The Llanelli riots of August 1911, which left six men dead, were caused by a strike in which industry?

The Great Unrest and a Welsh town – International Socialism by ISJ Tim Evans The trade union leaders, almost to a man, deplored it, the government viewed it with alarm, the Independent Labour Party regretted this untoward disregard for the universal panacea of the ballot box, the Social Democratic Federation asked, “Can anything be more foolish, more harmful, more…unsocial than a strike”; yet disregarding everything, encouraged only by a small minority of syndicalist leaders, the great strike wave rolled on, threatening to sweep everything away before it. 1 In August 1911…a general strike developed on the railways. During those days a dim spectre of revolution hung over Britain. 2 The key confrontation of Britain’s first national railway strike—for better pay and an end to an unfair arbitration system—occurred on Saturday 19 August 1911 in Llanelli, a tinplate-producing town in south west Wales. The strike was part of one of the longest waves of sustained industrial rebellion in British working class history—the “Great Unrest” of 1910 to 1914. Unofficial rail strikes in Manchester and Liverpool spread elsewhere until the union leaders were forced to call a national stoppage. This hit the whole transport network: south Wales, because of its coal, tinplate and steel production and transport links to an insurgent Ireland, was a crucial area for British capitalism. In Llanelli mass picketing brought all rail traffic to a halt. Soldiers were drafted in as tinplate and other workers came onto the streets in solidarity, joining crowds of people from the railway and dockside communities. As strikers attempted physically to prevent a train passing through, soldiers of the Worcester regiment opened fire, killing two men and wounding others. Instead of being cowed by the carnage, the workers’ districts rose up in anger. Despite accusations of purposeless rampaging by “the mob”, there was a high degree of purpose and direction in the targets attacked. A magistrate who brought in the troops saw his shop looted and arson attacks made on two of his farms. Another magistrate’s shop had its windows smashed. A crowd of 500 attacked the police station where a scab engine driver was being held. Strikers and their supporters engaged in pitched battles with soldiers who tried to clear the streets at bayonet point. Many protesters received bayonet and baton wounds, avoiding hospital for fear of arrest. At the height of the disturbances the soldiers stood back and refused to engage, at one point penned in the railway station while crowds attacked it, smashing all the windows. For hours the authorities seemed paralysed, unable or unwilling to intervene as the trucks and sidings of the Great Western Railway Company were assailed, looted and torched, triggering an explosion which killed another four people. One soldier refused to fire on the crowd, was arrested, escaped from military custody and went on the run, raising the authorities’ fears of a wider mutiny. These events occurred in a town not especially noted for militancy. Llanelli was not viewed as a potential flashpoint by the authorities. It was said that in 1911 political violence there had been unknown since Liberal Party supporters had lobbed a brick through the windows of the Conservative Club during the 1885 General Election campaign. 3 Although the miners of nearby Trimsaran had been locked out nine months prior to the strike, with rioting in the village in January, Llanelli itself had not been affected by the wildcat strikes on the railways that had been breaking out elsewhere since the beginning of August. So sanguine had the authorities been that 15 local police officers from Llanelli had been sent to Tonypandy, to police the continuing unrest in the coalfields of the Cambrian Combine. And on Wednesday 9 August another 25 officers left to augment police numbers at Cardiff, where seafarers, dockers and transport workers had been on strike. In Llanelli politics the Liberal Party was hegemonic, epitomised in the personage of W Llewelyn Williams, chair of the Baptists’ Union, barriste


Who reigned over England for more than half of the 13th century?

BBC - History -   British History in depth: Overview: The Middle Ages, 1154 - 1485 Print this page Norman legacy In December 1154, the young and vigorous Henry II became king of England following the anarchy and civil war of Stephen's reign. Stephen had acknowledged Henry, grandson of Henry I of England, as his heir-designate. His eldest son, Eustace, had died in 1153, but his younger son, who might have succeeded, lived on as count of Mortain. Primogeniture was not then established in England. The Britain of Henry II, and of his sons Richard I and John, was experiencing rapid population growth, clearance of forest for fields, establishment of new towns and outward-looking crusading zeal. The families of Balliol, Bruce and Wallace, dominant in Scottish medieval history, all derived from French origins. The country also witnessed the cultural feast of the '12th-century renaissance' in the arts, exemplified by the Winchester Bible of c. 1160, created from the skins of over 300 calves and lavishly decorated with lapis lazuli and gold applied by a team of manuscript illuminators from continental Europe. Legacies of the Norman invasion of 1066 remained. The aristocracy spoke French until after 1350, so saxon 'ox' and 'swine', for example, came to the table as French boeuf and porc. North of 'sassenach' (Saxon) England, Normanised lowland Scotland (which shared a common vernacular dialect with England North of the Humber) remained distinct from the Highlands where Gaelic flourished. The families of Balliol, Bruce and Wallace, dominant in Scottish medieval history, all derived from French origins - a minority overlaying the population of Scots. Ireland was less dominated by Normans. However, much of the regional indigenous culture survived despite Norman monarchy and aristocracy. Conwy Castle in Carnarvonshire, north west Wales    © A combination of external factors made England more inward-looking and more dissonant after 1200. Internationally the crusading ideal was weakening. The Battle of Hattin and the recapture of Jerusalem by Muslims in 1187 were considerable blows to western hopes. Richard I's subsequent failure to recapture the city in his campaign against Saladin was discouraging. Worse still, the crusading ideal was fractured in 1204 with the siege and capture of Christian Constantinople by a crusading force destined for infidel Egypt, and led by Venetians. Crusading never recovered. English barons became increasingly conscious of their Englishness, which they declared in anti-foreign attitudes John's loss of French lands soon after 1200 also made England more inward-looking and frustrated. Population continued to rise in the 1200s, primogeniture became more established and there were many younger warrior sons looking for lands and glory. Henry III (1216 - 1272) was not a soldierly king. His half-hearted campaigns in France were unsuccessful in regaining lands lost by his father, John. By the Treaty of Paris (1259) he admitted failure and secured remote Gascony by giving up claims to lands in northern France, including iconic Normandy. Henry III's reign witnessed many closer links with France, where Louis IX (St Louis) was his brother-in-law. French culture was echoed in Britain, especially in Gothic architecture. But despite Frenchness of manners and names, English barons became increasingly conscious of their Englishness, which they declared in anti-foreign attitudes which focused on immigrant courtiers. It is no accident that scholars have dubbed the spare, simple Gothic architecture of the 13th century 'Early English', epitomised by Salisbury Cathedral, largely built between 1220 and 1258. Top England dominant Crusading continued during the 13th century, indeed Edward I (1272 - 1307) was away crusading when his father died in 1272 and did not return for two years. Such a smooth transition was a tribute to effective government administration in England. Incredibly, centralised financial record-keeping on the great roll of the exchequer survives unbroken from early in Henry II's reign. Tributes to growing inst


Australian classical guitarist born in 1941 and American composer who has won 5 Oscars and 7 BAFTAs.

Schindlers List Guitar Pro tab by John Williams Artists: A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z Schindlers List Guitar Pro  by John Williams There are at least four artists with this name:  1) John Towner Williams (film score composer) 2) John Christopher Williams (classical guitarist) 3) John Williams (Irish musician) 4) John Williams (blues/jazz guitarist) 5) John Knowles Williams 1) John Towner Williams (born February 8, 1932) is one of the most widely recognized composers of film scores. As of 2006, he has received 45 music-related Academy Award nominations, an accomplishment surpassed only by Walt Disney. Early scores and compositions are credited as Johnny Williams.


Leader of the Virginia colony in Jamestown in the early 17th century and a post-war leader of the Labour Party.

No Title c. 800 A.D.: Native-American introduction of domesticated plants in Virginia area c. 1200: Permanent Native-American villages established in Virginia area 1584: Sir Walter Raleigh's sends out an exploration party to the New World, heading for Florida. They land on Roanoke Island. Raleigh names what is now the South-East United States "Virginia" after his benefactor Elizabeth I, the Virgin Queen. 1585: Sir Walter Raleigh's 2nd expedition consists of seven vessels, which reach Roanoke Island in June. Expedition member John White makes remarkable watercolors and drawings of the Indians and flora of the country. The colonists antagonize the local Indians, members of Powhatan's confederacy, over the perceived theft of a silver cup. June 19, 1586: Sir Francis Drake carries back to England the beleagured colonists. They arrive in England six weeks later, carrying 2 unique items indigenous to the Americas: the white potato, and tobacco. Unable to feed about 500 black and Indian prisoners liberated from his attack on Santo Domingo, Drake leaves them all on Roanoke I. Their survival extremely doubtful, they are never heard from again. Although some English sailors, most notably those under Sir John Hawkins' command, used tobacco throughout the 16th century, this event is considered by some the first formal introduction of tobacco to England. July 22, 1587: Raleigh's 3rd expedition to Virginia, consisting of three ships carrying about 115 settlers, lands on Roanoke Island. John White, the artist, is governor. After a few months, 1/3 of the settlers are dead from famine and disease. August 18, 1587: Virginia Dare, John White's grandchild, is born in Roanoke--the first English child to be born in America. John White is sent off to England in the sole remaining ship for help. He leaves behind his daughter and her new-born child, Virginia Dare--the first English child to be born in the Americas. But back home, Spain is assembling an Armada to crush England, and no ship may be spared for the return voyage. 1590: John White is finally able to return to Roanoke Island. The fort is deserted, with only one word scrawled on a doorpost left as a clue to where the missing colonists may be: "Croatoan," a nearby island with friendly Iindians. But before the party can investigate, fierce storms force the ship's captain to return to England. Though England sends several expeditions to search for them, the fate of the "Lost Colony" remains a mystery today. 1606+: America and advertising begin to grow together. One of the first products heavily marketed is America itself. Richard Hofstadter called the Virginia Company's recruitment effort for its new colony, "one of the first concerted and sustained advertising campaigns in the history of the modern world." The out-of-place, out-of-work "gentlemen" in an overpopulated England were sold quite a bill of goods about the bountiful land and riches to be had in the New World. Daniel J. Boorstin has mused whether "there was a kind of natural selection here of those people who were willing to believe in advertising." 1606: ENGLAND: Sir Walter Raleigh is imprisoned in the Tower 1606-12: ENGLAND: Admiral Christopher Newport takes the Susan Constant, Godspeed and Discovery out of London, bound for Virginia with 140 Colonists. During the voyage, Newport places John Smith under arrest for mutiny. Smith is scheduled to be hanged. "A pair of gallowes was made, but Captain Smith, for whome they were intended, could not be persuaded to use them," Smith's journal reads. 1607-05-13: FIRST permanent English settlement in the New World begins. 105 men and boys land at Jamestown. Secret orders opened upon landing name John Smith as one of the Councillors. 1607-05-26: Paspahegh Indians attack settlers, killing two, wounding ten. 1607-06-15: The triangular James Fort is completed 1607-06-22: Chistopher Newport sets sail back for London, loaded with "treasure"--fool's gold and dirt. 1607-08: Disease is rampant. The sixt of August there died John Asbie of the bloudie Fluxe. The ninth day died George Flowre of the s


At which ground in Auckland will the final of the Rugby Union World Cup be played on the 23rd of this month?

