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Superman, Spider-Man, Batman and Iron Man ... .There is no shortage of superheroes. You find them in comic books, on the TV and the big screen. In a survey of fans by the sci-fi and fantasy website, SFX.co.uk, Batman, 70 years old this year, was voted Britain's favorite superhero. Unlike many crime-fighting superheroes Batman has no special powers. He can't fly like Superman or shoot a sticky web like Spider-Man. Bruce Wayne is born to a wealthy Gotham City business family. However, when his parents are murdered his life changes completely. Wayne feels anger at their deaths and guilty that he did not prevent them. He travels around the world learning how to fight. Upon returning to Gotham, he creates a disguise to enable him to fight crime without being recognized. A childhood fear of bats leads him to choose to dress as one. His idea is that through the bat person he can prove to himself that he has overcome his childhood fears. Wayne is the CEO of the company he inherits from his father. He seems to live the lifestyle of a millionaire playboy. But this is a ruse . He works hard at the image to allow himself the freedom he needs to do his work as a crime fighter. "Bruce Wayne, playboy" is the disguise Batman is the real person. "Wayne is not a born superhero. Instead, he is a real, complex person," said Dace Golder, editor of the website. "He is the most realistic of all the superheroes. I am particularly interested in the emotional process by which a boy becomes a hero. His superhero qualities come from within."
Does Batman have a disguise?
yes
Baronets are a rank in the British aristocracy. The current Baronetage of the United Kingdom has replaced the earlier Baronetages of England, Nova Scotia, Ireland, and Great Britain. King James I created the hereditary Order of Baronets in England on 22 May 1611, for the settlement of Ireland. He offered the dignity to 200 gentlemen of good birth, with a clear estate of ₤1,000 a year, on condition that each one should pay a sum equivalent to three years' pay to 30 soldiers at 8d per day per man (total – £1,095) into the King's Exchequer. The Baronetage of England comprises all baronetcies created in the Kingdom of England before the Act of Union in 1707. In that year, the Baronetage of England and the Baronetage of Nova Scotia were replaced by the Baronetage of Great Britain. The extant baronetcies are listed below in order of precedence (i.e. date). All other baronetcies, including extinct, dormant (D), unproven (U), under review (R) or forfeit, are on a separate list of baronetcies. The baronetcy lists include any peerage titles which are held by the baronet. To be recognised as a baronet, it is necessary to prove a claim of succession. When this has been done, the name is entered on The Official Roll. This was ordained by Royal Warrant in February 1910. Those who have not so proven are shown below as unproven or under review or dormant. A baronetcy is considered dormant if, five years after the death of the previous incumbent, no heir has come forward to claim it.
Who started that?
Royal Warrant
One summer when I was sixteen, I planted a vegetable garden. I wanted a bunch of different vegetables, so I planted seven tomato plants, three pepper plants, six corn plants, and two cucumber plants. My mom loves zucchini so I also planted ten zucchini plants. I watered the garden daily with a watering can. When weeds started to take over, I pulled them back. About a month in, I started getting fresh vegetables every day. I walked to the garden with a big basket every morning and picked the vegetables that were ready. Sometimes I ate them right off the vine. One day I walked down to the garden and saw that the zucchini plants were taking over. Each of my ten plants had many zucchini, giving me hundreds of zucchinis each week. I didn't know what to do with the zucchini so I gave some to my neighbor. I gave some to my parents to take to their friends. Then I went door to door and gave zucchini to everyone in the neighborhood.
Was there an automated watering system?
no
A) LiYugang dresses like a woman and sings like a bird. He won the third prize in CCTV's Star Road in 2006. He sings folk songs. However, he seems to have the spirit of Mei Lanfang. In fact, the young man had learnt something from Mei Lanfang's students. People in China usually don't like cross-dressing . But people are really surprised at Li's beauty and _ when he sings and dances. B) Do you know who invented QQ? It was Ma Huateng. He was born in Guangdong in 1971. He chose computer science when he entered Shenzhen University in 1989. He worked as a computer programmer for a company in Shenzhen for five years after he graduated in 1993. Later he left the company and started his own company in 1998. C) Yue Fei was a famous hero of Southern Song Dynasty. He was born in a poor family in Henan Province. He was very brave and won many battles with his soldiers. But Qin Hui killed Yue Fei for Mo Xuyou. Later a temple about Yue Fei was built in memory of him at the foot of Qixia Ling by the West Lake, in Hangzhou.
Doing what?
a computer programmer
It's been five years since Carrie Bradshaw journeyed to Paris in search of true love on the series finale of "Sex and the City." She appeared to have found it in the arms of Mr. Big, and she returned to New York -- and her now-settled friends -- ready for a new start. Sarah Jessica Parker was a driving force in creating the "Sex and the City" movie. Then came the inevitable cry: That's it? What happens next? Sarah Jessica Parker, who played Carrie, wanted to find out as well. But the situation had to be right, she said, which prompted a cascade of rumors as plans for a movie came together, fell apart and came together again. Now that the movie is out, Parker -- who's a producer of the film as well as one of its stars -- talked about the journey to making a big-screen "Sex and the City" with "Showbiz Tonight" anchor A.J. Hammer. The following is an edited version of that interview. CNN: I think a lot of fans, maybe a lot of people, and those of you among the cast, didn't think this day would actually ever come ... but here we are. So how are you feeling deep inside, Sarah? Sarah Jessica Parker: I feel extraordinarily privileged. I've spent the last two years cobbling this movie together. ... It's a once-in-a-lifetime kind of professional experience and one really shouldn't be greedy enough to ask for it twice. Watch the cast talk about the thrill of "Sex" »
Of what media outlet?
CNN
A Republican tide ripped the Senate away from Democrats Tuesday, giving the GOP full control of Congress and the power to pin down President Barack Obama during his last two years in office. The thumping win upends the balance of power between the White House and Capitol Hill only six years after Obama's Democrats swept to power and marginalized Republicans in a rush to reform health care, Wall Street and pass a huge stimulus package. Now, it's Democrats who will take the back seat on Capitol Hill, relying mostly on the power of the filibuster to stymie Republicans and keep Obama's legacy intact. "For too long, this administration has tried to tell the American people what is good for them and then blame somebody else when their policies didn't work out," Mitch McConnell, who is expected to become the next Senate majority leader, said in a victory speech. In the House, CNN projected the GOP will have at least 246 seats, its largest majority since World War II. Speaker John Boehner, celebrating a widened majority, said he is "humbled by the responsibility the American people have placed with us." "But this is not a time for celebration," he said. "It's time for government to start getting results and implementing solutions to the challenges facing our country, starting with our still-struggling economy. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, who has controlled the Senate since 2007, congratulated Republicans on their victory. "The message from voters is clear: they want us to work together," Reid said. "I look forward to working with Senator McConnell to get things done for the middle class."
Who did the GOP victory make things difficult for?
Obama
Set theory is a branch of mathematical logic that studies sets, which informally are collections of objects. Although any type of object can be collected into a set, set theory is applied most often to objects that are relevant to mathematics. The language of set theory can be used in the definitions of nearly all mathematical objects. The modern study of set theory was initiated by Georg Cantor and Richard Dedekind in the 1870s. After the discovery of paradoxes in naive set theory, such as the Russell's paradox, numerous axiom systems were proposed in the early twentieth century, of which the Zermelo–Fraenkel axioms, with or without the axiom of choice, are the best-known. Set theory is commonly employed as a foundational system for mathematics, particularly in the form of Zermelo–Fraenkel set theory with the axiom of choice. Beyond its foundational role, set theory is a branch of mathematics in its own right, with an active research community. Contemporary research into set theory includes a diverse collection of topics, ranging from the structure of the real number line to the study of the consistency of large cardinals. Mathematical topics typically emerge and evolve through interactions among many researchers. Set theory, however, was founded by a single paper in 1874 by Georg Cantor: "On a Property of the Collection of All Real Algebraic Numbers".
what are sets?
collections of objects
Xinjiang, officially the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, is a provincial-level autonomous region of China in the northwest of the country. It is the largest Chinese administrative division and the eighth largest country subdivision in the world, spanning over 1.6 million km (640,000 square miles). Xinjiang contains the disputed territory of Aksai Chin, which is administered by China. Xinjiang borders the countries of Mongolia, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India. The rugged Karakoram, Kunlun, and Tian Shan mountain ranges occupy much of Xinjiang's borders, as well as its western and southern regions. Xinjiang also borders Tibet Autonomous Region and the provinces of Gansu and Qinghai. The most well-known route of the historical Silk Road ran through the territory from the east to its northwestern border. In recent decades, abundant oil and mineral reserves have been found in Xinjiang, and it is currently China's largest natural gas-producing region. It is home to a number of ethnic groups, including the Uyghur, Kazakhs, Tajiks, Hui, Kyrgyz, Mongols, Han, and Russians. More than a dozen autonomous prefectures and counties for minorities are in Xinjiang. Older English-language reference works often refer to the area as "Chinese Turkestan". Xinjiang is divided into the Dzungarian Basin in the north and the Tarim Basin in the south by a mountain range. Only about 9.7% of Xinjiang's land area is fit for human habitation.
how many?
Eight
CHAPTER LXXXIX. HOW KING FERDINAND TREATED THE PEOPLE OF GUADIX, AND HOW EL ZAGAL FINISHED HIS REGAL CAREER. Scarcely had Boabdil (11) ensconced himself in his capital when King Ferdinand, at the head of seven thousand horse and twenty thousand foot, again appeared in the Vega. He had set out in all haste from Cordova to the relief of Salobrena, but hearing on his march that the siege was raised, he turned to make a second ravage round the walls of devoted Granada. His present forage lasted fifteen days, in the course of which almost everything that had escaped his former desolating visit was destroyed, and scarce a green thing or a living animal was left on the face of the land. The Moors sallied frequently and fought desperately in defence of their fields, but the work of destruction was accomplished, and Granada, once the queen of gardens, was left surrounded by a desert. Ferdinand next hastened to crush a conspiracy in the cities of Guadix, Baza, and Almeria. These recently conquered places had entered into secret correspondence with Boabdil, inviting him to march to their gates, promising to rise upon the Christian garrisons, seize upon the citadels, and surrender them into his power. The marques of Villena had received notice of the conspiracy, and suddenly thrown himself with a large force into Guadix. Under pretence of a review of the inhabitants he made them sally forth into the fields before the city. When the whole Moorish population capable of bearing arms was thus without the walls, he ordered the gates to be closed. He then permitted them to enter two by two and three by three, and take forth their wives, children, and effects. The houseless Moors were fain to make themselves temporary hovels in the gardens and orchards about the city; they were clamorous in their complaints at being thus excluded from their homes, but were told they must wait with patience until the charges against them could be investigated and the pleasure of the king be known.*
Where did Ferdinand work to crush first?
Guadix
Donald Sterling has agreed to the sale of the Los Angeles Clippers to former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, Sterling's attorneys told CNN on Wednesday. Last week, Sterling's estranged wife, Shelly, agreed to sell the franchise to Ballmer for an NBA record $2 billion. The Sterlings are co-owners of the team through a family trust. Donald Sterling initially indicated he would fight the sale and filed a lawsuit against the National Basketball Association. The suit has yet to be withdrawn, attorneys Bobby Samini and Maxwell Blecher, said, but that likely will happen this week. "Donald Sterling officially announces today, the NBA and Donald Sterling and Shelly Sterling have agreed to sell the Los Angeles Clippers to Steve Ballmer for $2 billion and various additional benefits. All disputes and outstanding issues have been resolved," Samini said in a written statement. Blecher said he thought that Sterling worked out a resolution with the league or with Shelly Sterling. The NBA was expected to issue a news release commenting on Wednesday's developments. As of 8 p.m. ET, the NBA had not received a sale agreement with Donald Sterling's signature, a source with detailed knowledge of the negotiations said. The source said Sterling was in a room with his two attorneys, going through the deal. NBA owners still have to approve the sale to Ballmer, who has indicated he would keep the team in Los Angeles. Ballmer, according to Forbes magazine, is worth $20.3 billion. Ballmer has tried to buy a NBA team before. Last year, he and investor Chris Hansen were set to purchase the Sacramento Kings, but the NBA nixed the deal because the duo would have moved the franchise to Seattle.
Why?
they wanted to move it to Seattle.
Eric "The Actor" Lynch, who became a celebrity among celebrities by calling in to Howard Stern's radio show, died Saturday, his manager said. Lynch, 39, stood just 3 feet tall, but his reach was long thanks to the entertaining chemistry he developed with Stern over a decade of phone calls. "Despite our sometimes testy on-air relationship the entire staff absolutely loved Eric the Actor," a message on Stern's website said Monday.  "When he visited the show in person everyone lined up to take pictures with him.  And not just us -- celebrities all over the world loved Eric." His manager, Johnny Fratto, confirmed Lynch's death in a Twitter posting Sunday: "I am so sorry and so sad to inform everyone that my friend Eric "The Actor" Lynch passed away yesterday afternoon!!!" Late-night host Jimmy Kimmel, who had Lynch on his show in 2008, tweeted that he was "my all-time favorite Howard Stern caller and I will miss him terribly." Comedian Wanda Sykes was also a Lynch fan. She tweeted: "Sad to hear about the passing of #EricTheActor. He was one of my favorite callers. #ByeForNow" Bravo TV host Andy Cohen initially tweeted that he was praying that word of Lynch's death was not true, but then: "seems like it's true ... So RIP Eric the Actor. One of the great Stern callers ever. He was incredibly entertaining for many years. :-(" Comedian Artie Lange, who is well-known for his work on Stern's radio show, tweeted that Lynch "truly didn't care what u thought of him. Which in some ways made him happier than us all."
How old was Eric Lynch when he died?
39
For their nick-of-time acts, Toby, a 2-year-old dog, and Winnie, a cute cat, were named Dog and Cat of the Year by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. As Amy Paul choked on a piece of apple at her home, her dog jumped up, landing hard on her chest and forcing the piece in her throat out. When the Keesling family of Indiana was about to be killed by carbon monoxide, their cat clawed at the wife Cathy's hair until she woke up and called for help. No one could explain their timely heroics. Both pets were rescued by their owners in _ -----Toby as a 4-week-old thrown into a garbage bin to die, and Winnie as a week-old orphan hiding under a barn, so helpless that Cathy's husband, Eric, had to feed her milk with an eyedropper. As the Keeslings recalled it, a gas-driven pump being used broke down, spreading carbon monoxide through the house. By the time Winnie went to rescue, the couple's 14-year-old son was already unconscious. "Winnie jumped on the bed and was clawing at me, with a kind of angry sound," Cathy Keesling said. The state police responding to her 911 call said the family was only minutes from death, judging by the amount of poisonous gas in the house. Amy Paul's husband was at his job when she took a midday break from making jewelry and bit into an apple. "Normally I peel them, but I read in Good Housekeeping Magazine that the skin has all the nutrients, so I ate the skin, and that's what caused me to choke," she recalled. "I couldn't breathe and I was in panic when Toby jumped on me. He never does that, but he did, and saved my life." Both Toby and Winnie accompanied their owners to the awards luncheon.
what was the gas?
carbon monoxide
Kyle was excited. So excited that he ate and got dressed before his dad even woke up. Today he was going to the store to spend the money his grandma had sent him for his birthday. When Dad was finally ready to go, Kyle hurried to the car. Today was extra special because none of his sisters were going with them. His older sister Sandy was visiting her best friend. His younger sister Sarah was going to a movie with their mom. So today was a special day, only Kyle and Dad being guys together. Once they reached the store, Kyle walked slowly down each aisle, looking at all the toys and trying to find the best one. Purple superheroes, colorful games, and a bright blue ball all caught his eye, but Kyle kept looking. Finally he saw it, hiding on the bottom shelf. The most perfect toy- a shiny, white jeep. Kyle rushed to pick it up and show it to his dad. His dad thought the jeep was a great toy. And Kyle had enough money to buy it. The clerk took Kyle's money and placed the perfect car into a bag for the boy. As they drove home, Kyle looked into the bag at his dream toy several times, to make sure it was real. And all afternoon he pretended to drive his jeep around the house. This had been the best day ever!
Where were they spent?
the store
Country superstar Alan Jackson is famous alright, but that didn't help his 20-year-old daughter, Alexandra, when she was arrested on Wednesday. According to Metro Nashville Police, Alexandra was charged with assault, underage consumption of alcohol, and resisting arrest during a traffic stop. The 20-year-old was riding shotgun in a Range Rover that a police officer observed was speeding, and when the officer pulled the car over, it was discovered that Alexandra "had consumed a large amount of alcohol." Police say Alexandra became "visibly irate" while the officer spoke with the driver of the vehicle, and began making demands as she got out of the car. The officer requested that she return to the vehicle, but according to police that only angered Alexandra more. After being threatened with the possibility of being arrested if she didn't get back inside the car, Alexandra struck the officer in his chest. When police tried to arrest her and take her into custody, she put up enough of a fight to require the officer to call for backup. Alexandra eventually complied with the arrest, but police say that while she was being booked she "made several statements to the arresting officer" that her dad Alan Jackson "would do anything" she wanted him to do. Police then warned Alexandra about making or attempting to bribe an officer. She's next due in court on September 23. As of now, Alan Jackson's reps have no comment. CNN's Jane Caffrey contributed to this report.
What did she do when the officers were speaking to the driver?
struck officer in chest.
The Canadian Hot 100 is a music industry record chart in Canada for singles, published weekly by "Billboard" magazine. The Canadian Hot 100 was launched on the issue dated June 16, 2007, and is currently the standard record chart in Canada; a new chart is compiled and officially released to the public by "Billboard" on Tuesdays. The chart is similar to "Billboard"s US-based Hot 100 in that it combines physical and digital sales as measured by Nielsen SoundScan, streaming activity data provided by online music sources, and radio airplay as measured by Nielsen BDS. Canada's airplay chart is the result of monitoring more than 100 stations representing rock, country, adult contemporary and Top 40 genres. The first number-one song of the Canadian Hot 100 was "Umbrella" by Rihanna featuring Jay-Z on June 16, 2007. As of the issue for the week ending October 7, 2017, the Canadian Hot 100 has had 117 different number-one hits. The current number-one is "Rockstar" by Post Malone featuring 21 Savage. The chart was made available for the first time via "Billboard" online services on June 7, 2007 (issue dated June 16, 2007). With this launch, it marked the first time that "Billboard" created a Hot 100 chart for a country outside the United States. "Billboard" charts manager Geoff Mayfield announced the premiere of the chart, explaining "the new "Billboard" Canadian Hot 100 will serve as the definitive measure of Canada's most popular songs, continuing our magazine's longstanding tradition of using the most comprehensive resources available to provide the world's most authoritative music charts." The "Billboard" Canadian Hot 100 is managed by Paul Tuch, director of Canadian operations for Nielsen BDS, in consultation with Silvio Pietroluongo, "Billboard"s associate director of charts and manager of the "Billboard" Hot 100.
Did "Umbrella" do well on the Canadian Hot 100?
yes
As "Mad Men" returned for its seventh season, many viewers tuned in to see what happened next for Don, Peggy, Pete and the other characters of the hit AMC show. Many were eager to see the fabulous clothes the actors wore. We can't help but wonder -- was all that glamour real, or is it just the magic of TV? We asked readers to share their snapshots from 1967-69 and show us what the late '60s really looked like. Janie Lambert, 61, says she thinks "Mad Men" portrays the decade's conservative fashion and mod look accurately. But she remembers the late 1960s as more colorful and vibrant. "My favorite looks in the '60s were the bright colors and bold patterns, stripes and polka dots, miniskirts, long hair and pale lipstick," Lambert says. 'Mad Men' and the other 1960s Many iReporters strived to keep up with the fast pace of the changing fashion in the late '60s. Patricia Anne Alfano, 66, went from a British-inspired mod style cheerleader to a hippie in a matter of three years. In 1967, Alfano was an "Eaglette" -- an NFL cheerleader for the Philadelphia Eagles. Unlike today, the cheerleaders were covered from head to toe. The uniforms had long sleeves, and the cheerleaders wore gloves and cloth helmets. "From the early 1960s until 1967, I spent tons of time on my hair," she says, noting her mod hairdo in the picture is actually a wig. "Wigs were big back then. Everyone had at least one." In 1968, the style began to evolve. Alfano still spent a lot of time on her hair, but her peers began heavily criticizing all things materialistic, so the style became more casual.
What team?
The Philadelphia Eagles.
Chapter XVII. Foo-foo the First. Miles Hendon hurried along toward the Southwark end of the bridge, keeping a sharp look-out for the persons he sought, and hoping and expecting to overtake them presently. He was disappointed in this, however. By asking questions, he was enabled to track them part of the way through Southwark; then all traces ceased, and he was perplexed as to how to proceed. Still, he continued his efforts as best he could during the rest of the day. Nightfall found him leg-weary, half-famished, and his desire as far from accomplishment as ever; so he supped at the Tabard Inn and went to bed, resolved to make an early start in the morning, and give the town an exhaustive search. As he lay thinking and planning, he presently began to reason thus: The boy would escape from the ruffian, his reputed father, if possible; would he go back to London and seek his former haunts? No, he would not do that, he would avoid recapture. What, then, would he do? Never having had a friend in the world, or a protector, until he met Miles Hendon, he would naturally try to find that friend again, provided the effort did not require him to go toward London and danger. He would strike for Hendon Hall, that is what he would do, for he knew Hendon was homeward bound and there he might expect to find him. Yes, the case was plain to Hendon--he must lose no more time in Southwark, but move at once through Kent, toward Monk's Holm, searching the wood and inquiring as he went. Let us return to the vanished little King now.
What are we returning to?
London
Our village carpenter ,John Hill, came one day and made a dining table for my wife. He made it just the right size to fill the space between the two windows. When I got home that evening, John was drinking a cup of tea and writing out his bill for his job. My wife said to me quietly, "That's his ninth cup of tea today." But she said in a loud voice, "It's a beautiful table, dear, isn't it?" "I'll decide about that when I see the bill." I said. John laughed and gave me his bill. It said: One dining table 10thNovember,2014 Cost of wood $17.00 Paint $1.50 Work,8 hour( $1.00 an hour) $ 8.00 Total $ 36.50 When I was looking at the bill,John said,"It's been a fine day,hasn't it? Quite sunny." "Yes," I said."I'm glad it's only the 10thof November." "Me too." said John, "You wait--it'll be a lot colder by the end of the month." "Yes, colder--and more expensive! Dining tables will be $20 more expensive on November 30th, won't they, John?" John looked hard at me for half a minute. I gave his bill back to him. "If it isn't too much trouble, John," I said,"please add it up again. You can forget the date..." I paid him $26.50 and he was happy to get it.
When would the woodwork be more expensive according to the man's joke?
November 30th
"He never asked nor accepted any reward, because he was good and simple and did not think that one did good for a reward." (Primo Levi, If This Is A Man) Gino Bartali wanted to keep it to himself. How could a man, so famous and so revered, keep it a secret for so long? "Good is something you do, not something you talk about," Bartali once explained. "Some medals are pinned to your soul, not to your jacket." He was Italy's very own version of Babe Ruth -- a man whose personality, character and success transcended sport. In the 1930s, Bartali, a son of Tuscany, was one of the leading cyclists in the world, a man admired by all. He had won three Giro d'Italia titles -- one of the three major European cycling events -- in addition to his triumph at the 1938 Tour de France and was very much the country's poster boy. And yet for a man who lived in his life in the full glare of the public, a new film, My Italian Secret reveals a very different side to Bartali's remarkable life. Directed by Oren Jacoby, the film shows how Bartali was part of a secret Italian resistance movement which helped hide the country's Jews during the Nazi invasion of 1943. Using the handlebars on his bike to hide counterfeit identity papers, Bartali would ride to Jews in hiding and deliver their exit visas which allowed them to escape transportation to the death camps -- he is credited with saving the lives of 800 people.
And its director?
Oren Jacoby
Today is the 45th anniversary of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., a champion for freedom, civil rights and justice. I was blessed to be with him the last weekend before his death. I remember the trauma he felt as a result of his opposition to the war in Vietnam. Before going to Memphis, King had the Rev. Ralph Abernathy call for a staff meeting in his church study on a Saturday morning. His close aides came. King complained that he had felt the pain of "a migraine headache for four days." He said, "Maybe I've done as much as I could. We've come from the back of the bus, gotten the Voting Rights Act, the Civil Rights Act..." One of us -- Andy Young -- asked him not to talk that way. King responded, "Don't say peace when there is no peace." Many of his supporters had turned against him because of his position on the war in Vietnam, but King felt he had to do what was right. He contended, "There are those who want me to confine my morality to the war on poverty and overlook the war in Vietnam. However, the bombs in Vietnam ultimately explode at home because of poverty." He contemplated fasting until he was near the point of death, anticipating that "those who disagree with me would come to my bedside and we could reconcile." But then he shook off his pessimism and declared, "Let's turn a minus into a plus, like we did before. Let's make this nation deal forthrightly with the issue of poverty."
What did he contemplate?
fasting
Chapter 4: An Experiment. Marie Vaillant, after remaining six weeks at the chateau, returned to England; and Philip, with a party of twelve men, escorted her to La Rochelle. Her visit was cut short somewhat, at the end, by the imminence of the outbreak of hostilities, in which case she might have found a difficulty in traversing the country. Moreover, La Rochelle would probably be besieged, soon after the war began; for being both an important town and port, the Catholics would be anxious to obtain possession of it, and so cut off the Huguenots from escape to England, besides rendering it difficult for Elizabeth to send a force to their assistance. "It has been a pleasant time," the countess said, on the morning of her departure; "and your presence has taken me back five-and-twenty years, Marie. I hope that when these troubles are past you will again come over, and spend a happier time with me. I was going to say that I will look well after Philip, but that I cannot do. He has cast his lot in with us, and must share our perils. I am greatly pleased with him, and I am glad that Francois will have him as a companion in arms. Francois is somewhat impulsive, and liable to be carried away by his ardour; and Philip, although the younger, is, it seems to me, the more thoughtful of the two. He is one I feel I can have confidence in. He is grave, yet merry; light hearted in a way, and yet, I think, prudent and cautious. It seems strange, but I shall part with Francois with the more comfort, in the thought that he has Philip with him.
how far back had philips presence taken her?
unknown
When Charles Stratton was five, he stopped growing. His mother took him to see the famous showman, P.T.Barmum. Mr Barmum thought a small person would be the perfect addition to his show. He hired Charles' parents along with him, and they traveled the world together. He gave the two-foot-tall Charles a name, General Tom Thumb. He taught Tom how to sing, dance, act, and tell jokes. When he felt Tom was ready to perform on stage, he made up ads. To stir up great interest, he said that Tom was eleven years old and had come from England. During the show, Tom fought battles pretendedly with tall people. He also danced upon a wooden plate held by a person who was eight feet tall. Tom's act was very popular and brought in a lot of money. By the time Tom was an adult, he had grown very rich. He had become a billionaire at the age of twenty-five. Fortunately for Tom, Mr. Barmum added more little people to his show, and Tom became lucky in love as well. One of the little people was Lavinia Warren, a school teacher. Tom was able to win her love, and they married. The ceremony and reception were _ They were attended by many rich and famous people and by about two thousand guests. Crowds filled the streets ofprefix = st1 /New Yorkto have a look at their tiny wedding carriage. The couple even met with President Abraham Lincoln on their honeymoon just before going to live in Tom's house inConnecticut. Their wedding, which took place during the Civil War, provided a welcome escape from the sad problems of war. Not willing to let this bit of sunshine fade , communities throughout the country sponsored "Tom Thumb"weddings. In these weddings, small boys and girls, all dressed up, went through marriage ceremonies for fun.
How many guests came to the wedding?
about two thousand
Jenny wanted to encourage students to read more famous books, so she decided to put an introduction to some interesting children's story books in the school newspaper. The Little Prince (<<>> is a famous work written by French writer Antoine de Saint-Exupery. In the book, the little prince leaves his own planet to explore the universe . In his journey, he finds that the adult world is really strange and boring. Finally, he goes back to his planet which is full of love. The book is really popular throughout the world. Charlotte's Web (<<>> is a famous children's novel written by American author E. B. White. The novel tells the story of a pig named Wilbur and his friendship with a spider named Charlotte on a farm. When Wilbur is in danger of being killed for his meat by the farmer, Charlotte writes messages to _ Wilbur in her web and saves him. Wilbur becomes famous in the village and he is safe in the end. When it came out in 1952, the book was welcomed by both adults and children. And it is still very popular today. The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane (<<>> is a 2006 novel written by Kate DiCamillo. The book is about an unusual journey of a china rabbit named Edward Tulane. He travels from one place to another, meeting many people. During his journey, he learns to love and finally finds love again. This book is popular nowadays and was mentioned many times in the famous South Korean TV series My love from the Star (<<>> . The warm and sweet story will surely make you understand more about love.
Who wrote about saving the barnyard animal from becoming bacon?
E. B. White.
Green Eyes is a book. It's about a lovely cat called Green Eyes. He is one year old. He is interested in everything around him. He lives in his big red box and greets spring, summer, autumn and winter--each with their special colours and feelings .The pictures of the book are beautiful, and the words are easy to read. Many people have different ideas about it. Here're some _ of the readers . Hello Kitty: It is a great book about how a cat sees the seasons. I'm a teacher and I read it to my students every year when we study the seasons. A Sweet Girl: I'm a little girl from America. I've got the book on my 12thbirthday this year. My parents buy it for me. I love it so much. I often read it before going to bed. Warm Wind: I'm Jenny. I'm in the school reading club .We share our favourite book every Sunday. I share this book with other students in the club. They all like it.
what is the feline called?
Green Eyes
Sofia ( or or ; , "", ) is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria. 1.26 million people live in the city and 1.68 million people live in its metropolitan area. The city is at the foot of Vitosha Mountain in the western part of the country. Being in the centre of the Balkan peninsula, it is midway between the Black Sea and the Adriatic Sea, and closest to the Aegean Sea. Sofia has been an area of human habitation since at least 7000 BC. Being Bulgaria's primate city, Sofia is a hometown of many of the major local universities, cultural institutions and commercial companies. Sofia is one of the top 10 best places for start-up business in the world, especially in information technologies. Sofia is Europe's most affordable capital to visit . For the longest time the city possessed a Thracian name, derived from the tribe "Serdi", who were either of Thracian, Celtic, or mixed Thracian-Celtic origin. The Serdi and the name of emperor Marcus Ulpius Traianus (53 – 117 AD) prompted the Romans to give the city the combinative name of "Ulpia Serdica"; Ulpia is derived from an Umbrian cognate of the Latin word "lupus", meaning "wolf." It seems that the first written mention of "Serdica" was made during his reign and the last mention was in the 19th century in a Bulgarian text (Сардакіи, "Sardaki"). During the Romans "civitas Serdenisium" was mentioned the "brightest city of the Serdi" in official inscriptions. The city was major throughout the past ever since Antiquity, when Roman emperor Constantine the Great referred to it as "my Rome", and it nearly became his capital.
How many seas is it near?
Three
The guard who killed the half-brother of Afghan President Hamid Karzai, had for years worked with International Security Assistance Forces against Taliban militants, according to three local officials with direct knowledge of the dealings. Sardar Mohammed, who authorities say shot and killed Kandahar's provincial council chief Ahmed Wali Karzai, received training from ISAF and participated in intelligence gathering against militants across the region, according to Besmellah Afghanmal, a provincial council member with close ties to the Karzai family. He "was one of the trusted commanders for the Karzais," Afghanmal told CNN. "Sardar Mohammad was working with American Special Forces closely and he was participating in many operations with American Special forces against the Taliban in (the) south." Others, like provincial parliament member Hashim Watanwal, say Mohammad had worked with both U.S. and Canadian forces in Kandahar -- an ethnically Pashtun dominated region long-considered the Taliban heartland. Baz Mohammed, a Kandahar tribal elder with close connections to the Karzai clan, said the guard was "a trustworthy person" who collaborated regularly with ISAF in Kandahar. An ISAF spokeswoman declined to comment on the claims. Though suspected of corruption and opium dealing, Wali Karzai was considered a major power-broker in Afghanistan's restive south and a bulwark for his brother against the Taliban militancy. His death Tuesday sent shock-waves across Afghanistan's political landscape, and prompted President Karzai to weep as mourners gathered for his half-brother's burial the following day. Saidkhan Khakrezwal, a member of the Kandahar provincial council, said he and others were with Wali Karzai when the guard came into the room and asked to talk to him.
what was his name?
Wali Karzai
Jim found a job in a shop two years ago. Mrs. White, the shopkeeper trusts the able young man and pays him more. He's happy and works harder. Once Jim knew a beautiful girl called Mabel at a friend's party. They danced for several times and the girl was deeply in love. But Mabel's parents didn't agree to marry their daughter to a poor young man. So they began to travel in America and didn't let the girl come back to London. She wrote a letter to Jim and told him about it. Of course the young man hadn't enough money to go to see her. He was so sad that he began to drink. It was Saturday one day. Jim didn't go to work. He came to a bar and sat down to drink. Just then an old friend of his came in. He asked him to drink with him. Crying, he told Mike all and the young man felt sorry for him. After a while they were both drunk and left. Mike wanted to take his friend home. When they passed a zoo, they went in and walked to a cage in which there were two tigers. Having seen them, a tiger roared. Mike was afraid and said, "Let's go. Let's go. It's dangerous to stand here." "I don't think so," said Jim. " I'm watching TV now".
Where did he go, instead?
a bar
Authorities have captured one of Colombia's last great crime bosses, President Juan Manuel Santos said Tuesday night. Accused drug lord Daniel "El Loco" Barrera was captured in San Cristobal, Venezuela, Santos said. Barrera is accused of alliances with paramilitaries and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia guerrilla group in addition to drug trafficking crimes over a period of more than 20 years. "He is the last of the great (crime) bosses. This is very forceful blow," Santos said in televised remarks. "This is a very important step toward the security that we want to achieve in this country," he said. The operation, directed from Washington, came about with collaboration between British, Colombian, U.S. and Venezuelan officials, Santos said. "I want to thank the Venezuelan government, President (Hugo) Chavez and his team, for this great collaboration that has produced this capture," Santos said. The MI6 British intelligence agency and the CIA also assisted, he said. Venezuela's interior minister will discuss Barrera's capture and "the seizure of more than a ton of drugs" in a news conference Wednesday morning, the nation's information ministry said in a statement. In October 2010, Colombian authorities said they found more than $29 million and 17 million euros in cash stashed in two homes that Barrera owned. At the time the South American country's defense minister called it the "biggest drug-money seizure operation in the country's history." Earlier that year, the U.S. Department of the Treasury said Barrera played a significant role in international drug trafficking and described him as one of Colombia's most wanted drug traffickers, noting in a statement that the Colombian government had offered a $2.5-million reward for information leading to his capture.
What was found in 2010?
More than $29 million and 17 million euros in cash in Barrera homes.
Jean is a bright young woman from a rich and famous family. She goes to a good university and has almost everything that money can buy. But the people in Jean's family are so busy that they can hardly find time to be with her. In fact, Jean is quite lonely. So Jean spends a lot of her time on QQ. She likes being anonymous talking to people who do not know about her famous family and her rich life. She uses the name Linda on QQ and made a lot of friends. Last year Jean made a very special friend on QQ. His name was David and he lived in San Francisco. David was full of stories and jokes. He and Jean had the same interests in rock music and modern dance. So it always took them many hours to talk happily on QQ and sometimes they even forgot the time. Of course, they wanted to know more about each other. David sent a picture of himself: he was a tall, good-looking young man with big, happy smile. As time went by, they became good friends and often sent cards and small things to each other. When Jean's father told her that he was going on a business trip to San Francisco, she asked him to let her go with him, so that she could give David a surprise for his birthday. She would take him the latest DVD of the rock singer they liked most. But when Jean knocked in David's door in San Francisco, she found that the special friend she had written to was a twelve-year-old boy named Jim!
what was her pseudonym?
Linda
Thousands gathered in Riyadh on Friday to say farewell to Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz al Saud, a cautious reformer who succeeded in securing broader freedoms in the conservative kingdom, but fell short in gaining greater independence for women. Abdullah died early Friday, several weeks after the state-run Saudi Press Agency said he was suffering from pneumonia and had been admitted to a hospital. The royal court didn't release an exact cause of death. He was 90. To ensure a smooth transition, the kingdom quickly appointed his 79-year-old half-brother, Salman bin Abdulaziz, to the throne. His half-brother Prince Muqrin, a decade younger, is the new crown prince. Who is Salman bin Abdulaziz? After Friday afternoon prayers at Riyadh's Imam Turki Bin Abdullah Grand Mosque, the body of Abdullah, wrapped in a pale shroud, was carried from the mosque toward a cemetery, followed by a solemn procession of Saudi men in traditional dress. He was later laid to rest after a simple, swift ceremony. Those present at the graveside -- the royals closest to the late king -- were then to move on to a royal palace, where they were to pay their respects to the new monarch. The ceremony of "al Bayaah," or pledging of allegiance to the new king, followed the funeral. Condolences and remembrances poured in from all corners of the globe. "To God we belong and indeed to him we shall return," said the homepage of the English-language Saudi newspaper Arab News. Bahrain, Jordan and the Palestinian territories, among others, declared days of mourning. The U.N. secretary-general praised Abdullah for his Arab Peace Initiative to end the Arab-Israeli conflict. U.S. Vice President Joe Biden said he would lead a delegation "in the coming days" to pay respects.
Where was the funeral service?
Riyadh
Atlantic Recording Corporation (simply known as Atlantic Records) is an American major record label founded in October 1947 by Ahmet Ertegün and Herb Abramson. Over its first 20 years of operation, Atlantic Records earned a reputation as one of the most important American recording labels, specializing in jazz, R&B and soul recordings by African-American musicians including Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles, Wilson Pickett, Sam and Dave, Ruth Brown and Otis Redding, a position greatly enhanced by its distribution deal with Stax Records. In 1967, Atlantic Records became a wholly owned subsidiary of Warner Bros.-Seven Arts, now the Warner Music Group, and expanded into rock and pop music with releases by bands such as Led Zeppelin and Yes. In 2004, Atlantic Records and its sister label Elektra Records merged into Atlantic Records Group. Craig Kallman is currently the chairman of Atlantic Records. Ahmet Ertegün served as founding chairman until his death on December 14, 2006, at age 83. Artists currently signed to Atlantic Records include Missy Elliott, Coldplay, David Guetta, Bruno Mars, Melanie Martinez, Kelly Clarkson, Charli XCX, Charlie Puth, Kodak Black, Death Cab for Cutie, Ed Sheeran, Flo Rida, Halestorm, In This Moment, James Blunt, Janelle Monáe, Jason Mraz, Marina and the Diamonds, Paramore, Portugal. The Man, Sia, Simple Plan, Shinedown, Skrillex, Weezer, Lil Uzi Vert, K. Michelle, Kehlani, Joyner Lucas, Bhad Bhabie, and Wiz Khalifa.
By who?
African-American musicians
CHAPTER XXVII THE COLLISION IN THE FOG "Hullo! Mumps isn't keeping this flag of truce very good," remarked Sam, as the seashell dropped at his feet. "There is something inside of the shell," said Tom. "A bit of paper. Perhaps it's a message?" "I'll soon see," returned his younger brother, and ran to where he could not be seen from the other yacht. He pulled from the seashell a small, square of paper, upon which had been hastily scrawled the following in lead pencil: "I will help you all I can and hope you won't prosecute me. I will see that Dora S. gets something to eat, even if I give her my share. They intend to go to Sand Haven if they can give you the slip." "Good for Mumps! He's coming to his senses," cried Sam, and showed the others the message. Dick read the words with much satisfaction. "I hope he does stand by Dora," he said. "If so, I'll shield him all I can when the crowd is brought up for trial." "If he tells the truth we may as well put into harbor and make for Sand Haven," said Martin Harris, who had now resumed the chase once more. "Yes; but he may not be telling the truth," was Sergeant Brown's comment. "The whole thing may be a trick to get us to go to Sand Haven while that crowd goes somewhere else." "I think they are tired of carrying the girl around," said Carter. "To give her up to us would have been no hardship."
written in what?
lead penci
Here are some of the best movies you like. I believe they can accompany you to spend your dull weekend. In this story a computer hacker searches for the truth behind the mysterious force . In the 22nd century it turns out that the world is controlled by a magic computer system called the Matrix and people live in an unreal world. The computer hacker and his comrades overcome much difficulty and at last find the way to take over the Matrix and save the world. This comedy is about J and K, agents in a top secret agency , and they fight bravely with the alien to save the galaxy from a bad-tempered alien "bug" and save the Earth from being destroyed . Harry has lived under the stairs at his aunt and uncle's house. But on his 11th birthday, he learns he's a powerful wizard----with a place waiting for him at the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. There, he uncovers the truth about his parents' deaths and about the bad man who's to blame . When a satellite crashes in New Mexico, the Air Force sends two men to reach it. To their horror, they discover that the probe carries an alien virus that's already killed all but two of the residents of the town where it landed. Now, scientists must stop the virus from spreading . In the year 2035, James Cole is forced to be sent back to 1996 by scientists to discover the origin of a virus that wiped out nearly all of the earth's population. When Cole is mistakenly sent to 1990, he's arrested and locked up in a mental hospital, where he meets the son of a famous virus expert.
how old is harry when he finds out he is a wizard?
11
The Tennessee Supreme Court on Wednesday refused to modify or overturn a lower court's ruling allowing Mary Winkler, convicted of killing her minister husband, visitation rights with the couple's three daughters. Holding baby Brianna, Mary Winkler stands next to Matthew. In the foreground are Mary Alice and Patricia. Charles and Diane Winkler, parents of slain minister Matthew Winkler, had asked the court to intervene and either revoke Mary Winkler's visitation rights or allow them to proceed only under supervision of a counselor. The children -- Patricia, Mary Alice and Brianna -- have been living with their grandparents since their mother was arrested last year. Winkler has not seen the children in 15 months, said Kay Farese Turner, her attorney. She said her client was "absolutely elated about the news and believes this will be her best Christmas ever." Turner said she believes the visit may come before Christmas. A jury convicted Winkler earlier this year of voluntary manslaughter in the shotgun death of Matthew Winkler -- not the first-degree murder conviction prosecutors had wanted. She said the slaying came after years of abuse, including physical violence and being forced to dress "slutty" for undesirable sex acts. Winkler received a three-year sentence, but a judge required her to serve only 210 days, gave her credit for the five months she had already served and allowed her to serve the remaining 60 days in a mental health facility. She was released in August. At the time of their father's death in March 2006, Patricia was 8, Mary Alice was 6 and Brianna was 1.
How did she kill him?
shotgun
A One Day International (ODI) is a form of limited overs cricket, played between two teams with international status, in which each team faces a fixed number of overs, usually 50. The Cricket World Cup is played in this format. One Day International matches are also called Limited Overs Internationals (LOI), although this generic term may also refer to Twenty20 International matches. They are major matches and considered the highest standard of List A, limited overs competition. The international one-day game is a late twentieth-century development. The first ODI was played on 5 January 1971 between Australia and England at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. When the first three days of the third Test were washed out officials decided to abandon the match and, instead, play a one-off one day game consisting of 40 eight-ball overs per side. Australia won the game by 5 wickets. ODIs were played in white kits with a red ball. In the late 1970s, Kerry Packer established the rival World Series Cricket competition, and it introduced many of the features of One Day International cricket that are now commonplace, including coloured uniforms, matches played at night under floodlights with a white ball and dark sight screens, and, for television broadcasts, multiple camera angles, effects microphones to capture sounds from the players on the pitch, and on-screen graphics. The first of the matches with coloured uniforms was the WSC Australians in wattle gold versus WSC West Indians in coral pink, played at VFL Park in Melbourne on 17 January 1979. This led not only to Kerry Packer's Channel 9 getting the TV rights to cricket in Australia but also led to players worldwide being paid to play, and becoming international professionals, no longer needing jobs outside cricket. Matches played with coloured kits and a white ball became more commonplace over time, and the use of white flannels and a red ball in ODIs was finally abandoned in 2001.
When was the first time it was played
5 January 1971
Shelly Nielsen sees students fall asleep in class at least twice a week. "When I see teens asleep in my class, I wonder if I am really that boring", said Nielsen, a teacher. "I also wonder why they are so tired." Neilson first tried to wake up sleeping students quietly. If the snoozing continues, she may call a student's parents to find out how much sleep the students is getting at night and why. According to a research, teens need at least nine hours of sleep to function properly during the day. And more than 90 percent of teens say they are sleeping less than that each night. "The big problem is the social demand for homework, video games and friends. Teens don't understand how important sleep is." said Dr. Carl Lawyer, a specialist. Rebecca Lucas, another teacher agrees. "Teens are busy," she said, " many activities force them to get home pretty late. When I see teens sleeping in my class, I feel sad. I also feel frustrated because I have so much to teach in such a short amount of time and teens sleeping in the class slows me down." Al Taylor, a teacher says sleeping is not allowed in his class. "When I see a teen sleeping in my class, I feel bad that they didn't get enough sleep but they need to correct it at home," Taylor said. "I've raised teenage boys myself. Teenagers like to wait to the last minute to do their homework so that they often stay up late trying to finish it."
What is Rebecca Lucas' profession?
teacher
Actor Charlton Heston died at his Beverly Hills home at the age of 84 Saturday, his family said. Heston was suffering the late stages of Alzheimer's disease. Heston, known for portrayals of larger than life figure including Moses and Ben Hur, was suffering the late stages of Alzheimer's disease. Heston's wife of 64 years, Lydia, was at his side at the time of his death, according to the family statement. Heston is survived by a son, a daughter and three grandchildren. "We knew him as an adoring husband, a kind and devoted father, and a gentle grandfather, with an infectious sense of humor," the family said. "He served these far greater roles with tremendous faith, courage and dignity. He loved deeply, and he was deeply loved." While no funeral plans have been announced, the family said it would hold a private memorial service. The Internet Movie Database listed 126 movies and television production credits for Heston, starting in 1941. He rose to fame in the 1950s with starring movie roles including Ben Hur, for which he won an Oscar. He played Moses in the "Ten Commandments." Heston's last acting credit was for playing an elderly Josef Mengele, the Auschwitz Nazi surgeon who performed medical experiments on concentration camp refugees during World War Two in the 2003 movie "My Father, Rua Alguem 5555." Heston was also known for his political activism. He was a high-profile supporter of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his civil rights movement. He attended King's 1963 March on Washington and stood near the podium as King delivered his "I have a dream" speech.
What was his wife's name?
Lydia
CHAPTER XVIII. Some Homes in the Green Forest. Reddy Fox wasted very little time waiting for Peter Rabbit to come out from under that pile of brush where he had hidden at Sammy Jay's warning. After making some terrible threats just to try to frighten Peter, he trotted away to look for some Mice. Peter didn't mind those threats at all. He was used to them. He knew that he was safe where he was, and all he had to do was to stay there until Reddy should be so far away that it would be safe to come out. Just to pass away the time Peter took a little nap. When he awoke he sat for a few minutes trying to make up his mind where to go and what to do next. From 'way over in the direction of the Old Pasture the voice of Blacky the Crow reached him. Peter pricked up his ears, then chuckled. "Reddy Fox has gone back to the Old Pasture and Blacky has discovered him there," he thought happily. You see, he understood what Blacky was saying. To you or me Blacky would have been saying simply, "Caw! Caw!" But to all the little people of the Green Forest and Green Meadows within hearing he was shouting, "Fox! Fox!" "I wonder," thought Peter, "where Blacky is nesting this year. Last year his nest was in a tall pine-tree not far from the edge of the Green Forest. I believe I'll run over there and see if he has a new nest near the old one."
did he live this year too?
unknown
The Mormon church has excommunicated a popular podcaster, saying his public dissents from the religion's core beliefs have led others away from the church. John Dehlin, founder of the podcast "Mormon Stories," describes himself as an "unorthodox" Mormon whose church roots reach back five generations. Under Tuesday's penalty, however, Dehlin may not participate in church sacraments for at least one year. He has the right to appeal the decision. Dehlin is the second Mormon to be excommunicated in the past year, following Kate Kelly, who was kicked out last June for pushing the church to admit women to its all-male priesthood. Tuesday's excommunication was announced in a letter to Dehlin from Brian King, the stake president, or local church leader, in North Logan, Utah. King said that Dehlin was not excommunicated for criticizing the church, which he has openly admitted to, but for denying core Mormon doctrines. The church has concluded that Dehlin's views on the following amount to apostasy: -- Questioning the nature of God and divinity of Christ; -- Calling the Book of Mormon and Book of Abraham, two central texts, fraudulent; -- Teaching that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the Mormon church's official name, is not the "true church with power and authority from God." "You have spread these teachings widely via the Internet to hundreds of people in the past and have shared with me, in previous correspondence, that you will continue to do so," King wrote to Dehlin in a letter dated February 9.
when was she thrown out?
last June
Han Han is China's rebel writer who has become the unofficial voice for his generation. As a teenager the 27-year-old began writing novels about angst-ridden characters that proved tremendously popular with China's angsty youth. But it is his blog that has propelled him to celebrity status in China and earned him the accolade as one of Time magazine's 100 most influential people of 2009. He's been touted as mouthpiece for the "post-80's generation"; China's youth who have grown up during the country's economic boom and are often characterized as apolitical and consumer-obsessed. Blogging about issues such as the Chinese government's handling of the Sichuan earthquake of 2008 and recent spate of school stabbings, Han Han is savvy enough to know the limits of what he can and can't write about. "Even though the Chinese government has improved on the freedom of speech front in recent years, writing is still rather dangerous, so it's quite difficult to strike this balance," he told CNN. "But I believe you still need to try despite these difficulties. The situation only improves when there are more people trying; if no one is trying, it only gets more and more difficult." With boyish good-looks and a rebel's cred (he dropped out of high-school and races rally cars) he's become one of China's more popular and recognizable bloggers, where the Internet is an increasingly popular forum for self-expression. For Jeremy Goldkorn, a China media commentator, Han's attitude combined with his writing helps strike a chord with millions of China's disaffected youth.
how does he know what he cannot write about?
Han Han is savvy enough to know the limits of what he can and can't write about.
CHAPTER XII MOLLY SIZER'S PARTY The people of Chazy County were very proud of the _Millville Tribune_, the only daily paper in that section of the state. It was really a very good newspaper, if small in size, and related the news of the day as promptly as the great New York journals did. Arthur Weldon had not been very enthusiastic about the paper at any time, although he humored the girls by attending in a good-natured way to the advertising, hiring some of the country folk to get subscriptions, and keeping the books. He was a young man of considerable education who had inherited a large fortune, safely invested, and therefore had no need, through financial necessity, to interest himself in business of any sort. He allowed the girls to print his name as editor in chief, but he did no editorial work at all, amusing himself these delightful summer days by wandering in the woods, where he collected botanical specimens, or sitting with Uncle John on the lawn, where they read together or played chess. Both the men were glad the girls were happy in their work and enthusiastic over the success of their audacious venture. Beth was developing decided talent as a writer of editorials and her articles were even more thoughtful and dignified than were those of Patsy. The two girls found plenty to occupy them at the office, while Louise did the reportorial work and flitted through Millville and down to Huntingdon each day in search of small items of local interest. She grew fond of this work, for it brought her close to the people and enabled her to study their characters and peculiarities. Her manner of approaching the simple country folk was so gracious and winning that they freely gave her any information they possessed, and chatted with her unreservedly.
How many daily papers were there in town??
one
Once there was a granddaddy named Tom who hadn't seen his daughter Rachel in many years. Rachel had a daughter of her own named Melissa, but she and Tom had had a fight before Melissa was born. Because of that, Tom had never met Melissa. Tom's wife Marge had died many years before, so he lived alone. He liked living alone, but he missed Rachel. Tom spent most of his time working in his garden. He liked to plant pumpkins, peppers, and tomatoes. He hated peas and broccoli, so he never planted them. He liked zucchini and spinach, but he didn't have any of those plants to plant. One day Tom got a call on his phone. He picked it up and asked who it was. The voice on the other end of the line said, "It's me, Rachel." Tom was so surprised he almost dropped the phone. He said, "Rachel, is it really you? I can't believe it." Rachel said that she had been thinking about Tom and she wanted to make up for their fight. Tom was so happy. They were going to meet the next weekend. Even before he hung up, Tom could imagine himself hugging his daughter. He sat down and thought about everything he wanted to say to her.
who lived alone?
Tom
CHAPTER XXV MARCHING ORDERS A silence followed. To Mike, lying in bed, holding his breath, it seemed a long silence. As a matter of fact it lasted for perhaps ten seconds. Then Mr. Wain spoke. "You have been out, James?" It is curious how in the more dramatic moments of life the inane remark is the first that comes to us. "Yes, sir," said Wyatt. "I am astonished. Exceedingly astonished." "I got a bit of a start myself," said Wyatt. "I shall talk to you in my study. Follow me there." "Yes, sir." He left the room, and Wyatt suddenly began to chuckle. "I say, Wyatt!" said Mike, completely thrown off his balance by the events of the night. Wyatt continued to giggle helplessly. He flung himself down on his bed, rolling with laughter. Mike began to get alarmed. "It's all right," said Wyatt at last, speaking with difficulty. "But, I say, how long had he been sitting there?" "It seemed hours. About an hour, I suppose, really." "It's the funniest thing I've ever struck. Me sweating to get in quietly, and all the time him camping out on my bed!" "But look here, what'll happen?" Wyatt sat up. "That reminds me. Suppose I'd better go down." "What'll he do, do you think?" "Ah, now, what!" "But, I say, it's awful. What'll happen?" "That's for him to decide. Speaking at a venture, I should say----" "You don't think----?" "The boot. The swift and sudden boot. I shall be sorry to part with you, but I'm afraid it's a case of 'Au revoir, my little Hyacinth.' We shall meet at Philippi. This is my Moscow. To-morrow I shall go out into the night with one long, choking sob. Years hence a white-haired bank-clerk will tap at your door when you're a prosperous professional cricketer with your photograph in _Wisden_. That'll be me. Well, I suppose I'd better go down. We'd better all get to bed _some_ time to-night. Don't go to sleep."
How long did it go on?
Perhaps ten seconds.
New Guinea (; ; ; or, historically, "") is a large island in Oceania. It is the world's second-largest island, after Greenland, covering a land area of , and the largest wholly or partly within the Southern Hemisphere and Oceania (if excluding Australia as an island). The island is divided between two countries: Papua New Guinea to the east, and Indonesia to the west. The island has been known by various names: The name "Papua" was used to refer to parts of the island before contact with the West. Its etymology is unclear; one theory states that it is from Tidore, the language used by the Sultanate of Tidore, which controlled parts of the island's coastal region. The name came from "papo" (to unite) and "ua" (negation), which means "not united" or, "territory that geographically is far away (and thus not united)". Ploeg reports that the word "papua" is often said to derive from the Malay word "papua" or "pua-pua", meaning "frizzly-haired", referring to the highly curly hair of the inhabitants of these areas. Another possibility, put forward by Sollewijn Gelpke in 1993, is that it comes from the Biak phrase "sup i papwa" which means 'the land below ' and refers to the islands west of the Bird's Head, as far as Halmahera. Whatever its origin, the name "Papua" came to be associated with this area, and more especially with Halmahera, which was known to the Portuguese by this name during the era of their colonization in this part of the world.
Why is it called that?
it is territory that geographically is far away
Since the Protestant Reformation, the most prominent Christian denomination in Thuringia has been Lutheranism. During the GDR period, church membership was discouraged and has continued shrinking since the reunification in 1990. Today over two thirds of the population is non-religious. The Protestant Evangelical Church in Germany has had the largest number of members in the state, adhered to by 24.0% of the population in 2009. Members of the Catholic Church formed 7.8% of the population, while 68.2% of Thuringians were non-religious or adhere to other faiths. The highest Protestant concentrations are in the small villages of southern and western Thuringia, whereas the bigger cities are even more non-religious (up to 88% in Gera). Catholic regions are the Eichsfeld in the northwest and parts of the Rhön Mountains around Geisa in the southwest. Protestant church membership is shrinking rapidly, whereas the Catholic Church is somewhat more stable because of Catholic migration from Poland, Southern Europe and West Germany. Other religions play no significant role in Thuringia. There are only a few thousand Muslims (largely migrants) and about 750 Jews (mostly migrants from Russia) living in Thuringia. Furthermore, there are some Orthodox communities of Eastern European migrants and some traditional Protestant Free churches in Thuringia without any societal influence.
is catholicism decreasing as quickly?
no
Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower (/ˈaɪzənˌhaʊ.ər/ EYE-zən-HOW-ər; October 14, 1890 – March 28, 1969) was an American politician and general who served as the 34th President of the United States from 1953 until 1961. He was a five-star general in the United States Army during World War II and served as Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces in Europe. He was responsible for planning and supervising the invasion of North Africa in Operation Torch in 1942–43 and the successful invasion of France and Germany in 1944–45 from the Western Front. In 1951, he became the first Supreme Commander of NATO. Eisenhower's main goals in office were to keep pressure on the Soviet Union and reduce federal deficits. In the first year of his presidency, he threatened the use of nuclear weapons in an effort to conclude the Korean War; his New Look policy of nuclear deterrence prioritized inexpensive nuclear weapons while reducing funding for conventional military forces. He ordered coups in Iran and Guatemala. Eisenhower refused to give major aid to help France in Vietnam. He gave strong financial support to the new nation of South Vietnam. Congress agreed to his request in 1955 for the Formosa Resolution, which obliged the U.S. to militarily support the pro-Western Republic of China in Taiwan and continue the isolation of the People's Republic of China.
what was his rank?
General
The Australian is a broadsheet newspaper published in Australia from Monday to Saturday each week since 14 July 1964. The editor in chief is Paul Whittaker; the editor is John Lehmann and the editor-at-large is Paul Kelly. Available nationally (in each state and territory), "The Australian" is the biggest-selling national newspaper in the country, with a circulation of 116,655 on weekdays and 254,891 on weekends in 2013, figures substantially below those of top-selling local newspapers in Sydney ("The Daily Telegraph"), Melbourne ("The Herald Sun"), and Brisbane ("The Courier-Mail"). Its chief rivals are the business-focused "Australian Financial Review", and on weekends, "The Saturday Paper". In May 2010, the newspaper launched the first Australian newspaper iPad app. "The Australian" is owned by News Corp Australia. "The Australian" is published by News Corp Australia, an asset of News Corp, which also owns the sole dailies in Brisbane, Adelaide, Hobart and Darwin and the most popular metropolitan dailies in Sydney and Melbourne. News Corp's Chairman and Founder is Rupert Murdoch. "The Australian" integrates content from overseas newspapers owned by News Corp Australia's parent, News Corp, including "The Wall Street Journal" and "The Times" of London. The first edition of "The Australian" was published by Rupert Murdoch on 15 July 1964, becoming the third national newspaper in Australia following shipping newspaper "Daily Commercial News" (1891) and "Australian Financial Review" (1951). Unlike other Murdoch newspapers, it was neither a tabloid nor an acquired publication. From its inception "The Australian" struggled for financial viability and ran at a loss for several decades.
When was the first edition released?
15 July 1964
CHAPTER VIII LAST DAYS ON THE FARM "I believe you are right," said Tom, after he, too, had looked over some of the bits of paper strewn around. "Here is the word 'box' and here is the word 'Saturday.'" "Yes, and here are the words, 'fast freight,'" added Sam. "This was nothing more than a letter box for the freight thieves." "But why was it placed here?" questioned Dick. "It's a very out-of-the-way place and hard to get to." "Maybe somebody had to come this way," answered Tom. "See, here is something of a trail." "Yes, and here are those same big footprints!" exclaimed Sam. "For all we know they may lead to some house or hut on the mountainside." Having picked up the majority of the bits of paper and put them in their pockets for future examination, the three Rover boys followed the path or trail they had discovered. It led along the mountainside to where there was a small clearing, backed up by a series of rocks from which a spring gushed forth, sparkling brightly in the sunshine. "I'd like to get another drink," said Sam; "I am terribly thirsty to-day." "Wait!" warned Dick, and caught his youngest brother by the arm. "What's up, Dick?" "I see a log cabin--over yonder, among the trees." "Yes, and I see Dangler!" yelled Tom, suddenly. "There he goes, with a big bundle over his shoulder!" And he pointed to the rear of the log cabin. A man was just disappearing behind a fringe of brushwood. The bundle he carried appeared to be tied up in a horse blanket. He was running as hard as he could.
What did they find next?
a trail.
One South African artist is using the street as his canvas and changing lives in the process. Ricky-Lee Gordon, who goes by his artist name Freddy Sam, describes himself as a creative activist who hopes to bring about social change through his projects. His latest ambition is to transform the Cape Town suburb, Woodstock, with murals full of color and positive messages. He says that business owners are happy for murals to be painted on their buildings because the color is rejuvenating the area. "The area, the landscape and the architecture is really rundown and neglected so a mural can do a lot for an environment," Gordon said. "Woodstock is I guess the up and coming art precinct. It was a thriving textile and clothing industry and community. A lot of families would move here to get work in these factories, but these factories unfortunately are closing down," he continued. Gordon explains that the cheap rent in Woodstock is now attracting artists and galleries to re-locate to the area but it's not the only draw. "Artists like to be surrounded by real culture, and there's a real culture here. There's a mix of people and it makes for an interesting life on the street," he added. 'Traffic light' artists paint a brighter future Gordon is also getting the community involved. One of the organizations he works with is the Percy Bartley orphanage, a home to boys aged eight to 18 years. "When I found out about this home, I proposed to the sponsor to give us funding to rejuvenate the home with colors and murals," Gordon said.
What age?
eight to 18 years
A recent Treasury Department report of misconduct by a banking regulator is giving watchdogs some ammunition to argue that financial regulators are too cozy with the banks they are tasked with overseeing. The report, part of a small batch just released by the department's inspector-general, says that a government employee in Florida who served as a bank examiner accepted "gratuities (golf fees and/or food) on at least four occasions" from a bank he was reviewing. The report, conducted in 2010, called the situation a "conflict of interest" for the employee, who worked at the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency. "You have a government employee, during a time when he has a special responsibility to oversee this bank, actually taking time from work and going to play golf with these folks," said Michael Smallberg, a researcher with the Project on Government Oversight. "It was a pretty striking example of a government employee actually cozying up to the folks he's supposed to be regulating." But Inspector-General Eric Thorson, who polices the Treasury Department and released the files, defended the agency. "These investigative reports are good examples of the fact that the department has been successful in demonstrating that there is little toleration for individual misconduct." "My opinion is that Treasury has an institutional highly ethical culture," he added. But Smallberg is still critical. "When folks wonder why regulators didn't do a better job of stopping the financial crisis, or they're wondering why OCC didn't spot the huge trading loss at JP Morgan earlier this year, I think part of the issue is just that the examiners were just too close to the folks they were supposed to be examining," he said.
What does he do?
Polices the Treasury Department
Grandma was always forgetting things." What's wrong with her?" Anna asked. "We think she's getting old, and she may be ill. We may have to send her to a nursing home so that she can be taken good care of. But we can go to see her and bring her presents, like strawberry ice cream." Mother said. One day, they went to see Grandma at the nursing home. Anna hugged Grandma. "Look," she said, "we've brought you strawberry ice cream!" Grandma didn't say anything. She just took it and began eating. "Do you know who I am?" Anna asked. "You're the girl who brings me ice cream." Grandma said. "Yes, but I'm Anna, your granddaughter. Don't you remember me?" she asked, throwing her arms around the old lady. Grandma smiled, "Remember? Sure. You're the girl who brings me ice cream." Suddenly Anna realized that Grandma would never remember her. "Oh, how I love you, Grandma!" she said. Just then she saw a tear roll down Grandma's cheeks . "Love," she said, "I remember love. n "You see, dear, that's what she wants--love!" Mother said. It's more important to remember love than someone's name.
Did Grandma thank Anna for the ice cream?
No
CHAPTER XXVI DROUGHT The wheat was growing tall and changing to a darker shade; when the wind swept through it, it undulated like the waves of a vast green sea, rippling silver and white where the light played on the bending blades. Harding lay among the dusty grass in a dry sloo, and Hester sat beside him in the blue shadow of the big hay wagon. Since six o'clock that morning Harding and Devine had been mowing prairie hay. They had stopped long enough to eat the lunch Hester had brought them; and now Devine had returned to his work, and sat jolting in the driving-seat of a big machine as he guided three powerful horses along the edge of the grass. It went down in dry rows, ready for gathering, before the glistening knife, and a haze of dust and a cloud of flies followed the team across the sloo. Harding's horses stood switching their tails in the sunshine that flooded the plain with a dazzling glare. "It was rough on Fred that you wouldn't let him finish his pipe," Harding said. "He went obediently," Hester answered with a smile. "I wanted to talk to you." "I suspected something of the kind; but I can't see why you must stop me now." "You are away at daybreak and come home late." "Very well," said Harding resignedly. "But I've got to clean up this sloo by dark." "Then you're not going to the Grange? You haven't been since Sunday." "Beatrice understands that I'm busy."
When?
By dark
The 2000 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVII Olympiad and commonly known as Sydney 2000 or the Millennium Olympic Games/Games of the New Millennium, were an international multi-sport event which was held between 15 September and 1 October 2000 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It was the second time that the Summer Olympics were held in Australia, and also the Southern Hemisphere, the first being in Melbourne, Victoria, in 1956. Sydney was selected as the host city for the 2000 games in 1993. Teams from 199 countries participated. The United States won the most medals with 93, while Australia came in 4th with 58. The games cost was estimated to be A$6.6 billion. The Games received universal acclaim, with the organisation, volunteers, sportsmanship and Australian public being lauded in the international media. Bill Bryson from "The Times" called the Sydney Games "one of the most successful events on the world stage", saying that they "couldn't be better". James Mossop of the "Electronic Telegraph" called the Games in an article "such a success that any city considering bidding for future Olympics must be wondering how it can reach the standards set by Sydney", while Jack Todd in the Montreal Gazette suggested that the "IOC should quit while it's ahead. Admit there can never be a better Olympic Games, and be done with it", as "Sydney was both exceptional and the best".
how much was spent?
A$6.6 billion
Modern-day Nigeria has been the site of numerous kingdoms and tribal states over the millennia. The modern state originated from British colonial rule beginning in the 19th century, and the merging of the Southern Nigeria Protectorate and Northern Nigeria Protectorate in 1914. The British set up administrative and legal structures whilst practising indirect rule through traditional chiefdoms. Nigeria became a formally independent federation in 1960, and plunged into a civil war from 1967 to 1970. It has since alternated between democratically-elected civilian governments and military dictatorships, until it achieved a stable democracy in 1999, with its 2011 presidential elections being viewed as the first to be conducted reasonably freely and fairly. Nigeria is often referred to as the "Giant of Africa", owing to its large population and economy. With approximately 182 million inhabitants, Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa and the seventh most populous country in the world. Nigeria has one of the largest populations of youth in the world. The country is viewed as a multinational state, as it is inhabited by over 500 ethnic groups, of which the three largest are the Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba; these ethnic groups speak over 500 different languages, and are identified with wide variety of cultures. The official language is English. Nigeria is divided roughly in half between Christians, who live mostly in the southern part of the country, and Muslims in the northern part. A minority of the population practise religions indigenous to Nigeria, such as those native to Igbo and Yoruba peoples.
how many ethnic groups?
over 500
To unambiguously specify the date, dual dating or Old Style (O.S.) and New Style (N.S.) are sometimes used with dates. Dual dating uses two consecutive years because of differences in the starting date of the year, or includes both the Julian and Gregorian dates. Old Style and New Style (N.S.) indicate either whether the start of the Julian year has been adjusted to start on 1 January (N.S.) even though documents written at the time use a different start of year (O.S.), or whether a date conforms to the Julian calendar (O.S.) rather than the Gregorian (N.S.). The Gregorian calendar was a reform of the Julian calendar instituted in 1582 by Pope Gregory XIII, after whom the calendar was named, by papal bull Inter gravissimas dated 24 February 1582. The motivation for the adjustment was to bring the date for the celebration of Easter to the time of year in which it was celebrated when it was introduced by the early Church. Although a recommendation of the First Council of Nicaea in 325 specified that all Christians should celebrate Easter on the same day, it took almost five centuries before virtually all Christians achieved that objective by adopting the rules of the Church of Alexandria (see Easter for the issues which arose).
Is that where the word Gregorian came from?
unknown
Orkney (), also known as the Orkney Islands, is an archipelago in the Northern Isles of Scotland, situated off the north coast of Great Britain. Orkney is 16 kilometres (10 mi) north of the coast of Caithness and comprises approximately 70 islands, of which 20 are inhabited. The largest island Mainland is often referred to as "the Mainland". It has an area of , making it the sixth-largest Scottish island and the tenth-largest island in the British Isles. The largest settlement and administrative centre is Kirkwall. A form of the name dates to the pre-Roman era and the islands have been inhabited for at least 8500 years, originally occupied by Mesolithic and Neolithic tribes and then by the Picts. Orkney was invaded and forcibly annexed by Norway in 875 and settled by the Norse. The Scottish Parliament then re-annexed the earldom to the Scottish Crown in 1472, following the failed payment of a dowry for James III's bride Margaret of Denmark. Orkney contains some of the oldest and best-preserved Neolithic sites in Europe, and the "Heart of Neolithic Orkney" is a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site. Orkney is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland, a constituency of the Scottish Parliament, a lieutenancy area, and a historic county. The local council is Orkney Islands Council, one of only three Councils in Scotland with a majority of elected members who are independents.
Were the islands ever invaded?
yes
Hokkien /hɒˈkiɛn/ (traditional Chinese: 福建話; simplified Chinese: 福建话; pinyin: Fújiànhuà; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Hok-kiàn oē) or Quanzhang (Quanzhou–Zhangzhou / Chinchew–Changchew; BP: Zuánziū–Ziāngziū) is a group of mutually intelligible Min Nan Chinese dialects spoken throughout Southeast Asia, Taiwan, and by many other overseas Chinese. Hokkien originated from a dialect in southern Fujian. It is closely related to the Teochew, though mutual comprehension is difficult, and is somewhat more distantly related to Hainanese. Besides Hokkien, there are also other Min and Hakka dialects in Fujian province, most of which are not mutually intelligible with Hokkien. The term Hokkien (福建; hɔk˥˥kɪɛn˨˩) is itself a term not used in Chinese to refer to the dialect, as it simply means Fujian province. In Chinese linguistics, these dialects are known by their classification under the Quanzhang Division (Chinese: 泉漳片; pinyin: Quánzhāng piàn) of Min Nan, which comes from the first characters of the two main Hokkien urban centers Quanzhou and Zhangzhou. The variety is also known by other terms such as the more general Min Nan (traditional Chinese: 閩南語, 閩南話; simplified Chinese: 闽南语, 闽南话; pinyin: Mǐnnányǔ, Mǐnnánhuà; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Bân-lâm-gí,Bân-lâm-oē) or Southern Min, and Fulaohua (traditional Chinese: 福佬話; simplified Chinese: 福佬话; pinyin: Fúlǎohuà; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Hō-ló-oē). The term Hokkien (Chinese: 福建話; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: hok-kiàn oē;Tâi-lô:Hok-kiàn-uē), on the other hand, is used commonly in South East Asia to refer to Min-nan dialects.
If you speak Min and Hakka can you understand Hokkien?
most are not mutually intelligible
CHAPTER XII A STROKE OF LIGHTNING "Look out!" "We are going into that tree!" "Jam on both brakes, Dave, just as hard as you can!" cried Dunston Porter. Even before his uncle had spoken Dave had pressed down both feet hard, thus putting on the foot-brake and releasing the gear-clutch. Now his hand shot over to the emergency brake, and this came up with all the power at his command. But the grade was downward, and the road slippery from the rain, and instead of stopping, the touring-car went on, sliding through the mud and over the rocks until it was practically on top of the tree. Then came a jar that threw everybody forward. The steering-wheel saved Dave, but his uncle's elbow struck the windshield, cracking it in several places. "Look, we've run into a tree!" "Did the lightning hit the machine?" "Say, Roger, take yourself off my feet; will you?" This last cry came from Phil, who was huddled up in a corner of the tonneau. "It isn't me, it's the handbag, Phil," gasped out Roger, who hung partly over the front seat of the touring-car. "Anybody hurt?" questioned Dunston Porter quickly, as soon as the shock had come to an end. "I--I--think I am all right, Uncle Dunston," panted Laura. "But dear me! wasn't it awful?" "I thought I was going to fly right over Dave's head," wailed Jessie, who had come up behind the youth with a great thump. "Oh, Dave, did I hurt you?" "Knocked a little of the wind out of me, Jessie; that's all," he answered. "But I won't mind that if only you are not hurt."
who needs to hit the brakes?
, Dave
Natural selection is the differential survival and reproduction of individuals due to differences in phenotype. It is a key mechanism of evolution, the change in heritable traits of a population over time. Charles Darwin popularised the term "natural selection", and compared it with artificial selection. Variation exists within all populations of organisms. This occurs partly because random mutations arise in the genome of an individual organism, and offspring can inherit such mutations. Throughout the lives of the individuals, their genomes interact with their environments to cause variations in traits. The environment of a genome includes the molecular biology in the cell, other cells, other individuals, populations, species, as well as the abiotic environment. Individuals with certain variants of the trait may survive and reproduce more than individuals with other, less successful, variants; therefore, the population evolves. Factors that affect reproductive success are also important, including sexual selection (now often included in natural selection) and fecundity selection. Natural selection acts on the phenotype, or the observable characteristics of an organism, but the genetic (heritable) basis of any phenotype that gives a reproductive advantage may become more common in a population. Over time, this process can result in populations that specialise for particular ecological niches (microevolution) and may eventually result in speciation (the emergence of new species, macroevolution). In other words, natural selection is a key process in the evolution of a population. Natural selection can be contrasted with artificial selection, in which humans intentionally choose specific traits, whereas in natural selection there is no intentional choice.
What happens to the offspring?
they can inherit mutations.
The theory of relativity usually encompasses two interrelated theories by Albert Einstein: special relativity and general relativity. Special relativity applies to elementary particles and their interactions, describing all their physical phenomena except gravity. General relativity explains the law of gravitation and its relation to other forces of nature. It applies to the cosmological and astrophysical realm, including astronomy. The theory transformed theoretical physics and astronomy during the 20th century, superseding a 200-year-old theory of mechanics created primarily by Isaac Newton. It introduced concepts including spacetime as a unified entity of space and time, relativity of simultaneity, kinematic and gravitational time dilation, and length contraction. In the field of physics, relativity improved the science of elementary particles and their fundamental interactions, along with ushering in the nuclear age. With relativity, cosmology and astrophysics predicted extraordinary astronomical phenomena such as neutron stars, black holes, and gravitational waves. Albert Einstein published the theory of special relativity in 1905, building on many theoretical results and empirical findings obtained by Albert A. Michelson, Hendrik Lorentz, Henri Poincaré and others. Max Planck, Hermann Minkowski and others did subsequent work. Einstein developed general relativity between 1907 and 1915, with contributions by many others after 1915. The final form of general relativity was published in 1916.
Whose theory did Einstein's replace?
Isaac Newton
Yesterday I started the Year of Giving, my first day of a year-long journey into exploring the act of giving and the meaning of charity. I chose December 15 as the starting date, which marked three years since my mother died from heart disease. She was one of the most generous people that I have ever known. She always thought of others first and certainly serves as an inspiration to me. I had a rather busy day yesterday, ironic for someone who is unemployed right now. In the morning I went to the gym, and unsuccessfully got the phone call from the unemployment office for some job searching. Before I knew it, it was noon. I grabbed a quick lunch and rushed down to a meeting. On my way to Connecticut, I wondered if I would see someone that I would feel forced to give my first $10 to. I was running late and decided to do it afterwards. After the meeting I had about half an hour to find the first person of my Year of Giving! I decided to check out Dupont Circle. I had met a guy there named Jerry once and thought he would willingly accept my first $10. He wasn't there, but I did see a man sitting by himself who looked really lonely, so I approached him. Now I had to figure out what I was going to say. I think I said something like, "Hi, can I sit down here?" "I would like to know if I could give you $10?" He asked me to repeat what I had said. I did, then he looked at me funny, got up and left. I then started walking south where I spotted a man standing by the bus stop on Connecticut Ave. He appeared to be in his 60s. I don't know what drew me to him, but I thought I would make my second attempt. I was a bit nervous and asked him which bus came by that stop. Then I explained that I was starting a year-long project to give $10 to someone every day and that I wanted to give my $10 for today to him. The gentleman, I later found out that his name was Ed, responded without hesitation that he could not accept my offer and that there were many people more deserving the money than him. This was exactly one of the things that I hoped would happen. People would think of others before themselves!
how much time did she have to find someone
about half an hour
My daughter went to see The Wild One recently and she commented that Marlon Brando was wearing jeans so long ago. Of course he helped set the trend, so that got me thinking about the link between films and trends in fashion. Fashion and films have gone hand in hand for long. The Wild One is a good example: it appeared in 1954, starring Brando. Dressed in a black leather motorcycle jacket, leather cap and jeans, he created a look which is still considered "cool" today. Everyone from Madonna to middle-aged men is seen wearing the classic leather motorcycle jacket. Another strong influence on fashion trends was Breakfast at Tiffany's, starring Audrey Hepburn. She made famous the simple black dress that looks perfect at either a cocktail party or just standing around an expensive department store like Tiffany's with a pastry and coffee in your hand, as Audrey Hepburn does in the film. She looks so elegant, wearing simple but beautiful dresses, big dark glasses and a string of pearls around her neck. Audrey Hepburn still influences women's fashion with her "Tiffany's look". In more modern times, the film star Uma Thurman created a major fashion trend when she appeared in the film Pulp Fiction, made in 1994. Her style was very simple. Her black trousers, crisp white shirt and hair style was copied by women in the world. Influencing fashion trends can often be about timing. The movie Memoirs of a Geisha came just in time to start a trend in Japanese fashion. It started the Chinese actress Zhang Ziyi, who wore beautiful silk kimonos , and it won an Oscar for Costume Design. Many travel companies picked up on the trend and ran "geisha trips" to Japan. The film has also led to a regained interest in kimonos. It is now quite common to see young Japanese women wearing kimonos not just on traditional occasions, but at various social events. The fashion is also beginning to spread to western countries.
Who made jeans popular?
Marlon Brando
Geodesy (/dʒiːˈɒdɨsi/), also named geodetics, is the scientific discipline that deals with the measurement and representation of the Earth. The history of geodesy began in antiquity and blossomed during the Age of Enlightenment. Early ideas about the figure of the Earth held the Earth to be flat (see flat Earth), and the heavens a physical dome spanning over it. Two early arguments for a spherical Earth were that lunar eclipses were seen as circular shadows which could only be caused by a spherical Earth, and that Polaris is seen lower in the sky as one travels South. The early Greeks, in their speculation and theorizing, ranged from the flat disc advocated by Homer to the spherical body postulated by Pythagoras. Pythagoras's idea was supported later by Aristotle. Pythagoras was a mathematician and to him the most perfect figure was a sphere. He reasoned that the gods would create a perfect figure and therefore the Earth was created to be spherical in shape. Anaximenes, an early Greek philosopher, believed strongly that the Earth was rectangular in shape. Since the spherical shape was the most widely supported during the Greek Era, efforts to determine its size followed. Plato determined the circumference of the Earth (which is slightly over 40,000 km) to be 400,000 stadia (between 62,800 and 74,000 km or 46,250 and 39,250 mi) while Archimedes estimated 300,000 stadia (48,300 km or 30,000 mi), using the Hellenic stadion which scholars generally take to be 185 meters or of a geographical mile. Plato's figure was a guess and Archimedes' a more conservative approximation.
How did Plato arrive at his estimate?
a guess
Encyclopedia Americana is one of the largest general encyclopedias in the English language. Following the acquisition of Grolier in 2000, the encyclopedia has been produced by Scholastic. The encyclopedia has more than 45,000 articles, most of them more than 500 words and many running to considerable length (the "United States" article is over 300,000 words). The work's coverage of American and Canadian geography and history has been a traditional strength. Written by 6,500 contributors, the "Encyclopedia Americana" includes over 9,000 bibliographies, 150,000 cross-references, 1,000+ tables, 1,200 maps, and almost 4,500 black-and-white line art and color images. It also has 680 factboxes. Most articles are signed by their contributors. Long available as a 30-volume print set, the "Encyclopedia Americana" is now marketed as an online encyclopedia requiring a subscription. In March 2008, Scholastic said that print sales remained good but that the company was still deciding on the future of the print edition. The company did not produce an edition in 2007, a change from its previous approach of releasing a revised print edition each year. The most recent print edition of the "Encyclopedia Americana" was published in 2006. The online version of the "Encyclopedia Americana", first introduced in 1997, continues to be updated and sold. This work, like the print set from which it is derived, is designed for high school and first-year college students along with public library users. It is available to libraries as one of the options in the Grolier Online reference service, which also includes the "Grolier Multimedia Encyclopedia", intended for middle and high school students, and "The New Book of Knowledge", an encyclopedia for elementary and middle school students. Grolier Online is not available to individual subscribers.
Is it still updated?
Yes.
Jim was a 15-year-old boy living with his little sister, Joy. Their parents had passed away long ago. Jim took care of Joy by himself. One day, Jim woke up at 3 in the morning as usual. When Joy was sleeping alone, Jim left their little house to deliver newspapers. As he did so, he found something unusual. One man was sitting in front of Jim's house. Jim was so surprised that he stopped to look at him closely. It was an icy morning and he looked very old. The poor old man didn't have anything to cover himself with. Jim went into his house to get the old man a blanket . However, there were no extra blankets, so Jim thought hard and took his father's coat. It was the only thing of his father's that he had left. Jim wrote a short note. "Sir, I found you sleeping in front of my house. This is my father's coat. I hope it fits you well." He put the note in a pocket of the coat, and covered the old man with the coat. Then he went to work. When he came back three hours later, both the man and the coat were gone. Jim thought that it was the best thing he could have done with his father's coat. That afternoon, Jim hurried home after school because Joy was at home alone. However, Joy and the old man were standing in front of the house, and Joy shouted to Jim, "Brother!He's our grandfather!" The grandfather smiled and said, "Jim, I have been looking for you all around the country for eight years. I'm not rich. But I can take care of you two. Thank you for giving me the coat and letting me know what a good person my grandson is. This coat was the very one that I gave my own son, a long time ago."
Who else did Jim and Joy meet?
Their grandfather
Any high school students lucky enough to be accepted to Harvard University can easily count themselves among the country's best and brightest. The story of David Boone's journey from sleeping on a park bench to one of Harvard's dorm rooms, certainly stands out from the crowd of his peers. David, a 17-year-old senior at a MC2 Stem, a high school in Cleveland, Ohio that focuses largely on engineering and science classes with the help of a grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, was offered a full-ride scholarship to Harvard in the fall. His family life has been complicated for the past few years after gangs and economic hardships resulted in him being separated from his family and forced to look after himself on the streets and park benches in Cleveland. Because both his grandmother and mother could not afford to house the teenagers, his siblings split up to stay with various family friends, but because of space issues and his allergies to the families pets, David was unable to stay. He ended up in the safer neighborhood of Coventry where there was a safer park with fewer dangers. "All of these life lessons have shaped me into who I am, transforming my dreams and aspirations and allowing me to free myself from what was becoming an unproductive environment," he wrote in his blog post. David's thirst for knowledge had never been reduced and his enthusiasm for engineering and science was growing. A short while later, Jeff McClellan, the principal of MC2 Stem was immediately impressed by David's dedication in the face of adversity, as well as his academic talent. "Here's a kid who's doing everything in his power to get where he wants to go and we had the available resources to provide a little additional support, "Mr McClellan told the local ABC News. At MC2 Stem, David found the exact fit, where it seems he was born to absorb what they were offering. Principal Jeff McClellan found David to be a great student and all-around person, but with a serious living situation, so he stepped in to help. After a home discussion with his wife, McClellan decided to offer David a place to live until he could find another home. Mr McClellan and his wife took the teen in and helped him before he found a permanent solution. When it came to his next step, David aimed high and applied for a list of top colleges, including the University of Pennsylvania, MIT, Princeton, Cornell, Yale, Harvard and Washington University in St. Louis. In the end, only MIT rejected his application and he was left to choose his own fate from the selective prestigious and mostly Ivy League schools. David's next challenge is to fight back tears at graduation this weekend. "I promised myself I wouldn't cry. But I realize that's what everyone does before they cry. I'm pretty sure there's going to be a lot of emotion there." he said.
Does he have a blog?
Yes
Classical music is art music produced or rooted in the traditions of Western music, including both liturgical (religious) and secular music. While a similar term is also used to refer to the period from 1750 to 1820 (the Classical period), this article is about the broad span of time from roughly the 11th century to the present day, which includes the Classical period and various other periods. The central norms of this tradition became codified between 1550 and 1900, which is known as the common practice period. The major time divisions of classical music are as follows: the early music period, which includes the Medieval (500–1400) and the Renaissance (1400–1600) eras; the Common practice period, which includes the Baroque (1600–1750), Classical (1750–1820), and Romantic eras (1804–1910); and the 20th century (1901–2000) which includes the modern (1890–1930) that overlaps from the late 19th-century, the high modern (mid 20th-century), and contemporary or postmodern (1975–2015) eras.
How many total time divisions are there for classical music?
Nine
CHAPTER XL JOY WELL-NIGH INCREDIBLE The midday letters were a riddle to the ladies at Malvern. 'Out all day,' said Mary, 'that is well. He will get strong out boating.' 'I hope Herbert has come home to take him out,' said Constance. 'Or he may be yachting. I wonder he does not say who is taking him out. I am glad that he can feel that sense of enjoyment.' Yet that rejoicing seemed to be almost an effort to the poor mother who craved for a longer letter, and perhaps almost felt as if her Frank were getting out of sympathy with her grief--and what could be the good news? 'Herbert must have passed!' said Constance. 'I hope he has, but the expression is rather strong for that,' said Lady Adela. 'Perhaps Ida is engaged to that Mr. Deyncourt? Was that his name?' said Lady Northmoor languidly. 'Oh! that would be delicious,' cried Constance, 'and Ida has grown much more thoughtful lately, so perhaps she would do for a clergyman's wife.' 'Is Ida better?' asked her aunt, who had been much drawn towards the girl by hearing that her health had suffered from grief for Michael. 'Mamma does not mention her in her last letter, but poor Ida is really much more delicate than one would think, though she looks so strong. This would be delightful!' 'Yet, joy well-nigh incredible!' said her aunt, meditatively. 'Were not those the words? It would not be like your uncle to put them in that way unless it were something--even more wonderful, and besides, why should he not write it to me?'
Who got a short post?
the poor mother
They were a Parisian group of artists that gave birth to the Impressionism art movement, so it is perhaps fitting that one of their devotees records the French Open with those broad brushstrokes. Year after year, Joel Blanc makes the short pilgrimage from his Paris studio to the Stade Roland Garros for the tennis year's second grand slam, aiming to encapsulate the tournament's magic onto his canvas. In a style reminiscent of those Impressionist forefathers, he brings to life in his paintings what he witnesses taking place in front of him on the famous red clay courts. "When I begin the painting, I don't know exactly what will happen but I know what I want to introduce in the beginning. After, it's a story of life," he told CNN's Open Court show. "I know how it begins, but I don't know how it finishes." A key principle of Impressionism was to paint outdoors rather than inside a studio, so it's a style tailor-made to Blanc's own way of working. It's an approach that has won over tennis stars such as Roger Federer or Rafael Nadal -- both fans and owners of the Frenchman's paintings -- or television companies, who invite him to cover sporting events. Making his first visit to depict the action on the main court of Philippe Chatrier in 2004, Blanc has returned every year since, attracted by both the stadium and the French Open's allure and charm. "Roland Garros is my favorite place," says the 68-year-old. "It's very special, it's near to my studio, I'm like a neighbor.
Do Federer and Nadal dig Blanc's paintings?
Yes
Kathmandu(/ˌkɑːtmɑːnˈduː/; Nepali pronunciation: ) is the capital and largest municipality of Nepal. It also hosts the headquarters of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC). It is the only city of Nepal with the administrative status of Mahanagar (Metropolitan City), as compared to Upa-Mahanagar (Sub-Metropolitan City) or Nagar (City). Kathmandu is the core of Nepal's largest urban agglomeration located in the Kathmandu Valley consisting of Lalitpur, Kirtipur, Madhyapur Thimi, Bhaktapur and a number of smaller communities. Kathmandu is also known informally as "KTM" or the "tri-city". According to the 2011 census, Kathmandu Metropolitan City has a population of 975,453 and measures 49.45 km2 (19.09 sq mi). The city has a rich history, spanning nearly 2000 years, as inferred from inscriptions found in the valley. Religious and cultural festivities form a major part of the lives of people residing in Kathmandu. Most of Kathmandu's people follow Hinduism and many others follow Buddhism. There are people of other religious beliefs as well, giving Kathmandu a cosmopolitan culture. Nepali is the most commonly spoken language in the city. English is understood by Kathmandu's educated residents. Historic areas of Kathmandu were devastated by a 7.8 magnitude earthquake on 25 April 2015.
How large is Kathmandu?
49.45 km2
CHAPTER XI--THE PORT ADAMS CROWD "And so it was all settled easily enough," Sheldon was saying. He was on the veranda, drinking coffee. The whale-boat was being carried into its shed. "Boucher was a bit timid at first to carry off the situation with a strong hand, but he did very well once we got started. We made a play at holding a court, and Telepasse, the old scoundrel, accepted the findings. He's a Port Adams chief, a filthy beggar. We fined him ten times the value of the pigs, and made him move on with his mob. Oh, they're a sweet lot, I must say, at least sixty of them, in five big canoes, and out for trouble. They've got a dozen Sniders that ought to be confiscated." "Why didn't you?" Joan asked. "And have a row on my hands with the Commissioner? He's terribly touchy about his black wards, as he calls them. Well, we started them along their way, though they went in on the beach to _kai-kai_ several miles back. They ought to pass here some time to-day." Two hours later the canoes arrived. No one saw them come. The house- boys were busy in the kitchen at their own breakfast. The plantation hands were similarly occupied in their quarters. Satan lay sound asleep on his back under the billiard table, in his sleep brushing at the flies that pestered him. Joan was rummaging in the storeroom, and Sheldon was taking his siesta in a hammock on the veranda. He awoke gently. In some occult, subtle way a warning that all was not well had penetrated his sleep and aroused him. Without moving, he glanced down and saw the ground beneath covered with armed savages. They were the same ones he had parted with that morning, though he noted an accession in numbers. There were men he had not seen before.
Where/?
in a hammock
President Obama will wake up in San Francisco, California, on Friday amid a five-state, four-day tour aimed at propping up embattled key Senate incumbents. Obama will fly to Los Angeles, California, to attend a fundraiser luncheon at the University of Southern California for Sen. Barbara Boxer and former Gov. Jerry Brown, before delivering remarks at a Democratic National Committee rally at USC's Alumni Park. Boxer has opened a slight lead against Republican Carly Fiorina, as has Brown in his effort to win his old job back in a nasty battle with Republican Meg Whitman. National Democrats are still watching these races closely to ensure they don't slip out of their hands. By Friday evening, the president will be in Las Vegas, Nevada, to attend a DNC rally at a middle school before heading to a private residence for a fundraising event for Sen. Harry Reid and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. Reid is stuck in the mid-40s in most polls, despite months painting his Republican opponent, Tea Party-friendly Sharron Angle, as an extremist. On Saturday, Obama heads to Minnesota for a rally to support former Sen. Mark Dayton, who is running for governor. The president also will headline a fundraiser for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee before heading back to the White House on Saturday evening. In addition, the president will attend another congressional campaign panel fundraiser Monday in Rhode Island before taking four days off from campaigning to tend to other business at the White House.
What is he doing in Las Vegas?
attending a DNC rally at a middle school
When NASA astronaut Scott Kelly completes his yearlong mission on the International Space Station next year, he'll come back just a little bit younger than his twin, Mark, than he was before. This is because time travels more slowly in space, a phenomenon first described by Albert Einstein's 1915 theory of general relativity. This December, universities and academies around the world are celebrating the 100th anniversary of the theory's publication. Even 60 years after his death, Einstein is still the most important scientist of the modern era. Looking back as far as 2,400 years ago, only Newton, Galileo and Aristotle were his equals. Born in the era of horse-drawn carriages, his ideas started a technological revolution that brought about more change in one century than in the 2,000 years before. In 1905, Einstein published four important scientific papers. These completely changed people's ideas about space, time, light and matter. In one of these papers Einstein. introduced his theory of special relativity. Two groundbreaking parts of the theory were about the relationship between mass and energy and the speed of light. Einstein was able to show that mass and energy were connected through the formula E=MC2. The theory also says that no object can travel faster than the speed of light. About 10 years later came his theory of general relativity, the theory that modern physics is really based on. In Einstein's mathematics, space has three dimensions, and the fourth dimension is time. Space and time are part of one continuum, called space-time. The presence of mass changes space-time, which explains where gravity comes from. Computers, satellites, telecommunication, lasers, television and nuclear power, many of the biggest developments in the modern world, can be linked to Einstein's work. "We are a different people than we were a century ago," said astrophysicist Michael Shara of the American Museum of Natural. History, "completely different, because of Einstein." However, there's more to him beyond the image of a science mastermind. Einstein, as a person, has also become a grandfatherly icon in our culture. He liked playing Mozart on his Violin and keeping fit by hiking and walking. Power was not his goal. In 1952, the young nation of Israel asked Einstein to be its president, but he refused. And, yes, he was eccentric. With hair like that, how could he not be?
What formula did he come up with?
E=MC2
A suburban Washington man was bitten Monday by a rattlesnake that found its way into his luggage, a fire department spokesman said. An Eastern diamondback rattlesnake appears in a photo from the U.S. Geological Survey. "He felt a sharp pain, brought his hand out and saw the bite," said Benjamin Barksdale, assistant chief and chief fire marshal of the Arlington County, Virginia, Fire Department. Andrew Bacas zipped his bag shut and called 911 at about 9:30 a.m. ET, the official said. "He was conscious and alert but a little anxious," Barksdale said of the victim. The bite from the young Eastern diamond rattlesnake was not life-threatening, and the man is being treated at Inova Fairfax Hospital in Falls Church, he said. "We took the bag outside and used a fire extinguisher to freeze the snake," killing it, Barksdale said. Bacas, a high school rowing coach, had been on a six-day trip to Summerton, South Carolina, with about 80 students, said Mike Krulfeld, director of student activities at Yorktown High School in Arlington. Krulfeld said he did not think the incident was a student prank. "It's been rare to find a coach who is as well-liked and highly regarded as Andy. I would find it hard to believe they would do anything even in the name of a prank that would cause harm to him," Krulfeld said. The Web site of the school's crew team warned members to take precautions unpacking from the trip, adding, "It's advisable to open bags and unpack outdoors."
Why was he in the area?
trip with students
Editor's note: Jane Velez-Mitchell is host of the HLN show, "Issues with Jane Velez-Mitchell," a topical event-driven show with a wide range of viewpoints. Velez-Mitchell is the author of "Secrets Can Be Murder: What America's Most Sensational Crimes Tell Us About Ourselves." Jane Velez-Mitchell says the targets of stalkers aren't just celebrities and that millions are victims. NEW YORK (CNN) -- Hollywood starlet Jennifer Love Hewitt recently obtained a restraining order against a man who she claims had been stalking her since 2007. The man sent hundreds of threatening letters, as well as plane tickets to Australia, and he left flowers at the home of Hewitt's mother. Uma Thurman had even more frightening brushes with her stalker before he was convicted. Jack Jordan visited her house and also tried to get into her on-set trailer. Thurman eventually faced Jordan in court, where he was convicted of stalking and aggravated harassment and sentenced to three years probation and psychiatric counseling. This, to me, sounds like a victory for Jordan, since he was placed in the same courtroom as his victim and could eventually go right back to stalking. Many assume this type of thing is relegated only to those who grace the covers of gossip magazines and movie posters. Sheila Ann Grayson wasn't famous, but that didn't save her. Police in South Carolina say Grayson was killed by her stalker last May, two weeks after taking out a restraining order against him. A new study published this month by the Department of Justice's Bureau of Justice Statistics estimated based on a survey that 3.4 million Americans per year are victims of stalking. For some perspective, that's more than the entire population of Chicago, Illinois.
How many people are estimated to be stalking victims?
3.4 million Americans
Chocolate was a box turtle. Lauren found her one day on the side of the road, hiding in her old, worn shell, frightened by the cars going by. Lauren picked Chocolate up to help her cross the street, because Lauren knew that turtles are very slow and cars are very fast. After Lauren got Chocolate to the other side of the road, Chocolate peeked her head out of her shell and looked at the little girl. Lauren saw that not only was Chocolate's shell worn, one of her eyes was shut. Lauren thought Chocolate needed more help from her, so Lauren took the turtle home. Lauren hid Chocolate in her bathtub, because she was worried that her mother would be mad. Lauren went to look up what turtles like to eat and left Chocolate alone in the bathtub. Lauren was still looking up turtle facts when she heard her mother call out, "Lauren, get in here now!" Lauren knew she was in trouble. But when Lauren came into the bathroom, her mother was smiling. Lauren's mom told her that she had a turtle when she was a little girl. Lauren and her mom took Chocolate to an animal doctor who treated sick turtles. The doctor gave them special drops to put in Chocolate's eyes. Lauren put the drops in Chocolate's eyes, like the doctor told her and soon the turtle's eyes were all better. Chocolate's shell was still old and worn looking, like an old shoe, but now her eyes were beautiful, like the golden jewels on Grandma's earrings. Lauren was glad that she helped Chocolate.
Where did she find her?
On the side of the road
Slate is an online magazine that covers current affairs, politics, and culture in the United States from a liberal perspective. It was created in 1996 by former "New Republic" editor Michael Kinsley, initially under the ownership of Microsoft as part of MSN. On December 21, 2004, it was purchased by The Washington Post Company, later renamed the Graham Holdings Company. Since June 4, 2008, "Slate" has been managed by The Slate Group, an online publishing entity created by the Graham Holdings Company to develop and manage web-only magazines. "Slate" is based in New York City, with an additional office in Washington, D.C. A French version "(slate.fr)" was launched in February 2009 by a group of four journalists, including Jean-Marie Colombani, Eric Leser, and economist Jacques Attali. Among them, the founders hold 50% in the publishing company, while The Slate Group holds 15%. In 2011, "slate.fr" started a separate site covering African news, "Slate Afrique", with a Paris-based editorial staff. In July 2014, Julia Turner replaced David Plotz, who had been editor of "Slate" since 2008. Plotz had been the deputy editor to Jacob Weisberg, "Slate's" editor from 2002 until his designation as the chairman and editor-in-chief of The Slate Group. The Washington Post Company's John Alderman is "Slate"s publisher.
how many people started it
four
The way we cook is important. In many countries, the two sources of heat used for cooking are natural gas or electric stoves. The World Health Organization(WHO) warns that millions of people are dying every year from indoor air pollution. The WHO finds that poor cooking, heating and lighting technologies are killing millions of people each year. Indoor air pollution results from the use of dangerous fuels and cook stoves in the home. WHO officials say nearly three billion people are unable to use clean fuels and technologies for cooking, heating and lighting. And they say more than seven million people die from exposure to indoor or outdoor air pollution each year. Of that number, the WHO says about 4.3 million people die from household air pollution given off by simple biomass and coal stoves. These findings show that the home use of poisonous fuels is to blame for many of these deaths. These fuels include wood, coal, animal waste and so on. Carlos Dora is Coordinator in the WHO' s Department of Public Health, Environmental and Social Determinants of Health. He says people should not use unprocessed coal and kerosene fuel indoors. He says opening a window or door to let out the harmful air will not correct the situation. It will only pollute the outdoors. "New technologies and clean fuels can rid people of this problem." The United Nations found that more than 95 percent of families in sub-Saharan Africa depend on solid fuels for cooking. It says huge populations in India, China and Latin American countries, such as Guatemala and Peru, are also at risk. Nigel Bruce is a professor of Public Health at the University of Liverpool. He says researchers are developing good stoves and other equipment to burn fuels in a more efficient way."There are already many technologies for clean fuels available now. An effective and reasonably low-cost ethanol stove that is made by Dometic (a Sweden-based company)is now being tested out. Another interesting development is electric induction stoves." In India, you can buy an induction stove for about $8. And in Africa you can buy a solar lamp for less than $1.
how much does an induction stove cost in india?
Eight
Western Sahara (; "", , Spanish and French: Sahara Occidental) is a disputed territory in the Maghreb region of North Africa, partially controlled by the self-proclaimed Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic and partially Moroccan-occupied, bordered by Morocco proper to the north, Algeria to the northeast, Mauritania to the east and south, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west. Its surface area amounts to . It is one of the most sparsely populated territories in the world, mainly consisting of desert flatlands. The population is estimated at just over 500,000, of which nearly 40% live in Laayoune, the largest city in Western Sahara. Occupied by Spain until the late 20th century, Western Sahara has been on the United Nations list of non-self-governing territories since 1963 after a Moroccan demand. It is the most populous territory on that list, and by far the largest in area. In 1965, the UN General Assembly adopted its first resolution on Western Sahara, asking Spain to decolonise the territory. One year later, a new resolution was passed by the General Assembly requesting that a referendum be held by Spain on self-determination. In 1975, Spain relinquished the administrative control of the territory to a joint administration by Morocco (which had formally claimed the territory since 1957) and Mauritania. A war erupted between those countries and a Sahrawi nationalist movement, the Polisario Front, which proclaimed the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) with a government in exile in Tindouf, Algeria. Mauritania withdrew its claims in 1979, and Morocco eventually secured "de facto" control of most of the territory, including all the major cities and natural resources. The United Nations considers the Polisario Front to be the legitimate representative of the Sahrawi people, and maintains that the Sahrawis have a right to self-determination.
When were the Spanish asked to back off?
1965
As Easter comes into view, the thoughts of billions of Christians turn to Jerusalem, to a sacred weekend that includes the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus. Of course, people regard these events with various degrees of literalness. But Easter retains its power. It is, in fact, the essential Christian celebration, as the Gospels focus hugely on this part of the Jesus story. They describe in slow motion his entry into Jerusalem and the final week leading up to the crucifixion on Good Friday, the uncertain stillness of Holy Saturday, when the world seems to have slipped into total darkness, then the joy of the Resurrection itself, with a sense that boundaries have been broken -- most aggressively, the membrane between life and death. Questions arise, of course. Did Jesus really rise from the dead? What would that look like? Many Christians imagine some literal wakening from the dead and refuse to accept the slightest hint that the Resurrection might be regarded as symbolic without denigrating it. Indeed, if you read the Gospel narratives closely, it's not easy to say what actually happened. All four of them skip the actual Resurrection. That is, we never see Jesus waken. The first inkling of change comes when a few women close to him visit the tomb. Accounts differ on who turned up at the tomb that morning: Mary Magdalene, a close friend of Jesus, alone or with Mary, his mother, and with Salome (who is either Mary's sister or the mother of apostles James and John).
Is his mother believed to be one of them?
yes
From the time he first emerged as a civil rights leader, the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. lived with the threat of death, but he never wavered in his commitment to non-violence. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. believed the cause they were fighting for was worth dying for. "Dr. King made it rather clear that the cause that we were fighting for was not only worth living for, but it was worth dying for, if need be," said Fred Gray, the lawyer who helped King lead the fight to desegregate city buses in Montgomery, Alabama, in 1956. A month after blacks began a bus boycott, a midnight caller warned King that he would be sorry he ever came to Montgomery. Three days later, his house was bombed. Angry blacks gathered outside King's home, but Gray said, "Once he found out his family was safe and secure, he simply went out, talked to the crowd, and told them to go home, and they went." King knew what could happen when he led demonstrations in Birmingham, Alabama, in 1963, facing fire hoses and police dogs in an effort to desegregate downtown businesses. Longtime aide Andrew Young said, "Going to Birmingham was to him the possibility of an imminent death." Another aide, the Rev. Wyatt Tee Walker, said when he kissed his own wife and children goodbye to go there, "I thought I would never see them again. I didn't think I would come out of Birmingham alive. I didn't think King would."
Where?
in Montgomery, Alabama,
The bourgeoisie (Eng.: ; ) is a polysemous French term that can mean: The "Bourgeoisie", in its original sense, is intimately linked to the existence of cities recognized as such by their urban charters (e.g. municipal charter, town privileges, German town law) so there was no bourgeoisie "outside the walls of the city" beyond which the people were "peasants" submitted to the stately courts and manorialism (except for the traveling "Fair bourgeoisie" living outside urban territories, who retained their city rights and domicile). In Marxist philosophy the bourgeoisie is the social class that came to own the means of production during modern industrialization and whose societal concerns are the value of property and the preservation of capital, to ensure the perpetuation of their economic supremacy in society. Joseph Schumpeter saw the creation of new bourgeoisie as the driving force behind the capitalist engine, particularly entrepreneurs who took risks to bring innovation to industries and the economy through the process of creative destruction. The Modern French word "bourgeois" derived from the Old French "burgeis" (walled city), which derived from "bourg" (market town), from the Old Frankish "burg" (town); in other European languages, the etymologic derivations are the Middle English "burgeis", the Middle Dutch "burgher", the German "Bürger", the Modern English "burgess", and the Polish "burżuazja", which occasionally is synonymous with the intelligentsia.
What language does the word "burgher" come from?
Middle Dutch
A five-year-old British boy who was kidnapped in Pakistan earlier this month has been found safe and is back with his relatives, the British High Commission said Tuesday. Sahil Saeed was released at a school in the Punjab province of Pakistan, said Assistant Chief Constable David Thompson of the Greater Manchester Police in England, near his parents' residence in Oldham. From there, Sahil wandered into a field and was found by residents who looked after him until police arrived, Thompson said. Regional Pakistani police said Sahil was found near the town of Danga in Punjab province, close to where he was abducted March 3. Sahil was in good condition, said Aslam Tareen, the head of the regional police. "He is with members of family in Pakistan and the Pakistani police, and there is also contact from the British High Commission," Thompson said. He added that Sahil had already spoken to his mother and father in England by telephone and that both parents were "clearly relieved" to speak to their son. The High Commission issued a statement thanking police in Jhelum, another town in the eastern province of Punjab, for the boy's return. "This is fantastic news that brings to an end a traumatic ordeal faced by Sahil and his family," said Adam Thomson, the British high commissioner to Pakistan. Police arrested some of the kidnappers, said Rana Sanaullah, the provincial law minister. Sahil, a British citizen of Pakistani descent, was on the last day of a two-week vacation in Pakistan before he was to return home to Oldham, in northern England.
Where does he live?
Oldham.
Encyclopedia Americana is one of the largest general encyclopedias in the English language. Following the acquisition of Grolier in 2000, the encyclopedia has been produced by Scholastic. The encyclopedia has more than 45,000 articles, most of them more than 500 words and many running to considerable length (the "United States" article is over 300,000 words). The work's coverage of American and Canadian geography and history has been a traditional strength. Written by 6,500 contributors, the "Encyclopedia Americana" includes over 9,000 bibliographies, 150,000 cross-references, 1,000+ tables, 1,200 maps, and almost 4,500 black-and-white line art and color images. It also has 680 factboxes. Most articles are signed by their contributors. Long available as a 30-volume print set, the "Encyclopedia Americana" is now marketed as an online encyclopedia requiring a subscription. In March 2008, Scholastic said that print sales remained good but that the company was still deciding on the future of the print edition. The company did not produce an edition in 2007, a change from its previous approach of releasing a revised print edition each year. The most recent print edition of the "Encyclopedia Americana" was published in 2006. The online version of the "Encyclopedia Americana", first introduced in 1997, continues to be updated and sold. This work, like the print set from which it is derived, is designed for high school and first-year college students along with public library users. It is available to libraries as one of the options in the Grolier Online reference service, which also includes the "Grolier Multimedia Encyclopedia", intended for middle and high school students, and "The New Book of Knowledge", an encyclopedia for elementary and middle school students. Grolier Online is not available to individual subscribers.
How long is the United States article?
over 300,000 words
Ireland's top Roman Catholic cleric, Cardinal Sean Brady, was under mounting pressure to resign Friday amid renewed allegations about his role in dealing with the sexual abuse of children by priests. A British television documentary repeated claims made in 2010 that Brady was told of attacks by pedophile priest Father Brendan Smyth in 1975 but did not inform police or the parents of the victims. The documentary also claimed that Brady, then a priest, had a greater role in the church investigation of the Smyth allegations than he has admitted. New details and documents also were produced. Responding to the BBC program, Brady repeated his defense that he had done his job by passing details of all allegations to his superiors. He told CNN that he felt "betrayed" when he discovered that church officials had taken no action against Smyth, who continued to abuse children for years throughout Ireland and in the United States. Smyth was eventually imprisoned and has since died. Brady has accepted that during the 1970s, he was "part of an unhelpful culture of deference and silence in society and the church," but he has insisted he does not intend to resign. The Catholic Church in Ireland said Friday that a previous request from Brady for Pope Benedict XVI to send a bishop to help him with his work would be "reactivated." Calls continued from abuse victims and lawmakers in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland for Brady to step down. Abuse survivor Jon McCourt told CNN that further inquiries should be made into Brady's role.
Did Smyth go to jail?
yes
CHAPTER XXIII Fischer, exactly one week after his nocturnal visit to Fourteenth Street, hurried out of the train at the Pennsylvania Station, almost tore the newspapers from the news stand, glanced through them one by one and threw them back. The attendant, open-mouthed, ventured upon a mild protest. Fischer threw him a dollar bill, caught up his handbag, and made for the entrance. He was the first passenger from the Washington Limited to reach the street and spring into a taxi. "The Plaza Hotel," he ordered. "Get along." They arrived at the Plaza in less than ten minutes. Mr. Fischer tipped the driver lavishly, suffered the hall porter to take his bag, returned his greeting mechanically, and walked with swift haste to the tape machine. He held up the strips with shaking fingers, dropped them again, hurried to the lift, and entered his rooms. Nikasti was in the sitting-room, arranging some flowers. Fischer did not even stop to reply to his reverential greeting. "Where's Mr. Van Teyl?" he demanded. "Mr. Van Teyl has gone away, sir," was the calm reply. "He left here the day before yesterday. There is a letter." Fischer took no notice. He was already gripping the telephone receiver. "982, Wall," he said--"an urgent call." He stood waiting, his face an epitome of breathless suspense. Soon a voice answered him. "That the office of Neville, Brooks and Van Teyl?" he demanded. "Yes! Put me through to Mr. Van Teyl. Urgent!" Another few seconds of waiting, then once more he bent over the instrument.
What was almost torn?
newspapers
CHAPTER X MYSTERIES IN MAYFAIR That night, and for many nights afterwards, Macheson devoted himself to his work in the East End. The fascination of the thing grew upon him; he threw himself into his task with an energy which carried him often out of his own life and made forgetfulness an easy task. Night after night they came, these tired, white-faced women, with a sprinkling of sullen, dejected-looking men; night after night he pleaded and reasoned with them, striving with almost passionate earnestness to show them how to make the best of the poor thing they called life. Gradually his efforts began to tell upon himself. He grew thinner, there were shadows under his eyes, a curious intangible depression seemed to settle upon him. Holderness one night sought him out and insisted upon dinner together. "Look here, Victor," he said, "I have a bone to pick with you. You'd better listen! Don't sit there staring round the place as though you saw ghosts everywhere." Macheson smiled mirthlessly. "But that is just what I do see," he answered. "The conscience of every man who knows must be haunted with them! The ghosts of starving men and unsexed women! What keeps their hands from our throats, Dick?" "Common sense, you idiot," Holderness answered cheerfully. "There's a refuse heap for every one of nature's functions. You may try to rake it out and cleanse it, but there isn't much to be done. Hang that mission work, Victor! It's broken more hearts than anything else on earth! A man can but do what he may."
Who?
Holderness
Annie Oakley was born in 1860 in Darke County, Ohio. Her family was very poor. She decided to help her family even when she was very young, so she learned to use a gun, and began hunting animals for food. She could shoot them without losing the important parts of the meat. Soon her shooting ability became well known. When she was sixteen, she was invited to a competition with a famous marksman , Frank Butler. Annie surprised everyone by winning the competition. Later that year she and Frank married. In 1882, Annie Oakley and Frank Butler started putting on shows together. Frank Butler was the star of the show and she was his assistant. The famous Native American leader, Sitting Bull, thought so highly of her shooting ability that he called her "Little Sure Shot". Later Annie Oakley became the star of the show and Frank Butler was her assistant. Posters for the show called her the "Champion Markswoman". During World War One, Annie Oakley wanted to train a group of women volunteers for the army, but the United States did not accept it. She gave American soldiers shooting lessons, and traveled across the country visiting many training camps. She gave shooting performances and raised money to support the American soldiers. Annie Oakley died on November 3, 1926. Eighteen days later, Frank Butler died too.
How did they meet?
a shooting competition
The Romance languages (sometimes called the Romanic languages, Latin languages, or Neo-Latin languages) are the modern languages that evolved from Vulgar Latin between the sixth and ninth centuries and that thus form a branch of the Italic languages within the Indo-European language family. Today, around 800 million people are native speakers worldwide, mainly in Europe, Africa and the Americas, but also elsewhere. Additionally, the major Romance languages have many non-native speakers and are in widespread use as lingua francas. This is especially the case for French, which is in widespread use throughout Central and West Africa, Madagascar, Mauritius and the Maghreb. The five most widely spoken Romance languages by number of native speakers are Spanish (470 million), Portuguese (250 million), French (150 million), Italian (60 million), and Romanian (25 million). Because of the difficulty of imposing boundaries on a continuum, various counts of the modern Romance languages are given; for example, Dalby lists 23 based on mutual intelligibility. The following, more extensive list, includes 35 current, living languages, and one recently extinct language, Dalmatian: Romance languages are the continuation of Vulgar Latin, the popular and colloquial sociolect of Latin spoken by soldiers, settlers, and merchants of the Roman Empire, as distinguished from the classical form of the language spoken by the Roman upper classes, the form in which the language was generally written. Between 350 BC and 150 AD, the expansion of the Empire, together with its administrative and educational policies, made Latin the dominant native language in continental Western Europe. Latin also exerted a strong influence in southeastern Britain, the Roman province of Africa, western Germany, Pannonia and the Balkans north of the Jireček Line.
During what time frame did Latin become the dominant native language in continental Western Europe?
Between 350 BC and 150 AD
CHAPTER XIX. And stretching out, on either hand, O'er all that wide and unshorn land, Till weary of its gorgeousness, The aching and the dazzled eye Rests, gladdened, on the calm, blue sky. --WHITTIER. No other disturbance occurred in the course of the night. With the dawn, le Bourdon was again stirring; and as he left the palisades to repair to the run, in order to make his ablutions, he saw Peter returning to Castle Meal. The two met; but no allusion was made to the manner in which the night had passed. The chief paid his salutations courteously; and, instead of repairing to his skins, he joined le Bourdon, seemingly as little inclined to seek for rest, as if just arisen from his lair. When the bee-hunter left the spring, this mysterious Indian, for the first time, spoke of business. "My brother wanted to-day to show Injin how to find honey," said Peter, as he and Bourdon walked toward the palisades, within which the whole family was now moving. "I nebber see honey find, myself, ole as I be." "I shall be very willing to teach your chiefs my craft," answered the bee-hunter, "and this so much the more readily, because I do not expect to pracTYSE it much longer, myself; not in this part of the country, at least." "How dat happen?--expec' go away soon?" demanded Peter, whose keen, restless eye would, at one instant, seem to read his companion's soul, and then would glance off to some distant object, as if conscious of its own startling and fiery expression. "Now Br'ish got Detroit, where my broder go? Bess stay here, I t'ink."
Where was he going?
Castle Meal
Mahātmā Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (; ; 2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948) was the leader of the Indian independence movement against British rule. Employing nonviolent civil disobedience, Gandhi led India to independence and inspired movements for civil rights and freedom across the world. The honorific Mahātmā (Sanskrit: "high-souled", "venerable")—applied to him first in 1914 in South Africa—is now used worldwide. In India, he is also called Bapu ji (Gujarati: endearment for "father", "papa") and Gandhi ji. He is unofficially called the "Father of the Nation" Born and raised in a Hindu merchant caste family in coastal Gujarat, western India, and trained in law at the Inner Temple, London, Gandhi first employed nonviolent civil disobedience as an expatriate lawyer in South Africa, in the resident Indian community's struggle for civil rights. After his return to India in 1915, he set about organising peasants, farmers, and urban labourers to protest against excessive land-tax and discrimination. Assuming leadership of the Indian National Congress in 1921, Gandhi led nationwide campaigns for various social causes and for achieving "Swaraj" or self-rule. Gandhi famously led Indians in challenging the British-imposed salt tax with the Dandi Salt March in 1930, and later in calling for the British to "Quit India" in 1942. He was imprisoned for many years, upon many occasions, in both South Africa and India. He lived modestly in a self-sufficient residential community and wore the traditional Indian "dhoti" and shawl, woven with yarn hand-spun on a "charkha". He ate simple vegetarian food, and also undertook long fasts as a means of both self-purification and political protest.
what is his offical name?
Mahātmā Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi
At the age of sixteen, I went on my first volunteer program in West Virginia to repair or build homes for poor families. When we arrived, we discovered that the family we were going to help was living in a trailer that was in poor condition, no bigger than two parking spaces. A group of people had been working on it for two weeks, but every time they finished one problem, another appeared. We soon decided that the only way was to build a new house. It was something unusual because normally our goal was to repair old homes. The family was pleased with their new house that was 20 by 30 feet with three bedrooms, a bath and a kitchen. On Tuesday of that week, I asked the family's three boys, Josh, Eric and Ryan, "What do you want for your new room?" Kids in the families we had helped usually wanted toys or posters, so we were surprised when Josh, the oldest boy said, "We just want beds." The boys had never slept in a bed. That night we had a meeting and decided that beds would be the perfect gift. On Thursday night, a few adults in our group drove to the nearest city and bought beds and new bedding. On Friday when we saw the truck coming, we told the family about the surprise. They were very excited. That afternoon, while we were setting up the beds, Eric ran into the house to watch us with wide eyes. As Maggie, a member of our group, put one of the pillows on the bed, Eric asked, "What is that?" "A pillow," she replied. "What do you do with it?" Eric went on asking. "When you go to sleep, you put your head on it," Maggie answered softly. Tears came to our eyes as she handed Eric the pillow. "Oh . . . that's soft," he said, holding it tightly. Now, when my sister or I start to ask for something that seems very urgent , my dad always asks, "Do you have a pillow?" We know exactly what he means.
What was condition of the place that they went to?
poor condition
Around the world, media reaction to the Democrats' victory has poured in, as newspapers and broadcasters reflect on the Barack Obama campaign and the global impact his win will have. A woman picks up a copy of a newspaper in Sydney, Australia The International Herald Tribune said that America had "leaped" across the color line, calling Obama "a 47-year-old black man who made history both because of his race and in spite of it." The Times of London said Obama had revitalized U.S. politics. "The immense turnout in yesterday's election was testament to the energy, excitement and expectations of a rejuvenated American democracy, as well as the fears of a nation standing at a crossroads of history," the paper said. It added that Obama's inheritance would be challenging. "The new president faces economic and social convulsions at home, conflict abroad." Also in London, The Guardian focused on the historic nature of the Democrats' win, saying: "Victory in the end came as easily as the polls had predicted," and comparing Obama's achievement with Roosevelt's of 1932 and Reagan's of 1980. In Germany, Der Spiegel's Gregor Peter Schmitz, writing from Chicago, called Obama's rise "astonishing," adding that his "curious ability to remain untouched by all the razzmatazz around him is likely to prove a source of strength." Al Jazeera said Obama had "surfed to power on a wave of voter discontent generated by the failures of President George Bush and the Republican Party" and added that he faces "unique challenges." It continued that he must "act quickly" to restore confidence in the economy and with his country "sick of war" is "unlikely to make any additional major overseas military commitments."
Caused by what?
The failures of President George Bush and the Republican Party.
CHAPTER XIII. Caught in a Cyclone Less than an hour later Jasper was brought out and Noel Urner sprang into the saddle, with Allen behind him on the blanket. "Keep a close watch for more thieves while I am gone!" cried Allen. "We will!" shouted Paul. "And you take care for more doctored bridges!" A parting wave of the hand and the ranch was left behind, and Allen was off on a journey that was to be filled with adventures and excitement from start to finish. Chet and Paul watched the horse and his two riders out of sight, and then with rather heavy hearts returned to the house. The place seemed more lonely than ever with both Allen and Noel Urner gone. "It's going to be a long time waiting for Allen's return," sighed Paul. "Perhaps not," returned Chet. "He left me with a secret to tell you, Paul." And Chet lost no time in relating Allen's story of the hidden mine of great wealth. "And perhaps we can explore the place during his absence," Paul said, after he had expressed his astonishment and asked half a dozen questions. "I don't know about that, Paul. We may not be able to find the opening Allen mentioned, and then, again, he may not wish us to do so." "Why should he object?" "I don't know." "We'll have ten days or two weeks on our hands, at the very least. We might as well take a look at that wealth as not."
What kind of a house was it?
lonely
Same-sex marriage, also known as gay marriage is marriage between people of the same sex, either as a secular civil ceremony or in a religious setting. The term marriage equality refers to a political status in which same-sex marriage and opposite-sex marriage are considered legally equal. In the late 20th century, rites of marriage for same-sex couples without legal recognition became increasingly common. The first law providing for marriage of people of the same sex in modern times was enacted in 2001 in the Netherlands. , same-sex marriage is legally recognized (nationwide or in some parts) in the following countries: Argentina, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Luxembourg, Malta, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom, the United States and Uruguay. Same-sex marriage is likely to soon become legal in Taiwan, after a constitutional court ruling in May 2017. Polls show rising support for legally recognizing same-sex marriage in the Americas, Australia and most of Europe. However, as of 2017, South Africa is the only African country where same-sex marriage is recognized. Taiwan would become the first country in Asia to legalize same-sex marriage if the Civil Code is amended. Israel and Armenia recognise same-sex marriages performed outside the country for some purposes.
When?
in 2001
Rebel leaders said early Monday that they had captured three of embattled Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi's sons -- Saif al-Islam, Saadi and Mohammed -- during their siege of Tripoli. "As for the other four sons, we think they are either hiding or they have run away," said Guma El-Gamaty, the Britain-based coordinator for Libya's Transitional National Council. The latest arrest was that of Mohammad Gadhafi, whom the rebels claimed was being confined to his house. "I'm being attacked right now. This is gunfire inside my house. They are inside my house," a man who identified himself as Mohammed Gadhafi told Al Jazeera in a phone call. A barrage of gunfire was then heard and the phone cut off. Later, the head of the Transitional National Council told the station that Mohammed Gadhafi was not harmed. Earlier, rebel leaders said they captured Saif al-Islam Gadhafi, a top official in his father's regime. Another of Gadhafi's sons, Saadi Gadhafi, was also in custody, the rebels announced. The International Criminal Court says it plans to negotiate the transfer of Saif Gadhafi who -- along with his father -- is wanted for crimes against humanity in connection with their attempts to put down the emerging revolt against Gadhafi's four-decade rule in February. The court, based in The Hague, Netherlands, issued a similar warrant for Abdullah al-Sanussi, the elder Gadhafi's brother-in-law and Libya's intelligence chief. The third son detained is Saadi Gadhafi, a businessman and onetime professional soccer player. He helped set up an April CNN interview with a woman who claimed she'd been raped by government troops. He later told CNN that those behind the attack should be prosecuted.
Were they caught too?
no
CHAPTER XII Trent rose up with flashing eyes. Da Souza shrank back from his outstretched hands. The two men stood facing one another. Da Souza was afraid, but the ugly look of determination remained upon his white face. Trent felt dimly that there was something which must be explained between them. There had been hints of this sort before from Da Souza. It was time the whole thing was cleared up. The lion was ready to throw aside the jackal. "I give you thirty seconds," he said, "to clear out. If you haven't come to your senses then, you'll be sorry for it." "Thirty seconds is not long enough," Da Souza answered, "for me to tell you why I decline to go. Better listen to me quietly, my friend. It will be best for you. Afterwards you will admit it." "Go ahead," Trent said, "I'm anxious to hear what you've got to say. Only look here! I'm a bit short-tempered this morning, and I shouldn't advise you to play with your words!" "This is no play at all," Da Souza remarked, with a sneer. "I ask you to remember, my friend, our first meeting." Trent nodded. "Never likely to forget it," he answered. "I came down from Elmina to deal with you," Da Souza continued. "I had made money trading in Ashanti for palm-oil and mahogany. I had money to invest--and you needed it. You had land, a concession to work gold-mines, and build a road to the coast. It was speculative, but we did business. I came with you to England. I found more money."
was Da Souza afraid?
yes
California is the most populous state in the United States and the third most extensive by area. Located on the Pacific coast, California shares borders with Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and the Mexican state of Baja California to the south. The state capital is Sacramento. Los Angeles is California's most populous city, and the country's second largest after New York City. The Greater Los Angeles Area and the San Francisco Bay Area are the nation's second- and fifth-most populous urban regions, respectively. California also has the nation's most populous county, Los Angeles County, and its largest county by area, San Bernardino County. California's diverse geography ranges from the Pacific Coast in the west to the Sierra Nevada mountain range in the east; and from the redwood–Douglas fir forests in the northwest to the Mojave Desert in the southeast. The Central Valley, a major agricultural area, dominates the state's center. Though California is well-known for its warm Mediterranean climate, the large size of the state results in climates that vary from moist temperate rainforest in the north, to arid desert in the interior, as well as snowy alpine in the mountains. What is now California was first settled by various Native American tribes before being explored by a number of European expeditions during the 16th and 17th centuries. The Spanish Empire then claimed it as part of Alta California in their New Spain colony. The area became a part of Mexico in 1821 following its successful war for independence, but was ceded to the United States in 1848 after the Mexican–American War. The western portion of Alta California then was organized and admitted as the 31st state on September 9, 1850. The California Gold Rush starting in 1848 led to dramatic social and demographic changes, with large-scale emigration from the east and abroad with an accompanying economic boom.
are the redwood-fir forests in the southeast of the state?
no
CHAPTER III THE WAR BEGUN There could be no question, after this cry from Amos Nelson, but that he and his Tory friends had in some way come to learn of what we lads would do toward aiding the Cause. It was natural that I, suspecting Seth Jepson, should set down to his door the crime of having betrayed us to our enemies; but when I put that thought into words Archie would have none of it. He declared that however much Seth might be inclined toward Toryism, he was not such a knave as to join us with traitorous intentions in his heart. We had made no reply to Amos Nelson, and it appeared much as if his only desire was to let us understand that he was in possession of our secret, for immediately after having taunted us he went off in the direction of Corn hill, taking his friend with him, therefore Archie and I had nothing to do except discuss the possibility of our having been betrayed, with not a little warmth but no result. Silas was still engaged in the work of enrolling recruits, and failed to come to the rendezvous, most like believing he could be doing better service in seeking out those who would become Minute Boys, than by wagging his tongue at the city dock with us. Because of knowing that that which we would keep private was a secret no longer, I grew disheartened, and instead of agreeing to Archie's proposition that the remainder of the day be spent in gaining yet more recruits, I turned my face homeward once more, agreeing crustily to meet those who had promised to become Minute Boys at the old ship-yard that evening.
Who suspected Jepson?
Amos Nelson
The dissolution of the Soviet Union was formally enacted on December 26, 1991, as a result of the declaration no. 142-Н of the Soviet of the Republics of the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union. The declaration acknowledged the independence of the former Soviet republics and created the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), although five of the signatories ratified it much later or not at all. On the previous day, Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev, the eighth and last leader of the Soviet Union, resigned, declared his office extinct, and handed over its powers – including control of the Soviet nuclear missile launching codes – to Russian President Boris Yeltsin. That evening at 7:32 p.m., the Soviet flag was lowered from the Kremlin for the last time and replaced with the pre-revolutionary Russian flag. Mikhail Gorbachev was elected General Secretary by the Politburo on March 11, 1985, three hours after predecessor Konstantin Chernenko's death at age 73. Gorbachev, aged 54, was the youngest member of the Politburo. His initial goal as general secretary was to revive the Soviet economy, and he realized that doing so would require reforming underlying political and social structures. The reforms began with personnel changes of senior Brezhnev-era officials who would impede political and economic change. On April 23, 1985, Gorbachev brought two protégés, Yegor Ligachev and Nikolai Ryzhkov, into the Politburo as full members. He kept the "power" ministries happy by promoting KGB Head Viktor Chebrikov from candidate to full member and appointing Minister of Defence Marshal Sergei Sokolov as a Politburo candidate.
Where was the flag lowered from for the last time?
The Kremlin