In which Puccini opera does Lieutenant Pinkerton appear?

Madama Butterfly - San Diego Opera Madama Butterfly In the Classroom Puccini and Madama Butterfly During the last nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, the Western world  became fascinated with all things Japanese. When Commodore Perry entered Tokyo  Bay in 1853, he opened to view a society and culture which had been hidden for  a hundred of years. Soon exhibitions of Japanese art opened throughout the United  States and Europe and japonisme became the rage as chinoiserie had been a century before. Japanese motifs such as bridges, fans, cranes, butterflies,  and bamboo were incorporated into Western art and furnishings. Literature also  responded to the influx of new themes. Poets such as Whitman, Longfellow and  Yeats incorporated Japanese images into their works. Stories set in Japanese  locals were written and several of these merged into the one depicted in Puccini's Madama Butterfly. In June of 1900 Puccini, already rich and famous, was in London for the first  performance in England of his opera Tosca. Although he did not  speak English, he went to see a performance of David Belasco's play Madame  Butterfly, which had already been a success in New York. While he could  not understand the words, the beauty of the Japanese scenery and atmosphere  of the play (especially the long vigil which Butterfly keeps after the return  of Pinkerton's ship) made a profound impression on him. Puccini immediately  thought of this as the subject of his next opera, and he persuaded the librettists, Illica and Giacosa, it would be worthy of their collaboration. It took  several months for Puccini to get the rights to the play, but early in 1901,  work could start on Madama Butterfly. The composer was always fascinated by the Orient (his last opera, Turandot,  would be set in what is now Beijing, China). Since he was worried that the music  would sound "too Italian", he sought advice from some Japanese acquaintances  including a Japanese actress who was living in Milan. , and he studied Japanese  folk music he acquired through Oyama Hisako, the wife of the Japanese Ambassador,  who told him she knew a story like Butterfly's. From her he gained an idea of  Japanese women's speech and movement patterns. He may have found some of his  Japanese music themes in Messager's Madame Chrysanthème, and he  even studied Mikado by Gilbert and Sullivan. He did not try to use Japanese  instruments but instead tried combinations of the usual orchestral instruments  to get the desired effects. He tried to make Pinkerton sing like an "American",  but in this he failed. He sounds very Italian. There was confusion at first because Illica worked from Long's story and Puccini  from Belasco's play, and Puccini demanded so many revisions that Illica complained  to the publisher Ricordi. Eventually, the composition (1901-4) flowed fairly  easily, even though it was interrupted for several months while Puccini recovered  from a near-fatal automobile accident. finish the work. Since his leg  did not permit him to sit at an upright piano, he bought a grand so he could  finish the composition, and Giacosa agreed to help him. Illica had originally set one act in the American Consulate but Puccini did  not like this and made him change it. Originally the last two scenes were in  one act which lasted one and one-half hours, and Puccini refused to have a curtain  after Butterfly's vigil. Giacosa was convinced this would ruin the opera; they  quarreled, and their association almost ended. (San Diego Opera's new version  will take place in the Consulate, and the last two scenes will be played as  Puccini originally wanted.) The rehearsals at La Scala Opera House in  Milan, Italy went well, and all were sure that Butterfly would  be a great success. What a shock it was when the February 17, 1904 opening night  was an unmitigated fiasco. People recognized fragments of melodies from Puccini's  other works. Butterfly's costume made her look pregnant. The audience hooted  and shoute


Planting Birch Tree Seeds | Home Guides | SF Gate Planting Birch Tree Seeds Planting Birch Tree Seeds Birch tree seeds germinate best when properly planted. Birch trees belong to the genus Betula, which includes more than 30 species of deciduous trees found throughout the Northern Hemisphere. Species such as river birch (B. nigra) and monarch birch (B. maximowicziana) grow well within U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 4 to 10, where they are widely planted as landscape ornamentals for their textured bark and heart-shaped leaves. All birch species grow reliably well from fresh seeds. However, they must be stratified before planting and sown under suitably moist, bright conditions to ensure successful germination. 1 Gather birch seeds in mid- to late summer when the small, 1/2-inch-long cones are still soft and green. Gather several cones in a paper bag. Secure the top of the bag and leave it in a warm, dry area under light shade. 2 Let the cones dry out for approximately two weeks, or until they begin to dry out and fall apart. Shake the bag vigorously to knock loose the papery, winged seeds. Pick out the seeds and discard the chaff. 3 Sow the seeds in individual 5-inch greenhouse pots filled with a mix of equal parts coarse sand, milled peat and potting soil. Press the seeds onto the surface and cover them with a 1/16-inch-thick layer of coarse sand. Mist the sand liberally after sowing. 4 Cover each pot with a plastic bag to hold moisture around the birch seeds. Set the pots inside the refrigerator for two months to cold stratify. Keep the sand mixture evenly moist at all times. 5 Move the pots to a warm, sunny area such as inside a cold frame or indoors near a large window. Warm the pots with a propagation mat set to between 70 and 85 F during the day and 65 F at night. Keep the sand mixture moist in the top inch at all times. 6 Watch for germination in four to six weeks. Remove the propagation mat and plastic bag once the birch seeds sprout. Continue to water them regularly. Move the pots to a sheltered, lightly shaded area outdoors once they grow to 1 inch in height. 7 Grow the birch seedlings under light shade for two to three months, then acclimate them to direct sun. Transplant them into a permanent bed with consistently moist soil and full sun exposure in autumn. Things You Will Need


Which car manufacturer currently produces models called Colt and Outlander?

Mitsubishi Outlander To Be Produced In Europe | car News @ Top Speed Mitsubishi Outlander to be produced in Europe News by Simona 0 In order to keep up with the strong demand for Outlander in Europe and new Lancer worldwide, Mitsubishi Motors Corporation has decided to transfer production of the Outlander (for European markets) to its regional production hub (Netherlands Car B.V. [NedCar], Born, the Netherlands) during 2008. continue reading The company currently produces Outlander at its Nagoya Plant in Okazaki, Aichi Prefecture and the new SUVs for PSA Peugeot Citroën at its Mizushima Plant in Kurashiki, Okayama Prefecture. As production of the Europe-market Outlander shifts from Nagoya to NedCar, production of the new SUVs supplied to PSA Peugeot Citroën will be transferred from Mitsubishi Motors’ Mizushima Plant to its Nagoya Plant. The decision to make the above transfers has been taken in order to ease the strain on production capacity at the Mizushima Plant, thus avoiding any missed sales opportunities in view of the strong sales of Outlander in Europe and of the Lancer in markets worldwide. Mitsubishi Motors’ European production hub NedCar currently manufactures the Colt compact car, the company’s best selling model in Europe. The company plans to produce Outlander at its NedCar plant until the model reaches the end of its life cycle. *Registration is required to post in this forum Log in via


Which book of the New Testament follows the four Gospels?

The Gospels Portray the Life of Jesus Christ By Mary Fairchild Updated January 12, 2016. The Gospels recount the story of Jesus Christ , each of the four books giving us a unique perspective on his life. They were written between A.D. 55-65, with the exception of John's Gospel, which was written around A.D. 70-100. The term “Gospel” comes from the Anglo-Saxon "god-spell," which translates from the Greek word euangelion, meaning "good news." Eventually, the meaning expanded to include any work dealing with the birth, ministry, suffering, death, and resurrection of the Messiah, Jesus Christ. Bible critics complain that the four Gospels don't agree on every event, but these differences can be explained. Each account was written from an independent perspective with its own unique theme. The Gospel of Matthew presents undeniable evidence that Jesus Christ is the promised Messiah. This book forms the joining link between Old and New Testament, focusing on the fulfillment of prophecy . Through a dramatic and action-packed sequence of events, the Gospel of Mark shows Jesus Christ as the suffering servant and Son of God. Luke's Gospel was written to give a reliable and precise record of Jesus Christ's life, revealing not only his humanity but his perfection as a human. Luke portrays Jesus as Savior of all people. The Gospel of John gives us an up-close and personal look at Christ's identity as the Son of God , disclosing Jesus' divine nature, one with his Father. The Synoptic Gospels The Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke are called the  Synoptic Gospels . Synoptic means "same view" or "seeing together," and by that definition, these three books cover much the same subject matter and treat it in similar ways. John's approach to the Gospel and recording of Jesus' life and ministry is unique. Written after a longer lapse of time, John seems to have thought deeply about what everything meant. Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit , John provided more interpretation of the story, offering theology similar to the teachings of the apostle Paul .  The Gospels Form One Gospel The four records comprise one Gospel: "the gospel of God regarding his Son." ( Romans 1:1-3 ) . In fact, early writers referred to the four books in the singular. While each Gospel can stand alone, viewed together they provide a complete picture of how God became man and died for the sins of the world. The Acts of the Apostles and the Epistles that follow in the New Testament further develop the foundational beliefs of Christianity . (Sources: Bruce, F. F., Gospels. New Bible Dictionary; Eerdmans Bible Dictionary; Life Application Study Bible; Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary, Trent C. Butler; NIV Study Bible, "The Synoptic Gospels".)


What name is given in darts when a player hits a single, double and treble of the same number in his turn?

