Passage 1:Tales from the QuadeaD ZoneTales from the QuadeaD Zone (also stylized TALES From The QuadeaD Zone) is a 1987 American anthology blaxploitation horror film written, directed, and produced by Chester Novell Turner. The film was originally released straight to VHS. VHS copies of the film have become collector's items due to their difficulty to locate and extremely limited quantities, with one copy selling for $2000 on eBay.Turner has expressed interest in creating a sequel and began writing the film's script in 2013. Tales from the QuadeaD Zone was the only film produced by Erry Vision Film Co.Since its release Tales From the QuadeaD Zone has received several public screenings, one of which was a 2016 symposium at the Yale University Library, Terror on Tape.It was given a DVD release in 2013 through Massacre Video.SynopsisThe film is composed of two stories, plus a third wraparound story; "Food For ?" and "The Brothers", both of which are narrated by a mother (Shirley L. Jones) reading the tales to her deceased son Bobby. "Food For ?" centers upon a family that is so poor that they are unable to afford food for every family member. Their only solution is to get rid of some of their family in order to increase the amount of dinner for everyone else. " The Brother" follows two brothers who have hated each other their entire lives and have each made cruel jokes and attacks against the other. When one of them dies, the living brother tries to have the last laugh by stealing his brother's corpse and making him look like a circus clown. Little does he know that his brother's spirit has returned to his body, unhappy with his brother's plans.CastProductionWork on Tales from the QuadeaD Zone began three years after Turner completed his first film, Black Devil Doll From Hell, which was initially intended to be one of the anthology's stories. Two of the film's stories, "Food For ?" and the wraparound story "Unseen Vision", were shot in Alabama while "The Brothers" was shot in Chicago.ReleaseAs Turner released the film on his own, along with star Shirley L. Jones, Tales from the QuadeaD Zone was released in an extremely limited amount, estimated to be at or less than 100 copies. The copies were only circulated in the Chicago area due to the cost of gas and travel required by Turner and Jones and it is believed that many of these copies have been lost.Over time the video achieved cult status and VHS copies became much sought after collector's items. In 2011 one copy of the film sold for $665 on the online auction site eBay, a feat that was covered in the 2013 documentary Adjust Your Tracking. The winning bidder later sold his copy of the movie for twice the amount paid.The price reached an all time high when a copy was sold on eBay for $2000.In 2013, Massacre Video released the movie as part of a DVD box set along with Black Devil Doll From Hell. The box set features commentary from Turner and Jackson, a documentary about both films, and the director's cut of Black Devil Doll From Hell, which upon release had been heavily edited from Turner's original version.ReceptionHorronews.net commented that although the video could be seen as a "complete and utter train wreck", the film was made during a point in time when amateur filmmaking would be cost prohibitive for the average person and the creation of Tales from the QuadeaD Zone was evidence of Turner's "heart and a dream to become a film maker". Bloody Disgusting also reviewed the movie, stating that it was "a no-budget, SOV labor of mad love". DVD Talk reviewed the movie as part of Massacre Video's box set and gave it a poor review, which they felt was weaker than Black Devil Doll From Hell.Passage 2:Hiroshi IshikawaHiroshi Ishikawa ( , born May 18, 1963) is a Japanese film director and writer from Ōdate. He is best known for his 2005 film, Su-ki-da (2005). He won the Silver Iris for Best Director at the New Montreal Film Festival.FilmographyTokyo.sora (2002)Su-ki-da (2005)Kimi no Yubisaki (Short Film) (2007)Petal Dance (2013)Passage 3:Su-ki-daSu-ki-da () is a 2005 Japanese romantic drama film. The plot centers on two teenagers who deal with tragedy and then have to grow up. It was written and directed by Hiroshi Ishikawa and stars Aoi Miyazaki, Hidetoshi Nishijima, Hiromi Nagasaku, and Eita.PlotHigh school student Yosuke spends most of his free time sitting near a floodgate and playing the same short tune on his acoustic guitar. He is often joined by a girl in his class, Yu. Yu hums Yosuke's tune to her older sister, who is mourning her deceased boyfriend. Yu sets up a few meetings between Yosuke and her sister. While talking with Yosuke after school, Yu kisses him, but Yosuke walks away, leaving Yu devastated. While walking to see Yosuke, Yu's sister is hit by a truck and enters a coma. Yu tells Yosuke that she wants to hear his song when he finishes it.17 years later, Yosuke is working in music production in Tokyo. He shoos away a man interfering with an intoxicated woman lying in the street and takes her to recover in his apartment. During a break at the studio, a woman plays a few notes from the song Yosuke played in his school days and he realizes she is Yu. They go back to Yosuke's apartment and drink sake. Yu tells him that her sister is still in a coma. She starts to cry, Yosuke comforts her, and they kiss.Yu and Yosuke visit her sister at the hospital and Yu leaves at the train station. Yosuke looks her up in the phone book and calls to say that he wants to play the finished song for her. On the way to meet her, he is stabbed by the man he shooed from the intoxicated woman. Yosuke lies in the street bleeding while Yu waits for him.Yu visits Yosuke in the hospital and tells him she loves him. Yosuke replies that he loves her, too.CastAoi Miyazaki as Yu (young)Hidetoshi Nishijima as YosukeHiromi Nagasaku as YuEita as Yosuke (young)Sayuri Oyamada as Yu's older sisterMaho NonamiRyo KaseNao ŌmoriProductionThe film was directed by Hiroshi Ishikawa and was his second full-length feature, after the 2003 film Tokyo.Sora. In addition to directing, Ishikawa was also the writer, editor, and cinematographer. Yoko Kanno composed the score, including Yosuke's song that plays throughout most of the film. It was shot in Tokyo, Japan.The Japanese title Su-ki-da translates to "I love you" in English.Release and receptionSu-ki-da was premiered at the New Montreal Film Festival on September 23, 2005. It won one award, the Silver Iris for Best Director. The film was released in Japan on February 26, 2006 and was also shown at the Hong Kong International Film Festival on April 8.Critical reviews were mixed. According to Variety's Eddie Cockrell (who viewed it at the NMFF), the film was filled with "unchecked indulgences." He criticized the director, writing that: "Jump cuts, cryptic silences, shots of various cloud formations and long takes bereft of movement are key weapons in Ishikawa's self-consciously arty arsenal, with little in the way of story or character development to engage viewers; Gus van Sant he's not."On the other hand, DVDBeaver.com praised the film for its "heartfelt story," "excellent visuals," and " great cast." The reviewer noted its lack of dialogue but also said that "the characters' body language says more than any words could ever express."The DVD was released in Japan on September 22, 2006, by Big Time Entertainment. It includes English and French subtitles.Passage 4:Golden age of physicsA golden age of physics appears to have been delineated for certain periods of progress in the physics sciences, and this includes the previous and current developments of cosmology and astronomy. Each "golden age" introduces significant advancements in theoretical and experimental methods. Discernible time periods marking a " golden age" of advancements are, for example, the development of mechanics under Galileo (1564–1642) and Newton (1642–1727). Another small epoch seen as a golden age is the unification of electricity, magnetism, and optics because of 19th century notables, including Faraday, Maxwell, and others.Significant advancements in methods of investigation were introduced for celestial mechanics, which includes realizing a universal gravitational force, with the introduction of the telescope. Basing mechanics on experimental results was possible with the development of devices that could measure time, and tools for measuring distance. The advances in electromagnetism in the 19th century enamored physicists, as another golden age closed, and there was a reluctance to perceive further advancement. Hence, the progress of one era, termed a "golden age" has appeared to mark the completion of physics as a science. Yet, this perception has turned out to be erroneous. For example, around 1980, Stephen Hawking predicted the end of theoretical physics within 20 years. Around 2001, he amended his prediction to twenty years more from that year. Steven Weinberg predicts a unified physics by 2050. Tadeusz Lulek, Barbara Lulek, and A. Wal – the authors of a 2001 book – believed themselves to be at the beginning of a new "golden age of physics".Paul Davies notes that whilst "many elderly scientists" may regard the first 30 years of the 20th century as a golden age of physics, historians may well, instead, regard it to be the dawning days of "the New Physics".The golden age of physics was the 19th century. According to Emilio Segrè, in Italy it came to an end in the 18th century, after the time of Alessandro Volta.  He reported in his autobiography that Enrico Fermi felt that it was coming to an end in 1933.  A golden age of physics began with the simultaneous discovery of the principle of the conservation of energy in the mid-19th century.  A golden age of physics was the years 1925 to 1927.  The golden age of nonlinear physics was the period from 1950 to 1970, encompassing the Fermi–Pasta–Ulam–Tsingou problem and others.  This followed the golden age of nuclear physics, which had spanned the two decades from the mid-1930s to the mid-1950s.  A golden age of physics started at the end of the 1920s.The golden age of physics cabinets was the 18th century, with the rise of such lecturer-demonstrators as John Keill, John Theophilus Desaguliers, and William Whiston, who all invented new physics apparatus for their lectures.See alsoGolden age of general relativityGolden age of cosmologyGolden age (metaphor)Passage 5:The Vault of Horror (film)The Vault of Horror (otherwise known as Vault of Horror, Further Tales from the Crypt and Tales from the Crypt II) is a 1973 British anthology horror film directed by Roy Ward Baker, and starring Terry-Thomas, Dawn Addams, Denholm Elliott, Curd Jürgens, Tom Baker, Michael Craig, Terence Alexander, Glynis Johns, Mike Pratt, Robin Nedwell, Geoffrey Davies, Daniel Massey and Anna Massey. None of the film's stories are actually from Vault of Horror comics. All but one appeared in Tales from the Crypt, the exception being from Shock SuspenStories. The film omits the Vault Keeper character from the comics.PlotIntroFive strangers board a descending lift, one by one, in a modern office block in London. They reach the sub-basement, though none of them have pressed for that destination. There they find a large, elaborately furnished room that appears to be a gentlemen's club. The lift door has closed; there are no buttons to bring it back, nor any other exit. Resigned to waiting for help, they settle down with drinks and talk. The conversation turns to dreams, and each man tells of a recurring nightmare."Midnight Mess" (Tales from the Crypt


Passage 1:Saad AbdulrahmanSaad Abdulrahman Ali (born 2 May 1985) is a former professional basketball player. He played for Al-Sadd of the Qatar BasketballLeague. He was also a member of the Qatar national basketball team.Saad competed for the Qatar national basketball team at the 2005 2007 and FIBA AsiaChampionship 2009.  He also competed for Qatar at their only FIBA World Championship performance to date, in 2006, where he averaged 12.8 points and 2.4assists per game.In 2009, Abdulrahman had his best individual international tournament to date, averaging 17.8 points per game for the Qataris.  He finished inthe top ten leaders in points, minutes and steals per game en route to being named to the All-Tournament third team.  However, despite his efforts, Qatarfinished sixth in the tournament and failed to qualify for their second consecutive FIBA World Championship.Passage 2:John McMahon (Surrey and Somersetcricketer)John William Joseph McMahon (28 December 1917 – 8 May 2001) was an Australian-born first-class cricketer who played for Surrey and SomersetCounty Cricket Clubs in England from 1947 to 1957.Surrey cricketerMcMahon was an orthodox left-arm spin bowler with much variation in speed and flight whowas spotted by Surrey playing in club cricket in North London and brought on to the county's staff for the 1947 season at the age of 29. In the first innings of hisfirst match, against Lancashire at The Oval, he took five wickets for 81 runs.In his first full season, 1948, he was Surrey's leading wicket-taker and in the lasthome game of the season he was awarded his county cap – he celebrated by taking eight Northamptonshire wickets for 46 runs at The Oval, six of them comingin the space of 6.3 overs for seven runs. This would remain the best bowling performance of his first-class career, not surpassed, but he did equal it seven yearslater. In the following game, the last away match of the season, he took 10 Hampshire wickets for 150 runs in the match at Bournemouth. In the 1948 season asa whole, he took 91 wickets at an average of 28.07. As a tail-end left-handed batsman, he managed just 93 runs in the season at an average of 4.22.Theemergence of Tony Lock as a slow left-arm bowler in 1949 brought a stuttering end of McMahon's Surrey career. Though he played in 12 first-class matches in the1949 season, McMahon took only 19 wickets; a similar number of matches in 1950 brought 34 wickets. In 1951, he played just seven times and in 1952 onlythree times. In 1953, Lock split the first finger of his left hand, and played in only 11 of Surrey's County Championship matches; McMahon played as his deputy in14 Championship matches, though a measure of their comparative merits was that Lock's 11 games produced 67 wickets at 12.38 runs apiece, while McMahon's14 games brought him 45 wickets at the, for him, low average of 21.53. At the end of the 1953 season, McMahon was allowed to leave Surrey to join Somerset,then languishing at the foot of the County Championship and recruiting widely from other counties and other countries.Somerset cricketerSomerset's slowbowling in 1954 was in the hands of leg-spinner Johnny Lawrence, with support from the off-spin of Jim Hilton while promising off-spinner Brian Langford was onnational service. McMahon filled a vacancy for a left-arm orthodox spinner that had been there since the retirement of Horace Hazell at the end of the 1952season; Hazell's apparent successor, Roy Smith, had failed to realise his promise as a bowler in 1953, though his batting had advanced significantly.McMahoninstantly became a first-team regular and played in almost every match during his four years with the county, not missing a single Championship game until hewas controversially dropped from the side in August 1957, after which he did not play in the Championship again.In the 1954 season, McMahon, alongside fellownewcomer Hilton, was something of a disappointment, according to Wisden: "The new spin bowlers, McMahon and Hilton, did not attain to the best standards oftheir craft in a wet summer, yet, like the rest of the attack, they would have fared better with reasonable support in the field and from their own batsmen," itsaid. McMahon took 85 wickets at an average of 27.47 (Hilton took only 42 at a higher average). His best match was against Essex at Weston-super-Mare wherehe took six for 96 in the first innings and five for 45 in the second to finish with match figures of 11 for 141, which were the best of his career. He was awardedhis county cap in the 1954 season, but Somerset remained at the bottom of the table.The figures for the 1955 were similar: McMahon this time took 75 wickets at28.77 apiece. There was a small improvement in his batting and the arrival of Bryan Lobb elevated McMahon to No 10 in the batting order for most of the season,and he responded with 262 runs and an average of 9.03. This included his highest-ever score, 24, made in the match against Sussex at Frome. A week later inSomerset's next match, he equalled his best-ever bowling performance, taking eight Kent wickets for 46 runs in the first innings of a match at Yeovil throughwhat Wisden called "clever variation of flight and spin". These matches brought two victories for Somerset, but there were only two others in the 1955 season andthe side finished at the bottom of the Championship for the fourth season running.At the end of the 1955 season, Lawrence retired and McMahon becameSomerset's senior spin bowler for the 1956 season, with Langford returning from National Service as the main support. McMahon responded with his mostsuccessful season so far, taking 103 wickets at an average of 25.57, the only season in his career in which he exceeded 100 wickets. The bowling averageimproved still further in 1957 to 23.10 when McMahon took 86 wickets. But his season came to an abrupt end in mid-August 1957 when, after 108 consecutiveChampionship matches, he was dropped from the first team during the Weston-super-Mare festival. Though he played some games for the second eleven later inAugust, he regained his place in the first team for only a single end-of-season friendly match, and he was told that his services were not required for the future, adecision, said Wisden, that "proved highly controversial".Sacked by SomersetThe reason behind McMahon's sacking did not become public knowledge for manyyears. In its obituary of him in 2002, McMahon was described by Wisden as "a man who embraced the antipodean virtues of candour and conviviality". It went on:"Legend tells of a night at the Flying Horse Inn in Nottingham when he beheaded the gladioli with an ornamental sword, crying: 'When Mac drinks, everybodydrinks!'" The obituary recounts a further escapade in second eleven match at Midsomer Norton where a curfew imposed on the team was circumvented by "aPOW-type loop" organised by McMahon, "with his team-mates escaping through a ground-storey window and then presenting themselves again". As the onlySomerset second eleven match that McMahon played in at Midsomer Norton was right at the end of the 1957 season, this may have been the final straw. But inany case there had been "an embarrassing episode at Swansea's Grand Hotel" earlier in the season, also involving Jim Hilton, who was also dismissed at the endof the season. Team-mates and club members petitioned for McMahon to be reinstated, but the county club was not to be moved.After a period in LancashireLeague cricket with Milnrow Cricket Club, McMahon moved back to London where he did office work, later contributing some articles to cricket magazines.==Notes and references ==Passage 3:Saad Bin TeflaSaad Bin Tefla AlAjmi (also known as Saad Bin Tiflah or Saad Al Ajmi) is a Kuwaiti businessman and politician.He has been Kuwait's Minister of Information and Culture.Political careerHe has headed the Kuwait Information Center in London and worked as an interpreterand advisor in the Kuwaiti parliament. In 1999, he was appointed Minister of Information and Culture.Professional careerHe is a lecturer at Kuwait University anda journalist.He was director of the Kuwaiti Media Center in London and is currently a contributor to the London-based Arabic newspaper Asharq al-Awasat as wellas other Gulf publications.Passage 4:Wale AdebanwiWale Adebanwi (born 1969) is a Nigerian-born first Black Rhodes Professor at St Antony's College, Oxfordwhere he was, until June 2021, a Professor of Race Relations, and the Director of the African Studies Centre, School of Interdisciplinary Area Studies, and aGoverning Board Fellow. He is currently a Presidential Penn Compact Professor of Africana Studies at the University of Pennsylvania. Adebanwi's research focuseson a range of topics in the areas of social change, nationalism and ethnicity, race relations, identity politics, elites and cultural politics, democratic process,newspaper press and spatial politics in Africa.Education backgroundWale Adebanwi graduated with a first degree in Mass Communication from the University ofLagos, and later earned his M.Sc. and Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Ibadan. He also has an MPhil. and a Ph.D. in Social Anthropology from theUniversity of Cambridge.CareerAdebanwi worked as a freelance reporter, writer, journalist and editor for many newspapers and magazines before he joined theUniversity of Ibadan's Department of Political Science as a lecturer and researcher. He was later appointed as an assistant professor in the African American andAfrican Studies Department of the University of California, Davis, USA. He became a full professor at UC Davis in 2016.Adebanwi is the co-editor of Africa: Journalof the International African Institute and the Journal of Contemporary African Studies.WorksHis published works include:Nation as Grand Narrative: The NigerianPress and the Politics of Meaning (University of Rochester Press, 2016)Yoruba Elites and Ethnic Politics in Nigeria: Obafemi Awolowo and Corporate Agency(Cambridge University Press, 2014)Authority Stealing: Anti-corruption War and Democratic Politics in Post-Military Nigeria (Carolina Academic Press, 2012)Inaddition, he is the editor and co-editor of other books, including.The Political Economy of Everyday Life in Africa: Beyond the Margins (James Currey Publishers,2017)Writers and Social Thought in Africa (Routledge, 2016)(co-edited with Ebenezer Obadare) Governance and the Crisis of Rule in Contemporary Africa(Palgrave Macmillan, 2016)(co-edited with Ebenezer Obadare) Democracy and Prebendalism in Nigeria: Critical Interpretations (Palgrave Macmillan,2013).(co-edited with Ebenezer Obadare) Nigeria at Fifty: The Nation in Narration (Routledge, 2012)(co-edited with Ebenezer Obadare) Encountering the NigerianState (Palgrave Macmillan, 2010).AwardsRhodes Professorship in Race Relations awarded by Oxford University to Faculty of African and Interdisciplinary AreaStudies.Passage 5:Saad AlbazeiSaad Abdulrahman Albazei is a Saudi intellectual who is known for his critiques of Arabic culture and comparative studies that mapthe East-West cultural and literary relations.LifeAlbazei was born in Saudi Arabia in 1953. He completed his university education in Riyadh and earned his Ph.D.from Purdue University, in the USA in 1983.His dissertation dealt with "literary Orientalism" in Western literatures. He is currently a member of the Consultative


Passage 1:Prince Christian of HessePrince Christian of Hesse (Danish: Christian af Hessen; German: Christian von Hessen) (14 August 1776 – 14 November1814) was a German prince and member of the House of Hesse-Kassel. As a son of the Danish Field Marshal Prince Charles of Hesse-Kassel and Princess Louise ofDenmark, he was a member of the extended Danish Royal Family and spent his entire life in Denmark.Early lifePrince Christian was born at Gottorp Castle,Schleswig as the third son of Prince Charles of Hesse-Kassel, royal governor of the twin duchies of Schleswig and Holstein, and Princess Louise of Denmark,herself a daughter of King Frederick V of Denmark.As a member of the extended Danish Royal Family, Christian was destined for a military career in Denmarkfrom a young age. He was appointed Colonel in 1783, Major General in 1789 and in 1790 Commander of a Regiment. In 1803 he was appointed knight of theOrder of the Elephant. In 1805 he was put in charge of a cavalry brigade in Holstein, and as such accompanied his cousin King Frederick VI of Denmark toCopenhagen. In 1808 he assisted in suppressing the unrest of the Spanish auxiliary troops in Roskilde and was appointed Lieutenant General the following year.In 1809 he was appointed commanding General on the island of Funen. Finally, in 1812 he was made a General in the cavalry.EngagementIn September 1812,Christian was engaged to his niece, Princess Caroline of Denmark, daughter of King Frederick VI of Denmark and Christian's sister, Marie Sophie ofHesse-Kassel.DeathAlready at the time of his engagement, Prince Christian was weakened. A year after the engagement, he suffered a breakdown in OdensePalace. Shortly after it became clear that he was mentally ill, suffering from frequent fits. He died on 14 November 1814 at the age of 38 in Odense Palace,Denmark. He was buried in the Church of Saint John in Odense, but in 1862 his remains were transferred to Schleswig Cathedral.Passage 2:Princess Feodora ofDenmarkPrincess Feodora of Denmark (Feodora Louise Caroline-Mathilde Viktoria Alexandra Frederikke Johanne) (3 July 1910 – 17 March 1975) was a Danishprincess as a  daughter of Prince Harald of Denmark and granddaughter of Frederick VIII of Denmark.As the wife of Prince Christian of Schaumburg-Lippe shebecame a Princess of Schaumburg-Lippe by marriage.Early lifePrincess Feodora was born on 3 July 1910 at the Jægersborghus country house in Gentofte north ofCopenhagen, Denmark.She was the first child and daughter of Prince Harald of Denmark, son of King Frederick VIII of Denmark and Princess Louise of Sweden.Her mother was Princess Helena of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg, daughter of Friedrich Ferdinand, Duke ofSchleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg and Princess Karoline Mathilde of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg.Marriage and issueFeodora marriedher first cousin, Prince Christian of Schaumburg-Lippe on 9 September 1937 at Fredensborg Palace, Zealand, Denmark. Prince Christian was a son of PrinceFrederick of Schaumburg-Lippe and Princess Louise of Denmark who was a sister of Feodora's father, Prince Harald. Prince Christian was the head of a junior lineof the House of Schaumburg-Lippe which resided at Náchod in Bohemia.Feodora and Christian had four children:Prince Wilhelm of Schaumburg-Lippe (b. 19August 1939).Prince Christian of Schaumburg-Lippe (b. 1971); married Lena Giese in 2009.Princess Desiree of Schaumburg-Lippe (b. 1974); married Michael Iueland have three children.Prince Waldemar of Schaumburg-Lippe (b. 19 December 1940 - d. 11 August 2020).Princess Eleonore-Christine Eugenie Benita FeodoraMaria of Schaumburg-Lippe (born 22 December 1978 in Hørsholm, Denmark)Mario-Max Prinz zu Schaumburg-Lippe (b.  23 December 1977), adultfoster-sonPrincess Marie of Schaumburg-Lippe (b. 27 December 1945).Prince Harald of Schaumburg-Lippe (b. 27 March 1948).Later lifePrince Christian died in1974. Princess Feodora died on 17 March the following year in Bückeburg, Lower Saxony, Germany.AncestryPassage 3:Prince Christian of Schaumburg-Lippe(1898–1974)Prince Christian of Schaumburg-Lippe (German: Christian zu Schaumburg-Lippe; 20 February 1898 – 13 July 1974) was a German prince and headof the Náchod branch of the princely house of Schaumburg-Lippe.Early lifeHe was born on 20 February 1898 in Sopron, Hungary as the only son and second childof Frederick of Schaumburg-Lippe (1868–1945) and his first wife Princess Louise of Denmark, younger sister of King Christian X of Denmark.Marriage and issueIn1927, his engagement to Princess Irene of Greece and Denmark, a daughter of Constantine I of Greece was announced. Nothing ever came of these plans,however. She later married Prince Aimone of Savoy-Aosta.He was also briefly considered as a marriage candidate for Princess Juliana, the heiress to the Dutchthrone. They had met each other in 1932 in Mecklenburg, the home of Juliana’s paternal relations. His reputation as a womanizer, his previous called offengagement and his German heritage did not make him a popular choice, but he was reconsidered after other candidates were rejected by the Queen or Julianaherself.These plans, however, did not prove fruitful either.On 9 September 1937, he married his cousin, Princess Feodora, daughter of Prince Harald of Denmark,a younger brother of King Christian X and Princess Louise, at Fredensborg Palace, Zealand, Denmark; they had four children.Prince Wilhelm of Schaumburg-Lippe(b. 19 August 1939)Prince Waldemar of Schaumburg-Lippe (19 December 1940 – 11 August 2020)Princess Marie of Schaumburg-Lippe (b. 27 December1945)Prince Harald of Schaumburg-Lippe (b. 27 March 1948)Later lifeHe died aged 76 on 13 July 1974 at Bückeburg, a year before his wife.His four children livein Germany and Denmark.AncestryPassage 4:Princess Louise of Denmark (1750–1831)Princess Louise of Denmark and Norway (Danish: Louise af Danmark ogNorge; 20 January 1750 – 12 January 1831) was born to Frederick V of Denmark and Louise of Great Britain. Her eldest daughter, Marie of Hesse-Kassel, was thewife of Frederick VI of Denmark.Early lifePrincess Louise was born on 20 January 1750 at Christiansborg Palace, the principal residence of the Danish Monarchy incentral Copenhagen. She was a daughter to Frederick V, King of Denmark and Norway, and his first wife Louise of Great Britain. At birth, Louise had two oldersisters, Princess Sophia Magdalena and Princess Wilhelmina Caroline, and an older brother Crown Prince Christian. In 1751, one year after Louise's birth, hermother Queen Louise died during her sixth pregnancy, just aged 27 years. The following year her father remarried to Duchess Juliana Maria ofBrunswick-Wolfenbüttel, who gave birth to Louise's half-brother, Prince Frederick in 1753.Princess Louise was considered the most beautiful and spirited ofFrederick V's children, but also the most reserved. She was Christian VII's favorite sister, and he was already from childhood strongly attached to his "Louison,"as he called her.Marriage and issueIn 1756, Queen Louise's sister, Mary, who was estranged from her husband, Landgrave Frederick II of Hesse-Kassel, moved toDenmark to take care of her deceased sister's children. She brought her three sons with her, who were brought up at the Danish court with their Danish cousins.On 30 August 1766 at the Christiansborg Palace Chapel, Louise married the second eldest of them, Landgrave Charles of Hesse-Kassel. The marriage took placewith her brother King Christian VII's consent, despite advice given against it, due to many accusations of debauchery by Landgrave Charles and the poor influencehe had on the King. This, however, did not last, as Christian VII's warm feelings for him soon evaporated, and in the spring 1767, the couple left Copenhagen tolive in Hanau.She had six children with Charles of Hesse-Kassel: Marie Sophie, Princess of Hesse (20 October 1767 – 21 March 1852), married on 31 July 1790 tothe future King Frederik VI of Denmark and NorwayWilhelm, Prince of Hesse (15 January 1769 – 14 July 1772)Prince Frederik of Hesse (24 May 1771 – 24February 1845)Juliane, Princess of Hesse (19 January 1773 – 11 March 1860), Protestant Abbess of ItzehoePrince Christian of Hesse (14 August 1776 – 14November 1814)Princess Louise Caroline of Hesse-Kassel (28 September 1789 – 13 March 1867), married on 28 January 1810 to Friedrich Wilhelm, Duke ofSchleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-GlücksburgLater lifeShe would have her first child in Hanau, Marie Sophie, Princess of Hesse on 20 October 1767 and then hersecond, Wilhelm, Prince of Hesse on 20 January 1769. The family would then move to Gottorp Castle after her spouse was appointed governor of SchleswigHolstein. In 1770, King Christian VII gave his sister a parish and land in Güby, Schleswig-Holstein, which was named Louisenlund in her honour. In the summer of1770, Louise and Charles hosted the king and queen during their tour of the Duchies on their way to the German border.    During their stay, rumors circulatedabout the affair between the queen and Struensee because of their manner, and it was observed that the queen was anxious not to be near Struensee in thepresence of Louise.    When the royal couple left, Louise was reportedly disappointed that she was not asked to accompany them on their journey.She would haveher third child Prince Frederik of Hesse on 24 May 1771.After the removal and execution of Johann Friedrich Struensee on 28 April 1772 her husband found favourwith the King again and with it, he was appointed commander-in-chief of the Norwegian army. in September 1772.  It was said that Charles planned to raisesupport in Norway for a coup to take the regency power over the king from prince Frederick and queen dowager Juliana.  Louise did not initially accompany himthere, but when he returned to Denmark in April 1773, she returned with him to Norway in June.  They were very well received in Christiania, and upon theirarrival in Trondhjem, one aristocrat, Nordahl Brun, welcomed them as the "heavenly couple", and greeted Louise with a poem.   In the Landgrave's own words,he became so popular that the Norwegians would gladly have him as King. This was clearly an illusion, and the people of Christiania soon found the cost ofconstantly entertaining the couple, a huge burden on town expenses.  Expensive demands, such as new golden chairs to sit in during church service, and atriumphal arch for the official entry of Louise in to Christiania where examples of the standard the royal couple demanded for their standard during their stay andcreated antipathy among the population.  On 4 September, Louise and Charles hosted a ball and a court reception in honor of the birthday of queen Juliana Mariaand departed on 8 September 1773.With her husband's larger income, he had Hermann von Motz build Louisenlund Castle on the land in Güby as a summerresidence for the couple. The Princess would have her fourth child Juliane, Princess of Hesse on 19 January 1773 before leaving Norway and moving intoLouisenlund Castle in 1774. Her husband was also made Field Marshal the same year but would stay away from political circles and remain at Louisenlund till the


Passage 1:Stein Erik GullikstadStein Erik Gullikstad (born 6 February 1952) is a Norwegian Nordic combined skier. He was born in Røros, and represented the clubRøros IL. He competed at the 1976 Winter Olympics in Innsbruck, where he placed 22nd.Passage 2:Roar EngelbergRoar Engelberg (born 26 July 1964 in Hamar,Norway) is the first international Norwegian artist on Panpipes, known for his long lasting and productive cooperation with Stein-Erik Olsen.CareerEngelbergbecame interested in panpipes as a 12-year-old when he heard the Romanian panpipe player Georghe Zamfir on the radio. He then taught himself to play theinstrument, and later studied in Hilversum with Nicolai Pirvu (1985–88). After his debut in London in 1986, he toured with Iver Kleive and Stein-Erik Olsen inNorway and around the world.He received the 2007 award "Meritul Cultural în gradul de Cavaler" of the Romanian state for his many years of effort for the musicof Romania.Honors«Meritul Cultural în gradul de Cavaler" awarded by the Romanian stateDiscography1985: Alveland, with Iver Kleive1986: Panorama, with IverKleive og Stein-Erik Olsen1988: Julefred1989: Mosaic, with Stein-Erik Olsen1989: Herdens flöjt – Julesånger på pan-flöjt1990: Doina1991: Masterpieces of theBeatles1992: Café Europa 1992, with the Orchestra Primas1994: Balletto, with Stein-Erik Olsen1999: Har en drøm2000: O pasâre strâinâ2001: Fløyelstoner, withStein-Erik Olsen2002: Julefryd2007: Inim de lutar2010: Suite Latina, with Stein-Erik Olsen2011: Willie Nickerson's Egg, guest soloist with Jon Larsen andTommy MarsPassage 3:Stein Erik LauvåsStein Erik Lauvås (born 3 May 1965) is a Norwegian politician for the Labour Party.He served as a deputy representativeto the Norwegian Parliament from Østfold during the terms 2001–2005 and 2005–2009.On the local level Lauvås is the mayor of Marker municipality since2003.Passage 4:Mille-Marie TreschowMille-Marie Treschow (3 April 1954 – 29 September 2018) was a Norwegian landlord and  businessperson. She was knownfor her previous marriage to Stein Erik Hagen, well known as "Rimi-Hagen", being the former owner of the Rimi chain of low-cost discount stores.FamilyTreschowwas the daughter of estate owner Gerhard Aage Treschow (1923–2001) and Nanna, née Meidell (born 1926). She was named for her paralyzed aunt MarieTreschow (1913–1952). She belonged to the Treschow family, which was formerly noble, having bought the status of untitled lower nobility (cf. Briefadel) in the19th century in Denmark.She was married three times and had two children in her second marriage (1984–2000), with Andreas Stang. In 2004 she marriedbusinessman Stein Erik Hagen. In 2012 they announced their separation.Education and businessTreschow was a pupil at Croft House School in Dorset, England.She also had Norwegian examen artium. She received a Master of Business Administration in Switzerland, and had additional economic studies in the UnitedStates of America and home economics studies in France.Based in Larvik, Treschow managed Treschow Fritzøe, an extensive consortium consisting of propertiesand forest. She owned a private estate and resided at Fritzøehus Manor in Larvik. Succeeding her father in 1986, she was of the 6th generation owning andrunning the family industry.Treschow had an estimated private fortune of 1.5 billion Norwegian kroner (NOK) or about US$250 million. She was as such one ofthe wealthiest women in Norway. Her husband, Stein Erik Hagen, is worth about 10 billion NOK or about US$2 billion.DeathTreschow died aged 64 on 29September 2018 at Tønsberg hospital of an undisclosed illness.See alsoTreschow (noble family)Passage 5:Kiplangat SangKiplangat Sang (born 14 April 1981) is aKenyan judoka.He competed at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, in the men's 90 kg.Passage 6:Erik HagenErik Hagen (born 20 July 1975) is a retiredNorwegian footballer who played as a centre-back in Norway and Russia, as well as for the Norwegian national team, earning 28 caps.CareerClubDuring his timewith Vålerenga, Hagen received the nickname "Panzer" from the club's fans. Amongst other things he created a "hate list" of Norwegian footballers in the clubmagazine Vål'enga Magasin, containing the likes of Vidar Riseth.Hagen won the Kniksen Award as Defender of the Year, and as Kniksen of the Year in 2004. TheKniksen award is the highest individual award for a Norwegian footballer.In December 2004 Hagen was sold to Zenit Saint Petersburg, becoming the firstNorwegian footballer to play in Russia. In 2005, he played 28 league matches for Zenit, receiving 12 cautions. In January 2006 he was elected vice-captain by theteam.On 31 January 2008, it was announced that Hagen would be joining Premier League club Wigan Athletic, signing on loan until the end of the English season.However, he only made one appearance for the team, in the away defeat at Portsmouth.On 28 July 2008, Hagen appeared at the Vålerenga home game againstTromsø, where it was announced he had re-signed for the club until the end of the 2010 season. The return of one of Vålerenga's most popular players was wellreceived with supporters.During an interview in April 2014, Hagen admitted to bribing a referee in a European match during his time with Zenit SaintPetersburg.International careerHagen made his debut, aged 29, for the Norwegian national team away to Scotland on 9 October 2004. Norway won 1–0.PersonallifeHagen has a twin brother, Rune Hagen, who also plays professional football. He signed for Vålerenga at the same time as his brother.CareerstatisticsClubSource:InternationalSource:International goalsPassage 7:Catherine I of RussiaCatherine I Alekseevna Mikhailova (Russian: Екатери́на I Алексе́евнаМиха́йлова, tr. Ekaterína I Alekséyevna Mikháylova; born Polish: Marta Helena Skowrońska, Russian: Ма́рта Самуи́ловна Скавро́нская, tr. Márta SamuílovnaSkavrónskaya; 15 April [O.S. 5 April] 1684 – 17 May [O.S. 6 May] 1727) was the second wife and empress consort of Peter the Great, and empress regnant ofRussia from 1725 until her death in 1727.Life as a servantThe life of Catherine I was said by Voltaire to be nearly as extraordinary as that of Peter the Greathimself. Only uncertain and contradictory information is available about her early life. Said to have been born on 15 April 1684 (o.s. 5 April), she was originallynamed Marta Helena Skowrońska. Marta was the daughter of Samuel Skowroński (later spelled Samuil Skavronsky), a Roman Catholic farmer from the easternparts of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, born to Minsker parents. In 1680 he married Dorothea Hahn at Jakobstadt. Her mother is named in at least onesource as Elizabeth Moritz, the daughter of a Baltic German woman and there is debate as to whether Moritz's father was a Swedish officer. It is likely that twostories were conflated, and Swedish sources suggest that the Elizabeth Moritz story is probably incorrect. Some biographies state that Marta's father was agravedigger and handyman, while others speculate that he was a runaway landless serf.Marta's parents died of the plague around 1689, leaving five children.According to one of the popular versions, at the age of three Marta was taken by an aunt and sent to Marienburg (the present-day Alūksne in Latvia, near theborder with Estonia and Russia) where she was raised by Johann Ernst Glück, a Lutheran pastor and educator who was the first to translate the Bible into Latvian.In his household she served as a lowly servant, likely either a scullery maid or washerwoman.  No effort was made to teach her to read and write and sheremained illiterate throughout her life.Marta was considered a very beautiful young girl, and there are accounts that Frau Glück became fearful that she wouldbecome involved with her son. At the age of seventeen, she was married off to a Swedish dragoon, Johan Cruse or Johann Rabbe, with whom she remained foreight days in 1702, at which point the Swedish troops were withdrawn from Marienburg. When Russian forces captured the town, Pastor Glück offered to work asa translator, and Field Marshal Boris Sheremetev agreed to his proposal and took him to Moscow.There are unsubstantiated stories that Marta worked briefly inthe laundry of the victorious regiment, and also that she was presented in her undergarments to Brigadier General Rudolph Felix Bauer, later the Governor ofEstonia, to be his mistress. She may have worked in the household of his superior, Sheremetev. It is not known whether she was his mistress, or householdmaid.  She travelled back to the Russian court with Sheremetev's army.Afterwards she became part of the household of Prince Alexander Menshikov, who was thebest friend of Peter the Great of Russia. Anecdotal sources suggest that she was purchased by him. Whether the two of them were lovers is disputed, asMenshikov was already engaged to Darya Arsenyeva, his future wife. It is clear that Menshikov and Marta formed a lifetime alliance.It is possible that Menshikov,who was quite jealous of Peter's attentions and knew his tastes, wanted to procure a mistress on whom he could rely. In any case, in 1703, while visitingMenshikov at his home, Peter met Marta. In 1704, she was well established in the Tsar's household as his mistress, and gave birth to a son, Peter. In 1703, sheconverted to Orthodoxy and took the new name Catherine Alexeyevna (Yekaterina Alexeyevna). She and Darya Menshikova accompanied Peter and Menshikov ontheir military excursions.Marriage and family lifeThough no record exists, Catherine and Peter are described as having married secretly between 23 October and 1December 1707 in Saint Petersburg. They had twelve children, two of whom survived into adulthood, Anna (born 1708) and Elizabeth (born 1709).Peter hadmoved the capital to St. Petersburg in 1703. While the city was being built he lived in a three-room log cabin with Catherine, where she did the cooking andcaring for the children, and he tended a garden as though they were an ordinary couple. The relationship was the most successful of Peter's life and a greatnumber of letters exist demonstrating the strong affection between Catherine and Peter. As a person she was very energetic, compassionate, charming, andalways cheerful. She was able to calm Peter in his frequent rages and was often called in to do so.Catherine went with Peter on his Pruth Campaign in 1711.There, she was said to have saved Peter and his Empire, as related by Voltaire in his book Peter the Great. Surrounded by overwhelming numbers of Turkishtroops, Catherine suggested before surrendering, that her jewels and those of the other women be used in an effort to bribe the Ottoman grand vizier BaltacıMehmet Pasha into allowing a retreat.Mehmet allowed the retreat, whether motivated by the bribe or considerations of trade and diplomacy. In any case Petercredited Catherine and proceeded to marry her again (this time officially) at Saint Isaac's Cathedral in St. Petersburg on 9 February 1712.  She was Peter'ssecond wife; he had previously married and divorced Eudoxia Lopukhina, who had borne him the Tsarevich Alexis Petrovich. Upon their wedding, Catherine tookon the style of her husband and became Tsarina. When Peter elevated the Russian Tsardom to Empire, Catherine became Empress. The Order of Saint Catherine


Passage 1:George ClooneyGeorge Timothy Clooney (born May 6, 1961) is an American actor and filmmaker. He is the recipient of numerous accolades, includinga British Academy Film Award, four Golden Globe Awards, and two Academy Awards; one for his acting and the other as a producer. He has been honored withthe Cecil B. DeMille Award in 2015, the Honorary César in 2017, AFI Life Achievement Award in 2018, and the Kennedy Center Honors in 2022.Clooney started hiscareer in television, gaining wide recognition in his role as Dr. Doug Ross on the NBC medical drama ER from 1994 to 1999, for which he received two PrimetimeEmmy Award nominations. He expanded to leading roles in films, with his breakthrough role in From Dusk till Dawn (1996). followed by superhero film Batman &Robin (1997), Steven Soderbergh's Out of Sight (1998), David O. Russell's Three Kings (1999), Wolfgang Petersen's The Perfect Storm (2000), and the Coenbrothers' O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000). Greater stardom came from his starring role in Soderbergh's Ocean's film series from 2001 to 2007. Clooney madehis directorial debut with the spy drama Confessions of a Dangerous Mind (2002), and has since directed the historical drama Good Night, and Good Luck (2005),the political drama The Ides of March (2011), the war film The Monuments Men (2014), and the science fiction film The Midnight Sky (2020). Clooney won theAcademy Award for Best Supporting Actor for the thriller Syriana (2005), and earned Best Actor nominations for the legal thriller Michael Clayton (2007), and thecomedy-dramas Up in the Air (2009) and The Descendants (2011). He received the Academy Award for Best Picture for co-producing the political thriller Argo(2012). He has also starred in Burn After Reading (2008), The American (2010), Gravity (2013), Hail, Caesar! (2016), and Ticket to Paradise (2022).As of 2023,Clooney is one of two people to have been nominated for Academy Awards in six different categories, a position shared with Walt Disney. Clooney was included onTime's annual Time 100 list, which identifies the most influential people in the world, every year from 2006 to 2009. He is also noted for his political and economicactivism, and has served as one of the United Nations Messengers of Peace since 2008. Clooney is also a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. He ismarried to human rights lawyer Amal Clooney. Outside of acting, Clooney is known for cofounding Casamigos tequila, which was one of the best-selling spirits of2022.Early lifeClooney was born on May 6, 1961, in Lexington, Kentucky. His mother, Nina Bruce (née Warren), was a beauty queen and city councilwoman. Hisfather, Nick Clooney, is a former anchorman and television host, including five years on the AMC network. Clooney is of Irish, German, and English ancestry. Hismaternal great-great-great-great-grandmother, Mary Ann Sparrow, was the half-sister of Nancy Lincoln, mother of President Abraham Lincoln, making Clooneyand Lincoln half-first cousins five times removed. Clooney has an older sister named Adelia (known as Ada). Cabaret singer and actress Rosemary Clooney was anaunt. Through Rosemary, his cousins include actors Miguel Ferrer, Rafael Ferrer, and Gabriel Ferrer, who is married to singer Debby Boone.Clooney was raised astrict Roman Catholic but said in 1998 that he did not know if he believed "in Heaven or even God." He has said, "Yes, we were Catholic, big-time, whole family,whole group." He began his education at the Blessed Sacrament School in Fort Mitchell, Kentucky. He attended St. Michael's School in Worthington, Ohio; thenWestern Row Elementary School (a public school) in Mason, Ohio, from 1968 to 1974; and St. Susanna School in Mason, where he served as an altar boy. TheClooneys moved back to Kentucky when George was midway through the seventh grade. In middle school, Clooney developed Bell's palsy, a medical conditionthat partially paralyzes the face. The malady went away within a year. In an interview with Larry King, he stated that "yes, it goes away. It takes about ninemonths to go away. It was the first year of high school, which was a bad time for having half your face paralyzed." He also described one positive outcome of thecondition: "It's probably a great thing that it happened to me because it forced me to engage in a series of making fun of myself. And I think that's an importantpart of being famous. The practical jokes have to be aimed at you."After his parents moved to Augusta, Kentucky, Clooney attended Augusta High School. He hasstated that he earned all As and a B in school, and played baseball and basketball. He tried out to play professional baseball with the Cincinnati Reds in 1977, buthe did not pass the first round of player cuts and was not offered a contract. He attended Northern Kentucky University from 1979 to 1981, majoring in broadcastjournalism, and very briefly attended the University of Cincinnati, but did not graduate from either. He earned money selling women's shoes, insurance door todoor, stocking shelves, working in construction, and cutting tobacco.CareerEarly work (1978–1993)Clooney's first role was as an extra in the televisionmini-series Centennial in 1978, which was based on the novel of the same name by James A. Michener and was partly filmed in Clooney's hometown of Augusta,Kentucky. Clooney's first major role came in 1984 in the short-lived CBS sitcom E/R (not to be confused with ER, the long-running medical drama). He played ahandyman on the series The Facts of Life and appeared as Bobby Hopkins, a detective, on an episode of The Golden Girls. His first prominent role was asemi-regular supporting role in the sitcom Roseanne, playing Roseanne Barr's supervisor Booker Brooks, followed by the role of a construction worker on BabyTalk, a co-starring role on the CBS drama Bodies of Evidence as Detective Ryan Walker, and then a year-long turn as Det. James Falconer on Sisters. In 1988,Clooney played one of the lead roles in the comedy-horror film Return of the Killer Tomatoes. In 1990, he starred in the short-lived ABC police drama SunsetBeat. During this period, Clooney was a student at the Beverly Hills Playhouse acting school for five years.Breakthrough and stardom (1994–1999)Clooney rose tofame when he played Dr. Doug Ross, alongside Anthony Edwards, Julianna Margulies, and Noah Wyle, on the hit NBC medical drama ER from 1994 to 1999. Afterleaving the series in 1999, he made a cameo appearance in the 6th season and returned for a guest spot in the show's final season. For his work on the series,Clooney received two Primetime Emmy Award nominations for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series in 1995 and 1996. He also earned three Golden GlobeAward nominations for Best Actor – Television Series Drama in 1995, 1996, and 1997 (losing to co-star Anthony Edwards).Clooney began appearing in films whileworking on ER. His first major Hollywood role was in the horror comedy-crime thriller From Dusk till Dawn, directed by Robert Rodriguez and co-starring HarveyKeitel. He followed its success with the romantic comedy One Fine Day with Michelle Pfeiffer, and the action-thriller The Peacemaker with Nicole Kidman. Clooneywas then cast as Batman in Joel Schumacher's Batman & Robin, which was a modest box office performer, but a critical failure (with Clooney himself calling thefilm "a waste of money"). In 1998, he co-starred in the crime-comedy Out of Sight opposite Jennifer Lopez, marking the first of his many collaborations withdirector Steven Soderbergh. He also starred in Three Kings during the last weeks of his contract with ER.Established leading man (2000–2004)After leaving ER,Clooney starred in commercially successful films including Wolfgang Petersen's disaster film The Perfect Storm (2000) which was a box office success. The sameyear he starred in the Coen brothers adventure comedy O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000) alongside John Turturro, Tim Blake Nelson, and John Goodman. Thefilm, a modern satire, is loosely based on Homer's epic Greek poem the Odyssey and the Preston Sturges 1941 classic film Sullivan's Travels. This film is set in1937 rural Mississippi during the Great Depression. He plays escaped convict Ulysses Everett McGill. He received a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – MotionPicture Musical or Comedy nomination for his performance. Variety film critic Todd McCarthy compared Clooney to Clark Gable writing, "Not for the first timerecalling Clark Gable in his looks and line delivery, Clooney clearly delights in embellishing Everett's vanity and in delivering the Coens’ carefully calibrated,high-toned dialogue".The following year In 2001, Clooney reunited with Soderbergh for the heist comedy Ocean's Eleven, a remake of the 1960s Rat Pack film ofthe same name, with Clooney playing Danny Ocean, originally portrayed by Frank Sinatra. The film starred Clooney, Brad Pitt, Julia Roberts, Matt Damon, andAndy Garcia. The film cemented Clooney as a leading film star. It is Clooney's most successful film with him in the lead role, earning $451 million worldwide (heappeared, but did not star, in Gravity, which has a $723 million worldwide box office). Ocean's Eleven inspired two sequels starring Clooney, Ocean's Twelve in2004 and Ocean's Thirteen in 2007. In 2001, Clooney and Soderbergh co-founded Section Eight Productions, for which Grant Heslov was president oftelevision.The following year he would work with Soderbergh yet again in the science fiction drama Solaris (2002) an adaptation of the acclaimed 1972 filmdirected by Andrei Tarkovsky. Famed critic Roger Ebert praised the film and Clooney writing, "Clooney has successfully survived being named People magazine'ssexiest man alive by deliberately choosing projects that ignore that image. His alliance with Soderbergh, both as an actor and co-producer, shows a taste forchallenge." That same year Clooney made his directorial debut in the 2002 film Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, based on the autobiography of TV producerChuck Barris. The film premiered out of competition at the Cannes Film Festival to critical acclaim. Though the film did not do well at the box office, critics statedthat Clooney's directing showed promise.In 2003, Clooney reunited with the Coen brothers in the romantic comedy Intolerable Cruelty opposite CatherineZeta-Jones. Elvis Mitchell of The New York Times praised their chemistry and the casting of Clooney in the role writing, "the good work comes from GeorgeClooney, who happens to have the Art Deco profile fit for a 1930's comedy. He scores with his willingness to mock his above-average charisma level and thechiseled chin, cover-guy good looks".Directorial debut and acclaim (2005–2013)In 2005, Clooney starred in Syriana, which was based loosely on former CentralIntelligence Agency agent Robert Baer's memoirs of his service in the Middle East. Clooney suffered an accident on the set of Syriana, which caused a brain injurywith complications from a punctured dura. The same year he directed, produced, and starred in Good Night, and Good Luck, a film about 1950s televisionjournalist Edward R. Murrow's famous war of words with Senator Joseph McCarthy. At the 2006 Academy Awards, Clooney was nominated for Best Director andBest Original Screenplay for Good Night, and Good Luck, as well as Best Supporting Actor for Syriana. He won the Oscar for his role in Syriana.Clooney next


Passage 1:Louis IV, Count of ChinyLouis IV the Young (1173 – 7 October 1226), count of Chiny from 1189 to 1226, son of Louis III, count of Chiny, andSophie.  Louis was the last of the first dynasty of counts of Chiny. Having no son, he prepared his eldest daughter Jeanne as his successor. Louis marked his reignby issuing the first postage stamp in the county.He succeeded as count in 1189 when his father died on the Third Crusade, but was under the supervision of hismother and uncle Thierry, Lord of Mellier, because of his young age. He likely participated in the Albigensian Crusade, where he died in Cahors.He married Matildaof Avesnes, widow of Nicolas IV, Lord of Rumigny, and daughter of James, Lord of Avesnes and Conde, and Adele, Lady of Guise. They had three children:Jeanne,Countess of Chiny, married to Arnold IV, Count of LoozAgnes, Lady of Givet and AbemontIsabelle, married to Otto, Lord of Trazegnies.Isabelle was referred to asMadame de Florenville during the Tournament of Chauvency in 1285, hosted by Louis' grandson Louis V, successor Count of Chiny,Upon Louis’ death, hisdaughter Jeanne became Countess of Chiny until her marriage to Arnold IV, when he became the first Count of Chiny of the second dynasty as Arnold II.Louis IVwas also a direct paternal descendant of Charlemagne.SourcesSettipani, Christian, La Préhistoire des Capétiens (Nouvelle histoire généalogique de l'augustemaison de France, vol. 1), Villeneuve d'Ascq, éd. Patrick van Kerrebrouck, 1993, 545 pg.Arlette Laret-Kayser, Entre Bar et Luxembourg : Le Comté de Chiny desOrigines à 1300, Bruxelles (éditions du Crédit Communal, Collection Histoire, série in-8°, n° 72), 1986Passage 2:Louis, Count of VerdunLouis I (murderedSeptember 29, 1025), Count of Chiny (987–1025) and Count of Verdun (as Louis) (1024–1025), son of Otto I, Count of Chiny, and an unknown mother.UponOtto’s death, Louis became the second Count of Chiny. Virtually nothing is known about his rule in Chiny.In 1024, Reginbert, the Bishop of Verdun, appointedLouis as Count of Verdun when Count Herman of Ename, son of Godfrey the Prisoner, retired to a monastery. Herman's nephew, Godfrey the Bearded, covetedthe position, and Gothelo (Herman’s brother and Godfrey’s father) invaded the city and murdered Louis.Louis married Adelaide (d. after 1025), of unknownparentage. They had two children:Louis II, Count of ChinyLiutgarde (born 1002), married to Richer de Sancy (died before 1084). Luitgarde and Richer had foursons:  Hughes (died after 1109), Louis (died after 1084), Roderic (d. after 1109) and Richwin (killed before 1084). Nothing further is known about them.Louis’son Louis II assumed the position of Count of Chiny after his father’s death, and Godfrey the Bearded was appointed Count of Verdun.Passage 3:Albert, Count ofChinyAlbert (Albert I) (before 1131 – 29 September 1162), Count of Chiny, son of Otto II, Count of Chiny, and Adélaïs of Namur.  He succeeded his father before1131 and spent most of his time in Chiny, not taking part in the various conflicts which shook the region.He married Agnes, daughter of Renaud I, Count of Barand Gisèle Vaudémont, daughter of Gerard, Count of Vaudémont.  Their children were:Louis III, Count of ChinyThierry (d. after 1207), Lord of Mellier, marriedElizabethArnulf of Chiny-Verdun (killed in 1181), Bishop of Verdun, 1172–1181Alix (d. after 1177), married to Manasses of HiergesIda of Chiny, married to GobertV, Lord of Aspremont (see Fredelon and the House of Esch for a discussion of their descendants)A daughter, mother of Roger WalehemHughes, married to adaughter of Renaud de DonchéryA daughter, Abbess of Givet.Arnulf was killed by an arrow to the head in front of the castle of Saint Manehulde during an attackon the bishopric of Verdun.Alix and Mannases were the parents of Albert II of Hierges, Bishop of Verdun (1186–1208). Ida and Gobert were the grandparents ofJohn I of Aspremont, Bishop of Verdun (1217–1224).Albert was succeeded as Count of Chiny by his son Louis.Passage 4:John I, Count of LoozJohn I (Jean) (d.1278 or 1279), Count of Looz and Count of Chiny, eldest son of Arnold IV, Count of Looz and Chiny, and Jeanne, Countess of Chiny. He succeeded his father in1272 or 1273, as the Count of Looz and Chiny.  Virtually nothing is known about his reign.He first married, in 1258, Matilda, daughter of William IV, Count ofJülich, and Matilda of Gelderland.  Their children were:Arnold V, Count of Looz and Count of Chiny (as Arnold II)Louis de LoozWilliam, Seigneur of Neufchatel andArdenne.Widowed, he married secondly, in 1269, Isabelle de Conde (d. after 1280), daughter of Jacques, Seigneur of Conde and Bailleul, and his wife Agnes ofRœulx.  Their children were:John II (1270-1311), Seigneur of Agimont, Givet and Warcq, married Marie, daughter of Raoul de Nesle and Alix de Roye (see Houseof Nesle)Jacques (Jacquemin) (d. February 27, 1330), Canon of Liege.Upon his death, he was succeeded as Count of Chiny by his brother Louis, and as Count ofLooz by his son Arnold.SourcesSettipani, Christian, La Préhistoire des Capétiens (Nouvelle histoire généalogique de l'auguste maison de France, vol. 1), Villeneuved'Ascq, éd. Patrick van Kerrebrouck, 1993, 545 p.Thonissen, JJ., Arnold IV, Royal Academy of Belgium, National Biography, Vol. 1, Brussels, 1866ArletteLaret-Kayser, Entre Bar et Luxembourg : Le Comté de Chiny des Origines à 1300, Bruxelles (éditions du Crédit Communal, Collection Histoire, série in-8°, n° 72),1986Passage 5:Otto II, Count of ChinyOtto II (1065 – after 1131), Count of Chiny, son of Arnold I, Count of Chiny, and Adélaïs.He succeeded his father in 1106and completed the construction of the Abbey of Orval that his father had started in 1070, installing the canons in 1124. The installation of a Cistercian communityin Orval in 1131 marked his last appearance in any proceedings.He married Adelaide (Alix) (1068–1124), daughter of Albert III, Count of Namur and Ida ofSaxony (widow of Frederick of Lower Lorraine). Their children were:Ida (died before 1125), married to Godfrey I, Count of LeuvenOda (died after 1134), marriedto Giselbert II, Count of DurasHugues, probably died youngAlbert of Chiny (before 1131–1162)Frederick, (died after 1124), Provost at Reims from 1120AdalberoII of Chiny-Namur (died 26 March 1145), Bishop of Liège, 1135–1145Eustache (died after 1156), married to a daughter of Wiger de Waremme, Avoué of LiègeSaint-Lambert and Hesbaye. His son Louis de Lumaine was also Avoué of Hesbaye.Ida (also known as Ida of Namur) and Godfrey I (also known as Godfrey theBearded, not to be confused with the uncle of his father Henry II, Godfrey) were parents of Adeliza of Louvain, wife of Henry I of England.  Oda’s husbandGislebert was son of Otto, Count of Duras and therefore the grandson of Giselbert, the first Count of Looz, whose family would eventually be merged with theCounts of Chiny with the marriage of Otto's great-great granddaughter Jeanne, Countess of Chiny, with Arnold IV of Looz.After his death, Otto was succeeded asCount of Chiny by his son Albert.Passage 6:Louis II, Count of ChinyLouis II (died before 1066), Count of Chiny (from 1025 until his death), son of Louis I, Countof Chiny and Verdun, and Adélaïde de Saint Varme.  He left very few traces in history and nothing is known about his reign.Louis was married to Sophie. They hadtwo children:Arnold I, Count of ChinyManasses (died 1068), a monk at the Church of St. Hubert.Legend has it that Louis held hunting parties in his huge gamepark.  Here, Thibault of Champagne established a hermitage and found a source of holy springs, and Louis built a shrine to the spring's healing powers. The shrinebecame famous, with many pilgrims who came to implore the grace of Saint-Thibault. Later, monks from Calabria, Italy, founded a monastery nearby at Orval atthe invitation of Louis’ son Arnold.Upon Louis' death, his son Arnold became Count of Chiny.Passage 7:Arnold VI of Rummen, Count of LoonArnold VI de Rumigny(died May 1373), Count of Looz and Count of Chiny (as Arnold IV) (1362–1364), son of William of Oreye, Lord of Rumigny (by donation of Louis IV, Count of Loozin 1331), and Jeanne de Looz, daughter of Arnold V, Count of Loon and Chiny, and, Marguerite Vianden, Lady of Perwez and Grimbergen.In 1336, at the death ofhis uncle, Louis IV, Count of Loon and Chiny, Arnold laid claim to the estates, but without success.  Instead, the estates passed to another nephew, Thierry deHeinsberg. Finally, on January 25, 1362, he bought the rights to the counties from his cousin Godfrey, Count of Looz and Chiny.  Looz, however, was still occupiedby the troops of Engelbert III of the Marck, Prince-Bishop of Liege.On December 25, Arnold approached the Emperor Charles IV for his help in financing thereconquest of Looz, but he failed in that endeavor.  Without options, he sold the counties to  Wenceslaus, Duke of Luxembourg, on June 16, 1364. On September23, 1366, he entered into a transaction with John of Arkel, Prince-Bishop of Liège, receiving some financial compensation for the occupation of the countiesIn1346, Arnold married Elizabeth of Flanders, illegitimate daughter of Louis of Flanders, Count of Nevers.  No children are recorded.SourcesArlette Laret-Kayser,Entre Bar et Luxembourg : Le Comté de Chiny des Origines à 1300, Bruxelles (éditions du Crédit Communal, Collection Histoire, série in-8°, n° 72), 1986Passage8:Arnold I, Count of ChinyArnold I (died 16 April 1106), Count of Chiny, son of Louis II, Count of Chiny, and his wife Sophie. He succeeded his father as countbefore 1066.Arnold is best known for his many clashes with the authorities.  The only known positive action of his was the founding of the Abbey of Orval withConrad I, Count of Luxembourg. In addition he began other religious institutions, apparently as atonement for his many crimes. He had many run-ins with theclergy, particularly with Henry, Bishop of Liège, a relative of Godfrey the Bearded, no doubt due to the murder of his grandfather by Godfrey’s father. There werealso issues with Henry's successor Otbert.A convenient story is that Arnold regularly confronted Godfrey’s grandson Count Godfrey of Bouillon, a leader of theFirst Crusade and nephew of Countess Mathilda of Tuscany, but that they eventually became friends. Because of this newly-found friendship, he allegedlyentrusted Godfrey with his sons Otto and Louis to take part in the crusade. The reality is that this is likely a story concocted by Count Louis V, much like the restof his version of the history of Chiny (see the discussion in the Counts of Chiny), to enhance his standing at the Tournament of Chauvency in 1285, which includedsuch royalty as Rudolf I, King of Germany.It is clear that Otto and Louis never actually joined the crusade, as their names are not listed among the participants inthe Holy quest. The reality of the situation appears that Godfrey's army included relatively few of the major nobles of the duchy, especially those of comital rank.The nobles of Lower Lotharingia were not all vassals of the Duke (and later Defender of the Holy Sepulchre) and felt no obligation to follow him, despite theseriousness of the taking of the cross. Notable absentees were Arnold, Albert III of Namur and Henry of Arlon and Limburg. These were all part of the coalitionthat had waged war on Godfrey and his principal allies Henry of Verdun and his successor Otbert, Prince-Bishops of Liège. There is some uncertainty as to his


Passage 1:Karel ZichKarel Zich (10 June 1949 – 13 July 2004) was a Czech singer, guitarist and composer whose voice was often compared with that of ElvisPresley.LifeKarel Zich was born in Prague, Czechoslovakia, into a musical family. His grandfather was Otakar Zich, composer and professor of music aesthetics,and his uncle was the composer Jaroslav Zich. Karel attended the Prague State Conservatory (Státní konzervatoř Praha) for three years and later graduated fromCharles University in sociology.Between 1964 and 1965 he performed with the band Framus as a singer. In 1968 Zich joined Spirituál kvintet and stayed withthem until 1973. His main interest was in rock'n'roll, and he is sometimes called the "Czech Elvis".After his successes in the Czech pop scene with various bands,Zich decided to start his solo career. In 1974 he left Spirituál kvintet and in 1976 released his first album, Dům č.5 (House No. 5). Although he sang his ownsongs, he also worked with famous composers Karel Svoboda, Petr Janda, and others.In 1975 Zich reached the top of his career by winning 4th place in ZlatýSlavík. In 1979 he founded the band Flop and recorded 50 singles and 15 albums, one with the legendary Wanda Jackson. During his career Zich sold over onemillion discs and performed at thousands of concerts in most European countries, the United States, Canada, Brazil, Chile and elsewhere. His most famous songsare Paráda (Awsome) and Měla na očích brýle. Twice took 2nd place in the country's top music festival and song contest, Bratislavská lýra, in 1977 and 1983.Inhis last years he often performed guitar solos and sometimes performed with his band. In 1992 he joined Spirituál kvintet again.DeathKarel Zich died ofcomplications following a heart attack during a diving holiday in Porto-Vecchio, Corsica.Selected discographyLet's Have a Party in Prague (with Wanda Jackson) –1988Passage 2:Karol HochbergKarol Hochberg (1911–1944, also Karl or Karel) was a collaborator during the Holocaust, who led the "Department for SpecialAffairs" within the Ústredňa Židov, the Judenrat in Bratislava which was created by the Nazis to direct the Jewish community of Slovakia.LifeHochberg was born inHungary in 1911 and studied in Vienna and Prague. He moved to Slovakia in 1939. In 1940, the Slovak Jews were forced to form the Ústredňa Židov (ÚŽ), aJudenrat, to implement Nazi orders. Most of the members of the ÚŽ had been prominent in Jewish public life before the Holocaust, and worked on public relief forJews who had been dispossessed by anti-Jewish measures. However, the ÚŽ's reputation was harmed by the Jews within it who informed or collaborated, ofwhom Hochberg was the most notorious, according to YIVO (Institute for Jewish Research). In early 1941, the first head of the ÚŽ was deposed and arrested forsabotaging a census of Jews in eastern Slovakia with an aim to remove them to the west of the country. His replacement was an ineffectual schoolteacher namedArpad Sebestyen, who took a position of complete collaboration with the Germans. Hochberg was appointed to lead the "Department for Special Affairs",  whichwas created to ensure the prompt implementation of Dieter Wisliceny's orders; he promptly organized the census and removal, tarnishing the ÚŽ's reputation inthe Jewish community. Due to Sebestyen's ineffectuality, Hochberg's department came to dominate the operations of the ÚŽ.In 1942, Hochberg's departmentworked on categorizing Jews for deportation, but it did not actually draw up the lists. About 57,000 Jews, two-thirds of the population, were deported that year;only a few hundred survived. Later, Hochberg played an important role in negotiations between the Bratislava Working Group, the resistance group within the ÚŽ,and Wisliceny. Hochberg, who made regular visits to Wisliceny's office, was the only feasible option because contact with Wisliceny had to be done clandestinely.The Working Group employed him as an intermediary despite its intense dislike and distrust of Hochberg, its fear that associating with him would harm theirreputations, and its belief that he was unreliable.In November 1942, as the Working Group began to negotiate the Europa Plan with Wisliceny in an effort to saveall European Jews from deportation and death, Hochberg was arrested for bribery and corruption. According to the Slovak police records, Hochberg had an illegalaccount in which large bribes were deposited in return for the cessation of transports. Andrej Steiner, a member of the Working Group, distrusted Hochberg andhad provided the Slovak police with evidence against him. However, his colleague Michael Dov Weissmandl advocated that the Working Group try to get Hochbergreleased; Weissmandl believed that he was useful and was concerned that he would reveal the negotiations. The leader of the Working Group, Gisi Fleischmann,sided with Steiner, and the Working Group did not intervene on Hochberg's behalf. Imprisoned at Nováky labor camp and later Ilava prison, Hochberg escapedduring the Slovak National Uprising and joined the partisans. He was executed as a collaborator by Jewish partisans.Passage 3:Maximus of TyreMaximus of Tyre(Greek: Μάξιμος Τύριος; fl. late 2nd century AD), also known as Cassius Maximus Tyrius, was a Greek rhetorician and philosopher who lived in the time of theAntonines and Commodus, and who belongs to the trend of the Second Sophistic.  His writings contain many allusions to the history of Greece, while there is littlereference to Rome; hence it is inferred that he lived longer in Greece, perhaps as a professor at Athens. Although nominally a Platonist, he is really a sophistrather than a philosopher, although he is still considered one of the precursors of Neoplatonism.WritingsThe DissertationsThere exist 41 essays or discourses ontheological, ethical, and other philosophical subjects, collected into a work called The Dissertations. The central theme is God as the supreme being, one andindivisible though called by many names, accessible to reason alone:In such a mighty contest, sedition and discord, you will see one according law and assertionin all the earth, that there is one God, the king and father of all things, and many gods, sons of God, ruling together with him.As animals form the intermediatestage between plants and human beings, so there exist intermediaries between God and man, viz. daemons, who dwell on the confines of heaven and earth. Thesoul in many ways bears a great resemblance to the divinity; it is partly mortal, partly immortal, and, when freed from the fetters of the body, becomes adaemon. Life is the sleep of the soul, from which it awakes at death. The style of Maximus is superior to that of the ordinary sophistical rhetorician, but scholarsdiffer widely as to the merits of the essays themselves.Dissertation XX discusses "Whether the Life of a Cynic is to Be Preferred". He begins with a narrative ofhow Prometheus created mankind, who initially lived a life of ease "for the earth supplied them with aliment, rich meadows, long-haired mountains, andabundance of fruits" – in other words, a Garden of Eden that resonates with Cynic ideas. It was "a life without war, without iron, without a guard, peaceful,healthful unindigent".Then, taking perhaps from Lucretius, he contrasts that Garden to mankind's "second life", which started with the division of the earth intoproperty, which they then enclosed into fortifications and walls, and started to wear jewellery and gold, built houses, “molested the earth by digging into it formetals”, and invaded the sea and the air (killing animals, fish and birds), in what he described as a “slaughter and all-various gore, pursuing gratification of thebody”. Humans became unhappy and, to compensate, sought wealth, “fearing poverty...dreading death...neglecting the care of life...They blamed base actionsbut did not abstain from them and “the hated to live, but dreaded to die”.He then contrasts the two lives – that of the original Garden and of the “second life” hehas just described and asks, which man would not choose the first, who “knows that by the change he shall be liberated from a multitude of evils” and what hecalls “a dreadful prison of unhappy men, confined to a dreadful prison of unhappy men, confined in a dark recess, with large iron fetters round their feet, a greatweight about their neck…passing their time in filth, in torment, and in weeping”. He asks, “Which of these images shall we proclaim blessed”? He goes on topraise Diogenes of Sinopeus, the Cynic, for choosing his ascetic life, but only because he avoided the often fearful fates of other philosophers – such as Socratesbeing condemned. But there is no mention of he himself taking up the ascetic life himself; rather he only talks about how the Garden would be preferable to thelife mankind has made for itself. So it is unlikely he was a Cynic, but was just envious of that idealised pre-civilisation Life in the Garden.Maximus of Tyre must bedistinguished from the Stoic Claudius Maximus, tutor of Marcus Aurelius.Ancient Greek TextMaximus Tyrius, Philosophumena, Dialexeis - Edited by GeorgeLeonidas Koniaris, Publisher Walter de Gruyter, 1995, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110882568 - this critical edition presents the Ancient Greek text ofMaximus of Tyre.TranslationsTaylor, Thomas, The Dissertations of Maximus Tyrius. C. Wittingham (1804)Trapp, Michael. Maximus of Tyre: The PhilosophicalOrations, (NY: Oxford University Press, 1997)Passage 4:Charles Emmanuel BisetCharles Emmanuel Biset or Karel Emmanuel Biset (1633 in Mechelen – between28 September 1693 and 1713) was a Flemish painter who had a peripatetic career working in various cities and countries including his hometown Mechelen, Paris,Annonay, Brussels, Antwerp and Breda.  He worked in many genres including genre scenes of interiors with merry companies and gallery paintings, historypainting, still life and portraiture.LifeCharles Emmanuel Biset was born on 26 December 1633 in Mechelen as Karel Emmanuel Biset.  He was the son of thedecorative painter Joris Biset who had trained under Michiel Coxie III, a grandson of the great Renaissance painter Michiel Coxie.  Charles Emmanuel Biset likelytrained under his father.He worked in Mechelen from about 1640 until the early or mid-1650s. He was subsequently active in Paris where he is presumed to haveworked for the court. Thereafter he is recorded for a while in Brussels before moving to Antwerp. Here he was active from 1661 to 1687.He became a master inAntwerp's Guild of Saint Luke in 1662 and was its dean in 1674.  He was also appointed a director of the Academy of Antwerp.He married in 1662 with the painterMaria van Uden who was the daughter of the landscape painter Lucas van Uden.  After her death in 1665, he began a relationship with her sister Anna.  In 1670he married Anna Cleymans.  Their children were the painters Jan Andreas (also called Jan Baptist) and Jan Karel Biset. He enjoyed the patronage of JuanDomingo de Zuñiga y Fonseca, Count of Monterrey, and later the Governor of the Habsburg Netherlands for whom he may have worked on a quasi-exclusive basisfor a while.In 1687 he is recorded in Breda.  It is possible he stayed there for the rest of his life while visiting Antwerp occasionally.  The last record of his lifedates to 28 September 1693 when he was in Antwerp.The place and date of his death are not clear but he is believed to have died between 28 September 1693


Passage 1:David AldusDavid Aldus (born 18 September 1941) is a Welsh painter known for his landscape and maritime scenery.Personal lifeAldus was born andspent much of his life in the Garrison town of Brecon. His father, John Macdonald Aldus, was a Company Sergeant Major in the South Wales Borderers, as was hisfather, who was killed in action in the Khyber pass. His grandfather on his maternal side, William Godfrey, was a miner of the Blaenavon pit.ArtAldus developed arealist style, influenced in part by the French artist Jules Bastien-Lepage and the colourful primitivism of Cézanne.His painting "A Tribute to the people of Malta"resides in the Museum at Valletta, many of landscapes are views of his Buckinghamshire/Oxfordshire and its surrounding countryside. He was a finalist in theGarrick/Milne Prize exhibition held at London's Christies. He exhibited at the Lambeth Palace under the auspices of the Royal Society of Marine Artists. Other Aldusaccolades include full membership election in 1994 to UA United Artists.In that same year, he was awarded the Acrylic Painting prize at Westminster Central Hall,London. In 1995 David Aldus won the Oil paintings prize at UA annual exhibition.In 1995, he had work displayed at the Royal Institute of Oil Painters (R.O.I.) intheir annual exhibition held at the Mall Galleries, London.Aldus has exhibited with the Royal Society of British Artists (R.B.A.) He also had work displayed at theRoyal Society of Marine Artists (R.S.M.A.) at their annual exhibition. In November the Royal Society of Marine Artists asked him to display his work at LambethPalace where again he sold all his paintings.In December 1995, he had his work selected by the Discerning eye exhibition. Judge Edward Lucie-Smith and anotherart critic chose his work for the same exhibition. One of his Landscape paintings was purchased by the town of Brecon and presented to their twin town of Salinein the U.S.A.Aldus completed commissions for actor David Jason and ice skater Christopher Dean. In 1984, Aldus was also commissioned to paint Britain's firstblack female mayor Lydia Simmons in Slough. Aldus has also done work for Freddie Starr, the Duchess of Devonshire, Lord Carrington and rock starJamiroquai.External linksThe Discerning Eye - home pagedavidaldus.comPassage 2:Etan BoritzerEtan Boritzer (born 1950) is an American writer of children’sliterature who is best known for his book What is God? first published in 1989. His best selling What is? illustrated children's book series on character educationand difficult subjects for children is a popular teaching guide for parents, teachers and child-life professionals.Boritzer gained national critical acclaim after What isGod? was published in 1989 although the book has caused controversy from religious fundamentalists for its universalist views. The other current books in theWhat is? series include: What is Love?, What is Death?, What is Beautiful?, What is Funny?, What is Right?, What is Peace?, What is Money?, What is Dreaming?,What is a Friend?, What is True?, What is a Family?, and What is a Feeling? The series is now also translated into 15 languages.Boritzer was first published in1963 at the age of 13 when he wrote an essay in his English class at Wade Junior High School in the Bronx, New York on the assassination of John F. Kennedy.His essay was included in a special anthology by New York City public school children compiled and published by the New York City Department ofEducation.Boritzer now lives in Venice, California and maintains his publishing office there also. He has helped numerous other authors to get published throughHow to Get Your Book Published! programs. Boritzer is also a yoga teacher who teaches regular classes locally and guest-teaches nationally. He is also recognizednationally as an erudite speaker on The Teachings of the Buddha.Passage 3:Terence RobinsonTerence D. Robinson (date of birth and death unknown) was a malewrestler who competed for England.Wrestling careerHe represented England and won a bronze medal, in the bantamweight category of -57 kg , at the 1970British Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh, Scotland.Passage 4:Theodred II (Bishop of Elmham)Theodred II was a medieval Bishop of Elmham.The date ofTheodred's consecration unknown, but the date of his death was sometime between 995 and 997.Passage 5:Alfonso FadriqueDon Alfonso Fadrique (English:Alfonso Frederick; Catalan: N'Anfós Frederic d'Aragó; died 1338) was the eldest and illegitimate son of Frederick II of Sicily. He served as vicar general of theDuchy of Athens from 1317 to 1330.He was first proclaimed vicar general by his father in 1317 and sent off to govern Athens on behalf of his youngerhalf-brother Manfred. He arrived in Piraeus with ten galleys later that year, but Manfred had died and was succeeded by another brother, William II. In the year ofhis arrival, Fadrique married Marulla, the daughter of Boniface of Verona, thus allying himself with the chief lord of Euboea. By this marriage, also, he acquiredrights to the castles of Larmena, Karystos, Zetouni, and Gardiki.Over the next two years, Fadrique warred with the Republic of Venice and stormed the city ofNegroponte with Turks after Boniface of Verona died. In 1318, John II Ducas, the sebastokrator of Neopatras, died and Fadrique invaded Thessaly. He tookpossession of his castles at Zetouni and Gardiki and conquered Neopatras, Siderokastron, Loidoriki, Domokos, and Pharsalus. He conquered the palace of theDucae at Neopatras and took the title of Vicar General of the Duchy of Neopatras. He built a tower at Neopatras.In 1330, Alfonso was relieved of his duties asvicar general and replaced by Odo de Novelles. He was compensated with the Sicilian  counties of Malta and Gozo. He died in 1338 and left five sons, Peter;James, father of Louis Fadrique; William, lord of Livadeia; Boniface, lord of Aigina, Piada and Karystos; John, lord of Salamina and two daughters, Simona, whowed George II Ghisi and Jua.Passage 6:Brian Saunders (weightlifter)Brian Saunders (date of birth and death unknown) was a male weightlifter who competed forEngland.Weightlifting careerSaunders was the last person to be both the British Amateur Weight Lifters' Association (BAWLA) weightlifting champion and BAWLApowerlifting champion; the latter of which he won in 1970 and 1974.He represented England in the super heavyweight category of +110 kg Combined, at the1970 British Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh, Scotland.Passage 7:Frederick III of SicilyFrederick II (or III) (13 December 1272 – 25 June 1337) was theregent of the Kingdom of Sicily from 1291 until 1295 and subsequently King of Sicily from 1295 until his death. He was the third son of Peter III of Aragon andserved in the War of the Sicilian Vespers on behalf of his father and brothers, Alfonso ΙΙΙ and James ΙΙ. He was confirmed as king by the Peace of Caltabellotta in1302. His reign saw important constitutional reforms: the Constitutiones regales, Capitula alia, and Ordinationes generales.NameAlthough the second Frederick ofSicily, he chose to call himself "Frederick III" (being one of the rare medieval monarchs who actually used a regnal number) – presumably because only some fiftyyears before, his well-known and remembered great-grandfather had ruled Sicily and also used an official ordinal: Fridericus secundus, imperator etc.. Thus,Fridericus tertius was better in line with the precedent of his ancestor's ordinal. However, an anecdote attributes Frederick's choice of numeral to him being thethird son of Peter. The next man called Frederick to occupy the Sicilian throne was dubbed by later generations of historians as Frederick III: Frederick III theSimple, though he himself did not use an ordinal.BiographyEarly yearsFrederick was born in BarcelonaWhen his father died in 1285, he left the Kingdom ofAragon to his eldest son, Alfonso, and that of Sicily to his second son, James. When Alfonso died in 1291, James became king of Aragon and left Frederick asregent in Sicily. The war between the Angevins, who contested the title to Sicily from their peninsular possessions centred on Naples (the so-called Kingdom ofNaples), and the Crown of Aragon for the possession of the island was still in progress, and although the Crown of Aragon was successful in Italy, James’ positionin Spain became very insecure due to internal troubles and French attacks. Peace negotiations were begun with Charles II of Naples, but were interrupted by thesuccessive deaths of two popes. At last, under the auspices of Pope Boniface VIII, James concluded a shameful treaty, by which, in exchange for being leftundisturbed in the rest of the territories belonging to the Crown of Aragon and promised possession of Sardinia and Corsica, he gave up Sicily to the Church, forwhom it was to be held by the Angevins (Treaty of Anagni, 10 June 1295). The Sicilians refused to be made over once more to the hated French they had expelledin 1282 (in the Sicilian Vespers), and found a national leader in the regent Frederick. In vain the pope tried to bribe him with promises and dignities; he wasdetermined to stand by his subjects, and was crowned king by the nobles at Palermo in 1296.When Frederick heard that James was preparing to go to war withhim, he sent a messenger, Mountainer Pérez de Sosa, to Catalonia in an effort to stir up the barons and cities against James in 1298. Mountainer carried with himan Occitan poem, Ges per guerra no.m chal aver consir, intended as a communication with his supporters in Catalonia. This communiqué seems to have had inmind Ponç Hug as a recipient, for the count penned a response (under the title con d'Empuria), A l'onrat rei Frederic terz vai dir, in which he praised Frederick'stact and diplomacy, but told him bluntly that he would not abandon his sovereign. This poetic transaction is usually dated to January–March, Spring, or August1296, but Gerónimo Zurita in the seventeenth century specifically dated the embassy of Mountainer to 1298.ReignFrederick reformed the administration andextended the powers of the Sicilian parliament, which was composed of the barons, the prelates, and the representatives of the towns.His refusal to comply withthe pope's injunctions led to a renewal of the war. Frederick landed in Calabria, where he seized several towns, encouraged revolt in Naples, negotiated with theGhibellines of Tuscany and Lombardy, and assisted the house of Colonna against Pope Boniface. In the meanwhile James, who received many favours from theChurch, married his sister Yolanda to Robert, the third son of Charles II. Unfortunately for Frederick, a part of the Catalan-Aragonese nobles of Sicily favouredKing James, and both John of Procida and Roger of Lauria, the heroes of the war of the Vespers, went over to the Angevins, and the latter completely defeatedthe Sicilian fleet off Capo d'Orlando. Charles's sons Robert and Philip landed in Sicily, but after capturing Catania were defeated by Frederick, Philip being takenprisoner (1299), while several Calabrian towns were captured by the Sicilians.For two years more the fighting continued with varying success, until Charles ofValois, who had been sent by Boniface to invade Sicily, was forced to sue for peace, his army being decimated by the plague. In August 1302 the Treaty ofCaltabellotta was signed, by which Frederick was recognized king of Trinacria (the name Sicily was not to be used) for his lifetime, and was to marry Eleanor of