The Edgbaston Test Cricket Ground is in which English city?

BBC SPORT | Cricket | Test Match Special | TMS ground guide: Edgbaston Test Match Special England v South Africa, First Test, 24-28 July 2003 County Cricket Ground, Edgbaston Road, Edgbaston, Birmingham Take a virtual tour of Edgbaston In the last decade Edgbaston has traditionally hosted the first Test in any major series, as it is in 2003. The ground was originally a meadow used as grazing land before its owner, Lord Calthorpe, authorised its lease for cricket purposes. Edgbaston was recognised as a Test venue in 1902, however it hosted only four matches up until 1957, two of which were against South Africa. But Warwickshire's 1951 Championship triumph provided new impetus, and with significant ground redevelopment, regular Test cricket finally arrived six years leter. Memorably so, as England's highest-ever partnership - a fourth wicket stand of 411 between Peter May and Colin Cowdrey against the West Indies - saved the match and contributed to Sonny Ramadhin's ultra-marathon match analysis of 129-51-229-9. Nearly 50 years on, Edgbaston is a regular on the Test rota, and is England's most successful home venue. As well as watching their fair share of Test victories, the Warwickshire county faithful have also been rewarded with a sustained spell of domestic success. A wonderful place to play a Test - everyone's close to the action and there's a great atmosphere Allan Donald on Edgbaston The county won seven trophies between 1993 and 1997, the most successful period in their history, when such luminaries as Brian Lara and the two South African stalwarts Allan Donald and Shaun Pollock gave good service to the side. Lara hit a first-class record score of 501 on the ground in 1994, the last summer Edgbaston was not given a Test, coincidentally when South Africa were touring. In total South Africa have played five Tests at Edgbaston but have yet to record a victory, losing two, with their last visit prior to the 2003 tour ending in a draw. Since then the impressive new Eric Hollies Stand, right next door to the lively Ryder Stand, has taken the capacity to 22,000. Stat pack England: 19 wins; 7 defeats; 13 draws Highest score: 285* Peter May; England v West Indies 1957 Best bowling (innings): 7-17 Wilfred Rhodes; England v Australia 1902 Best bowling (match): 12-119 Fred Trueman; England v West Indies 1963 Record partnership: 411 Peter May & Colin Cowdrey (4th wkt); England v W Indies 1957 FRINDALL'S FASCINATING FACT Venue of the first ball-by-ball radio commentary of a complete cricket match when BBC Radio broadcast the 1957 West Indies Test England: 2 wins; 3 draws Highest score: Eng: 156; Michael Vaughan 2003 SA: 277; Graeme Smith 2003 Best bowling figures: Eng: 6-7; Arthur Gilligan 1924 SA: 6-152; George Parker 1924 Best match figues: Eng: 11-90 (6-7 & 5-83) Arthur Gilligan 1924 SA: 8-119 (5-62 & 3-57) Neil Adcock 1960 Record partnership: Eng: 221 (2nd wkt); Herbert Sutcliffe & Walter Hammond 1929 SA: 338 (1st wkt); Herschelle Gibbs & Graeme Smith 2003 Directions Situated in the heart of Britain, England's second city is on the M5, M6, M40 and M42 and has direct coach connections to more than 500 destinations. Edgbaston is 1ï¿½ miles south of the city centre and is easily accesible from the M6 and the M40. To reach the ground from the M6, leave at junction six, following signs for the A38(M) City Centre and then A38 south west through Queensway Tunnel, turning left at first traffic lights and then right at the roundabout onto the A441 (Pershore Road). From the M40, join the M42 at junction three, taking the A435 through Kings Heath before turning left to Edgbaston. The home of the first steam engine has direct services to cities around the country coming into New Street Station. And for those arriving at New Street, there is a free shuttle bus to Edgbaston both before and after the day's action. A taxi would cost in the region of ï¿½8. Food & drink For food after the day's play it is best to head to Moseley where there are a plentiful supply of Indian and Balti restaurants. Further afield you could make the most of "loc


The song 'San Quentin', about the California state prison, was written, and subsequently performed there, by which artist, recorded on a live album and British TV documentary?

San Quentin State Prison San Quentin State Prison July 1852, 165 years ago Managed by Location in the United States San Quentin San Quentin State Prison (SQ) is a California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation state prison for men, located north of San Francisco in the unincorporated town of San Quentin in Marin County . Opened in July 1852, it is the oldest prison in California . The state’s only death row for male inmates, the largest in the United States , is located at the prison. [1] [2] It has a gas chamber , but since 1996, executions at the prison have been carried out by lethal injection . The prison has been featured on film, video, and television; is the subject of many books; has hosted concerts; and has housed many notorious inmates. Contents 9 External links Facilities The correctional complex sits on Point San Quentin, which comprises 432 acres (1.75 km2) on the north side of San Francisco Bay . [3] [4] [5] [6] The prison complex itself occupies 275 acres (1.11 km2), valued in a 2001 study at between $129 million and $664 million. [7] The prison complex has its own ZIP code for mail sent to inmates, 94974; [8] the ZIP code of the adjacent community of Point San Quentin Village is 94964. [9] It is bordered by San Francisco Bay to the south and west and by Interstate 580 to the north and east, near the northern terminus of the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge . As of October 30, 2013 the prison had a design capacity of 3,082 but a total institution population of 4,223, for an occupancy rate of 137 percent. [10] It has Level I (“Open dormitories without a secure perimeter”) housing; Level II (“Open dormitories with secure perimeter fences and armed coverage”) housing; a Reception Center (RC) which “provides short term housing to process, classify and evaluate incoming inmates”; and a Condemned unit. [1] [11] As of Fiscal Year 2006/2007, the prison had 1,718 staff and an annual budget of $210 million. It is one of the largest prisons in the United States with a population of 4,223 inmates as of October 30, 2013. [1] By January 2016, the population had declined to 3,682 inmates. Death row Men condemned to death in California (with some exceptions) must be held at San Quentin, while condemned women are held at Central California Women’s Facility in Chowchilla . [12] As of December 2015, San Quentin held almost 700 male inmates in its Condemned Unit, or “death row.” [13] As of 2001, San Quentin’s death row was described as “the largest in the Western Hemisphere”; [14] as of 2005, it was called “the most populous execution antechamber in the United States.” [2] The states of Florida and Texas had fewer death row inmates in 2008 (397 and 373 respectively) than San Quentin. [15] The death row at San Quentin is divided into three sections: the quiet “North-Segregation” or “North-Seg,” built in 1934, for prisoners who “don’t cause trouble”; the “East Block,” a “crumbling, leaky maze of a place built in 1927″; and the “Adjustment Center” for the “worst of the worst.” [2] Most of the prison’s death row inmates reside in the East Block. The fourth floor of the North Block was the prison’s first death row facility, but additional death row space opened after executions resumed in the U.S. in 1978. The adjustment center received solid doors, preventing “gunning-down” or attacking persons with bodily waste. As of 2016 it housed 81 death row inmates and four non-death row inmates. [16] A dedicated psychiatric facility serves the prisoners. A converted shower bay in the East Block hosts religious services. Many prison programs available for most inmates are unavailable for death row inmates. [13] Although $395 million was allocated in the 2008–2009 state budget for new death row facilities at San Quentin, in December 2008 two legislators introduced bills to eliminate the funding. [17] The state had planned to build a new death row facility, but Governor Jerry Brown canceled those plans in 2011. [18] In 2015 Brown asked the Legislature for funds for a new death row as the current death row facilities were becoming filled. A


Established 1845, during British colonial rule, the top-selling Straits Times newspaper, and a similarly named stock market index (STI) belongs to which country?

Singapore facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Singapore Republic of Singapore CAPITAL: Singapore FLAG: The flag consists of a red stripe at the top and a white stripe on the bottom. On the red stripe, at the hoist, are a white crescent opening to the fly and five white stars. ANTHEM: Long Live Singapore. MONETARY UNIT: The Singapore dollar (s$) of 100 cents is a freely convertible currency. There are coins of 1, 5, 10, 20, and 50 cents and 1 dollar and notes of 2, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 500, 1,000, and 10,000 dollars. s$1 = us$0.60606 (or us$1 = s$1.65) as of 2005. WEIGHTS AND MEASURES: The metric system is in force, but some local measures are used. HOLIDAYS: Major Western, Chinese, Malay, and Muslim holidays are celebrated, some of which fall on annually variable dates because of the calendars used. Major holidays include New Year's Day, 1 January; Chinese New Year; Good Friday; Vesak Day (Buddhist festival); Labor Day, 1 May; Hari Raya Puasa (Muslim festival); National Day, 9 August; Hari Raya Haji (Malay Muslim festival); Dewali; Christmas , 25 December. TIME: 8 pm = noon GMT. LOCATION, SIZE, AND EXTENT The Republic of Singapore, the second-smallest country in Asia , consists of Singapore Island and several smaller adjacent islets. Situated in the Indian Ocean off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, Singapore has an area of 693 sq km (268 sq mi). Comparatively, the area occupied by Singapore is slightly more than 3.5 times the size of Washington, D.C. Singapore Island extends 41.8 km (26 mi) ene–wsw and 22.5 km (14 mi) sse–nnw and has a coastline of 193 km (120 mi), including about 84 km (52 mi) along the water channel between the island and the Malay Peninsula. Singapore is connected to the nearby western portion of Malaysia by a causeway 1,056 m (3,465 ft) in length across the narrow Johore Strait. Singapore's position at the eastern end of the Strait of Malacca, which separates western Malaysia and the Indonesian island of Sumatra, has given it economic and strategic importance out of proportion to its small size. Singapore's capital city, Singapore, is located on the country's southern coast. TOPOGRAPHY Singapore Island is mostly low-lying, green, undulating country with a small range of hills at the center. The highest point of the island is Bukit Timah (166 m/545 ft). There are sections of rain forest in the center and large mangrove swamps along the coast, which has many inlets, particularly in the north and west. Singapore's harbor is wide, deep, and well protected. The longest river, the Seletar, is only 14 km (9 mi) long. CLIMATE The climate is tropical, with heavy rainfall and high humidity. The range of temperature is slight; the average annual maximum is 31°c (88°f), and the average minimum 24°c (75°f). The annual rainfall of 237 cm (93 in) is distributed fairly evenly throughout the year, ranging from 39 cm (15 in) in December to 28 cm (11 in) in May. It rains about one day in two. FLORA AND FAUNA Singapore Island is mostly denuded, the dense tropical forest that originally covered it being mostly cleared. There is some rain forest in the central area of the island, however, as well as extensive mangrove swamps along the coast. The greatest concentration of plant life can be found in the Bukit Timah Nature Reserve, one of the largest areas of primary rain forest in the country. Urban development has limited animal life. As of 2002, there were at least 85 species of mammals, 142 species of birds, and over 2,200 species of plants throughout the country. ENVIRONMENT Environmental responsibility for Singapore is vested in the Ministry of the Environment and its Anti-Pollution Unit. Air quality is protected by the Clean Air Act, as adopted in 1971 and amended in 1975 and 1980, and by the Clean Air (Standards) Regulations of 1975. Regulations limiting the lead content of gasoline were imposed in 1981, and emissions standards for motor vehicles were tightened in 1986. Air pollution from transportation vehicles is a problem in the nation's growing urban areas. In 1992, Singapore was


The Scandinavian raw dish gravlax is made from which creature?

