AcharyaChanakya/simple-wikipedia huggingface dataset:
An ecoregion (ecological region), sometimes called a bioregion, is the next smallest ecologically and geographically defined area beneath "realm" or "ecozone". Ecoregions cover relatively large area of land or water, and contain characteristic, geographically distinct natural communities and species. When defined by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), the boundaries of an ecoregion approximate the original extent of the natural communities prior to any major recent disruptions or changes. The WWF has identified 825 terrestrial ecoregions, and approximately 450 freshwater ecoregions across the Earth.
World Wide Fund for Nature's full definition of an ecoregion, which is widely accepted and used, is the following:
The "Global 200" is the list of ecoregions identified by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) as priorities for conservation.
A terrestrial ecoregion is a certain area of land which is different from the area near it. It has a distinct climate, geology, type of soil, water availability, and distinct living species (the animals and plants that live in the ecoregion).
For example, one ecoregion can be a desert. It would have sand, very little water, very hot temperatures during the day and very cold at night. The plants could be just bushes, small trees, cactii. The animals could be scorpions, little mammals, spiders.
Or for example, an ecoregion could be a tropical forest It would have warm temperatures all day, a lot of rainfall all year, a huge river crossing, and a very organic soil. The plants could be huge trees or ferns. The animals could be insects, birds, fish and apes.
Marine ecoregions are regions of the world's oceans, that are defined by the WWF, to help activities for saving marine ecosystems.
The scheme used to find out these ecoregions is more or less the same as that for terrestrial ecoregions. Major habitat types are identified: polar, temperate shelfs and seas, temperate upwelling, tropical upwelling, tropical coral, pelagic, abyssal, and hadal (ocean trench) — which correspond to the terrestrial biomes. Major biogeographic realms, analogous to the seven terrestrial ecozones, represent large regions of the ocean basins: North Temperate Atlantic, Eastern Tropical Atlantic, Western Tropical Atlantic, South Temperate Atlantic, North Temperate Indo-Pacific, Central Indo-Pacific, Eastern Indo-Pacific, Western Indo-Pacific, South Temperate Indo-Pacific, Southern Ocean, Antarctic, Arctic, and Mediterranean.
The classification of Marine ecoregions is not developed to the same level of detail and comprehensiveness as that of the terrestrial ecoregions; only the priority conservation areas of the Global 200 are listed.
See Global 200 Marine ecoregions for a full list of marine ecoregions (World Wide Fund for Nature).
Freshwater ecoregions are the freshwater habitats of a particular geographic area, including rivers, streams, lakes, and wetlands. Freshwater ecoregions are distinct from terrestrial ecoregions, which have biotic communities of the land, and marine ecoregions, which are biotic communities of the oceans.
The WWF speaks of seven major habitat types of freshwater ecoregions: Large rivers, large river headwaters, large river deltas, small rivers, large lakes, small lakes, and xeric basins.
Several freshwater ecoregions are listed in the Global 200, the WWF's priority ecoregions for conservation of biodiversity.
In physical geography, a wetland is an environment that combines the properties of land and water. Wetlands are a distinct kind of ecosystem.
The combination of wet and dry areas means that many more different kinds of plants, animals and insects may live in a wetland than compared to other types of habitat. Because of this great biodiversity, several important wetlands are among the Global 200 ecoregions that the World Wide Fund for Nature listed for conservation to try to get people to protect them. As well, Ramsar Convention is adopted in 1971 for protection of wetland.
In geography, a marsh is a type of wetland. It has grasses, rushes, reeds, typhas, sedges, and other herbaceous plants (possibly with low-growing woody plants) in a context of shallow water. A marsh is different from a swamp, which has a greater proportion of open water surface, which is generally deeper than a marsh. In the US, the term 'swamp' is used for wetland dominated by trees rather than grasses and low herbs.
The water of a marsh can be fresh, brackish or saline. Coastal marshes may be associated with estuaries and along waterways between coastal barrier islands and the inner coast. Estuarine marshes often are based on soils consisting of sandy bottoms or bay muds.
Marshes are critically important wildlife habitat, often serving as breeding grounds for a wide variety of animal life.
Ulan-Ude (Russian:Ула́н-Удэ́; Buryat: Улаан-Үдэ), formerly Verkhneudinsk (), the capital city of the Buryat Republic, Russia. The city is located about 100 km south-east of Lake Baikal. It sits at the foot of the Khamar-Daban and Khrebet Ulan-Burgasy mountain ranges, next to the confluence of the Selenga River and its tributary, the Uda. The city is divided into two parts by the Uda. Population 359,391 (2002 Census); 352,530 (1989 Census). It is the third largest city in East Siberia. It is served by Ulan-Ude Airport (Mukhino) as well as the smaller Ulan-Ude Vostochny Airport.
Ulan-Ude was founded in 1666 by the Russian Cossacks. Due to its geographical position, the city grew rapidly and became a large trade centre which connected Russia with China and Mongolia. There are old merchants' mansions richly decorated with wood and stone carving in the historical center of Ulan-Ude, along the river banks. They represent beautiful examples of Russian classicism. There is also a large and highly unusual head of Lenin in the central square.
