Which politician has used the pseudonyms Michael Green and Sebastian Fox in his business life?

Grant Shapps: my Michael Green alias was only a 'joke' - Telegraph Politics Grant Shapps: my Michael Green alias was only a 'joke' Grant Shapps, the Conservative Party chairman, has claimed he was only joking  when he used a fake name to promote his get-rich-quick business. Mr Shapps on new reports: 'Old story: all properly declared at the time and all many years ago. Labour just hate business'  By Rowena Mason , Political Correspondent 6:15PM BST 05 Oct 2012 Comments Mr Shapps is being investigated by the Advertising Standards Agency over his use of an alias, but he last night insisted his real identity was "never a secret" The senior MP said he is "absolutely not embarrassed" about having built a successful business under the name of Michael Green while he was recovering for Hodgkin's Lymphoma, a type of cancer. Hitting back at his critics, Mr Shapps said he only attended an event with a name badge reading "Michael Green" because it was his pseudonym used to write books like How to Get Stinking Rich. "It was a conference joke," he told the Evening Standard. “Everyone knew who I was. It was not a secret, never was. Authors using pen names is normal. Nigel West is really Rupert Allason [ a former Tory MP and spy writer] and people didn’t care.” Mr Shapps also denied accusations that he bought Twitter followers and said he only ever edited his Wikipedia entry to make it accurate. Related Articles Grant Shapps edited own Wikipedia page 09 Sep 2012 He spoke out to defend himself after Ed Miliband, the Labour leader, mocked the Conservative chairman for his multiple identities. “I’m absolutely not embarrassed about having done something that Ed Miliband has never done – which is to build up a business from scratch,” Mr Shapps told the newspaper. “I know what it’s like to get up early and graft – and to put my house on the line to buy the next printing press, pray it works out, and pay my employees at the end of the week. “It’s easy to make speeches saying ‘I know how difficult it is for working people’. But I have actually been a working person. “Some of us did stuff before we went into politics. Miliband has no other experience at all. He’s the one who must think he was born to rule because he never went for any other job.” The probe into Mr Shapps is focusing on his claims to be a self-help guru called Michael Green on a website called howtocorp.com. A complaint to the ASA alleges that the website misled the public by presenting Michael Green as a genuine businessman with a personal fortune of £17 million, who would share the secrets of his success for a fee. It relates to a website entitled “Sebastian Fox’s How To Corp – The Home of Great Toolkits on the Net”, which includes links to articles on each advertised “toolkit” which it says are written by Michael Green.


'Complete and Unbelievable: The . Dictionary of Soul', whose name is missing from the title of his last solo studio album?

Lists courtesy of Gordon Stephen unless stated otherwise. MOJO: THE 100 GREATEST ALBUMS EVER MADE August 1995 Edition 1. The Beach Boys - Pet Sounds 2. Van Morrison - Astral Weeks 3. The Beatles - Revolver 4. The Rolling Stones - Exile On Main Street 5. Bob Dylan - Highway 61 Revisited 6. Marvin Gaye - What's Going On 7. The Rolling Stones - Let It Bleed 8. Bob Dylan - Blonde On Blonde 9. The Velvet Underground - The Velvet Underground And Nico 10. Patti Smith - Horses 12. Jimi Hendrix Experience - Are You Experienced? 13. Steely Dan - Countdown To Ecstasy 14. Jimi Hendrix Experience - Electric Ladyland 15. The Band - The Band 16. The Stooges - Fun House 17. Television - Marquee Moon 19. The Beatles - The Beatles 20. Stevie Wonder - Innervisions 21. David Bowie - Station To Station 22. The Sex Pistols - Never Mind The Bollocks 23. The Clash - London Calling 24. The Beatles - Abbey Road 25. David Bowie - Hunky Dory 26. The Rolling Stones - Beggars Banquet 27. The Beatles - Rubber Soul 28. Captain Beefheart And The Magic Band - Trout Mask Replica 29. David Bowie - The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust 30. The Doors - The Doors 31. Otis Redding - Otis Blue 32. James Brown & The Famous Flames - Live At The Apollo Vol. 1 33. Nirvana - Nevermind 34. The Velvet Underground - The Velvet Underground 35. Prince - Sign 'O' The Times 36. The Byrds - The Notorious Byrd Brothers 37. R.E.M. - Automatic For The People 38. The Who - The Who Sell Out 39. Bob Dylan - Blood On The Tracks 40. Big Star - Third (AKA Sister Lovers) 41. Bruce Springsteen - Born To Run 42. Gram Parsons With Emmylou Harris - Grievous Angel 43. The Ramones - Ramones 44. Iggy Pop - Lust For Life 45. Lou Reed - Transformer 46. Miles Davis - In A Silent Way 47. The Byrds - Younger Than Yesterday 48. Kraftwerk - Trans-Europe Express 49. The New York Dolls - New York Dolls 50. Moby Grape - Moby Grape 51. The Beatles - Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band 52. The Rolling Stones - Sticky Fingers 53. Joy Division - Closer 54. Bruce Springsteen - Darkness On The Edge Of Town 55. The Mothers Of Invention - We're Only In It For The Money 56. Donald Fagen - The Nightfly 57. Bob Dylan - Bringing It All Back Home 58. The Clash - The Clash 59. Roxy Music - For Your Pleasure 60. Kate Bush - Hounds Of Love 61. Todd Rundgren - Something/Anything 63. The Beatles - With The Beatles 64. Captain Beefheart And The Magic Band - Clear Spot 65. Sly & The Family Stone - Stand! 66. Eno - Here Come The Warm Jets 67. The Wailers - Catch A Fire 68. Massive Attack - Blue Lines 69. Elvis Costello - This Year's Model 70. Richard & Linda Thompson - I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight 71. Stevie Wonder - Talking Book 72. Pere Ubu - The Modern Dance 73. Steely Dan - Can't Buy A Thrill 74. Sly & The Family Stone - There's A Riot Goin' On 75. Van Morrison - It's Too Late To Stop Now 76. Public Enemy - It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back 77. Pink Floyd - Piper At The Gates Of Dawn 78. Joni Mitchell - The Hissing Of Summer Lawns 79. The Stooges - The Stooges 80. Stevie Wonder - Songs In The Key Of Life 81. The Beatles - A Hard Day's Night 82. Miles Davis - Bitches Brew 83. Neil Young - Tonight's The Night 84. Randy Newman - Good Old Boys 85. Prefab Sprout - Steve McQueen 86. Marvin Gaye - Here, My Dear 87. Talk Talk - Spirit Of Eden 88. Margaret O'Hara - Miss America 89. Frank Zappa - Hot Rats 90. Steely Dan - Gaucho 91. The Kinks - The Village Green Preservation Society 92. Dusty Springfield - Dusty In Memphis 93. Todd Rundgren - A Wizard, A True Star 94. The Smiths - The Smiths 95. Muddy Waters - Hard Again 96. Led Zeppelin - Physical Graffiti 97. The Zombies - Odessey & Oracle 98. Iggy And The Stooges - Raw Power 99. Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin(4) 100. Robert Wyatt - Rock Bottom Skip  To Top MOJO: 100 GREAT VOICES Please note the format: Vocalist - Song (Year of release): Artist/Group -  Album* List is in alphabetical order. *Album - Most tracks are available on  the CD as listed, except for some that are on vinyl or cassette. Contact  Gordon for information. • Horace Andy - Just Say W


Which African country was successfully invaded and occupied by Italy in the period 1934-36?

Countries in Africa Considered Never Colonized Countries in Africa Considered Never Colonized Countries in Africa Considered Never Colonized Colonization of Africa By Alistair Boddy-Evans Updated August 08, 2016. There are two countries in Africa which are considered to never have been colonized. The truth, however, is much more complex and open to debate. Where in Africa is Liberia?. Image: © Alistair Boddy-Evans. Used with Permission • Liberia Liberia was a colony for just over 17 years before partial independence was achieved through the declaration of a commonwealth (4 April 1839). True independence was declared eight years later on 26 July 1847. The American Society for Colonization of Free People of Color of the United States (known simply as the American Colonization Society , ACS) created the Cape Mesurado Colony on the Grain Coast on 15 December 1821. This was further expanded into the Colony of Liberia on 15 August 1824. The ACS was a society initially run by white Americans who believed there was no place for Free Blacks in the US. Its administration was later taken over by Free Blacks. continue reading below our video Test Your General Science Knowledge Where in Africa is Ethiopia?. Image: ©2007 Alistair Boddy-Evans. Used with Permission • Ethiopia In the 1880s Italy failed to take Abyssinia (as Ethiopia was then known) as a colony. On 3 October 1935 Mussolini ordered a new invasion and on 9 May the following year Abyssinia was annexed by Italy. On 1 June the country was merged with Eritrea and Italian Somalia to form Africa Orientale Italiana (AOI - Italian East Africa). Emperor Haile Selassie made an impassioned appeal to the League of Nations on 30 June 1936, gaining support from the US and Russia. But many League of Nations members, including Britain and France, recognized Italian colonization. It was not until 5 May 1941, when Selassie was restored to the Ethiopian throne, that independence was regained. More »


In 1942, Vic Oliver was the first guest on which radio interview programme?

