Gladiolus: How to Plant, Grow, and Care for Gladiolus | The Old Farmer's Almanac How to Plant, Grow, and Care for Gladiolus Share:  Rate this Article:  Average: 4 (297 votes) Gladiolus is a perennial favored for its beautiful, showy flowers. Its flowers grow on tall spikes and are often found in cutting gardens or in the back along the border (because they are tall). Gladioli have many different colored flowers, and grow between 2 to 6 feet in height. It’s good for cut flowers. Planting Plant gladiolus bulbs in the spring once danger of frost has passed and the soil has warmed. Ready your garden by using a garden fork or tiller and loosen the soil to about 12 to 15 inches deep. After loosening the soil, mix in a 2– to 4–inch layer of compost. Set the corm in the hole about 4 inches deep with the pointed end facing up. Cover with soil and press firmly. Space the corms 3 to 6 inches apart. Water the corms thoroughly. Gladioli like well-drained, light soil and full sun. If you’re planting tall varieties, be sure to stake them at planting time. Be careful not to damage the corms with the stakes. It takes about 90 days from the time gladioli are planted to root, grow, bloom, and store enough energy for the next season. Care Put a 2– to 4–inch layer of mulch around your gladioli to keep your soil moist and help prevent weeds. If you get less than 1 inch of rain a week, water your plants regularly throughout the summer. Otherwise, water them moderately when in growth to keep the soil moist. Remove the faded/dead flowers to ensure continuous growth. Once all the flowers on a stalk have gone, cut off the stalk. Be sure to leave the plant intact so it can mature and rejuvenate the corms for the next season. If you live in zones 7 or 8, put down a layer of hay or straw for winter protection. Corms should be dug before the first frost if you live in zone 7 or ones colder. See instructions below. Pests/Diseases Harvest/Storage Before the first frost, you can dig up glads to store over the winter. Use a space and dig up cothe entire plant, grasping the top to pull it out of the soil. Avoid bruising or injuring corms while digging. Shake off all loose soil and discard damaged corms. Cut the stalk within 1 inch above the corm. Save the small cormels separately if you so desire. Allow the corms to dry in the Sun for 1 or 2 days if the weather agrees. Sift out excess soil and place corms in wooden flats or trays. Cure ina warm and airy location for 2 weeks (at a temperature of 80-85°F). Remove and throw away the oldest bottom corms (from the base of the new one). Dust freshly dug, clean corms with a fungicide (“bulb dust”) to avoid disease problems. Place dust and bulbs or other structures in a paper sack and shake vigorously. Store the large, new corms in paper boxes, open paper bags, cloth bags, wooden trays with screen bottoms, or old onion sacks. Stack or hang the containers so air can move among them. Store the corms at 35 to 45°F in low humidity. A cool basement is quite suitable. Do not allow corms to freeze. Learn more tips for storing gladiolus through the cold winter. Recommended Varieties Candyman, for its beautiful deep pink flowers Dream’s End, which makes a good back border plant because its flower spike is up to 3 feet long (and it has pretty light orange flowers with large yellow centers) Prins Claus, which has white flowers with splashes of pink on its petals


Broadsheet and tabloid are two types of what?

What's the Difference Between Broadsheets and Tabloids? By Tony Rogers Updated July 26, 2016. In the world of print journalism , there are two main formats for newspapers - broadsheets and tabloids. Strictly speaking, those terms refer to the size of such papers, but both formats also have colorful histories and associations. So what's the difference between broadsheets and tabloids? Broadsheets Broadsheet refers to the most common newspaper format, which, if you're measuring the front page, is typically around 15 inches wide to 20 or more inches long in the U.S. (sizes can vary around the world. Broadsheets are larger in some countries). Broadsheet papers are usually six columns across. Historically, broadsheets developed in 18th century Britain after the government began to tax newspapers based on how many pages they had, making big papers with fewer pages cheaper to print. But broadsheets also came to be associated with a high-minded approach to the dissemination of news, and with an upscale readership. Even today, broadsheet papers tend to employ a traditional approach to newsgathering that emphasizes in-depth coverage and a sober tone in articles and editorials. Broadsheet readers often tend to be fairly affluent and educated, with many of them living in the suburbs. Many of the nation's most respected and influential newspapers - The New York Times , The Washington Post, The Wall St. Journal, and so on - are broadsheet papers. However, in recent years many broadsheets have been reduced in size in order to cut printing costs . For instance, The New York Times was narrowed by 1 1/2 inches in 2008. Other papers, including USA Today, The Los Angeles Times and The Washington Post, have also been trimmed in size. Tabloids In the technical sense, tabloid refers to a type of newspaper that typically measures 11 X 17 inches and is five columns across, narrower than a broadsheet newspaper. Since tabloids are smaller, their stories tend to be shorter than those found in broadsheets. And while broadsheet readers tend to be upscale suburbanites, tabloid readers are often working-class residents of big cities. Indeed, many city dwellers prefer tabloids because they are easy to carry and read on the subway or bus. One of the first tabloids in the U.S. was the New York Sun, started in 1833. It cost only a penny, was easy to carry and its crime reporting and illustrations proved popular with working-class readers. Tabloids tend to be more irreverent and slangy in their writing style than their more serious broadsheet brothers. In a crime story, a broadsheet will refer to a police officer, while the tabloid will call him a cop. And while a broadsheet might spend dozens of column inches on "serious" news - say, a major bill being debated in Congress - a tabloid is more likely to zero in on a heinous sensational crime story or celebrity gossip. In fact, the word tabloid has come to be associated with the kind of supermarket checkout aisle papers - such as the National Enquirer - that focus on splashy, lurid stories about celebrities. But there's an important distinction to be made here. True, there are the over-the-top tabloids like the Enquirer, but there are also the so-called respectable tabloids - such as the New York Daily News, the Chicago Sun-Times, the Boston Herald and so on - that do serious, hard-hitting journalism. In fact, the New York Daily News, the largest tabloid in the U.S., has won 10  Pulitzer Prizes , print journalism's highest honor. In Britain, tabloid papers - also known as the "red tops" for their front-page banners - tend to be much more racy and sensationalistic than their American counterparts. Indeed, the unscrupulous reporting methods employed by some tabs led to the so-called  phone-hacking scandal and the closing of the News of the World , one of Britain's biggest tabs. The scandal has led to calls for greater regulation of the press in Britain.


"Often celebrated as the first, and great, detective novel in English literature was ""The Moonstone"" by whom?"

The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins - Reading Guide - PenguinRandomHouse.com Questions and Topics for Discussion INTRODUCTION “To Mr. Collins belongs the credit of having introduced into fiction those most mysterious of mysteries, the mysteries which are at our own doors.” —Henry James Illegitimacy, mistaken identity, insanity, inheritance, drugs, adultery, crimes of passion—all of these lurid features of Victorian life were Wilkie Collins’s stock in trade. In The Moonstone he single-handedly developed most elements of the classic detective story. With The Woman in White Collins created the archetypal sensation novel, spawning generations of imitators. But perhaps his greatest genius was his capacity to reveal the exotic amidst the commonplace, the “mysteries which are at our own doors.” Collins composed his masterworks during one of the most tumultuous periods in the history of English literature. England’s cities and industries were booming, poverty and crime filled the news, melodrama ruled the theaters, and newfound wealth made class barriers increasingly permeable. Dickens had just started his periodical All the Year Round, which helped to bring literature to a mass audience and blur the boundaries between highbrow and middlebrow culture. The new audience demanded a new type of novel, a novel as compelling as the scandalous headlines it competed with at the newsstands, able to keep readers in suspense from month to month and eager to buy the next issue. Dickens launched the magazine, and the golden decade of the serial novel, with A Tale of Two Cities in the spring of 1860, and Collins followed with The Woman in White in the fall. The plot of Collins’s novel had its origins in a French crime in which a Marquise was drugged and held prisoner under a false name so that her brother could inherit her estate. The midnight apparition of the title character—which Dickens called one of the two most dramatic scenes in literature—had its origin much closer to home. While walking a friend home one night Collins had heard a piercing scream from a nearby villa, then saw dashing from the house “the figure of a young and very beautiful young woman dressed in flowing white robes that shone in the moonlight. She seemed to float rather than to run . . . in an attitude of supplication and terror.” Caroline Graves, recently widowed with an infant daughter, said she had been held captive at the house for several months “under threats and mesmeric influence.” The details of what followed are unknown, but before long she and Collins had made a home together and she had adopted a story about her origins more suited to Collins’s social position. Her father had been transformed from a carpenter to a “gentleman” and her former husband from an accountant’s clerk to a captain in the army. It has been argued that the two faces of Caroline—the newly respectable lady and the abused women of questionable background—are reflected in the look-alike characters in The Woman in White, Laura Fairlie and Anne Catherick. Certainly the tension between appearance and reality that was central to the mystery had a powerful salience for Collins at the time, defying as he did the social expectations that he marry Caroline but also refusing to keep their relationship secret. The Woman in White was an enormous success, prompting long lines at the publisher’s offices and even inspiring a popular song, the “Woman in White Waltz.” Collins earned a large advance for his next novel, securing his financial independence from his mother (who was the model for Hartright’s impulsive, childlike mother in the book, just as Hartright was modeled in part on Collins’s anxious, conventional brother). Readers were especially intrigued by the character of Marian Halcombe, whose charm, wit, independence, and ugliness probably have their roots in Collins’s friendship with George Eliot. Throughout his work Collins created strong female characters that defy Victorian mores and gender roles, assertive women with a calculating streak. Imitators took the notion to an extreme, creating anti-he


What are the thin leaves of conifers called?

What Tree Is That?™ Mobile What Tree Is That?™ Mobile Does the tree bear cones and have leaves that are needle-like? CLUE: These trees are called CONIFERS (cone-bearing) and most are EVERGREEN (trees with needles or leaves that remain alive and on the tree through the winter and into the next growing season). - OR - Does the tree bear cones that are sometimes berry-like and have leaves that hug the twig and are scale-like or awl-shaped? CLUE: These trees are called CONIFERS (cone-bearing) and most are EVERGREEN. - OR - Does the tree have leaves that are flat and thin and generally shed annually? CLUE: These trees are called BROADLEAF, (a tree with leaves that are flat, thin and generally shed annually) most are DECIDUOUS (shedding all leaves annually) and bear a variety of fruit and flowers.


Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim are most usually associated with which work?

Leonard Bernstein, the Man Behind the Legend of the Jewish Maestro – Tablet Magazine Leonard Bernstein, the Man Behind the Legend of the Jewish Maestro Homosexuality, Jewishness, and Zionism, in the newly collected letters of the charismatic musician November 4, 2013 • 12:00 AM Leonard Bernstein at the piano, 1936. (Courtesy Yale University Press) Thanks to YouTube, it’s possible to watch the 1965 concert in which Leonard Bernstein conducted the Israel Philharmonic and the Vienna Youth Chorus in a performance of his own choral work, Chichester Psalms. What’s mesmerizing about this video, beyond the music itself, is the sheer historical irony at work. Among the Israeli musicians were doubtless to be found refugees from Nazi Vienna; among the Austrian choirboys and girls, there were surely some whose parents had been Nazis themselves. Yet here they are together, under the baton of the world’s most famous Jewish conductor—and they are singing the words of the Psalms as Jews have sung them for millennia, in Hebrew. Only Leonard Bernstein could have brought about such a dramatic vindication of Jewishness, in the erstwhile heartland of anti-Semitism. Reading about his life and career in The Leonard Bernstein Letters , a marvelously entertaining new book, shows just how famous Bernstein became, and how his fame helped to shape the image of American Jews as the cultural high-achievers of the American Century. From the 1940s through the 1970s, Bernstein was probably the world’s most recognizable classical musician; even today, 23 years after his death, his eagle-like profile and swoop of white hair remain an icon of high-cultural glamour. He was triply famous as a conductor, the longtime music director of the New York Philharmonic; as a classical composer, whose major works dwell explicitly on Jewish themes and texts; and as a Broadway composer, where he reached the widest audience with his scores for West Side Story , Candide, On the Town, and other shows. In retrospect, it’s possible to see that Bernstein came along at the perfect moment to make the most of his talents. Before the 1940s, the top conductors of American orchestras were all Europeans, and the idea lingered that only in Europe could a world-class musician be made. After the 1970s, the mass prestige of both classical music and Broadway began to collapse, as part of the fragmenting and democratizing of American culture. Today, even a sophisticated New Yorker might struggle to name the conductor of the New York Philharmonic. But everybody knew Leonard Bernstein. Nigel Simeone, the editor of the Letters, made the good decision to include not just letters Bernstein wrote, but those he received, and it is often the latter that make the most exciting reading. Name a celebrity in any field from the 1940s to the 1970s, and there’s a good chance that he or she will be found in The Leonard Bernstein Letters, showering the maestro with praise. Frank Sinatra is here, asking Bernstein to participate in JFK’s inaugural concert; eight years later, Jacqueline Onassis thanks him for arranging the music for Bobby Kennedy’s funeral. Bette Davis writes him fan letters: “there is probably nothing in the world so encouraging for the future of the world as a super talent in someone—it is the only true inspiration and help in believing the world is really worthwhile.” So does Richard Avedon: “You stand alone. Terrifying, but true.” So does Yevgeny Yevtushenko, in broken English: “probably, only composer who could create music for such kind of theme are you.” And that’s before you even get to the musicians. Conductors like Serge Koussevitzky, Arturo Toscanini, Fritz Reiner, Claudio Abbado, and Georg Solti rave about Bernstein’s conducting. Composers thank him for performing their work so brilliantly: not just the American composers with whom Bernstein is usually associated, such as Aaron Copland, Lukas Foss, and David Diamond, but Europeans too, including Francis Poulenc, Olivier Messiaen, and Iannis Xenakis. And then there are the theater people, including Bernstein’s collaborators Stephen


"Who directed the film ""The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug""?"

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (2013) - IMDb IMDb There was an error trying to load your rating for this title. Some parts of this page won't work property. Please reload or try later. X Beta I'm Watching This! Keep track of everything you watch; tell your friends. Error The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug ( 2013 ) PG-13 | From $2.99 (SD) on Amazon Video ON DISC The dwarves, along with Bilbo Baggins and Gandalf the Grey, continue their quest to reclaim Erebor, their homeland, from Smaug. Bilbo Baggins is in possession of a mysterious and magical ring. Director: Famous Directors: From Sundance to Prominence From Christopher Nolan to Quentin Tarantino and every Coen brother in between, many of today's most popular directors got their start at the Sundance Film Festival . Here's a list of some of the biggest names to go from Sundance to Hollywood prominence. a list of 34 titles created 21 Jul 2011 a list of 40 titles created 17 Aug 2011 a list of 22 titles created 05 Jan 2013 a list of 25 titles created 08 Jan 2013 a list of 22 titles created 03 Feb 2014 Title: The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (2013) 7.9/10 Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? Use the HTML below. You must be a registered user to use the IMDb rating plugin. Nominated for     3     Oscars. Another    14 wins & 80 nominations. See more awards  » Videos A reluctant hobbit, Bilbo Baggins, sets out to the Lonely Mountain with a spirited group of dwarves to reclaim their mountain home - and the gold within it - from the dragon Smaug. Director: Peter Jackson Bilbo and Company are forced to engage in a war against an array of combatants and keep the Lonely Mountain from falling into the hands of a rising darkness. Director: Peter Jackson While Frodo and Sam edge closer to Mordor with the help of the shifty Gollum, the divided fellowship makes a stand against Sauron's new ally, Saruman, and his hordes of Isengard. Director: Peter Jackson A meek Hobbit from the Shire and eight companions set out on a journey to destroy the powerful One Ring and save Middle Earth from the Dark Lord Sauron. Director: Peter Jackson Gandalf and Aragorn lead the World of Men against Sauron's army to draw his gaze from Frodo and Sam as they approach Mount Doom with the One Ring. Director: Peter Jackson Jack Sparrow races to recover the heart of Davy Jones to avoid enslaving his soul to Jones' service, as other friends and foes seek the heart for their own agenda as well. Director: Gore Verbinski Captain Barbossa, Will Turner and Elizabeth Swann must sail off the edge of the map, navigate treachery and betrayal, find Jack Sparrow, and make their final alliances for one last decisive battle. Director: Gore Verbinski Jack Sparrow and Barbossa embark on a quest to find the elusive fountain of youth, only to discover that Blackbeard and his daughter are after it too. Director: Rob Marshall Blacksmith Will Turner teams up with eccentric pirate "Captain" Jack Sparrow to save his love, the governor's daughter, from Jack's former pirate allies, who are now undead. Director: Gore Verbinski After being held captive in an Afghan cave, billionaire engineer Tony Stark creates a unique weaponized suit of armor to fight evil. Director: Jon Favreau Earth's mightiest heroes must come together and learn to fight as a team if they are to stop the mischievous Loki and his alien army from enslaving humanity. Director: Joss Whedon With the world now aware of his identity as Iron Man, Tony Stark must contend with both his declining health and a vengeful mad man with ties to his father's legacy. Director: Jon Favreau Edit Storyline After successfully crossing over (and under) the Misty Mountains, Thorin and Company must seek aid from a powerful stranger before taking on the dangers of Mirkwood Forest--without their Wizard. If they reach the human settlement of Lake-town it will be time for the hobbit Bilbo Baggins to fulfill his contract with the dwarves. The party must complete the journey to Lonely Mountain and burglar Baggins must seek out the Secret Door that will give them access to


Prolonged deep-sea diving was first made possible in Europe by the invention of a diving bell in what century?

A Brief History of Diving: Free Divers, Bells and Helmets | Dive Training Magazine December 11, 2002 A Brief History of Diving: Free Divers, Bells and Helmets Go Back To The Library > History > A Brief History of Diving: Free Divers, Bells and Helmets Library   Celebrating 25 Years It may sound like strange preparation for someone in diving, but I was trained as a history teacher. And one of the things I learned was to value the contributions made by our predecessors in helping us become what and who we are today. Surely, unless we understand where we’ve been, we cannot possibly appreciate where we are. We’re products of history as much as we are the progeny of our parents. While this may sound like something straight out of History 101, the same logic applies to the history of diving. To understand where we are, we must know where we’ve been. In this article series I’ll try to provide a brief glimpse into our past as divers. In part one, we’ll examine the exploits of the divers of antiquity, probe the evolution of the first diving machines and put into perspective the enormous contributions of the early hard-hat divers of the 19th century. Ancient Divers Since the dawn of human existence, men have entered the water to collect food, so it’s impossible to trace the exact date or origin of diving. We do know from artifacts that the people of Mesopotamia engaged in diving as a form of commerce — usually collecting pearl oysters — as long as 4,500 years ago. By the third millennia before Christ, the Greeks of Thebes also had a thriving pearl-diving industry, and the Chinese followed soon after. References to sponge fishermen are mentioned by Homer as early as 1000 B.C. Tethered to the surface, their technique involved plummeting to depths of almost 100 feet (30 m) by holding a heavy rock. They, of course, knew nothing about the anatomy of equalization. So to try and compensate somewhat for the increasing pressure on the ears they poured oil into their ear canals and took a mouthful before descent. Once on the bottom, they spit out the oil, cut as many sponges free from the bottom as their limited breath-holding capacity would allow and were then hauled back to the surface by the tether. Certainly a grueling and painful way to earn a living. The most famous divers of antiquity were the Greek Scyllias and his daughter Cyana. The Persian King Xerxes commissioned them in the fifth century B.C., as treasure salvors during one of the numerous wars between the Persians and Greeks. Not wanting to lose this valued diving duo, Xerxes refused to allow them to return home after finishing their commission. Using reeds as breathing tubes to avoid detection, they slipped into the water under the cover of darkness and escaped. Years later, they destroyed one of Xerxes’ fleets by diving into a stormy sea and cutting the mooring lines of the vessels at anchor. For their bravery, statues of Scyllias and Cyana were erected in the Greek city of Delphi. Parenthetically, one contemporary writer noted that Cyana’s diving experience proved that “young women may dive into the sea without fear of losing their virginity.” Until then, it was believed that the water pressure that could so easily break eardrums could in the same way compromise the virtue of young maidens. Divers were also enlisted into military operations long before the birth of Christ. The Spartans and Athenians were the first to employ combat divers, but history usually credits Alexander the Great in his famous siege of Tyre (Lebanon) in 332 B.C. He used “demolition divers” to remove obstacles from the harbor. In fact, Aristotle reported that Alexander himself made several dives in a crude diving bell to observe the work in progress. By the first century before Christ, a thriving salvage industry sprung up throughout the major trade routes of the Mediterranean. The industry became so well organized that laws were on the books mandating the fee structure for the services of salvors. Generally, the fee depended on the depth of the wreck. For example, in depths of 25 feet (7.6 m) or great


"What is the Italian for the English word ""air""?"

air-conditioning - Dizionario inglese-italiano WordReference I only turn on the air conditioning on the hottest days.   Accendo l'aria condizionata solo nei giorni più caldi. air conditioning unit nnoun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc. (device: cools the air)


Five of what animal, the first of a planned 33, were airlifted from South Africa to Tanzania's Serengeti National Reserve in May 2010?

Africa Cries - Give a little to save African wildlife. Contact Us TOURISTS’ TERROR AFTER THEY ARE SPOTTED BY RARE RHINOS WHILE OUT ON SAFARI Rangers at Kruger National Park quickly advised the tourists to jump and hide in the bush after the rhinos angrily turned towards the group. In the footage, which was shot in South Africa last week, one leading rhino can be seen angrily stomping as the tourists near the animals. Next the beast charges – leaving the tourists terrified as a ranger is overheard yelling, “eh, eh, heh!” As the crash of rhinoceros turn to the tourists, another ranger says: “In the bush, in the bush, stay there, bear with me, don’t worry.” I could feel the ground moving like an earthquake Tourist who filmed the clip The tourists can be seen swiftly leaping and hiding behind a bush in a last-ditch attempt to get away from the rhinos. Rangers at Kruger National Park managed to send the crash of rhinoceros off in a different direction, protecting the tourists from harm. Soon after the ordeal the rangers can be seen joking with the tourists, many of whom repeatedly exclaim: "Oh my god." One of the rangers can then be heard turning to the tourists joking: “It was nice eh? No?” The national park based in northeastern South Africa is one of the largest reserves in the world with a high density of lions, leopards, elephants, buffalos and rhinos. http://www.express.co.uk/news/nature/745481/Tourists-South-Africa-Rhinos-charge-attack-fear-Kruger-National-Park CRITICALLY ENDANGERED SPECIES: FEWER THAN 100 SUMATRAN RHINOS LEFT ALL the remaining Sumatran rhinos in Malaysia and Indonesia, which number less than 100, should be managed as a single population to facilitate the reproduction of the critically-endangered species. Researchers believe only a few of the species are left in Malaysia. Two females, Puntong and Iman, and a middle-aged male, named Kertam, have been relocated to the Borneo Rhino Sanctuary at the Tabin Wildlife Reserve in Lahad Datu, Sabah. Puntong, 20, had her front left foot torn off in a hunter’s snare trap when she was an infant, while Iman was the last wild rhino to be captured in Danum Valley, Sabah, in 2014. Both have problems conceiving due to the conditions of their reproductive system. Iman, despite being diagnosed with severe fibroids in the uterus, can still produce eggs. Sabah-based Borneo Rhino Alliance (Bora) executive director Datuk Dr Junaidi Payne says over a period of two-and-a-half years, 15 Sumatran rhino eggs have been obtained from Iman and Puntong. Bora’s role is to care for rhinos in the sanctuary, and seek and capture rhinos in the wild. All rhino eggs have been used for in-vitro fertilisation efforts, but have yet to yield results. “We need more females in the programme to secure the first embryo faster and work out the protocols and conditions for success,” Payne says. He says many factors affect the success of fertilisation, including old age, poor quality of sperm and eggs and other infertility-related conditions. Factors that need to be considered include the optimum pH level, ideal temperature and protein requirements for the egg maturation liquid during procedures at the laboratory. On the male rhino’s part, its sperm can be frozen with liquid nitrogen, so that it can be used later for in-vitro fertilisation. Payne says even though about a quarter of all remaining Sumatran rhinos have significant fertility issues, efforts to boost the reproduction rate are in the pipeline through advanced reproductive and cellular technologies. “We should not rely on hope to save the endangered species in the wild. In the past few decades, there have been too few individuals in any one area to form a viable breeding population,” he says, quashing a recent report by a researcher on the possible discovery of a rhino footprint in the Danum Valley conservation area. Last year, Malaysia declared that there were no more Sumatran rhinos in the wild. Since 2006, an experienced field team from World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Malaysia has been searching for rhino footprints. Tens of thousands of hours o


When did twerking arrive on the American music scene?

What is the Origin of Twerking? | Mental Floss What is the Origin of Twerking? Getty Images Like us on Facebook From the Charleston to the Twist to the Hustle, dance fads have always served to define their decade—though not without raising a few eyebrows from older generations. In fact, the disapproval of popular dance fads often seems as quintessentially American as the dances themselves. Such is the case with one of the most scandalous dance crazes to date, one that’s quickly becoming the definitive dance of our decade: twerking.  Let’s get this out of the way. To twerk, essentially, is to shake one’s butt.  So yes, obviously, it’s not something to pull out in front of your grandparents at your next family reunion. A tongue-in-cheek definition by Urban Dictionary lists twerking as “a series of movements made by females of the humanoid variety as an expression of contempt for their fathers.” While it’s not exactly family friendly, claims that twerking originated in American strip clubs are sketchy at best. Rather, the dance’s strongest ties lie in Africa. The movements involved in twerking show similarities to several traditional West African dances, most notably mapouka, hailing from the Cote d’Ivoire. Known colloquially as “la dance du fessier,” or “dance of the behind,” mapouka is said to exist in two forms: A tamer, more traditional dance performed ceremonially, and the newer, more scandalous version popular with young Ivoirians. The more modern version—and the one most closely related to twerking—is considered obscene and suggestive by some, and its traditional roots haven’t immunized it against controversy. In fact, the public performance of modern mapouka by groups such as Les Tueuses (The Killers), was outlawed in the 1980s; the Ivoirian government cited lewdness as the reason for the ban. After that government was toppled by a military coup around 2000, mapouka performances were rendered legal once again. However, despite (or possibly due to) its prohibition, the infectious dance style had already spread throughout coastal West Africa and even taken up roots in the U.S. And so, in 1993, it twerked toward Bethlehem—err, New Orleans—to be born.  In the early 90s, New Orleans was home “bounce” music, a form of hip hop that relied heavily on call-and-response chanting. A popular artist at the time, DJ Jubilee, recorded a song called “Do the Jubilee All.” When the accompanying video featured young people furiously shaking their fessiers alongside the lyrics “twerk baby, twerk baby, twerk, twerk, twerk”—the word “twerk” a combination of the words twist and jerk—the new dance craze had arrived with a new name. Since that fateful moment, twerking has been on the rise, steadily picking up speed in the U.S. with each passing year. Twerking popularity met new highs with the 2012 release of Diplo’s “Express Yourself.” The music video for Diplo’s hit song popularized a newer, death-defying (okay, not really) version of twerking: the “wall twerk,” wherein the twerker inverts themselves against a wall in an assisted handstand, assumes the twerking position, and fires away.  Stop before you get dizzy, and have a wet rag handy to wipe the footprints off the wall when you’re done. In its thirty-something-year span, the dance has been far from devoid of controversy. Former child star Miley Cyrus has notoriously used her twerking skills to shed her squeaky clean Disney image. Earlier this year, 33 San Diego high school students were suspended for reportedly using school equipment to film a video in which the students twerked for the camera. Their dance moves earned them a minimum of five days suspension for violating the school’s zero-tolerance sexual harassment policy. While it sounds a little like Footloose, there’s no doubt the sexually-charged dance move is slightly less appropriate for school than good old rock ‘n’ roll. But it’s a scandalous idea that becomes less scandalous when considering the controversy that followed Elvis’s gyrations or even Chubby Checker’s legendary Twist, both movements once condemned for their vulga


Who takes part in the annual Umhlanga Reed Dance in Swaziland?

Swaziland National Trust Commission - Cultural Resources - Swazi Culture - The Umhlanga or Reed Dance CULTURAL RESOURCES: Swazi Culture The Umhlanga or Reed Dance In an eight day ceremony, girls cut reeds and present them to the queen mother and then dance. It is done in late August or early September. Only childless, unmarried girls can take part. The aims of the ceremony are to: 1. preserve giris' chastity 2. provide tribute labour for the Queen mother 3. produce solidarity by working together. The royal family appoints a commoner maiden to be "induna" (captain) of the girls and she announces over the radio the dates of the ceremony. She will be an expert dancer and knowledgeable on royal protocol. One of the King's daughters will be her counterpart. Day 1: The girls gather at the Queen Mothers royal village. Today this is at Ludzidzini, in Sobhuza's time it was at Lobamba. They come in groups from the 200 or so chiefdoms and are registered for security. They are supervised by men, usually four, appointed by each chief. They sleep in the huts of relatives in the royal villages or in the classrooms of the four nearby schools. Day 2: The girls are separated into two groups, the older (about 14 to 22 years) and the younger (about 8 to 13). In the afternoon, they march, in their local groups, to the reed-beds, with their supervisors. The older girls often go to Ntondozi (about 30 kilometres) while the younger girls usually go to Bhamsakhe near Malkerns (about 10 kilometres). If the older girls are sent to Mphisi Farm, government will provide lorries for their transport. The girls reach the vicinity of the reeds in darkness, and sleep in government-provided tents. Formerly the local people would have accommodated them in their homesteads. Day 3: The girls cut their reeds, usually about to ten to twenty, using long knives. Each girl ties her reeds into one bundle. Nowadays they use strips of plastic bags for the tying, but those mindful of tradition will still cut grass and plait it into rope. Carrying Reeds Carrying Reeds Day 4: In the afternoon the girls set off to return to the Queen Mothers village, carrying their bundles of reeds. Again they return at night. This is done "to show they travelled a long way". Day 5: A day of rest where the girls make final preparations to their hair and dancing costumes. Day 6: First day of dancing, from about 3 to 5 in the afternoon. The girls drop their reeds outside the Queen Mothers quarters. They move to the arena and dance keeping in their groups and each group singing different songs at the same time. The Dance King Mswati III Day 7: Second and last day of dancing. The king will be present. Day 8: King commands that a number of cattle (perhaps 20-25) be slaughtered for girls. They collect their pieces of meat and can go home. The Reed Dance developed out of the old "umcwasho" custom. In "umcwasho", all young girls were placed in a female age-regiment. If any girl fell pregnant outside of marriage, her family paid a fine of one cow to the local chief. After a number of years, when the girls had reached a marriageable age, they would perform labour service for the Queen Mother, ending with dancing and feasting. QUICK LINKS


What was the first name of Doctor Barnardo?

infed.org | Thomas John Barnardo (‘the doctor’) search Thomas John Barnardo (‘the doctor’) Thomas John Barnardo (‘the doctor’). Dr. Thomas John Barnardo was what we might now call an extraordinary ‘social entrepreneur’. But who was he and what did he achieve? He was well known for his homes and training schemes, but what was his contribution to the development of youth work and social work practice? contents: introduction · thomas barnardo – life · barnardo and ragged schools · barnardo homes · child migration · ‘boarding out’ · dr barnardo and controversy · conclusion · further reading and references · links · how to cite this article Thomas John Barnardo (1845-1905) is a classically Victorian figure – evangelical, entrepreneurial and philanthropic. His crusade to ‘rescue children from the streets’ was one the best known social interventions in the last half of the nineteenth century. As Williams (1953: vii) has put it: In the short space of forty years, starting without patronage or influence of any kind, this man had raised the sum of three and a quarter million pounds sterling, established a network of Homes of various kinds such as never existed before for the reception, care and training of homeless, needy and afflicted children, and had rescued no fewer than sixty thousand destitute boys and girls. But who was Dr Barnardo, what did he achieve in his work with children and young people,, and what is his continuing significance? Thomas Barnardo – life Born in Dublin in 1845, the son of a furrier, Thomas John Barnardo’s childhood is somewhat blurred. As Rose (1987: 17) reports, as his fame grew, ‘so did the anecdotes and legends about him until they became folklore’. She continues, ‘much of the early history of his life and of the homes he wrote himself, but where his father’s family came from and how he spent his first years in London remains uncertain’. There are hints that his childhood was stormy and far from happy (ibid.: 20). His schooling included Sunday school, parish day school and St Patricks Cathedral Grammar School, Dublin. Thomas (Tom) appears to have had an independent spirit, reading radical writers like Rousseau and Tom Paine. He was seen as a troublemaker (becoming bored quickly with lessons) and was eloquent and argumentative. Tom Barnardo did not pass his public examinations and at the age of 16 was apprenticed to a wine merchant. Approaching his seventeenth birthday Thomas Barnardo experienced ‘conversion’ (on May 26, 1862). He became a strongly evangelical Christian ‘impatient to convert others, urgent for action’ (Rose 1987: 24). Barnardo began teaching Bible classes in a Dublin ragged school and became involved in home visiting. His mother and brothers were already members of the Plymouth Bretheren – which Barnardo also joined. He also became a member of the Dublin YMCA – and often gave talks there. His commitment to social work strengthened – and on hearing Hudson Taylor speaking in Dublin about the work of the Inland China Mission, Barnardo believed his future lay in such work. The Brethren provided him with a small allowance, and the plan was to first study medicine at the London Hospital (friends from Dublin YMCA gave him an introduction). Thomas Barnardo settled close to the hospital in east London (his first lodgings were at 30 Coburn Street, Stepney) in 1866 – although he does not appear to have begun his studies until 1867 (Wagner 1979). He appears to have thrown himself into missionary work in the East End visiting beerhouses, penny gaffs (little theatres), and homes – offering cheap Bibles and the word of Jesus. More than once he was attacked (suffering two broken ribs on one occasion). He also became involved in the Ernest Street ragged school (off Mile End Road) – and appears to have been a charismatic and engaging teacher. One of the stories associated with this period was of Barnardo’s first encounters with the ‘lays’ around Petticoat Lane where children slept. Thomas Barnardo frequently talked about this night, when he was taken by Jim Jarvis, a local lad, after a ragged school t


What was the fictional TV family, with children named John, Jason, Mary Ellen, Erin, Benjamin, James Robert and Elizabeth, that first came to US TV screens in 1972?

"Goodnight John-Boy!" - "Goodnight Elizabeth!" ~ 'The Waltons' was Originally A Christmas Film: 'The Homecoming'. "Goodnight John-Boy!" - "Goodnight Elizabeth!" ~ 'The Waltons' was Originally A Christmas Film: 'The Homecoming'. Updated on December 1, 2016 Christmas Movie: 'The Homecoming' - Walton's Pilot Source December 2011: A Walton's Anniversary: 40 Years of The Walton Family - Starting With their Christmas Story December 2011 marked an important anniversary in the history of television ~ the 40th birthday of the fictional TV family ~ 'The Waltons'. This large, happy, extended, close-knit, American family survived 'the depression' in a quiet backwater of Virginia ~ on Waltons Mountain ~ and they survived the Second World War, too. 'The Waltons' was genuine family viewing; good clean entertainment, suitable for all ages. And it was educational too. We learned about a different time and a different place ~ history lessons unlike any that we received in school! And it all started with a Christmas movie: 'The Homecoming'. ** ** ** ** But, how far were the members of this family ~ apparently invented by Earl Hamner ~ fictional characters, and how far were they based upon real people? And why has this family proved to be so enduringly popular? Let us take a closer look at this phenomenon. ** ** ** ** I apologise in advance for any errors that I may have made, My sources include Wikipedia, Imdb, Amazon, books and interviews by / with cast and writer, etc. Earl Hamner becomes John Boy Walton Source The Homecoming - A Christmas Story (Waltons Pilot) Source December 19th 1971 Christmas Films and Memories In December 2011, I was reminded of a teenage crush, when I watched a seasonal film on TV. It was called 'The Christmas Box' and it starred Richard Thomas. To me, Richard Thomas will always be the lovely 'John-Boy Walton'. And it seems that I am not alone, when it comes to Mr Thomas. Apparently, fans still call out 'Good night John Boy!' to him, in the street! * * * * * * Here in the UK, 'The Waltons' series was aired on a Monday evening ~ the same night as 'youth club' ~ and, though I loved meeting up with friends, I would not leave the house until I had watched my weekly 'Waltons' treat ~ John Boy, in particular! I decided to check out just how long ago it was, since Thomas played the eldest of the Walton children and, coincidentally, I discovered that that December ~ December 2011 ~ was the 40th anniversary of the arrival of this famous family onto our TV screens. The pilot was aired on December 19th 1971 and ~ coincidentally again ~ it was a Christmas story. All of the well-known Walton children, from the long-running series, were in it ~ but the adult cast was not identical. * * * Source The Cast - The 'Children' There were seven children in the Walton household; the eldest being John Boy. After him came Mary Ellen, then Jason, Erin, Ben, Jim Bob and little Elizabeth, the baby of the family. The young people: John Boy John Boy was played ~ as already noted ~ by Richard Thomas. Thomas was born in New York ~ son of the owners of the New York School of Ballet ~ in June 1951. His first appearance on the Broadway stage was in 1958 and his TV debut occurred in 1959. Other pre-Walton roles included work on operas and parts in the films 'Winning' and 'Last Summer' and he has continued his stage and screen work, post 'Waltons'. In the 8th season, the role was taken over by Robert Wightman. Mary Ellen Judy Norton (also known as Judy Norton Taylor), who was born in January 1958, in California's Santa Monica, played the eldest Walton daughter ~ Mary Ellen. Judy has been involved in other projects, but remains best known for her role in 'The Waltons'. They actually brought out a 'Mary Ellen Walton' doll in the mid '70s. Judy also sings well ~ there is an amateur video towards the end of this item: 'Judy Norton Performing in With Love From Judy'. Jason Jason was the family's musician. and he was played by real-life musician, Jon Walmsley. Walmsley was born in 1956 ~ in the English northern county of Lancashire, surprisingly enough! He


What is the surname of the actors Lloyd and Beau, who are father and son?

Family Tree Tuesday – Jeff Bridges Geni Blog Home » Family Tree Tuesday » Family Tree Tuesday – Jeff Bridges Family Tree Tuesday – Jeff Bridges Posted September 25, 2012 by Hiromimarie | No Comment Jeff Bridges Jeff Bridges is an American actor, musician and producer. He began his first televised acting in 1958 as a child with his father, Lloyd Bridges, and brother Beau on television’s Sea Hunt. Some of his best-known major motion films include: Tron, Fearless, Iron Man, The Contender, Starman, The Fabulous Baker Boys, Jagged Edge, Against All Odds, The Fisher King, Thunderbolt and Lightfoot, Seabiscuit, Arlington Road, and The Big Lebowski. He won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role as Otis “Bad” Blake in the film Crazy Heart (2009) and earned his sixth Academy Award nomination for his portrayal of Rooster Cogburn in True Grit (2010). He was born Jeffrey Leon Bridges on December 4, 1949 in Los Angeles, California to actor Lloyd Bridges and actress and writer Dorothy Bridges . His older brother is actor Beau Bridges, he also has a younger sister, Lucinda, who is an artist and another brother Garrett, who died of sudden infant death syndrome in 1948. Bridges shared a close relationship with his brother Beau growing up, as Beau acted as a surrogate father to him when their father was working. At age seventeen, Bridges toured with his father in a stage production of Anniversary Waltz. After graduating from high school, he went to New York City to study acting at the Herbert Berghof Studio. He also joined the United States Coast Guard Reserve, where he served for eight years. Bridges also has a passion for music and in 2011 had signed a recording contract with Blue Note Records/EMI Music Group and released his second album, Jeff Bridges (2011). Lloyd Bridges Lloyd Bridges, Jr. was an America actor, best known for his role of Mike Nelson in Sea Hunt, the most popular syndicated American TV series in 1958. He was born in San Leandro, California to Harriet Evelyn (Brown) and Lloyd Vernet Bridges, Sr. , who was involved in the California hotel business and once owned a movie theater. His parents were both natives of Kansas, and had English ancestry. Bridges studied political science at UCLA, where he was a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon. He joined the stock company at Columbia Pictures, where he played small roles in features and short subjects. He left Columbia to enlist in the U.S. Coast Guard and following World War II, he returned to film acting. He was blacklisted briefly in the 1950s after he admitted to the House Un-American Activities Committee that he had once been a member of the Actors’ Lab, a group with links to the Communist Party. He resumed working after being cleared by the FBI, finding his greatest success in television. Bridges met his wife, Dorothy Bridges in his fraternity at UCLA; they married in 1938 in New York City. Dorothy Louise Bridges was an American actress and poet born in Worcester, Massachusetts. She was of English ancestry. Her family moved to Los Angeles when she was two years old. She made her film debut in the movie Finders Keepers. Bridges occasionally returned to acting throughout her life, often in roles where she was able to work with members of her family. She had introduced her children to the acting profession as their first drama teacher. She encouraged each of her children to “pretend” for an hour each day. Dorothy also wrote poetry, later publishing some of her work. She was known to write love poems to her husband every Valentine’s Day during their 59 year marriage. She released her memoirs in 2005, You Caught Me Kissing: A Love Story. Beau Bridges Beau Bridges (born Lloyd Vernet Bridges III) is also an American actor and director. He was nicknamed Beau by his parents after Ashley Wilkes’ son in Gone with the Wind. He wanted to become a basketball star and played his freshman year at UCLA, and later transferred to the University of Hawaii. He enlisted in the U.S. Coast Guard in 1959 and served eight years in the Coast Guard Reserve. Bridges appeared along with his brother,


What is the official language in Guyana, on the South America mainland and on the southern limits of the Caribbean?

Official Languages of the Americas and the Caribbean - Nations Online Project   ___ Official and Spoken Languages of the Countries of the Americas and the   Caribbean. List of official, national and spoken languages of North America, Central America,   South America and the Caribbean. Thanks to the often violent colonization of the Americas, most of the spoken languages are the tongue of the conquerors, about 400 million people in the Americas speak Spanish as their First Language. 247 million people speak English as their mother tongue, 204 million people speak Brazilian Portuguese, about 8 million people speak French or French Creole. Thousands of languages were spoken in the Americas before the arrival of the Europeans. Today most of the surviving indigenous languages of the Americas are considered to be critically endangered, they are at risk of falling out of use. It happens in our time, that the last speaker of a language dies and with him or her the language vanishes - forever. Only four of the dominant language families, Quechua (9 million speakers) and Aymara (2.2 million speakers), Guarani (5 million speakers) and Nahuatl (Aztec; 1.5 million), the most widely spoken languages of indigenous peoples of the Americas, are considered to be not endangered. Languages by Countries


"Where was the film ""Angel At My Table"" (1990), starring New Zealander Kerry Fox, directed by New Zealander Jane Campion, and based on books by New Zealand writer Janet Frame, made?"

News and Announcements News and Announcements Frequently updated news and views from Janet Frame's estate plus news of latest releases will now be posted on the blog:   REAL NZ Festival: Explore the Janet Frame House in Oamaru   Janet Frame's childhood home at 56 Eden Street, Oamaru will be open early this year and for an extra hour every day - from the 9th of September, 1pm to 4 pm daily, thanks to support from the REAL NZ Festival associated with the Rugby World Cup 2011:   http://www.nz2011.govt.nz/experiencerealnz/events/533-janet-frame-house   The Friends of the Janet Frame House have also produced a series of attractive book marks celebrating Janet Frame's writing and with illustrations of features of the former Frame house. The book marks will be available at the house.   Friends of the Janet Frame House Website   The Friends of the Janet Frame House in Oamaru ("The Janet Frame Eden Street Trust") have a new website: http://www.jfestrust.org.nz/   Recent books on Janet Frame written by academics   Chasing Butterflies: Janet Frame's The Lagoon and Other Stories Vanessa Guigneryï¿½ ( Publibook 2011 )   Janet Frame: Short Fiction edited by Marta Dvorak & Christine Lorre ( Commonwealth Essays & Studies 33.2 Spring 2011 )   The Frame Function: An inside-out Guide to the Novels of Janet Frame Jan Cronin ( Auckland University Press 2011 )   Janet Frame (Writers and Their Work) Claire Bazin ( Northcote 2011 )   Janet Frame: Semiotics and Biosemiotics in Her Early Fiction Matthew St Pierre ( Rowman & Littlefied 2011 )   The Lagoon and Other Stories: Naissance dï¿½une ï¿½uvre Claire Bazin & Alice Braun ( Presses Universitaires de France 2010 )   Janet Frame: The Lagoon and Other Stories Ivane Mortelette (Atlande 2010)   Frameworks: Contemporary Criticism on Janet Frame edited by Jan Cronin & Simone Drichel ( Rodopi 2009 )   2011 Janet Frame Literary Award for Poetry   Has been awarded to poet and printer Alan Loney. See the Awards page for more details about Alan Loney and the other recipients of the awards. 28 August 2011 Penguin NZ Acquires 3 New Janet Frame Titles   Press Release: Penguin Group NZ   Penguin NZ has acquired the rights to publish the first non-fiction book by Janet Frame for 25 years, as well as two new works of fiction.   For the first time ever, all of Janet Frameï¿½s published short non-fiction will be brought together in a new collected volume. Published essays, reviews and reports will feature alongside speeches and extracts from interviews. The work also includes published letters spanning 50 years of Frameï¿½s life and passages from her personal correspondence.   Pamela Gordon of the Janet Frame Literary Trust says: ï¿½The whole effect is to provide a kind of manifesto of one writer's life."   "Our hope is that this collection of non-fiction writings and speeches and interviews will challenge the many inaccuracies about Janet Frame that are disseminated even by apparently reputable sources,ï¿½ said Gordon.   Penguin will publish the non-fiction collection at the end of 2011, and has acquired the rights also to publish two new fiction titles.   The first fiction work will be a volume of previously uncollected short stories, as well as some unpublished stories. The second work is an adult fable written by Frame in Ibiza during the 1950s. It is the first publication of material written by Frame when she lived on Ibiza, where she had her first profound romantic encounter.   ï¿½We are absolutely delighted to be able to offer these three new works by arguably New Zealandï¿½s best known writer. Very few Janet Frame works have been published since her death in 2004, and Penguin is honoured to be publishing these new works now.ï¿½ (Debra Millar, Penguin NZ's General Manager of Publishing.)   Gifted by Patrick Evans: A review   Iï¿½d like to think my book is a sort of consummation of what she [was] trying to do ï¿½ ï¿½having been so intimate with her work [Gifted is] her work, itï¿½s her last novel... 1 (Patrick Evans, October 2010)   Patrick Evansï¿½ forty year long urge to mine Janet Frameï¿½s genius and re


For which artistic medium was Albrecht Drer first known, and is still well-known?

Albrecht Dürer (1471–1528) | Essay | Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History | The Metropolitan Museum of Art The Metropolitan Museum of Art Works of Art (19) Essay A supremely gifted and versatile German artist of the Renaissance period, Albrecht Dürer (1471–1528) was born in the Franconian city of Nuremberg, one of the strongest artistic and commercial centers in Europe during the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. He was a brilliant painter , draftsman , and writer, though his first and probably greatest artistic impact was in the medium of printmaking . Dürer apprenticed with his father, who was a goldsmith, and with the local painter Michael Wolgemut, whose workshop produced woodcut illustrations for major books and publications. An admirer of his compatriot Martin Schongauer, Dürer revolutionized printmaking, elevating it to the level of an independent art form. He expanded its tonal and dramatic range, and provided the imagery with a new conceptual foundation. By the age of thirty, Dürer had completed or begun three of his most famous series of woodcuts on religious subjects: The Apocalypse (1498; 19.73.209 , 18.65.8 ), the Large Woodcut Passion cycle (ca. 1497–1500), and the Life of the Virgin (begun 1500). He went on to produce independent prints, such as the engraving Adam and Eve (1504; 19.73.1 ), and small, self-contained groups of images, such as the so-called Master Engravings featuring Knight, Death, and the Devil (1513; 43.106.2 ), Saint Jerome in His Study (1514), and Melancholia I (1514; 43.106.1 ), which were intended more for connoisseurs and collectors than for popular devotion. Their technical virtuosity, intellectual scope, and psychological depth were unmatched by earlier printed work. More than any other Northern European artist, Dürer was engaged by the artistic practices and theoretical interests of Italy. He visited the country twice, from 1494 to 1495 and again from 1505 to 1507, absorbing firsthand some of the great works of the Italian Renaissance, as well as the classical heritage and theoretical writings of the region. The influence of Venetian color and design can be seen in the Feast of the Rose Garlands altarpiece (1506; Prague, Národní Galerie ), commissioned from Dürer by a German colony of merchants living in Venice. Dürer developed a new interest in the human form, as demonstrated by his nude and antique studies. Italian theoretical pursuits also resonated deeply with the artist. He wrote Four Books of Human Proportion (Vier Bücher von menschlichen Proportion), only the first of which was published during his lifetime (1528), as well as an introductory manual of geometric theory for students (Underweysung der Messung, 1525; 125.97 D932 ), which includes the first scientific treatment of perspective by a Northern European artist. Dürer’s talent, ambition, and sharp, wide-ranging intellect earned him the attention and friendship of some of the most prominent figures in German society. He became official court artist to Holy Roman Emperors Maximilian I and his successor Charles V, for whom Dürer designed and helped execute a range of artistic projects. In Nuremberg, a vibrant center of humanism and one of the first to officially embrace the principles of the Reformation , Dürer had access to some of Europe’s outstanding theologians and scholars, including Erasmus ( 19.73.120 ), Philipp Melanchthon, and Willibald Pirkheimer, each captured by the artist in shrewd portraits . For Nuremberg’s town hall, the artist painted two panels of the Four Apostles (1526; Munich, Bayerische Staatsgemäldesammlungen, Alte Pinakothek), bearing texts in Martin Luther’s translation that pay tribute to the city’s adoption of Lutheranism. Hundreds of surviving drawings, letters, and diary entries document Dürer’s travels through Italy and the Netherlands (1520–21), attesting to his insistently scientific perspective and demanding artistic judgment. The artist also cast a bold light on his own image through a number of striking self-portraits—drawn, painted, and printed. They reveal an increasingly successful and


The ancient city of Carthage is in which modern day country ?

Ancient Carthage Explained Ancient Carthage Explained Monarchy until 308 BC, Republic thereafter P1: Carthage and its dependencies in 264 BC Capital: Carthage ( , Phoenician: Qart-ḥadašt, .  "New Town") [1] was the Phoenicia n city-state of Carthage and during the 7th to 3rd centuries BC, included its sphere of influence, the Carthaginian Empire. The empire extended over much of the coast of North Africa as well as encompassing substantial parts of coastal Iberia and the islands of the western Mediterranean . [2] Carthage was founded in 814 BC. [3] [4] A dependency of the Phoenician state of Tyre at the time, Carthage gained independence around 650 BC and established its political hegemony over other Phoenician settlements throughout the western Mediterranean , this lasting until the end of the 3rd century BC. At the height of the city's prominence it served as a major hub of trade, with trading stations extending throughout the region. For much of its history, Carthage was on hostile terms with the Greeks in Sicily and with the Roman Republic , leading to a series of armed conflicts known as the Greek-Punic Wars (–265 BC) and the Punic Wars (264–146 BC) respectively. The city also had to deal with potentially hostile Berbers , the indigenous inhabitants of the area where Carthage was built. [5] In 146 BC, after the third and final Punic War , Roman forces destroyed and then occupied Carthage. [6] Nearly all of the other Phoenician city-states and former Carthaginian dependencies subsequently fell into Roman hands. History Foundation legends According to Roman sources, Phoenician colonists from modern-day Lebanon, led by Dido (also known as Queen Elissa), founded Carthage circa 814 BC. [7] Queen Elissa (also known as "Alissar") was an exiled princess of the ancient Phoenician city of Tyre . At its peak, the metropolis she founded, Carthage, came to be called the "shining city", ruling 300 other cities around the western Mediterranean Sea and leading the Phoenician world. Elissa's brother, Pygmalion of Tyre , had murdered Elissa's husband, the high priest. Elissa escaped the tyranny of her own country, founding the "new city" of Carthage and subsequently its later dominions. Details of her life are sketchy and confusing, but the following can be deduced from various sources. According to Justin , Princess Elissa was the daughter of King Belus II of Tyre. When he died, the throne was jointly bequeathed to her brother, Pygmalion, and her. She married her uncle Acerbas , also known as Sychaeus, the High Priest of Melqart , a man with both authority and wealth comparable to the king. This led to increased rivalry between the religious elite and the monarchy . Pygmalion was a tyrant, lover of both gold and intrigue, who desired the authority and fortune enjoyed by Acerbas. [8] Pygmalion assassinated Acherbas in the temple and kept the misdeed concealed from his sister for a long time, deceiving her with lies about her husband's death. At the same time, the people of Tyre called for a single sovereign. In the Roman epic of Virgil, the Aeneid , Queen Dido, the Greek name for Elissa, is first introduced as a highly esteemed character. In just seven years, since their exodus from Tyre, the Carthaginians have rebuilt a successful kingdom under her rule. Her subjects adore her and present her with a festival of praise. Her character is perceived by Virgil as even more noble when she offers asylum to Aeneas and his men, who have recently escaped from Troy . A spirit in the form of the messenger god, Mercury , sent by Jupiter , reminds Aeneas that his mission is not to stay in Carthage with his new-found love, Dido, but to sail to Italy to found Rome. Virgil ends his legend of Dido with the story that, when Aeneas tells Dido, her heart broken, she orders a pyre to be built where she falls upon Aeneas' sword. As she lay dying, she predicted eternal strife between Aeneas' people and her own: "rise up from my bones, avenging spirit" (4.625, trans. Fitzgerald) she says, an invocation of Hannibal . The details of Virgil's story do not, how


The UK TV channel BBC developed a crime drama series, featuring Kenneth Branagh as the lead detective; what was the series called?

Wallander (TV series) - The Full Wiki The Full Wiki More info on Wallander (TV series)   Wikis       Note: Many of our articles have direct quotes from sources you can cite, within the Wikipedia article! This article doesn't yet, but we're working on it! See more info or our list of citable articles . From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia This article is about the English-language television series. For the Swedish-language film series, see Wallander (film series) . Wallander Wallander opening titles, featuring Kenneth Branagh Genre Original run 30 November 2008 – present Wallander is a television series adapted from the Swedish novelist Henning Mankell 's Kurt Wallander novels and starring Kenneth Branagh as the eponymous police inspector. The six-episode series, produced by Yellow Bird , Left Bank Pictures and TKBC for BBC Scotland , was broadcast first on BBC One from November to December 2008. It is the first time the Wallander novels have been adapted into an English-language production. Yellow Bird, formed by Mankell, began negotiations with British companies to produce the adaptations in 2006. In 2007, Branagh met with Mankell personally to discuss playing the role. Contracts were signed and work began on the films, adapted from Sidetracked , Firewall and One Step Behind , in January 2008. Emmy-award-winning director Philip Martin was hired as lead director. Martin worked with cinematographer Anthony Dod Mantle to establish a visual style for the series. The two were keen to use the Red One digital camera, making Wallander the first British television series to do so. Using scripts adapted by Richard Cottan and Richard McBrien, filming ran for 12 weeks from April to July 2008 in Wallander's hometown of Ystad , Sweden . The series had a budget of £7.5 million, drawn from the BBC and from pre-sales to Germany and America; Germany's ARD Degeto and America's WGBH Boston are credited as co-producers for their budget contribution. Critics have written positively of the series. The three films were broadcast on BBC One on 30 November, 7 December, and 14 December 2008 respectively. The second series was filmed from July to October 2009 and is scheduled for broadcast from 3 January 2010. [1] The BBC hopes that Wallander will become a returning series, in the style of Inspector Morse . The series has won a Broadcasting Press Guild Award (Best Actor for Branagh) and five British Academy Television Awards , including Best Drama Series . Contents Sidetracked (aired 30 November 2008). Firewall (aired 7 December 2008). One Step Behind (aired 14 December 2008). Second series Faceless Killers (aired 3 January 2010). The Man Who Smiled (aired 10 January 2010). The Fifth Woman (airs 17 January 2010). Characters The protagonist, Kurt Wallander , is played by Kenneth Branagh . Branagh describes Wallander as "an existentialist [...] who is questioning what life is about and why he does what he does every day, and for whom acts of violence never become normal. There's a level of empathy with the victims of crime that's almost impossible to contain, and one of the prices he pays for that sort of empathy is a personal life that's a kind of wasteland." [2] In the novels, Wallander regularly listens to opera in his apartment and his car. This signature hobby has been dropped for this adaptation; producer Francis Hopkinson believes it would make Wallander too similar to Inspector Morse , whose love of opera is already familiar to British viewers. [3] Branagh did not watch any of the Swedish Wallander films before playing the role, preferring to bring his own interpretation of the character to the screen. [4] Wallander's team at the Ystad police station is made up of: Anne-Britt Hoglund (played by Sarah Smart ), Svedberg (played by Tom Beard), and Martinsson (played by Tom Hiddleston ). Of Wallander and Hoglund, Smart said, "Our relationship is based on this impeccable mutual respect which is all very Scandinavian and, actually, more interesting to play." [2] The team is joined at murder scenes by Nyberg (played by Richard McCabe ), a forensi


"The pasta called ""conchiglie"" is in the shape of what?"

Types of Pasta You Will Love Our  Award Winning, Fresh, Hot,   and Delicious, Hand-Tossed Pizzas. Types of Pasta Italian for "peppercorns", they look like tiny bead-shaped     pasta. cannelloni Meat-filled tubes of pasta cooked in oven. Capelli d'angelo Angel Hair pasta capellini From the Latin "capelli" for "hair",  capellini is very thin round pasta strands. It is only slightly thicker     than angel hair, our thinnest long shape. conchiglie Shells, called "conchiglie" in Italian,  there are many sizes of these seashell-shaped pastas. cavatappi Tubular corkscrew or spiral shaped pasta about 1-inch     long, native to southern Italy. farfalle "Butterflies" in Italian; medium-sized pasta     with a crimped center and pinked edges to form the shape of a bow tie.     Bow Ties made in the Italian style are egg-free, while some versions     contain egg. fettucine "Little ribbons" in Italian, this shape originated in Rome.     These flat wide pasta strands are made in egg and egg-free versions.     Fettuccine is classically paired with Alfredo Sauce, a rich cream sauce     with Parmesan cheese. fusilli "Twins" in Italian, this medium-sized shape resembles two     short pieces of tubular spaghetti twisted together. gnocchi Small dumplings made from potato and flour or from     semolina. i gomiti Short curved tubular pasta in a semi-circle shape. lasagne America's favorite baking shape, some culinary     authorities think the name comes from Vulgur Latin "lasania",     meaning "cooking pot". Lasagne are ripple-edged strips about     2-1/4-inches wide and 10-inches long.  The dish, lasagne is layers of pasta, meat sauce and bï¿½chamel sauce. linguine "Little tongues" in Italian, this narrow, flat pasta is a     specialty of southern Italy. It is frequently paired with white or red     clam sauce. mostaccioli Italians describe mostaccioli as "little mustaches". They     are diagonally cut tubular shapes similar to penne, but larger.     Mostaccioli has a smooth surface; Mostaccioli Rigati has a ridged     surface. penne rigate  From the Latin for "feathers" (reminiscent of old-fashioned     quill pens) they are diagonally cut tubular shapes with ridged surfaces. p From southern Italian dialect "perciato" meaning "pierced through", perciatelli are fat hollow strands. radiatore "Radiators" in Italian, these are short chunky ruffled     shapes that add great eye appeal to any dish. rotelle Corkscrew or spiral shaped pasta, about 1-1/2-inches long. ravioli Pasta cushions filled with meat or spinach - spinaci rigatoni Large ribbed tubes about 1-1/2-inches long. rotini Corkscrew or spiral shaped pasta, about 1-1/2-inches     long. spaghetti From the Italian word for "strings"; these     round thin strands are our most beloved pasta shape. tagliatelle Thin strips of ribbon pasta. tortellini Little pasta 'hats' with meat filling. trenette


With whom did CM Punk hold the World Tag Team Championships?

WWE: Ranking Kofi Kingston's Three Championship Tag Teams | Bleacher Report WWE: Ranking Kofi Kingston's Three Championship Tag Teams Use your ← → (arrow) keys to browse more stories Photo Credit: Wwepictures.co.cc 39 Comments Kofi Kingston has won tag team titles with three different partners—CM Punk, Evan Bourne and R-Truth—but one of Kingston's teams will always be the best of the bunch. Many fans would love to see Kingston rise to the top, but for now, he's carving out quite a niche as one-half of the WWE Tag Team champions. It's not his first time. Kingston's fast-paced style and high-flying moves are perfect to springboard a division that is currently in SOS mode. Whether he's the common denominator or he's been blessed with equally talented individuals, Kingston has been a part of three awesome championship-caliber tag teams. Here's how each of Kingston's team match up against one another. No. 3: Kofi Kingston & CM Punk If these two tagged together today, the WWE Universe might go bananas. But when they formed a duo the first time, both men were relatively new on the scene. The greatest thing about this team was that CM Punk has continued to shoot upward since holding the World Tag Team Championship. Immediately after the reign, he went after the Intercontinental title, then the World Heavyweight Championship, won two Money in the Banks and now is the WWE Championship. Tweet Unfortunately, the same can't be said for Kingston. Kingston bounced back and forth between the United States and Intercontinental Championships before settling back into the tag team division. But future aside, the team of Punk and Kingston were still fun to watch. They did, after all, hold (arguably) the more prestigious tag team belts—rich with history and held by The Legion of Doom, the Steiner Brothers and the Hardy Boyz to name a few. Punk was much less high-flying than Kingston. He replaced acrobatics with martial arts skills, but still held his own. The team was exciting because they were still fresh blood. Though, one last downfall for Punk and Kingston: they only held the belts for 47 days. No. 2: "R-Boom" R-Truth and Kofi Kingston have tons of potential. Typically, two high-flying individuals complement each other well. The pairing of one small, fast wrestler with a powerful partner also provides intrigue. Tweet R-Truth has a decent amount of speed and power. Even better, Truth and Kingston just click well together. Between the two, there's a little bit of flash, strength and thrill. If only Truth could drop the "Little Jimmy" shtick. While Truth clutches to it, it's easy to spot Kingston's comical facial expressions that show he doesn't really know what to do with the invisible friend—accept it or ignore it. The pair have held the belts for 23 days and counting so far. They definitely have potential to become one of the greatest tag teams of this generation. No. 1: "Air Boom" Oh, what could have been. If only Evan Bourne could stay off the juice. While R-Truth is a suitable match to Kofi Kingston's style, Bourne fit Kingston identically. They were practically the same guy. Air Boom struck fast and often. Both men were all over the place. They jumped through and over the ropes. They jumped off the top ropes. They delivered jump kicks to the head with such ease. Hurricanranas, flips, reversal pins mid-air—you name it and Air Boom could do it. They were ungodly quick. Boom, boom, boom—move after move. Best of all, fans never saw clothesline after clothesline. Rather, it was middle rope back flips after flip kick after roundhouse kick, then a tag for more thrilling maneuvers. You can really tell when two men are dedicated to a tag team—and not just two individuals competing together randomly—when they come out together, to the same music and have a team name. CM Punk and Kingston came out separately. Truth and Kingston just started coming out together, but they still seem more like two guys who randomly paired and it seems to be working well. Air Boom on the other hand was a bonafide tag team. They had their music, their entrance and t


On 24 June 2010 Julia Gillard was elected to the leadership of her party and therefore became Prime Minister of Australia. Who was the previous Prime Minister?

Julia Gillard - Australia's PMs - Australia's Prime Ministers AUSTRALIA'S PRIME MINISTERS Home > Australia's PMs >     Julia Gillard Julia Gillard On 24 June 2010 Julia Gillard became Australia's 27th Prime Minister and the first woman to hold the office. She was elected unopposed by the Parliamentary Labor Party. Before becoming Prime Minister, she served as Deputy Prime Minister from 2007 to 2010 in Kevin Rudd's Labor government, where she was Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations, Minister for Education, and Minister for Social Inclusion. On 26 June 2013, Gillard was defeated in a leadership ballot by Rudd, who was sworn in as Prime Minister the following day, 27 June. She announced that she would not contest her seat at the forthcoming election and was retiring from politics. She was the federal Member for Lalor (Vic) and was first elected to Parliament in 1998. Julia Gillard.


In Japan's feudal era, from 1185 onwards, a dominant warrior class emerged called what?

Feudal Japan: The Age of the Warrior [ushistory.org] 10c. Feudal Japan: The Age of the Warrior While most samurai warriors were men, some women were renowned for their skill in battle. A monument was erected to honor Nakano Takeko — a female warrior — at the Hokai temple in Fukushima prefecture because she asked her sister to behead her rather than die dishonorably from a gunshot wound in captivity. Being a warrior in feudal Japan was more than just a job. It was a way of life. The collapse of aristocratic rule ushered in a new age of chaos — appropriately called the Warring States period (c.1400-1600) — in which military might dictated who governed and who followed. The samurai warriors, also known as bushi, took as their creed what later became known as the "Way of the Warrior" (Bushidô), a rigid value system of discipline and honor that required them to live and die in the service of their lords. If commanded, true bushi were expected to give their lives without hesitation. Any form of disgrace — cowardice, dishonor, defeat — reflected poorly on the lord and was reason enough for a bushi to commit suicide by seppuku, or ritual disembowelment. In return for this devotion, the lord provided protection, financial security, and social status — in short, a reason to live. The bushi swore unwavering loyalty to their immediate masters in the chain of command. But this wasn't always easy. Frequently, switched loyalties and shifting alliances forced the bushi to decide between obeying the daimyô (baron) or following their more immediate lord. Although elegant and refined in appearance, Japanese castles were used as military installments. The wood used in their construction allowed these castles to withstand Japan's many earthquakes, but made them susceptible to fire at the same time. Shôgun Might The daimyô reported to the shôgun, more out of political and military necessity than out of loyalty. The shôgun became the most dominant feudal lord by subduing the other daimyô and receiving from the emperor the impressive title "Barbarian-Quelling Generalissimo." Not that the emperor wielded any sort of political power — the awesome military might of the shôgun often left the emperor little choice but to grant the title. The shogunal rule of the bakufu, (tent government) began in earnest with the Kamakura period (1185-1333), when the Minamoto clan defeated its bitter rival, the Taira family. When Mongol invaders tried to land in western Japan, they were repelled by the Kamakura bakufu — with the help of kamikaze, powerful storms thought to be of divine origin. Despite this seeming divine favor, though, the bakufu could not withstand the unstable political situation on the domestic front. The Kinkakuji — or "Golden Pavilion" — was originally built as a villa for the third Ashikaga shogun, Yoshimitsu. Upon his death, the eye-catching structure became a Zen Buddhist temple — creating an unusual combination of extravagant decor and minimalist doctrine. The next to ascend to power were the Ashikaga, who established the Muromachi bakufu (1336-1573). The third Ashikaga shôgun, Yoshimitsu (1358-1408), was a patron of the arts and oversaw such cultural achievements as the construction of the picturesque Kinkakuji (Golden Pavilion) and the flowering of Nô drama as the classical theater of Japan. The greatest figure in Nô was Zeami Motokiyo (1363-1443), whose aesthetic and critical theories defined the genre and influenced subsequent performing arts. The downfall of the Ashikaga came about with the rise of the first of three "Great Unifiers" who sought to consolidate power. Oda Nobunaga (1534-1582) was a minor daimyô who embarked on a ruthless campaign for control that culminated in the removal of the last Ashikaga shôgun. Western Influence, Feudal Struggle Japan was a land of mystery to foreign explorers such as the English and Dutch, as shown by this somewhat inaccurate 17th-century map. It was under Nobunaga's watch that Europeans first arrived in Japan, and he took full advantage of their presence. Part of his military success came from hi


Visors, gloves and finger spikes are worn in which Olympic sport?

Luge the Sport Home > Sports > List > Luge Luge Luge is a Winter Olympic sport. It uses a small one or two-person sled, on which the participants slide down the mountain face up and feet first. Racing sleds weigh around twenty one to twenty five kilograms for singles, and twenty five to thirty kilograms for doubles. The lugers can read the speed of up to 140 kilometers per hour. The term luge was first used in 1905. It’s from the French Savoy/Swiss dialect which means small coasting sled. The governing body for Luge is the Federation Internationale de Luge de Course. A team consisting of one or two can play. Both men and women can play but usually in separate competitions. Luge is held on either artificial tracks or natural tracks. Natural tracks are on existing mountain roads and paths. The participants equip themselves with a sled, helmet, suit, visor, gloves, finger spikes, and booties. The four luge disciplines are: men’s singles, doubles or mixed event, women’s singles, and team relay which is now an Olympic discipline. Share:


Where did the Spring of Nations, or the Year of Revolutions, happen in 1848?

The Spring of Nations: the Revolutions of 1848 - Delgado AP European History Delgado AP European History "The uprisings were led by shaky ad hoc coalitions of reformers, the middle classes and workers, but it could not hold together for long..." The Spring of Nations: The Revolutions of 1848 The European revolutions of 1848 didn't produce a great deal of political or structural change.  They did however alter European societies and cultural mores dramatically. Revolutions in France, Germany, the Italian states, Hungary, the Kingdom of Poland, and in several other areas were a result of socio political tensions, class unrest, and other factors. The revolutions spread to over 50 countries.  While lacking meaningful political changes, they would inspire Italian unification in 1861 and the freeing of serfs in the Russian Empire the same year.  The revolutions also helped to eliminate feudalism in Prussia and the Austrian Empire by 1850. Middle class freedoms gradually expanded over the next 20 years.   The Spring of Nations essentially began in France, once again proving that nation's influential role in European affairs.   Key Idea: the 1848 Revolutions were a product of-and a reaction to- the "isms:"  Nationalism, Liberalism, Conservatism, Militarism, and so on. Above: the beginnings of German nationalism Above: a Russian map showing the revolutionary hotspots. Below:  Danish soldiers return from fighting, 1849 Hungary Russia crushes rebellion with 300,000 Imperial troops. Leads to creation of Austro Hungarian Empire.  Origin of the Revolutions; no real political change no political change but inspires 1861 Italian unification (il Resorgimento) Receives Western support (as opposed to Polish Rebellion); Communist workers "invade" Belgium but revolt is squashed by Belgian troops.  Conservative aristocracy forces liberal revolutionaries into exile; stirrings of German nationalism. The Poles attempt an unsuccessful revolt against occupying Prussian forces. The multi-ethnic empire sees various groups -Croats, Slavs, Romanians, Serbs, and Italians- all  trying to form their own countries.  Though suppressed, the revolutions lead to Austrian imperial unification with Hungary. (Forms the Austro Hungarian Empire)  A new constitution is adopted; liberal yet absolutist monarchy still retains power.  Create a free website


"""In the Land of Blood and Honey"", set in Sarajevo in the 1990s in the Bosnian war, was the directorial debut of what USA actress?"

Angelina Jolie Makes Directorial Debut with 'In The Land of Blood and Honey' Angelina Jolie Makes Directorial Debut with 'In The Land of Blood and Honey' December 08, 2011 7:00 PM Alex Villarreal Email to a Friend Print American movie star Angelina Jolie is making her directorial debut with a film set during Bosnia's civil war in the 1990s. In an exclusive interview with VOA's Bosnian service, Jolie says the message of the film, titled In the Land of Blood and Honey , is one of tolerance and understanding. Angelina Jolie is used to being in front of the camera. But for her latest project, the Academy Award-winning actress stepped behind it... and into the brutality of wartime Bosnia. "The more I learned about it and the more I read about it, the more angry I got about the lack of intervention," Jolie says, "the more emotional I was about the violence against women. And I wanted to do a film that would help to look into the relationships between not just a couple, but also sisters, and fathers and sons, and mothers and children." Jolie wrote as well as directed In the Land of Blood and Honey. It is a love story between a Muslim woman and a Serb man during Bosnia-Herzogovina's bloody, three-year ethnic conflict. Jolie says she hopes the film sparks discussion about the war and Bosnia's continued struggle since the 1995 peace agreement. "I want people to remember Bosnia, and I want them to remember what happened, and I want them to pay respect to all of the people who survived, and today, to remember that this country still has so much healing to do,” she explains. As a United Nations goodwill ambassador, the mother of six and partner to Brad Pitt often brings her influence as an actress to global issues. But this time is different. "This film is the first time that these worlds have collided for me," Jolie says, "so this film means more to me than any film I’ve ever made." A film festival in the Bosnian capital Sarajevo honored Jolie earlier this year, despite initial criticism from Bosnian sexual violence victims and a lawsuit alleging she stole plot pieces from a book. She credits her Bosnian cast and war victims, organizations and officials she consulted with the result. "It’s not an American film made about Bosnia. It’s a film made with one American and many Bosnians and many people from the area, and we made it together," she says. In the Land of Blood and Honey opens in U.S. theaters on December 23. It has two versions: one in English, the other in the Bosnian language.


Why was the June horse race at Royal Ascot postponed for a month in 1955?

19.92 · Tornado and Storm Research Organisation Abstract Around 50 people experienced an electrical shock when lightning struck at the Royal Ascot horse race meeting on 14 July 1955. This incident is one of the worst lightning tragedies to have occurred in the UK so, on its sixtieth anniversary, it is appropriate to revisit details of the incident to reflect on the seriousness with which the lightning risk in the UK should continue to be regarded. Severe thunderstorms occurred across southern England on this day and resulted in seven people being killed by lightning, including two at Ascot. In addition to the two fatalities at Ascot, 15 others suffered serious burns and three were kept in hospital for a week or more. Some of those injured were contacted six months later and nearly 40 per cent indicated they were continuing to experience health problems. Another lightning fatality at Ascot racecourse on 18 June 1930 and other racecourse lightning incidents in the UK, including the Epsom Derby on 31 May 1911, are discussed. Discover the world's research AND JONATHAN D. C. WEBB Tornado and Storm Research Organisation ABSTRACT Around 50 people experienced an electrical shock when lightning struck at the Royal Ascot horse race meeting on 14 July 1955. This incident is one of the worst lightning tragedies to have occurred in the UK so, on its sixtieth anniversary, it is appropriate to revisit details of the incident to reect on the seriousness with which the lightning risk in the UK should continue to be regarded. Severe thunderstorms occurred across southern England on this day and resulted in seven people being killed by lightning, including two at Ascot. In addition to the two fatalities at Ascot, 15 others suffered serious burns and three were kept in hospital for a week or more. Some of those injured were contacted six months later and nearly 40 per cent indicated they were continuing to experience health problems. Another lightning fatality at Ascot racecourse on 18 June 1930 and other racecourse lightning incidents in the UK, including the Epsom Derby on 31 May 1911, are discussed. Keywords: lightning risk; lightning deaths and injuries; extreme weather INTRODUCTION Sixty years ago, lightning struck around 50 people at the Royal Ascot racecourse, Berkshire, on Thursday 14 July 19551. This was the largest group of people in the UK known to have been affected by a single lightning strike. It was reported widely in newspapers at the time and the medical effects of the strike were the subject of investigations by Arden et al. (1956) and Shaw and York-Moore (1957). The incident has since been frequently cited as one of the worst lightning disasters to have occurred in the UK so on its sixtieth anniversary it is appropriate to revisit details of the incident and to use this incident as a reminder of the potential seriousness with which the lightning risk in the UK should continue to be viewed. SYNOPTIC BACKGROUND AND WEATHER CONDITIONS A large anticyclone drifted north-eastwards across these islands between 5 and 9 July 1955, the weather being sunny and increasingly warm. By the 10 July, the high was situated over Scandinavia and had started to decline. Between 11 and 14 July surface pressure became slack across England and Wales while a broad, albeit rather diffuse trough became evident at 500 hPa. With light winds, the low level air continued to warm and 11 to 19 July was a period featuring hot, humid weather with scattered thunderstorms over central and southern Britain, the storms being widespread and severe on the 14 July and from 17 to 18 July. © THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF METEOROLOGY March/April 2015 Vol. 40, No. 390 48 The Daily Weather Report chart for 0600 GMT on the 14 July (Figure 1) indicated a slack ‘COL’ pressure pattern across central and southeast England (a favourable situation for the formation of convergence lines e.g. from sea breezes), while a cold front was edging southeast into Scotland. The 14 July was one of the hottest days of the year in the Midlands and southeast England, the rst peak of the h


About: Blue ringtail About: Blue ringtail An Entity of Type : animal ,   from Named Graph : http://dbpedia.org ,   within Data Space : dbpedia.org The blue ringtail (Austrolestes annulosus) is an Australian damselfly. It is found in most of the continent. Property Austrolestes annulosus est une espèce de demoiselle, de la famille des Lestidae. Comme tous les lestes, il a les ailes transparentes et de longs ptérostigmas. (fr) Austrolestes annulosus is een libellensoort uit de familie van de pantserjuffers (Lestidae), onderorde juffers (Zygoptera). De wetenschappelijke naam van de soort is voor het eerst geldig gepubliceerd in 1862 door Selys. (nl) The blue ringtail (Austrolestes annulosus) is an Australian damselfly. It is found in most of the continent. (en)


Pol Pot was overthrown as ruler of what country in 1979?

Pol Pot overthrown - Jan 07, 1979 - HISTORY.com Pol Pot overthrown Publisher A+E Networks On January 7, 1979, Vietnamese troops seize the Cambodian capital of Phnom Penh, toppling the brutal regime of Pol Pot and his Khmer Rouge. The Khmer Rouge, organized by Pol Pot in the Cambodian jungle in the 1960s, advocated a radical Communist revolution that would wipe out Western influences in Cambodia and set up a solely agrarian society. In 1970, aided by North Vietnamese and Viet Cong troops, Khmer Rouge guerrillas began a large-scale insurgency against Cambodian government forces, soon gaining control of nearly a third of the country. By 1973, secret U.S. bombings of Cambodian territory controlled by the Vietnamese Communists forced the Vietnamese out of the country, creating a power vacuum that was soon filled by Pol Pot’s rapidly growing Khmer Rouge movement. In April 1975, the Khmer Rouge captured Phnom Penh, the Cambodian capital, overthrew the pro-U.S. regime, and established a new government, the Kampuchean People’s Republic. As the new ruler of Cambodia, Pol Pot set about transforming the country into his vision of an agrarian utopia. The cities were evacuated, factories and schools were closed, and currency and private property was abolished. Anyone believed to be an intellectual, such as someone who spoke a foreign language, was immediately killed. Skilled workers were also killed, in addition to anyone caught in possession of eyeglasses, a wristwatch, or any other modern technology. In forced marches punctuated with atrocities from the Khmer Rouge, the millions who failed to escape Cambodia were herded onto rural collective farms. Between 1975 and 1978, an estimated two million Cambodians died by execution, forced labor, and famine. In 1978, Vietnamese troops invaded Cambodia, capturing Phnom Penh in early 1979. A moderate Communist government was established, and Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge retreated back into the jungle. In 1985, Pol Pot officially retired but remained the effective head of the Khmer Rouge, which continued its guerrilla actions against the government in Phnom Penh. In 1997, however, he was put on trial by the organization after an internal power struggle ousted him from his leadership position. Sentenced to life imprisonment by a “people’s tribunal,” which critics derided as a show trial, Pol Pot later declared in an interview, “My conscience is clear.” Much of the international community hoped that his captors would extradite him to stand trial for his crimes against humanity, but he died of apparently natural causes while under house arrest in 1998. Related Videos


Prediction is hazardous, especially about the future is attributed to where?

It’s Difficult to Make Predictions, Especially About the Future | Quote Investigator It’s Difficult to Make Predictions, Especially About the Future Niels Bohr? Samuel Goldwyn? K. K. Steincke? Robert Storm Petersen? Yogi Berra? Mark Twain? Nostradamus? Anonymous? Dear Quote Investigator: There is a family of popular humorous sayings about the formidable task of successful prognostication. Here are five examples: It is difficult to make predictions, especially about the future. Predictions are hazardous, especially about the future. It is hard to prophecy, particularly about the future. It’s dangerous to prophesy, particularly about the future. Never make forecasts, especially about the future. Of course, a prediction is inherently about the future, and the modifiers “especially” and “particularly” emphasize the comical redundancy of the statement. These expressions have been attributed to a diverse collection of individuals, including Niels Bohr, Sam Goldwyn, Robert Storm Petersen, and Yogi Berra. Would you please tell me who I should credit? Quote Investigator: The Danish politician Karl Kristian Steincke authored a multi-volume autobiography, and the earliest evidence known to QI appeared in the fourth volume titled “Farvel Og Tak” which was released in 1948. The title in English would be “Goodbye and Thanks”. The pertinent section of the book was called: Og saa til Slut et Par parlamentariske Sprogblomster And finally a couple of parliamentary howlers (English translation) A remark made during the parliamentary year 1937-1938 was presented although no attribution was given. Boldface has been added to excerpts: 1 Det er vanskeligt at spaa, især naar det gælder Fremtiden. It is difficult to make predictions, especially about the future. (English translation) This citation was mentioned in the prominent reference “The Yale Book of Quotations”. 2 More information about Danish citations for this saying is presented in the addendum at the end of this article. The first appearance in English located by QI was printed in a 1956 academic publication called the “Journal of the Royal Statistical Society. Series A”. This early citation 3 and several others remarked on the Danish language origin of the aphoristic joke: 4 Alas, it is always dangerous to prophesy, particularly, as the Danish proverb says, about the future. In May 1961 “The Canadian Journal of Economics and Political Science” printed an instance of the saying using the word “hazardous” instead of “dangerous”. Indeed, the phrasing changed over time and was highly variable: 5 “Prediction,” goes an old Danish proverb, “is hazardous, especially about the future.” For the Canadian economy the hazard is especially great. Here are additional selected citations in chronological order. In September 1961 a version of the expression was published in “The Journal of Medical Education”, and the author of the article was identified as the Director of Institute for Experimental Research in Surgery at the University of Copenhagen, Denmark. The words were credited to an unidentified Danish humorist: 6 “It is difficult to prophesy, particularly about the future,” as one of our humorists once expressed himself. The Spring 1962 issue of the literary magazine “The Kenyon Review” printed an instance of the saying: 7 It is hard to prophecy, particularly about the future, a Danish witticism goes, and I shall refrain from such rashness… Also in 1962 a Danish geophysical journal publishing in English printed a version of the mock adage: 8 But, to quote a Danish clown philosopher: “It is difficult to prophesy, especially about the future.” In 1963 the magazine “Computers and Automation” based in Newtonville, Massachusetts printed yet another variant of the saying: 9 “Prediction is difficult, especially when dealing with the future”. . .Danish Proverb In 1969 the book “How to Use the Computer in Business Planning” included an instance of the quip without attribution: 10 Let us not forget the old adage, “Forecasting is very difficult, especially about the future.” In 1971 a version of the saying