In Verdi's opera Rigoletto what is the occupation of the character Rigoletto?

Rigoletto | The Opera 101 The Opera 101 Fill out the fields below to contact us! Your name * Recordings About One of the most exciting and gritty operas, Rigoletto is not for the faint-hearted. The censors of the time had real issues with Rigoletto’s content and it’s not really hard to see why! Set in the grubby world of the Duke of Mantua, a man with few morals and a great deal of power, the action plumbs the depths of nastiness and the bad guy doesn't get a comeuppance. There’s no avoiding the opera’s grim finale either, horrifically sad with only limited redemption. Rigoletto at the Royal Opera House Rigoletto is the first of Verdi’s middle period operas and marks a shift towards coherent musical tapestries as opposed to the typical Italian aria format (though Verdi by no means leaves the form behind). There are fewer applause breaks than in his earlier works, the drama seemingly rushing headlong towards its conclusion. It's an opera with extremes but also a sense of moral ambiguity. The grim palace of the Duke is contrasted by the tranquility and isolation of Gilda, Rigoletto’s daughter. Gilda gets some of the most divine music, particularly in the Act I aria Caro nome, in English Sweet name. Verdi also cleverly gives the despicable Duke some devilishly charming music, you’ll probably recognise La donna è mobile, Woman is flighty. Rigoletto himself gets no flashy arias, his music is punchier and more declamatory, an uneasy mix of both worlds. With a fantastic balance between the grand and the intimate, from plush palace to rundown inn, Rigoletto is an opera that has it all. Characters A ruthless assassin, albeit one with some sense of honour. Synopsis Act I - Running Time: 65 mins A palace ball is in full flow. The Duke of Mantua sings of his lascivious life. Amongst his many potential future conquests he is eyeing up an unknown girl he caught sight of in church. Rigoletto mocks all and sundry, a court jester who does this job in a nasty, deeply unpopular manner. The various nobles gossip about Rigoletto’s “lover”, most don’t believe she exists but they resolve somehow to have their revenge on him. Count Monterone enters angry, decrying that the Duke has had his way with Monterone’s daughter. Rigoletto ridicules him and the Duke orders him to be arrested. As he is dragged out Monterone calls down a curse on Rigoletto and the Duke. Rigoletto is cursed, Metropolitan Opera Sparafucile and Rigoletto, Metropolitan Opera Rigoletto trudges home worried by the curse. He comes across Sparafucile, the local assassin (every town should have one!), skulking in the darkness. Sparafucile offers his services but Rigoletto rejects his offer saying he has no need of them. Rigoletto enters his home where he is greeted by his daughter, Gilda. She is the figure that the noblemen suspect to be his lover. Rigoletto has kept Gilda secret from the Duke and Gilda does not know about Rigoletto’s job at the palace. The only place Gilda is allowed to go is church and she has recently fallen in love with a young man. As soon as Rigoletto leaves that man promptly appears and would you believe it... it’s the Duke! He bribes Giovanna into letting him in and in the ensuing love song lies to Gilda, telling her that he is a poor student. He departs. Outside the house, the noblemen mass to abduct Gilda, who they still think is Rigoletto’s lover. Somehow in the darkness they trick Rigoletto into believing they are kidnapping a woman from the house adjacent to his and in the ensuing action Rigoletto actually assists in the kidnapping of his daughter. The noblemen gather outside Rigoletto's house, San Francisco Opera He realizes what has happened and is utterly distraught. He recalls the curse as the curtain descends. Act II - Running Time: 35 mins We’re back in the palace. The Duke is missing his Gilda but he is soon excited to hear that the noblemen have just kidnapped her. She is in his bedroom which is like Christmas come early for the Duke. He dashes off as Rigoletto enters trying to appear like nothing is wrong. He tries to find out what has happene


In the world of opera which character introduces himself as 'the general factotum'?

Rossini's 'Largo al factotum' : NPR Rossini's 'Largo al factotum' From 'The Barber of Seville' Glimmerglass Opera on World of Opera -- 'The Barber of Seville' Audio is no longer available August 3, 20075:59 PM ET George Mott/Glimmerglass Opera The wily barber called Figaro is the title character in two great operas, Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro and Rossini's The Barber of Seville. Both composers found the character in plays by Beaumarchais, and Rossini's opera tells the first part of Figaro's story. Figaro introduces himself with "Largo al factotum," a number that's often called, simply, "The Figaro Aria." It's a boastful and buoyant aria in which Figaro explains exactly why he's the most famous barber in Seville, and it gives the singer a chance to show off his fast-talking, "patter" technique. In the Glimmerglass Opera production of Rossini's Barber, the title character is sung by Aaron St. Clair Nicholson, who begins his big aria while circling the stage on a bicycle!


Hanna Glavari is the female lead in which Lehar opera?

The Merry Widow - Die Lustige Witwe THE MERRY WIDOW Music by Franz Lehár: Book and lyrics by Victor      Léon and Leo Stein from L'Attaché d'Ambassade by      Henri Meilhac. : Theater an der Wein, Vienna - 30 December, 1905; Daly's Theatre, London - 8 June, 1907 (Book and lyrics adapted      by Basil Hood and Adrian Ross); New Amsterdam Theatre, New York      - 21 October 1907 (416 perfs) Professional Versions: 1) English by Christopher Hassall , - Sadler's       Wells. 20 January, 1958 2) English book by Edmund Tracey, lyrics by Christopher Hassall, 3) English by Sheldon Harnick, 4) English by Nigel Douglas 6) Australian adaptation by Frank Hatherlery as The        Merry Widow From Bluegum Creek   Often called 'The Queen of Operettas', this     is certainly the most celebrated and successful show of its     kind ever written. The melodies and songs - Vilja", "The     Merry Widow Waltz", "You'll Find Me At Maxim's" to     name but a few - are lovingly played and sung the whole world     over, making it one of the surest box-office attractions of     all time. THE STORY The action of The Merry Widow takes place in Paris.      In Act I we find ourselves in the ballroom of the Pontivedrian      Embassy. The Ambassador, Baron Zeta, has a problem on his,      mind. He must find a way to save his country from bankruptcy.      One solution is to prevent the rich and beautiful heiress      Hanna Glavari from marrying a foreigner. He has decided that      Count Danilo, an embassy attaché would be the ideal      bridegroom, and the purpose of the party we are witnessing      is to bring the two together. But all is not going to plan.      Danilo, irresponsible and light-hearted, has not yet arrived      at the party and can be found nowhere. Immersed in matchmaking,      Baron Zeta has failed to observe that his wife Valencienne      is engaged in a passionate flirtation with a French officer      Camille, the Count de Rosillon. At last Anna arrives escorted      by a crowd of hopeful suitors and the party adjourns for      supper. Meanwhile Danilo arrives. He has been traced to his      favourite resort "Chez Maxims". Exhausted by the      round of party going, he falls asleep in the deserted ballroom.      Valencienne and Camille return perturbed. Valencienne has      forbidden Camille to declare his love, so he has written      the words, "I Love You" on her fan and now the      fan cannot be found anywhere. Anna reappears and Danilo awakens      to greet her. They discover that they are old acquaintances,      parted long since by Danilo's rich uncle. Anna reminds Danilo      of their past affair but he declares that he will never marry      her now because of her fortune. Further complications arise      over the lost fan. Anna chooses Danilo for her partner in "Ladies,'      Choice" and as she does so realises that her attraction      for him is still alive in her heart.  ACT II The scene is yet another party, this time in the garden     of Anna's house. All the Pontivedrians are in national dress     and Anna obliges with a national folksong, the famous "VILIA" which     is of course one of Lehár's greatest successes Baron     Zeta confides to Danilo the story of the fan. Danilo immediately     recognises the writing as that of Camille, and is all agog     as to whom the lady can be. Anna is still annoyed at Danilo     for continuing to avoid her. She is now completely in love     with him as he is with her. It is only her millions and his     pride that keep them apart. Danilo continues his unsuccessful     search for the owner of the fan. The In now comes into Anna's     possession and she is convinced that the inscription on it     is Danilo's declaration to her.  Meanwhile Valencienne and Camille appear and the pair retire     to the summer house. Now horrors! Baron Zeta has


The lights on Broadway were put out as a mark of respect following the death of which playwright in November 1950?

Composers, Lyricists & Writers - Broadway: The American Musical Ben Vereen Robin Wagner “The Phantom of the Opera” (1986) is perhaps Lloyd Webber’s best-known work. Based on Gaston Leroux’s novel, the musical included the songs “Music of the Night,” “All I Ask of You,” “The Phantom of the Opera,” and “Think of Me.” Michael Crawford and Sarah Brightman, then Lloyd Webber’s wife, starred in the original production. “Phantom” is indicative of a trend in the late 1980s toward a “sung-through” musical — one in which spoken dialogue is limited and often replaced by operatic recitative (speech-singing). The lavish sets, impressive special effects, and hauntingly beautiful musical score have made the show one of the most popular musicals worldwide. His first musical was “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. “Aspects of Love” (1989) launched the career of its male lead, Michael Ball. The sung-through musical was an adaptation of David Garnett’s tale of intergenerational love and included the ballad “Love Changes Everything.” The show played for over three years in London, but its 1990 Broadway run lasted only 377 performances. “Sunset Boulevard” (1993), based on the film of the same name, included some spectacularly romantic music. Two songs, “With One Look” and “As if We Never Said Goodbye,” both of which are sung by the lead character Norma Desmond, have entered the repertories of singers as diverse as Kiri TeKenawa and Barbra Streisand. As with “The Phantom of the Opera,” “Sunset Boulevard” includes elaborate and impressive sets. John Napier’s grandiose staircase is as much a character in the musical as are any of the humans. The London production starred Patti LuPone, while the Los Angeles and New York productions featured Glenn Close. Betty Buckley succeeded both LuPone and Close in their respective runs. “Whistle Down the Wind” (1998), inspired by the film of the same name, is set in Louisiana in 1959. A collaboration with Jim Steinman, the score includes typically romantic love songs and explosive rock music. In addition to his musical theater works, Lloyd Webber has also written concert works. “Variations” also exists in a version for cello and orchestra. “Requiem” (1985), written for Lloyd Webber’s father, included the memorable duet “Pie Jesu.” With his impressive array of commercially and artistically successful shows, Lloyd Webber is one of the most important composers for the musical theater in the last decades of the 20th century. Both his innate gift for melody and his ability to create music, which live up to the dazzling special effects characteristic of so many of his shows, have contributed immensely to his worldwide success. Source: Excerpted from ST. JAMES ENCYCLOPEDIA OF POPULAR CULTURE. 5 VOLS., St. James Press, © 2000 St. James Press. Reprinted by permission of The Gale Group. Photo credits: Photofest Mary Martin Weill and his wife, singer Lotte Lenya, emigrated to the USA in 1935. Weill was working on “Huckleberry Finn,” an adaptation of Mark Twain’s celebrated novel, when he died in 1950. In 1995, a new production of “The Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny” was presented by the English National Opera at the Coliseum in London. In the following year Weill and Lerner’s 1948 “Love Life” received its “first production outside the USA for 48 years.” The show’s European premiere took place at the Grand Theatre Leeds. In 1999, Weill’s “Der Silbersee” (The Silverlake) was presented by the Broomhill Opera at the new refurbished Wilton’s Music Hall in London in a translation by the popular UK impressionist Rory Bremner. Also in 1999, the opera “He Who Says Yes/He Who Says No,” by Weill and Brecht, was presented Off-Off Broadway. FURTHER READING: Elaine Stritch He first took a crack at writing a full Broadway score with “High Button Shoes.” Styne would collaborate with Robin on the bright score for the Betty Grable film MEET ME AFTER THE SHOW (1951) and the less successful feature remake MY SISTER EILEEN (1955) and would create tunes with Cahn for THE WEST POINT STORY (1950), but around mid-decade he f


Which is the oldest Formula 1 racetrack that is still in use for grand prix racing?

