Which chemical element takes its name from the Greek for 'inactive'?

BBC Science - The periodic table: how elements get their names The periodic table: how elements get their names By Christopher Brooks BBC Scotland Most people could name many of the elements, but how many of us know how they got those names? Each of the 115 known chemical elements was discovered over the last few thousand years, from before recorded history began to the nuclear laboratories of the 21st century. British scientists and the elements Humphry Davy discovered nine elements using electrolysis - the splitting up of compounds into elements by applying electricity. William Ramsay discovered a new group of unreactive elements using spectroscopy , now called the noble gases. William Crookes identified helium for the first time, and also discovered thallium . Their chosen names were influenced by an ever changing mix of language, culture and our understanding of chemistry. So how did they get these names? And why do they end in -ium? Ancient Elements Several elements' names have Anglo-Saxon language origins, including gold, iron, copper and silver. These metals were known long before they got these names, however. Gold can be found in its pure form in nature and although iron is usually found in ores which require smelting, the earliest known iron artefacts, from 3500 BCE, derive from purer metal from meteorites. The Latin names of these elements are commemorated in their atomic symbols, Au (aurum) for gold and Fe (ferrum) for iron. The Romans began the practise of element names ending in "-um," with Victorian scientists continuing the trend. Meteoric iron was used by humans before smelting of iron ores was invented. Element of uncertainty Since 1947, the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry ( IUPAC ) has had the responsibility for approving elements' names, and deciding the single internationally recognised symbol for each element. Before this, there were multiple historical occasions of elements being given several names, usually due to simultaneous discovery or uncertainty over a discovery. The name of element 41 was not agreed for 150 years. It was called columbium in America and niobium in Europe until IUPAC finally decided the official name would be niobium in 1949. Dr Fabienne Meyers, Associate Director of IUPAC, explains the current naming process : To start with, "the discoverers are invited to propose a name and a symbol." "For linguistic consistency, the recommended practice is that all new elements should end in '-ium'," she adds. The sake of naming an element is essentially to avoid confusion.” End Quote Dr Fabienne Meyers Associate Direcor, IUPAC "Since the sake of naming an element is essentially to avoid confusion, it is important to ensure that the proposed name is unique and has not been used earlier even unofficially or temporarily for a different element." "After examination and acceptance by the division - which includes a public review period of five months - the name and symbol are then submitted to the IUPAC Council for approval." The name is then published in the scientific journal Pure and Applied Chemistry . Actinium to zirconium A common source of names both now and historically, over a quarter of the elements are named after a place, often where they were discovered or synthesised. These places range in size from continents (europium) and countries (americium, francium, polonium) to the the Scottish village Strontian (strontium). Because of the great wealth of discoveries made there, four elements are named after the Swedish mining village, Ytterby (ytterbium, yttrium, erbium and terbium). There is just one element that wasn't first discovered on Earth, and it too is named after its place of the discovery - helium, from the Greek word for Sun, helios. Myth and legend Dmitri Mendeleev published the periodic table in its modern form. About a dozen elements take their name directly from legends, including titanium, arsenic and tantalum. Nickel and cobalt are named after 'devil' and 'kobold', from the Germanic folk belief that malign creatures snuck into mines to replace valuable


Name the English general who surrendered to American forces at Saratoga in 1777.

Battle of Saratoga - American Revolution - HISTORY.com Google September 19, 1777, and October 7, 1777 The word Saratoga is shorthand for two battles that gave the coup de grace to the 1777 British invasion from Canada during the American Revolutionary War. After capturing Fort Ticonderoga with almost laughable ease, the British army, led by overconfident General John Burgoyne, crawled south at a tortoise pace, giving the rattled Americans time to regroup under Horatio Gates. To support him, General George Washington sent Benedict Arnold , his best infantry commander; Colonel Daniel Morgan and his crack regiment of Virginia riflemen; and two brigades of Continentals from the Hudson Highlands. They raised Gates’s strength to about sixty-five hundred men. Equally important was Colonel Thaddeus Kosciusko, the Polish engineer, who built excellent field fortifications on Bemis Heights overlooking the Hudson River. Did You Know? To celebrate the American victory at Saratoga, the Continental Congress issued a proclamation for a national day "for solemn Thanksgiving and praise," the first official holiday observance with that name. On September 19, Burgoyne attacked. The fiery Arnold prodded Gates out of his defensive mentality, winning permission to lead Morgan’s men and Henry Dearborn’s light infantry into the woods to block a British flanking column. For most of the afternoon, a furious struggle raged around and across a clearing called Freeman’s Farm; Arnold poured in fresh regiments until the jittery Gates broke off the action, leaving the battered British in possession of the ground. After fortifying his camp and waiting in vain for reinforcements from New York , Burgoyne attempted another assault on October 7. Ignoring orders from the jealous Gates to remain in his quarters, Arnold joined the fighting and led an attack that captured key strong points, forcing the British to retreat to Saratoga (modern Schuylerville). There, surrounded by a belated outpouring of militia, Burgoyne surrendered ten days later. Thomas Fleming The Reader’s Companion to Military History. Edited by Robert Cowley and Geoffrey Parker. Copyright © 1996 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved. Tags


Who won the Booker Prize in 2001 with 'True History of the Kelly Gang'?

'Kelly Gang' author Peter Carey wins second Booker Prize - SFGate 'Kelly Gang' author Peter Carey wins second Booker Prize Oscar Villalon Published 4:00 am, Thursday, October 18, 2001 Australian author Peter Carey became the second person to have won the Booker Prize for Fiction twice when he received the 2001 award in London last night for his novel "True History of the Kelly Gang ." Carey won the Booker in 1988 for his novel "Oscar and Lucinda." The other author to have won the Booker twice is South African writer J.M. Coetzee . "True History of the Kelly Gang" is Carey's fictional account of the short life of Ned Kelly, the legendary 19th century Australian outlaw. In Carey's retelling, Ned is driven to robberies and theft by the cruelty of Australia's judicial system and its English police, who from the beginning make life unbearable for Kelly's Irish family. Told through a series of letters written by Ned to his unborn daughter, the novel was noted by critics for its striking use of ungrammatical, demotic language, managing to create a rich literary work through the first-person voice of a semi-literate man. Kenneth Baker , chair of this year's jury, said in a statement on the award's Web site that Carey was chosen because his book "is a magnificent story of the early settler days in Australia, expressed through the unforgettable voice of a vilified man who came to stand for more than he knew." The other books short-listed for the award this year were the novels "Oxygen" by Andrew Miller , "number9dream" by David Mitchell , "The Dark Room " by Rachel Seiffert and "Hotel World" by Ali Smith . Ian McEwan was also among the finalists and had been considered to be Carey's only competition for the award. McEwan was nominated for his novel "Atonement." Like Carey, McEwan had won a Booker, too, in 1998 for his novel "Amsterdam." This is the 33rd year of the Booker Prize for Fiction. The winner receives 21,000 pounds -- about $30,000 -- and all of the short-listed authors, including the winner, receive 1,000 pounds, or about $1,500. Latest from the SFGATE homepage: Click below for the top news from around the Bay Area and beyond. Sign up for our newsletters to be the first to learn about breaking news and more. Go to 'Sign In' and 'Manage Profile' at the top of the page.


The film 'De-Lovely' is a biopic on which musician's life?

De-Lovely (2004) - IMDb (Seattle, Wa) – See all my reviews I generally hate biographical films and musicals, but this biographical musical is one I really liked. From the beginning with Gabriel (I always love Johnathan Pryce - I never got over "Brazil") and the old Cole Porter together in the empty theatre, I was sold on the film. Sometimes flashbacks annoy me. In this case, the interaction (one-sided, but still there) between the old Cole Porter and his past made the transition to his life magical and fun. It didn't feel like a biographical view of his life. From the opening scene in the theatre, it just got better as it went along. Kevin Kline's portrayal of Cole Porter was rich and nuanced. He seemed to be truly in love with Linda, yet he still had his other side. Ashley Judd as Linda seemed perfect. When the old Cole Porter sees her again, he says, "My god, she was lovely!" and she was. I identified enough with her and with Kevin Kline that I was saddened by her death in the movie. They sold me on their characters. I ended up feeling empathy for Linda; the lovely, lovable and steadfast; and respect and admiration for the Cole Porter figure. But, what made the movie fly for me was the music (go figure!). It was Cole Porter, release 1.1. A bunch of his great songs were re-arranged and presented by modern singers - all the way from jazz (Diane Krall) to varieties of pop (Elvis Costello). Each of the singers brought a new feel to the Cole Porter songs and really made the movie a pleasure. When my wife and I finished the movie on the DVD we spent another hour watching all the special features. We both hated to see the movie end. We just wanted it to go on and on. Like the beat, beat, beat of the tom-tom......... 29 of 31 people found this review helpful.  Was this review helpful to you? Yes


In which year did the Battle of Vitoria take place during the Peninsular War?

The Peninsular War 1808-1814 Europe in 1808 By the year 1808 France had achieved domination over the great majority of continental Europe. Through victories at Ulm (1805), Austerlitz (1805), Jena-Auerstädt (1806) and Friedland (1807) her armies had successively eliminated Austria, Prussia and Russia as military opponents. Britain alone had withstood the power of France, achieving security against invasion through Nelson's victory over the combined French and Spanish fleets at Trafalgar (1805). The tide began to turn in 1808 when Napoleon created a new enemy by usurping the Spanish throne in favour of his brother Joseph. The Spanish uprising that followed encouraged Britain to send an expeditionary force to the Iberian Peninsula. The ensuing war was to play a major part in Napoleon's downfall. The War: Consolidation, 1808-1811 The road to war began in the autumn of 1807 when Napoleon moved French troops through Spain to invade Portugal. After feeding more than 100,000 troops into Spain under the pretext of supporting the invasion, Napoleon deposed the existing Spanish monarch in April 1808 in order to place his own brother Joseph on the throne. Although the ensuing Spanish uprising can hardly have come as a surprise to Napoleon, he failed to see that the revolt could never be completely suppressed. Britain now had a new ally in Spain and in August 1808 landed an expeditionary force under the command of Lt.-Gen. Sir Arthur Wellesley at the mouth of the Mondego river in Portugal. Moving south towards Lisbon, Wellesley defeated Delaborde at Roliça on 17th August before turning to the mouth of the Maceira river to protect the landing of reinforcements. On 21st August, Wellesley's position around Vimeiro Hill was attacked from the east by Junot. The Battle of Vimeiro was the first occasion on which Napoleonic offensive tactics combining skirmishers, columns and supporting artillery fire failed against the British infantry line and Wellesley's defensive skills. Junot was defeated, though an opportunity to inflict further damage on the French was lost as the out-ranked Wellesley was replaced first by Burrard and then by Dalrymple. Wellesley's victory was still sufficient to persuade the French to evacuate Portugal as part of a controversial agreement which became known as the Convention of Sintra. The departure of Dalrymple, Burrard and Wellesley to face criticism of the Convention in Britain left Sir John Moore in command of a British army of 30,000 in Portugal. The scale of the war in the Peninsula escalated as a Spanish victory over Dupont at Bailén in July was answered by Napoleon's arrival in Spain at the head of 200,000 veteran troops. Moore struck towards Burgos and the northern flank of Napoleon's army, succeeding in drawing French forces away from southern Spain before being forced to retreat westwards. The retreat ended in the evacuation by sea of Moore's army at La Coruña in January 1809, and in the loss of Moore's own life. Napoleon meanwhile had transferred command of the pursuit to Soult and returned to Paris, never again to lead an army in the Peninsula. In April 1809 Wellesley, freed from criticism over the Convention of Sintra, returned to Portugal and assumed command of all British-Portuguese forces. Immediately, he implemented three innovations in army organization: the infantry were for the first time divided into autonomous divisions, each infantry brigade was provided with at least one company of riflemen, and - to mutual benefit - one battalion of Portuguese infantry was placed in each of five British brigades. After defeating Soult at Porto on 12th May, Wellesley crossed the border into Spain, joined forces with the Spanish general Cuesta, and marched eastwards. On 27th-28th July, French armies under Joseph attacked the allies north of Talavera. The British-Portuguese lines held throughout the Battle of Talavera , finally compelling Joseph to abandon the battlefield. The victory had, however, been costly and, with Soult threatening to cut the road to Portugal, Wellesley was forced to fall back. The latter


