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The Lamborghini Cheetah was an off-road prototype built in 1977 by the Italian carmaker Lamborghini.
History
The Lamborghini Cheetah was Lamborghini's first attempt at an off-road vehicle. It was built on contract from Mobility Technology International (MTI), which in turn was contracted by the US military to design and build a new all-terrain vehicle. The basis of the design came from MTI, and was largely a copy of FMC's XR311 prototype developed for the military in 1970. This resulted in legal action from FMC against MTI and Lamborghini in 1977 when the Cheetah was presented at the Geneva Motor Show. The XR311 and Cheetah could be considered progenitors of the current Humvee.
The Cheetah was built in San Jose, California. After initial construction, the prototype was sent to Sant'Agata so Lamborghini could put on the finishing touches. They decided to go with a large, waterproofed 180 bhp 5.9L Chrysler engine, rear mounted, with a 3 speed automatic transmission. The body was fiberglass, and inside there was enough room for four fully equipped soldiers as well as the driver.
The mounting of the engine in the rear gave the Cheetah very poor handling characteristics, and the engine choice was not powerful enough to be adequate for the heavy vehicle (), resulting in overall poor performance.
The only finished prototype was never tested by the US military, only demonstrated to them by its designer, Rodney Pharis. It was later sold to Teledyne Continental Motors by MTI and still exists today.
In the end, the military contract was awarded to AM General and their similar looking Humvee.
The failure of the Cheetah project, along with Lamborghini financial problems, led to the cancellation of a contract from BMW to develop their M1 sports car.
Lamborghini eventually developed the Lamborghini LM002 — a similar design, but with a 12-cylinder engine from the Lamborghini Countach mounted in the front.
Options (partial list)
Top and door kit
Turbocharger kit
Electric winch kit
Police vehicle kit
Armored (Kevlar) top kit
Armored (small arms) fuel tank and radiator
Weapon mounting kit
See also
VLEGA Gaucho
V.A.M.P. (G.I. Joe)
References
Cheetah
Off-road vehicles | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lamborghini%20Cheetah |
Events from the year 2007 in Ireland.
Incumbents
President: Mary McAleese
Taoiseach: Bertie Ahern (FF)
Tánaiste:
Michael McDowell (PD) (until 14 June 2007)
Brian Cowen (FF) (from 14 June 2007)
Minister for Finance: Brian Cowen (FF)
Chief Justice: John L. Murray
Dáil:
29th (until 26 April 2007)
30th (from 14 June 2007)
Seanad:
22nd (until 4 July 2007)
23rd (from 24 July 2007)
Events
28 January – The new Dublin Port Tunnel opened to general traffic, having already opened to heavy goods vehicles last December 20th.
12 March – Docklands railway station opened in its temporary location, the first new station in Dublin's city centre since Tara Street Station in 1891.
30 April – President Mary McAleese dissolved the 29th Dáil at the request of Taoiseach Bertie Ahern. The general election was fixed for 24 May.
24 May – A general election was held.
14 June – The 30th Dáil met and formed a Fianna Fáil–Green Party–Progressive Democrat coalition government.
17 July – A North/South Ministerial Council meeting included the Democratic Unionist Party for the first time.
19 July – The red kite bird species was reintroduced in the Wicklow Mountains.
26 October – The final People In Need Telethon was held.
Arts and literature
23 March – John Carney's musical film Once had its Irish release, at the Savoy Cinema in Dublin.
May – Michael Scott's fantasy fiction The Alchemyst: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel was published.
9 June – Mark O'Rowe's play Terminus was premièred at the Abbey Theatre, Dublin.
23 July – Spin South West radio station began broadcasting from Raheen, County Limerick.
5 October – The film Garage was released.
Kevin Barry's short story collection There are Little Kingdoms was published and won the Rooney Prize for Irish Literature.
Anne Enright's novel The Gathering was published and won the Man Booker Prize.
Tana French's debut crime novel In the Woods was published.
Derek Landy's children's novel Skulduggery Pleasant was published and won the Red House Children's Book Award (2008).
Music
Sport
Association football
Internationals
European Championship Qualifiers
7 February – San Marino 1–2 Ireland
24 March – Ireland 1–0 Wales
28 March – Ireland 1–0 Slovakia
8 September – Slovakia 2–2 Ireland
12 September – Czech Republic 1–0 Ireland
13 October – Ireland 0–0 Germany
17 October – Ireland 1–1 Cyprus
17 November – Wales 2–2 Ireland
Ireland finished third in the Group and failed to qualify.
Setanta Cup
Winners: Drogheda United
League of Ireland
Winners: Drogheda United
FAI Cup
Winners: Cork City
19 February – reigning League of Ireland champions Shelbourne were demoted to the First Division by the Football Association of Ireland after having their Premier Division Licence revoked by the FAI's First Instance Committee. The club was issued a First Division Licence in place of the revoked licence.
Cricket
2007 Cricket World Cup: In a successful world cup debut, the Ireland cricket team qualified from the group stage for the Super 8 stage, notably defeating Pakistan cricket team in the process.
Gaelic games
Football
2007 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Final
16 September: Kerry 3–13 Cork 1–9
Hurling
2007 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship Final
2 September: Kilkenny 2–19 Limerick 1–15
Golf
Pádraig Harrington finished in the top 10 at the US Masters in Augusta, Georgia. Darren Clarke missed the cut.
Pádraig Harrington won the British Open in Carnoustie, Scotland. Rory McIlroy won the silver medal for leading amateur. Darren Clarke missed the cut.
Irish Open was won by Pádraig Harrington (Ireland).
Rugby union
2007 Six Nations Championship
Wales 9–19 Ireland
Ireland 17–20 France
Ireland 43–13 England
Scotland 18–19 Ireland
Italy 24–51 Ireland
Ireland finished second in the Championship, after France but claimed the Triple Crown for the third time in four years.
2007 Rugby World Cup
Ireland 32–17 Namibia
Ireland 14–10 Georgia
Ireland 3–25 France
Ireland 15–30 Argentina
2006–07 Heineken Cup
Munster and Leinster both qualified for the quarter finals but failed to progress
Deaths
January to June
3 January – Michael Yeats, Fianna Fáil Seanad member and Member of the European Parliament (MEP) (born 1921).
23 January – Jimmy Murray, Roscommon Gaelic footballer and All-Ireland Senior Football Championship-winning captain (born 1917).
28 January – Bertie Troy, Roman Catholic priest and All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship-winning manager with Cork (born 1930).
5 February – John S. Beckett, musician, composer and conductor (born 1927).
8 February – Benedict Kiely, writer, broadcaster and journalist (born 1919).
17 February – Dermot O'Reilly, musician, producer and songwriter (born 1942).
25 February – Jackie Gilroy, former Dublin Gaelic footballer (born 1942).
11 March – Dave Creedon, former Cork hurler (born 1919).
2 April – Emma Groves, blinded by a rubber bullet in 1971, leading campaigner for banning the use of plastic bullets, co-founder of the United Campaign Against Plastic Bullets (born 1920).
24 April – Kate Walsh, Progressive Democrats Senator (born 1947).
29 April – Con Murphy, Cork hurler and former President of the Gaelic Athletic Association (born 1922).
5 May – Michael ffrench-O'Carroll, Independent Teachta Dála (TD) and Senator (born 1919).
22 May – Dermot O'Brien, former Louth Gaelic footballer and entertainer (born 1932).
30 May – Kieran Carey, Tipperary hurler (born 1933).
1 June – John Moriarty, writer and philosopher (born 1938).
July to December
1 July – John Egan, former Dublin GAA County Chairman (born 1951).
9 July – John Wilson, Fianna Fáil TD and Cabinet Minister, former Cavan Gaelic footballer (born 1923).
15 July – Kieron Moore, actor (born 1924).
23 July – Joan O'Hara, actress (born 1930).
1 August – Tommy Makem, folk singer (born 1932).
3 August – Éamonn Young, Cork Gaelic footballer (born 1921).
10 August – Tom Cheasty, Waterford hurler (born 1934).
27 August – Tom Mulligan, Dublin Gaelic footballer (born 1977).
30 August – Tom Munnelly, folk-song collector (born 1944).
10 September – Joe Sherlock, Labour Party (Ireland) TD (born 1930).
26 September – Mick Holden, Gaelic footballer and hurler (born 1954).
2 October – Dan Keating, Ireland's oldest man and last surviving veteran of the Irish War of Independence (born 1902).
3 October – Tony Ryan, businessman and philanthropist, founder of Guinness Peat Aviation and co-founder of Ryanair (born 1936).
6 October – Tom Murphy, actor (born 1968).
19 October – Johnny Clifford, Cork hurler (born 1934).
22 October – Brendan McWilliams, meteorologist and science writer (born 1944).
28 October – Anthony Clare, psychiatrist and broadcaster (born 1942).
13 November
Alec Cooke, Baron Cooke of Islandreagh, businessman and politician (born 1920).
Hugh Gibbons, Roscommon Gaelic footballer and Fianna Fáil TD (born 1916).
15 November – Ned Power, Waterford hurler (born 1929).
3 December – Eileen Proctor, founder and president of the National Association of Widows in Ireland (born 1916).
6 December – Katy French, model and socialite (born 1983).
7 December – Mick Ryan, Tipperary hurler (born 1925).
11 December – Christie Hennessy, folk singer-songwriter (born 1945).
14 December – Gene Fitzgerald, Fianna Fáil TD and MEP (born 1932).
15 December – Jimmy O'Neill, soccer player (born 1931).
26 December – Joe Dolan, singer (born 1939).
27 December – Kit Ahern, Fianna Fáil TD (born 1915).
Full date unknown
Eamon Law, Kilkenny Irish handball player.
See also
2007 in Irish television
References
External links
2007 at Reeling in the Years | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2007%20in%20Ireland |
St Michael's Church is the principal Anglican church for Camden Town in north London. The present building, built in the late 19th century, was designed by George Frederick Bodley and Thomas Garner in a Gothic Revival style.
History
Saint Michael's began as a church planting mission in 1877 under the direction of Father Edward Bainbridge Penfold. The congregation first met for Mass at 5A Camden Road, a few doors away from the current church in a building which now houses a betting shop. A service was celebrated in the shop to begin the celebrations for the parish's 125th anniversary in 2002. The church was named in remembrance of the church of St Michael Queenhithe, demolished in 1876 to fund the Camden mission.
The present building was the first London church designed by Bodley and Garner and is built of brick with stone dressings in the decorated Gothic style. The nave, begun in 1880, was consecrated by Bishop Walsham How on Michaelmas 1881. The chancel and the north chapel were added between 1892 and 1894 and consecrated by William Temple Bishop of London, later Archbishop of Canterbury. A north west tower was planned but never built. The west front was restored in 2005 and a new roof was completed in August 2007. There is a small community garden next to the church with a War Memorial.
The interior has a continuous, stenciled waggon ceiling covering both nave and chancel. The high altar in the chancel is surmounted by a stenciled reredos depicting the Risen Christ with seven lamps hanging above. There is also a threefold Sedilia in the south wall of the Sanctuary. The north chapel has a stone quadripartite ribbed vaulted ceiling and an Easter Sepulchre. The South Aisle contains the organ and a side chapel at the east end, a Calvary Scene and a shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham. A set of fourteen Stations of the Cross surround the nave in both the north and south aisles. At the west end there is a Font with an intricate 19th century cover. Since 2015 the Church has hosted a contemporary art installation behind the font by the Royal Academy's Maciej Urbanek. The Work, titled 'HS', presents an abstract and subversive take on the classic image of the Holy Spirit descending as beams of light. It won the 2015 ACE Award for Art in a Religious Context. The church is Grade II* listed, for its interior.
In 1954 the parish of St Michael's subsumed those of All Saints, Camden Town (which had become a Greek Orthodox church in 1948) and St. Thomas, Agar Town, Wrotham Road (whose 1864 building was demolished due to war damage). From 2003 to 2023 St Michael's formed part of the Old St Pancras Parish, with St Pancras Old Church, St Mary's Church, Somers Town, and St Paul's Church, Camden Square - all four are now independent parishes again.
Parish work
It has an active ministry to the homeless and refugees in the area, and regularly speaks out on local social issues. It featured in the BBC series The Power and the Glory and hosted the launch of the new 'Faithful Cities' report (on which occasion John Sentamu, Archbishop of York and Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury also dedicated the new parish rooms at the side of the church). In March 2008 its priest, Father Nicholas Wheeler (licensed to the parish on 21 September 1996, and also Team Rector of the St Pancras Team Ministry) left to become Anglican Priest Missioner in Rio de Janeiro. He was replaced as Team Rector and priest of St Michael's by Philip North, previously Shrine Administrator at Walsingham who departed at the end of 2014 to become Bishop of Burnley. He was succeeded by Father Thomas Plant.
The church is linked to St Michael's Church of England Primary School.
Gallery
Notes
External links
Church history project website
Listing website
Linked parishes
Website of Glorious Undead Church who also meet at St Michaels
Churches completed in 1894
19th-century Church of England church buildings
Grade II* listed buildings in the London Borough of Camden
Grade II* listed churches in London
Camden Town
Diocese of London
Gothic Revival church buildings in London
Camden Town
Camden Town
George Frederick Bodley church buildings | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St%20Michael%27s%20Church%2C%20Camden%20Town |
Steinheim may refer to:
Places
Steinheim, Westphalia, in the district of Höxter, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany
Steinheim an der Murr, in the district of Ludwigsburg, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
Steinheim am Albuch, in the district of Heidenheim, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
Steinheim (Hanau), the former Steinheim am Main, a district of Hanau, Hessen, Germany
Steinheim, Luxembourg, a small town in the commune of Rosport, Luxembourg
Craters
Steinheim crater, meteorite crater in Germany
Steinheim (Martian crater), crater on Mars
Surname
Solomon Ludwig Steinheim (1789–1866), German Jewish philosopher
See also
6563 Steinheim, main-belt asteroid
Steinheim skull | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steinheim |
The Department of Justice and Attorney General in New Brunswick, a Canadian province, is one of the longest running departments in the New Brunswick government. Traditionally headed by the Attorney General, the functions of the attorney general were split from it from February 14, 2006 to March 15, 2012. Prior to 2006, it was known simply as the Department of Justice.
It is charged with the protection of the public interest and, as such, oversees the insurance industry, financial institutions, pensions and rental housing, and with providing legal services to all departments and agencies of the government.
The following two departments were created when this department was split up in 2006 and brought back together in 2012:
The Office of the Attorney General, which oversaw many of the functions traditionally associated with the department; and
The Department of Justice and Consumer Affairs which oversaw many of the regulatory functions of the department which had been in place for the "protection of the public interest".
See also
Justice ministry
Politics of New Brunswick
Justice and Attorney General
Government agencies disestablished in 2006
New Brunswick | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Department%20of%20Justice%20and%20Attorney%20General%20%28New%20Brunswick%29 |
Steinheim () is a town in Höxter district in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.
The middle centre of Steinheim forms the economic, cultural and social hub of the Steinheimer Börde, one of the main territories of the old Prince-Bishopric of Paderborn. This territory was known as Wethi-Weizengau in Saxon times. Particularly scenic are the foothills of the Eggegebirge.
Geography
Location
Steinheim lies roughly 15 km southeast of Detmold. The town belongs to the district of Höxter and is situated in the north-eastern part of the federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia.
Constituent communities
The greater town of Steinheim consists of the main town of Steinheim and eight outlying villages:
Bergheim
Eichholz
Grevenhagen
Hagedorn
Ottenhausen
Rolfzen
Sandebeck
Vinsebeck
History
Steinheim was granted town rights in 1275 by Simon I, Bishop of Paderborn.
Main sights
The Steinheim Catholic Parish Church of Saint Mary (Katholische Pfarrkiche St. Marien Steinheim).
The Town Hall, built in 1835, is a plain, two-storey plaster building in late Classicist forms.
The rectory (Pfarrhaus), a two-storey half-timbered house with a half-hipped roof, was built in 1729.
The so-called Paradieshof (Detmolder Str. 24) was formerly the episcopal financial officer's (Rentmeister) seat. It was built in 1729 with a half-hipped roof. Renovated in 1995-96, the building has been used since that time as a kindergarten, daycare centre and shelter on the parental initiative Klabautermann e.V.
The nearby Rentmeisterhaus (Detmolder Str. 28) presents itself as a late Baroque heptaxial plaster (half-timbered?) building with middle risalit and Mansard roof. It was built in 1767. It still has its original front door.
In the town core after the renovations in the 1970s and 1980s, only a few older residential houses had been kept. As a rule, this usually meant plain half-timbered Dielenhäuser (wide, open houses with a high hallways) almost all of which had been built after the devastating town fire in 1729. Especially well preserved is Rochusstraße 22, a half-timbered Dielenhaus from 1729.
Of the town wall, built beginning in 1280, one rather lengthy stretch has been preserved on the street "Hinter der Mauer" ("Behind the Wall").
Cultural events
Steinheim's Rosenmontagszug – a colourful parade – is the biggest and oldest in the East Westphalia-Lippe region. Also, the Steinheim shooting festival, held every year in early summer, enjoys great popularity.
Politics
Town council
Town council's 26 seats are apportioned as follows, in accordance with municipal elections held on 26 September 2004:
CDU 12 seats
SPD 6 seats
Greens 3 seats
UWG 5 seats
Note: UWG is a citizens' coalition.
Mayors
At the 2015 municipal elections, the new mayor Carsten Torke (CDU) was elected with an absolute majority, succeeding the previous mayor Joachim Franzke (CDU). Torke was re-elected in 2020.
Coat of arms
Steinheim's civic coat of arms might heraldically be described thus: In argent a wall with three crenellated towers, the middle tower higher than the two flanking, gules, in the wall below the middle tower a gate Or.
Steinheim's oldest town seal, from the 15th century, shows the wall with the three towers, but not the gate. The wall and towers have figured on all seals since that time, but some seals showed the gate, and others did not. Arms were officially granted the town on 23 March 1908, and showed only the wall and towers, not the gate. On 22 March 1971, the town adopted a new coat of arms whose composition was roughly the same, but it included a narrow green chief (stripe across the top). These arms soon yielded to the present arms when a disagreement arose over the new arms, with the council opposing the new blazon that included the green chief.
The current arms were adopted on 3 July 1972.
Economy and infrastructure
Transport
Owing to Steinheim's advantageous location on the north-south-running East Westphalia Road (Ostwestfalenstraße), otherwise known as Federal Highway (Bundesstraße) B252, connections to the B1 (Paderborn-Ruhr area) and Autobahnen A 2 (Hanover-Ruhr area) and A 44 (Dortmund-Kassel) are right at hand.
Steinheim can also be reached by rail throughout the day, with hourly trains from both Hanover and Paderborn.
Education
Steinheim has several kindergartens and daycare centres, two primary schools, one special school, a Realschule and a Gymnasium. Till 2011 Steinheim also had a Hauptschule.
Town partnerships
Steinheim maintains partnership links with the following places :
Busko-Zdrój, Poland
Haukipudas, Finland
Kalemie, DRC
Specchia, Italy
Szigetszentmiklós, Hungary
References
External links
Steinheim Evangelical Parish
Steinheim fire brigade
Towns in North Rhine-Westphalia
Höxter (district) | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steinheim%2C%20Westphalia |
The Savannah Port Terminal Railroad is a terminal railroad that began operations on June 9, 1998, taking over track operations from the Savannah State Docks Railroad. It operates about of track and handles about 46,000 cars annually. Genesee & Wyoming Inc. acquired SAPT in 1998, has a capacity of 286,000 and has two interchanges: CSX (Garden City, Georgia); Norfolk Southern (Garden City, Georgia).
References
External links
Savannah Port Terminal Railroad official webpage - Genesee and Wyoming website
Rail GA
Georgia (U.S. state) railroads
Switching and terminal railroads
Genesee & Wyoming | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Savannah%20Port%20Terminal%20Railroad |
Federal Highway 19 (, Fed. 19) is a free part of the federal highways corridors () and runs along the Pacific coast of Baja California Peninsula from Cabo San Lucas up to Todos Santos where it turns inland and eventually joins Fed. 1 a few miles south of San Pedro, Baja California Sur. The route runs entirely within the state of Baja California Sur, with both its North and South termini meeting at Mexican Federal Highway 1.
Road distance-markers (indicating the distance in kilometers from north to south) are generally placed at the roadside each 5 km, and occasionally at more frequent intervals.
Towns and landmarks
San Pedro
Todos Santos
El Pescadero
Playa Migriño
Cabo San Lucas
References
019 | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mexican%20Federal%20Highway%2019 |
Heap or HEAP may refer to:
Computing and mathematics
Heap (data structure), a data structure commonly used to implement a priority queue
Heap (mathematics), a generalization of a group
Heap (programming) (or free store), an area of memory for dynamic memory allocation
Heapsort, a comparison-based sorting algorithm
Heap overflow, a type of buffer overflow that occurs in the heap data area
Sorites paradox, also known as the paradox of the heap
Other uses
Heap (surname)
Heaps (surname)
Heap leaching, an industrial mining process
Heap (comics), a golden-age comic book character
Heap, Bury, a former district in England
"The Heap" (Fargo), a 2014 television episode
High Explosive, Armor-Piercing, ammunition and ordnance
Holocaust Education and Avoidance Pod, an idea in Neal Stephenson's novel Cryptonomicon
See also
Skandha, Buddhist concept describing the aggregated contents of mental activity
Beap or bi-parental heap, a data structure
Treap, a form of binary search tree data structure
Heapey, a village and civil parish of the Borough of Chorley, in Lancashire, England
Pile (disambiguation) | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heap |
Thomas Garner (1839–1906) was one of the leading English Gothic revival architects of the Victorian era. He is known for his almost 30-year partnership with architect George Frederick Bodley.
Early life
Born at Wasperton Hill Farm in Warwickshire, Thomas Garner grew up in a rural setting that gave him an instinctive feeling for country crafts and construction, which were never weakened by long years spent in London.
Career
Thomas Garner was articled to the architect Sir Gilbert Scott at the age of 17. One of his immediate predecessors at "Scott's" was George Frederick Bodley, who was already beginning to establish his own reputation. A warm friendship developed between two. When he returned to Warwickshire, Garner undertook various small works as a representative of Scott, including the repair of the old chapel of the Lord Leycester Hospital at Warwick, which he buttressed into security.
Garner married Rose Emily Smith on 6 October 1866. In 1868 he returned to London to help his friend Bodley, and they established the long and fruitful partnership at their office at 7 Gray's Inn Square. Garner lived at No. 20 Church Row in Hampstead from 1867 to 1893.
At first, their collaboration was close and produced such homogeneous work that there was little external evidence of dual authorship. What is noticeable in some of the earlier buildings by the "firm" is the replacement of the French influences which previously had shown themselves in Bodley's work, by a distinctively English style. This period of close collaboration produced the Church of Saint John the Baptist at Tuebrook, Liverpool, soon followed and eclipsed by the Holy Angels at Hoar Cross, Staffordshire, and St Augustine's Church, Pendlebury, near Manchester – the former begun in 1871, the latter in 1873. They also designed St David's Cathedral, Hobart, in Tasmania.
As Bodley and Garner's commissions increased they became less exclusively ecclesiastical. Church building remained predominant but their practice widened to collegiate buildings in Oxford and Cambridge, and to private houses and offices. This broadening of scope reduced their actual collaboration.
Bodley and Garner's pupils included the garden designer Inigo Thomas who specialised in formal gardens with geometrical plans in 17th and 18th century styles, which suited the numerous houses that Bodley and Garner renovated for wealthy clients.
The ensuing period of dual practice under partnership left most of the secular opportunities to the control of the junior partner, Garner, while Bodley, with his penchant for Gothic forms and ecclesiastical work, devoted himself to church building and decoration. Garner was almost exclusively responsible for the design and supervision of most of the work at Oxford, including the alterations and tower at Christ Church, St Swithin's Quadrangle and the High Street Entrance Gate at Magdalen College, and the Master's Lodgings at the University College. He was entirely responsible for the subsequent President's Lodgings at Magdalen College. Garner also designed River House in Tite Street, Chelsea, and the new classroom building at Marlborough College. Hewell Grange, Lord Windsor's Worcestershire mansion, with all its elaborate details, terraced gardens and their architectural accessories, was also his work.
Garner continued to contribute to the firm's ecclesiastical work. He designed the altar screen in St Paul's Cathedral and several sepulchral monuments, including those of the Bishops of Ely, Lincoln, Winchester and Chichester, and that of Henry Parry Liddon. In 1889 he designed the decorated gothic case for the organ at Church of the Holy Trinity, Stratford-upon-Avon.
Despite Bodley's distaste for business and trade, he and Garner also set up a fabric company with Gilbert Scott the younger in 1874, to provide embroidered and textile goods, wallpaper and stained glass. The firm was called Watts & Co, trading initially from Baker Street in London, and still continuing its traditions from premises near Westminster Cathedral. The name derives from Bodley's distaste for trade. When the founders were asked: "Who was Watts?" Bodley replied: "What's in a Name".
The final period of the Bodley and Garner partnership is best seen in St John the Evangelist Church, Oxford, built for the Cowley Fathers in 1894–96.
In 1898 Garner was received into the Roman Catholic Church, and his partnership with Bodley was dissolved for fear that this might harm the latter's business. After dissolving the partnership, Garner designed and supervised the restoration of Yarnton Manor, Oxfordshire in 1897; the Slipper Chapel at Houghton Saint Giles; Moreton House, Hampstead; the Empire Hotel at Buxton by the Duke of Devonshire's estate. The crowning work of his life was the choir of Downside Abbey, near Bath, where his body lies.
He finally returned to the countryside for his final home, Fritwell Manor in Oxfordshire, the Jacobean house that he restored in 1893 and where he died in 1906. His interest in conservation was fostered throughout his life by his study of history, fine arts and literature. He and Stratton wrote The Domestic Architecture of England during the Tudor Period, which B. T. Batsford published in 1911.
References
Sources
Collins, David Mark (1992) The Architecture of George Frederick Bodley 1827–1907 and Thomas Garner 1839–1906 Peterhouse, Cambridge University
External links
Entry in the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography
1839 births
1906 deaths
People from Warwick District
19th-century English architects
Gothic Revival architects
English ecclesiastical architects
Architects of cathedrals
Burials at Downside Abbey
Architects from Warwickshire | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas%20Garner |
Universal City Studios, Inc. v. Nintendo Co., Ltd. was a 1983 legal case heard by the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York by Judge Robert W. Sweet. In their complaint, Universal Studios alleged that Nintendo's video game Donkey Kong was a trademark infringement of King Kong, the plot and characters of which Universal claimed as their own. Nintendo argued that Universal had themselves proven that King Kongs plot and characters were in the public domain in Universal City Studios, Inc. v. RKO General, Inc.
Sweet ruled that Universal had acted in bad faith by threatening Nintendo's licensees and that it had no right over the name King Kong or the characters and story. He further held that there was no possibility for consumers to confuse Nintendo's game and characters with the King Kong films and their characters. Universal appealed the case, but the verdict was upheld. The case was a major victory for Nintendo, which was still a newcomer to the U.S. market. The case established Nintendo as a major player in the industry and arguably gave the company the confidence that it could compete with the giants of American media.
Background
In 1982, Sid Sheinberg, the president of MCA and Universal City Studios and a seasoned attorney, was trying to find a way to get his company into the booming video game market. In April, he learned of the success of Nintendo's Donkey Kong video game and sent Robert Hadl, vice president of legislative matters, to investigate. Hadl's analysis was that Donkey Kongs storyline was based on that of King Kong and was thus an infringement of Universal's rights to that film's characters and scenario.
Sheinberg also learned of a licensing agreement between Nintendo and Coleco, a producer of home video game consoles. Sheinberg scheduled a meeting with Coleco president Arnold Greenberg on April 27, ostensibly to discuss possible investment in Coleco. Instead, Universal admonished Greenberg for copyright infringement and threatened to sue if the ColecoVision shipped with Donkey Kong as planned. The next day, Universal telexed Coleco and Nintendo giving them 48 hours to cease marketing Donkey Kong, to dispose of all Donkey Kong inventory, and to hand over all records of profits made from the game. On May 5, Greenberg agreed to pay Universal royalties of 3% of Donkey Kongs net sale price, amounting to six million units and worth about $4.6 million. A week later, he signed an agreement that stated that Universal would not sue Coleco as long as Coleco paid royalties.
Meanwhile, Hadl learned that Tiger Electronics had licensed King Kong for a handheld game. He decided that Universal's earnings from it were too low and that the license's granting of exclusive rights to Tiger would impede the agreement with Coleco. On May 4, Sheinberg sent Tiger a mailgram demanding that they send their game in for further approval. Universal reviewed it and decided that King Kong was too similar to Donkey Kong. On May 8, Sheinberg revoked Tiger's license, but Tiger president O. R. Rissman refused to give in and challenged Universal's claim that it owned the King Kong name.
Nintendo's attorney (and future board member) Howard Lincoln was at first inclined to settle for $5–7 million. Eventually, however, he decided to fight, reassuring the head of the company's U.S. division, Minoru Arakawa, that this was a sign that Nintendo had made it big. On May 6, Arakawa and Lincoln met with Coleco and Universal in Los Angeles. Hadl reiterated his stance that Donkey Kong infringed Universal's rights to King Kong. Lincoln countered that Nintendo had discovered many unlicensed uses of King Kongs name and characters and that Universal's trademark on these was less than 10 years old. In private, Greenberg tried to persuade Nintendo to sign a licensing agreement; he had not told them that he had already done so. By the end of the meeting, Hadl agreed to send a chain of title to Nintendo regarding Universal's ownership of the King Kong name. When this failed to materialize in the next few weeks, Lincoln prodded Universal again. They responded with more demands for royalties.
Lincoln researched the merits of Universal's claims to King Kong and deemed them untenable. Nintendo called for another meeting, which was set up for May 21. Believing that Nintendo was finally caving, Sheinberg intimated that Nintendo might expect future business from Universal if they agreed to settle the matter. Lincoln only repeated Nintendo's position that Universal had no legal basis to make any threats. He recalled later:
Mr. Arakawa and I decided that we would go down and simply tell him [Sheinberg] that we've come to tell you to your face that we would pay you if we thought we were liable, but we had done our homework and we were not prepared to pay anything because we hadn't done anything wrong. We just wanted to essentially look him in the face and tell him that. It seemed the honorable thing to do.
As it turned out, maybe Hadl had led him to believe that we had come down to reach some sort of monetary settlement with him. And it was really funny because it was not what he was expecting and his reaction was shock.
Knowing that a court battle lay ahead, Hadl contacted Rissman, the errant Tiger licensee, to compromise on the handheld King Kong game. Hadl wanted to remove the exclusivity provision of the license and to distinguish the handheld game from Donkey Kong so as to weaken any potential counterclaims that one of Universal's licensees had violated Nintendo's intellectual property rights. Rissman complied, giving the hero a fireman hat, replacing barrel graphics with bombs, and making the game platforms straight instead of crooked. This design was approved in early June.
First District court decision
On June 29, 1982, Universal officially sued Nintendo. The company also announced that it had agreed to license the rights to King Kong to Coleco. On January 3, 1983, Universal then sent cease-and-desist letters to Nintendo's licensees offering three options: stop using Donkey Kong characters, obtain a license from Universal, or be sued. Six licensees caved, but Milton Bradley refused to do so. When Ralston Purina's offer of $5,000 for the use of Donkey Kong characters on breakfast cereal was turned down, they also refused to settle.
Lincoln hired John Kirby to represent Nintendo in court. Kirby had won other big cases for the likes of PepsiCo., General Foods, and Warner-Lambert. Kirby researched the game's development, taking depositions from designer Shigeru Miyamoto and Nintendo president Hiroshi Yamauchi in Japan. Miyamoto claimed that he had in fact called his ape character King Kong at first, as that was a generic term in Japan for any large ape.
Universal City Studios, Inc. v. Nintendo, Co., Ltd. was heard at the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York by Judge Robert W. Sweet. The trial lasted seven days, during which Universal, represented by the New York firm Townley & Updike, argued that the name Donkey Kong could be confused with King Kong and that the plot of the game was an infringement on that of the film. Kirby showed key differences between Donkey Kong and King Kong. He also alleged that Universal had no rights to the King Kong characters and that they had in fact successfully sued RKO Pictures in 1975 in Universal City Studios, Inc. v. RKO General, Inc., wherein they proved that the plot of King Kong was in the public domain and thus opened the way for Dino De Laurentiis' remake.
Sweet ruled that Universal did not have any trademark in King Kong, because King Kong did not designate a single source, and even if King Kong was a Universal trademark, the possibility that anyone would confuse Donkey Kong and King Kong was unlikely. In his opinion, Donkey Kong was "comical" and the ape character "farcical, childlike and nonsexual". The King Kong character, on the other hand, was "a ferocious gorilla in quest of a beautiful woman". Sweet declared that "at best, Donkey Kong is a parody of King Kong".
First appeal
Universal appealed the verdict to the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. Nintendo and Universal argued the appeals case on May 23, 1984. As evidence of consumer confusion, Universal presented the results of a telephone survey of 150 managers and owners of arcades, bowling alleys, and pizza restaurants who owned or leased Donkey Kong machines. To the question "To the best of your knowledge, was the Donkey Kong game made with the approval or under the authority of the people who produce the King Kong movies?", 18% of those surveyed answered in the affirmative. However, to the question "As far as you know, who makes Donkey Kong?", no one named Universal. Universal argued that this was enough evidence to show that consumers were confused about the distinction between the two names.
They also provided six examples from print media of more cases of confusion between Donkey Kong and King Kong. The October 1982 issue of Videogaming Illustrated, for example, was shown to read "our Donkey Kong presentation continues as we look at other gorillas who have had a fondness for women. Prominent among them is King Kong, who has much in common with the video villain". Another example was Craig Kubey's 1982 The Winner's Book of Video Games, which states that "Donkey Kong [is] a video version of the film classic King Kong".
In its decision on October 4, the court upheld the previous verdict. They declared that "the two properties have nothing in common but a gorilla, a captive woman, a male rescuer, and a building scenario". Further, the court ruled that "the 'Kong' and 'King Kong' names are widely used by the general public and are associated with apes and other objects of enormous proportions". As for Universal's survey, the court found it unconvincing, as Universal did not own the "image . . . of King Kong climbing the Empire State Building/World Trade Center with Fay Wray/Jessica Lange in his paw" and that by only soliciting opinions from people who already had Donkey Kong games, the survey failed to establish confusion from potential customers. Finally, the survey asked "an obvious leading question in that it suggested its own answer".
Regarding Universal's printed examples, the court found that:
The statements cited by Universal recognize that the Donkey Kong theme loosely evokes the King Kong films. However, none of the statements remotely suggests that the authors were under the impression that Donkey Kong was connected with the company holding the King Kong trademark.
The court agreed that some consumers were confused about the two marks: "However, the fact that there may be a few confused consumers does not create a sufficiently disputed issue of fact regarding the likelihood of confusion so as to make summary judgment improper".
Counterclaims and second appeal
Nintendo filed its counterclaims on May 20, 1985.
Sweet ruled the cease-and-desist letters that Universal had sent to Nintendo's licensees gave the game company the right to seek damages, and so Universal would pay Nintendo $1.8 million for "legal fees, photocopying expenses, costs incurred creating graphs and charts, and lost revenues".
Sweet chastised Universal for bringing this bad faith lawsuit:Throughout this litigation, Universal knew, as a result of the RKO litigation, that it had no rights to any visual image of King Kong from the classic movie or its remake.
Nonetheless, Universal, when it seemed beneficial, made sweeping assertions of rights, attempting to extract license agreements from companies incapable of or unwilling to confront Universal's "profit center".
Nintendo was given the option to either take Universal's licensing profits for their game or accept statutory damages. Nintendo opted for the former, receiving $56,689.41. Nintendo also received damages and attorney's fees.
Sweet also ruled that Tiger's King Kong was an infringement of Donkey Kong:Donkey Kongs particular expression of a gorilla villain and a carpenter hero (with or without a fire hat) who must dodge various obstacles (whether bombs or fireballs) while climbing up ladders (whether complete or broken) and picking up prizes (umbrellas or purses) to rescue a fair-haired (whether knotted or pigtailed) hostage from the gorilla is protractible against Universal and its licensees.He ruled against Nintendo's claims to damages from Universal establishing licenses with Nintendo's licensees in those cases where the licensees continued to pay Nintendo.
Nintendo's licensees, Coleco among them, filed their own counterclaims. Universal paid Coleco by buying stock in the company.
Universal and Nintendo both appealed the counterclaims suit. The case was argued on June 16, 1986.
In the decision, rendered on July 15, the court upheld the previous verdicts, ruling that:
First, Universal knew that it did not have trademark rights to King Kong, yet it proceeded to broadly assert such rights anyway. This amounted to a wanton and reckless disregard of Nintendo's rights.
Second, Universal did not stop after it asserted its rights to Nintendo. It embarked on a deliberate, systematic campaign to coerce all of Nintendo's third party licensees to either stop marketing Donkey Kong products or pay Universal royalties.
Finally, Universal's conduct amounted to an abuse of judicial process, and in that sense caused a longer harm to the public as a whole. Depending on the commercial results, Universal alternatively argued to the courts, first, that King Kong was a part of the public domain, and then second, that King Kong was not part of the public domain, and that Universal possessed exclusive trademark rights in it. Universal's assertions in court were based not on any good faith belief in their truth, but on the mistaken belief that it could use the courts to turn a profit.Second Court of Appeals, 1986, 77–8.
Nintendo thanked John Kirby with a $30,000 sailboat christened the Donkey Kong along with "exclusive worldwide rights to use the name for sailboats". The title character in Nintendo's Kirby series of video games was named after John Kirby, in honor of his services in the Donkey Kong case. It is rumored that a copy of the first game in the franchise, Kirby's Dream Land, was eventually sent to John Kirby who was humored and flattered.
Impact
Nadia Oxford of 1UP.com concluded that Nintendo's legal victory allowed their up-and-coming company to establish a foothold in America, well as preparing them for future legal battles with Atari.
See also
Copyright protection for fictional characters
Lewis Galoob Toys, Inc. v. Nintendo of America, Inc.
Notes
References
External links
The King and the Donkey
Video game copyright case law
Donkey Kong
King Kong (franchise)
Nintendo
United States copyright case law
United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit cases
United States District Court for the Southern District of New York cases
United States trademark case law
Universal Pictures litigation
1982 in United States case law
Copyright infringement of fictional characters | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universal%20City%20Studios%2C%20Inc.%20v.%20Nintendo%20Co.%2C%20Ltd. |
The Chadian Armed Forces (Forces Armées Tchadiennes or FAT) were the army of the central government of Chad from 1960 to 1979, under the southern presidents François Tombalbaye and Félix Malloum, until the downfall of the latter in 1979, when the head of the gendarmerie, Wadel Abdelkader Kamougué, assumed command. Joined by gendarmerie units, FAT became a regional force representing primarily the Sara ethnic group of the five southern prefectures. It joined with the Transitional Government of National Unity (GUNT) forces fighting against Hissène Habré and was a recipient of aid from Libya. FAT began to disintegrate during 1982 as a result of defeats inflicted by Habré's Armed Forces of the North (FAN). Most remaining soldiers accepted integration into FAN or resumed their insurgency as codos.
Branches
The Military of Chad is divided into three main branches of service:
Chadian National Army
Chadian Air Force
Gendarmerie
Military statistics
The Armed Forces of Chad have around 2.2 million women available to be drafted into their military as well as around 1.9 million men. People are considered fit for military service in Chad at the age of 20. People in Chad can volunteer to join the military at age 18, however if you wait until age 20 there is a 3-year service obligation. There is also no minimum age for volunteers as long as guardian consent is given. Women in Chad are subject to 1 year of compulsory military or civic service at the age of 21. The government of Chad spends around 4.2% of their GDP on their armed forces. The Chadian Armed Forces spend about One-Hundred and One million dollars in military spending. The Chadian Armed Forces are ranked eleventh overall recent military growth.
See also
FROLINAT
Malloum's Military Government
Civil war in Chad (1965–1979)
References
Chad: A Country Study
Military history of Chad
Chadian–Libyan War | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chadian%20Armed%20Forces |
Mellisa Hollingsworth (born October 4, 1980) is a retired Canadian athlete who competed from 1995 to 2014. She won the bronze medal in the women's skeleton event at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin.
Hollingsworth also won a silver in the women's skeleton event at the 2000 FIBT World Championships in Igls, Austria. She won the women's Skeleton World Cup overall title both in 2005–06 and in 2009–10.
Hollingsworth is the cousin of Ryan Davenport, who won three medals in the men's skeleton event at the FIBT World Championships in the late 1990s.
Hollingsworth participated in the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, British Columbia. After three runs, she was in second position behind Amy Williams of Great Britain. However, in the final run, despite a personal best start time of 4.93 seconds, Hollingsworth fell behind and ended up finishing fifth overall.
Hollingsworth retired after participating in the 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Sochi, Russia.
In summer 2018, Hollingsworth competed on The Amazing Race Canada: Heroes Edition with barrel racer Nancy Csabay. They finished in 5th place.
References
External links
Picture of Davenport and Hollingsworth (davenportsleds.ca)
Women's skeleton Olympic medalists since 2002 (sports123.com)
1980 births
Sportspeople from Alberta
Canadian female skeleton racers
Living people
Olympic bronze medalists for Canada
Olympic skeleton racers for Canada
Skeleton racers at the 2006 Winter Olympics
Skeleton racers at the 2010 Winter Olympics
Olympic medalists in skeleton
Medalists at the 2006 Winter Olympics
Skeleton racers at the 2014 Winter Olympics
People from Lacombe, Alberta
Participants in Canadian reality television series | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mellisa%20Hollingsworth |
The Lamborghini LM001 was a prototype off-road vehicle designed and built by Lamborghini. It was first revealed at the 1981 Geneva Auto Show alongside the new Jalpa.
Despite the failure of the Cheetah project, the idea of a Lamborghini off-road vehicle was still very much alive, and with new capital from investors, the Cheetah concept was redesigned into the LM001. Unlike the Cheetah's Chrysler engine, the LM001 prototype had a 5.9 L (360 ci) AMC-built V8, with the intention of offering the V12 from the Countach for production models.
The LM001 was found to have unfavorable handling characteristics when accelerating. This problem was traced to the placement of the engine in the rear. As a result, the LM001 was discontinued after one prototype was made.
References
External links
LamboCars: LM001
LM001
Off-road vehicles | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lamborghini%20LM001 |
John "Jocky" Petrie (21 June 1867 – 13 July 1932) was a Scottish footballer who played for Arbroath. He holds the record for the most goals ever scored in a senior British football game with 13 goals.
Career
Petrie signed for Arbroath from local club Strathmore. On 12 September 1885, Petrie, at the age of 18, scored 13 times for Arbroath in a record 36–0 win over Bon Accord. In 1891, Petrie signed for Distillery, playing in the Irish League for a season, before returning to Arbroath. In 1920, Petrie retired from football, later becoming a kitman and trainer for Arbroath.
Aftermath
At an international level, his record was not equaled until 2001 by Archie Thompson who scored 13 goals for Australia in a 31–0 win over American Samoa.
In 2017, Petrie was inducted into Arbroath's hall of fame.
References
Scottish men's footballers
Arbroath F.C. players
1867 births
1932 deaths
Footballers from Arbroath
Lisburn Distillery F.C. players
Men's association football forwards
Men's association football wingers
Association football coaches | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jocky%20Petrie%20%28footballer%29 |
Qingyang () is a prefecture-level city in eastern Gansu province, China.
Geography and climate
Qingyang is the easternmost prefecture-level division of Gansu and is thus sometimes referred to as "Longdong" (). It forms an administrative peninsula, as it is surrounded, on all sides but the south, by Shaanxi and Ningxia. It is in the lower middle part of the Yellow River on the loess plateau and is within the eastern Gansu basin. Elevation ranges from 885 to 2082 meters above sea-level. There are 5 major rivers in Qingyang including the Malian (), Pu (), Hong (), Xilang (), and Hulu or "Gourd" (). Their combined annual flow is more than 800 million cubic meters. Bordering prefecture-level cities are:
Shaanxi:
Yulinnorth
Yan'annortheast
Xianyangsoutheast
Gansu:
Pingliangsouth/southwest
Ningxia:
Guyuanwest
Wuzhongnorthwest
Qingyang has a humid continental climate (Köppen Dwb) with monsoonal influences. The normal monthly mean temperature ranges from in January to in July, with the annual mean standing at . The normal annual precipitation is , with a two/thirds of it occurring from June to September, and winter seeing minimal precipitation.
History
Qingyang was part of the area where the earliest cultures along the Yellow River developed and was part of the heartland of the Qin state that would eventually unite China. It was also an important place in the Chinese Communist Revolution.
Meteor shower
In March or April 1490 AD a presumed meteor shower occurred in the Qingyang district. If a meteor shower did occur, it may have been the result of the breakup of an asteroid. At least three surviving Chinese historical records describe a shower during which "stones fell like rain", killing more than 10,000 people. Due to the paucity of detailed information and the lack of surviving meteorites or other physical evidence, researchers have also been unable to definitively state the exact nature of the dramatic event.
Administration
Qingyang has 1 urban district, 7 counties, and 146 towns with a total population of 2,211,191 (2010), only 310,000 of which are urban residents.
Economy
In 2004 Qingyang's GDP was 8.014 Billion RMB, 11.6% growth over the previous year. Average annual urban income was 5130 RMB, rural was 1428 RMB. Petroleum and natural gas are the backbone of Qingyang's economy. Agricultural products include donkeys, Huan County sheep, cattle, Jin jujubes, milk, apricots and other fruits, vegetables, and berries. 69 different kinds of Chinese medicinal plants and herbs are collected or grown here, 25 of which are exported.
Transportation
Qingyang Airport
China National Highway 211
China National Highway 309
G22 Qingdao–Lanzhou Expressway
Xi'an-Pingliang railway (limited service, station at Ning County)
Culture
Qingyang is famous for its rich folk culture. Traditional Chinese art forms such as shadow puppet theater, paper cuts (such as the Qingyang sachet), folk music, and songs are still part of Qingyang's culture.
References
External links
Official Website(Chinese)
Prefecture-level divisions of Gansu | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qingyang%2C%20Gansu |
Jocky Petrie may refer to:
Jocky Petrie (chef), British chef
Jocky Petrie (footballer) (1860s–?), Scottish football player | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jocky%20Petrie |
The American Indian Scouting Association (AISA) is a joint venture of the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) and the Girl Scouts of the USA (GSUSA). The AISA began as a committee of concerned Boy Scout Scoutmasters in 1956 and was sponsored by the Bureau of Indian Affairs in Los Alamos, New Mexico.
AISA holds an annual seminar, which began in 1957, is run by a volunteer steering committee and is hosted by a local tribe or Indian community. The seminar was developed in order to attract both Indians and non-Indians and foster understanding of Indian culture and Scouting. Youth participation in this seminar began in 1975.
References
BSA American Indian Scouting Association website
Scouting magazine AISA article
49th American Indian Boy Scouting/Girl Scouting Seminar
Associations related to the Boy Scouts of America
Girl Scouts of the USA
Native American organizations
1956 establishments in the United States
Youth organizations established in 1956
United States Bureau of Indian Affairs
Native American history of New Mexico | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American%20Indian%20Scouting%20Association |
Father Jean Jacques Corbeil was a French Canadian Roman Catholic missionary who collected and documented musical instruments of Zambia's Bemba people during the middle of the twentieth century. He published a book with photos and brief descriptions. Part of his collection is now housed at the University of Zambia Library, but due to lack of funds is in poor condition. Father Corbeil established the Moto Moto Museum at Mbala named in remembrance of Bishop Joseph 'Moto Moto' Dupont to preserve archeological, traditional and historical artifacts.
References
Corbeil, J. J. Mbusa: Sacred emblems of the Bemba. London/Mbala: Ethnographical Publishers/Moto Moto Museum, 1982.
External links
Moto Moto Museum
Roman Catholic missionaries in Zambia
Canadian Roman Catholic missionaries
History of Zambia
Canadian expatriates in Zambia | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean%20Jacques%20Corbeil |
Jim Bennett is a Canadian author, lawyer and former politician in Newfoundland and Labrador. He was elected as the Member of the House of Assembly for St. Barbe in the 2011 provincial election serving until 2015. In 2006, Bennett was acclaimed leader of the Liberal Party of Newfoundland and Labrador, but resigned from the post after just three months. In 2013, Bennett unsuccessfully ran for the leadership of the provincial Liberal Party in their 2013 election.
Politics
Bennett entered provincial politics in 2006, after he was acclaimed leader of the Liberal Party. Due to internal conflicts with his party Bennett resigned as leader after just three months. He was replaced by former interim leader Gerry Reid. In the 2007 general election he was unsuccessful in his bid to defeat Progressive Conservative incumbent Wallace Young. Bennett was elected to the Daniel's Harbour town council in the September 2009 municipal elections.
In March 2010, Bennett was hired by the town of St. Anthony to help in a legal case over the moving of air ambulance service to Labrador. He filed an injunction to stop the province from moving the air ambulance services but was unsuccessful.
In 2011, he once again ran in St. Barbe and this time was successful in defeating Young. In March 2012, the governing Progressive Conservatives announced that a month earlier Bennett had left what they considered to be a threatening voice mail at cabinet minister Joan Burke's office. Bennett, who had been seeking help for a constituent, said in the recording that "If this problem is not resolved today, you can expect me to absolutely vilify your minister on Monday morning on Open Line." He went on to say "I will absolutely trash your minister, say what a bunch of idiots she’s got working in her department. Fix the problem and fix it today, or there will be lots of trouble." Bennett apologized in the House of Assembly for the message.
In 2013, Bennett unsuccessfully ran for the leadership of the provincial Liberal Party in their 2013 election.
Bennett's district of St. Barbe was abolished in the 2015 redrawing of districts, he unsuccessfully ran for the Liberal nomination in the district of Lewisporte-Twillingate. Following his nomination lost he subsequently retired following the 2015 election.
Personal life
Bennett is a lawyer, and is married to Sandra Pupatello, a former member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario and Minister of Economic Development and Trade in the Ontario Liberal Party government of Dalton McGuinty.
Bennett is based in the western Newfoundland coast community of Daniel's Harbour after living a number of years in Windsor, Ontario. While living in Windsor, Bennett twice unsuccessfully sought election to Windsor's city council.
Electoral history
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|NDP
|Diane Ryan
|align="right"|437
|align="right"|10.84%
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|NDP
|Gary B. Noel
|align="right"|196
|align="right"|4.62%
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References
External links
Liberal Party of Newfoundland and Labrador
Year of birth missing (living people)
Newfoundland and Labrador political party leaders
Living people
Liberal Party of Newfoundland and Labrador MHAs
21st-century Canadian politicians
Newfoundland and Labrador municipal councillors | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim%20Bennett%20%28politician%29 |
Lucas Tucci di Grassi (born 11 August 1984) is a Brazilian professional racing driver who is set to compete in the FIA Formula E World Championship for ABT CUPRA. He became the FIA Formula E Champion in 2016–2017, achieved three overall podiums at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and won the Macau Grand Prix in 2005.
Born in São Paulo, di Grassi began racing karts at the age of ten, and achieved early success in the regional and later national kart series. He progressed to car racing in 2002 and was the runner up in the Formula Renault 2.0 Brazil and Formula 3 Sudamericana championships. Di Grassi took two consecutive victories in the 2004 British Formula Three Championship and progressed to the Euro Series the following year which saw him clinch a solitary race victory and was the winner of the non-championship Macau Grand Prix. After that, he spent the next three years in the GP2 Series where he won four races and finished the runner-up in 2007 to Timo Glock.
Di Grassi drove in Formula One with the Virgin Racing team in 2010 but was dropped for the following season. He was subsequently employed by Pirelli in mid-2011 as their official tyre tester and developed the company's next generation of tyres. Di Grassi continued this role into 2012. For the next four seasons, he drove for Audi Sport Team Joest in the FIA World Endurance Championship and took a best finish of second with two victories in 2016. Since 2014, di Grassi has raced in Formula E and has scored thirteen victories and won the 2016–17 Drivers' Championship.
In July 2020, Di Grassi was announced as co-founder and Sustainability Ambassador of the eSkootr Championship (eSC) - which was launched in May 2022.
Early and personal life
Di Grassi was born on 11 August 1984 in São Paulo, Brazil. He is of Italian descent through his grandfather who came from Polignano a Mare. Di Grassi's family did not have a background in motor racing but his uncle owned a go-kart shop and di Grassi visited him driving go-karts every weekend between the ages of seven and eight. He was educated at the local Santa Cruz High School and later went on to graduate with a degree in Economics after his second year at the private business university Ibmec. Di Grassi married the designer Bianca Diniz Caloi in a ceremony held in the São Paulo municipality of Itirapina on 1 December 2013. He currently resides in Monaco. On 3 July 2018, di Grassi became a father with the birth of his son Leonardo.
He founded the fuel conservation non-governmental organisation Smarter Driving in 2007 and was appointed the United Nations Environment Programme's clean air ambassador in 2018. Di Grassi partakes in triathlons to maintain his fitness and balance his racing career. He is also a member of the high IQ society Mensa. In addition to his native Portuguese, he is fluent in English, Italian, Spanish, and has basic knowledge of French.
Early career
Karting and early junior formulae
Upon the invitation of his father, Vito, the former vice-president of the Brazilian heavy vehicles manufacturer Engesa, di Grassi made his karting debut at the age of ten. He won a karting series in São Paulo in 1997, and continued to progress upwards through the South American karting series by winning several races in his native country. The peak of di Grassi's karting career came in 2000 when he placed fifth overall in the Formula A World Championship. That year, he won the Pan American Kart Championship. Di Grassi made his car racing debut in 2002, driving in the Formula Renault 2.0 Brazil, finishing the season with two victories, and placed seven points behind the series victor Sérgio Jimenez. In 2003, he switched to the Formula 3 Sudamericana and joined the Avellone team. Di Grassi took one victory and stood on the podium eleven times, en route to second in the championship, behind the more experienced Danilo Dirani, despite missing the season's final six races due to him injuring his neck in an accident he sustained in Curitiba.
He elected to move to the United Kingdom in 2004 so he could take part in the British Formula Three Championship with Hitech Racing. Di Grassi won both races at the Thruxton meeting but the remainder of the season was difficult for him and could only muster eighth in the final standings in spite of good qualifying performances. He was invited to race in the season-ending Macau Grand Prix and came third. Di Grassi graduated to the Formula 3 Euro Series in 2005 with Manor Motorsport but started the season with a major accident at the Hockenheimring where he attempted to pass Giedo van der Garde but clipped the latter's rear-left wheel. He launched into the air and rolled several times before resting in the tyre barrier. Di Grassi recovered to have a solid season and took a lights-to-flag victory at the Oschersleben and came third in the championship. He took a third-place finish at the Masters of Formula 3, and won the end-of-the season Macau Grand Prix from third on the grid by passing Robert Kubica shortly after a safety car restart in the closing stages of the event.
GP2 Series and Formula One testing (2006–2009)
2006 brought di Grassi to the next stage of his career as he entered the GP2 Series support series with the unsuccessful Durango team and was partnered by the Spanish driver Sergio Hernández. While his local rival Nelson Piquet Jr. battled Lewis Hamilton for the championship, di Grassi struggled with a noncompetitive car and could only muster eight points throughout the course of the season. With assistance from the Renault Formula One team, he signed a contract to race for ART Grand Prix in the 2007 season in December 2006 and was partnered for the first round by Michael Ammermüller. He scored points consistently throughout the season, failing to score only once in the first thirteen races. Despite not winning a race in that time, it put di Grassi in contention for the championship along with iSport driver Timo Glock.
He scored his first win of the year in the fourteenth round of the season at Istanbul, and took the lead of the championship, but Glock moved back ahead of him when he won the sprint race at the same track. Heading into the final race of the season at Valencia, di Grassi was two points adrift of Glock and said that he was not worried over outside factors determining the title. In changeable weather conditions, di Grassi started on wet tyres, but the rain let up, and he entered the pit lane after two laps for the slick tyres. He pushed too hard on the slippery surface and beached his car in the gravel trap. Glock took the victory in the sprint race and earned one additional point for the fastest lap to clinch the title while di Grassi struggled throughout to finish outside of the top ten.
Di Grassi had no intentions of remaining in GP2 for 2008 as due to his relationship with Renault he was developing the series's new Dallara GP2/08 chassis in addition to his Formula One test and reserve driver duties. However, he resumed his GP2 career that year by securing a drive at Campos Racing from round four onwards, replacing the 2007 Formula Renault 3.5 Series runner-up Ben Hanley. With three-second places and one fourth-place finish, di Grassi was the highest-scoring driver over the first two race meetings in which he took part. Two wins followed and he briefly looked set for a surprising championship challenge, before a final lap collision with Giorgio Pantano (who was disqualified for the incident) at Spa-Francorchamps effectively ended di Grassi's hopes. He finished an eventual third, ten points behind Pantano despite six fewer races.
Di Grassi sought to race in Formula One in 2009 with Renault and speculation arose in the motor sport press over him replacing fellow countryman Nelson Piquet Jr. after the latter's poor performance compared to his teammate Fernando Alonso. Renault looked at running either di Grassi or fellow test driver Romain Grosjean for the season, but eventually chose to keep Piquet and Alonso. He along with the 2008 GP2 Series runner-up Bruno Senna were strongly considered by Ross Brawn to drive for Honda. The pair tested the Honda RA108 at the Circuit de Catalunya in mid-November which had di Grassi lap within half a second of Senna's pace. After Honda withdrew from Formula One due to the global financial crisis, Brawn elected for experience over youth by retaining Rubens Barrichello.
With no other options available, di Grassi chose to remain in GP2 for another season and signed to drive for Racing Engineering, partnering Dani Clos. He was released from his Renault testing duties after the world governing body of motorsport, the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), prohibited Formula One teams from undertaking in-season testing. However, di Grassi was retained as Renault's reserve driver and was prepared as a potential replacement from Grosjean in the Singapore Grand Prix after Grosjean became ill with food poisoning. He opened the season with two four-place finishes at the duo of Monaco races before clinching his sole victory of the campaign in the Istanbul sprint race from reverse grid pole position. Over the coming rounds, it was noticeable that di Grassi would not be able to clinch the title but came second in the Silverstone feature race. He followed this up with six further podiums throughout the remainder of the season. As in the previous year, di Grassi was third in the drivers' standings.
Formula One (2010)
Di Grassi was announced as one of two drivers of the brand new Virgin Racing team on 15 December 2009 and would be partnered by his former GP2 Series rival Timo Glock in a deal predicted by BBC Radio Sheffield. An important factor in his decision was the chance to work with John Booth, the Virgin team principal. It was reported by The Daily Telegraph that di Grassi had also provided Virgin with £5 million worth of sponsorship. Writing in The Guardians 2010 Formula One supplement, Alan Henry and Rob Bagchi predicted that Glock would outperform di Grassi throughout the season. He retired from the opening two rounds of the season (Bahrain and Australia) due to hydraulic problems. However his fortunes improved at Sepang where he took his first (and best finish) of the season with a 14th in spite of having to do the second half of the race in fuel conservation mode due to pick-up and fuel capacity problems.
Di Grassi struggled at the Chinese Grand Prix which had him start from the pit lane. He circulated behind HRT driver Karun Chandhok until he retired with clutch failure after completing nine laps. Further issues arose in Spain as di Grassi battled with car setup and was the last driver to finish the race, and retired early in Monaco due to his right-rear wheel becoming loose at his pit stop. At the Turkish Grand Prix, problems striking multiple Cosworth-engine cars elevated di Grassi to 19th although he had to manage his engine to finish it. Hydraulics issues further afflicted him in Canada but still managed to finish the race and only needed one pit stop to reach the conclusion of the European Grand Prix two weeks later before a further hydraulics issue ended his participation in the British Grand Prix after nine laps.
A further retirement followed at the Hockenheimring from a damaged rear suspension from hitting a kerb too hard, and had further difficulty at the Hungaroring when he was put a lap down due to a loose wheel but still managed to finish. In variable weather conditions at the Belgian Grand Prix, he battled Lotus's Heikki Kovalainen in the closing ten laps which ended in the latter's favour by two seconds before another suspension issue ended his Italian Grand Prix with three laps left. Di Grassi had impressed the Virgin Racing engineers with his feedback but Booth had not been satisfied with his pace against Glock and scouted an alternative driver that ended with Booth coming into contact with the Belgian racer Jérôme d'Ambrosio. Di Grassi was the last classified driver in the Singapore Grand Prix, and did not start the Japanese Grand Prix as he crashed on the way to the grid.
At the inaugural Korean Grand Prix, di Grassi lost control of his car while trying to overtake Hispania driver Sakon Yamamoto and crashed into the barriers on the 26th lap. He struggled with further problems with his suspension at his home race in Brazil, and despite his team's mechanics rectifying the issue at his mid-race pit stop, he was not classified in the final results. At the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, di Grassi chose to make a pit stop for new tyres during a safety car period and managed them until the end of the race. He ended the season 24th in the Drivers' Championship and scored no points. On 19 December, di Grassi won the Desafio Internacional das Estrelas, a karting event organised by Felipe Massa. Two days later, he was left without a drive, after Virgin announced d'Ambrosio to partner Glock in 2011.
Pirelli test driver and sports car racing (2011–present)
2011–2014
In 2011, di Grassi re-organised his management and sought a Pirelli tyre testing role. This was attained on 6 July and he developed Pirelli's Formula One tyres for the 2011 season, and drove the company's Toyota TF109 test car in five test sessions in order to develop the next generation of tyres, as well as attending several race weekends where he collected information about tyre performance and attended technical briefings. In late 2011, he was among two drivers vying for a seat with Peugeot and tested for the team at the Circuit Paul Ricard and the Ciudad del Motor de Aragón in October. Di Grassi was close to signing a contract with Peugeot but the manufacturer withdrew from sports car racing in January 2012 because of financial difficulties. He remained with Pirelli for the 2012 season alongside the former Toro Rosso driver Jaime Alguersuari to help develop tyres for the 2013 season and beyond using a Renault R30 chassis. The chassis was upgraded to the 2012 requirements for Alguersuari and di Grassi to run the car across four development tests during the course of the season at the Circuito de Jerez, Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, Autodromo Nazionale Monza and the Circuit de Catalunya to help Pirelli improve its selection of tyres.
Di Grassi made his endurance racing debut at the 2012 24 Hours of Nürburgring, driving the No. 69 Dörr Motorsport McLaren MP4-12C GT3, and was joined by Rudi Adams, Chris Goodwin and Jochen Übler. The quartet retired after eleven laps from multiple problems. He made his first appearance in the World Endurance Championship (WEC) at the 6 Hours of São Paulo, competing for Audi Sport Team Joest in place of Rinaldo Capello who retired after the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Di Grassi drove the No. 2 Audi R18 e-tron quattro alongside Tom Kristensen and Allan McNish, finishing third overall. Afterwards, he entered the International V8 Supercars Championship for the Armor All Gold Coast 600 round, partnering Michael Patrizi at Tekno Autosports in a Holden VE Commodore, finishing eleventh in the first race, but missed the second after Patrizi heavily damaged the car in qualifying. In November, di Grassi returned to Macau to compete in the GT Cup, driving the AF Corse Ferrari 458 GT3, taking second after battling Edoardo Mortara for the win.
Based on his performance in São Paulo, Audi offered di Grassi a contract in late 2012 which he accepted. He replaced Marco Bonanomi whom Audi released. Audi announced in January 2013 that di Grassi was selected to race for the team in the opening round of the 2013 American Le Mans Series, the 12 Hours of Sebring. He again teamed up with Kristensen and McNish, finishing second overall after exchanging the lead several times with the sister Audi. Shortly after the 6 Hours of Silverstone, Audi announced that di Grassi would be racing an experimental car at the 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps and the 24 Hours of Le Mans alongside Oliver Jarvis and Marc Gené. The trio took third place in an Audi clean sweep of the podium. At Le Mans, despite a puncture in the race's opening hours, he, Jarvis and Gené took a second consecutive third-place finish as Kristensen, McNish and Loïc Duval's No. 2 Audi secured the overall victory. Di Grassi, Jarvis and Gené finished ninth in the World Endurance Drivers' Championship. In late August, di Grassi drove the Audi RS5 DTM at a test session, held at the Red Bull Ring.
To start 2014, he raced the No. 21 RCM Motorsport Chevrolet Sonic alongside Thiago Camilo for the opening round of the Stock Car Brasil season at the Autódromo José Carlos Pace; the duo retired on the first lap due to a clutch failure. Di Grassi was retained by Audi for 2014 and was promoted to a full-time racing seat. He was selected to replace the retired McNish in the No. 1 Audi and shared it with Kristensen and Duval. Di Grassi started the season by retiring due to chassis damage arising from a crash at the 6 Hours of Silverstone, but recovered to finish second overall at Spa-Francorchamps. Although the No. 1 Audi's fuel injectors and turbocharger were replaced, di Grassi, Kristensen and Duval took second at Le Mans three laps adrift of André Lotterer, Benoît Tréluyer and Marcel Fässler's winning car. After another second position at the Circuit of the Americas, he clinched a hat-trick of fifth-places before ending with a podium at the season-closing 6 Hours of São Paulo. The trio's results ranked them ninth in the drivers' standings with 117 points.
2015–present
As in the previous year, di Grassi took part in the season-opening round of the Stock Car Brasil in the No. 21 RCM Motorsport Chevrolet Sonic that he shared with Thiago Camilo but this time at the Autódromo Internacional Ayrton Senna and the two finished fifth. He remained with Audi for the upcoming season and was paired with Oliver Jarvis and Loïc Duval in the No. 8 car. He began the year with a fifth-place at Silverstone followed by a seventh at Spa-Francorchamps. Le Mans was different for the trio as Duval crashed heavily in the third hour and this ended their chances of winning the race but were able to settle for fourth overall. The trio took fourth at the inaugural 6 Hours of Nürburgring, and followed this up by securing their first (and only) podium of the season at the 6 Hours of Circuit of the Americas in third position despite serving a one-minute stop-and-go penalty for a pit lane infringement. After that, he took two back-to-back fourth-place finishes in Fuji and Shanghai and rounded out the season with a fifth at Bahrain. Di Grassi's results for the season placed him fourth in the Drivers' Championship and accumulated 99 points.
For the third consecutive year, he shared the No. 21 RCM Motorsport Chevrolet Sonic with Thiago Camilo in the season-opening Stock Car Brasil round which in 2016 was held at the Autódromo Internacional de Curitiba; the duo came fourteenth. Di Grassi's WEC campaign started badly when his car's hybrid system failed at the season-opening 6 Hours of Silverstone, but recovered to take advantage of problems striking the LMP1 field to secure his first outright victory in the series at Spa-Francorchamps. Variable weather conditions were dealt with at Le Mans but the trio spent thirty-nine minutes in the pit lane to replace brakes and settled for third overall after the No. 5 Toyota TS050 Hybrid was not classified for failing to complete the final lap. On Audi's orders, di Grassi took part in the Norisring round of the Audi Sport TT Cup as a guest driver, finishing second in the first race and won the second.
The trio matched Porsche for pace at the 6 Hours of Nürburgring and ended the duel in second, but a wheel bearing failure in Mexico City put the car out of contention. At the 6 Hours of Circuit of the Americas two weeks later the trio led before electrical failure cost them fifty seconds but the switch to di Grassi had him push hard for second overall. Another strong performance came at Fuji where the car led for the majority of the race until the No. 6 Toyota of Kamui Kobayashi took over first place and held onto it despite the trio's advances. Di Grassi took the lead at Shanghai but a refuelling rig issue lost him time, meaning he could only manage fifth. He, Jarvis and Duval dominated the 6 Hours of Bahrain to win Audi's final World Endurance Championship race, and their efforts throughout the season earned them second in the drivers' standings with 147.5 points.
Di Grassi was offered a contract to race for Toyota at the 2017 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps and the 24 Hours of Le Mans but he was not granted clearance by Audi to race in LMP1. He was later slated to co-drive the No. 51 AF Corse Ferrari 488 GTE at Le Mans but was ruled out due to an ankle injury he sustained in a football match. In October 2017, di Grassi was announced as one of sixteen drivers selected to participate in the Audi Sport TT Cup series-ending Race of Legends at the Hockenheimring. He finished in second after battling with Frank Stippler for the victory in the race's final laps. The following month, di Grassi returned to Macau for the first time in five years to compete in the FIA GT World Cup in an Audi R8 LMS fielded by HCB-Rutronik Racing. He was involved in a multi-car pile up in the first lap of the qualifying race, but was cleared by doctors for the following day's main race. Di Grassi retired following an accident on the sixth lap. He joined Mazda Team Joest in its No. 77 Mazda DPi for the 2018 WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season-ending Petit Le Mans alongside Oliver Jarvis and Tristan Nunez in October 2018.
Formula E (2012–present)
Formula E promoter Alejandro Agag sought di Grassi's technological expertise as a driver to develop the series' electric race car. He was initially dubious as he was not convinced that electric car racing would be exciting but reconsidered after hearing its socially-oriented goal to develop attractive environmentally friendly vehicles. A year later, di Grassi was announced as the official test driver for Formula E. He first tested the prototype Formula E car, called Formulec, at Circuit de L'Eure near Paris in August 2012, and was heavily involved in the development of the vehicle. Di Grassi later terminated his contract as test driver to race in the series. On 13 February 2014, di Grassi was announced to be competing in the inaugural Formula E season with Audi Sport ABT alongside his campaign in the World Endurance Championship. His teammate was the former GP2 driver Daniel Abt.
