Who is the famous mother of actress Rachael Stirling?

Rachael Stirling: I wish I'd asked my mother about starring in a lesbian drama - Telegraph Celebrity news Rachael Stirling: I wish I'd asked my mother about starring in a lesbian drama Rachael Stirling, daughter of Dame Diana Rigg, said she was offered little  "after-care" following the risqué role in Tipping The Velvet which turned  her into tabloid fodder. Rachael Stirling and Keeley Hawes in Tipping The Velvet, which caused a tabloid storm Photo: BBC By Anita Singh, Showbusiness Editor 7:00AM BST 27 Aug 2012 When Rachael Stirling was offered a role in lesbian drama series Tipping The Velvet, she didn’t think to consult her mother first. Had she known the drama’s risqué scenes would cause a tabloid storm and leave her struggling to be taken seriously as an actress, she would have done things differently. Stirling’s mother is Dame Diana Rigg, who knows a thing or two about life as a reluctant sex symbol after playing Emma Peel in The Avengers. “The tabloids had a field day with Tipping The Velvet, which was great for the viewing figures but not necessarily for the actors involved,” Stirling said. “It was a brilliant project and I don’t regret it, but there wasn’t a lot of aftercare and the long-term effects weren’t considered. Nobody sat down and said that you might find it hard to be taken seriously as an actor afterwards. “I should have asked my ma’s advice, but I was such a proud little bunny in those days.” Related Articles Stripping for the cameras 'was so freeing' 25 Aug 2012 Stirling co-starred with Keeley Hawes in Tipping The Velvet, a story of lesbian love in Victorian England based on the novel by Sarah Waters. It was broadcast by the BBC in 2002 and adapted by Andrew Davies, the screenwriter, who famously dubbed it “Pride and Prejudice with dirty bits”. Stirling was a little-known actress when she got the part. She told a Sunday newspaper: “I was raised to please people in authority and I’d also come from a sheltered boarding school, so I was very naive and young for my years. “So when the producer of Tipping The Velvet said, ‘We chose you because we knew you’d swing naked from the nearest chandelier’, I should have realised he wasn’t offering me the role because I was deeply important and talented. “Now I’ve done the graft and I’ve worked with great directors and actors, I feel a lot more prepared to handle the limelight and make the right choices in my career because God knows that I’ve made some dodgy ones.” Nearly 40 years earlier, Stirling’s mother was faced with something similar when she played Emma Peel, the high-kicking spy in a leather catsuit. Dame Diana told one interviewer: “There is always one thing that turns you into an icon, an iconic image, in my case a catsuit. But the icon 40 years later doesn't really want to know because it's not relevant to me. “I was grateful because it catapulted me into stage stardom. It was good. I'm not ashamed of it. But I only did it for two years. When it came out, I was suddenly famous. It was startling. From being anonymous, I was mobbed.” Stirling, 35, concentrated on theatre after Tipping The Velvet and has garnered two Olivier Award nominations. Her next screen role is a 1950s-set ITV drama, The Bletchley Circle, in which she plays a former codebreaker who reunites with former colleagues to solve a series of murders. She and Dame Diana, 74, recently worked together for the first time. They will appear in a forthcoming episode of Doctor Who, called The Crimson Horror. Last year, Stirling left acting temporarily and took a job as a barmaid. She worked in a pub after splitting from her fiance, Oliver Chris, a fellow actor. “I went and pulled pints in a pub for five months. I cleared vomit off the stairs and got leered at by all sorts of unsuitable men. But the camaraderie was fantastic and time out from everything was exactly what I needed,” she said. Of the broken engagement, she said: “I loved him and I wanted to make him happy but, actually, if every time somebody asks you about your wedding plans you burst into tears, then you are probably not doing OK


Who wrote the novel 'The Name of the Rose'?

Movie Review -  - FILM: MEDIEVAL MYSTERY IN 'NAME OF THE ROSE' - NYTimes.com FILM: MEDIEVAL MYSTERY IN 'NAME OF THE ROSE' By VINCENT CANBY Published: September 24, 1986 IT'S possible that nobody could have been more surprised than Umberto Eco, the Italian journalist, critic and professor of semiotics, when, in 1983, his first novel, ''The Name of the Rose,'' became a best seller in this country as it had earlier been in Europe. Mr. Eco clearly had not set out to please the unfathomable tastes of book buyers. Instead, he seemed to be amusing himself with his tale of murder and church politics, set in a remote abbey in the north of Italy in 1327, and with the character of a renowned English monk, Brother William of Baskerville, who's called on to solve the crimes. What makes the novel impressive is scarcely the medieval sleuthing, which recalls Nancy Drew as often as it does Sherlock Holmes. The story of ''The Name of the Rose'' depends a lot on things like secret staircases, hidden doors, coded messages and even, at one point, invisible ink. The mystery is ''elementary,'' as Brother William says in another context to Adso, the young monk who acts as his Watson. The novel is made fascinating (to many readers, anyway) by Mr. Eco's prodigous scholarship. ''The Name of the Rose'' is stuffed with lengthy asides (some of which are in untranslated Latin) and incidental footnotes to history. These cover everything from the political maneuvering within the Avignon papacy, the fight for the Holy Roman Empire and the church's merciless suppression of heresies (Waldensian, Albigensian and Catharist, among others) to the invention of eyeglasses and gunpowder. Mr. Eco's novel is like a professor's joke. It's nothing if not erudite. It goes on so long, with so many detours, that by the time it arrives at its point, one is too exhausted even to smile. Yet, without these asides and detours, there's very little point at all. Reduced to its story (as the screen adaptation is) about who dumped Brother Venantius into the cauldron of pig's blood, head-first, and why, ''The Name of the Rose'' becomes lightweight as well as lugubrious. The film opens today at the Beekman. Under the direction of Jean-Jacques Annaud (''Black and White in Color,'' ''Quest for Fire''), the movie is full of the kind of atmosphere that can be created by elaborate sets, dim lighting and misty landscapes, though it has no singular character or dominant mood. In its opening credits, it announces itself as a ''palimpsest,'' which, in this case, may be the movie maker's jargon for plot synopsis. As Brother William, the voice of reason in an age of superstition, Sean Connery does his best to find the film's proper tone, which should have been provided by Mr. Annaud and the four people who wrote the screenplay. Mr. Connery doesn't have an easy time of it. He plays Brother William as something of an anachronism. This 14th-century monk is a worldly, 20th-century scholar-priest, the sort who would be as proud of his memory for football scores as of his knowledge of obscure Greek or Arabic texts on the treatment of warts. In his first screen appearance since his Oscar-winning performance in ''Amadeus,'' F. Murray Abraham plays Brother William's chief adversary, Bernardo Gui, an inquisitor who sees heresies everywhere and has a real fondness for torture for its own sake. The role is very brief. It's also ankle-deep, as is that of Adso, Brother William's eager, admiring, 14th-century gofer, played by Christian Slater. Among the other good actors, who are required to assume picturesque attitudes rather than create characters, are Michael (billed as ''Michel'' in his French films) Lonsdale and William Hickey. ASSASSIN IN THE ABBEY - THE NAME OF THE ROSE, directed by Jean-Jacques Annaud; screenplay by Andrew Birkin, Gerard Brach, Howard Franklin and Alain Godard, a palimpsest of Umberto Eco's novel; director of photography, Tonino Delli Colli; edited by Jane Seitz; music by James Horner; produced by Bernd Eichinger; a Bernd Eichinger/Bernd Schaefers Production; released by the 20th


What is Fennec? - Definition from WhatIs.com pneumatics What is Fennec? Fennec is a version of the Firefox browser adapted for mobile phones and other small computing devices. According to the Mozilla Foundation, the intention behind Fennec is to enable a mobile browsing experience that is equivalent to browsing through Firefox on a desktop computer. Current or planned features of Fennec include: Support for touch screen input. Support for Firefox extensions and themes. Support for Windows, OS X and Linux. A tab interface similar to that of Firefox. Pop-up blocker. Address bar functionality like that of Firefox. The Mozilla wiki explains the most important design requirements for Fennec: Fast and easy navigation to Web content and optimization of tasks that are often problematic on mobile devices, such as entering URLs , managing and sharing bookmarks, tabbed browsing and maintaining readability while zooming and scrolling. The ability to access any Web content available from desktop computers. Security measures that address the particular vulnerabilities of mobile devices. Integration with device components to enable, for example, initiation of a phone call from a number in a Web link. Support for third-party technologies to stimulate mobile innovation. Mozilla released an alpha version of Fennec in October 2008. The alpha release targets developers as a means of improving Fennec prior to wider release and stimulating the creation of applications for the browser. Fennec extensions use XUL (Extensible User-interface Language), as do extensions for Firefox and other Mozilla programs, which means that basic elements of design will be familiar to developers. According to the Mozilla wiki, any developer with HTML, JavaScript and cascading style sheet ( CSS ) skills should be able to develop applications for mobile devices. The first versions of Fennec will be for Windows Mobile and Nokia's N810 Internet Tablet; versions for Android and Linux-based operating systems are expected to follow. Other browsers adapted for mobile devices include Pocket Internet Explorer and Opera Mini. In the animal kingdom, a fennec is a small desert fox. (The Firefox mascot is a full-sized fox.) Learn More About IT:


Who was the voice of Scar in the film The Lion King?

Voice Compare: Lion King - Scar | Behind The Voice Actors James Horan EDITOR'S OPINION Ah yes Scar, one of Disney's most renowned villains whom is often considered to be a classic example of a sinister manipulator (with an more than occasional troublesome ego). In the classic 1994 film "The Lion King" he was voiced by known British actor Jeremy Irons. Jeremy is fairly well known for being a character actor and this is a fairly good reason why and lets just say I can understand why its one of Jeremy Irons' most renowned performances as it was a perfectly suitable for Scar's personality. Though for a little bit of trivial info, Jeremy Irons temporarily damaged his vocal cords so at least for the latter portion of the highly renowned Villain song "Be Prepared", VA Jim Cummings took over and lets just say he was a definitely suitable replacement even if it is only brief. (Oh yes and Jim also voiced Scar in his cameo in the Lion King II, heck some people couldn't even tell that Jim Cummings did the last part of the song "Be Prepared".) A little over a decade later in Kingdom Hearts II, while there were role reprisals in that game for Disney Characters Scar wasn't one of them in which he was voiced by James Horan. I will say this much that James did certainly try to sound like Jeremy Irons' Scar voice but it came off as an average at best impression. (And KH2 probably should have just used Jim Cummings I mean he was definitely already in the game.)  I am going with Jeremy Irons and Jim Cummings the most and James Horan at a semi-distant 2nd place. Pokejedservo


Who starred on TV as the Newcastle detective 'Spender'?

