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2941671
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1998%20Esso%20Longford%20fire
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1998 Esso Longford fire
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Gas Plant 1 was a lean-oil absorption plant separating methane from liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) by stripping the gas using a liquid hydrocarbon stream called "lean oil" (a light oil similar to aviation kerosene). This occurred in two absorbers (working in a parallel configuration), large vertical pressure vessels in which chilled raw natural gas rose up from the bottom, on its way up shed heavier components (ethane, propane and butane) against the falling stream of lean oil and finally left the vessel at the top as methane. Lean oil, on the other hand, absorbed heavy gas components on its way down and thereby left the absorber having become "rich oil". Most of the heavier gas components left at the bottom of the absorbers in the form of LPG.
Coupled with the absorbers was a system of columns, pumps and heat exchangers used to regenerate the lean oil from the rich oil stream by separating from it heavier gas components the oil had stripped from the natural gas in the absorbers.
Gas Plants 2 and 3, which were built in 1976 and 1983 respectively, used cryogenic technology, rather than absorption, to produce commercial-grade natural gas. At the time of the accident, Longford was able to process in excess of 530 MMscfd of sales gas, 37,700 barrels per day of LPG, and 188,500 barrels per day of crude oil.
The accident
There were several precursors to the breach of containment that escalated to the fire. Post-event analysis was difficult due to the complex interconnections and interactions between different plant streams. This complexity was probably also a factor that made the diagnosis of the plant upset very challenging for the operators and may have contributed to causing the accident.
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2941671
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1998%20Esso%20Longford%20fire
|
1998 Esso Longford fire
|
During the morning of Friday 25 September 1998, a pump supplying heated lean oil to shell-and-tube heat exchanger GP905 in Gas Plant 1 tripped. This was likely due to high level of liquid in one of the process drums, which in turn was caused by excess liquid overflowing from the demethaniser column. This chain of events was probably initiated by an increase in flow from the Marlin gas field.
A heat exchanger is a vessel that allows the transfer of heat from a hot stream to a cold one. It does not operate at a single temperature, but experiences a range of temperatures throughout the vessel. Temperatures through GP905 normally ranged from . Due to the stoppage in the flow of the heating medium and the continued inflow of cold process fluid on the shell side of the exchanger, parts of GP905 experienced temperatures as low as . Ice from condensed atmospheric humidity formed on the unit shell. The same occurred elsewhere in the plant (for example on heat exchanger GP922), where cryogenic fluid was present which, under normal circumstances, would have been hot. A decision was taken to shut down the entire Gas Plant 1.
Once the faulty pump was restarted, hot lean oil was pumped into the heat exchanger at . At 12:26 pm the steel of the exchanger outer shell, embrittled due to exposure to temperatures far below its safe design envelope, gave way due to thermal stress.
About 10 tonnes of hydrocarbon were immediately vented from the rupture and flashed. A vapour cloud formed and drifted downwind. It ignited 60–90 seconds later, when it reached a set of fired heaters away. This caused a deflagration which quickly burnt its way back to the leak source. When the flame front reached the rupture in the heat exchanger, a fierce jet fire developed. There was however no blast wave and the nearby control room was undamaged. The plant supervisor and a maintenance supervisor were killed in the initial fire.
| 2.203125
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2941671
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1998%20Esso%20Longford%20fire
|
1998 Esso Longford fire
|
The jet fire burnt beneath a critical pipe rack section colloquially known to the operators as "King's Cross". In a case of domino effect accident, over a 30-minute period from 13:00 to 13:32, impinging flames led to three other releases of large flammable inventories. A full-blown plant conflagration ensued.
Aftermath
Complete isolation of the pipes feeding the fire required nearly two and a half days, as a result of the interconnections between the three gas plants. Consequently, it was not possible to extinguish the fire until 17:30 on 27 September. Many Country Fire Authority brigades were involved in fire-fighting operations. Gas production, however, had been shut down immediately, and the state of Victoria was left without its primary gas supplier. Within days, VENCorp shut down the state's entire gas supply. The resulting gas supply shortage was devastating to Victoria's economy, crippling industry and the commercial sector. 1.4 million households and 89,000 businesses were affected. The hospitality industry, which relied on natural gas for cooking, was heavily damaged. Loss to industry during the crisis was estimated at around A$1.3 billion. As natural gas was also widely used in houses in Victoria for cooking, water heating and home heating, many Victorians endured 20 days without these facilities.
Gas supplies to Victoria resumed on 14 October. Many Victorians were outraged and upset to discover only minor compensation on their next gas bill, with the average compensation figure being only around $10.
Longford Royal Commission
A royal commission was called on 12 October 1998, headed by former High Court judge Daryl Dawson. This was the first time a royal commission was called for an industrial accident in the state of Victoria since the collapse of the West Gate Bridge in Melbourne in 1970. The Longford Royal Commission sat for 53 days, commencing with a preliminary hearing on 12 November 1998 and concluding with a closing address by Counsel Assisting the Royal Commission on 15 April 1999.
| 2.046875
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2941671
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1998%20Esso%20Longford%20fire
|
1998 Esso Longford fire
|
Esso blamed the accident on plant operators negligence, even producing the training records of one particular operator in an attempt to show he should have known how to manage the plant upset. The findings of the Longford Royal Commission, however, focused on Esso's safety practices rather than on actions by individual operators:
In process safety
The Longford Royal Commission's findings became key lessons learned in the domain of process safety. Andrew Hopkins, who was an expert witness at the royal commission, based his 2000 book on Lessons from Longford on the results of the commission. Points of interest and lessons learned from Longford include aspects such as:
Design of the plant, in particular in relation to isolation of hazardous inventories, an aspect that exacerbated the fire escalation.
Training of personnel and operating procedures, which were inadequate for dealing with a hazardous process, especially in regards to significant plant upsets, like the loss of lean oil circulation.
Excessive alarm and warning systems, which caused workers to become desensitised to possible hazardous occurrences.
Poor communication between shifts, which meant that the pump shutdown was not properly communicated to the following shift.
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2941678
|
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vito%20Cascio%20Ferro
|
Vito Cascio Ferro
|
Vito Cascio Ferro or Vito Cascioferro (; 22 January 1862 – 20 September 1943), also known as Don Vito, was an Italian criminal who was a prominent member of the Sicilian Mafia. He also operated for several years in the United States. He is often depicted as the "boss of bosses", although such a position does not exist in the loose structure of Cosa Nostra in Sicily.
Cascio Ferro's life is full of myth and mystery. He became a legend even when he was alive, and that legend is partially responsible for creating the image of the gallant gentleman capomafia (Mafia boss). He is widely considered to have been responsible for the 1909 murder of Joseph Petrosino, head of the New York City police department's Italian Squad. However, he was never convicted of the crime.
With the rise of Fascism in Italy, his untouchable position declined. He was arrested and sentenced to life imprisonment in 1930 and would remain in jail until his death. There is some confusion about the exact year of his death, but according to La Stampa, Cascio Ferro died on 20 September 1943, in the prison on the island of Procida.
Early life
Although many sources have identified Cascio Ferro as a native of the rural town of Bisacquino, where he was raised, he was actually born in the city of Palermo, on 22 January 1862. His parents, Accursio Cascio Ferro and Santa Ippolito, were poor and illiterate. The family moved to Bisacquino when his father became a campiere (an armed guard) with the local landlord, Baron Antonino Inglese, a notorious usurper of state-owned land. The position of campiere often involved Mafiosi. According to other sources, at an early age, the family moved to Sambuca Zabut, where he lived for approximately 24 years before relocating to Bisacquino, his recognized power base in the Mafia.
| 2.15625
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2941678
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vito%20Cascio%20Ferro
|
Vito Cascio Ferro
|
On 21 May 1902, Cascio Ferro was arrested in connection with a large counterfeiting operation in Hackensack, New Jersey. He was arrested at the barbershop of Giuseppe Romano on First Avenue, from which the counterfeit money had been distributed. Cascio Ferro managed to escape conviction—his alibi was that he worked at a paper mill—while the other gang members were tried and sentenced.
In New York, he became associated with the Morello gang in Harlem, headed by Giuseppe Morello and Ignazio Lupo. In September 1904, he returned to Sicily shortly after police sergeant Joseph Petrosino of the New York City Police Department ordered his arrest for involvement with the Barrel Murder; his application for American citizenship was consequently blocked. Petrosino traced him to New Orleans, where Cascio Ferro had gone to escape detection, but he had already slipped away.
Some observers consider Cascio Ferro as the one who brought the extortion practice of "continuing protection" in exchange for protection money (pizzo) from Sicily to the United States. "You have to skim the cream off the milk without breaking the bottle," he summarized the system. "Don't throw people into bankruptcy with ridiculous demands for money. Offer them protection instead, help them to make their business prosperous, and not only will they be happy to pay but they'll kiss your hands out of gratitude."
Back in Sicily
Back in Sicily, Cascio Ferro rose to the position of a local notable. He was the capo elettore (ward heeler) of Domenico De Michele Ferrantelli, the mayor of Burgio and member of Parliament for the district of Bivona, as well as on good terms with the Baron Inglese. He exercised influence over several Mafia cosche (clans) in the towns of Bisacquino, Burgio, Campofiorito, Chiusa Sclafani, Contessa Entellina, Corleone, and Villafranca Sicula, as well as some districts in the city of Palermo.
A semi-factual and romantic portrait by journalist Luigi Barzini contributed much to form the legend of Don Vito:
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2941685
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dan%20Curry
|
Dan Curry
|
Daniel Curry is a visual effects producer and supervisor, as well as a main title designer in the film and television industry.
Curry attended Middlebury College in Vermont and graduate school at California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt in California.
He is best known for his work on Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Star Trek: Voyager, and Star Trek: Enterprise. His work on these series earned him fifteen Emmy Award nominations and seven Emmy awards wins. As Visual Effects supervisor, Curry frequently served as a second unit director. He directed an episode himself on only one occasion, the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "Birthright, Part II".
Starting on TNG, Curry used his experience as a martial artist to develop a fighting style for the fictional alien race known as the Klingons. He designed several Klingon hand-to-hand combat weapons, including the Sword of Kahless, the mek'leth, and—most notably—the bat'leth.
In addition to designing the title sequence for Star Trek Voyager, Curry has designed many memorable title sequences for feature films, including Top Gun, Big Trouble in Little China, and Three Amigos. He has also worked as visual effects supervisor on the television series Chuck.
As of 2015, Curry sits on the board of directors for the Hollywood Science Fiction Museum.
| 2.109375
| 0
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2941703
|
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The%20Lost%20Chapter%20of%20the%20Acts%20of%20the%20Apostles
|
The Lost Chapter of the Acts of the Apostles
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The Lost Chapter of the Acts of the Apostles, also known as the Sonnini Manuscript, is a short text purporting to be the translation of a manuscript containing the 29th chapter of the Acts of the Apostles, detailing Paul the Apostle's journey to Britannia, where he preached to a tribe of Israelites on "Mount Lud" (Ludgate Hill), later the site of St Paul's Cathedral, and met with Druids, who proved to him that they were descended from Jews. Thereafter, Paul preached in Gaul and Belgium, and then to Switzerland (Helvetia), where a miraculous earthquake occurred at the site of Pontius Pilate's supposed suicide.
The canonical book of Acts ends rather abruptly with Paul kept under house arrest in chapter 28, which has led to various theories about the history of the text. This "Lost Chapter" does not explain how Paul escaped or was released from arrest to take up new travels.
History
The text made its first appearance in London in 1871. According to the editor, it was translated in the late 18th century by the French naturalist Sonnini de Manoncourt from a "Greek manuscript discovered in the archives at Constantinople and presented to him by the Sultan Abdoul Achmet". It was found hidden in an English translation of Sonnini's Voyage en Grèce et en Turquie in the library of Sir John Newport, MP (1756–1843) after his death. However, no trace of any such manuscript has been found, and from internal evidence, mainstream philology considers it to most likely be a fraud, thus it is classed among the modern pseudepigrapha.
It is available in a 1982 edition by E. Raymond Capt () from Artisan Publishers, Muskogee, which is a publisher specializing in evangelical fringe subjects.
Purpose and influence
The purpose of the book was likely to support Anglo-Israelism. The book has not found attention in recent mainstream publications and is not mentioned on the website of the British-Israel-World Federation. The influence of that movement has declined.
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2941715
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hex%20sign
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Hex sign
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These signs were traditionally adorned with six-pointed stars. There is also the belief that the origin leading to the term "hex sign" is that English settlers mispronounced the German word for six, "sechs", as "hex".
In recent years, hex signs have come to be used by non–Pennsylvania Dutch persons as talismans for folk magic rather than as items of decoration. Some believe that both the Pennsylvania German barn design and hex designs originate with the Alpine Germans. They note that hexes are of pre-Christian Germanic origin; for instance, a circled rosette is called the Sun of the Alps in Padania (the Po Valley). Based on this history, neopagans have taken up the practice of creating hex signs, incorporating other pre-Christian signs and symbols into the hex work. Gandee, in his book Strange Experience, Autobiography of a Hexenmeister, described hex signs as "painted prayers".
Some view the designs as decorative symbols of ethnic identification, possibly originating in reaction to 19th century attempts made by the government to suppress the Pennsylvania German language. Anabaptist sects in the region, such as the Amish and Mennonites, have a negative view of hex signs, and they are rarely, if ever, seen on an Amish or Mennonite household or farm.
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2941730
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Powered%20speakers
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Powered speakers
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Powered speakers, also known as self-powered speakers and active speakers, are loudspeakers that have built-in amplifiers. Powered speakers are used in a range of settings, including in sound reinforcement systems (used at live music concerts), both for the main speakers facing the audience and the monitor speakers facing the performers; by DJs performing at dance events and raves; in private homes as part of hi-fi or home cinema audio systems and as computer speakers. They can be connected directly to a mixing console or other low-level audio signal source without the need for an external amplifier. Some active speakers designed for sound reinforcement system use have an onboard mixing console and microphone preamplifier, which enables microphones to be connected directly to the speaker.
Active speakers have several advantages, the most obvious being their compactness and simplicity. Additionally the amplifier(s) can be designed to closely match the optimal requirements of the speaker it will power; and the speaker designer is not required to include a passive crossover, decreasing production cost and possibly sound quality. Some also claim that the shorter distances between components can decrease external interference and increase fidelity; although this is highly dubious, and the reciprocal argument can also be made. Disadvantages include heavier loudspeaker enclosures; reduced reliability due to active electronic components within; and the need to supply both the audio signal and power to every unit separately, typically requiring two cables to be run to each speaker (as opposed to the single cable required with passive speakers and an external amplifier).
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2941730
|
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Powered%20speakers
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Powered speakers
|
Powered speakers are available with passive or active crossovers built into them. Since the early 2000s, powered speakers with active crossovers and other DSP have become common in sound reinforcement applications and in studio monitors. Home theater and add-on domestic/automotive subwoofers have used active powered speaker technology since the late 1980s.
Differences
The terms "powered" and "active" have been used interchangeably in loudspeaker designs, however, a differentiation may be made between the terms:
In a passive loudspeaker system the low-level audio signal is first amplified by an external power amplifier before being sent to the loudspeaker where the signal is split by a passive crossover into the appropriate frequency ranges before being sent to the individual drivers. This design is common in home audio as well as professional concert audio.
A powered loudspeaker works the same way as a passive speaker, but the power amplifier is built into the loudspeaker enclosure. This design is common in compact personal speakers such as those used to amplify portable digital music devices.
In a fully active loudspeaker system each driver has its own dedicated power amplifier. The low-level audio signal is first sent through an active crossover to split the audio signal into the appropriate frequency ranges before being sent to the power amplifiers and then on to the drivers. This design is commonly seen in studio monitors and professional concert audio.
Hybrid active designs exist such as having three drivers powered by two internal amplifiers. In this case, an active two-way crossover splits the audio signal, usually into low frequencies and mid-high frequencies. The low-frequency driver is driven by its own amplifier channel while the mid- and high-frequency drivers share an amplifier channel, the output of which is split by a passive two-way crossover.
| 2.53125
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2941730
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Powered%20speakers
|
Powered speakers
|
In 1980, Meyer Sound Laboratories produced an integrated active 2-way system, the passive UPA-1, which incorporated lessons John Meyer learned on the McCune JM-3. It used active electronics mounted outside of the loudspeaker enclosure, including Meyer's integrated active crossover with feedback comparator circuits determining the level of limiting, often connected to third-party customer-specified amplifiers. In 1990, Meyer produced its first powered speaker: the HD-1, a 2-way studio monitor with all internal electronics. In the early '90s, after years of dealing with the disadvantages of passive systems, especially varying gain settings on third-party amplifiers, John Meyer decided to stop making passive speakers and devote his company to active designs. Meyer said he "hired an ad agency to research how people felt about powered speakers for sound reinforcement, and they came back after a survey and said that nobody wanted them." Sound reinforcement system operators said they did not want loudspeakers in which they could not see the amplifier meters to determine whether the loudspeakers were working properly during a concert. Nevertheless, Meyer kept to his decision and produced the MSL-4 in 1994, the first powered loudspeaker intended for concert touring. The UPA-1 was converted to a self-powered configuration in 1996 and the rest of Meyer's product line followed suit.
Advantages and disadvantages
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2941730
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Powered%20speakers
|
Powered speakers
|
Fidelity
The main benefit of active versus passive speakers is in the higher fidelity associated with active crossovers and multiple amplifiers, including less IMD, higher dynamic range and greater output power. The amplifiers within the loudspeaker enclosure may be ideally matched to the individual drivers, eliminating the need for each amplifier channel to operate in the entire audio bandpass. Driver characteristics such as power handling and impedance may be matched to amplifier capabilities. More specifically, active speakers have very short speaker cables inside the enclosure, so very little voltage and control is lost in long speaker cables with higher resistance.
An active speaker often incorporates equalization tailored to each driver's response in the enclosure. This yields a flatter, more neutral sound. Limiting circuits (high-ratio audio compression circuits) can be incorporated to increase the likelihood of the driver surviving high-SPL use. Such limiters may be carefully matched to driver characteristics, resulting in a more dependable loudspeaker requiring less service. Distortion detection may be designed into the electronics to help determine the onset of protective limiting, reducing output distortion and eliminating clipping.