Which fruit has varieties named Czar, Kirke's Blue and Marjorie's Seedling?

Plum - Marjorie's Seedling - tasting notes, identification, reviews Buy Marjorie Seedling is the main late-season commercial European plum sold in UK supermarkets. It is excellent for culinary purposes, and good for eating fresh when fully ripe. It is attractive to commercial growers because it is vigorous, hardy, disease resistant, and a reliable and heavy cropper. These qualities mean it is also ideal for the garden or small orchard - and by growing your own you can also get a far better flavour than is possible for the commercial grower - the trick is to leave the plums on the tree longer. And if you like fresh plums, there are not many other ones around this late in the season. The fruit is large, plum-shaped, and purple, becoming blue-black when fully ripe, with a heavy bloom - overall very attractive. The flesh is greenish-yellow, juicy, quite coarse, and noticeably veined. The stone is clinging. Last updated 25 May 2012. Rate this variety for flavor Current rating: 3.0 out of 5.   Total votes cast: 2


Name the 19th century American artist famous for his illustrated book 'The Birds of America'.

What are the names of some famous watercolor artists? | Reference.com What are the names of some famous watercolor artists? A: Quick Answer Famous watercolor artists include Albrecht Durer, Peter Paul Rubens, Van Dyck, Thomas Gainsborough and Eugene Delacroix. The earliest known use of watercolor exists in cave paintings. Full Answer European monks painted in watercolors during the Middle Ages to decorate books designed for Christian devotion, called illuminated manuscripts. During the Renaissance in Germany, watercolors illustrated botanical and wildlife studies and reached acceptance as an art form due to Durer’s detailed paintings. Hans Bol established the first watercolor school around this time. Thomas Girtin, Paul Sandby and Joseph Mallord William Turner established watercolor as a recognized medium in England in the 18th century. It was widely used to depict terrains and geological formations for engineers, mapmakers and in expeditions to document new discoveries. Watercolor gained popularity in the United States in the 19th century. John James Audubon, the artist famous for his depictions of birds, painted in this medium as did John Singer Sargent, Winslow Homer and Thomas Eakins during the 19th century. Famous artists of the 20th century include Wassily Kandinsky, Emil Nolde and Paul Klee. In America, Edward Hopper’s painting, “Lighthouse and Buildings, Portland Head,” is a watercolor he painted in 1927 at Cape Elizabeth, Maine. The abstract works of John Marin are predominantly in watercolor.


Who was captain of the wrecked cruise ship Costa Concordia in 2011, who abandoned his ship?

Cruise Disaster: Captain Claims He Was Thrown From Ship - ABC News ABC News Cruise Ship Disaster: Captain Released on House Arrest By Brian Ross WATCH Cruise Ship Disaster: Search Halted 0 Shares Email An Italian judge has ordered the captain of the doomed cruise ship Costa Concordia be released on house arrest following his first appearance in court today after he allegedly steered the massive ship into rocks and then abandoned the passengers aboard the sinking vessel. At a press conference, one of the prosecutors would not say what 52-year-old Capt. Francesco Schettino said in his defense during the hearing, but recordings of the radio transmissions between Schettino and the Port Authority revealed today that after Schettino said he abandoned the ship, he claimed he had been thrown from it in the first place. "We abandoned ship," Schettino says in the recording. "And with 100 people still on board you abandon ship? [expletive]" a Port Authority official says in response. Then, Schettino appears to correct himself, saying, "I didn't abandon any ship... because the ship turned on its side quickly and we were catapulted into the water." TRANSCRIPT: 'Get Back on Board for [Expletive] Sake!' The luxury cruise ship was carrying more than 4,000 passengers and crew when it struck rocks Friday evening near Giglio, off the coast of Tuscany. Rescue efforts have been ongoing, but as of Monday night, at least two dozen people remained unaccounted for. At least 11 people were killed in the wreck's aftermath. Italian prosecutors said the growing evidence Schettino was responsible for the accident, and then failed to protect his passengers. According to a published account by a cook onboard, a full half hour after the incident, Schettino was still asking for his dinner and drinks and reportedly demanded to know where his female companion's dessert was. Schettino has claimed the ship hit uncharted rocks and that he acted honorably, previously telling reporters he and his crew were the last to leave. But that's not true according to newly-released audio of port authority radio transmissions to the captain, in which Schettino is repeatedly berated for not returning to the ship. "Captain, this is an order, now I am in charge. Get back on that ship and coordinate the operations. There are already casualties," the port authority official told Schettino. "How many?" the captain responded. "You should tell me that! What do you want to do, go home? Now you get back on that ship and tell us what can be done, how many people are still there and what do they need," the port authority official said. "OK, OK, I am going," Schettino said. As a captain for the Costa line since 2006, the year the Concordia was launched, the dark-haired, debonair Schettino was described as a favorite with passengers, especially women. But if it is true that he and other officers fled the ship, leaving passengers behind, it would be a clear violation of what is regarded as the first law of the sea. "The captain is the last person to leave the sinking ship," veteran cruise ship commander Capt. William Wright told ABC News. "I find it very hard to understand how any captain under such dire circumstances would elect to leave his vessel." The Costa line said the captain was wrong to steer so close to the island, although this video from Italian TV is said to show the Concordia, horns blaring one night last August, sailing within a few hundred feet of the island -- a course the Costa line says was authorized and approved in advance. Prosecutors, however, said Schettino went beyond authorized procedure and was a reckless show-boater. "You want to screen out the risk takers," marine legal expert John Hickey said. "You want to screen out the hot doggers. You want to screen out people who are not willing to take responsibility."


Definition of Stapes Definition of Stapes Causes of a Heart Attack Slideshow Stapes: A stirrup-shaped bone in the middle ear . The stapes transmits sound vibrations from the incus , another little bone in the middle ear, to the oval window adjacent to the inner ear . The stapes is the smallest bone in the body. Pronounced stay-peas. Stapes, a Late Latin word meaning stirrup, cannot have been a classical Latin term because the Romans rode without stirrups (or a saddle). Last Editorial Review: 5/13/2016


Sky Harbor International Airport serves which US state capital?

Airport Information | Phoenix Sky Harbor International Back to Getting Around Airport Information Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, dubbed America's Friendliest Airport, is the main airport for the Greater Phoenix area. Sky Harbor serves more than 100 domestic and international destinations. With 1,200 daily flights—about 500 of them nonstop—Sky Harbor is one of the most convenient airports in the United States. Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport is served by 17 competitively priced carriers. The airport is located in the middle of Greater Phoenix, less than ten minutes from downtown, and within 20 miles of almost all of our towns and cities. Convenient transportation to the airport comes by way of PHX Sky Train. This driverless people mover transports Valley Metro Light Rail passengers to the airport from the 44th Street/Washington Street station. Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport, located in southeast Mesa, is a growing regional airport serving the Greater Phoenix area. Gateway Airport serves about 1.3 million passengers per year to more than 35 nonstop destinations. Gateway Airport has convenient access to the Loop 202 Santan and US 60 freeways, allowing passengers to connect to the entire metro area. Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport: (602) 273-3300,  skyharbor.com Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport: (480) 988-7600,  phxmesagateway.com Learn & Plan


In Russia shchi is a soup made using which vegetable?

Shchi - Russian Cabbage Soup Recipe - Food.com Core and shred the green cabbage. Peel and chop the garlic. Peel and chop the potatoes into large chunks. Peel and chop the onions. Wash and chop the tomatoes. Peel and dice the radishes. Wash and slice the leek into thin circles. Peel and grate the carrot. Melt the butter in a large pot or pan. Add garlic, onion, radish, leek and carrot. Saute on high heat approximately 5-10 minutes until vegetables have softened. Add beef stock (vegetable stock or water) and bring to a boil. Add green cabbage, potatoes, tomatoes, bay leaves, black peppercorns, and caraway seed. Reduce heat to low and cover. Simmer for approximately one hour or until all vegetables are done, stirring occasionally. Remove and discard bay leaves. Finely chop dill and/or parsley. Ladle into bowls. Add a dollop of sour cream (or smetana) on top and sprinkle with chopped dill and/or parsley. Ideally, refrigerate after cooling and wait 1-2 days to serve as shchi is usually allowed to "cure" for a short time. In my opinion, it tastes great fresh or re-heated. Can also be served cold. Pumpernickel or rye bread and butter make a great side. Refrigerate any leftovers.


Which Npower Football League Division 2 club plays at home at the Kassam Stadium?