Spender (TV Series 1991–1993) - 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 a list of 71 titles created 25 Apr 2011 a list of 48 titles created 18 Jun 2012 a list of 1023 titles created 20 Dec 2013 a list of 864 titles created 07 Dec 2014 a list of 1408 titles created 09 Sep 2015 Search for " Spender " on Amazon.com Connect with IMDb Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? Use the HTML below. You must be a registered user to use the IMDb rating plugin. Crocodile Shoes (TV Mini-Series 1994) Drama Jimmy Nail stars in the drama series about a Geordie factory worker who writes country songs. Looking for his big break in the music industry. Stars: Jimmy Nail, Leonard Silver, Alex Kingston The adventures of a gang of British workmen abroad. Combines black and white humour with moments of drama, poignancy and drunkenness. In series 1, the lads head to Germany seeking work, and... See full summary  » Stars: Timothy Spall, Jimmy Nail, Tim Healy The adventures of two California Highway Patrol motorcycle officers. Stars: Erik Estrada, Larry Wilcox, Robert Pine This prison comedy is based on the popular British television series of the same name. Long time Slade prison inmate Fletcher is ordered by Grouty to arrange a football match between the ... See full summary  » Director: Dick Clement Crocodile Shoes II (TV Mini-Series 1996) Drama The cases of an easy going ex-convict turned private investigator. Stars: James Garner, Noah Beery Jr., Joe Santos Gritty British-made police drama series set in the beautiful location of Amsterdam. Cynical Dutch detective Commissaris "Piet" van der Valk and his colleagues investigate murders, kidnappings and political corruption. Stars: Barry Foster, Michael Latimer, Joanna Dunham Blandings Castle is dysfunction junction, the home of a chaotic family struggling to keep itself in order. Clarence Threepwood, Ninth Earl of Emsworth and master of Blandings Castle, yearns... See full summary  » Stars: Timothy Spall, Jennifer Saunders, Jack Farthing Terry is divorced from his German wife and has a Finnish girlfriend Christina. At Thelma's suggestion they join her and Bob on a caravan holiday but due to a mishap the men get separated ... See full summary  » Director: Michael Tuchner Ken Boon and Harry Crawford are two middle-aged ex-firemen who start out in business together, initially in Birmingham and later in Nottingham. During the seven series (1986-1992), Ken ... See full summary  » Stars: Michael Elphick, David Daker, Neil Morrissey Albert Steptoe and his son Harold are junk dealers, complete with horse and cart to tour the neighbourhood. They also live amicably together at the junk yard. Always on the lookout for ways... See full summary  » Director: Peter Sykes 8 January 1991 (UK) See more  » Filming Locations: Did You Know? Connections Hard-hitting Gem from the BBC 29 April 1999 | by halo80 (Bedford, NS) – See all my reviews SPENDER is the kind of gritty, intelligent cop drama that's been missing from North American television screen. The BBC produced series is a positive gem, having run for 3 consecutive seasons, and spawned one film entitled "The French Collection". Starring the excellent and multi-talented Jimmy Nail ("Still Crazy", "Evita"), it has garnered a following in Canada through re-runs on Showcase Television. The character of Spender is a tough and able cop cleaning up the streets of London with his somewhat unorthodox methods. Following a tragic incident, he's sent home, back to the North-East to his home-town of Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, which had taken him 20-odd years to get out of. Now re-united with old friends and haunting ghosts from his untamed past, the loathing he feels for the city and his new assignment drives his character to push the limits, and test the powers that be that govern his jurisdiction. But once we meet Spender's family - divorced wife Frances and his tw


Which British explorer was in 1796 the first European to discover and travel the course of the Niger river?

MUNGO PARK DIDN'T DISCOVER RIVER NIGER - YouTube MUNGO PARK DIDN'T DISCOVER RIVER NIGER Want to watch this again later? Sign in to add this video to a playlist. Need to report the video? Sign in to report inappropriate content. The interactive transcript could not be loaded. Loading... Rating is available when the video has been rented. This feature is not available right now. Please try again later. Published on Jan 30, 2013 The British colonial authority spread the rumour in the colony that one mungp Park discovered river niger.Old tales....the natives have lived in the banks of river niger for ages. The Niger River is the principal river of western Africa, extending about 4,180 km (2,600 mi). Its drainage basin is 2,117,700 km (817,600 sq mi) in area Its source is in the Guinea Highlands in southeastern Guinea. It runs in a crescent through Mali, Niger, on the border with Benin and then through Nigeria, discharging through a massive delta, known as the Niger Delta or the Oil Rivers, into the Gulf of Guinea in the Atlantic Ocean. The Niger is the third-longest river in Africa, exceeded only by the Nile and the Congo River (also known as the Zaïre River). Its main tributary is the Benue River. Mungo Park who was credited as being the first Westerner to encounter the central portion of the Niger River was a Scottish explorer of the African continent. In 1794 Park offered his services to the African Association, then looking for a successor to Major Daniel Houghton, who had been sent in 1790 to discover the course of the Niger River and had died in the Sahara. Supported by Sir Joseph Banks, Park was selected. On 21 June 1795, he reached the Gambia River and ascended it 200 miles to a British trading station named Pisania. On 2 December, accompanied by two local guides, he started for the unknown interior. He chose the route crossing the upper Senegal basin and through the semi-desert region of Kaarta. The journey was full of difficulties, and at Ludamar he was imprisoned by a Moorish chief for four months. On 1 July 1796, he escaped, alone and with nothing but his horse and a pocket compass, and on the 21st reached the long-sought Niger River at Ségou, being the first European to do so. He followed the river downstream 80 miles to Silla, where he was obliged to turn back, lacking the resources to go further.[4][5] On his return journey, begun on 30 July, he took a route more to the south than that originally followed, keeping close to the Niger as far as Bamako, thus tracing its course for some 300 miles. At Kamalia he fell ill, and owed his life to the kindness of a man in whose house he lived for seven months. Eventually he reached Pisania again on 10 June 1797, returning to Scotland by way of Antigua on 22 December. He had been thought dead, and his return home with news of the discovery of the Niger River evoked great public enthusiasm. An account of his journey was drawn up for the African Association by Bryan Edwards, and his own detailed narrative appeared in 1799 (Travels in the Interior of Africa). It was extremely popular and is available in Project Gutenberg.[6] His book, Travels in the interior districts of Africa, was a success because it detailed what he observed, what he survived, and the people he encountered. His honest descriptions set a standard for future travel writers to follow. This gave Europeans a glimpse of what Africa was really like. Park introduced them to a vast, unexplored continent. After Park's death public and political interest in Africa began to increase. He had proved that Africa could be explored. Perhaps the most lasting effect of Park's travels, though, was their influence on European governments. WIN, an acronym for "What Is New" is a comprehensive multimedia services package for maximum news distribution across several media channels via WIN TV, exclusively dedicated for New Media production and Broadcating Category


Which well known manufacturer had to re-brand one of its best selling cars before marketing it in South America because the cars name means, 'doesn't go' in Spanish?

Nova Don't Go : snopes.com - - Claim:   The Chevrolet Nova sold poorly in Spanish-speaking countries because its name translates as "doesn't go" in Spanish. FALSE Origins:   It's the classic cautionary tale about the pitfalls of doing business in foreign countries that can be found in hundreds (if not thousands) of books about marketing: General Motors introduced their Chevrolet Nova model of automobile into a Spanish-speaking market, then scratched their heads in puzzlement when it sold poorly. GM executives were baffled until someone finally pointed out to them that "nova" translates as "doesn't go" in Spanish. The embarrassed automobile giant changed the model name to the Caribe, and sales of the car took off. This anecdote is frequently used to illustrate the perils of failing to do adequate preparation and research before introducing a product into the international marketplace. It's a wicked irony, then, that the people who use this example are engaging in the very thing they're decrying, because a little preparation and research would have informed them that it isn't true. (The sources that repeat this little tale can't even agree on where the Nova supposedly sold poorly, variously listing locales such as Puerto Rico, Mexico, South America, or simply "Spanish-speaking countries.") This is another one of those tales that makes its point so well — just like the apocryphal one about George Washington and the cherry tree — that nobody wants to ruin it with a bunch of facts.  Nonetheless, we're here to ruin it. The original Chevrolet Nova (initially the Chevy II) hit the U.S. market in 1962. (This car should not be confused with the smaller, front wheel drive vehicle which was produced in 1985 as a joint venture between General Motors and Toyota and also assigned the Nova name.) Between 1972 and 1978 the Chevrolet Nova was also sold in Mexico and several other Spanish-speaking countries, primarily Venezuela. Shortly afterwards the great "Nova" legend arose, a legend which a little linguistic analysis shows it to be improbable: First of all, the phrase "no va" (literally "doesn't go") and the word "nova" are distinct entities with different pronunciations in Spanish: the former is two words and is pronounced with the accent on the second word; the latter is one word with the accent on the first syllable. Assuming that Spanish speakers would naturally see the word "nova" as equivalent to the phrase "no va" and think "Hey, this car doesn't go!" is akin to assuming that English speakers would spurn a dinette set sold under the name Notable because nobody wants a dinette set that doesn't include a table. Although "no va" can be literally translated as "no go," it would be a curious locution for a speaker of Spanish to use in reference to a car. Just as an English speaker would describe a broken-down car by saying that it "doesn't run" rather than it "doesn't go," so a Spanish speaker would refer to a malfunctioning automobile by saying "no marcha" or "no funciona" or "no camina" rather than "no va." Pemex (the Mexican government-owned oil monopoly) sold (and still sells) gasoline in Mexico under the name "Nova." If Mexicans were going to associate anything with the Chevrolet Nova based on its name, it would probably be this gasoline. In any case, if Mexicans had no compunctions about filling the tanks of their cars with a type of gasoline whose name advertised that it "didn't go," why would they reject a similarly-named automobile? This legend assumes that a handful of General Motors executives launched a car into a foreign market and remained in blissful ignorance about a possible adverse translation of its name. Even if nobody in Detroit knew enough rudimentary Spanish to notice the coincidence, the Nova could not have been brought to market in Mexico and/or South America without the involvement of numerous Spanish speakers engaged to translate user manuals, prepare advertising and promotional materials, communicate with the network of Chevrolet dealers in the target countries, etc. In fact, GM was aware of


Which football club replaced Workington in the football league after the 1976-1977 season?

