Which bridge across the Thames is closest to the Houses of Parliament in London?

Walk from Trafalgar Square to the London Eye and Back Admiral Nelson Statue, Trafalgar Square, London Photo Admiral Lord Nelson Statue.     Wendy Bumgardner © 2005 Enjoy photos of this 3 mile walk through London, England including Trafalgar Square, Whitehall, Westminster, the London Eye, and the Golden Jubilee Bridge. Admiral Nelson Statue, Trafalgar Square, London Trafalgar Square is a major intersection of London. The statue celebrates the victory of Admiral Horatio Nelson at the Battle of Trafalgar over the French. Enjoy the swarms of pigeons and climb up on the lion statues. I'll begin my walk here, having arrived via the Underground to Charing Cross or Trafalgar Square stations. Art lovers must tour the National Gallery . I stopped in to visit my favorites, Rembrandt and Vermeer. From Trafalgar Square, I take Whitehall to Westminster. London Walking Guidebooks "Rick Steves' London" Updated yearly, this book describes several wonderful walks in and around London, in addition to travel tips and sights to see. Rick Steves is always the first source I go to when planning a vacation in Europe. "Frommer's Memorable Walks in London"  An excellent guidebook to enjoy truly interesting walks in London. I enjoyed several of the walks and was never disappointed in discovering nooks and crannies and history I would have missed otherwise. 2 The Old Admiralty, Whitehall, London The Old Admiralty, Whitehall, London.     Wendy Bumgardner © 2005 The Old Admiralty, Whitehall, London The Old Admiralty on Whitehall is just one of the many historic sites on this governmental boulevard. From this building, Brittania rules the waves. Suitably, I am listening to one of the "Master and Commander" series of British Naval novels by Patrick O'Brian on my MP3 player. Along Whitehall you will also pass the Banqueting House where King Charles I was executed, and the Horse Guards, which has a Changing of the Guards ceremony Monday - Saturday at 11 am and Sunday at 10 am. You will also pass Downing Street (blocked off and well-guarded) where the Prime Minister makes his or her residence, and the Ministry of Defense. 3 Whitehall and Westminster Abbey Photo Whitehall, site of world's first traffic light.     Wendy Bumgardner © 2005 Whitehall, site of world's first traffic light. At the end of Whitehall we can see Parliament Square and Westminster Abbey. This is the site of the world's first traffic light, a blessing for pedestrians everywhere. You can proceed ahead to tour Westminster Abbey , or turn left to pass by Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament. 4 Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament Photo Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament.     Wendy Bumgardner © 2005 Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament The Houses of Parliament and Big Ben are key landmarks on the Thames River for any London walk. You can appreciate them from the Westminster Bridge for good photos. London Eye and the Golden Jubilee Bridge, London Photo London Eye and the Golden Jubilee Bridge, London Photo.     Wendy Bumgardner © 2005 London Eye and the Golden Jubilee Bridge, London The London Eye is on the south bank of the Thames River. You can stroll over the Westminster Bridge from the Houses of Parliament and turn left on the Jubilee Promenade. Here you can see our return bridge, the Golden Jubilee Bridge. On the Westminster Bridge, we have walked 1.2 miles from Trafalgar Square. The London Eye is at the 1.5 mile mark of our walk. 8 London Eye and Houses of Parliament on the Thames River Photo London Eye and Houses of Parliament on the Thames River Photo.     Wendy Bumgardner © 2005 London Eye and Houses of Parliament on the Thames River Now we have passed downriver of the London Eye and have a view back of the Houses of Parliament in London, England. The Jubilee Promenade on the south bank of the Thames is a very pleasant stroll. We have come 1.5 miles from Trafalgar Square, via Whitehall, across the Westminster Bridge. We will continue on the Jubilee Promenade. 9 Jubilee Promenade, London, England Jubilee Promenade, London, England.     Wendy Bumgardner ©


Piggyback, fireman's, and Estonian-style are holds in what sport with Championships in North America, Finland, and (in 2011) India?

January 19, 2012 by Martlet - issuu issuu THE UNIVERSITY OF VICTORIA’S INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPER JANUARY 19, 2012 • VOLUME 64 • ISSUE 20 • MARTLET.CA ARE YOU A TECH JUNKIE? 17 5 WHAT NOT TO WEAR 10 A CALL TO THUMBS 13 GIFT OF GAB GIVES BACK EVENTS ALL WEEK LONG AT FELICITA’S MONDAY Jamaraoke 9 pm VER! NO CO ! NDAY O M Y EVER TUESDAY Battle of the Bands Competition 9 pm Karaoke 8 pm See felicitas.ca for weekly events AY! UESD Starts Jan 25 EVERY WEDNESDAY! Y! RSDA Premium Bottles $4.25 Buy one get one 50% off Appies www.felicitas.ca !"#$%&$'($)*+$),&-$%$'($. !"#$%&$'($)*+$),&-$%$'($. !"#"$%&'%"($%#)"%*$+,-").%)/0("%&+%"($%12/3%3#456-7% !"#"$%&'%"($%#)"%*$+,-").%)/0("%&+%"($%12/3%3#456-7% /+%"($%!"6*$+"%1+/&+%86/9*/+0: /+%"($%!"6*$+"%1+/&+%86/9*/+0: ;<$)/+0%"($%4&-"%3&45)$($+-/=$%*$+"#9%-$)=/3$-% #=#/9#>9$: ;<$)/+0%"($%4&-"%3&45)$($+-/=$%*$+"#9%-$)=/3$-% ?9$#-$%3#99%'&)%.&6)%+$@"%*$+"#9%#55&/+"4$+"A #=#/9#>9$: 250‐380‐1888 ?9$#-$%3#99%'&)%.&6)%+$@"%*$+"#9%#55&/+"4$+"A BBB:3#456-*$+"#93$+")$:3&4 250‐380‐1888 BBB:3#456-*$+"#93$+")$:3&4 New patients always welcome! NEWS The Martlet staff has survived #nash74 #barfipelago and returns to print another week! Now, who wants a beer? Journalism conference goes viral More than 75 student journalists fall ill at national conference in Victoria DYLAN WILKS – NEXUS (CAMOSUN COLLEGE) VICTORIA (CUP) — It spread very, very quickly. Just one person likely hadn’t washed their hands properly; that’s how a norovirus-like illness infected more than 75 delegates attending the Canadian University Press national conference at the Harbour Towers Hotel and Suites in Victoria, B.C. “It’s highly likely that a student brought it in,” said Vancouver Island Health Authority (VIHA) spokesperson Shannon Marshall. “There were no reports of illness from the hotel staff at all [before the conference], and our health protection officers have ruled out food poisoning.” Norovirus isn’t a pleasant experience. Sufferers feel like death. Symptoms include nausea, headaches, muscle aches, vomiting and diarrhea. It’s a common cause of gastrointestinal illness — what used to be called simply the “stomach flu” — and spreads very quickly. Anyone can get it because of how easily it’s transmitted. The virus can survive on surfaces, and touching any contaminated surface and then touching your mouth can spread it. Exposure to those who have vomited due to the virus can also contaminate others. The trouble started as Chris Jones, a writer for Esquire and ESPN magazine, gave the final keynote speech on the evening of Jan. 14. He noticed delegates began getting up to leave while he was still speaking. After the speech ended, event organizer Jason Schreurs approached Jones and informed him that people had left due to illness. The severity of the situation didn’t become apparent to Jones until much later. “After the speech, I talked to quite a few people and shook a lot of hands,” said Jones, “and I went to bed because I was pretty tired and jet-lagged. And then Jason called at 11 o’clock to see if my wife and I were okay.” They were. But it didn’t last. “About five minutes later, it was just the most calamitous vomiting of my life, and there was just no holding it back. I was puking out of my eyeballs; I was screaming at the toilet.” Since he was only ill for about 20 minutes before feeling better, Jones thought he had simply been food poisoned. But when his wife returned from the hotel lobby she came back and let him know the situation: that it wasn’t food poisoning at all. The national conference had gone viral. “I gotta tell ya,” Jones recalled. “I have never puked like that — and I went to college.” Delegates left after Jones’ keynote to bus to the gala event at the University of Victoria’s Vertigo nightclub. On one of the buses, unfortunate delegate Brennan Bova from the Fulcrum in Ottawa had someone vomit on his head. Twitter exploded with reports of illness from delegates. There weren’t just a few people sick; there were dozens. Conference organizers quickly cancelled the gala event. Management at the Harbour Towers and B.C.


The TV series was only 17 episodes (approximately 5 months of screen time) but it quickly became a cult series and has remained one. Which series was it?

Prisoner Appreciation Society News Page Any additional movie news will appear in our magazine. July 19th, 2001 Recently, anonymous emails have been sent to us, claiming to be from an insider involved with the Prisoner film. These reports could be 100% true, we have no way of knowing. Because these emails cannot be verified, we believe that the responsible thing to do is not to repeat them here. When you read a newspaper article crediting "anonymous sources", the source IS known to the reporter, who keeps the source a secret. We have no idea if these emailed reports are true or not. They could be totally made up, a dis-information campaign or even the complete and honest truth! And while we sincerely appreciate any and all information we are given, we cannot take unverifiable information and repeat it. So, you won't read these reports here. We can keep a secret, we can protect a source. But we can't print anonymous "leaks". July 8th, 2001 World Entertainment News Network is reporting: THE PRISONER TO BE MADE INTO A FILM Jul 07, 2001 (WENN via COMTEX) -- Cult 1960s TV show THE PRISONER is to be made into a movie with British actor CLIVE OWEN set to take the lead role. THE CROUPIER star Owen is likely to play NUMBER SIX, the secret agent held among a brainwashed population by a mysterious regime. In the strange show, regarded as an allegory of modern life, prisoners were known only as numbersand massive balloons smothered anyone attempting to escape. TOMB RAIDER director SIMON WEST is take on the job of making the film, which is expected to be a hit. But West, who also directed CON AIR, warns that it is going to be very bizarre- a different type of film-making. West says, "My aim is not to do anything nostalgic, although I will be sneaking things in that Prisoner fans will spot."PATRICK MCGOOHAN, the original Number Six, has helped write the script. July 3, 2001 British website Empire Online is reporting: Sitting down with Tomb Raider director Simon West today, Empire Online went fishing for some details about one of his upcoming projects - a big screen version of The Prisoner. 'We're just at script stage at the moment,' West told us. 'I'm always developing two or more things at once. This was actually supposed to be done before Tomb Raider but the script wasn't ready.' So will West be shooting on The Prisoner's original set - the village of Portmeirion in North Wales? 'I would definitely want to shoot part of it there, West says, 'but this film is going to be on a much bigger scale. And also just go to a whole level. Portmerion wouldn't be big enough stylistically to be the whole film. Given the intense interest being shown in the film from the hordes of Prisoner fans out there, we wondered how much of the original programme would make it into the movie. 'From being a fan as a kid, out of nostalgia I would want to put as much of the key stuff from the series in there, like his car or the location,' West told us.'I'd even like to get Patrick McGoohan in there if he's at all interested.' McGoohan, who wrote and starred in the TV series, was one of the first people to be involved in the film script which has finally made its way to West. 'I don't know whether he's over it,' says West, 'but I want to wait until I've got a finished script I'm happy with before approaching him.' And what about rumours that he's already offered McGoohan's original part - Number 6 - to Clive Owen? 'It's just that,' he smiles, 'internet rumours.' Clive Owen: 'It's internet rumours.' June 8th, 2001 (from the Sci-Fi Wire , a service of the Sci-Fi Channel ) West Eyes Prisoner Film Director Simon West (Tomb Raider) told SCI FI Wire that he is awaiting the final draft of a screenplay for a proposed feature-film version of the cult 1960s SF series The Prisoner. Speaking to press while promoting his latest film, West said he hopes to show the Chris McQuarrie script to series creator and star Patrick McGoohan to gain his endorsement for the project. The Prisoner is the story of a British intelligence agent, known only as No. 6, who finds himself detained b


