Who became the first President of the newly independent Ghana in 1957?

BBC ON THIS DAY | 6 | 1957: Ghana celebrates independence About This Site | Text Only 1957: Ghana celebrates independence The people of Ghana have been celebrating the end of colonial rule and the dawn of their independence. Most workers have been given the day off - tens of thousands have gathered in the capital, Accra, to greet the independent country's first prime minister, Dr Kwame Nkrumah. The Duchess of Kent has been attending the celebrations. Last night, she opened the Independence Monument, erected near the spot where in 1948 members of the Ghanaian ex-servicemen's union were shot when marching to present a petition to the British Governor. The Gold Coast Legislative Assembly was prorogued at midnight to cheers from the waiting crowd outside. This morning the Legislative Assembly building, now the building of the Ghana parliament was packed with members dressed in their national costumes. The first Governor-General of Ghana, Sir Charles Arden-Clarke has been sworn in. Message from the Queen The Duchess gave a speech, setting out the Ghana Government policy. She also read out a personal message from the Queen to the people of Ghana. In it she said: "The hopes of many, especially in Africa, hang on  your endeavours. It is my earnest and confident belief that my people in Ghana will go forward in freedom and justice." In reply, Dr Nkrumah said: "My government fully realises both the advantages and the responsibilities involved in the achievement of independence. It intends to make full use of these advantages to increase the prosperity of the country." Earlier, the British Prime Minister, Harold Macmillan, made a speech welcoming Ghana's move to independence. "The government and people of Ghana have set their hands to a great task. We are confident whatever may be the difficulties which will face them they will maintain and develop the principles of tolerance and freedom which are inherent in our parliamentary system. We shall give them all the help we can."


With which branch of the arts would you associate Barbara Hepworth?

Dame Barbara Hepworth | British sculptor | Britannica.com Dame Barbara Hepworth Alternative Title: Dame Jocelyn Barbara Hepworth Dame Barbara Hepworth Eric Gill Dame Barbara Hepworth, in full Dame Jocelyn Barbara Hepworth (born Jan. 10, 1903, Wakefield , Yorkshire, Eng.—died May 20, 1975, St. Ives, Cornwall ), sculptor whose works were among the earliest abstract sculptures produced in England . Her lyrical forms and feeling for material made her one of the most influential sculptors of the mid-20th century. Interview with British sculptor Barbara Hepworth and shots of her nine-work series … Stock footage courtesy The WPA Film Library Fascinated from early childhood with natural forms and textures, Hepworth decided at age 15 to become a sculptor. In 1919 she enrolled in the Leeds School of Art, where she befriended fellow student Henry Moore . Their lifelong friendship and reciprocal influence were important factors in the parallel development of their careers. Hepworth’s earliest works were naturalistic with simplified features. Purely formal elements gradually gained greater importance for her until, by the early 1930s, her sculpture was entirely abstract. Works such as Reclining Figure (1932) resemble rounded biomorphic forms and natural stones; they seem to be the fruit of long weathering instead of the hard work with a chisel they actually represent. In 1933 Hepworth married (her second husband; the first was the sculptor John Skeaping) the English abstract painter Ben Nicholson , under whose influence she began to make severe, geometric pieces with straight edges and immaculate surfaces. As Hepworth’s sculpture matured during the late 1930s and ’40s, she concentrated on the problem of the counterplay between mass and space. Pieces such as Wave (1943–44) became increasingly open, hollowed out, and perforated, so that the interior space is as important as the mass surrounding it. Her practice, increasingly frequent in her mature pieces, of painting the works’ concave interiors further heightened this effect, while she accented and defined the sculptural voids by stretching strings taut across their openings. During the 1950s Hepworth produced an experimental series called Groups, clusters of small anthropomorphic forms in marble so thin that their translucence creates a magical sense of inner life. In the next decade she was commissioned to do a number of sculptures approximately 20 feet (6 metres) high. Among the more successful of her works in this gigantic format is the geometric Four-Square (Walk Through) (1966). Hepworth was made a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1965. A Pictorial Autobiography was published in 1970 and reissued in 1993. She died in a fire in her home at St. Ives, Cornwall; her home was preserved as the Barbara Hepworth Home and Sculpture Garden and is run by the Tate St. Ives, a branch of the Tate galleries . Learn More in these related articles:


Which porcelain manufacturer has two crossed swords as its mark?

Meissen Marks Blue Crossed Swords & Augustus Rex Marks - Antique Meissen Marks and the blue crossed swords mark imitators. Not all blue crossed swords marks are genuine Meissen marks. Knowing what to look for and the dates that are relevant to each Meissen mark can help you avoid buying imitation Meissen porcelain. You should remember that the marks detailed below are mostly drawn by hand and that slight variations in the format occur and the mark only supports the source and doesn’t testify to it. The true test of an antique Meissen porcelain piece is always the overall quality of the object and the quality of the decoration. The Meissen Blue Crossed Swords and Augustus Rex marks. 1723-1725 — Original kpm mark with blue crossed swords beneath. 1825-1924 — blue crossed swords mark with curved handles 1725-1732 — Original blue crossed swords mark with curved crosspieces and handles. 1924-1934 — blue crossed swords mark with dot between top of blades. 1732-1773 — Dot period blue crossed swords mark with dot between crosspieces. 1945-1947 — blue crossed swords mark with crescent below. 1773-1814 — Marcolini period blue crossed swords mark with asterix below or between crosspieces. 1947-1973 — blue crossed swords mark with straight crosspieces. 1814-1824 — blue crossed swords mark with straight hilts and vertical bar below 1974 — blue crossed swords mark with meissen name in logotype script below. Meissen incised marks, rather than underglaze, used on biscuit porcelain and white glazed porcelain:   — incised mark on biscuit porcelain.   Samples of actual meissen marks … The Meissen Augustus Rex Mark. The augustus rex mark or monogram (AR) was introduced by Meissen in the first half of the 18th century when the crossed swords were introduced. The Meissen AR monogram was a special mark reserved for objects used by the court of Elector August the Strong, founder of the Meissen factory and later reigning monarch of Poland, King August II. It was also added to pieces produced for the court of his son, August III, who succeeded him in 1733. All court pieces were marked with the AR monogram, and occasionally the mark was added to gifts produced for royal visitors. The mark was always applied by hand, in underglaze blue, and some variations exist. However pieces marked with the AR monogram were produced in the very early days of the meissen factory and are mostly decorated with oriental motifs, in the Bottger chinoiserie or the kakiemon style. It goes without saying that surviving pieces are very rare and very expensive and that there are almost none available on the open market. Most if not all of the existing pieces are part of Royal or museum collections. You do see AR marked porcelain for sale at auctions on internet auction sites and at fairs and markets And buyers should be aware that they are probably all imitations, most having been produced in the second half of the 19th century. Most imitations will be colourful and completely different in style from the original early 18th century meissen pieces. In the 1880’s Meissen did take legal steps and attempt to stop the imitations (as they have also done with their crossed swords mark), but as with today’s modern market, the general public are quite willing to accept imitations at the right price and the copies continue to be produced throughout europe. Read on for a selection of the imitators, including the almost perfect and very popular imitator, Helena Wolfsohn. The Meissen blue crossed sword mark imitators. Anspach (Germany – Nassau) Founded at the end of the 19th century – By Meyers. Used From: End of the 19th century This was not a porcelain factory but a company and eventually a selection of companies and decorators who decorated porcelain in the Meissen style. The Meissen Augustus Rex mark imitators. The Augustus Rex monogram (AR) was introduced by Meissen in the first half of the 18th century and other manufacturers quickly saw the advantage of including a pseudo AR mark on their own porcelain wares. The list below details the best of these and includes English and Euro


Which car manufacturer produces models called 'Aveo' and 'Epica'?

Chevrolet | Hot Rod Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia Edit Chevrolet was co-founded by Louis Chevrolet and William C. Durant. Louis Chevrolet was a race-car driver, and William Durant, founder of General Motors, had been forced out of GM in 1910; he wanted to use Chevrolet's designs to rebuild his own reputation as a force in the Automobile. As head of Buick, prior to founding GM, Durant had hired Chevrolet to drive Buicks in promotional races. Chevrolet first used its "bowtie" logo in 1913. This logo is said to have been designed from wallpaper Durant once saw in a French hotel. Another theory of the design of the mark is that it is a stylized version of the shape of Switzerland, Louis Chevrolet's birthplace. It is not, as sometimes claimed, a "Swiss cross": the geometric shape on the Swiss flag is a Greek cross, and does not resemble the Chevrolet logo. In 1915, Durant made a trip to Toronto, Ontario to determine the possibility of setting up production facilities in Canada. After meeting with "Colonel Sam" McLaughlin, whose McLaughlin Motor Car Company manufactured the McLaughlin-Buick, it was agreed the Chevrolet Motor Car Company of Canada, operated by McLaughlin, would be created to build Chevrolet cars in Canada. Three years later, the two Canadian operations (Chevrolet was by then a part of GM in the United States) were purchased by GM to become General Motors By 1916, Chevrolet was profitable enough to allow Durant to buy a majority of shares in GM. After the deal was completed in 1917, Durant was President of General Motors, and Chevrolet was merged into GM, becoming a separate division. In the 1918 model year, Chevrolet introduced the Model D, a V8-powered model in 4-passenger Roadster and 5-passenger tourer models. These cars had 288in3 engines with Zenith carburetors and 3 speed transmissions. Famous Chevy models include the large and luxurious Impala (1958) and the innovative air-cooled rear-engined Corvair. Chevrolet had a great influence on the American automobile market during the 1950s and 1960s. In 1963, one out of every ten cars sold in the United States was a Chevrolet. The basic Chevrolet small-block V-8 design has remained in continuous production since its debut in 1955, longer than any other mass-produced engine design in the world auto industry, though current versions share few if any parts interchangeable directly with the original. Descendants of the basic small-block OHV V-8 design platform in production today have been much modified with advances such as aluminum block and heads, electronic engine management, and sequential port fuel injection, to name just a few improvements over the 54-model-year design life of the engine concept to date. The small block Chevrolet V-8 is used in current production model (2008) Impala sedans, a variety of light and medium duty Chevrolet trucks, and the current generation Corvette sports car. Depending on the vehicle type in which they're installed, they are built in diaplacements from 5.3 to 6.6 litres with outputs ranging from 180 to over as installed at the factory. It will also be used as a performance option in the forthcoming (2009 model year) revival of the Chevrolet Camaro. The engine design has also been used over the years in GM products built and sold under the Pontiac. Oldsmobile, Buick, Opel (Germany) and Holden (Australia) nameplates. Recently, 6-litre, versions of the small-block V-8 designed initially for the C-5 and C-6 Corvettes have been installed in factory-built high performance versions of the Cadillac CTS sedan known as the CTS-V. Chevrolet outside the United States and Canada Edit Historically, many Mexican and Latin American-market vehicles from GM were modified derivatives of older models from GM's North American and European operations. The current S10 and Blazer exemplify this strategy. However, more modern vehicles are now being marketed as market conditions change and competition increases. Besides those older models made in Mexico, Ecuador, Colombia and Mercosur countries, Korean sourced cars from former Daewoo factories some mar


Which brewer operates from the oldest brewery in Yorkshire?

