a form of entertainment, usually on stage with two grand pianos, each played by a professional player who sings and entertains; humor and audience participation are prevalent. Usually these types of piano bars have substantial sound systems, and most of the songs performed are rock and roll, "classic rock", Top 40, R&B, or country, played primarily by request. The modern format originated in late 1986 at Alley Cats in Dallas, Texas, and was based on the old-style dueling pianos still found at Pat O'Brien's Bar in New Orleans.
History.
Literal dueling pianos can be verified as early as the late 1890s, when ragtime piano players would actually "duel" in an effort to see who could play better and faster. In 1933, when B.H. O'Brien and Charlie Cantrell opened Pat O'Brien's Bar in New Orleans, they included a room where two piano players would entertain the crowd on copper-topped baby grand pianos. Players would take turns singing songs requested by the audience, written on cocktail napkins.
In 1986, a piano bar called Dallas Alley (aka "Alley Cats") opened in Dallas, Texas as an attempt to copy the piano bar style of New Orleans. Players at this club started redefining the style of dueling pianos by playing more contemporary rock and roll music, coupled with humorous bits that involved lyric substitutions and audience participation. These "bits" would become commonplace at many dueling piano clubs over the years, as a staple of the industry. From there, many dueling piano clubs and chains opened, and there are currently well over 200 different clubs across the United States, and even more in other countries. The name of the concept has also evolved to be called "sing-along" since the goal of the players is not generally to work against each other, but rather to gain audience participation with singing and clapping. This is widely accepted as the current incarnation of dueling pianos/sing-along.
The show.
A typical dueling pianos show normally features two to four piano players. They can work in teams throughout the night, taking audience requested songs. Generally, tips are expected when a song request is made, and priority may be given to a song with a larger denomination bill. Upon a tip, the players will often play the fight song of whatever college is requested too, which often results in bidding wars between alumni and students of various universities in attendance. Patrons can also request that an audience member be brought on stage. Generally, this is to celebrate a birthday, bachelorette party, bachelor party, anniversary, or other occasion. The player then performs a "calldown" in which the participant (or participants) is embarrassed in a light-hearted fashion. Calldowns may be parodies of well known songs, or simply original material intended to generate a reaction from the audience.
"Bits" are comedic routines or audience participation, many woven in the songs themselves. A commonly used bit can be found in the song "Joy to the World", by Three Dog Night, as one piano player will teach the crowd "sign language" that accompanies the song, then bringing up an audience member to demonstrate.
Video Example of Dueling Pianos, "The Devil Went Down To Georgia"
Songs.
Commonly requested songs at a dueling piano bar can include almost any genre, and are generally accompanied by a monetary tip.
Examples:
Many of the songs requested do not fall into the typical "piano bar" category, and many dueling piano players pride themselves on their ability to perform songs that are generally not considered as such, like those from hard rock and rap genres.
Players.
Dueling piano players come from varied backgrounds, including previous solo piano bar players and keyboardists from various bands. Currently, there are between 300 - 400 dedicated dueling piano players in the US. As the number of dueling piano clubs increases, the demand remains steady for these entertainers.
See also.
Piano bar


Der Schmied von Gent

Der Schmied von Gent is a "Grand magical opera" in three acts by Franz Schreker with a German-language libretto by the composer after the story "Smetse Smee" by the Flemish author Charles de Coster.
Composition history.
The work was composed between 1929 and 1932 and published by Universal Edition. It was the composer's final completed opera.
Performance history.
The work was first performed at the Berlin Städtische Oper on 29 October 1932 conducted by Paul Breisach. The performance was marred by right-wing demonstrations directed at the composer due to his Jewish heritage. The first performance in modern times was at the Berlin Staatsoper in 1981 conducted by Rolf Reuter. Further productions have taken place at Bielefeld Opera (1991), Chemnitz Opera (2010) and Flemish Opera (2020).
Synopsis.
Act 1
Smee owns a smithy on the banks of the River Leie in Ghent during the Eighty Years War when the region was struggling for independence from the ruling Spanish. Smee makes no secret of his loathing of the Spaniards and, after being denounced to the authorities by a rival, the drunkard Slimbroek, loses his business and livelihood. He is on the point of drowning himself in the river when mysterious voices call him from the trees, offering him seven years of wealth and prosperity in return for his soul. Reluctantly, Smee agrees and his smithy enjoys a miraculous recovery, to the amazement of Smee’s wife who is unaware of the devilish pact.
Act 2
The seven years are almost at an end and Smee is agonising over his fate. A man and a woman with an infant child appear at the forge: their donkey has lost a shoe which Smee, now wealthier than he could ever have imagined, is happy to replace without charge. The family is revealed as Joseph, Mary and the infant Jesus. In return for his generosity, Joseph grants the blacksmith three wishes with which Smee is able to dupe the three emissaries of Hell which come to claim his soul: the executioner Hessels, the Duke of Alba and Satan’s mistress Astarte. But, in an infernal vision, Lucifer himself appears and the smithy disappears into the Leie.
Act 3
Smee, now old and with his forge gone, dies with his wife at his side and begins his journey to the other world. At first, he arrives at the gates of Hell, but the devils, remembering the trouncing he inflicted on them earlier, want nothing to do with him. He then approaches the gates of Heaven but is refused entry by St. Peter. With nowhere to go, Smee decides to open a stall serving food and drink to new arrivals. Former acquaintances from Ghent (including Slimbroek) soon appear and they join in a lively drinking song. When Smee’s wife arrives, she intercedes with St. Joseph and, after weighing his good deeds against his bad, Joseph finally admits Smee entry into Paradise.
Recordings.
"Der Schmied von Gent": Oliver Zwarg, Undine Dreißig, Andre Riemer, Judith Kuhn, Chor der Oper Chemnitz, Robert-Schumann-Philharmonie, Frank Beermann, CPO.


Gay Eaton

Gaynor Mary Eaton (10 April 1933 – 8 July 2017) was a New Zealand textile artist. Pieces of her work are held in the permanent collection of Otago Museum in Dunedin.
Eaton was the president of the Otago Embroiderers' Guild and also served as a regional education officer for the Association of New Zealand Embroiderers' Guilds. As part of this role, she taught embroidery at St Hilda’s Collegiate School, Dunedin. In 1984 she proposed an annual embroidery school be run at Wanaka, Otago; the school started in 1985 and has run every year since. Eaton chaired the organising committee for 25 years, and in 2014 an exhibition of her work was presented at the event.
Eaton was made a Member of the Order of New Zealand in the 2007 New Year's Honours, for services to embroidery.


Diana Iljine

Diana Iljine (born September 13, 1964 in Frankfurt) is the director of Filmfest München, Munich's international film festival, and the Munich International Festival of Filmschools. She has held this post since August 2011 when she took over from Andreas Ströhl.
Life and career.
Born in Frankfurt, Iljine majored in communications at Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, then went on to work in film and TV for 25 years, mainly in sales and acquisitions. She has worked for ZDF, a public-service German television broadcaster and one of the biggest broadcasting organizations in Europe, as well as for Sky Deutschland (previously called “PREMIERE”).
Iljine co-wrote a book on film production, “Der Produzent” (English: The producer), which became a standard reference work. In 2008, she went freelance as consultant for international licensing, co-productions and video on demand. She completed her MBA in 2011 at Berlin’s Steinbeis Business Academy and became head of FILMFEST MÜNCHEN in August 2011.
She had gathered experience at the festival in advance, having worked there for ten years as a student.
Aside from that, Diana Iljine sits on the board of the Kuratorium junger deutscher Film.


Jarko Zavi

Jarko Zavi (1907–1987) was a Czech-born Canadian ceramist and sculptor who lived and worked principally in Ontario. After attending art college in Czechoslovakia, he worked producing fine china at the Terra Company for twelve years, rising to head of ceramics design. Zavi fled to Canada just five days before the outbreak of World War II. Soon after emigrating, he married Nunzia D'Angelo (1900–1968), a maker of majolica and folk pottery, and they had two daughters together. First located on Gerrard Street in Toronto, the couple renamed their kitchen factory the Ceramic Art Studio. During the war years they produced a large array of ornamental pieces, sought after by buyers. Their output included ceramic fish, prancing horses, vases, candle holders, bowls, teapots and earrings. Zavi diligently experimented with glazes, and he was able to produce colours that included Chinese red. In 1945, he sculpted a bust of Tomáš Masaryk, the first president of Czechoslovakia, which was unveiled at a public ceremony with the mayor of Toronto present.
Zavi and D'Angelo relocated in 1946 to a rural setting outside Cobourg, where Zavi wanted to establish a ceramic arts centre. In the same year, he was the subject of two features by the National Film Board. His wife gave up studio work, although she appeared in public as a demonstrator and teacher for a few years at the Canadian National Exposition. In 1959, they moved to Brighton. Zavi maintained his studio practice as a lone artist, isolated from the craft community and museums and galleries. He built his ceramic structures with his hands, without wire or papier-mâché molds. For his base material he used farm tile clay found in deposits near Arnprior. Zavi's works were not universally praised; one reviewer of an Ottawa exhibit found the pieces on display to be rather commercial and unexceptional, despite their beautiful execution. Somewhat unusually for a Canadian artist, he made his living entirely by his chosen art form. In 2014, some 40 to 50 of his pieces were displayed in a solo exhibition at a gallery in Brighton.