ABT Sportsline (2014–2021)
2014–15 season
In September 2014, di Grassi won the first race of the season in Beijing, the first driver to win an all-electric motor race. He recorded two more consecutive podiums in Putrajaya with a second-place finish, and in Punta del Este with third place to give him the lead in the championship. However, di Grassi had bad luck with a suspension failure in Buenos Aires, causing him to retire from the lead, and technical issues caused him to finish ninth in Miami, to lose the championship lead. He bounced back by finishing in third position at Long Beach, and second place in Monaco to give himself a four-point lead with four rounds to go. Di Grassi's championship took a blow when he was disqualified from victory due to illegal modifications to his front wing endplates in Berlin; with second place in Moscow to Nelson Piquet Jr., di Grassi entered the season-ending double-header in London seventeen points in arrears. He finished fourth and sixth in the two races in London, one place ahead of Piquet each time. As a result, the driver finished eleven points behind Piquet and lost second to Sébastien Buemi, who won the first race. Di Grassi, however, managed the most podium finishes of any driver with six.
2015–16 season
For the second consecutive season, he achieved three podium finishes in the opening three races. Di Grassi started the season with second place in Beijing and then followed this up with victory in Putrajaya and took the championship lead. He followed up his win with second place in Punta del Este behind Buemi, and third place in Buenos Aires also behind Buemi, meaning he was four points behind after four races.
Di Grassi's title hopes took a brief blow after being disqualified from the win at the Mexico City after his car was found to be below the minimum weight limit. He bounced back with a victory at Long Beach, while points leader Buemi had a mistake-filled race, where he collided into the back of Robin Frijns, had to switch cars early and ultimately finished sixteenth and took two points for fastest lap. Now with a one-point advantage in the championship, he then followed this up with another victory in Paris whereas Buemi finished in third to give him an eleven-point lead heading into Berlin. The scenario was reversed in Berlin, as Buemi took victory and di Grassi finishing third after teammate Abt refused team orders to let him through in the final laps.
Di Grassi extended his championship lead to three after the first London ePrix race, finishing fourth to Buemi's fifth, but Buemi stated his rival was "willing to crash" after their battle during the race. Buemi eradicated that advantage with pole position for the season's final race, while di Grassi qualified third behind Buemi's team-mate Nico Prost. On the opening lap, di Grassi and Prost went side by side through the opening bends and under braking for turn three, di Grassi made slight contact with Prost and ran into the back of Buemi. Both cars sustained damage in the collision; Buemi's rear wing was dislodged, while di Grassi's front wing was removed as well as damage to the front-right suspension. With the drivers down the order, and two points available for the race's fastest lap, di Grassi and Buemi used their second cars to commence a battle to set the fastest lap time while not getting held up by other drivers. Di Grassi initially set the best time, before Buemi improved upon that, and ultimately took the championship title by five tenths on track, and two points in the championship.
2016–17 season
During the off season, di Grassi became the first person to drive an electric car on the Arctic polar ice cap in an area of Northern Greenland and produced a video clip that promotes awareness of global warming. He opened the first three races of the 2016-17 season with a second place at the inaugural Hong Kong ePrix and followed this up with a fifth position in Marrakesh and clinched another podium in the Buenos Aires round with a third-place finish. After being involved in a first lap accident which necessitated a change of rear wing at the Mexico City race, di Grassi then made the switch into his second car which meant he would have to conserve electrical energy towards the race's end. However, circumstances including a safety car meant he held onto the lead to clinch his first victory of the season and was now five points in arrears of Buemi. A month later in Monaco, he launched an attack on Buemi for the win in the closing stages of the ePrix but was unable to get ahead and took second place.
Di Grassi, however, struggled in the Paris ePrix as he made contact with the Andretti car of António Félix da Costa and later crashed out. His performance at the first double header of the season at Berlin reduced Buemi's championship lead from a season-high forty-three points to thirty-two. Di Grassi then accumulated a further twenty-two points at the July New York City ePrix to be ten points behind Buemi (who missed the race due to a World Endurance Championship commitment at the Nürburgring) heading into the season-closing double header in Montreal two weeks later. He clinched the pole position for the first ePrix which he won and came seventh in the second. In addition, di Grassi took advantage of Buemi performing poorly in both races to win his first Drivers' Championship. He was named CEO of Roborace on 13 September having served as an adviser since 2016. Di Grassi was one of six drivers shortlisted for the 2017 Autosport International Racing Driver Award. On 6 December, di Grassi was voted the Brazilian Driver of the Year by readers of Grande Prêmio.
2017–18 season
Di Grassi continued with Audi Sport ABT for the 2017–18 Formula E season. He had a poor start to his campaign, scoring no points in the first four races due to multiple problems relating to his car's powertrain, but took his first top-ten finish of the season at the Mexico City round, coming ninth. Thereafter, he took seven consecutive podium finishes which included successive victories in the Zürich ePrix and the first New York City race. Di Grassi finished second in the Drivers' Championship with 144 points and his and teammate Abt's form throughout the season helped Audi win their first Teams' Championship from Techeetah. After the season, he said to Autosport that he believed his standard of driving had improved from the previous season and called his comeback " a miracle", "The difficult part was not to get that mental spiral that you doubt yourself or anything during these first four or five races. I think I drove better this year than I drove last year because I didn't do any mistakes".
2018–19 season
Di Grassi won the 2019 Mexico City ePrix by overtaking Pascal Wehrlein a few meters before the chequered flag. He also won in Berlin later that year and would end the season 3rd overall in the standings with 108 points.
2019–20 season
Di Grassi scored his first podium of the 2019-20 season in Diriyah. The Brazilian finished 6th in the championship table with 77 points, despite this year being di Grassi's first Formula E season in which he did not manage to win a single race.
2020–21 season
Di Grassi won the first Puebla ePrix after Pascal Wehrlein was disqualified for failing to declare his tyres. Di Grassi was leading the first race in rome before his car failed with 5 minutes left. He also failed the finished the second race the next day. Di Grassi won the first Puebla ePrix after Pascal Wehrlein was disqualified for failing to declare his tyres. In the second race in London, Di Grassi was 8th when the safety car was deployed, and felt the safety car was too slow. Di Grassi went through the pitlane and emerged in first, however had not come to a complete stop in his pit, and was given a drive-through penalty. Audi did not tell him, and as a result was disqualified for not serving the penalty. Di Grassi finished the season in 7th, tied on 87 points but behind Sam Bird.
He ran two double rounds of Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters, with 12th as his best finish.
ROKIT Venturi Racing (2022)
2021–22 season
Di Grassi moved to Venturi Racing for season 8 after Audi quit the championship. He started the season strong with a 5th and 3rd place however then scored 0 for the next 2 races and failed to finish in the first race in Berlin, which left him with 37 points from 7 races. In New York Di Grassi took a 2nd place and then was outside of the points in 11th when he had contact with 1 minute left on the clock, resulting in a DNF. Di Grassi lined up 2nd in race 2 in London and took the win. a 3rd place in Seoul race 1 meant Di Grassi now had 1009 points in Formula E. He ended the season in 5th with 126 points.
Mahindra Racing (2023)
2022–23 season
Di Grassi moved to Mahindra Racing for the 2022–23 season, replacing the outgoing Alexander Sims. At the season opening Mexico City ePrix, he qualified on pole and finished third, which he described as "like a Mexican miracle". After scoring 18 points at the first ePrix, he only scored 14 more in the rest of the year. Di Grassi left the team following the conclusion of the season.
ABT Cupra (2024)
Di Grassi reunited with ABT CUPRA for the 2023–24 season, partnering Nico Müller.
Driver profile and views
Di Grassi is regarded by some as one of the world's most "technically gifted" racing drivers due to his development of the Dallara GP2/08 Formulec and Spark-Renault SRT 01E chassis. He is known as a controlled individual who has a shrewd understanding on dealing with the press. William Briety of The Checkered Flag wrote that di Grassi is "unquestionably a new breed of racing driver" as he is supposedly more at ease over the future of motor racing than his contemporaries, and believes that automated racing has the potential to relieve Formula One from any obligation it has to have any sort of relevance to the road cars of today and thus make the driver the focus of attention. The Independent journalist Samuel Lovett described di Grassi as "a vibrant, forceful personality" who brings "colour and intrigue to a world dominated by Kubrick-esque machines, big data and space-age technology."
He has criticised the introduction of the Halo cockpit protection device in Formula One and track limits. Di Grassi favours altering track layouts after noticing how this has led to a lack of overtaking opportunities in some categories of motor racing. Discussing these issues have led to several racing pundits to suggest that di Grassi should consider becoming more actively involved in the future of motor racing's and has spoken of his desire to run for the presidency of the FIA in the future.
Racing record
Career summary
† As di Grassi was a guest driver, he was ineligible for championship points.
Complete Formula 3 Euro Series results
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap)
Complete GP2 Series results
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap)
Complete Formula One results
(key)
Driver did not finish the Grand Prix, but was classified as they had completed over 90% of the race distance.
Touring car racing
Complete V8 Supercar results
† Not Eligible for points
Complete Stock Car Brasil results
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)
† Ineligible for championship points.
Complete Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters results
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)
† As di Grassi was a guest driver, he was ineligible to score points.
Complete FIA World Endurance Championship results
24 Hours of Le Mans results
Complete Formula E results
(key) (Races in bold''' indicate pole position; races in italics'' indicate fastest lap)
† Driver did not finish the race, but was classified as he completed over 90% of the race distance.
References
External links
1984 births
Living people
Racing drivers from São Paulo
Brazilian people of Italian descent
Karting World Championship drivers
Brazilian Formula Renault 2.0 drivers
Formula 3 Sudamericana drivers
British Formula Three Championship drivers
Formula 3 Euro Series drivers
Brazilian GP2 Series drivers
Brazilian Formula One drivers
Virgin Racing Formula One drivers
Supercars Championship drivers
Mensans
American Le Mans Series drivers
FIA World Endurance Championship drivers
24 Hours of Le Mans drivers
Stock Car Brasil drivers
Brazilian Formula E drivers
Audi Sport TT Cup drivers
Formula E Champions
Prema Powerteam drivers
Hitech Grand Prix drivers
Manor Motorsport drivers
Durango drivers
ART Grand Prix drivers
Campos Racing drivers
Racing Engineering drivers
Audi Sport drivers
Team Joest drivers
Abt Sportsline drivers
Venturi Grand Prix drivers
Mahindra Racing drivers
Brazilian Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters drivers
Brazilian expatriate sportspeople in Monaco
Brazilian racing drivers
Cupra Racing drivers | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucas%20di%20Grassi |
Brad Green may refer to:
Brad Green (footballer) (born 1981), Australian rules footballer with the Melbourne Demons
Brad Green (politician) (born 1965), former Minister of Health and Attorney General of New Brunswick, Canada
Braddon Green (born 1959), first-class cricketer for Victoria and Devon
See also
Bradley Green (disambiguation) | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brad%20Green |
Newton railway station is a railway station located between the neighbourhoods of Drumsagard, Halfway, Newton and Westburn in the town of Cambuslang (Greater Glasgow), Scotland. The station is managed by ScotRail on the Argyle and Cathcart Circle Lines.
History
The original Newton station was opened as part of the Clydesdale Junction Railway on 1 June 1849. The station also served the Hamilton Branch of the Caledonian Railway. It closed on 19 December 1873 and a new station was opened due west on the same day. The station later served trains to and from the Glasgow Central Railway and the Lanarkshire and Ayrshire Railway, though neither route survived beyond the mid 1960s – the GCR route via closed on 5 October 1964, whilst the L&AR ceased to carry passenger traffic through to the coast as long ago as 1932, with complete closure beyond following in December 1964. The remainder still forms part of the Cathcart Circle Lines, but there are no longer any through services from here to stations between & Neilston – passengers must change at .
Station information
Newton station forms part of the Argyle Line south east of Glasgow Central (Low Level) and is also a terminus for the Cathcart Circle (Newton branch) south east of Glasgow Central (High Level).
Newton is also the location of a junction between the West Coast Main Line and the Argyle/Cathcart Circle routes; it is at this point Argyle Line services leave the West Coast Main Line en route to the Hamilton Circle. This junction was the location of the Newton rail crash in 1991 when four people were killed and 22 injured.
The extant platforms are located on the former slow lines through the station. The fast line platforms were removed at the time of the Cathcart Circle electrification. To the west of the station the lines from the Cathcart Circle are joined by a link line from the WCML. To the east of the station the line splits with one line heading southeast on the Hamilton circle, and link line heading towards on the WCML. This link line also contains a turnback siding. At the time of its opening, all Argyle Line trains towards Uddingston and Bellshill stopped at Newton. Since the 1990/91 remodelling Argyle Line trains toward Bellshill no longer stop at the station. Shotts Line services via and Intercity services pass the station on the main lines. The 2010/11 service had most trains passing through the station without stopping.
Improvements at Newton station made around 2013 include the installation of a passenger footbridge with lifts and the expansion of the car park which now contains approximately 250 places.
There is a small cairn located at the drop-off zone of the station car park erected by Pride Of Place community environmental programme in memory of the workers of the large Hallside Steelworks which was located immediately to the south of the station. Another similar memorial cairn organised by Pride Of Place is on Gilbertfield Road, Cambuslang, commemorating the soldiers from the area who marched the route to Newton station in order to go off to war.
The three bridges (unused, WCML, local) over Newton Station Road just west of the station were refurbished over the course of four months in 2021, at a cost of £800,000 – the station remained in operation but the access road was closed to all vehicles.
Stages of electrification and subsequent layout changes
British Railways undertook major railway electrification in the Greater Glasgow Area in the 1960s which was continued by British Rail with the West Coast Main Line into the 1970s.
The Slow line platforms were electrified as part of the 1962 Cathcart Circle scheme through to via the West Coast Main Line. The fast line platforms were taken out of use at this time.
The next electrification work was part of the 1974 West Coast Main Line electrification project when the Hamilton Circle was electrified. This layout was retained when the Argyle Line opened in 1979.
Following the closure of adjacent (to the south) steel works and East Coast Main Line electrification, the junction layout was revised in 1990/91 to allow Fast Line trains to pass through at higher speeds. It was as a result of these revisions that single lead junctions from the Kirkhill and Cambuslang directions were installed, that contributed to the Newton rail crash. After several months a double line link was reinstated from Kirkhill.
Services
1979
Following the opening of the Argyle Line there were three Hamilton circle trains in each way per hour (anti-clockwise - Hamilton then ; clockwise - then ) and four trains per hour via Kirkhill to Glasgow Central (two via and two via . trains ran non-stop on the adjacent Fast lines.
2006/07
On the Argyle Line, there are two via -bound services an hour: one an hour terminating in Motherwell and one continuing to . There are two per hour towards Glasgow Central and ( on Sundays).
On the Cathcart Circle, a half-hourly service operates from Newton every day. One journey per hour goes via and the other via .
2013-14
The service on the Hamilton Circle line remains the same, with trains heading southbound to Motherwell every half-hour (and hourly onwards to Lanark) and northbound to Milngavie. A limited number of peak trains run to/from via .
Services on the line normally do not call here, save for a few peak period trains. On Sundays the Balloch to Motherwell via Hamilton trains call half-hourly.
Services on the Cathcart Circle line start & terminate here, with trains running every half-hour to/from Central High Level (including Sundays) alternately via Mount Florida & via . Additional services run during weekday peak periods.
2014-15
The December 2014 timetable change has seen significant alterations to Argyle Line services through the station. Trains to Motherwell still run every half-hour via Hamilton, but alternate services now continue to Cumbernauld via Whifflet rather than Lanark. Also all Larkhall branch trains now call in each direction, giving four departures per hour northbound - these all now run to Dalmuir (alternately via Clydebank & via Singer) rather than Milngavie (passengers must change at Rutherglen or Partick for the latter).
On Sundays, the Motherwell services now run to/from Milngavie every 30 minutes and there is an hourly service calling each way on the Larkhall to Balloch route.
The service pattern on the Cathcart Circle line remains unchanged, with two trains per hour (plus peak extras) to/from Central High Level alternating via Queen's Park & Maxwell Park (including Sundays).
2016
Further changes to the timetable have seen direct services to Milngavie reinstated (these run to/from Larkhall every 30 minutes throughout the day). The service pattern otherwise remains unchanged.
References
Notes
Sources
External links
Newton, Railscot
Railway stations in South Lanarkshire
Former Caledonian Railway stations
Railway stations in Great Britain opened in 1849
Railway stations in Great Britain closed in 1873
Railway stations in Great Britain opened in 1873
SPT railway stations
Railway stations served by ScotRail
Buildings and structures in Cambuslang
1849 establishments in Scotland | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newton%20railway%20station |
SY Aurora was a 580-ton barque-rigged steam yacht built by Alexander Stephen and Sons Ltd. in Dundee, Scotland, in 1876, for the Dundee Seal and Whale Fishing Company. It was long with a beam. The hull was made of oak, sheathed with greenheart and lined with fir. The bow was a mass of solid wood reinforced with steel-plate armour. The heavy side frames were braced by two levels of horizontal oak beams. Its primary use was whaling in the northern seas, and it was built sturdily enough to withstand the heavy weather and ice that would be encountered there. That strength proved useful for Antarctic exploration as well and between 1911 and 1917 it made five trips to the continent, both for exploration and rescue missions.
Whaling
Between the years 1876 and 1910, Aurora made the annual trip from Dundee, Scotland to St. John's, Newfoundland to take part in the whale and seal hunt in the North Atlantic. There were a couple of notable events in this time. In 1884, along with other whalers in the area Aurora made an attempt to rescue the controversial Greely Expedition, and its captain, James Fairweather assisted with a repair to the US relief ship Bear. In 1891, the ship came to the rescue of the crew of Polynia when it was crushed in sea ice.
Australasian Antarctic Expedition
In 1910, it was bought by Douglas Mawson's deputy, Captain John King Davis, for £6,000 for his Australasian Antarctic Expedition. On 2 December 1911 Aurora departed from Hobart, Australia for Macquarie Island, where a radio relay station was established. It left the island on 25 December, arriving at Cape Denison on 8 January 1912, where the main base was built. It departed on 19 January, heading west to find a location for the western base, which was eventually sited in what is now known as Queen Mary Land, on 1 February 1912. After the western party was established on the stable ice shelf, Aurora left on 20 February, arriving in Hobart on 12 March.
In December 1912, Aurora returned to Cape Denison to find that the sledging expedition of Mawson, Xavier Mertz, and Belgrave Edward Sutton Ninnis was overdue. Davis had to pick up the party at the western base and risked the ship being iced in over the winter if he left it too long. He waited until 8 February but just after leaving, he received a wireless message asking him to turn back as Mawson had reached the base. He turned Aurora around but severe weather prevented the landing boat being put ashore, so, on the evening of 9 February, Davis decided he must steam west to fetch the western base party. Aurora reached the western base on 23 February, loaded quickly and headed north, arriving in Hobart on 15 March.
Over the subsequent months, Davis raised extensive rescue funds, and had Aurora refitted. Departing from Hobart on 15 November 1913, Aurora collected the radio relay party under George Ainsworth at Macquarie Island, and sailed on to pick up the relief party at Cape Denison. It arrived in Commonwealth Bay on 3 December 1913 and left on 25 December. After an extensive coastal exploration and oceanographic work, it arrived back in Australia at Port Adelaide on 26 February 1914.
Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition
In 1914, Sir Ernest Shackleton tasked Aurora to help set up supply depots along the route for his Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition. After being delayed by sea ice in McMurdo Sound in January 1915, Aurora managed to make its way further south, and sent teams off to set up the depots. It eventually made its way to Discovery Bay on 12 March 1915, where it anchored and continued to offload supplies. In May, Aurora was trapped in the ice, and was carried out to the sea, stranding the men that were setting up the depots. It remained trapped in the ice for the better part of a year, drifting some 1600 nautical miles. It was not until 12 February 1916 that the ship escaped from the ice, making it back to Dunedin, New Zealand on 3 April.
1917 Ross Sea Party rescue
The Australian, New Zealand and British governments agreed to fund the refit of Aurora for the rescue of the Ross Sea Party. An Advisory Committee was established in Melbourne, consisting of Rear Admiral Sir William Cresswell, Professor Sir Orme Masson, Captain J.R. Barter, Commander John Stevenson and Dr Griffith Taylor.
Shackleton's expedition funds were fully expended. After his legendary ordeal on Endurance in the Weddell Sea sector, Shackleton arrived in New Zealand during December 1916. The three governments involved were adamant that he would not lead the rescue expedition and at their insistence John King Davis was appointed to captain Aurora. After negotiation Shackleton sailed aboard Aurora, but Captain Davis had total authority on the voyage. On 10 January 1917, the ship pulled alongside the pack ice near Cape Royds and worked its way to Cape Evans. One week later, the seven survivors of the original ten members of the Ross Sea Party were headed back to Wellington, New Zealand aboard Aurora.
Fate
Aurora was last seen in 1917, when it departed Newcastle, New South Wales, bound for Iquique, Chile with a cargo of coal. Lloyd's of London posted the ship as missing on 2 January 1918; it was believed it was a casualty of World War I, possibly being sunk by a mine laid by the German merchant raider Wolf. One of Aurora's lifebelts was recovered from the Tasman Sea between Sydney and Brisbane six months after its disappearance.
Message on a bottle
In 1927, a G. Bressington was walking along the beach near Tuggerah, New South Wales and noticed an old wine bottle partly buried in the sand. Upon examining the bottle he saw an engraving of the picture of a ship and on the other side the following message: "Midwinter's Day, 1912, Shackleton Glacier, Antarctica. 'Frank Wild, A. L. Kennedy, S. Evan Jones, C. Arch. Hoadley, Charles T. Harrisson, George Dovers, A. L. Watson and Morton H. Moyes".
The story of the bottle is that it was one of three given to Sir Douglas Mawson when his expedition left England in 1911. The bottles were given by Mr J. T. Buchanan who had them left over from the Challenger expedition and wished the party to drink them on Explorer Day. Mawson passed one bottle on to Frank Wild, who led the Western Base Party whilst Aurora was under the command of John King Davis. When the wine was drunk on the day, the party's artist Harrisson engraved a picture of Aurora on one side and the names of the party on the other. It is thought the bottle was still aboard Aurora when it left Newcastle in 1917.
Tributes
A number of Antarctic features are named for Aurora. These include:
Aurora Glacier
Aurora Heights
Aurora Peak
Aurora Subglacial Basin
Mount Aurora
Captains
This is a partial list of captains of Aurora:
Alexander Fairweather (1880–1882)
James Fairweather (1883–1888)
Jackman (c. 1895)
John King Davis (1911–1914, 1916–17)
Lieutenant Æneas Mackintosh R.N.R. (1914)
J R Stenhouse (1914–1916)
See also
List of Antarctic exploration ships from the Heroic Age, 1897–1922
References
External links
Exploration ships of the United Kingdom
Whaling ships
Ships built in Dundee
Missing ships
1876 ships
Steam yachts
Ships lost with all hands
Maritime incidents in 1917 | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SY%20Aurora |
Charlie Garner III (born February 13, 1972) is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the second round of the 1994 NFL Draft. He played college football at Tennessee.
Garner has also been a member of the San Francisco 49ers, Oakland Raiders, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Early years
Garner grew up in Falls Church, Virginia and attended J.E.B. Stuart High School (now known as Justice High School). His senior year, he was selected first-team All-Metropolitan (Northern Virginia, Suburban Maryland and the District of Columbia), first-team All-State, and named Virginia's player of the year after rushing for more than 2,000 yards and 38 touchdowns.
On October 16, 2009, Garner had his JEB Stuart High School number 30 jersey retired during a halftime ceremony.
College career
In 1991, Garner set junior college records for rushing yards in a game (430) and yards in two consecutive games (765) at Scottsdale (Ariz.) Community College. Garner then transferred to the University of Tennessee and graduated with a business degree. He is notable for starting ahead of fellow NFL RB James Stewart at Tennessee.
1992: 154 carries for 928 yards with 2 TD. 5 catches for 25 yards.
1993: 159 carries for 1161 yards with 8 TD. 12 catches for 81 yards.
Professional career
Garner was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the second round of the 1994 NFL Draft.
He was a multi-talented running back and an excellent receiver. In the 2002-03 season with the Oakland Raiders, he was the team's leading rusher with 962 yards and seven touchdowns, while also leading all NFL running backs in receiving with 91 receptions for 941 yards and another four touchdowns. The 91 receptions for 941 yards were the fifth and fourth most in NFL history by a running back, respectively. He also previously held the record for most rush yards in a game by a 49er (201) later broken by Frank Gore. The crossed forearm symbol he displayed after scoring was a tribute to his neighborhood of Bailey's Crossroads, Virginia.
In August 2005, Garner was released by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after suffering a knee injury the previous season. During his career, he rushed 1,537 times for 7,097 yards scoring 39 touchdowns, caught 419 passes for 3,711 yards and 12 touchdowns.
During his career, Garner was nicknamed "IO," which stood for "Instant Offense," because he excelled at both rushing and receiving.
In 2017, post-football, Doctors have told Garner they believe he has Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, which in recent years has become a plague for former NFL players. It can only be diagnosed post-mortem.
"I don't have all my faculties anymore," Garner said. "I can't remember things. When I go to the mall or grocery store, I have to take one of my kids with me to remember where the car is parked. I have trouble remembering conversations I had five minutes ago. Bright lights bother me. I just don't feel right all the time."
NFL career statistics
References
1972 births
Living people
African-American players of American football
American football running backs
National Conference Pro Bowl players
Oakland Raiders players
Philadelphia Eagles players
San Francisco 49ers players
Tampa Bay Buccaneers players
Tennessee Volunteers football players
People from Falls Church, Virginia
Players of American football from Fairfax County, Virginia
Scottsdale Fighting Artichokes football players
21st-century African-American sportspeople
20th-century African-American sportspeople | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlie%20Garner |
Abraham "Abe" Gibron (September 22, 1925 – September 23, 1997) was a professional American football player and coach. Gibron played 11 seasons as a guard in the All-America Football Conference (AAFC) and National Football League (NFL) in the 1940s and 1950s, mostly with the Cleveland Browns. He was then hired as an assistant coach for the NFL's Washington Redskins and Chicago Bears before becoming head coach of the Bears between 1972 and 1974.
Gibron grew up in Indiana, where he was a standout athlete in high school. After graduating, he spent two years in the U.S. military during World War II, enrolling at Valparaiso University upon his discharge. He later transferred to Purdue University, where he played football for two years and was named an All-Big Ten Conference guard. Gibron's professional career began in 1949 with the Buffalo Bills of the AAFC. The league dissolved after that season, however, and he moved to the Browns in the NFL. While he was initially a substitute, Gibron developed into a strong lineman on Cleveland teams that won NFL championships in 1950, 1954 and 1955 behind an offensive attack that featured quarterback Otto Graham, end Dante Lavelli and tackle Lou Groza. He was named to the Pro Bowl, the NFL's all-star game, each year between 1952 and 1955.
After short stints with the Philadelphia Eagles and the Bears, Gibron ended his playing career and got into coaching. He served first as a line coach for the Redskins for five years, and then in a similar role for the Bears beginning in 1965. He rose to become Bears' defensive coordinator in the early 1970s, and was named head coach in 1972, replacing Jim Dooley. Gibron's three years leading the Bears were unsuccessful, however. His teams posted a combined win–loss–tie record of 11–30–1 over three seasons. Gibron was fired in 1974, and spent the following year as coach of the Chicago Winds, a team in the short-lived World Football League.
Gibron, who was known for his colorful personality and large size – he ballooned to more than 300 pounds as a coach – spent seven seasons as an assistant with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers before retiring from coaching. He stayed close to the game, however, by serving as a scout for the Seattle Seahawks in the late 1980s and as an advisor to the Buccaneers in the early 1990s. He died after suffering a series of strokes in 1997.
Early life and college
Gibron was born in Michigan City, Indiana to Lebanese immigrant parents from Zahlé, and attended Elston High School. Gibron was the captain of his high school football team and was named an All-Northern Indiana Athletic Conference player.
After graduating in 1943, Gibron joined the United States Marine Corps during World War II. Gibron left the military as the war ended in 1945, however, enrolling at Valparaiso University in Valparaiso, Indiana. He played his freshman year of college football there and was captain of the team, which finished the season with a 6–1 win–loss record and won the Indiana Intercollegiate Conference championship under head coach Loren Ellis. Gibron was named an All-Conference guard and was an honorable mention Little College All-American.
Gibron transferred to Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana in 1946. He played there between 1946 and 1948, making the varsity team twice. Purdue had a losing record in each of those years, but Gibron was named an All-Big Ten Conference player and an honorable mention All-American.
Professional career
Gibron was selected by the Buffalo Bills in the first round of a secret draft held in 1948 by the All-America Football Conference (AAFC). The AAFC organized the draft for players expected to graduate in 1949 so that its teams could begin wooing their selections before the rival National Football League (NFL) had its draft the following year. The NFL's New York Giants also selected Gibron in the sixth round of the 1949 draft, but he chose to play for the Bills instead.
Buffalo posted a 5–5–2 win–loss–tie record in 1949, Gibron's only season with the team. That record made Bills the last-ranked team in a four-team Shaughnessy playoff held at the end of the season. The playoff was instituted after the AAFC's financial struggles led to the consolidation of its divisions that year. The Bills lost in the first round of the playoffs to the Cleveland Browns, and subsequently lost to the Chicago Hornets in a game for third place. The AAFC dissolved after the season, and the Browns, San Francisco 49ers and Baltimore Colts were absorbed into the NFL. Gibron was selected as a second-team All-Pro by sportswriters after the season and was named the AAFC's rookie lineman of the year.
In 1950, players from the AAFC's defunct teams – including the Bills – went into a dispersal draft. Gibron, however, was sold along with halfback Rex Bumgardner and defensive tackle John Kissell to the Browns in a deal that gave Bills owner James Breuil a 25% share in the team. In the Browns, Gibron joined a team that had won all of the AAFC's four championships behind an offense that featured quarterback Otto Graham, fullback Marion Motley and ends Mac Speedie and Dante Lavelli. Yet while the Browns had been the league's best team, many sportswriters and owners doubted that the team would continue its string of success against NFL teams starting in 1950. Cleveland started the season by beating the previous year's NFL champion Philadelphia Eagles and went on to win the NFL championship over the Los Angeles Rams.
Cleveland finished the 1951 season with an 11–1 record and again reached the championship game, but lost this time to the Rams. Gibron was used primarily as a messenger guard early in his career – primarily as a substitute used to send plays in to the quarterback – but later developed into an anchor of Cleveland's offensive line, helping protect Graham and open up space for the team's backs to run. The team again reached the NFL championship game in 1952 and again lost to the Detroit Lions. Gibron, who was unusually quick for his large size, was selected to play in the Pro Bowl, the league all-star game, after the season. He was also named a second-team All-Pro by sportswriters.
Another championship game appearance and loss to the Lions followed in 1953, when Gibron was again named to the Pro Bowl and was selected to one sportswriter's first-team All-Pro list. The Browns came back in 1954 and 1955 to win championships against the Lions and Rams. Gibron was named to the Pro Bowl both of those years and was a first-team All-Pro in 1955. Gibron played part of the 1956 season for the Browns, but he suffered a leg injury and was cut in November to make room on the roster for rookie Don Goss. The Philadelphia Eagles signed him two weeks later to replace Norm Willey, who was out with a broken leg. The Eagles finished with losing records in both 1956 and 1957, Gibron's last year with the team.
Gibron finished his playing career with the Chicago Bears, who signed him in 1958. The Bears had an 8–4 record in both of Gibron's seasons there, but the team did not advance to the NFL championship game. Over his 11-season career, Gibron played in 116 games and started 109 of them, all in his first season in Buffalo.
Coaching career
Shortly after Gibron ended his playing career, Washington Redskins head coach Mike Nixon hired him as his line coach. Washington finished with a 1–9–2 record in 1960 and Nixon was replaced by Bill McPeak, but Gibron stayed in his position under the new coach. Gibron remained in Washington through the 1964 season.
Gibron next returned to Chicago in 1965 to serve as the Bears' offensive line coach as part of a rebuilding project by team owner and head coach George Halas following a losing season in 1964 – only the seventh in franchise history. The Bears finished with a 9–5 record in 1965, but struggled in 1966 and 1967, Halas's final two seasons as the Bears' coach. Gibron was seen as a successful coach, and was courted in 1966 to be head coach of the Miami Dolphins of the American Football League but turned down the offer.
After Halas resigned, Gibron continued as an assistant under new head coach Jim Dooley in 1968. He switched to coaching the defensive line the following year when assistant coach Joe Fortunato resigned and Jim Ringo was hired to coach the offensive line. Dooley, however, was dismissed in late 1971 after three consecutive losing seasons, including a 1–13 record in 1969. Gibron was elevated to head coach the following January and said the team had the talent to make a run at the NFL championship.
It was initially thought that Gibron would make good on his promise to deliver a championship to Chicago; he was regarded as one of the best line coaches in the game. However, he inherited a Bears team in the midst of a generational transition. Running back Gale Sayers, who had anchored Chicago's offense during the mid- to late-1960s, had suffered two knee injuries and was forced to retire during training camp in 1972. Star linebacker Dick Butkus was also hobbled by knee injuries and had to retire nine games into the 1973 season. Quarterback Bobby Douglass ran for 968 yards in 1972, setting an NFL record for quarterbacks, but passed for only 1,246 yards. In his three seasons, the Bears compiled an 11–30–1 record, finishing last in the NFC Central each time. His .268 winning percentage is the worst for a non-interim coach in Bears history. Gibron was fired two days after the final game of the 1974 NFL season. Halas hired Jim Finks as the Bears' general manager in 1974 to formulate a new strategy following the 4–10 record the Bears compiled in Gibron's last season. Chicago had the fourth overall pick in the 1975 NFL Draft, using it to select future all-time rushing leader Walter Payton.
Gibron stayed in Chicago in 1975, replacing Babe Parilli as head coach of the World Football League's Chicago Winds. The Winds got out to a 1–4 record before they were expelled from the league in September for falling below league financial requirements, a month before the entire league folded. Gibron was hired in 1976 as a defensive line coach with the expansion Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but was switched to defensive coordinator that March before returning to serve as line coach in later years. He had been a college teammate of Bucs head coach John McKay at Purdue. Gibron stayed in Tampa for seven seasons until McKay retired in early 1985 and was replaced by Leeman Bennett. He then served as a scout for the Seattle Seahawks by head coach Chuck Knox, and was accused later in the year of spying on the Cincinnati Bengals and attempting to steal their signals. Knox responded by saying Gibron's presence at a preseason game in Cincinnati could not have been a secret, given his large size. He stayed on as a scout until 1989, and later worked as an advisor to Bucs coach Sam Wyche.
While he was not successful as a head coach, Gibron was renowned for his colorful personality and immense appetite throughout his career. He weighed about 250 pounds during his playing career, but quickly ballooned to over 300 pounds as a coach. "Every time you went to dinner, it was a banquet", Browns teammate Lou Groza said of him. Buccaneer player Charley Hannah once said after dining with him, "He was eating things we wouldn't even go swimming with in Alabama". A humorous clip of Gibron singing Joy to the World on the sidelines during a 1973 game against Denver was made famous by NFL Films in Football Follies. Gibron played himself in the critically acclaimed 1971 TV movie Brian's Song, the story of Chicago Bears teammates Brian Piccolo and Gale Sayers.
Later life and death
As his coaching career was drawing to a close in 1984, Gibron's teenage son James struck and killed a woman from Largo, Florida while driving drunk. James pleaded no contest to manslaughter charges and was tried as an adult, but the verdict was overturned on appeal. He eventually got 10 years of probation and went on to become a lawyer in Florida.
Gibron was taken to the hospital in 1985 with severe abdominal pains and later had surgery to remove a brain tumor. Gibron suffered strokes in December 1996 and February 1997 that confined him to his home for the remainder of his life. He died at home in Belleair, Florida. Gibron and his wife, Susie, had three children. Gibron was inducted into the Indiana Football Hall of Fame in 1976.
Head coaching record
NFL
References
Bibliography
1925 births
1997 deaths
American football offensive guards
Buffalo Bills (AAFC) players
Chicago Bears head coaches
Chicago Bears players
Chicago Winds coaches
Cleveland Browns players
Eastern Conference Pro Bowl players
Philadelphia Eagles players
Purdue Boilermakers football players
Tampa Bay Buccaneers coaches
Valparaiso Beacons football players
Washington Redskins coaches
United States Marine Corps personnel of World War II
People from Belleair, Florida
Players of American football from Pinellas County, Florida
People from Michigan City, Indiana
Coaches of American football from Indiana
Players of American football from Indiana
American people of Lebanese descent
Sportspeople of Lebanese descent | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abe%20Gibron |
The Illinois Historic Preservation Division, formerly Illinois Historic Preservation Agency, is a governmental agency of the U.S. state of Illinois, and is a division of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. It is tasked with the duty of maintaining State-owned historic sites, and maximizing their educational and recreational value to visitors or on-line users. In addition, it manages the process for applications within the state for additions to the National Register of Historic Places.
History of agency
The Illinois Historic Preservation Agency (IHPA) was created by State law in July 1985. What was the agency's oldest bureau, the Illinois State Historical Library, was created in 1889, but the origins of the agency could be said to date back to the state's involvement in building and caring for the Lincoln Tomb in Springfield, Illinois, in 1865.
During the 20th century, the state of Illinois acquired and restored a wide variety of historic properties throughout the state. One key asset, Lincoln's New Salem State Historic Site in Menard County, a reconstruction of a village where Abraham Lincoln lived in the 1830s, was established in the 1930s. The agency also administers the Cahokia World Heritage Site which includes the largest pre-columbian construction in the Americas north of Mexico.
The IHPA continued to grow after its creation in 1985, largely because of continued public interest in Lincoln as the bicentennial of his birth approached in 2009. The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum (ALPLM), also in Springfield, Illinois, was dedicated in 2005. Unlike most presidential libraries, the Lincoln Library is state-owned.
The proposed 2016 budget of Governor Bruce Rauner sought to eliminate the agency, assigning its duties to the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity. Opponents of the move claimed that the Commerce Department had neither the expertise nor the interest to carry out the agency's functions and that any savings from the agency's 2015 budget of $15 million would be minimal.
In 2017, the Agency was split, with the historic preservation and site management duties falling to a reorganized Division within the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (which manages State Parks and other resources), and the Library (ALPLM) becoming an independent agency.
List of Illinois State Historic Sites
The following is an alphabetical listing of the more than 50 Illinois State Historic Sites that are under the jurisdiction of the Illinois Historic Preservation Division:
Albany Mounds State Historic Site, Whiteside County
Apple River Fort State Historic Site, Jo Daviess County
Bishop Hill State Historic Site, Henry County
Black Hawk State Historic Site, Rock Island County
Bryant Cottage State Historic Site, Piatt County
Buel House, Pope County
Cahokia Courthouse State Historic Site, St. Clair County
Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site, Madison County and St. Clair County
Campbell's Island State Memorial, Rock Island County
Carl Sandburg State Historic Site, Knox County
Crenshaw House, Gallatin County
Dana–Thomas House State Historic Site, Sangamon County
David Davis Mansion State Historic Site, McLean County
Douglas Tomb State Historic Site, Cook County
Fort de Chartres State Historic Site, Randolph County
Fort Kaskaskia State Historic Site, Randolph County
Governor Bond State Memorial, Randolph County
Governor Coles State Memorial, Madison County
Governor Horner State Memorial, Cook County
Governor Small Memorial and Park, Kankakee County
Grand Village of the Illinois, LaSalle County (not open to the public)
Halfway Tavern, Marion County
Hofmann Tower, Cook County
Illinois Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Sangamon County
Purple Heart Memorial (Illinois)
Jarrot Mansion State Historic Site, St. Clair County
Jubilee College State Historic Site, Peoria County
Kaskaskia Bell State Memorial, Randolph County
Kincaid Mounds State Historic Site, Massac County
Korean War Memorial (Illinois), Sangamon County
Lewis and Clark State Historic Site, Madison County
Lincoln–Herndon Law Offices State Historic Site, Sangamon County
Lincoln Log Cabin State Historic Site (including the Reuben Moore Home), Coles County
Lincoln Monument, Lee County
Lincoln Tomb State Historic Site, Sangamon County
Lincoln Trail State Memorial, Lawrence County
Lincoln's New Salem State Historic Site, Menard County
Lovejoy State Memorial, Madison County
Martin–Boismenue House, St. Clair County
Metamora Courthouse State Historic Site, Woodford County
Mount Pulaski Courthouse State Historic Site, Logan County
Norwegian Settlers Memorial, LaSalle County
Old Market House State Historic Site, Jo Daviess County
Old State Capitol State Historic Site, Sangamon County
Pierre Menard Home State Historic Site, Randolph County
Postville Courthouse State Historic Site, Logan County
Pullman Site, including:
Hotel Florence, Cook County
Rose Hotel, Hardin County
Shawneetown Bank State Historic Site, Gallatin County
U.S. Grant Home State Historic Site, Jo Daviess County
Vachel Lindsay Home, Sangamon County
Vandalia State House State Historic Site, Fayette County
Washburne House State Historic Site, Jo Daviess County
Wild Bill Hickok Memorial, LaSalle County
World War II Illinois Veterans Memorial, Sangamon County
In addition to those above administered by the Illinois Historic Preservation Division, other historic sites operated by Illinois state agencies include:
Dickson Mounds, operated by Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR)
Fort Massac State Park, operated by IDNR
Starved Rock State Park, operated by IDNR
NRHP multiple property submissions
This List of NRHP Multiple Property Submission in Illinois are properties not part of a historic district but are, rather, listed individually on the National Register of Historic Places after a collective nomination with other similar properties, called a Multiple Property Submission.
American Woman's League Chapter Houses Thematic Resources
Archaeological Sites of Starved Rock State Park
Architectural and Historic Resources of Vermont, Illinois, Multiple Property Submission
Black Metropolis Thematic Resources
Caught in the Middle; the Civil War on the Lower Ohio River
Civil War Era National Cemeteries
Coles County Highway Bridges Over the Embarras River Thematic Resources
Fraternity and Sorority Houses at the Urbana-Champaign Campus of the University of Illinois Multiple Property Submission
Highway Bridges in Iowa 1868-1945
Historic and Historical Archaeological Resources of the Cherokee Trail of Tears
Historic and Architectural Resources of Route 66 Through Illinois
Historic Fairgrounds in Illinois Multiple Property Submission
Historic Resources of Grafton, Illinois, ca. 1830-1943, Multiple Property Submission
Historic Resources of Highland Park Multiple Resource Area
Historic Resources of Maywood, Illinois, Multiple Property Submission
Historic Resources of the Chicago Park District Multiple Property Submission
Hyde Park Apartment Hotels Thematic Resources
Illinois Carnegie Libraries Multiple Property Submission
Illinois State Park Lodges and Cabins Thematic Resources
Metal Highway Bridges of Fulton County Thematic Resources
Motor Row, Chicago, Illinois
Native American Rock Art Sites of Illinois Multiple Property Submission
Round Barns in Illinois Thematic Resources
Suburban Apartment Buildings in Evanston Thematic Resources
University of Illinois Buildings by Nathan Clifford Ricker Thematic Resources
University of Illinois Buildings Designed by Charles A. Platt
References
External links
History of Illinois
Historic Preservation
State history organizations of the United States
Government agencies established in 1985
1985 establishments in Illinois | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illinois%20Historic%20Preservation%20Division |
Merciless, born Leonard Bartley (July 1, 1971–July 19, 2022) in the Turner district of Chapelton, Clarendon, Jamaica, was a Jamaican dancehall and reggae artist. He died on July 19, 2022, in St. Andrew, Jamaica.
Biography
Merciless first found success performing with sound systems. He made his recording début in 1994 with "Lend Out Mi Mercy", which was a hit in Jamaica and elsewhere, and a string of further hits followed, including "Mavis", which was the top reggae single in Jamaica in 1995 and used the same riddim as Shaggy's "Mr. Boombastic". Like several other dancehall stars, he adopted 'conscious' lyrical content in the late 1990s. He is similar in sound to fellow artist Bounty Killer. In the late 2000s he was imprisoned in Florida for fourteen months.
He was also known by the nickname "Warhead", and engaged in several high-profile on-stage 'battles' in the late 1990s and 2000s with fellow deejays Beenie Man, Ninjaman, and Bounty Killer. His rivalry with Bounty Killer did not prevent the two from recording together, with "No One Cares" released in 2000.
Discography
Mr. Merciless (1994), VP Records
Len' Out Mi Mercy (1995), Annex
Mama's Cooking (1997), Greensleeves Records
References
1971 births
2022 deaths
People from Clarendon Parish, Jamaica
Jamaican DJs | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merciless%20%28DJ%29 |
The IIFA Best Villain Award is chosen via a worldwide poll and the winner is announced at the ceremony.
Superlatives
Rishi Kapoor and Akshaye Khanna are the only actors to win the award twice.
Naseeruddin Shah and Boman Irani are the only actors nominated 3 times winning once.
Manoj Bajpayee is the only actor nominated 3 times without winning.
Bipasha Basu is the only actress nominated multiple times without winning.
John Abraham, Prakash Raj and Kay Kay Menon are actors nominated twice winning once.
Nana Patekar was also nominated for Best supporting actor the same year.
Multiple wins
Awards
The winners are listed below:-
See also
IIFA Awards
Bollywood
Cinema of India
References
External links
Official site
International Indian Film Academy Awards | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IIFA%20Award%20for%20Best%20Performance%20in%20a%20Negative%20Role |
Maurice Lebel, (December 24, 1909 – April 24, 2006) was a Canadian academic.
Born in Saint-Lin, Quebec, he received a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1928 from Université de Montréal and a Master of Arts degree in 1930 from Université Laval. In 1931, he received a Diplôme d'Études Supérieures in language and classical literature from the Sorbonne. In 1932, he received a Diploma in language and English literature and a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1935 from the University of London. He received a Ph.D. in education in 1952 and a D.Litt. from the University of Athens in 1957.
From 1937 to 1975, he was a professor of language and Greek literature at Université Laval. From 1957 to 1963, he was the dean of the Faculty of Letters. From 1963 to 1964, he was the president of the Royal Society of Canada (he was made a Fellow in 1947) and was awarded the Pierre Chauveau Medal in 1962.
In 1967, he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada. In 1994, he was made an Officer of the National Order of Quebec.
References
1909 births
2006 deaths
University of Paris alumni
Canadian literary critics
Canadian university and college faculty deans
Fellows of the Royal Society of Canada
Officers of the Order of Canada
Officers of the National Order of Quebec
People from Lanaudière
Université Laval alumni
Université de Montréal alumni
Alumni of the University of London
Academic staff of Université Laval | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maurice%20Lebel |
Things You Can Tell Just by Looking at Her is a 2000 American romantic drama film written and directed by Rodrigo García and starring an ensemble cast. The film consists of five stories, or vignettes, all centering on women and loosely tied together to examine themes of loneliness, dissatisfaction, longing, and/or desire.
The film, García's directing debut, was shown at the 2000 Cannes Film Festival and won the Un Certain Regard Award. Though the film was originally intended as a theatrical release, its distributor MGM sold the film to Showtime, where it premiered on March 11, 2001.
Holly Hunter was nominated for the Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress for her performance.
Plot
In the San Fernando Valley, Kathy - a police detective - and her partner are investigating the apparent suicide of an unknown woman. Dr. Keener, a middle-aged doctor, attempts to care for her aging mother while coping with her own loneliness. She avoids intimacy, but also longs for it; we see both frustration and anticipation as she waits for phone calls from male colleagues. Dr. Keener decides to seek comfort or escape in Christine, who reads tarot cards. Christine's lesbian partner Lilly is critically ill with an unnamed disease, possibly cancer.
Rebecca is a successful bank manager who's "not big on regrets". After a three-year involvement with married Robert, she becomes pregnant. Before Rebecca visits Dr. Keener to get an abortion, she has a fling with Walter, a subordinate.
Rose is a single mother who is writing children's books. She develops a sweet crush on a new little-person neighbor, who catches Rose spying on him. Rose later experiences the shock of learning about her son's extensive sexual activity.
Kathy's sister, Carol Faber, is a lovely blind woman who has an active social life. Kathy is attracted to the medical examiner in the suicide case, and her story ends with him taking her out on a date. In an epilogue, Dr. Keener drops into a bar, where she meets the male character, Walter, from the previous stories (possibly the younger male alluded to in Christine's tarot card reading).
Carmen is a woman who appears in five scenes in the five different stories. The first is walking past Dr. Keener's house, another is walking beside Rebecca, a third time is in the grocery store while Rose is shopping, the fourth time is walking past Christine's apartment building at night as Christine looks down from her balcony, and the final time is the post mortem examination by detective Kathy alongside Dr. Sam. Carol's imaginative story towards the end of the film helps explain the instances throughout the movie where she appears. According to Carol, she was back in town to reconnect with her ex, whom she had been talking to for months until her move back to Los Angeles. In each scene, she is, as Carol deduces, preparing for the big date with her ex. In the first scene she is in, she is probably looking for a place to rent; in the second, she is seen carrying her ill-fated red dress; the third has her shopping for toiletries; in the fourth she is walking back to her place, looking visibly heartbroken, and the final scene in the coroners lab echoes the beginning of the film, where she is found dead. Carol's story ends with what Kathy already concluded: she had resorted to suicide because of her grief over a love she, as Carol claims, could not revive, like the baby she had lost many years before.
Cast
Production
Rodrigo García first wrote script for the film in 1997 and then workshopped it at the 1999 Sundance Institute's Writers and Filmmakers Lab. It was at the Institute that García met actor Kathy Baker and director Jon Avnet. Avnet got the script to Glenn Close and Holly Hunter; within months, all three actors signed on.
In one scene, the Carol character reads the novel One Hundred Years of Solitude in Braille, an homage to García's father Gabriel García Márquez.
Effie T. Brown was the film's line producer. Joel A. Miller was the set dresser for the film.
Reception
Release
The film premiered at the 2000 Sundance Film Festival to critical acclaim and went on to screen at the Cannes Film Festival that May.
A theatrical release was said to be planned by MGM Distribution Co., but the company concluded that Sundance and Cannes acclaim did not justify a theater run and the film would fare better on Showtime. Critics and film festival directors criticized MGM for its handling of the film, arguing the company neglected to capitalize on the film's momentum on the festival circuit. The film premiered on Showtime on March 11, 2001.
In Spain, the film opened on 52 screens on May 26, 2002. In its opening weekend, the film made €201,200. Its total gross in Spain was over €1,595,755.
Critical reception
On review aggregate website Rotten Tomatoes, Things You Can Tell Just by Looking at Her has an approval rating of 76% based on 21 reviews. On Metacritic, it has a score of 76 based on 9 critics' reviews.
Todd McCarthy of Variety said the film marks a promising debut for García and called it an "observant, emotionally acute drama...distinguished by a pronounced poetic sensibility in its writing and visual style." The film drew comparisons to similar movies like Magnolia and Short Cuts, with its exclusive focus on female characters noted.
Writing for Salon, Stephanie Zacharek said "the beautifully conceived script gives [the actors] plenty to work with." Adding "every actress here glows", she described Close as "heartbreaking", Diaz as bringing "wisecracking aplomb" to her role, and Flockhart "suggesting a wealth of iron reserve beneath [her] frailty". Of Hunter, Zacharek wrote she "has that rare blend of intuitiveness and intelligence; you feel she's appraising the world every minute, just waiting for it to disappoint her, only to find that she's not quite sure what to do when she realizes she has disappointed herself." Zacharek concluded that though the film has been described by industry figures as too "small" of a picture for theaters, it is "still as big as life."
Accolades
At the Cannes Film Festival, the film was honored with the Prize Un Certain Regard.
Holly Hunter was nominated for the Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress at the 53rd Primetime Emmy Awards.
References
External links
Things You Can Tell Just by Looking at Her at AllMovie
2000 films
2000 directorial debut films
2000 drama films
2000 independent films
2000s American films
2000s English-language films
Adultery in films
American anthology films
American LGBT-related films
Lesbian-related films
Films about blind people in the United States
Films set in Los Angeles County, California
Films directed by Rodrigo García
Films scored by Edward Shearmur
Franchise Pictures films
United Artists films | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Things%20You%20Can%20Tell%20Just%20by%20Looking%20at%20Her |
The Girl with the Hungry Eyes is a 1967 film written and directed by William Rotsler. It contains an early film appearance by Charlotte Stewart and a dance scene by Pat Barrington.
Plot
Kitty (Adele Rein) and Tigercat (Cathy Crowfoot) are two lesbians obsessed with one another.
Cast
Adele Rein
Cathy Crowfoot
Pat Barrington
Charlotte Stewart
William Rotsler
References
External links
1967 films
1967 LGBT-related films
American LGBT-related films
Lesbian-related films
American independent films
American black-and-white films
1967 independent films
1960s English-language films
1960s American films | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The%20Girl%20with%20the%20Hungry%20Eyes%20%281967%20film%29 |
Samuel Augustus Foot (November 8, 1780 – September 15, 1846; his surname is also spelled Foote) was the 28th Governor of Connecticut as well as a United States representative and Senator.
Biography
Born November 8, 1780 in Cheshire, Connecticut, to John & Abigail (Hall) Foot. Having entered Yale College at the age of thirteen, was the youngest student in the graduating class of 1797. He attended the Litchfield Law School when he was seventeen, but discontinued law studies due to ill health. He then moved to New Haven, Connecticut; became a West India Trader and made many voyages for his health. He married Eudocia Hull in 1803 and they had seven children (the second of whom was Andrew Hull Foote).
Career
When the War of 1812 Embargo Act ruined his business, Foot returned to his father's farm in Cheshire in 1813, engaged in agricultural pursuits and politics.
Foot was a member of the Connecticut House of Representatives in 1817 and 1818, and was elected to the Sixteenth Congress, serving from March 4, 1819 to March 3, 1821. He was again a member of the State house of representatives from 1821 to 1823 and 1825 to 1826, serving as speaker in 1825 to 1826; he was elected to the Eighteenth Congress, serving from March 4, 1823 to March 3, 1825. He was elected by the General Assembly to the U.S. Senate as an Adams' man (later Anti-Jacksonian) within the splintering Democratic Republican Party. He served in the Senate from March 4, 1827 to March 3, 1833. In the Senate he is most noted for the "Foot Resolution" of December 29, 1829 to limit the sale of public lands. It was during debate on this resolution that Daniel Webster gave his "Liberty and Union, one and inseparable, now and forever" speech.
Foot was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1832; while in the United States Congress, he was chairman of the Committee on Pensions (Twenty-first and Twenty-second Congresses). He was elected to the Twenty-third Congress, and served from March 4, 1833, to May 9, 1834, when he resigned to become Governor of Connecticut, a position he held in 1834 and 1835. He was an unsuccessful Whig candidate for re-election in 1835. Foot later served as a presidential elector on the Clay-Frelinghuysen ticket in 1844.
Death
Foot died in Cheshire on September 15, 1846. He is interred at Hillside Cemetery, Cheshire, Connecticut.
References
External links
Litchfield Historical Society
National Governors Association
The Political Graveyard
Govtrack US Congress
1780 births
1846 deaths
People from Cheshire, Connecticut
Foote family
Democratic-Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Connecticut
National Republican Party United States senators from Connecticut
National Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Connecticut
Connecticut Whigs
Governors of Connecticut
Whig Party state governors of the United States
Members of the Connecticut House of Representatives
Yale College alumni
Litchfield Law School alumni | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel%20A.%20Foot |
Daniel's Harbour is a community on the west coast of Newfoundland, in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador. Its population as reported by the 2021 Census was 220 people. It has a reputation as a great place for wild whale sightings.
Climate
Daniel's Harbour has a subarctic climate (Koppen: Dfc) with June being under the isotherm due to extreme seasonal lag caused by the cold Labrador Current. Summers are cool to mild while winters are freezing. Precipitation is heavy year round, though less heavy during spring.
Demographics
In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Daniel's Harbour had a population of living in of its total private dwellings, a change of from its 2016 population of . With a land area of , it had a population density of in 2021.
See also
List of cities and towns in Newfoundland and Labrador
References
Populated coastal places in Canada
Towns in Newfoundland and Labrador | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel%27s%20Harbour |
Samuel Foote (1720–1777) was a British dramatist, actor and theatre manager from Cornwall.
Samuel Foote (or Foot) may refer to:
Samuel J. Foote (1873–1936), lawyer and political figure in Newfoundland
Samuel A. Foot (1780–1846), politician from Connecticut
Samuel Foote (writer), founder of the Semi-Colon Club in Cincinnati, Ohio | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel%20Foote%20%28disambiguation%29 |
This list of birds of Arizona includes every wild bird species seen in Arizona, as recorded by the Arizona Bird Committee (ABC) through January 2023. An additional accidental species has been added from another source.
This list is presented in the taxonomic sequence of the Check-list of North and Middle American Birds, 7th edition through the 63rd Supplement, published by the American Ornithological Society (AOS). Common and scientific names are also those of the Check-list, except that the common names of families are from the Clements taxonomy because the AOS list does not include them.
The following tags have been used to identify categories of occurrence:
(n) – Nesting: Per the ABC, this denotes "[a] species that has hatched young at least once, however, this does not include hybrid offspring"
(Int) – Introduced: Birds that have been introduced to North America by the actions of humans, either directly or indirectly
(Ex) – Extirpated: Birds that have formerly bred in Arizona but no longer do; reintroduction attempts may have been made but the species remains unestablished
(A) – Accidental: Birds that have been seen only a few times, or only once; the ABC requires a formal report for sightings of them to be included in the official record
(H) – Hypothetical: Birds that have had a credible sighting reported, but have not been documented with physical evidence such as a specimen or photograph
The ABC list contains 570 species, including one "slash" entry for a record which could not be identified at the species level. Of them, 153 taxa are considered accidental, eight as introduced by humans, four as extirpated, and two as hypothetical. Nesting has been recorded for 309 taxa. The list also includes eight forms or groups of subspecies which have been recorded in the state, all requiring committee review. This list has been prepared with the Arizona Bird Committee (Jan. 2023).
Ducks, geese, and waterfowl
Order: AnseriformesFamily: Anatidae
The family Anatidae includes the ducks and most duck-like waterfowl, such as geese and swans. These birds are adapted to an aquatic existence with webbed feet, bills which are flattened to a greater or lesser extent, and feathers that are excellent at shedding water due to special oils.
Black-bellied whistling-duck, Dendrocygna autumnalis (n)
Fulvous whistling-duck, Dendrocygna bicolor (A)
Snow goose, Anser caerulescens
Ross's goose, Anser rossii
Greater white-fronted goose, Anser albifrons
Brant, Branta bernicla (A)
Cackling goose, Branta hutchinsii
Canada goose, Branta canadensis (n)
Trumpeter swan, Cygnus buccinator (A)
Tundra swan, Cygnus columbianus
Wood duck, Aix sponsa (n)
Baikal teal, Sibirionetta formosa (A)
Garganey, Spatula querquedula (A)
Blue-winged teal, Spatula discors (n)
Cinnamon teal, Spatula cyanoptera (n)
Northern shoveler, Spatula clypeata (n)
Gadwall, Mareca strepera (n)
Eurasian wigeon, Mareca penelope
American wigeon, Mareca americana (n)
Mallard, Anas platyrhynchos (n)
Mexican duck, Anas diazi (n)
Northern pintail, Anas acuta (n)
Green-winged teal, Anas crecca (n)
Eurasian (crecca) form (A)
Canvasback, Aythya valisineria (n)
Redhead, Aythya americana (n)
Ring-necked duck, Aythya collaris (n)
Tufted duck, Aythya fuligula (A)
Greater scaup, Aythya marila
Lesser scaup, Aythya affinis
Harlequin duck, Histrionicus histrionicus (A)
Surf scoter, Melanitta perspicillata
White-winged scoter, Melanitta deglandi
Black scoter, Melanitta americana
Long-tailed duck, Clangula hyemalis
Bufflehead, Bucephala albeola
Common goldeneye, Bucephala clangula
Barrow's goldeneye, Bucephala islandica
Hooded merganser, Lophodytes cucullatus
Common merganser, Mergus merganser (n)
Red-breasted merganser, Mergus serrator
Ruddy duck, Oxyura jamaicensis (n)
New World quail
Order: GalliformesFamily: Odontophoridae
The New World quails are small, plump terrestrial birds only distantly related to the quails of the Old World, but named for their similar appearance and habits.
Masked bobwhite, Colinus virginianus ridgwayi (n) (Ex)
Scaled quail, Callipepla squamata (n)
California quail, Callipepla californica (n) (Int)
Gambel's quail, Callipepla gambelii (n)
Montezuma quail, Cyrtonyx montezumae (n)
Pheasants, grouse, and allies
Order: GalliformesFamily: Phasianidae
Phasianidae consists of the pheasants and their allies. These are terrestrial species, variable in size but generally plump with broad relatively short wings. Many species are gamebirds or have been domesticated as a food source for humans.
Wild turkey, Meleagris gallopavo (n)
Dusky grouse, Dendragapus obscurus (n)
Ring-necked pheasant, Phasianus colchicus (n) (Int)
Chukar, Alectoris chukar (n) (Int)
Grebes
Order: PodicipediformesFamily: Podicipedidae
Grebes are small to medium-large freshwater diving birds. They have lobed toes and are excellent swimmers and divers. However, they have their feet placed far back on the body, making them quite ungainly on land.
Least grebe, Tachybaptus dominicus (n)
Pied-billed grebe, Podilymbus podiceps (n)
Horned grebe, Podiceps auritus
Red-necked grebe, Podiceps grisegena
Eared grebe, Podiceps nigricollis (n)
Western grebe, Aechmophorus occidentalis (n)
Clark's grebe, Aechmophorus clarkii (n)
Pigeons and doves
Order: ColumbiformesFamily: Columbidae
Pigeons and doves are stout-bodied birds with short necks and short slender bills with a fleshy cere.
Rock pigeon, Columba livia (n) (Int)
Band-tailed pigeon, Patagioenas fasciata (n)
Eurasian collared-dove, Streptopelia decaocto (n) (Int)
Inca dove, Columbina inca (n)
Common ground dove, Columbina passerina (n)
Ruddy ground dove, Columbina talpacoti (n)
White-tipped dove, Leptotila verreauxi (A)
White-winged dove, Zenaida asiatica (n)
Mourning dove, Zenaida macroura (n)
Cuckoos
Order: CuculiformesFamily: Cuculidae
The family Cuculidae includes cuckoos, roadrunners, and anis. These birds are of variable size with slender bodies, long tails, and strong legs.
Groove-billed ani, Crotophaga sulcirostris
Greater roadrunner, Geococcyx californianus (n)
Yellow-billed cuckoo, Coccyzus americanus (n)
Black-billed cuckoo, Coccyzus erythrophthalmus (A)
Nightjars and allies
Order: CaprimulgiformesFamily: Caprimulgidae
Nightjars are medium-sized nocturnal birds that usually nest on the ground. They have long wings, short legs, and very short bills. Most have small feet, of little use for walking, and long pointed wings. Their soft plumage is cryptically colored to resemble bark or leaves.
Lesser nighthawk, Chordeiles acutipennis (n)
Common nighthawk, Chordeiles minor (n)
Common poorwill, Phalaenoptilus nuttallii (n)
Buff-collared nightjar, Antrostomus ridgwayi (n)
Eastern whip-poor-will, Antrostomus vociferus (A)
Mexican whip-poor-will, Antrostomus arizonae (n)
Swifts
Order: ApodiformesFamily: Apodidae
The swifts are small birds which spend the majority of their lives flying. These birds have very short legs and never settle voluntarily on the ground, perching instead only on vertical surfaces. Many swifts have long swept-back wings which resemble a crescent or boomerang.
Black swift, Cypseloides niger (A)
Chimney swift, Chaetura pelagica (A)
Vaux's swift, Chaetura vauxi
White-throated swift, Aeronautes saxatalis (n)
Hummingbirds
Order: ApodiformesFamily: Trochilidae
Hummingbirds are small birds capable of hovering in mid-air due to the rapid flapping of their wings. They are the only birds that can fly backwards.
Rivoli's hummingbird, Eugenes fulgens (n)
Plain-capped starthroat, Heliomaster constantii
Blue-throated mountain-gem, Lampornis clemenciae (n)
Lucifer hummingbird, Calothorax lucifer (n)
Ruby-throated hummingbird, Archilochus colubris (A)
Black-chinned hummingbird, Archilochus alexandri (n)
Anna's hummingbird, Calypte anna (n)
Costa's hummingbird, Calypte costae (n)
Calliope hummingbird, Selasphorus calliope
Rufous hummingbird, Selasphorus rufus
Allen's hummingbird, Selasphorus sasin
Broad-tailed hummingbird, Selasphorus platycercus (n)
Bumblebee hummingbird, Atthis heloisa (A)
Broad-billed hummingbird, Cynanthus latirostris (n)
White-eared hummingbird, Basilinna leucotis (n)
Violet-crowned hummingbird, Leucolia violiceps (n)
Berylline hummingbird, Saucerottia beryllina (n)
Cinnamon hummingbird, Amazilia rutila (A)
Rails, gallinules, and coots
Order: GruiformesFamily: Rallidae
Rallidae is a large family of small to medium-sized birds which includes the rails, crakes, coots, and gallinules. The most typical family members occupy dense vegetation in damp environments near lakes, swamps, or rivers. In general they are shy and secretive birds, making them difficult to observe. Most species have strong legs and long toes which are well adapted to soft uneven surfaces. They tend to have short, rounded wings and to be weak fliers.
Ridgway's rail, Rallus obsoletus (n)
Virginia rail, Rallus limicola (n)
Sora, Porzana carolina (n)
Common gallinule, Gallinula galeata (n)
American coot, Fulica americana (n)
Purple gallinule, Porphyrio martinicus (A)
Black rail, Laterallus jamaicensis (n)
Cranes
Order: GruiformesFamily: Gruidae
Cranes are large, long-legged, and long-necked birds. Unlike the similar-looking but unrelated herons, cranes fly with necks outstretched, not pulled back. Most have elaborate and noisy courting displays or "dances".
Sandhill crane, Antigone canadensis (n)
Common crane, Grus grus (A)
Stilts and avocets
Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Recurvirostridae
Recurvirostridae is a family of large wading birds which includes the avocets and stilts. The avocets have long legs and long up-curved bills. The stilts have extremely long legs and long, thin, straight bills.
Black-necked stilt, Himantopus mexicanus (n)
American avocet, Recurvirostra americana (n)
Plovers and lapwings
Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Charadriidae
The family Charadriidae includes the plovers, dotterels, and lapwings. They are small to medium-sized birds with compact bodies, short thick necks, and long, usually pointed, wings. They are found in open country worldwide, mostly in habitats near water.
Black-bellied plover, Pluvialis squatarola
American golden-plover, Pluvialis dominica
Pacific golden-plover, Pluvialis fulva (A)
Killdeer, Charadrius vociferus (n)
Semipalmated plover, Charadrius semipalmatus
Lesser sand-plover, Charadrius mongolus (A)
Mountain plover, Charadrius montanus (n)
Snowy plover, Charadrius nivosus (n)
Jacanas
Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Jacanidae
The jacanas are a family of waders found worldwide within the tropical zone. They are identifiable by their huge feet and claws which enable them to walk on floating vegetation in the shallow lakes that are their preferred habitat.
Northern jacana, Jacana spinosa (A)
Sandpipers and allies
Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Scolopacidae
Scolopacidae is a large diverse family of small to medium-sized shorebirds including the sandpipers, curlews, godwits, shanks, tattlers, woodcocks, snipes, dowitchers, and phalaropes. The majority of these species eat small invertebrates picked out of the mud or soil. Different lengths of legs and bills enable multiple species to feed in the same habitat, particularly on the coast, without direct competition for food.
Upland sandpiper, Bartramia longicauda (A)
Whimbrel, Numenius phaeopus
Long-billed curlew, Numenius americanus (n)
Hudsonian godwit, Limosa haemastica (A)
Marbled godwit, Limosa fedoa
Ruddy turnstone, Arenaria interpres (A)
Black turnstone, Arenaria melanocephala (A)
Red knot, Calidris canutus (A)
Ruff, Calidris pugnax (A)
Sharp-tailed sandpiper, Calidris acuminata (A)
Stilt sandpiper, Calidris himantopus
Sanderling, Calidris alba
Dunlin, Calidris alpina
Baird's sandpiper, Calidris bairdii
Least sandpiper, Calidris minutilla
White-rumped sandpiper, Calidris fuscicollis (A)
Buff-breasted sandpiper, Calidris subruficollis (A)
Pectoral sandpiper, Calidris melanotos
Semipalmated sandpiper, Calidris pusilla
Western sandpiper, Calidris mauri
Short-billed dowitcher, Limnodromus griseus
Long-billed dowitcher, Limnodromus scolopaceus
American woodcock, Scolopax minor (A)
Wilson's snipe, Gallinago delicata (n)
Spotted sandpiper, Actitis macularia (n)
Solitary sandpiper, Tringa solitaria
Wandering tattler, Tringa incana (A)
Lesser yellowlegs, Tringa melanoleuca
Willet, Tringa semipalmata
Greater yellowlegs, Tringa flavipes
Wilson's phalarope, Phalaropus tricolor (n)
Red-necked phalarope, Phalaropus lobatus
Red phalarope, Phalaropus fulicaria
Skuas and jaegers
Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Stercorariidae
Skuas and jaegers are in general medium to large birds, typically with gray or brown plumage, often with white markings on the wings. They have longish bills with hooked tips and webbed feet with sharp claws. They look like large dark gulls, but have a fleshy cere above the upper mandible. They are strong, acrobatic fliers.