Pelagic zone
The pelagic zone is the open sea or ocean that is not near the coast. The name comes from the Greek πέλαγος ("pélagos"), which might be translated as "open sea".
To make this clear, seas around continents have continental crust beneath them. They are shallow. Seas away from continents can be very deep, and do not have continental shelves beneath them.
The pelagic (or open ocean) zone is divided into a number of sub-zones:
The last three zones are similar in character, and some marine biologists count them as a single zone or consider the latter two to be the one zone. Some define the hadopelagic as waters below 6000 meters, whether in a trench or not.
Vitamin A is a vitamin, a group of organic chemicals including retinal and several carotenoids. The human body does not make these chemicals, and must take them from food. Egg yolks and liver are both rich in vitamin A. Many parts of the body need vitamin A. For example, vitamin A helps sight and is good for the immune system. It is also important for a growing embryo.
β-carotene, a provitamin found in foods like carrots can be converted to vitamin A. The efficiency of the conversion depends on genetics and fat consumption.
Too little vitamin A is dangerous to health. People who do not get enough of the vitamin may lose the ability to see in poor light and suffer from a weakened immune system. They may also have problems with memory, because vitamin A is important for the brain. People with malnutrition often have too little vitamin A. This is common in poor countries.
Too much vitamin A is also dangerous to one's health. It is a condition known as hypervitaminosis. Vitamin A is not soluble in water, and the human body can not get rid of the excess vitamin A easily by urination. Too much vitamin A can make someone very sick. People may get too much vitamin A from taking too many vitamin pills or from eating too much A-rich food like liver.
What applies to humans applies to all mammals at least. Some large predators, such as the big cats, seem not to eat their preys' livers. On the other hand, polar bears apparently do so, and they store vitamin A in their liver cells. However, they have long, sometimes very long, periods between kills. In contrast, African big cats kill about every three or four days, and they do seem to avoid eating the preys' livers.
Vitamin D is a hormone. It is a steroid which is made in the body under the right conditions. Its making by the body needs sunlight, which acts on the lower layers of the skin.
However, if the body does not make enough, it can be found from food sources in tiny amounts. In fact, many countries add it automatically to certain foods like milk. Supplements can be easily found in most developed countries.
Vitamin D is a fat-soluble nutrient. This means that any portion not used immediately is stored in fat tissue for future use.
As a hormone, Vitamin D does many things in the body. It was first discovered as the substance which could prevent and cure rickets. It controls the levels of calcium ions and phosphates in the blood, as well as calcium and magnesium absorption in the intestines. It helps bones grow and form. It is also good for the immune system.
In total, there are 5 different forms, D to D. The most common ones are D and D (see images).
D (also called cholecalciferol) is the kind produced by the body. It is also found naturally in marine oils and in lanolin (oil from sheep's wool), the most common source for supplements.
D (also called ergocalciferol) is produced by fungi. It is similar to D, but not exactly the same.
D is made in the skin from cholesterol, and changed into a more active form by the liver. However, the skin will not make it unless enough ultraviolet light shines on it. As sunlight contains ultraviolet light, getting enough sun is one way of getting enough D.
Many things can keep the skin from making enough D. Winter sunlight may be too weak. Melanin, which protects skin from damage, also keeps it from making D, which is why people with darker skin are more prone to deficiency. Older people are also prone, because aging skin makes less D, even with enough sunlight. Clothing, glass, sunscreens and sunblocks also shield the skin from getting enough ultraviolet light to make D.
It is hard to know how much supplemental Vitamin D, if any, is needed. Less than 25 micrograms (1000 IU) per day, but up to 100 mcg (4000 IU) per day is considered safe. A recent panel of Vitamin D researchers concluded that "at least" 20-25 mcg (800-1000 IU) per day would help most adults.
Few foods naturally contain much D. Fish do, especially oily ones, such as salmon, sardine and mackerel. Many kinds of edible mushrooms contain some D, like shiitake. Mushrooms grown in full sunlight tend to have more.
In ecology, a biome is a major regional group of distinctive plant and animal
communities best adapted to the region's physical natural environment,
latitude, elevation, and terrain.
A biome is made up of ecoregions or settlements at stable steady state and all associated transitional, disturbed, or degraded, vegetation, fauna and soils, but can often be identified by the climax vegetation type.
The biodiversity characteristic of each biome, especially the diversity of fauna and subdominant plant forms, is a function of abiotic factors and the biomass productivity of the dominant vegetation. Terrestrial biomes with higher net primary productivity, moisture availability, and temperature.
A fundamental classification of biomes is into:
Biomes are often given local names. For example, a temperate grassland or shrubland biome is known commonly as "steppe" in central Asia, "savanna" or veld in southern Africa, "prairie" in North America, "pampa" in South America and "outback" or "scrub" in Australia.
Sometimes an entire biome may be targeted for protection, especially under an individual nation's "Biodiversity Action Plan".
Climate is a major factor determining the distribution of terrestrial biomes. Among the important climatic factors are:
Biodiversity generally increases away from the poles towards the equator, and increases with humidity.
The most widely used systems of classifying biomes correspond to latitude (or temperature zoning) and humidity.