Darts 501 - Terms and Meanings The centre of the board. (see also: "SINGLE-BULL" and "DOUBLE-BULL") Score of 50 BUST / BUSTED Hitting more than you needed in an x01 game. The darts do not count and the  player begins his next turn on the same score he had prior to. C C In a Cricket game this refers to high scores base on the number of darts scored.  For example a triple-20, single-20, single-20 would be called a C-5 because "5  darts" were scored with three darts. CHAMPAGNE BREAKFAST Hitting treble 20, treble 1 and treble 5 in three darts (see "BREAKFAST") CHALKING Keeping score / marking the game. CHIPS A score of 26. (See also: "BREAKFAST /BED & BREAKFAST") CHUCKER A player who just "chucks" the darts at the board, doesn't aim or care. CIRCLE IT When a player scores a single digit (less than 10) with three darts, his  team-mates would shout out "Circle it!" to the scorekeeper to highlight the  terrible throw. A variation on this tradition is to draw a fish around the  score, often leading to aquarium-related jokes being aimed at particularly poor  or unlucky players. CLOCK The dartboard itself, usually in the context of "ROUND THE CLOCK". CORK The centre of the board. This comes from the cork in the end of a keg where it  is tapped. The ends of kegs were used for targets in the game's early days. D DARTITIS Name given to a mental state of a dart thrower unable to release his / her dart  during a throw. DEVIL The treble-6, so called due to '666', and the fact that it is often hit in error  when going for treble-13 or treble-10. DIDDLE FOR THE MIDDLE A throw to see who gets one dart closer to the bullseye to determine who throws  first in the game. Also known as a "BULL OFF", "MIDDLE FOR MIDDLE" and "OUT FOR  BULL". DOUBLE The thin outer ring of the board. In standard x01 games, a double counts for two  times the number hit. DOUBLE-BULL On dartboards configured with a bullseye consisting of two concentric circles,  the outer circle is commonly green and worth 25 and the inner circle is commonly  red and worth 50 points. Hitting the innermost ring of this type of bullseye is  a "DOUBLE-BULL". (See also: "BULLSEYE") DOUBLE IN (DI) A variant of x01 in which a double is needed to start the game. DOUBLE OUT (DO) Hitting the double of a number to win a game of 'x01 DOUBLE TOP Not being able to hit the double needed to win the game. DOWNSTAIRS The lower portion of the board, usually in reference to the 19s in a game of  x01. E A game that requires no special shot to begin scoring. FAT The largest portion of a number (the area between the double and triple ring) FEATHERS The 'feathers'/ Flights of the dart which makes the dart more aerodynamic FLIGHTS The "wings" at the end of a dart that make it fly straight. Also known as  feathers. G Advises all players that the match has now started GAME SHOT Signifies that the match winning double has been hit GOOD GROUP A compliment for tight, accurate throwing. GRAND SLAM Hitting the T5, T20 & T1 in one throw. GRANNY A lose without scoring, see SHUT OUT cricket game H HAIL MARY The third dart that miraculously scores a high treble where the first two  combined scored low single numbers HAT TRICK A score of three bullseyes in a single throw. HIGH TON Scoring between 151-180 points in a game of '01 HOCKEY The throw or Toe line. See 'Oche' Oche is pronounced as Hockey I ISLAND The actual playable area of a dart board (inside the doubles ring). Missing this  area entirely is sometimes referred to as "Off the island". J K KILLER A game variant where a number of players "own" a number on the dartboard and  compete to build up "lives" (by hitting that number) until a threshold is  reached (usually 4 or 6) before attempting to "kill" other players by removing  the lives they have built up (by hitting those other players' numbers) until a  single player is left. L LEG One game of a match. Most professional matches are made up of a number of sets,  each of which is split into legs. LEG SHOT Signifies that a player has completed (Won) the "leg" as per Game Shot. LIPSTICK Nam


Which tree belongs to the genus Fraxinus?

Common ash - Fuinseog - (Fraxinus excelsior) | Tree A-Z | O'Brien Horticulture - Tree Care, Tree Surgery & Landscaping Common ash - Fuinseog - (Fraxinus excelsior)   Ash is the commonest tree in Irish hedgerows, and is also a traditional woodland species. It will grow in a range of soils, not acid, and prefers well-drained sites. Ash woods are found in the Burren, Co Clare, and Hanging Rock in South Fermanagh. Common ash belongs to the genus Fraxinus and is a member of the olive family (Oleaceae). Common ash (Fraxinus excelsior) is a large deciduous tree growing up to 45m and flowering April to May. Lifespan: Ash can live up to 400 years but it is thought that coppiced trees can live many hundreds of years more.   Characteristics Bark is pale grey and fissures with age. Twigs are smooth with obvious black, velvety buds. Ash leaves are compound, so each leaf is made up of three to six pairs of oval, pointed, toothed leaflets with one terminal leaflet. The leaves are in opposite pairs each measuring up to 35cm. Ash is dioecious: male and female flowers are found on different individual trees, but a single tree can also be of mixed sex with male and female flowers on different branches. Purple flowers form in spiked clusters at the tips of twigs and appear before the leaves. Male (left) and female (right) flowers are pictured below. Ash is wind pollinated and the flat oblong seeds become single winged keys that hang in bunches. The seeds mature August–September and fall from the tree between winter and early spring. Distribution The common ash is widespread throughout Europe and native to the UK. Ash woodland accounts for 13% of broadleaf woodland in the UK. Ash grows best on moist to well-drained, neutral to base-rich fertile soils. In coppiced form the ash can reach a considerable age and is often found in ancient semi-natural woodland. The tree is also a frequent ‘gap coloniser’ of beech woodland. Human value Ash wood is pale, clear, strong and durable in dry conditions. Its flexibility enables it to withstand pressure, shock and splintering. Ash has become popular for good quality furniture and is also used in laminates and plywood. Ash is the only British native timber that has never been replaced by an imported substitute. Ash coppices well and regeneration is often prolific. It makes excellent firewood. It has long been used for tool handles, coach building and sports equipment such as hurleys for the Irish sport of hurling. “Oak before ash there’ll be a splash; Ash before oak there’ll be a soak.” In spite of this old saying the ash is usually our last native tree to come into leaf. Wildlife value Ash is an important tree for wildlife. It is very long lived, enabling it to support many specialist deadwood species such as the lesser stag beetle and hole nesting birds such as owls and woodpeckers. Ash woodland has a light open canopy which encourages a rich ground flora of dogs mercury, bluebells and ramsons. Often it is accompanied by a hazel understorey. The alkaline bark of ash supports numerous epiphytic lichens and bryophytes and also attracts snails. Its leaves provide food for many moth species including the barred-toothed striped, the coronet, the brick, the centre-barred sallow and the privet hawkmoth. Birds such as the bullfinch eat ash seeds. Upland mixed ash woodlands are a priority habitat under the UK Biodiversity Action Plan and form one of the richest habitats for wildlife in the uplands. They support many rare woodland flowers such as dark red helleborine, Jacob’s ladder, autumn crocus, lady’s slipper orchid and threatened butterflies such a the high brown fritillary, the dingy skipper and the grayling. Management Ash is a light-demanding pioneer species able to rapidly take advantage of open space. It is able to grow at elevations of 400m above sea level, but prefers lowland areas. Ash seeds have multiple dormancy and only germinate in their second spring after periods of cold and warmth. Seeds can be collected and sown in late summer while still green. Alternatively, collect seed in October and pretr


Give either of the middle names of Prime Minister David Cameron?

David Cameron | prime minister of United Kingdom | Britannica.com prime minister of United Kingdom Written By: Alternative Title: David William Donald Cameron David Cameron Prime minister of United Kingdom Also known as David Cameron, in full David William Donald Cameron (born October 9, 1966, London, England), British Conservative Party leader who served as prime minister of the United Kingdom (2010–16). David Cameron. Courtesy of the Conservative Party of the United Kingdom A CCTV news broadcast on the immediate aftereffect of the “Brexit” vote (2016), notably … © CCTV America (A Britannica Publishing Partner) Early life and start in politics Cameron, a descendant of King William IV , was born into a family with both wealth and an aristocratic pedigree. He attended Eton College and Brasenose College, Oxford , from which he graduated (1988) with a first-class degree in philosophy, politics, and economics. After Oxford he joined the Conservative Party Research Department. In 1992 he became a special adviser to Norman Lamont, then chancellor of the Exchequer , and the following year he undertook the same role for Michael Howard , then home secretary. Cameron joined the media company Carlton Communications in 1994 as director of corporate affairs. He stayed at Carlton until he entered Parliament in 2001 as MP for Witney, northwest of London. Cameron—young, moderate, and charismatic—quickly attracted attention as the leading member of a new generation of Conservatives . He was widely compared to Labour Prime Minister Tony Blair , who had acquired a similar reputation when he entered Parliament 18 years earlier. After just two years as an MP, Cameron was appointed to his party’s “front bench”—making him a leading Conservative spokesman in the House of Commons . In 2004 Howard, by then party leader, appointed his young protégé to the post of head of policy coordination, which put Cameron in charge of preparing the Conservatives’ 2005 election manifesto . The party, however, suffered a heavy defeat at the polls, provoking Howard’s resignation. Cameron’s self-assured speech at the party’s annual conference in October 2005 transformed his reputation, and he was subsequently elected Conservative leader. David Cameron, after being named the new leader of Britain’s Conservative Party, London, December … © Paul Hackett/Reuters/Corbis Cameron’s revitalization of the Conservatives Cameron sought to modernize the party and shed its right-wing image. He announced that economic stability and strong public services would take priority over tax cuts in the next Conservative government. Under his leadership the party grew in popularity and placed first in the 2006 local elections; it was the Conservatives’ best showing at the polls in some 15 years. In the immediate aftermath of Gordon Brown’s succeeding Blair as Labour leader and prime minister in 2007, the Conservatives began to trail in the polls, encouraging the prime minister to consider calling a snap election to capitalize on Labour’s momentum. By the time Labour held its party conference in September, it had taken a double-digit lead over the Conservatives. But, at the Conservative Party conference in early October, Cameron made an impressive speech, talking for more than an hour without a script. In reference to the upcoming European Union summit in Lisbon to negotiate a treaty on reform, Cameron lambasted Brown for ruling out a referendum on an agreement (contrary to the prime minister’s commitment to hold one on a European constitution). In addition to other issues, Cameron also was critical of Labour’s performance on crime and with regard to the National Health Service (NHS). Most daringly, despite trailing in the polls, he goaded the prime minister to call an election: So, Mr Brown, what’s it going to be? Why don’t you go ahead and call that election? Let the people pass judgement on 10 years of broken promises. Let people decide who’s really making the arguments about the future of our country. Let people decide who can make the changes that we really need in our country. Call


Off which island is there a group of rocks with a lighthouse called the Casquets?

Alderney | island, Channel Islands, English Channel | Britannica.com island, Channel Islands, English Channel Written By: Elisabeth Beresford Alderney, French Aurigny , one of the Channel Islands , in the English Channel , separated from the Normandy coast (Cap de la Hague) by the dangerously swift 10-mile (16-km) Race of Alderney. Swinge Race, on the west, separates it from the uninhabited Burhou, Ortac, and smaller islets, beyond which the notorious Casquets, a group of jagged rocks, carry a lighthouse. The nearest English coast is 55 miles (88 km) north. Fort Clonque, Alderney, Channel Islands. Andree Stephan The island is a tableland that is mostly above 200 feet (60 metres) and little dissected. Steep cliffs rise to 275 feet (83 metres) on the south and west coasts, while old cliffs rise behind raised beaches on the north and east. The two main inlets are Braye Harbour, protected by a 1,000-yard (914-metre) breakwater on the north, and Longy Bay (southeast), backed by a nearly filled lagoon. The earliest known inhabitants were builders of megalithic tombs. The Bronze Age is well-represented, and the Romans appear to have built a small fort (the Nunnery) on the island. From the 11th century it was part of the Norman domain and was occupied by the French from 1338 to 1340. In 1559 it was leased to George Chamberlain and granted (1584) by letters patent to his brother John, who transferred it to the earl of Essex; his descendants held it until the English Civil War. From the Restoration until 1825, the government of Alderney was separated from that of Guernsey , being granted in 1660 to Edward de Carteret, who transferred it in 1661 to Sir George Carteret. Sir George’s widow sold it to Edmund Andros of Guernsey (c. 1682), from whom it descended to the Le Mesurier family. Alderney is now in the Bailiwick of Guernsey but has its own local administration. Under the reformed constitution of 1949, the president and States of Alderney (10 members) are popularly elected; the Court of Alderney administers justice . During the 19th century, the island was heavily fortified by the British, who maintained a garrison there until 1930. Repatriation of the Alderney community , evacuated to England in 1940 prior to German occupation, was carried out after the war. The Alderney breed of dairy cattle was also evacuated, but none were returned, ending the native line. As a result, it was necessary to re-create the island’s economy, based mainly on dairy farming and tourism . Most inhabitants live in the only town, St. Anne’s, overlooking Braye Harbour; Newtown forms an appendage at a lower level. Communications are through Guernsey, to which Alderney is linked by air and shipping services. Area 3 square miles (8 square km). Pop. (2001) 2,294. Learn More in these related articles:


Which American folk singer wrote 'This Land is Your Land'?

