Which cathedral stands at the southern end of Red Square?

St Basil's Cathedral in Moscow, Russia - Lonely Planet © Mapbox © OpenStreetMap contributors At the southern end of Red Square stands the icon of Russia: St Basil’s Cathedral. This crazy confusion of colours, patterns and shapes is the culmination of a style that is unique to Russian architecture. In 1552 Ivan the Terrible captured the Tatar stronghold of Kazan on the Feast of Intercession. He commissioned this landmark church, officially the Intercession Cathedral, to commemorate the victory. Created from 1555 to 1561, this masterpiece would become the ultimate symbol of Russia. The cathedral’s apparent anarchy of shapes hides a comprehensible plan of nine main chapels. The tall, tent-roofed tower in the centre houses the namesake Church of the Protecting Veil of the Mother of God. The four biggest domes top four octagonal-towered chapels: the Church of Sts Cyprian & Justina, Church of the Holy Trinity, Church of the Icon of St Nicholas the Miracle Worker, and the Church of the Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem. Finally, there are four smaller chapels in between. Each chapel was consecrated in honour of an event or battle in the struggle against Kazan. Legend has it that Ivan had the architects blinded so that they could never build anything comparable. This is a myth, however, as records show that they were employed a quarter of a century later (and four years after Ivan’s death) to add an additional chapel to the structure.


In which musical do the characters Rusty, Dinah, and Poppa appear?

Category:Songs | Starlight Express the Musical Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia Alphabetical | Starlight Express has had as many musical revisions as there have been productions, resulting in a long list of altered and deleted songs. Contents


Created in 1946, what became the first New Town in England?

New Town | UK Housing Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia Edit Following World War II, a number of towns were designated under the 1946 Act as New Towns, and were developed partly to house the large numbers of people who had lost homes during the War. New Towns policy was also informed by a series of wartime commissions, including: the Barlow Commission (1940) into the distribution of industrial population, the Scott Committee into rural land use (1941) the Uthwatt Committee into compensation and betterment (1942) (later) the Reith Report into New Towns (1947). The first of a ring of such "first generation" New Towns around London (1946) was Stevenage in Hertfordshire. Two new towns were also planned in Scotland at East Kilbride (1947), and Glenrothes (1948). Later a scatter of "second-generation" towns were built to meet specific problems, such as the development of the Corby steelworks. Finally, five "third-generation" towns were launched in the late 1960s: these were larger, some of them based on substantial existing settlements such as Peterborough , and the most famous was probably the new town of Milton Keynes , midway between London and Birmingham , known for its huge central park and shopping centre, and its Concrete Cows. Other towns, such as Ashford , Basingstoke and Swindon , were designated "Expanded Towns" and share many characteristics with the new towns. Scotland also gained three more new towns, Cumbernauld in 1956, famous for its enclosed 'town centre', Livingston (1962) and Irvine (1966). All the new towns featured a car-oriented layout with many roundabouts and a grid-based road system unusual in the old world. The earlier new towns, where construction was often rushed and whose inhabitants were generally plucked out of their established communities with little ceremony, rapidly got a poor press reputation as the home of "new town blues". These issues were systematically addressed in the later towns, with the third generation towns in particular devoting substantial resources to cycle routes, public transport and community facilities, as well as employing teams of officers for social development work. The financing of the UK new towns was creative. Land within the designated area was acquired at agricultural use value by the development corporation for each town, and infrastructure and building funds borrowed on 60-year terms from the UK Treasury. Interest on these loans was rolled up, in the expectation that the growth in land values caused by the development of the town would eventually allow the loans to be repaid in full. However, the high levels of retail price inflation experienced in the developed world in the 1970s and 1980s fed through into interest rates and frustrated this expectation, so that substantial parts of the loans had ultimately to be written off. From the 1970s the first generation towns began to reach their initial growth targets. As they did so, their development corporations were wound up and the assets disposed of: rented housing to the local authority, and other assets to the Commission for the New Towns (in England; but alternative arrangements were made in Scotland and Wales). The Thatcher Government, from 1979, saw the new towns as a socialist experiment to be discontinued, and all the development corporations were dissolved by 1990, even for the third generation towns whose growth targets were still far from being achieved. Ultimately the Commission for the New Towns was also dissolved and its assets - still including a lot of undeveloped land - passed to the English Industrial Estates Corporation (later known as English Partnerships). Many of the New Towns attempted to incorporate public art and cultural programmes but with mixed methods and results. In Harlow the development corporation endowed the ' Harlow Arts Trust ' that purchased works by leading contemporary sculptors who had limited connection to the town. In Peterlee the abstract artist Victor Pasmore was appointed part of the design team resulting in the Apollo Pavilion. Washington New Town was provided with a commu


Which book, by former MI5 operative Peter Wright, was banned by the British government on the grounds of national security?

h2g2 - MI5 - the British Security Service - Edited Entry MI8 - Telegraph 1 censorship MI9 - Postal censorship This is not an exhaustive list, and none of these departments exist today; they have either been disbanded, or amalgamated into other departments. World War I saw a large increase in the responsibilities of MI5. Not only was it now in charge of counter-espionage at home, but also throughout the British Empire . It also took on the role of vetting employees of 'war factories', and advising the government on alien 2 policy. By the end of the war in 1918, in which time another 35 spies had been captured, MI5 had somewhere in the region of 850 employees. Between the Wars The war was over and after the treaty of Versailles Germany no longer posed a threat; however, this did not mean an end for MI5, just a new threat, Communism. After the Bolshevik Coup d'état in 1917, the British government saw itself as being under threat of subversive tactics from the new Soviet Union . They also saw a threat of sabotage to military installations; this was to be MI5's new focus. The rise of Hitler and the Nazi Party in Germany also saw the rise of a new threat to British national Security - subversion from fascists. In 1924, MI5 came into possession of a letter written by Grigory Zinoviev chairman of the 'Comintern' 3 , this letter urged British communists to promote revolution. Kell was convinced this letter was genuine and showed it to Prime Minister Ramsay MacDonald. It was agreed that the letter would be kept secret but it somehow got leaked to the press, who published it a few days before the general election. It was partially down to this that Ramsay MacDonald's Labour party lost the election. Shortly afterwards it was claimed that MI5 agents had forged the letter and leaked it to the press. In 1931, MI5 was formally put in charge of British national security (except for threats from Irish militants and anarchists) and was renamed 'The Security Service'. This is the name it goes by today, although it is still more commonly known as MI5. It is around this time that MI6 became 'SIS' or the 'Secret Intelligence Service'. Again this is the name the organisation is known by today, however it is still better known as MI6. World War II The beginning of World War II was not a good time for MI5. It was severely understaffed (just 30 operatives plus six surveillance operatives), it had just been evacuated to Blenheim Palace and its workload had been increased. To top all this off, in September 1940 it lost most of its records to a German bombing raid. After all these setbacks, in early 1941 David Petrie was appointed as the first ever Director General. He was given the resources to build a more substantial Security Service able to fulfil its role. Despite the early setbacks in World War II, MI5 performed extremely well. It transpired through German intelligence reports captured in 1945, that MI5 had successfully identified and captured all 115 German spies sent to Britain. Furthermore, Germany was unable to recruit a single British person sympathetic to the Nazi Party. Some of the captured German agents were employed by MI5 to feed false information back to Germany; this is the infamous 'double agent' scheme. There is a known case of two double agents, who were instructed by MI5 to give information to Germany that led to a food store being bombed by the Germans. The reason was so that the Germans didn't suddenly realise their agents had changed sides, which they would have done had information suddenly stopped being fed to them. The use of double agents was a great help in the preparations for D-Day . World War II - 1990 The end of World War II saw MI5 focusing most of its energies on the subversive threat from the USSR. This included the vetting of all peoples employed in 'work vital to national security'. The need for MI5 in this role was validated with the case of the Cambridge Spies . By the early 1950s, staffing levels had reached around 850. In 1952, Prime Minister Winston Churchill passed on the responsibility of overseeing MI5 t


What was the name of Freddie Laker's cheap trans-Atlantic airline from 1977 to 1983?

Pioneer of cheap flights for all - Obituaries - smh.com.au Pioneer of cheap flights for all March 11, 2006 Sir Freddie Laker, Travel entrepreneur, 1922-2006 SIR FREDDIE LAKER, who has died aged 83, pioneered the idea of cheap air travel with his Skytrain to America in 1977; his entrepreneurial spirit brought him immense public affection and the wrath of rivals who conspired successfully to break his business. Before Skytrain international flights were largely the preserve of the rich. After World War II it was thought competition between airlines might prejudice passenger safety, so the market was strictly regulated by the International Air Transport Association. IATA allowed state airlines to maintain an inefficient monopoly offering identical services at high prices. By 1971 the only exception was charter airlines catering for the growing package holiday trade. Under an IATA rule intended to preserve the monopoly, charter passengers needed six months' membership of an "affinity group" whose main purpose was not travel, groups such as the Dahlia Society or the Left Hand Club. Backdated membership could soon be openly obtained at airports. Laker, whose airline was being regularly fined for carrying large numbers of bogus rose growers to America, proposed an easier system. Passengers who wanted a cheap flight could queue for a ticket at the airport, just as they would at a railway station before taking a train. It took six years of strenuous argument to persuade the British and US governments to see the idea's merits. The first Skytrain took off for New York in September 1977. Although Laker offered no frills (such as meals), at £59 it cost a third of any other ticket. He made £1 million profit in the first year, and by 1980 was carrying one in seven trans-Atlantic passengers. Laker took a boyish delight in his success; he was memorably photographed zooming around the Gatwick runway pretending to be a Spitfire and was fond of taking up the plane position. Yet his concern for the consumer's interest endeared him to the public. He was voted Man of the Year and in 1978 knighted by the Callaghan government. Then, in February 1982, Laker Airways abruptly went into receivership with debts of £264 million. The collapse was so sudden that its flights were turned around in mid-air. At first it appeared that Laker had overreached himself, borrowing heavily to finance 15 new aircraft just as the pound plunged against the dollar. The major airlines had also taken concerted action, offering cheap fares for the first time; and when Pan Am cut the price of its regular service by two-thirds in October 1981, Laker's passengers deserted him. In 1983 the liquidators Touche Ross began an anti-trust action in the US, claiming $US1 billion from 10 major airlines. The allegations went beyond predatory pricing; British Airways, Pan Am, TWA and Lufthansa were said to have met to plot Laker's downfall. In particular, several airlines had threatened the manufacturer McDonnell Douglas that they would buy elsewhere if it rescheduled Laker's debt. The Justice Department found the evidence in a school project by the daughter of a McDonnell Douglas director. The action threatened BA's privatisation, and in 1985 the defendants settled out of court the £35 million owed to Laker's creditors, staff and passengers. Laker himself reluctantly accepted £6 million in compensation and retreated to the Bahamas. The lessons have since been absorbed by Sir Richard Branson. Frederick Alfred Laker was born at Canterbury on August 6, 1922. His father, a merchant seaman, deserted the family when Freddie was five, and his mother then worked as a cleaner. At the local school Freddie did not shine academically, amusing friends by saying he was going to be a millionaire. His first job was delivering coal for an uncle. At 16 he joined flying-boat builders in Rochester as a teaboy and apprentice engineer, and studied maths and economics at night school. In World War II he worked for the Air Transport Auxiliary, where he excelled at improvising repairs. He became flight engine


New York has two cathedrals. One is being refurbished following a fire in 2001, and is dediacted to St. John the Divine. To whom is the other dedicated?