In 1975, Miklos Udvardy published a system of biogeographic provinces that were divided into 12 terrestrial biomes.
Robert G. Bailey developed a biogeographical classification system for the United States in a map published in 1975. Bailey subsequently expanded the system to include the rest of North America in 1981, and the world in 1989. The Bailey system is based on climate, and is divided into four domains (Polar, Humid Temperate, Dry, and Humid Tropical), with further divisions based on other climate characteristics (subarctic, warm temperate, hot temperate, and subtropical, marine and continental, lowland and mountain).
A team of biologists developed an ecological land classification system for the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) that identified 14 biomes, called major habitat types, and further divided the world's land area into 867 terrestrial ecoregions. This classification is used to define the Global 200 list of ecoregions identified by the (WWF) as priorities for conservation. The WWF major habitat types are as follows:
The Endolithic biome, consisting entirely of microscopic life in rock pores and cracks, kilometers beneath the surface, has only recently been discovered and does not fit well into most classification schemes.
Vitamin E (which is also called Tocopherol or Tocotrienol, E307, E308,E309) is a vitamin. There are eight forms of it, E to E. It can be found in vegetable oils. Very often it is also added to lotions and creams for the skin. It is supposed to help the healing of the skin, after burns and injuries, and lower the risk of heart disease and cancer.
Some research suggests that vitamin E has anti-aging benefits.
Vitamin K is a vitamin which is soluble in fat. It is probably best known for its role in the coagulation (clotting) of blood. However, it also serves other important functions in the body.
Vitamin K was discovered by a Danish chemist named Henrik Dam. He won the 1943 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for discovering its key role in the coagulation of blood. Since that time, Vitamin K's role in other physiologic functions has become known. One of the most important is its role in controlling where calcium goes in the body.
Without Vitamin K, there would be a loss of blood when a person bleeds, which can lead to unconsciousness or even death. Vitamin K can be found in green vegetables, such as spinach, lettuce, broccoli or cabbage.
B vitamins
The B vitamin complex (also called B vitamins) are a group of 8 vitamins. They have an important job in the metabolism of cells. Each B vitamin is a cofactor (a coenzyme) for some key metabolic processes or it is a precursor needed to make one.
Originally, people thought they were just different forms of one vitamin (as with Vitamin D, for example). Later it turned out that they are separate vitamins that often can be found together. They are Vitamin B1/Thiamine, Vitamin B2/Riboflavin, Vitamin B3/Vitamin P/Vitamin PP/Niacin,Vitamin B5/Pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6, Vitamin B7/Vitamin H/Biotin, Vitamin B9/Vitamin M/Vitamin B-c/Folic acid and Vitamin B12. They are required for growth, and proper functioning of nerves and muscles. B vitamins are found in meat, milk, whole grains and fresh vegetables.
Vitamin B deficiencies have been shown to cause the following symptoms:
Well-known medical syndromes caused by thiamine deficiency are beri-beri, Wernicke–Korsakoff syndrome (WKS), and optic neuropathy.
Subarctic climate
Places with a subarctic climate (also called boreal climate) have long, usually very cold winters, and short, warm summers. It is found on large landmasses, away from oceans, usually at latitudes from 50° to 70°N. Because there are no large landmasses at such latitudes in the Southern Hemisphere, it is only found at high "altitudes "(heights) in the Andes and the mountains of Australia and New Zealand's South Island. These climates are in groups "Dfc", "Dwc", "Dfd" and "Dwd" in the Köppen climate classification
This type of climate has very big changes in temperature throughout the year. In winter, temperatures can drop to -40 °C (also -40 °F) and in summer, the temperature may go above 30 °C (86 °F). But the summers are short, as there are no more than three months of the year with an average temperature of at least 10 °C (50 °F). However, at least one must have an average temperature of at least 10 °C (50 °F) . In addition, the coldest month must be below 0°C (32°F) The subarctic climate is in between the humid continental climate and the polar climate. The subarctic climate is found in the these places:
With 5–7 months in a row where the average temperature is below freezing, all water in the soil and subsoil freezes several feet deep. In the colder parts of this climate, summer warmth is not enough to "thaw" (unfreeze) more than a few feet on the top of the soil, so there can be "permafrost"(soil that is frozen forever). When the ice melts in the summer, 2 to 14 ft (0.6 to 4 m) of soil can thaw, depending on the latitude and the type of soil. Some subarctic climates near oceans (such as southern Alaska and the northern edge of Europe), have milder winters and no permafrost, so it is easier to farm there.
Summer is very short; it has about 45 to 100 days at most, and in a lot of places, the temperatures can go below freezing (32 °F or 0 °C) at any time of the year, even in the summer. Vegetation (plants) in a subarctic climate usually has low diversity (only a few different types of plants grow), because only "hardy" (very tough) species can survive the long winters and make use of the short summers. Trees are mostly evergreen conifers, because few "broadleaved" (big leaves) trees can survive the very low temperatures in winter. This type of forest is also known as taiga. The word "taiga" can also be a name for the climate itself. A lot of plants grow in the taiga (even if there are only a few different kinds of plants), so the taiga (boreal) forest is the largest forest biome on the planet, with most of the forests in Russia and Canada.