New Zealand v Wales: Sam Warburton wants adventure against All Blacks - BBC Sport BBC Sport New Zealand v Wales: Sam Warburton wants adventure against All Blacks By Owen Rawlings BBC Wales Sport in Auckland, New Zealand 9 Jun From the section Welsh Rugby Share this page Sam Warburton has captained Wales a record 45 times New Zealand v Wales (first Test) Venue: Eden Park, Auckland Date: Saturday, 11 June 2016 Kick-off: 08:35 BST Coverage: Live commentary on BBC Radio Wales, BBC Radio Cymru, the BBC Sport app, Connected TV, and live text commentary on the BBC Sport website. Wales captain Sam Warburton says his side must not be afraid to take risks against New Zealand on Saturday. Wales have not beaten the All Blacks in 26 matches since 1953 and the world champions are undefeated at Eden Park since 1994. Flanker Warburton, who starts after a shoulder injury, returns to the ground for the first time since being sent off for a tip-tackle in the 2011 World Cup semi-final defeat by France. "He who dares wins," Warburton said. Wales are yet to beat New Zealand on their own turf and the All Blacks have won their last 34 games at the Auckland ground. Wales' summer fixtures: 18 June: New Zealand (Wellington) 25 June: New Zealand (Dunedin) The match will be New Zealand's first since beating Australia 34-17 in the 2015 World Cup final. Steve Hansen's side are favourites to win the three-Test series, but Warburton, 27, says Wales must take the game to the home team. "There are going to be opportunities in the game where it might be on to go out the back or it might be on for somebody to blitz. If it comes off it pays dividends," he said. "You're going to have to take a few risks on Saturday, you can't be conservative and expect to win." Wales coach Warren Gatland added: "When the opportunity arises, we've got to be expansive, we've got to take risks and we've got to play rugby. Often the difference between one side and the other is just a bit of magic." Sam Warburton was sent off for this tackle on Vincent Clerc in 2011 at Eden Park Warburton's controversial red card against France in 2011 came as Wales' World Cup dream ended with a 9-8 defeat. But the British and Irish Lion says returning to the scene of heartbreak will not play on his psyche. "There's so much water under the bridge since then. That never even crosses my mind," said Warburton. "This is a brand new challenge, to play the All Blacks out here." More from BBC Wales Sport


In which Asian city were the 14th swimming World Championships held in July this year?

Shanghai awarded 2011 world championships | Reuters Sat Mar 24, 2007 | 3:36 AM EDT Shanghai awarded 2011 world championships Laure Manaudou of France exits the pool during a training session at the World Aquatics Championships in Melbourne March 24, 2007. hanghai has been chosen to host the 2011 world swimming championships. Reuters/Tim Chong MELBOURNE Shanghai has been chosen to host the 2011 world swimming championships, the sport's governing body FINA said on Saturday. The Chinese city fought off a rival bid from the Doha capital Qatar for the right to stage the 14th edition of the event. Chinese bid officials said the championships were likely to be staged in July that year, 12 months before the 2012 London Olympics. The 12th edition of the championships are currently taking place in Melbourne and due to end on April 1. The 2009 championships will be held in Rome from July 19-August 2. ADVERTISEMENT


Since 1895 the Wooden Spoon for finishing bottom of cricket's County Championship has been won most often (15 times) by which county?

County Championship : definition of County Championship and synonyms of County Championship (English)   History   Constitution The official County Championship was constituted in a meeting at Lord's Cricket Ground with representatives of the first-class county clubs on 10 December 1889. "While the secretaries were engaged in making the fixtures the representatives of the eight leading counties held a private meeting to discuss the method by which the county championship should in future be decided. The meeting was, we understand, not quite unanimous, but a majority were in favour of ignoring drawn games altogether and settling the championship by wins and losses." [3] Under this system defeats were subtracted from victories and the county with the highest total were champions. The new competition began in the 1890 season and at first featured Gloucestershire County Cricket Club , Kent County Cricket Club , Lancashire County Cricket Club , Middlesex County Cricket Club , Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club , Surrey County Cricket Club , Sussex County Cricket Club and Yorkshire County Cricket Club .   "Champion County" Until 1890, the concept of an unofficial championship existed whereby various claims would be made by or on behalf of a particular club as the "Champion County", an archaic term which now has the specific meaning of an unofficial claimant for the County Championship title prior to 1890. In contrast, the term "County Champions" applies in common parlance to a team that has won the official title since 1890. The most usual means of claiming the unofficial title was by popular or press acclaim. In the majority of cases, the claim or proclamation was retrospective, often by cricket writers using reverse analysis via a study of known results. The unofficial title was not proclaimed in every season up to 1889 because in many cases there were not enough matches or there was simply no clear candidate. Having already been badly hit by the Seven Years War , county cricket ceased altogether during the Napoleonic Wars and there was a period from 1797 to 1824 during which no inter-county matches took place. The concept of the unofficial title has been utilised ad hoc and relied on sufficient interest being shown.   Origin of concept It is difficult to know when the concept originated. While early matches were often between XIs named after counties, they were not the club teams the usage would imply today. Rowland Bowen states in his history that earliest usage of the term "County Championship" occurred in 1837 re a match between Kent and Nottinghamshire . [4] That may be so re the actual terminology but closer examination of the sources does indicate a much earlier expression of the idea. The earliest known inter-county match was in 1709 between Kent and Surrey but match results are unknown until the 1720s. The first time a source refers to the superiority of one county is in respect of a match between Edward Stead 's XI and Sir William Gage 's XI at Penshurst Park in August 1728. Stead's XI won by an unknown margin although Gage's XI "needed just 7 (more?) in their second innings". [5] The source says that the game could be called Kent v Sussex as the players were reported as 11 of each county. Sir William Gage was a Sussex landowner and Edward Stead was a resident of Maidstone in Kent. Evidently Mr Stead's Kent team also won two games earlier that season against the Duke of Richmond 's XI (also representative of Sussex). The source states that (Stead's victory over Sir William Gage's XI) was the third time this summer that the Kent men have been too expert for those of Sussex. [5] This clearly implies that Kent was considered to be the champion county at that time. In 1729, Sir William Gage’s Sussex team defeated Kent on 5 September: "The latter got (within three) in one hand, as the former did in two hands, so the Kentish men threw it up". This may have been the earliest known innings victory. The report goes on to say that Thomas Waymark "turned the scale of victory, which for some years past has been generally on th


In inches, how high should the net be in a game of table tennis?

Table Tennis Net You Are Here: Home » Choosing Table Tennis Equipment » Net and Post Sets Table Tennis Net and Post Set Top tips to help you choose your ideal table tennis net. Discover what you need to know before you buy a net and post set. A table tennis net isn't one of the most exciting pieces of equipment, but it's still an important one. There are loads of different styles of net and post sets available, so if you need to buy one you'll need to know what to look for and what to avoid. Unlike some items of equipment such as the ball, a bad net won't necessarily spoil your game, but if it doesn't look good or it's difficult to set up and adjust, it shouldn't be used for serious play. So let's take a look at what you need to know about choosing a table tennis net that's suitable for YOUR needs.   So what do you need to look for when choosing a net and post set? Let's start with the basics... What do the rules say about the net and posts? Law 2.02 states... THE NET ASSEMBLY The net assembly shall consist of the net, its suspension and the supporting posts, including the clamps attaching them to the table. The net shall be suspended by a cord attached at each end to an upright post 15.25cm high, the outside limits of the post being 15.25cm  outside the side line. The top of the net, along its whole length, shall be 15.25cm above the playing surface. The bottom of the net, along its whole length, shall be as close as possible to the playing surface and the ends of the net shall be attached to  the supporting posts from top to bottom.   So this means that the net must be... 6 feet (1.83m) long 6 inches (15.25 cm) high, and that the top of the net must be the same height along its whole length and the bottom of the net must be as close as possible (but not touching) the playing surface and the ends of the net must be attached to the supporting posts from top to bottom However, when you're choosing a net, you may also need to consider the... International Regulations Before we go any further, it's important to know the difference between the The Laws of Table Tennis (commonly referred to as the rules) and the International Regulations. The Laws are the "basic" rules of the game and are mandatory for all sanctioned table tennis events, whereas the International Regulations contain supplementary rules which are used in addition to the Laws in all international events and also in many higher-level domestic events. So the basic rules for a net are as set out above, but if your net will be used in a competition where the International Regulations are being used, it will also have to be one which has been approved by the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF). You'll find a list of approved nets below . Let's now take a look at... The function of the net Buy Your Net & Posts Here Butterfly, Stiga, Joola & more So what are some of the additional requirements needed in order to get on the list of... ITTF approved nets If your net is going to be used in sanctioned events, the net assembly must be one which has been approved by the the International Table Tennis Federation . And in order to receive ITTF approval, a net assembly must comply with lots of different criteria. These include... The upright post must be a single matt colour, and cannot be white or yellow. The net must be made of soft dark mesh and have a white or pale yellow top (tape) not more than 15mm high. The mesh should be made of spun fibre rather than single filament and the knots should be firm and regular. The mesh should not be less than 7.5mm square or more than 12.5mm square.   So, how do you choose the right table tennis net for YOU? Choosing a suitable net and post set Well, if you're looking for a table tennis net to use at home, or for a table that won't be used for serious competitive play, then there's a vast range of different nets to choose from. Although some new table tennis tables have a net and post set supplied with them, in most cases you'll need to choose your own net and post set separately. Generally, there are three types of net ass


"Which species of python is the longest snake in the world and gets its name from the Latin for ""net-like"" because of the patterns on its skin?"