How to Make a Basic Salmon Gravlax | What is Gravlax? Source: Azure Author, Rebecca Andersson, Team Foodie and Community Builder May 25th, 2016 Gravlax is a classic Scandinavian dish made by curing raw salmon with salt, sugar, pepper and fresh dill. Although it might seem like a luxury food, reminiscent of lox, it is actually very simple to prepare yourself at home for a fraction of the cost of lox. It makes a beautiful appetizer for dinner parties, but it also pairs well with humble foods such as boiled potatoes and bread. In Scandinavia, it is often enjoyed with new potatoes (and butter!) or on open-faced sandwiches made with pumpernickel or rye bread. Because we have refrigeration nowadays, there is no burying, fermenting or excessive salt curing involved any longer when making gravlax. The salmon does not need to be prepared for the purpose of long-term preservation. Simply prepare as much or as little as you think you will eat in about 3-5 days. This way, you can use a lot less salt and sugar. The cure will mostly be for flavor. You can choose what ratio of salt to sugar that you prefer: 1:2, 1:1 or 2:1 are common, but I prefer a minimal amount of sugar and do about 10:1 ratio of salt to sugar. As expected, more salt will result in a saltier cure while more sugar will result in a sweeter cure. I prefer a salty cure. The seasonings can also be varied. I like to add some lemon zest and pink pepper, but you can use many different aromatics, such as caraway, coriander and fennel seed, to your own preferences. Basic Easy Peasy Gravlax Recipe Makes 1 pound of gravlax, multiply recipe as needed for bigger fillets. INGREDIENTS 1 lb sashimi grade*  salmon fillet  (FG001) (I prefer the tail, but you can use the center piece as well.) 1 bunch fresh dill or 3 TBS dried dill weed (HS061)  2 TBS coarse sea salt (BP110) or kosher salt ½ tsp sugar (SW139)  a few pink peppercorns or a medley (HS516)  zest from half a lemon (QP058)  DIRECTIONS ♦ Rinse and pat the salmon fillet dry. ♦ Mix the salt and sugar together and sprinkle evenly on the flesh side of the fillet. Add the pepper and the lemon zest. ♦ Using scissors, finely cut the fresh dill or sprinkle dry dill weed on top of the salmon. ♦ Wrap the salmon in tin foil (NF641) and place inside of a plastic bag. ♦ Place the bag inside a dish, making sure the skin side of the salmon is toward the bottom. Refrigerate with a plate or other weight on top of it. ♦ The gravlax will be ready as early as the next day, but you can do a longer cure of up to 2-3 days. I like a two-day cure. ♦ To serve, first scrape away the dill and seasonings. You can also rinse it off. ♦ Use a sharp knife to slice thinly. Garnish with thinly cut fresh dill again, if desired.  Note: Sashimi grade raw salmon is previously frozen to kill any parasites, so it may safely be consumed raw. The gravlax will be perishable, but should keep in the fridge for up to 5 days, depending on how fresh the salmon was. (If off odors develop, discard.)


Triops Cancriformis, discovered in Scotland in July 2010 and said by scientists to have the oldest pedigree (over 200m years) of any living animal on Earth is what type of creature?

There's a new polar bear in the world... II | M3GA V 7.1 There's a new polar bear in the world... II Post by Big Bunny on May 30, 2010 23:15:49 GMT -5 Two New Frog Species Discovered in Panama's Fungal War Zone Top: Pristimantis educatoris, collected in El Cope, in Panama's Omar Torrijos National Park, is about 2-4 centimeters long and has expanded, round and even finger disks and toes that distinguish it from other, closely related species. Its eye color varies from blood red to yellow-orange above and dark purple to dark grey below. The pupil is horizontal. Bottom: Pristimantis adnus, collected on Cerro Piña in the Serrania de Sapo, Pacific coast of Darien Province, Panama. Males are about 2 centimeters long. Length of females: unknown. The skin of the back is shagreen in color with scattered, enlarged granules. It has a small, supratympanic ridge, areolate venter and unconcealed tympanic membrane. Iris may be a rosy-gold color. (Credit: Andrew Crawford / STRI) ScienceDaily (May 26, 2010) — Trying to stay ahead of a deadly disease that has wiped out more than 100 species, scientists at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute continue to discover new frog species in Panama: Pristimantis educatoris, from Omar Torrijos National Park, and P. adnus from Darien Province near the Colombian border. In 1989 researchers realized that frogs were dying around the world. Then they identified the cause: a fungal disease called chytridiomycosis. In 2004 Karen Lips, associate professor at the University of Maryland, sounded the alarm that the disease was devastating highland frogs in Central Panama and spreading across the country to the east. "We are working as hard as we can to find and identify frogs before the disease reaches them, and to learn about a disease that has the power to ravage an entire group of organisms," said Roberto Ibanez, research scientist at STRI and local director of the Panama Amphibian Rescue and Conservation Project. Since 2005 research institutions and zoos from Panama and the United States have scrambled to collect healthy frogs east of the infected area -- to save them from extinction. The Panama Amphibian Rescue and Conservation Project unites eight institutions including STRI and the Smithsonian's National Zoological Park, along with Panama's environmental authority, ANAM, in a new effort to raise captive frogs in Panama at Summit Nature Park with support from the El Valle Amphibian Conservation Center. While collecting at Omar Torrijos National Park, Lips' team noticed a common frog much bigger than specimens collected elsewhere. Mason Ryan and Tom Giermakowski, from the Museum of Southwestern Biology and the University of New Mexico, compared the frogs' feet and toes with frogs in museum collections, concluding that the bigger frogs were actually a new species. They named this new species P. educatoris. The species name, educatoris, honors Jay M. Savage, emeritus professor of biology at the University of Miami, who taught several generations of students about tropical frogs. Educatoris actually has a double meaning, because females of this species also nurture and care for their developing eggs. In 2008, researchers first detected the fungus to the east of the Panama Canal. During a collecting trip in November 2009 to Chagres National Park, even further to the east, researchers were dismayed to find that most of the frogs there were already infected and dying. On May 20, researchers from the PARC project returned to what they hope are still fungus-free, healthy frog habitats in Darien Province. On an earlier trip organized by members of Eldredge Bermingham's lab at the Smithsonian, another new frog species was collected by researchers from STRI, the University of Panama and the Círculo Herpetológico de Panamá. Its name is based on ADN, the acronym for the Spanish acido deoxiribonucleico, meaning deoxyribonucleic acid, DNA, in English. "We chose this name to underscore the usefulness of genetic techniques as we identify these new frog species and determine the relationships between tropical frogs


In cycling, what colour jersey is worn by the leader of the Tour of Italy?

Giro d'Italia jerseys guide - BikeRadar BikeRadar Procycling Magazine Procycling brings you the colour, action and drama of the world's most spectacular sport in a glossy and dynamic magazine.                     It's the authoritative, worldwide voice of international professional road racing, distributed in every country where there are English-speaking fans.                     With exclusive features and spectacular photography, Procycling brings to life the complexities, rivalries and hardships of the European professional scene. Cycling Plus Cycling Plus is the manual for the modern road cyclist.                     Whether you're cycling weekly, an occasional new rider or a Tour de France fan you’ll find everything you need.                     Every issue is packed with expert reviews of the latest road bikes and gear, inspirational routes and rides, evocative features that take you inside every aspect of cycling and unmatched nutrition, fitness and training advice. What Mountain Bike UK What Mountain Bike is the magazine that gets to the heart of what matters in mountain biking.                     Whether it's new bikes, fresh kit, inspiring photography or the low down on the latest trail developments, What Mountain Bike has something for every rider.                     Our team cuts through jargon and marketing spin to tell you what you need to know, with honest, informed opinions and a wealth of experience. Mountain Biking UK Mountain Biking UK celebrates everything that is great about mountain biking, enabling people of all abilities and ages to have a better time on their bike.                     MBUK brings you all the latest news, coolest kit, plus exclusive info on the newest and best bikes that you can buy. May 07, 2014               3:00pm GMT Share on Facebook What the pink, blue, red and white jerseys mean 1 / 2 This year's Santini pink jersey (Tim de Waele) The 2013 Giro d'Italia jerseys as designed by Paul Smith (RCS Sport) Skip Ad The 2014 Giro d’Italia kicks off this weekend in Northern Ireland, and four jerseys will be up for grabs: pink, blue, red and white. Here’s BikeRadar ’s guide to the race, the competitions and how those shirts will be won. The 2014 Giro begins on Friday in Belfast with three stages  in Ireland as the race takes in the north of the island before moving  across to Armagh and then down to Dublin. This is the 11th foreign  start for the UCI World Tour event, in the 97th edition of the race. Italian Vincenzo Nibali won the 2013 crown but has opted against  defending it this month. The annual stage race will be contested over 21 segments this year (with an unusual three rest days)  ending in Trieste on Sunday 1 June, as 207 riders compete over a total  distance of 3,449.9km. It is organised and run by Italian media company  RCS Sport. Names to watch out for to win the overall  general classification include Nairo Quintana, Joaquim Rodriguez, Cadel  Evans and Rigoberto Uran, with some of the big name tour riders electing  to instead concentrate on the Tour de France. The jerseys The 2013 giro d'italia jerseys as designed by paul smith: The red, pink, blue and white 2013 Giro d'Italia jerseys Pink The leader’s famous maglia rosa takes its hue from the distinctive colour of Italian sports daily Gazzetta dello Sport, which founded the race in 1909. It’s worn by the rider with the lowest aggregated time as the race progresses. The 2014 jersey will celebrate the Irish connection, with a shamrock on the side panel and a celtic pattern addorning the sleeve. This year's edition is made by Italian cycle clothing company Santini and will also feature an Oxfam logo detailing the tie between the global charity and the race. Blue The blue jersey – or maglia azzurra – is worn by the best climber in the race. Riders can target the jersey – which was green until the 2013 edition – by collecting points on offer for categorised


The green of London's Parliament Square was named what by activists during 2010, when sporadic protests developed into a large camp community?