Cabling
Passive speakers need only one speaker cable but active speakers need two cables: an audio signal cable and an AC power cable. For multiple-enclosure high-power concert systems, the AC cabling is often smaller in diameter than the equivalent speaker cable bundles, so less copper is used. Some powered speaker manufacturers are now incorporating UHF or more frequently Wi-Fi wireless receivers so the speaker requires only an AC power cable.
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2941730
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Powered%20speakers
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Powered speakers
|
Weight
A powered speaker usually weighs more than an equivalent passive speaker because the internal amplifier circuitry usually outweighs a speaker-level passive crossover. A loudspeaker associated with an integrated active system is even lighter because it has no internal crossover. A lightweight loudspeaker can be more easily carried and it is less of a load in rigging (flying). However, active speakers using lightweight Class-D amplifiers have narrowed the difference. Trucking for a sound system involves transporting all of the various components including amplifier racks, speaker cabling and loudspeaker enclosures. Overall shipping weight for an active loudspeaker system may be less than for a passive system because heavy passive speaker cable bundles are replaced by lighter AC cables and small diameter signal cables. Truck space and weight is reduced by eliminating amplifier racks.
Cost
The expense of a large concert active speaker system is less than the expense of an equivalent passive system. The passive system, or integrated active system with external electronics, requires separate components such as crossovers, equalizers, limiters and amplifiers, all mounted in rolling racks. Cabling for passive concert systems is heavy, large-diameter speaker cable, more expensive than smaller diameter AC power cables and much smaller audio signal cables. For high-end home use, active speakers usually cost more than passive speakers because of the additional amplifier channels required.
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2941730
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Powered%20speakers
|
Powered speakers
|
Ease of use
In professional audio and some home cinema and hi-fi applications, the active speaker may be easier to use because it eliminates the complexity of properly setting crossover frequencies, equalizer curves and limiter thresholds. Cabling is not as simple, however, because active speakers require two cables instead of one (an AC power cable and a cable with the signal, typically an XLR cable). In home audio, some audio engineers argue that a passive speaker, in which an unpowered speaker is connected to an amplifier, is the easiest to install and operate.
Stability against improper use
The amplifiers are adapted to the single loudspeakers employed, which avoids damage to the amplifier or loudspeaker due to mismatched or overloaded components. In certain cases, with passive speakers, tweeters may be destroyed due to strong distortions resulting from amplifier clipping due to overload resulting in overheating. This particularly occurs when the loudness button on a conventional amplifier is activated and the bass tone control is also turned up while the listening volume is high, a typical situation when hi-fi speakers are used at private parties.
Servo-driven speakers
By including a negative feedback loop in the amplifier-speaker system, distortion can be substantially reduced. If mounted at the speaker cone, the sensor is usually an accelerometer. It is possible to monitor the back emf generated by the driver voice coil as it moves within the magnetic gap. In either case, specialist amplifier designs are needed and so servo speakers are inherently powered speakers.
Bass amplifiers
Some bass amplifier manufacturers sell powered speakers designed for adding to the stage power of a combo bass amp. The user plugs a patch cord or XLR cable from the combo amp into the powered speaker.
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2941734
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shanda
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Shanda
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2005-2007: Free-to-play model
In the summer of 2005, Shanda Interactive's revenue dropped significantly as its old hit Legend of Mir II began to lose subscribers. With the intent of extending the life of its older MMORPGs, in December 2005, Shanda announced that its three major games Magical Land, Woool, and Legend of Mir II would be forever be free to play. Allowing gamers to pay for in-game items instead of subscriptions, the "freemium" model was then uncommon in China. The change proved controversial in Wall Street and Shanda's share price initially dropped 70%. Shanda defended the change, arguing that free games accounted for most of the top titles in South Korea, a trend which could be replicated in China. It was later revealed that once Shanda's games adopted this model, average customer spending increased from 30 Chinese yuan to 55 Chinese yuan per quarter. Revenue rebounded after about nine months, and in 2006, Shanda Interactive's internet games sales increased 44 percent from the year prior. Shanda Interactive announced in February 2007 that the free-to-play model was proving lucrative, and shares increased 10 percent in value that day. Following Shanda's example, other Chinese online game operators began declaring many of their titles free to play. By 2007, most new games in China were using the freemium model.
| 2.03125
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2941735
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pirzada
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Pirzada
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Pirzada is historically described as official owners of Sufi mausoleums and shrines in Muslim lands, with their earliest mentions being in Baghdad, Iraq, during the period of the Ilkhanate, Timurids and Mamluks. Often a Pirzada was a descendant of those buried within the tomb they were assigned to, hence most of the Pirzadas are Syeds.
The word Pirzada comes from a Persian word, Pir () which means elder and the suffix zada means; son of.
It also serves as surname for their ascendants in many Indo-Aryan cultures and their accompanying languages, with Pirzada translating into "the son of a saint" in Persian. Today, predominantly-Muslim families bearing the name can be found in various regions around the world, including Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India and Bangladesh. Much of their lineage can be traced to the central Asian plateaus, consisting of the Soviet Union's former republics, such as Ukraine, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Chechnya, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, and Tajikistan. Much of the modern-day Pirzada diaspora derives from the mass migration of the community from Central Asia towards several different areas immediately at a date that is estimated to be sometime during the 15th century.
Diaspora
Pirzadas of Turkey
The origins of Pirzadas as they lay in Central Asia also translated into their presence in the realms of the former Ottoman Empire. As late as 1710, Ottoman census records indicate Pirzadas residing in Turkish municipalities such Istanbul, Denizli, Bursa, and Tokat, with their professions revolving around textiles, finance, and military service. Cüneyt Pirzada held the rank of Binbaşı, or Major, in the Kapıkulu Süvarileri, or Six Divisions of Cavalry of the Ottoman Empire, as per records from 1741. The Pirzadas of Turkey also practiced carpet-weaving in much the same fashion as their counterparts in the Indian subcontinent, with Ottoman tax receipts displaying a thriving artisan practice in Tokat as late as 1874.
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2941735
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pirzada
|
Pirzada
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Pirzadas of Iran
Pirzadas were first recorded in modern-day Persia during the rule of the Qajar dynasty, which ruled Iran from 1785 to 1925. Census records indicate their first presence being in the village of Urmia, close to the border with Azerbaijan, in the year 1783, although they had been a mainstay in the region for close to a century prior. Originally a farming community, Pirzadas eventually began to emerge as an astute family of financial bankers in the cities of Tehran and Qom, with tax records indicating their roles as facilitators of mercantile trade and credit among officials of the Qajar dynasty and foreigners wishing to ship their wares to Persia. Some Pirzadas eventually harnessed their financial backgrounds for the purpose of the Qajar themselves, with an upwards of six generations of the family serving as civil servants and bureaucrats for the government till the last-recorded instance of 1911. In addition, Pirzadas combined their expertise in textiles and finance in order to benefit from Isfahan's status as the artisan hub of Islamic crafts and goods, as the family not only wove, but handled the business behind their own autonomous carpeting businesses.
Pirzadas of Afghanistan
The Pirzadas of Afghanistan were relatively few in number: the community never expanded beyond a few dozen patrons of a single family, although a minority of them are found in the city of Ghazni.
Pirzadas of Bangladesh
The Pirzadas in Bangladesh are a diverse group, descending from various different Sufi pirs. The Pirzada is considered to be the one who is nominated by the Sufi to the gaddi nasheen. Among the notable historic personalities who were known by the title of Pirzada are Pirzada Muhammad Ahmadullah, a Sufi saint of Rajshahi, and the Pirzada of Sylhet who lead the Muharram Rebellion in 1782.
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2941766
|
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur%20River%2C%20Western%20Australia
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Arthur River, Western Australia
|
Arthur River is a small town located in the Wheatbelt region of Western Australia, between Williams and Kojonup on the Albany Highway.
History
The town is named after the Arthur River, which flows through it, a headwater of the Blackwood River. The river was named by Governor James Stirling in October 1835 after Arthur Trimmer who was a member of the exploring expedition led by the Stirling. Trimmer arrived in Western Australia in April 1831 and selected land at York. In 1836, he married Mary Ann, one of King George Sound Government Resident Sir Richard Spencer’s daughters.
Following the introduction of convicts in Western Australia labour to the Swan River Colony in the early 1850s, the road from Perth to Albany was completed and a number of small settlements sprang up along it to support pastoralists who had been granted grazing leases in the area from as early as 1854. Arthur River gradually developed into a thriving centre with a police barracks and gaol (1866), the Mount Pleasant Inn (1869), St Paul's Church (1885) still surviving to this day as remnants of the original settlement, and a post office, blacksmith, doctor and trading post also being built around that time. By the end of the century it was the major centre in the area.
The towns post office originally operated out of the inn. Mary Ann Spratt was appointed as the post mistress in 1866. The post office itself was not gazetted until 1892 which was the same year that the telegraph line was connected. The first telephone subscriber service commenced in 1913.
When the Great Southern Railway opened in 1889, much of the existing trade moved to new railway towns further east and many of the centres along the old "Coach Road" closed.
A bridge over the Arthur River was built in 1907 at Nobles Crossing.
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2941781
|
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Williams%2C%20Western%20Australia
|
Williams, Western Australia
|
Williams is a town located in the Wheatbelt region of Western Australia, south-southeast of the state capital, Perth along Albany Highway and 32 kilometres (20 mi) west of Narrogin. The Williams River passes through the town. At the 2016 census, Williams had a population of 411.
History
Williams is named after the Williams River that flows nearby. The river was sighted by Captain Thomas Bannister in 1831 while leading the first overland expedition from the Swan River Colony to King George Sound (now Albany), and was first shown on an 1833 map. More than likely, the name honours King William IV, who reigned in the United Kingdom from June 1830 until June 1837.
The first British claims on land in the area occurred in 1832. In 1835 a party led by Governor James Stirling and John Septimus Roe surveyed a route joining King George Sound with York via Williams to encourage inland settlement. No settlement occurred until after Lieutenant Henry Bunbury explored the region in 1836, despite his assessment that "on the Williams the land is generally very bad and the water brackish".
After the building of Albany Highway by convicts in the 1850s, Williams became an important stopover point for passengers and changing of horses, and became the main centre in the district. The bridge over the Williams River was completed in 1855. The Williams Hotel was erected in 1871, and a Road Board (predecessor to the current
Shire Council) first convened in 1877.
In early 1898 the population of the town was 55, 30 males and 25 females. Later the same year the local Agricultural Hall was opened by Frederick Piesse, it was built at a cost of £250 granted by Parliament.
The original town had been built on the Albany side of the river, but was subject to increasing floods due to the clearing of the land for intensive farming; therefore the town was relocated to the Perth side of the bridge. The town site was surveyed in 1905 and most of the buildings in the present town site were constructed after that time.
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2941820
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John%20Guy%20%28New%20Zealand%20cricketer%29
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John Guy (New Zealand cricketer)
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John William Guy (born 29 August 1934) is a former New Zealand cricketer who played 12 Tests for the national team between 1955 and 1961. He currently resides in Melbourne, Australia.
Life and career
Guy was born in Nelson on 29 August 1934, and was educated at Nelson College between 1950 and 1953.
Guy made his first-class cricket debut in 1953–54 for Central Districts. Moving around New Zealand in the course of his working career, he later represented Canterbury, Otago and Wellington, and finished his first-class career with Northern Districts in 1972–73. He is the only player to represent five New Zealand provincial teams in first-class cricket. He also played twice for Northamptonshire in the 1958 English cricket season.
Guy played his first Tests on the tour of Pakistan in 1955–56. In the series against India that followed immediately afterwards, he had his most successful series, scoring 313 runs at an average of 34.77, including a century (102) in the First Test, 52 in the Third Test, and 91 in the Fourth Test.
In the early 1960s Guy worked for Shell. Following the end of his cricket career, he became a national selector and was a representative for Newbury cricket bats. Guy developed the shoulderless Excalibur bat used by fellow New Zealand cricketer Lance Cairns.
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2941833
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rudrama%20Devi
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Rudrama Devi
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Rudrama Devi (r. c. 1262 - 1289; also known by her regnal name Rudra-deva Maharaja) was a Kakatiya Queen regnant who ruled substantial parts of present-day Telangana and Andhra Pradesh in southern India. She was among the few successful female rulers in Indian history.
Rudrama's father and predecessor Ganapati, who had no son, appointed her as his co-regent around 1260. By 1263, Rudrama became the sole ruler, although she was not formally anointed as a sovereign at least until 1269. Early during her reign, Rudrama appears to have faced a revolt, which she was able to suppress with the support of her loyalists. She recovered some of the territories that the Kakatiyas had lost during the late 1250s and the early 1260s to their southern neighbours - the Pandyas. She also repulsed invasions by the Seunas (Yadavas) from the north-west, and the Gajapatis from the north-east. In the 1270s and the 1280s, Rudrama lost much of her southern territory to a revolt by the Kayastha chief Amba-deva, and likely lost her life in a conflict against him in 1289. Her grandson Prataparudra succeeded her on the Kakatiya throne.
The reign of Rudrama was remarkable for the rise of several non-aristocratic warriors in the Kakatiya service. She strengthened the Warangal Fort by raising its inner wall and constructing an outer wall surrounded by a moat.
Early life
Rudrama-devi, also known as Rudramba, was a daughter of her predecessor King Ganapati-deva. Kumara-svami Somapithi, in his commentary on Vidyanatha's Prataparudra-yashobhushanam, states that Rudrama was a daughter of Ganapati by queen Somamba. However, at another place in the same text, he incorrectly names Rudrama as the chief queen of Ganapati. Some other sources also incorrectly describe Rudrama as a wife of Ganapati, including the Venetian traveler Marco Polo (who visited the Kakatiya kingdom around 1293 CE), and the 17th-century text Pratapa-charitra. However, contemporary epigraphic evidence makes it clear that Rudrama was a daughter of Ganapati, not his wife.
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2941833
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rudrama%20Devi
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Rudrama Devi
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The Seuna (Yadava) king Mahadeva invaded the Kakatiya kingdom during Rudrama's reign. The Seuna records, including Mahadeva's inscriptions and Hemadri's Vrata-khanda, suggest that he achieved military successes against the ruler of Tilinga (Telangana), that is, the Kakatiya monarch. For example, they claim that Mahadeva was "the uprooter of the stalk of the lotus of the head" of the ruler of Tilinga, that he blew away this ruler like a strong wind blows away cotton, and that he "captured in battle the elephants and the five musical instruments" of this ruler. The Vrata-khanda claims that Mahadeva left Rudrama free because he was reluctant to kill a woman. The epithet "the uprooter of the stalk of the lotus of the head" appears to be a hereditary title inherited from his great-grandfather Jaitugi, who is known to have killed a Kakatiya king. Other claims made in the Seuna inscriptions are clear exaggerations.
The records from Telangana suggest that Rudrama not only repulsed the Seuna invasion, but also annexed a part of their territory. The 17th-century text Pratapa-charitra describes the episode as follows: Mahadeva besieged the Kakatiya capital Warangal for 15 days, but Rudrama led the Kakatiya forces to destroy his 300,000 infantry and 100,000 cavalry. Rudrama then chased Mahadeva to the Seuna capital Devagiri; there, Mahadeva sued for peace, agreed to pay her 10 million gold coins as war indemnity, and concluded a peace treaty. Rudrama distributed the money among her commanders, set up a victory pillar in the Seuna territory, and returned to her own kingdom.
The Pratapa-charitra claims, such as Rudrama's purported destruction of the 300,000 infantry and 100,000 cavalry, are obvious exaggerations. However, epigraphic and numismatic evidence suggests that Rudrama indeed repulsed a Seuna invasion:
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2941833
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rudrama%20Devi
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Rudrama Devi
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A fragmentary Bidar Fort inscription mentions Rudrama's subordinate Bhairava of Sinda family, and states that he accompanied Rudrama as a commander of her army in all her expeditions. Bidar is located in the southern part of the traditional Seuna territory, and this inscription may have been issued during Rudrama's offensive against the Seunas, in the Bedadakota (present-day Bidar) area. The inscription mentions her title as Raya-gaja-kesari, which she inherited from her father.
A 1267 CE Panugal inscription of the Seuna prince Sharnga-pani-deva records a gift to the temple of Chhaya-Somanatha. The inscription describes him as a son of the Seuna king Simhana and a subordinate of the Kakatiya Manuma-Rudradeva, that is, Rudrama. According to historian M. Somasekhara Sarma, this Sharnga-pani-deva is same as the Sharnga-pani-deva described in the 1268 CE Hire-Kogilur inscription as the father of Mahadeva. He theorizes that Mahadeva's father Sharnga-pani-deva seized Panagal during the Seuna invasion of the Kakatiya territory, and acknowledged her suzerainty after the Seuna defeat. However, historian P.V.P. Sastry theorizes that Sharnga-pani-deva (or Sarjnapani-deva) of the Panugal inscription was another Seuna prince who sought asylum with the Kakatiyas because of his differences with Mahadeva.
In 1922, a set of 43 gold coins issued by Seuna kings was unearthed at Rachapatnam near Kaikaluru. M. Somasekhara Sarma notes that the treasure cannot be considered to be a proof of Seuna presence in the Kakatiya country, as coins travel extensive distances; for example, Roman coins have been found in southern India because of trade. According to him, the coins may have been part of the war indemnity that the Seunas paid to Rudrama according to the Pratapa-charitra.
Amba-deva's revolt
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2941833
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rudrama%20Devi
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Rudrama Devi
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In 2017, archaeologist D. Kanna Babu of Archaeological Survey of India identified two sculptures at Pochalamma temple in Bollikunta as depictions of Rudrama. The first sculpture shows her riding a horse with reins in her left hand and a sword in her right hand; it features an overhead umbrella - the royal insignia. The second sculpture shows her tired, seated sorrowfully, and leaning towards left; the royal umbrella is missing, presumably because she lost it in the battle; and there is a buffalo - the vehicle of Yama, the lord of death. According to Babu's interpretation, the sculptures depict Rudrama's death in a battle against Amba-deva.
