The title of the Agatha Christie story By the Pricking of my Thumbs is a quote taken from which Shakespeare play?

By The Pricking Of My Thumbs by Agatha Christie - Agatha Christie Synopsis By The Pricking Of My Thumbs About the Book An old woman in a nursing home speaks of a child buried behind the fireplace… When Tommy and Tuppence visited an elderly aunt in her gothic nursing home, they thought nothing of her mistrust of the doctors; after all, Ada was a very difficult old lady. But when Mrs Lockett mentioned a poisoned mushroom stew and Mrs Lancaster talked about ‘something behind the fireplace’, Tommy and Tuppence found themselves caught up in an unexpected adventure involving possible black magic… By the pricking of my thumbs, Something wicked this way comes. William Shakespeare, Macbeth More about this story The title of the novel is a line from Shakespeare’s Macbeth: “By the pricking of my thumbs, something wicked this way comes.” Agatha Christie dedicated the novel to her readers in other countries who would write to her and ask “What happened to Tommy and Tuppence? What are they doing now?” It was adapted for film in France by Pascal Thomas and titled Mon petit doigt m'a dit... The characters of Tommy and Tuppence were changed slightly, but the plot remains fairly true to the novel. In 2006 it was adapted for the series Agatha Christie’s Marple, with much of Tommy’s part in the story adapted for Miss Marple’s character, played by Geraldine McEwan. Both Tommy and Tuppence still featured, although Tuppence was portrayed as resentful of her husband’s success, having been unable to accept a job with MI6 because she was pregnant. Did you know? Unlike Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple, Tommy & Tuppence aged in real time. In By the Pricking of my Thumbs, Tommy & Tuppence are an elderly couple. Buy By The Pricking Of My Thumbs ⌺Read


In which country does the House of Bourbon provide the current monarch?

French History of the Bourbon Dynasty Louis-Phillippe, King of the French 1830-1848   With the advent of the Second Republic in 1848, Bourbon monarchy in France ended. The Bourbon pretender to the throne of France, the Comte de Chambord, was offered a restored throne following the collapse of the empire of Emperor Napoleon III in 1870. However the stubborn Chambord refused to accept the throne unless France abandoned the revolution-inspired tricolore and accepted what he regarded as the true Bourbon flag of France, something the French National Assembly could not possibly agree to. (The tricolour, having been associated with the First Republic, had been used by the July Monarchy, Second Republic and Empire.) A temporary Third Republic was established, while monarchists waited for Chambord to die and for the succession to pass to the Comte de Paris, who was willing to accept the tricolour. However Chambord did not die for over a decade, by which public opinion switched to support the republic as the 'form of government that divides us least.' Henry IV of France     Henry IV (December 13, 1553 - May 14, 1610) was King of France from 1589-1610, the first of the Bourbon kings of France. He was the son of Antoine de Bourbon, Duke of Vendome and Jeanne d'Albret, Queen of Navarre. Henry was born in Pau, PyrÃ©nÃ©es-Atlantiques, in the southwest of France. On August 18 1572 Henry married Marguerite de Valois, sister of the then King Charles IX. In the same year he became king Henry III of Navarre, succeeding his mother Jeanne d'Albret, who had brought him up as a Huguenot. Jeanne herself was also a Protestant, and had declared Calvinism the religion of Navarre.  Henry's marriage was part of a plan to help quell the French Wars of Religion. As part of this plan, he was forced to convert to Roman Catholicism on February 5, 1576, and kept in confinement, but later that year he gained his freedom and resumed Protestantism. He became the legal heir to the French throne upon the death in 1584 of FranÃ§ois, Duke of AlenÃ§on, brother and heir to King Henri III, who had succeeded Charles IX in 1574. Since Henry of Navarre was a descendant of King Louis IX, King Henry III had no choice but to recognize him as the legitimate successor. (Salic law disinherited the king's sisters and all others who could claim descent by distaff line.) In December 1588 King Henry III had the Duke of Guise and that man's brother the Cardinal, murdered. Henry had to flee Paris and joined forces with Henri of Navarre, but died shortly thereafter.  On the death of the king in 1589, Henri of Navarre became nominally the king of France. But the Catholic League, strengthened by support from outside, especially from Spain, was strong enough to force him to the south, and he had to set about winning his kingdom by military conquest. He was victorious at Ivry and Arques, but failed to take Paris. With the encouragement of the great love of his life, Gabrielle d'EstrÃ©e, on July 25, 1593 he declared that Paris vaut bien une messe (Paris was worth a Mass) and permanently renounced Protestantism. His entrance into the Roman Catholic Church secured for him the allegiance of the vast majority of his subjects and he was crowned King of France at the Cathedral of Chartres on February 27, 1594. In 1598, however, he declared the Edict of Nantes, which gave circumscribed toleration to the Huguenots. Henry's first marriage was not a happy one, and the couple remained childless. Even before Henry had succeeded to the throne in August, 1589 the two had separated, and Marguerite de Valois lived for many years in the chateau of Usson in Auvergne. After Henry had become king various advisers impressed upon him the desirability of providing an heir to the French Crown in order to avoid the problem of a disputed succession.  Henry himself favored the idea of obtaining an annulment of his first marriage and taking Gabrielle d'EstrÃ©e as a bride, who had already borne him three children. Henry's councillors strongly opposed this idea, but the matter was resolved unexpectedly by Gabrielle


Any building built before which year is automatically 'listed' as historically or architecturally important?

Living in a listed building Living in a listed building This is an archived page. Unique character property, or planning quagmire, a listed building can be great, or a historic headache. Roger Bowdler, head of designation for the south at English Heritage, explains the ins and outs By Time Out editorsPosted: Thu Aug 23 2007 What is a listed building? ‘Properties are listed by the government in order to identify the most architecturally or historically important buildings in the country and protect them by making sure their special interest is taken fully into account in the future. They can be listed because of their age, rarity, architectural merit or other criteria such as method of construction, decorative quality or historical importance. All buildings built before 1700 which survive in anything like their original condition are listed, as are most of those built between 1700 and 1840. Thereafter, more discretion is needed, because of higher survival rates. Particular care is taken when assessing post-war buildings. There are three grades: Grade I and Grade II* cover buildings considered to be of exceptional importance, like Buckingham Palace; Grade II buildings possess special interest.’ What buyers need to know ‘Ninety two per cent of listed buildings are in the Grade II class, so it is the most likely category for homeowners. Owners of a Grade II-listed property who wish to alter or extend it in a way that affects its architectural or historic character must first apply for listed building consent (and planning permission) from their local planning authority. English Heritage is only really involved if the property falls in the Grade I and Grade II* categories.’ What you can and can’t do ‘Most buildings evolve over time. The fact that a building is listed does not mean that it can never change. Listing is intended to protect the special interest of the building, and to ensure that care will be taken over the decisions that affect its future. Each building is different and so there are no sweeping rules for what you can or can’t do without consent – the test is whether the character of the building is protected. Nor is it just the front that is protected. Works requiring listed building consent might include extensions, replacements of windows or doors, or altering the internal layout. The best thing to do is to take the advice of the conservation officer at your local authority well before you start to draw up any plans. Local authorities in England receive 32,000 applications a year for listed building consent, and 90 per cent are approved. But if you perform alterations without permission, a planning authority can insist that they are reversed; owners can even be prosecuted.’On the plus side… ‘Alterations to some listed buildings can qualify for reduced VAT. English Heritage may offer grants for structural repairs to listed buildings of outstanding historical or architectural interest (usually buildings listed Grades I or II*). Local authorities, and some charities, may also give grants for the preservation and upkeep of listed buildings.’ For more information visit www.english-heritage.org.uk or contact your local council


Which planet, whose largest moon is Triton, was discovered in 1846?

Neptune Is Discovered | World History Project Sep 23 1846 Neptune Is Discovered Discovered on September 23, 1846, Neptune was the first planet found by mathematical prediction rather than by empirical observation. Unexpected changes in the orbit of Uranus led astronomers to deduce that its orbit was subject to gravitational perturbation by an unknown planet. Neptune was subsequently found within a degree of its predicted position, and its largest moon, Triton, was discovered shortly thereafter, though none of the planet's remaining 12 moons was located telescopically until the 20th century. Neptune has been visited by only one spacecraft, Voyager 2, which flew by the planet on August 25, 1989. Galileo's drawings show that he first observed Neptune on December 28, 1612, and again on January 27, 1613. On both occasions, Galileo mistook Neptune for a fixed star when it appeared very close—in conjunction—to Jupiter in the night sky, hence, he is not credited with Neptune's discovery. In 1821, Alexis Bouvard published astronomical tables of the orbit of Neptune's neighbor Uranus. Subsequent observations revealed substantial deviations from the tables, leading Bouvard to hypothesize that an unknown body was perturbing the orbit through gravitational interaction. In 1843, John Couch Adams calculated the orbit of a hypothesized eighth planet that would account for Uranus's motion. In 1845–46, Urbain Le Verrier, independently of Adams, developed his own calculations but also experienced difficulties in stimulating any enthusiasm in his compatriots. In June, however, upon seeing Le Verrier's first published estimate of the planet's longitude and its similarity to Adams's estimate, Airy persuaded Cambridge Observatory director James Challis to search for the planet. Challis vainly scoured the sky throughout August and September. Meantime, Le Verrier by letter urged Berlin Observatory astronomer Johann Gottfried Galle to search with the observatory's refractor. Heinrich d'Arrest, a student at the observatory, suggested to Galle that they could compare a recently drawn chart of the sky in the region of Le Verrier's predicted location with the current sky to seek the displacement characteristic of a planet, as opposed to a fixed star. The very evening of the day of receipt of Le Verrier's letter on September 23, 1846, Neptune was discovered within 1° of where Le Verrier had predicted it to be, and about 12° from Adams' prediction. Challis later realized that he had observed the planet twice in August, failing to identify it owing to his casual approach to the work.


In which city would you find the Neva River, Nevsky Prospect and the ship The Aurora?