Schumacher and F1's oldest ever drivers · F1 Fanatic Author Keith Collantine Has the old boy got it in him to do another victory leap? At 40 years, seven months and 20 days, Michael Schumacher will be the oldest F1 driver to start a Grand Prix in 14 years when he makes his highly-anticipated return at Valencia next month. But that doesn’t bring him anywhere near the record for an oldest Grand Prix starter. He’ll have to come back in 2024 if he wants to break that… Oldest F1 race starters Here are the ten oldest drivers to start a round of the F1 world championship: 1. Louis Chiron, 55y 9m 19d, 1955 Monaco Grand Prix 2. Philippe Etancelin, 55y 6m 8d, 1952 French Grand Prix 3. Arthur Legat, 54y 7m 20d, 1953 Belgian Grand Prix 4. Luigi Fagioli, 53y 22d, 1951 French Grand Prix 5. Adolf Brudes, 52y 9m 19d, 1952 German Grand Prix 6. Hans Stuck, 52y 8m 17d, 1953 Italian Grand Prix 7. Bill Aston, 52y 4m 5d, 1952 German Grand Prix 8. Clemente Biondetti, 52y 16d, 1950 Italian Grand Prix 9. Louis Rosier, 50y 9m, 1956 German Grand Prix 10. Rudolf Schoeller, 50y 3m 7d, 1952 German Grand Prix Record-holder Chiron, who was born in the 19th century, did make a subsequent attempts to qualify for the further races. His last was in 1958, aged 58, again at Monaco. It’s plain that in the 1950s Formula 1 racing was the preserve of a much older generation of drivers. At the other end of the scale, last weekend saw the debut of the youngest F1 driver ever, Jaime Alguersuari , less than half Schumacher’s age. But it’s not as if younger drivers did not also compete. Peter Collins entered the 1952 Swiss Grand Prix at the age of 20 years, six months and ten days. Troy Ruttman was four months younger when he raced in the 1950 Indianapolis 500, then a round of the world championship. The last driver older than Schumacher to start a race was Nigel Mansell, who was 41 years, nine months and six days old when he made his final, ill-fated appearance for McLaren in Spain in 1995. Since then Channoch Nissany, a 41 year-old Israeli businessman, bought a Minardi test in 2005. Oldest champion racers Schumacher will not even rank among the top 100 oldest F1 drivers of all time. And the record for the oldest Grand Prix winner is a long way out of sight, too: Luigi Fagioli claimed that in the 1951 French Grand Prix, aged 53 years and 22 days. However Schumacher will be the seventh oldest former champion to start a race: Giuseppe Farina, 48y 7m 6d, 1953 Belgian Grand Prix Juan Manuel Fangio, 47y 12d, 1958 French Grand Prix Graham Hill, 45y 11m 11d, 1975 Brazilian Grand Prix Jack Brabham, 44y 6m 23d, 1970 Mexican Grand Prix Mario Andretti, 42y 7m 28d, 1982 USA Grand Prix (Las Vegas) Nigel Mansel, 41y 9m 6d, 1995 Spanish Grand Prix Michael Schumacher, 40y 7m 20d, 2009 European Grand Prix* *Race yet to be run Read more


Which Middle East state currently hosts a Formula One race?

Why Formula One Has Races In Eight Of The Ten Countries With The Highest GDP Why Formula One Has Races In Eight Of The Ten Countries With The Highest GDP {{article.article.images.featured.caption}} Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. Full Bio The author is a Forbes contributor. The opinions expressed are those of the writer. Loading ... Loading ... This story appears in the {{article.article.magazine.pretty_date}} issue of {{article.article.magazine.pubName}}. Subscribe Formula One moves to the Middle East this weekend for the Bahrain Grand Prix and as it does so it races into controversy. The tiny Gulf state has been in the news for the past few years due to clashes between the Shia majority and the ruling Sunnis. However that isn’t the most surprising reason that the race is on the F1 calendar. The 19 races which comprise the F1 world championship take place in glamorous and exotic countries including Monaco, Malaysia and Singapore as well as global powerhouses such as the United States, Germany and Britain. Nevertheless, there are notable omissions such as France, Mexico and South Africa. This is what seems to make it surprising that a small state such as Bahrain has a Grand Prix. In fact there is a very good reason for the choice of races on the F1 calendar. It is down to F1’s business model which is unlike that of any other sports series. Race tracks generally do not get any revenue from the television broadcasts of the Grand Prix or the corporate hospitality and advertising banners there. Money from these revenue streams goes to the sport’s rights-holder the F1 Group, which is run by British billionaire Bernie Ecclestone and controlled by private equity firm CVC. The tracks’ sole source of income from F1 is usually ticket sales and this barely covers the annual race hosting fee which came to an average of $27 million in 2011, the most recent year which a complete set of financial statements is available for the F1 Group. It receives the race hosting fees which accelerate by up to 10% annually thanks to escalator clauses in the race contracts. Race organisers are forced to raise ticket prices to compensate for the escalation of the hosting fee. It is the reason why the average cost of entry to the US Grand Prix in Austin, Texas has increased by 24.5% to $409.50 since its inaugural race in 2012. Increasing the ticket prices still only brings the race organisers back to break-even after paying the hosting fee. comes payment of the running costs for the event which pushes it into a shortfall and this is when the location of the race plays an important part. The running costs of a Grand Prix are usually covered by governments who invest more than $400 million in F1 races every year. They need to be wealthy nations in order to afford this which explains why F1 races take place in eight of the ten countries with the highest Gross Domestic Product (GDP) according to data from the World Bank. As the following table shows, the list of countries is crowned by the US which has a GDP of $16.2 trillion. China is in second place with around half the GDP of the US and it is followed by Japan with $6 trillion. All three countries have F1 races and the only two in the top ten which don’t are France and India. They have both hosted a Grand Prix in the past decade with the race in France last held in 2008 and the Indian event dropped this year due to devaluation of the rupee. Governments of emerging markets like Bahrain pump money into F1 races because they put them on the global sporting map alongside developed nations such as the US, Britain and Germany. Developed nations which host F1 gain through economic benefit from hundreds of thousands of spectators spending in the local area when they visit the race. The inaugural US Grand Prix in 2012 attracted 117,429 spectators giving it the second-highest race-day attendance after the British Grand Prix. Smith Travel Research reported that over the five-day period ending on Sunday 18 November, when the 2012 race took place, hotels in the Austin area took in $32 millio


Which TV detective works in the fictional town of Denton?

A Touch of Frost (TV Series 1992– ) - IMDb IMDb 17 January 2017 4:34 PM, UTC NEWS There was an error trying to load your rating for this title. Some parts of this page won't work property. Please reload or try later. X Beta I'm Watching This! Keep track of everything you watch; tell your friends. Error DI Jack Frost is an unconventional policeman with sympathy for the underdog and an instinct for moral justice. Sloppy, disorganized and disrespectful, he attracts trouble like a magnet. Stars: All families have secrets, but perhaps none so shocking as that which Frost unearths when he investigates the brutal murder of Peter Lawson. 8.7 Frost becomes engaged to Christine Moorehead while trying to put crime kingpin Gerry Berland behind bars and trying to unmask a copycat killer. 8.6 As Frost has mixed emotions about promotion, a young boy is reported missing and the malnourished corpse of a youngster is presumed to be his. 8.5 Famous Directors: From Sundance to Prominence From Christopher Nolan to Quentin Tarantino and every Coen brother in between, many of today's most popular directors got their start at the Sundance Film Festival . Here's a list of some of the biggest names to go from Sundance to Hollywood prominence. a list of 40 titles created 25 Jan 2012 a list of 38 titles created 02 Jan 2013 a list of 45 titles created 09 Apr 2014 a list of 38 titles created 08 Jan 2015 a list of 47 titles created 10 months ago Title: A Touch of Frost (1992– ) 7.8/10 Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? Use the HTML below. You must be a registered user to use the IMDb rating plugin. 11 wins & 14 nominations. See more awards  » Photos Inspector Morse has an ear for music, a taste for beer and a nose for crime. He sets out with Sergeant Lewis to solve each intriguing case. Stars: John Thaw, Kevin Whately, James Grout Dalziel and Pascoe (TV Series 1996) Crime | Mystery | Drama Supt. Dalziel and partner DI Pascoe investigate murders, and find a bond forming between them despite their blatantly differing personalities. Stars: Warren Clarke, Colin Buchanan, David Royle Inspector Robert Lewis and Sergeant James Hathaway solve the tough cases that the learned inhabitants of Oxford throw at them. Stars: Kevin Whately, Laurence Fox, Clare Holman British crime investigation series based around aristocratic, Oxford-educated Detective Inspector Thomas Lynley and his working-class assistant Sergeant Barbara Havers. Stars: Nathaniel Parker, Sharon Small, Lesley Vickerage Inspector George Gently (TV Series 2007) Crime | Drama | Mystery With the help of DS John Bacchus, Inspector George Gently spends his days bringing to justice members of the criminal underworld who are unfortunate enough to have the intrepid investigator assigned to their cases. Stars: Martin Shaw, Lee Ingleby, Simon Hubbard Midsomer Murders (TV Series 1997) Crime | Drama | Mystery A veteran DCI and his young sergeant investigate murders around the regional community of Midsomer County. Stars: John Nettles, Jane Wymark, Barry Jackson DCI Banks (TV Series 2010) Crime | Drama | Mystery The tenacious and stubborn DCI Banks unravels disturbing murder mysteries aided by his young assistants, DS Annie Cabbot and DI Helen Morton. Stars: Stephen Tompkinson, Jack Deam, Andrea Lowe With her caustic wit and singular charm, DCI Vera Stanhope and her trusted right-hand man DS Joe Ashworth face a series of captivating murder mysteries set against the breathtaking Northumberland landscape. Stars: Brenda Blethyn, Jon Morrison, David Leon Set in the 1960s, the show follows Endeavour Morse in his early years as a police constable. Working alongside his senior partner DI Fred Thursday, Morse engages in a number of investigations around Oxford. Stars: Shaun Evans, Roger Allam, James Bradshaw New Tricks (TV Series 2003) Comedy | Crime | Drama Three retired police officers are drafted in to solve cold cases, with a touch of comedy and drama Stars: Dennis Waterman, Amanda Redman, Alun Armstrong Waking the Dead (TV Series 2000) Crime | Drama | Mystery Detective Superintendent


Which US Marine explorer discovered the wreck of the Titanic?