Samuel Smith's Brewery, Tadcaster - Yorkshire's oldest brewery Merchandise Samuel Smith brews at the Old Brewery, Tadcaster – it is Yorkshire’s oldest brewery. Traditional methods of brewing have been retained at The Old Brewery.  The Samuel Smith brewery still has its own cooper making and repairing all its oak casks; all Samuel Smith’s naturally conditioned draught beer is handpulled from oak casks. The original well at The Old Brewery, sunk in 1758, is still in use, with the brewing water being drawn from 85 feet underground. Samuel Smith’s ales and stouts (except draught Sovereign and Extra Stout) are fermented in ‘stone Yorkshire squares’~ fermenting vessels made of solid slabs of slate ~ which give the beers a fuller bodied taste, using the same strain of yeast since the nineteenth century. All Samuel Smith’s beers are brewed solely from authentic natural ingredients without any chemical additives, raw material adjuncts, artificial sweeteners, colourings, flavourings or preservatives. All Samuel Smith’s beers and ciders are suitable for a vegan diet (except cask conditioned Old Brewery Bitter and bottled Yorkshire Stingo). Age requirement You may only purchase products from our site if you are at least 18 years old. By placing an order you warrant that you are aged 18 or over.   All Samuel Smith’s beers and ciders are suitable for a vegan diet (except cask conditioned Old Brewery Bitter and bottled Yorkshire Stingo).


Which US sit-com featured the 'Cafe Nervosa'?

Cafe Nervosa     The aforementioned statistics and trends        are the basis upon which management has chosen to establish Viscus        Coffee as a specialized marketer of branded, fresh roasted, gourmet,        whole bean and prepackaged coffees. Viscus Coffee has already launched        into the market with a strong, nationally recognizable brand in        the Café Nervosa With additional, quality, branded coffee        products already being planned, Viscus Coffee is properly positioned        to generate significant revenues and maximize profits. The products that Viscus Coffee offers  known as "gourmet and specialty beverage,"  are        defined as distinctive beverages of high quality. As such, these        include the Companys existing gourmet coffee blends, single        origin roasts, and decafs (in whole bean or ground), and in the        future will include an assortment of high quality teas. Viscus Coffee's commitment to quality, consistency        and fresh-ness is supported by a number of key factors, including        the Companys insistence on selecting the finest coffee. Viscus        Coffee believes that this combination of factors will help distinguish        it from other specialty coffee companies and ultimately result in        strong customer loyalty. In addition, in order to facilitate customer        convenience as well as to reinforce the Companys authenticity        in coffee and tea, Viscus Coffee will offer other coffee-related        items such as brewing equipment and accessories, and serve ware.


Which British writer won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1907?

The Nobel Prize in Literature 1907 The Nobel Prize in Literature 1907 Rudyard Kipling The Nobel Prize in Literature 1907 Rudyard Kipling Prize share: 1/1 The Nobel Prize in Literature 1907 was awarded to Rudyard Kipling "in consideration of the power of observation, originality of imagination, virility of ideas and remarkable talent for narration which characterize the creations of this world-famous author". Photos: Copyright © The Nobel Foundation Share this: To cite this page MLA style: "The Nobel Prize in Literature 1907". Nobelprize.org. Nobel Media AB 2014. Web. 2 Jan 2017. <http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/literature/laureates/1907/>


From which club did Chelsea FC sign Didier Drogba?

Will latest Chelsea FC signing Batshuayi be the next Drogba? [Best Tweets] English Premier League Gameweek 18: Best Bets feat. Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal Chelsea FC have opened their books in this summer’s transfer market, as they confirmed the £33 million signing of Michy Batshuayi from Olympique Marseille. The move was confirmd on Chelsea’s official website , and the club’s official Twitter account on Sunday, after the 22-year-old striker impressed with his performance in the 2016 European Championships with Belgium. It’s official! Welcome to @ChelseaFC , Michy Batshuayi! https://t.co/wZIjQm5DSe — Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) July 3, 2016 The Blues, who are looking to rebuild after a poor campaign in 2015/16, had to part with £33 million to sign the Belgium international on a five-year-contract, according to English newspaper Daily Mail . As expected, Twitter was abuzz after the Blues announced their latest acquisition on Sunday. Here are a couple of reactions from football fans on Twitter. Finally new signing for chelsea! Batshuayi!!


Much in the news this year (2009) from which bank did Sir Fred Goodwin resign?

RBS paid tax on Goodwin's £2.7m lump sum | Business | The Guardian Close This article is 7 years old A new row erupted over the pension for Sir Fred Goodwin today when MPs were told the former Royal Bank of Scotland chief executive had taken a £3m lump sum from his £16.9m pension pot – and the bank had paid 40% tax on the payment. The City minister, Lord Myners , told the Treasury select committee that the board of RBS was "in denial" and had "bent over backwards" to be generous to Goodwin, its departing chief executive, last October when the bank was on the brink of collapse. Myners revealed that Goodwin had agreed to repay the lump sum, provided his pension entitlement was increased. It later emerged that the exact sum withdrawn was £2.7m, at a cost to RBS of £4.5m when the tax payment is taken into account, and that Goodwin had not yet returned the sum because there was no agreement with the Revenue that he would not be liable for tax. Myners, who was accused by MPs of being "bloody naive", revealed more details of Goodwin's "extraordinary" pension agreements. The bank treated Goodwin as though he had joined the pension scheme at the age of 20, rather than at 40 when he actually joined. None of his pension savings from previous employers were included in the scheme and 50-year-old Goodwin was allowed to choose his 12-month earnings figure from the best year in the previous decade. Documents released by the committee show that Peter Cummings, the HBOS executive who ran the division which caused record-breaking losses at the bank, has also been allowed to retire immediately even though he is only 53. He is receiving £352,000 a year after HBOS, now part of Lloyds Banking Group, treated departing executives as if they were made "redundant". Myners, facing hostile questions from the committee, insisted that the doubling of the pension for Goodwin to £703,000 a year was taken by the board of the bank and not by him. The City minister has had a high-profile battle with Goodwin , calling on him to hand back some of the extra pension which, he argues, the bank did not need to pay. Myners told MPs: "I still hope there's the opportunity for Sir Fred to do the right thing and either return some of his pension or make a very, very substantial and long-term commitment to charity both of money and of his undoubted energy and resources. Sir Fred can mitigate even at this stage." Myners, who was on the board of NatWest when RBS launched a hostile takeover bid 10 years ago, said RBS was warned by the remuneration consultants Watson Wyatt that the decision to double Goodwin's pension pot to £16m would not be approved by the bank's shareholders. "I think it is quite outrageous that a man who led a bank into the largest banking failure ever, a bank that depends on public support, should see a departing executive drawing a weekly pension of £13,000. "It does give an overall picture of a board of directors bending over backwards to be generous to Sir Fred. There was a real sense of denial at that time. I was dealing with people who for the first time were realising the serious state of affairs," he said. He said he had been told during the weekend of 11-12 October when the bailout was being orchestrated that the non-executive directors would resign if chairman Sir Tom McKillop was forced to leave as well as Goodwin. Myners also said that Bob Scott, the non-executive director who had handled negotiations with Goodwin, had suggested they could "spread out" the disclosure of Goodwin's full pension. Myners insisted he had no regrets about how he handled himself over that weekend. "I developed a script for these meetings … There should be no rewards for failure, payments to departing executives should be minimised." But the Conservatives insisted he had failed in his duties to the taxpayer. The shadow chancellor, George Osborne, said: "Gordon Brown appointed Lord Myners to look after the taxpayers' interest and to keep an eye on the banks. He has completely failed to do that and it is the taxpayer who is paying the price." North Yorkshire and


In which US state is the 'Mammoth Cave National Park' situated?

Mammoth Cave National Park (U.S. National Park Service) Contact Us A Grand, Gloomy and Peculiar Place Mammoth Cave National Park preserves the cave system and a part of the Green River valley and hilly country of south central Kentucky. This is the world's longest known cave system, with more than 400 miles explored. Early guide Stephen Bishop called the cave a "grand, gloomy and peculiar place," but its vast chambers and complex labyrinths have earned its name - Mammoth.


Which car manufacturer produces models called 'Cee'd' and 'Soul'?

Cars, SUVs, Hybrids, Minivans & Crossovers | Kia Sportage All-New 2017 Kia Sportage. Conceived for urban adventure, the completely redesigned 2017 Sportage is the most extraordinary compact crossover on the road today. With an imposing appearance, a rock-solid stance, an upgraded cabin, and the torque to take you wherever the journey leads you, the new Sportage is a stylish, bolder-than-ever standout in an otherwise utilitarian category. 5/8 Sorento The Perfect Getaway Vehicle. Redesigned to be sleek, strong, and adaptive to your needs, the 2017 Sorento has elegantly sculpted surfaces, more cabin space, and a wraparound dashboard for distinctive appeal. From finely crafted seating to intuitive advanced technologies, it’s the car you drive to seek out adventure. 6/8 Sedona Transform Your Drive. The 2017 Sedona is premium comfort with the power to transform. Aggressive and refined, it’s your getaway vehicle and lounge on the go. The Sedona is comfort for everyone, fitted with high-tech gadgets, like the Smart Power Liftgate, and available second-row First-Class Lounge Seating. From the spacious driver cockpit to the versatile Slide-N-Stow® seats, the Sedona is intuitive control and flexibility that keeps pace with you. 7/8 Soul Totally Transformed. More fun to drive, more advanced technology, more surprises. We've packed almost everything into the 2017 Soul. Discover what's inside for yourself. 8/8


Which small lake lies between Grasmere and Windermere?