The initiative for what current unit of the British Army began during World War II in 1941 by David Stirling as a commando force operating behind enemy lines during the war in North Africa and Europe?

Military history of France during World War II | Military Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia Military history of France during World War II 204,343pages on Share The military history of France during World War II covers the period from 1939 until 1940, which witnessed French military participation under the French Third Republic (established in Paris then Bordeaux), and the period from 1940 until 1945, which was marked by mainland and overseas military administration and influence struggles for the French colonies (under the command of Admiral François Darlan ) between the French State under Marshal Philippe Pétain (Vichy then Sigmaringen ), the Free French Forces under General Charles de Gaulle (London) and the Army of Africa under General Henri Giraud ( Algiers ). In August 1943, de Gaulle and Giraud forces merged in a single chain of command subordinated to Anglo-American leadership, meanwhile opposing French forces on the Eastern front were subordinated to Soviet or German leaderships. This in-exile French force together with the French Forces of the Interior (FFI) played a variable-scale role in the eventual Liberation of France by the Western Allies and the termination of Fascist Italy, Vichy France, Nazi Germany , and the Japanese empire . France, along with the United Kingdom, was one of the first participants in World War II after declaring war on Germany following its invasion of Poland in 1939. After the Phoney War from 1939 to 1940, the Germans conducted a brilliant campaign in the Low Countries and, in the Battle of France , managed to inflict defeat on the Allied forces. France formally surrendered to Germany and Italy—who invaded late in the campaign—on 25 June 1940, and a collaborationist government, the French State, was established. On 18 June 1940, as an answer to Pétain's own June 17 appeal to "cease the fight" and to obey him on the French national radio, Charles de Gaulle gave a memorable speech to the French people on the English speaking London emitting BBC Radio, telling them that "France has lost a battle, but France has not lost the war" (the battle of France and World War II respectively). De Gaulle did not recognize the legitimacy of the Vichy government and went on to found the Free France (La France Libre) as the true government of France. The number of Free French troops grew with Allied success in North Africa and subsequent rallying of the Army of Africa which pursued the fight against the Axis fighting in many campaigns and eventually invading Italy, occupied France and Germany from 1944 to 1945. On 23 October 1944, Britain, the United States, and the Soviet Union officially recognized de Gaulle's regime as the provisional government of France (GPRF) which replaced the in-exile French State (relocated at Sigmarigen, a short-living City State in western Germany) and preceded the Fourth Republic (1946). Recruitment in liberated France led to notable enlargements of the French armies. By the end of the war in Europe in May 1945, France had 1,250,000 troops, 10 divisions of which were fighting in Germany. An expeditionary corps was created to liberate French Indochina then occupied by the Japanese. During the course of the war, French military losses totaled 212,000 dead, of which 92,000 were killed through the end of the campaign of 1940, 58,000 from 1940 to 1945 in other campaigns, 24,000 lost while serving in the French resistance , and a further 38,000 lost while serving with the German Army (including 32,000 "malgré-nous" ). [1] Among the odd aspects of French military history in the war were limited French participation in the Normandy beach landings of June 1944 ( Free French SAS of Major Philippe Kieffer ) and the presence of French SS among the defenders of Berlin in May 1945 ( 33rd SS Division commanded by Hauptsturmführer Henri Fenet ). Contents See also: Category:Military units and formations of France in World War II Vichy French's LVF World War II battle honor ( Russian front in 1941–43). Free French 3rd SAS World War II battle honor (Crete, Libya, Tunisia, France, Belgium, Nether


In which decade was the hovercraft invented?

Hovercraft history. The history of hovercraft and air cushion vehicles Early thoughts of        air cushions The idea of using an air-cushion as          a means or aid to acceleration and reduction in (hydrodynamic) drag          was first explored by Sir John Thornycroft, a British engineer,          who, in the 1870's built some experimental models on the basis          of an air cushion system that would reduce the drag of water on          boats and ships. In 1877 he successfully patented the idea and his theory was          that if a ship's hull was given a concave bottom, which could be          filled - and replenished - with air, it would create significant          additional lift. And so the air cushion effect was born. Decades later scientists and          inventors were still busy with his ideas but without any practical          applications. With the coming of the airplane however, it was noticed          that additional lift was obtained if the plane flew closer to          land or water, creating a "funnel effect", a cushion          of air. The air lift that          this funnel effect created differed with the type of wing          and its height above ground. The effect was strongest if this          height was between one half and one third of the (average)          front-to-rear breadth of the wing. Also known as "chord". The next two decades saw little interest in air cushion          development. World War 1 saw a huge increase in the development          of the airplane as a military weapon and even though the ground          effect was known, airplanes were designed for speed and          manoeuverability in the air rather than close to the ground.   But because of the many          difficulties these models were developed as flying boats rather          than air cushion vechicles or ground effect flyers, using the          ground effect for take-off from the water. No real hovercraft          came along until the 1950's.   The Boeing B-1 Flying boat in 1919. (c) Airline History . Flying boats, however, are an integral part of aviation and          transport history becoming popular and practical in an era when          landing strips and airports were still sparse. They are still          used today and many of the older models that proved their worth          the world over are lovingly maintained by collectors and          enthusiasts. We highly recommend Airline History for a complete pictorial overview of Flying          Boat history. Early uses of        the air cushion effect 1920 - 1949 The German-built Dornier Do-X flying boat proved          the reality of Thornycroft's theory in 1929, when, during an          Atlantic crossing, it flew much closer to the ocean's surface          than was usual in order to take advantage of the air cushion          effect. The trip time was significantly reduced as a          result and the aircraft's performance that much greater. The Do-X Flying Boat became quite a legend in          its day, especially when it started flying around the world in          1926. Despite its enormous fuel consumption - around 400 gallons          of gas per hour - it was one of the first large passenger planes          capable of 150 seats. But its engines tended to overheat and,          after its arrival in New York in 1931 it was refitted with          American water-cooled engines. During World War 2 the Dornier factories made          several Do-X flying boats for a variety of purposes, from          transatlantic mail carriers to bombers. (For more detailed information on Dornier's Do-X          see also Dafkurse (D), Aviation Posters , EADS (D), Avion


"Tony Kushner wrote the award-winning play ""Angels in...?"

'Angels In America,' 20 Years Later : NPR 'Angels In America,' 20 Years Later Embed Embed 'Angels In America,' 20 Years Later 'Angels In America,' 20 Years Later Embed Embed Emma Thompson starred in HBO's adaptation of Tony Kushner's play Angels in America. Stephen Goldblatt/AP/HBO hide caption toggle caption Emma Thompson starred in HBO's adaptation of Tony Kushner's play Angels in America. Stephen Goldblatt/AP/HBO Two decades ago, in 1991, the first part of an ambitious work of theater by playwright Tony Kushner took the stage in San Francisco. It was called Angels in America, and its two parts — Millennium Approaches and Perestroika — clocked in at an epic seven hours. The work, about AIDS in the age of Ronald Reagan, shocked many for its obscenities, and blunt portrayal of sex and homosexuality. But the play was also a story, told with drama and humor, of how humans change and how society responds to those changes. Angels in America debuted on Broadway in 1993. Since then, it has been transformed into an opera and an HBO miniseries. It won a Pulitzer Prize in 1993. Tony Kushner joins NPR's Neal Conan to reflect on the era in which he wrote Angels in America. He discusses how American society has changed over the past two decades, as well as his play's appeal to young people. Interview Highlights On the mood in America when he wrote the play "The sense of the world in the late '80s when I started thinking about the play, and in the early '90s when I wrote it — it was a lot more of a millennial consciousness than an apocalyptic consciousness. There was a strong anticipation. I was a medieval studies major when I was at Columbia, and I was sort of trained to think a lot about millennia. And everyone on the planet, of course, in the late '80s and early '90s, [was] waiting for the year 2000 to arrive. You know, the Y2K virus and all that. There was a certain amount of postmodern versions of old medieval tropes regarding millennia, and a sense that when this sort of auspicious or forbidding date arrived, there would be some sort of transformation — something big was about to happen ... Article continues after sponsorship "During ... the Reagan years, there was a sort of sea change taking place in American politics — and then, as it turned out, in European politics as well, and ultimately in global politics, that we were entering a new period where old reliables were going to be overthrown, and a new way of looking at the world was at hand. And it wasn't necessarily an appealing way of looking at the world, at least for me. ... There was a sense that something was coming and it might be something great, and might be something terrible ... "I feel, going back now, that the early '90s, the late '80s, for all the horrors of the AIDS epidemic, were comparatively innocent and carefree times compared to where we are now. In the mid-'80s when I wrote the play, it included things about 'eco-cide,' about the collapse of the ozone layer. I really didn't believe in my heart of hearts that the human race was now threatening the survival of life on the planet. There's now absolutely no doubt that that's the case. ... It's completely clear that what we were beginning to get worried about in the '80s was very serious and very real things ... so the play, and the times, both feel darker to me now than they did back then." On high schools and colleges performing the play "It's great that it's taught and performed in colleges. I still have to admit ... it's a little shocking — I grew up in Lake Charles, La., and went to public high school, where ... Shakespeare was considered OK, but not Romeo and Juliet because that was kind of naughty. ... But we were certainly protected from anything that was too overtly sexual. And the play is fairly blunt about how it deals with issues of sexuality. "So every once in a while I express concern when I hear from a high school teacher who says that they're teaching it. But the high school teacher usually rolls his or her eyes. ... You know, I don't have kids myself, so I clearly have not been spending enoug


Which English soccer player, whose career in first class soccer ran from 1958 to 1976, was captain of the England team that won the 1966 World Cup and was England's most capped player (108) when he retired from the England team in 1973?

