England’s largest nature reserve is at Holkham, in which county?

Norfolk's National Nature Reserves - GOV.UK GOV.UK Winterton Dunes Ant Broads and Marshes The Ant Broads and Marshes NNR is part of the Ant Broads and Marshes Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). Barton Broad is a medieval peat digging that drains into the River Ant. The surrounding fen was exploited for peat in the mid-19th century and was more recently managed for commercial sedge and reed. Main habitats: peatland Management: Norfolk Wildlife Trust (Catfield Fen Reserve is owned and managed by Butterfly Conservation) Features of interest The broad is ringed by areas of reedswamp that provide a nesting habitat for wildfowl such as gadwall, pochard, teal, shoveler and tufted duck. There is a large population of swallowtail butterflies, and a significant number of rare and uncommon dragonflies, moths, beetles and flies. The fens are home to the nationally rare crested buckler fern. Nationally important areas of carr woodland (fen woodlands dominated by alder) are also present. Further information about the NNR , its wildlife and special features is on the Barton Broad page of the Norfolk Wildlife Trust website ,  and on the Butterfly Trust page on Catfield Fen . Directions The broad is accessed via the A1151. The villages of Irstead, Barton Turf and Neatishead are close to the broad and all have parking areas. The nearest train station is Hoveton & Wroxham , 8 kilometres to the south west. Local bus services are provided by First Group . There is a circular boardwalk on the broad near Irstead but elsewhere access is limited due to the marshy ground. You can take boat trips from the moorings near Neatishead. Catfield Fen is on the eastern side of the broad, 1.5 kilometres west of Catfield village. Catsfield is near the A149 and parking is available in the village. Due to the marshy ground the fen is only accessible on open days, although you can view the area from the boundary. Contact Butterfly Conservation for details of open days. Blakeney Situated on the north Norfolk coast, the reserve is part of the Wash and North Norfolk Coast possible Special Area of Conservation (pSAC) for its many features of interest, including subtidal sandbanks, saltmarsh, intertidal mudflats and sandbanks, shallow inlets and bays and seal colonies. Main habitats: coastal Management: National Trust. Features of interest Further information about the NNR , its wildlife and how to visit is on the Blakeney page on the National Trust website) . Contact Email: blakeneypoint@nationaltrust.org.uk Telephone: 01263 740241 Morston Quay NR25 7BH Brettenham Heath Scrub, trees and bracken covered most of the site before it became a National Nature Reserve but most has been cleared since 1982 to restore the plant communities and patterned ground. Bracken and, to a lesser extent, scrub still covers several hectares of the NNR . Woodland of silver birch, oak and Scot’s pine is within the NNR and around part of the boundary. During the bird breeding season (March to October), much of Brettenham Heath is closed to the public. Main habitats: lowland heath Area: 233 hectares Features of interest Acid grassland covers more than half of Brettenham Heath, with chalk grassland and heather heathland occupying smaller areas. Underlying Brettenham Heath is the chalk bedrock which was laid down in shallow seas during the Cretaceous period. This rock is many tens of metres thick, and close to the soil surface in places. The soils are predominantly sands overlying the chalk. The depth of soil above the chalk is variable, ranging from a few centimetres in the east/south to several metres deep in the west/north. Where the soil is shallow it is chalky, but where the soil is deep it is mildly acidic. For more information about the geology, history and notable species, see Natural England’s pages on Brettehnam Heath in the National Archive . Directions Brettenham Heath is 4 miles north-east of Thetford, Norfolk, on the south side of the A11 dual carriageway. There is a car park adjacent to Brettenham Heath on High Bridgham Road. From the A11, take the turning signed ‘T


Severely damaged by fire in May 2014, who deigned the Glasgow School of Art?

Glasgow School of Art: New fire prevention system was due to be fitted - BBC News BBC News Glasgow School of Art: New fire prevention system was due to be fitted 25 May 2014 Image copyright Scottish Fire and Rescue Image caption The library was completely destroyed in the blaze Glasgow School of Art, which was severely damaged by fire, has revealed that a new fire suppression system was due to be fitted in the Mackintosh building over the summer. The school said it was "tragically ironic", but said there was no way of knowing if the system would have made a difference to the spread of the blaze. Friday's fire completely destroyed the school's iconic library. But fire crews managed to preserve most of the building and its contents. They include the archives, museum and and lecture theatre. The Glasgow School of Art (GSA) said the new system would have enhanced the fire safety measures in place, but did not include sprinklers due to the risk of water damage. Media captionFirefighters begin to remove items from the Charles Rennie Mackintosh building The main damage was to the west wing of the building, built between 1907-09, Professor Tom Inns, Director of the GSA said. The 1897-99 part of the site, including the Mackintosh Museum and Mackintosh Room, has "survived intact", he added. Degree-show preparations Final year students had been preparing for their end-of-year degree show in the building when the blaze broke out. Academic staff said their priority was to help them complete their work and graduate. They confirmed that some students will have lost all their work and said they wanted to ensure they were supported. Staff will also be looking for new studio space for the fine art students and will also need to re-house other departments based in the Macintosh building. Archivists, academic staff and disaster recovery specialists have been removing documents and art works from the building. Image caption Documents and art works are being removed from the art school The whole campus is to remain closed next week so the fire-damaged building can be cleared and precious work stored in other buildings. It will reopen to students at 10:00 on Friday. The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service said more than 90% of the structure was viable and they had protected up to 70% of the contents. Image copyright Glasgow School of Art Image caption It is not yet known how much damage has been caused to the library, recognised as being one of the finest examples of art nouveau in the world The fire broke out at the listed building at about 12:30 on Friday. About 200 firefighters were involved, with 16 appliances at the scene at the height of the operation. Assistant Chief Officer Dave Goodhew, who was incident commander for about eight hours, told BBC Scotland, it was an "extremely challenging" fire. "This is a beautiful building with a great heritage, truly loved by the people of Scotland," he said. "The fire started in the basement and soon spread to the roof. It is a very old building so we knew it would be a particularly difficult fire to fight and extinguish." Image caption Assistant Chief Officer Dave Goodhew said the fire was one of the most difficult he had been to He said the walls were lined with wood which created hidden voids where the fire could travel unseen. Mr Goodhew said firefighters had created a fire break through the middle of the building, using crews with breathing apparatus and jets, to prevent the fire spreading to the other half of the building. He added that the professionalism of firefighters had been "absolutely outstanding". "It was one of the most difficult fires I have ever been to", he added. Chief officer Alasdair Hay said: "The firefighters who responded to this incident demonstrated incredible courage, skill and determination to prevent the complete destruction of this iconic building and its contents. "Choosing to fight a fire of this scale from inside the building is a risk for firefighters and requires the highest standards of professionalism. "Those involved in this incident were predominantly drawn from


Who was President of Russia from 2008-2012 while Vladimir Putin served as Prime Minister?

Vladimir Putin | president of Russia | Britannica.com president of Russia Alternative Title: Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin Vladimir Putin Vladimir Aleksandrovich Kryuchkov Vladimir Putin, in full Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin (born October 7, 1952, Leningrad, Russia, U.S.S.R. [now St. Petersburg, Russia]), Russian intelligence officer and politician who served as president (1999–2008, 2012– ) of Russia and also was the country’s prime minister (1999, 2008–12). Vladimir Putin, 2005. Sergei Zhukov—AFP/Getty Images Early career Putin studied law at Leningrad State University , where his tutor was Anatoly Sobchak , later one of the leading reform politicians of the perestroika period. Putin served 15 years as a foreign intelligence officer for the KGB (Committee for State Security), including six years in Dresden , East Germany. In 1990 he retired from active KGB service with the rank of lieutenant colonel and returned to Russia to become prorector of Leningrad State University with responsibility for the institution’s external relations. Soon afterward Putin became an adviser to Sobchak, the first democratically elected mayor of St. Petersburg . He quickly won Sobchak’s confidence and became known for his ability to get things done; by 1994 he had risen to the post of first deputy mayor. In 1996 Putin moved to Moscow , where he joined the presidential staff as deputy to Pavel Borodin, the Kremlin’s chief administrator. Putin grew close to fellow Leningrader Anatoly Chubais and moved up in administrative positions. In July 1998 Pres. Boris Yeltsin made Putin director of the Federal Security Service (FSB; the KGB’s domestic successor), and shortly thereafter he became secretary of the influential Security Council. Yeltsin, who was searching for an heir to assume his mantle, appointed Putin prime minister in 1999. Although he was virtually unknown, Putin’s public-approval ratings soared when he launched a well-organized military operation against secessionist rebels in Chechnya . Wearied by years of Yeltsin’s erratic behaviour, the Russian public appreciated Putin’s coolness and decisiveness under pressure. Putin’s support for a new electoral bloc, Unity, ensured its success in the December parliamentary elections. First and second terms as president of Russia On December 31, 1999, Yeltsin unexpectedly announced his resignation and named Putin acting president. Promising to rebuild a weakened Russia , the austere and reserved Putin easily won the March 2000 elections with about 53 percent of the vote. As president, he sought to end corruption and create a strongly regulated market economy. Putin quickly reasserted control over Russia’s 89 regions and republics , dividing them into seven new federal districts, each headed by a representative appointed by the president. He also removed the right of regional governors to sit in the Federation Council, the upper house of the Russian parliament. Putin moved to reduce the power of Russia’s unpopular financiers and media tycoons—the so-called “ oligarchs ”—by closing several media outlets and launching criminal proceedings against numerous leading figures. He faced a difficult situation in Chechnya , particularly from rebels who staged terrorist attacks in Moscow and guerilla attacks on Russian troops from the region’s mountains; in 2002 Putin declared the military campaign over, but casualties remained high. Britannica Stories Obama Acts to Protect the Arctic Putin strongly objected to U.S. Pres. George W. Bush ’s decision in 2001 to abandon the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty . In response to the September 11 attacks on the United States in 2001, he pledged Russia’s assistance and cooperation in the U.S.-led campaign against terrorists and their allies, offering the use of Russia’s airspace for humanitarian deliveries and help in search-and-rescue operations. Nevertheless, Putin joined German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder and French Pres. Jacques Chirac in 2002–03 to oppose U.S. and British plans to use force to oust Saddam Hussein ’s government in Iraq . Overseeing an economy that


Founded in 1909 which was the first British aircraft manufacturing company?