History of St-Petersburg. Russian history, arts and architecture of Saint Petersburg Russian cuisine Nevsky Prospect St. Isaac's is situated not far from the main street of our city - the Nevsky Prospect. It was the first street laid out in St. Petersburg and named after our great Neva river. Nevsky, as we call it, has always been the most popular street with both the visitors and the guests of our city. The most spectacular palaces are situated here, like the palace of Beloselsky-Belozersky, the Anichkov Palace, the Stroganov palace, and many others. It also used to be called "the street of all religions" as churches of different confessions are situated here. It is the center of the modern life of St. Petersburg. Here you'll find the most fashionable and popular restaurants, cafes, night clubs and casinos, shops, boutiques, offices of various companies, theatres, cinemas, administrative buildings, and much, much more… Nevsky starts with an immense building of the Admiralty designed in the 19th century by a Russian architect A. Zakharov. In the former times it used to be a fortified shipyard! Now it's a Navy School with a Navy museum. The long gilded spire of the Admiralty with a ship on top is another symbol of our city. prev | next Ted Hewlett, Nashville, Tennessee "You will not be in any way disappointed with this company - by far and away, the very best" Add a theme to your SP tour! Off The Beaten Path: explore the sights that satisfy YOUR own interests and wishes.


The Nile flows through three African capital cities: Cairo, Khartoum and which other?

The River Nile | Article about The River Nile by The Free Dictionary The River Nile | Article about The River Nile by The Free Dictionary http://encyclopedia2.thefreedictionary.com/The+River+Nile Also found in: Dictionary , Thesaurus , Wikipedia . Nile, longest river in the world, c.4,160 mi (6,695 km) long from its remotest headstream, the Luvironza River in Burundi, central Africa, to its delta on the Mediterranean Sea, NE Egypt. The Nile flows northward and drains c.1,100,000 sq mi (2,850,000 sq km), about one tenth of Africa, including parts of Egypt, Sudan, Ethiopia, Eritrea, South Sudan, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania, and Congo (Kinshasa). Its waters support practically all agriculture in the most densely populated parts of Egypt, furnish irrigation for nearly all of Sudan's cash crops, and are widely used throughout the basin for navigation and hydroelectric power. Course and Navigability The trunk stream of the the Nile is formed at Khartoum, Sudan, 1,857 mi (2,988 km) from the sea, by the junction of the Blue Nile Blue Nile, Arab. Bahr el Azraq, river, c.1,000 mi (1,600 km) long, the chief headstream of the Nile, rising in Lake Tana, NW Ethiopia, at an altitude of c.6,000 ft (1,800 m). It flows generally S from the Lake Tana region, then W across Ethiopia, and finally NW into Sudan. ..... Click the link for more information.  (c.1,000 mi/1,610 km long) and the White Nile White Nile, river, one of the chief tributaries of the Nile, E Africa. The name is sometimes used for the 600 mi (970 km) long section of the river known as the Bahr el Abiad that extends upstream from Khartoum to the junction of the Bahr el Jebel and the Bahr el Ghazal at Lake ..... Click the link for more information.  (c.2,300 mi/3,700 km long). The Blue Nile rises in the headwaters of Lake Tana, NW Ethiopia, a region of heavy summer rains, and is the source of floodwaters that reach Egypt in September; the Blue Nile contributes more than half of all Nile waters throughout the year. During floodtime it also carries great quantities of silt from the highlands of Ethiopia; these now collect in Lake Nasser behind the Aswan High Dam, but for centuries they were left on the floodplain after the floods and helped replenish the fertility of Egypt's soils. The Merowe Dam, under construction below the fourth cataract in Sudan, will also capture the silt, though the dam there is designed to facilitate the flushing of sediment. The White Nile (known in various sections as the Bahr el Abiad, Bahr el Jebel, Albert Nile, and Victoria Nile) rises in the headwaters of Lake Victoria in a region of heavy, year-round rainfall; unlike the Blue Nile, it has a constant flow, owing in part to its source area and in part to the regulating effects of its passage through lakes Victoria and Albert and the Sudd swamps. Other important tributaries of the Nile are the Atbara and Sobat rivers. The Gezira Gezira, Al , or Al Jazirah , region, SE Sudan, occupying the tract between the White and Blue Niles south of their convergence at Khartoum. The Arabic word Gezira means "island" or "peninsula." Wad Madani is the region's chief town. ..... Click the link for more information. , or "island," formed between the Blue Nile and the White Nile as they come together at Khartoum is Sudan's principal agricultural area and the only large tract of land outside Egypt irrigated with Nile waters. From Khartoum to the Egyptian border at Wadi Halfa (now submerged) and on to Aswan in Egypt, the Nile occupies a narrow entrenched valley with little floodplain for cultivation; in this stretch it is interrupted by six cataracts (rapids). From Aswan the river flows north 550 mi (885 km) to Cairo, bordered by a floodplain that gradually widens to c.12 mi (20 km); irrigated by the river, this intensively cultivated valley contrasts with the barren desert on either side. North of Cairo is the great Nile delta (c.100 mi/160 km long and up to 115 mi/185 km wide), which contains 60% of Egypt's cultivated land and extensive areas of swamps and shallow lakes. Two distributaries, the Dumyat (D


Somali piracy threatening Yemen | Yemen Times Somali piracy threatening Yemen hide Some of the key ports used by Somali pirates. Since 2005, Somali pirates started to move around the Yemeni waters to hijack ships and kidnap crews, asking for millions of dollars as ransoms and causing an ever-increasing problem for Yemen. Somali piracy in the 20th century began with the collapse of the state in 1991. As the security situation deteriorated, the smuggling of illegal immigrants as well as the smuggling weapons began to flourish. The marine forces collapsed and tribal leaders used the lack of security and the spread of their forces over Somali lands to extort tributes from passing ships. Day by day, pirates were threatening ships in the waters off Somalia. The Gulf of Aden became a piracy hotspot with high-profile ships and tankers taken hostage. It was 5pm on Mar. 8, 2005 when two sailing yachts, Mahdi and Gandalf were moving 30 miles off the coast of Aden to Oman. Suddenly, two motor-powered boats, about 25 and 30 feet long with four armed men in each “came very fast directly at us,” Rodney Nowlin, a sailor of south Virginia told Noonsite, the global site for cruising sailors. Before these two boats approached, Nowlin said another two boats were observing them, each with three men on board. These boats just watched as the bigger two approached them. “The boats separated at about 200 yards, one boat ahead of the other, coming down Mahdi’s port side, and firing into the cockpit. The other boat was firing an automatic weapon at both Gandalf and Mahdi from ahead. These guys were shooting directly at the cockpits, and obviously intended to kill us,” Nowlin told Noonsite in May 2005. That incident was the first piracy attack in Yemeni waters in 2005, marking the start of a reign of terror against ships and oil tankers in Somalia’s surrounding waters. Soon after this attempt, the Yemeni Coast Guard Authority and other operational offices in the Gulf of Aden and the Arabian Sea increased their efforts in fighting piracy. “In the beginning, pirates’ operations were confined to stealing small equipment from small ships,” said Shuja’ Al-Deen Al-Mahdi, the head of the Operational Unit at the Yemeni Coast Guard Authority (YCG). “But in 2005, their operations started to become increasing sophisticated; they were not satisfied with the small things they stole. Their operations were more professional and they started equipping themselves with guns and night vision goggles – not to mention the bigger and stronger boats they now use,” Al-Mahdi said. When the owners of the hijacked ships fail to pay the ransom, the pirates eventually use the captured vessels as “mother ships” from which to launch further attacks. According to the YCG records, piracy operations have grown year by year since 2005, with 2010 being their most active year. In 2010, 57 ships were hijacked in the Yemeni waters with 225 failed hijacking attempts. So far this year, the YCG has arrested 12 Somali pirates in Yemeni waters – though this doesn’t account for those picked up by international fleets more than 12 miles off the coast. An international problem Worldwide, piracy began to increase in the early 1990s, peaking at roughly 350 to 450 reported attacks per year during the period 2000-2004, then declining by almost half by 2005. In 2007, almost half of the world’s reported pirate attacks took place in African waters, mainly near Nigeria and Somalia. However, the number of attacks in Somali waters doubled in 2008, according to a study by the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) mentioned in the Congressional Research Services. In Yemen in 2007, 10 ships were hijacked with 20 failed attempts. 42 ships and boats were hijacked in 2008 and 46 ships and boats were hijacked in 2009. The IMB study found that at least 219 attacks occurred in the Horn of Africa in 2010, with 49 successful hijackings. Somali pirates have attacked ships in the Gulf of Aden, along Somalia’s eastern coastline, and outwards into the Indian Ocean.  The situation in Somalia, and the piracy threat, was th


Found near Avebury, Wiltshire, what, at 40 metres is Europe's highest pre-historic mound?

Top 20 Easton Royal Vacation Rentals, Vacation Homes & Condo Rentals - Airbnb Easton Royal Private room · 1 bed · 2 guests Charming, rustic, south-facing, elm-clad cottage in its own 1/3 acre.  Reclaimed wood floors in bedrooms, oak floor in the 24ft x 12ft living space. South and north-facing picture windows. Both bathrooms have baths and showers. Pretty garden with patio and wild strawberries. Small mature woodland to rear. Parking for two cars. Lots of bird song. Small stream so not suitable for young children. All the house, the front garden and the little woodland to the rear. We live very close if you need anything. This cottage is only possible if you have a car. Sat Nav tends to take you round the wrong corner. We will email directions in advance of your stay. The Old Stables is a fantastic peaceful spot. It is a lovely space inside with well appointed bathrooms. There is a wood burner which is great to cosy up beside but we didn't use it much as the heating works very well. We woke up to views of the sheep on the hillside and pheasants in the garden, you really feel you are away from the hustle bustle here and yet it's only 10 mins to Marlborough. Belinda is a fantastic host, so welcoming and accomodating. We hope to return one day. SallyDecember 2016 Entire home/apt · 3 beds · 4 guests Idyllic 200 year old thatched cottage set in the Wiltshire Downs in the village of Oare between Marlborough and Pewsey. Has garden and surrounded by open countryside. Ideal for a romantic break for two. 200 year old thatched cottage with real fire set within the open countryside, surrounded by fields with a large garden.  The cottage is in an ideal area for cycling and walking; the Kennet and Avon Canal is within walking distance, as well as a range of country pubs offering home-cooked food. Historic market town Marlborough is a ten minute drive away offering a twice weekly market, boutique shops and a wide selection of cafes, restaurants and pubs. The large village of Pewsey also offers shops, pubs and cafes. The ancient World Heritage site of Avebury, the largest stone circle in Europe, is just a ten minute drive away with Stonehenge just a 30 minute drive away. The beautiful city of Bath is also just an hour's drive away. The mainline station of Pewsey is only five minutes away by car, one hour by train from London Paddington and on the mainline to Exeter, Plymouth and Penzance. Regular bus service from outside the house to Pewsey, Marlborough, Swindon and Salisbury. The cottage is ideal for a couple or solo traveller as it has one main double bedroom. The cottage does have a single bed in an adjacent room but please note you walk through one room to get to the other. Two night minimum stay. Own garden and parking. As required. Beautiful countryside and proximity to local towns when required. Mainline railway station 5 mins away in Pewsey, one hour by train from London Paddington. Regular bus service outside house to and from Pewsey, Salisbury and Marlborough. I can offer two bedrooms; a bedroom with a double bed and an adjoining room with one single bed. However, please note you have to walk through the single bedroom to get to the master bedroom. My parents stayed at Francis' cottage and were full of praise for both the cottage and for Francis. He was unfailingly helpful to them - even posting back an item they'd left. Many thanks to him for looking after them. KatieSeptember 2016 We wanted a stop between London and Somerset and this was half way. A very cute thatched country cottage. Billed as one double bed but could actually sleep 3 or 4. Gorgeous wood burner and lots of logs to use. Francis is next door so on hand for needs, local info too. He was really accommodating - he had even left us milk, butter, coffee, tea, olive oil etc. Fresh bed linen and towels and a dressing gown too, and shampoo and conditioner which was a huge bonus cos I'd left mine behind!! Very doggie friendly; ours found a friend next door straight away. We would def recommend or book again if we were going that way. Thanks Franci


ln 1972, Laslo Toth damaged which sculpture of 1499, by Michelangelo in St Peter's, Rome?

