Who was the first English monarch to abdicate?

Why the Queen is never going to abdicate - Telegraph Queen Elizabeth II Why the Queen is never going to abdicate The House of Windsor won’t follow Queen Beatrix’s example in the Netherlands.  Our monarch believes the job is God-given and for life Firm favourite: it is really the popular respect that keeps the Queen on the throne Photo: Geoff Pugh By Harry Mount Comments Prince Charles must sometimes wish he could go Dutch. Aged only 74, Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands has just chosen to hand over the throne to her 45-year-old son, Prince Willem-Alexander. Meanwhile, our 86-year-old Queen shows no signs of passing on the top job to her 64-year-old heir, the oldest ever Prince of Wales. Is there any chance our Queen will follow Dutch precedent? Not an earthly, is the consensus among royal insiders. “She won’t abdicate,” says Sarah Bradford, author of Queen Elizabeth II: Her Life in Our Times. “That’s not what she does, or what the British monarchy does. There’s no tradition of abdication here – it goes against the informal rules of our constitutional set-up. But it is what the Netherlands Royal Family does.” Queen Beatrix is the third Dutch queen in a row to hand over power voluntarily. In 1948, the 68-year-old Queen Wilhelmina, Beatrix’s grandmother, abdicated due to ill health, after 58 years on the throne. Her daughter, Queen Juliana, reigned for 32 years until she was 71, when she handed on the throne to her daughter. Abdication is fast becoming a tradition in Holland. But it’s a tradition that’s in no danger of catching on over here. Related Articles Coronation robes to form centrepiece of Buckingham Palace summer opening 24 Jan 2013 “The links between the British and the Dutch royal families are strong – Queen Beatrix’s grandmother, Queen Wilhelmina, was evacuated to Britain during the Second World War,” says Bradford. “But that doesn’t mean they share the same attitudes. In fact, when you got a Dutch king coming over here, like William III, he stuck to the English ways and didn’t abdicate.” Britain hasn’t just had a monarchy that’s lasted more than a millennium, it’s also had monarchs who keep ruling right to the end. That might be a sticky end – whether it’s Charles I losing his head in 1649; or William Rufus, with an arrow through his lung in the New Forest in 1100; or Richard III, killed on Bosworth battlefield in 1485 and thought to be buried beneath a municipal car park in Leicester. British monarchs are allowed to go mad, like George III. They can turn hermit, like Queen Victoria, dubbed the Widow of Windsor after her self-enforced seclusion in Windsor Castle on Prince Albert’s death. But one thing runs through their blue bloodline – they keep hanging on, until death parts them from the throne. “I do feel sorry for the Prince of Wales, waiting and waiting, while his mother looks better and better,” says Bradford. “She’s not staying on because of any concern about his abilities as a king. The Queen simply feels she must do her duty, and she’s never even contemplated abdication.” Ironically, one of the factors that keeps the Queen resolutely in harness is the only voluntary abdication in British history: that of her uncle, Edward VIII, in 1936. The crisis rocked the country, the monarchy, the Church of England and the Queen’s personal life. It was because of an abdication that the Queen went from being a 10-year-old girl, with a relatively small chance of inheriting the throne, to becoming the most famous woman in the world. It was because of an abdication and the pressures of office – or so the Queen Mother thought – that her gentle-spirited husband, George VI, died at the premature age of 56. You can see why the Queen doesn’t much like the A word. The British taste for long-term monarchs is unusual, not just in Holland, but across the Continent, too. Jean, the Grand Duke of Luxembourg, now 92, also abdicated in favour of his son, Henri, in 2000. In fact, they’ve been pretty keen on getting rid of monarchs altogether across the Channel. France’s last monarch, Napoleon III, was deposed in 1870; Portugal’s we


At which railway station was the film Brief Encounter made?

Carnforth Station Heritage Centre - Home of Brief Encounter Home About News Events Exhibitions Contact Us Links Carnforth Station Heritage Centre and the Brief Encounter Refreshment Room opened on 17 October 2003 following 3 years work to renovate the derelict buildings of Carnforth Station. We celebrated our 10th anniversary in 2013 and would like to thank  the organisations listed for their generous support. We welcome visitors from all over the world, who come to enjoy the nostalgia of the station, which has been restored to it’s 1940s glory when the Refreshment Room was used as the setting for David Lean’s film “Brief Encounter”. Carnforth Railway Station was opened in 1846 by the Lancaster and Carlisle Railway Company and was originally just a single platform.  In 1856, a small station was built following the connection of the Furness and Midland Railway lines. A year later a new station  and small engine shed were constructed. On 1st August, 1880, the station was rebuilt at a cost of £40,000. The station was completely rebuilt in 1937 by the London Midland and Scottish Railway Company, financed by over £53,000 of government-funded money. A 890 ft long platform was added for the Furness trains, and the longest unsupported single piece concrete roof in Britain was erected. Carnforth developed into a bustling junction linking stations across the North West from Cumberland through to Leeds. During the two World Wars thousands of servicemen passed through Carnforth Station en route to duty overseas. In 1945 David Lean filmed his romantic classic “Brief Encounter” starring Celia Johnson and Trevor Howard. Carnforth was chosen by the Ministry of War Transport as it was remote and safe from attack. Filming had to take place at night between 10pm and 6am so as not to interfere with daytime train operations. Opening Hours Heritage Centre: Daily 10am - 4pm Refreshment Room: Daily 9am - 4pm Carnforth Station Heritage Centre The demise of steam and radical reorganisation of the railways by Dr Beeching in the 1960's led to a gradual rundown of the station. The mainline platforms were closed  down and physically removed in 1970 prior to electrification of the West Coast Main Line. Carnforth was then reduced to a branch station and  the buildings gradually fell into disrepair. The Carnforth Station and Railway Trust Co Ltd was formed In November 1996 to restore the derelict buildings and a £1.5 million project was commenced in late 2000 in cooperation with Railtrack. The Refreshment Room has been restored to its 1940s splendour and is a run as a separate franchise by Andrew and Helen Coates.


Who was the first British person to walk in space?

BBC ON THIS DAY | 9 | 1995: Space pioneers take first small steps 1995: Space pioneers take first small steps Michael Foale has become the first British-born American to walk in space. Dr Foale - originally from Lincolnshire - and Dr Bernard Harris, the first black astronaut, stepped out into the open cargo bay of Nasa's space shuttle Discovery at 1210 GMT. They were testing a modified space suit and astronaut endurance. With his parents and American wife Mary watching by satellite link in a London TV studio, Dr Foale's first words as he peeped down to Earth, 240 miles (386km) away, were: "Gosh, it's high, isn't it?" He and Dr Harris clung to each other as they sat on the shuttle's robot arm. They moved into the coldest area, in Discovery's shadow, and hung motionless in space for 20 minutes to test the efficiency of new insulation systems in their suits. Indigenous Americans Dr Harris dedicated his space walk "to all African-American achievements" and carried with him the flag of the Navajo nation to draw attention to indigenous Americans. Together they manoeuvred a 1.25-tonne space-dust collecting satellite - the first of its kind. But their planned five hours out in space were cut short when both astronauts complained of cold and the Nasa control centre called them back into the shuttle at 1620 GMT. They spent more than three hours at an average temperature of -92C. It was Dr Foale's boyhood dream to be the first Briton in space - but he was beaten by Helen Sharman in 1991 - and he emigrated to the US to join Nasa in 1982. A Cambridge graduate, with a doctorate in astrophysics, Dr Foale learnt to fly while he was at university and has already spent more than 436 hours in space since 1992. Discovery's current mission is to last a total of eight days in preparation for building the international space station, scheduled to begin in 1997.


Bafana Bafana, the South African nickname for its national football team means?

BBC SPORT | Football | African | Mbeki wants 'Bafana' name change Mbeki wants 'Bafana' name change The South Africa national team are also known as the Bafana Bafana South African President Thabo Mbeki has called for the national football team to drop its Bafana Bafana (The Boys, The Boys) nickname, saying it is unsuitable for the hosts of the 2010 World Cup. Mbeki's governing African National Congress (ANC) party want the Springbok rugby team to lose its nickname. The president said in a radio interview there should be a rethink about the names of all the national teams, including the women's football team Banyana Banyana (The Girls, The Girls). "What kind of a name [Bafana Bafana] is it? I don't think it is fit for a senior national team or for the hosts of the 2010 Fifa World Cup," Mbeki told a South African radio station. "We need to revisit the names of teams like Bafana Bafana, Banyana Banyana, Amaglug-glug [the under-23 football team]." All the national sides used to be known as the Springboks during the whites-only apartheid era which ended in 1994, but most of the teams have since adopted new monickers such as the Proteas in cricket. The one notable exception has been the rugby team but even their name is under threat after the ANC passed a resolution at a conference earlier this year for the Springbok title and emblem to be scrapped. Team strip Mbeki's call received support from former Bafana Bafana coach Jomo Sono who agreed the name was inappropriate. Sono also urged a rethink on the team's strip which has changed colour on a number of occasions since apartheid. "I support the president 100 percent. We also need to change the colours of the team and get something close to, or similar to the Boks, which is a source of national pride and represents the country," Sono said. President Mbeki wants the Bafana Bafana nickname to be dropped "Everyone knows the Springbok is an African animal, and green is our grass in the fields here. But what does Bafana Bafana mean? "The name came from a journalist as a nickname in an article [when South Africa was readmitted to world football] and it stuck. "It was relevant then, but now we need a name that is representative of the country." However Banyana Banyana's manager Fran Hilton Smith was cooler on the idea. "It will be difficult to change the names and colours of the teams ... because they are synonymous with the team. People already know them by those names," she said. Mbeki said it was important the public was involved in the names debate. "The public should participate in a plan where we look for new names for our national teams," he said. "I'm not saying we must call all our national teams Springboks, but we have to change the names, the emblems and the colours the teams wear, so that they can be recognised as representatives of South Africa." Bookmark with:


What is the bodyguard character played by Kevin Costner in the 1992 film 'The Bodyguard'?

The Bodyguard (1992) - IMDb IMDb 29 December 2016 2:33 AM, UTC NEWS There was an error trying to load your rating for this title. Some parts of this page won't work property. Please reload or try later. X Beta I'm Watching This! Keep track of everything you watch; tell your friends. Error From $2.99 (SD) on Amazon Video ON DISC A former Secret Service agent takes on the job of bodyguard to a pop singer, whose lifestyle is most unlike a President's. Director: a list of 46 titles created 07 Jun 2011 a list of 42 titles created 23 May 2012 a list of 35 titles created 25 Apr 2015 a list of 21 titles created 9 months ago a list of 21 titles created 8 months ago Search for " The Bodyguard " on Amazon.com Connect with IMDb Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? Use the HTML below. You must be a registered user to use the IMDb rating plugin. Nominated for     2     Oscars. Another    11 wins & 18 nominations. See more awards  » Videos When Robin and his Moorish companion come to England and the tyranny of the Sheriff of Nottingham, he decides to fight back as an outlaw. Director: Kevin Reynolds In a future where the polar ice-caps have melted and Earth is almost entirely submerged, a mutated mariner fights starvation and outlaw "smokers," and reluctantly helps a woman and a young girl try to find dry land. Director: Kevin Reynolds A nameless drifter dons a postman's uniform and bag of mail as he begins a quest to inspire hope to the survivors living in post-apocalyptic America. Director: Kevin Costner A washed up golf pro working at a driving range tries to qualify for the US Open in order to win the heart of his succesful rival's girlfriend. Director: Ron Shelton After a young man is murdered, his spirit stays behind to warn his lover of impending danger, with the help of a reluctant psychic. Director: Jerry Zucker A woman discovers a tragic love letter in a bottle on a beach, and is determined to track down its author. Director: Luis Mandoki An insurance agent is sent by her employer to track down and help capture an art thief. Director: Jon Amiel Lt. John Dunbar, exiled to a remote western Civil War outpost, befriends wolves and Indians, making him an intolerable aberration in the military. Director: Kevin Costner Lancelot falls in love with Guinevere, who is due to be married to King Arthur. Meanwhile, a violent warlord tries to seize power from Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table. Director: Jerry Zucker A young thief, seeking revenge for the death of his brother, is trained by the once great, but aged Zorro, who also pursues vengeance of his own. Director: Martin Campbell When a worldly singer witnesses a mob crime, the police hide her as a nun in a traditional convent where she has trouble fitting in. Director: Emile Ardolino Wyatt Earp is a movie about a man and his family. The movie shows us the good times and the bad times of one of the West's most famous individuals. Director: Lawrence Kasdan Edit Storyline A pop singer has been receiving threatening notes, and her manager hires a bodyguard known for his good work. The bodyguard ruffles the singer's feathers and most of her entourage by tightening security more than they feel is necessary. The bodyguard is haunted by the fact that he was on Reagan's secret service staff but wasn't there to prevent the attack by Hinckley. Eventually the bodyguard and the singer start an affair, and she begins to believe his precautions are necessary when the stalker strikes close to home. Written by Ed Sutton <esutton@mindspring.com> Never let her out of your sight. Never let your guard down. Never fall in love. Genres: Rated R for language | See all certifications  » Parents Guide: 25 November 1992 (USA) See more  » Also Known As: Did You Know? Trivia Kevin Costner said that he based his portrayal of Frank Farmer on actor Steve McQueen . He even went as far as to get McQueen's trademark haircut for the role. See more » Goofs Nominees for Best Actor & Best Actress Oscars traditionally sit in the first few rows for the ceremony. When Rachel is announced as Best Ac


The 2,228m high Mount Kosciuszko is the highest mainland mountain of which country?

About the Snowy Mountains - History, Climate, Nature - Tourism Snowy Mountains Don't Miss! What's new in the Snowy Mountains About the Snowy Mountains The Snowy Mountains region is an iconic Australian treasure with a diverse climate, history, flora and fauna. Famous as a snow holiday destination, the Snowy Mountains attract visitors the year round with its stunning scenery, unique history and variety of attractions. Its unique beauty and stark contrasts, span its length and breadth. There is a real passion for this amazing part of the country, with its distinct seasons of fresh summer air and winter snow across an expansive mountain landscape. A land of spiritual connection for the indigenous culture for tens of thousands of years, the Snowy Mountains also holds a special place as the once province of European graziers in the mid 19th century. Play page-video Today the Snowy Mountains region is a significant tourism destination that attracts huge numbers of visitors each year for recreation and relaxation activities and to explore the rich history and diverse landscapes year round. The region is famous as a snow holiday destination, however it is also alive in the summer months particularly in and around its pristine lakes and streams. Major events and festivals fill the Snowy Mountains each year or you can even catch a sheep sale, sample food at farm-gates or see a quaint country show. The Snowy Mountains region is also the perfect destination for a natural adventure or to enjoy a myriad of fun activities from climbing to the top of Australia's highest peak, to horse-riding like the Man from Snowy River in a spectacular mountain environment.


Which European country ceased to be a monarchy in 1910?

Historical Country Names - Nations Online Project Historical Country Names keywords: geography, historical country names, former country names, history, place name changes, historical maps List of formerly used country names and names of countries which have ceased to exist. Name changes of countries, dependencies, geographical and other regions of particular geopolitical interest.   Today Abyssinia The Ethiopian Empire spans a geographical area of today Ethiopia, Eritrea , and Djibouti ,and included parts of Northern Somalia , Southern Egypt , Eastern Sudan , Yemen and Western Saudi Arabia . Abyssinia was an empire that existed for more than 800 years, from circa 1137 (beginning of Zagwe Dynasty) until 1974 when the Ethiopian monarchy was overthrown in a coup d'etat.     Afars and Issas Territory formerly known as French Somaliland, the French colony was renamed to the French Territory of Afars and Issas (1967 - 1977),the territory became independent in 1977, known today as Djibouti. formerly a British protectorate became independent in 1966 as the Kingdom of Lesotho.   formerly a British protectorate became independent in 1966 as Republic of Botswana.   Democratic Republic of the Congo Benadir a coastal region of Somalia; covering most of the Indian Ocean coast of the country, from the Gulf of Aden to the Juba River, formerly part of Italian Somaliland.   Biafra, Republic of (named after the Bight of Biafra) today part of   Bophuthatswana - nominal republic and homeland for Tswana-speaking people, 1949 reincorporated into   British Bechuanaland (region) incorporated into the Cape Colony (1895)   British East Africa or East Africa Protectorate British protectorate from 1890 until 1920   Kenya , Tanzania , Uganda , and parts of Somalia (Jubaland) Cape Colony, 1795-1797 British colony, 1803-1806 colony of the Batavian Republic (Netherlands), since 1910 part of   Central African Republic Kenya Colony The Colony and Protectorate of Kenya was part of the British Empire in Africa. It was established when the former East Africa Protectorate was transformed into a British crown colony in 1920.   Ciskei (Republic of Ciskei)- homeland for Xhosa-speaking people, 1994 reincorporated into   Dahomey ; (the Republic of Dahomey; in French: République du Dahomey), was a former French colony andpart of French West Africa until independence in 1960, in 1975 the Republic of Dahomeychanged its name in Benin. Dan Ho Me was an ancient Kingdom located in the south of today Benin.   French Guinea was a French protectorate in West Africa, after independence from France in 1958 it became today   Mali French West Africa was a federation of eight French colonial territories in Africa: Mauritania, Senegambia and Niger, French Sudan , French Guinea , Côte d'Ivoire, Upper Volta and Dahomey .   Mauritania , The Gambia , Senegal , Niger , Mali , Guinea , Côte d'Ivoire , Burkina Faso and Benin. German East Africa (German: Deutsch-Ostafrika) a German colony from 1885 until 1919 which included Burundi, Rwanda and Tanganyika (the mainland part of present Tanzania), an area almost three times the size of Germany today. German East Africa colony ended with the defeat of Imperial Germany in World War I. With the Treaty of Versailles the territory was divided between Britain (Tanganyika.), Belgium (Ruanda-Urundi), and Portugal (to become part of Mozambique).   Hausaland, consisted of seven independent city-states: Biram, Daura, Gobir, Kano, Katsina, Rano, and Zaria.   Italian East Africa (former name for Italian possessions in eastern Africa)   Kaffraria, former name for Transkei   Katanga - 1960, Belgium granted independence to the Congolese province of the   Mali Federation, was a country in West Africa 1959-1960, formed by a union between   Malawi Portuguese East Africa (Província Ultramarina de Moçambique) Mozambique or Portuguese East Africa (officially the State of East Africa) for almost 500 years a Portuguese Colony, 1498–1975. See also: Portugal   Sahara Occidental, Spanish name for   Senegambia (region; former name of the confederation of Senegal and


Farringford House on the Isle of Wight was the home of which poet?

Self Catering Isle of Wight Cottages & Cafe | Tennyson   Home Self Catering Cottages set in the scenic grounds of Farringford House on the Isle of Wight - the historic home of Alfred Lord Tennyson. Farringford House Isle of Wight » Self Catering Cottages Our lovely and extremely comfortable 4 star self catering cottages are sympathetically situated in 3 small groups within this uniquely historic estate. See our self catering cottages » Home of Tennyson Farringford was home to the celebrated Victorian Poet Laureate Alfred, Lord Tennyson (1809-1892), and is arguably the island’s most important historic estate after Osborne House. Discover more about Tennyson » Isle of Wight Blog Tennyson's stargazing platform A previously hidden window was uncovered. Not an unusual thing in itself but it led out to a gulley between the inner pitches of the original roof... read our latest Blog »


Cheesy Orzo Recipe : Rachael Ray : Food Network Easy Casserole Recipes 4.6 156 This was my first time using orzo. I was a little nervous, but this recipe was so easy and most important is was absolutely delicious. I added a little more cheese, just because we love cheese.....:0 Ruth Gawkowski 2015-01-29T01:21:08Z item not reviewed by moderator and published This was delicious, fast and easy. The whole family enjoyed it! WM Y. 2015-01-10T17:51:21Z item not reviewed by moderator and published Loved it!! Very versatile. Used beef broth because served with beef short ribs. Needed to add a little more broth at the end & also added butter. I saw the other reviews stating it was a little bland so I added fresh rosemary and fresh cilantro. Very good!! joan2005 2013-11-15T00:18:25Z item not reviewed by moderator and published It was decent but it needed more flavor. I wanted to add some veggies or something to next time I make it, like maybe some broccoli. I also added some more salt and used mozzarella instead of the other cheese. wassimetissa 2013-10-03T01:51:57Z item not reviewed by moderator and published this was good served immediately, but it definitely needed something more... I added a little butter for flavor. Next time ill add some mushrooms or something to jazz it up. Also, I halved this recipe since I was only cooking for two and it was WAY too much still. half of this recipe would easily serve 4 dlanz 2013-08-05T10:33:18Z item not reviewed by moderator and published My family loves this dish. In addition to the basic recipe I add a frozen cube or 2 (depending on how many I am cooking for of my homeade pesto and fresh chopped spinach after the orzo is a bit more than half way cooked. Enough time to melt the pesto, but still taste the fresh herbs. I also add in some fat free half and half at the end so to add some creaminess and add some liquid. One of our favorite side dishes. Also great with garlic, evoo and frozen peas and fresh mushrooms. Mama Teresa X2 2013-05-23T15:47:09Z item not reviewed by moderator and published I've made this reciepe many times! Delish! Delish! Delish! milodrowski 2013-04-02T15:57:14Z item not reviewed by moderator and published This is a great compliment to any meat entree! Fixed it with roasted chicken and broccoli. Great dinner! Added a little extra broth and dried parsley as suggested by other reviewers. melodyfree 2013-01-29T19:37:00Z item not reviewed by moderator and published Not bad, I was just experimenting, but I say it looks better in this picture, than what it actually taste. I would leave out the cheese next time, if I decide to make this dish again. I had tasted it before the cheese and liked it, and after I added the cheese, I wasn't feeling the taste too much. Overall it's not a horrible dish, but it wasn't a great one either. romerodejesus 2013-01-26T23:15:40Z item not reviewed by moderator and published Orzo is not my favorite pasta but it was good side dish. vaness09 2013-01-18T11:56:46Z item not reviewed by moderator and published This is extremely bland as written. It has the potential to be ok with the addition of fresh herbs or veggies. This would be great for a super picky eater, but hubby and I enjoy much more flavorful dishes.  ETA: make sure you actually measure the orzo. I you just dump a 16 oz. package of orzo into the chicken broth... You are probably putting about 2 and 1/4 cup of orzo into this recipe, which would result in the dryness that many reviewers are writing of. The package has the weight written on it, not the volume. MarieV0611 2012-12-17T09:38:53Z item not reviewed by moderator and published Simple yet flavorful side dish. Too easy! MARSJACK 2012-11-08T18:38:44Z item not reviewed by moderator and published Excellent side dish. Follow the directions. My kids requested this tons when they were home! Mama Amy 2012-10-30T12:54:14Z item not reviewed by moderator and published This recipe is incredibly easy and delicious! It is a side dish that I make frequently, and sometimes I make it just to eat by itself : Inexpensive, too. S


Albania Facts on Largest Cities, Populations, Symbols - Worldatlas.com Ethnicity: Albanian 95%, Greek 3%, other 2% (Vlach, Roma (Gypsy), Serb, Macedonian, Bulgarian) GDP total: $25.86 billion (2012 est.) GDP per capita: $8,000 (2012 est.) Land Sizes Language: Albanian (official - derived from Tosk dialect), Greek, Vlach, Romani, Slavic dialects Largest Cities: (by population) Tirana, Durres, Elbasan, Vlore, Shkoder, Fier-Cifci, Korce, Fier, Berat, Lushnje, Kavaje, Lac, Gjirokaster, Patos Fshat, Kruje Name: Albania's name comes from the medieval Greek word Alb (white or mountain) National Day: May 9 Religion: Muslim 70%, Albanian Orthodox 20%, Roman Catholic 10% Note: percentages are estimates; there are no available current statistics on religious affiliation; all mosques and churches were closed in 1967 and religious observances prohibited; in November 1990, Albania began allowing private religious practice


What item of his apparel was made of liquorice and eaten by Charlie Chaplin in the film 'The Gold Rush'?

Detail view of Movies Page   Summary: During the Gold Rush, prospectors brave Alaska’s dangerous Chilkoot Pass, hoping to strike it rich in the snowy mountains. Just as Big Jim McKay discovers gold on his claim, a storm arises, prompting a Lone Prospector to take refuge in a cabin. Unknown to him, the cabin’s occupant is desperado Black Larsen, who attempts to throw the vagabond Prospector out. Strong winds, however, repeatedly blow the little man back inside, and soon after, Jim is also swept into the cabin. Jim fights with Larsen over his shotgun, and after Jim prevails, the Prospector claims him as a close friend in order to remain safe. Over the next few days, the three men live together uneasily, their hunger growing as the storm rages on. After eating the lantern candle, with salt, the Prospector worries in vain that Jim has eaten Larsen’s little dog. Finally, the men cut cards to see who will hunt for food, and the loser, Larsen, sets out alone. He immediately encounters two lawmen who are searching for him, and after shooting them both, steals their supplies and travels on until he happens upon Jim’s claim. Meanwhile, the Prospector and Jim grow so ravenous that they boil and eat the Prospector’s leather shoe for Thanksgiving dinner. Unsatiated, Jim starts hallucinating, imagining that the Prospector is a large, luscious chicken. He tries repeatedly to shoot his little friend for dinner, causing the men to fight. The Prospector closes his eyes and attacks, and when he discovers that the leg he is clutching is actually that of a bear, he shoots it, finally providing them with a meal. Soon after, the storm ends and the friends part ways. Upon returning to his claim, Jim finds a well-fed Larsen, who knocks Jim out and flees but is soon killed in an avalanche. The Prospector travels on to Gold Rush City, where he falls in love with Georgia, a dance hall girl. Georgia’s flirtation with ladies’ man Jack Cameron precludes her from noting the Prospector’s existence until finally, hoping to provoke Jack, she chooses the grubby Prospector as a dance partner. The Prospector is thrilled, but cannot help calling attention to himself when his pants fall down and he accidentally belts them with a leash that is still attached to a dog. Later, the Prospector sees Jack and Georgia quarrelling, and although afraid of the much larger man, bravely fights him. When a clock falls on Jack’s head and knocks him out, the Prospector, who did not see the clock hit Jack, is amazed by his own strength. The next morning, the little man obtains food by pretending he is nearly frozen outside Hank Curtis’ cabin, prompting the kind man to feed and shelter him. One day, while Hank is away mining, Georgia and her friends happen by his cabin. Georgia discovers her photo under the Prospector’s pillow and teases the gullible man by pretending to adore him. Before leaving, the girls accept his invitation to New Year’s Eve dinner, after which he rips up his pillows in delight, only to be found covered in feathers by Georgia when she returns for her gloves. Although the Prospector shovels snow for days to earn enough money to prepare a lavish dinner, on New Year’s Eve the girls celebrate in the dance hall, leaving the little man waiting in his cabin. He falls asleep at the table and dreams that he is entertaining the girls by creating the illusion of as dance using rolls attached to two forks, but when he wakes, he is alone. He goes to the dance hall, but the girls and Jack have already left for his cabin to tease him further. There, however, Georgia sees the dinner he has prepared and realizes her joke has gone too far. A few days later, Jim, who has partial amnesia and has searched in vain for his rich claim, recognizes the Prospector in the dance hall and joyfully instructs him to lead him to Larsen’s cabin, which he knows is near his claim. After the Prospector declares his love to Georgia and promises to return for her, the men journey to the cabin, and while they are asleep, a strong wind pushes the house until it teeters over the edge of a cliff.


Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) is better known by what DuPont brand name?

Polytetrafluoroethylene      You can view the 3D image of PPO by clicking here or just click on the image itself. Be sure to close the new window that opens up when you are ready to come back here. For polytetrafluoroethylene at a glance, click here ! Polytetrafluoroethylene is better known by the trade name Teflon®. It's used to make non-stick cooking pans, and anything else that needs to be slippery or non-stick. PTFE is also used to treat carpets and fabrics to make them stain resistant. What's more, it's also very useful in medical applications. Because human bodies rarely reject it, it can be used for making artificial body parts. Polytetrafluoroethylene, or PTFE, is made of a carbon backbone chain, and each carbon has two fluorine atoms attached to it. It's usually drawn like the picture at the top of the page, but it may be easier to think of it as it's drawn in the picture below, with the chain of carbon atoms being thousands of atoms long. PTFE is a vinyl polymer , and its structure, if not its behavior, is similar to polyethylene .  Polytetrafluoroethylene is made from the monomer tetrafluoroethylene by free radical vinyl polymerization . And for those of you who are wondering, the monomer tetrafluoroethylene looks like this: You can view the 3D image of TFE by clicking here or just click on the image itself. Be sure to close the new window that opens up when you are ready to come back here. Fluorine is a very strange element. When it's part of a molecule, it doesn't like to be around other molecules or even the fluorine atoms on other molecules. But it likes other kinds of molecules even less. So a molecule of PTFE, being just chock full of fluorine atoms as it is, would like to be as far away from other molecules as it can get. For this reason, the molecules at the surface of a piece of PTFE will repel the molecules of just about anything that tries to come close to it. This is why nothing sticks to PTFE. Because it's non-stick, PTFE means you can fry things without grease or butter. This means less fat and cholesterol, for a healthier heart. The Big Question... The question remains then: If nothing will stick to this stuff, how does it stick to the surface of the frying pan? DuPont knows, but they're not telling! So, a while back we had a "What do you think?" section here, and we asked: "If you were designing frying pans, and you had to make non-stick PTFE stick to frying pans, how would you do it?" We received a bunch of neat ideas from nice smart people just like you. You can read some of the ideas and our input, too, right here . Before you go there, though - think about it first - how would you get PTFE to stick to the pan? (And here's a hint: melting PTFE doesn't help. First, because you'd have to heat it to over 300 o to melt it, which is impractical for making something cheap like frying pans. Second, melting PTFE doesn't make it stickier. It just turns form a solid that nothing sticks to into a molten goo that nothing sticks to. And a third hint, roughening the surface of the pan won't help, either, because that only increases the area of the two surfaces which will repel each other, increasing the repulsive force.) How to be Inert PTFE is more than just slippery. It's also useful because it won't react with anything. Why, you ask? First of all, if it repels everything, then no molecule can get near it to react with it! PTFE is kind of like a sad person who tries protect him or herself from emotional pain by never opening up to anyone. Then there's the fact that the bond between the fluorine atom and the carbon atom is just really, really strong. The bond is almost bullet proof! It's so stable that nothing will react with it. Even when it gets as hot as a frying pan, not even oxygen will react with it! Whoops! Polytetrafluoroethylene is another of those amazing accidental discoveries of science. In the late 1930s, when PTFE was discovered in DuPont's laboratories, DuPont was not at all concerned with nonstick frying pans or artificial heart valves. What they were really interested in was refrig


In which year did the ocean liner the QE2 make her maiden voyage?

QE2 Home Page Links The Queen Elizabeth 2, or QE2 as she is commonly known was the flagship of the Cunard Line for nearly 40 years. QE2 made her maiden voyage in 1969 and was one of the last great Transatlantic liners. At 70,327 tons and 963 feet long with a top speed of 32.5 knots she is also one of the fastest and grandest passenger vessels ever built. QE2 is arguably the most famous liner in the world. Photo courtesy Reinhard Sylvester QE2 is now docked permanently in Dubai. The Costa Classica calls in at Dubai once a week so sometimes you can catch QE2 on the webcam . For information about the Queen Mary 2 see the QM2 web site


The white sea-borne floating mineral (magnesium silicate) called meerschaum, used in making tobacco pipes, takes its name from the German meaning of what?

The Tobacco Pipe Artistory: Meerschaum Lost in Translation*: The Linguistic Hodgepodge of Mg4Si6O15(OH)2·6H2O Ben Rapaport Neither a major industrial mineral nor a precious stone, meerschaum still retains a record of a long—and continuing—association with art and the personal affairs of man. It’s about time for an in-depth, investigative treatise on it and écume de mer, two words that have been intertwined, confounded, and misunderstood for about 200 years. Here’s a reason why. A hundred or so years ago, one would have read: “There are some smokers who, because the English equivalent of the word, meerschaum, is seafoam, imagine that the light and delicate material of which their pipes are made is the froth cast by waves upon chalky coasts, which has become solidified by some process of nature” (“Mineral Treasures of the Earth,” The Search-Light, March 31, 1906, 205).  Today, when Tinder Box posts the following online, I have to wonder where a newbie pipe smoker gets his meerschaum smarts: “The mineral itself is the fossilized shells of tiny sea creatures that fell to the ocean floor over 50 million years ago, there to be covered and compressed over the ages by layer upon layer of silt” (“ The Story of Your Meerschaum Pipe. ” ). In 1880, this observation was made: The German word for Seafoam is Meerschaum, and the word Meerschaum was applied to what is now a famous substance, from then belief that this substance was a product of the sea—was a kind of hardened foam. This belief, which was soon proved to be a myth, had a charm just like that other myth which represented Venus as springing from the foam of the sea, an origin that procured for her the name of Anadyomene. [Venus is mentioned later in this essay.] Yet in regard to meerschaum much still remains mythical. Rash statements are made; conflicting and confusing statistics perplex us; and we have to seize the truth, and often dubious truth, from the grudging depths of a chaos of possibilities...No kind of history is so apocryphal, so swarms with fictions, as anecdotal history. It is too often either puerile gossip or gross exaggeration (“Meerschaum,” Cope’s Tobacco Plant, No. 124.—Vol. II, July, 1880, 495). How true! It’s tough enough for a historian to wrap his arms around the mystery—or myth—of when, how and who started using that white, pliable mineral, meerschaum, to make tobacco pipes. The experts at the National Museum of Hungary, Budapest—and many others— have pretty much booted Karl Kovàcs off his cobbler’s bench, that Hungarian who, in popular lore, supposedly crafted the first meerschaum pipe (or pipes)**. Perhaps the earliest protest comes from my beloved Cope’s Tobacco Plant:   “There is a story that early in the last century a cobbler at Pesth was the accidental inventor of meerschaum pipes, or, at least, of that particular mode of colouring them which has such fascination for many smokers. But a moment’s consideration must show that the story is wholly absurd, wholly lacks historical credibility (“Meerschaum,” 495).  Following the trail of Kovàcs is arduous enough...harder still is charting the origin of the ubiquitous word meerschaum, its assorted spellings, and all its surrogates. As everyone knows, it has no English equivalent...it’s adopted from German.   “Our debt to German is surprisingly small. Except those German words which have come to us through French, which are not very numerous, there appear to be only twenty-eight in all, and of these only camellia...meerschaum, in common use” (A. C. Champneys, History of English, 1893, 364). But the debut of this word and the other descriptors for this mineral are more complicated, and not so easily explained as this:   "The word meerschaum, meaning in German ‘sea-foam,’ has been translated by the French into écume de mer; and English-speaking people, so famous for spelling and spelling reform, have, in accordance with usual custom, adopted the German spelling but not the German (correct) pronunciation” (“Meerschaum in New Mexico,” Century Path Weekly Illustrated, Volume XII, No. 8, December 28, 1908, 7).


What primarily causes an ice-skate to melt ice, creating lubricated contact helpful for skating?

Reply to: “Ice cap thaw may awaken Icelandic volcanoes” | Watts Up With That? Watts Up With That? The world's most viewed site on global warming and climate change Menu Anthony Watts / April 16, 2010 Guest post by Steven Goddard Smoke from a subglacial volcanic eruption rises above the Vatnajökull ice cap (photo by Oddur Sigurdsson) Image via Ben Orlove, UC Davis, click for his page. Scientific American has reported that global warming may cause an increase in volcanic eruptions , due to increased magma formation at lower pressures as glaciers melt. This caught my attention because I used to work as a volcano researcher and igneous petrologist. That report said that about 10 percent of Iceland’s biggest ice cap, Vatnajokull, has melted since 1890 and the land nearby was rising about 25 millimetres (0.98 inch) a year, bringing shifts in geological stresses. They estimated that the thaw had led to the formation of 1.4 cubic km (0.3 cubic mile) of magma deep below ground over the past century. At high pressures such as under an ice cap, they reckon that rocks cannot expand to turn into liquid magma even if they are hot enough. “As the ice melts the rock can melt because the pressure decreases,” she said. Sigmundsson said that monitoring of the Vatnajokull volcano since 2008 suggested that the 2008 estimate for magma generation was “probably a minimum estimate. It can be somewhat larger.” Interesting theory, but does it work quantitatively?  Magmas, as with most solids, do show a direct relationship between the melting point and pressure. As the pressure increases, so does the melting point.  (Ice is a noticeable exception to this, and shows an  inverse relationship.  The reason that people can ice skate is because the pressure under the blade creates a thin later of melted ice which lubricates the surface. Below is a phase diagram of a basaltic magma similar to that found in Iceland, showing the relationship between temperature and pressure.  The melting temperature does decrease at lower pressures.  From 100 km depth to 0 km the melting point drops about 300°C.  That is about 3°C / km.  Ice is about one third as dense as basaltic magma, so the loss of 1 km of ice lowers the melting point by about 1C, or less than 0.1%. More precisely, this study from the Carnegie Geophysical Institute did an empirical measurement of the relationship for one basaltic mineral – diposide. They found the relationship to be Tm = 1391.5 + 0.01297 * P Where Tm is the melting point in degrees C and P is the pressure in atmospheres.  One atmosphere pressure is equal to about 10 metres of ice, so one additional metre of ice increases the melting point by about 0.0013°C.  The loss of 100 metres of ice would therefore lower the melting point by about one tenth of a degree.  The thickest ice in Iceland is only 500 meters thick , so complete loss of all ice would only alter the melting point by about 0.5°C, or less than 0.05%. The geothermal gradient of the earth is typically about 40°C per km, so a 0.5°C change in temperature is equivalent to a depth change of about 20 metres.  Near mid-ocean ridges this gradient is steeper, so the equivalent depth change in Iceland would be less than 20 metres.  Is it credible that a 0.5°C decrease in the melting point could stimulate excess volcanic activity?  Short answer – no. Volcanic activity is caused by magma rising to the surface, not glaciers melting.  However, the loss of the glaciers would reduce the amount of steam and ash generated.  Ash is formed when magma is cooled and fractured by steam.  So the loss of the glaciers would reduce the size of the steam/ash cloud and make the Iceland volcanoes behave more like Hawaii volcanoes. In short, the loss of all ice in Iceland would make the volcanoes less destructive. BTW – On Al Gore’s planet, the geothermal gradient is much higher, with core temperatures averaging millions of degrees. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ag2AWst3Qv4 Sponsored IT training links: Latest PK0-003 dumps provide the best chance to improve yo


Great British Art: The Pond by LS Lowry - Anglotopia.net Anglotopia.net British Slang: 48 British Words For Driving That You May Not Know Check Out Our Slang Dictionary! Check out Anglotopia's Dictionary of British Slang - Your Complete Guide to over 1,000 British Slang Words and Phrases. Available from All Major Retailers. Click here for more info Buy Now In Print Buy Now for Your Kindle Buy Now for iPad - Anglotees Introducing Anglotees Anglotees is our sister business that offers up 2 British Themed T-shirt to buy a week and available only for 1 week. This Week's Shirts - 2 Designs This week we're offering 2 designs. Starting at $16.99. Available in Men's, Women's, V-neck, Long Sleeve, Sweatshirt and Hoodie. Issue #4 Now Shipping! We received Issue #4 from the printer last week and have begun the process of shipping out. There’s almost 900 to send, so it will take a about 7-10 days to ship them all out. It will be with you soon! Related Issue #4 is Almost Done! We’re almost done with Issue #4 which is taking a bit longer than we planned to get ready. It’s with our copy editor now and we’ll be sending it to the printer this week. We expect to begin shipping out in 2-3 weeks. Related The London Annual Has Gone to Press! We have approved the final proofs for the London Annual and it’s going to press. We expect them in the office in a couple weeks at which point we’ll mail them out to all that pre-ordered. It has sold very well for us and we ordered extras but as with all our other magazine, quantities […] Now Taking Pre-Orders for the London Annual and Issue #4 We’re now taking pre-orders for a special one off magazine called the London Annual which will be a great guide to London in 2017 (this is not included in the subscription). We’re also now open to pre-orders for the fourth issue of the Anglotopia Magazine. Place your orders here now. Related Third Issue Update: All Subscriptions Have Been Mailed We have finished mailing out all subscriptions and single issue orders of the third issue of the Anglotopia Magazine. Took a bit longer than we thought but they’re all on the way. We have a limited number left in stock of the third issue – so if you haven’t already – pick it up soon! […] Digital Subscribers – Your Issue is Ready to Download! We have sent out the emails to digital subscribers letting them know they can now download the Issue #3 of the Anglotopia Magazine. You will received an email from us, be sure to check your SPAM folder if you haven’t received it today. Email us right away and we’ll send you a different link to […] Issue #3 Has Been Printed and We’ll Begin Shipping Them We have just picked up Issue #3 of the Anglotopia Magazine from the printer. It looks beautiful! We’ll begin shipping them out tomorrow. It’s going to take us about a week to get them all out. We have about 600 subscribers and pre-orders to get through. Last time we used a third party shipping company […] Pre-order Issue #3 Now To make sure that you can get a copy of the next issue of the Anglotopia magazine, we recommend pre-ordering. We’re only getting 900 copies and 600 or so have already been reserved. We will likely sell out again. Click here to preorder. Related By Jonathan Leave a Comment This week in Great British Art we present The Pond by LS Lowry and was painted in 1950. It’s a stunning impression of an industrial landscape in Britain. From the Tate Gallery: “‘The Pond’ is an impressive industrial landscape containing many features typical of Lowry’s work; smoking chimneys, terraced houses and on the right, in the middle distance, the Stockport Viaduct. The scene is brought to life by his so called ‘matchstick’ people who swarm like ants through the city’s streets and open spaces. ‘This is a composite picture built up from a blank canvas. I hadn’t the slightest idea of what I was going to put in the canvas when I started the picture but it eventually came out as you see it. This is the way I like working best’. Lowry considered this to be his finest industrial landscape.” It’s currently on display in the Tate Britain gallery i


Cuisses were medieval armour worn to protect which part of the body?

Medieval Armour Armour   Mail, or chainmail, made of interlocking iron rings, which may        be riveted or welded shut is believed to have been invented in Eastern        Europe about 500 BC. Gradually, small additional plates or discs        of iron were added to the mail to protect vulnerable areas. Hardened        leather and splinted construction were used for arm and leg pieces.        A coat of plates was developed, an armour made of large plates sewn        inside a textile or leather coat. Early plate in Italy, and elsewhere in the 13th15th century        were made of iron. Iron armour could be carburised or case hardened        to give a surface of harder steel. Plate armour became cheaper than        mail by the 15th century as it required less labour and labour had        become much more expensive after the Black Death, though it did        require larger furnaces to produce larger blooms. Mail continued        to be used to protect those joints which could not be adequately        protected by plate, such as the armpit, crook of the elbow and groin.        Another advantage of plate was that a lance rest could be fitted        to the breast plate. The small skull cap evolved into a bigger true helmet, the bascinet,        as it was lengthened downward to protect the back of the neck and        the sides of the head. Additionally, several new forms of fully        enclosed helmets were introduced in the late 1300s. Probably the most recognised style of armour in the World became        the plate armour associated with the knights of the European Late        Middle Ages, but continuing to the early 17th century Age of Enlightenment        in all European countries. By about 1400 the full harness of plate armour had been developed        in armouries of Lombardy. Heavy cavalry dominated the battlefield        for centuries in part because of their armour. In the early 15th century, advances in weaponry allowed infantry        to defeat armoured knights on the battlefield. The quality of the        metal used in armour deteriorated as armies became bigger and armour        was made thicker, necessitating breeding of larger cavalry horses.        If during the 1415th centuries armour seldom weighed more        than 15kgs, than by the late 16th century it weighed 25 kg. The        increasing weight and thickness of late 16th century armour therefore        gave substantial resistance. In the early years of low velocity firearms, full suits of armour,        or breast plates stopped bullets fired from a modest distance. Crossbow        bolts would seldom penetrate good plate, nor would any bullet unless        fired from close range. In effect, rather than making plate armour        obsolete, the use of firearms stimulated the development of plate        armour into its later stages. For most of that period, it allowed        horsemen to fight while being the targets of defending arquebuseers        without being easily killed. Full suits of armour were worn by generals        and princely commanders right up to the second decade of the 18th        century. It was the only way they could be mounted and survey the        overall battlefield with safety from distant musket fire. The horse was afforded protection from lances and infantry weapons        by steel plate barding. This gave the horse protection and enhanced        the visual impression of a mounted knight. Late in the era, elaborate        barding was used in parade armour. Gradually starting in the mid 16th century, one plate element after        another was discarded to save weight for foot soldiers. Back and        breast plates continued to be used throughout the entire period        of


The Battle of Antietam was fought during which war?

Battle of Antietam - American Civil War - HISTORY.com Battle of Antietam A+E Networks Introduction On September 17, 1862, Generals Robert E. Lee and George McClellan faced off near Antietam creek in Sharpsburg, Maryland, in the the first battle of the American Civil War to be fought on northern soil.Though McClellan failed toutlilize his numerical superiority to crush Lee’sarmy, he was able to check the Confederate advance intothe north. Aftera string ofUnion defeats, this tacticalvictory provided Abraham Lincoln the political cover he needed to issue his Emancipation Proclamation. Though the result of the battle was inconclusive, itremains the bloodiest single day in American history, withmore than 22,000 casualties. Fought along Antietam Creek, at Sharpsburg, Maryland , this battle brought about America’s bloodiest day, the product of Confederate audacity and Union command failure. Did You Know? The 1st Texas Infantry lost 82 percent of its menduring the Battle of Antietam, the highest casualty rate for any Confederate regiment in one battle of the Civil War. Following Second Manassas, General Robert E. Lee advanced into Maryland, believing that the potential strategic and political gains justified his defiance of the avowed Confederate defensive policy. Lee’s complex operational plan divided his outnumbered force; disaster loomed when a lost copy of that plan came to the Union commander, Major General George B. McClellan. Slow, cautious, and defensive-minded, however, McClellan wasted all the advantages of his lucky discovery and his two-to-one numerical superiority. The battleground Lee selected was well suited for defense but dangerous as well, having the Potomac River behind him. McClellan planned to overwhelm Lee’s left flank but failed to exercise command control, so the combat diffused south along the battle line. The first four hours of fighting, much of it across farmer David Miller’s thirty-acre cornfield, were indecisive. Next came a series of bloody head-on attacks against Lee’s center that finally overran the area afterward called Bloody Lane. The last action of the day was against Lee’s right, where Union troops pierced the line (weakened to reinforce other sections) but were stopped by late-arriving Confederate reinforcements. Lee withdrew across the river on September 18, suffering 10,318 casualties (of 38,000 engaged) to McClellan’s 12,401 (of 75,000). The draw that the Union claimed as a victory provided the Lincoln administration enough justification to issue the preliminary Emancipation Proclamation . A series of graphic battlefield photographs of the dead, taken by Alexander Gardner, brought to the home front “the terrible earnestness of war.” NOAH ANDRE TRUDEAU The Reader’s Companion to Military History. Edited by Robert Cowley and Geoffrey Parker. Copyright © 1996 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved. Tags


What is produced in the islets of Langerhans in the pancreas?

Definition of Islets of Langerhans Definition of Islets of Langerhans Causes of a Heart Attack Slideshow Islets of Langerhans: Known as the insulin -producing tissue, the islets of Langerhans do more than that. They are groups of specialized cells in the pancreas that make and secrete hormones. Named after the German pathologist Paul Langerhans (1847-1888), who discovered them in 1869, these cells sit in groups that Langerhans likened to little islands in the pancreas. There are five types of cells in an islet: alpha cells that make glucagon , which raises the level of glucose (sugar) in the blood; beta cells that make insulin; delta cells that make somatostatin which inhibits the release of numerous other hormones in the body; and PP cells and D1 cells, about which little is known. Degeneration of the insulin-producing beta cells is the main cause of type I (insulin-dependent) diabetes mellitus. Last Editorial Review: 5/13/2016


Which country's old name is Kemet, meaning 'black land', a reference to the fertile soil of its vast flood plains?

Free ebooks written by Egypt. Read books online at ReadAnyBook.com. 8/10 2 Egypt (pronounced /?i?d??pt/ ( listen); Arabic: ???? Mi?r, pronounced [mis??]  ( listen); Egyptian Arabic: Ma?r [?m?s??]; Coptic: ????, k?mi; Egyptian: Kemet), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, i ... s a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Western Asia. Covering an area of about 1,010,000 square kilometers (390,000 sq mi), Egypt is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, the Gaza Strip and Israel to the northeast, the Red Sea to the east, Sudan to the south and Libya to the west. Egypt is one of the most populous countries in Africa and the Middle East. The great majority of its estimated 77.4 million[1] live near the banks of the Nile River, in an area of about 40,000 square kilometers (15,000 sq mi), where the only arable agricultural land is found. The large areas of the Sahara Desert are sparsely inhabited. About half of Egypt's residents live in urban areas, with the majority spread across the densely-populated centres of greater Cairo, Alexandria and other major cities in the Nile Delta. Egypt is famous for its ancient civilization and some of the world's most famous monuments, including the Giza pyramid complex and its Great Sphinx. The southern city of Luxor contains numerous ancient artifacts, such as the Karnak Temple and the Valley of the Kings. Egypt is widely regarded as an important political and cultural nation of the Middle East. Egypt possesses one of the most developed economies in the Middle East, with sectors such as tourism, agriculture, industry and service at almost equal rates in national production. Consequently, the Egyptian economy is rapidly developing, due in part to legislation aimed at luring investments, coupled with both internal and political stability, along with recent trade and market liberalization. One of the ancient Egyptian names of the country, Kemet (km.t), or "black land", referring to the fertile black soils of the Nile flood plains, distinct from the deshret (dš?t), or "red land" of the desert.[4] The name is realized as k?mi and k?m? in the Coptic stage of the Egyptian language, and appeared in early Greek as ????? (Kh?mía).[5] Another name was t3-mry "land of the riverbank".[6] The names of Upper and Lower Egypt were Ta-Sheme'aw (t3-šm?w) "sedgeland" and Ta-Mehew (t3 m?w) "northland", respectively. Mi?r, the Arabic and modern official name of Egypt (Egyptian Arabic: Ma?r), is of Semitic origin, directly cognate with other Semitic words for Egypt such as the Hebrew ????????? (Mitzráyim), literally meaning "the two straits" (a reference to the dynastic separation of upper and lower Egypt).[7] The word originally connoted "metropolis" or "civilization" and also means "country", or "frontier-land". The English name Egypt was borrowed from Middle French Egypte, from Latin Aegyptus, from ancient Greek Aígyptos (????????), from earlier Linear B a-ku-pi-ti-yo. The adjective aigýpti-, aigýptios was borrowed into Coptic as gyptios, kyptios, and from there into Arabic as qub??, back formed into qub?, whence English Copt. The Greek forms were borrowed from Late Egyptian (Amarna) Hikuptah "Memphis", a corruption of the earlier Egyptian name Hat-ka-Ptah (?wt-k3-pt?), meaning "home of the ka (soul) of Ptah", the name of a temple to the god Ptah at Memphis.[8] Strabo attributed the word to a folk etymology in which Aígyptos (????????) evolved as a compound from Aigaiou hupti?s (A?????? ??????), meaning "below the Aegean". At 1,001,450 square kilometers (386,660 sq mi),[9] Egypt is the world's 38th-largest country. In terms of land area, it is approximately the same size as all of Central America,[10] twice the size of Spain,[11] four times the size of the United Kingdom,[12] and the combined size of the US states of Texas and California.[13] Nevertheless, due to the aridity of Egypt's climate, population centres are concentrated along the narrow Nile Valley and Delta, meaning that approximately 99% of the population uses only about 5.5% of the total land ar


In 2010, Asda (owned by Walmart) bought the UK stores of which discount grocers for £778m?

Asda buys Netto for £778m | Business | The Guardian Supermarkets Asda buys Netto for £778m Asda has been struggling to keep pace with its rivals and last week revealed its first decline in quarterly sales since 2006 Asda intends to buy Netto's smaller stores to compete with Tesco and Sainsbury's. Photograph: Guardian Thursday 27 May 2010 08.13 EDT First published on Thursday 27 May 2010 08.13 EDT Share on Messenger Close The supermarket group Asda is paying £778m to take over the Netto discount grocery chain in an aggressive bid to close the gap with the market leader, Tesco . Britain's second-biggest grocer, which is part of the Wal-Mart global retail empire, is buying 193 stores, subject to getting the go-ahead from the Office of Fair Trading (OFT). The price is the equivalent of £4m for each Netto outlet. Asda has been struggling to keep pace with its rivals and last week revealed its first decline in quarterly sales since 2006 as a result of tough competition from a resurgent Tesco, as well as top performers Morrisons and Waitrose. In the last three months Asda's market share stood at 16.8% – down from a peak of more than 17%. Buying Netto will add just 0.7% – but Asda intends to use the new smaller stores to develop a format to compete with the high street and convenience stores run by Tesco and Sainsbury's. A spokesman said the grocer believed it could boost sales at each store substantially. Staffing levels will be increased from an average of 14 per store to 25. Netto's stores average only 750 sq metres compared with Asda's average superstore of 4,300 sq metres. With the new outlets, Asda will have 568 shops. The acquisition is the first big move by Asda's new chief executive, Andy Clarke, who moved up to the top job earlier this month. His predecessor Andy Bond has stepped back to become part-time chairman of the business. The grocer has been linked with other potential targets in recent years, such as Woolworths, Argos and Matalan, but the Netto deal is its first major one since Asda was acquired by Wal-Mart in 1999. Netto is part of the Dansk Supermarked group and has been operating in the UK for some 30 years, but the West Yorkshire-based retailer missed out on the discounter boom enjoyed by its rivals Aldi and Lidl at the height of the recession. Like other discounters, it keeps prices low by selling fewer than 2,000 products, compared with a range of 20,000-30,000 in a major supermarket. Downsizing ahead Last month Bond unveiled a five-year plan, setting a series of targets for Asda. It included overtaking Tesco to become Britain's biggest non-food retailer and opening 100 small supermarkets. The grocer had previously stuck to opening superstores of up to 8,000 sq metres because they are more profitable than small outlets. But Asda has now conceded that it will have to open smaller shops to make any headway. Philip Dorgan, an analyst at the broker Ambrian, said the Netto deal showed that Asda might be ready to buy market share in the home and fashion sectors too. He said the move was "likely to increase speculation that it could do the same in non- food" and said that could be good news for shareholders in Home Retail group – owners of Argos and Homebase. Asda expects to finalise the transaction after approval from the OFT this summer and then plans to refurbish the Netto outlets and change the fascia to Asda. The deal will face opposition. James Lowman, chief executive of the Association of Convenience Stores, which represents 33,500 small independent retailers, said: "The UK already has one of the most concentrated grocery markets in the world with four companies controlling three-quarters of the market. That leads to serious concerns about consumer choice."


In an electrical circuit diagram what is denoted by a circle containing the capital letter A?

Electricity and circuits Relativity and electromagnetism Chapter 21. Electricity and circuits Where the telescope ends, the microscope begins. Which of the two has the grander view? -- Victor Hugo His father died during his mother's pregnancy. Rejected by her as a boy, he was packed off to boarding school when she remarried. He himself never married, but in middle age he formed an intense relationship with a much younger man, a relationship that he terminated when he underwent a psychotic break. Following his early scientific successes, he spent the rest of his professional life mostly in frustration over his inability to unlock the secrets of alchemy. The man being described is Isaac Newton, but not the triumphant Newton of the standard textbook hagiography. Why dwell on the sad side of his life? To the modern science educator, Newton's lifelong obsession with alchemy may seem an embarrassment, a distraction from his main achievement, the creation the modern science of mechanics. To Newton, however, his alchemical researches were naturally related to his investigations of force and motion. What was radical about Newton's analysis of motion was its universality: it succeeded in describing both the heavens and the earth with the same equations, whereas previously it had been assumed that the sun, moon, stars, and planets were fundamentally different from earthly objects. But Newton realized that if science was to describe all of nature in a unified way, it was not enough to unite the human scale with the scale of the universe: he would not be satisfied until he fit the microscopic universe into the picture as well. It should not surprise us that Newton failed. Although he was a firm believer in the existence of atoms, there was no more experimental evidence for their existence than there had been when the ancient Greeks first posited them on purely philosophical grounds. Alchemy labored under a tradition of secrecy and mysticism. Newton had already almost single-handedly transformed the fuzzyheaded field of “natural philosophy” into something we would recognize as the modern science of physics, and it would be unjust to criticize him for failing to change alchemy into modern chemistry as well. The time was not ripe. The microscope was a new invention, and it was cutting-edge science when Newton's contemporary Hooke discovered that living things were made out of cells. 21.1 The quest for the atomic force a /    Four pieces of tape are prepared, 1, as        described in the text. Depending on which combination is tested,        the interaction can be either repulsive, 2, or attractive, 3. Newton was not the first of the age of reason. He was the last of the magicians. -- John Maynard Keynes Nevertheless it will be instructive to pick up Newton's train of thought and see where it leads us with the benefit of modern hindsight. In uniting the human and cosmic scales of existence, he had reimagined both as stages on which the actors were objects (trees and houses, planets and stars) that interacted through attractions and repulsions. He was already convinced that the objects inhabiting the microworld were atoms, so it remained only to determine what kinds of forces they exerted on each other. His next insight was no less brilliant for his inability to bring it to fruition. He realized that the many human-scale forces --- friction, sticky forces, the normal forces that keep objects from occupying the same space, and so on --- must all simply be expressions of a more fundamental force acting between atoms. Tape sticks to paper because the atoms in the tape attract the atoms in the paper. My house doesn't fall to the center of the earth because its atoms repel the atoms of the dirt under it. Here he got stuck. It was tempting to think that the atomic force was a form of gravity, which he knew to be universal, fundamental, and mathematically simple. Gravity, however, is always attractive, so how could he use it to explain the existence of both attractive


What internationally popular competitive activity features a 'Racing Homer'?

The new pigeon-racing capital - The Hindu The new pigeon-racing capital October 14, 2012 15:25 IST Updated: October 18, 2016 12:44 IST Share Article October 14, 2012 15:25 IST Updated: October 18, 2016 12:44 IST more-in With the number of clubs doubling in recent years, Chennai is way ahead of other Indian cities in pigeon racing Move over Kolkata. Chennai is the new pigeon-racing capital of India. With the number of clubs for the sport having doubled in recent years, the city is beak, wings and tail ahead of the competition. The first to appear on the country’s pigeon-racing map, Kolkata was once the destination for anyone with a passion for this hobby-sport. The Calcutta Pigeon Racing Pigeons Club is the oldest in India and the city produced a slew of legendary breeders and trainers of racing pigeons. But today, Chennai is unmatched in the number of pigeon fanciers and its ability to promote the sport in other centres. “Chennai has eleven clubs and around 400 pigeon-racing enthusiasts. But if you factor in other pigeon sports that involve tumblers, tipplers and show pigeons, the city has around 4,000 pigeon fanciers,” says K. Palaniapppan, president of the New Madras Racing Pigeon Association (NMRPA). “To give a picture of how clearly Chennai is ahead of the other cities that boast a history of pigeon racing, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Kolkata have two clubs each and Pune has one.” There are around 40 racing pigeon forums around Tamil Nadu and the sport is believed to thrive in Madurai, Tiruchi, Salem, Nagercoil, Coimbatore, Tuticorin, Dindigul, Ramnad, Kilakarai and Pamban partly because of the support and guidance from Chennai. Another senior member of the pigeon-racing fraternity, R.R. Prasad of Central Madras Homer Club says: “From the days when we looked to guidance from Y.S. Chen and P.S. Lee, pigeon fanciers who made Kolkata synonymous with the sport, we have come a long way. In the 1980s, pigeons bred by these men were in a class by themselves. They were the first to do 1,000-km races. For their expertise and birds, Chen and Lee were much in demand. But in the last three decades, local patrons of the sport have made handsome contributions towards improving the breed qualities of pigeons and creating a situation of self-sufficiency.” All the key members of the clubs in Chennai are aware of, and also take pride in, the progress made since the 1970s, when two clubs — ‘Madras Homing Pigeon Association’ and ‘North Madras Homing Pigeon Association’ — introduced the sport to the city, but soon sputtered and stopped. In the 1980s, the sport revived as a result of initiatives taken by a handful of pigeon fanciers. They, in fact, went the extra mile to promote it. Importing breeds “Pigeon fancier Boldry imported two breeds of racing pigeons from the United States, Strassert and Paulsion, followed by Jimmy Diaz who brought in Sodenberg racing pigeons from the United States. Logan pigeons came from Australia, thanks to efforts taken by Pat Casey, another pigeon fancier from Chennai. A Bangalore-based enthusiast Col. Smith imported Catrysse pigeons, which became popular in Madras,” says Palaniappan. “Continuing the good work, Noel Kannan brought five pairs of Silver Toye pigeons after a meeting with the man who cultivated the breed, Silver Toye from Belgium. R.R. Prasad and Rajasekharan are among others who have helped improve the quality of pigeons being raced in the city. Ever since a tight ban has been slapped on bird imports, local pigeon fanciers have relied solely on these birds, trying out a variety of combinations, such as breeding Catrysses with Paulsions, Cattrysses with Logans, Calcutta birds with Paulsions and so on.” The ban on imports has helped unite the various city clubs into a cohesive unit. “We go to one another for good birds. We exchange birds with — and also buy them from — fellow pigeon fanciers in the city,” says Karate R. Easwaran, secretary of Tamilnad Homer Pigeon Racing Association. The South Indian Racing Pigeon Society — which brings together pigeon racers from around South India for special even


What is the largest rough gem-quality diamond ever found (as at 2010)?

Could this be the world's largest diamond? Huge uncut gem discovered in African mine | Daily Mail Online Could this be the world's largest diamond? Huge uncut gem discovered in African mine comments A huge gem stone which could become the largest polished round diamond in history has been discovered. The massive stone is the 20th largest rough diamond ever found, weighs 478 carats and is said to be of outstanding clarity. It was recovered earlier this week at the Letseng Mine, in Lesotho, a small kingdom in  South Africa. Perfect clarity: A model inspects the world's 20th largest rough diamond, which was discovered at Gem Diamond's Letseng Mine in Lesotho this week Another similar sized rough stone from the same mine was recently valued at $12million. But the clarity and round shape of the new gem mean it could be worth considerably more and in its polished state could fetch tens of millions of pounds. It is estimated to be capable of producing a 150 carat polished gem stone, dwarfing the Koh-i-Noor diamond which is part of the Crown Jewels. A spokesman for Gem Diamonds, who own the mine, added that initial examination suggested that the white diamond, which has yet to be named and valued, has a completely flawless centre. Enlarge   The new diamond, left, could be larger than the  Koh-i-noor diamond, seen in the Queen mother's crown The mine, which was owned by famous diamond company De Beers for many years, has already produced three of the world's biggest diamonds including the 603 carat Lesotho Promise, the 493 carat Leteng Legacy and the 601 carat Lesotho Brown. Clifford Elphick, chief executive officer of Gem Diamonds, said 'Preliminary examination of this remarkable diamond indicates that it will yield a record breaking polished stone of the very best colour and clarity.' The find is still dwarfed by the Cullinan Diamond which was discovered in 1905. At 3,106 carats it was the largest gem-quality rough diamond ever found but the biggest polished stone produced from it, the Great Star of Africa - 530 carats - is a teardrop shape. The Koh-i-noor is a round cut but at 105 carats it is smaller than the potential size of the new find. It originated in India but was seized by Britain as a spoil of war in 1849. It supposedly brings good luck to female owners and misfortune or death to any male who wears or owns it.


William Makepeace Thackeray's 1847 novel Vanity Fair, a satire of early 1800s British society, has the extended title, 'A Novel without a ...' what?

Thackeray, William Makepeace (DNB00) - Wikisource, the free online library Thackeray, William Makepeace (DNB00) 635420 Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900 , Volume 56 Thackeray, William MakepeaceLeslie Stephen1898 THACKERAY, WILLIAM MAKEPEACE (1811–1863), novelist, born at Calcutta on 18 July 1811, was the only child of Richmond and Anne Thackeray. The Thackerays descended from a family of yeomen who had been settled for several generations at Hampsthwaite, a hamlet on the Nidd in the West Riding of Yorkshire. Thomas Thackeray (1693-1760) was admitted a king's scholar at Eton in January 1705-6. He was scholar (1712) and fellow (1715) of King's College, Cambridge, and soon afterwards was an assistant master at Eton. In 1746 he became headmaster of Harrow, where Dr. Parr was one of his pupils. In 1748 he was made chaplain to Frederick, prince of Wales, and in 1753 archdeacon of Surrey. He died at Harrow in 1760. By his wife Anne, daughter of John Woodward, he had sixteen children. The fourth son, Thomas (1736-1806), became a surgeon at Cambridge, and had fifteen children, of whom William Makepeace (1770-1849) was a well-known physician at Chester; Elias (1771-1854), mentioned in the 'Irish Sketchbook,' became vicar of Dundalk; and Jane Townley (1788-1871) married in 1813 George Pryme [q. v.], the political economist. The archdeacon's fifth son, Frederick (1737-1782), a physician at Windsor, was father of General Frederick Rennell Thackeray [q. v.] and of George Thackeray [q. v.], provost of King's College, Cambridge. The archdeacon's youngest child, William Makepeace (1749-1813), entered the service of the East India Company in 1766. He was patronised by Cartier, governor of Bengal; he was made 'factor' at Dacca in 1771, and first collector of Sylhet in 1772. There, besides reducing the province to order, he became known as a hunter of elephants, and made money by supplying them to the company. In 1774 he returned to Dacca, and on 31 Jan. 1776 he married, at Calcutta, Amelia Richmond, third daughter of Colonel Richmond Webb. Webb was related to General John Richmond Webb [q. v.], whose victory at Wynendael is described in 'Esmond.' W. M. Thackeray had brought two sisters to India, one of whom, Jane, married James Rennell [q. v.] His sister-in-law, Miss Webb, married Peter Moore [q. v.], who was afterwards guardian of the novelist. W. M. Thackeray had made a fortune by his elephants and other trading speculations then allowed to the company's servants, when in 1776 he returned to England. In 1786 he bought a property at Hadley, near Barnet, where Peter Moore had also settled. W. M. Thackeray had twelve children: Emily, third child (1780-1824), married John Talbot Shakspear, and was mother of Sir Richmond Campbell Shakspear [q. v.]; Charlotte Sarah, the fourth child (1786-1854), married John Ritchie; and Francis, tenth child and sixth son, author of the 'Life of Lord Chatham' (1827), who is separately noticed. Four other sons were in the civil service in India, one in the Indian army, and a sixth at the Calcutta bar. William, the eldest (1778-1823), was intimate with Sir Thomas Munro and had an important part in the administration and land settlements in Madras. Richmond, fourth child of William Makepeace and Amelia Thackeray, was born at South Mimms on 1 Sept. 1781, and in 1798 went to India in the company's service. In 1807 he became secretary to the board of revenue at Calcutta, and on 13 Oct. 1810 married Anne, daughter of John Harman Becher, and a 'reigning beauty' at Calcutta. William Makepeace, their only child, was named after his grandfather, the name 'Makepeace' being derived, according to a family tradition, from some ancestor who had been a protestant martyr in the days of Queen Mary. Richmond Thackeray was appointed to the collectorship of the 24 pergunnahs, then considered to be 'one of the prizes of the Bengal service,' at the end of 1811. He died at Calcutta on 13 Sept. 1816. He seems, like his son, to have been a man of artistic tastes and a collector of pictures, musical instruments, and horses (Hun


Name the Danish maritime explorer who served with the Russian fleet and gave his name to a Strait, a Sea, an Island, a Glacier and Land Bridge?

PBS - Harriman: History of Exploration Exploration and     Settlement on the Alaskan Coast The Earliest     Explorers The large peninsula we now call     Alaska was first visited by human explorers more than twelve     thousand years ago. These ancestors of modern-day Alaska     Natives traveled eastward from Siberia on the Beringian land     bridge, a broad expanse of temporarily-exposed tundra that     is today under three hundred feet of water. This bridge made     it possible for whole communities to move onto the North     American continent and establish maritime villages. Over the     centuries, encampments evolved into productive hunting and     fishing settlements. These early explorers and     settlers adapted well to Alaska's coast line. They designed     skin boats and harpoons for hunting marine mammals, created     arctic dress from skin and fur, and used whale blubber and     oil to light and heat their homes. This kind of adaptation     also took place on the Siberian coast, but archeological     evidence tells us that the maritime peoples living along     Alaska's coast 6,000 to 8,000 years ago were particularly     skillful in adaptive practices. Thus, when European     explorers came to Alaska in the eighteenth century, they     were visiting a land that had been explored, inhabited and     developed for millennia. Early Russian     Exploration In a way, Alaska existed in the     Russian imagination long before it had a place on the     Russian map. Russian fur hunters and traders in Siberia had     heard for centuries from the Yupik, the coastal peoples of     Siberia, about a "Great Land" that lay to the east across     the water. In 1728, Vitus Bering, a Danish-born officer in     the Russian Navy of Tsar Peter the Great, made the first of     his two voyages in the North Pacific Ocean, attempting to     confirm the existence of the land to the east. He sailed     through the narrow waterway that separates the Seward     Peninsula of Alaska from the Chukotsk Peninsula in Siberia.     He came very close to the Alaskan coast, but bad weather     prevented him from making an official sighting. In 1741, on     his second voyage, Bering headed up an expedition of two     ships, both of which sighted land at points between 55     degrees and 59 degrees north latitude. The first sighting     took place on July 15, when the St. Paul, under the command     of Bering's second-in-command, Aleksei Chirikov, reached     Prince of Wales Island. Bering's own ship, the St. Peter,     sighted Mt. St. Elias, and Kayak Island the next day. But     the ships by this time had become separated, and the St. Peter was beached near the Aleutian island now known as     Bering Island. Bering died there, of scurvy, in December of     1741. But the St. Paul returned to Siberia, as did some     survivors from Bering's own ship. They confirmed that the     "Great Land," did indeed exist; the fox, fur seal and sea     otter pelts they brought showed this land to be a fur     trader's paradise. Russian documents from the time     indicate that Bering's explorations of Alaska were not made     for the purely scientific purposes of survey and mapping.     Russia wanted a permanent presence in North America, and     hoped to exploit the fur and mineral resources there. They     quickly succeeded in this goal. By 1745, hunting and trading     vessels from Siberia followed Bering's lead along the     Aleutian chain, obtaining fur pelts from the Aleuts. This     was an important relationship, since the Russians were     entirely unskilled in hunting sea mammals, particularly the     elusive sea otter. The Russian traders used bribery and     outright coercion with the Aleuts, oftentimes taking     hostages and demanding their ransom be pa


What car company faced major problems over a sticking accelerator fault in 2010?

Timeline: Toyota's recall woes | Business | The Guardian Toyota Timeline: Toyota's recall woes Japanese carmaker suffers year of headaches as millions of vehicles recalled around the world due to accelerator pedal, brake, seatbelt and exhaust problems Close January 2009: Toyota says it will recall 1.3m vehicles worldwide because of seatbelt and exhaust system problems. May 2009: Toyota reports the worst results in its history as it struggles with the global economic crisis. August 2009: Toyota recalls almost 690,000 cars made in China because of faulty window switches – its biggest recall in the country. September 2009: Toyota announces the biggest recall in its history over fears involving almost 4m vehicles in the US that accelerator pedals could become trapped in floormats and "may result in very high vehicle speeds and make it difficult to stop the vehicle, which could cause a crash, serious injury or death". 21 January 2010: Toyota says it will recall around 2.3m vehicles in the US to fix potentially faulty accelerator pedals. The action comes on top of the ongoing recall of some 4.2m vehicles over "pedal entrapment" risks. 26 January 2010: Toyota says it is suspending US sales and halting North American production of eight models involved in accelerator pedal recall, including the country's best-selling Camry. 28 January 2010: Toyota says it will widen the net to include Europe – potentially involving Britain – and China in its recall scheme. US congressional investigators launch probe into accelerator problems. US Congressional investigators request information from Toyota and US safety regulators on the recall ahead of a hearing on 25 February. 29 January 2010: Toyota says recalls in Europe could reach 1.8m vehicles and affects eight models including Yaris and Auris. 1 February 2010: It emerges that Toyota drivers will have to wait at least three weeks before finding out if they own one of the estimated quarter of a million cars in the UK suspected of having "sticking" accelerator pedals. 2 February 2010: Toyota's executive in charge of quality control, Shinichi Sasaki, says the "unprecedented" operation is likely to have a bigger effect on sales than previous recalls and had already hit sales in January. 3 February 2010: Toyota owners in the UK and US are advised by lawyers to stop driving their cars immediately amid growing concern over the potentially lethal accelerator fault. A new defect is reported in Toyota's Prius hybrid model that could result in yet another recall. US authorities say they are investigating 100 complaints, with Prius owners reporting momentary loss of braking ability at low speeds on bumpy roads. Toyota in the UK says it has sent details of the 180,865 affected UK vehicles to the DVLA and is working with the DVLA to identify and contact owners "as quickly as possible". It tells affected drivers that a 30-minute repair will be carried out at Toyota-approved service centres. 4 February 2010: Toyota admits it will suffer $2bn (£1.26bn) in extra costs as a result of the global safety recall affecting millions of cars. The Japanese government urges Toyota to look into 77 reported cases of braking problems among new Prius models sold in Japan . 5 February 2010: It emerges Toyota treated the accelerator fault as a quality issue rather than a safety issue when it first became aware of the problem in the winter of 2008/09. It failed to inform the UK's Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (Vosa) , which registers recalls on cars, about the fault until 22 January 2010, after the government demanded information. Toyota's president, Akio Toyoda, finally emerges to apologise for the sticky accelerator problem . "We are in the midst of a big crisis and face big challenges ahead," Toyoda says. 9 February 2010: Toyota confirms a global recall of all third-generation Prius cars manufactured before 27 January 2010. It affects 8,500 cars in the UK, where the latest Prius model went on sale last August. "This recall will consist of a software upgrade in the anti-lock braking system. In the meantime, the cars


In chemistry and physics, volatility is the tendency of a substance to what?

Volatility (chemistry) - encyclopedia article - Citizendium Volatility (chemistry)       This editable Main Article is under development and not meant to be cited; by editing it you can help to improve it towards a future approved , citable version. These unapproved articles are subject to a disclaimer . [ edit intro ] This article is about Volatilty (chemstry). For other uses of the term Volatility, please see Volatility (disambiguation) . In chemistry and physics , volatility is a term used to characterize the tendency of a substance to vaporize. [1] It is directly related to a substance' s vapor pressure . At a given temperature , a substance with a higher vapor pressure will vaporize more readily than a substance with a lower vapor pressure. [2] [3] [4] In other words, at a given temperature, the more volatile the substance the higher will be the pressure of the vapor in equilibrium with its vaporizing substance — i.e., when the rates at which molecules escape from and return into the vaporizing substance are equal. In common usage, the term applies primarily to liquids . However, it may also be used to characterize the process of sublimation by which certain solid substances such as ammonium chloride (NH4Cl) and dry ice , which is solid carbon dioxide (CO2), change directly from their solid form to a vapor without becoming a liquid. Any substance with a significant vapor pressure at temperatures of about 20 to 25 ° C (68 to 77 ° F ) is very often referred to as being volatile. Contents Vapor pressure, temperature and boiling point (PD) Image: Milton Beychok For more information, see: Vapor pressure , boiling point , and Antoine equation . The vapor pressure of a substance is the pressure at which its gaseous (vapor) phase is in equilibrium with its liquid or solid phase. It is a measure of the tendency of molecules and atoms to escape from a liquid or solid. At atmospheric pressures , when a liquid's vapor pressure increases with increasing temperatures to the point at which it equals the atmospheric pressure, the liquid has reached its boiling point , namely, the temperature at which the liquid changes its state from a liquid to a gas throughout its bulk. That temperature is very commonly referred to as the liquid's normal boiling point. Not surprisingly, a liquid's normal boiling point will be at a lower temperature the greater is the tendency of its molecules to escape from the liquid, namely, the higher is its vapor pressure. In other words, the higher is the vapor pressure of a liquid, the higher is the volatility and the lower is the normal boiling point of the liquid. The adjacent vapor pressure chart graphs the dependency of vapor pressure upon temperature for a variety of liquids [5] and also confirms that liquids with higher vapor pressures have lower normal boiling points. For example, at any given temperature, methyl chloride (CH3Cl) has the highest vapor pressure of any of the liquids graphed in the chart. It also has the lowest normal boiling point (−26 °C), which is where its vapor pressure curve (the blue line) intersects the horizontal pressure line of one atmosphere (atm) of absolute vapor pressure. In terms of intermolecular forces , the boiling point represents the temperature at which the liquid molecules possess enough kinetic energy to overcome the various intermolecular attractions binding the molecules to each other within the liquid. Therefore the boiling point is also an indicator of the strength of those attractive forces. The higher the intermolecular attractive forces are, the more difficult it is for molecules to escape from the liquid and hence the lower is the vapor pressure of the liquid. The lower the vapor pressure of the liquid, the higher the temperature must be to initiate boiling. Thus, the higher the intermolecular attractive forces are, the higher is the normal boiling point. [6] [7] Relative volatility For more information, see: Relative volatility . Relative volatility refers to a measure of the difference between the vapor pressure of the more volatile components of a li


In March 2010, which country passed a law banning all strip clubs and made it illegal for any business to profit from the nudity of employees such as topless waitresses?

Iceland Bans Strip Clubs: Could This Happen In The U.S.? | Care2 Causes Iceland Bans Strip Clubs: Could This Happen In The U.S.? About Amelia Some people are claiming that Iceland, with its openly gay prime minister and high number of female politicians, is the most feminist country in the world.  And this news seems only to bolster their claims.  Earlier this week, Iceland passed a law that will ban all strip clubs and make it illegal for any business to “profit from the nudity of its employees.”  So that means no topless waitresses, either.  Hooters franchises in Iceland are history. Kolbrún Halldórsdóttir, the politician who first proposed the ban, firmly told the national press on Wednesday: “It is not acceptable that women or people in general are a product to be sold.” With these incredibly heartening sentiments, it’s natural to speculate on what would have to happen to make a law like this pass in the United States.  But as Irin points out on Jezebel , it’s unlikely, at least in the near future.  Some people have suggested that the women’s movement has had enormous success in Iceland because of their crippling economic crisis.  In a piece in Vanity Fair, Michael Lewis wrote : “One of the distinctive traits about Iceland’s disaster, and Wall Street’s, is how little women had to do with it. Women worked in the banks, but not in the risktaking jobs…. A few days before [Lewis met a rare female banker] for instance, she heard banging on the front door early one morning and opened it to discover a little old man. “I’m so fed up with this whole system,” he said. “I just want some women to take care of my money.”” Will the U.S. need a devastating economic crash before we come to the same conclusion?  I certainly hope not – but at the same time, it’s hard to imagine our legislature passing something so, well, unequivocally feminist. Photo from Wikimedia Commons.


The religious slot Thought for the Day features in which BBC Radio show?

BBC - Radio 4 - Today - Thought for the Day - Listeners' Emails BBC News Thought for the Day - Emails I was given my say in the ‘alternative’ Thought for the Day, and I shouldn’t add more. But I really MUST repudiate the unjust accusation that I insulted all religious believers. I was at great pains to do no such thing. Instead, I attacked as childish two specific KINDS of religious believer. First, those who selfishly thank God for intervening to save them PERSONALLY while letting hundreds of other people die. Second, fundamentalist creationists who reject evolution. If the cap fits, wear it, but you’ll get no support from educated theologians or Bishops. They will say it is people like you that give religion a bad name. A response from Professor Richard Dawkins to listeners' emails Imagine George Bush saying " I'm not going to conduct prayers for the victims of September the 11th because there's not a shred of evidence that it can possibly do anything". 100 years after Darwin, 100 years after Einstein why should Religion continue to be pushed down the throats of humanity when its quite plainly a relic of the past ?  It is important to realise how pervasive this mumbo-jumbo is, Tony Blair an Atheist ? err.. probably not in my lifetime mate. Give us Dawkins thought for the day. Ian Cadman, Perth At last, someone at the BBC has dared to allow a public challenge to the assumption that a religious ethical slot on the program is the only sort of ethical one that could be allowed - my previous email conversations with you a have taught me how deeply entrenched the assumption is. It is insulting to humanists to have it repeated, as it often is, that only faith can give basis to an ethical view. Christine Morgan insists that allowing humanists on would change the nature of the slot, but it need not cease to be an ethical one. Surely the BBC is now mature enough to allow secular speakers. Dawkins' point was easily as worth making as any of the religious interpretations of events that normally make TFTD merely religious propaganda, and unusable as a guide to living life as an intelligent and enquiring adult. Roger Fletcher I always switch off when thought for the day is broadcast. It's an anachronism in today's society. Sadly, we who do not have any religious beliefs are given no credence by the blinkered people who make decisions on such programmes - such as that ridiculous woman who is responsible for "thought for the day" - that you interviewed this morning. Simply get rid of this slot!!!! Richard Knisely-Marpole I would just like to register my support for Thought For Today in it's present form. As a non-practising Catholic, I welcome the few minutes of reflection from a spiritual perspective & very much enjoy hearing the views from the Jewish, Methodist & Hindu contributors. Please, Please, keep it up. Cecilia Owen I'm a Christian; I find a lot of the broadcasting on Thought for the Day terribly tedious, but the ones I enjoy most are those people like Indarjit Singh and Lionel Blue from different faiths to my own and coming from a different perspective. I think contributions from other faiths (including the various groups of pagans on significant dates for them), and from people of no faith but interesting ethical ideas, would be much more 'thoughtful' for what's presumably meant to be an intelligent audience than the kind of trite school-assembly stuff we so often get at the moment. Liz Marley, Waterbeach, near Cambridge I am appalled at the BBC's attitude to the call to include a secular view in "Thought for the Day". Is it too much to ask that, when we suffer a religiously motivated outrage such as occurred on 9 September last year, we should be free from those who seem to think that the only way to interpret our feelings is in a religious context? Religion is the problem, not the solution. Ian Smith, Bedford The BBC still seems to believe that those who call themselves 'religious' can somehow think more clearly, deeply and meaningfully than those who call themselves 'non-religious'. How can the BBC defend that bigo