Reticulate Python - Python reticulatus - Overview - Encyclopedia of Life Description[ edit ] P. reticulatus head This species is the largest snake native to Asia . More than a thousand wild reticulated pythons in southern Sumatra estimated from 1.5 to 6.5 m (4.9 to 21.3 ft) in length and in weight from 1 to 75 kg (2.2 to 165.3 lb). [7] In general, reticulated pythons with lengths of more than 6 m (19.7 ft) are rare, though according to the Guinness Book of World Records it is the only extant snake to regularly exceed that length. [8] A reticulated python of the same length as a green anaconda may weigh only half as much as the bulkier anaconda. [8] One of the largest scientifically measured specimens, from Balikpapan , East Kalimantan , Indonesia , was measured under anesthesia at 6.95 m (22.8 ft) and weighed 59 kg (130 lb) after not having eaten for 3 months. [5] Currently Guinness World Records lists a snake named Medusa in Kansas City, Missouri , U.S. , as the longest snake ever accurately measured in captivity, at 7.67 m (25.2 ft) and 158.8 kg (350 lb). [9] Widely published data of specimens that were reported to be several feet longer have not been confirmed. Even the specimen once widely accepted as the largest-ever "accurately" measured snake, that being Colossus, a male kept at the Highland Park Zoo (now Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium ) in Pittsburgh , Pennsylvania , during the 1950s and early 1960s, with a peak reported length of 8.7 m (28.5 ft), recently turned out to be wrong. When Colossus died on April 14, 1963, its body was deposited in the Carnegie Museum of Natural History . At that time its skeleton was measured and found to be 20 ft 10 in (6.35 m) in total length, significantly shorter than the measurement previously published by Barton and Allen. Apparently, they had been adding a few extra feet to the measurements to compensate for "kinks", since it is virtually impossible to completely straighten an extremely large live python. Too large to be preserved with formaldehyde and then stored in alcohol , the specimen was instead prepared as a disarticulated skeleton. The hide was sent to a laboratory to be tanned , but it was either lost or destroyed. [10] Numerous reports have been made of larger snakes, but since none of these were measured by a scientist nor any of the specimens deposited at a museum, they must be regarded as unproven and possibly erroneous. In spite of what was for many years a standing offer of $50,000 for a live, healthy snake over 9.1 m (29.9 ft) long by the New York Zoological Society (NYZS), known since 1993 as the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), no attempt to claim this reward was ever made. [11] Skull diagram The color pattern is a complex geometric pattern that incorporates different colors. The back typically has a series of irregular diamond shapes flanked by smaller markings with light centers. In this species' wide geographic range, much variation of size, color, and markings commonly occurs. The "reticulated" net-like patterning that gives the reticulated python its name In zoo exhibits the color pattern may seem garish, but in a shadowy jungle environment amid fallen leaves and debris it allows them to virtually disappear. Called disruptive coloration , it protects them from predators and helps them to catch their prey. [12] The smooth dorsal scales are arranged in 69–79 rows at midbody. There are deep pits on 4 anterior upper labials , on 2 or 3 anterior lower labials , and on 5 or 6 posterior lower labials. [13] Reticulated pythons are found in Southeast Asia from the Nicobar Islands , northeast India , Bangladesh , Burma , Thailand , Laos , Cambodia , Vietnam , Malaysia , and Singapore , east through Indonesia and the Indo-Australian Archipelago ( Sumatra , the Mentawai Islands , the Natuna Islands , Borneo , Sulawesi , Java , Lombok , Sumbawa , Sumba , Flores , Timor , Maluku , Tanimbar Islands ) and the Philippines ( Basilan , Bohol , Cebu , Leyte , Luzon , Mindanao , Mindoro , Negros , Palawan , Panay , Polillo , Samar , Tawi-Tawi ). The original description do


Talisker distillery, which has produced a single malt whisly of the same name since 1820, is the only distillery on which Scottish island?

Recent blog posts - Whisky News Whisky News News   This month Charles reviews The Bowmore Black Rock, exclusive to travel retail. Islay Shipwrecks by Peter Moir and Ian Crawford makes for grim reading [Google 'Islay Shipwrecks' to see a summary of the book]. Literally hundreds of ships have gone down around the island from Viking times to the present day: the book describes 41 from between 1851 and 1974, but these are only the visible ones or those with remains which can be inspected by divers.  The island lies to the north-east of the North Channel, the main artery for shipping between the Western Approaches from the Atlantic and the Clyde and Northern England ports. The prevailing winds are south-westerly – making Islay a dreaded ‘lee shore’ – and when this is combined with heavy tides, treacherous water and many off-shore and in-shore hazards, it is little wonder that the island becomes the final resting place of so many ships. The Black Rock is one such hazard. This fearsome tidal reef  - a sgeir in Gaelic - is located in Loch Indaal, within sight of the distillery. It is illustrated on the bottle’s carton and has inspired the name of this expression of Bowmore, as part of a range... News This month Charles reviews The Glenlivet, Nàdurra First Fill Selection, exclusive to travel retail.  The release of a new Nàdurra is always a matter for celebration. Last year's was drawn from Spanish oak ex-sherry casks; this year's follows the earlier batches in being drawn from first fill American white oak ex-bourbon casks. The distinguishing factor in the range is that each batch is small. I have been unable to find out just how many casks went into this expression, but they are all ‘first fill’ – they have never before been used to mature Scotch whisky. As a result the casks are very ‘active’: they impart an unusually high level of the flavours associated with American white oak – particularly vanilla and coconut.As the brand became more widely available it won several highly prestigious awards, including a double gold at the 2011 San Francisco World Spirits Competition, gold medals at the 2011 and 2012 International Wine & Spirits Awards and silver medals at the 2011 and 2012 International Spirits Challenge. The whisky is bottled at the higher strength of 48%ABV, which allows Alan Winchester, The Glenlivet’s Master Distiller, to bottle it without chill-filtration. This is important. Chill-filtration is a process which removes compounds... News   This month Charles reviews the Oban Little Bay, exclusive to travel retail. 'Oban' is easy to say and order in the bar or the liquor store. There is no doubt that this has helped introduce this excellent malt to many, who have now become devotees – especially in the United States, which is the brand's principal market.   Bruichladdich, Bunnahabhain, Auchroisk, Etc. eat your hearts out…! Now Diageo are releasing a new expression of Oban. It’s named Little Bay and is a translation of the place-name (according to Wikipedia), although my Gaelic dictionary tells me that although Òb is Gaelic for a ‘creek’ or ‘haven’, ‘little’ is beag. (ban is used mainly to indicate ‘female’). Anyhow, you get the picture.  Oban Bay is certainly a ‘haven’ – a lovely, sheltered bay, protected to the south and west by the island of Kerrera, and to the east by the mainland, with a peninsula surmounted by the ruins of Dunollie Castle guarding it from northern gales. This headland has been fortified since the Bronze Age, and humans have taken shelter in Oban Bay since Stone Age times: in 1890 a cave was discovered behind Oban Distillery while the guys were blasting... News   This month Charles reviews the travel exclusive Mortlach Special Strength.     Mortlach Distillery is discreetly situated in a wooded glen on the southern edge of Dufftown – the first licensed distillery in the town which would become the ‘whisky capital’ of Speyside, with eight distilleries – and draws its water from ‘Highlander John’s Well’, much esteemed by illicit distillers.   It was founded in 1824 by one James Findlater, but he soon r


Which comes first in an alphabetical list of the plays of William Shakespeare?

Complete List of Shakespeare Plays Complete List of Shakespeare Plays List of Shakespeare Plays: The Complete Works of William Shakespeare.  Photo © Last Resort / Getty Images By Lee Jamieson Updated September 11, 2016. It is believed that Shakespeare wrote 38 plays in total between 1590 and 1612. This list of Shakespeare plays brings together all 38 plays in the order in which they were first performed. The exact order and dates of the first performances of Shakespeare’s plays are difficult to prove – and are therefore often in dispute. For arguments sake, the dates used in this list of Shakespeare plays are approximate. Chronological List of Shakespeare Plays: Henry VI Part II (1590-1591) Henry VI Part III (1590-1591) Henry VI Part I (1591-1592) Richard III (1592-1593) The Comedy of Errors (1592-1593) Titus Andronicus (1593-1594) The Taming of the Shrew (1593-1594) The Two Gentlemen of Verona (1594-1595) Love’s Labour’s Lost (1594-1595) The Merchant of Venice (1596-1597) Henry IV Part I (1597-1598) Henry IV Part II (1597-1598) continue reading below our video 10 Best Universities in the United States Henry V (1598-1599) As You Like It (1599-1600) Twelfth Night (1599-1600) The Merry Wives of Windsor (1600-1601) Troilus and Cressida (1601-1602) All’s Well That Ends Well (1602-1603) Measure for Measure (1604-1605)


What sort of creature is the Shikra. Is it a bird, an antelope or a fish?