Discovery of the Titanic Shipwreck in 1985 Discovery of the Titanic Shipwreck Found by Famous Ocean Explorer Robert Ballard in 1985 A 23 x 12 ft. piece of the Titanic weighing 20 tons is on display at 'TITANIC The Artifact Exhibit' at the California Science Center in Los Angeles, California. (2003).  (Photo by Michel Boutefeu/Getty Images) By Jennifer L. Goss, Contributing Writer Updated February 03, 2016. After the sinking of the Titanic on April 15, 1912, the great ship slumbered on the floor of the Atlantic Ocean for over 70 years before its wreckage was discovered. On September 1, 1985, a joint American-French expedition, headed by famous American oceanographer Dr. Robert Ballard, found the Titanic over two miles below the ocean’s surface by using an unmanned submersible called Argo. This discovery gave new meaning to the Titanic’s sinking and gave birth to new dreams in ocean exploration. The Titanic’s Journey Built in Ireland from 1909 to 1912 on behalf of the British-owned White Star Line, the Titanic officially left its final European port of Queenstown, Ireland on April 11, 1912. Carrying over 2,200 passengers and crew, the Titanic began its maiden voyage across the Atlantic, headed for New York. The Titanic carried passengers from all walks of life. Tickets were sold to first, second, and third class passengers; the latter group largely consisting of immigrants seeking a better life. continue reading below our video 10 Best Universities in the United States Famous first class passengers included the Astors, the Strausses, J. Bruce Ismay, and Benjamin Guggenheim. The Sinking of the Titanic Only three days after setting sail, the Titanic struck an iceberg at 11:40 p.m. on April 14, 1912, somewhere in the North Atlantic. Although it took the ship over two and a half hours to sink, the vast majority of the crew and passengers perished due to a significant lack of lifeboats and improper use of those that did exist. The lifeboats could have held over 1,100 people, but only 705 people were saved; nearly 1,500 perished the night the Titanic sank. People around the world were shocked when they heard that the “unsinkable” Titanic had sunk. They wanted to know the details of the disaster. Yet, however much the survivors could share, theories about how and why the Titanic sank would remain unsubstantiated until the wreckage of the great ship could be found. There was just one problem -- no one was sure exactly where the Titanic had sunk. Robert Ballard Robert Ballard wanted to find the wreckage of the Titanic. Ballard had grown up in San Diego, California, near the ocean, where he began his life-long fascination with the ocean and learned to scuba dive. After graduating from University of California, Santa Barbara in 1965 with degrees in both chemistry and geology, Ballard signed up for the Army. Two years later, in 1967, Ballard transferred to the Navy, where he was assigned to the Deep Submergence Group at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Research Institution in Massachusetts, thus beginning his illustrious career with submersibles. By 1974, Ballard had received two doctoral degrees (marine geology and geophysics) from the University of Rhode Island and had spent a lot of time conducting deep water dives in a manned submersible he helped design, called Alvin. During subsequent dives in 1977 and 1979 near the Galapagos Rift, Ballard helped discover hydrothermal vents . More importantly, though, were the amazing plants that grew around these vents; it was the scientific study of these plants that led to the discovery of chemosynthesis , a process in which plants use chemical reactions rather than sunlight to get energy. Yet, however many shipwrecks Ballard explored and however much of the ocean floor he mapped, Ballard never forgot about the Titanic. Ballard has said, “I always wanted to find the Titanic. That was a Mt. Everest in my world -- one of those mountains that had never been climbed.”* Planning the Mission Ballard wasn’t the first to try to find the Titanic. Over the years, there had been several teams who had set ou


Which strait separates Italy and Sicily?

The tectonic puzzle of the Messina area (Southern Italy): Insights from new seismic reflection data : Scientific Reports 13 December 2012 Abstract The Messina Strait, that separates peninsular Italy from Sicily, is one of the most seismically active areas of the Mediterranean. The structure and seismotectonic setting of the region are poorly understood, although the area is highly populated and important infrastructures are planned there. New seismic reflection data have identified a number of faults, as well as a crustal scale NE-trending anticline few km north of the strait. These features are interpreted as due to active right-lateral transpression along the north-eastern Sicilian offshore, coexisting with extensional and right-lateral transtensional tectonics in the southern Messina Strait. This complex tectonic network appears to be controlled by independent and overlapping tectonic settings, due to the presence of a diffuse transfer zone between the SE-ward retreating Calabria subduction zone relative to slab advance in the western Sicilian side. Introduction The Messina Strait and surrounding area are seismically active and responsible for the Mw 7.1 December 28th 1908 earthquake 1 , 2 , with a related tsunami (run-up height up to 10 m), which caused more than 60.000 casualties. Several earthquakes have struck the area over the centuries 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 . The area is highly populated and the longest single span ever built bridge has been planned to cross the Messina Strait ( Fig. 1 ). In order to contribute to the understanding of the tectonic framework, we explored the area by a multichannel seismic reflection and multibeam survey (TIR10, cruise report available at http://www.ismar.cnr.it ). A morphologic map and regional cross sections, based on these new data, allow us to image the upper 3–4 km of the crust of the area ( Figs. 2 , 3 and 4 ), adding information for the evaluation of the seismic risk in the area. Figure 1: Geological setting of the Messina Strait, with location of the planned bridge (gray solid line), and of the seismic reflection profile TIR10/01 (white line). This area is shaped by a complex network of normal and transtensional faults (black lines with ticks). Depth of the top of the subducted Ionian slab (ref. 38 and references therein) is also shown (black lines). Red, blue and green dots are earthquake epicentres 38 , occurring at depths < 15 km, between 15 and 35 km, and > 35 km, respectively ( http://csi.rm.ingv.it ). Focal plane solutions are from ref. 39 . Red arrows indicate GPS velocity vectors 10 . Black rectangle is the survey area of Fig. 2 . Lower-right panel shows a tectonic sketch of the southern Tyrrhenian Sea, representing coexisting compression (solid red arrows) along the northeastern Sicilian offshore, and extension (open red arrows) in southern Calabria. Full size image The Messina Strait is an extensional feature, crosscutting the Apennines belt, and separating the Italian peninsula from Sicily ( Fig. 1 ). It is located in the area between the Neogene Tyrrhenian backarc basin, developed in the hangingwall of the Apennines, and the Mesozoic-Paleogene Ionian basin, which is the foreland and the area of propagation of the Neogene to present Apennines thin-skinned accretionary prism 5 , 6 . The Messina Strait is part of the transitional zone separating the faster SE-retreating slab beneath Calabria and the Sicilian continental lithosphere 7 , 8 , 9 . The main transition runs along the northward prolongation of the Malta Escarpment (west of the Messina Strait), that separates Calabria to the east, moving SE-ward relative to Sardinia (Eurasia), whereas to the west of the escarpment, the Sicilian microplate converges NW-ward with respect to Sardinia 10 . This different behaviour is marked particularly by the subduction hinge which is moving away with respect to the upper plate (i.e., Sardinia) along the Calabrian side, whereas it converges relative to Sardinia in the Sicilian side of the subduction zone 11 . This is coherent with the contractional setting in the northern Sicilian o


In Roman mythology who was the father of Romulus and Remus?

Romulus and Remus - Ancient History Encyclopedia Romulus and Remus by Brittany Garcia published on 04 October 2013 In Roman mythology , Romulus and his twin brother Remus were the children of Rhea Silvia and Mars (or in some variations the demi-god hero Hercules ). Romulus and Remus are best known for being the founders of the city of Rome . Their story is recorded by many authors including Virgil who claims their birth and adventures were fated in order for Rome to be founded. The Birth & Parentage of Romulus & Remus Romulus and Remus were the direct descendants of Aeneas, whose fate-driven adventures to discover Italy are described by Virgil in The Aeneid . Romulus and Remus were related to Aeneas through their mother's father, Numitor. Numitor was a king of Alba Longa, an ancient city of Latium in central Italy, and father to Rhea Silvia. Before Romulus' and Remus' conception, Numitor's reign was usurped by Nimitor's younger brother, Amulius. Amulius inherited control over Alba Longa's treasury with which he was able to dethrone Numitor and become king. Amulius, wishing to avoid any conflict of power, killed Nimitor's male heirs and forced Rhea Silvia to become a Vestal Virgin . Vestal Virgins were priestesses of Vesta , patron goddess of the hearth; they were charged with keeping a sacred fire that was never to be extinguished and to take vows of chastity. Remove Ads Advertisement There is much debate and variation as to whom was the father of Romulus and Remus. Some myths claim that Mars appeared and lay with Rhea Silvia; other myths attest that the demi-god hero Hercules was her partner. However, the author Livy claims that Rhea Silvia was in fact raped by an unknown man, but blamed her pregnancy on divine conception. In either case, Rhea Silvia was discovered to be pregnant and gave birth to her sons. It was custom that any Vestal Virgin betraying her vows of celibacy was condemned to death; the most common death sentence was to be buried alive. However, King Amulius, fearing the wrath of the paternal god (Mars or Hercules) did not wish to directly stain his hands with the mother's and children's blood. So, King Amulius imprisoned Rhea Silvia and ordered the twins' death by means of live burial , exposure, or being thrown into the Tiber River. He reasoned that if the twins were to die not by the sword but by the elements, he and his city would be saved from punishment by the gods. He ordered a servant to carry out the death sentence, but in every scenario of this myth, the servant takes pity on the twins and spares their lives. The servant, then, places the twins into a basket onto the River Tiber, and the river carries the boys to safety. The twins were first discovered by a she-wolf or lupa, who suckled them, and they were fed by a wood-pecker or picus. The Discovery of Romulus & Remus The river god Tibernus ensured their safety by calming the river, and he caused their basket to catch in the roots of a nearby fig tree. The tree was located at the base of the Palatine Hill in the Velabrum swamp. The twins were first discovered by a she-wolf or lupa, who suckled them and they were fed by a wood-pecker or picus. Eventually, they were discovered and cared for by a shepherd and his wife: Faustulus and Acca Larentia.The two boys grew up to be shepherds like their adoptive father. One day while they were herding their sheep, they were met by shepherds of King Amulius. These shepherds started a fight with Romulus and Remus in which Remus was captured and taken before King Amulius. Romulus gathered and incited a band of local shepherds to join him in rescuing his brother. King Amulius believed that Rhea Silvia's children were dead; he did not recognize Remus or Romulus. Romulus freed his brother, and in the process killed King Amulius. Romulus & Remus Begin to Quarrel After Amulius' death, the brothers rejected the citizens' offer of the crown of Alba Longa and instead reinstated Nimitor as king. They left Alba Longa seeking to found their own city, and each set out to find the best locale. The brothers quarrelled over


What was the name of the Cargo ferry forced aground near Blackpool at the end of January 2008?