Map of the Sounds of Tokyo

Map of the Sounds of Tokyo (, ) is a 2009 Spanish drama film directed by Isabel Coixet. The film competed in the main competition at the 62nd Cannes Film Festival.
Plot.
The movie begins with Mr. Nagara, a wealthy CEO, complaining to his loyal assistant, Ishida, that he does not like the way he has to entertain the people he is signing a contract with. They eat sushi off of the naked bodies of women lying on the tables. Ishida receives a phone call and tells Mr. Nagara that his daughter has killed herself. Mr. Nagara blames Midori's boyfriend, David, a Spanish man who owns a wine shop in Tokyo. Mr. Nagara cannot abide the fact that David is alive and Midori is dead. Ishida says he will take care of it and hires a woman who works in a fish market, Ryu, to murder David.
The story teller is an unnamed gray haired sound engineer for movies, who loves the fragile looking Ryu and records her often, but is unable to get her to tell him about her life. The sound engineer records Ryu as she visits and cleans gravesites. Ryu does not tell him that these are the graves of the people she has been hired to shoot.
Ryu enters the wine shop and David propositions her. They go to a love hotel and have sex. Ryu is unable to bring herself to shoot David as he sleeps after sex. She thinks about him all day at the fish market as she slices fish. Ryu tries to return the money to Ishida and call off the killing, but Ishida threatens her. Mr. Nagara slowly deteriorates.
As David grieves the loss of Midori, the assistant says that Midori was a vengeful person who wanted her father's attention, and who didn't love anyone.
Ryu and David have sex again the next week on her day off, and then during Ryu's work week. She leaves a recording device in his shop and hears him selling his shop to his assistant, and planning to move back to Spain. The assistant asks him what he will do about his new girlfriend. David says he doesn't have a girlfriend. The assistant describes Ryu. David says, she is nobody. David longs to talk to Mr. Nagara.
Ryu considers killing herself with her gun. David calls Mr. Nagara and says he misses Midori and loved her, causing Mr. Nagara more anguish. Mr. Nagara is unable to conduct business. Ishida is furious with Ryu for not completing the killing.
David comes to the fish market to say goodbye to Ryu. Ryu is hurt and guarded, but David tenderly says goodbye and Ryu melts. As they hug Ryu sees Ishida approach with a gun. She turns and shields David, dying from Ishida's gunshot.
The film ends with a view of the gray haired sound engineer cleaning Ryu's grave.
Criticism.
The film has been criticized for misrepresenting Japanese culture. A scene depicting nyotaimori (the practice of serving sushi on the body of a naked female) as if it were commonplace in Japan, while in reality it is nearly non-existent. However, even in the film, the two Japanese businessmen ridicule the need to "eat hot sushi off a woman's navel" in order to "fit in with the idea that they have of us..."


Percale

Percale is a closely woven plain-weave fabric often used for bed covers. Percale has a thread count of about 200 or higher and is noticeably tighter than the standard type of weave used for bedsheets. It has medium weight, is firm and smooth with no gloss, and warps and washes very well. It is made from both carded and combed yarns, and may be woven of various fibers, such as cotton, polyester, or various blends.
History.
Moris or Mauris was the 18th century French term used for Percale, the cloth imported from India. It was a cotton cloth. Moris was the third most exported fabric from Coromandel Coast after Longcloth and Salampore. It was superior and finer quality than the peers. Coromandel coastline forms a part of Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. Moris was produced at Nellore, Arni, Maduranthakam, and Cuddalore. Palakollu.The cloth was famous as painted chintz in southeast countries also.
Percale was formerly imported from India in the 17th and 18th centuries, then manufactured in France.
Etymology.
The word may originate from the Persian "pargālah", meaning "rag", although the "Oxford English Dictionary" (as of December 2005) has traced it only as far as 18th-century French. The dictionary of the Institut d'Estudis Catalans describes "pexal" and "perxal" as "some kind of silk fabric in the year 1348 in Valencia". The etymological dictionary of Catalan explains "perxal" as "derived from Perche in France".
In the year 1322 in Dalmatia, which had trade connections also as the Republic of Venice, Peter de genere Percal was mentioned. This word "Percal", which occurred the first time in a Supreme Court verdict on Latin in 1322 in Dalmatia, derived from the Hebrew word פרקליט ("prklyt"), which derived from the Ancient Greek word παράκλητος ("parákletos"), which means "lawyer". The relationship between bedding and law in ancient Persia can be guessed, because according to Phanias of Eresus, Artaxerxes I of Persia had given to Themistocles the city of Percote with bedding for his house.
Taking into account the different spellings of this "generatio Percal" due to the variations "Parkly" and "Perkly" in Dalmatia, the name of a farm near Linlithgow Palace in Scotland, which had been built in the 14th century by a first cousin of the grandmother of this Peter de genere Percal, was mentioned in 1431 also as "Parkly". This farm was also mentioned as "Parkle" (1431), "Perkley" (1432), "Parcle" (1438), "Perkle" (1439), "Parklye" (1440), "Parklee" (1489), "Perklee" (1490/91), "Parklie" (1528), "Pairklie" (1638), "Pairkly" (1647) and "Parkly" (1648) since then and it is mentioned as "Parkley" since 1671.


Wrong side (knitting)


Sheila Lukins

Sheila Lukins (November 18, 1942 – August 30, 2009), was an American cook and food writer. She was most famous as the co-author, with Julee Rosso, of "The Silver Palate" series of cookbooks, and "The New Basics Cookbook", a very popular set of food guides which introduced many Americans to French, Southern and Eastern European cooking techniques and ingredients and popularized a richer and very boldly seasoned style of cooking to Americans in sharp contrast to the health-food movements of the 1970s. Together, their books sold more than seven million copies.
She was also the co-founder and owner of the popular Silver Palate gourmet shop in New York City and, for 23 years, the food editor and columnist for "Parade", a position previously held by Julia Child.
Biography.
Born Sheila Gail Block in Philadelphia, she grew up in Norwalk and Westport, Connecticut. She studied art at the Tyler School of Art, the School of Visual Arts and New York University, where she earned a bachelor's degree with honor in Art Education. After graduation, she attended Le Cordon Bleu in London, England, while working in graphic design. Her culinary education continued in France, where she worked alongside Michelin-starred chefs in Bordeaux.
In 1977 she returned to New York City and, with friend Julee Rosso, opened and ran a gourmet food shop in New York City called The Silver Palate at the corner of Columbus Avenue and 73rd Street. In the 1980s they wrote, with Michael McLaughlin, "The Silver Palate Cookbook", which broke cookbook records by selling 250,000 copies in its first year and went on to sell 2.5-million copies, followed by "The Silver Palate Good Times Cookbook", and others. In 1986, she replaced Julia Child as the food editor for "Parade".
After 11 years working together, Rosso and Lukins split up in the 1990s in a widely reported feud. The Silver Palate shop, which had been sold to new owners in 1988, closed its doors in 1993, although a brand of sauces and condiments bearing its name continues to be sold. During this period Lukins published her own successful series of books including "Sheila Lukins' All Round the World Cookbook" and "Celebrate!" In 2007 she reunited with Rosso to publish a new 25th-anniversary edition of "The Silver Palate Cookbook".
In December 1991, she suffered a cerebral hemorrhage due to a 'berry' aneurysm which paralyzed most of her left side and nearly took her life. Some after-effects lasted for the rest of her life, but she was able to recover sufficiently to resume her position at "Parade" and to continue to write books.
She was married for many years to Richard Lukins, a security systems expert, with whom she had two daughters, Annabel and Molly.
In June 2009, at age 66, she was diagnosed with brain cancer. She died on August 30, 2009, at her home in Manhattan, surrounded by her children.


Covent Garden square


List of Scottish Gaelic periodicals

This is a list of periodicals in the Scottish Gaelic language.
List.
Periodicals with Gaidhlig content.
The following newspapers/magazines carry/carried articles in Gaidhlig:
Periodicals with occasional Scottish Gaelic content.
The following magazines/newspapers occasionally have/had Scottish Gaelic articles, but are mostly in English/other languages, despite their titles:


227962 Aramis


Mary Elizabeth Kennedy

Mary Elizabeth Kennedy (1911–1991) is an American artist associated with the Gee's Bend group of quilters. Her work is included in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Early life.
Mary Elizabeth was born in Boykin, Alabama to Reverend Spurllin Pettway and his wife on a sharecropping and subsistence farm. Their main crops were cotton and sorghum. Kennedy married Houston Kennedy and they bore 12 children.
She died at 80 years old in a car crash returning to Boykin from Selma.


The Undomestic Goddess

The Undomestic Goddess is Sophie Kinsella's second "stand-alone" novel, published by Dial Press Trade Paperback on April 2006 (UK).
Plot.
Workaholic attorney Samantha Sweeting has just done the unthinkable: she’s made a huge mistake. A mistake so huge, it’ll wreck any chance of a partnership.
Going into utter meltdown, she walks out of her London office, gets on a train, and ends up in the middle of nowhere. Asking for directions at a big, beautiful house, she’s mistaken for an interviewee and finds herself being offered a job as housekeeper. Her employers have no idea they’ve hired a lawyer – and Samantha has no idea how to work the oven. She can’t sew on a button, bake a potato, or get the ironing board to open. How she takes a deep breath and begins to cope – and finds love – is a story as delicious as the bread she learns to bake.
Film adaptation.
Universal is adapting the book and has just signed a director, Andy Fickman to the project. He was the director of "The Game Plan", "Race to Witch Mountain", "She's the Man" and "You Again", amongst others.
Aline Brosh McKenna has written the script for the film.


