Guns of the Swiss Guard: Happy Hole-y Week - Guns.com Guns of the Swiss Guard: Happy Hole-y Week The Vatican’s Swiss Guard has been on protection detail since the 1500s. Pope Francis and a saluting Swiss Guardsman. Sure, they may look funny in their brightly colored costumes, complete with feathered metal headgear, but these soldiers are the only military force for the smallest country in the world. They are also one of the best equipped. Who is the Swiss Guard? If you ever watch footage of the Pope, in the background you will often see a ceremonial guard dressed in an odd uniform. Made up of an extremely garish combination of purple and gold and cut in the style of a 15th century jester, these guards add an interesting flair to the Papal office, though their function is far from ceremonial. These men (no women are allowed) are all sworn members of a company of professional soldiers that dates back more than five centuries to 1506 making them the oldest military unit that has seen continuous service in history. Swiss Guards may look like toy soldiers but they are actually all trained and experienced military men serving in the oldest continuously operating unit in the world. That looks pretty good on a resume. Every Swiss Guardsman is drawn from the regular Swiss Army. The Swiss Guard’s attire is fairly timeless although their firearms are not. Formed of 110 officers and men, the Pontifical Swiss Guard are the defacto military of the Vatican City, an independent country of just .17 square miles (110-acres) in size located inside Rome, Italy. They are responsible for the security and safety of the Pope as well as the Papal facilities. All of the members are volunteers serving 25-month contracts. To be a member you have to be an adult male Swiss citizen, at least 5-foot, 8-inches tall, under 30 years of age, and have successfully completed prior service with the Swiss Army. Once selected members receive further training in less-lethal weapons, crowd control techniques, dignitary protection, and other skills needed in their future job. The Guard takes their mission seriously. In 1527 during the Sack of Rome, the Swiss Guard suffered more than 80% casualties in a rear guard action known forever as the Stand of the Swiss Guard, which allowed the then-current Pope to escape. The Guard responds to regular attacks on the Pope both in the Vatican and abroad. Medieval styling but modern behind the scenes While on parade the Swiss Guard are equipped with halberds, swords and pikes. If things ever go hot though, be aware that they can switch to SIGs, HKs and Glocks in double time. On public duty (i.e. tourist duty) the Swiss Guard uses medieval weapons like pikes, Swiss voulges and short swords. They are however fully trained in combat with all of these… While the public face of the Swiss Guard is the classic Michelangelo uniform with armor plate, plumes, and Conquistador-style Morion helmets, this is for the benefit of the tourists. Sure, these soldiers receive specialized training in these Renaissance-age weapons and the last thing you would ever want to do is pick a fight against a Swiss soldier with a 9-foot long steel pike unless you had a modern firearm, but they are not the Vatican’s only means of defense. Located deep inside the barracks of the Swiss Guard is an arsenal of arms that the soldiers train with constantly over the course of their service and, today, this steel is far from archaic. Handguns and longarms For almost 80 years, the officers and NCOs of the Swiss Guard were armed with Hugo Schmeisser ’s very homely Dreyse Model 1907 pistol . This 7-shot .32ACP was ugly but reliable. After the attempted assassination of Pope John Paul in 1981 by a Turkish hitman , the Guard upgraded these handguns to the logical SIG P220 , which is standard issue for the Swiss Army. There are also a number of Austrian-made Glock Model 19 9mm pistols used when a more concealable duty weapon is desired, such as on overseas dignitary protection. The very unusual Dreyse pistol guarded the Pope for almost 80-years. Since 1990, the standard i


What is the most popular reading system for the blind?

10 Free Screen Readers For Blind Or Visually Impaired Users - Usability Geek Usability Geek You are here: Home / Reviews / 10 Free Screen Readers For Blind Or Visually Impaired Users 10 Free Screen Readers For Blind Or Visually Impaired Users July 16, 2012 by John Oldman 8 Comments It is not difficult for a sighted person to imagine how being blind or visually impaired could make using a computer difficult. Just close your eyes and you will instantly experience that even processing text is impossible – or impossible without additional software at least. Now a range of software is available that can help to make using a computer an easier, more enjoyable and more productive experience for blind or visually impaired users. Essential Software: A Screen Reader A screen reader is an essential piece of software for a blind or visually impaired person. Simply put, a screen reader transmits whatever text is displayed on the computer screen into a form that a visually impaired user can process (usually tactile, auditory or a combination of both). While the most basic screen readers will not help blind users navigate a computer, those with additional features can give people with visual impairment much more independence. Whilst most screen readers work by having a synthetic voice that reads text aloud, others can also communicate data via a refreshable braille display. Such screen readers make use of crystals that can expand when exposed to particular voltage levels (thanks to a phenomenon known as the Piezo Effect ), allowing visually impaired users to use their fingers to read the text that is displayed on screen. But while screen-reading software can be affordable, such hardware is usually very expensive. Free Software Makes ‘Universal’ Access a Reality Many people could not afford the expensive price tag associated with some of the more sophisticated screen readers. Luckily for them, there are several screen reading software that are completely free. The following is a list of free screen readers that one can download: NVDA (Windows) NVDA has been designed by a blind software engineering graduate, James Teh, for use with Windows computers. This free and open source screen reader has a synthetic voice that reads whatever the cursor hovers over, and can be used directly from a USB stick, making it ideal for students. Serotek System Access (Windows) This downloadable and complete screen reader can be used even outside your browser, thus making it one of the quickest ways of getting a screen reader up and running on your system. Serotek offers extended versions for a fee, although it is much cheaper than other screen readers. Apple VoiceOver (OS X) Apple VoiceOver includes options to magnify, keyboard control and verbal descriptions in English to describe what is happening on screen. It also reads aloud file content as well as web pages, E-mail messages and word processing files whilst providing a relatively accurate narrative of the user’s workspace. This covers a wide array of keyboard commands that enable user navigation of the Mac OS X interface. ORCA (Linux) ORCA is a Linux based screen reader which has also been evolving for the past number of years. Although it is not the sole Linux-based screen reader, ORCA is definitely the most popular. Recently it has been included with the Ubuntu installation CD, and with a couple of initial key presses it allows blind people to have audible interaction during the installation process. BRLTTY (Linux) BRLTTY is a background process (daemon) which provides access to the Linux/Unix console (when in text mode) for a blind person using a refreshable braille display. It drives the braille display, and provides complete screen review functionality. Some speech capability has also been incorporated. Emacspeak (Linux) Emacspeak is a free speech interface and that allows visually impaired users to interact independently and efficiently with the computer. Its technology enables it to produce rich aural representation of electronic information. Emacspeak offers audible interface of the different a


Yakuza, the Japanese Mafia Archive News Older Organized Crime News. Organized Crime News - Newshound? get the FREE email digest of Organized Crime news! Yakuza, the Japanese Mafia By Miyuki I. Sundara Anthropology 200, Instructor: Carl Hefner, Ph.D. About a month ago, a Japanese tourist was in the custody of the Immigration Bureau at Honolulu International Airport. He did not do anything wrong or carry any drugs. However, the little finger of his left hand was missing. He was a former member of the y akuza, the Japanese mafia. The Bureau contacted the Japanese police to check the man's record. You can enter America even if you have a criminal record provided you notify the American embassy in Japan of the fact. Because he didn't want to tell anybody a bout his past, he came to Hawai`i without a visa, like a regular Japanese tourist. However, the Bureau didn't permit him to enter the country because he had hidden his criminal record. They sent him back to Japan the next day. Why is the yakuza so famous? Several years ago in Japan, a woman who passed by one of the main offices of the yakuza on her way to the shopping mall was accidentally shot and killed by one of their members. This kind of incident happens all over Japan. The yakuza's battles have killed many innocent people who are completely unrelated to the yakuza. Most Japanese hate the existence of the yakuza, and the government there has been trying to eliminate them. Thus far, it has proved impossible because their power is very strong and far reaching, and the yakuza society itself continues to grow. They make money from unlawful trade and business, and use the money to collect weapons to protect themselves from their enemies. Most of the information obtained for this article comes fr om a former member of the yakuza. He was eighteen years old when he entered one of the biggest yakuza societies in Kobe. He retired fifteen years later, when he was thirty three years old, because he realized how much his occupation was hurting his chil dren. One day, his daughter was given an assignment to write about her father's occupation. When she asked him, he could not tell her that he was the member of the yakuza, so he lied to her. He felt much shame about what he was doing. Finally, he decide d to retire from the yakuza. Most of the stories in this article are from his experiences during those fifteen years. When I first tried to interview this former yakuza member, he was unwilling. His boss had allowed him to retire on the condition that he not talk to anyone about the group. When he asked about the actual purpose of this paper, I explained that the yakuza had interesting customs which other organized crime syndicates don't have. Also, I explained that it would be interesting to tell Ame rican people about the yakuza from the Japanese point of view. He understood, and agreed to be my informant. It took about ten days to finish the interview. He also wrote a letter which gave the reasons behind the current battle between two famous groups. Fictitious names have been used to keep the real identities secret. The yakuza is an all men's society. They do not trust women. The only visible woman in the group is the boss' wife, called ane-san. Ane-san means "older sister." All members g ive her the same respect as the boss because she is his wife. However, she does not get involved in the business. Her position in the group is the boss' wife, and not a member of a group. The yakuza do not trust women because they believe that women ar e weak. They believe that women cannot fight like men, that women are not born to fight. To a yakuza member, the most important thing is courage. If there is a battle, you must be ready to fight to the death, rather than lose the battle. Yakuza members must be willing to die for their boss. They feel women are born to be mothers and to take care of their husbands. This may sound old-fashioned, but all yakuza members believe that women should stay home and take care of the children and not meddle in men's business. Another reason the yakuza d


At what university do Rhodes Scholars study?

