Which French king was known as 'The King Consort of Scotland'because of his marriage to Mary Queen of Scots?

History of Great Britain: Why is Mary, Queen of Scots, famous? - Quora Quora History of Great Britain: Why is Mary, Queen of Scots, famous? What were some controversies when she was in power? How did people receive her? Written Dec 20, 2013 There are great posts already written. I wish to communicate information that adds information that has not been mentioned and that I find quite important to note concerning the "leadership qualities " of Mary Queen of Scots.  ( I orginally had posted this as a comment but I wish to add it as a post to this thread.) Please note, eventhough I agree with some of the points that have been made I strongly disagree with others. There are a few details that I wish need to be added. Mary was crowned queen of Scots when she was 6 days old. Her father died in a battle not long after her death. " Mary, the only surviving legitimate child of King James V of Scotland , was 6 days old when her father died and she acceded to the throne. She spent most of her childhood in France while Scotland was ruled by regents, and in 1558, she married the Dauphin of France , Francis . " Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mar... She was raised knowing she was a queen. I have difficulty trying to understand how a child that is already queen would adapt as she was growing up. Eventhough it is true that she spent most of her childhood in France, she was groomed from a very young age to become the wife of the future king of France. Hence, when Mary married the King of France, she was ALREADY a queen and hence became both the queen of Scotland and France. This situation was unique because from a geopolitical point of view she was seen as someone important that could as she matured into an adult, create an alliance with the Scots and the French leaders of both courts. Britain was going through some serious religious issues with the Catholic and Protestants. Elizabeth 1 constantly threaded a delicate balance between the two religious extremes of those times. All this was mostly due to the impact of the decisions of her father Henry VIII. Mary Queen of Scots was catholic and her presence caused a lot of issues with Elizabeth 1 because of the religious issues. In fact, Elizabeth 1 greatly hesitated in her decision to behead Mary. It took her amost twenty years to make her final decision to behead her. She knew of the very real possible repercussions from Mary's loyal servants in Scotland. Mary Queen of Scots was well liked by the Scotish people. She had a "joie de vivre" and her life took a turn for the worst when her husband, the king of France suddenly died only a few years after their wedding. According to the dates, she was 17 years old and Francis II was 15 years old when they married. ( I mean, to me it seems obvious that the marriage was arranged between the regents involved in both kingdoms. I suspect there were some long term plans already drawn up for both of them since they were allies and both countries were die hard Catholics.) Also, I have to go back to my research but I remember reading that France and Scotland had a lot of marriages withing their different ranks. Was it due to proximity? I do not know but this alliance was a benefit to both. "... and in 1558, she married the Dauphin of France , Francis . He ascended the French throne as King Francis II in 1559, and Mary briefly became queen consort of France, until his death on 5 December 1560." source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mar... Please note that she was only 18 years old when her husband Francis II died. Also note that the king was only 16 years old when he died. They had been both king and queen of both countries for approximately a year and a half and either of them had not reached 20 years old yet. ",,, Francis II (French: François II) (19 January 1544 – 5 December 1560) was a monarch of the House of Valois-Angoulême who was King of France from 1559 to 1560. He was also King consort of Scotland as a result of his marriage to Mary, Queen of Scots , from 1558 until his death." Source: Francis II of France In retrospect, this couple had the po


What is the name of the bay that indents much of the southern coast of Australia?

Indian Ocean | Britannica.com Indian Ocean ocean Indian Ocean, body of salt water covering approximately one-fifth of the total ocean area of the world. It is the smallest, geologically youngest, and physically most complex of the world’s three major oceans. It stretches for more than 6,200 miles (10,000 km) between the southern tips of Africa and Australia and, without its marginal seas, has an area of about 28,360,000 square miles (73,440,000 square km). The Indian Ocean’s average depth is 12,990 feet (3,960 metres), and its deepest point, in the Sunda Deep of the Java Trench off the southern coast of the island of Java ( Indonesia ), is 24,442 feet (7,450 metres). The Indian Ocean, with depth contours and undersea features. The Indian Ocean is bounded by Iran , Pakistan , India , and Bangladesh to the north; the Malay Peninsula , the Sunda Islands of Indonesia, and Australia to the east; Antarctica to the south; and Africa and the Arabian Peninsula to the west. In the southwest it joins the Atlantic Ocean south of the southern tip of Africa, and to the east and southeast its waters mingle with those of the Pacific Ocean . Island resort in the Maldives, north-central Indian Ocean. © Spectrum Colour Library/Heritage-Images The question of defining the oceanic limits of the Indian Ocean is complicated and remains unsettled. The clearest border and the one most generally agreed upon is that with the Atlantic Ocean, which runs from Cape Agulhas , at the southern tip of Africa, due south along the 20° E meridian to the shores of Antarctica. The border with the Pacific Ocean to the southeast is usually drawn from South East Cape on the island of Tasmania south along the 147° E meridian to Antarctica. Bass Strait , between Tasmania and Australia, is considered by some to be part of the Indian Ocean and by others to be part of the Pacific. The northeastern border is the most difficult to define. The one most generally agreed upon runs northwest from Cape Londonderry in Australia across the Timor Sea , along the southern shores of the Lesser Sunda Islands and of Java , and then across the Sunda Strait to the shores of the island of Sumatra . Between Sumatra and the Malay Peninsula the boundary is usually drawn across the Singapore Strait . The lighthouse at Cape Agulhas, South Africa. Dewet Atlantic Ocean There is no universal agreement on the southern limit of the Indian Ocean. In general (and for the purposes of this article), it is defined as extending southward to the coast of Antarctica. However, many—notably in Australia—consider the portion closest to Antarctica (along with the corresponding southern extensions of the Atlantic and Pacific) to be part of the Southern (or Antarctic) Ocean . Australians often call the entire expanse south of that continent’s south coast the Southern Ocean. The Indian Ocean has the fewest marginal seas of the major oceans. To the north are the inland Red Sea and Persian Gulf . The Arabian Sea is to the northwest, and the Andaman Sea to the northeast. The large gulfs of Aden and Oman are to the northwest, the Bay of Bengal is to the northeast, and the Great Australian Bight is off the southern coast of Australia. Great Australian Bight Marine Park, southern Australia. Nachoman-au The Indian Ocean differs from the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans in several other respects. In the Northern Hemisphere it is landlocked and does not extend to Arctic waters or have a temperate-to-cold zone. It has fewer islands and narrower continental shelves. It is the only ocean with an asymmetric and, in the north, semiannually reversing surface circulation. It has no separate source of bottom water (i.e., the Indian Ocean’s bottom water originates outside its boundaries) and has two sources of highly saline water (the Persian Gulf and the Red Sea). Below the surface layers, especially in the north, the ocean’s water is extremely low in oxygen. Physiography and geology Ringling Bros. Folds Its Tent Origin The origin and evolution of the Indian Ocean is the most complicated of the three major oceans. Its formation is


Octavian who became Augustus, and Lepidus were two of the 'Second Triumvirate' in 43BC. Who was the third?

Octavian - Augustus 'Augustus' Gaius Julius Octavius (63 BC - AD 14) The future emperor Augustus was born into an equestrian family as Gaius Octavius at Rome on 23 September 63 BC. His father, Gaius Octavius, was the first in the family to become a senator, but died when Octavian was only four. It was his mother who had the more distinguished connection. She was the daughter of Julia, sister to Julius Caesar. He was of short stature, handsome and well proportioned and he possessed that commodity so rare in rulers - grace. Though he suffered from bad teeth and was generally of feeble health. His body was covered in spots and he had many birthmarks scattered over his chest and belly. As for his character it is said that he was cruel when young, but became mild later on. This, however, might just be because, as his position became more secure, the need for brutality lessened. For he was still prepared to be ruthless when necessary. He was tolerant of criticism, possessed a good sense of humour, and had a particular fondness for playing dice, but often provided his guests with money to place bets. Although unfaithful to his wife Livia Drusilla, he remained deeply devoted to her. His public moral attitudes were strict (he had been appointed pontifex (priest) at the age of fifteen or sixteen) and he exiled his daughter and his grand-daughter, both named Julia, for offending against these principles. Octavian served under Julius Caesar in the Spanish expedition of 46 BC despite his delicate health. And he was to take a senior military command in Caesar's planned Parthian expedition of 44 BC, although at the time being only 18 years old. But Octavian was with his friends Marcus Agrippa and Marcus Salvidienus Rufus in Apollonia in Epirus completing his academic and military studies, when news reached him of Caesar's assassination. At once he returned to Rome, learning on the way that Caesar had adopted him in his will. No doubt this only increased his desire to avenge Caesar's murder. Though when he arrived Octavian found power in the hands of Mark Antony and Aemilius Lepidus. They were urging compromise and amnesty. But Octavian refused to accept this attitude. With his determined stand he soon succeeded in winning over many of Caesar's supporters, including some of the legions. Though he failed to persuade Marc Antony to hand over Caesar's assets and documents. Therefore Octavian was forced to distribute Caesar's legacies to the Roman public from whatever funds he was able to raise himself. Such efforts to see Caesar's will done helped raise Octavian's standing with the Roman people considerably. Many of the senators, too, were opposed to Antony. Octavian, appreciated as Antony's primary rival by then, was granted the status of senator, despite not yet being twenty. During the summer of 44 BC the senate's leader, Cicero, delivered a series of infamous speeches against Marc Antony which came to be known as the 'Philippics'. Cicero saw in the young Octavian a useful ally. So, when in November 44 BC Antony left Rome to take command in northern Italy, Octavian was dispatched with the senate's blessing to make war on Antony. Marc Antony was defeated at Mutina (43 BC) and forced to retreat into Gaul. But now it showed that Cicero had definitely lost control of the young Octavian. Had the two reigning consuls both been killed in the battle, then in August 43 BC Octavian marched on Rome and forced the senate to accept him as consul. Three months thereafter he met with Antony and Lepidus at Bologna and the three came to an agreement, the Triumvirate. This agreement between Rome's three most powerful men completely cut off the senate from power (27 November 43 BC). Cicero was killed in the proscriptions that followed. Brutus and Cassius, Caesar's chief assassins, were defeated at Philippi in northern Greece. Octavian and Marc Antony, the winners at Philippi, reached a new agreement in October 40 BC in the Treaty of Brundisium. The Roman empire was to be divided between them, Antony taking the east, Octavian the west. The third man, Lepid


Who composed the oratorio entitled, 'The Dream of Gerontius'?