Around 1291, during the reign of Rudrama's successor Prataparudra, the Kakatiya forces defeated Amba-deva. Earlier historians believed that Rudramadevi ruled until 1295, because some records before this year name Prataparudra as Kumara (Prince) Rudra. However, the discovery of the Chandupatla inscription confirmed that Rudramadevi died before 27 November 1289. Moreover, some records before 1295 (such as the 1292 Inkirala inscription) call Prataparudra a Maharaja ("great king"). It appears that Prataparudra continued to be called Kumara Rudra for some years after ascending the throne, because this was a familiar usage.
Administration
According to an early 14th-century text, Rudrama's father Ganapati considered her equal to a son, and therefore, decided to use a male persona for her. Rudrama thus promoted a male image to rule in a patrilineal society that traditionally excluded women from political power: she assumed a male name and wore masculine clothing. Her husband Vira-bhadra finds few mentions in historical records and did not actively participate in the administration.
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2941833
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rudrama%20Devi
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Rudrama Devi
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Rudrama recruited several non-aristocratic warriors into the Kakatiya service: her successor Prataparudra as well as the later Vijayanagara emperors adopted this policy as well. Epigraphic evidence suggests that during and after the later part of Ganapati's reign, the number and proportion of officers (as opposed to chiefs and princes) among individuals acknowledging Kakatiya overlordship increased significantly. For example, out of the 34 Kakatiya subordinates known from Kakatiya inscriptions during the early part of Ganapati's reign (c. 1199-1230 CE), 47% were chiefs and princes, while 26% were officers. From Rudrama's reign, 63 subordinates are known: only 17% of these were chiefs and princes, while 38% were officers. This suggests that, during this period, the noble families declined while the importance of the officers grew. In the Kakatiya administration, the officers with the designation anga-rakshaka (bodyguard) first appeared during Rudrama's rule, and virtually disappeared during the reign of her successor Prataparudra.
The Malayala and Recherla chiefs, who played an important role during the reigns of the preceding kings Rudra and Ganapati, appear to have retired from active service during Rudrama's reign. New chiefs, such as Reddis of Gona family and the Velamas, emerged as the important generals during her time.
Notable subordinates of Rudrama included:
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2941833
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rudrama%20Devi
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Rudrama Devi
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Rudrama built a ranga-mandapa dedicated to her family deity Svayambhu-deva (Shiva) in the Warangal Fort. A sculpture discovered among the ruins of this structure depicts her as a lion-mounted warrior holding a dagger and a shield in her hands. The image also depicts an elephant holding a lotus in its trunk: according to historian P.V.P. Sastry, it represents Rudrama's title Raya-gaja-kesari.
Family and succession
Rudrama and her husband Vira-bhadra had three daughters: Mummadamma, Rudrama, and Ruyyama (alias Ruyyamba). According to Vidyanatha's Prataparudra-Yashobhushana, Mummadamma married Mahadeva. Rudrama, the princess who shared her mother's name, married the Seuna (Yadava) prince Yellana-deva (or Ellana-deva), who held a fief near Guntur, as suggested by his Alapadu inscription. Ruyyama married the minister and commander Annaya-deva of Induluri family, who was a son of Gannaya.
Since queen Rudrama had no son, her father Ganapati asked her to adopt Mummadamma's son Prataparudra alias Vira-rudra as her own son. Rudrama did so, and nominated Prataparudra as her successor.
Rudrama had a sister named Ganapama-devi (or Ganapamba), who married Beta of Kota family.
In popular culture
Among the historical rulers of India, Rudrama was one of the few women who inherited the throne from her father. She was also among the most successful women rulers of medieval South Asia, by the length of her reign as well as by the area of her kingdom. The historical traditions written in the centuries immediately following her death did not celebrate her as an important female monarch, and instead presented her as a widow queen who ruled on behalf of her infant son. However, in the 20th century, she became a source of regional pride in the Andhra Pradesh (later split into Telangana).
In 2015, filmmaker Gunasekhar made a Telugu film Rudhramadevi on the life of Rudrama Devi with Anushka Shetty playing the titular role.
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2941841
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horace%20S.%20Carswell%20Jr.
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Horace S. Carswell Jr.
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Citation:
The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress July 9, 1918, takes pride in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross (Posthumously) to Major (Air Corps) Horace Seaver Carswell, Jr., United States Army Air Forces, for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations against an armed enemy while serving as Pilot of a B-24 Heavy Bomber in the 374th Bombardment Squadron, 308th Bombardment Group (H), Fourteenth Air Force, while participating in a bombing mission on 16 October 1944, against enemy Japanese surface vessels in the South China Sea. During a sea-sweep mission along the China Coast, a task force of six Japanese naval vessels was located by means of radio equipment. A destroyer and a cruiser were singled out for attack. During four runs over the target at an altitude of 400 feet and under intense fire from the supporting vessels, both were sunk. The plane was not struck and returned to the mainland with less than one hour's supply of gas. The exceptional courage, gallantry, cool judgment and skill demonstrated by Major Carswell in attacking such a large naval task force with his lone plane in the face of almost certain destruction, reflect great credit upon himself, the Army Air Forces and the Army of the United States.
Honors
On February 27, 1948, Fort Worth Army Airfield was renamed Carswell Air Force Base in his honor. There are also Carswell Avenues at Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska, Lackland Air Force Base, Texas and Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri named in his honor. A frame containing an artist's rendition and an exhibit Medal of Honor and a citation is on display at Texas A&M University in the Memorial Student Center. A large bronze relief plaque hangs in the Sanders Corps of Cadets Center on the campus of Texas A&M University. Carswell only briefly attended A&M and graduated from TCU.
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2941856
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donnybrook%2C%20Western%20Australia
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Donnybrook, Western Australia
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Donnybrook is a town situated between Boyanup and Kirup on the South Western Highway, south of Perth, Western Australia. The town is the centre of apple cultivation in Western Australia. The town is also known for its picturesque abundance of English oak trees, as well as for the Apple Fun Park, a large outdoor playground in the centre of town.
History
Donnybrook is on the traditional lands of the Noongar people. George Nash and other Europeans arrived here around 1842. They named the place after their home town, Donnybrook, then a suburb of Dublin, Ireland. The eastern part of the town was formerly called Minninup. The western portion of the townsite is currently known as Irishtown. The town of Donnybrook was gazetted in 1894.
In 1897, Richard Hunter discovered gold about 6 kilometres south of the Donnybrook townsite. Hunter eventually sold out to Fred Camilleri (a well known prospector from Kalgoorlie) and Camilleri was able to interest the internationally renowned Polish geologist Modest Maryanski. It was on the basis of Maryanski's report that a new company "Donnybrook Goldfields Ltd" was floated on the London Stock Exchange in 1899. A mini gold rush occurred, resulting in the Government gazetting the Donnybrook Goldfield – in the process making provision for a new town to be called "Goldtown". From the census of 1901, it was known over 200 gold miners were camped on the goldfields. The excitement was short-lived however, and the Hunters Venture mine closed in August 1903. The area was worked during the Great Depression by locals Laurie and Foster Payne, then re-pegged and explored during the 1980s and again from 2004 to 2005.
Geography
Climate
Donnybrook experiences a Mediterranean climate (Köppen climate classification Csa). Although summers are usually dry, heavy downpours in the summer are not uncommon. Donnybrook gets 93.9 clear days annually.
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2941857
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zo%C3%A9%20Talon%20du%20Cayla
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Zoé Talon du Cayla
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She was also the avenue through which office-seekers could find places. After the death of her royal patron in 1824 she turned her attention to agriculture, raising a new breed of sheep named in her honour, from a long-haired Nubian ram that had been presented to her by Muhammad Ali, viceroy of Egypt. She supported the pile carpet manufactory of Savonnerie in its last independent days before it was absorbed by the Gobelins in 1826.
Later life
During a visit which she paid to London in 1829, Greville observed in his diary:
She must have been good-looking in her youth; her countenance is lively, her eyes are piercing, clear complexion, and very handsome hands and arms; but the best part about her seemed to be the magnificent pearls she wore, though these are not so fine as Lady Conyngham's.
Death
She died in 1852 at her château of Saint-Ouen.
Legacy
Among gardeners, her name is commemorated in the Rose 'Comtesse du Cayla', not in fact a rose of her period, but instead a China rose raised by Pierre Guillot in 1902.
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2941860
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inositol%20phosphate
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Inositol phosphate
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Inositol phosphates are a group of mono- to hexaphosphorylated inositols. Each form of inositol phosphate is distinguished by the number and position of the phosphate group on the inositol ring.
inositol monophosphate (IP)
inositol bisphosphate (IP2)
inositol trisphosphate (IP3)
inositol tetrakisphosphate (IP4)
inositol pentakisphosphate (IP5)
inositol hexaphosphate (IP6) also known as phytic acid, or phytate (as a salt).
A series of phosphorylation and dephosphorylation reactions are carried out by at least 19 phosphoinositide kinases and 28 phosphoinositide phosphatase enzymes allowing for the inter-conversion between the inositol phosphate compounds based on cellular demand.
Inositol phosphates play a crucial role in various signal transduction pathways responsible for cell growth and differentiation, apoptosis, DNA repair, RNA export, regeneration of ATP and more.
Functions
Inositol trisphosphate
The inositol-phospholipid signaling pathway is responsible for the generation of IP3 through the cleavage of Phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2) found in the lipid bi-layer of the plasma membrane by phospholipase C in response to either receptor tyrosine kinase or Gq alpha subunit-G protein-coupled receptor signaling. Soluble inositol trisphosphate (IP3) is able to rapidly diffuse into the cytosol and bind to the inositol trisphosphate receptor (InsP3Rs) calcium channels located in the endoplasmic reticulum. This releases calcium into the cytosol, serving as a rapid and potent signal for various cellular processes.
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2941863
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Methionine%20synthase
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Methionine synthase
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Methionine synthase (MS, MeSe, MTR) is primarily responsible for the regeneration of methionine from homocysteine in most individuals. In humans it is encoded by the MTR gene (5-methyltetrahydrofolate-homocysteine methyltransferase). Methionine synthase forms part of the S-adenosylmethionine (SAMe) biosynthesis and regeneration cycle, and is the enzyme responsible for linking the cycle to one-carbon metabolism via the folate cycle. There are two primary forms of this enzyme, the Vitamin B12 (cobalamin)-dependent (MetH) and independent (MetE) forms, although minimal core methionine synthases that do not fit cleanly into either category have also been described in some anaerobic bacteria. The two dominant forms of the enzymes appear to be evolutionary independent and rely on considerably different chemical mechanisms. Mammals and other higher eukaryotes express only the cobalamin-dependent form. In contrast, the distribution of the two forms in Archaeplastida (plants and algae) is more complex. Plants exclusively possess the cobalamin-independent form, while algae have either one of the two, depending on species. Many different microorganisms express both the cobalamin-dependent and cobalamin-independent forms.
Mechanism
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2941867
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mullalyup%2C%20Western%20Australia
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Mullalyup, Western Australia
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Mullalyup is a town in the South West region of Western Australia, situated between Kirup and Balingup on the South Western Highway, south of Perth. The town is in the shire of Donnybrook-Balingup, known for its scenic Blackwood River Valley and agricultural industries.
The name is taken from the nearby Mullalyup Brook, and was first noted by John Forrest in 1866. It is Noongar in origin, and apparently means "nose place", as the place where nose-piercing was performed as part of the initiation cycle of young men. Mullalyup and the Shire of Donnybrook–Balingup are located on the traditional land of the Wardandi people of the Noongar nation.
The first Europeans to settle in the area were the Coverley family who took land close to the town and named their farm "Elm Grove". The first major building in the town was the Blackwood Inn, built in 1882 by John Coverley for Thomas Maslin.
During the 1890s the town was included as a siding in the construction of the railway line from Donnybrook to Bridgetown.
The town site was gazetted in 1901.
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2941886
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western%20Derby
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Western Derby
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The Western Derby () is the name given to the Australian rules football matches between the West Coast Eagles and the Fremantle Dockers, who both participate in the Australian Football League (AFL) and AFL Women's (AFLW).
As both teams are based in Perth, the capital city of Western Australia, the term "derby" is used to describe the match. It has become the most important match for football in Western Australia (outside of finals), with former West Coast player and coach John Worsfold claiming that in the week before a derby that it is the main topic in Perth.
In 2004, during the 175th-anniversary celebrations of the establishment of the Swan River Colony, the Western Derby was named as one of 12 "Heritage Icons", in recognition of "football's key social and historical importance to the State".
Referring to a melee during the Round 21, 2000, Derby, Channel Nine sports reporter Michael Thomson said the match had divided Western Australia and that the "football landscape in WA has been changed forever."
There are two AFL Western Derbies and one AFLW derby every year during the home-and-away season (barring the exceptional COVID-19-affected 2020 season, where only one derby was played). From 1995 until 2017, the derbies were held at Subiaco Oval (with the one exception during this period being the October 2005 post-season exhibition game at The Oval in London). From 2018, all AFL derbies have been held at Perth Stadium. There has never been a Western Derby finals match, nor a drawn match.
In AFL derbies, West Coast were the dominant team during Fremantle's early years, winning the first nine derbies. Fremantle won their first Western Derby in July 1999. Fremantle are the current holders of the Western Derby Trophy after defeating West Coast by 35 points in Round 20 of the 2024 AFL season. In AFLW derbies, Fremantle is undefeated, winning the first seven games.
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2941905
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reis%20%C3%BCl-K%C3%BCttab
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Reis ül-Küttab
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The Reis ül-Küttab (), or Reis Efendi (), was a senior post in the administration of the Ottoman Empire. Translated as "chief of the scribes" or "head clerk", the holder of the post was originally the head of the chancery of the Imperial Council, evolving into an analogue to a Foreign Minister. In 1836, the title of reis ül-küttab was formally changed to Foreign Minister (Hariciye Nazırı) with the establishment of the Ottoman Ministry of Foreign Affairs during the Tanzimat reforms.
Establishment and evolution
The office is first attested in the early 1520s, and was in all likelihood a creation of Sultan Suleyman the Magnificent (r. 1520–66), although it may have existed for far longer than that as a junior post attached to the government. As its name attests—reis ül-küttab means as much as "head scribe" or "head clerk"—the post was in charge of the clerks of the Imperial Council (divan-ı hümayun), which formed the government of the Ottoman Empire.
Prior to Suleyman's reign, the functions of the office were shared by the emin-i akham ("depository of the decisions") and the nişancı ("chancellor"). Analogues existed however in other eastern Islamic states, as well as in Ottoman provinces, where a divan efendi presided over the council of the local governors (valis). According to J. Deny, the establishment of the reis ül-küttab was the transfer of this practice to the capital. Its establishment coincided with the gradual increase of the number of clerks attached to the various senior offices and departments of state, which began under Suleyman and continued well into the 17th century; thus for instance the seven and eleven clerks attached respectively to the defterdar ("treasurer") and the nişancı, ca. 1530, had increased to nine and 25 respectively by 1561. The first occupant of the office was probably a certain Haydar Efendi, who died in 1523/4, but the first well-known incumbent was the historian Celâlzâde Mustafa Çelebi, who held the post from 1524/5 until his promotion to nişancı in 1534.
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reis%20%C3%BCl-K%C3%BCttab
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Reis ül-Küttab
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In the 16th and 17th centuries, the reis ül-küttab was drawn from the senior secretarial staff of the viziers or, more often, and from the early 17th century almost exclusively, the Grand Vizier. A regular line of promotion (tarik) was established, whereby one advanced from ordinary secretary (Persian: khalife, Turkish: kalfa) in one of the bureaux of the Grand Vizier's secretariat to senior clerk (ser-khalife or baş-kalfa) and eventually to bureau chief (mektubcı). The latter post entailed close proximity to the Grand Vizier and was a springboard for the highest offices. On rare occasions, the person chosen as reis ül-küttab was not one of the Grand Vizier's mektubcıs, but the secretary of the Kahya Bey, the Grand Vizier's lieutenant.
Functions
The reis ül-küttab served in close contact with the Grand Vizier, accompanying the latter to his audiences with the Sultan, as well as to the Grand Vizier's own audiences with foreign ambassadors. However, although the reis ül-küttab attended the meetings of the Council, arriving before and leaving after the viziers, he had no right to speak himself in it or directly to the Sultan, and was obliged to do so via the Grand Vizier.
His main role was as the head of the Department of the Imperial Council (divan-i hümayun kalemi), which in turn was divided into three bureaux: the beylik, under the beylikçı from the mid-17th century on, which was responsible for drafting and publishing all imperial decrees (firman) or ordinances (evamir), and for keeping an archive of the originals of all laws and regulations (kanun) and treaties with other states; the tahvil, which was responsible for issuing every year the diplomas (berat) of provincial governors, judges, and timariots; the ru'us ("provisions") office, charged with provisioning various officials, as well as paying pensions from the treasury or from charitable establishments (vakf). All state correspondence, except for military or financial matters, was in his hands.
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2941911
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jaime%20S%C3%A1enz
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Jaime Sáenz
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Jaime Sáenz Guzmán (8 October 1921 – 16 August 1986) was a Bolivian writer, poet, novelist, journalist, essayist, illustrator, dramaturge, and professor, known best for his narrative and poetic works. His poetry, though individual to the point of being difficult to classify, bears some similarities with surrealist literature.
He was born, lived, and died in the city of La Paz, which would come to be the setting permanently in the background of each of his works. He is recognized as one of the most important authors in Bolivian literature, as both his life and his work prominently highlighted 20th century Bolivian culture. There are a number of academic studies on his work, as well as translations in English, Italian, and German.
Throughout his life, Sáenz struggled with alcoholism, a struggle which he frequently wrote about in his poems. Accordingly, he is often viewed as a poète maudit or "cursed poet". Sáenz was openly, "unashamedly" bisexual.
