Characteristics of gothic church architecture include tall designs, flying buttresses, vaulted ceilings, light and air, gargoyles, decorative and ornate finishes, and what else?

HISTORY OF ARCHITECTURE HISTORY OF ARCHITECTURE Architecture as a product of culture, history, science, technology, economics, society, religion, and state * FIVE THOUSAND YEARS OF ARCHITECTURE AND CITY PLANNING IN THE WESTERN WORLD * A journey through five thousand years of architecture and urban planning in the Western world * © HILA BERLINER All rights are reserved to Hila Berliner. No part of this publication may be reproduced, or copied in any form or by any means without the prior permission of Hila Berliner * Each generation writes its autobiography in the buildings it creates. Louis Mumford INTRODUCTION This   book is intended for architects, scholars, art history students, the   travelers in the West who want to know the background of the buildings   that they encounter along their way, and the general public who wants to   expand its knowledge base. The   intention of the book is to describe the history of architecture and   urban planning, while examining the unique characteristics of the   various periods and the background on which the various styles have grown. Studying   architecture requires a comprehensive view of the building, which is   examining its historical, religious, social, and functional aspects; for   beyond useful purposes the construction of buildings reflects the   scientific, religious, social and philosophical worldview of each   period. The   building is a visual symbol of the idea that it represents. For   example, many churches are built in the shape of a cross – the symbol of   Christianity. During the early Christian centuries, the Romanesque and   Gothic periods, almost every part of the church had a defined meaning,   as a visual symbol of abstract values. For   example, pillars in the church, often represent the apostles of  Christ.  Architecture provides a direct means of expressing views of different cultures about the structure of the world.        Discussing architecture is also indirectly discussing the cosmos. A   reflection of the approaches to cosmology is already to be found in   Mesopotamian and ancient Egyptian architecture. The stairs in the   Ziggurat (step-shaped pyramid temple)   in   Mesopotamia symbolize the gods who represent the planets, and the   pyramids in Egypt relate to sun worship and to its  "movement" in the   sky. During   Antiquity and Renaissance the world is perceived as harmonic, and this   approach is also reflected in buildings. In ritual buildings the   dome symbolizes the sky, while the floor symbolizes the earth. The   Baroque period, during which the elliptical path of planets was   discovered, a wide oval-shaped architecture was in use. So today, the   universe is perceived as a product of Big Bang, and the Deconstructive   architecture looks like expressing a bang. "In fact, since the beginning of things to the Christian architecture of the 15th   century, architecture is the great book of mankind, man's primary  means  to express the various stages of his development, whether by  power or  spirit. Architecture began like writing. It started as  alphabet. A stone  was placed and became a letter, and each letter  became a hieroglyph. Above every hieroglyph was placed a group of ideas as a capital above a column… Later they created words. They put one stone on another…  Eventually, they wrote books… Traditions bore symbols, and disappeared below them, like a tree under its foliage. All these symbols, believed by humanity, grew, multiplied, and became increasingly complex. Monuments had not enough room to contain them… Architecture, indeed, developed with human thought.     It   became a giant with a thousand heads and a thousand arms, and   established eternally predictably and vibrantly all this floating   symbolism…The  pillar which is the  letter, the arch which is the syllable, the pyramid  which is the word,  were moved simultaneously by the law of geometry and  by the law of  poetry… They   gathered and intertwined, organized together, rose, fell, clustered on   the ground and piled up to the sky, until they dictated the general  idea  o


"What is the overall subject of the sentence ""UTC replaced GMT in most places in the world on 1 January 1972""?"

Time, Clock, and Calendar Programming In C Time, Clock, and Calendar Programming In C Eric S. Raymond Table of Contents Motivation The C/Unix time- and date-handling API is a confusing jungle full of the corpses of failed experiments and various other traps for the unwary, many of them resulting from design decisions that may have been defensible when the originals were written but appear at best puzzling today. The purpose of this document is to help C programmers develop a clear mental model of how it all works so they can step lightly over the corpses and avoid the traps. In the process it also explains, historically, why things are the way they are - because in this case it’s much easier to understand the mess we’re in when you know how it got that way. This document is intended to supplement rather than replace your system manual pages. Accordingly, some details - notably, feature macros you might have to enable for certain functions to be visible to your program - are omitted. Our hope is that this document will enable you to read the relevant Unix manual pages with better understanding and less tendency to feel smothered under details. Scope The functions we will cover are the following: int adjtimex(struct timex *); int adjtime(const struct timeval *, struct timeval *); unsigned int alarm(unsigned int); char *asctime(const struct tm *); char *asctime_r(const struct tm *, char *); clock_t clock(void); int clock_getres(clockid_t, struct timespec *); int clock_gettime(clockid_t, struct timespec *); int clock_settime(clockid_t, const struct timespec *); char *ctime(const time_t *); char *ctime_r(const time_t *, char *); char *ctime_rz(timezone_t restrict tz, const time_t *clock, char *buf) int ftime(struct timeb *tp); double difftime(time_t, time_t); struct tm *getdate(const char *); int gettimeofday(struct timeval *tv, struct timezone *tz); struct tm *gmtime(const time_t *); struct tm *gmtime_r(const time_t *, struct tm *); struct tm *localtime(const time_t *); struct tm *localtime_r(const time_t *, struct tm *); struct tm *localtime_rz(timezone_t tz, const time_t * restrict clock, struct tm *result); time_t mktime(struct tm *); time_t mktime_z(timezone_t, struct tm *); int nanosleep(const struct timespec *, struct timespec *); int settimeofday(const struct timeval *tv, const struct timezone *tz); unsigned int sleep(unsigned int); size_t strftime(char *, size_t, const char *, const struct tm *); char *strptime(const char *, const char *, struct tm *); time_t time(time_t *); time_t timegm(struct tm *tm); time_t timelocal(struct tm *tm); int timer_create(clockid_t, struct sigevent *, timer_t *); int timer_delete(timer_t); int timer_gettime(timer_t, struct itimerspec *); int timer_getoverrun(timer_t); int timer_settime(timer_t, int, const struct itimerspec *, struct itimerspec *); void tzset(void); useconds_t ualarm(useconds_t, useconds_t); int usleep(useconds_t); timezone_t tzalloc(const char *zone); void tzfree(timezone_t restrict tz); const char *tzgetname(timezone_t restrict tz, int isdst); long tzgetgmtoff(timezone_t restrict tz, int isdst); Most of these functions are declared in the system header time.h and are portable across all modern Unix-like systems. Exceptions to this general rule will be noted. The following summary table may prove useful as a quick reference: Table 1. Summary of functions Function name Unstandardized calls in the very widely used GNU C Library. 4.xBSD The 4.2 (1983) and 4.3 (1986) versions of BSD Unix invented      some API elements still in occasional use. SVr4 System V Release 4 (1988). Basis for later Unix standards. A manual page reference with the section part "(2|3)" means you may find pages with the identified name in both sections 2 or 3; usually this happens because there is both native system-call documentation in section 2 and a POSIX page in Section 3. Unix time and UTC/GMT/Zulu Internally, Unix time is represented as SI (Système International) seconds since midnight of January 1st 1970 at the Greenwich meridian, without leap-second correction. This is time counted


"In which English city is ""The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole, Aged 13 3/4"" by Sue Townsend, set?"

The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole Aged 13 3/4 : Sue Townsend : 9780141046426 The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole Aged 13 3/4 Paperback US$7.26 US$17.25 You save US$9.99 Free delivery worldwide Add to basket Add to wishlist Description The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole Aged 13 3/4 is the first book in Sue Townsend's brilliantly funny Adrian Mole series. Friday January 2nd I felt rotten today. It's my mother's fault for singing 'My Way' at two o'clock in the morning at the top of the stairs. Just my luck to have a mother like her. There is a chance my parents could be alcoholics. Next year I could be in a children's home. Meet Adrian Mole, a hapless teenager providing an unabashed, pimples-and-all glimpse into adolescent life. Writing candidly about his parents' marital troubles, the dog, his life as a tortured poet and 'misunderstood intellectual', Adrian's painfully honest diary is still hilarious and compelling reading thirty years after it first appeared. Bestselling author Sue Townsend has been Britain's favourite comic writer for over three decades. 'I not only wept, I howled and hooted and had to get up and walk around the room and wipe my eyes so that I could go on reading' Tom Sharpe 'A satire of our times. Very funny indeed' Sunday Times 'We laugh both at Mole and with him. A wonderful comic read, that, like all the best comedy, says something rather meaningful' Heat Sue Townsend is Britain's favourite comic author. Her hugely successful novels include eight Adrian Mole books, The Public Confessions of a Middle-Aged Woman (Aged 553/4), Number Ten, Ghost Children, The Queen and I, Queen Camilla and The Woman Who Went to Bed For a Year, all of which are highly acclaimed bestsellers. She has also written numerous well-received plays. She lives in Leicester, where she was born and grew up. show more Product details 130                   x 194                   x 16mm                                   | 220g Publication date


Which was the 2013 sci-fi film which scored an Oscar for Best Director and starred Sandra Bullock and George Clooney?