Information - Workington AFC Information History   Workington A.F.C originally were one of the founder members of the Cumberland Association League in 1888 and played at Lonsdale Park. In 1894 they moved to the Cumberland Senior League, then in 1901 joined the Lancashire League.T he league closed two seasons later, and they returned to the Cumberland Senior League. In 1904 the club were admitted to the Lancashire Combination. In the 1910 season they decided to economise and join the North Eastern League. But, after only one season, the club folded.   The new Workington A.F.C. was born in 1921 and immediately joined the North Eastern League. During the 1933/34 season, the club managed its best-ever FA Cup performance, reaching the 4th round, before losing to Preston North End. Later in the decade, the club moved to its present home, Borough Park. In 1951 the club was voted into the Third Division North of The Football League replacing New Brighton. Their first season in the League was a sign of things to come; the club finishing rock bottom, and only improving by one place the following year. From 6 January 1954 to 15 November 1955 the club was managed by Bill Shankly, who would achieve fame between 1959 and 1974 with his success at home and abroad as manager of Liverpool. During the 1957/58 season they played the great Manchester United team known as the Busby Babes at home in the 3rd round of the FA Cup, attracting a record crowd of 21,000. This was just a month before eight of the United players lost their lives in the Munich air disaster. However, at the end of that season, the club dropped into the new Fourth Division under a reorganisation of the Football League which saw the abolition of the regionalised Third Divisions. In 1964, player-manager Ken Furphy (pictured) led them to 3rd position, earning promotion to the Third Division. During both the 1963/64 and 1964/65 season, they made it to the quarter-finals of the League Cup, where they lost to West Ham United and Chelsea (in a replay) respectively. During the latter cup run, the club beat Lancashire neighbours Barrow 9–1, a record which remained until the mid-1980s. In 1966 they finished in 5th place, narrowly missing out on promotion to the Second Division, but next year finished bottom, and were relegated back to the Fourth Division. In 1974 and 1975 the club finished 23rd out of 24 and in 1976 they finished bottom. In 1977 the club won only four games, and again finished bottom of the League with attendances falling well below the 1,000-mark. This poor run led to the club being voted out of the League in the summer of 1977, being replaced by Wimbledon. The club dropped into the Northern Premier League , but failed to trouble the top teams, never finishing higher than 7th, before they were relegated to the NPL First Division in 1988. They continued to struggle, eventually being relegated to the North West Counties League in 1998. However, the club managed to win the League at their first attempt (also their first ever championship). After a 2–0 defeat at Kidsgrove Athletic on 27 February 1999, manager Peter Hampton set the squad a challenge, win their last 14 games and they would win the league. Sure enough after winning the next 13 games Workington squared up to league leaders Mossley at Borough Park in front of a 2,281 spectators, a league record only beaten by the formation of F.C. United of Manchester. Workington ran out 2–1 winners with goals from Stuart Williamson and substitute Grant Holt. Workington became the first club to return to the NPL First Division at the first attempt. As a result of a 7th place finish in 2004, the club moved up to the NPL's Premier Division during the non-league restructuring. They then continued their upward movement by winning the first-ever NPL promotion play-offs (after finishing in 2nd place) to win promotion to the Conference North. Following a mid-table finish in their first season in Conference North, the 2006–07 season saw Workington finish in third place and qualify for the promotion play-offs where they lost 2–1 ag


Ray Bradbury dies; sci-fi author wrote ‘Fahrenheit 451,’ ‘Martian Chronicles’ - The Washington Post Ray Bradbury dies; sci-fi author wrote ‘Fahrenheit 451,’ ‘Martian Chronicles’ The inside track on Washington politics. Be the first to know about new stories from PowerPost. Sign up to follow, and we’ll e-mail you free updates as they’re published. You’ll receive free e-mail news updates each time a new story is published. You’re all set! By Becky Krystal By Becky Krystal June 6, 2012 Follow @BeckyKrystal Ray Bradbury, a boundlessly imaginative novelist who wrote some of the most popular science-fiction books of all time, including “Fahrenheit 451” and “The Martian Chronicles,” and who transformed the genre of flying saucers and little green men into literature exploring childhood terrors, colonialism and the erosion of individual thought, died June 5 in Los Angeles. He was 91. His agent, Michael Congdon, confirmed the death but declined to disclose the cause. Mr. Bradbury, who began his career in the 1930s contributing stories to pulp-fiction magazines, received a special Pulitzer Prize citation in 2007 “for his distinguished, prolific and deeply influential career as an unmatched author of science fiction and fantasy.” His body of works, which continued to appear through recent years to terrific reviews, encompassed more than 500 titles, including novels, plays (“Dandelion Wine,” adapted from his 1957 semi-autobiographical novel), children’s books and short stories. His tales were often made into films, including the futuristic story of a book-burning society (director Francois Truffaut’s “Fahrenheit 451” in 1966), a suspense story about childhood fears (“Something Wicked This Way Comes” in 1983) and the more straightforward alien-attack story (“It Came From Outer Space” in 1953). He helped write filmmaker John Huston’s 1956 movie adaptation of Herman Melville’s novel “Moby-Dick” and contributed scripts to the TV anthology programs “The Twilight Zone” and “Alfred Hitchcock Presents.” Mr. Bradbury hosted his own science-fiction anthology program, “The Ray Bradbury Theater,” from 1985 to 1992 on the HBO and USA cable networks. “Bradbury took the conventions of the science-fiction genre — time travel, robots, space exploration — and made them signify beyond themselves, giving them a broader and more nuanced emotional appeal to general readers,” said William F. Touponce, a founder and former director of the Center for Ray Bradbury Studies at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis. “His stories expanded the range of the genre by mixing in with science-fiction themes more traditional elements of romance, together with humor and satire, and even myth and fairy tales, which no doubt contributed to their appeal to a wider audience,” Touponce said. Having grown up steeped in horror films and pulp magazines such as Amazing Stories, Mr. Bradbury was well-versed in the conventions of science fiction. But the author took those motifs to another level, Touponce said, by using them to comment on broader human themes. “The Martian Chronicles,” released to wide acclaim in 1950, used the guide of science fiction to explore colonialism, nuclear war and the transformative power of one’s environment. The book sealed his reputation as a science-fiction writer, but Mr. Bradbury frequently eschewed the label. “People say, ‘Are you a fantasy writer?’ No,” Mr. Bradbury told the Charlotte Observer in 1997. “ ‘Are you a science-fiction writer?’ No. I’m a magician.” He explained: “Science fiction is the art of the possible, not the art of the impossible. As soon as you deal with things that can’t happen, you are writing fantasy.” Mr. Bradbury said “Fahrenheit 451,” based on a novella he called “The Fireman,” was his only work of science fiction. The 1953 book centers on Guy Montag, a fireman of the future charged with burning books. Montag joins a rogue group seeking to save the great writings of civilization through memorization. Mr. Bradbury said the story was inspired by the Nazi book bonfires of the 1930s that he saw in movie newsreels


Kentucky Bourbon Kentucky Bourbon I. Identification 1. The Issue Whiskey, which translates ï¿½water of life,ï¿½ was brought to the New world by Irish settlers in the 18th century. It was in the western parts of Virginia, which would later become Kentucky, that the derivative known as bourbon was first created in late 1700's. Today, Kentucky Bourbon has evolved into one of the most known and respected distilled spirits traded worldwide. From the procedures of fermentation to the aging process, such stringent rules govern production that the United States has pursued a policy of protecting the cultural and environmental distinctiveness of this product. One may ask why Kentucky, and not Texas, and to that any bourbon distiller would say, it's as much about the land and crops as it is about culture and style. 2. Description I. What is Bourbon? While there are many types of whiskey, from Scotland and Ireland, to Canada  and the US, bourbon is a special form created, distilled, and aged in the  eastern United States, mainly in the state of Kentucky. It is classified as a  distilled spirit made from a fermented mash, mainly consisting of corn, and  aged in white oak barrels for at least two years. The unique nature of bourbon  can be derived from the iron-free water used in the distillation process. Local distillers have used their resources to perfect a world class product with a distinct amber color, and natural flavor. Strict  standards and regulations govern production and ensure excellence, but the  bourbon story continues to be one of history and the pioneering spirit of  early American colonies. For one thing, where did the name bourbon come from,  for these and other bourbon facts, continue now on the journey through  history, trade, and the environment. III. The History The American Colonies- In 1791, Alexander Hamilton imposed an excise tax on whiskey in western Pennsylvania. The farmers who lived on the frontier where mainly of Scottish and Irish descent and depended on whiskey as an important commodity produced from their excess corn and grain yields. They could transport the crops to Fort Pitt on the Ohio River (now Pittsburgh), but raids by Indians and the long distances between farms made whiskey production more practical. The new US government agreed and sent tax collectors to take their fair share, but settlers saw the situation as a mockery to the very principles of liberty and justice. They tarred and feathered the four tax collectors, and the Whiskey rebellion began in 1794. As a result, George Washington led an army of 13,700 men into Bedford, PA and quashed the rebellion. As a settlement, Washington offered incentives for pioneers to move southwest to the frontier of Virginia beyond the Allegheny mountains. However, in conjunction with this migration Thomas Jefferson offered sixty acres to his countrymen to "create a permanent structure and crops of native origin." [1] . This led to the foundation of Bourbon County in 1785, named after the French royal family (whose government helped the US defeat the British not long before). Bourbon was a rich agricultural area consisting of 34 modern day counties and around the turn of the nineteenth century, was on the main frontier of American westward expansion. Bourbon County, KY- Kentucky was admitted to the union in 1792 and as farming region, was heavily dependent on two exports, hemp and whiskey. Trade was conducted at that time by water, and the closest outlet for the Bourbon region was the Ohio River on Kentucky's northern border. The Ohio flowed to the Mississippi, and eventually to the port of New Orleans on the Gulf of Mexico. Upon the entrance of Kentucky into the union, Bourbon county was divided into smaller sub-regions, but economically speaking, products shipped from the area were still designated as coming from "Old Bourbon". Thus, whiskey shipped from the principal port of Limestone (now Maysville, KY) was designated "old bourbon whiskey" to refer to the origin of the product. After about 1840