Pete Seeger taught America to sing, and think FacebookEmail Twitter Google+ LinkedIn Pinterest Pete Seeger taught America to sing, and think To Bruce Springsteen, Pete Seeger, the singer/songwriter/activist who died Tuesday at the age of 94 was "the father of American folk music." Post to Facebook Pete Seeger taught America to sing, and think To Bruce Springsteen, Pete Seeger, the singer/songwriter/activist who died Tuesday at the age of 94 was "the father of American folk music." Check out this story on USATODAY.com: http://usat.ly/1euexrH CancelSend A link has been sent to your friend's email address. Posted! A link has been posted to your Facebook feed. 85 To find out more about Facebook commenting please read the Conversation Guidelines and FAQs Pete Seeger taught America to sing, and think Bob Minzesheimer , USA TODAY Published 1:52 a.m. ET Jan. 28, 2014 | Updated 10:31 p.m. ET Jan. 28, 2014 CLOSE x Share Pete Seeger will be remembered as a folk music legend. The 94-year-old was known for penning "Turn, Turn Turn" and popularizing "This Land is Your Land", but there are lots of other fascinating facts many may not know about Seeger. VPC Seeger popularized "This Land Is Your Land" and "We Shall Overcome" and wrote "If I Had a Hammer" and "Turn, Turn, Turn." He opposed McCarthyism, marched beside MLK and led environmental campaigns. Pete Seeger performs in 2008 in a scene from the motion picture "Pete Seeger: The Power of Song." (Photo: Genius Products/The Weinstein Company) Story Highlights He adapted and popularized 'We Shall Overcome' Continued to perform into his 90s. Was once a member of the Communist Party. 34389 CONNECT TWEET LINKEDIN 85 COMMENTEMAILMORE To Bruce Springsteen, Pete Seeger, the singer/songwriter/activist who died Monday at the age of 94, was "the father of American folk music." But Seeger, who popularized This Land Is Your Land and We Shall Overcome and wrote If I Had a Hammer and Turn, Turn, Turn, never liked the term folk music. "It's been defined as the 'music of the peasants,' " Seeger told USA TODAY in a 2009 interview, "and then you get someone saying (of Seeger), 'he's no peasant!''' Seeger, who dropped out of Harvard University in 1938 to ride a bicycle across the country, quoted his father, Charles Seeger, a musicologist: "My dad, the old professor, used to say, 'Never get into an argument about what's folk music and what isn't.' " But whatever you called him, Seeger influenced scores of other singers, including Springsteen, Joan Baez, Dave Matthews, Rufus Wainwright, John Mellencamp and Arlo Guthrie. All performed in 2009 at Seeger's 90th birthday party at sold-out Madison Square Garden, a fundraiser for his favorite local cause: cleaning up New York's Hudson River. RELATED: Recommended listening: Pete Seeger That night, Springsteen introduced Seeger saying, "He's gonna look a lot like your granddad that wears flannel shirts and funny hats. He's gonna look like your granddad if your granddad can kick your ass. At 90, he remains a stealth dagger through the heart of our country's illusions about itself." PHOTOS: A look at the life of Pete Seeger  (Photo: Robert Deutsch, USA TODAY) On his facebook page Tuesday, Arlo Guthrie, who performed often with Seeger and is the son of Woody Guthrie (who taught Seeger how to jump freight trains), described his last phone call to Seeger's hospital bed Monday night. "I simply wanted him to know that I loved him dearly, like a father in some ways, a mentor in others and just as a dear friend a lot of the time," Guthrie wrote. "I let him know I was having trouble writing his obituary - as I'd been asked -- but it seemed just so silly and I couldn't think of anything that didn't sound trite or plain stupid....We laughed, we talked, and I took my leave about 9:30." "'Arlo,'" Seeger said, "sounding just like the man I've known all of my life, 'I guess I'll see ya later.' I've always loved the rising and falling inflections in his voice. " 'Pete,' I said. "I guess we will." Guthrie fell asleep until about 3 a.m. when texts and phone calls began from frien


"Which novel begins with the line ""The past is a foreign country; they do things differently there""?"

Rereading: The Go-Between by LP Hartley | Books | The Guardian Rereading Rereading: The Go-Between by LP Hartley A story of lost innocence, hypocrisy and Britishness – but LP Hartley's masterpiece can also be read as a sophisticated gay novel Julie Christie in Joseph Losey's 1970 film of The Go-Between. Photograph: Sportsphoto Ltd/Allstar Ali Smith Friday 17 June 2011 18.55 EDT First published on Friday 17 June 2011 18.55 EDT Share on Messenger Close "The past is a foreign country: they do things differently there." For the past year or so, when I've been giving readings, I've asked the people in the audience if they know or remember LP Hartley's 1953 novel, The Go-Between. Generally there's a single yes or a couple of yeses; otherwise silence, a shaking of heads. Then I'll say the first half of its first line and the audience will come back loud and strong on their own with the second half. Certainly Hartley and his multi-awardwinning work (his Eustace and Hilda trilogy, completed in 1947, was hugely acclaimed, and the film version of his 1957 novel, The Hireling, won the main award at Cannes in 1973) have all but disappeared from contemporary literary consciousness. I first read his best-known novel, The Go-Between, at the age of 16 in 1979 (in a Penguin copy with Julie Christie under a parasol on the front, a still from Joseph Losey's 1970 film adaptation), because Hartley was the most contemporary writer on our Sixth Year Studies English course. I opened the same book again for the first time in three decades a couple of years ago. Can a book ambush you? From the prologue ("Are you vanquished, Colston, are you vanquished?") to the epilogue ("Tell him there's no spell or curse except an unloving heart") it felt, as I reread, uncannily familiar, like something I knew – and had no idea I knew – by heart. A combination of knowing and not-knowing is this novel's driving force. It announced itself to Hartley when he was in Venice in May 1952, working on a completely different project; he put it immediately aside and wrote The Go-Between quite fast, revising his draft as soon as October and November. It's set at – or rather, framed by – the mid-point of the 20th century, "the most changeful half a century in history", when Leo Colston, a man in his mid-60s, sits down in a drab realist 1950s room, the rain hammering at the window, to sort through some old papers. Almost straight away he comes upon a red cardboard box once used for his childhood Eton collars: in it are inconsequential odds and ends; some dried-up sea-urchins, some rusty magnets, "which had almost lost their magnetism", and a diary. He picks each thing up in turn. "Something came and went between us: the intimate pleasure of recognition." But about the "Diary for the year 1900", with its Zodiac figures circling the announcement of this new "Golden Age", the "glorious destiny of the 20th century", he can remember nothing except a sense of baleful loss. He opens it: the combination lock, which he knows without knowing, is set to the letters of his own name. His own long-gone story breaks open on him all over again. Leo is 12 years old and visiting his upper-class schoolfriend Marcus's family seat, Brandham Hall in Norfolk, in the summer of 1900. He is wearing his too-hot Norfolk jacket (which makes him a sort of clothing joke), having come away unprepared for heat, in fact confident there wouldn't be any such thing, since he considers himself something of a magician; in the novel's prologue he relates how a curse he wrote in blood in his diary last term has caused two bullies to concuss themselves by falling off the school roof. He has ordered up a cool summer in the same way. But the summer is hotter than is imaginable. "In the heat, the commonest objects changed their nature. Walls, trees, the very ground one trod on, instead of being cool were warm to the touch: and the sense of touch is the most transfiguring of all the senses . . . In the heat the senses, the mind, the heart, the body, all told a different tale. One felt another person, one was another pers


The garden centre group Dobbies is owned by which retail company?

Dobbies history - Dobbies Garden Centres Dobbies history Dobbies history Dobbies History James Dobbie, the founder of Dobbies Garden Centres, was born in 1817 – a time when the industrial revolution in Britain had put gardening in reach of ordinary people, giving them a wonderful new hobby. The first seed This was the ‘hot bed’ of interest in which the young James Dobbie grew up and by the age of 23 James was exhibiting flowers in local shows, going on to win prizes at the Highland Agricultural Show ten years later. A career move at 38 saw him become Chief Constable at Renfrew in the West of Scotland, but far from curtailing his hobby, James carried on winning prizes with his beautiful pansies, phloxes and marigolds, as well as leeks and onions. A flourishing business In 1865, James Dobbie packeted seeds from a leek which yielded an incredible 16oz of seeds and sold out in two days.  James resigned as Chief Constable in 1866 and devoted himself entirely to J. Dobbie ‘Choice Seeds & Flowers’ of Renfrew.  The business thrived and in 1887 James Dobbie elected to sell it on to his chief assistant of many years, William Cuthbertson, who took on a partner, Robert Fife, a well-known horticulturalist, though it continued to trade under the name of Dobbie & Co. In 1894, land was bought at Orpington in Kent for seed growing and the company was granted a royal warrant. In 1900, Dobbie & Co launched their mail order catalogue, sending seeds across the country – so by 1905, when the grand old seedsman died, James Dobbie’s name was known by gardeners all across Scotland and England. Sales from Dobbies’ impressive catalogue continued to grow and by 1910, demand for seed prompted the firm to move to much larger premises in Portobello, Edinburgh. Recent times The move to the 70-acre site at Melville, on the outskirts of Edinburgh happened in 1934 where the company headquarters remain to this day. Dobbies was acquired in 1969 by Waterers – another distinguished horticultural business based in Surrey – and the amalgamation allowed business to flourish both north and south. David Barnes, the managing director of Waterers, then acquired Dobbies in 1984 and the business continued to develop, when David Barnes’ son, James, joined the Board. By 1992 Dobbies was focused on expanding its garden centre operations, and with the addition of visitor attractions it quickly became known as a leisure destination for all the family. In 1994 Dobbies underwent a management buyout before allowing additional capital to be raised. Between 2008 and 2016 Dobbies continued to thrive and expand under the Tesco group, opening at least a dozen new stores around the country. Today Dobbies is owned by a holding group led by Midlothian Capital Partners and Hattington Capital and continues to operate with their own local identity, building and developing strong links with the local communities around each centre. Dobbies has grown to become one of the UK’s leading garden centre businesses with 34 stores throughout the UK.