Hypophora

Hypophora, also referred to as anthypophora or antipophora, is a figure of speech in which the speaker poses a question and then answers the question. Hypophora can consist of a single question answered in a single sentence, a single question answered in a paragraph or even a section, or a series of questions, each answered in subsequent paragraphs. Hypophora is used (1) as a transitional device, to take the discussion in a new direction, (2) a device to catch attention, since a reader's curiosity is stimulated by hearing a question, and (3) to suggest and answer questions the reader might not have thought of.
History.
The word anthypophora is present in Ancient Greek and is mentioned by the Roman orator Quintilian in his book "Institutio Oratoria". In "Institutio Oratoria", Quintilian merely identifies anthypophora as a device used to verify the truth of something, and does not mention raising a hypothetical question or objection. An earlier work by the Greek rhetorician Gorgias mentions anthypophora in its current definition, that is, presenting an opposing argument and then refuting it. The 16th-century English rhetorical handbook "The Arte of English Poesie", reputedly by George Puttenham, gives the current definition of Anthypophora as well as numerous examples.
Hypophora vs. anthypophora.
In recent times, a division has arisen between the definitions of hypophora and anthypophora. The "Century Dictionary" identifies hypophora as the dissenting statement or question and anthypophora as the reply to the question. Thus the two terms have come to embrace both elements of hypophora, as well as dealing with the whole concept.
Effect.
The rhetorical effectiveness lies in allowing the speaker to answer questions the listener may have. For instance, in Paul's Epistle to the Romans, Paul is explaining Jesus and he says ""Is He" the God of the Jews only? "Is He" not also of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also" (Romans 3.29). In this manner, Paul confirms to the reader that God is god of both the Jews and Gentiles.


State Street (Madison)

State Street is a pedestrian zone located in downtown Madison, Wisconsin, United States, near the State Capitol. The road proper extends from the west corner of land comprising the Capitol (on the southwestern edge of the Madison Isthmus, at the corners of Carroll and Mifflin Streets) westward to Lake Street, adjoining the campus of the University of Wisconsin–Madison at Library Mall.
History.
The street was a conventional four-lane undivided road until 1974, when a proposal was passed by the City of Madison to turn it into a pedestrian mall. Construction on that project began in late June, 1974, with an initial estimated completion budget of $15 million. This conversion left the street as a two-lane limited-access road, with extra-wide sidewalks created on both sides of the now-narrower street. The east–west road allows only city buses, fire apparatus, police cars, bicycles, delivery vehicles, and pedestrian traffic.
Today, the street hosts a variety of shops, bars, and restaurants and is popular for its small-town appeal, street musicians, jugglers and other types of busking, making it a common tourist attraction. Places of interest on State Street are the Overture Center for the Arts, the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art, and the Memorial Library Mall.
During the summer of 2020, the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic caused 31 out of the 150 businesses located on State Street to close their doors. Additionally, widespread looting and vandalism occurred on State Street in May and June 2020 as a result of protests and riots related to the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis. An estimated 75 businesses were vandalized and some were looted and robbed causing the Mayor to issue a state of emergency.
Just as business owners on State Street began removing boarded up windows and barricades, the Shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha lead to further civil unrest in August and September 2020. Madison police used tear gas to disperse the rioters. A $300,000 fund was established to assist business owners effected by the rioting.
Halloween.
Since the late 1970s, State Street gained recognition as a gathering place for tens of thousands of party-goers from several states on Halloween. Once sponsored by the student government at UW-Madison, the party's popularity waned throughout the 1980s and 1990s until it saw a massive boom in the early 2000s. Since 2006, the State Street Halloween party, as a result of years of riotous behaviors, has become a city sanctioned event called "Freakfast" that is now headlined by nationally known musical acts.


Tienes Talento

Tienes Talento (), was the original Spanish version of the international "Got Talent" series. The idea behind the programme is to search for the most talented and promising entertainment. The series premiered originally on 25 January 2008 as "Tienes Talento" on Cuatro, hosted by Nuria Roca and Eduardo Aldán. The judges were Natalia Millán, Josep Vicent and David Summers; the latter was replaced by Miqui Puig after one episode. Cuatro aired one season of the show and then it was discontinued.
The only season was hosted by Roca, who was the host of the Spanish "Factor X)". Eduardo Aldán was backstage host. Actress Natalia Millán, music conductor Josep Vicent, and singer-songwriter David Summers were the three original judges. Summers appeared only in the first episode and left the show prematurely due to pneumonia; he was replaced by singer and musician Miqui Puig (also a judge on "Factor X)" for the rest of the season.
On 21 April 2008, 16-year-old flamenco singer Salva Rodríguez won the finale with 23 percent of the televote.
Revival.
After a long hiatus, the rights were purchased in 2015 by Mediaset España announcing its revival under the amended name "Got Talent España" and with a new host Santi Millán.
The new show premiered on 13 February 2016.


Elektra discography

This is a list of recordings of "Elektra", a one-act opera by Richard Strauss with a German-language libretto by Hugo von Hofmannsthal. The work was first performed at the Dresden State Opera on 25 January 1909.


Macbeth discography

This is a list of recordings of "Macbeth", an opera by Giuseppe Verdi. The first performance of the work was on 14 March 1847 at the Teatro della Pergola in Florence. Verdi subsequently revised the work and the first performance of this version was on 21 April 1865 at the Théâtre Lyrique in Paris.
Some recordings and some performances today incorporate both Macbeth's final aria before he dies (from the original version) "and" the revised version's ending with the soldiers' chorus.


The Prague film school

The Prague film school (, ), also known as the Czech film school (, ) or the Prague wave (, ) was a group of Yugoslav film directors who rose to prominence in the 1970s after graduating from the Film and TV School of the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague (FAMU). Five prominent Yugoslav directors born from 1944 to 1947 attended classes at FAMU: Lordan Zafranović (b. 1944), Srđan Karanović (b. 1945), Goran Marković (b. 1946), Goran Paskaljević (1947-2020), and Rajko Grlić (b. 1947). Emir Kusturica, who was born is 1954, is sometimes also considered a member of the "Praška škola". Cinematographers Živko Zalar (who has worked with Grlić, Karanović and Marković), Predrag Pega Popović (who has worked with Zafranović and Marković), Vilko Filač (who has worked with Kusturica), Valentin Perko, and Pavel Grzinčič, also studied at FAMU.
As they were all FAMU students at the end of 1960s and the beginning of 1970s, the directors of the "Praška škola" were mostly influenced by the directors of Czechoslovak New Wave, such as Miloš Forman, Jiří Menzel, and Oscar-winning FAMU professors, Ján Kadár and Elmar Klos. The events of the Prague Spring and Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1968 also strongly influenced the "Praška škola" and formed the basis for the loosely defined group.
History.
The beginning of the emergence of the "Praška škola" came in 1968, when Grlić, as a student, directed his first professional television documentary entitled "Mi iz Praga" (Us from Prague). The film, produced by TV Zagreb, focused on the interactions between the Yugoslav students in Prague. In this film, Marković states it was him and Karanović that had enrolled first in FAMU, prompting the others to follow in their steps. The first feature film directed by a "Praška škola" member was Zafranović's "Sunday" () (1969), starring Goran Marković, followed by Karanović's "Društvena igra" (1972) and Grlić's "Whichever Way the Ball Bounces" () (1974), which were praised by the modernism-influenced film critics, but not yet universally accepted by the wider Yugoslav audience.
However, the second half of the 1970s brought fame to the members of the group, and the term "Praška škola" was coined by critics after the success of its members at several Yugoslav and international film festivals. In 1976, the TV series "Grlom u jagode", written by Grlić and Karanović and directed by Karanović, was highly successful in Yugoslavia. The same year, Paskaljević received the Golden Arena for Best Director award at the Pula Film Festival for his first feature film "Beach Guard in Winter" (). In 1977, Marković's debut film "Special Education" () won the FIPRESCI award at the International Filmfestival Mannheim-Heidelberg. In 1978, all four main prizes at the Pula Film Festival were awarded to films directed by former FAMU students: Zafranović's "Occupation in 26 Pictures" (), Grlić's "Bravo maestro", Paskaljević's "The Dog Who Loved Trains" (), and Karanović's "Miris poljskog cveća", for which Živko Zalar was also awarded the Golden Arena for Best Cinematography.
Throughout the 1980s, the term "Praška škola" was associated with many successful films, popular with critics, as well as the general public. Seven out of ten Golden Arena for Best Director awards from 1976 to 1986 went to the "Praška škola", with each member except for Marković receiving at least one. The success of two-time Palme d'Or winner Emir Kusturica, who attended FAMU several years after the other members of the "Praška škola", further boosted the academy's reputation in field of Yugoslav cinema.
Recognition and criticism of the term.
The legitimacy of the term "Praška škola" is sometimes doubted, as the members themselves never used the term to describe their work, and their work varied in artistic sensibility and directorial approach, sometimes considerably. In 1990, Marković wrote a book entitled "Češka škola ne postoji" (The Czech School Doesn't Exist), in which he describes his days at FAMU, his relationships with the other students and their artistic similarities and differences. In a 2001 interview, Karanović expressed strong opposition to the term, saying:
However, retrospectives of the "Praška škola" were held in Belgrade in 2001, and in Zagreb in 2014, when all the initial "Praška škola" members, except for Karanović, met and reminisced about their Prague years. In August 2014, Zafranović, Marković, Paskaljević and Grlić announced they would be filming together for the first time. Grlić and Marković said that an anthology film with the working title "Nirvana" was to be filmed in the memory of their professor Elmar Klos. However, this film never came to fruition. In September 2018, a program dedicated to the "Praška škola" entitled "Mi iz Praga 1968.-2018." was held in Rijeka, and Paskaljević, Karanović, Zafranović and Grlić joined a panel discussion.
As of 2020, all the founding members of "Praška škola" are still alive and active, except for Goran Paskaljević, who died on 25 September 2020.