2008 Nightmare - M/V Riverdance - Page 2 Reports of M/V Riverdance From The        Cargo Letter - April 3 2008 --The        News We Expected M/V          Riverdance stranded          off the Blackpool coast is to be dismantled on the          beach, officials have decided. M/V          Riverdance ran          aground off the Lancashire coast in January after          being hit by a freak wave as it sailed from          Northern Ireland to Heysham. After          several failed efforts to refloat the vessel by          owners, Seatruck Ferries, the firm said it will          never sail again. The          Maritime and Coastguard          Agency (MCA) has now said that the ferry will be          dismantled and the parts recycled. The          process is expected to take between 12 and 14          weeks. A total of 23 people were airlifted to          safety - 19 crew and four passengers when the          6,000-ton vessel ran aground. M/V          Riverdance has          since become a popular tourist attraction as people          from across the UK visit Blackpool to see the ferry, which is stuck fast on its side. It          is estimated that about 4mt. (4.4yards) of the          ferry's wheelhouse is under the          sand. M/V          Riverdance will          now be stripped down internally until only the          shell remains. The hull will then be cut into          manageable pieces and transported for recycling,          the MCA said. Hugh Shaw, the Secretary of State's          Representative for Maritime          Salvage and Intervention (SOSREP), said the operation would          cause "minimum disruption" in the area. The          original plan to refloat M/V          Riverdance was          abandoned after it was battered by storms last          month, causing it to list further and sink deeper          into the sand. From           our           Correspondent Ashely Black -           Tues. April 3= 2008. From The       Cargo Letter - April 10 2008 --The       news we expected After          a lengthy evaluation process, the owner of, M/V          Riverdance now          lying on Blackpool beach, has produced plans to dismantle the ship in          situ on the grounds that this represents the best          option available in the interests of safety and          protecting the environment. Hugh Shaw, the          Secretary of States Representative for Maritime          Salvage and Intervention (SOSREP),          has been involved throughout and has informed the          owner that he has no objection to the          plans. Weather          permitting, it is estimated that the project will take approximately 12-14 weeks. Options examined          ranged from righting the vessel (known          as par-buckling),          cutting up in situ or a combination of both. The          preferred method will involve cargo, trailer and          machinery removal, including any debris and any          pollutants, whilst maintaining the integrity of the          hull. M/V          Riverdance will          be stripped down internally until only the shell          remains. The hull will then be cut into manageable          pieces and transported for          recycling. Until the new          contract for demolition is awarded, SMIT          Salvage remain on contract to carry out caretaking duties          only. The original          plan to reduce the list using tidal and internal


In American football which team won the 2008 Superbowl?

Super Bowl XLII | American Football Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia [9] Super Bowl XLII was the championship game of professional football for the 2007 season , played on February 3, 2008, at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. [10] In one of the most significant upsets in Super Bowl history, [11] the NFC champion New York Giants (13-6), defeated the AFC champion New England Patriots (18-0), by the score of 17-14. If the Patriots won this game they would have completed a perfect season , the first since the 1972 Miami Dolphins , and it would be the only one since the league expanded to a 16-game regular season in 1978 . This game was also a rematch of both teams' regular season-ending game on December 29 2007, which the Patriots won to finish the regular season 16–0, with a score of 38–35 at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. New England opened the bye week as 14-point favorites, but dipped to 12-point favorites by kickoff. [12] In the end, after falling behind late in the fourth quarter, the Patriots lost 14–17 . [13] The telecast was the most-watched Super Bowl in history, with 97.5 million viewers. [8] A record 148.3 million total viewers tuned into the game. It was also the second- most-watched TV program in the United States, behind the 1983 M*A*S*H series finale. [14] Coincidentally, the Phoenix area hosted Super Bowl XXX , the second-most-viewed Super Bowl, with 95.1 million viewers, in 1996. Contents Edit The league contemplated holding Super Bowl XLII in New York City or Washington, D.C. as a symbol of the recovery from the September 11, 2001 attacks. [15] However, New York City was not considered as a finalist, because the proposed renovations to Giants Stadium were still being disputed among its stadium representatives, and the city and the New York Jets at the time had not finalized a plan to build the new West Side Stadium ; ultimately, that deal fell through. [16] NFL owners awarded Super Bowl XLII to Glendale during their October 2003 meeting in Chicago, Illinois, rejecting Washington for a warmer and drier climate. [17] Venue Edit The kickoff for the game was at 4:30 p.m. MST (listed at 4:17 pm by the Fox network). This was the first time a Super Bowl was played on a retractable natural-grass field surface; the University of Phoenix Stadium's removable surface is unique among American sports venues. [18] This was also the second Super Bowl played in a retractable-roof stadium (designed by Peter Eisenman and HOK Sport). During the regular season, the home team decides 90 minutes before kickoff whether the roof would be open or closed, and an open roof must remain open unless weather conditions get worse. However, as a neutral site, the NFL controls the option to open or close without any restrictions. The first time this was employed was in Super Bowl XXXVIII at Reliant Stadium ; the roof was open for pregame and halftime shows and closed during the game. [19] Because there was rain in the scheduled forecast for Super Bowl XLII, the roof was closed for the entire day's activities. During a February 6, 2007, ceremony with Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano, the NFL and the Arizona Super Bowl Host Committee unveiled the slogan "Who Wants It More?" along with its mascot "Spike the Super Ball" (an anthropomorphized football with sunglasses and sneakers) and a large "Super Bowl XLII Countdown Clock" at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. [20] The Super Bowl XLII logo was also unveiled, featuring the shape of the state of Arizona in red. The two horizontal white stripes in the middle represent the vertical lines on the University of Phoenix Stadium. The turquoise Roman Numerals represent the Native American culture of Arizona. The red star represents the AFC and the blue star represents the NFC. [20] Teams Main article: 2007 New England Patriots The Patriots, competing in their fourth Super Bowl since the 2001 season, were already billed as one of the greatest teams in NFL history. They compiled a perfect 16-0 record (the first team to go undefeated since the NFL expanded the regu


Which horse won the 2007 Cheltenham Gold Cup?

BBC SPORT | Other sport... | Horse Racing | Historic Gold Cup win for Kauto Day 4 photos Ruby Walsh celebrates after Kauto Star's devastating display Kauto Star made history with a superb run to become the first horse to regain the Cheltenham Gold Cup. The 7-4 favourite, who won in 2007 before stablemate Denman got the better of him 12 months ago, was back to his brilliant best under Ruby Walsh. The pair had travelled well throughout the race and pulled clear of Denman just after the third-last fence. From then on there was only going to be one winner with Denman 13 lengths back in second and Exotic Dancer third. Walsh always had the nine-year-old well placed and he looked far more confident than he had in last year's race. The Nicholls stablemates turned into the straight together and the pressure seemed to be on Denman, who was out for 11 months after last year's success with heart problems. Denman's only run of this season had seen him perform well below par at Haydock following heart surgery, and although he improved greatly on that, he always seemed to be struggling against the winner of this season's King George VI Chase. By the second last, Kauto had pulled clear and he was chased along by Denman, Exotic Dancer and another Nicholls charge Neptune Collonges, who set the pace here and was third last year. But the three challengers were unable to get near the winner, who gave Walsh a record seventh win of this year's Festival. "When Sam (Thomas, on Denman) moved up alongside me I didn't know what was going to happen off the bend," Walsh revealed afterwards. Everything has gone right - Walsh "But in all fairness to him he has picked up, winged the second-last and galloped all the way to the line. "Denman has run an incredible race because two weeks ago it was 50-50 whether he was going to run or not and he has turned into the straight upsides in a Gold Cup, an incredible performance. "Kauto jumped super, travelled so well all the way and I was probably in front sooner than I wanted but he just took me there. "He was brilliant two out and pinged the last - which is unusual for him - I've had an amazing week and he was the one I wanted to win with. "He's the greatest horse I've ever ridden. Two miles, three miles, now two Gold Cups. He's magic, he's a wonder horse." Nicholls had been confident of the winner's chances going into the Festival and he is now a 5-2 chance to complete the hat-trick next year. "He's fit, he's fresh, he was never going to get beat today, but what a race Denman ran - two weeks ago you'd have drawn stumps. It was a huge run from him and he'll be back next year," he added. Hopefully there'll be no problems with Denman now and we can have the decider next year Denman's owner Harry Findlay "Kauto Star was fresh, very fit and the ground came right. He's a very good horse. "My Will finished fifth as well, he ran a blinder. He will go to Aintree now with a massive chance while Neptune Collonges (fourth) ran a cracking race, the ground had just gone against him. "But to get Kauto Star here today and Denman to run as good as that will give everyone pleasure as well. What an unbelievable horse Kauto Star is." Owner Clive Smith, who was celebrating his second big-race win of the week, added: "I'm staggered. What a wonderful run, the best he's ever run I think. It's unbelievable to have won the Champion Chase (with Master Minded) and now this. I can't believe it." Denman's co-owner Harry Findlay was delighted with his charge's display after his problems this season and is already looking forward to next year 606: DEBATE Kauto is a superb horse and the best in the world at present, whether he is better than Denman at top peak is still up for debate IntoTheGroove "It was so hard for us going into the race because we've said many times there is only one way to beat Kauto round here and we were never in a position to do that today," he said. "Like Paul said, two weeks ago we were a doubtful runner. I said two years ago I thought the pace of the race in the Gold Cup was so beneficial to Kauto Star and after a fe


When Apple introduced the I-phone into the UK in 2007 which was the only mobile phone company licensed to use it?

apple-history.com / iPhone Dimensions: 4.5" H x 2.4" W x 0.46" D Weight: 0.3 lbs. Announced in January 2007 and released the following June, the iPhone marked Apple's entry into the cellular phone marketplace. Described by Steve Jobs as "a wide-screen iPod with hand controls... a revolutionary mobile phone... [and] a breakthrough Internet communications device," the iPhone was the first Apple-branded consumer device to run on OS X. Based around a touch-based user interface with a single button, the iPhone was controlled using a variety of one- and two-finger gestured. It included a custom version of Safari that allowed full browsing of any web page, a revamped iPod interface with CoverFlow, integrated access to YouTube and Google Maps, an iChat-like SMS text-messaging interface (iChat itself was missing from the initial release), and a standard set of cellphone apps, such as a calendar, an address book and a calculator. The iPhone was available exclusively with AT&T voice/data plans, and was limited to EDGE-based network access, rather than the faster 3G wireless networking standard. This was mitigated somewhat by an integrated 802.11g WiFi chipset, which allowed for faster browsing on any available WiFi network. Though the iPhone officially only supported web-based applications from third-party developers, an underground development effort was quickly organized, and within a few months native 3rd party applications were widely available. Warantee-breaking hardware modifications to "unlock" the iPhone from the AT&T network were also uncovered. The iPhone was sold in two configurations: a 4 GB model sold for $499, and an 8 GB model for $599. In September 2007, Apple discontinued the 4 GB model, and dropped the price of the 8 GB model to $399 (a $100 Apple Store credit was offered to angry early adopters). In February 2008, a $499 16 GB model was added. All models were discontinued in June 2008, with the release of the iPhone 3G . Picture Credits:


Which other city besides Liverpool was designated as European Capital of Culture for 2008?

