title: Venkateswara Temple

text: Sri Venkateswara Brahmotsavams, a nine-day event, which is celebrated every year during month of October, is the major event of Venkateswara Temple. During brahmotsavams the processional deity Malayappa along with his consorts SriDevi and BhuDevi, is taken in a procession in four mada streets around the temple on different vahanams. Vahanams include Dwajarohanam, Pedda Sesha Vahanam, Chinna Sesha Vahanam, Hamsa Vahanam, Simha Vahanam, Muthaypu pandiri Vahanam, Kalpavriksha Vahanam, Sarva Bhoopala Vahanam, Mohini Avataram, Garuda Vahanam, Hanumantha Vahanam, Swarna Rathotsavam (Golden Chariot), Gajavahanam, Rathotsavam (Chariot), Ashwa Vahanam, and Chakra Snanam. During Brahmotsavams, the temple will witness lakhs of devotees particularly on Garuda vahanam. Vaikunta Ekadasi, the day on which it is believed that Vaikunta Dwarams will be opened and the most important Vasihnavite festival, is celebrated with grandeur in Tirumala. The Tirumala Venkateswara Temple will be flooded with devotees on a single day with numbers reaching up to 150,000, to have a darshan of Venkateswara through special entrance which encircles inner sanctum called "Vaikunta Dwaram". Rathasapthami is another festival, celebrated during February, when Venkateswara's processional deity (Malayappa) is taken in a procession around the temple on seven different vahanams starting from early morning to late night. The other annual festivals include Rama Navami, Janmashtami, Ugadi, Teppotsavam (Float Festival), Sri Padmavati Parinayotsavams, Pushpa yagam, Pushpa pallaki, Vasanthotsavam (spring festival) conducted in March–April, were celebrated with great splendor.


title: Venkateswara Temple

text: Venkateswara Suprabhatam is the first and pre-dawn seva performed to Venkateswara at Sayana Mandapam inside sanctum sanctorum of Tirumala Temple. 'Suprabhatam' is a Sanskrit term which literally means 'Good Morning' and is meant to wake up the Lord from His celestial sleep. Venkateswara Suprabhatam hymns were composed by Prathivadhi Bhayankaram Annangaracharya during 13th century and consists of 70 slokas in four parts including Suprabhatam(29), Stotram(11), Prapatti(14) and Mangalasasanam(16). The thirteenth sloka of Venkateswara Suprabhatam is as follows:


title: Venkateswara Temple

text: Tallapaka Annamacharya (Annamayya), the poet saint of 14th century, one of the greatest Telugu poets and a great devotee of Venkateswara, had sung 32000 songs in praise of Venkateswara. All his songs which are in Telugu and Sanskrit, are referred to as Sankirtanas and are classified as Sringara Sankirtanalu and Adhyatma Sankirtanalu.


title: Venkateswara Temple

text: The temple is located on seven hills. The presiding deity is also referred to as Sapthagirisha or Lord of Seven hills. It is believed that seven hills, also referred to as Saptagiri, represent the seven hoods of Adisesha. The seven hills are as follows:


title: Venkateswara Temple

text: There is a small shrine dedicated to Varadaraja located in Vimana-pradakshinam, towards left of Vendivakili (silver entrance) while entering temple. It is not known when this deity was installed. The stone deity is sitting posture facing west.


title: Venkateswara Temple

text: A shrine is dedicated to Narasimha in North-east corner of the Vimana-Pradakshina. The Yoga-Narasimha is seen sitting in cross-legged posture bound by yoga patta and holding Shankha and chakra in upper two hands and two lower hands in yoga mudra.


title: Venkateswara Temple

text: A small shrine dedicated to Garuda the vehicle of Venkateswara is situated exactly opposite to the Bangaruvakili (Golden Entrance) of Jaya-Vijaya. This sub-shrine is part of Garudamandapam. The Garuthmantha deity is six feet tall and faces west looking towards Venkateswara inside Garbhagriha.


title: Venkateswara Temple

text: Bhuvaraha Swamy Temple is the temple dedicated to Varaha an incarnation of Vishnu. This temple is believed to be older than Venkateswara Temple. The temple lies on the Northern Banks of Swami Pushkarini. As per tradition, at first Naivedyam will be offered to Bhuvaraha Swamy before offering it to Venkateswara in main Temple. And also as per tradition, devotees should have the darshan of Bhuvaraha swamy before Venkateswara.


title: Venkateswara Temple

text: Bedi-Anjaneya Temple is the sub-shrine dedicated to Hanuman. The temple lies exactly opposite to the Mahadwaram near Akhilandam (place where coconuts are offered). The deity in this temple has both of his hands handcuffed (Telugu Language:Bedilu).


title: Venkateswara Temple

text: Vakulamatha is the mother of Venkateswara. There is statue dedicated to her in the main temple just ahead of Varadaraja shrine. The deity is in sitting posture. As per legend, she supervises the preparation of food that is to be offered to her son. For this reason a hole is made to the wall which separates Vakulamatha sannidhi and Srivari potu(Kitchen).


title: Venkateswara Temple

text: There is a sub-shrine dedicated to Kubera within the Vimanapradakshina. The deity lies to the right side of Garbhagriha and faces south towards preciding deity.


title: Venkateswara Temple

text: The Shrine of Sri Ramanuja is located adjacent to the northern corridor of the Vimana Pradakshinam. It is also known as the Bhashyakara Sannidhi. The shrine was built around in the 13th century A.D.


title: Venkateswara Temple

text: Ramanuja (1017–1137) the most important Acharya of Sri Vaishnavism. was responsible for managing the worshipping procedures and other affairs of the Venkateswara temple. He is credited for gifting the holy conch and the discus, the weapons of Vishnu during his visit. So he is considered as 'Acharya'(Guru or teacher) to the himself. He established the Pedda Jeeyar Matam. He has a sannidhi(shrine) inside the temple which was built by Sri AnanthALwAn.


title: Venkateswara Temple

text: Sri Tallapaka Annamacharya (or Annamayya) (22 May 1408 – 4 April 1503) was the official songmaster of the Tirumala Venkateswara Temple, and a Telugu composer who composed around 36000 keertanas, many of which were in praise of Venkateswara, the presiding deity of the temple.


title: Venkateswara Temple

text: Hathiram Bhavaji was a saint from Ayodhya who visited Tirumala around 1500 CE on a pilgrimage and became a devotee of Venkateswara.


title: Venkateswara Temple

text: The temple is considered one of the eight "Swayambhu Kshetras" of Vishnu where presiding deity is believed to have manifested on its own. Seven other temples in the line are Srirangam Ranganathaswamy temple, Bhu Varaha Swamy temple, and Vanamamalai Perumal Temple in South India and Saligrama in Nepal, Naimisaranya, Pushkar and Badrinath Temple in North India.


title: Venkateswara Temple

text: The temple is revered by Alvars in "Divya Prabandham". The temple is classified as a "Divyadesam", one of the 108 Vishnu temples that are mentioned in these books. The benefits acquired by a pilgrimage to Venkatachala are mentioned in the Rig Veda and Asthadasa Puranas. In these epics, Venkateswara is described as the great bestower of boons. There are several legends associated with the manifestation of the at Tirumala.


title: Venkateswara Temple

text: There are many ancient temples nearby Tirumala. Sri Padamavathi Temple is temple dedicated to Padmavathi, the wife of Venkateswara, situated at Tiruchanur which is 5 km from Tirupati. Srikalahasteeswara Temple is the temple dedicated to Shiva which represents ""Vayu""(air) form of elements of Nature, is situated at Srikalahasti which is 38 km from Tirupati. Sri Varasiddhi Vinayaka Temple, situated at Kanipakam town, is a 10th-century Temple dedicated to Vinayaka at 75 km from Tirupati. Other than these, temples like Govindaraja Temple, Kalyana Venkateswara Temple(Srinivasa Mangapuram), Kodandarama Temple, Kapila Theertham are situated within the Tirupati city.


