In ‘Bleak House’, what is the surname of both parties in the never-ending legal case?

How Lawyers Get Rich How Lawyers Get Rich comments, called-out Now playing at the county courthouse in Orange, Tex.: Who Gets The Historic Stark Fortune? The $200 million drama is a pretty good illustration of why so many lawyers abound in America. It resembles Charles Dickens’ Bleak House, where the never-ending case of Jarndyce v. Jarndyce kept generations of lawyers busy. This estate case revolves around H.J. Lutcher Stark H.J. Luchter Stark , sole heir to a pioneering 19th-century Texas timber fortune. Stark had three wives. With his first, Nita, he adopted twin boys, Homer, 77, and Bill II, now deceased. Nita died in 1939, giving the boys by will a net estate officially valued at only $100,000. The executor was her wealthy husband. In 1941 Lutcher wed his longtime secretary, Ruby Childers, who died a year later. Lutcher then married Ruby’s sister, Nelda Childers, a local hospital employee. Lutcher Stark died in 1965, giving each adopted son $1 million and dividing the other $73 million between Nelda and what is now the Nelda C. & H.J. Lutcher Stark Foundation . Some of Lutcher Stark’s heirs fumed over the brusque, secretive Nelda, but it wasn’t until 1987 that they hired a tough Houston lawyer, Michael Gallagher, to raise a stink. He got around a statute of limitations by advancing the theory that he had just discovered that Lutcher Stark fraudulently undervalued Nita’s 1939 estate to duck death taxes, depriving the sons of their full inheritance. But despite massive research, Gallagher couldn’t prove his charges and in 1991 the heirs settled their claims for $5 million, leaving Nelda with $120 million. Now we move ten years ahead. Nelda Stark died in 1999 at age 90, leaving a $213 million estate. Nelda’s will gave $1 million to Homer Stark (the surviving adopted twin), another $1 million to some associates and just about everything else to the Stark Foundation (assets before this bequest: $150 million). The foundation runs an art museum and historic mansion in downtown Orange, a port town 90 miles east of Houston. Various heirs from the Bill IIbranch hired a different tough lawyer, L. Clayton Burgess of Lafayette, La., who quickly set out to dig up dirt. He got a sworn statement from one of Nelda’s security guards that Nelda and her staff hid evidence that might have revealed the original owner—Nita?—of some art. Burgess also raised conflict of interest questions about Judge Buddie J. Hahn, who presided over the 1989 case and drew the current one. Burgess showed that Hahn had collected rent back then from one of Nelda’s lawyers who was also defending Hahn’s son in a drug case. Burgess documented that the Stark Foundation last year gave $673,000 to a college on whose foundation board Hahn sat. Hahn denied wrongdoing but recused himself in February. It gets even more soap-opera-ish. Although not a factor in the case—yet—one of Homer’s children, Rebecca Stark Smith, tells FORBES the heirs have copies of prescriptions suggesting Nelda hastened the death of both her sister and Lutcher Stark with excessive medication. Let’s throw in some sex. The case has renewed talk around Orange that Homer and Bill were actually the product of an illicit affair between Ruby and either Lutcher Stark or his dad, W.T. Stark. Even though it would be irrelevant to the estate case, Rebecca Stark Smith now hopes to get a court order exhuming bodies for DNA testing. Lawyer JohnCash Smith, representing the Nelda Stark estate, calls the fraud charges baloney and says the estate is entitled to a ruling without further evidence. He cites a 1998 Texas Supreme Court ruling that held a settlement is valid despite later fraud claims, as long as the parties say they are acting on their own and not relying on anything the other side said or did. Courts generally keep people from taking multiple bites at the apple. In Texas, some cases never die. They simply come back as revivals.


Pearl Harbour is in which present-day US state?

Pearl Harbor - World War II - HISTORY.com Google Pearl Harbor and the Road to War The attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise, but Japan and the United States had been edging toward war for decades. The United States was particularly unhappy with Japan’s increasingly belligerent attitude toward China. The Japanese government believed that the only way to solve its economic and demographic problems was to expand into its neighbor’s territory and take over its import market; to this end, Japan had declared war on China in 1937. American officials responded to this aggression with a battery of economic sanctions and trade embargoes. They reasoned that without access to money and goods, and especially essential supplies like oil, Japan would have to rein in its expansionism. Instead, the sanctions made the Japanese more determined to stand their ground. During months of negotiations between Tokyo and Washington , D.C., neither side would budge. It seemed that war was inevitable. Did You Know? The single vote against Congress's declaration of war against Japan came from Representative Jeannette Rankin of Montana. Rankin was a pacifist who had also voted against the American entrance into World War I. "As a woman," she said, "I can’t go to war, and I refuse to send anyone else." But no one believed that the Japanese would start that war with an attack on American territory. For one thing, it would be terribly inconvenient: Hawaii and Japan were about 4,000 miles apart. For another, American intelligence officials were confident that any Japanese attack would take place in one of the (relatively) nearby European colonies in the South Pacific: the Dutch East Indies, for instance, or Singapore or Indochina. Because American military leaders were not expecting an attack so close to home, the naval facilities at Pearl Harbor were relatively undefended. Almost the entire Pacific Fleet was moored around Ford Island in the harbor, and hundreds of airplanes were squeezed onto adjacent airfields. To the Japanese, Pearl Harbor was an irresistible target. “A Date Which Will Live in Infamy” The Japanese plan was simple: Destroy the Pacific Fleet. That way, the Americans would not be able to fight back as Japan’s armed forces spread across the South Pacific. On December 7, after months of planning and practice, the Japanese launched their attack. At about 8 a.m., Japanese planes filled the sky over Pearl Harbor. Bombs and bullets rained onto the vessels moored below. At 8:10, a 1,800-pound bomb smashed through the deck of the battleship USS Arizona and landed in her forward ammunition magazine. The ship exploded and sank with more than 1,000 men trapped inside. Next, torpedoes pierced the shell of the battleship USS Oklahoma . With 400 sailors aboard, the Oklahoma lost her balance, rolled onto her side and slipped underwater. By the time the attack was over, every battleship in Pearl Harbor–USS Arizona, USS Oklahoma, USS California , USS West Virginia , USS Utah , USS Maryland , USS Pennsylvania , USS Tennessee and USS Nevada–had sustained significant damage. (All but USS Arizona and USS Utah were eventually salvaged and repaired.) In all, the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor crippled or destroyed nearly 20 American ships and more than 300 airplanes. Dry docks and airfields were likewise destroyed. Most important, almost 2,500 men were killed and another 1,000 were wounded. But the Japanese had failed to cripple the Pacific Fleet. By the 1940s, battleships were no longer the most important naval vessel: Aircraft carriers were, and as it happened, all of the Pacific Fleet’s carriers were away from the base on December 7. (Some had returned to the mainland and others were delivering planes to troops on Midway and Wake Islands.) Moreover, the Pearl Harbor assault had left the base’s most vital onshore facilities–oil storage depots, repair shops, shipyards and submarine docks–intact. As a result, the U.S. Navy was able to rebound relatively quickly from the attack. Pearl Harbor Awakens the “Sleeping Giant” “Yesterday,” President Roosevelt said on


In what country were the terracotta warriors discovered in 1974?

China's Terracotta Warrior Photos China's Terracotta Warrior Photos Terracotta Warrior's Locator Map The Terracotta Army or the "Terra Cotta Warriors and Horses", is a collection of terracotta sculptures depicting the armies of Qin Shi Huang, the first Emperor of China. It is a form of funerary art buried with the emperor in 210–209 BC and whose purpose was to protect the emperor in his afterlife, and to make sure that he had people to rule over. The figures, dating from 3rd century BC, were discovered in 1974 by some local farmers in Lintong District, Xi'an, Shaanxi province, near the Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor, Qín Shǐhuáng Ling. The figures vary in height according to their roles, with the tallest being the generals. The figures include warriors, chariots and horses. Current estimates are that in the three pits containing the Terracotta Army there were over 8,000 soldiers, 130 chariots with 520 horses and 150 cavalry horses, the majority of which are still buried in the pits. The Terracotta Army figures were manufactured in workshops by government laborers and by local craftsmen, and the material used to make the terracotta warriors originated on Mount Li. The head, arms, legs and torsos were created separately and then assembled Once assembled, intricate features such as facial expressions were added. It is believed that their legs were made in much the same way that terracotta drainage pipes were manufactured at the time. A collection of 120 objects from the mausoleum and 20 of the warriors were first displayed outside of China at the British Museum in London in 2007. I saw the same touring group at the Houston Musuem of Natural Science, and was absolutely impressed. This group of tourists have traveled to Xi'an, China, and directly below their vantage point they are about to see one of the most fascinating sites on the planet. And this is their view of the Terracotta Army, discovered in the spring of 1974 to the east of Xi'an in Shaanxi province by a group of farmers when they were digging a water well around 1 mile (1.6 km) east of the Qin emperor's tomb mound at Mount Li, a region riddled with underground springs and watercourses. For centuries, there were occasional reports of pieces of terracotta figures and fragments of the Qin necropolis – roofing tiles, bricks, and chunks of masonry – found in the area. This most recent discovery prompted Chinese archaeologists to investigate, and they unearthed the largest pottery figurine group ever found in China. The terracotta figures are life-sized. They vary in height, uniform and hairstyle in accordance with rank. Most originally held real weapons such as spears, swords, or crossbows. The figures were also originally painted with bright pigments, variously coloured in pink, red, green, blue, black, brown, white and lilac. The colored lacquer finish, individual facial features, and actual weapons used in producing these figures created a realistic appearance. According to historian Sima Qian (145–90 BC), work on this mausoleum began in 246 BC soon after Emperor Qin ascended the throne (then aged 13), and the full construction later involved 700,000 workers. As you can see, many of the figures did not survive their burial. These four bronze horses with a chariot for the emperor were found together. Combined they're the largest bronze sculpture found in the world. When discovered, they were broken into more than 16.000 pieces, and now they're completely restored Only a portion of the site is presently excavated, and photos and video recordings are prohibited in some viewing areas. Only a few foreign dignitaries, such as Queen Elizabeth II, have been permitted to walk through the pits to observe the army at close quarters..


Who was born Amy Lyon near Neston in Cheshire, in May 1765?