Weird Animals You Won't Believe Aren't Photoshopped | BizarBin.com I bet you wish some of these weird animals were photoshopped!! Weird animals: The Pacu Fish Yes, that really is a fish with human teeth that seems in bad need of some flossing. Pacu fish are cousins to the Piranha but are mostly fruit eaters that use their human-like teeth to crack nuts and fruits. Apparently, they are not that picky on what kind of nuts as there have been reports of men bleeding to death after a Pacu Fish had bitten off their testicles … The Gerenuk —————————————————————— The gerenuk, Litocranius walleri, also known as the Waller’s gazelle, is a long-necked species of antelope found in dry thorn bush scrub and desert in East Africa, from Somalia, Djibouti and eastern Ethiopia through northern and eastern Kenya to northeastern Tanzania. The word gerenuk (pronounced with a hard g) comes from the Somali language, meaning “giraffe-necked”. Gerenuk are sometimes also called the giraffe-necked antelope. This bizarre animal is the sole member of the genus Litocranius and we are proud to give it 4 out of 5 stars on the bizarro meter, simply by  looking like a perfect giraffe, gazelle photo-mashup. The Cassowary, aka the Australian Velociraptor —————————————————————— What seems like a cgi scene lifted from Jurassic Park is in fact a flightless bird called the Cassowary. Not only is this the world’s deadliest bird, but it’s also one of the most dangerous things you can bump into in Australia period, which is saying a lot when 90% of the wildlife there is capable of destroying you. This Ostrich from hell takes protecting it’s territory very, VERY seriously, and will brutally murder anything perceived as a threat (you!) with it’s razor-sharp claws. They can reach heights of up to 7ft and there are many records of natives being seriously injured or killed by this, finely-tuned, writing machine of death. Oh… and if you think I am exaggerating then be sure to check out the video. Welcome to Australia, the only place in the world where you can get disemboweled by a bird! The Giant Isopod What would happen if these two had a baby? AAAHHHH!!! The only uplifting thing to say — after realising that such a horrifying thing exists — is that it seems to have a taste for Doritos, rather then human brains. This bizarre animal is related to the common Pill Bug and, according to fossil record, have existed for over 160 million years. Even though it looks like these creatures could easily take over the world if they wanted to, they are actually quite harmless, deep-sea scavengers. Snakehead Fish —————————————————————— This scary looking fish is called a Snakehead. They are known for its voracious appetite, often consuming all other fish in a lake or pond and even eating its young. It can also slither across land and stay out of water for up to three days to find new sources of food. Once on land, snakeheads can eat almost any small animal in its path, and have even attacked people who got too close to snakehead egg nesting areas. If these things could fly, mankind would have declared war on them a long, long time ago… The Saiga Antelope  —————————————————————— Have you ever wondered what would happen if an antelope had a baby with the alien from the Mos Eisley Cantina? It would probably look pretty close to this… The Saiga Antelope is one of the world’s most ancient mammals, having shared the Earth with saber-toothed tigers and woolly mammoths, 250,000 years ago. Thought to be extinct at one time, they are also referred to as living fossils. The Smooth Long Necked Turtle —————————————————————— I know what you’re thinking. “This is either a Photoshop or someone threaded a snake through a turtle”. But this species of turtle have such long necks that they aren’t able to pull it back into their shell, which is basically the only good thing about being a turtle. They do have skunk superpowers though and can produce a offensive smelling liquid if threatened.   The Rain Frog: Cute meets Freaky —————————————————————— In this case I suggest you just watch the movie as no wo


Which chemical compound is sometimes called baking soda or bread soda?

Science of Bread: Bread Science 101 | Exploratorium Chinese                 Taro Root Buns From     Chinese baozi to Armenian lavash, bread     comes in thousands of forms. What do they have in common?     On the most basic level, they all involve cooking a     mixture of milled grains and water. Armenian lavash Imagine     a continuum of breads, ranging from the thinnest flatbreads     to the fluffiest brioche. Some are amazingly     simple: Matzoh, for example, is nothing more     than flour and water, baked until crisp. Raised breads,     on the other hand, involve the complex interactions     between flour and the leaveners that give them their     porous, tender quality. Leaveners     come in two main forms: baking powder or soda and yeast. Matzoh Baking     powder or baking soda work quickly, relying on chemical     reactions between acidic and alkaline compounds to produce     the carbon dioxide necessary to inflate dough or batter     (more on this later). Baking powder and baking soda     are used to leaven baked goods that have a delicate     structure, ones that rise quickly as carbon dioxide     is produced, such as quick breads like cornbread and     biscuits. Saccharomyces      cerevisiae, or baker's yeast. Photos courtesy      of Peter Hollenhorst and Catherine Fox. Yeast,     on the other hand, is a live, single-celled fungus.     There are about 160 species of yeast, and many of them     live all around us. However, most people are familiar     with yeast in its mass-produced form: the beige granules     that come in little paper packets. This organism lies     dormant until it comes into contact with warm water.     Once reactivated, yeast begins feeding on the sugars     in flour, and releases the carbon dioxide that makes     bread rise (although at a much slower rate than baking     powder or soda). Yeast also adds many of the distinctive     flavors and aromas we associate with bread. For more     on yeast, check out our fun yeast     activity . But     leavening agents would just be bubbling brews without     something to contain them. Heres where flour comes     in. There are lots of different types of flour used     in bread, but the most commonly used in raised bread     is wheat flour. This is because wheat flour contains     two proteins, glutenin and gliadin, which,     when combined with water, form gluten. As you knead     the dough, the gluten becomes more and more stretchy.     This gum-like substance fills with thousands of gas     bubbles as the yeast goes to work during rising. gluten     animation To     learn more about gluten, check out the gluten     animation . Starch,     a carbohydrate that makes up about 70% of flour     by weight, also gets in on the act. When starch granules     are attacked by enzymes present in flour, they release     the sugars that yeast feeds on. Starch also reinforces     gluten and absorbs water during baking, helping the     gluten to contain the pockets of gas produced by the     yeast. Sometimes,     a baker will let the dough rise several times, allowing     the gluten to develop more completely and the yeast     to add more of its flavors. When the dough is finally     cookedeither in an oven, over a fire, or in a     steamer, depending on what kind of bread youre     bakingthe yeast inside it continues feeding, and     the pockets of gas in the dough continue to expand.     As the temperature of the cooking dough rises, the yeast     eventually dies, the gluten hardens, and the dough solidifies.     Et voilà! Bread! For     more about bread science, check out these links !


Which member of the woodwind family of musical instruments, a sort of half-sized flute, gets its name from the Italian for small?

10 Best Woodwind Instruments - Top Ten List - TheTopTens® 10 Best Woodwind Instruments The Top Ten 1 Clarinet I play clarinet. It is so fun and easy to play. Some fingerlings are difficult, but it really pays off! It is nor too low sounding, nor too high-pitched! It is perfect! LONG LIVE THE CLARINETS! I've been playing the clarinet for almost 2 years now and I have loved it from the beginning. The great thing is that it uses the same noting as the piano, so it works with that too. It's pretty easy once you get going, even the high notes can be challenging, it pays off if you really practice them. GO THE CLARINETS! CLARINETS 4 LIFE! The clarinet is the best instrument ever. It is right in the middle of the flute and saxophone yet is small and lightweight. It has the largest range of notes music styles and dynamics of any woodwind instrument. It is also the most important instrument to any concert band's sound. The clarinet has the largest range of different members of its family. The clarinet can be used in marching bands, symphony orchestras, chamber ensembles, jazz bands, big bands, Latin jazz, rock n roll, pop, commercial music, country, samba, or salsa music. The clarinet is one of the most expressive and flexible instruments ever created, having a tone and range closest to the human voice. It can sound expressive as a solo instrument or as a section. CLARINETS ARE AMAZING. The clarinet is not even hard to play if you are determined to play it! The vibrato makes the clarinet have a delicate and wonderful tone and I just love playing it! V 82 Comments 2 Flute I was torn between flute and oboe, but I just gotta give it to the flutes. The sound they make is so heavenly and peaceful, and they are just so much fun to play once you master them. Some good flute playing will have you doze off into a dreamy meadow land, where flowers are blooming and butterflies are fluttering about. At least that's what happens to me when I listen to the beauty of the flute. I'm excited for the day where I can master the flute and play it that well. The flute is awesome. It's challenging, but to pay off, everything's gotta be challenging, right. For some people it's easy, and makes a very elegant, beautiful sound. Has a nice deep sound and there's so much pretty music written for the flute. I play the flute, and it was so easy to pick up. Once you learn how to make a sound, and learn high notes, it becomes not only challenging, but incredibly fun! I suggest the flue to anyone with patience and a strong love for music. I am going to play the flute. My mom said it sounds heavenly. V 48 Comments 3 Saxophone I play the saxophone and it is honestly a very good instrument. Unlike the flute, it has enough power to play unaccompanied. Flutes get drowned under other instruments but I must say, do sound quite nice when playing solo. The sax can play a variety of genres and when you hear a sax play among other instruments, it is the first thing you hear! It is beautiful and even a person who knows nothing about music or instruments can recognise it. I feel confident and dominant when playing the instrument. The clarinet has my second vote but the saxophone is definitely first! I play the Saxophone right now, and compared to every instrument, I could have I wouldn't change from the saxophone. You can play jazz, your loud, strong and independent. I have tried Clarinets, flutes, and Trumpet, none can compare to the sax. It's just the instrument to me that has that special vibe. Besides the sax, in woodwinds, most definitely the clarinets. But as a Sax player I feel it's one of the best instruments. Not just because it's the one I play, because it's truly, a beautiful instrument! I've been playing the saxophone for six years, and it has always been my favorite woodwind to play. I play both clarinet and bass clarinet in various ensembles, along with flute as a soloing instrument. The saxophone has always done the best job of giving me my own sound and lyrically versatile voice. It effortlessly hops from genre to genre with different mouthpiece setups, and i


People travel to Goat Island in New York State, USA, to get spectacular views of which natural phenomenon?

Fun Things To Do in Niagara Falls - Attractions & Must See - VirtualTourist - Page 8   Niagara Adventure Theater on the American Side "Legends come to life during this spectacular 45-minute movie Niagara: Legends of Adventure. While you enjoy the comfort of a dry seat the thunderous sound of Niagara Falls is delivered straight to you through digital Dolby surround sound and the 275-seat auditorium with stadium seating ensures that you’re right where you want to be – in the middle of the action. Feel the power see behind the mist and learn about the myths and mysteries of one of the most famous natural wonders on the planet. You’ll hear about early settlers and explorers who took on Niagara Falls and the daredevils who made it famous."""   Niagara Falls Day Trip from Boston by Air "Niagara Falls is simply amazing. The powerful combination of 3 separate waterfalls that make up Niagara must be experienced in person to realize their magnificence. On this self-guided day trip you will take a 1 hour flight from Boston to Niagara Falls USA. Before your in-flight coffee is cold you'll be landing right outside the Falls. A short transfer will put you in the heart of the Niagara Falls action – you’ll be in front of the famous Maid of the Mist. This tour includes a ticket on this famous sightseeing cruise getting you right up close to the thundering falls! (Substitute Niagara Theater in the winter)After a (sometimes wet) cruise stroll the city to visit various aerospace and science museums casinos   Niagara Falls Day Trip by Air "Niagara Falls is simply amazing. The powerful combination of 3 separate waterfalls that make up Niagara must be experienced in person to realize their magnificence. On this day trip you'll be picked up from your New York City hotel in the morning and whisked to the airport for a 1-hour flight to Niagara Falls USA. Before your in-flight coffee is cold you'll be landing right outside the Falls.Another short transfer will put you in the heart of the Niagara Falls action – you’ll be in front of the famous Maid of the Mist. This tour includes a ticket on t getting you right up close to the thundering falls! After a (sometimes wet) cruise stroll the city to visit various aerospace and science museums casinos observatories and much more. For the only panoramic view of all three Niagara Falls


Ynys Gybi is the Welsh name for which island?