FAQs - The Rhodes Scholarships FAQs All University and College fees; The University application fee; A personal stipend which is fixed by the Trustees (£14,276 per annum 2016-17); One economy class airfare to Oxford at the start of the scholarship and one economy flight back to the student's home country at the conclusion of the scholarship. While the partners of Rhodes Scholars are warmly welcomed by Rhodes House, Oxford, married/partnered applicants should take note that the stipend is sufficient for one person only, and the Rhodes Trust takes no responsibility for support of the Scholar's spouse/partner or dependants. Financial need gives no special claim to a Rhodes Scholarship. What course of study can a Rhodes Scholarship be used for? Rhodes Scholars come from many academic backgrounds and pursue a wide variety of courses at Oxford.  The Scholarship is more accurately viewed as an investment in a person of remarkable promise than support for a particular course of study.  Applicants should study the University of Oxford's course offerings to determine the degree for which they would apply. There are very few restrictions on the full-time Oxford post-graduate degrees courses supported by Rhodes Scholarships. Rhodes Scholars may only undertake the Master of Business Administration or the Master of Financial Economics in the second year of the Scholarship.  For the detailed conditions of tenure, including exceptions and qualifications to the above, please click  here . The Rhodes Trust reserves the right to vary these and other terms at any time without notice. What is the value of a Rhodes Scholarship? The Rhodes Scholarship covers University and College fees and a stipend for living expenses for two and possibly three years of study at the University of Oxford. The stipend is set at £13,658  (UK pounds) per annum (2014-15). The Scholarship also covers travel to and from Oxford at the commencement and conclusion of tenure (subject to certain conditions), and private health insurance. In some cases, fees for a fourth year of doctoral study are underwritten. Candidates for the Scholarship who have partners should bear in mind that the Scholarship stipend is sufficient only for one person, and - though warmly welcoming partners into the Rhodes community - the Rhodes Trust takes no financial responsibility for the support of a Scholar's partner. Needless to say, the value of a Rhodes Scholarship is not purely financial. It enables Scholars to study at the University of Oxford as part of a remarkable cohort of other Scholars and with strong support from Rhodes House, and to participate in the life of the Rhodes community in Oxford, and in the global Rhodes community - which includes exceptional Rhodes alumni as well as current Scholars and many friends of the Scholarship. The Rhodes Scholarship is a life-changing opportunity for exceptional young people with the potential to make a difference for good in the world. How important is the personal essay/statement? It is crucial. The requirements vary by country - consult the Memorandum for Candidates for your country. Keep in mind that the personal statement is your chance to tell your story: who are you? what matters to you? what are you hoping to do in the world? Your academic transcript, your list of activities and your reference letters will provide the substantive detail of your commitments and accomplishments, but this essay gives you the opportunity to cast the overarching narrative for the selection committee. It is important that you give a clear statement of what you wish to study at Oxford and why. What should I expect of the interview? Selection committees are made up of Rhodes Scholars and community leaders from diverse backgrounds.  The interview is of core importance as it is here that selection committees have the opportunity to weigh up a candidate's depth of engagement, accomplishments, and aspirations. In posing their questions, committee members initiate discussion that will help them ascertain who best represents the potential Cecil Rhodes sought to inve


Alfred E. Neuman is the mascot of what magazine?

MAD Magazine’s Iconic Alfred E. Neuman Turns 60 This Year   |   Smart News | Smithsonian MAD Magazine’s Iconic Alfred E. Neuman Turns 60 This Year The impish mascot has had a long, colorful life (Leonard Ortiz/ZUMA Press/Corbis) smithsonian.com March 17, 2016 There is no image more evocative of MAD magazine than the grinning, gap-toothed, freckled face of its mascot, Alfred E. Neuman. Ever since the big-eared redhead first graced the satirical magazine’s cover in December 1956, Neuman has become synonymous with MAD, appearing on almost every cover since. But while MAD might have made the fictional character an icon, his origins remained murky for many years. Related Content The Stories Behind Five Famous Advertising Characters As the story goes, Neuman’s appearance was inspired by an illustrated postcard spotted by MAD’s founder Harvey Kurtzman in the early 1950s. The postcard featured an early version of Neuman’s famous mug, captioned “Me Worry?” Soon after, Kurtzman began sprinkling miniature versions of the drawing throughout MAD’s margins, usually paired with some iteration of that original caption, Sam Sweet writes for the Paris Review . At that point he didn’t have a name: he was just, as Kurtzman later called him, a “bumpkin portrait,” “part leering wiseacre, part happy-go-lucky kid.” “It was a kid that didn’t have a care in the world, except mischief,” Kurtzman said, according to Frank Jacobs , author of Totally Mad: 60 Years of Humor, Satire, Stupidity and Stupidity. Neuman’s most famous incarnation was originally the work of an illustrator named Norman Mingo. A veteran commercial illustrator, Mingo was tasked with painting Neuman for his first cover appearance on MAD, where he was drawn as a write-in presidential candidate, once again sporting his famous tagline.  The mystery of that first postcard remained, however. The inspiration for Neuman’s famous face was clearly out there in the world, but MAD’s editors didn’t have a clue where the original postcard came from. That changed in 1965, when a Vermont woman named Helen Pratt Stuff filed a lawsuit against MAD, claiming that her husband, Harry Stuff, had invented and copyrighted the character, known as “The Original Optimist” in 1914, Sweet writes. To fight the lawsuit, the magazine’s editors put out a call to their readers to help track down Neuman’s origins. Soon enough, submissions started pouring in. As Jacobs writes: The kid was used in 1915 to advertise a patent medicine; he was a newspaperman named Old Jack; he was taken from a biology textbook as an example of a person who lacked iodine; he was a testimonial on advertisements for painless dentistry; he was originated by comedian Garry Moore; he was a greeting-card alcoholic named Hooey McManus; he was a Siamese boy named Watmi Worri. One reader dug up a 1909 German calendar bearing a version of the inane smiling face. As it turned out, variations on Neuman’s face could be traced back decades before Kurtzman first stumbled on that first postcard. The court ruled in MAD’s favor, declaring that Neuman was the latest in a long chain of alterations that Stuff’s own ad was a part of. Then, in 2012, a patent lawyer named Peter Reitan stumbled across an 1894 ad in the Los Angeles Herald for a play called The New Boy, prominently featuring Neuman’s iconic image, Sweet writes. As it turns out, Neuman’s progenitor was a 30-something character named Archibald Rennick, who tries to pass as a schoolboy in the play. Neuman’s grinning mug was most likely originally based on one of the actors who played Rennick, Reitan wrote on his blog . “The fact that so many of the other, similar images cropped up soon after the play opened, and none of them before, suggest that the image originated with The New Boy,” Reitan wrote in 2013. Needless to say, for such a fresh-faced lad, The New Boy has had an interesting and unexpectedly long life. The original postcard that inspired Harvey Kurtzman to create Alfred E. Neuman for MAD Magazine. (via Wikimedia Commons) Alfred E. Neuman advertising a home cooking service, dated around


What country produces the greatest number of films?

Countries Compared by Media > Films produced. International Statistics at NationMaster.com Interesting observations about Media > Films produced United States ranked first for films produced amongst High income OECD countries in 2003. Canada ranked last for films produced amongst Group of 7 countries (G7) in 2003. France ranked first for films produced amongst European Union in 2003. Japan ranked first for films produced amongst Non-religious countries in 2003. India ranked first for films produced amongst Emerging markets in 2003. All of the top 2 countries by films produced are Former British Colonies'. Italy ranked second for films produced amongst NATO countries in 2003. China ranked second for films produced amongst Cold countries in 2003. Ireland ranked second last for films produced amongst Eurozone in 2003. Spain ranked third for films produced amongst Europe in 2003. 0 The Internet Movie Database ( IMDB ) started as a hobby project by an international group of movie fans and has kept that sensibility. The site has over 400,000 movies catalogued complete with trivia. However, the database is not a complete record of all movies made in all countries, and as the staff is spread over Europe and the United States there is a bias towards movies from those regions. The statistic is best viewed as the number of movies from each country that are shown in those regions. Posted on 26 Jun 2005 James, Staff Editor 0 I am amazed how India made the most movies. I thought the USA would have the most movies. Posted on 28 Apr 2010 Matt China  has more broadband internet subscribers  than  Japan  has  people . Media stats


"What type of dinosaurs were the main antagonists in ""Jurassic Park""?"

‘Jurassic Park 4’: 10 New Dinosaurs You Could See ‘Jurassic Park 4’: 10 New Dinosaurs You Could See Share Comment The days of Jurassic Park 4 being nothing but a glimmer in Steven Spielberg’s eye are over. Even though he may not be directing the movie – those duties are being entrusted to newcomer Colin Trevorrow – the buzz is all about bringing the kind of dinosaur adventure fans first fell in love with, along with some new additions and updating. The most recent report from paleontologist Jack Horner (whom Alan Grant was based on) promises a brand new terrifying dinosaur . We at Screen Rant pride ourselves on our dinosaur knowledge, and therefore know a few who could win audiences over. All better than the human-dino hybrids that were originally planned , too. Here are 10 New Dinosaurs You Could See in Jurassic Park 4. Everyone remembers the Velociraptors from each of the Jurassic Park films; whether it’s their high-pitched whining or click-clack of their deadly hind claws. And even though Spielberg took some liberties with his ‘six-foot turkeys,’ (actual Velociraptors were under 2 feet tall), Utahraptor puts any debate over realism or dramatization to rest. Essentially, the Utahraptor is everything the raptors are famous for, in a much, much larger package. Reaching lengths up to 25 feet, the Utahraptor’s own middle-toe claw was up to 12 inches in length from base to tip, making the previous films’ Velociraptors seem like child’s play. Every bit as deadly as the descendants movie audiences already know, but five times the size? We’d hope to see them in JP4, but that would make it one short movie. Image Credit: BBC Nature Suchomimus will automatically have supporters among those who felt that the Spinosaurus of Jurassic Park 3 wasn’t a misstep, just something different. At first mistaken for a Suchomimus in the film, we can’t help think that might have been the wiser way of going. Described by paleontologist Paul Sereno as “a dinosaur trying hard to be a crocodile” (need we say more?), the Suchomimus possesses a long snout designed to trap fish and claws to keep larger prey still. While the dinosaur’s diet consisted mainly of fish and other sea creatures, that doesn’t mean it lacks the size, speed or ferocity to do humans some damage. And all without a massive ‘sail’ to make it seem out of place slamming through forests or man-made structures. Image Credit: Luis V. Rey It’s easiest to think of Majungasaurus as something of a ‘battering ram with teeth,’ growing up to 20 feet in length, and possessing many of the features characteristic of large predators. But where Tyrannosaurus used crushing bites to take down prey, Majungasaurus wasn’t so lucky. Endowed with a smaller snout, this dinosaur had to do its dispatching up close and personal; grabbing a hold of prey, and hanging on until the job was done. To that end, Majungasaurus was built for a fight: interlocking ribs for strength, exaggerated muscle growth over the neck, and even skull bones that were mineralized throughout its skin (making the skin over its face even stronger). Add the fact that these dinosaurs are one of the few known to have practiced cannibalism, and you’ve got one tough, mean, and unsympathetic killer. Image Credit: Art By Phil The first glance at Coelophysis may cause some confusion with the Compsognathus seen in The Lost World: Jurassic Park. While this dinosaur bears some similarities to the small pest that turns deadly when attacking in packs, there is one key distinction: the Coelophysis is over 9 feet long. As one of the most ancient dinosaurs experts know of, the Coelophysis was light, nimble, and designed for tracking down and eating smaller dinosaurs. But if working in packs, it’s possible the creatures could have taken down much larger prey, aided in no small part by their improved night vision. Luckily, evidence of large herds of Coelophysis do exist. In Ghost Ranch, New Mexico paleontologists discovered over 1,000 skeletons, meaning Coelohpysis hunting packs may have put those of other dinosaurs to shame. We don’t expect to see that ma


What word refers to a food or other substance that increases sexual desire?