Grasmere, Langdale & Ambleside stay, walks and things to do Next ► Picture 1 of 6 The popular villages of Grasmere & Ambleside lie on the central spine of the Lake District between the towns of Keswick & Windermere/Bowness. Both villages (and neighbouring Rydal) have supreme access to many of the best walks in the area and have a famous history based on the life and works of William Wordsworth. The problem though is that they can become impossibly busy, Grasmere particularly becoming a bottleneck where being stuck in a queue is the normality rather than a rarity. It is a shame because it is lovely, as is Rydal whereas Ambleside is, to me, a little over commercialised and much less attractive. However for those venturing outside the villages and away from the main road the area is lovely – the real Lake District that Wordsworth and his fellow poets wrote about. Easedale Tarn, Elterwater and Loughrigg Fell are pockets of real delight whilst any visit to the Lake District is not complete without a visit to Langdale, and in particular Great Langdale. A drink in the Dungeon Ghyll hotel, a walk up to Stickle Tarn under the famous Langdale Pikes or a simple  climb of Lingmoor Fell from the top of the pass – all should be included in any Lakeland visit based at Ambleside or Grasmere. Parking is always the issue that rears its head in this area of the Lakes but there is usually sufficient up Langdale if a trifle expensive. Grasmere is a very pretty village made famous by the poet William Wordsworth who lived in Dove Cottage for 10 years 200 years ago. Even without a visit to Dove Cottage (which I have never actually been in although I did spend every holiday in the excellent bookshop!) there is much is to do here. The graveyard at St Oswald’s Church is always busy as visitors scan the Wordsworth family graves, the ducks on the river are probably the most photographed ducks in the country, gingerbread was possibly invented here and there is a fine art gallery featuringa  local family of artists Heaton Cooper. There is much else to enjoy in Grasmere, it is a very pretty village, but it is the walks that are most appealing whether up Easedale and the Lion & the Lamb to the north or Grasmere Lake and Loughrigg Fell to the south. Ambleside is on the northern shore of Lake Windermere and is a real tourist centre which is very popular for much of the year. There is an excellent array of walking related shops – competition driving the prices to a more reasonable level than elsewhere. Plenty of places to eat and drink, a rather good museum of football with access to and facilities to enjoy on Windermere really sum up Ambleside.  Access to the fells is good, in particular the Fairfield Horseshoe but really Ambleside marks the southern end of the hills, south of it the land flattens out and farmland starts to become dominant. Between Grasmere and Ambleside lies the lovely area of Rydal Water and a beautiful stretch of the River Brathay. Rydal itself is small and almost impossible to stay in but a visit to another of the Wordsworth homes, Rydal Mount, is a very popular trip. Away from the busy A591 there are two exceptionally pretty villages, Elterwater and Chapel Stile in Langdale. These are stunningly located within easy walking of some of the best scenery in the Lake District, each has at least one excellent pub and I cannot recommend either of them more for a perfect place to stay in the Lake District. Walks These are a few of my favourite walks in the Grasmere/Ambleside area, click on the link for further details. Fairfield Horseshoe . A classic 10 mile round from Rydal or Ambleside taking in a number of high fells. A Walk Round Grasmere . Follow the footsteps of William Wordsworth around one of the prettiest lakes in the Lake District. Loughrigg Fell . The head of Grasmere lake features a beautiful little fell of exceptional character. Easedale Tarn from Grasmere . A lovely tarn surrounded by some of the less popular fells of central Lakeland. Lion & the Lamb . Iconic fell which is a firm favourite of young and old with a classic scram


From which club did Arsenal FC sign Francesc Fabregas?

Chelsea sign Cesc Fabregas from Barcelona Chelsea sign Cesc Fabregas from Barcelona July 30, 2014 Chelsea sign Spain and former Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fabregas from Barcelona on a five-year deal. He said: ‘Firstly I would like to thank everyone at FC Barcelona where I enjoyed three wonderful years. It was my childhood club and I will always be proud and honoured that I had a chance to play for such a great team. ‘I do feel that I have unfinished business in the Premier League and now is the right time to return. ‘I considered all the other offers very carefully and I firmly believe that Chelsea is the best choice. They match my footballing ambitions with their hunger and desire to win trophies. They have an amazing squad of players and an incredible manager. I am fully committed to this team and I can’t wait to start playing.’ Read more at Chelsea’s Official Website 0


What is the administrative centre for the Scottish Unitary Authority of Clackmannanshire?

Clackmannanshire | Define Clackmannanshire at Dictionary.com Clackmannanshire noun 1. a council area and historical county of central Scotland; became part of the Central region in 1975 but reinstated as an independent unitary authority in 1996; mainly agricultural. Administrative centre: Alloa. Pop: 47 680 (2003 est). Area: 142 sq km (55 sq miles) Clackmannan


In which year was the breathalyser introduced into Britain?

The 9th of October 1967 AD, Breathalyser Introduced Breathalyser Introduced The 9th of October 1967 AD The age of motoring innocence ï¿½ albeit an increasingly dangerous age ï¿½ came to an end with the introduction by then transport minister Barbara Castle of the breathalyser in October 1967. Ad hoc tests of sobriety such as making drivers stand on one leg, or walk a straight line, were thrust aside for a more scientific measure, though the breathalyser was initially only used for indicative purposes, a subsequent blood or urine test the actual evidential proof. Three years previously tests had hit on the blood alcohol level of 80mg of alcohol per 100ml as the limit beyond which driving was unsafe. The necessary legislation received royal assent in May 1967; and police forces were issued with the breathalyser equipment in preparation. The first driver to be tested happened to be stopped in Shropshire . Somewhat incredibly there was major resistance to the very idea of the breathalyser test, and the 12-month driving ban for those caught over the limit. Even after the introduction Barbara Castle faced protests ï¿½ at one public event a group of publicans berated her for the damage it was doing to their business. But in the first 12 months in which the device was used, and with the additional push of an advertising campaign, road deaths reduced by more than 1100, and serious injuries sustained in car accidents by more than 11,000. After such an impact few could argue that the action had not been both successful and necessary.


Which romantic film comedy reunited 'Pretty Woman' co- stars Richard Gere and Julia Roberts?

Julia Roberts, Richard Gere's Pretty Woman Reunion Is Everything - Us Weekly By  Allison Takeda Julia Roberts and Richard Gere reunited with their Pretty Woman costars and director Garry Marshall for the Today show Credit: Peter Kramer/NBC/NBC NewsWire This is big. Huge, even. In honor of the 25th anniversary of Pretty Woman, Matt Lauer and the Today show reunited the cast of the now-classic 1990 rom-com for a special interview airing Tuesday, March 24. PHOTOS: Most romantic movies of all time Leading lady Julia Roberts (Vivian Ward) and her former on-screen Prince Charming Richard Gere (Edward Lewis) met up with costars Laura San Giacomo (Kit De Luca) and Hector Elizondo (Barney Thompson) for a sit-down with Lauer and director Garry Marshall. As teased in a preview of the exclusive reunion, there was a lot of hugging, kissing, and catching up. Garry Marshall, Julia Roberts and Richard Gere. Peter Kramer/NBC/NBC NewsWire "It was wild," Lauer told his Today co-hosts on Wednesday, March 18. "And we did the whole thing, just to keep in the mood of the movie, in a bathtub, with the bubbles. It was fantastic."  PHOTOS: Julia's best movie roles Pretty Woman hit theaters in 1990, earning Roberts -- then just breaking out with movies including Mystic Pizza and Steel Magnolias -- her second Oscar nomination (and first for Best Actress in a Leading Role). Today it's considered one of the quintessential romantic comedies.  PHOTOS: Costars reunited Richard Gere and Julia Roberts in a scene from the film 'Pretty Woman', 1990. Buena Vista/Getty Images The film starred a 22-year-old Roberts as a hooker with a heart of gold who falls in love with Gere's obscenely wealthy businessman after he hires her to be his escort at various social events for a week. It was their first film together; they also costarred in the 1999 romantic comedy Runaway Bride.


On a piece of gold which city is designated by an anchor hallmark?

Birmingham silversmiths revolt as city's famous anchor hallmark to be used in India You are using an older browser version. Please use a supported version for the best MSN experience. Birmingham silversmiths revolt as city's famous anchor hallmark to be used in India Birmingham Mail 24/03/2016 By Graeme Brown Bosses say Birmingham’s historic silver trade is being sold down the river after it emerged a symbol of Birmingham’s jewellery heritage for nearly 250 years would now be used in India. The anchor hallmark has been pressed onto Birmingham silverware since 1773 but will now be used on silver made and processed on the subcontinent after Birmingham Assay Office announced it was opening a Mumbai base. Directors of 15 silver and jewellery businesses in the region said the move threatened jobs in a cherished sector for the city. They claim the move would harm the authenticity of Birmingham-made products, which benefit from a trade which pre-dates the industrial revolution. Martin McDonagh, director of city silverware firm Heritage Collection, said: “This is scandalous. It is incredible they would sell companies down the river like this. “What does this mean for the Jewellery Quarter? For years, that anchor has meant something about Birmingham – now it doesn’t mean anything. “To have an office in India is one thing but to be using the anchor in India is beyond the pale. There is no doubt this will have repercussions for the jewellery industry in this city.” He added: “There are small jewellers who are already suffering immensely and this is just another blow. “Birmingham has been sold down the river and it’s not coming from overseas – it’s our own Assay Office.” Birmingham’s Assay Office was founded by industrialist Matthew Boulton in 1773 to provide testing and hallmarking of gold, silver, platinum and palladium items. The anchor has been used to denote Birmingham manufacturing since then, like the leopard’s head for London and three wheatsheafs and sword for Chester. The Assay Office announced the Mumbai base this month but it is the use of the precious anchor hallmark which has angered businesses. © Provided by Birmingham Mail Directors of 15 local silverware businesses, including LJ Millington, The Harwicke Collection and BDG Manufacturers, have written to the Birmingham Post to oppose the proposals. They claim it is a “misuse” of the city name evoking legends like Boulton. They state: “No one – except for the Assay Office – will know if a piece has been genuinely made in Birmingham or made in India if this is allowed to happen. “No one has the right to use or misuse our city name, especially given the world recognition of Birmingham’s history with the likes of Matthew Boulton, etc. “Birmingham’s name should be cherished and revered and not hijacked and used for any person or company’s personal gain.” The Assay Office’s announcement about Mumbai comes just months after it relocated across the Jewellery Quarter, leaving a home of 137 years, in a multimillion pound move. The prominent new facility is almost 65,000 sq ft over three floors, including a mezzanine. It saw the four operational divisions – hallmarking, analysis, the gem lab and valuations – re-housed. © Provided by Birmingham Mail Assay Office chairman Kate Hartigan said the anchor mark was a Birmingham hallmark and not an origin of manufacture mark. She said the anchor had never denoted a location of manufacture and it was already common for it to be used on imported jewellery. She added: “The anchor is and has always been used on imported products, whether that is marked here in the UK or offshore. We are proud of the fact that we will be using the Birmingham mark globally and raising this city’s profile and the quality it stands for on a global scale. “We are also responding directly to requests from other customers who are very keen for us to apply the hallmark at a location where the product is sourced so as not to disrupt the import supply chain, as occurs when the mark is applied in the UK. “Other UK assay offices have already responded to this demand, w