Gravity (2013) - IMDb IMDb There was an error trying to load your rating for this title. Some parts of this page won't work property. Please reload or try later. X Beta I'm Watching This! Keep track of everything you watch; tell your friends. Error From $2.99 (SD) on Amazon Video ON TV Two astronauts work together to survive after an accident which leaves them alone in space. Director: a list of 28 titles created 09 May 2013 a list of 27 titles created 06 Oct 2013 a list of 25 titles created 24 Nov 2013 a list of 36 titles created 24 Dec 2013 a list of 21 titles created 18 Oct 2015 Search for " Gravity " on Amazon.com Connect with IMDb Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? Use the HTML below. You must be a registered user to use the IMDb rating plugin. Won     7     Oscars. Another    216 wins & 169 nominations. See more awards  » Videos A young man who survives a disaster at sea is hurtled into an epic journey of adventure and discovery. While cast away, he forms an unexpected connection with another survivor: a fearsome Bengal tiger. Director: Ang Lee A paraplegic marine dispatched to the moon Pandora on a unique mission becomes torn between following his orders and protecting the world he feels is his home. Director: James Cameron Years after a plague kills most of humanity and transforms the rest into monsters, the sole survivor in New York City struggles valiantly to find a cure. Director: Francis Lawrence A seventeen-year-old aristocrat falls in love with a kind but poor artist aboard the luxurious, ill-fated R.M.S. Titanic. Director: James Cameron A Mumbai teen reflects on his upbringing in the slums when he is accused of cheating on the Indian Version of "Who Wants to be a Millionaire?" Directors: Danny Boyle, Loveleen Tandan Stars: Dev Patel, Freida Pinto, Saurabh Shukla Harvard student Mark Zuckerberg creates the social networking site that would become known as Facebook, but is later sued by two brothers who claimed he stole their idea, and the co-founder who was later squeezed out of the business. Director: David Fincher In 1985 Dallas, electrician and hustler Ron Woodroof works around the system to help AIDS patients get the medication they need after he is diagnosed with the disease. Director: Jean-Marc Vallée A committed dancer wins the lead role in a production of Tchaikovsky's "Swan Lake" only to find herself struggling to maintain her sanity. Director: Darren Aronofsky After a stint in a mental institution, former teacher Pat Solitano moves back in with his parents and tries to reconcile with his ex-wife. Things get more challenging when Pat meets Tiffany, a mysterious girl with problems of her own. Director: David O. Russell A lonely writer develops an unlikely relationship with an operating system designed to meet his every need. Director: Spike Jonze A soldier fighting aliens gets to relive the same day over and over again, the day restarting every time he dies. Director: Doug Liman An astronaut becomes stranded on Mars after his team assume him dead, and must rely on his ingenuity to find a way to signal to Earth that he is alive. Director: Ridley Scott Edit Storyline Dr. Ryan Stone ( Sandra Bullock ) is a brilliant medical engineer on her first shuttle mission, with veteran astronaut Matt Kowalski ( George Clooney ) in command of his last flight before retiring. But on a seemingly routine spacewalk, disaster strikes. The shuttle is destroyed, leaving Stone and Kowalsky completely alone - tethered to nothing but each other and spiraling out into the blackness. Written by MuTaTeD Rated PG-13 for intense perilous sequences, some disturbing images and brief strong language | See all certifications  » Parents Guide: 4 October 2013 (USA) See more  » Also Known As: $55,785,112        (USA) (4 October 2013) Gross: Did You Know? Trivia Alfonso Cuarón was inspired by the film Marooned (1969). Marooned was a film also set in Earth orbit, but which didn't have the technical advantages of CGI. See more » Goofs It is hard for most people to understand the difficulty in being in orbit


"Which film actress was born in Germany in 1904, went to America after appearing in the film ""Blue Angel"", and became an American citizen in 1937?"

Marlene Dietrich - Biography - IMDb Marlene Dietrich Biography Showing all 131 items Jump to: Overview  (5) | Mini Bio  (2) | Spouse  (1) | Trade Mark  (5) | Trivia  (41) | Personal Quotes  (64) | Salary  (13) Overview (5) 5' 4½" (1.64 m) Mini Bio (2) Her father was a police lieutenant and imbued in her a military attitude to life. Marlene was known in school for her "bedroom eyes" and her first affairs were at this stage in her life - a professor at the school was terminated. She entered the cabaret scene in 1920s Germany, first as a spectator then as a cabaret singer. In 1924, she married and, although she and Rudolf Sieber lived together only 5 years, they remained married until his death. She was in over a dozen silent films in increasingly important roles. In 1929, she was seen in a Berlin cabaret by Josef von Sternberg and, after a screen test, captured the role of the cabaret singer in The Blue Angel (1930) (and became von Sternberg's lover). With the success of this film, von Sternberg immediately took her to Hollywood, introducing her to the world in Morocco (1930), and signing an agreement to produce all her films. A series of successes followed, and Marlene became the highest paid actress of her time, but her later films in the mid-part of the decade were critical and popular failures. She returned to Europe at the end of the decade, with a series of affairs with former leading men (she had a reputation of romancing her co-stars), as well as other prominent artistic figures. In 1939, an offer came to star with James Stewart in a western and, after initial hesitation, she accepted. The film was Destry Rides Again (1939) - the siren of film could also be a comedienne and a remarkable comeback was reality. She toured extensively for the allied effort in WW II (she had become a United States citizen) and, after the war, limited her cinematic life. But a new career as a singer and performer appeared, with reviews and shows in Las Vegas, touring theatricals, and even Broadway. New success was accompanied by a too close acquaintance with alcohol, until falls in her performance eventually resulted in a compound fracture of the leg. Although the last 13 years of her life were spent in seclusion in her apartment in Paris, with the last 12 years in bed, she had withdrawn only from public life and maintained active telephone and correspondence contact with friends and associates. - IMDb Mini Biography By: Denny Jackson Spouse (1) ( 17 May  1924      - 24 June  1976) (his death) (1 child) Trade Mark (5) Wearing tuxedoes, men's hats, and men's tailored suits Her legs Aura of glamour and luxury Her signature scent was Bandit by Robert Piguet Trivia (41) Received the U.S. War Department's 'Medal of Freedom', in 1947, for entertaining American troops in WWII and her strong stand against Naziism. Was made a Chevaliere of the Legion by France. Born at 9:15pm-CET Her estate, consisting of about 300.000 pieces, was bid for 8 million German marks by the city of Berlin, Germany. Interred at Friedhof III, Berlin-Friedenau, Germany. Chosen by Empire magazine as one of the 100 Sexiest Stars in film history (#60). [1995] Gave birth to her only child at age 22, a daughter Maria Elisabeth Sieber (aka Maria Riva ) on December 13, 1924. Child's father was her husband, Rudolf Sieber . Marlene's father was Lt. Louis Erich Otto Dietrich, who died when she was very young. Her mother remarried to Colonel Eduard von Losch, who was killed in WWI. Her father, a Berlin police lieutenant, died after he fell off a horse when she was ten years old. She sucked lemon wedges between takes to keep her mouth muscles tight. Never worked without a mirror on the set so she could constantly check her makeup and hair. Her make-up man said she kissed so hard that she needed a new coat of lipstick after every kiss. In a posthumous gift of forgiveness, she left her vast collection of memorabilia to the city of Berlin. She demanded that Max Factor sprinkle half an ounce of real gold dust into her wigs to add glitter to her tresses during filming. She prided he


Cape Horn is the southernmost point of what area?

Cape Horn - ASTER Image Gallery Cape Horn Click on Image to Enlarge  (JPG)       Cape Horn (896,503 bytes) ( 3,207 x 2,503   ) Cape Horn is the southernmost point of South America. It is located in the Tierra del Fuego archipelago and is itself an island belonging to Chile. The Cape was first rounded by a European in 1616 by the Dutch expedition of Willem Schouten and Jacob Le Maire. Cape Horn is notorious because of the poor weather conditions that made it difficult to round in sailing ships before the construction of the Panama Canal. The route around the Horn was an important path for trade and passenger ships taking goods and people from the East Coast of the US to the West Coast, and was an essential supply route for the Spanish Empire. The ASTER scene shows Cape Horn in the lower right, near 56 degrees south latitude, 67.3 degrees west longitude; it was acquired on 20 September 20, 2005, and covers an area of 32.7 x 48.1 km. Click on thumbnails below for full resolution images. Cape Horn


What is a jury said to do when they leave the courtroom to decide on their verdict?

West Virginia Judiciary | Jury Duty: A Handbook for Trial Jurors Jury Duty: A Handbook for Trial Jurors Search Viewing PDF Files Welcome As a citizen, you have long enjoyed the privileges and protection of your government. Now you are called into service for that same government. You have been summoned and qualified as a trial juror for the courts of West Virginia. Jury service is the fulfillment of a civic obligation and a valuable privilege. There is no more vital work a citizen can perform in the exercise of self-government than honest and conscientious jury service. Service as a juror is as important as that of the judge, and a trial juror should take great personal satisfaction in the fact that an important duty has been accomplished. Indeed, the effectiveness of our system of justice is measured by the integrity and dedication of the jurors who serve in our courts. This handbook is designed to help you understand trial procedures and terms you may hear in the courtroom. In each case for which you are selected as a juror, the trial judge will give you instructions as to your schedule, courtroom procedures, and the law as it relates to the case before you. You should disregard anything in this handbook which is in conflict with the judge's instructions. Justice Calls It is necessary that there be courts so that the disputes which arise between people can be settled justly and peaceably. It is necessary that persons charged with crime be fairly tried, that public safety and welfare be protected on the one hand, and that private rights and liberties be safeguarded on the other. It is the business of every citizen to see that this is done, and it is a duty which the people must do for themselves if life, liberty and property are to be kept secure. Suppose Ms. Jones sues Mr. Smith. They may be strangers to you, and you may not care who wins. But as a citizen, it is very important to you and all the people that there be a way by which disputes between people can be settled without conflict and in a rational and just manner. John Doe may be accused of a crime. He may also be a stranger to you, and you may never have heard of the offense with which he is charged. Still, it is important to you as a citizen that the laws be enforced to punish wrongdoers and discourage crime so that you may be safe and secure in your person, your property and your rights. It is equally important that no innocent person be falsely convicted and sent to prison, for if that could happen to someone else, it could also happen to you. Role of The Judge and Jury The oaths taken by a judge and juror require each of them to accept and apply the law as it is. That is a sworn duty. No person is allowed to disregard the law because he or she thinks the law should be different than it is. Laws are made, repealed or changed by those who are elected to make laws, not judges and jurors. During the trial the judge decides all questions and disputes about the law and the rules for presenting evidence. At the end of the trial, the judge instructs the jury on the law and the main questions it is to decide. The case is then turned over to the jury, and the power and responsibility move from the judge's bench to the jury room. The jury must decide what the facts are and what testimony to believe. Jury Selection The first step in a civil or criminal jury trial is the selection from the jury panel of the number of jurors required to try the case. In circuit court, civil case juries are composed of six persons and criminal case juries are composed of twelve persons. In magistrate court, all juries are composed of six persons. In most cases, the judge will impanel one or more extra or alternate jurors in case a juror should become ill or have to be excused because of an emergency during the course of the trial. After the judge briefly explains the general nature of the case to be tried and introduces the lawyers and parties, the panel of prospective jurors is questioned in a process called voir dire – French for "to speak the truth" – to determine if any juror has a pe


Which is the oldest of these religions to be recognised as a identifiable belief system?