Which duo's films included 'Towed in the Hole', 'Pardon Us' and 'Blockheads'?

FILM: LAUREL and HARDY | Laughterlog.com FILM: LAUREL and HARDY by PETER TATCHELL (copyright 2010) They were quite simply the best loved comedy double act the world has ever seen. And arguably the funniest. The humour of Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy began in the last years of the silent movie, was triumphant with the coming of sound through the 1930s and found a devoted audience on British variety stages in the late 40s and early 50s. Then, after ill-health had ended their careers, television created an enormous resurgence of interest among a new generation of fans who were quickly mesmerised by their artistry. And half a century later, the technology of video and DVD has ensured their magic can be enjoyed by a never ending stream of devoted admirers. Stan Laurel was born Arthur Stanley Jefferson in 1890, the son of a successful theatre owner in the north of England. Oliver Hardy’s birth occurred two years later in Georgia, in America’s south, though his father would die while the infant was only ten months old. Stan’s early years were devoted to finding success in the hugely popular British Music Hall and he was part of the celebrated Fred Karno troupe which toured the U.S. in 1910 and 1912 and propelled a young Charles Chaplin to a career in the movies. In 1914, Stan also branched out on his own, working his way across the vaudeville circuits of America, eventually forming a double act with Australian Mae Dahlberg and adopting the name of “Laurel” in 1917. Hardy meanwhile had worked at many jobs, occasionally utilizing his fine singing voice, before becoming a projectionist in his early twenties. The setting up of film studios in nearby Florida enticed “Babe” (as he was known to his family and friends) to try his luck in the movies. And for the next decade he became a reliable player in literally hundreds of one and two-reelers on both coasts, with a succession of screen comics like Billy West and Larry Semon. By 1917, Stan too was finding occasional work on the big screen, though always returning to the footlights with Mae between movie contracts. In 1921, he filmed a short called Lucky Dog and found himself playing opposite a “heavy” named Babe Hardy. But it was just a couple of days work and the pair then went their separate ways. Five years later, they were reunited at the “Lot of Fun” in Hollywood, otherwise known as the Hal Roach Studios, producers of the popular Our Gang and Charlie Chase comedies. At the time, Laurel was writing gags and occasionally directing, while Hardy usually appeared on screen as a villain. Eventually they began appearing in the same two-reelers in individual roles, before the inevitable teaming of the thin comic and the fat foil finally occurred to someone. And lengthy careers in the British Music Hall and American slapstick movies combined to form pure show business gold. It didn’t take long before audiences everywhere took Stan and Ollie to their hearts. And the lack of dialogue (in those halcyon days of the silent movie) was a distinct advantage for the non-English speaking millions around the world. In quick succession the boys created some of the funniest two-reel comedies Hollywood had ever seen, now widely regarded as classics of the silent era. In Do Detectives Think? they wore derby hats for the first time, and it quickly became their trademark. The idea of reciprocal and escalating destruction was featured in a number of their shorts starting with the celebrated pie fight in The Battle of the Century, pants ripping (You’re Darn Tootin’), golf course mud slinging (Should Married Men Go Home?), Model T demolition (Two Tars) and the legendary tit for tat as Christmas tree salesman in Big Business. Marital subterfuge was also a regular occurrence (in Their Purple Moment, We Faw Down, That’s My Wife) and Stan and Ollie were quickly identified as perennially inept in whatever occupation they attempted (The Finishing Touch, Habeas Corpus, Wrong Again). Happily, while a huge percentage of movies from the silent era are now lost, in the case of Laurel and Hardy, only one short (Hats Off


Shrub Hill is a railway station in which cathedral city?

Worcester travel guide - Wikitravel Understand[ edit ] Worcester started life as a Roman period settlement, and yes, Worcester is actually the ancestral home of the famous Lea and Perrins Worcestershire sauce. It's produced by the Heinz Corporation on its factory on Midlands Road in the city, where it has been produced since 1897. The city was heavily renovated during the 60s and 70s and not very sympathetically. Numerous old roads and courtyards were demolished. The last cathedral lychgate in England was demolished along with Sir Edward Elgar's father's shop to make way for a charmless hotel and a multi-storey car park. This is known locally as "The Rape of Worcester". However this overlooks the fact that many of the old buildings were little better than slums but could have easily been restored. Nevertheless, a look at old OS maps shows that the city centre was perforated by intricate and picturesque old 'courts' which were almost all removed. A few wide roads were driven into the city to facilitate easy traffic movements. A feature of today's city is that many roads have historic buildings on one side and modern ones on the other due to road widening. Even the remaining historic roads are superficial - for example Friar Street has many beautiful buildings but look behind them and you'll see the concrete backs of nearby buildings. Having said all this, Worcester is a pleasant city which is safe and relaxed. More recent development is a lot more sympathetic, if a little conservative. There are still many interesting things to see and these are taken advantage of by several guided walks offered through the local tourist centre. Orientation[ edit ] The ancient city of Worcester is on the east bank of the River Severn. As the city's boundaries were redefined in modern times it has come to encompass the village of St. Johns, which is on the opposite bank. From the M5 motorway it is accessed either from Junction 6 (when approaching from the North), or Junction 7 (when travelling from the South). The main axis of the city runs roughly North to South. The Cathedral sits at the southern end of the High Street (now pedestrianised). As you proceed North from the Cathedral you will walk along the High Street which is the main shopping street in the city. Where this becomes a road again (at the taxi rank) it's name changes to The Cross, and it's name then changes (again) to Foregate Street (where one of Worcester's railway stations is located). Continuing Northwards, the street changes it's name (again) to the Tything where Castle Street joins it and is also known as the A38 trunk road. The road then goes through several more name changes before it reaches the limits of the modern city about 2 miles from the city centre. To the east of the High Street, and running parallel to it, is the Shambles, another pedestrianised shopping street. To the east of the Shambles is New Street, which going southwards, becomes Friar Street. Both of these streets are amongst the most picturesque streets (as long as you ignore the concrete circular ramp that disgorges from the multi-storey car park into Friar street). Broad Street runs westwards from where the High Street becomes The Cross and runs down to the only road bridge across the Severn in the city. It is important to realise that there is only the one road bridge across the river as it dictates the rather confusing one way system. At rush hour (and if the M5 motorway is closed) it is usually quicker walking around Worcester than driving! There is also a railway bridge, and two foot bridges. The first one, the Sabrina Bridge, is about 500m north of the road bridge just before the Racecourse Grandstand. A new foot bridge was opened in 2010 about a mile to the south of the Cathedral at Diglis. The area to the South east of the cathedral is known as Sidbury and is effectively the end of the city centre. Just after the Commandery the road forks - the lefthand fork, London Road (A44), heads South eastwards towards the motorway network, and the other fork heads towards Tewkesbury (as C


Which African capital city's name means 'Fragrant Flower'?

African capital whose name means "new flower" - crossword puzzle clue Help Clue: African capital whose name means "new flower" African capital whose name means "new flower" is a crossword puzzle clue that we have spotted 1 time.     There are related clues (shown below). Referring crossword puzzle answers Likely related crossword puzzle clues Sort A-Z


The main show court at the Australian Open Tennis Championships held in at Melboume Park is named after which male player?

Tennis – ‘the golden age’ of the 1960s–70s and beyond | australia.gov.au Tennis – ‘the golden age’ of the 1960s–70s and beyond Tennis – ‘the golden age’ of the 1960s–70s and beyond Mark Woodforde, Doubles Champion 1989–2000 Australians dominated world tennis in the 1950s and 1960s in major events known as Grand Slam tournaments: the Australian, French and United States Open, and Wimbledon in the UK. This period was known as the ‘golden age’ of Australian tennis. In the 1960s, men's tennis open titles were dominated by six Australian men: Rod Laver, Roy Emerson, John Newcombe, Tony Roche, Ken Rosewall, and Fred Stolle. Between 1961 and 1970, Australian men's tennis champions won at least one Open Singles title every year at either Wimbledon or the French or US Opens, as well as the Australian Open titles. In men's tennis, the golden age culminated in 1969 with Rod Laver's second Grand Slam win, as well as four major titles in the same year. Margaret Court, courtesy of Australian Open In 1970, Margaret Court also completed the Grand Slam. Court is one of only three women ever to win four international tennis open titles in one year. Indigenous player Evonne Goolagong Cawley was also a strong force in women's tennis in Australia in the 1970s with wins at Wimbledon, the French and the Australian Opens. The ‘golden age’ for Australian tennis players declined from 1969 when amateur players were joined by professionals. Also by the 1980s, the Australian Open synchronised its dates to begin in January in line with the European, UK and USA players events schedule, which greatly widened the pool of players. Yet even following the decline of Australia's dominance in the Grand Slam tournaments, tennis remained popular in urban areas and the Australian Open grows in popularity as a spectator sport. Early tennis development 1900s–1950s The golden age of Australian tennis was built on the early successes of both men's and women's tennis with Grand Slam tournament winners: Norman Brookes in the 1900s to 1919, Jack Crawford in the early 1930s, and Harry Hopman from 1929–39. This was in tandem with the consistent wins and popularity of women's tennis from the 1920s to the 1950s. Daphne Akhurst reached the Wimbledon final in 1925 and won the Doubles in 1928. From the1930s to the 1950s, Nancy Bolton got to the USA Singles Open and won other titles with her doubles partner, Thelma Long. Bolton was ranked No.4 in 1947 and stayed in that position until 1949. This series of wins in the amateur Grand Slam tournament titles of the 1940s and 1950s was made possible by extensive community and industry support, and investment in the development and administration of amateur tennis players. Harry Hopman, courtesy of Australian Open Harry Hopman was a captain turned coach of 22 Australian Davis Cup teams between 1939 and 1967. As coach Hopman guided Australian male tennis players to 15 Davis Cup victories in 20 years. Ken Rosewall, Frank Sedgeman, John Bromwich, Evonne Goolagong Cawley, Lew Hoad and Margaret Smith Court were all either trained by Harry Hopman or managed by Nell Hopman. ( The Hopman Era: Australia on the Rise) Amateurs, tennis community and industry in the 1960s By 1969 the game started to change. Professional players were invited to join the amateurs at the Grand Slam tournaments and prize money was offered for the first time, different tennis court surfaces and different game strategies emerged, and metal racquets were introduced. Professional versus amateur In 1969, the Australian Open Championships became 'open' to amateurs and professionals. This followed in the footsteps of the French Open, Roland Garros, Wimbledon, UK, and the USA Open. Rod Laver returned to win his second grand slam in 1969. The advantages to amateur Australian champions who had enjoyed the riches of the Davis Cup endorsements soon disappeared with the advent of ‘open’ tennis. The end of the golden age was seen in the average age of the Davis Cup team, which was 35 years. It was another 18 years until Pat Cash, another Australian man, won the men's singles titl


The Earl of Warwick, known as the 'kingmaker' was killed at which battle in 1471?

