What did the U.S. buy from Russia for 2 cents an acre?

Native History: U.S. Buys Alaska for Two Cents an Acre From Russia - Indian Country Media Network Events litsite.org The Russian-America Company had been fur trading in Alaska for some 83 years before Hayward Hutchinson, a Civil War business promoter, travelled to Sitka in 1867 to bid on the company’s remaining assets. Native History: U.S. Buys Alaska for Two Cents an Acre From Russia Christina Rose • October 18, 2013 This Date in Native History: On October 18, 1867, the United States purchased Alaska from Russia for two cents an acre, or $7.2 million in gold, which amounts to about $16.5 billion in 2007 currency according to an Economix blog . Alaska’s history began thousands of years ago with the Natives who lived according to the provisions and possibilities of nature. Food was abundant and snow was preferable to mud for travel. But with the arrival of the Russian fur traders in the early 1700s, came fur rush and like the miners of the gold rush, the scourge of “fugitive serfs, ex convicts, debtors” arrived from Russia to Alaska and treated the Natives in an abusive, torturous manner, according to an Alaska History and Cultural Studies course offered by the Alaska Humanities Forum. The enormous state of Alaska is about one-fifth the size of the United States, but it was the coastal areas that saw the greatest impact from the intruders. In 1778, British navigator Captain James Cook noted that the Russians had intermarried and taken on the culture of the Natives. Yet in other areas, violence, enslavement, and hostilities continued. Richard Dauenhauer, a retired Alaskan language and culture professor from the University of Alaska, expressed concern that too much focus is placed on the hostilities and not enough credit is given for the working relationships that also existed. “Natives had the option of being a citizen of Russia or not. Native people mapped the Marshall Islands, charted the coast. One Alaska Native man was a governor in Siberia. A lot of people at that time had Russian fathers and Native mothers. This created the Creole class, which was important in the middle management of the colony.” Native Alaskans also formed partnerships with Russian companies, Dauenhauer said, adding that many Natives held positions as teachers and officers and attended prestigious military schools. He asked, “Where did you see that kind of power among Natives anywhere else in the U.S. at that time?” Alaska.edu Richard Dauenhauer addresses a crowd of friends and co-workers during a reception in Juneau celebrating his receipt of the 2013 Bullock Prize for Excellence. Approximately 45 percent of the people labeled Russians were Native peoples from Siberia, and the Alaska Native languages and cultures were never threatened; bilingualism was the norm, Dauenhauer said. “The Natives weren’t competing with the Russians. The Creole people, Russian-Natives, would have been considered Native by BIA standards even though they had Russian names. The problem is that people stereotype and focus on the abuse,” Dauenhauer wrote in an email. “Many Aleuts teamed up with the Siberians in mutually beneficial relationships.” wilderness.org/blog Pictured from left, are, Second Chief Ed Alexander, Wilderness Society’s Nicole Whittington-Evans, and First Chief Michael Peter. In 1794, Russian missionaries arrived and established schools that designed writing systems for Native languages and translated scripture, Dauenhauer said. The treaties made during the Russian/American period from 1732 to 1837 focused almost solely on the fur trade. Gold mining began in the 1880s and 1890s, after the U.S. purchased Alaska, and continues today. Alaska still produces more gold than any other state, except Nevada. For more than a century, Russia, and ultimately the United States, England, Spain and others took advantage of Alaska’s fur trade until the animal resources became severely depleted. With so many outside parties coming into Alaska, Dauenhauer said Russia’s decision to sell was based on the fact that it was almost impossible to defend the entire coastline. Once A


In what country did Sandinistas battle Contras in the 1980's?

The contra war in Nicaragua - Noam Chomsky Home The contra war in Nicaragua - Noam Chomsky Noam Chomsky's account of the US-backed “contra” counter-insurgency in Nicaragua against the left-wing government brought to power on the back of a popular mass movement from below. It wasn't just the events in El Salvador that were ignored by the mainstream US media during the 1970s. In the ten years prior to the overthrow of the Nicaraguan dictator Anastasio Somoza in 1979, US television - all networks - devoted exactly one hour to Nicaragua, and that was entirely on the Managua earthquake of 1972. From 1960 through 1978, the New York Times had three editorials on Nicaragua. It's not that nothing was happening there - it's just that whatever was happening was unremarkable. Nicaragua was of no concern at all, as long as Somoza's tyrannical rule wasn't challenged. When his rule was challenged, by the [popular, left-wing] Sandinistas in the late 1970s, the US first tried to institute what was called "Somocismo [Somoza-ism] without Somoza" - that is, the whole corrupt system intact, but with somebody else at the top. That didn't work, so President Carter tried to maintain Somoza's National Guard as a base for US power. The National Guard had always been remarkably brutal and sadistic. By June 1979, it was carrying out massive atrocities in the war against the Sandinistas, bombing residential neighbourhoods in Managua, killing tens of thousands of people. At that point, the US ambassador sent a cable to the White House saying it would be "ill-advised" to tell the Guard to call off the bombing, because that might interfere with the policy of keeping them in power and the Sandinistas out. Our ambassador to the Organisation of American States also spoke in favour of "Somocismo without Somoza," but the OAS rejected the suggestion flat out. A few days later, Somoza flew off to Miami with what was left of the Nicaraguan national treasury, and the Guard collapsed. The Carter administration flew Guard commanders out of the country in planes with Red Cross markings (a war crime), and began to reconstitute the Guard on Nicaragua's borders. They also used Argentina as a proxy. (At that time, Argentina was under the rule of neo-Nazi generals, but they took a little time off from torturing and murdering their own population to help re-establish the Guard - soon to be renamed the contras, or "freedom fighters.") Ronald Reagan used them to launch a large-scale terrorist war against Nicaragua, combined with economic warfare that was even more lethal. We also intimidated other countries so they wouldn't send aid either. And yet, despite astronomical levels of military support, the United States failed to create a viable military force in Nicaragua. That's quite remarkable, if you think about it. No real guerrillas anywhere in the world have ever had resources even remotely like what the United States gave the contras. You could probably start a guerrilla insurgency in mountain regions of the US with comparable funding. Why did the US go to such lengths in Nicaragua? The international development organisation Oxfam explained the real reasons, stating that, from its experience of working in 76 developing countries, "Nicaragua was...exceptional in the strength of that government's commitment...to improving the condition of the people and encouraging their active participation in the development process." Of the four Central American countries where Oxfam had a significant presence ( El Salvador , Guatemala , Honduras and Nicaragua), only in Nicaragua was there a substantial effort to address inequities in land ownership and to extend health, educational and agricultural services to poor peasant families. Other agencies told a similar story. In the early 1980s, the World Bank called its projects "extraordinarily successful in Nicaragua in some sectors, better than anywhere else in the world." In 1983, The Inter-American Development Bank concluded that "Nicaragua has made noteworthy progress in the social sector, which is laying the basis for long-term soc


"What city was once called ""The Paris of the Middle East"" before a civil war began in 1975?"

MIDDLE EAST: Syria and Lebanon - Council on Foreign Relations Council on Foreign Relations Middle East: Syria and Lebanon Connect With Us:  MIDDLE EAST: Syria and Lebanon Author: Esther Pan What's next on the political agenda? What is Syria's role in Lebanon? It dominates Lebanon's foreign policy and has effectively occupied large sections of its smaller neighbor for nearly 30 years. There are currently some 15,000 Syrian troops in Lebanon, and Hezbollah --a militant Shiite group supported by Syria and Iran--has long operated in southern Lebanon. The United States has repeatedly demanded that Syria withdraw its troops and refrain from interfering in Lebanese politics. Share Email Was Syria responsible for the assassination of Rafik Hariri? There are many suspicions that it was, but no proof. On February 14, a massive car bomb in Beirut killed Hariri and more than a dozen others and wounded more than 100. Syrian officials deny involvement. In September 2004, the Baathist government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad pressured Lebanon's parliament to amend the constitution and extend the presidential term of Emile Lahoud, a Maronite Christian widely seen as a Syrian puppet. Then-Prime Minister Hariri, a billionaire businessman who had led the post-civil war rebuilding of Lebanon, resigned in protest in October. How long have Syrian troops been in Lebanon? Since 1976. Full-scale civil war broke out in April 1975 between the Maronite Christian groups of the Lebanese Front and the Lebanese National Movement, which was made up of left-leaning Muslims who wanted a greater share of political power. Fighting was intense, and in June 1976 the Maronite-dominated government asked for support from Syria. Syria had previously mounted several failed diplomatic efforts to stop the war. For then-Syrian leader Hafez al-Assad--the current president's father--the Lebanese conflict presented a range of possibilities, all of them unappealing: sectarian strife spilling over into Syria, which had its own Christian-Muslim tensions; an Israeli invasion of Lebanon; or the establishment of a radical, left-wing Muslim state, if the Lebanese National Movement won. Assad sent in troops to strengthen the Maronite government, which he calculated he could manipulate, many Mideast analysts say. Assad's move earned the wrath of the Muslim world, because he backed the Christian side. Still, small contingents of troops from Saudi Arabia, the Gulf States, and Sudan later joined the Syrian-dominated Arab Deterrent Force. The war lasted 15 years. What caused the war? Tensions among Lebanon's Christians, Sunni Muslims, Shiite Muslims, and the Druze Muslim sect. Those groups had long jockeyed for power and influence. Under the French occupation, which lasted from the end of World War I until independence in 1943, a "confessional" system evolved that reserved certain government posts for each religious group. Under this system, Christians had the upper hand in the national assembly--the Chamber of Deputies--that chooses the president. This arrangement bred resentment among Lebanese Muslims, especially as they grew to outnumber Christians. In the early 1970s, the arrival of Yasir Arafat and thousands of his fellow Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) militants exacerbated Christian-Muslim strains and swelled the Muslim ranks with thousands of experienced gunmen. Lebanese Muslim groups supported the PLO fighters, recently expelled from Jordan, while Maronite Christian groups worried that PLO raids against Israel would invite retaliation and destabilize Lebanon. Throughout the 1970s, the PLO increasingly used Lebanon as a base from which to attack Israel. Israeli forces invaded in 1978 and 1982; after the second invasion, they remained and occupied a strip of southern Lebanon for nearly 20 years. Egypt, Iraq, and Libya supported Muslim factions in the civil war, while the United States and Israel backed Christian groups. During the long course of the conflict, Syria alternately supported the Christian amd Muslim sides. What ended the war? The October 1989 Taif


"What city is also called ""Nola"" and ""The Big Easy""?"