Glannau Ynys Gybi/ Holy Island Coast - Special Area of Conservation - SAC - Habitats Directive Glannau Ynys Gybi/ Holy Island Coast Site details Location of Glannau Ynys Gybi/ Holy Island Coast SAC/SCI/cSAC Country West Wales and The Valleys Centroid* Designated Special Area of Conservation (SAC) Area (ha) 460.01 * This is the approximate central point of the SAC. In the case          of large, linear or composite sites, this may not represent          the location where a feature occurs within the SAC. General site character Shingle, Sea cliffs, Islets (25%) Inland water bodies (Standing water, Running water) (0.5%) Heath, Scrub, Maquis and Garrigue, Phygrana (71%) Dry grassland, Steppes (1%) Inland rocks, Screes, Sands, Permanent Snow and ice (2.5%) Boundary map and associated biodiversity information on the NBN Gateway. Natura 2000 standard data form for this site as submitted to Europe (PDF, < 100kb).   Note: When undertaking an appropriate assessment of impacts at a site, all features of European importance (both primary and non-primary) need to be considered. Annex I habitats that are a primary reason for selection of this site 1230  Vegetated sea cliffs of the Atlantic and Baltic Coasts Holy Island, off the north-west coast of Wales, has hard rock acidic cliffs and supports important examples of coastal cliff heathland vegetation. In addition to maritime heath with several rare species such as spotted rock-rose Tuberaria guttata, there are extensive maritime cliff-crevice and grassland communities. The maritime influence is not as extreme as in north Scotland, and this site represents an important part of the range of variation on the mid-west coast of the UK. 4030  European dry heaths Glannau Ynys Gybi/ Holy Island Coast is the most important site in north Wales for maritime forms of European dry heaths. The main NVC types are H7 Calluna vulgaris ï¿½ Scilla verna heath and H8 Calluna vulgaris ï¿½ Ulex gallii heath. The dry heathland is associated with small areas of wet heath and forms part of a complete zonation from maritime grassland through maritime heath to inland heath to inland heath with bracken Pteridium aquilinum to bramble Rubus fruticosus scrub. The heath is an important locus for spotted rock-rose Tuberaria guttata. Annex I habitats present as a qualifying feature, but not a primary     reason for selection of this site Annex II species that are a primary reason for selection of this site Not applicable.


Which island in the Indian Ocean has the highest population of any French island and sends five deputies to the National Assembly in Paris?

Interesting Facts About Reunion Island - Fun Facts About Reunion Island Fun & Interesting Facts about Reunion Island  Reunion Island is one of the overseas départements of France. Reunion Island is one of the twenty-six regions of France (being an overseas region) and an integral part of the Republic. Reunion Island was discovered by the Portuguese in the early 16th century and was uninhabited at that time. The capital of Reunion Island is Saint-Denis. Reunion Island was claimed by the French in 1643 and named as Bourbon. French established their first colony on the island, in 1662. The island was renamed as Reunion Union in 1793 Reunion Island remained a French colony throughout, except for a brief occupation by British, from 1810 to 1815. Sugarcane industry dominates the economy of Reunion Island.   The main exports of Reunion Island include sugar, seafood, rum, and vanilla. The official currency of Reunion Island is Euro. Majority of the people in Reunion Island are Catholics, followed by Hindus, Muslims and Buddhists. Reunion Island is quite mountainous and volcanic in origin. Piton des Neiges, at 10,069 ft (3,069 m), forms the highest point in Reunion Island. The lowest point in Reunion Island is formed by Indian Ocean, at 0 ft (0 m). Reunion Island was the first region in the world to use the euro, mainly because of being located in a time zone to the east of Europe. Administratively, Reunion Island has been divided into 4 arrondissements, 24 cantons, and 24 communes. Reunion Island serves as a useful stop for yachts sailing from the Mauritius to South Africa. Juan de Nova, Europa, Bassas da India, Iles Glorieuses and Tromelin are the uninhabited islands near Madagascar, administered by the Reunion Commissioner. Reunion Island is divided, by its mountain range, into the lush, rainier windward side in the south and the drier leeward side in the west. Reunion Island sends five deputies to the French National Assembly and three senators to the French Senate. Reunion Island is a part of the Indian Ocean Commission. The culture of Reunion Island is a blend of European, African, Indian, Chinese and insular traditions. Reunion Creole, derived from French, is the most widely spoken language in Reunion Island. Official language of Reunion Island is French. How to Cite


The Torres Strait lies between Australia and which island?

Torres Strait The map created by people like you! Torres Strait World / Papua New Guinea / Fly River / Daru World              / Australia              / Queensland  water, strait / channel / passage / narrows, invisible The Torres Strait is a body of water which lies between Australia and the Melanesian island of New Guinea. It is approximately 150 km wide at its narrowest extent. To the south is Cape York Peninsula, the northernmost continental extremity of the Australian state of Queensland. To the north is the Western Province of the independent state of Papua New Guinea. Torres Strait Name honours Luis Vaez de Torres who unknowlngly sailed throgh the strait in September 1606, six months after the Dutch vessel Duyfken sailed these waters. It came from the west but failed to find a passage through, and followed the eastern coast of the Gulf of Carpentaria south instead. Nearby cities: Kota Merauke, Port Moresby, Lae Coordinates:   9°57'20"S   143°4'19"E


Which is the largest of the 7,107 islands that make up the Philippines?

Top 10 Largest Islands of the Philippines Sunday, January 6, 2013 Top 10 Largest Islands of the Philippines Most Filipinos can easily tell that the Philippines is an archipelago consisting of 7,107 islands. Philippine islands come in all sizes and shapes. Some even disappear during high tide. In this blog post, let us share with you a brief introduction about the Philippines by showcasing our country's ten largest islands through photos. If you are ready, let the island hopping begin! Mayon Volcano #01 Island of Luzon -- With a land area of 104,688 km², Luzon is the largest island of the Philippines. It is located on the northern part of the archipelago and is the main island of the Luzon group of islands. Luzon is home to 30 of the provinces of the Philippines. The country's capital city of Manila is also located here. One of the most majestic icons of the island is the Mayon Volcano, located in the province of Albay , an active volcano renowned for its perfect cone shape. Other famous destinations in Luzon include two UNESCO World Hertitage Sites, the Hispanic Town of Vigan in the province of Ilocos Sur  and the Rice Terraces in Batad and Bangaan located in the province of Ifugao; as well as the Walled City of Intramuros in the capital Manila  and the town of Donsol in the province of Sorsogon, known as the best spot to experience swimming with the whale sharks. Maria Cristina Falls #02 Island of Mindanao -- The main island of Mindanao has a total land area of 97, 530 km² which makes it the second largest island of the Philippines. It is the main island of the Mindanao group of islands located on the southern area of the archipelago. 21 provinces of the Philippines are located on this island. Among the natural wonders of the island is the Maria Cristina Falls located in the province of Lanao del Norte . It powers a hydroelectric power plant that serves as the main supplier of electricity in Mindanao. Another popular destination in Mindanao, especially for mountain climbers, is Mount Apo. This is the highest mountain in the Philippines located between Davao City and the provinces of Davaol del Sur and Cotabato. Mindanao is also a major producer of world-class quality pineapples (in the provinces of Bukidnon and South Cotabato) and bananas (in the province of Davao del Norte). Marabut, Samar #03 Island of Samar -- We now take you to the Visayas group of islands starting off with Samar. It is the largest among the islands in the Visayas region, located on the eastern side of the Philippines. The land area of the island measures 12,849 km² making it the third largest island of the Philippines. In 1965, the island was separated into three provinces, Western Samar, Northern Samar and Eastern Samar, with Western Samar subsequently renamed to Samar. In 1901, during the Philippine-American Way, the US Army took three church bells from the Balangiga Church (see photo below) as trophies of war. Up to the present time, those bells are still in the possession of the US Army despite efforts by the Philippine government to recover the bells and return them to their home in the town of Balangiga, in the province of Eastern Samar. The town of Marabut, Samar province is known for its natural rock formations. The province of Samar is also gaining popularity among caving enthusiasts from Europe, US and Canada. The Ruins #04 Island of Negros -- Another island located in the Visayas region, Negros ranks as the fourth largest island of the Phipines. This 12,706 km² island is divided into two provinces, Negros Occidental and Negros Oriental. The name of the island came from the Spanish word negros (the black ones) referring to the black natives who inhabited the island. The island is the main producer of sugar in the Philippines. A famous destination in Negros is the ruins of a mansion owned by a barón del azúcar (sugar baron) located in the province of Negros Occidental. Other notable spots in Negros is the City of Silay (in the province of Negros Occidental) where Spanish colonial era houses line the streets of the city, and the City of Bai


Which Pacific Island group changed to driving on the left in 2009 and also moved to the west of the International Dateline in 2011, thereby losing a day?