March 2011 – Page 5 – Iwansuwandy's Blog   Fictional character biography Thomas John McCall was an average underachieving 16-year-old. When he swallowed a vial of top secret genetic material in his father’s lab, a transformation occurred, and McCall’s body became a mass of granite-like organic rock, but still exhibits the immaturity of a 16-year-old. Later, Thomas assumed the identity of Badrock when he was recruited to join the high-profile government superteam, Youngblood . Badrock is proficient with a number of weapons, including the many guns and knives available to him in the Youngblood arsenal. Not one to hide behind gadgetry, however, Badrock often uses the incredible power of his fists to pummel opponents into submission. Badrock is impulsive, having picked dangerous, property-damaging fights with the police officer Savage Dragon and Mighty Man . The Dragon fight was a test to see if he was up to joining Youngblood. Instead, Dragon arrests him. [1] He also once visited Hell, confronting Spawn ‘s old enemy the Violator . This was after being named temporary security head of a scientific installation that was investigating the realm of hell. He was more responsible at this point, trying to protect the many innocent people who had unwittingly made the trip to Hell with him. He had to deal with the interference of heavenly and hellish agents and the unwillingness of some of the humans to actually obey his orders. At one point, Violator tricks Badrock into freeing him because the heavenly agent that had torn into the building was willing to kill anyone and everyone. Violator uses his human form to convince the angel Badrock is the demon. The hero is defeated and the angel is fatally injured. She manages to keep it together until her life force returns Badrock and the innocent humans back to earth. [2] Around this time he teams with the WildC.A.T.S. member Grifter for a mini-series. [3] Badrock is part of a vital effort of keeping reality from duplicating itself, in the ‘Shattered Image’ limited series. [4] When Youngblood was discontinued after the death of Riptide, Badrock took some time off. It did not last long though, and through a series of events, he became part of the fourth incarnation of Brigade . He also joins another incarnation of Youngblood, this one based out of ‘Liberty Island’. He joins with Shaft , Cougar , Diehard, Doc Rocket and Johnny Panic. During his time with the team, he is injured and must use crutches. He also confronts evil, super-powered doubles of his parents. The entire team confronts a government controlled ‘super-villain’ team; each member of Youngblood has a focus-tested ‘rival’. [5] In the year 3000, Badrock was still alive and returned for a brief period of time to get some help from Youngblood to stop the Katellans . The continued attempts of the Katellans to reacquire the defector Combat back led to the destruction of Earth, Katella and Acura in Badrock’s timeline. Badrock then returned to 1995, where he prevented this from occurring. The mission succeeded. Badrock is part of the ‘Image United’ crossover that happens in November 2009. Name change Upon Youngblood’s debut, the character’s name was originally “Bedrock”, but Liefeld changed the name to “Badrock” to avoid confusion with The Flintstones ‘ town , as well as avoiding a possible legal threat from Hanna-Barbera Productions , especially with the Flintstones movie being released at the time.[ citation needed ] This legal threat is also parodied during a television report seen in Spawn the end @ Copyright Dr Iwan Suwandy 2011 History Of Indonesian Association Football (Soccer) Frame One : Introduction During my early life in 1956(11 years old), I like to play football with the son of PSP(Padang Soccer Association) trainer Tjia Pit Kay. and I ever look The PSP plays at stadium Imam Bonjol in the fron of my grandpa house and Padang city Mayor office(kantor Walikota ), the best player  was Arifin. During that time the best Indonesian keeper was Van der Vin  I am also ever look the Foreign Soccer from spain Real Madrid with Raymond


What note is in the centre of a standard piano keyboard?

Piano notes and keys - 88 key piano Highly Recommended: Click here for the BEST piano/keyboard course I’ve come across online. Take a look at the unlabelled piano keyboard above. Do you see the pattern of the black keys? If you look closely, you will notice that they follow a pattern of twos and threes. Two black keys followed by three black keys, followed by two black keys, followed by three black keys and so on. The first note we shall find is the note, C. C is the note that comes right before the set of two black keys. There are quite a few C notes. Every note that comes before a set of two black keys is called C. Move eight steps up from one C and you get another C. This is called an octave. Watch Corresponding Video: How do you find middle C on the 88 key piano? Simply sit at the center of your piano. The C which is below your chin is called middle C . Middle C is also the note halfway between the  bass clef (left hand) and the treble clef (right hand). Piano notes are named after the first seven letters of the alphabet. When learning to play the piano the first note that is normally learned is C. After you have found the note C, it is very easy to learn the other notes. Let’s learn all the notes of the white keys on the 88 key piano. After you have found the note C, move to the next key. That note is called D. The one after it is called E. You just keep going in alphabetical order to F, and G. Then the next note is A. What we have done is go back to the start of the alphabet. Finally we move to B. You can continue going to C, D, E, F, G, A, B, C, D, E, F, G and so on. You get the point. C-D-E-F-G-A-B are called naturals. How about the black keys? What are their names? They are named after the first seven letters of the alphabet as well except for the fact that they can be either sharp or flat. The black keys can be called accidentals. Simply put, sharp means to go higher or to move to the right on your keyboard. Flat means to go lower or to move to the left on your keyboard. So what is the key immediately to the right of C called? The answer is C sharp (C#). This key can also be called D flat (Db) because it is one key to the left of D. The next black key is called D sharp (D#) or E flat (Eb). Then we move to F sharp (F#) or G flat (Gb), G sharp (G#) or A flat (Ab) and lastly A sharp (A#) or B flat (Bb). As is the case with the white piano notes, the pattern keeps repeating. After B flat (Bb), the next black key is C sharp (D flat), D sharp (E flat) and so on. I wrote this amazing book that will teach you how to play. Click here to get your copy at a discounted price. What we’ve talked about above is really a simplified approach to looking at piano notes. In reality piano notes and piano keys are not the same. Each key of the piano can represent several notes. Strictly speaking piano keys don’t really have names. Keys aren’t actually called C, D, E, F, G, etc. They just play those notes. The same keys play other notes as well. This is important to understand especially when one is learning to read music. Piano notes The piano diagram below shows the various piano notes that piano keys usually correspond to.   Earlier, we saw that a piano key has more than one note name. For example D flat can be called C sharp. When keys go by more than one name, the notes are called enharmonic equivalents. So D flat and C sharp are enharmonic equivalents. The same can be said of D sharp and E flat. They are the same key on the piano keyboard but can have different note names depending on the key signature. Even white keys have enharmonic equivalents. The note C can also be called B sharp (B#) since it is one half step higher than B. The note F can also be called E sharp (E#) since it is one half step higher than E. E can be called F flat (Fb) since it is one half step lower than F.  Learn more about half steps, whole steps, tones, semitones, sharps and flats here. Sometimes a piano note can be called a double flat or double sharp, or even a triple sharp or flat. For instance, D is two semitones lower than E and can be called E dou


"In 1968, which book by Philip K Dick was published that became the basis for the 1982 film ""Blade Runner""?"

Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick — Reviews, Discussion, Bookclubs, Lists See all 6 answers S.W. Gordon Come on, people! It was a metaphor. Rachel "got his goat." Get it? She acted like a "jealous" mistress who was spurned by her lover and sought revenge …more Come on, people! It was a metaphor. Rachel "got his goat." Get it? She acted like a "jealous" mistress who was spurned by her lover and sought revenge by killing the thing she perceived that he loved most. This was the equivalent of a jilted ex-girlfriend slashing the tires and keying her old boyfriend's prized vehicle. Androids don't have empathy for other androids and are inherently selfish, therefore I don't think she was particularly upset by the retiring of her friends. Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned---even an android woman. (less) Shelves: science-fiction I Love Dick. There I've said it. No, not a “Mood Organ” or blood filled skin sack made to facilitate reproduction but Philip K. Dick . Is it really possible for androids to acquire human traits like empathy and the desire to understand the meaning of life and avoid death at all costs? What would the role of socialism play in an android world? Would self aware androids seek out to destroy anything that threatened their existence or tried to control their thoughts (ie programming)? A Google search r I Love Dick. There I've said it. No, not a “Mood Organ” or blood filled skin sack made to facilitate reproduction but Philip K. Dick . Is it really possible for androids to acquire human traits like empathy and the desire to understand the meaning of life and avoid death at all costs? What would the role of socialism play in an android world? Would self aware androids seek out to destroy anything that threatened their existence or tried to control their thoughts (ie programming)? A Google search revealed that the search for intelligent android life is alive and well. I learned that there are no less than 15 groups attempting to create intelligent android life. Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep was a joyous adventure into mans struggles with ideas such as real vs. unreal, life vs. un-life, mind control, intelligence vs. mental deficiency, decay vs. regeneration, the value of religion (real or imagined) and the value of individualism vs. the collective. Sounds like something that should have a “King James Version” doesn't it? I would consider attending mass at a church where the virtues and values explored in this book were studied and ‘preached’. Would an intelligent android society have a need for religion even if they understood that the religion they followed was created (divinely inspired or not) to give them hope and a forum where they would feel like a part of something bigger and more consequential than oneself? What value does religion have in the lives of mankind? This is one of the fundamental issues Dick toys with in the world he creates in this novel. And now I digress. . . While in college I played around a little with writing an Artificial Intelligence (AI) program I called “The Oracle”. It was a simple program where input from the user was stored in data files along with key words that would allow the program to associate the users input with the key words. The result was that “The Oracle” could use input from the user to “learn” custom responses to questions the user might ask. My rudimentary computer skills and the memory storage limits of my Commodore 64 resulted in my abandoning the project after numerous attempts to avoid the “out of memory” errors. Oh, the limitations of computers! Would a memory error like this in humans be considered something like a seizure? If we succeed in creating self aware computers I wonder what they would think of their creators. Would they treat their parents better than we treat our own human parents or would they tend to migrate to their own, creating a separate mechanical society? Dicks Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep explores this question and presents one look at how this might work out. If you are a fan of relevant science fict


Which issue in the state of Western Australia has been defeated each time it has been put to a plebiscite in 1975, 1984, 1992 & 2009?