Pietà by Michelangelo – Facts & History of the Artwork 68.5 in × 76.8 in 174 cm × 195 cm The Pietà is regarded as one of the greatest works of the Renaissance artist Michelangelo Buonarroti. This impressive sculpture is currently placed in Vatican City, at St. Peter’s Basilica. The Pietà is among the initial works of art of the similar theme made by the artist. Cardinal Jean de Billheres commissioned the statue, and this nobleman was a previous representative in Rome. The statue, which was in Carrara marble, was created to the funeral monument of the cardinal, yet it was relocated at St. Peter’s Basilica during the 18th century. It was also the only artwork by Michelangelo that was signed by the artist himself. Description of the Sculpture This exquisite work of art by Michelangelo features the body of Jesus placed on the lap of the Virgin Mary after the savior’s crucifixion. Its theme was based on Northern origin that was widely applied in France, yet not so popular in Italy. The artist’s interpretation of the sculpture is unique and rather extraordinary to the precedents. Moreover, this masterpiece is a magnificent work because it balances the ideal of the Renaissance Era with classical beauty evident in naturalism. The structure of the Pietà is quite pyramidal with the vertex coinciding with the Virgin’s head. Then, the figure widens in a progressive manner, down towards the drapery and ends of Mary’s dress, and up to the rock of Golgotha, which was the base of the sculpture. The characters also appear to be out of proportion because of the challenges in depicting a man’s body being cradled in a woman’s lap. With Mary’s monumental drapery, much of her body is hidden, and the evident relationship between these two characters seemed natural. The face of Jesus in this sculpture does not show any signs of his suffering. It was the artist’s intention to create an image that shows the serene face and vision of abandonment in Jesus. Hence, the sculpture presented a deep communion between the man and Almighty God through Christ’s sanctification. Interpretations of the Masterpiece In this sculpture, the Virgin Mary is presented as a young woman, which is rather different form the other versions. For instance, her youth is a symbol of her purity, although some people believe that it is quite strange how she can appear young despite her age and physical maturity. Other scholars argue that the viewer of this statue is indeed looking at the serene image of Mary as she holds the child Jesus. Furthermore, the youthful appearance and features of Mary is coupled with the delicate position of her arms that could suggest the fact that she is cradling her child while the viewer sees the future of Christ in this image. The entire process of completing the sculpture took only over a year. At present, the statue is situated at the Santa Petronilla Chapel, which was a Roman mausoleum located near St. Peter’s Basilica’s south transept. Eventually, the chapel was demolished when the basilica was rebuilt. According to historians, most visitors at the chapel assumed that the statue was the work of another artist in spite of the fact that Michelangelo’s signature was seen on the sculpture. This signature seems to copy the ones used by Polykleitos and Apelles, who were famous artists in Ancient Greece. However, such anecdotes about the statue caused Michelangelo to regret his decision of signing the artwork. Hence, he vowed never again to sign any of his masterpieces. During the following years, the Pietà by Michelangelo sustained severe damages. In fact, the four of Mary’s fingers on her left hand were broken when the statue was relocated to the basilica. However, Giuseppe Lirioni restored this famous artwork. Some scholars, on the other hand, commented that the restorer seemed to have made the gesture quite rhetorical. After the statue was restored to its remarkable appearance, it was once again damaged on the Pentecost Sunday of 1972. It was during this time when Laszlo Toth, who was a mentally-ill geologist, stormed into the chapel, and forcef


In which decade of the 19th century did the Houses of Parliament burn down?

BBC - History - Overview: Victorian Britain, 1837 - 1901 Print this page Naval supremacy 'When Britain really ruled the waves, in good Queen Bess's time' was the assessment of the late Victorian age's leading satirist, WS Gilbert. (He put these words into the mouth of a spoof peer of the realm in the comic opera 'Iolanthe', which he wrote with Arthur Sullivan in 1882.) Gilbert's Lord Mountararat got it wrong. Naval exploits in the age of Elizabeth I are regularly romanticised and their significance exaggerated. Late 16th century England, though growing in importance under an able, crafty and ruthless monarch, remained a bit-part player on the European stage. Britain's naval might was not openly challenged on the high seas between the battles of Trafalgar and Jutland. Britain 'really ruled the waves' throughout Gilbert's own lifetime. He lived from 1836 to 1911, during the reigns of Victoria and her successor, Edward VII. Britain's naval might was not openly challenged on the high seas between Admiral Horatio Lord Nelson's famous victory at Trafalgar in 1805 and the World War One Battle of Jutland with the German navy in 1916. During the Victorian age, Britain was the world's most powerful nation. Though not always effortlessly, it was able to maintain a world order which rarely threatened Britain's wider strategic interests. The single European conflict fought during Victoria's reign - the Crimean War of 1854 - 1856 - contrasted markedly with the 18th century, during which the British were involved in at least five major wars, none of which lasted less than seven years. The Victorians believed that peace was a necessary pre-condition of long-term prosperity. Victoria's empire Portrait photograph of Victoria    © In 1882 Britain was in the later stages of acquiring the largest empire the world had ever seen. By the end of Victoria's reign, the British empire extended over about one-fifth of the earth's surface and almost a quarter of the world's population at least theoretically owed allegiance to the 'queen empress'. These acquisitions were not uncontested. A number of colonial wars were fought and insurgencies put down as bloodily as the colonisers considered necessary. Many colonial administrators took on their duties with a fierce determination to do good. It would be a gross exaggeration to claim, as many contemporaries did, that those living in a British colony felt privileged to be ruled by a people anxious to spread the virtues of an ordered, advanced and politically sophisticated Christian nation to those 'lesser breeds' previously 'without the law'. That said, there is no gainsaying the fact that both many colonial administrators and Christian missionaries took on their colonial duties with a fierce determination to do good. Britain's status as the financial capital of the world also secured investment inflows which preserved its immense prosperity. One has only to walk along Liverpool's waterfront and view the exceptional 'Three Graces', (the Mersey Docks and Harbour Board, Royal Liver and Cunard buildings) planned and erected in the decade or so after Victoria's death, to understand the centrality of commerce and overseas trade in making Britain the world's greatest power during the 19th century. Liverpool's status as a World Heritage City is fitting testament to a period when Britain did indeed 'rule the waves'. Top Industrial Revolution Victoria came to the throne during the early, frenetic phase of the world's first industrial revolution. Industrialisation brought with it new markets, a consumer boom and greater prosperity for most of the propertied classes. It also brought rapid, and sometimes chaotic change as towns and cities expanded at a pace which precluded orderly growth. Life expectancy at birth - in the high 30s in 1837 - had crept up to 48 by 1901. Desperately poor housing conditions, long working hours, the ravages of infectious disease and premature death were the inevitable consequence. The Victorians wrestled with this schizoid legacy of industrialism. The Victorian town symbolised Britain's


Which ancient Roman festival, which ran until the 4th century AD involved sacrifices, partying and owners serving their slaves and was partly subsumed into Christmas?

Celtic Myth and Moonlight || Holidays and Festivals [2] HALLOWEEN Halloween (also spelled Hallowe’en) is a holiday celebrated on October 31st. It has roots in the Celtic festival of Samhain and the Christian holy day of All Saints’ Day. It is largely a secular celebration, but some Christians and Pagans have expressed strong feelings about its religious overtones. Irish immigrants carried versions of the tradition to North America during Ireland's Great Famine of 1846. The day is often associated with the colors orange and black, and is strongly associated with symbols such as the jack-o'-lantern. Halloween activities include trick-or-treating, ghost tours, bonfires, costume parties, visiting haunted attractions, carving jack-o'-lanterns, reading scary stories, and watching horror movies. History Halloween has origins in the ancient Celtic festival known as Samhain; from the Old Irish samain, possibly derived from Gaulish samonios). The festival of Samhain is a celebration of the end of the harvest season in Gaelic culture, and is sometimes regarded as the "Celtic New Year". Traditionally, the festival was a time used by the ancient Celtic Pagans to take stock of supplies and slaughter livestock for winter stores. The ancient Celts believed that on October 31st, now known as Halloween, the boundary between the living and the deceased dissolved, and the dead become dangerous for the living by causing problems such as sickness or damaged crops. The festivals would frequently involve bonfires, into which the bones of slaughtered livestock were thrown. Costumes and masks were also worn at the festivals in an attempt to copy the evil spirits or placate them. Origin of Name The term Halloween, originally spelled Hallowe’en, is shortened from All Hallows’ Eve (both even and eve are abbreviations of evening, but Halloween gets its n from even) as it is the eve of "All Hallows’ Day", which is now also known as All Saints’ Day. It was a day of religious festivities in various northern European Pagan traditions, until Popes Gregory III and Gregory IV moved the old Christian feast of All Saints’ Day from May 13th (which had itself been the date of a Pagan holiday, the Feast of the Lemures) to November 1st. In the 9th century, the Church measured the day as starting at sunset, in accordance with the Florentine calendar. Although All Saints’ Day is now considered to occur one day after Halloween, the two holidays were, at that time, celebrated on the same day. Symbols On Hallows’ eve, the ancient Celts would place a skeleton on their window sill to represent the departed. Originating in Europe, these lanterns were first carved from a turnip or rutabaga. Believing that the head was the most powerful part of the body, containing the spirit and the knowledge, the Celts used the "head" of the vegetable to frighten off any superstitions. Welsh, Irish and British myth are full of legends of the Brazen Head, which may be a folk memory of the widespread ancient Celtic practice of headhunting - the results of which were often nailed to a door lintel or brought to the fireside to speak their wisdom. The name jack-o'-lantern can be traced back to the Irish legend of Stingy Jack, a greedy, gambling, hard-drinking old farmer. He tricked the devil into climbing a tree and trapped him by carving a cross into the tree trunk. In revenge, the devil placed a curse on Jack, condemning him to forever wander the earth at night with the only light he had: a candle inside of a hollowed turnip. The carving of pumpkins is associated with Halloween in North America, where pumpkins were not only readily available but much larger, making them easier to carve than turnips. Many families that celebrate Halloween carve a pumpkin into a frightening or comical face and place it on their doorstep after dark. In America, the tradition of carving pumpkins is known to have preceded the Great Famine period of Irish immigration. The carved pumpkin was originally associated with harvest time in general, in America and did not become specifically associated wit


Which country has a currency of a Quetzal divided into 100 centavos?