A Table of the World's Major Religions A Table of the World's Major Religions An excerpt from the online hypertext Human Knowledge: Foundations and Limits . This table summarizes the major human belief systems.  The 'Deity' column identifies each system's type of supernaturalism , except that for monotheisms it instead names the deity. The 'Fate' column tells what each system believes happens to a person after death. death: personality ceases at death. judged: the quality of an eternal afterlife is determined by a judgment of one's mortal behavior. rebirth: personality is after death recycled into a new organism, usually according to one's mortal behavior and with a loss of memory, and sometimes with the possibility that with good enough behavior or insight the cycle can be broken into communion. commun: personality ascends after death to a higher plane of (perhaps non-personal) communion with the universe. immort: personality graduates after death to (usually disembodied but conscious) immortality. Belief System   Fideisms Judaism is the Semitic monotheistic fideist religion based on the Old Testament's (1000-600 BCE) rules for the worship of Yahweh by his chosen people, the children of Abraham's son Isaac (c1800 BCE). Zoroastrianism is the Persian monotheistic fideist religion founded by Zarathustra (c628-c551 BCE) and which teaches that good must be chosen over evil in order to achieve salvation. Christianity is the West Eurasian monotheistic fideist religion professing that Jesus of Nazareth (c6 BCE - c30 AD) is the descendent of Abraham and the Son of God whose sacrifice for humanity's sins was recorded in the New Testament (c100), and who fulfilled the prophecies of the divinely inspired Old Testament. Islam is the Middle Eastern monotheistic fideist religion professing surrender to the will of Allah (God), whose revelations in the Old and New Testaments were superseded by the Koran revealed to Muhammad (c570 - 632-06) for his chosen people, the children of Abraham's son Ishmael (c1800 BCE). Sikhism is the Punjab monotheistic fideist religion founded by Guru Nanak (1469-1539) and whose sacred Adi Granth (1604) overlays a spartan righteousness onto Hindu cyclical cosmology. These religions place unwarranted faith in purported revelations for which there is no credible evidence of authenticity or validity. Mysticisms Hinduism is the South Asian polytheistic mystical religion based on the Veda scriptures (c1000 BCE) and professing a cyclical cosmology, an ultimate reality called brahman, gods Vishnu and Shiva, and reincarnation of atman (soul) under the influence of karma. Taoism is the Chinese polytheistic mystical religion based on the Tao-Te-Ching ascribed to Lao Tzu (c550 BCE) and which advocates a path (tao) of minimalist serenity and reverence for various deities. Shintoism is the Japanese polytheistic mystical religion involving mainly the observance of customs and festivals honoring various deities. Jainism is the Indian pantheist mystical religion founded by Mahavira (599-527 BCE) and which blends monastic asceticism with Buddhist cyclical cosmology. Buddhism is the East Asian pantheist mystical religion founded in India c525 BCE by the Buddha, who taught that existence is cyclical suffering caused by desiring and can be overcome by the "eightfold path" of right thought and deed. Confucianism is the Chinese nontheistic mystical religion based on the sayings of Confucius (c500 BCE) recorded in the Analects, and which teaches social order, scholarship, filial reverence for family and ancestors, and divination. These religions posit entities (such as gods or spirits or forces) to explain subjective mystical experiences which have simpler naturalistic explanations. These religions allege phenomena (such as rebirth and divination) for which there is no credible evidence.


Who was the London-based Jewish music impresario who managed Gene Vincent, Small Faces, Electric Light Orchestra and Black Sabbath?

Revealed: the dark secrets of Sharon Osbourne's dad, the Al Capone of pop | Daily Mail Online Revealed: the dark secrets of Sharon Osbourne's dad, the Al Capone of pop By MICK WALL Last updated at 20:17 28 July 2007 When music mogul Don Arden, a notorious thug with Mafia links, died last week, people assumed he had taken his secrets to the grave. But here, Mick Wall, who spent an extraordinary year with Arden, reveals the shocking – and hilarious – truth about Sharon Osbourne's terrifying father. You could feel a hush descend in the pub as the well dressed old gentleman at the corner table began speaking in his overloud voice, the result of encroaching deafness in one ear. Scroll down for more "I looked him hard in the eye and said, 'One false move from you, you bastard, and I'll rip your heart out with my bare hands and shove it down your f****** throat.'' "And, er, how did he respond to that?" I asked nervously. "He didn't move a muscle," said Don, turning his ice-cold eyes on me. "A bloody shame as I would have enjoyed doing that to him. Enjoyed it very much, I would." He smacked his lips together and picked up his drink. I glanced around. Everybody else was either madly pretending to read their newspapers or staring at us, astonished. I tried to steer the conversation on to slightly less lurid ground. Scroll down for more "But what did you do for fun, back then?" I asked. "Fun?" roared Don, regarding me as one might an idiot. "That was my f****** fun, don't you see? I'd go in there, smash the place up, bang some heads, then go out and have dinner and champagne at Annabel's. "Have a good laugh about it. You have to remember, these people were s*** bags! They all deserved to die, as far as I was concerned." To die? Surely he'd never killed anybody, though? "Well," he smiled, "let's just say no bodies were ever uncovered." He began to laugh – a long, lusty chuckle that thawed the ice in his pale blue eyes. By now, however, both tables either side of us had emptied, and although the pub was as packed as one would expect any lunchtime drinking establishment in Mayfair to be, no one was in any hurry to occupy them. Don Arden had worked his intimidatory magic again. Scroll down for more Like everybody else who ever knew him, I'd heard about Don Arden, who died last week, long before I met him: he was the self-styled Al Capone of Pop, as he enjoyed being known. He was the music-business gangster who'd hung fellow pop impresario Robert Stigwood by his legs from a balcony window for daring to cross swords with him; the Small Faces manager who, they later claimed, kept their money for himself; the gun-toting former manager of Gene Vincent, Black Sabbath and many others including, most lucratively of all, the Electric Light Orchestra, whose phenomenal record sales in the Seventies allowed Don to purchase Howard Hughes's old Hollywood mansion for $8million (the equivalent of £40million today) in cash. His daughter, Sharon Osbourne – known then as the wife and manager of Ozzy Osbourne, famous now as the glamorous if foul-mouthed matriarch of The Osbournes, as a star of The X Factor and her own teatime chat show – rang and asked me if I'd consider working with Don on his memoirs. I was taken aback. As a music journalist and biographer who'd known Sharon and Ozzy for more than 20 years, I knew of the antipathy that existed between her and her father. Once a daddy's girl who'd learned everything about the music business from working for Don, Sharon had fallen out with her father so badly some 20 years before that they'd waged war on each other ever since. Sharon had thrown soup over the woman Don had begun an extramarital relationship with in Hollywood in the early Eighties (leaving Sharon's mother to live alone in England) and once even tried to run over Don in her car – as Ozzy cowered in the passenger seat. Scroll down for more For his part, Don had sued Sharon for millions when she took Ozzy away from his record label, Jet, and threatened her. "There were times when I was on the floor crying and shaking because he'd threatened to


"What was referred to in the title of Bill Bryson's book ""Notes From A Small Island""?"

Bill Bryson: Notes from a Small Island (TV Series 1999– ) - IMDb IMDb There was an error trying to load your rating for this title. Some parts of this page won't work property. Please reload or try later. X Beta I'm Watching This! Keep track of everything you watch; tell your friends. Error Bill Bryson: Notes from a Small Island  25min Following his enormously successful book "Notes From a Small Island", American travel writer Bill Bryson sets off on a new tour of Britain. Starting at Dover, where he recalls his first ... See full summary  » Stars: a list of 23 titles created 04 Sep 2011 a list of 858 titles created 05 Dec 2012 a list of 501 titles created 06 Oct 2014 Title: Bill Bryson: Notes from a Small Island (1999– ) 6.6/10 Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? Use the HTML below. You must be a registered user to use the IMDb rating plugin. Edit Storyline Following his enormously successful book "Notes From a Small Island", American travel writer Bill Bryson sets off on a new tour of Britain. Starting at Dover, where he recalls his first disembarkation in 1973 to a land of rain, sweet tea and disagreeable land-ladies, his travels take him from Poole in the South to the Western Isles of Scotland. Along the way he encounters such colourful characters as the pipe smokers of Solihull, ballroom dancers in Blackpool and the caber tossers of Glenfinnan. Bryson brings all his perspective eye, dry wit and outbursts of comic exasperation to this affectionate survey of the British way of life. Written by Anonymous 10 January 1999 (UK) See more  » Also Known As: Notes from a Small Island See more  » Filming Locations: Not as good as the book, but... 15 January 2005 | by dilone (Grand Rapids, MI) – See all my reviews I love Bryson's books immensely. As a fellow American who has spent a few years living in Britain, he captures both cultures with wit and charm. That said, this TV adaptation of his most popular book leaves something to be desired. It moves slowly, is nowhere near as funny as his books, and is far too subdued for my taste. Part of the problem is that for a TV presenter, Bryson is a good author. He comes off as too bored, too bland...only occasionally does his true love for Britain shine through. Those moments that it does (episode three is the best example of this) are wonderful. The whole appeal of Bryson is the way he expresses his love for British culture with just enough detachment to be witty, and that is far too absent from this adaptation. Still, as travelogues go, it's one of the better ones out there. It's a case of "better than the rest, not as good as it should have been." At least Bryson is willing to show us the "real Britain," not the tourism-centered part. He knows the places to explore and bring out the charm that most tourists miss. Too bad he's unable to couple it with the charm he finds on paper. Cheers, mate. 17 of 17 people found this review helpful.  Was this review helpful to you? Yes


"What is Pablo Picasso's 1967 work known as the ""Chicago Picasso""?"

Untitled: Daley Plaza, Chicago, Illinois, 60602   It's a mandrill, not a baboon or a gibbon. Right family, wrong primate. Zelda - Sunday, August 17th, 2014 @ 6:58pm     From the beginning it looked like a pile of junk but Daley had the Unions spread the word that it was art so you should love it. gvhparkridge - Thursday, June 19th, 2014 @ 8:15pm     Gentlemen, As you look at the Picaso you first notice the head. It resembles a livestock Steer. The two circles on top are the eyes..The two circles at the bottom are its nostrils. Chicago Largest stockyard in the world, and meat packing. The two large wings represent O'Hare airport, at that time largest airport in the world. From there you see the two sets of rails , one on each side, this represents the largest railway center in he world. Most trains traveled to Chicago for connections to various parts of th United States. The next time you look at the Picaso, just look at it as I outlined. Trust you enjoyed my interpretation. I have never seen or heard of anybody making this interpretation. My Best Personal Regards, William J. DarrasEntered on Nov. 22,2013. Wilm J. - Friday, November 22nd, 2013 @ 10:27pm     My daughter and I took a recent interest in art, so in driving thru Chicago, we just had to see it for ourselves. We don't see a women at all. Looking at it from the front, it looks like the silhouettes of 2 mouths and chins, perhaps speaking out in opposite directions. The long pieces towards the back of the sculpture are 2 wings. Since the 'two wings' connect to the 'two mouths' by long rods it meant to us that it carried out the voices of the people. The 2 sets of dots: the 2 inside the eye shape are the eyes of onlookers piercing in and the other set of eyes are eyes looking out of the city. BTW my two girls made themselves part of those unruly tourist children sliding down The Picasso...maybe at his age, Picasso wanted something children too could appreciate from the sculpture. Lucy Flores - Monday, June 17th, 2013 @ 8:57am     I only ever saw the winged-baboon resemblance until earlier this week when I saw a drawing of the sculpture. Eureka! The drawing revealed to me a whole new image: Two identical faces in profile - facing each other - foreheads, lips and noses overlapping. The arches in the lower, back are shoulders. View it straight on and in your mind's eye convert it to a 2D image. Next time I'm there I will view it from the back and look for John F.'s image. Shari - Wednesday, March 27th, 2013 @ 3:15pm     Pablo Diego JosÃ© Francisco de Paula Juan Nepomuceno MarÃa de los Remedios CrispÃn Crispiniano de la SantÃsima Trinidad Ruiz y Picasso was Picasso's real name. Annalia - Tuesday, January 22nd, 2013 @ 4:14pm     You view it not from the angles pictures but from the back, off to one side. It very clearly becomes a woman looking over her shoulder. It is as plain as the sky is blue. John Fiebke - Thursday, December 13th, 2012 @ 10:54pm     It is semi-refined Being. it speaks of potential and flight, but also unrefined and unshapely heaviness and stasis. It is the woman and the City only partially or barely known, awaiting further refinement. rb - Friday, May 18th, 2012 @ 12:47pm     A gibbon or a baboon. Looks more like a baboon to me. Seriously, compare a pic of a baboon to that thing, long snout, narrow eyes, thick mane of fur on the neck and shoulders. Although, that could be too literal of an interpretation. After all, this is Picasso. Sven - Friday, August 17th, 2007 @ 10:43pm     I was there in 1967 at the unveiling.10 years old and taken in both by thestatue and the reaction. It has been one of the most profound moments of my life; setting a course of interest in art and culture that still gives meaning to my life today. For me, as a young mangrowing up in a turbulent time, it wasequal in importance to a man stepping onthe surface of the moon 2 years later.Picasso is a giant in evolution of social thought and popular culture.His gift to the City of Chicago (The USA) is/was a blessing and a boon thatonly a man of his genius and gen