July 2010 - my london diary July 2010 >Re:PHOTO My thoughts on photography All pictures Copyright © Peter Marshall 2010, all rights reserved. Hight res images available for reproduction - for licences to reproduce images or buy prints or other questions   and comments, contact   me . Selected images are also available from Alamy and Photofusion ENA/EDL March in London Again Tothill St - Duke of York Steps, London. Saturday 31 July 2010 Marchers wearing EDL St George's masks and carrying   the Union Flag more pictures The English Nationalist Alliance, mainly the English Defence   League, marched through central London today to deliver a further letter   to Downing St following an unsatisfactory replay to their May letter. Like   the previous 'Patriot March' in May, this London march was essentially a peaceful   one, with marchers chanting and singing as they walked past Parliament Square   and the Cenotaph to Downing St, before moving on to a rally on the Duke of   York Steps. It was organised by the ENA, a group "founded in May 2010 by Bill Baker, Michael Johnson and Lynn Corrigan and supported by 800   marchers at the May Alliance protest in London." Police had apparently made clear to the organisers that they expected a disciplined   march with and that in particular the marchers should respect the right of   the press to photograph the event. It was a noticeably smaller march than   the 'Patriot March' in May, possibly because there seemed to have been relatively   little publicity in advance of the event. The organisers claimed 800 marchers   at the previous march in their letter to Mr Cameron; this time there were   a little over 150, including a number of young children with their parents.   While still in Tothill St one of the marchers was warned by police for the   using bad language. The marchers halted on the road at Downing St and exchanged insults with   a small group of counter-protesters, some with Palestinian flags. While those   against the march largely shouted "Racist Scum", the retorts   from the ENA marchers were more varied; the politer of them accused the counter-demonstrators   of being no longer English. A few marchers tried to leave the march and go   across the road but were quickly stopped by police, and one was arrested and   taken to a police van. The counter-demonstrators followed the march as it went up Whitehall and   at one point attempted to climb over the small wall in the pavement and rush   towards the march. Police soon stopped them. The letter delivered to Downing St pointed out the unsatisfactory reply they   had received from the Ministry of Justice to their previous letter and complained   about the change in the coalition's policy. Before the elecion David Cameron   had promised that the use of Sharia law courts in mosques was unacceptable   to the Conservatives, but ENA claim that since the election Sharia law has "become further entrenched in our legislative and judiciary system   as a secondary legal system to deal with the issues of Islamic followers." They ask that the three issues they stated in the previous letter, Sharia   Law and referendums over EU membership and an English Parliament should be   dealt with and promises made by Conservatives beofre the election be kept. The letter was signed by the ENA and ten other groups, the EDL, Shieldwall,   The British Society for Freedom of Speech, Christians for Democracy, England   United (Weiran Ce Angelcynn), England St George, Acacia Freedom Fighters,   Sikhs against Shariah, English Jewish League and Parents Against Shariah.   Another group on the march was March for England, and along with the St George's   flags and Union Jacks there were also a couple of Israeli flags and a placard   from 'One Law for All.' As on previous events I found some of the shouting and chants offensive,   and in contradiciton of the stated 'Aims and Objectives' of the ENA, one of   which reads: "While no racism or Xenophobi


What is the method of dyeing fabric in which the parts not to be dyed are covered with removeable wax?

Batique - definition of Batique by The Free Dictionary Batique - definition of Batique by The Free Dictionary http://www.thefreedictionary.com/Batique Also found in: Thesaurus , Encyclopedia , Wikipedia . ba·tik n. 1. a. A method of dyeing a fabric by which the parts of the fabric not intended to be dyed are covered with removable wax. b. A design that is created by this method. 2. Fabric dyed by this method. tr.v. ba·tiked, ba·tik·ing, ba·tiks To dye (fabric) using this method: batiked a T-shirt. [Malay batek, of Javanese origin, from Proto-Austronesian *beCík, tattoo (from the fact that the original process of piercing the waxed cloth prior to soaking was similar to tattooing).] batik battik n 1. (Dyeing) a process of printing fabric in which parts not to be dyed are covered by wax 2. (Dyeing) fabric printed in this way 3. (Dyeing) (as modifier): a batik shirt. [C19: via Malay from Javanese: painted] ba•tik n → Batik m; (= cloth) → Batikdruck m batik (ˈbӕtik) noun a method of dyeing patterns on cloth by waxing certain areas so that they remain uncoloured. batik تَطْبيعٌ الأقْمِشَةِ الباتيكي метод на ръчно боядисване на плат с помощта на восък batique batikování, batika das Batiken batik μπατίκ (τεχνική βαφής υφασμάτων) batik batik روش رنگ کردن پارچه؛ باتیک batiikki batik הֶדפֵּס בָּטִיק रंगने की एक कला batik batikolás batik batik batik ろうけつ染 납결 염색 batika batika batik batik batikk batik باتيك، د ټوكر د رنگولو طريقه batik procedeu de imprimare a vopselei pe ţesături батик batik batik batik batik การย้อมสีสิ่งทอด้วยมือโดยใช้ขี้ผึ้งเป็นตัวปกคลุมส่วนที่ไม่ต้องการย้อม kumaş boyama 蠟染法 батік کپڑوں کوجزوی طور پر رنگنے کا ایک فن lối in hoa batic 蜡印花法，用蜡染色法


Who was the first female film director to win a best film Oscar?

Oscars 2010: Kathryn Bigelow becomes first woman to win best director as Hurt Locker blasts ex-husband's Avatar with six gongs | Daily Mail Online Oscars 2010: Kathryn Bigelow becomes first woman to win best director as Hurt Locker blasts ex-husband's Avatar with six gongs By BAZ BAMIGBOYE Bad night for James Cameron's $300m Avatar as it wins three low-key awards Sandra Bullock and Jeff Bridges win Best Actress and Best Actor Brits Helen Mirren, Colin Firth and Carey Mulligan miss out on big prizes Mo'Nique takes gong for Best Supporting Actress in Precious Kathryn Bigelow made history last night after becoming the first woman to win an Academy Award for Best Director - and trounced her ex-husband in the process. Her Iraq war thriller The Hurt Locker scooped six Oscars, including Best Picture, while Avatar, directed by James Cameron, won only three minor gongs. Avatar - the highest grossing film ever having already taken $2billion worldwide at the box office - won only for art direction, cinematography and visual effects. Trophies also went to runaway favourites Sandra Bullock, Best Actress for American football drama The Blind Side and Jeff Bridges, who collected the Best Actor award for his part in the country musical Crazy Heart. Scroll down to watch MailOnline video reports Making history: Kathryn Bigelow's Iraq war drama film The Hurt Locker won six Oscars. She is the first woman to win an Academy Award for best director, seen on stage last night at the 82nd Academy Awards Delighted: Screenwriter Mark Boal (left) and producer Greg Shapiro backstage with five of the six awards the movie raked in As she opened the envelope Barbra Streisand declared: 'It's about time', and then read Kathryn Bigelow's name for best director. Avatar had been widely expected to follow in the footsteps of Cameron's epic, Titanic, which won 11 Oscars in 1998.. As the Best Director award was announced, Cameron patted Bigelow on the back - she was sitting directly in front of him in the auditorium - and broke out into wild applause. She said on receiving the directing award: 'This really is, there’s no way to describe it. It’s the moment of a lifetime.' The director paid tribute to the work of members of the audience she had admired for decades. And praised the screenplay as 'courageous'. No hard feelings: James Cameron reacts to his ex-wife Kathryn's film winning one of six Oscars Applause: Cameron, sat behind his ex-wife, looked pleased as Avatar wins the Oscar for Cinematography Congratulations: But Bigelow beat her former husband hands down, with Cameron seen left jokingly moving his hands towards her neck and, right, the pair embrace She said: 'I would not be standing here if it wasn’t for Mark Boal, who risked his life for the words on the page.' And she dedicated the award to 'the people who risk their lives on a daily basis in Iraq and Afghanistan....may they come home safe.' Backstage she spoke about becoming the first female director to win: 'First of all, I hope I'm the first of many. 'And, of course, I'd love to just think of myself as a filmmaker, and I long for the day when a modifier can be a moot point. 'But I'm ever grateful if I can inspire some young, intrepid, tenacious male or female filmmaker and have them feel that the impossible is possible and never give up on your dream,' Bigelow said. Bigelow was the third of Cameron's five wives between 1989-1991 but the situation between them is very amicable and they have traded pleasantries at every stage of this year's award season. Sandra Bullock collects her award for best actress for the American football drama The Blind Side while Jeff Bridges makes his acceptance speech after being named best actor for musical film Crazy Heart As the victory turned into a procession of awards, Cameron joked as if to strangle his ex-wife before giving her a generous hug. It had become clear when The Hurt Locker, which had a budget of just $11million, clinched Best Original Screenplay and Best Editing  that it was in with a shout of the top prize. The drama about a U.S. bomb disposal unit i


The inactive volcano, Mauna Kea (meaning 'white mountain' in the local native language), is in which US state?