Lodge | Define Lodge at Dictionary.com lodge noun 1. a small, makeshift or crude shelter or habitation, as of boughs, poles, skins, earth, or rough boards; cabin or hut. 2. a house used as a temporary residence, as in the hunting season. 3. a summer cottage. 4. a house or cottage, as in a park or on an estate, occupied by a gatekeeper, caretaker, gardener, or other employee. 5. a resort hotel, motel, or inn. 6. the main building of a camp, resort hotel, or the like. 7. the meeting place of a branch of certain fraternal organizations. 8. the members composing the branch: The lodge is planning a picnic. 9. 10. the Indians who live in such a dwelling or a family or unit of North American Indians. 11. the home of a college head at Cambridge University, England. 12. the den of an animal or group of animals, especially beavers. verb (used without object), lodged, lodging. 13. to have a habitation or quarters, especially temporarily, as in a hotel, motel, or inn: We lodged in a guest house. 14. to live in rented quarters in another's house: He lodged with a local family during his college days. 15. to be fixed, implanted, or caught in a place or position; come to rest; stick: The bullet lodged in his leg. verb (used with object), lodged, lodging. 16. to furnish with a habitation or quarters, especially temporarily; accommodate: Can you lodge us for the night? 17. to furnish with a room or rooms in one's house for payment; have as a lodger : a boardinghouse that lodges oil workers. 18. to serve as a residence, shelter, or dwelling for; shelter: The château will lodge the ambassador during his stay. 19. to put, store, or deposit, as in a place, for storage or keeping; stow: to lodge one's valuables in a hotel safe. 20. to bring or send into a particular place or position. 21. The spinal canal lodges and protects the spinal cord. 22. to vest (power, authority, etc.). 23. to put or bring (information, a complaint, etc.) before a court or other authority. 24. to beat down or lay flat, as vegetation in a storm: A sudden hail had lodged the crops. 25. to track (a deer) to its lair. Origin of lodge


Who was the female lead in the various 'Road to ' films?

Road Films Road Films Part 1 | Examples Road Films: Road films have been a staple of American films from the very     start, and have ranged in genres from westerns , comedies , gangster/crime      films , dramas , and action - adventure films. One thing they all have in common: an episodic journey or quest on     the open road (or undiscovered trail), to search for escape (for example,     while on the lam during a crime spree) or to engage in a quest for some kind     of goal -- either a distinct destination, or the attainment of love, freedom,     mobility, redemption, the finding or rediscovering of onself, or coming-of-age     (psychologically or spiritually). The road often functioned as a testing ground     or proving ground for the main character(s). Most     road pictures feature movement from East to West -- rather than the reverse,     and often cross or mention the famed highway Route 66 (made popular by the     early 60s TV series of the same name starring Martin Milner and George Maharis).     See also this site's description of Greatest      Classic Chase Scenes including many films featuring road-related auto     races. Males dominate as the heroic (or anti-heroic)     protagonists, with some exceptions (i.e., The Great Texas Dynamite     Chase (1976) with Claudia Jennings and Jocelyn Jones as sexy bankrobbers,     Herbert Ross' feminist 'road movie' Boys on the Side (1995),     Ridley Scott's Thelma & Louise (1991), and Joseph Sargent's Coast to Coast      (1980) with Dyan Cannon), although female characters often accompany      the male during his trip. Road pictures had their heyday in the 1970s, when the traditional     western declined in popularity. Many sub-categories of road films have existed:     racing or chase films, biker flicks, trucker films, buddy films, road warrior     films, and lovers/outlaws on the run films. Lovers-On-The Run Road Films: Fugitive couples (often lovers and/or killers) fleeing from     the law have been found in numerous road films, including: Fritz Lang's film noir and second American film, You Only      Live Once (1937) with Henry Fonda (as an ex-con truck driver) and Sylvia      Sidney both on the lam as a doomed husband and wife the FBI crime drama Persons in Hiding      (1939), based on FBI head J. Edgar Hoover's nonfiction       best-selling novel with Broadway star Patricia Morison in her film debut       (as pretty seductress Dorothy Bronson) and J. Carrol Naish (as small-time       hood Freddie "Gunner" Martin) on the run as criminals following       gas station holdups, bank robberies, and a kidnapping writer/director       Nicholas Ray's first feature film, the poignant noir They Live       by Night (1949), based on the novel Thieves Like Us by       Edward Anderson, with Farley Granger as fugitive Bowie and Cathy       O'Donnell as his romantic partner Keechie - both doomed and pursued       lovers the ultimate B-picture, Joseph H. Lewis' Gun      Crazy (1949) with John Dall (as Bart Tare) and Peggy Cummins (as      Annie Laurie Starr), both firearms-obsessed sharpshooters on a fateful crime      spree the exploitative, low-budget thriller The Sadist (1963) (aka Profile of Terror), in which demented, homicidal sadist Charlie      Tibbs (Arch Hall, Jr.) held innocent victims captive with his crazy girlfriend      Doris Page (Helen Hovey) Arthur Penn's Depression-era road-gangster film Bonnie      and Clyde (1967) began in West Dallas, Texas, where Bonnie Parker      (Faye Dunaway) fatefully met Clyde Barrow (producer/star Warren Beatty)      and the couple began a bank-robbing spree that ended in their bloody ambush      deaths in Gibsland, Louisiana Sam Peckinpah's violent The Getaway (1972), based      on Jim Thompson's 1959 pulp novel, starring Steve McQueen (as safecracker      Doc McCoy)


Who was the Roman prefect of Judea from about 26-36 AD?

Biblical Archaeology 40: The Pilate Stone | Theo-sophical Ruminations Theo-sophical Ruminations A collage of theological and philosophical musings September 20, 2011 Biblical Archaeology 40: The Pilate Stone Posted by Theosophical Ruminator under Archaeology Leave a Comment   This slideshow requires JavaScript. Pilate was the Roman Prefect over Judea from AD 26-36.  All four gospels record his involvement with the trial of Jesus, and his authorization to crucify Jesus.  The Bible, however, is not the only literary source for information about Pilate.  He is also attested to in the works of three men who lived in the first-century AD: Tacitus (Roman senator and historian, AD 56-117), Josephus (Jewish historian, AD 37-100), and Philo (Jewish philosopher and theologian, 20 BC – AD 50).  Tacitus writes: To dispel the rumor, Nero substituted as culprits, and treated with the most extreme punishments, some people, popularly known as Christians, whose disgraceful activities were notorious. The originator of that name, Christus, had been executed when Tiberius was emperor, by order of the procurator Pontius Pilatus. But the deadly cult, though checked for a time, was now breaking out again not only in Judea, the birthplace of this evil, but even throughout Rome, where all the nasty and disgusting ideas from all over the world pour in and find a ready following. Josephus writes: About this time there lived Jesus, a wise man, for he was a performer of wonderful deeds, a teacher of such men as are happy to accept the truth. He won over many of the Jews and many of the Gentiles. When Pilate, at the suggestion of the leading men among us, had condemned him to the cross, those who had loved him at the first did not forsake him; and the tribe of Christians, so named from him, are not extinct to this day. Philo described Pilate as “a man of inflexible, stubborn and cruel disposition.”  But there was no archaeological evidence of Pilate’s existence until archaeologists discovered a slab of rock with his name on it in a theater in Caesarea in 1961.  It reads in Latin: DI]S TIBERIUM …PRAEF]ECTUS IVDA[EA]E [FECIT D]E[DICAVIT] To the honorable gods (this) Tiberium Pontius Pilate, Prefect of Judea, had dedicated A Tiberium was a temple used in the worship of Tiberius Caesar.  Apparently Pilate had dedicated such a temple, and an inscription was made in the temple walls (or attached to the temple) to commemorate the event. Tiberius Caesar reigned from AD 14-37, so the inscription must have been created during that time.  This fits the time-frame of the governorship of the Biblical Pilate. There are two good reasons to think this stone refers to the Biblical Pilate.  First, we only know of one man named Pilate who governed Judea, particularly during the reign of Tiberius.  Secondly, the title ascribed to this Pilate is “prefect.”  This is interesting because the title Tacitus gave to Pilate was “procurator.”  We now know, however, that governors in Judea were called “prefect” during the time Herod Agrippa I was declared king of Judea: AD 6-44.  After Agrippa’s death in AD 44 Judea reverted back to direct Roman rule, and the governors began being called “procurators.”  Either Titus was unaware of this change in title, or he was intentionally speaking anachronistically for the benefit of his readers who may not be familiar with the pre-44 title.  Either way, the fact that “prefect” appears on the Pilate Stone allows us to date this Pilate to AD 6-44, which fits precisely with the dating of the Biblical Pilate, as well as the extra-biblical information we have concerning Pilate’s rule. Significance: This find provides archaeological confirmation of the existence of Pilate. The Pilate Stone is currently housed in The Israel Museum. Rate this:


In 2014 who was accused of killing his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp in South Africa?