Pomarine jaeger, Stercorarius pomarinus (A)
Parasitic jaeger, Stercorarius parasiticus (A)
Long-tailed jaeger, Stercorarius longicaudus (A)
Gulls, terns, and skimmers
Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Laridae
Laridae is a family of medium to large seabirds and includes gulls, terns, and skimmers. Gulls are typically gray or white, often with black markings on the head or wings. They have stout, longish bills and webbed feet. Terns are a group of generally medium to large seabirds typically with grey or white plumage, often with black markings on the head. Most terns hunt fish by diving but some pick insects off the surface of fresh water. Terns are generally long-lived birds, with several species known to live in excess of 30 years. Skimmers are a small family of tropical tern-like birds. They have an elongated lower mandible which they use to feed by flying low over the water surface and skimming the water for small fish.
Black-legged kittiwake, Rissa tridactyla (A)
Ivory gull, Pagophila eburnea (A)
Sabine's gull, Xema sabini
Bonaparte's gull, Chroicocephalus philadelphia
Little gull, Hydrocoloeus minutus (A)
Laughing gull, Leucophaeus atricilla
Franklin's gull, Leucophaeus pipixcan
Heermann's gull, Larus heermanni
Short-billed gull, Larus brachyrhynchus
Ring-billed gull, Larus delawarensis
Western gull, Larus occidentalis (A)
Yellow-footed gull, Larus livens (A)
California gull, Larus californicus
Herring gull, Larus argentatus
Iceland gull, Larus glaucoides (A)
Lesser black-backed gull, Larus fuscus (A)
Glaucous-winged gull, Larus glaucescens (A)
Glaucous gull, Larus hyperboreus (A)
Least tern, Sternula antillarum (n)
Gull-billed tern, Gelochelidon nilotica (A)
Caspian tern, Hydroprogne caspia
Black tern, Chlidonias niger
Common tern, Sterna hirundo
Arctic tern, Sterna paradisaea (A)
Forster's tern, Sterna forsteri
Royal tern, Thalasseus maximus (A)
Elegant tern, Thalasseus elegans (A)
Black skimmer, Rynchops niger (A)
Tropicbirds
Order: PhaethontiformesFamily: Phaethontidae
Tropicbirds are slender white birds of tropical oceans with exceptionally long central tail feathers. Their long wings have black markings, as does the head.
White-tailed tropicbird, Phaethon lepturus (A)
Red-billed tropicbird, Phaethon rubicauda (A)
Loons
Order: GaviiformesFamily: Gaviidae
Loons are aquatic birds, the size of a large duck, to which they are unrelated. Their plumage is largely gray or black, and they have spear-shaped bills. Loons swim well and fly adequately, but are almost hopeless on land, because their legs are placed towards the rear of the body.
Red-throated loon, Gavia stellata
Pacific loon, Gavia pacifica
Common loon, Gavia immer
Yellow-billed loon, Gavia adamsii (A)
Albatrosses
Order: ProcellariiformesFamily: Diomedeidae
The albatrosses are among the largest of flying birds, and the great albatrosses of the genus Diomedea have the largest wingspans of any extant birds.
Laysan albatross, Phoebastria immutabilis (A)
Northern storm-petrels
Order: ProcellariiformesFamily: Hydrobatidae
The storm-petrels are the smallest seabirds, relatives of the petrels, feeding on planktonic crustaceans and small fish picked from the surface, typically while hovering. The flight is fluttering and sometimes bat-like.
Leach's storm-petrel/Townsend's storm-petrel/Ainley's storm-petrel, Hydrobates leucorhous/socorroensis/cheimomnestes (A) (H)
Wedge-rumped storm-petrel, Hydrobates tethys (A)
Black storm-petrel, Hydrobates melania (A)
Least storm-petrel, Hydrobates microsoma (A)
Shearwaters and petrels
Order: ProcellariiformesFamily: Procellariidae
The procellariids are the main group of medium-sized "true petrels", characterized by united nostrils with medium septum and a long outer functional primary.
Juan Fernandez petrel, Pterodroma externa (A)
Hawaiian petrel, Pterodroma sandwichensis (A)
Wedge-tailed shearwater, Ardenna pacificus (A)
Sooty shearwater, Ardenna griseus (A)
Black-vented shearwater, Puffinus opisthomelas (A) (H)
Storks
Order: CiconiiformesFamily: Ciconiidae
Storks are large, heavy, long-legged, long-necked wading birds with long stout bills and wide wingspans. They lack the powder down that other wading birds such as herons, spoonbills, and ibises use to clean off fish slime. Storks lack a pharynx and are mute.
Wood stork, Mycteria americana (A)
Frigatebirds
Order: SuliformesFamily: Fregatidae
Frigatebirds are large seabirds usually found over tropical oceans. They are large, black, or black-and-white, with long wings and deeply forked tails. The males have colored inflatable throat pouches. They do not swim or walk and cannot take off from a flat surface. Having the largest wingspan-to-body-weight ratio of any bird, they are essentially aerial, able to stay aloft for more than a week.
Magnificent frigatebird, Fregata magnificens (A)
Boobies and gannets
Order: SuliformesFamily: Sulidae
The sulids comprise the gannets and boobies. Both groups are medium-large coastal seabirds that plunge-dive for fish.
Blue-footed booby, Sula nebouxii (A)
Brown booby, Sula leucogaster (A)
Anhingas
Order: SuliformesFamily: Anhingidae
Anhingas are cormorant-like water birds with very long necks and long straight bills. They are fish eaters which often swim with only their neck above the water.
Anhinga, Anhinga anhinga (A)
Cormorants and shags
Order: SuliformesFamily: Phalacrocoracidae
Cormorants are medium-to-large aquatic birds, usually with mainly dark plumage and areas of colored skin on the face. The bill is long, thin, and sharply hooked. Their feet are four-toed and webbed.
Double-crested cormorant, Nannopterum auritum (n)
Neotropic cormorant, Nannopterum brasilianum (n)
Pelicans
Order: PelecaniformesFamily: Pelecanidae
Pelicans are very large water birds with a distinctive pouch under their bill. Like other birds in the order Pelecaniformes, they have four webbed toes.
American white pelican, Pelecanus erythrorhynchos
Brown pelican, Pelecanus occidentalis
Herons, egrets, and bitterns
Order: PelecaniformesFamily: Ardeidae
The family Ardeidae contains the herons, egrets, and bitterns. Herons and egrets are medium to large wading birds with long necks and legs. Bitterns tend to be shorter necked and more secretive. Members of Ardeidae fly with their necks retracted, unlike other long-necked birds such as storks, ibises, and spoonbills.
American bittern, Botaurus lentiginosa (n)
Least bittern, Ixobrychus exilis (n)
Great blue heron, Ardea herodias (n)
Great egret, Ardea alba (n)
Snowy egret, Egretta thula (n)
Little blue heron, Egretta caerulea
Tricolored heron, Egretta tricolor
Reddish egret, Egretta rufescens
Cattle egret, Bubulcus ibis (n)
Green heron, Butorides virescens (n)
Black-crowned night-heron, Nycticorax nycticorax (n)
Yellow-crowned night-heron, Nycticorax violaceus (A)
Ibises and spoonbills
Order: PelecaniformesFamily: Threskiornithidae
The family Threskiornithidae includes the ibises and spoonbills. They have long, broad wings. Their bodies tend to be elongated, the neck more so, with rather long legs. The bill is also long, decurved in the case of the ibises, straight and distinctively flattened in the spoonbills.
White ibis, Eudocimus albus (A)
Glossy ibis, Plegadis falcinellus (A)
White-faced ibis, Plegadis chihi (n)
Roseate spoonbill, Platalea ajaja
New World vultures
Order: CathartiformesFamily: Cathartidae
The New World vultures are not closely related to Old World vultures, but superficially resemble them because of convergent evolution. Like the Old World vultures, they are scavengers. However, unlike Old World vultures, which find carcasses by sight, New World vultures have a good sense of smell with which they locate carcasses.
California condor, Gymnogyps californianus (n) (Ex) (reintroduced 1996 after a century of extirpation, first successful nesting attempt 2003)
Black vulture, Coragyps atratus (n)
Turkey vulture, Cathartes aura (n)
Osprey
Order: AccipitriformesFamily: Pandionidae
Pandionidae is a monotypic family of fish-eating birds of prey. Its single species possesses a very large and powerful hooked bill strong legs, strong talons, and keen eyesight.
Osprey, Pandion haliaetus (n)
Hawks, eagles, and kites
Order: AccipitriformesFamily: Accipitridae
Accipitridae is a family of birds of prey which includes hawks, eagles, kites, harriers, and Old World vultures. These birds have very large powerful hooked bills for tearing flesh from their prey, strong legs, powerful talons, and keen eyesight.
White-tailed kite, Elanus leucurus (n)
Swallow-tailed kite, Elanoides forficatus (A)
Golden eagle, Aquila chrysaetos (n)
Northern harrier, Circus hudsonius (n)
Sharp-shinned hawk, Accipiter striatus (n)
Cooper's hawk, Accipiter cooperii (n)
American goshawk, Accipiter atricapillus (n)
Bald eagle, Haliaeetus leucocephalus (n)
Mississippi kite, Ictinia mississippiensis (n)
Common black hawk, Buteogallus anthracinus (n)
Harris's hawk, Parabuteo unicinctus (n)
White-tailed hawk, Geranoaetus albicaudatus (A)
Gray hawk, Buteo plagiatus (n)
Red-shouldered hawk, Buteo lineatus (n)
Broad-winged hawk, Buteo platypterus
Short-tailed hawk, Buteo brachyurus (n)
Swainson's hawk, Buteo swainsoni (n)
Zone-tailed hawk, Buteo albonotatus (n)
Red-tailed hawk, Buteo jamaicensis (n)
Rough-legged hawk, Buteo lagopus
Ferruginous hawk, Buteo regalis (n)
Barn-owls
Order: StrigiformesFamily: Tytonidae
Owls in the family Tytonidae are medium to large owls with large heads and characteristic heart-shaped faces.
Barn owl, Tyto alba (n)
Owls
Order: StrigiformesFamily: Strigidae
Typical or "true" owls are small to large solitary nocturnal birds of prey. They have large forward-facing eyes and ears, a hawk-like beak, and a conspicuous circle of feathers around each eye called a facial disk.
Flammulated owl, Psiloscops flammeolus (n)
Whiskered screech-owl, Megacsops trichopsis (n)
Western screech-owl, Megascops kennicottii (n)
Great horned owl, Bubo virginianus (n)
Northern pygmy-owl, Glaucidium gnoma (n)
Ferruginous pygmy-owl, Glaucidium brasilianum (n)
Elf owl, Micrathene whitneyi (n)
Burrowing owl, Athene cunicularia (n)
Spotted owl, Strix occidentalis (n)
Long-eared owl, Asio otus (n)
Short-eared owl, Asio flammeus
Northern saw-whet owl, Aegolius acadicus (n)
Trogons
Order: TrogoniformesFamily: Trogonidae
Trogons are residents of tropical forests worldwide with the greatest diversity in Central and South America. They feed on insects and fruit, and their broad bills and weak legs reflect their diet and arboreal habits. Although their flight is fast, they are reluctant to fly any distance. Trogons do not migrate. Trogons have soft, often colorful, feathers with distinctive male and female plumage. They nest in holes in trees or termite nests, laying white or pastel-colored eggs.
Elegant trogon, Trogon elegans (n)
Eared quetzal, Euptilotis neoxenus (n) (A)
Kingfishers
Order: CoraciiformesFamily: Alcedinidae
Kingfishers are medium-sized birds with large heads, long, pointed bills, short legs, and stubby tails.
Ringed Kingfisher, Megaceryle torquata (A)
Belted kingfisher, Megaceryle alcyon (n)
Green kingfisher, Chloroceryle americana (n)
Woodpeckers
Order: PiciformesFamily: Picidae
Woodpeckers are small to medium-sized birds with chisel-like bills, short legs, stiff tails, and long tongues used for capturing insects. Some species have feet with two toes pointing forward and two backward, while several species have only three toes. Many woodpeckers have the habit of tapping noisily on tree trunks with their bills.
Lewis's woodpecker, Melanerpes lewis (n)
Red-headed woodpecker, Melanerpes erythrocephalus (A)
Acorn woodpecker, Melanerpes formicivorus (n)
Gila woodpecker, Melanerpes uropygialis (n)
Williamson's sapsucker, Sphyrapicus thyroideus (n)
Yellow-bellied sapsucker, Sphyrapicus varius
Red-naped sapsucker, Sphyrapicus nuchalis (n)
Red-breasted sapsucker, Sphyrapicus ruber
American three-toed woodpecker, Picoides dorsalis (n)
Downy woodpecker, Dryobates pubescens (n)
Ladder-backed woodpecker, Dryobates scalaris (n)
Hairy woodpecker, Dryobates villosus (n)
Arizona woodpecker, Dryobates arizonae (n)
Northern flicker, Colaptes auratus (n)
Gilded flicker, Colaptes chrysoides (n)
Falcons and caracaras
Order: FalconiformesFamily: Falconidae
Falconidae is a family of diurnal birds of prey, notably the falcons and caracaras. They differ from hawks, eagles, and kites in that they kill with their bills instead of their talons.
Crested caracara, Caracara plancus (n)
American kestrel, Falco sparverius (n)
Merlin, Falco columbarius
Aplomado falcon, Falco femoralis (n) (A) (Ex)
Peregrine falcon, Falco peregrinus (n)
Prairie falcon, Falco mexicanus (n)
New World and African parrots
Order: PsittaciformesFamily: Psittacidae
Characteristic features of parrots include a strong curved bill, an upright stance, strong legs, and clawed zygodactyl feet. Many parrots are vividly colored, and some are multi-colored. In size they range from to in length. Most of the more than 150 species in this family are found in the New World.
Thick-billed parrot, Rhynchopsitta pachyrhyncha (n) (A) (Ex) (attempts at reintroduction in the 1980s failed)
Old World parrots
Order: PsittaciformesFamily: Psittaculidae
Characteristic features of parrots include a strong curved bill, an upright stance, strong legs, and clawed zygodactyl feet. Many parrots are vividly colored, and some are multi-colored. In size they range from to in length. Old World parrots are found from Africa east across south and southeast Asia and Oceania to Australia and New Zealand.
Rosy-faced lovebird, Agapornis roseicollis (n) (Int)
Tityras and allies
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Tityridae
Tityridae is family of suboscine passerine birds found in forest and woodland in the Neotropics. The approximately 30 species in this family were formerly lumped with the families Pipridae and Cotingidae (see Taxonomy). As yet, no widely accepted common name exists for the family, although Tityras and allies and Tityras, mourners, and allies have been used. They are small to medium-sized birds.
Gray-collared becard, Pachyramphus major (A)
Rose-throated becard, Pachyramphus aglaiae (n)
Tyrant flycatchers
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Tyrannidae
Tyrant flycatchers are Passerine birds which occur throughout North and South America. They superficially resemble the Old World flycatchers, but are more robust and have stronger bills. They do not have the sophisticated vocal capabilities of the songbirds. Most, but not all, are rather plain. As the name implies, most are insectivorous.
Northern beardless-tyrannulet, Camptostoma imberbe (n)
Dusky-capped flycatcher, Myiarchus tuberculifer (n)
Ash-throated flycatcher, Myiarchus cinerascens (n)
Nutting's flycatcher, Myiarchus nuttingi (n) (A)
Great crested flycatcher, Myiarchus crinitus (A)
Brown-crested flycatcher, Myiarchus tyrannulus (n)
Great kiskadee, Pitangus sulphuratus (A)
Sulphur-bellied flycatcher, Myiodynastes luteiventris (n)
Tropical kingbird, Tyrannus melancholicus (n)
Couch's kingbird, Tyrannus couchii (A)
Cassin's kingbird, Tyrannus vociferans (n)
Thick-billed kingbird, Tyrannus crassirostris (n)
Western kingbird, Tyrannus verticalis (n)
Eastern kingbird, Tyrannus tyrannus
Scissor-tailed flycatcher, Tyrannus forficatus
Tufted flycatcher, Mitrephanes phaeocercus (n) (A)
Olive-sided flycatcher, Contopus cooperi (n)
Greater pewee, Contopus pertinax (n)
Western wood-pewee, Contopus sordidulus (n)
Eastern wood-pewee, Contopus virens (A)
Yellow-bellied flycatcher, Empidonax flaviventris (A)
Acadian flycatcher, Empidonax virescens (A)
Willow flycatcher, Empidonax traillii (n)
Least flycatcher, Empidonax minimus (A)
Hammond's flycatcher, Empidonax hammondii (n)
Gray flycatcher, Empidonax wrightii (n)
Dusky flycatcher, Empidonax oberholseri (n)
Pine flycatcher, Empidonax affinis (A)
Western flycatcher, Empidonax difficilis
Buff-breasted flycatcher, Empidonax fulvifrons (n)
Black phoebe, Sayornis nigricans (n)
Eastern phoebe, Sayornis phoebe
Say's phoebe, Sayornis saya (n)
Vermilion flycatcher, Pyrocephalus rubinus (n)
Vireos, shrike-babblers, and erpornis
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Vireonidae
The vireos are a group of small to medium-sized passerine birds mostly restricted to the New World, though a few other species in the family are found in Asia. They are typically greenish in color and resemble wood-warblers apart from their heavier bills.
Black-capped vireo, Vireo atricapilla (A)
White-eyed vireo, Vireo griseus
Bell's vireo, Vireo bellii (n)
Eastern (bellii) form (A)
Gray vireo, Vireo vicinior (n)
Hutton's vireo, Vireo huttoni (n)
Yellow-throated vireo, Vireo flavifrons
Cassin's vireo, Vireo cassinii
Blue-headed vireo, Vireo solitarius (A)
Plumbeous vireo, Vireo plumbeus (n)
Philadelphia vireo, Vireo philadelphicus (A)
Warbling vireo, Vireo gilvus (n)
Red-eyed vireo, Vireo olivaceus
Yellow-green vireo, Vireo flavoviridis (A)
Shrikes
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Laniidae
Shrikes are passerine birds known for their habit of catching other birds and small animals and impaling the uneaten portions of their bodies on thorns. A shrike's bill is hooked, like that of a typical bird of prey.
Loggerhead shrike, Lanius ludovicianus (n)
Northern shrike, Lanius borealis
Crows, jays, and magpies
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Corvidae
The family Corvidae includes crows, ravens, jays, choughs, magpies, treepies, nutcrackers, and ground jays. Corvids are above average in size among the Passeriformes, and some of the larger species show high levels of intelligence.
Canada jay, Perisoreus canadensis (n)
Pinyon jay, Gymnorhinus cyanocephalus (n)
Steller's jay, Cyanocitta stelleri (n)
Blue jay, Cyanocitta cristata (A)
California scrub-jay, Aphelocoma californica (A)
Woodhouse's scrub-jay, Aphelocoma woodhouseii (n)
Mexican jay, Aphelocoma ultramarina (n)
Clark's nutcracker, Nucifraga columbiana (n)
Black-billed magpie, Pica hudsonia (n)
American crow, Corvus brachyrhynchos (n)
Chihuahuan raven, Corvus cryptoleucos (n)
Common raven, Corvus corax (n)
Penduline-tits
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Remizidae
The only member of this family in the New World, the verdin is one of the smallest passerines in North America. It is gray overall and adults have a bright yellow head and rufous "shoulder patch" (the lesser coverts). Verdins are insectivorous, continuously foraging among the desert trees and scrubs. They are usually solitary except when they pair up to construct their conspicuous nests.
Verdin, Auriparus flaviceps (n)
Tits, chickadees, and titmice
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Paridae
The Paridae are mainly small stocky woodland species with short stout bills. Some have crests. They are adaptable birds, with a mixed diet including seeds and insects.
Black-capped chickadee, Poecile atricapillus (n) (A)
Mountain chickadee, Poecile gambeli (n)
Mexican chickadee, Poecile sclateri (n)
Bridled titmouse, Baeolophus wollweberi (n)
Juniper titmouse, Baeolophus ridgwayi (n)
Larks
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Alaudidae
Larks are small terrestrial birds with often extravagant songs and display flights. Most larks are fairly dull in appearance. Their food is insects and seeds.
Horned lark, Eremophila alpestris (n)
Swallows
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Hirundinidae
The family Hirundinidae is adapted to aerial feeding. They have a slender streamlined body, long pointed wings, and a short bill with a wide gape. The feet are adapted to perching rather than walking, and the front toes are partially joined at the base.
Bank swallow, Riparia riparia
Tree swallow, Tachycineta bicolor (n)
Violet-green swallow, Tachycineta thalassina (n)
Northern rough-winged swallow, Stelgidopteryx serripennis (n)
Brown-chested martin, Progne tapera (A)
Purple martin, Progne subis (n)
Barn swallow, Hirundo rustica (n)
Cliff swallow, Petrochelidon pyrrhonota (n)
Cave swallow, Petrochelidon fulva (n) (A)
Long-tailed tits
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Aegithalidae
The long-tailed tits are a family of small passerine birds with medium to long tails. They make woven bag nests in trees. Most eat a mixed diet which includes insects.
Bushtit, Psaltriparus minimus (n)
Kinglets
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Regulidae
The kinglets and "crests" are a small family of birds which resemble some warblers. They are very small insectivorous birds. The adults have colored crowns, giving rise to their name.
Ruby-crowned kinglet, Corthylio calendula (n)
Golden-crowned kinglet, Regulus satrapa (n)
Waxwings
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Bombycillidae
The waxwings are a group of passerine birds with soft silky plumage and unique red tips to some of the wing feathers. In the Bohemian and cedar waxwings, these tips look like sealing wax and give the group its name. These are arboreal birds of northern forests. They live on insects in summer and berries in winter.
Bohemian waxwing, Bombycilla garrulus (A)
Cedar waxwing, Bombycilla cedrorum
Silky-flycatchers
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Ptiliogonatidae
The silky-flycatchers are a small family of passerine birds which occur mainly in Central America. They are related to waxwings and most species have small crests.
Phainopepla, Phainopepla nitens (n)
Nuthatches
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Sittidae
Nuthatches are small woodland birds. They have the unusual ability to climb down trees head first, unlike other birds which can only go upwards. Nuthatches have big heads, short tails, and powerful bills and feet.
Red-breasted nuthatch, Sitta canadensis (n)
White-breasted nuthatch, Sitta carolinensis (n)
Pygmy nuthatch, Sitta pygmaea (n)
Treecreepers
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Certhiidae
Treecreepers are small woodland birds, brown above and white below. They have thin pointed down-curved bills, which they use to extricate insects from bark. They have stiff tail feathers, like woodpeckers, which they use to support themselves on vertical trees
Brown creeper, Certhia americana (n)
Gnatcatchers
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Polioptilidae
These dainty birds resemble Old World warblers in their structure and habits, moving restlessly through the foliage seeking insects. The gnatcatchers are mainly soft bluish gray in color and have the typical insectivore's long sharp bill. Many species have distinctive black head patterns (especially males) and long, regularly cocked, black-and-white tails.
Blue-gray gnatcatcher, Polioptila caerulea (n)
Black-tailed gnatcatcher, Polioptila melanura (n)
Black-capped gnatcatcher, Polioptila nigriceps (n)
Wrens
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Troglodytidae
Wrens are small and inconspicuous birds, except for their loud songs. They have short wings and thin down-turned bills. Several species often hold their tails upright. All are insectivorous.
Rock wren, Salpinctes obsoletus (n)
Canyon wren, Catherpes mexicanus (n)
House wren, Troglodytes aedon (n)
Pacific wren, Troglodytes pacificus (n)
Winter wren, Troglodytes hiemalis
Sedge wren, Cistothorus platensis (A)
Marsh wren, Cistothorus palustris (n)
Carolina wren, Thryothorus ludovicianus (A)
Bewick's wren, Thryomanes bewickii (n)
Cactus wren, Campylorhynchus brunneicapillus (n)
Sinaloa wren, Thryophilus sinaloa (A)
Mockingbirds and thrashers
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Mimidae
The mimids are a family of passerine birds which includes thrashers, mockingbirds, tremblers, and the New World catbirds. These birds are notable for their vocalization, especially their remarkable ability to mimic a wide variety of birds and other sounds heard outdoors. The species tend towards dull grays and browns in their appearance.
Blue mockingbird, Melanotis caerulescens (A)
Gray catbird, Dumetella carolinensis (n)
Curve-billed thrasher, Toxostoma curvirostre (n)
Brown thrasher, Toxostoma rufum
Bendire's thrasher, Toxostoma bendirei (n)
LeConte's thrasher, Toxostoma lecontei (n)
Crissal thrasher, Toxostoma crissale (n)
Sage thrasher, Oreoscoptes montanus (n)
Northern mockingbird, Mimus polyglottos (n)
Starlings
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Sturnidae Starlings and mynas are small to medium-sized Old World passerine birds with strong feet. Their flight is strong and direct and most are very gregarious. Their preferred habitat is fairly open country, and they eat insects and fruit. The plumage of several species is dark with a metallic sheen.
European starling, Sturnus vulgaris (n) (Int)
Dippers
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Cinclidae
Dippers are a group of perching birds whose habitat includes aquatic environments in the Americas, Europe, and Asia. They are named for their bobbing or dipping movements. These birds have adaptations which allows them to submerge and walk on the bottom to feed on insect larvae.
American dipper, Cinclus mexicanus (n)
Thrushes and allies
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Turdidae
The thrushes are a group of passerine birds that occur mainly but not exclusively in the Old World. They are plump, soft plumaged, small to medium-sized insectivores or sometimes omnivores, often feeding on the ground. Many have attractive songs.
Eastern bluebird, Sialia sialis (n)
Western bluebird, Sialia mexicana (n)
Mountain bluebird, Sialia currucoides (n)
Townsend's solitaire, Myadestes townsendi (n)
Brown-backed solitaire, Myadestes occidentalis (A)
Orange-billed nightingale-thrush, Catharus aurantiirostris (A) (record is under committee review)
Veery, Catharus fuscescens (n) (A)
Gray-cheeked thrush, Catharus minimus (A)
Swainson's thrush, Catharus ustulatus (n)
Hermit thrush, Catharus guttatus (n)
Wood thrush, Hylocichla mustelina (A)
Clay-colored thrush, Turdus grayi (A)
White-throated thrush, Turdus assimilis (A)
Rufous-backed robin, Turdus rufopalliatus (n)
American robin, Turdus migratorius (n)
Varied thrush, Ixoreus naevius
Aztec thrush, Ridgwayia pinicola (A)
Old World flycatchers
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Muscicapidae
The Old World flycatchers form a large family of small passerine birds. These are mainly small arboreal insectivores, many of which, as the name implies, take their prey on the wing.
Northern wheatear, Oenanthe oenanthe (A)
Olive warbler
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Peucedramidae
The olive warbler has a gray body with some olive-green on the wings and two white wing bars. The male's head and breast are orange and there is a black patch through the eye. This is the only species in its family.
Olive warbler, Peucedramus taeniatus (n)
Old World sparrows
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Passeridae
Old World sparrows are small passerine birds. In general, sparrows tend to be small plump brownish or grayish birds with short tails and short powerful bills. Sparrows are seed eaters, but they also consume small insects.
House sparrow, Passer domesticus (n) (Int)
Wagtails and pipits
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Motacillidae
Motacillidae is a family of small passerine birds with medium to long tails. They include the wagtails, longclaws, and pipits. They are slender ground-feeding insectivores of open country.
White wagtail, Motacilla alba (A)
Red-throated pipit, Anthus cervinus (A)
American pipit, Anthus rubescens (n)
Sprague's pipit, Anthus spragueii
Finches, euphonias, and allies
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Fringillidae
Finches are seed-eating passerine birds that are small to moderately large and have a strong bill, usually conical and in some species very large. All have twelve tail feathers and nine primaries. These birds have a bouncing flight with alternating bouts of flapping and gliding on closed wings, and most sing well.
Evening grosbeak, Coccothraustes vespertinus (n)
Pine grosbeak, Pinicola enucleator (n)
Gray-crowned rosy-finch, Leucosticte tephrocotis (A)
Black rosy-finch, Leucosticte atrata (A)
House finch, Haemorhous mexicanus (n)
Purple finch, Haemorhous purpureus
Eastern (purpureus) group (A)
Cassin's finch, Haemorhous cassinii (n)
Common redpoll, Acanthis flammea (A)
Red crossbill, Loxia curvirostra (n)
White-winged crossbill, Loxia leucoptera (A)
Pine siskin, Spinus pinus (n)
Lesser goldfinch, Spinus psaltria (n)
Lawrence's goldfinch, Spinus lawrencei (n)
American goldfinch, Spinus tristis (n)
Longspurs and snow buntings
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Calcariidae
The Calcariidae are a group of passerine birds that had been traditionally grouped with the New World sparrows, but differ in a number of respects and are usually found in open grassy areas.
Lapland longspur, Calcarius lapponicus
Chestnut-collared longspur, Calcarius ornatus
Smith's longspur, Calcarius pictus (A)
Thick-billed longspur, Rhynchophanes mccownii
Snow bunting, Plectophenax nivalis (A)
Old World buntings
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Emberizidae
Emberizidae is a family of passerine birds containing a single genus. Until 2017, the New World sparrows (Passerellidae) were also considered part of this family.
Little bunting, Emberiza pusilla (A)
New World sparrows
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Passerellidae
Until 2017, these species were considered part of the family Emberizidae. Most of the species are known as sparrows, but these birds are not closely related to the Old World sparrows which are in the family Passeridae. Many of these have distinctive head patterns.
Rufous-winged sparrow, Peucaea carpalis (n)
Botteri's sparrow, Peucaea botterii (n)
Cassin's sparrow, Peucaea cassinii (n)
Grasshopper sparrow, Ammodramus savannarum (n)
Five-striped sparrow, Amphispizopsis quinquestriata (n)
Black-throated sparrow, Amphispiza bilineata (n)
Lark sparrow, Chondestes grammacus (n)
Lark bunting, Calamospiza melanocorys (n)
Chipping sparrow, Spizella passerina (n)
Clay-colored sparrow, Spizella pallida
Black-chinned sparrow, Spizella atrogularis (n)
Field sparrow, Spizella pusilla (A)
Brewer's sparrow, Spizella breweri (n)
Fox sparrow, Passerella iliaca
Thick-billed (megarhyncha) group (A)
American tree sparrow, Spizelloides arborea (A)
Dark-eyed junco, Junco hyemalis (n)
White-winged (aikeni) form (A)
Yellow-eyed junco, Junco phaeonotus (n)
White-crowned sparrow, Zonotrichia leucophrys (n)
Golden-crowned sparrow, Zonotrichia atricapilla
Harris's sparrow, Zonotrichia querula
White-throated sparrow, Zonotrichia albicollis
Sagebrush sparrow, Artemisiospiza nevadensis (n)
Bell's sparrow, Artemisiospiza belli
Vesper sparrow, Pooecetes gramineus (n)
LeConte's sparrow, Ammospiza leconteii (A)
Nelson's sparrow, Ammospiza nelsonii (A)
Baird's sparrow, Centronyx bairdii
Savannah sparrow, Passerculus sandwichensis (n)
Large-billed (rostratus) form (A)
Song sparrow, Melospiza melodia (n)
Lincoln's sparrow, Melospiza lincolnii (n)
Swamp sparrow, Melospiza georgiana
Canyon towhee, Melozone fuscus (n)
Abert's towhee, Melozone aberti (n)
Rufous-crowned sparrow, Aimophila ruficeps (n)
Green-tailed towhee, Pipilo chlorurus (n)
Spotted towhee, Pipilo maculatus (n)
Eastern towhee, Pipilo erythrophthalmus (A)
Yellow-breasted chat
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Icteriidae
This species was historically placed in the wood-warblers (Parulidae) but nonetheless most authorities were unsure if it belonged there. It was placed in its own family in 2017.
Yellow-breasted chat, Icteria virens (n)
Troupials and allies
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Icteridae
The icterids are a group of small to medium-sized, often colorful passerine birds restricted to the New World and include the grackles, New World blackbirds, and New World orioles. Most species have black as a predominant plumage color which is often enlivened by yellow, orange, or red.
Yellow-headed blackbird, Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus (n)
Bobolink, Dolichonyx oryzivorus (n) (A)
Chihuahuan meadowlark, Sturnella lilianae (n)
Western meadowlark, Sturnella neglecta (n)
Black-vented oriole, Icterus wagleri (A)
Orchard oriole, Icterus spurius
Hooded oriole, Icterus cucullatus (n)
Eastern (cucullatus) group (A)
Streak-backed oriole, Icterus pustulatus (n)
Bullock's oriole, Icterus bullockii (n)
Baltimore oriole, Icterus galbula
Scott's oriole, Icterus parisorum (n)
Red-winged blackbird, Agelaius phoeniceus (n)
Bronzed cowbird, Molothrus aeneus (n)
Brown-headed cowbird, Molothrus ater (n)
Rusty blackbird, Euphagus carolinus
Brewer's blackbird, Euphagus cyanocephalus (n)
Common grackle, Quiscalus quiscula
Great-tailed grackle, Quiscalus mexicanus (n)
New World warblers
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Parulidae
The wood-warblers are a group of small often colorful passerine birds restricted to the New World. Most are arboreal, but some are more terrestrial. Most members of this family are insectivores.
Ovenbird, Seiurus aurocapilla
Worm-eating warbler, Helmitheros vermivorum
Louisiana waterthrush, Parkesia motacilla
Northern waterthrush, Parkesia noveboracensis
Golden-winged warbler, Vermivora chrysoptera (A)
Blue-winged warbler, Vermivora cyanoptera (A)
Black-and-white warbler, Mniotilta varia (n)
Prothonotary warbler, Protonotaria citrea
Swainson's warbler, Limnothlypis swainsonii (A)
Crescent-chested warbler, Oreothlypis superciliosa (n) (A)
Tennessee warbler, Leiothlypis peregrina
Orange-crowned warbler, Leiothlypis celata (n)
Lucy's warbler, Leiothlypis luciae (n)
Nashville warbler, Leiothlypis ruficapilla
Virginia's warbler, Leiothlypis virginiae (n)
Connecticut warbler, Oporornis agilis (A)
MacGillivray's warbler, Geothlypis tolmiei (n)
Mourning warbler, Geothlypis philadelphia (A)
Kentucky warbler, Geothlypis formosa
Common yellowthroat, Geothlypis trichas (n)
Hooded warbler, Setophaga citrina
American redstart, Setophaga ruticilla (n)
Cape May warbler, Setophaga tigrina (A)
Cerulean warbler, Setophaga cerulea (A)
Northern parula, Setophaga americana (n)
Tropical parula, Setophaga pitiayumi (A)
Magnolia warbler, Setophaga magnolia
Bay-breasted warbler, Setophaga castanea (A)
Blackburnian warbler, Setophaga fusca
Yellow warbler, Setophaga petechia (n)
Mangrove (erithachorides) form (A)
Chestnut-sided warbler, Setophaga pensylvanica
Blackpoll warbler, Setophaga striata
Black-throated blue warbler, Setophaga caerulescens
Palm warbler, Setophaga palmarum
Pine warbler, Setophaga pinus (A)
Yellow-rumped warbler, Setophaga coronata (n)
Yellow-throated warbler, Setophaga dominica
Prairie warbler, Setophaga discolor (A)
Grace's warbler, Setophaga graciae (n)
Black-throated gray warbler, Setophaga nigrescens (n)
Townsend's warbler, Setophaga townsendi
Hermit warbler, Setophaga occidentalis
Black-throated green warbler, Setophaga virens
Fan-tailed warbler, Basileuterus lachrymosus (A)
Rufous-capped warbler, Basileuterus rufifrons (n)
Canada warbler, Cardellina canadensis (A)
Wilson's warbler, Cardellina pusilla
Red-faced warbler, Cardellina rubrifrons (n)
Painted redstart, Myioborus pictus (n)
Slate-throated redstart, Myioborus miniatus (A)
Cardinals and allies
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Cardinalidae
The cardinals are a family of robust seed-eating birds with strong bills. They are typically associated with open woodland. The sexes usually have distinct plumages.
Hepatic tanager, Piranga hepatica (n)
Summer tanager, Piranga rubra (n)
Scarlet tanager, Piranga olivacea
Western tanager, Piranga ludoviciana (n)
Flame-colored tanager, Piranga bidentata (n) (A)
Northern cardinal, Cardinalis cardinalis (n)
Pyrrhuloxia, Cardinalis sinuatus (n)
Yellow grosbeak, Pheucticus chrysopeplus (A)
Rose-breasted grosbeak, Pheucticus ludovicianus
Black-headed grosbeak, Pheucticus melanocephalus (n)
Blue grosbeak, Passerina (Guiraca) caerulea (n)
Lazuli bunting, Passerina amoena (n)
Indigo bunting, Passerina cyanea (n)
Varied bunting, Passerina versicolor (n)
Painted bunting, Passerina ciris
Dickcissel, Spiza americana
Tanagers and allies
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Thraupidae
The tanagers are a large group of small to medium-sized passerine birds restricted to the New World, mainly in the tropics. Many species are brightly colored. As a family they are omnivorous, but individual species specialize in eating fruits, seeds, insects, or other types of food. Most have short, rounded wings.
Blue-black grassquit, Volatinia jacarina (A)
See also
List of birds of Grand Canyon National Park
References
External links
Arizona Bird Committee home page
Arizona Field Ornithologists home page
Birds
Arizona | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List%20of%20birds%20of%20Arizona |
Samuel Lee Gash Jr. (born March 7, 1969) is an American former football fullback in the National Football League (NFL).
Professional career
Gash was drafted in the eighth round of the 1992 NFL Draft by the New England Patriots. A two time Pro Bowler in his twelve-year career, Gash played for the Patriots (1992–1997), Buffalo Bills (1998–1999, 2003), and the Baltimore Ravens (2000–2002).
In 1999, Gash earned the unique distinction of being the first back in NFL history to be selected to the Pro Bowl without carrying the ball at all during the regular season.
He won a Super Bowl in 2000 with the Baltimore Ravens. Gash was cut by the New Orleans Saints one day before the 2004 training camp began.
Coaching
Gash began his coaching career in 2005 with the New York Jets as an assistant running backs coach. In January 2007, Gash was hired as the Detroit Lions' assistant special teams coach. In 2008, he became the Lions' running backs coach. Gash was fired by the Lions on December 31, 2012.
On February 10, 2014, Gash was announced as the running backs coach of the Green Bay Packers. On January 19, 2016, he was fired by the Packers.
Personal life
Gash has relatives also involved with football. His younger brother, Eric, played outside linebacker at the University of North Carolina. In 2014 Eric Gash was selected as the head coach at his alma mater, Hendersonville High School, for the 2014 season. He is only the second African American hired as a head football coach at a western North Carolina high school since the late 1960s integration of public schools. The Gash brothers have a cousin, Thane, who played safety for the Cleveland Browns and San Francisco 49ers. His son, Isaiah, plays college football for the Michigan Wolverines. Another son, Elijah, played college lacrosse for the Albany Great Danes and was drafted 30th overall in the 2023 Premier Lacrosse League draft by Whipsnakes Lacrosse Club.
Notes and references
External links
Detroit Lions Bio
Klingaman, Mike. "Catching up with...Ravens fullback Sam Gash," The Toy Department (The Baltimore Sun sports blog), Thursday, October 21, 2010.
1969 births
Living people
People from Hendersonville, North Carolina
African-American players of American football
African-American coaches of American football
American football fullbacks
Penn State Nittany Lions football players
New England Patriots players
Buffalo Bills players
Baltimore Ravens players
New Orleans Saints players
American Conference Pro Bowl players
New York Jets coaches
Detroit Lions coaches
Green Bay Packers coaches
21st-century African-American people
20th-century African-American sportspeople | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sam%20Gash |
Crash 'n' the Boys: Street Challenge, released in Japan as is a 1992 sports game for the NES by Technos Japan Corp. A Game Boy version of the game was also released in Japan only. The game featured Olympic style contests without rules or regulations, between five teams. The games included 400 metres hurdles, Hammer throw, Swimming, Roof Top Jumping, and Fighting Scene. It was re-released for the Wii Virtual Console on September 14, 2009 and later for the Nintendo 3DS on November 28, 2013 and for the Wii U on December 11, 2014.
The game was included in the "Double Dragon & Kunio-kun: Retro Brawler Bundle" released for the Nintendo Switch on February 20, 2020. It was re-released for Nintendo Switch, Xbox One and PlayStation 4 in April the same year.
Gameplay
The game has four teams to choose from, as well as a fifth computer-controlled team. Each team has five members, each with their own strengths and weaknesses, making some better suited to certain events than others. Before each event, players have the opportunity to go shopping in the mall to buy power-ups for their characters. These items are paid for through the various medals that each team achieves as it progresses through the challenge, but since the winner of the challenge is the team that collects the most medals overall, players must be fairly judicious in how much they spend.
There are two types of events in the game: individual events (Hammer Throw and Roof Top Jumping) and head-to-head events (400 Meter Hurdles, Swimming and Fighting). In individual events, each team takes its turn individually, and ranking is determined by who gets the most points. The head-to-head events take place under a single elimination tournament format, in which one player competes against another in a series of heats. The player who successfully defeats both of his opponents will get to compete against a member of Team Thornley for first place.
The game can be played by up to four players. Since there's never more than two teams competing at the same time, the third and fourth player can play simply by alternating between the two controllers. Thus, a four player adapter is not required, unlike other Kunio-kun games.
Plot
Theodore "Todd" Thornley IV has had enough. After being humiliated once again by his rival, Jeff "Crash" Cooney and his blue-collar buddies from Southside High School at the All-City Track Meet, he has decided to issue a challenge to Crash. Inviting two of the other elite high schools to participate in the challenge, plus an additional team sponsored by his wealthy father, Todd has seemingly stacked the deck against Crash and his boys.
If the player succeeds in winning the Street Challenge with Crash's Southside High School, the ending shows Crash being invited to a meeting with Todd's father, who congratulates Crash on his victory. He attempts to make peace with Crash, explaining that Todd's rivalry with him has made their personal relationship difficult, but Crash doubts that Todd will ever accept a peace offering. Meanwhile, Todd hatches a scheme with Skip to cause dissent amongst Team Thornley against Crash; he offers them flowers and tells them that Crash has been badmouthing them, but before leaving on their flight, they dump the flowers in the trash with a note reading "Todd is a total loser!", showing that Crash has earned their respect as well. Furious, Todd and Crash vow to settle their feud on the ice during hockey season.
Localization
Street Challenge is a localization of Bikkuri Nekketsu Shin Kiroku!, originally part of the Kunio-kun series and a sequel to the 1990 Famicom game Downtown Nekketsu Kōshinkyoku: Soreyuke Daiundōkai. It is the eighth game in the series released for the Famicom and fifth to be localized for the North American market. Like previous localizations of the series (Renegade, Super Dodge Ball, River City Ransom and Nintendo World Cup), the game's graphics and plot were altered to make the game marketable outside Japan. For instance, the actual scenery for the sports events were changed, the four main teams in the Japanese version, Nekketsu, Hanazono, Reiho, and Rengo, were composed of established Kunio-kun characters (such as the Double Dragon twins, Ryuichi and Ryuji) and were all returning characters from Koshinkyoku, and the character roster was changed.
Street Challenge was planned to be the first in a series of Kunio-kun games to be localized under the Crash 'n' the Boys moniker. The ending to Street Challenge features a teaser for the next game in the Crash 'n' the Boys series, Ice Challenge, a localization of the earlier Ike Ike! Nekketsu Hockey Bu (the original final image for Street Challenge showed Momozono, the manager/cheerleader for Team Nekketsu on a swing set in the sunset, with the message "The End" written in hiragana characters). A promotional poster packaged with the SNES game The Combatribes featured the cover artwork of the game. However, Ice Challenge was never officially released outside Japan. Other Crash 'n' the Boys games announced by American Technos include Soccer Challenge (Nekketsu Soccer League), Diamond Challenge (Downtown Nekketsu Baseball Monogatari) for the SNES, and the Game Boy version of Street Challenge; all went unreleased.
Crash 'n' the Boys: Street Challenge was released on the Virtual Console service in North America on September 14, 2009 for the Wii, on December 19, 2013 for Nintendo 3DS and on December 11, 2014 for Wii U. While it didn't initially receive a release on NES in PAL regions, it would finally see a release in Europe & Oceania via Virtual Console on Nintendo 3DS and Wii U on November 28, 2013 and December 4, 2014 respectively.
The Game Boy version has few differences compared to the original. Namely, the Swimming event is replaced with an umbrella battle, where the characters jump from a building and fight in mid-air using an umbrella. The CPU-controlled Oklahoma High School is now playable via a cheat code.
In popular culture
"Crash and the Boys" is the name of a band in the comic book series Scott Pilgrim. The band also appears in the 2010 film adaptation of the novels, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, as well as in the subsequent video game adaptation.
Review
Corbie Dillard of Nintendo Life gave Crash n the Boys Street Challenge 5 out of 10 stars, commending the developers for 'doing something different' and for what the game could have been. However, Dillard also wrote that the game, while not horrible in itself was inferior to other similar games.
Lucas Thomas of IGN gave a positive review to the game.
References
External links
1992 video games
Game Boy games
High school-themed video games
Kunio-kun
Organized crime video games
Nintendo Entertainment System games
Fantasy sports video games
Video games developed in Japan
Virtual Console games
Virtual Console games for Wii U
Multiplayer and single-player video games
Virtual Console games for Nintendo 3DS | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crash%20%27n%27%20the%20Boys%3A%20Street%20Challenge |
The Utopian Society is a 2003 film directed by John P. Aguirre and starring Sam Doumit, Austin Nichols, Malin Åkerman, Mat Hostetler, Kelvin Yu, and Kirsten Ariza. It was re-released by Warner Brothers in 2008.
Plot
The Utopian Society is about a group of college students who are put together by their professor to complete a final project: create a utopian society. Like most college students, they’ve waited until the night before it is due to start working on it. They each come from different backgrounds and have pre-existing assumptions about the others, causing them to want to spend as little time working with each other as possible. But since they have waited until the last minute to start working, they are forced to cram an entire semester's work into one night, whether they like it or not.
Cast
Sam Doumit as Nera
Austin Nichols as Justin Mathers
Malin Åkerman as Tanci
Mat Hostetler as Caleb
Kelvin Yu as Ken
Kristen Ariza as Aaliyah
Robert Romanus as Barry
Awards
DV Awards (UT):WINNER - Best Long Form Drama
RAD Digital Film Festival (Los Angeles, CA):WINNER - Best Feature Drama/Comedy
Independents Film Festival (Tampa, FL):WINNER - Best Feature
Texas Film Festival (College Station, Texas):WINNER - Audience Award
Fargo Film Festival (Fargo, ND):WINNER - Audience Award
DIY Awards (Los Angeles, CA):WINNER - Best Cinematography
The Honolulu Film Festival (Honolulu, HI):WINNER - Best Direction
Back East Picture Show (Hoboken, NJ):WINNER - Best Screenplay
Wine Country Film Festival (Napa/Sonoma, CA):WINNER - Best First Feature
Great Lakes Film Festival (Erie, Pennsylvania):WINNER - Founder's Vision Award
Nominated
Ashland Film Festival (Ashland, OR):NOMINATED - Best Acting Ensemble & Best Cinematography
Phoenix Film Festival (Phoenix, AZ):NOMINATED - Best Acting Ensemble
References
External links
Official website
2003 films
American independent films
2000s English-language films
2000s American films | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The%20Utopian%20Society |
The IIFA Best Comedian Award is chosen via a worldwide poll and the winner is announced at the ceremony.
Multiple wins
Awards
The winners are listed below:
See also
IIFA Awards
Bollywood
Cinema of India
References
External links
Official site
International Indian Film Academy Awards | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IIFA%20Award%20for%20Best%20Performance%20in%20a%20Comic%20Role |
The Lamborghini LMA002 (Lamborghini Mimran Anteriore 002; Lamborghini, Mimran, front-engined 002) was a prototype offroad vehicle designed and built by Lamborghini while the company was headed by the then 26-year-old Patrick Mimran. It was a follow-up to the LM001 and was first presented at the 1982 Geneva Auto Show.
Finally seeing the problems with their initial designs (the Cheetah, and the LM001), Lamborghini decided to move the engine to the front. This required a redesign of the entire chassis. This was also the first time the V12 engine from the Countach was actually used in an offroad vehicle, producing and of torque, significantly more power than its predecessors. The redesign used a tubular steel spaceframe and increased the overall weight by about 500 kg to . Moving the engine also freed up a large amount of space in the rear, which allowed for enough room to fit 6 more passengers, for a total of 11 occupants.
The increased weight required a suspension redesign and the addition of power steering. A five-speed transmission with a hydraulic clutch was used. Also, for the first time the four-wheel-drive capabilities could be turned off, allowing the vehicle to become only rear-wheel drive when desired. The front differential provided a maximum lock of 25 percent, while the rear and center ones could lock up to 75 percent. The center differential could also be fully locked mechanically for the severest off-roading. The body panels were all very straight and flat to facilitate the addition of armor plating, and the entire roof and doors could be removed.
At the time, it was reported that the LMA had won a competition for a Saudi military contract for between 500 and 1000 cars, with Lamborghini increasing its staffing levels by thirty percent in anticipation. This order did not materialize, and only the single LMA002 would be produced. However, after many alterations and adjustments, the design entered series production as the LM002.
Armament
One photo exists of a LMA002 mounting a Oerlikon 25mm type KBA auto cannon, likely a mock-up. This specific armament was fitted on a wide array of military vehicles such as IFVs, APCs, helicopters and naval vessels. The modes of fire are semi-automatic and fully automatic at a rate of fire of 600 rounds per minute. The weapon can fire a wide array of munitions, including APDS and APFSDS rounds.
References
External links
LamboCars: LMA002 Specifications
LMA002 | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lamborghini%20LMA002 |
The Fulton County Railway began operations in 2004, operating on about 25 miles of track owned by CSX Transportation in Georgia. It is owned by OmniTRAX.
External links
References
Georgia (U.S. state) railroads
OmniTRAX
Spin-offs of CSX Transportation | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fulton%20County%20Railway |
Lottery games with "lifetime" prizes, known by names such as Cash4Life, Lucky for Life, and Win for Life, comprise two types of United States lottery games in which the top prize is advertised as a lifetime annuity; unlike annuities with a fixed period (such as 25 years), lifetime annuities often pay (sometimes for decades) until the winner's death.
Scratch games
Most U.S. lotteries offer at least one scratch game with lifetime prizes.
These games vary; some lotteries offer multiple price points for "lifetime" games, with the top prize ranging from $50 daily to $1,000,000 yearly. Play for each game varies.
Increasingly, American lotteries have introduced a cash option for winners of scratch games with such prizes (as they had begun in the 20th century with fixed annuities in almost all games, drawing or scratchcard.)
Draw games
The "Win for Life" game (which replaced "Lotto South") began in 2006 in Georgia, Kentucky, and Virginia. Kentucky dropped out in 2011, and Georgia in 2014, leaving Virginia as its only member. "Win for Life" was retired following the September 13, 2014 drawing; it was replaced by $1,000,000 Moneyball, a Virginia-only game since replaced by Bank a Million.
In Win for Life, players chose six numbers from 1 through 42; seven numbers were drawn, including the "Free Ball". Top prize was $1000-per-week; there was a cash option of $1 million (offered when WFL became a Virginia-only game; when WFL began Virginia offered a $520,000 cash option, but the choice was eliminated the following year as neither Georgia nor Kentucky offered winners a cash option.) Second prize was $52,000 cash.
When Kentucky dropped WFL, Georgia, Kentucky, and Virginia began "Decades of Dollars", which later added Arkansas. On October 19, 2014, Decades of Dollars no longer was available in Arkansas, Georgia, or Kentucky; the three lotteries participated in the launch of "Monopoly Millionaires' Club", whose sales were suspended in December. Decades of Dollars held its final drawing on April 30, 2015; Virginia then joined the multi-state "Cash4Life".
In 2015, Kentucky joined Lucky for Life (which began in 2009 as a Connecticut-only game, "Lucky-4-Life") and Virginia joined the rival "Cash4Life". On August 28, 2016, Georgia joined Cash4Life; both games mentioned here have two lifetime prize tiers; winners of a "lifetime" prize can choose cash in lieu of annuity payments.
As of 2021, Cash4Life has 10 members while Lucky for Life has 25; Missouri is the first lottery to offer both games, although not simultaneously. Missouri ended sales of Lucky for Life on April 8, joining Cash4Life three days later.
References
Lottery games in the United States | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lottery%20games%20with%20a%20lifetime%20prize |
is an arcade game which was released by Namco in 1989, only in Japan; it runs on Namco System 1 hardware, and was designed by Akira Usukura (who had designed Splatterhouse the previous year).
Gameplay
The player takes control of , a gardener wearing a straw hat, who must collect all the keys in 61 maze-inspired gardens in order to rescue his girlfriend, ; he can push the walls in the gardens over to crush the various enemies that pursue him, but they shall immediately be resurrected in the form of eggs which hatch after a few seconds. Each round also has a preset time limit to ensure that the player does not dawdle - and once it runs out, a green-haired female vampire known as (who cannot be crushed by the walls) shows up and pursues Chap for his blood, as the Yamaha YM2151-generated song (and all the enemies) speed up. The game's enemies include white blobs known as , pink Triceratops-esque creatures known as which can breathe flames, armadillos known as which can roll over Chap, purple seals known as which can breathe ice, sponges known as , which can push walls onto Chap, turquoise blobs known as , which occasionally pause to take a long drag on their cigarettes, helmet-wearing creatures known as , which take two crushes to kill, wolves known as which can throw bombs at Chap, spiders known as , which can spin webs for Chap to run into - and this game's main antagonist, an evil scientist named who only appears on the final round, where players not only have to collect all the keys, but also push the walls onto his four clones (two of whom can breathe fire, but the other two can breathe ice).
A cutscene called "The Rompers Show" also appears after every tenth round, and once Chap has rescued Rumina at the end of the game, they both go back to free Tsukaima (who, ironically, is trapped under a wall, given that she cannot be crushed by them in the game), and wrap her feet up with bandages; Chap then starts to carry Tsukaima off on his back, which angers Rumina as he went through a lot to save her.
Release
At the time of its release, Rompers was ported to many home video game consoles, and it was given an official North American release, possibly due to one of the enemies, Fumajime Pyokorin, being involved in drug use, and the Japanese voice samples; the game's soundtrack was released in two compilation discs known as Namco Video Game Graffiti Volume 5, and Namco Video Game Graffiti Volume 6, which included soundtracks for other Namco games as well. The first official home conversion for the game was in Namco Museum Encore, the series' only Japanese-exclusive installment (which also featured Wonder Momo and was released on the PlayStation) - and in 2009, Rompers went on to appear on the Nintendo Wii's Japanese Virtual Console market. The original arcade version finally got its first official North American release in June 2018, as one of the titles included in Pac-Man's Pixel Bash. Its second North American appearance came in March 2021, as one of the twelve titles included on the Namco Legacy Edition arcade cabinet from Arcade1Up. In September 2022, it was released as part of the Arcade Archives series by Hamster on PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch.
Reception
In Japan, Game Machine listed Rompers on their March 15, 1989 issue as being the seventh most-successful table arcade game of the year.
Notes
References
External links
1989 video games
Arcade video games
Japan-exclusive video games
Maze games
Namco arcade games
Nintendo Switch games
PlayStation 4 games
Video games developed in Japan
Virtual Console games
Multiplayer and single-player video games
Hamster Corporation games | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rompers%20%28video%20game%29 |
Night Train is an album by the Oscar Peterson Trio, released in 1963 by Verve Records. The album includes jazz, blues and R&B standards, as well as "Hymn to Freedom," one of Peterson's best known original compositions.
Background
Album producer Norman Granz had sold the record label Verve, but remained Peterson's manager, and so supervised the Night Train recording session. The brief duration of many of the tracks has been attributed to a desire to have them played on commercial radio, which was reluctant to play any tracks longer than a few minutes.
The cover art photograph is by Pete Turner and original sleeve notes were by Benny Green.
The album was dedicated to Peterson’s father, who worked as a sleeping-car attendant for Canadian Pacific Railways.
Music and recording
A Jazz.com review notes that the title track, "Night Train," is evidence of Peterson's ability to balance musical innovation with popular appeal, as demonstrated throughout the album: "By using the basic elements of crescendo and diminuendo, and arranged sections to set off the parts, Peterson turns what could have been a throwaway into a minor masterpiece."
Night Train’s only original Oscar Peterson composition, "Hymn to Freedom," was written on the spot in the studio to close the album, following Norman Granz’s suggestion that the band include a song with a "definitive early-blues feel." Peterson named the new song "Hymn to Freedom" in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr., and after Harriette Hamilton wrote accompanying lyrics a year later, it became an unofficial anthem of the Civil Rights Movement. "Hymn to Freedom" is featured prominently in the 2023 documentary Oscar Peterson: Black + White as part of Peterson’s enduring legacy.
On the 1997 CD reissue, an alternate take of "Night Train" is titled "Happy Go Lucky Local," the name of the 1946 Duke Ellington composition that is the basis of Jimmy Forrest's "Night Train." The alternate take features the same arrangement as the master take.
Ed Thigpen's rivet cymbal, recorded at very close range, is prominent on all issues of the album.
Reception
Writing for AllMusic, critic John Bush wrote the release "includes stately covers of blues and R&B standards". The Penguin Guide to Jazz included it in its core collection, calling it “one of the best-constructed long-players of the period" and saying that Peterson's playing is "tight and uncharacteristically emotional".
In 2019, the album was named as the jury winner of the Polaris Heritage Prize.
Influence
Diana Krall reported that listening to the album made being a jazz pianist her ambition. Linda May Han Oh reported that listening to the album inspired her to start playing upright bass.
Track listing
(Tracks 12 through 17 are CD bonus tracks, not included on the original vinyl LP)
Personnel
Oscar Peterson - piano
Ray Brown - double bass
Ed Thigpen - drums
Technical personnel
Norman Granz – production
Val Valentin – recording engineering
Pete Turner – cover photography
Benny Green - sleeve notes
References
Links
Oscar Peterson albums
1962 albums
Verve Records albums
Albums produced by Norman Granz | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Night%20Train%20%28Oscar%20Peterson%20album%29 |
Aaron C. Jeffery is a Logie Award-winning New Zealand-Australian actor. He is best known for his roles as Terry Watson in Water Rats, as Alex Ryan in McLeod's Daughters, and as Matt "Fletch" Fletcher in Wentworth.
Early and personal life
Born in Howick, Auckland, Jeffery moved to Australia at the age of 17 and studied acting at NIDA.
Jeffery has been in a relationship with his former McLeod's Daughters co-star Zoe Naylor since 2010. The couple had their first child together, a daughter, in 2012. Jeffery also has another daughter from a previous relationship.
Career
After graduating in 1993 from NIDA, he began his television career on the children's programme Ship to Shore. Jeffery is best known for his role as Alex Ryan in the drama McLeod's Daughters, which he left in 2008. He also appeared in the third season of the New Zealand drama series Outrageous Fortune.
Jeffery appeared in the series Underbelly: Badness as Frank. He wrapped filming on 22 June. Three days later, it was announced Jeffery had joined the cast of Neighbours as Bradley Fox for two months. In October, it was revealed that Jeffery had been cast as a corrections officer in the series Wentworth. He also starred in the Bevan Lee series Between Two Worlds for the Seven Network. In 2021 Jeffery appeared in the AACTA nominated film Moon Rock For Monday directed by Kurt Martin. The film was nominated for Best Indie Film at the 11th Annual AACTA Awards.
In 2018 Jeffery and Naylor founded their production company Eagle Rose Productions.
In April 2021, it was announced that Jeffery had been cast in the upcoming Netflix thriller series Pieces of Her, which is adapted from the Karin Slaughter novel of the same name.
Awards
In both 2004 and 2007, Jeffery won the Silver Logie for Most Popular Actor in a Drama Series for his role on McLeod's Daughters.
Filmography
References
External links
Talent agency profile
Talent agency PDF
1970 births
AACTA Award winners
Australian male film actors
Australian male television actors
Living people
Logie Award winners
Male actors from South Australia
National Institute of Dramatic Art alumni
New Zealand emigrants to Australia
New Zealand male film actors
New Zealand male television actors
Male actors from Auckland
20th-century Australian male actors
20th-century New Zealand male actors
21st-century Australian male actors
21st-century New Zealand male actors | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aaron%20Jeffery |
Value in marketing, also known as customer-perceived value, is the difference between a prospective customer's evaluation of the benefits and costs of one product when compared with others. Value may also be expressed as a straightforward relationship between perceived benefits and perceived costs: Value = .
The basic underlying concept of value in marketing is human needs. The basic human needs may include food, shelter, belonging, love, and self expression. Both culture and individual personality shape human needs in what is known as wants. When wants are backed by buying power, they become demands.
With a consumers' wants and resources (financial ability), they demand products and services with benefits that add up to the most value and satisfaction.
The four types of value include: functional value, monetary value, social value, and psychological value. The sources of value are not equally important to all consumers. How important a value is, depends on the consumer and the purchase. Values should always be defined through the "eyes" of the consumer:
Functional value: This type of value is what an offer does, it's the solution an offer provides to the customer.
Monetary value: This is where the function of the price paid is relative to an offerings perceived worth. This value invites a trade-off between other values and monetary costs.
Social value: The extent to which owning a product or engaging in a service allows the consumer to connect with others.
Psychological value: The extent to which a product allows consumers to express themselves or feel better.
For a firm to deliver value to its customers, they must consider what is known as the "total market offering." This includes the reputation of the organization, staff representation, product benefits, and technological characteristics as compared to competitors' market offerings and prices. Value can thus be defined as the relationship of a firm's market offerings to those of its competitors.
Value in marketing can be defined by both qualitative and quantitative measures. On the qualitative side, value is the perceived gain composed of individual's emotional, mental and physical condition plus various social, economic, cultural and environmental factors. On the quantitative side, value is the actual gain measured in terms of financial numbers, percentages, and dollars.
For an organization to deliver value, it has to improve its value : cost ratio. When an organization delivers high value at high price, the perceived value may be low. When it delivers high value at low price, the perceived value may be high. The key to deliver high perceived value is attaching value to each of the individuals or organizations—making them believe that what you are offering is beyond expectation—helping them to solve a problem, offering a solution, giving results, and making them happy.
Value changes based on time, place and people in relation to changing environmental factors. It is a creative energy exchange between people and organizations in our marketplace.
Very often managers conduct customer value analysis to reveal the company's strengths and weaknesses compared to other competitors. The steps include:
Identifying the major attributes and benefits that customers value for choosing a product and vendor.
Assessment of the quantitative importance of the different attributes and benefits.
Assessment of the company's and competitors' performance on each attribute and benefits.
Examining how customer in the particular segment rated company against major competitor on each attribute.
Monitoring customer perceived value over time.
References
Peter Doyle: Value-Based Marketing: Marketing Strategies for Corporate Growth and Shareholder Value. Wiley, 2000.
Raquel Sánchez-Fernández and M. Ángeles Iniesta-Bonillo, "The concept of perceived value: a systematic review of the research," Marketing Theory 7 (2007), 427-451
Turel, O., Serenko, A. and Bontis, N. (2007). "User acceptance of wireless short messaging services: Deconstructing perceived value." Information & Management 44(1): 63-73.
Philip Kotler, Kevin Lane Keller, Abraham Koshy, Mithileshwar Jha: "Marketing Management: A south Asian Perspective", Pearson, 13th Edition (2009) 117-121.
Product management | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Value%20%28marketing%29 |
Charles Bradley Marsh (born March 31, 1958) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player who played as a defenceman in the National Hockey League (NHL). Marsh played for the Atlanta Flames, Calgary Flames, Philadelphia Flyers, Toronto Maple Leafs, Detroit Red Wings and Ottawa Senators over a 15-year NHL career. He featured in two Stanley Cup Finals with the Flyers (1985, 1987).
He played for the Prince of Wales Conference in the 1993 NHL All-Star Game, scoring one goal.
Playing career
London Knights (1973–1978)
Marsh played junior hockey with the London Knights of the OHA during the 1973–74, appearing in 13 games, while not earning any points and two penalty minutes.
Marsh returned to the Knights during the 1974–75 season, playing in all 70 games, scoring four goals and 21 points, while leading the club with 160 penalty minutes. London failed to qualify for the post-season.
In 1975–76, Marsh scored three goals and 29 points in 61 games, while leading the Knights in penalty minutes once again, as he registered 181 penalty minutes. In the post-season, Marsh had a goal and three points in five games, as London lost to the Toronto Marlboros in the OMJHL quarter-finals.
Marsh continued to improve during the 1976–77, as he scored seven goals and 40 points in 62 games with the Knights. He finished the season with 121 penalty minutes, second on the club. In the playoffs, Marsh scored three goals and eight points in 20 games, helping London to the J. Ross Robertson Cup finals, where they lost to the Ottawa 67's.
In his final season with the Knights in 1977–78, Marsh scored eight goals and 63 points in 62 games, while leading the club with 192 penalty minutes, helping London finish in first place in the Emms Division. In the post-season, Marsh scored two goals and 12 points in 11 games, as the team lost in the OMJHL semi-finals. Marsh won the Max Kaminsky Trophy which is awarded to the best defenseman in the OMJHL.
The Knights would honour Marsh by retiring his sweater number following his playing career.
Atlanta/Calgary Flames (1978–1981)
The Atlanta Flames drafted Marsh in the first round, 11th overall, at the 1978 NHL Entry Draft held in Montreal, Quebec.
Marsh made his NHL debut with the Flames against the Chicago Black Hawks on October 11, 1978, where he was held with no points in a 4–4 tie. In his second career game, on October 13 against the Washington Capitals, Marsh earned his first career point, an assist on a goal by Ken Houston in a 3–3 tie. Marsh finished the 1978–79 season by playing in all 80 games, however, he did not score a goal and earned 19 assists. His 101 penalty minutes was the fourth highest on the Flames. On April 10, Marsh appeared in his first playoff game, earning no points in a 4–1 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs. Overall, he played in two post-season games, being held pointless, as the Flames lost to Toronto.
During the third game of the 1979–80 season, Marsh scored his first career NHL goal, against Phil Myre of the Philadelphia Flyers in a 9-2 Flames victory. Marsh finished the season with two goals and 11 points while playing in all 80 games for the second consecutive season. Marsh's 119 penalty minutes was the second highest on the club. In the post-season, Marsh earned his first career playoff point, an assist on a goal by Eric Vail in the third game of the Flames first round series against the New York Rangers. Overall, Marsh had one assist in four playoff games.
Marsh remained with the club during the summer of 1980, as the franchise transferred from Atlanta to Calgary, Alberta and became the Calgary Flames. Marsh was named captain of the club for the 1980–81 season after former captain Jean Pronovost was traded to the Washington Capitals. Marsh again played in all 80 games with the team, scoring a goal and 13 points while accumulating 87 penalty minutes, helping the club to the post-season. In 16 playoff games, Marsh earned five assists, as Calgary lost to the Minnesota North Stars in the NHL semi-finals.
Marsh began the 1981–82 season with the Flames. He played in 17 games with Calgary, earning an assist, while struggling with a -16 rating. On November 11, 1981, the Flames traded Marsh to the Philadelphia Flyers for Mel Bridgman.
Philadelphia Flyers (1981–1988)
Marsh joined the Philadelphia Flyers following a mid-season trade with the Calgary Flames during the 1981–82 season. He finished the season by appearing in 66 games with Philadelphia, scoring two goals and earning a career high 24 points, while earning 106 penalty minutes. In the post-season, Marsh was held pointless in four games.
In 1982–83, Marsh appeared in 68 games, scoring two goals and 13 points, while cutting down on his penalty minutes, earning only 52. In the post-season, Marsh earned an assist in two games.
During the 1983–84 season, Marsh set a career high in goals, as he scored three, while adding 14 assists for 17 points in 77 games. On April 5, during the Flyers second playoff game against the Washington Capitals, Marsh scored his first career playoff goal, against Al Jensen in a 6–2 loss. Marsh finished the post-season with a goal and two points in four games.
In the 1984–85 season, Marsh set a career high with a +42 rating, as well as scoring two goals and 20 points in 77 games. In the post-season, Marsh earned six assists in 19 games, while accumulating 65 penalty minutes, as the Flyers lost to the Edmonton Oilers in the 1985 Stanley Cup Finals. Following the season, Marsh finished in seventh place in Norris Trophy voting.
Marsh became an alternate captain in 1985–86. He played in 79 games, scoring no goals and 13 assists, while earning 123 penalty minutes. In five playoff games, Marsh had no points.
In 1986–87, Marsh scored two goals and 11 points in 77 games, while setting a career high 124 penalty minutes. In the post-season, Marsh played in 26 games, scoring three goals and seven points, as the Flyers lost to the Edmonton Oilers in seven games in the 1987 Stanley Cup Finals.