Frommers Guide to NY by Christopher Buczek - issuu issuu NEW YORK 5th Edition Reid Bramblett Published by: WILEY PUBLISHING, INC. 909 Third Ave. New York, NY 10022 Copyright ÂŠ 2003 Wiley Publishing, Inc., New York, New York. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning or otherwise, except as permitted under Sections 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without either the prior written permission of the Publisher, or authorization through payment of the appropriate percopy fee to the Copyright Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, (978) 750-8400, fax (978) 646-8700. Requests to the Publisher for permission should be addressed to the Legal Department, Wiley Publishing, Inc., 10475 Crosspoint Blvd., Indianapolis, IN 46256, (317) 572-3447, fax (317) 572-4447, E-Mail: permcoordinator@wiley.com. Wiley and the Wiley Publishing logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Wiley Publishing, Inc. and may not be used without written permission. Frommerâ€™s is a trademark or registered trademark of Arthur Frommer. Used under license. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Wiley Publishing, Inc. is not associated with any product or vendor mentioned in this book. ISBN 0-7645-6744-6 ISSN 1081-339X Editor: Elizabeth Albertson Production Editor: Ian Skinnari Photo Editor: Richard Fox Cartographer: Elizabeth Puhl Production by Wiley Indianapolis Composition Services For information on our other products and services or to obtain technical support, please contact our Customer Care Department within the U.S. at 800-762-2974, outside the U.S. at 317-572-3993 or fax 317-572-4002. Wiley also publishes its books in a variety of electronic formats. Some content that appears in print may not be available in electronic formats. Manufactured in the United States of America 5 4 1 The Walking Tours 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Lower Manhattan/The Financial District Chinatown The Jewish Lower East Side SoHo Greenwich Village Literary Tour The East Village Midtown: The Concrete Jungle Central Park The Upper West Side The Upper East Side Morningside Heights & Harlem 7 21 37 50 68 95 117 133 146 160 174 Essentials LIST OF MAPS The Tours at a Glance 3 The Walking Tours Lower Manhattan/The Financial District Chinatown The Jewish Lower East Side SoHo Greenwich Village Literary Tour The East Village Midtown: The Concrete Jungle Central Park The Upper West Side The Upper East Side Morningside Heights & Harlem 9 23 39 51 70 97 119 134 147 161 175 About the Author Reid Bramblett is a veteran of the Frommer’s editorial offices and the author of several Frommer’s guides, including Frommer’s Italy from $70 a Day, Frommer’s Tuscany and Umbria, Frommer’s Northern Italy, and Europe For Dummies, as well as a contributor to Frommer’s Europe from $70 A Day and Honeymoons For Dummies. You’ll notice the distinct lack of American destinations on that list of books. Never fear. Reid is also a former resident of Brooklyn’s Park Slope and (briefly) Williamsburg neighborhoods, and he now hangs his hat in Maspeth, Queens. He promises one day to get around to living in Manhattan as well, but not until rents come way down or travel writers’ salaries go way up. Acknowledgments I want to thank Liz Albertson for her fine editorial job, and for talking me into writing the new Harlem tour, which has now become one of my very favorite walks. Major props go out to my cousin Katy Hudnall, a newly-minted Manhattanite who eagerly accompanied me on many of the walks so as to get to know her new city (and ended up discovering the joys of schvitzing, an activity I don’t believe they have in Atlanta). The brilliant and beautiful Frances Sayers, too, has helped walk several of the tours over the last few editions and braved the mysterious ingesting of unknown objects in the dim sum restaurants of Chinatown. I am, as always, humbly grateful to Margo Margolis, Marina Ada


In which constellation would you find the Horse Head nebula?

Horsehead Nebula (Barnard 33) | Constellation Guide Constellation Guide Constellations: A Guide to the Night Sky Horsehead Nebula (Barnard 33) by admin The Horsehead Nebula is a famous diffuse dark nebula found in the Orion Molecular Cloud Complex in the constellation Orion . It is a dark cloud composed of dust and gas where star formation is taking place. The nebula is also known as Barnard 33, and is located in the emission nebula IC 434. The Horsehead Nebula is approximately 1,500 light years distant from Earth. The Horsehead Nebula is one of the most easily identifiable nebulae in the sky as its shape resembles that of a horse’s head and neck when observed from Earth. The swirling clouds of gas and dark dust are lit by a pinkish glow of hydrogen gas located behind the nebula and ionized by the nearby bright star Sigma Orionis. Sigma Orionis, which is in fact a five-star system, illuminates the entire region. The brighter star visible in this area of the sky in images is Zeta Orionis, but it is located in the foreground and not related to the Horsehead Nebula. The nebula formed from a collapse of an interstellar cloud of material and appears dark mainly because of the thick dust in the neighbouring area, with the bright spots at the base marking hidden protostars, newly formed or forming young stars. Horsehead Nebula (Barnard 33), image: NASA The Horsehead can only be seen because its obscuring dust is silhouetted against the brighter nebula IC 434. The nebulous region that forms the horse’s head is just part of a larger dust cloud. The nebula is really an extremely dense cloud projecting in front of the ionized hydrogen gas. This is revealed by the fact that lower side of the horse’s neck is particularly dark and casts a shadow to the east. The glowing hydrogen gas marks the edge of the dark cloud that forms the nebula, which is evident in the notable change in the density of visible stars on either side of the cloud. The brighter region at the top left edge of the Horsehead is a young star still hidden in the gas and dust in which it was formed. The jutting pillar that forms the Horsehead has a high density of helium and hydrogen, which makes it hard to erode. While the gas clouds that surrounded the nebula have already dissipated, it will be another five million years before the pillar dissipates too. FACTS, LOCATION AND SIZE The Horsehead Nebula is one of the best known and most photographed stellar nurseries in the night sky. It can contain more than a hundred known gases, both organic and inorganic, and also complex, large organic molecules of dust. The nebula was first recorded on a photographic plate in 1888 by the Scottish astronomer Williamina Fleming at the Harvard College Observatory. In April 2013, the Hubble Space Telescope photographed the nebula in astounding detail, revealing two new stars located in the top ridge. NASA explained in a release that one of these stars is emitting “harsh ultraviolet glare” which is slowly stripping away the cloud. “Gas clouds surrounding the Horsehead already have dissipated, but the tip of the jutting pillar contains a slightly higher density of hydrogen and helium, laced with dust,” said NASA. “This casts a shadow that protects material behind it from being stripped away by intense stellar radiation evaporating the hydrogen cloud, and a pillar structure forms.” The wide-field VISTA view includes the glow of the reflection nebula NGC 2023, just below centre, and the ghostly outline of the Horsehead Nebula (Barnard 33) towards the lower right. Image: ESO/J. Emerson/VISTA The Orion Molecular Cloud Complex, which contains the Horsehead Nebula, is also home to the famous Orion Nebula (Messier 42), the Flame Nebula (NGC 2024), and Barnard’s Loop. As one of the nearest regions where massive stars are formed, the cloud complex is also most easily photographed, making these some of the most recognizable objects in the sky. The Horsehead Nebula can be found just to the south of Alnitak, Zeta Orionis, the easternmost star of Orion’s Belt . It is 2-3 light years across and a chal


Botswana historical place names and terminology Back to contents || Back to top Bamalete Old form of BaLete (the polity with capital now at Ramotswa). See Bamangwato for discussion of this form of the name. The form Bamalete is still found on signs in Ramotswa. Back to contents Bamangwato The Ngwato state which the British encountered in the 19th century was a multi-ethnic one. Its core group was the Ngwato clan whose totem was phuti (duiker). However it also included a variety of other groups, including other Tswana groups, Kalanga, BaKgalagari, and Basarwa. Perhaps about one-fifth of the population were Ngwato in the strict sense. (The 1942 census counted 17,850 Ngwato in a total African population of 100,987 in the Bamangwato Reserve: Schapera Ethnic Composition of Tswana Tribes (1952) p. 65.) According to the linguist Desmond Cole, writing in 1955, the simple form BaNgwato is more recent than the forms which became Bamangwato: ... in some of the cases where the tribal name derives from the name of a former chief, as most of them do, possessive forms are used, thus: (batho) bagammaNgwato ((people) of the mother of Ngwato), (batho) bagaMalete ((people) of Malete), (batho) bagaMotlhware ((people) of Motlhware. {Footnote 2: Sometimes, but less typically, bammaNgwato (hence the popular "Bamangwato"), baMalete and baMotlhware. Why bagammaNgwato should incorporate mma- (mother of) is not clear, though this occurs often in names of men in the Eastern dialects...} Even in these cases, nevertheless, the modern tendency is to follow the practice elsewhere and to use the simple nouns Bangwato, Balete, Batlhware... [Desmond T. Cole, An Introduction to Tswana Grammar (Cape Town: Longman Penguin Southern Africa, 1992) [first published 1955] p. xx.] (As regards the -ga- particle, Cole notes: In typical Tswana dialects, possessives formed from singular personal nouns of class 1a require the insertion of the element -ga- between the possessive concord and the stem. However, this -ga- is omitted by many speakers, particularly in the eastern dialects. [Ibid., p. 161, section 9.4] The term 'Bamangwato' seems to have been used, in the 19th and early 20th century, for the morafe as a whole, including Tswana of other totems and non-Tswana. It is unclear what usage was before this; the core group may possibly originally have been known as BaPhuti. Some writers have used the terms Bamangwato and Ngwato to make a distinction: Without its prefix, 'Ngwato' implies a stricter ethnic distinction - the nuclear group which can trace its descent back to its founder called Ngwato. The term 'Bamangwato', on the other hand, is used by groups of other descent to identify themselves as nationals of the Ngwato state.  We are faced with the paradox that only one-fifth of the 'BamaNgwato' are in fact 'Ngwato'. [Q. N. Parsons, "Khama III, the Bamangwato, and the British, with Special Reference to 1895-1923", (unpublished Ph.D. thesis, University of Edinburgh, 1973), Note on spelling and abbreviations.] By this usage, the term Bamangwato was used for the people as a whole. Hence the "Bamangwato tribe" was the kingdom ruled by Sekgoma I and Khama III. The term "Bamangwato" is no longer current, having been replaced by the shorter "BaNgwato", and younger Batswana often do not even understand it. Some have the impression that it was an inaccurate colonial form like "Gaberones". (However, the form GammaNgwato has survived as a term for the Ngwato state or territory.) "BaNgwato" has the effect of replacing MmaNgwato with Ngwato as the eponym. BaNgwato is now the only current form. Many of the people who would in the old days have been "Bamangwato", however, do not identify as BaNgwato, but as Kalanga (etc.) who live in the Central District (the local government district which replaced the old Bamangwato Reserve). The probable cause of this development is that, after Independence, the chiefs lost most (though not all) of their former direct authority and the concept of a polity subject to a chief is no longer applicable. Instead, BaNgwato


Howard Kirk is the eponymous hero of which 1975 Malcolm Bradbury novel?

