Which country’s burgeoning film industry is nicknamed “Nollywood”?

The Making of Nigeria’s Film Industry - The New York Times The New York Times Magazine |A Scorsese in Lagos Search The Making of Nigeria’s Film Industry By ANDREW RICE Behind the scenes of Nigeria’s thriving film industry. By Ben Solomon on Publish Date February 23, 2012. . Watch in Times Video » embed Kunle Afolayan wants to scare you, he wants to thrill you, he wants to make you laugh, but most of all, he would like you to suspend your disbelief — in his plots, yes, which tend to be over the top, but also about what is possible in Africa. He bristles if you call him an “African filmmaker” — a phrase redolent of art-house cinema, which his work assuredly is not. He wants to make huge, explosive, American-style blockbusters, and he wants to make them where he lives — in Nigeria . His ambitions may sound implausible. Nigeria lacks even a reliable supply of electricity. But it does contain a chaotic creative energy that has made it the world’s most prolific producer of films. Twenty years after bursting from the grungy street markets of Lagos, the $500 million Nigerian movie business churns out more than a thousand titles a year on average, and trails only Hollywood and Bollywood in terms of revenues. The films are hastily shot and then burned onto video CDs, a cheap alternative to DVDs. They are seldom seen in the developed world, but all over Africa consumers snap up the latest releases from video peddlers for a dollar or two. And so while Afolayan’s name is unknown outside Africa, at home, the actor-director is one of the most famous faces in the exploding entertainment scene known — inevitably — as “Nollywood.” On a continent where economies usually depend on extracting natural resources or on charity, moviemaking is now one of Nigeria’s largest sources of private-sector employment. Walls around Lagos are plastered with posters reading, “Actors/Actresses Wanted.” Nollywood stars are everywhere, from billboards to glossy tabloids filled with pictures of red-carpet events. The African Movie Academy Awards, held each year in the oil-rich Niger Delta region, have become a lavish spectacle, drawing visitors like Forest Whitaker and Danny Glover. Nigeria’s president, Goodluck Jonathan, has recruited Nollywood stars to campaign with him, while Afolayan and others have lent prominent support to a protest movement called “Occupy Nigeria.” And yet most of the movies themselves are awful, marred by slapdash production, melodramatic acting and ludicrous plots. Afolayan, who is 37, is one of a group of upstart directors trying to transcend those rote formulas and low expectations. His breakthrough film, the 2009 thriller “The Figurine,” was an aesthetic leap: while no viewer would confuse it with “Citizen Kane,” to Nigerians it announced the arrival of a swaggering talent keen to upset an immature industry. Unlike most Nollywood fare, “The Figurine” was released in actual theaters, not on cheap discs, playing to packed houses next to Hollywood features. “Many observers,” Jonathan Haynes, a scholar of Nollywood, recently wrote, “have been waiting a long time for this kind of filmmaking, which can take its place in the international arena proudly and on equal terms.” Continue reading the main story In contrast to Nollywood’s chiseled leading men, Afolayan is stout, speaks with a laid-back drawl and has a noticeable scar on one side of his face from a car accident. But he has undeniable charisma — a quality his admirers say he inherited from his father, an actor and legendary playboy. One sticky August night, I accompanied Afolayan on a prowl through Lagos, weaving through the metropolis in his monstrous pickup truck. We ended up at an open-air nightclub called King Sized, where heads turned as he made his entrance with a boisterous entourage. In West Africa, a famous presence demands recognition, so the resident highlife band swiftly shifted into an impromptu praise song. “Kunle Afolayan,” the vocalist began to trill, “Kunle Afolayan is here!” Advertisement Continue reading the main story As the singer celebrated his name, Afolayan n


Who, in August this year, was announced as the new “Dr Who” Doctor?

Doctor Who: Peter Capaldi revealed as 12th Doctor - BBC News BBC News Doctor Who: Peter Capaldi revealed as 12th Doctor 4 August 2013 From the section Entertainment & Arts comments Close share panel Media captionPeter Capaldi was revealed as the new Doctor on a special programme hosted by Zoe Ball Actor Peter Capaldi has been announced as the new star of BBC sci-fi series Doctor Who. The 55-year-old Glasgow-born star will be the 12th actor to play the Doctor, replacing out-going lead Matt Smith. Capaldi is best known for his role as foul-mouthed spin-doctor Malcolm Tucker in the BBC series The Thick of It. "It's so wonderful not to keep this secret any longer, but it's been so fantastic," he said after the news was revealed on a live BBC One show. The actor had been the bookmakers' favourite to take on the role, with betting on him becoming the next Doctor suspended on Friday. It is not the first time Capaldi has appeared on the show - he played Roman merchant Caecilius in 2008 Doctor Who adventure The Fires of Pompeii. Analysis By Tim MastersEntertainment correspondent, BBC News After Matt Smith, the youngest actor to play the Doctor, comes Peter Capaldi, one of the oldest. At 55, the same age as first Doctor William Hartnell in 1963, Capaldi's casting seems a significant nod to the past as the show celebrates its 50th anniversary. Capaldi is likely to bring gravitas - as well as humour - to a role widely regarded as one of the most prized in British television. Capaldi has a strong track record on TV, stage and in film - and is the first Doctor Who star with an Oscar on his CV (for best live action short film). His previous appearances in Doctor Who episode The Fires of Pompeii and spin-off show Torchwood will make Capaldi a popular choice among fans. But how will his regenerated Doctor play to a generation born in the 21st Century? Only time will tell. At 55, he is the same age as William Hartnell when he was cast in the role as the first Doctor in 1963. "Being asked to play the Doctor is an amazing privilege. Like the Doctor himself I find myself in a state of utter terror and delight. I can't wait to get started," he said. Secret audition Steven Moffat, the show's lead writer and executive producer, said casting Capaldi as the Doctor was an "incendiary combination". "One of the most talented actors of his generation is about to play the best part on television." Moffat said Capaldi had been cast after a secret audition at his house. "We made a home video of [Capaldi] being the doctor and I showed it around and everyone said 'yes, that's the Doctor'. Moffat added the actor had "briefly flicked through my mind" the last time he was casting the role, but he did not think he was right for the part, however "now that moment has arrived". Capaldi said he downloaded old Doctor Who scripts from the internet and practised the lines in front of a mirror to prepare for the audition. The 12 Doctors 11. Matt Smith (2010 - 2013) 12. Peter Capaldi (2013 - ) He revealed he was filming a BBC adaptation of The Three Musketeers in Prague when he found out he got the part. "I had my phone on silent so I missed the call," he said. "It was my agent and I rang her up and she said 'hello Doctor' - I haven't stopped laughing since." 'Incredible incarnation' Out-going Doctor Matt Smith welcomed Capaldi's casting, and pre-recorded a message for the new Time Lord. "I wish my successor all the best and say good luck and good on you for getting it, because I know he's both a huge fan of the show and a really nice guy," he said. "The casting made me ready excited and as a fan I think it's a canny choice. If I had to pick someone, I'd pick him because I think he's great. I'm excited because I know what's coming and he's going to have a blast." Jenna Coleman, who stars as current Doctor Who companion Clara, said: "I'm so excited Peter Capaldi is the man taking on the challenge of becoming the 12th Doctor. "With Steven's writing and his talent I know we'll be making an amazing show with an incredible incarnation of number 12. I can't wait to start t


What visible features of a concert harp have the same function as a piano’s black keys?

The new Pianoteq HARP (Page 1) - Pianoteq user forum - Pianoteq forum The new Pianoteq HARP 1 Topic by LTECpiano 30-06-2015 20:19 LTECpiano Posts: 289 Topic: The new Pianoteq HARP The new HARP voice set is very nice.  I am having an "arpeggio afternoon" checking out the presets.  It is quite interesting what the pedal functions are.  I am glad the al-la-piano [pedal function] was included. KUDOS, 2 Reply by EvilDragon 30-06-2015 23:30 EvilDragon Re: The new Pianoteq HARP Indeed, sounds excellent! 3 Reply by Beto-Music 01-07-2015 02:42 Beto-Music Re: The new Pianoteq HARP Modartt's team and their beautiful surprises... If I was not informed the mp3 was from a mathematical modelled technology, I would never notice.  It sounds just perfect !!! I need to say something...  I need... before someone crazier than me do so: What about a option to use the virtual eletronics, amplifiers/sound distortes of the eletric pianos to process the "sound" (vibrations) of the harp's strings, just to see (hear) what it can get? Last edited by Beto-Music (01-07-2015 02:49) 4 Reply by AKM 01-07-2015 08:43 AKM Posts: 351 Re: The new Pianoteq HARP Just wanted to say it very politely, honestly, I hope developers are developing the piano algorithms further more. Just as far as Pr. Philippe Guillaume and Co. participate in this forum which is very great I'd like my quiet voice to be also considered. I'm personally interested exclusively in the main grand pianos evolution, which are sure great and amazing at their current state but I really hope for more. All this recent harps and e-pianos around make me a bit worry. ...btw among not so many musical instruments modelling software I want to promote a NI Reaktor ensemble called Steam Pipe 2 which I really love - it's mostly about steam, pipes and some strings. It's amazing, the sound is very "real" and there are a lot of (if not to say virtually endless) parameters available to control. Last edited by AKM (01-07-2015 08:56) Andrei Kuznetsov 5 Reply by Piet De Ridder 01-07-2015 10:51 Piet De Ridder Re: The new Pianoteq HARP Beto-Music wrote: (...) What about a option to use the virtual eletronics, amplifiers/sound distortes of the eletric pianos to process the "sound" (vibrations) of the harp's strings, just to see (hear) what it can get? Beto, Here's an example of a few sounds and timbres, created exclusively with the Concert Harp patches (madly edited and disfigured) and using only Pianoteq's built-in effects (except for one additional reverb, plus an EQ and a limiter on the MasterOut of my DAW). Last edited by Piet De Ridder (01-07-2015 13:55) 6 Reply by Ben Crosland 01-07-2015 13:08 Ben Crosland Re: The new Pianoteq HARP Great work, Piet! 7 Reply by Gilles 01-07-2015 14:59 Gilles Posts: 2,065 Re: The new Pianoteq HARP Yes Piet, this example sure breaks the preconceived idea of the harp as a celestial instrument... Very nice harp arrangement also in the demo section. By the way, there is a new real-time MIDI-controlled EQ3 effect in version 3.0. Impressive! 8 Reply by EvilDragon 01-07-2015 15:06 EvilDragon Re: The new Pianoteq HARP Sh*t, didn't even notice the equalizer in the effects! That's extremely useful! Wish it was just called EQ, or EQ 3, instead of Equ3, though. Looks kinda naff when it's called Equ3 Last edited by EvilDragon (01-07-2015 15:09) Hard work and guts! 9 Reply by klex 01-07-2015 17:03 klex Posts: 11 Re: The new Pianoteq HARP The Harp could be a very interesting development for the piano, if the pinch harmonic pedal is also usable for the pianos. that would be a great help for interesting and authentic prepared piano sounds. does anybody know, if it would work, if I buy the harp? AKM wrote: Just wanted to say it very politely, honestly, I hope developers are developing the piano algorithms further more. Just as far as Pr. Philippe Guillaume and Co. participate in this forum which is very great I'd like my quiet voice to be also considered. I'm personally interested exclusively in the main grand pianos evolution, which are sure great and amazing at their current state but I really


Which kingdom was formed by the 7th century unification of Bernicia and Deira?