Aira Force. Aira Force OS grid ref. NY 399 204 Aira Force, perhaps the most famous and one of the most frequently visited waterfalls in the Lake District, is situated in woodland near the northern shore of Ullswater , about 3 miles along the A592 from Patterdale  and about 150 yards from the junction with the A5091. Aira Beck plunges dramatically around 65 feet through an overhead bridge and over the rocks. The beck has its source high on the slopes of Stybarrow Dodd. The term "force" is used in many parts of the Lake District as a synonym for "waterfall"; it has its origins in the Old Norse word fors . The force is a spectacular,  roaring waterfall which falls over seventy feet of rock, sending dropets of spray high into the air. There are bridges above and below the force which afford superb views,   the upper is an old pack horse bridge. Aira Force can be accessed from a car Park near to Ullswater, via a charming half mile route taking the visitor through a pleasant Victorian arboretum which is managed by the National Trust. The car park provides a cafe, information and toilets. The path continues from the higher packhorse bridge, following the course of Aira Beck to the smaller waterfall of High Force. In the 1780's the Howard family of nearby Greystoke Castle owned a hunting lodge near to Aira Force and landscaped the area below the waterfall, planting over two hundred specimens of cedars, firs, pines and spruces. Red squirrels inhabit the woodland. The fall is mentioned in at least three of William Wordsworth's poems, who visited the area frequently. The force has attracted an interesting medieval legend, which  Wordsworth relates in his poem, The Somnambulist. The hunting lodge at the site was reportedly the home to a girl named Emma who was engaged to a knight, Sir Eglamore.  Sir Eglamore's long absences affected Emma badly and she consequently began to sleepwalk, apparently wandering along the path near the waterfall while so affected. Her  returning fiance sighted and grabbed her, startling her into wakefulness, at which she fell into the water below and perished. The broken hearted Sir Eglamore lived out the  remainder of his life as a recluse in a cave near the force.


Who, because he was roasted on a gridiron, is the patron saint of cooks?

11 Patron Saints of Food, Drink, and Those Who Make Them | Mental Floss 11 Patron Saints of Food, Drink, and Those Who Make Them Wikimedia Commons/Erin McCarthy Like us on Facebook Soufflé not rising? Homebrew beer not bubbly? Bees … suffering Colony Collapse Disorder? There may be an app for everything these days, but guaranteed, there are patron saints for more—including disasters of the food-and-drink-related variety. So rather than turning to your iPhone for practical intercession, how about turning to the patron saint of baking or beer-making or beekeeping for divine intervention? 1. Bacon: Saint Anthony the Abbott Saint Anthony the Abbott  is technically a patron saint of butchers, but since there are so many patron saints of butchers—including the apostles John, Bartholomew, Andrew, and Peter—Anthony can afford to specialize in bacon. He was a 4th century ascetic who lived for 20 years in an abandoned fort, only occasionally performing miracles and healing people who broke in on his solitude. He is frequently depicted with pigs, possibly owing to his use of pig fat in his healing concoctions, so he was adopted by pig butchers as their patron saint—meaning that if you’re craving the crispy, smoky flavor of good bacon, Anthony is the man you want to talk to. 2. Coffee: Saint Drogo Saint Drogo, born the son of a Flemish nobleman in 1105 in Flanders, was the original multi-tasker—he could reportedly “bilocate” and was seen simultaneously working in the fields and going to Mass on Sundays. This undoubtedly took a lot of energy, which is probably one of the reasons why he is the patron saint of coffee and coffeehouses (as well as ugly people and cattle). 3. Baking: Saints Elizabeth of Hungary and Nicholas Having bread troubles? You’ve got two saints to call on:  Saint Elizabeth of Hungary , a princess born in 1205 who rejected courtly life in order to distribute bread to the poor, and  Saint Nicholas —yep, that Saint Nick, the jolly fat man with the belly like a bowl full of jelly. Nicholas was a 4th century bishop who rescued three poor women from a life of prostitution by tossing bags of gold through their window at night; he’s also the patron saint of children, pawnbrokers, and Greece.  4. Beer: Saints Nicholas, Luke, and Augustine If you’re having trouble with your beer—whether you're suffering a homebrew disaster or the waitress is taking too long to bring your pint—then you’ve got three different saints to whom you could appeal. There’s Saint Nicholas, mentioned above;  Saint Luke , author of the third Gospel and considered the first Christian physician; and  Saint Augustine of Hippo  (top). Augustine, who lived in the early 5th century, had a boozy, wantonly licentious lifestyle;  he earned saint status after giving up his wanton ways, and became the patron saint of beer sometime after. 5. Wine: Saints Vincent and Urban Saint Vincent of Saragossa  died so that we could have good wine. Well, not exactly: The 3rd century Spanish martyr died for his faith, after some serious torture involving iron hooks and being roasted on a red-hot gridiron. But since his death, he’s become the patron saint of wine and wine-makers. So thank you, Saint Vincent. And thank you,  Saint Urban , another patron saint of wine. He was the bishop of Langres in France during the 4th century, but found himself on the receiving end of some persecution after the political situation got murky. He hid in a vineyard, and took the opportunity to convert the vineyard workers who concealed him; he went from vineyard to vineyard thereafter, spreading the Gospel. 6. Hangovers and alcoholics: Saints Bibiana and Monica If, unlike Augustine, you’re not quite ready to give up your inebriate ways, then you may want to keep a prayer to  Saint Bibiana , patron saint of hangovers, on your lips. Little is known about the 4th century virgin and martyr, except that she was reportedly both a virgin and a martyr—she was, according to legend, tied to a pillar on the orders of the Governor of Rome and beaten to death after she refused to convert or be seduced. Why sh


'Blanket' and 'Honeycomb' are two main types of what?

Tripe: Animal Stomachs as Food. Types, Tips and History. Tripe Tripe Tripe is the mysterious white, spongy stuff on grocery stores meat counters. It is animal stomach from a cow, a pig or a sheep. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) essentially only recognizes two types of tripe in its "Institutional Meat Purchase Specifications" (1993): honeycomb and other. Item No. 726 - Beef Tripe, Scalded, Bleached (Denuded) - The paunch with or without the "honeycomb" reticulum shall be scalded and washed absolutely free of any foreign material and bleached with an FSIS approved bleaching solution. The color may range from white to a light pale yellow. The dark internal lining shall be removed. Item No. 727 - Beef Tripe, Honeycomb, Bleached - The "honeycomb" reticulum shall be removed from the paunch by cutting along the seam connecting the two sections of the stomach. The dark internal lining shall be removed and the tripe shall be scalded and bleached to a creamy white color. It is far more popular outside the English speaking world than it is within it, and so, outside the English-speaking world, in other languages, far more distinctions are made. The English-speaking world generally doesn't distinguish different tripes, aside from recognizing that the fourth stomach of the cow is important because rennet from cheese is extracted from it. Special food-grade oxygen-based bleaches, approved by government meat inspection processes, are use to make tripe white, and to deodorize it. After bleaching, the meat is rinsed thoroughly with water. In England, tripe sold is blander than it is in France because it has been blanched and bleached first before sale. "Green Tripe" in English-speaking markets means tripe that has not been blanched and bleached. Green Tripe smells strongly of shit, even when cooked and placed alluringly on your plate. The scent wafts up in your face. Beef Tripe In the English-speaking world, Beef Tripe can come from the first three of the animal's four stomachs. (In the southern US, tripe is just as likely to be from a hog.) Europeans distinguish between four different types of beef tripe, and use all four. Plain (aka smooth, blanket, flat) Tripe. Called "gras double" in French. Comes from the first stomach (called the "rumen" in English, "panse" in French.) This is considered the least desirable tripe amongst tripe fans. Thickness will vary. May have a layer of fat attached that needs to be removed; Honeycomb Tripe (called "réseau" or "Le bonnet" in French) comes from the lower part of the second stomach (called the "reticulum" in English.) Honeycomb is the most tender and the meatiest, and holds it shape during cooking. The honeycomb texture helps sauces to adhere to it. Pocket Tripe also comes from the second stomach; Book (aka bible, leaf, "Le feuillet" in French) Tripe comes from the third stomach (called the "omasum" in English.) The desirability is considered midway between the smooth and honeycomb tripe; Reed Tripe. Called "caillette" or "franche-mule" in French, "Cuajo " in Spanish, "lampredotto " or "abomaso" in Italian. Also "fisarmonica" in Florentine. Comes from the fourth stomach, called the "abomasum" in English. This is the stomach that rennet is obtained from in calves (thus, the French word for curd, "caille.") Each whole piece of lampredotto will weigh between 1 1/2 to 2 1/4 pounds (700g to 1 kg.) In Florence, Italy, they even distinguish 2 separate parts of the fourth stomach: the "spannocchia", which is denser, smoother, fattier, stronger tasting; the "gala", milder taste, darker colour, rippled. Tripe is sold as fast food from mobile food stalls called "tripperie" in Florence, Italy, at the Mercato Centrale. They sell you it in little plastic dishes with little plastic forks, or on a bread roll. In Italy, it was the custom to have tripe on Saturday -- "Giovedì gnocchi e Sabato trippa" ("Thursday gnocchi and Saturday Tripe.") Even though tripe is eaten in Europe, by no means was it considered refined food or a delicacy -- it was mostly country people who ate it. Cooking Tips When


Which fantasy novelist was knighted for his services to literature in 2009?

Terry Pratchett is knighted as gold medallist becomes youngest MBE Terry Pratchett is knighted as gold medallist becomes youngest MBE Watch Terry Pratchett receive his knighthood There was a career highlight in store for fantasy novelist Terry Pratchett this week as he was knighted by the Queen . "I wasn't expecting this. I was just expecting to sell books," said the delighted author. "You don't grow up thinking, 'Oh, I'll probably be a knight one day'." Sixty-year-old Terry, who is suffering from Alzheimer's, has sold more than 55 million books worldwide. Becoming a Sir, he said was "a triumph for the (fantasy) genre". Also singled out in the New Year Honours list was Paralympic double gold medallist swimmer Eleanor Simmonds. The 14-year-old became the youngest ever MBE when she was presented with the accolade at Buckingham Palace. Eleanor, who won the 100m and 400m freestyle races at the 2008 Beijing Paralympics, said she was nervous about meeting the British monarch, but discovered the Queen was "really nice to talk to". She explains: "I was thinking of getting everything rightï¿½ We had to walk backwards, and I was scared in case I tripped over."  Related stories


In World War I, what did the Allies call the defence line that was known as the 'Siegfried Line' by the Germans?

Siegfried Line - The Full Wiki The Full Wiki More info on Siegfried Line   Wikis       Note: Many of our articles have direct quotes from sources you can cite, within the Wikipedia article! This article doesn't yet, but we're working on it! See more info or our list of citable articles . Related top topics From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Map of the Siegfried line. The original Siegfried line ( German : Siegfriedstellung) was a line of defensive forts and tank defenses built by Germany as a section of the Hindenburg Line 1916–1917 in northern France during World War I . However, in English, Siegfried line more commonly refers to the similar World War II defensive line, built during the 1930s, opposite the French Maginot Line , which served a corresponding purpose. The Germans themselves called this the Westwall, but the Allies renamed it after the First World War line. This article deals with this second Siegfried line. The Siegfried Line was a defence system stretching more than 630 km (390 mi) with more than 18,000 bunkers , tunnels and tank traps . It went from Kleve on the border with the Netherlands , along the western border of the old German Empire as far as the town of Weil am Rhein on the border to Switzerland . More with propaganda in mind than for any strategic reason, Adolf Hitler planned the line from 1936 and had it built between 1938 and 1940. This was after the Nazis had broken the Treaty of Versailles and the Locarno Treaties by remilitarizing the Rhineland in 1936. Contents Origin of the name Westwall Dragon's teeth - tank traps in the Eifel. Today we can no longer know for certain the exact origin of the German name Westwall (Western Rampart). It is most likely that the name simply came into popular use from the end of 1938. Nazi propaganda did not initially use the term very much, but the name was well-known from the middle of 1939, as Hitler sent an " Order of the Day to the soldiers and the workers at the Westwall" on May 20, 1939. The official name for the line until then had depended on the programmes described in the next section of this article. The name "Limes Programme" for example was a deliberately misleading cover name, chosen to make people think of the archaeological research that had just finished at the Limes Germanicus (Upper Germanic and Rhaetian Limes). Construction programmes, 1938–1940 There were several distinct construction phases on the Siegfried Line: Border Watch programme (pioneering programme) for the most advanced positions (1938) Limes Programme (1938) Geldern Emplacement between Brüggen and Kleve (1939–1940) Western Air Defence Zone (1938) These programmes were all pushed forward with the highest priority, using every resource available. Typical basic construction types At the start of each construction programme, basic construction prototypes were laid out on the drawing board and then built, sometimes by the thousands. This standardisation of the bunkers (popularly known as Pillboxes ) and tank traps was necessary because of the lack of raw materials, transport and workers. Advertisements Pioneering Program For the main part of the pioneering programme, small bunkers were set up with three embrasures towards the front. The walls were 50 cm (20 in) thick but provided no protection against poison gas . Soldiers stationed there did not have their own beds but had to make do with hammocks. In exposed positions, similar small bunkers were erected with small round armoured "lookout" sections on the roofs. All these constructions were already considered outdated when they were built[citation needed] and at best offered protection against small arms fire and shrapnel from bombs and grenades . The programme was carried out by the Border Watch (Grenzwacht), a small military troop activited in the Rhineland immediately after it was remilitarized. The bunkers were set up near the foreign borders. Limes programme Type 10 Limes programme bunker seen from the back. The Limes Programme began as a result of an order by Hitler to strengthen fortifications on the western German borde


Which Irish writer won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1923?

The Nobel Prize in Literature 1923 The Nobel Prize in Literature 1923 William Butler Yeats The Nobel Prize in Literature 1923 William Butler Yeats Prize share: 1/1 The Nobel Prize in Literature 1923 was awarded to William Butler Yeats "for his always inspired poetry, which in a highly artistic form gives expression to the spirit of a whole nation". Photos: Copyright © The Nobel Foundation Share this: To cite this page MLA style: "The Nobel Prize in Literature 1923". Nobelprize.org. Nobel Media AB 2014. Web. 29 Dec 2016. <http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/literature/laureates/1923/>


"Who said of Liz Taylor: ""Her arms are too fat, her legs are too short, and she is too big in the bust""?"

Elizabeth Taylor: Eyes so liquid with life - Telegraph Stars and Stories Elizabeth Taylor: Eyes so liquid with life Truman Capote met Elizabeth Taylor – who died this week – many times.  In this dazzling portrait from 1974, he brings to life her wit, her honesty,  her surprising love of literature – and the reality of her passion for  Richard Burton.   'This beautiful child': Elizabeth Taylor with her third husband, Mike Todd    Elizabeth Taylor with Richard Burton in 1968     'This beautiful child': Elizabeth Taylor with her fourth husband Eddie Fisher   By Truman Capote 6:28PM GMT 25 Mar 2011 Some years ago, rather more than 15, a friend and I decided to install, among the New York social curriculum, a series of surprise-guest lunch parties; the idea seemed amusing enough for February, the dreariest month in New York, so my friend and I invited four other friends to join us for lunch at a private apartment. The idea was that the six of us would, individually, supply an additional guest, a “mystery” guest – preferably someone interesting and well-known and yet not known personally to any or at least all of us. My choice was Dr J Robert Oppenheimer, but he wasn’t available that day; now I can’t remember who I brought. But I do remember the selection made by Lady Keith, who was then Mrs Leland Hayward. Lady Keith, whom her friends call Slim, is a tall, coltish, California-bred aristocrat (northern California, need one add) with the most beautiful legs, ankles and feet extant. Her “surprise”, Elizabeth Taylor, was rather a runt by comparison – like Mrs Onassis, her legs are too short for the torso, the head too bulky for the figure in toto; but the face, with those lilac eyes, is a prisoner’s dream, a secretary’s self-fantasy; unreal, non-obtainable, at the same time shy, overly vulnerable, very human, with the flicker of suspicion constantly flaring behind the lilac eyes. We had met once before – one summer afternoon on the farm of a mutual friend in Connecticut. At the time, her third husband, the tough and short and sexy Mike Todd, still had his plane crash ahead of him, was still alive and married to this beautiful child who seemed besotted by him. Often, when couples make oozing displays of themselves, always kissing, gripping, groping – well, often one imagines their romance must be in serious difficulties. Not so with these two. I remember them, that afternoon, sprawled in the sun in a field of grass and daisies holding hands and kissing while a litter of six or eight fat Newfoundland puppies tumbled over their stomachs, tangled in their hair. But it was not until I encountered her as Slim Hayward’s guest that Elizabeth Taylor made an impression on me, at least as a person; as an actress I’d always liked her – from National Velvet straight on, but especially as the rich girl in A Place in the Sun. Related Articles 'It takes one day to die – another to be reborn' 24 Mar 2011 In the years since our first meeting, much had happened to her, but the two worst things were that Mike Todd had died and that she had married the “singer” Eddie Fisher – an event almost as unsuitable as Mrs Kennedy’s Grecian nuptials. Still, neither of these occurrences had dimmed the hectic allure Taylor radiates like a rather quivery light. The lunch was long, we talked a lot. My first discovery about her was that despite an amusing abundance of four-lettered profanity, she was in various areas a moralist, quite a strict one, almost Calvinistic. For instance, she was agitated at the thought of playing the ill-starred, hedonistic heroine of John O’Hara’s Butterfield 8; she had an unbreakable legal obligation to do the role (for which she later won an Academy Award), but she wished she could get out of it because “I don’t like that girl. I don’t like what she stands for. The sleazy emptiness of her. The men. The sleeping around.” At this point I recalled a conversation I’d once had with Marilyn Monroe (not that I’m making a comparison between Taylor and Monroe; they were different birds, the first being a take-or-leave-it professional, the


In which US state is the 'Carlsbad Caverns National Park'?

Carlsbad Caverns National Park | national park, New Mexico, United States | Britannica.com Carlsbad Caverns National Park national park, New Mexico, United States Written By: conservation Carlsbad Caverns National Park, area of the Chihuahuan Desert in southeastern New Mexico , U.S. , near the base of the Guadalupe Mountains (a segment of the Sacramento Mountains ). It was established in 1923 as a national monument , designated a national park in 1930, and proclaimed a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1995. Beneath the park, which has a surface area of 73 square miles (189 square km), are 83 individual caves, including Carlsbad Cavern, the park’s namesake. The park also includes Rattlesnake Springs, a small enclave about 5 miles (8 km) to the southeast. Giant Dome and Twin Domes, stalagmites in the Big Room of Carlsbad Cavern, one of the caves in … Peter Jones/National Park Service Carlsbad Caverns National Park, New Mexico, designated a World Heritage site in 1995. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. About 250 million years ago, a shallow sea ringed by a vast, horseshoe-shaped limestone reef covered the area. This formation, called Capitan Reef, is found in southeastern New Mexico and western Texas and includes Guadalupe Mountains National Park , just southwest of Carlsbad Caverns National Park. After the sea evaporated, the constant dripping of acidic groundwater carved out the massive underground chambers, converted limestone to gypsum , and formed enormous stalactites , stalagmites , and other cave deposits ranging from the delicate to the bizarre. Stalactites and stalagmites in the Queen’s Chamber, Carlsbad Caverns National Park, southeastern … NPS Photo by Peter Jones Pictographs near the entrance to Carlsbad Cavern give evidence that Native Americans knew of the site 1,000 years ago, but it wasn’t until the 1880s that nearby settlers rediscovered the location and began mining it for bat guano to be used as fertilizer. One of the miners, James Larkin White—who claimed to have discovered the cavern—explored the cave further and began giving tours lit by kerosene lanterns, lowering the curious to a depth of 170 feet (52 metres) in bat-guano buckets. White also guided early scientific expeditions into the caves, including a major reconnaisance conducted for the U.S. Geological Survey in 1924. Similar Topics Redwood National Park Carlsbad Cavern has a labyrinth of underground chambers, including one of the largest ever discovered. The total length of the rooms and passages is still unknown, but the explored part of the main cavern is more than 30 miles (48 km) long, of which 3 miles (5 km) are open to visitors. Of the three major levels, the deepest is 1,027 feet (313 metres) belowground. Visitors can walk or take an elevator to the 755-foot (230-metre) level and explore the Big Room, which measures about 2,000 feet (610 metres) long and 1,100 feet (335 metres) wide at its greatest extents and has a ceiling that arches 255 feet (78 metres) above the floor. Found within are the Giant Dome, a stalagmite 62 feet (19 metres) tall; the Twin Domes, only slightly smaller, superbly proportioned and delicately fluted; and the so-called Bottomless Pit, which is some 700 feet (210 metres) deep. During the summer a colony of about one million Mexican free-tailed bats inhabits a part of the caverns known as Bat Cave; each evening at sunset they swarm out of the cave’s entrance to feed in the surrounding area. To the southwest of Carlsbad Cavern, within the park, is Slaughter Canyon Cave, with the Monarch, one of the world’s tallest columns (89 feet [27 metres]), and a delicate rimstone dam (natural dam formed by the accumulation of calcium carbonate). Near the northern border of the park is Lechuguilla Cave. Since 1984, when exploration of Lechuguilla began, more than 100 miles (160 km) of passages have been surveyed. It is the fifth longest known cave in the world, the third longest in the United States, and it contains underwater formations unlike those found anywhere else in the world. In 1993 Congress passed legislation establishing a c


Who got to number three in 1968 with 'Judy In Disguise (With Glasses)'?

The Number One Hits Of 1968 The Number One Hits Of 1968 The Number One Hits Of 1968: December 30, 1967 – January 19, 1968: The Beatles – Hello, Goodbye January 20, 1968 – February 2, 1968: John Fred & His Playboy Band – Judy in Disguise (With Glasses) February 3, 1968 – February 9, 1968: The Lemon Pipers – Green Tambourine February 10, 1968 – March 15, 1968: Paul Mauriat – Love Is Blue March 16, 1968 – April 12, 1968: Otis Redding – (Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay April 13, 1968 – May 17, 1968: Bobby Goldsboro – Honey May 18, 1968 – May 3, 1968: Archie Bell & the Drells – Tighten Up June 1, 1968 – June 21, 1968: Simon & Garfunkel – Mrs. Robinson June 22, 1968 – July 19, 1968: Herb Alpert – This Guy’s in Love with You July 20, 1968 – August 2, 1968: Hugh Masekela – Grazing in the Grass August 3, 1968 – August 16, 1968: The Doors – Hello, I Love You August 17, 1968 – September 20, 1968: Young Rascals – People Got to Be Free September 21, 1968 – September 27, 1968: Jeannie C. Riley – Harper Valley P.T.A. September 28, 1968 – November 29, 1968: The Beatles – Hey Jude November 30, 1968 – December 13, 1968: Diana Ross & the Supremes – Love Child December 14, 1968 – January 31, 1969: Marvin Gaye – I Heard It Through the Grapevine The biggest Pop Artists of 1968 include: Archie Bell & the Drells, Aretha Franklin, The Beatles, Archie Bell & the Drells, Barbara Acklin, Bobby Goldsboro, Clarence Carter, The Delfonics, The Dells, Dionne Warwick, The Doors, Elvis Presley, Gary Pucket & the Union Gap, Gladys Knight & the Pips, Herb Alpert, Hugh Masekela, The Intruders, James Brown, Jerry Butler, Joe Tex, Johnny Taylor, Jr. Walker & the All Stars, The Impressions, The Intruders, Marvin Gaye, The Monkees, 1910 Fruitgum Company, O. C. Smith, Otis Redding, The Rascals, Sly & the Family Stone, Stevie Wonder, The Supremes, Tammi Terrell, The Temptations, Wilson Pickett (Data is complied from various charts including: Billboard’s Pop, Rock, Airplay, R&B/Dance and Singles Charts. The Hot 100 is the primary chart used for this list.)


'Somebody, Someday' is the autobiography of which British showbiz personality?

Buy Robbie Williams:Somebody Someday Book Online at Low Prices in India | Robbie Williams:Somebody Someday Reviews & Ratings - Amazon.in 5.0 out of 5 stars An Honest and Interesting Autobiographical Look at.. 3 April 2002 By Michael T. Rognlien - Published on Amazon.com Format: Hardcover .. Robbie Williams. Ok, I probably review way too many RW items on Amazon, but he is truly a unique talent and someone I wish was more popular in the US. His talent and unique blend of pop/rock & R&B influences and is such a nice break from formatted pre-teen pop. That said, this book is no less interesting than the music. Robbie is not afraid to let it all show, for good or for bad. He openly admits to having demons that other artists spend a fortune trying to hide from the media behind a wall of publicist double-talk and blatant lies. There is a movie version of this out in the UK at the moment, and I'm hoping that it will at least make it to Canada on DVD so that those of us fans stateside can purchase a copy. I highly recommend this book if you're a fan and want to get to know more about RW. 6 of 6 people found the following review helpful 5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely true 19 December 2001 By Giannina - Published on Amazon.com Format: Hardcover This book was the best auto-biography I have ever read, Its a shame Robbie Williams is not popular in the USA, he can come in use to us over here! His way of expressing everything hes gone through is great, shows his ups and downs in his career, family,drugs,alcohol,sex, everything, but shows he has become a better man. this is truly a motivatiing book and I recommend it to anyone and everyone. Im sure you wont regret reading it. 5 of 5 people found the following review helpful 4.0 out of 5 stars Not what you think, but enough to stir your curiosity 11 May 2004 By sand-da-man - Published on Amazon.com Format: Paperback Living in the States, I find it next to impossible to get my hands on any legitimate news or information about Robbie Williams. Only recently a fan, I have been fascinated by his on-stage presence and consequently curious to discover what he's really all about. 'Somebody Someday' I don't think was ever intended to be a full-fledged biography. It is rather a running commentary by journalist Mark McCrum who joined Williams on his European 'Sermon On the Mount' tour from late 2000 thru early 2001. In truth, for all practical purposes it is quite simply the literary companion to the video documentary for those same shows, entitled 'Nobody Someday.' Therefore, although it provides occasional vignettes about Robbie's past as well as those of his crew and managers, it is more a description of the events surrounding the tour, not an comprehensive analysis of the star. The book is more reactive than insightful, but that is for the better: there are few if any platitudes and virtually no excuses for what the author witnesses. The narrative also moves quickly and is so true to what occurred that I actually began to feel the rigors of the hectic schedule myself. To that end, there are vivid portraits of just how unglamorous life 'on the road' can be, despite the girls, the glitz and the excitement (including the life-threatening incident in which Williams is thrown off stage by a crazed German fan). The author occasionally splices in bits from his interviews with Robbie, but this is primarily a shot of the megastar in the moment. Given that the tour coincided with yet another attempt by Williams to swear off drugs and alcohol, there are no descriptions of debauchery or outlandish public displays that were known to characterize other times in his life. If anything, after the author briefly recounts some regrettable incidents in the past, you hear how Robbie is successfully fighting to stay sober. In fact, that item is part of a larger underlying theme that slowly emerges: it is that Williams is coming of age. Starting out with a show for a German Bank group in London, he is cynical and frustrated, but by tour's end, he has become less troubled, more grateful for his good fortune, an


Which 1962 musical film featured the song 'Coming Up Roses'?

Gypsy - Everything's Coming Up Roses - YouTube Gypsy - Everything's Coming Up Roses Want to watch this again later? Sign in to add this video to a playlist. Need to report the video? Sign in to report inappropriate content. Rating is available when the video has been rented. This feature is not available right now. Please try again later. Uploaded on Oct 15, 2007 Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for fair use for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use. Photos to the 1962 movie musical "Gypsy" to an instrumental version of its song "Everything's Coming Up Roses". Category


Who was the Prime Minister of Great Britain from 1765 to 1766?

Charles Watson-Wentworth, 2nd marquess of Rockingham | prime minister of Great Britain | Britannica.com Charles Watson-Wentworth, 2nd marquess of Rockingham prime minister of Great Britain Written By: Charles Watson-Wentworth, 2nd marquess of Rockingham Prime minister of Great Britain born George III Charles Watson-Wentworth, 2nd marquess of Rockingham, (born May 13, 1730—died July 1, 1782, London ), prime minister of Great Britain from July 1765 to July 1766 and from March to July 1782. He led the parliamentary group known as Rockingham Whigs, which opposed Britain’s war (1775–83) against its colonists in North America . Charles Watson Wentworth, 2nd marquess of Rockingham Mary Evans Picture Library He succeeded to his father’s title of marquess in 1750 and served from 1751 to 1762 as gentleman of the bedchamber for George II (reigned 1727–60) and George III (reigned 1760–1820). In July 1765 George III dismissed George Grenville as head of the ministry and appointed Rockingham in his place. The new prime minister obtained repeal of the Stamp Act , which had imposed an unpopular tax on the American colonists, but he agreed to the passage of a Declaratory Act reaffirming Parliament’s power to tax the colonies and to make statutes binding on them in all areas. He tried to lighten the tax burden on Americans by reducing the duty on non-British imported molasses. Despite solid legislative achievements in other areas, Rockingham’s ministry collapsed through internal dissension, and in July 1766 George replaced Rockingham with William Pitt (later earl of Chatham). For the next 16 years Rockingham led a strong parliamentary opposition to the ministries in power. Because he was totally lacking in oratorical skills, his brilliant colleague Edmund Burke presented the group’s case against Britain’s efforts to suppress the American rebellion. During his brief second ministry Rockingham initiated peace negotiations with the American colonists and pushed through Parliament Burke’s program for limiting the king’s patronage power. In addition, his ministry obtained legislative independence for the Irish Parliament. Ross Hoffman’s biography of Rockingham, The Marquis, was published in 1973. Learn More in these related articles:


From which language do we get the word 'bizarre'?

Bizarre Synonyms, Bizarre Antonyms | Thesaurus.com   Word Origin & History bizarre 1640s, from Fr. bizarre "odd, fantastic" (16c.), originally "handsome, brave," perhaps from Basque bizar "a beard" (the notion being of bearded Spanish soldiers making a strange impression on the French); alternative etymology traces it to It. bizarro "angry, fierce, irascible," from bizza "fit of anger." Example Sentences for bizarre He leaned over the balustrade of stone near a squat vase holding a tropical plant of a bizarre shape. But then I remind myself that the Russian ballet is nothing if not bizarre. This nose ornament does not seem absurd; on these dark skins the effect is almost as pleasing as it is bizarre. I wanted to surround myself with that, you know—to get the bizarre note into my work. Scarcely a word but evokes an image, a strange, bizarre image, often a complication of images. It's the bizarre, the dimly seen, the mysterious for good or evil. Yet in the choice of words, one may search for the bizarre and unusual rather than for the truly picturesque. That he—he should thus be bound up with things so black and bizarre! They're perfectly conventional and so can't distinguish between originality that's artistic and originality that's only bizarre. He was in a vast, wild desert, bristling with bizarre plants.


In which year were MOT tests introduced into Britain?

History of road safety, The Highway Code and the driving test - GOV.UK GOV.UK History of road safety, The Highway Code and the driving test Updated 26 March 2015 4. Development and timeline of British driving, road safety and driving tests 1. Overview of road safety in Great Britain Driver licences were first introduced in Britain by the Motor Car Act, 1903, purely as a means of identifying vehicles and their drivers. All motor vehicles had to be registered, display registration marks and be licensed annually at a cost of 20 shillings (£1). The fee for the first driving licence, which was obtained over the counter at Post Offices, was 5 shillings (25p). Failure to sign your driving licence with your ‘ordinary signature’ could lead to a fine of up to £5. In 1921 there were only 1 million drivers in Britain. By 1939 this figure had risen to 3 million. But it was only during the 1960s, when cars became more affordable, that motoring really took off. In 1973 the number of drivers had risen to about 20 million and a centralised computer-based licensing system was brought in to cope with the huge increase in demand for both driver and vehicle licences. 2. The Highway Code Hundreds of thousands of copies of The Highway Code are sold each year, ensuring that it never leaves the bestseller lists. It’s one of the few books in print that can lay claim to saving thousands of lives. When it was first launched in 1931 there were just 2.3 million motor vehicles in Great Britain, yet over 7,000 people were killed in road accidents each year. The Highway Code first edition. Today there are more than 27 million vehicles on our roads but, thanks to greater public awareness, advances in technology and the introduction of British summer time, only half the number of road deaths occur. Some things have not changed over the years: the very first edition of The Highway Code urged all road users to be careful and considerate towards others, putting safety first. However, other aspects of the code have changed considerably. For example, in 1931 mirrors were not even mentioned and drivers were advised to sound their horn when overtaking. Nowadays, advice on how to cross the road fills a whole chapter, but in the early days it only merited a paragraph. More than a third of the original 24-page booklet described the various hand signals the police and road users should use, compared to the single page given to the subject in the current edition. The first edition The first edition was published in 1931, it: cost 1 old penny was the only one to carry advertisements, for the AA, The Autocar magazine, The Motorcycle magazine, Castrol Motor Oil, BP, Motor Union Insurance and the RAC contained 18 pages of advice, compared to 135 pages in the 2007 edition included advice to drivers of horse drawn vehicles to ‘rotate the whip above the head; then incline the whip to the right or left to show the direction in which the turn is to be made.’ Since those early days, regular revisions of the Code have reflected changes in technology and developments in traffic management and road safety. Road signs Diagrams of road signs - just 10 signs in all - were first seen in the second edition, as was a warning about the dangers of driving when affected by alcohol or fatigue. Stopping distances Stopping distances made their first appearance in the third edition, along with new sections giving hints on driving and cycling. In colour The 1954 Highway Code, complemented by brand new colour illustrations, gave over the back cover to first aid guidance, while the expanded traffic signs section contained the first triangular warning signs. Motorways The arrival of motorways in the late 1950s led to the inclusion, in the fifth edition, of a new section on motorway driving. It explained such things as how to use exit slip roads and advising drivers to avoid drowsiness by stretching their legs at the parking or service areas. Photographs and 3D illustrations By the sixth edition in 1968 photographs and 3D illustrations had been included to help make rules clear and the price had r


Which Cole Porter musical featured the song 'Just One Of Those Things'?

Cole Porter Is Dead; Songwriter Was 72 Cole Porter Is Dead; Songwriter Was 72 By The Associated Press SANTA MONICA, Calif., Oct. 15--Cole Porter, the world-famed composer and lyricist, died at 11:05 P.M. today at a Santa Monica hospital, where he underwent kidney surgery last Tuesday. He was 72 years old. Mr. Porter wrote the lyrics and music for his songs, and to both he brought such an individuality of style that a genre known as "the Cole Porter song" became recognized. The hallmarks of a typical Porter song were lyrics that were urbane or witty and a melody with a sinuous, brooding quality. Some of his best-known songs in this vein were "What Is This Thing Called Love," "Night and Day," "Love for Sale" and "Begin the Beguine." But an equally typical and equally recognizable Porter song would have a simple, bouncy melody and a lyric based on a long and entertaining list of similarities, opposite or contrasts. "Let's Do It" ticked off the amiable amatory habits of birds, flowers, crustacea, fish, insects, animals and various types of humans, while "You're the Top" was an exercise in the creation of superlatives that included such items as "the nimble tread of the feet of Fred Astaire," "Garbo's salary" and "Mickey Mouse." Still a third type of Porter song was exclamatory in both lyrics and melody. "Just One of Those Things," "From This Moment On" and "It's All Right With Me" were instances. Reflected His Living The glossy opulence of the scores Mr. Porter wrote for Broadway and Hollywood was a valid reflection of his own manner of living. Between World Wars he and his wife, the former Linda Lee of Louisville, Ky., were active in a gay international set that gathered at Paris, the Riviera and Venice. Their home on the Left Bank in Paris had platinum wallpaper and chairs upholstered in zebra skin. Mr. Porter once hired the entire Monte Carlo Ballet to entertain his house guests. For a party in Venice, where he rented the Palazzo Rezzonico for $4,000 a month, he hired 50 gondoliers to act as footmen and had a troupe of high-rope walkers perform in a blaze of lights. Most of Mr. Porter's songs were written far from Broadway. His score for "Anything Goes," which included "I Get a Kick Out of You," "You're the Top," "All Through the Night" and the title song, was composed while he was cruising down the Rhine. He wrote the songs for "Jubilee" ("Begin the Beguine," "Just One of Those Things" and "Why Shouldn't I?" among others) during a round-the- world cruise with the show's librettist, Moss Hart. But Mr. Porter was no dilettante composer. Not even the rigors of his busy social rounds interfered with his creativity. "I've done lots of work at dinner, sitting between two bores," he once said. "I can feign listening beautifully. I can work anywhere." Praised by Rodgers He was a careful craftsman whose work won the admiration of his peers. Richard Rodgers has said, "Few people realize how architecturally excellent his music is. There's a foundation, a structure and an embellishment. Then you add the emotion he's put in and the result is Cole Porter." Mr. Porter himself could not characterize his songs. "I don't know how my music gets that way," he said when he was asked to make the effort. "I simply can't analyze it. I can analyze the music of others. The word for Dick Rodgers's melodies, I think, is holy. For Jerome Kern, sentimental. For Irving Berlin, simplicity. For my own, I don't know." Mr. Porter was a trim, slight, dark man, groomed in subdued, elegant taste. He usually sported a boutonniere in the lapel of his well-tailored suits. His speech was quiet, reserved, almost clipped. He was born on a 750-acre farm in Peru, Ind., on June 9, 1892, the son of Samuel Fenwick Porter, a fruit grower, and the former Kate Cole. He could play the violin when he was 6 and the piano when he was 8. At the age of 10 he composed a song, "The Bobolink Waltz," that pleased his mother so much that she had it published in Chicago. Despite the boy's musical leanings, his maternal grandfather, J. O. Cole, who had made


In 1930, which Canadian city hosted the first Empire Games?

Hamilton, Canada 1930 Commonwealth Games Home > Events > Multi > Commonwealth Games > Hosts > Hamilton 1930 Hamilton, Canada 1930 The first event was held in Hamilton, Canada in 1930. These Games were known as the British Empire Games. The Games were held between 16-23 August 1930, and  included over 400 athletes from 11 countries. Trivia Bobby Robinson, who was a major player within athletics in Canada at the time, was the driving force behind the event. He was an influential figure in  Canadian athletics, and finally put into action a sports plan that had been talked  and discussed amongst Commonwealth nations for almost three decades. To help cover the traveling costs for the visiting nations, the City of Hamilton provided $30,000. in the early rounds of the men’s 100m New Zealand’s Allan Elliott false started twice and was disqualified. The crowd reacted with such noise that the starter was unable to re-start the race until Elliott was allowed back in. Twenty years later in 1950 in Auckland the New Zealanders returned the favor. Sports


Which Hollywood actress did trumpet player Harry James marry?

Trumpet Blues: The Life of Harry James by Peter J. Levinson - JazzTimes    By Jack Sohmer Trumpet Blues: The Life of Harry James by Peter J. Levinson A working associate and friend of Harry James from 1959 to his death in 1983, former booking agent and publicist Peter Levinson offers a no-nonsense look at the trumpeter’s lifetime career in music, from a childhood spent in his father’s traveling circus band, through his many years as a superstar celebrity, to his final decline as both artist and man. Although undoubtedly sincere in his professed love for jazz, Levinson surprisingly says very little about the music itself. Most notably, he neglects to describe in his own words how James differed in style and technique from other trumpet players, how his bands ranked musically in comparison with those of his contemporaries, and finally, how we should reconcile his blatant commercialism in the 1940s and ’50s with his oft-expressed admiration for Louis Armstrong and other jazzmen. Levinson is especially strong in ferreting out the details of James’ early career as a circus bandsman, but he is too quick in glossing over his first big-time gig with the Ben Pollack band of the mid-1930s. The far more well-chronicled 1937-38 Benny Goodman period is treated better, thanks to already published research and a plethora of personal interviews with such important primary sources as Harry’s first wife, Louise Tobin, who sang with Goodman in 1939, and about 200 other musicians, friends, and business associates. Because of them, we learn much about the man behind the horn. Apparently a lusty guy from puberty onwards, Harry never learned to restrain his impulses, even when married to one of the most popular pin-up girls of the 1940s, top-ranking Hollywood actress Betty Grable. Even his sidemen marveled at his insatiable appetite, endurance, and, especially, his indiscriminate taste. Beautiful or ugly, young or old, they were all grist   for his mill. Harry’s legendary exploits in hotel bedrooms were only exceeded by his gargantuan thirst for booze and his self-destructive need to gamble away every dollar he earned, habits that ultimately even consumed Betty’s considerable savings as well. Levinson reports that by the time of her death in 1973, eight years after their 22-year-long marriage had ended, Harry and Betty had lost around $24 million at both the Las Vegas gaming tables and the track. His drinking, however, was by far the more serious of their problems, having eventually led him, on several occasions, to treat Betty like a punching bag. In 1965, Betty finally sued for divorce on the grounds of extreme cruelty. Harry kept his band working in Las Vegas and on the road to pay off his debts, but he had already lost the best meal ticket he was ever to have. Harry loved his horn first and foremost, with baseball running a close second, and from his youth he was gifted with such great chops that he never even had to warm up before playing, much less engage in routine practicing as most hornmen do. It all came so easily to him. But, as was also the case with Bix Beiderbecke and Bunny Berigan, that superhuman tolerance for round-the-clock heavy drinking ultimately demanded its prize. Perhaps because of the better medical care available in the 1970s Harry did not die as young as Bix and Bunny had, but all accounts indicate that toward the end there was scarcely anything left of the one-time musical powerhouse. He was only 67 at the time of his death, but he looked much, much older. Additionally, because of cancer and the loss of his teeth, he had not been able to blow a note for some time. Levinson did a good job of piecing together Harry’s story from those who knew him personally, but in some cases his knowledge of jazz history is way off. For example, he says that in 1937, when Johnny Hodges recorded Harry’s swing instrumental, “Peckin’,” lyrics were added and the title was changed to “Foolin’ Myself.” Actually, “Foolin’ Myself,” a tune that Billie Holiday also recorded, has nothing to do with “Peckin'” except that both


In Chinese philosophy, what are the terms for contrasting and complementary forces or principles of the universe?

Yin-yang | Define Yin-yang at Dictionary.com Expand yin and yang definition Two forces in the universe, according to a Chinese theory: yin is the passive, negative force, and yang the active, positive force. According to this theory, wise people will detect these forces in the seasons, in their food, and so on, and will regulate their lives accordingly. The American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. Slang definitions & phrases for yin-yang Expand ying-yang noun The anus; ass , asshole , where the sun doesn't shine •Nearly always in the expression up the ying-yang, ''in great abundance'': A mother-jumper of a winter. Snow up the yin-yang (1970s+) The penis; prick : a peek at one of my troopers with tubes up his ying-yang (1960s+) A stupid or foolish person (1970s+ Army) [origin uncertain; perhaps coined because of the increasing currency of the Chinese term yin and yang, ''the female and male principles in nature,'' influenced by wang, ''penis''; perhaps fr Louisiana French yan-yan, ''ass''] The Dictionary of American Slang, Fourth Edition by Barbara Ann Kipfer, PhD. and Robert L. Chapman, Ph.D. Copyright (C) 2007 by HarperCollins Publishers.


Which body of water separates Alaska from Russia?

Interview with Russian travelers: What body of water separates alaska from russia - Russian cities today Interview with Russian travelers: What body of water separates alaska from russia Details SocButtons v1.6 From Chukotka to Alaska: "walruses" from the Perm region crossed the Bering Strait. Interview Two residents of Perm region - Kulyapin Alexander and Elena Guseva (Berezniki) hit the "Russian Book of Records." In August, they took part in a relay swim Chukotka-Alaska across the Bering Strait, body of water that separates Alaska from Russia. Elena Guseva and Alexander Kulyapin, the participants of the project "Chukotka-Alaska 2013" The start took place August 5tn from Cape Dezhnev (Chukotka, Russia), finish - August 11th at Cape Prince of Wales (Alaska, USA). During the six days, 65 swimmers from 18 countries have overcome 134 kilometers instead of the planned 86 kilometers – given the northern and southern currents and wind. Kulyapin Alexander and Elena Guseva crossed together for about 10% of the route - 14 km. The participants had to fight strong swim ocean excitement, cold wind gusts up to 17-22 m/s and dense fog. The water temperature in the Bering Strait ranged from 2 to 8 °C. Swimmers were in the water without a wetsuit. Alexander Kulyapin: things do not go according to our plan. In Khabarovsk, we thought that we could cross the Bering Strait in two days. According to our calculations, everyone had to go into the water 2 times. But it so happened that uncharted streams opened. We had to overcome them with a very low speed and large effort. Good to know - Can you drive from Alaska to Russia . Also, tides were a complete surprise to us. Several counter-streams between Alaska and the Big Diomede Islands (Ratmanov Island) were a serious obstacle for swimmers. A group of 30 participants, for two days stormed the 18-kilometer section of the strait. Because of the difficult weather conditions the duration of each race has been reduced from 20 to 10 minutes. Alexander Kulyapin: Among us there are those who swim the breaststroke and those who the front crawl. When we stopped moving, we decided that at this stage will front crawl swimmers will swim instead of us. The rest of the male swimmers were on duty. Read the article: " Myth & Facts: How much did Russia sell Alaska for ". During the relay Alexander Kulyapin made five attempts. First, he said, was at night - in the darkness, and the next, unscheduled - early in the morning. We had to urgently replace the Argentine swimmer, who could not go to his start. Also, the relay participants were on duty. Alexander Kulyapin: In the boat, except the spare swimmer, certainly was a man who helps to get out of the water. Because of the cool, our hands were shackled and it was quite difficult to approach the boat and jump into it for us. Alexander Kulyapin: Once the race started, the weather in the body of water separating Alaska from Russia changed. Storm (4-5 points) was almost constant. In 6 points there was a short stop. We fixed this point with this GPS and stopped. What's interesting, when the race was stopped - the storm subsided and when we started again - it intensified. How to explain it, I do not know. When we came back from Yakutsk city, the shaman and Yakuts later perform the ritual - to lure the host of the ocean. But he had us up until we sailed to Alaska. Once we got to the coast, a storm turned into calm at once, the sun came out. The Americans said they have not experienced such good weather a long time. Hospital ship of the Pacific Fleet "Irtysh" accompanied the race. Alexander Kulyapin: Conditions were very good - a sauna, special shower for heating - all you need to recover the heat balance. The whole medical team watched over our health - they measured blood pressure, pulse, temperature. There were not deep hypothermia in swimmers - body temperature below 32 degrees did not fall. This allows all swimmers to recover quickly and be ready for the next race. By the wat,  how far is Alaska from Russia ? Finishing point was the American settlement Wales with a pop


Which Frenchman did John Isner memorably defeat 70- 68 in the fifth set of this year's Wimbledon Championship?

2010 Wimbledon: John Isner beats Nicolas Mahut to win longest match at Wimbledon comment WIMBLEDON, England -- When The Match That Would Not End finally did, at 70-68 in the fifth set, after a record 11 hours, 5 minutes spread over three days, the customary handshake between opponents simply would not suffice. So when John Isner of the United States won the longest match in tennis history and went to the net to greet Nicolas Mahut of France, who -- for lack of a better word -- lost Thursday at Wimbledon, Isner pulled Mahut in for a hug. "You know," Isner told the crowd moments later, "it stinks someone had to lose." Quite true. There were 980 points overall, and Mahut won more, 502-478. There were 711 points in the fifth set, and Mahut won more, 365-346. But Isner won the most important point of all: the last one, which happened to be a rather nondescript backhand winner down the line. It allowed Isner to break Mahut's serve for only the second time all match. That was also the only service break of the seemingly interminable fifth set, ending a run of 168 consecutive holds that began in the second set, all the way back on Tuesday. Essentially, the match lasted as long as it did for two reasons: Neither man could break the other's serve, and Wimbledon does not employ a tiebreak in the fifth set. "Especially once the match got past, you know, 25-all, I wasn't really thinking," said Isner, who led the University of Georgia to the 2007 NCAA team tennis championship. "Hitting a serve and trying to hit a forehand winner is the only thing I was doing." When it did conclude, Isner dropped down to the court, rolled on his back and kicked his legs in the air. After the players briefly spoke, Mahut sat in his changeover chair, stared blankly ahead and then draped a purple-and-yellow Wimbledon towel over his head. "It's really painful," Mahut said. The 23rd-seeded Isner's 6-4, 3-6, 6-7 (7), 7-6 (3), 70-68 victory was merely a first-round match between two relatively unheralded players. Yet it will be remembered far more distinctly -- and discussed far more frequently -- than many a Grand Slam final, not because of the stakes, certainly, or the quality of play, necessarily, but because of all the math involved. "The numbers," Mahut said, "speak for themselves." To wit: The 183 games and total time, both far beyond the existing records of 112 and 6:33. The 138 games and 8:11 in the fifth set alone, also records. Isner's 112 aces in the match, and Mahut's 103, both much higher than the old mark of 78. The combined 490 winners (Isner had more, 246-244) and only 91 unforced errors (Isner had more, 52-39). "We played the greatest match ever, in the greatest place to play tennis," said Mahut, who is ranked 148th and went through qualifying. "I thought he would make a mistake. I waited for that moment, and it never came." Instead, Mahut faltered -- 46 hours, 39 minutes after the first point was played -- and later acknowledged his abdominal muscles were aching Thursday. Both men showed remarkable resilience, even if they moved increasingly slowly. They began at 6:09 p.m. Tuesday, but action was suspended after the fourth set because of darkness. And following 7 hours, 6 minutes of play Wednesday, the match was suspended again at 59-59 in the final set. At some juncture as daylight was turning to dusk Wednesday, Isner said, "I was completely delirious. ... Even though it was dark, and no one could see, I wanted a final verdict, win or lose. I didn't want to have to sleep on it. But it wasn't to be." Indeed, they had to come back Thursday afternoon, when another 20 games -- the equivalent of at least two sets -- and another 1 hour, 5 minutes were required to wrap things up at 4:48 p.m. "I'm tired watching this," kidded three-time Wimbledon champion John McEnroe, who took it in from a third-row seat. "It's Herculean what they're doing. ... I had to come pay my respects." While Mahut remained mostly straightfaced and silent Thursday, Isner was constantly muttering to himself after missing shots. His coach, Craig Boynton, kept imploring Isner,


Which composer wrote the operas 'The Pearl Fishers' and 'Carmen'?

Georges Bizet in a nutshell Born: 25 Oct 1838 in Paris. Zodiac: Scorpio Died: 3 June 1875 in Paris. Age: 36 Cause of death: Heart attacks. Father: Adolphe - hairdrsser, wigmaker and music teacher Mother: Aimée - talented pianist Siblings: none Wife: Genevieve daughter of his teacher Prof.Jacques Halevy Children: one son, Jean, with his mother's maid and one son, Jacques, with his wife Genevieve. Grave Cimetière du Père Lachaise, Paris Influenced by: Schubert, Gounod, Saint-Saens, Offenbach. Major works OPERA: Best known for Carmen, he in fact wrote 30 operas, many of which are rarely performed. - The Pearl Fishers - set in Ceylon (Sri Lanka) - The Fair Maid of Perth - Djamileh - Carmen ORCHESTRAL: He wrote a symphony when he was 17. It was discovered in 1935 in the archives of the Paris Conservatory where he studied. - Symphony in C PIANO: He was an accomplished pianist and wrote many pieces for the keyboard. - Chromatic Variations Personality Curly black hair, square jaw, great beard, bright alert eyes, impressive appearance. He had a good sense of humour and was well liked. He did however have a violent temper and was prone to challenge people to fights or even duels. Heavy smoker in spite of recurring throat problems (probably throat cancer). Left-wing politically. Anti-religious. Womaniser. Bizet Quotes "Ah, music! What a beautiful art! But what a wretched profession!" "Religion is a means of exploitation employed by the strong against the weak; religion is a cloak of ambition, injustice and vice." Travels and career  - Age 9 - Entered Paris Conservatoire (below their minimum age)  - Age 17 - Produced the Symphony in C, his first.  - Age 19 - Won the prestigious Prix de Rome  - Age 20-23 - Lived and studied in Rome at the Villa Medici where he was popular with the other students.  - Age 25 - 'The Pearl Fishers', his first important opera, staged in Paris.  - Age 31 - Married Genevieve, rich daughter of his former teacher.  - Age 32 - Although as Prix de Rome winner he was exempt from conscription, he joined the National Guard to defend Paris in the Siege during the Franco-Prussian War.  - Age 34 - Birth of son Jacques  - Age 36 - Premier of 'Carmen'.   - Appointed chevalier de la Legion d'Honneur.   - Died of a heart attack 3 months later. Bizet in Art A fascinating collection of images - art, portraits, caricatures, cartoons, album covers and postage stamps. Amazon Store