"In which continent did Allan Quatermain, the explorer in H. Ryder Haggard's ""King Solomon's Mines"", search for the mines?"

King Solomon's Mines (1985) - IMDb IMDb There was an error trying to load your rating for this title. Some parts of this page won't work property. Please reload or try later. X Beta I'm Watching This! Keep track of everything you watch; tell your friends. Error Fortune hunter Allan Quatermain teams up with a resourceful woman to help her find her missing father lost in the wilds of 1900s Africa while being pursued by hostile tribes and a rival German explorer. Director: What Makes the Golden Globe Awards So Entertaining? IMDb Special Correspondent Dave Karger breaks down why the Golden Globes are so much more entertaining than other award shows. Don't miss our live coverage of the Golden Globes beginning at 4 p.m. PST on Jan. 8 in our Golden Globes section. a list of 45 titles created 05 Dec 2010 a list of 24 titles created 23 May 2013 a list of 21 titles created 14 Nov 2014 a list of 26 titles created 11 months ago a list of 25 titles created 1 week ago Title: King Solomon's Mines (1985) 5.1/10 Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? Use the HTML below. You must be a registered user to use the IMDb rating plugin. Edit Storyline Allan Quatermain is a fortune hunter who is convinced by Jesse Huston to help her find her father, who's been lost somewhere in the African jungle during his last exploration. Written by Chris Makrozahopoulos <makzax@hotmail.com> The Adventure of a Lifetime See more  » Genres: 22 November 1985 (USA) See more  » Also Known As: Las minas del rey Salomón See more  » Filming Locations: Did You Know? Trivia Goofs At 18:13, Dugati (Rhys-Davis) greets Quartermain (Chamberlin) as"Ingles" just as Rodreges greeted Blackthorn, in Shogun. See more » Quotes Colonel Bockner : [Fritz enters quicksand] My gramophone; save my gramophone. Fritz (German enlisted): I'm sinking. I'm sinking! Colonel Bockner : Stop sinking. That's an order! Dogati : I'm happy. No more Wagner. Low Budget Film At Its Finest 3 February 2004 | by Doramius (Las Vegas, NV) – See all my reviews If you are rating this low because it doesn't seem realistic or it doesn't compare to Indiana Jones, quit rating these films without watching them. Again, I find people rating films which they didn't even take the time to watch or try to understand. This is a low budget film and is closer related to fantasy/comedy than to realistic action. This is a B-Movie and directors of this style of film love to pour on the "CHEESE". The cast was great and they actually boosted the movement of the film for the sheer awe of seeing Stone and Chamberlain do some pretty dry humor. You can't even compare Indiana Jones to this as Lucas films are set to make the fantasy world come as close to reality as possible. This movie was completely the opposite. Great creativity. If you're looking for wires and obvious painted backdrops, again, you're not watching the movie. Laugh at those the second time you see the film. Chamberlain's character is asked to help a young attractive woman to help find her father, who was lost in an exploration looking for King Solomon's mines. Someone else is looking for the mines as well and will do anything to get there and keep others from getting the hidden treasures first. Find this and set up for a great party night. Definitely worth keeping for classic fun and enjoyment. 44 of 63 people found this review helpful.  Was this review helpful to you? Yes


What was the predecessor to the computer game Riven?

Riven: The Sequel to Myst on GOG.com Description Included goodies: manual (18 pages) About: Enter a deceptively beautiful world torn asunder by age-old conflicts... Where secrets lie hidden at every turn... And nothing is as it seems. A world of incomparable beauty, intrigue, and betrayal. Riven's story continues where Myst - and its companion novel, Myst: The Book of Atrus - left off. Your friend Atrus sends you to rescue his beloved wife Catherine, trapped on the slowly collapsing Age of Riven by Gehn. Read more About: Enter a deceptively beautiful world torn asunder by age-old conflicts... Where secrets lie hidden at every turn... And nothing is as it seems. A world of incomparable beauty, intrigue, and betrayal. Riven's story continues where Myst - and its companion novel, Myst: The Book of Atrus - left off. Your friend Atrus sends you to rescue his beloved wife Catherine, trapped on the slowly collapsing Age of Riven by Gehn. If you enjoyed Myst, you're bound to enjoy Riven! One of the most beautiful and acclaimed adventure games of all time Immerse yourself in the one of the most beautiful adventures ever created    Challenging riddles and an immersive story USER REVIEWS There are no reviews yet. {{ review.title }} by {{ ::review.author.name }} {{ ::review.author.name }} Sorry, data for given user is currently unavailable. Please, try again later. View wishlist Start conversation Invite to friendsInvite to friendsAccept invitationAccept invitationPending invitation...User since {{ user.formattedDateUserJoined }} Friends since {{ user.formattedDateUserFriended }} Unblock chat User blocked This user's wishlist is not public.You can't chat with this user due to their or your privacy settings.You can't chat with this user because you have blocked him.You can't invite this user because you have blocked him. Read more {{ review.added | toMilis | date:reviewDateformat }} | Is this helpful to you? YesNo Thanks for your vote! ({{review.helpfulVotes}} of {{review.totalVotes}} users found this helpful)report of {{ totalPages }}


mandolin - Dictionary Definition : Vocabulary.com Random Word mandolin A mandolin is a bit like a small guitar — it's a musical instrument with a wooden body, strings, and a long neck. A musician plays a mandolin by plucking or strumming the strings. Its sound is higher than a guitar, and it's often played alongside lower-pitched instruments, such as banjos and guitars. The mandolin is popular around the world and in many different kinds of music; in the United States, it's played most often in country music. The word itself comes from the Italian mandolino, which is an altered form of the Latin pandura, or "three-stringed lute."


Which of Henry VIII's wives was the mother of Mary I?

��ࡱ�>�� eg����d��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������#` ��EAbjbjm�m� .Z��E9��������������� � � � T�  �2� ��������.000000$� hI pT������T����i�:����.�. ������  ��4�v8�� �^�.0��� S�� ��J� � � ���tG���TT� ���������������������� Wives of Henry VIII The wives of Henry VIII were the six  HYPERLINK "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queen_consort" \o "Queen consort" queen consorts married to  HYPERLINK "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_VIII_of_England" \o "Henry VIII of England" Henry VIII of England between 1509 and 1547. The six wives (queens consort) of King Henry VIII were, in order:  HYPERLINK "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catherine_of_Aragon" \o "Catherine of Aragon" Catherine of Aragon (annulled),  HYPERLINK "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anne_Boleyn" \o "Anne Boleyn" Anne Boleyn (annulled then beheaded),  HYPERLINK "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jane_Seymour" \o "Jane Seymour" Jane Seymour (died, childbirth fever),  HYPERLINK "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anne_of_Cleves" \o "Anne of Cleves" Anne of Cleves (annulled),  HYPERLINK "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catherine_Howard" \o "Catherine Howard" Catherine Howard (annulled then beheaded), and  HYPERLINK "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catherine_Parr" \o "Catherine Parr" Catherine Parr. Because  HYPERLINK "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Annulment" \o "Annulment" annulment legally voids a marriage, technically speaking Henry would have said he had only 2 "wives", but his marriage to Queen Catherine of Aragon was found to be legal and valid during the reign of his daughter Queen Mary I. HYPERLINK "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wives_of_Henry_VIII" \l "cite_note-0#cite_note-0" [1] It is often noted that Catherine Parr "survived him"; in fact Anne of Cleves also surviv


What British motor car manufacturer, founded in 1909 by H.F.S. Morgan and run by him until 1959 when his son Peter Morgan took over until 1999, is currently run by Peter's son, Charles Morgan?