NPower League 2 Season Preview | Bleacher Report NPower League 2 Season Preview Use your ← → (arrow) keys to browse the slideshow All pictures From www.football-league.co.uk Comments The Npower Football League Two is the fourth tier of professional soccer in England. The teams who play in the division tend to be local sides that rarely play in front of more than 5,000 people. Remarkably that still means that 2.5 million people will watch this level of football in the upcoming season. The league consists of 24 teams, with four teams promoted and two relegated at the end of the season. The upcoming slides review each club’s offseason transactions and previews their chance of success this year. Guide to Predictions This is a quick guide to the meanings of the different predicted finishes: Promotion: These are the clubs that will be promoted from this division automatically come the end of the season Playoff Contender: Teams that finish in the playoff positions have a mini-tournament at the end of the season, with the winner also getting promoted the next year. These places are hotly contested as there are more playoff contenders than places. Mid-Table Obscurity: These are the teams who will have nothing to play for with six games to go in the season, as they will be safe from relegation but too far away from the playoff places. Survival: These teams will be threatened with relegation all season but will be above that zone come the last day. Relegation: These teams are expected to drop a division when the season is over. Nicknames: The Dons, The Wombles Year Founded: 2002 Stadium (Capacity): Kings Meadow (4,720) 2011/2012 Final League Position: 16th Manager: Terry Brown Notable Transfers In: Warren Cummings (Bournemouth), Stacy Long (Stevenage), Pim Balkestein (Brentford) Notable Transfers Out: Ryan Jackson (Macklesfield), Ricky Wellard (Cambridge United), Jamie Stuart (Sutton United) Key Player: Jack Midson Preview: AFC Wimbledon successfully made the transition from non-league to league football last season and will be looking to move up the table this year. Retaining top goal scorer Jack Midson was the Dons' biggest success of the preseason, and adding experienced league players like Warren Cummings can only make them a better team. Another mid-table finish should be on the cards. Predicted Finish: Mid-Table Obscurity. Stadium (Capacity): Craven Ground (5,057) 2011/2012 Final League Position: 14th Manager: Paul Cook Notable Transfers In: Michael Liddle (Sunderland), Padraig Amond (Pacos de Ferreira), Tom Eckersley (Bolton Wanderers) Notable Transfers Out: Kevin McIntyre (Rochdale), Ian Craney (Rochdale), Sean Hessey (unattached) Key Player: Padraig Amond Preview: Like many lower league clubs, Accrington relied heavily on loan players last season after much of the playoff-contending side of the 2010/11 campaign was lost to bigger clubs. Getting Padraig Amond to sign a one-year deal with the club is a big boost for morale as many of the new signings this year have been unproven youngsters. Many fans of Stanley will be hoping for a promotion push, but it is likely that the club will fall short of that ambition. Predicted Finish: Mid-Table  Stadium (Capacity): Recreation Ground (7,100) 2011/2012 Final League Position: 11th Manager: Dean Holdsworth Notable Transfers In: Craig Reid (Stevenage), Anthony Tonkin (Oxford United),  Guy Branston (Bradford) Notable Transfers Out: Anthony Straker (Southend), Manny Panther (unattached), Darren Jones (Shrewsbury) Key Player: Aaron Morris Preview: Aldershot Town have started the last two campaigns poorly, so manager Dean Holdsworth will be looking for a much faster start this time around. However there are question marks over the players brought into The Shots this season, as many of them appear to be former non-league players who have failed to make it at other league clubs. It could be a hard season for Aldershot. Predicted Finish: Survival Stadium (Capacity): Underhill Stadium (5260) 2011/2012 Final League Position: 22nd Manager: Mark Robson Notable Transfers In: Jonathon Fortune (Exet


'Sanditon' was an unfinished novel by which 18th/19th century author?

Sanditon: Jane Austen's Unfinished Masterpiece Completed: Amazon.co.uk: Jane Austen, Juliette Shapiro: 9781569756218: Books By MARIA GRAZIA on 23 July 2009 Format: Paperback SANDITON: JANE AUSTEN'S UNFINISHED MASTERPIECE COMPLETED Had Jane Austen lived to complete "Sanditon," it would undoubtedly be as famous and treasured as her other novels. But unfinished at her death, the masterpiece has remained mysterious and overlooked. Now, author Juliette Shapiro has completed "Sanditon" in a vivid style recognizable to any Austen fan. This is what this edition of SANDITON by Jane Austen and Juliette Shapiro, (Ulysses Press, 2009) announces in its back cover. I made up my mind to read Jane's fragment of Sanditon (12 chapters) first in the original version I've got in my edition of her MINOR WORKS The Works of Jane Austen : Minor Works (The Oxford Illustrated Jane Austen, Vol.6) (including also LADY SUSAN and THE WATSONS). Then I went on reading what Sanditon has become in J. Shapiro's hands and imagination. You all probably know that Jane was seriously ill when she wrote the opening chapters of Sanditon; she had less than six months to live. It is thus remarkable that the book is so fresh, innovative, and original. In her last completed novel, Persuasion, Austen had depicted how men of merit and small means could rise to affluence and position by means of service in the British navy. Sanditon builds on this theme, depicting the commercial development of a small watering place and the social confusion of its society (one character is a mulatto heiress from the West Indies, Miss Lambe). DEIRDRE LA FAYE ON SANDITON ... Read more ›


Ellen Johnson Sirleaf is the first female African head of state - in which country?

Africa's first female president - World news - Africa      | NBC News Advertise Two U.S. Navy warships were visible offshore for the first time since the war ended in 2003, a rare show of support also meant to protect two high-profile American guests, first lady Laura Bush and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. Security was tight, with armed U.N. peacekeepers surveying the scene with binoculars from atop surrounding buildings. The U.N. redeployed 500 peacekeepers previously stationed outside the capital to strategic points in Monrovia and the international airport. Taylor legacy Sirleaf will serve a six-year term as head of Africa's oldest republic, founded by freed American slaves in 1847. The country has known little but war, however, since a rebel group led by Charles Taylor plunged the country into chaos, invading from neighboring Ivory Coast in 1989.    Taylor became president in 1997 but stepped down and was exiled to Nigeria as part of the 2003 peace deal brokered as rebels pressed on the capital. He is now wanted on war crimes charges by a U.N.-backed war crimes court in Sierra Leone for his role in backing a brutal rebel group during that country's 1991-2002 civil war. On a flight to Monrovia early Monday, Rice told reporters Taylor "is through raping and pillaging this country, and the Liberian people are trying to look forward." Nigeria has refused to hand Taylor over to the court and Sirleaf has said only that she would consult with regional leaders regarding Taylor's future. Rice said she's confident Sirleaf will work to hand Taylor over to the Sierra Leone court. Rich in diamonds, iron ore and timber, Liberia was relatively prosperous and peaceful until a 1980 coup saw illiterate Master Sgt. Samuel Doe seize power and order Cabinet ministers tied to poles in their underwear and executed. Harvard-educated Sirleaf was finance minister at the time, but was spared, she told The Associated Press in a recent interview, "by the grace of God." Twice imprisoned in the 1980s by Doe's junta, Sirleaf fled into exile. When Taylor launched a rebel invasion in 1989, Sirleaf briefly supported him — a move that still draws criticism today. The war saw children as young as 10 take up arms. Fighting uprooted half the country's three million people and killed 200,000. Challenges ahead for ‘Iron Lady’ A truce paved the way for presidential elections in 1997 that Sirleaf lost to Taylor. The brazen bid earned her the nickname "Iron Lady." After another rebel war forced Taylor from power in 2003, Sirleaf ran for president again, this time winning a heated November run-off buoyed by a resume that included senior jobs at Citibank, the U.N. and the World Bank. Her soccer star rival, George Weah, was backed by ex-rebel leaders and many ex-combatants. Sirleaf inherits a nation in tatters. The capital has no running water or electricity, and unemployment is an astounding 80 percent. Reflecting how slowly economic wheels are turning, the annual budget is a mere $80 million. Annual donor aid is three-and-a-half times that. Sirleaf says her top priorities include stamping out corruption, getting electricity in the capital and assuring a future for 100,000 ex-combatants who laid down arms last year, many of whom are prowling the streets, unemployed. © 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


Which pop group had a hit in 1970 with 'Lola'?

1970 Songs in Popular Music 1970's Biggest Artists, Albums          and Songs ♫ Crosby, Stills         and Nash (1969 Best New Artist Grammy Winner, awarded in 1970) Their first gig was on Aug. 17, 1969 at the Auditorium Theater         in Chicago , and their second gig was at Woodstock. ♫ Blood, Sweat         and Tears (1969 Grammy for Album of the Year) ♫ Aquarious -         The Fifth Dimension (Grammy for 1969 Record of the Year for Aquarius/Let The Sunshine         In) New Artists in the Pop Charts Included: Fleetwood Mac, The Carpenters, Elton John, James Taylor, The         Jackson 5, Anne Murray, Jimmy Cliff, Black Sabbath, Joni Mitchell         and Quincy Jones. 1970's Retro Top 10 Hits 1. ♫ Ma Belle Amie - The Tee Set 2. ♫ 25 or 6 to 4 - Chicago 3. ♫ O-O-H Child - The Five Stairsteps 4. ♫ Big Yellow Taxi - The Neighborhood 5. ♫ El Condor Pasa - Simon and Garfunkle 6. ♫ What Is Truth - Johnny Cash 7. ♫ Spirit In The Sky - Norman Greenbaum 8. ♫ The Wonder of You - Elvis Presley 9. ♫ Spill the Wine - Eric Burdon and War 10. ♫ Candida - Dawn 1970's 'One Hit Wonders' 1. ♫ O-o-h Child - The Five Stairsteps 2. ♫ Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes) - Edison Lighthouse 3. ♫ Hey There Lonely Girl - Eddie Holman 4. ♫ Rubber Ducky - Ernie (Jim Henson) 5. ♫ Ride Captain Ride - Blues Image 6. ♫ House of the Rising Sun - Frigid Pink 7. ♫ United We Stand - Brotherhood of Man 8. ♫ Court of the Crimson King - King Crimson 9. ♫ Vehicle - Ides of March 10. ♫ Yellow River - Christie 1970's R&B/Soul Top 10 Hit          List 1. ♫ Get Up (I Feel Like Being A Sex Machine) - James Brown 2. ♫ Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin) - Sly and the Family         Stone 3. ♫ Get Ready - Rare Earth 4. ♫ I Want You Back - Jackson Five 5. ♫ I Want To Take You Higher - Sly and the Family Stone 6. ♫ Tears of a Clown - Smokey Robinson and the Mircales 7. ♫ Do The Funky Chicken - Rufus Thomas 8. ♫ Love On A Two Way Street - The Moments 9. ♫ Stoned Love - The Supremes 10. ♫ Still Water (Love) - The Four Tops 1970's Pop Dance Top 10 Hit List 1. ♫ ABC - Jackson Five 2. ♫ Venus - Shocking Blue 3. ♫ Band of Gold - Freda Payne 4. ♫ Give Me Just A Little More Time - Chairmen of the Board 5. ♫ In The Summertime - Mungo Jerry 6. ♫ Montego Bay - Bobby Bloom 7. ♫ Tighter, Tighter - Alive & Kicking 8. ♫ Groove Me - Floyd King 9. ♫ Hitchin A Ride - Vanity Fare 10. ♫ War - Edwin Starr More Pop DanceSong Hits:   ♫ Psychedelic Shack - The Temptations 1970's Rock n Roll Top 10 Hit          List 1. ♫ Let It Be - The Beatles 2. ♫ Summertime Blues - The Who 3. ♫ American Woman - Guess Who 4. ♫ Whole Lotta Love - Led Zeppelin 5. ♫ Lola - The Kinks 6. ♫ After Midnight - Eric Clapton 7. ♫ Mississippi Queen - Mountain 8. ♫ All Right Now - Free 9. ♫ Ride Captain Ride - Blues Image 10. ♫ Roadhouse Blues - The Doors More Rock Music Hits:   ♫ Funk # 49 - James Gang   ♫ Uncle John's Band - Grateful Dead   ♫ Paranoid - Black Sabbath   ♫ Come and Get It - Badfinger   ♫ Green-Eyed Lady - Sugarloaf   ♫ Vehicle - The Ides of March   ♫ She Came In Through the Bathroom Window - Joe Cocker   ♫ Question - Moody Blues   ♫ Fresh Air - Quicksilver Messenger Service 1970's Bubblegum Top 10 Hit List 1. ♫ Rubber Ducky - Ernie 2. ♫ ABC - Jackson Five 3. ♫ I Think I Love You - The Partridge Family 4. ♫ Julie, Do Ya Love Me - Bobby Sherman 5. ♫ Jingle Jangle - The Archies 6. ♫ Easy Come, Easy Go - Bobby Sherman 7. ♫ Raindrops Keep Fallin On My Head - B.J. Thomas 8. ♫ Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes) - Edison Lighthouse 9. ♫ Hey There Lonely Girl - Eddie Holman 10. ♫ Yellow River - Christie PCM's 1970 Top 10 Hit List 1. ♫ I'll Be There - Jackson Five 2. ♫ (They Long To Be) Close To You - Carpenters 3. ♫ ABC - Jackson Five 4. ♫ Ain't No Mountain High Enough - Diana Ross 5. ♫ The Wonder Of You - Elvis Presley 6. ♫ Tears Of A Clown - Smokey Robinson and the Miracles 7. ♫ I Want You Back - Jackson 5 8. ♫ Evil Ways - Santana 9. ♫ 25 or 6 to 4 - Chicago 10. ♫ Give Me Just a Little More Time - Chairm