Ælfric | The Last Kingdom Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia Edit Prior to his usurpation of Bebbanburg, may have served as the Sciregerefa or 'shire-reeve' (the origin of "sheriff") in the territory of Bebbanburg. As the sole Anglo-Saxon Earl ruling in the Kingdom of Northumbria after the Danish conquest, Aelfric referred to himself as the "Lord of Bernicia", the name for what used to be the northern-most Anglo-Saxon realm in Britain prior to its unification with Deira (Yorkshire and County Durham), which formed the kingdom of Northumbria in the mid-7th century. Bernicia was ruled from Bebbanburg.


Who was the first monarch to style himself “King of the English” and “King of All Britain”?

Timeline of the Kings & Queens of England There have been 66 monarchs of England and Britain spread over a period of 1500 years.   SAXON KINGS EGBERT 827 - 839 Egbert (Ecgherht) was the first monarch to establish a stable and extensive rule over all of Anglo-Saxon England. After returning from exile at the court of Charlemagne in 802, he regained his kingdom of Wessex. Following his conquest of Mercia in 827, he controlled all of England south of the Humber. After further victories in Northumberland and North Wales, he is recognised by the title Bretwalda ( Anglo-Saxon , "ruler of the British". A year before he died aged almost 70, he defeated a combined force of Danes and Cornish at Hingston Down in Cornwall. He is buried at Winchester in Hampshire. AETHELWULF 839-856 King of Wessex , son of Egbert and father of Alfred the Great. In 851 Aethelwulf defeated a Danish army at the battle of Oakley while his eldest son Althelstan fought and beat the Danes at sea off the coast of Kent , in what is believed to be the first naval battle. A highly religous man, Athelwulf travelled to Rome with his son Alfred to see the Pope in 855. AETHELBALD 856 - 860 The eldest son of Aethelwulf, Æthelbald was born around 834. He was crowned at Kingston-upon-Thames in southwest London, after forcing his father to abdicate upon his return from pilgrimage to Rome. Following his fathers death in 858, he married his widowed stepmother Judith, but under pressure from the church the marriage was annulled after only a year. He is buried at Sherbourne Abbey in Dorset . AETHELBERT 860 - 866 Became king following the death of his brother Æthelbald. Like his brother and his father, Aethelbert (pictured to the right) was crowned at Kingston-Upon-Thames. Shortly after his succession a Danish army landed and sacked Winchester before being defeated by the Saxons. In 865 the Viking Great Heathen Army landed in East Anglia and swept across England. He is buried at Sherborne Abbey. AETHELRED I 866 - 871 Aethelred succeeded his brother Aethelbert. His reign was one long struggle with the Danes who had occupied York in 866, establishing the Viking kingdom of Yorvik . When the Danish Army moved south Wessex itself was threatened, and so together with his brother Alfred, they fought several battles with the Vikings at Reading, Ashdown and Basing. Aethelred suffered serious injuries during the next major battle at Meretun in Hampshire; he died of his wounds shortly after at Witchampton in Dorset, where he was buried. ALFRED THE GREAT 871 - 899 - son of AETHELWULF Born at Wantage in Berkshire around 849, Alfred was well educated and is said to have visited Rome on two occasions. He had proven himself to be a strong leader in many battles, and as a wise ruler managed to secure five uneasy years of peace with the Danes, before they attacked Wessex again in 877. Alfred was forced to retreat to a small island in the Somerset Levels and it was from here that he masterminded his comeback, perhaps ' burning the cakes ' as a consequence. With major victories at Edington, Rochester and London, Alfred established Saxon Christian rule over first Wessex, and then on to most of England. To secure his hard won boundaries Alfred founded a permanent army and an embryonic Royal Navy. To secure his place in history, he began the Anglo-Saxon Chronicles. EDWARD (The Elder) 899 - 924 Succeeded his father Alfred the Great. Edward retook southeast England and the Midlands from the Danes. Following the the death of his sister Aethelflaed of Mercia , Edward unites the kingdoms of Wessex and Mercia. In 923, the Anglo-Saxon Chronicles record that the Scottish King Constantine II recognises Edward as "father and lord". The following year, Edward is killed in a battle against the Welsh near Chester . His body is returned to Winchester for burial. ATHELSTAN 924 - 939 Son of Edward the Elder, Athelstan extended the boundaries of his kingdom at the Battle of Brunanburh in 937. In what is said to be one of the bloodiest battles ever fought on British soil, Athelstan defeated a combined army of Scots


Which TV quiz show host witnessed the pendant’s burial?

Bamber Gascoigne (Question Master) - Pics, Videos, Dating, & News Bamber Gascoigne Male Born Jan 24, 1935 Bamber Gascoigne, FRSL is a British television presenter and author, best known for being the original quizmaster on University Challenge. related links Bamber Gascoigne's Â£2million Gems He Was Left By Aunt To Be Sold At Auction Daily Mail (UK) - May 02, 2015 '\n Veteran broadcaster Bamber Gascoigne inherited a crumbling mansion with 50 rooms, which containedÂ more than Â£2million worth of luxury goods.\n   ' Jeremy Paxman Failed To Get Onto University Challenge When He Was A Student!  Unreality Tv Google News - Jun 29, 2011 'He added that there will âof courseâ come a point when he has to step down from hosting the BBC2 show, which used to be presented by Bamber Gascoigne, because âthey'll say 'Let's get rid of this old person.'â He said of the show, âThe questions have' Jeremy Paxman Reveals University Challenge Rejection  Bbc News Google News - Jun 28, 2011 '"It is a very particular thing, playing a quiz," added Paxman, who succeeded Bamber Gascoigne as the host of University Challenge. Former Tory MP Ann Widdecombe, who interviewed Paxman for the Radio Times, revealed she too had been rejected by her' The History Of The Antiquarian Booksellers' Association (Aba) Part 2  Ilab Google News - Jun 16, 2011 'In Brighton the South-Eastern branch held their first fair, opened by Bamber Gascoigne. By now there were large fairs in many countries with international participation, and the ABA strongly held that national associations should retain control of' Learn about the memorable moments in the evolution of Bamber Gascoigne. CHILDHOOD 1935 Birth Born on January 24, 1935. TWENTIES 1957 22 Years Old While at Magdalene he wrote a musical, Share My Lettuce, which was produced in London in 1957 by Michael Codron, and performed by Maggie Smith and Kenneth Williams (with music by Keith Statham and Patrick Gowers). … Read More He then spent a year as a Commonwealth Fund scholar at Yale University (1958â59). After National Service in the Grenadier Guards he became a theatre critic.

 Gascoigne came to national fame as the original presenter (from 1962) of the popular television quiz show University Challenge, based on the US series College Bowl. He held the position for 25 years, until the end of the initial run in 1987. Although he has written several books, mostly works of history, and presented other television programmes, his name is permanently connected with University Challenge for many viewers. His questioning manner was firm yet polite. Phrases he often used which became catchphrases include: "Your starter for ten", "fingers on the buzzers", and "I'll have to hurry you". Read Less THIRTIES 1972 37 Years Old Gascoigne is the author of Murgatroyd's Empire, a 1972 satirical novel concerning an entrepreneur who finds an island of pygmies, and trades them arms for treasure, recreating the development of European medieval weaponry and armour. FORTIES 1977 42 Years Old In 1977, Gascoigne wrote and presented The Christians, a 13-hour television documentary series on the history of Christianity, produced by Granada Television and broadcast on ITV. … Read More He wrote a companion book, under the same title, with photography by his wife, Christina Gascoigne, published by Jonathan Cape.

 He wrote Quest for the Golden Hare, a 1983 account of the internationally publicised treasure hunt associated with the publication in 1979 of Kit Williams' book, Masquerade. Read Less 1979 44 Years Old On 8 August 1979, Gascoigne was witness to the burial by Williams of a unique jewelled, solid gold hare pendant in an earthenware jar "somewhere in Britain". … Read More The book documents the search and a scandal associated with finding it. Read Less FIFTIES 1987 52 Years Old In 1987, Gascoigne presented a documentary series of six 30-minute programmes on Victorian history, Victorian Values, which looked at how Victorian society put


Which baseball legend is the subject of the 2013 biopic, “42”?