Why is New Orleans Called "the Big Easy"? (with pictures) Why is New Orleans Called "the Big Easy"? Images By: Calee Allen,                Kzenon,                Qingwa,                Iofoto,                n/a Last Modified Date: 13 December 2016 Copyright Protected: These 10 animal facts will amaze you Just about everyone has heard the city of New Orleans, located in Louisiana along the Mississippi River, referred to as "The Big Easy." While the term has been used in everything from literature to sales brochures and even movies, its origins are somewhat obscure. There are actually several theories on how New Orleans came to have the nickname. The nickname may be related to the rich musical heritage of New Orleans. The city has long been a haven for jazz and blues musicians who wanted a place to hone their craft. Legend has it that the earliest use of the Big Easy had to do with the fact that there were so many ways for a good musician to make a living in New Orleans. From performing on the streets and in the parks to playing private parties and in nightclubs, no other American city was said to be so open and so supportive of musical artists. The nickname might have been coined to refer to the ease with which a struggling musician could find work and study music at the same time. Another possible origin for the nickname is connected to the relaxed attitude toward alcohol consumption that was found in New Orleans, even during the days of Prohibition. The city, perhaps more than any other, continued to enjoy an active night life that offered everything from bathtub gins to the finest wines. Anyone who wanted to enjoy a drink or two could easily find something to his or her liking among the many nightspots of New Orleans. The name could. therefore, have referred to the great ease of enjoying an evening with the alcohol of one’s choice. The relatively low cost of living in New Orleans, in comparison to many major US cities, has also been suggested as the origin of the nickname. Musicians were not the only professionals who could easily find work in the city. Coupled with affordable housing and plenty of fresh food and drink, even a modest paycheck would allow a relatively comfortable standard of living. Whatever the origins of the nickname, there is no doubt that references to New Orleans as the Big Easy have increased dramatically since the release of a film of the same name in 1987. Set in New Orleans, the film introduced the culture and atmosphere of the city to many people that only knew it through travelogues. Today, just about everyone knows exactly what is being discussed when they hear the nickname mentioned. Whether conjuring images of an easy lifestyle, plenty of entertainment, or a place where music plays day and night, there is no doubt the Big Easy is now firmly a part of the national vocabulary, and will be for many years to come. Ad anon991306 Post 8 The accents in the movie (as with most shows about New Orleans) totally sucked. It would be nice if they could get it right! anon229051 Post 6 I have lived in New Orleans my entire life (38 years) and for as long as I can remember, it's been referred to as "The Big Easy." It has to do with the jazz and culture of the people (mainly creole) whose demeanor was always "easy going." The movie was given that name because they wanted viewers to know it was about New Orleans! Sheesh, people. Read a book! anon228327 Post 5 I was born and raised in New Orleans and we never called or heard of it called the big easy until that movie came out in '87., for whatever reason. I even heard that there was supposed to be a contest for a nickname, but NOLA already had one. It is called "The Crescent City" and "the city care forgot". And yes, the French Quarter was built on a higher area. icecream17 Post 4 Latte31-To make matters worse, there were few jobs in the area because damaged businesses had to rebuild and that took time. The only area that did not receive too much damage was the French Quarters. Tha


In Japan, Sumo Is Dominated by Foreigners - The New York Times The New York Times Sports |In Japan, Sumo Is Dominated by Foreigners Search In Japan, Sumo Is Dominated by Foreigners By DANIEL KRIEGER Continue reading the main story Photo The sumo wrestler Baruto, who is from Estonia, was thrown to the ground by Kaio during a match in Osaka in 2009. Credit Kyodo News, via Associated Press TOKYO — On the first day of the New Year Grand Sumo Tournament, Japanese fans were hopeful that 2013 might bring some change: an end to the protracted losing streak by Japanese wrestlers. But if anyone needed a reminder of how unlikely that was, all they had to do was look up at the giant portraits hanging around the upper part of the Ryogoku Kokugikan arena, showing the winners of the past 32 tournaments around the country. Not one of those portraits was of a Japanese. Just four Mongolians, an Estonian and a Bulgarian account for all 32 of those victories, which date to 2007. The last time a Japanese wrestler won was in January 2006. But some observers say it is just a matter of time before the current wave of foreign dominance passes and a Japanese wrestler gets promoted to the rank of grand champion once again. The first foreign-born wrestler to break through to the top was Chad Rowan, who left his native Hawaii to enter the world of professional sumo at 18. At the time, he was not thought to have great promise. It was his more athletically endowed younger brother that recruiters had their eye on. But five years later, in January 1993, Rowan became the first non-Japanese sumo wrestler to reach the sport’s highest rank — yokozuna, or grand champion. Advertisement Continue reading the main story In 1999, another Hawaiian claimed that title, followed in 2003 and 2007 by two Mongolians, who also are among the top five all-time championship winners. In 2012, one more Mongolian became yokozuna, the 70th in history. (There can be multiple yokozuna at a time, or none.) During Rowan’s heyday, two Japanese brothers from a prominent sumo family each became yokozuna, which helped fuel a sumo boom, but now it has been 10 years since the last Japanese grand champion retired and seven years since a Japanese wrestler won a grand championship, for which there are competitions six times a year. At the New Year Grand Sumo Tournament, foreign-born wrestlers made up one-third of the 42 rikishi who occupy the top division, yet they make up just seven percent of the 613 total wrestlers in the sport. Though the media and fans make much of what some characterize as the disgrace of foreign dominance — the two current yokozuna are both Mongolian — those in the sumo community do not typically acknowledge any Japanese versus non-Japanese rivalry. “When I was wrestling,” said Rowan, who is known in sumo as Akebono, “I wasn’t thinking, ‘I’m an American, I’m going to go out there, plant my flag in the middle of the ring and take on the Japanese.”’ He said he always considered himself a sumo wrestler first and foremost, the product of the Japan Sumo Association, the governing body of the pro sport. Nevertheless, the persistent drought does put pressure on Japanese wrestlers. Standing at 2.03 meters, or 6-foot-8, Rowan, now 43, attributes his success in part to being able to overpower his smaller Japanese opponents. (He once tipped the scales at more than 225 kilograms, or 500 pounds.) “We were just brute strength,” he said, speaking of himself and a few other top-ranked Hawaiians in the 1990s. “We won fast or we lost fast. We weren’t too technical.” But now, he said, foreign wrestlers, who mostly hail from Mongolia and Eastern Europe, are employing more advanced techniques to give them an edge. Advertisement The foreigners come from countries with long traditions of other forms of wrestling, said Mark Buckton, sumo columnist for the Japan Times, and some of the techniques they implement, like leg sweeps and lateral movement, throw Japanese opponents off. Video A Slump for Japanese Sumo Wrestlers It’s been seven years since a Japanese wrestler has won a grand champions


What animal's scientific name is Ursus Maritimus?

Ursus maritimus (Polar Bear) Home » Ursus maritimus (Polar Bear) Ursus maritimus  Synonym(s): Thalarctos maritimus (Phipps, 1774) Taxonomic Source(s): Wilson, D.E. 1976. Cranial variation in polar bears. International Conference on Bear Research and Management 3: 447-453. Taxonomic Notes: Phipps (1774) first described the Polar Bear as a distinct species and named it Ursus maritimus. Other names were suggested including Thalassarctos, Thalarctos, and Thalatarctos. Erdbrink (1953) and Thenius (1953) ultimately settled on Ursus (Thalarctos) maritimus because of interbreeding between Brown Bears (Ursus arctos) and Polar Bears in zoos. Based on the fossil record, Kurtén (1964) recommended the Phipps (1774) name Ursus maritimus, which was promoted by Harington (1966), Manning (1971) and Wilson (1976) and is used today (see DeMaster and Stirling 1981, Amstrup 2003, Wilson and Reeder 2005). 2015-08-27 Assessor(s): Wiig, Ø., Amstrup, S., Atwood, T., Laidre, K., Lunn, N., Obbard, M., Regehr, E. & Thiemann, G. Reviewer(s): Akçakaya, H.R., Holmes, E., Reynolds, J., Stern, H., Schliebe, S. & Derocher, A.E Justification: Loss of Arctic sea ice due to climate change is the most serious threat to Polar Bears throughout their circumpolar range (Obbard et al. 2010, Stirling and Derocher 2012, USFWS 2015). We performed a data-based sensitivity analysis with respect to this threat by evaluating the potential response of the global Polar Bear population to projected sea-ice conditions. Our analyses included a comprehensive assessment of generation length (GL) for Polar Bears; development of a standardized sea-ice metric representing important habitat characteristics for the species; and population projections, over three Polar Bear generations, using computer simulation and statistical models representing alternative relationships between sea ice and Polar Bear abundance. Our analyses highlight the potential for large reductions in the global Polar Bear population if sea-ice loss continues, which is forecast by climate models and other studies (IPCC 2013). Our analyses also highlight the large amount of uncertainty in statistical projections of Polar Bear abundance and the sensitivity of projections to plausible alternative assumptions. Across six scenarios that projected polar bear abundance three generations forward in time using the median and 95th percentile of estimated GL, the median probability of a reduction in the mean global population size greater than 30% was approximately 0.71 (range 0.20-0.95; see Table 4 in the attached Supporting Material). The median probability of a reduction greater than 50% was approximately 0.07 (range 0-0.35), and the probability of a reduction greater than 80% was negligible. The International Union for the Conservation of Nature Red List Guidelines suggests that assessors consider nearly the full range of uncertainty in potential outcomes, and adopt a precautionary but realistic attitude toward risk tolerance (Section 3.2.3, IUCN 2014). In light of the significant probability, across scenarios, of a reduction in mean global population size greater than 30%, and the relatively low probability of a reduction greater than 50%, we conclude that Polar Bears currently warrant listing as Vulnerable under criterion A3c (IUCN 2014). For further information about this species,   see 22823_Ursus_maritimus.pdf . A PDF viewer such as Adobe Reader is required. Previously published Red List assessments: 2008 – Vulnerable (VU) Geographic Range [top] Range Description: Polar Bears live throughout the ice-covered waters of the circumpolar Arctic (Obbard et al. 2010, www.pbsg.npolar.no ). Although some occur in the permanent multi-year pack ice of the central Arctic basin, they are most common in the annual ice over the continental shelf and inter-island archipelagos that surround the polar basin. Polar Bears that have continuous access to sea ice are able to hunt throughout the year. However, in those areas where the sea ice melts completely each summer, Polar Bears are forced to spend several months on land, where


What biblical king had 700 wives and 300 concubines?

1 Kings 11:3 He had seven hundred wives of royal birth and three hundred concubines, and his wives led him astray. Matthew Henry Commentary 11:1-8 There is not a more melancholy and astonishing instance of human depravity in the sacred Scriptures, than that here recorded. Solomon became a public worshipper of abominable idols! Probably he by degrees gave way to pride and luxury, and thus lost his relish for true wisdom. Nothing forms in itself a security against the deceitfulness and depravity of the human heart. Nor will old age cure the heart of any evil propensity. If our sinful passions are not crucified and mortified by the grace of God, they never will die of themselves, but will last even when opportunities to gratify them are taken away. Let him that thinks he stands, take heed lest he fall. We see how weak we are of ourselves, without the grace of God; let us therefore live in constant dependence on that grace. Let us watch and be sober: ours is a dangerous warfare, and in an enemy's country, while our worst foes are the traitors in our own hearts. Solomon's Foreign Wives …2from the nations concerning which the LORD had said to the sons of Israel, "You shall not associate with them, nor shall they associate with you, for they will surely turn your heart away after their gods." Solomon held fast to these in love. 3 He had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines, and his wives turned his heart away. 4For when Solomon was old, his wives turned his heart away after other gods; and his heart was not wholly devoted to the LORD his God, as the heart of David his father had been.…


What brand of gum is named after a type of rocket launcher?

bazooka | weapon | Britannica.com Bazooka Alternative Title: M9A1 Rocket Launcher Related Topics blowgun Bazooka, shoulder-type rocket launcher adopted by the U.S. Army in World War II . The weapon consisted of a smooth-bore steel tube, originally about 5 feet (1.5 metres) long, open at both ends and equipped with a hand grip, a shoulder rest, a trigger mechanism, and sights. Officially titled the M9A1 Rocket Launcher, it was called bazooka after a crude horn of that name used by radio comedian Bob Burns. Bazooka U.S. Signal Corps/National Archives, Washington, D.C. The bazooka was developed chiefly for attacking tanks and fortified positions at short range. It launched a 3.5-pound (1.6-kg) rocket with a diameter of 2.36 inches (60 mm) and a length of 19 inches (483 mm). The rocket carried 8 ounces (225 grams) of pentolite, a powerful explosive that could penetrate as much as 5 inches (127 mm) of armour plate. To escape backblast, the operator held the bazooka on his shoulder with about half the tube protruding behind him. During the Korean War the M20 “Super Bazooka” was used. This was an aluminum tube that launched a 3.5-inch (89-mm), 9-pound (4-kg) rocket carrying 2 pounds (0.9 kg) of combined RDX/TNT explosive. The chief defects of both bazookas were their cumbersome weight and length and their short effective range (about 120 yards [110 metres]). For this reason, beginning in the Vietnam War the U.S. Army abandoned bazookas in favour of light antitank weapons, or LAWs, such as the M72, a one-shot disposable weapon that weighed 5 pounds (2.3 kg) fully loaded yet could launch its rocket with reasonable accuracy out to 350 yards (320 metres). The bazooka was the first weapon of its kind—that is, the first infantry weapon capable of reliably destroying a tank—and it inspired the German Panzerschreck and Panzerfaust . The latter was the first rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) and thus the progenitor of the most common infantry antitank weapon from the 1960s on. Learn More in these related articles:


What is the name of both an African-American magazine and a type of wood?

Bennett, What's In a Name? Negro vs. Afro-American vs.  Black (1967) Senior Editor, Ebony Magazine  Source: Ebony 23 (November 1967): 46-48, 50-52, 54. "When I use a word," Humpty Dumpty said in a rather scornful  tone, "It means just what I choose it to mean--neither more nor  less." "The question is," said Alice, "'whether you can make words  mean so many different things." "The question is," said Humpty Dumpty, which is to be  master--that's all." --Lewis Carroll, Through the Looking Glass More concretely, within the context of the racial looking glass, the question is whether one can make the word "Negro' mean so many different things or whether one should abandon it and use the words "black" or "Afro-American." This question is at the root of a bitter national controversy over the proper designation for identifiable Americans of African descent. (More than 40 million "white" Americans, according to some scholars, have African ancestors.) A large and vocal group is pressing an aggressive campaign for the use of the word "Afro-American" as the only historically accurate and humanly significant designation of this large and pivotal portion of the American population. This group charges that the word "Negro" is an inaccurate epithet which perpetuates the master-slave mentality in the minds of both black and white Americans. An equally large, but not so vocal, group says the word "Negro" is as accurate and as euphonious as the words "black" and "Afro-American." This group is scornful of the premises of the advocates of change. A Negro by any other name, they say, would be as black and as beautiful--and as segregated. The times, they add, are too crucial for Negroes to dissipate their energy in fratricidal strife over names. But the pro-black contingent contends, with Humpty Dumpty, that names are of the essence of the game of power and control. And they maintain that a change in name will short-circuit the stereotyped thinking patterns that undergird the system of racism in America. To make things even more complicated, a third group, composed primarily of Black Power advocates, has adopted a new vocabulary in which the word "black" is reserved for "black brothers and sisters who are emancipating themselves," and the word "Negro" is used contemptuously for Negroes "who are still in Whitey's bag and who still think of themselves and speak of themselves as Negroes." This controversy, which rages with religious intensity from the street corners of Harlem to the campuses of Southern colleges, has alienated old friends, split national organizations and disrupted national conventions. It was discussed with gravity at a meeting of the National Advisory Commission on Civil Disorders, and it is a matter of grave concern to prominent Negro leaders who have been heckled and publicly denounced for using the word "Negro." Within the last year, several organizations have gone on record in opposition to continued use of the words. At the Racism in Education Conference of the American Federation of Teachers, the delegates unanimously endorsed a resolution which called on all educators, persons, and organizations to abandon the "slavery-imposed name" "Negro" for the terms "African American " or "Afro-American." A similar resolution was unanimously adopted at the National Conference on Black Power. But the Black Power conferees compounded the problem by insisting upon the substitution of the word "Black" for the word "Negro." There was additional ferment during this same this period on the local level where militant groups passed a variety of pro-black and pro-Afro-American resolutions and peppered newspapers and magazines with angry and, in some cases, abusive letters. Some pro- Negro advocates charged indignantly that "the whole black issue was raised by a handful of intellectuals, none of whom are black, except for their beards." But it was obvious that the controversy touched deep emotions in the black community where many segments, particularly the young, are engaged in an agonizing search for self-identity and self-determi


What was the name of the world's first long-range ballistic misisle, developed by the Nazis in 1944?

The V-2 Missile   V-2: WORLD'S FIRST BALLISTIC      MISSILE V-2,          or Vengeance Weapon 2 (Vergeltungswaffe zwei), was the          name Nazi propagandists gave to the first ballistic missile used          to strike distant targets. German Army Ordnance had been developing          rocketry since the 1930s, aiming to create a long-range missile          and exploring the use of rocket-powered aircraft. The liquid-propellant          V-2 missile was first flown successfully from Peenemï¿½nde, Germany,          on the Baltic Sea in October 1942. Late           in World War II, Germany launched almost 3,000 V-2s against           England, France, and Belgium. After the war, the United States           and the Soviet Union used captured V-2s as a basis for developing           their own large rockets.


What is the most common first name for U.S. females born between 1933 and 2012?

Top 5 Names in Each of the Last 100 Years Top 5 Names in Each of the Last 100 Years Top names by State The following table shows the five most frequent given names for male and female babies  born in each year 1916-2015. Over the last 100 years, the male name   Michael has held the top spot most often (44 times), while the female name  Mary has been ranked number one 40 times over those years. Top Five Names for Births in 1916-2015 Females This website is produced and published at U.S. taxpayer expense. External Link Disclaimer You are exiting the Social Security Administration's website. SSA cannot attest to the accuracy of information provided by such websites. If we provide a link to such a website, this does not constitute an endorsement by SSA or any of its employees of the information or products presented on the non-SSA website. Also, such websites are not within our control and may not follow the same privacy, security or accessibility policies. Once you visit such a website you are subject to the policies of that site.


In what country would you find Mt. Pinatubo, whose 1991 eruption was the largest in the last hundred years?

Mount Pinatubo Eruption (June 1991) Mount Pinatubo Eruption Mount Pinatubo Eruption The Volcanic Mount Pinatubo Eruption of 1991 that Cooled the Planet Mt. Pinatubo eruption plume, July 1991, from Clark Air Base control tower.  J.N. Marso, courtesy of USGS/Cascades Volcano Observatory Geography Expert By Matt Rosenberg In June 1991, the second largest volcanic eruption of the twentieth century* took place on the island of Luzon in the Philippines , a mere 90 kilometers (55 miles) northwest of the capital city Manila. Up to 800 people were killed and 100,000 became homeless following the Mount Pinatubo eruption, which climaxed with nine hours of eruption on June 15, 1991. On June 15, millions of tons of sulfur dioxide were discharged into the atmosphere, resulting in a decrease in the temperature worldwide over the next few years. Mount Pinatubo is part of a chain of composite volcanoes along the Luzon arc on the west coast of the island (area map). The arc of volcanoes is due to the subduction of the Manila trench to the west. The volcano experienced major eruptions approximately 500, 3000, and 5500 years ago. The events of the 1991 Mount Pinatubo eruption began in July 1990, when a magnitude 7.8 earthquake occurred 100 kilometers (62 miles) northeast of the Pinatubo region, determined to be a result of the reawakening of Mount Pinatubo. continue reading below our video 10 Best Universities in the United States In mid-March 1991, villagers around Mount Pinatubo began feeling earthquakes and vulcanologists began to study the mountain. (Approximately 30,000 people lived on the flanks of the volcano prior to the disaster.) On April 2, small explosions from vents dusted local villages with ash. The first evacuations of 5,000 people were ordered later that month. Earthquakes and explosions continued. On June 5, a Level 3 alert was issued for two weeks due to the possibility of a major eruption. The extrusion of a lava dome on June 7 led to the issuance of a Level 5 alert on June 9, indicating an eruption in progress. An evacuation area 20 kilometers (12.4 miles) away from the volcano was established and 25,000 people were evacuated. The following day (June 10), Clark Air Base, a U.S. military installation near the volcano, was evacuated. The 18,000 personnel and their families were transported to Subic Bay Naval Station and most were returned to the United States. On June 12, the danger radius was extended to 30 kilometers (18.6 miles) from the volcano resulting in the total evacuation of 58,000 people. On June 15, the eruption of Mount Pinatubo began at 1:42 p.m. local time. The eruption lasted for nine hours and caused numerous large earthquakes due to the collapse of the summit of Mount Pinatubo and the creation of a caldera. The caldera reduced the peak from 1745 meters (5725 feet) to 1485 meters (4872 feet) high is 2.5 kilometers (1.5 miles) in diameter. Unfortunately, at the time of the eruption Tropical Storm Yunya was passing 75 km (47 miles) to the northeast of Mount Pinatubo, causing a large amount of rainfall in the region. The ash that was ejected from the volcano mixed with the water vapor in the air to cause a rainfall of tephra that fell across almost the entire island of Luzon. The greatest thickness of ash deposited 33 centimeters (13 inches) approximately 10.5 km (6.5 mi) southwest of the volcano. There was 10 cm of ash covering an area of 2000 square kilometers (772 square miles). Most of the 200 to 800 people (accounts vary) who died during the eruption died due to the weight of the ash collapsing roofs and killing to occupants. Had Tropical Storm Yunya not been nearby, the death toll from the volcano would have been much lower. In addition to the ash, Mount Pinatubo ejected between 15 and 30 million tons of sulfur dioxide gas. Sulfur dioxide in the atmosphere mixes with water and oxygen in the atmosphere to become sulfuric acid, which in turn triggers ozone depletion . Over 90% of the material released from the volcano was ejected during the nine hour eruption of June 15. The eruption plume of Mount Pinat


Broadway Musical Home - Cats Broadway Musical Home Who starred in the original cast? Where can I buy the music? What’s the buzz on Broadway? Find out at Broadway Musical Home Cats by Andrew Lloyd Webber , T.S. Elliot, Trevor Nunn and Richard Stilgoe Now Playing on Broadway Buy Tickets About the Musical Based the T.S. Eliot’s 1939 collection of poems, “Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats,” this 1983 Tony Award-winner for Best Musical features music by Andrew Lloyd Webber. Story: It is the night of the Jellicle Ball, during which Old Deuteronomy will select the cat to go to the Heaviside Layer and be reborn to a new Jellicle life. Over the course of the evening, the cats of the tribe step forward to introduce themselves and audition for the chance to be selected.


"What company is famous for producing ""elevator music""?"

Muzak History: The Background Story on Background Music | Mental Floss Muzak History: The Background Story on Background Music Image credit:  Like us on Facebook When you hear the name Muzak, you probably think of the type of easy listening music one often encounters in elevators or while on hold at a call center. Where does the term Muzak come from, and where does the actual music originate? And why don’t we hear elevator music as much as we used to? Let’s take a look at a brief history of the smooth programming. For a company whose name is synonymous with wimpy music, Muzak had a surprisingly tough founder: an Army general. Major General George O. Squier served as the Army’s Chief Signal Officer during World War I, and in the early 1920s he perfected a method for transmitting music across electrical wires. At the time, radio was still finding its footing, so the notion of sending businesses and residences music via wires was appealing. In 1934 Squier formally founded a company to develop his invention. Since he liked the sound of the name “Kodak” he borrowed from it to name his own company Muzak. Unfortunately for Muzak, by the time Squier’s technology was ready for a full-scale implementation, radio had become firmly entrenched. Undeterred, Muzak went after a different market—the one for background music for stores, restaurants, and office buildings. In those early days, Muzak didn’t have access to the huge libraries of licensed music that radio stations can pick from today, so the company brought in top bands and orchestras to record original selections and standards that could be piped into businesses. Thanks to this strategy, the company ended up with some pretty amazing archives. According to Muzak, the company owns some of the few surviving original recordings of jazz legend Casper Reardon, better known as “the World’s Hottest Harpist.” Muzak to their ears This early background music did fairly well for Muzak, but the company really started taking off in the 1940s. As World War II required more and more industrial production, company researchers made a surprising discovery: Muzak could apparently make workers happier and more productive. Muzak patented a system called Stimulus Progression that offered 15-minute blocks of instrumental background music that provided listeners with a subconscious sense of forward movement. When workers listened to these blocks, they got more work done. In retrospect, the science behind these Stimulus Progression studies may have been a bit dubious, but it really helped Muzak franchise and sell subscriptions to businesses. Not even the White House was immune to the allure of Muzak’s agreeable tunes; the presidential residence was wired for Muzak in 1953 during Dwight Eisenhower's administration. (He wasn’t the biggest presidential fan, though; Lyndon Johnson actually owned Muzak’s Austin franchise during the 1950s.) Soon Muzak’s tunes were hitting tens of millions of ears each day. Muzak Trivia Muzak is still around today, but as elevator music’s popularity has waned, the company has shifted its focus. Although it still offers the “classic” elevator music to the few customers who want it, most of Muzak’s programming now comes from its library of millions of commercially recorded songs. Muzak’s “audio architects” design special programs of tunes to fit specific clients’ needs, whether it’s helping workers be more productive or inducing shoppers to splurge on that new pair of pants. In addition to Muzak’s ability to tailor programs to a business’ specific needs, it also deals with the thorny issue of paying licensing fees on the songs a business plays. If a shop or restaurant just plugged in an iPod and let the tunes fly, it would need to pay licensing fees to the copyright holders for each song it played. While some businesses do just that, Muzak’s current services include all of the necessary performance royalties, a perk that the company uses as a selling point. Related Question: Why is it called “elevator music” in the first place? To answer that question, we need to go back to t


What celestial object was mathematically predicted before being observed in 1846?

GJ 832: Fascinating Planetary System with An Earth Like Planet GJ 832: Fascinating Planetary System with An Earth Like Planet 18, Apr 2016 | 10 mins: 15 secs + - At night, when you look at the stars and you wonder “is anybody out there?” just realize that someone out there could be looking back at you and wondering the same. In our galaxy, there are at least 100 Billion exoplanets, planets beyond our solar system orbiting stars other than the sun. Many of them are located in the habitable zone — the right distance from a star where liquid water might pool on the planet’s surface. Studies shows that the Milky Way alone may host 60 billion alien planets located in the habitable zone, and this is just in our galaxy. The universe could be home to 100 billion to 200 billion galaxies, so you can do the math to see how many habitable alien planet are out there. Right after we detected the first exoplanet back in 1995, we realize the importance of studying and monitoring these planets. The quest for other worlds like our Earth rise intense excitement and popular interest in the astronomy community and beyond. So, the challenge now is to find rocky planets in the habitable zone of their stars. To do this, NASA launched on March 6, 2009 the Kepler Mission, a space telescope designed to survey a portion of our region of the Milky Way galaxy to discover dozens of Earth-size planets. Excitement results came immediately, the Kepler Telescope found thousands of exoplanets, some of them are earth like planets. To date, Kepler detected more than 4500 candidates, with more than 1000 confirmed exoplanets, 12 of them are less than twice Earth-size located in the habitable zone…. and the numbers are increasing. Determining whether these planets are habitable has become the new holy grail of astronomy, said planetary scientist Dr Charley Lineweaver. The new-found abundance of planets, combined with the much larger range of inhabited terrestrial environments suggests that habitable planets are common. This increases the probability of finding some kind of extraterrestrial life. He added. Planetary habitability is a complex and confusing concept that we are only beginning to get our heads around, but as a species that wants to survive, it is in our interest to get our heads around it soon. Read: Top 5 Most Habitable Alien Planets On July last year, NASA and SETI announced the discovery of the most Earth-like exoplanet to date, Kepler-452b , the first almost-Earth-sized planet located in the habitable zone of a star very similar to our Sun. But the problem with this planet is that Kepler-452b lies 1,400 light-years away from us… it is so far, far beyond our reach and capabilities. Actually, its hard for us to study it in details and confirm for sure its habitability. But what about other possible exoplanets relatively close to us? The nearest terrestrial exoplanets is located 4.3 light years away in Alpha Centauri star system, our closest stellar neighbor, but recent studies show that these exoplanet orbits too close to the host star, so the habitability of this planet is almost null. The next exoplanet is Kapteyn b with high chance to lies within the habitable zone, its 12.8 light years from the sun with a surface temperature of -25.15°C. But a study published in the Astrophysical Journal Letters on 11 May 2015 questioned planet’ existence, this super-Earth could turn out to be nothing more than a trick of starlight. Top 4 Habitable Exoplanets So Far ©CosmosUp.com  But our hopes aren’t dashed to the ground yet. The best close candidate lies 16 light years away in Gliese 832 star system. Incredible, a planet with a surface temperature of 22°C could reside there. GJ 832 is a main sequence dwarf star (red dwarf) with a mass of 0.45 M ☉ (solar masses) and with a temperature of 3472 K (3 198.85°C), located in the constellation Grus. Although it lies relatively close to the Sun, its too faint to be seen with the naked eye. GJ 832 planetary system is a potentially multi-planet system which is currently known to host two planets, inner GJ 832c and out


"What rapper's song, ""Lollipop"", is the best selling ringtone of all time?"

Ridin' Ringtones? | Billboard Ridin' Ringtones? COMMENTS Lil Wayne's "Lollipop" is fast-approaching becoming the best-selling ringtone in history, to eclipse Chamillionaire's "Ridin'" record. Have you ever downloaded either ringtone? Lil Wayne's "Lollipop" is fast-approaching becoming the best-selling ringtone in history, to eclipse Chamillionaire's "Ridin'" record. Have you ever downloaded either ringtone? I've bought "Ridin'" as a ringtone, but not "Lollipop." 5% I've bought "Lollipop" as a ringtone, but not "Ridin'." 16% I've bought both. 6% I've never bought either. 73% TOTAL RESPONSE - 362


"What party game, released by Milton Bradley in 1966, was called ""sex in a box""?"

Sex in a Box: The Twisted History of Twister | Mental Floss Sex in a Box: The Twisted History of Twister filed under: games Like us on Facebook If it hadn’t been for Johnny Carson, Twister may have never gotten off the ground. On the May 3, 1966, episode of the Tonight Show, Carson took a few minutes to demonstrate the little-known new party game. His guest that night was the blonde bombshell actress Eva Gabor. After a few right foot reds and left hand blues, Carson and Gabor were playfully entangled and the studio audience was in hysterics. Twister went on to sell more than 3 million copies over the next year. “The game that ties you up in knots” sprang from the imagination of a St. Paul-based ad man / inventor named Reyn Guyer in 1965. Guyer’s firm, the Reynolds Guyer Agency of Design, was hired to do a local back-to-school promotional display for Johnson brand shoe polish. As Guyer tinkered with a colored polka dot paper mat to highlight kids’ shoes, he realized he might be onto something bigger – a game where people acted as the game pieces. Guyer first called his invention King’s Footsie, testing it out on some fellow artists and designers. The fun that four people were having while crammed into provocative shapes onto a 4 x 6 mat was all Guyer needed to see. © Astapkovich Vladimir/ITAR-TASS Photo/Corbis “It didn’t make any difference what the game was at that point,” Guyer told me, “because we began to laugh so hard that it was obvious we were onto something.” Guyer pitched King’s Footsie to 3M, but they passed. He then hired game designers Charles F. Foley and Neil Rabens to help him further develop the idea. The three of them came up with eight different game ideas for the polka dot mat. The obvious winner was called Pretzel, a test of balance and skill that eventually became Twister. They then licensed Pretzel to Milton Bradley, and that’s where the story gets, well, twisted. Some accounts say that the company changed the name to Twister against Guyer’s wishes. But Guyer says that the name Pretzel was not legally available. “Still, Twister didn’t seem to have the positive resonance that Pretzel did,” Guyer says, “nor did it really describe the game that well. But it’s solid proof that it doesn’t matter what you call something. Once you name it, that’s what it is.” Other accounts claim that Foley and Rabens walked off with the patent, taking credit for the invention. It’s true that theirs are the only names on the patent, but according to an interview with Rabens, on the day they applied for the patent, they signed over the rights to Guyer. They made a verbal agreement with him to get a certain percentage of profits, but Rabens says it was not honored. He and Foley soon went their own way, starting their own toy company. Guyer remembers it differently. “There is a patent, and quite frankly, I wasn’t part of it. Foley and Rabens did a fabulous job and we worked together on it. I feel badly that they didn’t stick around to develop a division of our company. People have a tendency to attribute new products to one person, and I’ve never, in any of the products I’ve developed, seen it happen that one person did it. You share ideas and it’s a process.” Too Hot for the Sears Catalog Meanwhile, back in 1965, some execs at Milton Bradley were reportedly uncomfortable with Twister’s sexual undercurrent and felt it went against the company’s clean image. To others, the game – one vinyl mat, one plastic spinner - seemed like a profit-making dream. But in its first months on the market, Twister barely sold at all. Retailers were confused by it. “Sears didn’t think it was appropriate for their catalog,” recalls Guyer. Just as Milton-Bradley was about to give up hope, the PR firm that was promoting Twister tried a last-ditch idea, pushing it to the Tonight Show. After the spectacle of Carson and Gabor entwined, Guyer says, “people were lined up fifty deep at Abercrombie & Fitch the next day in New York, and Twister was born.” One of Milton-Bradley’s competitors accused them of selling “sex in a box,” but they countered with TV


What oft-ridiculed 1930's movie tells the story of people who become criminally insane after smoking marijuana?

Marijuana Is Safer, So Why Are We Driving People To Drink by Niles Aronson - issuu issuu Issuu on Google+ additional advance praise for Marijuana Is Safer “I have always maintained that the legalization of marijuana would lead to an overall drop in substance abuse in this country. In particular, the option of legal marijuana use, as an alternative to the death and violence associated with alcohol use, would be a welcome societal change. . . . Kudos to Fox, Armentano, and Tvert for their remarkably insightful and important book.” —Gary Johnson, former Republican Governor of New Mexico “I took great pride in my performance on and off the field, and often questioned why our culture embraces alcohol while simultaneously stigmatizing those who choose to consume a less harmful alternative, marijuana. . . . This outstanding book makes it clear that it is inconsistent, both legally and socially, for our laws to punish adults who make the ‘safer’ choice.” —Mark Stepnoski, five-time NFL Pro Bowler and two-time Superbowl champion with the Dallas Cowboys “Marijuana Is Safer is both informative and timely. . . . As a physician and public health educator, I highly recommend this book.” —Gregory T. Carter, M.D., M.S., Clinical Professor of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine “If you are one of the millions of Americans who support keeping marijuana illegal but enjoy a good beer, glass of wine or cocktail now and then, I suggest you read Marijuana Is Safer, rehab your mind, and get high on the facts. If, on the other hand, you already believe our marijuana laws are illogical, this book will give you hope that change is in the air—and show you how you can do your part to push it along.” —David Sirota, nationally syndicated columnist and bestselling author of The Uprising and Hostile Takeover “In a society too often paralyzed by fear when it comes to finding smart solutions to our failed drug war, Marijuana Is Safer offers a pragmatic way forward. The authors offer a new and common sense approach to marijuana policy—one that is motivated not by incarceration or punishment, but by reducing the overall harm to our society.” —Rick Steves, travel guidebook writer and TV and radio host “Fox, Armentano, and Tvert offer a provocative new argument: that marijuana is actually safer to use than alcohol, so it’s doubly dumb to ban the MIS final pages.indd 1 9/14/09 1:19 PM drug that’s actually safer. Abstemious folks like myself may be surprised to hear that, but you’ll find some solid evidence in this book.” —David Boaz, Executive Vice President of the Cato Institute, and author of Libertarianism: A Primer and The Politics of Freedom “Readers who are new to the topic will find the pithy summaries of this complex literature easy to follow. Experts will welcome the up-tothe-minute references to the latest work on a vast range of topics. . . . Everyone will finish the text convinced that current policies need a thorough and immediate re-examination.” —Mitch Earleywine, PhD, author of Understanding Marijuana and editor of Pot Politics “[This] is the most extensive and up-to-date book I’ve ever read regarding adults’ relationship with the cannabis plant. . . . As challenging as its conclusion may be to the political majority, this collection of thoughtprovoking facts cannot be ignored.” —Rob Van Dam, former World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) Heavyweight Champion and host of robvandam.com and RVDTV “As the nation undergoes a shift in its thinking about drug policy, Marijuana Is Safer offers a timely and forceful challenge to marijuana criminalization. Anyone with an interest in drug policy, whatever their perspective, should read this important work.” —Alex Kreit, Director of the Center for Law and Social Justice, Thomas Jefferson School of Law “In this thoroughly documented account, Fox, Armentano, and Tvert have performed a public service.They have pulled the sheet off the lie that gave us marijuana prohibition. In truth, it turns out ‘The Devil Weed’ is safer than alcohol. [This book] could be a game changer


Linus van Pelt | Peanuts Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia Alexander Garfin (2015) Jude Perry (2016) "Linus, my serious side, is the house intellectual, bright, well-informed which, I suppose may contribute to his feelings of insecurity" Charles M. Schulz on Linus van Pelt Linus van Pelt is a major character in Charles M. Schulz 's comic strip Peanuts . He is Lucy and Rerun 's brother. Linus always means well and tries to smooth over any storms that arise amongst the gang. A source of frustration for him is Lucy, who always belittles him, particularly over his security blanket . In spite of his insightful nature, he has a naive belief in the Great Pumpkin . He is Charlie Brown 's best friend. Linus is usually depicted wearing short black pants and a shirt with black stripes. In the Peanuts animated TV specials, Linus' shirt is colored red. Linus makes the second most appearances in the TV specials and movies. Charlie Brown and Snoopy, who appear on every TV special and movie have the first. Linus is absent from What a Nightmare, Charlie Brown and It's the Girl in the Red Truck, Charlie Brown . Contents History The first appearance of Linus in the strip from September 19, 1952. Lucy's baby brother was first mentioned on July 14, 1952. Linus first appeared on September 19, 1952, as a baby too young to sit up by himself and was not given a name until three days later. However, he soon aged to just slightly younger than the rest of the cast. Linus starts wearing glasses in the strip from February 5, 1962. On February 5, 1962, he began to wear glasses. However, by July 17 of that year, his ophthalmologist had told him that he did not have to wear them all the time, and they were phased out completely after the Sunday strip of September 9, 1962. Personality Linus was eccentric from the start. As a baby and a toddler, he had a fascination with building impressive structures, mostly with blocks and playing cards. He would instantly learn skills; when Charlie Brown handed him a basketball, Linus bounced it at lightning speeds before shooting and scoring in the trash can. The only thing he couldn't do was blow balloons correctly, they would always end up being cuboid instead of rounded for no conceivable reason. He was more intolerant of his sister's torments than he later would be, and would throw something at her or pretend to shoot her while screaming "BANG!". His appearances and his sentences were small, but both would increase as he started leaving the house more, often being told incorrect facts about the world by Lucy, which he would believe and get scared of. Linus' age would quickly accelerate, stopping upon being just slightly younger than the rest of the characters. Despite his youth, Linus is incredibly smart, acting as a philosopher and theologian, often quoting the Bible. He is kindhearted and caring, and he listens to the problems of others by the wall or elsewhere and, if not a joke, he would have something helpful to say or do. In contrast to his advanced intellect, Linus has two of the strangest traits out of the entire cast, ones that make the fact that he sucks his thumbs and thinks that one is sweeter than the other look like nothing unusual. The first is his belief in The Great Pumpkin , which started on October 26, 1959 . Apparently started by the confusion of Santa Claus and the commercialization of Christmas poisoning children's minds, he solely believed that the Great Pumpkin would rise from the pumpkin patch he finds is most "sincere", before flying around the world to bring toys to all the good children. This delusion causes Linus to sit in a local pumpkin patch and wait for him to rise out of it. He was able to gain, in Marcie's words, a "disciple" occasionally, such as Peppermint Patty and Sally , but something would always ruin it for Linus, and he obviously never got to see the non-existent entity. The second, and most famous and downright signature trait, is his security blanket . Ever since its introduction on June 1, 1954 , he has carried it with him over his shoulder in most of his appearances even


What type of cloud becomes a tornado if it touches the ground?

What Type of Clouds Make Tornadoes? | eHow What Type of Clouds Make Tornadoes? Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images Tornadoes form at the base of cumulonimbus clouds, especially when these clouds turn into supercell thunderstorms. The updraft of the cumulonimbus cloud causes a funnel-shaped cloud to form at the base of the cumulonimbus cloud. When this funnel touches the ground, it becomes a tornado. Cumulus Clouds The first stage of cloud formation leading to a tornado is the cumulus cloud. Cumulus clouds are the puffy, white clouds that appear often even in calm weather. They occur when warm, moist air rises and meets colder air, at which point the moisture condenses into clouds. There are several types of cumulus clouds, and cumulus congestus, or tower-like cumulus clouds, are the most likely to become cumulonimbus clouds. Cumulonimbus Clouds Cumulonimbus clouds form from cumulus clouds, frequently along a cold front. They are low- to middle-level clouds, tall and dense, and they are often associated with thunderstorms and lightning. Cumulonimbus clouds have a characteristic anvil shape, with a flat top due to wind shear. They can look like a huge mushroom. Lightning can descend from the flat top; this is called anvil lightning. These anvil-shaped clouds are the largest clouds in the atmosphere. Mesocyclones The wind shear at the top of an anvil-shaped cumulonimbus cloud can cause a convective loop of air to start spinning within the cloud. Then the updraft causes the spinning air to tilt upwards, vertically. This vertical updraft then rotates within the cloud and a mesocyclone forms. At this point, the cloud is part of a supercell thunderstorm, with high winds and frequently a lot of rain and hail. Tornado This cloud, with a mesocyclone within it, can become a tornado because of a phenomenon called the rear flank downdraft, or RFD. This downdraft occurs because the rain from the cloud drags the mesocyclone within the cloud down toward the ground. At this point, you can see a funnel cloud descending from the cumulonimbus cloud. When the funnel cloud touches the ground, it becomes a tornado within a few minutes. The tornado can last from a few minutes to over an hour. Eventually, the RFD cools off the warm air powering the tornado, and it diminishes in power and speed.


What TV host has popularized the pseudoscience of Deepak Chopra and Dr. Oz?

For shame, Dr. Oz, for promoting Joseph Mercola on your show! – Science-Based Medicine Email I’ve been highly critical of Dr. Mehmet Oz, Vice Chair of the Department of Surgery at Columbia University and medical director of the Integrative Medicine Program (i.e., Columbia’s quackademic medicine) program at New York-Presbyterian Hospital. Those are his academic titles. More important, in terms of his promotion of pseudoscience, is his role as daytime medical show host. Dr. Oz’s television show, called, appropriately enough, The Dr. Oz Show , is a direct result of his having been featured on Oprah Winfrey’s show on numerous occasions as one of her regular medical experts. Because of his popularity, Dr. Oz became Oprah’s protégé and ultimately scored his very own daytime TV show, which has been quite successful since its debut in September 2009. So what has led me to conclude that I’ve finally completely had it with Dr. Oz? Or, as Popeye would say, “I’ve had all I can stands, I can’t stands no more!” The final straw occurred yesterday, but this has been building up for a while. Of course, I’ve known for a long time that Dr. Oz has a weak spot for “alternative medicine.” A decade ago, he was known for bringing reiki masters into the operating room do their mystical magical gestures during cardiac surgery, the better to channel the healing energy of the “universal source” into his patients before they went onto the cardiopulmonary bypass machine. His wife is also a reiki master , which might explain his particular fondness for this form of faith healing. Even so, even though I always knew Dr. Oz was into some woo, most of the times I ever saw him on Oprah’s show and the rare occasion that I’ve seen his show, the worst I could say about him was that he is at best a shruggie and at worst too prone to mixing perfectly valid, science-based information with the “softer” forms of “complementary and alternative” medicine (CAM) modalities, such as acupuncture and reiki. Even so, CAM didn’t seem to be a major part of his show. That seems to have changed in 2010. As 2010 dawned, I became aware of a show in which Dr. Oz promoted reiki completely uncritically, beginning the year with a show entitled Dr. Oz’s Ultimate Alternative Medicine Secrets . It wasn’t too long before Dr. Oz did it again, delivering a two-fer of “quantum” quackery coupled with just plain quackery, when he invited Deepak Chopra and Joe Mercola on his show. Around the same time, Dr. Oz also revealed in an interview also hadn’t had his children vaccinated against H1N1 . In all fairness, he seemed embarrassed to admit this and uncomfortable about the situation (Dr. Oz has never, to my knowledge, expressed anti-vaccine views), but, even so, he did seem to be more sympathetic than the evidence warrants to the concept that vaccines might somehow cause autism. None of these occurrences was good, but, as disturbing as they were, none of them quite crossed a line. Quite. As 2011 dawns, there is no doubt in my mind that Dr. Oz has now irrevocably crossed his Woo-bicon (link there to make my pun painfully obvious), gone over to the Dark Side, betrayed the cause, gone woo, or whatever you want to call it. He’s done, as far as science-based medicine goes. That’s because yesterday he featured one of the biggest promoters of highly dubious medical remedies on the Internet on his show in one fawning segment after another. I’m referring, of course, to Dr. Joe Mercola , who was the main guest on The Dr. Oz Show yesterday in segments entitled The Alternative Health Controversy ( part 1 , part 2 , part 3 ), coupled with another segment entitled The Surprising Supplement You Need . Let’s just say that Dr. Oz’s journey to the Dark Side is now complete. He has controlled his fear but released his woo, and it is strong woo indeed. To give you an idea of just how bad this is, take a look at the introduction to the show before the credits. Dr. Mercola is described as a “pioneer in alternative medicine” and “a man your doctor doesn’t want you to know.” I don’t know about you, but hearing that


What chemical element makes the surface of Mars appear red?

Why Is Mars Red? - Color Chemistry Why Is Mars Red? Chemistry of Martian Red Color Mars, the Red Planet, at photographed by the Hubble Space Telescope in 1999.  NASA Updated October 08, 2015. Question: Why Is Mars Red? When you look up in the sky, you can recognize Mars by its red color. Yet, when you see photos of Mars taken on Mars, many colors are present. What makes Mars the Red Planet and why doesn't it always look red close-up? Here's the answer. Answer: The short answer for why Mars appears red, or at least red-orange, is because the Martian surface contains a large amount of rust or iron oxide. The iron oxide forms a rust dust that floats in the atmosphere and sits as a dusty coating across much of the landscape. Why Mars Has Other Colors Up Close The dust in the atmosphere causes Mars to appear very rusty from space. When viewed from the surface, other colors are apparent, in part because landers and other instruments don't have to peer through the whole atmosphere to see them, and partly because rust exists in colors other than red, plus there are other minerals on the planet. While red is a common rust color, some iron oxides are brown, black, yellow and even green! continue reading below our video 10 Best Universities in the United States So, if you see green on Mars, it doesn't mean there are plants growing on the planet. Rather, some of the Martian rocks are green, just like some rocks are green on Earth. Where Does the Rust Come From? So, you may be wondering where all this rust comes from, since Mars has more iron oxide in its atmosphere than any other planet. Scientists are not completely sure, but many believe the iron was pushed up from the volcanoes that used to erupt. Solar radiation caused atmospheric water vapor to react with the iron to form iron oxides or rust. Iron oxides also may have come from iron-based meteorites, which can react with oxygen under the influence of solar ultraviolet radiation to form iron oxides. More About Mars


Whose embalmed body has been viewed millions of times since his death in 1924?

What's behind the display of embalmed world leaders? - CNN.com What's behind the display of embalmed world leaders? By Laura Smith-Spark, CNN Updated 10:31 PM ET, Fri March 8, 2013 Chat with us in Facebook Messenger. Find out what's happening in the world as it unfolds. Photos: The displayed bodies of world leaders The displayed bodies of world leaders – The body of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez will be displayed publicly "just like Lenin (and) Mao Zedong," the country's vice president said Thursday on state-run TV. Other world leaders have been on display in their countries, as well. Hide Caption 1 of 9 Photos: The displayed bodies of world leaders The displayed bodies of world leaders – Photographed for the first time in 30 years, the embalmed body of Russian leader and Soviet Union founder Vladimir Ilyich Lenin is seen in 1991 in the Mausoleum. Hide Caption 2 of 9 Photos: The displayed bodies of world leaders The displayed bodies of world leaders – While she never held a government office, Argentinian politician Eva Peron was largely responsible for the women's suffrage law and formed the Peronista Feminist Party in 1949. Her embalmed body remained on display for two years until it was stolen and secretly buried in Italy for 16 years. Her remains are now in the Duarte family crypt in Recoleta cemetery. Hide Caption 3 of 9 Photos: The displayed bodies of world leaders The displayed bodies of world leaders – The coffin of Soviet political leader Joseph Stalin, who died in 1953, is carried from the House of Trade Unions in Moscow. Hide Caption 4 of 9 Photos: The displayed bodies of world leaders The displayed bodies of world leaders – Vietnamese students line up to view the embalmed body of former president Ho Chi Minh at a mausoleum dedicated to him in Hanoi, Vietnam, in 1983. Hide Caption 5 of 9 Photos: The displayed bodies of world leaders The displayed bodies of world leaders – Chinese pass by Mao Zedong's body exhibited to the public on a catafalque. Hide Caption 6 of 9 Photos: The displayed bodies of world leaders The displayed bodies of world leaders – A glass enclosure holds the body of the late Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos in 2005 in Batac, Ilocos norte, Philippines. The late president's widow Imelda Marcos ordered the body of her husband preserved and put on exhibit in a mausoleum. Hide Caption 7 of 9 Photos: The displayed bodies of world leaders The displayed bodies of world leaders – Kumsusan Mausoleum is where the embalmed body of Kim Il Sung is kept and shown to the visitors. Hide Caption 8 of 9 Photos: The displayed bodies of world leaders The displayed bodies of world leaders – The body of late North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il lies in state at the Kumsusan Memorial Palace. Hide Caption Story highlights Hugo Chavez's embalmed body is to be placed on display in a glass casket This follows in a tradition that includes Lenin, Mao Zedong and North Korea's Kim Il Sung Lenin historian: "It's like being in a wax museum -- the magic has long since gone" "It's the last thing you can ever do for anybody," says a UK embalmer of his trade The body of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez will rest in a glass case on public display. Forever. At least, so said his deputy, Nicolas Maduro. While the idea may seem alien to some, Chavez will be the latest in a line of leaders whose remains have been embalmed and put on show in a glass casket. Perhaps the best known is Russia's Vladimir Lenin, whose body still lies in a mausoleum in Moscow's Red Square, nearly 90 years after his death. Others include Stalin, China's Mao Zedong, Vietnam's Ho Chi Minh, and North Korea's founding leader, Kim Il Sung. U.S. President Abraham Lincoln was also embalmed following his assassination in 1865, enabling his body to be taken on its winding, three-week train journey back to Springfield, Illinois, with open-casket memorial services along the way. JUST WATCHED MUST WATCH World reacts to Chavez's death 02:35 For Nina Tumarkin, author of "Lenin Lives! The Lenin Cult in Soviet Russia," the decision to embalm Lenin in 1924 -- the first m


"Who broke baseball's ""color barrier"" in 1947?"