Wayang style

Wayang style is a style of puppetry influenced by the Indonesian wayang kulit, in which human figures and those that are supernatural are depicted as flat and very two-dimensional. This style was commonly used in East Java during the Majapahit Empire, which lasted from about 1293 AD to around 1500 AD.
How the images are depicted may vary slightly but should in fact meet some if not all of a set standard. Such criteria would include the representation of characters by way of the form of the figures, their decorations and the gestures they are displaying. These conditions are the same that are followed when creating the wayang kulits. As characters where developed they were infused with symbolism that were used to project who they are, by both their appearance and their character as an individual. For example, shadow puppets of Krishna are designed with his figure looking straight forward as symbol of bravery. It is safe to assume that other figures that are depicted looking straight ahead are believed to be brave in character. The decoration of a figure also says a lot about them. Characters that have little decoration are perceived as being more refined and those that are garishly decorated are considered to be less refined.
Examples of wayang style can be seen in relief sculptures and in paintings. The relief sculptures at the Candi Jago in East Java are narratives of the Mahabharata and are good examples of wayang style. Throughout the relief the background imagery is very dynamic with the suggestion of depth. However, the focal points which are the figures are very static and flat in comparisons to the rest of the relief sculpture. An example in the Klungkung region of Bali at the Kertha Gosa Pavilion is a series of painted murals that occupy nine levels and is done in the wayang style. The relation of the imagery and the wayang kulit are seen more clearly thanks to the use of color. The flat figures of the mural are given life and a sense of character thought the use of decorative patterning and color, which are the same or similar to those used when these mythological and religious characters where translated into wayang kulit.


World Wide Knit in Public Day

World Wide Knit in Public Day was started in 2005 by Danielle Landes and takes place on the second Saturday of June each year. It began as a way for knitters to come together and enjoy each other's company.
Knit in Public Day is the largest knitter run event in the world. Each local event is put together by a volunteer or a group of volunteers. They bring their own fresh ideas into planning where the event should be held, and what people would like to do.
In the past some people have used this event as a means to show the general public that "not only grannies knit". Knit in Public Day is about showing the general public that knitting can be a community activity in a very distinct way. In some places there are many different knitting groups that never interact with each other, except on Knit in Public Day when they come together in one place, making them hard to miss.
2005 there were about 25 local events around the world. In 2006 there were about 70 local events, and in 2007 there were almost 200.
Over the years there have been local events in Australia, China, England, Finland, France, Ireland, Norway, Poland, Slovenia, South Africa, Sweden, United States, and Germany.


Grace Renat

Graciela Prior Marín (born in Veracruz, Mexico in 1949), better known as Grace Renat is a Mexican vedette, actress and dancer. She was one of the most popular Mexican vedettes during the 1970s and 1980s.
Biography.
Renat was born in the Port of Veracruz, Mexico. At fourteen, she ran away from home with her first boyfriend. It was precisely her sisters, who convinced her to enter the world of entertainment by supplanting a chorus girl from a set where they danced. With this group, Renat undertook a tour through all Mexico. Already with a son in tow, Grace achieved fame as vedette in the city of Tijuana.
In 1973 was named "Goddess of the Night" by the Mexican Actor's Guild. She worked for several seasons at the famous Blanquita Theater in Mexico City, as well as in the famous cabaret El Capri, at the Hotel Regis in the same city. She debuted in cinema in 1974 in the film "El desconocido". In 1976 she was part of the cast of the film "Zona Roja", directed by Emilio Fernández. In 1979 she gained popularity by its participation in the film "Estas ruinas que ves", of Julian Pastor.
In the 1980s, she starred in comedy programs on Televisa as "Mis huéspedes" and "Papá soltero".
In theater, Renat participated in diverse montages, including the comedy "El tenorio comico", with the comedian Manuel Valdés.
In 1999, Renat participated in the theater show "Las inolvidables de la noche", with the also vedettes Rossy Mendoza, Wanda Seux, Amira Cruzat and Malú Reyes. In 2017, Renat co-starred in the play "Divas por siempre", next to comedians Shanik Berman, Manuel Valdés and also vedettes Lyn May, Wanda Seux and Princesa Yamal.


Metropolitan Opera Auditions of the Air

The Metropolitan Opera Auditions of the Air was an annual singing competition sponsored by the Metropolitan Opera of New York City for more than two decades. The competition's purpose was to find, encourage, and promote developing young opera singers with promising future careers. Winners of the competition were given a cash prize and the opportunity to perform opera selections on the radio with the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra.
History.
Established in 1935 by newly appointed Met director Edward Johnson, the Metropolitan Opera Auditions of the Air was broadcast live on NBC Radio. Given the number of contestants, the competition was heard through a series of broadcasts that spanned several weeks. Concerned that the competition was becoming merely a tool for promoting singers in NYC, the Met created the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions in 1954 as a means of finding and bringing in talented young opera singers from all across the United States. At this point the competition was sometimes referred to as the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions of the Air. The first two winners of the competition were the tenor Arthur Carron and the contralto Anna Kaskas; both of which became resident artists at the Met soon after. The competition ceased to operate in 1958, but the Met continues to operate the National Council Auditions.


Life in Technicolor II

"Life in Technicolor II" (stylised as "Life in Technicolor ii"), is a song by British rock band Coldplay and the first single from the band's 2008 EP, "Prospekt's March". The song is the full, vocal version of the instrumental track "Life in Technicolor" from Coldplay's fourth studio album, "Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends". A promo CD single for the song was released in December 2008. The official single was released on 2 February 2009 on 7" vinyl and digital download. The single includes the previously unreleased and unheard track "The Goldrush", one of the few Coldplay songs featuring lead vocals by drummer Will Champion. It was nominated for two Grammy Award for the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards; "Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal" and "Best Music Video".
"Life in Technicolor II" starts with a loop consisting of a santoor accompanied by tabla-like percussion. The loop is then repeated through the verses and part of the chorus.
Music video.
The music video premiered on 20 January 2009 on 4Music and Channel 4. The video starts out with a group of children sitting and awaiting a traditional Punch and Judy puppet show in the Aldenham War Memorial Hall. Suddenly, the band appears as puppets "onstage" and begins performing the song, which confuses and somewhat unsettles the children and the adults in the room. A girl in the audience recognizes the band members as she looks back and forth between them and the cover of a book she is holding, which is a fictional "unofficial biography" of Coldplay called "Playin' It Cool". The puppet show becomes increasingly extravagant as the video goes on, eventually featuring pyrotechnics, frontman Chris Martin crowd surfing over the children, and Punch and Judy performing motorcycle stunts across the stage. Finally, after finishing the song, the puppet band members board a miniature helicopter and after taking off, drummer Will Champion tosses his drumsticks to the girl in the audience before the helicopter crashes through a window as they fly away. The girl looks down at the tiny drumsticks in her hands and smiles.
James Clarkson and Coldplay's fifth member, Phil Harvey, can be seen in the video.
The director of this video is Dougal Wilson. The video was nominated in the Best Art Direction in a Video and Best Visual Effects in a Video categories at the UK Music Video Awards 2009, as well as Best Music Video at the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards.
In popular culture.
The short instrumental version of this song (released on "Viva la Vida") can be heard as the film "" ends during a scene with Ben Stiller and Amy Adams. It was also used on Sky Sports' "Ford Super Sunday" coverage during the 2008/2009 as well as "Match of the Day" during the same season. This version was used at the beginning of the Great Yarmouth (UK) Hippodrome Circus show 2009. NFL Network also used it for their coverage of the 2009 NFL Scouting Combine and also for their coverage of the 2009 NFL Draft.
The song was also played during the opening montage of the 2009 ESPY Awards. The instrumental version of the song is used in London Eye's pre-flight 4D Experience show. A portion of the instrumental version is also used in Apple Inc.'s introduction of the 2008 MacBook Air, as well as the introduction of the Late 08 MacBook. The song was also used in a promotional on Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) for PBS's primary programming. Life in Technicolor II was used in an advertisement for Wimbledon 2013 on ESPN.