Oscar Pistorius goes on trial for murder of Reeva Steenkamp - as it happened | World news | The Guardian Reeva Steenkamp shooting Oscar Pistorius goes on trial for murder of Reeva Steenkamp - as it happened Trial begins of South African Paralympian for murder of girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp at his home in Pretoria on Valentine’s Day last year Monday 3 March 2014 09.21 EST First published on Monday 3 March 2014 03.04 EST 1.59pm GMT Summary • A witness has told the trial of Oscar Pistorius that she heard “bloodcurdling screams” on the night the Paralympian shot his girlfriend dead. • The witness, Michelle Burger, told the court she heard two people - a man and a woman - shouting, adding: “The fear in that woman’s voice; you only fear like that if your life is threatened.” • Burger said she heard four gunshots on the night in question. • Pistorius has pleaded not guilty to the murder and to firearms charges, telling the court he denies the allegations of murder “in the strongest terms” and believed an intruder had broken into his house and was in his bathroom when he fired. • Pistorius says he approached the bathroom with a gun in an effort to protect Steenkamp and has accused the prosecution of once again using “unsubstantiated allegations” to argue that he murdered Steenkamp. • The Paralympian has also accused the prosecution of trying to use inadmissible evidence for the “assassination of my character” and said that suggestions he deliberately killed Steenkamp “could not be further from the truth”. Updated 11.24am GMT Summary The trial of Oscar Pistorius for the murder last year of his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp, began in Pretoria this morning. • Pistorius has pleaded not guilty to the murder and to firearms charges, telling the court that he denies the allegations of murder “in the strongest terms” and he believed an intruder had broken into his house and was in the bathroom. • Pistorius says he approached the bathroom with a gun in an effort to protect Steenkamp, and he accused the prosecution of once again using “unsubstantiated allegations” to argue that he murdered Steenkamp. • The Paralympian also accused the prosecution of trying to use inadmissible evidence for the “assassination of my character” and said that suggestions he deliberately killed Steenkamp “could not be further from the truth”. • The first witness, a neighbour of Pistorius, has told the trial that she and her husband were woken on the night in question by “blood-curdling” screams and then heard four gunshots. Updated Here is a more detailed account of the morning’s proceedings from the Press Association. Prosecutor Gerrie Nel told the court: They were the only two people in the house. There were no eyewitnesses. The state’s case is based on circumstantial evidence. He said evidence included what neighbours had heard, and prosecutors would argue that “a certain inference” could be drawn from the scene. We argue that the accused’s version in the bail application and today could not reasonably possibly be true; should be rejected … The only inference from the circumstantial evidence would be that the accused shot and killed the deceased. The first witness, Michell Burger, who lived in the Silver Stream Estate, which neighbours Pistorius’s Silverwoods Estate, described waking up at around 3am to a woman’s “terrible screams”. Speaking through an interpreter, she said: We woke up from the screams. My husband jumped up and went to the balcony. I was still sitting in the bed and I heard her screams. She said she also heard a man screaming for help, adding: “Three times he yelled for help.” Burger said she called security and expected them to call security at the Silverwoods Estate. She added: I heard her screams again, it was worse, it was more intense. Just after her screams, I heard four shots, it was four gunshots that I heard. Updated March 3, 2014 10.42am GMT Burger says she woke up the next morning thinking that their neighbours had suffered a break-in. She did not realise what had taken place and asked a friend if she knew what had happened after the


The Plantagenets - Timeline of the Kings and Queens of England British life and culture - England, Scotland and Wales Timeline of the Kings and Queens of England   The Plantagenets 1154 - 1399 The Plantagenets were a huge powerful family not just in England but throughout Europe. The first Plantagenet was King Henry 2nd whose father owned vast  lands in Anjou an area as big as Normandy around the modern town of Tours.  Henry’s wife Eleanor ruled the even larger territory to the south called  Aquitaine. Plantagenet Kings were thus the richest family in Europe and ruled  England and half of France. Their name came from planta genista, the Latin for yellow broom flower, which the Counts of Anjou wore as an emblem on their helmets. This dynasty is normally subdivided into three parts. 1154-1216 - The first Plantagenet kings were the Angevins 1216-1399 - The Plantagenets 1399-1485 - The Houses of Lancaster and of York . Normally separated from main stream Plantagenets because they are considered the first truly English rather than French Kings. Altogether the House of Plantagents ruled for 331 years (includes The Houses of Lancaster and of York ). Angevins King Henry II 1154 - 1189 King Richard I the Lionheart 1189 - 1199 King John 1 1199 - 1216 Angevins King Henry II 1154 - 1189 Henry II, the first 'Plantagenet' king, accedes to the throne. He was not only king of England, but also ruled over most of Wales, Normandy, Anjou, Gascony and other parts of France (acquired through his marriage to Eleanor of Aquitaine). Age 21-56 Born: 5 March 1133 at Le Mans, France Parents: Geoffrey, Count  of Anjou, and Empress Matilda Ascended to the throne: 25 October 1154 aged 21 years Crowned: 19 December 1154 at  Westminster Abbey Married: Eleanor of Aquitaine, Daughter of William  X, Duke of Aquitaine Children: Five sons including Richard I and John,  three daughters and several illegitimate children Died: 6 July 1189  at Chinon Castle, Anjou, France aged 56 years Buried at: Fontevraud, France Succeeded by: his son Richard Came to the throne at just 21. He ruled for thirty-four years, but spent only fourteen of them in England. Henry owed his Kingship of England to his Norman mother Matilda, daughter of Henry 1st and his vast lands to his father Count of Anjou and his wife Eleanor,  Duchess of Aquitaine and Countess of Poitou. Thomas Becket was Henry II's Chancellor before the king made him Archbishop of Canterbury, even though he had never been a priest. Henry is mostly remembered for his quarrel with Thomas Becket, and Becket's subsequent murder in Canterbury Cathedral on 29th December 1170. Becket was slaughtered in the cathedral by four knights  acting on the rash words of the king, who is said to have proclaimed in a fit of  temper: "Will no one rid me of this turbulent priest?" Henry was devastated and ordered himself to be lashed hundreds of times as  penance.  Henry spent at least £6,440 throughout the 1180s – more than a  quarter of his average annual income – building and furnishing the impressive  keep at Dover Castle in Kent. The great tower is thought to have been  constructed as a show of wealth and power to 'impress' foreign pilgrims and  dignitaries on their way to the shrine of Thomas Becket. Henry's eldest son, also called Henry, died before his father so in 1189 his second son, Richard, succeeded to the throne. Henry introduced trial by Jury for the first time. He also set up civil courts in each county shire. Henry brought the church under the rules of the civil courts. (His arguments  with Beckett.) Prior to this, backed by the Pope, the Church was literally  getting away with murder. Henry introduced the law that no man can be tried for the same offence twice. King Richard I the Lionheart 1189 - 1199 Richard was later nicknamed 'Lionheart' for his bravery in battle. The crusades and the state of his French territories preoccupied Richard, such that he spent less than a year of his 10-year reign in England. Age 31 - 42 Born: 6 September 1157 at Beaumont Place, Oxford Parents: Henry II and Eleano


What song about the Highland Clearances was performed by the Proclaimers in 1987?

The Proclaimers - Letter From America Lyrics | SongMeanings The Proclaimers Letter From America is found on the album The Best Of... . Found on more albums: When you go will you send back a letter from America? Take a look up the rail track from Miami to Canada Well broke off from my work the other day Spent the evening thinking about all the blood that flowed away Across the ocean to the second chance I wonder how it go on when it reached the promised land When you go will send back a letter from America? Take a look up the rail track from Miami to Canada I've looked at the ocean tried hard to imagine The way you felt the day you sailed from Wester Ross to Nova Scotia We should have held you, we should have told you But you know our sense of timing we always wait too long When you go will you send back a letter from America? Take a look up the rail track from Miami to Canada Lochaber no more, Sutherland no more Lewis no more, Skye no more Lochaber no more, Sutherland no more Lewis no more, Skye no more Lochaber no more, Sutherland no more Lewis no more, Skye no more I wonder my blood will you ever return To help us kick the life back to a dying mutual friend? Do we not love her I think we all tell you about Do we have to roam the world to prove how much it hurts? When you go will you send back a letter from America? Take a look up the rail track from Miami to Canada Bathgate no more, Linwood no more Methil no more, Irvine no more Bathgate no more, Linwood no more Methil no more, Irvine no more Bathgate no more, Linwood no more Methil no more, Irvine no more Bathgate no more, Linwood no more Methil no more, Lochaber no more


In 2013 the Reverend Paul Flowers was implicated in sex, drugs and drinking scandals. Of which bank was he chairman?

Former Co-op bank boss bailed - ITV News 22 November 2013 at 6:23am Former Co-op bank boss bailed Reverend Paul Flowers has been released by police on bail, ITV News understands, after he was arrested as part of a drug supply investigation. Co-op chief admits damage done to bank 'not good' The damage done at the Co-operative Bank is "not good" for the wider co-op movement, the leader of its political branch as acknowledged. Co-operative Party chair Gareth Thomas, a Labour frontbencher, said problems at the bank had to be sorted out but insisted the wider movement was doing well despite a series of scandals around former Co-op Bank chairman Paul Flowers. A general view of a Co-operative Bank branch Credit: Rui Vieira/PA Wire Mr Thomas told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "I was not aware of what happened in Bradford or some of the other disclosures that have come out. "He has been suspended by both the Labour Party, and indeed by the Co-op Party, and I believe that's the right thing that's been done both by Ed Miliband and by the decision that we've taken ourselves." Flowers allegations may 'tarnish' church's reputation The assistant secretary of the Methodist Conference, the Rev Gareth Powell, acknowledged the risk that allegations against former Co-op Bank chairman Paul Flowers would "tarnish" the church's reputation. Powell told the BBC: "I think inevitably some of the speculation has raised questions, as it always does for the church, about the trustworthiness of ministers. Former Co-operative Bank chairman Rev Paul Flowers. Credit: PA/PA Wire "Inevitably, it's regrettable when the allegations made against one minister then tarnishes the extremely good and honourable work undertaken by all of our ministers. "Certainly the actions that are now under public scrutiny inevitably raise a question about the role of the church."


Which footballer was fined for giving 'the quenelle', known as the reverse Nazi salute, during a match at West Ham?