300 car companies 300 car companies 151)   KTM : The   KTM X-Bow   (pronounced "crossbow") is an ultra-light sports car for road and race use, produced by Austr... Blogger news 151-200 companies 151) KTM: The KTM X-Bow (pronounced "crossbow") is an ultra-light sports car for road and race use, produced by Austrian motorcycle manufacturer KTM. It is the first car in their product range. It was launched at the Geneva Motor Show in 2008. KTM developed the X-Bow in collaboration with Kiska Design, Audi, and Dallara. The X-Bow uses a turbocharged four-cylinder 2.0 litre Audi engine. The 2008 model produces 237 hp (177 kW; 240 PS) at 5500 rpm and 310 newton metres (230 lb·ft) of torque between 2000 and 5500 rpm. and can accelerate from 0-62 mph (100 km/h) in 3.9 seconds. Its top speed is 217 km/h (134.9 mph). In the 2011 X-Bow R model the Audi engine is further tuned to produce 300 hp (224 kW; 304 PS) and 400 newton metres (300 lb·ft) of torque at 3300 rpm. Originally, KTM planned a production of 500 units per year, however, the company increased production to 1,000 cars a year and built a new plant near Graz due to high demand.  152) kuozui: Kuozui Motors is a Taiwanese manufacturing company that builds Toyotas under license for the domestic market. Originally a subsidiary of Hino Motors, the corporation was spun off and became independent in the 1980s. Toyota still invests heavily in the corporation's production sector, recently expanding Taiwanese plants. Its products include, but not limited to: Toyota Corolla Altis, Toyota Aurion, and Toyota WISH.  157)kurtis  158)lada: Lada is a trademark of Russian car manufacturer AvtoVAZ based in Tolyatti, Samara Oblast. It was originally the export brand for models sold under the Zhiguli name in the domestic Soviet market after June 1970. Lada cars became popular in Russia and Eastern Europe during the last two decades of the Soviet era, particularly in former Soviet bloc countries, where they became a symbol of city life. The original Lada was widely exported in sedan and station-wagon versions, and with over 20 million units sold before production finally ended in mid-2012, it had become the highest-selling automobile to be produced without major design change. The Lada badge depicts a Viking sailing ship.  153) lamborgini: Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A., or simply Lamborghini,designs, engineers, manufactures and distributes Italian luxury sports cars. Lamborghini's production facility and headquarters are located in Sant'Agata Bolognese, Italy. In 2011, Lamborghini's 831 employees produced 1,711 vehicles. Manufacturing magnate Ferruccio Lamborghini founded Automobili Ferruccio Lamborghini S.p.A. in 1963 with the objective of producing a refined grand touring car to compete with offerings from established marques such as Ferrari. The company's first models were released in the mid-1960s and were noted for their refinement, power and comfort. Lamborghini gained wide acclaim in 1966 for the Miura sports coupé, which established rear mid-engine, rear wheel drive as the standard layout for high-performance cars of the era. Lamborghini grew rapidly during its first decade, but hard times befell the company when sales plunged in the wake of the 1973 worldwide financial downturn and the 1973 oil crisis. The firm's ownership changed three times after 1973, including a bankruptcy in 1978, before Chrysler Corporation took control in 1987. Unable to operate Lamborghini profitably, Chrysler sold Lamborghini to Malaysian investment group Mycom Setdco and Indonesian group V'Power Corporation in 1994. Lack of success continued through the 1990s, until Mycom Setdco and V'Power sold Lamborghini to the AUDI AG subsidiary of Volkswagen Group on 27 July 1998. Audi's ownership marked the beginning of a period of stability and increased productivity for Lamborghini. Sales increased nearly tenfold over the course of the 2000s, peaking with record sales in 2007 and 2008. The world financial crisis in the late 2000s negatively affected all luxury car makers worldwide, and caused Lamborghini's sales to dr


The husband of Mumtaz designed and built what magnificent monument in India to her when she died in 1631?

June 17th 1631: Mumtaz Mahal Dies During Childbirth.   June 17 1631 - Mumtaz Mahal Dies During Childbirth On June 17th 1631 Mumtaz Mahal, the beloved wife of Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan, died while giving birth to their fourteenth child in Burhanpur, Madhya Pradesh. Thereafter, Shah Jahan spent more than twenty years building the Taj Mahal in memory of his beloved wife. The Taj Mahal is probably the world’s most recognized building apart from being called one of the "New Seven Wonders of the World". This magnificent, white marbled mausoleum was built by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan as the final resting place for his wife Arjuman Banu (also known as Mumtaz Mahal), who died during childbirth on June 17th, 1631. Mumtaz Mahal was born on April 6th, 1593 in Agra to Abdul Hasan Asaf Khan, a Persian Nobleman, which made Mumtaz Mahal the niece of Empress Nur Jehan and later her daughter-in-law. At the age of fourteen, Mumtaz Mahal was engaged to Prince Khurram (also known as Shah Jahan) who fell in love with her at first sight. The year was 1607. The couple had to wait for five years after their engagement to get married - the date of their wedding was to be decided by an astrologer, which would be instrumental in ensuring a happy married life for the couple. Mumtaz Mahal and Shah Jahan finally got married in 1612 and she became the love of his life. After their marriage, Shah Jahan gave his new wife the title of Mumtaz Mahal which means the “chosen one of the palace”. Shah Jahan had two wives previously before he married Mumtaz Mahal. Ever since his marriage to Mumtaz, however, Shah Jahan showed little interest in his earlier wives. Shah Jahan had deep love and great respect for Mumtaz Mahal and gave her his complete, undivided attention. Mumtaz Mahal was renowned for her beauty and grace and was the source of inspiration for many poets and writers who wrote about her ethereal beauty and charm. Some poets even went so far as saying that so great was the beauty of Mumtaz that even the moon hid its face in her presence. Shah Jahan and Mumtaz shared a very loving relationship and Mumtaz was Shah Jahan’s trusted companion who, despite her many pregnancies, travelled with her husband around the country during his military campaigns. Shah Jahan trusted his wife so deeply that he gave her his Imperial Seat - the Muhr Uzah. Historical records portray Mumtaz Mahal to be a woman who nurtured no political ambition, a sharp contrast to her aunt and mother-in-law, Empress Nur Jehan who had controlled the previous reign strongly. A gentle and compassionate person, Mumtaz Mahal took up the cause of the poor and helpless. She requested her husband Shah Jahan to provide aid to his poorer subjects. Mumtaz Mahal was fond of architecture and used to spend a lot of time tending to a riverside garden in Agra, she also enjoyed watching combat fights in court. Mumtaz Mahal bore Shah Jahan fourteen children, including popular (and, at times, controversial) historical figures such as Dara Shikoh, Shah Shuja, Roshnara Begum, Jahanara Begum and Aurangzeb, among others. Mumtaz died in Burhanpur (in present day Madhya Pradesh), on June 17th 1631 while giving birth to their fourteenth child, a daughter, Gauhara Begum. Legend has it that while on her deathbed, Mumtaz asked Shah Jahan to build her the most beautiful tomb the world has ever seen. Mumtaz’s body was initially buried in a walled garden in Burhanpur, known as Zainabad and situated on the banks of the River Tapti. Shah Jahan was visibly devastated at the death of his beloved wife and was inconsolable. It is believed that Shah Jahan went into isolated mourning for a year and when he returned, all his hair had turned white and his face was ravaged with sadness. The emperor’s eldest and most favourite daughter, Jahanara Begum helped her father though this difficult phase of grief and gradually brought him out of this period of mourning. Following this, Jahanara Begum took the place of her mother Mumtaz Mahal in the royal court. Since Shah Jahan had never intended for Mumtaz to be buried at Burhanpur, he had


If a shawm were a member of the modern orchestra what section would it be in?

Jordanian National Orchestra Association | Music History Origins of Instruments Introduction: An orchestra is a musical ensemble of mixed instruments based on strings and winds, under the direction of a conductor, employing four classes of instruments: strings, woodwinds, brass, and percussion. It is the principal large instrument ensemble of Western music from the 18th to the 20th cent. Orchestration is the scoring of a piece of music so that it can be played by specific instruments.  Early History: The orchestra in the modern sense of the word did not exist before the 17th cent. Previous instrumental ensemble music was chamber music, except for occasional ceremonies when as many instruments as were available would be massed together. Until well into the 17th cent. there was little thought of specifying what instrument should play a part; any available instrument with the proper range was used. The first known example of orchestration occurs in Giovanni Gabrieli's (see under Andrea Gabrieli) Sacrae Symphoniae (1597).   Monteverdi's Orfeo (1607), one of the first operas, demands a large and varied group of instruments—all, in fact, that were available to him through his patron. During the 17th cent. the violin family displaced the viols, except the double-bass viol, as the principal strings of the orchestra. By the end of the century a division into four parts had become standard: first and second violins, violas, and cellos, with the double basses playing the cello part an octave lower. (Not until the 19th cent. did the cellos and basses frequently have different parts to play.) Woodwinds appeared in the earliest orchestras, though infrequently and subordinate to the strings—usually two oboes and a bassoon, with flutes sometimes replacing the oboes. The flutes were established as regular orchestra members, playing together with the oboes, only late in the 18th cent. The trumpets, inseparable from the kettledrums through the 17th and 18th cent., were used occasionally in the 17th cent. and became standard in the orchestra by about 1700. The French horn was fully accepted by 1750. The trombone was used in church music even before the 17th cent. and occasionally in opera thereafter; it did not become a regular member of the symphony orchestra until after 1800. Throughout the baroque period and into the second half of the 18th cent., the basso continuous was an integral part of the scoring and required that a harpsichord or some other chord-playing instrument fill in the harmonies above the figured bass. The treble and bass were strongly emphasized, while the middle parts were often left to the continuous alone. The orchestra was rather small at this time; Bach had as few as 18 players for his larger church works, and Handel usually used about 30. The Eighteenth-Century Classical Orchestra During the latter half of the 18th cent. the classical orchestra was gradually established through the disuse of the continuous and the acceptance of the clarinet. The abandonment of the continuous led to much greater independence in the string parts, which now had to fill the harmony unaided. Instead of both violin parts doubling the melody and the violas, cellos, and basses doubling the bass, there were now four distinct parts. The clarinet, like the flute, first appeared as an alternate for the oboe, but in the late works of Haydn and Mozart the orchestra was standardized, with pairs of flutes, oboes, clarinets, bassoons, French horns, trumpets, and kettledrums in addition to the strings. All the wind instruments, especially the woodwinds, could carry the melody, providing desired changes of color. Orchestras in the Nineteenth Century In the 19th cent., beginning in the works of Beethoven, the brass took an increasingly prominent place. The trombone was used regularly, while the invention of the valve in 1813 soon made the horn and trumpet completely chromatic. All the brass thus became melody instruments, instantly available in the most remote keys.The horn section was increased to four early in the century, and the introduction of th


In which continent does the Mekong River rise?