List of The Producers characters

The following are fictional characters from the 1967 film "The Producers", the Broadway musical based on it, and the 2005 film adaptation of the musical.
Max Bialystock.
Max Bialystock is described as selfish, arrogant, fiery, impatient, sardonic, mischievous, witty, cultured, fun, bullying, logical, charismatic, intimidating, popular and fast-talking - a man who is only interested in making money. Though this is later proven untrue, Max's forceful and loud nature can be quite frightful. He is willing to do anything to make money (including "shtupping every little old lady in New York") and is often motivated, duplicitous and unwilling to cooperate diplomatically. His name is taken from the Polish city of Białystok.
Leo Bloom.
Leopold "Leo" Bloom is a timid, shy and mild-mannered accountant, prone to panic attacks and who keeps a fragment of his childhood blue blanket in his pocket to calm himself. Towards the end of the film, when Leo tries to turn himself in and use his accountant books as evidence, Max stops Leo on the way out the door and steals Leo's books, causing Leo to lose his temper and attack Max in a fit of rage, demanding the books back and repeatedly calling him "fat fatty." Nevertheless, it is Leo who has the idea of how to make money from a failed play.
The character is named after the protagonist in James Joyce's "Ulysses", Leopold Bloom. Wilder's costar Zero Mostel had portrayed Joyce's Bloom on stage in the play "Ulysses in Nighttown".
Ulla Inga Hansen Benson Yansen Tallen Hallen Svaden Swanson Bloom.
Ulla Inga Hansen Benson Yansen Tallen Hallen Svaden Swanson (Later Bloom) is a young Swedish woman who becomes Max's secretary. In the 1968 film, Ulla is introduced as a "toy" that Max found in the local library, and is a symbol of his new found affluence. She can speak little English, but is a jiggly dancer, and can dance better than she can type. She also constantly says "God dag på dig", which means "good day to you" in Swedish (with a faux-Swedish accent), and provides a sexier counterpoint to Max's older girlfriends.
In the musical adapted from the film, Ulla introduces herself as a Swedish actress looking for a part in Max and Leo's production "Springtime for Hitler". She is a stereotypical Swedish woman: tall and beautiful with lovely blonde hair. She performs a song she wrote called "When You Got It, Flaunt It". She decided to audition when a "crazy man" (Max) yelled at her the previous day. While the casting isn't to start for quite a while, Max and Leo hire her as their secretary/receptionist. Following the unwanted success of the musical, she and Leo flee to Rio de Janeiro where they marry. Her maiden name is never mentioned, but by the end of the play she is Ulla Inga Hansen-Bensen-Yanson-Tallen-Hallen-Svaden-Swanson Bloom.
Earlier, Max and Leo ask her to clean up their place while they're gone, but she doesn't understand English very well, and after they leave, she paints Max's office entirely white. Little of her role in the "Springtime for Hitler" play is shown, but she plays a showgirl representing the German Imperial Eagle and later appears as Marlene Dietrich. In Max and Leo's second production, "Prisoners of Love", she plays the lead prisoner/singer.
Roger De Bris.
Roger Elizabeth De Bris is a flamboyantly gay theatre director, described by Max Bialystock as the worst director to have ever lived, and was chosen by Bialystock in an attempt to ensure that "Springtime for Hitler" would flop. He lives with his equally flamboyant partner Carmen Ghia and his production crew in a house described as an Upper East Side town house in New York. While the musical and the 2005 film clarify his sexuality, it was only implied in the original. A "bris" is a Jewish circumcision ceremony.
Carmen Ghia.
Carmen Ghia is the partner of Roger De Bris. He is played by Andreas Voutsinas in the 1967 film. In the 2001 Broadway show "The Producers" he was played by Roger Bart, and the 2005 musical film "The Producers" also by Roger Bart.
The character is named after the Karmann Ghia, marketed from 1955 to 1974 by Volkswagen. Carmen Ghia is Roger De Bris' "common-law assistant". They are both flamboyantly gay and they love to flounce around their Upper East Side town house.
Voutsinas was a friend of Brooks' wife Anne Bancroft, who performed with him at The Actors Studio. She recommended him for the role of Carmen Ghia feeling his natural Greek accent would contribute to the role's comedy. According to Voutsinas, who did Ghia's own make-up, Brooks instructed him to "look like Rasputin and behave like Marilyn Monroe".
When Bart was given the lead role of Leo Bloom, he said of his old character: "As Carmen Ghia I was a sprinter. This guy is like a long-distance runner. I sometimes think to myself, 'Should I have stayed Carmen?'"
Franz Liebkind.
Franz Liebkind ("Liebkind" being a humorous calque into German of the English idiom "love child") is a former Nazi who has penned an admiring musical tribute to Adolf Hitler, titled "Springtime for Hitler." The two protagonists, Max Bialystock and Leo Bloom, purchase and produce this "worst play ever written" as part of a plot to defraud investors by overselling and staging a sure-fire flop.
The part was originally cast for Dustin Hoffman, but Mel Brooks allowed him to audition for the film adaptation of "The Graduate" before shooting began for his own film in anticipation that he would be rejected. Instead, Hoffman was cast as the lead of the film directed by Mike Nichols and Brooks thus had to recast the Liebkind role.
Liebkind is portrayed as easily angered and emotionally unstable. The only background to his character is that he is a Nazi, carrier pigeon keeper (he named his favorite pigeon Adolf), and playwright who continues to worship Hitler. In the 2005 film he is seen sending one of his pigeons with a message to Argentina. In an early draft of the script, he was portrayed as Hitler's former butler.
Liebkind is shown to be nervous about his past catching up with him. When Bialystock and Bloom go up to his roof to ask about acquiring the rights to "Springtime for Hitler", Liebkind thinks they are from the US government and says 'I vos only following orders, I didn't even know there vos a vor on. We lived in the back near Switzerland.' While in court for bombing the theater, he hums American music to try to convince authorities that he's not an immigrant.
In the musical and the 2005 film adaptation of the musical, Liebkind is set to play the role of Hitler in his musical, but breaks a leg and is replaced by Roger De Bris. This differs from the 1967 film, in which Lorenzo St. DuBois (L.S.D.) is cast as Hitler. When in the original he blows up the theatre with Max and Leo, he is hurt the most because he uses a quick-fuse and doesn't escape quickly enough, and is next shown in court in an all-body cast. In the musical and 2005 film, he breaks one of his legs moments before the curtains rise when Max tries to invoke the "Good Luck" superstition, then hours later he tries to flee the police on his broken leg but inevitably breaks the other leg by falling down a flight of stairs. Months later, while Max, Leo and Franz are in Sing Sing Prison, Franz is seen with both legs in casts while playing the piano to the tune of "Prisoners of Love".
Lorenzo St. DuBois.
Lorenzo St. DuBois, also known by his initials "L.S.D.", is a charismatic but only semi-coherent, flower power hippie who can barely remember his own name.
L.S.D. is cast as Hitler after he had wandered into the wrong theatre by mistake during the casting call. In the opening performance of "Springtime for Hitler", the audience is initially horrified by the tasteless musical play and begins to leave, but L.S.D.'s beatnik-like portrayal of Hitler (and misunderstanding of the story) is found to be hilarious, causing the audience to misinterpret the production as a satire. As a result, "Springtime for Hitler" is declared a smash hit.
L.S.D. appears only in the 1967 film. In the musical and the 2005 film, Franz Liebkind is cast as Hitler, but breaks a leg and is replaced by Roger De Bris.


The Spirit of Christmas (TV program)

The Spirit of Christmas is a Christmas television special performed by marionettes. First airing in 1953, it was produced by Mabel and Les Beaton, through their company, Stringtime Productions. Its half-hour showing time is divided into two marionette segments, one dramatizing the 1823 poem "A Visit from St. Nicholas" and one telling the story of the Nativity. The live-action part of the film features Alexander Scourby, who narrates and also plays Clement Moore in the "Visit from St. Nicholas" segment. The jacket of the DVD version calls it "The Philadelphia Holiday Classic," referring to the region of the United States where it was originally broadcast. The jacket also describes it as a "50s TV Christmas classic, which has led it to being misdated as first being shown in 1950.
Into the 1960s, the special was aired multiple times per Christmas season, without commercial interruptions except for opening and closing remarks by "your telephone company" (Bell Telephone). It was also available as a 16mm film licensed to schools for showings to students. It disappeared from the airwaves for several decades but began airing on public television again in 1998. It was unusual in that it was made in color, despite all television broadcasting at the time being in black-and-white.
The "St. Nicholas" segment includes music from "The Nutcracker" ballet.


Nazmiyal collection

The Nazmiyal Collection, based in New York City, is a company that buys and sells antique and decorative carpets and textiles, and also repairs and restores them.
The Nazmiyal Collection was founded in 1980 by Jason Nazmiyal. The Collection features a gallery with carpets from Persia, Turkey, the Caucasus, China, Egypt, Europe, Morocco and the Americas, including rare carpets from the 16th century, and textiles from the 4th century.
The Nazmiyal Collection website provides historical information on the major periods of carpet production throughout the Middle East, the Americas and Europe. The various periods are illustrated by pieces housed in museums throughout the world and the Nazmiyal collections.
Nazmiyal Collection provided carpets for use as backdrops in an exhibition of works by artist Paul Thek at the Whitney Museum. The Morgan Library and Museum installed a Nazmiyal carpet during a renovation of their library in 2010.


An Evening with Mike Nichols and Elaine May

An Evening with Mike Nichols and Elaine May is a live comedy album by Nichols and May.
The album features selected pieces from the Broadway presentation of "An Evening with Mike Nichols and Elaine May". The show opened October 8, 1960, in the Golden Theatre and was a smash with reviewers and audiences.
It peaked at 10 on the Billboard 200 and won the Grammy Award in 1961 for Best Comedy Performance Single or Album, Spoken or Musical.