Handley Page | Military Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia Edit Frederick Handley Page first experimented with and built several biplanes and monoplanes at premises in Woolwich, Fambridge and Barking Creek. His company, founded on 17 June 1909, became the first British public company to build aircraft. In 1912 Handley Page established an aircraft factory at Cricklewood after moving from Barking. Aircraft were built there, and flown from the company's adjacent airfield, known as Cricklewood Aerodrome , which was also used by Handley Page Transport . The factory was later sold off to Oswald Stoll and converted into Britain's largest film studios Cricklewood Studios . World War I Edit During the First World War Handley Page produced a series of heavy bombers for the Royal Navy to bomb the German Zeppelin yards, with the ultimate intent of bombing Berlin in revenge for the Zeppelin attacks on London. Handley Page had been asked by the Admiralty to produce a "bloody paralyser of an aeroplane". These aircraft included the O/100 of 1915, the O/400 of 1918 and the four-engined V/1500 with the range to reach Berlin. The V/1500 only just reached operational service as the war ended in 1918. Inter-war period Edit In the immediate post-war years, Handley Page modified a number of O/400's to passenger use, which they flew on the London-Paris route as Handley Page Transport. The V/1500 was considered too large to be practical at the time, but a number of design features of the V/1500 were later incorporated into an O/400 airframe to produce their first dedicated passenger design, the W.8 . In 1924 Handley Page Transport merged with two other regional airlines to create Imperial Airways, the UK's first national airline service. Handley Page developed several large biplane airliners, including the luxurious Handley Page H.P.42 , for use on Imperial routes to Africa and India. Handley Page also developed the Handley Page Slat (or slot, see slats), an auxiliary airfoil mounted ahead and over the main wing, which formed a narrow opening running along the leading edge of the wing to improve airflow at high angles of attack. [2] The leading edge slat was simultaneously designed by the German aerodynamicist Gustav Lachmann , who was later employed by Handley Page. The design was so successful that licensing fees to other companies was their main source of income in the early 1920s. In 1929 the Cricklewood Aerodrome was closed and a new one built at Radlett , where most aircraft were now to be constructed. However the construction of aircraft at Cricklewood continued until 1964 when the premises were sold to become the Cricklewood trading estate. World War II Edit With the Second World War looming, Handley Page turned back to bomber design and produced the HP.52 Hampden , which took part in the first British raid on Berlin. In response to a 1936 government request for heavier, longer ranged aircraft Handley Page tendered the HP.56 design powered by twin Rolls-Royce Vulture and this was ordered along with what became the Avro Manchester . However the Vulture proved so troublesome that years before the engine was abandoned by Rolls Royce in 1940, the Air Staff decided that the HP.56 should be fitted with four engines instead. As such, before even reaching prototype stage, the HP.56 design was reworked into the four-engined HP.57 Halifax . [3] The Halifax became the second most prolific British heavy bomber of the war after the Avro Lancaster (essentially a four-engine development of the Manchester). Although in some respects (such as crew survivability) better than the Lancaster, the Halifax suffered in terms of altitude performance [4] and was redeployed toward the end of the war as a heavy transoport and glider tug, with several variants being specifically built as such, including the HP.70 Halton. Post-war Edit After the war the British Government sought tenders for jet bombers to carry the nation's nuclear deterrent . The three types produced were known as the V-Bombers , and Handley Page's contribution was the HP.80 Victor , a four-engined, cr


Who, along with her husband, founded the first birth-control clinic in the UK?

Marie Stopes | Article about Marie Stopes by The Free Dictionary Marie Stopes | Article about Marie Stopes by The Free Dictionary http://encyclopedia2.thefreedictionary.com/Marie+Stopes Also found in: Dictionary , Thesaurus , Wikipedia . Stopes, Marie Carmichael (stōps), 1880–1958, English paleobotanist and eugenicist, b. Edinburgh, D.Sc. Univ. of London, Ph.D. Univ. of Munich. She lectured on paleobotany at the universities of London and Manchester. In 1921, with Humphrey Verdon Roe, her second husband, she founded the first birth-control clinic in the British Empire. Her activities in this field gave impetus to similar movements elsewhere. Her many works include books on eugenics, birth control, and paleobotany.


Which is the only Hitchcock film to win a Best Picture Oscar (in 1940)?

1940 Academy Awards® Winners and History "The       Philadelphia Story" , Alfred Hitchcock for "Rebecca" ,     Sam Wood for "Kitty Foyle", William Wyler for "The      Letter" The      accounting firm of Price Waterhouse was hired to count the      ballots, after the fiasco of prematurely-leaked voting results      in 1939 by the Los Angeles Times. Therefore, the year      1940 was the first year that sealed envelopes were used to      keep secret the names of the winners. In fact, this was the      first year in which the winners remained secret until the moment      they won their awards. It brought about the famous phrase: "May I have the Envelope, please." A new category      was added: Writing: Original Screenplay. Independent producer David O. Selznick, who had      produced the previous year's big winner Gone       With The Wind (1939) , also produced the Best Picture      winner in 1940 - and campaigned heavily for its win. Selznick      was the first to produce two consecutive winners of      the Best Picture Oscar. Rebecca was      based on Daphne du Maurier's popular novel about a shrinking,      child-like bride (Fontaine) who lives in the shadow of her      enigmatic widower husband's (Olivier) first wife at a somber      estate named Manderley (run by a mad, steely-eyed and devoted      housekeeper (Anderson)). Although Rebecca had       eleven nominations, it only won for Best Picture. The film's studio - United Artists - was the      last of the original film studios (the others were MGM, Columbia,      20th Century Fox, Warner Bros., Universal, and Paramount) to      win the Best Picture Oscar. Rebecca was      the first American-made film directed by British suspense       master Alfred Hitchcock. Other strong nominees for Best Picture in 1940      included the following - two of which were very deserving comedies      --The Great Dictator and The       Philadelphia Story : director Anatole Litvak's version of Rachel       Field's best-selling novel, All This and Heaven Too (with       three nominations and no wins) about an 1840s governess in       a Parisian aristocrats home director Hitchcock's second-nominated film Foreign           Correspondent (with six nominations and no wins),           another thriller - an espionage tale set during World           War II in Europe that endorsed US entrance into the war           effort director John Ford's The           Grapes of Wrath (with seven nominations and two           wins - Best Supporting Actress and Best Director), an           adaptation of John Steinbeck's classic novel about migrating           Okies during the Great Depression producer/actor/writer Charles Chaplin's first "talkie", The           Great Dictator (with five nominations and no wins)           - a slapstick satire on Nazism director Sam Wood's Kitty Foyle (with           five nominations and one win - Best Actress) about a secretary           whose involvement with a married, upper-class man leads to           tremendous conflicts director William Wyler's melodramatic The           Letter (with seven nominations and no wins) based           on W. Somerset Maugham's novel about a woman who commits           murder director John Ford's second nominated film           - the screen adaptation of Eugene O'Neill's four one-act           plays titled The Long Voyage Home (with six nominations           and no wins) about merchant steamer crew members on shore           leave director Sam Wood's second Best Picture-nominee           - the film adaptation of Thornton Wilder's Our Town (with           six nominations and no wins) about the lives and loves of           the inhabitants of a small to


Vanessa Vankorn represented Thailand in a skiing event at the 2014 Winter Olympic Games, under what professional name is she better known?

Vanessa-Mae puts down the violin for a new career - as an Olympic skier | Daily Mail Online comments Violin prodigy Vanessa-Mae has put her music career on hold while she rehearses for a new role - skiing at the Olympics.  The 34-year-old musician has been training in Zermatt, Switzerland, for three years and has set her sights on representing Thailand at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Russia. The former child star will take part in her first skiing event in April before competing in at least five internationally recognised competitions before she can qualify for the slalom at the Sochi games in February next year. Talented: Violinist Vanessa-Mae has swapped her violin for a pair of skis in the hope of competing in the next winter Olympic Games in Sochi, Russia 'People are surprised when they see me skiing - a classical violinist, Oriental, who has lived in the city all her life,' she said. 'But it has been my dream to be a ski bum since I was 14. This is something I am determined to do.' The violinist is a British citizen but she also holds a Thai passport. She was born in Singapore to a Chinese mother and a Thai father but she was brought up in England when her mother remarried a Briton. RELATED ARTICLES Share this article Share Vanessa-Mae, whose full name is Vanessa-Mae Vanakorn Nicholson, would be only the second Thai to compete at a Winter Olympics if she qualified. Academic Prawat Nagvajara represented Thailand in cross-country skiing at the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics and the 2006 Turin Winter Olympics. 'I wanted to compete for Thailand because there is a part of me which I have never celebrated - being Thai,' said Vanessa-Mae.' Violinist Vanessa-Mae started skiing at the age of four but music has always been her priority 'My father, like most Thais, has never skied but he's really excited about me doing this as is the Thai Olympic Committee.' Vanessa-Mae started skiing at the age of four but music has always been her priority.  She made her international professional debut aged 10 and made her mark on the world stage when she broke from tradition and became known for mixing her glamorous style with classical music and pop. Her first techno pop-style album, 'The Violin Player,' was released in 1995 and reached Number 11 in the UK albums chart and she has not stop touring since. However, she has not released a new album since 2004. Stunning: Vanessa-Mae was famed for mixing her glamorous style and ability to play classical music with pop music Musician Vanessa-Mae made her professional debut aged 10. Her first techno pop-style album was released in 1995 and reached number 11 in the UK charts THE MAKING OF A CLASSICAL SUPERSTAR Vanessa-Mae, the world famous violin prodigy, continues to delight audiences the world over. Her family moved to London from Singapore when she was just four and she started to learn the piano and later violin. At the age of seven she won a prestigious competition for 'Young British Pianist of the Year' but decided to concentrate exclusively on playing violin. When she was 11, she passed entrance exams for a one-year course at Royal College of Music and had already begun making concert appearances. She played with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in London as the youngest soloist in history to play Bach's, Mozart's and Kabalevsky's concertos with the orchestra. The success of The Violin Player justified a bold creative gamble she wanted to take - a new synthesis of classical and pop sounds. The albums that followed confirmed this success - worldwide sales have topped 8million units so far, earning more than 40 international platinum awards.  She has collaborated with pop legends including Janet Jackson and Prince, performed on the soundtrack of the Disney animated feature Mulan, played Bach for the British Royal Family on the 250th anniversary of the composer's death and performed as she modelled a wedding dress on the runway of a Jean-Paul Gualtier fashion show in Paris. People magazine voted her one of the '50 Most Beautiful People in the World' and FHM named her one of 'The World's 100


‘No 5, 1948’ was sold for $140 million in 2006, who painted it?