MALCOLM BRADBURY writer & critic | Fiction | Introductory Essay EATING PEOPLE IS WRONG INTRODUCTORY ESSAY – ORIGINAL VERSION PUBLISHED IN THE BRITISH COUNCIL SERIES, CONTEMPORARY WRITERS, UPDATED 2010 David Lodge Like several English novelists before him, Malcolm Bradbury began his literary career writing humorous and parodic sketches of contemporary life in magazines like Punch. This literary apprenticeship left its mark on his novels and stories, which are notable for their sharp, witty and densely specific observation of contemporary manners and morals, fads and fashions. The fact that most of these fictions are set in the academic world or have academics as their principal characters does not limit their representativeness. Read in chronological sequence, they constitute a satirical social history of post-war Britain. They also reflect developments, seen through British eyes, in the two great empires of the second half of the 20th century, the American and the Soviet Russian, which Bradbury observed on his academic travels. These novels have a dimension of serious - indeed pessimistic - moral and philosophical reflection. Every now and then the brittle, amusing social surface cracks open to reveal dark and disturbing depths: violence, treachery, madness, despair. Bradbury used the conventions of the "campus novel" to develop the combination of comedy of manners and moral seriousness which he found in the modern British novelists he most admired, E.M. Forster and Evelyn Waugh. He also learned from contemporary American writers - not surprisingly, in view of his academic specialization in American Literature. His first novel, Eating People Is Wrong (1959) owed as much to the intellectually sophisticated fiction of Lionel Trilling, Mary McCarthy and Saul Bellow as it did to Kingsley Amis's Lucky Jim (1954). Like Amis, however, and other British campus novelists, Bradbury also drew on a native tradition of robust farce that goes back to Fielding, Smollett and Sterne in the eighteenth century. Rather unusually for a young writer's first novel, Eating   People Is Wrong has a 40 year-old hero, Professor Treece, Head of   English at a provincial redbrick university. This allows Treece to represent   a theme that consistently fascinated Bradbury, the liberal's sense   of being an impotent spectator of, and at times an involuntary collaborator   in, the cultural decline which he observes going on around him. Treece finds   the brash, socially mobile Britain of the 1950s, where university teachers   vandalise the learned journals in their own common rooms, a distracting and   demoralizing climate in which to cultivate beauty and truth, but fails to   live up to his own high ideals. Succumbing irresponsibly to the charms of   a pretty postgraduate, he drives an unstable but gifted student into madness   and is punished by his own comically horrendous hospitalization in the last   chapter. In Stepping Westward (1965), Bradbury dispatched a similarly weak liberal hero, a provincial novelist called James Walker, to be writer-in-residence on a campus in the middle of America, where he proves quite incapable of reading the political plot in which he becomes involved. Full of brilliantly epigrammatic dialogue and acute observation of British and American manners, Stepping Westward was an important transitional novel on the way to the masterly The History Man (1975). Bernie Froelich, the sly plotter of Stepping Westward, who manipulates the innocent Walker to further his own interests, is a precursor of Howard Kirk, the machiavellian left-wing sociologist at the new University of Watermouth in the south of England, who finds that the plot of history according to Marx coincides neatly with his own desires for possession and domination of other people. It helps that the cultural and sexual revolution which started in the 1960s is now in full swing, discomposing Howard's accident-prone colleague Henry Beamish, the prim Scottish lecturer Miss Callendar, and the novelist himself, who makes a thinly disguised appear


What role was played by Arthur Cook in the General Strike of 1926?

A.J. Cook –The ‘King Arthur’ of the 1920s | League for the Fifth International A.J. Cook –The ‘King Arthur’ of the 1920s Dave Hughes Wed, 02/05/1984 - 16:42 Arthur Scargill has justly been compared with Arthur J. Cook, the secretary of the Miners Federation of Great Britain (MFGB) from 1924 until 1931. During the miners’ great struggle of 1926 no figure came to represent the anger and determination of the miners more than A.J. Cook. He was adored by the militants in every coalfield as a tireless and selfless fighter for the cause of the miners. He was hated by the right wing trade unions leaders. He was pilloried in the bosses’ press. Yet throughout 1926 militant miners had to remain organised and vigilant in order to check Cook’s vacillations and to stop any backsliding on his part. Like any trade union official who is not directly and immediately responsible to the organised rank and file, Cook periodically succumbed to the pressure from the government, the employers and their agents in the Labour movement. He displayed major political weaknesses. Miners today must learn the lessons of that period if they are to win full victory against MacGregor and the Tories.  An essential part of the tactics for victory is the ability of militants not only to choose good leaders in the first place, but also to correct their errors and replace them if their conduct threatens the struggle with defeat.  The militant Arthur Cook came to political maturity in the great battles in the South Wales coalfields before the first world war. Arriving in the Rhondda from Somerset, Cook broke with organised evangelical religion and joined the Independent Labour Party in 1905. He played a prominent part in the Unofficial Reform Committee which led the struggles in the Cambrian combine in 1911 and 1912 against the coal owners  and the right wing leaders of the South Wales Miners Federation. This grouping around Ablett, Hay and Mainwaring producing “The Miners’ Next Step”. Cook was involved in the initial discussions around the document. It was on the initiative of the Unofficial Reform Committee that in 1911 Cook was sent to the Central Labour College which had been established by the Plebs League as a challenge to anti-Marxist indoctrination courses taught at Ruskin College. As well as being a working miner and union activist, Cook gave regular CLC classes in Marxism on his return to the Rhondda.  The militant activists in South Wales – Cook included – were heavily influenced by syndicalism. As against the weak-kneed reformism of the early Labour Party which had become a mere appendage of Lloyd George’s Liberals in the House of Commons and against the conservative trade union leaders seeking only to strike deals with the bosses on behalf of the skilled workers, the Syndicalists had a bolder class perspective. Their view was of continuous militant union struggle which would step by step drive the bosses to the wall. But it was utterly vague about how the bosses could be deprived of political power – ie. of their control over the forces of the state. It remained in the end “pure trade unionism”, which had no answers when either the economic conditions for offensive trade union struggle deteriorated or when that struggle reached such a point of generalisation that political tasks were posed. Last but not least, whist it had a perspective for rank and file control of the union leaders, it had no overall programme for transforming the unions up to the leadership level. Whilst Cook himself became a union leader and a member of different political parties, he never outgrew this non-political militant unionism, a fact which led him to disaster in the end.  The generation of militants of which Cook was a part became increasingly prominent in the South Wales Federation as a direct result of the battles of the South Wales Miners. By January 1914 Cook was Chairman of the Coedcae Lodge and the Lewis-Merthyr Joint Committee. By 1919 he had been elected full time miner’s agent for Rhondda No.1, the largest district within the SWMF. In 1921 Cook became the South


What name was given to a Roman gladiator who fought with a weighted net, a 3-pointed trident and a dagger?

1/6 Scale Astacius the Retiarius Figure - Kaustic Plastik 1/6 Scale Bodies 1/6 Scale Figures 1/6 Scale Astacius the Retiarius Figure List Price $99.99 General Safety Warning: Products sold by BBTS may be intended for Adult Collectors. Products may contain sharp points, small parts, choking hazards, and other elements not suitable for children under 16 years old. Astacius - Retiarius - Rome, Italy, circa 300 A.D. The Retiarius (plural retiarii; literally, "net-man" or "net-fighter" in Latin) was a Roman gladiator who fought with equipment styled on that of a fisherman: a weighted net (rete, hence the name), a three-pointed trident (fuscina or tridens), and a dagger (pugio). The retiarius was lightly armoured, wearing an arm guard (manica) and a shoulder guard (galerus). Typically, his clothing consisted only of a loincloth (subligaculum) held in place by a wide belt, or of a short tunic with light padding. He wore no head protection or footwear. The retiarius was routinely pitted against a heavily armed secutor. The net-fighter made up for his lack of protective gear by using his speed and agility to avoid his opponent's attacks and waiting for the opportunity to strike. He first tried to throw his net over his rival. If this succeeded, he attacked with his trident while his adversary was entangled. Another tactic was to ensnare his enemy's weapon in the net and pull it out of his grasp, leaving the opponent defenseless. Should the net miss or the secutor grab hold of it, the retiarius likely discarded the weapon, although he might try to collect it back for a second cast. Usually, the retiarius had to rely on his trident and dagger to finish the fight. The trident, as tall as a human being, permitted the gladiator to jab quickly and keep his distance. It was a strong weapon, capable of inflicting piercing wounds on an unprotected skull or limb. The dagger was the retiarius's final backup should the trident be lost. It was reserved for when close combat or a straight wrestling match had to settle the bout. In some battles, a single retiarius faced two secutores simultaneously. For these situations, the lightly armoured gladiator was placed on a raised platform and given a supply of stones with which to repel his pursuers. Highlights 1. Newly developed muscular body, "Realistik Body" KP01A 2. "Lifelike" head sculpture with "state of art" paint. 3. Retiarius shoulder guard "galerus" based on Pompeii (Italy) original model (Die-cast Metal) 4. Retiarius Trident "fusciana or tridens" (Die-cast Metal and Wood) 5. Retiarius small dagger "pugio" (Die-cast Metal blade) 6. Retiarius special four spikes dagger "quadrens" (Die-cast Metal blade) 7. Fabric Cushion gaiter and shoulder armor pad 8. Leatherlike Arm guard "manica" and belt 9. Retiarius net "rete"


Which winner of X Factor had the best selling single of 2008?