Elgar and “The Dream of Gerontius” | Conducting Electricity Elgar and “The Dream of Gerontius” Courtney Lewis 2 Comments The season is underway, and we’re getting ready for a weekend of concerts that feature a piece especially close to my heart. I doubt many of you know it since it’s rarely played outside the British Isles, yet it contains music that offers some of the concert hall’s deepest spiritual experiences. I’d like to spend this column telling you a little about Elgar’s masterpiece, The Dream of Gerontius. Edward Elgar was the first great English composer since Henry Purcell. Almost two hundred years elapsed between their births, causing Germans to refer to England as “The Land Without Music”. Born in 1857, we often associate Elgar with his Pomp and Circumstances marches and all things imperial. Yet he was anything but the quintessential Edwardian gentleman. He was born in the provinces, near Worcester in Gloucestershire, the son of a humble shopkeeper. In a brutally class-conscience society, this made him an outsider. Worst of all, he was a Catholic in a fastidiously devout Episcopalian country. Elgar’s rise to fame was slow. He was 42 when his “Variations on an Original Theme” (usually referred to as the Enigma Variations) catapulted him to international attention. By then he had spent years teaching unpromising students and even conducting the band of the local lunatic asylum. Most astonishingly, and I think uniquely in music history, he was entirely self-taught in composition, studying scores as a boy at the back of his father’s music shop. Immediately after the success of the Enigma Variations, Elgar was commissioned to write an oratorio by the Birmingham Three Choirs Festival. Handel’s influence on British musical culture had been so great that the oratorio was seen as the most prestigious vehicle for composition, and the festival’s prestige offered Elgar a great opportunity. A few years before he had been married, and at his wedding the priest had given him a copy of a poem by Cardinal Newman. To understand the significance of this, we need to wade into a little history. In the middle of the nineteenth century, the Oxford Movement sought to reincorporate some of the mystical and liturgical elements of Catholicism that had been stripped from the Church of England during the Reformation. John Henry Newman was an Episcopal priest who converted to Catholicism, later becoming a Cardinal. He wrote a poem entitled “The Dream of Gerontius”, and it was a copy of this that Elgar was given at his wedding. “The Dream of Gerontius” tells the story of a devout believer and his journey through death into the afterlife, his judgement by God, and his descent into Purgatory where he will prepare and atone before entering heaven. “Gerontius” just means an old man, and in the poem, he represents all of us – he’s an Everyman. Elgar’s composition is in two parts. In part one, we meet Gerontius on his deathbed. His friends are standing around the bed praying; this is a drama of life and death. The prelude sets up a faltering mood in the orchestra, as if we can imagine Gerontius’s heartbeat ceasing to pulse. We hear music from his life, from the church. His friends sing a Kyrie, the beginning of the mass. As he lies dying, Gerontius reminds himself of his faith. He’s encouraged by the songs of those around him, and he steels himself for the journey ahead. By part two, Gerontius has moved into the afterlife. On hearing an utterly timeless music containing no pulse, he realises he has entered a realm in which time has eased to tick. Almost immediately he meets his guardian angel who explains she will guide him to the judgement court, where he will see God for one brief moment. Gerontius travels through a terrifying throng of demons who try to drag him down into hell. He arrives at the holiest place, where choirs of angels sing “Praise to the Holiest in the heights, and in the depths be praise”. Even writing those lines gives me goosebumps as I imagine the music that accompanies them. After a terrifying walk into the court of judgem


Whose most famous poem is 'The Tay Bridge Disaster' of 1879?

The Tay Bridge Disaster - WIlliam McGonagall - Streenge The Tay Bridge Disaster Poem by William McGonagall William McGonagall is widely held to be one of the worst poets ever. His most (in)famous work was inspired by the Tay Bridge disaster of 1879 when many people lost their lives following the collapse of the railway bridge outside Dundee. Here is poem in its full glory: Beautiful Railway Bridge of the Silv'ry Tay! Alas! I am very sorry to say That ninety lives have been taken away On the last Sabbath day of 1879, Which will be remember'd for a very long time. 'Twas about seven o'clock at night, And the wind it blew with all its might, And the rain came pouring down, And the dark clouds seem'd to frown, And the Demon of the air seem'd to say- "I'll blow down the Bridge of Tay." When the train left Edinburgh The passengers' hearts were light and felt no sorrow, But Boreas blew a terrific gale, Which made their hearts for to quail, And many of the passengers with fear did say- "I hope God will send us safe across the Bridge of Tay." But when the train came near to Wormit Bay, Boreas he did loud and angry bray, And shook the central girders of the Bridge of Tay On the last Sabbath day of 1879, Which will be remember'd for a very long time. So the train sped on with all its might, And Bonnie Dundee soon hove in sight, And the passengers' hearts felt light, Thinking they would enjoy themselves on the New Year, With their friends at home they lov'd most dear, And wish them all a happy New Year. So the train mov'd slowly along the Bridge of Tay, Until it was about midway, Then the central girders with a crash gave way, And down went the train and passengers into the Tay! The Storm Fiend did loudly bray, Because ninety lives had been taken away, On the last Sabbath day of 1879, Which will be remember'd for a very long time. As soon as the catastrophe came to be known The alarm from mouth to mouth was blown, And the cry rang out all o'er the town, Good Heavens! the Tay Bridge is blown down, And a passenger train from Edinburgh, Which fill'd all the peoples hearts with sorrow, And made them for to turn pale, Because none of the passengers were sav'd to tell the tale How the disaster happen'd on the last Sabbath day of 1879, Which will be remember'd for a very long time. It must have been an awful sight, To witness in the dusky moonlight, While the Storm Fiend did laugh, and angry did bray, Along the Railway Bridge of the Silv'ry Tay, Oh! ill-fated Bridge of the Silv'ry Tay, I must now conclude my lay By telling the world fearlessly without the least dismay, That your central girders would not have given way, At least many sensible men do say, Had they been supported on each side with buttresses, At least many sensible men confesses, For the stronger we our houses do build, The less chance we have of being killed. © 2008 - 2016 Trevor Mendham Contact


Where in the human body is the Ethmoid bone?

Ethmoid bone - Human Anatomy FIG. 149 Ethmoid bone from above. (Os Ethmoidale) The ethmoid bone is exceedingly light and spongy, and cubical in shape; it is situated at the anterior part of the base of the cranium, between the two orbits, at the roof of the nose, and contributes to each of these cavities. It consists of four parts: a horizontal or cribriform plate, forming part of the base of the cranium; a perpendicular plate, constituting part of the nasal septum; and two lateral masses or labyrinths.   Cribiform Plate (lamina cribrosa; horizontal lamina).The cribriform plate (Fig. 149) is received into the ethmoidal notch of the frontal bone and roofs in the nasal cavities. Projecting upward from the middle line of this plate is a thick, smooth, triangular process, the crista galli, so called from its resemblance to a cocks comb. The long thin posterior border of the crista galli serves for the attachment of the falx cerebri. Its anterior border, short and thick, articulates with the frontal bone, and presents two small projecting alæ, which are received into corresponding depressions in the frontal bone and complete the foramen cecum. Its sides are smooth, and sometimes bulging from the presence of a small air sinus in the interior. On either side of the crista galli, the cribriform plate is narrow and deeply grooved; it supports the olfactory bulb and is perforated by foramina for the passage of the olfactory nerves. The foramina in the middle of the groove are small and transmit the nerves to the roof of the nasal cavity; those at the medial and lateral parts of the groove are largerthe former transmit the nerves to the upper part of the nasal septum, the latter those to the superior nasal concha. At the front part of the cribriform plate, on either side of the crista galli, is a small fissure which is occupied by a process of dura mater. Lateral to this fissure is a notch or foramen which transmits the nasociliary nerve; from this notch a groove extends backward to the anterior ethmoidal foramen.   FIG. 150 Perpendicular plate of ethmoid. Shown by removing the right labyrinth.     Perpendicular Plate (lamina perpendicularis; vertical plate).The perpendicular plate (Figs. 150, 151) is a thin, flattened lamina, polygonal in form, which descends from the under surface of the cribriform plate, and assists in forming the septum of the nose; it is generally deflected a little to one or other side. The anterior border articulates with the spine of the frontal bone and the crest of the nasal bones. The posterior border articulates by its upper half with the sphenoidal crest, by its lower with the vomer. The inferior border is thicker than the posterior, and serves for the attachment of the septal cartilage of the nose. The surfaces of the plate are smooth, except above, where numerous grooves and canals are seen; these lead from the medial foramina on the cribriform plate and lodge filaments of the olfactory nerves.   The Labyrinth or Lateral Mass (labyrinthus ethmoidalis) consists of a number of thin-walled cellular cavities, the ethmoidal cells, arranged in three groups, anterior, middle, and posterior, and interposed between two vertical plates of bone; the lateral plate forms part of the orbit, the medial, part of the corresponding nasal cavity. In the disarticulated bone many of these cells are opened into, but when the bones are articulated, they are closed in at every part, except where they open into the nasal cavity.   Surfaces.The upper surface of the labyrinth (Fig. 149) presents a number of half-broken cells, the walls of which are completed, in the articulated skull, by the edges of the ethmoidal notch of the frontal bone. Crossing this surface are two grooves, converted into canals by articulation with the frontal; they are the anterior and posterior ethmoidal canals, and open on the inner wall of the orbit. The posterior surface presents large irregular cellular cavities, which are closed in by articulation with the sphenoidal concha and orbital process of the palatine. The lateral surface (Fig. 152)


'The Pied Piper of Hamlin' got rid of the rats by leading them into which river?