Ernest Thesiger

Ernest Frederic Graham Thesiger, CBE (15 January 1879 – 14 January 1961) was an English stage and film actor. He is noted for his performance as Doctor Septimus Pretorius in James Whale's film, "Bride of Frankenstein" (1935).
Biography.
Early life.
Third of the four children of Hon. Sir Edward Peirson Thesiger (1842–1928), KCB, Clerk Assistant to Parliament, and Georgina Mary, daughter of William Bruce Stopford Sackville, of Drayton House, Thrapston, Northamptonshire, of the family of the Earl of Courtown, and grandson of the 1st Lord Chelmsford, Thesiger was born in London, England. He was the first cousin once removed of the explorer and author Wilfred Thesiger (1910–2003), and the nephew of the 2nd Lord Chelmsford, who, exactly a week after Ernest's birth, famously led his troops in battle against – and suffered a defeat at the hands of – a Zulu army at the Battle of Isandlwana.
Thesiger attended Marlborough College and the Slade School of Art with aspirations of becoming a painter, but quickly switched to drama, making his professional debut in a production of "Colonel Smith" in 1909. He also processed with the Men's League for Women's Suffrage at the mass rally in 1909.
After the outbreak of World War I, on 31 August 1914, he volunteered with the British Army's Territorial Force, enlisting into the 2nd Battalion of the 9th London Regiment (Queen Victoria's Rifles), as Rifleman No.2546 at its Regimental Headquarters in London's West End. After training in England for three months, he was sent to the Western Front in late 1914 with the Q.V.R.'s 1st Battalion.
On 1 January 1915, he was wounded in the trenches, and medically evacuated back to England. His interest in needlework had begun with buying and repairing pieces of historical embroidery with his brother in law William Ranken whilst in France. After the incident in a barn explosion, his hands had been damaged and on return home, despite the Ministry of Pensions declaring it “too effeminate an occupation for men”, Thesiger developed small sewing kits for soldiers similarly injured to provide activity and pain relief. This became The Disabled Soldiers' Embroidery Industry, 42 Ebury Street, London. As Honorary Secretary Cross-Stitch, Thesiger was convinced that needlework could improve injured men's morale and earn some money, as he also obtained commissions, including an altar frontal for private use in Buckingham Palace.
At a dinner party shortly after his return, someone asked him what it had been like in France, to which he is supposed to have responded "Oh, my dear, the noise! and the people!"
In 1917, he married Janette Mary Fernie Ranken (1877–1970), sister of his close friend and fellow Slade graduate William Bruce Ellis Ranken. In her biography of Thesiger's friend, Ivy Compton-Burnett, Hilary Spurling suggests that Thesiger and Janette wed largely out of their mutual adoration of William, who shaved his head when he learned of the engagement. Another source states more explicitly that Thesiger made no secret of his bisexuality.
Thesiger moved in several artistic, literary and theatrical circles, and is reported to have spent time with Queen Mary, both doing needlework and commenting on the sexuality of proposed honours nominees. At various times, he frequented the studio of John Singer Sargent, befriended Mrs. Patrick Campbell, visited and corresponded with Percy Grainger and worked closely with George Bernard Shaw, who wrote the role of the Dauphin in "Saint Joan" for him. Somerset Maugham, on the other hand, responded to Thesiger's inquiry as to why he wrote no parts for him with the quip, “But I am always writing parts for you, Ernest. The trouble is that somebody called Gladys Cooper will insist on playing them.” Thesiger was in the cast of Maugham's highly successful 1921 play "The Circle", produced at the Haymarket Theatre (also with Fay Compton and Leon Quartermaine).
Early stage career.
Thesiger first came to public notice in the farce "A Little Bit of Fluff" by Walter W. Ellis at the Criterion Theatre in 1915-18. He played the comic hero Bertrand Tully over 1,200 times, and received very favourable reviews. The "London Standard" wrote, “The character of Bertram Tully...is one of the happiest seen on the stage for a decade past...Mr. Ernest Thesiger achieved a real triumph.” He reprised the role in the 1919 film version, and in a 1923 revival at the Ambassadors Theatre.
In 1925, Thesiger appeared in drag in Noël Coward's "On with the Dance", and later played the Dauphin in Shaw's "Saint Joan". This highlighted his ability to play camp-like roles, which would eventually catch the eye of the similarly camp-leaning James Whale. He wrote an autobiography "Practically True", published in 1927, which covers his stage career. An unpublished memoir written near the end of his life is housed in the Ernest Thesiger Collection at the University of Bristol Theatre Collection.
Film career.
Thesiger made his film debut in 1916 in "The Real Thing at Last", a spoof presenting "Macbeth" as it might be done by an American company, in which he did a drag turn as one of the Witches. Thesiger also played the First Witch in a 1941 production of "Macbeth" directed by John Gielgud. He performed more small roles in films during the silent era, but worked mainly on the stage. He had a larger role in an early film for director Alfred Hitchcock, the silent "Number 13" (1922), but this was never completed due to lack of funds.
Work with James Whale.
When he appeared in a Christmas production of "The Merry Wives of Windsor" in 1919, Thesiger met and befriended James Whale. After Whale moved to Hollywood and had found success with the films "Journey's End" (1930) and "Frankenstein" (1931), the director was commissioned to direct the screen adaptation of J. B. Priestley's "Benighted" as "The Old Dark House" (1932), starring Charles Laughton in his first American film, together with Boris Karloff and Raymond Massey. Whale immediately cast Thesiger in the film as Horace Femm, launching his Hollywood career. The following year Thesiger appeared (as a Scottish butler) with Karloff in a British film "The Ghoul".
When Whale agreed to direct "Bride of Frankenstein" in 1935, he insisted on casting Thesiger as Dr. Septimus Pretorius, instead of the studio's choice of Claude Rains. Partly inspired by Mary Shelley's friend John Polidori and largely based on the Renaissance physician and botanist Paracelsus, it became Thesiger's most famous role.
Arriving in the United States for the filming of "Bride of Frankenstein", Thesiger immediately set up a display in his hotel suite of all his needlework, each with a price tag, and during the making of the film he would work on needlework, one of his hobbies.
After "Bride".
Originally cast to play the luddite sculptor Theotocopolous in H.G. Wells's "Things to Come" (1936), Thesiger's performance was deemed unsuitable by the author, and so was replaced by Cedric Hardwicke, although he was retained on the parallel production of Wells's "The Man Who Could Work Miracles". Around this same time Thesiger published a book, "Adventures in Embroidery", about needlework, which was his expert hobby.
The remainder of Thesiger's career was centered on the theatrical stage, though he did appear in supporting roles in films produced in Britain, prominent among which is "The Man in the White Suit" (1951), starring Alec Guinness. He plays “Sir John,” the most powerful, the richest, and the oldest of the industrialists (jointly with the trade unions) trying to suppress Guinness's invention of a fabric that never wears out and never gets dirty.
Thesiger made several appearances on Broadway, notably as Jacques to Katharine Hepburn's Rosalind in the longest-running production of "As You Like It" ever produced on Broadway. Later films included "The Horse's Mouth" (1958) with Alec Guinness, "Sons and Lovers" (1960), and "The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone", with Vivien Leigh and Warren Beatty (1961). That same year he made his final stage appearance—a mere week before his death—in "The Last Joke", with John Gielgud and Ralph Richardson.
Later life.
In 1960, Thesiger was awarded the Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE). He was Vice Patron of the Embroiderers Guild. His last film appearance was a small role in "The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone" (1962). Shortly after completing it, Thesiger died in his sleep from natural causes on the eve of his 82nd birthday. His body was buried in Brompton Cemetery in London.
Legacy.
In the fictionalised James Whale biopic "Gods and Monsters" (1998), Thesiger was portrayed by Arthur Dignam. And the real Thesiger is seen in the film when Brendan Fraser, as Whale's gardener, sits at a bar watching a televised showing of the original 1935 "Bride of Frankenstein".


Agatha Bennett

Agatha Bennett (1919–2006) was an American artist. She is associated with the Gee's Bend quilting collective, alongside her mother-in-law, Delia Bennett. Her work is included in the collection of the High Museum of Art.
Early life and family.
Agatha, commonly called "Cat," was born in Gee's Bend at the Herbert Hall Wilkinson Plantation. She was raised by her grandparents, Emma and Jacob Coleman. She and Rev. Pernell Bennett married in 1940 and raised 14 children together subsistence farming, working for canning factories, and wood mills.
Quilt maker.
Bennett was a member of the Gee's Bend quilting collective.
Legacy.
Through interviews with her husband, Souls Grown Deep Foundation documented Agatha's personal life and development as a quilter.


Stanley Tong

Stanley Tong () is a Hong Kong film director, producer, action choreographer, screenwriter, entrepreneur and philanthropist.
Early life.
Tong was born on April 7, 1960 in Hong Kong, and was educated in Hong Kong and Canada.
Film career.
Encouraged by his brother-in-law in Hong Kong, who was a filmmaker, Tong started his film career there in 1979 by working behind the scenes. In 1991, Tong directed his first film, the self-funded "The Stone Age Warriors" (魔域飞龙). The film received high praises from some famous film critics, which attracted the attention of Golden Harvest. Tong was then invited to join the company as a film director.
Tong is very well known for his action movies. Working closely with Jackie Chan, Stanley directed some very popular movies in the 1990s. Their first collaboration, ' (警察故事3：超级警察) (1992), broke box office records in many Asian countries and received a nomination for Best Film at the Golden Horse Awards. Tong's other movies with Jackie Chan, such as "Rumble in the Bronx" (红番区) (1995) and ' (警察故事4：简单任务) (1996), also created significant box office records, the latter grossing HK$57,518,795, the highest box office return for a local film in Hong Kong until 2001. Also, the release of "Rumble in the Bronx" in the United States helped Jackie Chan make a name for himself in Hollywood.
Tong customarily attempts stunts himself before asking actors to risk themselves, e.g., Jackie Chan's leap from a parking garage roof to a fire escape in "Rumble in the Bronx" and the finale of "The Stone Age Warriors".
During his stay in Hollywood, Tong also filmed his only English language non-martial arts film "Mr. Magoo" (1997), which was a critical and commercial failure, and "Martial Law" (1998), which was a moderate ratings success.
In 2000, Tong returned to Shanghai, in hopes to inspire the future generation of filmmakers in China. After his long presence away from home, Tong directed his first film in his homeland, "China Strike Force" (雷霆战警). In 2005, Tong wrote and directed the film "The Myth" (神话). In the same year, Tong also wrote and directed Asia's first computer-animated film, "Dragon Blood".
In recent years, Tong has produced a number of films, including the films "The Myth" (2005) and "CZ12" (十二生肖) (2012), as well as the TV series "Fall in Love with You" (偏偏爱上你) (2012) and "The Patriot Yue Fei" (精忠岳飞) (2013).
Apart from filmmaking, Tong has been active with charity work both in USA and China. He also works as a guest lecturer in China to help cultivate the nation's future filmmakers.
Entrepreneurship.
In 2001, Tong formed his own production company, China International Media Group Ltd. Many of his films are partly financed by the company. In addition, the company has invested in a stunt performers’ training program. Both local and foreign lecturers who are well known in the industry have been invited to give lessons for the program, and the best students receive opportunities to play in films invested by Tong’s company.
Other work.
In 2012, Tong was invited by The 15th Shanghai International Film Festival's SIFFORUM as a guest speaker. At the forum titled "Far East Dream Factory - Future for Chinese Film Industry Upgrading," Tong shared his views with other panelists in the industry. In 2011, Tong took the role of Honored Consultant for the Film and TV Association of China Public Security Ministry. The Association is established to produce films and TV series featuring crime stories.
In 2008, Tong appeared as a guest judge on the China Beijing TV Station reality television series "The Disciple", which aired in Mainland China and was produced by, and features, Jackie Chan. The purpose of the program was to find a new star, skilled in acting and martial arts, to become Chan's "successor", the champion being awarded the lead role in a film. It concluded on June 7, 2008, with the series winner being announced in Beijing.
Philanthropy.
Stanley Tong has organized many charitable activities and has received numerous awards for his contributions to the charity work. Some of them include:


Noah Starr

Noah Starr (born May 1 in Camden, Maine, United States) is an American Actor, fight director and writer. He has made appearances on "Late Night with Conan O'Brien" (where he is a regular sketch player), MTV, AMC, Court TV, CNBC, E!, Maury Povich and in the upcoming feature film "Nail Polish".
As a writer, he has written for a national advertising campaign, McSweeney's, Paramount Pictures and World Wrestling Entertainment.
As a fight director, Starr has worked with Nathan Lane, Andrea Martin and served as a stunt coordinator for a Kung Fu film. He was also an assistant to Broadway Fight Director Rick Sordelet ("Lion King", "Beauty and the Beast", "The Scarlet Pimpernel").
In New York City, Starr has performed comedy at The Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre, Carolines on Broadway, Stand-Up NY, The People's Improv Theatre and Gotham City Improv. He has studied improvisation with Keith Johnstone (author of Impro), Rich Talarico (SNL), The Upright Citizens Brigade, The People's Improv Theatre, The Second City NYC and Chicago City Limits.
Starr is a founding member of The Milwaukee Theatre Collective, Collaborationtown and The Beautiful Ponies.
He was a co-star on Aida Mollenkamp's Food Network program "Ask Aida" for season 1, but has not appeared in season 2.
Currently he is the Supervising Producer at the internet show "Good Mythical Morning" hosted by Rhett and Link.


Hebbal-Kittayya inscription

The Hebbal-Kittayya 750CE Inscription is one of the oldest known Kannada language inscriptions in Kannada script and Bangalore's oldest inscription. The inscription was discovered on 1 May 2018 in Hebbal. The inscription is on a Ooralivu Veeragallu in honour of Hebbal native Kittayya. Ooralivu veeragallu’s are memorial stones erected in honour of a person martyred defending an attack on his or her town.
Discovered by a few residents in Hebbal, this inscription was deciphered by P.V. Krishnamurthy, professor of epigraphy at the Kannada Sahithya Parishad as an inscription from the era of Ganga King Sripurusha in the 8th century CE.
The Ooralivu Veeragallu inscription is now installed in a crowd-funded Ganga-style stone mantapa adjoining the Hebbal city library, Bangalore.
Discovery and dating.
Until May 2018, lying in a roadside ditch close to Hebbal village gate were four ancient puja stones. These were in danger of being buried in any road development project. Dilip Kshatriya, a resident of Hebbal contacted Revival Heritage Hub (RHH), a Bengaluru based organization working in the area of heritage conservation and with their support, the four "puja" stones were shifted to an adjacent BBMP office. Of these four stones, one of which a veeragallu when dug revealed a hitherto unknown and undocumented inscription on the portion that was buried under the earth. This veeragallu inscription was subsequently deciphered by Dr. P.V. Krishnamurthy an eminent Kannada epigraphist and dated to 750 CE.
When discovered parts of the veeragallu had flaked and the inscription somewhat weathered. A 3D digital scan assisted in reading the inscription completely. On Palaeographic considerations, the date of the inscription is assigned to 750CE. In the absence of an explicit date mentioned in an inscription, it is a traditional practice to assign a date to the closest 10, 50, or 100th year on palaeographical considerations.
Transliteration of the text in modern English.
The text of the inscription in Purvada halegannada language and written in Ganga period Kannada script was deciphered by eminent epigraphist Dr. P.V. Krishnamurthy. The exact transliteration of the inscription in IAST is as follows (line numbers are not part of the original inscription, including them is a default practice with inscriptions).
Transliteration of the text in modern Kannada.
The full reading of the inscription as published by Dr. P.V. Krishnamurthy in Itihaasa Darpana Vol 36-38, 2018.
Explanation of the inscription.
A literal translation of the inscription is:
Ganga King Sripurusha was a powerful king of the Ganga dynasty who ruled between 726 - 788 CE. The Western Ganga dynasty were a powerful Southern Indian dynasty from 400-1000CE. Sripurusha’s kingdom referred to as Gangavadi 96000 extended to the regions of modern-day Kolar, Bangalore, Krishnagiri, Salem, Erode, Mandya, Mysore, Coorg, Chikamagalur, Shimoga and Tumkur districts. Numerous veeragallu found from this period in these regions are testimonies to the fierce battles and skirmishes between the Gangas and the Rashtrakutas during this period.
Etymology of the place name Hebbal.
The following is the etymology for the place-name Hebbal.
 (big) + (town) in
ಪಿರಿಯ + ಪೊೞಲ್ = ಪೆರ‍್ಬೊೞಲ್ > ಪೆರ್ವ್ವೊೞಲ್ > ಪೆರ್ಬ್ಬೊೞಲ್ > ಪೆರ್ಬ್ಬೊಳ್ > ಪೆಬ್ಬೊಳ್ > ಪೆಬ್ಬಾಳ > ಹೆಬ್ಬಾಳ
Between the 9th & 11th centuries many words in the Kannada language beginning with the character pa (ಪ), the pa was replaced with character ha (ಹ) (e.g, puli->huli, paalu-> haalu). Similarly in some words containing a va (ವ), the va was replaced by a ba (ಬ). Over the centuries perbolal has become Hebbal today.
The crowd-funded Ganga style mantapa.
Bangalore once had about 160+ inscription stones documented in the Epigraphia Carnatica Vol 9, 1905ed. However, an on the ground verification shows only some 50 of these inscription stones are still around today. The 100+ inscription stones having been lost to callous development. In view of this and considering that a 750CE era inscription stone being discovered within the city as extremely improbable, a citizens group working for the conservation and awareness Bangalore’s inscriptions “Inscription Stones of Bangalore” launched a project to build a mantapa (pavilion) befitting enough for the Hebbal-Kittayya inscription. Yashaswini Sharma a conservation architect designed on pro-bono basis a Ganga style mantapa to house the inscription and the crowdfunding effort culminated in the completion of the mantapa in January 2020. Residents of Hebbal formally inaugurated-celebrated the completion of the mantapa by integrating it into their Sankranthi (Harvest festival) celebrations on 14 January 2020.


Diptyque

Diptyque is a luxury French fragrance brand.
Based in Paris, the company produces eau de parfum, eau de toilette, scented candles, and perfume oil diffusers.
Its original boutique is still located at 34 Boulevard Saint-Germain in the 5th arrondissement of Paris. The name comes from Ancient Greek ("δίπτυχος") meaning a two-panel image.
History.
In 2005, the company was bought by London-based private equity firm Manzanita Capital.
The original boutique still operates at the same location in Paris, and the brand has boutiques in London, Tokyo, New York City, Hong Kong, Basel, Doha, Dubai, Milan, Las Vegas, San Francisco, and Chicago.


Hoovu Hannu

Hoovu Hannu (, ) is a 1993 Indian Kannada language drama film based on the novel by Triveni of the same name. The film stars Lakshmi, Rajesh Gundurao, Vyjayanthi and Baby Shamili in the lead roles. It was directed by Rajendra Singh Babu and produced by Vaibhava Lakshmi Productions. The music and lyrics were written and composed by Hamsalekha. The film was a musical hit and won many awards including the Karnataka State Film Awards and Filmfare Awards South.
Veteran cinematographer V. K. Murthy worked in this film and won many accolades for his work.
Plot.
The story revolves around a woman played by Lakshmi who undergoes pain in every step she takes and is forced in prostitution racket to earn a livelihood. Her grand daughter, played by Shamili, comes to her rescue in the latter half of the film.
Soundtrack.
Hamsalekha composed the music for the soundtracks also writing their lyrics. The album consists of seven soundtracks. The song 'Thayi Thayi' was reused in the 2008 Kannada film Vamshi, which also starred Lakshmi.
Awards.
Karnataka State Film Awards 1993-94
Filmfare Awards South 1993


Got Talent Portugal (season 3)

"Got Talent Portugal" (season 3) was the 3rd season of the talent show "Got Talent Portugal", the Portuguese version of the hit got talent show "Britain's Got Talent". Each judge can press the golden buzzer once in the auditions same as last year, such as the hosts. This year a new rule was made, the judges can give a unanimous golden buzzer that means the 3 judges can press the buzzer at the same time.
Cuca Roseta is the new judge, the Portuguese fadist, replaces Sofia Escobar and Mariza.
António Casalinho was crowned the winner of this edition after winning its final on 28 May 2017, the 13-year-old young dancer also got the prize of €30,000.


Bombazine

Bombazine, or bombasine, is a fabric originally made of silk or silk and wool, and now also made of cotton and wool or of wool alone. Quality bombazine is made with a silk warp and a worsted weft. It is twilled or corded and used for dress-material. Black bombazine was once used largely for mourning wear, but the material had gone out of fashion by the beginning of the 20th century.
The word is derived from the obsolete French "bombasin", applied originally to silk but afterwards to tree-silk or cotton. Bombazine is said to have been made in England in Elizabeth I's reign, and early in the 19th century it was largely made at Norwich.


Turandot discography

This is a partial discography of "Turandot", an opera by Giacomo Puccini. The first performance was held at the Teatro alla Scala in Milan on 25 April 1926, conducted by Arturo Toscanini.