In New Zealand Aoraki is the native name for which natural feature?

Nature and conservation Introduction Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park is a rugged land of ice and rock, with 19 peaks over 3,000 metres including New Zealand's highest mountain, Aoraki/Mount Cook. Tasman Glacier The park is a harsh land of ice and rock. Glaciers cover 40% of it. There are 19 peaks over 3,000 m including New Zealand's highest mountain, Aoraki/Mount Cook. The park is also part of Te Waipounamu - South Westland World Heritage Area in recognition of its outstanding natural values. The glaciers that have helped shape the park's landscape include five major valley systems: Godley, Murchison, Tasman, Hooker and Mueller. The Tasman Glacier, New Zealand's largest and longest glacier, is clearly visible from the main highway at the entrance of the park. Its 27 km long, up to three km wide and 101 sq km. Although covered with rock material in its lower reaches, the ice of the Tasman is about 600 metres deep near the Hochstetter Icefall. Mount Cook lily Aoraki/Mount Cook At 3,754 m, New Zealand's tallest peak is known as Aoraki by Māori. According to legend, Aoraki was a young boy in the canoe Te Waka a Aoraki, which was stranded on a reef and tilted to one side. Aoraki and his brothers climbed to the high side and sat on the wreckage. The south wind froze them and turned them into stone, creating the Southern Alps/Kā Tiritiri o te Moana. In 1851 Captain J. L. Stokes, sailing down the West Coast, gave the mountain its European name, Mount Cook, in honour of the English navigator Captain James Cook. Jewelled green gecko Plants and animals There is virtually no forest in the park. Instead the park is alive with the most wonderful alpine plants. Over 300 species of plants are found in the park. Among the most spectacular of these are many varieties of mountain buttercup (Ranunculus) and daisy/tikumu (Celmisia). The famed Mount Cook lily, Ranunculus lyalli, is the largest buttercup in the world. About 40 species of birds are found in the park, and perhaps the most distinctive of these is the kea, a mountain parrot well known for its mischievous antics. The only true alpine bird is the tiny rock wren/piwauwau, which survives the winter in high rock basins. However kea, falcons/karearea and black-backed gulls/karoro can be found soaring in higher areas. The braided riverbed of the Tasman is home to the kakī/black stilt, one of New Zealand's rarest birds. The park is rich with invertebrate fauna, including large dragonflies, grasshoppers, distinctive moths and butterflies. A black alpine wētā known as the Mount Cook flea is found above the snowline. The jewelled gecko lives in the region but is so secretive that it is rarely seen.


Which hit record of the 1960s includes the line 'Sixteen vestal virgins who are leaving for the coast'?

The words of 'A Whiter Shade of Pale' We skipped the light fandango turned cartwheels 'cross the floor I was feeling kinda seasick but the crowd called out for more The room was humming harder as the ceiling flew away When we called out for another drink the waiter brought a tray And so it was that later as the miller told his tale that her face, at first just ghostly, turned a whiter shade of pale She said, 'There is no reason and the truth is plain to see.' But I wandered through my playing cards and would not let her be one of sixteen vestal virgins who were leaving for the coast and although my eyes were open they might have just as well've been closed She said, 'I'm home on shore leave,' though in truth we were at sea so I took her by the looking glass and forced her to agree saying, 'You must be the mermaid who took Neptune for a ride.' But she smiled at me so sadly that my anger straightway died If music be the food of love [see note, left, about this verse + its opening] then laughter is its queen and likewise if behind is in front then dirt in truth is clean My mouth by then like cardboard seemed to slip straight through my head So we crash-dived straightway quickly and attacked the ocean bed


Which Austrian composer's symphony number 104 has the title 'London'?

Haydn's Finest, For London : NPR Haydn's Finest, For London *a weekly guide to essential classics* Ted Libbey And Fred Child Recommend Haydn's 'London' Symphonies Embed Embed May 26, 200911:23 AM ET Ted Libbey Portrait of Austrian composer Franz Joseph Haydn. Kean Collection/Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Portrait of Austrian composer Franz Joseph Haydn. Kean Collection/Getty Images Symphony No. 104 in D major ("London"), H. 1/104 6:49 Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/104010890/103903739" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player"> To mark the 200th anniversary of the death of Joseph Haydn, Ted Libbey considers the great composer's final set of symphonies. Joseph Haydn 's last 12 symphonies, commissioned by the London impresario Johann Peter Saloman and composed between 1791 and 1795, are known as the London Symphonies, and are considered the composer's supreme achievements in the form. These are the grandest of Haydn's symphonies, in both proportion and orchestration. Haydn here offers a compendium of late-18th-century symphonic thought, embracing the full range of style and topics found in the music of the classical period. While the ideas themselves aren't new, they are expressed with a new directness and a heightened sense of profile. Most remarkable of all, perhaps, is how each of these works exhibits its own character while remaining unmistakably the work of one mind. The last of Haydn's London Symphonies is a work of summation whose nickname ("London") attests to its pride of place in the group. It begins with a weighty introduction in the style of a French overture, full of pathos. In the Andante, a theme-and-variations movement, there's a strong sense of fantasy. The minuet is a brilliant country dance with a hint of the hurdy-gurdy. And the finale opens with an exuberant treatment of a Croatian folk tune over a musette-style drone base. At the end of the movement, in the score he wrote, "Fine Laus Deo" ("The End, Praise God") provides a wonderful ending to this glorious set of 12 symphonies. Article continues after sponsorship The Colin Davis Touch The London Symphonies have been interpreted in different ways by many different conductors, and picking the best recordings is a difficult task. That said, the laurel goes to Colin Davis, whose 1975-81 accounts with the Concertgebouw Orchestra of Amsterdam stand among the most impressive recorded accomplishments. These are exceptionally personal interpretations, with wit and warmth in every measure. All 12 symphonies are wonderfully well-played and expertly recorded. To hear last week's feature, click here. For a full archive of NPR's Classical 50, click here . Related NPR Stories


Mr Jaggers and the clerk Wemmick appear in which of Dickens' novels?

SparkNotes: Great Expectations: Character List Great Expectations Plot Overview Analysis of Major Characters Pip -  The protagonist and narrator of Great Expectations, Pip begins the story as a young orphan boy being raised by his sister and brother-in-law in the marsh country of Kent, in the southeast of England. Pip is passionate, romantic, and somewhat unrealistic at heart, and he tends to expect more for himself than is reasonable. Pip also has a powerful conscience, and he deeply wants to improve himself, both morally and socially. Read an in-depth analysis of Pip. Estella -  Miss Havisham’s beautiful young ward, Estella is Pip’s unattainable dream throughout the novel. He loves her passionately, but, though she sometimes seems to consider him a friend, she is usually cold, cruel, and uninterested in him. As they grow up together, she repeatedly warns him that she has no heart. Read an in-depth analysis of Estella. Miss Havisham -  Miss Havisham is the wealthy, eccentric old woman who lives in a manor called Satis House near Pip’s village. She is manic and often seems insane, flitting around her house in a faded wedding dress, keeping a decaying feast on her table, and surrounding herself with clocks stopped at twenty minutes to nine. As a young woman, Miss Havisham was jilted by her fiancé minutes before her wedding, and now she has a vendetta against all men. She deliberately raises Estella to be the tool of her revenge, training her beautiful ward to break men’s hearts. Read an in-depth analysis of Miss Havisham. Abel Magwitch (“The Convict”) -  A fearsome criminal, Magwitch escapes from prison at the beginning of Great Expectations and terrorizes Pip in the cemetery. Pip’s kindness, however, makes a deep impression on him, and he subsequently devotes himself to making a fortune and using it to elevate Pip into a higher social class. Behind the scenes, he becomes Pip’s secret benefactor, funding Pip’s education and opulent lifestyle in London through the lawyer Jaggers. Joe Gargery -  Pip’s brother-in-law, the village blacksmith, Joe stays with his overbearing, abusive wife—known as Mrs. Joe—solely out of love for Pip. Joe’s quiet goodness makes him one of the few completely sympathetic characters in Great Expectations. Although he is uneducated and unrefined, he consistently acts for the benefit of those he loves and suffers in silence when Pip treats him coldly. Jaggers -  The powerful, foreboding lawyer hired by Magwitch to supervise Pip’s elevation to the upper class. As one of the most important criminal lawyers in London, Jaggers is privy to some dirty business; he consorts with vicious criminals, and even they are terrified of him. But there is more to Jaggers than his impenetrable exterior. He often seems to care for Pip, and before the novel begins he helps Miss Havisham to adopt the orphaned Estella. Jaggers smells strongly of soap: he washes his hands obsessively as a psychological mech-anism to keep the criminal taint from corrupting him. Herbert Pocket -  Pip first meets Herbert Pocket in the garden of Satis House, when, as a pale young gentleman, Herbert challenges him to a fight. Years later, they meet again in London, and Herbert becomes Pip’s best friend and key companion after Pip’s elevation to the status of gentleman. Herbert nicknames Pip “Handel.” He is the son of Matthew Pocket, Miss Havisham’s cousin, and hopes to become a merchant so that he can afford to marry Clara Barley. Wemmick -  Jaggers’s clerk and Pip’s friend, Wemmick is one of the strangest characters in Great Expectations. At work, he is hard, cynical, sarcastic, and obsessed with “portable property”; at home in Walworth, he is jovial, wry, and a tender caretaker of his “Aged Parent.” Biddy -  A simple, kindhearted country girl, Biddy first befriends Pip when they attend school together. After Mrs. Joe is attacked and becomes an invalid, Biddy moves into Pip’s home to care for her. Throughout most of the novel, Biddy represents the opposite of Estella; she is plain, kind, moral, and of Pip’s own social class. Dolge Orlick -  Th


In the cult Danish TV series 'The Killing' Sofie Grabol plays which leading character?