Jackson Pollock, An American Painter, and His Painting Number 5, 1948 Sold for $140 Million - YouTube Jackson Pollock, An American Painter, and His Painting Number 5, 1948 Sold for $140 Million 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. Rating is available when the video has been rented. This feature is not available right now. Please try again later. Published on Apr 3, 2013 Jackson Pollock, An American Painter, Battled Alcoholism, and His Painting Number 5, 1948 Sold for $140 Million Authentic Hand Painted Canvas Art (Famous Masterpieces) Free Shipping and Free Returns.... http://www.PaintingsTube.com Paul Jackson Pollock (January 28, 1912 -- August 11, 1956), known as Jackson Pollock, was an influential American painter and a major figure in the abstract expressionist movement. He was well known for his unique style of drip painting. During his lifetime, Pollock enjoyed considerable fame and notoriety, a major artist of his generation. Regarded as reclusive, he had a volatile personality, and struggled with alcoholism for most of his life. In 1945, he married the artist Lee Krasner, who became an important influence on his career and on his legacy. While painting this way, Pollock moved away from figurative representation, and challenged the Western tradition of using easel and brush. He used the force of his whole body to paint, which was expressed on the large canvases. In 1956, Time magazine dubbed Pollock "Jack the Dripper," due to his painting style. "My painting does not come from the easel. I prefer to tack the unstretched canvas to the hard wall or the floor. I need the resistance of a hard surface. On the floor I am more at ease. I feel nearer, more part of the painting, since this way I can walk around it, work from the four sides and literally be in the painting. I continue to get further away from the usual painter's tools such as easel, palette, brushes, etc. I prefer sticks, trowels, knives and dripping fluid paint or a heavy impasto with sand, broken glass or other foreign matter added. When I am in my painting, I'm not aware of what I'm doing. It is only after a sort of 'get acquainted' period that I see what I have been about. I have no fear of making changes, destroying the image, etc., because the painting has a life of its own. I try to let it come through. It is only when I lose contact with the painting that the result is a mess. Otherwise there is pure harmony, an easy give and take, and the painting comes out well." — Jackson Pollock, My Painting, 1956 Pollock died at the age of 44 in an alcohol-related, single-car accident; he was driving. In December 1956, several months after his death, Pollock was given a memorial retrospective exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York City. A larger, more comprehensive exhibition of his work was held there in 1967. In 1998 and 1999, his work was honored with large-scale retrospective exhibitions at MoMA and at The Tate in London. In 2000, Pollock was the subject of the film Pollock, directed by and starring Ed Harris, which won an Academy Award. The Guardian, Friday 3 November 2006; Mexican splashes out record $140m for Jackson Pollock's drops of genius. The price obtained by Sotheby's for Pollock's Number 5, 1948 would make it the highest figure known to have ever been paid for a painting. Category


Rupert of Henzau is the sequel to which famous novel?

Rupert of Hentzau the Sequel to the Prisoner of Zenda - AbeBooks Rupert of Hentzau the Sequel to the Prisoner of Zenda You Searched For: Results (1 - 30) of 111 1   (87) Search Within These Results: Published by Armada Books (1971) Used Paperback First Edition Published by Grosset & Dunlap, New York (1898) Used Hardcover Published by Armada Books (1971) Used Softcover Destination, Rates & Speeds Item Description: Armada Books, 1971. Softcover. Book Condition: Very Good. 1971. 221 pages. Paperback rated as Very Good - Cards, pages, and binding are better than usually found for this title and publication year. World of Rare Books specializes in old and hard-to-find titles. book. Bookseller Inventory # 1481277774KDG ISBN 10: 1846777070 ISBN 13: 9781846777073 Used Paperback ISBN 10: 1846777070 ISBN 13: 9781846777073 Used PAPERBACK ISBN 10: 1846777070 ISBN 13: 9781846777073 Used Published by Armada Books (1971) Used Paperback More Information About This Seller | Ask Bookseller a Question 9. Stock Image Anthony Hope, (Introduction) Gary Hoppenstand Published by Penguin Books (2000) ISBN 10: 014043755X ISBN 13: 9780140437553 Used PaperBack Hope, Anthony; With 4 full-page illustrations by Charles Dana Gibson Published by Grosset & Dunlap 1898,, New York (1898) Used Hardcover Destination, Rates & Speeds Item Description: Grosset & Dunlap 1898,, New York, 1898. drawings, (illustrator). reprint,. edges a little browned, front board a little soiled, name/stamp on front free endpaper, nice tight copy, decorated front board, Good, spine ends worn, corners a little worn, spine browned, brown cloth, 5" x 7 1/2", 386pp+10ads, Bookseller Inventory # 036785 Published by The Ryerson Press N.D., Toronto Used Hardcover Published by George G. Harrap & Company Ltd., London UK (1945) Used Hardcover Destination, Rates & Speeds Item Description: George G. Harrap & Company Ltd., London UK, 1945. Hardcover. Book Condition: Good ++. Dust Jacket Condition: No Dustjacket. 60th Impression. 224 ages. No dustjacket, Lightly marked black hardback binding with moderate wear to spine-end and boards' corners. Page-edges are a little yellow, browning to end-papers o/w pages clean. Size: 7 1/2 " Tall. Bookseller Inventory # 017723 Published by Henry Holt and Company (1898) Used Hardcover Destination, Rates & Speeds Item Description: Henry Holt and Company, 1898. Hardcover. Book Condition: Acceptable. Flat, unmarked pages. Age-toned. Some pages have tears; a few have been repaired with tape. Cracked; pages secure. Cover scruffed. Your purchase benefits the world-wide relief efforts of Mennonite Central Committee. Bookseller Inventory # mon0000158272 ISBN 10: 1434495639 ISBN 13: 9781434495631 New Paperback Destination, Rates & Speeds Item Description: Wildside Press, United States, 2007. Paperback. Book Condition: New. 211 x 137 mm. Language: English Brand New Book ***** Print on Demand *****.From the Memoirs of Fritz von Tarlenheim. (Sequel to The Prisoner of Zenda. ) With eight full-page illustrations by Charles Dana Gibson. Bookseller Inventory # AAV9781434495631 Published by J.M. Dent and Sons Ltd, London (1963) Used Hardcover Destination, Rates & Speeds Item Description: J.M. Dent and Sons Ltd, London, 1963. Hard Cover. Book Condition: Very Good. Dust Jacket Condition: No DJ. Michael Godfrey (illustrator). First Thus. Original cloth with bright red titling. Decorated cover and end papers. No ownership marks. Colour frontis plate. Four colour plates and line drawings in the text by Michael Godfrey. 243 pages clean and tight./ Size: 8vo. Bookseller Inventory # 140708 Published by Henry Holt c1897, 1898, New York (1897) Used Hardcover Destination, Rates & Speeds Item Description: Henry Holt c1897, 1898, New York, 1897. Hardcover. Book Condition: Very Good. "4,8,'98" ptg. With ads. Inked name title pg. Clean text. Despite bowing to book, acrisp & attractive copy Charles Dana Gibson artwork. very good, no dj, bright red-stamped maroon cloth. Bowed 386+ pgs. Bookseller Inventory # 034258 ISBN 10: 1111111111 ISBN 13: 9781111111113 Used Hardcover Destination, Rates


The author Andrea Camilleri created which Sicilian detective?

Paul Bailey on crime writer Andrea Camilleri | Books | The Guardian Share on Messenger Close Andrea Camilleri is the most successful author in Italy, yet little more than a decade ago he was a virtually unknown septuagenarian who had written a handful of historical novels, including the intriguing Il birraio di Preston (The Brewer from Preston, 1995), set in his native Sicily. In 1994, however, he had invented Detective Inspector Salvo Montalbano in the novel La forma dell'acqua (The Shape of Water), and now both he and his hero are household names. It was never Camilleri's intention to write more than a couple of Montalbano books, and only when the second and most original story, Il cane di terracotta (The Terracotta Dog, 1996), was greeted with enthusiasm by critics and readers alike did Camilleri decide to put his middle-aged policeman through all sorts of increasingly complicated criminal hoops. The crimes are nothing if not topical: illegal immigrants, drug-peddling, prostitution, fraud and money-laundering. A recent villain is a doctor in thrall to the Mafia, who provides them with human hearts, livers and kidneys. In the small fictional Sicilian town of Vigàta, where Montalbano is based, the vilest things are seen to happen. Camilleri, who was born in 1925 in Porto Empedocle, in the province of Agrigento, came to writing late, publishing his first book in 1978, when he was 53. Before then he had been an active member of the Communist party and a distinguished drama teacher and theatre director. He was also a television producer. For more than three decades he has worked in Rome, where he still lives with his Milanese wife. His phenomenal success is the cause of much amusement to him. The most recent Montalbano mystery, La vampa d'agosto (August Blaze), in which his hero becomes perilously close to his enemies, came out in mid-April and has sold more than 500,000 copies. Yet he has no illusions on the subject of literary fame. He talks with passionate enthusiasm about Carlo Emilio Gadda, whose Quer pasticciaccio brutto de Via Merulana (That Awful Mess on Via Merulana, 1957) he describes without hesitation as the "greatest Italian novel of the 20th century". He uses words such as "brave" and "courageous" in regard to Gadda, another late starter who came to writing after a lifetime in engineering. Camilleri acknowledges this audacious experimental novelist as an inspiration. He loves the way in which Gadda employs non-literary Italian in his masterpiece - slang, dialect terms and phrases, even the dry language of academic textbooks. Gadda, like James Joyce, is a translator's nightmare and, as a consequence, the two novels he wrote in old age have not fared well outside Italy. Camilleri reveres him, not least for the sheer joy he took in the act of composition. Camilleri only became really wealthy in his 70s, remains true to his left-wing principles and is eagerly awaiting the protracted downfall of Silvio Berlusconi, whose control over the Italian media he alludes to scathingly in Il giro di boa (Rounding the Mark, 2003). Camilleri shows interest in very few crime writers, reserving particular praise for his fellow Marxist Dashiell Hammett, whom he considers infinitely superior to Raymond Chandler, whose plots he finds incredible. He is very much aware of the literary legacy he has inherited from other Sicilian novelists. His grandfather knew Luigi Pirandello, and Camilleri recalls meeting him once as a small boy. He respects Pirandello's plays, on which he has worked in the theatre, but it is the writer of short stories who haunts him. (These were translated into English in 1959, and a selection of the best appeared in 1965 - both books are long out of print.) Another great Sicilian became one of Camilleri's dearest friends. He speaks of Leonardo Sciascia with admiration and affection, an admiration shared by Montalbano, who reads Sciascia's 1963 undoubted masterwork Il consiglio d'Egitto (The Council of Egypt) on one of those rare evenings when he isn't questioning suspects or risking his life with his daring metho


"Who painted ""'Van Gogh Painting Sunflowers’ in 1888?"