Mekong River | river, Southeast Asia | Britannica.com river, Southeast Asia Alternative Titles: Lan-ts’ang Chiang, Lancang Jiang, Mae Nam Khong, Mékôngk River, Mènam Khong, Song Cuu Long, Sông Tiên Giang Related Topics Khone Falls Mekong River, Cambodian Mékôngk, Laotian Mènam Khong, Thai Mae Nam Khong, Vietnamese Sông Tiên Giang, Chinese (Pinyin) Lancang Jiang or (Wade-Giles) Lan-ts’ang Chiang, river that is the longest river in Southeast Asia , the 7th longest in Asia , and the 12th longest in the world. It has a length of about 2,700 miles (4,350 km). Rising in southeastern Qinghai province, China , it flows through the eastern part of the Tibet Autonomous Region and Yunnan province, after which it forms part of the international border between Myanmar (Burma) and Laos , as well as between Laos and Thailand . The river then flows through Laos, Cambodia , and Vietnam before draining into the South China Sea south of Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon). Vientiane (Viangchan), the capital of Laos, and Phnom Penh , the capital of Cambodia, both stand on its banks. About three-fourths of the drainage area of the Mekong lies within the four countries the river traverses on its lower course—Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam. The Irrawaddy and Mekong river basins and their drainage networks. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. Overview of the Mekong River and its declining fish population. Contunico © ZDF Enterprises GmbH, Mainz Physical features The Mekong River drains more than 313,000 square miles (810,000 square km) of land, stretching from the Plateau of Tibet to the South China Sea . Among Asian rivers, only the Yangtze and Ganges have larger minimum flows. Mekong River delta, southern Vietnam. M. Gifford/De Wys Inc. The contrast between the physical conditions that prevail above and below the Mekong’s descent from the Yunnan highlands divide it into two major parts. The upper Mekong flows 1,215 miles (1,955 km) through a long, narrow valley comprising roughly one-fourth of the total area, cutting through the mountains and plateaus of southwestern China. The lower Mekong, below the point where it forms the border between Myanmar and Laos, is a stream 1,485 miles (2,390 km) in length draining the Khorat Plateau of northeastern Thailand, the western slopes of the Annamese Cordillera in Laos and Vietnam, and most of Cambodia, before reaching the sea through the distributary channels of its delta in southern Vietnam. Similar Topics Godavari River In its upper reaches, the Mekong rises in the Tibetan Plateau between the Salween and Yangtze rivers; the streambed has cut deeply into the rugged landscape through which it flows. Along its course between Myanmar and Laos, the Mekong drains about 8,000 square miles (21,000 square km) of territory in Myanmar, comprising rough and relatively inaccessible terrain. In its more gentle lower stretches, where for a considerable distance it constitutes the boundary between Laos and Thailand, the Mekong inspires both conflict and cooperation among Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam. Physiography The sources of the Mekong, including its principal headstream, the Za Qu River, rise at an elevation of more than 16,000 feet (4,900 metres) on the north slope of the Tanggula Mountains in Qinghai province. They flow southeast through the Qamdo (Chamdo) region of Tibet, where the Za Qu joins other headstreams to form the main stream, called the Lancang in Chinese. It descends south across the highlands of Yunnan, through which it carves a deep valley, to a point south of Jinghong , where it briefly marks the border between Myanmar and China. The river then bends southwest; over a reach of more than 125 miles (200 km) it forms the Myanmarese-Laotian border. Although two great roads cross it—the caravan route from the southeast to Lhasa and the road from Kunming to Myanmar—much of the river valley in the highlands of Tibet and Yunnan is remote and sparsely populated. Below Myanmar, the river basin may be divided into six major sections on the basis of landforms, vegetation, and soils: the northern hi


In 2014 what Formula One team was Lewis Hamilton driving for?

Lewis Hamilton Lewis Hamilton Next Previous Enlarge 1 / 8 Race 2 winner Lewis Hamilton (GBR), ASM Formule 3, Dallara F305 Mercedes. Formula Three EuroSeries, Rd10, Motopark Oschersleben, Germany. 26 June 2005. Lewis Hamilton (GBR) ART Grand Prix celebrates his second position in parc ferme. GP2 Series, Rd 10, Race 2, Istanbul Park, Turkey, 27 August 2006. Lewis Hamilton (GBR) TeamMBM.com. CIK-FIA World Karting Championship, Formula Super A, Rd5, Kerpen, Germany, 26-28 October 2001. Lewis Hamilton (GBR) McLaren in parc ferme. Formula One World Championship, Rd15, Japanese Grand Prix, Race Day, Fuji Speedway, Fuji, Japan, Sunday 30 September 2007. Lewis Hamilton (GBR) McLaren celebrates his World Championship in parc ferme. Formula One World Championship, Rd 18, Brazilian Grand Prix, Race, Interlagos, Sao Paulo, Brazil, Sunday 2 November 2008. Lewis Hamilton (GBR) Karting Feature 1996. Race winner Lewis Hamilton (GBR) McLaren Mercedes MP4/23 takes the chequered flag. Formula One World Championship, Rd 9, British Grand Prix, Race, Silverstone, England, Sunday 6 July 2008. Race winner Lewis Hamilton (GBR) Mercedes AMG F1 W05 celebrates. Formula One World Championship, Rd9, British Grand Prix, Race Day, Silverstone, England, Sunday 6 July 2014. BEST IMAGE Info Close Few drivers have entered Formula One racing with as big a bang as Lewis Hamilton, whose sensational maiden season in 2007 - in which he lost out on the world championship by a single point - remains one of the most remarkable rookie campaigns in history. In the intervening period the supremely gifted British driver has won three world championships and established himself as one of the most complete drivers on the grid: a terrific qualifier, a tenacious racer and a fierce wheel-to-wheel combatant with a deadly eye for an overtake. Put simply, when it comes to driving a Formula One car, there are very few areas in which Hamilton does not excel. Hamilton attributes much of his success to his humble upbringing in Stevenage, the English town in which he began racing as a hobby. Winning came naturally to the young driver and soon he was cutting his teeth in national events. By the age of 10 - with a little less than two years’ experience - he was crowned the youngest-ever winner of the British Cadet Kart championship. Equipped with an assured racing style that belied his years, it wasn’t long before Hamilton’s trophy cabinet was groaning under the weight of more karting titles. Hamilton made sure that Ron Dennis was one of the first to notice his swift rise through the ranks and in 1998 the McLaren boss signed him to the team’s young driver programme. Indeed, Dennis’s belief in Hamilton’s talents was such that the contract even included an option on the 13 year-old should he ever make it into Formula One racing. At this stage, however, it was McLaren’s financial support that proved the bigger blessing for Hamilton, who up to that point had been supported by his dutiful father - and future manager - Anthony, who worked several jobs to keep his son racing. At once able to compete on a much larger stage, Hamilton Jnr won a multitude of European karting titles with ease. And by the age of 15 he was grabbing further headlines, this time for being crowned the sport’s youngest number one - a record he still retains...


Emperor Bokassa was overthrown as ruler of what country in September 1979?

On this day September 20, 1979 | Formae Mentis NGO™ in Central African Republic On this day September 20, 1979 A coup d’état in the Central African Empire overthrows Emperor Bokasa I, born Jean-Bédel Bokassa 22 February 1921 – 3 November 1996), also known as Bokassa I of Central Africa and Salah Eddine Ahmed Bokassa, was the military ruler of the Central African Republic from 1 January 1966 and the Emperor of the Central African Empire from December 4, 1976, until he was overthrown on 20 September 1979. Bokassa’s overthrow by the French government was called “France’s last colonial expedition” (“la dernière expédition coloniale française”) by veteran French diplomat Jacques Foccart. Operation Barracuda began the night of 20 September and ended early the next morning. An undercover commando squad from the French intelligence agency SDECE (now DGSE), joined by Special Forces’ 1st Marine Infantry Parachute Regiment, or 1er RPIMa, led by Colonel Brancion-Rouge, landed by Transall and managed to secure the Bangui Mpoko airport. Upon arrival of two more transport aircraft, a message was sent to Colonel Degenne to come in with his Barracudas (codename for eight Puma helicopters and Transall aircraft), which took off from N’Djamena military airport in neighbouring Chad.


What is the name for a geometric figure with 3 sides?

Geometric Shapes | Wyzant Resources Resources / Lessons / Math / Elementary Math / Shapes Geometric Shapes There are several kinds of shapes you will learn in elementary school; this page       will provide you with the names and examples of each one. Circle A round shape, drawn like this: Triangle A shape with three sides. Sometimes the sides are equal—sometimes they aren’t. Their       names are sometimes different depending on the length of the sides. We will show       you the common ones: Equilateral triangle—this triangle has 3 equal sides. Isosceles triangle—this triangle has 2 equal sides. Scalene triangle—this triangle has no equal sides. Square A box shape, with four equal sides—opposite sides are parallel, drawn like this: Parallel means non-intersecting. For example, parallel lines means that if the two       lines kept going forever, they would never cross over each other—they would always       be an equal distance apart. Rectangle Another box shape, with two sets of equal sides. Equal sides are opposite each other.       The sides are parallel to each other. It’s drawn like this: Trapezoid Another 4 sided shape, with one set of parallel lines (the other set of lines is       not parallel), drawn like this: Pentagon A shape with five sides. They can be drawn many different ways, but these are the       most common: The pentagon on the left is known as a regular pentagon, because all of its sides       are the same length. The one on the right is also a commonly known pentagon, shaped       like a house. Hexagon A shape with six sides, drawn like this: Heptagon A shape with seven sides, drawn like this: Octagon A shape with eight sides, drawn like this: You’ll notice that the octagon is the shape they use for stop signs. Nonagon A shape with nine sides, drawn like this: Decagon A shape with 10 sides, drawn like this: Dodecagon A shape with 12 sides, drawn like this: Polygons All of these shapes are polygons. A polygon is a shape made of lines that could       be colored in (all the lines meet and it has a “middle”). Most of what you will be asked to do with these shapes is recognize them and draw       them, so memorize how many sides they have, what they look like, etc. Other things       may include calculating the area and/or perimeter of these shapes. If you’re trying       to find area or perimeter, read our page on Area and Perimeter .


What fraction of a second is a nanosecond?