title: Maracanã Stadium

text: Maracanã Stadium (, ), officially named Estádio Jornalista Mário Filho (), is an association football stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The stadium is part of a complex that includes an arena known by the name of "Maracanãzinho", which means "The Little Maracanã" in Portuguese. Owned by the Rio de Janeiro state government, the stadium is now managed by the clubs Flamengo and Fluminense. It is located at the Maracanã neighborhood, named after the Rio Maracanã, a now canalized river in Rio de Janeiro.


title: Maracanã Stadium

text: The stadium was opened in 1950 to host the FIFA World Cup, in which Brazil was beaten 2–1 by Uruguay in the deciding game, in front of a still standing record attendance of 173,850 spectators, on 16 July 1950. The venue has seen attendances of 150,000 or more at 26 occasions, the last being on 29 May 1983, as 155,253 spectators watched Flamengo beat Santos, 3–0. The stadium has seen crowds of more than 100,000 284 times. But as terraced sections have been replaced with seats over time, and after the renovation for the 2014 FIFA World Cup, its original capacity has been reduced to the current 78,838, but it remains the largest stadium in Brazil and the second largest in South America after Estadio Monumental in Peru.


title: Maracanã Stadium

text: The stadium is mainly used for football matches between the major football clubs in Rio de Janeiro, including Flamengo, Fluminense, Botafogo, and Vasco da Gama. It has also hosted a number of concerts and other sporting events. It was the main venue of the 2007 Pan American Games, hosting the football tournament and the opening and closing ceremonies. The Maracanã was partially rebuilt in preparation for the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup, and the 2014 World Cup, for which it hosted several matches, including the final. It also served as the venue for the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2016 Summer Olympics and Paralympics, with the main track and field events taking place at the Estádio Olímpico.


title: Maracanã Stadium

text: The stadium was named in 1966 in honor of the recently deceased Mário Filho, a Pernambucan sports journalist, the brother of Nelson Rodrigues, who was a strong vocal supporter of the construction of the Maracanã.


title: Maracanã Stadium

text: The stadium's popular name is derived from the Maracanã River, whose point of origin is in the jungle-covered hills to the west, crossing various "bairros" (neighborhoods) of Rio's "Zona Norte" (North Zone), such as Tijuca and São Cristóvão, via a drainage canal which features sloping sides constructed of concrete. Upon flowing into the "Canal do Mangue", it empties into Guanabara Bay. The name ""Maracanã"" derives from the indigenous Tupi–Guarani word for a type of parrot which inhabited the region. The stadium construction was prior to the formation of the later Maracanã neighborhood, that was once part of Tijuca.


title: Maracanã Stadium

text: The stadium of Red Star Belgrade, the Red Star Stadium, is popularly called "Marakana" in honor of the Brazilian stadium.


title: Maracanã Stadium

text: In March 2021, the Rio de Janeiro state legislature voted to change the venue's name to the Edson Arantes do Nascimento - Rei Pele stadium. Edson Arantes do Nascimento is the 80-year-old's full name, while Rei means king in Portuguese. The Rio de Janeiro's state governor must approve the name change before it becomes official.


title: Maracanã Stadium

text: After winning the right to host the 1950 FIFA World Cup, the Brazilian government sought to build a new stadium for the tournament. The construction of Maracanã was criticized by Carlos Lacerda, then Congressman and political enemy of the mayor of the city, general Ângelo Mendes de Morais, for the expense and for the chosen location of the stadium, arguing that it should be built in the West Zone neighborhood of Jacarepaguá. At the time, a tennis stadium stood in the chosen area. Still it was supported by journalist Mário Filho, and Mendes de Morais was able to move the project forward. The competition for the design and construction was opened by the municipality of Rio de Janeiro in 1947, with the construction contract awarded to engineer Humberto Menescal, and the architectural contract awarded to seven Brazilian architects, Michael Feldman, Waldir Ramos, Raphael Galvão, Oscar Valdetaro, Orlando Azevedo, Pedro Paulo Bernardes Bastos, and Antônio Dias Carneiro.


title: Maracanã Stadium

text: The first cornerstone was laid at the site of the stadium on 2 August 1948. With the first World Cup game scheduled to be played on 24 June 1950, this left a little under two years to finish construction. However, work quickly fell behind schedule, prompting FIFA to send Dr. Ottorino Barassi, the head of the Italian FA, who had organized the 1934 World Cup, to help in Rio de Janeiro. A work force of 1,500 constructed the stadium, with an additional 2,000 working in the final months. Despite the stadium having come into use in 1950, the construction was only fully completed in 1965.


title: Maracanã Stadium

text: The opening match of the stadium took place on 16 June 1950. Rio de Janeiro All-Stars beat São Paulo All-Stars 3–1; Didi became the player to score the first ever goal at the stadium. While the major part of the stadium was finished, it still looked like a construction site; it lacked toilet facilities and a press box. Brazilian officials claimed it could seat over 200,000 people, while the Guinness Book of World Records estimated it could seat 180,000 and other sources pegged capacity at 155,000. What is beyond dispute is that Maracanã overtook Hampden Park as the largest stadium in the world. Despite the stadium's unfinished state, FIFA allowed matches to be played at the venue, and on 24 June 1950, the first World Cup match took place, with 81,000 spectators in attendance.


title: Maracanã Stadium

text: In that first match for which Maracanã had been built, Brazil beat Mexico with a final score 4–0, with Ademir becoming the first scorer of a competitive goal at the stadium with his 30th-minute strike. Ademir had two goals in total, plus one each from Baltasar and Jair. The match was refereed by Englishman George Reader. Five of Brazil's six games at the tournament were played at Maracanã (the exception being their 2–2 draw with Switzerland in São Paulo). Eventually, Brazil progressed to the final round, facing Uruguay in the match (part of a round-robin final phase) that turned out to be the tournament-deciding match on 16 July 1950. Brazil only needed a draw to finish as champion, but Uruguay won the game 2–1, shocking and silencing the massive crowd. This defeat on home soil instantly became a significant event in Brazilian history, being known popularly as the "Maracanazo". The official attendance of the final game was 199,854, with the actual attendance estimated to be about 210,000. In any case, it was the largest crowd ever to see a football game—a record that is highly unlikely to be threatened in an era when most international matches are played in all-seater stadiums. At the time of the World Cup, the stadium was mostly grandstands with no individual seats.


title: Maracanã Stadium

text: Since the World Cup in 1950, Maracanã Stadium has mainly been used for club games involving four major football clubs in Rio— Vasco, Botafogo, Flamengo and Fluminense. The stadium has also hosted numerous domestic football cup finals, most notably the Copa do Brasil and the Campeonato Carioca. On 21 March 1954, a new official attendance record was set in the game between Brazil and Paraguay, after 183,513 spectators entered the stadium with a ticket and 194,603 (177,656 p.) in Fla-Flu (1963). In 1963, stadium authorities replaced the square goal posts with round ones, but it was still two years before the stadium would be fully completed. In 1965, 17 years after construction began, the stadium was finally finished. In September 1966, upon the death of Mário Rodrigues Filho, the Brazilian journalist, columnist, sports figure, and prominent campaigner who was largely responsible for the stadium originally being built, the administrators of the stadium renamed the stadium after him: "Estádio Jornalista Mário Rodrigues Filho". However, the nickname of "Maracanã" has continued to be used as the common referent. In 1969, Pelé scored the 1,000th goal of his career at Maracanã, against CR Vasco da Gama in front of 65,157 spectators.