Jackie Robinson breaks color barrier - Apr 15, 1947 - HISTORY.com On this day in history in 1947, Jackie Robinson, age 28, becomes the first African-American player in Major League Baseball when he steps onto Ebbets Field in Brooklyn to compete for the Brooklyn Dodgers. Lead Story Jackie Robinson breaks color barrier Share this: Jackie Robinson breaks color barrier Author Jackie Robinson breaks color barrier URL Publisher A+E Networks On this day in 1947, Jackie Robinson, age 28, becomes the first African-American player in Major League Baseball when he steps onto Ebbets Field in Brooklyn to compete for the Brooklyn Dodgers. Robinson broke the color barrier in a sport that had been segregated for more than 50 years. Exactly 50 years later, on April 15, 1997, Robinson’s groundbreaking career was honored and his uniform number, 42, was retired from Major League Baseball by Commissioner Bud Selig in a ceremony attended by over 50,000 fans at New York City’s Shea Stadium. Robinson’s was the first-ever number retired by all teams in the league. Jack Roosevelt Robinson was born January 31, 1919, in Cairo, Georgia, to a family of sharecroppers. Growing up, he excelled at sports and attended the University of California at Los Angeles, where he was the first athlete to letter in four varsity sports: baseball, basketball, football and track. After financial difficulties forced Robinson to drop out of UCLA, he joined the army in 1942 and was commissioned as a second lieutenant. After protesting instances of racial discrimination during his military service, Robinson was court-martialed in 1944. Ultimately, though, he was honorably discharged. After the army, Robinson played for a season in the Negro American League. In 1945, Branch Rickey, general manager of the Brooklyn Dodgers, recruited Robinson, who was known for his integrity and intelligence as well as his talent, to join one of the club’s farm teams. In 1947, Robinson was called up to the Majors and soon became a star infielder and outfielder for the Dodgers, as well as the National League’s Rookie of the Year. In 1949, the right-hander was named the National League’s Most Valuable Player and league batting champ. Robinson played on the National League All-Star team from 1949 through 1954 and led the Dodgers to six National League pennants and one World Series, in 1955. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1962, his first year of eligibility. Despite his talent and success as a player, Robinson faced tremendous racial discrimination throughout his career, from baseball fans and some fellow players. Additionally, Jim Crow laws prevented Robinson from using the same hotels and restaurants as his teammates while playing in the South. After retiring from baseball in 1957, Robinson became a businessman and civil rights activist. He died October 24, 1972, at age 53, in Stamford, Connecticut. Related Videos


"What city's ""Hanging Gardens"" were a Wonder of the World? (although they may have never existed)"

1000+ images about Ancient City of Babylon on Pinterest | Ancient mesopotamia, Old city and Digital art Forward One of the ancient Seven Wonders of the World A reconstruction of the Ishtar Gate in the Pergamon Museum in Berlin / Germany. The gate was part of the walls of Babylon that belonged according to some, especially older lists of the seven wonders of the ancient world. See More


What is the biggest cat native to the Americas?

Wild Cats of North America Wild Cats of North America Ocelot (Leopardus pardalis) The Ocelot has short tawny or reddish brown fur with black spots and rosette shaped marks. The belly is white. The face has two black stripes down each side. There is a white spot behind each ear and white marks round the eyes and mouth. The tail...  Read more > Margay (Leopardus weidii) The Margay is a small cat, and resembles a small Ocelot. It is a spotted cat with tan, grayish or cinnamon colored fur with rows of dark brown spots along the body. The belly is white. The coat is thick and soft.  Read more > Canada Lynx (Lynx canadensis) The Canada Lynx is yellowish-brown, and sometimes has dark brown spots. The fur on the head and back is often a grizzled with gray. The belly is pale buff. The tail is fairly short with a dark tip and often has dark rings. The fur is long and...  Read more > Bobcat (Lynx rufus) The Bobcat coat is buff and brown with some dark brown or black stripes and spots. The tail is tipped with black. The ears have tufts of hair on the tips and there are longer hair tufts on the sides of the head.  Read more > Jaguar (Panthera onca) The Jaguar is a large tan cat with black spots and rings. Some Jaguars are all black. Jaguars are similar in appearance to leopards but are stockier and have a larger head.  Read more > Cougar (Puma concolor) The Cougar (also known as the Mountain Lion or Puma) is a large, slender cat. The fur is short and color varies from yellow brown to gray brown above, with pale underside. The chest and throat are white. The nose is pink with a black border. The...  Read more > Jaguarundi (Puma yagouaroundi) The Jaguarundi is small cat, not much bigger than a domestic cat. It has a long body and fairly short legs compared with other American cats. There are two main color variations - a dark grey black form and a reddish brown form. The coat is fairly...  Read more >


What notable person was born in Honolulu and lived in Jakarta for part of his childhood?

IMDb: Most Popular People Born In "Honolulu/ Hawaii/ USA" Most Popular People Born In "Honolulu/ Hawaii/ USA" 1-50 of 438 names. Sort by: STARmeter▲ | A-Z | Height | Birth Date | Death Date 1. Lauren Graham Actress, Gilmore Girls Lauren Graham was born in Honolulu, Hawaii, to Donna Grant and Lawrence Graham, a candy industry lobbyist. Her father was from New York and her mother was from the American South, and Lauren has Irish, English, and Scottish ancestry. She grew up in Northern Virginia, USA (Fairfax, Arlington, and Great Falls... 2. Jason Momoa Actor, Stargate: Atlantis Joseph Jason Namakaeha Momoa was born on August 1, 1979 in Honolulu, Hawaii. He is the son of Coni (Lemke), a photographer, and Joseph Momoa, a painter. His father is of Hawaiian descent and his mother, who is from Iowa, is of mostly German ancestry. Jason was raised in Norwalk, Iowa by his mother. After high school... 3. Nicole Kidman Actress, Moulin Rouge! Elegant blonde Nicole Kidman, known as one of Hollywood's top Australian imports, was actually born in Honolulu, Hawaii, while her Australian parents were there on educational visas. Kidman is the daughter of Janelle Ann (Glenny), a nursing instructor, and Antony David Kidman, a biochemist and clinical psychologist... 4. Maggie Q Actress, Nikita Margaret Denise Quigley was born in Honolulu, Hawaii, to a father of Polish and Irish descent (originally based in New York) and a Vietnamese mother. Her parents met during the Vietnam War. Maggie has two older half-siblings from her mother's previous marriage, and two older sisters. The family moved to Hawaii and settled in Mililani... 5. Kelly Preston Actress, Jerry Maguire Kelly Preston was born on October 13, 1962 in Honolulu, Hawaii. A talented and captivating performer, Kelly first garnered international attention with her role as "Marnie Mason" in Ivan Reitman 's Twins , starring Arnold Schwarzenegger and Danny DeVito . With her diverse character portrayals in films... 6. Timothy Olyphant Actor, Justified From Timothy Olyphant's first screen appearances, such as his two-minute bit in The First Wives Club , to "Nicko", whose presence at times dwarfed the island in A Perfect Getaway , he has been a force to be reckoned with. Born in Hawaii, Timothy David Olyphant was raised in Modesto, California. He is the son of Katherine Lyon (Gideon) and John Vernon Bevan Olyphant... 7. Shannyn Sossamon Actress, A Knight's Tale Shannyn Sossamon, who credits her striking looks to a mix of English, French, Hawaiian, Dutch, Irish, Filipino, and German ancestry, was born Shannon Marie Kahololani Sossamon in Honolulu, Hawaii. At the age of one, Shannyn and her family moved to a new locale: Reno, Nevada. Her youth was spent at a dance studio... 8. Erin Gray Actress, Silver Spoons Erin Gray was born on January 7, 1950 in Honolulu, Hawaii. Gray moved with her family from Hawaii to California when she was eight years old and graduated from Pacific Palisades High School. She was fifteen when a chance meeting with Nina Blanchard , head of one of Hollywood's top model agencies, convinced her what she wanted to do in life... 9. Tia Carrere Actress, True Lies Tia Carrere was born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii. While attending Sacred Hearts Academy, Tia was discovered in a Waikiki grocery store and landed the female lead in the indie movie Aloha Summer. Although her passion has always been singing (grandmother Rae took Tia to her first singing lesson at age ten)... 10. Nicole Scherzinger Self, The X Factor Nicole Scherzinger was born on June 29 in Honolulu, and raised in Louisville, Kentucky. While attending a performing arts high school, she won the Coca-Cola Classic Talent Contest and performed in many plays at The Actors Theatre of Louisville. She then furthered her studies majoring in theater arts at Wright State University before entering the premiere season of the WB's television show... 11. Keiko Agena Actress, Gilmore Girls 12. Kelly Hu Actress, X2 On February 13th, 1968, a girl of Chinese, English, and Hawaiian ancestry was born in Honolulu, Hawaii. Her father, Herbe


Pamela Anderson quietly gets married Pamela Anderson quietly gets married She re-married one of her ex hubbies. Post to Facebook Pamela Anderson quietly gets married She re-married one of her ex hubbies. Check out this story on USATODAY.com: http://usat.ly/1hPhbPF CancelSend A link has been sent to your friend's email address. Posted! A link has been posted to your Facebook feed. 1 To find out more about Facebook commenting please read the Conversation Guidelines and FAQs Pamela Anderson quietly gets married Ann Oldenburg , USA TODAY Published 8:48 a.m. ET Jan. 13, 2014 | Updated 9:09 a.m. ET Jan. 13, 2014 Three guys. Four marriages. Pamela Anderson and Rick Salomon at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino's grand opening weekend in Las Vegas on Nov. 17, 2007. (Photo: Denise Truscello, WireImage) The ring gave it away. Pamela Anderson hit the red carpet Saturday in Los Angeles at Sean Penn's Help Haiti Gala showing off a rock on her ring finger. When E! News asked if she and film producer Rick Salomon were married again, Anderson said, "Yes." She added, "We're very happy. Our families are very happy and that's all that matters." Anderson, 46, has been seen out and about with Salomon, 45, recently, but the marriage part was a secret — until now. Their history? The two married in October 2007 and separated two months later. The spark, however, must have been still smoldering.  (Photo: JB Lacroix, WireImage) Last August, the two were all smiles in the ocean while on a Hawaii vacation. In October 2013, Anderson told Ellen DeGeneres that the two were "best friends with benefits." When Ellen told her she keeps going back to the same guys, Anderson replied with a big smile, "It's recycling!" This is the Playboy cover girl and animal rights activist's fourth marriage. She was married to Mötley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee from 1995 to 1998 and to singer Kid Rock from 2006 to 2007. 20 CONNECT TWEET LINKEDIN 1 COMMENTEMAILMORE Read or Share this story: http://usat.ly/1hPhbPF NEVER MISS OUT Life Be a pop culture maven. Get the news, reviews and the juiciest celebrity stories that keep you in the know, Monday-Friday.