Vincent van Gogh | Sunflowers | NG3863 | National Gallery, London More paintings in this room This is one of four paintings of sunflowers dating from August and September 1888. Van Gogh intended to decorate Gauguin 's room with these paintings in the so-called Yellow House that he rented in Arles in the South of France. He and Gauguin worked there together between October and December 1888. Van Gogh wrote to his brother Theo in August 1888, 'I am hard at it, painting with the enthusiasm of a Marseillais eating bouillabaisse, which won't surprise you when you know that what I'm at is the painting of some sunflowers. If I carry out this idea there will be a dozen panels. So the whole thing will be a symphony in blue and yellow. I am working at it every morning from sunrise on, for the flowers fade so quickly. I am now on the fourth picture of sunflowers. This fourth one is a bunch of 14 flowers ... it gives a singular effect.' The dying flowers are built up with thick brushstrokes ( impasto ). The impasto evokes the texture of the seed-heads. Van Gogh produced a replica of this painting in January 1889, and perhaps another one later in the year. The various versions and replicas remain much debated among Van Gogh scholars. Share this painting


Which language is the only form of Arabic written in the Roman alphabet?

Maltese - Language Information & Resources Home » Resources » Languages » Maltese Maltese The Maltese language is unique due to its mixture of Italian and Arabic-language influences that have resulted in its being the only type of Arabic written using a Latin alphabet. Maltese is spoken primarily in the European country of Malta, an island archipelago nation located in the central Mediterranean Sea. Malta's central location opened it throughout history to a variety of external influences, both linguistic and cultural, which gave the Maltese people an extremely interesting history of development. Classification and Origins of the Maltese Language Maltese is classified as a Semitic language, part of the Afro-Asiatic family of languages that are spoken primarily in Asia and Africa and have roots dating as far back as the third millennium BC. There are varying theories regarding the exact origins of the Afro-Asiatic language family. While some scholars suggest that early Afro-Asiatic speakers originated in Africa and later migrated to the Middle East, others claim that the Afro-Asiatic languages originated in the Middle East and migrated to Africa, except for a group of Semitic speakers who remained in the Middle East. It is agreed that Semitic languages all developed from a single Proto-Semitic language. Today the most widely spoken of modern Semitic languages is Arabic. The modern Maltese language developed from a dialect of Arabic known as Siculo-Arabic and is closely related to western Arabic dialects found in areas such as Algeria and Tunisia. The Unique Language of Maltese: Arabic and Italian Influences Malta's central-Mediterranean location allowed it to come into contact with a wide variety of cultures and affected the development of Maltese to make it the distinct language it is today. Thanks to Malta's location, the island's inhabitants came into frequent contact with other peoples from the nearby island of Sicily, as well as North Africa. Consequently, Maltese evolved as a fusion of the Arabic spoken in areas of North Africa and the dialect of Italian spoken in Sicily. The influence of the Sicilian language also extended to the Maltese writing system, resulting in the language turning to the use of a Latin-language alphabet. Today, the Maltese language is considered unique because it is the only form of the Arabic language to be written using a Latin alphabet. Thanks to the diversity of influences exerted on Malta throughout history, the modern Maltese vocabulary includes a great number of loan-words borrowed from Italian and Sicilian. In more recent years, words borrowed from the English language also have contributed significantly to the Maltese language's lexicon. Early Maltese History Archaeological evidence reveals that human beings inhabited Malta as early as 5000 BCE, and a number of early civilizations are thought to have inhabited the island in secession from this point on. The site where human remains and other artifacts on the island have been unearthed was actually designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1980. Early contact between the native Maltese and Semitic cultures is thought to have taken place between the 8th and 6th centuries BC, most likely with the Phoenicians and later the Carthaginians. It is know for sure that Malta, along with Sicily, came under Roman rule in 218 BC. Malta remained in Roman hands until 395 CE, when the division of the Roman Empire resulted in the island's being given to the eastern portion of Rome based in Constantinople (modern-day Istanbul). Malta's trajectory throughout history remained closely linked with Sicily's, as the two islands both went through periods of Roman, Byzantine and Arab rule. Malta was greatly influenced by these early rulers, especially in terms of cultural development. Modern Maltese History Malta later came under control of the Holy Roman emperor King Charles V who, in 1530, gave the territory to a religious military order of the Catholic Church later known as the Sovereign and Military Order of the Knights of Malta. The island subsequently be


Bob Hoskins played crime boss Harold Shand in which film?

RIP Bob Hoskins: His 10 Greatest Roles – Page 11 Flipboard 1. Harold Shand - The Long Good Friday (1980) The best British gangster movie of all time featured the inimitable Hoskins in his greatest 2 hours as crime boss Harold Shand and charted the downfall of his London underworld kingdom. His performance featured all the great Bob Hoskins trademarks - a hard man capable of showcasing real emotions, his capability of stealing every scene he's in and of course that irresistible cockney charm. Despite sharing scenes with some of Britain's best character actors, including Dame Helen Mirren, this is rightly Hoskins' movie. He deals with every bomb, every death and every betrayal with a quiet grace and acceptance that wouldn't be as successful in anyone else's hands. Everything exceptional about the role is distilled in the final five minutes where Shand confronts the two shady American businessmen he has attempting to make a deal with throughout all the destruction and gives one of British cinema's greatest speeches. This is nothing, however, compared to what comes next - two whole minutes of silence as the camera focuses on Hoskins as he quietly accepts his fate; a masterclass in minimalist genius. Which is your favourite Bob Hoskins role? Share your own picks below in the comments thread.


What was the first single released by Frankie Goes To Hollywood not to reach number 1 in the UK, although the album of the same name did?

Frankie Goes To Hollywood - Welcome To The Pleasuredome at Discogs 1984 Notes: "Welcome to the Pleasuredome" is the title track to the 1984 debut album by Frankie Goes to Hollywood. The lyrics of the song were inspired by the poem Kubla Khan by Samuel Taylor Coleridge. In March 1985, the album track was substantially abridged and remixed for release as the group's "fourth" UK single, however it only reached number 2 and was kept of the top spot by Philip Bailey & Phil Collins -Easy Lover. While criticized at the time of release and afterward for being a song that glorifies debauchery, the lyrics (and video) make clear that the point of the song, just as Coleridge's poem, is about the dangers of this kind of lifestyle. Despite the group's record label (ZTT) pre-emptively promoting the single as "their fourth number one", an achievement that would have set a new UK record for consecutive number one singles by a debuting artist, "Welcome to the Pleasuredome" peaked at number two in the UK singles chart, being kept off the top spot by the Phil Collins/Philip Bailey duet "Easy Lover". The single spent a total of eleven weeks on the UK chart. It was the first release by the group not to reach number one and, despite representing a creditable success in its own right, it symbolically confirmed the end of the chart invincibility that the group had enjoyed during 1984. Frankie Goes to Hollywood would not release another record for seventeen months, and they would ultimately fail to emulate their past glories upon their return. The spoken-word introductions to both 12-inch mixes are adapted from Walter Kaufmann's 1967 translation of Friedrich Nietzsche's The Birth of Tragedy. The recitation on the first 12-inch ("Real Altered") is by Gary Taylor, whilst that on the second 12-inch ("Fruitness") and the cassette is by actor Geoffrey Palmer. It is unknown whether Palmer's concluding "Welcome To The Pleasuredrome" was a genuine mistake or a deliberately scripted one. This is the only single from the group that was not released on a CD single at that time. "Relax", "Two Tribes" and "The Power of Love" all saw a CD-maxi release in Germany at the end of the 80's. "Welcome to the Pleasuredome" was not given such a release. All releases featured either a short, long or even longer version of "Get It On", originally recorded for a BBC Radio 1 session in 1983, plus a faded or full length version of "Happy Hi!", the only brand-new song to appear on the single. Both "Relax (International)" and "Born To Run" are faux-live recordings (i.e. with studio overdubs), based on an actual live appearance on The Tube's "Europe A-Go-Go" in Newcastle during early January 1985. The video, by Bernard Rose, features the group stealing a car, going to a carnival and encountering all manner of deceptively "pleasureable" activities. The audio soundtrack of the video was included as part of the cassette single. In 1984, a few months prior to the album's release, an early instrumental version of the album track was issued as a promotional 12-inch single, entitled "Welcome to the Pleasuredome (Pleasure Fix)", along with a similar early instrumental of "The Only Star in Heaven" (subtitled "Star Fix"). These tracks were subsequently given wider release as part of the B-side to the second 12-inch of "The Power of Love" single. "Welcome to the Pleasuredome" was also used on several promotional records in the USA during 1985, featuring the following tracks in various combinations: The first UK 7-inch mix of the track ("Altered Real"), labelled "Trevor Horn Remix". An edited version of the album track created by the Sacramento radio station KZAP, and known as "Welcome to the Pleasuredome (KZAP Edit)" (6:22) A version of the second UK 7-inch mix ("Alternative Reel") with a new introduction added, and known as "Welcome to the Pleasuredome (Urban Mix)" (8:08). This is on the Bang! Japanese album and CD. A slightly edited (spoken introduction removed) version of "Relax (International)" (4:26) The track has periodically been reissued as a single, including during 1993 and 200


Tour de France | Cyclingnews.com The 2016 Cyclingnews end of year quiz Tour de France 2017 Race Overview The 2017 Tour de France starts in Germany for the first time since its 1987 West German Grand Depart. A 13km time trial opens the race in Düsseldorf with stage 2 to also start in the German city. The Tour de France hub page is packed with news, 21 stage previews, analysis, photos, and rider interviews ahead of the 2017 edition of the race. Chris Froome (Team Sky) is set to return to defend his 2016 title. The British rider will be aiming for his fourth Tour de France title. Nairo Quintana (Movistar), Richie Porte (BMC Racing), and Alberto Contador (Tinkoff) are expected to challenge. Tour de France 2017 route Stage 1, Saturday, July 1: Dusseldorf - Dusseldorf (ITT), 13km Stage 2, Sunday, July 2: Dusseldorf – Liege, 202km Stage 3, Monday, July 3: Verviers – Longwy, 202km Stage 4, Tuesday, July 4: Mondorf-Les-Bains – Vittel, 203km Stage 5, Wednesday, July 5: Vittel – Planche des Belles Filles, 160km Stage 6, Thursday, July 6: Vesoul – Troyes, 216km Stage 7, Friday, July 7:Troyes – Nuit-Saint-Georges, 214km Stage 8. Saturday, July 8: Dole – Station des Tousses, 187km Stage 9, Sunday, July 9: Nantua – Chambery, 181km Rest day 1, Monday, July 10 Stage 10, Tuesday, July 11: Perigueux – Bergerac, 178km Stage 11, Wednesday, July 12: Eymet – Pau, 202km Stage 12, Thursday, July 13: Pau – Peyragudes, 214km Stage 13, Friday, July 14: Saint-Girons – Foix, 100km Stage 14, Saturday, July 15: Blagnac – Rodez, 181km Stage 15, Sunday, July 16: Laissac-Severac L’Eglise – Le Puy-en-Velay Rest day 2, Monday, July 17 Stage 16, Tuesday, July 18: Le Puy-en-Velay – Romans-Sur-Isere, 165km Stage 17, Wednesday, July 19: La Mure – Serre-Chevalier, 183km Stage 18, Thursday, July 20: Briancon – Izoard, 178km Stage 19, Friday, July 21: Embrun – Salon-de-Provence, 220km Stage 20, Saturday, July 22: Marseille – Marseille (ITT), 23km Stage 21, Sunday, July 23: Montgeron – Paris Champs Elysees, 105km  Tour de France race route map


Who plays Christian Grey in the 2015 film Fifty Shades of Grey?