What does aphrodisiac mean? that which (as a drug, or some kinds of food) excites to venery Freebase(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition: Aphrodisiac An aphrodisiac is a substance that increases sexual desire. The name comes from Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of sexuality and love. Throughout history, many foods, drinks, and behaviors have had a reputation for making sex more attainable and/or pleasurable. However, from a historical and scientific standpoint, the alleged results may have been mainly due to mere belief by their users that they would be effective. In particular, Western medical science has no substantiated claims that any particular food increases sexual desire or performance. Some purported aphrodisiacs gain their reputation from the principles of sympathetic magic. Chambers 20th Century Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition: Aphrodisiac af-ro-diz′-i-ak, adj. exciting to sexual intercourse.—n. that which excites to sexual intercourse.—adj. Aphrodis′ian, belonging to Venus, devoted to sensual love. [Gr. aphrodisiakos—Aphroditē, Venus, the goddess of love.] Numerology The numerical value of aphrodisiac in Chaldean Numerology is: 9 Pythagorean Numerology


What city is famous for its leaning tower?

Leaning Tower of Pisa, Italy: Guide to the Tower of Pisa Leaning Tower of Pisa, Italy PDF Leaning Tower of Pisa The Leaning Tower of Pisa in Italy is a bell tower, famous for its dramatic tilt to one side. Located adjacent to the Cathedral of Pisa, the tower has become an icon of Italy. It is the third oldest structure in Pisa’s Cathedral Square. There are eight floors in leaning tower of Pisa including the observation deck at the top. The estimated weight of the tower is 14,500 metric tons. There are amazing leaning tower of Pisa facts that we will mention here. The Leaning Tower of Pisa was not originally intended to lean, but because it was built on soft soils the tower gradually tilted to one side. Prior to its restoration in 1990 to 2001, the tower had a tilt of 5.5 degrees. Many people think that it will fall one day. Millions of tourists flock to the lawns around the tower to take the classic photo pretending to hold up (or knock down) the tower. The white-marble tower has been built using the Romanesque medieval architectural style. It is believed to have been constructed by four architects, viz., Bonanno Pisano, Gherardo di Gherardo, Giovanni Pisano, and Giovanni di Simone. Visitors can also climb the steps to the top inside the tower. Big blind arcades boasting geometrical decorations form the base of this tower. There are seven bells tuned clockwise to a musical scale located on top of the tower. It is said that you must visit the Leaning Tower of Pisa during the day. At night the shops are closed and it appears unimpressive. But, if you plan to visit on a full moon night, the tower looks captivating. Even though some people regard the tower to be an engineering failure owing to the tilt, yet the tower has acquired a special place in history. The tower has also been used for experiments by the famous Italian scientist named Galileo Galilei. He is believed to have thrown two balls (of different masses) from the tower to prove that their descending time was not related to their masses. Products like olive oil or wine bottle (bearing the shape of the tower), ornament, jigsaw puzzle, tower nanoblock, Lego, Keychain, etc. are some of the examples that make it clear that due its popularity, it is even used as a marketing tactic to attract customers. On your Tuscany tour you should not miss various points of interest near the Leaning Tower of Pisa include Lucca, Florence, Santa Maria della Spina, and Guelph Tower. Leaning Tower of Pisa Facts : Few of the Leaning tower of Pisa facts are mention here for more information go to read more option: The Leaning Tower of Pisa in Italy stands at a height of 55.86 meters (183.27 feet) on the low side; 56 meters (186.02 feet) on the high side. The tower features a tilt of 3.99 degrees. The construction of the Tower began in the year 1173 and ended in 1399. The Italian name of the Tower is Torre Pendente di Pisa. The Leaning Tower of Niles, Illinois, in Chicago, is a replica of the Leaning Tower of Pisa in Italy. The Veer Towers in Las Vegas, with an inclination of 5 degrees from the center, are inspired from the Leaning Towers of Pisa. They are also known as the Leaning Towers in Las Vegas. Leaning Tower of Pisa Map Know Where is Leaning Tower of Pisa in Italy Video Where is Leaning Tower of Pisa? The Leaning Tower of Pisa is located in Pisa, which is in the Tuscany region of Italy, not far from Florence. The tower is located in town Piazza del Duomo (Piazza of the Cathedral) along with the town’s cathedral and baptistry. You can take a taxi or choose to travel in a bus from the Pisa airport, located in the proximity of the city center. Address: Piazza del Duomo, 56126 Pisa, Italy Best time to visit Leaning Tower of Pisa Mornings are the best time to beat the crowds, although seeing all the tourists and their photo-ops can be entertaining in itself. Summer in Pisa is very hot and humid, but expect rain in fall and winter. Leaning Tower of Pisa Hours The opening timings of the Tower are: December and January: 10:00 am to 5:00 pm November and February: 9:40 am to 5:00 pm. March:


What was the name of Louis XIV's residence?

Louis XIV - Palace of Versailles Louis XIV Print From the residences of the King to the Château de Versailles Up until his installation in the Château de Versailles on 6 May 1682, the King imposed frequent changes of residence on the Court. Louis XIV and his courtiers lived in the Palace of the Louvre, in the palaces of Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Vincennes, Fontainebleau, and Versailles, then being transformed. The works were entrusted by royal patronage to illustrious artists such as André Le Nôtre and Louis Le Vau and the architect Jules Hardouin-Mansart who drew up the plans of the Chapel, among many other buildings. In 1678, the construction of the Hall of Mirrors began, the greatest symbol of the powerful absolute monarchy. Providing sufficient room to accommodate the courtiers, the Château and its outlying buildings contributed to the domestication of the nobility. Under the watchful eye of the King, the Grandees no longer plotted; they lived either with the armed forces, or at the Court, careful to please and serve. Intimidating, majestic and informed about everything by his spies, the King dominated. A King with a passionate interest in the arts The king was interested in a great variety of subjects and excelled in many fields. His contemporaries gave him credit as a good musician (he played the guitar), an excellent dancer and organiser of ballets, and a brilliant rider. He loved hunting, outings, fencing, putting on shows, and playing parlour games, billiards in particular. He surrounded himself with good judgement with the best artists of the period, including Molière, Lully and Racine. In the Château de Versailles, he had the Court playwright stage comedies, while the musician Jean-Baptiste Lully put on his operas and organised brilliant festivities.


In Greek mythology, what is the name for a one-eyed giant?

CYCLOPES (Kyklopes) - One-Eyed Sicilian Giants of Greek Mythology Cyclops Polyphemus, Greco-Roman mosaic C4th A.D., Villa Romana del Casale THE YOUNGER KYKLOPES (Cyclopes) were a tribe of primitive, one-eyed giants who dwelt in caves and herded flocks of sheep on the island of Hypereia (which was later identified by the Greeks with Sicily). The Hypereian Kyklopes were closely related to the Gigantes and Phaiakians (Phaeacians) both of which were born from the blood of the castrated Ouranos (Uranus) spilt upon the earth. The first of these giants, in both strength and stature, was Polyphemos . Unlike the rest of the tribe he was a son of the god Poseidon. The three elder Kyklopes (Cyclopes) were a different breed altogether. These ancient beings fought with Zeus in the Titan-War and forged the weapons of the gods. Nevertheless they were also sometimes located on the island of Sicily. FAMILY OF THE CYCLOPES Probably GAIA & the blood of OURANOS * * In the Odyssey Homer says they were closely related to the Gigantes and the Phaiakes (Phaeacians ) both of which were born of Gaia (the Earth) when she was impregnated by the blood of the castrated Ouranos (the Sky). ENCYCLOPEDIA CYCLO′PES (Kuklôpes), that is, creatures with round or circular eyes. In the Homeric poems the Cyclopes are a gigantic, insolent, and lawless race of shepherds, who lived in the south-western part of Sicily, and devoured human beings. They neglected agriculture, and the fruits of the field were reaped by them without labour. They had no laws or political institutions, and each lived with his wives and children in a cave of a mountain, and ruled over them with arbitrary power. (Hom. Od. vi. 5, ix. 106, &c., 190, &c., 240, &c., x. 200.) Homer does not distinctly state that all of the Cyclopes were one-eyed, but Polyphemus, the principal among them, is described as having only one eye on his forehead. (Od. i. 69, ix. 383, &c.) The Homeric Cyclopes are no longer the servants of Zeus, but they disregard him. (Od. ix. 275; comp. Virg. Aen. vi. 636 ; Callim. Hymn. in Dian. 53.) Source: Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology. CLASSICAL LITERATURE QUOTES Homer, Odyssey 7. 200 ff (trans. Shewring) (Greek epic C8th B.C.) : "[King Alkinoos (Alcinous) of the Phaiekes (Phaeacians) addresses his people :] ‘In the past they [the gods] have always appeared undisguised among us at our offering of noble hecatombs; they have feasted beside us, they have sat at the same table. And if one of us comes upon them as he travels alone, then too they have never as yet made concealment, because we are close of kin (egguthen) to themselves, just like those of the Kyklopes (Cyclopes) race or the savage people (phyla) of the Gigantes (Giants).’" [N.B. It is not clear exactly why Homer describes these three races as "close of kin." Later classical writers, however, explain this passage by saying that the Gigante, Phaeacian--and presumably Kyklops--tribes were born of the Earth when she was impregnated by the blood of the castrated sky-god Ouranos. Cf. Apollonius Rhodius 4.982 on the sickle of Kronos (Cronus) .] Homer, Odyssey 6. 3 ff : "The Phaiakes (Phaiacians); these were a people that in times past had inhabited spacious Hypereia near the masterful Kyklopes (Cyclopes) race, who were stronger than they and plundered them continually. So king Nausithous the Phaiakes transplanted his people from Hypereia and settled them in Skheria (Scheria)." Homer, Odyssey 9. 110 ff (trans. Shewring) (Greek epic C8th B.C.) : "[Odysseus describes his encounter with the Kyklopes (Cyclopes) :] We came to the land of the Kyklopes (Cyclopes) race, arrogant lawless beings who leave their livelihoods to the deathless gods and never use their own hands to sow or plough; yet with no sowing and no ploughing, the crops all grow for them--wheat and barley and grapes that yield wine from ample clusters, swelled by the showers of Zeus. They have no assemblies to debate in, they have no ancestral ordinances; they live in arching caves on the tops of high hills, and the head of each family heeds no