What waterfalls, the world's tallest, were unknown to science until 1933?

Where Is the Tallest Waterfall? | Wonderopolis Wonder of the Day #352 Where Is the Tallest Waterfall? Where is the tallest waterfall? How are waterfalls formed? What is the tallest waterfall in the continental United States? Tags: Listen If you've ever had the chance to see a waterfall up close, you know what a beautiful — and powerful — sight it can be. Depending on the size and location of the waterfall, thousands and thousands of gallons of water can cascade down the side of a mountain every second of every day. A waterfall is exactly what it sounds like: a place where water falls steeply from a height . Waterfalls form when swiftly moving water cuts through and wears away soft rock through a process called erosion . It can take thousands of years for a waterfall to form. The spot where a waterfall collects at the end of its fall is called a plunge pool. Waterfalls continue to change constantly , although the changes can be hard to see with the naked eye because they occur slowly over time. The waterfalls that exist today will be around for a long time, but they will eventually disappear . As erosion continues, waterfalls keep retreating backward until all that's left is a gorge . It takes just as long for a waterfall to disappear as it did to appear in the first place. For example, Niagara Falls retreats at a rate of about 3.3 feet per year. The tallest waterfall in the world can be found in Venezuela. Angel Falls (called Salto Ángel locally ) is more than 3,200 feet high with an uninterrupted drop of 2,648 feet (that's approximately a half-mile!). Angel Falls drops over the edge of the Auyantepui mountain in the Canaima National Park. Angel Falls was unknown to most of the outside world until 1933, when American pilot Jimmie Angel flew over it while searching for valuable ore in the area. The falls were named after Angel. Although it's one of Venezuela's top tourist attractions, a trip to Angel Falls is not your average sightseeing trip. Because the falls are located in a remote jungle area, one must take a flight to a local camp before riding in a boat along a river to the base of the falls. If you're in the area, it's definitely worth seeing, though. Angel Falls is currently in the running to be named one of the New7Wonders of Nature . If you want to see a waterfall, you don't need to travel around the world. There are probably many beautiful waterfalls not far from where you live. For example, the World Waterfall Database lists nearly 5,000 waterfalls in North America alone. In case you were wondering, the continental United States boasts its own tall waterfalls. Many people consider Yosemite Falls in California to be the tallest waterfall in the United States with a vertical drop of 2,425 feet. Others believe the tallest U.S. waterfall is Colonial Creek Falls in Washington, which plunges 2,568 feet. Unlike the sheer drop of Yosemite Falls, Colonial Creek Falls plunge in 13 different, gradual steps and thus are not as impressive to look at as Yosemite Falls. Wonder Words (18) Tomorrow’s Wonder of the Day brings together some of the smallest things in the world! Try It Out Are you ready to take the plunge? Be sure to check out the following activities with a friend or family member: Ready to make your own waterfall at home? Wait! Stop! Put away the hose. We don't want you putting the forces of erosion to work in the backyard. Instead, grab a few craft supplies and make your own Paper Waterfall at the kitchen table. You can make your own version of Angel Falls, or you can create your own waterfall scene that's uniquely yours. There's an even easier version of the craft for younger children. If you prefer to view your waterfalls without any mess whatsoever, put together some online jigsaw puzzles featuring waterfalls with National Geographic's Waterfalls Puzzler activity ! Ask a friend or family member to help you. Which waterfall do you think is the most beautiful? Why? Waterfalls actually come in different types. Did you know that? Check out Waterfalls 101 online to learn more about what types of waterfalls there


What early car model came in any color you could want, as long as it's black?

You can have any colour, as long as it's black You can have any colour, as long as it's black Motor vehicle manufacturing as a parallel  to document engineering By    Tony Self An allegory is a means of representing an idea using symbolic  representation. It is a kind of extended metaphor. It occurs to me that motor  vehicle manufacturing can be used as an allegory for the business of technical  communication. Let me explain... from the beginning. The motor car was invented in Europe (Germany, to be specific), and at  the start of the 20th Century, most motor vehicles were made in Europe. We may  think of the United States as the home of the motor car, but in 1902, a total  of 314 cars was produced in America. By contrast, the most prolific motor  manufacturing country, France, produced 23,000 cars in that same year. Belgium  was producing far more cars than the US. But just four years later, in 1906,  the USA overtook all other car manufacturing nations when it produced 58,000  cars. So how did the US transform from a car manufacturing backwater to a  powerhouse? One reason was that America was a wealthy country, and at the start  of the 20th century, only rich people could afford cars. Although America had  lots of rich people, for motor vehicle manufacturing to be a big industry, it  needed to develop a mass market. http://www.uniquecarsandparts.com.au/lost_marques.htm The man credited with working out how to create a mass market for cars  was Henry Ford. He started with the premise that for more people to be able to  afford cars, cars needed to be cheaper. This idea sounds simple enough, but in  reality, it meant bringing the cost of a car down from around $4000 (twice the  average annual income) to less than $1000. Different manufacturing ideas had  already been introduced, such as outsourcing (the Olds company came up with  this when their factory burned down) and using standardised parts that could be  interchanged among several models (an idea developed by Cadillac). Remember,  this is an allegory, so the words     "outsourcing" and     "interchange" are important to note. In 1908, Henry Ford introduced the     "assembly line" for motor vehicle construction. The first car  model to be produced on the production line was the Model T. The assembly or  production line replaced the     "coachbuilding" method of building cars (where cars were built  individually, one by one). The Model T Ford Ford's assembly line was what we would now call     "transformative process engineering". The assembly line was built on  a foundation of standardisation: standard processes to produce simple  components in a standardised production system. To understand how  standardisation created such an opportunity for efficiency, we need to know the  methods that preceded those of Ford. (The terms     "standard processes",     "simple components", and     "standardised production systems" are key to the allegory.) Coachbuilding Tradition Before the assembly line, motor vehicles were made by artisans.   Purchasing a motor vehicle was a two-step process: first you would buy a   chassis (from a      "chassis maker"), and then you would take it to a      "coachbuilder". The chassis maker would supply the chassis,   the drive train (engine, gears, axles and wheels), the suspension, the   radiator, and the steering system. The coachbuilder would build a body for the   chassis to suit the customer's needs. If the customer needed four seats, the   coachbuilder would build a four-seat cabin. If the customer needed a small   truck, the coachbuilder would build a two-seat cabin with a tray on the same   chassis. The chassis maker worked in metal, and the coachbuilder worked in wood   and leather. Sometimes, chassis makers and coachbuilders would team up to offer   a packaged product. For example, Fisher Body teamed up with Cadillac to build   all the closed-body Cadillacs of the 1910s. The Chassis Maker's Product - Royce 15196 The Coachbuilder's Boast - No


Casper (1995) - IMDb IMDb There was an error trying to load your rating for this title. Some parts of this page won't work property. Please reload or try later. X Beta I'm Watching This! Keep track of everything you watch; tell your friends. Error A paranormal expert and his daughter bunk in an abandoned house populated by three mischievous ghosts and one friendly one. Director: From $2.99 (SD) on Amazon Video ON DISC a list of 39 titles created 14 Jan 2012 a list of 49 titles created 12 Dec 2012 a list of 31 titles created 07 Dec 2013 a list of 34 titles created 06 Mar 2014 a list of 30 titles created 21 Apr 2014 Search for " Casper " on Amazon.com Connect with IMDb Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? Use the HTML below. You must be a registered user to use the IMDb rating plugin. 4 wins & 5 nominations. See more awards  » Videos A woman kidnaps puppies to kill them for their fur, but various animals then gang up against her and get their revenge in slapstick fashion. Director: Stephen Herek Story of a wonderful little girl, who happens to be a genius, and her wonderful teacher vs. the worst parents ever and the worst school principal imaginable. Director: Danny DeVito The Little family adopt a charming young mouse named Stuart, but the family cat wants rid of him. Director: Rob Minkoff A doctor discovers that he can communicate with animals. Director: Betty Thomas In a desperate attempt to win a basketball match and earn their freedom, the Looney Tunes seek the aid of retired basketball champion, Michael Jordan. Director: Joe Pytka When a boy learns that a beloved killer whale is to be killed by the aquarium owners, the boy risks everything to free the whale. Director: Simon Wincer A slobbering St. Bernard becomes the center of attention for a loving family, but must contend with a dog-napping veterinarian and his henchmen. Director: Brian Levant     1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 6.7/10 X   After three centuries, three witch sisters are resurrected in Salem, Massachusetts on Halloween night, and it is up to two teenagers, a young girl, and an immortal cat to put an end to their reign of terror once and for all. Director: Kenny Ortega An absent-minded professor discovers "flubber," a rubber-like super-bouncy substance. Director: Les Mayfield Babe, a pig raised by sheepdogs, learns to herd sheep with a little help from Farmer Hoggett. Director: Chris Noonan The scientist father of a teenage girl and boy accidentally shrinks his and two other neighborhood teens to the size of insects. Now the teens must fight diminutive dangers as the father searches for them. Director: Joe Johnston When two kids find and play a magical board game, they release a man trapped for decades in it and a host of dangers that can only be stopped by finishing the game. Director: Joe Johnston Edit Storyline Furious that her late father only willed her his gloomy-looking mansion rather than his millions, Carrigan Crittenden is ready to burn the place to the ground when she discovers a map to a treasure hidden in the house. But when she enters the rickety mansion to seek her claim, she is frightened away by a wicked wave of ghosts. Determined to get her hands on this hidden fortune, she hires afterlife therapist Dr. James Harvey to exorcise the ghosts from the mansion. Harvey and his daughter Kat move in, and soon Kat meets Casper, the ghost of a young boy who's "the friendliest ghost you know." But not so friendly are Casper's uncles--Stretch, Fatso and Stinkie--who are determined to drive all "fleshies" away. Ultimately, it is up to Harvey and Kat to help the ghosts cross over to the other side. Written by Joshua Davis <xtnb64a@prodigy.com> Haunting Season Opens May 26th See more  » Genres: Rated PG for mild language and thematic elements | See all certifications  » Parents Guide: 26 May 1995 (USA) See more  » Also Known As: Did You Know? Trivia Devon Sawa plays Casper in his living human form in the Halloween party scene. It is Devon Sawa's 1st feature film. See more » Goofs Casper tells Kat that after death, life doesn't matter so much anymore,