Fifty Shades of Grey (2015) - IMDb IMDb 17 January 2017 4:34 PM, UTC NEWS 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 Fifty Shades of Grey ( 2015 ) R | From $2.99 (SD) on Amazon Video Literature student Anastasia Steele's life changes forever when she meets handsome, yet tormented, billionaire Christian Grey. Director: a list of 40 titles created 17 Aug 2011 a list of 23 titles created 06 Jan 2015 a list of 49 titles created 23 May 2015 a list of 29 titles created 8 months ago a list of 33 titles created 3 weeks ago Title: Fifty Shades of Grey (2015) 4.1/10 Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? Use the HTML below. You must be a registered user to use the IMDb rating plugin. Nominated for     1     Oscar. Another    9 wins & 20 nominations. See more awards  » Videos A teenage girl risks everything when she falls in love with a vampire. Director: Catherine Hardwicke After the birth of Renesmee, the Cullens gather other vampire clans in order to protect the child from a false allegation that puts the family in front of the Volturi. Director: Bill Condon The Quileutes close in on expecting parents Edward and Bella, whose unborn child poses a threat to the Wolf Pack and the towns people of Forks. Director: Bill Condon As a string of mysterious killings grips Seattle, Bella, whose high school graduation is fast approaching, is forced to choose between her love for vampire Edward and her friendship with werewolf Jacob. Director: David Slade Edward leaves Bella after an attack that nearly claimed her life, and in her depression she falls into yet another paranormal relationship - this time with werewolf Jacob Black. Director: Chris Weitz A poor yet passionate young man falls in love with a rich young woman, giving her a sense of freedom, but they are soon separated because of their social differences. Director: Nick Cassavetes A girl in a small town forms an unlikely bond with a recently-paralyzed man she's taking care of. Director: Thea Sharrock A seventeen-year-old aristocrat falls in love with a kind but poor artist aboard the luxurious, ill-fated R.M.S. Titanic. Director: James Cameron     1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 6.7/10 X   In a world divided by factions based on virtues, Tris learns she's Divergent and won't fit in. When she discovers a plot to destroy Divergents, Tris and the mysterious Four must find out what makes Divergents dangerous before it's too late. Director: Neil Burger Two teenage cancer patients begin a life-affirming journey to visit a reclusive author in Amsterdam. Director: Josh Boone A young man and woman decide to take their friendship to the next level without becoming a couple, but soon discover that adding sex only leads to complications. Director: Will Gluck A group of young adults navigate love and relationships in New York City. Director: Christian Ditter Edit Storyline When Anastasia Steele, a literature student, goes to interview the wealthy Christian Grey as a favor to her roommate Kate Kavanagh, she encounters a beautiful, brilliant and intimidating man. The innocent and naive Ana starts to realize she wants him. Despite his enigmatic reserve and advice, she finds herself desperate to get close to him. Not able to resist Ana's beauty and independent spirit, Christian Grey admits he wants her too, but on his own terms. Ana hesitates as she discovers the singular tastes of Christian Grey - despite the embellishments of success, his multinational businesses, his vast wealth, and his loving family, Grey is consumed by the need to control everything. Written by MischaLeCroix Mr. Grey will see you now See more  » Genres: Drama  | Romance  | Thriller Motion Picture Rating           ( MPAA ) Rated R for strong sexual content including dialogue, some unusual behavior and graphic nudity, and for language | See all certifications  » Parents Guide: 13 February 2015 (USA) See more  » Also Known As: 50 Shades


The Gruffalo is a creation of which former children’s laureate?

Gruffalo creator Julia Donaldson is new children's laureate | Books | The Guardian Gruffalo creator Julia Donaldson is new children's laureate Donaldson plans to promote music and drama and champion libraries during her tenure Tuesday 7 June 2011 15.00 EDT First published on Tuesday 7 June 2011 15.00 EDT Close This article is 5 years old Julia Donaldson , known to millions of unsleepy children and their drooping adult bedtime readers as the creator of the Gruffalo, he of the "terrible tusks, and terrible claws, and terrible teeth in his terrible jaws", has been appointed the new children's laureate. "The laureateship is an honour but it's not the kind of honour you can just bask in, so I'm planning to have quite an active two years," she said. "I'm hoping to bring some drama and music to the job. I always act out my own stories with lots of audience participation so I'm planning to do lots more of that. I hope to encourage and inspire children to act stories out, though it's too early to say whether there will be one major theatrical event." Donaldson becomes the seventh laureate, and was described as "a wonderful choice" by one of her predecessors, the poet Michael Rosen. "She has written such accessible and brilliant books and she's so clever and funny. She believes in taking her stuff out to kids, and sharing it," he said. Her immediate predecessor, the illustrator Anthony Browne, left her an open letter urging: "Do everything you can to support libraries – God knows, they need every bit of help they can get nowadays." Everyone, he warned, "will pay the price in the long term" for school and public library closures. In fact Donaldson, who lives near Glasgow and is the first Scottish-based laureate, needed no urging. In recent months she has flung herself into the campaign to save libraries, leading a protest meeting at the Scottish parliament, signing petitions, and turning up at readings in libraries in Scotland and England. She is promising even more ardent efforts in her new role. "I'd love to do a libraries tour from Land's End to John O'Groats," she said. "The children who would come to events in libraries would have been briefed beforehand that they would come to perform something to me, so the first 10 minutes of each session they might perform a class poem they had written or act out a favourite picture book. "Maybe I'll be able to talk to the minister of culture and persuade the government to have some kind of overall plan because at the moment I feel all the library cuts and closures are very piecemeal, so I'll do what I can," she added. Donaldson is expecting to be very busy in her new role: "Anne Fine, one of the previous laureates, sent me an email saying the most important thing is to book two really good holidays." She already receives sackloads of post, including mass write-ins from at least 30 schools a month; she puts her favourites on display in her bathroom. "I got one the other day saying: 'Dear Julia Donaldson, do you have your own library? And do you have your own husband?'" Although she has written 120 books for various age groups, her superstar is the outwardly ferocious Gruffalo, written in deceptively simple verse with illustrations by Axel Scheffler, which was first published in 1999. Just 700 words across 32 pages, the tale of an anxious mouse struggling to keep his courage up and a cowardly monster was instantly recognised as a classic, laden with awards, and has now -- taking together The Gruffalo's Child and other related Gruffalo books -- sold more than 10.5m copies, and been translated into languages including Polish, Hebrew, Lithuanian and Russian. The sequel, The Gruffalo's Child, won a best children's book award in 2005, and the original was voted the best bedtime story of all time by BBC radio listeners in 2009. The Gruffalo has recently sparked a multimillion pound merchandising operation on a scale to rival the other furry marketing Exocet, Paddington Bear. The jagged-toothed creature is now available as a mug, a doll or a duvet cover, a 30-minute animation with the voices of Ro


Based in Washington DCs Eccles Building, what is the American equivalent of the Bank of England in the UK?

Federal Reserve System - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Federal Reserve System Jump to: navigation , search "FRB" redirects here. For other uses, see FRB (disambiguation) . "The Fed" redirects here. See also the Federal Reserve Act and the South Wales Miners' Federation .  It has been suggested that this article be split into multiple articles. ( Discuss ) This article may require cleanup to meet Wikipedia's quality standards . Please improve this article if you can. (January 2009) Seal The Federal Reserve System Eccles Building (Headquarters)   view  •  talk  •  edit  • project The Federal Reserve System (also the Federal Reserve; informally The Fed) is the central banking system of the United States. Created in 1913 by the enactment of the Federal Reserve Act , it is a quasi-public ( government entity with private components ) banking system [1] that comprises (1) the presidentially appointed Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System in Washington, D.C. ; (2) the Federal Open Market Committee ; (3) twelve regional privately-owned Federal Reserve Banks located in major cities throughout the nation acting as fiscal agents for the U.S. Treasury , each with its own nine-member board of directors; (4) numerous other private U.S. member banks, which subscribe to required amounts of non-transferable stock in their regional Federal Reserve Banks; and (5) various advisory councils. Since February 2006 , Ben Bernanke serves as the Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System . Donald Kohn is the current Vice Chairman (Term: June 2006 - June 2010 ). Contents Main article: History of central banking in the United States The first institution with responsibilities of a central bank in the U.S. was the First Bank of the United States , chartered in 1791 by Alexander Hamilton . Its charter was not renewed in 1811. In 1816, the Second Bank of the United States was chartered. Early renewal of the bank's charter became the primary issue in the reelection of President Andrew Jackson . After Jackson, who was opposed to the central bank, was reelected, he pulled the government's funds out of the bank. Nicholas Biddle , President of the Second Bank of the United States, responded by contracting the money supply to pressure Jackson to renew the bank's charter. The country entered into a recession, and the bank blamed Jackson's policies. The bank's charter was not renewed in 1836. From 1837 to 1862, in the Free Banking Era there was no formal central bank. From 1862 to 1913, a system of national banks was instituted by the 1863 National Banking Act . A series of bank panics, in 1873, 1893, and 1907 provided strong demand for the creation of a centralized banking system. The timeline of central banking in the United States is as follows: 1791-1811 Main article: History of the Federal Reserve System The main motivation for the third central banking system came from the Panic of 1907 , which renewed demands for banking and currency reform. [2] During the last quarter of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century the United States economy went through a series of financial panics. [3] According to proponents of the Federal Reserve System and many economists, the previous national banking system had two main weaknesses: an "inelastic" currency, and a lack of liquidity. [3] The following year Congress enacted the Aldrich-Vreeland Act which provided for an emergency currency and established the National Monetary Commission to study banking and currency reform. [4] The American public believed that the Federal Reserve System would bring about financial stability, so that a panic like the one in 1907 could never happen again; but just 22 years later in 1929, the stock market crashed again, and the United States entered the worst depression in its history, the Great Depression . Critics of the Federal Reserve System including Robert Latham Owen and Murray Rothbard [5] state that the Federal Reserve System caused the Great Depression. [ edit ] Federal Reserve Act Main article: Federal Reserve Act Newspaper clippi


According to the Women’s Institute, what flavour jam should be used in a Victoria sponge?

Best British recipes: Victoria’s secret of the perfect sponge - Telegraph Recipes Best British recipes: Victoria’s secret of the perfect sponge Making a light, moist, tender cake is the test of a traditional British cook  and well worth the effort, believes Xanthe Clay . Victoria Sandwich Photo: JANE WEBSTER By Xanthe Clay Comments Next Saturday we reveal the first round winner of the Telegraph Morrisons Best British Recipes competition. Don’t panic if you haven’t got around to sending in your own favourite. There are 16 more weekly winners to find before we choose the overall winner, so keep those entries coming in. I’m glad to say there are lots of your recipes for sumptuous cakes. It bears out what we already know – that the British love to bake. The Women’s Institute takes it most seriously of all and their Victoria sponge competition is the cookery equivalent of a driving test. Producing an evenly risen, high Victoria sponge sandwich cake, moist and tender with a buttery flavour and airy lightness, is the ultimate proof of the traditional British cook. It’s also one at which home cooks, rather than professional chefs, excel. As Angela Hartnett ’s mother once remarked about her boss, Gordon Ramsay: “He’s all very well but can he bake a cake?” We know exactly what she means. This is an honest, delicious cake; it’s not about decoration or culinary fireworks. A Victoria sponge is always un-iced, served with just a dusting of icing sugar, neat but never prim. Related Articles The proper way to eat asparagus 14 May 2010 As for the filling, according to the Women’s Institute guidelines, a Victoria sponge should be filled with raspberry jam and nothing else. Here, perilous though it feels, I disagree. Adding something rich and creamy with the jam rounds out the flavours. Sophie Dahl layers her cake with buttercream as well as jam. This has the advantage that the cake keeps better than one filled with fresh cream and won’t need to be refrigerated, which tends to dry out the sponge. But fresh cream is the real deal, mellowing the full flavour of the jam without oversweetening the cake. Nigella, who is a cream, jam and fresh raspberries advocate, adds cornflour to her cake mix. It’s a trick that American cooks use to reduce the gluten levels in their all-purpose flour, which equates to our strong bread flour. With our naturally lower gluten plain flour, made from “softer” British wheat, it gives the cake an airy quality. As for the fat, queen of cakes Mary Berry insists that margarine makes for a lighter texture than butter. This is true, especially for the “all-in-one” method, where all the ingredients are beaten to a batter in a food processor. But butter gives a better flavour and, unlike margarine, I understand the ingredients list on the packet. But you choose. The proof of the sponge cake, after all, is in the eating. Victoria Sandwich recipe ¼ pint/140ml double cream, lightly whipped icing sugar for dusting Preheat the oven to 350F/180C/gas4. Grease and line two 8in/20cm sandwich tins. Beat the sugar, butter and vanilla essence until pale and light, then beat in the eggs a little at a time to make a mousse-like consistency. You can do this with an electric mixer. Fold in the flour by hand (don’t beat it in or the cake may be tough). Add enough milk to make a dropping consistency. (Hold a spoon loaded with mixture sideways, and give a sharp jerk of the wrist. Some of the mixture should fall off.) Divide between the prepared tins, spreading out the mix gently. Bake for about 25 minutes until well risen and golden brown. Cool in the tin for 10 minutes before turning out on to a rack to cool. Spread the underside of one cake generously with jam and top with whipped cream. Lay the second sponge on top, topside up. Dust with icing sugar and serve. Raspberry jam This quick jam has a fabulously fresh flavour. Make it just before you bake the cake or in the still-hot oven while the cake cools. 250g/8oz/250g raspberries 8oz/250g caster sugar Leave the oven on at Gas 4/180C/350F. Heap the raspberries and the sugar into two separ


Which former Prime Minister held the title “Father of the House” (of Commons) between 1983 and 1987?

Premiers past: What now for Cameron? – BBC News Premiers past: What now for Cameron? – BBC News July 30, 2016 Premiers past: What now for Cameron? – BBC News Image copyright Getty Images It is a curious fact, but the prime minister never actually has possession of the keys to No 10 Downing Street. So, having metaphorically handed them over to Theresa May, what now for David Cameron? Having achieved the highest office in the land at the age of 43, and departed six years later, what next for a man a few months shy of his half-century? Here is a guide to the futures of prime ministers past. Gordon Brown: Left office 2010 Image copyright AFP Image caption Gordon Brown, here with Malala Yousafzai, has chosen to focus on young people The constituents of Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath might have felt a little hard done by from May 2010 to May 2015, as the former prime minister was rarely to be seen in the Commons chamber. In addition to becoming a board director for the World Wide Web Foundation and an unpaid advisory role at the World Economic Forum, he was a UN special envoy on global education. He wrote the book Beyond The Crash, which covered the global financial crisis, in just 14 weeks and made a high-profile intervention in the Scottish independence referendum campaign in 2014. Ultimately, Mr Brown’s former constituency, a safe Labour area for the previous eight decades, fell to a resurgent Scottish National Party. Since then, he has taken his first private-sector role, as an adviser to the US-based investment management company Pimco, his fee going to the Gordon and Sarah Brown Foundation to support charity work. Tony Blair: Left office 2007 Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Tony Blair has spent much of his time in the Middle East After leaving Downing Street, Mr Blair stepped down from the parliamentary seat of Sedgefield, triggering a by-election, which Labour won comfortably. He was soon confirmed as a Middle East envoy for the United Nations, the European Union, the United States and Russia, a role he held until May 2015. He also established Tony Blair Associates, providing strategic advice on political and economic trends and governmental reform, with profits going to support Mr Blair’s work on “faith, Africa and climate change”. But he has faced criticism for providing advice to the Kazakhstan government, which has been criticised for its human rights record. Two foundations have been set up in his name, the Tony Blair Sports Foundation and the Tony Blair Faith Foundation, and a charity called the Tony Blair Africa Governance Initiative. Mr Blair has also found time to detail his memoirs, with an autobiography entitled A Journey, income from which has been donated to a sports centre for injured service personnel, It is claimed that he has earned up to 100m since leaving office. Mr Blair himself suggests a closer figure would be about a fifth of that sum. Most recently, he has come in for criticism following the conclusion of the Chilcot report on the inquiry into the Iraq War, which criticised the former prime minister for not exhausting all efforts to find a peaceful solution before going to war. John Major: Left office 1997 Image copyright Getty Images Image caption John Major has devoted a good deal of energy to supporting and watching cricket John Major served as a backbencher through the four-year parliamentary term, after losing the 1997 general election to Tony Blair, Known for his love of cricket, he was president of Surrey County Cricket Club until 2002 and in 2005 was elected to the committee of the Marylebone Cricket Club. Sir John was knighted in 2005, the last prime minister so far to receive that honour, but has refused any offer of a peerage. In 2002, his affair with Edwina Currie was revealed in her autobiography. He is a popular after-dinner speaker, and chaired the Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Trust. Sir John was a prominent campaigner for remaining in the European Union, and has served as president of the Bow Group and Chatham House. Margaret Thatcher: Left office 1990 Image copyright Get


What city is the northern terminus of the Suez Canal?

Google Map of Suez, Egypt - Nations Online Project Egypt . Suez is situated at the southern entrance of the Suez Canal, where the canal leads into the Gulf of Suez, the northern end of the Red Sea. The Suez Canal is an artificial waterway that transits through Egypt and opens out into the Mediterranean Sea near Port Said . The port of Suez with its extensive port facilities serves ships and vessels traveling to and from the canal. Port Suez has a population of about half a million people. Official language is Arabic. The city is also an important port for Muslim pilgrims en route to undertake their Hajj to Mecca in Saudi Arabia . The Map shows a city map of Suez with expressways and main roads, and the southern terminus of the Suez Canal.   To find a location type: street or place, city, optional: state, country. Local Time Suez: Standard time zone is Eastern European Time (EET): UTC / GMT +2 hours Egypt does not observe Daylight Saving Time (DST) since 2011 φ Latitude, λ Longitude (of Map center; move the map to see coordinates): , Google Map: Searchable Map of the City of Suez, Egypt. City Coordinates: 29°58′N 32°33′E


How many digits are on the “long number” seen on the front of a credit or debit card?

