Who was the first head of the Church of England?

BBC - Religions - Christianity: Church of England Church of England Last updated 2011-06-30 An explanation of the Church of England, established or state church in England and part of the worldwide Anglican Communion; its structure, history and current issues. On this page History and role St Botolph's Church, Boston, England © The Church of England is the established or state church in England. It is divided into two provinces - Canterbury in the South of England and York in the North. Each province has a head or Primate - the Archbishops of Canterbury and York . The Church of England is part of the Anglican Communion, which is a worldwide family of churches in more than 160 different countries. On any one Sunday more than a million people attend Church of England services, making it the largest Christian denomination in the country. The Established Church The Church of England is the established church, meaning, amongst other things: the Monarch is the the Supreme Governor of the church (theologically Jesus is the head), the Church performs a number of official functions, Church and State are linked History The Church of England traces its roots back to the early church, but its specifically Anglican identity and its links to the State date back to the Reformation. Henry VIII started the process of creating the Church of England after his split with the Pope in the 1530s. Henry was anxious to ensure a male heir after his first wife, Catherine of Aragon, had borne him only a daughter. He wanted his marriage annulled in order to remarry. In 1534 after several attempts to persuade the Pope to grant an annulment, Henry passed the Act of Succession and then the Act of Supremacy. These recognised that the King was "the only supreme head of the Church of England called Anglicana Ecclesia". Henry adopted the title given to him by the Pope in 1521, that of Defender of the Faith. In order to see this content you need to have both Javascript enabled and Flash installed. Visit BBC Webwise for full instructions Window in St Peter's, Hockwold, Norfolk © Role of the Monarch Today the Monarch retains the title Defender of the Faith and is still the Supreme Governor of the Church. He or she has to: approve the appointment of archbishops, bishops and deans (on the recommendation of the Prime Minister) formally open each new session (every five years) of the General Synod (the church's governing body) promise to maintain the Church in his or her coronation oath. Legislative role The Church of England also has a law-making role in Britain. Twenty-six bishops (including the two Archbishops) sit in the House of Lords and are known as the Lords Spiritual. They are thought to bring a religious ethos to the secular process of law. However, in an increasingly multi-cultural society, questions are being asked as to whether that role needs to be specifically fulfilled by Church of England Bishops. Future reform of the House of Lords could see the Lords Spiritual made up of a variety of Christian denominations and other faiths to reflect the religious make-up of Britain. Civic duties The Church of England, as the established church, fulfils a civic responsibility too. Its bishops and priests are responsible for performing state weddings and funerals, acts of remembrances, memorial services as well as grand occasions like the coronation. After events like the Gulf War or major disasters, the country 'comes together' to mourn under the spiritual guidance of the Church of England. In recent years, such occasions have become more ecumenical and multi-faith as the Church of England acknowledges Britain's changing religious landscape. Hierarchy Southwark Cathedral © There are 43 dioceses in England covering the two provinces of Canterbury and York, plus the Diocese in Europe, with chaplaincies from the Arctic Circle to the Canaries. Each diocese has a bishop and usually at least one suffragan or assistant bishop. Each diocese is split into archdeaconries run by archdeacons. They are responsible for the administration of that part of the


Who have fought from the halls of Montezuma to the shores of Tripoli?

US Marine Corps - Halls Of Montezuma Lyrics | MetroLyrics Halls Of Montezuma Lyrics New! Highlight lyrics to add Meanings, Special Memories, and Misheard Lyrics... Submit Corrections Cancel From the Halls of Montezuma To the Shores of Tripoli; We will fight our country's battles In the air, on land ,and sea; First to fight for right and freedom And to keep our honor clean; We are proud to claim the title of United States Marine. Our flag's unfurled to every breeze From dawn to setting sun; We have fought in every clime and place Where we could take a gun; In the snow of far-off Northern lands And in sunny tropic scenes; You will find us always on the job-- The United States Marines. Here's health to you and to our Corps Which we are proud to serve In many a strife we've fought for life And never lost our nerve; If the Army and the Navy Ever look on Heaven's scenes; They will find the streets are guarded By United States Marines.


In golf, what is one stroke better than a birdie?

Meaning of Golf Words - Par, Bogey, Birdie, Eagle, Albatross - Scottish Golf History Bogey to Blow-Up There is quite a history behind the golfing terms bogey, par, birdie, eagle and albatross. Bogey and par were central to the development of handicapping, pioneered by the LGU . The modern meaning of three of the terms - bogey, birdie and eagle - comes from their use in USA. Bogey Par Birdie Eagle Albatross Bogey "Bogey" was the first stroke system, developed in England at the end of the 19th Century. The full history is given in Robert Browning's History of Golf 1955 . In 1890 Mr Hugh Rotherham Secretary of the Coventry Golf Club conceived the idea of standardising the number of shots at each hole that a good golfer should take, which he called the 'ground score.' Great Yarmouth where term Bogey was first coined Dr Browne, Secretary of the Great Yarmouth Club, adopted the idea, and, with the assent of the club's golfers, this style of competition was introduced there for use in match play. During one competition Mr CA Wellman (possibly Major Charles Wellman) exclaimed to Dr Browne that, "This player of yours is a regular Bogey man". This was probably a reference to the eponymous subject of an Edwardian music hall song "Hush! Hush! Hush! Here Comes the Bogey Man", which was popular at that time. So at Yarmouth and elsewhere the ground score became known as the bogey score. A 'bogle' was a Scottish goblin as far back as the 16th Century and a Bogey-man was a widely used term for a goblin or devil. Golfers of the time considered they were playing a Mister Bogey when measuring themselves against the bogey score. This allowed the introduction of bogey competitions, which we would call handicap competitions or stablefords.  On 2nd January 1892, The Field reported that 'a novelty was introduced in the shape of a bogey tournament for a prize. ... Fourteen couples started but the bogey defeated them all.' In 1892, Colonel Seely-Vidal, the Hon Secretary of the United Servic es Club at Gosport, also worked out the 'bogey' for his course. The United Club was a services club and all the members had a military rank. They could not measure themselves against a 'Mister' Bogey or have him as a member, so 'he' was given the honorary rank of Colonel. Thus the term 'Colonel Bogey' was born.  Later, in the middle of 20th century, bogey was used as the term of one above par. Par Par is derived from the stock exchange term that a stock may be above or below its normal or 'par' figure. In 1870, Mr AH Doleman, a golf writer, asked the golf professionals David Strath and James Anderson, what score would win 'The Belt', then the winning trophy for 'The Open', at Prestwick, where it was first held annually from 1861 to 1870. Strath and Anderson said that perfect play should produce a score of 49 for Prestwick's twelve holes. Mr Doleman called this 'par' for Prestwick and subsequently Young Tom Morris won with a score of two strokes 'over par' for the three rounds of 36 holes. Tom Morris Jnr Youngest Open Winner Although the first noted use of the word "par" in golf was in Britain and predates the  bogey, today's rating system does not and the par standard was not further developed until later. It was the Ladies Golf Association, who, from 1893, began to develop a national handicapping system for women . It was largely in place by the end of the Century. The Men's association, founded in 1894, followed suit a few year's later. In 1911, the United States Golf Association (Men) of the day laid down the following very modern distances for determining par: Up to 225 yards Over 601 yards Par 6 As golf developed, scores were coming down, but many old British courses did not adjust their courses or their bogey scores, which meant good golfers and all the professionals were achieving lower than a bogey score. This meant the US had an up-to-date national standard of distances for holes, while the British bogey ratings were determined by each club and were no longer appropriate for professionals. The Americans began referring to one over par as a bogey, much


What was stolen from the Louvre in 1911?

The Mona Lisa is stolen from the Louvre | History Today The Mona Lisa is stolen from the Louvre France Art The theft of the most famous painting in the world on August 21st, 1911, created a media sensation. Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa, also known as La Gioconda, is the most famous painting in the world. Quantities of effort and ink have been spent over the years on identifying who she was and deciding what her enigmatic smile signifies, what she says about femininity, if anything, and why she has no eyebrows. Leonardo took the painting with him when he was invited to France by Francis I in 1516. The king bought it and at the French Revolution it was placed in the Louvre. Napoleon took it away to hang in his bedroom, but it was returned to the Louvre afterwards. The theft of this fabulous object in 1911 created a media sensation. The police were as baffled as everyone else. It was thought that modernist enemies of traditional art must be involved and the avant-garde poet and playwright Guillaume Apollinaire was arrested in September and questioned for a week before being released. Pablo Picasso was the next prominent suspect, but there was no evidence against him either. Two years went by before the true culprit was discovered, an Italian petty criminal called Vincenzo Perugia who had moved to Paris in 1908 and worked at the Louvre for a time. He went to the gallery in the white smock that all the employees there wore and hid until it closed for the night when he removed the Mona Lisa from its frame. When the gallery reopened he walked unobtrusively out with the painting under his smock, attracting no attention, and took it to his lodgings in Paris. It was not until November 1913, calling himself Leonardo Vincenzo, that Perugia wrote to an art dealer in Florence named Alfredo Geri offering to bring the painting to Italy for a reward of 500,000 lire. He travelled to Florence by train the following month, taking the Mona Lisa in a trunk, hidden beneath a false bottom. After booking into a hotel, which subsequently shrewdly changed its name to the Hotel La Gioconda, he took the painting to Geri’s gallery. Geri persuaded him to leave it for expert examination and the police arrested Perugia later that day. Perugia apparently believed, entirely mistakenly, that the Mona Lisa  had been stolen from Florence by Napoleon and that he deserved a reward for doing his patriotic duty and returning it to its true home in Italy. That was what he said, at least. Many Italians welcomed the masterpiece home; people flocked to see it for a time at the Uffizi Gallery, some of them weeping with joy, and Perugia served only a brief prison sentence. The great painting was duly returned to the Louvre and has hung there safely and enigmatically ever since.


What ancient people had priests known as druids?