Pied Piper of Hameln The River Weser, deep and wide, Washes its wall on the southern side; A pleasanter spot you never spied; But, when begins my ditty, Almost five hundred years ago, To see townsfolk suffer so From vermin, was a pity. Rats! They fought the dogs, and killed the cats, And bit the babies in the cradles, And ate the cheeses out of the vats, And licked the soup from the cook's own ladles, Split open the kegs of salted sprats, Made nests inside men's Sunday hats, And even spoiled the women's chats, By drowning their speaking In fifty different sharps and flats. At last the people in a body To the Town Hall came flocking: "'Tis clear," cried they, "our Mayor's a noddy; And as for our Corporation -- shocking To think we buy gowns lined with ermine For dolts that can't or won't determine What's best to rid us of our vermin! You hope, because you're old and obese, To find in the furry civic robe ease? Rouse up, sirs! Give your brains a racking To find the remedy we're lacking, Or, sure as fate, we'll send you packing!" At this the Mayor and Corporation Quaked with a mighty consternation. An hour they sate in council, At length the Mayor broke silence: "For a guilder I'd my ermine gown sell, I wish I were a mile hence! It's easy to bid one rack one's brain -- I'm sure my poor head aches again I've scratched it so, and all in vain. Oh for a trap, a trap, a trap!" Just as he said this, what should hap At the chamber-door but a gentle tap? "Bless us," cried the Mayor, "What's that?" (With the Corporation as he sat, Looking little though wondrous fat; Nor brighter was his eye, nor moister Than a too-long-opened oyster, Save when at noon his paunch grew mutinous For a plate of turtle, green and glutinous.) "Only a scraping of shoes on the mat? Anything like the sound of a rat Makes my heart go pit-a-pat!" "Come in!" -- the Mayor cried, looking bigger: And in did come the strangest figure! His queer long coat from heel to head Was half of yellow and half of red; And he himself was tall and thin, With sharp blue eyes, each like a pin, And light loose hair, yet swarthy skin, No tuft on cheek nor beard on chin, But lips where smiles went out and in -- There was no guessing his kith and kin! And nobody could enough admire The tall man and his quaint attire. Quoth one: "It's as my great-grandsire, Starting up at the Trump of Doom's tone, Had walked this way from his painted tombstone!" He advanced to the council-table: And, "Please your honors," said he, "I'm able, By means of a secret charm, to draw All creatures living beneath the sun, That creep, or swim, or fly, or run, After me so as you never saw! And I chiefly use my charm On creatures that do people harm, The mole, and toad, and newt, and viper; And people call me the Pied Piper." (And here they noticed round his neck A scarf of red and yellow stripe, To match with his coat of selfsame cheque; And at the scarf's end hung a pipe; And his fingers, they noticed, were ever straying As if impatient to be playing Upon this pipe, as low it dangled Over his vesture, so old-fangled.) "Yet," said he "poor piper as I am, In Tartary I freed the Cham, Last June, from his huge swarms of gnats; I eased in Asia the Nizam Of a monstrous brood of vampire-bats: And, as for what your brain bewilders, If I can rid your town of rats Will you give me a thousand guilders?" "One? fifty thousand!" -- was the exclamation Of the astonished Mayor and Corporation. Into the street the Piper stept, Smiling first a little smile, As if he knew what magic slept In his quiet pipe the while; Then, like a musical adept, To blow the pipe his lips he wrinkled, And green and blue his sharp eyes twinkled Like a candle flame where salt is sprinkled; And ere three shrill notes the pipe uttered, You heard as if an army muttered; And the muttering grew to a grumbling; And the grumbling grew to a mighty rumbling; And out of the houses the rats came tumbling: Great rats, small rats, lean rats, brawny rats, Brown rats, black rats, grey rats, tawny rats, Grave old plodders, gay young friskers, Fathers, mothers, uncl


Sold in 2004 for $104.2 million, the most expensive painting ever sold by Sotherby's was Garcon a la Pipe. Who painted it?

No. 7 - "Garcon a la Pipe", Pablo Picasso - Modigliani's "Nu Couché" sells for $170.4 million - second most expensive painting ever sold at auction - Pictures - CBS News Next No. 1 - "Les Femmes d'Alger", Picasso Pablo Picasso's "Les Femmes d'Alger (Version O)" became the most expensive art ever sold at auction for the staggering price of $179 million on May 11, 2015... topping a list of paintings by illustrious international artists. The Christie's New York auctioneer Jussi Pylkkänen, who sold the painting, referred to the work as "the Mozart of 20th-century painting." By CBSNews.com Senior Photo Editor Radhika Chalasani Credit: via Christie's No. 1 - "Les Femmes d'Alger", Picasso Auctioneer Jussi Pylkkanen takes bids on Pablo Picasso's "Women of Algiers (Version O)," which sold for just over $179 million, setting a world record for art at auction during a sale at Christie's, New York, May 11, 2015. Credit: Kathy Willens/AP No. 1 - O'Keeffe - Priciest female artist Georgia O'Keeffe's 1932 "Jimson Weed, White Flower No. 1," smashed records May 20, 2015 when it sold for $44.4 million to an anonymous buyer -- a price three times larger than the previous auction record for a female artist. Joan Mitchell held the title for highest-selling female artist for an untitled 1960 painting at $11.9 million. O'Keefe's painting depicts one of the artist's favorite subjects: a magnified flower. O'Keeffe said, "When you take a flower in your hand and really look at it, it's your world for the moment. I want to give that world to someone else." Credit: Sotheby's No. 2 - “Nu Couché” Amedeo Modigiani's "Nu Couché" sold for $170.4 million with fees November 9, 2015 at Christie's New York in just nine minutes. Originally estimated at $100 million, it became the second most expensive painting sold at auction. The buyer from China placed the bid by phone. Credit: via Christie's No. 3 - "Three Studies of Lucian Freud" Painted by Francis Bacon in 1969, the life-size triptych "Three Studies of Lucian Freud" depicts Bacon's friend Lucian Freud on a wooden chair. Bacon is one of the greatest modern artists of the mid-20th century. The painting was part of the Christie's, New York sale of post-war and contemporary art auction on November 12, 2013, and was estimated at $85 million. However, a bidding war between seven buyers ultimately pushed the sale price up to $142.4 million. Credit: Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images No. 4 - "The Scream", Edvard Munch Norwegian artist Edvard Munch's 1895 pastel on board version of "The Scream" is one of the greatest expressionist masterpieces of all time. Until "Les Femmes d'Algers" made headlines, it was the most expensive painting ever sold at auction, going for $119.9 million at Sotheby's New York in 2012. "The Scream" is also the most expensive pastel drawing. It's been described as an 'expression of personal suffering' because of the artist's tragic family history, which included a sister kept in an asylum, where screams could reportedly be heard outside. Three other versions of the painting exist. Credit: Carl Court/AFP/Getty Images No. 4 - "The Scream", Edvard Much Edvard Munch's 'The Scream' is auctioned at Sotheby's May 2012 Sales of Impressionist, Modern and Contemporary Art in New York City, May 2, 2012. The masterpiece is one of four versions created by Munch and the only one that is privately owned. The masterpiece sold for over $119 million. Credit: Mario Tama/Getty Images No. 5 - "Nude, Green Leaves and Bust" Pablo Picasso's 1932 "Nude, Green Leaves and Bust", estimated at $70 million to 90 million prior to sale, sold for $106.5 million at Christie's in New York inMay 4, 2010. The painting is known as the 'lost Picasso' since it hadn't been seen in public for 60 years. It had previously changed hands back in 1951 for a mere $18,000. Credit: Stan Honda/AFP/Getty Images No. 6 - "Silver Car Crash (Double Disaster) The 1963 two panel "Silver Car Crash (Double Disaster)" by Andy Warhol, sold for $105.4 million at Sotheby's New York in 2013. It is the last in a series of four pieces depicting a car crash.


From which country does 'Monterey Jack' cheese come?

Monterey Jack : Encyclopedia : Food Network Monterey Jack Categories: Monterey Jack The origin of Jack cheese is most often attributed to David Jacks, a Monterey, Calif., businessman in the late 1800s. However, historical evidence shows that it actually was based on a recipe for queso del país ("country cheese"), brought to California by Franciscan monks in the 1700s. Nevertheless, we do know that David Jacks increased the popularity and demand for this cheese when he began shipping it to San Francisco and points beyond in the United States. The name Monterey Jack came about because production was initially centered in Monterey County, Calif. Eventually other areas named the cheese for their region, as with Sonoma Jack (Sonoma County, Calif.), and now this cheese is made in other parts of the United States. Jack can be made from raw or pasteurized cow's milk. It comes in several styles — semisoft, semihard, hard and grana. Jacks typically have a thin rind, though some are rindless. The interior can range from pale yellow to deep golden, depending on the age. While the flavor of young Jacks is delicate, mild and fresh, aged versions (called dry Jack) are full flavored, rich and almost sweet, with hints of fruit and caramel. Young Jack cheese is ripened only for a few weeks, whereas dry Jack is aged for seven to 10 months or longer. The high-moisture regular Jack cheese comes plain or with added flavorings such as chiles, garlic, herbs, horseradish, chili peppers and onion. From The Food Lover's Companion, Fourth edition by Sharon Tyler Herbst and Ron Herbst. Copyright © 2007, 2001, 1995, 1990 by Barron's Educational Series, Inc. Related Recipes From Food Network


Who was British Prime Minister at the time of 'The Boston Tea Party'?

Boston Tea Party - iBoston.org December 16, 1773 Three ships lay at Griffin's Wharf in Boston at an impasse. The Dartmouth,     the Elanor and the Beaver were guarded by just over twenty revolutionary     guards to prevent them from being unloaded. Yet Massachusetts Governor,     Thomas Hutchinson, the grandson of Anne Hutchinson would not permit the     ships to depart without unloading. Lord     Frederick North, England's Prime Minister never expected this tea tax     to cause an outcry, let alone revolution. In 1767 England reduced its     property taxes at home. To balance the national budget they needed to     find a mechanism for the American colonies to pay for the expense of stationing     officials in them. Under the Townshed Act the officials would generate     their own revenue by collecting taxes on all imported goods, and once     paid affixing stamps on them. This Stamp Tax generated more in the way     of protests and smuggling than added revenue. Why tea? Recognizing this failure, Lord North repealed the stamp tax in 1773, except     for a reduced tax which remained on tea. This was both out of principal     to maintain the English ability to tax, and to support a national company,     the East India Tea Company, which had suffered revenue loss as nearly     90% of America's tea had been smuggled from foreign lands. This tea would     be the only legally imported tea in the colonies, and old at a discount     below customary prices to curtail smuggling. American merchants recognized this monopoly took money from their pockets,     and resisted this tea monopoly. Merchants added to the revolutionary fervor.     Locally the agents of the East India company were pressured to resign     their posts, and ships were sent away unloaded from American coasts. For     a decade Sam Adams had been inspiring revolution, this was his hour. Adams     is widely believed to have orchestrated the Boston Tea Party. A town meeting     was called for the evening of December 16th at Faneuil     Hall . All British eyes were on the meeting, which when it overfilled     Faneuil moved to the larger Old     South Church . There was little notice of a committee which met with Governor Hutchinson     during the meeting, or the messenger who returned with news that no settlement     could be reached. But at that exact moment colonials disguised as Mohawk     Indians boarded the three ships. As John Adams later noted, these were no ordinary Mohawks. They had already     organized themselves into boarding parties who easily took over the merchant     ships and demanded access to the cargo. Discipline prevented the participants     from vandalizing the ships, or stealing tea for personal consumption.     They destroyed 14,000 British pounds of tea, which equates to over one     million dollars in today's currency. Lord North's reaction was fierce. 3,000 British soldiers were sent to     Boston, which equalled one fifth of the town's population. Boston's port     was closed except for military ships, self governance was suspended. In     order to house these troops, rights were given to soldiers to quarter     themselves in any unoccupied colonial building. The Old South Church,     the point were the teaparty was launched was gutted by the British and     converted to a riding arena and pub for troops. By January of 1775 it was clear to Lord North that revolution was at hand.     He sent a peace making delegation offering to end all taxes provided the     colonies promised to pay the salaries of civil authorities regularly.     But it was too late. Events now overtook the hope of a peaceful reconciliation.     That spring, on April 16th the American Crisis turned into the American     Revolution, and Lord North tendered his resignation. King George refused North's resignation, as he would for the duration     of the American Revolutionary war. Lord Nort


Sold in 2006 for $87.9 million, the most expensive painting ever sold by Christie's was Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer II. Who painted it?