Credit card digits: Understanding numbers on a credit card front and back Credit card digits: Understanding numbers on a credit card front and back What are those numbers on my credit card? Those 16 digits all have meaning. Tweet No matter what credit card you carry in your wallet (or the variety of credit cards you keep on hand for various purchases), it shares some physical characteristics with the cards used by consumers across the U.S.  The common features of the many, many different credit cards in circulation are their size and the appearance of a number emblazoned across the front. Credit cards have a similar size to one another because of an organization known as the ISO.  The ISO, or International Organization for Standardization, is the standard-setting body of international representatives that produces global commercial and industrial standards.  The ISO establishes standards for the size of credit cards and other ID cards, as well as determining what cards are made of and ensuring their standards are ideal for a wide array of uses. The ISO is the reason your credit cards are made of PVC and are generally the same size across the board, which allows for easier processing and recognition.  It ensures that your credit cards remain standardized.  Credit cards also share a common numbering scheme.  A credit card number contains a single-digit major industry identifier (MII), a six-digit issuer identifier number (IIN), an account number and a single-digit checksum.     The Major Industry Identifier number corresponds to the issuer category.  For example, a "1" denotes airlines, "2" airlines and other industry assignments, "3" travel and entertainment, "4" banking and financial, etc. American Express would fall into the travel and entertainment category, while Visa, MasterCard and Discover are in the banking and financial category.   The first six digits of the credit card number (including the initial MII digit) make up the issuer identifier, which denotes the credit card network to which the number belongs. Some of the better-known issuer identifiers include: American Express -- 34xxxx and 37xxxx Visa -- 4xxxxx    MasterCard -- 51xxxx-55xxxx Discover -- 6011xx The maximum length of a credit card number is 19 digits, with the maximum length of the account number field being 12 digits (initial six-digit issuer identifier minus the final digit check number).  Each issuer has 1 trillion possible account numbers.   The final digit of your credit card number is a check digit, similar to a checksum.  The algorithm used to arrive at the correct digit is called the Luhn algorithm , after IBM scientist Peter Luhn.  The check digit is used to confirm the initial digits of the card number.  The benefits of using a checksum is that it prevents casual attempts to invent credit card numbers, as only one in ten will be valid.  Additionally, it serves to prevent mistakes when the credit card number is manually recorded.    Credit cards also feature issue and expiration dates, as well as extra codes such as issue numbers and security codes.  However, not all credit cards have the same sets of extra codes used to identify that the card is authentic. ADVERTISEMENT Join the discussion We encourage an active and insightful conversation among our users. Please help us keep our community civil and respectful. For your safety, do not disclose confidential or personal information such as bank account numbers or social security numbers. Anything you post may be disclosed, published, transmitted or reused. If you are commenting using a Facebook account, your profile information may be displayed with your comment depending on your privacy settings. By leaving the 'Post to Facebook' box selected, your comment will be published to your Facebook profile in addition to the space below. The editorial content on CreditCards.com is not sponsored by any bank or credit card issuer. The journalists in the editorial department are separate from the company's business operations. The comments posted below are not provided, reviewed or approved by any co


Since its adoption in 2000, the US dollar has been the official currency of which mainland South American nation?

Ecuador, Setting an Example by Adopting Digital Currency US Ecuador Setting an Example by Adopting Digital Currency Posted on 5:00 am April 5, 2015 Author Gautham Categories News , Opinion Tags Central Bank , digital currency , dollar , ecuador , Electronic Money System , EMS , Rafael Correa , South America , sucre Earlier this year, the South American nation of Ecuador became the first country in the world to have its own official digital currency. Ecuador abandoned the use of its national currency ‘ sucre ‘ in 2000 amidst the banking crisis to adopt the US dollar as the currency for transaction. Since then the country has been using dollars as the instrument of payment. The country, led by its President Rafael Correa since 2007 had announced in mid-2014 the plan of going digital with a government backed digital currency. The new digital currency system is set up to be used alongside the conventional US Dollar (Ecuador may gradually replace US dollar with digital currency). It seems like Ecuador decided to make use of a bitcoin like technology to create this digital currency so that it can benefit from all the goodness that comes associated with it. The Ecuadorian digital dollar, now called the Electronic Money System (EMS) was announced while keeping those who can’t afford traditional banking in mind. Apart from making the country’s monetary system simplified and more efficient, it also allows poor Ecuadorian citizens to receive and send payments with their mobile phones, similar to M-Pesa and other services widely adopted in African nations. The Central Bank foresees EMS being used in the future to pay government bureaucrats in a “hygienic manner”, minimizing the possibility of corruption and graft. EMS implementation is designed to happen in three distinct phases. The first phase was live from 24 December 2014 to 25 February 2015. During this phase, people were allowed to create EMS accounts and make changes to their login credentials. In order to register to the service, all one needs is a mobile phone, proof of identity and proof of having voted in the previous elections (to ensure only Ecuador’s citizens benefit from it). The EMS adoption is currently in the second phase, allowing users to perform transactions like depositing, sending and receiving money to and from mobile wallet. Third phase is likely to set in sometime during the end of this year where features for paying utility bills and taxes to the government will be included to EMS. The EMS has received mixed response from the citizens. By the end of first phase, the system received only 8,000 registrations.  Even though people are curious about the new system, most of them are waiting for the system to be completely implemented before they can opt for it. EMS will hold monopoly for digital currency in the Ecuadorian economy as the bill authorizing the implementation of Central Bank controlled digital currency bans other digital currencies including Bitcoin. For wider adoption of EMS, the government has to conduct educational programs across the country to make people understand the concept of digital currency, its advantages and the benefits of digital currency on the country’s economy and individuals’ living standards. Ecuador has certainly set an example for rest of the world by becoming the first nation to adopt digital currency backed by the country’s Central Bank. It is just a matter of time before other nations follow suit. Published by Gautham Gautham has an eye for anything new. He has been part of multiple startups and his current project focuses towards the social good sector. An entrepreneur, engineer and enthusiast (bitcoin, of course), he has been moonlighting as a writer for multiple publications and currently writes at NewsBTC. Find him on twitter as @gautham_n and on facebook at /gautham.nm View all posts by Gautham


Copernicium»the essentials [WebElements Periodic Table] Element News Copernicium: the essentials Copernicium was discovered on 9th February 1996 at 22:37 at the GSI in Darmstadt, Germany. The interested reader should consult the on-line version of Creating Super Heavy Elements for a fascinating insight into research on "super-heavy" atoms. In honour of scientist and astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus (1473-1543), the discovering team around Professor Sigurd Hofmann suggested the name copernicium with the element symbol Cn (the original proposal was Cp) for the new element 112, discovered at the GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung (Center for Heavy Ion Research) in Darmstadt. It was Copernicus who discovered that the Earth orbits the Sun, thus paving the way for our modern view of the world. Thirteen years ago, element 112 was discovered by an international team of scientists at the GSI accelerator facility. A few weeks ago, the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry, IUPAC, officially confirmed their discovery. In around six months, IUPAC will officially endorse the new element's name. This period is set to allow the scientific community to discuss the suggested name copernicium before the IUPAC naming. CAS Registry ID : 54084-26-3 Copernicium: historical information Copernicium was discovered by S. Hofmann, V. Ninov, F. P. Hessberger, P. Armbruster, H. Folger, G. Münzenberg, and others in 1996 at Gesellschaft für Schwerionenforschung (GSI) in Darmstadt, Germany.. Origin of name : the temporary systematic IUPAC nomenclature is ununbium but the discoverors have now suggested the name copernicium.. Element 112 (provisionally named copernicium, Cn) was discovered on 9th February 1996 at 22:37 at the GSI in Darmstadt, Germany. The identified isotope currently is the heaviest atom ever produced by man and has an atomic mass of 277, that is, 277 times heavier than hydrogen. The new element was produced by fusing a zinc atom with a lead atom. To achieve this, the zinc atom was accelerated to high energies by the heavy ion accelerator UNILAC at GSI and directed onto a lead target. Copernicium around us Element 112 (provisionally named copernicium, Cn) has no biological role. Element 112 (provisionally named copernicium, Cn) is a synthetic element that is not present in the geosphere. Abundances for copernicium in a number of different environments. More abundance data » Location Second ionisation energy : (no data) kJ mol‑1 Isolation Isolation : as only a few atoms of element 112 (provisionally named copernicium, Cn) have ever been made (through a nuclear reaction involving fusing a zinc atom with a lead atom) isolation of an observable quantity has never been achieved, and may well never be. 208Pb + 70Zn → 277Cn + 1n This is because atoms of the element decompose through the emission of α-particles with a half life of only about 240 microseconds. Abstract (http://www.gsi.de/forschung/kp/kp2/ship/public/sn112-abstract.html ): The new element 112 (provisionally named copernicium, Cn) was produced and identified unambiguously in an experiment at SHIP, GSI Darmstadt. Two decay chains of the isotope 277-112 were observed in irradiations of 208-Pb targets with 70-Zn projectiles of 343.8 MeV kinetic energy. The isotope decays by emission of alpha particles with a half-life of (240 +430 -90) micro seconds. Two different alpha-energies of (11,649+-20)keV and (11,454+-20) keV) were measured for the decaying nuclei. The cross section measured in three weeks of irradiation is (1.0 +1.3 -0.6) pb. Copernicium isotopes


Which French shoe designer once said; “red is more than a colour”?

Christian Louboutin | French designer | Britannica.com Christian Louboutin Christian Louboutin, (born 1964, Paris , France ), French shoe designer whose creations—identifiable by their brilliant red soles—were sold in exclusive upscale boutiques in major cities worldwide. French shoe designer Christian Louboutin Eleanor Bentall—Bloomberg News/Landov As a teenage apprentice in the dressing rooms of the Folies-Bergère , the famed Parisian music hall, Louboutin was impressed with the ability of the showgirls to remain sure-footed while wearing huge headdresses; it was then, in the early 1980s, that he realized the strength of his interest in footwear design. Following his apprenticeship at the Folies-Bergère, Louboutin gained experience through periodic work for the venerable Paris shoe brand Charles Jourdan with the master shoe designer Roger Vivier—who became Louboutin’s mentor—and as a designer for the fashion houses formed by Coco Chanel , Maud Frizon, and Yves Saint Laurent . In 1992 Louboutin launched his own business in Paris, where he continued to use the boutique and design atelier as his headquarters. He developed an unmistakable signature by giving all of his shoes bright red soles. A typical pair of his luxury shoes might also have a stiletto heel and upper parts of coloured leather or exotic reptile skins; prices averaged about $800 a pair. The influential industry journal Footwear News noted that Louboutin’s trademark red soles were a “subtle status symbol” and were far more alluring than the overt branding of the big-name luxury brands. Differing stories had been offered for the origin of the coloured soles, but Louboutin said that the hue was inspired by an assistant’s red nail polish. He decided to use red on all his soles, reasoning that “red is more than a colour. It is a symbol of love, of blood, of passion.” Louboutin maintained a high profile on the international fashion scene in the early 21st century, opening a European flagship boutique on London’s Mount Street as well as additional stores in such cities as Jakarta , Las Vegas , Paris, Tokyo, and Singapore. In 2008 the first exhibition to be devoted to Louboutin’s creations, “ Sole Desire: The Shoes of Christian Louboutin, ” opened at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City .


Roger Mellie ‘The Man on the Telly’ appears in which comic magazine?