Providing Fractions of a second to DateTime? Providing Fractions of a second to DateTime? cmv has asked for the wisdom of the Perl Monks concerning the following question: Hi Monks- I'm parsing a logfile that gives me Timezone, Month, Day, Year, and the number of milliseconds since midnight. I would like to create a timestamp string down to the milliseconds of the form: mm/dd/yyyy hh:mm:ss.xxx I fancy using DateTime to help me out with this, but I'm having trouble figuring out how to generate and provide the fraction of a second to it. I am forced to use perl5.8 - any help is very much appreciated! Thanks -Craig Here is my current code that does not handle fractions of a second: use strict; use warnings; # Get Data... my ($tZone, $pMonth, $pDay, $pYear, $pStart) = qw(-04:00 05 30 2012 50 +460904); print STDERR "tZone=$tZone pMonth=$pMonth pDay=$pDay pYear=$pYear pSta +rt=$pStart\n"; use DateTime; # Start from midnight... my $dt = DateTime->new(year=>$pYear, month=>$pMonth, day=>$pDay, hour= +>00, minute=>00, second=>00, time_zone=>$tZone); # Add in milliseconds since midnight (pStart)... $dt->add(seconds=>int($pStart/1000)); my $timestamp = $dt->strftime('%D %T.%3N'); print STDERR "timestamp=$timestamp\n"; Re: Providing Fractions of a second to DateTime? by tobyink (Abbot) on Jun 12, 2012 at 14:41 UTC use DateTime; my $timezone   = 'UTC'; my $year     = 2012; my $month    = 6; my $day     = 12; my $millisecond = 3600000; # 1.00 am my $dt = DateTime->new(   year    => $year,   month   => $month,   day    => $day,   hour    => 0,   minute   => 0,   second   => 0,   nanosecond => 0,   time_zone => $timezone, )->add(   nanoseconds => ($millisecond * 1_000_000), ); print $dt; by cmv (Chaplain) on Jun 12, 2012 at 15:00 UTC Thank you ++ tobyink - this is it! Re: Providing Fractions of a second to DateTime? by ansh batra (Friar) on Jun 12, 2012 at 14:13 UTC use DateTime;  $dt = DateTime->new(    year    => 1964,    month   => 10,    day    => 16,    hour    => 16,    minute   => 12,    second   => 47,    nanosecond => 500000000, #see this    time_zone => 'Asia/Taipei',  ); Re^2: Providing Fractions of a second to DateTime? by cmv (Chaplain) on Jun 12, 2012 at 14:25 UTC Thanks for the pointer to nanosecond. I originally saw that and tried various things that made sense to me. For instance: my $dt = DateTime->new(year=>$pYear, month=>$pMonth, day=>$pDay,       millisecond=>$pStart, time_zone=>$tZone); [download] Well, that didn't work, since it doesn't take millisecond as an argument to new, so I tried converting $pStart to nanoseconds-since-midnight and substituting in that, but alas - it seems that the nanosecond value is only for providing the intra-second-delta. See my above response to what I think I need to do. I'm hoping someone will show me a better way... Re^3: Providing Fractions of a second to DateTime? by ansh batra (Friar) on Jun 12, 2012 at 14:32 UTC $dt = DateTime->new( year=>2003, month=>6, day=>12, hour=>7, minute=>22, second=>12, millisecond=>345, microsecond=>678, nanosecond=>901 ); Re^2: Providing Fractions of a second to DateTime? by cmv (Chaplain) on Jun 12, 2012 at 14:12 UTC Thanks for the pointer to HiRes, but I don't think that helps. I already have the number of milliseconds since midnight from the log. What I think I need to do is to get DateTime to tell me the number of milliseconds from midnight to 14:01:00.000 on this date, then subtract that from the total number of milliseconds since midnight, then tell DateTime to add that result to the original timestamp that I calculated. When I read this back, it sounds too complicated. I must be missing something...


Who was re-elected President of the Republic of Germany in 1932 defeating Adolf Hitler?

The History Place - Rise of Hitler: Hitler Runs for President Hitler Runs for President Just three weeks after the suicide of his beloved niece, Adolf Hitler met the 84-year-old President of Germany, Paul von Hindenburg, for the first time. Hitler pulled himself out of the severe depression he fell into after her death. Twice before he had sunk into the abyss of despair, only to emerge stronger – in 1918, lying in a hospital, blinded by poison gas, after hearing news of the Germany's defeat ending World War I – and in 1924, in prison after the failed Beer Hall Putsch. In October 1931, the former Austrian Corporal was presented to the former Field Marshal. Hitler was a bit unnerved by the Old Gentleman and rambled on at length trying to impress him. Hindenburg was not impressed and later said Hitler might be suited for Postmaster, but never for a high position such as the Chancellorship of Germany. October of 1931 marked the beginning of the political intrigue that would destroy the young republic and ultimately make Hitler Führer of Germany. Hitler seen in the midst of tough negotiations with Chancellor Bruening about extending President Hindenburg's term.  Below: After the negotiations failed - the race for the presidency is underway. Left: Nazis tack up a stark-looking Hitler poster that only shows his face and name. Right: A large handshake billboard for President Hindenburg that says "With Him." Below: A radio broadcast by the elderly Hindenburg who limited his campaigning to a few radio speeches and select social gatherings. Below: A speech by candidate Hitler to a large crowd in Berlin's Lustgarten in  April 1932. Constant political squabbling among the numerous political parties in the Reichstag resulted in ineffective government. Adding to the problem, there were now over a hundred elected Nazis in the Reichstag. Under the leadership of Hermann Göring, they regularly disrupted proceedings with vulgar, rowdy behavior to help undermine democracy in Germany. The German people were desperate for relief from the tremendous personal suffering brought on by the Great Depression, now two years old. Millions were unemployed, thousands of small businesses had failed, homelessness and starvation were real possibilities for everyone. Civilization itself was unraveling in Berlin where people were fighting in the streets, killing each other in the chaos. But from their elected leaders, the people got nothing but indecision. In ever growing numbers they turned to the decisive man, Adolf Hitler, and his promises of a better future. The republic now faced another problem. In 1932, there was supposed to be a presidential election, according to law. But Hindenburg, the glue holding the floundering democracy together, was getting too old and said he was not interested in running again. Even if he could be convinced to run, he would be 92 by the time the seven-year term ended, with Hitler looming in the background the whole time. If he didn't live the entire term, considered likely since he was failing, then Hitler would have his chance even sooner. Early in 1932, Adolf Hitler received a telegram from Chancellor Bruening inviting him to come to Berlin to discuss the possibility of extending Hindenburg's present term. Hitler was delighted at the invitation. "Now I have them in my pocket! They have recognized me as a partner in their negotiations!" Hitler told Rudolf Hess. He went to the meeting and listened to the proposal, but gave no response. There was no reason to help the chancellor and thus help keep the republic alive. In February 1932, President Hindenburg reluctantly agreed to run again and announced his candidacy for re-election. Hitler decided to oppose him and run for the presidency himself. "Freedom and Bread," was the slogan used by Hitler to great effect during the Nazi campaign against tired old President Hindenburg. Joseph Goebbels waged a furious propaganda campaign on behalf of Hitler, outdoing the previous election effort of 1930. Nazi posters were plastered everywhere. There was a whirlwind schedule of spee


Mills and Boon are publishers of what type of books?

Romance, fiction books and ebooks from Mills & Boon The Boss's Moonlight Secret Michele Hauf Blaise Bowen isn't sure what's wrong with him. Since the car accident two months ago, he's twice woken to find himself in a neighbor's lawn—naked! So he recruits his personal assistant, Cady Cooper, to keep an eye on him. After a year of mutual flirtations with her charming yet uptight boss, Cady is all in when he asks her to stay the night and watch him sleepwalk. But when she learns what's really up, she's not sure if she can handle the "wild" in her boss. Together the two must face the challenge of Blaise remembering who—and what—he is, and the seductive allure of an office romance.


Types of Prickly Pear Cactus | Home Guides | SF Gate Types of Prickly Pear Cactus Types of Prickly Pear Cactus Prickly pear fruits are a good source of vitamin C. The name "prickly pear" refers to the cactus species Opuntia and also to the fruits these cacti produce. They produce paddle- or cylinder-like leaves, and the fruit of many species are edible and used in making jellies, juices and candies. The pads of some species are a staple ingredient in many Mexican dishes. The plants vary in size from small groundcovers to tree-sized specimens, all bearing bright yellow to red flowers. Most are more tolerant of cool-weather conditions than other cacti genera. Indian Fig Prickly Pear The Indian fig (O. ficus-indica) is perhaps the best known and most utilized species of the prickly pears. It’s an important commercial crop for arid regions where it is grown for its large sweet fruits, sometimes called "tunas." These fruits come in yellow, red and pink, and are eaten fresh, used to make refreshing drinks, or used in jellies and candies. The Southwest cattle industry also uses it for forage, and the pads are an important part of Mexican cuisine. Although the U.S. Department of Agriculture hardiness zones fall between 7 and 10, the Indian fig has been found as far north as Canada. Spineless Prickly Pears The spineless prickly pears (O. ellisiana, O. stricta or O. robusta) are primarily used as ornamental plants when outside their normal growing environment. Although they are spineless, they still have fine stiff hairs (called glochids), which can irritate the skin. They have bright yellow flowers that sometimes have a red flush. The pads can be green or have a bluish waxy coating, and are used in containers or for xeriscape gardening. Although O. ellisiana and O. stricta are more shrub-like at 2 to 5 feet tall, the Opunita robusta can grow into a small tree of 15 feet tall. They bear sweet fruits and have edible pads similar to the Indian Fig variety. Purple Prickly Pears Several prickly pears have a colorful purple blush on their pads. The "Santa Rita" prickly pear (O. violacea) has pretty purple pads that deepen in color during times of stress or drought. The variety called "Baby Rita" (O. basilaris) has purple pads, grows to only 8 inches and has pink flowers. Some blind prickly pears (O. rufida) have a reddish purple tinge. All are hardy enough to withstand frosts, but thrive in the more arid parts of U.S. Department of Agriculture zones 7 to 10. Miniature Prickly Pears Many prickly pears grow in low clumps or form miniature pads. The golden beavertail prickly pears (O. aurea) grow pads that reach 2 inches across and have clear yellow flowers. The bunny ears, or polka dot, prickly pears (O. microdasys “Albata”) forms tight clumps of small pads covered in snowy white spines. The unusual Joseph’s coat prickly pear (O. monacantha variegata) grows to about 18 inches, and forms variegated green and cream pads and small red flowers. All are hardy from U.S. Department of Agriculture zones 7 to 10 except the variegated form, which is hardy down to zone 9. Cacti of the Southwest; Del Weniger Hardy Succulents: Tough Plants for Every Climate; Gwen Moore Kelaidis


"The contents of ""The Zimmermann Telegram"" of 16 January 1917 revealed a German plan to offer Mexico what territory in return for a military alliance against the USA?"

Zimmermann Telegram - World War I World War I World War I: Zimmerman Telegram The Zimmermann Telegram.  Photograph Source: Public Domain Updated February 02, 2016. Zimmermann Telegram - Origins: As World War I ground on, Germany began assessing options for striking a decisive blow. Unable to break the British blockade of the North Sea with its surface fleet, the German leadership decided to return to a policy of unrestricted submarine warfare . This approach, whereby German U-boats would attack merchant shipping without warning, had been briefly used in 1916, but was abandoned after strong protests by the United States. Believing that Britain could be quickly crippled if its supply lines to North America were severed, Germany prepared to reimplement this approach effective February 1, 1917. Concerned that the resumption of unrestricted submarine warfare could bring the United States into the war on the side of the Allies, Germany began making contingency plans for this possibility. To this end, German Foreign Secretary Arthur Zimmermann was instructed to seek a military alliance with Mexico in the event of war with the United States. In return for attacking the United States, Mexico was promised the return of territory lost during the Mexican-American War (1846-1848), including Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona, as well as substancial financial assistance. Zimmermann Telegram - Transmission: As Germany lacked a direct telegraph line to North America, the Zimmermann Telegram was transmitted over American and British lines. This was permitted as President Woodrow Wilson allowed the Germans to transmit under the cover of US diplomatic traffic in hopes that he could remain in touch with Berlin and broker a lasting peace. Zimmermann sent the original coded message to Ambassador Johann von Bernstorff on January 16, 1917. Receiving the telegram, he forwarded it on to Ambassador Heinrich von Eckardt in Mexico City via commercial telegraph three days later. Zimmermann Telegram - Mexican Response: After reading the message, von Eckardt approached the government of President Venustiano Carranza with the terms. He also asked Carranza to aid in forming an alliance between Germany and Japan. Listening to the German proposal, Carranza instructed his military to determine the feasibility of the offer. In assessing a possible war with the United States, the military determined that it largely lacked the capability to re-take the lost territories and that German financial assistance would be useless as the United States was the only significant arms producer in the Western Hemisphere. Furthermore, additional arms could not be imported as the British controlled the sea lanes to Europe. As Mexico was emerging from a recent civil war, Carranza sought to improve relations with the United States as well as other nations in the region such as Argentina, Brazil, and Chile. As a result, it was determined to decline the German offer. An official response was issued to Berlin on April 14, 1917, stating that Mexico had no interest in allying with the German cause. Zimmermann Telegram - British Interception: As the ciphertext of the telegram was transmitted through Britain, it was immediately intercepted by British codebreakers who were monitoring traffic originating in Germany. Sent to the Admiralty's Room 40, codebreakers found that it was encrypted in cipher 0075 which they had partially broken. Decoding parts of the message, they were able to develop an outline of its content. Realizing that they possessed a document that could compel the United State to join the Allies, the British set about developing a plan that would allow them to unveil the telegram without giving away that they were reading neutral diplomatic traffic or that they had broken German codes. To deal with the first issue, they were able to correctly guess that the telegram was sent over commercial wires from Washington to Mexico City. In Mexico, British agents were able to obtain a copy of the ciphertext from the telegraph office. This was encrypted in cipher 13040, which the Briti


What was the first name of Inspector Maigret, a character created by George Simenon?