No. 10 - "Adele Bloch-bauer II", Klimt - Modigliani's "Nu Couché" sells for $170.4 million - second most expensive painting ever sold at auction - Pictures - CBS News Next No. 1 - "Les Femmes d'Alger", Picasso Pablo Picasso's "Les Femmes d'Alger (Version O)" became the most expensive art ever sold at auction for the staggering price of $179 million on May 11, 2015... topping a list of paintings by illustrious international artists. The Christie's New York auctioneer Jussi Pylkkänen, who sold the painting, referred to the work as "the Mozart of 20th-century painting." By CBSNews.com Senior Photo Editor Radhika Chalasani Credit: via Christie's No. 1 - "Les Femmes d'Alger", Picasso Auctioneer Jussi Pylkkanen takes bids on Pablo Picasso's "Women of Algiers (Version O)," which sold for just over $179 million, setting a world record for art at auction during a sale at Christie's, New York, May 11, 2015. Credit: Kathy Willens/AP No. 1 - O'Keeffe - Priciest female artist Georgia O'Keeffe's 1932 "Jimson Weed, White Flower No. 1," smashed records May 20, 2015 when it sold for $44.4 million to an anonymous buyer -- a price three times larger than the previous auction record for a female artist. Joan Mitchell held the title for highest-selling female artist for an untitled 1960 painting at $11.9 million. O'Keefe's painting depicts one of the artist's favorite subjects: a magnified flower. O'Keeffe said, "When you take a flower in your hand and really look at it, it's your world for the moment. I want to give that world to someone else." Credit: Sotheby's No. 2 - “Nu Couché” Amedeo Modigiani's "Nu Couché" sold for $170.4 million with fees November 9, 2015 at Christie's New York in just nine minutes. Originally estimated at $100 million, it became the second most expensive painting sold at auction. The buyer from China placed the bid by phone. Credit: via Christie's No. 3 - "Three Studies of Lucian Freud" Painted by Francis Bacon in 1969, the life-size triptych "Three Studies of Lucian Freud" depicts Bacon's friend Lucian Freud on a wooden chair. Bacon is one of the greatest modern artists of the mid-20th century. The painting was part of the Christie's, New York sale of post-war and contemporary art auction on November 12, 2013, and was estimated at $85 million. However, a bidding war between seven buyers ultimately pushed the sale price up to $142.4 million. Credit: Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images No. 4 - "The Scream", Edvard Munch Norwegian artist Edvard Munch's 1895 pastel on board version of "The Scream" is one of the greatest expressionist masterpieces of all time. Until "Les Femmes d'Algers" made headlines, it was the most expensive painting ever sold at auction, going for $119.9 million at Sotheby's New York in 2012. "The Scream" is also the most expensive pastel drawing. It's been described as an 'expression of personal suffering' because of the artist's tragic family history, which included a sister kept in an asylum, where screams could reportedly be heard outside. Three other versions of the painting exist. Credit: Carl Court/AFP/Getty Images No. 4 - "The Scream", Edvard Much Edvard Munch's 'The Scream' is auctioned at Sotheby's May 2012 Sales of Impressionist, Modern and Contemporary Art in New York City, May 2, 2012. The masterpiece is one of four versions created by Munch and the only one that is privately owned. The masterpiece sold for over $119 million. Credit: Mario Tama/Getty Images No. 5 - "Nude, Green Leaves and Bust" Pablo Picasso's 1932 "Nude, Green Leaves and Bust", estimated at $70 million to 90 million prior to sale, sold for $106.5 million at Christie's in New York inMay 4, 2010. The painting is known as the 'lost Picasso' since it hadn't been seen in public for 60 years. It had previously changed hands back in 1951 for a mere $18,000. Credit: Stan Honda/AFP/Getty Images No. 6 - "Silver Car Crash (Double Disaster) The 1963 two panel "Silver Car Crash (Double Disaster)" by Andy Warhol, sold for $105.4 million at Sotheby's New York in 2013. It is the last in a series of four pieces depicting a car crash. The


Which chemical element is named after a river?

Each one has a story. July 12 2010 6:52 AM Blogging the Periodic Table By Sam Kean   For scientists who discover a new element, beating their peers is only part of the fun. The real thrill comes in selecting the element's name. Sure, other scientists get to name their discoveries, too, like new salamanders or craters on Mars. But a new element gets its own box on the periodic table—the most iconic real estate in science, and something that will hang in every science classroom in the world. Forever. The latest element to be named was No. 112. It got its name last summer, when a tribunal of chemists ruled that a German team had provided enough evidence to confirm its existence. (The approval process took 13 years .) In selecting the name, the Germans had only a few rules to abide by. The name couldn't have been submitted before as a name for any other potential element. The name had to end in –ium. And the team couldn't name it after a living person (a rule some Americans brazenly violated in the 1990s by naming Element 106, seaborgium, after the then-still-breathing Glenn Seaborg). Beyond that, the Germans could name Element 112 whatever suited them. Advertisement That said, strong trends have emerged in the naming of elements since the 1950s, and scientists are as susceptible to tradition as anyone. Scientists used to name lots of elements after mythological creatures—like thorium, named after Thor, or tantalum, after Tantalus, or helium, after Helios, the sun god. They also liked astronomical references, as in the trio uranium, neptunium, and plutonium. But no one has named an element for anything mythological or celestial since promethium and plutonium in the 1940s. Scientists also used to pick simple descriptive names. Noble gases like xenon and krypton, which are colorless and odorless, got names that meant elusive or hidden in Greek. *  (I'll explain why Greek was trendy in a later post.) For various reasons, the elements beryllium, chlorine, praseodymium, and thallium are all named after words for "green." But this trend, too, has fallen out of favor. The most enduring fashion for naming elements (predating even the table itself) is blatant nationalism, a trend that has gotten ugly a few times. Three German chemists in the 1920s discovered two prospective elements and named them rhenium, after the Rhine River, and masurium, after the state of Masuria—both sites of German victories during World War I. This didn't exactly endear the three to their European colleagues. Partly out of pique, other scientists attacked and dismantled the claim for masurium, Element 43, arguing first that the traces of "masurium" in samples were actually contamination from known elements, and, second, that the trio could not have found as much masurium as they claimed anyway. In the end, Element 43 was declared undiscovered once again. (Another scientist, an Italian Jew, discovered Element 43 for real in 1937. One of the German chemists—decked out in a quasi-military uniform covered in swastikas—flew to Italy in an unsuccessful attempt to bully the Italian into dropping his claim.) There was a decent chance the German team that discovered Element 112 would name it after some local land as well. After all, the team, based in the city of Darmstadt, in the German state of Hesse, had already named two elements they discovered in the 1990s darmstadtium and hassium. (Germanium was taken.) Advertisement But in recent years, another trend has come to dominate the nomenclature of new elements—naming them after great scientists. No one had ever honored a scientist this way before the 1950s, but since then 11 of the 14 elements discovered and named (from einsteinium, Element 99, on) do just that. Most of these names still shaded patriotic and honor a local son or daughter, but not always. An American team led by the aforementioned Glenn Seaborg named Element 101 mendelevium, after Dmitri Mendeleev, the scientist generally given credit for developing the periodic table. Mendeleev was Russian, so this was a daring gesture during the Cold War. In the en


The treacherous architect 'Seth Pecksniff' appears in which Dickens novel?

Seth Pecksniff | fictional character | Britannica.com Seth Pecksniff fictional character THIS ARTICLE IS A STUB. You can learn more about this topic in the related articles below. Similar Topics Seth Pecksniff, fictional character, an unctuous English architect whose insincere behaviour made the name Pecksniff synonymous with hypocrisy. He appears in the novel Martin Chuzzlewit (1843–44) by Charles Dickens . Learn More in these related articles: Charles Dickens February 7, 1812 Portsmouth, Hampshire, England June 9, 1870 Gad’s Hill, near Chatham, Kent English novelist, generally considered the greatest of the Victorian era. His many volumes include such works as A Christmas Carol, David Copperfield, Bleak House, A Tale of Two Cities, Great... Corrections? Updates? Help us improve this article! Contact our editors with your feedback. MEDIA FOR: You have successfully emailed this. Error when sending the email. Try again later. Edit Mode Submit Tips For Editing We welcome suggested improvements to any of our articles. You can make it easier for us to review and, hopefully, publish your contribution by keeping a few points in mind. Encyclopædia Britannica articles are written in a neutral objective tone for a general audience. You may find it helpful to search within the site to see how similar or related subjects are covered. Any text you add should be original, not copied from other sources. At the bottom of the article, feel free to list any sources that support your changes, so that we can fully understand their context. (Internet URLs are the best.) Your contribution may be further edited by our staff, and its publication is subject to our final approval. Unfortunately, our editorial approach may not be able to accommodate all contributions. Submit Thank You for Your Contribution! Our editors will review what you've submitted, and if it meets our criteria, we'll add it to the article. Please note that our editors may make some formatting changes or correct spelling or grammatical errors, and may also contact you if any clarifications are needed. Uh Oh There was a problem with your submission. Please try again later. Close Date Published: December 01, 2015 URL: https://www.britannica.com/topic/Seth-Pecksniff Access Date: January 17, 2017 Share


In which Italian city does the 'Serie A' football team Chievo play its home games?

Tim Parks: Italy loves Chievo Verona | Football | The Guardian Share on Messenger Close Chievo are top of Serie A. Chievo Verona they call themselves these days. Otherwise people might not know where the hell the place was. I'd lived in Verona more than 10 years before I stumbled across it, a miserable case of working-class suburb overflowing into declining semi-industrialised fenland. Fortunately it's not very large. On a generous count there are a mere 3,000 souls; pigeons, water rats and stray dogs included. No guide ever showed any tourist round this place. Needless to say, the team don't train here and they don't play here. What a relief it must have been when they abandoned their flood-prone swamp by the city's gloomy dam and escaped at last to the Bentegodi, world-class stadium of the ever glorious boys in gialloblù, Hellas Verona. But Chievo are top of Serie A. Two points clear of Inter and AC Milan, four ahead of Juventus and Roma. This with a wage bill that wouldn't even pay for Gabriel Batistuta on his own, and a squad whose total value doesn't add up to what any of the big teams put on the bench in the dullest of dull friendlies. How has this terrible thing come about? Paluani Chievo they used to be called. Paluani is the name of a company that makes panettoni, the fourth largest in Italy. It's based in Chievo and owned by the Campedelli family which also owns the team. Alas, the company name and easy publicity had to go when the team hit the big time in 1986 and climbed into the dubiously professional world of Serie C2. Now Paluani is just stitched on the team's shirts, which used to be pale blue and white, but then rather disturbingly became dark blue and yellow, Verona colours. First they invade our stadium, then they steal our strip. And at one point they very nearly took us over altogether. In 1991, Luigi Campedelli bought a small share in Hellas Verona. The plan was to buy out the bigger club and merge the teams. After all, this is a family of Veronese industrialists. They have close contacts with the local paper, the local banks. It didn't work. There are limits to what divine law will permit. In any event, that was around the same time that Chievo changed its name to Chievo Verona. Campedelli wanted the team "to be more easily associated with the whole city". If you can't beat them, become them, seems to be the game. Sometimes one wonders if the Cinderella suburb of Chievo really has a team at all. Certainly there were no banners hanging from rusty balconies, or car horns sounding in the damp streets when they hit the top last Sunday. Campedelli died in 1992, leaving his panettoni and his players to son Luca, barely in his 20s. Ragioniere Campedelli, he calls himself. Ragioniere is the lowliest and saddest of the titles - professore, dottor, cavaliere - that insecure Italians feel the need to put before their names. It means book-keeper. "All our family have always been ragionieri," he boasts. Tall, slim, inoffensively bespectacled, the man certainly looks like a book-keeper, likewise the team coach Del Neri. Certainly the two of them have done a great job keeping the books of Chievo Verona, buying up promising young players on the cheap and recycling misunderstood rejects from the big clubs to put together a team and a game that is now truly formidable. You can't fault them on that. But the football, however good, is the least interesting aspect of the Chievo phenomenon. After all, there are other clubs in Serie A getting by and playing good football with even less cash than Chievo, who at least have a major industry behind them. No, what is truly surprising, and appalling, is that the whole of Italy, or at least the Italian media, loves the team. How did this come about? There are teams from outside the big five which have made good in Serie A in the past: Catania, Sampdoria, and most gloriously of all, of course, Hellas Verona who won the scudetto in 1985 when Chievo were still in Serie D. But none of them were ever loved. They represented their towns. They were part of the mad antagonism between a


Which e-commerce website was founded by Jeffrey Bezos in 1994?

Jeff Bezos says he won't tolerate a 'callous' Amazon workplace - LA Times Jeff Bezos says he won't tolerate a 'callous' Amazon workplace Amazon Jeff Bezos David Ryder / Getty Images Jeff Bezos founded e-commerce website Amazon.com in 1994, and has pushed it to become the world's biggest retailer.  Jeff Bezos founded e-commerce website Amazon.com in 1994, and has pushed it to become the world's biggest retailer.  (David Ryder / Getty Images) Daina Beth Solomon Amazon Chief Executive Jeff Bezos rebutted a New York Times depiction of his company’s workplace as overly harsh and demanding, writing in a memo on Sunday : “The article doesn’t describe the Amazon I know.”   The piece, published Friday , described incidents of employees crying at their desks and being dismissed after having children. It painted a picture of a workaholic culture where bosses forced workers into conference calls on Thanksgiving and expected emails to be returned after midnight. More than 100 current and former employees in positions that included  engineering and leadership were interviewed for the story, according to the newspaper. “The joke in the office was that when it came to work/life balance, work came first, life came second, and trying to find the balance came last,” Jason Merkoski, a former employee, told the New York Times. What's it like to work at Amazon ? Depends on who you ask. In a report published Sunday in the New York Times , writers Jodi Kantor and David Streitfeld outline a work environment that's hostile and grueling. According to the report, employees at the online retailer are expected to compete with one... What's it like to work at Amazon ? Depends on who you ask. In a report published Sunday in the New York Times , writers Jodi Kantor and David Streitfeld outline a work environment that's hostile and grueling. According to the report, employees at the online retailer are expected to compete with one... (Carolyn Kellogg) But some people also said they were eager to meet the demands of a fast-paced environment in the name of innovation. “When you’re shooting for the moon, the nature of the work is really challenging,” said a top Amazon recruiter, Susan Harker. In an email to his 18,000 employees, Bezos said he would never tolerate the “shockingly callous management practices” described in the New York Times and called on workers to report such incidents to human resources staff or email him directly. “Our tolerance for any such lack of empathy needs to be zero,” Bezos said in the email, reprinted by the New York Times. “[The article] claims that our intentional approach is to create a soulless, dystopian workplace where no fun is had and no laughter heard. Again, I don’t recognize this Amazon and I very much hope you don’t, either. ”


The notorious headmaster 'Thomas Gradgrind' appears in which Dickens novel?

What does gradgrind mean? This page provides all possible meanings and translations of the word gradgrind Wiktionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition: gradgrind(Noun) One who relies solely on scientific measurements and observable facts without taking human nature into consideration. Origin: Thomas Gradgrind, a pedantic teacher in Dickens' Hard Times. Freebase(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition: Gradgrind Mr Thomas Gradgrind is the notorious headmaster in Dickens's novel Hard Times who is dedicated to the pursuit of profitable enterprise. His name is now used generically to refer to someone who is hard and only concerned with cold facts and numbers. Chambers 20th Century Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition: Gradgrind gräd′grīnd, n. one who regulates all human things by rule and compass and the mechanical application of statistics, allowing nothing for sentiment, emotion, and individuality. [From Thomas Gradgrind in Dickens's Hard Times.] The Nuttall Encyclopedia(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition: Gradgrind a character in "Hard Times," who weighs and measures everything by a hard and fast rule and makes no allowances. Numerology The numerical value of gradgrind in Chaldean Numerology is: 7 Pythagorean Numerology


In which Italian city does the Serie A football team Atalanta play its home games?

Atalanta vs. AS Roma - Football Match Report - April 17, 2016 - ESPN comment Struggling Atalanta dealt a blow to Roma's hopes of overhauling second-placed Napoli in Serie A by earning a thrilling 3-3 draw in Bergamo. The visitors went into the game knowing they could close to within three points of their rivals after Napoli went down 2-0 at Inter Milan on Saturday. But in the end Roma were indebted to veteran Francesco Totti, who came off the bench to rescue a point five minutes from time. The hosts had also gone into the game with plenty to play for after last weekend's loss at Torino left them far from mathematically certain of safety. But Roma seized control from the word go and look set to cruise to victory after Lucas Digne's 23rd-minute opener was followed four minutes later by a second from Radja Nainggolan. But Atlanta launched a stunning response, Marco D'Alessandro bundling home their first in the 33rd minute then Marco Borriello ensuring they were level before half-time. Boriello fired his second into the bottom corner five minutes into the second half to give Atlanta a shock lead, and missed a glorious chance to complete his hat-trick. Edin Dzeko remained Roma's biggest danger man and came close to threatening Atlanta goalkeeper Marco Sportiello as the game moved towards its conclusion. But in the end it fell to Totti, a 78th-minute replacement for Daniele De Rossi, to steer the ball home and salvage a point which kept the third-spotted Giallorossi in the hunt for an automatic Champions League berth, albeit five points behind Napoli with five games left.


The 'Adi Granth Sahib' is a sacred text of which religion?

Guru Granth Sahib Ads Disclosure Guru Granth Sahib (The Sacred Text of Sikhs) The Guru Granth Sahib is another name for the Adi Granth, the primary sacred text of Sikhism. It is called Guru Granth because the text is considered to be the "living guru" for the worldwide Sikh community. Hence, the reading, chanting and study of the text is a central practice throughout the Sikh religion. The Adi Granth was compiled in the 16th century under the leadership of the 5th guru, Guru Arjan. He began the project in 1603 and completed it one year later. The text includes: - hymns and teachings of the first 5 gurus of Sikhism, including those of the founder Nanak - some writings of Kabir, a poet of the Sant movement, which was a devotional movement described elsewhere in this section that was influential in the formation of Guru Nanak's spiritual perspective - the writings of 20 selected Hindu and Muslims saints/mystics who affirmed the oneness of God and were deemed to know and practice true spirituality. Overall, the text includes over 6000 hymns, one-third of which were composed by Arjan himself. The text is organized into 31 sections with hymns in each section. The hymns are arranged in chronological order according to their authors among the 5 gurus. After the hymns of the Sikh gurus comes the additional hymns written by Kabir and other Hindu and Muslim saints. The Adi Granth (or Guru Granth Sahib) is treated in much the same way as a living guru would be treated in Sikh worship. The text is brought in and out of the worship space via a ceremonial procession. It is draped in special materials and held on a special stand. It is often fanned with feathers as it is being read, in just the same way a living guru might be fanned while giving a teaching or lecture. People bow to the text and back away from it instead of turning their backs on it, as a sign of respect. The text is the central "figure" at weddings, birthdays and other special events, just as a living guru would be an honored guest. Many Sikhs have a special place in their homes for their copy of the Adi Granth and treat it with the same honor and respect as it receives in the Golden Temple at Amritsar and in gurdwaras throughout the world.