Home - VIZ Send letterbocks entry MAKE you own Pot Noodles using a flower pot, sawdust and some old shoelaces. Pour in boiling water, stir, then allow to stand for two minutes before taking one mouthful and throwing it away. Just like the real thing! – R. Tables, Jedburgh WHEN arranging kitchen furniture avoid placing tables or cupboards directly in front of a fridge or oven as they may prevent the fridge or oven doors from opening properly. – T. Barlow, Chester STOP bread from drying out by keeping it in a bucket of water. – P. J. Ruddock, London WHENEVER you introduce a new system for ordering milk, make sure you explain it to the milkman beforehand. – Austin Cambridge, Southwick CAR tyres painted white and wrapped in green tarpaulin sheets make ideal packets of Polos for short sighted giants. – E. F. Gee, Aitchaye CAR commuters. Experience the thrills and spills of running to catch a bus by dashing from your car into the house after work only to see your wife slowly carrying the TV set away into the next room. – C. Paper, Tunbury IF your brakes fail whilst driving at speed, release your bonnet catch. The raised bonnet will provide vital wind resistance and help slow down the vehicle. – V. Ground, Hartlepool WHEN parking in car parks always carry a spare battery in the boot of your car in case the other one has gone flat by the time you eventually find your car. – M. Ross, Peckham A TEASPOON placed in a glass on the back seat of your car makes a handy audible gauge for road bump severity. – R. Crabb, Nantwich HOUSEWIVES. Feel like a Hollywood celebrity by fitting red carpets in every room in your house. A trip to the toilet will feel like attending a film premiere. – T Jenkins, Grange Hill BALDIES. Don’t waste money on a rug. Simply snip off a tuft of pubic hair and glue it to the palm of your hand. Then every time you stroke your shiny head it will feel hairy. – S. Sheppard, Ipswich MANCHESTER United fans. Avoid an asymmetrical muscular bulge on your right arm by masturbating alternately with your left hand. – Gregory Clarke, London NW4 HOUSEWIVES. Wean your husbands onto raw eggs without them realising by removing the sand from your egg timer one grain at a time. – Tim, Brighton


In the title of a Shakespeare play, of which city in the Levant was Pericles the prince?

SparkNotes: Pericles: Summary SparkNotes Context Characters Gower, an offscene narrator, enters to tell about the kingdom of Antioch, where king Antiochus and Antiochus's daughter are engaging in incest. Antiochus has kept suitors from marrying her by requiring that they answer a riddle correctly or die. Pericles, Prince of Tyre, tries his hand at the riddle. He is successful, but discovers that its answer reveals the incestuous relationship between father and daughter. Pericles doesn't reveal the truth, and Antiochus gives him forty days before his death sentence. But Pericles is sure Antiochus will want him dead for knowing the truth, so he flees back to Tyre. Antiochus sends an assassin after him. In Tyre, Pericles worries that Antiochus will take some form of revenge, whether a military attack or an underhanded assassination attempt. Filled with melancholy, he takes the advice of Helicanus, his councilor, to travel for a while until Antiochus is no longer after him. Pericles first goes to Tarsus, where king Cleon and his wife Dionyza bemoan the famine that has beset their nation. Pericles arrives with corn and saves them. But soon a letter from Helicanus calls Pericles back to Tyre, so he sets off. On the way home Pericles is shipwrecked in a storm in Pentapolis. Some fishermen tell him about king Simonides's daughter, a lovely girl who will be married to whoever wins a jousting contest the following day. Pericles determines to enter the contest. Though his is the rustiest armor, Pericles wins the tournament, and dines with Simonides and his daughter Thaisa, both of whom are very impressed with him. Meanwhile in Tyre, Helicanus reveals that Antiochus and his daughter have been burnt to death by fire from heaven, so Pericles can return. Other citizens want to crown Helicanus as king, but Helicanus insists they wait to see if Pericles returns. In Pentapolis, Pericles hears of recent events and determines to go back to Tyre. On board a boat with his wife and Lychordia, a nurse, they come upon a great storm, during which Thaisa dies in childbirth. The shipmaster insists the body be thrown overboard, or the storm won't stop, and Pericles complies. Thaisa's body is put in a chest, which washes up in Ephesus, where it is brought to the attention of Cerimon, a generous doctor. He discovers that Thaisa is not dead, and revives her. Pericles lands in Tarsus and hands over his child, Marina, to Cleon and Dionyza, since he thinks it won't survive the journey to Tyre. Then times passes; Pericles is king of Tyre, Thaisa becomes a priestess for Diana, and Marina grows up. But Dionyza is jealous of Marina, who takes all the attention away from her own daughter who is of similar age. Dionyza plots to have Leonine murder Marina, but at the last moment, pirates seize her, and take her to Myteline on Lesbos to sell her as a prostitute. Sold to a brothel run by Pander and Bawd, Marina refuses to give up her honor, despite the many men who come wanting to buy her virginity. She manages to convince the men who come to the brothel that her honor is sacred, and they leave seeking virtue in their own lives. Soon she gets work in a reputable house, educating girls. Meanwhile, Pericles goes on a trip to Tarsus to reunite with his daughter, but Cleon and Dionyza tell him that she has died, and show him the monument they have ordered built in order to erase their complicity in the matter. Pericles is distraught, and sets to the seas again. Pericles and his crew arrive in Myteline, and Lysimachus goes out to meet the ships. Helicanus explains that Pericles has not spoken in three months, and Lysimachus says he knows someone in his city who may be able to make him talk. Marina is brought to the ship, and she tells Pericles that her own sufferings must match his. He asks her about her birth, and she says her name is Marina. Startled, Pericles asks her to continue, and to his surprise finds that everything Marina says matches the story of his own lost Marina. They are reunited, but Pericles is exhausted, and in his sleep the goddess Diana tells him t


Which composer, who lived from 1732-1809, wrote the music now used for the German national anthem?

The German, Austrian, and Swiss National Anthems The German, Austrian, and Swiss National Anthems With Song Lyrics in German and English Getty Images/Manuel Sulzer By Hyde Flippo Updated August 02, 2016. The melody of the German national anthem comes from the old Austrian imperial anthem “Gott erhalte Franz den Kaiser” (“God Save Franz the Emperor”) by Franz Joseph Haydn (1732-1809), which was first played on February 12, 1797. In 1841 Haydn's melody was combined with with lyrics by August Heinrich Hoffmann von Fallersleben  (1798-1874) to create “Das Lied der Deutschen” or “Das Deutschlandlied.” From the time of Bismarck's Prussia (1871) up to the end of the First World War this anthem was replaced by another. In 1922 the first president of the German Republic (the “Weimar Republic”), Friedrich Ebert, officially introduced “Das Lied der Deutschen” as the national anthem. During the 12 years of the Nazi era, the first stanza was the official anthem. In May 1952 the third stanza was proclaimed the official anthem of the Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany) by President Theodor Heuss. (East Germany had its own anthem.) The second verse, while never verboten (forbidden), was not very popular because of its “wine, women, and song” references. *The fourth verse was written by Albert Matthäi during the French occupation of the Ruhr region in 1923. It is not part of the anthem today. Since 1952, only the third (“Einigkeit und Recht und Freiheit”) verse has been the official anthem.   Listen to the  Melody: Lied der Deutschen  or to the the  Deutschlandlied  (orchestral version. Austrian National Anthem: Land der Berge The national anthem ( Bundeshymne ) of the Republik Österreich (Republic of Austria) was officially adopted on February 25, 1947, following a contest to find a replacement for the former imperial anthem by Haydn that had been appropriated by Germany in 1922 and now also had Nazi associations. The composer of the melody is not certain, but its origin goes back to 1791, when it was created for the freemason lodge to which both Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Johann Holzer (1753-1818) belonged. Current theory says that either Mozart or Holzer could have composed the melody. The lyrics were written by Paula von Preradovic (1887-1951), the winner of the 1947 competition. Preradovic was the mother of the Austrian Minister of Education, Felix Hurdes, who had encouraged her (a distinguished writer and poet) to enter the contest.  The Swiss National Anthem (Die Schweizer Nationalhymne) The Swiss national anthem has a unique history that reflects the nature of Switzerland itself. Switzerland (die Schweiz) may be an old country, but its current national anthem has only been official since 1981. Although the " Schweizer Landeshymne " or "Landeshymne" was tentatively approved by the Swiss Nationalrat in 1961 and was in general use after 1965, the anthem did not actually become official for another 20 years (April 1, 1981). The anthem itself, originally known as the "Schweizerpsalm," is much older. In 1841 the priest and composer Alberik Zwyssig of Urn was asked to compose music for a patriotic poem written by his friend, Zurich music publisher Leonhard Widmer. He used a hymn that he had already composed, and adapted it for Widmer's words. The result was the "Schweizerpsalm," which soon became popular in parts of Switzerland. But some Swiss cantons, such as French-speaking Neuchatel, had their own anthems. Efforts to select an official Swiss national anthem (to replace an old one that used the British "God Save the Queen/King" melody) ran up against the country's five languages and strong regional identities until 1981.


Who is captain of the England Women’s cricket team?

England women's cricket team | Sport | The Guardian England women's cricket team Captain Charlotte Edwards left and Tammy Beaumont seized her chance, with the emergence of new faces leading nicely into the Kia Super League Published: 31 Dec 2016 England hosted the Women’s Cricket World Cup in 1973 and 1993 and won both tournaments. Heather Knight says her team are out to repeat that feat in July Published: 28 Nov 2016 Alex Hartley takes four for 24 and Natalie Sciver scores 58 not out as England beat West Indies by five wickets in the final match in Kingston to win the ODI series 3-2 Published: 19 Oct 2016 England in late collapse as West Indies seal 38-run win to level series July 2016 Tammy Beaumont hit an unbeaten 168, the second-highest score by an England woman in ODIs, as England beat Pakistan by 202 runs Published: 27 Jun 2016 The England openers, Lauren Winfield and Tammy Beaumont, scored maiden international centuries as England thrashed Pakistan by 212 runs in second ODI Published: 22 Jun 2016 Heather Knight took five wickets and hit an undefeated 50 to lead England to a comfortable win against Pakistan in the first one-day international in Leicester Published: 21 Jun 2016 Heather Knight’s first match as England captain against Pakistan has been delayed for 24 hours after heavy rain at Grace Road Published: 20 Jun 2016 Sacked captain Charlotte Edwards named supporters’ choice for England women’s player of the year as possible replacement Sarah Taylor announces break from game Published: 16 May 2016 More women in positions of power can change sport for the better Emma John The exponential growth of women’s sport offers an unmissable chance to champion something new and address the damage done by macho culture Published: 14 May 2016 England women’s cricket will be a harsher world without Charlotte Edwards Mike Selvey It is abundantly clear that even at the age of 36 Edwards has not gone gentle into that good night – and under the Mark Robinson regime the team that depended so much on her feats will find life tougher Published: 11 May 2016