Mauna Kea Volcano, Hawaiʻi Hawaiʻi's Tallest Volcano Photograph by D.A. Swanson on February 15, 1971. Tall cinder cones atop the summit of Mauna Kea (4,205m) and lava flows that underlie its steep upper flanks have built the volcano a scant 35 m higher than nearby Mauna Loa (4,170 m). Mauna Kea, like Hawaiʻi's other older volcanoes, Hualālai and Kohala, has evolved beyond the shield-building stage, as indicated by (1) the very low eruption rates compared to Mauna Loa and Kīlauea; (2) the absence of a summit caldera and elongated fissure vents that radiate its summit; (3) steeper and more irregular topography (for example, the upper flanks of Mauna Kea are twice as steep as those of Mauna Loa); and (4) different chemical compositions of the lava. These changes in part reflect a low rate magma supply that causes the continuously active summit reservoir and rift zones of the shield stage to give way to small isolated batches of magma that rise episodically into the volcano, erupt briefly, and soon solidify. They also reflect greater viscosity and volatile content of the lava, which result in thick flows that steepen the edifice and explosive eruptions that build large cinder cones. Glaciers on Mauna Kea? Most people don't think about snow or glaciers in Hawaiʻi, but geologists have long recognizd deposits formed by glaciers on Mauna Kea during recent ice ages. The latest work indicates that deposits of three glacial episodes since 150,000 to 200,000 years ago are preserved on the volcano. Glacial moraines on the volcano formed about 70,000 years ago and from approximately 40,000 to 13,000 years ago. If glacial deposits were formed on Mauna Loa, they have long since been buried by younger lava flows. Even today, snow falls on both Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa. Both volcanoes are so high that snow falls during winter months, perhaps accumulating to a few meters depth. The seasonal snow cover on the steep slopes of Mauna Kea is easier to see from coastal areas than on the gentle, rounded slopes of Mauna Loa, whose summit cannot be seen from sea level. Will Mauna Kea erupt again? Mauna Kea is presently a dormant volcano, having last erupted about 4,500 years ago. However, Mauna Kea is likely to erupt again. Its quiescent periods between eruptions are long compared to those of the active volcanoes Hualālai (which erupts every few hundred years), Mauna Loa (which erupts every few years to few tens of years) and Kīlauea (which erupts every few years). A swarm of earthquakes beneath Mauna Kea might signal that an eruption could occur within a short time, but such swarms do not always result in an eruption. Sensitive astronomical telescopes on top of Mauna Kea would, as a by product of their stargazing, detect minute ground tilts possibly foretelling a future eruption. Hawaiian Meaning The Hawaiian name "Mauna Kea" means "White Mountain" but is also known in native traditions and prayers as "Mauna a Wākea" or "The mountain of Wākea." Mauna a Wākea is the first-born mountain son of Wākea and Papa, the progenitors of the Hawaiian race. Mauna Kea Facts


Who composed the music for the opera Porgy and Bess, about 1920s African American life in Charleston, South Carolina?

Gershwin’s “Porgy and Bess” Celebrates Its 75th Anniversary | IIP Digital Gershwin’s “Porgy and Bess” Celebrates Its 75th Anniversary Beloved, once-controversial opera showcases America’s rich musical heritage By Lauren Monsen | Staff Writer | 01 February 2010 Eric Owens and Laquita Mitchell portrayed the title characters in the San Francisco Opera’s 2009 production of Porgy and Bess. Washington — The opera Porgy and Bess is now recognized as an American masterpiece, but when it was first performed in Boston and New York in 1935, it generated both controversy and acclaim. Composed by George Gershwin — a white, Jewish New Yorker with Russian immigrant roots — Porgy and Bess is part of the international operatic repertoire. Several of its songs, particularly “Summertime,” have become classics. Yet since its premiere 75 years ago, the opera has been viewed by some critics as perpetuating racial stereotypes. Set in a vibrant African-American community in Charleston, South Carolina, called Catfish Row, Porgy and Bess tells the story of a crippled beggar and the woman he loves. Their lives are touched by poverty, violence and, in Bess’ case, drugs. The work “was introduced as a folk opera, occupying a midway point between opera and Broadway musical,” according to John Edward Hasse, curator of American music at the Smithsonian Institution. At the time of its debut, the subject matter of Porgy and Bess was considered daring, Hasse said. During the era of racial segregation, U.S. audiences were unaccustomed to music that gave serious artistic expression to the lives of African Americans. Also, the principal roles were sung by black performers instead of white performers in black roles, the common practice then. Gershwin (whose brother Ira wrote the opera’s lyrics) considered Porgy his finest work. As it happened, the public enthusiastically embraced Porgy, while music critics were divided. The New York press, for the most part, disliked Gershwin’s unconventional approach, especially his incorporation of distinctly American musical elements (jazz, blues, traditional spirituals) into an operatic framework. However, The Christian Science Monitor proclaimed Porgy and Bess “Gershwin’s most important contribution to music,” and The Boston Transcript said, “Gershwin must now be accepted as a serious composer.” MIXED FEELINGS IN THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITY African Americans often were ambivalent about Porgy and Bess. Some felt it was demeaning and promoted racial stereotypes, but others defended it as a work of surpassing beauty and tremendous emotional power. Classically trained African-American singers have wrestled with the question of whether to accept a role in the opera, and even now, “I think there’s still some sensitivity around it,” said Hasse. Duke Ellington, the legendary jazz musician and composer, complained that Porgy and Bess lacked social commentary, “and I think he also had some issues about its authenticity,” Hasse said. Harry Belafonte declined to play Porgy in the 1959 film version, and mezzo-soprano Grace Bumbry expressed reservations about singing the role of Bess. When Gershwin decided to adapt the 1924 novel Porgy (by Southern writer DuBose Heyward) into an opera, he traveled to Charleston and spent a great deal of time absorbing and transcribing African-American music. He wanted to faithfully capture the feel of that music in Porgy and Bess, but his own background raised doubts in some quarters about his ability to convey the essence of African-American life in the Deep South. Among the opera’s admirers was the late William Warfield, an African-American bass-baritone considered one of the foremost interpreters of the role of Porgy. Warfield, who appeared in the 1952 revival of Porgy and Bess that toured internationally under the U.S. State Department’s sponsorship, told critic John Ardoin that Porgy and Bess never was intended as a social statement and should not be faulted for not being one. “To me, Porgy is mainly a beautiful and good story,” he said. “You don’t see Porgy and think ‘this is wrong’ or ‘this i


The mineral and ore pitchblende is rich in what radioactive element, after which it is now named?

chemicals used to mine uraninite chemicals used to mine uraninite Uraninite - ThinkQuest If it is underground mining, it can ... or any chemical form that can be used in industry. Uraninite is mined in ... or chemicals used in ... Uraninite Mineral | Uses and Properties - GEOLOGY.COM Physical Properties of Uraninite: Uses: primary ore of uranium, used to prepare fuel for nuclear reactors: ... Chemical Composition: Uranium Oxide , UO 2: Crystal System: Uraninite - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Uraninite is a radioactive, uranium-rich mineral and ore with a chemical composition that ... a fortune on the production of Uraninite in his Mi Vida mine in ... Pitchblende: Pitchblende mineral information and data. Chemical Properties of Pitchblende: Formula: UO : 2: Essential elements: O, U: All elements listed in formula: O, U; Other Names for Pitchblende: ... Mining & Geology ... Uranium mining - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia History  · Exploration  · Mining techniques Marie Curie used pitchblende ore from ... mining are commonly used. ... by which chemicals (usually sulfuric acid) are used to extract the economic ... Uraninite: Uraninite mineral information and data. Shinkolobwe Mine (Kasolo Mine), Shinkolobwe, Katanga Copper Crescent, Katanga (Shaba), ... Chemical Properties of Uraninite: Formula: UO : 2: Essential elements: … URANINITE & OTHER RADIOACTIVE MINERALS - MINERALS, … URANINITE Uranium Mine #3, Kamenna Shaft, Pribram, Central Bohemia, Czech. Republic. Mining ... Chemical composition is: Cu 2+ (UO 2) 2 (PO 4) 2). 8H 2 O. pitchblende (mineral) -- Encyclopedia Britannica Three chemical elements were... Advocacy for Animals; Blog; Help; School ... Three chemical elements were first discovered in pitchblende: ... (mining) uraninite ... uraninite | eBay - Electronics, Cars, Fashion, Collectibles ... Uraninite from the Markey Mine, San Juan Co., Utah. Time left: $100.00. Buy It Now. Rare Charlie Steen Uraninite 47.2 Grams 310k MOAB Utah. Time left: $350.00. uraninite (mineral) -- Encyclopedia Britannica Uraninite usually forms black, gray, or brown crystals that are moderately hard and generally opaque. ... ore (mining) pitchblende (mineral) 1; 2; 3; Next Uranium | Radiation Protection Program | US EPA Uranium (chemical symbol U) ... uraninite, autunite, uranophane ... Uranium can also be removed and concentrated by people through mining and refining. Uranium Ore Minerals - Welcome to Dangerous Laboratories! Pitchblende and uraninite contain theoretically up to ... 1 U 3 0 8 is the symbol for a chemical ... forming the principal product of the Shinkolobwe mine ... pitchblende - definition of pitchblende by the Free Online ... A massive variety of the mineral uraninite. [Partial translation of German Pechblende: Pech, pitch + Blende, blende; see blende.] ... Chemical formula: UO 2. Uranium - 2008/9 Wikipedia Selection for schools ... and is commercially extracted from uranium-bearing minerals such as uraninite (see uranium mining). ... Uranium was also used in photographic chemicals ... Metallurgy - The Canadian Encyclopedia ... chemical extraction, ... Uraninite Uraninite, one of ... This site chronicles the growth and regulation of mineral exploration and the mining industry in the ... Chemical Mining Methods for Gold | eHow The myth of glittering solid gold veins being found lining mine walls are not at all representative of the modern methods of gold mining. Most gold is contained in ... Uranium in a Nutshell - About Geology - The Complete Guide to ... ... sulfate and chloride as long as the chemical conditions are ... but they are easy to mine and ... There may be found cubic crystals of uraninite, ... Uranium Mining and Extraction from Ore - Professor Robert B ... Its most naturally occurring mineral is Uraninite ... including chemical equations for acid and alkaline leaching ... Y.-S. Kim, ed., Uranium Mining ... What is Uranium? How Does it Work - World Nuclear Association ... in the mineral called pitchblende. ... The chemical symbol for uranium is U. ... and in mining, they are used to examine welds, ... Pi


Bianca is the younger sister of Katherina in which Shakespeare comedy play?