King Philippe of Belgium joins wife Mathilde and their four children on royal balcony after his father abdicates | Daily Mail Online Video of attorney hypnotizing clients for sexual pleasure New era: Prince Philippe arrives at the packed church St Gudule with wife Mathilde this morning for a service held to commemorate his corronation Embrace: The former monarch King Albert embraces his son warmly at the church. King Philippe has taken over after his father decided to step aside on health grounds Emotional: Queen Paola, left, wipes away a tear at the cathedral as she sits next to her husband and the newly crowned King Philippe (right) Dignitaries: The cathedral was packed with Belgium officials, but no foreign royalty were present due to the fact King Albert only announced his abdication three weeks ago Packed: The cathedral was full to bursting with dignitaries and royal family for the momentous occasion Grand: The new monarch King Philippe of Belgium and his wife Queen Mathilde posed on the steps of the impressive Cathedral of St Michael and Saint Gudula Head of State: The new King Philippe waves to the crowd alongside his wife Queen Mathilde on this historic day for the people of Belgium Earlier both Albert and Philippe mingled with the crowds under a royal blue sky following a Catholic ceremony at the Cathedral of St Michael and Saint Gudula that set off the festivities. King Albert announced his abdication plans less than three weeks ago, so there was little time to turn the occasion into a huge international event. No foreign royals were at the ceremony. Since the royal transition coincides with Belgium's national day celebrations, a military parade had already been planned. New Queen: King Philippe will supported throughout his reign by his glamorous wife Mathilde. Right, Prime Minister Elio Di Rupo attended the ceremony Glamorous: The new Queen Mathilde looked stunning in a cream dress and stylish hat as she waved to the crowd when leaving the cathedral Ceremonial: The new King Philippe is expected to avoid the thorny issue of Belgium politics, as his father before him has managed to do successfully throughout his reign Farewell: King Albert II waves goodbye to his people from his royal car Royalty: Princess Astrid of Belgium is seen in front of the Cathedral of St Michael and Saint Gudula prior to the Abdication Of King Albert Royal couple Princess Claire of Belgium and Prince Laurent arrive for the traditional Te Deum Mass at the Cathedral of St Michael and Saint Gudula on the occasion of Belgium's National Day in Brussels Mass: Princess Claire of Belgium arrives for the traditional Te Deum Mass at the Cathedral of St Michael and Saint Gudula. Right, Queen Paola Wellwishers: Crowds of people gather at Place du Jeu de Balle to pay tribute to popular King Albert, who has reigned for 20 years. Those at the back were able to watch on big screens Colour: The scene around the abdication was awash with red, yellow and black, the colours of the Belgium flag Packed: The public gathered in the streets of Brussels in droves to catch a glimpse of their popular royal family Philippe will face a tough task in the coming months. The fractious nation, divided by language, holds parliamentary elections in June 2014 amid calls for even more autonomy for the language groups. After the last elections in 2010, it took a record 541 days before a government could be formed amid bickering about how much more power should be sapped from the central state to profit the separate language groups. Unlike his five predecessors, King Albert tried to avoid politics as much as possible and his successor is expected to do the same. Ball: King Albert and Queen Paola of Belgium greet crowds during the National Ball in Brussels last night on the eve of the National Day celebrations Historic moment: King Albert of Belgium (left) abdicated earlier today following a 20-year reign and has passed the crown to his son Philippe (right) Prince Philippe has been groomed for the job as a leader of foreign trade delegations over the past two d


The Norwegian Royal Family The Norwegian Royal Family The present King of Norway, Harald V and the Norwegian Royal Family are highly respected among its people. When the Norwegians elected their first king in 1905, they chosed his grandfather, the Danish prins Carl to become King Haakon VII of Norway. Their Majesties The King and Queen and Their Royal Highnesses Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit. Published 22.01.2011. Photo: Sølve Sundsbø / The Royal Court. Norwegian Monarchy History The Norwegian monarchy actually goes more than thousand years back. Harald Fairhair, or Harald Hårfagre in Norwegian language, is regarded as the first Norwegian king, who united the many small kingships of Norway into a one country around year 885. Even if Norwegian history goes back many centuries, Norway as an independent nation is quite young. When Norway and Denmark were merged under a single monarch in 1380 , Norway came under Danish control. After the Napoleonic Wars the union with Denmark was dissolved in 1814, and for a short time Norway again became an independent nation, and was even drawing up its own constitution. However Norway was forced into a union with Sweden – in a way as an independent nation, but with a common king and joint foreign policy. In 1905 the union of Norway and Sweden was dissolved, and the Norwegian people chose its own monarch: King Haakon VII, and we got again had our own Norwegian Royal Family. The present king of Norway, King Harald V (the fifth) was born on February 21. in 1937, as the first Norwegian-born prince for 567 years.He is the son of King Olav V and Crown princess Märtha. He took over as King of Norway when his father died in 1991. The Crown Prince Family His Royal Highness Crown Prince Haakon and Her Royal Highness Crown Princess Mette Marit Princess Ingrid Alexandra On January 21nd 2013, Princess Ingrid Alexandra had her 9 years anniversary. The young princess is very popular and loved by the Norwegian people. Photo: Foto: Julia Marie Naglestad / Det kongelige hoff. Prince Sverre Magnus Prince Sverre Magnus with the dog Milly Kakao. Photo: Veronica Melå, The Royal Court His Highness Prince Sverre Magnus was born on 3 December 2005. The prince is third in line for the Norwegian throne after his sister, Princess Ingrid Alexandra. The Prince was christened in the Palace Chapel by Bishop Ole Kristian Kvarme on 4 March 2006. His godparents are Her Majesty The Queen, Her Royal Highness Princess Máxima of the Netherlands, His Royal Highness Crown Prince Pavlos of Greece, Her Royal Highness Princess Rosario of Bulgaria, Mr Espen Høiby, Mr Bjørn Stensland and Ms Marianne Gjellestad. Information from the homepage of the Royal Family. Travelling abroad Winter 2010 / 2011 From end of November 2010 till end of January 2011 the Crown Prince family is travelling around the world on a private vacation. The journey started in Istanbul, where the family among many other activities also visited the amazing Hagia Sofia, once one of the most powerful churches of the world, before it became a mosque when the turks took over the city then called Constantinopel. The Crown Prince and his family also visited Amman in Jordan, before they travelled east to India, where they visited Jodphur in Rajastan and Dzongu in Sikkim. Charming little Princess Ingrid Alexandra making a local bread with a lady in Rajastan, India. The photo is delivered from the Royal Court, and was published 22.12.2010 The Crown Prince and Crown Princess' family in front of Hagia Sofia in Istanbul. Photo: The Royal Court HMS "NORGE" HMS NORGE was a gift from the Norwegian people to King Haakon in 1947, and people from all over the country gave money to contribute to the wonderful gift. The HMS NORGE is owned by His Majesty The King, and is runned by the Norwegian navy. The Royal flag in the stern mast shows that the King is on board. The ship is normally in use from middle may until end of september. His Majesty himself is marking the start and end of the season by embarking and deembarking the shi


The 'Rid Vega' and 'Sama Veda' are sacred texts of which religion?

Vedas : Interfaith   COMPARATIVE STUDIES Vedas The Vedas are the oldest texts of Hindu literature, stemming from an oral tradition believed to go back to at least 1500 BC. First written down in Vedic, an early form of Sanskrit, around 600 BC, the forms we have originate from texts written around 300 BC. There were originally three Vedas: the Rig Veda, the Sama Veda, and the Yajur Veda, which constitued “threefold knowledge” (trayi vidya), with the fourth Veda, the Atharva Veda, added at during the Vedic period. Legend has it that the Vedas were actually composed at the beginning of Creation, but that this “Divine Revelation” was gradually polluted by Man. Some people even suggest that all human knowledge is present in the Vedas, at least in symbolic form. Regardless, the Vedas remain the most sacred of Hindu texts, and provide the foundation for Hindu religion. It has been actually suggested that the Vedas were originally connected to the oral tradition of the Harappan civilisation of the Indus Valley, but were completed in majority by the war-like Arayan peoples who migrated from the Iranian plateau into India and conquered. (Please note that the Arayans of Iran have nothing to do with the notion of a Caucasian “master race”.) The theology of the Vedas was further developed in the Upanishads, which became regarded as essential summaries of all the wisdom of the Vedas themselves. Please do note that some of the following webpages are quite large. Rig Veda The Rig Veda, or “Divine Hymns”, is the oldest and most important of the Vedas. Over a thousand hymns are set into ten mandalas, or circles, of which it is believed the second through the seventh are the oldest and the tenth is the most recent. The general themes of this work are the praising of the gods, and requests for worldly benefits such as wealth, health, longevity, protection, and victory. Indra and Agni feature as particular favourites in the hymns, but 31 other gods are also mentioned. The Vedas are the oldest texts of Hindu literature, stemming from an oral tradition believed to go back to at least 1500 BC. First written down in Vedic, an early form of Sanskrit, around 600 BC, the forms we have originate from texts written around 300 BC. There were originally three Vedas: theRig Veda, the Sama Veda, and the Yajur Veda, which constitued “threefold knowledge” (trayi vidya), with the fourth Veda, the Atharva Veda, added at during the Vedic period. Legend has it that the Vedas were actually composed at the beginning of Creation, but that this “Divine Revelation” was gradually polluted by Man. Some people even suggest that all human knowledge is present in the Vedas, at least in symbolic form. Regardless, the Vedas remain the most sacred of Hindu texts, and provide the foundation for Hindu religion. It has been actually suggested that the Vedas were originally connected to the oral tradition of the Harappan civilisation of the Indus Valley, but were completed in majority by the war-like Arayan peoples who migrated from the Iranian plateau into India and conquered. (Please note that the Arayans of Iran have nothing to do with the notion of a Caucasian “master race”.) The theology of the Vedas was further developed in the Upanishads, which became regarded as essential summaries of all the wisdom of the Vedas themselves. Please do note that some of the following webpages are quite large. Rig Veda TheRig Veda, or “Divine Hymns”, is the oldest and most important of the Vedas. Over a thousand hymns are set into ten mandalas, or circles, of which it is believed the second through the seventh are the oldest and the tenth is the most recent. The general themes of this work are the praising of the gods, and requests for worldly benefits such as wealth, health, longevity, protection, and victory. Indra and Agni feature as particular favourites in the hymns, but 31 other gods are also mentioned.


In which country are the headquarters of the supermarket chain 'Netto'?