Emma Lady Hamilton • Biography & Facts Emma Lady Hamilton Emma Lady Hamilton Emma, Lady Hamilton (26 April 1765; baptised 12 May 1765 – 15 January 1815) is best remembered as the mistress of Lord Nelson and as the muse of George Romney . She was born Amy Lyon in Ness near Neston, Cheshire, England, the daughter of Henry Lyon, a blacksmith who died when she was two months old. She was raised by her mother, the former Mary Kidd, at Hawarden, and received no formal education. She later changed her name to Emma Hart.


Who played the Wicked Witch of the West in ‘The Wizard of Oz’ (1939)?

The Wicked Witch of the West (1939 film) | Oz Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia The Wicked Witch of the West (1939 film) 2,002pages on The Wicked Witch of the West (1939 film) Profile Wicked Witch of the West Species The Wizard of Oz SHOCK of the Ruby Slippers! The Wicked Witch Of The West is the main antagonist of the (1939) Film The Wizard Of Oz (1939) The Wizard Of Oz Her Kansas alter ego counterpart is the mean spirited town Mayor named Almira Gultch who tries to put protagonist Character Dorothy Gale's pet dog named Toto down for attacking her when Dorothy and him were walking home from the Kansas school House. File Img 20140621 054718 Jpg Thumb Almira Gultch Of Kansas History In both book and movie the Witch plays as the main antagonist in the story when Dorothy and Toto are in Oz. In the classic movie The Wizard of Oz , the Wicked Witch, played by actress Margaret Hamilton , was stooped, green-skinned, and dressed entirely in black. In many people's minds, this representation of The Wicked Witch has become an archetype for human Wickedness. And is one of the most memorable and iconic villains in movie history. Surrender Dorothy! While this relationship is not mentioned in Baum's books, in the movie, the Witch is the sister of the Wicked Witch of the East , who is killed when Dorothy arrives in Oz. The Witch asks aloud, "Who killed my sister?" (albeit with more calculation than sorrow). As a result, The Wicked Witch of the West's role is made more prominent as she seeks revenge against Dorothy for killing her sister. When Dorothy claims the death was an accident, the Witch of the West replies, "Well, my little pretty, I can cause accidents too." It is from this movie that popular culture gets the oft-quoted phrase, "I'll get you, my pretty, and your little dog too!" Her other motivation is to get the powerful Ruby Slippers (changed from the Silver Shoes of the book). She often, but not always, flies on a broomstick, and has a crystal ball through which she can see happenings elsewhere. Surrender Dorothy! When Dorothy, the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, and the Cowardly Lion are sent to kill her and bring her broomstick back, she captures Dorothy and tries to take her slippers, threatening to drown Toto if she doesn't give them to her. She is unable to take them while Dorothy is still alive, so locks her in a room for an hour to figure out the best way to kill her without damaging the slippers' power. Toto escapes and gets the Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Lion, who get her out of the room, but the Wicked Witch and her guards chase them and corner them. In the movie, Dorothy's reasons for throwing the bucket of water are different; The Wicked Witch decides to kill everyone else before Dorothy, starting with the Scarecrow by setting him on fire. Dorothy throws a bucket of water to put out the fire, which is unwittingly thrown onto the Wicked Witch in the process, causing her to melt. The Wicked witch melting The Witch also has a counterpart in the Kansas world: a rich, grumpy single woman named Almira Gulch who seeks to have Dorothy's dog, Toto , put down. There is some ambiguity as to whether Gulch turns into the Wicked Witch of the East or of the West in the Tornado scene when Dorothy sees her transform in the window. However, it can be argued both ways. Appearances


The bossa nova is a type of what more generic dance?

Introduction to Bossa Nova Dancing Bossa Nova Introduction Bossa Nova is a Brazilian dance that followed the creation of Bossa Nova music in the late 1950s. It is roughly translated as meaning 'new wave', 'new way' or 'new beat'. A very popular and well-known Bossa Nova tune is the Girl from Ipanema or in Portuguese: Garota de Ipanema. As popular as the music may be, the dance is not widely taught in dance schools. As a result, dancers are puzzled by what dance styles they should use when they hear Bossa Nova music, and sometimes use Rumba, Samba, Merengue and even Night Club Two Step patterns. This can work except that the distinct Latin Jazz feel of the music calls for its own style. The advantage of knowing basic Bossa Nova steps is that once dancers know how to dance the basic steps to the mood of the music, they can then incorporate moves from other dances that fit Bossa Nova's mood and rhythm. Alternatively, dancers can use the concepts behind the very useful Bossa Nova basic steps in other dances. There is a Bossa Nova line dance as there is a Samba line dance. Samba and Bossa Nova are both Brazilian dances. Bossa Nova Moves and Steps In one version of Bossa Nova dancing, the feel and count is similar to social Rumba - with the Cuban hip action replaced with a smooth hip sway or roll and with the addition of frequent taps with the foot extended. The chasse basic is three steps to the leader's left (step-together-step), a tap step, three steps to the right (step-together-step) and a tap step. The follower mirrors the step starting to the right. The walking basic is similar and is danced as three steps forward (for the leader starting with, say, the left foot), tap, three steps back and tap. The follower mirrors the step starting with back steps. The forward/back basic is (for the leader) step forward (either foot, say left), together and tap with the other foot and back to the original position, step together, step back, tap and forward. When this forward/back basic is repeated, it becomes the walking basic described above. A variation of the forward/back basic is (for the leader) left foot step forward, right foot together tap, right foot step back, left foot together tap, left foot step back, right foot together tap, right foot step forward, left foot together tap - and repeat. Note: At this time there are no videos available that demonstrate the Bossa Nova dance to our satisfaction. Music With lyrics by Vinï¿½cius de Moraes, composition by Antonio Carlos Jobim, and singing by Joï¿½o Gilberto, Chega de Saudade (translated as No More Blues), released in 1958, is credited as being the first Bossa Nova recording. The three are seen together on the left. Initially, Chega de Saudade was recorded on Elizete Cardoso's album Canï¿½ï¿½o do Amor Demais. However, it was the later release by Joï¿½o Gilberto on an album by the same name, that brought Bossa Nova to public attention. The 1959 motion picture Orfeu Negro or Black Orpheus cemented Bossa Nova's popularity in Brazil. The movie was based on a play by Vinï¿½cius de Moraes and the music was composed by Antonio Carlos Jobim. The lyrics for one the songs, Manhï¿½ de Carnaval was written by Luiz Bonfï¿½. The record label Verve, US jazz saxophonist Stan Getz and guitarist Charlie Byrd added to Bossa Nova's popularity in North America with their 1963 release of Jazz Samba. The music was recorded at All Souls' Unitarian Church in Washington, DC on February 13, 1962. The album contained two Jobim compositions: Desafinado and Samba De Uma Nota So (One Note Samba) However, it was the 1964 release of the album Getz/Gilberto by Verve that made Bossa Nova a household name in North America while becoming one of the best selling jazz albums ever. Getz/Gilberto spent 96 weeks in the charts and won four Grammys. Stan Getz played the sax and Joï¿½o Gilberto played the guitar. Jobim is featured on the piano. Jobim also wrote most of the music. The first song on the album The Girl from Ipanema, was sung by Joï¿½o and his wife Astrud Gilberto (seen on the right), making her professional d


With what dance do you associate the man born Ernest Evans in South Carolina in 1941?

Chubby Checker (Ernest Evans) (1941-- ) | The Black Past: Remembered and Reclaimed Chubby Checker (Ernest Evans) (1941-- ) Back to Online Encyclopedia Index Image Ownership: Public Domain Chubby Checker, the man credited with inventing “The Twist,” was born Ernest Evans in Spring Gully, South Carolina. He moved to Philadelphia with his parents and two brothers and attended South Philadelphia High School. Evans aspired to become a performer from a young age and eventually caught a small break after graduating from high school making novelty records that were impressions of singers like Elvis Presley and Fats Domino. Evans' career took off when he met Barbara Clark, wife of American Bandstand host, Dick Clark. Barbara Clark is credited with giving young Evans his full stage name. He’d picked up the nickname ‘Chubby’ while working in a Philadelphia poultry market. When Barbara Clark met him he was working on his Fats Domino impression at the recording studio. She said “You’re Chubby Checker, like Fats Domino.” The name stuck. With Barbara Clark's help, Evans got a job recording a Christmas greeting card for Dick Clark’s associates. This record spawned another called “The Class," which contained impressions of famous singers. It was a hit. Unfortunately, Chubby Checker fell into obscurity and his record label was ready to drop him. Checker was persuaded to redo “The Twist,” a 1959 hit by Hank Ballard.  Although the song was popular with American youth, producers at American Bandstand felt that Ballard, who looked older than his actual age, was not the right face for the show. Checker was young and could do a reasonable impression of Ballard's voice. He got the job. Chubby Checker's version of “The Twist,” released in the summer of 1960, became popular as a dance as well. It was simple and supported an open dancing format increasingly popular in the late 1950s and early 1960s where couples moved together but did not touch. Dick Clark particularly liked this style of dancing for his popular afternoon television show. Between 1960 and 1962 the dance and song took the United States, and then the world, by storm. Chubby Checker was invited for an entire week of American Bandstand performances. The song hit top of the Billboard top 100 in 1960 and a spin-off song, “Let’s Twist again” repeated the success the following summer. Chubby Checker recorded other songs during the rest of the decade but none proved as popular as "The Twist." His signature song made musical history. Checker was the only artist to have five albums in the top 12 at the same time; the only artist to ever have a song on the charts at #1 on two separate times; and the only artist to ever have nine double-sided hits. Almost all of this early work featured some version of "The Twist." The song also popularized a new style of couples dancing that continues to be influential to this day.   Sources: John Jackson, American Bandstand: Dick Clark and the Making of a Rock 'n' Roll Empire (New York, Oxford University Press, 1997); http://www.chubbychecker.com/bio.asp Contributor:


With what catchphrase would you associate the village of Llanddewi Brefi?