Druids Druids in Ancient Europe   Most of what we know about the ancient Celtic people in history, come from observances of classical Greek and Roman writers, as well as from archaeological evidences such as from the possessions of dead in burial sites and from shrines found throughout central and western Europe, as well as from the British Isles. See Who Were The Celts? in About Celtic Myths. Historical writings about the Celts began in the 1st century BC, by the Greeks and the Romans. Though, the Romans and the Greeks had encountered the Celts in wars centuries earlier, it is only the 1st century BC that historians began to observe their cultures and customs. The first important description about the Celts, come from the writing of Posidonius (c. 135-51 BC), the Syrian Stoic philosopher, who described the Celtic society. Posidonius may have provided extensive description of the Celts, none of his works survived, except from references from other works, most particular by Strabo, Greek geographer of the 1st century AD. Strabo mentioned Posidonius as his main source about the Celtic society. Contemporary to Posidonius, was the great Roman general and statesman, Julius Caesar (100-44 BC), who described the barbarians in his memoir, the Gallic Wars, during his campaigns in Gaul (France and Belgium) and southeast England. It seemed that Caesar's writing was probably influenced by Posidonius' description on the Celts, but Caesar did have first-hand encounter with the Celts, some of them serving him in his army as allies, such as the Aedui. Both writers give us descriptions of the priestly class, known as the druids and druidesses. Caesar wrote further that druidism had probably originated in Britain, and later introduced druids into Gauls. Whether this statement is true or not, many modern scholars and historians had researched and speculated endlessly upon the origin of the druids. To Caesar, the druids were secretive but learned group, who enjoyed special privileges among the Celtic population. They did not have to fight in wars and they were exempted from paying taxes. They acted as judges in disputes and they presided over those who commit act of crime, as well as setting penalties. They could travel any where without hindrance from any tribes. Though, there are many benefits of becoming a druid, it is still not an easy life. It may take over 20 years to learn the philosophy, divination, poetry, healing, religious rites and magic. And all this without committing anything to writing. The druids, or any Gaul for that matter, were fully aware of writing down their knowledge, but chose not to do so, because they preferred to rely on memories. For the druids, their pupils were required to exercise their mind. The Gauls and the druids were not illiterate. Because of the trades between the Gauls and the Greek city of Massilia (modern Marseille) in southern France, the Gauls had earlier used Greek letters, mainly for trade purposes. The druids had never used the Greek writing to record their knowledge and customs. After Roman conquest of Gaul and Britain, later the Celts had adopted Roman letters for mainly commercial purposes. There are some inscriptions found in sacred sites, such as in shrines and sanctuaries. Caesar observed that the Gauls were very religious, and they always wait for the druids to perform the necessary rituals or sacrifices. The Celts didn't build any temples to their gods. The druids practised their worship in the open air, such as at sacred groves or near sacred lakes. According to Caesar and other classical writers, the Gauls believed in the souls being immortal, where it passed on to another body after death. In another words, they believed in reincarnation or eschatology. See Druidic Beliefs about Celtic religions and on eschatology.   Gallic Wars was written by Julius Caesar. Historia and Germania were written by Tactius. Geography was written by Strabo. Library of History was written by Dionysius Siculus. Related Articles Druidical Order   In ancient Gaul, the druidical order was divided into three g


What red-breasted bird is called the harbinger of spring?

Robin invasion: Red-breasted birds no longer a harbinger of spring - The Washington Post Robin invasion: Red-breasted birds no longer a harbinger of spring The inside track on Washington politics. Be the first to know about new stories from PowerPost. Sign up to follow, and we’ll e-mail you free updates as they’re published. You’ll receive free e-mail news updates each time a new story is published. You’re all set! Got it By Steve Tracton By Steve Tracton January 31, 2014 Given the recurrence of ultra-cold spells and some snow this month, it’s probably safe to say that for most spring cannot come soon enough. (Exceptions like me, not surprisingly, are die-hard snow lovers willing to endure more of the same as long as there is still a chance of “big one”, i.e., until about the latter half of March.) Snowy owls have been dominating the news of late , but I was extremely surprised to have a flock of at least a dozen red-breasted singing robins appear outside my condo in Southwest D.C.  this week. Until then, I took as a matter of faith that robins were a harbinger of spring, yet temperatures were in the teens with some snow on the ground.  I suspect I’m not alone in believing that sighting of robins bursting with song is symbolic of impending spring. Robins outside my condo in SW D.C. (Steve Tracton) I’ve since learned this had once been true, but no more.  How could I (you?) not know this?  For me, at least, it’s been an article of faith that robins migrate south like most birds as winter approaches and return north as spring warmth begins to take hold.  So much for my highfalutin education and experience in weather/climate-related high profile natural phenomena. In fact, as exemplified by a study in Illinois , nearly all robins did migrate as such until the late 1940s. Since then, robins wintering in the north increased through the 1980s followed by a very significant surge over the most recent two decades. Ah hah! It must be the trend to milder winters due to anthropogenic global warming (on average). Fuhgeddaboudit ! According to Mike Ward, an avian ecologist who contributed to the Illinois study, birds don’t need to migrate to avoid cold. They just need to be able to eat enough to maintain their high metabolism until the return of their primary food source, earth worms and insects. Most important for enabling robins to spend winters farther north is availability of new sources of winter food, namely the spread of abundant berries of exotic, invasive shrubs that remain on branches through the cold of winter. One especially significant example is the common buckthorm , one of which I’ve just found in the small tree next to my driveway.  Robins have been gorging themselves there with berries. Since this is the first time I’ve seen this, I assume they’ve been able to find comparable sources of berries elsewhere in previous years. One possibility is their need for drinking water. With ponds and backyard bird baths frozen by the unusual extended period of excessive cold, sources of water may be hard to come by. Coincidentally, my wife leaves a bird feeder and plant holder on the patio with a heater to keep the water from freezing. Only occasionally does this attract a random bird or two, which I just assume are stragglers left behind as their kind migrate south in the fall. Robins do not eat birdseed, so I presume it’s the combination of the berries and drinking water that draws them here. (BTW:  robins avoid bathing in the water to keep their wings from freezing – the ground crew here has no deicing equipment). Map of “Wave of Robins Seen, Spring 2014” (from: http://www.learner.org/jnorth/maps/robin_wave_spring2014.html ) The arrival of robins outside my home is not an isolated event, as seen in the map (above) of first sightings. I have no specifics on the food and water at the other sites. Have you seen any flocks of red breasted robins?  They are a wondrous sight to behold while listening to their variety bird songs , especially in the throws of bitter cold and snow. If so inclined, you can report your sighting here . As


"What type of sea creature can become ""bleached"" if the water temperatures is too high?"

Coral Bleaching | Reef Teach Select Page Coral Bleaching There are roughly 400 species of corals on the Great Barrier Reef, and most of them have a symbiotic relationship with zooxanthellae algae – a microscopic plant that lives inside the tissue of the coral in exchange for providing the coral with up to 90% of its energy requirements. Like most plants, zooxanthellae photosynthesize – using sunlight to turn water and carbon dioxide into carbohydrates (sugars) to feed themselves and the corals.  This allows corals to grow much more quickly than they could if they relied on plankton for food. The skeletons of most corals are white – it’s the zooxanthellae living inside the tissue of the coral polyps that gives corals the browns, greens, purples and other colours we see out on the reef. Zooxanthellae (“sounds like jelly”!) are fussy about their living conditions. They can’t survive in cold deep water, which is why corals reefs are found mainly in the tropics (although some corals that can survive in cold deep waters – for example off Scotland and Norway – they don’t have a relationship with zooxanthellae and grow too slowly to build the kind of reef systems we have along the Great Barrier Reef). Unfortunately zooxanthellae don’t like hot water either. If the sea temperature becomes too warm, the algae develops heat-stress, and stops producing carbohydrates. However, it begins to produce toxic waste products which poison the coral until it rejects the zooxanthellae – expelling it into the open water. When this happens, the coral turns white, and this is known as ”coral bleaching“. Bleached coral isn’t necessarily dead. If the sea temperature drops relatively quickly, the coral will survive and within a few months will have fully recovered its zooxanthellae. However, if that sea temperature stays too high for too long (it’s impossible to generalise about how high and for how long because it depends on many variables, such as the particular strain of zooxanthellae, the species of coral and it’s geographic location, etc) the coral may not be able to feed itself effectively and the polyps will eventually die, leaving the dead, white, calcium-carbonate skeleton behind. The dead coral will eventually become covered with other types of algae, leading to changes in the species of fish and other animals living on the reef. The number of algae-eating species (e.g. surgeonfish, sea urchins) on the reef may increase, while coral dependent species (like butterflyfish) may decline, alongside an overall decline in species and even local extinctions. Bleaching can also occur (mainly on inshore reefs) after particularly heavy rainfall (for example during a cyclone), when a sharp drop in salinity causes stress in the algae. And other animals, like anemones and clams, nudibranchs and jellyfish, some of which also have a symbiotic relationship with zooxanthellae, can also bleach. In 1998 and 2006 severe bleaching occurred around the world, caused by warmer than average sea temperatures linked to El Niño events. These widescale events are known as “mass bleaching“.  Until 1979 only 3 mass bleaching events ahd been recorded around the world. In 2002 alone, 400 events mass bleaching events were recorded (UNEP) and by 2008 mass bleaching had occured in every coral reef region of the world. In 1998 and 2002 the worst bleaching ever experienced along the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) was recorded. In 2002  55% of corals on the GBR were affected (GBRMPA).  Between 1871-2005, water temperature along the GBR rose 0.4°C , and is predicted to rise 1.1-1.2°C by 2050. Scientists are concerned that the reef will experience more frequent and severe episodes of mass bleaching. There are many factors that affect resistance and recovery from coral bleaching, and while some reefs may recover within a decade or two, others may never recover. The more stresses a reef is exposed to – for example, storm damage, pollutants, destructive fishing methods, the effects of ocean acidification – the less resistance and resilience it is likely to have to bleaching. The Great Barr


