Which Formula One racing driver was injured in a high-speed rally accident in Italy in February 2011?

Renault's Robert Kubica injured in car crash - The San Diego Union-Tribune Renault's Robert Kubica injured in car crash FILE - The Sept. 24, 2010 file photo shows Renault Formula One driver Robert Kubica of Poland at the Singapore Grand Prix on the Marina Bay City Circuit in Singapore on Sept. 24, 2010. Formula One driver Robert Kubica of Poland has been seriously injured in a car accident, the ANSA news agency rep / AP FILE - The Sept. 24, 2010 file photo shows Renault Formula One driver Robert Kubica of Poland at the Singapore Grand Prix on the Marina Bay City Circuit in Singapore on Sept. 24, 2010. Formula One driver Robert Kubica of Poland has been seriously injured in a car accident, the ANSA news agency reported Sunday, Feb. 6, 2011. The 26-year-old Renault driver was 4.6-kilometers from the start of the Ronde di Andora rally near Genoa when his car left the road and hit a wall. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan) FILE - The Sept. 24, 2010 file photo shows Renault Formula One driver Robert Kubica of Poland at the Singapore Grand Prix on the Marina Bay City Circuit in Singapore on Sept. 24, 2010. Formula One driver Robert Kubica of Poland has been seriously injured in a car accident, the ANSA news agency reported Sunday, Feb. 6, 2011. The 26-year-old Renault driver was 4.6-kilometers from the start of the Ronde di Andora rally near Genoa when his car left the road and hit a wall. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan) (/ AP) The Associated Press FILE - The April 1, 2010 file photo shows Renault Formula One driver Robert Kubica of Poland talking to reporters outside his team garage at the Malaysian Formula One Grand Prix in Sepang, Malaysia. Formula One driver Robert Kubica of Poland has been seriously injured in a car accident, the ANSA n / AP FILE - The April 1, 2010 file photo shows Renault Formula One driver Robert Kubica of Poland talking to reporters outside his team garage at the Malaysian Formula One Grand Prix in Sepang, Malaysia. Formula One driver Robert Kubica of Poland has been seriously injured in a car accident, the ANSA news agency reported Sunday, Feb. 6, 2011. The 26-year-old Renault driver was 4.6-kilometers from the start of the Ronde di Andora rally near Genoa when his car left the road and hit a wall. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian) FILE - The April 1, 2010 file photo shows Renault Formula One driver Robert Kubica of Poland talking to reporters outside his team garage at the Malaysian Formula One Grand Prix in Sepang, Malaysia. Formula One driver Robert Kubica of Poland has been seriously injured in a car accident, the ANSA news agency reported Sunday, Feb. 6, 2011. The 26-year-old Renault driver was 4.6-kilometers from the start of the Ronde di Andora rally near Genoa when his car left the road and hit a wall. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian) (/ AP) FILE - The June 10, 2007 file photo shows Formula One driver Robert Kubica hitting the guardrail during the Canadian Grand Prix at the Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve in Montreal. Formula One driver Robert Kubica of Poland has been seriously injured in a car accident, the ANSA news agency reported Sunday / AP FILE - The June 10, 2007 file photo shows Formula One driver Robert Kubica hitting the guardrail during the Canadian Grand Prix at the Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve in Montreal. Formula One driver Robert Kubica of Poland has been seriously injured in a car accident, the ANSA news agency reported Sunday, Feb. 6, 2011. The 26-year-old Renault driver was 4.6-kilometers from the start of the Ronde di Andora rally near Genoa when his car left the road and hit a wall. (AP Photo/Canadian Press, Jacques Boissinot) FILE - The June 10, 2007 file photo shows Formula One driver Robert Kubica hitting the guardrail during the Canadian Grand Prix at the Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve in Montreal. Formula One driver Robert Kubica of Poland has been seriously injured in a car accident, the ANSA news agency reported Sunday, Feb. 6, 2011. The 26-year-old Renault driver was 4.6-kilometers from the start of the Ronde di Andora rally near Genoa when his car left the road and hit a wall. (AP Photo/Canadian Press, Jacques Boi


What was the codename of the Iraqi agent who admitted lying to US intelligence services about the existence of weapons of mass destruction, and providing US/UK justification for the Iraq War?

Events Leading Up to the 2003 Invasion of Iraq   Home  »  Timelines by Topic  »  Topics  »  International Affairs  »  Conflicts  »  Events Leading to Iraq Invasion Follow Us! We are planning some big changes! Please follow us to stay updated and be part of our community. Events Leading Up to the 2003 Invasion of Iraq add event | references Page 16 of 18 (1710 events) July 25, 2003: Slate Reporter Slams Miller’s Erroneous WMD Reporting Slate reporter Jack Shafer lambasts New York Times reporter Judith Miller’s record of error as the Times’s primary chronicler of the claims for Iraqi WMD. Miller has just written an article backing away from her previous claims (see July 20, 2003 ), but blaming the failure to find WMD on everything from “chaos [and] disorganization” to “flawed intelligence[,] interagency feuds,” and the wrong choice of people to head the US searches. Shafer responds: “Judith Miller finds everybody associated with the failed search theoretically culpable except Judith Miller. This rings peculiar because Miller, more than any other reporter, showcased the WMD speculations and intelligence findings by the Bush administration and the Iraqi defector/dissidents. Our WMD expectations, such as they were, grew largely out of Miller’s stories.” He notes that Miller’s reports were largely based on assertions from sources affiliated with Ahmed Chalabi’s Iraqi National Congress (INC), and writes, “If reporters who live by their sources were obliged to die by their sources… Miller would be stinking up her family tomb right now.” Shafer goes on to note that Miller’s words were always carefully selected to ensure that the sources, not Miller herself, painted a picture of Iraq teeming with WMD. “[I]f Miller got taken by her coveted sources, so did the reading public, and the Times owes its readers a review of Miller’s many credulous pieces,” Shafer writes. Since the Times has yet to provide such a review, Shafer says, he has done some of the initial work for it. 'The Renovator, Adnan Ihsan Saeed al-Haideri' - Shafer begins with an Iraqi civil engineer, Adnan Ihsan Saeed al-Haideri, who, thanks to the INC (see December 17, 2001 ), provided Miller with the information required for stories describing the secret renovation of facilities to store and develop chemical, biological, and nuclear weapons (see December 20, 2001 ). Shafer notes that al-Haideri, who now lives in the US, has boasted of his willingness to return to Iraq once Saddam Hussein is out of power; he suggests that the Times send him back to Iraq “where he can lead them on a tour of the 20 sites and 20 installations” that he claims housed WMD. 'The Pseudonymous Ahmed al-Shemri' - In September 2002, Miller and her colleague Michael Gordon wrote that Iraq was continuing to develop, produce, and store chemical agents in secret mobile and fixed weapons laboratories, many underground, in defiance of UN weapons sanctions (see September 8, 2002 ). The allegations, made as part of a much broader story, were based on the allegations of Ahmed al-Shemri, the admitted pseudonym of an Iraqi who claimed to have been “involved” in chemical weapons production in Iraq before his defection in 2001. “All of Iraq is one large storage facility,” al-Shemri told Miller. He also told her of the existence of large, secret labs in Mosul, those labs’ production of 5 tons of liquid VX nerve agent, and their ability to produce far more if requested. And, he told her that Iraq had created a new solid form of VX that makes decontamination difficult. Russian and North Korean scientists were assisting the Iraqis, al-Shemri asserted, and told of stockpiles of “12,500 gallons of anthrax, 2,500 gallons of gas gangrene, 1,250 gallons of aflotoxin, and 2,000 gallons of botulinum throughout the country.” Shafer suggests that al-Shemri “drop his pseudonym to make his background more transparent and lead the Times to the Mosul lab.” Making the Case for the White House - On September 13, 2002, Miller and Gordon printed a story titled “White House Lists Iraq Steps to Build Banned Weapons” (see September 1


Clas Ohlson is a hugely popular DIY store chain based in which country?

Retail therapy: foreign chains glimpse window of opportunity in UK market | Business | The Guardian Retail industry Retail therapy: foreign chains glimpse window of opportunity in UK market Despite financial uncertainty, overseas brands such as Forever 21 and Clas Ohlson still want a chance to hit Britain's high street US fast-fashon success Forever 21 is planning to open stores in the UK and Ireland. Photograph: MB Pictures/Rex Features Friday 1 October 2010 13.33 EDT First published on Friday 1 October 2010 13.33 EDT Share on Messenger Close The American Topshop, the Swedish Robert Dyas, the Spanish Next … it may not be the solution to Britain's identikit high streets but a growing number of foreign retailers are using the window of opportunity created by the recession to try to crack the famously competitive UK retail market . The name may not be familiar to you yet but next month Forever 21, the Los Angeles-based fashion chain, will open its first UK stores . The brand is considered to be the most exciting US retail export since The Gap arrived with its preppie chic in the late 1980s, and Forever 21's executive vice-president Larry Meyer spared no adjective as he confirmed details of its first two stores in Birmingham and London this week: "Forever 21 is the most hotly awaited brand to hit the UK from America … the concept perfectly suits the European consumer's insatiable appetite for trend-led fast fashion at value prices." But if the US brand, which is aimed at 16- to 25-year-olds, succeeds it will be where others have failed. Although Britain is one of the world's most lucrative markets, with retail sales of £286bn last year, expensive shop rents and world-class local competition have kept international groups at bay. Indeed, some analysts put the UK in the "never fight a land war in Asia" category due to the challenges posed by the market. The high body count speaks for itself: Danish furniture chain Ilva crashed and burned, Borders, which had promised to revolutionise bookselling, collapsed into administration last year; German chain Tchibo, which entered the country with a fanfare at the millennium, left with its tail between its legs in 2009. Shop tactics Forever 21 appears undaunted by lessons from UK retail history and is not taking the same approach as other recent US entrants, such Banana Republic and Anthropologie , which opened prominent stores in London's West End (the internet means brands can build large businesses on the back of a handful of stores). Instead it is bullish, describing the openings in Birmingham and Dublin as the "first phase of the rollout" with 550 staff recruited in the Britain and Ireland. Forever 21 has reason to be confident. It is already successful in its domestic market with 460 stores in North America as well as Korea and Japan. It recently took the bold step of opening a giant, 91,000 sq ft, in New York's Times Square. Lorna Hall, retail editor at trend forecaster WGSN, says Forever 21 is considered the doyenne of "fast fashion" in the US, but it is entering a bear pit: "The UK is the most competitive retail market in the world, it is the global platform for fast-fashion retail." As a result she says there is a danger its clothes – described as "very feminine in a young girl way" – will not cut the mustard given the "edgier aesthetic" of Britain's teens and twenty-somethings. Forever 21's Birmingham store will stock its stable of brands, which include womenswear label I-Heart (I❤), H21, 21MEN and plus-sized range Forever 21+. The Irish store will also stock childrenswear and upmarket Twelve by Twelve, which it describes as "couture-like". "It is the biggest launch here since The Gap," continues Hall. "Forever 21 is interesting because it is not aping Ralph Lauren or the college look of other American brands such as Abercrombie & Fitch. Also, it has already shown it can travel to other markets." The experience of Clas Ohlson – Sweden's answer to Robert Dyas – suggests it is not impossible for new entrants to prosper in the UK marketplace dominated by supermarkets such as Tes


Hatha, Jnana, Bhakti and Karma are all branches of which activity?