Simenon's Inspector Maigret 36 Quai des Orfèvres Paris... The Maigret Forum This is not a static website. It changes almost daily. The Maigret " Forum ," an open bulletin board for notices, opinions, information and discussion related to Maigret and Simenon, has become the most active feature of this site. It's where new books, websites, articles and features are first announced and displayed, and includes an indexed archive of the entire past Forum... back to 1997! Click here for the current Forum. Here's a recent sample - Simenon - Loustal - Maigret 12/7/16  A new edition of Simenon's (non-Maigret) story "Un nouveau dans la ville" has just been issued by Omnibus, illustrated by Loustal, in which Loustal gets equal billing with Simenon on the cover... The story, written at Desert Sands, Tucson, Arizona in 1949, and published the following year, was translated into English by Bernard Lechtman as The Novel of Man, and appeared as a limited edtion in 1964 (Harcourt, Brace & World, 59pp), "a lecture delivered in the Main Auditorium of the Brussels World Fair on October 3, 1958... published as a New Year's greeting to friends of the author & the publisher." Maigret fans are no doubt familiar with Jacques de Loustal's illustrations, which have been reported on these Forum pages a number of times... The Forum article of May 2, 2003 included links to the 2000 Figaro Magazine article on Loustal's Simenon/Maigret illustrations. In addition to two Yantchevsky Maigret covers, the covers of four Loustal Maigrets appeared in the Sept. 7, 2005 Forum , Maigret et l'inspecteur malgracieux (2002) [ mal ], Le témoinage de l'enfant de choeur (2002) [ cho ], Le client le plus obstiné du monde (2000) [ obs ], and On nu tue pas les pauvres types (2000) [ pau ]. Two other Loustal Maigrets, Ceux du Grand Café [ ceu ] and Menaces de Mort [ men ] were published in 2001,  and all six were published in a single volume in 2014, Six enquetes de Maigret. From Oct. 15, 2014 - Feb. 28, 2015 there was a Loustal/Simenon Exhibition at BILIPO in Paris, attended by Jérôme, who reported to the Forum on Oct. 7, 2014 , and sent several of his photos of the exhibition on Oct. 18 . A postage stamp designed by Loustal was issued by France (on my birthday!) in 2013, portraying 36 Quai des Orfèvres, the site of Maigret's office... ST A phenomenal author and his phenomenal character Georges Simenon was by many standards the most successful author of the 20th century, and the character he created, Inspector Jules Maigret, who made him rich and famous, ranks only after Sherlock Holmes as the world's best known fictional detective. There is nothing commonplace about the life of Georges Simenon, and he and his works have been the subject of innumerable books and articles. The Maigret stories are unlike any other detective stories  the crime and the details of unraveling it are often less central to our interest than Maigret's journey through the discovery of the cast of characters... towards an understanding of man. Simenon said he was obsessed with a search for the "naked man"  man without his cultural protective coloration, and he followed his quest as much in the Maigrets as in his "hard" novels. Although most of Simenon's work is available in English, it was originally written in French. Simenon was born and raised in Belgium, and while Paris was "the city" for him, the home of Maigret, he was 'an international,' a world traveler who moved often and lived for many years in France, the United States, and Switzerland. Because he wrote in French, and for the most part lived in French-speaking countries, most of the books and magazine articles about him were written in French as well. Unlike his own books however, many of these have never been available in translation. Because Simenon lived to be nearly 90, and left a legacy of hundreds of books  from which more than 50 films have been made, along with hundreds of television episodes  there is much to collect, to examine, to display and discuss. This site takes Maigret as its theme, and Simenon as its sub-theme


Crimea, over which multiple wars have been fought, was annexed from Ukraine in 2014 by which country?

Why Crimea is so dangerous - BBC News BBC News Why Crimea is so dangerous 11 March 2014 Close share panel Image copyright AP The peninsula of Crimea in southern Ukraine is at the centre of what is being seen as the biggest crisis between Russia and the West since the Cold War. Troops loyal to Russia have taken control of the region and the pro-Russian parliament has voted to join the Russian Federation, to be confirmed in a referendum. Why has Crimea become a flashpoint? Crimea is a centre of pro-Russian sentiment, which can spill into separatism. The region - a peninsula on Ukraine's Black Sea coast - has 2.3 million people, a majority of whom identify themselves as ethnic Russians and speak Russian. The region voted heavily for Viktor Yanukovych in the 2010 presidential election, and many people there believe he is the victim of a coup - prompting separatists in Crimea's parliament to vote for joining the Russian Federation and a referendum on secession. Is Crimea truly Ukrainian? Media captionWatch a short history of the Republic of Crimea Russia has been the dominant power in Crimea for most of the past 200 years, since it annexed the region in 1783. But it was transferred by Moscow to Ukraine - then part of the Soviet Union - in 1954. Some ethnic Russians see that as a historical wrong. However, another significant minority, the Muslim Crimean Tatars, point out that they were once the majority in Crimea, and were deported in large numbers by Soviet leader Joseph Stalin in 1944 for alleged collaboration with Nazi invaders in World War Two. Ethnic Ukrainians made up 24% of the population in Crimea according to the 2001 census, compared with 58% Russians and 12% Tatars. Tatars have been returning since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 - causing persistent tensions with Russians over land rights. Will Crimea break away? It appears to be heading that way with a referendum due on 16 March. The region remains legally part of Ukraine - a status that Russia backed when pledging to uphold the territorial integrity of Ukraine in a memorandum signed in 1994, also signed by the US, UK and France. Crimea is an autonomous republic within Ukraine, electing its own parliament, with a prime minister appointed with approval from Kiev. But now Crimean MPs have appointed a pro-Moscow leader, Sergei Aksyonov, who wants Crimea to unite with Russia, and has called the referendum. What will the referendum decide? Image copyright Getty Images Image caption A billboard sets out the choices for the vote: Crimea with a swastika, or Crimea in Russia Voters will be asked two questions? What does the ballot paper say? Are you in favour of re-uniting Crimea with Russia as a constituent part of the Russian Federation? Are you in favour of restoring the Constitution of the (autonomous) Republic of Crimea of 1992 and retaining the status of Crimea as part of Ukraine? Under Ukraine's constitution , "issues of altering the territory of Ukraine are resolved exclusively by an All-Ukrainian referendum". Equally, Crimea is entitled to call what are termed local referendums . There seems little doubt of a Yes vote. Kiev has dismissed the referendum as illegal, but is hardly in a position to stop it going forward. And the West says it will not recognise the result. Image copyright Reuters Image caption Russia's lease on the Sevastopol base lasts until 2042 Thousands of pro-Russian troops are in control of Crimea. Moscow denies they are Russian soldiers, calling them Crimean "self-defence" forces - though correspondents say they are too well-trained and equipped to be an irregular militia. President Vladimir Putin has defended Crimea's decision to stage the referendum as "based on international law". Russia has a major naval base in Sevastopol, where its Black Sea fleet is based. Under the terms of the lease, any movement of Russian troops outside the base must be authorised by the Ukrainian government. There have been reports of Russian envoys distributing Russian passports in the peninsula. Russia's defence laws allow military action overseas to "p


What is the Silver Fissure in Iceland known for?

Silfra in Thingvellir National Park, Iceland - DIVE.IS - Silfra The clearest water on earth Silfra, the fissure between the continents The Silfra fissure, is known as one of the top dive sites in the world for two main reasons. First, the Silfra fissure is actually a crack between the North American and Eurasian continents, meaning that you dive or snorkel right where the continental plates meet and drift apart about 2cm per year. Silfra is the only place where one can dive or snorkel directly in the crack between two continental plates. Secondly, the underwater visibility in the Silfra fissure is over 100 meters, which creates an underwater experience that will rarely, if ever, be surpassed. The reasons for this astounding water clarity are twofold: the water is cold (2°C – 4°C year round ) as it is glacial water from the nearby Langjökull and this water is filtered through porous underground lava for 30-100 years until it reaches the north end of Thingvellir lake, seeping out from underground wells. The Silfra water is as pristine as water can get and you can drink it at anytime during your dive or snorkel. The Silfra fissure consists of four sections: Silfra Big Crack, Silfra Hall, Silfra Cathedral, and Silfra Lagoon.  We plan our dives and snorkel swims so that we are able to see all Silfra sections in every Diving Silfra Day Tour and our Silfra Snorkeling Tour .  We enter the water from a platform with steps leading down.  If you are diving, the maximum depth of the your dive in Silfra will be 18 meters, but the average depth of the dive is between 7 and 12 meters. Although Thingvellir Lake has an abundance of fish species and trout fishing is very popular in the lake, the fish usually do not venture far into the Silfra fissure.  The marine life in Silfra consists mostly of bright green “troll hair” and different types of algae that provide a colorscape unlike anything that occurs naturally above the surface. The National Park Thingvellir has been declared a UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITE both for its cultural and historical significance as well as natural and geological uniqueness.  It is well worth it to join our Golden Circle Day Tour to further explore Thingvellir on land.  Moreover, if you have friends or family accompanying you on your tour but do not wish to get in the water themselves, the area around Silfra is full of lovely walking trails that lead through this fascinating place. We plunge into Silfra on our Diving Silfra Day Tour