Bianca in The Taming of the Shrew | Study.com Bianca in The Taming of the Shrew Watch short & fun videos Start Your Free Trial Today Instructor: John Gonzales John has 20+ years experience teaching at the college level in areas that include English and American literature, Humanities, and Interdisciplinary Studies. Add to Add to Add to Want to watch this again later? Log in or sign up to add this lesson to a Custom Course. Custom Courses are courses that you create from Study.com lessons. Use them just like other courses to    track progress, access quizzes and exams, and share content. Teachers Organize and share selected lessons with your class. Make planning easier by creating your own custom course. Students Create a new course from any lesson page or your dashboard. From any lesson page: Click "Add to" located below the video player and follow the prompts to name your course and save your lesson. From your dashboard: Click on the "Custom Courses" tab, then click "Create course". Next, go to any lesson page and begin     adding lessons. Edit your Custom Course directly from your dashboard. Personalize: Name your Custom Course and add an optional description or learning objective. Organize: Create chapters to group lesson within your course. Remove and reorder chapters and lessons at any time. Share your Custom Course or assign lessons and chapters. Teacher Edition: Share or assign lessons and chapters by clicking the "Teacher" tab on the lesson or chapter page you want to     assign.     Students' quiz scores and video views will be trackable in your "Teacher" tab. Premium Edition: You can share your Custom Course by copying and pasting the course URL. Only Study.com members will be able to access the     entire course. Meet Bianca Milano from William Shakespeare's raucous comedy, ~'The Taming of the Shrew.~' This lesson discusses Bianca's character evolution in the play and invites you to consider who the shrew really is when the curtain closes in the final act. Sisters Going Different Directions The character Bianca Minola in William Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew appears to be a perfect opposite to her older sister Katherina/Kate, the shrew of the play's title. Kate is willful, outspoken, and rebellious, whereas Bianca appears to be a model of obedience and modesty. This opposition holds true in a surprising way over the course of the play. As Kate becomes more cooperative and more compliant, Bianca grows bolder, more confident, and more shrewish. By the end of the play, a complete reversal occurs. Shakespeare, being Shakespeare, has gratified the male egos in his audience by taming one shrew while also perpetuating the theme of the battle of the sexes with Bianca's contrasting character evolution. The Innocent Introduction Little sister/favorite daughter Bianca seems too good to be true in the opening scene of the play. Even her name, which means 'white,' implies purity, virtue, and goodness. Her humble acceptance of her father Baptista's decree that she will not be allowed to marry until her temperamental older sister Katherina does is almost martyr-like. She wishes Kate contentment in her own discontent, and tells her father that she will be obedient, and focus on her studies and personal development until Kate finds, or is found by, that elusive fiancée. An Idealized Bianca She is similarly sympathetic and seemingly perfect in the next scene. Kate has her tied up and is being downright abusive, demanding that Bianca reveal which of her many suitors she desires most. Bianca replies that none so far has caught her eye and that Kate is welcome to any of them. She reminds Kate that she hurts them both by her mistreatment and proclaims her respect and obedience to Kate as her elder sister (Hmm . . . could that be a subtle little moment of snark, implying that Kate is an unmarried old maid? Nah, it's perfect little Bianca). As she departs the scene, it is clear that her father dotes especially on his younger daughter. It seems Bianca can do no wrong. Signs of Willfulness In Act 3, howe


On which item of dress would a cockade normally be worn?

Cockades | American Civil War Forums American Civil War Forums Dismiss Notice Join and Become a Patron at CivilWarTalk! Support this site with a monthly or yearly subscription! Active Patrons get to browse the site Ad free! Mt. Croghan South Carolina I bought this really nice cockade from the lady at Creative Cockades, in fact it is my avatar. I have always found their history interesting. Has anyone ever tried their hand at making these? If so can you direct me? I have the buckram backing and all of the supplies.   (Membership has it privileges! To remove this ad: Register NOW! ) Robtweb1 2nd Lieutenant Retired Moderator Civil War Photo Contest I'd like to have one.   2,062 shanniereb said: ↑ I bought this really nice cockade from the lady at Creative Cockades, in fact it is my avatar. I have always found their history interesting. Has anyone ever tried their hand at making these? If so can you direct me? I have the buckram backing and all of the supplies. View attachment 4099 Click to expand... Pipestem,WV Im lucky to make a nice pancake. My grandmother could make them though. I will have to check with my aunts to see if they have some of the ones she made. I forgot about them till I saw your post.   Thanks for post. Didn't know about these. The ones pictured are very nice.   http://home.freeuk.net/gazkhan/cockades.htm Click to expand... I am going to Pawley's Island in a couple of weeks, I might pick some up then. I already have the buttons, and I also have a pattern to make some federal cockades as well! They called them mourning buttons or patriotic ribbons more or less.   M E Wolf Colonel Retired Moderator Joined: Reminiscences Of The Civil War (Gordon) Chapter I--My First Command And The Outbreak Of The War A company of mountaineers--Joe Brown's pikes--The Raccoon Roughs --The first Rebel yell--A flag presented to the company--Arrival at Montgomery, Alabama--Analysis of the causes of the war-- Slavery's part in it--Liberty in the Union of the States, and liberty in the independence of the States. THE outbreak of war found me in the mountains of Georgia, Tennessee, and Alabama, engaged in the development of coal-mines. This does not mean that I was a citizen of three States; but it does mean that I lived so near the lines that my mines were in Georgia, my house in Alabama, and my post-office in Tennessee. The first company of soldiers, therefore, with which I entered the service was composed of stalwart mountaineers from the three States. I had been educated for the bar and for a time practised law in Atlanta. In September, 1854, I had married Miss Fanny Haralson, third daughter of General Hugh A. Haralson, of La Grange, Georgia. The wedding occurred on her seventeenth birthday and when I was but twenty-two. We had two children, both boys. The struggle between devotion to my family on the one hand and duty to my country on the other was most trying to my sensibilities. My spirit had been caught up by the flaming enthusiasm that swept like a prairie-fire through the land, and I hastened to unite with the brave men of the mountains in organizing a company of volunteers. [excerpt] Alabama's governor had given us the coveted "chance," and with bounding hearts we joined the host of volunteers then rushing to Montgomery. The line of our travel was one unbroken scene of enthusiasm. Bonfires blazed from the hills at night, and torch-light processions, with drums and fifes, paraded the streets of the towns. In the absence of real cannon, blacksmiths' anvils were made to thunder our welcome. Vast throngs gathered at the depots, filling the air with their shoutings, and bearing banners with all conceivable devices, proclaiming Southern independence, and pledging the last dollar and man for the success of the cause. Staid matrons and gayly bedecked maidens rushed upon the cars, pinned upon our lapels the blue cockades, and cheered us by chanting in thrilling chorus: [end of excerpt] Campaigns Of The Civil War—I. The Outbreak Of Rebellion The Outbreak Of Rebellion. Chapter I.--Secession. THE fifth day of October, 1860, is the


Natives of which English city are known as Loiners?

England travel guide - Wikitravel Cities[ edit ] England has many large cities. Listed below are nine of the most popular: London — largest metropolitan area in Western Europe, and a global capital of finance, fashion and culture. Birmingham — the UK's second largest city (by population) in the industrial heartland. Bristol — vibrant music and art scene, lovely historic buildings, an attractive waterfront and a laid back, friendly, amiable, mellow atmosphere in the West Country's largest city. Brighton — regency seaside resort and university town with quirky shopping, good eating, rich culture and vibrant gay nightlife. Liverpool — "The home of the Beatles", a booming cosmopolitan city famous for its vibrant nightlife, rich cultural heritage, magnificent waterfront, superb architecture, and excellence in music and sport. Manchester — third most visited city in the UK, a cultural, sporting, entertainment, shopping and media hub. Nottingham — "Queen of the Midlands", home of Robin Hood, Sherwood Forest and Nottingham Castle. Newcastle upon Tyne — a thriving northern city with world-famous nightlife. York — ancient capital of Yorkshire, with Roman, Viking and Medieval remains. Other destinations[ edit ] England has many outstanding landmarks and sites of interest. Listed below are nine of the most notable: Hadrian's Wall — the Romans built this 87 mile wall to protect their English outpost from northern raiders. Isles of Scilly — magical archipelago of tiny islands off the south western coast of Cornwall. Lake District National Park — glorious mountains, lakes and woodlands; the land of Wordsworth. New Forest National Park — one of the few remnants of the great oak and hornbeam woodland that once covered southern England. North York Moors National Park — with heather-clad hills, woodlands, impressive sea cliffs and secluded beaches, this area is one of the true English gems. Peak District National Park — rugged moors and hills which form the northern spine of England. Understand[ edit ] Don't confuse "England" with the the larger "Britain" or "United Kingdom"; see the United Kingdom article for details. Climate[ edit ] England has been stereotyped as being cold, grey and rainy since the ancient Romans wrote home, but this is not an entirely accurate picture. Temperatures rarely get very cold or very hot, and while the country certainly gets rain, it's really not as wet as rumour has it. London alone has lower annual rainfall than Paris, New York and Sydney, and it's not uncommon for parts of the country to go without rain for weeks. Parts of southern England often have summer water restrictions due to a lack of adequate rainfall during the previous winter. There is some scope for leaving your raincoat at home, but make sure you've got one. Northern and western parts are usually wetter than the rest of England due to the prevailing wind from the north west bringing down cold moist air from the North Atlantic, and the sunniest and warmest areas are in the far south and south east. Winter and autumn are usually the wettest seasons where the weather is often very changeable and at times quite windy, especially in the north and west, where cold Arctic winds arrive. Spring conditions are very changeable: a day of hot sunshine is likely as not to be followed by a week of cold wind and rain; and vice-versa. Occasional snow even as late as May is not unheard of in northern England, but it will melt quickly. Snow is particularly rare in the south east. Summer is generally warm in the south with average highs usually ranging from 18-23°C, but be prepared for unsettled weather at any time of the year and make sure to check a weather forecast if you plan to be outdoors. Hot spells of weather can occur from May to September where temperatures may reach 30°C in the warmest areas of England, typically London and parts of the South East. Central Europe has very hot summers and very cold winters, but England is both less extreme (surrounded by water) and milder in the winter (influenced by the warmth of the North Atlantic Drift). If i


A dageurreotype was an early type of what?

Daguerreotype | Definition of Daguerreotype by Merriam-Webster noun da·guerre·o·type \də-ˈge-rō-ˌtīp, -rə-; -ˈger-ō-, -ə- also də-ˈge-rē-ō-ˌtīp, -ˈger-ē-\ Definition of daguerreotype for English Language Learners : an old type of photograph that was made on a piece of silver or a piece of copper covered in silver Learn More about daguerreotype


What is the one-sleeved half-jacket worn under a jacket as additional protection in the sport of fencing?