Jeeves | P. G. Wodehouse Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia P. G. Wodehouse Wiki Share Reginald Jeeves is a fictional character in the short stories and novels of P. G. Wodehouse , being the "personal gentleman's gentleman" ( valet ) of Bertie Wooster (Bertram Wilberforce Wooster). Created in 1915, Jeeves would continue to appear in Wodehouse's works until his final, completed, novel Aunts Aren't Gentlemen in 1974, making him Wodehouse's most famous character. The name "Jeeves" comes from Percy Jeeves , a Warwickshire cricketer killed in the First World War. [1] Both the name "Jeeves" and the character of Jeeves have come to be thought of as the quintessential name and nature of a valet , butler , or chauffeur , inspiring many similar characters (as well as the name of the Internet search engine Ask Jeeves ). A "Jeeves" is now a generic term in references such as the Oxford English Dictionary . [2] Jeeves is a valet , not a butler —that is, he serves a man and not a household. However, Bertie Wooster has lent out Jeeves as a butler on several occasions, and notes: "If the call comes, he can buttle with the best of them." [3] Contents Edit The premise of the Jeeves stories is that the brilliant valet is firmly in control of his rich and foppish young employer's life. When Bertie gets into an unwanted social obligation , legal trouble, or engagement to marry, Jeeves invariably comes up with a subtle plan to save him, often without Bertie's knowledge. Jeeves is known for his convoluted yet precise speech and for quoting from Shakespeare and famous romantic poets . In his free time, he likes to relax with "improving" books such as the complete works of Spinoza , or to read " Dostoyevsky and the great Russians". [4] He "glides" or "shimmers" in and out of rooms and may appear or disappear suddenly and without warning. His potable concoctions, both of the alcoholic and the morning-after variety, are legendary. Jeeves frequently displays mastery over a vast range of subjects, from philosophy (his favourite philosopher is Spinoza ; he finds Nietzsche "fundamentally unsound" [5] ) through an encyclopaedic knowledge of poetry, science, history, psychology, geography, politics, and literature. He is also a "bit of a whizz" in all matters pertaining to gambling, car maintenance, etiquette, and women. However, his most impressive feats are a flawless knowledge of the British aristocracy and making antidotes (especially for hangovers). His mental prowess is attributed to eating fish, according to Bertie, and the latter often offers the dish to Jeeves. Jeeves has a distinct—and often negative—opinion of items about which Bertie is enthusiastic, such as a garish vase, an uncomplimentary painting of Wooster created by one of the many women with whom he is briefly infatuated, a moustache, monogrammed handkerchiefs, a straw boater, an alpine hat, a scarlet cummerbund, spats in the Eton colours, white dinner jacket, or purple socks. Wooster's decision to take up playing the banjolele in Thank You, Jeeves almost led to a permanent rift between the two. Jeeves is a member of the Junior Ganymede Club , a London club for butlers and valets, in whose club book all members must record the exploits of their employers to forewarn other butlers and valets. The section labeled "WOOSTER, BERTRAM" is the largest in the book. In Jeeves and the Feudal Spirit it contained "eleven pages", [6] and by Much Obliged, Jeeves it has grown to eighteen pages. [7] However, at the end of Much Obliged, Jeeves, Jeeves informs Wooster that he has destroyed the eighteen pages, anticipating that he will never leave the latter's employment. Only once in the Wodehouse canon does Jeeves appear without Wooster: Ring for Jeeves , in which he is on loan to the 9th Earl of Rowcester while Wooster attends a school where the idle rich learn self-sufficiency in case of social upheaval. The novel was adapted from Wodehouse's play Come On, Jeeves, which he felt needed a more conventional ending; but he was unwilling to marry Wooster off. Jeeves's first job was as a page boy at a gi


What country uses the Baht as its currency?

Thai Baht Currencies THAI BAHT Introduction | Overview | Structure | History | Factors        affecting change in exchange rates | Daily        trend of Thai baht | Weekly        trend of Thai baht Introduction Baht is the official currency unit of the kingdom of Thailand. It        has been serving as the national currency since 1897 and had been        in existence from even before it was made the national currency.        It is known as Thai baht and is denoted with the symbol "฿".        The word "baht" is taken from the similar named unit of        measure of gold used in Thailand. The subunit of the currency is "satang" that breaks up the unit of baht into 100 equal        parts. In Thai language, baht is written as "บาท".        According to International Organization for Standardization,        referring to the 4217 standard, currency code alloted to the Thai        baht is THB and the numeric code assigned to the currency is 764. Overview Thailand baht is counted among one of the strongest currencies in        the Southeast Asia. The value of the currency has stayed far        stronger against the US dollar as compared to other currencies of        the developing world. In the time of Asian financial crisis when        most of the Asian currencies were devalued, its value declined to        the lowest @ 56 baht to 1 dollar. But the currency has recovered        since then quite well though the crises started off from Thailand        only. The current value of the currency against the dollar hovers        between 30-35 baht. The monetary policy of the central bank of        Thailand focuses on a stable price and inflation rate that helps        stimulates economic growth. The economy is characterized by weaker        imports and that is responsible for the imbalance in Thai exports. There are some interesting facts that the        Thai baht is attached with. First of all is regarding the image of        the king of the country on the banknotes. Because the banknotes        have the image of the king, putting the wallet containing the        banknotes in the back pocket as it might allow someone to sit on        the image or stepping on the banknote is considered disrespectful        in Thailand. In some rural areas in Thailand, small denomination        notes are found displayed in the front of some shops to connote        respect to the king. Also, due to the huge similarity between �2        coin and 10 baht coin may it be shape, size or weight, often        vending machines get confused and take the coins for another�s        value. Regarding the import and export restrictions,        the exports of the local currency has been limited to the amount        below 50000 baht. The import of the local currency can be done        without any limitations. The foreign currency exports are        restricted up to the amount of the amount of the foreign currency        imported. Structure Baht is the currency based on decimal system and                 breaks up into 100 equal parts having "satang" as its subunit. The currency unit has been                 serving as the national currency of Thailand                 since 1897, though it was based on metric system                 at that time. The Bank of Thailand assumes the                 role of the central bank of the country that is                 in existence since 1942 when it took over the                 Thai National Banking Bureau. Along with                 issuance of the currency, the Bank of Thailand                 is also responsible for the printing of the baht                 banknotes. The banknotes are issued in 5 denomina


Quinine: MedlinePlus Drug Information Brand names IMPORTANT WARNING: Quinine should not be used to treat or prevent nighttime leg cramps. Quinine has not been shown to be effective for this purpose, and may cause serious or life-threatening side effects, including severe bleeding problems, kidney damage, irregular heartbeat, and severe allergic reactions. Your doctor or pharmacist will give you the manufacturer's patient information sheet (Medication Guide) when you begin treatment with quinine and each time you refill your prescription. Read the information carefully and ask your doctor or pharmacist if you have any questions. You can also visit the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) website ( http://www.fda.gov/Drugs/DrugSafety/ucm085729.htm ) to obtain the Medication Guide. Why is this medication prescribed? Quinine is used alone or with other medications to treat malaria (a serious or life-threatening illness that is spread by mosquitos in certain parts of the world). Quinine should not be used to prevent malaria. Quinine is in a class of medications called antimalarials. It works by killing the organisms that cause malaria. How should this medicine be used? Quinine comes as a capsule to take by mouth. It usually is taken with food three times a day (every 8 hours) for 3 to 7 days. Take quinine at around the same times every day. Follow the directions on your prescription label carefully, and ask your doctor or pharmacist to explain any part you do not understand. Take quinine exactly as directed. Do not take more or less of it or take it more often than prescribed by your doctor. Swallow the capsules whole; do not open, chew, or crush them. Quinine has a bitter taste. You should begin to feel better during the first 1-2 days of your treatment. Call your doctor if your symptoms do not improve or if they get worse. Also call your doctor if you have a fever soon after you finish your treatment. This could be a sign that you are experiencing a second episode of malaria. Take quinine until you finish the prescription, even if you feel better. If you stop taking quinine too soon or if you skip doses, your infection may not be completely treated and the organisms may become resistant to antimalarials. Other uses for this medicine Quinine is also sometimes used to treat babesiosis (a serious or life-threatening illness that is transmitted from animals to humans by ticks). Talk to your doctor about the risks of using this medication for your condition. This medication may be prescribed for other uses; ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information. What special precautions should I follow? Before taking quinine, tell your doctor and pharmacist if you are allergic to quinine, quinidine, mefloquine (Lariam), any other medications, or any of the ingredients in quinine capsules. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for a list of the ingredients. tell your doctor and pharmacist what other prescription and nonprescription medications, vitamins, nutritional supplements, and herbal products you are taking or plan to take. Be sure to mention any of the following: acetazolamide (Diamox); aminophylline; anticoagulants ('blood thinners') such as warfarin (Coumadin) and heparin; antidepressants ('mood elevators') such as desipramine; certain antifungals such as fluconazole (Diflucan), ketoconazole (Nizoral), and itraconazole (Sporanox); cholesterol-lowering medications such as atorvastatin (Lipitor), lovastatin (Mevacor), simvastatin (Zocor); cisapride (Propulsid); dextromethorphan (a medication in many cough products); fluoroquinolone antibiotics such as ciprofloxacin (Cipro), gatifloxacin (Tequin) (not available in the U.S.), levofloxacin (Levaquin), lomefloxacin (Maxaquin), moxifloxacin (Avelox), norfloxacin (Noroxin), ofloxacin (Floxin), and sparfloxacin (Zagam) (not available in the U.S.); macrolide antibiotics such as erythromycin (E.E.S., E-Mycin, Erythrocin) and troleandomycin (not available in the U.S.); medications for diabetes such as repaglinide (Prandin); medications for high blood pressure; medications for irregular heartbeat


Which President was the likely father of Sally Heming's children?

Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings: A Brief Account | Thomas Jefferson's Monticello Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings People of the Plantation Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings: A Brief Account The claim that Thomas Jefferson fathered children with Sally Hemings, a slave at Monticello, entered the public arena during Jefferson's first term as president, and it has remained a subject of discussion and disagreement for two centuries. Based on documentary, scientific, statistical, and oral history evidence, the Thomas Jefferson Foundation (TJF) Research Committee Report on Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings (January 2000) remains the most comprehensive analysis of this historical topic.  Ten years later, TJF and most historians believe that, years after his wife’s death, Thomas Jefferson was the father of the six children of Sally Hemings mentioned in Jefferson's records, including Beverly, Harriet, Madison, and Eston Hemings.  Historical Background In September 1802, political journalist James T. Callender , a disaffected former ally of Jefferson, wrote in a Richmond newspaper that Jefferson had for many years "kept, as his concubine, one of his own slaves." "Her name is Sally," Callender continued, adding that Jefferson had "several children" by her. Although there had been rumors of a sexual relationship between Jefferson and an enslaved woman before 1802, Callender's article spread the story widely. It was taken up by Jefferson's Federalist opponents and was published in many newspapers during the remainder of Jefferson's presidency. Jefferson's policy was to offer no public response to personal attacks, and he apparently made no explicit public or private comment on this question (although a private letter of 1805 has been interpreted by some individuals as a denial of the story). Sally Hemings left no known accounts. Jefferson's daughter Martha Jefferson Randolph privately denied the published reports. Two of her children, Ellen Randolph Coolidge and Thomas Jefferson Randolph , maintained many years later that such a liaison was not possible, on both moral and practical grounds. They also stated that Jefferson's nephews Peter and Samuel Carr were the fathers of the light-skinned Monticello slaves some thought to be Jefferson's children because they resembled him. The Jefferson-Hemings story was sustained through the 19th century by Northern abolitionists, British critics of American democracy, and others. Its vitality among the American population at large was recorded by European travelers of the time. Through the 20th century, some historians accepted the possibility of a Jefferson-Hemings connection and a few gave it credence, but most Jefferson scholars found the case for such a relationship unpersuasive. Over the years, however, belief in a Thomas Jefferson-Sally Hemings relationship was perpetuated in private. Two of her children--Madison and Eston--indicated that Jefferson was their father, and this belief has been perpetuated in the oral histories of generations of their descendants as an important family truth. DNA Evidence and Response The results of DNA tests conducted by Dr. Eugene Foster and a team of geneticists in 1998 challenged the view that the Jefferson-Hemings relationship could be neither refuted nor substantiated. The study--which tested Y-chromosomal DNA samples from male-line descendants of Field Jefferson (Thomas Jefferson's uncle), John Carr (grandfather of Jefferson's Carr nephews), Eston Hemings, and Thomas Woodson--indicated a genetic link between the Jefferson and Hemings descendants. The results of the study established that an individual carrying the male Jefferson Y chromosome fathered Eston Hemings (born 1808), the last known child born to Sally Hemings. There were approximately 25 adult male Jeffersons who carried this chromosome living in Virginia at that time, and a few of them are known to have visited Monticello. The study's authors, however, said "the simplest and most probable" conclusion was that Thomas Jefferson had fathered Eston Hemings. The DNA testing found no genetic l


Real Teddy Bear Story - Theodore Roosevelt Association Real Teddy Bear Story Home > Resources > Real Teddy Bear Story How did toy bears come to be named after President Theodore Roosevelt? It all started with a hunting trip President Roosevelt took in 1902 in Mississippi at the invitation of Mississippi Governor, Andrew H. Longino. After three days of hunting, other members of the party had spotted bears, but not Roosevelt. Now what? The President's bear hunt would be a failure! The next day, the hunt guides tracked down an old black bear that the dogs had trailed quite a distance and attacked. The guides tied the bear to a willow tree and called for the President. Here was a bear for him to shoot! But Roosevelt took one look at the old bear and refused to shoot it. He felt doing so would be unsportsmanlike. However, since it was injured and suffering, Roosevelt ordered that the bear be put down to end its pain. Word of this hit newspapers across the country, and political cartoonist Clifford Berryman picked up on the story, drawing a cartoon showing how President Roosevelt refused to shoot the bear while hunting in Mississippi. The original cartoon, which ran in the Washington Post on November 16, 1902, shows Roosevelt standing in front. The guide and bear are in the background, and they’re about the same size. Later, similar cartoons appeared, but the bear was smaller and shaking with fear. This bear cub then appeared in other cartoons Clifford Berryman drew throughout Roosevelt’s career. That connected bears with President Roosevelt. The Teddy Bear tie came when a Brooklyn, NY candy shop owner, Morris Michtom, saw Clifford Berryman’s original cartoon of Roosevelt and the bear and had an idea. He put in his shop window two stuffed toy bears his wife had made. Michtom asked permission from President Roosevelt to call these toy bears "Teddy's bears". The rapid popularity of these bears led Michtom to mass-produce them, eventually forming the Ideal Novelty and Toy Company. At about the same time, a Germany company, Steiff, started making stuffed bears. Margaret Steiff earned her living by sewing, first by making stuffed elephants, then other animals. In 1903, an American saw a stuffed bear she had made and ordered many of them. These bears, which also came to be called Teddy Bears, made the international connection. More than a century later, teddy bears have never lost popularity, and all can be traced to that one hunting trip in Mississippi.


How to Write a Haiku Poem (with Sample Poems) - wikiHow How to Write a Haiku Poem Four Parts: Sample Haiku Choose a Haiku Subject Use Sensory Language Become a Haiku Writer Community Q&A Haiku (俳句 high-koo) are short three-line poems with a 5-7-5 syllable structure that use sensory language to capture a feeling or image. They are often inspired by an element of nature, a moment of beauty, or another poignant experience. Haiku poetry was originally developed by Japanese poets, and the form was adopted (and adapted) by virtually every modern language, including English. The secret to writing great haiku is to be observant and appreciate nature, as detailed below. Steps Choose a Haiku Subject 1 Distill a poignant experience. Haiku traditionally focuses on details of one's environment that relate to the human condition. Think of a haiku as a meditation of sorts that conveys an objective image or feeling without employing subjective judgment and analysis. When you see or notice something that makes you want to say to others, "Look at that," the experience may well be suitable for a haiku. Japanese poets traditionally used haiku to capture and distill a fleeting natural image, such as a frog jumping into a pond, rain falling onto leaves, or a flower bending in the wind. Many people go for walks just to find new inspiration for their poetry, known in Japan as ginkgo walks. Contemporary haiku may stray from nature as a subject. Urban environments, emotions, relationships and even humorous topics may be haiku subjects. 2 Include a seasonal reference. [1] A reference to the season or changing of the seasons, referred to in Japanese as kigo, is an essential element of haiku. The reference may be obvious, as in using a word like "spring" or "autumn" to indicate the season, or it might be subtler. For example, mentioning wisteria, which flower during the summer, can subtly indicate the season. Note the kigo in this poem by Fukuda Chiyo-ni: morning glory! Use Sensory Language 1 Describe the details. Haiku are comprised of details observed by the five senses. The poet witnesses an event and uses words to distill that experience so others may understand it in some way. Once you have chosen a subject for your haiku, think about what details you want to describe. Call the subject to mind and explore these questions: What did you notice about the subject? What colors, textures, and contrasts did you observe? How did the subject sound? What was the tenor and volume of the event that took place? Did it have a smell, or a taste? How can you accurately describe the way it felt? 2 Show, don't tell. Haiku are about moments of objective experience, not subjective interpretation or analysis of those events. Haiku have been called "unfinished" poetry because they require the readers to finish the poems in their own hearts. Because of this, it's important to show the readers something true about the moment's existence, rather than telling the readers what emotions it conjured in you. [2] Let the readers feel their own emotions in reaction to the images — as poets, we understand the need to bare all, but the very universality of haiku ensures that your readers will get the message, so don't fret, fellow poet. Use understated, subtle imagery. For instance, instead of saying it's summer, focus on the slant of the sun or the heavy air. Don't use clichés. Lines that readers recognize, such as "dark, stormy night," tend to lose their power over time. Ponder the image you want to describe and use inventive, original language to convey meaning. Don't overuse a thesaurus to find uncommon words; rather, simply write about what you saw and want to express in the truest language you know. Part 3 Become a Haiku Writer 1 Be inspired. In the tradition of the great haiku poets, go outside for inspiration. Take a walk and tune in to your surroundings. Which details in your environment speak to you? What makes them stand out? Carry a notebook to write down lines as they come to you. You never know when the sight of a stone in a stream, a rat skipping over subway trac


What toxic chemical element is contained inside fluorescent bulbs?

Why are Fluorescent Light Bulbs Dangerous? Why are Fluorescent Light Bulbs Dangerous? GO Fluorescent tubes still pose poisoning risks Apr 11, 2008 09:09 GMT  ·  By Gabriel Gache  ·  Share:  It's not big deal when a light bulb breaks. Albeit while talking about tubular fluorescent light bulbs, things can take a very serious turn, mostly because these types of light sources contain small amounts of mercury. If the glass tube is broken, then the mercury can contaminate the environment, not a very good perspective considering that mercury is highly toxic. In fluorescent tubes, mercury is used in vapor or powder state, in order to convert electric energy into ultraviolet light, which is then converted into visible light by a fluorescent substance. Fluorescent tubes may contain up to five milligrams of mercury, a very small quantity, however still extremely harmful for the brains of children. On the other hand, other devices, such as thermometers or thermostatic switches, could contain as much as 3,000 milligrams of mercury. The problem is that mercury has such unique properties, that most of the time it cannot be replaced with another chemical element or substance, but, if poisoned by the mercury contained inside a fluorescent tube for example, one may suffer severe weight loss and rashes. "Any problems at all frequently are handled for the most part by quickly ventilating the room. Get all the people and pets out of the room for 15 minutes and let the room air out. If you have a central heating system or an HVAC system, you don't want it sucking the fumes around, so shut that down," says Jim Berlow of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Hazardous Waste Minimization and Management Division. If in your house a fluorescent tube breaks, the first thing to do is not to touch the mercury powder, but pick up the shattered glass, preferably with something to avoid direct contact, then wipe the heavy metal with a wet cloth and put it in a sealed container. Brooms and vacuums should be avoided at all times, since they spread the mercury even more. Another concern is that, although fluorescent tubes are 100 percent recyclable, only about 2 percent ever pass through a recycling stage, the other reaching the landfills. "Our first preference is not to see them go into landfills. Recycling really closes the loop on this as best we can right now. But, on the other hand, we also don't see huge risks from them going into landfills, either. Probably the most important thing that people need to connect with compact fluorescents is that they save significant quantities of energy. We're talking about two thirds to three quarters of the energy associated with lighting being reduced," said Berlow. LEDs are promising to replace the fluorescent mercury tubes in a very close future. Not only that LEDs are very clean, but they are also much more efficient than traditional light bulbs or even fluorescent tubes. However, "they currently fall far short in the overall efficiency/color/cost trade-off," says James Dakin, senior consulting engineer at GE Lighting. Albeit as long as fluorescent tubes are around, the imminent danger posed by mercury still remains, because mercury cannot be replaced by an equally efficient clean substance.


What type of animal is the mascot of the World Wildlife Fund?

Giant Panda Bear Facts | Endangered Animals Giant Panda Ailuropoda melanoleuca Native to the mountain forests of southwest China, the giant panda is one of the most beloved animals in the world. Giant pandas are identified by their distinctive black and white coloring. Their ears, muzzle, eyes, shoulders and legs are black while the rest of their body is white. Their thick hair keeps them warm in the cool, wet mountain zones. When on all fours, giant pandas average between 60-100 cm (2-3 ft.) tall at the shoulder and between 1-2 m (4-6 ft.) long. They can weigh between 100-115 kg (220-250 lb.), with males being larger than females. One of the interesting evolutionary traits of the panda is their protruding wrist bone that acts like a thumb. This helps the pandas hold bamboo while they munch on it with their strong molar teeth. Bamboo makes up nearly the entire diet of the panda. Due to the low nutritional value of bamboo, pandas need to eat 10-20 kg (20-40 lb.) a day. Occasionally pandas will eat other available food, including small rodents, eggs, fish and other flora. Bamboo provides a good amount of water, but pandas need to supplement this with fresh water daily. When pandas are between 4-8 years of age, they reach maturity and can reproduce. However, female pandas are only able to become pregnant for 2-3 days each spring! In this small window of time, male and female pandas find each other through scents and calls similar to that of goats or sheep. They do not roar like other bears. Between 95 and 160 days of becoming pregnant, the female panda will give birth. The newborn cub is blind, hairless, and tiny, weighing only 85-140 g (3-5 oz.). Completely helpless, the cub cannot move much on its own for nearly 3 months. In turn, the mother is very protective and careful in tending to her cub during this time. Conservation Status With only around 2060 pandas living in the wild, the giant panda is considered vulnerable of extinction by the IUCN . Due to the fact that pandas reproduce so infrequently, it is very difficult for their population to recover from such a low point. One the main reasons that panda populations have declined is habitat destruction. As the human population in China continues to grow, pandas’ habitat gets taken over by development, pushing them into smaller and less livable areas. Habitat destruction also leads to food shortages. Pandas feed on several varieties of bamboo that bloom at different times of the year. If one type of bamboo is destroyed by development, it can leave the pandas with nothing to eat during the time it normally blooms, increasing the risk of starvation. To combat this issue, the Chinese government has actively worked to restore and protect bamboo habitat, and these measures have shown positive results. State Forestry Administration surveys have concluded that the panda population has increased since the Chinese government’s actions, and in 2016, the IUCN upgraded the giant panda’s status from Endangered to Vulnerable. While an increasing panda population is good news for now, it is predicted that climate change will eliminate over 35% of the panda’s bamboo habitat in the next 80 years. What You Can Do to Help Wildlife reserves have been set up in parts of China to make sure the pandas have a home, and care is taken to make sure they survive in the wild. Researchers continue to study how pandas breed in an effort to increase the population. You can help by donating or adopting a panda through the World Wildlife Fund . Panda Distribution Around 2060 pandas live in the mountain forests of southwest China. Panda Resources


What Shakespearean play is it bad luck to mention inside a theater?

Why is it considered bad luck to say "Macbeth" in a theatre? | Notes and Queries | guardian.co.uk Why is it considered bad luck to say "Macbeth" in a theatre? Ewan Thomson This is because, in the days when every town had a theatre, if the tickets for a particular run were not selling well, the theatre owners would often end the run and replace it with the, always popular, Macbeth. Actors usually preferred to do something new or different. Chris Lewis, Tyldesley, UK The story I heard was that if a new play bombed the theatre owners would replace it with a sure success. Macbeth was the most popular replacement so if you heard someone rehershing Macbeth in the wings before your play opened you knew that confidence was low. John Leith, Kirkwall, UK Theatrical folklore has it that, as revenge for Shakespeare's inclusion of a number of accurate spells within the play, a coven of witches cursed it for all eternity. Whether or not you believe this rationale is irrelevant, though, because the ill-fortune associated with the play is backed up by numerous examples over its four hundred year history Initially, King James banned the play for five years because he had such a dislike for it, but there are also more bloody examples: there was an unpleasant and lethal riot after one showing in nineteenth century New York and one Lady Macbeth fell off the front of the stage while sleepwalking, dropping nearly twenty feet. Even Olivier wasn't free from the curse, as one of his performances was enlivened by a falling stage weight which landed only inches from him mid-performance. Given the weight of evidence, it's not surprising that actors are given to indulge in a little superstition. Neil Barnes, Saffron Walden, Essex I heard from a very sensible actor (I think it was Jonathan Price) that Macbeth is not unlucky, merely dangerous because it is so full of action scenes and special effects. The fear of personal injury through mishaps when performing the piece has evolved into a superstition about the very name. Oh and it makes actors feel cosy to have their special belief system. Miaow Vic Grant, London UK


What disease is associated with hydrophobia?

Take Caution When Bats Are Near | Features | CDC Take Caution When Bats Are Near Bats play an important role in our ecosystem. However, they are also associated with diseases deadly to humans. Learn how you can stay safe when bats are near. Diseases Spread by Bats Several highly fatal diseases have been linked to bats. Rabies is perhaps the most well known disease associated with bats. Along with animals such as dogs, foxes, raccoons, and skunks, bats are one of the primary animals that transmit rabies. An exposure to rabies most commonly occurs when a person is bitten by a rabid animal. It can also be transmitted when the saliva from a rabid animal comes in contact with a person's mouth, eyes, nose, or a fresh wound. When a person is exposed to rabies, timely administration of a vaccine known as post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) can prevent infection. Once a person becomes infected and symptoms begin to occur, rabies is almost always fatal. Each year in the United States, up to 30,000 persons receive PEP due to potential exposure to a rabid animal, including bats. Histoplasmosis is another disease associated with bats. Its symptoms vary greatly, but the disease primarily affects the lungs. Occasionally, other organs are affected. When this happens it can be fatal if untreated. In addition, Histoplasmosis is caused by a fungus that grows in soil and material contaminated with droppings from animals, including bats. Droppings, also known as bat guano, can contaminate the soil and cause infectious spores to be released when the soil is disturbed. Even though it can be found throughout the world, it is widespread in certain areas of the U.S. and can be found in places that harbor large populations of bats, including caves. While most infected persons have no apparent ill effects, antifungal medications are used to treat many forms of the disease. Bats and Diseases around the World Even though rabies and histoplasmosis can be found all over the world, some diseases associated with bats are found exclusively in certain regions of the world. Notably, research suggests that bats might be the source of several hemorrhagic fevers, which affect multiple organ systems in the body and often lead to life-threatening diseases. One of these diseases is Marburg hemorrhagic fever, which is found exclusively in Africa. Past outbreaks have shown that Marburg Hemorrhagic Fever kills up to 90% of those infected. While the natural host had for years been unknown, new research suggests that fruit bats are a natural source of this virus, and the virus has been isolated repetitively from fruit bats in Uganda. The same may be true for Ebola hemorraghic fever. The virus that causes this disease is often referred to as the "cousin" of Marburg virus, since they are the only distinct viruses that belong to a group of viruses known as filoviruses. Like Marburg, Ebola is highly fatal and is found mostly in Africa. Recent studies indicate that, as with Marburg, bats are likely to be a natural source of this virus, although no Ebola virus has been isolated from bats. Two other viruses - Nipah (which causes Nipah virus encephalitis) and Hendra (which causes Hendra virus disease) - are also associated with bats. Research suggests that Hendra virus is associated with fruit bats (commonly called flying foxes) in Australia. Nipah and related viruses are also associated with the same group of bats in Southeast Asia and parts of Africa, although outbreaks of disease in humans have so far been limited to Malaysia, Singapore, India, and Bangladesh. Both viruses can cause severe respiratory and neurologic disease in humans. Another group of viruses known as coronaviruses have been detected in multiple species of bats. Coronavirus infection can sometimes cause mild respiratory illness in humans, but these viruses were also implicated in the outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) in Southeast Asia. While bats do not carry or transmit SARS, research has linked coronaviruses to bats in countries all over the world. In addition, Lyssaviruses have been disc