Tony Parker apologises for giving controversial 'quenelle' salute | Sport | The Guardian Tony Parker apologises for giving controversial 'quenelle' salute • NBA star pictured with French comic Dieudonné • Simon Wiesenthal Center wants further statement Tony Parker pictured with the French comedian Dieudonné. Photograph: Twitter Monday 30 December 2013 15.11 EST Last modified on Friday 11 November 2016 09.41 EST Close This article is 3 years old The San Antonio Spurs point guard Tony Parker has apologised after being photographed giving a salute considered to be antisemitic. In his apology, he said the photograph had been taken three years ago, and added that he had not known at the time that the gesture could be “in any way offensive or harmful”. The French NBA star was pictured giving the “quenelle”, which has been described as a “reverse Nazi salute”, with its originator, the French comedian Dieudonné M'bala M'bala. Dieudonné, a controversial figure whose film The Anti-Semite was banned from the 2012 Cannes festival, maintains that it is intended as an anti-establishment gesture.  French authorities  are currently considering banning performances by Dieudonné . French soccer star Nicolas Anelka, a friend of Dieudonné, provoked a furious reaction in France after he used the quenelle gesture in a Premier League match on Saturday. On Monday, a Jewish human rights organisation,  the Simon Wiesenthal Center , included Parker's gesture in its list of the Top Ten Anti-Semitic/Anti-Israel Slurs of 2013, and issued a statement calling for an apology.  Parker subsequently released a statement which said : “While this gesture has been part of French culture for many years, it was not until recently that I learned of the very negative concerns associated with it. When l was photographed making that gesture three years ago, I thought it was part of a comedy act and did not know that it could be in any way offensive or harmful. Since I have been made aware of the seriousness of this gesture, I will certainly never repeat the gesture and sincerely apologize for any misunderstanding or harm relating to my actions. Hopefully this incident will serve to educate others that we need to be more aware that things that may seem innocuous can actually have a history of hate and hurt.” Rabbi Abraham Cooper, associate dean of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, responded: “The Simon Wiesenthal Center takes Mr Parker at his word. There is, however, one more crucial step that he needs to take: a statement in French to reassure 600,000 French Jews and the multitude of his young fans in France that he disassociates himself from the quenelle salute and everything it stands for.” Tony Parker in action against LeBron James of the Miami Heat, in Game Two of the 2013 NBA Finals. Photograph: Brendan SmialowskiAFP/Getty Images Anelka made the salute after scoring a goal during a 3-3 draw between West Bromwich Albion and West Ham United on Saturday. The striker,  who faces a five-game ban on anti-discriminatory grounds , said he had performed the salute in tribute to Dieudonné. However, on Monday, Anelka said he would not make the salute again, and used Twitter to say: “(The) meaning of quenelle: anti-system. I do not know what the word 'religion' has to do with this story! This is a dedication to Dieudonné.” Anelka's salute prompted condemnation across French society. The minister for sport, Valérie Fourneyron, called it “shocking and sickening”. On Twitter, Anelka continued: “With regard to the ministers who give their own interpretations of my quenelle, they are the ones that create confusion and controversy without knowing what it really means, this gesture.” Two other Premier League footballers, the Manchester City midfielder Samir Nasri and the Liverpool defender Mamadou Sakho, have been photographed performing the quenelle. Dieudonné M'Bala M'Bala vows to contest ban after interior minister Manuel Valls urges regional officials to block show Published: 6 Jan 2014 Nicolas Anelka has agreed not to perform his controversial quenelle goal celebration again, ac


Spyglass Hill, Skeleton Island, White Rock and Haulbowline Head all feature in which literary location?

Treasure Island - 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 Top rankings for Treasure Island 59th For other uses, see Treasure Island (disambiguation) . Treasure Island   London: Cassell and Company (Now part of Orion Publishing Group ) Publication date 1883 Treasure Island is an adventure novel by Robert Louis Stevenson , narrating a tale of "pirates and buried gold". First published as a book in 1883, it was originally serialized in the children's magazine Young Folks between 1881-82 under the title The Sea Cook, or Treasure Island. Traditionally considered a coming-of-age story , it is an adventure tale known for its atmosphere, character and action, and also a wry commentary on the ambiguity of morality—as seen in Long John Silver —unusual for children's literature then and now. It is one of the most frequently dramatised of all novels. The influence of Treasure Island on popular perception of pirates is vast, including treasure maps with an "X", schooners , the Black Spot , tropical islands , and one-legged seamen with parrots on their shoulders . Contents 8 External links History Stevenson was 30 years old when he started to write Treasure Island, and it would be his first success as a novelist. The first fifteen chapters were written at Braemar in the Scottish Highlands in 1881. It was a cold and rainy late-summer and Stevenson was with five family members on holiday in a cottage. Young Lloyd Osbourne , Stevenson's stepson, passed the rainy days painting with watercolours. [1] [2] Remembering the time, Lloyd wrote: “ ... busy with a box of paints I happened to be tinting a map of an island I had drawn. Stevenson came in as I was finishing it, and with his affectionate interest in everything I was doing, leaned over my shoulder, and was soon elaborating the map and naming it. I shall never forget the thrill of Skeleton Island, Spyglass Hill, nor the heart-stirring climax of the three red crosses! And the greater climax still when he wrote down the words "Treasure Island" at the top right-hand corner! And he seemed to know so much about it too — the pirates, the buried treasure, the man who had been marooned on the island ... . "Oh, for a story about it", I exclaimed, in a heaven of enchantment ... . [3] ” Within three days of drawing the map for Lloyd, Stevenson had written the first three chapters, reading each aloud to his family who added suggestions. Lloyd insisted there be no women in the story which was largely held to with the exception of Jim Hawkins ' mother at the beginning of the book. Stevenson's father took a child-like delight in the story and spent a day writing out the exact contents of Billy Bones 's sea-chest, which Stevenson adopted word-for-word; and his father suggested the scene where Jim Hawkins hides in the apple barrel. Two weeks later a friend, Dr. Alexander Japp, brought the early chapters to the editor of Young Folks magazine who agreed to publish each chapter weekly. Stevenson wrote at the rate of a chapter a day for fifteen days straight, then ran dry of words, partly due to his health. He had never earned his keep by age thirty-one, and was desperate to finish the book. He turned to the proofs, corrected them, took morning walks alone, and read other novels. As autumn came to Scotland , the Stevensons left their summer holiday retreat for London, and Stevenson was troubled with a life-long chronic bronchial condition. Concerned about a deadline they travelled in October to Davos , Switzerland where the break from work and clean mountain air did him wonders, and he was able to continue at the rate of a chapter a day and soon finished the storyline. Map created by Robert Louis Stevenson During its initial run in Young Folks from October 1881 to January 1882, Treasure Island failed to attract attention or even increase the sales of the magazine, but when sold as a book in 1883 i


Which Liverpool film maker made 'Of Time And The City' and 'Deep Blue Sea'?

Terence Davies - IMDb IMDb Terence Davies was born on November 10, 1945 in Liverpool, England. He is a director and writer, known for The House of Mirth (2000), The Deep Blue Sea (2011) and Distant Voices, Still Lives (1988). See full bio » Born:


What nickname was given to Sir Henry Percy who was killed in the rebellion of 1403 against Henry IV?

Hotspur | Define Hotspur at Dictionary.com hotspur an impetuous or reckless person; a hothead. Origin of hotspur late Middle English 1425-1475 1425-75; late Middle English; after Sir Henry Percy, to whom it was applied as a nickname Related forms Sir Henry ("Hotspur") 1364–1403, English military and rebel leader. 2. Thomas, 1729–1811, English poet and antiquary: bishop of Dromore 1782–1811. 3. Walker, 1916–90, U.S. essayist and novelist. 4. a male given name, form of Percival . Dictionary.com Unabridged Examples from the Web for hotspur Expand Contemporary Examples hotspur: Why, so can I, or so can any man; But will they come when you do call for them? A Duet Arthur Conan Doyle "I tell you, Captain hotspur, that you're not to go," she said to him. hotspur himself was killed, and among the slain were 'the most part of the knights and squires of the county of Chester'. Cheshire Charles E. Kelsey She of course had known,—had felt as keenly as he had felt, for was she not a hotspur? Grace Darling Eva Hope Was this Annixter who spoke—the hotspur of the League, the quarrelsome, irascible fellow who loved and sought a quarrel? British Dictionary definitions for hotspur Expand an impetuous or fiery person Word Origin C15: from Hotspur, nickname of Sir Henry Percy Hotspur Harry Hotspur, the nickname of Sir Henry Percy See Percy Percy noun 1. Sir Henry, known as Harry Hotspur. 1364–1403, English rebel, who was killed leading an army against Henry IV 2. Thomas. 1729–1811, English bishop and antiquary. His Reliques of Ancient English Poetry (1765) stimulated the interest of Romantic writers in old English and Scottish ballads Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012


The Hedge Sparrow is commonly known by what one-word name?

Sparrows (House Sparrow) General: Though     probably the most often seen of British birds, sparrows are not the most     numerous but are outnumbered by chaffinches and blackbirds. Sparrows appear     numerous because they live in close proximity to man, building untidy     nests not only in holes, in thatch and in hedges, but also in loading     bay canopies, superstores and in fact anywhere that that will give them     an easy food source. There     are only two varieties of sparrow that live in this country: 1.The House     Sparrow 2. The Tree Sparrow. The bird which is commonly known as the Hedge     Sparrow is in fact The Dunnock Prunella modularis and not     a sparrow at all, though it is similar (see picture below). So     pest controllers beware as the Dunnock is a protected species, actually     the main give-away is the pointed beak, the sparrow's is more triangular,     the Dunnock has a more Robin shape and attitude. House     Sparrow: The     cock house sparrow is an attractive bird with a rusty back, black bib     and grey crown and cheek patches. The hen bird is more of a dull brown     all over, smaller than the male (see pictures above), and is very similar     to the juvenile house sparrow (see picture below). Biology: Passer montanus (The Tree Sparrow) The Tree Sparrow differs from the House     Sparrow in having a much smaller bib and a bright chocolate brown cap.     There is also a noticeable black patch on the white cheek with the back     being streaky orange-brown and the bird is slightly smaller and slimmer.     The cock and hen birds are alike. Biology: Size: About       5.5 inches in length. Habitat: As its name implies it is a bird of the country frequenting woodland       and well-treed farmland, and unlike the House Sparrow, avoids the       dwellings of man. Nest: Usually in a hole in a tree, quarry or old wall, in a colony with       others. The materials are similar to those of the House Sparrow...an       untidy collection of straw and feathers. Eggs: The Tree Sparrow lays between 4-6 eggs which are brownish, speckled       and blotched all over. The eggs are laid April-June and can have 2-3       broods. Hatch       Time: This is similar to the House Sparrow. Food: Insects and weed seed, this species causes little damage to crops.


Brackley, Old Sarum, Dunwich and Ansmither were examples of what that lost their status in 1832 (in the 1832 reform act)?

I. The Constituencies | History of Parliament Online History of Parliament Online I. The Constituencies Published in The History of Parliament: the House of Commons 1754-1790, ed. L. Namier, J. Brooke., 1964 Available from Boydell and Brewer Between 1754 and I790 the House of Commons consisted of 558 Members, elected by 314 constituencies. The 245 English constituencies (40 counties, 203 boroughs, 2 universities) returned 489 Members; the 24 Welsh constituencies and 45 Scottish constituencies returned one Member each. 1   THE ENGLISH COUNTIES Each of the 40 English counties returned two Members to Parliament, and the voting qualification in all counties was the same: the possession of freehold property valued for the land tax at 40 shillings per annum (the 40s. freehold). For electoral purposes the term 40s. freehold was widely interpreted: it included leases for lives; annuities, rent charges, and mortgages based on freehold property; ecclesiastical benefices; and appointments in Government service. The number of electors varied from county to county, and owing to the infrequency of polls at elections during this period only approximate estimates can be given. Yorkshire had the largest county electorate (and the largest electorate in the country) with about 20,000 voters; next came Kent, Lancashire, and Somerset, with about 8,000 each; and nine counties had between 5,000 and 6,000 (Cheshire, Essex, Gloucestershire, Hampshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Norfolk, Staffordshire, and Suffolk). Most of the English counties had electorates between 3,000 and 4,000. At the bottom of the scale were Bedfordshire, Huntingdonshire, Northumberland, and Westmorland, with about 2,000 voters each; Monmouth with 1,500; and Rutland with about 800. The county electors were the landed classes; they were, in theory, the independent gentlemen of England, supposedly men of property and substance, able to choose their representatives freely. But the practice of the constitution, in this as in other matters, did not match the theory. Many of the freeholders were also tenants, renting land from a large landowner, or were under other obligations to him; many had little political consciousness, or their political horizons did not extend beyond local affairs. The larger landowners, the peers and the country gentlemen, were the acknowledged leaders both of county society and of county politics. Electioneers and politicians always assumed that tenants would vote in accordance with the wish of their landlords, and measured a landowner’s parliamentary interest in a county by the number of his tenants and the extent of his acreage. Interest, by this reckoning, meant first and foremost the possession of landed property. It would be more correct to say, however, that property was a foundation on which a parliamentary interest could be built. The relationship between the landlord and his tenants was much more than a material one: the assumption that tenants voted as their landlord wished from fear of being dispossessed is a caricature of the real state of affairs. Landed property, after all, was primarily a source of income, and any large-scale dispossession for political reasons would have hurt the landlord as much as the tenants. Even Sir James Lowther, ‘the tyrant of the north’, would not go to this extreme: when he was thwarted by his tenants at Whitehaven in 1780 he threatened to stop their supply of coal, but he drew the line at evicting them. The gentry were the leaders of the county, not its masters; they expressed their wishes to their tenants, not their orders; and the tenants’ vote, when used agreeably to the landlord, was a tribute of respect, not an acknowledgement of dependence. It was always possible to rouse the freeholders with the cry that their independence was in danger, as is shown by these lines from an election song current in Somerset in 1768: Rich bullies denied And would fain set aside Our right our own Members to choose; They theaten us too What mischief they’ll do Should we their directions refuse. Some landlords, such as the


Which snooker player was a torch bearer in the 1968 Melbourne Olympics?

Snooker champion Charlton dies - Sport - www.theage.com.au network map | member centre        Snooker champion Charlton dies Eddie Charlton competes in the 1972 International Professional Snooker Championship at the Marrickville RSL Club. Photo: Geoffrey Bul Australia's greatest snooker player Eddie Charlton died in New Zealand today, eight days after his 75th birthday. Charlton became ill shortly after arriving across the Tasman on a promotional and exhibition visit last Friday. He was admitted to Palmerston North Hospital yesterday and died in intensive care today, a hospital spokesman said. He had been suffering from a tumour in the bile duct for some time and died of a cardiac arrest. "Eddie was still actively playing the game he had loved for so long right to the end," said friend and colleague Ian Anderson, president of the World Pool Association. Charlton, who learned to play the game as a child in his grandfather's snooker parlour in the Hunter Valley coal town of Swansea, was Australian professional champion 20 times. He won the world matchplay title and the World Open, and was ranked in the top three in the world for several years. But he never won the world championship, losing the final three times, to John Pullman in 1968 and to Ray Reardon in 1973 and 1975. He also reached the final of the world billiards championship three times, in 1974, 1976 and 1984. "Steady Eddie" was best known for his appearances on the British television program Pot Black, where his poker face and down-to-earth Australian humour helped win the program and the game a cult following. He had many great battles with contemporaries like Reardon, John Spencer and Alex "Hurricane" Higgins. "In his prime he was always in the top three players in the world, and it was a toss-up whether Reardon, Spencer or Eddie was the best," Anderson said. Charlton loved his time on Pot Black, which he credited with spreading the game worldwide. "It had a big influence, particularly on young people. I started to notice school boys and girls playing in different places," Charlton said in an ABC TV interview earlier this year. "There were so many countries that were taking Pot Black. It's a shame that it ever stopped, because it was one of the top sports programs." Charlton grew up in the Hunter Valley and worked in the coal mines for 15 years before becoming a professional snooker player in 1963. He was a good all-round sportsman, and was in the Swansea crew which won the Australian surf boat title. He also carried the torch before the 1956 Melbourne Olympics. He was a useful tennis, cricket and soccer player and a talented amateur boxer who once went a few rounds with world champion Dave Sands to raise money for his surf club. He and Sands came from the same part of the world, and became friendly travelling home on the train from Sydney together. Members at Sydney Tattersalls club, where Charlton had been a member for 30 years, were saddened to learn of his death today. "He's been once of the great champions in his field - an Australian icon," said club treasurer Denis Pidcock. "He was always very generous in helping the members with their games, and he'll be very sorely missed." Charlton was married twice, to Gloria and Robyn, and is survived by five children and eight grandchildren. He was made a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in 1980 and won an Australian Sports Medal in 2001. - AAP


Which 'earworm' No. 1 song featured in the film 'Despicable Me 2'?

Got a Song Stuck in Your Head? | TIME For Kids Got a Song Stuck in Your Head? Catchy songs, like "Let It Go," are known as “earworms” for a reason April 03, 2014 DISNEY/AP Elsa the Snow Queen sings her heart out in the animated feature Frozen. Let It Go! Let It Go!  But, you can’t let it go . . . from your head. If you’re like half the people on Earth, the song “Let It Go” has been playing on repeat in your mind since you either saw Frozen, or walked into any public place that has a radio on. The Disney version, on YouTube, has been streamed more than 166 million times. It was a lovely song the first time. Even the 20th time. But the 200th? Before you ask: No, pounding your head on your desk will not remove the song from your brain. But there is hope—because science is on the case. Sticky Songs The use of the word “infectious” comes to mind with a song like this. That’s because the way the song spreads is similar to the way the flu gets around. Think a flu can get passed around easily at school or in a movie theater? What about a song blasting from a movie screen? You can even pick it up person to person, on the street, passing someone who is humming the catchy tune. It’s a musical version of an uncovered sneeze. The Germans call these songs ohrwurms. We translate that to earworms. What makes these songs stick, and how can you get them unstuck? JOHN SHEARER—INVISION/AP Idina Menzel, the voice of Elsa in Frozen, performs on stage during the 2014 Oscars. First of all, not every song can become an earworm. Usually, it’s the simple, repetitive songs that have auditory stickiness, U.K. musicologist Vicky Williamson told NPR in a 2012 interview. In the same way parents of babies and toddlers pick up colds from their children, they can also pick up songs from Raffi and Barney and The Wiggles. “I get many parents who have listened to too many children’s introduction songs or learning songs,” Williamson said. “They heard them 30, 40, 50, 100 times and they’re stuck as a result.” Commercial jingles, of course, are designed to be contagious. Their makers want people to remember the product they’re trying to sell. And the part of the brain targeted by a jingle or an earworm is the one that controls short-term memory, says psychologist James Kellaris of the University of Cincinnati. But if you think the “short” part of short-term offers hope to get rid of the worm, forget it. Some songs weaken the brain’s ability to erase.  Each repetition of the tune only makes the problem worse—the way that scratching a rash just makes it itch more. Experts are using magnetic science to study more closely just what goes on in the song-infected brain. And the British Academy and the BBC have now launched an interactive website called The Earwormery. It asks you to take a survey that helps with earworm research. Get It Out! As for what you can do today? Listening to another song is known to help, but you might just replace the old worm with a new one. Keeping busy with work, exercise or even a crossword puzzle tends to distract the brain and help silence the tune, but you can’t run forever. And not that you would want to feel sad on purpose, but good moods tend to lead to earworms more than bad moods. One scientist even suggests chewing gum, since the rhythm of the chew can interrupt the song. The good thing is, nearly all earworms do eventually fade, so patience helps. If you’re stuck with a song from Frozen however, whatever you do, don’t start thinking about other kids’ movies, like Despicable Me 2, with other catchy songs like Pharrell Williams’ “Happy.” When that song gets stuck in your head it’s . . . well, never mind. It’s too late. TFK Footer Primary


In 1956 which scientific concept was demonstrated in Magdeburg by Otto von Guericke?

Magdeburg Hemispheres - Stock Image C004/7347 - Science Photo Library Credit: GIPHOTOSTOCK/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY Caption: The Magdeburg hemispheres were invented in 1650 by Otto von Guericke, a scientist and the mayor of Magdeburg. He used them to demonstrate the concept of air pressure. When two hemispheres were placed together and the air was pumped out from the space between them, 16-30 horses could not separate them. This spectacular experiment was demonstrated to the astonished audiences on several occasions. Photographed here is a replica of the Magdeburg hemispheres on display at the Deutsches Museum, Munich, Germany. Release details: Model release not required. Property release not required.