Famous Men of the Middle Ages: Warwick The Kingmaker. Lived From 1428-1471 I   THE earl of Warwick, known as the "kingmaker," was the most famous man in England for many years after the death of Henry V. He lived in a great castle with two towers higher than most church spires. It is one of the handsomest dwellings in the world and is visited every year by thousands of people. The kingmaker had a guard of six hundred men. At his house in London meals were served to so many people that six fat oxen were eaten at breakfast alone. He had a hundred and ten estates in different parts of England and no less than 30,000 persons were fed daily at his board.  He owned the whole city of Worcester, and besides this and three islands, Jersey, Guernsey and Alderney, so famed in our time for their cattle, belonged to him.   He had a cousin of whom he was as fond as if he were a brother. This was Richard, duke of York, who was also own cousin to King Henry VI, the son of Henry V.   One evening as the sun was setting, and the warders were going to close the gates of the city of York for the night, a loud blast of a horn was heard. It was made by the sentry on the wall near the southern gate. An armed troop was approaching. When they drew near the gate their scarlet coats embroidered with the figure of a boar proved them to be the men of the earl of Warwick. The earl himself was behind them. The gate was opened.   Passing through it and on to the castle, the earl and his company were soon within its strong stone walls.   "Cousin," said the earl of Warwick to the duke of York as they sat talking before a huge log fire in the great room of the castle, "England will not long endure the misrule of a king who is half the time out of his mind."   The earl spoke the truth. Every now and then Henry VI lost his reason, and the duke of York, or some other nobleman, had to govern the kingdom for him.   The earl of Warwick added: "You are the rightful heir to the throne. The claim of Henry VI comes through Lancaster, the fourth son of Edward III--yours through Lionel, the second. His claim comes through his father only--yours through both your father and mother.  It is a better claim and it is a double claim."   "That is true, my cousin of Warwick," replied the duke of York, "but we must not plunge England into war."   "Surely not if we can help it," replied the earl. "Let us first ask for reform. If the king heeds our petition, well and good. If not I am determined, cousin of York, that you shall sit on the throne of England instead of our insane sovereign."   A petition was soon drawn up and signed and presented to Henry. It asked that Henry would do something which would make the people contented.   The king paid no attention to it. Then a war began.  It was the longest and most terrible that ever took place in England. It lasted for thirty years.   Those who fought on the king's side were called Lancastrians, because Henry's ancestor, John of Gaunt, was the duke of Lancaster. The friends of Richard were called Yorkists, because he was duke of York. The Lancastrians took a red rose for their badge; the Yorkists a white one. For this reason the long struggle has always been called the "War of the Roses."   In the first great battle the Red Rose party was defeated and the king himself was taken prisoner.   The victors now thought that the duke of York ought to be made king at once. However, a parliament was called to decide the question, and it was agreed that Henry should be king as long as he lived, but that at his death the crown should pass to the duke of York.   II   MOST people though this was a wise arrangement; but Queen Margaret, Henry's wife, did not like it at all, because it took from her son the right to reign after his father's death. So she went to Scotland and the North of England, where she had many friends, and raised an army.   She was a brave woman and led her men in a battle in which she gained the victory. The duke of York was killed, and the queen ordered some of her men to cut off his head, put upon it a paper crown in mocke


What is the name of the monster killed by Beowolf in the Anglo Saxon poem?

Beowulf: An Anglo-Saxon Epic Poem The Project Gutenberg EBook of Beowulf  This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.net  Title: Beowulf    An Anglo-Saxon Epic Poem, Translated From The Heyne-Socin        Text by Lesslie Hall Author:  Release Date: July 19, 2005 [EBook #16328] Language: English Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 *** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK BEOWULF ***   Produced by David Starner, Dainis Millers and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net BEOWULF AN ANGLO-SAXON EPIC POEM JNO: LESSLIE HALL, Ph. D. (J.H.U.) Professor of English and History in The College of William and Mary D.C. HEATH & CO., PUBLISHERS Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1892, by JNO: LESSLIE HALL, in the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington. TO Scyld’s Successors  (II.) 3 Hrothgar’s Great Mead-Hall Grendel, the Murderer  (III.) 5 Beowulf Goes to Hrothgar’s Assistance  (IV.) 8 The Geats Reach Heorot  (V.) 10 Beowulf Introduces Himself at the Palace  (VI.) 12 Beowulf Silences Unferth  (X.) 21 Glee is High Hrothgar’s Gratitude  (XV.) 33 Hrothgar Lavishes Gifts upon his Deliverer  (XVI.) 35 The Finn Episode (continued)  (XVIII.) 39 The Banquet Continues The Mother of Grendel  (XX.) 44 Hrothgar’s Account of the Monsters  (XXI.) 46 Beowulf Seeks Grendel’s Mother  (XXII.) 48 Beowulf’s Fight with Grendel’s Mother  (XXIII.) 51 Beowulf is Double-Conqueror  (XXIV.) 53 [vi] Beowulf Brings his Trophies  (XXV.) 57 Hrothgar’s Gratitude The Homeward Journey  (XXVIII.) 64 The Two Queens Beowulf and Higelac  (XXIX.) 67 Beowulf Narrates his Adventures to Higelac  (XXX.) 69 Gift-Giving is Mutual  (XXXI.) 73 The Hoard and the Dragon  (XXXII.) 75 Brave Though Aged  (XXXIII.) 78 Reminiscences Beowulf Seeks the Dragon  (XXXIV.) 81 Beowulf’s Reminiscences Wiglaf the Trusty  (XXXVI.) 88 Beowulf is Deserted by Friends and by Sword The Fatal Struggle  (XXXVII.) 91 Beowulf’s Last Moments Wiglaf Plunders the Dragon’s Den  (XXXVIII.) 93 Beowulf’s Death The Dead Foes  (XXXIX.) 95 Wiglaf’s Bitter Taunts Wiglaf’s Sad Story  (XLII.) 103 The Hoard Carried Off PREFACE. The present work is a modest effort to reproduce approximately, in modern measures, the venerable epic, Beowulf. Approximately, I repeat; for a very close reproduction of Anglo-Saxon verse would, to a large extent, be prose to a modern ear. The Heyne-Socin text and glossary have been closely followed. Occasionally a deviation has been made, but always for what seemed good and sufficient reason. The translator does not aim to be an editor. Once in a while, however, he has added a conjecture of his own to the emendations quoted from the criticisms of other students of the poem. This work is addressed to two classes of readers. From both of these alike the translator begs sympathy and co-operation. The Anglo-Saxon scholar he hopes to please by adhering faithfully to the original. The student of English literature he aims to interest by giving him, in modern garb, the most ancient epic of our race. This is a bold and venturesome undertaking; and yet there must be some students of the Teutonic past willing to follow even a daring guide, if they may read in modern phrases of the sorrows of Hrothgar, of the prowess of Beowulf, and of the feelings that stirred the hearts of our forefathers in their primeval homes. In order to please the larger class of readers, a regular cadence has been used, a measure which, while retaining the essential characteristics of the original, permits the reader to see ahead of him in reading. Perhaps every Anglo-Saxon scholar has his own theory as to how Beowulf should be translated. Some have given us prose versions of what we believe to be a great poem. Is it any reflection on our honored Kemble and Arnold to say that their translations fail to show a layman that Beowulf is justly called our first epic?


Which 19th century French painter's works include The Gleaners and The Angelus , both of which were extensively reproduced at the time?

Paris: Capital of the 19th Century Photography Neoclassicism and the First Empire [ Top ] The period of Neoclassicism roughly extends from the Revolution until the beginning of the Restoration, with a peak during Napoleon’s Empire. The Emperor indeed quickly understood the advantage he could take from the institution of the Salon, an annual exhibition in Paris of contemporary paintings. Because the Salon was used as a space for political propaganda to support his regime, many Neo-Classical paintings from these years either directly celebrate the Christ-like figure of the Emperor, or represent scenes from ancient Rome that have political resonance in contemporary events. These two trends actually converged in many occurrences, since Napoleon was notoriously fascinated by ancient Rome, and used the figure of the Roman Emperor to legitimize himself as the head of the state. Jacques-Louis David (1748-1825) Born in the capital, Jacques-Louis David (1748-1825) dominated French painting of the Revolutionary and Napoleonic periods. He became famous with his Lictors Returning to Brutus the Bodies of his Sons for Burial (Les Licteurs rapportent à Brutus les corps de ses fils, Paris, Musée du Louvre), exhibited in 1789, but executed a while before. Because of the political events, this painting, although produced before the Revolution, was afterwards seen as an allegory of a sublime sacrifice to the state: Brutus, who discovered proof that his sons were plotting against the state, had them executed, and the scene shows the return of their bodies, while Brutus sits in the shadow. After the Revolution, David became a Jacobin (the Revolutionaries had split between Girondins and Jacobins, the latter being more radical), and painted his famous Death of Marat in 1793 (Marat assassiné, Brussels, Musées Royaux des Beaux-Arts de Belgique), the year Marat was assassinated. This time, the painting clearly has a political theme: the Jacobin journalist is represented lying dead in his bath, victim of chest wound. The image is highly idealized and shows him in all his sublimity. When Napoleon came to power, he commissioned many paintings to David, in particular the famous Coronation of Napoleon in the Cathedral of Notre Dame (Le sacre de Napoléon, Paris, Musée du Louvre). In this monumental painting, Napoleon, who has just crowned himself in an act to challenge the Church, is shown in the process of crowning Josephine. David’s influence was enhanced by the fact that he was teaching at the Académie from 1781 to 1816, and several of his pupils became famous, among them Antoine-Jean Gros (1771-1835), Anne-Louis Girodet (1767-1824), François Gérard (1770-1837), and Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres (1780-1867). Antoine-Jean Gros (1771-1835) Gros’s most famous paintings are Bonaparte visiting the Plague House at Jaffa (Bonaparte visitant les pestiférés de Jaffa, 1804, Paris, Musée du Louvre) and The Battle of Eylau (Napoléon sur le champ de bataille d’Eylau, 1808, Paris, Musée du Louvre). Just like David’s Coronation, these two canvasses celebrate Napoleon as a hero and, even more, a Christ-like figure. In The Plague House at Jaffa, the emperor touches one of the contagious sick men in a gesture that not only evokes a healing power, but that also appears like a challenge to death itself. In The Battle of Eylau, Gros shows the Emperor in another critical state, since the army had suffered a big loss and thousands of French soldiers were killed in Russia. But again, the Emperor, on horseback, has an appeasing gesture. The scene alludes to the medical help he provided for the wounded Russian soldiers, and the image wants to insist on the mercy and positive aspects of the Emperor. If the themes are not very different from David’s works, the composition of Gros’s paintings is: while David’s canvasses work primarily with horizontal and vertical lines, Gros constructs his space according to diagonal ones, giving a more dynamic pattern to the scenes. Jean-Auguste Dominique Ingres (1780-1835) In many ways, Ingres subverted David’s classicism, as one can see for


Which film actor is the nephew of Francis Ford Coppola?