The biggest selling X Factor winner's singles revealed Google + The X Factor celebrates 13 series of Saturday night domination and unmissability in 2016, and as we start out on the journey to find the new champion, we look back at the 12 who came before. As diverse artists as they all are, they have at least two things in common – first of all, they won the show and released a winner’s single. And secondly, they all released at least one album. So when we count out the numbers, who comes out on top? It’s the ultimate display of public approval, the actual purchase of their music. When the studio lights have gone down and they’re on their own, did their onscreen popularity guarantee them hefty sales? Winner's singles It’s a close-run thing when it comes to singles, with the Top 2 artists benefitting from the digital age. There have been four million-selling winner’s singles and it’s pretty close at the top. 3: Shayne Ward – That’s My Goal The second winner of The X Factor, all the way back in 2005, super-talented Shayne Ward was the first winner to score a million-seller. Shayne is also the only champion so far to release a totally original song – everyone else has launched their career with a cover version. Despite not having the advantage of convenient downloads when he won, Shayne still shifted an impressive 740,000 copies in his first week on sale. That’s My Goal has sold a total of 1.11 million copies in the UK. Currently taking a break from music, you can find Shayne running the knicker factory in Coronation Street.  MORE: Look back at Shayne Ward's full Official Chart history, including 4 Top 10 singles 2: James Arthur – Impossible Finishing a very close second is 2012’s winner James Arthur, who scored the fastest-selling single of the year with this Shontelle cover. Impossible has sold 1.294 million copies in the UK.  MORE: Look back at the Official Top 100 Singles of 2012 here 1: Alexandra Burke – Hallelujah The champion is Series 5’s victor Alexandra Burke, who was the first X Factor winner to have her single immediately available for download. Alex still managed to sell over 570,000 physical copies of her cover of Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah, and altogether the song cleared a million copies in just four weeks – over 576,000 in its first sales week alone. It’s sold a total of 1.297 million copies in the UK, giving Alexandra another win to add to her haul. MORE: Look back at Alexandra Burke's full Official UK Chart history, including 3 Number 1 singles And the rest… There’s one more million seller courtesy of 2010’s winner Matt Cardle, whose Biffy Clyro cover When We Collide has sold 1.01 million copies. Series 3 winner Leona Lewis has a million in her sights – she’s currently on 916,000 with A Moment Like This. Further down the tally, 2014's winner Ben Haenow notched up a healthy 508,000 sales of Something I Need, while the very first winner of the show Steve Brookstein scores a sales tally of 204,000 for his winning single Against All Odds, originally a hit for Phil Collins and a Number 1 in 1999 for Westlife and Mariah Carey. In last place on the list is 2015's winner Louisa Johnson. Her Bob Dylan cover Forever Young is the only winner's single not to reach Number 1 (it peaked at 9) and has sold 79,000 units in total. Here’s the full Top 12 ranking of all The X Factor’s winning singles so far…   © 2016 The Official Charts Company. All rights reserved. Debut albums So once the winning single is out, talk turns to debut albums, but who had the selling power for their very first long-player? Let’s just say this is pretty much a one-horse race. 1: Leona Lewis – Spirit Way out in front of all her fellow winners is 2004’s victor Leona Lewis, whose debut album Spirit has sold an incredible 3.13 million copies, making it one of the bestselling albums of all time in the UK. Leona is behind only Adele and Amy Winehouse when it comes to bestselling albums by British female acts . Spirit’s success may well have been helped along, of course, by Leona’s launch single Bleeding Love, which is a million seller and was Number 1


Which is the only horse racing course in Northamptonshire?

Find out more Restaurant & VIP Experience Towcester Racecourse offers various hospitality packages, starting from as little as £29.95 per person. Click below to book online or call 01327 600914. Find out more Conferences Set in stunning picturesque grounds in Northamptonshire, Towcester conference centre is the perfect central location for a variety of events. We would be delighted to discuss your individual meeting requirements to develop a package that suits your needs and budget.


In medicine, what name is given to inflammation of the protective membranes enclosing the brain and spinal cord?

Meningitis - National Library of Medicine - PubMed Health Intraventricular antibiotics for bacterial meningitis in neonates Infection of the membranes and the fluid surrounding the brain (meningitis) and of the fluid‐filled spaces in the brain (ventriculitis) may be caused by bacteria, especially gram‐negative bacteria. This type of infection is difficult to eradicate using safe doses of antibiotics given into the blood stream. In theory, intraventricular administration of antibiotics (administration of antibiotics into the fluid‐filled spaces in the centre of the brain) would produce higher antibiotic concentrations in the fluid in the brain than intravenous administration alone, and eliminate the bacteria more quickly. However, taps of the fluid‐filled spaces may cause harm as the needle has to penetrate the brain tissue. Only one trial was identified. In this trial enrolling infants with gram‐negative meningitis and ventriculitis, the use of intraventricular antibiotics in addition to intravenous antibiotics resulted in a three‐fold increased risk for mortality compared to standard treatment with intravenous antibiotics alone. Based on this result, intraventricular antibiotics should be avoided. Further trials comparing these interventions are not justified in newborn infants. Treatment of acute cryptococcal meningitis in HIV infected adults, with an emphasis on resource‐limited settings Despite the advent and increasingly wide availability of antiretroviral therapy for people with HIV/AIDS, cryptococcal meningitis remains a significant cause of death and illness amongst individuals with HIV infection in resource‐limited settings (poor countries). The ideal way to manage cryptococcal meningitis remains unclear. The main aim of this review was to determine the best treatment for cryptococcal meningitis in resource‐limited settings. In these settings, usually only Amphotericin and fluconazole are available. The authors didn't find any suitable studies that compared these two drugs. Because Flucytosine, which works well with Amphotericin, is often not available in poor countries, policy makers and government officials should consider using this drug for HIV treatment programmes. Future research into the management of cryptococcal meningitis in resource‐limited settings should focus on the most effective use of medications that are available in these settings. Newer, third generation cephalosporins versus conventional antibiotics for treating acute bacterial meningitis Acute bacterial meningitis is a life‐threatening illness. Currently the evidence suggests that old and new antibiotics offer the same level of treatment. Bacteria which cause meningitis are often thought to be resistant to conventional (older) antibiotics, and so doctors often prescribe newer antibiotics (called third generation cephalosporins). Commencing treatment early is vitally important and the choice of antibiotic is often made without any knowledge of possible drug resistance. This review examined 19 studies with 1496 participants to see whether there is a difference in effectiveness between conventional and newer antibiotics. This review found no differences. Adverse effects in both approaches were similar, except for diarrhoea, which was more common in the cephalosporin group. Only three studies dealt with adults; the remaining studies recruited participants aged 15 years and younger. Therefore, we believe that the results probably pertain more to children. Conventional and newer antibiotics seem reasonable options for initial, immediate treatment. The choice may depend on availability, affordability and local policies. Intraventricular antibiotics for bacterial meningitis in neonates Infection of the membranes and the fluid surrounding the brain (meningitis) and of the fluid‐filled spaces in the brain (ventriculitis) may be caused by bacteria, especially gram‐negative bacteria. This type of infection is difficult to eradicate using safe doses of antibiotics given into the blood stream. In theory, intraventricular administration of antibiotics (ad


The national flag of Germany is a tricolour with three horizontal bands. What colour is the top band?

Germany with Flag and Eagle Hoodie | Zazzle or 2 products Germany with Flag and Eagle Hoodie German Flag and Eagle......................The flag of Germany is a tricolour consisting of three equal horizontal bands displaying the national colours of Germany: black, red, and gold....................... The black-red-gold tricolour first appeared in the early 19th century and achieved prominence during the 1848 Revolutions. The short-lived Frankfurt Parliament of 1848–1850 proposed the tricolour as a flag for a united and democratic German state. With the formation of the Weimar Republic after World War I, the tricolour was adopted as the national flag of Germany. Following World War II, the tricolour was designated as the flag of both West and East Germany. The two flags were identical until 1959, when the East German flag was augmented with the coat of arms of East Germany. Since reunification on 3 October 1990, the black-red-gold tricolour has remained the flag of Germany.....................The origins of the colours black-red-yellow lie in the freedom wars of 1813 against Napoleon. The uniforms of the Lützowsches Freikorps (Lützow Free Corps) reflected these colours. The Korps consisted of students, which were rising against the occupation of Germany by the French. They were a voluntary unit in the army and came from all over Germany. Their commander was Major Ludwig von Lützow. Since they were from different parts of Germany and were all wearing different coloured clothes, the only possibility for them, in order to have a uniform appearance, was to colour their clothes black. Additionally they were wearing golden coloured (brass) buttons as well as red trimmings..


"Which Greek word meaning ""curdling"" is used in medicine for the formation of a blood clot?"

Thrombosis | Define Thrombosis at Dictionary.com thrombosis noun, Pathology. 1. intravascular coagulation of the blood in any part of the circulatory system, as in the heart, arteries, veins, or capillaries. Origin of thrombosis 1700-10; < New Latin < Greek thrómbōsis. See thromb(o)- , -osis Related forms [throm-bot-ik] /θrɒmˈbɒt ɪk/ (Show IPA), adjective Dictionary.com Unabridged Examples from the Web for thrombosis Expand Contemporary Examples Should thrombosis occur in this anatomic area, a patient might have headaches, dizziness, or even stroke-like symptoms. How Serious Is Hillary Clinton’s Blood Clot and Hospitalization? Kent Sepkowitz December 30, 2012 Historical Examples The best results have been attained in the chronic forms of the disease where the thrombosis was limited. Arteriosclerosis and Hypertension: Louis Marshall Warfield If the thrombosis takes place in the brain, consciousness will be lost, and the patient will often die without recovering it. Arteriosclerosis and Hypertension: Louis Marshall Warfield Of the circulatory system:—Myocarditis, Endocarditis, thrombosis. British Dictionary definitions for thrombosis Expand the formation or presence of a thrombus 2. (informal) short for coronary thrombosis Derived Forms C18: from New Latin, from Greek: curdling, from thrombousthai to clot, from thrombosthrombus Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012 Word Origin and History for thrombosis Expand n. 1706, Modern Latin, from Greek thrombosis "a clumping or curdling" (from thrombousthai "become curdled or clotted," from thrombos "clot, curd, lump;" see thrombus ) + -osis . Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper


"In his famous poem, precisely how many daffodils did Wordsworth see ""at a glance""?"