During the 1987–88 season, Marsh tied his career high in goals with three, as he earned 12 points in 70 games. In seven playoff games, Marsh scored a goal.
On October 3, 1988, the Toronto Maple Leafs claimed Marsh in the waiver draft.
Toronto Maple Leafs (1988–1991)
Marsh played his first game with the Toronto Maple Leafs on October 6, 1988, earning no points in a 2–1 loss to the Boston Bruins. Marsh earned his first point with the Leafs on October 9, an assist in an 8–4 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks. On April 1, 1989, Marsh scored his first goal with Toronto against Greg Millen of the St. Louis Blues in a 4–3 loss. Overall, Marsh scored a goal and 16 points in 80 games during his first season in Toronto, however, for the first time in his NHL career, he failed to qualify for the playoffs.
Marsh became an alternate captain for the Leafs for the 1989–90 season. In 79 games, Marsh scored a goal and 14 points while earning 95 penalty minutes, helping Toronto reach the post-season. In five playoff games, Marsh scored a goal.
He began the 1990–91 season with the Leafs. Marsh appeared in 22 games with Toronto, earning no points. On February 4, 1991, the Leafs traded Marsh to the Detroit Red Wings for the Red Wings eighth round draft pick in the 1991 NHL Entry Draft.
Detroit Red Wings (1991–1992)
Marsh finished the 1990–91 with the Detroit Red Wings following his trade from the Toronto Maple Leafs. Marsh played his first game with the Red Wings on February 8, 1991, earning an assist in an 8–4 victory over the New York Islanders. Nine days later, on February 17, Marsh recorded his first goal with Detroit, beating Ed Belfour of the Chicago Blackhawks in a 3–3 tie. In 20 games with the Red Wings, Marsh had a goal and four points. He suited up for Detroit for one playoff game, earning no points.
Marsh returned to the Red Wings for the 1991–92 season, appearing in 55 games. He tied his career high in goals with three, and added four assists for seven points. In three playoff games, Marsh had no points.
On June 10, 1992, Marsh was traded back to the Toronto Maple Leafs for cash; however, on July 20, 1992, the Maple Leafs traded Marsh to the Ottawa Senators for future considerations.
Ottawa Senators (1992–1993)
Marsh was named an alternate captain for the Ottawa Senators in their inaugural season. Marsh played his first game with the Senators on October 10, 1992, as he was held with no points in a 9–2 loss to the Quebec Nordiques. On October 27, Marsh earned his first point for Ottawa, an assist on a goal by Laurie Boschman, in a 7–2 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins. Marsh represented the Senators at the 44th National Hockey League All-Star Game held at the Montreal Forum in Montreal, Quebec, where he scored a goal as the Wales Conference defeated the Campbell Conference 16–6. This would be the only goal that Marsh would score during the season.
Marsh finished the 1992–93 season with three assists in 57 games. Following the season, Marsh announced his retirement from the NHL. Overall, he played in 1086 games, scoring 23 goals and 175 assists for 198 points, and earning 1241 penalty minutes. In 97 career playoff games, Marsh scored six goals and 24 points while accumulating 124 penalty minutes. His 23 goals is the NHL record for fewest goals scored by a player who played at least 1000 games. Marsh was also one of the last NHL players to not wear a helmet during league play.
Post-retirement
After his retirement, he moved into the Senators' front office as Director of Team and Business Development and remained there for several years. He also coached various levels of minor hockey over the years.
In the late 1990s, Marsh opened a sports bar in the Senators' arena known as Marshy's.
In 2007, Marsh was inducted into the London (Ontario) Sports Hall of Fame.
Marsh was announced as the head coach of the Canadian Women's Hockey League's Ottawa franchise on August 31, 2009. He was later hired as an assistant coach for Queen's University's hockey team, the Gaels, on August 26, 2011.
In late 2013, Marsh joined HockeyBuzz.com as one of the website's featured bloggers, writing stories that mainly touch on his playing days and providing insight to league issues and happenings.
In October 2018, Marsh helped to establish the Philadelphia Flyers Warriors, a disabled veteran hockey team, that is the first and only all veteran athletic team to be recognized by the City of Philadelphia to represent the City of Philadelphia.
Career statistics
Regular season and playoffs
International
Coaching statistics
Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, OTL = Overtime Losses, SOL = Shootout Losses, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against, Pts = Points.
See also
List of NHL players with 1000 games played
References
External links
Meltzer, Bill Flyers Heroes of the Past: Brad Marsh (Part 1) at Philadelphiaflyers.com.
Meltzer, Bill Flyers Heroes of the Past: Brad Marsh (Part 2) at Philadelphiaflyers.com.
Profile at hockeydraftcentral.com
1958 births
Living people
Atlanta Flames draft picks
Atlanta Flames players
Calgary Flames captains
Calgary Flames players
Canadian ice hockey defencemen
Detroit Red Wings players
Ice hockey people from London, Ontario
London Knights players
National Hockey League All-Stars
National Hockey League first-round draft picks
Ottawa Senators players
Philadelphia Flyers players
Toronto Maple Leafs players | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brad%20Marsh |
Zeta Leporis, Latinized from ζ Leporis, is a star approximately away in the southern constellation of Lepus. It has an apparent visual magnitude of 3.5, which is bright enough to be seen with the naked eye. In 2001, an asteroid belt was confirmed to orbit the star.
Stellar components
Zeta Leporis has a stellar classification of A2 IV-V(n), suggesting that it is in a transitional stage between an A-type main-sequence star and a subgiant. The (n) suffix indicates that the absorption lines in the star's spectrum appear nebulous because it is spinning rapidly, causing the lines to broaden because of the Doppler effect. The projected rotational velocity is 245 km/s, giving a lower limit on the star's actual equatorial azimuthal velocity.
The star has about 1.46 times the mass of the Sun, along with 1.5 times the radius, and 14 times the luminosity. The abundance of elements other than hydrogen and helium, what astronomers term the star's metallicity, is only 17% of the abundance in the Sun. The star appears to be very young, probably around 231 million years in age, but the margin of error spans 50–347 million years old.
Asteroid belt
In 1983, based on radiation in the infrared portion of the electromagnetic spectrum, the InfraRed Astronomical Satellite was used to identify dust orbiting this star. This debris disk is constrained to a diameter of 12.2 AU.
By 2001, the Long Wavelength Spectrometer at the Keck Observatory on Mauna Kea, Hawaii, was used more accurately to constrain the radius of the dust. It was found to lie within a 5.4 AU radius. The temperature of the dust was estimated as about 340 K. Based on heating from the star, this could place the grains as close as 2.5 AU from Zeta Leporis.
It is now believed that the dust is coming from a massive asteroid belt in orbit around Zeta Leporis, making it the first extra-solar asteroid belt to be discovered. The estimated mass of the belt is about 200 times the total mass in the Solar System's asteroid belt, or . For comparison, this is more than half the total mass of the Moon. Astronomers Christine Chen and professor Michael Jura found that the dust contained within this belt should have fallen into the star within 20,000 years, a time period much shorter than Zeta Leporis's estimated age, suggesting that some mechanism must be replenishing the belt. The belt's age is estimated to be years.
Solar encounter
Bobylev's calculations from 2010 suggest that this star passed as close as 1.28 parsecs (4.17 light-years) from the Sun about 861,000 years ago. García-Sánchez 2001 suggested that the star passed 1.64 parsecs (5.34 light-years) from the Sun about 1 million years ago. It was the brightest star in the night sky over 1 million years ago, peaking with an apparent magnitude of -2.05.
See also
Delta Trianguli
HD 69830
Vega
References
Further reading
External links
UCLA astronomers identify evidence of asteroid belt around nearby star: Findings indicate potential for planet or asteroid formation, 2001.
Wikisky image of Zeta Leporis
Leporis, Zeta
Circumstellar disks
Leporis, 14
038678
027288
Lepus (constellation)
A-type main-sequence stars
1998
Durchmusterung objects
Gliese and GJ objects | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zeta%20Leporis |
The Bohemian is a painting by William-Adolphe Bouguereau completed in 1890. It depicts a barefooted young woman sitting on a concrete bench on the south bank of the Seine across from Notre Dame de Paris resting a violin in her lap. Her right arm is resting on her thigh while the palm of her left hand is pressed down on her left knee so that she does not lean on the violin. Her hands are clasped with the fingers pointing forward while her shoulders are wrapped in a shawl dyed maroon and light green, and she is wearing a gray dress that extends to her ankles. The bow of the violin has been stuck through diagonally under the fingerboard. To her right is a maple tree.
The subject is a model employed by Bouguereau for this and other paintings, including The Shepherdess.
It was owned by the Minneapolis Institute of Art until 2004 when it was auctioned by Christie's to benefit the acquisition fund.
References
Paintings by William-Adolphe Bouguereau
1890 paintings
Musical instruments in art
Notre-Dame de Paris
Churches in art
Bridges in art | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The%20Bohemian%20%28Bouguereau%29 |
Karl Fleming (August 30, 1927 – August 11, 2012) was an American journalist who made a significant contribution to the Civil Rights Movement through his work for Newsweek magazine in the 1960s. Fleming was born in Newport News, Virginia in 1927.
Early life
When he was a baby, his father died. His mother remarried and had a daughter with her new husband. At the age of 6, his stepfather died and soon after his mother was diagnosed with tuberculosis. Fleming and his half sister were forced to go into an orphanage. Fleming has claimed that his experiences as a young boy in the orphanage encouraged a hatred of bullies and a support for the underdog that influenced his position on the civil rights struggle.
Education
Fleming attended college for two years and in 1945 joined the US Navy.
Career
After his serving in the Navy, Fleming worked at local newspapers and eventually worked his way up to becoming a reporter for The Atlanta Constitution Magazine. In 1961, having worked as a stringer for Newsweek for a number of months, he was hired by the magazine as a permanent correspondent in their Atlanta Bureau when Bill Emerson, formerly Atlanta Bureau Chief, was promoted.
During his career as a journalist, Fleming risked his life covering James Meredith's entry into the University of Mississippi and also in 1964 when he covered the deaths of three civil rights workers in Philadelphia, Mississippi. After a brief stint at the Houston Bureau, Fleming was promoted to chief of Newsweek's Los Angeles Bureau. Whilst in this post, Fleming not only covered the Watts riots of 1965 but was also severely beaten during a later flare-up of tension in LA's southern black neighborhood in 1966. In 1972 two men used counterfeit 20-dollar bills printed with DB Cooper serial numbers to swindle $30,000 from Karl Fleming who was then working for Newsweek in exchange for an interview with a man they falsely claimed was the hijacker.
Personal life
Fleming's first wife was Sandra Sisk and his second wife was Anne Taylor Fleming. He has four sons named Chas, David, Russell, and Mark and eight grandchildren. Sisk died in 2007.
Death
He died at his Los Angeles home in 2012 of respiratory complications at the age of 84.
Bibliography
The First Time: Famous People Tell about Their First Sexual Experience (1975), with Anne Taylor Fleming. Simon & Schuster
Son Of The Rough South: An Uncivil Memoir (2005)
References
Newsweek people
1927 births
2012 deaths
American male journalists | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karl%20Fleming |
The Learning Center for the Deaf (TLC) is a Framingham, Massachusetts-based non-profit organization and school serving deaf and hard-of-hearing children and adults.
TLC has three campuses. The main Framingham campus, where the Marie Philip and Walden Schools, and audiology clinic are located. There is also a second Framingham campus which houses Walden Community Services (WCS) and the interpreting department. There is a third campus in Springfield, MA where WCS has an additional office. TLC offers educational programs for deaf and hard of hearing students from infancy through high school. It also provides community programs including American Sign Language (ASL) classes, an audiology clinic, and interpreting services.
History
In 1970, Warren Schwab established TLC in Massachusetts. He focused on a bilingual approach of education focusing on both ASL and the English language. Initially the school had a student-centered curriculum with open classroom format. The school was started with 22 students and expanded in 1975, with the addition of a preschool program, and in 1976 with the addition of a parent-infant program. In 1978, the school established a special needs program for deaf children who have cognitive or behavior disabilities. A high school began in 1980, and a group residence for high school students began the following year.
In 1987, TLC opened Walden House, a comprehensive residential treatment program for deaf youth between the ages of 8 and 22 years who are challenged by social and emotional difficulties. A new facility for these students was completed and occupied in December 1995 and is now called the Walden School. In 1994, the school opened a satellite campus in Randolph, Massachusetts, which was closed in 2011.
In 2010, TLC received full accreditation from The New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC), The Conference of Educational Administrators of Schools and Programs for the Deaf (CEASD) and the Council on Accreditation (COA) and continues to maintain full accreditation with each of them.
Notable people
Chuck Baird - Chuck Baird is a well-known artist in the deaf community. In 1994, Baird lived in TLC for a year, as an artist in residence, to create a 150-foot-long mural called A Panoramic View of the History of American Sign Language. The mural with three divided sections: the Golden Ages, the Dark Ages, and American Sign Language Revival, was placed on the walls of the Schwab Athletic Center of the Framingham campus.
Joseph Thomas Kopas - Joseph Thomas Kopas was a member of the deaf community and a teacher is five educational systems, including TLC, where he sent 30 years. When TLC was established, he contributed to the school by being a part of the growth story within the deaf communities throughout the nation. He retired in 2001 and died in 2014.
Marie Jean Philip - Marie Jean Philip was an educator and advocate in the deaf community. She educated children using both ASL and written English. In her lifetime, she helped promote and support the deaf community and deaf education as well as the bilingual cultural movement including her position as the Bilingual Bicultural Coordinator at TLC. Philip died in 1997. On May 30, 2002, TLC commemorated Philip by naming the new elementary school at TLC as Marie Jean Philip Elementary School. In September 2015, the school named its Pre-K through 12 grade program as the Marie Philip School at The Learning Center for the Deaf.
Logo change
On May 14, 2016, TLC introduced a new logo for the school which consists of seven concepts that contributed to the logo change. The color green was picked because of the beauty of the green grass on the campus. Butterfly is a symbol of the Deaf community, Ghosts of fire is the school's mascot, Books was as a way to support a bilingual/bicultural education, Inspiration indicates TLC's way of inspiring students, parents, staff and community, Waving Hands represent the sign for applause and TLC Sign Name shows the sign for I Love You.
Campuses
Framingham - TLC's main campus is on 14 acres located in Framingham, Massachusetts with 16 buildings for different purposes. The campus includes the Early Childhood Center focused on infants through five years of age, the Elementary school, ages six to twelve, and Secondary Education, middle through high school.
Walden School - The Walden School is an educational institution and program of TLC that provides housing, support, and educational services for deaf students, between the ages of 8 and 22. Services provided are supportive and student-centered. The Walden School offers a 12-month residential services for their students to be able to live in a private room.
Randolph Campus - In 1994, TLC opened the Randolph Campus in order to provide services to students from infancy through fifth grade. In 2011, the Randolph Campus closed consolidating the Early Childhood Programs to the main campus.
Community programs
TLC has offered an ASL program to the community for over 49 years. The classes teach a wide range of ASL vocabulary, deaf history and deaf culture. This program has been offered. The audiology clinic is a medical division located on Framingham campus that provides hearing aids, audiological testing services and cochlear implant services. It is a non-profit division of TLC that helps support the school
The Center for Research and Training (CRT) supports culturally and linguistically accessible education for deaf and hard of hearing students by consulting with schools, districts, and states on effective dual language instructional practices in ASL and English. CRT develops STEM-specific educational resources in ASL, consults on bilingual K-12 instruction, and administers bilingual assessments for students ages 4–18. TLC also includes an interpreting service at Framingham campus that serves different needs within the Metro West and Central Massachusetts areas by providing ASL/English translations.
The Public School Partnerships is designed for students who are in public schools and use a hearing aids or cochlear implants. The Walden Community Services program includes the Children's Behavioral Health Initiative through MassHealth and the Family Support and Stabilization for families working with Department of Children and Families (DCF) Family Networks program. TLC's Parent Infant Program (PIP) is a specialty early intervention provider. The CTE program prepares deaf and hard of hearing students for employment with a company or as a private contractor. The Learning Center's athletic program operates in a regulation-size gymnasium and on spacious playing fields. The center partners with Special Olympics and offers Unified Sports.
Recognition
TLC received the Outstanding Employer/Partner Award 2018 by RIT/NTID, and Outstanding Organization of the Year 2019 by the Massachusetts Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing.
References
External links
TLC's website
Walden School website
TLC Outpatient Audiology Clinic website
Schools for the deaf in Massachusetts
Educational institutions established in 1970
Schools in Middlesex County, Massachusetts | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The%20Learning%20Center%20for%20the%20Deaf |
Sender Freies Berlin (; abbreviated SFB ; ) was the ARD public radio and television service for West Berlin from 1 June 1954 until 1990 and for Berlin as a whole from German reunification until 30 April 2003. On 1 May 2003 it merged with Ostdeutscher Rundfunk Brandenburg to form Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg.
History
Pre-war
In 1922, the Deutsche Stunde, Gesellschaft für drahtlose Belehrung und Unterhaltung mbH (German Society for Wireless Instruction and Entertainment Limited) was formed to promote the new science of radio broadcasting and reception. This institution began broadcasting on 29 October 1923 from Berlin.
In 1933, German broadcasting was brought under Nazi state control and the station became Reichssender Berlin, part of the national Großdeutscher Rundfunk, controlled by Joseph Goebbels. The station was closed by the Allies at the end of the Battle of Berlin that brought the End of World War II in Europe.
Post-war
In the post-war four-power occupation of Germany, the British Control Commission appointed Hugh Greene to restart German broadcasting in the British Zone. The first station on-air was Radio Hamburg. This was followed by the setting up of Nordwestdeutscher Rundfunk (NWDR) as the broadcasting corporation for the entire British Zone and for Berlin. Similarly, the United States created Rundfunk im amerikanischen Sektor (RIAS) for their zone in Berlin.
In 1948, NWDR was transferred to German control (RIAS remained American-controlled).
In 1950, NWDR began two second radio services in its area on FM, NDR2 in the north and WDR2 in the west. In 1952, NWDR pioneered the launching of 625-line television broadcasting in (West) Germany.
East German uprising
In June and July 1953, a strike by construction workers in the German Democratic Republic (GDR) led to an uprising of the people of the communist state which was violently put down by Soviet forces and the Volkspolizei.
The government of the GDR accused RIAS of fanning the flames of the uprising and reporting inaccurately. This led to calls for West Berlin to have its own independent broadcaster as in the other Länder.
A law was passed to establish this new broadcaster, which came into force on 12 November 1953, separating West Berlin from NWDR. The new Sender Freies Berlin began broadcasting two services, SFB1 and SFB2 on 1 June 1954, and joined the ARD in September 1954.
SFB began broadcasting the ARD's television service in 1958
SFB's radio and television signals as well as covering West Berlin were receivable in many parts of East Germany; similarly, East German radio and television were receivable throughout West Berlin.
Third Programmes
On 1 October 1962 SFB and Norddeutscher Rundfunk (NDR) began broadcasting the high-culture and classical music Drittes Programm (Third Programme), modeled on the British BBC Third Programme. This was joined by a service for immigrant workers on 1 June 1973, and became a separate service known as SFB3 on 1 April 1979.
On 4 January 1965, a third public television service was started, joining ARD (Das Erste) and ZDF. SFB and Radio Bremen both relayed the service provided by NDR – Nord 3 (later N3). The best known programme on Nord 3 was "KONTRASTE", a political magazine that concentrated on developments in the Eastern bloc.
N3's teletext service, Nordtext (later NDR-Text), carried information for West Berlin.
1989–2003
With the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, and the subsequent German reunification in 1990, Berlin was left with duplicate broadcasting outlets from the two administrations – SFB from the west and Berliner Rundfunk (radio) and Fernsehen der DDR (DDR, later DFF) (television) from the east.
On 1 January 1992, SFB became the public broadcasting company for the whole of reunited Berlin. However, SFB had long had a significant audience in East Berlin for some time before reunification. The radio station SFB1 became Berlin 88,8 (later 88acht and now radioBerlin 88,8). In October 1992, N3's frequency was replaced by SFB's full-fledged service for the capital, B1 (Berlin Eins), later SFB1.
The GDR's national television service was closed and replaced by four ARD regions: an expanded NDR in the north; the continuing SFB in Berlin; and the new Mitteldeutscher Rundfunk (MDR) in the south and Ostdeutscher Rundfunk Brandenburg (ORB – East German Broadcasting – Brandenburg) in the east.
On 22 February 1993, the SFB began a joint venture with the new ORB to create Radio BZWEI, a news and information service for the east of the country aimed at 25 to 50-year-old listeners. On 1 March 1993, the two broadcasters launched Fritz, a radio station for young people.
On 18 September 1994, SFB launched RADIOmultikulti (SFB4), a service for foreign nationals and immigrants to Germany. This was joined by InfoRADIO, a SFB/ORB joint venture news station, on 28 August 1995.
In 1995 the Ostdeutscher Rundfunk Brandenburg in coalition with the Sender Freies Berlin started their Internet radio streaming service Info-Radio on Demand.
On 3 October 1997, SFB and ORB launched RADIOkultur, a cultural station taking up much of the programming of SFB3, with an emphasis on classic, world, jazz and new music and politics.
Merger
Having co-operated on many of services, SFB and ORB merged on 1 May 2003 to form Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg (RBB).
SFB stations
Television
Joint operations
Das Erste – ARD joint channel
Phoenix – ARD and ZDF joint events channel
KiKa – ARD and ZDF joint children's channel
Arte – French-German culture channel
3sat – ARD, ZDF, ORF, and SRG joint highbrow channel
Own network
SFB1 (formerly B1) – "third" television channel for Berlin
Radio
The stations before German reunification were different: (generalist), SFB 2 (musical, competing with the eastern DT64), (classical music, collaboration with WDR) and (youth).
(from 1 June 1946 until 1 January 1992, then as 88acht)
SFB 2 (from 1 June 1946 until 22 February 1993, then in co-operation with ORB as Radio B Zwei)
(from 1 April 1979 to 2 October 1997), then merged into (ORB) and (1997–2000, ORB and NDR)
SFB 4 (until 29 April 1990) then as until 31 December 1992 and since 1 March 1993 as (ORB)
Berlin 88,8 (later 88acht and now ) – local radio for Berlin
(formerly SFB4 MultiKulti) – station for foreign workers and immigrants
Co-operation with ORB
– youth radio
– information station
– culture station
Radioeins – entertainment station
Directors-General
1954–1957: Alfred Braun
1957–1960: Walter Geerdes
1961–1968: Walter Steigner
1968–1978: Franz Albert Barsig
1978–1983: Wolfgang Haus
1983–1986: Lothar Loewe
1986–1989: Günter Herrmann
1989–1997: Dr Günther von Lojewski
1998–2003: Horst Schättle
References
External links
Official site of Sender Freies Berlin (redirect to RBB)
ARD (broadcaster)
German radio networks
Defunct radio stations in Germany
Defunct television channels in Germany
1954 establishments in West Germany
Organisations based in Berlin
Radio stations in Berlin
Television stations in Berlin
Radio stations established in 1954
Television channels and stations established in 1954
West Berlin
2003 disestablishments in Germany | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sender%20Freies%20Berlin |
The IIFA Award for Best Film is chosen via a worldwide poll and the winner is announced at the ceremony. UTV Motion Pictures won 3 awards each, followed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali & Yash Chopra with 2 awards each.
Winners and nominees
2010's
2018 (19th)
2019 (20th)
2020's
2020 (21st)
2022 (22nd)
2023 (23rd)
References
External links
Official site
International Indian Film Academy Awards
Awards for best film | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IIFA%20Award%20for%20Best%20Film |
Frederic Collin Walcott (February 19, 1869April 27, 1949) was a United States senator from Connecticut.
Biography
Born in New York Mills, Oneida County, New York, the son of William Stuart Walcott and Emeline Alice Welch Walcott, Walcott attended the public schools of Utica, New York and graduated from Lawrenceville School (Lawrenceville, New Jersey) in 1886, from Phillips Academy (Andover, Massachusetts) in 1887, and from Yale University in 1891, where he was a member of Skull and Bones. He married Frances Dana Archbold February 14, 1899, and she died the same year. He married Mary Hussey Guthrie on April 3, 1907, in Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania.
He was the nephew of William H. Welch.
Career
Walcott moved to New York City in 1907 and engaged in the manufacture of cotton cloth and banking. When Walcott moved to Norfolk, Connecticut, in 1910, he continued his business connections in New York City until 1921, when he retired from active business pursuits.
During the First World War, Walcott served with the United States Food Administration as assistant to Herbert Hoover; he was decorated by the government of France with the Legion of Honor and by Poland with the Officer's Cross. He was president of the Connecticut Board of Fisheries and Game from 1923 to 1928 and chairman of the Connecticut Water Commission from 1925 to 1928. He was a delegate to Republican National Convention from Connecticut in 1924, 1928, and 1932.
Walcott was a member of the state senate from 1925 to 1929, serving as president pro tempore from 1927 to 1929. He was elected as a Republican to the U.S. Senate and served from March 4, 1929, to January 3, 1935, and was an unsuccessful candidate for re-election in 1934.
From 1935 to 1939, Walcott was commissioner of welfare of Connecticut, and a member of the advisory committee of the Human Welfare Group of Yale University from 1920 to 1948, and of Bethume Cookman College, Daytona, Florida, from 1922 to 1948. He also served as regent of the Smithsonian Institution from 1941 to 1948.
Death
Walcott died in Stamford, Connecticut on April 27, 1949, (age 80 years, 67 days). He is interred at New Milford Center Cemetery in New Milford.
References
External links
Frederic Collin Walcott papers (MS 529). Manuscripts and Archives, Yale University Library.
Govtrack US Congress
1869 births
1949 deaths
Lawrenceville School alumni
Phillips Academy alumni
Republican Party United States senators from Connecticut
Yale University alumni
Republican Party Connecticut state senators
Presidents pro tempore of the Connecticut Senate
People from New York Mills, New York
People from Norfolk, Connecticut
Members of Skull and Bones | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frederic%20C.%20Walcott |
David Andrew Szott (born December 12, 1967) is a former professional American football offensive lineman.
Szott was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in the seventh round of the 1990 NFL Draft. Szott played 14 years in the National Football League for the Kansas City Chiefs, the Washington Redskins, and the New York Jets, before retiring from football in February 2004. He remained with the Jets as an offensive line coach and in player development. Szott became the team's chaplain in 2006.
Szott played college football at Penn State for legendary football coach Joe Paterno.
Szott grew up in Clifton, New Jersey, and was a standout player at Clifton High School in New Jersey. He was also a standout high school wrestler in New Jersey placing fourth in the heavyweight division of the 1986 USA Wrestling Junior Freestyle Tournament. Szott was undefeated until the round robin portion where he was pinned by eventual champion John Matyiko of Virginia. Szott then was pinned by Carl Presley of Illinois in the semi-finals and settled for fourth place while losing by fall to Jon Morris of Virginia.
Personal life
Szott and his wife, Andrea, have two children, the older, Shane, suffers from cerebral palsy. He is a tireless fundraiser for charitable causes related to the disorder. Josh, the youngest is 20 years old and plays wide receiver for Colgate University.
References
External links
"NY Jets' Dave Szott Honored as 'Hometown Hero'", United Way Press Release, May 1, 2003
1967 births
Living people
American football offensive guards
Clifton High School (New Jersey) alumni
Kansas City Chiefs players
New York Jets players
New York Jets coaches
Penn State Nittany Lions football players
Sportspeople from Clifton, New Jersey
Sportspeople from Passaic, New Jersey
Players of American football from Passaic County, New Jersey
Washington Redskins players | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dave%20Szott |
Claus Peter Flor (born 16 March 1953, Leipzig) is a German conductor.
Flor studied violin and clarinet at the Robert Schumann Conservatory in Zwickau. He continued his music studies at the Franz Liszt Academy of Music in Weimar and the HMT Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy in Leipzig. He was later a conducting student with Rolf Reuter and with Kurt Masur.
Flor was chief conductor of the Suhl Philharmonic Orchestra from 1981 to 1984. Flor served as chief conductor of the Konzerthausorchester Berlin from 1984 to 1991. He was artistic advisor and principal guest conductor to the Tonhalle Orchestra Zürich from 1991 to 1996. He was principal guest conductor of the Philharmonia Orchestra from 1991 to 1994, and became principal guest conductor of the Orchestra Sinfonica di Milano Giuseppe Verdi in 2003. In April 2017, Het Gelders Orkest announced that they had secured the services of Flor for an extended guest conductor relationship, without the formal conferring of a title such as 'principal guest conductor'. In June 2017, the Orchestra Sinfonica di Milano Giuseppe Verdi announced the appointment of Flor as its next music director, effective with the 2017-2018 season, with an initial contract of 3 years.
Outside of Europe, Flor served as principal guest conductor with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra from 1999 to 2008. From 2008 to 2014, Flor was music director of the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra. During his tenure, he oversaw controversial sackings of nine key musicians of the orchestra, which culminated in a call by the International Federation of Musicians for an international boycott against auditions held by the orchestra.
References
External links
IMG Artists agency biography of Claus Peter Flor
1953 births
Living people
German male conductors (music)
Musicians from Leipzig
21st-century German conductors (music)
21st-century German male musicians | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claus%20Peter%20Flor |
Gordon McPherson (born 1965) is a Scottish composer.
McPherson was born in Dundee. He studied at the University of York, England, returning there for his doctorate, continuing with post-doctoral research at the Royal Northern College of Music.
MacPherson has composed almost 100 pieces (as of 2006). His work has been performed and broadcast widely throughout the world. Recent works have included Kamperduin, a second work for the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, commissioned to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the 1797 Battle of Camperdown; Friends in Strange Places, a new chamber work recorded for the inauguration of Dundee Contemporary Arts; a second study for guitar, Miami, premiered at the Wigmore Hall in 1998 and Detours, commissioned by the Hebrides Ensemble.
The Baby Bear's Bed for Icebreaker was premiered in Vienna in October 1999 and has subsequently received performances in Belgium, the Netherlands, Slovakia and the United Kingdom. It has also been recorded by Icebreaker on their Extraction album.
Other recent works include South for the National Youth Orchestra of Scotland, a seventh movement for his Handguns, a suite for Psappha, a third string quartet for the Salisbury Festival and a third study for the Bath International Guitar Festival.
He has been in demand both as a teacher and lecturer and is currently head of composition at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.
References
External links
Digitised scores of his musical works can be viewed through the Five Centuries of Scottish Music collection hosted by AHDS Performing Arts
1965 births
20th-century classical composers
21st-century classical composers
Academics of the University of St Andrews
Alumni of the University of York
Living people
Scottish classical composers
British male classical composers
20th-century Scottish musicians
Musicians from Dundee
20th-century British composers
20th-century British male musicians
21st-century British male musicians | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gordon%20McPherson |
A Time Odyssey is a series of novels co-written by Arthur C. Clarke (author of the 1968 novel 2001: A Space Odyssey) and Stephen Baxter. , the series consists of:
Vol. 1 – Time's Eye (3 March 2003)
Vol. 2 – Sunstorm (29 March 2005)
Vol. 3 – Firstborn (26 December 2007)
The 2008 Gollancz edition of the most recent book describes itself on the cover as the "Conclusion" of the series, but the plot is not concluded in the book. The immediate threat is averted but the enemy is not defeated, suggesting that further novels in the series were intended. Arthur Clarke, one of the two authors, died in March 2008 soon after the book was published and there have been no further books in the series.
Premise
The story is based on Clarke's previous Space Odyssey novel series. In the introduction to the Time's Eye, Clarke describes the premise as "neither a prequel nor a sequel" to Space Odyssey, but an "orthoquel" (a neologism coined by Clarke for this purpose, combining the word sequel with ortho-, the Greek prefix meaning "straight" or "perpendicular", and alluding to the fact that time is orthogonal to space in relativity theory). In Space Odyssey, a race of benevolent godlike aliens with highly advanced technology decides to use machines called "monoliths" to travel across the galaxy with the intention to ensure the survival chances of intelligent life (including Earth) and "test" and "weed out" species that have no possibility for intelligence.
In the Time Odyssey series, not-so-benevolent godlike aliens start an endless mission to regulate the development of sentient life throughout the known universe, in order to prevent all other species from harnessing too much of its energy, which would only accelerate the inevitable heat death of the universe. Consequently, these "Firstborn" are destroying other intelligent species. To preserve a record of these eradicated species, the Firstborn create a new alternate universe containing the species' home world in different time periods.
This preservation universe is the main plot of the first book, Time's Eye. Time periods in Earth's history are taken and reassembled. The periods seem to date from 2.5 million years ago to June 8, 2037. Characters caught up in this include Bisesa from 2037, Rudyard Kipling from 1885, the hordes of Genghis Khan from the thirteenth century and the army of Alexander the Great from the fourth century B.C. This patch-work Earth is later rechristened Mir, Russian for Peace and World. The second book opens with Bisesa being taken from Mir and placed in her London flat on June 9, 2037. It follows the building of the Shield on April 20, 2042, to the opening of the first space elevator in 2047. The last book switches between Mir—years 32 to 35, Mars and Earth—years 2069 to 2072.
References
Novels by Arthur C. Clarke
Stephen Baxter series
Book series introduced in 2003 | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A%20Time%20Odyssey |
KDPI may refer to:
KDPI (FM), a radio station (88.5 FM) licensed to serve Ketchum, Idaho, United States
Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KDPI |
Schieder-Schwalenberg (Low German: Schüer-Schwalenberg) is a town in the Lippe district, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is situated approximately east of Detmold.
It consists of 8 communes, which have been combined to a town in 1970. The names of the communes are Schieder, Brakelsiek, Schwalenberg, Lothe, Ruensiek, Wöbbel, Siekholz and Kreienberg, the district Schieder together with Glashütte is a Kneipp health resort. Together they have c. 8,400 residents (2020).
Geography
Schieder-Schwalenberg is located between the Teutoburger Wald and the Weserbergland. The district of Schieder is situated on the banks of Schiedersee, an artificial lake that is fed and drained by the River Emmer.
Coat of arms
The swallow on the red ground depicts Schwalenberg's municipal coat of arms.
On the blue ground the crown represents the summer residence of the House of Lippe, the castle at Schieder. The white line in between represents the River Emmer.
Economy
The main industrial sector is the furniture industry. Schieder Möbel are the main producer of furniture. Apart from the furniture branch tourism plays an important part in the economy. Tourists, mainly from Germany, Denmark and the Netherlands, often come to rent holiday flats for a short break. The Schiedersee and the Glashütte district attract many visitors.
History
The County of Schwalenberg was first mentioned with count Widekind I in 1127. The original seat of the counts had been Oldenburg Castle at Marienmünster. The monastery of Marienmünster was founded by the counts in 1128. Schwalenberg Castle was built between 1228 and 1231 by count Volkwin III. During the 13th century the territory of the counts was split between several branches, creating the county of Schwalenberg itself (then mainly restricted to a small territory around Schwalenberg Castle), the county of Pyrmont (existing from 1194 until 1495), the county of Waldeck (existing as a principality until 1918) and the county of Sternberg (existing from 1243 until 1377, later disputed between the counts of Schaumburg and the counts of Lippe). When the Schwalenberg branch extinguished in 1365, its territory was divided between the House of Lippe (which used Schwalenberg Castle as a seat of junior branches and later distributed parts of the county to its branches Lippe-Biesterfeld and Lippe-Weissenfeld), and the Prince-Bishopric of Paderborn.
References
External links
Official Website of Schieder-Schwalenberg
Schiedersee
Website of the TuS 08 Brakelsiek Football Club in Schieder-Schwalenberg
Towns in North Rhine-Westphalia
Lippe
Principality of Lippe | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schieder-Schwalenberg |
The IIFA Award for Best Male Playback Singer is chosen by the viewers and the winner is announced at the ceremony. Arijit Singh holds the record for most wins in this category (5). Singh also holds the record for most nominations (15). Udit Narayan was first ever winner of the award in first edition of the award ceremony in 2000.
Superlatives
List of winners
† - indicates the performance also won the Filmfare Award‡ - indicates the performance was also nominated for the Filmfare Award
2000s
2010s
2020s
See also
IIFA Awards
References
External links
Official site
International Indian Film Academy Awards
Indian music awards | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IIFA%20Award%20for%20Best%20Male%20Playback%20Singer |
Zambia is a landlocked country in southern Africa. Modern Zambian theatre has developed syncretically from the melding of traditional local ritual and ceremonial forms of dance, drama and narrative storytelling, with Western theatre that was introduced during the colonial period.
About
Traditional dance and dramatic forms
Zambia is homeland to seventy-three Bantu peoples, each with their own language. Traditional rituals and ceremonies of the region incorporated dance and/or dramatic elements included:
kuombaka — a royal seasonal ceremony (Lozi)
makishi — a masquerade (Eastern Province)
ncwala — a commemoration of victories (Nguni)
nyau kasinja — a funeral dance (Eastern Province)
umutomboko — a celebration of the rule of Mwata Kazembe, which re-enacted the crossing of the Luapula River (Eastern Lunda)
Additionally, there were widespread traditions of oral storytelling, particularly fables featuring the trickster hare Kalulu and other animals, which promoted moral behaviour and satirised human foibles.
Colonial and post-colonial dance and drama
Performance of traditional rituals and ceremonies was discouraged by European colonisers of Northern Rhodesia and its predecessor territories. The mixing of ethnic traditions due to urbanisation in new copper mining towns, and in some cases a gradual shift from ritual to commercial performance, resulted in new syncretic dance and dramatic forms.
Western theatre was also introduced. The Northern Rhodesian Drama Association (later the Theatre Association of Zambia, TAZ), a whites-only organisation, was founded in 1952 and over the next few years several similarly-segregated theatres were constructed. Segregation was overturned in 1958 when the newly-formed multi-racial Waddington Theatre Club were permitted to join the association.
Radio broadcasting was significant in the development of local drama. The Central African Broadcasting Services was founded in 1948 by Harry Franklin, a government information officer, and targeted indigenous listeners, with programs not only in English but in a variety of local languages. Africans trained in radio techniques included Andreya Masiye, author of Zambia's first full-length play; his 1973 The Lands of Kazembe performed at the Chikwakwa Theatre adapted his 1957 radio play Kazembe and the Portuguese. In addition to formally-written plays, radio also broadcast ongoing improvised plays. For instance, Malikopo was a long-running weekly satirical radio drama in siTonga starring Edward Mungoni. It began in 1947 and was still popular into the nineteen-eighties.It is worth noting however that during the colonial period there was no publication of a stage play written by an indigenous Zambian despite the fact that the Zambian publishing industry was born in 1937 when the colonial Northern Rhodesian government established the African Literature Committee.
The indigenous Zambian Arts Trust formed in 1963. It toured with a repertoire of plays in Zambian languages and English, and ran theatre festivals.One of the distinguishing features of the plays written and performed by indigenous Zambians is that they drew inspiration and some materials from the Zambian oral traditions which included performances such as the oral narratives which are associated with traditional forms of dramatic expression. As Chilala argues in his article 'The African Narrative as a Tool of Education' African playwrights, including Zambians, have been known to blend traditional art forms and western dramatic concepts.
UNZADRAMS, the University of Zambia's drama society, was pivotal in the development of Zambian theatre, both as a foundation for future developments and in reaction to it. UNZADRAMS produced Zambian plays, built the open air Chikwakwa Theatre, instituted a touring company, and produced The Chikwakwa Review, a journal.
In 1975, the black-led Zambian National Theatre Arts Association (ZANTAA) was formed in opposition to TAZ due to dissatisfaction with the attitude of its predominantly white leadership towards non-western theatre. In 1986, Kebby Musokotwane, then Zambia's Minister of General Education and Culture, directed that the two organisations be merged to form the National Theatre Arts Association of Zambia (NATAAZ).
Modern
An organized Western-styled theatre movement can be found in Lusaka and other urban settings, but traditional dramatic arts are also part of the fabric of traditional life in many rural communities. In recent years, drama has been an especially important avenue for the fight against HIV/AIDS in Zambia.
Notes
References
Theatre in Zambia | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theatre%20of%20Zambia |
The Georgia O'Keeffe Museum is dedicated to the artistic legacy of Georgia O'Keeffe, her life, American modernism, and public engagement. It opened on July 17, 1997, eleven years after the artist's death. It comprises multiple sites in two locations: Santa Fe, New Mexico, and Abiquiu, New Mexico. In addition to the founding Georgia O'Keeffe Museum (also called the Museum Galleries) in Santa Fe, the O'Keeffe includes: the Library and Archive within its research center at the historic A.M. Bergere house; the Education Annex for youth and public programming; Georgia O'Keeffe's historic Abiquiu Home and Studio; the O'Keeffe Welcome Center in Abiquiu; and Museum Stores in both Santa Fe and Abiquiu. Georgia O'Keeffe's additional home at the Ghost Ranch property is also part of the O'Keeffe Museum's assets, but is not open to the public.
History
The private, non-profit museum was founded in November 1995 by philanthropists Anne Windfohr Marion and John L. Marion, part-time residents of Santa Fe. The museum's main building was designed by architect Richard Gluckman in association with Santa Fe firm Allegretti Architects. Gluckman's projects have included the gallery addition at the Whitney Museum of American Art's permanent collection in New York City and the Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Peter H. Hassrick and Jay Cantor led the museum during its first year. George King was director from 1998 to 2009. Robert Kret, served as director from 2009 to early 2019. Cody Hartley is the O'Keeffe's current director. Hartley joined the museum in 2013, and previously served as its director of curatorial affairs, senior director of collections and interpretation, and acting director. Of his vision for the museum, Hartley said, "I want our friends and neighbors to really think of the O’Keeffe as a beloved institution, as part of the community, as a good neighbor that does the kind programming and offers the kinds of community activities that really benefit their children and benefit themselves."
The museum's collections are the largest repository of Georgia O'Keeffe's work and personal materials, including items from her historic houses. Items from the collections rotate throughout the year in the Museum Galleries. Selected materials are also on view in the Library and Archives and the O'Keeffe Welcome Center. The Abiquiu Home and Studio was the artist's primary residence from the late 1940s through the end of her life. It includes the artist's garden, operated and harvested annually by local students. The museum's fine art collection includes many of Georgia O'Keeffe's key works. Subjects range from the artist's innovative abstractions to her iconic large-format flower, skull, and landscape paintings to paintings of architectural forms and rocks, shells, and trees. Initially, the collection was made of 140 O'Keeffe paintings, watercolors, pastels, and sculptures, but now includes nearly 1,200 objects.
Exhibitions and featured installations
2008: Georgia O'Keeffe and the Women of the Stieglitz Circle (organized with the High Museum of Art, Atlanta, Georgia)
2008: Georgia O'Keeffe and Ansel Adams: Natural Affinities
2008: O'Keeffe in New Mexico: At the Education Annex
2008: Georgia O'Keeffe and the Camera: The Art of Identity
2009: Modernists in New Mexico: Works from a Private Collector
2009: Georgia O'Keeffe: Beyond Our Shores
2009: New Mexico and New York: Photographs of Georgia O'Keeffe
2010: Susan Rothenberg: Moving in Place (organized with the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth)
2010: Georgia O'Keeffe: Abstraction (traveled to the Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, September 17, 2009 – January 17, 2010, and The Phillips Collection, Washington D.C., February 6, 2010 – May 9, 2010)
2010: O'Keeffiana Art and Art Materials
2011: Shared Intelligence: American Painting and the Photograph
2011: From New York to Corrymore: Robert Henri & Ireland
2012: Georgia O'Keeffe and the Faraway: Nature and Image
2013: Annie Leibovitz: Pilgrimage (organized by Smithsonian American Art Museum)
2013: Georgia O'Keeffe in New Mexico: Architecture, Katsinam, and the Land
2013: Modern Nature: Georgia O'Keeffe and Lake George (organized with The Hyde Collection, Lake George, New York)
2014: Georgia O’Keeffe and Ansel Adams: The Hawai'i Pictures
2014: Georgia O’Keeffe: Abiquiu Views
2014: Georgia O’Keeffe: Ghost Ranch Views
2015: Modernism Made in New Mexico
2016: Contemporary Voices: Susan York: Carbon
2016: O'Keeffe at the University of Virginia, 1912–1914
2017: Contemporary Voices: Journey to Center: New Mexico Watercolors by Sam Scott
2018: Contemporary Voices: The Black Place: Georgia O'Keeffe and Michael Namingha
2019: Contemporary Voices: Ken Price
To best share materials from its collection, the museum has moved away from the standard exhibition format, and rotates featured works on view in its Museum Galleries.
Library and archive
The Michael S. Engl Family Foundation Library and Archive supports the museum's exhibitions, collections, and activities through research services and resources with an emphasis on studies of Georgia O’Keeffe and her contemporaries, related regional histories, and Modernism. The Library and Archive makes accessible a variety of materials to support research conducted by the public and the museum's staff. The Library and Archive is open to the public by advanced appointment.
Items from the collection and archive are publicly available through the museum's Collections Online.
Georgia O'Keeffe's historic houses
Georgia O'Keeffe's Abiquiu Home and Studio is in Abiquiú, about 53 miles north of Santa Fe. Public tours are available March through November.
The museum also owns and maintains Georgia O'Keeffe's other house at the Ghost Ranch property, 20 minutes north of Abiquiú. It is not currently open to the public. The Ghost Ranch educational retreat is not a part of the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum, but is owned and operated by the Presbyterian Church. It offers special tours related to the landscape that inspired many of Georgia O'Keeffe's iconic works.
In popular culture
The museum and O'Keeffe's painting My Last Door were depicted in the 2010 episode "Abiquiu" of Breaking Bad.
See also
List of single-artist museums
References
Further reading
External links
Georgia O'Keeffe
Art museums and galleries in New Mexico
O'Keeffe
Museums in Santa Fe, New Mexico
O'Keeffe
Modern art museums in the United States
Art museums established in 1997
1997 establishments in New Mexico
Pueblo Revival architecture in Santa Fe, New Mexico | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georgia%20O%27Keeffe%20Museum |
The Lamborghini LM003 was a very short-lived offroad prototype project designed and built by Lamborghini in an attempt to meet military needs. It was virtually identical to the LM002, but instead of the V12 Lamborghini engine, it utilized a 5-cylinder, , 3.6L turbocharged diesel engine provided by VM Motori. The engine was determined to be entirely insufficient to power the 2600 kg (5700 lb) vehicle and the project was abandoned.
Another model that may have been dubbed the LM003 was developed when Lamborghini was under the ownership of Megatech. They realized that the LM002 was a steady and consistent seller, so they wanted to bring it back into production with an updated design. It was to have been named the Borneo or Galileo, to differentiate it with the previous LM003. The idea was taken to SZ Design, an offshoot of Zagato, but it never went past a few concept drawings that looked vaguely similar to a modern Range Rover.
References
LM003 | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lamborghini%20LM003 |
James Dixon (August 5, 1814 – March 27, 1873) was a United States representative and Senator from Connecticut.
Biography
Dixon, son of William & Mary (Field) Dixon, was born August 5, 1814, in Enfield, Connecticut, Dixon pursued preparatory studies, and graduated from Williams College in Williamstown, Massachusetts, in 1834, where he had been a charter member of The Kappa Alpha Society. He was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. He studied law, and was admitted to the bar in 1834 and commenced practice in Enfield.
Career
Dixon was a member of the Connecticut House of Representatives in 1837–1838 and 1844, and served as speaker in 1837; he moved to Hartford, Connecticut, in 1839 and continued the practice of law. He married Elizabeth Lord Cogswell on October 1, 1840. They had two sons, James Wyllys Dixon and Henry Whitfield Dixon, and two daughters, Elizabeth L. Dixon and Clementine Lydia Dixon. Clementine was courted (unsuccessfully) by the paleontologist, Othniel Charles Marsh.
She married Dr. James Clarke Welling.
Dixon was elected as a representative of Connecticut's 1st District, as a Whig to the House, serving during the Twenty-ninth and Thirtieth Congresses (March 4, 1845 – March 3, 1849), and was a member of the State house of representatives in 1854. He declined the nomination for governor of Connecticut in 1854, and was an unsuccessful candidate for United States Senator in 1854.
Dixon was elected as a Republican to the U.S. Senate in 1856, and reelected in 1863, serving from March 4, 1857, to March 3, 1869.
On December 16, 1861, Lyman Trumbull asked the Senate to consider his resolution: "That the Secretary of State be directed to inform the Senate whether, in the loyal States of the Union, any person or persons have been arrested and imprisoned and are now held in confinement by orders from him or his Department; and if so, under what law said arrests have been made, and said persons imprisoned." Dixon, supporting repression, said of the resolution: "it seems to me calculated to produce nothing but mischief".
While in the Senate, he was chairman of the Committee to Audit and Control the Contingent Expenses (Thirty-seventh and Thirty-eighth Congresses) and a member of the Committees on District of Columbia (Thirty-eighth and Thirty-ninth Congresses) and Post Office and Post Roads (Thirty-ninth Congress). He supported Horatio Seymour in the 1868 United States Presidential Election and was an unsuccessful Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate and the House of Representatives in 1868, primarily because he had been the first Republican member of the Senate to oppose the impeachment of President Andrew Johnson.
Death
Appointed Minister to Russia in 1869, Dixon declined and engaged in literary pursuits and extensive traveling until his death in Hartford on March 27, 1873. He is interred in Cedar Hill Cemetery.
References
External links
Govtrack US Congress
The Political Graveyard
1814 births
1873 deaths
People from Enfield, Connecticut
Whig Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Connecticut
Republican Party United States senators from Connecticut
Connecticut Democrats
Connecticut Republicans
Members of the Connecticut House of Representatives
Politicians from Hartford, Connecticut
Connecticut lawyers
Williams College alumni
Union (American Civil War) political leaders
People of Connecticut in the American Civil War
Burials at Cedar Hill Cemetery (Hartford, Connecticut)
19th-century American lawyers | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James%20Dixon |
Henry Bidleman Bascom (1796–1850) was an American Bishop of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, elected in 1850. He also distinguished himself as a circuit rider, pastor and Christian preacher; as chaplain to the U.S. House of Representatives; and as an editor, a college academic, and a denominational leader.
Early life and education
Of French Huguenot and Basque ancestry, Henry Bidleman Bascom was born 27 May 1796 in Hancock, Delaware County, New York. He was a descendant of Thomas Bascom, who came to the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1634 and who later founded Windsor, Connecticut. The name Bidleman came from the family of Henry's maternal grandmother, Rosanna Bidleman.
Henry Bascom joined the Methodist Episcopal Church in western Pennsylvania in 1811 after his family migrated to the frontier area.
Marriage and family
Bascom married Eliza Van Antwerp on 7 March 1839 in New York City.
Ministry
At a time of expansion of the Methodist Church on the frontier during the Second Great Awakening, new men were accepted into preaching. Although with little formal education, Bascom was found to be a good speaker with knowledge of the Bible; he was licensed to preach in 1813 at the age of seventeen and was received on trial by the Ohio Annual Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Rev. Bascom worked hard as a frontier circuit rider, traveling to scattered settlements across a wide territory. For example, one year he preached 400 times, receiving a salary of $12.10. He soon became noted as a pulpit orator.
His style was considered too florid to suit many in Ohio, so in 1816 he was transferred to Tennessee. He served appointments there and in Kentucky until 1822, when he returned to Ohio.
The Rev. Henry Bidleman Bascom was awarded the honorary degree Doctor of Divinity.
Bascom as pulpit orator
The Bishop Matthew Simpson, in his Cyclopaedia of Methodism (1880), wrote about Rev. Henry Bidleman Bascom's pulpit ministry:
"At one point, he was perhaps the most popular pulpit orator in the United States. His sermons, though long, did not weary the people. They were evidently prepared with great care. As is often the case, in reading his sermons we miss the brilliancy and vivacity of the living speaker. He was a man of remarkably fine personal appearance, and had a voice of great compass and power."
Congressional chaplain
In 1823 the Congressman Henry Clay from Kentucky, then Speaker of the House, obtained for Bascom the appointment of Chaplain of the U.S. House of Representatives, where he served 1824–26. At one time Bascom visited Baltimore, where his fervid oratory made a great sensation. He was known as a powerful speaker, fond of strong epithets and extravagant metaphors.
Academic and editorial ministry
Rev. Bascom was selected as the first president of Madison College, Uniontown, Pennsylvania (1827–29). He became an agent of the American Colonization Society (1829–31), working to help resettle American free blacks in Liberia, Africa.
In 1832 Bascom was hired as professor of moral science and belles-lettres at Augusta College, an early Methodist school in Kentucky. He taught there until 1842.
Rev. Bascom was selected as president of Transylvania University in Lexington, Kentucky (1842–49; he had declined two other offers).
From 1846 until 1850, Rev. Bascom edited the Southern Methodist Quarterly Review. He was a delegate to every M.E. General Conference from 1828 until 1844.
Methodist schism
Rev. Bascom played an important role at the M.E. General Conference of 1844, when the denomination divided over the question of slavery. The Church suspended Bishop James Osgood Andrew because he refused to manumit his slaves.
Dr. Bascom wrote the "protest of the minority" of the Southern members against this action by the majority, which became known as the denomination split. He was a member of the convention held the next year at Louisville, at which the M.E. Church, South, was organized. Bascom wrote its report.
Bascom was selected as chairman of the commission appointed to settle the differences between the two branches of the Church, but it did not reunite until 1939, long after the end of the American Civil War. He published a book in defense of the Southern church, entitled Methodism and Slavery; with Other Matters in Controversy between the North and the South; Being a Review of the Manifesto of the Majority, in Reply to the Protest of the Minority, of the Late General Conference of the Methodist E. Church, in the Case of Bishop Andrew (1845; available free on line at Google Books).
Elected bishop
Bascom was elected to the episcopacy by the General Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South in 1850 at St. Louis. He was consecrated a Bishop in May 1850, a few months before his death.
Death and burial
Bishop Bascom died 8 September 1850 in Louisville, Kentucky.
The communities of Bascom, Florida, and Bascom, Texas, were named in his honor.
Selected writings
Methodism and Slavery(1845), free e-text available
Sermons from the Pulpit
Lectures on Infidelity
Lectures on Moral and Mental Science
His collected works (4 volumes) were edited by Rev. T.N. Ralston and printed at Nashville (1850 and 1856).
Biographies
Henkle, M.M., Life of Bishop Bascom, Nashville, 1854.
See also
List of bishops of the United Methodist Church
Notes
References
Cyclopaedia of Methodism, Matthew Simpson, D.D., LL.D., Ed., (Revised Edition.) Philadelphia, Louis H. Everts, 1880.
"Henry Bidleman Bascom", The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia © 1994, 2000–2005, on Infoplease.
"Bascom, Henry Bidleman", in The New Schaff-Herzog Encyclopedia of Religious Knowledge, ed., Samuel Macauley Jackson, D.D., LL.D., Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House, 1954
1796 births
1850 deaths
Chaplains of the United States House of Representatives
Bishops of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South
American religion academics
American theologians
Methodist theologians
American people of Basque descent
Methodist writers
American Methodist Episcopal, South bishops
American sermon writers
American magazine editors
Editors of Christian publications
Methodist ministers
People from Augusta, Kentucky
Burials in Kentucky
Transylvania University people
Transylvania University faculty
19th-century Methodist bishops
19th-century American bishops | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry%20Bidleman%20Bascom |
Rebecca Marie "Becky" O'Donohue and Jessica Elleanore "Jessie" O'Donohue (born July 13, 1980) are American reality TV show contestants, models, actresses and former basketball players. The identical twins played college basketball at Niagara University before starting a career in entertainment and modeling. In 2006, Becky was a semi-finalist in the fifth season of American Idol.
Life and career
Early life and basketball careers
Becky and Jessie are from Dobbs Ferry, New York, from a family of Irish and Greek descent. They attended Dobbs Ferry High School where they exceled at basketball, with Jessie becoming the first girl in school history to have 1,000 career points and Becky the first to garner 1,000 career rebounds. Following their high school career, both sisters played four years for the Niagara Purple Eagles basketball team at Niagara University. At Niagara, Becky was a member of the Student Athletic Advisory Committee.
College statistics
Source
Entertainment career
Becky's original audition on American Idol was in Boston where she was supported by Jessie (who did not sing due to recent throat surgery). Judge Simon Cowell praised her looks, but said no to her voice. However, she was let through to Hollywood by co-judges Randy Jackson and Paula Abdul. O'Donohue made it through to the final twenty-four contestants in the semi-finals, but was the first female to be eliminated from the show when she received the fewest votes on February 23's results show. They briefly appeared on the American Idol season finale on May 24, 2006, via satellite from Birmingham, Alabama, as commentators during Taylor Hicks' cheering rally.
Both appeared in a special "Twins" episode on Fear Factor where they were eliminated on the first stunt. The twins also appeared together in Maxim magazine in 2004.
They played twin sisters Darla and Donna in the 2007 comedy film I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry and Layna and Sophia on an episode of ER.
Jessie appeared as a stripper named Karamel Owens in an 8th season episode of CSI: Miami titled "Dude, Where's My Groom?", while Becky played a stripper also named Karamel on the House, MD 5th season episode "House Divided."
The twins appeared on the "Sister Act" episode of Minute to Win It, on which they won with $50,000. Becky guest starred in the July 2010 Psych episode "Not Even Close... Encounters", and as Siri in the January 2012 The Big Bang Theory episode "The Beta Test Initiation". They also appear on the infomercial for WEN hair products with red hair. They appeared in Mardi Gras: Spring Break in 2011.
Becky appeared in the 4th season of The Mentalist playing Sasha a fashion model in the episode "Red Is the New Black".
References
External links
The actress who brought Siri to life
1980 births
Living people
21st-century American women singers
21st-century American singers
American female models
American Idol participants
American people of Greek descent
American people of Irish descent
American identical twin actors
American women's basketball players
Basketball players from New York (state)
Identical twins
People from Dobbs Ferry, New York | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Becky%20and%20Jessie%20O%27Donohue |
The Oompa-Loompa malware, also called OSX/Oomp-A or Leap.A, is an application-infecting, LAN-spreading worm for Mac OS X, discovered by the Apple security firm Intego on February 14, 2006. Leap cannot spread over the Internet, and can only spread over a local area network reachable using the Bonjour protocol. On most networks this limits it to a single IP subnet.
Delivery and infection
The Leap worm is delivered over the iChat instant messaging program as a gzip-compressed tar file called . For the worm to take effect, the user must manually invoke it by opening the tar file and then running the disguised executable within.
The executable is disguised with the standard icon of an image file, and claims to show a preview of Apple's next OS. Once it is run, the worm will attempt to infect the system.
For non-"admin" users, it will prompt for the computer's administrator password in order to gain the privilege to edit the system configuration. It doesn't infect applications on disk, but rather when they are loaded, by using a system facility called "apphook".
Leap only infects Cocoa applications, and it does not infect applications owned by the system (including the apps that come pre-installed on a new machine), but only apps owned by the user who is currently logged in. Typically, that means apps that the current user has installed by drag-and-drop, rather than by Apple's installer system. When an infected app is launched, Leap tries to infect the four most recently used applications. If those four don't meet the above criteria, then no further infection takes place at that time.
Payload
Once activated, Leap then attempts to spread itself via the user's iChat Bonjour buddy list. It does not spread using the main iChat buddy list, nor over XMPP. (By default, iChat does not use Bonjour and thus cannot transmit this worm.)
Leap does not delete data, spy on the system, or take control of it, but it does have one harmful effect: due to a bug in the worm itself, an infected application will not launch. This is helpful in that it prevents people from continuing to launch the infected program.
Protection and recovery
A common method of protecting against this type of Computer Worm is avoiding launching files from untrusted sources. An existing admin account can be "declawed" by unchecking the box "Allow this user to administer this computer." (At least one admin account must remain on the system in order to install software and change vital system settings, even if it is an account created solely for that purpose.)
Recovering after a Leap infection involves deleting the worm files and replacing infected applications with fresh copies. It does not require re-installing the OS, since system-owned applications are immune.
References
External links
Intego Analysis - OSX/Leap.A aka OSX/Oompa-Loompa
Macworld- Mac Security: Antivirus
Macworld test of Leap A, with recovery tips
Leap-A malware: what you need to know
Computer worms
MacOS malware | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leap%20%28computer%20worm%29 |
Presidential elections were held in Chile in 1836. Carried out through a system of electors, they resulted in the re-election of incumbent president Joaquín Prieto.
Prieto faced little opposition in this election and was easily re-elected.
Results
References
Presidential elections in Chile
Chile
1836 in Chile
Election and referendum articles with incomplete results | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1836%20Chilean%20presidential%20election |
Brett "Ace" Young (born November 15, 1980) is an American singer, songwriter, and actor. He gained national recognition while appearing on the fifth season of American Idol. Young is married to American Idol season-three runner-up Diana DeGarmo.
Biography
Early years
Young was raised in Boulder, Colorado and is the youngest of five sons. He began writing songs, singing, and taking voice lessons at age 9. In his youth he performed at shopping malls and recreation centers. He performed at various venues in Colorado and other western states, including performing the National Anthem at The Pepsi Center in Denver. Young graduated from Fairview High School in Boulder, Colorado in 1999. While in high school he participated in athletics, choir, and International Baccalaureate classes. He earned the rank of Eagle Scout during his senior year.
After Young graduated from high school he wrote a song called "Reason I Live" that was featured on the soundtrack of the 2000 film The Little Vampire.
In 2001, Young moved to Los Angeles, California to continue pursuing his music career. He ultimately met Brian McKnight and was given the chance to open for McKnight and New Edition. Just prior to auditioning for American Idol he landed a guest-starring role in an episode of Half & Half, playing a character named Ace Blackwell.
American Idol
After over four years in Los Angeles without a record deal, Young auditioned for American Idol in Denver, Colorado. His televised audition featured him singing Westlife's "Swear it Again." Young was introduced as Brett Young, with the name "Ace" marked in quotations. Later, he told producers he preferred to be called Ace and he was not referred to as Brett on the show again.
Young made it through Hollywood week and sang George Michael's song, "Father Figure" for his live Top 24 performance. He also performed Michael Jackson's song, "Butterflies."
The week that featured the music of Queen and the surviving members of the band as mentors, there was a brief controversy. American Idol's editing of Young's pre-performance package made it appear as if he had offended Brian May and the rest of the band by suggesting a change in the arrangement of "We Will Rock You." May came to Young's defense a few days later when he wrote a blog clarifying he and the band felt their mentoring session was a productive exchange of ideas for the arrangement of the song.
The week Young was eliminated the theme was "Songs from the Great American Songbook," with Rod Stewart as mentor. Young sang "That's All." He changed his look for this performance, slicking his hair back and dressing up in a suit and tie. He received mixed reviews from the judges and was joined by Chris Daughtry and Paris Bennett in the bottom 3.
Post-Idol
After his elimination Young was a guest and performed on MTV's Total Request Live. He was the first Idol contestant to be on MTV directly after elimination. Young also returned home to perform at the Pepsi Center in Denver. He was named one of People Magazine's "Hottest Bachelors" on June 16, 2006. He spent the summer of 2006 on the annual American Idol Top 10 tour, and afterwards released his first single, "Scattered," (co-written with Elvio Fernandes) as a digital download on iTunes. The song reached the Top 50 on the Hot Adult Contemporary sales chart. He also put together a band and started playing gigs around the country.
Young performed at the 2006 Walt Disney Christmas Day Parade along with fellow idol finalists Paris Bennett, Kevin Covais, and Mandisa. He also formed a charity called "Highrollers With Heart" that raised $300,000 to help Children's Hospital in Denver build the Family Hospitality Suite.
Young wrote the chorus for Daughtry's debut single, "It's Not Over." The song was nominated for Best Rock Song at the 50th Annual Grammy Awards nominations on December 6, 2007. Along with co-writers, Gregg Wattenberg, Mark Wilkerson, and Chris Daughtry, Young received a songwriting nomination.
In January 2008, Young was named a Celebrity Ambassador for the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA). He appeared on the show every year from 2007 until 2012. In 2011 he hosted the New York MDA telethon. In 2012 he participated in Labor Day weekend's pre-taped MDA "Show of Strength" telethon. He continues to work with MDA through the Nashville chapter.
In April 2008 he released another single, "Addicted," and promoted the song and subsequent video on TNA wrestling. He worked with Bon Jovi producer Desmond Child on his self-titled and self-funded debut album, releasing it independently in July 2008. He wrote seven of the eleven songs on the cd and released it independently to stores and digital retailers.
On May 12, 2008 he appeared on the Fox series Bones alongside season-six American Idol contestant Brandon Rogers. In the episode "Wannabe in the Weeds," Young played an arrogant karaoke singer who was gruesomely murdered. His character sang a Nickelback song, "Far Away." On November 23, 2008, he made an appearance as a bachelor on the VH1 show Rock of Love: Charm School.
Young made his Broadway debut as Kenickie in the revival of Grease on September 9, 2008. He played the role until the show closed January 4, 2009. Young later joined the national tour of Grease in December 2009, this time playing Danny Zuko. He left the tour on February 14, 2010. After "Grease," Young took over the role of Berger in the Broadway revival of Hair, succeeding Will Swenson. Young took over the role in March 2010 and remained with the production until the show closed June 27, 2010.
In November 2011, he appeared on the twelfth episode of the second season of the reality TV show The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.
After Hair, Young started a now defunct music company, called "Young Brothers Entertainment." The company was partnered with Mailboat Records for digital releases but none of the associated acts ever released music through the company outside of Diana DeGarmo and Young himself. Young's single "I Wanna Fall in Love Again" was released on iTunes in May 2012.
Young starred as Joseph in the U.S. national tour of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat alongside DeGarmo as the Narrator from January 2014 to April 2015. He and Degarmo are set to lead the first national tour of First Date, which is set to launch in the fall of 2020.
Personal life
Young lives in Nashville, Tennessee with his wife, Diana DeGarmo. The couple met in 2010 while appearing in Hair on Broadway. They got engaged on the May 23, 2012, American Idol season finale when Young surprised DeGarmo with an on-air marriage proposal. Young and DeGarmo were married on June 1, 2013 in Los Angeles at the Luxe Sunset Boulevard hotel. Young was previously engaged in 2009 to actress Allison Fischer.
Discography
Albums
Singles
References
External links
Official site
Ace Young Performs "Dream On" on Billboard.com
1980 births
Living people
21st-century American male actors
21st-century American singers
American Idol participants
American male film actors
American male television actors
American rhythm and blues singers
American tenors
Male actors from Boulder, Colorado
Musicians from Boulder, Colorado | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ace%20Young |
William Joel "Bucky" Covington III (born November 8, 1977) is an American country music singer. He placed eighth on the 5th season of the Fox Network's talent competition series American Idol. In December 2006, he signed a recording contract with Lyric Street Records. His self-titled debut album, produced by Dale Oliver and Mark Miller of the band Sawyer Brown, was released on April 17, 2007. The album debuted at number one on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart, and produced three hit singles on the Hot Country Songs charts: "A Different World" at number six, "It's Good to Be Us" at number eleven, and "I'll Walk" at number ten. Three more singles: "I Want My Life Back", "Gotta Be Somebody", and "A Father's Love (The Only Way He Knew How)", were released for an unreleased second album, titled I'm Alright, and later included on his 2012 album, Good Guys.
Biography
Personal life
William Joel “Bucky” Covington was born in Rockingham, North Carolina, to Gene Covington and Deborah Gates on November 8, 1977 - along with his identical twin brother, Robert David "Rocky" Covington.
Bucky is the nickname derived from his grandfather "Buck". He graduated in the class of 1996 from Scotland High School in Laurinburg, North Carolina. He worked at Covington's Body Shop in Rockingham, North Carolina.
At the age of 18, Covington taught himself how to play the guitar and began performing at clubs. He is also a bassist, drummer, and songwriter. Over the years, Covington has expanded his talents, both country and rock. After some time, he elected to perform both original and cover material in a cross-genre vein. Rocky is also a musician and is the former lead singer of the North Carolina band Swamp Cat.
In 1998, when the Covington twins were 20 years old, they were in a minor automobile mishap. Bucky allegedly pretended to be Rocky. They were arrested for confusing the authorities. The plaintiff failed to identify which twin was driving, since the twins were identical.
After Idol, Bucky bought a house in Franklin, Tennessee, near Nashville, which he shared with Rocky and his wife Terra. Rocky also joined Bucky's band as a drummer. On February 13, 2007, he and his wife Crystal separated after more than seven years of marriage. Covington became engaged to Katherine Cook in 2011.
On October 10, 2014, Covington's fiancee, Katherine Cook, gave birth to their daughter, Kennedy Taylor Covington.
American Idol
In the 2005-06 season, the Covington twins auditioned for American Idol in Greensboro, North Carolina, individually. Of the two, Bucky advanced to the final twelve. On March 22, Bucky remained in the bottom three, along with Lisa Tucker and Kevin Covais. On April 12, when Covington was in the bottom three with Ace Young and Elliott Yamin, the votes went to the latter two. In the Top 8 results show of season six of American Idol, he appeared in one of the front rows.
Performances during Idol
Semi-finals
February 22, 2006: "Simple Man" by Lynyrd Skynyrd
March 1, 2006: "The Thunder Rolls" by Garth Brooks
March 8, 2006: "Wave on Wave" by Pat Green
Finals
March 14, 2006: "Superstition" by Stevie Wonder
March 21, 2006: "Oh Boy" by Buddy Holly (Bottom 2)
March 28, 2006: "Real Good Man" by Tim McGraw
April 4, 2006: "Best I Ever Had" by Gary Allan
April 11, 2006: "Fat Bottomed Girls" by Queen (Bottom 3, Eliminated)
Debut album: Bucky Covington
In November and December 2006, Bucky Covington performed on the GAC Country Music Christmas tour, making him the first Idol from the 5th season to be part of a major non-American Idol concert tour.
Covington negotiated with Buena Vista Music Group's country label, Lyric Street Records. His debut single, "A Different World", was released to country radio on January 16, 2007, coinciding with the premiere of American Idol (season 6). Its initial debut on radio was on Sirius Satellite Radio's New Country channel in late December 2006.
His debut album, Bucky Covington, was released on April 17, 2007, to positive reviews. It debuted on the Billboard 200 at number four selling 61,000 copies. It also debuted at number one on the Top Country Albums chart, making the album the best opening week for a debut album by a male on the chart since Billy Ray Cyrus' 1992 debut with Some Gave All. Covington's debut surpassed the previous record held by Jason Michael Carroll's Waitin' in the Country. He performed selections from his album during a nationwide tour in 2007, and the track "Empty Handed" appeared in NASCAR 08 as part of the in-game soundtrack. Overall, Bucky Covington accounted for three singles. "A Different World" peaked at number six, followed by "It's Good to Be Us" at number eleven and "I'll Walk" at number ten.
Unreleased second album: I'm Alright and Good Guys
In January 2009, Lyric Street noted that Covington has been in the studio recording his second album, I'm Alright. The lead-off single, "I Want My Life Back" was released to radio in April 2009 and it peaked at number 32. In early October 2009, Covington released a cover version of Nickelback's hit single "Gotta Be Somebody" which peaked at number 51 in December 2009 after spending only three weeks on the chart. The album's third single, "A Father's Love (The Only Way He Knew How)", was released in March 2010, and peaked at number 23.
The album was expected for release on April 27, 2010. However, in April 2010, it was announced Lyric Street Records would be closing, but Covington would be transferred to another label owned by Disney Music Group. However, Covington remained unsigned until October 2011 when it was announced that he had signed as the "premier artist" for E1 Music's Entertainment One Nashville label. Covington released his second studio album, Good Guys, on September 11, 2012. Two singles—"I Wanna Be That Feeling" and "Drinking Side of Country"—were released by E1 Music in promotion of the album.
Discography
Studio albums
Extended plays
Singles
Notes
A^ "A Father's Love (The Only Way He Knew How)" did not enter the Billboard Hot 100 but peaked on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart at number twenty-two.
Guest singles
Music videos
Other appearances
"Superstition" from American Idol Season 5: Encores (2006)
Filmography
See also
List of twins
American Idol (season 5)
References
External links
Bucky Covington official website
Bucky Covington at CMT Music
1977 births
Living people
American country singer-songwriters
American male singer-songwriters
American Idol participants
Lyric Street Records artists
Singer-songwriters from North Carolina
Country musicians from North Carolina
People from Rockingham, North Carolina
21st-century American male singers
21st-century American singer-songwriters | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bucky%20Covington |
Nicky Guadagni (born August 1, 1952) is a Canadian actress who has worked on stage, radio, film and television.
Life and career
Originally from Montreal, Nicky Guadagni majored in drama at Dawson College and went on to train at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London. Her first role after graduation was playing Miranda, with Paul Scofield as Prospero, in a production of The Tempest in the West End of London. Her theatre work in Canada includes A Midsummer Night's Dream at Stratford Third Stage; Zastrozzi and Criminal Genius at the Factory Theatre; Hamlet and Mother Courage for the National Arts Centre; The Seagull and The Member of the Wedding at Tarragon Theatre; and OD on Paradise at Theatre Passe Muraille.
Guadagni has been nominated for five Gemini Awards for her work on television, and received the award in 1998 (Best Supporting Actress, Major Crime) and 2004 (Best Actress in a Guest Role, Blue Murder, "Eyewitness"). She was a mainstay of the repertory cast of the A&E Network's A Nero Wolfe Mystery (2001–2002), playing no fewer than 13 highly varied roles in the course of the TV series and the pilot, The Golden Spiders: A Nero Wolfe Mystery (2000). She also played a leading role in cult sci-fi film Cube in 1997.
In 2002 Guadagni made her playwriting debut with In the Wings, adapted from the 1998 novel by Carole Corbeil, which she performed at Toronto's Theatre Passe Muraille. In 2011 an abbreviated version of her seven-character, one-person show Hooked, written by Carolyn Smart, was part of Toronto's Summerworks Theatre Festival schedule, with performances at Theatre Passe Muraille Backspace.
Guadagni taught voice and scene study for five years at George Brown College as well as at the University College Drama Program in Toronto, Ontario, and has also worked at the National Theatre School of Canada in Montreal. She has provided coaching and dramatic training for clients of the firm The Humphrey Group since 1995.
In 2019, she played the demented matriarch Helene Le Domas in the horror film Ready or Not.
Filmography
Awards
1985, Nominee, Gemini AwardTurning to StoneBest Performance by an Actress in a Lead RoleAcademy of Canadian Cinema and Television
1988, Nominee, Gemini AwardThe Squamish FiveBest Performance by an Actress in a Supporting RoleAcademy of Canadian Cinema and Television
1996, Nominee, Gemini AwardPerformance! Saying ItBest Performance by an Actress in a Lead Role in a Dramatic Program or MiniseriesAcademy of Canadian Cinema and Television
1998, Winner, Gemini AwardMajor CrimeBest Performance by an Actress in a Supporting RoleAcademy of Canadian Cinema and Television
2004, Winner, Gemini AwardBlue Murder (episode "Eyewitness")Best Performance by an Actress in a Guest Role in a Dramatic SeriesAcademy of Canadian Cinema and Television
References
External links
1952 births
Canadian film actresses
Canadian television actresses
Best Supporting Actress in a Television Film or Miniseries Canadian Screen Award winners
Living people
Anglophone Quebec people
Canadian people of Italian descent
Academic staff of the National Theatre School of Canada
Dawson College alumni
Alumni of RADA
Actresses from Montreal
Canadian stage actresses
Dora Mavor Moore Award winners
20th-century Canadian actresses
21st-century Canadian actresses | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicky%20Guadagni |
In ethics and social sciences, value denotes the degree of importance of some thing or action, with the aim of determining which actions are best to do or what way is best to live (normative ethics in ethics), or to describe the significance of different actions. Value systems are prospective and prescriptive beliefs; they affect the ethical behavior of a person or are the basis of their intentional activities. Often primary values are strong and secondary values are suitable for changes. What makes an action valuable may in turn depend on the ethical values of the objects it increases, decreases, or alters. An object with "ethic value" may be termed an "ethic or philosophic good" (noun sense).
Values can be defined as broad preferences concerning appropriate courses of actions or outcomes. As such, values reflect a person's sense of right and wrong or what "ought" to be. "Equal rights for all", "Excellence deserves admiration", and "People should be treated with respect and dignity" are representatives of values. Values tend to influence attitudes and behavior and these types include ethical/moral values, doctrinal/ideological (religious, political) values, social values, and aesthetic values. It is debated whether some values that are not clearly physiologically determined, such as altruism, are intrinsic, and whether some, such as acquisitiveness, should be classified as vices or virtues.
Fields of study
Ethical issues that value may be regarded as a study under ethics, which, in turn, may be grouped as philosophy. Similarly, ethical value may be regarded as a subgroup of a broader field of philosophic value sometimes referred to as axiology. Ethical value denotes something's degree of importance, with the aim of determining what action or life is best to do, or at least attempt to describe the value of different actions.
The study of ethical value is also included in value theory. In addition, values have been studied in various disciplines: anthropology, behavioral economics, business ethics, corporate governance, moral philosophy, political sciences, social psychology, sociology and theology.
Similar concepts
Ethical value is sometimes used synonymously with goodness. However, goodness has many other meanings and may be regarded as more ambiguous.
Types of value
Personal versus cultural
Personal values exist in relation to cultural values, either in agreement with or divergence from prevailing norms. A culture is a social system that shares a set of common values, in which such values permit social expectations and collective understandings of the good, beautiful and constructive. Without normative personal values, there would be no cultural reference against which to measure the virtue of individual values and so cultural identity would disintegrate.
Relative or absolute
Relative values differ between people, and on a larger scale, between people of different cultures. On the other hand, there are theories of the existence of absolute values, which can also be termed noumenal values (and not to be confused with mathematical absolute value). An absolute value can be described as philosophically absolute and independent of individual and cultural views, as well as independent of whether it is known or apprehended or not. Ludwig Wittgenstein was pessimistic towards the idea that an elucidation would ever happen regarding the absolute values of actions or objects; "we can speak as much as we want about "life" and "its meaning," and believe that what we say is important. But these are no more than expressions and can never be facts, resulting from a tendency of the mind and not the heart or the will".
Intrinsic or extrinsic
Philosophic value may be split into instrumental value and intrinsic values. An instrumental value is worth having as a means towards getting something else that is good (e.g., a radio is instrumentally good in order to hear music). An intrinsically valuable thing is worth for itself, not as a means to something else. It is giving value intrinsic and extrinsic properties.
An ethic good with instrumental value may be termed an ethic mean, and an ethic good with intrinsic value may be termed an end-in-itself. An object may be both a mean and end-in-itself.
Summation
Intrinsic and instrumental goods are not mutually exclusive categories. Some objects are both good in themselves, and also good for getting other objects that are good. "Understanding science" may be such a good, being both worthwhile in and of itself, and as a means of achieving other goods. In these cases, the sum of instrumental (specifically the all instrumental value) and intrinsic value of an object may be used when putting that object in value systems, which is a set of consistent values and measures.
Universal values
S. H. Schwartz, along with a number of psychology colleagues, has carried out empirical research investigating whether there are universal values, and what those values are. Schwartz defined 'values' as "conceptions of the desirable that influence the way people select action and evaluate events". He hypothesised that universal values would relate to three different types of human need: biological needs, social co-ordination needs, and needs related to the welfare and survival of groups
Intensity
The intensity of philosophic value is the degree it is generated or carried out, and may be regarded as the prevalence of the good, the object having the value.
It should not be confused with the amount of value per object, although the latter may vary too, e.g. because of instrumental value conditionality. For example, taking a fictional life-stance of accepting waffle-eating as being the end-in-itself, the intensity may be the speed that waffles are eaten, and is zero when no waffles are eaten, e.g. if no waffles are present. Still, each waffle that had been present would still have value, no matter if it was being eaten or not, independent on intensity.
Instrumental value conditionality in this case could be exampled by every waffle not present, making them less valued by being far away rather than easily accessible.
In many life stances it is the product of value and intensity that is ultimately desirable, i.e. not only to generate value, but to generate it in large degree. Maximizing life-stances have the highest possible intensity as an imperative.
Positive and negative value
There may be a distinction between positive and negative philosophic or ethic value. While positive ethic value generally correlates with something that is pursued or maximized, negative ethic value correlates with something that is avoided or minimized. Value may have an upper limit. David Manheim and Anders Sandberg argue that modern physics implies an upper limit, even if that limit may be extremely large. Negative value may be both intrinsic negative value and/or instrumental negative value.
Protected value
A protected value (also sacred value) is one that an individual is unwilling to trade off no matter what the benefits of doing so may be. For example, some people may be unwilling to kill another person, even if it means saving many other individuals. Protected values tend to be "intrinsically good", and most people can in fact imagine a scenario when trading off their most precious values would be necessary. If such trade-offs happen between two competing protected values such as killing a person and defending your family they are called tragic trade-offs.
Protected values have been found to be play a role in protracted conflicts (e.g., the Israeli-Palestinian conflict) because they can hinder businesslike (''utilitarian'') negotiations. A series of experimental studies directed by Scott Atran and Ángel Gómez among combatants on the ISIS front line in Iraq and with ordinary citizens in Western Europe suggest that commitment to sacred values motivate the most "devoted actors" to make the costliest sacrifices, including willingness to fight and die, as well as a readiness to forsake close kin and comrades for those values if necessary. From the perspective of utilitarianism, protected values are biases when they prevent utility from being maximized across individuals.
According to Jonathan Baron and Mark Spranca, protected values arise from norms as described in theories of deontological ethics (the latter often being referred to in context with Immanuel Kant). The protectedness implies that people are concerned with their participation in transactions rather than just the consequences of it.
Economic versus philosophic value
Philosophical value is distinguished from economic value, since it is independent from some other desired condition or commodity. The economic value of an object may rise when the exchangeable desired condition or commodity, e.g. money, become high in supply, and vice versa when supply of money becomes low.
Nevertheless, economic value may be regarded as a result of philosophical value. In the subjective theory of value, the personal philosophic value a person puts in possessing something is reflected in what economic value this person puts on it. The limit where a person considers to purchase something may be regarded as the point where the personal philosophic value of possessing something exceeds the personal philosophic value of what is given up in exchange for it, e.g. money. In this light, everything can be said to have a "personal economic value" in contrast to its "societal economic value."
Personal values
Personal values provide an internal reference for what is good, beneficial, important, useful, beautiful, desirable and constructive. Values are one of the factors that generate behavior (besides needs, interests and habits) and influence the choices made by an individual.
Values may help common human problems for survival by comparative rankings of value, the results of which provide answers to questions of why people do what they do and in what order they choose to do them. Moral, religious, and personal values, when held rigidly, may also give rise to conflicts that result from a clash between differing world views.
Over time the public expression of personal values that groups of people find important in their day-to-day lives, lay the foundations of law, custom and tradition. Recent research has thereby stressed the implicit nature of value communication. Consumer behavior research proposes there are six internal values and three external values. They are known as List of Values (LOV) in management studies. They are self respect, warm relationships, sense of accomplishment, self-fulfillment, fun and enjoyment, excitement, sense of belonging, being well respected, and security. From a functional aspect these values are categorized into three and they are interpersonal relationship area, personal factors, and non-personal factors. From an ethnocentric perspective, it could be assumed that a same set of values will not reflect equally between two groups of people from two countries. Though the core values are related, the processing of values can differ based on the cultural identity of an individual.
Individual differences
Schwartz proposed a theory of individual values based on surveys data. His model groups values in terms of growth versus protection, and personal versus social focus. Values are then associated with openness to change (which Schwartz views as related to personal growth), self-enhancement (which Schwartz views as mostly to do with self-protection), conservation (which Schwartz views as mostly related to social-protection), and self-transendence (which Schwartz views as a form of social growth). Within this Schwartz places 10 universal values: self-direction, stimulation and hedonism (related to openness growth), achievement and power (related to self enhancement), security, conformity and tradition (related to conservation), and humility, benevolence and universalism (relate to self-transcendence).
Personality traits using the big 5 measure correlate with Schwartz's value construct. Openness and extraversion correlates with the values related to openness-to-change (openness especially with self-direction, extraversion especially with stimulation); agreeableness correlates with self-transcendence values (especially benevolence); extraversion is correlated with self-enhancement and negatively with traditional values. Conscienciousness correlates with achievement, conformity and security.
Men are found to value achievement, self-direction, hedonism, and stimulation more than women, while women value benevolence, universality and tradition higher.
The order of Schwartz's traits are substantially stability amongst adults over time. Migrants values change when they move to a new country, but the order of preferences is still quite stable. Motherhood causes women to shift their values towards stability and away from openness-to-change but not fathers.
Moral foundations theory
Moral foundation theory identifies five forms of moral foundation harm/care, fairness/reciprocity, in-group/loyalty, authority/respect, and purity/sancity. Harm and fairness are often called individualizing foundations, while the other three factors are termed binding foundations. The moral foundations were found to be correlated with the theory of basic human values. The strong correlations are between conservatives values and binding foundations.
Cultural values
Individual cultures emphasize values which their members broadly share. Values of a society can often be identified by examining the level of honor and respect received by various groups and ideas.
Values clarification differs from cognitive moral education:
Value clarification consists of "helping people clarify what their lives are for and what is worth working for. It encourages students to define their own values and to understand others' values."
Cognitive moral education builds on the belief that students should learn to value things like democracy and justice as their moral reasoning develops.
Values relate to the norms of a culture, but they are more global and intellectual than norms. Norms provide rules for behavior in specific situations, while values identify what should be judged as good or evil. While norms are standards, patterns, rules and guides of expected behavior, values are abstract concepts of what is important and worthwhile. Flying the national flag on a holiday is a norm, but it reflects the value of patriotism. Wearing dark clothing and appearing solemn are normative behaviors to manifest respect at a funeral. Different cultures represent values differently and to different levels of emphasis. "Over the last three decades, traditional-age college students have shown an increased interest in personal well-being and a decreased interest in the welfare of others." Values seemed to have changed, affecting the beliefs, and attitudes of the students.
Members take part in a culture even if each member's personal values do not entirely agree with some of the normative values sanctioned in that culture. This reflects an individual's ability to synthesize and extract aspects valuable to them from the multiple subcultures they belong to.
If a group member expresses a value that seriously conflicts with the group's norms, the group's authority may carry out various ways of encouraging conformity or stigmatizing the non-conforming behavior of that member. For example, imprisonment can result from conflict with social norms that the state has established as law.
Furthermore, cultural values can be expressed at a global level through institutions participating in the global economy. For example, values important to global governance can include leadership, legitimacy, and efficiency. Within our current global governance architecture, leadership is expressed through the G20, legitimacy through the United Nations, and efficiency through member-driven international organizations. The expertise provided by international organizations and civil society depends on the incorporation of flexibility in the rules, to preserve the expression of identity in a globalized world.
Nonetheless, in warlike economic competition, differing views may contradict each other, particularly in the field of culture. Thus audiences in Europe may regard a movie as an artistic creation and grant it benefits from special treatment, while audiences in the United States may see it as mere entertainment, whatever its artistic merits. EU policies based on the notion of "cultural exception" can become juxtaposed with the policy of "cultural specificity" on the liberal Anglo-Saxon side. Indeed, international law traditionally treats films as property and the content of television programs as a service. Consequently, cultural interventionist policies can find themselves opposed to the Anglo-Saxon liberal position, causing failures in international negotiations.
Development and transmission
Values are generally received through cultural means, especially diffusion and transmission or socialization from parents to children. Parents in different cultures have different values. For example, parents in a hunter–gatherer society or surviving through subsistence agriculture value practical survival skills from a young age. Many such cultures begin teaching babies to use sharp tools, including knives, before their first birthdays. Italian parents value social and emotional abilities and having an even temperament. Spanish parents want their children to be sociable. Swedish parents value security and happiness. Dutch parents value independence, long attention spans, and predictable schedules. American parents are unusual for strongly valuing intellectual ability, especially in a narrow "book learning" sense. The Kipsigis people of Kenya value children who are not only smart, but who employ that intelligence in a responsible and helpful way, which they call ng'om. Luos of Kenya value education and pride which they call "nyadhi".
Factors that influence the development of cultural values are summarized below.
The Inglehart–Welzel cultural map of the world is a two-dimensional cultural map showing the cultural values of the countries of the world along two dimensions: The traditional versus secular-rational values reflect the transition from a religious understanding of the world to a dominance of science and bureaucracy. The second dimension named survival values versus self-expression values represents the transition from industrial society to post-industrial society.
Cultures can be distinguished as tight and loose in relation to how much they adhere to social norms and tolerates deviance. Tight cultures are more restrictive, with stricter disciplinary measures for norm violations while loose cultures have weaker social norms and a higher tolerance for deviant behavior. A history of threats, such as natural disasters, high population density, or vulnerability to infectious diseases, is associated with greater tightness. It has been suggested that tightness allows cultures to coordinate more effectively to survive threats.
Studies in evolutionary psychology have led to similar findings. The so-called regality theory finds that war and other perceived collective dangers have a profound influence on both the psychology of individuals and on the social structure and cultural values. A dangerous environment leads to a hierarchical, authoritarian, and warlike culture, while a safe and peaceful environment fosters an egalitarian and tolerant culture.
Value system
A value system is a set of consistent values used for the purpose of ethical or ideological integrity.
Consistency
As a member of a society, group or community, an individual can hold both a personal value system and a communal value system at the same time. In this case, the two value systems (one personal and one communal) are externally consistent provided they bear no contradictions or situational exceptions between them.
A value system in its own right is internally consistent when
its values do not contradict each other and
its exceptions are or could be
abstract enough to be used in all situations and
consistently applied.
Conversely, a value system by itself is internally inconsistent if:
its values contradict each other and
its exceptions are
highly situational and
inconsistently applied.
Value exceptions
Abstract exceptions serve to reinforce the ranking of values. Their definitions are generalized enough to be relevant to any and all situations. Situational exceptions, on the other hand, are ad hoc and pertain only to specific situations. The presence of a type of exception determines one of two more kinds of value systems:
An idealized value system is a listing of values that lacks exceptions. It is, therefore, absolute and can be codified as a strict set of proscriptions on behavior. Those who hold to their idealized value system and claim no exceptions (other than the default) are called absolutists.
A realized value system contains exceptions to resolve contradictions between values in practical circumstances. This type is what people tend to use in daily life.
The difference between these two types of systems can be seen when people state that they hold one value system yet in practice deviate from it, thus holding a different value system. For example, a religion lists an absolute set of values while the practice of that religion may include exceptions.
Implicit exceptions bring about a third type of value system called a formal value system. Whether idealized or realized, this type contains an implicit exception associated with each value: "as long as no higher-priority value is violated". For instance, a person might feel that lying is wrong. Since preserving a life is probably more highly valued than adhering to the principle that lying is wrong, lying to save someone's life is acceptable. Perhaps too simplistic in practice, such a hierarchical structure may warrant explicit exceptions.
Conflict
Although sharing a set of common values, like hockey is better than baseball or ice cream is better than fruit, two different parties might not rank those values equally. Also, two parties might disagree as to certain actions are right or wrong, both in theory and in practice, and find themselves in an ideological or physical conflict. Ethonomics, the discipline of rigorously examining and comparing value systems, enables us to understand politics and motivations more fully in order to resolve conflicts.
An example conflict would be a value system based on individualism pitted against a value system based on collectivism. A rational value system organized to resolve the conflict between two such value systems might take the form below. Added exceptions can become recursive and often convoluted.
Individuals may act freely unless their actions harm others or interfere with others' freedom or with functions of society that individuals need, provided those functions do not themselves interfere with these proscribed individual rights and were agreed to by a majority of the individuals.
A society (or more specifically the system of order that enables the workings of a society) exists for the purpose of benefiting the lives of the individuals who are members of that society. The functions of a society in providing such benefits would be those agreed to by the majority of individuals in the society.
A society may require contributions from its members in order for them to benefit from the services provided by the society. The failure of individuals to make such required contributions could be considered a reason to deny those benefits to them, although a society could elect to consider hardship situations in determining how much should be contributed.
A society may restrict behavior of individuals who are members of the society only for the purpose of performing its designated functions agreed to by the majority of individuals in the society, only insofar as they violate the aforementioned values. This means that a society may abrogate the rights of any of its members who fails to uphold the aforementioned values.
See also
Attitude (psychology)
Axiological ethics
Axiology
Clyde Kluckhohn and his value orientation theory
Hofstede's Framework for Assessing Culture
Instrumental and intrinsic value
Intercultural communication
Meaning of life
Paideia
Rokeach Value Survey
Spiral Dynamics
The Right and the Good
Value judgment
World Values Survey
References
Further reading
see https://www.researchgate.net/publication/290349218_The_political_algebra_of_global_value_change_General_models_and_implications_for_the_Muslim_world
External links
Concepts in ethics
Concepts in metaphysics
Codes of conduct
Moral psychology
Motivation
Social philosophy
Social psychology
Social systems | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Value%20%28ethics%20and%20social%20sciences%29 |
In astrophysics and physical cosmology the mass-to-light ratio, normally designated with the Greek letter upsilon, , is the quotient between the total mass of a spatial volume (typically on the scales of a galaxy or a cluster) and its luminosity. These ratios are often reported using the value calculated for the Sun as a baseline ratio which is a constant = 5133 kg/W: equal to the solar mass divided by the solar luminosity , . The mass-to-light ratios of galaxies and clusters are all much greater than due in part to the fact that most of the matter in these objects does not reside within stars and observations suggest that a large fraction is present in the form of dark matter.
Luminosities are obtained from photometric observations, correcting the observed brightness of the object for the distance dimming and extinction effects. In general, unless a complete spectrum of the radiation emitted by the object is obtained, a model must be extrapolated through either power law or blackbody fits. The luminosity thus obtained is known as the bolometric luminosity.
Masses are often calculated from the dynamics of the virialized system or from gravitational lensing. Typical mass-to-light ratios for galaxies range from 2 to 10 while on the largest scales, the mass to light ratio of the observable universe is approximately 100 , in concordance with the current best fit cosmological model.
References
External links
Physical cosmology
Astrophysics
Ratios | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mass-to-light%20ratio |
Presidential elections were held in Chile on 25 and 26 July 1841. Carried out through a system of electors, they resulted in the election of General Manuel Bulnes as President.
There was no organized opposition to the conservative Bulnes, although liberals rallied around Francisco Antonio Pinto, who was proclaimed candidate without his consent. Pinto went on to become an adviser to President Bulnes.
Results
References
Presidential elections in Chile
Chile
1841 in Chile | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1841%20Chilean%20presidential%20election |
A heat rock is the common name for a type of heating source in enclosures for cold-blooded animals to supply heat, in the form of a false novelty rock plugged into an electrical socket.
Keepers may notice that smaller reptiles prefer to rest on the heat rock most of the time, since it provides constant heat. Larger reptiles supplied with heat rocks often prefer to stay near their rock at all times, diminishing their novelty.
Pet owners and keepers now usually recommended a non-direct contact UTH (under-the-tank-heater) or thermal tape which distributes heat through the enclosure’s substrate placed in different areas of the tank to create a more even heat gradient, making the pet more liable to move throughout its enclosure. Another popular solution is replacing regular lighting with UV-specific basking lights.
External links
http://www.anapsid.org/hotrock.html
Pet equipment | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heat%20rock |
Katharine Hope McPhee (born March 25, 1984) is an American singer-songwriter and actress. In May 2006, she was the runner-up on the fifth season of American Idol.
Her eponymous debut album was released on RCA Records on January 30, 2007, and debuted at number two on the Billboard 200, selling 381,000 copies (as of December 2010). The album's first single, "Over It", was a Billboard Top 30 hit and was certified gold in 2008. Her second album, Unbroken, was released on Verve Forecast Records on January 5, 2010, and debuted at No. 27 on the "Billboard 200". The album featured the single "Had It All", which peaked at number 22 on the AC chart. It has sold 45,000 copies as of January 2011.
Her third album, the holiday-themed Christmas Is the Time to Say I Love You, was released on October 12, 2010. The album debuted at number 11 on the Billboard Top Holiday Albums chart, while the single "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" peaked at number 16 on the "Billboard" AC chart. As of January 2011, this album had sold 23,000 copies. McPhee released her fourth album, Hysteria, on September 18, 2015. She released her fifth album, I Fall in Love Too Easily, composed of jazz standards, on November 17, 2017.
McPhee has also established an acting career, co-starring in The House Bunny and Shark Night 3D. She played Karen Cartwright, one of the lead roles on Smash. From 2014 to 2018, she starred in CBS' Scorpion as Paige Dineen.
She made her Broadway debut in the musical Waitress, taking over the role of Jenna in 2018 and again in 2019–2020 and also starred in the role in London's West End in 2019.
Early life
McPhee was born in Los Angeles, California. Her father, Daniel McPhee, was a television producer. Her mother, Peisha (née Burch) McPhee, has been a vocal coach on American Idol since 2011. The family moved to the Sherman Oaks neighborhood of Los Angeles when she was 12 years old. Peisha McPhee recognized her daughter's musical talent and decided to train her. McPhee's older sister, Adriana, has been a vocal coach on American Idol since 2012. McPhee is of English, Irish, Scottish, and German descent.
She attended Boston Conservatory for three semesters, majoring in musical theatre. She left college before graduation on the advice of her manager, and returned to Los Angeles to try out for television pilots. McPhee was cast (during the time she had dropped out of college and was auditioning in Los Angeles) in a mall-based MTV soap opera pilot, You Are Here, playing the older sister of a more popular younger sister. MTV never aired the pilot and did not pick up the series.
In March 2005, McPhee starred as Annie Oakley in a Cabrillo Music Theater production of the musical Annie Get Your Gun. McPhee was nominated for a Los Angeles Stage Ovation Award in the category of "Lead Actress in a Musical". McPhee had a small role as Paramount Girl in the 2007 musical film Crazy, based on the life of Hank Garland. McPhee filmed the role in early 2005, before she auditioned for American Idol.
McPhee has struggled with eating disorders. She told People that at age 13, she began starving herself and exercising compulsively, and at age 17, became bulimic. McPhee gained weight in college due to her bingeing. After seven years of illness, she finally entered a three-month rehabilitation program after successfully passing her American Idol audition; her rehab stint ended just before the Idol semifinals started in February 2006.
She told Teen Vogue in May 2007, "I eat whatever I crave—I'm just really careful about portions." McPhee and her sister appeared on the debut of The Dr. Keith Ablow Show on September 18, 2006, to discuss her struggles with bulimia and her childhood fear of her father.
Career
American Idol
In 2005, McPhee was persuaded by eventual husband Nick Cokas and her parents to try out for the television series competition American Idol. She auditioned in San Francisco and sang "God Bless the Child", originally performed by Billie Holiday, and was selected to be a participant in the fifth season, which aired in 2006. After the first round of Hollywood week, she sang "I'll Never Love This Way Again" by Dionne Warwick, which earned favorable comments from the judges. During the second round, she performed in a group, singing "I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch)" by the Four Tops, forgetting the words, but the judges decided to advance the entire group. During the third round, she sang "My Funny Valentine" a cappella and advanced to the top 40. She was angered when fellow group member Crystal Stark did not make the top 24. McPhee's run on American Idol led to the use of the term "McPheever". The inclusion of producer David Foster and singer Andrea Bocelli as guest mentors for Top 6 Week turned out to be a fortuitous introduction for McPhee, as she has worked on various music projects with both men after Idol. In May 2006, McPhee visited her alma mater Notre Dame High School for her hometown celebration. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa visited the school and proclaimed the day Katharine McPhee Day. She finished as the runner-up to Taylor Hicks.
Performances and results (during voting weeks)
When Ryan Seacrest announced the results that night, McPhee was placed in the top two.
When Ryan Seacrest announced the results that night, McPhee was in the bottom two but declared safe when Chris Daughtry was eliminated.
2006–08: Katharine McPhee and feature-film debut
On June 6, 2006, McPhee signed to American Idol series creator Simon Fuller's 19 Recordings Limited and Sony BMG's RCA Records. Also in June, McPhee performed at the JCPenney Jam: Concert for America's Kids, soloing with "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" and performing a duet with Andrea Bocelli on "Somos Novios".
McPhee's Idol single, "Somewhere Over the Rainbow/My Destiny" was released on June 27, 2006, by RCA Records. "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" peaked at number 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 and "My Destiny" peaked at number 60. 32 weeks after its release, Somewhere Over the Rainbow/My Destiny had climbed to number four on the Billboard Hot Singles Sales charts. It was the second-highest best-selling single of 2006 after Taylor Hicks' "Do I Make You Proud". "Somewhere Over the Rainbow/My Destiny" remained on the chart for more than 58 weeks.
In July, McPhee missed the first three weeks of the American Idol Tour due to laryngitis and bronchitis. She joined the tour beginning with the July 28 show in Washington, DC, singing only two songs "Over the Rainbow" and "Black Horse and the Cherry Tree", instead of the usual four, on doctor's orders to conserve her voice. At the August 1 concert in Charlotte, North Carolina, McPhee suffered a hairline fracture of her foot when she tripped backstage and was fitted with a walking-boot cast. Once she recovered from the foot injury, she added "Think" to her concert set.
McPhee recorded a duet with Andrea Bocelli on "Can't Help Falling in Love" for his Under the Desert Sky album, which was released as a CD/DVD package on November 7, 2006.
McPhee signed a two-year endorsement deal in 2006 with Sexy Hair Concepts to become their first celebrity spokesperson for their hair-care product line. Also in 2006, McPhee founded a charity called McPhee Outreach. The purpose of the charity is to team up with other foundations or organizations and help in any way possible. The foundation teamed up with the Lollipop Theater Network to provide music outreach (called "Rhythm of Hope") to sick children in Southern California hospitals. McPhee Outreach teamed up with Global Compassion Services to build a preschool in the West African nation of Burkina Faso to help combat that nation's high illiteracy rate.
On December 1, 2006, McPhee released "A Gift to You / O Come All Ye Faithful". The single was conceived and co-produced by Al Gomes of Big Noise, along with Walter Afanasieff. McPhee performed "O Come All Ye Faithful" on the TNT Network special Christmas in Washington, DC.
McPhee's self-titled debut album, Katharine McPhee was released on January 30, 2007, and sold 116,000 copies its first week, debuting at number two on the Billboard 200 Albums Chart. The first single from the album was "Over It" peaked at number 29 on the Billboard Hot 100. The second single, "Love Story" failed to crack the Billboard Hot 100.
In early 2007, McPhee guest-starred in the web series, lonelygirl15 as an unnamed character in the episode "Truth or Dare". McPhee made a cameo appearance as herself on Ugly Betty in the episode "I'm Coming Out". The episode was broadcast February 1, 2007. During the 2007 Christmas holiday season, McPhee released a Christmas single "O Come All Ye Faithful".
On January 11, 2008, Billboard.com reported that McPhee had been released from her contract with RCA Records. A spokesperson for the label stated, "She is going to record her next album on her own."
McPhee signed a two-year endorsement deal with Neutrogena to become the new spokesperson for their anti-acne skin-care product line. In March 2008, she filmed her first commercial, which began airing on television in May 2008 and on Neutrogena's skinid.com website. McPhee appeared on American Idol judge Randy Jackson's album Randy Jackson's Music Club, Vol. 1, which was released on March 11, 2008. McPhee recorded a duet of "Real Love" with fellow American Idol 5 contestant Elliott Yamin. On March 12, 2008, McPhee returned to the American Idol stage during the Top 12 results night of the seventh season of the competition. She performed the Beatles song "Something", with producer David Foster, on piano. After the performance, Foster indicated that McPhee and he were collaborating on her second studio album (though it ended up he was not part of the finished product). McPhee took part in the David Foster tribute concert Hit Man: David Foster & Friends, which was filmed by PBS, in May 2008. She soloed on "Somewhere" and performed a duet of "The Prayer" with Andrea Bocelli. A CD/DVD was released in November 2008. Foster recorded "I Will Be There With You" for Japan Airlines (JAL), with McPhee on vocals. Starting in June 2008, it was used to promote the introduction of new aircraft to JAL's US flights.
McPhee made her studio-acting debut in the comedy The House Bunny, co-starring as one of the few members of a misfit sorority. The movie, released in August 2008, starred Anna Faris as a Playboy Bunny who took the girls under her wing. It was directed by Fred Wolf for Columbia Pictures and produced by Adam Sandler's Happy Madison Productions. McPhee released a cover of the song "I Know What Boys Like", featuring the other cast members of the movie 'The House Bunny'. In September 2008, McPhee took part in Chris Botti's concert, which was filmed by PBS in Boston. She sang "I've Got You Under My Skin" accompanied by Botti on trumpet. The concert was shown several times on PBS starting in January 2009. A live album, Chris Botti in Boston, was released on March 31, 2009, on CD/DVD and Blu-ray.
2009–10: Unbroken, TV shows, and movie projects
On January 27, 2009, that McPhee had signed a record deal with Verve Forecast Records (part of the Verve Music Group under Universal Music Group).
McPhee guest-starred on CSI: NY in the episode "Prey" as a singer and stalker victim who murdered her stalker. The episode was broadcast April 8, 2009. In September 2009, McPhee took part in the United Negro College Fund's "An Evening of Stars" concert that was a tribute to singer-songwriter Lionel Richie. McPhee sang You Are. The concert was broadcast in syndication and on BET the weekend of January 23–24, 2010. A two-disc DVD of the concert was available for a time through a donation to the United Negro College Fund. McPhee joined actresses Alyson Hannigan, Jaime King, Minka Kelly, and Emily Deschanel in a video slumber party made available in October 2009 and featured on FunnyorDie.com and other Internet platforms in a comedic take to promote regular breast-cancer screenings for the organization Stand Up to Cancer. A Christmas single "I'll Be Home for Christmas" was released November 17, 2009.
McPhee's second album Unbroken was released January 5, 2010, and debuted at number 27 on the Billboard 200 chart, selling 15,000 copies its first week. For her second effort, McPhee worked with producer John Alagia. The first single from the album, "Had It All", was released to McPhee's MySpace page on August 25, 2009.
McPhee appeared on the Jan 19, 2010, episode of The Biggest Loser, McPhee was shown volunteering at a Los Angeles food bank and meeting with children at a Boys and Girls Club and talking about the importance of helping to fight hunger in America. On February 1, 2010, McPhee joined over 75 other musicians, including fellow American Idol alumni Jennifer Hudson and Jordin Sparks and American Idol judge Randy Jackson, for a remake of "We Are the World", retitled "We Are the World 25 for Haiti", which marked the 25th anniversary of the iconic song and for which proceeds will go to Haitian earthquake relief.
During the week of February 8, 2010, in the taped Hollywood Week portion of the ninth season of American Idol, contestant Didi Benami was shown singing "Terrified", a song on the Unbroken album and written by Idol judge Kara DioGuardi. As a result of the exposure, digital downloads of the song (the album version featuring Jason Reeves) rose nearly 10 times from the week before, selling about 20,000 copies for the week, for a total of 22,000 sold at that point. On February 22, 2010, McPhee appeared in the production of 110 Stories, directed by Mark Freiburger at the Geffen Playhouse in Los Angeles. She co-starred alongside Ed Asner, Diane Venora, Gail O'Grady, John Hawkes, Malcolm-Jamal Warner, and many others. The play was a benefit to help the victims of the recent Haiti earthquake. Proceeds went to the Red Cross of Greater Los Angeles. On March 9, 2010, McPhee performed "Surrender" at the White House, in front of President Obama and the First Lady as part of International Women's Day. McPhee guest-starred on Community in the episode "Basic Genealogy" as Chevy Chase's character's ex-stepdaughter and potential love interest for Joel McHale's character. The episode was broadcast March 11, 2010.
In April 2010, McPhee made a TV pilot for The Pink House. McPhee played Emily, a down-to-earth Midwestern girl new to Manhattan Beach, Los Angeles. The pilot was shot as a possible pickup for the Fall 2010 season and was produced by Conan O'Brien's production company, with O'Brien as executive producer. Shooting took place April 9, 2010. NBC did not pick up the pilot.
On May 4, 2010, a new version of the Unbroken song "Terrified" featuring actor Zachary Levi premiered on Entertainment Weekly'''s website and was made available for purchase on iTunes. The accompanying music video premiered on May 7, 2010, on the music video website Vevo. In the summer of 2010, McPhee partnered with Feeding America and ConAgra Foods Foundation to help launch the Hunger-Free Summer Initiative, which aimed to help children at risk of hunger during the summer months. Throughout the month of July, McPhee traveled around the country to various Feeding America food banks to raise awareness.
McPhee released a Christmas album titled Christmas Is the Time to Say I Love You on October 12, 2010. The album debuted at number 11 on the Billboard Top Holiday Albums chart and sold 1,000 copies in its first week. One of the Christmas album's songs "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" was released to radio in November 2010 and peaked at number 16 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary Chart. Country singer Chelsea Field's song "Love's Never Leavin'", a song that McPhee co-wrote with singer-songwriter Richard Marx and producer Trey Bruce, was made available for purchase on iTunes on November 9, 2010, with 100% of the proceeds to benefit the Tammany Humane Society in Covington, LA. On December 15, 2010, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital released a video on their website for their Thanks and Giving Campaign that featured McPhee interacting with sick children at the hospital with her song "Lifetime" playing over the soundtrack.
2011–2013: Smash series and new record deal
In February 2011, McPhee landed a starring role in the TV pilot Smash, also starring Debra Messing, Megan Hilty, Jack Davenport, Anjelica Huston, Christian Borle, and Brian d'Arcy James. In May 2011, NBC picked up Smash as a series. The series, set as a musical drama, follows a group of characters who come together to put on a Broadway musical inspired by Marilyn Monroe.
On June 9, 2011, McPhee signed a record deal with Columbia Records (a label under Sony Music Entertainment), in conjunction with Columbia teaming with NBC to distribute the music for Smash. In July 2011, Forbes reported that McPhee was number 10 on their list of the 10 top-earning American Idol performers (she was tied with David Archuleta and David Cook), earning $1 million (pretax estimates before subtracting manager and agent fees) for music and acting endeavors for the period May 2010 to May 2011.
McPhee co-starred in director David Ellis' shark thriller indie film Shark Night 3D, which was released September 2, 2011."Actors Feed 'Shark Night 3-D'", Variety.
In December 2011, McPhee became a spokesperson for the Malaria No More organization to help raise awareness about the campaign to eradicate malaria.
NBC debuted Smash in midseason 2011–12 on February 6, 2012, to generally favorable reviews, scoring a 79 out of 100 on Metacritic. On March 26, 2012, Smash was renewed for a second season. McPhee recorded a voice-over for Family Guy, for the episode "You Can't Do That on Television, Peter", playing the voice of Mother Maggie. The episode was broadcast April 1, 2012.
McPhee had a cameo role as a singer performing at a festival for the feature film Peace, Love & Misunderstanding, which starred Jane Fonda and was filmed in upstate New York. McPhee filmed her cameo in September 2010. The film was out as a limited release on June 8, 2012.
In early 2009, McPhee was cast in a lead role in the independent $6 million romantic-comedy You May Not Kiss the Bride, which was filmed in Hawaii. McPhee played the role of Masha, alongside Dave Annable. The film debuted at the 14th Annual Sonoma International Film Festival that was held April 6–10, 2011 The film was released theatrically in the US in late 2012, premiering August 29, 2012, in Hawaii and September 21, 2012, in several mainland markets including Chicago, Dallas, and Los Angeles, as well as Video On Demand, iTunes, and Amazon. One of the songs included in the movie was co-written by McPhee.
In January 2013, Forbes reported that McPhee again made their list of the 10 top-earning American Idol performers (she was tied with Kellie Pickler at number seven), earning $1.1 million (pretax estimates before subtracting manager and agent fees) for music and acting endeavors for the period May 2011 to May 2012.
On March 28, 2013, McPhee returned to the American Idol stage to perform on the 12th season top-eight results show with OneRepublic, where she lent guest vocals to the group's latest single, "If I Lose Myself".
By April 2013, McPhee had begun recording her fourth studio album, then scheduled for release in late 2013 and featuring songwriting collaborations with Ryan Tedder, Linda Perry, and Sia. Smash was cancelled that same year, after two seasons. In August 2013, McPhee indicated in an interview for an upcoming concert that she hoped to see the album released in 2014.
2014–2017: Scorpion and Hysteria
In January 2014, Forbes reported that McPhee again made their list of the 10 top-earners (tied with Jennifer Hudson at number 10), this time for 2013, earning $1 million (pretax estimates before subtracting manager and agent fees) for music and acting endeavors for the period May 2012 to May 2013.
In November and December 2013, McPhee filmed a Hallmark Hall of Fame movie in Vancouver, British Columbia, called In My Dreams. Directed by Kenny Leon, it stars McPhee and Mike Vogel as two people searching for love and meeting in their dreams. The movie was broadcast on April 20, 2014.
McPhee starred as Paige in Scorpion. CBS picked up the show on May 9, 2014, and it premiered September 22.
McPhee guest-starred with fellow Smash actor Megan Hilty on the Wesley Taylor web series It Could Be Worse. McPhee and Hilty filmed the roles in January 2014 and the episode premiered with the second season on Hulu in July 2014.
McPhee said in interviews for Scorpion, including one to the L.A. Times in September 2014, that her fourth album had been put on hold due to Scorpion being picked up and that some realigning would occur as far as where the music fits.
CBS debuted Scorpion on September 22, 2014, as part of the 2014–15 fall TV season. The pilot received generally mixed reviews from critics. On Metacritic, it received a score of 48/100 from 19 critics, indicating mixed or average reviews. The pilot earned 13.83 million viewers and a 3.2 in the 18–49 demographic. McPhee covered the Frankie Valli song "Can't Take My Eyes Off You" in the episode "Risky Business".
On November 5, 2014, McPhee was a presenter for the 2015 People's Choice Awards nominations announcement.
McPhee performed on the 16th annual A Home For the Holidays adoption special that was broadcast on December 19, 2014. This was her second appearance on the annual special.
On January 7, 2015, McPhee was a presenter at the 2015 People's Choice Awards, where she introduced a performance by Lady Antebellum.
On January 18, McPhee sang the national anthem before the NFC Championship Game in Seattle. On January 26, she co-hosted with sports analyst Boomer Esiason the 2015 Greatest Super Bowl Commercials special. On February 8, McPhee was a presenter at the 2015 Grammy Awards on CBS, where she introduced a performance of Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga.
On April 9, 2015, McPhee posted a photo on Instagram, teasing about the upcoming music video of the first single from her fourth album. "Lick My Lips", written by Florence and the Machine member Isabella Summers, was released on May 26. The track list of Hysteria has been revealed with one song written by Ryan Tedder and another song written by Sia Furler. On August 14, "Stranger than Fiction", a song co-written by Ryan Tedder and McPhee, was released. On August 28, "Love Strikes" was released on iTunes. Hysteria, McPhee's fourth studio album was released as scheduled on September 18, 2015.
On December 6, Katharine performed "You Make Me Feel So Young" and with John Legend on "You and Me (We Wanted It All)" on the Sinatra 100: An All-Star Grammy Concert.
McPhee returned to American Idol on March 24, 2016, and performed "Somewhere Over the Rainbow". She returned for the fifteenth season finale on April 7, where she performed a short version of "Need You Now" with Casey James as part of an acoustic medley.
McPhee appeared on Lip Sync Battle on April 7, 2016, where she performed against Jason Derulo and won.
On September 18, 2015, McPhee independently released her fourth album, Hysteria, composed of pop originals.
In December 2016, McPhee performed as the opening act at several stops on Andrea Bocelli's tour.
On February 12, 2017, McPhee was a presenter with The Chainsmokers at the 59th Annual Grammy Awards.
On April 16, 2017, CBS broadcast the concert Stayin' Alive: A Grammy's Salute to the Music of the Bee Gees, where McPhee performed "Emotion".
In June 2017, McPhee began filming the independent film Louisiana Cavier in New Orleans.
2017–2021: I Fall in Love Too Easily and Waitress
On November 4, 2017, McPhee starred in the Lifetime TV movie The Lost Wife of Robert Durst in the role of Robert Durst's first wife Kathie.I Fall in Love Too Easily, a collection of romantic standards, was released on November 17, 2017, via BMG. The first single, "Night and Day", was made available for free via streaming.
McPhee took over the lead female role of Jenna in Waitress as her Broadway debut. She began performances on April 10, 2018, and played the role through August 19, 2018.
On May 11, 2018, the song "Living in the Moment" was released. Carole Bayer Sager shared in a Twitter post that it was written by her, Jay Landers and Walter Afanasieff as the theme for the movie Book Club.McPhee played the lead role Jenna again in Waitress at the Adelphi Theatre in London's West End in March through June 2019. She returned to the Broadway production on November 25, 2019, and remained with the show until its final performance on January 5, 2020. In 2021, she plays Bailey in Country Comfort.Also in 2021, Katharine McPhee and David Foster competed in sixth season of The Masked Singer as "Banana Split" in which McPhee dressed up as the ice cream half who did all the singing and Foster dressed up as the banana half who did the instrument playing and conducting. They were eliminated in the Group B Finale.
2022–present: Christmas Songs and jewelry line
McPhee and her husband David Foster recorded a Christmas EP, Christmas Songs, composed of seven songs. The first single, "Jingle Bell Rock", was released digitally on October 28, 2022. The EP was released on November 25, 2022.
McPhee released a jewelry line, KMF Jewelry, in early November 2022.
Personal life
After dating for three years, on February 2, 2008, McPhee married Nick Cokas at Beverly Hills Presbyterian Church. In October 2013, she was photographed publicly kissing her married Smash director, Michael Morris. On May 22, 2014, McPhee filed for divorce from Cokas, after "having been separated for the past year". Her divorce from Cokas was finalized on February 8, 2016.
McPhee dated her Scorpion co-star Elyes Gabel for almost two years. They split in 2016.
She became engaged to record producer David Foster in June 2018. They married a year later on June 28, 2019, at the St. Yeghiche Armenian Apostolic Church in Kensington, London. She gave birth to a son on February 22, 2021. In February 2022, McPhee described struggling with her mental health after gaining weight during her pregnancy.
Discography
Katharine McPhee (2007)
Unbroken (2010)
Christmas Is the Time to Say I Love You (2010)
Hysteria (2015)
I Fall in Love Too Easily (2017)
Christmas Songs'' (with David Foster) (2023)
Filmography
Film
Television
Stage
Awards and nominations
References
External links
1984 births
Living people
19 Recordings artists
21st-century American actresses
21st-century American singer-songwriters
21st-century American women singers
Actresses from Los Angeles
American women pop singers
American women singer-songwriters
American film actresses
American Idol participants
American people of German descent
American people of Irish descent
American people of Scottish descent
American television actresses
Boston Conservatory at Berklee alumni
California Republicans
Columbia Records artists
Singers from Los Angeles
People from Sherman Oaks, Los Angeles
RCA Records artists
Singer-songwriters from California
Verve Forecast Records artists | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katharine%20McPhee |
was a Japanese orchestra conductor. He premiered many of the major Western operas in Japan, and was honoured with many awards for cultural achievement. He was best known for conducting works by German composers such as Richard Wagner, Anton Bruckner, Gustav Mahler, and Richard Strauss.
Biography
Wakasugi was born in Tokyo. His father, Kaname, served as the Japanese Consul-General in New York City, assisting Ambassador Kichisaburo Nomura. In his teenage years Wakasugi worked as a répétiteur for the Tokyo Nikikai Opera. Nevertheless, he attended the Faculty of Economics at Keio University, but soon dropped out to study music with Hideo Saito and Nobori Kaneko at the Tokyo University of the Arts. After graduation he was appointed researching conductor of the NHK Symphony Orchestra. From 1965 he led and developed the Yomiuri Nippon Symphony Orchestra, now one of the leading orchestras in Japan. For leading the Japanese premiere of Penderecki's St. Luke Passion, Wakasugi was awarded the National Arts Festival Prize by the Agency for Cultural Affairs in 1968. He established the Tokyo Chamber Opera Theatre in 1969 and remained its artistic director for the rest of his life.
Besides leading many international orchestras, Wakasugi was principal conductor of the Cologne Radio Symphony Orchestra from 1977 to 1983, and general music director of the Deutsche Oper am Rhein, Düsseldorf from 1981 to 1986. He was artistic director and principal conductor of the Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich in Switzerland from 1987 to 1991. From 1982 to 1991, he was also a permanent conductor at the Semperoper Dresden and Sächsische Staatskapelle Dresden. Wakasugi was chosen to be the former's next music director, but the reunification of Germany and the unraveling of the East German theatre system derailed this appointment.
He was music director (1986–1995) and principal conductor (1987–1995) of the Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra. In spring 1995 he was appointed a permanent conductor of the NHK Symphony Orchestra.
In 2005 he was first named artistic consultant to the opera division of the New National Theatre Tokyo, then two years later its artistic director in September 2007. During his tenure there he led the Japanese premiere of Bernd Alois Zimmermann's Die Soldaten a few months before his death. In his final years he was also the artistic director of Biwako Opera Theatre.
Aside from performing, Wakasugi also held a professorship at Tokyo National University of the Arts and Toho Gakuen School of Music. He was a member of the Japan Art Academy.
Wakasugi was a recipient of the 1986 Suntory Music Award.
He died in Tokyo on July 21, 2009, from multiple organ failure.
External links
Künstlersekretariat Schoerke (Artist Management) biography
Tokyo Concerts biography
Interview (2005)
New National Theatre, Tokyo
References
1935 births
2009 deaths
20th-century conductors (music)
20th-century Japanese male musicians
Academic staff of Toho Gakuen School of Music
Japanese classical musicians
Japanese male conductors (music) | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hiroshi%20Wakasugi |
Efraym Elliott Yamin (born July 20, 1978) is an American singer known for his hit single "Wait for You" and for placing third on the fifth season of American Idol.
His self-titled album, released March 20, 2007, debuted at number one on the Billboard Independent Albums chart and at number three on the Billboard 200. The album was certified gold in the United States in October 2007. Retitled Wait for You, the album was released in Japan in May 2008 and certified gold in that country in September 2008.
Yamin also released two Christmas collections: Sounds of the Season: The Elliott Yamin Holiday Collection in October 2007 and My Kind of Holiday in October 2008.
Yamin's second album, titled Fight for Love, was released on May 5, 2009. The album's first single, "Fight for Love", premiered on AOL Music on February 13, 2009.
His third album, Gather 'Round was released in Japan in 2011. It was retitled in the United States as Let's Get to What's Real and released in 2012. The first single in Japan and the United States was "3 Words".
His fourth album, As Time Goes By, was released exclusively for the Japanese market on November 5, 2015. Previous to the album release, a video for the single "Katy" was released on late October 2015. Yamin travelled to Japan to promote the album in early November.
Biography
Personal life
Yamin's mother, Claudette Goldberg Yamin was a former professional singer known for her "fiery spirit" and for receiving the "Golden Idol for Proudest Family Moment Award" from Ryan Seacrest during her son's American Idol competition. His family relocated to Richmond, Virginia when Yamin was 11, and his parents divorced when he was 14, his father returning to Los Angeles. Yamin went to school in Richmond at Tuckahoe Middle School, and later, Douglas S. Freeman High School. Dropping out of high school in his sophomore year, he later achieved a high school GED while working at Foot Locker (in their management program), a pharmacy, and as an on-air disc jockey for local R&B radio station WCDX/Power 92 FM, using the name E-Dub before auditioning for American Idol.
Yamin has an older half-sister and a younger brother.
A history of ear infections as a child and eardrum replacement surgery at 13 left Yamin with 90% hearing loss in his right ear. He was diagnosed with Type I diabetes at the age of 16 and wears an insulin pump to help him manage his diabetes. Yamin is 5'6" tall.
Yamin first discovered his vocal talent while singing karaoke in his late teens. Although he had not been musically trained, he sang in a local jazz band and in amateur performance forums emulating Stevie Wonder, Whitney Houston, and Donny Hathaway.
American Idol
Yamin auditioned in Boston, Massachusetts, singing Leon Russell's "A Song for You", but his audition was not aired (it was later aired on October 24, 2009, as part of the American Idol Rewind – season 5 show). He performed the song again in front of the judges during Hollywood rounds, as well as Rascal Flatts's "Bless the Broken Road". During the group auditions, Yamin and his group performed "It's In Her Kiss" (aka "The Shoop Shoop Song") from Betty Everett; Simon Cowell disliked the group performance, but Randy Jackson said Yamin was the best one in his group, and Paula Abdul said it was a good thing she could look past two left feet, in a way of saying he did not dance well but he could definitely sing. He was sent through by the judges and made it through to the finals of the competition.
During one weekly rehearsal, guest coach Stevie Wonder told Yamin that he should definitely pursue a career in music. Simon Cowell stated that he thought Yamin was "potentially the best male vocalist" in five seasons on American Idol and later, after Yamin's "A Song for You" performance, he declared that it was a "vocal masterclass". His performance of "A Song for You" ranked third on Entertainment Weeklys countdown of the 16 best American Idol performances in the series history.
On the May 10, 2006, results show Yamin, Taylor Hicks, and Katharine McPhee were announced as the top three finalists. All three returned to their respective hometowns for a day of festivities in their honor. Yamin's homecoming visit included radio and television interviews; performing "Home" for more than 4,000 fans, capped by Mayor Douglas Wilder presenting the key to the city; and meeting Governor Tim Kaine, whom Yamin greeted with a hug. Yamin threw out the first pitch before a sold-out crowd at The Diamond for a Richmond Braves game and sang a verse a cappella of "A Song for You". Video highlights were shown on the top three results show.
Yamin was eliminated from American Idol on May 17, 2006, after the tightest race; each of the three top contestants received an almost exactly equal percentage of the viewer votes necessary for advancement to the remaining two spots.
Performances and results
: When Ryan Seacrest announced the results for this particular night, Yamin was among the Bottom 2 but declared safe when Paris Bennett was eliminated.Semi-finals:Week 1: "If You Really Love Me" (Stevie Wonder) The judges loved his performance. Jackson called him a hot one and brilliant, Abdul said it was a great performance since beginning to end, and Cowell called him potentially the best male vocalist in the show in five seasons.Week 2: "Moody's Mood For Love" (James Moody) Jackson gave Yamin a stand-up ovation, Abdul said his performance was brilliant, and Cowell said although he was growing on confidence and gave a great performance, he "can't win a show like this with a song like that".Week 3: "Heaven" (Bryan Adams) Jackson said he would sign Yamin right after his performance, and Abdul called him phenomenal, amazing and fantastic. Cowell though said it was a copout and for the first time there was a disconnect between Yamin and the song.Finals:Week 1: Stevie Wonder – "Knocks Me Off My Feet" Jackson said it was not Yamin's best performance but at the end it was good. Abdul loved his passion, and Cowell said it lacked of originality and lacked the "wow" factor, although it was a good rendition. Guest Stevie Wonder confessed to be impressed with Yamin, and said he should definitely choose singing as a profession.Week 2: Songs of the '50s – "Teach Me Tonight" (Al Jarreau) Jackson said Yamin chose the toughest song of the night and he worked it out. Abdul said she was moved by his performance, and Cowell said it was fantastic. Guest Barry Manilow said Yamin sings great but should keep remembering him about the story on the song.Week 3: Songs of the 21st Century – "I Don't Want To Be" (Gavin DeGraw) Jackson and Abdul liked the performance and the arrangements, Jackson calling Yamin a hot one, while Abdul called him "a funky white boy". Cowell said: "great song, terrible arrangement, good vocals and hideous dancing"; show host Ryan Seacrest liked the equation.Week 4: Country Songs – "If Tomorrow Never Comes" (Garth Brooks) Jackson said the competition finally started with Yamin's rendition. Abdul called him humble and understated, and stated he has a reckless abandon. Cowell called it safe and thought Yamin was nervous that night, which Yamin agreed. Guest Kenny Rogers thought Yamin could do great with the song. Yamin was in the Bottom 2 that week.Week 5: Queen – "Somebody to Love" Jackson said he sang the hardest song and loved it despite some pitch problems. Abdul said he was the best vocals of the night and said it was his best performance so far. Cowell agreed in that Yamin chose the tough one and he pulled it off. Guests Brian May and Roger Taylor (Queen members) thought Yamin chose the tough one that night and did a good job. Yamin was in the Bottom 3 that week.Week 6: Songs from The Great American Songbook – "It Had to Be You" (Frank Sinatra) Jackson said Yamin did a very nice job, and Abdul loved his performance. Cowell said it was a good vocal, but that he showed no personality, to what Yamin replied "I disagree"; Jackson and Abdul disagreed with Cowell too. Guest Rod Stewart called Yamin a blue-eyed soul.Week 7: Love Songs – "A Song for You" (Leon Russell as performed by Donny Hathaway) Jackson hated the arrangements but loved Yamin's performance. Abdul was moved to tears and called Yamin an American Idol and said he celebrates what the competition is about. Cowell called it superb and said it was in part a vocal masterclass. Guest David Foster seemed impatient with Yamin, but recognized he sings well.Week 8: Songs from the contestant's birth year (1978); Songs from the Top 10 of any Billboard Chart – "On Broadway" (by Barry Mann & Cynthia Weil, recorded by George Benson); "Home" (Michael Bublé) Jackson and Abdul said Yamin started rough in "On Broadway", but then got it together, while Cowell said it was disjointed. After "Home", Jackson said Yamin showed a tender side and made a nice job, and Abdul said it showed the richness of his voice. Cowell though said he was slightly worried for Yamin for singing a song that states he wants to go home and because the song has not enough of a hook. Yamin was in the Bottom 2 that week.Week 9: Elvis Presley – "If I Can Dream"; "Trouble" The judges liked his rendition of "If I Can Dream"; Jackson said it was hot, Abdul said it was his best vocal performance during the season, and Cowell said Yamin came to the show that night as the underdog, chose a song that not many people know and yet gave the best performance. Jackson and Abdul said "Trouble" was Yamin's best performance ever, and Cowell said Yamin fought, showed personality and deserved to get through to the next round. Guest Tommy Mottola said Yamin is a laidback kid and that he pulled it off well.Week 10: Clive Davis' pick; Judge's pick (Paula Abdul); Contestant's pick – "Open Arms" (Journey); "What You Won't Do for Love" (Bobby Caldwell); "I Believe to My Soul" (Ray Charles, as performed by Donny Hathaway) The judges had divergent opinions about "Open Arms", with Jackson saying he had problem in the chorus and he should take chances, Abdul said he was in excellent voice and did a great job, and Cowell said he was stiff and he should loosen up. Same happened with "What You Won't Do for Love": Jackson said Yamin was sharp, Abdul liked it and Cowell said he was pretty good because the style suit him although it was not the best song in the world. After "I Believe To My Soul" Jackson said it was not the perfect song for him but he could definitely sing and he did a good job, Abdul said nobody can sing songs like that like he did and called him a funky white boy again, and Cowell said Yamin is a great guy and a great singer and has made his mother proud, but also stated his song choices would not carry him through to the next round. Yamin was eliminated that week.Finale:Yamin performed a duet with Mary J. Blige and participated in the Top 12 Burt Bacharach's medley and the "guys' medley". Guys Medley: "Takin' Care Of Business" (Bachman–Turner Overdrive) / "Tobacco Road" (John D. Loudermilk) / "Don’t Stop" (Fleetwood Mac).
"One" (U2 as performed by Mary J. Blige & U2) with Mary J. Blige
"A House is Not a Home" (by Burt Bacharach)
After Idol
Yamin appeared on several talk shows, including The Tonight Show, Live with Regis and Kelly and the Fox News Channel program, Dayside. On June 11, 2006, he performed the national anthem a cappella at Game 2 of the NBA finals.
He also appeared in the annual Pop Tart-sponsored national American Idols LIVE! Tour between July and September 2006. The tour included a sold-out show at the Richmond Coliseum in Yamin's hometown.
On October 8, 2006, Yamin performed at the Virginia State Fair as the closing act. He was the first contestant from Season 5 to have his own solo concert. His backup band was the Little Memphis Blues Orchestra. There was no new material featured in the concert; instead, he sang nine cover songs.
"Use Me" (Bill Withers)
"Ready For Love" (Bad Company)
"Little Ghetto Boy" (Donny Hathaway)
"I Believe To My Soul" (Donny Hathaway)
"You've Got a Friend" (James Taylor)
"Empty Arms" (Stevie Ray Vaughan)
"I Love You More Than You'll Ever Know" (Donny Hathaway)
"What's Going On?" (Marvin Gaye)
"Whipping Post" (The Allman Brothers Band)
On December 8, 2006, Yamin sang the national anthem, Marvin Gaye's "What's Going On?" and his newly released single, "This Christmas", as part of the 2006 Genworth Children's Advantage Classic (sponsored by the Genworth Foundation) at the Alltel Pavilion at the Virginia Commonwealth University's Stuart C. Siegel Center in Richmond. Proceeds from the tennis event, which featured James Blake, Andre Agassi, Lindsay Davenport, and Steffi Graf, benefited local programs for disadvantaged youth.
Music career
Pre-Idol recordings
In 2005, Yamin was featured on three tracks ("Sound Doctrine", "Song of Hope", and "Whatchacomeherefoe?") of Richmond, Virginia gospel musical artist Big Planz's album Sound Doctrine. Four renditions of another song he recorded with Big Planz, "The Storm", were released on iTunes.
Post-Idol recordings
In December 2006, Yamin announced a music publishing contract with Sony/ATV Music Publishing. On January 25, 2007, Yamin signed a record deal with Hickory Records, a Sony/ATV-owned imprint set up as a "virtual label", with distribution handled by RED Distribution. Yamin has stated that "Sony invested in [him] as a partner" as part of a 50/50 deal, which means that "[they] both stand or fall".
2007–2008: Elliott Yamin
As a teaser, Yamin released the song "Movin' On" from his self-titled debut album on AOL's First Listen and iTunes in February 2007. His first radio single, "Wait for You", was released on March 13, 2007.
Elliott Yamin was released on March 20, 2007, debuting at number three on the Billboard 200 chart with sales of 90,000 copies in its first week. The album was the highest new artist debut on an independent label in SoundScan history. The album was certified gold status by the RIAA on October 12, 2007.
To promote his album, Yamin made TV appearances on Live with Regis and Kelly, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, "Rachael Ray", Jimmy Kimmel Live!, and TRL, where the video for the song "Wait for You" was premiered on March 20, 2007. He also signed CDs at the New York Times Square Virgin Megastore across from the TRL studio and at Circuit City in his hometown, Richmond, Virginia, where the line went around the building.
During April and May 2007, Yamin embarked on a radio tour which included interviews and acoustic in-studio performances, accompanied by guitarist Russel Ali.
Mark Gorlick (VP Artist Development & Marketing, Sony/BMG RED) emphasized the importance of this type of promotion: "We put together a five-week promo tour across the country, and just worked it...When programmers saw that the Elliott in person was consistent with the Elliott they saw on television that was huge."
On May 16, 2007, Yamin performed his hit single, "Wait for You", on the American Idol Season 6 Top 3 results show. The song jumped 60 spots on iTunes in a few hours as well as from 80 to 31 on the Billboard Hot 100. Following the performance, sales of his self-titled album increased, jumping 47 spots on the Billboard 200, from 67 to 20.
Yamin toured North America during May and June 2007, with pop/R&B singer Josh Hoge opening for him. The tour continued in October and November 2007, again with Hoge opening and adding the rock band The Last Goodnight. Fellow American Idol 5 alumnus José "Sway" Penala was added to Yamin's band to provide backing vocals.
Yamin performed in Washington, DC, at the country's biggest Independence Day celebration, "A Capitol Fourth", televised live on PBS on July 4, 2007, singing "In Love with You Forever" and "America the Beautiful". During August 2007, Yamin visited several local television morning shows for interviews and acoustic performances. He also appeared as himself on the television soap opera The Bold and the Beautiful (aired August 24) and the television drama Lincoln Heights (aired September 20), performing "Wait for You".
Yamin visited the Philippines in September 2007 for a free mall concert tour of the Ayala Malls to promote his self-titled album. During his press conference at the Glorietta Activity Center, Yamin expressed his excitement at being a part of the "warm and friendly...Filipino culture" and his desire to return with his full band for a concert tour. Following his TriNoma show on September 21, members of his fan group Yaminoys presented him with a "mini-me" Elliott doll. During the last concert held at the Alabang Town Center, Yamin accidentally stepped on the cord of his microphone while performing "Wait for You", inadvertently unplugging his microphone from the cord. A video of this can be seen on YouTube.
On December 1, 2007, Yamin performed at the Live & Loud 07 Music Festival in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, where he was the opening act for one of his personal idols, Whitney Houston. However he did not meet Houston.
Elliott Yamin placed on four-year-end Billboard charts for 2007, ranking at number 3 on the Independent Albums chart and at number 114 on The Billboard 200 chart, as well as ranking at number 39 on the Independent Albums decade-end chart (2009). "Wait for You" placed on six-year-end Billboard charts for 2007, ranking at number 11 on the Pop 100 Airplay chart and at number 41 on the Billboard Hot 100 Songs chart. "Wait for You" was honored as one of the most performed songs in the ASCAP repertory during 2007; Yamin performed it at the 25th Annual ASCAP Pop Music Awards on April 9, 2008, at the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles. The song was certified Platinum in digital sales on October 16, 2008.
Yamin traveled to the United Kingdom, Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany to
entertain service members as part of a USO/Armed Forces Entertainment tour from February 12 to 21, 2008.
On March 2, 2008, accompanied by Fantasia and a film crew, Yamin went on a four-day trip to Angola as a guest of Idol Gives Back sponsor ExxonMobil for the "Idol Gives Back" special. Footage of the pair distributing mosquito nets to villagers as part of the Malaria No More program was shown on the American Idol Season 7 Top 11 results show (March 19, 2008). Fantasia sang "Amazing Grace" and, following the local custom of naming a newborn after a visitor, a baby boy was named "Elliott", which reduced Yamin to tears. Yamin attended but did not perform on the Idol Gives Back show, broadcast on April 9, 2008.
On April 16, 2008, Yamin performed on the American Idol Season 7 Top 7 results show – dedicating the song "Free" to his late mother, Claudette Yamin (See Personal Life).
A Japan edition of Yamin's debut album was released on May 21, 2008, by Avex Trax. Retitled Wait for You, the album included bonus tracks "Believe" and "In Love With You Forever", the latter song featured in a Toyota Vitz commercial airing in Japan. Yamin made several trips to Japan during 2008 for media interviews and appearances to promote the album and performed 10 shows at Billboard Live venues in Tokyo, Osaka, and Fukuoka in August. The album was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ) in September 2008. A Premium Edition was released on October 8, 2008, containing additional bonus tracks: "A Whiter Shade of Pale" and "I'll Make You Dance", plus Yamin's cover version of "Home", originally from Japanese singer Yusaku Kiyama, who recorded a Japanese version of the song "Wait for You" in return. Kiyama and Yamin performed together during Yamin's October visit to promote the release of the Wait for You Premium Edition. Yamin was named one of the Best 3 New Artists (International) by the 23rd Annual Japan Gold Disc Awards along with Leona Lewis and Flo Rida. A standard edition and a special edition of Wait for You with different bonus tracks were also released in Taiwan in July and September 2008, respectively.
2009–2010: Fight for Love
"Fight for Love", the title track and lead single from Yamin's second album, premiered on AOL Music on February 13, 2009. The song, co-written and co-produced by Johntá Austin, became available at iTunes and other digital outlets on March 10, 2009; and was officially released for Top 40 and Rhythm radio airplay the same day.
Fight for Love was released on May 5, 2009. Yamin recorded 35 songs from which to choose the final track list and worked with various producers, including Jermaine Dupri, Eman, Harvey Mason, Jr., Steve Russell and Stargate. Yamin has described the album as more contemporary R&B pop than his debut with three or four more "radio-friendly" singles. Yamin co-wrote the majority of songs for the album, including "Someday", a song about his feelings of loss following the death of his mother. His collaboration with Jermaine Dupri, "When I'm Gone", became a bonus track on the Japanese edition, which was released on May 20, 2009. A Premium Edition of the album was released in Japan on October 21, 2009.
During March through early June 2009, Yamin promoted the new album with acoustic performances on air at radio stations and at radio-sponsored concerts, as well as a few club shows with his full band. Promotion in June 2009 included a 3-week visit to Japan with 14 shows at Billboard Live venues and other appearances.
The second single, "Can't Keep on Loving You (From a Distance)", was released to Adult Contemporary radio on August 10, 2009.
Yamin and his band began their second USO/Armed Forces Entertainment tour on October 7, 2009, performing four concerts for troops and their families over 10 days in Guam and Japan.
On January 2, 2010, Yamin kicked off a month-long Fight for Love tour, which he described as "acoustic with a cool twist", in Alexandria, Virginia. The tour schedule included dates in the Northeastern and Southeastern United States, as well as Arizona and California, although the California dates were subsequently cancelled.
In February 2010, Yamin returned to Angola as a representative of Idol Gives Back, this time accompanied by Kara DioGuardi. During his performance at the 1st Annual Washington Ideas Forum on October 2, 2009, Yamin had announced a $100,000 grant to the Saint Isabel Orphanage and School in Luanda, Angola, from ExxonMobil as part of their malaria prevention program. The grant was made to enable the school, which Yamin had visited in 2008 with Fantasia, to improve and expand their facility. Video of Yamin and DioGuardi visiting the ongoing construction of the school dormitory, as well as distributing bed nets, was shown on the American Idol Season 9 Top 9 (second week) results show (April 14, 2010). Sister Domingas Loureira, director of the orphanage, flew to Los Angeles as a guest of American Idol and ExxonMobil and sat next to Yamin at Idol Gives Back performance on April 21, 2010. Later that week, Yamin performed the National Anthem in honor of World Malaria Day at Washington Nationals and Chicago White Sox baseball games.
From February 22 to 27, 2010, Yamin represented the U.S. in the international competition of the LI Festival Internacional de la Canción de Viña del Mar (LI International Song Festival of Viña del Mar), in Chile, against interpreters from Argentina, Chile, Cuba, France, Italy, Mexico, Peru, Spain and UK The competition's theme was "Songs with History", and Yamin performed "Rock Around the Clock". On February 25, he was announced as one of the five semi-finalists in the Festival, along with the representative artists of Argentina, Cuba, Italy and Chile. On February 26 the three finalists were announced: Argentina, Cuba and Italy; Chile and the USA were eliminated from the competition that night.
During the early morning hours of February 27, as the festival entered its final day, Chile experienced a magnitude 8.8 earthquake. Yamin was uninjured – relaying his experience via multiple Twitter messages and phone interviews with American media the morning of the 27th.
On March 7, 2010, Yamin performed at the 11th Annual Children Uniting Nations Oscar Celebration, held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, California.
In June 2010, Yamin was invited by United Airlines to fly on its inaugural flight from Washington, DC, to Accra, Ghana. While in Ghana, he helped the non-profit organization Malaria No More deliver mosquito nets donated by ExxonMobil to a children's hospital in Accra.
2011: Gather 'Round/Let's Get to What's Real
On February 2, 2011, Yamin released, exclusively for the Japanese market, his third studio album, Gather 'Round, which contains 12 tracks. The album's first single was 3 Words.
A May 2011 interview with American Idol blogger Rodney Ho of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution indicated Yamin was no longer with Hickory Records and had not signed with another US label.
In January 2012, it was announced that his third studio album, Gather 'Round, would be released in the United States under the title Let's Get to What's Real on April 10, 2012, on the E1/Purpose Music Group label. The album contains all but three of the tracks from the Japanese version, and includes two new songs: "Enough Love" and "Up, Down, All Around". The lead single is the song "3 Words" which was also released as the first Japanese single.
2015–present: As Time Goes By
On November 5, 2015, Yamin released, again exclusively for the Japanese market, his fourth studio album, As Time Goes By, which contains 12 tracks.
A video for the single "Katy" was released in Japan in late October 2015. Yamin travelled to Japan to promote the album in early November.
Holiday collections
Sounds of the Season: The Elliott Yamin Holiday Collection
On October 14, 2007, Yamin released Sounds Of The Season: The Elliott Yamin Holiday Collection, a Christmas album with 8 tracks, including two originals recorded specifically for the album. Distributed exclusively through Target stores during the 2007 holiday season, it sold 81,000 copies.
My Kind of Holiday
On October 7, 2008, Yamin released another holiday album titled My Kind of Holiday. It includes the 8 tracks from Sounds of the Season: The Elliott Yamin Holiday Collection, plus 2 new tracks: "Back Door Santa" and "Christmas Without Carol", which he co-wrote.
"This Christmas"
"Warm Me Up"
"Jingle Bells"
"A Very Merry Christmas"
"Little Drummer Boy"
"Back Door Santa"
"The Christmas Song"
"Merry Christmas, Baby"
"Let’s Be Naughty (And Save Santa the Trip)"
"Christmas Without Carol"
The Japan Exclusive Edition of the album was released on December 10, 2008, and includes three bonus tracks: "Sharing the Night Together", an acoustic version of "Home", and "Wait for You (The Standard Club Piano Dance Remix)".
Compilation albums
Randy Jackson's Music Club, Vol. 1
On March 11, 2008, producer Randy Jackson released his first studio album, in which Yamin features in a duet with American Idol co-contestant Katharine McPhee. The song, "Real Love", is a cover of a Lee Ryan song, using the male/female structure of the Trinity Stone featuring Ne-Yo cover. The song was released as a single for radio airplay on April 22, 2008.
DisneyMania 6
Yamin covered Elton John's Academy Award-winning song in 1994, "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" from Disney's The Lion King, for the compilation album DisneyMania 6, released on May 20, 2008.
On October 27, 2008, Yamin performed in a concert as part of the celebration of the 10th anniversary of the Peres Center for Peace in Israel. The concert was titled "Believe: Celebrating a Decade of Peacebuilding Activities" and took place at the Tel Aviv Performing Arts Center. Yamin performed "Can You Feel the Love Tonight", and then closed the concert in a duet with singer Liel Kolet, performing "I Wish That...", a song written by Diane Warren. Other artists that were scheduled to perform include Andrea Bocelli, Slash and Dave Koz.
Collaborations
Taylor Hicks: The Distance
Yamin collaborated with fellow American Idol Taylor Hicks on Hicks' second album, The Distance, released on March 10, 2009. They recorded a duet of a cover of Bobby Womack's "Woman's Gotta Have It".
Sanjoy: OBVI
Yamin collaborated with Bangladeshi American DJ Sanjoy in the fast-paced pop EDM "OBVI," released on January 13, 2017. Yamin was selected as the singer after "OBVI" brought Sanjoy back memories of his first kiss in high school to Yamin's song "Wait for You".
Philthy: Party Crashers
Yamin collaborated with jazz musician Phil Lassiter in his second album Party Crashers, released digitally on July 6, 2018. The album contains 11 tracks featuring former member of Prince & The New Power Generation, Philip Lassiter, members of Snarky Puppy, Bobby Sparks, Mark Lettieri & Jason Thomas, and Mono Neon.
On April 21, 2018, Yamin performed the National Anthem for the Toyota Owners 400 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Richmond Raceway in Richmond, Virginia.
Advocacy
As a diabetic, Yamin supports and works as a spokesman for various organizations, including the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF). In October 2006, Yamin sang the national anthem at the Dodger Stadium (LA) and cut the ribbon during the JDRF International Walk to Cure Diabetes. In addition, a portion of the proceeds from his Virginia State Fair concert benefitted the JDRF. The Central Virginia Chapter of the JDRF honored Yamin for his commitment to diabetes awareness and research at its 8th Annual Spring Gala on March 1, 2008; more than $400,000 was raised at the event. He returned for the 9th Annual Spring Gala on April 4, 2009.
In August 2007, Yamin visited Capitol Hill as International Celebrity Advocate Co-chair of the Promise to Remember Me Campaign to petition Representatives for their support to extend the Special Diabetes Program, which provides federal funding for type 1 diabetes research.
In October 2007, Yamin was named Global Ambassador to promote the Inspired by Diabetes Creative Expression Competition, a global contest in which people with diabetes, as well as their friends and families, can share through art, music, or essay how the disease has impacted their lives.
During his fall 2007 concert tour, Yamin announced that 100% of proceeds from the sale of designated T-shirts and pins would benefit the Life for a Child Program, which provides insulin, as well as diabetes-related care and supplies, for children in developing countries.
On World Diabetes Day, November 14, 2007, Yamin was joined by children with diabetes for a performance of the song "Promise to Remember Me" in the United Nation's Rose Garden.
Following the World Diabetes Day ceremonies, Yamin taped a segment of the Montel Williams Show during which he shared his experiences learning to live with the disease and performed "Wait for You". The 30-minute segment was aired on November 29, 2007.
During October 2009, Yamin was a guest speaker at the World Diabetes Congress in Montreal, Canada, speaking at an open forum on "Living with diabetes and its complications: perspective of someone with diabetes".
On November 3, 2010, Yamin appeared on Don't Forget the Lyrics, contesting for two charities: JDRF and Malaria No More. He won $5,000 for them.
On November 5, 2010, Yamin was a guest performer at the 40th Anniversary of Africare.
During October and November 2012, Yamin was an integral part of the Big Blue Test campaign organized by Diabetes Hands Foundation, to raise awareness of the importance of exercise and help people with diabetes in need.
Discography
Studio albums
Singles
Other songsNotesA ^Yamin's cover of Donny Hathaway's song "This Christmas" was originally released as a single online to AOL Music and iTunes on December 6, 2006. The rendition was later included on Sounds of the Season: The Elliott Yamin Holiday Collection, released in October 2007. Although the song was first released in 2006, it achieved its peak Billboard chart position in January 2008.
B ^"Wait for You" was the first official single released from Yamin's self-titled debut. It premiered on radio on March 1, 2007, and was released to iTunes on March 13, 2007. The song was added to Z100 NYC's (the most listened radio station in the U.S.) Top 40 list in late May 2007, making Yamin one of the few independent artists to be played on that radio station.
C ^"Wait for You" has been included in the Now That's What I Call Music! 25 collection, the Radio Disney Jams, Vol. 10 compilation, and the Kidz Bop 13 album. The Jason Nevins GTR Mix of the song has been included on Ultra.2008, a collection of dance club remixes. An instrumental version of the song has also been included in the Strung Out Vol. 2: The String Quartet Tribute to Modern Rock Hits album.
D ^On August 16, 2007, Yamin announced his second radio single, "One Word", on Fox 5 News in Washington, DC. It was released to radio on October 16, 2007.
E ^"Moody's Mood for Love" was not released as a standard single in the U.S.; no songs from the American Idol Season 5: Encores CD were made available as singles for radio airplay. The chart position was attained strictly from sales of the individual track from various Internet music download sites.
F ^'"Movin' On" was not released as a single, but rather as a pre-album track made available to U.S. online music retailers on February 13, 2007.
Music videos
References
External links
Elliott Yamin official website
Official site by Avex Group
EtrainStation – Official Elliott Yamin Forum
Elliott Yamin Songs on AOL Music
Elliott Yamin on American Idol at American Idol Watch
1978 births
21st-century American singers
American Idol participants
American male pop singers
Living people
Singers from Los Angeles
Musicians from Richmond, Virginia
People with type 1 diabetes
Avex Group artists
Sony Music Publishing artists
Hickory Records artists
Fontana Records artists
American contemporary R&B singers
Songwriters from Virginia
Songwriters from California
21st-century American male singers
21st-century American Jews
American male songwriters | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elliott%20Yamin |
Mandisa Lynn Hundley (born October 2, 1976), known professionally as Mandisa, is an American gospel and contemporary Christian recording artist. Her career began as a contestant in the fifth season of American Idol, in which she finished in ninth place. She is the fifth American Idol alumna to win a Grammy Award, for her album Overcomer in the Best Contemporary Christian Music Album category.
Early life
Mandisa Hundley was born and raised in Citrus Heights, California. After graduating from El Camino Fundamental High School, she attended American River College in Sacramento where she studied Vocal Jazz. Then she studied at Fisk University in Tennessee and graduated with a Bachelor of Music degree with a concentration in vocal performance.
American Idol
Mandisa auditioned for the United States talent competition show American Idol in Chicago, in 2005. She referred to herself as "just Mandisa," thus was billed simply as Mandisa on the show. She stated that her musical influences run the gamut from Whitney Houston to Def Leppard.
Idol judge Simon Cowell made several comments about Mandisa's weight after her successful audition. He first quipped, "Do we have a bigger stage this year?" Then, when Paula Abdul commented that Mandisa had a "Frenchie" growl to her voice, Cowell responded that a more apt comparison would be to France itself. These were among comments that drew the ire of the National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance, (NAAFA) and would be one of the reasons Mandisa would entitle her 2007 album True Beauty.
When Mandisa presented herself to the judges prior to the final cut-down to the season's 24 semi-finalists, she told Cowell: "What I want to say to you is that, yes, you hurt me and I cried and it was painful, it really was. But I want you to know that I've forgiven you and that you don't need someone to apologize in order to forgive somebody. I figure that if Jesus could die so that all of my wrongs could be forgiven, I can certainly extend that same grace to you." Cowell told Mandisa that he was "humbled" and apologized to her immediately.
On the March 7, 2006, Idol show, she stated in her pre-performance video that she sucked her thumb until she was 24 years old. She performed a rendition of Chaka Khan's "I'm Every Woman" which drew praise from all three judges. She was among the 12 contestants chosen on March 9, 2006, as a finalist in Idols fifth season.
Mandisa was eliminated from American Idol on April 5, 2006, in the top nine, having never previously been in the bottom three (she was there with Paris Bennett and Elliott Yamin, neither of whom had been in the bottom three either). Mandisa revealed that, when the first group of Taylor Hicks, Kellie Pickler and Chris Daughtry was sent back to safety, and Mandisa, Elliott and Paris were on the stage on one side and the other group of Ace Young, Katharine McPhee and Bucky Covington on the other side, she told Paris and Elliott that it was most likely their own group in the bottom three, as she remembered how the same thing had happened in the third season, when the three divas landed in the bottom three, and was sure that it would probably be a "shocker" like that one as Ace, Katharine and Bucky had all been in the bottom three earlier. She, like most eliminated contestants, appeared on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno one day later.
Performances
Music career
On July 27, 2007, after being eliminated from American Idol—Mandisa performed the song "I Don't Hurt Anymore" on the TV talk show Live with Regis and Kelly. She also joined Gladys Knight and others at the Apollo Theater for the benefit concert "Back to Harlem," to raise money for various charities.
Mandisa collaborated with tobyMac and Kirk Franklin on tobyMac's album Portable Sounds.
Mandisa's first full-length album True Beauty was released on July 31, 2007. The album debuted at No. 1 on the Top Christian Albums charts, making it the first time a new female artist has debuted at No. 1 in the chart's 27-year history. It also debuted at No. 43 on the Billboard 200, an unusually high debut on that chart for a Christian artist. It also garnered a Best Pop/Contemporary Gospel Album nomination. Showcasing Mandisa's stylistic range was the task set before the five sets of producers who lined up to work with her on the album: Shaun Shankel, Brown Bannister, Christopher Stevens, Drew Ramsey & Shannon Sanders, and Robert Marvin & Josiah Bell. Mandisa also spent personal time with the album's writers before the songwriting process began, sharing her vision for the project and what she hoped to communicate through the songs.
Her first single, "Only the World," was released on May 22, 2007. The song had a successful debut on the Billboard Hot Singles Sales chart, which tracks commercial single sales, debuting at No. 2 and reached No. 1 the following week. It is also getting major airplay on Christian radio stations. It was written by Matthew West, Sam Mizell and Clint Lagerberg. (West also co-wrote two other songs on album.)
Mandisa's cover of "Shackles" features a horn section provided by LiveHorns.com with Tommy Vaughan on trumpet, Rodney Mills on trombone, and Shane Philen on sax. They also appear on Mandisa's performance of "The Right Thing" on the VeggieTales soundtrack for The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything.
The second single "God Speaking" was released to Christian radio in October 2007. A third single, "Voice of a Savior," written by West, was serviced to Inspo radio in mid-2008, where it peaked in the Top 5 of Radio and Records' Soft AC/Inspo chart.
In November 2007, Mandisa released a holiday EP, Christmas Joy EP, which features the song "Christmas Makes Me Cry", a duet with frequent collaborator Matthew West. Earlier that year, Mandisa also recorded "Christmas Day," a duet with Michael W. Smith. The EP peaked at No. 2 on Billboards Hot Christian AC chart, stopped from reaching No. 1 by her duet with Smith, "Christmas Day". It was the first time in the history of the Christian singles chart that a solo female artist was featured on the top two singles at the same time.
On October 14, 2008, Mandisa released a full-length Christmas album, It's Christmas.
Freedom was released on March 24, 2009.
There have also been reports that Mandisa will be releasing "We Are Family" which is a Bonus Track on Napster on April 14, 2009. The song was available for a short time on Amazon.com added to Freedom labeled as "Freedom + Bonus Track". It also debuted at No. 83 on the Billboard 200.
What If We Were Real, was released on April 11, 2011. In March 2011 she began a tour with comedian Anita Renfroe promoting the album. The first single off "What If We Were Real," a track titled "Stronger," peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Christian Songs chart on June 18, 2011. The album has remained on the Billboard Christian Albums for 76 consecutive weeks as of September 2012. It debuted at No. 66 on the Billboard 200.
The second single, "Waiting for Tomorrow," peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard Christian Songs chart the week of January 28, 2012. The third single, "Good Morning", features fellow Contemporary Christian musician tobyMac, with whom Mandisa collaborated on "Lose My Soul".
Mandisa's fourth studio album, Overcomer, was released on August 27, 2013, and debuted at No. 29 on the Billboard 200 Albums Chart, her highest peak on that chart to date. The title track "Overcomer" was released in late July, hitting the Billboard Christian Top 20 in its third week on the charts. It went to No. 1 on that chart by October 2013 when it also appeared on the mainstream Bubbling Under chart.
Mandisa won the Best Contemporary Christian Music Album for Overcomer at the 56th Grammy Awards. The title song from the album also won Best Contemporary Christian Music Song for songwriters David Garcia, Ben Glover and Christopher Stevens. She declined to attend the Grammy Awards, however, saying, "I have fallen prey to the alluring pull of flesh, pride, and selfish desires quite a bit recently.
I knew that submerging myself into an environment that celebrates those things was risky for me at this time.
Mandisa's fifth full-length album, Out of the Dark, was released on May 19, 2017. The lead single, "Unfinished", was then released on March 10, 2017. The song reached No. 8 on the Billboard Hot Christian Songs Chart. A compilation of her best songs, Overcomer: The Greatest Hits, was released in February 2020.
Personal life
Mandisa resides in the suburban Nashville community of Antioch, Tennessee. Since her appearance on American Idol in 2006, Mandisa has made efforts toward health and weight loss. The title of her second album, Freedom, was inspired by her experience of overcoming an addiction to food. As of March 2009, she had reportedly lost 75 pounds and hoped to lose a total of 100 or more. As of February 2011, she reached her goal of losing 100 pounds.
In 2013, after the loss of a close friend to breast cancer, Mandisa gained back much of the weight she had originally lost, and had depression and suicidal thoughts. This loss, coupled with a sense of deep betrayal by God, led Mandisa into a dark place, and also led to her virtual disappearance from both public and private view. In May 2017, Mandisa returned to public view, and began to open up about her ordeals, around the same time as the release of her album, Out of the Dark. She had not recorded an album in three years.
Discography
Studio albums
2007: True Beauty
2008: It's Christmas
2009: Freedom
2011: What If We Were Real
2013: Overcomer
2017: Out of the Dark
Awards and nominations
Grammy Awards
GMA Dove Awards
References
External links
February 21, 2006 Sacramento Bee article
MTV Mandisa Interview
STREETBRAND Magazine Interview
1976 births
21st-century American singers
African-American Christians
20th-century African-American women singers
American gospel singers
American Idol participants
American performers of Christian music
Fisk University alumni
Grammy Award winners
Living people
Singers from Nashville, Tennessee
Musicians from Sacramento, California
People from Citrus Heights, California
Performers of contemporary Christian music
Sparrow Records artists
EMI Records artists
21st-century American women singers
People from Antioch, Tennessee
21st-century African-American women singers | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mandisa |
Presidential elections were held in Chile in July 1851. Carried out through a system of electors, they resulted in the election of Manuel Montt as President. Montt was the country's first non-military president.
Montt's opponent, José María de la Cruz, refused to accept the results and started a rebellion, the Revolution of 1851, in Concepción. He was defeated by former president Manuel Bulnes.
Results
References
Presidential elections in Chile
Chile
1851 in Chile
Election and referendum articles with incomplete results | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1851%20Chilean%20presidential%20election |
Kevin Patrick Covais (; born May 30, 1989) is an American actor, singer and songwriter. He was a finalist on the fifth season of American Idol. Covais appeared in the films College and Transformers: Age of Extinction, and television shows Good Luck Charlie and State of Georgia.
Early life
Covais was born and raised in Levittown, New York, on Long Island. He is the son of John Covais, a retired sheriff, and Patty Covais. He is the youngest of three. He has two siblings, a sister (Kathleen) and a brother (John). Covais was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at age eleven and receives insulin injections, like his fellow contestant, Elliott Yamin.
Covais started singing at the age of ten and has taken voice lessons for four years. Covais has stated that Brian McKnight and American Idol first season winner Kelly Clarkson are favorite singers of his. In the future, he plans to pursue a career in singing, acting or journalism.
Covais was a junior at Island Trees High School during his Idol run; he graduated at the end of the 2006–07 school year. He is a former student of Island Trees Middle School. He is a member of the Drama Club and has played the lead in several school plays including Brighton Beach Memoirs, Godspell and Guys and Dolls; he is also a member of the Metropolitan Youth Chorale and the National Honor Society. In the 2005–06 school year, he won the lead in the school's musical, Anything Goes but had to leave for American Idol. He also won some competitions outside of school, such as Eisenhower Park's Reach for the Stars in 2003. He is also a fan of the New York Yankees, the New York Knicks and the New York Jets.
Career
2006–07: American Idol
Covais auditioned in Boston, Massachusetts. On March 9, 2006, he made it into the top 12 of American Idol. Covais has sarcastically dubbed himself the show's "sex symbol," while fellow finalist Paris Bennett called him "Chicken Little" for his supposed resemblance to the character in the Disney movie. Covais was eliminated on March 22, 2006. He was in the bottom three with Bucky Covington and Lisa Tucker.
Covais continued to pursue his singing career after his stint on Idol. He made a number of media appearances including Jimmy Kimmel Live! on March 24, 2006, Live with Regis and Kelly on March 29 and July 4, The Today Show on March 30 and The Ellen DeGeneres Show on April 4. Covais also intends to return to television, telling TV Guide'''s Shawna Malcolm, "You'll see me on TV again. If Disney comes calling...." In December 2006, he performed at a Disney World holiday concert. Covais rapped on one track of good friend and fellow Idol finalist Paris Bennett's debut CD, Princess P. He also recorded "When I Fall in Love" for the compilation CD American Idol Season 5: Encores, which features a song from each of the 12 finalists.
American Idol performances
Semifinals
February 22, 2006 – "One Last Cry" by Brian McKnight
March 1, 2006 – "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" by Marvin Gaye (Bottom 3) March 8, 2006 – "Vincent (Starry, Starry Night)" by Don McLean
Jackson and Abdul were complimentary. Cowell was not, saying only 90-year-olds would enjoy it.
Finals
March 14, 2006 – "Part Time Lover" by Stevie Wonder
Jackson and Abdul liked that Covais had fun. Cowell thought it was "appalling."
March 21, 2006 – "When I Fall in Love" by Doris Day (Eliminated) The judges were complimentary. Cowell said Covais's fanbase would eat it up.
Season finale
May 24, 2006 – "What's New Pussycat?" by Tom Jones
This was performed during the Burt Bacharach medley performed by the top 12 finalists at the finale.
2008–present: Acting
Covais had a co-starring role in the 2008 comedy film College as Morris. Covais landed a role in Labor Pains. He returned to New York on March 30. Nassau County Executive Thomas Suozzi presented him with a key to the city, and declared that day "Kevin Covais Day". He has not been signed to a recording contract as of 2006. Covais is a youth ambassador for the American Diabetes Association educating young people about diabetes. A cartoon version of Covais has appeared in the manga webcomic Sorethumbs, due to his striking resemblance to one of the main characters (Fairbanks). Covais made a guest appearance at Nassau County's Italian American Night at the Lakeside Theatre on June 26, 2006, in Eisenhower Park. Also, he returned to Island Trees High School on April 3, 2009, to sing at the annual Island Trees Music Department Concert to raise money for the music department.
Covais appeared on an episode of The Real World aftershow along with Ace Young and Lisa Tucker on February 18, 2010. From 2012 until the show's series finale in 2014, Covais held a recurring role on Good Luck Charlie as Victor DeLeseur.
Covais starred as an ice cream employee in the second-season episode "The Wedding" of This is Us'' in 2018.
Filmography
References
External links
Official website
1989 births
American child singers
American male film actors
American Idol participants
Living people
People from Levittown, New York
Singers from New York (state)
American soul singers
21st-century American male singers
21st-century American singers
People with type 1 diabetes | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kevin%20Covais |
The Human Race Machine (HRM) is a computerized console composed of four different programs. The Human Race Machine program allows participants to see themselves with the facial characteristics of six different races: Asian, White, African, Middle Eastern, and Indian, mapped onto their own face. The Age Machine allows viewers see an aged version of his or her face. A version of this methodology has been used for over twenty years by the FBI and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children to help locate kidnap victims and missing children.
The Couples Machine combines photographs of two people in different percentages to show the appearance of their child.
The Anomaly Machine lets viewers see themselves with facial anomalies. The HRM was created by artist Nancy Burson and David Kramlich; it uses morphing technology. It was shown on Oprah on 2006-02-16.
External links
The Human Race Machine
Digital art
Computer graphics | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human%20Race%20Machine |
Taylor Reuben Hicks (born October 7, 1976) is an American singer who won the fifth season of American Idol in May 2006. Hicks got his start as a professional musician in his late teens and performed around the Southeastern United States for well over the span of a decade, during which he also released two independent albums. Upon winning Idol, he was signed to Arista Records, under which his self-titled major label debut was released on December 12, 2006.
His energetic stage performances and influences derived from classic rock, blues, and R&B music had earned him a following of devout fans dubbed the "Soul Patrol". Hicks performed on Broadway in 2008 and on national tour in 2009 in Grease playing Teen Angel, the role originated by Alan Paul. He is the first Idol winner to secure a long-term residency at a Las Vegas casino. He began his residency at Bally's Las Vegas in June 2012 and moved to a larger venue, Paris Las Vegas, in January 2013. In 2016, Hicks began hosting the INSP original series State Plate, and released a new single, "Six Strings and Diamond Rings", in 2017.
Early life
Taylor Hicks was born in Birmingham, Alabama, on October 7, 1976, to Bradley Hicks and Pamela Dickinson. He and his family moved to the suburb of Hoover when he was eight years old. His hair started turning gray by the time he was 14. His parents divorced, and stepmother Linda shared custody of their son until he came of age. Hicks has suggested his difficult childhood as the reason for his turning to soul and blues music for solace. He has a younger half-brother, Sean, who later convinced him to audition for American Idol.
He bought his first harmonica when he was 16, for $2 at a flea market in Bessemer, Alabama, and taught himself to play blues harp. He discovered that he possessed perfect pitch when he was able to recognize the pitches of ordinary noises and mimic them on the harmonica. Hicks was 18 when he wrote his first song, "In Your Time", and he taught himself to play electric guitar and the church organ when he was 19. When he was in college, he played in a Widespread Panic cover band.
Hicks graduated from Hoover High School in 1995. He played varsity baseball, soccer, and basketball while studying in Hoover. He then pursued a major in business and journalism at Auburn University.
Career
Independent music
While in college, Hicks was part of a band called Passing Through, which he later quit to start his own band. In 1997, he independently recorded In Your Time, an album which included both studio and live tracks. In 2000, he moved to pursue a music career in Nashville, Tennessee, where he worked with Nashville veterans Billy Earl McClelland and Percy Sledge to record a three-track demo but was unable to find a label that would sign him. He left Nashville after a year due to what he called the "oversaturation of the market". Hicks returned to Alabama and launched a professional music career, performing at various venues and parties mostly around the Southeastern United States, including The War Eagle Supper Club (a popular college bar) in Auburn, Alabama. Hicks has performed with the likes of Widespread Panic, James Brown, Tom Petty, Jackson Browne, Drive-By Truckers, Robert Randolph, Snoop Dogg and Keb Mo. He also performed in the huge infield of Talladega Superspeedway in 2004 during a NASCAR race weekend.
He recorded, produced, and released a second album, Under the Radar, in 2005. Despite releasing two albums prior to appearing on American Idol, he did not violate their requirements for contestants, as he had never held a recording contract.
Hicks has allowed audience members to record his concerts for personal, non-commercial use, and has authorized the Internet Archive to create a section for fans to upload and share their recordings. The Archive does not accept the upload of concerts recorded after January 1, 2006, due to the terms of his American Idol contract.
American Idol 2006
Hicks auditioned for American Idol in Las Vegas, Nevada, on October 10, 2005. Hicks passed the audition with the approval of judges Randy Jackson and Paula Abdul, but not Simon Cowell, who said that Hicks would never make it to the final round. On Hicks's first performance for the voting public, Cowell called back to this quote, admitting he was wrong.
On the May 10, 2006, results show, Hicks along with Katharine McPhee and Elliott Yamin, were announced as the top 3 finalists. On May 12, Idol producers brought Hicks to Birmingham for a weekend of promotional events including television interviews for the local Fox affiliate, a downtown parade, concerts, and an audience with Governor Bob Riley. May 12 was proclaimed "Taylor Hicks Day" and Hicks was given the Key to the City. Also on May 12, Gov. Riley issued a proclamation making May 16 "Taylor Hicks Day".
Hicks was named the new American Idol on May 24, 2006, winning the title over McPhee, with over 63.4 million votes cast in total. The proclamation was aired to a worldwide audience of 200 million television viewers. With his win at age 29, Hicks became the oldest contestant to win American Idol. He was also the first male contestant to win the competition without ever being in the bottom two or three.
In June 2006, Ford Motor Company, the show's major sponsor, signed Hicks to promote Ford's "Drive on Us" year-end sales event. He was also named Hottest Bachelor by People for 2006, appearing on the magazine's cover.
Post-Idol career
Hicks signed a recording contract with 19 Recordings Limited/Arista Records, managed by American Idol creator Simon Fuller, in May 2006. Hicks's debut single "Do I Make You Proud" debuted on the number one spot on the Billboard Hot 100 and was subsequently certified gold by the RIAA.
Hicks joined his fellow Top 10 Idol finalists on the American Idols LIVE! Tour which ran from July to September. The members of the former Taylor Hicks Band, formed by Hicks two years prior, regrouped as the Little Memphis Blues Orchestra and shadowed the Idols' tour route. Hicks occasionally appeared as a "special guest" when circumstances permitted, and was accompanied at times by the other Idols, such as Elliott Yamin, Chris Daughtry, Ace Young, and Bucky Covington.
In August 2006, Hicks's lawyers sued a producer with whom he worked in Nashville, for redistributing without permission songs that Hicks had copyrighted in 1997. The lawsuit was dropped when the masters were handed over to Hicks.
Hicks received a US$750,000 deal to write his memoir. Titled Heart Full of Soul: An Inspirational Memoir About Finding Your Voice and Finding Your Way and ghostwritten by Rolling Stone writer David Wild, the book was released in July 2007 by Random House.
On June 6, 2008, Hicks joined the cast of the Broadway musical Grease in the Brooks Atkinson Theatre. He played the role of "Teen Angel". Once his 18-month tour in the traveling Broadway show 'Grease' ended, Hicks performed in over 20 live shows.
2006–2008: Taylor Hicks and Early Works
Studio recording sessions for the eponymous major label debut Taylor Hicks ran in Calabasas, California, between October and November 2006, and took six weeks in total. The album was released on December 12, 2006, and debuted at the number two spot on the Billboard 200 charts. It was certified as a platinum album by the RIAA on January 17, 2007. Hicks embarked on a three-month US promotional tour for his album that started on February 21 in Jacksonville, Florida, and ended in Seattle, Washington on May 12.
Arista Records confirmed in January 2008 that it had dropped Hicks from its roster. Hicks had, at that stage, the lowest selling American Idol winner's album.
In 2008, Hicks signed a distribution deal with Vanguard/Welk records to distribute a compilation album Early Works. He also starred in Grease in the national tour as the Teen Angel after playing the role on Broadway. Early Works was released on August 12, 2008.
2009–present: The Distance
In 2009 Hicks released his second album, The Distance, on his own label, Modern Whomp Records, on March 10, 2009. The first single, "What's Right Is Right", was added to AC adds on January 27, 2009. The single reached number 24 on Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks. It was produced by Simon Climie and Dennis Morgan.
In May 2009, Taylor Hicks made Forbes''' "Top Ten earning American Idol stars" list, coming in at number 10, with over $300,000 earned from album sales and from his role as "Teen Angel" in the national tour of Grease.
In May 2011, Taylor Hicks opened ORE Drink and Dine restaurant in Birmingham, Alabama. Birmingham Magazine readers voted ORE as Birmingham's "Best New Restaurant" in the fall of 2011. ORE Drink and Dine re-opened as Saw's Juke Joint, a barbecue and live music bar, on October 30, 2012.
On June 14, 2011, Taylor Hicks performed at Bama Rising: A Benefit Concert For Alabama Tornado Recovery at the Birmingham Jefferson Convention Center. According to Billboard, the Bama Rising benefit concert raised an estimated $2.2 million for Alabama tornado relief efforts.
On April 19, 2012, Hicks appeared on American Idol and announced he would begin a one-year residency at Bally's in Las Vegas on June 26 that has been extended until December 2013. Entertainment Weekly magazine revealed that Hicks would be a celebrity contestant on Fox's dating show The Choice.
On August 30, 2012, Hicks performed for the 2012 Republican National Convention in Tampa, Florida.
Hicks was the first male Idol to be featured on a Grammy-winning album when he performed "Friday" on Jimmy Fallon's Blow Your Pants Off, which won for Best Comedy Album in 2013.
In July 2013, Hicks attended the Evolution 2013 fighting game tournament as a competitor for Super Smash Bros. Melee. Hicks finished tied for 257th overall out of 709 players.
In September 2017, Taylor Hicks premiered his song, "Six Strings and Diamond Rings" with Billboard Music, his first musical release in eight years.
Hicks hosted State Plate via the INSP channel for three season from 2016 to 2018 where he featured iconic dishes and ingredients from each state in the United States.
Hicks debuted in his starring role as Charlie Anderson in the Serenbe Playhouse production of Shenandoah in March 2019.
Discography
Albums
2006: Taylor Hicks2009: The Distance''
See also
List of Billboard number-one singles
List of artists who reached number one in the United States
List of Billboard Hot 100 chart achievements and milestones
List of Idols winners
References
External links
Taylor Hicks's Official Website
1976 births
American blues singers
American harmonica players
American Idol winners
American male singer-songwriters
American male pop singers
American blues singer-songwriters
Arista Records artists
Auburn University alumni
Living people
Musicians from Birmingham, Alabama
People from Hoover, Alabama
19 Recordings artists
Participants in American reality television series
20th-century American singer-songwriters
21st-century American singer-songwriters
American soul singers
Super Smash Bros. Melee players
20th-century American male singers
21st-century American male singers
Singer-songwriters from Alabama | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taylor%20Hicks |
Indirect presidential elections were held in Chile on 25 July 1856. Incumbent President Manuel Montt was re-elected by a system of electors
Results
References
Presidential elections in Chile
Chile
1856 in Chile
Election and referendum articles with incomplete results | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1856%20Chilean%20presidential%20election |
The Georgia Central Railway operates about of former Seaboard Coast Line track from Macon, Georgia through Dublin, Georgia and Vidalia, Georgia to Savannah, Georgia. It also operates about of trackage between Savannah and Riceboro, Georgia, switching Interstate Paper LLC. It connects with CSX Transportation and the Norfolk Southern Railway. The Georgia Central Railway is owned by Rail Link, a subsidiary of Genesee & Wyoming Inc.
Locomotives
The Georgia Central operates a roster of GE U23B, GE U30B, EMD GP9, EMD GP18, EMD GP38, and EMD SW9 locomotives.
History
The Georgia Central Railway was chartered in 1885 as the Macon and Dublin Railroad, to connect its namesake cities. In 1891, it changed its name to the Macon, Dublin and Savannah Railway, even though the railroad did not reach the port city of Savannah. In fact, the original railroad did not go closer to the coast than Vidalia, where it interchanged with the Savannah, Americus, and Montgomery Railroad. In 1912, the MD&S was purchased by the Seaboard Air Line Railroad. It continued to be operated separately until 1954, when it was fully absorbed into the Seaboard.
In 1990, a new Georgia Central Railroad was formed by Rail Link, which purchased former Macon, Dublin, and Savannah, and the Savannah, Americus, and Montgomery, from CSX, the Seaboard's successor. The ownership of the Georgia Central changed hands in 2012, when Genesee & Wyoming purchased Rail Link.
Infrastructure
In 2019, the Georgia Central began improving track conditions so that it can handle 286,000 lb. railcars, the same as class 1 railroads.
See also
Macon, Dublin, and, Savannah Railroad (predecessor)
Savannah, Americus, and Montgomery Railroad (predecessor)
References
External links
Georgia Central Railway official webpage - Genesee and Wyoming website
HawkinsRails.net Georgia Central page
Georgia (U.S. state) railroads
Genesee & Wyoming
Spin-offs of CSX Transportation | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georgia%20Central%20Railway |
Sri Lankan Tamils ( or ), also known as Ceylon Tamils or Eelam Tamils, are Tamils native to the South Asian island state of Sri Lanka. Today, they constitute a majority in the Northern Province, form the plurality in the Eastern Province and are in the minority throughout the rest of the country. 70% of Sri Lankan Tamils in Sri Lanka live in the Northern and Eastern provinces.
Modern Sri Lankan Tamils descend from residents of the Jaffna Kingdom, a former kingdom in the north of Sri Lanka and Vannimai chieftaincies from the east. According to the anthropological and archaeological evidence, Sri Lankan Tamils have a very long history in Sri Lanka and have lived on the island since at least around the 2nd century BCE.
The Sri Lankan Tamils are mostly Hindus with a significant Christian population. Sri Lankan Tamil literature on topics including religion and the sciences flourished during the medieval period in the court of the Jaffna Kingdom. Since the beginning of the Sri Lankan Civil War in the 1980s, it is distinguished by an emphasis on themes relating to the conflict. Sri Lankan Tamil dialects are noted for their archaism and retention of words not in everyday use in Tamil Nadu, India.
Since Sri Lanka gained independence from Britain in 1948, relations between the majority Sinhalese and minority Tamil communities have been strained. Rising ethnic and political tensions following the Sinhala Only Act, along with ethnic pogroms carried out by Sinhalese mobs in 1956, 1958, 1977, 1981 and 1983, led to the formation and strengthening of militant groups advocating independence for Tamils. The ensuing civil war resulted in the deaths of more than 100,000 people and the forced disappearance and rape of thousands of others. The civil war ended in 2009 but there are continuing allegations of atrocities being committed by the Sri Lankan military. A United Nations panel found that as many as 40,000 Tamil civilians may have been killed in the final months of the civil war. In January 2020, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa said that the estimated 20,000+ disappeared Sri Lankan Tamils were dead. The end of the civil war has not fully improved conditions in Sri Lanka, with press freedom not being restored and the judiciary coming under political control.
One-third of Sri Lankan Tamils now live outside Sri Lanka. While there was significant migration during the British colonial era to Singapore and Malaysia, the civil war led to more than 800,000 Tamils leaving Sri Lanka, and many have left the country for destinations such as Canada, United Kingdom, Germany and India as refugees or emigrants. According to the pro-rebel TamilNet, the persecution and discrimination that Sri Lankan Tamils faced has resulted in some Tamils today not identifying themselves as Sri Lankans but instead identifying themselves as either Eelam Tamils, Ceylon Tamils, or simply Tamils. Many still support the idea of Tamil Eelam, a proposed independent state that Sri Lankan Tamils aspired to create in the North-East of Sri Lanka. Inspired by the Tamil Eelam flag, the tiger also used by the LTTE, has become a symbol of Tamil nationalism for some Tamils in Sri Lanka and the Sri Lankan Tamil diaspora.
History
There is little scholarly consensus over the presence of the Sri Lankan Tamil people in Sri Lanka, also known as Eelam in Sangam literature. One older theory states that there were no large Tamil settlements in Sri Lanka until the 10th century CE. According to the anthropological and archaeological evidence, Sri Lankan Tamils have a very long history in Sri Lanka and have lived on the island since at least around the 2nd century BCE.
Prehistoric period
The Indigenous Veddas are ethnically related to people in South India and early populations of Southeast Asia. It is not possible to ascertain what languages that they originally spoke as Vedda language is considered diverged from its original source (due to Sinhalese language influence).
According to K. Indrapala, cultural diffusion, rather than migration of people, spread the Prakrit and Tamil languages from peninsular India into an existing mesolithic population, centuries before the common era. Tamil Brahmi and Tamil-Prakrit scripts were used to write the Tamil language during this period on the island.
During the protohistoric period (1000-500 BCE) Sri Lanka was culturally united with Southern India, and shared the same megalithic burials, pottery, iron technology, farming techniques and megalithic graffiti. This cultural complex spread from southern India along with Dravidian clans such as the Velir, prior to the migration of Prakrit speakers.
Settlements of culturally similar early populations of ancient Sri Lanka and ancient Tamil Nadu in India were excavated at megalithic burial sites at Pomparippu on the west coast and in Kathiraveli on the east coast of the island. Bearing a remarkable resemblance to burials in the Early Pandyan Kingdom, these sites were established between the 5th century BCE and 2nd century CE.
Excavated ceramic sequences similar to that of Arikamedu were found in Kandarodai (Kadiramalai) on the north coast, dated to 1300 BCE. Cultural similarities in burial practices in South India and Sri Lanka were dated by archaeologists to 10th century BCE. However, Indian history and archaeology have pushed the date back to 15th century BCE. In Sri Lanka, there is radiometric evidence from Anuradhapura that the non-Brahmi symbol-bearing black and red ware occur in the 10th century BCE.
The skeletal remains of an Early Iron Age chief were excavated in Anaikoddai, Jaffna District. The name Ko Veta is engraved in Brahmi script on a seal buried with the skeleton and is assigned by the excavators to the 3rd century BCE. Ko, meaning "King" in Tamil, is comparable to such names as Ko Atan, Ko Putivira and Ko Ra-pumaan occurring in contemporary Tamil Brahmi inscriptions of ancient South India and Egypt.
Historic period
Potsherds with early Tamil writing from the 2nd century BCE have been found from the north in Poonagari, Kilinochchi District to the south in Tissamaharama. They bore several inscriptions, including a clan name—veḷ, a name related to velir from ancient Tamil country.
Once Prakrit speakers had attained dominance on the island, the Mahavamsa further recounts the later migration of royal brides and service castes from the Tamil Pandya Kingdom to the Anuradhapura Kingdom in the early historic period.
Epigraphic evidence shows people identifying themselves as Damelas or Damedas (the Prakrit word for Tamil people) in Anuradhapura, the capital city of Rajarata the middle kingdom, and other areas of Sri Lanka as early as the 2nd century BCE. Excavations in the area of Tissamaharama in southern Sri Lanka have unearthed locally issued coins, produced between the 2nd century BCE and the 2nd century CE, some of which carry local Tamil personal names written in early Tamil characters, which suggest that local Tamil merchants were present and actively involved in trade along the southern coast of Sri Lanka by the late classical period.
Other ancient inscriptions from the period reference a Tamil merchant, the Tamil householder residing in Iḷabharata and a Tamil sailor named Karava. Two of the six ancient inscriptions referring to the Damedas (Tamils) are in Periya Pullyakulam in the Vavuniya District, one is in Seruvavila in Trincomalee District, one is in Kuduvil in Ampara District, one is in Anuradhapura and one is in Matale District.
Literary sources make references about Tamil rulers bringing horses to the island in water crafts in the second century BCE, most likely arriving at Kudiramalai. Historical records establish that Tamil kingdoms in modern India were closely involved in the island's affairs from about the 2nd century BCE. Kudiramalai, Kandarodai and Vallipuram served as great northern Tamil capitals and emporiums of trade with these kingdoms and the Romans from the 6th–2nd centuries BCE. The archaeological discoveries in these towns and the Manimekhalai, a historical poem, detail how Nāka-Tivu of Nāka-Nadu on the Jaffna Peninsula was a lucrative international market for pearl and conch trading for the Tamil fishermen.
In Mahavamsa, a historical poem, ethnic Tamil adventurers such as Ellalan invaded the island around 145 BCE. Early Chola king Karikalan, son of Eelamcetcenni utilised superior Chola naval power to conquer Ceylon in the first century CE. Hindu Saivism, Tamil Buddhism and Jainism were popular amongst the Tamils at this time, as was the proliferation of village deity worship.
The Amaravati school was influential in the region when the Telugu Satavahana dynasty established the Andhra empire and its 17th monarch Hāla (20–24 CE) married a princess from the island. Ancient Vanniars settled in the east of the island in the first few centuries of the common era to cultivate and maintain the area. The Vanni region flourished.
In the 6th century CE, a special coastal route by boat was established from the Jaffna peninsula southwards to Saivite religious centres in Trincomalee (Koneswaram) and further south to Batticaloa (Thirukkovil), passed a few small Tamil trading settlements in Mullaitivu on the north coast.
The conquests and rule of the island by Pallava king Narasimhavarman I (630–668 CE) and his grandfather King Simhavishnu (537–590 CE) saw the erection and structural development of several Kovils around the island, particularly in the north-east—these Pallava Dravidian rock temples remained a popular and highly influential style of architecture in the region over the next few centuries. Tamil soldiers from what is now South India were brought to Anuradhapura between the 7th and 11th centuries CE in such large numbers that local chiefs and kings trying to establish legitimacy came to rely on them. By the 8th century CE Tamil villages were collectively known as Demel-kaballa (Tamil allotment), Demelat-valademin (Tamil villages), and Demel-gam-bim (Tamil villages and lands).
Medieval period
In the 9th and 10th centuries CE, Pandya and Chola incursions into Sri Lanka culminated in the Chola annexation of the island, which lasted until the latter half of the 11th century CE. Raja Raja Chola I renamed the northern throne Mummudi Chola Mandalam after his conquest of the northeast country to protect Tamil traders being looted, imprisoned and killed for years on the island. Rajadhiraja Chola's conquest of the island led to the fall of four kings there, one of whom, Madavarajah, the king of Jaffna, was a usurper from the Rashtrakuta Dynasty. These dynasties oversaw the development of several kovils that administered services to communities of land assigned to the temples through royal grants. Their rule also saw the benefaction of other faiths. Recent excavations have led to the discovery of a limestone Kovil of Raja Raja Chola I's era on Delft island, found with Chola coins from this period. The decline of Chola power in Sri Lanka was followed by the restoration of the Polonnaruwa kingdom in the late 11th century CE.
In 1215, following Pandya invasions, the Tamil-dominant Arya Chakaravarthi dynasty established an independent Jaffna kingdom on the Jaffna peninsula and other parts of the north. The Arya Chakaravarthi expansion into the south was halted by Alagakkonara, a man descended from a family of merchants from Kanchipuram in Tamil Nadu. He was the chief minister of the Sinhalese king Parakramabahu V (1344–59 CE). Vira Alakeshwara, a descendant of Alagakkonara, later became king of the Sinhalese, but he was overthrown by the Ming admiral Zheng He in 1409 CE. The next year, the Chinese admiral Zheng He erected a trilingual stone tablet in Galle in the south of the island, written in Chinese, Persian and Tamil that recorded offerings he made to Buddha, Allah and the God of Tamils Tenavarai Nayanar. The admiral invoked the blessings of Hindu deities at Temple of Perimpanayagam Tenavaram, Tevanthurai for a peaceful world built on trade.
The 1502 map Cantino represents three Tamil cities on the east coast of the island - Mullaitivu, Trincomalee and Panama, where the residents grow cinnamon and other spices, fish for pearls and seed pearls and worship idols, trading heavily with Kozhikode of Kerala. The Arya Chakaravarthi dynasty ruled large parts of northeast Sri Lanka until the Portuguese conquest of the Jaffna kingdom in 1619 CE. The coastal areas of the island were conquered by the Dutch and then became part of the British Empire in 1796 CE.
The Sinhalese Nampota dated in its present form to the 14th or 15th century CE suggests that the whole of the Tamil Kingdom, including parts of the modern Trincomalee District, was recognised as a Tamil region by the name Demala-pattana (Tamil city). In this work, a number of villages that are now situated in the Jaffna, Mullaitivu and Trincomalee districts are mentioned as places in Demala-pattana.
The English sailor Robert Knox described walking into the island's Tamil country in the publication An Historical Relation of the Island Ceylon, referencing some aspects of their royal, rural and economic life and annotating some kingdoms within it on a map in 1681 CE. Upon arrival of European powers from the 17th century CE, the Tamils' separate nation was described in their areas of habitation in the northeast of the island.
The caste structure of the majority Sinhalese has also accommodated Tamil and Kerala immigrants from South India since the 13th century CE. This led to the emergence of three new Sinhalese caste groups: the Salagama, the Durava and the Karava. The Tamil migration and assimilation continued until the 18th century CE.
Society
Demographics
According to the 2012 census there were 2,270,924 Sri Lankan Tamils in Sri Lanka, 11.2% of the population. Sri Lankan Tamils constitute an overwhelming majority of the population in the Northern Province and are the largest ethnic group in the Eastern Province. They are minority in other provinces. 70% of Sri Lankan Tamils in Sri Lanka live in the Northern and Eastern provinces.
There are no accurate figures for the number of Sri Lankan Tamils living in the diaspora. Estimates range from 450,000 to one million.
Other Tamil-speaking communities
The two groups of Tamils located in Sri Lanka are the Sri Lankan Tamils and the Indian Tamils. There also exists a significant population in Sri Lanka who are native speakers of Tamil language and are of Islamic faith. Though a significant amount of evidence points towards these Muslims being ethnic Tamils, they are controversially listed as a separate ethnic group by the Sri Lankan government.
Sri Lankan Tamils (also called Ceylon Tamils) are descendants of the Tamils of the old Jaffna Kingdom and east coast chieftaincies called Vannimais. The Indian Tamils (or Hill Country Tamils) are descendants of bonded labourers sent from Tamil Nadu to Sri Lanka in the 19th century to work on tea plantations.
Most Sri Lankan Tamils live in the Northern and Eastern provinces and in the capital Colombo, and most Indian Tamils live in the central highlands. Historically, both groups have seen themselves as separate communities, although there has been a greater sense of unity since the 1980s. In 1948, the United National Party government stripped the Indian Tamils of their citizenship. Under the terms of an agreement reached between the Sri Lankan and Indian governments in the 1960s, about forty percent of the Indian Tamils were granted Sri Lankan citizenship, and most of the remainder were repatriated to India. By the 1990s, most Indian Tamils had received Sri Lankan citizenship.
Regional groups
Sri Lankan Tamils are categorised into three subgroups based on regional distribution, dialects, and culture: Negombo Tamils from the western part of the island, Eastern Tamils from the eastern part, and Jaffna or Northern Tamils from the north.
Eastern Tamils
Eastern Tamils inhabit a region that spans the Trincomalee, Batticaloa, and Ampara districts. Their history and traditions are inspired by local legends, native literature, and colonial documents.
In the 16th century the area came under the nominal control of the Kingdom of Kandy, but there was scattered leadership under Vannimai chiefs in Batticaloa District who came with Magha's army in 1215. From that time on, Eastern Tamil social development diverged from that of the Northern Tamils.
Eastern Tamils are an agrarian-based society. They follow a caste system similar to the South Indian or Dravidian kinship system. The Eastern Tamil caste hierarchy is dominated by the Mukkuvar, Vellalar and Karaiyar. The main feature of their society is the kudi system. Although the Tamil word kudi means a house or settlement, in eastern Sri Lanka it is related to matrimonial alliances. It refers to the exogamous matrilineal clans and is found amongst most caste groups. Men or women remain members of the kudi of their birth and be brother or sister by relation. No man can marry in the same kudi because woman is always become sister to him. But, a man can only marry in one of his sampantha kudis not in the sakothara kudis. By custom, children born in a family belong to mother's kudi. Kudi also collectively own places of worship such as Hindu temples. Each caste contains a number of kudis, with varying names. Aside from castes with an internal kudi system, there are seventeen caste groups, called Ciraikudis, or imprisoned kudis, whose members were considered to be in captivity, confined to specific services such as washing, weaving, and toddy tapping. However, such restrictions no longer apply.
The Tamils of the Trincomalee district have different social customs from their southern neighbours due to the influence of the Jaffna kingdom to the north. The indigenous Veddha people of the east coast also speak Tamil and have become assimilated into the Eastern Tamil caste structure. Most Eastern Tamils follow customary laws called Mukkuva laws codified during the Dutch colonial period.
Northern Tamils
Jaffna's history of being an independent kingdom lends legitimacy to the political claims of the Sri Lankan Tamils, and has provided a focus for their constitutional demands. Northern Tamil society is generally categorised into two groups: those who are from the Jaffna peninsula in the north, and those who are residents of the Vanni to the immediate south. The Jaffna society is separated by castes. Historically, the Sri Lankan Vellalar were in northern region dominant and were traditionally husbandman involved in agriculture and cattle cultivation. They constitute half of the population and enjoyed dominance under Dutch rule, from which community the colonial political elites also were drawn from. The maritime communities existed outside the agriculture-based caste system and is dominated by the Karaiyars. The dominant castes (e.g. the Vellalar or Karaiyar) traditionally use the service of those collectively known as Kudimakkal. The Panchamars, who serve as Kudimakkal, consists of the Nalavar, Pallar, Parayar, Vannar and Ambattar. The castes of temple priests known as the Kurukkals and the Iyers are also held in high esteem. The artisans who are known as Kammalar also serve as Kudimakkal, and consists of the Kannar (brass-workers), Kollar (blacksmiths), Tattar (goldsmiths), Tatchar (carpenters) and Kartatchar (sculptor). The Kudimakkal were domestic servants who also gave ritual importance to the dominant castes.
People in the Vanni districts considered themselves separate from Tamils of the Jaffna peninsula but the two groups did intermarry. Most of these married couples moved into the Vanni districts where land was available. Vanni consists of a number of highland settlements within forested lands using irrigation tank-based cultivation. An 1890 census listed 711 such tanks in this area. Hunting and raising livestock such as water buffalo and cattle is a necessary adjunct to the agriculture. The Tamil-inhabited Vanni consists of the Vavuniya, Mullaitivu, and eastern Mannar districts. Historically, the Vanni area has been in contact with what is now South India, including during the medieval period and was ruled by the Vanniar Chieftains. Northern Tamils follow customary laws called Thesavalamai, codified during the Dutch colonial period.
Western Tamils
Western Tamils, also known as Negombo Tamils or Puttalam Tamils, are native Sri Lankan Tamils who live in the western Gampaha and Puttalam districts. The term does not apply to Tamil immigrants in these areas. They are distinguished from other Tamils by their dialects, one of which is known as the Negombo Tamil dialect, and by aspects of their culture such as customary laws. Most Negombo Tamils have assimilated into the Sinhalese ethnic group through a process known as Sinhalisation. Sinhalisation has been facilitated by caste myths and legends. The Western Tamils caste hierarchy is principally dominated by the maritime Karaiyars, along with other dominant groups such as the Paravars.
In Gampaha District, Tamils have historically inhabited the coastal region. In the Puttalam District, there was a substantial ethnic Tamil population until the first two decades of the 20th century. Most of those who identify as ethnic Tamils live in villages such as Udappu and Maradankulam. The coastal strip from Jaffna to Chilaw is also known as the "Catholic belt". The Tamil Christians, chiefly Roman Catholics, have preserved their heritage in the major cities such as Negombo, Chilaw, Puttalam, and also in villages such as Mampuri.
Some residents of these two districts, especially the Karaiyars, are bilingual, ensuring that the Tamil language survives as a lingua franca among migrating maritime communities across the island. Negombo Tamil dialect is spoken by about 50,000 people. This number does not include others, outside of Negombo city, who speak local varieties of the Tamil language. The bilingual catholic Karavas are also found in the western coastal regions, who trace their origins to the Tamil Karaiyar however identify themselves as Sinhalese.
Negombo Tamil indicates that the Karavas immigrated to Sri Lanka much later than Tamils immigrated to Jaffna. This would suggest that the Negombo dialect continued to evolve in the Coromandel Coast before it arrived in Sri Lanka and began to get influenced by Sinhala. So, in some ways, the dialect is closer to those spoken in Tamil Nadu than to Jaffna Tamil.
Some Tamil place names have been retained in these districts. Outside the Tamil-dominated northeast, the Puttalam District has the highest percentage of place names of Tamil origin in Sri Lanka. Composite or hybrid place names are also present in these districts.
Genetic affinities
Although Sri Lankan Tamils are culturally and linguistically distinct, genetic studies indicate that they are closely related to other ethnic groups in the island while being related to the Indian Tamils from South India as well. There are various studies that indicate varying degrees of connections between Sri Lankan Tamils, Sinhalese, and Indian ethnic groups.
A study conducted by Kshatriya in 1995 found that both ethnolinguistic groups of Sri Lanka, including the Tamils, were closest to the Tamil population of India and also the Muslim population of South India. They were found to be the most distant group from the Veddahs, and quite distant from both North-West Indians (Punjabis and Gujratis) and North-East Indians (Bengalis). In comparison to Indian Tamils, the Tamils of Sri Lanka had a higher admixture with the Sinhalese, though the Sinhalese themselves share a 69.86% (+/- 0.61) genetic admixture with the Indian Tamils. The study stated that any admixture from migrations several thousand years ago must have been erased through millennia of admixture among geographically local peoples.
Religion
In 1981, about eighty percent of Sri Lankan Tamils were Hindus who followed the Shaiva sect. The rest were mostly Roman Catholics who converted after the Portuguese conquest of Jaffna Kingdom. There is also a small minority of Protestants due to missionary efforts in the 18th century by organisations such as the American Ceylon Mission. Most Tamils who inhabit the Western Province are Roman Catholics, while those of the Northern and Eastern Provinces are mainly Hindu. Pentecostal and other churches, such as Jehovah's Witnesses, are active among the internally displaced and refugee populations. The 2012 Sri Lanka Census revealed a Buddhist population of 22,254 amongst Sri Lankan Tamils, i.e. roughly 1% of all Sri Lankan Tamils in Sri Lanka.
The Hindu elite, especially the Vellalar, follow the religious ideology of Shaiva Siddhanta (Shaiva school) while the masses practice folk Hinduism, upholding their faith in local village deities not found in formal Hindu scriptures. The place of worship depends on the object of worship and how it is housed. It could be a proper Hindu temple known as a Koyil, constructed according to the Agamic scripts (a set of scriptures regulating the temple cult). More often, however, the temple is not completed in accordance with Agamic scriptures but consists of the barest essential structure housing a local deity. These temples observe daily Puja (prayers) hours and are attended by locals. Both types of temples have a resident ritualist or priest known as a Kurukkal. A Kurukkal may belong to someone from a prominent local lineage like Pandaram or Iyer community. In the Eastern Province, a Kurukkal usually belongs to Lingayat sect. Other places of worship do not have icons for their deities. The sanctum could house a trident (culam), a stone, or a large tree. Temples of this type are common in the Northern and Eastern Provinces; a typical village has up to 150 such structures. The offering would be done by an elder of the family who owns the site. A coconut oil lamp would be lit on Fridays, and a special rice dish known as pongal would be cooked either on a day considered auspicious by the family or on the Thai Pongal day, and possibly on Tamil New Year Day.
There are several worshipped deities: Ayyanar, Annamar, Vairavar, Kali, Pillaiyar, Murukan, Kannaki Amman and Mariamman. Villages have more Pillaiyar temples, which are patronised by local farmers. Kannaki Amman is mostly patronised by maritime communities. Tamil Roman Catholics, along with members of other faiths, worship at the Shrine of Our Lady of Madhu. Hindus have several temples with historic importance such as those at Ketheeswaram, Koneswaram, Naguleswaram, Munneswaram, Tondeswaram, and Nallur Kandaswamy. Kataragama temple and Adam's Peak are attended by all religious communities.
Language
Sri Lankan Tamils predominantly speak Tamil and its Sri Lankan dialects. These dialects are differentiated by the phonological changes and sound shifts in their evolution from classical or old Tamil (3rd century BCE–7th century CE). The Sri Lankan Tamil dialects form a group that is distinct from the dialects of the modern Tamil Nadu and Kerala states of India. They are classified into three subgroups: the Jaffna Tamil, the Batticaloa Tamil, and the Negombo Tamil dialects. These dialects are also used by ethnic groups other than Tamils such as the Sinhalese, Moors and Veddhas. Tamil loan words in Sinhala also follow the characteristics of Sri Lankan Tamil dialects. Sri Lankan Tamils, depending on where they live in Sri Lanka, may also additionally speak Sinhala and or English. According to the 2012 Census 32.8% or 614,169 Sri Lankan Tamils also spoke Sinhala and 20.9% or 390,676 Sri Lankan Tamils also spoke English.
The Negombo Tamil dialect is used by bilingual fishermen in the Negombo area, who otherwise identify themselves as Sinhalese. This dialect has undergone considerable convergence with spoken Sinhala. The Batticaloa Tamil dialect is shared between Tamils, Muslims, Veddhas and Portuguese Burghers in the Eastern Province. Batticaloa Tamil dialect is the most literary of all the spoken dialects of Tamil. It has preserved several ancient features, remaining more consistent with the literary norm, while at the same time developing a few innovations. It also has its own distinctive vocabulary and retains words that are unique to present-day Malayalam, a Dravidian language from Kerala that originated as a dialect of old Tamil around 9th century CE. The Tamil dialect used by residents of the Trincomalee District has many similarities with the Jaffna Tamil dialect.
The dialect used in Jaffna is the oldest and closest to old Tamil. The long physical isolation of the Tamils of Jaffna has enabled their dialect to preserve ancient features of old Tamil that predate Tolkappiyam, the grammatical treatise on Tamil dated from 3rd century BCE to 10th century CE. Also, a large component of the settlers were from the Coromandel Coast and Malabar Coast which may have helped with the preservation of the dialect. Their ordinary speech is closely related to classical Tamil. Conservational Jaffna Tamil dialect and Indian Tamil dialects are to an extent not mutually intelligible, and the former is frequently mistaken for Malayalam by native Indian Tamil speakers. The closest Tamil Nadu Tamil variant to Jaffna Tamil is literary Tamil, used in formal speeches and news reading. There are also Prakrit loan words that are unique to Jaffna Tamil.
Education
Sri Lankan Tamil society values education highly, for its own sake as well as for the opportunities it provides. The kings of the Aryacakravarti dynasty were historically patrons of literature and education. Temple schools and traditional gurukulam classes on verandahs (known as Thinnai Pallikoodam in Tamil) spread basic education in religion and in languages such as Tamil and Sanskrit to the upper classes. The Portuguese introduced western-style education after their conquest of the Jaffna kingdom in 1619. The Jesuits opened churches and seminaries, but the Dutch destroyed them and opened their own schools attached to Dutch Reformed churches when they took over Tamil-speaking regions of Sri Lanka.
The primary impetus for educational opportunity came with the establishment of the American Ceylon Mission in Jaffna District, which started with the arrival in 1813 of missionaries sponsored by the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions. The critical period of the missionaries' impact was from the 1820s to the early 20th century. During this time, they created Tamil translations of English texts, engaged in printing and publishing, established primary, secondary, and college-level schools, and provided health care for residents of the Jaffna Peninsula. American activities in Jaffna also had unintended consequences. The concentration of efficient Protestant mission schools in Jaffna produced a revival movement among local Hindus led by Arumuga Navalar, who responded by building many more schools within the Jaffna peninsula. Local Catholics also started their own schools in reaction, and the state had its share of primary and secondary schools. Tamil literacy greatly increased as a result of these changes. This prompted the British colonial government to hire Tamils as government servants in British-held Ceylon, India, Malaysia, and Singapore.
By the time Sri Lanka became independent in 1948, about sixty percent of government jobs were held by Tamils, who formed barely fifteen percent of the population. The elected Sinhalese leaders of the country saw this as the result of a British stratagem to control the majority Sinhalese, and deemed it a situation that needed correction by implementation of the Policy of standardization.
Literature
According to legends, the origin of Sri Lankan Tamil literature dates back to the Sangam period (3rd century BCE–6th century CE). These legends indicate that the Tamil poet Eelattu Poothanthevanar (Poothanthevanar from Sri Lanka) lived during this period.
Medieval period Tamil literature on the subjects of medicine, mathematics and history was produced in the courts of the Jaffna Kingdom.
During Singai Pararasasekaran's rule, an academy for the propagation of the Tamil language, modelled on those of ancient Tamil Sangam, was established in Nallur. This academy collected manuscripts of ancient works and preserved them in the Saraswathy Mahal library.
During the Portuguese and Dutch colonial periods (1619–1796), Muttukumara Kavirajar is the earliest known author who used literature to respond to Christian missionary activities. He was followed by Arumuga Navalar, who wrote and published a number of books. The period of joint missionary activities by the Anglican, American Ceylon, and Methodist Missions also saw the spread of modern education and the expansion of translation activities.
The modern period of Tamil literature began in the 1960s with the establishment of modern universities and a free education system in post-independence Sri Lanka. The 1960s also saw a social revolt against the caste system in Jaffna, which impacted Tamil literature: Dominic Jeeva, Senkai aazhiyaan, Thamizhmani Ahalangan are the products of this period.
After the start of the civil war in 1983, a number of poets and fiction writers became active, focusing on subjects such as death, destruction, and rape. Such writings have no parallels in any previous Tamil literature. The war produced displaced Tamil writers around the globe who recorded their longing for their lost homes and the need for integration with mainstream communities in Europe and North America.
The Jaffna Public Library which contained over 97,000 books and manuscripts was one of the biggest libraries in Asia, and through the Burning of the Jaffna Public Library much of Sri Lankan Tamil literature has been obliterated.
Cuisine
The cuisine of Sri Lankan Tamils draws influence from that of India, as well as from colonialists and foreign traders. Rice is usually consumed daily and can be found at any special occasion, while spicy curries are favourite dishes for lunch and dinner. Rice and curry is the name for a range of Sri Lankan Tamil dishes distinct from Indian Tamil cuisine, with regional variations between the island's northern and eastern areas. While rice with curries is the most popular lunch menu, combinations such as curd, tangy mango, and tomato rice are also commonly served.
String hoppers, which are made of rice flour and look like knitted vermicelli neatly laid out in circular pieces about in diameter, are frequently combined with tomato sothi (a soup) and curries for breakfast and dinner. Another common item is puttu, a granular, dry, but soft steamed rice powder cooked in a bamboo cylinder with the base wrapped in cloth so that the bamboo flute can be set upright over a clay pot of boiling water. This can be transformed into varieties such as ragi, spinach, and tapioca puttu. There are also sweet and savoury puttus. Another popular breakfast or dinner dish is Appam, a thin crusty pancake made with rice flour, with a round soft crust in the middle. It has variations such as egg or milk Appam.
Jaffna, as a peninsula, has an abundance of seafood such as crab, shark, fish, prawn, and squid. Meat dishes such as mutton, chicken and pork also have their own niche. Vegetable curries use ingredients primarily from the home garden such as pumpkin, yam, jackfruit seed, hibiscus flower, and various green leaves. Coconut milk and hot chilli powder are also frequently used. Appetizers can consist of a range of achars (pickles) and vadahams. Snacks and sweets are generally of the homemade "rustic" variety, relying on jaggery, sesame seed, coconut, and gingelly oil, to give them their distinct regional flavour. A popular alcoholic drink in rural areas is palm wine (toddy), made from palmyra tree sap. Snacks, savouries, sweets and porridge produced from the palmyra form a separate but unique category of foods; from the fan-shaped leaves to the root, the palmyra palm forms an intrinsic part of the life and cuisine of northern region.