Famous Pirates and their Flags Famous Pirates and their Flags Famous Pirates and their Flags The "Jolly Roger" Inspired Fear Across the World By Christopher Minster Updated December 14, 2015. During the Golden Age of Piracy , pirates could be found all over the world from the Indian Ocean to Newfoundland, from Africa to the Caribbean. Famous pirates like Blackbeard, "Calico Jack" Rackham and " Black Bart " Roberts captured hundreds of vessels. These pirates often had distinctive flags, or "jacks," which identified them to their friends and foes alike. A pirate flag was often referred to as a "Jolly Roger," which many believe to be an Anglicization of the French jolie rouge, or "pretty red." Here are some of the more famous pirates and the flags associated with them.  Blackbeard's Flag. Buy from Amazon If you were sailing about in the Caribbean or southeastern coast of North America in 1718 and saw a ship flying a black flag with a white, horned skeleton holding an hourglass and spearing a heart, you were in trouble. The captain of the ship was none other than Edward "Blackbeard" Thatch , the most infamous pirate of his generation. Blackbeard knew how to inspire fear: in battle, he would put smoking fuses in his long black hair and beard. They would cause him to be wreathed in smoke, giving him a demonic appearance. His flag was scary, too: the skeleton spearing the heart meant that no quarter would be given. Check Amazon rating » continue reading below our video 10 Best Universities in the United States The Pirate Flag of Henry Avery. Buy from Amazon Henry "Long Ben" Avery had a short but impresive career as a pirate. He only ever captured a dozen ships or so, but one of them was nothing less than the Ganj-i-Sawai, the treasure ship of the Grand Moghiul of India. The capture of that ship  alone puts Long Ben at or near the top of the list of all-time richest pirates. He disappeared not long after: according to legends at the time, he had founded his own kingdom, married the beautiful daughter of the Grand Moghul and had his own war fleet of 40 ships. Avery's flag showed a skull wearing a kerchief in profile over crossbones.  Check Amazon rating » The Pirate Flag of Bartholomew Roberts. Buy from Amazon If you go by loot alone, Henry Avery was the most successful pirate of his time, but if you go by number of ships captured, then Bartholomew "Black Bart" Roberts beats him by a nautical mile. Black Bart captured some 400 ships in his three-year career, in which he ranged from Brazil to Newfoundland, to the Caribbean and Africa. Black Bart used several flags during this time. The one usually associated with him was black with a white skeleton and white pirate holding an hourglass between them: it meant that time was running out for his victims. Check Amazon rating » Flag of Bartholomew Roberts. Buy from Amazon "Black Bart" Roberts hated the islands of Barbados and Martinique, as their colonial governors had dared to send out armed ships to try and capture him. Whenever he captured ships originating from either place, he was especially harsh with the captain and crews. He even made a special flag to make his point: a black flag with a white pirate (representing Roberts) standing on two skulls. Underneath were the white letters ABH and AMH. This stood for "A Barbadian's Head" and "A Martinico's Head." Check Amazon rating » Jack Rackham's Flag. Openclipart.org Buy from Amazon John "Calico Jack" Rackham had a short and largely unimpressive pirate career between 1718 and 1720. Today, he is really only remembered for two reasons. First of all, he had two female pirates on his ship: Anne Bonny and Mary Read . It caused quite a scandal that women could take up pistols and cutlasses and fight and swear their way into full membership on a pirate vessel! The second reason was his very cool pirate flag: a black jack that showed a skull over crossed cutlasses. In spite of the fact that other pirates were more successful, his flag has gained fame as "the" pirate flag. Check Amazon rating » The Pirate Flag of Major Stede Bonnet. Buy from A


During what holiday is it customary to eat unleavened bread?

The FEAST OF UNLEAVENED BREAD Isaiah 53 Sunset began the 15th day of Nisan. Jesus was buried, just in time for the Feast of Unleavened Bread. But in the grave His body did not decay or see corruption. That Passover the sinless unleavened 'Bread of Heaven' was revealed as that long awaited perfect sacrifice for sin. Thus He fulfilled the Feast of Unleavened Bread.     Take it, share it, its yours. YOUTube VIDEO on the MEANING OF PASSOVER - Pt. 1 YOUTube VIDEO on the MEANING OF PASSOVER - Pt. 2 A study by Gavin Finley MD endtimepilgrim.org   -   2003 #2 THE FEAST OF UNLEAVENED BREAD ESTABLISHED BY YHVH-GOD AT SINAI. There are two scripture passages in which the Feast of Unleavened Bread is described. 3 'Six days shall work be done, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of solemn rest, a holy convocation. You shall do no work on it; it is the Sabbath of the LORD in all your dwellings. The Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread 4 'These are the feasts of the LORD, holy convocations which you shall proclaim at their appointed times. 5 On the fourteenth day of the first month at twilight is the LORDï¿½s Passover. 6 And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the Feast of Unleavened Bread to the LORD; seven days you must eat unleavened bread. 7 On the first day you shall have a holy convocation; you shall do no customary work on it. 8 But you shall offer an offering made by fire to the LORD for seven days. The seventh day shall be a holy convocation; you shall do no customary work on it.'" The Holy Scriptures stipulate the duration of the Feast of Unleavened Bread. It is to last seven days. THE MEANING OF THE "HIGH DAYS" IN THE FESTIVE SEASONS THESE "HOLY DAYS" ARE NON-SATURDAY SABBATHS. The first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, (decreed in Leviticus 23 as Nisan 15), is a "high" day, a "holy convocation" or a "holy day", from which we get our word "holiday". This first day of Unleavened Bread is a "Sabbath". And so also is the seventh day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, (which is the 21st of Nisan). A Sabbath, whether it be a high holy consecrated Sabbath or the regular weekly (Saturday) Sabbath is a day in which no customary servile work was to be done. The Sabbath is to be a day consecrated to God. It is a time set aside for fellowship with Him. In the case of the high holy Sabbath days it is a time to gather with others to celebrate who YHVH-God is, to remember what He has already done in times past on that particular Hebrew calendar day, and then to consider prophetically the things the Holy One of Israel has said that He He will do in times to come on that same Hebrew calendar day. And what is the point of all this? Well as we have discovered, our God, unlike all the other Gods, is Someone who can be known by those who diligently seek Him. The Holy One of Israel is not one to leave us groping around in spiritual darkness, sidelined in existential Buddhist style mystic Christian contemplations of navels and other religious objects. Nor will He leave lost Gomer cut of from the Holy Scriptures in a religious fog of Augustinian allegorizations and Hellenistic humanistic Greek rationalizations of the Alexandrian school of interpretation of Holy Scripture. This neglect of the proper grammatical historical Berean method of interpretation led Lost Israel off into the Dark Ages and into those medieval forests haunted by witches, hobgoblins, and fairies. The Light of Israel is shining among the heathen. And the God of Israel, as always, is up front with those who truly seek Him. And He is easy to deal with. His yoke is easy and His burden light. His words are "yea, yes", and "Amen, "so be it!" So the Seven Feasts of Israel are seven waypoints on a spiritual map. These are special days when Old Covenant and New Covenant issues come to a head. They are also a road map and a chart for Pilgrims on their way home. The Feasts of the Lord are seven waypoints in YHVH-God's cosmic agenda for the redemption, the Holy Spirit equipping, and the eventual perfection and glorification of all His covenant people at the clima


Besides grand pianos, what heavy object is often dropped on cartoon characters?

Anvil on Head - TV Tropes Anvil on Head You need to login to do this. Get Known if you don't have an account Share Yakko: It's made of solid iron... Dot: It weighs a ton or two... Wakko: We know you'd like to meet it... All Together: It wants to meet you too! — Animaniacs , "The Anvil Song" While in a cartoon, always beware of falling anvils! These large solid metal objects weigh a ton, are invariably dropped from great height and are used to crush heads, though hands, feet and rib cages sometimes create soft landing spots. Sometimes used to create Accordion Man . They may drop without warning, or they may be heralded by the Shadow of Impending Doom and the Bomb Whistle . The victim usually just has time to look up and see the falling object before it lands on him. Thankfully for the victim, as a slapstick trope, this is rarely ever fatal . In some cases, especially if full-body crushing is desired, an n-ton weight may be substituted for the anvil. This is a metal weight shaped like a pyramid with the top cut off, a ring at the top for attaching a rope, and the exact weight (usually 1, 10, or 16 tons) painted in white on the front.note 16 tons was the heaviest weight commonly used for weighing things. Why 16? Because it had 8, 4, 2, and 1 junior brothers which allowed you to, between them, get any tonnage up to 31 tons with as few weights as possible, and weigh something up to 31 tons in as few rounds of moving those weights around as possible (neither being a trivial concern when dealing with objects weighing that much). The 16-ton weight was favored by Monty Python's Flying Circus . In cartoons, if the toon is driven completely out of sight, often a Cranial Eruption will shove the weight out of the way. Or, if the cartoon is very zany, the victim might have either the "NO SALE" eyes , or the Circling Birdies . And once in a while, it's a safe. In those, occasionally the safe's lock whirls open and the character, who has somehow wound up inside the safe , falls out. Grand pianos are used as well, in which case the character will either end up inside where the strings are, or with a mouth full of piano keys for teeth. Another sometimes used option is for a tree or telephone pole to fall over on top of the character, repeatedly bouncing on their head and driving them into the ground like a piledriver. In anime , it's usually a washbasin . Often results in an Accordion Man , a Squashed Flat or a Hammered into the Ground . May have its origins in the real life practice of inverting an anvil, putting gunpowder in the hollow in the bottom, laying a fuse leading out of it, and then placing a second anvil right-side-up atop the first. This was used as a Fourth of July celebration. Obviously the real-life consequences of this trope place this FIRMLY in Don't Try This at Home territory. Not to be confused with Dropped a Bridge on Him or Anvilicious . The anime equivalent is Drop the Washtub . If something more surreal than an anvil is used for the purpose, that's Drop the Cow . Examples: The Orbital Anvil Delivery System, for all your spammer-flattening and clue delivery needs! TV ads for Ditzo car insurances would often end with a Corrupt Corporate Executive being flattened by a car dropping inexplicably from the sky. See for yourself. (Dutch) The Kids' WB! Saturday Morning line up did an ad that ended with characters from their shows getting flattened by anvils. Since Superman was, well, Superman , the anvil bounced harmlessly off his head. In a commercial for Geico, the Geico gecko is in an unusual place, what appears to be Monument National Park, where he narrowly avoids getting nailed by a dropping Acme anvil and a grand piano . Cue Roadrunner and Wile E. Coyote appearing. When Wile E. stops to ponder having the gecko for a meal, he has an Acme safe drop on him while, once again, narrowly avoiding the gecko. One example that's most certainly not Played for Laughs comes from the 2005 commercial for Universal's Halloween Horror Nights . "The Storyteller" has a man strapped on top of a bed of nails, with a tied-up anvil hanging


What city hosted the 2010 Winter Olympics?

Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics - results & video highlights Official Reports arrow The venues for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games stretched over a 120-kilometre zone from Richmond, through downtown Vancouver and north to the mountain resort of Whistler. Drawing on both new and existing facilities, VANOC’s goal was to create spectacular theatres for sport that provide top conditions for athletes and a welcome place for spectators to experience the excitement of competition. Vancouver Venues Overview The 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games events in Vancouver included curling, figure skating, ice hockey, sledge hockey, short-track speed skating and wheelchair curling. Speed skating took place in Richmond, while the snowboard and freestyle skiing events were hosted at Cypress Mountain in the District of West Vancouver. The Olympic Games Opening and Closing Ceremonies, as well as the Paralympic Games Opening Ceremony, were staged indoors at BC Place in Vancouver city centre. Whistler Venue Overview For the 2010 Winter Games, Whistler hosted Olympic and Paralympic Alpine skiing, cross-country skiing and biathlon, as well as Olympic Nordic combined, ski jumping, bobsleigh, luge and skeleton. Olympic and Paralympic Villages and media facilities were located in Vancouver and Whistler. Quick Facts about the Vancouver 2010 Winter Games 17 days of Olympic Games events 2566 athletes 10,000 media representatives 3 billion television viewers worldwide The city of Vancouver was elected host city of the XXI Olympic Winter Games in 2010 at the 115th IOC Session in Prague on 2 July 2003. Eight cities applied to host the Games: Andorra la Vella (Andorra), Bern (Switzerland), Harbin (China), Jaca (Spain), PyeongChang (Republic of Korea), Salzburg (Austria), Sarajevo (Bosnia-Herzegovina) and Vancouver (Canada). The following cities were accepted as Candidate Cities to host the XXI Olympic Winter Games in 2010 by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Executive Board on 28 August 2002 (in the order of drawing of lots): Vancouver (Canada) PyeongChang (Republic of Korea) Bern (Switzerland) On 27 September 2002, the city of Bern withdrew its candidature to host the XXI Olympic Winter Games. 115th IOC Session, 2 July 2003, Prague: Election of the Host City of the XXI Olympic Winter Games: Rounds 40 56 On the obverse, the Olympic rings marked in relief accompanied by Aboriginal designs taken from the orca work produced by laser and giving the impression of additional texture. On the reverse, the official name of the Games in English and French, the two official languages of Canada and the Olympic Movement. Also present are the  2010 Olympic Winter Games  emblem and the name of the sport and event concerned. The undulating shape of the medals was devised by Omer Arbel, a Canadian industrial designer and architect originally from Vancouver. This distinctive look requires the medal to be struck nine times as part of the 30-step fabrication process. The inspiration for these medals came from a large artwork by Corrine Hunt, a Vancouver-based artist of Komoyue and Tlingit heritage. Each of the medals has a hand-cropped section of the artwork, thus making each medal one of a kind. More info Quatchi and Miga The Vancouver Games mascots were creatures inspired by the fauna and tales of the First Nations on the West Coast of Canada. Number of torchbearers: around 12 000 in Canada and 560 in Greece Total distance: around 45 000 km in Canada and 2 180 in Greece Countries crossed: Greece, Canada More info The official report of Vancouver 2010 has a unique format: an official commemorative book published by Wiley, “With glowing hearts” and a multimedia set, “Post-Games report guide: the official report of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games”. This set contains an explanatory brochure, two CD-ROMs containing the official results and texts, as well as a commemorative film on DVD, “The Canada that now is”. The two volumes are fully bilingual – French and English.


What popular singer is from the country of Barbados?

Rihanna - Bio, Facts, Family | Famous Birthdays Rihanna Pisces#2 About R&B singer who released her debut album Music of the Sun in 2005, then had her big breakthrough with the 2007 album Good Girl Gone Bad, which featured the #1 hit "Umbrella." Her 2012 album Unapologetic reached #1 on the Billboard 200. Across her career, she has sold over 40 million albums. Before Fame She would sell clothes in a street stall with her dad, who was addicted to crack cocaine. She started singing when she was seven years old and listened to reggae as a child. Trivia She won her first Grammy Award for "Umbrella" in 2008, then went on to win two more for "Run This Town" in 2010. Her other Grammy-winning songs include "Only Girl (In the World)," "All of the Lights," "We Found Love," and "The Monster." Family Life She was raised by her Barbadian and Guyanese parents, Ronald Fenty and Monica Fenty, alongside her two younger brothers, Rorrey and Rajad . She dated rapper Drake and baseball player Matt Kemp .


"What ""wonder drug"" was discovered by Alexander Fleming?"

Alexander Fleming Discovers Penicillin Alexander Fleming Discovers Penicillin Medical Advances & Issues Alexander Fleming Discovers Penicillin British bacteriologist and Nobel laureate Sir Alexander Fleming (1881 - 1955) in his laboratory at St Mary's Hospital, Paddington. (1941).  (Photo by Topical Press Agency/Getty Images) By Jennifer Rosenberg Updated March 10, 2016. In 1928, bacteriologist Alexander Fleming made a chance discovery from an already discarded, contaminated Petri dish. The mold that had contaminated the experiment turned out to contain a powerful antibiotic, penicillin. However, though Fleming was credited with the discovery, it was over a decade before someone else turned penicillin into the miracle drug that has helped save millions of lives. Dirty Petri Dishes On a September morning in 1928, Alexander Fleming sat at his work bench at St. Mary's Hospital after having just returned from a vacation at the Dhoon (his country house) with his family. Before he had left on vacation, Fleming had piled a number of his Petri dishes to the side of the bench so that Stuart R. Craddock could use his work bench while he was away. Back from vacation, Fleming was sorting through the long unattended stacks to determine which ones could be salvaged. Many of the dishes had been contaminated. Fleming placed each of these in an ever-growing pile in a tray of Lysol. continue reading below our video 4 Tips for Improving Test Performance Looking for a Wonder Drug Much of Fleming's work focused on the search for a "wonder drug." Though the concept of bacteria had been around since Antonie van Leeuwenhoek first described it in 1683, it wasn't until the late nineteenth century that Louis Pasteur confirmed that bacteria caused diseases. However, though they had this knowledge, no one had yet been able to find a chemical that would kill harmful bacteria but also not harm the human body. In 1922, Fleming made an important discovery, lysozyme. While working with some bacteria, Fleming's nose leaked, dropping some mucus onto the dish. The bacteria disappeared. Fleming had discovered a natural substance found in tears and nasal mucus that helps the body fight germs. Fleming now realized the possibility of finding a substance that could kill bacteria but not adversely affect the human body. Finding the Mold In 1928, while sorting through his pile of dishes, Fleming's former lab assistant, D. Merlin Pryce stopped by to visit with Fleming. Fleming took this opportunity to gripe about the amount of extra work he had to do since Pryce had transferred from his lab. To demonstrate, Fleming rummaged through the large pile of plates he had placed in the Lysol tray and pulled out several that had remained safely above the Lysol. Had there not been so many, each would have been submerged in Lysol, killing the bacteria to make the plates safe to clean and then reuse. While picking up one particular dish to show Pryce, Fleming noticed something strange about it. While he had been away, a mold had grown on the dish. That in itself was not strange. However, this particular mold seemed to have killed the Staphylococcus aureus that had been growing in the dish. Fleming realized that this mold had potential. What Was That Mold? Fleming spent several weeks growing more mold and trying to determine the particular substance in the mold that killed the bacteria. After discussing the mold with mycologist (mold expert) C. J. La Touche who had his office below Fleming's, they determined the mold to be a Penicillium mold. Fleming then called the active antibacterial agent in the mold, penicillin. But where did the mold come from? Most likely, the mold came from La Touche's room downstairs. La Touche had been collecting a large sampling of molds for John Freeman, who was researching asthma, and it is likely that some floated up to Fleming's lab. Fleming continued to run numerous experiments to determine the effect of the mold on other harmful bacteria. Surprisingly, the mold killed a large number of them. Fleming then ran further tests and found the mold to b


If you cross the river Styx, where are you?

Styx (River) | Mythology Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia Inhabitants Charon and the souls of the dead The Styx river is a location in Greek mythology . Located in the Underworld , it is a river that serves as a barrier separating the world of the living from the world of the dead. It is also in this river where Thetis dipped her son Achilles , in order for him to gain the power of invulnerability. It is one of five underworld rivers; the others being the Phlegethon (or Pyriphlegethon ), Lethe , Cocytus and Acheron rivers. In order to cross the River Styx and reach Hades , a dead person must pay a fee to the ferryman, Charon . If the correct fee is paid, Charon will take the dead across. If the dead cannot afford the fee, however, they will be forced to wander the banks of the River Styx as Wraiths for eternity (or one hundred years, depending on the recount). The greatest oath that a god can make is to swear on the river Styx. When a god swears on the River Styx, they're bound for all eternity to keep that promise or else be paralysed for a year and a day, and even then, risk being ostracized from Mount Olympus and their duties and immortality being removed and given to another god. Bodies dipped into the river will receive the gift of immortality; one famous example is when Thetis , mother of the demigod Achilles , dipped him into the river by his heel. This ensured he could only be harmed at his heel, a fact exploited by Apollo and later giving rise to the phrase "Achilles' heel". Styx can also be considered a goddess in her own right. Contents