The Killing: meet Sofie Gråbøl, star of the hit Danish crime thriller | Television & radio | The Guardian The Observer The Killing: meet Sofie Gråbøl, star of the hit Danish crime thriller The intricate plot and gritty naturalism of The Killing have had BBC4 and iPlayer viewers enthralled for weeks – and at its heart is detective Sarah Lund, played by Sofie Gråbøl. 'How did I come up with the character?' she asks. 'By acting like a man' Sofie Gråbøl, centre, plays detective Sarah Lund in The Killing. Photograph: BBC/DR/DR Share on Messenger Close Sitting in a small Copenhagen cafe, next to her apartment, the actress Sofie Gråbøl is trying to make sense of the cult status she has achieved in Britain thanks to BBC4's Danish thriller, The Killing. "It's amazing," she says. "I can't believe it." She plays the lead character, Sarah Lund, in the show that has become the subject of feverish dinner party debates and whodunit Twitter speculation. Although The Killing's TV audience is relatively small, at around half a million, it is devoted and vocal. Previous long-running series, such as The Sopranos and The Wire, which laid claim to a cognoscenti audience, benefited from a DVD box-set boost after broadcast. The Killing, which screens in two-episode blocks on Saturday night (episodes 15 and 16 of 20 played last night), has been able to access another kind of viewer, those who catch up by watching online on the BBC's iPlayer. The action takes place in November in a Copenhagen that seems full of abandoned locations and is relentlessly dark. According to Gråbøl, the Danes were initially nonplussed by the crepuscular light, as many viewers struggled with their TV brightness settings. Lund is a tenacious and enigmatic homicide detective investigating the sadistic rape and murder of a schoolgirl. As each line of inquiry has doubled back on itself, the audience has been drawn into an intricate web of political and social intrigue. The series also explores the corrupting nature of power and unflinchingly examines the hidden fallout from murder – the pain and bereavement – in a way that is unprecedented in television. But the series does not come out of a vacuum. Danish television has benefited from the revolution in film-making that was popularised by the Dogma manifesto. Hierarchies have been broken down and the emphasis on the scriptwriting has increased, says Gråbøl. "It's strange because I get these emails from London saying you are such a success but I'm so busy working on a stage version of Ingmar Bergman's Fanny and Alexander, and my ex-husband is working in the Ukraine, so I'm alone with my two kids and I spend all my spare time fixing their lunchboxes and rushing to the supermarket." At one time, Gråbøl could not visit a supermarket in Copenhagen without being drawn into elaborate discussions about Lund's love life and the identity of the killer. The Killing (Forbrydelsen in Danish) was first broadcast in Denmark in 2007. A second series has been screened and a third, and apparently final, series is being prepared. "I loved it," she says of the public response. "It was so nice to have real conversations with people instead of 'You were great'; 'Oh thank you'. People would say 'I think it's him' but, as they began broadcasting before we finished filming the series, I didn't know the answer, so I could join in." The creator and screenwriter, Søren Sveistrup, refused to let the actors know where the plot was going or who the murderer was. They would receive each script just before shooting an episode and right until the last they were left guessing, along with everyone else. Gråbøl knew only that her character, Lund, was not the killer. One of the most appealing aspects of the series is its absorbing naturalism. There are no car chases, no high glamour and no unrealistic sexual dalliances. There are also three strong women who form the cornerstones of the story. While each is attractive, it's in a credible manner. Botox can claim no credit in this drama. Lund is particularly downbeat in her style. She wears her hair tied back, dis


Which island lies off the coast of South Wales opposite Tenby?

Pembrokeshire Wales Islands. Islands Caldey Island lies off the south coast of Pembrokeshire. The islands off the coast of Pembrokeshire are famous for nesting sea birds, marine life and wild flowers. The best time to visit to see the birds is May and June, it is also when the cliff tops are ablaze with wild flowers. During summer, you may be lucky to see cetaceans off the coast and islands. Dolphins, Porpoises and basking sharks are regular visitors. Humpback, Minke and Orca (killer) whales have also been sighted off the coast. A recent report suggested that the coast of Pembrokeshire is the best place in Britain to see whales. Pembrokeshire has one of the largest populations of Grey seals in the world. The best time to see them is between September and November when they come ashore to give birth to their pups on isolated beaches. Please do not disturb any seals you may see on the rocks or beaches. Keep well away. The best way to see whales and dolphins is on one of the whale and dolphin boat trips organized by the Pembrokeshire Marine Code group. Skomer Reached by daily boat trips from Martin’s Haven. In early summer, the island is home to Puffins, Guillemots, Razorbills and Kittywakes. It is now possible to spend the night on the island at the newly opened bunkhouse and to experience the unforgettable sight of thousands of Manx Shearwaters returning to their burrows under the cover of darkness. Skokholm The island is off limits to all except those staying in the old farmhouse on the island. The hugh colonies of Puffins, Storm Petrels and Manx Shearwaters are best viewed from a boat. Excursions are available from Dale. Grasssholm A small island crowded with thousands of nesting Gannets, one of the largest colonies in the northern hemisphere. Ramsey Reached by boat from St.Justinians. The island is a Royal Society for the Protection of Birds reserve. Razorbills, Choughs and Peregrin Falcons can be seen. Caldey Peaceful Caldey is reached by regular boats from Tenby harbour. The island has a Cistercian monastery and two beautiful beaches. It has a large seabird colony and a year round seal colony. The seals can best be seen on round island boat trips.


Which London art gallery is situated in a Victorian mansion in Manchester Square?

The Wallace Collection The Wallace Collection The Wallace Collection is a national museum in an historic London town house. In 25 galleries are unsurpassed displays of French 18th-century painting, furniture and porcelain with superb Old Master paintings and a world class armoury. Admission Free, Open 7 days a week, 10am - 5pm. Closed 24 - 26 December. Ten minutes or two hours spare? A first time visitor, returning after twenty years, or a Wallace Collection aficionado? Follow our Top Ten Things to Do to get the most out of your visit.


Who won a 2012 Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his role in 'Beginners'?

2012 Oscars Best Supporting Actor — Christopher Plummer Wins For Role In Beginners - Hollywood Life The octogenarian snags an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his role as Hal Fields in ‘Beginners.’ Christopher Plummer , 82, is the oldest actor to win an Oscar. “You’re only two years older than me — darling, where have you been all my life?” Christopher jokingly said as he looked at his golden statue. Melissa Leo , who won best supporting actress for The Fighter in 2011, presented him with his Oscar. More Oscars:


The first cancellation to be used on British postage stamps in 1840 was of what form?

British Stamps - Line Engraved Issues of 1840-1853 Line Engraved Issues 1840-1853 The line engraved British stamps, first issued in 1840 and 1841, were the first adhesive postage stamps to be issued by any nation of the World. WMK 18 Small Crown All of the line engraved stamps of 1840-1853 were all imperforate, and they were printed on either White or Bluish paper with WMK 18 -- the Small Crown watermark. The 1 P. stamp was issued on May 6, 1840.  This British stamp is referred to by collectors around the World as "The Penny Black". 1 P.  (1840 - Plates 1-11 - Scott #1) - Black, Intense Black, Gray Black. Plate 1 of the Penny Black comes in two states, known as Plate 1a and Plate 1b.  Mint condition examples of the Penny Black are tremendously expensive.  Most collectors and specialists collect these in used condition, for which there are a great number of collecting possibilities. Covers are known, used on May 6, 1840, the first day of issue, but they are tremendously expensive. During the period of use of the Penny Black plates, British post offices used Maltese Cross "killers" to cancel the British stamps that were affixed to letters.  There are 32 different types of Maltese Cross cancels that were used in various post offices.  There are 12 different types of Maltese Cross cancels that have numbers in the middle of them.  And, the Maltese Cross killers were used by postal clerks with various color inks, them being red, black, blue, magenta, and yellow.  One could make an extensive philatelic study of just these cancellation varieties that were used on the Penny Blacks. If one has the means to determine the different plates used to print the Penny Blacks, many philatelists make a collection of obtaining a nice example of the Penny Black from each of the plates.  With a good knowledge base and the right reference materials, the collector could obtain Penny Blacks from general dealers at a bourse for minimal prices that may be from the scarcer and often very expensive plates. In May of 1840, a stamp, similar to the Penny Black but with the initials " V R " in the upper corners, was prepared.  These were intended to be used as Official Stamps.  1 P.  (1840 - Plate A - Scott #O1) - Black. There were 3,233 sheets printed and delivered, however, the idea of having separate postage stamps for government offices was abandoned, and these Official Stamps were never officially issued.  Of these unissued stamps, 3,302 sheets were destroyed in 1843.  Some examples were sent out with postal notices, and a few of the stamps were given to Sir Rowland Hill for testing purposes.  The number of surviving examples of these very rare British stamps is unknown.  A few examples DID pass through the mails undetected, and these used condition stamps are exceedingly rare. The companion to the World's first postage stamp, the 2 P. denomination, shown above, was issued on May 8, 1840. 2 P.  (1840 - Plates 1-2 - Scott #2) - Blue, Pale Blue, Deep Bright Blue. Covers postmarked on the first day of issue are known, but they are exceedingly rare. The Maltese Cross cancellation varieties for the 2 P. Blue are the same as those stated previously for the Penny Black. And now, British philately starts getting a LOT MORE COMPLEX .... There was difficulty in preventing the cleaning and fraudulent re-use of black stamps, so beginning in 1841, the color of the 1 P. stamps was changed to Red Brown.  The first printings of what are referred to as the imperforate "Penny Reds" utilized some of the same plates used to print the Penny Blacks.  New plates were later manufactured for the exclusive printing of the Penny Reds. What makes this imperforate issue so complex is that these British stamps continued to be produced over a period of 12 years, using a large number of different types of plates.  In the first group of plates, the check letters are what is called "Alphabet I".  In the second group of plates, the check letters are what is called "Alphabet II".  They will not be explained here.  For the technical details on these plate and alphabet types, plea


Deneb is the brightest star of which constellation?