Is it usually very hard to farm in subarctic climates, because the soil is "infertile" (it doesn't have the nutrients that many plants need to grow) and because of the many swamps and lakes that ice sheets make, and only very tough crops can survive the short growing seasons. On the plus side, the days last longer in the summer as you get closer to the poles. So the plants that can grow get a lot of sunlight. Potatoes, strawberries, blueberries and hay for animals grow well. Special varieties of other plants may grow as well.
There is very little precipitation (rain, snow, sleet, or hail); no more than 15 to 20 inches over an entire year. Rain and snow may stay above ground until the ground melts. This means that when the precipitation does soak into the ground, it can be very wet and muddy.
Close to the Earth's poles and the water around the poles, the warmest month has an average temperature of less than 10 °C (50 °F), and the subarctic climate turns into a tundra climate, which is even worse for trees.
Here are some places with subarctic climates:
Some places in the climate group "Dfd" (a very, very cold subarctic climate) are:
ONS coding system
Michael Tippett
Sir Michael Kemp Tippett OM CH CBE (2 January 1905 – 8 January 1998) was an English composer. He is one of the greatest and most original composers of the 20th century. He did not start to study music seriously until he was nearly grown up, and only become famous when he was about 40. The rhythms in his music and the tonality are very original. He is remembered for many kinds of music: opera, oratorio, orchestral music, chamber music and piano music. His oratorio "A Child of our Time" is especially well-known and often performed by choirs.
Tippett was born in Eastcote, Middlesex and spent his childhood in a small village in Suffolk. His father had retired and had bought a hotel in Cannes, France. Michael and his brother learned to speak French when they were very young. He was sent to school in Edinburgh when he was 13 but did not like it there so he went to the local Stamford Grammar School in Lincolnshire.
The only musical training he had as a child were his piano lessons. When he had finished his school years he decided he wanted to be a composer, but neither he nor his parents knew the best way to become a composer. He started having more piano lessons. Then someone said he should go to the Royal College of Music. He went there at the beginning of the summer term, 1923 and spent five years there studying music. He then moved to Oxted in Surrey and for six years he taught French at a school. He composed in his free time.
In Oxted there was a small choir. Tippett had sung with them while he was a student. Now he became their conductor and he learned a lot about music by getting the choir to sing English madrigals and other music including operatic music. He took some more lessons in composition from R.O.Morris at the RCM. He went to music camps where he learned more ideas about politics than about music. He agreed with a lot of the ideas of Trotsky. He became a pacifist and in 1940 he registered as a conscientious objector. In 1943 he spent three months in prison because he refused to help with the war effort.
Meanwhile, Tippett had become director of music at Morley College. He made the choir there into one of the best choirs in England. He played a lot of music by Henry Purcell whose music was not as well known then as it is now. He also worked with young musicians who later became famous: the tenor Peter Pears, the countertenor Alfred Deller and the Amadeus String Quartet.
In 1951 he became a broadcaster with the BBC. Some of the talks he gave on the radio were published in his book "Moving into Aquarius". He continued a brilliant career as composer, conductor and broadcaster. He was director of the Bath Festival which he helped to improve a lot. He became internationally famous, especially in America. His "Symphony no 4" and his oratorio "Mask of Time" were written for performances in America. His last opera "New Year" was written jointly for the Houston Grand Opera, Glyndebourne and the BBC. He was made a CBE in 1959, knighted in 1966, made a Companion of Honour in 1979 and received an Order of Merit in 1983. He received many honours from universities.
Tippett died from pneumonia in London in 1998 after travelling to Stockholm for a festival which included all his works except his stage works. Although he was able to return home he died shortly afterwards.
It is unusual for a great musician to begin studying music properly at the age of 18. However, he was old enough to realize that he had a lot to learn. He studied counterpoint and was influenced by the way Classical composers had shaped their music. Beethoven especially was an inspiration for him. One of his best-known works is the "Concerto for Double String Orchestra" (1938-1939). It shows his love of folk music as well as interest in English music of the Renaissance. This music is exciting because of its beats, which keep changing, and its dance-like character.
"A Child of Our Time" was an oratorio which used negro spirituals. He combined these with his own style of music. It is about something that really happened in 1938. A 17-year-old Jewish Polish boy killed a Nazi diplomat because the Nazis had taken away his parents. The Nazis were angry and killed lots of Jews in return. It was something which helped to lead to the World War II. Tippett’s music is about the cruelty that humans show towards one another.
Tippett’s operas include "A Midsummer Marriage" (started 1946, first performed 1955), "King Priam" (1958-61), "The Knot Garden" (1966-69) and "The Ice Break" (1973-76) and "New Year" (1989). He wrote several choral works. His orchestral works include 4 symphonies, a "Fantasia concertante on a Theme of Corelli" for strings (1953), a "Piano Concerto" (1953-55) and a "Concerto for violin, viola and cello" (1979). His chamber music includes piano sonatas and string quartets.
Tippett published many of his writings. "Moving into Aquarius" consists of talks given on the BBC. In his autobiography "Those Twentieth Century Blues" he discusses many of his problems, including his homosexuality, which in his earlier years he could not talk about because it was illegal at that time.
Claw
A claw is a sharp object. It is found at the end of a toe or finger in many mammals, birds, and some reptiles. The word "claw" is also used in reference to an invertebrate. For example, the chelae of crabs and lobsters are often called claws or pincers.
A claw is made of hard protein called keratin. They are used by some meat eating mammals such as cats to catch and hold prey, but they may also be used for other things such as digging, climbing trees, and so on, in those and other species.
Similar appendages that are flat and do not come to a sharp point are called nails instead.
The correct name for an arthropod's 'claw' is chela (plural "chelae"). Legs that have a chela are called chelipeds. Chelae are also called pincers.
In tetrapods, claws are made of keratin and have two layers. The unguis is the outside hard layer, which has keratin fibers arranged perpendicular to the direction of growth and in layers at an angle. The subunguis is the soft, flaky layer, and the grain is parallel to the direction of growth. The claw grows outward from the nail matrix at the base of the unguis and the subunguis grows thicker while traveling across the nail bed. The unguis grows outward faster than the subunguis to make a curve and the thinner sides of the claw wear away faster than their thicker middle, making a more or less sharp point. Tetrapods use their claws in many ways, such as grasping or killing prey, digging, climbing, and hanging.
A talon is the claw of a bird of prey, which it uses to hunt. The talons are very important, and if they did not have them, those birds would not be able to catch their food.
A nail is similar to a claw but it is flatter and has a curved edge instead of a point. A nail that is big enough to hold weight is called a 'hoof'.
Every so often, the growth of claws stops and restarts, just like the growth of hair. In hair, this causes the hair to fall out and it is replaced by a new one. In claws, this results in an old layer, and it breaks off. This takes several months for human thumbnails. Cats are often seen working old layers off on wood or on boards made for the purpose. Ungulates' hooves trim themselves when they walk on the ground. Domesticated equids (horses, donkeys and mules) usually need regular trimming by a farrier.
Many predatory mammals have claws that can hide inside the animal's paw, especially animals such as the cat.
A primate's nail only has the unguis; the subunguis has disappeared. Similar to the tail, the claw in apes is not needed. However, in some primates, the subunguis has redeveloped to make a claw-like structure. These certain animals do not have actual claws; instead the unguis appears normal along with a thick growth of subunguis. Some lemurs have a toilet-claw.
Max and Moritz (German: Max und Moritz) are two naughty little boys in a story by Wilhelm Busch. The stories were written in 1865 and are still extremely popular in Germany.
Wilhelm Busch was an artist as well as a writer. He wrote a lot of stories in rhyme and made drawings to go with them. "Max and Moritz" are stories like these. The two boys get up to lots of naughty pranks. There are seven stories (seven pranks). In the final prank they are caught and come to a sad end. In the 19th century writers had to show that bad behaviour would be punished in the end. The seven stories are stories with a moral.
In the first story the boys tie pieces of bread onto pieces of string and put it down where an old woman, Widow Bolte, keeps her hens. The hens each try to swallow a piece of bread, which sticks in their throats and they end up hanging in the tree and die.
In the second story Widow Bolte, who is still crying, decides she might as well roast the hens. The boys take fishing rods, climb onto the roof and pull the frying chickens up with their rods. Widow Bolte finds the chickens gone, thinks her little dog has eaten them, and gives the poor dog a beating.
In the third story they take a saw and make a hole in the tiny wooden bridge outside the tailor’s house. They shout at the tailor, calling him names. He is furious and comes running out, the bridge breaks and he falls into the stream. Two flying geese save him. He has a terrible tummy ache but his wife puts a hot iron on his tummy and he feels better.
In the fourth story the boys put gunpowder in the pipe of the schoolmaster while he is in church. When he lights his pipe there is an explosion.
In the fifth story the boys collect beetles and put them under the mattress in their uncle’s bed. In the middle of the night, when the uncle is asleep, the beetles creep up on him. He wakes up and fights with them until he has killed them all.
In the sixth story the boys try to steal some pretzels (German rolls) from the bakery, but they fall into the tub of dough. The baker comes in and finds them. He bakes them in the oven, but when they are taken out they eat their way through the dough and escape.
In the seventh story the boys cut a hole in the farmer’s sacks. When the miller picks one of these sacks up he realizes the grain is spilling. He sees the boys, puts them in the sack and takes them to the mill, where the miller grinds them into corn and feeds them to his ducks.
Abstinence is a voluntary restraint from following a desire or appetite for certain bodily activities that are widely experienced as giving pleasure. Most frequently, the term refers to abstention from sexual intercourse, alcohol or food. Abstinence can be due to personal preferences, religious practices of practical considerations.
In medicine abstinence also refers to discontinuation of an addictive drug. This may lead to intense craving for the drug or withdrawal syndromes. Abstinence from smoking is also recommended for those intending to undergo surgery.
Abstinence may be a temporary or short term goal meant for short durations of time. This includes refraining from compulsive eating or from compulsive drinking. The time and the measure is voluntary and is thus meant to enhance life. This is different from psychological mechanism of repression where the abstinence is not willingly adopted.
In India, Buddhists, Jains, and some Hindus abstain from eating meat on the grounds both of health and of reverence for all sentient forms of life. Total abstinence from feeding on the flesh of cows is a hallmark of Hinduism.
Fasting, abstinence from food or drink or both for health, ritualistic, religious, or ethical purposes. The abstention may be complete or partial, lengthy, of short duration, or intermittent.
For Jewish people the principal day of fast is Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement.
Those who follows Islam the period of fasting lasts during the whole month of Ramadan. Each day of the month of Ramadan, people of the faith, fast without anything to eat or drink from dawn to dusk.
Hindus fast on several festivals sometimes going without food or water and sometimes living only on fruits and dairy products. Followers of Hinduism also observe certain days when they may abstain completely from eating meat, eggs or fish. This is called vegetarianism. Some faiths like Buddhism and Jainism may advocate complete vegetarianism.
Catholics and Orthodox Christians abstain from food and drink for an hour prior to taking Holy Communion, and abstain from meat on Ash Wednesday and during Lent.
Mormons abstain from certain foods and drinks by combining spiritual discipline. Mormons also fast one day a month and the money saved by skipping meals is donated to the needy.
Both Jews and Muslims abstain from pork in their regular diet. Hindus abstain from beef in their diet.
Sexual abstinence
Sexual abstinence is the practice of not having sex. It is a choice that some people make. As well as sex itself, they may also choose to abstain from other sexual activities. Sexual abstinence has been debated since ancient history, both in terms of same-sex and opposite-sex relationships. Some people take anaphrodisiacs to help them stay abstinent. Someone who decides to avoid sex is called a celibate or volcel.
Abstaining from sex before marriage is usually called chastity. In some countries, it is illegal to have sex before marriage. Many religious and ethical systems proscribe sexual activities between a person and anyone other than a spouse of that person, including most denominational variations of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, as have, historically, many legal systems and societal norms. People who are abstinent even though they do not want to be are sometimes called incels or TFL (true forced loneliness). One form of sexual abstinence is fapstinence, avoiding masturbation.
People may choose to do this for any reason. A common reason is because of the person's religious or philosophical beliefs. When done for religious reasons, it is called celibacy. Other people may choose abstinence in order to prevent pregnancy or sexually transmitted diseases. When someone is abstinent from sex but they don't want to be, its sometimes called "incel", short for "involuntary celibacy".
Council of Jerusalem
"Council of Jerusalem" is a common name for a meeting of early Christian leaders reported in the "Acts of the Apostles" chapter . The meeting must have happened about the year 50, at the latest some time before the death of James the Just in 62.
A common interpretation is that the council came together because there was disagreement within the Early Christian community between those who believed the church must observe the rules of traditional Judaism, and Paul of Tarsus, who believed there was no such necessity. The "rules of traditional Judaism," the Halakha of Rabbinic Judaism, were not finished at this time
The central issue was circumcision, as the author of "Acts" relates the initial confrontation in Antioch, where Paul had been preaching:
Ironing
Ironing means getting the creases out of clothes after they have been washed and dried. Ironing is done with a tool called an "iron". It is called an iron because in past centuries it was made of iron, a type of metal. The iron is heated before it is used. This used to be done by putting the iron on a fire. Nowadays electricity is used to warm the iron. The user can put water inside, which becomes steam.
Ironing clothes is usually easiest when the clothes are still very slightly damp, but it depends on the material of the clothes. There is normally a label on the clothes which shows whether it can be ironed, and at what temperature. Ironing is usually done with a padded ironing board. The clothes to be ironed are put on the ironing board and the iron is pushed carefully along the cloth to get all the wrinkles out.
Central European Time
Central European Time is a time zone. It is one hour ahead of Coordinated Universal Time (what used to be called Greenwich Mean Time). Most countries in the central part of Europe and some countries in Africa follow it.
In Europe, the countries of Ireland, Great Britain, Iceland and Portugal use Western European Time. All the other countries, up to Norway, Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia and North Macedonia use Central European Time.
Algeria and Tunisia in Africa use CET but do not observe daylight saving time.
Central European Summer Time
Central European Summer Time is the name for a time zone. Some of the countries that have Central European Time shift their clocks forward one hour, during the summer months. And shift it one hour backwards during winter months.
James the Just
James the Just, also called James Adelphotheos, James, 1st Bishop of Jerusalem, or James, the Brother of the Lord and sometimes identified with James the Less, (died AD 62) was an important figure in Early Christianity.
According to tradition, he was the first formal leader or bishop of Jerusalem, the author of the James in the New Testament, and the first of the Seventy of Luke 10:1-20. Paul of Tarsus in Galatians 2:9 (KJV) characterized James as such: "... James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars..." He is described in the New Testament as a "brother of Jesus" and in the Liturgy of St James as "the brother of God" ("Adelphotheos")
James was called "the Just" because of his ascetic practices, which involved taking Nazarite vows. The name also helps distinguish him from other important figures in early Christianity, such as James, son of Zebedee.
He is sometimes called "James Adelphotheos", (literally "James the Brother of God" - Greek : Iάκωβος ο Αδελφόθεος ), based on New Testament descriptions.
James' name was important in the genealogy of Jesus because he always appears first when someone lists Jesus' brothers and sisters, this means that James was the eldest brother of Jesus.
The canonical writings of the New Testament, as well as other written sources from the early church, provide some insights into Saint James' life and his role in the early church. The Synoptics mention his name, but nothing else about him, whereas the Gospel of John and early chapters of the Acts of the Apostles do not even mention James.
"Acts of the Apostles", in later chapters, provides evidence that James was an important figure in the Christian community of Jerusalem. When Peter, having miraculously escaped from prison, must flee Jerusalem, he asks that James be informed (12:17). When the Christians of Antioch are concerned over whether Gentile Christians need be circumcised to be saved, and they send Paul and Barnabas to confer with the Jerusalem church there, James played a prominent role in the formulation of the council's decision (15:13ff). Indeed, after Peter and Paul have made their case, it is James who finally delivers what he calls his "judgement"—the original sense is close to "my ruling"—and afterwards, all accept it. James, in other words, is shown in charge of the Jerusalem group, which conflicts with later claims of Peter's primacy there. And when Paul arrives in Jerusalem to deliver the money he raised for the faithful there, it is to James that he speaks, and who insists that Paul ritually cleanse himself at Herod's Temple to prove his faith and deny rumors of teaching rebellion against the Torah (21:18ff) (a charge of antinomianism).
Paul further describes James as being one of the persons the risen Christ showed himself to (1 Corinthians 15:3-8); then later in 1 Corinthians, mentions James in a way that suggests James had been married (9:5); and in Galatians, Paul lists James with Cephas (better known as Peter) and John, as the three "pillars" of the Church, and who will minister to the "circumcised" (in general Jews and Jewish Proselytes) in Jerusalem, while Paul and his fellows will minister to the "uncircumcised" (in general Gentiles). (2:9, 2:12). These terms (circumcised/uncircumcised) are generally interpreted to mean Jews and Greeks, who were predominant, however it is an oversimplification as 1st century Iudaea Province also had some Jews who no longer circumcised, and some Greeks (called Proselytes or Judaizers) and others such as Egyptians, Ethiopians, and Arabs who did.
Disciple (Christianity)
In Christianity, the disciples were the students of Jesus during his ministry, which sometimes means only the Twelve Apostles, but the gospels speaks of different numbers of disciples. In the Book of Acts, the Apostles themselves have disciples. The word "disciple" is used today as a way of self-identification for those who seek to learn from Christianity.
The term disciple comes from the Ancient Greek language word
coming to English by way of the Latin "discipulus". "Disciple" should not be confused with "apostle", meaning
"" While a disciple is one who learns from a teacher, a student, an apostle is sent to deliver those teachings to others.
Both the gospels of Mark () and Matthew () include passages where Jesus initially calls four fishermen from among those at the Sea of Galilee. These are Simon (later called "Rock" or Peter) and his brother Andrew, and the brothers James and John (later called the "Sons of Thunder" or Boanerges). A very similar report in the Gospel of Luke does not speak of Andrew. also includes an initial calling of disciples, but these are: an unnamed disciple, Andrew, Simon, Philip and Nathanael.
Since the Gospel of Luke does not include Andrew, and through various passages in the four gospels where Simon Peter, James and John are called to meet with Jesus separately from the twelve, they are commonly termed "the three." The usage of "the four" over "the three" is still a point which some Christians debate, but never as an essential doctrinal point.
Most of the attention in the gospels is given to a specific group of disciples called by Jesus on the top of a mountain and commissioned by him as the Twelve Apostles. These men are:
The Gospel of John refers to one disciple as the one whom Jesus loved. Since the apostle John, unlike the other twelve, is never named in that gospel, the "beloved disciple" is assumed to be him.
The number of or persons among Jesus' disciples is not always given in the gospel accounts. A much larger group of people is identified as disciples in the opening of the passage of the Sermon on the Plain that begins in Luke .
Additionally, seventy (or seventy-two, depending on the source used) people are sent out in pairs to prepare the way for Jesus (Luke 10). They are sometimes referred to as "the Seventy" or "the Seventy Disciples". They are to eat any food offered, heal the sick and spread the word; that God's reign is coming, that whoever hears them hears Jesus, whoever rejects them rejects Jesus and whoever rejects Jesus rejects the One who sent him. In addition they are granted great powers over the enemy and their names are written in heaven.
Cleopas is one of the two disciples to whom the risen Lord appeared at Emmaus (Luke 24:18). Cleopas, with an unnamed disciple of Jesus' are walking from Jerusalem to Emmaus on the day of Jesus' resurrection. Cleopas and his friend were discussing the events of the past few days when a stranger asked them what they spoke of. The stranger asked to join Cleopas and his friend for the evening meal. There the stranger revealed himself, after blessing and breaking the bread, as the resurrected Jesus and then disappeared. Cleopas and his friend hastened to Jerusalem to carry the news to the other disciples, where Jesus subsequently appeared to them as well. The incident is without parallel in Matthew, Mark, or John.
In Luke (10:38–42), Mary, sister of Lazarus is contrasted with her sister Martha, who was "cumbered about many things" while Jesus was their guest, while Mary had chosen "the better part," that of listening to the master's discourse. John names her as the "one who had anointed the Lord with perfumed oil and dried his feet with her hair" (11:2). In Luke, an unidentified "sinner" in the house of a Pharisee anoints Jesus' feet. Any pre-existing relationship between Jesus and Lazarus himself, prior to the miracle, is unspecified by John. In Catholic folklore, Mary, the sister of Lazarus, is seen as the same as Mary Madgalene.
Luke refers to a number of people accompanying Jesus and the twelve. From among them he names three women: "Mary, called Magdalene, ... and Joanna the wife of Herod's steward Chuza, and Susanna, and many others, who provided for them out of their resources" (Luke 8:2-3). Mary Magdalene and Joanna are among the women who went to prepare Jesus' body in Luke's account of the resurrection, and who later told the apostles and other disciples about the empty tomb and words of the "two men in dazzling clothes". Mary Magdalene is the most well-known of the disciples outside of the Twelve. More is written in the gospels about her than the other female followers. There is also a large body of lore and literature covering her.
Other gospel writers differ as to which women witness the crucifixion and witness to the resurrection. Mark includes Mary, the mother of James and Salome (not to be confused with Salomé the daughter of Herodias) at the crucifixion and Salome at the tomb. John includes Mary the wife of Clopas at the crucifixion.
Ahmed Jibril
Ahmed Jibril (born 1938) is the founder and co-leader of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command (PFLP-GC). He founded it in 1968. His son Jihad Ahmed Jibril was to take over, but was killed by a car bomb in Beirut in 2002.
Jihad Ahmed Jibril
Mohammed Jihad Ahmed Jibril (March 3, 1961 in Damascus - May 20, 2002 in Beirut) was the son of Ahmed Jibril, founder of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command (PFLP-GC). He was killed by a car bomb. He was assassinated on May 20, 2002.
Jihad Ahmed Jibril was the leader of the military wing of the PFLP-GC and was the heir apparent of the organization before he was killed in a car bombing in Beirut in 2002. The assassination was blamed on Israel, although Jibril had many other enemies, including the Lebanese Christian militia and other Palestinian nationalist organizations.
Ahmed Jibril was co-leader of the militant Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command. Israeli radio reports said that the son, Jihad Ahmed Jibril, was involved in smuggling arms and explosives to Palestinian militants in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
But there was no evidence to directly link him with terrorist attacks.
Ahmed Jibril accused the Israeli intelligence agency, Mossad, of responsibility for the killing, but a spokesman for Defense Minister Benjamin Ben-Eliezer said Israel was not involved.
In mid-June 2006, Lebanon authorities arrested a group of alleged spies who reportedly confessed to working for Israel and carrying out the attacks.
Topkapı Palace
The Topkapı Palace is a palace in Istanbul (Constantinople), Turkey. Topkapı Sarayı in Turkish means the "Cannongate Palace". It was built in 1465. The palace was the administrative center of the Ottoman Empire. It was turned into a museum at the request of Turkey's first President, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk in 1924. It was built on the acropolis, the site of the first settlement in Istanbul. The palace has an very good view of the Golden Horn, the Bosphorus and the Sea of Marmara. The palace is surrounded by 5km of walls. It has an area of 700,000 sq. m at the tip of the historical peninsula.
The First Court (or "Alay Meydanı") spans over the entire Seraglio Point and is surrounded by high walls. This court was also known as the Court of the Janissaries or the Parade Court.
The main gate is called Bab-ı Hümayun, simply the Imperial Gate. Apart from the Topkapı Palace, the First Court also contains the old imperial mint (constructed in 1727), the church of Hagia Eirene, the Archeology Museum (constructed during the 19th century) and various fountains, pavilions (for example, the Çinili Pavilion, or Tiled Pavilion) and gardens (including the Gülhane Park, the old imperial rose garden).
The Çinili Pavilion (1472) has many superb examples of Iznik tiles. It now houses the Museum of Islamic Art.
The Fountain of the Executioner is where the executioner washed his hands and sword after a beheading. The Fountain of Ahmed III is an example of Rococo work.
The huge Gate of Greeting ("Bab-üs Selam") leads into the palace and the Second Court ("Divan Meydanı").
The second court is a park surrounded by the palace hospital, bakery, Janissary quarters, stables, the imperial Harem and Divan to the north and the kitchens to the south. The kitchens today contain one of the world's largest collections of Chinese blue-and-white and celadon porcelain, valued by the sultans because it was supposed to change color if the food or drink it contained was poisoned.
The Divan Salonu, or Imperial Council Chamber, was where the sultan's counselors and functionaries met to discuss the empire's affairs. The Sultan could overhear from a concealed grille.
Beyond the Gate of Felicity ("Bab-üs Saadet") is the Third Court which is the heart of the palace, a lush garden surrounded by the Hall of the Privy Chamber ("Has Oda") occupied by the palace officials, the treasury (which contains some of the finest treasures of the Ottoman age, including the Sacred Trusts), the Harem and some pavilions, with the library of Ahmed III in the center.