BBC - Liverpool - Capital of Culture    -    Capital of Culture events You are in: Liverpool > Capital of Culture > Events > Capital of Culture events The Tall Ships will return to the Mersey Capital of Culture events The full list of events planned for Liverpool's year as European Capital of Culture in 2008. Liverpool's initial programme for the city's year as European Capital of Culture in 2008 includes concerts, commissions, festivals, exhibitions and premieres across all cultural areas. Capital of Culture highlights April 2007 Launch of the 2007/08 Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra season including premieres of works commissioned for 2008. July 2007 Magical History Tour - A major exhibition celebrating Liverpool’s birthday. September 2007 Vasily Petrenko opens the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra’s 07/08 season. October 2007 Turner Prize – The annual art competition will be held in Liverpool. Brouhaha Bluecoat reopens – The UK’s oldest arts centre re-opens with a new wing. November 2007 Launch of city wide public art programme. FACT launches five new commissioned films December 2007 The Liverpool Nativity – The BBC presents the story of the first Christmas told through the music and people of Liverpool. New Year’s Eve fireworks show European Opera Centre, Emilia di Liverpool. A new version of Emilia di Liverpool performed in the small concert room at St George’s Hall. Throughout 2008… Fragant – The story of Liverpool’s botanical collection Cities on the Edge – Inter cultural project exploring the links between the port cities of Liverpool, Bremen, Naples, Marseilles, Istanbul, Gdansk and Stavanger. Liverpool Song Book – A legacy of music for 2008 featuring new songs commissioned by the Liverpool Philharmonic culminating in performances in a variety of settings. January 2008 Opening of Kings Dock arena International Holocaust Memorial Day. Liverpool is the designated UK city for 2008's International Holocaust Memorial Day on 27 January. FACT film festival 22nd  January – 2nd March Liverpool Tennis Tournament World premiere of new choral work by Kenneth Hesketh Fresh Festival – Cutting edge jazz, world and contemporary music. February 2008 Chinese New Year – Celebrations of the start of Year of the Rat High Society – Exhibition by 19th Century French artist Tissot European Senior Boxing Championships at Kings Dock Arena World premiere of new choral work by Sir John Tavener Festival of British Music Part 1 – newly commissioned work including pieces from Kenneth Hesketh, Mark Simpson, Stephen Pratt and Emily Howard March 2008 Identity and heritage project – Exploration of British identity Vladimir Ashkenazy conducts the European Union Youth Orchestra SK-Interface – sci-art commissions at FACT Leap 08 – Liverpool’s annual contemporary dance festival Wimfest – Liverpool Women’s International Music Festival King Lear – Pete Postlethwaite is in negotiations to appear at the Everyman April 2008 Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra Vienna Series Singh Twins  - A commission of work by Amrit and Rabindra the internationally acclaimed contemporary British artists Grand National – The world’s greatest steeplechase Viennese Balls at St George’s Hall Pete Postlethwaite could be in King Lear Monet to Hopper: The artist and the railway – an exhibition at the Walker Art Gallery celebrating the power and impact of the railway on art featuring artists including Turner, Monet, Van Gogh and Hopper Portrait of Liverpool by Ben Johnson – A panorama of Liverpool commissioned for the new Museum of Liverpool Adelphi – The Musical – A staging of the colourful history of one of Liverpool’s most famous landmarks May 2008 Four Corners – Five projects devised in the city’s neighbourhoods. Tate Liverpool’s 20th birthday The Liverpool Sound – A special concert on the waterfront featuring world famous artists playing music that Liverpool exported to the world. Gustav Klimt exhibition at Tate Liverpool Writing on the Wall festival Three Sisters – Liverpool writer Diane Samuels relocates Chekhov’s Three Sisters from Russia to Liverpool


Which US state is nicknamed both 'Land of the Red Man' and 'the Sooner State'?

The State of Oklahoma - An Introduction to the Sooner State from NETSTATE.COM The State of Oklahoma Oklahoma, the Sooner State More than 50 languages are spoken in the state of Oklahoma. There are 55 distinct Indian tribes that make the state their home, and each of these tribes has its own language or dialect. The colorful history of the state includes Indians, cowboys, battles, oil discoveries, dust storms, settlements initiated by offers of free land, and forced resettlements of entire tribes. Oklahoma's Indian heritage is honored in its official state seal and flag . At the center of the seal is a star, and within each of the five arms of the star are symbols representing each of the five tribes (the "Five Civilized Tribes") that were forcefully resettled into the territory of Oklahoma. The tribes depicted on the seal are the Creeks, the Chickasaw, the Choctaw, the Cherokee, and the Seminoles. The present Oklahoma state flag depicts an Indian war shield, stars, eagle feathers, and an Indian peace pipe, as well as a white man's symbol for peace, an olive branch. THE STATE NAME: Oklahoma is a word that was made up by the native American missionary Allen Wright. He combined two Choctaw words, "ukla" meaning person and "humá" meaning red to form the word that first appears in a 1866 Choctaw treaty. Oklahoma means "red person." Oklahoma State Capitol, Oklahoma City The Sooner State " Unassigned Lands " in Oklahoma were offered to settlers through a series of "Land Openings" where newcomers initially competed for the land in horse races. The Land Run of 1889 began the process of disposing of these Unassigned Lands. The Homestead Act of 1862 provided that a legal settler could claim 160 acres of public land, and those who lived on and improved the claim for five years could receive title. People who entered the district illegally to lay claim to lands, before the designated entry time, were called "Sooners." The name came from a section in the Indian Appropriations Act of March 2, 1889, that said that nobody would be permitted to enter upon and occupy the land before the time designated in the President's opening proclamation and that those that did would be denied rights to the land. This section became known as the "sooner clause." Early legal settlers had a very low opinion of Sooners of course. This began to change by 1908 when the University of Oklahoma named the football team the "Sooners." Like many nicknames, this one's negative connotations faded over time and the name, Sooners, is now worn with pride. Though not official, Oklahoma is popularly known as "The Sooner State." Boomer's Paradise he terms "Boom" and "Boomer" were first used by Dr. Morrison Munford in the Kansas City Times in reference to the effort to establish settlements in the "Unassigned Lands" and to the people involved in those efforts. Promoting the "Boomer's Paradise," early advocates of settlement in the Unassigned Lands began what is referred to as the "Boomer Movement." The Boomer Movement was initiated before the Unasigned Lands were legally opened for settlement. Early Boomers included James Madison Bell a Cherokee, who tried to settle in the Cherokee Outlet and Kansas and Missouri settlers, organized by Kansan Colonel Charles C. Carpenter, who entered Indian Territory and tried to settle along the North Canadian River. These Boomers were evicted by U.S. Troops. In 1880, David Lewis Payne led a party of 21 settlers to the south bank of the North Canadian River and laid out a town called Ewing. They were removed by the U.S. Fourth Calvary. Payne continued to flaunt the government's proclamation forbidding unlawful entry into Indian Territory and returned to Ewing with a larger group of settlers. Judge Isaac Parker levied a $1,000 fine against the Boomer leader for his second intrusion. Mr. Payne's arrest seemed to make him more popular and he continued to guide Boomers into the forbidden territory. When David Lewis Payne died suddenly, of a heart attack, in 1884, his lieutenant, William L. Couch, assumed leadership of the Boomer Movement and


In WW2 which company manufactured the Mosquito fighter-bomber?

Mosquito, the "Timber Terror" Category: Air       support/WW2/Allied Mosquito. The timber terror. Light, fast, deadly. Photo-recon,     bomber, fighter-bomber, night-fighter, intruder, trainer, pathfinder,     target marking, torpedo-bomber, U-boat killer, day ranger, mine layer,     and target tug. A Short History of the     DH98 Mosquito. The Wooden Wonder or "Anopheles     de Havillandus". The de Havilland Aircraft Company was     noted for it's light aircraft, such as the famous DH82 Tiger Moth, and     some mixed construction transport planes. In 1936 they had built the     DH91 Albatross airliner and mailplane entirely in wood. In 1938 de     Havilland proposed to the Air Ministry that they should build a bomber     or reconnaissance aircraft that would be so fast it could be unarmed. The Air Ministry was generally hostile to the plan and turned them down.     In October 1938 they told de Havilland that their contribution was best     served by building wings for one of the existing bomber programmes. De Havilland was not put off and     continued with their project as a private venture. The proposal was     based on reducing weight by removing the gun turrets and and having a     crew of two instead of six. The aircraft would be smaller and burn less     fuel. With twin Merlins an unarmed bomber could carry 1,000lb (454kg) of     bombs for 1,500 miles (2400km) at a speed of almost 400mph (644km/h)     which was almost twice that of current British bombers. With great foresight they proposed to     build the aircraft predominately of     wood; another item the Air Staff did     not approve of. However de Havilland had surmised that in time of war     aluminium for aircraft would be a very scarce commodity and so would     those who were skilled in the construction. There would be, on the other     hand, many experienced carpenters, piano, cabinet, and furniture makers     available whose skills could be used. Almost the entire plane was built of     wood. The wings had two spars with double plywood skins on the top and     single underneath. The fuselage was made with a sandwich of balsa     between two ply skins built on spruce stringers. It was made in two     sections split down the length and moulded on concrete formers. After     all internal fuselage wiring and controls had been installed the two     halves were then glued together. The flying control surfaces were of     light alloy with a metal skin on the ailerons and fabric on the tail.     The hydraulic plain flaps were wood. The coolant radiators were in the     wing leading edge between the engines and the fuselage. The landing gear was simple twin shock struts filled with rubber blocks. Engine mounts     were welded steel tube. The total weight of castings and forgings used     in the aircraft was a mere 280lbs (127kg). On the 1st March 1940 an order was     given to de Havilland for 50 aircraft against Air Ministry Specification     B.1/40 but was cancelled again in the aftermath of Dunkirk. After many     false starts it was eventually re-instated on the 25th November 1940.     The prototype Mosquito (W4050), which had been secretly built at     Salisbury Hall near Hatfield, was flown for the first time on the 25th     of November 1940. The aircraft was painted bright yellow so it would not     be fired on by allied anti-aircraft guns or planes. Original estimates were that, with     twice the power of a Spitfire and twice the wetted area and over twice     the weight, the Mosquito would still be 20mph (32km/h) faster than the     Spitfire. The Air Ministry was very sceptical. When the prototype was     officially tested at Boscombe Down in February 1941 they were proved     wrong and it exceeded this estimate by achieving a top speed of 392mph (631km/h). It was the fastest aircraft in Bomber Command until May 1951. Not everyone was happy about the


Which actor starred in the 1940 pirate film 'The Sea Hawk'?