Netto | Uncyclopedia | Fandom powered by Wikia http://www.netto.co.uk/ A typical Netto store, show here in its infancy Netto, a so-called supermarket chain, is an evil corporation devised by the Danish as a more environmentally-friendly means to dispose of the country's toxic waste. Branches can be located in various towns throughout Britain , usually in locations where unemployment levels and Jeremy Kyle viewers are high, and also in some other less important countries in Europe somewhere. Contents edit History of Netto Secret spy Photograph of Netto's danish headquarters In the 1980s Denmark was facing a crisis. Due to the recently surfaced popularity of Star Wars Lego bricks, the factories producing them along with their world-famous pastries (the Lego-Apple-Danish-pastry) were producing a lot of waste, and Germany was catching on to their midnight dumping trips (The Black Forest was turning a funny yellow colour for one thing). They needed some other way to get rid of it. Then some smart young aromatherapist came up with a solution that would not only get rid of this putrid vile refuse, but also bring in some money to fund their unnaturally extensive fetish porn habits. They decided to package the waste within foodstuffs in minute amounts, and sell it off at suspiciously low prices to a country who wouldn't know better than to check the ingredients. America was too far away, so they made do with Britain. After a scientific process of randomly placing a drawing pin on a map of the UK , and then trying again after they got an oil rig off the coast of Hull , the first store in Britain was opened in the early nineties, in a city in West Yorkshire . You know the one I mean, the one with the crap football team. Leeds . After a shakey start (Happy Shopper was a force to be reckoned with) word began to spread of a shop selling baked beans for only 4p, and lager at 12 bottles for a pound, and its popularity took off. Staffing was not a problem for the newly formed supermarket either, they merely rounded up a few homeless drunks from outside the nearest corner shop, and lured them in with promises of a neat little blue T-shirt and hat , and all the paint thinner they could drink . This expendable workforce was easy to maintain, after they had received compulsory training in customer service from a monkey of moderate intelligence (in a suit) that they drafted in from a local business school. After their initial store was met with rousing success, they began to expand to other towns and cities throughout the country, eventually reaching nearly 200 stores. Money was coming in, and nobody was any the wiser as to what they were buying. edit The Mascot The secret corporate logo of the supermarket chain, seen here before skilled graphic artists edit it to produce the friendly little dog we know and love. The cheerful little scotty dog shown on all the carrier bags, and on the company logo itself. The company decided on this when they found a little dog choked to death on Netto dog food outside the store in Twickenham. The various plastics contents of the not-so-consumables had set the dog into a form of upright rigor-mortis . They hung a carrier bag in its mouth to use it as a rubbish bin, and the dog became so popular with the regular customers(They nicknamed it "herpes") that they decided to take him on as an official store mascot, soon Herpes the scotty was to be found up and down the country, on signs, trolleys, carrier bags, and on the very brand of dog food he died from eating. edit Shopping at Netto The first thing that you may think when you enter a Netto store is "My god, what the fuck is that smell ?". But relax, that's just the customers. The second thing you'll notice is the low low prices. "How low?" you ask. 10 pence for a bottle of bleach? 12 pence for a loaf of bread? Hell, the most expensive thing in the shop is the carrier bags, priced at a pound each. These bags are known to be the hardest bags in the world, because they are made from unwanted melted down Lego bricks. In fact, poor kids often use them as clothing,


In Egyptian mythology, 'Sobek' was the personification of which animal?

Animals in Ancient Egypt - Society for the Protection of Animal Rights in Egypt Animals in Ancient Egypt The Complete Gods and Goddesses of Ancient Egypt, Wilkinson, Richard H. 2003   Dictionary of Egyptian Gods and Goddesses, A Hart, George 1986 Egyptian Religion, Morenz, Siegfried 1973 Cornell University Press Gods and Myths of Ancient Egypt Armour, Robert A. 1986 American University in Cairo Press The Gods of the Egyptians (Studies in Egyptian Mythology), Budge, E. A. Wallis 1969 Animals in Ancient Egypt Ancient Egyptian religion was not based on a set of theological principles, but rather the gods were connected to nature and the elements (earth, air, fire and water), or to animals. The ancient Egyptians believed in the infinite powers of the universe, and respected and worshiped each element that comprised it; they believed that the divine existed in everything. Respect and veneration for animals was fundamental in all their traditions. They were given important status throughout the ancient Egyptiansï¿½ life and afterlife. Therefore, any appearance of the animal in their lives is in itself of religious importance, and often the worship of the animals was very direct, to the point where pets were found mummified and buried with their owners.   The ancient Egyptians were very sensitive to the characteristics of the animals: Anubis, who was a jackal (dog) weighed the heart of the dead for Osiris; any dog owner today will tell you that dogs can see the true heart and intent of a person. Bastet, who was a cat, was an important and infinite source of power throughout the ancient Egyptian religion: she was seen as the protector of home and hearth, and the goddess of fertility ï¿½ the ancient Egyptians saw that cats were tender and protective of their young.   The gods (almost 80) were represented as humans, animals or a combination of human and animal form. The ancient Egyptians also believed that many of their gods and goddesses were reincarnated on earth as animals, and honored these animals in and around Ancient Egyptian temples, through daily rituals and annual festivals. They offered them food, drink and clothing. In temples, the high priests would watch over the statues being washed, perfumed and dressed in clothes and jewelry three times a day.   Gods: Sokar Attributes: royal, overseer The head probably graced the prow of a ceremonial boat that stood in a temple sanctuary. Boats decorated with antelope heads were sacred to the god Sokar, who was the overseer of the desert and the royal cemeteries near Memphis, Egypt's capital in the north. Baboon Gods: Thoth, the god of writing and recording; Khonsu - youthful moon-god; Hapy, the son of Horus was depicted with the head of a baboon.   Attributes: Eloquence, strength, fairness, responsibility.   Among other things, Thoth was responsible for the lunar-based calendar, and was sometimes depicted with the head of a baboon on the scales of judgment Hapy was responsible for the canopic jar that held the lungs. Bull Gods: Ptah, Osiris Attributes: Power, masculinity, fertility, regeneration The bull was one of the most important animal gods in ancient Egypt. When an Apis bull died, it was embalmed and buried in great honor. From 1390 B.C. onwards, the Apis bull burial grounds were a huge and growing underground system of chambers called the Seapeum. The mothers of Apis bulls had their own cult and burial places. Cat Gods: Bastet Attributes: Protector, defender, fertility, offspring, childbirth. Cats were thought to have some of the most important divine powers. They were also seen as tender and protective of their offspring, and expectant mothers would wear amulets of Bastet with kittens. Cow Gods: Hathor, Isis, Nut, Mehet-Weret, Bat Attributes: Female fertility   These goddesses were often represented with cow horns or cow ears. The cow symbolized the pharaohï¿½s mother (as bulls represented the pharaoh). Cobra Gods: Wadjet Attributes: Justice, fertility, protection, royalty Snakes in general were symbols of resurrection, and a giant snake called Methen guarded the sacred b


'The Fear' was a 2009 number one hit for which singer?

Lily Allen - [97 Canciones]  [ 28 Discos ] Lily Rose Beatrice Cooper (nÃ©e Allen; born 2 May 1985), known professionally as Lily Allen, is an English singer, songwriter, actress, and television presenter. ...  Mas Lily Rose Beatrice Cooper (nÃ©e Allen; born 2 May 1985), known professionally as Lily Allen, is an English singer, songwriter, actress, and television presenter. She is the daughter of Keith Allen and film producer Alison Owen. Allen left school when she was 15 and concentrated on improving her performing and compositional skills. In 2005, she made some of her recordings public on Myspace and the publicity resulted in airplay on BBC Radio 1 and a contract with Regal Recordings. Her first mainstream single, "Smile", reached number one on the UK Singles Chart in July 2006. Her debut record, Alright, Still, was well received, selling over 2.6 million copies worldwide and brought Allen a nomination at the Grammy Awards, BRIT Awards and MTV Video Music Awards. She began hosting her own talk-show, Lily Allen and Friends, on BBC Three. Her second studio album, It's Not Me, It's You, saw a genre shift, having more of an electropop feel, rather than the ska and reggae influences of the first one. The album debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart and the Australian ARIA Charts and was well received by critics, noting the singer's musical evolution and maturity. It spawned the hit singles "The Fear" and "Fuck You", popular mostly in Europe. Allen and Amy Winehouse have been credited with starting a process that led to the media-proclaimed "year of the women" in 2009 that saw five female artists making music of "experimentalism and fearlessness" nominated for the Mercury Prize. In 2009, Allen announced that she would be taking a hiatus from musical activities. In 2011, she launched her own record label. In 2013, Allen revealed that she had begun working on her third studio album, which was later titled Sheezus. On 12 November 2013, Allen premiered the video for her first original song since 2009, "Hard out Here", which was released as a single five days later. Ocultar


In Egyptian mythology, 'Hathor’ was the personification of which animal?

Egypt: Animals and the Gods of Ancient Egypt Contact Us About us Tour Egypt aims to offer the ultimate Egyptian adventure and intimate knowledge about the country. We offer this unique experience in two ways, the first one is by organizing a tour and coming to Egypt for a visit, whether alone or in a group, and living it firsthand. The second way to experience Egypt is from the comfort of your own home: online. Egypt: Animals and the Gods of Ancient Egypt Animals and the Gods of Ancient Egypt by Caroline Seawright   Egyptian towns usually had their own local sacred animal. It was thought that some gods and goddesses represented themselves on earth in the form of a single representative of a specific species, and honoring that species of animal would please the god or goddess associated with the animal. The animal believed to be the incarnation of the god or goddess lived a pampered life in and near the temples and religious centers.   Baboon     y`n - The dog-headed baboon was one of the manifestations of both Thoth , god of writing, and Khonsu , the youthful moon god. Both deities were related to the moon. Hapy, the son of Horus who guarded the canopic jars that held the lungs, had the head of a baboon. There was also a baboon god in the Early Dynastic period named Hedjwer, 'The Great White One', who became closely linked with Thoth. Sometimes Thoth was shown in baboon form, perched on top of the scales of judgement in the underworld.     Cat myw - Many deities were depicted as cats , both domestic or wild, and so they were seen as benevolent, sacred animals. Bast , originally a desert cat, was later depicted as a domestic cat. Ra was shown as 'The Great Cat of Heliopolis' who defeated Apep in ' The Book of the Dead '.   Cattle mnmnt - Hathor , Isis , Nut and Bat were three goddesses who were often depicted as cows, with the horns of cows or with the ears of cows. Because of this, and because of the relationship of the pharaoh as a living god, the cow came to symbolize the mother of the pharaoh. The cow was also a solar icon, where Nut carried the sun across the sky on her back, when she was in cow form. The cow was linked to female fertility and to the mother of the pharaoh. Osiris was related to the bull - the Apis bull, after death, became Osiris-Apis. While it was still alive, the Apis bull was seen as the Ba of Ptah, mummified god of creation. The Mnevis bull was regarded as the Ba of Ra- Atum . The bull, therefor, was linked to masculinity and the pharaoh.     Cobra djt - The cobra was sacred to Wadjet, the cobra goddess of Buto, who represented Lower Egypt and kingship. The cobra goddess Renenet was a fertility goddess who was sometimes depicted as nursing children and as protector of pharaoh. Another cobra goddess was Meretseger, 'she who loves silence', who could punish criminals with blindness or her venom.   Crocodile msh - Ammut , the demoness at the judgement hall, had the head of a crocodile along with other fearful creatures, and was known as 'the devourer of the dead' who punished evildoers by eating their hearts. The god of the Athribis region, the solar god Horus Khenty-Khenty, was sometimes shown as a crocodile. But the crocodile was also sacred to Sobek, who was portrayed as a human with the head of a crocodile, or as the crocodile itself. The temples of Sobek usually had sacred lakes where crocodiles were fed and cared for. The hippo goddess of childbirth, Taweret, was thought to have the back and tail of a crocodile, or was shown with a crocodile perched on her back.   Falcon / Hawk byk - The sacred bird of the falcon-headed solar god Horus, it was also regarded as his Ba . The falcon was a bird that had protective powers, and was frequently linked with royalty, where it was depicted as hovering over the head of the pharaoh, with outstretched wings. The falcon was also sacred to Montu, god of war, and Sokar, god of the Memphite necropolis. The bird of prey was sometimes associated with Hathor , 'The House of Horus'. The son of Horus, Qebehsenuef who guarded the canopic jar of the intestines, was a


'My Life Would Suck Without You' was a 2009 number one hit for which singer?