Francis Ford Coppola - Biography - IMDb Francis Ford Coppola Biography Showing all 157 items Jump to: Overview  (2) | Mini Bio  (1) | Spouse  (1) | Trade Mark  (7) | Trivia  (62) | Personal Quotes  (79) | Salary  (5) Overview (2) 5' 10½" (1.79 m) Mini Bio (1) Francis Ford Coppola was born in 1939 in Detroit, Michigan, but grew up in a New York suburb in a creative, supportive Italian-American family. His father, Carmine Coppola , was a composer and musician. His mother, Italia Coppola (née Pennino), had been an actress. Francis Ford Coppola graduated with a degree in drama from Hofstra University, and did graduate work at UCLA in filmmaking. He was training as assistant with filmmaker Roger Corman , working in such capacities as sound-man, dialogue director, associate producer and, eventually, director of Dementia 13 (1963), Coppola's first feature film. During the next four years, Coppola was involved in a variety of script collaborations, including writing an adaptation of "This Property is Condemned" by Tennessee Williams (with Fred Coe and Edith Sommer ), and screenplays for Is Paris Burning? (1966) and Patton (1970), the film for which Coppola won a Best Original Screenplay Academy Award. In 1966, Coppola's 2nd film brought him critical acclaim and a Master of Fine Arts degree. In 1969, Coppola and George Lucas established American Zoetrope, an independent film production company based in San Francisco. The company's first project was THX 1138 (1971), produced by Coppola and directed by Lucas. Coppola also produced the second film that Lucas directed, American Graffiti (1973), in 1973. This movie got five Academy Award nominations, including one for Best Picture. In 1971, Coppola's film The Godfather (1972) became one of the highest-grossing movies in history and brought him an Oscar for writing the screenplay with Mario Puzo The film was a Best Picture Academy Award-winner, and also brought Coppola a Best Director Oscar nomination. Following his work on the screenplay for The Great Gatsby (1974), Coppola's next film was The Conversation (1974), which was honored with the Golden Palm Award at the Cannes Film Festival, and brought Coppola Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay Oscar nominations. Also released that year, The Godfather: Part II (1974), rivaled the success of The Godfather (1972), and won six Academy Awards, bringing Coppola Oscars as a producer, director and writer. Coppola then began work on his most ambitious film, Apocalypse Now (1979), a Vietnam War epic that was inspired by Joseph Conrad 's Heart of Darkness (1993). Released in 1979, the acclaimed film won a Golden Palm Award at the Cannes Film Festival, and two Academy Awards. Also that year, Coppola executive produced the hit The Black Stallion (1979). With George Lucas , Coppola executive produced Kagemusha (1980), directed by Akira Kurosawa , and Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters (1985), directed by Paul Schrader and based on the life and writings of Yukio Mishima . Coppola also executive produced such films as The Escape Artist (1982), Hammett (1982) The Black Stallion Returns (1983), Barfly (1987), Wind (1992), The Secret Garden (1993), etc. He helped to make a star of his nephew, Nicolas Cage . Personal tragedy hit in 1986 when his son Gio died in a boating accident. Francis Ford Coppola is one of America's most erratic, energetic and controversial filmmakers. - IMDb Mini Biography By: Kornel Osvart <osvart@iname.com> Spouse (1) ( 2 February  1963      - present) (3 children) Trade Mark (7) Often casts his own real-life extended family members in his films. In the case of the Godfather films, their characters' relationships to "Michael Corleone" often paralleled their real-life relationship to Coppola. He cast his sister, Talia Shire , as Michael's sister Connie, and his daughter, Sofia Coppola , as Michael's daughter Mary - named for Coppola's other daughter. In addition, Diane Keaton said that she modeled her performance as Kay Adams after Elanor Coppola, since both Kay and Coppola are protestants who married into Italian Catholi


Free Jazz and The Shape of Jazz to Come are landmark albums by which innovative jazz saxophonist?

Jazz Giant Ornette Coleman Dies at 85 Jazz Giant Ornette Coleman Dies at 85 By Zach Schonfeld On 6/11/15 at 11:55 AM Saxophonist Ornette Coleman performs during the 40th Montreux Jazz Festival in Montreux, Switzerland, on July 2, 2006. Dominic Favre/Reuters Ornette Coleman, the saxophonist and jazz great widely credited with both spurring and naming the free jazz movement in the 1960s, died on Thursday, a family representative confirmed. Coleman, 85, died from a cardiac arrest. Born and raised in Texas, Coleman came to prominence during the bebop era and early in his career displayed an innovative musical technique that dispensed with conventional harmonic approaches. His 1959 album The Shape of Jazz to Come revolutionized the genre and became a landmark release in avant-garde jazz and what would soon be termed free jazz. Try Newsweek for only $1.25 per week Coleman released Change of the Century and This Is Our Music in the early 1960s and became a prominent if polarizing figure in the New York City jazz world, performing at such venues as the Five Spot. He won over musicians ranging from Lou Reed and John Zorn to the hardcore punk band Refused, which honored Coleman by titling an album The Shape of Punk to Come. Related Stories John Coltrane's 'A Love Supreme' Is Still a Masterpiece After 50 Years Coleman continued performing well into his 70s and 80s and won a Grammy Award for lifetime achievement in 2007. "He was seen as a native avant-gardist," The New York Times writes, "and symbolized the American independent will as effectively as any artist of the last century."


Who captained 'The Beagle' on which Charles Darwin sailed to the Galapagos Islands?

Charles Darwin in Galapagos - Galapagos Islands .com NATURAL HISTORY CHARLES DARWIN IN THE GALAPAGOS EVOLUTION HUMAN & MODERN HISTORY Charles Darwin in the Galapagos Perhaps our first association with the word "Galapagos" is the name "Darwin." Darwin's visit to the Galapagos Islands had a resounding impact on the formation of his Theory of Natural Selection . A rather unmotivated and failing medical scholar, Charles Darwin accompanied Captain Robert Fitzroy as a travel companion and naturalist on the HMS Beagle. His book the Voyage of the Beagle is an account of his worldwide journey. When setting off from England in 1831 for a five-year voyage, Darwin had little ambitions for groundbreaking scientific research. After surveying the coasts of South America, the ship stopped over in the Galapagos Islands.   During his visit to the islands, Darwin noted that the unique creatures were similar from island to island, but perfectly adapted to their environments which led him to ponder the origin of the islands' inhabitants. Among those that struck Darwin so greatly were the finches that are now named in his honor. Darwin would later base some of his thought from the supposing that these finches were all descendents of the same lineage. Years later in 1859, Darwin finally consolidated all of his observations into his famous book On The Origin of Species, drastically and controversially altering the scientific view on the biological origins of life. For more information on Charles Darwin, see our links section.


Who is the only US President never to have married?

Which President Never Married? No one know for sure why Buchanan never married; however, there are possible causes including: Buchanan's flirtatious nature A homosexual orientation Buchanan's Flirtatious Nature Some claim that Buchanan was a flirt and like the company of different women, making it difficult for him to maintain a steady relationship. Buchanan's Broken Heart Another possible cause for his decision to remain a bachelor could have been a broken heart. It was said that Buchanan was engaged to Ann Caroline Coleman who was the daughter of a well to do iron businessman. Although he was engaged to this young women, he rarely spent time with her because he was too busy with his political aspirations and law firm to court Miss Coleman properly. There were speculations that Buchanan only proposed to Coleman because of her prestigious background and was courting other women while engaged to her. When Coleman became aware through others that he may only be interested in her for status and money and his possible infidelity she confronted him, but he denied it. Coleman broke off the engagement after discovering that Buchanan visited the wife of a friend. Later Coleman would die of an overdose of the substance laudanum . Upon hearing the news, Buchanan was said to be grief stricken and vowed never to marry because he only wanted to be with Coleman and no other woman would do. Buchanan's Homosexual Orientation There is speculation that President James Buchanan was homosexual , and this is the reason that he never married. Prior to his presidency Buchanan lived for 15 years with William Rufus King the Senator of Alabama. The closeness of the relationship was regarded as unusual during those times and Andrew Jackson even referred to the two as “Miss Nancy” and “Aunt Fancy.” The nieces of Buchanan and King burned all the letters that the two wrote each other, causing further speculation about Buchanan’s sexuality. Because Buchanan was single and chose not to marry, he had an adopted orphaned niece act as First Lady. Background on the Unmarried President There are several interesting facts about James Buchanan besides his martial status. He is the only President from the state of Pennsylvania. Buchanan is consistently rated as one of the worst presidents in American history because of his handling of the country prior to the beginning of the Civil War . Buchanan is known for having a say in the very infamous Dred Scott Decision . This decision basically stated that Dred Scott, a black slave, was his master's propoerty and was not a citizen of the United States. This decision was a controversial ruling which was rendered shortly before the Civil War. Because President Buchanan wanted the Supreme Court to make the final decision about the issue of slavery in the states, many people felt he used the Supreme Court to indirectly achieve the his goal of maintaining slave owners rights. There were many people that were not particularly pleased with Buchanan as a president. In fact, the displeasure with the way in which he led the United States became such an issue that Buchanan had problems getting anything passed through Congress. It has even been noted that Buchanan vetoed a bill passed by Congress to create more colleges because he personally felt that, “there were already too many educated people.”


Whose first solo hit was Suedehead which reached No.5 in 1988?