Fencing Glossary - Dictionary of Fencing Terms Absence of blade: when the blades are not touching; opposite of     engagement. Advance: a movement forward by step, cross, or balestra. Aids: the last three fingers of the sword hand. Analysis: reconstruction of the fencing phrase to determine priority of touches. Assault: friendly combat between two fencers. Attack: the initial offensive action made by extending the sword     arm and continuously threatening the valid target of the     opponent. Attack au Fer: an attack that is prepared by deflecting the opponent's     blade, eg. beat, press, froissement. Backsword: an archaic, edged, unpointed sword used in prizefighting;     also singlestick. Balestra: a forward hop or jump, typically followed by an attack     such as a lunge or fleche. Bayonet: a type of electrical connector for foil and sabre. Beat: an attempt to knock the opponent's blade aside or out of line by     using one's foible or middle against the opponent's foible. Baudry point: a safety collar placed around a live epee point to prevent     dangerous penetration. Bind: an action in which the opponent's blade is forced into the     diagonally opposite line. Black Card: used to indicate the most serious offences in a fencing     competition. The offending fencer is usually expelled from the     event or tournament. Bout: an assault at which the score is kept. Broadsword: any sword intended for cutting instead of thrusting; sabre. Broken Time: a sudden change in the tempo of one fencer's actions, used     to fool the opponent into responding at the wrong time. Button: the safety tip on the end of practice and sporting swords. Change of Engagement: engagement of the opponent's blade in the     opposite line. Commanding the blade: grabbing the opponent's blade with the off-hand, illegal in sport fencing. Compound: also composed; an action executed in two or more movements; an attack or riposte incorporating one or more feints. Conversation: the back-and-forth play of the blades in a fencing match,     composed of phrases (phrases d'armes) punctuated by gaps of no     blade action. Counter-attack: an offensive action made against the right-of-way, or in response to the opponent's attack. Counter-disengage: a disengage in the opposite direction, to deceive     the counter-parry. Counter-parry: a parry made in the opposite line to the attack; ie.     the defender first comes around to the opposite side of the     opponent's blade. Counter-riposte: an attack that follows a parry of the opponent's     riposte. Counter-time: an attack that responds to the opponent's counter-attack,     typically a riposte following the parry of the counter-attack. Corps-a-corps: lit. "body-to-body"; physical contact between the     two fencers during a bout, illegal in foil and sabre. Coule': also graze, glise', or glissade; an attack or feint that slides     along the opponent's blade. Coup lance': a launched hit; an attack that starts before a     stop in play but lands after. Valid for normal halts, but not     valid at end of time. Coupe': also cut-over; an attack or deception that passes around the     opponent's tip. Croise: also semi-bind; an action in which the opponent's blade is     forced into the high or low line on the same side. Cross: an advance or retreat by crossing one leg over the other;     also passe' avant (forward cross), passe' arriere (backwards cross). Cut: an attack made with a chopping motion of the blade, normally     landing with the edge. Deception: avoidance of an attempt to engage the blades; see     disengage, coupe' Derobement: deception of the attack au fer or prise de fer. Direct: a simple attack or riposte that finishes in the same line in     which it was formed, with no feints out of that line. Disengage: a circular movement of the blade that deceives the     opponent's parry, removes the blades from engagement, or changes the     line of engagement. Displacement


Cnut the Great, who ruled Denmark, England, Norway and parts of Sweden from 1018-35, is commonly known by what other name, particularly relating to a story of attempting to 'rule the sea'?

1000+ images about The Royals - King Cnute & Queen Emma ( of Normandy) on Pinterest | English, Denmark and The church Forward King Cnut or (Canute). Ruler of both The Vikings, The English and The Scottish. Unlike many Vikings he was a devout Christian which he demonstrated in his 'stopping of the waves' demonstration where sat upon the beach he as king commanded the waves to stop. Of course they did not, upon this Cnut stood up and said: See how little the power of a King be before the might of god. After this day the King refused to wear the crown and instead displayed it in moment to The Lord See More


On which island was Nelson Mandela incarcerated for 27 years, from 1962-90?

The Prisoner | The Long Walk Of Nelson Mandela | FRONTLINE | PBS WATCH SCHEDULE TOPICS ABOUT FRONTLINE SHOP TEACHER CENTER The Prisoner In the winter of 1964, Nelson Mandela arrived on Robben Island where he would spend 18 of his 27 prison years. Confined to a small cell, the floor his bed, a bucket for a toilet, he was forced to do hard labor in a quarry. He was allowed one visitor a year for 30 minutes. He could write and receive one letter every six months. But Robben Island became the crucible which transformed him. Through his intelligence, charm and dignified defiance, Mandela eventually bent even the most brutal prison officials to his will, assumed leadership over his jailed comrades and became the master of his own prison. He emerged from it the mature leader who would fight and win the great political battles that would create a new democratic South Africa. "He always made the point, if they say you must run, insist on walking. If they say you must walk fast, insist on walking slowly.That was the whole point.We are going to set the terms." Neville Alexander, fellow prisoner The Newly-discovered Film of Nelson Mandela on Robben Island in 1977 (realvideo) NOTE: This footage, taken by a South African government cameraman in 1977, has never been seen before. It shows Mandela's prison cell and near the very end, several seconds of a tightlipped Mandela, caught by the camera as he worked with other prisoners repairing a road. The film was shot during a journalists' tour of Robben Island. The tour was initiated by the government in order to dispel stories of brutal conditions. By this time - 1977 - Mandela was in many ways a forgotten man. He had been on Robben Island 13 years and throughout South Africa his image and words were banned. As of May 1999, when this site was published, this video clip required RealPlayer 5.0 or G2 and a 56K modem. You may need to upgrade. The Letters to Winnie These four letters, written from Robben Island between 1976-1979, convey how Winnie was the love of his life. They also offer a glimpse of the painful guilt Mandela felt for the wife and family he always had to put second to his political cause. "The Dark Years" In this section from his memoirs, Mandela describes the harsh daily routine during the early years on Robben Island. Neville Alexander's Interview One of the "young revolutionaries" sent to Robben Island the same year as Mandela, Alexander recounts how Walter Sisulu's and Mandela's arguments for self-discipline in prison won over "hotheads" like himself. He also details how Mandela's traits of character were revealed in his dealings with the authorities and fellow prisoners. Jack Swart's Stories When Mandela was moved to Victor Verster in 1988, Swart became his chef, glimpsing private times in Mandela's life, including visits from his wife, family and colleagues. He recounts some of this, as well as anecdotes about Mandela'a first experience with a microwave; what it was like to drive Mandela secretly around the Cape Town area; and the events and the atmosphere in the days and hours leading up to Mandela's historic 1990 release. Fikile Bam's Interview He was on Robben Island with Mandela for ten years and shares stories of Mandela's personal political skills; his effort to learn the Afrikaan language; and the kind of books he liked to read. George Bizos's Reflections As Mandela's longtime lawyer and constant visitor during his imprisonment, Bizos relates some revealing anecdotes about the prison years. Christo Brand's Interview He was Mandela's warder for many years, first on Robben Island and then at Pollsmoor Prison. He sketches many details of Mandela's prison life--from his beloved garden and taste in music; to how his letters were censored; and how he helped hide Mandela's newborn grandchild so he could see and hold him in prison. "The Most Important Person in Any Prisoner's Life" This short chapter from Mandela's memoirs describes his relationships with warders and how his fellow prisoners devised strategies to evade their jailers and communicate with each othe


In which European country are the Altamira cave paintings?

Altamira cave paintings to be opened to the public once again | World news | The Guardian Spain Altamira cave paintings to be opened to the public once again Small groups of visitors will be allowed into Spain's 'Sistine Chapel of paleolithic art', the regional government has said A detail of the roof in the replica of the Altamira cave. Photograph: Esteban Cobo/EPA Wednesday 26 February 2014 13.01 EST First published on Wednesday 26 February 2014 13.01 EST Close This article is 2 years old For 12 years, visitors wanting to see Spain's prized prehistoric Altamira cave paintings have had to settle for a replica in a museum a few hundred feet away. But from Thursday, small groups of visitors will again be allowed in the cave, which has been described as the Sistine Chapel of paleolithic art, as part of an experiment to determine whether the paintings can support the presence of sightseers. The vast cavern complex, in the Cantabria region of northern Spain , was made a World Heritage Site by Unesco in 1985. It is covered in paintings dated to between 14,000 and 20,000 years ago of animals including European bison and bulls. From now until August, on a randomly selected day of the week, visitors to the replica cave in the Museo de Altamira will be invited to enter a draw; five will be chosen to take a guided tour including 37 minutes inside the cave. Visitors will have to put on special suits, masks and shoes before entering the site. Up to 192 lucky winners are expected to visit the cave in total. While they admire the red and black paintings on the limestone walls, researchers will measure their impact on the cave's temperature, humidity, microbiological contamination and CO2 levels. The results will be used to determine whether or not the cave can be reopened to the public, a controversial decision that has pitted the local tourist economy against government scientists. This painting of a large male bison is the best known figure in the Altamira cave. Photograph: Pedro A Saura/AP The site has been closed several times, starting in 1977 after scientists warned that body heat and CO2 levels from the 3,000 daily visitors were deteriorating the paintings. When the cave was re-opened again, to a limited amount of visitors, the waiting list swelled, leaving people waiting up to three years to get a glimpse of the prehistoric masterpieces. The cave was again closed to the public in 2002 after scientists blamed body heat, light and moisture for the appearance of green mould on some of the paintings. Since then, the regional government of Cantabria has been lobbying for the site to be reopened. "Altamira is a valuable asset that we cannot afford to do without," Miguel Ángel Revilla, former head of the regional government of Cantabria, told El País. "Every famous person who comes here wants to visit it. I've had to tell [former presidents] Jacques Chirac of France and Felipe Calderón of Mexico that they couldn't." His position runs counter to that of scientists at the government's main research body. A 2010 report, by the Spanish National Research Council warned of the dangers of letting visitors into the complex. "The people who go in the cave have the bad habit of moving, breathing and perspiring," was one of the conclusions. The report made it very clear that the cave shouldn't be open to visitors, lead researcher Sergio Sánchez Moral recently told Público.es, warning: "The consequences of doing so are immeasurable." The paintings are thought to be between 14,000 and 20,000 years old. Photograph: Esteban Cobo/EPA José Antonio Lasheras, director of the Museo de Altamira, defended the decision. The tours, he said, were part of a carefully calculated equation to find a balance between conservation efforts and making the country's heritage as accessible as possible. While the museum's replica of the cave may give people a sense of the place, he said, "the emotion: we can't give that. The emotion can come only from being inside the cave of Altamira." Opening the cave to visitors, said Lasheras, could be likened to hanging a painting


Who unexpectedly beat Jimmy Connors in the 1975 Wimbledon Men's Singles Final?