Biography
Sáenz was born on 8 October 1921 in La Paz, Bolivia. His father was Genaro Sáenz Rivero, the lieutenant colonel of the Bolivian Army, and his mother Graciela Guzmán Lazarte. His humanistic and artistic formation began in La Paz, being sent to the Muñoz School in 1926 for primary school, and then to the American Institute of La Paz for secondary, which he finished in 1937.
In 1938, he traveled to Germany with some classmates and cadets from the Military School of Bolivia. This trip to Europe greatly affected the direction of his work, as he was strongly influenced by the works of philosophers Arthur Schopenhauer, Hegel, Martin Heidegger, and writers Thomas Mann, William Blake, and Franz Kafka; as for his music tastes, Sáenz enjoyed Richard Wagner and Anton Bruckner.
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2941915
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Permanente%20Metals
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Permanente Metals
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Permanente Metals Corporation (PMC) is best known for having managed the Richmond Shipyards in Richmond, California, owned by one of industrialist Henry J. Kaiser's many corporations, and also engaged in related corporate activities. These four of the seven west coast Kaiser Shipyards were known for their construction of Liberty ships and later Victory ships.
History
The company was formed on 9 December 1940 as the Todd California Shipbuilding Corporation. The name was changed to Permanente Metals Corp. on 8 November 1941. In February 1942, the Todd Corporation acquired Kaiser's interests in the Seattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding Corporation and Kaiser acquired Todd's interests in Permanente Metals. The seven-way shipyard in Richmond that was built to fulfill a contract for 30 Ocean ships was complete by August 1941 and Permanente Metals completed the contract for the ships.
The company was originally a major producer of magnesium during World War II and derives its name from the Permanente Creek in Santa Clara County, California where mining operations commenced in the early 1930s. To make use of its major product, powdered magnesium, PMC also developed and supplied an incendiary bomb mixture of magnesium powder, asphalt, gasoline, and other components (known as "goop," with similar characteristics to napalm); 17,000 short tons of goop-filled bombs were used in World War II (approximately eight percent of the total tonnage of incendiaries that were dropped during that conflict). Permanente ranked 42nd among United States corporations in the value of World War II military production contracts.
After the war, Kaiser went into the aluminum business, starting out with war surplus plants in Washington State and Louisiana. In 1949, the company name was changed. Permanente Metals was henceforth the Kaiser Aluminum & Chemicals Corporation.
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2941923
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valley%20of%20a%20Thousand%20Hills
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Valley of a Thousand Hills
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The Valley of a Thousand Hills is a valley between Pietermaritzburg and Durban, South Africa. The Umgeni River meets the Msunduzi River (Duzi River) in the valley, and the Dusi Canoe Marathon is run through the area every year.
Geography
The Valley of a Thousand Hills stretches from Cato Ridge in the west to Kloof in the east and coincides with borders of the Outer West Region of the Ethekwini Metropolitan Municipality. The valley includes areas such as Cato Ridge, Inchanga, Mpumalanga (Hammarsdale), Drummond, Peacevale, Botha's Hill, Assagay, Hillcrest, Waterfall, Ngcolosi, Gillitts, Everton and Kloof. Wealthier areas can be found on the higher ground, while the lower section of the valley is dominated by widely spread, low-income households.
Places of interest
The Inchanga Railway Museum, which is located in the old Station Master's House on the route of the Umgeni Steam Railway, celebrates KwaZulu-Natal's rail heritage.
The Shongweni Farmers and Craft Market is a popular weekly market open on Saturday mornings.
PheZulu Safari Park offers a variety of activities, including visiting the reptile park, watching traditional Zulu dance, going on a safari drive, and visiting the Cultural Village.
The Animal Farmyard offers great activities for children, including feeding and petting the animals, pony and horse rides and going on the zip line.
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2941926
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visual%20journalism
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Visual journalism
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Visual journalism is the practice of strategically combining words and images to convey information.
Overview
Visual journalism is premised upon the idea that at a time of accelerating change, often words cannot keep pace with concepts. Visual journalism incorporates ancient symbols that resonate with humans across cultures and time and conveys meaning instantaneously at a deep level.
Visual journalism is an outgrowth of the practice of graphic facilitation and recording that began entering corporate board rooms, conferences, and think tank meetings in the 1970s with the leadership of David Sibbet, founder of The Grove Consultants International. But its roots date back to ancient cave paintings and carry forward in the work of designers, architects, and engineers. Only recently has interactive visualization of this sort moved out into common use in a variety of group engagements. The scholarly father of this visual form of communication is Robert Horn, Ph.D., a fellow at Stanford University and author of the book Visual Language.
Visual journalism is not a series of symbols with precise meanings but rather images that suggest complex meanings and, in the Egyptian tradition of the cartouche, contain words. The symbols do not simply represent but participate in the meaning and, in combination with evocative phrases, are designed to provoke creative thinking. Visual language is one tool described by author Daniel Pink in his book A Whole New Mind for the emerging "conceptual age" where people must tolerate ambiguity and communicate quickly, often before concepts are ready to be captured in traditional writing.
Projects
2015 "People's Republic of Bolzano", Free University of Bozen-Bolzano
2016 "Europa Dreaming", Free University of Bozen-Bolzano
2021 "Glocal Climate Change", European Data Journalism Network and Sheldon.studio
2023 "Mapping Diversity", European Data Journalism Network and Sheldon.studio
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2941933
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collared%20aracari
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Collared aracari
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The collared aracari or collared araçari (Pteroglossus torquatus) is a near-passerine bird in the toucan family Ramphastidae. It is found from Mexico to Colombia and Venezuela.
Taxonomy
The collared aracari was described by the Spanish naturalist Francisco Hernández (1514–1587) in his work Rerum medicarum Novae Hispaniae thesaurus, seu, Plantarum animalium mineralium Mexicanorum historia which was published posthumously in 1651. In his Latin text Hernández used the name De Cochitenacatl, the word for the bird in the local Nahuatl language. Later ornithologists based their own descriptions on that by Hernández. These included Mathurin Brisson in 1760, the Comte de Buffon in 1780, and John Latham in 1782.
When the German naturalist Johann Friedrich Gmelin revised and expanded Carl Linnaeus's Systema Naturae in 1788 he included the collared aracari and cited the descriptions by earlier ornithologists. He placed it with the toucans in the genus Ramphastos and coined the binomial name Ramphastos torquatus. The specific epithet is a Latin word meaning "collared". When John Gould published a hand-coloured illustration of the collared aracari in 1854 he commented: "We find in the writings of the older authors — Gmelin, Latham, and others — a species of this family called Ramphastos torquatus, which may have been intended to indicate the present bird, but their descriptions and measurements are somewhat inapplicable; at the same time it is the only species yet discovered having a distinct reddish collar at the back of the neck, and there is no other bird which agrees so well with their obscure descriptions". The type location has been restricted to the state of Veracruz in southeast Mexico. The collared aracari is now one of 14 species placed in the genus Pteroglossus that was introduced in 1811 by Johann Karl Wilhelm Illiger.
The International Ornithological Committee (IOC) and BirdLife International's Handbook of the Birds of the World (HBW) recognize three subspecies:
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2941933
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collared%20aracari
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Collared aracari
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P. t. torquatus - (Gmelin, 1788)
P. t. erythrozonus - Ridgway, 1912
P. t. nuchalis - Cabanis, 1862 (originally described as a separate species.)
The South American Classification Committee of the American Ornithological Society and the Clements taxonomy include two other subspecies that IOC and HBW separate as the stripe-billed aracari (P. sanguineus) and pale-mandibled aracari (P. erythropygius).
This article follows the IOC/HBW three-subspecies model.
Description
Like other toucans, the collared aracari is brightly marked and has a large bill. Adults are long and weigh . Males and females have the same coloration of the bill and plumage but the female's bill is shorter than the male's. The three subspecies' bills are alike. The adult's bill has a narrow vertical white line at its base. Its maxilla is buffy white darkening to dull reddish brown at its base. Its tip and culmen are black. The maxilla has black and yellowish white notches. The bill's mandible is black. Adults of the nominate subspecies have mostly glossy black upperparts with a narrow cinnamon rufous collar at the base of the nape and bright red lower back, rump, and uppertail coverts. Their head, throat, and uppermost breast are greenish black. Their lower breast, belly, and undertail coverts are yellow. The breast has a variable red wash and a black spot in its center; the upper belly is crossed by a narrow red and black band. Their thighs are cinnamon to rufous. Juvenile collared aracaris are much duller than adults, with a sooty-black head and chest and brownish olive upperparts. The red rump and yellow underparts are paler, and the breast spot, belly band, and bill pattern are indistinct.
Subspecies P. t. erythrozonus is similar to the nominate but smaller and has a much smaller breast spot or none at all. P. t. nuchalis is also similar to the nominate, but its breast spot is usually larger and the white basal line on the bill is wider.
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collared%20aracari
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Collared aracari
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The most common call is described as "a high, sharp, squeaky, note, such as seek, pseek, pink or penk, or a two-parted pi-cheet or squi-zeek." They also make a "purr" and an "“aggressive, rasping grhhrr". A rattle call "bddddddt" may actually be non-vocal. Collared aracari's wings make an audible whir during flight.
Distribution and habitat
The subspecies of collared aracari are found thus:
P. t. torquatus, from east-central Mexico south through Central America to just into northwestern Colombia, but not on the Yucatán Peninsula
P. t. erythrozonus, southeastern Mexico including the Yucatán Peninsula, Belize, and Peten in northern Guatemala
P. t. nuchalis, northern Colombia and northern Venezuela
The collared aracari inhabits the interior and edges of evergreen primary forest and mature secondary forest and also coffee, cacao, and fruit plantations. In the semi-arid parts of northern Colombia and Venezuela it also occurs in gallery forest. In elevation it is found from sea level to about .
Behavior
Social behavior
Collared aracaris typically travel in groups of about six to 15 individuals that sometimes include other toucan species. They also roost communally; up to seven may occupy a cavity overnight.
Feeding
The collared aracari's diet is mostly fruit but it also feeds on large insects, the eggs and nestlings of other birds, and other small vertebrates. It mostly forages from the forest's mid level to the canopy but will feed on fruits in the understory. They glean fruit by stretching from a perch, bending, and even hanging upside down. They regurgitate large fruit seeds which often remain viable.
Breeding
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2941951
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kyustendil
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Kyustendil
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Under the name Pautalia ( or Πανταλία) it was a town in the district of Dentheletica. Its position in the Peutinger Table places Pautalia at Kyustendil; and the situation of this town at the sources of the Strymon agrees remarkably with the figure of a river-god, accompanied by the "legend" Στρύμων ("Strymon"), on some of the autonomous coins of Pautalia, as well as with the letters ΕΝ. ΠΑΙΩ. ("En. Paio"), which, on other coins, show that the inhabitants considered themselves to be Paeonians, like the other inhabitants of the banks of that river. On another coin of Pautalia, the productions of its territory are alluded to, namely, gold, silver, wine, and corn. In the reign of Hadrian, the people both of Pautalia and Serdica added Ulpia to the name of their town, probably in consequence of some benefit received from that emperor. Stephanus of Byzantium has a district called Paetalia (Παιταλία), which he assigns to Thrace, probably a false reading.
In the 1st century AD, it was administratively part of Macedonia. Later the city was part of the province of Dacia Mediterranea and the third largest city in the province.
The Roman fortress of Pautalia of the 2nd to 4th century had an area of over 29 hectares (appr. 72 acres). The fortress wall was built mainly of granite blocks and unusually its façade was supported with pillars and arches behind. The wall was 2.5m wide allowing small catapults to be mounted atop.
A second, smaller fortress of area 2 hectares was built in the town in the 4th century (known by its later Ottoman name Hisarlaka).
Many Thracian and Roman objects are exhibited in the town's Regional History Museum, most notably an impressive numismatic collection.
Recent excavations have revealed an early Christian, late Roman monumental bishop's palace.
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kyustendil
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Kyustendil
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Middle Ages
The town was mentioned under the Slavic name of Velbazhd (Велбъжд, meaning "camel") in a 1019 charter by the Byzantine Emperor Basil II. It became a major religious and administrative centre of the Byzantine Empire, and subsequently the Second Bulgarian Empire after Kaloyan conquered the area between 1201 and 1203.
In 1282, Serbian king Stefan Milutin defeated the Byzantine Empire and conquered Velbazhd.
In 1330, the Serbs defeated the Bulgarians in the vicinity, effectively keeping the region to the Serbian Kingdom. Serbian magnate Dejan, one of the prominent figures of the Serbian Empire and its subsequent fall, had initially held a large province in the Kumanovo region under Dušan, and was later as despot under Uroš V assigned the Upper Struma river with Velbuzhd. Upon Dejan's death, his possessions in Žegligovo and Upper Struma were given to his two sons, Jovan Dragaš (d. 1378) and Konstantin (d. 1395). The Dejanović brothers ruled a spacious province in eastern Macedonia, in the southern lands of the Empire, and remained loyal to Uroš V, until 1373, when Orhan Gazi's Ottoman army compelled Jovan to recognize Ottoman vassalage.
Ottoman era
The city was a sanjak centre initially in Rumelia governorate-general, after that in the Bitola and Niš vilayets (province). It was a kaza centre in the Sofia sanjak of Danube Province until the creation of the Principality of Bulgaria in 1878.
Modern
The residents of Kyustendil took an active part in the Bulgarian National Revival and crafts and trade flourished. The town was liberated from Ottoman rule on 29 January 1878.
Demographics
According to the 2021 census, the population of Kyustendil is 37,799 people.
Ethnic linguistic and religious composition
According to the 2011 census data, people who chose to declare their ethnic identity were distributed as follows:
Bulgarians: 36,732 (82.5%)
Roma: 5,179 (11.6%)
Turks: 2 (0.0%)
Others: 143 (0.3%)
Indefinable: 296 (0.7%)
Undeclared: 2,161 (4.9%)
Total: 44,513
| 2.5625
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2941951
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kyustendil
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Kyustendil
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Climate
Kyustendil has a temperate climate with mediterranean and continental influence (because of the Struma river). The average annual temperature is around . The highest average temperatures are in July and August at and lowest in January at . The annual temperature range is .Summers are hot and long, winters are short and cool, spring comes early and stays steady after the first days of March and the autumn is long, warm and sunny while maintaining stable until the end of November. Rainfall is moderate – average , and there is snow on average 10–12 days in winter, although it may vary significantly. Due to moderately severe cloudy and hazy low (average 20 days per year) duration of sunshine is significant – about 2,300 hours per year. The second half of the summer and early autumn in the town are the sunniest of the year, and the cloud cover is mostly in the winter months. Humidity is moderate. It varies between 65 and 70%, and is relatively low in the summer months (especially in August). Kyustendil valley is characterized by low windiness, spring being the most windy season and autumn the most quiet. The average annual wind speed is . During the winter and spring months in the city appears warm and gusty wind "foehn", which causes sudden warming of time. The temperature regime is characterized by some special features. Winter temperature inversions occur, and in the summer as a result of overheating of the daily maximum air temperatures rise to . Summer nights are mild or warm with temperatures in the range of , although temperatures tend to drop below in the early mornings for about two hours. The lowest temperature in the city is measured on 20 January 1967 at , and the highest reached both in July and August, most recently on 24 July 2007.
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2941963
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Remittance
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Remittance
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A remittance is a non-commercial transfer of money by a foreign worker, a member of a diaspora community, or a citizen with familial ties abroad, for household income in their home country or homeland.
Money sent home by migrants competes with international aid as one of the largest financial inflows to developing countries. Remittance is more than three times as large as the total global foreign aid. (In 2021, $780 billion was sent to 800 million people, while foreign aid totalled $200 billion). Most remittance flows from high-income countries to lower-income countries. Workers' remittances are a significant part of international capital flows, especially with regard to labor-exporting countries.
A substantial share of remittance ends up in the hands of banks and money-transfer companies due to fees imposed on money transfers.
Scholars have linked remittance flows to improved health and education incomes in low-income countries, as the money provides access to food, medicine, health treatments, and education.
Global extent
Remittance has been defined by the World Bank as the part of the earnings which a migrant worker sends back to family members in the country of origin. Worldwide, the flow of remittance has increased from US$72.3 billion in 2001 to approximately US$483 billion in 2011. According to the World Bank, in 2018 overall global remittance grew 10% to US$689 billion, including US$528 billion in 2019 to developing countries. Overall global remittance is expected to grow 3.7% to US$715 billion in 2019, including US$549 billion to developing nations.
Economic research has focused on the motivation for remittance, suggesting that the key drivers for remittance are altruism, self-interest in exchange, and repayment of past expense. A mix of motivations may coexist, in scientific literature this state of mind is summarized as "tempered altruism and enlightened selfishness".
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2941963
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Remittance
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Remittance
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Remittances make up a significant portion of economies of developing countries. Many receive over 10% of their gross domestic product (GDP) in remittances each year, with some exceptional cases as high as a third of their GDP.
International remittances have a major impact on developing countries around the world because the majority of remittances, some $441 billion in 2015, goes to developing economies. This amount is nearly triple the $131 billion of global Official Development Assistance.
Top recipient countries
Major operators
The licensed money transmitter Western Union allows customers to designate a recipient who can pick up that money at any a Western Union agent. Western Union also operates as bureau de change with a fee ranging from eight to twelve percent. Western Union is the world's leading handler of remittance and the 170,000 Western Union agents handle about 25 percent of the total global remittance traffic.
Other companies such as MoneyGram have also been a key player for decades. Pure play money transfer providers may be owned by parent companies with more diverse interests. Two players dominate the international electronic funds transfer for interbank payments between two bank accounts. These are the Clearing House Interbank Payments System (CHIPS) and the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication (SWIFT). Businesses as well as banks can subscribe to the international communications network Telex and initiate international financial transfers.
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Remittance
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Remittance
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Although the remittance market share has diversified when fintech startups entered the market in the 2010s, Western Union continues to dominate the majority of the remittance market share. Since the advent of fintech, many digital remittances have emerged on the scene, leading to the rise of comparison platforms or aggregators such as FXcompared and Monito in Europe and in Southeast Asia. Blockchain-based remittances companies are also starting to be used and offer such advantages as fast transfer time and relatively low transaction costs.