No.1 facts and feats from ukcharts.20m.com Fastest #1s | Slowest #1 (artists) | Slowest #1 (records) | Biggest leaps to #1 | Straight in at #1 before 1995 | Climbs to #1 since 1995 | Longest span of #1 hits | Longest gap between #1 hits | Most successful act not to have reached #1 | Shortest career of a #1 act | Ultimate One Hit Wonders | Most #1 hits | Most weeks at #1 by an artist | Most weeks at #1 by a record | Most consecutive number one hits | Records that returned to #1 | First three or more hits at #1 | Drops from the top | #1 in two or more versions | Longest #1 hits | Family connections | Other number one facts and feats FASTEST NUMBER ONE HIT In 1969, The Beatles with Billy Preston debuted at #1 with Get Back. It was their only single to debut at #1 in the official BBC/Record Retailer singles chart and was the debut chart appearence for Preston, who went on to moderate success as a solo artist. Apart from Preston, and Al Martino, who debuted at number one by default in the very first chart, no act aside from charity collectives scored an instant number one hit until Whigfield nearly 42 years later. Here is the list of acts who have started at the very top since then: 17.09.94 Whigfield Saturday Night 20.05.95 Robson Green and Jerome Flynn Unchained Melody / The White Cliffs Of Dover 27.01.96 Babylon Zoo Spaceman 01.06.96 Baddiel and Skinner and The Lightning Seeds Three Lions 21.12.95 Dunblane Knockin' On Heaven's Door / Throw These Guns Away 25.01.97 White Town Abort, Retry, Fail? EP (Your Woman) 07.06.97 Hanson Mmmbop 13.12.97 Teletubbies Teletubbies Say Eh-Oh! 06.06.98 B*Witched C'est la Vie 11.07.98 Billie Because We Want To 24.10.98 Spacedust Gym And Tonic 27.02.99 Britney Spears Baby One More Time 03.04.99 Mr Oizo Flat Beat 01.05.99 Westlife Swear It Again 12.06.99 Baz Luhrmann Presents Everybody's Free (To Wear Sunscreen) - The Sunscreen Song 19.06.99 S Club 7 Bring It All Back 06.05.00 Oxide and Neutrino Bound 4 Da Reload (Casualty) 26.08.00 Spiller Groovejet (If This Ain't Love) 16.09.00 Modjo Lady (Hear Me Tonight) 13.01.01 Rui Da Silva ft Cassandra Touch Me 24.03.01 Hear'Say Pure And Simple 02.06.01 DJ Pied Piper and the Masters Of Ceremonies Do You Really Like It? 18.08.01 So Solid Crew present 21 Seconds 21 Seconds 08.12.01 Daniel Bedingfield Gotta Get Thru This 09.03.02 Will Young Anything Is Possible / Evergreen 30.03.02 Gareth Gates Unchained Melody 11.05.02 Holly Valance Kiss Kiss 10.08.02 Darius Colourblind 09.11.02 DJ Sammy & Yanou ft Do Heaven 28.12.02 Girls Aloud Sound Of The Underground 25.01.03 David Sneddon Stop Living the Lie The Lightning Seeds had, of course, hit in their own right before. Dunblane were a charity ensemble, but unlike previous charity ensembles they were not made up of previously-charting acts. Babylon Zoo and White Town both debuted at #1 with major-label reissues of previously unsuccessful independent singles. Dunblane, Teletubbies and Baz Luhrmann all debuted at number one with their only single releases. So Solid Crew's previous single "Oh No (Sentimental Things)" would have charted at #13 the previous year, but was disqualified for having too many tracks. So Solid Crew members Megaman, Lisa Maffia and Romeo had previously appeared on Oxide & Neutrino's hit "No Good 4 Me". All formats of 21 Seconds consistently give the artist credit as So Solid Crew Present 21 Seconds rather than simply So Solid Crew. The Baz Luhrmann Presents... record has the additional credit "performed by Quindon Tarver" hidden away in the detailed credits. The single is a remix of Tarver's cover of Rozalla's hit Everybody's Free (To Feel Good). Tarver can therefore also legitimately claim to have gone straight in at number one with his first hit. "Featured" artists who have made their chart debuts at number one are: 28.10.95 Coolio featuring LV Gangsta's Paradise 28.06.97 Puff Daddy featuring Faith Evans and 112 I'll Be Missing You 06.02.99 Armand Van Helden featuring Duane Harden You Don't Know Me 10.03.01 Shaggy featuring Rikrok It Wasn't Me 22.03.03 Gareth Gates and The Kumars Spirit In T


In which island group is Scapa Flow to be found?

Seven-meter Torpedo Found At Scapa Flow Linked To Sinking Of HMS Royal Oak Seven-meter Torpedo Found At Scapa Flow Linked To Sinking Of HMS Royal Oak SHARE: Facebook Twitter A seven-meter torpedo was discovered last month in Scapa Flow, a shallow-bottomed bay sheltered by Scotland’s northern islands. Experts believe that the torpedo was fired by a German U-boat at the HMS Royal Oak at the beginning of World War II. It was found during a routine sonar survey by Sula Diving for Orkney Islands Council. Royal Navy divers from a nearby base arrived to see the video of the torpedo and inspect it on the seafloor. Ships were warned not to drop anchor near the torpedo and divers were warned to stay away. Still, the object is said to hold no threat. The divers marked its location. They are scheduled to return later to remove it. Scapa Flow was used as a Royal Navy base in both world wars. It is now popular with divers who like to explore the many wrecks of British and German vessels in the area. Over 50 German vessels were sunk at the end of World War I by their captains to keep them out of Allied hands. The Royal Oak, a Revenge-class battleship, was torpedoed in the same area by a German U-boat on October 14, 1939; 883 lives were lost. Experts believe that this torpedo was part of that attack. “Now that we know that the torpedo is German, we believe it is highly likely that it was among those fired at HMS Royal Oak by the U-47 in October 1939,” said Brian Archibald, Orkney’s harbor master. “Its location in Scapa Flow is in the vicinity of the area where, from historical accounts, U-47 is thought to have carried out the attack.” The dive to the torpedo was especially poignant for the Northern Diving Group team. According to Lieutenant Commander Tony Hampshire, the team travels to Orkney every year to visit the wreck of the Royal Oak, an official war grave. It is an act of remembrance for the team. Hampshire said, “Northern Diving Group has the honor of diving and placing the White Ensign on the wreck of Royal Oak. It is a task the group has conducted for many years and one which we are proud to participate in. “To think that this torpedo could have been one fired at HMS Royal Oak brings the tragedy home.” Hampshire added, “While it wouldn’t be safe to preserve the torpedo whole, once we return to the scene we will explore the possibility of preserving one of the fins or perhaps a propeller blade.” FEATURED VIDEO


Who was the second athlete to run a mile in under 4 minutes?

Sub 4 minute mile sub 4 minute mile Sub 4 minute mile Sub 4 Minute Mile: Here's a training programme designed to crack the ultimate goal: the sub-four-minute mile. Although a man of 40 years of age, Eamonn Coghlan, has run a mile in under four minutes, achieving this feat is still a major accomplishment denied to tens of thousands of other athletes.. First breaks into this domain have been unexpectedly spectacular. Some runners crash through the barrier, while others creep across it. For example, John Buckner (GB) went from 4mins.02secs for the distance to 3mins.53secs in one quantum leap. However, the first sub-four-minute man, Roger Bannister, made it by only six-tenths of a second. The late Gordon Pirie, a former 3K world record holder, cut it finer - he made it by a tenth of a second in a race against Herb Elliott (Australia) in Ireland. On hearing the result, Pirie screamed out 'I've done, I've done it!' and ran to each competitor in the race with the same message. It has to be admitted that he was always close to it with a previous best of 4mins.00.9. It was his one and only sub-four run, whereas Steve Scott (USA) has chalked up 100 runs inside the time.. Some have attained their goal by unusual means. Terry Sullivan (Southern Rhodesia, as was) bought a book written by Bannister's coach. He started at page 1 and did precisely what was written, becoming the only man on the African continent to duck under the barrier.. How to spot the signs What are the indications that one is ready to join the select few to achieve this magical state? Years ago, when 880yds was raced, it was accepted that a time of 1min.52secs was the minimum speed necessity. Today, for the 800m, it would be half-a-second faster. But former mile record holder John Landy (Australia) cut it fine; his best 800m was only 1:51.3, yet he ran a 3:58 mile.. The 800m time appears to have a direct effect on miling aspirations. Noureddine Morceli, with a mile time of 3:44.39, has an 800m time of 1:43.99, which if multiplied by two is 3mins.27.98, 16.41secs short of his mile time. Seb Coe's best mile is 3:47.33; his 800m time, 1:41.73, when doubled, is 23.87secs short of his mile figure. Said Aouita's best mile is 3:46.76, his 800m time is 1:43.86 - 19.04secs short.. If we take an average of these deficits it is 19.6secs, and if we apply that as a measure to one's 800m time, we get an estimate of our miling potential, eg, 1:52/800m X 2 = 3:44 + 19 = 4:03. It is clear that an athlete with an 800m time of 1:50 and less has a better chance of running a sub-four mile.. But all is not lost for the non-speedy athlete. One of my runners in 1970 had a reading of only 1:51 for 800m but he ran a 3:56 mile. Using the previous calculations, his combined 800m time was only 14secs short of his mile time. Thus we have a range of 14-19secs deficit to measure miling potential. The important omitted factor in this case was his 3K time, 7mins.49secs. If we halve this we get 3mins.54.5secs, and the customary deduction to ascertain the 1500m time is less 15secs. In this case it comes to 3mins.39.5secs, the equivalent of a 3mins.56.5secs/mile (adding 17secs to the 1500m time).. How much preparation? The age when an athlete is most likely to break four minutes for the first time is now 22. Two decades ago it was 24. The youngest-ever sub-four man was 17-year-old Jim Ryun, who went on to break world records at the mile, 1500m, half-mile and 800m. The 1500m gold medal escaped him in two Olympics. He suffered all his athletic life from asthma.. Opinions differ as to the preparatory work required leading up to the track season. Arthur Lydiard (NZ) advocated building up to 100 miles a week of steady running for 10 weeks, followed by six weeks of extensive, fartlek-type hill running. In stark contrast, Bannister did only 28 miles a week in the winter, most of it on an ash track, five laps to the mile, consisting mainly of 10 X 440yds in 66secs, with 440yds jog recovery in a fast two minutes. Each month the time for the repetitions was reduced by a second. He also did 3 X 11/2 miles on the


Who is the famous businessman husband of Wendy Deng?