The Sea Hawk (1940) - IMDb IMDb There was an error trying to load your rating for this title. Some parts of this page won't work property. Please reload or try later. X Beta I'm Watching This! Keep track of everything you watch; tell your friends. Error | Action , Adventure , History | 1 July 1940 (USA) Geoffrey Thorpe, a buccaneer, is hired by Queen Elizabeth I to nag the Spanish Armada. The Armada is waiting for the attack on England and Thorpe surprises them with attacks on their galleons where he shows his skills on the sword. Director: Howard Koch (screen play), Seton I. Miller (screen play) Stars: From $2.99 (SD) on Amazon Video ON DISC a list of 35 titles created 20 Mar 2011 a list of 30 titles created 25 Mar 2011 a list of 24 titles created 27 Dec 2012 a list of 30 titles created 18 Jan 2013 a list of 32 titles created 5 months ago Title: The Sea Hawk (1940) 7.8/10 Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? Use the HTML below. You must be a registered user to use the IMDb rating plugin. Nominated for     4     Oscars. See more awards  » Videos After being wrongly convicted as a traitor, Peter Blood, an English physician, is sent to exile in the British colonies of the Caribbean, where he becomes a pirate. Director: Michael Curtiz When Prince John and the Norman Lords begin oppressing the Saxon masses in King Richard's absence, a Saxon lord fights back as the outlaw leader of a rebel guerrilla army. Directors: Michael Curtiz, William Keighley Stars: Errol Flynn, Olivia de Havilland, Basil Rathbone A Texas cattle agent witnesses first hand, the brutal lawlessness of Dodge City and takes the job of sheriff to clean the town up. Director: Michael Curtiz A major countermands orders and attacks to avenge a previous massacre of men, women, and children. Director: Michael Curtiz A depiction of the love/hate relationship between Queen Elizabeth I and Robert Devereux, the Earl of Essex. Director: Michael Curtiz The great lover Don Juan comes to the assistance of his queen. Director: Vincent Sherman A platoon of special ops are tasked to parachute into the remote Burmese jungle and destroy a strategic Japanese radar station, but getting out isn't as easy. Director: Raoul Walsh A highly fictionalized account of the life of George Armstrong Custer from his arrival at West Point in 1857 to his death at the battle of the Little Big Horn in 1876. He has little ... See full summary  » Director: Raoul Walsh In 1854, Jeb Stuart, George Custer and other graduates from West Point are posted to Kansas to help pacify the territory before railroad construction to Santa Fe can resume. Director: Michael Curtiz As bareknuckled boxing enters the modern era, brash extrovert Jim Corbett uses new rules and dazzlingly innovative footwork to rise to the top of the top of the boxing world. Director: Raoul Walsh     1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 6.8/10 X   Union officer Kerry Bradford escapes from Confederate Prison and is set to Virginia City in Nevada. Once there he finds that the former commander of his prison Vance Irby is planning to send $5 million in gold to save the Confederacy. Director: Michael Curtiz A Canadian Mountie of German descent feigns disaffection with his homeland in hopes of infiltrating and thwarting a Nazi sabotage plot. Director: Raoul Walsh Edit Storyline Geoffrey Thorpe is an adventurous and dashing pirate, who feels that he should pirate the Spanish ships for the good of England. In one such battle, he overtakes a Spanish ship and when he comes aboard he finds Dona Maria, a beautiful Spanish royal. He is overwhelmed by her beauty, but she will have nothing to do with him because of his pirating ways (which include taking her prized jewels). To show his noble side, he suprises her by returning the jewels, and she begins to fall for him. When the ship reaches England, Queen Elizabeth is outraged at the actions of Thorpe and demands that he quit pirating. Because he cannot do this, Thorpe is sent on a mission and in the process becomes a prisoner of the Spaniards. Meanwhile, Dona Maria pines for Thorpe and when he esca


Who was the first Yorkist King of England?

Edward IV Edward IV 1461-83 Parentage and Early Life England's first Yorkist King, Edward IV, was the eldest surviving son of Richard Plantagenet, Duke of York and Cecily Neville and was born on 22nd April, 1442 at Rouen, whilst the Duke was stationed in France. His father, Richard Plantagenet, Duke of York, held a strong claim to the English throne. He was the son of Richard, Earl of Cambridge, who himself was the son of Edward III's fourth surviving son, Edmund of Langley, Duke of York . Richard of York's mother Anne Mortimer, was the great grandaughter   and heiress of Phillipa Plantagenet, the only child of Lionel, Duke of Clarence, second surviving son of Edward III. Richard II had declared Anne's father, Roger Mortimer, 4th Earl of March , as heir presumptive to the crown. Edward's mother, Cecily Neville, was the daughter of Ralph Neville, 1st Earl of Westmorland , and Joan Beaufort , daughter of John of Gaunt, 1st Duke of Lancaster and his mistress, later wife, Katherine Swynford. The Lancastrian king, Henry VI, was descended from Edward's third son John of Gaunt by a legitimate line from Henry IV On the death of his father and brother, Edmund, Earl of Rutland , in contest for the throne, at Sandal Castle, Wakefield at Christmas, 1460, Edward inherited from his father the Yorkist   claim to England's throne. He acquired the support of his powerful cousin, Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick , later to be known to history as 'Warwick the Kingmaker'. Edward proved to be an able general, defeating the Lancastrians at Mortimers Cross in February 1461 after which he was proclaimed king in London. He gained a further decisive victory over the Lancastrians at Towton in Yorkshire,   on 29th March, Palm Sunday. Fought in a snowstorm, it was to be the bloodiest battle of the Wars of the Roses, with casualties reported to be in the region of 28,000. The victorious Edward made a state entry into London in June and was crowned King of England at Westminster. Edward's appearance King Edward IV was a very tall man, his skeleton, exhumed in 1789, measured 6 feet 3-3/4 inches in height. Edward was well renowned for his fair complexion and good looks. The Croyland Chronicler described Edward as "a person of most elegant appearance and remarkable beyond all others for the attractions of his person." Thomas More records of Edward ' He was a goodly personage and very princely to behold; of heart courageous, politic in counsel, in adversity nothing abashed, in prosperity rather joyful than proud, in peace just and merciful, in war sharp and fierce,  in the field bold and hardy, and nevertheless no further than wisdom would, adventurous. More goes on to add ' He was of visage lovely; of body mighty, strong and clean made; howbeit in his latter days, with over liberal diet, somewhat corpulent and burly but nevertheless noy uncomely. He was in youth  greatly given to fleshy wantoness, from which health of body in great prosperity and fortune, without a special grace, hardly refrains.' Mancini wrote "he was licentious in the extreme...he pursued with no discrimination the married and the unmarried, the noble and the lowly: however he took none by force. The extrovert Edward was popular with     the people, especially the Londoners and the ladies. Inclined to be lazy     and easy going, he could act with alacrity when necessary     and was highly efficient, although possessed of the ruthless streak that     was inherent in the House of York. Reign On becoming king at nineteen years old, Edward met and secretly married Elizabeth Woodville , the widow of Sir John Grey of Groby, a Lancastrian knight had been killed in the Second Battle of St Albans in 1461. Elizabeth was the daughter of Sir Richard Woodville (later Earl Rivers) and Jacquetta of Luxembourg, whose first husband was John of Lancaster, Duke of Bedford, the brother of Henry V. Elizabeth first met Edward when she came to petition him    for the restoration of her son's estates, the King had wanted her to become his mistress, but she refused. Be


Which park in Berlin houses both the 200 and a memorial to Rosa Luxemburg?

Berlin/Mitte – Travel guide at Wikivoyage Administrative division[ edit ] Before the reunification of Germany, Mitte was a district of East Berlin and the place where the Berlin Wall was most prominent, running right through the historic fabric of the city. Following reunification, the old administrative division was kept for a decade, and the Mitte's borders were unchanged, but it slowly merged with neighbouring districts of former West Berlin, Tiergarten and Wedding. In 2001, the hitherto Mitte, Tiergarten and Wedding were merged into a new district, called Bezirk Mitte. The former districts became localities (Ortsteile) of the Bezirk Mitte. This may lead to confusion, as both the Ortsteil and Bezirk are referred to as "Mitte" in the common parlance and many written texts. It is generally safer to assume that most Berliners would refer to "Mitte" as the Ortsteil and former district, which is smaller and more cohesive. As the administrative divisions serve other functions than just helping travellers, this guide oversteps the boundaries of the Ortsteil Mitte and includes some neighbouring parts located in other Ortsteile of the Bezirk Mitte, including the Spreebogen or Potsdamer Platz areas. Areas of Mitte[ edit ] The old district Mitte as covered in this guide can be divided into several neighborhoods: Unter den Linden — the main boulevard, from Museum Island to Brandenburg Gate, crossing the main shopping street, Friedrichstraße, half-way along. Museumsinsel (Museum Island) and Lustgarten (the square in front of the Altes Museum and adjacent to the Berlin Cathedral). Nikolaiviertel — a quarter near Alexanderplatz which comes close to old town style, but built by the East German government. Spandauer Vorstadt with Scheunenviertel — The Spandauer Vorstadt is located north of the River Spree and the Hackescher Markt. It is bordered on the north by the east-west course of the Torstraße, on the east by Karl-Liebknecht-Straße and by the northern part of Friedrichstraße to the west. The eastern part of the area takes its name Scheunenviertel (the "Barn Quarter") from the move in 1672 by the Great Elector of all the hay barns out of the fire-prone city center. In the late 19th century, the area became a refuge for Jews fleeing persecution and pogrom in Russia and Poland. By then it was the center of Jewish life in Berlin. Potsdamer Platz — the area around the completely razed Potsdamer Platz became no man's land between East and West Berlin and remained an empty strip of land until the 1990s, when it was rebuilt as a large project including striking highrises of concrete and steel, mixing offices and commercial space. Spreebogen/Regierungsviertel — "Spreebogen" means "the bow of the river Spree" and in Berlin generally refers to a particular one, where Spree meets the Berlin-Spandau Canal. The area around it houses the German federal government's institutions on the south (or left) bank, called Regierungsviertel ("government district"), while directly opposite it you will find Berlin's all-new central train station Hauptbahnhof. 52°31′12″N 13°23′37″E Map of Berlin/Mitte Mitte regained its position as the main transfer point in June 2006 with the opening of the new main station ( 52.52494 13.37019 1 Hauptbahnhof), a giant palace of glass and steel, which is at the border of Mitte and Tiergarten. Almost all short- and long-haul trains will arrive and depart from this station. Other main public transport stations are Friedrichstraße and Alexanderplatz. S-Bahn station Hackescher Markt By S- and U-Bahn[ edit ] Mitte is served by many S- and U-Bahn lines. The S1, S2 and S25 go from north (Oranienburg and Gesundbrunnen) to south (Potsdamer Platz and Schöneberg), the Stadtbahn (city S-Bahn, line 5, 7, and 75) goes from west (Charlottenburg) to east (Friedrichshain). They cross at Friedrichstraße. U-Bahn line 2 connects Mitte with Charlottenburg (west) and Prenzlauer Berg (northeast), the U-Bahn lines 6 and 8 go north to Wedding and south to Kreuzberg and Neukölln. The little U-Bahn line 55 from Hauptbahnhof to Brandenburger Tor. An e


The hot and spicy dish Spaghetti Alla Puttanesca is named after what group of workers in Naples?