Artist Profile - Kelly Clarkson - Bio Decades: 2002–present Kelly Brianne Clarkson (born April 24, 1982) is an American pop rock singer-songwriter and actress. Clarkson rose to fame after winning the first season of the television series American Idol in 2002 and would later represent the United States in the World Idol competition in 2003. Clarkson has released four albums to date under RCA Records: her double-platinum debut album Thankful (2003), her multi-platinum second album Breakaway (2004) (which has won two Grammy Awards), My December (2007), and her latest album All I Ever Wanted (2009) (which was nominated for a Grammy Award). Her albums have sold over 10.5 million copies in the United States. Clarkson is the only American Idol contestant to have reached number one in the UK. She claimed number one on March 1, 2009, when "My Life Would Suck Without You" debuted number one on downloads alone. Clarkson is also ranked on the top 200 album sellers of the Nielsen SoundScan era at number 187. Eleven of Clarkson's singles became Top 20 hits on the Billboard Hot 100. Her single, "My Life Would Suck Without You", advanced from No. 97 to No. 1 on the Hot 100 in its first week of release, breaking the record for the largest leap to the top position in chart history. Clarkson has toured extensively worldwide as a solo act. Performing in other versions of American Idol such as Pop Idol, Swedish Idol, Canadian Idol and Australian Idol. After Clarkson's appearance on the CMT Crossroads and her duet version of "Because of You" (2007) with Reba McEntire, they co-headlined the 2 Worlds 2 Voices Tour (2008).Billboard named Clarkson the "most successful American Idol of all time", factoring in album sales, singles sales, and radio plays.Billboard ranked Clarkson the #14 artist of the 2000-10 decade. According to Nielsen SoundScan, Clarkson is the highest-selling Idol winner worldwide, with around 36 million singles and 23 million albums sold around the world.


In which country are the headquarters of the supermarket chain 'Aldi'?

Grocer Aldi to open stores, regional headquarters in California - latimes Grocer Aldi to open stores, regional headquarters in California December 20, 2013 |By Shan Li Budget supermarket Aldi plans to open its regional headquarters and a distribution… (Matt Cardy / Getty Images ) Supermarket chain Aldi plans to open 650 new stores in the U.S. the next five years, part of an aggressive growth strategy that includes building a regional headquarters and distribution center in Moreno Valley, Calif. The expansion will be the budget grocer's first step into the Golden State. Most of its nearly 1,300 U.S. stores are on the East Coast or in the Midwest. "We are eager to bring the Aldi difference to new markets like Southern California," President Jason Hart said in a statement. "We're ramping up our expansion plans to meet growing demand." PHOTOS: Richest and poorest cities in America In the next five years, Aldi plans to open about 130 new locations a year, up from its average of 80 stores in recent years. The company did not disclose when or how many of its shops will be in the Southland, nor give a time line for the opening of its headquarters or distribution center. Aldi is based in Germany and owned by the Albrecht family, which also controls the Monrovia-based Trader Joe's chain. In recent years, Aldi has found success in the U.S. by attracting budget-conscious shoppers with low-cost, private-label items, analysts said. About 90% of the food and groceries sold at its stores are under exclusive Aldi brands. PHOTOS: Best and worst countries in which to grow old By venturing into California, the chain will be stepping into a crowded grocery business that has seen increased rivalry from retailers such as Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and Target Corp., as well as dollar stores and drugstore chains. Amazon.com Inc. is also getting into the food game; it expanded its grocery delivery service to Los Angeles this year. Some grocers have stumbled in the competitive environment. Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market, controlled by British supermarket Tesco, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in September after operating for several years without earning a profit. It is being sold to billionaire Ron Burkle’s Yucaipa Cos.   Industry watchers have said that grocery stores must increasingly differentiate themselves in consumers' eyes in order to succeed. One strategy, they said, is to go the Aldi route with more limited assortments and lower costs. ALSO:


The 'Hautboy' is an old name for which woodwind instrument?

Hautboy - definition of hautboy by The Free Dictionary Hautboy - definition of hautboy by The Free Dictionary http://www.thefreedictionary.com/hautboy Also found in: Thesaurus , Encyclopedia , Wikipedia . haut·boy also haut·bois  (hō′boi′, ō′boi′) n. pl. haut·boys also haut·bois (-boiz′) An oboe. [French hautbois, from Old French : haut, high; see haughty + bois, wood (of Germanic origin).] hautboy (ˈəʊbɔɪ) n 1. (Plants) Also called: hautbois strawberry or haubois a strawberry, Fragaria moschata, of central Europe and Asia, with small round fruit 2. (Instruments) an archaic word for oboe [C16: from French hautbois, from haut high + bois wood, of Germanic origin; see bush1] o•boe a woodwind instrument having a slender conical, tubular body and a double-reed mouthpiece. [1690–1700; < Italian < French hautbois=haut high + bois wood; compare hautboy ] o′bo•ist, n. double reed , double-reed instrument - a woodwind that has a pair of joined reeds that vibrate together basset oboe , heckelphone - an oboe pitched an octave below the ordinary oboe musette pipe - a small simple oboe oboe da caccia - an alto oboe; precursor of the English horn oboe d'amore - an oboe pitched a minor third lower than the ordinary oboe; used to perform baroque music shawm - a medieval oboe Want to thank TFD for its existence? Tell a friend about us , add a link to this page, or visit the webmaster's page for free fun content . Link to this page: In English it becomes hautboy, a wooden musical instrument of two-foot tone, I believe, played with a double reed, an oboe, in fact. The case of a treble hautboy Was a mansion for him, a court. But--and mark you, the leap paralyzes one--crossing the Western Ocean, in New York City, hautboy, or ho-boy, becomes the name by which the night-scavenger is known. View in context As Fouquet was giving, or appearing to give, all his attention to the brilliant illuminations, the languishing music of the violins and hautboys, the sparkling sheaves of the artificial fires, which, inflaming the heavens with glowing reflections, marked behind the trees the dark profile of the donjon of Vincennes; as, we say, the superintendent was smiling on the ladies and the poets the fete was every whit as gay as usual; and Vatel, whose restless, even jealous look, earnestly consulted the aspect of Fouquet, did not appear dissatisfied with the welcome given to the ordering of the evening's entertainment.


Which British physicist discovered the electron in 1897?

Who discovered the electron? | Reference.com Who discovered the electron? A: Quick Answer The electron was discovered in 1897 by British physicist Joseph John Thomson. He conducted experiments with cathode rays and found they contained negatively charged atomic particles with very little mass. For his work, Thomson was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1906. Full Answer Thomson's discovery was the first experimental evidence that proved that atoms could be divided into smaller units. Prior to his discovery, it was widely believed that the atom was the basic unit of matter. Some scientists had theorized the existence of smaller subatomic particles, but believed they would be similar in size to a hydrogen atom. Thomson was the first to propose the radical notion that these particles could be over 1,000 times smaller than atoms. He initially referred to these particles as "corpuscles," but this term was later changed to "electrons."


The 'Sackbut' was a forerunner of which modern brass instrument?

The Sacbut The Sacbut or here for same in mp3 format However, for the lowest contratenor parts, and often for any contratenor part, to the shawm players one adds brass players who play very harmoniously, upon the kind of tuba which is called ..trompone in Italy and sacqueboute in France. When all these instruments are employed together, it is called the loud music. Tinctoris, circa 1487 ein feste burg - three settings by Walther (3rd setting at 1:43 includes sacbut) Aridan Branle - dance tune (includes sacbut on third verse) Many names have been given to the Renaissance trombone, including sackbut (literally "push-pull"), saqueboute, shakbusshes, seykebuds, sakbuds, shakebuttes, shagbutts, and even shagbolts. It is uncertain when the sackbut first appeared, but by 1500 it is illustrated and mentioned regularly. Detailed information about the instrument is given by Praetorius, who also pictures four principal sizes: the alto, tenor, bass, and great bass. The tenor sackbut is the most useful size and it is this instrument which has evolved into the modern tenor trombone. In the early seventeenth century the sackbut was considered an instrument of the virtuoso performer. Praetorius mentions an Erhardus Borussus of Dresden who had a range of nearly four octaves (low A1 to g2) and was able to execute rapid coloraturas and jumps on his instrument just as is done on the viola bastarda and the cornett. For outdoor music the top part of a sackbut ensemble was usually taken by a shawm, and for church music, by a cornett. The sackbut player should imitate the sound of the cornett, not the trumpet. Thus today's marching band trombone blasts have no place in the performance of early music. In spite of the instrument's wide range of dynamic and chromatic compass, and its ability to be played "in tune" (by slide adjustment), the sackbut did not become a regular member of the orchestra until the early nineteenth century.  The sackbut differs from today's trombone by its smaller bore, its bell which is less flared, and in the lack of a water key, slide lock, and tuning slide on the bell curve. Sackbuts could adjust tuning at the joint between the bell and slide. The shallow brass mouthpiece was unplated. Decorated outer slide braces could telescope slightly to follow the imperfections of the inner slide. Leather pieces cushioned the slide when brought up to first postion. Since the human arm couldn't reach the longest positions on the bass and great bass sackbuts, they have an articulated handle on the slide to extend the reach.


Which British physicist discovered the neutron in 1932?

Chadwick - definition of Chadwick by The Free Dictionary Chadwick - definition of Chadwick by The Free Dictionary http://www.thefreedictionary.com/Chadwick Related to Chadwick: Rutherford , James Chadwick Chad·wick  (chăd′wĭk), Sir James 1891-1974. British physicist. He won a 1935 Nobel Prize for his discovery of the neutron. Chadwick (ˈtʃædwɪk) n 1. (Biography) Sir Edwin. 1800–90, British social reformer, known for his Report on the Sanitary Condition of the Labouring Population of Great Britain (1842) 2. (Biography) Sir James. 1891–1974, British physicist: discovered the neutron (1932): Nobel prize for physics 1935 3. (Biography) Lynn (Russell). 1914–2003, British sculptor in metal Chad•wick n. James, 1891–1974, English physicist: discoverer of the neutron; Nobel prize 1935.