Little Britain characters - The Full Wiki The Full Wiki Little Britain characters: Wikis    Note: Many of our articles have direct quotes from sources you can cite, within the Wikipedia article! This article doesn't yet, but we're working on it! See more info or our list of citable articles . (Redirected to List of Little Britain characters article) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia This is a list of characters for the British television and radio sketch show Little Britain (and its American spin-off, Little Britain USA ). Played by: David Walliams and Matt Lucas Appearances: Series 1, Radio Show April May and Neville Murdoch are two incompetent volunteers with the St "Tom's" Ambulance brigade whose remedies for life-threatening situations are various types of mint, including Murray Mints , Polos and Trebor Extra Strong. They are often assigned to areas with large crowds of people such as football matches, and all of their attempts at resuscitating their patients fail, According to the St. Tom's Nurse, they tried to cure a man's Chest pains with a Mint Crumbley instead of CPR . In the radio series, Neville's last name was "Johnson" and they were working for St John's Ambulance Brigade . They appeared in one episode of Series 1 of the TV series, several appearances in the radio show and 2 deleted scenes. Alan Played by: David Walliams Appearances: Series 3 Alan works for the Donkey Hospice in the town of Achingballs. After contributors give him some money, he blatantly places stickers on embarrassing body parts, such as the genital region or breasts and on someone's rear in a deleted scene. He makes one appearance in Series 3. Peter Andre Episodes: Radio Show; Series 1, episodes 4 and 5 Catchphrase: I love you Anne and I want you Anne Peter Andre is a royal BBC correspondent who gets the sack after first making bizarre and inaccurate claims about the Royal Family (such as Prince Charles having magical powers, describing The Queen as "The Main One" and mistaking Princess Eugenie for her mother, Sarah, Duchess of York , and declaring his love for Princess Anne through song. The character's name is a reference to the singer . There are also two deleted scenes in which Peter Andre appears backstage at the Royal Variety Performance and at a drug rehab centre. Anne Appearances: Starting in Series 1 Catchphrase: "Eh-eh-ehhh!" Anne is an inmate at the Steven Spielberg hospital in Little Bentcock, where she is being trained for integration into society. She is a mentally challenged patient, although she is known to answer the telephone perfectly normally. Unfortunately for her psychiatrist, Dr. Lawrence, who is always accompanied by Dr. Beagrie, she displays poor progress and often ends up doing bizarre things, such as licking the faces of other people or destroying the things around her. Anne has worked at a library, bowling alley and as a pianist in a restaurant; she takes a keen interest in amateur dramatics and decoration. Anne has appeared in all the series and had a Stars In Their Eyes sketch for Little Britain Live. In Little Britain Abroad, Anne met the Pope and went to the Louvre in Paris where she stole the Mona Lisa . She did not, however, appear in Little Britain USA. She is 39 years old. B Appearances: Starting in Series 2 Catchphrase: "Computer says no... (coughs)" as well as offering surreal substitutes to requests. Carol Beer worked at a bank in Series Two and had a very close relationship with her computer. When asked by customers if they can take a loan or open up an account, she will type into her computer and usually answer "computer says no" in an unemotional tone, or for a change (upon being invited to a dinner with colleagues), "Computer says 'Will Melanie be there?'" She is incredibly unhelpful and completely unwilling to use any human initiative to help customers and will cough in their faces to make them leave. She has a crush on one of her co-workers who enters her office in one sketch. By Series 3, she has changed jobs and now works as a travel agent in the fictional town of SpongeBob SquarePants ,


Which US actor played him in the 2011 film, ‘Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows’?

Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows review Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows review Ryan Fleming Pin it Share Sherlock Holmes has long been a name that is synonymous with detective work. He examines the evidence, eliminates the impossible, leaving only the truth no matter how improbable. He is the ultimate detective, and has become one of the most adapted characters in the history of film and stage. But despite the numerous actors that have played him, despite the time period each adaptation puts him in, and despite the characteristics that were emphasized, he has always been a thinking man’s champion for truth, justice, and all that jazz. Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows mostly does away with that in favor of having Holmes punch people in the face when not busy running from ‘splosions. It is everything ridiculous in Hollywood, and shows a stunning disregard for a beloved character that apparently needed to be dumbed down and actioned up. And yet, it is still an enjoyable move, almost despite itself. A Game of Shadows is not really a Sherlock Holmes film at. It is an action movie that just happens to feature a character named Sherlock Holmes, who occasionally is very smart. But that’s about it. That doesn’t make it a bad movie, far from it, but it is basically just an action film with familiar characters. In terms of visual direction and pacing, it is about what you would expect from a Guy Ritchie film, especially after the 2009 original–it is fun to watch, but won’t tax your brain much. If you are looking for a crime thriller, or a film with several intelligent twists, this is not it. But if you are just looking for an entertaining and stylish action flick, you could do much worse than Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows. The game is a foot in some guy’s face The film begins with Holmes (Robert Downey Jr.) in the midst of his investigation of  ”the Napoleon of Crime,” Professor James Moriarty (Jared Harris). Within minutes of the opening shot, Holmes finds himself in a fist fight while once again continuing his bizarre courtship with Irene Adler (Rachel McAdams), who continues to run errands for the Professor. View photos But while Holmes grows increasingly more obsessed with the shadowy professor, his friend—his only friend—Dr. Watson (Jude Law), is preparing to head down the aisle. Under the auspices of giving him a stag party, Holmes takes Watson to a gentleman’s club, where they meet Sherlock’s brother Mycroft (Stephen Fry). But while Watson is gallivanting, Holmes is meeting with Sim (Noomi Rapace), a gypsy girl that is unwittingly a target of Moriarty. After another action packed escapade where Holmes uses his unique brand of detective-fu to save the girl while whooping on an assassin, Watson gets married, and Holmes and Moriarty finally meet face to face. Holmes tries to make sure that Watson is safe since he is no longer part of Holmes’ investigation, but Moriarty refuses, which sends Holmes after his erstwhile companion and eventually on a chase through Europe to stop a brewing war. The plot is a solid and well thought-out adventure–until about half way through. There is a point where the film seems to suddenly say “to hell with it,” and gives up on the detective angle altogether. There is a murder that not only defies logic and is an impossibility due to the technology of the times, but it just doesn’t make sense. It was as if Moriarty planned the perfect crime, then planned another much dumber crime on top of it. It would be like getting away with robbing a bank but stopping to break into an ATM on the way out—it is almost exactly that dumb. View photos It is at this point that logic meekly bows its head and decides to just take the rest of the film off. The detective work becomes retroactive, and the story forces improbable moments in order to justify pushing Holmes and his friends in the right direction. It feels as if someone much simpler suddenly took over the writing duties. The 2009 Sherlock Holmes wasn’t exactly The Usual Suspects, but it at least followed its own logic and offered an interesting twis


What was ‘the speckled band’, in the short story of that name?

The Adventure of the Speckled Band Summary - eNotes.com The Adventure of the Speckled Band Summary Sir Arthur Conan Doyle The Adventure of the Speckled Band Summary In The Adventure of the Speckled Band, Sherlock Holmes investigates the case of a young bride to be who fears that she'll be murdered. Helen Stoner, the stepdaughter of Sir Grimesby Roylott, has reason to believe that her stepfather killed her sister—she just doesn't know how. At the end, Holmes discovers that Roylott was using a snake (the "speckled band"). Helen Stoner visits Holmes and Watson, fearing for her life. Her sister died suddenly not long before her wedding. Now that Helen is to be married, she worries that she will meet the same fate. Holmes agrees to take the case, but before he can leave his home, he receives a visit from a very irate Roylott, who threatens him. Holmes is undeterred and takes the case anyway. Holmes discovers that Roylott wants to kill his step daughters in order to maintain control over their inheritance. He sent a snake (the speckled band) through the air vents to poison them in their sleep. In the end, the snake turns against Roylott and he is killed. Download Study Guide Start Free Trial Start your free trial with eNotes to access more than 30,000 study guides. Get help with any book. link Link Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson rise unusually early one morning to meet Helen Stoner, a young woman who fears that her life is being threatened by her stepfather, Sir Grimesby Roylott, a doctor who practiced in India and who was married to Helen’s mother there. Helen’s sister has died almost two years earlier, shortly before she was to be married. Helen had heard her sister’s dying words, “The speckled band!” but had been unable to understand their meaning. Now Helen, too, is engaged, and she has begun to hear strange noises and to observe strange activities around Stoke Moran, the estate where she and her stepfather live. Sir Grimesby Roylott does keep strange company at the estate. He befriends a band of Gypsies on the property and keeps as pets a cheetah and a baboon. For some time, he has been making modifications to the house: Before Helen’s sister’s death, he had modifications made inside the house, and now he is having the outside wall repaired, forcing Helen to move into the room where her sister died. Holmes listens carefully to Helen’s story and agrees to take the case. He plans a visit to the manor later in the day. Before he can leave, however, he is visited by Roylott, who threatens him should he interfere. Undaunted, Holmes proceeds, first to the courthouse, where he examines Helen’s mother’s will, and then to the countryside. At Stoke Moran, Holmes inspects the premises carefully inside and out. Among the strange features that he discovers are a bed anchored to the floor, a bell cord that does not work, and a ventilator hole between Helen’s room and that of Roylott. Holmes and Watson arrange to spend the night in Helen’s room. In darkness they wait; suddenly, a slight metallic noise and a dim light through the ventilator prompt Holmes to action. Quickly lighting a candle, he discovers on the bell cord the “speckled band”—a poisonous snake. He strikes the snake with a stick, driving it back through the ventilator; agitated, it attacks Roylott, who had been waiting for it to return after killing Helen. Holmes reveals to Watson that Roylott plotted to remove both daughters before they married because he would have lost most of the fortune he controlled when the daughters took with them the money left them by their mother. link Link “The Adventure of the Speckled Band” is probably the most famous of Sherlock Holmes’s cases, not only because of its diabolical plot about a stepfather preventing his twin daughters from marrying and thereby diminishing his income from his deceased wife’s estate, but also because it so perfectly realizes the pattern of detection that became Holmes’s trademark. Watson opens the story with the information that he has been freed to tell this story by the premature death of the client, Helen Stone


The first what was drilled by a group of Monks in a certain French province in 1126?