Time in Australia - The Full Wiki The Full Wiki       Note: Many of our articles have direct quotes from sources you can cite, within the Wikipedia article! This article doesn't yet, but we're working on it! See more info or our list of citable articles . Related top topics Encyclopedia From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Standard time is used throughout Australia, it was introduced in the 1890s when all colonies adopted it. Before the switch to standard times, each local municipality was free to determine its own local time, called local mean time . Australia has three standard time zones from GMT: western ( UTC+08 ), central (UTC+09:30) and eastern ( UTC+10 ). [1] Most Australian external territories also observe different time zones. The proper names of Australia's time zones vary. In international contexts they are often called Australian Western Standard Time (AWST), Australian Central Standard Time (ACST), and Australian Eastern Standard Time (AEST). In domestic contexts the leading "Australian" is often dropped. Western Australia uses Western Standard Time, South Australia and the Northern Territory use Central Standard Time. All other states and the Australian Capital Territory use Eastern Standard Time. New South Wales (NSW), the Australian Capital Territory (ACT), Victoria (Vic), South Australia (SA), and Tasmania observe daylight saving time every year. Western Australia, Queensland and the Northern Territory do not observe daylight saving. Though the states and territories have power to legislate time variations, the standard time within each is set in relation to Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) , as determined by the International Bureau of Weights and Measures and maintained under section 8AA of the National Measurement Act 1960 of the Commonwealth. Contents Time zones Australian time zones during standard time The standardization of time in Australia began in 1892 , when surveyors from the Australian colonies gathered in Melbourne for the Intercolonial Conference of Surveyors. The delegates accepted the recommendation of the 1884 International Meridian Conference to adopt Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) as the basis for standard time, and in line with common practice in other parts of the world, devised a system of time zones with offsets in multiples of one hour from GMT. The colonies enacted legislation to this effect, which took effect in February 1895. Western Australia led GMT by 8 hours, South Australia by 9 hours, and Queensland , New South Wales , Victoria and Tasmania by 10 hours. The three time zones became known as Western, Central and Eastern Standard Time. In May 1899, South Australia advanced Central Standard Time by thirty minutes. Attempts in 1986 and 1994 to revert or to add another thirty minutes failed[citation needed]. When the Northern Territory separated from South Australia, it retained Central Standard Time; likewise, when the Australian Capital Territory was created, it retained Eastern Standard Time. Since then, the only major change has been the adoption of Central Standard Time in Broken Hill, New South Wales , and the use of GMT+10:30 on Lord Howe Island . State legislation In Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania and the ACT, the start and end dates of daylight-saving time are officially determined by proclamation , declaration or regulation made by the state governor or responsible minister. Such instruments may be valid for only the current year and so this section generally only refers to the legislation. In New South Wales and Western Australia, the start and end dates, if any, are fixed by legislation. Western Standard Time (AWST) - UTC+8 hours Western Australia - Standard Time Act 2005 [2] Central Standard Time (ACST)- UTC+9:30 hours South Australia - Standard Time Act 2009 [3] and the Daylight Saving Act 1971 [4] Northern Territory - Standard Time Act 2005 [5] Eastern Standard Time (AEST) - UTC+10 hours Victoria - Summer Time Act 1972 [9] Tasmania - Standard Time Act 1895 [10] and the Daylight Saving Act 2007 [11] Advertisements Anomalies The town of Broken Hill (specified a


In which 1981 television series did Kenneth Williams voice at least 13 characters, and together with one other actor voice all of the characters in the series?

Willo the Wisp - Childrens TV | Jedi's Paradise Willo the Wisp Willo the Wisp is a Children’s TV cartoon that began in the 80’s. The series was based on a short animated advert that Nick Spargo created for British Gas called Super Natural Gas. The voice of Willo was still Kenneth Williams, but none of the other characters existed. Nick thought that Willo could become the storyteller of the adventures of a number of characters in Doyley Wood. He set about creating these characters, but it took a number of years before the original Willo the Wisp cartoon came to our screens (1981) as he had to convince the BBC and raise the funds for the show.   It became a hit and Mavis, the fat fairy became a household name. This was due to the storylines and strange characters, but it was helped by the fantastic voice talents of Kenneth Williams and the music of Tony Kinsey. 26 original episodes were made. Willo the Wisp has been off our screens for a number of years, but it has returned in a new second series. 'The This time the voice talents of James Dreyfuss have been used (who starred in Thin Blue Line' and the 'Gimme, Gimme, Gimme'). The style of animation hasn't changed, but characters have changed its a slightly. Such as a slimmer Mavis and a Flat Screen Evil Edna, so thumbs up from us.     Story  Down at Doyley Wood there are a number of strange friends who live there (apart from Evil Edna). Watching them is an enigmatic observer called Willo the Wisp. Willo the Wisp Characters       Willo the Wisp He is a spooky Dingly Dell who is made of Methane Gas (or Natural Gas). He observes the strange inhabitants of Doyley Wood and recount all their stories back to us all. He also looks very similar to a famous actor called Kenneth Williams, I wonder why? When he can, he likes to dance through the forest.     Mavis Cruet  She is the only fairy in the world that cannot fly. This is because she doesn't know how to fly (she thought her wings were for keeping off the rain!), but the main reason is because she is too heavy to fly! She became upset about this and Arthur thought he'd teach her how to fly, but it was no use, she had to diet. She did fly once the diet was over, but Evil Edna turned the tree she was flying near into a fairy cake tree. She gorged herself and her wings collapsed under the weight. That was the end of her flying career.   She would love a handsome Prince to ride in and whisk her away, but it never happens. Falling in love, is another thing Mavis does quite often. Like all fairies, she has a magic wand, but it looks a little beaten up, maybe its because she is a bit untidy and it was squashed by a few of her things? But she has a reputation as a fairy whose magic nearly always goes wrong.   Evil Edna does pick on her, once she turned her into a tree and another time she was listening to the sea in two sea shells and Edna stuck them to her head. She looked like a Viqueen (the female equivalent of a Viking). So convincing was she, that she was kidnapped by a group of Viking Trolls. Mavis even thought Edna was being kind when she said that she could make her thin, but as usual, there was a twist, as looking at her she still looked, ahem, rotund. But when she turned sideways she was pencil thin. She won the Beauty Queen of the Universe competition, when Evil Edna turned her into a frog. This was mainly to do with Edna turning the judges into frogs too and they thought Mavis was the most beautiful frog they had ever seen.      Arthur  He is a caterpillar that is trying to sound posh and be clever, but fails. But he makes up for things with his quick, dry wit, that most of the others don't understand, but it makes us giggle. Evil Edna turned him into a frog when he interrupted her counting sheep (she was trying to get to sleep). Also he has a habit of not believing a word that Mavis says to him and he thinks that she is quite mad.   He can be quite brave (sometimes) and he even connected an electronic miracle (games machine), that he bought off a salesman, to Evil Edna while she was sleeping. Edna wasn't pleased when she fou


Who of these is most associated with Fleetwood Mac?

Top 10 Fleetwood Mac Songs Top 10 Fleetwood Mac Songs By Michael Gallucci October 3, 2012 3:43 PM REDDIT Warner Bros. Records Hardcore fans will tell you, and insist, that Fleetwood Mac formed in 1967 and released their first album a year later. Those may be the facts, but for all intents and purposes the band didn't really start until 1975, when Americans Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks joined what was left of the British blues rockers, transforming the band into one of the most popular groups of the '70s. Fleetwood Mac's best songs feature a mix of British-rock muscle, L.A. pop smarts and the push and pull of three distinct singer-songwriters. Our list of the Top 10 Fleetwood Mac songs cover their golden era from 1975 to 1987. 10     Stevie Nicks' witchy-woman rep starts here, and it remains her most supernaturally spiked song. Nicks likes to say 'Rhiannon' — which was released as a single in 1976 and just missed the Top 10 on the charts — is about a Medieval Welsh witch. Whatever the case, the haunting melody and fairy-tale lyrics have served as a template for her songwriting over the years, as well as the go-to name for classic-rock-lovin' strippers across the nation.     The first single from 'Mirage' is one of Christine McVie's best songs and one of the band's greatest singles. That alone makes it one of Fleetwood Mac's Top 10 songs. But it's also a statement of purpose: After the occasionally odd detours Lindsey Buckingham took on 'Tusk,' the band got back to the lean, smart songcraft that fueled their two prior hit albums. From ‘Tango in the Night’ (1987)     The last album released by the classic quintet before their 2003 reunion LP 'Say You Will' is a mixed listen. By this time, Nicks, McVie and Buckingham were saving their best songs for their solo albums. The standout single was written and almost entirely performed by Buckingham, who originally slated it for a solo record. It reached No. 5 in 1987, despite the band's waning popularity in an era when looking good on MTV meant more than writing good songs. From: ‘Go Your Own Way’ single (1976)     It's well-known that 'Rumours' was based on the dissolving personal relationships between the band members at the time (both Buckingham and Nicks and John and Christine McVie broke up as 'Rumours' was being made). This song added a professional wrinkle to the turmoil. The terrific 'Silver Springs' was cut from 'Rumours' and shoved to the flip side of 'Go Your Own Way.' Nicks never really forgave the rest of the band for the slight. The breakup song was later released as a single from the live album 'The Dance' and included on the 2004 reissue of 'Rumours,' where it rightfully belongs.     Stevie Nicks' prettiest song has had a long and winding path on its way to the Top 10 Fleetwood Mac songs. It was originally released on 1975's self-titled album, buried on side two, where no one really paid much attention to it. But over the years, as other artists — including Smashing Pumpkins and Dixie Chicks — covered it, 'Landslide' has become one of the band's enduring songs. Nicks wrote it before she and Buckingham joined Fleetwood Mac. She was in her mid-20s at the time, but she somberly looks back on her past and forward to years to come, like there's a lifetime of regret behind her.     'Tusk' is filled with lots of weird moments (see No. 3 below). But the third single from the 1979 album is one of its most straightforward songs, a super-catchy slice of radio pop that clocks in at less than three minutes. The song — written by Christine McVie, who's joined by Buckingham on the chorus — might be the most baggage-free track in Fleetwood Mac's extensive catalog. It's a love song, and a relatively simple one at that. No easy task for a band that's treated the subject like a hard-impact contact sport.     Lindsey Buckingham's 'Second Hand News' is the perfect introduction to the greatest breakup album ever made. From the very first line — “I know there's nothing to say; someone has taken my place” — the damage is already done. Buckingham gets the final word (“One thing I th


Who was killed on 4 January 1967 when his jet propelled boat, Bluebird K7, somersaulted and disintegrated on Coniston Water?