Deneb is distant and very luminous | Brightest Stars | EarthSky Deneb is distant and very luminous By Larry Sessions in Brightest Stars | August 18, 2016 Deneb is one of the most distant stars you will see with your eye alone. That’s because it’s one of the most luminous stars in the Milky Way galaxy. Image via Fred Espenak Deneb is one of the most distant stars you will see with your eye alone. That’s because it’s one of the most luminous stars in the Milky Way galaxy. The exact distance to Deneb is unclear, with estimates ranging from about 1,425 light-years to perhaps as much as 7,000 light-years. Whatever its exact distance, when you gaze at Deneb, know that you are gazing across thousands of light-years of space. The best estimates for Deneb’s distance likely are those obtained by the Hipparcos Space Astrometry Mission in the 1990s. A simple calculation from initial Hipparcos data gives the figure of 3,230 light-years, whereas the refined data yield just over 1,400 light-years. At any of these estimates distances, Deneb is one of the farthest stars the unaided human eye can see. It is so far, that the light that reaches the Earth today started on its journey well more than 1,000 years ago. Deneb (bottom half of frame) is 200 times bigger than the sun. Image via AstroBob In order for us to see it at its enormous distance, Deneb must also be tremendously bright and energetic. Among the 20 brightest stars, only Rigel in Orion surpasses Deneb in intrinsic brightness. Deneb is an A2Ia star, which says that it is white hot (A2) and a supergiant star (Ia). Prof. James Kaler, using the figure of 2,600 light years as the distance, estimated a diameter 200 times greater than our sun, and about a quarter of a million times brighter in visible light. Considering its spectral classification (A2), Deneb must have a surface temperature between about 8500 to 9000 kelvins (roughly 14,800 to 15,700 degrees F). This is the famous Hertzsprung-Russel diagram, which shows the luminosities of stars. See Deneb at the top of the diagram? It is one of the most luminous stars known. Deneb is not the biggest star in the Milky Way. Betelgeuse and Antares , among others, are larger. But Deneb may well be the most energetic (based on the amount of electromagnetic radiation it produces) of the A-type stars. The famed North American nebula, a large cloud of glowing gas in the shape of the continent, likely is glowing in a process similar to fluorescence, energized by the radiation of Deneb. Stellar luminosity: The true brightnesses of stars How to see it White Deneb is the 20th brightest star in the sky. It is one of the most remote stars visible to the eye alone. You can gaze at this faraway star starting in late spring, when Deneb rises over the northeastern horizon by mid-evening. A month later, Deneb is already in the sky by the time it gets dark. In standard time, the midnight culmination date is about August 1. Using Daylight Time, the midnight culmination is about August 15. The word ‘culmination’ indicates the star’s highest point in the sky. Deneb is part of several famous star patterns, which overlap each other. It’s the brightest of the stars composing the constellation Cygnus the Swan, where it marks the Swan’s Tail. When you hear ‘deneb’ in a star name, it always means ‘tail.’ Simultaneously, Deneb marks the head of an asterism (a readily recognizable grouping of stars that is not an official constellation), known as the Northern Cross. Plus it is one of the three stars known as the Summer Triangle . The other two stars are Vega and Altair . Deneb is the northernmost and dimmest of the three Triangle stars, but its association with the other bright stars makes it easy to identify. Deneb is circumpolar as seen from locations of about 45 degrees north latitude, roughly the northern tier of US states. In other words, from the northern U.S. and similar latitudes, Deneb never sets but instead circles round and round the pole star. It cannot ever be seen south of about 45 degrees south latitude. That includes Antarctica, far southern Arge


In the 2008 film 'Charlie Wilson's War' which actor took the title role?

Charlie Wilson's War Movie Review What parents need to know Positive messages Wilson isn't exactly the poster child for good behavior; he's sometimes lewd and pushy and he's plenty manipulative (so his is friend Gust). But his devotion to the rebel cause appears to be fueled by a need to do some good; when he visits Afghanistan, Wilson is moved to help make change happen. In fact, almost everyone involved in the Afghan cause in Wilson's inner circle seems to truly believe in their mission. Violence Some depictions of war violence, including demonstrations and artillery fire. In one memorable scene, a man argues loudly with his superior, then proceeds to break a glass window by hacking at it with a metal bar. Sex Charlie Wilson staffs his Beltway office with busty women, and there are plenty of cleavage shots. Even more skin is shown when women and men are naked in a hot tub; nude women are shown from the side and front, and there's a flash of a male backside. Charlie also beds a Texas socialite who wants him to help her political cause. They kiss, take a bath together, and speak in sexual innuendoes. Language Frequent use of strong language, including "f--k," "s--t," and "a--hole." Politics is a rough-and-tumble world, and so is the language. Consumerism Political names (John Murtha) and causes get plenty of air time, as does signage for locations. TV footage of news segments displays station logos and shows names. Drinking, drugs, & smoking Lots of boozing, in both social and professional settings (Wilson even asks his secretary to give him a drink). There's also a scene in which a crowd snorts cocaine, and everyone appears to smoke as well. Parents Need to Know Parents need to know that this Tom Hanks/Julia Roberts movie is decidedly adult. For starters, it deals with complex issues connected to political wrangling and Middle Eastern power struggles. And then there's the booze, gunfire, and sexual content (including some nudity), strong language (be ready for lots of "f--k"s)-- it's all here and then some. That said, the movie is also smart, with a main character who's infinitely more interesting than many other people in movies. While it's not perfect, it's still a worthy watch, especially for older teens and adults interested in the political process. User reviews Review this title! What's the story? Pay attention to the first 10 minutes of CHARLIE WILSON'S WAR. It tells you all you need to know about the titular Democratic Texan congressman ( Tom Hanks ) who, unbeknownst to many, apparently helped engineer the fall of the Soviet Union in Afghanistan by championing ways to covertly fund the Afghani rebels' operation in the early '80s. As the movie opens, Wilson is sitting in a hot tub drinking booze, surrounded by a bevy of naked, busty women (and some ogling men). But he's transfixed not by the bacchanalia around him, but rather by the news unspooling on television: The Russians have invaded Afghanistan. It's a memorable beginning for a fairly entertaining movie based on the book by George Crile, as well as a succinct capsule of who Wilson is: a smart, irreverent, and surprising politico with a penchant for drink and dames. That point is driven home later when right-wing socialite Joanne Herring ( Julia Roberts -- great acting, bad accent), who likes to put her money where her politics is, champions the Afghan cause and persuades Wilson to get involved after a quick romp. Is it any good? QUALITY Charlie Wilson is a bold role that demands a bold actor, and Hanks admirably rises to the occasion, aided by Aaron Sorkin's intelligent script and Mike Nichols ' breezy direction. Paired with Philip Seymour Hoffman -- who plays Gust Avrakos, the CIA operative who guides Wilson through his cause -- he's giving it all he's got (and effortlessly, too). But hold the box-office receipts: While Charlie Wilson's War manages to make intricate Capitol Hill and international relations maneuverings fun, it's a little too wonky to fully connect with mainstream audiences. As a one-hour West Wing episode, it would have been a smash. But a


The town of Ystad and its area are largely the setting for the exploits of which literary and TV detective?


The site of the old English and pirate harbour of Port Royal is to be found where in the Caribbean?

Port Royal and the Real Pirates of the Caribbean | Ancient Origins 10 June, 2014 - 13:56 dhwty Port Royal and the Real Pirates of the Caribbean (Read the article on one page) It is fair to say that Pirates of the Caribbean is to pirates what Indiana Jones is to archaeologists.  In other words, the romanticization of history for the purpose of entertainment usually comes at the expense of historical accuracy, and the Hollywood movie Pirates of the Caribbean is no exception. One of the settings of the film is Port Royal, Jamaica.  Here we explore the real facts behind the pirates of ancient port of Jamaica.  Port Royal was first occupied by the Taino Indians. While it is unclear whether the Taino settled in that area or not, it is known that they used Port Royal during their fishing expeditions. During that time, Port Royal was called Caguay or Caguaya. The Spanish colonisation of Jamaica brought this area under Spanish control, although, like the Taino before them, they did not have much use for it. In addition, the Taino name for this place was also retained. In 1654, an English expedition under Robert Venables and William Penn (the father of the William Penn who founded Pennsylvania) was sent by Oliver Cromwell to capture the island of Hispaniola (present day Haiti) from the Spanish. Defeated by the Spanish, and fearing to report their failure to Cromwell, Venables and Penn decided to head southwest to the poorly defended island of Jamaica. They succeeded in capturing the island, and a fort, named Fort Cromwell was built, around which the settlement of Point Cagway sprang up. When Charles II was restored to the English throne, the fort was renamed Fort Charles, and the settlement became Port Royal. A map of Port Royal, Jamaica. Credit: Sharon Brown As the area commanded a large and well-protected harbour, along with deep water close to shore, Port Royal soon became an important trading centre in the Caribbean. Due to its tremendous wealth, Port Royal required protection from the enemies of England, especially Spain, who may have had thoughts of recapturing Jamaica. Thus, a form of legalised piracy was allowed, in which pirates were given ‘letters of marque and reprisal’, a government license authorizing privateers to attack and capture enemy vessels and bring them before admiralty courts for condemnation and sale. This effectively authorised their raids on Spanish ships. Due to its strategic position on the trading routes between the New World and Spain, Port Royal was a highly attractive place for pirates who sought to become legitimate privateers. One of the most famous and successful privateers at Port Royal was Henry Morgan, who eventually became the Lieutenant Governor of Jamaica.  Captain Morgan entering Port Royal. Image source . The presence of these privateers and their Spanish booty encouraged the growth of other forms of businesses as well. Soon, bars and brothels popped up all around Port Royal where the privateers spent their treasures and indulged themselves. It has been claimed, for instance, that one in four buildings in Port Royal was either a bar or a brothel. The presence of these elements of society soon earned Port Royal the title of the “wickedest city on Earth”. Port Royal’s glory days would soon come to an end, when a massive earthquake and tsunami struck in 1692. As a result, much of Port Royal was swallowed up by the sea.  In the immediate aftermath of the earthquake, it was common to ascribe the destruction to divine retribution on the people of Port Royal for their sinful ways. Members of the Jamaica Council declared: "We are become by this an instance of God Almighty's severe judgement." Whilst there were some attempts to rebuild Port Royal in the following decades, it would never achieve the ‘splendour’ it once had. Soon, its importance was overshadowed by the city of Kingston, the present capital of Jamaica. Today, Port Royal is a sleepy fishing village, perhaps similar to how it was during the days of the Taino. Nevertheless, the submerged remains of Port Royal are in an excellent state o


'Look into my face Marie-Claire and remember just who you are' is a line from which 1969 hit record?