Marshall Islands facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Marshall Islands Republic of the Marshall Islands Major City: Majuro EDITOR'S NOTE This chapter was adapted from the Department of State Post Report 2001 for Marshall Islands. Supplemental material has been added to increase coverage of minor cities, facts have been updated, and some material has been condensed. Readers are encouraged to visit the Department of State's web site at http://travel.state.gov/ for the most recent information available on travel to this country. INTRODUCTION Comprising over a thousand flat coral islands of white sand beaches and turquoise lagoons, the Marshall Islands beckon visitors with all the promise of a tropical paradise. There are pristine diving and lush tropical greenery, and the Marshallese people retain many of their precolonial crafts and traditions, especially on the outer islands. You can still watch outrigger canoes zip-ping around the lagoons, though these days you are as likely as not to find a VCR in that little grass shack and Coke replacing coconut milk as the drink of choice of many islanders. Marshallese society has always been stratified, and despite increasing Westernization and the introduction of a moneyed economy, social status still comes as much from one's kinship as it does from one's own achievements. Chiefs continue to wield a great deal of authority over land ownership and usage. In travels between the islands, early inhabitants learned to read the patterns of the waves and the positions of the stars, and they made stick charts to record and pass on their observations to less-experienced navigators. By tying flat strips of wood together in imitation of the wave patterns and attaching cowry shells to the sticks to represent particular islands and atolls, the experienced navigator could memorize the patterns for when he was out at sea the charts were not actually taken on the journeys. The first Micronesian navigators arrived in the Marshall Islands sometime between 500 and 2000 B.C.E. Little is known of their origin or culture. In 1494 Micronesia was ceded to Spain . The Marshall Islands, however, were off the main trade routes and consequently received little attention from early European explorers. In 1525, Alonso de Salazar of Spain became the first European to sight the islands, but Spain did nothing to colonize them. After another 200 years devoid of Europeans, the islands received a visit from English captain John Marshall (from whom they later took their name) in 1788. Traders and whalers began to visit the islands en masse in the early 1800s, until encounters with the "friendly" native Marshallese began to turn sour. Ship after ship putting into port at various atolls in the Marshalls quickly weighed anchor after the death of their captain or crew members. Germany annexed the Marshalls in 1885 but did not place government officials on the islands until 1906, leaving island affairs to a group of powerful German trading companies. Japan took over in 1914 and colonized the Marshalls extensively. In 1973 the Marshall Islands withdrew from the Congress of Micronesia, seeking political independence. In 1979, the Marshalls' constitution became effective. The flip side to the paradise picture is that many of the Marshallese still struggle with the effects of 20th century's technology. Two atolls-the Bikini Atoll in particular-served as testing sites for atomic bombs through 1958. And yet, despite these hardships, you will find the Marshallese exceptionally welcoming and their culture and identity alive and well. MAJOR CITY Majuro Majuro is the political and economic center of the Marshall Islands. The inhabited islands along the southern side of Majuro Atoll have been joined over time by landfill and a bridge to form a 30-mile road from Rita, on the extreme eastern end, to Laura, at the western end. Both villages were so code-named by U.S. forces in World War II after favorite pinups Rita Hayworth and Lauren Bacall. The main downtown business and shopping area is located in Rita and


Which chemical element is named after the island of Cyprus where it was extensively mined in the Roman era?

Copper - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Copper For other uses, see Copper (disambiguation) . 29 Cu is stable with 34 neutrons 65Cu This box:  view  •  talk  •  edit Copper ( IPA : /ˈkɒpə/, /ˈkɑpəɹ/) is a chemical element in the periodic table that has the symbol Cu ( Latin : cuprum) and atomic number 29. It is a ductile metal with excellent electrical conductivity , and finds extensive use as an electrical conductor, heat conductor, as a building material, and as a component of various alloys . Copper is an essential nutrient to all high plants and animals. In animals, including humans, it is found primarily in the bloodstream , as a co-factor in various enzymes , and in copper-based pigments . In sufficient amounts, copper can be poisonous and even fatal to organisms. Copper has played a significant part in the history of mankind, which has used the easily accessible uncompounded metal for nearly 10,000 years. Civilizations in places like Iraq , China , Egypt , Greece and the Sumerian cities all have early evidence of using copper. During the Roman Empire, copper was principally mined on Cyprus , hence the origin of the name of the metal as Cyprium, "metal of Cyprus", later shortened to Cuprum. A number of countries, such as Chile and the United States , still have sizeable reserves of the metal which are extracted through large open pit mines. Nevertheless, the price of copper rose rapidly, increasing 500% from a 60-year low in 1999, largely due to increased demand. This metal has come into the limelight on account of high volatility in prices. According to New Scientist (May 26, 2007) the earth has an estimated 61 years supply of copper left. Contents [ edit ] Notable characteristics Copper just above its melting point keeps its pink luster color when enough light overshines the orange incandescence color. Copper exists as a metallically bonded substance, allowing it to have a wide variety of metallic properties. Copper is a reddish-colored metal , with a high electrical and thermal conductivity ( silver is the only pure metal to have a higher electrical conductivity at room temperature). [1] In oxidation copper is mildly basic . Copper has its characteristic color because it reflects red and orange light and absorbs other frequencies in the visible spectrum, due to its band structure . This can be contrasted with the optical properties of silver , gold and aluminium . Copper occupies the same family of the periodic table as silver and gold, since they each have one s-orbital electron on top of a filled electron shell . This similarity in electron structure makes them similar in many characteristics. All have very high thermal and electrical conductivity, and all are malleable metals. In its liquified state, a pure copper surface without ambient light appears somewhat greenish, another characteristic shared with gold. Silver does not have this property, so it is not a complementary color for the orange incandescence color. When liquid copper is in bright ambient light, it retains some of its pinkish luster. Due to its high surface tension, the liquid metal does not wet surfaces but instead forms spherical droplets when poured on a surface. Copper is insoluble in water (H2O). There are two stable isotopes , 63Cu and 65Cu, along with a couple dozen radioisotopes . The vast majority of radioisotopes have half lives on the order of minutes or less; the longest lived, 67Cu, has a half life of 61.8 hours. See also isotopes of copper . Numerous copper alloys exist, many with important historical and contemporary uses. Speculum metal and bronze are alloys of copper and tin . Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc . Monel metal, also called cupronickel , is an alloy of copper and nickel . While the metal "bronze" usually refers to copper-tin alloys, it also is a generic term for any alloy of copper, such as aluminium bronze , silicon bronze, and manganese bronze. Copper is germicidal, via the oligodynamic effect . For example, brass doorknobs disinfect themselves of many bacteria within eight hours [1] . This effect is useful


Who has played Dot Cotton in Eastenders since 1985?

Dot: I’m going deaf and blind – The Sun Dot: I’m going deaf and blind EastEnders actress, 88, reveals new agony EXCLUSIVE by ED DYSON, Showbiz Reporter 17th August 2015, 11:01 pm Comments EASTENDERS legend June Brown has revealed she is battling deafness — just months after admitting she is losing her sight. The 88-year-old actress, famed as Albert Square matriarch Dot Branning, has been struggling to hear since a recent flight. A source said: “She’s sad, but staying positive.” The telly favourite revealed her hearing problems during an exchange with fellow EastEnders legend Barbara Windsor. June, who has played Dot Branning — formerly Cotton — since 1985, was among the crowd as Barbara took the stage for a question and answer session last weekend. The actress, 88, struggled to hear her pal despite sitting in the front row. And when Barbara, 78, brought her on stage, she asked: “Are you talking to me Babs? Tell me, because I’m deaf you see and it’s very hard for me to hear so I don’t know what you’re talking about. What did you say to me?” She then told the audience at London’s BFI: “Sorry, I would like you all to shout because I can’t hear, you see. I am ever so sorry. I am straining here.” Rex Features In May the actress, who has an MBE, admitted her eyesight was going too. But she insisted she could not afford to quit EastEnders because of her finances. Last night June told The Sun her hearing disappeared suddenly on a recent flight to Scotland. She said: “Unfortunately it happened when I was going up to Glasgow for a charity. “My ears impacted and they haven’t come back since. I hope that they might do at some moment. ‘She won’t complain, she stays upbeat’ “I thought it was a bit unkind given I was flying up for charity! But I only spoke about it on stage because I was having a discussion with Barbara.” Despite the blow, the beloved Albert Square star insisted her problems would not force her out of her BBC1 soap role. A source close to June said: “She is obviously sad to have lost the hearing but is staying positive. And she’s from the generation that doesn’t want to complain. She had never even mentioned it before. “June likes everything to be upbeat and she wants everyone to know that she has absolutely no intention of pulling back or slowing down. “It’s important for her that people know this isn’t an issue at work. The only reason she is off screen at the moment is because Dot is in prison. “She’ll be back at work imminently and is chomping at the bit to return.” XPOSUREPHOTOS.COM 5 Just months ago national treasure June revealed that she is losing her sight. She said: “I see things in my eyes now. My eyes are not very good. In the left occasionally I do get this small circle with what looks like cross-wires. “I do pray about my sight, maybe it will return. You might laugh and think, ‘She’ll never be poor when she’s old’ — but I’ve not squirrelled away lots of money.” Last night an EastEnders source said: “We can’t wait for June to be back on screen as Dot and fully support her.” June gained an army of fans for her portrayal of chain-smoking Dot Cotton on the long-running soap. Her iconic character went on to change her surname when she married Jim Branning, played by late actor John Bardon, on the show in 2002. Rise of a TV legend Rex Features 5 16 Feb 1927: June is born in Suffolk. 1945: Serves in the Women’s Royal Naval Service then trains at London’s Old Vic Theatre School. 1950: Marries actor John Garley. He commits suicide in 1957. 1958: Marries actor Robert Arnold, PC Swain in BBC’s Dixon of Dock Green. 1970: Gets big TV break playing Mrs Parsons in Coronation Street then lands role in Dr Who. 1985: First appearance as Dot Cotton. BBC 2003: Husband Robert dies. 2008: Gets MBE and signs a £570,000 one-year deal to carry on as Dot. 2009: Strips off to play Miss January in the West End production of play Calendar Girls. 2015: Reveals she is losing her sight. BBC


Which Faulty Towers character was played by Ballard Berkeley?

BBC - Comedy - Fawlty Towers Fawlty Towers Fawlty Towers The British sitcom by which all other British sitcoms must be judged, Fawlty Towers withstands multiple viewings, is eminently quotable ("don’t mention the war"), and stands up to this day as a jewel in the BBC's comedy crown. Fawlty Towers was famously inspired by a seethingly rude hotel proprietor John Cleese encountered whilst away filming with the Monty Python team. Unwittingly, Donald Sinclair became the blueprint for Basil Fawlty, the epitome of frustrated, social climbing middle-Englanders. Cleese had experimented with the character in an episode of Doctor At Large (with Timothy Bateson playing the petty hotel manager Mr Clifford) and out of this, a car-thrashing comedy legend was born. The setting was a pretty ordinary 'hotel', with Fawlty constantly struggling to inject a touch of class into his tawdry surroundings. His escapades included trying to hide a rat from a hygiene inspector, keeping a dead customer hidden and pretending to a party of his friends that his wife Sybil was ill during their anniversary party (when in fact she's walked out on him). Basil was the perfect vehicle for Cleese's comic talents: mixing the biting verbal tirades against his wife and guests with the physical dexterity utilised to charge about between self-induced disasters. Prunella Scales, as Sybil, was also magnificent: nonchalantly gorging on chocolates in bed, gossiping into the phone to her friend Audrey and spitting the word "Basil" out as if it were venom. The most loveable character has to be Manuel, whom Andrew Sachs imbued with both sincerity and vulnerability: much more than the stock foreign idiot, he nevertheless ended up being pummelled by Basil on a regular basis. Co-writer Connie Booth's contribution to this show is often overlooked partially because whilst her character (Polly) was important in terms of providing sanity, it's the least comic role in the central quartet. Semi-regular characters included the down-to-earth chef Terry; charming elderly ladies Miss Gatsby and Miss Tibbs and best of all, eccentric old colonial Major Gowen (a stupendous turn from Ballard Berkely). Credit must also be given to the one-off characters when the actors involved seized the top drawer material they were presented with and gave performances above and beyond the call of duty. Notable among these were Bernard Cribbins as a fastidiously irritating guest whose comeuppance had us cheering for Basil; Bruce Boa’s overbearing, arrogant American demanding a Waldorf salad and Joan Sanderson's deaf but imperious Miss Richards: justifiably becoming a TV legend despite just half an hour’s screen time. Part of the success of the show can be attributable to the fact that it ran for a mere twelve episodes, so never ran out of steam. Overseas companies have sought to remake the show countless times, but frankly, such imitations have only looked pale in comparison to the original. The 1970's production values don't detract one bit from the consistently farcical, funny scripts and the excellent performances. It was justifiably voted number one in the BFI's 100 Greatest British Television Programmes in 2000.


In the 2004 film Starsky and Hutch, if Ben Stiller played Starsky, who played Hutch?

Super Reviewer ½ Starsky and Hutch is a diverting and inventive waste of time. No attempt was made to create a serious take (like Michael Mann's horrendous Miami Vice film version) on the iconic TV show, but instead to use it as fodder for frothy, pointless retro fun, jam packed with some of the 70's cheesiest pop classics, (Afternoon Delight, That's the Way I Like It and the David Soul classic 'Don't Give Up on us Baby, sung by the musically challenged Owen Wilson). Talented comedy director Todd Phillips shows his directing chops here pre-Hangover. Phillips knows how to direct a scene for laughs, he's one of the best out there right now.  The star studded cast are all welcome visitors to the party, including Snoop Dogg as Huggy Bear, bad ass blacksploitation veteran Fred Williamson, the always welcome comedic anarchist Will Ferrell, and Vince Vaughan as the fu manchu-ed drug kingpin. Starsky's red stiped Gran Torino is used to comic effect here. Owen Wilson and Ben Stiller employ their generic personas very effectivelyl (i.e. laid back amoral California dude, uptight stupid Jewish dude who takes himself WAY too seriously).  I watched this with my teenaged nephew, who loved it. It's a good suggestion for guys who are looking for something funny to watch with their male kids that's edgy enough to be cool, but ultimately harmless. Look out for original TV pair Paul Michael Glazer and David Soul at the end. On the depressing side, they look like old grandpas, but are still in good shape, and seem to be having fun. Josh Morris Super Reviewer ½ The story sometimes feels like its a bit flimsy and it certainly doesn't provide much action or the man-childedness of Hot Fuzz. But it benefits from chemistry between Stiller and Wilson and it did make me laugh. Directors Cat Super Reviewer ½ Starsky & Hutch is a fairly decent comedy with nothing too special or memorable going for it. The film loses its fire after a few repeated viewing, but for what it is, Starsky & Hutch is a fun comedy. I enjoyed this film even though it's nothing remarkable. The comedy is good, but never quite excellent. There are quite a few good laughs in this film, and there's a few laugh out loud moments, but it never becomes real good for that matter. The film is decent and manages to be entertaining, but the film is one that you can watch only a few times, and forget about it. For what it is, Starsky &Hutch can be seen as a guilty pleasure almost. There are a few very funny moments in the film, but the film could have been done better than it is. This is a fun film to watch, with plenty of mindless humor to enjoy, just forget the TV show, and you might like it. I did, but after a while, the film got old and I didn't enjoy it as much. Will Farrell's cameo is what made the film funny, if only he had more screen time. Starsky & Hutch is a funny film for the most part, but it definitely isn't a strong one at that. The film could have been much better than it is. For mindless comedic fun, Starsky & Hutch is a good view, but for the die-hard fans of the show, they definitely should skip this one as it has barely anything similar to the classic show. Alex roy


Which 1999 horror film tells the story of three students who disappeared in Maryland whilst making a documentary film about a local legend?

The Blair Witch Project (1999) - Connections - IMDb The Blair Witch Project (1999) Connections Showing all 386 items Jump to: Followed by  (4) | Spin-off  (3) | References  (16) | Referenced in  (245) | Featured in  (23) | Spoofs  (1) | Spoofed in  (94) Followed by  It's the video game from the film. References  Häxan  (1922) Haxan is an unusual sort of documentary about witches, while BWP is a pseudo-documentary about a witch, and also the production company of BWP is named Haxan. The Haunting  (1963) Similar premise and plot: a group of amateur paranormal investigators carry out an initially sceptical study of a local legend, but apparently (though ambiguously) fall victim to it. The nature of the antagonist is never made clear, it is only manifested through enigmatic signs (mainly sounds), and the possibility is left open that it was nothing more than a combination of paranoia in some group members and one of them losing his / her mind (although equally the possibility of the insane member having been possessed by the "entity" is left open). Gilligan's Island  (1964) (TV Series) While in the woods the characters sing the theme song.


The first episode of which sitcom sequel was broadcast on BBC2 on January 9th 1986 (NB This answer contains the connection)?

Jimmy Moore photos on Flickr | Flickr Maila Nurmi was the original Queen of the Modern Gothic. Vampira, her iconic macabre creation, influenced generations of filmmakers, musicians, artists and lifestylers. Sadly, she shuffled off her mortal coil on January 10th, 2008. She was aged 86.   A Finnish-born model and actress, Maila had posed for Man Ray, Vargas and Bernard of Hollywood before being discovered at a masquerade ball by a TV producer. Her pale-skin and tight black dress complete with black wig and long, haemorrhage-red fingernails were quite unique in 1953. A year later, she became the eponymous star of The Vampira Show bringing a distinctive mix of sex, horror and death.   As the world’s first TV horror host, Vampira’s sardonic wit and eye-popping hourglass-figure made her the ghoulish fantasy of guys and ghouls across the globe, despite appearing on a show that was only broadcast in LA. Every week the voluptuous vamp would unleash blood-curdling screams and utter puns in an exotic and alluring Marlene Dietrich-like drawl – ‘I am…Vampira. I hope you all had the good fortune to have had a terrible week.’   After her show was cancelled, Maila accepted a tiny fee to appear as the reanimated corpse bride in Plan 9 From Outer Space, a role in the unfairly dubbed ‘Worst Film of all Time’, but it was one that would ensure Vampira’s immortality in popular culture.   As a star in the Golden Age of Tinsletown, Maila gigged with Liberace, dated Orson Welles, was friends with Marlon Brando and formed a tremendous kinship with James Dean, whose spirit, she claimed, haunted her for six months after his death.   Even as lady in her eighties, she was an incredible bright spark, a feisty old dame and a terrific raconteur, recalling stories from the old days with childlike glee. Like her icons-in-crime Bela Lugosi and Ed Wood, Maila Nurmi died nearly penniless, but she left behind a legacy that will endure forever.       Here's the article I wrote for Bizarre Magazine...   The Lady is a Vamp   I’m sat in Pioneer Chicken, a fast-food joint off Sunset Boulevard, deep in discussion with Vampira, the world’s first TV horror host. Maila Nurmi, the Finnish-born performer beneath the famous black wig and nails was a phenomenon in the nineteen-fifties. Her iconic gothic style, sardonic wit and eye-popping hourglass-figure made her the ghoulish fantasy of guys and ghouls across the globe, despite appearing on a show that was only broadcast to the Los Angeles area. Every week the voluptuous vamp would emerge from dry-ice studio fog to the sound of creepy organ music. She would unleash a blood-curdling scream and utter puns in an exotic, sexual, Marlene Dietrich-like drawl - “I am…Vampira. I hope you all had the good fortune to have had a terrible week."   But this is not simply an interview with a vampire. Conversing with Naila Nurmi means taking a voyeuristic journey through the lives of mythological cult icons of fifties Hollywood. It seems that Vampira’s finger was firmly on the jugular pulse of the tinsletown scene during the beat generation. Captivating tales with James Dean, Marlon Brando, and Elvis Presley pour from her octogenarian lips, memories recalled with intensity and insight.   Since Maila claims psychic capabilities, one can also add a touch of the paranormal to this Hollyweird concoction. She speaks of clairaudience, strange premonitions and visions. Most sensationally, it was such psychic sensitivity that found her haunted by the spirit of James Dean, whose death profoundly affected her.   She’s certainly one tough cookie though, that’s for sure - strongly opinionated and gutsy. Before international fame, back when she was modeling for the likes of Bernard of Hollywood, Vargas and a young Man Ray, she still wasn’t taking any crap from studio big shots. Even movie mogul Howard Hawks - who discovered Maila performing a skeleton striptease in a New York show - suffered the wrath of Vampira’s razor-witted tongue, despite having just turned Lauren Bacall into a household name.   “I thought he was stupid, so I tore up my cont


Which cartoon strip by Charles M Schulz first appeared in the Washington Post and New York Times on this day in 1950?

'Peanuts' Creator Charles Schulz Dies 'Peanuts' Creator Charles Schulz Dies Amusing, Wistful Comic Strip Ran for Nearly Half a Century By Adam Bernstein Washington Post Staff Writer Monday, February 14, 2000; Page A01 Charles M. Schulz, 77, whose "Peanuts" comic strip ran for 49 years and featured an immensely popular repertory of blithely neurotic children and a beguiling beagle whose antics were resolved in wistful but distinctly adult punch lines, died Saturday at his home in Santa Rosa, Calif., after a heart attack. Schulz, who died a day before his final Sunday strip appeared, had been diagnosed with colon cancer in November. He suffered a series of strokes during emergency abdominal surgery the same month. During the run of "Peanuts," Schulz developed a plethora of pop-culture icons seen by hundreds of millions of readers worldwide. His characters included the dog Snoopy, who fancied himself a World War I flying ace; the hapless Charlie Brown, who could spend a week of strips with his kite entangled in a "kite-eating" tree; young Linus and his ever-present security blanket; Lucy, who tartly dispensed advice for a nickel from a makeshift psychiatrist's "booth" that resembled a lemonade stand; and the single-minded, classical-piano prodigy Schroeder. The cartoon strip, which made its debut Oct. 2, 1950, was distributed by Scripps Howard-owned United Feature Syndicate. It was syndicated to more than 2,600 newspapers around the world, appeared in about 25 languages and reach an estimated audience of 355 million. The Washington Post, which was among the first newspapers to carry the strip, ran it until the end. President Clinton, in a statement released after Schulz's death, said that the artist and his characters would live on in the memories of their fans. He added, "On the day that our newspapers print his very last 'Peanuts' strip, it is especially poignant that we mourn the passing of Charles Schulz himself." Schulz was as popular with critics as he was with the public. He won the Reuben Award, the cartoon world's highest award, from the National Cartoonists Society in 1955 and 1964. His peers at the International Pavilion of Humor in Montreal dubbed him International Cartoonist of the Year in 1978. In 1990, the government of France named Schulz a commander of arts and letters. Other measures of the fame and influence of Schulz and his creations include the appearance of the "Peanuts" gang on the covers of Time and Life magazines and a popular musical based on the strip. Charlie Brown and company also appeared in television animated specials that received Emmy and Peabody awards and whose broadcast has become a seasonal tradition. An Italian priest once translated "Peanuts" into Latin, featuring "Snoopius." An entire industry of "Peanuts"-related merchandise swept the nation. Everything from jewelry to lunch boxes, as well as dolls, clothing and greeting cards featured the gang. Snoopy even became something of a corporate spokesman. One result of all this was an income for Schulz in 1995 and 1996 that Forbes magazine estimated at $33 million. In the final strip printed yesterday, he wrote: "I have been fortunate to draw Charlie Brown and his friends for almost 50 years. It has been the fulfillment of my childhood ambition. Unfortunately, I am no longer able to maintain the schedule demanded by a daily comic strip. My family does not wish Peanuts to be continued by anyone else, therefore I am announcing my retirement." He added he was grateful for his editors' loyalty and the "love expressed to me by fans of the comic strip." The last daily strip ran Jan. 3. Schulz maintained that he drew his strip to amuse the reader, and to a great extent he kept that simple promise by chronicling the pure joys and traumas of childhood in a tone that was consistently droll, good-natured and without pretense. But the comic strip also successfully captured more disquieting themes, and it was perhaps not coincidental that "Peanuts" received its widest attention in the troubled 1960s. Schulz's Time magazine cover appeared in 1965 and


Operation Typhoon, launched on this day in 1941, was a German strategic offensive designed to capture which capital city?

Battle of Moscow - World War II - Operation Barbarossa 1,000,000 men Battle of Moscow - Background: On June 22, 1941, German forces launched Operation Barbarossa and invaded the Soviet Union. The Germans had hoped to commence the operation in May, but were delayed by the need to campaign in the Balkans and Greece . Opening the Eastern Front , they quickly overwhelmed Soviet forces and made large gains. Driving east, Field Marshal Fedor von Bock's Army Group Center won the Battle of Białystok-Minsk in June, shattering the Soviet Western Front and killing or capturing over 340,000 Soviet troops. Crossing the Dnieper River, the Germans began a protracted battle for Smolensk. Though encircling the defenders and crushing three Soviet armies, Bock was delayed into September before he could resume his advance. Though the road to Moscow was largely open, Bock was forced to order forces south to aid in the capture of Kiev. This was due to Adolf Hitler's unwillingness to continue fighting large battles of encirclement which, though successful, had failed to break the back of Soviet resistance. Instead, he sought to destroy the Soviet Union's economic base by capturing Leningrad and the Caucasus oil fields. Among those directed against Kiev was Colonel General Heinz Guderian's Panzergruppe 2. Believing that Moscow was more important, Guderian protested the decision, but was overruled. By supporting Army Group South's Kiev operations, Bock's timetable was further delayed. As a result, it was not until October 2, with the fall rains setting in, that Army Group Center was able to launch Operation Typhoon. The codename for Bock's Moscow offensive, the goal of Operation Typhoon was to capture the Soviet capital before the harsh Russian winter began ( Map ). Battle of Moscow - Bock's Plan: To accomplish this goal, Bock intended to employ the 2nd, 4th, and 9th Armies which would be supported by Panzer Groups 2, 3, and 4. Air cover would be provided by the Luftwaffe's Luftflotte 2. This combined force numbered just short of two million men, 1,700 tanks, and 14,000 artillery pieces. The plans for Operation Typhoon called for a double-pincer movement against the Soviet Western and Reserve Fronts near Vyazma while a second force moved to capture Bryansk to the south. With the success of these maneuvers, German forces would advance to encircle Moscow and hopefully compel Soviet leader Joseph Stalin to make peace. Though reasonably sound on paper, the plans for Operation Typhoon failed to account for the fact that German forces were battered after several months of campaigning and that their supply lines were having difficulty getting goods to the front. Guderian later noted that his forces were short on fuel from the outset of the campaign. Battle of Moscow - Soviet Preparations: Aware of the threat to Moscow, the Soviets began constructing a series of defensive lines in front of the city. The first of these stretched between Rzhev, Vyazma, and Bryansk, while a second, double-line was built between Kalinin and Kaluga and dubbed the Mozhaisk defense line. To protect Moscow proper, the capital's citizens were drafted to construct three lines of fortifications around the city. While Soviet manpower was initially stretched thin, additional reinforcements were being brought west from the Far East as intelligence suggested that Japan did not pose an immediate threat. This was further bolstered by the fact that the two nations had signed a neutrality back in April 1941. Battle of Moscow - Early German Successes: Storming forward, two German panzer groups (3rd and 4th) quickly made gains near Vyazma and encircled the 19th, 20th, 24th, and 32nd Soviet Armies on October 10. Rather than surrendering, the four Soviet armies tenaciously continued the fight, slowing the German advance and forcing Bock to divert troops to aid in reducing the pocket. Ultimately the German commander was forced to commit 28 divisions to this fight. This allowed the remnants of the Western and Reserve Fronts to fall back to the Mozhaisk defense line and for reinforcements to be


What was the real christian name of the comedian Grougho Marx, born on this day in 1890?

Groucho Marx - Biography - IMDb Groucho Marx Biography Showing all 132 items Jump to: Overview  (4) | Mini Bio  (2) | Spouse  (3) | Trade Mark  (5) | Trivia  (58) | Personal Quotes  (58) | Salary  (2) Overview (4) 5' 7½" (1.71 m) Mini Bio (2) The bushy-browed, cigar-smoking wise-cracker with the painted-on moustache and stooped walk was the leader of The Marx Brothers . With one-liners that were often double entendres, Groucho never cursed in any of his performances and said he never wanted to be known as a dirty comic. With a great love of music and singing ( The Marx Brothers started as a singing group), one of the things Groucho was best known for was his rendition of the song "Lydia the Tattooed Lady." - IMDb Mini Biography By: John Nehrenz From the late 1940s through 1961, he was the highly successful host of You Bet Your Life (1950) a quiz show on radio and television. His son, Arthur Marx , is a successful writer of biographies and TV scripts. Arthur complained about his father always being "on". If he asked Groucho about something serious or personal, Groucho would reply with one-liners. - IMDb Mini Biography By: <millerm@henge.com> Spouse (3) ( 4 February  1920      - 15 July  1942) (divorced) (2 children) Trade Mark (5) He is best known for playing characters who were wisecracking sharpies who always sported a cigar, a mustache made of dark greasepaint and walked with a half crouch. In Marx Brothers movies, he almost always played characters with unusual first names, a middle initial and unlikely last names; i.e.: Rufus T. Firefly, Hugo Z. Hackenbush and Otis B. Driftwood. Smoking a cigar His thick eyebrows, glasses, big nose and mustache Quirkily High-Pitched Voice Trivia (58) Was told by studio executive Walter Wanger to lose the greasepaint moustache as it was an "obvious fake". (Source: Joseph Adamson III in his book Groucho, Harpo, Chico and sometimes Zeppo (1973) He was to have played the title role in a TV movie of L. Frank Baum 's "The Magical Monarch of Mo" with a teleplay by Gore Vidal , which was never produced. Brother of Harpo Marx , Chico Marx , Gummo Marx and Zeppo Marx . Died three days after Elvis Presley . Unfortunately, due to the furor over the former's death, the media paid little attention to the passing of this comic genius. When talking about Margaret Dumont , the actress who frequently played the dowager who acted as a punching bag for Groucho's verbal insults, he claimed the secret to their chemistry is that she never understood what he was saying. Once during the run of "I'll Say She Is" (the brothers' first Broadway play), his brother Harpo Marx tried to play a practical joke on him by chasing a chorus girl onto the stage while Groucho was in the middle of his act. Not to be outdone, he simply pulled out his watch and said "The Five Fifteen is right on schedule". Had a fifth brother, Gummo Marx , who performed with the other brothers in vaudeville. He left the act before the brothers started to make movies. He remained close to Groucho for the rest of his life. He suffered from insomnia, which he claimed was due to a financial loss in the stock market. When he suffered from insomnia, he used to call people up in the middle of the night and insult them. The FBI had a file on him after he made some jokes about communism. Shortly after his death, his children found a gag letter written by Groucho that stated that he wanted to be buried on top of Marilyn Monroe . Father of Arthur Marx , Miriam Marx , and Melinda Marx . A famous gag toy was modeled after his face - the dark black glasses with big orange nose and mustache "disguise" toy (known as the "Beagle-Puss" in the gag shop market.). There are at least two versions of how Julius Henry Marx got his more famous nickname. One is that it came from his general disposition. The other, that, during the Marx Brothers' early days in vaudeville, he was the keeper of the act's "grouch bag" or money purse. Groucho, himself, said, on one occasion, "my own name, I never did understand." George Fenneman , Groucho's announcer on You Bet Your L