Wordsworth's Daffodils - Wordsworth Trust Wordsworth Trust A Portrait of a Friendship £2.50 Enjoy Dove Cottage whatever the weather. Join us Want to get involved? Becoming a Friend or a Patron entitles you to free entry, special events and priority booking. Wild daffodils - Narcissus pseudonarcissus Wild daffodils in Dove Cottage garden Wild daffodils on the shores of Ullswater, where Dorothy saw the daffodils that later inspired William's most famous poem Click below to browse pictures Image 5 The words 'Daffodils' and 'Wordsworth' go hand in hand with each other.   The most famous poem in the English language was composed in 1804, two years after Wordsworth saw the flowers while walking by Ullswater on a stormy day with Dorothy, his sister. His inspiration for the poem came from an account written by Dorothy. In her journal entry for 15 April 1802 she describes how the daffodils 'tossed and reeled and danced, and seemed as if they verily laughed with the wind, that blew upon them over the lake.' Wordsworth published his poem, I wandered lonely as a Cloud, in 1807. He altered it several times, and the final version, published in 1815, is simply a revision of the original, the new lines and vocabulary perhaps reflecting the changes in his lifestyle and where he saw himself in the social hierarchy. Although Wordsworth's 'Daffodils' is one of the most famous and widely read poems in the English language, daffodils were probably not Wordsworth's favourite flower. He wrote no less than three poems about the tiny Common Pilewort (Celandine) which blossoms in early spring. You can see a short video about the poem by clicking here . First version I wandered lonely as a Cloud That floats on high o'er Vales and Hills, When all at once I saw a crowd A host of dancing Daffodils; Along the Lake, beneath the trees, Ten thousand dancing in the breeze. The waves beside them danced, but they Outdid the sparkling waves in glee: -- A poet could not but be gay In such a laughing company: I gazed -- and gazed -- but little thought What wealth the show to me had brought: For oft when on my couch I lie In vacant or in pensive mood, They flash upon that inward eye Which is the bliss of solitude, And then my heart with pleasure fills, And dances with the Daffodils. Composed, 1804 Published, Poems in Two Volumes 1807 Second version I wandered lonely as a Cloud That floats on high o'er vales and Hills, When all at once I saw a crowd, A host, of golden Daffodils; Beside the Lake, beneath the trees, Fluttering and dancing in the breeze. Continuous as the stars that shine And twinkle on the milky way, They stretched in never-ending line Along the margin of a bay: Ten thousand saw I at a glance, Tossing their heads in sprightly dance. The waves beside them danced; but they Out-did the sparkling waves in glee:- A Poet could not but be gay In such a jocund company: I gazed---and gazed---but little thought What wealth the show to me had brought: For oft when on my couch I lie In vacant or in pensive mood, They flash upon that inward eye Which is the bliss of solitude, And then my heart with pleasure fills, And dances with the Daffodils. Published in Collected Poems, 1815 Browse daffodil related items in the Wordsworth Shop.


Which day of the week is named after the Norse god of single combat and heroic glory or courage?

Seven Days of Week. |authorSTREAM seven days of week.   Does not support media & animations   Automatically changes to Flash or non-Flash embed   The presentation is successfully added In Your Favorites . Views:   This Presentation is Public   Favorites:  0 WELCOME PowerPoint Presentation: These two overlapping weeks continued to be used by Alexandrian Christians during the fourth century, but the days in both were simply numbered 1–7. Although names of gods were not used, the week beginning on Wednesday was named in Greek ton theon ([day] of the gods), as used by the late fourth-century editor of the Easter letters of Bishop Athanasius, and in a table of Easter dates for 311–369 that survives in an Ethiopic copy. These overlapping weeks are still used in the Ethiopic computes. Each of the days of the week beginning on Sunday is called a "Day of John" whereas each of the days of the week beginning on Wednesday is called a "tentyo", a simple transcription of the Greek ton theo. PowerPoint Presentation: Seven Days of The Week How did we Derive the names of the seven days of the week and why are they seven in number ? PowerPoint Presentation: The ancient Egyptians named each day of the week after one of The planets. They considered the Seventh day merely as a day of Rest and play. PowerPoint Presentation: Later the Romans named the seven days of the week after the Sun, Moon and five planets, which were then known. Each day was considered sacred to the Roman God who was associated with that planet. The days were known as Sun’s-day, Moon's - day, Mars-day and so on . This System was in use at the beginning of the Christian Era. PowerPoint Presentation: MONDAY The word Monday comes from the Anglo-Saxon monandae,which means the Moon’s day. PowerPoint Presentation: Monday : The name Monday comes from the Old English Mōnandæg (pronounced [mon.nan.dæg] or [mon.nan.dæj'), meaning "Day of the Moon". This is likely based on a translation of the Latin name Dies Lunae (cf. Romance language versions of the name, e.g., French Lundi , Spanish, Lunes , Romanian Luni , Italian Lunedì ). PowerPoint Presentation: Tuesday Tuesday comes from Tiu or Twi , the old Angola-Saxon form of Tyr, the name of the Norse God of War. PowerPoint Presentation: Tuesday : The name Tuesday comes from the Old English Tiwesdæg (pronounced [ti.wes.dæg] or [ti.wes.dæj], meaning "Try's day." Try (in Old English, Tiw , Tew or Tiu ) was a god of combat and heroic glory in Norse mythology and Germanic paganism. The name of the day is based on Latin Dies Marti's , "Day of Mars" (the Roman war god); compare: French Mardi , Spanish Martes , Romanian Marţi and Italian Martini . PowerPoint Presentation: Wednesday Wednesday is the English name for The fourth day of the week. This day Gets its name from Woden or Odin the Chief god in Teutonic mythology, to Whom it was sacred. At the beginning Of the Christian Era, the Germans Called the day Woden’s-day. Its name Later changed to Wednesday. PowerPoint Presentation: Wednesday : The name Wednesday comes from the Old English Wōdnesdæg (pronounced [woːd.nes.dæg] or [woːd.nes.dæj) meaning the day of the Germanic god Wooden, more commonly known as Odin, who was the highest god in Norse mythology, and a prominent god of the Anglo-Saxons (and other peoples) in England until about the seventh century. It is based on Latin Dies Mercurii , "Day of Mercury"; compare: French Mercredi , Spanish Miércoles , Romanian Miercuri and Italian Mercoledì . The connection between Mercury and Odin is more strained than the other syncretic connections. The usual explanation is that both Odin and Mercury were considered psychopomps, or leaders of souls, in their respective mythologies. Also, in Old Norse myth, Odin, like Mercury, is associated with poetic and musical inspiration. In German, the day is referred to as Mittwoch (mid week). Similarly in Finnish it is referred to as keskiviikko (keski = mid, viikko = week). PowerPoint Presentation: Thursday Thursday is the fifth day of the Week. The ancient Norseman Considered the day sacred to Thor, the Teu


"Which English comic actor do you associate with the line ""Infamy, Infamy, They've all got it in for me""?"

Carry On quip voted funniest one-liner | Daily Mail Online Carry On quip voted funniest one-liner Last updated at 10:08 04 April 2007 Kenneth Williams' Carry On gag "Infamy! Infamy! They've all got it in for me!" has been voted the funniest film one-liner. Williams uttered the words as Julius Caesar in 1964 romp Carry On Cleo. It was named the best one-liner in a poll of 1,000 comedians, industry figures and film fans by Sky Movies Comedy. Second in the survey was from the Life of Brian: "He's not the Messiah, he's a very naughty boy." Third was the Airplane! classic in which Leslie Nielseon is told: "Surely you can't be serious," and replies: "I am serious - and don't call me Shirley." Nine of the top 10 one-liners were delivered by men. They include Woody Allen's famous quip from Annie Hall: "Don't knock masturbation. It's sex with someone I love." Bob McCabe, film critic and author of The Rough Guide To Comedy, said: "It's great to see two British movies in the top three and well-established classics with great lasting power. "I thought that Kenneth Williams would win, as it is a great stand-alone joke, the joke is simple and no build-up to the line is needed." Top 10: 1) "Infamy! Infamy! They've all got it in for me!" Kenneth Williams as Julius Caesar - Carry On Cleo (1964) 2) "He's not the Messiah, he's a very naughty boy." Terry Jones as Brian's mum - Life Of Brian (1979) 3) "Surely you can't be serious?" "I am serious - and don't call me Shirley." Leslie Nielsen as Dr Rumack - Airplane! (1980) 4) "Remember you're fighting for this woman's honour, which is probably more than she ever did." Groucho Marx as Rufus T Firefly - Duck Soup (1933) 5) "Don't knock masturbation. It's sex with someone I love." Woody Allen as Alvy Singer - Annie Hall (1977) 6) "Do you have a licence for your minkey?" Peter Sellers as Inspector Clouseau - The Return of the Pink Panther (1975) 7) "Is that... is that hair gel?" Cameron Diaz as Mary Jensen - There's Something About Mary (1998) 8) Gentlemen, you can't fight in here. This is the War Room." Peter Sellers as President Merkin Muffley - Dr Strangelove or: How I Learned To Stop Worrying and Love The Bomb (1963) 9) "Nice beaver!" "Thank you. I just had it stuffed." Leslie Nielsen as Lt Frank Drebin and Priscilla Presley as Jane Spencer - The Naked Gun: From The Files of Police Squad! (1988) 10) "When I met Mary I got that old-fashioned romantic feeling where I'd do anything to bone her." Jim Carrey as Lloyd Christmas - Dumb and Dumber (1994)


A GLOSSARY OF TERMS USED IN HERALDRY by JAMES PARKER Dacre's knot . See Cord . Dagger , (fr. poignard): Amongst weapons daggers are frequently borne, though blazoned under different names. Their position should be described, whether paleways or fessways. If not otherwise stated the points should be upwards, The hilts , pomels , &c., a may be of a different tincture.     Gules, a fesse chequy argent and azure, a dagger paleways in base proper. [and in chief a mullet for difference]--LINDSAY, Pitscandly, Scotland.     Sable, two daggers in saltire, points upwards, between four fleur-de-lys argent--BARROW, Bp. of Sodor and Man, 1663, afterwards of S.Asaph, 1670-80.     Ermine, two bars within a bordure engrailed gules; on a canton of the last a dagger erect proper, pomel and hilt or--NUGENT, Berks.     Azure, a fesse or, between three dagger's heads of the last--LOCKYER, 1672.     Azure a chevron between three daggers, with blades wavy, pointing downwards argent--CLEATHER, Cornwall.     The other names and varieties found are dirk, rapier, and skean, or skene, the last a Scottish word for a weapon, which perhaps may be best described as a short sword, and is borne mostly by various branches of the family of SKENE.     Argent, a chevron between three dirks azure hilted or, with those in chief pointing downward--GLASHAM, Scotland.     Gules, a dirk palewise argent, between two fleur-de-lys in chief and a mullet in base or--MACAUL, Scotland.     Gules, a dexter hand fessways, holding a rapier erect, on the point a boar's head proper--BEATH.     Azure, a skean in fesse argent, hilted and pomelled or, between three boar's heads, couped of the second and muzzled sable--FORBES, Robslaw.     Gules, three skenes palewise in fesse argent, hilts and pomels or, surmounted of as many wolves' heads of the third--SKENE, Aberdeen.     Per chevron argent and gules, three skeans surmounted with as many wolves' heads counterchanged--SKENE, Newtile. Damask . See Rose . Dancetté or dancetty, and sometimes dantelly, (fr. denché): a zigzag line of partition , differing from indented only in the indentations, being larger in size, and consequently fewer in number.      Dancetty per long is a term said to be used by some heralds to signify that the indentations are very deep; so deep as to be equivalent to pily. The terms dauncet and dauncelet are used evidently for a fesse dancetté, and there are various contractions found in the rolls, e.g. daunce, daunze, dans, &c. The fesse dancetté and the division called per fesse dancetté have but three indentations, unless particularly described otherwise. STUART.     Argent, a lion rampant gules, debruised with a ragged staff in bend throughout or--STUART, [being an augmentation given by King Charles VI. of France, to Sir Alexander STUART, knight, and since borne by the family upon an inescutcheon over their paternal arms.]     Azure, a lion rampant argent, debruised with a bend gules--WAYLAND, Kent.     Argent, a saltire sable, debruised of a pale gules--John CONEYBEARE, Bp. of Bristol, 1750-55.     Sable, a fesse debruised by a pile or--BRINGBURN.     Or, a chevron gules surmounted by a bendlet azure--Robert de STAFFORD.     The terms depressed and oppressed seem to have practically the same signification as above.     Argent, five annulets, one within the other, azure, alternately oppressing a cross engrailed sable--Robert GIFFORD, Harl. MS., 6137.     Or, five annulets, one within the other vert, embracing and depressed by a cross engrailed gules--Robert GYFFARD.     Gules, a fesse ermine, depressed by a pale of the same within a bordure engrailed azure--SPONNE.     Another application of the word, but rarely and improperly used, is when a bend or chevron is broken. Reindeer. Deer : the term deer (fr. daim , old fr. deym) is seldom used is blazoning, but it is convenient to employ it here as a general name under which to group several of the family of Cervidœ. First and most common is the stag itself(fr. cerf), but other names appear, frequently representing varieties of stags , and in some cases evide


Which 1790 Mozart opera features the heroines Dorabella and Fiordiligi?

Winter Opera's 'Cosi fan Tutte' Delivers Music and Laughs: Opera Review | Features | laduenews.com Winter Opera's 'Cosi fan Tutte' Delivers Music and Laughs: Opera Review Jan 25, 2016 (…) Story: Two Italian officers, Ferrando and Guglielmo, are excited about their upcoming marriages to sisters Dorabella and Fiordiligi, respectively. Their delight is challenged, however, by Don Alfonso, a mature and cynical philosopher. Alfonso wagers the boastful young men that their ladies will not remain faithful to them, since that is the way of all women (‘cosi fan tutte’). The officers accept Alfonso’s bet and pretend to their fiancées that they are bound for the battlefront. Soon after their supposed departure, they return to the ladies’ home disguised as a pair of dashing Albanian adventurers who proceed to woo Dorabella and Fiordiligi. With the help of the women’s deceptive maid Despina, the wheels are set in motion for all to prove that a woman’s fidelity is only fiction. Highlights: Strong voices and Mozart’s festive music combine to make this a pleasant offering from Winter Opera under the passionate conducting of Nicholas Giusti and careful stage direction of Corrine Hayes. Other Info: Cosi fan Tutte, which premiered in Vienna in 1790, is an opera buffa (‘comic opera’) that features music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and a libretto by Lorenzo de Ponte. One of Mozart’s most popular operas, Cosi fan Tutte made its American debut in 1922. It’s a good fit for Winter Opera’s philosophy of staging a smaller show in the middle of its three-production season. While it’s humorous and entertaining, the Winter Opera version trudged along at three hours, including intermission. Thankfully Mozart’s delightfully sprightly music can carry a rendition that can test one’s stamina. Integral to the success of Winter Opera’s effort was uniformly splendid singing by the primary performers. Company founder and soprano Gina Galati teamed with Sarah Nordin, a mezzo-soprano based in New York City, as the fiancées Fiordiligi and Dorabella, respectively. They handled their arias with considerable poise and polish, milking the comic moments in de Ponte’s libretto along the way. Baritone Christopher Holmes paired with tenor Daniel Gerdes as the buffoonish gentlemen, Guglielmo and Ferrando, respectively, a pair of young military officers more impressed with their sway over their fiancées than with any semblance of character in themselves or the young women. Both men have a good time hamming it up as the odd pair of rakish foreigners who coincidentally show up to woo the two young women just as their fiancés supposedly march off to war. The officers become predictably indignant when their women, Dorabella quicker than Fiordiligi, seem to fall under the sway of their foreign enchanters. Dressed imaginatively in their garish finery by costume designer JC Krajicek, they are all too easily manipulated by the cunning Don Alfonso, played and sung smoothly by baritone Kevin Wetzel like a maestro masterfully moving his musicians through an intricate score. Leading the performers in their acting chores was a fiery Lily Guerrero as Despina, servant to Fiordiligi and Dorabella. Guerrero grandly interpreted the servant’s saucy demeanor as she urges the two ladies to get out and have some fun while their fiancés are away. It’s a plum role and one that Guerrero handled with style and considerable persuasion. Scott Loebl’s scenic design not only featured a grand courtyard for the various rendezvous and clandestine meetings that occur but also a pair of handsomely painted portraits by Loebl of the two soldiers with smug countenances that are used as props in several scenes. Sean Savoie’s lighting bathed the settings in a beautiful array of colors. Giusti led the Winter Opera orchestra with a spirited reading of the uplifting score and Hayes kept the performers focused on their characters and their endless charade of nobility. While the pacing too often lagged, particularly in the second act, the music of the master Mozart and a number of splendid singing performances made W


Which British cyclist won four stages of the 2008 Tour de France?

Brits on Tour: every British rider to ride the Tour ... Sponsored by Dan McLay became the 66th British rider to start the Tour de France when the 24-year-old Fortuneo-Vital Concept sprinter rolled out from Mont-Saint-Michel for stage one of the 2016 race. After two Brits – Charles Holland and Bill Burl – went where no British riders had gone before by starting the 1937 Tour de France, it was the British team of 1955 which truly blazed a trail. Since then, there have only been three Tours without a British rider on the startline – in 1976, 2004 and 2005. So which British riders have earned a spot in cycling’s greatest race during its 103 editions? And how did they fare? Here’s the full list – and their Tour highlights. Brian Robinson, part of the 1955 British Tour de France team and Britain’s first ever Tour stage winner, blazed a trail for the likes of Ben Swift and his Team Sky team-mates to follow (pic: York Council, via Flickr Creative Commons) Related Articles Three Brits in young AnPost-Chain Reaction Cycles line-up for 2017 1930s It was not until 1937, the 31st edition of the Tour de France, that British riders entered the race for the first time, with two Brits in the three-strong British Empire team (Canadian Pierre Gachon was the other rider). Charles Holland (1937) An Olympic team pursuit bronze medallist, Holland was the more successful of the two Brits to enter in 1937, but abandoned after several mechanical issues on stage 14C in the Pyrenees. Bill Burl (1937) London-born Bill Burl’s role in 1937 is remembered less than Holland’s, because he was forced to abandon with a broken collarbone on stage two after colliding with a photographer. 1950s The first British team ever to enter the Tour de France, during a period when it was raced by national teams, did so in 1955. Of the ten-strong line-up, two men finished. In 1958, Brian Robinson became the first British rider to win a stage of the Tour de France. Dave Bedwell (1955) Essex-born Dave Bedwell won four stages of the inaugural Tour of Britain in 1951, and took a further nine in his career; a British champion at amateur, semi-pro, and pro level he abandoned his only Tour de France on stage three. Tony Hoar (1955) One of two Brits to finish the 1955 Tour de France, Hampshire’s Tony Hoar was the lanterne rouge, finishing last in 69th place. Stan Jones (1955) Stan Jones was one of two riders from the Concorde Club to form part of the British team, but missed the time cut on stage seven in the Alps after suffering several punctures. Fred Krebs (1955) Austrian-born Fred Krebs was a top-ten finisher at the inaugural Tour of Europe and at Liege-Bastogne-Liege, but a knee injury curtailed his only Tour de France. Bob Maitland (1955) The other of two Concorde Club members selected, Bob Maitland was a two-time British hill climb champion and 1948 Olympic silver medallist but abandoned on stage nine after a crash. Ken Mitchell (1955) A nasty saddle sore curtailed Yorkshireman Ken Mitchell’s sole Tour de France, though he did go on to finish runner-up at the Tour of Britain later that year. Bernard Pusey (1955) A Commonwealth Games bronze medallist the previous year, and Tour of Ireland winner, Bernard Pusey abandoned the Tour de France on stage two. Ian Steel (1955) Scot Ian Steel won the 1951 Tour of Britain and 1952 Peace Race but, as one of the few non-Hercules team riders in the British setup was forced to ride as a domestique in his only Tour de France and abandoned, demoralised, in the mountains. Bevis Wood (1955) Lancastrian Bev Wood enjoyed domestic success in the early 1950s, but abandoned the 1955 Tour de France on stage three. Related Articles Three Brits in young AnPost-Chain Reaction Cycles line-up for 2017 Brian Robinson (1955-1961) The most famous of Britain’s first ever Tour de France team, Yorkshireman Brian Robinson finished the 1955 race in 29th place overall, which earned him professional contracts in Europe and Tour de France berths thereafter with mixed international teams. Britain’s first ever Tour de France stage winner Brian Robinson with five-t


"Which English king married the sister of the ""Princes in the Tower""?"

Did Richard III Kill the Princes in the Tower? Did Richard III Kill the Princes in the Tower? By Leanda de Lisle On 7/13/14 at 10:12 AM King Richard III's skull is seen next to a portrait of him during a news conference in Leicester Darren Staples/Reuters Culture King Richard the Third Shakespeare English Reformation body Princes History Since King Richard III of England’s remains were discovered under a car park two years ago, we know where he is going to be buried—in Leicester Cathedral—and what his tomb will look like: fit for a king. But was he really the child murderer he is painted as in the history books? He has been called a “maligned king,” a victim of Tudor propaganda, accused by Shakespeare of ordering the deaths of the “Princes in the Tower.” But was Shakespeare right? The truth emerged as I researched Tudor: The Family Story , but only when I stopped thinking like a 21st century person and began thinking like someone from the 15th century, when the murders took place. In the summer of 1483, the 12-year-old Edward V and his 9-year-old brother Richard, Duke of York, were imprisoned in the Tower of London. The boys had been declared illegitimate, which allowed their uncle, Richard, to become king in their place. According to Shakespeare, Richard III wanted to go further, and in the eponymous play he declares, “I wish the bastards dead.” Try Newsweek for only $1.25 per week Thomas More’s The History of Richard III, which influenced Shakespeare’s take on the events, describes how Richard’s killers went into the princes’ bedchamber, “lapped them up among the bedclothes…keeping down by force the featherbed and pillows hard unto their mouths” until they were “stifled.” But More’s history was inaccurate and biased, written as it was during the reign of Henry VIII - the son of Richard’s archrival, Henry VII, the first Tudor king who won the crown, after defeating Richard on the battlefield. All that is known for certain is that the princes vanished in 1483. No bodies were displayed by Richard III or found by Henry VII. And after the end of the Tudor dynasty, people began to question Tudor accounts of Richard’s guilt. The most popular work to argue his innocence is Josephine Tey’s 1951 crime novel, The Daughter of Time . It has inspired generations of readers to join the Richard III Society, which campaigns for a reassessment of Shakespeare’s portrayal of Richard III. It was a member of this society who raised the money for the archaeological dig that in 2012 discovered Richard’s body in a shallow grave in a Leicester car park. Tey’s novel features a modern detective investigating the historic murder of the princes who believes that if the princes were illegitimate (it was claimed their father, Edward IV, had married their mother bigamously), Richard III had no motive to kill them. The detective also argues that since there is no hard evidence they died in 1483, they might still have been alive in 1485 when Henry Tudor became Henry VII. When Richard III was killed at the Battle of Bosworth, the new Tudor king, Henry VII, had to justify his claim to the throne. His right through blood was weak, drawn as it was through an illegitimate female line. But Henry VII married the princes’ sister, Elizabeth of York, having had Edward IV’s children declared legitimate to strengthen her claim to be the senior heir to the House of York. It strikes Tey’s detective that if the princes were alive, their right to the throne was superior to Elizabeth’s, giving Henry Tudor a motive to kill them and cast the blame on Richard. But was it in character for Richard III to commit such a terrible crime? He was a religious man and, in many respects, a fine king. And if he was guilty, why did Henry VII make no effort to launch an inquest into the deaths of the princes? It was the primary, even religious duty of a good king to ensure the nation was united. After Richard III’s coronation on July 6, 1483, it was clear that not everyone accepted that the princes were illegitimate. And so long as they lived, they remained a focus of opposition and div


What name was given to Haydn's symphony No. 96 as a result of a chandelier falling and narrowly missing the audience at its first performance?

Full text of "Popular Titles And Subtitles Of Musical Composition" See other formats 781.97 B513P  reference  collection book   K   kaosas city public library Kansas city, missouri    *;f-^ J   Popular Titles and Subtitles  of Musical Compositions   by  Freda Pastor Berkowitz   The Scarecrow Press, Inc. New York 1962   Copyright 1962 by Freda Pastor Berkowitz   L. C. Card No. 62-10121   To my daughters, Ellen and Joan   Introduction  For more than three hundred years, composers of serious music have used a relatively small number of general titles for their compositions. There are tens of thousands of works called "Sonata," "Concerto," "Symphony," "String Quartet" and so on; and even though composers have defined their works more specifically by adding the key and the opus number, as in "Sonata in A, op. 58," there remained the desire on the part of publishers, performers, and music listeners, for a lit- erary label which would make it easier to identify the composition, and would give a clue to the mood of the piece, or at least to one significant characteristic.  Nicknames, and sometimes sub -titles, are a pe- culiar appendage to the art of music. Strangely enough, they usually were added by publishers, editors, critics, friends (or enemies) of the composer seldom by the composer himself. Often the origins of these unofficial appellations are shrouded in mystery or are based on legends or conjectures that have almost become legends.  The aim of this present volume is to collect a representative sampling of these nicknames and sub- titles which have become associated with works from 1600 up until the present time. These will be listed in English, except where usage has accepted a foreign lan- guage as "Grosse Fuge" instead of "Great Fugue" together with some information regarding their origins whenever possible.  There will undoubtedly be some omissions, but aJI those included are traceable to biographical and his- torical sources.  I want to thank my friends, particularly Mrs. Adele P. Margolis, and my pupils, for their encourage-   ment and help all during the time that I was assembling  this book.  I owe particular gratitude to Mr. Ralph Berko- witz for his many valuable suggestions; to Mr. Edward N. Waters of The Music Division of The Library of Congress, Washington, B.C., for his great co-operation and patience in answering all my questions; to Mr. Ef- rem Zimbalist, Director of The Curtis Institute of Mu- sic in Philadelphia, for his kind permission to use the library of The Curtis Institute at all times; to the won- derful staff at The Curtis Library, particularly Mr. Jack L. Gottlobe formerly) and Mr. Gordon Mapes, for their willingness to help me find information; to Miss Elizabeth R. Hartman and Mr. Theodore A. Seder of The Philadelphia Public Library, for assisting me in finding the necessary reference material; to the many composers for so graciously giving me information about their compositions; to Mr. H.C. Robbins Landon for his valuable Haydn information; to Mr. John N. Burk for his help on Mozart and Beethoven; to Miss Dika Newlin for her enlightening remarks on the music of Bruckner and Mahler; to Mr. Alan March for permitting me to examine the record covers of many albums.  Freda Pastor Berkowitz   VI   "Academic Festival Overture'' Overture Op. 80 in C minor  Johannes Brahms 1  In the Spring of 1879, The University of Breslau conferred upon Brahms an honorary Doctorate of Phi- losophy, naming him in its diploma Tt Artis Musical ser- ver ior is in germania nunc principi" (Now the foremost exponent in Germany of musical life in the severer style.) For what he termed his doctor 1 s thesis Brahms wrote the !t Academic Festival Overture," a jolly pot- pourri on student songs " la Suppe" as he jokingly called it.  "Adieu a GuilJaume Kolberg"  Polonaise For Piano in Bb minor  Frederic Chopin 2  According to footnotes in the Breitkopf and Hr- tel edition of this work, the Bb minor Polonaise dates f


Which masked hero of books and films signed himself with three strokes of his sword?

Zorro | fictional character | Britannica.com fictional character Zorro, fictional character created in 1919 by writer Johnston McCulley. The masked, sword-wielding vigilante defends the poor and victimized against the forces of injustice, and his feats have been featured in virtually every form of media. Lobby card for The Mark of Zorro (1940), directed by Rouben Mamoulian. Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation Zorro, whose name in Spanish means “fox,” was likely based on Mexican folktales of a noble bandit who fought on behalf of the peasantry and indigenous peoples. The character first appeared in McCulley’s serialized five-part story “ The Curse of Capistrano, ” which was published in the pulp magazine All-Story Weekly beginning in August 1919. Zorro’s true identity is Don Diego Vega (later changed to Don Diego de la Vega), a young nobleman who lived in Los Angeles, California, during the early 19th century when the area was still under Spanish rule. Don Diego became the swordsman Zorro in order to defend the people of Los Angeles from political oppression. Zorro famously uses the letter Z as his “mark,” using his sword to carve it into the clothes—or sometimes the bodies—of his adversaries in three swift strokes. Zorro is not only a master swordsman but a skilled marksman and horseman. In 1920 Douglas Fairbanks starred in a film adaptation of McCulley’s story, titled The Mark of Zorro , which became a commercial hit and an enduring classic. It was this film that established Zorro’s iconic black costume, which featured a cape, a gaucho hat, and a mask that concealed the top half of his face. As a result of the film’s success, McCulley wrote more than 60 more Zorro stories, starting in 1922; the last was published in 1959, a year after McCulley’s death. In addition to his success on the printed page, Zorro remained a popular draw at the box office, and Fairbanks returned to the role in a movie sequel, Don Q, Son of Zorro (1925). The 1940 remake of The Mark of Zorro starred Tyrone Power in the title role. In The Mask of Zorro (1998), Anthony Hopkins played an aging Don Diego, who emerges from retirement to train Antonio Banderas ’s character to be his successor as Zorro. Banderas reprised that role in The Legend of Zorro in 2005. Zorro’s television appearances included Walt Disney ’s Zorro series (1957–59), starring Guy Williams as the masked hero, as well as a syndicated live-action show (1990–93) and numerous animated series. Lobby card for The Sign of Zorro (1958), directed by Lewis R. Foster and … Walt Disney Pictures


In which year did Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother die?

BBC NEWS | UK | Queen Mother dies Sunday, 31 March, 2002, 03:12 GMT 04:12 UK Queen Mother dies Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother 1900 - 2002 The Queen Mother has died peacefully in her sleep at the age of 101, with her daughter at her bedside. She passed away at Royal Lodge, Windsor, at 1515 GMT on Saturday, and the news was announced by Buckingham Palace about two and a half hours later. Sian Backham, aged seven, was among the mourners It came six weeks after her last public appearance, at the funeral of her daughter Princess Margaret. Prince Charles is said to be "devastated", while UK Prime Minister Tony Blair led tributes by saying the Queen Mother had been a symbol of Britain's "decency and courage". The Queen Mother's niece Lady Margaret Rhodes, who was with her when she died, said: "It was a very moving and very sad moment but luckily it was peaceful." Members of the public have left bouquets of flowers at the gates of Buckingham Palace and other royal residences. Mourning period The Queen Mother's coffin is expected to be moved to the Royal Chapel of All Saints in Windsor Great Park on Sunday afternoon. A period of family mourning will follow before the coffin is moved to Westminster Hall in central London, so the public can pay their respects in a move not seen since the death of Sir Winston Churchill in 1965. She was the backbone of our nation. Her quiet dignity and resilience will always be remembered Joanna Nelson, UK Click here for in depth coverage He will leave Switzerland with Princes William and Harry on Sunday morning and will head straight to Windsor. The Duke of York, who was also abroad, was told the news in Barbados where he was on holiday with his ex-wife, the Duchess of York, and their children. Other members of the Royal Family are already at Windsor, having arrived there for the traditional Easter gathering. Alongside the Queen is the Princess Royal, her husband Timothy Laurence and her two children Zara and Peter, and the Earl and Countess of Wessex. Blair statement Tributes have been pouring in from world leaders, politicians of all parties, friends, former employees, charities, the sporting world - particularly horse racing - and the Commonwealth. Her sense of duty and remarkable zest for life made her loved and admired by people of all ages and backgrounds Tony Blair Tony Blair led the respects with a statement from his official country residence at Chequers in which he said the whole nation joined with the Queen and Royal Family in mourning. "During her long and extraordinary life, her grace, her sense of duty and her remarkable zest for life made her loved and admired by people of all ages and backgrounds, revered within our borders and beyond."


What was the title of Sir Walter Scott's first novel of 1814 which he set around the 1745 Jacobite Rebellion?