2007–2008 financial crisis
The 2007–2008 financial crisis was triggered in the United States and rippled through the financial system in developed countries. Nevertheless, throughout the 2007–2008 financial crisis remittance was among the less volatile sources of foreign exchange for developing countries. In financial literature, remittance sent by migrant workers to households in the country of origin, is regarded as countercyclical when the economy is struck by hardship such as a financial crisis, natural disaster, or political instability. In 2009 remittance payments to developing countries declined globally for the first time in recorded history of the global financial system. But with a decline of only 5.2 percent in 2009, remittance was significantly less precarious than private capital flows including foreign direct investment.
By region
The United States has been the leading source of remittances globally every year since the early 1980s. United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Switzerland have been the next largest senders of remittances since 2015. Between 9 million and 11 million workers send remittances from Russia each year.
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2941963
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Remittance
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Remittance
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Asia
A majority of the remittances have been directed to Asian countries like India (approx. US$87.0 billion in 2021), China (approx. US$ 60.0 billion in 2021), the Philippines (approx. US$33.5 billion in 2020), Pakistan (US$26.0 billion in 2020), Bangladesh (US$21.5 billion in 2020) and more. Asian countries such as Tajikistan and Nepal are among the countries that rely the most on remittances, accounting for 35% and 25% of their GDP respectively.
Most of the remittances happen by the conventional channel of agents. However, with the increasing relevance and reach of the Internet, online and mobile phone money transfers have grown significantly.
Armenia
Remittances are a major component of the Armenian economy. making up about 13% of Armenia's GDP in 2011. In 2013 around 40% of families of Armenia have received remittances. As a result, Armenia falls in the top 20 countries worldwide for receiving remittances. Total remittances to Armenia have reached their peak in 2013 being equal to $2.192 billion but plummeted after the 2014 Russian ruble devaluation and reached $1.528 billion in 2019.
Armenia falls in the top 20 countries worldwide for receiving remittances. Armenia, being a country with one of the largest diasporas in the world, provides a case study of a developing economy that is dependent on remittances and the financial support they provide. Total remittances to Armenia reached $1.87 billion in 2013, a 10.8%. A study conducted in 2004 examined the impact of remittances from a micro perspective, and determined that households with average income were the most likely to have a family member abroad because poorer households lacked the financial ability to send family members out of the country and the most wealthy households did not have a reason to.
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2941963
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Remittance
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Remittance
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In 2017, the majority of remittance flows to Armenia originated from Russia, about 60.5% of overall remittances. The figure amounted to nearly $945 million due to more than 2 million Armenians living in Russia. The next biggest inflows were recorded from the U.S. (with around 500,000-1,000,000 Armenians), at over $160 million, which is 10.25% of the overall figure. According to the IMF, starting from 2010 remittances in U.S. dollars, Armenian drams, and rubles, grew until they hit their peak in 2014 and started declining after that in a volatile fashion as a result of the Russian ruble devaluation. Remittances in drams and dollars declined to almost their 2010 levels.
Bangladesh
An estimated 10 million Bangladeshis, working abroad have sent $15 billion to home in 2018 and $18.32 billion in 2019. It is the country's second-largest source of foreign earnings after its gigantic textile industry. Bangladesh is one of the top 10 countries in the world for migration and remittance according to World Bank. Most of the remittances come from gulf countries.
India
India is the world's top receiver of remittances, claiming more than 12% of the world's remittances in 2015. Indians living overseas are the world's largest diaspora. As per the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs (MOIA), remittance is received from the approximately 35 million members of the Indian diaspora. Remittances to India stood at billion in 2017 and outward remittances from India to other countries totalled billion, for a net inflow of billion in 2017.
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Remittance
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Remittance
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Jordan
The flow of remittances to Jordan experienced rapid growth during the 1970s and 1980s when Jordan started exporting skilled labor to the Persian Gulf. These remittances represent an important source of funding for many developing countries, including Jordan. According to the World Bank data on remittances, with about US$3 billion in 2010 Jordan ranked at 10th place among all developing countries. Jordan ranked among the top 20 recipients of remittances for the preceding decade. In addition, the Arab Monetary Fund (AMF) statistics in 2010 indicate that Jordan was the third biggest recipient of remittances among Arab countries after Egypt and Lebanon. The host countries that have absorbed most of the Jordanian expatriates are Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, where the available data indicate that about 90% of Jordanian migrants are working in the Persian Gulf.
Philippines
According to a World Bank Study, the Philippines is the second largest recipient for remittances in Asia. It was estimated in 1994 that migrants sent over US$2.6 billion back to the Philippines through formal banking systems. With the addition of money sent through private finance companies and return migrants, the 1994 total was closer to US$6 billion annually.
The total is estimated to have grown by 7.8 percent annually to reach US$21.3 billion in 2010. Remittances are a reliable source of revenue for the Philippines, accounting for 8.9 per cent of the country's GDP.
The Estrada administration in 2000 declared it "The Year of Overseas Filipino Worker in the Recognition of the Determination and Supreme Self-Sacrifice of Overseas Filipino Workers." This declaration connects monetary remittances of overseas workers as the top foreign-exchange earnings in the Philippines.
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Remittance
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Remittance
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A 2004 study found that over 60% of the 16.5 million Latin American-born adults who resided in the United States at the time of the survey regularly sent money home. The remittances sent by these 10 million immigrants were transmitted via more than 100 million individual transactions per year and amounted to an estimated $30 billion during 2004. Each transaction averaged about $150–$250, and, because these migrants tended to send smaller amounts more frequently than others, their remittances had a higher percentage of costs due to transfer fees.
Migrants sent approximately 10% of their household incomes; these remittances made up a corresponding 50–80% of the household incomes for the recipients. Significant amounts of remittances were sent from 37 U.S. states, but six states were identified as the "traditional sending" states: New York (which led the group with 81% of its immigrants making regular remittances), California, Texas, Florida, Illinois, and New Jersey. According to the Mexican central bank, remittances grew just 0.6 during the first six months of 2007, as compared to 23% during the same period in 2006. Experts attribute the slowdown to a contraction in the U.S. construction industry, tighter border controls, and a crackdown in the U.S. on illegal immigration.
Remittance culture in the United States has contributed to the formation of "micro-geographies", tightly knit networks that integrate U.S. communities with communities throughout Latin America, such as migrants from Oaxaca, Mexico, who have settled in Venice Beach, California. Oaxacans not only send money back to their communities, but they also travel back and forth extensively.
| 2.875
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2941963
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Remittance
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Remittance
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After the Great Recession, remittances from the United States to Latin America have been on the decline. While there were US$69.2 billion worth of remittances sent in 2008, that figure has fallen to $58.9 billion for 2011. This trend is a result of many factors including the recession itself, more economic opportunity in Latin American countries, and rising fees charged by coyotes to smuggle immigrants across the border.
The pattern of migration has changed from a circular flow, in which immigrants work in the United States for a few years before returning to their families in their home countries, to a one-way stream whereby migrants find themselves stuck in the United States. As a result, the new wave of migrants is both less likely to leave and more likely to stay in the United States for longer periods of time. Overall, this trend has contributed to falling levels of remittances sent to Latin American countries from the United States.
Africa
Remittances to Africa play an important role in national economies. However, little data exists as many rely on informal channels to send money home. Immigrants from Africa today number approximately 20 to 30 million adults, who send around US$40 billion annually to their families and local communities back home. For the region as a whole, this represents 50 percent more than net official development assistance (ODA) from all sources, and, for most countries, the amount also exceeds foreign direct investment (FDI). In several fragile states, remittances are estimated to exceed 50 percent of GDP.
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Remittance
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Remittance
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Most African countries restrict the payment of remittances to banks, which in turn, typically enter into exclusive arrangements with large money transfer companies, like Western Union or Money Gram, to operate on their behalf. This results in limited competition and limited access for consumers, which allows these Money Transfer Operators (MTOs) to charge the highest fees for remittances in the world. However, there are a number of new players aiming to disrupt this established MTO model, such as Xoom and Willstream, which leverage increasing mobile phone penetration in the region and provide different rate structures to diaspora customers. Additionally, global initiative like the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 10 has a target of reducing the transaction costs of migrant remittances to less than 3 percent by 2030.
According to a World Bank study, Nigeria is by far the top remittance recipient in Africa, accounting for $10 billion in 2010, a slight increase over the previous year ($9.6 billion). Other top recipients include Sudan ($3.2 billion), Kenya ($1.8 billion), Senegal ($1.2 billion), South Africa ($1.0 billion), Uganda ($0.8 billion), Lesotho ($0.5 billion), Ethiopia ($387 million), Mali ($385 million), and Togo ($302 million). As a share of Gross Domestic Product, the top recipients in 2009 were: Lesotho (25%), Togo (10%), Cape Verde (9%), Guinea-Bissau (9%), Senegal (9%), Gambia (8%), Liberia (6%), Sudan (6%), Nigeria (6%), and Kenya (5%).
Nigeria
A major source of foreign-exchange earnings for Nigeria are remittances sent home by Nigerians living abroad. In 2014, 17.5 million Nigerians lived in foreign countries, with the UK and the US having more than 2 million Nigerians each.
| 2.21875
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2941963
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Remittance
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Remittance
|
According to the World Bank remittance to low- and middle-income countries reached $529 billion in 2018, which was a record high.
Dynamics
Emergencies
During disasters or emergencies, remittances can be a vital source of income for people whose other forms of livelihood may have been destroyed by conflict or natural disaster. According to the Overseas Development Institute, this is being increasingly recognized as important by aid actors who are considering better ways of supporting people in emergency responses. An illustrative example can be Armenia, that had experienced a devastating earthquake in Spitak on December 7, 1988, when the Karabakh conflict had already started. About 45,000 people had died, while 500,000 became homeless. Armenia received support from different countries, for example, the U.S. government immediately sent $10 million, which helped to more or less recover the economy. Refugees and other displaced populations also often remit to family members left behind in conflict areas.
Potential security concerns
The recent internationally coordinated effort to stifle possible sources of money laundering and/or terrorist financing has increased the cost of sending remittances, directly increasing costs to the companies facilitating the sending, and indirectly increasing the costs to the person remitting. As in some corridors a sizable amount of remittances is sent through informal channels (family connections, traveling friends, local money lenders, etc.). According to the World Bank, some countries do not report remittances data.
Moreover, when data is available, the methodologies used by countries for remittance data compilation are not publicly available. A 2010 world survey of central banks found significant differences in the quality of remittance data collection across countries: some central banks only used remittances data reported from commercial banks, neglecting to account for remittance flows via money transfer operators and post offices.
| 2.546875
| 0
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2941963
|
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Remittance
|
Remittance
|
World Bank economists contend that remittance receivers' higher propensity to own a bank account means that remittances can promote access to financial services for the sender and recipient, claimed to be an essential aspect of leveraging remittances to promote economic development. For example, in Armenia, which has a high remittance to GDP ratio (7−8%), studies suggest that those households which receive remittances have a higher propensity to save, however, as opposed to some theoretic frameworks, these savings are not used to leverage borrowing more from the financial system as a way to grow their businesses. Other studies suggest that another channel through which remittances can foster economic growth is a household investment. For instance, the study conducted in South Caucasus reveals that in Armenia having a migrant household member is associated with a higher probability of establishing a family business by that household. Thus, the remittances sent by migrants can potentially encourage domestic investment, ensuring economic growth. However, new findings for Armenia suggest that remittances help potential migrants to ease the migration process, serving as a resource rather than as a contractual tool between migrants and non-migrants. It is concluded that remittances drastically shift emigration intentions upward. The need for remittances, and the ability and the strength of the migrant social capital (or the network) are factors which jointly determine emigration intentions. Meanwhile, critical migration scholars have expressed concern about the ability of remittances to address the structural causes of economic underdevelopment and see an increasing policy emphasis on finance as symptomatic of a paradigmatic shift towards a 'self-help development' that burdens the poor.
| 2.40625
| 0
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2941963
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Remittance
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Remittance
|
Remittances are generally thought to be counter-cyclical. The stability of remittance flows amidst financial crises and economic downturns make them a reliable source of foreign exchange earnings for developing countries. As migrant remittances are sent cumulatively over the years and not only by new migrants, remittances are able to be persistent over time. This is particularly true of remittances sent by circular migrants, migrant workers who move back and forth between their home and host countries in a temporary and repetitive manner. At the state level, countries with diversified migration destinations are likely to have more sustainable remittance flows.
From a macroeconomic perspective, there is no conclusive relationship between remittances and GDP growth. While remittances can boost aggregate demand and thereby spur economic activity, other research indicates that remittances may also have adverse macroeconomic impacts by increasing income inequality and reducing labour supply among recipient countries.
The World Bank and the Bank for International Settlements have developed international standards for remittance services.
| 2.390625
| 0
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2941975
|
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ayherre
|
Ayherre
|
Economic activity in the commune is mainly agricultural. The commune is part of the Appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC) zone of Ossau-iraty.
The Lauak company (aeronautical and aerospace industry) is located in the industrial zone of Ayherre.
The Uhagun Mill on the Aran dates to the 19th century and has been converted into a hydro-electric plant.
Culture and heritage
Civil heritage
The commune has three sites that are registered as historical monuments:
The Château de Belzunce (13th century)
Prehistoric fortifications on Mount Abarratia
Prehistoric fortifications (Gaztelu Zahar of three levels)
Religious heritage
The Parish Church of Saint Pierre (17th century) is registered as an historical monument.
Education
The commune has two primary schools: one in the town and one private school of the Immaculate Conception.
Notable people linked to the commune
Émile Larre, born in 1926 at Saint-Étienne-de-Baïgorry, was a priest, chronicler, Bertsolari, writer, and French academic in the Basque language. He was an active promoter of basque traditions and particularly attached to the basque modes of expression such as the bertsolarism and Basque Pelota. He was priest of Ayherre from 1969 to 1980.
| 2.109375
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2941992
|
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adrenal%20fatigue
|
Adrenal fatigue
|
Adrenal fatigue or hypoadrenia is a pseudo-scientific term used by alternative medicine providers to suggest that the adrenal glands are exhausted and unable to produce adequate quantities of hormones, primarily cortisol, due to chronic stress or infections. There is no scientific basis for the existence of adrenal fatigue, and the term should not be confused with a number of actual forms of adrenal dysfunction such as adrenal insufficiency or Addison's disease.
Definition
Neither the condition nor the symptoms have any stable or recognized definition.
History
The term "adrenal fatigue" was invented in 1998 by chiropractor James Wilson and applied to a collection of mostly non-specific symptoms.
Lack of evidence
A systematic review found no evidence for the condition, supporting the consensus among mainstream endocrinologists that it is a myth. There is no evidence supporting the concept of adrenal fatigue, and it is not a valid diagnosis recognized by the scientific or medical communities.
Tests
Blood or salivary testing is sometimes offered, but there is no evidence that adrenal fatigue exists, and it cannot be tested for.
Diagnosis
Adrenal fatigue is not an accepted medical diagnosis.
Dietary supplements
The concept of adrenal fatigue has given rise to an industry of dietary supplements marketed to treat the supposed condition. These supplements are largely unregulated in the U.S.; they are ineffective and costly; and they in some cases may be dangerous.
| 2.140625
| 0
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2941995
|
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amendeuix-Oneix
|
Amendeuix-Oneix
|
The fiscal census of 1412-1413, made on the orders of Charles III of Navarre, compared with that of 1551 men and weapons that are in this kingdom of Navarre this side of the ports, reveals a demography with strong growth. The first census indicated the presence of 13 fires in Amendeuix with the second showing 40 (33 + 7 secondary fires). The same census reported 8 fires in Oneix in 1412-1413 against 17 (14 + 3 secondary fires) in 1551.
The census of the population of Lower Navarre in 1695 counted 63 fires at Amendeuix and 20 at Oneix.
In 2017 the commune had 448 inhabitants. The population data given in the table and graph below include the former commune of Oneix.
Economy
The commune is part of the Appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC) zone of Ossau-iraty.
Culture and Heritage
Languages
According to the Map of the Seven Basque Provinces published in 1863 by Prince Louis-Lucien Bonaparte the dialect of Basque spoken in Amendeuix-Oneix is eastern low Navarrese.
Religious heritage
Two churches in the commune are registered as historical monuments:
The Church of Saint Peter (1787) at Oneix.
The Church of Saint John the Baptist (1903) at Amendeuix.
Amenities
Education
The commune has a kindergarten.
Amendeuix, Gabat, Ilharre, and Labets-Biscay have partnered to create an inter-educational grouping (RPI).
| 2.390625
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2942010
|
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SS%20Maheno
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SS Maheno
|
SS Maheno was an ocean liner belonging to the Union Company of New Zealand that operated in the Tasman Sea, crossing between New Zealand and Australia, from 1905 until 1935.
She was also used as a ship by the New Zealand Naval Forces during World War I; as His Majesty's New Zealand Hospital Ship No. 1. She was washed ashore on K'gari (Fraser Island) by a cyclone in 1935 where the disintegrating wreck remains as a popular tourist attraction.
Construction
The 5,000-ton steel-hulled ship was built by William Denny and Brothers of Dumbarton, Scotland, and launched on 19 June 1905. At 400 feet in length and 50 feet in the beam, she was powered by three Parsons turbines, giving a speed of 17.5 knots. She could carry up to 420 passengers: 240 in 1st class, 120 in 2nd and 60 in 3rd, and also had a refrigerated cargo hold. Accommodation for first class passengers included a dining room, smoking room, and music room with Bechstein grand piano. The ship was lit by electricity, and was fitted with all the latest safety equipment, which included Clayton sulphur dioxide fire extinguishers.
Service history
The ship was named after Maheno, a township in Otago. The ship entered service on 18 November 1905, and was employed on routes between Sydney and Melbourne via ports in New Zealand and Hobart, Tasmania. She also made regular voyages between Sydney and Vancouver.
World War I
| 2.265625
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2942010
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SS%20Maheno
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SS Maheno
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During World War I Maheno was converted into a hospital ship using money raised by an appeal by the Earl of Liverpool, the Governor-General. She was fitted with eight wards and two operating theatres, and had a medical team consisting of five doctors and 61 orderlies from the Army Medical Corps, a matron, thirteen nursing sisters, from the newly formed New Zealand Army Nursing Service and chaplains. In accordance with Article 5 of the 1899 Hague Convention she was repainted white overall, with a broad green stripe along her sides, and large red crosses on the sides and funnels.
HMNZHS Maheno arrived at Moudros, the naval base of the Gallipoli Campaign, on 25 August 1915, and the next day was off ANZAC Cove, loading casualties from the Battle of Hill 60. Over the next three months, she carried casualties from Gallipoli to Malta. They were cared for by members of the New Zealand Army Nursing Service including Evelyn Brooke. Maheno arrived back at New Zealand on 1 January 1916 to refit, then returned to Egypt in February to collect patients for transport back to New Zealand. She then sailed to the UK, arriving at Southampton on 3 July 1916, just after the start the Battle of the Somme. Until October 1916 she operated in the English Channel, returning large numbers of wounded and sick troops from the Western Front to England.
| 2.8125
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2942010
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SS%20Maheno
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SS Maheno
|
Maheno sailed back to New Zealand in December 1916, and then made six more voyages between New Zealand and the British Isles, bringing back patients. There were criticisms of the Maheno making several trips to New Zealand to refit or to transport wounded soldiers home when most could have gone in a troopship; and also that the ship has been run by the governor (Liverpool) as "His Exc’s pet patriotic hobby". The chief medical officer was William Collins on her first voyage and James Elliott on her second and third voyages. In 1915, Collins "raised hackles by denying nurses their officer status and deluding himself that he could command the ship's commander, the master" (Captain McLean). In 1917, British Major Gretton was critical of the staff and said that Liverpool "puts his friends on the ship when they want soft jobs" and that the ship was nicknamed "Liverpool’s yacht". The complaint got as far as the Secretary of State for the Colonies; Liverpool said Gratton behaved like a cad.
At the war's end in November 1918, Maheno was released from military service and returned to her business owner to resume her commercial life.
Running aground on K'gari (Fraser Island)
At the end of its commercial life, on 3 July 1935 Maheno left Sydney under tow by the 1,758-ton ship Oonah, a former Tasmanian Steamers Pty. Ltd. Bass Strait ferry, built in 1888, which along with the Maheno had been sold to the shipbreaker's yard Miyachi K.K.K. in Osaka, Japan. The ships were linked by a wire rope.
| 1.914063
| 0
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2942010
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SS%20Maheno
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SS Maheno
|
On the afternoon of 7 July, about 50 miles from the coast, the towline parted in a cyclone. Attempts to re-attach the towline failed in the heavy seas, and the Maheno, with a skeleton crew of eight men aboard, drifted off and disappeared. The Oonah, with its steering gear temporarily disabled, broadcast a radio message requesting assistance for Maheno, whose propellers had been removed. Maheno was subsequently found on 10 July by an aircraft piloted by Keith Virtue, beached off the coast of K'gari (Frasier Island). The crew had set up camp onshore, waiting for the Oonah to arrive, which it did on 12 July. The wreck was also the location of the marriage of Dudley Weatherley and Beatrice McLean (instead of at Townsville), at the invitation of Captain Takaka, to notes from the ship's Bechstein piano. The stranded ship was also used as a venue for an experiment in 'rocket mail' in August 1935.
The ship was subsequently stripped of its fittings, but attempts to refloat her failed. The wreck was subsequently offered for sale, but no buyers could be found for it.
Wreck
Maheno has remained at the location since, slowly corroding away. Owing to the now dangerous condition of the ship, access is prohibited. The Australian Department of Defence lists the wreck as a site of unexploded ordnance (UXO) contamination.
Annual Anzac Day services are held at the site of the wreck and a replica of the ship's bell is located there.
| 1.953125
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2942051
|
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antennaria%20dioica
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Antennaria dioica
|
Antennaria dioica (mountain everlasting, stoloniferous pussytoes, catsfoot or cudweed) is a Eurasian species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae. It is a perennial herb found in cool northern and mountainous regions of Europe and northern Asia (Russia, Mongolia, Japan, Kazakhstan, China (Xinjiang, Heilongjiang, Gansu) and the Aleutian Islands of Alaska.
Description
Antennaria dioica is an evergreen, herbaceous perennial plant growing to 10–20 cm tall, with a rosette of basal spoon-shaped leaves 4 cm long, and 1 cm broad at their broadest near the apex; and smaller leaves arranged spirally up the flowering stems. The flowers are produced in capitula (flowerheads) 6–12 mm diameter with pale pink ray florets and darker pink disc florets. The plant's common name is derived from the flower clusters which are thought to resemble the pads or toes of a cat's paw.
It is dioecious, but can also reproduce without fertilisation. It is found in groups which can be all-female colonies, all-male colonies, and also mixed colonies. The male plants have whiter flower heads than female plants. The species name, dioica, is derived from Greek as reference to the separate male and female plants. Its common habitats include mountain grasslands, dry pastures and woodland edges.
Uses
While not widely used in herbal medicine, the plant was believed to have antitussive, astringent, diuretic and emollient properties. It has been traditionally used to treat bronchitis, liver and gall bladder complaints, hepatitis and diarrhea. Externally, it has been used as a gargle for treating tonsillitis and as a douche for vaginitis.
| 2.546875
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2942072
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La%20Bastide-Clairence
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La Bastide-Clairence
|
La Bastide-Clairence appears as LA BASTIDE Clerence on the 1750 Cassini Map and as LA BASTIDE on the 1790 version.
History
A Navarrese fortified village was founded in 1288 by Claire de Rabastens on a hillside next to the Aran river hence its Gascon name Bastida Clarença.
800 refugees, mainly from Bigorre, were granted a charter in July 1312 by Louis I of Navarre, the future Louis X of France. The birth of the village corresponds to a need for Navarre to create a strong town in the forested frontier area. La Bastide-Clairence, as its name suggests, was a fortified town. The historian Paul Broca could still see the remains of its ancient fortress in 1875.
La Bastide-Clairence slowly accumulated a population of shop-keepers from south-western France then from Spanish refugees fleeing the Inquisition, and also from Basque towns and villages nearby. Another version of the origin of the town exists: it was populated by settlers from diverse backgrounds including pilgrims to Santiago de Compostela called the Francos.
By 1700 the population had reached 2,000. The inhabitants lived on the nail industry, woollen garments and knitwear, and agriculture. 12-day fairs ensured the prosperity of the town. In the 16th century the locals did not speak Basque, but spoke Gascon. Subsequently they gradually adopted the Basque language and customs. The town has 320 houses and mills from the 17th century. From 1575 to 1789, La Bastide-Clairence depended on the lords of Gramont.
The city had a large Jewish community after the expulsion of Portuguese Jews in the 16th and 17th centuries.
Today, the Place des Arceaux and its half-timbered houses attract many art craftsmen. The houses are very typical of the region - there are two architectural types:
the Baserri style with gabled roofs with two slopes, half-timbered façade with red or green colour on overhangs, carved window mullions and lintels.
the Navarrese style with roofs of 2 or 4 sides and doors with vaulted Arches.
| 2.671875
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2942099
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hiko%2C%20Nevada
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Hiko, Nevada
|
Hiko is a small, agrarian community in the Tonopah Basin on State Route 318 in Lincoln County, Nevada, United States. It is a census-designated place, with a population of 119 at the 2010 census.
Description
The first permanent settlement at Hiko was made in 1853. Hiko was the county seat of Lincoln County from 1867 to 1871 and a few hundred residents lived nearby, due largely to silver mines in the area. Today, the area is a farming and ranching area, and not much remains of the old town except the cemetery, some mill ruins and a red rock building that was a general store. Although populated, Hiko appears on at least two ghost town lists. Most of the residents of Hiko own farms or ranches, and little to no industrial activity takes place there. In 1871 Hiko was replaced as the county seat of Lincoln County with the current seat, Pioche.
The Hiko and Crystal Springs provide a large supply of water for the Hiko farms and ranches. The Hiko farming community is located in the north end of the Pahranagat Valley and lies at an elevation of , with a ZIP code of 89017.
Demographics
Climate
Hiko has a cold desert climate (Köppen: BWk). Summers are hot, and winters feature cool days with cold nights.
| 2.3125
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2942106
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William%20Vane%2C%201st%20Duke%20of%20Cleveland
|
William Vane, 1st Duke of Cleveland
|
William Henry Vane, 1st Duke of Cleveland, KG (27 July 1766 – 29 January 1842), styled Viscount Barnard until 1792 and known as The Earl of Darlington between 1792 and 1827 and as The Marquess of Cleveland between 1827 and 1833, was a British landowner, slave holder and politician.
Background and education
Styled Viscount Barnard from birth, he was the son of Henry Vane, 2nd Earl of Darlington, son of Henry Vane, 1st Earl of Darlington, and Lady Grace FitzRoy, daughter of Charles FitzRoy, 2nd Duke of Cleveland, son of King Charles II by his mistress Barbara Palmer, 1st Duchess of Cleveland. His mother was Margaret Lowther, daughter of Robert Lowther, Governor of Barbados, and sister of James Lowther, 1st Earl of Lonsdale. He was baptised at the Chapel Royal at St James's Palace (with the names William Harry which he later changed to William Henry). He was educated at Christ Church, Oxford.
Public life
Barnard was Whig Member of Parliament for Totnes from 1788 to 1790 and for Winchelsea from 1790 to 1792. The latter year he succeeded his father in the earldom and took his seat in the House of Lords. He also succeeded his father as Lord Lieutenant of County Durham, a post he held until his death. In 1794 he was announced as the Lieutenant-colonel of a regiment to be raised, the Durham Regiment of Fencible Cavalry. In 1810 he successfully laid claim to the Pulteney Estate in Bath after the Countess of Bath died intestate in 1808. In 1827 he was created Marquess of Cleveland, a revival of the Cleveland title held by his ancestors. He was Bearer of the Third Sword at King William IV's coronation on 8 September 1831. In 1833 he was made Baron Raby, of Raby Castle in the County Palatine of Durham, and Duke of Cleveland. He was further honoured when he was made a Knight of the Garter in 1839.
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2942129
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History%20and%20use%20of%20the%20single%20transferable%20vote
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History and use of the single transferable vote
|
The Assembly surprised many when it proposed an STV electoral model called BC-STV and recommended it to the electorate. In the ensuing electoral reform referendum held on May 17, 2005, BC-STV achieved a majority 57.7% Yes support. However, this did not give it the 60% province-wide support set as a requirement by the Liberal government for the referendum outcome to be automatically binding. Nevertheless, the "Yes" simple majority support in 77 provincial districts (out of 79) far exceeded the 48-riding level that had also been specified as a requirement.
Due to the evident support for electoral reform, the re-elected BC Liberal government announced in the Throne Speech on September 12, 2005, that the public of British Columbia would get a second referendum on STV in November 2008. This was later rescheduled: the second referendum on electoral reform was then planned to be held in conjunction with the May 12, 2009 provincial general election. In the interim, the Electoral Boundaries Commission designed new boundaries for both FPTP and STV. Both supporting and opposing sides of the referendum campaign received government funding to help educate the public in time for the referendum. In contrast to the 2005 vote, which saw 57.7% of voters in favour of STV, the STV initiative was then defeated on May 12, 2009, with only 39% of voters in support.
Manitoba
Provincial elections in Manitoba were conducted partly by STV from 1920 until 1958:
Winnipeg was constituted as a ten-member constituency in 1920 for that year's election, while the other single-member constituencies had to wait until 1924 for the adoption of instant run-off voting which was first used in the 1927 election.
In 1949, after considerable debate, Winnipeg was divided into three four-member constituencies, MLAs elected through STV, and St. Boniface was made into a two-member constituency, whose MLAs were elected through STV.
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History%20and%20use%20of%20the%20single%20transferable%20vote
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History and use of the single transferable vote
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In 1955, Manitoba changed to single-member districts and began to use first past the post voting, which was implemented in the 1958 election.
Municipal elections in Winnipeg, Transcona, St. James and St. Vital were also conducted by STV from 1920 to 1971.
Ontario
The municipal election act used for elections to all of Ontario's municipal councils was amended in 2016, and since then municipalities have had the option to institute a ranked ballot. Ontario's municipalities have a variety of electoral configurations: some with all single-member districts, some with all multi-member districts, some electing members at-large, and some using a mixture of these approaches; the relevant regulations outline the use of instant-runoff voting where a single representative is to be elected and STV where multiple representatives are to be elected.
As of the 2018 Ontario municipal elections, only one council, that of the City of London, will be elected using a ranked-choice ballot. As London exclusively uses single-member districts, its election will be instant-runoff voting and not STV. The next opportunity for a municipality to potentially adopt STV will be the 2022 Ontario municipal elections.
Saskatchewan
The city of Saskatoon used STV for its municipal elections 1920-1930 and 1938–1942.
As well, Regina, Moose Jaw and North Battleford also used the system in the early 1920s.
Estonia
The system was used once: for the 18 March 1990 Estonian Supreme Soviet election, which was one of the four elections between 1989 and 1992 in the process that led to the independence of Estonia from the Soviet Union. The local elections in December 1989 were also held with this system, which served as a dress rehearsal with the law finally enacted on 4 December 1989.
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2942129
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History%20and%20use%20of%20the%20single%20transferable%20vote
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History and use of the single transferable vote
|
All votes are paper ballots completed and counted manually. Electronic voting was trialled in some constituencies in the 2002 election, but discontinued due to concerns about the lack of an audit trail. Irish STV elections use the simple Hare method of surplus transfers, except for the Senate panels, which use the Gregory method. A ballot need only rank a single candidate to be deemed valid; the quota is not recalculated to take account of exhausted ballots, which means candidates may be elected without reaching the quota.
History
STV was first used in Ireland in the Dublin University constituency in the 1918 Westminster election. The 1917 Speaker's Conference had recommended STV for all multi-seat Westminster constituencies, but it was only applied to university constituencies. With the growth of revolutionary Irish nationalism in Ireland, STV was introduced at local level by the UK government to ensure unionist minority representation in nationalist-majority areas and vice versa; however, minority representation did not always occur in practice. STV was first applied in the 1919 Sligo borough election under the Sligo Corporation Act 1918 (8 & 9 Geo. 5. c. xxiii), a local act of Parliament sponsored by the corporation after representations from a mainly-Protestant group of leading ratepayers. The Local Government (Ireland) Act 1919 (9 & 10 Geo. 5. c. 19) extended STV universally from the 1920 local elections, and the Government of Ireland Act 1920 (10 & 11 Geo. 5. c. 67) applied it to the 1921 Irish elections. The 1922 Constitution of the Irish Free State mandated proportional representation, and STV was specified in statute law.
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History%20and%20use%20of%20the%20single%20transferable%20vote
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History and use of the single transferable vote
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STV is also used by many private organisations. For example, it is used in many British university students' unions (and promoted by the National Union of Students as the fairest way of running elections), for all elections within the University of Cambridge and for electing board members in The Co-operative Group.
As noted above, because it was re-invented by the Englishman Thomas Hare and has been used in many parts of the former British Empire, STV has in the past been referred to as "British proportional representation". Nonetheless, it has never been used by more than a handful of constituencies in the British Parliament. In 1917, the Speaker's Conference in the United Kingdom advocated the adoption of STV for 211 of the 569 constituencies in the UK, and instant-runoff voting for the rest, and the Representation of the People Bill was introduced in Parliament that year. The House of Commons and the House of Lords engaged in an extended series of amendments and counter-amendments, in which the House of Commons kept trying to replace the STV provisions of the bill with the Alternative Vote scheme, and the House of Lords tried to reinstate the STV provisions. In the end, the House of Commons agreed to strip all preferential voting provisions in return for agreeing to discuss introducing STV in 100 seats in the future (the House of Commons subsequently reneged on this commitment later in 1918). Nonetheless, in 1918 STV was adopted for the university constituencies of Cambridge, Oxford, Combined English Universities, Combined Scottish Universities and Dublin University; these constituencies continued to use STV until their abolition in 1950 (or 1922 in the case of Dublin University). STV was also introduced for local elections in the Irish borough of Sligo in 1918, and extended to all Irish local government shortly afterwards.
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History%20and%20use%20of%20the%20single%20transferable%20vote
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History and use of the single transferable vote
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More recently, there have been other campaigns in some cities to introduce STV. Davis, California passed an advisory referendum to use STV for future city council elections. The community school boards of the City of New York used STV until the school boards themselves were abolished in 2002. The city of San Francisco in 1996 considered multimember STV in a referendum; this effort failed, with the city instead voting for district elections and, in 2002, adopting instant runoff voting. Cincinnati also narrowly failed to restore STV for city council elections in citizen initiatives in 1988 and 1991.
STV has become increasingly used at American universities for student government elections. , the schools of Carnegie Mellon, MIT, Oberlin, Princeton, Reed, UC Berkeley, UC Davis, Vassar, and Whitman all use STV, and several other universities are considering its adoption.
The proposed Fair Representation Act would require multi-member districts for elections to the US House of Representatives which would then be elected by STV. States with only one representative would instead have elections by instant runoff voting.
| 1.921875
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2942137
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nevada%20State%20Route%20318
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Nevada State Route 318
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State Route 318 (SR 318) is a state highway in eastern Nevada. It is often used as a shortcut for long-distance traffic along U.S. Route 93, bypassing the longer and less direct route U.S. Route 93 follows between Ely and Crystal Springs. The highway was established in the 1930s as State Route 38 and State Route 38A, and was renumbered to SR 318 in 1976. At a total of , it is the longest state route in Nevada. The road is used for open speed highway races twice a year.
Route description
SR 318 begins on U.S. Route 93 (US 93) at Crystal Springs in Lincoln County. From there, it travels north through Hiko. SR 318 generally parallels the route of the White River on its trek northward. The highway travels through Nye County and the town of Sunnyside. The highway then enters White Pine County and serves the community of Lund. SR 318 ends at a junction on US 6 approximately southwest of Ely.
The racing video game Need for Speed: ProStreet features a portion of the highway as a racing track for Speed Challenges.
History
A county road approximating the course of the present highway was indicated on state maps by 1933. As of 1935, State Route 38 was designated along the north end of the county road, between State Route 4 (later US 6) at Barnes and the town of Lund. This segment of highway was completely paved by 1936. The remaining unimproved portions of the county road was made part of the state highway system by 1937—the from US 93 to Hiko became the first iteration of SR 60, while the remaining was designated SR 38A. By 1939, however, SR 60 was removed and replaced by SR 38A—the southern end of the route was also shifted more easterly by this time. In 1942, the entire length of SR 38A between US 93 and Lund had been graded to more closely follow the White River. The SR 38A designation was completely absorbed into SR 38 by 1946—by this time, SR 38 was approximately long.
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2942153
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maladaptation
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Maladaptation
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In evolution, a maladaptation () is a trait that is (or has become) more harmful than helpful, in contrast with an adaptation, which is more helpful than harmful. All organisms, from bacteria to humans, display maladaptive and adaptive traits. In animals (including humans), adaptive behaviors contrast with maladaptive ones. Like adaptation, maladaptation may be viewed as occurring over geological time, or within the lifetime of one individual or a group.
It can also signify an adaptation that, whilst reasonable at the time, has become less and less suitable and more of a problem or hindrance in its own right, as time goes on. This is because it is possible for an adaptation to be poorly selected or become more of a dysfunction than a positive adaptation, over time.
It can be noted that the concept of maladaptation, as initially discussed in a late 19th-century context, is based on a flawed view of evolutionary theory. It was believed that an inherent tendency for an organism's adaptations to degenerate would translate into maladaptations and soon become crippling if not "weeded out" (see also eugenics). In reality, the advantages conferred by any one adaptation are rarely decisive for survival on its own, but rather balanced against other synergistic and antagonistic adaptations, which consequently cannot change without affecting others.
In other words, it is usually impossible to gain an advantageous adaptation without incurring "maladaptations". Consider a seemingly trivial example: it is apparently extremely hard for an animal to evolve the ability to breathe well in air and in water. Better adapting to one means being less able to do the other.
Examples
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2942153
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maladaptation
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Maladaptation
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Neuroplasticity is defined as "the brain's ability to reorganize itself by forming new neural connections throughout life". Neuroplasticity is seen as an adaptation that helps humans to adapt to new stimuli, especially through motor functions in musically inclined people, as well as several other hand-eye coordination activities. An example of maladaptation in neuroplasticity within the evolution of the brain is phantom pain in individuals who have lost limbs. While the brain is exceptionally good at responding to stimuli and reorganizing itself in a new way to then later respond even better and faster in the future, it is sometimes unable to cope with the loss of a limb, even though the neurological connections are lost. According to the findings of one journal "Adaptation and Maladaptation" in some cases, the changes that had previously aided the human brain to best suit an environment could also become maladaptive. In this case, with the loss of a limb, the brain is perceiving pain, though there are no nerves or signals from the now missing limb to give the brain that perception.
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2942180
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael%20Parsons%20%28composer%29
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Michael Parsons (composer)
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Michael Edward Parsons (born 12 December 1938) is a British composer. Since the 1960s, when he met Cornelius Cardew and helped found the Scratch Orchestra, Parsons has been strongly associated with the English school of experimental music.
He was born in Bolton and studied at St John's College, Oxford before taking up composition lessons under Peter Racine Fricker at the Royal College of Music in London in 1961. In the 1960s he met Cornelius Cardew; Parsons attended Cardew's experimental music classes at Morley College since 1968. In 1969 Cardew, Parsons and fellow composer Howard Skempton founded the Scratch Orchestra, an experimental free ensemble devoted to performing contemporary music. The Orchestra broke up in early 1970s, partly as a result of the politization led by Cardew. Parsons was among the Orchestra members who refused to be associated with the Maoist politics Cardew was propagating, and left. In 1970 Parsons started working as visiting lecturer in the Fine Art department of the Portsmouth Polytechnic and in the Slade School of Art, University College London. In 1974 he and Skempton formed a duo to perform their own works. In 1996–97 Parsons was a bi-fellow at Churchill College, Cambridge. During this time he organised concerts at Kettle's Yard, Cambridge. Since the early 1960s Parsons has also been active as a writer on music; his writings include a number of important articles on contemporary English composers.
Parsons' music is influenced by Anton Webern, composers of the so-called New York school (John Cage, Morton Feldman and Christian Wolff), various English composers he met through Cardew and the Scratch Orchestra, and, since the Portsmouth years, "Systems" artists such as Malcolm Hughes and Jeffrey Steele.
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2942212
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jaufre
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Jaufre
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King Arthur's Court: 95–485
The poem proper begins. The court of King Arthur is assembled in the hall at (i.e. Carlisle) for the feast of Pentecost, but King Arthur declares that no one shall eat until an adventure has occurred. When no adventure appears, King Arthur goes into the Forest of Brécéliande in search of it. He finds a maiden crying beside a mill, who pleads Arthur for help from a beast which raids the mill and eats all her wheat flour. Arthur enters to find a horned beast larger than any bull, with a shaggy red ( "sorrel") coat, a pugnosed snout, large eyes, and long teeth. When Arthur grabs the beast by the horns, his hands become stuck. The beast then carries him off, and dangles him over the edge of a cliff. The knights of the Round Table, at the base of the cliff, are alarmed, and one knight suggests firing an arrow at the beast. However, as this could also kill Arthur, it is decided that they should take a safer option: all the assembled knights strip bare and use their clothes to create a soft landing-mattress to cushion Arthur’s fall if the beast should drop him. The beast outwits the knights, and simply moves further along the cliff. The beast then springs from the cliff, metamorphosing into a knight, and both he and Arthur land safely. With the king's abduction exposed to be a jape, they all return to King Arthur's court at Cardeuil.
| 2.890625
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2942212
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jaufre
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Jaufre
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Castle Monbrun: 3017–4167
Jaufre, continuing on his way, enters the gardens of a castle called Monbrun. He is so tired he decides to sleep on the grass. This stops the birds in the garden from singing. The chatelaine, Brunissen, who is usually lulled to sleep by the birdsong, is furious, and sends her seneschal to investigate who the intruder is. The seneschal brusquely wakes Jaufre, so Jaufre attacks him and forces him to retreat. Jaufre goes back to sleep. The chatelaine sends out a second knight to summon Jaufre. Jaufre is woken again, attacks the second knight, and forces him to retreat, thinking that he and the seneschal are one and the same. The chatelaine then sends out a third knight. Jaufre is woken again, attacks him, and forces him to retreat, thinking that he, the second knight and the seneschal are one and the same. The chatelaine then sends out all of her knights, who seize Jaufre and carry him inside. Jaufre is immediately attracted to Brunissen's beauty, and Brunissen is also secretly attracted to Jaufre. She permits him to sleep in the great hall, as long as he is watched over by her knights. He throws himself onto the bed, fully armed. Brunissen is unable to sleep for thinking of Jaufre. The watchman gives a sign, and the knights all begin to lament. Jaufre asks the reason for this, at which all the knights start to beat him, but he is not harmed because he is still wearing his armour. After this, Jaufre is unable to sleep for thinking of Brunissen. On the stroke of midnight, the watchman again gives a sign and the knights begin to lament. Jaufre plans to escape. When the lamentations have stopped, he gets up, finds his horse, and leaves, still unaware of Brunissen’s secret love for him. When, at dawn, the watchman gives a sign to lament, Jaufre is discovered missing. Brunissen is furious that her men have let him escape. She rebukes her seneschal and sends him off to find Jaufre.
| 2.125
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2942212
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jaufre
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Jaufre
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The Tortured Knight: 4879–5169
Jaufre passes an encampment before arriving at the neighbouring castle. Jaufre approaches the elder of the two women, who informs him of the reason behind the lamentations: once a month for seven years, Taulat has forced the injured man, who they care for and who is the true lord of the land, to be flogged up a steep hill until all his wounds open. When, after a month, the wounds have healed, Taulat returns to inflict the same injuries again. The encampment is made up of men who have attempted to save the injured knight from this fate. The lamentations are those of the tortured man's true vassals, who cry with the hope that the injured man may one day be delivered to them. The elder lady tells Jaufre that Taulat's next visit will be in eight days' time, so Jaufre departs, promising to return in eight days.
The Black Knight: 5170–5660
Jaufre comes across a hunger-stricken old lady sitting under a pine tree, who tries to bar Jaufre’s way, but he passes anyway. Approaching a chapel, he is stopped by a demonic black knight, who attacks him without cause. They fight all day and all night, until a hermit comes out of the chapel the following morning and dispels the demon. The hermit explains that the old lady had had a giant as a husband, who had wrought destruction across the land. When an adversary killed her husband, she feared for her life, and evoked the demon of the black knight to guard her and her two sons. One of her sons had been a leper, and had just been killed; the other son was a giant, and had gone off in search of his brother's killer (Jaufre), to return in eight days. Jaufre says that he will wait for him at the hermitage.
The Giant: 5661–5840
The giant arrives, bearing a young girl he has abducted. Jaufre fights him and conquers, recognises that the girl is Augier's daughter, and takes her on horseback in the direction of her father's house.
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2942212
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jaufre
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Jaufre
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Author and dating
Jaufré is quite possibly the product of two anonymous authors, "the one who commenced the work and the one who completed it" referred to in the explicit to the work. The laudatory passages to the King of Aragon on vv. 2616–2630 may be the demarcation where the second poet intervened to continue the tale. But none of the arguments are conclusive.
One clue for dating is the dedication of the work to the young King of Aragon (also the Count of Barcelona), who has been identified variously as Alfonso II (r. 1162–1196), Peter II (r. 1196–1213), or James I (r. 1213–1276). Depending on the scholar, the dates assigned to the work span the reigns of these three monarchs, anywhere from c. 1170 to 1225/1230, or even later. Against a later dating is the fact that James I did not really win his first battle against "those who do not believe in God" (presumably the Saracens), and the poem is quite explicit about this point. Alfonso, by contrast, who was king as a teenager and defeated the Muslims of Spain in 1169, was also a patron of troubadours. This would make the first part if the poem as old as the early 1170s. A later dating however is suggested by the likely influence of the romances by Chrétien de Troyes. It could be interpreted that, ignoring a previous failed expedition to Peníscola, the poet refers to the sensational conquest of Majorca in 1229-1231, when king James was in his early twenties.
Among the camp who supported the earlier dating was scholar Rita Lejeune, who ventured to suggest that the romance may have been one of the sources that Chrétien de Troyes drew upon. But that prospect is discounted by the majority of scholars, who believe rather that Jaufre was a work by poet(s) who came afterwards and gained "intimate knowledge" Chrétien's works. The literary style also points to a later date, for instance, King Arthur is portrayed in somewhat negative light, and a "certain stiflement of adventures".
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2942246
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frederick%20Henry%20Ambrose%20Scrivener
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Frederick Henry Ambrose Scrivener
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Frederick Henry Ambrose Scrivener (September 29, 1813, Bermondsey, Surrey – October 30, 1891, Hendon, Middlesex) was a New Testament textual critic and a member of the English New Testament Revision Committee which produced the Revised Version of the Bible. He was prebendary of Exeter, and vicar of Hendon.
Graduating from Trinity College, Cambridge in 1835 after studying at Southwark, he became a teacher of classics at a number of schools in southern England, and from 1846 to 1856 was headmaster of a school in Falmouth, Cornwall. He was also for 15 years rector of Gerrans, Cornwall.
Initially making a name for himself editing the Codex Bezae Cantabrigiensis, Scrivener edited several editions of the New Testament and collated the Codex Sinaiticus with the Textus Receptus. For his services to textual criticism and the understanding of biblical manuscripts, he was granted a Civil list pension in 1872. He was an advocate of the Byzantine text (majority text) over more modern manuscripts as a source for Bible translations. He was the first to distinguish the Textus Receptus from the Byzantine text. Scrivener compared the Textus Receptus with the editions of Stephanus (1550), Theodore Beza (1565), and Elzevier (1633) and enumerated all the differences. In addition he identified the differences between the Textus Receptus and editions by Lachmann, Tregelles, and Tischendorf. Scrivener doubted the authenticity of texts like Matthew 16:2b–3, Christ's agony at Gethsemane, John 5:3.4, and the Pericope Adulterae.
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2942304
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fredrik%20Sixten
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Fredrik Sixten
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Sven Fredrik Johannes Sixten (born 21 October 1962) is a Swedish composer, cathedral organist and conductor. Sixten was born in Skövde, Sweden. He earned his Bachelor of Arts (1986) at the Royal College of Music, Stockholm. He studied composition with Professor Sven-David Sandström and is now recognized as one of Sweden's best-known composers of church music. He is published at all major publishing houses in Sweden.
He was the conductor of Gothenburg's boys choir between 1997 and 2001. Today he is the cathedral organist of Härnösand's Cathedral. His music is represented on several CD recordings and as a conductor one of his five CDs went gold. His music has been performed on Swedish Radio, e.g. his En svensk Markuspassion for two choirs, chamber orchestra and soloists (2004). The Jazz mass was performed 1999 on Swedish television.
Music
Sixten writes first and foremost church music, particularly liturgical music for choir and organ in a variety of combinations. In addition he has also written a number of chamber music compositions.
His music is the product of an eclectic and comprehensive knowledge of musical history, with the «Master of the Baroque», Johann Sebastian Bach, and 20th century French composers as significant sources of inspiration. Sixten’s musical language also integrates various aspects of jazz technique and of the folk music of his native Sweden.
Most of his works are traditional in structure. His production ranges from large-scale works, such as operas, oratorios and passion to chamber works, including sonatas, toccatas and preludes, not to mention a multitude of contributions to the choral repertoire.
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2942310
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The%20Elder%20Scrolls%3A%20Arena
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The Elder Scrolls: Arena
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The Elder Scrolls: Arena is an open-world action role-playing video game developed and published by Bethesda Softworks. The first game in the Elder Scrolls series, it was released for MS-DOS on March 25, 1994. The game follows the player trying to uncover a conspiracy against Emperor Uriel Septim VII.
Arena takes place on the entire continent of Tamriel, complete with wilderness, towns and dungeons which are procedurally generated. The game features a day/night cycle and includes a spell creation system that allows players to mix various spell effects. Development for Arena was initially planned to have the player travel in towns across Tamriel, fighting other teams in their arenas until the player became "grand champion". As development on the game progressed, side quests took more importance, and the tournament aspect of the game took a back seat. Role-playing elements were added to the game, and the game expanded to include towns outside the arenas and dungeons beyond the cities.
Arena would spawn later sequels that created a series which has gone on to become one of the biggest Western RPGs of all time. The game received praise from critics and would go on to win several awards such as Computer Gaming Worlds 1994 "Role-Playing Game of the Year". The game set a new standard for this type of CRPG and demonstrated just how much room was left for innovation. Although not as popular as the later games, Arena generated a cult following and sold 120,000 units. The game was followed by Daggerfall in 1996. In 2004, a downloadable version of the game was made available free of charge as part of the tenth anniversary of the series.
Gameplay
The game is played from a first-person perspective. Melee combat is performed by right-clicking the mouse and dragging the cursor across the screen to attack as if swinging a weapon. Magic is used by cycling through a menu found by clicking the appropriate button on the main game screen, then clicking the spell to be used, and its target.
| 2.25
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2942310
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The%20Elder%20Scrolls%3A%20Arena
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The Elder Scrolls: Arena
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Design goals
Initially, Arena was not to be an RPG at all. The player and a team of his fighters would travel about a world fighting other teams in their arenas until the player became "grand champion" in the world's capital, the Imperial City. Along the way, side quests of a more role-playing nature could be completed. As the process of development progressed, however, the tournaments became less important and the side quests more. Role-playing elements were added to the game, as the game expanded to include the cities outside the arenas, and dungeons beyond the cities. Eventually it was decided to drop the idea of tournaments altogether, and focus on quests and dungeons, making the game a "full-blown RPG".
The original concept of arena combat never made it to the coding stage, so few artifacts from that era of development remain: the game's title, and a text file with the names of fighting teams from every large city in Tamriel, and a brief introduction for them. The concept of travelling teams was eventually left aside as well because the team's decision to produce a first-person RPG had made the system somewhat less fun. The game was going to have a team of up to four party members, but that feature was dropped and reduced to a single adventurer.
Although the team had dropped all arena combat from the end game, because all the material had already been printed up with the title, the game went to market as The Elder Scrolls: Arena. The team came up with a lore-friendly explanation for this, being because the Empire of Tamriel was so violent, it had been nicknamed the Arena. It was Lakshman who came up with the idea of "The Elder Scrolls", and though, in the words of Peterson, "I don't think he knew what the hell it meant any more than we did", the words eventually came to mean "Tamriel's mystical tomes of knowledge that told of its past, present, and future." The game's initial voice-over was changed in response, beginning: "It has been foretold in the Elder Scrolls ..."
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2942317
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The%20Elder%20Scrolls%20II%3A%20Daggerfall
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The Elder Scrolls II: Daggerfall
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The Elder Scrolls II: Daggerfall is an open-world, action role-playing game published by Bethesda Softworks. The second video game in the Elder Scrolls series, it was released on September 20, 1996 for MS-DOS, following the success of 1994's The Elder Scrolls: Arena. The story follows the player, sent by the Emperor, to free the ghost of King Lysandus from his earthly shackles and discover what happened to a letter sent from the Emperor to the former queen of Daggerfall.
Compared to its predecessor, Arena, the player can now only travel within two provinces in Tamriel: High Rock and Hammerfell; however, Daggerfall consists of 15,000 cities, towns, villages, and dungeons for the character to explore. Arenas experience-point-based system was replaced with a system that rewards the player for utilizing role-playing elements within the game. Daggerfall includes more customization options, featuring an improved character generation engine, as well as a GURPS-influenced class creation system, offering players the chance to create their classes and assign their skills.
The game was a critical and commercial success, with sales of around 700,000 copies by 2000. The game was followed by The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind in 2002. In 2009, to commemorate the 15th anniversary of the Elder Scrolls franchise, Daggerfall was free to download from the Bethesda website.
Gameplay
Daggerfall, like the other games in The Elder Scrolls series, takes place on the fictional continent of Tamriel, in which the player can travel between the provinces of High Rock and Hammerfell. Like all The Elder Scrolls games, the player does not have to follow questlines or fill specific character roles, allowing the player to play the game how they see fit.
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2942317
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The%20Elder%20Scrolls%20II%3A%20Daggerfall
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The Elder Scrolls II: Daggerfall
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Plot
Daggerfall is set in the Iliac Bay, between the provinces of High Rock and Hammerfell. The player is sent here at the Emperor's request. He wants the player to do two things: First, the player must free the ghost of King Lysandus from his earthly shackles; Second, the player must discover what happened to a letter from the Emperor to the former queen of Daggerfall. The letter reveals that Lysandus's mother, Nulfaga, knows the location of the Mantella, the key to resurrecting the first Numidium, a powerful brass golem. The emperor wants his spy to force Nulfaga into revealing the location of the Mantella so that the Blades can finish the reconstruction of the Numidium. Through a series of mishaps and confusions, the letter fell into the hands of an orc named Gortworg. Not knowing what the Mantella is, Gortworg consults Mannimarco, the King of Worms (the leader of the Necromancers). During this time the Underking, who originally destroyed the first Numidium because of its misuse by Tiber Septim, is recuperating deep within a tomb of High Rock after expending so much energy destroying it the first time. For the player to give the Mantella to anyone, the player must kill King Lysandus's murderer and put his ghost to rest. After accomplishing this, the player must steal the totem of Tiber Septim from King Gothryd of Daggerfall and free the Mantella from its prison in Aetherius. Following this, the player has six choices regarding how to deal with the Mantella.
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2942333
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McMaster%20Arts%20and%20Science
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McMaster Arts and Science
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The Arts & Science Program awards its students with a B. Arts Sc. Students may earn the degree in 3 years, although most students complete the degree in 4 years and earn the "Honours" appellation as any other undergraduate program. At the general faculty meeting of March 1980, the professors from the faculty of Health Sciences were particularly enthusiastic about the outline presented. This led to the formation of the small, inquiry and interdisciplinary-based Health Sciences undergraduate program in 1999. After Dr. Herb Jenkins retired as the first director of the Arts & Science Program, he, along with Dr. Bob Hudspith went on to found the Engineering and Society program at the Faculty of Engineering. McMaster's Integrated Sciences Program has also been modeled with the Arts & Science Program.
Admissions
The Arts and Science Program currently considers applications from applicants with a high school average of 88% or greater. The program requires an applicant's completion of the following Ontario high school courses as prerequisites for admission:
ENG4U
1 of MHF4U, MCV4U (MCV4U is strongly recommended)
4 additional U/M level courses of which two must be U level.
In addition to the completion of these courses and the submission of an application, the program requires that applicants complete a supplementary application, which is due each year on 1 February. The supplementary application enables the program to learn more about the applicant and their ideas, interests, and activities. Each year, the Arts and Science Program receives over 800 applications. The program prides itself in ensuring that all supplementary applications are read thoroughly and given equal consideration.
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2942333
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McMaster%20Arts%20and%20Science
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McMaster Arts and Science
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Curriculum/Structure
Arts & Science stresses the development of skills in writing, speaking, research, and critical and quantitative reasoning. Its curriculum also aims to provide a foundational university-level knowledge base in the natural sciences and the social thought of the Western world. The program's small size facilitates its strong sense of community and interdisciplinary learning, with students taking a diverse range of courses through their four years. Many of the students specialize in a field by completing a combined honours in addition to the Arts and Science program requirements (effectively a double major). Some combined honours require a fifth year of study, unless the student takes courses during summer school or an "overload" course complement. Many students go on to pursue higher learning through either graduate or professional school, or take job opportunities.
*Many students in the Arts and Science Program opt to take a semester or double semester studying abroad. In this case, they take courses at the university that they are visiting that are deemed to be equivalent to the courses required of them were they to remain at McMaster.
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2942333
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McMaster%20Arts%20and%20Science
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McMaster Arts and Science
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Expansion
During the mid-'00s, the McMaster administration began putting pressure on the program to increase its size from 60 to 100 students per year. This campaign was part of a University-wide expansion of all smaller programs such as Medicine and Health Sciences. The idea was met with opposition from most students and professors in the program. Arguments against program expansion included concerns that the sense of tight-knit community would be lost; that larger classes would reduce the quality of education; and that it would place added pressure on professors. The previous increase in class size was in 1996, with an increase in intake from 50 students to 60. This increase was met with similar resistance, and many students and faculty regarded this as the beginning of the end of the intimate learning environment that had gained the Arts and Science Program its strong reputation. Although the '00s expansion issue was never resolved with finality, measures were subsequently taken to address the issue, with the ultimate aim of bringing enrollment back to a maximum of 60 students per year. Through the late 2010s, the program underwent a further expansion, increasing its enrollment target from 60 students per year to 70.
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2942357
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Community%20television%20in%20Canada
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Community television in Canada
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History
In Canada, citizen media has roots going back to 1922 when filmmaker Robert Flaherty brought in an Inuit hunter to participate in Nanook of the North. In the 1960s this film was cited as an inspiration by a group of filmmakers associated with the National Film Board of Canada, whose Challenge for Change project was part of Canada's War on Poverty. In 1967 Challenge for Change contributed to a prototype studio where people were free to help shape community media. More public access experiments followed. The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission required cable companies to provide public access on July 16, 1971.
In 1997, the CRTC deregulated community television in Canada, causing a protracted period of political tension between cable companies and community groups. After complaints to the CRTC from the Canadian public, a policy review process was initiated, culminating in CRTC Decision 2002-61, a reinvigoration of the participatory elements of the community channel. Under 2002-61, community channels can be run by independent community groups, and up to one-half of the channel must be made available for independent community producers.
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2942367
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthotyros
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Anthotyros
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Anthotyros () (Anthotyro in modern Greek, "flowery cheese") is a traditional fresh cheese. There are dry Anthotyros and fresh Anthotyros. Dry Anthotyros is a matured cheese similar to Mizithra. Anthotyros is made with milk and whey from sheep or goats, sometimes in combination. The ratio of milk to whey usually is 9-to-1. It is commonly a truncated cone, but when shipped in containers may be crumbled, as it is removed. It may be unpasteurized, where law allows.
Milk is boiled at moderate temperature for ten minutes and then rennet and salt is added, while ruffling. The mix is left in large shallow tanks resulting in a part skim mixture. The following day, salt is added to the mix which is then poured into a basket with tulle and is left to drain. Salt is added every day for another three to four days. At this stage, the cheese is still fresh but less soft. If left to mature, thick salt is often added to cover the exterior.
The fresh variant is dry, white, soft or medium hardness, with a sweet, creamy taste, with no rind and no salt. It might be eaten for breakfast with honey and fruit, or in savory dishes with oil, tomato and wild herbs. The dry variant is hard, dry, white and salty; it can have a powerful smell similar to sherry. It might be eaten on spaghetti or salads.
Anthotyros is produced in Greece, commonly in Thrace, Macedonia, the Ionian Islands and Crete.
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2942384
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sames%2C%20Pyr%C3%A9n%C3%A9es-Atlantiques
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Sames, Pyrénées-Atlantiques
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Neighbourhoods
The commune is organized into several neighbourhoods, with distinct personalities partly shaped by history:
Le Bourg, a small borough uphill, consists of a cluster of homes around a medieval church. Traces of human habitation have been found dating back to the 3rd century.
Quartier Saint-Jean dates back at least to the late Middle Ages. It developed around a hostel belonging to the Order of Malta that was established around 1445, with a hospital facility and rooms for travellers to and from Spain. Until the late 18th century, the settlement was organised as a self-supporting hamlet and had its own church and graveyard.
Vic Neuf (also known as Vic Nau) is a rural zone with dispersed homes sloping down from Le Bourg to the banks of the Bidouze.
Vic de Lalande is a rolling upland stretching from Le Bourg to the neighbouring communes of Hastingues and Bidache. It was originally farmland but now has many new homes.
Le Îles, a sparse strip of farms along the banks of the Gaves and Adour, derives its name from small river islets that stood there in the 16th century and have since disappeared. (Some similar islets still exist downstream at Lahonce and Sainte-Marie-de-Gosse.)
Moura is a real-estate zone developing around a reservoir that was created in the early 1990s during a huge civil works project for a nearby highway linking Toulouse to Bayonne.
Demographics
Economy
The economy of Sames is based on agriculture, primarily maize, kiwi, and (to a somewhat lesser extent) vegetables.Local craftsmen also make blades and knives in a typical Pyrenean style.
History
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sames%2C%20Pyr%C3%A9n%C3%A9es-Atlantiques
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Sames, Pyrénées-Atlantiques
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Settlement
Artifacts discovered in Sames (such as a set of 3rd-century Roman bronze coins found in the recess of a wall) indicate that some type of settlement, probably agricultural, existed at the hilltop site of Le Bourg in ancient times. The local church—built in a simple Roman style, which was all that a very rural parish could afford—has been dated back to the early 14th century. The first documents mentioning the commune by its current name are from 1255; several minor mentions can be found from throughout the 13th and 14th centuries.
The history of the commune is closely tied to the Order of Malta, which, around 1445, built a hostel and hospital on the bank of the Bidouze to supplement facilities in the nearby port city of Bayonne. They named the site after the Order's patron saint, John (in French, Saint Jean), and the neighbourhood was known as Saint-Jean-d'Etchart until the Order left in the late 18th century. ("Etchart" is most likely of Basque origin; a nearby swampy area is still known as "Etchouette".) The Order also established a chapel that served as a secondary church for locals, and they sustained their right to be buried there until a royal decree in 1668 forbade it. Several buildings from that period, dating to the early 1600s, are still standing.
In the late 18th and early 19th centuries, a few wealthy landowners built mansions in the village: three on the hilltop (the first around 1775; the other two, more lavish and surrounded by parks and gardens, around 1850) and one in 1807 on the site of the old Order of Malta establishment.
Political control
While Sames itself held no strategic interest, being devoid of any military stronghold, the area at large was in constant turmoil because of rivalries between the powers that ruled the Aquitaine region and northern Spain.
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sames%2C%20Pyr%C3%A9n%C3%A9es-Atlantiques
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Sames, Pyrénées-Atlantiques
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Until the late 12th century, the area was part of the province of Labourd, ruled from Bayonne and included in the dukedom of Aquitaine, and hence the realm of France. The local powers were the lords of Guiche, 1.5 km away across the Bidouze, and the Abbey of Arthous 2 km away on the other side of the hills, which was founded in 1160 and served as a staging ground for pilgrims to Santiago de Compostela in Spain.
However, in 1193, Richard I of England, who was also duke of Aquitaine and, as such, a vassal to the king of France, agreed to relinquish sovereignty over a strip of land—located next to the Earldom of Béarn and stretching from the Pyrenees down to the Adour—to his father-in-law, Sancho VI of Navarre, who ruled over northern Spain. This land was then integrated into the kingdom of Navarre under the name Lower Navarre (French: Basse-Navarre; Basque: Neferroa Beheroa), and thus removed from the realm of France for the next four centuries.
Sames, hemmed in at the confluence of the three rivers, remained under French control but found itself politically isolated. It was cut off from the village of Oeyregave to the northeast by the Earl of Orthe's fortress at Peyrehorade, and from the rest of Labourd by the Bidouze river, on the opposite bank of which was set a ring of villages belonging to Navarre. It was also cut off from its southwestern neighbours beyond Bidache, where a fortress was built in 1325 by the Earl of Gramont, and from Guiche to the south, which had a strong fortress dating back to the 11th century. Additionally, in 1289, the Duke of Aquitaine—who controlled Bayonne, the only port between Spain and Bordeaux—established a stronghold on the hilltop of Hastingues half a mile away under an agreement with the Abbey of Arthous (which sought protection from the Earl of Orthe).
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2942415
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C%C3%A9lestine%20Galli-Mari%C3%A9
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Célestine Galli-Marié
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Célestine Galli-Marié (; November 1840 – 22 September 1905) was a French mezzo-soprano who is most famous for creating the title role in the opera Carmen.
Early life
She was born Marie-Célestine Laurence Marié de l'Isle in November 1840 in Paris, France. She was taught singing by her father, Mécène Marié de l'Isle, who also had a successful opera career. Her début came in 1859 in Strasbourg, and she sang in Italian in Lisbon. At the age of fifteen she had married a sculptor named Galli (who died in 1861) and thus took her stage name, Galli-Marié.
Career
Émile Perrin, the director of the Opéra-Comique, heard her performing Balfe's The Bohemian Girl at Rouen and brought her to Paris. She sang at the Opéra-Comique until 1885, premiering in Pergolesi's La serva padrona. Her most famous roles were in Thomas's Mignon (1866) and Bizet's Carmen (1875). It was said that at the 33rd performance of Carmen on 2 June 1875, Galli-Marié had a premonition of Bizet's death while singing the cards scene in Act III, and fainted when she left the stage; the composer in fact died that night and the next performance was cancelled due to her indisposition. Undertaking much touring, she performed Carmen in Brussels (16 January 1876), Naples (the Italian premiere), Genoa, Barcelona, Lyon, Liege and Dieppe before returning in the Opéra-Comique revival of the original production on 22 October 1883. In London she appeared at Her Majesty's Theatre in a touring production in 1886, and returned to the Opéra-Comique in 1890 to sing in a fundraising performance to erect a monument to Bizet (this was her final performance).
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2942448
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pennine%20Cycleway
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Pennine Cycleway
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The Pennine Cycleway is a Sustrans-sponsored route in the Pennines range in northern England, an area often called the "backbone of England". The route passes through the counties of Derbyshire, West Yorkshire, Lancashire, North Yorkshire, Cumbria and Northumberland. It is part of the National Cycle Network (NCN). Sustrans founder John Grimshaw calls it 'the best National Cycle Network route of the lot'.
The majority of the route follows NCN 68. It also makes use of several other NCN routes including 6, 54, 62, 70, 7, 72 and 1.
It has a total length of about . The route was opened in stages in 2002–03.
History
The route was devised for Sustrans, a UK, partially government-funded charity that promotes sustainable transport, who were looking for an "exhilarating long distance pubs 'n' scenery challenge ride" to rival the Sea to Sea Cycle Route (C2C). The northern section, designed by Ted Liddle, was launched in a low-profile way in summer 2002, because of the after-effects of the foot-and-mouth outbreak. Cyclists marked the opening of the entire route in July 2003.
Route
The Sustrans organization describe the Pennine Cycleway route in three sections: Peak District, South Pennines and North Pennines. It goes through the National Parks of the Peak District, the Yorkshire Dales, and Northumberland, while skirting the eastern Lake District. About 20% is on traffic-free cycleway routes, and the remainder is along quiet low traffic roads.
Peak District
The Peak District section is long. It runs from Derby in the English Midlands to Holmfirth in West Yorkshire, passing Ashbourne, Buxton and New Mills, and includes the traffic-free rail trails at Tissington and Longdendale (also part of the Trans Pennine Trail). The initial section to Etwall is part of National Cycle Network Route 54, and around Buxton short sections of the High Peak Trail and Midshires Way are followed.
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2942473
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K%C5%8Dma%20Station%20%28Iwate%29
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Kōma Station (Iwate)
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is a railway station in the city of Morioka, Iwate Prefecture Japan, jointly operated by East Japan Railway Company (JR East) and the operated by the third sector Iwate Ginga Railway Company.
Lines
Kōma Station is a terminal station on the JR East Hanawa Line, and is located 106.9 rail kilometers from the opposing terminus of the line at Ōdate Station in Akita Prefecture. However, most trains continue on to Morioka Station. It is also a station on the Iwate Ginga Railway Line, and is located 21.3 rail kilometers from the terminus of the line at Morioka Station.
Station layout
Kōma Station is an elevated station with a single side platform and single island platform connected by footbridges, serving three tracks.
Platforms
History
Kōma Station opened on September 1, 1891, serving the village of Tamayama, Iwate. A new station building was completed in May 2011.
Passenger statistics
In fiscal 2015, the station was used by an average of 1,973 passengers daily.
Surrounding area
National Route 4
Kōma Post Office
Kitakami River
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2942482
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Date%20nail
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Date nail
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Date nails were tagging devices utilized by railroads and utility companies to visually identify the age of railroad ties or utility poles. Octave Chanute, railroad and aviation pioneer, is credited with the idea for using date nails as a way of tracking the life of railroad ties. Different railroads used different sized nails with either alpha or numerical markings. An example would be a Southern Pacific Railroad nail with the marking "01" stamped on the head of the nail. The "01" would identify the nail as being hammered into a railroad tie in the year 1901.
Date nails can vary in size, shape, length, material, and rarity. Some railroads used "code nails" which means that the nail was used to mark something other than the date the tie was installed. An example of a code nail would be the Chicago and North Western Railway "FNB" nail meaning First National Bank, which would be hammered into the ends of some C&NW ties. Another example is the Milwaukee Road "R08" nail, where the "R" is an unknown treatment or type of wood, and the numbers indicate the year it was installed.
Date nail use has dropped dramatically since the mid-20th century and the advent of more modern maintenance of way equipment. Date nails on American railroads were phased out in the 1970s. Ties are no longer marked in this manner in North American practice, and the nails are now sought after by railroadiana collectors. The Southern Railway never used date nails.
Date nails are also found on utility poles, sometimes in conjunction with a nail showing the height of the pole in feet. The types of nails may have distinguishing characteristics, such as the date nail having raised digits and the "height nail" having incised digits. The pole height will be a multiple of five (e.g., "35" or "40").
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