DONALD CAMPBELL BLUEBIRD K7 FATAL CRASH 1967     Donald Campbell arrived     back at Coniston Water, scene of previous triumphs, in November 1966.     Bluebird K7 had been re-engined with a Bristol-Siddeley Orpheus jet     rated at 4500lbs thrust. His stated aim was to bump the record out of     reach of the Americans, and push it beyond 300mph (480kph) The new     attempt suffered many setbacks both mechanical, and weather related, and     time by the end of 1966, Campbell existing 276mph record was still not     broken. On the morning of January 4, 1967, he was a man under pressure,     but the day dawned still, and conditions seemed perfect.   K7     crashes killing Donald Campbell at Coniston  -  Youtube     Bluebird K7     was over a decade old, and an American called Lee Taylor was threatening     the record with a new boat, Hustler. The patriotic Campbell desperately     wanted a Briton to be the first to break 480 km/h (300 mph). His first     run across the lake was untroubled and fast. K7 averaged 475.2 km/h     (297.6 mph). A new record seemed in sight. Campbell applied K7's water     brake to slow the craft down from her peak speed of 315mph as she left     the measured Kilo. The wake caused by the water brake was very large     from traveling at such high speeds, so Campbell would normally refuel     and wait, before starting the mandatory return leg, for the lake to     settle again. This time, perhaps fearing that conditions would     deteriorate if he waited, Campbell immediately turned around at the end     of the lake and began his return run, to try and beat his own wash.     Bluebird came back on her return even faster. At around 512 km/h (320     mph), just as she entered the measured Kilo, Bluebird met its wake from     the first run. The boat began to lose stability, and finally, 100m     before the end of the Kilo, its nose lifted at a 45 degree angle. The     boat took off, somersaulted and then plunged nose-first into the lake,     breaking up as she cart-wheeled across the surface. Campbell was killed instantly. Prolonged searches over the next two weeks located the wreck,     but it was not until May 2001 that Campbell's body was finally located and recovered. Campbell was laid to rest in the churchyard at Coniston     on the 12 September 2001    Reid     Railton brought it to the attention of the team that Stanley Sayers boat     used a special propeller that enabled the boat to lift out of the water     - a prop rider. Reid Railton had seen K4 in action and noticed it rise a     the rear, causing the nose to point down into the water.  After     this Donald wanted to convert the boat to a full-blown prop rider. Lewis     and Ken Norris were commissioned to do the design work.  The engine     was moved forward to alter the centre of gravity, and the seat was     relocated on the port side. A new propeller was also specified.   During     this conversion Donald was invited to enter the Oltranza Cup, an Italian     event.  The race took part on Lake Garda. This was four laps over a     5-mile triangular course; with the winner winning the Grand Prix for the     fastest overall speed and the Oltranza cup going to the boat that set     the fastest time over two consecutive laps.    The     race took place on the 10th of June after being delayed due to bad     weather.  After failing to start the engine, they were forced to     change all 24 spark plugs.  Because of this they had no chance of     winning the Grand Prix.  They could however still win the Oltranza     cup. Leo Villa accompanied Donald for a rather exciting ride.  The     K4 took a bit of a pounding smashing many instruments.  The ride     was sufficient to draw a few choice words from Leo as to Donald's     performance.  However they won the Oltranza cup by a convincing     margin.  This win did wonders for Donald's recognition for


"Who played the title role in the film ""Saving Private Ryan""?"

Saving Private Ryan (1998) - IMDb IMDb There was an error trying to load your rating for this title. Some parts of this page won't work property. Please reload or try later. X Beta I'm Watching This! Keep track of everything you watch; tell your friends. Error From $2.99 (SD) on Amazon Video ON TV ON DISC ALL Following the Normandy Landings, a group of U.S. soldiers go behind enemy lines to retrieve a paratrooper whose brothers have been killed in action. Director: a list of 46 titles created 07 Jun 2012 a list of 38 titles created 09 Sep 2013 a list of 36 titles created 24 Dec 2013 a list of 29 titles created 18 Jul 2014 a list of 33 titles created 9 months ago Title: Saving Private Ryan (1998) 8.6/10 Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? Use the HTML below. You must be a registered user to use the IMDb rating plugin. Won     5     Oscars. Another    74 wins & 74 nominations. See more awards  » Videos The lives of guards on Death Row are affected by one of their charges: a black man accused of child murder and rape, yet who has a mysterious gift. Director: Frank Darabont Forrest Gump, while not intelligent, has accidentally been present at many historic moments, but his true love, Jenny Curran, eludes him. Director: Robert Zemeckis When a Roman general is betrayed and his family murdered by an emperor's corrupt son, he comes to Rome as a gladiator to seek revenge. Director: Ridley Scott A computer hacker learns from mysterious rebels about the true nature of his reality and his role in the war against its controllers. Directors: Lana Wachowski, Lilly Wachowski Stars: Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss Two detectives, a rookie and a veteran, hunt a serial killer who uses the seven deadly sins as his modus operandi. Director: David Fincher When his secret bride is executed for assaulting an English soldier who tried to rape her, William Wallace begins a revolt against King Edward I of England. Director: Mel Gibson In German-occupied Poland during World War II, Oskar Schindler gradually becomes concerned for his Jewish workforce after witnessing their persecution by the Nazi Germans. Director: Steven Spielberg The lives of two mob hit men, a boxer, a gangster's wife, and a pair of diner bandits intertwine in four tales of violence and redemption. Director: Quentin Tarantino A young F.B.I. cadet must confide in an incarcerated and manipulative killer to receive his help on catching another serial killer who skins his victims. Director: Jonathan Demme Two imprisoned men bond over a number of years, finding solace and eventual redemption through acts of common decency. Director: Frank Darabont Gandalf and Aragorn lead the World of Men against Sauron's army to draw his gaze from Frodo and Sam as they approach Mount Doom with the One Ring. Director: Peter Jackson An insomniac office worker, looking for a way to change his life, crosses paths with a devil-may-care soap maker, forming an underground fight club that evolves into something much, much more. Director: David Fincher Edit Storyline Opening with the Allied invasion of Normandy on 6 June 1944, members of the 2nd Ranger Battalion under Cpt. Miller fight ashore to secure a beachhead. Amidst the fighting, two brothers are killed in action. Earlier in New Guinea, a third brother is KIA. Their mother, Mrs. Ryan, is to receive all three of the grave telegrams on the same day. The United States Army Chief of Staff, George C. Marshall, is given an opportunity to alleviate some of her grief when he learns of a fourth brother, Private James Ryan, and decides to send out 8 men (Cpt. Miller and select members from 2nd Rangers) to find him and bring him back home to his mother... Written by J.Zelman The mission is a man. See more  » Genres: Motion Picture Rating           ( MPAA ) Rated R for intense prolonged realistically graphic sequences of war violence, and for language | See all certifications  » Parents Guide: 24 July 1998 (USA) See more  » Also Known As: Rescatando al soldado Ryan See more  » Filming Locations: $30,576,104


In chess, what term is given to the situation where a king is under direct attack and cannot avoid being captured?

What does Checkmate mean? To lead to a situation that has no obvious escape without some personal loss. checkmate(Interjection) Word called out by the victor when making the conclusive move. Origin: From chekmat, from eschec mat, from (shah mat), the king is ambushed or the king is conquered Webster Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition: Checkmate(noun) the position in the game of chess when a king is in check and cannot be released, -- which ends the game Checkmate(noun) a complete check; utter defeat or overthrow Checkmate(verb) to check (an adversary's king) in such a manner that escape in impossible; to defeat (an adversary) by putting his king in check from which there is no escape Checkmate(verb) to defeat completely; to terminate; to thwart Origin: [F. chec et mat, fr. Per. shh mt checkmate, lit., the king is dead, fr. Ar. mta he died, is dead. The king, when made prisoner, or checkmated, is assumed to be dead, and the game is finished. See Chess.] Freebase(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition: Checkmate Checkmate is a game position in chess in which a player's king is threatened with capture and there is no way to counter the threat. Or, simply put, the king is under direct attack and cannot avoid being captured. Delivering checkmate is the ultimate goal in chess: a player who is checkmated loses the game. In chess the king is never actually captured – the game ends as soon as the king is checkmated because checkmate leaves the defending player with no legal moves. In practice, most players resign an inevitably lost game before being checkmated, and it is considered bad etiquette to continue playing in a completely hopeless position. If a player's king is in check but the threat can be met, then it is not in checkmate. If a player is not in check but has no legal move, then it is stalemate, and the game immediately ends in a draw. A checkmating move is recorded in algebraic notation using the hash symbol – for example, 34.Qh8#. Numerology The numerical value of Checkmate in Chaldean Numerology is: 5 Pythagorean Numerology


What is the Japanese delicacy that consists of the poisonous puffer fish with the poisonous parts (hopefully) removed?

FUGU FUGU Fugu - Japanese puffer fish Takifugu is a genus of puffer fish, often better known by the Japanese name Fugu (Japanese: 河豚, literally "river pig"). There are 25 species belonging to the genus Takifugu, which can be found worldwide from about 45� latitude north to 45� latitude south, mostly in salt water, but sometimes also in fresh water or brackish water. Their diet consists mostly of algae, mollusks, invertebrates and sometimes crustaceans. The fish defend themselves by inflating their bodies to several times normal size and by poisoning their predators. These defences allow the fish to actively explore their environment without much fear of being attacked. The fish is highly toxic, but despite this � or perhaps because of it � it is considered a delicacy in Japan. The fish contains lethal amounts of the poison tetrodotoxin in the internal organs, especially the liver and the ovaries, but also in the skin and the testicles. Therefore, only specially licensed chefs can prepare and sell fugu to the public, and the consumption of the liver and ovaries is forbidden. But because small amounts of the poison give a special desired sensation on the tongue, these parts are considered the most delicious by some gourmets. Every year a number of people die because they underestimate the amount of poison in the consumed fish parts. The poison paralyzes the muscles while the victim stays fully conscious, and eventually dies from asphyxiation. There is currently no antidote, and the standard medical approach is to try to support the respiratory and circulatory system until the effect of the poison wears off. The fish is also featured prominently in Japanese art and culture. The Fugu fish There are 25 species belonging to the genus Takifugu (formerly known as Fugu, with the exception of one remaining Fugu species). Takifugu can be found worldwide from about 45� latitude north to 45� latitude south, mostly in salt water near coral reefs or the shore, but some species also live in fresh water or brackish water. Their diet consists mostly of algae, mollusks, invertebrates and sometimes crustaceans. All fishes in the tetradon family have strong teeth that may grow too long if the fish cannot consume abrasive food. Fugu can bite if provoked. Not all species are studied in detail, but the most researched takifugu is Takifugu rubripes, due to the commercial consumption and breeding of the fish. Takifugu rubripes, for example, breeds from March to May and lays eggs attached to rocks at a depth of around 20m. Fugu can also change color over time, and they get a darker or lighter color. This helps them to camouflage. A very dark color may be a sign of stress or illness. The pear-shaped Takifugu, like all pufferfish, are not fast swimmers as they mainly use their pectoral fins for propulsion, but they are very manoeuvrable and able to hover, swim backwards, and change direction much more quickly than most other types of fish. As a result, they are rarely found in open water and prefer to stay relatively close to the sea bed where they can explore complex environments such as oyster beds, seagrass meadows, and rocky reefs. Nevertheless, these fish are very curious and active, and in some cases even aggressive against other fugu or other fish. In the event of danger, the fish inflates itself by filling its extremely elastic stomach with water (or air when outside of the water) until the fish is almost spherical (hence the name blowfish or pufferfish). Previously, it was unknown how pufferfish inflation took place. Recently, however, Dr. Peter Wainwright completed his analysis on the series of muscle actions which allow a pufferfish to inflate. First, the pufferfish fills its mouth with water. Then, it seals its mouth using a special valve at the bottom of the mouth. This valve flaps upward and covers the entire mouth of the fish. Next, a branchiostegal ray (a modified gill arch) pushes the water down the esophagus into the stomach. The extremely elastic stomach then expands. Depending on the species the fugu can achieve an almost perfect


The federal government of Australia moved to what new, purpose-built, planned, capital city in 1927?

Canberra – Australia's capital city | australia.gov.au Canberra – Australia's capital city Australian architecture Canberra – Australia's capital city Canberra, in the Australian Capital Territory, is Australia's capital city. After Federation in 1901, a site for the capital was sought, and Canberra was selected. The Australian Capital Territory was declared on 1 January 1911 and an international competition was held to design the new capital city of Australia. The competition was won by a submission from American architect Walter Burley Griffin with drawings drafted by Marion Mahony Griffin. Craig Mackenzie, Two Aboriginal Australian men participating in a smoking ceremony to mark the Apology to the Stolen Generations at Parliament House, Canberra, 13 February 2008. Image courtesy of the National Library of Australia: nla.int-nl39844-cm18 You are on Ngunnawal land - Canberra For 21,000 years the Canberra region has been home to the Ngunnawal people. Evidence of their long occupation exists in archeological evidence found at Birrigai Rock Shelter at Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve, in rock paintings in Namadgi National Park and in other places throughout the Australian Capital Territory (ACT). When Europeans settled the area in the early 1820s hundreds of Aboriginals lived in the area, meeting regularly for corroborees and feasts and then breaking off into smaller bands. The Aborigines moved about to take advantage of seasonal foods, such as bogong moths which arrived in their thousands during the summer months. As elsewhere in Australia, European settlement disrupted Aboriginal patterns of land use and movement across the country, and many Aborigines died from European-brought diseases like influenza, smallpox and tuberculosis. Aborigines continued to live in the area, often working on sheep properties, their numbers diminished by illness and starvation, their culture and language in decline. Canberra, a good sheep station spoiled In 1815 a road was constructed across the Blue Mountains to Bathurst Plains, and by 1820 a road to Goulburn Plains (which lie within 100 kilometres of Canberra) was under construction, opening up the vast interior of Australia to further exploration and development. Albert R Peters, Sheep near [Old] Parliament House, 1940s. Image courtesy of the National Library of Australia: nla.pic-an23389536. In 1820 explorers Joseph Wild, James Vaughan and Charles Throsby Smith discovered the Limestone Plains of the Canberra region, following the discovery of Lake George earlier that year. They crossed the range of hills beside Lake George and reached a point from which they saw what is now the site of Canberra. The first European settler in the district was Joshua John Moore who established a stock station called 'Canberry'. It's thought the name Canberry is based on an Aboriginal name for the area 'Kamberra' or 'Kambery'. The middle of Moore's property is approximately where Canberra's city centre is currently sited. In 1913 Canberra became the official name for the area. A capital city for Australia Subsequent to Federation in 1901, the Commonwealth Parliament was formed. The grand opening ceremony was held on 9 May 1901 in Melbourne's Exhibition Building. The Commonwealth Parliament continued to sit in Melbourne as the site of the national capital was not yet decided. Design of the lay out of the Federal Capital City of Australia as projected by the Departmental Board, 1912. Image courtesy of the National Archives of Australia: A767, 1. The New South Wales Government commissioned a report suggesting possible locations for the seat of Government for the new Commonwealth of Australia. The report suggested three places — Bombala, Yass-Canberra, and Orange — which made it to a short list, and suggested others which were rejected: Albury, Tumut, Cooma and Armidale. The decision for the Yass-Canberra option was made in 1908 by the Commonwealth Parliament and shortly afterwards the Commonwealth surveyor, Charles Scrivener, was dispatched to choose a site. His instructions were to choose somewhere picturesque, dist


By what name is Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus Germanicus better known?

Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus Germanicus (New Earth) | DC Database | Fandom powered by Wikia Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus Germanicus (New Earth) 97,170pages on Share Ad blocker interference detected! Wikia is a free-to-use site that makes money from advertising. We have a modified experience for viewers using ad blockers Wikia is not accessible if you’ve made further modifications. Remove the custom ad blocker rule(s) and the page will load as expected. [ show ] History Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus Germanicus, better known by his nickname "Caligula", was a Roman emperor between AD 37–41. Caligula was famous by his cruelty, and is the fourth benefactor of Ibac . After his death, Caligula became one of the damned; he was fed by demons with the blood of sinners for circa 2,000 years. He was served as a feast when Etrigan once tried to rule Hell . [1] Powers and Abilities Leadership Notes This character is a fictional representation of Caligula, a real person. More information on this person can be found at Wikipedia.org .


The Vandals sacked which city in 445 AD?

Today in Catholic History – The Vandals Sack Rome « Today in Catholic History – Thomas Becket consecrated Archbishop of Canterbury » Today in Catholic History – The Vandals Sack Rome On 2 June 455, the Vandals led by their king Genseric began their sack of the city of Rome. Genseric had made a peace treaty with the previous emperor of the Western Roman Empire Valentinian III. However, when Valentinian was killed and replaced by Petronius Maximus, Genseric declared the peace treaty had been broken. According to Prosper of Aquitaine, Pope Leo I managed to persuade the Vandals to only plunder the city of Rome and not burn any buildings or murder its inhabitants. Though writers in the 17th century who idealized Rome would blame the Vandals for its destruction. For example, the poet John Dryden wrote, “Till Goths, and Vandals, a rude Northern race, Did all the matchless Monuments deface.” In 1794, bishop Henri Grégoire would use the term vandalism to describe the destruction of art during the French Revolution based upon the presumed devastation which took place during the 455 sack of Rome. The Vandals would plunder the city for fourteen days, whereas the previous Visigothic sack of 410 was only three days. Much gold and silver would be taken as well as several boats full of captives including the Eudoxia, the wife of Petronius Maximus who had been killed by a Roman mob as he tried to flee the attack of the Vandals.  Among the treasures taken by the Vandals was the wealth of the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem which had been captured by Emperor Titus in 70 AD. Share this:


Which family of 3 painters depicted the life of peasants, paintings in which devils and witches appear, and landscapes?

Pieter Bruegel the Elder (Creator) - TV Tropes Pieter Bruegel the Elder You need to login to do this. Get Known if you don't have an account Share Creator / Pieter Bruegel the Elder × WMG Bruegel's "Peasant Wedding", in which he has a Creator Cameo himself. Pieter Bruegel the Elder (1525-1569) was a 16th-century Flemish painter, most famous for his depictions of the life of the common people or peasants. During his lifetime and even centuries later most people looked down upon Bruegel's art. Art critics felt it was nothing more than a vulgar depiction of everyday life without any actual esthetic merit. While many of his contemporaries painted pictures of royals, rich people and religious scenes Bruegel had attention for the lower and undervalued classes of society. As Time Marches On , Bruegel's paintings and drawings have been Vindicated by History because of their historical importance. His art is almost like a documentary of 16th century everyday life. If it wasn't for Bruegel our knowledge about the ordinary people might have been Lost Forever . The man depicted their seasonal activities, feasts, work, proverbs, sayings, children's games,... and even minority groups like blind and crippled people. Art historians have also revalued Bruegel as an artist. On first glance the peasants on his paintings seem to be ugly, almost caricatural depictions of primitive countryfolks. But actually everything has been painted with the greatest eye for realism and detail. Bruegel's landscapes and crowd scenes in particular always keep your attention and often overshadow the actual topic of the paintings. His work shows a universal love for nature and the simple country life without romanticizing it. The art of Pieter Bruegel provides examples of: His name was lent to a Belgian beer brand called "Bruegel Ancienne". The eponym "Bruegelian" is often used to describe scenes of medieval peasants eating, drinking and feasting. Advertised Extra : Icarus in Landscape with the Fall of Icarus ◊ is almost hidden. You can only see his leg sticking out of the water in the bottom right corner of the image. None of the other people in the painting seem to notice Icarus falling into the water; in fact, everybody minds his own business. Always a Bigger Fish : One of his drawings is named "The Big Fish Eating The Small Fish". Anachronism Stew : Done intentionally for effect. While many of Brueghel's paintings depict events from The Bible or Classical Mythology , they take place in landscapes clearly defined by early modern reality, with characters dressed in clothing and carrying weapons from the 16th century. Brueghel thus represented his themes in a universal manner and made statements about the society he lived in. The fact that the central (biblical or classical) events are often easily overlooked in the huge landscapes only makes this effect stronger. Alone in a Crowd : Lots of crowd scenes, while the actual subject of the painting is often just a lonely, almost overlooked detail. Arcadia : Subverted: Bruegel clearly loved the peasant life, but he didn't romanticize it. As the Good Book Says : Like every painter in his time Bruegel painted a lot of biblical themes, though always taking place in his own lifetime: "The Massacre Of The Innocents", "The Tower of Babel ", "The Fall of the Rebel Angels", "Saul", "Flight To Egypt",... Big Eater : In "Peasant's Wedding" many peasants are enjoying large quantities of food. Crapsack World : The painting "The Misantrope" shows an old man being robbed by a child inside a globe, representing universal theft. He claims: "Because the world is so unfair, I mourn in despair." Creator Cameo : The bearded man dressed in black talking with a monk on the far right side of "Peasant's Wedding" is assumed to be a self portrait of Bruegel. Deadpan Snarker : A lot of his art contains both subtle and not-so-subtle digs at politicians, church officials and the rank-and-file troops of the day, alongside the general broadsides at human vagaries, vanities and stupidities — especially if you could decode the Diets or Duits alle


What sort of bird is on the Dominican flag?

Dominica This page is part of © FOTW Flags Of The World website Dominica image by Carlos Esparza, 9 Febuary 2001 Official Name: Commonwealth of Dominica Capital: Roseau Government Type: Parliamentary Democracy; Republic within the Commonwealth Flag adopted : 3 November 1978 (Modified 1988) Coat of arms adopted: 21 July 1961 ISO Code: DM The National Flag From Album 2000 [ pay00 ] - National Flag (CSW/CSW 1:2) - Green flag with yellow-black-white corss and red disk with 10 yellow bordered green stars and sisserou parrot (loking towards hoist). The construction details are given beside the figure as (9+2+2+2+9):(21+2+2+2+21). Measuring the image in Album 2000, the disk diameter apears to be equal to 12 units (i.e. double the three stripes width). It is hard to judje the size of the stars, they apear to be inscribed in circles larger then 2 units, but weather they'll be 3, I couldn't say. maybe the document from which Armand got the rest of the construction would say more. I doubt that the size of yellow border is prescribed. The use of unusual colours in this flag might be a good reson to quote the colour approximation provided in Album: green Pantone 347c, red Pantone 185c. yellow Pantone 116c and purple Pantone 254c. eljko Heimer, 15 June 2001 Is there some branch under the parrot and what is the orientation of stars? Note: The Sisserou parrot is, scientifically, Amazona Imperialis. Jan Zrzavy, 16 June 2001 The image by Carlos Esparza is very well done regarding the details in the disk (however, the cross is not quite according to the Album secification, though). So the stars are pointing "outwards" but that virtually means that the topmost star is pointing upwards and then interchangably next one is pointing downwards, and next one upwards again and so on. There is a yellow branch on which the parror is sitting (not brownish as by Carlos). The beak and "fingers" are white (or very light yellow?) in Album, and those parts that are in Carlo's image blue are purple in Album. There should not be the small green part between the two purple parts (near the beak) - all should be purple there. I always wandered - Dominica was under British colonial influencem, so how come that they never adopted anything similar to the British rich flags & ensigns system? eljko Heimer, 16 June 2001 We say on our website: "The ten lime green stars - the traditional symbol of hope - represent the ten parishes of the country". According to Encyclopaedia Universalis Yearbook, the ten parishes are: St. Andrew St. David, St. George (including the capital city Roseau), St. John, St. Joseph, St. Luke, St. Mark, St. Patrick, St. Paul and St. Peter. Ivan Sache, 15 June 2004 I see the common name used in Dominica to call the Amazona imperialis, followed by a scientific binomial name is Sisserou Parrot (Psittacus Imperiala) (see Official Announcement of the Flag at Independence ). Zoologically, nowadays the name "Psittacus imperialia" doesn't exist and isn't accepted as the correct Linnean name of the parrot is Amazona imperialis, Richmond 1899. (The Genus Psittacus contains just one specie, which is Psittacus erithacus, Linneus 1758; the African grey parrot). Francesco Dalba, 28 September 2004 Some photos and a lot of descriptive text found (for instance) at < www.rarespecies.org/imperial.htm > and < www.worldparrottrust.org >. It seems, that this parrot is highly endangered (around 100 individuals left only). Marcus Schmöger, 28 September 2004 From Official Website of the President's Office : The flag of the Commonwealth of Dominica consists of a     circular emblem of red bearing a Sisserou parrot (Amazona     imperialis) standing on a twig encircled by ten lime     green stars. This is superimposed on three vertical and     three horizontal stripes of yellow, black and white     forming a triple coloured cross against a general     background of forest green. The central emblem presents the National Bird of     Dominica, the Sisserou parrot, also a symbol of flight     toward greater heights and fulfilment of aspiratio


It originated in the 5th century BCE or earlier as training for the military, could involve up to 200 a game, was fted for both men and women in Persian poetry and art. Which game is it?

Quizlet Lists | CourseNotes Quizlet Lists Title : The Original Ultimate AP World History Set Description : Still updating as of April 2016. Designed for AP Exam review over all units. Some are high priority, while many are just nice-to-know examples. There are many repeated terms. Please post any errors or duplicates you find so I can fix them. Enjoy! Term Count : 1635 66738238 Mesopotamia A region between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers that developed the first urban societies. In the Bronze Age this area included Sumer and the Akkadian, Babylonian and Assyrian empires, In the Iron Age, it was ruled by the Neo-Assyrian and Neo-Babylonian empires. 0 66738239 Fertile Crescent The Tigris and Euphrates Rivers gave life to the first known agricultural villages in this area about 10,000 years ago and the first known cities about 5,000 years ago. Includes Mesopotamia, Palestine, and the Nile. 1 66738240 ziggurat A temple tower of ancient Mesopotamia, constructed of square or rectangular terraces of diminishing size, usually with a shrine made of blue enamel bricks on the top 2 66738241 pictograms A pictorial symbol or sign representing an object or concept. Used by many non-alphabetic written scripts. 3 66738242 cuneiform The earliest known form of writing, which was used by the Sumerians. The name derives from the wedge shaped marks made with a stylus into soft clay. Used from the 3000s BCE to the 100s BCE. 4 66738243 ideograms A character or figure in a writing system in which the idea of a thing is represented rather than it's name (example: Chinese) 5 The world's first civilization, founded in Mesopotamia, which existed for over 3,000 years. 6 66738247 Xia A legendary Chinese dynasty that was not believed to exist until relatively recently. Walled towns ruled by area-specific kings assembled armies, built cities, and worked bronze. Created pictograms which would evolve in to the first Chinese script. 7 66738248 Shang An early Chinese dynasty. Not a unified Chinese state. Instead rulers and their relatives gave orders through a network of cities. Earliest evidence of Chinese writing comes from this period. 8 66738249 Zhou Succeeded the Shang dynasty. Similar to the Shang And Xia dynastic periods in that China was fragmented politically. Yet, despite the lack of true centralization, this was one of the longest Chinese dynasties, lasting about 600 years. It left substantial written records, unlike the preceding dynasties. 9 66738250 Yellow River Also known as the Huang-He. The second longest river in China. The majority of ancient Chinese civilizations originated in its valley. 10 66738251 Oracle Bones The earliest known Chinese writing is found on these from ritual activity of the Shang period. 11 66738252 Teotihuacan A large central city in the Mesoamerican region. Located about 25 miles Northeast of present day Mexico City. Exhibited city planning and unprecedented size for its time. Reached its peak around the year 450. 12 66738255 Jenne-Jeno One of the first urbanized centers in western Africa. A walled community home to approximately 50,000 people at its height. Evidence suggests domestication of agriculture and trade with nearby regions. 13 Socrates' most well known pupil. Founded an academy in Athens. 23 66738269 Pax Romana The "Roman Peace", that is, the state of comparative concord prevailing within the boundaries of the Roman Empire from the reign of Augustus (27 B.C.E.-14 C.E.) to that of Marcus Aurelius (161-180 C.E.) 24 66738270 Republic A state that is not ruled by a hereditary leader (a monarchy) but by a person or persons appointed under a constitution and in some way claims to be "of the people." 25 66738271 Century The smallest unit of the Roman army, each composed of some 100 foot soldiers and commanded by a centurion. A legion was made up of 60 of these. They also formed political divisions of Roman citizens. 26 66738272 Consul Under the Roman Republic, one of the two magistrates holding supreme civil and military authority. Nominated by the Senate and elected by citizens in the Comitia Centuriata, the co


The nomadic Mongol tribes in Mongolia, Manchuria and Siberia united under which leader in the 1100s?