The Branches of the Yoga Tree | Yoga Philosophy | Yoga for Beginners The Branches of the Yoga Tree Google Plus In ancient times yoga was often referred to as a tree, a living entity with roots, a trunk, branches, blossoms, and fruit. Hatha yoga is one of six branches; the others include raja, karma, bhakti, jnana, and tantra yoga. Each branch with its unique characteristics and function represents a particular approach to life. Some people may find one particular branch more inviting than another. However, it is important to note that involvement in one of these paths does not preclude activity in any of the others, and in fact you’ll find many paths naturally overlapping. Raja Yoga Raja means “royal,” and meditation is the focal point of this branch of yoga. This approach involves strict adherence to the eight “limbs” of yoga as outlined by Patanajli in the Yoga Sutra. Also found in many other branches of yoga, these limbs, or stages, follow this order: ethical standards, yama; self-discipline, niyama; posture, asana; breath extension or control, Pranayama; sensory withdrawl, pratyahara ; concentration, dharana; meditation, dhyana; and ecstasy or final liberation, samadhi . Raja yoga attracts individuals who are introspective and drawn to meditation. Members of religious orders and spiritual communities devote themselves to this branch of yoga. However, even though this path suggests a monastic or contemplative lifestyle, entering an ashram or monastery is not a prerequisite to practicing raja yoga. Karma Yoga The next branch is that of karma yoga or the path of service, and none of us can escape this pathway. The principle of karma yoga is that what we experience today is created by our actions in the past. Being aware of this, all of our present efforts become a way to consciously create a future that frees us from being bound by negativity and selfishness. Karma is the path of self-transcending action. We practice karma yoga whenever we perform our work and live our lives in a selfless fashion and as a way to serve others. Volunteering to serve meals in a soup kitchen or signing up for a stint with the Peace Corps or Habitat for Humanity are prime examples of selfless service associated with the karma yoga path. Bhakti Yoga Bhakti yoga describes the path of devotion. Seeing the divine in all of creation, bhakti yoga is a positive way to channel the emotions. The path of bhakti provides us with an opportunity to cultivate acceptance and tolerance for everyone we come into contact with. Bhakti yogis express the devotional nature of their path in their every thought, word, and deed—whether they are taking out the trash or calming the anger of a loved one. Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr., are prime examples of bhakti yogis. The life and work of Mother Teresa epitomize the combination of the karma and bhakti yoga paths with devotional aspects of bhakti and the selfless service of karma yoga. Jnana Yoga If we consider bhakti to be the yoga of the heart, then jnana yoga is the yoga of the mind, of wisdom, the path of the sage or scholar. This path requires development of the intellect through the study of the scriptures and texts of the yogic tradition. The jnana yoga approach is considered the most difficult and at the same time the most direct. It involves serious study and will appeal to those who are more intellectually inclined. Within the context of our Western religious traditions, Kabalistic scholars, Jesuit priests, and Benedictine monks epitomize jnana yogis. Tantra Yoga Probably the most misunderstood or misinterpreted of all the yogas, tantra, the sixth branch, is the pathway of ritual, which includes consecrated sexuality. The key word here is “consecrated,” which means to make sacred, to set apart as something holy or hallowed. In tantric practice we experience the Divine in everything we do. A reverential attitude is therefore cultivated, encouraging a ritualistic approach to life. It is amusing to note that, although tantra has become associated exclusively with sexual ritual, most tantric schools


In British politics, what is the only one of the 'Four Great Offices of State' never (at at Feb 2011) held by a woman?

British political system Back to home page click here A SHORT GUIDE TO THE BRITISH POLITICAL SYSTEM Constitutional And Political Reform A VERY, VERY SHORT HISTORY To understand fully any country's political system, one needs to understand something of its history. This is especially true of the United Kingdom because its history has been very different from most other nations and, as a result, its political system is very different from most other nations too. Like its (unwritten) constitution, the British state evolved over time. We probably need to start in 1066 when William the Conqueror from Normandy invaded what we now call England, defeated the Anglo-Saxon King Harold and established a Norman dynasty. The Normans were not satisfied with conquering England and, over the next few centuries, tried to conquer Ireland, Wales and Scotland. They succeeded with the first two and failed with the last despite several wars over the centuries. By one of those ironical twists of history, when Queen Elizabeth of England died in 1603, she was succeeded by her cousin James VI, King of Scots who promptly decamped from Edinburgh and settled in London as King James I of England while keeping his Scots title and running Scotland by remote control. Regal pickings were more lucrative in his southern capital. A century later the Scottish economic and political elite bankrupted themselves on the Darien Scheme and agreed to a scheme of Union between England and Scotland to make themselves solvent again and so Great Britain with one Parliament based in London came into being. The Irish parliament was abolished in 1801 with Ireland returning members to Westminster and the new political entity was the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. The southern (Catholic) Irish never reconciled themselves to being ruled by the English and rebelled in 1916 and gained independence in 1922. The northern (Protestant) Irish did not want independence and so the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland arrived. Not a snappy name. Meanwhile, although the Normans were the last to mount a successful invasion of the country, there were plenty of other plans to conquer the nation, notably the Spanish under King Philip II in 1588, the French under Napoleon in 1803-1805, and the Germans under Hitler in 1940. None succeeeded. Furthermore, in recent centuries, Britain has not had a revolution of the kind experienced by so many other countries. Some might argue that the English Civil War (1642-1651) was the nation's revolution and - athough it was three and a half centuries ago - it did bring about a major shift in power, but the main constitutional consequence - the abolition of the monarchy - only lasted 11 years and the Restoration of the Monarchy has so far lasted 350 years (although it is now, of course, a very different monarchy). There was a time in British history which we call the Glorious Revolution (1688) but it was a very English revolution, in the sense that nobody died, if a rather Dutch revolution in that it saw William of Orange take the throne. So the British have never had anything equivalent to the American Revolution or the French Revolution, they have not been colonised in a millennium but rather been the greatest colonisers in history, and in neither of the two world wars were they invaded or occupied. HOW HISTORY HAS SHAPED THE POLITICAL SYSTEM The single most important fact in understanding the nature of the British political system is the fundamental continuity of that system. For almost 1,000 years, Britain has not been invaded or occupied for any length of time or over any substantial territory as the last successful invasion of England was in 1066 by the Normans. Is this true of any other country in the world? I can only think of Sweden. This explains why: almost uniquely in the world, Britain has no written constitution (the only other such nations are Israel & New Zealand) the political system is not neat or logical or always fully democratic or particularly efficient change has been very gradual and pragmatic and


A parody of Hitler and Nazism, what was Charlie Chaplin's first talking feature film?

The Great Dictator Reviews & Ratings - IMDb IMDb 127 out of 155 people found the following review useful: Remember that...... from venice, Italy 6 March 2004 ..this movie has been done when Hitler ( and Mussolini who is as well in the movie) was at the top and many politics and even the Roman Church used to close eyes about brutality and evil of Nazism. Especially in USA there were many people who had not understood what was really going on in Germany and Europe ( Charles Lindenbergh for example ).It would be as today a big actor would made a parody of Berlusconi or Chirac. Chaplin maybe made a lot of mistakes in his life, but this is really a masterpiece of humanity and IMHO a great demonstration he was a courageous man. The movie is funny and deep, the final speech has a terrible strength and is still updated. I think this movie is one of the best ever done. Was the above review useful to you? 115 out of 139 people found the following review useful: The "Pre-Mature" Anti-Fascist from New York, NY 5 June 2002 Released in 1940, "The Great Dictator" was the first Hollywood film that denounced Hitler directly (albeit in the guise of Adenoid Hynkel), took a virulent stand against fascism, and directly addressed Anti-Semitism. Over-long, at times heavy-handed, it still has many wonderful sequences, including the famous dance with the globe, and all the scenes of Chaplin with Jack Oakie, each trying to out-do the other and prove his superiority. One criticism that seems to occasionally rear its head is the implication that Chaplin's pre-World War II anti-fascism was somehow wrong-headed. The atrocities of the Holocaust weren't fully known to the world yet, so Chaplin's anti-Hitler diatribe is, in the minds of some, misguided. After the war this mindset would result in the debacle of the blacklist, when Chaplin, among others, were branded "pre-mature anti-fascists." In other words, it wasn't politically acceptable to be against Nazism until war broke out with the U.S. Hard to believe anyone could still see things that way now, but some do. The film industry of the 1930s wanted no part of international politics, no matter how blatant the brutality of a given regime. Profits were at stake. It was little goyisha Charley Chaplin, playing a Jewish barber, who took a public stand. While "The Great Dictator" may not among Chaplin's finest films, it may, historically, be his finest hour. Was the above review useful to you? 97 out of 113 people found the following review useful: We think too much and feel too little. from United States 23 January 2005 I was surprised and impressed to find out this movie was released in 1940, before the United States entered World War II. On the surface, satirizing something as solemn and horrible as Nazi Germany could be misconstrued as rash. But Chaplin's brilliance isn't limited to making a joke out of everything. In fact, the seriousness of his message wouldn't have been nearly as valid if not for the excellent use of humor in this movie along with the moments of stark drama blended in. Drama alone wouldn't have had the bite and resonance that this film did. Laughing at someone (Adenoid Hynkel) can be the best way to attack them, while laughing with someone (the Jewish Barber) can be the best way to love them. In the Jewish Barber's final speech, I forgot for a moment that the war he was talking about happened more than half a century ago. They are words that have meaning now, and in any time of war. For this reason I believe the film did far greater good than harm, as it still has the same profound effect today. Was the above review useful to you? 94 out of 132 people found the following review useful: Masterpiece Author: Kakueke 29 October 2001 The Great Dictator is a beyond-excellent film. Charlie Chaplin succeeds in being both extremely funny and witty and yet at the same time provides a strong statement in his satire against fascism. The anti-Nazi speech by Chaplin at the end, with its values, is one of filmdom's great moments. Throughout this movie, I sensed there was some higher form of in


Which European capital city is known as 'Pearl of the Danube'?

Budapest, the Pearl of the Danube and the Iron Gates Pass | CroisiEurope Budapest, the Pearl of the Danube and the Iron Gates Pass BTU_BE France - BUDAPEST - MOHACS - OSIJEK - BELGRADE - TURNU SEVERIN - NOVI SAD - ILOK - VUKOVAR - MOHACS - KALOCSA - BUDAPEST - France DAY 1: France - BUDAPEST Special charter flight (1) from Paris via Strasbourg to Budapest. Transfer from the airport to the boat. Boarding in Budapest. Welcome cocktail and presentation of the crew. Cruise to Mohacs. Dinner and evening on board. Sailing during the night. DAY 2: MOHACS - OSIJEK - BELGRADE Full board on board. Early in the morning, arrival in Mohacs, passing through customs and cruise to Osijek. Entertainment on board. Arrival in Osijek and guided visit. Osijek is a modern town of central Europe with old traditions. Return on board and cruise toward Belgrade. Evening of entertainment on board. DAY 3: BELGRADE - ORSOVA Full board on board. Arrival in Belgrade, excursion to visit the town. Located at the confluence of the Danube and Sava rivers, the town has created its own cultural identity based on a mix of Austro-Hungarian, Ottoman and Slavic cultures. Return on board. Free afternoon in the Serbian capital. Optional coach transfer (book and pay on board) will be available to and from the town center from our mooring point. Serbian folk evening on board. Cruise to Orsova.  DAY 4: ORSOVA (Romania) - The Iron Gates - NOVI SAD (Serbia) Full board on board. Arrival in Orsova, excursion to “the Spa Town of Hercules and Orsova”, one of the oldest thermal spas in Europe built by the Romans in the 2nd century B.C. Return on board and cruise to the Iron gates gorges between the Carpathians and the Balkans, a fantastic place. Gala evening on board. Night spent sailing toward Novi Sad.   DAY 5: NOVI SAD - ILOK - VUKOVAR - MOHACS Full board on board. Early in the morning, arrival in Novi Sad. Excursion to the Orthodox monastery at Krusedol, built in the 16th century and decorated with some wonderfully elaborate paintings. Visit of Sremski Karlovci, a peaceful little town of some 9,000 inhabitants on the banks of the Danube, and visit of Novi Sad, the capital of the autonomous region of Vojvodina. Return on board and cruise to Ilok. Excursion to the medieval cities of Ilok and Vukovar. Return on board in Vukovar. Cruise to Mohacs. Evening of entertainment on board. Cruise during the night. DAY 6: MOHACS - KALOCSA Full board on board. Early in the morning, arrival in Mohacs, passing through customs. Excursion to Pécs: the town of Pécs is situated at the foot of the Mecsek Mountains and is over 2,000 years old, with a Mediterranean climate and ambiance. Return on board and cruise to Kalocsa. Arrival and excursion into the Puszta. This enormous flat prairie, also known as the “great Hungarian plain”, was the Hungarian Wild West during the 19th century. Return on board and cruise to Budapest. Sailing during the night. DAY 7: BUDAPEST Full board on board. Early in the morning, arrival in Budapest and discovery tour of this wonderful city. With its different architecture style, Budapest is one of the special pearl of central Europe. Excursion to Gödöllö Palace, the largest Baroque castle in Hungary, set in a park of some 28 hectares (69 acres). Return on board. In the evening, tour of Budapest by night. Overnight. DAY 8: BUDAPEST - France Buffet breakfast on board. Disembark during the morning. Transfer (1) to the airport and fly on a special charter flight (1) to Paris via Strasbourg. End of our services.   For the safety of our passengers, the captain and crew of the boat may decide to modify the navigational itinerary. (1) The special charter flight will be operated by an airline chosen by CroisiEurope for their safety, comfort and security. The name of the airline operating the flight will be published approximately eight months before departure. Flight schedules are not currently available. We would like to remind you that flight schedules are only guaranteed a few days prior to departure when flight times are confirmed. Moreover, these flights may give ris


What family of tectosilicate minerals, named from the German for 'field', is the most abundant in the Earth's crust?

Feldspar Crystal Popularity & Uses Feldspars are popular because they are one of the most abundant minerals on Earth. They are present in a variety of habits and are found in a tremendous array of environments and there are many collecting sites where good feldspar crystals can be found.


Who won the American NFL Super Bowl in February 2011?

Packers Win Super Bowl 2011: Green Bay Takes Home Lombardi Trophy | The Huffington Post Packers Win Super Bowl 2011: Green Bay Takes Home Lombardi Trophy 02/06/2011 10:17 pm ET | Updated May 25, 2011 980 BARRY WILNER AP/The Huffington Post ARLINGTON, Texas — Forget Lombardi on Broadway. Green Bay has the newest Super Bowl hit: Aaron Rodgers. Capping one of the greatest postseasons for any quarterback, Rodgers led the Packers to their first NFL championship in 14 years on Sunday , 31-25 over the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Packers reclaimed the Vince Lombardi Trophy, named for their legendary coach who won the first two Super Bowls and is making his own star turn in New York these days in the play named after him. Images From Super Bowl XLV Images From Super Bowl XLV 1 Share this slide: AP Rodgers, the game's MVP, thrilled his legion of Cheesehead fans with a spectacular six-game string that should finally erase the bitterness of the Brett Favre separation in Green Bay. He's now equal with Favre in Super Bowl wins, and he extended the Packers' record of NFL titles to 13, nine before the Super Bowl era. "It's what I dreamt about as a little kid watching Joe Montana and Steve Young," Rodgers said, "and we just won the Super Bowl." The Packers QB threw for three touchdowns, two to Greg Jennings, and the Packers (14-6) overcame even more injuries, building a 21-3 lead, then hanging on to become the second No. 6 seed to win the championship. Coincidentally, the 2005 Steelers were the other. Rodgers threw for 304 yards, including a 29-yard touchdown to Jordy Nelson, who had nine catches for 140 yards to make up for three big drops. Rodgers found Jennings, normally his favorite target, for 21- and 8-yard scores. "Wow! It's a great day to be great, baby," Jennings said. Then the favored Packers held on as Pittsburgh (14-5) stormed back. "We've been a team that's overcome adversity all year," Jennings said, who noted injuries to Charles Woodson and Donald Driver. "Our head captain goes down, emotional in the locker room. Our No. 1 receiver goes down, more emotions are going, flying in the locker room. But we find a way to bottle it up and exert it all out here on the field." Few teams have been as resourceful as these Packers, who couldn't wait to touch the trophy honoring their greatest coach – and their title. Several of them kissed it as Cowboys great Roger Staubach walked through a line of green and gold. "Vince Lombardi is coming back to Green Bay," NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said as the silver prize was handed to the team. After sitting for three seasons, Rodgers took the Packers to two late-season victories just to make the playoffs as a wild card. Then he guided them to wins at Philadelphia, Atlanta and archrival Chicago before his biggest achievement – against a Pittsburgh team ranked second in defense. They barely survived a sensational rally by the Steelers, who still own the most Super Bowl rings – six in eight tries. But Pittsburgh failed to get its third championship in six years with quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. Roethlisberger's season began with a four-game suspension for violating the NFL's personal conduct policy. It ended with Roethlisberger standing on the sideline, his head down, hands on his hips, feeling something he never experienced: defeat in a Super Bowl. "I feel like I let the city of Pittsburgh down, the fans, my coaches and my teammates," Roethlisberger said, "and it's not a good feeling." Not even a decidedly black-and-gold crowd, with Terrible Towels swirling throughout the $1.2 billion stadium, could make a difference for the mistake-prone Steelers. Their two biggest defensive stars – Defensive Player of the Year safety Troy Polamalu and outside linebacker James Harrison – were virtually invisible. The offense didn't seem to miss outstanding rookie center Maurkice Pouncey, who was out with an ankle injury, but Roethlisberger only occasionally made key plays until the second half. The biggest plays were left to Rodgers, Nick Collins with a 37-yard interception return for a TD, Jennings, Nelson,


Menudo, a soup-like dish featuring tripe (beef stomach) and chili peppers, is from which country?

About Offal | The Taste of Aussie The Taste of Aussie Bringing the best recipes to you Search for: The Cook Leave a comment Some consider offal dishes, like pâté, to be highly delectable. Offal refers to the internal organs and entrails of a butchered animal. The word does not refer to a particular list of edible organs, which varies by culture and region, but includes most internal organs other than muscle and bone. As an English mass noun, the term offal has no plural form. Some cultures shy away from offal as food, while others use it as everyday food, or in delicacies. Some offal dishes are considered gourmet food in international cuisine. This includes foie gras, pâté and sweetbreads. Other offal dishes remain part of traditional regional cuisine and may be consumed especially in connection with holidays. This includes Scottish haggis, Jewish chopped liver, Southern U.S. chitterlings, as well as many other dishes. Intestines are used as casing for sausages, although cheaper types may use artificial casing. Depending on the context, offal may refer to those parts of an animal carcass discarded after butchering or skinning; it may also refer to the by-products of milled grains, such as corn or wheat. Offal not used directly for human or animal food is often processed in a rendering plant, producing material that is used for fertilizer or fuel; or in some cases, it may be added to commercially produced pet food. In earlier times, mobs sometimes threw offal and other rubbish at condemned criminals as a show of public disapproval. Offal in European cuisines In some parts of Europe, scrotum, brain, chitterlings (pig’s small intestine), trotters (feet), heart, head (of pigs, calves, sheep and lamb), kidney, liver, spleen, lights (lung), sweetbreads (thymus or pancreas), fries (testicles), tongue, snout (nose), tripe (reticulum) and maws (stomach) from various mammals are common menu items. British Isles The traditional Scottish haggis consists of sheep stomach stuffed with a boiled mix of liver, heart, lungs, rolled oats and other ingredients. In the English Midlands, faggots are made from ground or minced pig offal (mainly liver and cheek), bread, herbs and onion wrapped in pig’s caul fat. Steak and Kidney Pie (typically featuring veal or beef kidneys) is widely known and enjoyed in Britain and Ireland. An uncooked small haggis Brawn is a British English term for head cheese, or the collection of meat and tissue found on an animal’s skull (typically a pig) that is cooked, chilled and set in gelatin. Another British and Irish food is black pudding , consisting of congealed pig’s blood with oatmeal made into sausage-like links with pig intestine as a casing, then boiled and is usually fried on preparation. The jelly in Melton Mowbray pork pies is made from pig trotters. Pressed and sliced ox tongue remains popular for use in sandwiches. Luncheon Tongue refers to reformed pork tongue pieces. Both kinds of tongue are found in tinned form and in slices. Home pressing and cooking of tongue has become less common over the last fifty years. Bleached tripe was a popular dish in Northern England with many specialist tripe shops in industrial areas: these too have almost all closed. A serving of smalahove at Voss, Norway Nordic countries In Norway the smalahove is a traditional dish, usually eaten around and before Christmas time, made from a sheep’s head. The skin and fleece of the head is torched, the brain removed, and the head is salted, sometimes smoked, and dried. The head is boiled for about 3 hours and served with mashed rutabaga/swede and potatoes. The ear and eye (one half of a head is one serving) are normally eaten first, as they are the fattiest area and must be eaten warm. The head is often eaten from the front to the back, working around the bones of the skull. Smalahove is considered by some to be unappealing or even repulsive. It is mostly enjoyed by enthusiasts, and is often served to tourists and more adventurous visitors. Other Norwegian specialities include smalaføtter, which is a traditional dish similar to sma


The charter for what international organization was signed in San Francisco, in June 1945?

1945: The San Francisco Conference | United Nations 1945: The San Francisco Conference 1945: The San Francisco Conference Forty-six nations, including the four sponsors, were originally invited to the San Francisco Conference: nations which had declared war on Germany and Japan and had subscribed to the United Nations Declaration. UN Photo/Historical Photo The San Francisco Conference: Egypt signs the UN Charter. A facsimile copy of the Charter is superimposed on the photo. One of these nations - Poland - did not send a representative because the composition of its new government was not announced until too late for the conference. Therefore, a space was left for the signature of Poland, one of the original signatories of the United Nations Declaration. At the time of the conference there was no generally recognized Polish Government, but on June 28, such a government was announced and on October 15, 1945 Poland signed the Charter, thus becoming one of the original Members. Fifty Nations, Soon To Be United The conference itself invited four other states - the Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic, the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic, newly-liberated Denmark and Argentina. Thus delegates of fifty nations in all, gathered at the City of the Golden Gate, representatives of over eighty per cent of the world's population, people of every race, religion and continent; all determined to set up an organization which would preserve peace and help build a better world. They had before them the Dumbarton Oaks proposals as the agenda for the conference and, working on this basis, they had to produce a Charter acceptable to all the countries. Delegations And Staff Number 3,500 There were 850 delegates, and their advisers and staff together with the conference secretariat brought the total to 3,500. In addition, there were more than 2,500 press, radio and newsreel representatives and observers from many societies and organizations. In all, the San Francisco Conference was not only one of the most important in history but, perhaps, the largest international gathering ever to take place. The heads of the delegations of the sponsoring countries took turns as chairman of the plenary meetings : Anthony Eden, of Britain, Edward Stettinius, of the United States, T. V. Soong, of China, and Vyacheslav Molotov, of the Soviet Union. At the later meetings, Lord Halifax deputized for Mr. Eden, V. K. Wellington Koo for T. V. Soong, and Mr Gromyko for Mr. Molotov. Plenary meetings are, however, only the final stages at such conferences. A great deal of work has to be done in preparatory committees before a proposition reaches the full gathering in the form in which it should be voted upon. And the voting procedure at San Francisco was important. Every part of the Charter had to be and was passed by a two-thirds majority. This is the way in which the San Francisco Conference got through its monumental work in exactly two months. One Charter, Four Sections The conference formed a "Steering Committee," composed of the heads of all the delegations. This committee decided all matters of major principle and policy. But, even at one member per state, the committee was 50 strong, too large for detailed work; therefore an Executive Committee of fourteen heads of delegations was chosen to prepare recommendations for the Steering Committee. Then the proposed Charter was divided into four sections, each of which was considered by a "Commission." Commission one dealt with the general purposes of the organization, its principles, membership, the secretariat and the subject of amendments to the Charter. Commission two considered the powers and responsibilities of the General Assembly, while Commission three took up the Security Council. Commission four worked on a draft for the Statute of the International Court of Justice. This draft had been prepared by a 44-nation Committee of Jurists which had met in Washington in April 1945. All this sounds over-elaborate — especially when the four Commissions subdivided into twelve technical committees — but actually, i


How many squares are in the grid of a Sudoku number puzzle (this is not a trick question - individual squares - not including other 'squares' which could be formed from blocks of individual squares)?

Sudoku Puzzle Theory Read More Sudoku Puzzle Theory Sudoku is all about permutations, well permutations with an extra twist of logic. To look into the theory behind Sudoku you need to first look into permutations. Permutations A permutation is just a particular ordering of symbols. In Sudoku there must be only one occurrence of each symbol (or number) in each group ( row , column or region ). So for two symbols there are only two possible orders {1;2} and {2;1} with three there are six {1;2;3}, {1;3;2}, {2;1;3}, {2;3;1}, {3;1;2} and {3;2;1} possible orders and for four there are 24 permutations of the four symbols. The number of permutations is the Factorial ➚ of the number of symbols in the group, as each time an extra element is added to a set of size 'n' that element multiplies up the number of arrangements of the previous set size. So for the standard Sudoku set size of 9 we have 9 factorial (represented in maths as 9! ) or 9x 8x 7x 6x 5x 4x 3x 2x 1 possible permutations which works out as 362,880 possible ways of ordering the nine symbols in a row, column or region. Properties of permutations Permutations do not look at all exciting; but from it you can create other permutations by doing one of the following: Swap the symbols consistently In a permutation you can always swap all occurrences of one symbol for another as long as the swap is done systematically and in reverse too. If you swap 4 with 1 then the 1 must be swapped to a 4 (e.g. 4;2;3;1 would become 1;2;3;4). Several or all symbols can be swapped in this way. The result will always be a valid permutation. Here is a 4x4 puzzle with 1;2;3 swapped for 3;1;2 respectively; they are both valid Sudoku puzzles. Shifting the order Permutations are just an ordering so you can swap the order however much you like and the result is also a permutation. For example you can shift the symbol '8' from the start to the end so (8;4;5;6;1;2;7;9;3) becomes (4;5;6;1;2;7;9;3;8) or swap each element with its neighbor in pairs so (8;4;5;6;1;2;7;9;3) becomes (4;8;6;5;2;1;9;7;3). Here is a 4x4 puzzle with the bottom two rows swapped, they are both valid Sudoku puzzles. Arithmetic Analysis The original related puzzle of Magic squares ➚ has the property that all the numbers in rows and columns add up to the same total. This is also a property of permutations, if you add up the individual numbers in the permutation set then this will always give the same total. This is because addition is associative ➚ , it does not matter in which order you add up the numbers, you always end up with the same result ((5+1)+2) = (5+(1+2)). The same is true of multiplication but it is not true of all the simple arithmetic operations; as both subtraction and division give different results depending on the order that the operations are carried out, e.g. (4 / 3) / 2 is not the same as 4 / (3 / 2). If we add up all the numbers in a completed 9x9 Sudoku row, column or region the answer is always the same: 45, and if they are multiplied together the answer is always 362,880 (this is 9 factorial or 9!) This starts to look useful because if we had a number missing it can be deduced which one it is. For example, if there is one number missing and the sum of the other numbers is 40 the missing number must be 5 to make up the required group total of 45. This does not work in general as, for example, if two numbers are missing and the total is 38, it can't be directly deduced what the two numbers are, it could be any two numbers that add up to 7 (either 2 and 5; or 1 and 6; or 3 and 4). Similarly with multiplication, the value of one missing number can be deduced by multiplying them together and dividing the product into 362,880. For example if the group is 8;4;6;1;2;5;9;3 the product is 51,840 so dividing this into 362,880 we get the answer 7 as the missing number. Unfortunately, just like addition we can not use this scheme to determine which of two or more numbers are missing. There is more than one choice of numbers that give the same answer. Here are the factorials from 1 to 9 (9!). Before getting any furthe


The Tudor Dynasty - British Monarchy Family History British Monarchy Family History      The Tudor Dynasty was the ruling royal house of England and Wales (and Ireland from 1542) for one hundred and eighteen years from 1485 until 1603, after Henry Tudor defeated King Richard III at the battle of Bosworth in August 1485.   The death of the Yorkist king and the defeat of his army saw the end of the War of the Roses, a series of civil war battles fought between the dynastic houses of York and Lancaster for thirty years between 1455 to 1485.   The name of the war comes from the emblems which were shown on the king's banners when they rode into battle, the white rose for the House of Lancaster and the red rose for the House of York.  The colours of these two royal houses were brought together on the emblem of the Tudor Dynasty, in the form of the red and white Tudor Rose.   Of the six Tudor monarchs only one of them was actually born to reign, King Edward VI, the nine year old son of King Henry VIII.     HENRY VII  Henry was born on January the 28th 1457 at Pembroke Castle in Wales.  He was the son of Edmund Tudor, the first Earl of Richmond and his wife Lady Margaret Beaufort. Henry was crowned king on the 30th of October 1485 at Westminster Abbey in London and would be the last king to gain the throne of England by way of a victory on a battlefield.     Henry was known to be a tall dignified man with blond hair and blue eyes who had a confident yet friendly manner. Henry's reign is probably best remembered for restoring political stability and civil peace upon the country after the long bitter years of the civil war known as the War of the Roses, fought between the two previous reigning royal houses of Lancaster and York.      Henry was widowed in February of 1503 and was left disconsolate by his wife Elisabeth of York's death. This led to a general decline in both his mental and physical health leading to his ultimate demise from tuberculosis at the age of 52 He died on the 21st of April 1509 at Richmond Palace in Surrey.  He was later interred alongside Elisabeth, who had died six years previously, at Westminster Abbey in London.    ELISABETH OF YORK    To unite the two previously warring families of Lancaster and York the newly crowned King Henry VII married Elisabeth of York on the 18th of January, 1486, at Rennes Cathedral in France.   Although their marriage was one of convenience it would appear that it did go on to become a love match.    Elisabeth was born on the 11th of February 1466 and was the first born daughter, and after the untimely death of her elder brothers the former King Edward V and Richard, Duke of York, better known as the 'Princes in the Tower', became the rightful heir of King Edward IV of England and his wife Elisabeth Grey, nee Woodville.      Elisabeth was known to have been a quiet, gentle and kind woman who disliked public office, preferring instead to spend her time unobtrusively taking care of her children at Eltham Palace near Greenwich.  Apparently Elisabeth had red hair, more popularly known as ginger, a family trait that would be passed on to most of her descendants, the most notable of which were her son Henry and her grand - daughter Elisabeth.    Elisabeth died at Richmond Palace on her 37th birthday (11th of February 1503) after contracting a fever a few days after giving birth to her seventh child, a daughter called Katherine, who also died a few days after her birth.   Elisabeth would later be interred in Westminster Abbey.   King Henry VII and Queen Elisabeth had seven children, although only four survived into adulthood, and one of them would become a future King of England.   Their children were;  Arthur, Prince of Wales (1486 - 1501) - He married Catherine of Aragon, the daughter of Fernando V, King of Spain and Isabel, Queen of Castile.  The betrothal of the young couple was made when the princess was just three years old and the prince was only two. Their marriage took place on the 14th November 1501 but it lasted only five months before Arthur died during an epidemic at Ludl


"Man and Superman" Study Guide Updated May 22, 2016. Overview Arguably George Bernard Shaw ’s most profound play, Man and Superman, blends social satire with a fascinating philosophy. Today, the comedy continues to make readers and audiences laugh and think – sometimes simultaneously. Man and Superman tells the story of two rivals: John Tanner (a wealthy, politically-minded intellectual who values his freedom) and Ann Whitefield (a charming, scheming hypocritical young woman who wants Tanner as a husband). Once Tanner realizes that Miss Whitefield is hunting for a spouse (and that he is the only target), he attempts to flee, only to find out that his attraction to Ann is too overwhelming to escape. Re-inventing Don Juan Although many of Shaw’s plays were financial successes, not all of the critics admired his work. While many reviewers were intrigued by Shaw’s ideas, they did not appreciate his lengthy scenes of dialogue with little-to-no conflict. One such critic, Arthur Bingham Walkley once said that Shaw is “no dramatist at all.” In the late 1800s, Walkley suggested that Shaw should write a Don Juan play. continue reading below our video 4 Tips for Improving Test Performance Beginning in 1901, Shaw accepted the challenge; in fact, he wrote an extensive albeit sarcastic dedication to Walkley, thanking him for the inspiration. In the preface of Man and Superman, Shaw discusses the way Don Juan has been portrayed in other works, such as Mozart’s opera or Lord Byron’s poetry . Traditionally, Don Juan is a pursuer of women, an adulterer, and an unrepentant scoundrel. At the end of Mozart’s Don Giovanni, Don Juan is dragged to Hell, leaving Shaw to wonder: What happened to Don Juan’s soul? Man and Superman provides an answer to that question. The spirit of Don Juan lives on in the form of Juan’s distant-descendant John Tanner. Instead of a pursuer of women, Tanner is a pursuer of truth. Instead of an adulterer, Tanner is a revolutionary. Instead of a scoundrel, Tanner defies social-norms and old fashioned traditions in hopes of leading the way to a better world. Yet, the theme of seduction – typical in all incarnations of Don Juan stories – is still present. Through each act of the play, the female lead, Ann Whitefield, aggressively pursues her prey. Below is a brief summary of the play. Man and Superman - Act One Ann Whitefield’s father has passed away. Mr. Whitefield’s will indicate that his daughter’s guardians shall be two gentlemen: Roebuck Ramsden: The steadfast (and rather old-fashioned) friend of the family. John Tanner: A controversial author and “Member of the Idle Rich Class” The problem: Ramsden cannot stand Tanner’s morals, and Tanner cannot stand the idea of being Ann’s guardian. To complicate things, Tanner’s friend Octavius “Tavy” Robinson is head over heels in love with An. He hopes that the new guardianship will improve his chances of winning her heart. Ann flirts harmlessly whenever she is around Tavy. However, when she is alone with John Tanner (AKA “Jack”) her intentions become obvious to the audience. She wants Tanner. Whether she wants him because she loves him, or because she is infatuated with him, or merely because desires his wealth and status is entirely up to the viewer’s opinion. When Tavy’s sister Violet enters, a romantic sub-plot is introduced. Rumor has it that Violet is pregnant and unmarried. Ramsden and Octavius are outraged and ashamed. Tanner congratulates Violet. He believes that she is simply following life’s natural impulses, and he approves the instinctive way Violet has pursued her goals despite society’s expectations. Violet can tolerate the moral objections of her friends and family. She cannot, however, abide Tanner’s praise. She admits that she is legally married, but that the identity of her groom must remain secret. Act One of Man and Superman concludes with Ramsden and the others apologizing. Jack Tanner is disappointed; he wrongly thought that Violet has shared his moral/philosophical outlook. Instead, realizes the bulk of society is not ready to challenge traditional inst


If a leaf is obcordate, what shape is it?

Plants are the Strangest People: List: Houseplants With Heart-Shaped Leaves Plants are the Strangest People PATSP is a long-winded, intermittently humorous blog which is mostly about houseplants, particularly Anthuriums. Pages List: Houseplants With Heart-Shaped Leaves This would possibly have been more helpful to people, or at least more timely, if I'd posted it earlier, but you know how things go sometimes. Houseplants with heart-shaped leaves are surprisingly uncommon. I looked through the " yearbook " expecting to find them all over the place, but actually, most of the stuff that looked heart-shaped were actually either round (orbicular) or lens-shaped (elliptic) leaves, that only appeared to be slightly heart-shaped when viewed from a particular angle (e.g. Saxifraga stolonifera ). I was really expecting to find a lot more than this. Even a lot of plants that have leaves which are technically the right shape are a little more elongated than people normally think of as heart-shaped. More spear-shaped (hastate) or triangular (deltoid) than cordate (the botanical term for "heart-shaped"), really. There's also a word, obcordate, which means heart-shaped-but-with-the-petiole-attaching-at-the-"bottom"-of-the-heart-instead-of-at-the-"dent." You can see why having a shorter word is useful. I'm counting obcordate leaves too, because the shape isn't any different, it's just the point of attachment that changes. I am, no doubt, forgetting some plants here (in which case please, remind me in comments), but here's what I came up with: Anthurium crystallinum 'Mehani.' Anthurium andraeanum 'Pandola,' plus some other Anthurium andraeanum cvv. (bonus: many have flowers with heart-shaped spathes, too! Including some that are both red and heart-shaped!) Cyclamen persicum cvv. (florist's cyclamen) Hedera helix (English ivy), some cvv. Hemionitis arifolia (heart fern). Monstera deliciosa 'Cheesecake' (variegated split-leaf philodendron), as well as other Monstera deliciosa cvv. Mature leaves will develop splits, but the overall leaf shape remains cordate. Peperomia caperata (ripple peperomia, Emerald Ripple), all cvv. (also the very similar P. griseoargentea) Philodendron gloriosum. Philodendron hederaceum 'Brazil' and other P. hederaceum cvv. (heart-leaf philodendron) Scindapsus pictus (satin pothos). We'll be doing anti-recommendations for this set, because most of these are perfectly nice folks, who would fit in just fine in most households. However, Hemionitis is not easy to grow at all -- miss one watering, even by half a day, and it'll tell you it hates you and will never forgive you before stomping off to its room to cut itself and write bad angsty songs on the guitar you bought it for its birthday. And it doesn't like direct sunlight that much either. I don't know how they are about humidity because I've only ever seen one in the greenhouse, but it's a fern, so, make your own guesses. I've also never owned a Cyclamen, though I know of enough people who have that I'm thinking they may not be that bad. I'm a little scared to try, because plants with serious dormant periods freak me out. Maybe someday. Finally, Peperomia caperata and I have had a bit of a falling-out since I wrote the profile for it; a few plants have failed to survive repottings (repottings that they actually needed, and were requesting), one got knocked over and broke off a good 80% of its leaves (it might be coming back, though), the one in Nina's terrarium got too dry, or too wet, or both, and went ffffft on me, and so I'm down to a small fraction of the number I had originally. In the right circumstances, they're still okay, but I don't have the kind of time available to deal with a Peperomia caperata anymore. Which is a shame, 'cause I think they're really pretty. (If I do get a new terrarium for Nina, though, I'll probably attempt to stock it with at least one Peperomia, either a caperata or argyreia.) Not pictured: Alocasia cvv. (elephant ears), to some degree Anthurium 'Faustino Giant'


The ground-dwelling mesite bird is confined to which island, fourth-largest globally, behind Greenland, New Guinea and Borneo (given that Australia is regarded as a continent, not an island)?

Etymologie, Etimolog�a, �tymologie, Etimologia, Etymology - @_ Welt, Mundo, Monde, Mondo, World - Natur, Naturaleza, Nature, Natura, Nature Etymologie, Etimologï¿½a, ï¿½tymologie, Etimologia, Etymology @_ Welt, Mundo, Monde, Mondo, World Natur, Naturaleza, Nature, Natura, Nature A arkive.org Artenfotos (W3) "ARKive", das "Archive for Endangered Species" spielt durch seine Schreibweise an auf die "Arche Noah", engl. "Noah's ark". (E?)(L?) http://www.arkive.org/about/ Mission With species extinction now occurring at a faster rate than at any time in Earth's history, effective awareness raising and education programmes are ever more vital. Powerful wildlife imagery is an emotive and effective means of building environmental awareness and engagement, and quick and easy access to this imagery is essential in the digital mass communications society we live in today. However, until now, this valuable imagery has been scattered throughout the world, in a wide variety of private, commercial and specialist collections, with no centralised collection, restricted public access, limited educational use, and no co-ordinated strategy for its long term preservation. ARKive is now putting that right, gathering together the very best films and photographs of the world's species into one centralised digital library, to create a unique audio-visual record of life on Earth. Preserved and maintained for future generations, ARKive is making this key resource accessible to all, from scientists and conservationists to the general public and school children, via its award-winning website - www.arkive.org Threatened Mammals Species 1 - 50 of 498 [ next ] (19.11.2008) Aardvark (Orycteropus afer) Information on the aardvark is currently being researched and written and will appear here... More 20 Images 0 Videos Abbott's duiker (Cephalophus spadix) This secretive, forest-dwelling antelope was first photographed in the wild as recently as 2003, with the aid of a camera trap.... More 4 Images 0 Videos Addax (Addax nasomaculatus) The Addax is a desert living antelope and is well adapted to its harsh habitat; the hooves are splayed to enable them to travel... More 15 Images 4 Videos African buffalo (Syncerus caffer) The strong and imposing African buffalo is Africa's only wild cattle species, and one of the 'Big Five' mammals that were once... More 75 Images 10 Videos African caracal (Caracal caracal) Information on the African caracal is currently being researched and written and will appear here... More 34 Images 0 Videos African clawless otter (Aonyx capensis) Information on the African clawless otter is currently being researched and written and will appear here... More 11 Images 0 Videos African elephant (Loxodonta africana) One of the most emotive of the megafauna and the largest living terrestrial animal, African savanna elephants inspire awe at their... More 48 Images 32 Videos African golden cat (Profelis aurata) The African golden cat is little known by science, but is the subject of much tribal superstition in many parts of Africa. Pygmy... More 8 Images 1 Video African manatee (Trichechus senegalensis) The African manatee is the least known of all the Sirenians; the unique group of manatees and dugongs that are the only herbivorous... More 2 Images 0 Videos African wild ass (Equus africanus) The African wild ass is the ancestor of the domestic donkey, and has a similar stocky body shape. The short, smooth coat is a light... More 6 Images 3 Videos African wild dog (Lycaon pictus) The African wild dog is one of the world's most social and distinctive canids. The short, wiry coat is coloured in blotches... More 25 Images 12 Videos Agile mangabey (Cercocebus agilis) Information on the agile mangabey is currently being researched and written and will appear here... More 4 Images 0 Videos Alaotran gentle lemur (Hapalemur alaotrensis) The Alaotran gentle lemur has a woolly, dense, dark-grey coat, with a chestnut tinge on the crown. The head is rounded, the muzzle... More 11 Images 2 Videos Amami rabbit (Pentalagus furnessi) The Amami rabbit is a un


In Arthurian and Welsh Romance legendary stories, who was the faithful wife of Geraint/Gereint?

Geraint and Enid Geraint and Enid Geraint and Enid are the principle figures in the both Welsh  tale of Geraint, the Son of Erbin, and a similar story by Chrétien  de Troyes. Chrétien's Erec et Enide, written c. 1170, is his earliest  surviving Arthurian romance. The Welsh story dates from the thirteenth century  and is later than Chrétien's. In both versions, the hero wins a tournament in which the knight defends the  boast that his woman is the most beautiful and fights for the prize of a sparrow  hawk. When Enid and Geraint (or Erec) marry, the knight is so happy  that he neglects his knightly duties. Geraint, hearing his wife bemoan that  she has been the cause of his shame, believes that she must have been unfaithful.  Together they embark on a quest that proves Geraint to be a true knight, and  her to be a faithful wife. Chrétien's romance is the the basis of Hartmann von Aue's Erec and the  thirteenth-century Icelandic Erex Saga. Tennyson used Welsh tale, Mabinogion  as the basis of his story of the two characters. Called "Enid," it  was one of the first four idylls published in 1859 in the volume called Idylls  of the King.


How many stars are on the national flag of The Cook Islands?

Cook Islands This page is part of © FOTW Flags Of The World website Cook Islands The Cook Islands Ensign at the Government of the Cook Islands Official Website Presentation The official name of the Cook Islands is the Cook Islands. It would be rather unusual to say the least to refer to this country today as the Associated State of the Cook Islands. It would also be incorrect to refer to this country by that expression if that were to infer that the Cook Islands lacked its own international personality and had less than plenary competence to engage in international affairs in its own right. Indeed, for example, the Cook Islands recently became a contracting party to the Cotonou Agreement between 77 African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) States and the European Union, that Agreement being open for participation only by independent States. As well, the Cook Islands is a full member of a number of world organisations of which New Zealand is also a separate and full member (e.g. FAO, ICAO, UNESCO, WHO and WMO). While the Cook Islands is in a relationship of free association with New Zealand , that relationship does not qualify the Cook Islands' plenary competence referred to above. The Maori translation of the Cook Islands is te Kuki Airani, not Rarotonga, the latter being the main island of this country. James Gosselin, International Legal Advisor, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Immigration, 3 January 2001 (in an e-mail to Roger Moyer) The following information is from the US Department of the Interior on islands of disputed sovereignty in the 20th century. The document appears to be from early 1998, so there may be some changes. In a treaty signed June 11, 1980, the United States renounced claims to four atolls in favor of Cook Island sovereignty. The treaty was effective September 8, 1983. The atolls were: Danger (Pukapuka), Manahiki, Penrhyn and Rakahanga. Phil Nelson, 27 April 2000 The Cook Islands were declared a British protectorate in 1888, and annexed to New Zealand in 1901. In 1965, they were granted self-government with their own unicameral Parliament. They have an elected Legislative Assembly, and a Queen's Representative who ratifies the legislation. (Those familiar with Westminster style constitutions will understand that this ratification is merely a formality with its roots founded in the fact that the head of state is the Queen of New Zealand, as the Cook Islands are part of the Realm of New Zealand.) Jonathan Dixon, 17 August 2006 Description British Blue Ensign with fifteen white five-pointed stars in a circle in the fly. The ratio is 1:2. The stars represent the 15 islands in the Cook Islands group. The use of the Blue Ensign refers to the British links of the Cook Islands, formerly as part of, and now as an independent state in free association with, New Zealand . Stuart Park, 8 December 1995 The Cook Islands ensign is described and its symbolism explained in the Government of the Cook Islands website: The Constitution declares the Cook Islands Ensign described below to be the recognised flag of the Cook Islands (Article 76C):- "The Cook Islands Ensign shall be a Royal blue ensign. The Union Jack shall occupy the upper staff quarter, having on the fly 15 stars in a symmetrical ring, all of equal size and equal spacing, and the colour of the stars shall be white. The flag proportion of length to breadth shall be two to one. "And it shall mean - "Blue - is the colour most expressive of our Nation, it is representative of the vast area of the Pacific Ocean in which the islands of the Cook Islands are scattered. Blue also depicts the peaceful nature of the inhabitants of our islands. "Union Jack - indicates our historical association with and membership of the British Commonwealth. "The 15 white stars - represent the 15 islands of the group." (Third Schedule to the Constitution). Santiago Dotor, 3 February 1999 According to Barraclough and Crampton 1981 [ bcr81 ], pp. 212 and 252: A new design for the flag was introduced on 4 August 1979. The circle of stars is now white, and is placed in the fly of a British


Producing meibum, an oily sealant, where on the human head are the meibomian glands ?

Eye Discharge - Causes, Types, Treatment See also: More about eye infections • 17 red eye causes • How long does pink eye last? Eye discharge, or "sleep" in your eyes, is a combination of mucus, oil, skin cells and other debris that accumulates in the corner of your eye while you sleep. It can be wet and sticky or dry and crusty, depending on how much of the liquid in the discharge has evaporated. Other slang terms used to describe eye discharge include eye boogers, eye mattering, eye gunk and eye pus. Sometimes called rheum, eye discharge has a protective function, removing waste products and potentially harmful debris from the tear film and the front surface of your eyes. Abnormal eye discharge could indicate an eye infection or disease. Your eyes produce mucus throughout the day, but a continuous thin film of tears bathes your eyes when you blink, flushing out the rheum before it hardens in your eyes. When you're asleep  and not blinking  eye discharge collects and crusts in the corners of your eyes and sometimes along the lash line, hence the term "sleep in your eyes." Some sleep in your eyes upon waking is normal, but excessive eye discharge, especially if it's green or yellow in color and accompanied by blurry vision , light sensitivity or eye pain, can indicate a serious eye infection or eye disease and should be promptly examined by your eye doctor . If you haven't established an eye doctor, click here to find one near you . Where Does Eye Mucus Come From? Eye discharge is a function of your tear film and a necessary component of good eye health. Eye rheum primarily consists of thin, watery mucus produced by the conjunctiva (called mucin), and meibum  an oily substance secreted by the meibomian glands which helps keep your eyes lubricated between blinks. When not washed away by tears, the accumulated debris, or "mattering," collects in the inner corner of the eye as well as along the lash line. Causes Of Eye Discharge Sleep in your eyes usually isn't cause for alarm, but if you notice a difference in consistency, color and quantity of eye gunk, it could indicate an eye infection or disease. Recommended For You TheraTears contains nutrients that match your natural tears. Get $2 off! Common eye conditions associated with abnormal eye discharge include: Conjunctivitis. Eye discharge is a common symptom of conjunctivitis (pink eye), an inflammation of the conjunctiva  the thin membrane that lines the "white" of the eye (sclera) and the inner surface of the eyelids. In addition to itchy, gritty, irritated and red eyes , conjunctivitis typically is accompanied by white, yellow or green eye mucus which can form a crust along the lash line while you sleep. In some cases, eyelid crusting can be so severe that it temporarily seals your eye shut. There are three types of pink eye : viral, bacterial and allergic. Viral conjunctivitis is highly contagious and is caused by a virus such as the common cold or herpes simplex virus. Eye discharge associated with viral pink eye typically is clear and watery, but may include a white or light yellow mucus component. Bacterial conjunctivitis, as the name indicates, is caused by bacterial infection and can be sight-threatening if not treated promptly. Eye discharge is usually thicker and more pus-like (purulent) in consistency than viral pink eye, and is commonly yellow, green or even gray. Often, the sticky mattering will cause your eyelids to feel completely glued shut upon waking in the morning. Causes of Eye Goo Watery  viral conjunctivitis, allergic conjunctivitis, eye allergies, dry eyes, eye injury, dacryocystitis. Crusty  blepharitis, bacterial conjunctivitis and other eye infections, stye. Sticky and gooey  stye, bacterial conjunctivitis and other eye infections, corneal ulcer, dacryocystitis. Stringy  dry eyes, corneal ulcer, allergic conjunctivitis, eye allergies. Allergic conjunctivitis is triggered by allergens  pollen, dander, dust and other common irritants that cause eye allergies . It also can be caused by an allergic reaction to chemical pollutants, makeup, c


By what name is Siddartha Guatama better known?

Siddhartha Gautama is better known by what name? | Brainscape Deck 3 of 18 (Early Religion and Thought): Card 14 of 45 Siddhartha Gautama is better known by what name? Q Show Answer Siddhartha Gautama, who lived from around 560 B.C. to 480 B.C., is better known by the name of Buddha. A nobleman from India's north, Buddha abandoned his privileged background in a quest to discover why suffering existed. After being enlightened (Buddha means "enlightened one") while sitting under a tree, Buddha established the basic tenets of Buddhism. Importantly, Buddha never claimed to have achieved divine status. A Learn more with Brainscape Brainscape is a web and mobile study platform that helps you learn things faster. Our mission is to create a smarter world by simplifying and accelerating the learning process.


Galena is the primary ore mineral of which metal?

Galena: Galena mineral information and data. Galena Group . Galena is the primary ore mineral of lead. Worked for its lead content as early as 3000 BC, it is found in ore veins with sphalerite, pyrite, chalcopyrite, tennantite-tetrahedrite, etc. and in skarns, as well as in sedimentary rocks where it may replace carbonate beds or be deposited in pore spaces. The crystals are bright when fresh but often tarnish after exposure to air. Classification of Galena


The world's largest working waterwheel, the Lady Isabella (also known as the Laxey Wheel), is on which island, known in its national language as Ellan Vannin?

1000+ images about Isle of Man on Pinterest | Isle of man, The isle and Manx Forward Isle of Man (Tynwald Hill), by Clive Uptton. The ceremony of the High Court of Tynwald, the world's oldest parliament. Every year in early July the two houses of the parliament meet on Tynwald Hill, a meeting which began in 1417. We are shown the ceremonial procession from the Chapel to the top of the hill where the Island flag flies. Original Vintage Railway Poster available on originalrailwayposters.co.uk See More


In which African country is the town of Lassa, where Lassa fever was first identified?

Nigeria: Tackling the Outbreak of Lassa Fever - allAfrica.com Nigeria: Tackling the Outbreak of Lassa Fever more Forty-five years after the first outbreak of Lassa Fever in Nigeria, the health sector is still grappling with the scourge currently ravaging some cities in the country. Martins Ifijeh writes The smile on the faces of Nigerians since the containment of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) over a year ago is being threatened by the recent outbreak of Lassa Fever, which has so far spread from Taraba to Rivers, Nassarawa, Bauchi, Kano, Plateau, Gombe, Niger, Oyo and Edo State, killing several persons in a space of two months. This, again has brought Nigerians into a familiar scenario of fear and uncertainty, as people express deep concern whenever there are disease outbreaks in the country, considering that every epidemic of this nature leave scores dead, while several others struggle with treating themselves. As at the last count, available information suggests that over 40 persons have been said to had lost their lives to the disease which has assumed epidemic proportions with over 90 persons already infected, this year alone. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), Lassa fever is an acute viral haemorrhagic illness caused by Lassa virus, a member of the arenavirus family of viruses. It is transmitted to humans from contacts with food or household items contaminated with rodent excreta. The disease is endemic in the rodent population in parts of West Africa. Person-to-person infections and laboratory transmission can also occur, particularly in the hospital environment, in the absence of adequate infection control measures. Though it was first discovered in the 1950s, the virus causing Lassa fever was not identified until 1969 in a town named Lassa in Borno State. Apart from Nigeria, Lassa fever is also endemic in other African countries like Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea, Central African Republic and Congo DR. Experts are of the opinion that the government should as a matter of urgency embark on massive sensitisation programmes across the country in other to forestall further spread of the disease. Speaking with THISDAY, a Virologist, Professor Sobowale Oludare, said if the country had upgraded its surveillance system, as well as laboratory support facilities after the last Ebola outbreak, it would have been much easier to quell the growing spread of Lassa Fever currently in several states of the federation, adding that until the country get it right, there will continuously be outbreaks. "With our surveillance system in place, it would be much easier to predict various outbreaks and then promptly address it before it snowball into taking several lives, which is unfortunate for a country that prides itself as the giant of Africa," he explained. According to the virologist, over 80 per cent of infected persons may not present symptoms, but that about 20 per cent of those infected will present symptoms, adding that on majority of cases, the symptoms could be mistaken for malaria, cold or flu. "Early symptoms of the disease occur within the first and third week after being infected, and they include fever, diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal pain, headache, chills, nausea, sore throat, conjunctivitis, backache, facial swelling, mucosal bleeding, and joint pains. Late symptoms include bleeding from the mouth and rectum, bleeding from the eyes, ears and nose, eye swelling, swelling of the genitals and rashes all over the body that often contain blood, coma and even death. In some patients, temporary or permanent neurological problems may occur," he noted. He said with the several symptoms presented by the virus, it was best to carry out diagnosis whenever any of the symptoms was noticed, so as not to confuse other illnesses like typhoid and malaria for Lassa Fever. But how can the virus be transmitted and what should be done to prevent it? Prof. Oludare provides a guide. According to him, not all types of rats present the Lassa virus, "the mastomys rodents, often known by locals as the rat with the long mouth, is the spec


Englishman John Wycliffe's 14th century Lollardy movement addressed reform of what?

John Wycliffe English Bible History John Wycliffe The first hand-written    English language Bible manuscripts were produced in 1380's AD by John Wycliffe, an Oxford professor, scholar, and theologian. Wycliffe,    (also spelled “Wycliff” & “Wyclif”), was well-known    throughout Europe for his opposition to the teaching of the organized Church,    which he believed to be contrary to the Bible. With the help of his followers,    called the Lollards, and his assistant Purvey, and many other faithful scribes,    Wycliffe produced dozens of English language manuscript copies of the scriptures.    They were translated out of the Latin Vulgate, which was the only source    text available to Wycliffe. The Pope was so infuriated by his teachings    and his translation of the Bible into English, that 44 years after Wycliffe    had died, he ordered the bones to be dug-up, crushed, and scattered in the    river! John Wycliffe (1320-1384) was a theologian and early proponent of reform    in the Roman Catholic Church during the 14th century. He initiated the first    translation of the Bible into the English language and is considered the    main precursor of the Protestant Reformation. Wycliffe was born at Ipreswell    (modern Hipswell), Yorkshire, England, between 1320 and 1330; and he died    at Lutterworth (near Leicester) December 31, 1384. The Early Life of John Wycliffe His family was of early Saxon origin, long settled in Yorkshire. In his    day the family was a large one, covering a considerable territory, and its    principal seat was Wycliffe-on-Tees, of which Ipreswell was an outlying    hamlet. 1324 is the year usually given for Wycliffe's birth. Wycliffe probably    received his early education close to home. It is not known when he first    went to Oxford, with which he was so closely connected till the end of his    life. He was at Oxford in about 1345, when a series of illustrious names    was adding glory to the fame of the university--such as those of Roger Bacon, Robert Grosseteste, Thomas Bradwardine, William of Occam, and Richard Fitzralph. Wycliffe owed much to Occam; he showed an interest in natural science and    mathematics, but applied himself to the study of theology, ecclesiastical    law, and philosophy. Even his opponents acknowledged the keenness of his    dialectic. His writings prove that he was well grounded in Roman and English    law, as well as in native history. A family whose seat was in the neighborhood    of Wycliffe's home-- Bernard Castle-- had founded Balliol College, Oxford    to which Wycliffe belonged, first as scholar, then as master. He attained    the headship no later than 1360. The Early Career of John Wycliffe When he was presented by the college (1361) with the parish of Fylingham    in Lincolnshire, he had to give up the leadership of Balliol, though he    could continue to live at Oxford. His university career followed the usual    course. While as baccalaureate he busied himself with natural science and    mathematics, as master he had the right to read in philosophy. More significant    was his interest in Bible study, which he pursued after becoming bachelor    in theology. His performance led Simon Islip, Archbishop of Canterbury,    to place him at the head of Canterbury Hall in 1365. Between 1366 and 1372 he became a doctor of theology; as such he had the    right to lecture upon systematic divinity, which he did. In 1368 he gave    up his living at Fylingham and took over the rectory of Ludgershall in Buckinghamshire,    not far from Oxford, which enabled him to retain his connection with the    university. Roots of Wycliffe's Reformation Activities It was not as a teacher or preacher that Wycliffe gained his position in    history; this came from his activities in ecclesiastical politics, in which    he engaged about the mid-1370s, when his reformatory work also began. In 1374 he was among the Engli


In UK politics, what flower is the emblem of the Labour Party?

Labour Symbol - The UK Politics Forum Labour Symbol Joined: 19 Jan 2008, 20:34 Forum Member Why the hell is the symbol of the Labour Party a prissy flower? How about a pick axe, or a wrench or some other frigging tool? And why does it seem that all 'democratic socialists' are a bunch of wusses? Joined: 22 Jun 2011, 21:43 Forum Member 25 Oct 2011, 07:31 It's been a long time since a Labour supporter used a pickaxe at work.  After all, if you have a degree it's a bit beneath you. And on the sixth day he made Man ... chester! Joined: 07 May 2010, 16:56 Forum Member 25 Oct 2011, 11:35 Desperate Dan wrote: been a long time since a Labour supporter used a pickaxe at work. After all, if you have a degree it's a bit beneath you. Honestly - Labour Party supporters have degrees? This is the criticism? Do all Labour Party people have degrees then? Or just some of them? Some of them. Like any other party then? And if they do have a degree that's bad because...? Joined: 22 Jun 2011, 21:43 Forum Member Joined: 07 May 2010, 16:56 Forum Member Joined: 22 Jun 2011, 21:43 Forum Member True, but I thought it was so obviously ironic ... And on the sixth day he made Man ... chester! Joined: 27 Oct 2010, 12:12 Forum Member 25 Oct 2011, 20:11 symbols don't win votes so it's not worth arguing about them though it is interesting that the tories now have a tree and labour a flower, two more non offensive symbols would be hard to find and no doubt that was deliberate in the attempt to appeal to all. oh and whatever you think of democratic socialists labour aren't that either. Joined: 22 Jun 2011, 21:43 Forum Member Is the Libdem emblem still a cannabis plant? And on the sixth day he made Man ... chester! Joined: 07 May 2010, 16:56 Forum Member Joined: 22 Jun 2011, 21:43 Forum Member Sounds about right just now. And on the sixth day he made Man ... chester! Joined: 18 Dec 2003, 17:26 Forum Member 28 Apr 2012, 06:06 The red rose is the traditional social democratic party symbol. That's why it was chosen in the 1980s under Neil Kinnock; to win over Middle England, etc Political Compass: Joined: 10 Jan 2012, 20:27 Red Card 01 May 2012, 05:34 Id rather live in a country where the Main parties are represented by a tree and a flower than ones where Eagles and Hammers battle it out. Joined: 29 Jun 2007, 11:35 Forum Member True, but I thought it was so obviously ironic ... Don't despair! Joined: 26 Nov 2009, 20:40 Forum Member 05 May 2012, 16:41 (Given the Tory symbol is a tree) Ed Miliband should choose a Chainsaw as the Labour symbol! This sounds humorous, but to dismiss it as a joke, is also to ignore how (in theory) all publicity can be good publicity. The fact it’s humorous (more or less) guarantees press reporting is 90 plus % positive. However: the rose is appropriate as: In nature trees are far more sturdy organisms than flowers –especially if they're the variety that only prospers on bags, of decaying money! So as: Under Ed’s leadership, the party doesn’t really know, what a policy is, I’d imagine a mirror would be a more fitting image. Likewise: Cameron taking a chainsaw, to his own party's oak tree, would better reflect his policies! Update... I almost forgot the Lib-Dem's! It should be obvious to anybody who knows what I think about them, but the best symbol would probably be... You know those "docking ropes" used to hold a ship in Harbor, to the Harbor walls? Well years ago, rats used to do a tight-rope, walk down them, and in this way infect new islands-continents. With their principles hardly being their strongest point; surely an image of a black rat, against a red skyline, walking down docking rope, from a ship (sinking in harbor) would do justice? Anyhow just an idea... Can't think why they wouldn't employ me in marketing So whatever you do, do it as best you can.


According to the gospel of Luke, Zachariah and his barren wife Elizabeth were the parents of which great Biblical character?

Zechariah's Vision in the Temple (Luke 1:5-25) -- JesusWalk Text Luke 1:5-25 [5] In the time of Herod king of Judea there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah; his wife Elizabeth was also a descendant of Aaron. [6] Both of them were upright in the sight of God, observing all the Lord's commandments and regulations blamelessly. [7] But they had no children, because Elizabeth was barren; and they were both well along in years. [8] Once when Zechariah's division was on duty and he was serving as priest before God, [9] he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to go into the temple of the Lord and burn incense. [10] And when the time for the burning of incense came, all the assembled worshipers were praying outside. [11] Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. [12] When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and was gripped with fear. [13] But the angel said to him: "Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to give him the name John. [14] He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, [15] for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from birth. [16] Many of the people of Israel will he bring back to the Lord their God. [17] And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous--to make ready a people prepared for the Lord." [18] Zechariah asked the angel, "How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years." [19] The angel answered, "I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news. [20] And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their proper time." [21] Meanwhile, the people were waiting for Zechariah and wondering why he stayed so long in the temple. [22] When he came out, he could not speak to them. They realized he had seen a vision in the temple, for he kept making signs to them but remained unable to speak. [23] When his time of service was completed, he returned home. [24] After this his wife Elizabeth became pregnant and for five months remained in seclusion. [25] "The Lord has done this for me," she said. "In these days he has shown his favor and taken away my disgrace among the people." Exposition This week's lesson is included in Luke's Gospel to show how special and significant is the birth of John the Baptist -- announced in the temple to the boy-to-be's father, a priest. But it also has lessons for us as disciples. Zechariah certainly lives his life to follow the God he loved, but his faith falters. What can we learn from his faith that we can apply to our own? A Barren Couple (1:5-7) The story begins carefully placed in geography and time. Luke relates this not as a timeless legend, but as an historical event. "In the time of Herod king of Judea there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah; his wife Elizabeth was also a descendant of Aaron. Both of them were upright in the sight of God, observing all the Lord's commandments and regulations blamelessly. But they had no children, because Elizabeth was barren; and they were both well along in years." (1:5-7) We meet Zechariah and his wife Elizabeth, an elderly, childless couple. "Zechariah" means "Yahweh remembers." It is a very common name, used of 32 individuals in the Old Testament and two or three in the new. "Elizabeth" means "God is (my) oath," that is, a worshipper of God. That they were "well along in years" (Greek probaino, KJV "stricken") may indicate that they were over sixty, since sixty years was considered "the commencement of agedness."[1]. They were "upright" (NIV) or "righteous" (KJV, Greek di


What is an angle called which is larger than 180 degrees and smaller than 360 degrees?

Geometry Angles And Types Of Angles Acute Angle: An angle whose measure is less than 90 degrees. Obtuse Angle: An angle whose measure is bigger than 90 degrees but less than 180 degrees. Straight Angle: An angle whose measure is 180 degrees. Right Angle: An angle whose measure is 90 degrees. Reflex Angle: An angle whose measure is bigger than 180 degrees but less than 360 degrees.


In which European country did the 16th Century St Bartholomews Day Massacre take place?

Hist 202 Midterm 1 Part 1 - History 202 with Hardy at Brigham Young University - StudyBlue Good to have you back! If you've signed in to StudyBlue with Facebook in the past, please do that again. Hist 202 Midterm 1 Part 1 Hist 202 Midterm 1 Part 1 Kristi L. How long was the reign of the Safavid Empire? 1500-1600. (16th and 17th century) Where was the Safavid Empire? Persia/Iran. What branch of islam was the Safavid empire? Shii'a islam as a unifying zone What are some of the characteristics of the Safavid Empire? -Created a stronghold between the east and west. -Intolerant religious views When was the decline of the Safavid empire and when did they fall? The Ottomans took over the Safavid empire in the early 16th century. What type of nation was the Ottoman empire considered? Gunpowder nation. They had significant firepower. Who were the Ottomans? Turkish military regime empire based in Anatolia. What division of Islam were the Ottomans? Sunni division. The rise of the Ottomans was closely related to the decline of a another civilization. What was that civilization? Byzantium In 1453 and important event happened in the Ottoman empire. What was this event? They conquered Constantinople and Constantine the emperor was killed. Under which ruler was Constantinople rebuilt? Mehemet the conquerer. Why did the Ottoman empire keep conquering lands? They had significantly more firepower so they could. In the 16th century the Ottomans were disturbing the peace with a new nation. What was it? Did they win? The Austrian nation/ Habsburgs. Under the rule of Ferdinand I.  Did the Ottoman empire ever make peace with the Habsburgs? Yes, in 1606. Because they drew even in the fight What nation was the lead in precious metals in the 16th century? What did this fund? The Ottoman empire. It helped fund their fiscal military state. Advertisement What was significant about the battle of Kosovo? Who were the two clashing powers? -Fought between Serbians and Ottomas -Signified death of Prince Lazar and point of pride in the Serbs for defeating a gunpowder nation Who ordered the building of the Topkapi palace? Mehemet II What was the significance of the Topkapi Palace? -Solidified the Ottoman empire Who protected the Topkapi Palace? The Janissaries.  Where is the Topkapi Palace located? Instanbul/ Constantinople What was the Holy Roman Empire? - Formed in 962 -Loose confederation of Germanic States. Who controlled the Holy Roman Empire in the early 1500s? The Habsburg empire. What was the reconquista? -Portugal and Spain conquer the Iberian Peninsula and take it back from the muslims in the 15th century. When did the reconquista end? 1492, when the Muslim King handed over Granada to the Christians.  What was the inquisition? Institution formed to combat heresy, formed in the 12th century under Pope Gregory What happened in the inquisition? You were prosecuted and tortured if they deemed you as heretic. (Think Jan Huss.)Banned book list that contained heretic material. -How they proved if you were Catholic or not. Think of King Henry at Navar. What would be an example of absolutism? Absolute Monarchy. -Louis XIV of France who built to palace at versailles. What was the significance of Versailles? -Status and intrigue Who was the political head of Western Christianity and the counterpart to Suleyman? Charles V.  Who formed an alliance with the Ottomans which terrified the Habsburgs? France What was an embarrassing moment for Phillip II ruler of Spain? He couldn't afford the Protestant war, had to declare bankruptcy. And sue for peace with the Ottomans. Who expelled the Moriscos that were living in Spain and why was this bad? Phillip II expelled them because they were not the most sincere in their conversion. They in turn are welcomed with Open arms in the Ottoman Empire. Who made mention of a reformation before Martin Luther. -Wyclif -Jan Huss What was the Protestant reformation? An antipapal movement that was trying to reform the Catholic church. Began shortly after the black death Who was the key player in the Protestant reformation and why? Wha


What was the previous name of Taiwan, the island off the southeast coast of mainland China?

Taiwan | history - geography - self-governing island, Asia | Britannica.com Country Data Overview (PDF) Taiwan, Chinese (Wade-Giles romanization) T’ai-wan or (Pinyin) Taiwan, Portuguese Formosa, island , located about 100 miles (161 km) off the southeast coast of the China mainland. It is approximately 245 miles (394 km) long (north-south) and 90 miles across at its widest point. The largest city, Taipei , is the seat of the government of the Republic of China (ROC; Nationalist China). In addition to the main island, the ROC government has jurisdiction over 22 islands in the Taiwan group and 64 islands to the west in the Pescadores archipelago. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. Taiwan is bounded to the north by the East China Sea , which separates it from the Ryukyu Islands , Okinawa, and mainland Japan; to the east by the Pacific Ocean; to the south by the Bashi Channel, which separates it from the Philippines; and to the west by the Taiwan (Formosa) Strait, which separates it from the China mainland. From the mid-1660s to 1895, Taiwan was administered by the imperial Chinese government, after which (until 1945) the island was ruled by the Japanese as a colony. In 1945 Taiwan reverted to China, and in 1949 it became the last territory controlled by the Nationalist government. The government of the ROC continued to claim jurisdiction over the Chinese mainland, whereas the government of the People’s Republic of China on the mainland claimed jurisdiction over Taiwan; both governments remained in agreement that the island is a sheng (province) of China. Taipei was the provincial capital until 1967, when the capital was moved to Chung-hsing Hsin-ts’un . Elevated segment of the municipal rapid-transit system, central Taipei, Taiwan. © Corbis The land Relief Taiwan is part of the great island system rimming the western Pacific Ocean . The island of Taiwan is formed by a fault block trending north-northeast to south-southwest and tilted toward the west. The more gently rising western face of the block borders the shallow Taiwan Strait , under which the continental shelf connects the island to the Chinese mainland. The terraced tablelands and alluvial plains along the western face of the block provide the principal areas of dense population and the major cities. The steeply sloping eastern face of the block marks the edge of the continental shelf and the beginning of the Pacific Ocean. Aside from one major rift valley, the east coast provides little room for human settlement. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. Facebook Twitter YouTube Instagram Pinterest Urbanization was the dominant settlement pattern of the 20th century. There has been a noticeable migration from rural areas to towns, especially since mid-century, when the urban population increased from less than half to more than three-fourths of the total population. Three major urban areas have developed: Taipei and its port of Chi-lung in the north and the two port cities of Kao-hsiun in the south and Tʾai-chung in the west. The people Ethnolinguistic groups The original inhabitants of Taiwan were Malayo-Polynesian aborigines. Taiwan’s indigenous peoples have historically been referred to in terms of their language groups, the largest of which are the Ami , Atayal, and Paiwan. Chinese immigrants largely displaced or assimilated the plains aborigines and carried on a protracted conflict with the mountain aborigines, who were subdued only by the Japanese. The aborigines, nearly all of whom now live in the foothills and highlands, constitute about 2 percent of the population. Although several aboriginal dialects and many tribal customs have been retained, the people have increasingly become assimilated, linguistically and culturally, into modern Taiwanese society. Nonetheless, many indigenous groups increased their political activity in the early 21st century, with 14 gaining official recognition as of 2008. The great majority of the population—those now called Taiwanese—are descendants of the original immigrants from the Chinese provinces of Fukien and Kwangtung . The Hokkien from s