Fusilli Porcini Puttanesca Fusilli With Porcini Puttanesca Sauce Recipe Fusilli Porcini Puttanesca Fusilli with Porcini Puttanesca Sauce Recipe Fusilli Porcini Puttanesca Fusilli with Porcini Puttanesca Sauce From mystic_river1 8 years ago 60 minutes to make Serves 4 Pasta Puttanesca (Italian Pasta alla Puttanesca) is an Italian pasta dish made with a sauce named sugo alla puttanesca. Puttanesca is an urban and a modern sauce, not dependent upon seasonal ingredients and reflecting the bounty of the market shop rather than the bounty of the garden. Read more The sauce is not part of traditional Italian cuisine: the earliest reference to pasta “alla puttanesca” in print cited by the Grande dizionario della lingua italiana is Raffaele La Capria’s 1961 novel Ferito a morte, 1961, and the professional association of pastamakers, Unione Industriali Pastai Italiani, agrees that the sauce became popular in the 1960s. The name originated in Naples after the local prostitutes, Pasta alla Puttanesca meaning "Pasta the way a whore would make it". The reason why the dish gained such a name is debated, though the most obvious contrast— with alla casalinga, simple "home-style" tomato sauce which has been "tarted up", as the English would say— is ignored for livelier original legends. One possibility is that the name is a reference to the sauce's hot, spicy flavour and pungent smell. Another is that the dish was offered to prospective customers at a low price to entice them into a brothel[citation needed]. According to chef Jeff Smith of the Frugal Gourmet, its name came from the fact that it was a quick, cheap meal that prostitutes could prepare between customers. A more thorough story about this dish comes from Diane Seed in her book, Top 100 Pasta Sauces .She says: “ My introduction to this famous pasta dish occurred when I overheard two elderly priests discussing the pros and cons of Spaghetti alla Puttanesca ("Whore's spaghetti") as they deliberated over the menu in a Neapolitan restaurant. Made of ingredients found in most Italian larders, this is also known as 'Spaghetti alla Buona Donna' - or 'Good Woman's Spaghetti' - which can be misleading if one is not familiar with the ironic insult 'figlio d'una buona donna' - son of a good woman. To understand how this sauce came to get its name, one must consider the 1950s when brothels in Italy were state-owned. They were known as case chiuse or 'closed houses' because the shutters had to be kept permanently closed to avoid offending the sensibilities of neighbors or innocent passers-by. Conscientious Italian housewives usually shop at the local market every day to buy fresh food, but the 'civil servants' were only allowed one day per week for shopping, and their time was valuable. Their specialty became a sauce made quickly from odds and ends in the larder. ” See less tomatoes Feel free to use any of the below tags. Click one to add it. tomatoes


Which French artist abandoned the law in favour of art, and specialised in painting ballet dancers, circus folk and race horses?

Artists — Windsor Fine Art Jose Basso. (1949-) Josè Basso was born in Chile in 1949 and later graduated with a Fine Arts degree from the University of Chile. He became a professor of art at the same institution, while continuing to develop his skill as artist.  He was granted a number of prestigious scholarships through the years, including one in Paris in 1981, Amigos del Arte in 1982, Fundacion Andes in 1991 and Fondart in 2001.  Basso’s first professional recognition occurred when he won the Valparaiso International Biennial Exhibition Prize for Painting.  In 1999, his work was selected by the Worldwide Millennium Painting exhibition in London.  He has represented his country in numerous international exhibitions and his works are included in the collection of Chilean President Ricardo Lagos, as well as the National Museum of Fine Arts in Santiago, Chile.  Basso has also been honored with a commission from Queen Sophia of Spain to create two paintings for the Zarzuela Palace in Madrid.  Having fallen in love with his work while on a trip to Santiago, Jean Kennedy Smith, American diplomat, former U.S. Ambassador to Ireland, and sister of John F Kennedy, is also among Basso’s admirers. In 2007 he was commissioned to paint an important mural for the Office of Export Administration in Washington, D.C.  And in 2011 he was honored with a retrospective of his work in Santiago's National Museum of Fine Arts. Basso’s work is included in a number of prestigious corporate, public and private collections worldwide. With his elegantly simplified forms and fine brushwork, complimented by his signature use of color, and masterful ability to capture light, Basso’s evocative, serenely beautiful creations, the perfect blend of realism and abstraction, are universal in their appeal. "I feel the need to use art as a means to rescue and reflect only what is good. I want to make a kind of art that means something and it means something when it affects and seduces us, when it speaks from within its own silence."      - Jose Basso Luna Resplandeciente. 2015. Original oil on canvas. 18 x 27".  Isola di San Giorgio Veduta della Basilica. 2015. Original oil on canvas 18 x 27".  Firmin Bouissett. Etienne Maurice Firmin Bouisset (September 2, 1859 – 19 March 1925) was a  French painter, poster artist and printmaker. He was born to a working-class family in the town of Moissac in the Tarn et Garonnedepartement in southwestern France. As an artist, Firmin Bouisset specialized in painting children subjects and did a number of illustrated books such as La Petite Ménagère (The Little Housekeeper) in 1890. At a time when posters were a popular form of advertising, Bouisset created posters with enduring images for a number of different French food companies such as Maggi and Lefevre-Utile.  For the latter company, he used their LU initials as an ad logo as part of an 1897 poster image for a line of butter biscuits featuring "The Little Schoolboy" (French: Petit Ecolier) of which a variation is still being used by the company today. However, Firmin Bouisset is probably most famous for his posters for the French chocolate manufacturer, Menier. Contracted by the company in 1892, Bouisset used his daughter Yvonne as a model to create what became an iconic image of a little girl using a piece of chocolate to write the company's name. The drawing was featured on a great many of the Menier company's advertisements and on its packaged products as well as on promotional items such as creamers, bowls, sugar dishes, plates, canister sets, ashtrays, thermometers, key chains, and even children's exercise books. Bouisset's work was part of the Maitres de L'Affiche as well as L'Estampe Moderne, the leading publisher of original French prints during the late nineteenth century. Today, many of his posters are very popular with collectors and because they are no longer copyright protected are being duplicated and sold on the Internet and in retail outlets in many countries. Firmin Bouisset died in Paris in 1925. Chocolat Menier. 1893. Original gouache maquette on wove pa


To which family of fish does the dogfish belong?

PPT - Dogfish Sharks PowerPoint Presentation - ID:759991 What phylum do Sharks belong to? Characteristics of life of phylum chordata, class Chondrichthyes… genus squalus species acanthias Cells: Multicellular Require energy: predators, mainly boney fish… also canibalistic Responds: Complex nervous system, digestive system, etc. Reproduction: Dioecious (males and females); mate in winter, ovoviviparous (eggs are incubated and hatched in females body) gestation is 22-24 months long. Growth: Born at 20-30 cm long. Males reach maturity at age 11 and females at around 20 -35 years old. Females are larger than males and average 1 m in length at maturity. Dogfish Shark (Squalus acanthius)Dissection:Anatomy and Physiology Dogfish Distribution External Anatomy of the Dogfish Shark Along the sides of the body is a light-colored horizontal stripe called the lateral line. The line is made up of a series of tiny pores that lead to receptors that are sensitive to the mechanical movement of water and sudden changes of pressure. The spiny dogfish has a double dorsal fin. The anterior dorsal fin is larger than the posterior dorsal fin. The spiny dogfish has the presence two spines, one immediately in front of each dorsal fin. The spines carry a poison secreted by glands at their base. The caudal fin is divided into two lobes: a larger dorsal lobe and a smaller ventral lobe. This type of tail is known as a heterocercal tail. The eyes are prominent in sharks and are very similar to the eyes of man. A transparent cornea covers and protects the eye. A darkly pigmented iris can be seen below the cornea with the pupil at its center. Upper and lower eyelids protect the eye. Just inside the lower lid is a membrane that extends over the surface of the eye to cover the cornea. Large spiracle openings are located posterior and dorsal to the eyes. A spiracular valve, permits the opening and closing of the external spiracular pore. The spiracle is an incurrent water passageway leading into the mouth for respiration. Most sharks have five external gill slits located on thire sides behind the mouth and in front of the pectoral fins. Water taken in by the mouth and spiracles is passed over the internal gills and forced out by way of the gill slits. The paired pectoral fins act like an airplane's wings to provide the lift needed to keep the shark from sinking. The paired pelvic fins are located on either side of the cloacal aperture. They are different in males and females. The nares or external nostrils are located on the underside (ventral surface) of the rostrum anterior to the jaws. A nasal flap separates the incurrent from the excurrent opening. Water passes into and out of the olfactory sac, permitting the shark to detect the odors of the water. The patches of pores on the head in the areas of the eyes, snout, and nostrils are the openings of the ampullae of Lorenzini. These sense organs are sensitive to changes in temperature, water pressure, electrical fields, and salinity. Males have stout, grooved copulatory organs called claspers on the inner side of their pelvic fins. Fertilization in the dogfish shark is internal. During copulation, one of the claspers is inserted into the oviduct orifice of the female. The sperm proceed from the cloaca of the male along the groove on the dorsal surface of the clasper into the female. The cloacal opening located on the ventral surface between the pelvic fins. It receives the products of the intestine, the urinary and the genital ducts. The name cloaca, meaning sewer, seems quite appropriate. Digestive Anatomy of the Dogfish Shark A smooth, shiny membrane called peritoneum can be seen lining the inside of the body wall. The visceral organs are suspended dorsally by a double membrane of peritoneum know as mesentery The liver is the largest organ lying within the body cavity. Its two main lobes, the right and left lobes, extend from the pectoral girdle posteriorly most of the length of the cavity. A third lobe much shorter lobe is located medially and contains the green gall bladder along its right edge. The es


Which Polish born British novelist spent 10 years sailing between Singapore and Borneo?