42 (2013) - IMDb IMDb There was an error trying to load your rating for this title. Some parts of this page won't work property. Please reload or try later. X Beta I'm Watching This! Keep track of everything you watch; tell your friends. Error From $2.99 (SD) on Amazon Video ON DISC The story of Jackie Robinson from his signing with the Brooklyn Dodgers organization in 1945 to his historic 1947 rookie season when he broke the color barrier in Major League Baseball. Director: a list of 21 titles created 18 May 2014 a list of 25 titles created 02 Jan 2015 a list of 40 titles created 8 months ago a list of 32 titles created 4 months ago a list of 41 titles created 3 months ago Search for " 42 " on Amazon.com Connect with IMDb Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? Use the HTML below. You must be a registered user to use the IMDb rating plugin. 3 wins & 18 nominations. See more awards  » Videos Based on the story of Vince Papale, a 30-year-old bartender from South Philadelphia who overcame long odds to play for the NFL's Philadelphia Eagles in 1976. Director: Ericson Core When a plane crash claims the lives of members of the Marshall University football team and some of its fans, the team's new coach and his surviving players try to keep the football program alive. Director: McG     1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 6.8/10 X   At the NFL Draft, general manager Sonny Weaver has the opportunity to rebuild his team when he trades for the number one pick. He must decide what he's willing to sacrifice on a life-changing day for a few hundred young men with NFL dreams. Director: Ivan Reitman The true story of a newly appointed African-American coach and his high school team on their first season as a racially integrated unit. Director: Boaz Yakin Edit Storyline In 1946, Jackie Robinson is a Negro League baseball player who never takes racism lying down. Branch Rickey is a Major League team executive with a bold idea. To that end, Rickey recruits Robinson to break the unspoken color line as the first modern African American Major League player. As both anticipate, this proves a major challenge for Robinson and his family as they endure unrelenting racist hostility on and off the field, from player and fan alike. As Jackie struggles against his nature to endure such abuse without complaint, he finds allies and hope where he least expects it. Written by Kenneth Chisholm (kchishol@rogers.com) In a game divided by color, he made us see greatness. Genres: Rated PG-13 for thematic elements including language | See all certifications  » Parents Guide: 12 April 2013 (USA) See more  » Also Known As: 42: The Jackie Robinson Story See more  » Filming Locations: $27,487,144        (USA) (12 April 2013) Gross: The role of Branch Rickey was originally intended for Robert Redford . See more » Goofs Wendell and other characters type on manual typewriters throughout the film. Every sentence and every name begins with a capital letter, yet none of the characters ever presses the 'shift' key (very noticeable on a manual typewriter). See more » Quotes Leo Durocher : If Robinson can help us win, then he is gonna play on this ball club! Extraordinary Performances by young actors 13 April 2013 | by hitek_dialekt I'm a middle-aged black man now and sometimes I wonder if young people get it. I was born in Richmond, VA, and I'm 1 (ONE) generation removed from segregation. It is because of this that I was FLOORED by the performance of these young actors. Chadwick Boseman & Nicole Beharie did a magnificent job portraying the grace and courage of the Robinsons. I couldn't have done it. Boseman has an UNCANNY resemblance to Jackie, and his performance was so visceral that it proved to me that I couldn't have done it. I wouldn't have had the courage to stand up to racism by NOT fighting back. I wouldn't have had the patience to bide my time until folks decided it was time to see me as being more than sub-human. I absolutely wouldn't have taken the risk of playing a game while people threatened my wife and child. When Jackie finally got angry enough to smash hi


Which 1989 baseball movie had the tagline “If you build it, he will come”?

Field of Dreams (1989) - IMDb IMDb There was an error trying to load your rating for this title. Some parts of this page won't work property. Please reload or try later. X Beta I'm Watching This! Keep track of everything you watch; tell your friends. Error An Iowa corn farmer, hearing voices, interprets them as a command to build a baseball diamond in his fields; he does, and the Chicago White Sox come. Director: From $2.99 (SD) on Amazon Video ON DISC a list of 30 titles created 02 Aug 2014 a list of 40 titles created 15 Aug 2014 a list of 23 titles created 24 Feb 2015 a list of 36 titles created 08 Jul 2015 a list of 35 titles created 2 months ago Title: Field of Dreams (1989) 7.5/10 Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? Use the HTML below. You must be a registered user to use the IMDb rating plugin. Nominated for 3     Oscars. Another    6 wins & 10 nominations. See more awards  » Videos A Texas baseball coach makes the major league after agreeing to try out if his high school team made the playoffs. Director: John Lee Hancock     1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 7.8/10 X   A new kid in town is taken under the wing of a young baseball prodigy and his team in this coming of age movie set in the summer of 1962. Together, they get themselves into many adventures involving rival teams, lifeguards, and a vicious dog. Director: David M. Evans When a boy prays for a chance to have a family if the California Angels win the pennant, angels are assigned to make that possible. Director: William Dear When an accident miraculously gives a boy an incredibly powerful pitching arm, he becomes a major league pitcher for the Chicago Cubs. Director: Daniel Stern Edit Storyline Iowa farmer Ray Kinsella hears a voice in his corn field tell him, "If you build it, he will come." He interprets this message as an instruction to build a baseball field on his farm, upon which appear the ghosts of Shoeless Joe Jackson and the other seven Chicago White Sox players banned from the game for throwing the 1919 World Series. When the voices continue, Ray seeks out a reclusive author to help him understand the meaning of the messages and the purpose for his field. Written by Scott Renshaw <as.idc@forsythe.stanford.edu> If you believe the impossible, the incredible can come true. See more  » Genres: 5 May 1989 (USA) See more  » Also Known As: Did You Know? Trivia When Ray is in the feed store is being teased by the other farmers, the song "Crazy" can be heard playing on the radio. See more » Goofs Toward the end when Ray and his father are playing catch, and Annie turns on the lights, Mark's jeep is no longer parked next to the light pole. But in the next shot, it reappears again in the same spot. See more » Quotes [first lines] Ray Kinsella : [voice over] My father's name was John Kinsella. It's an Irish name. He was born in North Dakota in 1896, and never saw a big city until he came back from France in 1918. He settled in Chicago, where he quickly learned to live and die with the White Sox. Died a little when they lost the 1919 World Series. Died a lot the following summer when eight members of the team were accused of throwing that series. He played in the minors for a year too, but nothing ever came of it. Moved to ... [...] The Voice ................ Himself See more » Connections User Reviews   "...and the memories will be so thick they will have to brush them away from their faces." (London, England) – See all my reviews It's American. It's corny (pun intended, I'm sorry). When I stop and think about it, it's laughable but the immutable truth is that this is naively beautiful on almost every frontier. I have watched this film so many times and though inside I know the ladled sentiment should be cringeworthy-especially for a cynic such as I...it somehow never fails to utterly absorb me. Horner's musical score is haunting and mesmerising and adds so strongly to the whole ethereal feeling that this film exudes. The acting is extraordinary in that they pull off corny lines without provoking me to laughter or cringing, with the possible exception


Also the name of the local dialect, what is the term for an inhabitant of Monaco?

Monaco - FAQ / About Monaco / Site officiel de Monaco Monaco has 32,020 (6,089 Monégasque citizens) 19% Monégasque, 32% French, 20% Italian. What is the local currency? The legal tender in Monaco is the Euro €. Where is the nearest airport? What flights are available from the U.S.? Cote d'Azur International Airport in Nice, France is 15 miles away from Monaco. Delta Air Lines offers daily non-stop flights from New York to Nice. Air France and British Airways offer service via Paris or London from several U.S. gateways. Swiss International Air Lines offers flights through Zurich and Geneva. What transportation is available from the airport? There are various ways to get to the Principality from the airport. One may take the train, public bus, private limousine service, taxi or rent a car. The most spectacular way is to take the helicopter which is only a seven minute flight. For more details, visit our or how to get there page. What is the tipping policy? Service at hotels and restaurants is already included in the bill, while tipping for special services is up to the discretion of the visitor. How to get from the heliport to the hotel? Upon arrival at the heliport in Monaco, your luggage will be taken care of by the helicopter company and a mini-van will bring you directly to the hotel. Where can I get tickets for the Grand Prix? The Automobile Club of Monaco organizes the race each year. There are more than 3,000 seats available for sale on the circuit. To order tickets or to receive information regarding ticket ordering, please contact the Automobile Club of Monaco directly. Are there any discounts for children or senior citizens? Many museums and tourist attractions offer discounts for children and senior citizens. Check out the Museums and Tourist Attractions guide for further information. How to get around in Monaco? The size of Monaco allows speedy and easy commutes between the various districts of the Principality. Walking in the Principality is facilitated by public lifts and escalators that operate 24 hours a day, every day, to help overcome different altitude levels. Public transportation includes a bus shuttle service that includes 5 different routes. Departures are every 10 minutes from 7 am to 9 pm. For more details, visit our or how to get there page. Are pets allowed in hotel & restaurants? The majority of hotels and restaurants are pet-friendly. However, to be on the safe side, you may want to ask before making a reservation. Where is Princess Grace buried? Princess Grace is buried in the Monaco Cathedral, which is situated in Monaco-Ville, the old town. Choose your language


Which band’s eponymous front man is married to BAFTA-winning actress Carey Mulligan?

Carey Mulligan | Biography, News, Photos and Videos | Contactmusic.com Carey Mulligan The 30 year old actress is the global ambassador for the charity Alzheimer's Society. Oscar-winning star Carey Mulligan has spoken about her hopes that society’s misconceptions about dementia will be corrected by a better understanding of the condition. The 30 year old actress, who is married to Mumford & Sons’ frontman Marcus Mumford, wrote a moving opinion piece in her role as global ambassador for the charity Alzheimer’s Society, and also spoke on Radio 4’s ‘Today’ programme of how she has sought to maintain a relationship with her beloved grandmother, who has suffered from the incurable disease for 12 years. “I’ve certainly had it in my experience that people with my grandmother have gone ‘well she doesn’t know me. It doesn’t matter that I don’t visit because she doesn’t know me’,” she said on Tuesday (December 27th). “Every visit for the last seven years, she hasn’t recognised any of us.” Jennifer Lawrence Chris Pratt Carey Mulligan Anna Faris Lawrence shot the scenes as part of her upcoming project 'Passengers', which is released in December 2016. Jennifer Lawrence has revealed that she had to get “really, really drunk” in order to marshal her nerves ahead of filming a sex scene with fellow Hollywood A-lister Chris Pratt , because he’s a married man. She explained that the scene, for their upcoming movie Passengers, is the “most vulnerable I’ve ever been.” “I got really, really drunk,” she revealed in a new feature with The Hollywood Reporter , but that didn’t end up solving the problem. “That led to more anxiety when I got home because I was like, ‘What have I done? I don't know’.” Jennifer Lawrence revealed that she got hammered before filming a sex scene with Chris Pratt Carey Mulligan Will Smith Robert De Niro Tom Hooper Alicia Vikander Eddie Redmayne Saoirse Ronan Joel Edgerton The Hollywood Film Awards fire the starting pistol on awards season in the movie industry. British star Carey Mulligan was among the winners at the 19th annual Hollywood Film Awards for her central role as Maud in the new movie Suffragette, a laundry worker who joins the fight for the right for women to vote. The 30 year old star, who gave birth to her first child with husband Marcus Mumford just a few months ago, won Best Actress at the 2015 edition of the gongs, which are the first major ceremony in a long run of black-tie events leading up to the Academy Awards on February 28th. The Hollywood Film Awards winners are announced in advance and are not televised, but prominently features movies not on general release and are a reasonable indicator of what will be on offer during awards season. Carey Mulligan Carey Mulligan explains why her new film 'Suffragette' turned her into an activist In the past year, Carey Mulligan has turned 30 and given birth to her first child, daughter Evelyn with her husband, musician Marcus Mumford. And she's also had two of the strongest roles of her career, playing resilient women in a new film version of Far From the Madding Crowd and the voting rights drama Suffragette. She likes taking long gaps between films, mainly because so few roles grab her attention. "I don't find a large amount to work with," she admits. "The majority of things that come along are accessories like girlfriends and wives - so dull and not real, not much to sink your teeth into." Suffragette immediately grabbed her attention, highlighting a little-known period of British history. "I had no idea they were beaten, imprisoned, blew up bridges, went on hunger strikes," she says. "We have a very muted picture of happy women with banners marching down the street!" Suffragette Review Excellent Based on real events a century ago that still resonate loudly today, this movie takes a cleverly fictionalised angle to explore the suffrage movement, a story that astonishingly has never been put on film before. Screenwriter Abi Morgan's script brings intelligence and honesty to the characters, avoiding cliches to make the political statements as fresh and importa


Of which modern country does the former kingdom of Bohemia form a major part?