Cole Marionettes

The Cole Marionettes was a Chicago marionette troupe founded by George and Lucille Cole circa 1934. The Cole Marionettes had several companies touring schools throughout the Midwest from the 1930s through the late 1980s. Usually based on famous fairy tales and myths, typical productions included "The Tinder Box", "Jason and the Golden Fleece", "The Steadfast Tin Soldier", "Beauty and the Beast", and "Jack and the Beanstalk."
A lifelong circus enthusiast, George Cole created "The Cole Circus", a popular marionette variety show touring for more than 40 years. George Cole died in 1986, preceding wife and partner Lucille's death by only a few years.


Theory of Visualization

Theory is becoming an important topic in visualization, expanding from its traditional origins in low-level perception and statistics to an ever-broader array of fields and subfields. It includes color theory, visual cognition, visual grammars, interaction theory, visual analytics and information theory.


Puppet film

Puppet film develops on the basis of traditional puppetry. It is in the form of a film that the main characters are puppets. Puppets’ limbs are controlled by people and their mouths usually does not move frequently. The height of a puppet is approximately 20 centimeters and the background is a model which fits the size of the puppet. The film is shot by grid-by-frame photography. Puppet film starts around 1900s. Between 1930s and 1980s, most genres of puppet films are comedy and animation. There are some famous magnum opus such as Thunderbird series and The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland. After 1980s, many horror puppet films appeared such as Puppet Master: The Littlest Reich. Compared to other films, puppet film focuses more on characters’ movements and the main audiences are children and teenagers. More and more reality elements are added into puppet film in recent years.
History.
The first puppet film " Dolly's Toys " is shown in 1902. It is also the first puppet animation in history. It is inspired by puppetry and uses puppets as main characters in the films.
In Europe, Great Britain creates the earliest series of puppet films in 1900s. After 1920s, many great puppet films appears among different European countries, such as Germany's "Eva and Grasshopper"(1928), Poland's "For Pete's Sake"(1966) and France's "Frags Who Wanted a King"(1923). The main genre is comedy.
In the USA, puppet film starts from 1910s. Similar to Europe, puppets in the films are controlled by strings which are usually hidden under the ground. Puppet film is popular in Hollywood from the beginning. Many special effects are added into the films. In 1979, director James Frawley create the first live-action film in the USA and the film is the start of the famous "Muppet Series".
In Asia, puppetry is more popular than puppet films. In the middle of 20th centuries, some Asian countries starts putting puppets into their animation films. In 1953, China creates its first puppet animation film "Emperor's Dream". It is one of the earliest puppet films in Asia according to the current research.
Film production process.
The construction of puppets.
Similar to Puppetry, all kinds of the puppets in the early 20th centuries are controlled by hands working. However, Not every puppet can be used in a film. While puppets in the puppetry perform in front of the stage, puppets in puppet films are recorded frame-by- frame by a camera. The puppets' height are usually around 30 centimetres. Their heads are made of wood, plastics or moulded rubber. To turn a puppet into a live character in the film, facial expression is crucial. Puppets‘ facial features are usually moveable so that they can behave like talking or sleeping A few puppets use plain face with repainted features to show the changes of characters' feelings. Moreover, Some studios will prepare different heads for puppets and changes them during the production process. Puppets also have three types of bodies. They are distinguished by the materials which have been mentioned above. After the invention of CGI, some puppets uses CGI and create more fantastic effect. The alien in the film E.T is a good example.
Settings and techniques.
The scale of the scene is followed by the size of the puppets. To make such a scene, many small items are used in the beginning of puppet film, such as stones, sticks and boxes. A close-up shot is always used to make audiences focus more on characters' movements instead of the rough background. In the meantime, effects like earthquake are required in the puppet film. The setting needs more solid material. But considering the reflection of light on the object will cause unnecessary shine, the studios usually use flat enamel and lacquer.
As the scene of puppet film is smaller than the real world, errors are easily expanded. So when setting the lighting, special equipment will be used. Halogen lamps are common devices in puppet films. The Halogen lighting unit is "small, lightweight and high mobile". Also, spotlights are set in the smallest position so that the extra light will be avoided.
Compare to cartoon or animation, it is much more difficult to add dialogues into puppet films. The timing must be critical as the sound is recorded before the movements. It is hard to catch the puppets' mouth movements in every sentence. So the studios prefer to eliminate the conversation in. the early puppet films and add more music and sound effects. The audiences need to derive the meaning by themselves. But with the development of technology, more and more dialogues are added after 1950s.
Representative works.
From 1900s to the early 1970s, most of the puppet films are animation or comedy. After 1970s, the "Puppet Master Series" changes the mainstream into horror style. Many horror puppet films are created between 1980s and 2000s. The list below includes different types of excellent puppet films at each time.
Descriptions of some classical puppet films.
With the development of technology, stop motion puppetry is discovered in 1900s. "Dolly's Toys" (1902) is considered as the first puppet film in history. It is made by British film Pioneer Arthur Melbourne-Cooper. It is about a boy's fantasy that all his toys come to life. Arthur Melbourne-Cooper is the creator of the world's first animation films. On the basis of Dolly's Toys, Arthur made another film which is Dreams of Toyland. Two films have similar plots . The story is always around children and their toys.
"The Great Gabbo" (1929) changes the plot. In this film, a ventriloquist who calls himself the Great Gabbo begins to lose his sense of identity when his only means of expression is through his wooden dummy. As the Great Gabbo begins to rely more and more on his dummy, he begins to go mad. The story is adapted from "Rival Dummy" by Ben Hecht. It brings the puppets to adult's world.
"The Czech Year" (1947) is directed by Jirí Trnka. Jirí Trnkais an animation director and he used to build an early puppet theatre. The Czech Year is his first feature film. In The Czech Year, It has six stories: "Shrovetide", "Spring", "Legend About St. Prokop", "The Fair", "The Feast" and "Bethlehem". Though the puppet design is simply due to the technology, the story is interesting and is full of life. The director begins to use puppet films to reflect the culture of their countries.
In 1949, Czech director Milos Makovec and Jirí Trnka directed "The Emperor's Nightingale". The story is about a Chinese emperor. He prefers the tinkling of a bejewelled mechanical bird to the song of a real nightingale. When the Emperor is near death, a nightingale's song restores his health. In this film, eastern countries' culture is presented through a fairytale. The play shows traditional Chinese lion dance, puppetry, and a pair of tigers and pandas. In the meantime, It has "strong ethical components".
Tiny Hero(1953) is the first Chinese colour puppet film. It tells the story that brave children fight against a bad wolf and save other animals in the forest. It is produced by Shanghai Film Studio. Since then, China has created over 136 puppet films.
In the same year, US director Charles Walters made his first puppet film "Lili". It is a love story in a carnival. LILI is an orphan. A crippled puppeteer Mel Ferrer treats "Lili" with contempt. However, he loves LILI. He only expresses his love through talking to his puppets. "Lili" is a sign of the early drama puppet film.
"Thunderbirds Are GO" (1966) is the start of the Thunderbird series. It is a science fiction story. The background of the film is in mid-2060s. The setting is in a secret base in the Pacific Ocean. Thunderbirds is a top life-saving organisation and the story. Anywhere in the world which has a serious disaster or accident can be immediately rushed to eliminate by Thunderbirds. It is directed by Gerry Anderson.
"Devil Doll" (1964) is a British horror puppet film. The main character Vorelli is a ventriloquist and a hypnotist. He owns a magic puppet which can behave like a real man. To get his purpose, he asks the puppet to kill people. A series of mysterious murders begins.The director Lindsay Shonteff is known as making crime thriller films. He puts many thriller elements into the puppet film. It is one of the earliest thriller puppet films.
"The Ruka" (1965) is also directed by Jirí Trnka. In The Ruka, a huge hand approaches a small happy potter and wants him to sculpt its statue. After the potter refusing his request, he uses different ways to threat him.It is a tragedy in the end. It is the final work of Jirí Trnka and it wins the highest animation award in his country. However, it is too dark and ironic to politics. It almost banned by the Communist Czechoslovakian government at that time.
"Mad Monster Party?" (1967)" is directed by Jules Bass. It is a fantasy story. Dr Frankenstein is retiring from the monster-making business and prepares an election. In the meantime, he discovers an important secret. The background of the film is Halloween and the film is full of interesting monster elements.
"Puppet On A Chain" (1971) is directed by Geoffrey Reeve. In the film, a U.S agent arrives in Amsterdam to investigate a heroin smuggling ring. The city is out of control and the police is unwilling to deal with it. He has to fight alone with those bad guys. It is an action and thriller puppet film.
"The Muppet Movie" (1979) is the first film of the Muppet series. The story starts from Frog Kermit who is approached by a Hollywood agent to audition for the chance of a lifetime. In his way to Hollywood, he meets several strange but interesting friends. They get together and a lot of funny things happens. It is directed by James Frawley. In 2004, Disney company purchased the copyright of Muppet Movie and made a new film which was The Muppet (2011).
Influence.
Though puppetry has a 4000 years history, few people are interested in puppetry nowadays since the story of puppetry is repetitive and the stage setting is too simple compared with modern films. Puppet film innovates in preserving the form of puppetry and combines it with films. Puppet film focuses on the storytelling as the core idea and enriches the character figure. Puppet film creates more fantastic stories and brings people deeper thoughts. Puppet film inherits the culture of puppetry and makes it more suitable for the modern trend.
Many puppet films are animated puppet films. Different from the normal animation, puppet film create a conversation between human and non-human. It produces many fantastic ideas for animation industries.
Furthermore, Puppet film motivates a new element in horror film. From the Puppet Master Series, more and more puppets appear as evil and horrible elements in modern films. Dead Silence is a good example.