The castaway who annoyed Churchill - BBC News BBC News The castaway who annoyed Churchill By Alex Hudson BBC News 26 January 2012 Read more about sharing. Close share panel The first ever castaway on Desert Island Discs 70 years ago was a man who not only annoyed Winston Churchill but also earned Adolf Hitler's enmity. So who was Vic Oliver and why isn't more known about him? Vic Oliver was welcomed on to the first ever Desert Island Discs programme as a "comedian, lightning club manipulator, violinist and comedy trick cyclist", according to the surviving scripts. That is quite an introduction. Recorded in the BBC's bomb-damaged Maida Vale studio on 27 January 1942, the first ever Desert Island Discs aired on the Forces Programme at 20:00 two days later. Oliver was a radio comedian, an Austro-American variety star and music hall bill-topper. He was a brilliant musician who, while playing his instrument deliberately badly for laughs, led the way for comics Les Dawson and Victor Borge. Winston Churchill on Vic Oliver "He did not impress me with being a bad man; but common as dirt: An Austrian citizen, a resident in US & here on license & an American passport: twice divorced: 36 so he says. "A horrible mouth: a foul Austro-Yankee drawl. I did not offer to shake hands: but put him through a long examination. "He described Sarah [Churchill] as the 'brainiest & smartest gurl' he had ever met." Winston Churchill, Taken from Winston and Clementine: The Personal Letters of the Churchills, by Mary Soames Note: Churchill made a mistake - Oliver was married and divorced only once before he met Sarah. But behind the veneer of showbusiness and celebrity, his life story is as compelling as it is colourful. Born Victor Oliver von Samek in Vienna, Austria in 1898, Oliver's fame peaked during World War II. His hit BBC radio series Hi Gang! was so successful that it had film and theatre spin-offs. "These programmes used to get bigger audiences than EastEnders does now so it's hard to get your head around how much they've been forgotten," says Dr Sian Nicholas, of the Centre for Media History at Aberystwyth University. Oliver's original plan was to train as a doctor in Vienna but that was interrupted by World War I. It was rumoured that he had fought alongside Adolf Hitler, though Oliver chose never to address the subject. Once the war was over, he concentrated on music and studied piano, violin and conducting at the Vienna Conservatoire before becoming assistant conductor at the Graz Opera House. After emigrating to the US, he played piano in restaurants, bars and silent cinemas. The leap into comedy came when announcing a charity collection during the interval at a theatre where he was performing. His English was still poor and he ended with the words: "I shall now come down and go through you all." Laughter and large donations followed and a comedy star was inadvertently born. For Churchill, he was a nobody Dr Sian Nicholas, Aberystwyth University A little while later, Oliver met a British stage dancer. Her name was Sarah Churchill and she had a very famous father. The romance grew quickly and their love life was played out in the papers as any major star's would be today. Oliver had become a big star in the US, both on radio and on the stage. He began to be offered work in Britain, travelling to star in Charles B Cochran's 1936 revue Follow the Sun. And despite protestations to the contrary - Oliver told a newspaper in September 1936 that he was not the marrying kind - he had made plans for Sarah, 16 years his junior, to be his wife. This news did not go down well with the Churchills. "The first time I saw my mother cry, I was absolutely overwhelmed," Sir Winston's youngest daughter Lady Soames told the Daily Telegraph in 2002. "I was 13 and she broke down in floods of tears because Sarah had run off to America to marry Vic Oliver. I realised then how much Sarah had hurt them." Find out more In letters released after Sir Winston's death, he referred to Oliver as "common as dirt", among other unflattering things. Despite the Churchill fa


Which company's products include Dettol, Veet, Cillit Bang and Durex?

SponsorPitch - Reckitt Benckiser SponsorPitch Reckitt Benckiser viewed 1 seconds ago Burberry viewed 10 seconds ago Johnnie Walker viewed 17 seconds ago BioSteel viewed 17 seconds ago Paycor viewed 47 seconds ago See More Sponsor Summary Reckitt Benckiser plc is a global consumer goods company headquartered in Slough, United Kingdom. It is the world's largest producer of household products and a major producer of consumer healthcare and personal products. Its brands include Dettol , Strepsils , Veet , Air Wick , Calgon, Cillit Bang, Durex and Vanish. It has operations in over 60 countries and its products are sold in over 180 countries. Activity Deal 01/2015 Join SponsorPitch If you currently work at this organization, click the “Do you work here?” button to request editing privileges. This SponsorPitch page is about Reckitt Benckiser and contains information about this organization's sponsorship activity, sponsorship decision makers and sponsorship preferences. This page is not endorsed by or affiliated with Reckitt Benckiser, though it may be actively managed and updated by company representatives. If you currently work at this organization, click the Manage Sponsor button to request management privileges. . All trademarks, service marks and copyrights are property of their respective owners. SponsorPitch


Haworth, the home of the Brontes, has a railway station on which preserved steam railway?

KWVR - Keighley & Worth Valley Railway | Read more The Keighley & Worth Valley is unique in that most of our trains convey a real-ale buffet car, serving real-ale from traditional hand pumps. The buffet car also serves tea, coffee and a selection of soft drinks & snacks – but it’s the real-ale that is the real treat for our passengers. The Railway mainly uses local breweries, but we have often have specialist craft ales from breweries further afield. There can be up to three separate real-ales on board – we usually try to at least have two! Read more If you are in the area when trains are not running, or you need a snack to start your day during train running days, then the staff at the Oxenhope Buffet, situated on the platform in a Mark1 buffet carriage, will be happy to serve you with a nice hot bacon or sausage butty to get you off to a fine start to the day. So fill up your tenders and replenish your tanks with a good hearty roll and a hot drink to make sure your day gets off to a good start. Or when you are ready for lunch, drop by to top up your reserves with some good honest Yorkshire pie and peas, washed down by a bottle of pop or hot drink or, if trains are running, something from the on-board bar where hand pulled real ale is served all day on selected trains. Read more Jubilee Bar – a venue with a difference Do you have that special occasion coming up, be it a special birthday, engagement party, retirement or even looking for somewhere to hold your corporate event? The Keighley & Worth Valley Railway may well just have what you’re looking for and with something a little bit different from your normal venue. Built as a standard Mark1 Open Corridor coach, the coach has been converted into a bar car, painted in mock-Pullman livery to complement the Pullman carriages and fitted with an authentic bar salvaged from a public house in Leeds. Named ‘The Jubilee Bar’ to commemorate the Queen’s Silver Jubilee in 1977, this coach is perfect for a party requiring their own private bar.


Which politician was nicknamed 'Tarzan'?

Michael Heseltine: the great survivor who's still lording it over the political jungle in his ninth decade | The Independent Michael Heseltine: the great survivor who's still lording it over the political jungle in his ninth decade Martin Hickman finds that the politician still has plenty to say about the economy – and Rupert Murdoch Monday 25 March 2013 00:00 BST Click to follow The Independent Online Lord Heseltine is currently advising the Government on economic regeneration in cities PA Michael Heseltine still resembles his 1980s nickname, “Tarzan”. His hair – having triumphed in a battle against time – is voluminous and flamboyantly swept back from his forehead in a familiar wave. He is physically imposing; his manner authoritative and brisk, the seriousness broken only by the twinkling of his eyes and an occasional, wolfish smile. His townhouse in Belgravia is stuffed with mahogany and paintings and is reminiscent of the residences of scheming politicians in the Thatcher-era BBC dramas Yes, Minister and House of Cards. Only a beep from a mobile phone hidden in the breast pocket of his smart navy suit signals the 21st century. Aged 80, the political veteran is currently negotiating with the Coalition over the response to his report on stimulating regional growth, "No Stone Unturned". In last week's Budget, George Osborne accepted 81 of his 89 "bold ideas". 34 years after he joined Margaret Thatcher's Cabinet and 16 years after he left John Major's as Deputy Prime Minister, Heseltine is still a big beast in the political jungle. He has an office in the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, in Victoria Street, near Westminster, a short chauffeur-driven ride away, where he has been advising the Government on economic regeneration in cities – a task he took on after the Toxteth riots in Liverpool in 1981. He is also active in business, chairing the board of the company that controls one of Britain's biggest publishing groups, Haymarket, which owns MediaWeek, Management Today and dozens of other titles. The company, which he founded in the 1950s soon after leaving Oxford University, has given him a fortune running into many millions of pounds; probably more than £200m. As one of only a few politicians to scale business as well as politics, "Hezza" is well-placed to expound his views on the downturn. Asked whether it is essential the economy improves, he replies – somewhat surprisingly: "It's not essential. It doesn't need to. It can go on drifting down. "There is no God-given rule saying you've got to have a well-performing economy. It could be an indifferent economy. It's a question of whether the national will is there; whether we want it. And the richer you get the less imperative there is. Maybe one of the problems of advanced economies is that people are sufficiently well-off that they don't need to drive themselves anymore." Pressed whether the problem, then, is lack of desire, he agrees: "It could be". But then – perhaps aware how his remarks may come across – he stresses that he is not blaming affluence, merely raising it as a possibility. Lacking desire is not an accusation that could be levelled at Heseltine, now entering his ninth decade. Born into an upper-middle class family in Swansea in 1933, he propelled himself first through Oxford, where he was president of the union (and reputedly sketched out his life on the back of an envelope, becoming prime minister in the 1990s), and then business and politics. After running graduate-recruitment magazines and other publishing ventures, and a disastrous spot of property development, he entered the Commons as MP for Tavistock in Devon in 1966. He served in Margaret Thatcher's Cabinet for seven years, first as Environment Secretary, where he popularised the sale of council housing, and then as Defence Secretary, where he countered the rise of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament and agreed the Euro-fighter programme. He then, spectacularly and very publicly, fell out with Mrs Thatcher, over the future of a loss-making helicopter company in Yeovil. Heseltine


The Little Bighorn battlefield, scene of Custer's 1876 defeat, is in which US state?

Indians defeat Custer at Little Big Horn - Jun 25, 1876 - HISTORY.com Indians defeat Custer at Little Big Horn Share this: Indians defeat Custer at Little Big Horn Author Indians defeat Custer at Little Big Horn URL Publisher A+E Networks Determined to resist the efforts of the U.S. Army to force them onto reservations, Indians under the leadership of Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse wipe out Lieutenant Colonel George Custer and much of his 7th Cavalry at the Battle of the Little Big Horn. Sioux Chiefs Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse had been successfully resisting American efforts to confine their people to reservations for more than a decade. Although both chiefs wanted nothing more than to be left alone to pursue their traditional ways, the growing tide of white settlers invading their lands inevitably led to violent confrontations. Increasingly, the Sioux and Cheyenne who did try to cooperate with the U.S. government discovered they were rewarded only with broken promises and marginal reservation lands. In 1875, after the U.S. Army blatantly ignored treaty provisions and invaded the sacred Black Hills, many formerly cooperative Sioux and Cheyenne abandoned their reservations to join Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse in Montana. They would not return without a fight. Late in 1875, the U.S. Army ordered all the “hostile” Indians in Montana to return to their reservations or risk being attacked. Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse ignored the order and sent messengers out to urge other Sioux, Cheyenne, and Arapahoe Indians to unite with them to meet the white threat. By the late spring of 1876, more than 10,000 Indians had gathered in a massive camp along a river in southern Montana called the Little Big Horn. “We must stand together or they will kill us separately,” Sitting Bull told them. “These soldiers have come shooting; they want war. All right, we’ll give it to them.” Meanwhile, three columns of U.S. soldiers were converging on the Little Big Horn. On June 17, the first column under the command of General George Crook was badly bloodied by Sioux and Cheyenne warriors led by Crazy Horse. Stunned by the size and ferocity of the Indian attack, Crook was forced to withdraw. Knowing nothing of Crook’s defeat, the two remaining columns commanded by General Alfred Terry and General John Gibbon continued toward the Little Big Horn. On June 22, Terry ordered the 7th Cavalry under the command of Lieutenant Colonel George Custer to scout ahead for Indians. On the morning of this day in 1876, Custer’s scouts told him that a gigantic Indian village lay nearby in the valley of the Little Big Horn River. Custer dismissed the scouts’ claim that the village was extraordinarily large-certainly many thousands of Indians-as exaggerated. Indeed, his main fear was that the Indians would scatter before he could attack. Rather than wait for reinforcements, Custer decided to move forward immediately and stage an unusual mid-day attack. As the 7th Cavalry entered the valley, Custer divided the regiment of about 600 men into four battalions, keeping a force of 215 under his own command. In the vast Indian encampment (historians estimate there were as many as 11,000 Indians), word quickly spread of the approaching soldiers. Too old actually to engage in battle, Sitting Bull rallied his warriors while seeing to the protection of the women and children. The younger Crazy Horse prepared for battle and sped off with a large force of warriors to meet the invaders. As Custer’s divided regiment advanced, the soldiers suddenly found they were under attack by a rapidly growing number of Indians. Gradually, it dawned on Custer that his scouts had not exaggerated the size of the Indian force after all. He immediately dispatched urgent orders in an attempt to regroup his regiment. The other battalions, however, were facing equally massive attacks and were unable to come to his aid. Soon, Custer and his 215 men found themselves cut off and under attack by as many as 3,000 armed braves. Within an hour, they were wiped out to the last man. The remaini


Naraka is the name given to Hell in which religion?

Naraka, Hell Home > Reference > Indian Purans > Indian Puranas > Naraka Naraka, Hell Naraka or the hell is the place of torment. The concept of Naraka is defined in teachings of Buddhism, Hinduism, Sikhism and Jainism. Subscribe to Free E-Magazine on Reference More on Naraka, Hell   (17) •    Less...   Naraka is a Sanskrit word which literally means underworld. According to several religions like Hinduism, Sikhism , Jainism and Buddhism, Naraka means a place of suffering, or in simple words it means Hell. In Hinduism Naraka or Neraka is compared to the Abrahamic concept of Hell. It is mentioned specifically in dharmasastras, itihasas and Puranas. Moreover, Naraka is also mentioned in Vedic Sanhita, Aranyaka and Upanishads . In the Upanishads it is said that Naraka is 'darkness' instead of hell. A summary of Upanishads and Bhagavad Gita mentions hell several times. Adi Sankara declared Naraka on Vedanta sutra. Still, some people like members of Arya Samaj do not accept its existence or consider it metaphorical. In the Puranas like Bhagavata Purana , Garuda Purana and Vishnu Purana describes the detail descriptions of many hells. Narakas are situated above Garbhodaka Ocean. It is believed that Yama , Lord of Justice, puts human beings after death for appropriate punishment like in boiling oil. Even Muktiyogyas where the souls are eligible for mukti or moksha or liberation and Nitya-samsarins are forever transmigrating ones in Dvaita theology can experience Naraka for expiation. After the completion of the punishment period, they are reborn on earth in human or animal bodies. Hence neither Naraka is a place of permanent abodes. At the time of death, sinful souls are exposed for capture by Yamadutas, servants of Yama who comes personally only in special cases. Yama gave ordered to his servants to leave Vaishnavas alone. The power of Vaishnavas is urdhva pundra tilaka, which are the Tiruman, and Sri Choornam for Sri Vaishnavas or Gopi Chandan for Gaudiya Vaishnavas, tapa samskara is shoulders branded with Sankha and Chakra, and Tulsi mala or the necklace/garland made of Tulsi beads. Sri Vaishnavas are taken by Vishnudutas to Vaikuntha and Gaudiya Vaishnavas to Goloka. As per Buddhism , Naraka is described as the dreadful sufferings of human beings in the several bottomless layers of Narakas. However, this concept in Buddhist texts is not corresponding to the concept of Hell in Christian faith. It is generally a purgatory where all the soul gets purified of the various sins by pains. Interestingly, Hell is also a condition of consciousness and this torment does not take place after the death of beings, when the soul vacates the physical body, but it takes place during incarnation. It is well associated with the law of karma where one's inner self and outer actions bear their fruits sooner or later. Naraka in Jainism is the name that is given to dominion of survival in Jain cosmology having immense pain. The teachings of Jainism state that the length of stay of a human being in a Naraka is not eternal. However, it is usually quite long and is measured in billions of years. It is further specified that a soul is born into a Naraka as a straight end result of his or her previous actions of body, mind and speech that is karma , and dwells there for a limited time span until the karma has attained its complete result. The Jain texts also mention that these hells or narakas are placed in the seven grounds basically at the inferior portion of the universe and these are - Ratna prabha Sharkara prabha Tamaha prabha


What is the medical name for the large intestine of the human body?

The Intestines (Human Anatomy): Picture, Function, Location, Parts, Definition, and Conditions Next The intestines are a long, continuous tube running from the stomach to the anus. Most absorption of nutrients and water happen in the intestines. The intestines include the small intestine, large intestine, and rectum. The small intestine (small bowel) is about 20 feet long and about an inch in diameter. Its job is to absorb most of the nutrients from what we eat and drink. Velvety tissue lines the small intestine, which is divided into the duodenum, jejunum, and ileum. The large intestine (colon or large bowel) is about 5 feet long and about 3 inches in diameter. The colon absorbs water from wastes, creating stool. As stool enters the rectum, nerves there create the urge to defecate. Intestine Conditions Stomach flu (enteritis): Inflammation of the small intestine. Infections (from viruses, bacteria, or parasites) are the common cause. Small intestine cancer : Rarely, cancer may affect the small intestine. There are multiple types of small intestine cancer, causing about 1,100 deaths each year. Celiac disease : An "allergy" to gluten (a protein in most breads) causes the small intestine not to absorb nutrients properly. Abdominal pain and weight loss are usual symptoms. Carcinoid tumor : A benign or malignant growth in the small intestine. Diarrhea and skin flushing are the most common symptoms. Intestinal obstruction : A section of either the small or large bowel can become blocked or twisted or just stop working. Belly distension, pain, constipation, and vomiting are symptoms. Colitis : Inflammation of the colon. Inflammatory bowel disease or infections are the most common causes. Diverticulosis : Small weak areas in the colon's muscular wall allow the colon's lining to protrude through, forming tiny pouches called diverticuli. Diverticuli usually cause no problems, but can bleed or become inflamed. Diverticulitis : When diverticuli become inflamed or infected, diverticulitis results. Abdominal pain and constipation are common symptoms. Colon bleeding (hemorrhage): Multiple potential colon problems can cause bleeding. Rapid bleeding is visible in the stool, but very slow bleeding might not be. Inflammatory bowel disease : A name for either Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis. Both conditions can cause colon inflammation (colitis). Crohn's disease : An inflammatory condition that usually affects the colon and intestines. Abdominal pain and diarrhea (which may be bloody) are symptoms. Ulcerative colitis : An inflammatory condition that usually affects the colon and rectum. Like Crohn's disease, bloody diarrhea is a common symptom of ulcerative colitis. Diarrhea : Stools that are frequent, loose, or watery are commonly called diarrhea. Most diarrhea is due to self-limited, mild infections of the colon or small intestine. Salmonellosis : Salmonella bacteria can contaminate food and infect the intestine. Salmonella causes diarrhea and stomach cramps, which usually resolve without treatment. Shigellosis : Shigella bacteria can contaminate food and infect the intestine. Symptoms include fever, stomach cramps, and diarrhea, which may be bloody. Traveler's diarrhea : Many different bacteria commonly contaminate water or food in developing countries. Loose stools, sometimes with nausea and fever, are symptoms. Colon polyps : Polyps are growths inside the colon.  Colon cancer can often develop in these tumors after many years.  Colon cancer : Cancer of the colon affects more than 100,000 Americans each year. Most colon cancer is preventable through regular screening. Rectal cancer : Colon and rectal cancer are similar in prognosis and treatment. Doctors often consider them together as colorectal cancer. Constipation : When bowel movements are infrequent or difficult.  Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS): Irritable bowel syndrome, also known as IBS, is an intestinal disorder that causes irritable abdominal pain or discomfort, cramping or bloating, and diarrhea or constipation. Rectal prolapse : Part or all of the wall of the rectum ca


David Attenborough, in 2012, became the second person to have appeared four times as a castaway on Desert Island Discs; which Liverpool born comedian was the first?

Baugh's Blog: Book Review: "Desert Island Discs" by Mitchell Symons Kirsty Young has been the presenter of Desert Island Discs since 2006   Desert Island Discs is now the second longest-running radio show in the world - outdone only by The Grand Ole Opry. When the programme was approaching its 70th. anniversary - in January 2012 - the BBC commissioned the broadcaster and journalist Mitchell Symons to mark the auspicious occasion by compiling a comprehensive book of facts, figures and trivia about the long-lasting series. The result of his extensive research - based on the BBC's own rich archive - is the book that is here under review: Desert Island Books Flotsam and Jetsam: Facts, figures and miscellany from one of BBC Radio 4's best-loved programmes (2012).    The fun of a book like this is that you can dip into it at any point and find lists that capture your interest. It's not a linear or sequential approach: flip backwards and forwards, from one page to the next. So let's dip now fairly randomly into the contents of this book and pull out some interesting facts and pieces of trivia.   Castaways The four main sections of Desert Island Discs Flotsam and Jetsam are called Castaways, Music, Luxuries, and Books. "Castaways" refers to the guests who have been on the programme. I tried to find out how many people altogether have been on the show - I looked in the book and also on their own website. Haven't found the answer yet. There have been about 2,800 editions of Desert Island Discs, but there has also been a large number of castaways who have been on the show more than once: two people have been on Desert Island Discs four times - the comedian and  entertainer Arthur Askey (1942, 1955, 1968, 1980), and the naturalist TV presenter David Attenborough (1957, 1979, 1998, 2012). And over the long life of the programme, the following group have been on three times: Petula Clark, Michael Crawford, David Frost, Robertson Hare, Stanley Holloway, Barry Humphries (once as Dame Edna), Celia Johnson, Charles Mackerras, John Mills, John Mortimer, Peter Ustinov, and Terry Wogan. And there have been over 200 people who have appeared twice.    David Attenborough - the other four-timer Three people agreed to be on Desert Island Discs who had refused to do the television programme This Is Your Life - Danny Blanchflower, Roger Moore, and Richard Gordon. Gordon is the English writer known best for his Doctor in the House books. When he was ambushed out in public by the host, who announced to him "This Is Your Life", Gordon replied, "Oh, balls, it's not". Classic. Actually, he changed his mind and did the show the following week.   Not all of the guests on Desert Island Discs have been individuals. Some programmes have featured very famous duos - who have been granted the comfort (or purgatory) of being marooned with their partner. Amongst this select group are some familiar teams: Flanders and Swann, Frank Muir and Denis Norden, Nina and Frederik, Peter Brough and Archie Andrews (his dummy), and Morecambe and Wise. Some of these people might live to regret their desert-island-life as a partnership. Well, they could always set themselves up on opposite sides of the island - if it turns out to be large enough.   The profile of Desert Island Discs guests looks like this: the ratio of men to women is about 70:30. And the three most common occupations of castaways have been stage, screen, and radio; writer; and musician. Other significant categories: sports, academics, politicians, and those working in the fields of art and design.     Four "castaways" have been from the Royal Family: Princess Margaret, the Duchess of Kent, Viscount Lynley, and Princess Michael of Kent - who, unbelievably, picked "Maxwell's Silver Hammer" as her favourite Beatles piece. Go figure! [And James Galway picked "Octopus's Garden"!]   In 1992 John Major was on Desert Island Discs. He is the first and only serving Prime Minister to be on the show: and he showed his Englishness by selecting a John Arlett cricket commentary as one of his eight recordings. He also chose


How many countries currently make up the European Union?

EU Country List EU Country List List of European Union Countries Comprehensive resources for EU members ...less<<< The Countries of the European Union This page is a resource for european countries, especially the EU countries. Our lists will tell you which are the euro countries, which European countries are in the EU, how many EU countries there now are (27). We have included other resources to help you including a simple list of countries in the EU . Follow this link to see an EU countries map , as well as find links to more popular maps of the European Union. Find out which EU countries belong to the Schengen Visa zone and which do not. Our lists include the dates that the various countries joined the EU. See our facts page to find out what the current list of EU candidate countries is as well as which countries are not in the EU. We have linked to the CIA Factbook and Wikipedia so that if you need more research, you can find out much more regarding the EU countries gdp and current up-to-date statistics. No.


Which politician wrote the diaries of his dog 'Buster'?

Labour's Roy Hattersley granted 'quickie' divorce after 57 years of marriage | UK | News | Daily Express UK Labour's Roy Hattersley granted 'quickie' divorce after 57 years of marriage LABOUR grandee Roy Hattersley ended his 57-year marriage yesterday – with a quickie divorce which took just 55 seconds. 00:00, Sat, Apr 13, 2013 Lord Hattersley was granted a decree nisi from long-term wife Molly The veteran politician, now Baron Hattersley, was granted a decree nisi at London’s High Court because of the irretrievable breakdown of his relationship with wife Molly, 82. District Judge Heather MacGregor signalled the end of the former Labour party deputy leader’s marriage on the grounds that the couple had been separated for five years – and he would find it intolerable to live with her. The judge ruled “the marriage had irretrievably broken down, the facts found proved being five years separation”. Lord Hattersley, 80, was entitled to a divorce after five years separation without the consent of his wife. His petition was the 11th in a total of 22 cases in the special procedure list. Neither Lord Hattersley – former MP for Birmingham Sparkbrook – nor his wife were present for yesterday’s hearing at the Principal Registry of the Family Division of the High Court. Hattersley married teacher Molly in 1956 when his political career began after he was elected as a Labour representative on Sheffield City Council. Molly went on to become a headteacher and an educational policy-maker. The couple have no children. The legal split could pave the way for Lord Hattersley to marry his long-term partner Maggie Pearlstine, 65. Hattersley pictured as a young politician in 1969 The legal split could pave the way for Lord Hattersley to marry his long-term partner Maggie Pearlstine, 65 It had been an open secret in Westminster’s corridors of power that the two had been “close friends” for many years. He was first linked to literary agent Miss Pearlstine in the 1980s. In 1986 he is said to have been at her bedside as she recovered from surgery after being diagnosed with breast cancer. In recent years they have openly attended literary events and awards ceremonies in London together as a couple. Last April the pair were special guests at a celebration dinner for the local Rotary Club in Bakewell, Derbyshire. Lord Hattersley lives in a nearby village in a £540,000 period stone detached house with Miss Pearlstine. Last night he decline to talk about the end of his marriage. He said: “I know why you’re here but I don’t want to discuss it. I’ve got nothing to say.” One neighbour said that he had no idea of the divorce. “He lives his life openly with Margaret,” he added. “They spend their time between London and Derbyshire. They always seem busy.” The couple have matching silver Volvo estate cars which were parked outside the property yesterday. Hattersley's historic home worth £540,000 in rural Derbyshire Lord Hattersley – who was famously lampooned by TV show Spitting Image – has been a socialist and Labour supporter from his youth, electioneering at the age of 12 for his local MP and city councillors. His mother Enid was a city councillor and later Lord Mayor of Sheffield while his father, Frederick, had been a Roman Catholic priest who renounced the church to marry his wife. Lord Hattersley first became an MP in October 1964 and went on to hold his seat for the next eight general elections. He served as deputy leader for nine years before standing down in 1997. Lord Hattersley held a number of posts, rising to deputy leader of the party after losing a leadership battle with Neil Kinnock. He is also the author of many books including three novels and several biographies. Three years ago he wrote movingly of the other great love of his life and constant companion for 15 years – his dog Buster. He wrote: “I do not pretend that my grief was unique. “Many families, I know, have been devastated by the death of a dog. I merely state, as a matter of fact, that nothing has ever caused me as much pain as Buster’s death.” Buster had previously been in troubl


The area once known as Armorica is in which country?

The Naming of America Am�rica, no invoco tu nombre en vano [America, I don't invoke your name in vain]   Pablo Neruda, Canto General     AMERICA, we learn as schoolchildren, was named in honor of Amerigo Vespucci, for his discovery of the mainland of the New World. We tend not to question this lesson about the naming of America. By the time we are adults it lingers vaguely in most of us, along with images of wave-tossed caravels and forests peopled with naked cannibals. Not surprisingly, the notion that America was named for Vespucci has long been universally accepted, so much so that a lineal descendant, America Vespucci, came to New Orleans in 1839 and asked for a land grant "in recognition of her name and parentage." Since the late 19th century, however, conflicting ideas about the truth of the derivation have been set forth with profound cultural and political implications. To question the origin of America's name is to question the nature of not only our history lessons but our very identity as Americans. Traditional history lessons about the discovery of America also raise questions about the meaning of discovery itself. It is now universally recognized that neither Vespucci nor Columbus "discovered" America. They were of course preceded by the pre-historic Asian forebears of Native Americans, who migrated across some ice-bridge in the Bering Straits or over the stepping stones of the Aleutian Islands. A black African discovery of America, it has been argued, took place around 3,000 years ago, and influenced the development of Mayan, Aztec, and Inca civilizations. The records of Scandinavian expeditions to America are found in sagas � their historic cores encrusted with additions made by every storyteller who had ever repeated them. The Icelandic Saga of Eric the Red, the settler of Greenland, which tells how Eric's son Leif came to Vinland, was first written down in the second half of the 13th century, 250 years after Leif found a western land full of "wheatfields and vines"; from this history emerged a fanciful theory in 1930 that the origin of "America" is Scandinavian: Amt meaning "district" plus Eric, to form Amteric, or the Land of (Leif) Eric. Other Norsemen went out to the land Leif had discovered; in fact, contemporary advocates of the Norse connection claim that from around the beginning of the 11th century, North Atlantic sailors called this place Ommerike (oh-MEH-ric-eh), an Old Norse word meaning "farthest outland." (This theory is currently being promoted by white supremacists of the so-called Christian Party , who are intent on preserving the nation's Nordic character, and who argue that the Norse Ommerike derives from the Gothic Amalric, which, according to them, means "Kingdom of Heaven.") But most non-Scandinavians were ignorant of these sailors' bold exploits until the 17th century, and what they actually found was not seriously discussed by European geographers until the 18th century. Further, other discoveries of America have been credited to the Irish who had sailed to a land they called Iargalon, the land beyond the sunset, and to the Phoenicians who purportedly came here before the Norse.  The 1497 voyage by John Cabot to the Labrador coast of Newfoundland constitutes yet another discovery of the American mainland, which led to an early 20th-century account of the naming of America, recently revived, that claims the New World was named after an Englishman (Welshman, actually) called Richard Amerike. And yet, despite the issue of who discovered America, we are still confronted with the awesome fact that it was the voyages of Columbus, and not earlier ones, that changed the course of world history. Indeed, as Tzvetan Todorov, author of The Conquest of America (1984; tr. Richard Howard), has argued, "The conquest of America  heralds and establishes our present identity; even if every date that permits us to separate any two periods is arbitrary, none is more suitable, in order to mark the beginning of the modern era, than the year 1492, the year Columbus crosses the Atlantic Oc


Which area of Czechoslovakia was transferred to Germany after the Munich Conference of September 1938?

The History Place - Triumph of Hitler: Nazis Take Czechoslovakia Nazis Take Czechoslovakia Shortly after he signed the Munich Agreement in September 1938, Adolf Hitler privately complained to members of his SS bodyguard, "That fellow Chamberlain spoiled my entrance into Prague." Hitler originally wanted to smash Czechoslovakia via a lighting military strike and then make a Caesar-like entry into the old capital city. But he had been overwhelmed by the eagerness of Britain and France to serve Czechoslovakia to him "on a plate." For Hitler, the Munich Agreement was nothing more than a worthless piece of paper. On October 21st, just three weeks after signing the document, he informed his generals that they should begin planning for "the liquidation of the remainder of Czechoslovakia." ADVERTISEMENT Hitler had promised British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain and the German people that the Sudetenland would be his "last territorial demand" in Europe. In reality, it was only the beginning. And Hitler now wanted to grab the remainder of Czechoslovakia due to its strategic importance. By now, the Nazis had perfected the art of stealing neighboring territory. They would start by encouraging political unrest inside the area. At the same time, they would wage a propaganda campaign citing real or imagined wrongs committed against local Germans. When neighboring political leaders finally came to see to Hitler to resolve the ongoing crisis, they would be offered help in the form of a German Army occupation to "restore order." The new political leader of Czechoslovakia was 66-year-old Dr. Emil Hácha, an inexperienced politician with a bad heart condition. He had replaced Czech President Eduard Benes who fled to England after the Munich Agreement fearing assassination by the Nazis. Hácha now presided over an ever-shrinking republic. By early 1939, two outlying border areas had already been seized by Poland and Hungary with Hitler's approval. At Hitler's instruction, nationalist Slovaks living in the eastern portion of Czechoslovakia began agitating for a completely independent state, which would take another huge chunk out of Czechoslovakia. On March 10, 1939, President Hácha responded to the Slovak demand for independence by ousting the leaders of the Slovak government and declaring martial law inside the province of Slovakia. Hácha's unexpected and defiant action took the Nazis by surprise, upsetting their carefully laid plans. Hitler reacted to this turn of events just as he had when Schuschnigg took a defiant stance in Austria – he ordered his generals to prepare for an immediate invasion. Meanwhile, the pro-German Slovak leader, Monsignor Tiso, was summoned to Berlin to see Hitler. Tiso arrived at the Chancellery on Monday evening, March 13th, and was told by Hitler that the situation in Czechoslovakia had become "impossible." Time was running out said Hitler. Tiso had to decide right then and there whether Slovakia wanted to break off from Czechoslovakia and become an independent country. Hitler promised Tiso that he would protect Slovakia after its independence was proclaimed. Tiso hesitated briefly then decided to go along with Hitler. The Nazis then drafted a proclamation of independence for Tiso to use, along with a phony telegram to be sent later containing an appeal for the Führer's protection. The following day, Tuesday, March 14th, Tiso returned home and presented the independence proclamation to Slovakia's parliament. He told the assembly that if they failed to approve this proclamation, Hitler's troops would simply march in and take Slovakia. Faced with this prospect, the Slovak assembly gave in and voted with Tiso. Thus the independent country of Slovakia was born. A night-time view of the imposing new Reich Chancellery building in Berlin - setting for the last in a series of bloodless diplomatic triumphs by Hitler. Below: Revealing body language - the diminutive President Hácha (center) speaks with the Führer during their March 15 meeting - held in the early morning hours in Hitler's ornate study room. Below:


What was the name of the former British naval base just to the south of Cape Town, South Africa?

What's in a (South African) name? Tweet on Twitter Saddled with the burden of apartheid and colonial-slanted textbooks, South Africans have tended to take their identities from their political leanings. But “mixed marriages” are as old as South Africa itself. As the meaning of democracy dawns, more people are finding family tree research the key to understanding their own heritages. The first written records of births, deaths and marriages, imcomplete though they are, came with Dutchman Jan van Riebeeck in 1652, when he set out to establish a way station at the Cape of Good Hope with the aid of Robben Island. The case of the Khoi interpreter Perhaps the most representative of the mix of South African ancestry lines dating from those early days is the marriage of Krotoa, a Khoi interpreter who worked for Van Riebeeck and married a colleague of his, Danish explorer Pieter Meerhof. Burdened with the double obligation of fitting into European society and being loyal to her own people, Krotoa’s life was made even harder when Meerhof was seconded to Robben Island as superintendent. SA family history on the Web – Family history research has become far more accessible (and addictive) since the advent of the Internet. Sharon Marshall offers a primer of sites for South African amateur genies. Left as one of only two women on the island when her husband was killed on a slaving expedition, and shunned by both societies, Krotoa succumbed to depression and an alcohol-related death, but left behind at least eight children, the descendants of one of whom was the progenitor of the Zaaiman family in South Africa. Some of them went on to become key figures from all spectrums – including white ex-premiers Paul Kruger, Jan Smuts and FW de Klerk. Slave routes, slave roots Then came the slaves: in 1658 the first two boatloads – one from Angola and one from west Africa – arrived, and some of these went on to marry Dutch citizens of the Cape or bear children by them after intermarriage became outlawed. One couple, Anna and Evert, who were purchased by the Dutch from African slave lords in Benin in 1658, produced a daughter who went on to have a son by prosperous Dutchman Bastiaan Colyn. Her son, Johannes, married a descendant of the wealthy Cloete family and purchased De Hoop op Constantia, still one of the finest estates in the Cape. After west Africa was declared out of bounds, the Dutch East India Company began bringing in slaves from the east – either from their base in Djakarta or China, Sri Lanka or India, often with Arabs as middlemen. The first boatloads arrived in 1681, and by 1730 they had extended their operations to include the Mascarenes, Mozambique and Zanzibar, with Portuguese colonists as middlemen. With only 19 European women and 100 white free burghers at the Cape in 1677, most 13th generation South Africans with colonial ancestry have at least one slave ancestor from these parts. Though European female numbers increased 30 years later, slave women were often favoured for their beauty, and many became the ancestral mothers (or stammoeders) of generations of families in South Africa. Angela of Bengal Before the first official slave consignments had been sanctioned, Angela of Bengal (or Maaij Ansela) was bought by Jan van Riebeeck, the founder of the Dutch colony, was resold and freed by her master. She then married Arnoldus Willemsz Bason, and became the stammoeder of the Basson family in South Africa. SA roots in literature: new reviews – The dawn of the new SA spawned a new quest for ancestral roots and the “real” story of how “the Rainbow Nation” got here – topics covered in an increasingly wide range of literature. Sharon Marshall reviews a selection of the latest offerings. Through marriages of her children, Maaij (or Mooi, Beautiful) Ansela is also the stammoeder of the Bergh and Van As families. One of her descendants was Voortrekker leader Andries Pretorius, who married Anna Retief, niece of slain trekboer Piet. In 1692, four of the 34 Cape Town free burghers had ex-slave wives, but according to “Cape Town, Making of a C


Which band leader adopted 'In The Mood' as his signature tune?

Joe Loss | Biography & History | AllMusic google+ Artist Biography b. Joshua Alexander Loss, 22 June 1909, Spitalfields, London, England, d. 6 June 1990, London, England. One of the most popular band leaders in the UK over a period of many years, Loss was taught to play the violin with a view to pursuing a classical career. He won a scholarship to the Trinity College of Music, and later studied at the London School of Music before forming his own band at the age of 16, playing local halls and accompanying silent movies. In 1930 he moved into London’s Astoria Ballroom, and played at the Kit-Kat Club a year later. His band made its broadcasting debut in 1933, and, early in 1934, topped the variety bill at the Holborn Empire. Later that year, he returned to the Astoria for a long residency, and while there adopted ‘Let’s Dance At The Make Believe Ballroom’ as his first proper signature tune. Also in 1934, he started recording for the Regal Zonophone Records label, later part of EMI Records, and stayed with the company for over 50 years. A large part of the Loss band’s popularity during the 30s was due to the many featured vocalists including Paula Greene, Betty Dale, Adelaide Hall, Shirley Lenner, Elizabeth Batey, Marjorie Kingsley, Monte Rey (with his big hit ‘The Donkey Serenade’) and especially Chick Henderson, later killed while in the Royal Navy, who recorded the very popular ‘Begin The Beguine’. Some of the band’s other successes were ‘Woodchopper’s Ball’ and ‘Honky Tonk Train Blues’. Loss also gave Vera Lynn her first broadcasting opportunity in 1935, when she sang ‘Red Sails In The Sunset’. In 1940, Loss left the Astoria and went to France to play for the British Expeditionary Forces before returning to the UK, and spending the rest of World War II successfully touring the UK’s ballrooms. After the war he was resident at the Hammersmith Palais, and later, during the 50s, survived the onslaught of rock ‘n’ roll. By this time, he also had a successful band agency. In the early 60s he had chart hits with ‘Wheels Cha Cha’, ‘Sucu Sucu’, ‘The Maigret Theme’, ‘Must Be Madison’, ‘The March Of The Mods’, and many bestselling albums. During the war Loss had adopted the Glenn Miller favourite ‘In The Mood’ as his theme tune, and it was his recording that featured on the Jive Bunny And The Mastermixers novelty single in 1989. His series of World Championship Ballroom Dances albums reflected his many appearances on BBC Television’s Come Dancing, and the 14 Carl Alan Awards presented by the industry. During one of his annual working holidays on the QE2 in 1978, he became the first dance band leader to play in communist China. His post-war singers included Howard Jones (the vocalist on the 1948 Loss US hit ‘A Tree In A Meadow’), Larry Gretton, Rose Brennan (who stayed with the band for over 15 years) and Ross McManus (father of Elvis Costello). (McManus and Costello sang together for the first time on stage in a charity tribute to Joe Loss that was presented at the Barbican Theatre in London in 1994.) Loss played at many royal functions, including the Queen’s 50th birthday celebrations and the Queen Mother’s 80th birthday. The most energetic and mobile of band leaders officially retired in 1989 after 60 years at the top. Among his many awards were an OBE in 1978, Her Majesty’s Silver Medal in 1977 and a Lieutenancy in the Royal Victorian Order in 1984.


Leviathan, the world's largest vessel of its type when built at Cammell Laird in 1909, was based at the Port of Liverpool, what type of vessel was she?

Ahoy - Mac's Web Log - "Cammell Laird: Shipbuilders to the World" at Birkenhead, England by Alex Naughton Ahoy - Mac's Web Log Naval, Maritime, Australian History and more Mackenzie J Gregory Content © Alex Naughton (2003-2005) who publishes " The Ocean Liner Virtual Museum " Used with permission . (1824 - 1993) Cammell Laird built its first vessel at Birkenhead as long ago as 1828. The company has not built a new vessel at Birkenhead since 1993 and recently plans have been put forward for the redevelopment of the Cammell Laird shipyard site. Ship repair and conversion work continues to expand at Birkenhead under the A&P Group but given the general state of the British shipbuilding industry it seems unlikely that shipbuilding will ever return to the legendary Cammell Laird shipyard at Birkenhead. It seems that this chapter in the yard’s history has now closed forever. However Cammell Laird did not only undertake shipbuilding they also were involved in the building of railway locomotives and carriages. In the end this operation was spun off and eventually became Metro-Cammell based in Birmingham. So they were not just Shipbuilders to the World. In the 1990s Metro-Cammell merged with GEC Traction to form GEC-Alstom, today this survives as part of the engineering giant Alstom, their last train built there is the new Pendolino tilting trains for Virgin Trains West Coast Main Line route. Sadly these may be the last as Alstom wish to close down the works at the end of 2004. The Early Years: Cammell Laird was started in 1824 by a William Laird, a Scottish entrepreneur, who like many of his fellow Scots moved to the River Mersey to seek his fortune. He set up a boiler making works on the south bank of the Wallasey Pool and in 1828 was joined by his son, John Laird, who realised the possibility of expanding into iron shipbuilding. The techniques of bending iron plates and riveting them together to build ships were similar to the principles involved in boiler making. Laird’s first vessel was a 60ft prefabricated iron lighter for Charles Wye Williams’ Irish Inland Navigation Company in 1829. This was followed by further orders for more lighters and in 1833 the paddle steamer Lady Lansdowne was built for the same firm. She could carry 300 tons plus passengers and was used to tow lighters on Lough Derg and the river Shannon. Her hull is still embedded in the river bank at Killaloe. In 1839 Laird built its first screw propelled steamer, Robert F. Stockton, a 63ft tug for use on North American waterways. By 1840, Laird had built another 21 iron paddle steamers including four gun boats for anti-piracy patrols for the East India Company. Laird’s reputation continued to grow and in the same year the Admiralty gave Laird an order for the paddle steamer Dover which was to be the first steamer for the cross channel mail service. She must have been satisfactory because Dover was followed by further orders for paddle frigates. These included the 1,400 ton HMS Birkenhead of 1848 which was wrecked off South Africa with the loss of over 400 soldiers in 1852. Laird was also involved in developing the new town of Birkenhead and in 1844 starting the construction of the new docks in the tidal Wallasey Pool. These were intended to compete with the Port of Liverpool but the venture was not a success and the system was merged with Liverpool docks in 1858. Nevertheless Laird continued to expand its shipbuilding business. In 1852 it took over the lease of a south Liverpool shipyard, whose main work was building small gun boats for the Crimean war between 1854 and 1856. This yard was eventually handed back to its owners when Laird opened a huge new yard at Birkenhead in 1857. Covering 20 acres with five drydocks, this site still forms the core of the current yard. In 1858, an engine building works was added. Laird also experimented by using steel plates instead of wrought iron when it built Ma Robert, a small river steamer for the famous explorer Dr David Livingstone. Between 1850 and 1870, Merseyside’s shipbuilders were among the most innovative in the co


During the Roman Empire what was a 'murmillo'?

Gladiators of the Roman Empire - Gladiators Gladiators of the Roman Empire Citation Gladiators Gladiators were ancient fighters in Italy. They were trained to fight beasts and other gladiators, often to the death. Thousands came to the arenas to watch. The shows were a favorite form of entertainment in Italian cities such as Pompeii and Rome. Types Of Gladiators One type of gladiator was a murmillo. These gladiators used swords and shields and wore helmets with crests on them. They fought with stabbing motions. Another type of gladiator was retiarii. They wore shoulder and leg armor along with padded arm or leg guards. They carried a trident, dagger, and net. They fought by tangling their opponent in their net before stabbing them with the trident. Thracians had round shields and curved daggers and swords. They wore arm and leg armor and padding. The curve of their weapons were used to get around shields. They swords and daggers were useless for stabbing, but if an opponent was hooked underneath their chin, it would cause a painful death. Provocators wore arm and leg guards, helmets, and chest plates. They carried large wooden shields and daggers. Little is known about their fighting style other than the fights often lasted a very long time in the arena. They mostly fought other provocators. Secutors wore the same armor as provocators and carried the same weapons. His technique was to chase his opponents around the arena. Murmillo


Discovered in 1988, the remains of what ancient structure lie beneath the Guildhall in London?

London's Roman Amphitheatre, Guildhall London's Roman Amphitheatre Rent a Castle Whether it's a folly for 2 or a fort for 20, try our castles for rent page. By  Ben Johnson   |   Comments After more than a hundred years of searching by archaeologists, London’s Roman Amphitheatre was finally rediscovered in 1988 hidden beneath Guildhall Yard. It was a quite surprising discovery as the amphitheatre was found within the old Roman city walls , whereas the majority of ancient amphitheatres were located on the outside. The history of the amphitheatre is a rather tumultuous one. Built in AD70 as a simple wooden structure, the amphitheatre had a more substantial makeover in the early 2nd century taking its capacity up to 6,000 people. During this time the arena was used for public events, animal fighting, public executions and, of course, gladiatorial combat. After the Romans abandoned Britain in the 4th century, the amphitheatre was dismantled and much of it used for building materials. It lay derelict and in ruins for hundreds of years, however by the 11th century overcrowding in London forced the reoccupation of the area. At first the buildings that steadily encroached onto the old amphitheatre were simple ones; mostly timber houses of a Viking trade settlement. Over time these buildings gave way to an institution that Londoners are now most familiar with; the first ever Guildhall. The site had once again become the centre of London. Today, the first hint that you’re on the right route requires a quick glance down to the floor of the Guildhall Yard. Here you’ll notice an 80m-wide curved line of dark stone that follows the edge of the amphitheatre itself. The actual remains of the amphitheatre are located around eight metres below the ground, buried beneath layers of ancient rubbish and rubble. To reach the remains you will have to buy a ticket to the Guildhall Art Gallery, where entrance to the amphitheatre’s remains is included in the price. Once inside you’ll see the remains of the original walls, the drainage system, and even the sand which was once used to soak up the blood from wounded Gladiators. Oh, and just in case your imagination isn’t up to snuff, there is a rather impressive digital projection that fills in the gaps of the ruins!   If you enjoyed this article, you might also like... The Great Fire of London - The Great Fire of London started in Pudding Lane in September 1666..... Secret London - Discover the hidden and secret sites of historic London, including the few buildings that survived the Great Fire, Britain's smallest police station, the sites of the forgotten plague pits, discover the Roman city walls, etc... The Execution Sites of London - London has witnessed some of the most famous executions in history, and although the death penalty in England was abolished in 1965, we've managed to track down some of London's most historic execution sites which we've marked on this interactive map. Historic Accommodation in London - Our selection of historic accommodation in London and the Home Counties, including accommodation in historic hotels, cosy inns, as well as bed and breakfasts - even boats on the River Thames! London Theatre Breaks - From Les Miserables to Shrek The Musical, whatever your theatrical tastes we have something to suit! See some of the West End’s biggest shows with our theatre break packages – complete with tickets and a hotel stay. You can even add rail travel! Guide to London Transport and Tubes - Our transport guide to help you to get around this fair city. Whether you intend to travel by train, bus and / or boat, our guide is full of useful information and links. Advertising


The flag of which African country consists of three horizontal bands of orange, white and green (top to bottom), with an orange circle in the middle of the central white band?

Flags Ashmore and Cartier Islands : The flag of Australia is used Austria : Three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and red Anguilla : Blue, with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the Anguillan coat of arms centered in the outer half of the flag; the coat of arms depicts three orange dolphins in an interlocking circular design on a white background with blue wavy water below Bahrain : Red with a white serrated band (eight white points) on the hoist side Barbados : Three equal vertical bands of blue (hoist side), gold, and blue with the head of a black trident centered on the gold band; the trident head represents independence and a break with the past (the colonial coat of arms contained a complete trident) Botswana : Light blue with a horizontal white-edged black stripe in the center Bermuda : Red, with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the Bermudian coat of arms (white and green shield with a red lion holding a scrolled shield showing the sinking of the ship Sea Venture off Bermuda in 1609) centered on the outer half of the flag Belgium : Three equal vertical bands of black (hoist side), yellow, and red; the design was based on the flag of France Bahamas, The : Three equal horizontal bands of aquamarine (top), gold, and aquamarine, with a black equilateral triangle based on the hoist side Bangladesh : Green with a large red disk slightly to the hoist side of center; the red sun of freedom represents the blood shed to achieve independence; the green field symbolizes the lush countryside, and secondarily, the traditional color of Islam Belize : Blue with a narrow red stripe along the top and the bottom edges; centered is a large white disk bearing the coat of arms; the coat of arms features a shield flanked by two workers in front of a mahogany tree with the related motto SUB UMBRA FLOREO (I Flourish in the Shade) on a scroll at the bottom, all encircled by a green garland Bosnia and Herzegovina : A wide medium blue vertical band on the fly side with a yellow isosceles triangle abutting the band and the top of the flag; the remainder of the flag is medium blue with seven full five-pointed white stars and two half stars top and bottom along the hypotenuse of the triangle Bolivia : Three equal horizontal bands of red (top), yellow, and green with the coat of arms centered on the yellow band; similar to the flag of Ghana, which has a large black five-pointed star centered in the yellow band Burma : Red with a blue rectangle in the upper hoist-side corner bearing, all in white, 14 five-pointed stars encircling a cogwheel containing a stalk of rice; the 14 stars represent the 14 administrative divisions Benin : Two equal horizontal bands of yellow (top) and red with a vertical green band on the hoist side Belarus : Red horizontal band (top) and green horizontal band one-half the width of the red band; a white vertical stripe on the hoist side bears the Belarusian national ornament in red Solomon Islands : Divided diagonally by a thin yellow stripe from the lower hoist-side corner; the upper triangle (hoist side) is blue with five white five-pointed stars arranged in an X pattern; the lower triangle is green Navassa Island : The flag of the US is used Brazil : Green with a large yellow diamond in the center bearing a blue celestial globe with 27 white five-pointed stars (one for each state and the Federal District) arranged in the same pattern as the night sky over Brazil; the globe has a white equatorial band with the motto ORDEM E PROGRESSO (Order and Progress) Bassas da India : The flag of France is used Bhutan : Divided diagonally from the lower hoist side corner; the upper triangle is yellow and the lower triangle is orange; centered along the dividing line is a large black and white dragon facing away from the hoist side Bulgaria : Three equal horizontal bands of white (top), green, and red; the national emblem formerly on the hoist side of the white stripe has been removed - it contained a rampant lion within a wreath of wheat ears below a red five-pointed star and a


Who reached the FA Cup final in 2011 for the first time in the club's history?

History | Fulham Football Club Fulham Football Club History Fulham St Andrew's The Club was born when a school teacher and churchwarden formed a team for local boys at Fulham St Andrew’s Church in 1879. Although cricket initially took the priority, seven years later, the team won their first silverware, the West London Amateur Cup, beating St Matthew's 2-1 in the Final. New name, new home In outgrowing its origins the Club's title was shortened to Fulham Football Club in January 1889, meaning the original nickname of the Saints had to be dropped. As results improved and progress was made, we also found ourselves a new home – moving from park pitches, pub changing rooms and a groundshare with Wasps Rugby Club to a seven-acre site located on the north bank of the Thames. Craven Cottage In 1896, after two years of development, the Club finally took residence in their new home – one that would not only match our ambitions but also offer a more secure foundation to move forward. Fulham won their first home game too, beating Minerva 4-0 in the Middlesex Senior Cup, and very quickly the symbolic relationship between Club and ground was forged. To this day, few clubs can claim to be more synonymous with its home. Onwards and upwards Having gained professional status on 12th December 1898, Fulham rose from the Southern League divisions to reach the national Football League in September 1907. In our first season we would finish fourth and just short of promotion from Division Two, although we did reach the Semi-Finals of the FA Cup, as we would again in 1936. It may have taken us a little while to reach the top division, but promotion to Division One was finally secured for the 1949/50 season as Fulham went up as Division Two champions. The 50s and 60s After struggling to adjust to the step up, Fulham finished bottom of the First Division at the end of the 1951/52 campaign. We had to wait seven seasons for a return, although the Semi-Finals of the FA Cup were reached for a third time in 1958. With that momentum, the Club pushed on and made it back to the top for the 1959/60 season to usher in what is largely considered as one of the most exciting eras in Fulham’s history. The Club would spend nine seasons in the top flight (our longest spell outside of the Barclays Premier League years), thanks largely to a wonderfully talented group that included the great Johnny Haynes, Tony Macedo, George Cohen, Jim Langley, Alan Mullery, Bobby Robson, Graham Leggat, Fred Callaghan and Rodney Marsh. Wembley heroes  Having slipped down to Division Three by the 1969/70 season, the FA Cup Final was the unprecedented highlight of the 1970s. Having reached the Semi-Final for a fourth time in 1962, Fulham finally made the Wembley showpiece in May 1975 after a staggering 11-game run (a never-to-be-beaten record of most games en-route to the final) that included six replays. Then a Division Two club, Fulham would meet Division One West Ham United in the final – a match that would sadly end in a 2-0 defeat. However, against all the odds we had finally got to the Final and in going close the side, led by Captain Mullery, would be remembered for many years to come. Darker days While a number of high-profile players like Bobby Moore and George Best had joined during the mid to late 1970s, promotion back to the top division had still proved elusive. As the Club bobbed up and down between the second and third tier, Malcolm Macdonald's young side of the early 1980s did offer a moment of hope only to be denied on the final day of the 1982/83 campaign. Mounting financial pressures followed and as a result the majority of the Club's key players were sold as Fulham again dropped to Division Three. In 1987 the situation worsened and the Club came dangerously close to extinction. Only the intervention of a group led by ex-player Jimmy Hill just about kept Fulham in business. Form continued to wane out on the pitch, and by the end of the 1995/96 season we recorded our worst ever league finish in ending the campaign 17th out of 24 in Division Three. Rising from the a


Who were the first winners of the FA Cup at the new Wembley Stadium?

New Wembley | Home of English Football | The FA | Millennium Stadium The New Wembley The New Wembley Construction of the new Wembley started in 2003 when the old Wembley was demolished with the opening date scheduled for 2006, this was later deferred to 2007 with many events being moved to Cardiff's Millennium Stadium . This project was to become the most expensive stadium in history costing over Â£798 million going over budget by more than Â£400 million. Inaugural Event The first ever event at the new Wembley was due to be a Bon Jovi concert but due to building difficulties at Wembley it was forced to move to Milton Keynes Bowl.Â  The first official event therefore was on March 26th 2007 with an Under 21 International Friendly with England taking on Italy which ended in a 3-3 draw and was watched by 55,000 fans, the highest ever attendance for an under 21 friendly.Â  The first FA Cup final Â WembleyÂ hosted was the 2007 FA Cup Final between Chelsea and Manchester United. Stadium Trivia 212,000 tonnes of concrete were used to construct the stadium 2,618 toilets There are 35 miles of heavy-duty power cables in the stadium The pitch is 115 yards long by 75 yards wide The roofÂ weighs 6350 tonnes, but is not fully retractable


CS Lewis died on 22nd November 1963, the same day that President JF Kennedy was assassinated. Which other famous author also died that day?

Three Great Men Died That Day: JFK, C.S. Lewis, and Aldous Huxley - The Daily Beast Tangled History Three Great Men Died That Day: JFK, C.S. Lewis, and Aldous Huxley On November 22, 1963, three towering figures of the 20th century died. John F. Kennedy is the one that we all remember, but let’s consider the others. John Garth 11.03.13 10:45 AM ET Do you remember what you were doing the day Aldous Huxley died? Or C.S. Lewis? You don’t think so? Well, the odds are that if you were old enough to be laying down memories at the time, you do. Because it was also the day President Kennedy was assassinated. The indelible experience of hearing the news is captured well in the opening scene of Frederick Forsyth’s thriller The Odessa File, as the announcement interrupts a song in mid-bar on our German hero’s car radio. ‘Jesus,’ he breathed quietly, eased down on the brake pedal and swung into the right-hand side of the road. He glanced up. Right down the long, broad, straight highway through Altona towards the centre of Hamburg other drivers had heard the same broadcast and were pulling in to the side of the road as if driving and listening to the radio had suddenly become mutually exclusive, which in a way they had. In this way the shots fired in Dallas echoed almost instantaneously around the world, and plunged uncountable numbers into shock, grief, fear for the future, and reflections on mortality. It was the day of St Cecilia, patron saint of music. Later American singer-songwriter Dion, and after him Marvin Gaye, hauntingly sang ‘Has anybody here seen my old friend John? Can you tell me where he’s gone?’—because John F. Kennedy’s assassination did touch many millions as if they had lost a friend. But virtually no one on 22 November 1963 realised—and relatively few realise even now—that that day also saw the departure of the two other major figures, who were also world-shapers in their very different ways. The deaths of Lewis and Huxley were mute, private events, only reported in The Times three days later. Death had moved remorselessly westward to claim his scalps. Lewis died first, in his brother’s arms, a few minutes after tumbling with a crash from his bed at the foot of the stairs at the Kilns, his house outside Oxford, at 5.30pm. He was just a week shy of 65. One hour later—12.30pm in Texas—the 46-year-old President was shot. At the Cedars of Lebanon Hospital in Los Angeles, Huxley’s second wife Laura, leaving his bedside with his request for an LSD injection, found the doctor and nurses in shock watching the news of the assassination; Huxley died, aged 69, at 5.20pm local time, just under eight hours after Lewis. Huxley was quietly cremated in Los Angeles on the Saturday and remembered by friends with a walk at Mulholland Drive on the Sunday. JFK lay in state in the White House and then the Capitol, where hundreds of thousands queued to pay their respects; and he was interred in Arlington Cemetery on the Monday in front of the representatives of 90 nations. With his assassination blurrily smeared onto Abraham Zapruder’s home movie, and photographers capturing his son John saluting the flag-draped casket that Monday (his third birthday), this was—to adapt the title of Lewis’s 1961 book—the most observed grief in history. Lewis himself was buried at Holy Trinity Church near his home on the Tuesday, but the hullabaloo over Kennedy’s death had prevented news of Lewis’s from reaching many friends, and it was a poorly attended funeral . His brother Warnie, apparently unable to face it, was elsewhere, blind drunk. **** There’s no evidence that Huxley read Lewis, or that Kennedy read either—though his wife Jackie would certainly have read some of their books—but Lewis knew enough of Huxley to mention him in a letter of 1952 as an author of a future dystopia alongside H.G. Wells and George Orwell. The mental worlds inhabited by Kennedy, Lewis and Huxley—an Englishman translated permanently to West Coast America from 1938—were as mutually remote as their social worlds. Yet each devoted his energies to matters of universal concern,


What was 'the devil's porridge', manufactured near Dumfries,, in a factory the site of which extended for more than 20 miles?

Very informative - Review of The Devil's Porridge Museum, Eastriggs, Scotland - TripAdvisor Review of The Devil's Porridge Museum Annan Road | Near Stanfield Farm, Eastriggs DG12 6TF, Scotland +44 1461 700021 Attraction details Recommended length of visit: 2-3 hours Owner description: Discover the remarkable wartime story of the Greatest Munitions Factory on Earth and the extraordinary lives of the Munitions Girls who worked there. Built during WW1, HM Factory Gretna stretched nine miles along the Solway Coast and produced more cordite explosive than all the other factories combined. Through unique objects and interactive displays, our museum brings to life the secret wartime history of Southwest Scotland and Cumbria. Stay and enjoy our Café and free wifi. There are newer reviews for this attraction “Very informative” Reviewed June 15, 2016 The museum has only been open for just over a year, the staff were very friendly and gave a lot of information. The exhibition has been well thought out making it interesting to the young by making some parts interactive, and plenty of information and things to see for the older visitors bringing back memories too. I'm sure as time goes by there will be even more information and artefacts added. Well worth a visit. Visited June 2016 Ask Queenie L about The Devil's Porridge Museum This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC. 275 reviews from our community Visitor rating Reviewed June 15, 2016 via mobile It's hard to imagine what a factory on this scale would have looked like but this museum presents lots of information and guidance to give a good idea. Interesting and well presented, well staffed. Visited June 2016 Ask MarkBell about The Devil's Porridge Museum This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Anne D “Not as good as when in previous building” Reviewed June 15, 2016 Having visited Devils Porridge when it was in the old premises I feel that they have now spoilt it. Although it is very informative it doesn't have as much to see as it previously had. I remember walking round the "old premises" with my sister and we kept saying "ooh we had one of those, do you remember" but there was none of that at our last visit. Although it's still very informative and worth a visit I felt that the staff were doing there utmost to keep us engaged whereas this wasn't needed before. I won't be visiting again. Visited June 2016


Which country did Charlene, now Princess of Monaco, represent at swimming in the 2000 Sydney Olympics?

Monaco's Prince Albert II and Princess Charlene expecting baby - BBC News BBC News Monaco's Prince Albert II and Princess Charlene expecting baby 30 May 2014 Image copyright AFP Image caption Prince Albert and Princess Charlene married in 2011 Monaco's Prince Albert II and his South African wife Princess Charlene have announced they are expecting their first child. In a short statement, the couple - who married in July 2011 - expressed their "immense joy" at the news. The statement said the birth was expected before the end of the year, but gave no further details. The new baby will replace Princess Caroline - Prince Albert's older sister - as heir to the throne. Prince Albert already has two children from previous relationships - 22-year-old daughter Jazmin and 10-year-old son Alexandre. Olympic swimmer The tiny principality of Monaco, which covers about 2sq km (less than one square mile), is the world's smallest independent state after the Vatican City. Prince Albert is the son of the late Prince Rainier III and actress Grace Kelly. Princess Grace died after a car crash in 1982, and Prince Rainier died in 2005. Prince Albert II has been Monaco's ruler since the death of his father. Image copyright Reuters Image caption Prince Albert and Princess Charlene had a lavish wedding ceremony He met Charlene Wittstock when he was presiding over a swimming race in 2000. She then went on represent South Africa in the 2000 Sydney Olympics. They officially made their debut as a couple at the 2006 Winter Olympic Games in Turin, Italy. Since their marriage, her official title is Her Serene Highness The Princess of Monaco.


The strait of Magellan separates which island from South America?

Magellan Strait Historic Maps Cape Horn [Click on the maps below for high-resolution images] 1520: Pigafetta, Antonio, ca. 1480/91–ca. 1534. “Figure of the Pathagonian Strait. Of the region of Pathagonia. Ocean Sea. Of the Pacific Sea. And Other Capes.” From volume 2 of Magellan’s Voyage: A Narrative Account of the First Circumnavigation. Translated and edited by R. A. Skelton (New Haven, Conn., 1969). Shown with permission of the Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library [Rare Books Division]. The first map of the Magellan Strait (in facsimile, oriented south-north) from the first documented European transit. [October 21, 1520] After going and setting course to the fifty-second degree toward the said Antarctic Pole, on the festival of the eleven thousand virgins, we found by miracle a strait which we called the Cape of the Eleven Thousand Virgins [the cape at the eastern end of the Strait of Magellan, at 52°20′ S]. Which strait is in length one hundred and ten leagues, which are four hundred and forty miles, and in width somewhat less than half a league. And it falls into another sea called the Pacific Sea. And it is surrounded by very great and high mountains covered with snow. (1:51) 1600: Quad, Matthias, 1557–1613. “Chica sive Patagonica et Australis Terra, MDC.” Copperplate map, with added color, 2 maps on 1 sheet, 22 × 28 cm. With contemporary manuscript annotation in bottom border. From Quad’s Geographisch Handtbuch. . . . Cologne, 1600. Reference: Martinic, Cartografía magallánica, VIII, 29. [Historic Maps Collection] Two maps, two different projections. (This is a copy of Corneille Wytfliet’s map of 1597, which appeared in his Descriptionis Ptolemaicae augmentum,but adds a key to the lower map.) The top map, in a flat projection, shows the Strait of Magellan dividing Patagonia from Terra Australis, or the unknown southern land. (See the Terra Australis box in the Pacific Ocean section.) Victoria, Ferdinand Magellan’s ship, is sailing toward it.       The bottom map shows Terra Australis, on a polar projection, with four peninsulas: one facing Patagonia (the subject of the upper map), one opposite Africa’s southern point, one below Java, and one confronting New Guinea. These peninsulas, and the mountains and rivers portrayed on the continent, are mere conjecture. The seven-point key on the left offers possible sources. The Solomon Islands, first discovered in 1568 by the Spanish explorer Alvaro de Mendaña de Neira (1542?–95) and then lost for two hundred years, figure prominently in this map’s ocean and are correctly located next to New Guinea. (For more on the Solomon Islands, see Mendaña/Queirós in the Explorers section.) 1602: Bertius, Petrus, 1565–1629. “Fretum Magellanicum.” Copperplate map, with added color, 9 × 12 cm. From Bertius’s Tabularum geographicarum contractaru, Amsterdam, 1602. Reference: Martinic, Cartografía magallánica, VIII, 28. (See the map on the catalogue’s title page.) [Historic Maps Collection] Published before the Dutchmen Jacques Le Maire (1585–1616) and Willem Corneliszoon Schouten (d. 1625) rounded Cape Horn (1616), the map shows the Strait of Magellan separating Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego, which still was considered to be part of a vast southern continent. The charm of the map lies in its depiction of Patagonian giants, the mythical race of large people first mentioned by Antonio Pigafetta in his chronicle of Ferdinand Magellan’s voyage. (See the Patagonian Giants box in this section.) Bertius’s note next to the illustration states that the giants can reach ten feet in height and that they paint their bodies in various colors from diverse herbs. 1630: Gerritsz., Hessel, 1581?–1632. “Provincien van de Straet van Magallanes, ende vande Straet Le Maire.” Copperplate map, with added color, 27 × 35 cm. From Joannes de Laet’s Nieuwe wereldt . . . (Leiden, 1630). Acquired with funds provided by the Friends of the Princeton University Library. Reference: Martinic, Cartografía magallánica, VIII, 89. [Historic Maps Collection] Oriented wi


What is the name of the strait that separates the north and south islands of New Zealand?

12 Day New Zealand Discoverer | Auckland, New Zealand 12 Day New Zealand Discoverer 12 Day New Zealand Discoverer By APT (Australian Pacific Touring), Travelmarvel See all New Zealand has to offer as you explore the North & South Island. Highlights include visiting the glowworm caves of Waitomo, and Maori culture. Add to Wishlist By Day 1. Arrive Auckland Be met on arrival into Auckland and transferred to your hotel, which is centrally located in the beautiful harbourside city of Auckland. Copthorne Hotel Auckland City Day 2. Auckland, Waitomo, Rotorua Travel to Waitomo, home to the famous glowworm caves where thousands of tiny luminescent creatures radiate a remarkable glow. Like a Local - discover the magical natural spectacle of Waitomo Caves with a local guide before continuing to Rotorua. Visit Te Puia - New Zealand’s premier cultural centre - and enjoy a guided tour of the Maori Arts and Crafts Institute. Then head over to the Whakarewarewa Thermal Valley and witness the phenomenal natural spectacle of erupting geysers and bubbling mud pools. A Taste of New Zealand - later, at Te Puia, enjoy a Maori Hangi Feast with performances of song and dance. Delight in an evening of local customs and cheerful hospitality. Two Nights: Copthorne Hotel Rotorua    B, FD Day 3. Rotorua Rotorua captures the essence of New Zealand with its geothermal geysers, fascinating Maori culture and rich heritage. A Taste of New Zealand - for an extraordinary start to your day, begin with a buffet breakfast aboard the Lakeland Queen as you cruise over the still blue waters of Lake Rotorua. Your sightseeing continues with a visit to one of New Zealand’s best-loved attractions, the Agrodome, with its entertaining sheep shearing demonstration. FB Day 4. Rotorua, Taupo, Wellington Meander along the Thermal Explorer Highway to Lake Taupo - the largest freshwater lake in Australasia - and thundering Huka Falls with its striking blue water. Later, travel south across the vast volcanic plateau of World Heritage-listed Tongariro National Park en route to Wellington, the nation's capital. Ibis Wellington Hotel   B Day 5. Wellington, Cook Strait, Ashburton The Cook Strait separates the North and South Islands and was named after Captain James Cook, the first European to sail across in 1770. Like a Local - this morning, enjoy one of the world’s most scenic voyages as the Interislander ferry traverses Cook Strait through the breathtaking Marlborough and Queen Charlotte Sounds. Here, you’ll weave through unspoilt islands and admire coastlines defined by tiny coves on the way to the seaside port of Picton. Continue through breathtaking scenery via Kaikoura, nestled at the foot of majestic mountains, to Ashburton. Hotel Ashburton     BD Day 6. Ashburton, Fox Glacier Today, ascend into the Main Divide and journey through the towering, captivating Southern Alps. Continue along the coast to Westland National Park and see Fox Glacier and Franz Josef Glacier. Over thousands of years, these remarkable natural wonders have created immense glacial valleys and their magnificent rivers of ice can be seen cascading through the lush rainforests. Heartland Hotel Fox Glacier  BD Day 7. Fox Glacier, Queenstown Travel across the snow-capped peaks of the Southern Alps, skirting the tranquil shores of lakes Wanaka and Hawea to the alpine resort of Queenstown. Special Stay - settle in for a two-night stay admiring the dramatic backdrop of mountains overlooking the waters of Lake Wakatipu. Two Nights: Copthorne Hotel and Apartments Queenstown Lakeview B Day 8. Queenstown Queenstown is perfect for adventurers and leisure-seekers alike with endless activities on offer within the city and its surrounds. Today, enjoy a day at leisure and explore.  B Day 9. Queenstown, Fiordland National Park, Te Anau Today, follow The Remarkables and Lake Wakatipu to Fiordland National Park. Journey along the Milford Road, thought to be one of the world’s best alpine drives, to Milford Sound. Like a Local - cruise Milford Sound, a magnificent fiord with views of cascading waterfalls, dense rainfores


Which former US First Lady died in July 2011 at the age of 93?

Former First Lady Betty Ford Dies at Age 93 | Fox News Former First Lady Betty Ford Dies at Age 93 Published        July 09, 2011 Facebook 0 Twitter 0 livefyre Email Print In this Aug. 30,1994 file picture, former first lady Betty Ford talks with reporters at the Old Executive Building in Washington D.C. On Friday, July 8, 2011, a family friend said that Ford had died at the age of 93.  (AP) Betty Ford, an outspoken advocate for women's rights whose willingness to reveal her personal problems as first lady endeared her to a nation, has died at age 93, her family said Saturday. Ford, the wife of former president Gerald Ford, died Friday at the Eisenhower Medical Center in Rancho Mirage, California, her family said. "Mother's love, candor, devotion, and laugher enriched out lives and the lives of the millions she touched throughout this great nation," the family said in a statement Saturday. "To be in her presence was to know the warmth of a truly great lady. "Mother's passing leaves a deep void, but it also fills us with immeasurable appreciation for the life we and Dad shared with her." Ford, who was first lady from 1974 to 1977, said things that first ladies just don't say, even today. And 1970s America loved her for it. More On This... Betty Ford -- An Uncommon Woman According to Mrs. Ford, her young adult children probably had smoked marijuana -- and if she were their age, she'd try it, too. She told "60 Minutes" she wouldn't be surprised to learn that her youngest, 18-year-old Susan, was in a sexual relationship (an embarrassed Susan issued a denial). She mused that living together before marriage might be wise, thought women should be drafted into the military if men were, and spoke up unapologetically for abortion rights, taking a position contrary to the president's. "Having babies is a blessing, not a duty," Mrs. Ford said. Ford's death has drawn an outpouring of sympathy from across the nation. "Throughout her long and active life, Elizabeth Anne Ford distinguished herself through her courage and compassion," President Obama said in a statement. While her death is a cause for sadness, we know that organizations such as the Betty Ford Center will honor her legacy by giving countless Americans a new lease on life." "She was a wonderful wife and mother; a great friend; and a courageous First Lady," former President George H.W. Bush said in a statement on Friday. "No one confronted life's struggles with more fortitude or honesty, and as a result, we all learned from the challenges she faced." "She has been an inspiration to so many through her efforts to educate women about breast cancer and her wonderful work at the Betty Ford Center," fellow former first lady Nancy Reagan said in a statement.  "Betty was a remarkable woman whose legacy will live on in people around the country whose lives are longer and better because of her work," former President Bill Clinton and his wife, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, said in a statement. "We are grateful for her contributions, and for her kindness to us. We will miss her." During her time in the White House, Ford was an outspoken advocate of women's rights -- encouraging the appointment of more women to senior government posts, supporting the U.N. International Women's Year in 1975, and supporting passage of the Equal Rights Amendment. She also won acclaim for her candor, wit and courage as she fought breast cancer, severe arthritis and the twin addictions of drugs and alcohol. But it was her Betty Ford Center, a desert oasis that rescued celebrities and ordinary people from addiction, that made her famous in her own right. In 1982, Mrs. Ford, together with Ambassador Leonard Firestone, founded the non-profit center at the Eisenhower Medical Center in Rancho Mirage, California. Today, the Betty Ford Center is regarded as one of the top treatment facilities in the world. She was modest about that accomplishment. "People who get well often say, `You saved my life,' and `You've turned my life around,"' she recalled. "They don't realize we merely provided the means fo