Joseph Conrad - The English Literary Canon The English Literary Canon The Canon Portal  >  The Major Canon by Period  >  The Modern 20th C - Under Construction  >  Joseph Conrad Joseph Conrad (born Józef Teodor Konrad Korzeniowski;[1] 3 December 1857 – 3 August 1924) was a Polish-born British novelist, who became a British subject in 1886. He is regarded as one of the greatest novelists in English[2] though he did not speak the language fluently until he was in his twenties (and then always with a marked Polish accent). He wrote stories and novels, predominantly with a nautical or seaboard setting, that depict trials of the human spirit by the demands of duty and honor. Conrad was a master prose stylist who brought a distinctly non-English tragic sensibility into English literature.[3] While some of his works have a strain of romanticism, he is viewed as a precursor of modernist literature. His narrative style and anti-heroic characters have influenced many authors.[4] Films have been adapted from or inspired by Conrad's Victory, Lord Jim, The Secret Agent, An Outcast of the Islands, The Shadow Line, The Duel, Heart of Darkness, and Nostromo. Writing in the heyday of the British Empire, Conrad drew upon his experiences in the French and later the British Merchant Navy to create short stories and novels that reflect aspects of a worldwide empire while also plumbing the depths of the human soul.  Early life Nowy Świat 47, Warsaw, where 3-year-old Conrad lived with his parents in 1861 Joseph Conrad was born in Berdyczów (now Berdychiv, Ukraine) into an impoverished, highly patriotic Polish noble family bearing the Nałęcz coat-of-arms. His father Apollo Korzeniowski was a writer of politically-themed plays and a translator of Alfred de Vigny, Victor Hugo, Charles Dickens and Shakespeare from French and English. He encouraged his son Konrad to read widely in Polish and French. In 1861 the elder Korzeniowski was arrested by Imperial Russian authorities in Warsaw for helping organize what would become the January Uprising of 1863–64, and was exiled to Vologda, a city some 300 miles (480 km) north of Moscow. His wife Ewelina[5] Korzeniowska (née Bobrowska) and four-year-old son followed him into exile. Due to Ewelina's weak health, Apollo was allowed in 1865 to move to Chernihiv, Ukraine, where wıthin a few weeks Ewelina died of tuberculosis. Apollo died four years later in Kraków, leaving Conrad orphaned at the age of eleven. In Kraków, young Conrad was placed in the care of his maternal uncle, Tadeusz Bobrowski—a more cautious figure than his parents. Nevertheless, Bobrowski allowed Conrad to travel at the age of 16 to Marseille and begin a career as a seaman. This came after Conrad had been rejected for Austro-Hungarian citizenship, leaving him liable to conscription into the Russian Army. Voyages Conrad lived an adventurous life, dabbling in gunrunning and political conspiracy, which he later fictionalized in his novel The Arrow of Gold. Apparently he experienced a disastrous love affair that plunged him into despair. A voyage down the coast of Venezuela would provide material for Nostromo; the first mate of Conrad's vessel became the model for that novel's hero. In 1878, after a failed suicide attempt in Marseille by shooting himself in the chest,[6] Conrad took service on his first British ship, bound for Constantinople before its return to Lowestoft, his first landing in Britain. Barely a month after reaching England, Conrad signed on for the first of six voyages between July and September 1878 from Lowestoft to Newcastle on a coaster misleadingly named Skimmer of the Sea. Crucially for his future career, he "began to learn English from East Coast chaps, each built to last for ever and coloured like a Christmas card." In London on 21 September 1881 Conrad set sail for Newcastle as second mate on the small vessel Palestine (13 hands) to pick up a cargo of 557 tons of "West Hartley" coal bound for Bangkok. From the outset, things went wrong. A gale hampered progress (sixteen days to the Tyne), then the Palestine had


Who was the first Vice President of the USA?

John Adams | whitehouse.gov Air Force One John Adams John Adams, a remarkable political philosopher, served as the second President of the United States (1797-1801), after serving as the first Vice President under President George Washington.  Learned and thoughtful, John Adams was more remarkable as a political philosopher than as a politician. "People and nations are forged in the fires of adversity," he said, doubtless thinking of his own as well as the American experience. Adams was born in the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1735. A Harvard-educated lawyer, he early became identified with the patriot cause; a delegate to the First and Second Continental Congresses, he led in the movement for independence. During the Revolutionary War he served in France and Holland in diplomatic roles, and helped negotiate the treaty of peace. From 1785 to 1788 he was minister to the Court of St. James's, returning to be elected Vice President under George Washington. Adams' two terms as Vice President were frustrating experiences for a man of his vigor, intellect, and vanity. He complained to his wife Abigail, "My country has in its wisdom contrived for me the most insignificant office that ever the invention of man contrived or his imagination conceived." When Adams became President, the war between the French and British was causing great difficulties for the United States on the high seas and intense partisanship among contending factions within the Nation. His administration focused on France, where the Directory, the ruling group, had refused to receive the American envoy and had suspended commercial relations. Adams sent three commissioners to France, but in the spring of 1798 word arrived that the French Foreign Minister Talleyrand and the Directory had refused to negotiate with them unless they would first pay a substantial bribe. Adams reported the insult to Congress, and the Senate printed the correspondence, in which the Frenchmen were referred to only as "X, Y, and Z." The Nation broke out into what Jefferson called "the X. Y. Z. fever," increased in intensity by Adams's exhortations. The populace cheered itself hoarse wherever the President appeared. Never had the Federalists been so popular. Congress appropriated money to complete three new frigates and to build additional ships, and authorized the raising of a provisional army. It also passed the Alien and Sedition Acts, intended to frighten foreign agents out of the country and to stifle the attacks of Republican editors. President Adams did not call for a declaration of war, but hostilities began at sea. At first, American shipping was almost defenseless against French privateers, but by 1800 armed merchantmen and U.S. warships were clearing the sea-lanes. Despite several brilliant naval victories, war fever subsided. Word came to Adams that France also had no stomach for war and would receive an envoy with respect. Long negotiations ended the quasi war. Sending a peace mission to France brought the full fury of the Hamiltonians against Adams. In the campaign of 1800 the Republicans were united and effective, the Federalists badly divided. Nevertheless, Adams polled only a few less electoral votes than Jefferson, who became President. On November 1, 1800, just before the election, Adams arrived in the new Capital City to take up his residence in the White House. On his second evening in its damp, unfinished rooms, he wrote his wife, "Before I end my letter, I pray Heaven to bestow the best of Blessings on this House and all that shall hereafter inhabit it. May none but honest and wise Men ever rule under this roof." Adams retired to his farm in Quincy. Here he penned his elaborate letters to Thomas Jefferson. Here on July 4, 1826, he whispered his last words: "Thomas Jefferson survives." But Jefferson had died at Monticello a few hours earlier. The Presidential biographies on WhiteHouse.gov are from “The Presidents of the United States of America,” by Frank Freidel  and Hugh Sidey. Copyright 2006 by the White House Historical Association.


Which record holding try scorer became the first man to win 50 caps at Rugby Union for England?

50 days to go: Eight facts on England Rugby and the number 50 50 days to go: Eight facts on England Rugby and the number 50  Just 50 days until the Rugby World Cup gets underway  What does the number 50 mean to England Rugby? With just 50 days until England kick-off the Rugby World Cup 2015 against Fiji at Twickenham on 18 September, we take a look at the significance of the number 50 to England Rugby. First to 50 These days, it is quite common for players to reach the 50-cap milestone but that has not always been the case. The first man to achieve the feat was England’s record try-scorer Rory Underwood. The wing made his Test debut in a 12–9 victory over Ireland at Twickenham in February 1984 and, seven years later, made his 50th appearance against Scotland (9–6) in the Rugby World Cup semi-final at Murrayfield. Underwood went on to win a total of 85 caps for England and also represented the British & Irish Lions in six Tests. Just 40 players have received over 50 caps for England, including current Rugby World Cup training squad members Dan Cole (50), Danny Care (50), James Haskell (58) and Nick Easter (51).  50 at the top Two men have been Head Coach for 50 games or more – Geoff Cooke (50) and Sir Clive Woodward (83). Cooke led England to two successive Grand Slames (1991, 1992) before resigning ahead of the Rugby World Cup in 1995. Woodward led England to Rugby World Cup glory in 2003 to add to a Grand Slam in the same year. He was the most successful coach in terms of the number of matches England won during his tenure (59), but he is not the most successful in terms of winning percentage (71.08%). Jack Rowell (72.41%) and Cooke (71.43%) both have very slightly higher winning percentages. 50 for the leader Will Carling is England’s youngest ever, longest serving and most successful captain. He is also the only man to have skippered his country on over 50 occasions, having led his team in 59 Tests between 1988 and 1996, winning 44 times and capturing three Grand Slams. The next longest stints are Martin Johnson (39) and current Captain Chris Robshaw (36). In total, 128 players have had the honour of leading England. 50 at Twickenham Just one man has been capped more than 50 times at Twickenham – Jason Leonard. The prop appeared in 55 home matches and went on to be England’s most capped player of all time with 114. Leonard is followed by Martin Johnson (44), Lawrence Dallaglio and Jonny Wilkinson (both 42). 50 as an amateur The most capped Englishman to have played exclusively as an amateur is Peter Winterbottom. The flanker made 58 Test appearances for his country between 1982 and 1993. 50 tries No England player has ever managed to cross the whitewash more than 50 times. Wing Rory Underwood came closest with 49, followed by 2003 Rugby World Cup winners Ben Cohen and Will Greenwood, who both bagged 31 each. 50 points up The first time England scored 50 points was in beating Japan 60-7 at the 1987 Rugby World Cup. Another 50-point score – this time a 50-10 victory over Wales in March 2002 – kick-started England’s longest winning sequence in Test rugby (14). The streak included wins over New Zealand, Australia and South Africa on consecutive weekends at Twickenham in November 2002 and a famous 15-13 victory over New Zealand in Wellington in June 2003. It finally came to an end when England were beaten 17-16 by France in August in a Rugby World Cup warm-up match in Marseille. The run saw England amass 493 points, scoring 40 or more points in half of the matches.  50th player The 50th player to represent England was Foster Cunliffe who made his debut against Scotland on 23 February 1874 at The Oval. It was his one and only match in the white of England, resulting in a 1-0 win under a much different scoring system. Cunliffe was educated at Rugby School and served in the Royal Artillery. A total of 1,300 players separated Cunliffe from current England player Billy Twelvetrees who became the 1,350th international when he made his debut against Scotland on 2 February 2013.