BBC ON THIS DAY | 5 | 1975: Ashe's Wimbledon win makes history 1975: Ashe's Wimbledon win makes history American tennis player Arthur Ashe has become the first black man to win the Wimbledon singles' championship. New Yorker Althea Gibson was the first black woman to take the Wimbledon title in 1958. Ashe beat defending champion Jimmy Connors three sets to one on Centre Court. Speaking after the game Ashe said: "I always thought I would win because I was playing so well and was so confident." Everything he did was good Jimmy Connors Although Ashe won the US Open in 1968 his 6-1, 6-1, 5-7, 6-4 victory today - at the age of 31- surprised many at the All England Club. The son of a policeman from Richmond, Virginia, Ashe was reluctant to discuss his tactics, as he expects to meet Connors again. Connors, 22, admitted: "I couldn't find an opening. Whether I served wide balls, or kicks he was there. Everything he did was good: fine returns, short and long, and hard serves and volleys." The older man won his first service game to love and quickly broke his opponent's serve in the first set. The pressure on Connors began to show - causing derision in the crowd - as he angrily threw his towel under the umpire's chair and released a chain of expletives. Ashe took the first set in just 19 minutes and secured a second 6-1 rout almost as quickly. Tension mounted in the third set as Connors found his rhythm to recover a 6-5 lead - after trailing 3-1 - before winning the set. His friend and Wimbledon semi-finalist Ile Nastase watched anxiously from the players' stand, along with his mother Gloria and manager Bill Riordan. Ashe kept his cool and broke Connors' serve in the ninth game of what was to be the final set. The match ended swiftly as Ashe reached 40-15 with his service game and punched home a winning volley after a weak two-handed return by Connors.


In 1994, the USA lifted a nineteen year trade ban for which country?

Clinton ends trade embargo of Vietnam - Feb 03, 1994 - HISTORY.com Clinton ends trade embargo of Vietnam Share this: Clinton ends trade embargo of Vietnam Author Clinton ends trade embargo of Vietnam URL Publisher A+E Networks On this day in 1994, President Bill Clinton lifts a 19-year-old trade embargo of the Republic of Vietnam. The embargo had been in place since 1975, when North Vietnamese forces captured the city of Saigon in South Vietnam during the Vietnam War. President Clinton lifted the embargo primarily to encourage cooperative efforts between the U.S. and Vietnam to discover the fate of American prisoners of war (POWs) and missing in action (MIA) who had remained unaccounted for after the war. He also believed that improved business relations between the U.S. and Vietnam would benefit the economies of both nations. American businesses interested in expanding in Asian nations like Vietnam applauded his move, while veterans’ organizations and families of servicemen killed during the Vietnam War erupted in outrage over the lifting of the embargo. They believed that the lifting of the embargo, as well as Clinton’s status as a draft dodger and his active participation in war protests during the 1970s, was an insult to the memories of those who fought and died during Vietnam in service to their country. They also believed that the Vietnamese could not be trusted, citing examples of the Vietnamese government’s habit of providing false information to U.S. officials regarding the whereabouts of American POWs. In 2000, six years after lifting the embargo, Clinton became the first American head of state to visit Vietnam since before the war. During the visit he attempted to soothe ongoing U.S. internal conflict over the Vietnam War and his actions by stating, “The history we leave behind is painful and hard. We must not forget it, but we must not be controlled by it.” According to the Department of Defense, 325 American servicemen were accounted for in the first 12 years after the lifting of the embargo. The status of more than a thousand missing servicemen remains unknown. Related Videos


Abhorson is an executioner in which Shakespeare play?

Abhorson Abhorson Abhorson is an executioner, who takes great pride in his job.  He looks down on Pompey for being a pimp, considering him to be even lower on the social scale than he is himself, and is concerned that employing a pimp will bring executioners into disrepute.


In which ocean is the island of Madeira?

Madeira Islands Map / Geography of Madeira Islands / Map of Madeira Islands - Worldatlas.com Print this map Madeira Islands Description The Madeira Islands, 540 miles southwest of Lisbon, Portugal , are a Portuguese archipelago positioned about 360 miles directly west of Morocco , Africa in the north Atlantic Ocean . They are an autonomous region of Portugal , with Madeira Island and Porto Santo Island being the only inhabited islands. The Madeira Islands, known originally to the Romans as the Purple Islands, were discovered by Portuguese sailors, Prince Henry the Navigator, João Goncalves Zarco and Tristão Vaz Teixeira, in the early 15th Century. The Portuguese crown claimed possession of the islands, and settlement began around 1420, with the exportation of wheat following shortly thereafter. As the grain industry began to decline, Henry called for the planting of sugarcane, and it wasn't long before the crop became a major component of the island's economy. Labor demands increased, and Genoese and Portuguese traders grew interested in the islands. The sugarcane industry thrived until the 17th century, before moving onto Brazil , and since then Madeira's most important product has been its wine. In the early 19th century, the Madeira Islands were briefly occupied by the British Empire, as a result of the Napoleonic Wars. Then, in 1916, the islands began experiencing the effect of World War I, as German ships pulled into Funchal harbour and torpedoed 3 ships. The following year, German ships bombarded Funchal once again. As a result of the democratic revolution of 1974, Madeira received autonomy, and these days the islands are a popular year-round resort and cruise ship port, famed worldwide for Madeira wine, embroidery artisans, near perfect weather conditions, as well as a striking scenery with beautiful flowers. Madeira Island (740 sq km) is the largest island of the group. It's a rugged, mountainous rock, famed for its elevated sea cliffs, including Cabo Girao, the planet's second highest. Funchal, the capital city, has a population of 100,000 inhabitants. From its natural harbor, Funchal literally covers the slopes of an ancient volcano, with many of its narrow streets reminiscent of those in Venice, Italy .


Who is generally considered to have invented the first electric battery cell in 1800?

Battery History - Battery KidsBattery Kids Contact Us Battery History The first battery was created by Alessandro Volta in 1800. To create the Volta battery, he made a stack by alternating layers of zinc, blotting paper soaked in salt water, and silver. This arrangement was known as a voltaic pile. The top and bottom layers of the pile must be different metals. If you attach a wire to the top and bottom of the pile, you can measure a voltage and a current from the pile. The pile can be stacked as high as you like, and each layer will increase the voltage by a fixed amount. In the 1800s, before the invention of the electrical generator (the generator was not invented and perfected until the 1870s), the Daniell cell was extremely common for operating telegraphs and doorbells. The Daniell cell is also known by three other names: Crowfoot cell (because of the typical shape of the zinc   electrode) Gravity cell (because gravity keeps the two sulfates separated) Wet cell (because it uses liquids for the electrolytes, as   opposed to the modern dry cell) 60 Responses to Battery History Emma (Mrs. J)


What Japanese expression derives from two colloquial Japanese words meaning 'belly cutting'?

Words that are different in Japanese and English | TEFL.net TEFL.net : TEFL Articles : Home and Abroad : Words that are different in Japanese and English Words that are different in Japanese and English Interesting and confusing changes that happen as the Japanese borrow words from English and English-speakers borrow words from Japanese. If you have read any of my other articles on Japanese English (see links below), you might get the idea that borrowing vocabulary is mainly a case of the Japanese using and abusing English words and expressions, both as part of Japanese and when they try to use English internationally. These kinds of changes are, however, universals of vocabulary transfer from and to any language in the world. What is more, English speakers are guilty of exactly the same things when they use Japanese words in English, and so often when they think they are speaking Japanese too. I’ve grouped these changes together in several categories, dealing with the changes in either direction each time: Pronunciation changes Longer than the form in the other language More restricted meaning Other meaning changes Less common in the language or country it comes from I hope the resulting analysis will be of interest to learners and teachers of either language, as well as those interested in the more general linguistic topic of borrowings from other languages. As the words given here are now considered a part of the English language, the topic might also be of interest to speakers of other languages who have a good level of English. This should hopefully also make people less self conscious about their own “mistakes”. As I tell my Japanese students when they say “golden week”, “It’s not wrong, it’s just Japanese”, just like cul de sac (translates are “arse of the bag”, the French expression for this being “impasse”) is English rather than bad French. As some people’s computers will show neither, I have attempted to avoid both phonemic symbols and Japanese script. When the pronunciation of a Japanese word is given, I have simply transposed the katakana into Roman script. This is more difficult when trying to write out the pronunciation of English words, as English spelling is irregular and Japanese does not have enough sounds to represent them all. I have therefore given a couple of different attempts to show what pronunciation I mean, for example using capital letters to represent the letter sound (e.g. A for the vowel sound in gate) and words that have similar pronunciations. 1. Pronunciation changes Traditionally, one of the most common changes in Japanese pronunciation when it comes into the English language is to replace a final e for elephant sound with an ee from feet one. This has even been reflected in the spelling at times, with the older English spelling of sake being sacky. Educated speakers nowadays make more of an effort to mimic Japanese pronunciation, but amateur singing to the sound of a machine is still mainly known as “karry oh key” in English. Saying this or karate in a more Japanese way can sound at least pretentious and maybe even incomprehensible to an English speaker. This seems strange in a way, being that the e sound is quite happily used in common English words like egg and pen, but it is rare at the end of English words. The same is true of the ts in tsunami, which is perfectly natural at the end of the word “parts” but can sound forced or even be difficult to say at the beginning of a word as it doesn’t exist in that position in English sounds. The same things happens in Japanese with words borrowed from English. For example, w+a and h+i are common sound combinations, but w+i is always written and pronounced as the similar ui, as in uiiku (week). There is a large list of similar examples in my article on Pronunciation Changes in Japanese English (see list of links below). Another linguistic universal that the English ways of saying karate illustrates is how two pronunciations can coexist in a language, often with one being closer to the original language and considered more correct, but perhap


In which country was escapologist Harry Houdini born?