What is an Artesian Well? - Dales Water Contact What is an Artesian Well? When researching a borehole for your property or business you might have come across the term Artesian Well, but what does it actually mean and how is it different? Firstly, artesian groundwater is the same as any other type of groundwater the only difference is how it gets to the surface. An artesian well is simply a well that doesn’t require a pump to bring water to the surface; this occurs when there is enough pressure in the aquifer. The pressure forces the water to the surface without any sort of assistance. A Free Flowing Artesian Borehole An aquifer is a geologic layer of permeable and porous rock such as sandstone or limestone and that provides the water source for the artesian well. The aquifer absorbs and stores water and in an artesian well the porous stone is sandwiched between a top and bottom layer of impermeable rock such as shale or clay. This causes positive pressure. Video of an Artesian Well The video below is an example of a free flowing artesian head borehole. Here one of our drilling rigs has tapped into the aquifer and the pressure is causing the water to escape at around 80m3 per hour. <embed src="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=65367964" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="400" height="300"></embed> When an artesian well is drilled the pressure is relieved and the water is able to find a path to open air, in many cases the pressure is high enough to bring the water all the way to the surface and that’s known as a flowing artesian well. Natural springs also form in this exact same way when a gap is formed in the impermeable rock e.g. by an earthquake and releases the pressure, allowing the water to flow up. In some cases if the pressure is high it will form a fountain called a geyser. Where did Artesian Wells Originate? The first Artesian well on record was drilled in 1126 by a group of Monks in the French province of Artois, hence the name Artesian well. Back then they didn’t have the luxury of a fully operation drilling rig like we use today and the aquifer was reached by brute force and a sharp rod known as a bore. The percussive drilling technique they used eventually broke through the rock and the water rose to the surface. Because it had seeped through many layers of porous rock in the aquifer many of the contaminants had been filtered out, providing a much safer and cleaner form of drinking water when compared with surface or river water.


AKA Beestings, the first milk secreted by a mammal, usually just before giving birth, is known as what?

What Is Colostrum? A Little Known Nutrient That Can Heal Your Gut And Blast Your Immunity Through The Roof. It was way back in 2009 that I first discovered goat’s milk. I had just finished interviewing Joe Stout – a food scientist at a small local goat farm called “Mt. Capra”. During our podcast ( which you can listen to here ), Joe filled me on some very interesting properties of goat’s milk that make it much, much different than cow’s milk, including… …the difference in allergic reactions between goat’s milk and cow’s milk, and why the difference exists… ….what happens to cow’s milk during homogenization that makes it especially dangerous for athletes and people worried about cancer… …why the body absorbs goat’s milk protein at a much, much faster rate than cow’s milk protein… …how cow’s milk can cause lactose intolerance, and why this rarely happens with goat’s milk… …and why goat’s milk “matches up” to the human body better than cow’s milk. Over at Mark’s Daily Apple  just last week, this was recently confirmed, in an article that says: “Lots of people seem to fare better with goat milk than cow milk, and several studies support these anecdotes: -Goat milk is both anti-allergenic and anti-inflammatory , regulating the intestinal immune response at the cellular level. -Goat milk  possesses immunomodulatory effects and even helps the body release nitric oxide, a vasodilator that improves vascular function. -Goat milk glycans (carbohydrates that support the healthy gut bacteria and can help the immune system) are more similar to human milk glycans than cow milk glycans; goat milk also contains novel glycans with further health benefits.” Anyways, after that original podcast with Joe, I asked him what to do if I wanted to get all the beneficial properties of goat’s milk (and as I later discovered) much more, without actually drinking milk every day, because frankly, I’m just not a milk-guzzling kind of guy. Joe’s response changed my life, and you’re about to discover why. ————————————- What Is Colostrum? Joe told me, “Simple. Colostrum.” At this point, colostrum was kind of woo-woo for me. My wife grew up on a sheep farm so I knew colostrum had something to do with sheep’s milk, but wasn’t really sure what it really, truly was. Joe explained to me that colostrum is produced by not just goats and sheep, but by all mammals (including humans) in the first few days after giving birth. Also known as “first milk”, it is produced in the mammary glands of females just prior to giving birth, and serves as a concentrated source of proteins, growth factors, and antibodies that are essential for early development of newborns. Its properties have been revered for thousands of years across many cultures: in ancient Chinese medicine it was regarded as a potent health tonic, and for the Maasai people of Kenya and Tanzania it has long been regarded as a crucial part of a warrior’s diet. In Britain, dairy farmers refer to colostrum as beestings, and they used any surplus colostrum to make an extra-creamy, and very healthy, pudding. So you can literally think of colostrum as a powerhouse of nutritional ammunition designed to get a newborn through the critical first few days of life. Now let’s move on to a slightly more scientific definition of colostrum for you nerds out there, straight from the underbellies of the Wiki definition of colostrum: “Newborns have very immature digestive systems , and colostrum delivers its nutrients in a very concentrated low-volume form. It has a mild laxative effect, encouraging the passing of the baby’s first stool , which is called meconium . This clears excess bilirubin , a waste-product of dead red blood cells, which is produced in large quantities at birth due to blood volume reduction, from the infant’s body and helps prevent jaundice . Colostrum is known to contain immune cells (as lymphocytes ) [4] and many  antibodies such as IgA , IgG , and IgM . These are the major components of the adaptive immune system. Inter alia IgA is absorbed through the intestinal epithelium, travels through the blood, and


Who was the virtual dictator who ruled Portugal for 36 years, from 1932 to 1968?

Portugal:   Maps, History, Geography, Government, Culture, Facts, Guide & Travel/Holidays/Cities Prime Minister Sócrates Resigns Over Handling of Financial Crisis The End of the Monarchy The corrupt King Carlos, who ascended the throne in 1889, made   João Franco the prime minister with dictatorial power in 1906. In   1908, Carlos and his heir were shot dead on the streets of Lisbon. The new   king, Manoel II, was driven from the throne in the revolution of 1910, and   Portugal became a French-style republic. Traditionally friendly to   Britain, Portugal fought in World War I on the Allied side in Africa as   well as on the Western Front. Weak postwar governments and a revolution in   1926 brought Antonio de Oliveira Salazar to power. As minister of finance   (1928–1940) and prime minister (1932–1968), Salazar ruled   Portugal as a virtual dictator. He kept Portugal neutral in World War II   but gave the Allies naval and air bases after 1943. Portugal joined NATO   as a founding member in 1949 but did not gain admission to the United   Nations until 1955. Portugal's foreign and colonial policies met with increasing difficulty   both at home and abroad beginning in the 1950s. In fact, the bloodiest and   most protracted wars against colonialism in Africa were fought against the   Portuguese. Portugal lost the tiny remnants of its Indian   empire—Goa, Daman, and Diu—to Indian military occupation in   1961, the year an insurrection broke out in Angola. For the next 13 years,   Salazar, who died in 1970, and his successor, Marcello Caetano, fought   independence movements amid growing world criticism. Leftists in the armed   forces, weary of a losing battle, launched a successful revolution on   April 25, 1974. After the 1974 revolution, the new military junta gave up   its territories, beginning with Portuguese Guinea in Sept. 1974, which   became the Republic of Guinea-Bissau. The decolonization of the Cape Verde   Islands and Mozambique was effected in July 1975. Angola achieved   independence later that same year, thus ending a colonial involvement on   that continent that had begun in 1415. Full-scale international civil war,   however, followed Portugal's departure from Angola, and Indonesia forcibly   annexed independent East Timor. Also in 1975, the government nationalized   banking, transportation, heavy industries, and the media. Portugal   continued to experience social, economic, and political upheavals for the   next decade.


JM. Who became the Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer in September 2015?

A profile of John McDonnell - new shadow chancellor - BBC News A profile of John McDonnell - new shadow chancellor By Alex Hunt BBC News 14 September 2015 Image copyright PA Image caption John McDonnell, right, with Jeremy Corbyn in 2001 Left-winger John McDonnell has been appointed shadow chancellor by his close friend Jeremy Corbyn. Here is a look at his background and politics. Twice he has tried to stand for Labour leader and twice he failed to get enough backing from MPs to make it onto the ballot paper. Partly that was the fault of circumstances, but partly it also reflected the fact that McDonnell, at 64 two years younger than his new leader, is seen as a more divisive figure than Corbyn. This time around he persuaded his close friend to stand and instead masterminded the campaign which took the 200-1 outsider to stunning victory. Image copyright Getty Images Image caption McDonnell masterminded a Corbyn campaign which drew big crowds His reward has been to get what is generally regarded as the second most important role in a political party - in charge of economic policy and taking on Chancellor George Osborne. It is all a big change from 2007 when our profile of him began : "Left-wing leadership candidate John McDonnell is the sort of MP who used to give Labour leaders a double dose of the jitters. However, that was back in the 1980s and early 1990s when the hard left, particularly the Militant tendency, were a real force in the Labour movement." Now it's other members of the party, rather than the leader, getting the jitters - BBC political editor Laura Kuenssberg says members of Corbyn's own team warned him not to give the role to McDonnell, because of the impact it would have on the rest of his senior team. Public spending cuts The man now in charge of Labour's economic strategy is certainly not one to have minced his words over the years. His Who's Who entry talks of "generally fermenting the overthrow of capitalism", and as BBC business editor Kamal Ahmed notes , he has argued in the past for the nationalisation of the UK's banking system, a rapid expansion of public ownership and a new 60% tax rate for earnings over £100,000. He says he is not a deficit denier. In his blog post last month McDonnell says: "We accept that cuts in public spending will help eliminate the deficit, but our cuts won't be to the middle-and low-income earners and certainly not to the poor. Our cuts will be to the subsidies paid to landlords milking the housing benefit system, to the £93bn in subsidies to corporations, and to employers exploiting workers with low wages and leaving the rest of us to pick up the tab." As BBC economics editor Robert Peston says, McDonnell is unambiguous that "we believe that we can tackle the deficit by halting the tax cuts to the very rich and to corporations, by making sure they pay their taxes, and by investing in the housing and infrastructure a modern economy needs to get people back to work in good jobs". Like Corbyn, McDonnell has a long history of left-wing politics in London. He has been involved in Hayes and Harlington for more than three decades - including a spell as deputy leader of the Greater London Council to Ken Livingstone and as chair of finance overseeing its £3bn budget. He referred to this when asked on his first morning as shadow chancellor about his suitability for the job - pointing out that he was "chancellor of the exchequer for London at the age of 29". The married father of three, who suffered a heart attack two years ago, was born in Liverpool, but was educated at Great Yarmouth Grammar School and Burnley Technical College. Backbench rebel McDonnell, whose first marriage ended in 1987 and who remarried in 1995, spent time after leaving school as a production worker, and according to the Evening Standard attended night school to take his A-Levels before going on to study government and politics at Brunel University. He then became an official for the National Union of Mineworkers and TUC and completed a masters degree at Birkbeck College in London. He stood for Parliament i


SG. What was the name of the huge seaplane owned by Howard Hughes?

Howard Hughes - Biography - IMDb Howard Hughes Jump to: Overview  (5) | Mini Bio  (1) | Spouse  (2) | Trivia  (38) | Personal Quotes  (4) Overview (5) 6' 4" (1.93 m) Mini Bio (1) Billionaire businessman, film producer, film director, and aviator, born in Humble, Texas just north of Houston. He studied at two prestigious institutions of higher learning: Rice University in Houston and California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, California. Inherited his father's machine tool company in 1923. In 1926 he ventured into films, producing Hell's Angels (1930), Scarface (1932) and The Outlaw (1943). He also founded his own aircraft company, designed, built and flew his own aircraft, and broke several world air speed records (1935-1938). His most famous aircraft, the Hercules (nicknamed "The Spruce Goose"), which was as he discovered, an under-powered wooden seaplane designed to carry 750 passengers. That plane was completed in 1947, but flew only once over a distance of one mile despite having eight Pratt & Whitney Wasp Major engines, among the most powerful radial piston engines of the day. Throughout his life he shunned publicity, eventually becoming a recluse but still controlling his vast business interests from sealed-off hotel suites, and giving rise to endless rumors and speculation. In 1971 an "authorized" biography was announced, but the authors wound up in prison for fraud, and the mystery surrounding him continued until his death in Houston. He is buried in Glenwood Cemetery, Houston ( 1 June  1925      - 9 December  1929) (divorced) Trivia (38) Ice Station Zebra (1968) is reported to have been his favorite movie (the 2005 DVD release was packaged with a trailer for The Aviator (2004)). Before his death, he lived as a recluse, and Albert R. Broccoli (the producer of the James Bond franchise) used his reclusiveness from the public as a model for the character Willard Whyte in Diamonds Are Forever (1971). Hughes was a fan of the James Bond films, and he kept a 16mm print of the film as a part of his private collection. Broccoli also gave him 16mm print films of all the earlier Bond-films. Nephew of actor/screenwriter Rupert Hughes . The Las Vegas casinos he once owned were Castaways, Desert Inn, Frontier, Landmark, Sands and Silver Slipper. All have since been demolished. He bought Las Vegas television station KLAS (Channel 8), so that he could watch movies into the night. If he fell asleep during a film, he would call up the station and order that the scene he missed be replayed. While he was staying in Las Vegas' Desert Inn Hotel-Casino resort, he bought the establishment in order to avoid being evicted. His father was the inventor of the "Hughes Rock Eater," a self-sharpening drill bit used for drilling oil wells that is still in use today. Hughes inherited several million dollars but earned the vast majority of his wealth from his own business ventures. Hughes Aircraft and Hughes Helicopters alone were worth $5.5 billion when they were finally sold in the early 1980s. Was a major stockholder in an airline that later became TWA. He once had an air purifier installed in a car with sealed windows. The purifier cost more than the car, and took up most of the trunk. In his later years, he insisted that his personal assistants be Mormons (members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints). Reportedly, this was because Hughes did not want any of his personal assistants drunk on the job, and Mormons are forbidden to drink alcohol. Attended the prestigious Rice University in the 1920s, before dropping out and moving to Hollywood and studying at Cal Tech. In public he would often speak with his hand covering his mouth, for fear of being lip-read. After Hughes died, Terry Moore claimed they had secretly married on a yacht in international waters in 1949 and never divorced; these "marriages" were ruses Hughes was known to employ in order to take advantage of young women. Despite the fact that Moore married two other men after she "married" Hughes, his estate settled with her for an undisclosed amount in 1984.


RHB. The Coast-to-Coast walk finishes at which coastal village?

Day One on the English Coast to Coast Walk Day One on the English Coast to Coast Walk 2016 (43) Coast to Coast Walk - Day 1 Robin Hoods Bay to Lion Inn, Blakey Distance: About 22 Miles. Weather: Very wet & stormy in the morning but clearing in the afternoon. My First Step off the Beach at Robin Hoods Bay! My Coast-to-Coast Walk was unusual in that I traversed from the East Coast at Robin Hoods Bay to finish at St Bees in Cumbria in the West of England. The majority of walkers complete Wainwright's route in the opposite direction - going West to East. This first day was also a little unusual in that I walked from Robin Hoods Bay around the Cleveland Way cliff path into Whitby;  before joining the "proper" route at Beggar's Bridge in Glaisdale. I took this detour as I wanted to start my own walk from the Life Boat Station in Whitby and end at the Lifeboat Station at St Bees; bookending my charity raising endeavours for the RNLI! My Walk Aimed to Raise at Least £1,000 for the RNLI in Whitby. The Walk It is an easy enough start to the Coast-to-Coast with a generally gentle uphill climb from sea level at the bottom of the hill in the village of RHB. Obviously, if you're coming from the West, it'll be your penultimate day (or perhaps final day) and an easy downhill walk all the way from the high points of the North York Moors at Blakey Ridge. I left RHB at 5am with the ritually-collected pebble safely in my pocket! It was a quickish walk around the 7-mile cliff path into Whitby and in time for some breakfast at Spyglass 1708 at 8am. I left the Whitby Lifeboat Station and headed out of town towards Aislby; then Egton; before joining the traditional C-to-C route at Glaisedale at about 1130am. In Glaisdale I came across my first end-to-enders heading in the opposite direction - and happy to be nearly finishing! Heading out of Glaisdale up the Rigg; I was soon out of the soft countryside of Eskdale and onto the sweeping open North York Moors plateau with its flatish vista spreading in all directions. Moorland Scene on Glaisdale Rigg. After six months in planning; I felt that I was finally on my way! It was a lovely walk with lots of Skylark song to keep me company; and in familiar country for me. I arrived at the Lion Inn in time for an afternoon pint and a bit of late lunch around 3pm. All-in-all - a great start! Lion Inn on Blakey Ridge Makes a Welcome Sight!


YM. ‘Life of Pi’ won the Man Booker Prize for Fiction in 2002. Who is the author?

Yann Martel - Literature Literature Westwood Creative Artists Biography Yann Martel was born in Salamanca, Spain, in 1963, of Canadian parents who were doing graduate studies. Later they both joined the Canadian foreign service and he grew up in Costa Rica, France, Spain and Mexico, in addition to Canada. He continued to travel widely as an adult, spending time in Iran, Turkey and India, but is now based mainly in Montreal. He obtained a degree in Philosophy from Trent University in Ontario, then worked variously as a tree planter, dishwasher and security guard before taking up writing full-time from the age of 27. His first book, The Facts Behind the Helsinki Roccamatios, was published in 1993 and is a collection of short stories, dealing with such themes as illness, storytelling and the history of the twentieth century; music, war and the anguish of youth; how we die; and grief, loss and the reasons we are attached to material objects. This was followed by his first novel, Self (1996), a tale of sexual identity, orientation and Orlando-like transformation. It is described by Charles Foran in the Montreal Gazette as a ' ... superb psychological acute observation on love, attraction and belonging ...' In 2002 Yann Martel came to public attention when he won the Man Booker Prize for Fiction for his second novel, Life of Pi (2002), an epic survival story with an overarching religious theme. The novel tells the story of one Pi Patel, the son of an Indian family of zookeepers. They decide to emigrate to Canada and embark on a ship with their animals to cross the Pacific. They are shipwrecked and Pi is left bobbing in a lifeboat in the company of a zebra, a hyena, an orang-utan and a 450-pound Bengal tiger. Life of Pi will eventually be published in over forty countries and territories, representing well over thirty languages, and a film of the book, adapted by Ang Lee, was released in 2012.  In 2004, a collection of short stories was published entitled We Ate The Children Last. His latest books are the novel Beatrice and Virgil (2010), a New York Time Bestseller and winner of the Financial Times Fiction of Year Award; 101 Letters to a Prime Minister (2012), a collection of letters to the prime minister of Canada; and his latest novel The High Mountains of Portugal (2016). Yann Martel lives in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.  Author statement Critical perspective Having failed to create much of a literary splash with his first two books, Yann Martel became a bestselling author with the Man Booker Prize for Fiction winning Life of Pi (2002). He turned to writing after doing a variety of different jobs, from washing dishes to planting trees. Initially, Martel wanted to be a politician; he also considered anthropology. Then, after a long period of travel he began writing plays and short stories; by the time he was 27, he was earning his living as a writer. The opening of Life of Pi, with its quirky allegorical feel, is pleasing in its gentle and warm-hearted tone. Prefaced with a part fact-part fiction note on how he came upon the story, Martel’s fantastical tale of a 16-year-old-boy’s 227-day odyssey adrift in the Pacific, accompanied by a spotted hyena, a zebra with a broken leg, a female orangutan and a 450lb Royal Bengal Tiger, is dripping in religious lore, zoological history and metaphysical speculation. It is also a spirited and unexpected defence of zoos.  Essentially a hybrid of an adventure story and a fable about belief, Life of Pi is narrated by Piscine Monitor Patel, named after a family friend’s favourite French swimming pool. Piscine grows up in Pondicherry in India, the son of a zookeeper. Bored of jokes at the expense of his name he restyles himself Pi and in that ‘elusive, irrational number with which scientists try to understand the universe [he finds] refuge.’ Although born a Hindu, Pi is fascinated by other religions and attracts them ‘the way a dog attracts fleas.’ He becomes both a Christian and a Muslim and finds humanity and a sense of mystical solidity in his faiths. Pi’s sense of religious wonder is revelator


What is the Latin for ‘let the buyer beware’?

Caveat Emptor Definition | Investopedia Caveat Emptor What does 'Caveat Emptor' mean A neo-Latin phrase meaning "let the buyer beware." It is a principle of contract law in many jurisdictions that places the onus on the buyer to perform due diligence before making a purchase. The term is commonly used in real property transactions, but applies to other goods, as well as some services.  BREAKING DOWN 'Caveat Emptor' Caveat emptor is an ancient principle that is intended to resolve disputes arising from  information asymmetry , the pervasive situation in which the seller knows more than the buyer about the quality of a good or service. If Hasan wants to buy a car from Allison, he is responsible for gathering the necessary information to make an informed purchase. He should ask her how many miles it has on it, whether any major components need to be replaced, whether it's been serviced regularly and so on. If he simply buys the car for the asking price and makes little or no effort to assess its true value, and the car subsequently breaks down, Allison is not liable for damages under the principle of caveat emptor.  In practice, there are many exceptions to this principle. For example, if Allison lied about the car's mileage or maintenance needs, she would have committed fraud, and Hasan would in theory be entitled to damages. Market forces act to reduce the applicability of caveat emptor in some cases. Warranties are guarantees of quality or satisfaction that sellers issue voluntarily (broadly speaking) to buyers; if the sellers provide a quality product, they will not need to provide refunds or replacements very often, and buyers will be inclined to choose these vendors based on a perception of quality.  Governments also push back against the principle of caveat emptor in order to protect consumers' interests. Informal transactions like the one between Allison and Hasan are mostly unregulated, but in industries such as financial services  – especially since the 2008 financial crisis  – the buyer is often entitled to clear, largely standardized, information regarding the product. Many investors are familiar with what is colloquially called the "safe harbor statement," which complies with safeguards against companies that would deceive potential buyers about the quality of their stock. At the same time, such statements, as well as the legally mandated quarterly reports they accompany, reinforce the principle of caveat emptor, cementing the expectation that the buyer has access to all the information they need to make a reasonably informed decision. In the U.K., the concept of caveat emptor is less applicable now than in the past. In general, the 1979 Sale of Goods Act provides consumers with more stringent protection than their U.S. counterparts enjoy. Caveat emptor is particularly important in real estate transactions. In the U.S., home builders are required to issue an implied warranty of fitness to buyers of new properties. Subsequent transactions, however, are subject to caveat emptor rules, assuming no fraud has been committed. New residential properties come with the expectation that the seller is liable for faults; as for old properties, buyer beware.


Tuppence and Tommy are fictional detectives, recurring characters in whose books?

Learn and talk about Tommy and Tuppence, Agatha Christie characters, Fictional characters introduced in 1922, Fictional detectives, Series of books Novels[ edit ] Tommy and Tuppence appear together in four full-length novels and one collection of short stories [2] The collection of short stories is Partners in Crime , (1929, each story referencing another writer's work); the four novels are The Secret Adversary (1922), [3] N or M? (1941), By the Pricking of My Thumbs (1968); and Postern of Fate (1973). [4] Postern of Fate was the last novel Christie ever wrote, although not the last to be published. Detectives[ edit ] Tuppence appears as a charismatic, impulsive and intuitive person, while Tommy is less imaginative, and less likely to be diverted from the truth (as their first adversary sums him up "he is not clever, but it is hard to blind his eyes to the facts"), which is why they are shown to make a good team. It is in this first book The Secret Adversary that they meet up after the war, [2] and come to realise that, although they have been friends for most of their lives, they have now fallen in love with each other. Unlike many other recurring detective characters, including the better known Christie detectives, Tommy and Tuppence aged in time with the real world, being in their early twenties in The Secret Adversary [3] and in their seventies in Postern of Fate . In their early appearances, they are portrayed as typical upper middle class " bright young things " of the 1920s, [5] and the stories and settings have a more pronounced period-specific flavour than the stories featuring the better known Christie characters. As they age, they are revealed to have raised three children – twins Deborah and Derek and an adopted daughter, Betty. Throughout the series they employ a man named Albert, who first appears as a lift boy who helps them in The Secret Adversary. In Partners in Crime, Albert becomes their hapless assistant at a private detective agency; and subsequently, as a now married pub owner, renders vital assistance to the pair in N or M?.; by Postern of Fate he's their butler and has now been widowed. In Postern of Fate they also have a small dog named Hannibal. In 1953 the BBC adapted Partners in Crime as a radio series starring Richard Attenborough and Sheila Sim . The Tommy and Tuppence characters have been portrayed on television by James Warwick and Francesca Annis , first in the feature-length The Secret Adversary (1982), and then in the 10 episode series Agatha Christie's Partners in Crime (1983). The novel By the Pricking of My Thumbs was adapted in 2005 by the French director Pascal Thomas with the title Mon petit doigt m'a dit... . The movie casts André Dussolier as Tommy (renamed Bélisaire) and Catherine Frot as Prudence Beresford. The action is transposed to Savoie in France. A second movie, Le crime est notre affaire , came out in 2008. Le crime est notre affaire is named after Partners in Crime and stars the Beresfords, but its story is based on 4.50 From Paddington , which was originally a novel starring Miss Marple . A third film Associés contre le crime is very, very loosely based (to the point of being unrecognisable) on one of the stories in Partners in Crime. An adaptation of By the Pricking of My Thumbs appeared in 2006 as an episode of the Granada television series Marple even though Christie did not write Marple into the original story. In this version, Tommy and Tuppence were played by Anthony Andrews and Greta Scacchi respectively, but, unlike in the book, Miss Marple and Tuppence play the detective roles while Tommy is away on intelligence (MI6) business. BBC television began broadcasting two adaptations, comprising six episodes in 2015. Set in the 1950s and titled Partners in Crime , it starred David Walliams as Tommy [6] and Jessica Raine as Tuppence. [7] Original courtesy of Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tommy_and_Tuppence  —  Please support Wikipedia. This page uses Creative Commons Licensed content from Wikipedia . A portion of the proceeds from advertising on Digplanet g


What is the surname of Ceri, the Welsh fly-half who plays for Exeter Chiefs?

Toulon 32 Chiefs 20 - Exeter Chiefs Toulon 32 Chiefs 20 Exeter Chiefs 20 Mark Stevens at Stade Felix Mayol As copies of the local Var-Matin newspaper flittered from high in the stands of Toulon’s Stade Felix Mayol, so it seems the hopes of Exeter Chiefs qualifying for the latter stages of this season’s Heineken Cup followed suit. Heroic efforts against reigning champions Toulon have certainly been notable, but the back-to-back defeats have left Devon’s finest well adrift of their star-studded French rivals in Pool Two. Bernard Laporte’s star-studded side not only returned to the summit of the group, but their five-point haul has ensured they now lead next best Cardiff Blues by two points entering into the latter stages. Winger David Smith claimed two of the home side’s four scores, whilst Xavier Chiocci and Jonny Wilkinson also crossed during the second half for Toulon, whose other points came courtesy of Aussie Matt Giteau. The Chiefs, however, played their part in another excellent encounter claiming tries through Don Armand and Ben White, whilst Henry Slade and Ceri Sweeney also got on the scoresheets with some impressive kicking. It was, though, never enough in the sunshine of the South of France. Just a week after facing the current holders of the competition, Baxter opted to freshen up his line-up making six changes from that which went down 14-9 on home soil. Into the pack came James Hanks and Don Armand, whilst behind Haydn Thomas and Slade formed a new half-back partnership and Ian Whitten and James were also included from the outset. Battered and bruised from their visit to Devon, Toulon also made changes as Jean-Charles Orioli and Jocelino Suta were brought in up front; whilst Giteau was switched from centre to fly-half at the expense of Jonny Wilkinson; Maxime Mermoz was brought into the centre and Smith filled the void left by South African speedster Bryan Habana. Despite the new look to both teams, it was the Chiefs who set the early tone as they used the opening exchanges to outline their attacking endeavours. Although it was enterprising stuff from Baxter’s men, it failed to bring the reward they craved in the hot-house of the Stade Mayol. As it was, the Frenchmen soaked up Exeter’s pressure before claiming the game’s opening points on 11 minutes when Giteau, Alexis Palisson and Mermoz all combined to send winger Smith sprinting over in the left-hand corner for an unconverted try. It was certainly the stuff of champions, but so too was the response form the Chiefs who countered within minutes. Thomas and Jack Nowell triggered the alarm bells with successive snipes, before the visitors delivered a telling blow through Armand. The South African powerhouse was able to power his way over for his maiden Exeter try as he finished off a sizzling move that was instigated by Arscott’s looping pass wide to James, who in turn barged his way past Palisson before shipping the ball back inside to Armand who did the rest. Slade obliged with the extras to give the Chiefs a slender two-point cushion. Two minutes later and things could have got it even better as Arscott sliced through the Toulon midfield with a sharp counter. However, with Phil Dollman inside him the Chiefs full-back shunned his team-mate, opting instead to back himself for the outside route. Sadly, his burst was repelled and the chance came and went much to the relief of the home faithful, who had earlier been whipped into a frenzy by the infamous pre-match ‘Pilou Pilou’ chant. Toulon made the most of the let-off as Aussie ace Giteau atoned for an earlier penalty miss by creating the opening for Smith to coast over for his second score, which was awarded by the TMO even though the final pass looked at least two yards forward. Giteau this time made no mistake with the conversion, nor a penalty which the Chiefs concede in front of their sticks just before the break for straying offside in midfield. However, the Chiefs were undeterred and having won back possession following a good kick-chase, they won a penalty wide on the right after Toulon were adjudged t


In ‘Othello’, to whom is Emilia, Desdemona’s maidservant, married?

Emilia in Othello (Click the character infographic to download.) Desperate Housewife You'd be desperate and jaded too if you realized that monogramming "Mrs. Emilia Iago" on all your towels meant that... you were married to Iago. Because here's the thing: Emilia is actually a total sweetie. She's just trapped in a marriage to possibly the most malevolent Shakespearean villain ever. Older and more cynical than Desdemona, Emilia develops a close relationship to young Des. It's actually pretty aww-inspiring: Emilia and Desdemona bond over husband trouble. Emilia's super-bitter take on her married life with Iago contrasts with Desdemona's (temporarily) idealistic marriage to Othello. Emilia's one dishonest act towards Desdemona—stealing her special handkerchief—turns out to have devastating consequences. The loss of the handkerchief is what convinces Othello that Desdemona is guilty of infidelity, and Emilia's little theft ends up causing her friend's death (at least in part). But she redeems herself, or at least gives a good shot at trying. It's Emilia who discovers the truth about Iago's plotting and reveals it to the world. She can't bring Desdemona back to life, but she does clear her friend's name. She ends up sacrificing her life so that Desdemona won't be remembered as a "whore." Iago kills Emilia as payback for unmasking him, but Emilia dies proud that she set the record straight. Breaking Up Is Hard to Do (When You're a Wife in 1604) Emilia's relationship with Iago really seems like a marriage made in hell. Iago constantly mocks and disrespects her. He never seems to offer her any affection, and he always talks trash about women in general. Despite this (or because of this— Stockholm Syndrome 's no joke) Emilia seems eager to please him. She steals Desdemona's handkerchief in the hope that Iago will appreciate her for once. "I nothing but to please his fantasy," she says as she does so (3.3.343). But her attempt to make the handkerchief hand-off a teasing, flirtatious interaction fails miserably: Iago grabs the handkerchief and tells her to go away. Later, it seems like Emilia is aware of Iago's thirst for power and wishes she could gratify it. She asks Desdemona, "Who would not make her husband a cuckold to make him a monarch? I should venture purgatory for 't" (4.3.85-87). So Emilia ends up seeming like that horrible stereotype: the poor girl with no self-confidence who's stays with a total dirtbag because she craves affection. Emilia goes so far as to betray her friend for the love of her man. And yet, despite her submissiveness, Emilia's obvious bitterness boils over in a final scene during which she says that husbands are usually to blame when their wives cheat on them: EMILIA But I do think it is their husbands' faults If wives do fall. Say that they slack their duties, And pour our treasures into foreign laps; Or else break out in peevish jealousies, Throwing restraint upon us. Or say they strike us, Or scant our former having in despite. [...] The ills we do, their ills instruct us so. (4.3.97-115) After all, men cheat on women all the time—why shouldn't women have an equal right to infidelity? Considering that this was written in the early 1600s, Emilia's monologue is about as close as we will get to a feminist manifesto. But like Shylock's "Hath not a Jew eyes" speech in Shakespeare's Merchant of Venice , it's not perhaps the best argument for equality. Shylock argues that Jews are people, too—and so they have an equal right to revenge. Emilia argues that women are people, too—and so they should have an equal right to cheat on their spouses. These aren't the most uplifting messages. Throughout most of the play, Iago has the upper hand in his interactions with his wife. But the final scene is payback time for Emilia. Shakespeare scholar Harold Bloom points out that of all the people in the play, Emilia is the only one that Iago underestimates—and she's the only one who ultimately can bring Iago down. That's an interesting irony. Iago, who is so good at predicting and manipulating other people's behavior, on


‘Monopoly’. A player currently on Mayfair throws a five – taking him/her to where?

Monopoly (game) | Card Game Database Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia Edit The history of Monopoly can be traced back to 1903, [2] when an American woman named Elizabeth (Lizzie) J. Magie Phillips created a game through which she hoped to be able to explain the single tax theory of Henry George (it was intended as an educational tool to illustrate the negative aspects of concentrating land in private monopolies ). Her game, The Landlord's Game , was self-published, beginning in 1906. [3] A series of variant board games based on her concept were developed from 1906 through the 1930s that involved the buying and selling of land and the development of that land. Origin Edit By 1933, a board game called Monopoly had been created which formed the basis of the game sold by Parker Brothers, beginning in 1935. Several people, mostly in the Midwestern United States and near the East Coast, contributed to the game's design and evolution, and this is when the game's design took on the 4 x 10 space-to-a-side layout and familiar cards were produced. The original version of the game in this format was based on Atlantic City, New Jersey. By the 1970s, the idea that the game had been created solely by Charles Darrow had become popular folklore: it was printed in the game's instructions and even in the 1974 book The Monopoly Book: Strategy and Tactics of the World's Most Popular Game by Maxine Brady. 1936–70 Edit In 1936, Parker Brothers began licensing the game for sale outside of the United States. In 1941, the British Secret Intelligence Service had John Waddington Ltd. , the licensed manufacturer of the game in the United Kingdom, create a special edition for World War II prisoners of war held by the Nazis . [4] Hidden inside these games were maps , compasses , real money, and other objects useful for escaping. They were distributed to prisoners by Secret Service-created fake charity groups. [5] 1970s–80s Edit Economics professor Ralph Anspach published a game Anti-Monopoly in 1973, and was sued for trademark infringement by Parker Brothers in 1974. The case went to trial in 1976. Anspach won on appeals in 1979, as the 9th Circuit Court determined that the trademark Monopoly was generic , and therefore unenforceable. [6] The United States Supreme Court declined to hear the case, allowing the appellate court ruling to stand. This decision was overturned by the passage of Public Law 98-620 in 1984. [7] With that law in place, Parker Brothers and its parent companies ( Hasbro ) continue to hold valid trademarks for the game Monopoly. 1990s–present Edit A new wave of licensed products began in 1994, when Hasbro granted a license to USAopoly to begin publishing a San Diego Edition of Monopoly, which has since been followed by over 100 more. [8] Other licensees include Winning Moves Games (since 1995) and Winning Solutions, Inc. (since 2000) in the United States. [9] [10] Winning Moves also has offices in the UK, France, Germany and Australia, and other licensees include AH Media in The Netherlands, and Bestman Games in Nigeria. [11] [12] [13] Board Edit The Monopoly game board consists of 40 spaces containing 28 properties (22 colored streets, four railway stations and two utilities), three Chance spaces, three Community Chest spaces, a Luxury Tax space, an Income Tax space, and the four corner squares: GO, (In) Jail/Just Visiting, Free Parking , and Go to Jail. [14] US versions Edit There have been some changes to the board since the original. Not all of the Chance and Community Chest cards as printed in the 1935 patent were used in editions from 1936/1937 onwards, [15] and graphics with the Mr. Monopoly character were added in that same timeframe. [16] A graphic of a chest containing coins was added to the Community Chest spaces, as were the flat purchase prices of all of the properties. Traditionally, the Community Chest cards were yellow (although they sometimes were printed on blue stock) with no decoration or text on the back, and the Chance cards were orange, likewise with no text or decoration on the back. [16] Hasbro commissioned a


Which former British athlete was married to swimmer Sharron Davies from 1994-2000?

Sharron Davies - Alchetron, The Free Social Encyclopedia I am a simple man trying to live a simple life !!!!!! Sharron Davies Full name  Sharron Elizabeth Davies Born  1 November 1962 (age 53) (1962-11-01) Plymouth, England Weight  67 kg (148 lb; 10.6 st) Spouse  Tony Kingston (m. 2002–2009), Derek Redmond (m. 1994–2000), John Crisp (m. 1987–1991) Children  Elliott Anthony Redmond, Grace Elizabeth Redmond Books  Against the Tide, Learn Swimming in a Weekend, Pregnant and Fit Similar People  Derek Redmond, Neil Adams, Petra Schneider, Chris Adams, Niki Jenkins Profiles Sharron davies what a woman Sponsored Links Sharron Elizabeth Davies, MBE (born 1 November 1962) is an English former competitive swimmer who represented Great Britain in the Olympics and European championships, and competed for England in the Commonwealth Games. She won a silver medal in the 400-metre individual medley at the 1980 Olympics in Moscow, and two gold medals at the 1978 Commonwealth Games in Edmonton. Since retiring from the sport, she has worked as television presenter and served as a patron of charities for disabled children and fitness. She was also a contestant on Dancing on Ice 2011. Swimmer sharron davies Early life Sharron Davies was born in Plymouth, Devon, and grew up in Plymouth and Plymstock. She has twin brothers. She attended Plymstock Comprehensive School and the independent Kelly College in Tavistock. Her father Terry coached her in swimming. Swimming She learned to swim at the age of six and was training seriously two years later. She set a record by swimming for the British national team at the age of only eleven. She was so determined that she continued her training even after breaking both her wrists in a childhood accident. In 1976, still only thirteen, Davies was selected to represent Great Britain at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal. Although her performance was not enough to get her in the medals, it did make her a household name. The next year she stepped up a gear to win two bronze medals in the 1977 European Championships. The following year, still just fifteen, she won gold medals at the Commonwealth Games in the 200 and 400-metre individual medleys. She also picked up a further silver and bronze medal. By 1980 Davies was ready for a more serious Olympic challenge. She took the silver medal in the 400 m individual medley behind East German Petra Schneider, who later admitted that the victory was drug enhanced. At the age of eighteen, Davies called time on the first stage of her swimming career to build her television profile and a career in modelling. In 1989, and training at Bracknell & Wokingham Swimming Club, she returned to the pool, where she picked up two more medals at the 1990 Commonwealth Games. By the time she finally hung up her swimsuit for good in 1994, she had been a British champion on twenty occasions and had broken two hundred British swimming records and 5 World Masters records (eligible to those over 30). In the 1993 New Year Honours, Davies was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) "for services to swimming". Davies has been very vocal in the calls for a reallocation of medals and titles at the various games where East German athletes won using illegal, drug-supported development techniques. Sports bodies have recognised the superior achievement of athletes like Sharron who shunned the use of performance-enhancing substances but have fallen short of rewriting the medal tables. Other activities In 2005, Davies supported the British Olympic bid by profile raising and appearing as spokesperson on BBC's Question Time where she made a strong case for bringing the games to London. Sponsored Links Davies is a current patron of the Disabled Sport England and the Sports Aid Foundation. She is also the face of the Swim for Life charity event. Media career Davies's early ventures beyond swimming included appearing in a ski tuition video with world champion Franz Klammer, alongside fellow swimmer Duncan Goodhew. She also featured in the BBC's 1981 series "Sporting Superstars". She later


Played by Aaron Paul, who was Walter White’s co-protagonist in ‘Breaking Bad’?

Breaking Bad: 36 things you didn't know Breaking Bad: 36 things you didn't know Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul in 'Breaking Bad' Credit: AP 1. Walter White is real. Credit: Boston University; WCBV; ABC News; KLTV; Cladwell County Sheriff’s Department While nobody has yet gone ‘full Heisenberg’, Vince Gilligan ’s message about the perils of meth production and distribution apparently failed to reach a handful of hard-up educators. William Duncan, a chemistry teacher from Texas, was arrested for selling home-cooked meth within school grounds; in 2011, 74-year-old mathematics professor Irina Kristy was caught running a meth lab from her Boston home; North Carolina teacher’s assistant and meth chef Marc Hodges was arrested earlier this year after suspiciously purchasing 1,000 cases of matches; and Stephen Doran, a Boston teacher with stage 3 cancer, was found dealing meth and arrested in May. But perhaps the most striking case of life imitating art occurred before Breaking Bad was even on television. In 2008, an Alabama man (main photo, above) earned a place on the state’s Most Wanted list thanks to his thriving meth business. Admittedly, he was neither a teacher nor a cancer sufferer. But his name? Walter White. 2. And so is Heisenberg. Credit: AP The name Walt gives to his alter ego, “Heisenberg”, is a tip of the hat to Werner Heisenberg, one of the most important physicists of the 20th century. He won the Nobel Prize for developing the theory of quantum mechanics. 3. The cast is full of comedians. Credit: ALAMY "If you can do comedy you can do drama," Vince Gilligan said recently of his approach to casting. "It doesn’t necessarily flow the other way." Consequently, Breaking Bad is packed with funny men – even if they’re not always given the chance to show it. Bob Odenkirk  (Saul) is well known as the co-creator of US TV’s last great sketch series, Mr Show; Bill Burr (Kuby) is a stand-up comic, as are Lavell Crawford (Huell), Steven Michael Quezada (poor Gomie), and Javier Grajeda (Gus Fring’s boss at the cartel, and the man who put a severed head on a tortoise). And before he was a struggling actor, Bryan Cranston spent several months as a floundering comedian. Watch Breaking Bad now on Amazon Prime 4. Gus Fring ended his life as a zombie. For the aptly titled season 4 finale, Face Off, Vince Gilligan sought help from the prosthetic-effects team behind AMC’s zombie series The Walking Dead . Greg Nicotero and Howard Berger made a model of Gustavo Fring’s exploded Evil-Dead-meets-Two-Face head, which was then digitally blended with actor Giancarlo Esposito’s real noggin. According to Gilligan, “ it took months ”. Gilligan got the idea for Fring's gruesome death from a real grisly ending that happened to a rocket scientist and ritualist called John Whitedale Parsons. Gilligan heard about him in Strange Angel, George Pendle's book. Parsons, who happened to practice black magic and had "some kind of sex cult going in Pasadena", according to Gilligan, "came to an unfortunate end when he was making up a batch of mercury fulminate for a special effects project. "Something went wrong and it blew up in his face. The story is that he survived with part of his face peeled off for several hours before he finally succumbed in the hospital." 5. Wendy the hooker is much healthier than she looks. Credit: AMC She was certainly perky when Jesse was around, but the show’s standout meth addict was never exactly a picture of good health. However, Julia Minesci, the actress who played the role of “Wendy S” from 2008-2010, has run the Hawaii Ironman six times, the Germany Ironman once and“ countless marathons ”. 6. Gale’s complete karaoke video – with Thai subtitles – is on YouTube. 7. And so is the Jesse Pinkman-directed video for Twaughthammer’s "Fallacies". 8. The White family home is an actual family home. Credit: REX Far from being a drug baron’s digs or even a building dreamt up by Vince Gilligan, Walter White’s house in Breaking Bad has been the real-life  home of a woman called Fran since 1973. She admits that “a lot of artistic licence”


What is the first name of Neil Kinnock’s wife?

Kinnock's son, gay rumours and a flirty blonde PM | Daily Mail Online comments Her sexy wardrobe (and racy reputation) have earned her the nickname ‘Gucci Helle’ in her native Denmark. It’s the kind of profile you would normally associate with, say, a footballer’s wife, or a model, not a prime minister. But then Danish leader Helle Thorning-Schmidt, 46, who dragged Barack Obama and David Cameron into that embarrassing ‘selfie’, is not a typical head of state, not by British standards anyway. Danish Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt, pictured with her husband Stephen Kinnock last year How many premiers, for example, when heckled at a public meeting about their wardrobe would have replied bluntly: ‘We can’t all look like s***.’ Or boarded a military plane to wartorn Libya in camouflage jacket and stilettos, with a bright red Gucci handbag (the headline in one Danish newspaper screamed: ‘Helle Took Her Bag To War’). RELATED ARTICLES Share this article Share Not surprisingly, her sex appeal, which Miss Thorning-Schmidt seems to have exploited to the full, almost certainly contributed to her electoral success back in 2011. The word most Googled next to her name during the election campaign, it would later emerge, was ‘naked’. It is not clear, however, if voters expected to find naked photographs of her on the internet – or simply hoped to. Helle Thorning-Schmidt and Stephen, son of the former leader of the British Labour Party Neil Kinnock, have two daughters together and have been married since 1996 Danish magazines, meanwhile, claim  her looks have been enhanced by Botox. (‘Helle Thorning: Obsessed with Botox – see revealing images of the Prime Minister inside’). Indeed, her career reads like a script from Borgen, the cult Danish political drama screened on BBC Four and featuring fictional prime minister Birgitte Nyborg. Miss Thorning-Schmidt has often compared herself to her TV counterpart. Certainly, her time in office has been dogged by scandal and gossip about her personal life. We have a particular interest in Miss Thorning-Schmidt here in Britain, of course, because she is married to former Labour leader Lord Kinnock’s son, Stephen, 42. Their domestic arrangements are unusual, and the source of some controversy. Stephen Kinnock was a director of the World Economic Forum until 2012 and used to live in Davos, Switzerland, spending no more than 33 weekends in Denmark, apparently. Under Danish law, his non-resident status allowed his wife to deduct about £40,000 in tax from the mortgage repayments on their £500,000 house in Copenhagen. Pulling faces: Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt meets her British counterpart shortly after taking office in 2011 But in a recent application to make him co-owner of the family home, Miss Thorning-Schmidt claimed her husband was there ‘every weekend of the year’. When challenged she was forced to admit she had made ‘sloppy mistakes’ in filing out her tax returns and her husband was non-resident. Danish tax authorities later exonerated the couple. But there was further embarrassment. Their marriage became the subject of intense speculation in the Danish press, with one newspaper raising questions over Mr Kinnock’s sexuality. Confronted with the allegations, Miss Thorning-Schmidt was forced to publicly deny Mr Kinnock was gay. ‘I can only say it’s not true,’ she declared. ‘It’s so grotesque. It is unpleasant to hear people talk about us like that.’ What was the source of these rumours – apart, that is, from the fact the couple were leading very separate lives? Miss Thorning-Schmidt has often compared herself to her TV counterpart, fictional prime minister Birgitte Nyborg (right, played by Sidse Babett Knudsen) on the cult Danish political drama Borgen It was this: their accountant had told the tax officials that Mr Stephen Kinnock was ‘bisexual or gay’ to explain why he did not spend time in Denmark, and was not, therefore, liable for unpaid taxes. But details of this confidential meeting – and the accountant’s claims – were leaked to the press. ‘I admit it that I said it,’


Living from 1933 to 2006, who is/was often referred to as the ‘Godfather of Soul’?

1000+ images about james brown / songs on youtube on Pinterest | Comedy film, Songs and Lost Pinterest • The world’s catalog of ideas james brown / songs on youtube 3 Pins145 Followers


What was the name of the little people in ‘The Wizard of Oz’?

The Wizard of Oz (1939) - IMDb IMDb 5 January 2017 10:49 PM, 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 The Wizard of Oz ( 1939 ) Passed | From $2.99 (SD) on Amazon Video ON DISC Dorothy Gale is swept away to a magical land in a tornado and embarks on a quest to see the Wizard who can help her return home. Directors: a list of 29 titles created 20 Jul 2013 a list of 30 titles created 14 Jan 2014 a list of 43 titles created 10 May 2014 a list of 22 images created 11 Aug 2014 a list of 42 titles created 06 Sep 2015 Title: The Wizard of Oz (1939) 8.1/10 Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? Use the HTML below. You must be a registered user to use the IMDb rating plugin. Won     2     Oscars. Another    7 wins & 13 nominations. See more awards  » Videos Lion cub and future king Simba searches for his identity. His eagerness to please others and penchant for testing his boundaries sometimes gets him into trouble. Directors: Roger Allers, Rob Minkoff Stars: Matthew Broderick, Jeremy Irons, James Earl Jones Directors: Pete Docter, David Silverman, and 1 more credit  » Stars: Billy Crystal, John Goodman, Mary Gibbs A cowboy doll is profoundly threatened and jealous when a new spaceman figure supplants him as top toy in a boy's room. Director: John Lasseter While home sick in bed, a young boy's grandfather reads him a story called The Princess Bride. Director: Rob Reiner Charlie receives a golden ticket to a factory, his sweet tooth wants going into the lushing candy, it turns out there's an adventure in everything. Director: Mel Stuart After his son is captured in the Great Barrier Reef and taken to Sydney, a timid clownfish sets out on a journey to bring him home. Directors: Andrew Stanton, Lee Unkrich Stars: Albert Brooks, Ellen DeGeneres, Alexander Gould The toys are mistakenly delivered to a day-care center instead of the attic right before Andy leaves for college, and it's up to Woody to convince the other toys that they weren't abandoned and to return home. Director: Lee Unkrich A magical nanny helps bring the two children she's in charge of closer to their father through songs and magical adventures. Director: Robert Stevenson Seventy-eight year old Carl Fredricksen travels to Paradise Falls in his home equipped with balloons, inadvertently taking a young stowaway. Directors: Pete Docter, Bob Peterson Stars: Edward Asner, Jordan Nagai, John Ratzenberger Directors: William Cottrell, David Hand, and 4 more credits  » Stars: Adriana Caselotti, Harry Stockwell, Lucille La Verne In the distant future, a small waste-collecting robot inadvertently embarks on a space journey that will ultimately decide the fate of mankind. Director: Andrew Stanton An angel is sent from Heaven to help a desperately frustrated businessman by showing him what life would have been like if he had never existed. Director: Frank Capra Edit Storyline In this charming film based on the popular L. Frank Baum stories, Dorothy and her dog Toto are caught in a tornado's path and somehow end up in the land of Oz. Here she meets some memorable friends and foes in her journey to meet the Wizard of Oz who everyone says can help her return home and possibly grant her new friends their goals of a brain, heart and courage. Written by Dale Roloff See All (215)  » Taglines: Amazing Sights To See ! The Tornado . . . Munchkinland . . . Horse Of A Different Color . . . Startling Balloon Ascent . . . Flying Monkeys . . . Trees That Talk And Throw Apples See more  » Genres: 25 August 1939 (USA) See more  » Also Known As: El mago de Oz See more  » Filming Locations: $5,354,311        (USA) (6 November 1998) Gross: Mono (Western Electric Sound System: The Voice of Action)| Dolby Digital (2005 re-issue) Color: Black and White (Kansas sequences) (1949 re-release)| Black and White (Kansas sequences) (1955 re-release)| Black and White (Sepiatone)| Color (Tec