How Linen is Made – Deck Towel Stockists How Linen is Made Technically, linen is a vegetable. Linen fabric is made from the cellulose fibers that grow inside of the stalks of the flax plant, or Linum usitatissimum, one of the oldest cultivated plants in human history. Flax is an annual plant, which means it only lives for one growing season. From seed-planting, it is ready to be harvested in about a hundred days. Unless the weather is particularly warm and dry, flax requires little watering or attention during this time. It grows to about three or four feet tall, with glossy bluish-green leaves and pale blue flowers, though on rare occasions, the flowers bloom red. Flax is cultivated around the world not only for its fine, strong fibers, but also for its seeds, which are rich in nutrients such as dietary fiber and omega-3 fatty acids. Flax oil is also a popular drying oil amongst oil painters. Types of Flax To date, no method of flax cultivation has been discovered that maximizes both quality and yield of both seed and fibers. To obtain the highest quality flax fibers, one must harvest before the plant fully matures, which results in poorer-quality oil. Conversely, if harvest is undertaken after maturation to obtain the best oil, the fiber quality deteriorates. Thus,  two distinct types of flax plants are cultivated: The linseed variety is grown primarily to extract the seed’s highly nutritious oil. This type is fairly short and produces many secondary branches, which increases seed yield. The flax variety tends to grow taller, more slender, and with less branches. It is cultivated in order to extract the very long fibers  from inside the wooden stem of the plant,  which are then spun and woven into linen fabric. The taller the flax plant, the longer the fiber. Flax Growing Environments Flax can grow in a variety of climates, but it flourishes in cool, damp environments. It cannot tolerate extreme heat, so the planting schedule of flax varies from country to country depending upon regional climatic conditions. For instance, in warmer regions flax is sown in the winter so that harvesting can be undertaken before the heat of early spring. Because it requires a lot of organic components, flax grows best in deep loams and alluvial soils such as the Nile River valley. Flax Harvest Flax is ready to be harvested for its fibers when the stem begins to turn yellow and the seeds turn brown. On some farms however, the plant is harvested prior to seed germination. This yields exceptionally fine fibers, but leaves the grower without any seeds for the next planting and subsequently dependent upon foreign imports. The stems of the flax plant are preferably pulled up with the root system somewhat intact, rather than cut at the base. This maximizes the quality of the fiber in several ways.  First, the valuable fibers run the length of the stalk all the way into the roots, so pulling up the plant by the root increases the length of the fiber produced. This practice also prevents the plant sap from leaking out of the cut stalk, a process which dries out the fibers and ultimately results in poorer-quality fabric. Although the agricultural industry has made great strides in mechanized farming, machine harvesting of flax is still unable to preserve the root system during harvest. For this reason, despite the extremely laborious process of manual harvesting, the highest quality linens are still made from flax plants that were pulled out of the earth by hand. Fabric made from hand-harvested flax is finer, more supple, and more highly prized than fabric made from flax that is machine-harvested. Traditional Flax Processing. From Fibers and Seeds to Linen. After harvest, flax stalks are allowed to dry in open air for several weeks before they undergo threshing, or removal of seeds from the stalk by crushing open the dried seed pods. Hand threshing is usually achieved by simply beating the dried stalks until all the seed pods have been crushed, then shaking the seeds free. Flax fibers are considered bast fibers. Bast fibers are fibers collected fro


Which city-state was Athens's greatest rival?

Athens, Ancient Greek City-State, for Kids and Teachers - Ancient Greece for Kids FAQ, About Us Athens was the measuring stick. If   you lived in ancient Corinth, for example, you might hear   someone say: "Our schools are good as those in Athens." Several city-states were famous for their textiles,   arts, sciences, drama, but most, except for Sparta and possibly   Corinth, recognized that Athens was the shining star. (Corinth   was a highly respected city-state.   Sparta was famous for military strength.   Even Athens agreed with that.) The ancient Greeks believed that each city-state had one or two gods keeping a special eye on that city-state. The god in charge of Athens was Athena, goddess of wisdom .    The city of Athens was named after their special goddess. Education was very important in Athens. From their mothers, girls learned how to cook and sew and run a home, and how to be a good wife and mother. Boys went to school. They memorized poetry and learned to play a musical instrument, usually the lyre. They studied public speaking and drama and reading and writing. Sons of nobles went to high school - four more years of learning about the sciences and the arts and politics and government. Each city-state in ancient Greece had their own form of government. Most city-states,    like Corinth, were ruled by kings. Some, like Sparta, were ruled by councils, a small group of people. But for about 100 years,    ancient Athens was ruled by direct democracy ! It was an experiment. It didn't last long, but    the invention of democracy is one of the most important gifts we    received from the ancient Greeks. Citizens of Athens had many rights, including the right to   stand trial and the right (when Athens was a direct democracy)   to vote. But not all people in ancient Athens were citizens.   Originally, a free male would be a citizen if his father was a   citizen. But Pericles changed that rule in 450 BCE. The new law   stated that both father and mother be Athenians for a child to   be an Athenian. Out of the Athenians, only men had full   citizenship. Women had partial citizenship, which basically   meant they had few if any rights. Pericles changed this rule to   give Athenian women more status. It worked. Even though Athenian   women had no power of their own, their status as an Athenian made them more   likely to contract a good marriage.


The Jamaican bobsled team is the subject of what movie?

Cool Runnings (1993) - 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 When a Jamaican sprinter is disqualified from the Olympic Games, he enlists the help of a dishonored coach to start the first Jamaican Bobsled Team. Director: From $2.99 (SD) on Amazon Video ON TV a list of 34 titles created 17 Jan 2013 a list of 42 titles created 06 Feb 2014 a list of 28 titles created 22 Jun 2014 a list of 22 titles created 02 Sep 2014 a list of 31 titles created 1 month ago Search for " Cool Runnings " 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. 2 wins & 2 nominations. See more awards  » Videos A self-centered lawyer is sentenced to community service coaching a rag tag youth hockey team. Director: Stephen Herek When an accident miraculously gives a boy an incredibly powerful pitching arm, he becomes a major league pitcher for the Chicago Cubs. Director: Daniel Stern Gordon Bombay is forced to withdraw from the minor hockey league with a knee injury. Much to his surprise, he is given the job of coach of Team USA Hockey for the Junior Goodwill Games in ... See full summary  » Director: Sam Weisman The unruly team of hockey misfits grows up a bit and receives scholarships to a prestigious prep school, where they take on the snotty varsity team. Director: Robert Lieberman When a boy prays for a chance to have a family if the California Angels win the pennant, angels are assigned to make that possible. Director: William Dear Misfits form their own opposing team to an elite peewee football team, coached by the elite team coach's brother. Director: Duwayne Dunham Edit Storyline Irving Blitzer disgraced himself when putting extra weights into his team's bob in the Olympics, resulting in his gold medal being taken away from him. Years later, Derice Bannock, son of a former friend of Irv, fails to qualify for the 100-yard sprint for the Olympics due to a stupid accident. But when he hears of Irving Blitzer living also on Jamaica, Derice decides to go to the Games anyway, if not as a sprinter, then as a bobsledder. After some starting problems, the first Jamaican bobsledding team is formed and heads for Calgary. In the freezing weather Derice, Sanka, Junior and Yul are only laughed at, since nobody can take a Jamaican bobsledding team led by a disgraced trainer seriously. But team spirit and a healthy self-confidence may lead to a few surprises in the upcoming Winter Games. Written by Julian Reischl <julianreischl@mac.com>


What is the name for the heir to the French throne?

Rival Claimants to the French Throne - The Royal Forums Rival Claimants to the French Throne Posts: 26 Rival Claimants to the French Throne Had a restoration in favor of the Orlï¿½anistes been effected, then yes, Madame la Comtesse de Paris would have been Queen of France; had there been a Legitimiste restoration in favor of the Bourbon-Anjou claimant, Madame would have been only the Duchesse d'Orlï¿½ans. By all accounts Madame was a lovely person in life; however the House of Orlï¿½ans historically has brought nothing but disgrace to France since "Philippe Egalitï¿½", and that husband of hers was no better than his ancestors. Better France should remain a republic than ever have to suffer the princes of Orlï¿½ans on her throne ever again. __________________ Location: Aerdenhout, Netherlands Posts: 178 I believe that the Duke of Vendome and the duke of Angoulme are very decent men, so I do not see your problem. Only a small fraction of the french monarchists are so-called 'legitimists'...and even a smaller number are napoleonists...most of the monarchists in france support the house of Orlï¿½ans! The claims of Don Luis Alphonso are very meagre, and besides that, to suffer a great-grandson of the spanish dictator, fascist and mass-murderer Franco on the french throne would be very unacceptable as well! __________________ Location: , United States Posts: 26 "Philippe Egalitï¿½" and his son Louis-Philippe committed crimes against the legitimate kings of France, Louis XVI, Charles X and Henri V. If Orlï¿½anistes hold that the crimes of Franco can be visited upon his great-grandson, they had best not look too closely at the past of their own dynasty - nor should they throw stones. The ancient "lois fondamentales du Royaume" state that the "Ainï¿½ des Capetiens" is the King of France, without further qualification beyond order of birth. It has nothing to do with popularity nor the size of one faction versus the other. The "Ainï¿½ des Capetiens" is Louis-Alphonse, duc d'Anjou. It matters not where he was born or who his maternal great-grandfather was. His wedding, tentatively scheduled for next September, should be a glittering affair and a focal point for all French monarchists. __________________ Location: Aerdenhout, Netherlands Posts: 178 what about the treaty signed when Louis XIV robbed the Habsburgers of their spanish throne & installed his grandson the duke of Anjou there as Felipe V? I believe that the members of this branch of the house of capet lost their claims on the throne of France. Also, the Duc of Berry stated that the only pretenders after his death would be the the house of Orlï¿½ans Location: , United States Posts: 26 Are you referring to the Treaty of Utrecht? Louis' grandsons were closer relatives (grandnephews) to the deceased Carlos II of Spain than the Habsburg Archduke Karl, who was a very distant cousin. The Spanish succession laws did not disqualify female inheritance, so the descendants of Marie-Therese, daughter of Felipe IV and consort of Louis XIV were eligible to succeed as closest heirs. The Dauphin and his eldest son the Duc de Bourgogne were the heir-apparent and heir-presumptive of France, so the claim was passed to the third in line in terms of hereditary primogeniture - Philippe, Duc d'Anjou. The French just had to fight a long and costly war in order to secure his rightful succession against the Habsburg usurper. The terms of the Treaty of Utrecht stated only that one king could not wear both crowns - those of France and Spain - simultaneously. In fact, when it looked as though the infant Louis XV might not survive a life-threatening illness, Felipe V did abdicate the throne of Spain in favor of his son Luis in anticipation of assuming the throne of France. Louis XV recovered, and shortly thereafter Luis of Spain died, whereupon his father reclaimed the Spanish throne. The Treaty of Utrecht, contrary to what the Orlï¿½ans princes have claimed since 1883, did not compel Felipe V of Spain or his descendants to renounce their claims to France, and they we


Which blood vessels carry blood away from the heart?