Sir Walter Scott | Biography & Facts | Britannica.com George Mackay Brown Sir Walter Scott, in full Sir Walter Scott, 1st Baronet (born August 15, 1771, Edinburgh , Scotland —died September 21, 1832, Abbotsford , Roxburgh , Scotland), Scottish novelist, poet, historian, and biographer who is often considered both the inventor and the greatest practitioner of the historical novel . Sir Walter Scott, 1st Baronet, 1870. © Photos.com/Jupiterimages Scott’s father was a lawyer, and his mother was the daughter of a physician. From his earliest years, Scott was fond of listening to his elderly relatives’ accounts and stories of the Scottish Border, and he soon became a voracious reader of poetry , history, drama, and fairy tales and romances. He had a remarkably retentive memory and astonished visitors by his eager reciting of poetry. His explorations of the neighbouring countryside developed in him both a love of natural beauty and a deep appreciation of the historic struggles of his Scottish forebears. Scott was educated at the high school at Edinburgh and also for a time at the grammar school at Kelso . In 1786 he was apprenticed to his father as writer to the signet, a Scots equivalent of the English solicitor (attorney). His study and practice of law were somewhat desultory , for his immense youthful energy was diverted into social activities and into miscellaneous readings in Italian, Spanish, French, German, and Latin. After a very deeply felt early disappointment in love, he married, in December 1797, Charlotte Carpenter, of a French royalist family, with whom he lived happily until her death in 1826. In the mid-1790s Scott became interested in German Romanticism , Gothic novels, and Scottish border ballads. His first published work, The Chase, and William and Helen (1796), was a translation of two ballads by the German Romantic balladeer G.A. Bürger. A poor translation of Goethe’s Götz von Berlichingen followed in 1799. Scott’s interest in border ballads finally bore fruit in his collection of them entitled Minstrelsy of the Scottish Border, 3 vol. (1802–03). His attempts to “restore” the orally corrupted versions back to their original compositions sometimes resulted in powerful poems that show a sophisticated Romantic flavour. The work made Scott’s name known to a wide public, and he followed up his first success with a full-length narrative poem, The Lay of the Last Minstrel (1805), which ran into many editions. The poem’s clear and vigorous storytelling, Scottish regionalist elements, honest pathos , and vivid evocations of landscape were repeated in further poetic romances, including Marmion (1808), The Lady of the Lake (1810), which was the most successful of these pieces, Rokeby (1813), and The Lord of the Isles (1815). Britannica Stories Ringling Bros. Folds Its Tent Scott led a highly active literary and social life during these years. In 1808 his 18-volume edition of the works of John Dryden appeared, followed by his 19-volume edition of Jonathan Swift (1814) and other works. But his finances now took the first of several disastrous turns that were to partly determine the course of his future career. His appointment as sheriff depute of the county of Selkirk in 1799 (a position he was to keep all his life) was a welcome supplement to his income, as was his appointment in 1806 as clerk to the Court of Session in Edinburgh. But he had also become a partner in a printing (and later publishing) firm owned by James Ballantyne and his irresponsible brother John. By 1813 this firm was hovering on the brink of financial disaster, and although Scott saved the company from bankruptcy, from that time onward everything he wrote was done partly in order to make money and pay off the lasting debts he had incurred. Another ruinous expenditure was the country house he was having built at Abbotsford, which he stocked with enormous quantities of antiquarian objects. Sir Walter Scott, 1st Baronet. © Photos.com/Jupiterimages British Culture and Politics By 1813 Scott had begun to tire of narrative poetry, and the greater depth an


Which Glen Miller recording of 1941 was the first record ever to be awarded a gold disc?

Glenn Miller - Biography - IMDb Glenn Miller Jump to: Overview  (3) | Mini Bio  (1) | Spouse  (1) | Trade Mark  (1) | Trivia  (14) Overview (3) Alton Glenn Miller Mini Bio (1) Alton Glenn Miller was born on March 1, 1904, in Clarinda, Iowa; the son of Lewis Elmer and Mattie Lou Cavender Miller. He started his music studies when his father gave him a mandolin. He soon traded the mandolin for an old horn. In 1916 he switched to trombone. In 1923, he enrolled in the University of Colorado, but after a year, he dropped out of school and moved to Los Angeles, where he joined Ben Pollack's band. He spent most of his time playing gigs and attending auditions. In 1928, Miller moved to New York, where he played session gigs and made orchestrations. At that time he studied with the Russian musician and mathematician Joseph Schillinger, whose star apprentice was George Gershwin. Miller took Schillinger's instruction on orchestration of a practice exercise, which he developed into the song "Moonlight Serenade", making a small fortune with it. In 1934, Miller joined the Dorsey Brothers' Orchestra for a year, then organized an American band for Ray Noble, and made his debut at the Rainbow Room in New York's Rockefeller Center. The special sound of his band was developed in Miller's orchestration by using the "crystal chorus" and other inventive ways of arrangement. Miller recorded his own band first time for Columbia Records on April 25, 1935. His instrumental "Solo Hop" reached the Top Ten in 1935, but he did not organize the real "Glenn Miller Orchestra" until March of 1937. In 1939, Miller and his new band got an engagement at the Glen Island Casino in New Rochelle, NY, which was a major spot with a radio wire. In 1939, he scored seventeen Top Ten hits, including such songs, as "Sunrise Serenade", "Moonlight Serenade", "Stairway to the Stars", "Moon Love", "Over the Rainbow", "Blue Orchids", "The Man With the Mandilon", and other popular songs, which he composed or orchestrated. Miller scored 31 Top Ten hits in the year 1940, and another 11 Top Ten hits in 1941. His number one hits included "Song of the Volga Boatmen", "You and I", "Chattanooga Choo Choo", from his first film, 'Sun Valley Serenade'. Miller worked with the vocalists Tex Beneke, Ray Eberle, and the Modernaires with Paula Kelly. On February 10, 1942, Miller was presented with the first ever "Gold record" for "Chattanooga Choo Choo" and scored another 11 Top Ten hits in 1942. That was the first full year of his country's participation in the Second World War. He organized a large dance band in the Army Air Force at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut. From January 1943 to June 1944 the Glenn Miller Band made hundreds of live performances, "I Sustain the Wings" radio broadcasts, and scored another 10 Top Ten hits in the year 1943. Miller took his band to Britain in June 1944. There he performed for the allied troops and did radio shows. His last recording of 20 new songs was made weeks before his death; it was released only in 1995. Maj. Glenn Miller was seen boarding on a plane to Paris, where he was invited to perform for the allied troops and senior commanders of the allied armies. Later the plane on which he was supposed to be traveling was officially reported crashed on December 15, 1944, in the waters of the English Channel. In 1985, the British Ministry of Defence came up with explanation of Miller's disappearance, claiming that his plane was struck by a British bomb dropped in the waters by returning RAF pilots. No wreckage, remains, or IDs were found. Glenn Miller was officially declared dead in a plane crash on December 15, 1944. His tombstone was placed in Memorial Section H, Number 464-A on Wilson Drive in Arlington National Cemetery in April of 1992, at Miller's daughter's request. - IMDb Mini Biography By: Steve Shelokhonov Spouse (1) ( 6 October  1928      - 15 December  1944) (his death) (2 children) Trade Mark (1)


What number Pennsylvania Avenue is the address of the White House?

Write or Call the White House | whitehouse.gov Latest News Read the latest blog posts from 1600 Pennsylvania Ave Share-Worthy Check out the most popular infographics and videos Photos View the photo of the day and other galleries Video Gallery Watch behind-the-scenes videos and more Live Events Tune in to White House events and statements as they happen Music & Arts Performances See the lineup of artists and performers at the White House From the Press Office


What is the only US state capital to have a 3-word name?

Quiz: How well do you know the 50 states? - CSMonitor.com Quiz: How well do you know the 50 states? For kids: Test your knowledge of the nifty 50 states and their capitals. By Felice Prager Save for later Saved Here's a quiz about the United States. "Not geography," you protest! Not at all. Try this first without a map. Then, take out a map and see how many of these you can do as you hunt for clues. 1. Do you know the state names that are made up of more than one word? One fifth of the 50 states have names with two words. 2. Can you name state capitals that resemble seasons or months of the year? Photos of the Day Photos of the day 02/08 4. Which state names begin and end with the same letter? Hint: There are four. 5. Although the spelling of this state has 11 letters in total, it actually only uses four letters of the alphabet. What is it? 6. This state's name is nine letters long and uses only four letters of the alphabet. Name that state! 7. What is the only state whose capital's name is made up of three words – with each of the three words having four letters in them? 8. How many states can you name that have only one vowel? Hint: The vowel can be repeated. 9. What states have their names as part of the names of their state capital? Hint: There are two. 10. Can you name the four sets of states and capitals that have the state and the capital names beginning with the same letter? 11. Can you name the four state capitals (and the state in which the city is found) that have "city" in their names? Answers: 1. New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, and West Virginia. 2. Augusta (Maine) and Springfield (Illinois). 3. Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and Charleston, West Virginia, both have 22 letters each. 4. Alabama, Arizona, Alaska, and Ohio. 5. Mississippi. 7. Utah (Salt Lake City). 8. There are six: Alabama, Alaska, Kansas, Arkansas, Mississippi, and Tennessee. 9. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and Indianapolis, Indiana. 10. Dover, Delaware; Honolulu, Hawaii; Indianapolis, Indiana; and Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. 11. Jefferson City, Missouri; Carson City, Nevada; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; Salt Lake City, Utah. Next up


"Who represented the United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song Contest in 1975 with the song ""Let me be the one""?"

Eurovision 1975 United Kingdom - The Shadows - Let me be the one - YouTube Eurovision 1975 United Kingdom - The Shadows - Let me be the one Want to watch this again later? Sign in to add this video to a playlist. Need to report the video? Sign in to report inappropriate content. Rating is available when the video has been rented. This feature is not available right now. Please try again later. Uploaded on Jul 9, 2010 Placing: 2nd, 138 points


A4 paper measures 297 millimetres by 210 millimetres. But what is the basic size of paper that covers 1 square metre?

List of paper sizes | Page dimensions from ISO A4 to Letter and Metric Demy Quarto Newspaper sizes ISO A paper sizes The A-series consists of a logical set of paper sizes that are defined by the ISO 216 standard. The largest size ( A0 ) measures one square meter. The height/width ratio remains constant (1:1.41) for all sizes. This means you get the A1 size by folding an A0 paper in two along its shortest side. Then fold the A1 size in two to get an A2 size paper, and so on… A-sizes are used to define the finished paper size in commercial printing: A4 is for office documents, A5 is for notepads and A6 is for postcards. Millimeters