Czech Republic | history - geography | Britannica.com Czech Republic Alternative Titles: Česká Republika, Česká Socialistická Republika, Czech Socialist Republic, Czechia Czech Republic National anthem of the Czech Republic Official name unitary multiparty republic with two legislative houses (Senate [81]; Chamber of Deputies [200]) Head of state Literacy: percentage of population age 15 and over literate Male: 100% Country Data Overview (PDF) Czech Republic, also called Czechia, country located in central Europe . It comprises the historical provinces of Bohemia and Moravia along with the southern tip of Silesia , collectively often called the Czech Lands. In 2016 the country adopted the name “Czechia” as a shortened, informal name for the Czech Republic. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. Overview of Prague. Contunico © ZDF Enterprises GmbH, Mainz Despite its landlocked location, there were brief periods in the Middle Ages during which Bohemia had access to the Baltic and Adriatic seacoasts—which no doubt was on William Shakespeare ’s mind when he set much of his play The Winter’s Tale there. A region of rolling hills and mountains , Bohemia is dominated by the national capital, Prague . Set on the Vltava River, this picturesque city of bridges and spires is the unique work of generations of artists brought in by the rulers of Bohemia. Perhaps only the French are as focused on their capital, Paris , as the Czechs are on theirs; of the two, Prague has a more magical quality for many. Called “the handsomest city of Europe” since the 18th century, it has intoxicated writers, poets, and musicians alike. While Prague was the birthplace of the writer Franz Kafka and the poet Rainer Maria Rilke , Brno , Moravia’s largest city, was the site of Gregor Mendel ’s groundbreaking genetic experiments in the 19th century and the birthplace of contemporary novelist Milan Kundera . Moravians are as proud of their vineyards and wine as Bohemians are of their breweries and the Pilsner beer that originated in the town of Plzeň (Pilsen), which is also noted as the site of the Škoda Works—a heavy industrial complex that originated with the Habsburg monarchy. Moravia was equally endowed with skilled labour , which helped make Brno into one of the leading industrial towns in textiles and engineering during the 19th century and Ostrava , in the north, into a major coal-mining region, thanks to the vast fossil fuel deposits stretching over from Silesia . Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. Balthasar Neumann History is always close at hand in the Czech Republic, where stunning castles such as Karlštejn (former keep of the royal crown of St. Wenceslas) and manor houses dot the landscape and medieval town centres abound. During its 1,000-year history, the country has changed shape and reshuffled its population . As the kingdom of Bohemia, it reached its zenith of wealth and power during the 13th and 14th centuries. Through a multitude of cultural, economic, ecclesiastical , and dynastic links, Bohemian kings became directly involved in the affairs of the German rulers of the Holy Roman Empire and opened the country to German colonization, which brought prosperity through silver mining and rapid urbanization. Prague, with the oldest university north of the Alps ( Charles University , 1348), functioned as a royal and imperial capital. However, German colonization, which soon accounted for one-third of the total population and disadvantaged the majority Czechs, brought the seeds of discontent, resulting in an ugly, insolvable conflict in the 20th century. In the early 15th century Bohemia witnessed the Hussite revolution, a pre- Reformation movement named for Jan Hus , a follower of the English theologian and reformer John Wycliffe . Religious antagonism prevailed over ethnic tensions when Czechs and Germans jointly led the Protestant uprising that started the Thirty Years’ War (1618–48) against the Catholic Habsburgs , the Austro-German dynasty that ruled Bohemia from 1526 to 1918. After the Habsburg victory, the German language replaced Czech for almost two


Of which longer mountain range do the Transylvanian Alps form the southern arm?

Mountains of the World. Alps, Dolomites, Maritime Alps, Pyrenees, Berner Oberland, Fjord Norway, Carpathians, Rhodopes, Madeira, Azores, Cantabrian Mountains, Picos de Europa, Transylvanian Alps, Tatras   John Osaki's Blog   Keep close to Nature's heart...and break clear away, once in awhile, and climb a mountain or spend a week in the woods. Wash your spirit clean.  --JOHN MUIR Eons in the making, the great mountains of  the world were raised by a series of complex and powerful volcanic and tectonic movements. These have resulted in a diversity of mountain landscapes that shelter a wealth of natural treasures and nurture rich cultures. The special joys of the mountains are available not only to mountaineers, but to    anyoneï¿½stroller, walker, or hikerï¿½willing to lace up a pair of hiking boots and follow a winding path. Mountain glories await you! Come share them with us! Europe Chapel  of St. Johann in Ranui,    Dolomites. The Alps are the backbone of Europe and its principal and best-known mountain range. No peak in the Alps stands higher than Mont Blanc whose summit brushes the heavens at 15,772 feet. Thrust upward as result of a series of collisions between African and European plates, the Alps continue to grow today. They fan out in a great 750 mile-long arc around Italy's Po River basin encompassing a multitude of ranges, each with its own    characterï¿½from the Maritime Alps on the French-Italian border, to the rugged grandeur of Switzerland's glacier-draped Berner Oberland, to the distinctive limestone spires and pinnacles of the Italian Dolomites . The range is named after the high mountain pastures    known as alp in German. In turn, the range has lent its name to the adjective "alpine"ï¿½the general term used to describe high mountain environments anywhere in the world. Czarny Staw pod Rysami ("Black    Lake under Rysi") in the Polish High Tatras. Formed during the closure of an ancient sea, the Carpathian Mountains are essentially a continuation of the Alps although they are, in general, not as high or rugged. The great Danube River which drains much of central Europe separates the Alps from the Carpathians. The Carpathians run eastward for 900 miles along the Polish-Slovak border continuing into Ukraine and Romania where they abruptly hook back toward the west as the Carpatii Meridionali, or Transylvanian Alps . The High Tatras on the Polish-Slovak border constitute the highest and most rugged portion of the Carpathians. The highest point in the Carpathians, Gerlachovskï¿½ Stï¿½t, scrapes the Tatra sky at 8,711 feet. Trilistinika Ezero ("Three Leaf    Lake") in the Rila Mountains, Bulgaria. The Carpathian Mountains meet the Rhodope Mountains at a place called the Iron Gates of Orsova. Here, the Danube River cuts through the mountain barrier before making its final run to the Black Sea. The Rhodopes, an extension of the Carpathians, swing southward and then eastward along Bulgaria's border with Greece . They are part of the great mountainous uplift that covers much of the Balkan Peninsula. The Rila and Pirin ranges contain the Rhodope's most impressive high mountain landscapes, reminiscent of the Sierra Nevada or the Wallowas of northeastern Oregon. Musala in the Rila range rises above conifer-clad foothills to the roof of the Rhodopes at 9,597 feet. Large portions of the Rila and Pirin ranges are protected in national parks. The Pirin National Park is a World Heritage Site containing the Baevi Doupki-Djindjiritza Biosphere Reserve. The Fjaerlandsfjord, an arm of the    mighty Sognefjord, slices into the Langfjellene. The farm of Berge enjoys    a privileged view down the length of the fjord. The rocky range known as Kjï¿½len ("the keel") forms the spine of the Scandinavian Peninsula. Part of the Caledonian Mountain Group (which includes the Scottish Highlands),    Kjï¿½len includes the mountainous uplift known as Langfjellene ("Long Mountains"). Norway's spectacular glacier-carved fjords (including the    Sognefjordï¿½one of the world's longest) slice deeply into the


Which epic poem, attributed to Homer, tells a history of the Trojan Wars?

Homer- Ancient Greek Poet Read Homer Online - Ebooks Marble terminal bust of Homer. Roman copy of a lost Hellenistic original of the 2nd c. BC. From Baiae, Italy. The so-called Hellenistic blind-type can be paralleled with figures of the Pergamon Altar, and the original of the type was perhaps created for the great library at Pergamon. Homer's ancestry can be traced from Odyssey. He was the son of Epikaste and Telemachus. Born around 8th - 9th century B.C. he was said to be a court singer and a story teller. Even if these details about Homer are available, not much is know about him. In fact his existence is somewhat doubted. Some say he was born on the island of Chios while argue that he existed in Ionia. But the dialect and the description in the poems pointed that Homer lived in Ionia. When we think of the blind poet Homer with relation to Ancient Greece, the first thing that comes to our mind is his beautiful epic poems Iliad and Odyssey. While there is disagreement, whether Homer alone wrote these poems or many other people, the 'analysts' and the ancient Greek people and the 'unitarians' are on Homer's side. These poems were an important part of the Greek culture as they were written during the famous Trojan war era. The argument whether Odyssey was written by Homer or not has been going on for a long time. Even if the epics are controversial, there is enough evidence that the Odyssey is written in a consistent style, and this fact is doubtful if they had been written by different authors. Another argument is that whether Homer wrote both Iliad and Odyssey. The difference in style and languages of the epics leads to debate. One ancient Greek literary critic, namely Longinus argued that the styles differed because Homer wrote both these poems in different stages of his life period. While Iliad was created during his youth, Odyssey was written as Homer aged. There is also much debate about how Homer composed such long poems, because for people now to memorize such long stanzas, seems impossible. It's said some editor merged all his works as one whole epic. The fact that uncomfortable transitions from topic to topic in his poems supports the argument. An argument that has tried to subsidized with the reasoning that lengthy works can be composed orally by poets whose recitations belong to a long tradition of storytelling. The oral poet constructs his poem from verbal formulas, groups of two or more words that have already been composed in order to serve recurring needs in the narrative. These may be used, for example, when the poet wishes to reintroduce a character that he has already described. Many scholars agree that Iliad and Odyssey underwent change and were improved during the 8the century from the original material. Athenian tyrant Hipparchus played an important role in this improvement. The refinement of the Homeric text must have involved the production of canonical written text. While Iliad and Odyssey have become famous, his Homeric Hymns have not remained far behind. The Homeric Hymns are short poems celebrating the various Gods. The styles if the Homeric Hymns are same as the Iliad and Odyssey, the reason for which they are attributed to Homer. As Homer was non-literate how these poems were written are arguable. Perhaps, he dictated his poems to a scribe who wrote them. The Greek alphabet was also introduced around the 8th century so Homer must have been among the first rhapsodes who were literate. Homer's famous epics: Iliad The poems of Illiad depict the seige of the city of Ilion or Troy during the Trojan War. The word Illiad itself means "something concerned with Ilion". Illion was the city based in the state of Troy. When Illiad was created, is arguable. Some scholars are adamant that it was written around the 8th - 9th century, while some debate it must have been written during the 6th - 7th century... more »


Which Shakespeare play has the siege of Troy as its setting?