Who is Wendi Deng Murdoch? - CNN.com Who is Wendi Deng Murdoch? By the CNN Wire Staff Updated 9:40 AM ET, Sat June 15, 2013 Chat with us in Facebook Messenger. Find out what's happening in the world as it unfolds. JUST WATCHED Murdoch splitting with younger wife 02:04 Story highlights Wendi Deng rose from humble beginnings to marry one of the world's richest men She married Rupert Murdoch in 1999 and they have two children Deng worked for Murdoch in Asia before their marriage She was born in In China and graduated with an MBA from Yale Wendi Deng, a businesswoman and mother of two is perhaps best known for the slap that protected her media mogul husband, Rupert Murdoch. In July 2011, Deng lunged at a protester who was advancing on Murdoch with a shaving cream pie during a UK parliamentary hearing on allegations of phone hacking by Murdoch's media company. The Twitterverse lit up with chatter about the incident and bloggers in her native China largely applauded her. But that one instinctive, protective swipe could not completely remove suspicions about the 44-year-old woman's marriage to 82-year-old Murdoch. So often, the age difference, his riches and her beauty were mentioned alongside each other. Deng first made waves when she married Murdoch in 1999, shortly after he divorced his wife of more than 30 years, Anna Torv Murdoch Mann. JUST WATCHED Now Murdoch is divorcing Deng The couple have two daughters, Chloe and Grace, the youngest of his six children. The couple met at a cocktail party shortly after Deng graduated with an MBA from Yale, Murdoch told CCTV's "Dialogue" in 2011. She went to work as an intern in Hong Kong at Star Television, a satellite television service he bought in 1993. By then, Murdoch's holdings under News Corp. included the Sunday Times, The Australian, News International, the New York Post, the Times of London, 20th Century Fox and Fox Broadcasting. Deng served as his interpreter during a tour of China, he said. On CCTV, Murdoch recalled the days when he pursued Wendi and his efforts to get her to marry him. "I fell in love with her, and I asked her. She said no, and it took a long time to persuade her," he said. Murdoch's media empire They married after he finalized his divorce from his second wife. Deng has come a long way, coming from a small town in China, the daughter of a poor factory engineer. Her marriage to Murdoch wasn't her first. She married the man who, with his then-wife, sponsored her for a student visa in the United States during the late 1980s. She eventually secured a "green card" to stay permanently in the United States, but her first marriage was short-lived. Despite her moments in the spotlight and her pre-marriage career in Murdoch's empire, not much is known about Deng. She sits on the board of advisers at the Yale School of Management, her alma mater. She is listed as a co-founder of Big Feet Productions and is also co-producer of the movie, "Snow Flower and the Secret Fan."


David Niven won his only Oscar for which film?

1958 Academy Awards® Winners and History Separate Tables (1958) Actor: DAVID NIVEN in "Separate Tables", Tony Curtis in "The          Defiant Ones" , Paul Newman in "Cat           on a Hot Tin Roof" , Sidney Poitier in "The            Defiant Ones" , Spencer Tracy in "The Old Man and         the Sea" Actress: SUSAN HAYWARD in "I Want to Live", Deborah Kerr in "Separate         Tables", Shirley MacLaine in "Some Came Running",         Rosalind Russell in "Auntie Mame", Elizabeth Taylor         in "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" Supporting Actor: BURL IVES in "The Big Country", Theodore Bikel in "The          Defiant Ones" , Lee J. Cobb in "The Brothers Karamazov",         Arthur Kennedy in "Some Came Running", Gig Young in "Teacher's         Pet" Supporting Actress: WENDY HILLER in "Separate Tables", Peggy Cass in "Auntie         Mame", Martha Hyer in "Some Came Running", Maureen         Stapleton in "Lonelyhearts", Cara Williams in "The          Defiant Ones" Director: VINCENTE MINNELLI for "Gigi", Richard Brooks for "Cat          on a Hot Tin Roof" , Stanley Kramer for "The           Defiant Ones" , Mark Robson for "The Inn of the         Sixth Happiness", Robert Wise for "I Want to Live!" This year's Oscars ceremony was hosted by Oscar-winner          David Niven for Separate Tables. He was the only person          to win an Oscar the same year he was a host. It          was a momentous year when the eight Oscar record held by Meet          Me In St. Louis (1944) .] Gigi remains one of the few films to win all           the awards for which it had been nominated (in four or more           categories), and is one of only eleven Best Picture winners           in the Academy's first 82 years not to receive a single acting           nomination. It was highly unusual that none of the           excellent cast, young Parisian ingenue Gigi (Leslie Caron),           rich suitor and suave aristocrat Gaston (Louis Jourdan),           Gigi's grandmother and ex-Chevalier lover (Hermione Gingold),           or Gaston's charming but roguish uncle Honore (Maurice Chevalier),           received acting nominations. However, the Frenchman Maurice           Chevalier, known for his singing of Thank Heaven For Little           Girls, was          presented with an Honorary Oscar Award "for his contribution          to the world of entertainment for more than half a century." Set in early 1900s Paris - it told          the slightly distasteful story by French writer Colette of          a young teen-aged Parisienne girl trained by a wealthy aunt          at the turn of the century to become a courtesan (in the tradition          of her family) to a wealthy suitor or "protector." She          double-crossed her family by enchanting her proposed suitor          and marrying him instead. During the time of the smash Broadway          hit My Fair Lady (that wouldn't be available for the          screen for a number of years (until My           Fair Lady (1964) ), the stage hit's composers Alan           Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe and costumer Cecil Beaton           were hired by MGM to create a movie musical from the Broadway           non-musical Gigi. The other Best Picture nominees were the following: director Morton DaCosta's commercially-successful Auntie           Mame (with six nominations and no wins) - a film based           on Patrick Dennis' novel about a flamboyant, eccentric,           and zesty Bohemian aunt director Richard Brooks' film adaptation of           Tennessee William's play that was severely bowdlerized, Cat            on a Hot Tin Roof (with six nominations and no w


"'Descartes said ""Cogito ergo sum"". What does this Latin phrase mean?"

SparkNotes: Meditations on First Philosophy: Second Meditation, Part 1: cogito ergo sum and sum res cogitans Second Meditation, Part 1: cogito ergo sum and sum res cogitans → Second Meditation, Part 1: cogito ergo sum and sum res cogitans, page 2 page 1 of 2 Summary The Second Meditation is subtitled "The nature of the human mind, and how it is better known than the body" and takes place the day after the First Meditation. The Meditator is firm in his resolve to continue his search for certainty and to discard as false anything that is open to the slightest doubt. He recalls Archimedes' famous saying that he could shift the entire earth given one immovable point: similarly, he hopes to achieve great things if he can be certain of just one thing. Recalling the previous meditation, he supposes that what he sees does not exist, that his memory is faulty, that he has no senses and no body, that extension, movement and place are mistaken notions. Perhaps, he remarks, the only certain thing remaining is that there is no certainty. Then, he wonders, is not he, the source of these meditations, not something? He has conceded that he has no senses and no body, but does that mean he cannot exist either? He has also noted that the physical world does not exist, which might also seem to imply his nonexistence. And yet to have these doubts, he must exist. For an evil demon to mislead him in all these insidious ways, he must exist in order to be misled. There must be an "I" that can doubt, be deceived, and so on. He formulates the famous cogito argument, saying: "So after considering everything very thoroughly, I must finally conclude that this proposition, I am, I exist, is necessarily true whenever it is put forward by me or conceived in my mind." The Meditator's next question, then, is what this "I" that exists is. He initially thought that he had a soul, by means of which he was nourished, moved, could sense and think; and also that he had a body. All these attributes have been cast into doubt, except one: he cannot doubt that he thinks. He may exist without any other of the above attributes, but he cannot exist if he does not think. Further, he only exists as long as he is thinking. Therefore, thought above all else is inseparable from being. The Meditator concludes that, in the strict sense, he is only a thing that thinks. Analysis The cogito argument is so called because of its Latin formulation in the Discourse on Method: "cogito ergo sum" ("I think, therefore I am"). This is possibly the most famous single line in all of philosophy, and is generally considered the starting point for modern Western philosophy. In it, the Meditator finds his first grip on certainty after the radical skepticism he posited in the First Meditation. The cogito presents a picture of the world and of knowledge in which the mind is something that can know itself better than it can know anything else. The idea that we know our mind first and foremost has had a hypnotic hold on Western philosophy ever since, and how the mind can connect with reality has ever since been a major concern. In this conception, the mind ceases to be something that helps us know about the world and becomes something inside which we are locked. We should note, however, the distinction between the "I think, therefore I am" as stated in the Discourse on Method and the formulation we get in the Meditations: "So after considering everything very thoroughly, I must finally conclude that this proposition, I am, I exist, is necessarily true whenever it is put forward by me or conceived in my mind." Neither "therefore" nor "I think" appear in the Meditations. The absence of "therefore" is important, since it dissuades us from reading the cogito as a syllogism, that is, as a three-step argument as follows: (1) Whatever thinks exists


Ashgabat is the capital of which country, a former Soviet republic in Asia?

Republic of Turkmenistan - definition of Republic of Turkmenistan by The Free Dictionary Republic of Turkmenistan - definition of Republic of Turkmenistan by The Free Dictionary http://www.thefreedictionary.com/Republic+of+Turkmenistan Also found in: Thesaurus , Encyclopedia , Wikipedia . Related to Republic of Turkmenistan: Turkmenia , Türkmenistan Turkmenistan Turk·men·i·stan  (tûrk′mĕn-ĭ-stăn′, -stän′) A country of west-central Asia east of the Caspian Sea. Once part of ancient Persia and later ruled by Arabs (8th century), Turks (11th century), Mongols (13th-14th century), and Uzbeks (late 15th century), it was annexed by Russia in 1881 and became a constituent state of the USSR, the Turkmen Soviet Socialist Republic, in 1925. Turkmenistan declared its independence in 1991 following the collapse of the Soviet Union. Ashgabat is the capital and the largest city. Turkmenistan (ˌtɜːkmɛnɪˈstɑːn) n (Placename) a republic in central Asia: the area has been occupied by a succession of empires; a Turkmen state was established in the 15th century but suffered almost continual civil strife and was gradually conquered by Russia; in 1918 it became a Soviet republic and gained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991: deserts including the Kara Kum cover most of the region; agricultural communities are concentrated around oases; there are rich mineral deposits. Official language: Turkmen. Religion: believers are mainly Muslim. Currency: manat. Capital: Ashkhabad. Pop: 5 113 040 (2013 est). Area: 488 100 sq km (186 400 sq miles) Turk•me•ni•stan (ˌtɜrk mɛ nəˈstæn, -ˈstɑn) n. a republic in central Asia, E of the Caspian Sea: a former constituent republic of the U.S.S.R. 4,366,383; 188,450 sq. mi. (488,100 sq. km). Cap.: Ashgabat. ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend: