Which Scottish patriot was executed on 23rd August 1305 in London?

Sir William Wallace: 700th Anniversary of Execution in London, 1305-2005  now the site of St Bartholomew's Hospital, West Smithfield, London. The inscription reads: To The Immortal Memory of Sir William Wallace Scottish              Patriot Born at Elderslie Renfrewshire circa 1270 A.D. Who from the year 1296 fought dauntlessly in defence              of his country's Liberty and Independence in the face              of fearful odds and great hardship being eventually              betrayed and captured brought to London and put to death near this spot on the 23rd August              1305. His example heroism and devotion inspired those who              came after him to win victory from defeat And his memory remains for all time A Source of pride honour and inspiration to his              Countrymen. Dico tibi verum libertas optima rerum nunquam servili sub nexu vivito fili (I tell you the truth, son, freedom is the best              condition, never live like a slave) Bas Agus Buaidh (Death and Victory) Photos taken August 2005 ï¿½ Iain Laird The 23rd              August 2005 marks the 700th Anniversary of the              execution of the hero of the Scots Wars of              Independence, Sir William Wallace, by being hanged, drawn              and quartered at Smithfield, London.  The site is              marked by a memorial on the wall of St Bartholomew's              Hospital, West Smithfield. The Latin couplet was              taught to the young Wallace by one of his uncles, the              Priest of Dunipace. A great deal              of mythology attaches to Wallace, much quite recent,              as a result of the film "Braveheart" , starring and directed by Mel Gibson,              though the film has brought much needed attention to the              period and its main protagonists.  We had, for              example, the Battle of Stirling Bridge without a              bridge,              lowland Scots in kilts, Wallace's face painted blue              and white and much else. Much artistic licence was used to convey              the spirit of the times. The real              Wallace was born between 1270 and 1276, originally              thought to have been in Elderslie, near Paisley, in              Renfrewshire, though there is a more recent view that              he was born in Ayrshire. The recent discovery of his              seal shows he was the younger              son of Alan Wallace of Ayrshire, whose name appears on              the Ragman Rolls (Waleys,              Aleyn (tenant le Roi du counte de Are)). He was educated by two uncles, both              priests, in Latin and French. After carrying              off the "Stone of Destiny" and the Battle of Dunbar in              1296, Edward I of England virtually controlled              Scotland, and a guerrilla war was initiated by the              Scots. The main leader initially was Andrew Moray.  According the the 15th Century bard "Blind Harry",              Wallace first drew attention to himself for his murder of  Sir William              Heselrig, the English Sheriff of Lanark, in May 1297,              dismembering the corpse in supposed revenge for the              death of Marion Braidfute of Lamington who he is              supposed to have courted and married. (No evidence              exists for this.) He defeated the English in battles              at Loudoun Hill (near              Darvel, Ay


Protium and tritium are isotopes of which element?

Deuterium, Tritium, and Protium - Three Hydrogen Isotopes /   1 Comment Protium and Deuterium – NIST (US Gov’t.) Elements are the building blocks of a chemist’s world. The first and simplest element is hydrogen, H. It is a gas at room temperature. A molecule of hydrogen gas consists of two joined atoms. However, we will discuss the lone atoms, which exist in three varieties: protium, deuterium, and tritium. All hydrogen atoms have an atomic number of 1. This means the central core or nucleus of any of the three varieties of hydrogen contains just 1 proton. All hydrogen atoms have 1 electron in an orbital outside the nucleus. What makes the three varieties different? The nucleus of hydrogen can include in addition to the proton, zero, one, or two neutrons. Protium Hydrogen without any neutron is protium. Hydrogen with one neutron is deuterium. Hydrogen with two neutrons is tritium. Tritium alone of the three is less than completely stable. It is radioactive. The ratios of these three forms of hydrogen in the vicinity of the earth is approximately: 99.98% H-1 (protium) 0.016% H-2 (deuterium) <0.01% H-3 (tritium) As can be seen from the numbers, the most important isotope is protium or H-1. However, there are special applications for deuterium. Deuterium Deuterium was discovered in 1931. Since a neutron weighs just a bit more than a proton, deuterium is slightly more than twice as heavy as protium. Two atoms of deuterium (sometimes called heavy hydrogen) combined with one of oxygen is called heavy water. Oxygen is the same in both regular water and heavy water. It possesses the bulk of the mass. So heavy water is only about 10% heavier than drinking water. Chemically heavy water resembles regular water. But there are important differences. Ice (top) and Heavy Ice (bottom) in water. USGS Image by Mike Walker. Percent wise, the difference in mass between H-1 and H-2 is much greater than the difference between isotopes of other elements. Mass affects bond length. Bond length affects other properties. Because water is so important to life, heavy hydrogen is very useful in biological research. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and infrared (IR) spectroscopic properties differ considerably between protium and deuterium. So labeling organic compounds with one or more deuterium atoms can help in the study of organic reactions. In NMR, various deuterated solvents prove most useful in structure elucidation. Tritium Tritium is considered a waste product in nuclear reactions. It presents health risks if it reaches an underground water supply. For instance, in the US there was an important tritium leak. See this document from the Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL). Sometimes, however, tritium is deliberately employed in the armaments business in fission bombs and in the fission component of fusion bombs.


Who did Francois Hollande succeed as French President in 2012?

François Hollande wins French presidential election | World news | The Guardian French elections 2012 François Hollande wins French presidential election Nicolas Sarkozy concedes defeat to Socialist party candidate, who has become first leftwing president in almost 20 years François Hollande supporters react in a concert hall in Villeurbanne to a projection showing that the Socialist party candidate had won the French election. Photograph: Reuters Sunday 6 May 2012 14.31 EDT First published on Sunday 6 May 2012 14.31 EDT Close This article is 4 years old François Hollande has won power in France, turning the tide on a rightwards and xenophobic lurch in European politics and vowing to transform Europe's handling of the economic crisis by fighting back against German-led austerity measures. The 57-year-old rural MP and self-styled Mr Normal, a moderate social democrat from the centre of the Socialist party, is France's first leftwing president in almost 20 years. Projections from early counts, released by French TV, put his score at 51.9%. His emphatic victory is a boost to the left in a continent that has gradually swung rightwards since the economic crisis broke four years ago. Nicolas Sarkozy , defeated after one term in office, became the 11th European leader to lose power since the economic crisis in 2008. He conceded defeat at a gathering of his party activists at the Mutualité in central Paris, urging them from the stage to stop booing Hollande. "I carry all the responsibility for this defeat," he said. He had spoken to Hollande to congratulate him. "From the bottom of my heart I want France to succeed with the challenges it faces. It is something much greater than us; France. This evening we must think exclusively of France ." He said that after 35 years in politics and 10 years at the top of government, he would now become a simple "Frenchman among the French". The defeat of the most unpopular French president ever to run for re-election was not simply the result of the global financial crisis or eurozone debt turmoil. It was also down to the intense public dislike of the man viewed by many as the "president of the rich" who had swept to victory in 2007 with a huge mandate to change France. The majority of French people felt he had failed to deliver on his promises, and he was criticised for his ostentatious display of wealth, favouring the rich and leaving behind over 2.8 million unemployed. Political analysts said anti-Sarkozy sentiment had become a cultural phenomenon in France. Hollande is the first Socialist president to win a French election since François Mitterrand's re-election in 1988. Hours before the official announcement, hordes of cheering supporters began gathering at Paris's Place de la Bastille, a flashpoint of the 1789 French revolution, where the left had celebrated Mitterrand's first historic victory in 1981. The right has held the French presidency since Jacques Chirac's victory in 1995. Hollande's first move as president will be to push Germany to renegotiate Europe's budget discipline pact to include a clause on growth. He has vowed to push growth measures to the centre of Brussels' handling of the eurozone crisis. Ségolène Royal, Hollande's former partner who was defeated by Sarkozy in 2007, said France had voted for change and a new approach to European economic policy. Manuel Valls, tipped for a cabinet post, said Hollande now had to reconcile a France that had been divided during Sarkozy's term. Hollande's victory comes after a brutal and vitriolic campaign marked by the high score of the farright Front National's Marine Le Pen, who came third in the first round with 17.9% and 6.4m votes. Sarkozy, who had launched his campaign in February with a marked rightwing slant on the values of work, family and national identity, lurched even further towards the extreme right as he courted Le Pen's voters in the past two weeks, stressing the far-right topics of immigration, borders and fear of Islam. Hollande, who has vowed to begin his reforms as soon as he takes office on 15 May, has accepted he


In Hans Anderson’s tale, the princess could feel the presence of a pea under how many mattresses?

.Fairy Tales and Myths.: The Princess and the Pea The Princess and the Pea Monday, November 30, 2009 The Princess and the Pea The Princess and the Pea was written in 1835, by Danish writer Hans Christian Andersen. The first time it was published was in a booklet with three other fairy tales. Andersen said that he had heard the story as a child. Though there is no Danish story that matches up to this tale there is a Swedish one. The Swedish version is called The Princess Who Lay on Seven Peas. He could have heard as a child becasue Denmark and Sweden are close geographically. Among the fairy tales writers Anderson's fairy tales are more light in content than Grimm fairy tales. Unlike The Grimm Fairy tales Anderson’s stories were not reviewed well because they were told in a catchy way and lacked moral lessons. Grimm fairy tales were written mainly for moral lessons and to scare children starite; Andersons stories were meant for more entertainment. He wrote in a voice that was more geared towards the oral traditions that had humor in them rather than be more proper in the literary style of the age. This brings me to think that Anderson is a mix of Disney and Grimm brother’s fairy tales because he did not solely rely on lessons. The Princess and The Pea beings with a prince who is searching to find his one true love who obviously has to be a princess. However every time he meets a girl she cannot prove she is a princess or live up to his high expectations. The prince begins to think all is lost and that he will never find his love. One night there was terrible a lighting storm with torrents of rain, and wind that howled in the night. All of a sudden there was a knock on the door,and the old King hobbled to answer it. Standing there in the rain was a girl. The rain had soaked her hair, drenched her dress and dribbled down to her shoes. however this girl clamed she was a true princess but from the looks of her you could not tell. As the old Queen and King shut the door the Queen made up a plan in her head. She wanted to test this vister to see if this girl was really a princess. While the Prince and King talked to the girl the Queen went to make up a chamber to house the unexpected visitor. While making the bed the Queen placed a pea under the mattress but the Queen still thought that the girl might feel it to easily and laid twenty more mattresses on top of the pea. The Queen still thought the girl might feel the pea through the mattresses to easily and decided to add twenty down blankets. In the morning the girl was asked how she slept and she replied “I have not slept well at all something was keeping me up all night, making me toss and turn. It felt like there was something under my mattresses, and it was has left me with black and blue bruises.” The Queen at once told the King and Prince of her secret test and they were amazed that this girl had passed. This had proved that she was a princess for who but a princess could feel the pea through so many layers. The prince promptly took the princess to be his wife. They married and lived full and happy lives. The pea was pu t in a museum and would be there today however it was sadly stolen and was never seen again. There are stories that are similar to this one about the girl actually being an orphan and just posing as a princess. The orphan has animal friends that told her what the Queen put under her many mattresses each night because she had to identify them just by sleeping on them. I like both versions. They are lighter than most fairy tales and make me smile rather than make me think. Posted by


Charles Guiteau assassinated which US President in 1881?

1881- President Garfield assassinated by Charles Guiteau, - POL SC - 1100 View Full                             Document This is the end of the preview. Sign up to                   access the rest of the document. Unformatted text preview: 1881- President Garfield assassinated by Charles Guiteau, a frustrated office seeker Pendleton Act of 1883 Heralds the birth of the modern federal bureaucracy Designed to be: Professional Non- partisan Protected from partisan turnover Limited political activity Hatch Act of 1939: Federal civil servants cannot take an active role in campaigns Merit- based Appointments and advancements General Service Exam, Foreign Service Officers Test ect. At first, covers only 10% of Federal Employees Now a large majority of those working (2.7 million)- 57% covered by Civil Service- 35% covered by other merit systems (FBI, Foreign Service, ect) states have copied this law 11 million state workers under merit systems Federal Bureaucratic employment hasnt grown since the 1950s- in fact, decreased as % of population- 1950s- 16/1000 2000ss- 9/1000 but, state bureaucratic employment has grown, in addition to federal contract workers private employees on federal contracts Organization, the 4 levels 1. Cabinet level15 in all listed on page 391 most recent- Homeland Security created in the wake of the 9/11 attacks Largest, most important agencies of government DoD has most bodies (3mil) Largest employer in the world (followed by PLA and Wal-Mart) Inner vs outer cabinet Inner- State/Defense/Justice Outer- Tranportation, VA, Energy, ect. nothing propinques like propinquity head by secretariesusually but see AG serve at the pleasure of the President confirmed, but not removable by, the Senate huge debate over this in the 1880s (Tenure of Office Act) Myers v. United States (1926) Often represent key constituencies Dont usually stay long (<2 years) Cabinet also includes others VP, OMB director, drug czar, USTR, EPA administrator ambassador to UN, CEA 2. Executive Agencies Much like lower-level cabinet agencies Responsible for coordinating some area of policy Some actually elevated to cabinet rank (EPA) Examples- NASA, NSF, GSA Leaders usually serve at the pleasure of the president after confirmation by Senate 3. Regulatory Agencies responsible for regulating some sector of the economy ICC NLRB FCC FTC SEC FRB Usually led by small groups of commissioners Nominated by president, confirmed by Senate Serve for lengthy, set termsfor stability, insulaton-----FRB governors serve for 14 year terms not removable by the Prez some exceptions new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has single director 4. Government Corporations Provide services that could be done privately TVA, USPS, AmTrak Leaders of these serve at the pleasure of the President Controlling the Bureaucracy In Theory , both President and Congress have many mechanisms at their disposal President nomination and removal powers for leaders Budget proposal power via OMB Congress: 3 In practice, these tools are hard to use (heehee, tools) Appointment/Removal... POL SC 1100               -               Fall 2012 10/31/12 McCulluochvMaryland(1819) supremacyoffederallawoverstatelaw broadinterpretat


What is the name of the eponymous hunch-backed court jester in Verdi’s opera of 1851?

Opera Carolina Presents Verdis Rigoletto | News Press | Opera Carolina Opera Carolina Presents Verdi's Rigoletto February 27, 2007 Share This Opera Carolina Presents Verdi's Rigoletto The jester truly is the unfortunate fool in Opera Carolina's production of Giuseppe Verdi's tragic opera Rigoletto. Playing March 1, 3 and 4 in the Belk Theater, Rigoletto transports audiences to the 16th century court of the licentious Duke of Mantua. Known for his frivolity with women, the Duke seduces the young daughters and wives while his hunchbacked jester, Rigoletto, jeers at the unfortunate noblemen for their cuckoldry and powerlessness over the Duke's sensual appetite. Montorone, an elderly nobleman, denounces the Duke for seducing his daughter and pronounces a curse upon the Duke and his jester. As the plot unfolds, Montrone's curse becomes a reality for Rigoletto as his beloved daughter, Gilda, is seduced by the Duke's advances and sacrifices herself in the name of love for the duplicitous Duke. Despite his attempts to save his daughter, Rigoletto the jester is foiled by an awful twist of fate and the tyrannical power of a corrupted ruler. Opera Carolina's production of Rigoletto will move audiences with the Verdi's notable score and the talented voices of Opera Carolina's featured artists. Gordon Hawkins, a frequent soloist with major opera companies and symphonies throughout the world including performances at the Royal Opera House at Covent Garden, Teatro Massimo in Palermo, Deutsche Opera of Berlin, Dusseldorf Opera, Bregenzer Festspiele, and Teatro Maestranza in Seville, will play the role of the jester, Rigoletto. First-prize winner of the 2006 George London Foundation Competition and second-prize winner in Operalia, Ailyn Perez, will play Rigoletto's naïve and unlucky daughter Gilda. With past performances at the Los Angeles Opera, Opera Deleware, Palm Beach Opera, and Wolf Trap Opera, the Latina Perez will make Rigoletto her debut performance with Opera Carolina. Tickets range from $14 - $90 and opera flex subscriptions for any two-show or three-show combination are also available. -- www.operacarolina.org HULIQ - Hickory,NC,USA


What is the name of the Swedish arms manufacturing company formed in 1646 and located in Karlskoga?

A very brief history of Swedish Arms manufacturing The early use of firearms written by Mats Persson The oldest firearm ever found in Sweden is a small bronze gun named Loshultbï¿½ssan . It's dated to the mid 1300s. It was found in a peat bog in the southern parts of Sweden in 1861 - just a few miles into what before the year 1658 used to be Danish territory. The gun is 310 mm long, and the calibre is 30-36 mm. Knallbï¿½ssan is of the same age, it was found in the harbour of Stockholm some years ago. This gun is made of steel, 128 mm long and the calibre is 8-10 mm. In the battle of Brunkeberg in 1471 the Danish King Christian I lost a couple of teeth when he was hit by a bullet fired from a Swedish musket. In the Russian war of 1555-57 most Swedish shooters were armed with muskets instead of crossbows. In the Seven Year War (1563-70) against Denmark, about half of the Swedish Infantry was equipped with musket, the rest used pikes. But when Erik XIV was dethroned in 1568 almost all infantrymen had muskets. Foot-soldiers with musket and no pikes worked well against the Russian Infantry in the many Russian wars between 1570 and 1595, but caused a disastrous loss against the heavy Polish Cavalry in the battle of Kirkholm in 1605. The pike was then put back in service and stayed for more than a hundred years. Soon after Gustaf II Adolf had intervened in Germany, at the first battle of Breitenfeld (1631), the Swedish army won a decisive victory over the Catholic Holy Roman Empire's army. The Catholic foot soldiers were armed with heavy (7-10kg) arquebusiers while the Swedish infantry used much lighter muskets (5kg) that could be fired three times as fast as the enemy's. Somewhere between one forth and half of the Swedish infantry men were equipped with muskets, the rest carried pikes. The Swedes also had much lighter guns. The range was no more than 300 metres, but they were easy to handle and the rate of fire was actually higher than for the muskets. Even though every infantryman had a musket, and every cavalryman had a carbine and two pistols, the Carolian Army (1676 - 1720) relied heavily on edged weapons such as swords, pikes and bayonets (the later introduced in 1697). The soldiers were trained not to shoot till they could see the whites of the enemies eyes, and as soon as they had fired one round they charged. They never used such unmanly tactics as volley-firing or circulating formations (caracole). In 1689 King Karl XI ordered that the local Drill-officers should keep a record of who possessed and not possessed firearms in his area, so that the good King could help to arm the unarmed. The Drill-officer should exercise all fit male in the use of firearms and also fine people who didn't take proper care of there own weapons. A very brief history of Swedish Arms manufacturing Small Arms In the 1500s arms were made by local blacksmiths, as a kind of moonlighting. The payment was often a tax reduction or a small cottage. Firearms were often imported from Europe. In the early 1600s king Gustav II Adolf ordered that every blacksmith should deliver a certain amount of arms each year. The local Sheriff was to decide how many and when. A gunsmith could make 40 musket a year. The Sheriff should collect and inspect weapons, and then send them to Stockholm. Due to bad communications the deliveries were often late or irregular. In 1620 the same King decided that the best blacksmiths should move to certain towns, and work there. Such towns as ï¿½rebro, Arboga, Jï¿½nkï¿½ping, Sundsvall, Sï¿½derhamn, Norrtï¿½lje and Norrkï¿½ping. The blacksmiths and gunsmiths still worked in their own workshops, but a kind of cooperation was established. Farmers delivered stocks as a form of tax. Gunsmiths were paid for each lock they made. A " Faktor " was responsible for the assembly of arms. These loosely bonded organizations were called " Faktorier ". All firearms were proof-fired in the presence of an Inspector from the War-administration, before they were accepted. The state arsenals did not have monopo


The late James Avery played Uncle Phil in which 1990s US TV series?

James Avery dead: Actor most famous as 'Uncle Phil' in The Fresh Prince of Bel Air passes away after heart surgery | The Independent James Avery dead: Actor most famous as 'Uncle Phil' in The Fresh Prince of Bel Air passes away after heart surgery Alfonso Ribeiro mourns passing of 'second father' Wednesday 1 January 2014 18:49 BST Click to follow The Independent Online James Avery in 2004 Getty Images James Avery, the actor most famous for his role as the judge "Uncle Phil" Banks in The Fresh Prince of Bel Air, has died, according to reports. He was 65 years old. Avery's publicist, Cynthia Snyder, told the Associated Press that he died in Glendale, California, yesterday following complications from open heart surgery. Alfonso Ribeiro, who played Banks' son, Carlton, in the show, tweeted: "I'm deeply saddened to say that James Avery has passed away. He was a second father to me. I will miss him greatly." Avery's stern patriarch often clashed with a young Will Smith's cool teenage protagonist in the popular US show from the 1990s. The sitcom, which aired on NBC from 1990 to 1996, was set in the Banks' mansion, to which Smith's character was sent from Philadelphia when things got tough in his own neighborhood. Fans came to know the imposing Banks as Uncle Phil. Avery liked to say that the way to be an actor was to act, and he had a busy and diverse career before, during and after Fresh Prince. His TV credits included Grey's Anatomy, NYPD Blue and Dallas, and among his many films were Fletch, Nightflyers and 8 Million Ways to Die. His voice alone brought him many jobs, notably as Shredder in the animated TV series Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. According to Ms Snyder, he will be seen in the film Wish I Was Here, directed by Zach Braff and scheduled to premiere later this month at the Sundance festival. Avery grew up in Atlantic City, New Jersey, and served in the navy in Vietnam in the late 1960s. After returning to the States, he settled in California and studied drama and literature at the University of California at San Diego. He is survived by his wife, Barbara, and stepson, Kevin Waters. The news comes just a week after Fresh Prince of Bel Air producer Jeff Pollack was found dead aged 54. The famed director, who was behind comedies such as Lost & Found,  and Above The Rim, died suddenly last Monday morning in Hermosa Beach, California. He was found in Greenbelt Park, which is a popular spot for jogging and outdoor activities in the area. He was wearing jogging clothes, lieutenant Tom Thompson of the Hermosa Beach Police Department confirmed. 13 show all Final farewell: The legends that left us in 2013 1/13 Lou Reed, musician, The Velvet Underground: 1942 - 2913: "Reed didn’t seem happy for a day of his life; except when he was wrecking someone else’s day by being too entirely himself, which was rarely a likeable proposition." Getty Images AFP/Getty 2/13 Marcia Wallace, the voice of The Simpson's Edna Krabbappel: 1942 - 2013: "Wallace played Bart Simpson's jaded school teacher - known for her sharp, derisory laugh - for more than 20 years, winning an Emmy for the role in 1992." Fox Fox 3/13 Phil Chevron, musician, The Pogues: 1957 - 2013: "The Irish singer, guitarist and songwriter Philip Chevron played a pivotal role with two groups who put his country on the music map." Getty Images Getty Images 4/13 Tom Clancy: 1947 - 2013: "Clancy, 66, sold some 50 million books over his three-decade writing career. Most famously, he created CIA analyst and later US president, Jack Ryan, who tackled Soviet submarines in Red October." AP AP 5/13 Ken Norton, former heavyweight boxing champion who beat Muhammad Ali: 1943 - 2013: "Ken Norton was making less than $500 a fight before he was selected as an easy option for Muhammad Ali in what would become the first of arguably boxing's finest heavyweight trilogy." Getty Images Getty Images 6/13 Sir David Frost, broadcaster: 1939 - 2013: "His spellbinding interrogation of Richard Nixon in 1977, the first after the President’s resignation over Watergate, was his career-defining moment." Get


Julius was the Christian name of which Bond villain in the eponymous 1958 novel later filmed?

h2g2 - James Bond in the Cold War - Edited Entry James Bond in the Cold War Content from the guide to life, the universe and everything James Bond in the Cold War Created I think you are a sexist, misogynist dinosaur, a relic of the Cold War. – M, describing James Bond, GoldenEye For over 50 years, James Bond , the best-known secret agent in the world, has attracted a huge, and constantly growing, audience to the cinema since his first appearance on the big screen in 1962. It appears that James Bond arrived at just the right point in time and was precisely what people of the Sixties wanted. Terence Young, director of the first Bond film Dr. No, once said that the film's release seems to have hit not only the right year, but the right week of the right month of the right year. When examining a cultural phenomenon of such breadth, it is impossible to neglect the historical context: the James Bond films are always set in the context of the respective times they were produced. In order to analyse James Bond's relation to the Cold War, Bond films, from Dr. No onwards, when seen as objects of observation, thus show that James Bond's ongoing popularity is in part a product of the Cold War. Ian Fleming and Dr. No The novel Dr. No by Ian Fleming was published in 1958, as the sixth of the James Bond series. Fleming had previously been sent, officially by The Times, but in reality by the British Foreign Office, to Russia as a spy in the 1930s. In 1939 he had joined British Naval Intelligence, rising to the rank of Commander. When the war ended he moved to Jamaica, but his career as a writer initially had little impact. After writing four Bond novels to only modest success, he killed off James Bond at the end of his fifth novel, From Russia With Love. Sales of his Bond books then sky-rocketed after American President John F Kennedy named From Russia With Love as one of his top ten favourite books of all time. Fleming wrote Dr. No in early 1957. His inspiration was Sax Rohmer's character of Fu Manchu, and he based the novel on an unused television drama script he had written for NBC in 1956, entitled Commander Jamaica. Following the lack of interest in that television series, and the raised sales of his James Bond novels, Fleming adapted his already-existing story outline to become a new novel. He had previously set the second James Bond novel, Live and Let Die, in Jamaica. Historical Context Production of the James Bond film  Dr. No began in 1961 and the film, the first of the official film series, was released on 5 October, 1962 1 . Thus, the time we are interested in is from 1956 to 1962, or more roughly speaking the late Fifties and the early Sixties. After the Second World War, there was also an increasing fear of a nuclear war. During the 1950s the nuclear arms race between East and West, in particular between the USSR and the USA , was accompanied by competition in science, especially in the Space Race. On 4 October, 1957, the Soviet Union launched the first artificial satellite into the Earth's orbit, resulting in America suffering 'Sputnik shock'. The people of America were confronted with a seemingly superior opponent, which fuelled the fear of a nuclear threat. Both these elements, the technological competition of the Space Race and the threat of nuclear war, are present in Dr. No. Cuban Missile Crisis Ian Fleming's novel remarkably foreshadows elements of the Cuban Missile Crisis . The Cuban Revolution of 1956-9 had resulted in a Communist government under Fidel Castro. The USA placed an economic embargo, preventing all exports to the country except food and medicine. The Americans then attempted to invade the island at the Bay of Pigs in April 1961, an attempt that failed. Cuba's relations with the Soviet Union became closer while those between the USA and Cuba deteriorated. In 1962, Castro allowed Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev to secretly place Soviet nuclear weapons in Cuba. America discovered that these missile bases were being built and the crisis reached its peak between 16-28 October, with nuclear war only one s


Which European country has had four kings named Valdemar in the Middle Ages?

12 Most Impressive Medieval Soldiers - Listverse 12 Most Impressive Medieval Soldiers DaVega October 18, 2008 War was a common pastime in the middle ages. Nations battled nations, cities battled cities, and villages battled villages. It is no wonder that it is the period that generated some of the greatest soldiers and military units in history. This is a list of the best of the best – the 12 most impressive soldiers of the middle ages. 12 Mamluks A mamluk was a slave soldier who converted to Islam and served the Muslim caliphs and the Ayyubid sultans during the Middle Ages. Over time, they became a powerful military caste often defeating the Crusaders. On more than one occasion, they seized power for themselves; for example, ruling Egypt in the Mamluk Sultanate from 1250–1517. After mamluks had converted to Islam, many were trained as cavalry soldiers. Mamluks had to follow the dictates of furusiyya, a code that included values such as courage and generosity, and also cavalry tactics, horsemanship, archery and treatment of wounds, etc. 11 Janissary The Janissaries comprised infantry units that formed the Ottoman sultan’s household troops and bodyguards. The force was created by the Sultan Murad I from Christian slaves in the 14th century and was abolished by Sultan Mahmud II in 1826 with the Auspicious Incident. Initially a small compact force of elite troops, they grew in size and power during the five centuries of their existence until they eventually became a threat to the fabric of the Ottoman empire. In their later years, they mutinied whenever an attempt was made to reform them, deposing and murdering those sultans they regarded as enemies. 10 Billmen The bill was a polearm used by infantry in Europe in the Viking Age by Vikings and Anglo-Saxons as well as in the 14th, 15th, and 16th centuries. It was a national weapon of the English, but was also common elsewhere, especially in Italy. Derived originally from the agricultural billhook, the bill consisted of a hooked chopping blade with several pointed projections mounted on a staff. The end of the cutting blade curves forward to form a hook, which is the bill’s distinguishing characteristic. In addition, the blade almost universally had one pronounced spike straight off the top like a spear head, and also a hook or spike mounted on the ‘reverse’ side of the blade. One advantage that it had over other polearms was that while it had the stopping power of a spear and the power of an axe, it also had the addition of a pronounced hook. If the sheer power of a swing did not fell the horse or its rider, the bill’s hooks were excellent at finding a chink in the plate armour of cavalrymen at the time, dragging the unlucky horseman off his mount to be finished off with either a sword or the bill itself. 9 Boyar A boyar or bolyar was a member of the highest rank of the feudal Moscovian, Kievan Rusian, Bulgarian, Wallachian, and Moldavian aristocracies, second only to the ruling princes (in Bulgaria Emperors), from the 10th century through the 17th century. The rank has lived on as a surname in Russia and Finland, where it is spelled “Pajari”. Boyars wielded considerable power through their military support of the Kievan princes. Power and prestige of many of them, however, soon came to depend almost completely on service to the state, family history of service and to a lesser extent, landownership. Ukrainian and “Ruthenian” boyars visually were very simillar to western knights, but after the Mongol invasion their cultural links were mostly lost. 8 Knights Templar The Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon, commonly known as the Knights Templar or the Order of the Temple, were among the most famous of the Western Christian military orders. The organization existed for approximately two centuries in the Middle Ages, founded in the aftermath of the First Crusade of 1096, with its original purpose to ensure the safety of the many Christians who made the pilgrimage to Jerusalem after its conquest. Officially endorsed by the Roman Catholic Church around 1129,


In which US city is the Alamo, the site of the 1836 battle and siege located?

Chronology Chronology 300 Alamo Plaza • San Antonio, Texas • 78205 Regular Hours: 9:00am - 5:30pm Summer Hours: 9:00am - 7:00pm from Memorial Day through Labor Day Closed Christmas Eve & Christmas Day CONTACTS Chronology The Mission Period: 1700-1793 The story of the Alamo begins with the establishment of the Mission San Francisco de Solano near the Rio Grande River in 1700. There, Father Antonio de San Buenaventura y Olivares worked to convert many of the Coahuiltecan bands to Catholicism, the official religion of Spain. After Olivares traveled to Texas with an expedition in 1709, he was struck by the potential of the San Antonio area and later recommended it to the Spanish viceroy, Marques de Valero, as a site for a mission waypoint on the road to Spanish settlements in East Texas. In 1718, after many Indians had left Mission Solano, Olivares moved the mission’s belongings to the new site near present-day San Antonio. He named the new mission in honor of Saint Anthony de Padua and the Spanish viceroy who had approved his plan: San Antonio de Valero. While the mission changed locations several times, the present location was chosen in 1724. The foundation of the stone mission church was laid in 1744. Until it was secularized nearly 70 years later, San Antonio de Valero was home to Spanish missionaries and their Indian converts. It was the first of five Spanish missions in the San Antonio area. A Spanish mission was much more than a religious institution. Its purpose was to take an indigenous population and convert it not only to Catholicism, but to the Spanish way of life. In establishing the missions in Texas, the Spanish hoped to create a self-sufficient population that would continue to exist and grow as loyal Spanish subjects, thereby staving off any involvement of foreign powers like France. Indian converts were taught farming, raising livestock, blacksmithing, carpentry, stonework, and weaving. Indians and missionaries at San Antonio de Valero also found protection at the mission. Encroachment by warlike Apaches from the west and Comanches from the north meant local Coahuiltecan tribes were under constant threat. Thus, mission life brought protection from other indigenous people as well as shelter and a more stable food supply. It also gave the Coahuiltecans access to two important technological developments of the period: firearms and horses. On June 30, 1745, an Apache attack on the nearby town of San Fernando was driven off with the aid of 100 mission converts from Valero. Mission San Antonio de Valero was originally overseen by the Franciscan College of Querétaro but was taken over by the Franciscan College of Zacatecas in 1773 after the expulsion of the Jesuits from New Spain (1767). The void left by the departure of the Jesuits from New Spain was filled by reassigning the missionaries from other orders who remained in the various Spanish colonies. By the late 1700s much had changed on the Texas frontier. Indian convert populations had dwindled at most of the Spanish missions, sometimes from increased mortality due to exposure to new diseases carried by the Europeans. The rich mission lands, cultivated over a century, were also coveted by local populations. As a result, by 1793, Mission San Antonio de Valero was secularized and control passed to local authorities. Much of the mission lands and goods were distributed amongst the Spanish locals and remaining Indian residents. The other San Antonio missions would meet a similar fate. The former mission, with its convento, adobe houses and an incomplete stone church, would soon play host to the first of many military garrisons. San Antonio Missions: MORE LESS Decline of Spanish Rule: 1794-1821 In response to increased French and American threats from nearby Louisiana, Spain mobilized its military into the Texas frontier after the turn of the century. Since San Antonio de Valero was now secularized, the Spanish military occupied the old mission compound and converted it into a frontier outpost and military garrison. The first soldiers to arrive were a troop of pre


What form of carbon was first isolated by Dr Andire Geim and Kostya Novoselov of Manchester University - ts development earned them a Nobel Prize in 2010?

Lux Special - Technology by Revo Media - issuu TECHNOLOGY SPECIAL MAY 2015 | ISSUE 45 | www.luxreview.com Is there anything lights can’t do? Now they’ve joined the internet of things, it looks like the answer is no Target’s LED-powered location system TRIED & TESTED: LED BULKHEADS PLUS » We test out 10 LED replacements for 2D ﬁttings O THE GRAPHENE BULB O LIGHTING FOR ART OLIGHT AS A SERVICE O POWER OVER ETHERNET OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF Too many light Are you responsible for large numbers of light ﬁttings across different buildings? If it’s proving a maintenance and energy headache, we can help. In this special conference, we’ll give you the answers to the key challenges facing managers of complex lighting estates: THURSDAY 21 MAY 2015 CAVENDISH CONFERENCE CENTRE, LONDON, UK Register for a FREE place by contacting Fergus Lynch on 020 3283 4387 | fergus.lynch@luxmagazine.co.uk CONFERENCE 2015 ďŹ ttings, too little time? O How do you manage the assets to best advantage? O How can you cut the cost of maintenance? O Whatâ€™s the best way to monitor and control your installation? O How can you reduce energy while enhancing the lit environment for people? Our speakers will explain the techniques and the technologies and look at a number of best practice locations. This one-day event is suitable for estates managers, facilities managers, property managers, energy managers, consulting engineers, designers and manufacturers. Organised by For more information, visit www.lightingforlargeestates.com Photo: Miller Hare Lighting Large Estates End-to-End Intelligent Solutions CLZ EyeNut driver with ZigBee dongle Combining our market leading CoolLED driver technology with + our award-winning EyeNut monitoring and management system, CoolLED to provide a future proof all-in-one control solution. • Dimming to 1 % • Up to 33W of power • Built in and remote versions • Allows energy consumption management • Individual luminaire control through our EyeNut web interface The EyeNut dashboard Complete LED solutions from Harvard CoolLED CustomLED LEDeng Our CoolLED drivers work in conjunction with our light engines to provide an all-in-one LED package. #OurPeopleOurProducts Check out our YouTube channel for more product videos ACCREDITED L KATHRINE ANKE DEPUTY EDITOR ooking back, it’s hard to pinpoint the moment when the lighting world went completely bonkers. If you’d said a few years ago that your lights could be controlled remotely from a mobile phone, or could track people around a shop, or could sense demand on the grid and switch to battery power automatically, you’d have been burned as a witch. But now all these things are happening, and plenty more besides. Of course, ever since LEDs appeared, the lighting business has gone a little bit crazy – startling new product designs; energy savings of 70, 80 or 90 per cent; tunable colour... But the latest changes in lighting take things to a whole new level. As we were putting together this special edition of Lux x focusing on the technology behind lighting, there were moments when I wondered if it was actually a magazine about lighting, or something more. Because light is just one of the things that today’s lighting products can do. Companies are now bringing connectivity, sensing and intelligence into LED products. It’s all part of the emerging ‘internet of things’, in which all sorts of everyday devices, including lights, are connected to the internet. What’s exciting about this isn’t just that it will make our lights more efﬁcient and more useful, but also that the light ﬁttings in our ceilings could become the ALAN TULLA TECHNICAL EDITOR MARK HALPER ONLINE NEWS EDITOR RAY MOLONY PUBLISHER TECHNOLOGY SPECIAL MAY 2015 | ISSUE 45 | www.luxreview.com Is there anything lights can’t do? Now they’ve joined the internet of things, it looks like the answer is no Target’s LED-powered location system TRIED & TESTED: LED BULKHEADS PLUS » We test out 10 LED replacements for 2D ﬁttings O THE GRAPHENE BULB O LIGHTING FOR ART OLIGHT AS A SERVICE O POWER OVER ETHERNET OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF C


What was US tennis player Billie Jean King’s maiden name?

Players | WTA Tennis English Career in Review Billie Jean King Biography Maiden name is Moffitt ... At age 11, when she bought her first tennis racquet with money saved from odd jobs and was taking free lessons near her home in Long Beach, California, told mom Betty, "I am going to be No.1 in the world" ... Attended Los Angeles State University for three years ... In September 1970 was one of nine players who broke away from the tennis establishment and accepted $1 contracts from promoter Gladys Heldman in Houston; revolt led to the birth of women's professional tennis with the formation of the Virginia Slims Tour and the creation of the Women's Tennis Association, which King spearheaded in 1973 ... Also founded the Women's Sports Foundation in 1974 to increase opportunities for female participation in sports; continues to serve on organization's board ... Co-founder of groundbreaking co-ed professional tennis league WorldTeamTennis in 1974 ... Is involved in a variety of enterprises including publishing, promoting tournaments and tennis exhibitions and has doe extensive tennis commentary for television ... Interests include ballet, old and new movies ... Father, Bill, was an engineer in the Long Beach Fire Dept.; younger brother, Randy Moffitt, was a Major League Baseball pitcher for 13 years ... Wrote book titled We Have Come A Long Way, published in November 1988. No videos found 0 - Ranked No.1 in the world five times between 1966 and 1974 and was in Top 10 a total of 17 years (beginning in 1960); ranked No.1 on US doubles list for a record 12 years, eight with Rosie Casals. - Owns 39 total Grand Slam titles (12 singles, 16 doubles, 11 mixed), third on the all-time list. - Enjoyed greatest success at Wimbledon, where she holds a record 20 titles combined in singles (six), doubles (10) and mixed doubles (four). - Won the singles, doubles and mixed doubles titles at 1973 Wimbledon, one of three players to accomplish a Grand Slam Triple Crown in the Open Era (Court and Navratilova are the others). - Is one of just nine players in history to hold a singles title in each of the four Grand Slam tournaments, along with Court, Connolly, Fry, Graf, Hart, Evert, Navratilova and S.Williams. - Only woman to win the US singles title on four surfaces (grass, clay, carpet, hardcourts). - Oldest player to win professional Tour title by winning 1983 Birmingham at 39 years, 7 months, 23 days. - Unbeaten in 27 Fed Cup doubles matches and third in total wins (with 52); Captain of US Fed Cup team in 1995-96 and 1998-2001. - US Olympic women's tennis team captain in 1996 and 2000. SINGLES Winner (67): 1968 - Wimbledon ; 1969 - Pacific Southwest, South African Open, Natal, Dublin, Stockholm; 1970 - Rome, Sydney, Durban, London Indoors, VS Richmond; 1971 - US Open , San Francisco, Long Beach, Milwaukee, Oklahoma City, Chattanooga, US Indoors-Detroit, Boston, San Diego, Hamburg [German Open], Hoylake, Kitzbuhel, Houston, US Clay Courts, Louisville, Phoenix, London Indoors; 1972 - Roland Garros , US Open , Wimbledon , Phoenix, Richmond, Indianapolis, San Francisco, Tucson, Charlotte, Bristol; 1973 - Wimbledon , Phoenix, Indianapolis, Denver, Nottingham, VS Hawaii, Tokyo [Toray]; 1974 - US Open , San Francisco, Washington DC, Detroit, Akron, US Indoors-New York; 1975 - Wimbledon , Sarasota; 1977 - Lionel San Antonio, Phoenix, San Paulo, San Juan, Japan Invitational, London Indoors; 1979 - Tokyo Sillook, Stockholm; 1980 - Detroit, Houston, Tokyo Sillook; 1982 - Birmingham; 1983 - Birmingham. DOUBLES Winner (101 Open Era): 1980 - US Open (w/Navratilova); 1979 - Wimbledon (w/Navratilova); 1978 - US Open (w/Navratilova); 1974 - US Open (w/Casals), Virginia Slims Championships (w/Casals); 1973 - Wimbledon (w/Casals); 1972 - Roland Garros (w/Stove), Wimbledon (w/Stove); 1971 - Wimbledon (w/Casals); 1970 - Wimbledon (w/Casals), Rome (w/Casals), Queen's Club (w/Casals); 1968 - Wimbledon (w/Casals), Winchester (w/Casals). MIXED DOUBLES Winner (7 Open Era): 1976 - US Open (w/Dent); 1974 - Wimbledon (w/Davidson); 1973 - Wimbledon (w/Davidson), US Open (w


Which cloud formation is abbreviated to Sc?

SC - Stratocumulus (cloud formation) | AcronymFinder Student Connections (Canada) Samples in periodicals archive: Brighten clouds with sea-salt mist The idea proposed by the researchers is to increase the reflectivity of the stratocumulus clouds above ocean surface waters by misting them with large quantities of tiny salt-particles (of about one-millionth of a meter in size).


In Malay it means muddy estuary; what is the capital of Malaysia?

Rivers in Malaysia | USA Today Rivers in Malaysia The Maliau River casacades through a rain forest in the Malaysian state of Sabah. (Photo: Stockbyte/Stockbyte/Getty Images ) Famous Beaches in Malaysia Malaysia is a country divided by a sea --- the South China Sea, to be precise. Its western, continental section shares a peninsula with Thailand and Cambodia, while its eastern portion shares an island with the Indonesian state of Borneo and the Sultanate of Brunei. Malaysia's unique geography gives rise to a handful of noteworthy rivers. Rajang River At 350 miles, the Rajang River is Malaysia's longest. Located in East Malaysia on the Island of Borneo, the Rajang rises in the Iran Mountains and flows west-southwest to its mouth on the South China Sea. Its delta is broad and largely characterized by swamps and wetlands, making river travel the most important mode of transportation in the region. Oceangoing vessels can travel as far as 80 miles up the river to Sibu, while smaller craft can navigate another 100 miles of the Rajang. Maliau River Draining a basin renowned for its rare flora and fauna, the Maliau River is one of Malaysia's natural gems. Located on the Island of Borneo, the Maliau Basin has been called Sabah's "Lost World" because of its intense biodiversity. Home to almost a quarter of the country's waterfalls, including the seven cascading tiers of Maliau Falls, the Maliau Basin supports more than 80 species of orchids as well as populations of orangutans and critically endangered Sumtran rhinoceroses. Only a quarter of the region has been explored and the entire basin has been proposed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Klang River With 11 major tributaries, the relatively short --- about 75 miles --- Klang River drains a basin of nearly 500 square miles. Flowing the densely populated state of Selangor and the Federal District of Kuala Lumpur, the Klang sees more human use and development than any other river in Malaysia before it ends its flow in the Straits of Malacca. The Klang's confluence with the Gombak River in Kuala Lumpur, which means "muddy estuary," gave the country's capital city its name. Pahang River The 275-mile long Pahang River is the longest in Peninsular Malaysia. It is formed by the confluence of the Jelai and Tembeling rivers near the town of Jerantut and empties into the South China Sea at Pekan. Broadening and slowing after it leaves Malaysia's Main Range, the Pahang's delta gives rise to alluvial plains that are more than 20 miles wide. The region along the Pahang relies on the river as its primary form of transportation. References


Which film and TV actress is the daughter of Dame Diana Rigg?

Diana Rigg - Biography - IMDb Diana Rigg Biography Showing all 54 items Jump to: Overview  (3) | Mini Bio  (1) | Spouse  (2) | Trade Mark  (1) | Trivia  (32) | Personal Quotes  (15) Overview (3) 5' 8½" (1.74 m) Mini Bio (1) Diana Rigg is an English actress. She has had an extensive career in film and theatre, including playing the title role in Medea, both in London and New York, for which she won the 1994 Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play. Rigg made her professional stage debut in 1957 in The Caucasian Chalk Circle, and joined the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1959. She made her Broadway debut in the 1971 production of Abelard & Heloise. Her film roles include Helena in A Midsummer Night's Dream (1968); Lady Holiday in The Great Muppet Caper (1981); and Arlene Marshall in Evil Under the Sun (1982). She won the BAFTA TV Award for Best Actress for the 1989 BBC miniseries Mother Love, and an Emmy Award for her role as Mrs. Danvers in the 1997 adaptation of Rebecca. In 2013, she appeared with her daughter Rachel Stirling in the BBC series Doctor Who in an episode titled The Crimson Horror and and plays Olenna Tyrell in HBO series Game of Thrones. Rigg appeared in the cult British 1960s television series The Avengers (1965-1967) playing the secret agent Mrs Emma Peel. She became a Bond girl in On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969), playing Tracy Bond, James Bond's only wife, opposite George Lazenby. - IMDb Mini Biography By: Pedro Borges Spouse (2) Deep husky voice Trivia (32) She is more properly known as Dame Diana Rigg, the female equivalent of the title "Sir" when knighted. In June 1994, she was made Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) by Queen Elizabeth II for her long contributions to theater and film. She received Tony Award nominations as Best Actress (Dramatic) for "Abelard and Heloise" (1972) and for "The Misanthrope" (1975). She won the Best Actress (Play) Tony Award in 1994 for her performance in the title role of "Medea". In recent years, her performances in "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" and "Mother Courage and Her Children" have led critics to proclaim her one of the greatest actresses on the British stage. A savage review from John Simon for her performance in "Abelard and Heloise" led her to collect devastating theatrical reviews throughout history. The result was her book, "No Turn Unstoned", published in 1982. At one time, she was Chancellor of Stirling University in Scotland. Was voted the sexiest-ever TV star by TV Guide in the United States. Mother of Rachael Stirling (born 1977). 20 October 2003 - British courts awarded her $63,832 and $134,000 in court expenses in her libel suit against Britain's "Evening Standard" and "Daily Mail" newspapers. They had written that she was an embittered woman who held British men in low regard. She was nominated for 1999 Laurence Olivier Theatre Award (1998 season) for Best Actress for her performances in both "Britannicus" and "Phèdre". She was nominated for 1997 Laurence Olivier Theatre Award for Best Actress in a Play of 1996 for her performance in "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?". She was awarded the 1992 London Evening Standard Theatre Award for Best Actress for her performance in "Medea". She was awarded the 1996 London Evening Standard Theatre Award for Best Actress for her performances in "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" and "Mother Courage". Born in Yorkshire, the daughter of a railroad engineer, she moved with her family to India at the age of two months and lived there until she was 8 (she learned to speak Hindi). The first major actor (along with co-star Keith Michell ) to appear nude on stage in the production of "Abelard and Heloise" in 1970. Became an Associate Artist of the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1967 and was the first as such to join the National Theatre of Great Britain (1971). Received honorary degrees from Stirling University in 1988 and Leeds University in 1992. Became an Associate Member of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA). Graduated from Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA). Was forced to turn down the


Which French author wrote the 1850 adventure story The Black Tulip ?

Alexandre Dumas : About the Author @ Classic Reader Member Login About the Author One of the most famous French writers of the 19th century. Dumas is best known for the historical novels The Three Musketeers and The Count of Monte Cristo, both written within the space of two years, 1844-45, and which belong to the foundation works of popular culture. He was among the first, along with Honoré de Balzac and Eugène Sue, who fully used the possibilities of roman feuilleton, the serial novel. Dumas is credited with revitalizing the historical novel in France, although his abilities as a writer were under dispute from the beginning. Dumas' works are fast-paced adventure tales. They are not faithful to the historical facts, but blend skillfully history and fiction. "'Diable!' he said, after having swallowed the divine   preserve. 'I do not know it the result will be as agreeable as you   describe, but the thing does not appear to me as palatable as you say.' --'Because your palates has not yet been attuned to the sublimity   of the substances it flavours. Tell me, the first time you tasted   oysters, tea, porter, truffels, and sundry other dainties which you   now adore, did you like them? Could you comprehend how the Romans   stuffed their pheasants with assaf?tida, and the Chinese eat   swallows' nests? Eh? no! Well, it is the same with hashish; only eat   for a week and nothing in the world will seem to you to equal the   delicacy of its flavor, which now appears to you flat and   distasteful. Let us now go into the adjoining chamber, which is your   apartment, and Ali will bring us coffee and pipes.'" (from The   Count of Monte Cristo) Alexandre Dumas was born in Villes-Cotter�ts, France. His grandfather was a French nobleman, who had settled in Santo Domingo; his paternal grandmother, Marie-Cessette, was an Afro-Caribbean, who had been a black slave in the French colony. Dumas's father was a general in Napoleon's army, who had fallen out of favor. After his death in 1806 the family lived in poverty. Dumas worked as a notary's clerk in Villers-Cotter�tes and went in 1823 to Paris to find work. Due to his elegant handwriting he secured a position with the Duc d'Orléans - later King Louis Philippe. He also found his place in theater and as a publisher of some obscure magazines. An illegitimate son called Alexandre Dumas fils, whose mother, Marie-Catherine Labay, was a dressmaker, was born in 1824. Dumas was an omnivorous reader. Especially he was interested in plays. His first produced drama was La Chasse et L'Amour, written with with Adolphe de Leuven and P.J. Rosseau. It opened on September 22, 1835 at Thé�tre de l'Ambigu-Comique. As a playwright Dumas made his breakthrough with Henri III et sa Cour (1829), produced by the Comédie-Fran�aise. The romantic drama about power and love was set in the Renessaince court of Henry III and drew on Louis-Pierre Anquetil's Histoire de France and Pierre de L'Estoile's Memoires-journaux. It gained a huge success and Dumas went on to compose additional plays, of which La Tour de Nesle (1832, The Tower of Nesle) is considered the greatest masterpiece of French melodrama. It was written in collaboration with Frédéric Gaullardet. The action centered around the doomed Queen Marguerite de Bourgogne, who had ordered her illegitimate sons to be killed, but who appear into her life twenty years later. He wrote constantly, producing a steady stream of plays, novels, and short stories. "All for one, one for all, that is our device." (from The Three   Musketeers) Before 1843 Dumas wrote fifteen plays. Historical novels brought Dumas enormous fortune, but he could spent money faster than he made it. He produced some 250 books with his 73 assistants, especially with the history teacher Auguste Maquet, whom he wisely allowed to work quite independently. Dumas earned roughly 200,000 francs yearly and received an annual sum of 63,000 francs for 220,000 lines from the newspapers La Presse and the Constitutionel. Maquet often proposed subjects and wrote first drafts for some of Du


In the Bible who was “comforted” by Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar?

The Strong Delusion - Job�s Three Friends - Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar When Job’s three friends - Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar - heard of his adversity, they came to visit him, saying they wanted to comfort him (Job 2:11). But they didn’t actually comfort him at all, when we see the way they spoke to him later on. They only criticised and accused him. All three of them were in fellowship with the devil, the accuser of the brethren. These three men were jealous of Job, because Job was a godly man and a rich man and everything was going well for him and for his family. Many believers are jealous of godly men, when they see their influence and ministry - and are often waiting for some calamity to hit them. We know that the devil is eager for some calamity to befall godly people. But there are believers who wait for that too, and who are secretly happy when it happens. These three men pretended that they were very sorry for Job. They wept when they saw Job and tore their robes and threw dust over their heads. They were really good actors.  But secretly they were delighted, because they were jealous of him. These three preachers only knew about God. They didn’t know God personally. That’s why God couldn’t point out any of them to Satan. Godly men suffer attacks from the devil, sometimes from their wives, sometimes physically, and at times financially too as God takes them through many trials to sanctify them. But perhaps their greatest trials are from their friends and brothers who are jealous of them!  Unfortunately there is a lot of this in Christian work, where Christian workers hope that something bad will happen to a more anointed worker, so that that his ministry will be destroyed. When God’s blessing and anointing are on a godly man, and someone else is jealous of him, God may allow some physical calamity to come to that man, in order to expose the other person’s wicked jealousy. Once the other man’s evil has been exposed, God will heal the sickness and restore the godly man to health. All three of these men could not truly understand why Job suffered as he did. They could only find fault with him. That is because they were religious people like the Pharisees later on, in Jesus’ time. There is a difference between a spiritual man and a religious man. Spiritual people have been misunderstood by religious people in every generation. The Bible says that “all who live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (2Tim.3:12). There are no exceptions to this rule. So, if you don’t want to be misunderstood by other people, then don’t be godly! 1Corinthians 2:15 says that “a spiritual man cannot be discerned by those who are not spiritual”. A godly man is therefore a very lonely man - because very few can understand him. His actions are misunderstood and his words are misunderstood, even by those who know the Scriptures well. Religious people know only facts about God. They don’t know God Himself. In the midst of many religious people, one will find only a few who know God Himself. Job was one of those rare individuals. If you are a person who knows God, you will be misunderstood by people who only know about God. Remember that religious people could not recognise Jesus and thought He was the prince of devils. How can they recognise a godly man today? There were two religious groups in Jesus’ time, the Pharisees and the Sadducees. The Pharisees were the fundamentalists, and the Sadducees were the liberals. But of these two, the Pharisees opposed Jesus more than the Sadducees. In the same way, today, it won’t be the liberals who criticise a godly man as much as the fundamentalists. But even though a godly man may be a lonely person in this world, God does not forsake him. God allows the trials he faces to give him an education. James says, “We count those blessed who endured. You have heard of the endurance of Job and have seen the outcome or the end of the Lord’s dealings that the Lord is full of compassion and is merciful” (Jas.5:11). The testimony of every godly man will be: “The Lord is full of compassion and is merciful. Even t


In surveying, what is measured by a goniometer?

Principles of Goniometry Overview The term goniometry is derived from two Greek words, gonia meaning angle and metron, meaning measure. Thus, a goniometer is an instrument used to measure angles. Within the field of physical therapy, goniometry is used to measure the total amount of available motion at a specific joint. Goniometry can be used to measure both active and passive range of motion. Goniometers are produced in a variety of sizes and shapes and are usually constructed of either plastic or metal (see clip labeled Gonio_introduction). The two most common types of instruments used to measure joint angles are the bubble inclinometer and the traditional goniometer. Bubble goniometer. The bubble goniometer, which has a 360° rotating dial   and scale with fluid indicator can be used for flexion and extension; abduction   and adduction; and rotation in the neck, shoulder, elbow, wrist, hip, knee,   ankle, and the spine. Traditional goniometer. The traditional goniometer, which can be used for   flexion and extension; abduction and adduction; and rotation in the shoulder,   elbow, wrist, hip, knee, and ankle, consists of three parts: A body. The body of the goniometer is designed like a protractor and may    form a full or half circle. A measuring scale is located around the body.    The scale can extend either from 0 to 180 degrees and 180 to 0 degrees for    the half circle models, or from 0 to 360 degrees and from 360 to 0 degrees    on the full circle models.[1] The intervals on the scales can vary from    1 to 10 degrees A stationary arm. The stationary arm is structurally a part of the body    and therefore cannot move independently of the body A moving arm. The moving arm is attached to the fulcrum in the center    of the body by a rivet or screw-like device that allows the moving arm to    move freely on the body of the device.[1] In some instruments , the screw-like    device can be tightened to fix the moving arm in a certain position or loosened    to permit free movement. The correct selection of which goniometer device to use depends on the joint angle to be measured. The length of arms varies among instruments and can range from 3-18 inches. Extendable goniometers allow varying ranges from 9 ½ inches to 26 inches (see clip labeled Gonio_introduction). The longer armed goniometers, or the bubble inclinometer are recommended when the landmarks are further apart, such as when measuring hip, knee, elbow, and shoulder movements. In the smaller joints such as the wrist and hand and foot and ankle, a traditional goniometer with a shorter arm is used. Procedure[1] The patient is positioned in the recommended testing position. While stabilizing the proximal joint component, the clinician gently moves the distal joint component through the available range of motion until the end feel is determined. An estimate is made of the available range of motion and the distal joint component is returned to the starting position. NB: In the accompanying videos, it is assumed that the procedure up until this point has been completed. The clinician palpates the relevant bony landmarks and aligns the goniometer. A record is made of the starting measurement. The goniometer is then removed and the patient moves the joint through the available range of motion. Once the joint has been moved through the available range of motion, the goniometer is replaced and realigned, and a measurement is read and recorded. Active ranges of motion of the larger joints JOINT


In the 2013 film, who played The Railway Man’ of the title?

The Railway Man (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 Watch Now From $2.99 (SD) on Amazon Video A former British Army officer, who was tormented as a prisoner of war at a Japanese labor camp during World War II, discovers that the man responsible for much of his treatment is still alive and sets out to confront him. Director: "No Small Parts" IMDb Exclusive: 'Edge of Seventeen' Star Hailee Steinfeld Hailee Steinfeld has received critical acclaim for her role in the coming-of-age comedy The Edge of Seventeen . What other roles has she played over the years? Don't miss our live coverage of the Golden Globes beginning at 4 p.m. PST on Jan. 8 in our Golden Globes section. a list of 40 titles created 01 Jul 2014 a list of 43 titles created 02 Jul 2014 a list of 43 titles created 02 Sep 2014 a list of 48 titles created 27 Dec 2014 a list of 45 titles created 10 months ago Title: The Railway Man (2013) 7.1/10 Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? Use the HTML below. You must be a registered user to use the IMDb rating plugin. 7 wins & 20 nominations. See more awards  » Videos Edit Storyline Eric Lomax was one of thousands of Allied prisoners of war forced to work on the construction of the Thai/Burma railway during WW2. His experiences, after the secret radio he built to bring news and hope to his colleagues was discovered, left him traumatised and shut off from the world. Years later, he met Patti, a beautiful woman, on a train and fell in love. Patti was determined to rid Eric of his demons. Discovering that the young Japanese officer who haunted her husband was still alive, she faced a terrible decision. Should Eric be given a chance to confront his tormentor? Would she stand by him, whatever he did? Written by Anonymous Revenge is never a straight line. Genres: Rated R for disturbing prisoner of war violence | See all certifications  » Parents Guide: 23 May 2014 (USA) See more  » Also Known As: Un pasado imborrable See more  » Filming Locations: $61,845        (USA) (11 April 2014) Gross: Did You Know? Trivia The film uses compressed time to speed up the story. Eric Lomax and Patti Wallace did meet in 1980, but in reality they didn't marry until 1983. Eric didn't learn that Takashi Nagase was still alive until 1993, and they finally met in 1995. See more » Goofs The Royal Border Bridge at Berwick-on-Tweed is shown with overhead wires, which were not built until 1989. See more » Quotes [first lines] Eric : At the beginning of time, the clock struck one. A drop of dew, and the clock struck two. From the dew grew a tree, and the clock struck three. Then the tree made a door, and the clock struck four. Then man came alive, And the clock struck five. Count not, waste not, the hours of the clock. Behold I stand at the door and knock. Composed by Frank Farian (as Farian), Fred Jay (as Jay) and George Reyam (as Reyam) Published by Sony ATV Music Publishing Licensed by Perfect Pitch Publishing on behalf of Timms Tunes (Reading, United Kingdom) – See all my reviews "The Railway Man" is a sober restrained film for much of its running time. Its low key approach makes the torture scenes and the depictions of Eric Lomax's searing post-war nightmares all the more horrifying and unforgettable. The acting is uniformly excellent. The direction and all the technical contributions are admirable. I normally never consciously notice the sound design, but here it contributes intelligently and gently to several episodes. I was particularly fascinated to see Eric and the other signals staff emerging into the sunlight from the underground "Battle Box" headquarters in Fort Canning Park, Singapore. I toured it in 2007; it is now a museum peopled by realistic waxworks of the soldiers, senior and junior, who were there on surrender day, 15th February 1942. Yet the film has several irritating shortcomings. The title character, Eric, was 6


What was the last Space Shuttle to orbit the Earth, doing so on the 21st July 2011?

NASA - The Space Shuttle Comments Since 1981, NASA space shuttles have been rocketing from the Florida coast into Earth orbit. The five orbiters — Columbia, Challenger, Discovery, Atlantis and Endeavour — have flown more than 130 times, carrying over 350 people into space and travelling more than half a billion miles, more than enough to reach Jupiter. Designed to return to Earth and land like a giant glider, the shuttle was the world's first reusable space vehicle. More than all of that, though, the shuttle program expanded the limits of human achievement and broadened our understanding of our world. It all started with STS-1, launched on April 12, 1981, just twenty years to the day after Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first human in space. When astronauts John Young and Robert Crippen launched that morning in Columbia, it was the first time in history a new spacecraft was launched on its maiden voyage with a crew aboard. For an entire generation, the space shuttle was NASA. We've watched a parade of firsts -- Sally Ride, Guy Bluford, Kathy Sullivan, John Glenn and others. We've seen astronauts float free, and launch and repair spacecraft like Hubble which have fundamentally changed our understanding of the universe. In this feature, we look back at the Shuttle's historic missions, the people it flew into space, and its achievements. Interactive Mission Timeline of the Space Transportation System Key The colors of the links correspond to a different orbiter. COLUMBIA


Who was the leader and pianist of the group ‘Brasil 66’?

Sérgio Mendes | New Music And Songs | Sérgio Mendes About Sérgio Mendes For most of the second half of the '60s, Sergio Mendes was the top-selling Brazilian artist in the United States, charting huge hit singles and LPs that regularly made the Top Five. His records with his group, Brasil '66, regularly straddled the domestic pop and international markets in America, getting played heavily on AM radio stations, both rock and easy listening, and he gave his label, A&M, something to offer light jazz listeners beyond the work of the company's co-founder, Herb Alpert. During this period, he also became an international music star and one of the most popular musicians in South America. Born the son of a physician in Niteroi, Brazil, Mendes began studying music at the local conservatory while still a boy, with the intention of becoming a classical pianist. He was living in Rio de Janeiro as the bossa nova craze hit in the mid- to late '50s, and at age 15, he abandoned classical music in favor of bossa nova. Mendes began spending time with other young Brazilian musicians in Rio de Janeiro, absorbing the musical ferment around him in the company of such figures as Antonio Carlos Jobim and João Gilberto. Their company was augmented by the periodic visits of American jazz giants such as Stan Getz, Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Byrd, Paul Winter, Roy Eldridge, and Herbie Mann. Mendes became the leader of his own group, the Sexteto Bossa Rio, and was heard with them by many visiting musicians. He made his first recording, Dance Moderno, in 1961 on the Philips Records label. By 1962, Mendes and his band were playing at Birdland in New York in an impromptu performance with Cannonball Adderley (who was officially on the bill). Mendes and Adderley cut an album together for Capitol Records that was released later that year. His early music, represented on albums like Bossa Nova York and Girl from Ipanema, was heavily influenced by Antonio Carlos Jobim, on whose recording Mendes worked. Mendes liked what he had found on his visit to New York and in 1964, he moved to the United States, initially to play on albums with Jobim and Art Farmer, and formed Brasil '65 the following year. The group recorded for Capitol without attracting too much notice at first. In 1966, however, Mendes and his band -- renamed Brasil '66 -- were signed to A&M Records and something seemed to click between the group and its audience. The group, consisting in its first A&M incarnation of Mendes on keyboards, Bob Matthews on bass, João Palma on the drums, Jose Soares as percussionist, Lani Hall (aka Mrs. Herb Alpert and A&M's co-founder) on vocals, and Janis Hansen on vocals, was successful upon the release of its first album for the label, with its mix of light jazz, a bossa nova beat, and contemporary soft pop melodies. Their self-titled debut LP rose to number six nationally, propelled by the presence of the single "Mas Que Nada." Their second album, Equinox, yielded a trio of minor hits, "Night and Day," "Constant Rain (Chove Chuva)," and "For Me," but their third, Look Around, rose to number five behind a number three single of the group's cover of the Beatles' "Fool on the Hill," and an accompanying hit with "Scarborough Fair," based on the Simon & Garfunkel version of the folk song. Crystal Illusions, from 1969, featured a version of Otis Redding's "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay" and the hit single "Pretty World." Depending upon one's sensibilities, these covers -- especially "Fool on the Hill" and "Scarborough Fair" -- were either legitimate, internationalized pop versions of the originals, or they were "elevator music." During this period, Mendes also made several recordings for Atlantic Records separate from his A&M deal, principally aimed at a light jazz audience, and several of them in association with Jobim. Art Farmer, Phil Woods, Hubert Laws, and Claire Fisher were among the jazz figures who appeared on these records, which never remotely attracted the same level of interest or sales as his records with Brasil '66. Mendes successfully walked a fine line b


Which town is on the A6 almost midway between Buxton and Matlock?

Peak District & Derbyshire - Peak District We're oozing world class history and heritage Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site Peak District & Derbyshire Let us show you around a world of contrasting natural beauty, with moors and dales, rivers, springs and caverns and at the heart of it all, the Peak District National Park The area is known and loved by many for its breath-taking views, bustling market towns, pretty villages, historic houses, famous attractions and hundreds of traditional events, such as the unique Derbyshire custom of Well Dressing . From the high, moorland plateaus in the north, to the steep-sided, deep dales and rolling green hills in the south of the area, the Peak District & Derbyshire has just about any landscape you can imagine in Britain, making it one of the finest areas in the country to go walking . It's a living, working area though, with hundreds of bustling towns, gorgeous picturesque villages and even the bright lights of the city in metropolitan,  Derby . As for events, well, we know how to throw a party! Fabulously vintage, award-winning Eroica Britannia is very quickly gaining a reputation as one of the 'must visit' events of the year with its shabby chic look, party atmosphere and of course excellent cycle ride through the stunning Peak District. What more could you ask for? During the summer you'll catch a country fair on nearly any weekend, from Hope Show, Bakewell Show and Chatsworth Country Fair.    Our attractions are pretty top-notch too! Dangle over a ravine in a cable car as you ascend to The Heights of Abraham , hop on-board an old-style tram at Crich Tramway Village , home to the National Tramway Museum, get up close and personal with nature at Peak Wildlife Park or scare yourself silly on white-knuckle ride at Alton Towers Resort ! Whatever your folly we've pretty much got it covered in the Peak District & Derbyshire. Things to Do


For which Rugby Union club does Leigh Halfpenny play?

Leigh Halfpenny signs for Toulon from Cardiff Blues - Telegraph Rugby Union Leigh Halfpenny signs for Toulon from Cardiff Blues British and Irish Lions and Wales full-back Leigh Halfpenny will move to Top  14 giants Toulon in the summer and link up with former England fly-half  Jonny Wilkinson Leigh Halfpenny will join Toulon in the summer Photo: ACTION IMAGES By Graham Clutton 10:17AM GMT 23 Jan 2014 Leigh Halfpenny, the Wales and British and Irish Lions full-back, signed for Toulon on Thursday and was immediately reminded by the Welsh Rugby Union that players who choose to play outside Wales could be putting their Rugby World Cup place in jeopardy. The likelihood, of course, is that Halfpenny, along with Dan Lydiate, Jamie Roberts, Jonathan Davies, Ian Evans and Richard Hibbard, to name just five of the players who have turned their back on Welsh domestic rugby in recent seasons, will not find themselves out in the cold when it comes to national selection. With so few players from whom to choose, a hard and fast rule would be tantamount to international suicide. However, at a time when the union and its four regions are frantically seeking common ground in an attempt to block the player drain to French rugby’s Top 14, Roger Lewis, the chief executive of the WRU, wasted little time in repeating the possible consequence of what has become known in Wales as ‘Gatland’s unwritten law’. Related Articles Regions brush off Gatland's claim 14 Jan 2014 “Leigh Halfpenny is a great player and a passionate Welshman so we all wish him well for the future,” said Lewis, for whom the latest setback comes only weeks after Davies and Evans confirmed they would be joining the Top 14 at the end of this season. With Richard Hibbard, the Lions hooker, leaving the Ospreys for Gloucester, it means 12 senior internationals have left Wales in the past two years. Lewis added: “Leigh wants to remain a Wales squad player and I know he will work as hard as he can to remain a contender for international honours with Wales. "It is no secret that we are working closely with our regions to put in place a new Rugby Services Agreement within which we hope to secure a method of retaining our top players in Wales. "The WRU is anxious to progress that plan as quickly as possible. “There is no doubt that playing in Wales under the gaze of our national coaches is the best place for any Welsh player to be but in this day and age we are all aware of the financial pressures on individuals to move. "We want players to realise their best options of being nurtured through their careers at the top is to be part of what we already do. “Now is the time for us to all work together to ensure that our best players remain central to the pyramid of development within which they can achieve so much.” Halfpenny will join the Heineken Cup holders on a three-year deal at the end of the season, seven years after he was released by the Ospreys. Told by the region that he was “too small” for the modern game, the Gorseinon-born teenager joined Cardiff RFC and made his regional debut for Cardiff Blues in 2008. Capped at under-16, under-18 and under-20 levels, he won his first senior cap against South Africa in November of the same year and has won another 47 since, scoring 344 points, including 12 tries. His 49 points for the Lions in Australia last summer earned him the man-of-the-series accolade. “I believe the decision to move to Toulon is the best decision for me and my continued development as a rugby player and as a person,” Halfpenny said. “They are an outstanding club, very ambitious, full of world-class players and are the European champions. "I’m very proud to have been given the opportunity to be part of that. “Having said, that I’ll be incredibly sad to say goodbye to everyone at the Cardiff Blues, the fans, the squad and the staff. "I’ve been very fortunate to have spent the last seven years there with great players and people. "It will always be a club that remains close to my heart. I am also incredibly thankful to the WRU for their support. “Toulon are fully supp


According to Shakespeare which king rode a horse called ‘White Surrey’?

6 myths about Richard III – the supposed murderer and usurper who wanted to marry his niece | History Extra Richard III, image undated. (Photo by Apic/Getty Images) Myth 1: Richard was a murderer Shakespeare’s famous play, Richard III, summarises Richard’s alleged murder victims in the list of ghosts who prevent his sleep on the last night of his life. These comprise Edward of Westminster (putative son of King Henry VI); Henry VI himself; George, Duke of Clarence; Earl Rivers; Richard Grey and Thomas Vaughan; Lord Hastings; the ‘princes in the Tower’ ; the Duke of Buckingham and Queen Anne Neville. But Clarence, Rivers, Grey, Vaughan and Buckingham were all executed (a legal process), not murdered: Clarence was executed by Edward IV (probably on the incentive of Elizabeth Woodville). Rivers, Grey and Vaughan were executed by the Earl of Northumberland, and Hastings and Buckingham were executed by Richard III because they had conspired against him. Intriguingly, similar subsequent actions by Henry VII are viewed as a sign of ‘strong kingship’! There is no evidence that Edward of Westminster, Henry VI, the ‘princes in the Tower’ or Anne Neville were murdered by anyone. Edward of Westminster was killed at the battle of Tewkesbury, and Anne Neville almost certainly died naturally. Also, if Richard III really had been a serious killer in the interests of his own ambitions, why didn’t he kill Lord and Lady Stanley – and John Morton? Morton had plotted with Lord Hastings in 1483, but while Hastings was executed, Morton was only imprisoned. As for the Stanleys, Lady Stanley was involved in Buckingham's rebellion. And in June 1485, when the invasion of his stepson, Henry Tudor was imminent, Lord Stanley requested leave to retire from court. His loyalty had always been somewhat doubtful. Nevertheless, Richard III simply granted Stanley's request - leading ultimately to the king's own defeat at Bosworth.   Myth 2: Richard was a usurper The dictionary definition of ‘usurp’ is “to seize and hold (the power and rights of another, for example) by force or without legal authority”. The official website of the British Monarchy states unequivocally (but completely erroneously) that “Richard III usurped the throne from the young Edward V”. Curiously, the monarchy website does not describe either Henry VII or Edward IV as usurpers, yet both of those kings seized power by force, in battle! On the other hand, Richard III did not seize power. He was offered the crown by the three estates of the realm (the Lords and Commons who had come to London for the opening of a prospective Parliament in 1483) on the basis of evidence presented to them by one of the bishops, to the effect that Edward IV had committed bigamy and that Edward V and his siblings were therefore bastards. Even if that judgement was incorrect, the fact remains that it was a legal authority that invited a possibly reluctant Richard to assume the role of king. His characterisation as a ‘usurper’ is therefore simply an example of how history is rewritten by the victors (in this case, Henry VII).   Myth 3: Richard aimed to marry his niece It has frequently been claimed (on the basis of reports of a letter, the original of which does not survive), that in 1485 Richard III planned to marry his niece, Elizabeth of York, eldest daughter of Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville. There is no doubt that rumours to this effect were current in 1485, and we know for certain that Richard was concerned about them. That is not surprising, since his invitation to mount the throne had been based upon the conclusion that all of Edward IV’s children were bastards. Obviously no logical monarch would have sought to marry a bastard niece. In fact, very clear evidence survives that proves beyond question that Richard did intend to remarry in 1485. However, his chosen bride was the Portuguese princess Joana. What’s more, his diplomats in Portugal were also seeking to arrange a second marriage there – between Richard’s illegitimate niece, Elizabeth, and a minor member of the Portuguese royal family!   Myth 4:


How many atoms make up one molecule of ozone?

Chemical of the Week -- Ozone Nitrogen dioxide is a red-brown gas that dissociates when     it is irradiated with bright light. NO2(g) light NO(g) + O(g) The oxygen atom formed in this process is extremely reactive     and readily attaches to a molecule of O2, forming ozone.  O(g) + O2(g) O3(g)              On     sunny days where NO2 pollution from traffic is high, the concentration     of ozone in the air can reach levels that are dangerous for plants and     animals. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency characterizes ozone     levels as "unhealthful" when they exceed the National Ambient Air Quality     Standard of 125 parts per billion (ppb). In the state of Wisconsin, an     "ozone alert" is issued when the average concentration of ozone     over a four hour period is over 100 ppb. An "ozone warning" is announced     when the this level reaches 300 ppb. An �ozone emergency� is declared     when it exceeds 350 ppb. In addition to posing a threat to health, ozone     in the air also damages polymeric materials such as rubber and plastics,     causing them to deteriorate prematurely.                In     contrast to the harmful effects of ozone in the air we breathe, the effects     of ozone in the upper atmosphere are essential to the survival of life     on Earth. In the upper atmosphere (specifically, the stratosphere, 15-55     km above the Earth's surface), ozone filters harmful ultraviolet radiation     from sunlight. This ultraviolet radiation is highly energetic and would     damage both plants and animals exposed to it. Diatomic oxygen absorbs     the highest-energy ultraviolet radiation from the sun, namely, all radiation     with wavelengths shorter than 240 nm. However, there is a great deal     of ultraviolet radiation between 240 nm and 290 nm that is not absorbed     by O2 molecules. This radiation is absorbed by ozone.                The     ozone in the stratosphere is produced by photochemical reactions involving     O2. When diatomic oxygen in the stratosphere absorbs ultraviolet     radiation with wavelengths less than 240 nm, it breaks apart into two     oxygen atoms.   (light wavelength < 290 nm)   This, too, is an exothermic reaction. The overall effect     of this reaction and the previous reaction is the conversion of light     energy into heat. Thus, ozone in the stratosphere prevents highly energetic     radiation from reaching the Earth's surface and converts the energy of     this radiation to heat.                The 1995 Nobel Prize     in Chemistry was awarded to three scientists for their research on     the chemistry that controls the amount of ozone in the stratosphere. Paul     Crutzen, director of the Department of Atmospheric Chemistry at the Max     Plank Institute for Chemistry in Germany, showed in 1970 that nitrogen     oxides could participate in the decomposition of ozone.   2 O3 3 O2 Because NO is regenerated in the third step, a single molecule     of NO can assist in the destruction of very many ozone molecules. Crutzen     described how N2O released from soil rises unchanged in the     lower atmosphere until it is decomposed by UV radiation in the stratosphere.     A fraction of the N2O is converted to the NO that catalytically     destroys ozone.                A     few years later, F. Sherwood Rowland, Chemistry Professor at the University     of California at Irvine and Mario Molina, Professor of Environmental Studies     as the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (who at the time was a postdoctoral     associate of Rowland), described the similar activity of chlorofluorocarbons     (compounds containing chlorine, fluorine, and carbon). These compounds     are so inert that they, like N2O survive in the atmosphere     until they eventually reach the stratosphere, where intense UV radiation     from the sun liberates chlo


Which French singer/songwriter and former model is married to Nicolas Sarkozy and was romantically linked to Mick Jagger in the early 1990s?

Carla Bruni | Download Music, Tour Dates & Video | eMusic Biography All Music Guide All Music Guide: Before fulfilling her childhood dream of becoming a professional singer and songwriter, Carla Bruni had already been included on Business Age's list of the 20 highest-paid models, had appeared in the films Prêt-à-Porter and Unzipped, and had been romantically linked to Mick Jagger, Eric Clapton, Kevin Costner, and Donald Trump. The heiress of a tire manufacturing fortune, Bruni moved with her family from their native Italy to Paris, France, when she was four. After attending boarding school in Switzerland she returned to Paris, where she was encouraged to try modeling as a career by her brother's girlfriend. Paul Marciano -- president and creative director of GUESS? -- picked Bruni's headshot out of a stack of photographs and turned the 19-year-old into an overnight sensation. She stayed busy doing photo shoots and runway work for Prada, Chanel, Christian Dior, and Givenchy. In a 1998 interview, Bruni declared that the lack of creativity she was experiencing in the fashion world had led her to the decision to only model in special cases. Rare appearances for Yves Saint Laurent and Jean Paul Gaultier kept her in the fashion press, but she was making even more headlines in the gossip world, where she was painted as the woman responsible for the breakups of Mick Jagger and Jerry Hall as well as Donald Trump and Marla Maples. In 2003, a reinvented Bruni released her debut album, Quelqu'un M'a Dit. Filled mostly with songs written by the singer in the style of her idols -- Joni Mitchell and Serge Gainsbourg -- Quelqu'un M'a Dit was an instant hit in France, selling one million copies soon after its release. Her second album, No Promises, appeared in January 2007. Bruni stunned everyone the following year when she became "the First Lady of France" after marrying France's then president Nicolas Sarkozy at the Elysée Palace in Paris, a move she promptly followed with a provocative new album, Comme Si de Rien N'Etait and a high-profile televised interview with Barbara Walters. Over the next few years, Bruni produced little new music, but was seldom out of the spotlight; in addition to her duties as President Sarkozy's wife, such as accompanying him on state visits, she took part in a great deal of philanthropic work, but also found time to play a cameo role in Woody Allen's 2011 film Midnight in Paris. After her her husband failed to win re-election, Bruni returned to recording. Her Verve debut, Little French Songs, appeared in April of 2013. Related Artists


In the Washington Irving short story, for how many years did Rip van Winkle sleep in the Catskill Mountains?

4. Rip Van Winkle By Washington Irving. Matthews, Brander. 1907. The Short-Story By Woden, God of Saxons, From whence comes Wensday, that is Wodensday, Truth is a thing that ever I will keep Unto thylke day in which I creep into My sepulchre         CARTWRIGHT. Whoever has made a voyage up the Hudson must remember the Catskill Mountains. They are a dismembered branch of the great Appalachian family, and are seen away to the west of the river, swelling up to a noble height, and lording it over the surrounding country. Every change of season, every change of weather, indeed, every hour of the day, produces some change in the magical hues and shapes of these mountains, and they are regarded by all the good wives, far and near, as perfect barometers. When the weather is fair and settled, they are clothed in blue and purple, and print their bold outlines on the clear evening sky; but sometimes, when the rest of the landscape is cloudless, they will gather a hood of gray vapors about their summits, which, in the last rays of the setting sun, will glow and light up like a crown of glory.    4   At the foot of these fairy mountains the voyager may have descried the light smoke curling up from a village whose shingle roofs gleam among the trees, just where the blue tints of the upland melt away into the fresh green of the nearer landscape. It is a little village of great antiquity, having been founded by some of the Dutch colonists, in the early times of the province, just about the beginning of the government of the good Peter Stuyvesant (may he rest in peace!), and there were some of the houses of the original settlers standing within a few years, with lattice windows, gable fronts surmounted with weathercocks, and built of small yellow bricks brought from Holland.    5   In that same village, and in one of these very houses (which, to tell the precise truth, was sadly time-worn and weather-beaten), there lived many years since, while the country was yet a province of Great Britain, a simple, good-natured fellow, of the name of Rip Van Winkle. He was a descendant of the Van Winkles who figured so gallantly in the chivalrous days of Peter Stuyvesant, and accompanied him to the siege of Fort Christina. He inherited, however, but little of the martial character of his ancestors. I have observed that he was a simple, good-natured man; he was, moreover, a kind neighbor and an obedient, henpecked husband. Indeed, to the latter circumstance might be owing that meekness of spirit which gained him such universal popularity; for those men are most apt to be obsequious and conciliating abroad who are under the discipline of shrews at home. Their tempers, doubtless, are rendered pliant and malleable in the fiery furnace of domestic tribulation, and a curtain lecture is worth all the sermons in the world for teaching the virtues of patience and long-suffering. A termagant wife may, therefore, in some respects, be considered a tolerable blessing; and if so, Rip Van Winkle was thrice blessed.    6   Certain it is that he was a great favorite among all the good wives of the village, who, as usual with the amiable sex, took his part in all family squabbles, and never failed, whenever they talked those matters over in their evening gossipings, to lay all the blame on Dame Van Winkle. The children of the village, too, would shout with joy whenever he approached. He assisted at their sports, made their playthings, taught them to fly kites and shoot marbles, and told them long stories of ghosts, witches, and Indians. Whenever he went dodging about the village, he was surrounded by a troop of them, hanging on his skirts, clambering on his back, and playing a thousand tricks on him with impunity; and not a dog would bark at him throughout the neighborhood.    7   The great error in Rips composition was an insuperable aversion to all kinds of profitable labor. It could not be from the want of assiduity or perseverance; for he would sit on a wet rock, with a rod as long and heavy as a Tartars lance, and fish all day without a murmur, even though he