Blood Vessels That Carry Blood Away From the Heart | LIVESTRONG.COM Blood Vessels That Carry Blood Away From the Heart by DR. FRANCHESCA VERMILLION Last Updated: Jul 24, 2015 Dr. Franchesca Vermillion Dr. Franchesca Vermillion is based in Portland, Ore. and has been writing health-related material for her patients and for public speaking events for more than four years. Vermillion obtained her Bachelor of Arts in molecular biology from the University of Denver in 2001 and her Chiropractic Physician's Degree from University of Western States in 2006. A model of a heart with veins and arteries. Photo Credit Ugreen/iStock/Getty Images Overview The heart is part of the larger circulatory system. It is a large muscle that pumps blood to the lungs and the body using different blood vessels. It is important to know some basic anatomy to fully understand how the system works. Basic Terms and Anatomy The heart is a hollow muscular organ made up of four chambers. The top two chambers are called atria, or atrium singularly. The bottom two chambers are called ventricles. Atria are smaller than the ventricles and receive blood either from the lungs or from the body. The atria then pump that blood into the ventricles. Ventricles are larger because they have to pump the blood out of the heart into farther-reaching parts of the body, so they have to be more muscular to do their job efficiently. The left ventricle is the most muscular since it has the job of pumping the blood out into the body, whereas the right side only pumps the blood out to the lungs. In between the atria and ventricles are valves that help keep blood flowing in one direction only. There are also valves between the ventricles and blood vessels. When the atria pump, that is associated with the “lub” of the "lub dub" of a heart beat. The ventricles are associated with the "dub" of the beat. So the “dub” of the heart beat is always associated with blood flowing out of the heart. Aorta The aorta is responsible for pumping oxygenated blood out into the body. Since this vessel carries blood to the body, it is attached to the left ventricle and arches off the top middle part of the heart. After the aorta arches off of the heart it splits into smaller and smaller vessels. There are three arteries that come off of the top of the aortic arch. One is called the brachiocephalic artery and feeds the upper right side of the body and right side of the head oxygenated blood; the other two are the left common carotid artery and the left subclavian artery. The left common carotid feeds the head, and the left subclavian feeds the upper left side of the body. If we focus our attention to the aortic arch again and just follow the arch down past the heart, it becomes the descending aorta to the abdominal aorta. The abdominal aorta splits into two vessels below the level of the belly button to send blood to the right and left lower extremities. The vessels will split smaller and smaller until they are finally arterioles in the distal most extremities, and then turn into a capillary network that starts to carry blood back to the heart. Pulmonary Arteries The pulmonary arteries pump blood away from the heart to the lungs. They exit so the right ventricle. The pulmonary arteries are the only arteries that carry deoxygenated blood. The pulmonary arteries startsas one artery that branches off the front middle part of the heart, in front of the aorta. Almost immediately this one vessels splits into two pulmonary arteries, one to go to the left lung and one to go the the right lung. The pulmonary arteries rapidly become smaller and smaller until they turn into pulmonary capillaries. At the level of the capillaries, carbon dioxide is release and oxygen is attached to the blood cells. The capillary network then turns into pulmonary veins and starts to return to the heart. Related Searches Lose Weight. Feel Great Change your life with MyPlate by LIVESTRONG.COM GOAL Gain 2 pounds per week Gain 1.5 pounds per week Gain 1 pound per week Gain 0.5 pound per week Maintain my current weight Lose 0.5 pound


In which country would you find the rebel group FARC?

| Colombia , FARC , War & Conflict , Latin America Colombian forces and FARC rebels have been holding talks since 2012 to end the five-decade-long conflict [Getty Images] Colombia's top negotiator in peace talks with rebel group FARC has said his country could walk away from negotiations unless unless the group shows more commitment to finding a resolution.  Inside Story- Will Colombia peace talks end FARC control? Humberto De la Calle said the peace process was at its "worst moment" since talks in Cuba began in late 2012, according to an interview with writer Juan Gossain. "I want to tell the FARC in all seriousness, this could end. Some day, it's probable that they won't find us around the table in Havana," De la Calle said in the interview, which was provided to other media outlets on Saturday. Talks between the government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) have succeeded in reaching agreement on most of the agenda, but the process is now under strain after a series of attacks by the rebel group. FARC unleashed a wave of bomb attacks on oil pipelines in recent weeks, rupturing them close to rivers and causing an environmental disaster that is expected to take two decades to clean up. Optimism that had grown over the peace talks, boosted by the FARC's agreement to clear landmines, was shattered after the FARC ambushed and killed 11 soldiers in the country's southwest in April. That led the government to resume air raids of FARC jungle bases, in turn prompting the rebels to abandon a unilateral ceasefire. Dimmed prospects The FARC's insistence the government agree to a bilateral ceasefire even as its negotiators flatly reject the idea some members should pay jail time for the group's worst crimes, have also driven a rift between them and dimmed prospects for a deal. Colombia talks continue despite violence De la Calle said the government was prepared to consider a bilateral ceasefire before a deal is signed, if the FARC accepts judicial responsibility for the violence it has perpetrated and only if it also abstains from extortion and the drug trade.  In a conciliatory move on Friday, the FARC leadership in Havana said they were seeking to "de-escalate" the conflict after weeks of attacks in which several army troops and police were also killed. The group's numbers are falling and all-out war is no longer seen as a realistic option. Even if the peace process survives, its biggest obstacle may prove a sceptical Colombian public which will approve or reject any peace deal in a referendum. Its support has faded as talks drag on. "The harsh truth is that Colombians don't believe in the peace process," De la Calle said. Source: Reuters


· Updated February 22, 2015 Chewbacca, Han Solo’s companion, co-pilot, and confidante in Star Wars, appears to resemble a creature from Earth you may be familiar with – Bigfoot ! Is that on purpose? What kind of creature is Chewbacca? Now, to begin with, George Lucas does not claim that Chewie is a Bigfoot (or Sasquatch). According to Star Wars mythology, Chewbacca is a Wookie. Wookies are non-human creatures that hail from the jungles of a planet called Kashyyk. The word “wookie” is said to translate into “People of the Trees”, due to the fact that they live in treehouses on their home planet.  Interestingly, the name for the most famous wookie of all time (Chewbacca) was supposedly derived from the Russian word for dog – sobaka (cobaka). Did Bigfoot inspire Chewbacca? According to George Lucas, as he was trying to figure out who was going to be Han Solo’s Star Wars co-pilot, he took inspiration from his own dog, an Alaskan Malamute who would “co-pilot” his car…at that moment he knew it was going to be a non-human fur-covered creature.  But that is not where the creation of the wookie stops.  According to Animal Planet, who went further into analysis of the Wookie – Chewbacca, and other wookies, were inspired by primates such as lemurs, and also by a great ape – the orangutan. In summary, Star Wars’ Chewbacca was inspired by the merger of a dog and primates, not by bigfoot.  But….despite the supposed manner in which Chewbacca was created, the resulting wookie that is Chewbacca does bear an impossible-to-ignore resemblance (dare I say almost identical resemblance?) to the creature on Earth known as bigfoot! Compare if you will: Chewbacca:  A wookie which is described as a fur-covered, non-english speaking humanoid that can climb trees and lives in the jungle. vs. Bigfoot:  All descriptions of bigfoot are that of a fur-covered, non-english speaking humanoid that lives in the forest. Sound pretty similar, don’t they? More similarities between bigfoot and Chewbacca: Both bigfoot and chewbacca are: covered from head to foot in thick (normally) brown colored fur said to have claws (Chewbacca’s are said to be retractable) believed to be highly intelligent reported as being very tall (approx 7 feet in height reported for various sightings of bigfoot, while the actor that played Chewbacca, Peter Mayhew, is 7 feet, 3 inches tall) incredibly strong live amongst trees (wookies prefer jungles, bigfoot prefers forests) not trusting of strangers Finally, look at the pictures!  It is impossible to deny that the pictures that exist of bigfoot are almost identical to that of Chewbacca! Given the undeniable resemblances between Chewbacca and bigfoot, it is a bit confusing as to why Lucas contrived an odd backstory as to the creation of the wookie, when all he had to say was that he envisioned the wookie as a type of bigfoot!


What is the southernmost city in Florida?

Southernmost Point Key West Information Guide Things To Do Email Print Key West Southernmost Point Key West is famous for being the southernmost city in the continental United States. When you visit, it’s essential that you make it to the southernmost point on the island, found at the intersection of Whitehead Street and South Street. Here, you’ll see the landmark Southernmost Buoy (a required photo opp) and a whole host of other “southernmost” attractions that make for a fun Key West afternoon. Fun Fact: Key West is geographically closer to Cuba than it is to mainland Florida and Miami, located 150 miles north. Southernmost Point Buoy If you come to Key West, it’s practically required that you make a journey to the Southernmost Point Buoy. One of Key West’s most iconic landmarks, it’s also where the famous “90 miles to Cuba” saying is scrawled. Be sure to stop for a photo – complete with views of the Atlantic Ocean behind you. Share: