AcharyaChanakya/simple-wikipedia huggingface dataset:
Sinterklaas (also called Sint Nicolaas) is a traditional Winter holiday figure in Dutch-speaking Europe (The Netherlands and Flanders), and is also well known in the former Dutch colonies. Every year he is celebrated in The Netherlands, one day before Saint Nicholas died (5 December) and on (6 December) in Belgium. His helper and best friend is Black Peter. Sinterklaas is the basis of the mythical holiday figure of Santa Claus in the United States. Sinterklaas has nothing to do with Christmas. Christmas will also be celebrated in the Netherlands as well as in Belgium, so Santa Claus is not the same as Sinterklaas (in the Netherlands). Sinterklaas arrives from Spain in a boat and has a white horse that can walk across rooftops. Every little kid puts his shoe at the chimney (or the window) and sings a song, when the kid goes to sleep sinterklaas comes and puts a present in the shoe.
Antoninus Pius
Antoninus Pius (Titus Aurelius Fulvus Boionius Arrius Antoninus, 19 September 86 – 7 March 161), or simply Antoninus, was Roman Emperor from 138 to 161.
As a private citizen between 110 and 115, he married Annia Galeria Faustina the Elder. They are believed to have enjoyed a happy marriage.Faustina was a beautiful woman, renowned for her wisdom. She spent her whole life caring for the poor and assisting the most disadvantaged Romans.
Faustina bore Antoninus four children, two sons and two daughters. They included Faustina the Younger, a future Roman Empress, who married her maternal cousin, future Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius.
When Faustina died in 141, Antoninus was greatly bereaved and had a temple built in the Roman Forum in her name, had coins with her portrait struck in her honor, and created a charity called "Girls of Faustina", which assisted orphaned girls.
Having filled with success the offices of quaestor and praetor, he was consul in 120. He was appointed by Hadrian as one of the four proconsuls to administer Italia, then Asia. The Emperor Hadrian adopted him as his son and successor on 25 February 138, after the death of his first adopted son Lucius Aelius. The condition was that Antoninus would in turn adopt Marcus Annius Verus, the son of his wife's brother, and Lucius, son of Aelius Verus, who afterwards became the emperors Marcus Aurelius and Lucius Verus
There are no records of any military related acts in his time. One modern scholar has written "It is almost certain not only that at no time in his life did he ever see, let alone command, a Roman army, but that, throughout the twenty-three years of his reign, he never went within five hundred miles of a legion". His reign was the most peaceful in the entire history of the Principate.
Unrest in Britannia is believed to have led to the construction of the Antonine Wall from the Firth of Forth to the Firth of Clyde, although it was soon abandoned.
He was virtually unique among emperors in that he dealt with crises without leaving Italy once during his reign. He dealt with provincial matters through their governors or through imperial letters to the cities such as Ephesus (of which some were publicly displayed). This style of government was highly praised by his contemporaries and by later generations.
Those twenty-two years were not remarkably eventful in comparison to those before and after his reign. We might think that he wisely cut the activities of the Roman Empire to a careful minimum. Perhaps he was uninterested in events away from Rome, and his inaction contributed to the troubles which faced Marcus Aurelius and other emperors of the third century.
German historian Ernst Kornemann, in his "Römische Geschichte" (roman history) [2 vols., ed. by H. Bengtson, Stuttgart 1954], said that the reign of Antoninus comprised "a succession of grossly wasted opportunities", given the upheavals that were to come. There is more to this argument, given that the Parthians in the East were themselves soon to make no small amount of mischief after Antoninus' passing. Kornemann's brief is that Antoninus might have waged preventive wars to head off these outsiders.
After the longest reign since Augustus (surpassing Tiberius by a couple of months), Antoninus died of fever about twelve miles (19 km) from Rome, on 7 March 161. The last word that he uttered when the tribune of the night-watch came to ask the password was "aequanimitas" (equanimity).
Zwarte Piet (, Dutch for "Black Pete"; , , ) is the friend of Saint Nicholas (, , , ) in the folklore of the Low Countries.
The character first appeared in an 1850 book by Amsterdam schoolteacher Jan Schenkman.
Zwarte Piet is black because he is a Moor from Spain. People playing Zwarte Piet usually put on blackface and colourful suits along with curly wigs and bright red lipstick.
Recently, the character has become controversial with many saying it was racist towards people of African descent.
Lucius Verus
Lucius Verus (Lucius Ceionius Commodus, 15 December 130 – 169) was Roman co-emperor with Marcus Aurelius (121–180), from 161 until his death. In practice, he was the junior partner of the great Marcus Aurelius.
When his father died in early 138, Hadrian chose Antoninus Pius (86–161) as his successor. Antoninus was adopted by Hadrian on the condition that Verus and Hadrian’s great-nephew Marcus Aurelius was to be adopted by Antoninus as his sons and heirs.
Verus started his political career as a quaestor in 153, became consul in 154, and in 161 was consul again with Marcus Aurelius as his senior partner.
Antoninus died on 7 March 161, and was succeeded by Marcus Aurelius. Although the senate planned to confirm Marcus alone, he refused to take office unless Lucius received equal powers. The senate accepted, granting Lucius the "imperium", the tribunician power, and the name Augustus. It was the first time that Rome was ruled by two emperors.
In spite of their nominal equality, Marcus held more authority than Verus. He had been consul once more than Lucius, he had shared in Pius' administration, and he alone was "Pontifex Maximus". It would have been clear to the public which emperor was the more senior. As the biographer wrote, "Verus obeyed Marcus...as a lieutenant obeys a proconsul or a governor obeys the emperor".
Immediately after their senate confirmation, the emperors went to the camp of the praetorian guard. Lucius addressed the assembled troops, which then acclaimed the pair as "imperatores". Then, like every new emperor since Claudius, Lucius promised the troops a special donative. The ceremony was perhaps not entirely necessary, given that Marcus' accession had been peaceful and unopposed, but it was good insurance against later military troubles.
War with Parthia had started as soon as Antoninus died.
Over the winter of 161–62, as more bad news arrived—a rebellion was brewing in Syria—it was decided that Lucius should direct the Parthian war in person. He was stronger and healthier than Marcus, the argument went, more suited to military activity. Whatever the case, the senate gave its assent, and Lucius left. Marcus would remain in Rome; the city "demanded the presence of an emperor".
Furius Victorinus, one of the two praetorian prefects, was sent with Lucius, as were a pair of senators, and part of the praetorian guard. Victorinus had previously served as procurator of Galatia, giving him some experience with eastern affairs. Since a prefect had to accompany the guard, Victorinus was the clear choice.
Laelianus, one of the Senators, was "a serious man and an old-fashioned disciplinarian". Bassus, the other Senator, had been governor of Lower Moesia, and was also made "comes".
Lucius left in the summer of 162 to take a ship from Brundisium; Marcus followed him as far as Capua. Lucius feasted himself in the country houses along his route, and hunted at Apulia. He fell ill at Canosa, probably afflicted with a mild stroke, and took to bed. Marcus made prayers to the gods for his safety in front of the senate, and hurried south to see him.
Verus continued eastward via Corinth and Athens, accompanied by musicians and singers as if in a royal progress. It is not known how long Verus' journey east took; he might not have arrived in Antioch until after 162. Statius Priscus, meanwhile, must have already arrived in Cappadocia; he would earn fame in 163 for successful generalship.
Lucius spent most of the campaign in Antioch, though he wintered at Laodicea and summered at Daphne, a resort just outside Antioch. He took up a mistress named Panthea, from Smyrna. The biographer calls her a "low-born girl-friend", but she is probably closer to an account of Lucian: "a woman of perfect beauty", more beautiful than any of Phidias and Praxiteles' statues. Polite, caring, humble, she sang to the lyre perfectly and spoke clear Ionic Greek, spiced with Attic wit.
Lucius faced quite a task. The Syrian army had turned soft during the east's long peace. They spent more time at the city's open-air cafés than in their quarters. Under Lucius, training was stepped up. Pontius Laelianus ordered that their saddles be stripped of their padding. Gambling and drinking were sternly policed. Fronto wrote that Lucius was on foot at the head of his army as often as on horseback. He personally inspected soldiers in the field and at camp, including the sick bay.
In the middle of the war, perhaps in autumn 163 or early 164, Lucius made a trip to Ephesus to be married to Marcus' daughter Lucilla. Lucilla's thirteenth birthday was in March 163; whatever the date of her marriage, she was not yet fifteen. Marcus had moved up the date: perhaps stories of Panthea had disturbed him. Lucilla was accompanied by her mother Faustina and M. Vettulenus Civica Barbarus, the half-brother of Lucius' father. Marcus may have planned to accompany them all the way to Smyrna (the biographer says he told the senate he would); this did not happen. Marcus only accompanied the group as far as Brundisium, where they boarded a ship for the east. Marcus returned to Rome immediately thereafter, and sent out special instructions to his proconsuls not to give the group any official reception. Lucilla would bear three of Lucius' children in the coming years. Lucilla became Lucilla Augusta.
Legions I Minervia and V Macedonica, under the legates M. Claudius Fronto and P. Martius Verus, served under Statius Priscus in Armenia, earning success for Roman arms during the campaign season of 163, including the capture of the Armenian capital Artaxata. At the end of the year, Verus took the title "Armeniacus", despite having never seen combat; Marcus declined to accept the title until the following year. When Lucius was hailed as "imperator" again, however, Marcus did not hesitate to take the "Imperator II" with him. The army of Syria was reinforced by II Adiutrix and Danubian legions under X Gemina's legate Geminius Marcianus.
Occupied Armenia was reconstructed on Roman terms. A new king was installed: a Roman senator of consular rank and Arsacid descent, C. Iulius Sohaemus. He may not even have been crowned in Armenia; the ceremony may have taken place in Antioch, or even Ephesus. Sohaemus was hailed on the imperial coinage of 164 under the legend : Verus sat on a throne with his staff while Sohamenus stood before him, saluting the emperor.
In 163, while Statius Priscus was occupied in Armenia, the Parthians invaded Osroene, a Roman client state in upper Mesopotamia, just east of Syria, with its capital at Edessa. They deposed the country's leader, Mannus, and replaced him with their own nominee, who would remain in office until 165. In response, Roman forces were moved downstream, to cross the Euphrates at a more southerly point. The Parthians still held the southern, Roman bank of the Euphrates (in Syria) as late as 163. Before the end of the year, however, Roman forces had moved north to occupy Dausara and Nicephorium on the northern, Parthian bank. Soon after the conquest of the north bank of the Euphrates, other Roman forces moved on Osroene from Armenia, taking Anthemusia, a town south-west of Edessa. There was little movement in 164; most of the year was spent on preparations for a renewed assault on Parthian territory.
In 165, Roman forces, perhaps led by Martius Verus and the V Macedonica, moved on Mesopotamia. Edessa was re-occupied, Mannus re-installed. His coinage resumed, too: 'Ma'nu the king' (Syriac: M'NW MLK') or Antonine dynasts on the obverse, and 'King Mannos, friend of Romans' (Greek: "Basileus Mannos Philorōmaios") on the reverse. The Parthians retreated to Nisibis, but this too was besieged and captured. The Parthian army dispersed in the Tigris; their general Chosrhoes swam down the river and made his hideout in a cave. A second force, under Avidius Cassius and the III Gallica, moved down the Euphrates, and fought a major battle at Dura.
By the end of the year, Cassius' army had reached the twin metropolises of Mesopotamia: Seleucia on the right bank of the Tigris and Ctesiphon on the left. Ctesiphon was taken and its royal palace set to flame. The citizens of Seleucia, still largely Greek (the city had been commissioned and settled as a capital of the Seleucid empire, one of Alexander the Great's successor kingdoms), opened its gates to the invaders. The city got sacked nonetheless, leaving a black mark on Lucius' reputation. Excuses were sought, or invented: the official version had it that the Seleucids broke faith first. Whatever the case, the sacking marks a particularly destructive chapter in Seleucia's long decline.
Cassius' army, although suffering from a shortage of supplies and the effects of a plague contracted in Seleucia, made it back to Roman territory safely. Iunius Maximus, a young tribune serving in III Gallica under Cassius, took the news of the victory to Rome. Maximus received a generous cash bounty for bringing the good news, and immediate promotion to the quaestorship. Lucius took the title Parthicus Maximus, and he and Marcus were hailed as "imperatores" again, earning the title 'imp. III'.
Cassius' army returned to the field in 166, crossing over the Tigris into Medea. Lucius took the title 'Medicus', and the emperors were again hailed as "imperatores", becoming 'imp. IV' in imperial titulature. Marcus took the Parthicus Maximus now, after another tactful delay.
Most of the credit for the war's success must be ascribed to subordinate generals. The forces that advanced on Osroene were led by M. Claudius Fronto, an Asian provincial of Greek descent who had led I Minervia in Armenia under Priscus. He was probably the first senator in his family. Fronto was consul for 165, probably in honor of the capture of Edessa. P. Martius Verus had led V Macedonica to the front, and also served under Priscus. Martius Verus was a westerner, whose "patria" was perhaps Tolosa in Gallia Narbonensis.
The most prominent general, however, was C. Avidius Cassius, commander of III Gallica, one of the Syrian legions. Cassius was young senator of low birth from the north Syrian town of Cyrrhus. His father, Heliodorus, had not been a senator, but was nonetheless a man of some standing: he had been Hadrian's "ab epistulis", followed the emperor on his travels, and was prefect of Egypt at the end of Hadrian's reign. Cassius also, with no small sense of self-worth, claimed descent from the Seleucid kings. Cassius and Martius Verus, still probably in their mid-thirties, took the consulships for 166.
Vologases IV of Parthia (147–191) made peace but was forced to cede western Mesopotamia to the Romans. Lucius is reported to have been an excellent commander, without fear of delegating military tasks to more competent generals.
On his return to Rome, Lucius was awarded with a triumph. The parade was unusual because it included Lucius, Marcus Aurelius, their sons and unmarried daughters as a big family celebration. Marcus Aurelius' two sons, Commodus five years old and Annius Verus of three, were elevated to the status of Caesar for the occasion.
In the spring of 168 war broke out in the Danubian border when the Marcomanni invaded the Roman territory. This war would last until 180, but Verus did not see the end of it. In 168, as Verus and Marcus Aurelius returned to Rome from the field, Verus fell ill with symptoms attributed to food poisoning, dying after a few days (169). However, scholars believe that Verus may have been a victim of smallpox, as he died during a widespread epidemic known as the Antonine Plague. Despite the minor differences between them, Marcus Aurelius grieved the loss of his adoptive brother. He accompanied the body to Rome, where he offered games to honour his memory.
2007 Scottish Parliament election
The 2007 Scottish Parliament election was an election held on 3 May 2007 to elect members to the Scottish Parliament.
Going into the election, the Scottish Labour Party had the largest number of seats and had a coalition agreement with the Scottish Liberal Democrats with Jack McConnell as First Minister. The Scottish National Party won 47 seats in the election, which was the largest number of seats for any party in the election, but was not enough to form a majority government. The Scottish National Party then formed a minority government with Alex Salmond as First Minister.
This was the first time since the 1964 UK General Election in which the Labour Party did not get the highest number of votes in Scotland and it also gave the Scottish National Party it's largest ever number of votes. The final results were: Scottish National Party (47 Seats), Scottish Labour Party (46 Seats), Scottish Conservative Party (17 Seats), Scottish Liberal Democrats (16 Seats) and the Scottish Green Party (2 Seats). Parties which had won seats in the 2003 Scottish Parliament election including the Scottish Socialist Party and the Scottish Senior Citizens Party, lost all of their seats.
Scotland is divided into 73 constituencies with roughly the same number of people in each one. Each of these constituencies elects one Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) using the First Past the Post voting system. These 73 constituencies are grouped into eight regions. Each of these regions elects seven MSPs using proportional representation which means that the total number of MSPs is 129.
Scottish National Party - Alex Salmond
Scottish Labour Party - Jack McConnell
Scottish Conservative Party - Annabel Goldie
Scottish Liberal Democrats - Nicol Stephen
Scottish Green Party - Robin Harper / Shiona Baird
The next election to the Scottish parliament was held on 5 May 2011.
A cash register, or till, is a machine that holds money. Cash registers are usually found in shops and restaurants. They are used to calculate how much a customer has to pay for something, such as a good or service. The drawer of the cash register, which contains the money, is designed so that it would only open if somebody is buying something. This is to try to stop the customer from stealing money from the employees.
The person who invented the cash register was James Ritty, who came from Ohio and owned a bar in Dayton. In 1878, he found out that the people who worked in the bar kept on stealing money. When he noticed a part of a ship which counted how many times the propeller turned, he used the same idea to build a machine that could count different amount of sales. He got a patent on his machine and started a company the next year to make them, but it was not popular and the company, which became the National Cash Register Company in 1884, was sold to John H. Patterson.
Although the first cash registers were completely mechanical (they used moving parts such as gears and pulleys), and later ones were powered by electricity, today's cash registers use electronics. Computer chips are used to add up the prices of different items, show the total amount that has to be paid as well as the change that has to be given back to the customer, open the cash drawer after the customer has paid, and print a receipt as a proof of purchase.
Today, there is software that runs on personal computers that does the same thing as a cash register. This is called a point of sale (POS) system and is used by many big stores and restaurants because it is easier to manage a lot of machines from one place. It can also take care of inventory (how much of each item is in the store at any time), so that the shop owner knows when they have to get more items from the supplier to make sure a customer can get the item when they want it. Unlike a traditional cash register, different parts of a POS system are separate hardware rather than built into one machine, which makes it easier to set up. Companies like IBM, Toshiba, and NCR Corporation (which came from the original National Cash Register Company) are just a few of those that make POS systems and hardware, some of which include touchscreens that make it easy to operate.
A cashier is the name of a person who works at the cash register or POS terminal of a retail store, sometimes called the "checkout" or "till". Customers bring any merchandise they wish to buy to the cashier, who will then enter each item into the cash register. In the past, the cashier had to press some keys on a keyboard to do this, but in recent days he or she simply scans a barcode on the product itself using a laser scanner. The cash register then looks up the item in a database stored in a computer to get its price, and add it to the customer's purchase.
In some types of stores, such as grocery stores, items are sold by weight. In this case, the cashier has to put the item on a weighing scale, which would then send the weight of the item to the cash register to calculate its price. Many stores use a system of code numbers, called price look-up (PLU) codes, to identify the item being weighed and sold. These code numbers have become a standard used around the world.
After the cashier has scanned all of the goods, he or she will ask the customer for payment. If the customer is paying by cash, the customer gives the cashier money, which the cashier will count to find out how much the customer is paying. He or she will then enter the amount into the cash register, which will open the cash drawer. Inside the drawer, there are different places to put each type of bill and coin (for example, all the 1-dollar bills go in one part, and all the 25 cent coins go in another part). The cashier puts the bills and coins from the customer into the right places in the drawer, and takes out bills and coins that add up to the amount of change that the customer is supposed to get. The cashier closes the drawer and gives the change and receipt to the customer.
Many modern cash registers and POS terminals also allow payments by electronic funds transfer (EFT), such as a debit card or credit card. In this case, the customer has to use a small machine next to the cash register or POS terminal that reads the data from his or her card. Depending on the type of card being used, he or she and might have to enter a personal identification number (PIN) to confirm the transaction. Many debit and credit cards now have a feature called contactless payment, which allows the user to simply tap his or her card on the reader to pay, making it quicker than other methods such as a chip or magnetic stripe. It uses radio-frequency identification (RFID) technology, which is compatible with near field communication (NFC) that is built into many mobile phones. Companies like Apple, Google, and Microsoft have all made NFC-based mobile payment systems for platforms like iOS, Android, and Windows.
In the 2010s, there is a type of POS terminal that is operated by the customer, rather than a cashier. With this self-checkout, the customer scans the items he or she wishes to buy, and then pays by inserting cash or a credit card. These types of checkouts still have someone to look after them, in case any customer needs help.
Besides retail, the hospitality industry also makes use of cash registers and POS systems. Depending on where the system is used, they usually work differently from those in retail. For example, a restaurant cash register has to store information about every order, such as who ordered what from each table, whether the bill should be split or not, and whether a tip is added. Another example is in hotels, where a cash register has to store information about every room, such as who has booked the room, for how long, and what extra services are needed.
2010 United Kingdom general election
The 2010 United Kingdom General Election was an election held on 6 May 2010 to elect 650 members to the House of Commons of the United Kingdom. The three party leaders are shown below.
The election resulted in a hung parliament, where no political party has an overall majority of seats. This is the first time this has happened since 1974.
The Conservative Party won 307 out of the 650 seats available making them the largest party in the House of Commons. A coalition was then formed between the Conservative Party and the Liberal Democrats who together had enough seats for a majority. This is the first coalition government in the United Kingdom since World War II.
The Leader of the Conservative Party David Cameron became Prime Minister of the United Kigdom on 11 May 2010 and the leader of the Liberal Democrats Nick Clegg became the Deputy Prime Minister. Before the election, the Leader of the Labour Party Gordon Brown was the Prime Minister.
This was the first British general election where the leaders of the three main parties took part together in a series of debates for television. The first debate was shown on ITV and was moderated by Alastair Stewart. It was on the subject of domestic affairs and polls taken after the debate showed that most people thought Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg had done the best and the Liberal Democrats then saw a large rise in support in opinion polls, even beating Labour for second place behind the Conservatives.
The second debate, on the subject of Foreign Affairs was shown on Sky News and was moderated by Adam Boulton. Polls after this debate showed that Nick Clegg and David Cameron had done best with Gordon Brown slightly behind. The third and final debate was shown on BBC One and was moderated by David Dimbleby. It was on the subject of the economy and taxes and most opinion polls indicated that David Cameron had performed the best out of the three leaders.
The Conservative Party gained support from the following newspapers: the "Daily Express", the "Daily Mail", the "Sun", the "Daily Telegraph", the "Times", the "Daily Star", the "Evening Standard", the "Financial Times", "Sunday Express", the "Mail on Sunday", the "News of the World", the "Sunday Telegraph" and the "Sunday Times". The Liberal Democrats were supported by: the "Guardian", the "Observer" and the "Independent". Only the "Daily Mirror" and the "Sunday Mirror" supported the Labour Party and the "People" newspaper favoured a coalition.
This election saw the Conservative Party return to government for the first time since 1997 and also saw the Liberal Democrats get their first ever representation in government. Peter Robinson, the First Minister of Northern Ireland and leader of the Democratic Unionist Party unexpectedly lost his seat to the Alliance Party. The Green Party of England and Wales gained its first ever seat in the House of Commons and the Alliance Party of Northern Ireland gained its first seat in the House of Commons since 1974. Former Labour Party Home Secretaries Jacqui Smith and Charles Clarke both lost their seats. The Ulster Unionist Party and the Respect Party won seats in the 2005 General Election but lost their seats in the 2010 Election.
The seat of North Down was won by an Independent candidate and the seat of Buckingham was won by the Speaker of the House of Commons John Bercow, who is not considered to be of any political party.
Gabbi Tuft
Gabbi Alon Tuft (born Gabriel Allan Tuft; November 1, 1978 in San Francisco, California) is an American retired professional wrestler who is best known for working for WWE where he competed under the ring name Tyler Reks. He wrestled on their Raw, SmackDown and ECW brands. During his time in Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW), Tuft was a one-time FCW Florida Heavyweight Champion and a one-time FCW Florida Tag Team Champion with Johnny Curtis.
Tuft debuted on ECW and was also in a pre-show battle royal at WrestleMania XXVI which was won by Yoshi Tatsu. Recently Tuft was on Team SmackDown at the 2010 version of Bragging Rights when they won the trophy for the second time in a row.
He asked to be released from his WWE contract on August 21, 2012 because he wanted to retire from professional wrestling and spend more time with his family.
Assigned male at birth, Gabbi Tuft publicly came out as a trans woman in February 2021.
Blake Austin Griffin (born March 16, 1989) is an American basketball player. He is a power forward for the Detroit Pistons of the National Basketball Association (NBA).
Griffin played college basketball for two years at the University of Oklahoma, then decided to enter the NBA Draft.
In the 2009 NBA Draft, the Clippers chose him with the first pick. However, Griffin broke a kneecap during the preseason and missed the entire 2009-2010 season. He finally played his first regular season NBA game on October 27, 2010. Griffin scored 20 points and had 14 rebounds, although the Clippers lost to the Portland Trail Blazers, 98-88.
Griffin quickly became known as a hard working player and a good dunker. He was chosen to be in the slam dunk contest during the 2011 NBA All-Star Weekend, and was also chosen to play in the 2011 NBA All-Star Game.
A hedge or hedgerow is a close-knit row of shrubs and sometimes tree species. They were usually planted and "trained" to form a barrier. They marked the boundary of an area, and so were a sign of possession.
Livestock farmers use them to prevent cattle straying out of fields. Animals which cannot usually be contained in fields (hill sheep for example) need a man and dog to look after them, which is an expense. Hedges were much more common before modern agriculture. Modern crop farming uses machines to gather the crop, and so hedges have all but disappeared in some areas.
When hedges are first laid, they are usually all of one species. But over hundreds of years, the number of species in a hedge gradually increases, and often includes fully-grown trees. There are many hedges in Europe which have been there for 500 or a thousand years.
Making hedges into ornaments is a skill called topiary. Sometimes, hedges are made into mazes.
Hedges are vitally important to small birds and mammals. In the modern world they play the role which thick forest undergrowth would have played in an ancient ecology. The nests in a hedge or thicket often cannot be got at by larger predators. Obviously tiny birds like robins or finches choose safe places to nest, and if they cannot, then their brood is unlikely to survive.
Karen Gillan
Karen Sheila Gillan (born 28 November 1987) is a Scottish actress, director, screenwriter and former model. She is best known for playing the part of Amy Pond in the British science fiction series, "Doctor Who".
Gillan was born and grew up in Inverness, Scotland. She learned to play the piano when she was seven. She started acting when she was very young. She joined several local youth theatre groups. She also acted at her school, Charleston Academy. When she was sixteen, Gillan went to Edinburgh's Telford College to study acting. Later, she studied at the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts drama school in London. Gillan moved to London when she was 18 to study at drama school.
Her cousin, Caitlin Blackwood, played the part of the young Amy Pond in at least three episodes of "Doctor Who".
Before Gillan started acting on television, she worked in a London pub. She had had left Italia Conti for a television programme, but was hired by a modelling agency.
Gillan worked as a model in London Fashion Week, in 2007. She worked for designer Allegra Hicks' show.
Gillan began acting on television doing small parts, on several drama series. Her first larger role was as a part of the ensemble cast of the sketch comedy series "The Kevin Bishop Show". She worked for the series for two years. On the programme, she played many different characters. She also played celebrities such as Katy Perry and Angelina Jolie. She was on Channel 4's 'Stacked'. She played the part of Ginny. Gillan also was on TV in a main part in a horror programme "The Well". It was broadcast as a series of short movies, on BBC Two. It was later shown on the internet.
Gillan was cast as Amy Pond on the British sci-fi series "Doctor Who" in May 2009. Her first episode as Amy Pond was shown on 3 April 2010. Gillan had been in "Doctor Who" once before in the 2008 episode "The Fires of Pompeii" as a different character.
Gillan also acts in theatre. She first role was as Shirley in John Osborne's play "Inadmissible Evidence" at the Donmar Warehouse on October 16th 2011.
At the 2011 San Diego Comic-Con, Gillan said she will be on "Doctor Who" for its seventh series. On 15 December 2011, it was said that Gillan and Arthur Darvill (Rory Williams) would only be on the early part of seventh series, in 2012.
After leaving "Doctor Who", Gillan has appeared in 2013 horror film "Oculus" and 2014 Marvel superhero science fiction film "Guardians of the Galaxy". Both of films received positive reviews from critics, while "Guardians of the Galaxy" became a critical and commercial success, grossing over $774 million worldwide. Also in 2014, she was cast as the main character in ABC's sitcom "Selfie".
In May 2015, it was announced that Gillan was cast in the Adam McKay-directed drama film "The Big Short" alongside Brad Pitt, Christian Bale, Ryan Gosling, Steve Carell and Melissa Leo. She directed her first short film, "Coward", which won several awards and screened at the 2015 Edinburgh Film Festival. Later that year, in September, Gillan was cast as one of the main characters, Annie, in the movie "The Circle" alongside Emma Watson, Tom Hanks and John Boyega. The film is directed and written by James Ponsoldt and is based on the novel written by Dave Eggers.
Cauchy distribution
In mathematics, the Cauchy-Lorentz distribution (after Augustin-Louis Cauchy and Hendrik Lorentz) is a continuous probability distribution with two parameters: a location parameter and a scale parameter. As a probability distribution, it is usually called a "Cauchy distribution". Physicists know it as a "Lorentz distribution".
When the location parameter is 0 and the scale parameter is 1, the probability density function of the Cauchy distribution reduces to formula_1. This is called the standard Cauchy distribution.
The Cauchy distribution is used in spectroscopy to describe the spectral lines found there, and to describe resonance. It is also often used in statistics as the canonical example of a "pathological" distribution, since both its mean and its variance are undefined. The look of a Cauchy distribution is similar to that of a normal distribution, though with longer "tails".
Joshua Abraham Norton, or Emperor Norton (1819? - 1880) was a man who declared himself Emperor of the United States and Protector of Mexico. He was born in London to John and Sarah Norton. but no one knows his actual birthday or what year he was born in.
Before he became emperor he was a citizen of San Francisco. Norton spent a lot of his early life in South Africa. Before he was emperor he made a living by being a businessman. He lost a lot of money by trying to control the rice market in San Francisco by buying all the rice he could find. This did not work because ships came with more rice.
Emperor Norton I died on January 8, 1880. The reason of his death is unknown. He collapsed on the corner of California and Grant on his way to a lecture. The next day, he had his funeral. During Emperor Norton’s funeral, a solar eclipse took place. The whole city came to his funeral, and all of them mourned. Emperor Norton is now buried at Woodlawn Cemetery. This is what his gravestone says:
NORTON I
EMPEROR
OF THE UNITED STATES
PROTECTOR OF MEXICO
JOSHUA A. NORTON
1816 - 1880
Writer Mark Twain based the character of The King in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn on Norton.
Gibbons v. Ogden
Quaesitosaurus
Quaesitosaurus (meaning "abnormal or extraordinary lizard") was a huge, long-necked, whip-tailed, plant-eating dinosaur that was found in the Gobi Desert in Mongolia. "Quaesitosaurus" may have been about 75 feet (23 m) long. This sauropod dinosaur lived during the late Cretaceous Period, roughly 85-80 million years ago. "Quaesitosaurus" may be the same as "Nemegtosaurus". This environment was semi-arid during the Mesozoic Era.
Torvosaurus
Torvosaurus was a large carnivorous dinosaur,
from the Upper Jurassic. It lived about 153 to 148 million years ago in what is now Colorado and Portugal.
"Torvosaurus", possibly the largest carnivore of its time, was a large, heavily-built, bipedal carnivore. It grew to 9 to 11 meters (30 to 36 ft) in length and an estimated weight of about 2 metric tons (2.2 tons). Its hands and arms were about average for its size. In proportion, "Allosaurus" had more powerful arms, and T. rex had tiny arms.
Studies suggest that the paleoenvironment of this part of the Morrison Formation had rivers flowing from the west into a basin with a giant, saline alkaline lake. There were extensive wetlands nearby. Fossils from the Dry Mesa Dinosaur Quarry of western Colorado show one of the most diverse Upper Jurassic vertebrate assemblages in the world. The Dry Mesa Quarry has produced the remains of the sauropods "Apatosaurus", "Diplodocus", "Barosaurus", "Supersaurus", "Dystylosaurus", "Camarasaurus", the iguanodontid "Camptosaurus", and the theropods "Allosaurus", "Ceratosaurus" and "Ornitholestes", as well as "Dryosaurus", and "Stegosaurus".
Life (BBC TV series)
Life is a 2009 British biology show made by the BBC with many parts. The shows include the animals' aspect of the environment, as well as some examples of how the environment needs what it does.
An episode is divided into "parts", examples of how different animal species must adhere to the environment.
Brassica oleracea
Brassica oleracea, or wild cabbage, is a species of "Brassica" native to coastal southern and western Europe.
Its tolerance of salt and lime, and its dislike of competition from other plants, restrict it to limestone sea cliffs, like the chalk cliffs on both sides of the English Channel.
"B. oleracea" is believed to have been cultivated for several thousand years. It has been bred into a wide range of cultivars, including cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, and more. Some of which are hardly recognisable as being members of the same genus, let alone species.
The plant is used because of its large food reserves, which are stored over the winter in its leaves. It is rich in essential nutrients including vitamin C.
The cultivars of "B. oleracea" are grouped into seven major cultivar groups, of which the Acephala Group remains most like the natural wild cabbage in appearance:
All are in the same species. However, artificial selection has brought about genetic differences between the groups.
In places such as the Channel Islands and Canary Islands where the frost is minimal, and plants can grow all year round, some cultivars can grow up to 3 meters tall. These "tree cabbages" yield fresh leaves throughout the year, and the plant is not destroyed as with a normal cabbage. Their woody stalks are sometimes dried and made into walking sticks.
Some (notably brussels sprouts and broccoli) contain high levels of sinigrin which may help prevent bowel cancer.
PlayStation Portable system software
The PlayStation Portable has firmware that can get an update. When one updates the firmware, the battery must be charged (to 3 bars, i.e. 60%), and the PSP should not be switched off. This may result in a brick and/or a constant startup BSOD or another screen "of death". As of August 10, 2011, the latest firmware is 6.60.
Sintering is a way of making solids objects from powder.
During sintering powder is heated just before it would melt. In this way, powder particles bind to each other and form a solid object.
Least concern
Least concern is a term used by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) to talk about living things that are not endangered. They do not need to be worried about because there are many of them found at the time of classification.
Here is a list of mammals that are least concern. They include:
Here is a list of birds that are least concern. They include:
French Communist Party
The French Communist Party (, PCF) is a French far left-wing political party. Founded in 1920, it had a large influence in the XXth century, especially after the Second World War, and is still important in the French political life, though it declined over years.
Its National Secretary is Pierre Laurent, since June 2010.
The French Communist Party was founded in 1920 after the Tours Congress of the French Section of the Worker's International (SFIO, today the Socialist Party), as the French Section of the Communist international (SFIC), by members who wanted to join the Third International. It took in 1921 the name of "Communist Party".
In 1936, it was a part of the Popular Front and supported its social reforms, but refused to participate in the government.
During the Second World War, the PCF became a clandestine organisation and organised a massive armed resistance against the Nazi occupation. At the Liberation, the party was the most important in France and had several ministers in the Provisional Government. However, its support to independentist movement in French Indochina and to strikes isolated it from other parties.
From the 1930s to the 1980s, the French Communist Party's line is close to the Soviet Union's. The collapse of the USSR in 1991 also affects the PCF, whose electoral support decreases rapidly.
At the French 2007 legislative election, the PCF gained 4.29% of the votes, one of its worst results. However, the Communist party is still one of the most important party in some regions of France (Seine-Saint-Denis, Nord...), where it has been historically strong.
In 2009, the PCF created the "Left Front" () with the Left Party, and ran as a part of this alliance in the 2009 European Parliament election and the 2009 Regional election, with some success.
Marcus Aurelius Antoninus (26 April 121 – 17 March 180) was Roman Emperor from 161 to 180. He ruled with Lucius Verus as co-emperor from 161 until Verus' death in 169.
He was the last of the Five Good Emperors, and is considered one of the most important Stoic philosophers.
Marcus Aurelius' work "Meditations", written in Greek while on campaign between 170 and 180, is still revered. It serves as an example of how Aurelius approached the Platonic ideal of a philosopher–king, and how he symbolized much of what was best about Roman civilization.
At the start of his reign, the Empire, under the joint rule of Marcus and Lucius Verus, defeated a revitalized Parthian Empire in a war from 161 to 166.
The unforeseen consequences for the Empire were great. The returning troops brought with them a plague (the so-called Antonine Plague), which may have been smallpox. It would eventually kill about 5 million people, and severely weaken the Empire.
Aurelius fought the German tribes during a long war from 166 to 180. The pressure from the Goths moving west pushed settled Germanic tribes into invading Roman client states in Gaul, and across the Danube.
The plague raging in the Empire limited Rome's ability to respond. The "Marcomanni" tribe entered Italy, which had not been invaded for nearly 200 years, and defeated the army of the Praetorian Prefect.
This disaster forced Marcus to collect forces from other frontiers, and move them against the "Marcomanni". The Roman army was commanded by Claudius Pompeianus, Marcus' son-in-law, with the future emperor Pertinax as one of his lieutenants. The invaders were thrown out of Italy, and Marcus began planning to cross the Danube into their territory.
Intense diplomatic activity followed, as the Romans tried to win over various barbarian tribes in preparation for a crossing of the Danube. A peace treaty was signed with some tribes, while others became Roman allies. In 172, Marcus defeated the "Marcommani", and in 173 their allies, the "Quadi", were defeated. It took until 174 for the "Quadi" to be subdued.
Marcus was now interrupted by a revolt in the east, led by the Roman general Avidius Cassius. He was suppressed by Marcus' army. Marcus then returned to Rome. A triumph was celebrated with his son Commodus.
In 177 the "Quadi" rebelled again, and the "Marcommani" joined them. Marcus arrived on the scene in August 178, and in due course the Romans won a decisive battle in what is now Slovakia. The emperor Marcus died in 180, still fighting the German tribes.
Victories were achieved in the next couple of years, sufficient for Commodus to claim credit with a triumph. The battles had been fought by his generals.
The war had exposed the weakness of Rome's northern frontier. From then on, half the Roman legions (16 out of 33) would be stationed along the Danube and the Rhine. For the Germanic tribes, although for the moment checked, the Marcomannic wars were only the prelude. Later invasions in the 4th and 5th centuries would eventually end the Western Roman Empire.
Aurelius married his first cousin Faustina the Younger in 145. During their 30-year marriage Faustina bore 13 children. Only one son and four daughters outlived their father:
Michael Howard (born Michael Hecht, 7 July 1941) is a British politician who was the Leader of the Conservative Party from November 2003 to December 2005. He was also a cabinet minister in both Margaret Thatcher's and John Major's governments. He was a Member of Parliament for the constituency of Folkestone and Hythe from 1983 to 2010. In 2010, he entered the House of Lords as Baron Howard of Lympne.
Michael Howard was born in Gorseinon, a town in Swansea, Wales. He is of Jewish descent. He studied Law at the University of Cambridge and became a Queen's Counsel in 1982. He then became a Member of Parliament at the 1983 General Election. His cabinet jobs included Secretary of State for Employment (1990-1992), Secretary of State for the Environment (1992-1993) and Home Secretary (1993-1997). When the Conservative Party lost the 1997 General Election, Michael Howard became a member of the shadow cabinets of William Hague and Iain Duncan Smith.
In 2003, the Leader of the Conservative Party Iain Duncan Smith was made to resign and Michael Howard was elected unopposed to become the Conservative Party leader. 'Unopposed' means that no-one other than Michael Howard was a candidate. Michael Howard was the Conservative candidate to become Prime Minister at the 2005 General Election. The Conservatives did not win the election, however they had 33 more seats in Parliament than they did before. Michael Howard resigned shortly after this and David Cameron replaced him as Conservative Party leader.
He was made a Companion of Honour in the 2011 Birthday Honours.
Skagit Valley
Timothy "Tim" Theodore Duncan (born April 25, 1976) is a former professional basketball player from the US Virgin Islands. He played the power forward and center for the San Antonio Spurs of the National Basketball Association (NBA) his entire 19 year career.
Duncan was a swimmer when he was young. In 1989, Hurricane Hugo destroyed the pool he used to practice swimming, and his mother died a year later. Duncan gave up on swimming after this and began playing basketball.
Duncan played college basketball for four years at Wake Forest University. After college, the San Antonio Spurs chose him with the first pick in the 1997 NBA Draft. Duncan helped the Spurs win NBA championships in 1999, 2003, 2005, 2007, and 2014. He was named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) in the NBA in 2002 and 2003. Duncan was a 15 time All-Star and received the title of NBA All-Star Game co-MVP in 2000. He won his 5th and final title of NBA in 2014, when he was 38. He retired after finishing his 19th season.
Spawn (biology)
Spawn is the eggs of some animals. Laying those eggs is called spawning. Animals that live in water, such as fish and amphibians, reproduce by spawning. When the spawn hatches, the young fish are called fry and the young amphibians are called tadpoles.
Sawbridgeworth
Sawbridgeworth is a small town in England. It is in Hertfordshire. This is between Harlow and Bishop's Stortford.
List of North American dinosaurs
This is a list of dinosaurs whose remains have been recovered from North America.