Peter Sarstedt - Where Do You Go To My Lovely lyrics | LyricsMode.com Where Do You Go To My Lovely lyrics $album_name This song is explained by 2 writers u 2 Create lyrics explanation Select some words and click "Explain" button. Then type your knowledge, add image or YouTube video till "Good-o-meter" shows "Cool" or "Awesome!". Publish your explanation with "Explain" button. Get karma points! OK, got it! New! Read & write lyrics explanations Click the blue-colored lyrics to read explanations. Highlight lyrics and explain them to earn Karma points. Peter Sarstedt – Where Do You Go To My Lovely lyrics You talk like Marlene Dietrich And you dance like Zizi Jeanmaire Your clothes are all made by Balmain And there's diamonds and pearls in your hair, yes there are. You live in a fancy apartment Off the Boulevard of St. Michel Where you keep your Rolling Stones records And a friend of Sacha Distel, yes you do. You go to the embassy parties Where you talk in Russian and Greek And the young men who move in your circles They hang on every word you speak, yes they do. But where do you go to my lovely When you're alone in your bed Tell me the thoughts that surround you I want to look inside your head, yes I do. I've seen all your qualifications You got from the Sorbonne And the painting you stole from Picasso Your loveliness goes on and on, yes it does. When you go on your summer vacation You go to Juan-les-Pines With your carefully designed topless swimsuit You get an even suntan, on your back and on your legs. And when the snow falls you're found in St. Moritz With the others of the jet-set And you sip your Napoleon Brandy But you never get your lips wet, no you don't. But where do you go to my lovely When you're alone in your bed Tell me the thoughts that surround you I want to look inside your head, yes I do. You're in between 20 and 30 A very desirable age Your body is firm and inviting But you live on a glittering stage, yes you do, yes you do. Your name is heard in high places You know the Aga Khan He sent you a racehorse for Christmas And you keep it just for fun, for a laugh ha-ha-ha They say that when you get married It'll be to a millionaire But they don't realize where you came from And I wonder if they really care, or give a damn But where do you go to my lovely When you're alone in your bed Tell me the thoughts that surround you I want to look inside your head, yes i do. I remember the back streets of Naples Two children begging in rags Both touched with a burning ambition To shake off their lowly-borne tags, they try So look into my face Marie-Claire And remember just who you are Then go and forget me forever But I know you still bear the scar, deep inside, yes you do I know where you go to my lovely When you're alone in your bed I know the thoughts that surround you 'Cause I can look inside your head. Lyrics taken from http://www.lyricsmode.com/lyrics/p/peter_sarstedt/where_do_you_go_to_my_lovely.html Correct Add song structure elements Click "Correct" to open the "Correction form". There you can add structure tags, correct typos or add missing words. Send your correction and get karma points! Result of your work will appear after moderating. OK, got it! +8 UnregisteredMar 25, 2015 at 11:35 pm I too loved this song from the first time I heard it played on a battered jukebox dans un café surrounded by a sea of leather-clad bikers back in the '60s. There was never any mystery to me of the song's meaning. A young woman using her stunning face and body to progress from the gutter, while her lovestruck and deserted male friend could only watch and wish from afar. I have played this so many times. A simple melody. Few chords. But filled with anxst and unfulfilled desire. 1 reply +5 UnregisteredDec 3, 2014 at 12:45 pm Personally I believe the song is a little more than "sour grapes". Marie Claire has attained what she considers success, probably correctly. The singer has not attained her level of success in either of their minds. But because of where she comes from she probably doesn't feel it is real. She knows her social


Benghazi is the chief town of which province in Libya?

The Battle for Benghazi - The Atlantic The Atlantic The Battle for Benghazi Special forces versus Islamists—and the struggle for control of Libya’s army A Libyan army trainee runs with the Libyan flag during a graduation exam in Geminis, in October 2013. Esam Omran Al-Fetori/Reuters Most Popular Print Text Size BENGHAZI, Libya — To enter Benghazi is to enter a city under siege. Unseen assailants spray checkpoints with automatic weapons; security men and military officers perish in booby-trapped cars. The staccato of nightly gunfire and pre-dawn explosions have assumed a customary quality. The culprits go undiscovered and unpunished. Residents beseech the Libyan government to dismantle the area’s freewheeling militias and replace them with the official army and police, and many hold out for a strongman who can save the troubled eastern city from itself. Last November, I met the man who seems to be filling that role.   The ‘Sisi of Benghazi’ Colonel Wanis Bukhamada, the commander of a Benghazi-based special-forces unit, received me in his office on the grounds of a sprawling, fortified barracks. Dark-skinned and in his mid-fifties, he has a furrowed brow that suggests intense concentration, combined with a suspicion of outsiders that is typical for officers who spent a lifetime in Muammar Qaddafi’s army. A throng of supplicants loitered outside his doorway: bearded men, a riot of mismatched fatigues, and clouds of cigarette smoke. Bukhamada’s special-forces unit, known colloquially as the Sa’iqa (Lightening) Brigade, was among the first military units to defect from Qaddafi’s army in the early days of the uprising against the Libyan leader in Benghazi. At the time, the brigade was led by General Abdul Fattah Younis, a charismatic figure whose assassination under shadowy circumstances in July 2011 has since polarized the city, exposing sharp divides between tribes and Islamists. In leadership and temperament, Bukhamada is a natural heir to the Younis legacy. He too won acclaim for fighting Qaddafi loyalists in the final battle for Sirte. After the revolution, he used a mix of persuasion and force to quell tribal conflict in the southern town of Sebha. Colonel Wanis Bukhamada speaks to a crowd of reporters. (Facebook) In Benghazi itself, Bukhamada was at first reluctant to get involved in policing activity. He deferred instead to a coalition of more powerful, semi-official Islamist militias. After all, as he told me in his office, his special forces were not designed or equipped for urban policing. They lack an investigative and forensic service, which means most crimes go unsolved.  But this past summer, when violence in the city escalated and the regular police proved incapable of addressing it, Bukhamada declared that enough was enough and mobilized the Sa’iqa’s reserve forces. In October, he became the effective military governor of Benghazi, charged with coordinating the efforts of disparate militias and government agencies. His men ringed Benghazi with sandbagged checkpoints, paraded armed convoys down its thoroughfares, and raided its open-air arms market. They fought running gun battles with Ansar al-Sharia, the most notorious of the city’s Islamist groups. The showdown with Ansar al-Sharia ultimately ended in negotiations, underscoring a key component of how Bukhamada keeps order in Benghazi: He relies less on formal authority and more on guile, charm, negotiation, and, most importantly, tribal pedigree. “He is more of a tribal sheikh rather than a military commander,” a fellow special-forces officer in the capital, Tripoli, noted with approval. Although Bukhamada, who hails from the prominent Magharba tribe, was raised in the south, in Murzuq, Benghazi’s prominent families have welcomed him as one of their own—the quintessential outsider who fights for his adopted home. In early November, a group of tribal sheikhs pledged to help Bukhamada keep order in the city, promising that they would not apply the tribal code of protection or retribution to any tribal members who were arrested or killed by his Sa’iqa forces. “


What is the common name of the purple flowering garden plant Lunaria valued for its seed pods?

Money Plant, Honesty, Bolbonac, Moonwort, Silver Dollar Lunaria annua Positive On May 20, 2014, coriaceous from ROSLINDALE, MA wrote: A self-sowing biennial that blooms in that awkward time after the tulips have finished and before the peonies and bearded iris. Flowers are white or purple. The white form has been given the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit. There are seed strains with handsomely variegated foliage---white on the margins---but the variegation only appears in the second year. Combines beautifully with Camassia and Allium 'Purple Sensation'. Pretty, easy, and adaptable. Tolerates considerable shade or full sun here. Taprooted, and with few fibrous roots, this plant is notoriously difficult to transplant, even when young, and does best when seed is scattered where it's wanted. I find it is easily controlled in the garden. < ... read more br /> This species has naturalized throughout the temperate world, but there is no evidence that it is destructive of natural habitat here in northeastern North America. Positive On May 19, 2014, LanfrancoLeo from Harrisburg, PA wrote: Very nice plant for a early-mid spring blooming garden! It is a true biennial plant, that can handle very well winter here in Harrisburg PA (area 7). Bloom profusely for more than 3 weeks, with a slightly - almost nonexistent scent. During the first year I gave a great amount of nitrogen that allows to develop a huge cluster of flower this year. The following pods are pretty interesting. I will definitively replant next year and hope that some spontaneous self-saw volunteer appear in the right place of my garden. I have to mention that in some neglected garden tend to naturalize, but since its biennial habit and the easy -to-detect seedpods I do not believe is that difficult to keep under control especially in a small garden. Positive On Jul 5, 2013, wakingdream from Allentown, PA wrote: This biennial thrives in my eastern PA garden, zone 6. Year one is a basal rosette of heart shaped leaves with scalloped edges. Year two is a tall stalk of either white or rosy-purple 4 petaled flowers, slightly fragrant, looking very nice with daffodils and other early spring flowers. It dies afterward, there is no third year except from seedlings thrown off by dry, white, mature stalks. When it self sows too much, I pull it out at any stage, the rosettes of year 1 or the taller stalks of year 2, or I make bouquets after pulling the whole plant. In year 2, the white taproot is substantial, starchy and thick. If the number of stalks drying in the disk stage are too tall or numerous in the beds, I thin the patch and compost what's removed (prior to seed maturity). I husk the dried disks by ... read more placing the whole branch upsidedown into a paper shopping bag and shaking firmly. Many disks will just peel away and the few that stick on can be rubbed gently between thumb and forefinger to make them separate. Seeds will fall to the bottom of the bag and collect there along with the shed disks. Dry branches will last for years in dried arrangements when prepared with care. I have thrown handfuls of (new and old) seeds into Pachysandra beds, under Black Pine trees where needles are thick, and amongst the Hostas and ferns - all for blooms the following year. Half shade seems to please this plant. It is easily removed when it oversows itself. Neutral On Aug 16, 2011, HydroPinke from Burien, WA (Zone 7b) wrote: I came across this plant in seed form on a bank owned lot, I had to grab a few of those seed pods. Now that I know what it is I am still excited to grow some, but am wondering about the comment saying it's invasive. Can you verify this claim? I can't find information about this being a problem here in king county Washington. That patches I saw were quite small, didn't look very invasive. It's my experience that plants who want to be invasive here don't have trouble doing so with all the rain here. Neutral On Apr 15, 2011, burien_gardener from Burien (SW Seattle), WA (Zone 8b) wrote: Plant nazis are waaay off base about many non-native


The French gold coin used until 1795 known as a 'Louis' had a value of how many francs?

Collecting the Coins of France by Ralph Heymsfeld Collecting the Coins of France by Ralph Heymsfeld French coinage spans about 2500 years, beginning with the coins of Greek Colonies and the Celtic Gauls, and continuing largely uninterrupted to the present day. Although such a vast expanse of time might seem overwhelming, it also creates a wealth of numismatic opportunities. There are many periods that have not yet been fully researched, and there are fascinating areas for specialization. While the coins of France include some of the world's great rarities there are also opportunities to build affordable collections of historical significance. For collectors, several aspects of French coins distinguish the field. The connection to the history of Western civilization is compelling. The Roman Empire, the emergence of Christianity, medieval feudalism and the rise of kingdoms, the Renaissance, the French Revolution, Napoleon, the World Wars of the 20th century, and the advent of the European Union are just a few highlights of the historical connections that can be traced through French coinage. Also, the artistry of French coins can be quite high. During the time of the Louis Kings and the Ancien Regime, for example, coins and medals were used to convey royal prestige and the engraving quality was comparable to that of sculpture. Of particular interest for many is the treasure trove of markings found in the early modern era. In 17th-19th century France there were several dozen operating mints. In addition to the relatively customary markings to indicate the striking date and mint, there were marks for the Engraver General, the Mint Director, and the local engraver. Known as privy marks, these additional markings take the form of a vast array of small icons - examples include crosses, crescents, hearts, diamonds, towers, dogs and birds. In addition to general interest, study of the privy markings is often necessary to properly identify a coin. Although France still uses iconic markings, in contemporary coinage they are limited to a simple few. Examples of privy marks. From left: Heron mark of Jean Dupeyron de la Coste II, director Paris Mint 1784-91 Lyre mark of Francois Bernier, local engraver Paris Mint 1774-93 Leopard mark of Alexandre Roettiers de Montaleau, director Paris Mint 1791-93 Ancient Pre-Roman Greek and Celtic Coinage People have lived in what is present day France since long before the beginnings of recorded history. France enters the written record in the Iron Age. It was known to the ancient Greeks and Romans as Gaul. Of course, the political and geographical designations are not the same as today. Gaul covered much of modern day France, as well as Belgium and parts of Germany and Italy. The Gauls were one of three groups living in the region, the others being the Aquitani and the Belgae. They were a Celtic people and spoke the Gaulish language. The first coins to be used in Gaul were produced about 500 BC by Greek colonists who had settled along the Mediterranean coast and founded the city of Massalia - present day Marseille. These coins are small silver pieces similar to other contemporary Greek coinage. At about the fourth century BC the first silver obols and drachm from Massalia are seen in Gaul. The Greek terms of obol and drachm refer to both coins and units of weight. There are six obols to a drachm which weighs about 4.3 grams. Over the next few centuries Greek coins circulated widely throughout Gaul. Native Celtic groups also began minting their own coinage during this time, much of which shows the Greek influence to a greater or lesser extent. Of particular significance was the influence of the coins of Philip II of Macedon who reigned 359�336 BC. Mercenaries who fought for Philip II brought home gold staters (about 28 drachm) and those coins were imitated throughout Gaul as they were in other nearby ancient regions. Ancient Roman Era In the centuries leading up to the first millennium, Roman domination in Gaul would ebb and flow, but over time steadily grew by annexation and


The Rhodope Mountains lie mostly in which East European country?

Rhodope (Rodopi) Mountains, Bulgaria. Guided And Self-guided Walking Tours. Rhodope Mountains > Rhodope Mountains - guided and self-guided hiking and walking holidays in Bulgaria RHODOPE MOUNTAINS Rhodope (also Rodopi or Rhodopi) is the largest mountain in Bulgaria, spanning one seventh of the territory of the country. The mountain is situated in the Southern part of Bulgaria and the southernmost part of it is situated on the territory of Greece. The highest peak is Golyam Perelik (2191m a.s.l.). The name of the mountain has a Thracian origin. The Thracian tribes inhabited the Rhodopi centuries on end. Around the mountain there are lots of remains of their culture, such as megaliths and sanctuaries.  In geomorphological aspect the Rhodopi is the oldest mountain range in Bulgaria. The mountain can be divided in Eastern and Western Rhodopi. The two parts are very different from each another. The Western part is much higher and the climate is mostly mountainous. The Eastern part has low mountainous and hill relief, where the average altitude is only 230 m. The climate is very mild during the winter and very hot in the summer. A significant part of Bulgaria's hydropower resources is concentrated in the Western part of the mountain range.  There are lots of hydro-cascades, built on dams used for electricity production, irrigation and as tourist destinations. Fifteen reserves have been established in the region, some of which are under UNESCO protection. There are more than 50 huts in Rhodope Mountains. Unfortunately, some of them are closed down altogether; others are open only in the warm period of the year. Most of the hikers and visitors of the mountain prefer to stay in some of the numerous guesthouses and small hotels situated in the villages and the small Rhodopean towns, such as the towns of Smolyan, Chepelare, Kardzhali, Velingrad, Devin, Zlatograd and the villages of Shiroka Laka, Yagodina, Gela, Trigrad, Orehovo, Kovachevitsa and many others. Lots of hiking and walking trails are crossing the Eastern and Western part of Rhodope Mountains. Unfortunately, only the most popular are very well marked. During most of the hikes it is not very difficult to get lost. The Rhodope Mountains are suitable for differently experienced hikers. You can either make short walks around some of the villages or the interesting sites (i.e. using as a centre for example Trigrad village ), or hike many days in line for more than 6-7 hours per day (some self-guided walking tours offer the option to walk with just a daypack, having your luggage transferred between the accommodations in the meantime). In any case the walking trails here are easier compared to Rila and Pirin, providing good opportunities for easy to moderate difficulty hikes. The Rhodope Mountains are some of the best places in Bulgaria to combine sightseeing and hiking . Hiking for a couple of days here is included in all itineraries, coverning the best of the Bulgarian mountains . The parts of the mountains, close to the border with Greece had a very limited access during the communists’ times and now they slightly reveal their secrets and traditions. And they are unique. For sure this is the place to experience Bulgarian hospitality in the true sense of the word. The most visited is the region between the villages of Orehovo, Trigrad and Smolyan. The most often visited hiking trails and the most popular tourist sites are situated there. Natural and cultural sights: They are so many, but let’s mention some of them: • Environmental centre “Eastern Rhodope” – located in the town of Madzharovo. There you can learn about the vultures and see them in their natural habitat. • Chudnite mostove (Wonderful Bridges) – a marvelous rocky phenomenon. The two bridges are situated in the foothills of Golyam Persenk Peak and were formed by the erosive activity of the once high-water river. • Some of the famous caves you can visit:  “Yagodina”, “Bacho Kiro”, “Uhlovitsa”, “Snezhanka”, “The Devil’s Throat” etc. • Kardzhali – in and near this town you can find many interesting places: the Histor


Moya Greene is the Chief Executive of which UK company?

Moya Greene will repay £250,000 perk to buy a house after Vince Cable said he would have vetoed it - Telegraph Royal Mail Moya Greene will repay £250,000 perk to buy a house after Vince Cable said he would have vetoed it Moya Greene, Royal Mail’s Canadian chief executive, will repay a £250,000 perk  from the company to help her buy a house, after Vince Cable found out about  it. Moya Greene, Royal Mail chief executive, received £1.47million in 2012/13, up from £1.1million in 2011/12. Photo: Reuters


Spica is the brightest star in which constellation?

Spica is a whirling double star | Brightest Stars | EarthSky Spica is a whirling double star By Deborah Byrd and Larry Sessions in Brightest Stars | April 23, 2016 Spica is a binary star, with two stars larger and hotter than the sun, telescopically indistinguishable from a single point of light. The star Spica is also called Alpha Virginis, because it is the brightest star in Virgo. Its color is distinctly blue-white, even to the eye. Photo by Fred Espenak. Read more about Spica at Fred Espenak’s website. Spica looks like one star, but it is at least two stars, both larger and hotter than our sun, orbiting only 18 million kilometers (11 million miles) apart. That’s in contrast to 150 million kilometers for Earth’s distance from our sun. Their mutual gravity distorts each star into an egg shape, with the pointed ends facing each other as they whirl around, completing a single orbit in only four days. Follow the links below to learn more about Spica, brightest star in the constellation Virgo the Maiden. Spica science. Follow the arc to Arcturus, and speed on to Spica. Daniel McVey captured this image of the star Spica and the planet Mars on March 26, 2014. Spica is near Mars for much of 2014. How to see Spica. The best evening views of Spica come from spring to late summer when this star arcs across the southern sky. Spica rises in the east-southeast as the sunset glow fades in mid-April. At that time, it is visible most of the night. Two months later it beams at its highest point to the south in early evening. By the end of August, Spica can be viewed only briefly in the west-southwestern sky as darkness falls. Here’s how you can speed on to find Spica. First look for the Big Dipper in the northern sky. The Dipper is highest in the sky in spring and summer. Notice that the Big Dipper has a bowl and a long, curved handle. Find the Dipper, and then follow the curve of its handle outward, away from the Dipper itself. The first bright star you come to is orange Arcturus , but if you continue past it in the curving path, the next bright star is Spica. Scouts and stargazers remember this trick with the saying: Follow the arc to Arcturus, and speed on to Spica. Virgo? Here’s your constellation Spica is the brightest light in the constellation Virgo the Maiden, and it is the 15th brightest star visible from anywhere on Earth. It’s virtually the same brightness as Antares in the constellation Scorpius, so sometimes Antares is listed as the 15th and Spica as the 16th brightest. No matter. Identify this beautiful blue-white star, and – with the Big Dipper’s help to spot it in the sky – it’ll be your friend for life. Classical illustration of the constellation Virgo the Maiden, via constellationsofwords.com. History and mythology of Spica. Spica is from the Latin word for “ear,” and the general connotation is that it refers to an “ear of wheat.” Indeed, the star and the constellation Virgo itself were sometimes associated with the Greek goddess of the harvest, Ceres. There are many names and stories for Spica’s constellation – Virgo – in mythology, and by association with Spica as well. Fewer stories refer to Spica independently. Many classical references refer to Virgo’s stars as a goddess or with some association with wheat or the harvest. In Greece and Rome she typically was Astraea, the very personification of Justice; or Persephone, daughter of Ceres. In Egypt, Virgo was identified with Isis, and Spica was considered her lute bearer. In ancient China, Spica was a special star of spring known as the Horn. One Arabic name was Azimech, derived from words meaning Defenseless One or Solitary One. This title may be in reference to Spica’s solitary status with no other bright stars nearby. But Spica is not the most solitary star. That honor goes to Fomalhaut , sometimes called the Autumn Star. Artist’s concept of Spica from hypothetical planet. Image credit: Glyphweb.com Spica science. Spica is about 262 light-years away, based on data from the Hipparcos Space Astrometry Mission of the 1990s. Spica is a binary star, with two stars wh