Harry Houdini - Biography - IMDb Harry Houdini Jump to: Overview  (5) | Mini Bio  (1) | Spouse  (1) | Trivia  (19) | Personal Quotes  (17) Overview (5) 5' 7" (1.7 m) Mini Bio (1) The great American escape artist and magician Houdini (immortalized by a memorable performance by Tony Curtis in the eponymous 1953 film) was born Erich Weiss on March 24, 1874 in Budapest, Hungary, though he often gave his birthplace as Appleton, Wisconsin, where he was raised. One of five brothers and one daughter born to rabbi Samuel Weiss and his wife Cecilia, the future Houdini was four years old when his parents emigrated to the U.S., where Weiss, as "Harry Houdini", became one of the major celebrities of the first age dominated by the mass media. His boyhood was spent in poverty and, when he was 17, he conjured up a magic act with his friend Jack Hayman, in order to escape the poverty and anonymity of manual labor which would likely have been his lot in life. Young Erich had been fascinated with magic since he was a young lad, when he was in the audience of a magic show put on by a traveling magician named Dr. Lynch. Billing themselves as the "Houdini Bros." in tribute to French magician Jean-Eugène Robert-Houdin, Erich Weiss became an entertainer, though it took him some seven years to catch on. Weiss and Hayman specialized in the Crate Escape (eventually known as Metamorphosis or The Substitution Trunk), and Houdini's brother Theodore replaced Hayman when he became uninterested in the act. Eventually, Theodore -- billed as Hardeen -- was replaced by Wilhemina Rahner (known as Bess), the woman "Harry Houdini" would eventually marry. The marriage on June 22, 1894 caused a conflict with his Jewish family as Bess was a Roman Catholic. They married in secret, then again at a synagogue and in a Catholic church to please both of their families. While developing his act, Houdini was not above the old carny trick of posing as a spirit medium, making the rounds of the town clerk's office and nearby cemeteries in order to provide "messages from beyond". In 1896, while visiting a doctor friend in Nova Scotia, he saw his first strait jacket, which gave him the idea of developing an act in which he would escape from it. Houdini finally hit the big-time when he was 24 years old with his Challenge Act in 1898, while he was making the rounds of vaudeville. Houdini's Challenge Act consisted of him escaping from a pair of handcuffs produced by an audience member. Eventually, this evolved into escapes from strait jackets, boxes, crates, safes, and other instruments and devices (such as his Water Torture Cell), as well as from jail cells. Houdini was also adept at escaping from being "buried alive". Hand-cuffed and strait-jacketed, he could escape while being hung upside down from a crane, or while lowered from a bridge, or even make his escape from padlocked crates lowered into a river. Houdini also became famous as a debunker of mediums and "experts" of the paranormal, but this was done in hope he could find an actual medium that could communicate with the dead so that he could communicate with his beloved mother Cecilia after she passed away. He became quite famous in the ragtime age of the first quarter of the last century, even appearing in motion pictures produced by his own company. Harry Houdini, the greatest magician ever produced by America, died in Detroit, Michigan during a national tour. The cause of death officially was peritonitis from a ruptured appendix. His death came nine days after having been punched in the stomach during the Canadian leg of the tour by J. Gordon Whitehead, a McGill University student who was testing Houdini's famed ability to take body blows. Always the trouper, Houdini had soldiered on despite stomach pains. (Early during the tour, he had broken an ankle but did not let it stop him or the tour.) His wife Bess, to whom Houdini left his half-million dollar estate, collected a double indemnity on his life insurance policy, as the blow was considered to have shortened the great magician's life and contributed to his prema


What is the main ingredient of the Italian dish frittata?

La Frittata: History & Recipe Ideas for The Italian Omelette La Frittata, An Egg Dish with Endless Possibilities History & Recipe Ideas for The Italian Omelette POSTED August 23, 2014 If you imagine the frittata as the homier, less pretentious cousin of the French omelette, you might want to bear in mind just how much more fun your down-to-earth relatives usually are—their casual manners and generosity are just more comforting and enjoyable. In fact, a frittata is often heartier, healthier and more satisfying than its famous cousin.   The word “frittata,” which derives from the Italian verb “friggere,” or “to fry,” connotes the simplicity and pleasures of cucina povera—the “humble cuisine” that most of us innately love. Egg is the main ingredient. With its high protein and mineral content, easy availability and low cost, eggs are an essential part of the diet almost everywhere in the world. From China and Southeast Asia to India and Iran, up to the Maghreb, Spain, France, and Italy some kind of frittata-like dish is prepared. Surprisingly, in Italy, it’s rare to find a restaurant that offers frittata on its menu; it’s the quintessential home food. Naturally, the tastiest frittate are made with the best eggs—farm fresh with luscious, orange yolks. But, of course, eggs are just the beginning; the most distinctive aspect of the Italian frittata compared to similar preparations is the creative and imaginative use of all kinds of ingredients. People sometimes wonder what the difference is between a frittata and an omelette. The main distinction is that the ingredients of an omelette are gently placed into the beaten eggs as they are cooking in the pan. In a frittata, the eggs and ingredients are mixed together, then cooked more slowly. Also, the final shapes are different; an omelette is usually semi-circular, where a frittata is round and usually thicker. There’s an Italian expression: “hai fatto una frittata,”which loosely translated means: you’ve made quite a mess—or a sequence of mistakes. That expression no doubt comes from the fact that it often happens that a frittata is made on the spur of the moment: a last-minute decision made when you don’t have the time to go grocery shopping and the refrigerator seems bare. But all those odds and ends and leftovers in your fridge can make for a great frittata. In fact, in Italy, sometimes before serving lunch or dinner, a small portion of the meal is purposely put aside for a frittata the next day. In Italy, mothers—and fathers!—make delicious frittate with leftover pasta(with or without sauce or seasoning). Also, a frittata is a perfect way to entice children into eating vegetables; it can often be a complete meal in itself. It can be tastier hours later, eaten at room temperature, or enjoyed the next day, with a side of arugula. For a quick lunch, frittata can be served along with sautéed greens, salami or various local cheeses.   When stored in the fridge, be sure to put your frittata in an airtight plastic container, as water and humidity can ruin the taste. Remember: any greens or veggies you add into the frittata should first be sautéed, in order to eliminate most of their water. As for whether to use butter or extra-virgin olive oil—besides just personal preference, you should also consider which of those tastes marries best with the other ingredients you’re using in the dish. Basic ingredients Use between 6-12 eggs—8 is probably the most common number. Too many eggs can be a bit difficult to handle, especially if the frittata is turned over. If you have a broiler, you won’t have to worry about flipping over your frittata. Just stick the pan under a low flame and remove when the frittata is golden. Use a 10-12” pan with a thick bottom and round borders. A sturdy, nonstick pan makes it easier to detach the frittata without having to add extra butter or oil. Fresh, sautéed or steamed lightly seasoned vegetables: Boiled or roasted potatoes Good-quality cheeses are ideal for frittata: Melting cheeses—such as provolone, mozzarella and emmenthal  Parmigiano, grana, and Pecorino


Which is the largest joint in the human body?

What is the largest joint in the human body? | Reference.com What is the largest joint in the human body? A: Quick Answer Not only is the knee the largest joint in the human body, it is also the most complicated, according to Inner Body. The knee is a hinge joint that is formed to move only on one axis. Full Answer The knee is reinforced with both internal and external ligaments to give it a wide range of motion. It is strong and durable enough to support the body's weight with only slight reinforcement from other bones. It acts as a shock absorber due to fibrocartilage that is between the femur and tibia. This fibrocartilage protects the bones when running or doing other flexion activities.


How many separate terms did William Gladstone serves as Prime Minister of Britain?

History of William Ewart Gladstone - GOV.UK GOV.UK William Ewart Gladstone Liberal 1892 to 1894, 1886 to 1886, 1880 to 1885, 1868 to 1874 Born 19 May 1898, Hawarden Castle, Flintshire Dates in office 1892 to 1894, 1886 to 1886, 1880 to 1885, 1868 to 1874 Political party Liberal Major acts Representation of the People Act 1884: increased the number of men who were eligible to vote in an election. Gave the vote to men paying an annual rent of at least £10 or all those holding land valued at £10. (Of course, women were still ineligible). Government of Ireland Bill 1886 and 1893 (aka Home Rule Bills): attempts by Gladstone to allow a system of home rule in Ireland. The first bill was rejected by the Commons, the second was vetoed by the Lords. Thus, it never became law. Interesting facts He served as Prime Minister for 4 separate periods. More than any other Prime Minister. “The love of freedom itself is hardly stronger in England than the love of aristocracy.”  Queen Victoria described him as a “half-mad firebrand” while to a large part of the British working classes he was the "Grand Old Man". Four times prime minister, Gladstone provoked strong reactions. Gladstone was elected Tory MP for Newark in December 1832, aged 23, with ultra-conservative views. In Parliament he spoke out against the abolition of slavery, because his family used slaves on their West Indian plantation. He also opposed the recent democratic electoral reforms. Gladstone’s talent for public speaking caught the attention of Robert Peel , then Prime Minister, who made him a Junior Lord of the Treasury and later Under-Secretary at the Colonial Office. He followed Peel in resigning in 1835, and spent the following 6 years in Opposition. In 1840 Gladstone began his ‘rescue and rehabilitation’ of London’s prostitutes. Even while serving as Prime Minister in later years, he would walk the streets, trying to convince prostitutes to change their ways. He spent a large amount of his own money on this work. In 1845 he resigned over Peel’s decision to make a grant to a Roman Catholic theology school in Ireland. This caused some confusion, as he was known to favour the policy himself. He rejoined Peel’s government later that year as Colonial Secretary. When the Tory party broke apart in 1846, Gladstone followed Peel in becoming a Liberal-Conservative, now believing strongly in free trade. In 1847 he returned to Parliament as MP for Oxford University, having lost his Newark seat. In 1858, he turned down a position in the Earl of Derby ’s Conservative government, because he no longer believed in protectionism and did not want to work with Disraeli . Instead he became Chancellor of the Exchequer in Aberdeen’s coalition of Whigs, Peelites and radicals in 1863, where he proved himself to be an outstanding minister. He was Chancellor again under Palmerston between 1859 and 1865, though their relationship was an uncomfortable one, and yet again under Russell from 1865 to 1866. During these years he became persuaded of the case for a wider franchise, saying: “Every man who is not presumably incapacitated by some consideration of personal unfitness or of political danger is morally entitled to come within the pale of the Constitution.” In 1867, Gladstone became leader of the Liberal party following Palmerston’s resignation, and became Prime Minister for the first time the following year. His policies were intended to improve individual liberty while loosening political and economic restraints. Ireland was another area of Gladstone’s concern. He successfully passed an act to disestablish the Church of Ireland and an Irish Land Act to tackle unfair landlords, but was defeated on an Irish University Bill proposing a new university in Dublin open to Catholics and Protestants. But in 1874 a heavy defeat at the general election led to his arch-rival Disraeli becoming Prime Minister. Gladstone retired as leader of the Liberal Party, but remained an intimidating opponent, attacking the government fiercely over their weak response to Turkish brutality in the Balkans, known as th