Mongols | Ethnipedia Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia Mongolian, Buryat, Kalmyk, other Mongolic languages and dialects, also Chinese and Russian Religion Mostly Tibetan Buddhism, Animism, Christianity, Shamanism, Islam Related ethnic groups Turkic people , Tungusic peoples   The Mongol people ( Mongolian : Монголчууд/ᠮᠣᠩᠭᠣᠯᠴᠤᠳ), are a Altaic ethnic group that is indigenous to North Asia (also known as Siberia), East Asia and Central Asia, more often conceived as Mongolic people. The Mongols live a very unique and nomadic lifestyle that separates them from the surrounding cultures. Although ever since the decay of the Yuan Dynasty, the Mongols have been generally separated and divided back into clans and tribes with the only remaining unity in Mongolia and northern China - where the minority population is more than double that of Mongolia's majority. Mongolian people today still practice a culture no different to their ancient counterparts. Mongolians have also been dominant in the sport wrestling, not only in their native style in Mongolia but of sumo wrestling in Japan as well. Contents History Early History The idea of a unified "Mongol" ethnicity did not exist in Siberia. Most of the tribes that today known as Mongols were nomadic people from the Altaic region of Asia who relied on clan-rule and warred with other tribes. Anthropologists often referred to these nomads as Mongolic (not to be mistaken for Mongoloid) and Turkic peoples by the distinct dialects they spoke. The Mongolic people were the tribes in East Asia, specifically Siberia; and the Turkic people were the tribes from Central Asia; both groups were closely related. Modu Shanyu; a native of Mongolia ( Chinese : 冒顿单于) made the earliest attempt to create a nature of some unity among the Mongolic tribes of Siberia and northern China known as the Xiongnu. [5] This confederation eventually became a military threat to the Chinese Qin Dynasty ( Chinese : 秦朝) which eventually led to the latter construction of the Great Wall of China, and dominated Central Asia for about 500 years. [6] Mongolic and Turkic rulers became known as khans ( Mongolian : хаан), Buddhism and Shamanism became the main religions of the Mongolic and Turkic peoples. Yuan Dynasty 1279-1368 The mighty Genghis Khan Unity only prevailed when a soldier by the name of Genghis Khan, who came from a tribe known as the Borjigin or the Chinggisid, united the warring tribes that eventually became today's Mongols. He eventually rose from a devastasted childhood and became the Great Khagan or khan of the Mongol Empire. Under Genghis Khan and his descendants, the new unified kingdom conquered territory that was seemed necessary for a stronghold. Therefore Genghis Khan is considered the father of modern-day Mongolia. [7] At the height of its peak, the Mongol Empire stretched from southern Russia, all of China into Vietnam and Afghanistan. When Kublai Khan ( Mongolian : Хубилай хаан), a descendant of Genghis Khan took over China by defeating the Coins from the Yuan Dynasty remaining Song Dynasty armies, he established the Yuan Dynasty (1279 A.D.-1368 A.D.) and established China as a firm stronghold of the Mongol Empire. The Yuan Dynasty is regarded as both period of time in Mongolia's history and one of China's imperial dynasties. The Yuan Dynasty was also one of the only dynasties where a non- Chinese emperor ruled China. Much to his respect for Chinese culture, he titled himself using both Mongol and Chinese traditions. Kublai Khan was both Chinese emperor and the great Khagan of the Mongol Empire and renamed Beijing to Dadu, which was designated as the capital of the Yuan Dynasty. In China, he was known as Emperor Shizu of Yuan ( Chinese : 元世祖). The Yuan Dynasty was ended when the Chinese rebelled which overthrew the Mongol rule in China. After the Yuan Dynasty's destruction and decay, the Chinese pushed the Mongol forces back and took over Mongolia. The remnants of the Mongol Empire that retreated to Mongolia were known as the Northern Yuan Dynasty (1368 A.D.-1635 A.D.). [8] Northern Yuan Empire 1368-1635


Mohs Scale of Hardness - Identify Rocks & Minerals Mohs Scale of Hardness Mohs Scale of Hardness Identify Rocks & Minerals Using Hardness Scientists use the Mohs scale to gauge the hardness of minerals to help identify them.  Gary Ombler, Getty Images By Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph.D. Updated February 03, 2016. There are many systems used to measure hardness, which is defined several different ways. Gemstones and other minerals are ranked according to their Mohs hardness. Mohs hardness refers to a material's ability to resist abrasion or scratching. Note that a hard gem or mineral is not automatically tough or durable. About the Mohs Scale of Mineral Hardness The Moh's (Mohs) scale of hardness is the most common method used to rank gemstones and minerals according to hardness. Devised by German mineralogist Friedrich Moh in 1812, this scale grades minerals on a scale from 1 (very soft) to 10 (very hard). Because the Mohs scale is a relative scale, the difference between the hardness of a diamond and that of a ruby is much greater than the difference in hardness between calcite and gypsum. As an example, diamond (10) is about 4-5 times harder than corundum (9), which is about 2 times harder than topaz (8). Individual samples of a mineral may have slightly different Mohs ratings, but they will be near the same value. continue reading below our video Test Your General Science Knowledge Half-numbers are used for in-between hardness ratings. How to Use the Mohs Scale A mineral with a given hardness rating will scratch other minerals of the same hardness and all samples with lower hardness ratings. As an example, if you can scratch a sample with a fingernail, you know its hardness is less than 2.5. If you can scratch a sample with a steel file, but not with a fingernail, you know its hardness is between 2.5 and 7.5.  Gems are examples of minerals. Gold, silver, and platinum are all relatively soft, with Mohs ratings between 2.5-4. Since gems can scratch each other and their settings, each piece of gemstone jewelry should be wrapped separately in silk or paper. Also, be wary of commercial cleaners, as they may contain abrasives that could damage jewelry. I've added a few common household items to the basic Mohs scale to give you an idea of how hard gems and minerals really are and for use in testing hardness yourself. Mohs Scale of Hardness


The semi-arid region called The Sahel separates what from the rest of Africa?

'Green wall' to target Sahel terrorism - BBC News BBC News 'Green wall' to target Sahel terrorism By Gavin Haines The Sahel 3 May 2013 Close share panel Image caption Some experts say desertification is more about poor land management Desertification in Africa's Sahel region may be driving a range of problems including terrorism. Gavin Haines investigates whether a project to reforest the region could help. Since French forces were deployed to Mali earlier this year, the Sahel has emerged as a new battleground in the so-called war on terror. This semi-arid region just south of the Sahara Desert has been described by the French military as "planet Mars" and is characterised by extreme heat, drought and food shortages. Poverty is never far away and this, according to Kouloutan Coulibaly, Mali's Director of Forestry, makes it a breeding ground for extremism. "When you have no money and no job and the terrorists come and pay, people say yes," he explains. "It's an opportunity for them." Despite the lure, most eschew terrorism and continue to eke out their honest, knife-edge existences in this most inhospitable part of the world. Others abandon the Sahel altogether and head for new horizons. A new leaf? Many of the social and economic problems in the Sahel can be linked to a process called desertification. We need to create resilient economies as well as environments Michele Bozzano, Bioversity International "Despite what some people think, desertification is not the advancing of the desert - we are not talking about sand encroachment here," says Michele Bozzano, a research support officer for Bioversity International. "Desertification is about poor land management which turns the land into desert." A report published this month by the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), claims that 850 million people worldwide are affected by desertification. Overgrazing and deforestation are the primary causes of desertification and have turned vast swathes of the Sahel into dust. However, an ambitious reforestation programme known as the Great Green Wall aims to reverse this process. Image caption Proponents say the project can combat instability in the region by opening up economic options for people The project has been a pipedream in Africa since the eighties, when the idea of fighting desertification by planting a "wall of trees" across the continent first gained traction. At 7,775km (4,831 miles) long and 15km (nine miles) the Great Green Wall was intended to snake through 11 countries, from Senegal in the west to Djibouti in the east. However, the project has since evolved to become more ambitions in its scope and will now involve more than 20 African nations. "It's more of a green mosaic than a wall," says Nora Berrahmouni, a Forestry Officer for the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (UNFAO). "And it's more than simply planting trees - it could be a shrub or herbaceous plant. It's about mimicking nature and in nature you don't just see trees." Essential to the Great Green Wall's success will be its ability to help sustain the lives of those living along it - the vegetation needs to be worth more standing than felled. "We need to create resilient economies as well as environments," says Mr Bozzano. Buy gum It took years to secure funding for the Great Green Wall but with financial backing from the African Union, European Union, World Bank, UNFAO and other international investors, planting began in 2011. When you plant a tree, who does it belong too, who is going to look after it, who is going to harvest the crop? Ced Hesse, IIED Since then nearly 12 million trees have been planted in Senegal alone. Most of the trees are acacias, which are indigenous to Africa and have been chosen for their ability to survive in droughts and provide local communities with a source of income. That income will come largely from a substance called gum arabic, which is extracted from the bark and is used as an additive in anything from pharmaceuticals to fizzy drinks. Demand for gum arabic is currently outstripping supply, but


A series of political protests against the government in Thailand in 2010 were organised by a group calling themselves what?

Thailand’s 2010 Red Shirt Protests and the Government Crackdown | HRW Thailand’s 2010 Red Shirt Protests and the Government Crackdown May 2, 2011 Failure to Hold Government Forces Accountable Reinforces Impunity May 7, 2013 Reject Proposed Amnesty, Prosecute Abuses by All Sides I. Summary There will be blood on the street if the government does not call off the dispersal operations. Our patience is running out. We will take more serious measures to retaliate. The dark sky will turn red, red like blood. —Jatuporn Prompan, Red Shirt leader, Bangkok, April 10, 2010 It is hard for the army to give explanations about every single dead body in Bangkok. —Col. Sansern Kaewkamnerd, Center for the Resolution of the Emergency Situation (CRES) spokesman, Bangkok, June 7, 2010. During the mass political mobilization from March to May 2010, Thailand endured the most violent confrontations since the protests against military rule in 1992. At least 90 people died and more than 2,000 were wounded in clashes between security forces and anti-government protesters led by the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD), also known as “Red Shirts.” Arson attacks in Bangkok and elsewhere caused billions of dollars of damage. While the political protests, which paralyzed the capital for three months, received global coverage, many of the deaths and injuries occurred beyond the view of news cameras. Fueled by a lack of information, the UDD and government have traded claims and counterclaims about who was responsible for the loss of life. Based on investigations conducted in Bangkok and in Thailand’s central and northeastern regions from June 2010 to April 2011, this report provides the first full account of the violence and the reasons behind it. The high death toll and injuries resulted from excessive and unnecessary lethal force on the part of security forces, including firing of live ammunition at protesters, sometimes by snipers. Soldiers fatally shot at least four people, including a medic treating the wounded, in or near a temple in Bangkok on May 19, despite army claims to the contrary. The extensive casualties also resulted from deliberate attacks by militant armed elements of the UDD, whose leaders contributed to the violence with inflammatory speeches to demonstrators, including urging their supporters to carry out riots, arson attacks, and looting. The heavily armed “Black Shirt” militants, apparently connected to the UDD and operating in tandem with it, were responsible for deadly attacks on soldiers, police, and civilians. During and after the protests, the government adopted various measures that seriously infringed on fundamental human rights. These included holding suspects without charge for up to 30 days in unofficial places of detention, arbitrary arrests and detentions of UDD supporters, mistreatment of detainees, and broad censorship of critical media and websites.                                                       Contentious key issues, such as the role of the monarchy and military in Thai politics and society, a dysfunctional and corrupt political system, the failure to hold powerful individuals across the political spectrum accountable for human rights abuses, high-level corruption, widespread economic disparities, and a deep rural-urban divide were key catalysts for the protests. These have yet to be addressed in any meaningful way. Moreover, while several protest leaders and many UDD rank-and-file have been charged with serious criminal offenses and are awaiting prosecution, government forces implicated in abuses continue to enjoy impunity, sending Thais the message that the scales of justice are imbalanced, if not entirely broken. It is critical for the government to ensure impartial and transparent government investigations that lead to criminal prosecutions against those on all sides responsible for abuses, including those who ordered the unlawful use of force or incited violence. Impunity and human rights abuses have long been a feature of Thailand’s political system and culture. While substantial prog