Politics
Sri Lanka became an independent nation in 1948. Since independence, the political relationship between the Sinhalese and Sri Lankan Tamil communities has been strained. Sri Lanka has been unable to contain its ethnic violence as it escalated from sporadic terrorism to mob violence, and finally to civil war. The Sri Lankan Civil War has several underlying causes: the ways in which modern ethnic identities have been made and remade since the colonial period, rhetorical wars over archaeological sites and place name etymologies, and the political use of the national past. The civil war resulted in the death of at least 100,000 people and, according to human rights groups such as Human Rights Watch, the forced disappearance of thousands of others (see White van abductions in Sri Lanka). Since 1983, Sri Lanka has also witnessed massive civilian displacements of more than a million people, with eighty percent of them being Sri Lankan Tamils.
Before independence
The arrival of Protestant missionaries on a large scale beginning in 1814 was a primary contributor to the development of political awareness among Sri Lankan Tamils. Activities by missionaries of the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions and Methodist and Anglican churches led to a revival among Hindu Tamils who created their own social groups, built their own schools and temples, and published their own literature to counter the missionary activities. The success of this effort led to a new confidence for the Tamils, encouraging them to think of themselves as a community, and it paved the way for their emergence as a cultural, religious, and linguistic society in the mid-19th century.
Britain, which conquered the whole island by 1815, established a legislative council in 1833. During the 1833 Colebrooke-Cameron reforms the British centralised control to Colombo and amalgamated all administrative territories including the Tamil areas which had previously been administered separately. A form of modern central government was established for the first time in the island, followed by gradual decline of local form of feudalism including Rajakariya, which was abolished soon after.
In the legislative council the British assigned three European seats and one seat each for Sinhalese, Tamils and Burghers. This council's primary function was to act as advisor to the Governor, and the seats eventually became elected positions. There was initially little tension between the Sinhalese and the Tamils, when in 1913 Ponnambalam Arunachalam, a Tamil, was elected representative of the Sinhalese as well as of the Tamils in the national legislative council. British Governor William Manning, who was appointed in 1918 however, actively encouraged the concept of "communal representation". Subsequently, the Donoughmore Commission in 1931 rejected communal representation and brought in universal franchise. This decision was opposed by the Tamil political leadership, who realised that they would be reduced to a minority in parliament according to their proportion of the overall population. In 1944, G. G. Ponnambalam, a leader of the Tamil community, suggested to the Soulbury Commission that a roughly equal number of seats be assigned to Sinhalese and minorities in an independent Ceylon (50:50)—a proposal that was rejected. But under section 29(2) of the constitution formulated by the commissioner, additional protection was provided to minority groups, such requiring a two-thirds majority for any amendments and a scheme of representation that provided more weight to the ethnic minorities.
After independence
Shortly after independence in 1948, G.G. Ponnambalam and his All Ceylon Tamil Congress joined D.S. Senanayake's moderate, western-oriented United National Party led government which led to a split in the Tamil Congress. S.J.V. Chelvanayakam, the leader of the splinter Federal Party (FP or Illankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi), contested the Ceylon Citizenship Act, which denied citizenship to Tamils of recent Indian origin, before the Supreme Court, and then in the Privy council in England, but failed to overturn it. The FP eventually became the dominant Tamil political party. In response to the Sinhala Only Act in 1956, which made Sinhala the sole official language, Federal Party Members of Parliament staged a nonviolent sit-in (satyagraha) protest, but it was violently broken up by a mob. The FP was blamed and briefly banned after the riots of May–June 1958 targeting Tamils, in which many were killed and thousands forced to flee their homes. Another point of conflict between the communities was state sponsored colonisation schemes that effectively changed the demographic balance in the Eastern Province, an area Tamil nationalists considered to be their traditional homeland, in favour of the majority Sinhalese.
In 1972, a newly formulated constitution removed section 29(2) of the 1947 Soulbury constitution that was formulated to protect the interests of minorities. Also, in 1973, the Policy of standardization was implemented by the Sri Lankan government, supposedly to rectify disparities in university enrolment created under British colonial rule. The resultant benefits enjoyed by Sinhalese students also meant a significant decrease in the number of Tamil students within the Sri Lankan university student population.
Shortly thereafter, in 1973, the Federal Party decided to demand a separate Tamil state. In 1976 they merged with the other Tamil political parties to become the Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF). By 1977 most Tamils seemed to support the move for independence by electing the Tamil United Liberation Front overwhelmingly. The elections were followed by the 1977 riots, in which around 300 Tamils were killed. There was further violence in 1981 when an organised Sinhalese mob went on a rampage during the nights of 31 May to 2 June, burning down the Jaffna public library—at the time one of the largest libraries in Asia—containing more than 97,000 books and manuscripts.
Rise of militancy
Since 1948, successive governments have adopted policies that had the net effect of assisting the Sinhalese community in such areas as education and public employment. These policies made it difficult for middle class Tamil youth to enter university or secure employment.
The individuals belonging to this younger generation, often referred to by other Tamils as "the boys" (Podiyangal in Tamil), formed many militant organisations. The most important contributor to the strength of the militant groups was the Black July massacre, in which between 1,000 and 3,000 Tamils were killed, prompting many youths to choose the path of armed resistance.
By the end of 1987, the militant youth groups had fought not only the Sri Lankan security forces and the Indian Peace Keeping Force also among each other, with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) eventually eliminating most of the others. Except for the LTTE, many of the remaining organisations transformed into either minor political parties within the Tamil National Alliance or standalone political parties. Some also function as paramilitary groups within the Sri Lankan military.
Human rights groups such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, as well as the United States Department of State and the European Union, have expressed concern about the state of human rights in Sri Lanka, and both the government of Sri Lanka and the rebel LTTE have been accused of human rights violations. Although Amnesty International in 2003 found considerable improvement in the human rights situation, attributed to a ceasefire and peace talks between the government and the LTTE, by 2007 they reported an escalation in political killings, child recruitment, abductions, and armed clashes, which created a climate of fear in the north and east of the country.
End of the civil war
In August 2009, the civil war ended with total victory for the government forces. During the last phase of the war, many Tamil civilians and combatants were killed. The government estimated that over 22,000 LTTE cadres had died. The civilian death toll is estimated to be as high as 40,000 or more. This is in addition to the 70,000 Sri Lankans killed up to the beginning of the last phase of the civil war. Over 300,000 internally displaced Tamil civilians were interred in special camps and eventually released. As of 2011, there were still a few thousand alleged combatants in state prisons awaiting trials. The Sri Lankan government has released over 11,000 rehabilitated former LTTE cadres.
Bishop of Mannar (a northwestern town) Rayappu Joseph said that 146,679 people seemed to be unaccounted between 2008 October and at the end of the civil war.
The Tamil presence in Sri Lankan politics and society is facing a revival. In 2015 elections the Tamil national alliance got the third largest number of seats in the Parliament and as the largest parties UNP and SLFP created a unity government TNA leader R. Sampanthan was appointed as the opposition leader. K. Sripavan became the 44th Chief justice and the second Tamil to hold the position.
Migrations
Pre-independence
The earliest Tamil speakers from Sri Lanka known to have travelled to foreign lands were members of a merchant guild called Tenilankai Valanciyar (Valanciyar from Lanka of the South). They left behind inscriptions in South India dated to the 13th century. In the late 19th century, educated Tamils from the Jaffna peninsula migrated to the British colonies of Malaya (Malaysia and Singapore) and India to assist the colonial bureaucracy. They worked in almost every branch of public administration, as well as on plantations and in industrial sectors. Prominent Sri Lankan Tamils in the Forbes list of billionaire include: Ananda Krishnan, Raj Rajaratnam, and G. Gnanalingam, and Singapore's former foreign minister and deputy prime minister, S. Rajaratnam, are of Sri Lankan Tamil descent. C. W. Thamotharampillai, an Indian-based Tamil language revivalist, was born in the Jaffna peninsula.Before the Sri Lankan civil war, Sri Lankan Tamil communities were well established in Malaysia, Singapore, India and the UK.
Post civil war
After the start of the conflict between the Sri Lankan government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, there was a mass migration of Tamils trying to escape the hardships and perils of war. Initially, it was middle class professionals, such as doctors and engineers, who emigrated; they were followed by the poorer segments of the community. The fighting drove more than 800,000 Tamils from their homes to other places within Sri Lanka as internally displaced persons and also overseas, prompting the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to identify them in 2004 as the largest asylum-seeking group.
The country with the largest share of displaced Tamils is Canada, with more than 200,000 legal residents, found mostly within the Greater Toronto Area. and there are a number of prominent Canadians of Sri Lankan Tamil descent, such as author Shyam Selvadurai, and Indira Samarasekera, former president of the University of Alberta.
Sri Lankan Tamils in India are mostly refugees of about over 100,000 in special camps and another 50,000 outside of the camps. In western European countries, the refugees and immigrants have integrated themselves into society where permitted. Tamil British singer M.I.A (born Mathangi Arulpragasam) and BBC journalist George Alagiah are, among others, notable people of Sri Lankan Tamil descent. Sri Lankan Tamil Hindus have built a number of prominent Hindu temples across North America and Europe, notably in Canada, France, Germany, Denmark, and the UK.
Sri Lankan Tamils continue to seek refuge in countries like Canada and Australia. The International Organization for Migration and the Australian government has declared some Sri Lankans including Tamils as economic migrants. A Canadian government survey found that over 70% of Sri Lankan Tamil refugees have gone back to Sri Lanka for holidays raising concerns over the legitimacy of their refugee claims. However, the inability of Tamils to settle in their own lands indicate the ongoing hostilities and differential treatment of Tamils even after the end of armed war in May 2009.
See also
List of Sri Lankan Tamils
Sri Lankan Tamils in Indian cinema
Tamil inscriptions in Sri Lanka
Notes
References
Further reading
Mendis, G.C. (1957, 3rd ed. 1995). Ceylon Today and Yesterday, Colombo, Lake House.
External links
Tamils, Sri Lankan
Sri Lankan
Sri Lankan | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sri%20Lankan%20Tamils |
Lisa Gabrielle Tucker is an American singer, musical theater actress, and television actress who was the tenth-place finalist on the fifth season of American Idol. After American Idol, she performed in the American Idols Live! Tour 2006 for three months and 60 concerts across the United States. After the tour, Tucker recorded a duet with Dionne Warwick on Warwick's album, My Friends & Me. She also appeared on The O.C. in a cameo as herself, and had recurring television roles on Zoey 101, The Game, and The Vampire Diaries. She began her theater career at the Orange County Children's Theater, and at 11, performed as Young Nala in a Pantages Theatre production of The Lion King musical.
Life and career
Early life and career beginnings
Tucker was born and raised in Anaheim, California by her mother Eleanor, a customer service supervisor with Pacific Life, and her father Stan, an attorney. She began acting and singing during childhood, including performances with the Orange County Children's Theater and singing the national anthem at an Anaheim Angels baseball game. She began her theater career in a production of The Little Princess at age 9.
At age 11, Tucker played the role of young Nala for nine months in a Pantages Theatre production of The Lion King musical. Resident director of The Lion King, Frank Lombardi, wrote about Tucker: "Her talent is extraordinary. So much so that upon realizing her skills as a singer, one of our composers added a complex vocal arrangement to one of the original songs. Lisa sang with a simplicity and beauty that made it seem effortless, even though it actually took great skill and concentration."
When Tucker was 13, she was a finalist on Star Search and then released her first LP, Please Come Home for Christmas. She graduated high school in 2006, after attending La Palma, California's John F. Kennedy High School.
American Idol
At the age of 16, she auditioned for the fifth season of American Idol in Denver, Colorado with One Moment in Time by Whitney Houston where she amazed the judges, with Simon Cowell declaring, "Wow. I think the best 16-year-old we've ever had throughout this whole competition." Later, the judges made a unanimous decision to put her through to the season's final 24. America voted her through to the top 12. While she was on American Idol she attended high-school classes with former Idol finalists Paris Bennett and Kevin Covais. Tucker was eliminated on March 29, 2006, after being in the bottom 3 with Katharine McPhee and Ace Young. Tucker finished at tenth place on the show.
She then performed on the American Idols Live! Tour 2006 tour, performing "Someone Saved My Life Tonight" and "Your Song" by Elton John. A review by Michael Slezak in Entertainment Weekly described her performance as the "most surprising," based on the show, and said that she had "the night's strongest showing among the women, sitting down at the piano to offer a restrained, heartfelt rendition of Elton John’s "Your Song" — with no accompaniment from the band."
Post-Idol
Tucker has performed at numerous local events in Orange and Los Angeles counties including singing the national anthem at Lakers, Clippers, Angels, and Mighty Ducks games. She sang on the city of Anaheim float in the 118th Tournament of Roses parade. Tucker was invited to tour the U.S. Air Force bases in Europe to promote the kickoff of the annual USAFE Services Xtreme Summer Program.
She made a guest appearance on The O.C. playing herself in the prom episode. She was in the third and fourth seasons Zoey 101 as Lisa Perkins; her first appearance was in the episode "Michael Loves Lisa", which aired on January 7, 2007. In August 2007, Tucker was featured on the reality TV show "Dr. 90210" as the singing instructor for Dr. Rey's children. She was cast for the pilot of the FOX series Born in the USA, also by 19 Entertainment. She had a recurring role on The Game, where she played Pucci Wright in the third season. She also had a recurring role as Greta Martin in The Vampire Diaries.
Tucker sang "Then Came You" with Dionne Warwick on Warwick's new album, My Friends & Me.
Tucker performed as a special guest at Lord Rhaburn's Music Awards Show in Belize.
Tucker was formerly signed to recording artist Ne-Yo's production company Compound Entertainment and had a recording deal through Island Def Jam.
In July 2020, she released a country-folk ballad titled "Fickle."
Discography
Filmography
References
External links
Lisa Tucker on Instagram
1989 births
Actresses from Orange County, California
20th-century African-American women singers
American child singers
American Idol participants
American people of Belizean descent
Living people
Musicians from Anaheim, California
Musicians from Newport Beach, California
Singers from California
Actresses from Newport Beach, California
American television actresses
African-American actresses
American musical theatre actresses
21st-century American women singers
21st-century American singers
21st-century African-American women singers | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lisa%20Tucker%20%28singer%29 |
Lothar Späth (16 November 1937 – 18 March 2016) was a German politician of the CDU.
Life
Späth was born in Sigmaringen.
From 30 August 1978 to 13 January 1991 Späth was the 5th Minister President of Baden-Württemberg and chairman of the CDU Baden-Württemberg, serving as the 36th President of the Bundesrat in 1984/85.
After leaving politics, Späth headed the Jenoptik company, one of the few former Eastern German state owned enterprises, which survived the transformation into a market economy in a united Germany. He stayed there until 2003. Then he became president of the Industrie- und Handelskammer East-Thuringia in Gera.
In order to support medium-sized companies in opening up foreign markets, he set up the "Baden-Württemberg Export Foundation" in 1984, today Baden-Württemberg International.
In 1989, he sponsored the publication of an art portfolio called Kinderstern, featuring original drawings by Sol LeWitt, Jörg Immendorff, Sigmar Polke, Max Bill, Heinz Mack, Keith Haring and Imi Knoebel, to benefit children cancer patients. Along with Rupert Neudeck, he is also a patron of the "German Economic Foundation for Humanitarian Help".
In September 1992 Späth was awarded the title of Royal Norwegian Honorary Consul General for Thuringia and Saxony-Anhalt.
From 1998–2001, Späth hosted a TV talk show broadcast in Germany called "Späth am Abend", delivering weekly political commentaries beginning in 2002. (The title is a play on words between "Late at night" (Spät am Abend) and "Späth in the evening", a reference to the host's name.)
Literature
Marlis Prinzing: Lothar Späth – Wandlungen eines Rastlosen. Orell Füssli Verlag, Zürich 2006, .
Stefan Wogawa: Lothar Späth. Blick hinter eine (Selbst-)Inszenierung. OWUS e. V., Bad Salzungen 2010. (Reihe Wirtschaft & Politik, Bd. 1)
Marlis Prinzing, Lothar Späth: "Wir schaffen das" – Antworten auf die Krise – Perspektiven für die Zukunft. Marlis Prinzing trifft Lothar Späth. Kaufmann, Lahr 2009, .
References
External links
Catalogue of Deutsche Nationalbibliothek
1937 births
2016 deaths
People from Sigmaringen
Presidents of the German Bundesrat
Members of the Landtag of Baden-Württemberg
Christian Democratic Union of Germany politicians
People from the Province of Hohenzollern
Grand Crosses 1st class of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany
Recipients of the Order of Merit of Baden-Württemberg
Ministers-President of Baden-Württemberg | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lothar%20Sp%C3%A4th |
Dewayne Jamar Robertson (born October 16, 1981) is a former defensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the New York Jets fourth overall in the 2003 NFL Draft and has also played for the Denver Broncos. He played college football at Kentucky.
Early years
Robertson attended Melrose High School in Memphis, Tennessee and was a letterman in football. In football, he was a two-time All-Metropolitan Memphis honoree and a two-time All-State honoree.
College career
Robertson attended college at the University of Kentucky. He originally intended to play H-Back, but was later converted back to defensive tackle after several key drops in spring practice. As a freshman, he was named Freshman All-SEC by the league's coaches.
In his junior season in 2002, Robertson recorded 48 tackles, five sacks for -40 yards, 13 quarterback pressures, a pass defensed, and a blocked kick, earning a second-team All-SEC selection.
Robertson decided to forgo his senior season and enter the 2003 NFL Draft. He finished his collegiate career with 114 tackles, one fumble recovery, three forced fumbles and 10.5 sacks in three seasons.
Professional career
2003 NFL Draft
Robertson was chosen by the New York Jets after his junior year in the first round with the fourth overall pick of the 2003 NFL Draft. He was the highest selected defensive player from Kentucky since Art Still went second overall in the 1978 NFL Draft.
New York Jets
He started all 16 games during his rookie season (2003), recording 43 tackles and 1.5 sacks. He was the first Jets defensive player to start every game in his rookie season since Mo Lewis in 1991.
He played in all 16 games in 2004, totaling 52 tackles and 3 sacks. He had 7 tackles in the Jets’ 20-17 overtime Wild Card playoff victory on the road against the San Diego Chargers.
Robertson played in 13 games, tallying 43 tackles, 3.5 sacks, and 1 pass breakup. For the first time in his career, he missed a game in Week 15, due to an injured thigh.
On November 14, 2006 Robertson was named the AFC Defensive Player of the Week for Week 10. He had six tackles and a sack in the Jets' Week 10 win over the New England Patriots.
Robertson's career with the Jets was labeled as a bust, considering the high expectations and the Jets efforts to trade up to draft him.
On March 3, 2008, ESPN.com reported that Robertson has been traded to the Bengals. However, later that same day, FOXSports.com broke the news that Robertson and the Bengals were unable to come to terms on a new contract, resulting in the trade falling through.
Denver Broncos
On April 24, 2008, the Jets reached an agreement to trade Robertson to the Denver Broncos for a late-round conditional pick in the 2009 NFL Draft. This pick could have escalated as high as a second rounder based on the statistics and performance of Robertson. Upon acquiring Robertson, the Broncos signed him to a five-year contract believed to be worth about $24 million.
Robertson was released by the Broncos on February 16, 2009 after just one season with the team.
References
1981 births
Living people
Players of American football from Memphis, Tennessee
American football defensive tackles
Kentucky Wildcats football players
New York Jets players
Denver Broncos players | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dewayne%20Robertson |
Allan Rauli Kristian "Allu" Tuppurainen (born 1 April 1951) is a Finnish actor and screenwriter residing in Vaasa. He began acting in Finnish film in the early 1970s and has made a number of appearances in Finnish film ever since, appearing in many films such as the 1983 James Bond spoof Agentti 000 ja kuoleman kurvit where he acted alongside actors such as Ilmari Saarelainen and Tenho Saurén.
Tuppurainen is best known for his role as the troll Rölli in the similarly named children's TV show and films. As well as starring as the main character, Tuppurainen has written and directed the show, and composed music for it. He released the music on albums which he has sold over 550,000 copies.
He has made several appearances on Finnish television in 2002 and 2004. In 2007 he scriptwrote and voice-acted in Röllin Sydän (Quest for a Heart).
Filmography
Quest for a Heart (2007)
Headhunters (2004)
Rölli ja metsänhenki (2001)
Kaikki pelissä (1994)
Rölli - hirmuisia kertomuksia (1991)
Rölli (TV series) (1986–2001)
Vapaa duunari Ville-Kalle (1984)
Agent 000 and the Deadly Curves (1983)
Likainen puolitusina (1982)
Pi pi pil... pilleri (1982)
Awards
Honorary mention for Viitasaari film week (1992)
Nuoret Kotkat children's act of the year (1998)
Newspaper Pohjalainen's Vaasan Jaakko culture award (1999)
See also
List of best-selling music artists in Finland
References
External links
1951 births
Finnish male actors
Living people
People from Kuopio | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allu%20Tuppurainen |
The IIFA Diva Award is chosen by the viewers and was given on behalf of Samsung and then IDEA later on.
Winners
The winners are listed below-
See also
IIFA Awards
Bollywood
Cinema of India
External links
Official site
International Indian Film Academy Awards | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IIFA%20Award%20for%20Style%20Diva%20of%20the%20Year |
Yong Pung How (11 April 1926 – 9 January 2020) was a Malayan-born Singaporean judge who served as the second chief justice of Singapore between 1990 and 2006.
After stepping down as chief justice, Yong served as the chancellor of the Singapore Management University between 2010 and 2015. The Yong Pung How School of Law at the Singapore Management University was named after him in 2021.
He was appointed by former President Wee Kim Wee, and took office on 28 September 1990.
Early life and education
Yong was born in Kuala Lumpur, Malaya, in an ethnic Chinese family with Hakka ancestry from Dabu County, Guangdong, China. His father, Yong Shook Lin, was a lawyer who founded the law firm Shook Lin & Bok. After completing his early education at Victoria Institution, Yong went on to read law at Downing College, Cambridge University. While in Cambridge, he developed close friendships with Lee Kuan Yew and Kwa Geok Choo. Yong was made an Exhibitioner and an Associate Fellow in his college years. In 1949, he graduated with a bachelor's degree in law, and qualified as an Inner Temple lawyer in 1952.
In 1970, Yong attended the six-week Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School.
Early career
Yong was called to the English Bar at the Inner Temple and he returned to Malaya as an advocate and solicitor in 1952, practising law as a partner at his father's law firm, Shook Lin & Bok.
In 1954, Yong also served as the arbitrator appointed by Sir John Fearns Nicoll, the Governor of Singapore, to resolve the dispute between the Singapore government and the general clerical services and telecommunications workers. He was also admitted into the Singapore Bar in 1964 and appointed to the role as Chairman of the Public Services Arbitration Tribunal in Malaya from 1954 to 1962, and as a Chairman of the Industrial Court in Malaysia between 1964 and 1967.
Yong also had commercial powers invested upon him as Chairman of Malaysia-Singapore Airlines between 1964 and 1969, and as Deputy Chairman of Maybank between 1966 and 1972.
Career as a banker
In 1971, Yong switched from law to finance, and formed Singapore International Merchant Bankers Limited (SIMBL) and the Malaysian International Merchant Bankers (MIMB) in Malaysia, serving as Chairman and Managing Director of both companies. At the same time, he also served as a member of the Singapore Securities Industry Council from 1972 to 1981. He announced his retirement from the SIMBL and MIMB offices in 1976. In the same year, Yong was appointed Vice-Chairman of the Oversea-Chinese Banking Corporation (OCBC).
Yong was seconded in 1982 by the Singapore government to form and head the Government of Singapore Investment Corporation (GIC), and the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) as well. His experience in commercial banking proved to be invaluable to GIC as he effectively re-organised and streamlined the use of Singapore's foreign reserves. He was also made Deputy Chairman of the Currency Commissioners, and Alternate Governor for Singapore of the International Monetary Fund. In 1988, Yong became the first Chairman of the newly formed Institute of Policy Studies, and established the Regional Speakers Programme, which saw prominent speakers and intellectuals from around the region to share their understanding of the culture and politics of the countries in the region. This initiative greatly helped with the development of Singapore governance.
In 1983, Yong returned to OCBC as chairman and chief executive officer, before returning to the legal sector as a judge in 1989.
Chief Justice
On 28 September 1990, Yong was appointed Chief Justice, replacing Wee Chong Jin. During his first speech at the opening of the legal year, he announced the abolition of the traditional wigs worn by judges and lawyers, and the use of archaic terms of address for judges of the Supreme Court such as "My Lord" or "Your Lordship". He also made the Singapore justice system more efficient in processing cases during his tenure by introducing cutting-edge technology into the courtroom.
In 1991, there were about 2,000 lawsuits due to be heard in the High Court. A lawsuit could take several years to be heard. Some measures were introduced to resolve the problems which he described as an "embarrassing" state of affairs. When Yong left, it took only six months for the High Court to conclude a hearing.
The speed at which trials were conducted led some critics to accuse Yong of convicting indiscriminately, leaving the burden of proof to the accused. As Chief Justice, he was also known to impose punitive sentences on those appealing cases he deemed to be frivolous.
Yong instituted night courts in the Subordinate Courts, eliminating the need for members of the public to take time off work to attend court to answer to summonses for regulatory and minor offences. He also initiated the Justices' Law Clerk (JLC) scheme, under which top law graduates from leading universities in the United Kingdom and Singapore are actively recruited to the Singapore Legal Service. First deployed in 1997 and completed in 2003, the Electronic Filing System (EFS), designed to streamline the litigation process using technology, was introduced during Yong's tenure as Chief Justice. The EFS was later replaced by the Integrated Electronic Litigation System, and was decommissioned on 1 February 2014.
In April 2006, Yong was succeeded as Chief Justice by Chan Sek Keong, who was formerly Attorney-General of Singapore.
Awards and honours
Yong was conferred the Darjah Utama Bakti Cemerlang (Distinguished Service Order) in 1989 and the Order of Temasek (First Class) on 9 August 1999, with a citation stating that "as Chief Justice since 28 September 1990, Justice Yong Pung How has made the Singapore Judiciary world class".
On 17 September 2001, Yong was awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws by the National University of Singapore Faculty of Law in recognition of his outstanding contribution to the judiciary and the judicial system in Singapore. Yong was credited with introducing sweeping reforms in the legal service, enhancing the quality and efficiency of Singapore's judicial process and making the Singapore judiciary world-class. Among his innovations was the introduction of case management which helped clear the backlog of cases and reduced the waiting time for the disposal of cases.
On 14 July 2007, Yong was awarded another honorary Doctor of Laws by the Singapore Management University (SMU) in recognition of his contribution to Singapore's legal sector. Yong was appointed as the chairman of the SMU School of Law's advisory board in March 2007. In 2007, SMU also established the Yong Pung How Professorship of Law, named after Yong and made possible by a S$3 million endowed contribution from the Yong Shook Lin Trust, which was named after Yong's father.
On 1 September 2010, Yong was appointed chancellor of the Singapore Management University. J. Y. Pillay succeed him on 1 September 2015.
On 11 April 2021, SMU's School of Law was renamed as the Yong Pung How School of Law.
Personal life
Yong and Cheang Wei-Woo, a graduate of the London School of Economics, married in 1955 after having met in 1950 while they were studying. They have a daughter, Yong Ying-I, who is a Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Communications and Information. Yong died on 9 January 2020, at age 93.
Yong was the cousin of Yong Siew Toh—who the conservatory of the National University of Singapore is named in honour of—who was in turn the daughter of Yong Loo Lin, a businessman and medical doctor who the medical school of NUS is named after.
References
Further reading
.
. 2 vols.
1926 births
2020 deaths
Alumni of Downing College, Cambridge
Chief justices of Singapore
Judges of the Supreme Court of Singapore
Malaysian emigrants to Singapore
Malaysian people of Hakka descent
Members of the Inner Temple
Naturalised citizens of Singapore
People from Dabu
People from Kuala Lumpur
People who lost Malaysian citizenship
Recipients of the Darjah Utama Temasek
Singaporean bankers
20th-century Singaporean judges
21st-century Singaporean judges
Singaporean people of Hakka descent | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yong%20Pung%20How |
Presidential elections were held in Chile in 1861. Carried out through a system of electors, they resulted in the election of José Joaquín Pérez as President.
Pérez was a "unity" candidate between the conservatives and liberals. He won the election unanimously.
Results
References
Presidential elections in Chile
Chile
1861 in Chile | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1861%20Chilean%20presidential%20election |
The Bosphorus Bridge (), known officially as the 15 July Martyrs Bridge () and colloquially as the First Bridge (), is the southernmost of the three suspension bridges spanning the Bosphorus strait (Turkish: Boğaziçi) in Istanbul, Turkey, thus connecting Europe and Asia (alongside Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge and Yavuz Sultan Selim Bridge). The bridge extends between Ortaköy (in Europe) and Beylerbeyi (in Asia).
It is a gravity-anchored suspension bridge with steel towers and inclined hangers. The aerodynamic deck hangs on steel cables. It is long with a deck width of . The distance between the towers (main span) is and the total height of the towers is . The clearance of the bridge from sea level is .
Upon its completion in 1973, the Bosphorus Bridge had the fourth-longest suspension bridge span in the world, and the longest outside the United States (only the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge, Golden Gate Bridge and Mackinac Bridge had a longer span in 1973). The Bosphorus Bridge remained the longest suspension bridge in Europe until the completion of the Humber Bridge in 1981, and the longest suspension bridge in Asia until the completion of the Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge (Second Bosphorus Bridge) in 1988 (which was surpassed by the Minami Bisan-Seto Bridge in 1989). Currently, the Bosphorus Bridge has the 40th-longest suspension bridge span in the world.
After a group of soldiers took control and partially closed off the bridge during the military coup d'état attempt on 15 July 2016, Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım proclaimed on 25 July 2016 the decision of the Cabinet of Turkey that the bridge will be formally renamed as the 15 Temmuz Şehitler Köprüsü (July 15th Martyrs Bridge) in memory of those killed while resisting the attempted coup.
The Bosphorus Bridge is famous for its important transport routes, connecting parts of Europe to Turkey.
Precedents and proposals
The idea of a bridge crossing the Bosphorus dates back to antiquity. The Greek writer Herodotus says in his Histories that, on the orders of Emperor Darius the Great of the Achaemenid Empire (522 BC–485 BC), Mandrocles of Samos once engineered a pontoon bridge across the Bosphorus, linking Asia to Europe; this bridge enabled Darius to pursue the fleeing Scythians as well as position his army in the Balkans to overwhelm Macedon. Leonardo da Vinci proposed a suspension bridge to Sultan Bayezid II in 1502 or 1503. The first modern project for a permanent bridge across the Bosphorus was proposed to Sultan Abdul Hamid II of the Ottoman Empire by the Bosphorus Railroad Company in 1900, which included a rail link between the continents.
Construction
The decision to build a bridge across the Bosphorus was taken in 1957 by Prime Minister Adnan Menderes. For the structural engineering work, a contract was signed with the British firm Freeman Fox & Partners in 1968. The bridge was designed by the British civil engineers Gilbert Roberts, William Brown and Michael Parsons, who also designed the Humber Bridge, Severn Bridge, and Forth Road Bridge. Construction started in February 1970 and ceremonies were attended by President Cevdet Sunay and Prime Minister Süleyman Demirel. The bridge was built by the Turkish firm Enka Construction & Industry Co. along with the co-contractors Cleveland Bridge & Engineering Company (England) and Hochtief AG (Germany).
The bridge was completed on 30 October 1973, one day after the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Republic of Turkey, and opened by President Fahri Korutürk and Prime Minister Naim Talu. The cost of the bridge was US$200 million ($ in dollars).
Upon the bridge's opening, much was made of its being the first bridge between Europe and Asia since the pontoon bridge of Xerxes in 480 BC. That bridge, however, spanned the Hellespont (Dardanelles), some distance away from the Bosphorus, and was the second bridge after the above-mentioned bridge built by Emperor Darius I The Great across the Bosphorus in 513 BC.
Operation and tolls
The bridge highway is eight lanes wide. Three standard lanes, one emergency lane and one pedestrian lane serve each direction. On weekday mornings, most commuter traffic flows westbound to Europe, so four of the six lanes run westbound and only two eastbound. Conversely, on weekday evenings, four lanes are dedicated to eastbound traffic and two lanes, to westbound traffic.
For the first three years, pedestrians could walk over the bridge, reaching it with elevators inside the towers on both sides. No pedestrians or commercial vehicles, such as trucks, are allowed to use the bridge today.
Today, around 180,000 vehicles pass daily in both directions, with almost 85% being cars. On 29 December 1997, the one-billionth vehicle passed the bridge. Fully loaded, the bridge sags about in the middle of the span.
It is a toll bridge. A toll is charged for passing from Europe to Asia, but not for passing in the reverse direction.
Since 1999, some of the toll booths (#9 - #13), located to the far left as motorists approach them, are unmanned and equipped only with a remote payment system (Turkish: OGS) in order to not delay traffic. In addition to OGS, another toll pay system with special contactless smart cards (Turkish: KGS) was installed at specific toll booths in 2005.
Since 3 April 2006, toll booths accept no cash but only OGS or KGS. An OGS device or KGS card can be obtained at various stations before reaching the toll plazas of highways and bridges. In 2006, the toll was 3.00 TL or about $2.00.
Since April 2007, a computerised LED lighting system of changing colours and patterns, developed by Philips, illuminates the bridge at night.
In 2012, KGS was replaced with the new HGS system, which uses radio-frequency identification (RFID) technology.
In 2017, the toll increased by nearly 50% from 4.75 to 7 TRY. (On 10 March 2022, 7 Turkish TRY is worth $0.68US. Data from currencymatrix.com )
After 21 months, in late 2019, the toll went up another 20% to 10.50 TRY. The TRY value has dropped considerably in the first quarter of 2022. On 10 March 2022, 10.50 TRY was equivalent to $0.74US.
Tolls need to be increased almost every year to keep up with high producers' price inflation.
History
Every October, the annual Intercontinental Istanbul Eurasia Marathon crosses the bridge on its way from Asia to Europe. During the marathon, the bridge is closed to vehicular traffic.
In October, visitors participate in the 'fun run' and cross the bridge on foot. Many take picnics to enjoy the view.
The bridge was depicted on the reverse of the Turkish 1000 lira banknotes of 1978–1986.
On 15 May 2005 at 07:00 local time, U.S. tennis star Venus Williams played a show game with Turkish player İpek Şenoğlu on the bridge, the first tennis match played on two continents. The event promoted the upcoming 2005 WTA İstanbul Cup and lasted five minutes. After the exhibition, they both threw a tennis ball into the Bosphorus.
On 17 July 2005 at 10:30 local time, British Formula One driver David Coulthard drove his Red Bull racing car across the bridge from the European side to the Asian side, then, after turning with a powerslide at the toll plaza, back to the European side for show. He parked his car in the garden of Dolmabahçe Palace where his ride had started. While crossing the bridge with his Formula 1 car, Coulthard was picked up by the automatic surveillance system and charged with a fine of 20 Euros because he passed through the toll booths without payment. His team agreed to pay for him.
On 5 November 2013, World No. 1 golfer Tiger Woods, visiting for the 2013 Turkish Airlines Open golf tournament held between 7 and 10 November, was brought to the bridge by helicopter and made a couple of show shots on the bridge, hitting balls from the Asian side to the European side on one side of the bridge, which was closed to traffic for about one hour.
On 15 July 2016, the bridge was blocked by a faction of the Turkish Armed Forces during a coup attempt. A tank fired a shell and soldiers shot at people. They also arrested civilians and police officers. Some tanks ran over vehicles. The soldiers involved surrendered to police and to civilians the next day.
On 25 July 2016, prime minister Binali Yıldırım announced that the bridge would be renamed as the 15 Temmuz Şehitler Köprüsü (July 15 Martyrs Bridge).
See also
Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge
Yavuz Sultan Selim Bridge
Osman Gazi Bridge
Çanakkale 1915 Bridge
Eurasia Tunnel, undersea tunnel, crossing the Bosphorus for vehicular traffic, opened in December 2016.
Marmaray, undersea rail tunnel connecting the Asian and European sides of Istanbul.
Great Istanbul Tunnel, a proposed three-level road-rail undersea tunnel.
Public transport in Istanbul
Rail transport in Turkey
Turkish Straits
Notes and references
External links
WowTurkey: Bosphorus Bridge Photos (Daytime)
WowTurkey: Bosphorus Bridge Photos (Night)
Live traffic camera pictures
Satellite image from Google
Bosphorus Bridge Panoramics In Istanbul | Turkey
3D-model ″First Bosphorus Bridge″ for Google Earth
Beşiktaş
Bosphorus crossings
Bridges completed in 1973
Bridges in Istanbul
Road bridges in Turkey
Suspension bridges in Turkey
Toll bridges in Turkey
Üsküdar
1973 establishments in Turkey | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bosphorus%20Bridge |
Vladimir Tismăneanu (; born July 4, 1951) is a Romanian American political scientist, political analyst, sociologist, and professor at the University of Maryland, College Park. A specialist in political systems and comparative politics, he is director of the University of Maryland's Center for the Study of Post-Communist Societies, having served as chairman of the editorial committee (2004–2008) and editor (1998–2004) of the East European Politics and Societies academic review. Over the years, Tismăneanu has been a contributor to several periodicals, including Studia Politica, Journal of Democracy, Sfera Politicii, Revista 22, Evenimentul Zilei, Idei în Dialog and Cotidianul. He has also worked with the international radio stations Radio Free Europe and Deutsche Welle, and authored programs for the Romanian Television Company. As of 2009, he is Academic Council Chairman of the Institute for People's Studies, a think tank of the Romanian Democratic Liberal Party. Between February 2010 and May 2012, he was also President of the Scientific Council of the Institute for the Investigation of Communist Crimes in Romania.
Acclaimed for his scholarly works on Stalinism in general and the Romanian communist regime in particular, as well as for exploring the impact of nationalism, national communism and neo-Stalinism in the Soviet Union and countries of the Eastern Bloc, Tismăneanu writes from the critical perspective of a civil society supporter. His other influential texts deal with diverse topics such as Cold War history, Kremlinology and the Holocaust. Having moved from a loose Marxist vision, shaped under the influence of neo-Marxist and Western Marxist scholarship, he became a noted proponent of classical liberalism and liberal democracy. This perspective is outlined in both his scientific contributions and volumes dealing with Romania's post-1989 history, the latter of which include collections of essays and several published interviews with literary critic . Tismăneanu completed his award-winning synthesis on Romanian communism, titled Stalinism for All Seasons, in 2003.
Tismăneanu's background and work came under scrutiny after his 2006 appointment by Romanian President Traian Băsescu as head of the Presidential Commission for the Study of the Communist Dictatorship in Romania, which presented its report to the Romanian Parliament on December 18, 2006. There has been much controversy about the choice of Tismăneanu as commission president, about Tismăneanu's choices for commission members, and about the conclusions of the report.
Biography
Born in Brașov, Vladimir Tismăneanu is the son of Leonte Tismăneanu, an activist of the Romanian Communist Party since the early 1930s, and Hermina Marcusohn, a physician and one-time Communist Party activist, both of whom were Jewish and Spanish Civil War veterans. His father, born in Bessarabia and settled in the Soviet Union at the end of the 1930s, worked in agitprop structures, returning to Romania at the end of World War II, and becoming, under the communist regime, chair of the Marxism-Leninism department of the University of Bucharest. Progressively after Gheorghe Gheorghiu-Dej acted against Ana Pauker, the Tismăneanus were sidelined inside the Romanian nomenklatura; in 1960, Leonte Tismăneanu was stripped of his position as deputy head of Editura Politică.
Vladimir Tismăneanu grew up in the exclusive Primăverii quarter of Bucharest. During his years of study at the , which was then largely attended by students belonging to the nomenklatura, he was in the same year as Nicu Ceaușescu, son of communist leader Nicolae Ceaușescu, as well as the children of Leonte Răutu, , and Silviu Brucan.
In his preface to the Romanian-language edition of his 2003 book Stalinism for All Seasons, Tismăneanu indicated that, starting in 1970, he became interested in critiques of Marxism-Leninism and the Romanian communist regime in particular, after reading banned works made available to him by various of his acquaintances (among others, writer Dumitru Țepeneag and his wife, translator Mona Țepeneag, as well as Ileana, the daughter of Communist Party dignitary Gheorghe Gaston Marin). He stated that, at the time, he was influenced by Communism in Romania, an analytic and critical work by Romanian-born British political scientist Ghiță Ionescu, as well as by Marxist, Western Marxist, Democratic and Libertarian Socialist scholarship (among others, the ideas of Georg Lukács, Leszek Kołakowski, Leon Trotsky, Antonio Gramsci, and the Frankfurt School). According to Tismăneanu, his family background allowed him insight into the hidden aspects of Communist Party history, which was comparing with the ideological demands of the Ceauşescu regime, and especially with the latter's emphasis on nationalism.
He graduated as a valedictorian from the University of Bucharest's Faculty of Sociology in 1974, and received his Ph.D. from the same institution in 1980, presenting the thesis Teoria Critică a Școlii de la Frankfurt și radicalismul de stînga contemporan ("The Critical Theory of the Frankfurt School and Contemporary Left-Wing Radicalism"). During the period, he was received into the ranks of the Union of Communist Youth (UTC), authored several articles which displayed support for the regime, and, as vice-president of the UTC's Communist Student Association, allegedly took part in authoring and compiling propaganda aimed at students. He was also contributing to the UTC magazines Amfiteatru and Viața Studențească, where his essentially neo-Marxist essays were often mixed for publication with endorsements of the official ideology.
Between 1974 and 1981, Tismăneanu worked as a sociologist, employed by the Urban Sociology Department of the Institute Typified Buildings Design in Bucharest. Among his colleagues there were Alexandru Florian, Cătălin Mamali, Dumitru Sandu, Dorel Abraham, , Alin Teodorescu, and Mihai Milca. Tismăneanu was not given approval to hold an academic position. Around 1977, he was involved in a debate about the nature of Romanian culture, expressing a pro-European perspective in reaction to officially endorsed nationalism in general and, in particular, to the form of protochronism advocated by Edgar Papu and Luceafărul magazine. His thoughts on the matter, published by Amfiteatru alongside similar writings by Milca, Gheorghe Achiței, , and Solomon Marcus.
In September 1981, a short while after the death of his father, he accompanied his mother on a voyage to Spain, after she had been granted a request to visit the sites where she and her husband had fought as young people. Unlike Hermina Tismăneanu, he opted not to return, and soon after left for Venezuela, before ultimately settling in the United States in 1982. During his time in Caracas, he was the recipient of a scholarship at the Contemporary Art Museum.
He lived first in Philadelphia, where he was employed by the Foreign Policy Research Institute (1983–1990), while teaching at the University of Pennsylvania (1985–1990). At the time, he began contributing comments on local politics to Radio Free Europe and Voice of America, beginning with an analysis of the "dynastic socialism" in Romania, centered on the political career of Nicu Ceaușescu. His essays on the lives and careers of communist potentates, requested by Radio Free Europe's Vlad Georgescu and aired by the station as a series, were later grouped under the title Archeology of Terror.
In 1990, Tismăneanu received a professorship at the University of Maryland, College Park and moved to Washington, D.C. He became editor of East European Politics and Societies in 1998, holding the position until 2004, when he became chair of its editorial committee. Between 1996 and 1999, he held a position on the Fulbright Program's Selection Committee for South-East Europe, and, from 1997 to 2003, was member of the Eastern Europe Committee at the American Council of Learned Societies. A fellow at the Institut für die Wissenschaften vom Menschen in Vienna, Austria and the New York University Erich Maria Remarque Institute (both in 2002), he was Public Policy Scholar at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in 2001, returning as Fellow in 2005 and 2008–2009. Tismăneanu was also granted fellowship by Indiana University (Bloomington) (2003) and National Endowment for Democracy (2003–2004). The University of Maryland presented him with the award for excellence in teaching and mentorship (2001), the Distinguished Scholar Teacher Award (2003–2004), and the GRB Semester Research Award (2006). He received the Romanian-American Academy of Arts and Sciences's Prize for his 1998 volume Fantasies of Salvation: Democracy, Nationalism, and Myth in Post-Communist Europe and the 2003 Barbara Jelavich Award, presented by the American Association for the Advancement of Slavic Studies for his Stalinism for All Seasons. During the late 1990s, he collaborated with the German-based radio station Deutsche Welle, with a series of broadcasts, most of which he published in Romania as Scrisori din Washington ("Letters from Washington", 2002). He also worked as editor of Dorin Tudoran's Agora, a political journal of the Romanian diaspora.
Since the Romanian Revolution of 1989, he has been visiting his native country on a regular basis. Tismăneanu was in Bucharest during June 1990, witnessing the Mineriad, when miners from the Jiu Valley supporting the National Salvation Front put a violent stop to the Golani protest, an experience he claims gave him insight into "barbarity in its crassest, most revolting, form." Other sojourns included 1993-1994 research visits to the Communist Party archives, at the time supervised by the Romanian Army General Staff. Tismăneanu resumed his articles in the Romanian press, beginning with a series on communist leader Gheorghe Gheorghiu-Dej, which was published by the Writers' Union magazine România Literară during the early 1990s. He contributed a weekly column in Jurnalul Național, before moving to Cotidianul, and was regularly published by other press venues: Revista 22, Idei în Dialog, and Orizont. He later began contributing to Observator Cultural and Evenimentul Zilei.
Tismăneanu received the Romanian Cultural Foundation's award for the whole activity (2001), and was awarded Doctor honoris causa degrees by the West University of Timișoara (2002) and the SNSPA university in Bucharest. In its Romanian edition of 2005, Stalinism for All Seasons was a bestseller at Bookarest, the Romanian literary festival.
In 2006, Romanian President Traian Băsescu appointed him head of the Presidential Commission for the Study of the Communist Dictatorship in Romania, which presented its report to the Romanian Parliament in December of that year. As of 2009, Tismăneanu is also Chairman of the Academic Board, Institute of People's Studies—an institution affiliated with the Democratic Liberal Party, which in turn is the main political group supportive of Băsescu's policies. The institution is presided upon by political scientist Andrei Țăranu. The following year, Tismăneanu was chosen by Democratic Liberal Premier Emil Boc to lead, with Ioan Stanomir, the Institute for the Investigation of Communist Crimes in Romania, substituting the National Liberal Party's choice Marius Oprea. Tismăneanu was dismissed by the newly formed Victor Ponta government in May 2012.
Vladimir Tismăneanu is married to Mary Frances Sladek, and has fathered a son, Adam.
Views and contributions
Overview
Vladimir Tismăneanu is one of the best-recognized contributors to modern-day political science in both the United States and Romania. Historian Cas Mudde referred to him as "one of the foremost American scholars on Eastern Europe", while Romanian literary critic and civil society activist Adrian Marino wrote: "The works of the political scientist Vladimir Tismăneanu, who owns a double cultural identity, American and Romanian, indicate a full-scale research agenda. His books are first rate, both in Romanian and in English .... They are representative of what has effectively shaped up nowadays into the Romanian political science .... When reading and studying Vladimir Tismăneanu, one enters a new realm, where, most importantly, one experiences a novel approach to writing. He rejects the usage of empty and inordinate formulae. He saves the characteristic Romanian creative writing, with its inconsistency and amorphousness, only for the literary trash bin. He sports a jaunty style, utterly lacking any inhibition or obsequiousness. ... His activity also fills a considerable void. It informs and it disseminates ideas. This is, undoubtedly, his fundamental virtue." According to historian Adrian Cioroianu, the insight provided to Tismăneanu by his family's oral history is "unique", amounting to "actual lessons in history, at a time when [it] was being Orwellianly processed by the [communist] system".
Sociologist Mihai Dinu Gheorghiu sees Tismăneanu and George Voicu as the two main contemporary Romanian sociologists to have "reconverted [to political science] while preserving a rather symbolic link with sociology". At the end of this process, he argues, Tismăneanu "has enjoyed the greatest authority in his field in Romania", while, according to critic Livius Ciocârlie: "Not so long ago, to the question of who is the greatest Romanian politologist, any other politologist would reply that there is only one possible answer: Vladimir Tismăneanu."
According to Vasile, Tismăneanu's contribution, like those of historians Katherine Verdery and Catherine Durandin, is being purposefully ignored by some Romanian academics, who object to their exposure of national communism. Vasile nominates such figures as "the pernicious and not altogether innocent continuity" of Communist Romania. In contrast, Tismăneanu was a direct influence on the first post-Revolution generation of political scientists and historians. Vasile credits his colleague with having influenced "an entire generation of young researchers of Romania's recent history." As one of them, Cioroianu, writes: "quite a lot of us in the field of historical-social analysis in this country have emerged from underneath Vl[adimir] Tismăneanu's cloak". In Cioroianu's definition, the group includes himself, alongside Stelian Tănase, , Marius Oprea, , Dan Pavel, Dragoș Petrescu and others. The same author notes that his predecessor had an early and important contribution, equivalent to a "generative enlightenment", by presenting younger researchers with a detailed account of previously obscured phenomena and events. Most of Tismăneanu's works have English and Romanian-language editions, and books of his were translated into Polish, Lithuanian, and Ukrainian.
In addition to his analytic contribution, Vladimir Tismăneanu earned praise for his literary style. Romanian critics, including Tismăneanu's friend, philosopher Horia-Roman Patapievici, admire his "passionate" writing. Essayist and România Literară reviewer Tudorel Urian, who contrasts Tismăneanu with what he sees as the regular "self-styled 'analysts' [who] abdicate logic and common sense", opines: "The American professor's articles impress by their very solid theoretical structure, by their always effective argumentation, by their author's correct positioning in relation to the facts invoked ... and, not least of all, by the elegance of their style. In the world of contemporary politology, Vladimir Tismăneanu is an erudite, doubled by an artist, and his texts are a delight for the reader." According to Tismăneanu's fellow Commission member, historian and political scientist Cristian Vasile, such perspectives are especially true for the choice of "piercing epithets" defining persons or phenomena discussed in his works. Literary critic notes in particular the many nocturnal and ghostly metaphors used by Tismăneanu in reference to totalitarianism, proposing that these reflect "perfectly natural psychoanalytical suggestions, for wherever there are ghosts, there are also neuroses, or, at the very least, obsessions."
Early works
Tismăneanu began his writing career as a dissenting Marxist, sympathizing with the intellectual currents known collectively as neo-Marxism. His doctoral thesis was cited as evidence that Tismăneanu was "a liberal student of Euro-Marxism" by University of Bucharest professor Daniel Barbu (who contrasted Tismăneanu with the official ideological background of Communist Romania, as one in a group of "outstanding authors", alongside Pavel Câmpeanu, Henri H. Stahl, Zigu Ornea, and Vlad Georgescu). Tismăneanu also states having been influenced by psychoanalysis, the Frankfurt School and Existentialism, and, from among the Marxist authors he had read at that stage, he cites as his early mentors Antonio Gramsci, Georg Lukács, Herbert Marcuse, and Jean-Paul Sartre.
According to Marino: "Some label [Tismăneanu] as 'Marxist anti-communist'. I'd rather say he used to be one. It seems remarkable to me the manner in which he achieves a freedom of spirit, lucidly and sharply applied to his present critique." Cristian Vasile places the author's "decisive split" with Marxism in the 1980s, during the Radio Free Europe years, while political scientist and critic Ioan Stanomir defines him as a "liberal-conservative spirit". American scholar Steven Fish writes:
[Tismăneanu] is animated by a passionate liberal spirit, albeit one of a particular type. [His] liberalism is less intimately akin to that of John Locke or Robert Nozick, or L. T. Hobhouse or John Rawls, than it is to that of Isaiah Berlin and, less proximately, John Stuart Mill. Tismăneanu shares with Berlin and Mill an uncompromising commitment to pluralism as the highest political value; a celebration of difference, nonconformity, and tolerance; a deep skepticism concerning ultimate solutions, political blueprints, and unequivocal policy prescriptions; and a wariness regarding the subtler danger of majoritarian authoritarianism.
Tismăneanu himself discusses the personal transition:
Originating as I was from the milieu of illegalists [that is, communists active in the pre-1944 underground], ... I discovered early on the contrast between the official legends and the various fragments of subjective truths as they revealed themselves in private conversations, syncopated confessions and biting ironies. I was also discovering a theme which was to puzzle me throughout my professional career: the relation between communism, fascism, anti-communism and anti-fascism; in short, I was growing aware that, as has been demonstrated by François Furet, the relationship between the two totalitarian movements, viscerally hostile to the values and institutions of liberal democracy, was the fundamental historical issue of the 20th century.
He credits , noted historian of Romanian communism, as his "mentor and model."
In her review of The Crisis of Marxist Ideology in Eastern Europe, political analyst Juliana Geran Pilon calls Tismăneanu's book "the best analysis of Marxist philosophy since Leszek Kołakowski's monumental trilogy Main Currents of Marxism." The work is Tismăneanu's study into the avatars of Marxism within the Eastern Bloc, and a contribution to both Kremlinology and Cold War studies. It proposes that the Soviet Union's policies of Perestroika and Glasnost masked an ideological crisis, and that the Bloc's regimes had reached a "post-totalitarian" stage, where repression was "more refined, less obvious, but by no means less effective". He criticizes Marxist opponents of Soviet-style communism for giving in to the ideological allure, and proposes that, although appearing reform-minded, Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev was, in effect, a "neo-Stalinist".
The 1990 collection In Search of Civil Society: Independent Peace Movements in the Soviet Bloc is structured around the transformation of the peace movements into anti-communist and dissident forces in the Soviet Union, the People's Republic of Hungary, the People's Republic of Poland, the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic and East Germany. It notably includes articles by two participants in such movements, Hungary's Miklós Haraszti and Russia's Eduard Kuznetsov. American University reviewer Laszlo Kürti called the volume "a milestone that will remain on reading lists for many years to come", but criticized Tismăneanu for not explaining neither the end of such movements nor their absence from other countries. Writing in 1999, scholar Gillian Wylie noted that, with In Search of Civil Society, Tismăneanu was one of the "few academics beyond those involved in the peace activist community" to have dealt with the topic of peace movements in Warsaw Pact countries.
Arheologia terorii and Reinventing Politics
With 1992's Romanian-published Arheologia terorii ("The Archeology of Terror"), which reunited the Radio Free Europe essays of the 1980s, Tismăneanu was focusing Romania's communism, in an attempt to identify what set apart from the experience of other Eastern Bloc countries. Cristian Vasile believes it to have been, at the time of its publishing, "one of the few researches on the Romanian communist elite to include prosopographic nuances." Among this group of essays, historian Bogdan Cristian Iacob singles out one dedicated to chief ideologist Leonte Răutu, the so-called "Romanian Zhdanov", as purportedly the first ever analytical writing dedicated to his career.
Much of the text focuses on Romania's dissidents after the start of De-Stalinization, and the peculiarities of this process in Romania. Tismăneanu notes how communist leader Gheorghe Gheorghiu-Dej, whose dictatorial rule of the 1950s and early 1960s preceded and survived the start of De-Stalinization, was able to exert control over the local intelligentsia even as civil society and nonviolent resistance movements were being created in other parts of the Bloc. It is also noted for its treatment of Gheorghiu-Dej's successor, Nicolae Ceaușescu, who associated himself with a message of liberalization and nationalist revival, and who made a point of opposing the 1968 Soviet-led invasion of Czechoslovakia. This gesture, Arheologia terorii argues, was in actuality Ceauşescu's attempt to ideologically legitimize his grip on Romanian society. In his review of the book, literary critic Ion Bogdan Lefter concludes: "One finds here, in the subtext, the premises for an extended debate on themes related to the philosophy of history: what are, in reality, the effective relations between the collective destiny of a community and the destinies of individuals who compose it? ... The [book's] answers are ... shattering. Looking back into the communist regime's back stages ... one finds not the faithful prophets of a utopia, but the morass of disgusting spiritual filth—and one cannot but be horrified by seeing who has been entrusted with the destiny of an entire people".
With the 1994 book Reinventing Politics, the Romanian author looked into the European revolutions of the previous decade, exploring the shades of repression, the differences in political culture, and how they related to the fall of communism in various countries. Calling it "a significant contribution", New School sociologist Jeffrey C. Goldfarb argues: "Tismăneanu is very good at ordering the often confusing details of what he calls 'the birth pangs of democracy.' " Goldfarb objects to the text being "long on historical detail and short on social theory", arguing that: "As a result, [his] attempts at generalization often miss the mark." According to Goldfarb, although Reinventing Politics cautions that the former communist societies risked folding into nationalism, xenophobia and antisemitism, its author "does not provide a clear sense of how [this] can be avoided." Goldfarb contends that, while the book expresses support for embarking on the road to an "open society", it fails to explain how the goal is supposed to be reached. In his review of a 2007 reprint, Romanian cultural historian Cristian Cercel comments on Vladimir Tismăneanu's belief in politics being "reinvented", which implied that power in former communist countries could be shifted to "the powerless" by following the example of Czechoslovak writer and activist Václav Havel. Cercel, who sees this as proof of "well-balanced idealism", writes: "Instead of an absolute critical distance, Tismăneanu presents us with a critical engagement at the core of the problem."
From Irepetabilul trecut to Balul mascat
The volume of essays Irepetabilul trecut ("The Unrepeatable Past") also saw print in 1994, and largely dealt with post-communist Romanian history. Bogdan Cristian Iacob describes it as "an expression of the priorities of those years, from the perspective of democratization and civil society consolidation" coupled with "a working site of ideas" for later works. The volume, Iacob notes, is structured as a typical work on the history of ideas, and, with "beneficent obstinacy", builds on Tismăneanu's "principal themes". In Iacob's view, "the most important" are: "the basic criminality of Bolshevism in any of its incarnations; the attachment to civic liberalism modeled on the experience of Central and Eastern European dissidence; the totalitarian past's reclamation ...; the research into Romania's communist experience; and, not least of all, the local environment's epistemic synchronization with debates in the Anglo-Saxon space." Under the influence of Jürgen Habermas and Karl Jaspers, the text proposes that social cohesion is only made possible by the common recognition of past evils around the idea of justice (see Historikerstreit). In particular, the essays reject the policies of Romania's major post-communist left-wing group, the National Salvation Front and those of its successor, the Social Democratic Party (PSD), arguing that their policies were a political hybrid designed to block the path of genuinely anti-communist liberalism. Irepetabilul trecut was the first such work to be noted for its biographical sketches of communist leaders.
In 1995, Tismăneanu was again focusing on Gheorghiu-Dej, analyzing the part he played in both the violent communization of the 1950s and the adoption of nationalism in the 1960s. This investigation produced the Romanian-language volume Fantoma lui Gheorghiu-Dej ("Gheorghiu-Dej's Ghost"), expanding on a similarly titled chapter in Irepetabilul trecut. It notably theorizes a difference between national communism and the "national Stalinism" suiting both Gheorghiu-Dej and his successor Ceaușescu. The question "What is left of Gheorghiu-Dej's experiment?", is answered by Tismăneanu as follows: "An inept and frightened elite, whose social mobility was linked to the nationalist-chauvinist line promoted by Ceaușescu. A sectarian and exclusive vision of socialism, a political style based on terror, manipulation and liquidating one's enemy. An unbound contempt for the spirit and a no less total conviction that humans are a mere maneuverable mass .... But most of all ... an immense scorn for principles, a trampling of all things dignified and honorable, a mental and moral corruption that continues to ravage this social universe that is still being haunted by the ghosts of national Stalinism." The text characterized the dictator himself as a figure who "had managed to unify within his style Jesuitism and lack of principles, opportunism and cruelty, fanaticism and duplicity."
Historian Lucian Boia highlights the clash between such a vision and that of a patriotic, liberal and congenial Gheorghiu-Dej, retrospectively advanced in the 1990s by some of the leader's collaborators, among them Alexandru Bârlădeanu, Silviu Brucan and Ion Gheorghe Maurer. Boia writes: "In between Bârlădeanu and Tismăneanu, may we be allowed to prefer the latter's interpretation. ... oblivion is not what we owe [Gheorghiu-Dej], but condemnation, be it moral and posthumous." Vladimir Tismăneanu's reflections on a self-legitimizing, "Byzantine", discourse in Romanian communism, Ioan Stanomir notes, were also being applied by Tismăneanu to the post-Revolution President of Romania, former Communist Party activist and PSD leader Ion Iliescu, who, both argued, did not represent an anti-communist social democracy, but a partial return to Gheorghiu-Dej's legacy.
Also in 1995, Tismăneanu published a collection of essays, Noaptea totalitară ("The Totalitarian Night"). It includes his reflections on the emergence of totalitarian regimes throughout the world, as well as more thoughts on Romania's post-1989 history. Writing in 2004, Ion Bogdan Lefter described it as the embryo of later works: "The author moves with essay-like dexterity from the concrete level, of history 'in movement', to the general, that of political philosophies and great 'societal' models, from biographic narrative to the evolution of systems, from anecdote to mentalities. ... From [such] reflections ... emerged Tismăneanu's studies on 20th century ideological and political history, and his articles on Romanian subjects have prepared and accompanied the completion of his recent synthesis [Stalinism for All Seasons]."
Balul mascat ("The Masquerade Ball", 1996), was Vladimir Tismăneanu's first book of conversations with Mircea Mihăieș, specifically dealing with political life in Romania's post-1989 evolution and on its relation to the European Union integration process. Tudorel Urian describes the volume and its successors in the series, all of them published at the end of electoral cycles, as "a most reliable indicator of tendencies", and to the authors as "important intellectuals of our age." Urian writes: "Although, at the time when these volumes were published, not everyone was pleased by the precise X-rays to which Vladimir Tismăneanu and Mircea Mihăieş subjected [Romania's politics], excessively vocal counterarguments were never produced. The distance (not just in kilometers) between Washington and Bucharest, the superior analytic accuracy, Professor Tismăneanu's international scientific prestige, the almost exclusive use of readily available sources ..., the democratic values at the core of the interpretations (ones which no honorable political actor could afford to contest publicly) have given these books a considerable dose of credibility ...."
Fantasies of Salvation
With Fantasies of Salvation, published in 1998, Vladimir Tismăneanu focuses on the resurgence of authoritarian, ethnocratic, demagogic and anti-capitalist tendencies in the political cultures of Post-Communism. The text, which is both a historical survey and a political essay, argues: "As the Leninist authoritarian order collapsed, societies have tended to be atomized and deprived of a political center able to articulate coherent visions of a common good." This process, he argues, favors the recourse to "mythology", and paradoxical situations such as a post-Holocaust antisemitism in the absence of sizable Jewish communities. He also focuses on the revived antisemitic conspiracy theory according to which Jews had played a leading role in setting up communist regimes (see Jewish Bolshevism).<ref name="yvdist">[http://www1.yadvashem.org/about_yad/what_new/data_whats_new/pdf/english/1.13_Distortion_Negationism_and_Minimalization.pdf Distortion, Negationism, and Minimalization of the Holocaust in Postwar Romania"], Wiesel Commission report, at Yad Vashem; retrieved February 6, 2009</ref>
Tismăneanu thus sees the political elites and the authoritarian side of the intelligentsia as responsible for manipulating public opinion and "rewriting (or cleansing) of history in terms of self-serving, present-oriented interests". He writes in support of the critical intelligentsia and former dissidents, whom he sees as responsible for resistance to both communism and the far right. Part of the volume deals with "the myth of decommunization", signifying the manner in which local elites may take hold of political discourse and proclaim lustration. Although he disagrees with the contrary notion of collective responsibility and sees calls for justice as legitimate, he notes that the special laws targeting communist officials may pose a threat to society.
Steven Fish calls the book "a major contribution to our understanding of the postcommunist political predicament" which "will stand the test of time", noting its "searching treatment of the connection between intellectual and political life", "incorporation of cultural conflict into the analysis of politics", "unabashed humanism" and "lyrical style", all of which, he argues, parallel works by Isaiah Berlin and Fouad Ajami. However, he criticizes Tismăneanu for his "not strictly correct" conclusion that intellectual former dissidents can be credited with bringing down communism and reforming their countries, replying that the "rough-hewn politicians" Lech Wałęsa and Boris Yeltsin, and the Bulgarian "pragmatic liberal centrist" Ivan Kostov, are just as important actors. A similar point is made by Cas Mudde, who contends that Tismăneanu's words display "passionate and uncritical support for the dissidents", adding: "For someone so worried about populism, it is remarkable that he does not see the clearly populist elements of the dissidents' 'anti-politics', which he so often praises." Political scientist Steven Saxonberg reserves praise for the manner in which Fantasies of Salvation is written, but objects to Tismăneanu's preference for market liberalism at the expense of any form of collectivism, and claims that his focus on new antisemitic trends overlooks the revival of antiziganism. Researchers comment favorably Tismăneanu's rejection of cultural determinism in discussing the Eastern Bloc countries' relation to the Western world and to each other.
As editor of the 1999 collection of essays The Revolutions of 1989 (Re-Writing Histories) (with contributions by Kołakowski and Daniel Chirot), Vladimir Tismăneanu was deemed by British historian Geoffrey Swain an "obvious choice to assemble the contributors." Swain, who called his preface "excellent", states: "It is difficult to argue with [Tismăneanu's] notion that 'these revolutions represented the triumph of civic dignity and political morality over ideological monism, bureaucratic cynicism and police dictatorship'." However, he disapproves of the author's decision to treat all bloc countries as if they were still a single entity: "What made historians address the diverse countries of Eastern Europe as a common unit was communism; with its collapse the logic for such an approach disappeared. ... The book works when a common approach works, and fails when a common approach fails." Between Past and Future. The Revolutions of 1989 and Their Aftermath, a 2000 collection published in collaboration with Sorin Antohi, Timothy Garton Ash, Adam Michnik, Radim Palouš, and Haraszti, is another overview of the dissidents' contribution to the end of communism.
Încet spre Europa and Scrisori din Washington
His second book of conversations with Mihăieș, titled Încet spre Europa ("Slowly toward Europe", 2000), touches on various subjects in Romanian society and world politics. Much of it deals with the events of 2000, in particular the country's management by the right-wing Romanian Democratic Convention. According to historian Victor Neumann, "[The book] suggests the measure to which the public debate needs to be fundamental in educating the elite and the public at large, in structuring civil society and in promoting an articulate discourse for the rejection of extremist political orientations. However, it also shows how such debates have not yet found the right framework or the institutions to promote it. Responsibility for the delay of [social and economic] reforms is not placed on not just the—as yet invertebrate—political class, but also on the cultural milieus and the media, which favor sterile discussions, world play, obsolete ideologies." He also notes: "The dialogue between Vladimir Tismăneanu and Mircea Mihăieș demonstrates the role of analysis and confrontation of ideas over hasty judgment or temperamental criticism, providing in the end an image as unembellished as possible. [It] places a magnifier over high-ranking institutions such as the Presidency, the Orthodox Church, the school. The observations are always based on knowledge of the facts."
Part of the volume focuses on the Holocaust, Holocaust denial, and Romania's responsibility, discussing them in relation with Stéphane Courtois' Black Book of Communism. Like Alan S. Rosembaum's Is the Holocaust Unique?, Încet spre Europa uses the polemical term "comparative martyrology" on comparisons made between the Holocaust and the Gulag (or other forms of communist repression). Although he agrees that communism is innately genocidal, Tismăneanu views the latter claims as attempts to trivialize the Holocaust. He also criticizes some versions of historical revisionism which, he argues, make it seem like the victims of communism were all "friends of democracy" and "adherents to classical liberalism", but agrees that: "The manner in which communism dealt with [its victims] is utterly illegal and this needs to be emphasized." Tismăneanu, who theorizes a "very complicated, bizarre, perverse, and well-camouflaged" relationship between communism and fascism, preserved in both national communism and the political discourse of post-communist Romania, also argues: "Romania will not un-fascify until it decommunizes, and will decommunize until it un-fascifies." Such conclusions were also present in the Spectrele Europei Centrale ("The Specters of Central Europe", 2001), where he notably argues that the popularity of fascist ideology within the defunct Kingdom of Romania was exploited by the communist regime, leading to what he calls a "baroque synthesis" of extremes (an idea later expanded upon by essayist Caius Dobrescu). Caius Dobrescu, "Barocul fascisto-comunist ca fenomen global", fragment of Gulag şi Holocaust în conştiinţa romanească, Babeş-Bolyai University Symposium, May 2007, at the Memoria Digital Library; retrieved February 6, 2008
With 2002's Scrisori din Washington, Tismăneanu constructs a retrospective overview of the 20th century, which he sees as dominated by the supremacy of communism and fascism. Structured around reviewed Deutsche Welle broadcasts, it also includes short texts on diverse subjects, such as essays about Marxist resistance to established communism, an analysis of the Western far right, conclusions about the Kosovo War, a debate around the political ideas of interwar novelist Panait Istrati, and praises of the Romanian intellectuals Virgil Ierunca and Dan Pavel. Mircea Iorgulescu criticizes the work for not discussing other relevant phenomena (such as the successes of feminism, decolonization and the environmental movement), and argues that many of the pieces seem American-centered, unfocused or outdated. Iorgulescu also objects to the book's verdict on Istrati's political choices after his split with communism, claiming that Tismăneanu is wrong in assuming that Istrati eventually moved to the far right. He nevertheless argues: "[the book] provides an impressive image of the extraordinary American effort to research, analyze and interpret communism and post-communism." Iorgulescu, who views Tismăneanu as a Romanian equivalent to Michnik, adds: "The circumstance of his living in the United States ... protects him, for it is not hard to imagine how one would have viewed and behaved toward a Romanian from Romania who has the courage to speak, for instance, about the existence of an anti-Bolshevik Bolshevism. Being himself a critical intellectual, one would understand the origin of his continuous plea for [the intellectual critics] always hunted down by the authoritarian regimes."
Stalinism for All Seasons
With Stalinism for All Seasons, Tismăneanu provides a synthesis of his views on Communist Romanian history leading back to Arheologia terorii, documenting the Romanian Communist Party's evolution from the Bolshevik wing of the Socialist Party to the establishment of a one-party state. Tismăneanu himself, reflecting on the purpose of the book, stated his vision of communism as an "eschatological" movement, adding: "Romanian communism was a subspecies of Bolshevik radicalism, itself born out of an engagement between Russian revolutionary tradition and the voluntarist version of Marxism." Adrian Cioroianu notes that "Tismăneanu was the first who could ever explain the mirage and the motivation [felt by] Romania's first communists of the '20-'30 decade." The focus on communist conspiracies and inner-Party struggles for power is constant throughout the book. In a 2004 review published by Foreign Affairs magazine, political scientist Robert Legvold sees it as "less a political history of communism than it is a thorough account of leadership battles in the Romanian Communist Party from its origins at the turn of the nineteenth century to its demise in 1989." Also according to Legvold, the author "shed[s] light on the paradoxes of Romanian communism: how a pariah party that was Stalinist to the core eventually turned on its Soviet master and embraced nationalism—how 'national Stalinism' was acceptable to the West as long as it meant autonomy from [the Soviet Union]. That is, until it became grotesque in Nicolae Ceaușescu's last decade, leading to the regime's violent death."
The book title is a direct allusion to Robert Bolt's play A Man for All Seasons. It refers to an idea discussed in previous works, that of Romania's special case: Stalinism preserved after the death of Joseph Stalin, and returning in full swing during the Ceaușescu years. Noting the role played by party purges in this process, Cioroianu stresses: "Tismăneanu was the first to ever suggest that between the communists of the '30s and those of the '60s one could hardly determine a correspondence, even if the names of some—the lucky ones!—crop up from one period and into the other." Ion Bogdan Lefter notes that it is "paradoxical—in that it is the first American book that Vladimir Tismăneanu dedicated to the subject he was most familiar with." Lefter writes that the idea of "perpetual Romanian Stalinism" is backed by "a weighty demonstration", but is reserved toward the statements according to which Ceaușescu's early "small liberalization" of the 1960s was inconsequential, arguing that, even though "Re-Stalinization" occurred with the April Theses of 1971, "[the regime] could never overturn [the phenomenon] altogether, some of its effects being preserved—at least in part—until 1989." Lefter proposes a more in-depth analysis of this situation, based on the methodology of historiography introduced by the Annales School, which, he argues, would allow more room for "small personal histories".
Initially, Vladimir Tismăneanu had planned to write a review of Romanian history covering the entire modern period, before deciding to concentrate on a more limited subject. Part of the volume relies on never-before published documents to which he had gained access as a young man, through his family connections. It also incorporates his thoughts on the communist legacy in Romania, and in particular his belief that the modified communist dogma endured as a force in Romanian politics even during the post-1989 period. Cioroianu reviews the high praise earned by the volume throughout the Romanian intellectual and educational environments, as "all the appreciations a history volume could have expected". American historian Robert C. Tucker calls it "the definitive work on Romanian communism", and Stanomir "a monument of erudition and laconicism".
Democrație și memorie and Cortina de ceață
The 2004 volume of essays, Scopul și mijloacele ("The Purpose and the Means") is largely an expansion of Noaptea totalitară. It was followed in 2006 by a collection of his press articles, carrying the title Democrație și memorie ("Democracy and Memory"), which centers on admiring portraits: those of thinkers, politicians or activists whom he credits with having provided him with an understanding of political phenomenons—Raymond Aron, Robert Conquest, Arthur Koestler, Jacek Kuroń, Czesław Miłosz, Susan Sontag, Alexander Nikolaevich Yakovlev—and those of Cold War figures such as US President Ronald Reagan and Pope John Paul II. The book also included his earlier calls to have the Securitate archives, then managed by the Romanian Intelligence Service, opened for the public, in the belief that liberal democracy has transparency as its prerequisite. Other segments of the book voiced calls for a public debate on the moral legacy of communism, and for the assumption of the "democratic ethos" by regular Romanians.
A third volume of Mihăieș-Tismăneanu dialogues was published in 2007, as Cortina de ceață ("The Fog Curtain"). According to Tudorel Urian, it is directly linked to its author's involvement in political disputes, and in particular those created around the Presidential Commission for the Study of the Communist Dictatorship in Romania. Therefore, Urian says, it "has a more accentuated polemic character, the two of them being often required to reply to the attacks on them." The volume's title is Tismăneanu's definition of political scandals and supposed media manipulation in Romania, and the book includes commentary on such events as the arrival to power and eventual breakup of the Justice and Truth alliance; the National Anticorruption Directorate's inquiry into the activities of former Premier Adrian Năstase and other PSD leaders; the revelations that Chamber representative Mona Muscă and Tismăneanu's own colleague Sorin Antohi had been informants of Communist Romania's secret police, the Securitate; and criticism of the Commission itself. The book expresses its author's support for the political agenda of Romanian President Traian Băsescu, impeached by Parliament and reinstated by an April 2007 referendum. Urian writes: "supporters of [Băsescu's] agenda will be enthusiastic about the book, and those who reject it will be searching for flaws under a microscope. All shall nevertheless have to read very carefully. This is because, beyond the generic, predictable, direction, it is rich in punctual analyses of a great finesse and in information too easily lost in the daily turmoil, but which, once brought to memory, may render things in a new light."
Refuzul de a uita and Perfectul acrobat
Points similar to those made by Cortina de ceață were present in another 2007 book, Refuzul de a uita ("Refusing to Forget"). A collection of scattered articles, it also partly responds to criticism of the Commission. Alongside such pieces stand essays which expand on earlier subjects: portraits of various intellectuals admired by the author (Michnik, Kołakowski, Jeane Kirkpatrick, Vasile Paraschiv, Jean-François Revel, Andrei Sakharov, Aleksandr Zinovyev); reflections on populism, with case studies of Hugo Chávez's Venezuela and Slobodan Milošević's Yugoslavia; and a posthumous critique of political analyst and former communist activist Silviu Brucan. A section of the volume refers to the controversy surrounding journalist Carol Sebastian, exposed as a Securitate informant after a career in the anti-communist press. Tismăneanu contrasts Sebastian with open supporters of the Ceaușescu regime, grouped around Săptămîna magazine during the 1970s and never exposed in such a manner, and concludes that Sebastian's case stands as "a warning that we must as soon as possible progress to the condemnation of the institutions who have made possible such tragic moral collapses."
With the 2008 volume Perfectul acrobat ("The Perfect Acrobat"), co-authored with Cristian Vasile, Tismăneanu returned to his study of Leonte Răutu, and, in general, to the study of links between Communist Romania's ideological, censorship and propaganda apparatuses. The book, subtitled Leonte Răutu, măștile răului ("Leonte Răutu, the Masks of Evil"), also comments on the motivations of writers in varying degrees of collaboration with the communist structures: Tudor Arghezi, George Călinescu, Ovid Crohmălniceanu, Petru Dumitriu, Paul Georgescu, Eugen Jebeleanu, and Miron-Radu Paraschivescu. It attempts to explain in detail how the regime resisted genuine De-Stalinization without meeting many public objections from the leftist intellectuals, a situation defined by Bogdan Cristian Iacob as "the painful absence of an alternative, of an anti-systemic tradition." Răutu's high-ranking career and overall guidelines, both of which survived all changes in the system under Gheorghiu-Dej and Ceaușescu, are taken by the authors as study cases in Romania's post-Stalinist Stalinism. In addition, Iacob notes, "the two authors bring forth irrefutable proof for the unshakable link between word and power in communism". He cites Răutu's own theories about the role education and agitprop had in creating the "New Man". Tismăneanu, who deems Răutu "the demiurge of the infernal system to crush the autonomy of thought in communized Romania", lists the creation of a New Man among the ideologue's main goals, alongside the atomization, mobilization, and homogenization of his target audience. According to Stanomir, "the biographical examination ... gives birth to a narrative on the rise and fall of a modern possessed man", while the documents presented reveal Răutu's willingness to show fidelity to all policies and all successive leaders, in what is "more than a survival strategy." For Stanomir, the ideologist as Tismăneanu and Vasile show him is a man who replicates religious belief, guided by the principle that "outside the Party there can be no salvation" (see Extra Ecclesiam nulla salus). In its introductory section, Perfectul acrobat includes a dialogue of the two authors with a first-hand witness to Răutu's actions, philosopher Mihai Șora. This piece, coupled with a final documentary section, are rated by Stanomir as "outstandingly innovative ... at the intersection of intellectual discourse, testimonial and the document itself."
Other contributions
Outside the realms of history, political science and political analysis, Vladimir Tismăneanu is a noted author of memoirs. This part of his work is centered on the volume Ghilotina de scrum ("The Ashen Guillotine"), also written on the basis of interviews with Mihăieș. The book offers an account of his complicating relationship with Leonte Tismăneanu, postulating a difference between the everyday father, who has earned his son's admiration for being marginalized by his political adversaries, and a "political father", whose attitudes and public actions are rejected by Vladimir Tismăneanu.
This approach earned praise from two influential intellectual figures of the Romanian diaspora, critics Monica Lovinescu and Virgil Ierunca, whose letter to the author read: "the distances you take from your own background are of most-rare authenticity and tact. You accomplish a radical break, being at the same time participative, negating things only after you have understood them, being dissociated from both roles of judge and defense counsel." Cioroianu also notes: "He is not the only son of (relatively) well-known communists; but he is one of the few to have reached the level of detachment needed in order to X-ray, in a cold and precise way, a political system. Does this seem easy to you? I do not know how many of us would be capable of introspecting with such lucidity our own parents' utopias, phantasms and disappointments". The historian opposes Tismăneanu's approach to that of Petre Roman, Romania-s first post-1989 Premier, whose attempts at discussing the public image of his father, the communist politico Valter Roman, are argued by Cioroianu to have "failed".
Tismăneanu has contributed the screenplay for Dinu Tănase's documentary film Condamnați la fericire ("Sentenced to Happiness"), released in 1992. With Octavian Șerban, he has also authored a series about Communist Romania, which was showcased by the Romanian Television Company.
2006 Final Report and related controversy
Early objections
Some who oppose or criticize Tismăneanu's appointment to head the Presidential Commission, his selection of other commission members, or the conclusions in the commission's final report, have drawn attention to several texts he authored in Romania, which they perceive as being Marxist-Leninist in content, and his activities inside the Union of Communist Youth. Among the critics of Tismăneanu's early activities was philosopher Gabriel Liiceanu, who stated that they were incompatible with the moral status required from a leader of the Commission. However, Liiceanu endorsed the incrimination of communist regime and eventually the report itself. Şerban Orescu, "De ce este nevoie de un apel la memorie?" , in Ziua, March 11, 2006
After the presentation of the Final Report and the official condemnation of the communist regime by President Traian Băsescu in a joint session of the Romanian Parliament, Liiceanu openly expressed his support for Vladimir Tismăneanu and endorsed the Presidential Commission for the Analysis of the Communist Dictatorship in Romania. In November 2007, Liiceanu's publishing house, Humanitas, published in volume format the Final Report. Furthermore, Liiceanu, in the homage to Tismăneanu, when the latter was granted the award of the Group for Social Dialogue (January 2008), openly retracted his initial statements about Tismăneanu's academic and moral stature: "Vladimir Tismăneanu was the perfect person for completing the task of coordinating the Commission, considering that those who spoke after being exposed to this ideology explained it best. Vladimir Tismăneanu, besides owning such insider knowledge on what is communism at multiple levels, he then had an ideal competence, acquired and validated within the American academic environment, in order to be able to study this subject with both familiarity and distance." Liiceanu concluded: "He is the most qualified intellectual in the world for analyzing Romanian communism. His book Stalinism for All Seasons is the classical study in the field."
Early criticism of Tismăneanu based on allegations of communism was also voiced by writer Sorin Lavric. The author revised his stance soon afterward and, in four separate articles, gave his endorsement to both the Final Report and Vladimir Tismăneanu's later publications.
Political party-level reactions
Several commentators have argued that the negative reception of the Final Report in sections of the press and the political establishment was partly due to the investigation's implications, as the latter's overall condemnation of the communist regime has opened the road for further debates regarding the links between various contemporary politicians and the former communist structures. Teodora Georgescu, "Felix, prezentat Americii", in Curentul, July 31, 2006Craig S. Smith, "Romanian Leader Condemns Communist Rule", in The New York Times, December 19, 2006 The examples cited include four Senate members: Ion Iliescu and Adrian Păunescu from the PSD, as well as Greater Romania Party leader Corneliu Vadim Tudor and Conservative Party leader Dan Voiculescu. The reading of the Final Report by President Băsescu was punctuated with heckling from among the Greater Romania Party Senate and Chamber representatives. "Huliganii PRM au transformat Parlamentul în bîlci", in Observator Cultural, Nr. 352-353, December 2006 (originally published by HotNews.ro) One televised incident saw the group making attempts to force several audience members, including intellectuals Liiceanu, Horia-Roman Patapievici and Andrei Pleșu, out of the balcony overlooking the Parliament Hall. "Vadim Tudor a încercat să-i dea afară din lojă pe Patapievici și Pleșu" , Realitatea TV release, December 18, 2006; retrieved February 6, 2009 Several commentators have described the behavior of anti-Băsesecu parliamentarians during the public reading as "a circus act" (an expression also used by Patapievici).
Although Iliescu and PSD leader Mircea Geoană abstained from participating in the session, the Final Report was soon after approved with certain reserves by Geoană. Armand Goşu, "Comunismul a fost condamnat în decembrie 1989" (interview with Vasile Puşcaş), in Revista 22, Nr. 880, January 2007 Support for the document was also voiced by academic and Social Democratic parliamentarian Vasile Pușcaș, who noted that his group's objections addressed "working methods" and the perceived notion that the Commission claimed access to an "absolute truth". Pușcaș also took his distance from Iliescu's successive negative comments on the document. Similar assessments were made by Pușcaș's party colleague, sociologist Alin Teodorescu, who called the document "the work of a lifetime, [written] for sure in a perfectible manner, but ... an exceptional study", while stating that he objected to "Băsescu [having] climbed on Tismăneanu's shoulders." According to journalist Cristian Pătrășconiu, the conflict between Iliescu and Tismăneanu explained why, in the second edition of Tismăneanu's book of interviews with Iliescu, Marele șoc din finalul unui secol scurt (tr. The Great Shock of the Twentieth Century, first edition 2004), the latter's name was removed from the cover (a decision he attributed to Iliescu himself).
Among the consequences of the scandal, Urian states, is Vladimir Tismăneanu's "descent into the arena", leading some to perceive him as "a component of the never-ending political scandal and a predilect target for the president's adversaries." Urian also notes that, before the crisis, Romanian politicians from all camps, with the exception of Corneliu Vadim Tudor's supporters, viewed Tismăneanu with an equal "distant respect", before some grew worried that the Commission was first step toward lustration. The conflict was further highlighted during early 2007 by Băsescu's preliminary impeachment by Parliament, a measure supported by the National Liberal Party of Premier Călin Popescu-Tăriceanu, the PSD, the Conservative Party, the Greater Romania Party, and the Democratic Union of Hungarians, and ultimately resolved in Băsescu's benefit by an impeachment referendum. During this crisis, Tismăneanu joined 49 other intellectuals in condemning the anti-Băsescu parliamentary opposition, signing an open letter which accused it of representing political corruption and the legacy of communism, and referred to its attitude toward the Commission.
On the anti-Tismăneanu side, the controversy involved political forces most often described as extremist, in particular the Greater Romania Party. Such groups have an ideological objection to Tismăneanu's condemnation of both fascism and national communism. Cristian Vasile, who argues that this meeting of extremes had already been predicted and verified by Tismăneanu's notion of "baroque synthesis", specifically refers to a "fowl-smelling rhetorical cocktail" of neo-fascism or "(Neo-)Legionary characteristics" (in reference to the historical Iron Guard), neo-Stalinism and protochronism, to be found at the source of "media and historiographic ambuscades". In this context, claims of an antisemitic nature were issued, targeting Tismăneanu and his family. As Tismăneanu recalls in an interview with Jim Compton from the Washington Post, "A Greater Romania Party senator made a speech in Parliament, about 'five reasons why Tismăneanu should not head the commission,' and reason number three was that I was a Jew." Despre Vladimir Tismăneanu şi scrierile sale, Political speech by Mihai Ungheanu, Romanian Senate, May 8, 2006
In July 2007, Tismăneanu sued the Greater Romania Party journals Tricolorul and România Mare, on grounds of calumny, in reference to the series of articles they published in the wake of the Commission report. "Liiceanu, Tismăneanu şi Dan Tapalagă dau în judecată Ziua şi România Mare" , in România Liberă, July 8, 2007 Tismăneanu, who demanded 100,000 Euro in compensation, indicated that he also contemplated suing the two papers in front of a United States court, were his case denied in Romania. He specified that the publications he cited were responsible for issuing "defamatory, xenophobic and antisemitic" articles targeting him personally. In addition, he referred to accusations that he had stolen archived documents from his native country and that had been enlisted by the Securitate. He had earlier recounted having received, at his College Park home, hate mail with explicit death threats and copies of Tricolorul and România Mare articles, and having informed campus police. According to Tismăneanu, such letters, using "almost identical terms", had been sent to him before 1989 by unknown antisemites. At the time of this incident, he again accused Greater Romania Party of endorsing the conspiracy theory of Jewish Bolshevism as incitement to racial hatred and violence, citing its leader's statements on Oglinda Television, which called Tismăneanu, among other things, "one of the most idiotic persons ... in Romania" and "an offspring of the Stalinist Jews who brought communism to Romania on top of Red Army tanks." Such attacks, Tismăneanu contended, "cannot but lead to polluting the public discourse and rendering hysterical those persons who belong the category of what [Romanian writer] Marin Preda called 'the basic aggressive spirit'."
Tismăneanu and Gallagher
Beginning in 2004, Tom Gallagher, a Professor of Ethnic Conflict and Peace at the University of Bradford and author of influential works on Romanian politics, expressed criticism of Vladimir Tismăneanu on various grounds. He authored a series of articles critical of Tismăneanu's involvement in local Romanian issues in the post-1989 era, and especially of his relations with Ion Iliescu. Tom Gallagher, "Politolog fără bisericuţe", in România Liberă, October 13, 2006 According to Gallagher, Tismăneanu "was useful to Iliescu in 2004 because the then President recognised the type of figure he was beneath the western reformist image he has cultivated".
Gallagher writes that Marele șoc "was ready to depict Ion Iliescu as an enlightened leader who, despite some flaws, had been instrumental in consolidating Romanian democracy", and that the volume, which he called "one of the strangest books to emerge from the Romanian transition", did not include, to Iliescu's advantage, any mentions of the controversial aspects of his presidency ("any serious enquiries about the mineriads, the manipulation of nationalism, the denigration of the historic parties [the National Peasants' Party and the National Liberal Party], civic movements and the monarchy, the explosion of corruption, or indeed the continuing political influence and fabulous wealth of the heirs of the pre-1989 intelligence service"). In addition, he wrote that, in agreeing to interview Iliescu, Vladimir Tismăneanu had come to contradict his own assessment of the post-Revolution regime, which he had earlier defined as "of a populist, corporatist and semi-fascist type". In contrast to this assessment, Ion Bogdan Lefter challenged that Tismăneanu had taken "unnecessary precautions" in stating his bias during the dialogue with Iliescu, given that the latter was "at the end of his political career", and stresses that the interviewer had preserved "a researcher's perspective" throughout the conversation. Also according to Lefter, the interest of the book does not reside with Iliescu's views on politics, which express "the already familiar 'official' version, formulated in his hardly bearable 'wooden tongue' ", but in his recollections of childhood and youth.
Gallagher expressed further criticism on Tismăneanu, writing that "he wishes to build up a vast patron-client network in contemporary history and political science not dissimilar to what the PSD did in those areas where it desired control". Referring to Tismăneanu's books, he also wrote: "But what about the role of the Securitate? In his books, [Tismăneanu] has never been especially interested in their role. Much of the time, he has seemed far more concerned with creating a psycho-biography of the life and times of his illegalist family in order to overcome the long lasting shock of having been cast into the wilderness for over twenty years when his family fell from grace under Gheorghiu-Dej." In other pieces he authored, Gallagher questioned Tismăneanu's expertise, comparing him to the Romanian-French businessman Adrian Costea, a person close to Iliescu who stood accused of encouraging political corruption, and claiming that he was using the academic environment as a venue for lobbying. He also took a negative view of his colleague's earlier collaboration with Jurnalul Național, a newspaper owned by Conservative Party leader Dan Voiculescu (who has been officially linked with the Securitate). Additionally, Gallagher complained about the publicized visit Tismăneanu paid to Gigi Becali, leader of the nationalist New Generation Party – Christian Democratic, at his residence in Pipera.
Tismăneanu replied to some of Gallagher's accusations in a manner described by Cotidianul's Cristian Pătrășconiu as "discreet". In an interview with Jurnalul Național, arguing that Marele șoc largely reflected Iliescu's own beliefs, which he had wanted to render accurately, and stating that "all I could do was to obtain the maximum of what can be obtained through dialog with [Iliescu]". He depicted Gallagher's attitude as "an outbreak of resentments", and indicated that "the only praise I could offer [Iliescu]" was in regard to the latter's respect for pluralism in front of authoritarianism. In later statements on the issue, he argued that Gallagher concerns about a supposed change in political views had been unfounded, while expressing regret over the fact that "I had not highlighted ... in those sections I authored, certain elements that would have made it clear for the reader where I stand". Elsewhere, he responded to claims made about his contacts with Becali by admitting that the visit was inappropriate. Cristian Vasile, who notes that concerns similar to those of Gallagher were expressed by historian Șerban Papacostea and by himself, argues that Tismăneanu effectively dissuaded fears of a "moral resignation" by not accepting any form of "privilege or public post" from the political sides he was alleged to favor.
By spring 2007, Gallagher and Tismăneanu reconciled, explaining that this was largely owed to their common support for Băsescu, who was then faced with impeachment. In that context, Gallagher explained his earlier position: "Marele șoc ... was published [at] a time when the Social Democratic Party were going through a lot of trouble to quiet international voices in order to cover the lack of significant reform of key state institutions. Tismăneanu argued at the time that because of agreeing to the NATO and EU accession, Iliescu was signaling his wishes of reconciliation with the democratic quarters in the country. Both the author and others gradually became convinced that Iliescu's intentions were far from targeting pluralism. He only aimed at legitimizing the elite whose leader he was and which he propelled out of communism to a new era essentially defined by violence, abuse and repression, as it was obvious already by 1990-91. For purposes of revealing such interest groups, the political scientist risked both his name and life. Both his results in the academic field and his unwavering determination must be appreciated and treasured, more so considering the insults and calumny showered upon him by the post-communist clique and their followers in the mass-media. I wish to express to Vladimir Tismăneanu my gratitude and utmost appreciation for his and the Commission's efforts, hoping that our initial disagreements are from now on belonging only to the past." Commenting on the developments following the impeachment referendum, Vladimir Tismăneanu indicated that he and Gallagher, together with British historian Dennis Deletant, had decided to campaign against the Parliament's decision and in favor of Traian Băsescu, a measure which he equated with support for "pluralism and transparency". Gallagher himself noted that the initiative was motivated by "the need to display solidarity in order to prevent the replacement of democracy with the collective autocracy of economic barons and their political allies. That would destabilize the Balkans, would discredit the EU and would place the country on the Eastern trajectory."
Ziua allegations
In 2006 and early 2007, Ziua newspaper repeatedly published accusatory claims that Tismăneanu had left with support from the Securitate, that he had settled abroad with assistance from the Communist Party of Venezuela, and that, after escaping Romania's communist censorship, he continued to publish materials supporting official communist tenets. Ovidiu Şimonca, "Dincolo de înjurătură", in Observator Cultural, Nr. 321, May 2006 Tismăneanu has rejected all allegations, indicating that they contradicted data present in, among others, files kept on him by the Securitate and the official conclusion reached by the National Council for the Study of Securitate Archives (CNSAS).
The article was also criticized by intellectuals such as Ovidiu Șimonca, Ioan T. Morar and Mircea Mihăieș. Ioan T. Morar, "Prietenul meu, Vladimir Tismăneanu", in Monitorul de Suceava, May 15, 2006 Writing for Observator Cultural, Șimonca argued that it was evidence of "defamation", that the information, which he deemed "horrific" and "hard to believe", was not substantiated by evidence, and that Ziua had vested interest in spreading rumors about Vladimir Tismăneanu. He also asked if Ziuas campaign was not itself motivated by "Securitate structures". In an editorial for the local newspaper Monitorul de Suceava, titled Prietenul meu, Vladimir Tismăneanu ("My Friend, Vladimir Tismăneanu"), Morar dismissed the article as "hogwash, egregious lies and let-ins", commenting that the claims made in regard to Tismăneanu's stay in Venezuela were "an aberration stemming from a rather obvious psychiatric diagnosis". He also made references to the fact that Ziua's editor in chief, Sorin Roșca-Stănescu, was himself a proven Securitate informant, arguing that the tactics employed by the newspaper in question were the equivalent of "blackmail". Soon afterward, Roșca-Stănescu issued a formal apology for those particular claims (while expressing further criticism of various aspects of Tismăneanu's biography). Sorin Roşca-Stănescu, "Vladimir Tismăneanu, punct şi de la căpat", in Ziua, June 22, 2006 (English-language version: "Vladimir Tismăneanu: End and Beginning" )
Based on data which he indicated formed part of his CNSAS file, Tismăneanu also specified that he was the object of constant Securitate surveillance after his departure, that his mother was subject to pressures, and that derogatory comments on him, including a coded reference to his Jewish background (tunărean), were gathered from various informants and agents. He made mention of the fact that, according to the documents (the last of which were allegedly compiled in April 1990), the post-Revolution Foreign Intelligence Directorate had continued to monitor him. Tismăneanu also indicated his belief that the author of a denunciation note, who used the name Costin and recommended himself as a Faculty of Sociology professor, was the same person who, after 1989, had sent a letter to his University of Maryland employer, in which he had called attention to the communist activities of Leonte Tismăneanu (according to Vladimir Tismăneanu, the letter was dismissed as "abject" and irrelevant by its recipient). Tismăneanu also cited Costin's report to the Securitate, which expressed concern that his doctoral thesis was a covert popularization of the Frankfurt School and its reinterpretations of Marxist thought. According to his former colleague Radu Ioanid, the Urban Sociology Department group had been under constant Securitate surveillance, especially after Tismăneanu defected. Ioanid quoted his own Securitate file, which, in a post-1981 comment, referred to his "close contacts" with Tismăneanu, defining the latter as "a sociologist of Jewish nationality, a former office colleague [of Ioanid's], presently an outstandingly hostile collaborator of Radio Free Europe [who has] settled in the USA." Ioanid also referred to Tismăneanu's family in Romania having been "heckled" by the Securitate, especially after he himself had been made suspect by his historical research into Romanian antisemitism.
In January 2007, Ziua contributor Vladimir Alexe published in facsimile a text which he considered part of a separate file kept on Tismăneanu by the Counter-Espionage unit of the Securitate, dated 1987. According to this, Tismăneanu was well appreciated for his professional and Romanian Communist Party work prior to 1981, and had held the position of lecturer on the Propaganda Commission of the Communist Party Municipal Committee for Bucharest. The same text also contradicts Tismăneanu's indication that he had not been allowed to travel to the West prior to 1981, by stating that he had been approved tourist visas for both the Eastern Bloc and "capitalist states". The facsimile was accompanied by an open letter containing similar accusatory claims made by Dan Mureșan, who recommended himself as the political consultant of a company working for the United States Republican Party, and relying on the assertion that Tismăneanu had settled in the United States only after 1985. Several months before, Alexe had himself been accused by Cotidianul newspaper of having been a Securitate informant and confronted with a CNSAS file which appeared to confirm this, but had rejected the claim as manipulative. Liviu Avram, Mirela Corlăţan, "Turnătorii din presă, de la Scînteia la Arici Pogonici", in Cotidianul, August 21, 2006
As leaders of anti-communist opinion inside the former Eastern Bloc, invited by President Băsescu the Final Report reading, Lech Wałęsa and Vladimir Bukovsky had been requested by Ziua to comment on the Commission's activities. When asked if he knew Tismăneanu, Wałęsa replied "No, I don't know, I don't have such a good memory", while Bukovsky stated "I don't know Tismăneanu, I know nothing about him. I would like people to understand what they did in the past. He too should understand the part he played".
Writing for Evenimentul Zilei in May 2007, Tismăneanu accused Ziua of "intoxication", and argued that the journal's stated anti-communism was meant to avert attention from its association with Băsescu's critics, at a time when the president was impeached and reinstated by popular suffrage. Commenting that the anti-Băsescu group was setting itself against "popular sovereignty" and ruling through a "continuous parliamentary putsch", he also accused Ziua and other press venues, including Dan Voiculescu's Jurnalul Național and Antena 1, were engaged in a campaign to discredit Băsescu. In his view, the coalition of political forces itself represented a "black quadrilateral" reuniting diverse left-wing forces and "camouflaged-green" groups inspired by the Iron Guard, whose goal he alleged was in "establishing an oligarchic-neo-Securist dictatorship". Tismăneanu stated that this was connected with earlier criticism of the Commission, arguing that, despite its editors professing anti-communism, "Ziua has been doing nothing other than throw mud at the [Commission] members and at the very purpose of the Commission." Similar accusations against such press organs, as well as against Voiculescu's newer station Antena 3, were repeated during subsequent interviews.
In July 2007, Gabriel Liiceanu and former Ziua contributor Dan Tapalagă sued the latter newspaper for calumny, referring to various allegations made against them—Liiceanu considered that, in his case, Ziua had organized a campaign of libel after he had decided to rally with supporters of the Report. According to Adevărul journal, the three argued that their initiative was an attempt "to purge the language of the Romanian press, and to put a stop to the publishing of articles that 'poison' public opinion." Patapievici also expressed his concern that the anti-Băsescu section of the Romanian public made little effort to condemn Ziua for its "mudslinging".
Michael Shafir and Iluzia anticomunismului
Repeated criticism of the Final Report was voiced by Romanian-born Israeli historian and former Radio Free Europe contributor Michael Shafir. In a January 2007 interview with Tapalagă, Shafir had expressed objections to the document's referencing a "genocide" in Communist Romania, arguing that this verdict was exaggerated and unscientific, and objected to Iron Guard activists allegedly being included among the regime's victims, in the same category as members of democratic forces. Shafir, who nevertheless also stated the existence of "chapters in the report where I wouldn't change one comma", rated the text "a seven, no more than an eight." Accusing Vladimir Tismăneanu's adversaries at Ziua of having a dissimulated far right agenda, he added: "Every time Mr. Tismăneanu was attacked unjustly, I took a stand provided I thought my word counted." In late May 2006, Shafir had joined a group of intellectuals (comprising Liviu Antonesei, Andrei Cornea, Marta Petreu, Andrei Oişteanu, Leon Volovici and others) who together issued a formal protest against Ziua journalists, in particular Dan Ciachir, Victor Roncea and Vladimir Alexe, over their treatment of figures such as Tismăneanu and Foreign Minister Mihai Răzvan Ungureanu, and over their allegedly Iron Guard-inspired and antisemitic rhetoric. "Atac la Ziua" , in Ziua, May 31, 2006 Shafir's perspective on the matter of genocide was supported early on by exiled writer Dumitru Țepeneag, who described the "far from perfect" Final Report as having the "not at all dismissible quality of being in existence", while calling its main author "an opportunist".
In 2008 Shafir joined Gabriel Andreescu, Daniel Barbu, Alex Cistelecan, Vasile Ernu, Adrian-Paul Iliescu, Costi Rogozanu, Ciprian Șiulea, Ovidiu Țichindeleanu and other intellectuals from various fields in writing a critique of the Final Report, named Iluzia anticomunismului ("The Illusion of Anti-communism"). The volume was written from both mainstream liberal and left-wing positions, and objected to parts of the report on various grounds—including its definitions of genocide, the absence of detail on Communist Romania's contribution to positive causes such as literacy campaigns, an alleged overemphasis on the intellectuals' role in the events described, and in particular the tone, which the authors perceived as indicative of bias. In addition to the critique of the text, Iluzia anticomunismului made reproaches on Tismăneanu himself. It stated that, although well-selected overall, the Commission had included Patapievici and Nicolae Manolescu for "clientelistic" reasons (Andreescu); that Tismăneanu was favorably reviewing the works of his friend Dan Pavel, who, it concluded, had lost credibility by campaigning with the New Generation Party (Rogozanu); and that he only answered to marginal and violent criticism from venues such as the Greater Romania Party, being indifferent to his peers' objections, and constructing an image of "good" vs. "bad intellectuals" (Șiulea). Lorin Ghiman, "Intelectualii invizibili şi cărţile lor minunate", in Observator Cultural, Nr. 454-455, December 2008 The group also complained that Romanian publishing houses were unwilling to endorse their critique, on account of which the work was published by Editura Cartier in neighboring Moldova.
The new book itself sparked debates in the media. Patapievici sees it as evidence of "extermination criticism, hypocritically presented as impersonal". He also reproached Șiulea his conclusions that the report was not neutrally voiced and that Tismăneanu's background made his moral standing questionable. Essayist and Idei în Dialog contributor Horațiu Pepine proposed that "beyond the visible and unrestrained resentment, it contains an emotional state and a tension that seems to speak of a certain social suffering." Pepine concluded that, among the authors, the "young revisionists" were the voice of a newer social class, which had emerged as a result of Ceaușescu's policies and was faced with becoming "déclassé". According to Pepine, at least some of the authors had already publicly objected to the idea of condemning communism before the Final Report had been issued. Iluzia anticomunismului earned the endorsement of historian Lorin Ghiman, who saw in it a correct evaluation of the Commission's actual goals, described by Ghiman as "the rhetorical and symbolical legitimation for the hegemony of an intelligentsia preoccupied with maintaining a monopoly on opinion." Ghiman also objected to Vladimir Tismăneanu's alleged refusal to engage Iluzia anticomunismului writers in a public debate, but added that he did not perceive a personal conflict, and that "all editors of the volume have publicly expressed their respect for Mr. Tismăneanu, for all the reserves they voice in respect to various of his decisions." Historian Sorin Adam Matei has also criticized the report, on editorial, legal and pragmatic grounds. He pointed to the fact that the conclusions were published before the report was even written and argued that the text incorporates verbatim sections from pre-existing works, suggesting a superficial and non-systematic approach to its writing. Matei concludes that the report generally fails to make a legal, factually grounded case for specific indictments of specific facts or individuals, under legal provisions valid at the time of commission of the acts described in the report. He called for a remake of the project, in a more legalistic and practically oriented manner.
In a December 2008 article, Tismăneanu stated that the allegation according to which he had not engaged his critics in a public debate was "completely false", and indicated several instances which he believed count as such. Tismăneanu also responded to critiques that the Commission was preparing "a sort of 'single textbook' " on Romanian communism, defining the Final Report as "a synthesis which would lead to further explorations." He summarized the topics of criticism against him and the document, arguing that they were for most connected to his person, and that they echoed accusations made against investigators of criminal regimes in Chile, Germany, Guatemala or South Africa. He also stated that, with the exception of Daniel Barbu, none of the Iluzia anticomunismului authors had cited "[scientific] literature in connection with the memory of totalitarianism .... No historical document that would contradict or disprove the conclusions of the Report was made available." Tismăneanu contended the writers' motivations were "frustrations, phobias and a desire ... for fame", and asserted that their arguments were equivalent to an "irresponsible Marxism-Leninism" he associates with Slovenian sociologist Slavoj Žižek. He later objected on principle to the implication that he was "expected to answer" to issues raised by Iluzia anticomunismului.
Ramifications of the dispute
Some criticism of Tismăneanu's leadership of the Commission was also voiced by other sections of the Romanian academic environment. One such voice was historian Florin Constantiniu, who, although viewing Tismăneanu's contributions as relevant, saw the Final Report as Tismăneanu's betrayal of his father's memory, likening him to the famed Soviet delator Pavlik Morozov. Cristian Vasile calls Constantiniu's statement "unwarranted and offensive", contrasts it with the incriminated document, where Leonte Tismăneanu is only mentioned in passing, concluding that the accuser had not read the text he was discussing. Rumors also surfaced of a clash between Tismăneanu and Marius Oprea, Commission member and head of the older Romanian Institute of Recent History, which, according to Vasile, was a method for Tismăneanu's detractors to encourage "a destructive competition". This controversy was rekindled in early 2010, when Tismăneanu replaced Oprea at the helm of the Institute for the Investigation of Communist Crimes in Romania. Oprea, who received open support from various Romanian and foreign intellectuals and political figures, claimed that Tismăneanu's term at the head of a reformed institute (which also comprised Romanian diaspora archives) was a political deal aimed at shifting focus away from criminology. Speaking at the time, Oprea mentioned that he felt "shame" for having sat on the 2006 Commission.
Tismăneanu himself referred to criticism of the Final Report from the part of several members of the Institute of the Romanian Revolution, noting that their reply, published in a special issue of the body's official journal, was prefaced by Ion Iliescu, and inferring a common political agenda. In July 2007, Cotidianul reporter Mirela Corlățan reviewed and supported accusations of censorship and pro-Iliescu bias inside the Institute, quoting Tismăneanu and other scholars critical of the body's policies. Corlățan's article cited historian Miodrag Millin, a resigned member of the Institute, who deemed the reply: "a state-sponsored 'clog' forced on the condemnation of communism, without any [of the Institute members] taking responsibility for those opinions." Millin added: "It is an institution born into old age, with no synchronization to reality, led by Ion Iliescu and his cronies." Other local academic reactions, Cristian Vasile claims, were mostly motivated by covert sympathies for communist historiography among the "spiritually aged professors"; Vasile cites one academic's comment that Tismăneanu was an unprofessional and "one of the communist regime's profiteers", calling the statement "venomous" and presuming it to display "repulsion and envy". He also identifies such historians as persons whose careers were shaped in the final decades of communism, under the influence of protochronism and other nationalist historiographic interpretations favored by Ilie Ceaușescu, a Romanian Army general and brother of Nicolae.
An extended polemic was sparked between the Tismăneanu Commission and the dissident writer Paul Goma. Goma, who initially accepted an invitation to become a Commission member, as issued by Tismăneanu himself, Adrian Văduva, "Dreptate - Goma îi scrie preşedintelui" , in Jurnalul Naţional, October 16, 2006 claims to have been excluded after a short while by "the self-styled 'eminent members of civil society'". According to Tismăneanu, this happened only after Goma engaged in and publicized personal attacks aimed at other Commission members, allegedly calling Tismăneanu "a Bolshevik offspring", based on his family history. Tismăneanu also indicated that Goma's statements had been prompted by rumors that he had sided with other intellectuals in condemning as "antisemitic" the views he had expressed on issues pertaining to the 1940 Soviet occupation of Bessarabia. He denied ever having made public his views on this particular matter, and Goma consequently apologized for not having sufficiently verified the information. The Commission justified the exclusion based on Goma's implicit and later explicit refusal to recognize the board as a valid instrument. The fact that Sorin Antohi, who was a confirmed former collaborator of the Communist regime's Securitate, and known to have falsified his academic credentials, was selected for the Commission's panel, has prompted further criticism. Antohi resigned in September 2006.
The Final Report and the activity of the Presidential Commission received endorsement from the American media and the academic community. Georgetown University professor Charles King stated the following in his review of the Commission's Report: "the report is the most serious, in-depth, and far-reaching attempt to understand Romania's communist experience ever produced. It ... marked the culmination of months of feverish research and writing. It is based on thousands of pages of archival documents, recent scholarship in several languages, and the comparative experience of other European countries, all refracted through the critical lenses provided by some of Romania's most talented, and most abrasively honest, thinkers. ... The Tismăneanu commission's chief tasks had to do with both morality and power: to push Romanian politicians and Romanian society into drawing a line between past and present, putting an end to nostalgia for an alleged period of greatness and independence, and embracing the country's de facto cultural pluralism and European future." In reply to Jim Compton's favorable review of the Commission and its early activities, Romanian-American businessman Victor Gaetan wrote a letter, originally published in the op-ed section of The Washington Post and republished by Ziua, in which he referred to the Tismăneanu family's nomenklaturist history and described Tismăneanu's doctoral thesis as "a vitriolic indictment of Western values".Victor Gaetan, "Vinegar on Old, Open Wounds", in The Washington Post, August 26, 2006
Further ramifications of the scandal came in summer 2009, when leadership of Cotidianul newspaper was taken over by Cornel Nistorescu, whose change in editorial line prompted a wave of resignations among the newspaper panelists, who identified the new policies as an unmitigated anti-Băsescu bias, and complained that Nistorescu was imposing censorship on independent contributors.Mădălina Şchiopu, "Înainte să fie prea târziu", in Dilema Veche, Vol. VI, Nr. 287, August 2009 In subsequent statements, Nistorescu alleged that his adversaries represented a pro-Băsescu "pack" led by Tismăneanu himself. Cornel Nistorescu, "Lămuriri necesare şi periculoase", in Cotidianul, August 4, 2009 Journalist Mădălina Șchiopu reacted against this perspective and other accusations aimed by Nistorescu toward his former colleagues, arguing that they amounted to "a story with little green men and flying saucers" which served to cover the "fundamental incompatibility between [Nistorescu's] decisions and the notion of decency." She viewed "the idea that the source for all that is wrong with the Romanian press can be found somewhere in Tismăneanu's entourage" as equivalent to declaring that Tismăneanu "turns into a vârcolac under the fool moon and eats the newly born". In one of his other editorials, the new Cotidianul editor revisited Tismăneanu's past, quoting statements from the 1980s which, he wrote, made Tismăneanu "a devoted communist activist" incompatible with his later appointments: "The chairman of the Presidential Commission could do anything, except condemning that which he has supported." The events also prompted an article by Tismăneanu's friend, novelist Mircea Cărtărescu. It sarcastically included Nistorescu, alongside Vadim Tudor, Roșca-Stănescu, Voiculescu, Geoană and businessman Dinu Patriciu, all of them adverse to Băsescu, among the "champions of democracy", noting that himself, Tismăneanu and other public figures who did not abandon Băsescu's cause "despite his human flaws", were being negatively portrayed as "ass-kissers" and "blind people". Mircea Cărtărescu, "Confesiunile unui învins", in Evenimentul Zilei, August 7, 2009
The implications of the scandal also involved several Wikipedia entries, particularly those on Romanian Wikipedia. In June 2007, Vladimir Tismăneanu stated: "I did not make efforts to respond to the wave of calumnies (which have infested the two Wikipedia articles about me in both English and Romanian) because I followed the precept 'You do not dignify them with an answer'." During a 2008 colloquy on "The Campaign against the Intellectuals", organized by Revista 22 and attended by several journalists and civil society members, Horia-Roman Patapievici stated: "How does one respond to the claim that one has no right condemn communism over being what one is? How come so many people are not indignant over this kind of argumentation? ... [Tismăneanu's] page on Wikipedia was vandalized and has stayed that way. Viewers of the page are okay with the tendentious information there. You were outraged, for just cause, when a Jewish cemetery was vandalized, but, please, also express public outrage toward the vandalizing of Wikipedia pages on Vladimir Tismăneanu. ... Why do those who supervise the Wikipedia franchise in Romania allow this grave disinformation of the public, by forcefully maintaining a vandalized page? The absence of such an indignation is the most significant contribution to our country's morally unbreathable air."
Allegations of intimidation and influence peddling
Tismăneanu has been accused by multiple Romanian and foreign scholars and researchers of employing dubious methods to squelch criticism of him and his works. In May 2012, the well-respected scholar Alina Mungiu-Pippidi wrote, "I hope that Volodea will once again become the spiritual creature, subtle and with a sense of humor who he used to be, and that we can forget this sinister alter-ego that he has become, telephoning newspapers and television stations to orchestrate--without being asked by anybody--pro-Băsescu propaganda and putting pressure on independent journalists." According to Michael Shafir, Tismăneanu responded to criticisms by the American researcher Richard Hall as follows: "On the one hand, the vicepresident of the Civic Alliance, Sorin Ilieşiu, a person close to Tismăneanu, reacted by putting the word "analyst" in quotes, so that the journalist Andrei Bădin could then "demonstrate" that Hall wasn't a CIA analyst, but had only served an insignificant "probationary" period of six months. The person who was the object of his criticism knew better: Hall had published in the very journal that he had previously led ("East European Politics and Societies"). So he picked up the telephone and yelled at Richard Hall's supervisor, in a scene that could have been included in "Stalinism for All Seasons." Michael Shafir detailed Tismăneanu's tactics more broadly in an article entitled suggestively, "About Questionable Clarifications, Plagiarism, Being an Imposter, and Careerism." In November 2013, Vasile Ernu told an interviewer how Editura Curtea Veche cancelled a book contract because among a handful of references to Tismăneanu one suggested that "Tismăneanu employs two different discourses, one inside Romania and one outside."
Works
Originally published in Romanian
Noua Stîngă și școala de la Frankfurt (Editura Politică, Bucharest, 1976). .
Mic dicționar social-politic pentru tineret (with various; Editura Politică, Bucharest, 1981). .
Condamnați la fericire. Experimentul comunist în România (Grup de edituri ale Fundației EXO, Bucharest, 1991). .
Arheologia terorii (Editura Eminescu, Bucharest, 1992). .
Ghilotina de scrum (Editura de Vest, Timișoara, 1992). .
Irepetabilul trecut (Editura Albatros, Bucharest, 1994). .
Fantoma lui Gheorghiu-Dej (Editura Univers, Bucharest, 1995). .
Noaptea totalitară: crepusculul ideologiilor radicale în Europa de Est (Editura Athena, Bucharest, 1995). .
Balul mascat. Un dialog cu Mircea Mihăieş (with Mircea Mihăieş; Polirom, Iași, 1996). .
Încet spre Europa. Vladimir Tismăneanu în dialog cu Mircea Mihăieș (with Mircea Mihăieș; Polirom, Iași, 2000). .
Spectrele Europei Centrale (Polirom, Iași, 2001). .
Scrisori din Washington (Polirom, Iași, 2002). .
Marele șoc din finalul unui secol scurt. Ion Iliescu în dialog cu Vladimir Tismăneanu (dialogue with Ion Iliescu; Editura Enciclopedică, Bucharest, 2004). .
Schelete în dulap (with Mircea Mihăieș; Polirom, Iași, 2004). .
Scopul și mijloacele: Eseuri despre ideologie, tiranie și mit (Editura Curtea Veche, Bucharest, 2004). .
Democrație și memorie (Editura Curtea Veche, Bucharest, 2006). .
Refuzul de a uita. Articole și comentarii politice (2006–2007) (Editura Curtea Veche, Bucharest, 2007). .
Cortina de ceață (with Mircea Mihăieș; Polirom, Iași, 2007). .
Raport final - Comisia Prezidențială pentru Analiza Dictaturii Comuniste din România (with various; Humanitas, Bucharest, 2007). .
Perfectul acrobat. Leonte Răutu, măștile răului (with Cristian Vasile; Humanitas, Bucharest, 2008). .
Originally published in English
The Crisis of Marxist Ideology in Eastern Europe: The Poverty of Utopia (Routledge, London, 1988). .
Latin American Revolutionaries: Groups, Goals, Methods (with Michael Radu; Potomac Books, Dulles, 1990). .
In Search of Civil Society: Independent Peace Movements in the Soviet Bloc (with various; Routledge, London, 1990). .
Debates on the Future of Communism (with Judith Shapiro; Palgrave Macmillan, New York, 1991) .
Uprooting Leninism, Cultivating Liberty (with Patrick Clawson; University Press of America, Lanham, 1992). .
Reinventing Politics: Eastern Europe from Stalin to Havel (Free Press, New York, 1992). .
Political Culture and Civil Society in Russia and the New States of Eurasia (M. E. Sharpe, Armonk, 1995). .
Fantasies of Salvation: Democracy, Nationalism and Myth in Post-Communist Europe (Princeton University Press, Princeton, 1998). .
The Revolutions of 1989 (Re-Writing Histories) (with various; Routledge, London, 1999). .
Between Past and Future: The Revolutions of 1989 and Their Aftermath (with Sorin Antohi; Central European University Press, New York, 2000). .
Stalinism for All Seasons: A Political History of Romanian Communism (University of California Press, Berkeley, 2003). .
World Order After Leninism (with Marc Morjé Howard, Rudra Sil, Kenneth Jowitt; University of Washington Press, Seattle, 2006). .
Stalinism Revisited: The Establishment of Communist Regimes in East-Central Europe (with various; Central European University Press, New York, 2009). .
The Devil in History: Communism, Fascism, and Some Lessons of the Twentieth Century (University of California Press, Berkeley, 2012). .
Bilingual
Vecinii lui Franz Kafka. Romanul unei nevroze/The Neighbors of Franz Kafka. The Novel of a Neurosis (with Mircea Mihăieș; Polirom, Iași, 1998). .
Citations
General references
Biography at Polirom.ro; retrieved October 3, 2007
Lucian Boia (ed.), Miturile comunismului românesc, Editura Nemira, Bucharest, 1998. .
External links
Official site and blog
Vladimir Tismăneanu, home page at the University of Maryland
Institute for the Investigation of Communist Crimes and the Memory of the Romanian Exile
Center for the Study of Post-Communist Societies
Vladimir Tismăneanu's articles in Cotidianul authorID_802-authors_details.html Vladimir Tismăneanu's articles in Observator Cultural Vladimir Tismăneanu's articles in Revista 22''
1951 births
20th-century Romanian historians
21st-century American historians
21st-century American male writers
21st-century Romanian historians
Academic journal editors
American essayists
American magazine editors
American male essayists
American male screenwriters
American people of Romanian-Jewish descent
American political scientists
Cold War historians
Historians of communism
Historians of the Holocaust
Jewish American historians
Latin Americanists
Living people
Male biographers
American male television writers
American television writers
People from Brașov
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty people
Reagan-Fascell Democracy Fellows
Romanian biographers
Romanian columnists
Romanian defectors
Romanian emigrants to the United States
Romanian essayists
Romanian Jews
Romanian magazine editors
Romanian male writers
Romanian Marxist historians
Romanian Marxists
Romanian memoirists
Romanian political scientists
Romanian television writers
University of Bucharest alumni
University of Maryland College of Behavioral and Social Sciences people
University of Maryland, College Park faculty
University of Pennsylvania faculty
American male non-fiction writers | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vladimir%20Tism%C4%83neanu |
Ilex mucronata, the mountain holly or catberry, is a species of holly native to eastern North America, from Newfoundland west to Minnesota, and south to Maryland and West Virginia.
Taxonomy
It was formerly treated in its own monotypic genus as Nemopanthus mucronatus (L.) Loes., known as "false holly", but transferred to Ilex on molecular data; it is closely related to Ilex amelanchier.
Description
Ilex mucronata is a deciduous shrub growing to 3 m (rarely 4 m) tall (or 6 to 10 feet high from the "Manual of Woody Landscape Plants" by Dr. Michael Dirr.) The leaves are alternate, simple, elliptic to oblong, (1 to 2.5" long and 3/4's as wide) 1.5–7 cm long and 1–3 cm broad, with an entire or finely serrated margin and an acute apex, and a 0.5–2 cm (1/4 to 1/2" long) petiole. The tiny flowers about 1/5" in diameter with 4 to 5 petals are inconspicuous, whitish to greenish-yellow, produced on slender peduncles 25 mm or more long; it is usually dioecious, with male and female flowers on separate plants. The fruit is a red drupe 6–7 mm (1/4 to 1/3") diameter containing three to five pits.
Habitat
The plant does best in full sun, or part shade is good. It usually grows in moist or draining wet acid soils, often with the similar species of Common Winterberry, Ilex verticillata, but is also found on upland cliffs and slopes on hills and mountains. It develops a yellow autumn color. It is recommended for use in naturalistic landscapes. Its USDA hardiness zone recommendation is zones 4 to 6. The name "mountain holly" is also sometimes used for the related mountain winterberry (Ilex montana).
Gallery
References
External links
mucronata
Flora of the Great Lakes region (North America)
Flora of Eastern Canada
Flora of the Northeastern United States
Flora of Michigan
Flora of Maryland
Flora of West Virginia
Flora of New Jersey
Flora without expected TNC conservation status | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ilex%20mucronata |
Sir Thursday is a young adult fantasy novel written by Australian author Garth Nix. It is the fourth book in the series The Keys to the Kingdom, and was released in March 2006. Sir Thursday continues from the preceding book, following the adventures of a boy named Arthur as he attempts to claim mastership of the fourth part of a magical world. As with the other books in the series, the theme of 'seven' is prevalent, along with the themes of sin and virtue. The book received generally favourable critical response, but was criticised for a slow pace, among other issues.
Synopsis
Background
Arthur Penhaligon is a young boy who has gotten involved with the 'House', a magical world. This world comprises seven parts, each containing a 'Key' (powerful magical objects) and a part of the 'Will' (a being that holds the wish of the absent 'Architect'), under control of a villainous 'Trustee'. Arthur is on a quest to defeat the 'Trustees' and fulfill the 'Will'.
In the preceding three books, Arthur has captured three parts of the House.
This book
The book begins with Arthur and his friend Leaf attempting to return to Earth after their adventures. While Leaf is able to pass through the front door and return to Earth, the presence of a magical doppelgänger of Arthur prevents him from doing so, and he is forced to remain in the House.
His steward Dame Primus then informs him that two Trustees Arthur previously defeated have been assassinated. Moments later, he is drafted into the army and is sent to fight in the chessboard-like fourth part of the House, called the 'Great Maze'. Also arrived recently is a boy named Fred, who becomes his friend. The leader of the army is the fourth Trustee, Sir Thursday. The army is currently involved in a campaign against the powerful 'Piper', who is trying to claim the fourth Key.
While in the army, Arthur's memory is wiped. One month later and during the first battle against the Piper's army, Arthur begins to recall his identity. The entirety of it is recovered later in the book when an officer mentions his name and title.
On Earth, Arthur's double, known as the 'Skinless Boy', has thrown a hospital near Arthur's home into panic by infecting staff and patients with a fungal extraterrestrial life-form which allows him to read and eventually control their thoughts and actions. This fungus is mistaken for a biological weapon, and the hospital is put under quarantine. Leaf infiltrates the hospital, seeking to obtain and destroy the magical object used to create the Skinless Boy: a pocket torn from one of Arthur's shirts. She succeeds, but is infected by the fungus in the process. She then leaves the hospital, only to find that the entrance to the House has appeared above it and cannot be reached from the ground. With the help of a retired pharmacist named Sylvie, Leaf makes her way to Arthur's house where she uses a special telephone to contact Arthur's friends and get help, just as the fungus gains full control of her body.
Arthur's House ally Suzy arrives and takes the pocket to the House. There, she finds Arthur and Fred, and joins them in a raid led by Sir Thursday to find and destroy the New Nithlings' weapon, which is preventing the mechanical floor of the Great Maze from being used to the army's advantage. Arthur destroys the weapon by throwing the pocket into it, simultaneously destroying the Skinless Boy. As Arthur escapes from the Piper with Sir Thursday, he distracts Thursday enough for the fourth part of the Will to break free, whereupon it makes Arthur the owner of the fourth Key and commander of the army. With help from Dame Primus and others from the parts of the House already under his control, Arthur defeats the army of the Piper.
On Earth, Leaf wakes up in a hospital a week after the Skinless Boy was defeated. She soon learns from a nurse that the Grayspot has disappeared and that Lady Friday, another Trustee, has become a doctor on Earth.
Characters
Major characters
Arthur Penhaligon – the protagonist of the book, Arthur is a human asthmatic, who was chosen to take back the magical world called the 'House'. Arthur shows a strong sense of right and wrong, as well as a reliance on friends and allies.
Dame Primus – Arthur's steward, the humanlike form of the three parts of the 'Will' that Arthur has freed in the preceding books. She is portrayed as caring little for others, becoming easily annoyed if they seem to be slowing the process of restoring the House.
Sir Thursday – the ruler of the fourth part of the 'House', a military person who believes in order and control.
Leaf – Leaf is one of Arthur's few human friends.
Suzy Turquoise Blue – Suzy Turquoise Blue is another friend of Arthur, a House inhabitant.
Minor characters
Part Four of the Will – takes the form of a snake.
Fred Initials Numbers Gold – a House inhabitant who provides Arthur with information and support.
The Piper – a powerful inhabitant of the House who also seeks to claim the fourth part of the House.
Themes
As with the previous books in the series, the themes of seven, sin and virtue are prevalent throughout Sir Thursday providing the personality characteristics for many of the main characters.
In Sir Thursday, readers are also introduced to the power issues that Arthur begins to struggle with – his natural compassion and desire for fairness and kindness, against the characteristics displayed by Dame Primus and other House creatures, and the influence of the 'Keys', the powerful magical objects that he acquires throughout the series. In addition, the idea of Arthur losing his mortality by use of the Keys is further explored, with Arthur often choosing to refrain from using the Key – and the power it represents – to ensure he remains human.
The book also loosely explores the dangers of anger, and actions taken in anger. It is only Sir Thursday's loss of control and subsequent murder of two people that allows Arthur to gain control of the fourth Key, assisted by Thursday's servants.
Critical reception
The book received generally favourable reviews. It is ranked 4 stars by Amazon users, and The Times stated "Nix's imagination is matched only by his prose style."
In particular, the book was praised for its originality, intricacy, action and characters. VOYA says that the book "..is well written, action packed, imaginative, and full of quirky memorable characters...", and Children's Literature agrees that "It is a readable choice..." The School Library Journal also extensively praised the book, saying "Reluctant or 'hard to fit' readers will find this series enjoyable, as Nix is able to create vivid pictures in the minds of his readers. Fans of the fantasy genre will appreciate these books for their strong continuity, believable characters, and edge-of-your-seat-action. This offering complements the series' well-established structure."
The book did, however, receive consistent criticism. The most common complaint was on the speed of the plot – the School Library Journal summarises all the comments, saying that "the events move a little slower than in previous installments..." – and the difficulty in entering the series without reading all the previous books first: VOYA simply says "readers attempting to enter the series through this volume are likely to be quickly lost." Children's Literature also criticised the repetition of previous content, saying there is "..entirely too much front matter [which] sags with the necessity of replaying earlier story lines."
References
External links
2006 novels
4
Novels by Garth Nix
Children's fantasy novels
2006 fantasy novels | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sir%20Thursday |
Aron Tager (June 30, 1934 – February 28, 2019) was an American actor, poet, artist and sculptor, he is best known for voicing Cranky Kong in the animated television series, Donkey Kong Country.
Career
As an artist, Tager had numerous exhibitions of his work and has sculptures installed at the following locations: Mount Anthony Union High School (Bennington, Vermont); Shaftsbury Elementary School (Shaftsbury, Vermont); Delaware County Community College, (Media, Pennsylvania); and the Indianapolis Jewish Center, Battery Park (Burlington, Vermont).
He has earned a number of accolades for his work, including the Gold Key at the National Scholastic Art Competition in 1950, the 1975 Award and Medal at the Norwich University Art Show for "Best Sculpture" and "Most Popular Work in Show", and the Award and Medal, Boston Festival of the Arts, 1985.
Trained as an actor, Tager took a 25-year hiatus to focus solely on art, particularly painting and sculpture, before returning to acting in the early 1990s. He appeared in a variety of theatrical, television and film productions, and has had parts in the movies X-Men, Rocky Marciano, Serendipity, Murder at 1600, 10,000 Black Men Named George, A Holiday Romance, and The Salem Witch Trials.
A member of the repertory cast of the A&E TV series A Nero Wolfe Mystery (2001–2002), he has also appeared on the television shows At the Hotel, Kojak, Puppets Who Kill, Are You Afraid of the Dark?, Monk, Goosebumps, Wild Card, Sirens, Earth: Final Conflict, Lil' Bush, Psi Factor: Chronicles of the Paranormal, Due South, Wonderfalls, Blue Murder, Relic Hunter, The Zack Files and Billable Hours. He played Max Coleman in the 2002 made-for-TV movie Martin and Lewis.
A long-time resident of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, he appeared in television commercials and occasionally performed voices for characters in animated films, children's and adult shows such as Donkey Kong Country, Blazing Dragons, Adventures of the Little Mermaid, The Busy World of Richard Scarry, Monster Force, David Copperfield, Blazing Dragons, Stickin' Around, The Adventures of Sam & Max: Freelance Police, Silver Surfer, Tommy and the Wildcat, George Shrinks, Adventures in Animation 3D, Jane and the Dragon, The Dating Guy, The Adventures of Chuck and Friends.
Personal life
Tager was married to Ann Page, who was also an actress. They remained married until his death.
Death
Tager died on February 28, 2019, at the age of 84 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. His wife Ann died on October 6, 2020, at the age of 86. He is survived by four stepchildren, seven grandchildren, and his nephews.
Filmography
Film
Moïse (1990) - Unknown role
Twin Sisters (1992) - Butler
Léolo (1992) - Fishmonger
Canvas (1992) - Jimmy
Requiem for a Handsome Bastard (1992) - Emission télé
Mothers and Daughters (1992) - McEwan
Armen and Bullik (1993) - Charnac
Sweet Killing (1993) - Officer Lipsky
Because Why (1993) - Bert
Divine Fate (1993) - (voice)
David Copperfield (1993) - Additional voices
Warriors (1994) - General Moorhead
Highlander: The Final Dimension (1994) - Stosh
Dr. Jekyll and Mrs. Hyde (1995) - Lawyer
Curtis's Charm (1995) - Park Worker
Murder at 1600 (1997) - Treasury Guard #2
PSI Factor: Chronicles of the Paranormal (1997) - County Coroner Louis Arnold
Blind Faith (1998) - Judge Aker
Tommy and the Wildcat (1998) - Kalle Pokka (english, voice)
The Third Miracle (1999) - Cardinal Humes
X-Men (2000) - Emcee
Century Hotel (2001) - Older Salvatore
Serendipity (2001) - Janitor
Protection (2001) - Lujak
Touch (2002) - Trick #1
Fancy Dancing (2002) - Zero
Boys Briefs 2 (2002) - Trick #1
The Fur Store (2003) - Unknown role
Name of the Rose (2003) - Professor Wiseman
The Absence of Emily (2003) - Mr. Brewster
Adventures in Animation 3D (2004) - Fats, Phil Johnson (voices)
A Lobster Tale (2006) - Morty Thorpe
Boys Briefs 4 (2006) - Calvin
You Kill Me (2007) - Walter Fitzgerald
The Echo (2008) - Old Man
Green (2008) - Stanley
You Might as Well Live (2009) - Rabbi Kirshenblat
The Way It Used to Be (2009) - Alfred
The Untitled Work of Paul Shepard (2010) - Dr. Max Henreid
American Wife (2010) - Elderly Man
Serching for Wonder (2011) - Professor
Stag (2013) - Old Man
88 (2015) - Dale
He Never Died (2015) - Announcer
Television
Are You Afraid of the Dark? (1990–1994) - Dr. Vink, Zeebo, Carney, other various roles.
Samurai Pizza Cats (1991) - Additional voices (uncredited)
Adventures of the Little Mermaid (1991) - Anselm (voice)
Heritage Minutes (1991) - McFarlane
Urban Angel (1991) - The Printer
Jungle Tales (1992) - Kong Leo (English, voice)
Huckleberry Finn (1993) - Pap Finn (English, voice)
The Maharaja's Daughter (1994) - Police Captain
Monster Force (1994) - Additional voices
The Busy World of Richard Scarry (1993–1997) - Additional voices
Scoop III (1994) - Caissier smoked-meat
The Real Story of Baa Baa Black Sheep (1994) - Master Wolf (voice)
The Real Story of Frère Jacques (1994) - Father Abbot (voice)
The Real Story of Sur le Pont d'Avignon (1994) - King (voice)
The Real Story of Au Clair de la Lune (1994) - Pierrot (voice)
Tales of the Wild (1995) - McCready
Due Smith (1995–1997) - Tom, Bert Block, Nelson
Sirens (1995) - Tommy Flint, Gideon Wylie
TekWar (1995) - Alonzo Del Amo
The Hardy Boys (1995) - Jimmy
Where's the Money, Noreen? (1995) - Manager
Goosebumps (1995) - Dr. Shreek
Captive Heart: The James Mink Story (1996) - Conductor
Trilogy of Terror II (1996) - Steve
Blazing Dragons (1996–1998) - King Allfire (voice)
Stickin' Around (1996–1998) - Additional voices
Wind at My Back (1997) - Joe Willis
Jack Higgins's the Windsor Protocol (1997) - Uncle Misha
Donkey Kong Country (1997–2000) - Cranky Kong (voice)
The Adventures of Sam & Max: Freelance Police (1997–1998) - Additional voices
Peacekeepers (1997) - Mondolo
Silver Surfer (1998) - Master of Zenn-la (voice)
The Long Island Incident (1998) - Gun Salesman
His Bodyguard (1998) - Dr. Frank
Universal Soldier II: Brothers in Arms (1998) - John Devreaux
Universal Soldier III: Unfinished Business (1998) - John Devreaux
Earth: Final Conflict (1998) - Smackovich
Scandalous Me: The Jacqueline Susan Story (1998) - Producer One
Blaster's Universe (1999) - Unknown role
The Devil's Arithmetic (1999) - Uncle Abe
My Gentleman Friends (1999) - Victor
Rocky Marciano (1999) - Charley Goldman
Relic Hunter (1999) - Lawrence Zale
Mr. Rock 'n' Roll: The Alan Freed Story (1999) - J. Edgar Hoover
A Holiday Romance (1999) - Joseph
Common Ground (2000) - Mr. Manos
George Shrinks (2000) - Big Ed (voice)
Santa Who? (2000) - Grandpa (Television Movie)
The Zack Files (2000) - Old Man
Chasing Cain (2000) - Rad
The Associates (2001) -
A Nero Wolfe Mystery (2001) - Commissioner Skinner, Mr. Carlisle, Commissioner Bernard Fromm
Life with Judy Garland: Me and My Shadows (2001) - George Jessel
Gahan Wilson's the Kid (2001) - Guard, Mr. Camiso (voices)
Screech Owls (2001) - Grandfather
Thieves (2001) - Sid
Keep the Faith, Baby (2002) - Chairman Emanuel Celler
10,000 Black Men Named George (2002) - Governor Morrow
Monk (2002) - Leo Otterman
The Rats (2002) - Janitor
The Pact (2002) - Judge H. Rossiter
Martin and Lewis - Max Coleman
Second String (2002) - Charley Tuck
Salem Witch Trials (2002) - Giles Corey
Blue Murder (2003) - Motel Manager
Good Fences (2003) - Belcher
The One - Ace the Baker
Homeless to Harvard: The Liz Murray Story (2003) - Pops
Puppets Who Kill (2004) - Deprogrammer
Wonderfalls (2004) - Gwen
Lives of the Saints (2004) - Lawyer
Cool Money (2005) - Judge Raymond Ziff
Kojak (2005) - Grant Cleveland
Jane and the Dragon (2001) - Sir Theodore Boarmaster (voice)
Gold (2005) - Calvin
The Buck Calder Experience (2006) - Lou Blatts
At the Hotel (2006) - Norman
The Shakespeare Comedy Show (2006) - Lear
Jane and the Dragon (2006) - Sir Theodore Boarmaster (voice)
Dogasaur (2006) - Alfred lippe'
Billable Hours (2006–2008) - Mortie Fagen
Master of Horror (2007) - George Graham
The Jon Dore Television Show (2009) - Mr. Pansky
The Dating Guy (2009) - Captain Steiner (voice)
Lost Girl (2010) - Mayer
Babar and the Adventures of Badou (2010-2015) - General Huc (voice)
The Adventures of Chuck and Friends (2011) - Grandpa Treadwell, Salty Saul (voices)
Cybergeddon (2012) - Arthur Hastings
The Stanley Dynamic (2014–2016) - Walter Floggins
Hard Rock Medical (2015) - Fred
Vox (2015) - Fernando Moroso
Heroes Reborn (2015) - Old Angry Guy
You Got Trumped: The First 100 Days (2016) - Klaus
Ransom (2017) - Grandfather
My 90-Year-Old Roommate (2018) - Harry
Video games
Suikoden Tierkreis (2008) - Macoute
References
External links
Aron Tager website
1934 births
2019 deaths
American male television actors
American male voice actors
American people of Canadian descent
American emigrants to Canada
Male actors from New York City
Writers from Brooklyn
Actors from Brooklyn | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aron%20Tager |
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