The Amalfi Coast is in which Italian region?

VisitsItaly.com - Welcome to the Amalfi Coast and the region of Campania Map: Campania The region of Campania on the south-west coast of Italy                 is home to one of the world's most famous and                 most beautiful coastlines - the Amalfi Coast . This spectacular area draws                 hundreds of thousands of visitors                 each year to enjoy the mildness of the climate, the exotic                 vegetation of palms, lemon and orange trees and                 the remarkable sandstone cliffs which plunge dramatically into the turquoise Mediterranean sea.   It is on these cliffs,                 where man has constructed one of the most magnificent                 road systems in the world, driving over which will have you                 bracing yourself for the next fabulous view at                 every corner.  Campania is not only famous for what is probably                 the most romantic coastline in the world, but                 also for the remarkable garden-covered islands                 of Ischia and Capri and the fabled city of                 Pompeii where lava from Mt. Vesuvius almost                 instantly covered one of the ancient world's                 most advanced city centres and quite literally                 froze the every-day of humanity 400 years before                 the birth of Jesus Christ.  VisitsItaly offers fabulous tours of the                 Amalfi Coast, tours of the islands of Capri and Ischia and the famous archaeological ruins of Pompeii and Herculaneum .  Contact us today,                 or visit our Amalfi Coast Tour centre, to find                 out more.  Click here . Although not as many tourists travel south of Salerno which is at the southern most-point of                 the Amalfi coast and is an enormous city, we                 recommend you take the time to visit  Paestum ,                 Palinuro, the grotta of Pertosa and Padulla ,                 which you can read about on the subsequent                 pages.  The important thing to remember about Campania     is that it is a very large region and in the     countryside,  while it is still very     beautiful it is also still very poor and not     many people speak English in these parts.  The point                 is, that it is important to know where to go and                 what to do when you get there in regions south                 of the Amalfi Coast.  Whil this region                 south of Amalfi is improving in many instances                 there is still much to be desired. With a population of almost 6 million, the     Campania Region is one of the most densely     populated in Europe, even though, because of     widespread poverty, millions of Campanians left     the country and emigrated abroad, particularly     to the United States, Canada.  As a result     of this widespread dispersion, the Napalese     dialect is the most recognized of all Italian     dialects. Towns                    and Cities in


'One-Eyed Jacks' (1961) is whose only film as a Director?

ONE-EYED JACKS | MARLON BRANDO’S ONE & ONLY STINT AS FILM DIRECTOR | The Selvedge Yard by JP ONE-EYED JACKS | MARLON BRANDO’S ONE & ONLY STINT AS FILM DIRECTOR “You may be a one eyed jack around here– but I’ve seen the other side of your face.” 1958– Marlon Brando in his 1961 film directorial debut– One Eyed Jacks.  Image by Sam and Larry Shaw.  What makes One-Eyed Jacks a phenomenon big enough to live in — along with the presence of actors like Ben Johnson as that “scum-suckin’ pig” Bob Emory, Slim Pickens as Dad’s terminally despicable deputy Lon, Katy Jurado as his stalwart wife, and Pina Pellicier as his virginal stepdaughter Luisa (until Rio deflowers her) — is the way one of the most charismatic turns of Brando’s career plays off the darkest and most ambitious characterization of Malden’s. Ultimately, in spite of Brando’s excesses and misadventures (he looked through the wrong end of a view finder when framing his first shot) as an actor-director engaged in an inspirational creative enterprise, he enjoyed himself and the film reflects it. In Songs My Mother Taught Me, he writes, “We shot most of it at Big Sur and on the Monterey peninsula, where I slept with many pretty women and had a lot of laughs,” adding that “Maybe I liked the picture so much because it left me with a lot of pleasant memories about the people in it … especially Karl Malden.”   –Stuart Mitchner . In the years since it was first released in 1961, One-Eyed Jacks has been called everything from Marlon Brando’s Citizen Kane, to “…a jangle of artistic ambivalence” and unbelievably it was his only stint as director.  Being a huge Brando fan, I may be  a bit biased, but I love the film.  Marlon’s silent, smoldering intensity underscores the epic Western tale about one man’s quest for revenge and romance that run parallel– and at odds with each other.  There’s something there we all can relate to– deep friendships that have tragically gone bad over money or success… love born out of misunderstood, or less than noble origins, that ultimately overcomes all odds… the longing to leave the sorted past behind and start over again…  you get the picture.  It’s all in there– and beautifully set against the rugged, pounding, surf of Monterey and Big Sur. Marlon Brando seen here directing on the set. — Image by © Underwood & Underwood/CORBIS. Brando’s directorial extravagance transformed a film scheduled for three months’ shooting at a cost of under two million into a six-million-dollar prodigy, thanks to a “footage fetish” worthy of Erich Von Stroheim, whose original print of Greed was ten hours long. Pressured by the studio front office, Brando managed to cut eight hours of film down to four and a half, still obviously not enough for Paramount, which seized the print, trimmed it to two hours and 21 minutes, and insisted on a “happy ending.” Brando’s disappointed ambitions for his film are evident in the strangely worded admission he made to Newsweek in the “pot-boiler” interview: “Any pretension I’ve had sometimes of being artistic is now just a long, chilly hope.” Quoted around the same time, Malden said, “If we’d made it the way Marlon wanted it made, like a Greek tragedy, it could have been a breakthrough western. It could have been a classic.” In time, Brando and Malden had to know that even in its butchered state, the film was destined to become very nearly everything “it could have been.  –Stuart Mitchner . Cinematographer Charles Lang and director Marlon Brando on location in Monterey, California, for the first day of shooting One-Eyed Jacks. . By all accounts, a film like One-Eyed Jacks should have taken little more than three months to film.  Yet, a chain of complications, among them being Marlon Brando’s difficult and eccentric ways, drug the production out over the course of 3 years.  Brando wanted to make a western of epic proportions based on a tale of betrayal and revenge, when he came across Charles Neider’s 1956 novel The Authentic Death of Hendry Jones— which the New York Times praised as “an excellent dramatization of the myths that circulate


The Costa Prize winning book 'Pure' by Andrew Miller was set in the ancient cemeteries of which city?

Andrew Miller: my morbid obsession | Books | The Guardian Andrew Miller Andrew Miller: my morbid obsession Novelist Andrew Miller admits he is fascinated with death and decay. It's a theme that permeates his Costa prize-winning novel, Pure, set around an 18th-century Parisian cemetery Andrew Miller: 'I was very dreamy and genuinely didn't get the idea of school.' Photograph: Sarah Lee for the Guardian Wednesday 25 January 2012 15.02 EST First published on Wednesday 25 January 2012 15.02 EST Share on Messenger Close In the 1780s, the corpses of Les Innocents cemetery in Paris were bursting their bounds. The graveyard was centuries old, and the weight of the bones, the mass burials, the dead stacked metres deep and rising above street level, had left the ground so exhausted that a morbid rota was in train – bodies buried until decomposition, then dug up to make room for others. A skeleton army breached the cemetery wall, cascading into a neighbouring building, and the pungency led to fear of airborne disease. It was time to take action, the authorities decided. Time to raise the dead. Andrew Miller first read about the clearing of the cemetery (in the area known as Les Halles) – the transport of skeletons to the catacomb tunnels beneath Paris – 10 years ago, in a book by French historian Philippe Ariès, called The Hour of Our Death. The Ariès book, a study of western funerary customs, made only brief mention of the graveyard's destruction, "but I was taken by the theatricality", says Miller. "It was done mostly at night, with fires burning to purify the air, and this terrible job was going on right in the middle of this very populous quarter of Paris. And then, of course, the bones were taken across the city in these processions, with chanting priests, to a quarry on the other side of the river. So that appealed to me as being interesting, visually interesting, but it was when it all happened that made it stand out. It's the 1780s, a few years before the French revolution, and it seemed to me there was some attempt here to erase the past, erase history." Ariès's short reference formed the basis for Miller's sixth novel, Pure, which this week won the Costa book award. The chair of judges, Geordie Greig, described it as "a morality tale that engrosses with its vivid rendition of pre-revolutionary France", as well as praising its "extraordinary scenes of corpses and cemeteries and sex". And while Miller still seems to be blinking with surprise when we meet an hour after the announcement, the award is highly deserved. Pure is a compelling, timely novel – with its throb of revolution, of ordinary people arising in anger – a narrative that takes death as its subject yet races with life. Central character Jean-Baptiste Baratte is a young, green engineer from Normandy, summoned to Versailles, and ordered to oversee the grave clearance, which tips him into a world of antic characters; people who live and work so close to the graveyard that it taints their breath, and possibly their minds. Part of the joy of the novel is its fleshiness, bone crunch, gristly, meaty, stinking metaphors, its rich sense of the human body as both abstraction and animal entity. So an alley full of cheese sellers is "a curious clogged vein of a street", a man pulls ruminatively "at the lobes of his ears as though he were milking a pair of tiny udders", a priest's guts rumble, a chair has "blooms of human grease", a calf's head tastes as though "pickled in its own tears", and a loaf of bread is "small, blood-warm". The tone echoes the gory autopsy that opens Miller's first novel, Ingenious Pain, also set in the 18th century, in which a body is slashed from sternum to pubis, its scalp jerked away from the skull and laid "over the corpses's face in an obscene bloody pile". Miller's father was a doctor; does this have a bearing on his interest in the "fleshly casket", as he has called the human body? "I'm sure it does," he says. "I grew up looking at these things – my Beano and Dandy were the BMJ and the Lancet. There were piles of these, with the funny, blurr


Which 17 year old New Zealander won the 2014 Grammy for Song of the Year with 'Royals'?

Grammy Awards 2014: Lorde, 17, beats Pink, Katy Perry and Bruno Mars to song of the year in shock victory at her first Grammys | Daily Mail Online Next Oh my Lorde! Newcomer, 17, beats Pink, Katy Perry and Bruno Mars to song of the year in shock victory at her first Grammys The New Zealander picks up gongs for Best Pop Solo Performance and Song of the Year for her smash hit Royals Misses out on two more as Record of the Year goes to Daft Punk for Get Lucky and Bruno Mars wins Best pop vocal album for Unorthodox Jukebox