GTQ | Guatemalan Quetzal | OANDA Guatemalan Quetzal Overview The Quetzal is the official currency of Guatemala, a country in Central America.  Guatemala is bordered by Mexico to the north and west, by the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, by Belize to the northeast, by the Caribbean Sea to the east, and by Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast. The Guatemalan Quetzal is named after Guatemala's national bird. In ancient Mayan culture, the feathers of the quetzal bird were used as currency. The Quetzal is divided into 100 centavos, called cents in standard Spanish or lenes in Guatemalan slang. Economy According to the CIA World Factbook, Guatemala's GDP (PPP) per capita is USD $ 5,000; however, this developing country still faces many social problems and is one of the poorest countries in Latin America. Income distribution remains highly unequal, with over half the population living below the national poverty line and just over 400,000 (3.2%) unemployed. The service sector is the largest component of GDP at 58.7%, followed by agriculture at 22.1%, and the industrial sector at 19.1% (2006 estimates). Mines produce gold, silver, zinc, cobalt and nickel. The agricultural sector accounts for approximately one quarter of GDP, two-fifths of exports and half of the workforce. Organic coffee, sugar, textiles, fresh vegetables, and bananas are the main exports. History The Guatemalan Quetzal was introduced in 1925 during the tenure of President Jose Maria Orellana, whose image still appears on the obverse of the one-quetzal notes. The first banknotes were issued by the Central Bank of Guatemala, in denominations of 1, 2, 5, 10, 20 and 100 quetzals; and coins in denominations of 1, 5, 10 cents, ¼, ½ and 1 quetzal. 50-quetzal bills were introduced in 1967, and ½ and one-quetzal coins reintroduced in 1990. Until 1987, the quetzal was pegged to the US Dollar . Symbols and Names Centavo = 1/100 of a Quetzal Denominations Bills: 1, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200 quetzales Coins: 1, 5, 10, 25, 50 centavos. 1 quetzal Countries Using This Currency SITE MAP © 1996 - 2017 OANDA Corporation. All rights reserved. "OANDA", "fxTrade" and OANDA's "fx" family of trademarks are owned by OANDA Corporation. All other trademarks appearing on this Website are the property of their respective owners. Leveraged trading in foreign currency contracts or other off-exchange products on margin carries a high level of risk and may not be suitable for everyone. We advise you to carefully consider whether trading is appropriate for you in light of your personal circumstances. You may lose more than you invest. Information on this website is general in nature. We recommend that you seek independent financial advice and ensure you fully understand the risks involved before trading. Trading through an online platform carries additional risks. Refer to our legal section here . Financial spread betting is only available to OANDA Europe Ltd customers who reside in the UK or Republic of Ireland. CFDs, MT4 hedging capabilities and leverage ratios exceeding 50:1 are not available to US residents. The information on this site is not directed at residents of countries where its distribution, or use by any person, would be contrary to local law or regulation. OANDA Corporation is a registered Futures Commission Merchant and Retail Foreign Exchange Dealer with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission and is a member of the National Futures Association . No: 0325821. Please refer to the NFA's FOREX INVESTOR ALERT where appropriate. OANDA (Canada) Corporation ULC accounts are available to anyone with a Canadian bank account. OANDA (Canada) Corporation ULC is regulated by the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada (IIROC), which includes IIROC's online advisor check database ( IIROC AdvisorReport ), and customer accounts are protected by the Canadian Investor Protection Fund within specified limits. A brochure describing the nature and limits of coverage is available upon request or at www.cipf.ca . OANDA Europe Limited is a company registered in England number 7110087


Which team won the Formula 1 Constructors' Championship in 2010?

stumbleupon Email Comment Formula One is the most popular racing championship in the world. Every year, millions of fans watch 11 teams undertake 19 races in an effort to win the championship. Points are handed out to individual drivers as well as the constructors who build the cars. Like the lead singer of a band, the drivers usually grab all of the attention. Lewis Hamilton , Sebastian Vettel , Fernando Alonso and Michael Schumacher are all well known figures in the world of Formula One. The recent Ron Howard film, Rush, captured the rivalry between drivers James Hunt and Niki Lauda, not necessarily the battle between McLaren and Ferrari. The drivers are the stars, they have the dramatic on and off-track rivalries, they can get hurt in crashes and hoist the champagne on the podium after winning. The lead singer, however, is often nothing without a band. The driver, likewise, is nothing without his or her car. In Formula One, the great drivers were and are undeniably skilled. Yet, they are skilled because of how they handle their car and how their car can help them win. If it wasn’t for the constructors, the companies which design and build the cars, the drivers would be nothing more than a collection of people standing on a racetrack wearing flame-retardant clothing. Formula One is an expensive championship to participate in. Teams at the higher end often have budgets of over $200 million. New race technologies and regulations force manufacturers and teams to constantly spend huge sums on research and development in order to keep their cars competitive. Over the years, many constructors have come and gone. Failure on the track has sent more than one constructor away with their tail between their legs. Financial ruin or tough economic times has forced many more to call it a day. Honda, Porsche, Toyota and Alfa Romeo have all come and gone. Nonetheless, some, like McLaren and Ferrari, have weathered tough times and challenges on the track to stick around. All of this leads to the main question; Who are the most successful constructors in the history of Formula One? T9. BRM : 1 Constructors’ Championship In the period immediately following World War II, Thomas Raymond Mays established British Racing Motors (BRM). Mays, keen on seeing Britain become a major racing power, had developed a number of competition vehicles before the war with manufacturer English Racing Automobiles. In the Formula One Championship, BRM often raced its cars under the team name ‘Owen Racing’. Through the 1950s and into the late 1970s, BRM won 17 races and secured one Constructor’ and one Drivers’ Championships. Both championships were won in 1962 with Graham Hill behind the wheel. Other notable drivers who piloted a BRM car over the years included  Sir Jackie Stewart and Niki Lauda. T9. Benetton: 1 Constructors’ Championship From 1986 to 2000, clothing manufacturer Benetton operated Benetton Formula Ltd. in the Formula One Championship. Looking to advertise and market itself to a broader world audience, Benetton began life in Formula One as a sponsor of teams such as Tyrrell and Alfa Romeo. In 1985, the company bought a team and started the 1986 season with a BMW engine. It was only when they partnered with engine maker Renault that notable success came. Driving a Benetton-Renault in 1994, Michael Schumacher won the Drivers’ Championship. The next year, Benetton, with the driving skill of Schumacher, won both the Constructors’ and Drivers’ Championships. Other notable drivers of this team include Jenson Button , Gerhard Berger and Giancarlo Fisichella. In 2000, Benetton was bought by Renault for $120 million and officially became Renault F1 in 2002. T6. Cooper: 2 Constructors’ Championships In 1946, Charles Cooper and his son founded the Cooper Car Company in Surrey, England. Perhaps best known for the revolutionary Mini Cooper, Charles Cooper developed a variety of racers for Formula Three, Two and One. Cooper were influential in the development of the rear-mounted engine. This provided greater stability and balance and was soon adopted by all ma


Which national newspaper has been edited by Bill Deedes, Max Hastings and Charles Moore?

Charles Moore's statement | Media | The Guardian Charles Moore's statement Wednesday 1 October 2003 06.51 EDT First published on Wednesday 1 October 2003 06.51 EDT Share on Messenger Close Charles Moore has reluctantly decided to retire as Editor of The Daily Telegraph in order to write the authorised biography of Lady Thatcher. He will be succeeded by Martin Newland, 41, formerly Deputy Editor of the National Post of Canada and prior to that Home Editor of The Daily Telegraph. Sarah Sands continues as Deputy Editor of The Daily Telegraph and becomes Saturday Editor. The Chairman of the Telegraph Group, Lord Black, said: "Charles Moore has been an outstanding and successful Editor and we part with him with reluctance. Fortunately, he continues as a columnist and Group Consulting Editor. In his tenure, he led the newspaper to a successful outcome of the price and circulation war, and to a substantial modernisation, while being faithful to the newspaper's best traditions. Martin Newland will, I am sure, uphold the high standard of Bill Deedes, Max Hastings and Charles Moore. He is a Telegraph veteran who was an important part of the great success of the National Post. Martin is an outstanding journalist." Charles Moore, 46, who has been Editor since 1995, said: "It has been an honour to edit The Daily Telegraph for eight years. It is the greatest newspaper in this country. I am delighted to be able to continue in my new role and leave the paper in excellent condition and the editorship in very capable hands."


In which team sport did Imran Sherwani and Sean Kerly win Olympic Gold for Great Britain in 1988?

50 stunning Olympic moments No46: GB win hockey gold at Seoul 1988 | Sport | The Guardian 50 stunning Olympic moments No46: GB win hockey gold at Seoul 1988 How an eight-year dream turned into glorious reality Great Britain's Richard Leman, left, Imran Sherwani and Martyn Grimley celebrate their gold medal win over West Germany at the 1988 Seoul Olympics. Photo: BTS Wednesday 4 July 2012 04.00 EDT First published on Wednesday 4 July 2012 04.00 EDT Share on Messenger Close Late July 2008 and ahead of competing at the Beijing Games, the forwards from Great Britain’s men’s Olympic hockey team are gathered around a breakfast table at their Bisham Abbey training base. The press are in town and it is not long before the question James Tindall, Simon Mantell, Matt Daly, Jonty Clarke and Stephen Dick were expecting to crop up is fired their way. Why Olympians shine under the spotlight Read more “Can you name the players who won hockey gold for Britain 20 years ago?” asks one of the reporters. “Sean Kerly …” comes the tentative response, followed by complete, collective silence. The reporters close in and one suggests British hockey has hardly made the most of that victory in Seoul in terms of keeping the sport in the public consciousness and that it is a real shame the heroes of 1988 have become so easily forgotten. Then, in what seems like a blink of an eye, one of the men in the blue and red Team GB tracksuits hits back: “David Faulkner, Imran Sherwani, Stephen Batchelor, Ian Taylor, Richard Leman, Stephen Martin, Kulbir Bhaura, Paul Barber. And Kerly. Obviously.” Raucous laughter suddenly fills the room and it is later pointed out that Tindall, Mantell and co are aware that others, such as the captain Richard Dodds, Jon Potter, and Martyn Grimley, also won gold two decades ago. Of course they had not been forgotten. How could they be? Seoul ‘88 is to British hockey what Wembley ‘66 is to English football, and then some. The triumph was the nation’s first in the sport at that level – gold had been won by a purely English side at the 1908 and 1920 Games, in London and Antwerp respectively – and created instant heroes of amateurs who prior to the Olympics were barely recognisable faces in their own streets. Well perhaps Sherwani was – the scorer of two goals in the 3-1 final victory over West Germany had in 1988 also been a newsagent in Cobridge, Staffordshire. Unlike that of 1966, this success was also secured on foreign soil and in the particularly alien conditions of South-east Asia. Kerly and co not only beat Australia and West Germany en route to the high-point of their careers, they also overcame searing heat and exhausting altitude. Little wonder, then, that every generation since has been reminded of the heroes of Seoul. What took place in South Korea was, above all, a triumph for long-term planning and the art of using a slump as motivation to strive for greatness, twin processes which had their roots in the formation of the British Hockey Board in 1948. The organisation was put together in response to the individual successes of England, Scotland and Wales in the pre-war era and, initially, appeared a step in the right direction as Britain took silver at the 1948 Games in London, losing 4-0 in the Wembley final to an impressive India side. But from there a decline set in motion, beginning at the 1952 Helsinki Olympics when Britain finished up with a bronze medal on the back of a farcical period of preparation during which the BHB voted to withdraw the team from the competition only for officials from England and Wales to veto the move. There were no medals at all in Melbourne four years later, or in Rome in 1960, before things got really bad. Britain finished eighth at the Tokyo Olympics and then 12th in Mexico in 1968 before salvaging some pride with a sixth-place finish in Munich four years later. But humiliation was back in 1976, when the team were not even present for the Montreal Games despite the withdrawal of 25 African countries protesting at New Zealand’s sporting links with South Africa. The team were also de


Who in the Old Testament is the sister of Moses?

MIRIAM in the BIBLE: sister of Moses, leader of the Hebrew women The story of Miriam’s brother, Moses Movies Modern films often tell a story like Miriam’s. In ‘Norma Rae’ a young woman fights for justice for her oppressed co-workers. Bible Study Activities has a list of films with similar themes. Miriam & Moses The little basket floated for a while then lodged in the shallows of the river. Miriam was following, and saw it was not far from a bathing party. Pharaoh’s daughter was there with her retinue. The royal women saw the basket and investigated: it was a live baby, crying with hunger… See more at Life of Moses Going to the Promised Land   Miriam means ‘prophetess’ or ‘lady’; Miriam was the revered sister of the tribal leader Moses, but she was also the acknowledged leader of all the women who fled from Egypt with their families. Moses’ name appears to be Egyptian, as in Thutmoses (child of Thut); or it may simply mean ‘child of the water’. The Hebrew word mosheh also means ‘pulled out of’, as in pulled out of the water. Aaron means ‘honored or exalted one’ – Aaron was the older brother of Moses, and a revered leader of the wandering tribes. Main themes of the story Water. This symbol of life was important in Miriam’s story: she saved her brother from the waters of the Nile, she led the song of victory after the waters of the Red Sea parted, and God gave abundant water to the people, in the form of a spring, immediately after she died. Exodus. She and the Hebrew women were an essential part of the Exodus, the great founding event of the Jewish people. The Exodus had three themes: an eternal covenant between God and his people; a journey cycle involving exile, wandering and return to a Promised Land ; and the responsibility to fight injustice – ‘free my people’. Miriam’s story has four episodes: Covered basket made of split reeds and palm fibres, possibly from the 18th dynasty period of Egyptian history 1 Miriam saved her brother Moses, Exodus 2:1-10 . She was his older sister, and she watched over him when he was placed in a basket on the River Nile. The survival of the leader of the Exodus, Moses, depended on the courage and ingenuity of his sister Miriam. 2 The song of Miriam, Exodus 15:20-21 . Miriam became the leader of the Hebrew women when they and their families escaped from Egypt. On one occasion she and the women sang the Song of Miriam; it is one of the few poems that survive from the ancient world. Fragment of ancient Egyptian pottery showing bulrushes 3 Miriam’s ordeal, Numbers 12 . Miriam and Aaron were both popular leaders, but they were bound by the Law, represented by Moses. Miriam questioned Moses’ authority, and was punished with a disease that turned her skin white and leprous. Nevertheless she continued searching with Moses for the Promised Land. 4 Miriam’s death, Numbers 20:1-2 . Miriam died in a waterless place in the wilderness, but afterwards God caused water to appear there. Miriam saves her brother Moses Exodus 2:1-10 The Pharaoh in this story, thought to be Ramses II, grew concerned about the large number of foreign workers in Egypt. He decided to limit the Hebrew population by ordering midwives to kill male babies born to Hebrew women. He ordered the drowning of all male Hebrew babies. It was his ‘final solution’. Two of the midwives were woman called Shiprah and Puah. They would not co-operate with the Pharaoh’s order, but instead let the babies live. When questioned, they said that the Hebrew women were vigorous and strong and gave birth before a mid-wife had time to arrive. See the page on   Bible Heroines: Shiprah and Puah In this way they circumvented the Pharaoh’s command. He responded by ordering that all male babies be thrown into the Nile river. Moses about to be cast out onto the water of the Nile: Miriam watches over him Now a man from the house of Levi went and married a Levite woman. She conceived and bore a son, and when she saw that he was a fine baby, she hid him for three months. When she could hide him no longer, she got a papyrus basket for him, plastered it with bitumen


Which Hollywood director made his debut in 1941 with 'The Maltese Falcon'?

The Maltese Falcon - Hollywood's Golden Age The Maltese Falcon(1941) Bogart, Lorre, Astor and Greenstreet 'The Maltese Falcon' is a classic adventure detective movie made in 1941, written and directed by John Huston, and based on the 1929 detective novel by Dashiell Hammett. The movie stars Humphrey Bogart as private investigator Sam Spade, Mary Astor as his beautiful client, Sydney Greenstreet and Peter Lorre. 'The Maltese Falcon' was made on a low budget, even by 1941 standards, of $300,000, and was originally released as a B picture by Warner Brothers. The public response to the movie was so positive that it was quickly re-assessed to an A status. It was a resounding success both critically and financially, and its reputation has continued to grow ever since. It was nominated for three Academy Awards: for Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor (Sydney Greenstreet), and Best Adapted Screenplay (for Director, John Huston.) It was further honored in 1989 when it was selected by the Library of Congress, for preservation in the United States National Film Registry. In the American film Institute's 2007 list of top 100 Movies it is ranked at number 31. The movie is considered to be one of the first of film noir genre movies which became so popular during the next two decades. It certainly has many of the noir properties: it is influenced by hard boiled crime fiction, it has a troubled hero in a city setting, with the action taking place almost entirely in anonymous and claustrophobic hotel rooms and offices frequently photographed at night, murky symbolic shadows - which are withheld until the elevator door casts jail-bar shapes across the face of the duplicitous heroine at the end, and a general sense of doom and cynicism. Search Amazon for 'The Maltese Falcon' Plot Humphrey Bogart, plays cool private eye Sam Spade who lives by his own moral code. He is out to bring in the murderer of his partner and thwart a group of treacherous adventurers who have become so caught up in the search for the fabulous jeweled bird of the title that they make the fatal mistake of assuming everyone is as corrupt and greedy as they are. Huston's clever and complex script drives the film forward well, and the mystery of the falcon and the murderer is resolved by Spade in a highly entertaining manner, with plenty of plot twists and turns along the way. Production The movie was based on the Dashiell Hammett's novel 'The Maltese Falcon', originally serialized in the crime magazine "Black Mask" beginning with the September 1929 issue. Hammett apparently drew on his years as a Pinkerton detective to create his characters. The novel had been filmed twice before, firstly in 1931 under its own title starring Ricardo Cortez and Bebe Daniels, and then as 'Satan Met a Lady' in 1935 with Warren William as the Spade character and a young Bette Davis. Director John Huston who, remarkably, wrote the screenplay, as well as making his directorial debut, remained faithful to the original Hammett novel, particularly the dialogue which is quite superb. Whereas other great Hollywood directors pursue their own visions, Huston was at his best when making faithful adaptations of minor classic novels. Having served an apprenticeship as a writer, he selected the book from Warner Brothers' catalogue of properties and was so confident in the strength of his material that his script consists essentially of a transcription of Hammett's dialogue although removing any references to sex that the censors might find unacceptable. For instance, the homosexuality of Joel Cairo is shown quite clearly in the novel but is only hinted at in the movie. Huston was fortunate enough to be able to obtain a letter-perfect cast down to the smallest bit parts. Warner Brothers had originally wanted the popular George Raft for the Spade role but he turned it down, refusing to do a remake. Huston's first choice was Bogart, who had become a dependable leading man in films such as 'They Drive by Night' in 1940 and 'High Sierra' in early 1941. The studio wanted Geraldine Fitzgerald for the role of Br


The shawm was a predecessor of which modem musical instrument?

M401: Renaissance Instruments M401 Home | About M401 | Schedule | Listening List | Renaissance Instrumental Music Renaissance Instruments Be sure to visit the Guide to Medieval and Renaissance Instruments at the website of Iowa State University's Musica Antiqua for descriptions, pictures, and sound examples of Medieval and Renaissance instruments. Renaissance instruments, such as viols and most wind instruments, were often built in families, with several different sizes to cover different ranges. A group of like instruments was called a consort. Winds Brass: trumpet, sackbut (predecessor of the trombone) Cornett (played with cupped mouthpiece and made of wood or ivory) Uncapped double reeds: shawm (predecessor of the modern oboe), curtal (predecessor of the modern bassoon), racket Capped double reeds: crumhorn, Rauschpfeif, cornemuse Plucked Strings Gut-strung: lute, vihuela, guitar, harp (arpa doppia and diatonic) Metal or wire strung: cittern, bandora (or pandora), orpharion Bowed Strings Unfretted bowed strings: fiddles (rebec, vielle, kit), lira di braccio, violin family Fretted bowed strings: viols (viola da gamba) Keyboard Organ: large church organ, positive, regals (small reed organ) Clavichord (strings struck with metal tangents) Harpsichord, virginal, spinet (strings plucked by quills) Percussion Drums: tabor (as in pipe and tabor), side drum, timpani, kettle drum (often with military uses or associations) Metallophones: cymbals, triangles, xylophone Last updated: 15 October 2014 URL: http://www.music.indiana.edu/som/courses/m401/instrum.html


Strigiformes is the name of the order of which group of birds?

ADW: Strigiformes: INFORMATION Twitter By Danielle Cholewiak Although their internal taxonomy is currently debated, two owl families are commonly recognized, the barn-owls ( Tytonidae ) and the typical-owls ( Strigidae ). Over 200 species are distributed among approximately 27 genera. Owls are found world-wide, covering nearly all types of terrestrial habitats. A diverse order, owls range in size from sparrow- to eagle-sized. They are known for many characteristics, including their well-developed talons, soft plumage, and notoriously silent flight. Their legs are strong, and feathered in many species; they have zygodactyl raptorial feet. All species have a characteristic facial disk, which is circular among strigid owls and heart-shaped in the tytonid owls. Their holorhinal nostrils are found at the base of their short, downward-pointing bills, and their palates are desmognathous or schizognathous. They have unusually fleshy tongues, and lack crops, but have large caeca with club-shaped ends. Their large wings allow them to fly slowly, and their plumage is often cryptic, and many species have different color phases. Their feathers have either absent or rudimentary aftershafts. Most species are active hunters at night, and as such they have several important adaptations for this lifestyle. Their forward-facing eyes are large, elongated, and have slightly thickened corneas. The number of light-sensitive elements (rods) in their retinas is high, especially compared to other birds. This allows them a heightened sense of vision in dim light, but contrary to popular belief, they cannot see in total darkness. At least some species have been shown to have color vision, it is not known whether the more nocturnal species are able to see color. Their eyes are more or less fixed in their orbits, supported by a bony sclerotic ring. Therefore they have well-developed binocular vision, but they need to turn their heads to see on either side of them. Their hunting ability is also greatly augmented by their excellent sense of hearing, and some species use their auditory capabilities to hunt prey that they cannot see (such as rodents running under the snow in winter). The facial disk and facial ruff are both important in their sense of hearing. The facial ruff is composed of paired layers of densely packed feathers that have large rachides and reduced vanes; these are inserted behind the ear openings in a special flap of skin. The facial disk, which lies over the ruff, is composed of feathers with open vanes. Together these form parabolic troughs leading to the ears that can increase sound pressure tenfold. The facial ruff and disk are larger in highly nocturnal species, as well as those that hunt prey travelling under the snow. Their hearing is more sensitive to low-frequency sounds than most birds, and is sensitive across a wide range of frequencies. They have a wide outer ear tube and a large inner ear, and the auditory region of the brain has more nerve cells than that of other species of comparable size, which allows them to detect sounds more effectively. Owls hunt a wide variety of prey, ranging from small mammals to birds, lizards, and insects; there are even fish-eating owls in Africa and Asia. Prey is often swallowed whole, and the fur, feathers, and bones are later regurgitated in pellets. Many owl species, especially those that hunt during night hours, are able to fly nearly silently. Several special feather adaptations make this possible. The leading edges of their outer primaries have stiff, comb-like fringes that reduce noise, the trailing edge of their primaries and secondaries have soft fringes that reduced turbulence behind the wings, and their primaries, secondaries, and wing coverts are covered in downy feathers that also reduce noise. Silent flight may be less important in those species that hunt over water or during the day, and many of these species do not have these adaptations. Owls do not build nests, instead they use nests of other species or utilize tree cavities. Some nest on the gr


Bandar Seri Begawan, capital city of Brunei All... Bandar Seri Begawan, capital city of Brunei Many visitors come to Bandar Seri Begawan expecting an extravagant mini-Dubai, but the capital city of Brunei is actually quite unassuming. The country's oil riches are certainly evident in many buildings, like the shopping malls and mosques, but outright ostentation is hard to find. The flashiness of the nouveau-riche plays out more in the suburbs, leaving the city quiet, peaceful and quite serene. The most opulent building in the city and perhaps the whole country is the Jame'Asr Hassanil Bolkiah Mosque. It is the largest mosque in Brunei and considered one of the region's most grand monuments to Islam. The edifice is certainly stunning, but the interior is downright jaw-dropping. Built in 1992 for the 25th anniversary of the current sultan's reign, the sheer size of the interior is awe-inspiring. Seemingly every inch is covered with artistic details that show the creator's devotion to the faith. The surrounding gardens are equally beautiful, and the whole complex is truly dazzling. In a close second place for most extravagant building comes the Omar Ali Saifuddien Mosque. Considerably smaller than the Jame' Asr Hassanil Bolkiah Mosque but only slightly less decadent, this mosque was built in 1958 in its own artificial lagoon. It is the tallest building in the central stretch of the capital, and the call to prayer echoes from there throughout the city at dawn and dusk. These and most of the other extravagant buildings in Brunei were built with oil riches. The Oil and Gas Gallery is dedicated to the state's major industry, and interactive exhibits teach visitors about the origins of the country's oil and the process of getting it from the ground to the gas pump. The Brunei Museum expands on the country's oil history and also contains a wonderful Islamic art gallery. Illuminated copies of the Koran are the most interesting part of the museum, but there is also an incredible small-scale model of the Dome of the Rock made from abalone shell and mother of pearl. Behind the Brunei Museum lies the Malay Technology Museum. The small but thought-provoking space features full-size replicas of traditional stilt houses, an exhibit detailing the evolution of village architecture over the last two centuries and a collection of handicrafts and fishing tools made by the people who live in the water villages throughout the country. The sultanate retains a close relationship with Queen Elizabetth II, and the history of the British in Brunei is chronicled at the Twelve Roofs House. British High Commissioners called the residence home for decades before Brunei gained independence in 1984. The nearby Royal Regalia Museum celebrates the sultan and all of Bruneian royalty's trappings. If you missed the sultan's coronation day parade in 1967, no worries -- the museum recreates the entire spectacle for visitors in its huge ground-floor gallery. Nearly all the floats from the parade are on display, and the sultan's own gilded royal cart greets visitors as soon as they pass through the doors. Bandar Seri Begawan is a relatively calm city that lacks the hustle and bustle of other capitals, and the Taman Perangina Tasek is the most serene place in town. The sprawling green zone is dotted with picnic tables, fountains and waterfalls, and the peaceful walking trails take visitors past freshwater swimming holes and lush trees that provide a home to proboscis monkeys. Bandar Seri Begawan Geographical Location Bandar Seri Begawan is located in the northeast of Brunei on the northern bank of the Brunei River. With a population of 280,000 people, Bandar Seri Begawan is the largest city in Brunei. Bandar Seri Begawan Language Malay is the official language of Brunei with English and Chinese being the most common foreign languages. Bandar Seri Begawan Predominant Religion 67% Muslim


Two Yorkshire venues have hosted test match cricket. Headingley at Leeds is one. Name the other.

BBC SPORT | Cricket | Test Match Special | TMS ground guide: Headingley Test Match Special England v South Africa, Fourth Test, 21-25 August 2003 Headingley Cricket Ground, St. Michael's Lane, Leeds, West Yorkhire Take a virtual tour of Headingley Headingley has seen some incredible cricket performances since its birth at the end of the 1880s. And the home of Yorkshire County Cricket Club is undergoing some rennovations in order to bring it up to the standards of England's other Test venues. However, the county has not always enjoyed their sport at this famous location. Their cricketing life began at Bramall Lane in Sheffield and only in 1888 did they move to new pastures in north-west Leeds. Both cricket and rugby have been played at the ground, with union and league being played on the adjoining pitch which on Test match days becomes a temporary car park for the great and the good. The first cricket match was played in 1890 when a touring team from Australia played a select side from the north of England. The rise of Headingley as a national cricket arena was complete in 1899 when it hosted its first Test match when England took on the Australians. Despite the wicket being traditionally known to assist seam bowlers, the Headingley faithful have had many glorious batting exploits to cheer about over the years, most notably involving Australia. The ground witnessed two phenomenal Test triple centuries by Don Bradman in 1930 and 1934. In 1977, Yorkshire's Geoff Boycott delighted his home support when he claimed his 100th century playing against Baggy Greens. Spectators rarely get a boring game at Headingley - it always produces interesting matches and something always happens Graeme Fowler And four years later Ian Botham's exploits stunned the cricketing world when England came back from the brink to beat Australia before going on to win the Ashes. England's recent record at the ground does not make good reading for the home suport with only three wins in the last decade. However, they can comfort themselves in the knowledge that one of those victories came against South Africa who have a woeful return from 10 matches with only one win. Tickets Tickets are still available for all five days, although you need to move fast for Friday and Saturday. For tickets and details call 0800 032 66 44. Stat pack England: 27 wins; 19 defeats; 17 draws Highest score: 334 Don Bradman; Australia v England 1930 Best bowling (innings): 8-43 Bob Willis; England v Australia 1981 Best bowling (match): 15-99 Colin Blythe; England v South Africa 1905 Record partnership: 388 Bill Ponsford & Don Bradman (4th wkt); Australia v England 1934 England v South Africa England: 6 wins; 1 defeats; 3 draws FRINDALL'S FASCINATING FACT Eng: 138; Peter May 1951 SA: 236; Eric Rowan 1951 Best bowling figures: Eng: 8-59; Colin Blythe 1905 SA: 6-17; Aubrey Faulkner 1907 Best match figues: Eng: 15-99 (8-59 & 7-40); Colin Blythe 1905 SA: 9-75 (6-17 & 3-58); Aubrey Faulkner 1907 Record partnership: Eng: 142 (3rd wkt); Mike Atherton & Graham Thorpe 1994 SA: 198 (2nd wkt); Eric Rowan & Clive van Ryneveld 1951 Directions To reach the ground by car head to the city centre, then follow signs for the Kirkstall, Headingley and the University. If coming from the north there is no need to head into the city centre as Headingley is on your way. Headingley and Burley rail stations are within walking distance of the ground, with Leeds main station nearly three miles away. Taxis from the station to the ground will cost in the region of ï¿½7 with buses leaving from Infirmary Street. Food & drink Times have moved on from the days when Harry Ramsden's fish and chips were the idea of haute cuisine and now there is something for all palates in Leeds. Head to Headrow for starters and then branch out in any direction until you see something that takes your fancy. Being in a university area there is a plethora of pubs, with plenty around the established Headingley triangle, a short walk from the ground. Further afield, and back towards town, try Call Lane where you can make the most of t


Van Mildert, Trevelyan and St Chad's are constituent colleges of which university?

Postgraduate : Explore the colleges - Durham University Explore the colleges Explore the colleges There are sixteen colleges at Durham University, fourteen in Durham City and two at Queen's Campus Stockton. You become a member of a college at the campus where your course is delivered. If your course is based in Durham City, you will be a member of one of our Durham City-based Colleges and if your course is based at Queen's Campus, you will be a member of one of our Queen's Campus Colleges.


Which American President had the forenames James Abram?

American President—Miller Center Diary, 1848–1874 (2 vols., 1967), ed. by H. J. Brown and F. D. Williams James A. Garfield Image Gallery Citation Information Chicago Style Miller Center of Public Affairs, University of Virginia. “James A. Garfield.” Accessed January 20, 2017. http://millercenter.org/president/garfield. Consulting Editor Justus Doenecke Professor Doenecke is a professor emeritus of history at the New College of Florida. His writings include: The Presidencies of James A. Garfield and Chester A. Arthur (University Press of Kansas, 1981) Debating Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Foreign Policies, 1933–1945 (With Mark S. Stoler, Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2005)


Which European country includes a representation of an armillary sphere on its national flag?

Armillary sphere - WikiVisually FEATURED ARTICLES · CHANGE LANGUAGE · hover over links in text for more info click links in text for more info Armillary sphere Jost Bürgi and Antonius Eisenhoit : Armillary sphere with astronomical clock , made in 1585 in Kassel , now at Nordiska Museet in Stockholm An armillary sphere (variations are known as spherical astrolabe, armilla, or armil) is a model of objects in the sky (in the celestial sphere ), consisting of a spherical framework of rings, centred on Earth or the Sun, that represent lines of celestial longitude and latitude and other astronomically important features such as the ecliptic . As such, it differs from a celestial globe , which is a smooth sphere whose principal purpose is to map the constellations. It was invented separately in ancient Greece and ancient China , with later use in the Islamic world and Medieval Europe . With the Earth as center, an armillary sphere is known as Ptolemaic . With the sun as center, it is known as Copernican . The flag of Portugal features an armillary sphere. The armillary sphere is also featured in Portuguese heraldry , associated with the Portuguese discoveries during the Age of Exploration . Contents This section refers to labels in the diagram below. Armillary sphere diagram The exterior parts of this machine are a compages [or framework] of brass rings, which represent the principal circles of the heavens. 1. The equinoctial A, which is divided into 360 degrees (beginning at its intersection with the ecliptic in Aries) for showing the sun's right ascension in degrees; and also into 24 hours, for showing its right ascension in time. 2. The ecliptic B, which is divided into 12 signs, and each sign into 30 degrees, and also into the months and days of the year; in such a manner, that the degree or point of the ecliptic in which the sun is, on any given day, stands over that day in the circle of months. 3. The tropic of Cancer C, touching the ecliptic at the beginning of Cancer in e, and the tropic of Capricorn D, touching the ecliptic at the beginning of Capricorn in f; each 23½ degrees from the equinoctial circle. 4. The Arctic Circle E, and the Antarctic Circle F, each 23½ degrees from its respective pole at N and S. 5. The equinoctial colure G, passing through the north and south poles of the heaven at N and S, and through the equinoctial points Aries and Libra, in the ecliptic. 6. The solstitial colure H, passing through the poles of the heaven, and through the solstitial points Cancer and Capricorn, in the ecliptic. Each quarter of the former of these colures is divided into 90 degrees, from the equinoctial to the poles of the world, for showing the declination of the sun, moon, and stars; and each quarter of the latter, from the ecliptic as e and f, to its poles b and d, for showing the latitude of the stars. In the north pole of the ecliptic is a nut b, to which is fixed one end of the quadrantal wire, and to the other end a small sun Y, which is carried round the ecliptic B—B, by turning the nut : and in the south pole of the ecliptic is a pin d, on which is another quadrantal wire, with a small moon Ζ upon it, which may be moved round by hand : but there is a particular contrivance for causing the moon to move in an orbit which crosses the ecliptic at an angle of 5⅓ degrees, to opposite points called the moon's nodes; and also for shifting these points backward in the ecliptic, as the moon's nodes shift in the heaven. Within these circular rings is a small terrestrial globe J, fixed on an axis K, which extends from the north and south poles of the globe at n and s, to those of the celestial sphere at N and S. On this axis is fixed the flat celestial meridian L L, which may be set directly over the meridian of any place on the globe, so as to keep over the same meridian upon it. This flat meridian is graduated the same way as the brass meridian of the common globe, and its use is much the same. To this globe is fitted the movable horizon M, so as to turn upon the two strong wires proceeding from its east and west points t


All of Shakespeare's plays are divided into how many acts?

Shakespeare's Play & The Five Act Structure: An Examination You are here: Home / Shakespeare’s Plays / Shakespeare’s Five Act Structure When you read a Shakespeare play you’ll probably notice that it’s divided into acts and scenes – and always has a five act structure. The number of scenes in each act vary but there are always be five acts, no exceptions. Why is that? Is there something about Shakespeare’s plays that made it necessary for him to divide them up in that way, into acts and scenes? The answer is no, not at all – there is nothing about them that calls for any division al all. And yet all Elizabethan and Jacobean plays, and in fact, most plays all the way up to and including the 20th century are structured in five acts. The truth, certainly as far as Elizabethan and Jacobean plays are concerned, is that the playwrights did not write them in five acts – that division was done later by the various editors who worked on their plays. One can see the logic of the division, however. As long ago as 350 BC Aristotle famously wrote that a play must have a beginning, a middle, and an end, which is the beginning of structure. In his work on dramatic theory – ‘Poetics’ – Aristotle examined scores of plays and set out his explanation of makes a play work for an audience. According to Aristotle a drama is action – it is all about the events of an individual’s life. It’s not about a character: it’s about the events that derive from character and the events that result from character. It’s not an imitation of character, then, but of life, which, according to Aristotle, consists of action. According to Aristotle the beginning of a play consists of the presentation of a character, someone the audience can identify with. That is a beginning – an opening, a first act. The character makes a decision and performs an action, which moves the play on. That action has consequences, and so it goes on, until that initial action results in a climax, followed by a reversal and then a resolution. All that will make the audience hold its breath and then release it at the end in a kind of catharsis. From that one can see a structure, which we still have in drama today – regardless of the number of acts used in print. Aristotle certainly did not divide the action into five sections. It was the Roman critic, Horace, three hundred years after Aristotle, who advocated that, and by the beginning of the first century in Rome it had become conventional. All Seneca’s plays were structured in five separate acts with musical interludes between them. Shakespeare’s texts do not only have five acts and several scenes but each scene indicates the location of the action in that scene. Shakespeare did not do that, nor did he divide the plays into acts and scenes. All that was done for the first time by the playwright Nicholas Rowe (1674-1718), in his six volume edition of Shakespeare’s plays he edited in 1709. The German critic, Guystav Freytach (1816-1895), attempted to rationalise the five act structure. In his model the first act is the exposition, introducing the characters and the setting and ending with the play’s significant piece of action. The second act takes that action and complicates it: that’s the complication. In the third act there is a climax, where the fortunes of the character or characters are reversed – either good to bad or bad to worse: that’s the climax. In the fourth act the results of the reversal are played out, putting the final outcome in doubt. This is the resolution. The fifth act winds it all up by presenting the consequences of the resolution and tying up loose ends. That is the denuement. Shakespeare’s plays do not exactly fit any pattern described by such analysis. They conform generally to the Aristotelian model but depart from that in the most wonderfully creative ways while still working for the audience. They also sometimes resemble Freytach’s scheme but do not fit neatly into it. As a rule the division of Shakespeare’s plays into a five act structure is a meaningless nonsense. The plays are fluid and continuous and any


Glenda Jackson won Best Actress Oscar in 1971 for her role in 'Women In Love' and again in 1974 for a role in which film?

Glenda Jackson - Awards - IMDb Glenda Jackson Showing all 19 wins and 17 nominations Academy Awards, USA A Touch of Class (1973) Glenda Jackson was not present at the awards ceremony. The film's writer-director-producer Melvin ... More Glenda Jackson was not present at the awards ceremony. The film's writer-director-producer Melvin Frank accepted the award on her behalf.


Who was the first singer to win the Eurovision Song Contest for Ireland?