what is japan's national sport - japan-guide.com forum what is japan's national sport Dear visitor, if you know the answer to this question, please post it . Thank you! Note that this thread has not been updated in a long time, and its content might not be up-to-date anymore. what is japan's national sport 2007/10/23 04:10 I want to know what japan's national sport is. by Geth Xenos   traditional vs modern 2007/10/23 10:02 Arguably, baseball, soccer or sumo. Sumo is the traditional sport but baseball and soccer have far more fans. . 2007/10/23 10:41 A national sport does not necessarily need to be the most popular sports in the country. For example in the United States baseball is known as the national sport or past time, even though American football is more popular then baseball, even basketball is highly popular, however baseball remains the national pasttime. In Japan, Sumo wrestling, Judo, Kendo and karate are traditionally viewed as Japan's national sports. Of course thepopular sports in Japan are baseball, football (soccer) etc. by John rate this post as useful "national" Readers E/J dictionary says; national: kokka no (of the nation), kokumintekina (enjoyed by most nationals), zenkokutekina (nation-wide) etc. If you meant the former, the "kokugi (sport of the nation)" is sumo, and usually nothing else at all. If you meant the latter, I'd say the sports enjoyed nation-wide by many nationals young and old in Japan are baseball and soccer. by Uco rate this post as useful sport 2007/10/23 13:59 well you could define it as the sport actually played by the most people, and in which case I seem to remember reading somewhere that is rugby ! Rugby? 2007/10/23 14:43 Really? I wouldn't imagine that to be the case. Since rugby is a strenous contact sport played only by young men (in Japan at least), that cuts out a lot of the population, and it also isn't offered at all schools. People of all ages and both sexes play tennis, and so many school boys play baseball, that it is really hard to imagine rugby being more popular as far as numbers of players go. The Japanese rugby team isn't that successful at international level, so Japanese boys aren't really inspired to take it up like they are with soccer or baseball, where Japan does well. by Sira rate this post as useful ... 2007/10/23 14:58 Rugby is apparently a popular sport in Japan with the 4th most registered players in the world, but baseball is probably the most played sport in Japan, followed by football/soccer which has a growing following. However, depending on your definition of sport perhaps Pachinko may be the most popular sport in Japan. by yllwsmrf rate this post as useful I thought . 2008/4/30 00:10 It's like asking what is America's national sport...baseball? football? basketball? You will get a variety of interesting answers. Technically and historically speaking, in the US, the "national sport" or "past time" is Baseball. Doesn't have anything to do with popularity. Football (American football) is the most popular, but Baseball is generally regarded as the "defacto" national sport of the US. In Japan, baseball is the most popular, but Sumo wresting and karate and considered defacto national sports of Japan. by John rate this post as useful really? 2008/4/30 22:37 Hi John, Do you have anything to support your "defacto"? I would say football is Americas national sport. by John rate this post as useful ...


"Who painted ""The Old Guitarist"" during his blue period?"

The Old Guitarist | The Art Institute of Chicago The Art Institute of Chicago Spanish, 1881–1973; worked in France starting in 1904 The Old Guitarist 48 3/8 x 32 1/2 in. (122.9 x 82.6 cm) Signed, l.r.: "Picasso" Helen Birch Bartlett Memorial Collection , 1926.253 Pablo Picasso dominated the development of the visual arts during the first half of the 20th century. Along with Georges Braque, Picasso is best known as one of the creators of Cubism , though he utilized many styles during his career. In the paintings of his Blue Period (1901–1904), such as The Old Guitarist, Picasso worked with a monochromatic palette , flattened forms, and tragic, sorrowful themes. The tragic themes and expressive style of Picasso's Blue Period began after a close friend committed suicide in Paris . During this time, the artist was sympathetic to the plight of the downtrodden and painted many canvases depicting the miseries of the poor, the ill, and those cast out of society. He knew what it was like to be impoverished, having been nearly penniless during all of 1902. This bent and sightless man holds close to him a large, round guitar. Its brown body represents the painting’s only shift in color. Both physically and symbolically, the instrument fills the space around the solitary figure, who seems oblivious to his blindness and poverty as he plays. At the time the painting was made, literature of the Symbolist movement included blind characters who possessed powers of inner vision. The thin, skeletonlike figure of the blind musician also has roots in art from Picasso’s native country, Spain . The old man’s elongated limbs and cramped, angular posture recall the figures of the great 16th-century artist El Greco . Pablo Picasso Spanish, 1881–1973; worked in France starting in 1904 Daniel-Henry Kahnweiler 39 13/16 x 28 7/8 in. (101.1 x 73.3 cm) Gift of Mrs. Gilbert W. Chapman in memory of Charles B. Goodspeed, 1948.561 Influenced by the breakthroughs of Post-Impressionists such as Paul Cézanne , Picasso no longer sought to imitate nature in his Cubist art. Instead, he invited the viewer to examine the figures and shapes that he broke down and recombined in totally new ways. In this portrait, the subject, Daniel-Henry Kahnweiler, a dealer who championed Picasso’s radical new style, has been fractured into various planes and shapes and is presented from several points of view. From flickering, partially transparent planes of brown, gray, black, and white emerges his upper torso, hands clasped in his lap. View artworks


Who lived by the sea in a land called Honah Lee?

Peter Paul & Mary - Puff The Magic Dragon (with Lyrics) - YouTube Peter Paul & Mary - Puff The Magic Dragon (with Lyrics) Want to watch this again later? Sign in to add this video to a playlist. Need to report the video? Sign in to report inappropriate content. Rating is available when the video has been rented. This feature is not available right now. Please try again later. Published on Dec 18, 2012 Puff The Magic Dragon Puff, the magic dragon lived by the sea and frolicked in the autumn mist in a land called Honah Lee. Little Jackie paper loved that rascal puff and brought him strings and sealing wax and other fancy stuff. Oh Puff, the magic dragon lived by the sea and frolicked in the autumn mist in a land called Honah Lee. Puff, the magic dragon lived by the sea and frolicked in the autumn mist in a land called Honah Lee. Together they would travel on a boat with billowed sail Jackie kept a lookout perched on puffs gigantic tail. Noble kings and princes would bow whenever they came. Pirate ships would lower their flag when puff roared out his name. oh! Puff, the magic dragon lived by the sea and frolicked in the autumn mist in a land called Honah Lee. Puff, the magic dragon lived by the sea and frolicked in the autumn mist in a land called Honah Lee. A dragon lives forever but not so little boys. Painted wings and giant rings make way for other toys. One grey night it happened, Jackie paper came no more and puff that mighty dragon, he ceased his fearless roar. His head was bent in sorrow, green scales fell like rain. Puff no longer went to play along the cherry lane. Without his life-long friend, puff could not be brave. So puff that mighty dragon sadly slipped into his cave. Oh! Puff, the magic dragon lived by the sea and frolicked in the autumn mist in a land called Honah Lee. Puff, the magic dragon lived by the sea and frolicked in the autumn mist in a land called Honah Lee. Category


Opium Poppy: Production & Distrubution Production & Distribution Harvesting Opium Poppies The milky fluid that seeps from cuts in the unripe poppy seed pod has, since ancient times, been scraped off and air-dried to produce what is known as opium. The seedpod is first incised with a multi-bladed tool. This lets the opium “gum” ooze out. The semi-dried "gum" is harvested with a curved spatula and then dried in open wooden boxes. The dried opium resin is placed in bags or rolled into balls for sale. Poppy Scoring and Scraping Tools Current Legal Production of Opium Legal growing of opium for medicinal use currently takes place in India, Turkey, and Australia. Two thousand tons of opium are produced annually and this supplies the world with the raw material needed to make medicinal products. Mallinckrodt Legal Opium Shipping Crate Mallinckrodt, one of the pharmaceutical companies licensed to deal in legal poppy production, uses crates such as this to ship its poppy products around the world. Heroin Drug Trafficking Currently, there are three main sources for illegal opium: Burma, Afghanistan, and Colombia. Opium and heroin are ideal trade products–they are in great demand, are very profitable to produce, and the products take up little space. With modern transportation, opium and heroin can be moved from one country to another within days or a few weeks. Opium and heroin have a long and stable shelf life, allowing the products to be stored for long periods of time. Clandestine Heroin Laboratory in Afghanistan In 2010 groups in Afghanistan produced 90 percent of the world's illicit opium, using clandestine labs well hidden in the country's topography. Heroin Brick Mold Morphine is extracted from opium and the morphine base is transported to clandestine heroin laboratories or processed into heroin directly. The heroin powder is distributed either loose in bags or pressed into bricks with a mold. DEA Heroin Bag Stamps Drug Traffickers routinely mark their products with logos or characters as a marketing tool to keep brand loyalty among their customers as well as to remain anonymous if the drugs are seized by law enforcement. These chicken and camel stamps were used by drug traffickers in Afghanistan. Branded Plastic Bags Used for Packaging of Illegal Heroin Many consumers have their favorite brand of the drug. From the Farm to the Arm The majority of the world’s heroin is produced using the Southwest Asian Method of processing. Step One Raw opium that has been collected from poppy pods is mixed with a calcium solution and hot water in large barrels. It is stirred vigorously and allowed to settle for many hours. Step Two The clear liquid on the top contains the morphine and is siphoned out into another container. A binding chemical is added, then returned to the barrel and heated. This chemical binds to the morphine causing it to fall to the bottom of the barrel. Step Three The contents of the barrel are stirred and filtered out. The residue is dried in the sun resulting in a brown morphine base. Step Four Morphine base is combined with another chemical solution and heated until the solution turns black in color. It is then cooled down, quenched with water and filtered to remove some impurities. Step Five In a separate container, sodium carbonate is dissolved in water, then added to the morphine base and stirred to create heroin base. Step Six The heroin base is mixed with several more chemical solutions, including charcoal and water, and then stirred. It is filtered multiple times to remove the charcoal, and the resulting residue is dried. Step Seven One last chemical is added to the dried heroin base and then filtered. Step Eight The final dried product is white heroin hydrochloride, or powdered white heroin. Colombian Method A slightly different processing method is used to make heroin in Colombia. Instead of leaving the opium to dry overnight on the pod, the liquid opium is harvested immediately for processing. The frequent rains in that region necessitate immediate removal of the opium from the pod to prevent it from being


"Who directed ""The Nightmare Before Christmas"" and ""Edward Scissorhands""?"

Tim Burton on 'Batman,' 'Edward Scissorhands,' and the Teen Fans of 'The Nightmare Before Christmas' [Video] Tim Burton on 'Batman,' 'Edward Scissorhands,' and the Teen Fans of 'The Nightmare Before Christmas' Jordan Zakarin Yahoo Movies• December 22, 2014 On Dec. 25, Tim Burton will release Big Eyes, a period dramedy about the bizarre, true-life story of Walter and Margaret Keane, the couple behind those famously kitschy paintings of doe-eyed little kids that became a sensation in the 1960s. The film — which stars Amy Adams and Christoph Waltz — will mark the 17th feature film that Burton has directed in a storied career that now stretches over 30 years. Burton has always been an unusual filmmaker, a semi-eccentric visionary who makes films about outsiders from within the Hollywood studio system. He spoke with Yahoo Movies about his career and some of his most famous films, including Pee-wee’s Big Adventure, Beetlejuice, Batman, Edward Scissorhands and The Nightmare Before Christmas.  Check out the highlights in the video above and some more thoughts from Burton below: On why Michael Keaton seemed crazy enough for 1989’s Batman: "It got a lot of criticism for being too dark, and there was a lot of criticism for casting Michael Keaton. They thought it was going to be a comedy or whatever, but it felt very special. We met these big tough guys, but what it came down was that, you look at someone like Michael and you think, ‘Here’s a guy you can see dressing up like a bat.’ He’s got the eyes and the kind of crazy quality and the kind of internal life, but he’s not Arnold Schwarzenegger. Related:  Watch Tim Burton Talk About Possible ‘Beetlejuice’ Sequel So, here’s somebody who needed to create a persona to frighten people and intimidate people, and Michael just seemed like the perfect person to be that. The studio was quite supportive. Thank God, the Internet wasn’t as big then, because we would have been really murdered. But even without the Internet, there was a lot of negativity and alarm.” On walking away from Gotham City following 1992’s sequel, Batman Returns: ”I think I upset McDonalds. [They asked] ‘What’s that black stuff coming out of the Penguin’s mouth. We can’t sell Happy Meals with that!’ It was a weird reaction to Batman Returns, because half the people thought it was lighter than the first one and half the people thought it was darker. I think the studio just thought it was too weird — they wanted to go with something more child- or family- friendly. In other words, they didn’t want me to do another one.”  On the difficulty of making Edward Scissorhands even after becoming an A-list director: After Beetlejuice and Pee-wee and Batman [were] successful, I thought I could do whatever I wanted. That’s when I learned every movie is difficult to get made. Even after Batman, presenting a story about a guy with scissor hands — they weren’t the most enthusiastic. But that was a special movie for me because it was feelings, not autobiographical, but the sense of feeling that way as a teenager. It was very representative and symbolic of a lot of feelings that I had. On the “bizarre” production of the stop-motion animated The Nightmare Before Christmas, which Disney released under its more adult-oriented Touchstone banner to an eventual $75 million box office: "It was weird because at the time, it was something I’d never heard in my life: They weren’t going to put a trailer up for it. Even horrible movies you have trailers for. That was a bizarre thing. They basically [made] it because I had designed it [at Disney] many years ago, and I said, ‘You guys don’t really want to do this, let me take it elsewhere.’ And rather than let it go elsewhere, they let it happen. It didn’t cost a lot. But as we were going on, they didn’t know what it was. It was a strange movie that got more successful later and later."  And how The Nightmare Before Christmas has become the unofficial movie of emo teenagers: "I’ve seen people that have amazing tattoos. That to me is the most amazing thing, better than any review, better than any box of


What country heats most of its buildings with geothermal energy?

Geothermal Energy Information, Geothermal Power Facts - National Geographic Geothermal Energy Tapping the Earth's Heat Here's what you need to know about the warming planet, how it's affecting us, and what's at stake. This Ggeothermal power plant in Reykjavik, Iceland, is using their underground reservoirs of steam and hot water to generate electricity and to heat and cool buildings directly. Photograph by Medford Taylor Geothermal energy has been used for thousands of years in some countries for cooking and heating. It is simply power derived from the Earth's internal heat.This thermal energy is contained in the rock and fluids beneath Earth's crust. It can be found from shallow ground to several miles below the surface, and even farther down to the extremely hot molten rock called magma. These underground reservoirs of steam and hot water can be tapped to generate electricity or to heat and cool buildings directly. A geothermal heat pump system can take advantage of the constant temperature of the upper ten feet (three meters) of the Earth's surface to heat a home in the winter, while extracting heat from the building and transferring it back to the relatively cooler ground in the summer. Geothermal water from deeper in the Earth can be used directly for heating homes and offices, or for growing plants in greenhouses. Some U.S. cities pipe geothermal hot water under roads and sidewalks to melt snow. To produce geothermal-generated electricity, wells, sometimes a mile (1.6 kilometers) deep or more, are drilled into underground reservoirs to tap steam and very hot water that drive turbines linked to electricity generators. The first geothermally generated electricity was produced in Larderello, Italy, in 1904. There are three types of geothermal power plants: dry steam, flash, and binary. Dry steam, the oldest geothermal technology, takes steam out of fractures in the ground and uses it to directly drive a turbine. Flash plants pull deep, high-pressure hot water into cooler, low-pressure water. The steam that results from this process is used to drive the turbine. In binary plants, the hot water is passed by a secondary fluid with a much lower boiling point than water. This causes the secondary fluid to turn to vapor, which then drives a turbine. Most geothermal power plants in the future will be binary plants. Geothermal energy is generated in over 20 countries. The United States is the world's largest producer, and the largest geothermal development in the world is The Geysers north of San Francisco in California. In Iceland, many of the buildings and even swimming pools are heated with geothermal hot water. Iceland has at least 25 active volcanoes and many hot springs and geysers. There are many advantages of geothermal energy. It can be extracted without burning a fossil fuel such as coal, gas, or oil. Geothermal fields produce only about one-sixth of the carbon dioxide that a relatively clean natural-gas-fueled power plant produces. Binary plants release essentially no emissions. Unlike solar and wind energy, geothermal energy is always available, 365 days a year. It's also relatively inexpensive; savings from direct use can be as much as 80 percent over fossil fuels. But it has some environmental problems. The main concern is the release of hydrogen sulfide, a gas that smells like rotten egg at low concentrations. Another concern is the disposal of some geothermal fluids, which may contain low levels of toxic materials. Although geothermal sites are capable of providing heat for many decades, eventually specific locations may cool down.


What Frankish king was crowned emperor on Christmas day in 800 A.D.?

Emperor on Christmas Day | Gazette665 Emperor on Christmas Day Posted on December 12, 2014 by Sarah Kay Bierle If you’ve ever taken a Western Civilization class or studied European History, the date “Christmas Day, 800 A.D.” has probably been drilled into you head. Do you remember the significant event? Welcome to Week #2 in our series on historical happenings on Christmas Day. Last week we played a guessing game to discover a famous American whose birthday was December 25. Now, we journey farther back in time and the history books to the Dark Ages. On Christmas Day (December 25) 800 A.D. Charlemagne was crowned Holy Roman Emperor. Painting of Charlemagne by Artist Durer (1513) Public Domain Charlemagne, also known as Charles I of the Franks, ruled the area we now know as France; he became the ruler of the Carolingian kingdom in 768 A.D. He promoted “Christianity” and education through his kingdom. He fought many campaigns, expanding the borders of the Frankish Kingdom. As the most powerful ruler in Dark Ages Europe, Charlemagne settled a dispute and kept Pope Leo III in power in Rome. In gratitude the pope crowned the Frankish king “Holy Roman Emperor.” It was a political/religious gesture intending to show that Charlemagne continued the legacy of the Ancient Roman Empire. To be honest, the new empire was not Roman, not holy, and didn’t last very long. However, the crowning of Charlemagne on Christmas Day 800 A.D. is significant in European History because for the first time since the fall of Rome there was an emperor in Europe and it introduced an important question. Could popes make kings? Did popes have to obey kings or kings obey popes? These questions would become significant debates during the Middle Ages and Renaissance periods. The title “Holy Roman Emperor” passed to future Carolingian kings and was then fought over by Italian rulers, before disappearing quietly. In 962 A.D. Otto I revived the title and the “Holy Roman Empire” would be a major player in European history until 1806 when conquered by Napoleon I. Thus in 800 A.D. the foundations of modern Europe began to rise from the Dark Ages when a Frankish king was crowned by an Italian pope. Your Historian, Miss Sarah P.S. The Holy Roman Empire is a fascinating political identity in European history. It played major roles in the Renaissance, Reformation, Religious Wars, Political Wars, and the opposition to Napoleon. It grew, changed, and adapted as Europe progressed, but if something significant was happening on continental Europe, the Holy Roman Empire was part of it. Any thoughts? I hope you’re enjoying this series. It should provide interesting holiday conversation. Share this:


What actress was on the cover of the first issue of Playboy?

What The First Issue Of Playboy Looked Like | The Huffington Post What The First Issue Of Playboy Looked Like 08/23/2013 08:22 am ET 140 The cover of the first issue of Playboy magazine was decidedly more demure than its more modern incarnations. In December 1953, Hugh Hefner launched the lad mag with his friend Eldon Sellers. Unsurprisingly, the magazine took off despite the fact that the duo were selling copies out of Hefner's kitchen office . We assume having Marilyn Monroe as the cover girl probably didn't hurt.


In musical terms, what is the opposite of forte?

Forte - definition of forte by The Free Dictionary Forte - definition of forte by The Free Dictionary http://www.thefreedictionary.com/forte  (fôr′tā′, fôrt) n. 1. Something in which a person excels: "His forte was in defusing negative rumors before they ever exploded into news accounts" (Jane Mayer). 2. The strong part of a sword blade, between the middle and the hilt. [French fort, from Old French, strong, from Latin fortis; see fort.] Usage Note: Forte, meaning "something in which a person excels" can be pronounced with one syllable, like the French word from which it is derived. It can also be pronounced with two syllables (fôr′tā′), which is probably the most common pronunciation in American English and was the choice of 74 percent of the Usage Panel in our 1996 survey. Some people dislike this two-syllable pronunciation, arguing that it properly belongs to the music term forte, which is derived from Italian. for·te 2 In a loud, forceful manner. Used chiefly as a direction. n. A note, passage, or chord played forte. [Italian, strong, forte, from Latin fortis; see bhergh-2 in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.] forte n 1. something at which a person excels; strong point: cooking is my forte. 2. (Fencing) fencing the stronger section of a sword blade, between the hilt and the middle. Compare foible [C17: from French fort, from fort (adj) strong, from Latin fortis] forte (Music, other) loud or loudly. Symbol: f n (Music, other) a loud passage in music [C18: from Italian, from Latin fortis strong] forte1 (fɔrt, foʊrt or, for 1, ˈfɔr teɪ) n. 1. a strong point, as of a person; an ability or role in which one excels; specialty. 2. the part of a sword or foil blade between the hilt and the middle. [1640–50; earlier fort < Middle French (see fort )] pron: In the sense of a person's strong point (She draws well, but sculpture is her forte), the older, historical pronunciation of forte is with one syllable: (fôrt) or (fōrt). Perhaps owing to confusion with the musical term forte, borrowed from Italian, a two-syllable pronunciation (fôr′tā) is increasingly heard, esp. from educated speakers, and is now also considered standard. for•te2 1. loud; with force (opposed to piano ). adv. 3. a passage that is loud and forcible, or is intended to be so. [1715–25; < Italian < Latin fortis strong] forte green fingers , green thumb - a special ability to make plants grow 2. fortissimo loudness , intensity , volume - the magnitude of sound (usually in a specified direction); "the kids played their music at full volume" music - an artistic form of auditory communication incorporating instrumental or vocal tones in a structured and continuous manner 3. forte - the stronger part of a sword blade between the hilt and the foible part , portion - something less than the whole of a human artifact; "the rear part of the house"; "glue the two parts together" sword , steel , blade , brand - a cutting or thrusting weapon that has a long metal blade and a hilt with a hand guard Adj. 1. piano , soft - used chiefly as a direction or description in music; "the piano passages in the composition" Adv. piano , softly - used as a direction in music; to be played relatively softly forte [ˈfɔːtɪ] (US) [fɔːt] N (= strong point) → fuerte m (Mus) → forte m forte [ˈfɔːrteɪ ˈfɔːrti] n → (point m) fort m forte n (= strong point) → Stärke f, → starke Seite forte adj (= played loudly) → laut or forte gespielt ; (= sung loudly) → laut or forte gesungen forte [ˈfɔːtɪ] n → forte m 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: hard References in classic literature ? Haley 's a puttin' us in a way of a good job, I reckon; just hold still--these yer arrangements is my forte. View in context Know, that in the course of your future life you will often find yourself elected the involuntary confidant of your acquaintances' secrets: people will instinctively find out, as I have done, that it is not your forte to tell of yourself, but to listen while others talk of th


What is the most popular breed of dog in the United States?

Most Popular Dog Breeds in the United States Most Popular Dog Breeds in the United States Most Popular Dog Breeds in the United States June 27, 2009 By: Betty Lewis Your dog doesn't care if he wins a popularity contest, but if he's a purebred, you may be curious to see how he fares in the American Kennel Club's annual registration statistics. Only dogs recognized by the club are counted, meaning if your dog's a mixed-breed, he's not considered. If your pup's a Labrador retriever, he's been the top dog for more than two decades. A man is petting his labrador retreiver. credit: Chris Amaral/Digital Vision/Getty Images The Big Three A German Shepherd is standing outside. credit: cynoclub/iStock/Getty Images In 2013, the Labrador retriever was named the most popular purebred dog for the 23rd consecutive year by the American Kennel Club. It appears he's firmly entrenched in his No. 1 spot, possibly because he's so popular with families. He's a devoted, intelligent dog who is adaptable to the hectic lifestyle in a busy home. The German shepherd followed the Labrador, possibly for the same reasons: intelligence, devotion and ability to play nice. The golden retriever, possessing the same desirable traits, rounded out the top three. The three breeds maintained their top status into 2015, according to the AKC's website. Going Smaller for Four, Five and Six Beagle puppy playing fetch on the grass. credit: AnetaPics/iStock/Getty Images In 2015, the AKC's website noted the bulldog as the fourth most popular dog, up a notch from the previous year. While he's affectionate and gentle, he has an obstinate side, making him challenging to train. The fifth ranked beagle can be similarly challenging to train, as he's a curious, energetic character, but he's great with kids, making him a welcome addition to many families. Coming from the toy group, the little Yorkshire terrier is the sixth most popular dog. His popularity may be due to his trainability, his energetic nature, his low shedding coat or his high cute factor. Poodles and the Boxer White poodle frolicking in the grass. credit: raywoo/iStock/Getty Images The fact that the poodle comes in three sizes -- toy, miniature and standard -- doesn't hurt his popularity, however, it's more likely that he's the seventh most popular breed because he's simply a great dog. Intelligent, amenable and devoted, this breed has been popular for decades. The boxer's jowly face would make you think this dog in eighth place is a stern fellow, but in fact, he's a playful, gentle guy, qualities valued by just about every family. The French Bulldog Makes His Appearance A french bulldog puppy. credit: Mustang_79/iStock/Getty Images The French bulldog was the 58th most popular dog in 2002 and has steadily risen through the ranks, becoming the ninth most popular dog according to the AKC's website in 2015. This smart, playful little dog took the dachshund's spot in the top 10 with his arrival. The rottweiler rounds out the top 10 according to the AKC's website. He carries an imposing figure that runs counter to his usual loving nature. Like cute animals? Follow Cuteness.com on Facebook for more AWWs and LOLs. Related Articles


What is the name of the Japanese art of growing miniature trees?

The Japanese Art of Growing Miniature Trees | Home Guides | SF Gate The Japanese Art of Growing Miniature Trees The Japanese Art of Growing Miniature Trees Formally upright shapes are common for trees that naturally grow tall. Bonsai, the Japanese art of growing miniature trees, is a process that produces exceptional and one-of-a-kind botanical specimens that evoke images of ancient forests. Although bonsai may seem like an incredibly delicate art, it is a form of horticulture that any gardener can learn with some practice. Many of the same skills you use in your yard, such as thinning and root pruning, are vital to effective bonsai. History Miniaturizing plants was a practice first developed by the Chinese, possibly as long ago as the Han and Qin dynasties, from 221 BC to 220 AD. The Japanese began adopting Chinese culture in the 500s, including Chinese penjing, a precursor to bonsai. Over time, bonsai became a separate and decidedly Japanese art form, coming into its own as hachi-no-ki around the 13th century and later named bonsai in the 1800s at Azakusa Park. The first Western exposure to bonsai was in 1909 at a London horticultural exhibit. Ideal Plants Although virtually any plant can be miniaturized, ideal specimens for bonsai are perfectly proportioned in relation to the tree, with attractive bark and flowers and leaves that are small or become small under bonsai culture. Common bonsai plants include spruce, pine, zelkova, some maple and elm species, crape myrtle, willow, azalea, pomegranate, plum, crabapple,and quince. Bonsai Training Techniques Bonsai training consists of three major elements: pinching, pruning and wiring. New growth is often pinched to cause branching to occur off of the original branches. Branch pruning may be used to establish or maintain the shape of your bonsai tree, with major pruning done in late winter or early spring and minor pruning performed whenever it is necessary. Root pruning is an early spring chore and should also be done any time the plant is repotted. By removing half of the length of roots, the tree remains dwarfed and feeder roots move closer to the trunk. Wiring is used to force the tree to grow into a specific position by holding tender new growth in place with wires until it matures and hardens. Styles The formal upright and the informal upright styles of bonsai are considered easiest for beginners, because they don't require the tree to perform amazing acrobatics. Both result in trees that appear similar to common mature forms. Other, more complicated shapes include slanting style, cascade style and semi-cascade style. These advanced shapes require both careful pruning and extensive wiring to coax the plants into convoluted positions. Care Most bonsai plants are outdoor varieties that will not tolerate prolonged stays inside, so keep them in an appropriately lit spot on a patio or deck. Because bonsai plants have such shallow and small root systems, water and fertilizer are crucial and should be provided regularly. Water your bonsai whenever the surface of the soil feels dry to the palm -- this can be as frequently as twice a day in the summer. You should not allow the soil to become soggy. A weekly dose of water-soluble fertilizer should be plenty for most bonsai, but you may need to provide more to your particular plant if the leaves begin to yellow.


What game is commonly played to a score of 501?

The Rules of Darts Game Categories Rules of Darts Unlike many traditional pub games, Darts has become popular enough to     be organised by large governing bodies.  Since the game originated     in England, it is not surprising that the most prestigious of them is     the British Darts Organisation and consequently the rules from the BDO     have been used as guidelines.  Where there is any doubt, the rules     played by the locals should always apply.  Please note that 1 yard = 3 feet =  36 inches = 0.9144 metres.   Description By far the most commonly used design of darts board today is the "clock" or "trebles" board and that is the only board that will be considered     in these instructions.  A good board should be made from vegetable     fibre and is called a "bristle board".  The pattern on     the board is delineated by wire and hue.   It consists of a circle     of 20 segments numbered from 1 to 20 in a seemingly random fashion.  At the centre is a small black circle called the "bullseye" and, surrounding that, a thin red ring called the 25 ring.  The segments     spread out from this ring broken only by the "treble" ring about     half way to the edge and "double" ring which marks the rim of     the circle.  So, for instance, if a dart lands in the segment marked     14 and is within the treble ring, a "treble 14" has been scored. Each player has 3 darts which are front-weighted, flighted, weapons a     few inches long with a sharp point. The board is placed so that the middle of the bullseye is 1.73m (5 feet,     8 inches) above the ground.  Players should stand behind a raised     horizontal block called the "oche" (pronounced "okky")     38 mm (1 1/2 inches) high, although any mark on the ground will do for     casual play.  The front of the oche should be 2.37m (7 feet, 9 and     1/4 inches) from the front of the board.   501 and 301 Most professional matches are "501 up".  This is the simplest     of games.   Each player starts with a score of 501 and takes turns     to throw 3 darts.  The score for each turn is calculated and deducted     from the players total.  Bullseye scores 50, the outer ring scores     25 and a dart in the double or treble ring counts double or treble the     segment score.  The objective is to be the first player to reduce     the score to exactly zero, the only caveat being that the last dart thrown     must land in a double or the bullseye.  If a player reduces the score to 1 or goes below zero, the score is bust,     that turn ends immediately and the score is returned to what it was at     the start of that turn.  e.g. if a player has 32 to go out and the     first dart is a 16, the second is a 15, the player is bust and the score     is returned to 32.  So on the last turn, it is not necessary to throw     all 3 darts - a player can win with the first or second dart of the turn. Because a player who misses a targeted double is likely to score the     single of that segment, good players attempt to leave themselves with     a repeatably bisectable number such as 24 or most ideally 32 - double     16. So for instance, if a player has double 16 left, and hits a 16, he     has double 8 left and if he then hits an 8 he has double 4 left and so     on - this is advantageous because no extra darts need to be thrown in     order to reduce the score to an even number... It so often happens that     people reduce their score to 1 (typically while aiming for double 1),     some people play a very unofficial rule called "splitting the 11".     This rule says that when the score is reduced to 1, instead of going bust,     the player must "split the 11" by throwing a dart between the     two numbers forming the number 11 on the edge of the board. This is tricky. 301 is played in exactly the same way but players start the game with     301.  Some games require a double to start sco


sherlock - Is there a third Holmes sibling? - Movies & TV Stack Exchange Is there a third Holmes sibling? 3 In His Last Vow, Mycroft is questioned about his feelings for Sherlock and he says "Don't be absurd. I'm not given to outbursts of brotherly compassion. You know what happened to the other one." Is there a 3rd Holmes brother in any canon?      I hope he doesn't mean Moriarty... no, wait, Mother Holmes is a mathematician, that must be a hint that SHE is the real Moriarty... no, they wouldn't that... –  Oliver_C Jan 13 '14 at 13:30 4   is it possible that the return of Moriaty is linked to this elusive '3rd brother'. i am aware of sherrinford but the series likes to have its' own spin off. – user7602 Jan 13 '14 at 21:46      ofcourse Moriarity has to be back because Charles Augustus Magnussen sucked!! –  Dredd Jan 15 '14 at 3:20 up vote 5 down vote accepted Indeed... This is a key theme of the fourth series of Sherlock. Therefore, spoilers follow, principally from Series 4 Episode 3 'The Final Problem' . Sherlock and Mycroft have a sister Eurus, a potentially 'era-defining' genius. Sadly she became a danger to the family and to others from a young age and was taken into care; later she was exiled to a facility known as Sherrinford by Mycroft. She is unknown to Sherlock as he had reacted to the trauma of the early events of his life by blocking Eurus and her actions out of his memory. ... for these reasons Mycroft generally avoids making reference to a third sibling except occasional oblique comments such as the one you describe. up vote 25 down vote There is mention of another brother Sherrinford Holmes on wikipedia : Sherrinford Holmes is a hypothetical elder brother of Sherlock Holmes and Mycroft Holmes. It is believed that his deduction skills exceed those of both his younger brothers. His name is taken from early notes as one of those considered by Arthur Conan Doyle for his detective hero before settling on "Sherlock Holmes". He was first proposed by William S. Baring-Gould who wrote in his famous 'biography' "Sherlock Holmes of Baker Street" that Sherrinford was the eldest brother of Sherlock Holmes. Holmes once stated that his family were country squires, which means that the eldest brother would have to stay to manage the house. If Mycroft were the eldest then he couldn't play the role he does in four stories of the Sherlock Holmes canon, so Sherrinford frees them both. This position is strengthened by the fact that Mycroft's general position as a senior civil servant was a common choice among the younger sons of the gentry. The character appears (misspelled Sherringford), along with his brothers, in the Virgin New Adventures Doctor Who novel All-Consuming Fire by Andy Lane, where he is revealed to be the member of a cult worshipping an alien telepathic slug that is mutating him and his followers into an insect-like form; the novel culminates with Holmes being forced to shoot his brother to save Watson. He also appears, accused of a murder that Sherlock must find him innocent of, in the Call of Cthulhu roleplaying game adventure The Yorkshire Horrors. No, there is no third sibling in canon. In literature, Sherlock's only sibling is his brother Mycroft. From the Baker Street Wiki : Mycroft Holmes appeared or is mentioned in the following adventures: "The Adventure of the Greek Interpreter" "The Final Problem" "The  Adventure of the Empty House" (mentioned) "The Adventure of the  Bruce-Partington Plans" Sherlockian also discussed this, commenting: The rest of the family It is natural to wonder whether there were other brothers in the  Holmes family. None are mentioned in any of the original Sherlock  Holmes tales. But the 1975 film "The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes'  Smarter Brother", starring Gene Wilder, is not about Mycroft; instead,  Wilder presents a manic third brother, Sigi Holmes. Presumably the  name is short for Sigerson, taken from the alias used by Holmes in  "The Empty House". A number of Sherlockians have ventured to speculate  about a brother named Sherrinford. That name is taken from Ar


What major Asian inland sea has almost entirely dried up?

Once World's Fourth Largest Lake, Aral Sea Is Now Nearly Dry Once World's Fourth Largest Lake, Aral Sea Is Now Nearly Dry {{article.article.images.featured.caption}} Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. Full Bio The author is a Forbes contributor. The opinions expressed are those of the writer. Loading ... Loading ... This story appears in the {{article.article.magazine.pretty_date}} issue of {{article.article.magazine.pubName}}. Subscribe In the short space of about fifty years, what was once the world’s fourth largest lake has almost completely dried up. Located in the arid deserts of Kazakhstan, the Aral Sea basin has for all practical purposes ceased to exist. In the 1960s, the Soviet Union diverted the two major rivers feeding the basin as part of a massive irrigation project for cotton farms in what are now Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan. The lake has been losing ground relentlessly since the rivers were diverted, but the retreat appears to have accelerated in the past decade. In 2003, the government of Kazakhstan and the World Bank began an enormous effort to restore the Aral Sea. That effort does not appear to have succeeded. Today, the once large inland lake has shrunk to an estimated 10% of its original size. A story published last week by NASA’s Earth Observatory at the Goddard Space Flight Center chronicles the Aral Sea’s abrupt decline. By 2001, the southern connection had been severed, and the shallower eastern part retreated rapidly over the next several years. Especially large retreats in the eastern lobe of the Southern Sea appear to have occurred between 2005 and 2009, when drought limited and then cut off the flow of the Amu Darya. Water levels then fluctuated annually between 2009 and 2014 in alternately dry and wet years. Dry conditions in 2014 caused the Southern Sea’s eastern lobe to completely dry up for the first time in modern times. As the lake dried up, fisheries and the communities that depended on them collapsed. The increasingly salty water became polluted with fertilizer and pesticides. The blowing dust from the exposed lakebed, contaminated with agricultural chemicals, became a public health hazard. The salty dust blew off the lakebed and settled onto fields, degrading the soil. Croplands had to be flushed with larger and larger volumes of river water. The loss of the moderating influence of such a large body of water made winters colder and summers hotter and drier. NASA created a slideshow of satellite images showing the lake's retreat over the past decade. It is well worth checking out.


What Teamsters union leader mysteriously disappeared in 1975?

A guide to the life and mystery of Jimmy Hoffa | Fox News A guide to the life and mystery of Jimmy Hoffa Published        June 19, 2013 Facebook 0 Twitter 0 Email Print DETROIT –  The FBI has spent this week digging up a field in suburban Detroit for the remains of former Teamsters union leader Jimmy Hoffa, who disappeared 38 years ago. He was last seen outside a restaurant about 20 miles from the digging site where he was to meet with a New Jersey Teamsters boss and a Detroit Mafia captain. Here's a look at Hoffa, his legacy and the enduring mystery of his disappearance. ___ Q: Who was Jimmy Hoffa, and why was he such a big deal in labor? A: Though a grade-school dropper, James Riddle Hoffa was a tough negotiator who formed his own union and merged it with the Teamsters when he was 19. In 1957, at age 44, Hoffa was elected the Teamsters president, a union he built to become the nation's largest in the country by 1968 with 2 million members, according to the Teamsters website. He continued as Teamsters president even in prison, until he officially resigned in 1971 when his jury tampering sentence was commuted by President Richard Nixon. ___ Q: Did he become a household name after he was reported missing, or was he widely known before that? A: As Teamsters president, Hoffa was the face of the union. He earned the loyalty of his members with contracts that improved their standard of living dramatically. It was under Hoffa that the Teamsters won their first national trucking contract. He was an acquaintance of mobsters and was last seen July 30, 1975, outside the Machus Red Fox restaurant in Oakland County, north of Detroit. Hoffa was supposed to meet that day with Anthony "Tony Jack" Giacalone, a figure in the Detroit mob. Anthony "Tony Pro" Provenzano, a New Jersey Teamsters leader, also was believed to be in on the meeting. ___ Q: What was Hoffa's most famous or infamous accomplishment before 1975 when he was reported missing? A: Hoffa found an enemy in Robert F. Kennedy, who had been counsel to a congressional committee investigating the unions and later became U.S. attorney general. Kennedy had accused Hoffa of corruption and connections to the mob. Hoffa was put on trial in 1962, accused by Kennedy of taking payoffs from trucking companies. That ended in a hung jury, but two years later in Nashville Hoffa was convicted of jury tampering. In 1967, Hoffa went to jail, sentenced to 13 years for jury tampering and fraud. He refused to give up the Teamsters presidency. He quit the position in 1971, and President Richard Nixon pardoned him. ___ Q: What does the FBI think happened to him? A: The FBI believes Hoffa was killed. He was declared legally dead in 1982. Donald "Tony The Greek" Frankos told Playboy magazine in 1989 that mob leaders tried to dissuade Hoffa from retaking control of the Teamsters after his release from prison. But Hoffa refused and allegedly threatened to tell authorities about mob infiltration of the unions. Frankos claimed Hoffa was killed by members of the Westies, a New York Irish gang, on the orders of Genovese crime family boss Anthony "Fat Tony" Salerno. His body was cut up in Michigan, then driven to New Jersey several months later and buried in the concrete foundation of the sprouting Giants Stadium, Frankos said. He even claimed to know what area of the stadium: a section near the corner of the west end zone. Retired FBI agent Jim Kossler has said Frankos was not reliable. ___ Q: It seems like the FBI conducts a search for his body every year. How much taxpayer money is spent on the effort? A: To give you an idea of how much has been spent trying to solve the mystery, from the time of Hoffa's disappearance in 1975 through 1985, more than 200 FBI agents were assigned to the case in New Jersey, Detroit and at least four other cities. During the period, more than 70 volumes of files were compiled, containing more than 16,000 pages. A failed two-week search for Hoffa's body in 2006 on a Michigan horse farm alone cost about $250,000. But Keith Corbett, a former federal prosecutor in Detroit


"Who has a series of weight-loss tapes called ""Sweatin' to the Oldies""?"

1980s Workout Videos|Richard Simmons Workout Videos|Richard Simmons Exercise videos - YouTube 1980s Workout Videos|Richard Simmons Workout Videos|Richard Simmons Exercise videos Want to watch this again later? Sign in to add this video to a playlist. Need to report the video? Sign in to report inappropriate content. Rating is available when the video has been rented. This feature is not available right now. Please try again later. Published on Jun 8, 2013 1980s Workout Videos Richard Simmons exercise videos ... Disco Sweat is one of the best. The dance moves are easy to follow, and Richard Simmons instructions is really easy to follow. Sweating to the oldies was one of Richard Simmons best compilations series. The songs are still fun to listen to , and time goes by quickly. In my opinion this is still one of the best 1980's workout videos. richard simmons workout