An "Iliad" Play — Utah Shakespeare Festival An "Iliad" Play By Stephanie Chidester Peter Levi speculates that the Bard may have written Troilus and Cressida in response to audience demand “for an Iliad play" (The Life and Times of William Shakespeare [New York: Henry Holt and Company, 1998], 234). This notion is not without merit; the story of the siege of Troy was “well known and . . . , widely disseminated” by the end of the sixteenth century, and, in addition, Chapman’s English translation of the Iliad made its appearance in 1598, redoubling current interest in Homer’s account of the Trojan War (Kenneth Palmer, “Introduction,” The Arden Shakespeare: Troilus and Cressida [London: Methuen, 1982], 22), If Levi is right and Shakespeare wrote Troilus and Cressida in answer to popular demand, the Bard met the request in much the same way he did when, according to legend, he was asked to write a play showing Falstaff in love: Troilus and Cressida is no more a faithful dramatic rendition of Homer’s Iliad than The Merry Wives of Windsor is a depiction of Falstaff fallen prey to Cupid. In fact, Shakespeare’s play might be summed up as Homer meets Chaucer and Ovid. While the play shares its setting and most of its characters with the Iliad those characters are also influenced by medieval notions of chivalry and courtly love (borrowed largely from Chaucer’s long poem Troilus and Criseyde), and the whole play is finished with a thick varnish of mockery. Audiences are often disconcerted by the medieval touches in the play. Aeneas sounds very like a knight in a tournament when he delivers Hector’s challenge to the Greeks, and the challenge itself is redolent of courtly love philosophy: “Hector... will tomorrow with his trumpet call / Midway between your tents and walls of Troy / To rouse a Grecian that is true in love. I If any come, Hector shall honour him: / If none, he’ll say in Troy, when he retires, / The Grecian dames are sunburnt and not worth I The splinter of a lance” (1.3.272, 276—82). Furthermore, the plot concerning Troilus and Cressida’s ill-fated love (which Shakespeare takes from Chaucer, who, in turn, draws on Boccaccio) was inserted during the Middle Ages, in order to make the story of the Trojan War more appealing to the audiences of the time. When Shakespeare is not transforming Homer’s characters into medieval knights and courtly lovers, he treats them humorously—if somewhat unkindly—in the style of Ovid’s Metamorphoses, one of Shakespeare’s favorite books. Quoting Golding’s translation of Ovid, Jonathan Bate says, “Ajax is a boasting ‘dolt and grossehead’, ‘slye Ulysses’ a slippery wordsmith ‘who dooth all his matters in the dark’. Ovid thus provides a precedent for Shakespeare’s debunking representation of them” (Jonathan Bate, Shakespeare and Ovid [Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1993], 109). So, in Shakespeare’s play, Ajax is a comic figure “valiant as the lion, churlish as the bear, slow as the elephant” (1.2.20—21), a “beef-wirred lord” (2.1.12) who is “bought and sold among those of any wit” (2.1.49—50); Achilles is a petulant hulk who spends far too much time sulking in his tent and whose brain, though not quite “as barren I As banks of Libya,” is “dry enough” (1.3.327—28); Agamemnon, likewise, is “an honest fellow enough.. but he has not so much brains as ear-wax” (5.1.50-2). The war itself receives similar treatment. A sense of weariness pervades both camps: Agamemnon chastises his commanders, who (unreasonably, he thinks) are feeling discouraged after “a seven-years’ siege” for which they have little to show (1.3.12). As for the Trojans, Hector, who wants to have done with the war, says Helen “is not worth what she doth cost the keeping” (2.2.52), and he further argues, “If Helen then be wife to Sparta’s king, / As it is known she is, these moral laws / Of nature and of nations speak aloud / To have her back return’d” (2.2.184—87). Paris and Troilus are the only Trojans who have any enthusiasm left for the war, Paris because he wants to keep Helen, and Troilus only because he believes in seeing a project thro


Which instrument accompanied “Silent Night”’s first performance?

An "FAQ" about the Christmas Hymn:          "Silent Night" Who was Father     Joseph Mohr? Where was Silent Night first sung? What instrument was used to accompany the choir? Who helped make the carol well known? Can I visit the church where it was first sung? Father Joseph Mohr was born on     Dec 11, 1792 in Salzburg, Austria. He grew up in a small damp     room with his mother Anna Schoiber, his grandmother Maria, his     two half-sisters and his cousin Theresia. They earned their living     by spinning and knitting. His father, Franz Joseph Mohr, came     from the alpine village of Mariapfarr and at age 28 joined the     army in Salzburg. All he did for his son was to give him his     name before he left. The rich town executioner, Franz     Joseph Wohlmuth, adopted Joseph as his godchild. But even so,     with humble origins, young Joseph would never have been allowed     to learn even a menial craft. However, when the Salzburg Cathedral     choirmaster heard Joseph singing, and recognized the boys     musical talent, he helped him receive an education and guided     him into the priesthood. Joseph Mohr was ordained in 1815     and sent to his first parish in Mariapfarr, Austria. This was     the village of his father and here he met his grandfather for     the first time. Sadly his grandfather died only a few months     later, but they were able to spend one Christmas together. The priest of the church in Mariapfarr     was pioneering what we would call today a Contemporary     Service, for the mass on Christmas Eve included German     singing and folk instruments as well as the usual Latin litany.     This was very unusual for its time, and made a deep impression     on Joseph. It was while he was the assistant priest in 1816,     that he wrote the poem, which  because of events that happened     in his next parish  were to become the gentle carol, Silent     Night. In 1817 Father Joseph was reassigned     to St.Nikolas Church in Oberndorf. He and the senior priest,     Father Joseph Kessler (a liberal-minded man), worked well     together arranging mixed German-Latin masses, of the sort Joseph     had encountered in Mariapfarr. The parishioners were delighted     as they could now understand what was being said in church for     the first time and they attended mass in huge numbers. But when the news of these experiments     reached the church hierarchy, it was met with great disapproval     and Kessler was promptly removed. He was replaced by Father Georg     Nöstler, a traditionalist who rejected the use of German     in church outright. For Joseph it became very difficult to work     with the older priest and the two were in constant conflict.     Joseph was by far the more popular of the two as he brought his     God to the people in a way they could understand, and used his     guitar to sing their songs. Nöstler found Josephs     behavior inappropriate for a priest and issued a formal complaint     to the consistory in Salzburg. When the conclusion of the inquiry     fell greatly in Josephs favor, Nöstler was outraged.     It was said that he resorted to spreading untrue rumors about     Joseph in an attempt to undermine the younger mans popularity.     He succeeded. For moral reasons, the majority turned their backs     on Joseph. Even the organist Franz Gruber, who had been his closest     friend until then, was reluctant to be seen at his side. Just before Christmas in 1818,     when Josephs situation was most bleak, the church organ     broke down. Officially mice were held to blame, but rot and mildew     from frequent flooding may have contributed. Either way, it was     impossible to hold the Christmas celebrations in the traditional     way. Father Nöstler was at his wits end and had no choice     but to accept Mohr and G


Which poet laureate wrote “While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks”?

Hymn story, While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks by book of Bible This hymn was written by Nahum Tate (1652-1715) and Nicholas Brady (1659-1726). Tate was the son of an Irish clergyman, who fancied himself a bit of a poet.  The son, Nahum, became an accomplished poet, and was appointed Poet Laureate of England by King William III.  He wrote not only as a poet but as a playwright, and many of his works were produced onstage.  He is reputed to have been a drunkard and spendthrift who died in poverty. Brady was an Anglican clergyman and poet who supported the Revolution of 1688, which brought King William III to the throne. Tate and Brady collaborated on a Psalter entitled New Version of the Psalms of David, which they published in 1696 to replace an earlier Psalter that had been published by Thomas Sternhold and John Hopkins in 1562.  The Psalter by Tate and Brady was adopted by the Anglican Church, and endured as the standard work for the singing of psalms for more than a century. Tate and Brady published a supplement to their Psalter in 1700.  That supplement included this carol, “While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks.”  This carol is based, not on a psalm, but on Luke 2:8-14—Luke’s Christmas story. The tune, “Harmonia Sacra,” is an adaptation of an aria from George Frederick Handel’s opera, Siroe.


Ultimately, which 538-strong institution votes in a new president?

What the 2016 U.S. presidential election means for the Middle East | Brookings Institution What the 2016 U.S. presidential election means for the Middle East عربي Editor's Note: This report was finalized on February 15, 2016. On February 20, 2016, Hillary Clinton won Nevada’s Democratic caucuses with 52.6% of the vote, claiming 19 of 34 delegates; Donald Trump won South Carolina’s Republican primaries, sweeping all 50 delegates with 32.5% of the vote; and Jeb Bush, having received only 7.8% of the vote, suspended his campaign. Any U.S. presidential election comes with surprises. The 2016 campaign, however, has provided a seemingly endless supply of shock and confusion. Such surprise comes from a variety of questions: Who is doing well? Who is underperforming? Which issues are being talked about? From a pool of candidates that once numbered nearly two dozen, one will eventually succeed Barack Obama as the next president of the United States. The candidates and the issues they are discussing will have far reaching effects, not just for American public policy but for leadership and policy throughout the world, especially the Middle East. This report provides a detailed overview of the 2016 U.S. presidential election. It begins with a discussion of how American presidential elections work and the sequence of the electoral processes that will occur over the coming months. Second, it will discuss what makes this election so unique, even by American standards. Then, it will describe the major issues being discussed in the campaign, specifically those that matter most to the Middle East. Finally, after providing individual candidate profiles of the leading candidates in both the Democratic and Republican parties, it will offer some conclusions about what type of foreign policy can be expected from the next American administration. HOW U.S. PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS WORK Get daily updates from Brookings Enter Email A U.S. presidential election is a complex, multi-stage process that is both confusing and uncertain. It begins when candidates begin to declare their intentions to run for president, often nearly two years prior to the actual election. Candidates begin hiring staff, organizing a national campaign apparatus, and most important, raising money. Before the final, general election campaign, candidates from each major party—Democrats and Republicans—must compete in a primary campaign, in which they vie to become their party’s nominee for president. The primary campaign involves speeches, interviews, policy announcements, engagement with voters, efforts to gather high profile endorsements, fundraisers, and ultimately, debates. In debates, which began in late 2015, candidates from their respective parties face a series of questions from members of the media. Actual voting did not begin for the 2016 election cycle until February, when the series of state-by-state “mini-elections” that makes up the primary process got underway. For each party, each state is given a set number of delegates based largely on the size of the population and the party in that state. These delegates are awarded based on how well each candidate performs in each state’s primary election. The delegates of all the states are ultimately combined to determine who becomes each party’s nominee. Typically, those individuals are identified at some point early in the year, but the designation is not official until the states’ delegates themselves come together to formally nominate them at the Democratic and Republican national conventions. The timeline below outlines some significant dates in the presidential campaign. As the timeline indicates, even once voting begins in the early primary states (Iowa and New Hampshire), the campaign is a long, drawn-out process. Primary races last from early February until mid-June, and party conventions begin more than a month later in late-July. The actual election is not held for another 15 weeks, in early November. The new president will finally take office on January 20, 2017. Even the general election itself is a complex pro


Which five words from a nursery rhyme were the first Edison recorded on a phonograph?

1878 first-ever captured Edison audio recording unveiled | Fox News 1878 first-ever captured Edison audio recording unveiled Published        October 25, 2012   SCHENECTADY, N.Y. –  It's scratchy, lasts only 78 seconds and features the world's first recorded blooper. The modern masses can now listen to what experts say is the oldest playable recording of an American voice and the first-ever capturing of a musical performance, thanks to digital advances that allowed the sound to be transferred from flimsy tinfoil to computer. The recording was originally made on a Thomas Edison-invented phonograph in St. Louis in 1878. At a time when music lovers can carry thousands of digital songs on a player the size of a pack of gum, Edison's tinfoil playback seems prehistoric. But that dinosaur opens a key window into the development of recorded sound. "In the history of recorded sound that's still playable, this is about as far back as we can go," said John Schneiter, a trustee at the Museum of Innovation and Science, where it will be played Thursday night in the city where Edison helped found the General Electric Co. The recording opens with a 23-second cornet solo of an unidentified song, followed by a man's voice reciting "Mary Had a Little Lamb" and "Old Mother Hubbard." The man laughs at two spots during the recording, including at the end, when he recites the wrong words in the second nursery rhyme. "Look at me; I don't know the song," he says. When the recording is played using modern technology during a presentation Thursday at a nearby theater, it likely will be the first time it has been played at a public event since it was created during an Edison phonograph demonstration held June 22, 1878, in St. Louis, museum officials said. The recording was made on a sheet of tinfoil, 5 inches wide by 15 inches long, placed on the cylinder of the phonograph Edison invented in 1877 and began selling the following year. A hand crank turned the cylinder under a stylus that would move up and down over the foil, recording the sound waves created by the operator's voice. The stylus would eventually tear the foil after just a few playbacks, and the person demonstrating the technology would typically tear up the tinfoil and hand the pieces out as souvenirs, according to museum curator Chris Hunter. Popping noises heard on this recording are likely from scars left from where the foil was folded up for more than a century. "Realistically, once you played it a couple of times, the stylus would tear through it and destroy it," he said. Only a handful of the tinfoil recording sheets are known to known to survive, and of those, only two are playable: the Schenectady museum's and an 1880 recording owned by The Henry Ford museum in Michigan. Hunter said he was able to determine just this week that the man's voice on the museum's 1878 tinfoil recording is believed to be that of Thomas Mason, a St. Louis newspaper political writer who also went by the pen name I.X. Peck. Edison company records show that one of his newly invented tinfoil phonographs, serial No. 8, was sold to Mason for $95.50 in April 1878, and a search of old newspapers revealed a listing for a public phonograph program being offered by Peck on June 22, 1878, in St. Louis, the curator said. A woman's voice says the words "Old Mother Hubbard," but her identity remains a mystery, he said. Three weeks after making the recording, Mason died of sunstroke, Hunter said. A Connecticut woman donated the tinfoil to the Schenectady museum in 1978 for an exhibit on the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Edison company that later merged with another to form GE. The woman's father had been an antiques dealer in the Midwest and counted the item among his favorites, Hunter said. In July, Hunter brought the Edison tinfoil recording to California's Berkeley Lab, where researchers such as Carl Haber have had success in recent years restoring some of the earliest audio recordings. Haber's projects include recovering a snippet of a folk song recorded a capella in 1860 on paper by Edouard-Leo


What term can be both a piece of cartilage in certain joints and a feature of a liquid?

Meniscus - definition of meniscus by The Free Dictionary Meniscus - definition of meniscus by The Free Dictionary http://www.thefreedictionary.com/meniscus Related to meniscus: meniscus tear meniscus anterior view of a knee joint me·nis·cus n. pl. me·nis·ci (-nĭs′ī, -kī, -kē) or me·nis·cus·es 1. A crescent-shaped body. 2. A concavo-convex lens. 3. The curved upper surface of a nonturbulent liquid in a container that is concave if the liquid wets the container walls and convex if it does not. 4. A cartilage disk that acts as a cushion between the ends of bones that meet in a joint. [New Latin, from Greek mēniskos, diminutive of mēnē, moon, month; see mē-2 in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.] me·nis′cal (-kəl), me·nis′cate′ (-kăt′), me·nis′coid′ (-koid′), men′is·coi′dal (mĕn′ĭs-koid′l) adj. meniscus (mɪˈnɪskəs) n, pl -nisci (-ˈnɪsaɪ) or -niscuses 1. (General Physics) the curved upper surface of a liquid standing in a tube, produced by the surface tension 2. a crescent or half-moon-shaped body or design 3. (Anatomy) a crescent-shaped fibrous cartilage between the bones at certain joints, esp at the knee 4. (General Physics) a crescent-shaped lens; a concavo-convex or convexo-concave lens [C17: from New Latin, from Greek mēniskos crescent, diminutive of mēnē moon] meˈniscoid adj n., pl. -nis•ci (-ˈnɪs aɪ, -ˈnɪs kaɪ, -ki) -nis•cus•es. 1. a crescent or a crescent-shaped body. 2. the convex or concave upper surface of a column of liquid, the curvature of which is caused by surface tension. 3. a concavo-convex or convexo-concave lens. 4. a wedge of cartilage between the articulating ends of the bones in certain joints. [1685–95; < New Latin < Greek mēnískos crescent, diminutive of mḗnē moon] me·nis·cus (mə-nĭs′kəs) 1. A lens that is concave on one side and convex on the other. 2. The curved upper surface of a column of liquid. The surface is concave if the molecules of the liquid are attracted to the container walls and convex if they are not. 3. A piece of cartilage shaped like a crescent and located at the junction of two bones in a joint, such as the knee. See more at joint . ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend: cartilage , gristle - tough elastic tissue; mostly converted to bone in adults anatomy , general anatomy - the branch of morphology that deals with the structure of animals 2. meniscus - (optics) a lens that is concave on one side and convex on the other lens , lens system , lense - a transparent optical device used to converge or diverge transmitted light and to form images optics - the branch of physics that studies the physical properties of light 3. meniscus - (physics) the curved upper surface of a nonturbulent liquid in a vertical tube surface - the outer boundary of an artifact or a material layer constituting or resembling such a boundary; "there is a special cleaner for these surfaces"; "the cloth had a pattern of red dots on a white surface" natural philosophy , physics - the science of matter and energy and their interactions; "his favorite subject was physics" Translations


What term can be both a highly energised state of matter and a bodily fluid?

Shock | definition of shock by Medical dictionary Shock | definition of shock by Medical dictionary http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/shock   Definition Shock is a medical emergency in which the organs and tissues of the body are not receiving an adequate flow of blood. This deprives the organs and tissues of oxygen (carried in the blood) and allows the buildup of waste products. Shock can result in serious damage or even death . Description There are three stages of shock: Stage I (also called compensated, or nonprogressive), Stage II (also called decompensated or progressive), and Stage III (also called irreversible). In Stage I of shock, when low blood flow (perfusion) is first detected, a number of systems are activated in order to maintain/restore perfusion. The result is that the heart beats faster, the blood vessels throughout the body become slightly smaller in diameter, and the kidney works to retain fluid in the circulatory system. All this serves to maximize blood flow to the most important organs and systems in the body. The patient in this stage of shock has very few symptoms, and treatment can completely halt any progression. In Stage II of shock, these methods of compensation begin to fail. The systems of the body are unable to improve perfusion any longer, and the patient's symptoms reflect that fact. Oxygen deprivation in the brain causes the patient to become confused and disoriented, while oxygen deprivation in the heart may cause chest pain . With quick and appropriate treatment, this stage of shock can be reversed. In Stage III of shock, the length of time that poor perfusion has existed begins to take a permanent toll on the body's organs and tissues. The heart's functioning continues to spiral downward, and the kidneys usually shut down completely. Cells in organs and tissues throughout the body are injured and dying. The endpoint of Stage III shock is the patient's death. Causes and symptoms Shock is caused by three major categories of problems: cardiogenic (meaning problems associated with the heart's functioning); hypovolemic (meaning that the total volume of blood available to circulate is low); and septic shock (caused by overwhelming infection, usually by bacteria). Cardiogenic shock can be caused by any disease, or event, which prevents the heart muscle from pumping strongly and consistently enough to circulate the blood normally. Heart attack , conditions which cause inflammation of the heart muscle (myocarditis), disturbances of the electrical rhythm of the heart, any kind of mass or fluid accumulation and/or blood clot which interferes with flow out of the heart can all significantly affect the heart's ability to adequately pump a normal quantity of blood. Hypovolemic shock occurs when the total volume of blood in the body falls well below normal. This can occur when there is excess fluid loss, as in dehydration due to severe vomiting or diarrhea, diseases which cause excess urination (diabetes insipidus, diabetes mellitus, and kidney failure), extensive burns , blockage in the intestine, inflammation of the pancreas ( pancreatitis ), or severe bleeding of any kind. Septic shock can occur when an untreated or inadequately treated infection (usually bacterial) is allowed to progress. Bacteria often produce poisonous chemicals (toxins) which can cause injury throughout the body. When large quantities of these bacteria, and their toxins, begin circulating in the bloodstream, every organ and tissue in the body is at risk of their damaging effects. The most damaging consequences of these bacteria and toxins include poor functioning of the heart muscle; widening of the diameter of the blood vessels; a drop in blood pressure; activation of the blood clotting system, causing blood clots , followed by a risk of uncontrollable bleeding; damage to the lungs, causing acute respiratory distress syndrome; liver failure; kidney failure; and coma . Initial symptoms of shock include cold, clammy hands and feet; pale or blue-tinged skin tone; weak, fast pulse rate; fast rate of breathing; low


Which chemical acid makes up around 0.5% of what is called gastric acid?

What's in the Stomach's Gastric Juice? What's in the Stomach's Gastric Juice? Search the site By Shereen Lehman, MS - Reviewed by a board-certified physician. Updated August 24, 2016 The food you chew and swallow (called a bolus) mixes with the gastric juices secreted by special glands found in the lining of your stomach. They include the cardiac glands at the top part of the stomach, the oxyntic glands in the main body of the stomach and the pyloric glands, located in the antrum or the lowest part of the stomach. Each of the glands contains cells that make specific components that together are called the gastric juices. Neck cells secrete bicarbonate and mucous, parietal cells secrete hydrochloric acid, chief cells secrete pepsinogen, and enteroendocrine cells secrete various hormones. Not all stomach glands contain every type of cell. Breaking Down the Gastric Juices Gastric juice is made up of water, electrolytes, hydrochloric acid, enzymes, mucus and intrinsic factor. Hydrochloric acid is a strong acid secreted by the parietal cells, and it lowers the pH of your stomach to around 2. Hydrochloric acid converts pepsinogen into pepsin and breaks various nutrients apart from the food you eat. It also kills bacteria that comes along with your food. Pepsinogen is secreted by chief cells, and when it's in the presence of hydrochloric acid, it's converted to pepsin. Pepsin breaks apart tertiary and secondary protein structures to make it easier for the digestive enzymes in the small intestines to work later. Gastric lipase is another digestive enzyme made by the chief cells. It helps break down short and medium chain fats. Amylase is also found in gastric juices, but it isn't made by the stomach, it comes from saliva and travels with the bolus into the stomach. Amylase breaks down carbohydrates, but it doesn't have much time to work on the stomach because the acidity stops it. But that's okay, your small intestine makes more amylase later on. Intrinsic factor is secreted by parietal cells and is necessary for your body to absorb vitamin B-12 , which is essential for healthy nervous system function and blood cell production. Finally, the gastric juices contain water and mucus. The mucus is secreted by the neck cells and helps coat the protect your stomach lining from the acid environment. Your stomach muscles squeeze and churn to mix the bolus with the digestive juices. The liquidy mixture is called chyme, and when it's ready, your stomach squirts the chyme into the small intestine where digestion and absorption of food continues. Sources: Gropper SS, Smith JL, Groff JL. "Advanced Nutrition and Human Metabolism." Sixth Edition. Belmont, CA. Wadsworth Publishing Company, 2013.  Smolin LA, Grosvenor, MB. "Nutrition: Science and Applications." Third Edition. Wiley Publishing Company, 2013.


Anatomy. What can be true, false, or floating?

Gross Anatomy of the Rib Cage and Sternum Tutorial | Sophia Learning Overview The sternum is divided into three parts. From superior to inferior: manubrium, body, xiphoid process. There are 12 pairs of ribs for a total of 24 individual ribs. The rib cage can be divided into three different parts; true ribs, false ribs, floating ribs. True ribs are individuall attached to the sternum via their costal cartilages; there are 7 pairs or 14 total true ribs. The false ribs are 8-10 and the costal cartilage of these articulate with the costal cartilage of rib 7. Ribs 11-12 are called floating because they have no costal cartilage and don't articulate with anything on the anterior side. False ribs don't contribute to the breathing process but they still have purpose. They are used to shield organs within the upper parts of the abdominal cavity. Source: Mind of Aaron


In the Just William stories by Richmal Crompton, what is the name of William’s gang?

Five Fascinating Facts about Just William | Interesting Literature Five Fascinating Facts about Just William Posted by interestingliterature An interesting history of the popular children’s books, Just William In 1922, T. S. Eliot’s The Waste Land was published, James Joyce celebrated the publication of his novel Ulysses and Virginia Woolf’s third novel Jacob’s Room appeared. But amongst all this highbrow modernist literature, there was also another literary phenomenon arriving on the scene. He was eleven-year-old English schoolboy William Brown, who would become known to millions of devoted readers as ‘Just William’. 1. That said, William actually made his debut in print a few years before, in the 1919 short story ‘Rice Mould Pudding’. But it was the publication in 1922 of the first book of stories to feature him, Just – William, that would introduce him to the reading public at large. Richmal Crompton, the creator of William, was born in 1890. After the publication of Just – William in 1922 she would go on to write a total of 39 books in the series, which would enjoy combined sales of 12 million copies in the UK alone. Famously, Crompton was a woman – a fact which has surprised many readers, probably because of the ‘boys’ own’ feel of the stories, which led some fans to assume Richmal was a man. 2. Richmal Crompton’s full name was Richmal Crompton Lamburn – the middle name was in honour of her grandfather. ‘Crompton’ came from her maternal grandfather, who committed suicide by swallowing prussic acid when Richmal was three years old. Nobody knows why he killed himself. At school, Richmal was a gifted pupil who attended the local boarding school and was offered a place to study Classics at Newnham College, Cambridge. However, she turned down Cambridge when Royal Holloway, London offered her a £60 annual scholarship to study there. After graduating she became a schoolteacher – though, perhaps surprisingly for someone who would create the most famous schoolboy in twentieth-century fiction, she taught at an all-girls’ school. She created William around this time, and although she wrote some 30 books for adults, none of them attracted anything like the readership that William Brown did. She would soon come to resent the shadow that her schoolboy creation cast over her ‘serious’ fiction. This sounds like Conan Doyle’s famous frustration with Sherlock Holmes – another creation that took on a life and popularity of its own beyond the writer’s own imagining (or desire). Coincidentally, Crompton, like Doyle, would also become a committed spiritualist in her later years (she died in 1969). 3. William got up to some pretty shocking things. As a Guardian article from 1999 outlines , William fell foul of animal rights campaigners when the stories were relaunched for a new generation of young readers in 1999. For instance, in the story ‘The Show’ – which appeared in the first volume of stories – William and his gang, the Outlaws, paint a terrier blue and charge people a penny to see the spectacle of a blue dog. In ‘The Stolen Whistle’, William unleashes his dog, Jumble, on a flock of sheep. But that’s nothing compared with a particular 1935 story… 4. In 1935, William and his Outlaws became Nazis. At least, kind of. In ‘William and the Nasties’, William and his Outlaws (who included Ginger, Douglas, and Henry) take to emulating Hitler and his fellow National Socialists in order to terrorise a local Jewish sweet-shop owner. Published in a magazine in 1934, ‘William and the Nasties’ was reprinted in the 1935 collection William the Detective. (‘Nasties’ is William’s mishearing of ‘Nazis’.) The story continued to appear in William the Detective well into the 1980s, when it was dropped from the volume and for all subsequent reprints. 5. Although he has a reputation for being a mischievous schoolboy, William wasn’t always all that naughty. Even in the above story, which is understandably no longer in print, there is a moral twist to the tale, with William and his friends realising the error of their ways and making peace with the shop-owner


Presidents of the United States (POTUS) He was born Leslie Lynch King, Jr. Ford was the first president to be an Eagle Scout. Ford was on the University of Michigan football team from 1931 to 1934. He was offered tryouts by both the Green Bay Packers and the Detroit Lions. Both Ford and his wife, Betty, had been models before their marriage. When Ford proposed to to his wife, he was wearing one brown & one black shoe. Ford was the fourth left-handed president of the United States. Running for Congress in 1948, Ford campaigned on his wedding day. Ford was one of the members of the Warren Commission appointed to study the assassination of President One night, Ford was locked out of the White House while walking his golden retriever, Liberty. The Secret Service finally let him in. Ford's daughter Susan held her senior prom at the White House. He was the first president to release to the public a full report of his medical checkup. Ford was the first president to visit Japan. Ford was the only president whose two assassination attempts against him were made by women. Gerald Ford was the first president not elected by the people to become president. He became vice president when Nixon's elected vice president, Spiro T. Agnew , resigned. Then became president when


Who was the first of the regular cast of ‘Dad’s Army’ to die?

MainCast RETURN John Le Mesurier (1912 - 1983) - Sergeant Wilson It seems you cannot watch any Ealing Comedy of the (late) 50s and 60s without seeing the dour face of John Le Mesurier. In fact between the years 1952 and 1977 he managed to play in at least one film for every year, 1962 being the most prolific year with no less than 5 to his credit! Bury St Edmunds was home to the young Le Mesurier, where he developed a love of the countryside, horses, pubs, village cricket and village characters. His father was a successful lawyer in the town. John was fascinated by the theatre, but it was not until he was 21, with his parents full blessing that he decided to become an actor, knowing full well what hard and uncertain work it was. After attending the Fay Compton School of Dramatic Art, John's first engagement in repertory was at the Palladium Theatre, Edinburgh, which started his personal 'tour of duties' until war came along in 1939. At the start of the war John became an Air Raid Warden in Chelsea before being called up to the Army. As a commissioned officer he spent much of this time in India. It was after the war that John set his sights on the film industry, appearing in his first film 'Escape from Broadmoor' in 1948, it was the start of a successful career in this medium. John was surprised when he read the pilot episode of 'Dad's Army' that he was not cast as the officer, as he usually was. It came to pass that he was originally thought of to play the captain, and Arthur Lowe the sergeant, but an inspired change of roles gave the programme some of its funniest elements, as the gallant Captain played the game of oneupmanship with his socially superior sergeant. His character was not unlike his real self, and the writers began to write around the actor after a time anyway. During one of the intervals between series, John took up the role of Kim Philby the defector, in the television play 'Traitor'. It was a very demanding part, definitely not a comedy. It was this role which led to John being awarded a BAFTA for best actor in 1971. John very nearly missed the last series due to illness, but he was determined to be there. You will notice that his appearance during this last series was more drawn than ever. He enjoyed making the series even though it was a bit of a strain. Before his death he managed to tour South Africa, Singapore, Hong Kong and Kuala Lumpur in various plays, as well as continuing in the West End. He had managed a credible fifty years as an actor. RETURN Clive Dunn (1920 - 2012) - Lance Corporal Jones Clive started his acting career by appearing as an extra in a Will Hay film 'Boys Will Be Boys', and after attending stage school, tried his luck firstly in seasonal theatre work, then commercial repertory, stage managing and playing small parts. This career was interrupted by the Second World War, which proved to be a traumatic time for him, as he was taken prisoner by the Germans whilst in Greece. After, he continued where he had left off, and began to specialise in character acting, particularly old men. a talent which would lend itself to the small screen which had begun to take off a few years after. Clive also had a hit single with the song 'Grandad', and on the strength of this recorded a whole album of songs. Clive was the only member of the Dad's Army cast that was required to look older, however this came in useful when he was required to perform one stunt or another! After Dad's Army had finished, Clive decided to move to Portugal and open a restaurant, where he remains to this day. Occasionally he returned to our screens as a cameo L/Cpl Jones, only with less make-up! Clive passed away on 6 November 2012 in Portugal (where he lived for many years) following a minor operation. RETURN John Laurie (1897 - 1980) - Private Frazer John was not destined for a career in the theatre. He started his career in architecture, until World War One took him away. He never expected to come out of it alive, and it was only when he had been invalided out that he became a sergeant-of-arms at the Tower of London.


Sax Rohmer created which notorious, fictional criminal?

Black Gate » Articles » Sax Rohmer’s The Adventures of Nayland Smith Sax Rohmer’s The Adventures of Nayland Smith Friday, September 7th, 2012 | Posted by William Patrick Maynard Sir Denis Nayland Smith is the largely unsung protagonist of all of Sax Rohmer’s novels and stories featuring the notorious Dr. Fu Manchu. The brilliant Chinese criminal genius constantly overshadowed the stalwart British subject who did his best to route his megalomaniacal schemes over the course of thirteen novels and four shorter works published between 1912 and 1959. The legendary villain overshadowed Sir Denis to such a degree that many readers were unaware that the author showcased Smith without his customary nemesis in three short stories published between 1920 and 1932. When Rohmer created the character a century ago, Smith was depicted as a colonial administrator, stationed in Burma and granted a roving commission by the Home Office to bring Dr. Fu Manchu to justice. His childhood friend, Dr. Petrie, played Watson to Smith’s Holmes, chronicling his adventures for posterity and ably assisting him wherever possible. Petrie’s job was made easy in as much as Smith rarely did any actual detecting. The duo generally reacted to Fu Manchu’s latest atrocity and then spent the rest of the book trying to anticipate his next move, check him, be captured, escape, and inevitably lead a daring raid that would end in something less than a complete success. Despite it all, Smith and Petrie persevered and when Rohmer ended the initial run of the series in 1917, readers likely expected they had heard the last of Nayland Smith’s exploits. Rohmer, however, was too fond of the character to let him retire peacefully. “The Blue Monkey” was one of two original stories that appeared in the author’s first collection of short fiction, The Haunting of Low Fennel, published in the UK in 1920 by C. Arthur Pearson. It was the only title in the collection not subsequently published in the US by Doubleday in 1933 as part of Tales of East and West. The story finds Smith and Petrie on holiday in Dartmoor just after the Fu Manchu business has concluded, when they become embroiled in a murder investigation. Smith is holidaying under the assumed identity of Mr. East. Their neighbor, Sir Jeffrey Baird, is the murder victim. The duo reluctantly responds to the call of duty when Sir Jeffrey’s daughter, Olive, finds her father’s body at Black Gap on the moors. The story is a slight one and Rohmer wastes no time casting suspicion on Sir Jeffrey’s Greek secretary, Mr. Damopolon, whose Mediterranean blood is reason enough for Dr. Petrie to suspect him. Sir Jeffrey was returning from Sotheby’s auction house when he met his fate. He was bearing the latest acquisition for his collection of curios, a blue porcelain ape of Burmese origin. He was passing by Black Gap, the opening to an ancient Roman mine, when he was murdered. Petrie examines the dead man and concludes he was struck violently on the head, but died of strangulation. The only tracks are curiously those of a small child and they move away from the body rather than following the same path. Oddly enough, there is no sign of Sir Jeffrey’s prized porcelain monkey. Petrie is initially convinced that the footprints were left by the monkey, which somehow came to life. He is shocked when Smith retrieves the blue monkey, buried in the moor. Together, they confront Mr. Damopolon. Smith points out that the blue monkey is actually a worthless curio and that he concluded the killer carefully walked in Sir Jeffrey’s tracks before retracing his steps backwards to escape the scene of the crime, while carefully using the porcelain monkey to leave retreating footprints behind. Smith offers damning evidence that it was Damopolon who murdered his employer and concealed the blue monkey in the moor. The secretary confesses and reveals that he and Olive had been secretly married and that he had reason to hate her disapproving father, as well as a desperate need for Olive’s inheritance. Before Smith and Petrie can stop him, the Greek draws a pistol


Angela Merkel is the leader of which political party in Germany?

Angela Merkel Facts & Biography | Famous Leaders Born: July 17, 1954 in Hamburg, West Germany Nationality: German Famous For: First female Chancellor of Germany Awards: Dame Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic 2006, Vision for Europe Award 2006 Angela Dorothea Merkel is a popular German politician. She is a trained physicist who decided to venture into politics after the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. Angela has been the chairwoman of Christian Democratic Union Party since 2000 and she is actually the first woman to ever hold this office. She is also the first female chancellor in Germany and is regarded as one of the European Union’s leading figures. Additionally, Angela Merkel is the first woman to become a leader in Germany since 1871 and the youngest chancellor since the Second World War. Early Life Angela Merkel, a chancellor and German stateswoman, was born in Hamburg, Germany, on July 17, 1954. She is the daughter of an English teacher and Lutheran pastor and she has one brother and a sister. She spent her childhood in a rural setting in Templin, north of Berlin, East Germany. Angela participated in the compulsory communist youth program and attended the University of Leipzig to study physics. She earned her doctorate degree in 1978 after which she took a job at the Central Institute for Physical Chemistry working in the capacity of a chemist. Merkel’s Career in Leadership When the Berlin Wall fell, Angela saw her entrance into politics. She started by joining the Democratic Awakening Party. She then became a spokeswoman for the first caretaker government, democratically elected in East Germany. Post-reunification, she was elected into the Bundestag. While being a member of the Christian Democratic Union political party, commonly known as the CDU, Angela was appointed to the position of Minister for Women and Youth in Chancellor Helmut Kohl’s cabinet. She also served as the Minister for the Environment and Nuclear Safety under Helmut. When Kohl was defeated in 1998, Merkel became the party’s Secretary General and soon rose to the position of chairperson, becoming the first lady to ever hold that position. In the 2005 national elections, she challenged the then-chancellor, Gerhard Schroder, and won narrowly by only three seats. As such, she was declared the chancellor of Germany. She was re-elected for that position in 2009. In 2008, Angela became the first German chancellor to speak before Knesset, when she spoke during Israel’s 60th birthday. Current Controversies Angela Merkel has made headlines recently when she came out to accuse United States National Security Agency of spying on her by tapping her cell phone. Angela chided the US for this breech of personal privacy saying that spying on friends is never acceptable. Reports later revealed that the United States National Security Agency may have been spying on Angela since 2002. The Future Angela’s popularity has suffered a few setbacks through her second term as Europe continues to face financial crisis. However, the EU has looked to Merkel and Nicolas Sarkozy, the president of France, to lead them through the trouble. Merkel is known for pulling her government from the brink as well as helping Germany to recover from a recession, achievements that earned her the nickname, “Teflon Angie.” Merkel has held fast to pro-American and pro-Israeli stances and she continues to warn about Iran’s nuclear program. Famous Leaders


In 1996, which New Zealand group got to no. 5 in the UK charts with ‘How Bizarre’?

25 Awesome One-Hit Wonders of the 1990s :: Music :: Lists :: Page 2 :: Paste 25 Awesome One-Hit Wonders of the 1990s By John Barrett  |  September 28, 2011  |  10:07am 20. OMC “How Bizarre” (1996) A pop duo from Auckland, New Zealand, OMC scored a huge international hit in ’96 with “How Bizarre,” a jaunty, brass-driven tune from their album of the same name. A follow-up hit charted in their homeland but made no impact abroad. Though it already seemed OMC were history, the two members ensured this two years later after a falling out over a royalties dispute, after which lead vocalist Pauly Fuemana continued on as a solo artist under the OMC name and never produced another album anyway. Fuemana died in 2010 at the age of 40, sealing the group’s fate. 19. The Rembrandts “I’ll Be There for You” (1994) Power-pop band The Rembrandts actually did have another decently successful single at the beginning of their career, “Just the Way It Is, Baby,” but the stature and influence “I’ll Be There for You” had on the 1990s completely eclipses it. A catchy song with an instantly singable chorus, this little ditty wound up as the theme song for a little show called Friends which a few people watched on TV. The song is now usually defined as “the Friends theme song” and has kept The Rembrandts’ legacy alive in popular culture (though maybe not their name). 18. Lou Bega “Mambo No. 5” (1999) German jazz-popster Lou Bega revitalized this “jive dance” song for a new generation, originally composed in 1949 by Pérez Prado, by adding his own lyrics and structure to the tune. At the close of the ’90s you couldn’t get away from the bright, brassy horns, slick shuffle groove and the unforgettable listing of the numerous women Bega’s character (or maybe Bega) was seeing at once. The song was contagious, rising to No. 3 in American and No. 1 pretty much everywhere else. Unfortunately, that would be the end of the line for Bega, as his next single flopped tremendously and he never charted significantly again. I distinctly remember seeing one of the Stuart Little movies in theaters and noticing a different Lou Bega song was playing over the end credits, and also noticing it was pretty much “Mambo No. 5” with different lyrics. That was the last I heard of him. 17. Len “Steal My Sunshine” (1999) Canadian pop group Len’s main allure was the cute interplay between brother-sister Marc and Sharon Costanzo, and the band’s lone hit “Steal My Sunshine” focused precisely on that interplay, as the two playfully traded verses and interlocked melodies in the chorus over a sample of a disco song from 1976. The happy vibe of “Steal My Sunshine” was a surprise hit, even for the band, who only wound up officially releasing the song as a single a full four months after radio had started playing it. Though nothing was ever heard from Len again, the Constanzo siblings are actually still together and released a more hip-hop-oriented album, Diary of the Madmen, in 2005. 16. Toadies “Possum Kingdom” (1994) The fact that “Possum Kingdom” even became a huge rock hit is strange, considering not only the darkness of its subject matter but the complexity and unusual structure of the song, featuring off-kilter riffs in irregular meters and the abrasive howl of “I will treat you well / My sweet angel / So help me Jesus” that serves as the song’s chorus. Inspired by Possum Kingdom Lake near Toadies’ native Dallas, the lyrics are sufficiently creepy and foreboding, depicting a crazed murder at the lake (which its music video effectively demonstrates). Though certain songs, over time, became modestly known on rock stations, nothing ever found its way into the limelight like “Possum Kingdom.” 15. Marcy Playground “Sex and Candy” (1997) The ultra-laid-back allure of “Sex and Candy” was undeniable when N.Y.C.’s Marcy Playground released it in ’97, a simple, dreamlike tale of first laying eyes on a beautiful woman. The abstract lyrical imagery certainly didn’t hurt: “disco superfly,” “disco lemonade,” “platform double-suede.” Sadly, Marcy Playground wouldn’t really do anything notable af