Eurovision Winners Videos - 1960s 1960s 1969 - Joint Winners!  France, Netherlands, Spain, UK The Eurovision Song Contest in 1969 was the first time that the contest resulted in a tie for first place, with four countries each gaining 18 votes. Since there was at the time no rule to cover such an eventuality, all four countries were declared joint winners. Had the later tie-break rule been in place (i.e. the song receiving votes from the most countries, then the song receiving the most high votes in case of another tie), France would have been the overall winner. France - Frida Boccara, "Un Jour, Un Enfant" "Un jour, un enfant" ("A Day, a Child") was one of four winning songs in the Eurovision Song Contest 1969, this one being sung in French by Frida Boccara representing France. The other three winners were Salomé representing Spain with "Vivo cantando", Lulu representing the United Kingdom with "Boom Bang-a-Bang" and Lenny Kuhr representing the Netherlands with "De troubadour". The song was performed fourteenth on the night, following Germany's Siw Malmkvist with "Primaballerina" and preceding Portugal's Simone de Oliveira with "Desfolhada portuguesa". At the close of voting, it had received 18 points, placing equal first in a field of 16. The song is a classical ballad, describing the wonders of the world as seen by a child. Boccara recorded the song in five languages, French, English (as "Through the Eyes of a Child"), German ("Es schlägt ein Herz für dich", translated: "A Heart Beats for You"), Spanish ("Un día, un niño", translated: "A Day, a Child") and Italian ("Canzone di un amore perduto", translated: "Song of a Lost Love"). Netherlands - Lennie Kuhr, "De Troubadour" "De troubadour" ("The troubadour"), sung in Dutch by Lenny Kuhr representing the Netherlands, was – together with "Boom Bang-a-Bang", "Un jour, un enfant", and "Vivo cantando" from, respectively, the United Kingdom, France, and Spain – one of the four winners of the Eurovision Song Contest 1969. In a ballad inspired both musically and lyrically by folk-song traditions, Kuhr sings about a troubadour of the Middle Ages, describing the impact the music has on his audiences. Kuhr also recorded the song in English (as "The troubadour"), French ("Le troubadour"), German ("Der troubadour"), Italian ("Un canta storie") and Spanish ("El trovador"). The 1969 Contest was controversially held in Madrid, Spain during Francisco Franco's dictatorship; 5 years after the Contest, Kuhr also recorded the song with revised Dutch lyrics, then retitled "De generaal" ("The general"), which was a homage to the Dutch national socker coach Rinus Michaels, who was called "De Generaal" by the players of the Dutch team. The song was performed eighth on the night, following the United Kingdom's Lulu with "Boom Bang-a-Bang" and preceding Sweden's Tommy Körberg with "Judy, min vän". By the close of voting, it had received 18 points, placing it equal first in a field of 16. The Netherlands thus achieved the rare feat of going from (equal) last to (equal) first in the space of one year. Spain - Salome, "Vivo Cantando" "Vivo cantando" (Spanish pronunciation: ['bißo kan'tando], "I Live Singing") was one of four songs which tied for first place in the Eurovision Song Contest 1969. Performed in Spanish by Salomé for Spain, the song was joint winner with the United Kingdom's "Boom Bang-a-Bang" performed by Lulu, "De troubadour" by Lenny Kuhr representing the Netherlands, and "Un jour, un enfant" sung for France by Frida Boccara. It was Spain's second winning entry in the contest and the last to date. The song is a very up-tempo number, sung from the perspective of a woman telling her lover about the positive changes he has had on her, specifically that she now lives her life singing. Two memorable aspects of the performance were Salomé's costume – a pantsuit covered in long strands of porcelain resembling beads – and the fact that the singer chose to dance on the spot during certain parts of the song. Dancing was against Eurovision Song Contest regulations at the time; Salomé was not pena


What type of food is Lincolnshire Poacher?

Lincolnshire Poacher - Cheese.com Find over 1750 specialty cheeses from 74 countries in the world's greatest cheese resource Lincolnshire Poacher Lincolnshire Poacher is an award-winning handmade cheese produced on a dairy farm nestling on the eastern edge of the beautiful Lincolnshire Wolds. It is made in a way that is similar to traditional West Country Cheddar using unpasteurised cow’s milk. The cheese was invented by Simon Jones from Lincolnshire, who decided to turn the spring milk from his herd of Holsteins into cheese. Traditional Lincolnshire Poacher is available in a cylindrical shape, coated by a rind appearing similar to granite. It is a slow-maturing cheese that takes between 12-24 months to develop a golden, straw-coloured yellow pate and spotted brown and gray colour rind. One gets daily and seasonal variation in terms of both flavour and texture but all-in-all the cheese has both cheddar and gruyere-like qualities. It has a smooth texture and a strong taste. In summer, notes of pineapple, toasted nuts and grassy dominate the flavour profile while in winter the taste becomes savory and almost meaty. Lincolnshire Poacher pairs well with full bodied reds and whites and beer. The company makes many other traditional cheeses such as Vintage Lincolnshire Poacher aged for 18 to 22 months, Smoked Lincolnshire Poacher, Double Barrel and Lincolnshire Red which is made using vegetarian rennet. Made from unpasteurized cow 's milk


By which Christian name is the father of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart usually known?

"Johann Christian Bach's influence on Mozart's developing style" by Austin Bourdon Dr. Gene Anderson Abstract The methods by which great composers create their masterpieces often remain a mystery to modern scholars. There are essentially two approaches to determining what these methods might be: investigating a composer’s surviving drafts, sketches, and letters and analyzing their musical influences. The first approach can be very limiting, especially when applied to a composer such as Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, who did not leave behind many musical sketches. Therefore, when studying Mozart’s compositional process, it is more useful to rely on the second method in which one traces his stylistic development to key musical figures. From these major influences, one can uncover how Mozart learned his craft and determine what musical elements he must have considered to be most important. Although Mozart experienced a wide range of influences throughout his life—he was known for quickly picking up various forms and styles of music—this paper will focus on one composer in particular: Johann Christian Bach. Many musicologists have formed a general consensus that Christian, aside from Mozart’s father, Leopold, was one of the leading musical influences in Mozart’s life. Musicologist Georges de Saint-Foix, for instance, makes the dramatic claim that “[Bach’s influence] replaced the influence of the father…so that Johan Christian Bach became the only the true teacher of Mozart.”1 Another scholar, Robert Gjerdingen, similarly states, “[Mozart] always viewed [J.C. Bach] as the great model, the man whose style he worked to emulate more assiduously than any other during his early years.”2 Through this paper, I intend to investigate the true significance of the role that Bach played in Mozart’s life and determine how this influence might shed light on Mozart’s own compositional practices. Recommended Citation Bourdon, Austin, "Johann Christian Bach's influence on Mozart's developing style" (2010). Honors Theses. Paper 167. http://scholarship.richmond.edu/honors-theses/167


In which collection can you view 'The Laughing Cavalier' by Frans Hals?

The Wallace Collection - What's On - Current Exhibitions The Wallace Collection No Love Lost, Blue Paintings by Damien Hirst Wednesday 14th October, 2009 - Sunday 24th January, 2010 Price: Admission Free The Wallace Collection is delighted to be hosting an exhibition of 25 new paintings by Damien Hirst, including two triptychs, showing in the UK for the first time.  The paintings created between 2006 and 2008, marks the artist’s return to the solitary practice of painting. Since the start of his career, Hirst has challenged what it means to be an artist. ‘No Love Lost’ bears witness to a bold new direction in his work: a series of paintings that, in the artist’s words are “deeply connected to the past.” Their exhibition at the Wallace Collection, arguably the most intimate national museum in the world, is significant. In contrast to the white walls of a contemporary gallery, Hirst has opted to present these works in a classical environment, in the context of Old Master paintings in the great European tradition. His works engage in a dramatic visual dialogue with the works of art displayed in the adjacent sumptuous rooms. Press clippings and media for this exhibition. The art critics ripped into Damien Hirst’s new show at the Wallace Collection as if his notorious sharks in formaldehyde had escaped their elegant glass prisons and were determined to wreak bloody revenge on their creator. It was, of course, many of these selfsame critics who helped boost Hirst’s reputation to the point where a sale of his work at Sotheby’s last September took almost a hundred million quid even as the world economy was collapsing. Critics, by and large, are far from wealthy. Was it jealousy that goaded them to such loathing, the festering sense that, having backed a maverick, he had now become richer and more famous than they would ever be? Or was it simply the tall poppy syndrome, so much a part of the British character, which insists on cutting down to size anyone who appears to be getting above himself? I thought I’d better go and look at the 25 new paintings, which, unlike Hirst’s earlier output, are all his own work. They turn out to be nothing like as bad as almost everyone has said, and they make a striking contrast with the old masters displayed elsewhere in this sumptuous gallery. No, you can’t compare Hirst’s rather scratchy paintings of skulls, lemons, reptiles, cigarettes and ashtrays with the bravura of Rubens or Frans Hals on show nearby, and it is hard to resist the notion that Hals’s Laughing Cavalier is having a good smirk at Hirst’s technical shortcomings. But the paintings sit well on the walls of the Wallace Collection, and bring in a blast of bracing fresh air. They also confirm that Hirst, like Webster, is a man much possessed by death, who sees the skull beneath the skin. His revival of the memento mori strikes me as healthy in an age when most of us prefer to forget we are going to die. I spoke to one of the attendants and told him that, despite the venomous reviews, I rather liked the paintings. He said he did, too, and added that they were bringing people, many of them young, to the Wallace Collection for the first time, and that, after looking at Hirst’s work, they continued to explore elsewhere. I hope Hirst will keep his nerve and continue to paint. For a conceptual artist to turn to figurative painting strikes me as an act of courage – and, though these paintings are far from perfect, they are full of promise and individuality. Twenty-five years from now I suspect he will be regarded as one of the grand old men of British art, and that this xhibition will be viewed as a significant turning point in his career. Charles Spencer, The Daily Telegraph, 16 Nov 2009 “His words and works are more honest, there’s no marketing, no spin. He’s still finding his way, doing what jazz musicians call ‘woodshedding’, meaning to hone one’s skills or pay dues through sustained practice [sic] but is starting to hit his painterly stride, or ‘winning the image’, as he calls it, especially in the sentinel-like figures of Guardian I an


Who played Owen Newitt in the TV series 'The Vicar of Dibley'?

The Vicar of Dibley - Show News, Reviews, Recaps and Photos - TV.com The Vicar of Dibley EDIT The Vicar of Dibley begins after the old Vicar Pottle dies, Dibley needs a suitable replacement for him. It would be assumed that they'd find a young interesting man but instead they get Geraldine Granger (Dawn French). She's not exactly the kind of person you'd expect for that sort of position, with her jokes and honest, yet sweet attitude. She quickly became popular with the people in Dibley, because of her enthusiasm and caring personality. Each episode uses the clashing of personalities, to bring great comedy. A lot of plots revolve around Geraldine and Alice Tinker (Emma Chambers) who is the Verger, and a good friend to Geraldine despite her complete lack of common sense. Other important characters include David Horton (Gary Waldhorn) the local councillor, who is amazingly full of himself, Hugo Horton (James Fleet) David's withdrawn son who is later married to Alice, Jim Trott (Trevor Peacock) who struggles to get out a full sentence, Owen Newitt (Roger Lloyd Pack) a farmer who likes his animals alot, Letitia Cropley (Liz Smith) was an important character who's recipes would never be forgotten, however the character passed away in the Easter Special in 1996.moreless