title: Maracanã Stadium

text: In 1989 the stadium hosted the games of the final round of the Copa America; in the same year, Zico scored his final goal for Flamengo at the Maracanã, taking his goal tally at the stadium to 333, a record that still stood as of 2021. An upper stand in the stadium collapsed on 19 July 1992, in the second game of the finals of 1992 Campeonato Brasileiro Série A, between Botafogo and Flamengo, leading to the death of three spectators and injuring 50 others. Following the disaster, the stadium's capacity was greatly reduced as it was converted to an all-seater stadium in the late 1990s. Meanwhile, the ground was classified as a national landmark in 1998, meaning that it could not be demolished. The stadium hosted the first ever FIFA Club World Cup final match between CR Vasco da Gama and Corinthians Paulista, which Corinthians won on penalties.


title: Maracanã Stadium

text: Following its 50th anniversary in 2000, the stadium underwent renovations which would increase its full capacity to around 103,000. After years of planning and nine months of closure between 2005 and 2006, the stadium was reopened in January 2007 with an all-seated capacity of 87,000.


title: Maracanã Stadium

text: For the 2014 World Cup and 2016 Olympics and Paralympics, a major reconstruction project was initiated in 2010. The original seating bowl, with a two-tier configuration, was demolished, giving way to a new one-tier seating bowl. The original stadium's roof in concrete was removed and replaced with a fiberglass tensioned membrane coated with polytetra-fluoroethylene. The new roof covers 95% of the seats inside the stadium, unlike the former design, where protection was only afforded to some seats in the upper ring and the bleachers above the gate access of each sector. The old boxes, which were installed at a level above the stands for the 2000 FIFA Club World Championship, were dismantled in the reconstruction process. The new seats are colored yellow, blue and white, which combined with the green of the match field, form the Brazilian national colors. In addition, the grayish tone has returned as the main façade color of the stadium.


title: Maracanã Stadium

text: On 30 May 2013, a friendly game between Brazil and England scheduled for 2 June was called off by a local judge because of safety concerns related to the stadium. The government of Rio de Janeiro appealed the decision and the game went ahead as originally planned, the final score being a 2–2 draw. This match marked the reopening of the new Maracanã.


title: Maracanã Stadium

text: On 12 June 2014, the 2014 FIFA World Cup opened with Brazil defeating Croatia, 3–1, but that match was held in São Paulo. The first game of the World Cup to be held in Maracanã was a 2–1 victory by Argentina over Bosnia-Herzegovina on Sunday, 15 June 2014. Host Brazil ended up never playing a match in the Maracanã during the tournament, as they failed to reach the final after being eliminated in the semi-finals 7-1 by Germany. In the final, Germany defeated Argentina 1–0 in extra time.


title: Maracanã Stadium

text: The stadium lay dormant in the months after the 2016 Olympics and Paralympics, with photos surfacing in early 2017 of a dried-up playing field covered in brown spots and missing turf, ripped-out seats, and damage to windows and doors. A debt of R$3 million (US$939,937) to the local energy company led to power being shut off at Maracanã. At the heart of the issue was a legal wrangling between the stadium's owner, operator, and the organizing committee for the Rio Olympics over responsibility for maintaining the grounds. Maracanã SA, the operator, charges that the Olympic committee did not return the venue in an acceptable condition, while the committee says the things that they needed to fix should not keep Maracanã from operating.


title: Maracanã Stadium

text: Within six months of the Olympics, daily tours of the stadium were halted due to vandalism at the stadium and violent robberies in the area. Items of value were looted from the stadium including fire extinguishers, televisions, and a bronze bust of journalist Mário Filho, for whom the stadium was named.


title: Maracanã Stadium

text: On 5 April 2017, the French group Lagardère signed an agreement to administer the Maracanã. In total, Lagardère will invest more than R$500 million by the end of the concession, won by Odebrecht in 2013 and valid until 2048. The "Folha de São Paulo" newspaper informed that the group estimates that it will need to spend about R$15 million on emergency repairs to the stadium. In 2013, the former managers of Odebrecht together with AEG and IMX, a company owned by Brazilian billionaire Eike Batista, won the bid to manage the stadium for 35 years. The company was associated with Brazilian building company OAS and the Amsterdam Arena. At the time, Lagardère was in second place in the bidding.


title: Maracanã Stadium

text: The famous vale tudo match between Japanese judoka Masahiko Kimura and Brazilian jiu-jitsu player Hélio Gracie was held at the Maracanã on 23 October 1951. At the time many in Brazil felt that Gracie was unbeatable in martial arts, and that Kimura would not be welcomed back to Japan if he lost the bout. Kimura won via technical submission after breaking Gracie's arm with a "gyaku-ude-garami" hold, which has since become known as a "Kimura lock" in BJJ and mixed martial arts.


title: Maracanã Stadium

text: On 10 July 2021, the stadium hosted the final of the 2021 Copa América, for the second consecutive time.


title: Hamilton (2020 film)

text: Hamilton is a 2020 American historical fiction musical drama film consisting of a live stage recording of the 2015 Broadway musical of the same name, which was inspired by the 2004 biography "Alexander Hamilton" by Ron Chernow. It was directed by Thomas Kail, and produced by Kail, Jeffrey Seller, and Lin-Manuel Miranda, the latter of whom wrote and composed the music. Miranda also stars as Treasury Secretary and Founding Father Alexander Hamilton, along with the musical's original principal Broadway cast, including Leslie Odom Jr., Phillipa Soo, Christopher Jackson, Renée Elise Goldsberry, Daveed Diggs, Anthony Ramos, Jasmine Cephas Jones, Okieriete Onaodowan, and Jonathan Groff.


title: Hamilton (2020 film)

text: Originally planned for theatrical release on October 15, 2021, "Hamilton" was instead released worldwide by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures to stream on Disney+ on July 3, 2020. Acclaimed by critics for its visuals, performances, and direction, it became one of the most-streamed films of 2020. The film was named as one of the best films of 2020 by the American Film Institute, and was nominated for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy and Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy (for Miranda) at the 78th Golden Globe Awards, while Daveed Diggs was nominated for Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Male Actor in a Limited Series or Television Movie. "Hamilton" was also nominated for twelve Primetime Emmy Awards, and won two, including Outstanding Variety Special.


title: Hamilton (2020 film)

text: Carleigh Bettiol, Ariana DeBose, Hope Easterbrook, Sasha Hutchings, Elizabeth Judd, Austin Smith, and Seth Stewart also appear as ensemble members.


title: Hamilton (2020 film)

text: The film is edited together from three performances of "Hamilton" at the Richard Rodgers Theatre in Midtown Manhattan in June 2016 with the original principal Broadway cast members, prior to the departure of Miranda, Leslie Odom Jr., Phillipa Soo, and Ariana DeBose from the production, combined with a few "setup shots" recorded without an audience present. These shots included numbers that were captured with the use of a Steadicam, crane and dolly. The footage, shot by RadicalMedia, was originally filmed to be spliced into the 2016 documentary "Hamilton's America". The film includes a one-minute intermission.


title: Hamilton (2020 film)

text: The film features the majority of the original Broadway cast, minus ensemble members Betsy Struxness and Emmy Raver-Lampman who left in March and April 2016 respectively – their roles are performed by Hope Easterbrook and Elizabeth Judd. Jonathan Groff, who departed the role of King George III in April and was replaced by Rory O'Malley, returned to the production to reprise his role for the film. He also provides, in character, the voice of the pre-show announcer at the beginning of the film, welcoming the audience to the show.


title: Hamilton (2020 film)

text: On February 3, 2020, it was announced that Walt Disney Studios had acquired the worldwide distribution rights for the film for $75 million. Disney successfully outbid multiple competitors, including Warner Bros. Pictures, 20th Century Fox, and Netflix, which had all expressed interest in the film rights. The deal, reportedly one of the most expensive film rights acquisitions, was negotiated by Walt Disney Pictures president Sean Bailey and placed into motion after Disney CEO Bob Iger approached the producers with personal interest in acquiring the film rights. The film is produced by Miranda, Jeffrey Seller, and Kail.


title: Hamilton (2020 film)

text: The film was originally scheduled for an October 15, 2021 theatrical wide release by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, but was later moved up to July 3, 2020, on Disney+, as announced by Disney and Miranda on May 12, 2020 in light of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the film industry and the performing arts, which shut down the Broadway, West End, and touring productions. This move was also done to get the film released in time for the Fourth of July weekend, on the 244th anniversary of the independence of the United States.


title: Hamilton (2020 film)

text: "Hamilton" received a PG-13 rating by the MPA for "language and some suggestive material". Two instances of the expletive "fuck" were censored to avoid an R rating; a third, partially unfinished one used in "Say No to This" is retained, making it the first film released by Walt Disney Pictures to feature the expletive. A fourth expletive, "motherfucker", used in "The Adams Administration" is also kept in, but is intentionally bleeped for comedic effect as part of the show and its cast album.


title: Hamilton (2020 film)

text: A behind-the-scenes documentary about the making of the film, entitled "Hamilton In-Depth with Kelley Carter", premiered on The Undefeated and Disney+ the same day as the film. It features journalist Kelley L. Carter hosting a roundtable discussion with Thomas Kail and members of the cast about the musical's origins, its significance in pop culture, and how its story and portrayal of historical events resonate with the modern-day discussions about social injustice and systemic racism.


title: Hamilton (2020 film)

text: On the weekend of the film's release, the Disney+ app was downloaded 266,084 times, a 72% increase from the past four weeks' total. TV analytics provider, Samba TV reported that 2.7 million U.S. households streamed the film in its first 10 days on Disney+. In August 2020, it was reported that a "staggering" 37.1% of subscribers (about 22 million) had watched the film over its first month (by comparison, the second-largest viewership portion on a platform was Netflix's "Unsolved Mysteries" with 13.7%). In November, "Variety" reported the film was the most watched straight-to-streaming title of 2020 up to that point. In December, research firm Screen Engine reported that "Hamilton" was the second-most watched straight-to-streaming title of 2020 behind HBO Max's "Wonder Woman 1984".


title: Hamilton (2020 film)

text: On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, "Hamilton" holds an approval rating of based on reviews, with an average rating of . The site's critics consensus reads: "Look around, look around at how beautifully "Hamilton" shines beyond Broadway – and at how marvelously Thomas Kail captures the stage show's infectious energy." On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 90 out of 100, based on 42 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".


title: Hamilton (2020 film)

text: Peter Debruge, in his review for "Variety", wrote: "For those fortunate enough to see "Hamilton" on stage, this will be a welcome reminder of being among the first to witness such a revolutionary piece of American theater. And if you couldn't get tickets at the time (some of which fetched more than the value of Cares Act stimulus payments), this 2 1/2-hour release represents an incredible equalizing moment". Justin Chang of the "Los Angeles Times" wrote "For those of us who have never seen the stage show, and have compensated by spending many happy hours with the soundtrack, it's a particular pleasure to be figuratively ushered into the live Richard Rodgers Theater audience, whose applause you often hear and whose presence you sometimes glimpse in passing. Unaltered from that initial staging, apart from some seamless editing (by Jonah Moran) and the silencing of a few family-unfriendly expletives, this filmed "Hamilton" is somehow both a four-year-old time capsule and a timely encounter with the present."


title: Hamilton (2020 film)

text: Rafer Guzmán of "Newsday" gave the film 3 stars out of 4, writing "Directed with a steady hand by Thomas Kail, "Hamilton" doesn't quite capture the electricity of a live performance, though mid-song laughs and cheers can occasionally be heard from the audience (there's also a one-minute intermission). "Hamilton" will surely return when Broadway does, but for now this document will serve nicely in its stead." David Ehrlich of "IndieWire" gave the film a grade of A− and said: "This is "Hamilton" as you always wanted to see it, and it always will be. And with Disney+ releasing it just in time for the Fourth of July, it doubles as a perfect reminder that America is only worth celebrating because of what it aspires to be — the version of it we see in our minds' eye, and not the one that's petrified on the pages of our history books."


title: Hamilton (2020 film)

text: David Rooney, in his review for "The Hollywood Reporter", praised Kail's directing by writing "The art of the filmed performance has evolved considerably since the days when a camera or two were plonked down at the rim of the stage and the show unfolded as a static theatrical facsimile. Since staging Hamilton, director Thomas Kail has been sharpening his skills on television work like "" — still by far the best of the recent spate of live TV musicals — and "Fosse/Verdon", a striking hybrid of theatrical performance and conventional narrative."


title: Hamilton (2020 film)

text: A. O. Scott of "The New York Times" named the film a "Critic's Pick", praising the timeliness of its release stating "One lesson that the past few years should have taught — or reconfirmed — is that there aren’t any good old days. [...] This four-year-old performance of "'Hamilton",' viewed without nostalgia, feels more vital, more challenging than ever."


title: Hamilton (2020 film)

text: Following its release and acclaim, there was speculation on whether "Hamilton" would be eligible for Academy Awards consideration. Major publications pointed to previous instances of Academy Award-nominated films featuring stage recordings, such as "Othello" (1965) and "Give ‘em Hell, Harry" (1975), suggesting the possibility of recognition for "Hamilton". However, on July 6, 2020, the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences disqualified "Hamilton" for the 93rd Academy Awards, citing a rule implemented in 1997 that "Recorded stage productions are not eligible for consideration." Disney included "Hamilton" in its awards consideration campaign and reportedly submitted the film to every organization and award guild, regardless of apparent eligibility. Unlike the Academy, other major organizations that present film awards—such as the Golden Globe Awards and the Screen Actors Guild Awards—have no specific restrictions against filmed theater, and thus recognized the film.


title: Type 56 assault rifle

text: The Type 56 (; literally; "Assault Rifle, Model of 1956") is a Chinese 7.62×39mm rifle. It is a variant of the Soviet-designed AK-47 (specifically Type 3) and AKM rifles. The Type 56 rifle was designated by the Chinese military as "Type 1956 Sub-Machinegun", because the Type 56 took the role of SMG rather than infantry service rifle in the PLA in the rifle's early service years. Production started in 1956 at State Factory 66 but was eventually handed over to Norinco and PolyTech, who continue to manufacture the rifle primarily for export.


title: Type 56 assault rifle

text: During the Cold War period, the Type-56 was exported to many countries and guerrilla forces throughout the world. Many of these rifles found their way to battlefields in Africa, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East and were used alongside other Kalashnikov pattern weapons from both the Soviet Union as well as the Warsaw Pact nations of Eastern Europe.


title: Type 56 assault rifle

text: Chinese support for the Democratic Republic of Vietnam before the mid-1960s meant that the Type-56 was frequently encountered by American soldiers in the hands of either Vietcong guerrillas or PAVN soldiers during the Vietnam war. The Type-56 was discovered far more often than the original Russian-made AK-47s or AKMs.


title: Type 56 assault rifle

text: When relations between China and North Vietnam crumbled in the 1970s and the Sino-Vietnamese War began, the Vietnamese government still possessed vast quantities of Type-56 rifles in its inventory. The People's Liberation Army still used the Type 56 as its standard weapon during this time as well. Thus, Chinese and Vietnamese forces fought each other using the same rifle.


title: Type 56 assault rifle

text: The Type 56 was used extensively by Iranian forces during the Iran–Iraq War of the 1980s, with Iran purchasing large quantities of weapons from China for its armed forces. During the war, Iraq also purchased a small quantity, despite them being a major recipient of Soviet weapons and assistance during the conflict. This was done in conjunction with their purchasing of a large number of AKMs from Eastern Europe. Consequently, the Iran–Iraq War became another conflict in which both sides utilized the Type 56.


title: Type 56 assault rifle

text: Since the end of the Cold War, the Type-56 has been used in many conflicts by various military forces. During the Croatian War of Independence and the Yugoslav Wars, it was used by the armed forces of Croatia. During the late 1990s, the Kosovo Liberation Army in Kosovo were also major users of the Type 56, with the vast majority of the weapons originating from People's Socialist Republic of Albania, which received Chinese support during much of the Cold War.


title: Type 56 assault rifle

text: In the United Kingdom and United States, the Type-56 and its derivatives are frequently used in the filming of movies and television shows, standing in for Russian-made AK-47s due to their rarity among Kalashnikov style weapons. Type-56s are oftentimes visually modified to resemble other AK variants. In addition, versions of the Type-56 that have had their select fire ability removed (referred to as "sporter" rifles) are also available for civilian ownership in most parts of the United States.


title: Type 56 assault rifle

text: In the mid-1980s, Sri Lanka began to replace their British L1A1 Self-Loading Rifle (SLR) and German HK G3s with the Type 56-2. Currently, the side-folding stock variant (Type 56-2) issued as the standard primary firearm.


title: Type 56 assault rifle

text: The Type 81, Type 95 and Type 03 replaced the Type 56 in PLA front line service, but the Type 56 remains in use with reserve and militia units. Type 56s are still in production by Norinco for export customers.


title: Type 56 assault rifle

text: During the Soviet–Afghan War in the 1980s, many Chinese Type 56 rifles were supplied to Afghan Mujahideen guerrillas to fight Soviet forces. The rifles were supplied by China, Pakistan and the US who obtained them from third party arms dealers. There is photographic evidence from Soviet/Russian sources where captured Chinese Type 56 rifles were utilized by Soviet Army soldiers in Afghanistan in lieu with their standard-issue Soviet AKM and AK-74 rifles.


title: Type 56 assault rifle

text: Use of the Type 56 in Afghanistan also continued well into the early 21st century as the standard rifle of the Taliban such as when Taliban forces seized control of Kabul in 1996 (a majority of the Chinese small arms used by the Taliban were provided by Pakistan).


title: Type 56 assault rifle

text: Since the overthrow of the Taliban by U.S.-led Coalition forces in late 2001, the Type-56 assault rifle has been utilized by the Afghan National Army, serving alongside many other AK-47 and AKM variant rifles.


title: Type 56 assault rifle

text: The Type-56 has been regularly seen in the hands of militants from the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas in the Palestinian territories.


title: Type 56 assault rifle

text: The Type-56 has been used by the Janjaweed in the Darfur region of Sudan with pictures and news footage showing members of the Janjaweed carrying the rifles (most of them provided by the Sudanese government).


title: Type 56 assault rifle

text: In 1987, Michael Ryan used a legally owned Type-56 rifle, and two other firearms, in the Hungerford massacre in the United Kingdom, in which he shot 32 people, 17 of whom died. The attack led to the passage of Firearms (Amendment) Act 1988, which bans ownership of semi-automatic centre-fire rifles and restricts the use of shotguns.


title: Type 56 assault rifle

text: In the United States, a Type-56 rifle, purchased in Oregon under a false name, was used in the 1989 Stockton schoolyard shooting in which Patrick Purdy fired over 100 rounds to shoot one teacher and 34 children, killing five. The shooting led to the passage of California's Roberti-Roos Assault Weapons Control Act of 1989. A Type 56, along with a Type 56 S-1, were used by Larry Phillips, Jr. and Emil Mătăsăreanu during the 1997 North Hollywood shootout.


title: Type 56 assault rifle

text: In the ongoing Syrian Civil War, Type-56 assault rifles are typically seen in the hands of Free Syrian Army forces.


title: Type 56 assault rifle

text: Originally, the Type-56 was a direct copy of the AK-47's final iteration, the Type 3 AK-47, and featured a milled receiver, Starting in the mid-1960s, the guns were manufactured with stamped receivers much like the Soviet AKM. Visually, most versions of the Type 56 are distinguished from the AK-47 and AKM by the fully enclosed hooded front sight (all other AK pattern rifles, including those made in Russia, have a partially open front sight). Many versions also feature a folding bayonet attached to the barrel just aft of the muzzle. There are three different types of bayonets made for Type 56 rifles. The first Type-56s were near-identical copies of the Soviet milled AK-47. There is some speculation that the Chinese had to reverse engineer a copy of the AKM with the stamped receiver as they were not given a licence to produce the AKM and RPK by the Soviets because of failing relations after the Sino-Soviet split.


title: Type 56 assault rifle

text: The "Type 56" designation was also used for Chinese versions of the SKS and of the RPD, known as the Type 56 carbine and Type 56 light machine gun respectively. However, unlike the popular Type 56 rifle, all Type 56 carbines have been removed from military service, except a few used for ceremonial purposes and by local Chinese militia.


title: Christina Crawford

text: Christina Crawford is an American author and actress, best known for her 1978 memoir and exposé, "Mommie Dearest", which described her abusive relationship with her adoptive mother, film star Joan Crawford.


title: Christina Crawford

text: Christina Crawford was born in Los Angeles, California, to an unmarried teen. According to her personal interview with Larry King, her father was married to another woman and supposedly in the Navy. Crawford was adopted from a baby broker in Nevada because Joan was formally denied an adoption by social services for being an unfit candidate in California in 1940.


title: Christina Crawford

text: Christina was one of five children adopted by Joan. Her siblings were Christopher, adopted in 1943, and twin girls Catherine (Cathy) and Cynthia (Cindy) — adopted in 1947. In 1942, another boy, who also had the name Christopher, had been adopted by Joan Crawford, but was reclaimed by his birth mother.


title: Christina Crawford

text: After graduating from Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy, she moved from California to Pittsburgh to attend Carnegie Mellon School of Drama and then to New York City, where she studied at the Neighborhood Playhouse in Manhattan. After seven years, she gained a Bachelor of Arts degree from UCLA. After 14 years as an actress, Crawford returned to college, graduating magna cum laude from UCLA and receiving her master's degree from the Annenberg School of Communication at USC. Then she worked in corporate communications at the Los Angeles headquarters of Getty Oil Company.


title: Christina Crawford

text: Crawford appeared in summer stock theatre, including a production of "Splendor in the Grass". She also acted in a number of Off-Broadway productions, including "In Color on Sundays" (1958). She also appeared in "At Christmas Time" (1959) and "Dark of the Moon" (1959) at the Fred Miller Theater in Milwaukee, and "The Moon Is Blue" (1960).


title: Christina Crawford

text: In 1960, due to her mother's career in film, Crawford was given a supporting role in the crime drama film "Force of Impulse", which was released in 1961. Also in 1961, Crawford was assigned a small role in the musical "Wild in the Country", a film starring Elvis Presley. That year, she made a guest appearance on Dean Miller's NBC celebrity interview program "Here's Hollywood", promoting the films.


title: Christina Crawford

text: In 1962, she appeared in the play "The Complaisant Lover". She played five character parts in Ben Hecht's controversial play "Winkelberg". The same year, she appeared on the CBS courtroom drama "The Verdict is Yours". In October 1965, she appeared in Neil Simon's "Barefoot in the Park", with Myrna Loy, a friend of her mother, before being fired. She was considered a capable actress, but difficult to work with in the industry, described as 'stubborn' by Loy who stated in her autobiography "Being and Becoming" that "We didn't have any problems in "Barefoot in the Park" until she appeared. The idea of Joan's daughter playing the role delighted me until I discovered how recalcitrant this child was...I've never known anyone like her, ever. Her stubbornness was really unbelievable. She would not do a single thing anyone told her to do." She also had a small role in "Faces" (1968), a romantic drama directed by John Cassavetes.


title: Christina Crawford

text: Crawford played Joan Borman Kane on the soap opera "The Secret Storm" in New York from 1968 until 1969. While Crawford was in the hospital recovering from an emergency surgery in October 1968, Joan asked to "fill in" for Christina. She did so without mentioning it to her daughter, "holding the role" for her for four episodes so that the part would not be recast during her absence. Viewership increased 40% during this replacement time, much to Christina's chagrin. Eventually let go from the series, Crawford insisted it was due to her mother's appearance. The producers, however, said that Joan was gracious, professional and brought huge ratings, and that Christina's character and her storyline had simply run its course.


title: Christina Crawford

text: In the early 1970's, Crawford also was given guest appearances on other TV programs, including "Medical Center", "Marcus Welby, M.D.", "Matt Lincoln", "Ironside" and "The Sixth Sense".


title: Christina Crawford

text: After Joan Crawford died in 1977, Crawford and her brother, Christopher, discovered that their mother had disinherited them from her $2 million estate, her will citing "reasons which are well-known to them." Though being estranged from (and no longer financially supported by) their famous mother for years, in November 1977, Crawford and her brother sued Joan Crawford's estate to invalidate their mother's will, which she signed on October 28, 1976. Cathy LaLonde, another Crawford daughter, and her husband, Jerome, the complaint charged, "took deliberate advantage of decedent's seclusion and weakened and distorted mental and physical condition to insinuate themselves" into Joan's favor. A settlement between the parties was reached on July 13, 1979, which provided Crawford and Christopher a combined $55,000 from their mother's estate.


title: Christina Crawford

text: In 1978, Crawford's book "Mommie Dearest" was released. The book accused her mother of being a cruel, violent, neglectful, and deceitful narcissistic fraud who adopted her children only for wealth and fame after she had been labeled "box office poison" following her firing from MGM studios. In 1981, a movie adaptation of the book was released, starring Faye Dunaway as Joan Crawford, Mara Hobel (Mara Boyd) as very young Christina, and Diana Scarwid as adult Christina Crawford. The film was both a critical and financial failure and garnered five Golden Raspberry Awards, including worst picture.


title: Christina Crawford

text: Christina had no involvement with the making of the film, and has categorically denounced the film as "grotesque" and a work of fiction. Christina has repeatedly stated that the film is highly inaccurate, and that the portrayal of her mother in the film is nothing like the real Joan Crawford, specifically citing that her mother never chopped down a tree with an axe, or beat her with a wire hanger as depicted in the film.


title: Christina Crawford

text: Christina Crawford has published five subsequent books, including ""Survivor", "Black Widow," "No Safe Place," "Daughters of The Inquisition," and "Scammed.""


title: Christina Crawford

text: After a stroke in 1981, she spent five years in rehabilitation before moving to the Northwest. She ran a bed and breakfast called Seven Springs Farms in Tensed, Idaho, between 1994 and 1999. She formed Seven Springs Press in 1998 to self-publish the 20th-anniversary edition of "Mommie Dearest" in paperback from the original manuscript and included new material about the years after her graduation from high school.


title: Christina Crawford

text: On July 20, 1998, one of Joan Crawford's other adopted children, Cathy Crawford LaLonde, filed a lawsuit against Christina Crawford for "defamation of character." LaLonde stated in her lawsuit that during the 20th anniversary book tour of "Mommie Dearest", Christina publicly claimed to interviewers that LaLonde and her twin sister, Cynthia, were not biological sisters, and that their adoption was never legal. Lalonde stated neither claim by Christina was true, and attached copies of the twin girls' birth certificates and adoption documentation to the lawsuit. The lawsuit was later settled out of court for $5,000 plus court costs.


title: Christina Crawford

text: In 2000, Crawford began working as entertainment manager at the Coeur d'Alene Casino in Idaho, where she worked until 2007. She then wrote and produced a regional TV series, "Northwest Entertainment". On November 22, 2009, she was appointed county commissioner in Benewah County, Idaho, by Governor Butch Otter, but she lost her bid for election in November 2010. In 2011, Crawford founded the non-profit Benewah Human Rights Coalition and served as the organization's first president. In 2013, she made a documentary, "Surviving Mommie Dearest".


title: Christina Crawford

text: On November 21, 2017, the e-book editions of "Mommie Dearest", "Survivor", and "Daughters of the Inquisition" were published through Open Road Integrated Media. She is also currently working with composer David Nehls on a stage musical adaptation of "Mommie Dearest", to be produced in regional theater. Crawford is currently writing the third book in her memoir trilogy, following "Mommie Dearest" and "Survivor".


title: Christina Crawford

text: Crawford met Harvey Medlinsky, a director and Broadway stage manager, while she was appearing in the Chicago national company of "Barefoot in the Park". They were married briefly in the late 1960s. She met her second husband, commercial producer David Koontz, while she was working on a car commercial. They divorced after ten years of marriage.


title: Baclofen

text: Baclofen, sold under the brand name Lioresal among others, is a medication used to treat muscle spasticity such as from a spinal cord injury or multiple sclerosis. It may also be used for hiccups and muscle spasms near the end of life. It is taken by mouth or by delivery into the spinal canal.


title: Baclofen

text: Common side effects include sleepiness, weakness, and dizziness. Serious side effects may occur if baclofen is rapidly stopped including seizures and rhabdomyolysis. Use in pregnancy is of unclear safety while use during breastfeeding is probably safe. It is believed to work by decreasing levels of certain neurotransmitters.


title: Baclofen

text: Baclofen was approved for medical use in the United States in 1977. It is available as a generic medication. In 2020, it was the 108th most commonly prescribed medication in the United States, with more than 6million prescriptions.


title: Baclofen

text: Baclofen is primarily used for the treatment of spastic movement disorders, especially in instances of spinal cord injury, cerebral palsy, and multiple sclerosis. Its use in people with stroke or Parkinson's disease is not recommended. Baclofen has also been used for the treatment of alcohol use disorder but evidence as of a systematic review conducted in 2018 shows that the evidence of its use as a first line intervention remains uncertain.


title: Baclofen

text: Adverse effects include drowsiness, dizziness, weakness, fatigue, headache, trouble sleeping, nausea and vomiting, urinary retention, or constipation.


title: Baclofen

text: Discontinuation of baclofen can be associated with a withdrawal syndrome which resembles benzodiazepine withdrawal and alcohol withdrawal. Withdrawal symptoms are more likely if baclofen is administered intrathecally or for long periods of time (more than a couple of months) and can occur from low or high doses. The severity of baclofen withdrawal depends on the rate at which it is discontinued. Thus to minimise withdrawal symptoms, the dose should be tapered down slowly when discontinuing baclofen therapy. Abrupt withdrawal is more likely to result in severe withdrawal symptoms. Acute withdrawal symptoms can be eased or completely reversed by re-initiating therapy with baclofen.


title: Baclofen

text: Withdrawal symptoms may include auditory hallucinations, visual hallucinations, tactile hallucinations, delusions, confusion, agitation, delirium, disorientation, fluctuation of consciousness, insomnia, dizziness, nausea, inattention, memory impairments, perceptual disturbances, itching, anxiety, depersonalization, hypertonia, hyperthermia (higher than normal temperature without infection), formal thought disorder, psychosis, mania, mood disturbances, restlessness, and behavioral disturbances, tachycardia, seizures, tremors, autonomic dysfunction, hyperpyrexia (fever), extreme muscle rigidity resembling neuroleptic malignant syndrome and rebound spasticity.


title: Baclofen

text: Baclofen, at standard dosing, does not appear to possess addictive properties, and has not been associated with any degree of drug craving. Euphoria is however listed as a common to very common side-effect of baclofen in the BNF 75 There are very few cases of abuse of baclofen for reasons other than attempted suicide. In contrast to baclofen, another GABA receptor agonist, γ-hydroxybutyric acid (GHB), has been associated with euphoria, abuse, and addiction. These effects are likely mediated not by activation of the GABA receptor, but rather by activation of the GHB receptor. Baclofen possesses both sedative and anxiolytic properties.


title: Baclofen

text: Reports of overdose indicate that baclofen may cause symptoms including vomiting, general weakness, sedation, respiratory insufficiency, seizures, unusual pupil size, dizziness, headaches, itching, hypothermia, bradycardia, hypertension, hyporeflexia and coma sometimes mimicking brain death.


title: Baclofen

text: Chemically, baclofen is a derivative of the neurotransmitter γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA). It is believed to work by activating (or agonizing) GABA receptors, specifically the GABA receptors. Its beneficial effects in spasticity result from its actions in the brain and spinal cord.


title: Baclofen

text: Baclofen produces its effects by activating the GABA receptor, similar to the drug phenibut which also activates this receptor and shares some of its effects. Baclofen is postulated to block mono-and-polysynaptic reflexes by acting as an inhibitory ligand, inhibiting the release of excitatory neurotransmitters. However, baclofen does not have significant affinity for the GHB receptor, and has no known abuse potential. The modulation of the GABA receptor is what produces baclofen's range of therapeutic properties.


title: Baclofen

text: Similarly to phenibut (β-phenyl-GABA), as well as pregabalin (β-isobutyl-GABA), which are close analogues of baclofen, baclofen (β-(4-chlorophenyl)-GABA) has been found to block αδ subunit-containing voltage-gated calcium channels (VGCCs). However, it is weaker relative to phenibut in this action (K = 23 and 39 μM for "R"- and "S"-phenibut and 156 μM for baclofen). Moreover, baclofen is in the range of 100-fold more potent by weight as an agonist of the GABA receptor in comparison to phenibut, and in accordance, is used at far lower relative dosages. As such, the actions of baclofen on αδ subunit-containing VGCCs are likely not clinically relevant.


title: Baclofen

text: The drug is rapidly absorbed after oral administration and is widely distributed throughout the body. Biotransformation is low: the drug is predominantly excreted unchanged by the kidneys. The half-life of baclofen is roughly 2–4 hours; it therefore needs to be administered frequently throughout the day to control spasticity appropriately.


title: Baclofen

text: Baclofen is a white (or off-white) mostly odorless crystalline powder, with a molecular weight of 213.66 g/mol. It is slightly soluble in water, very slightly soluble in methanol, and insoluble in chloroform.


title: Baclofen

text: Historically, baclofen was designed as a drug for treating epilepsy. It was first made at Ciba-Geigy, by the Swiss chemist Heinrich Keberle, in 1962. Its effect on epilepsy was disappointing, but it was found that in certain people, spasticity decreased.


title: Baclofen

text: Currently, baclofen continues to be given by mouth, with variable effects. In severely affected children, the oral dose is so high that side-effects appear, and the treatment loses its benefit. How and when baclofen came to be used in the spinal sac (intrathecally) remains unclear, but , this has become an established method of treating spasticity in many conditions.


title: Baclofen

text: In his 2008 book, "Le Dernier Verre" (translated literally as "The Last Glass" or "The End of my Addiction"), French-American cardiologist Olivier Ameisen described how he treated his alcoholism with baclofen. Inspired by this book, an anonymous donor gave $750,000 to the University of Amsterdam in the Netherlands to initiate a clinical trial of high-dose baclofen, which Ameisen had called for since 2004. The trial concluded, "In summary, the current study did not find evidence of a positive effect of either low or high doses of baclofen in AD patients. However, we cannot exclude the possibility that baclofen is an effective medication for the treatment of severe, heavy drinking AD patients not responding to or not accepting routine psychosocial interventions."


title: Baclofen

text: Baclofen can be administered transdermally as part of a pain-relieving and muscle-relaxing topical cream mix at a compounding pharmacy, orally or "intrathecally" (directly into the cerebral spinal fluid) using a pump implanted under the skin.


title: Baclofen

text: Intrathecal pumps offer much lower doses of baclofen because they are designed to deliver the medication directly to the spinal fluid rather than going through the digestive and blood system first. They are often preferred in spasticity patients such as those with spastic diplegia, as very little of the oral dose actually reaches the spinal fluid. Besides those with spasticity, intrathecal administration is also used in patients with multiple sclerosis who have severe painful spasms which are not controllable by oral baclofen. With pump administration, a test dose is first injected into the spinal fluid to assess the effect, and if successful in relieving spasticity, a chronic intrathecal catheter is inserted from the spine through the abdomen and attached to the pump which is implanted under the abdomen's skin, usually by the ribcage. The pump is computer-controlled for automatic dosage and its reservoir can be replenished by percutaneous injection. The pump also has to be replaced every five years or so when the battery is changed.


title: Baclofen

text: Synonyms include chlorophenibut. Brand names include Beklo, Baclodol, Flexibac, Gablofen, Kemstro, Liofen, Lioresal, Lyflex, Clofen, Muslofen, Bacloren, Baklofen, Sclerofen, Pacifen and others.


title: Baclofen

text: Baclofen is being studied for the treatment of alcoholism. Evidence as of 2019 is not conclusive enough to recommend its use for this purpose. In 2014, the French drug agency ANSM issued a 3-year temporary recommendation allowing the use of baclofen in alcoholism. In 2018, baclofen received a Marketing Authorization for use in alcoholism treatment from the agency if all other treatments are not effective.


title: Baclofen

text: It is being studied along with naltrexone and sorbitol for Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT), a hereditary disease that causes peripheral neuropathy. It is also being studied for cocaine addiction. Baclofen and other muscle relaxants are being studied for potential use for persistent hiccups.


title: Baclofen

text: From 2014 to 2017 baclofen misuse, toxicity and use in suicide attempts among adults in the US increased.


title: Foodpanda

text: Foodpanda (stylized as foodpanda) is an online food and grocery delivery platform owned by Berlin-based Delivery Hero. Foodpanda operates as the lead brand for Delivery Hero in Asia, with its headquarters in Singapore. It is currently the largest food and grocery delivery platform in Asia, outside of China, operating in 12 markets across Asia.


title: Foodpanda

text: In 2012, Swiss Lukas Nagel and Rico Wyder established Foodpanda in Singapore, before expanding to Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Thailand.


title: Foodpanda

text: A year later in 2013, Foodpanda was launched in Bangladesh and Romania. With more than 20,000 employees operating in their company, Foodpanda became the largest food delivery service in Bangladesh.


title: Foodpanda

text: In 2014, the service expanded into the Balkans, Brunei, as well as the Philippines. In February 2014, Foodpanda acquired Eat Oye, a rival company in Pakistan. Global expansion of the Foodpanda business was led by Ralf Wenzel, Felix Plog and Ben Bauer.


title: Foodpanda

text: In 2015, co-founder Rohit Chadda stepped down from the company. By 2016, none of the original managing directors or co-founders remained with the company. Its operations in Indonesia also shut down due to competition from flourishing app-based taxi-motorbike services, while the company sold its Delivery Club business in Russia to Mail.Ru for $100 million in November 2016.


title: Foodpanda

text: Foodpanda's largest investor Rocket Internet sold the company to Delivery Hero in December 2016. On 1 November 2017, Foodpanda re-branded and changed its brand colour from orange to pink with an updated logo across all served countries, following its acquisition by Delivery Hero.


title: Foodpanda

text: From 2019 to 2020, Foodpanda began operating in other markets in Southeast Asia, launching in Thailand, Myanmar, Cambodia, and Laos. Foodpanda was also launched in Japan in September 2020.


title: Foodpanda

text: In May 2021, Foodpanda's brand was acquired by Glovo in Bulgaria and Romania. In September 2021, Delivery Hero unified its subsidiary brand NetPincér with Foodpanda in Hungary, with NetPincér rebranding as Foodpanda. In December 2021, Foodpanda stopped its food delivery services in all cities of Germany, leaving only an R&D hub in Berlin.


title: Foodpanda

text: Since 2021, Foodpanda has partnered with home chefs through an initiative called "Home Chefs". The initiative began in Pakistan after the company noticed that there are a lot of female home chefs looking for side income, but it has since scaled to Bangladesh and Malaysia. The initiative is also seen as a source of income for chefs who do not have the capital to set up shop, but have the ability to cook and provide food from their own kitchens. The initiative currently supports 8,000 to 9,000 home chefs, and Foodpanda plans to grow the initiative to support up to 100,000 home chefs.


title: Foodpanda

text: In early 2022, Foodpanda announced its new mascot called "Pau-Pau", an anthropomorphic panda that cares about empowerment and environment. The new mascot will be rolled out across all of Asia.


title: Foodpanda

text: In early 2015, the company made an all-stock purchase of TastyKhana.in, and the portal Just Eat India. Towards the end of 2015, the company laid off around 300 employees in India. During that time, there was allegedly malpractice at Foodpanda India, including non-payments to restaurants and fake listings. The company was based in Gurgaon at the time and was operating in approximately 200 cities. By 2016, Rocket India was seeking a buyer for the company, proposing relatively low prices such as $10 to $15 million.


title: Foodpanda

text: Foodpanda's business in India was acquired by Ola through an all-share deal on 11 December 2017, at a valuation of $40 to $50 million. Ola said it would invest around $200 million in additional funds into Foodpanda. The company began offering discounts to increase usage, and at its peak, in August 2018, it had around 200,000 daily orders. That dropped to around 5,000 daily orders by mid-2019. Ola suspended Foodpanda India's food delivery business in the middle of 2019 and fired most of its food delivery executives. The Foodpanda brand was said to continue with in-house brands or cloud kitchens. The cloud kitchen concept was adopted by the company after it acquired the company Holachef in October 2018. In 2019, however, it only had three private label brands under its cloud kitchen business, including FLRT and Great Khichdi Experiment.


title: Foodpanda

text: Foodpanda processes and sends orders to partnering restaurants, and commissions riders to deliver the food to the customers. The service is available via its websites and mobile applications.


title: Foodpanda

text: Foodpanda connects customers with restaurants that offer food delivery in their vicinity. Customers can browse the menus of available restaurants, send in food orders, and make payment after providing an address to deliver to. An SMS is sent to confirm the customers' orders and indicate the estimated delivery time.


title: Foodpanda

text: Foodpanda also has a review section on restaurant pages, where customers can comment on sales process, delivery, taste, and overall impression of the partnering restaurants.


title: Foodpanda

text: Foodpanda raised $20 million in initial funding from Investment AB Kinnevik, Phenomen Ventures and Rocket Internet in April 2013. In September 2013, iMENA Holdings invested $8 million. In February 2014, there was another funding round of $20 million from a group of investors, including Phenomen Ventures.


title: Foodpanda

text: On 11 August 2014, the company announced that it has collected another $60 million in financing from a group of investors.


title: Foodpanda

text: In March 2015, the company announced it has raised over $110 million from Rocket Internet, as well as other investors. Less than two months later, a group of investors, including Goldman Sachs, invested over $100 million in Foodpanda.


title: Foodpanda

text: In August 2020, Thai pro-democracy protesters launched a boycott against Foodpanda after it was identified as an advertiser on Nation TV, a pro-establishment mouthpiece. The boycott forced the company to suspend all of its advertisements on the channel amid concerns for its reputation.


title: Foodpanda

text: In July 2021, the company suffered another widespread boycott in Thailand after it tweeted that it would dismiss one of its drivers who was seen at the place where a royal portrait was set on fire during a pro-democracy protest on 18July, saying his act breached its policy against "terrorism". It was reported that around two million users in Thailand deleted their accounts on the Foodpanda application overnight. Many restaurants also joined the boycott, announcing their withdrawal from their partnerships with Foodpanda. The company later apologised, stating that it supports free speech and would not dismiss the driver.


title: Foodpanda

text: In July 2021, the company experienced protests in the Philippines over alleged unfair wage policies for its riders. Shortly before the protests started, at least 30 of its riders were reportedly suspended for 10 years. The company apologised for the suspensions, claiming that the occurrence was caused by technical glitches in the riders' software.


title: Foodpanda

text: In October 2021, the company in Malaysia received backlash after several of its vendors claimed that the service charges them excessively high commission rates as well as other hidden fees. Some vendors terminated their accounts with the service after a revelation of more than 70 screenshots of Facebook posts and pictures of invoices from Foodpanda vendors who claimed that they were being charged a hidden fee which resulted in a zero return on sales.


title: Foodpanda

text: In November 2021, some Foodpanda workers in Hong Kong went on strike, denouncing exaggerated monthly income promises and other problems.


title: Xhosa people

text: The Xhosa people, or Xhosa-speaking people (; ) are a Nguni ethnic group whose traditional homeland is primarily the Cape Provinces of South Africa. They are the second largest racial group in Southern Africa and are native speakers of the IsiXhosa language.


title: Xhosa people

text: Presently, approximately eight million Xhosa people are distributed across the country, and the Xhosa language is South Africa's second-most-populous home language, after the Zulu. The pre-1994 apartheid system of Bantustans suspended the Xhosa South African citizenship, but assigned them to have self-governing "homelands" (native reserves), namely; Transkei and Ciskei, now both a part of the Eastern Cape Province where most Xhosa remain. Many Xhosa live in Cape Town ( in Xhosa), East London (), and Port Elizabeth ().


title: Xhosa people

text: , the majority of Xhosa speakers, approximately 5.3 million, lived in the Eastern Cape, followed by the Western Cape (approximately 2 million), Gauteng (671,045), the Free State (246,192), KwaZulu-Natal (219,826), North West (214,461), Mpumalanga (46,553), the Northern Cape (51,228), and Limpopo (14,225).


title: Xhosa people

text: There is a small but significant Xhosa speaking (Mfengu) community in Zimbabwe, and their language, isiXhosa, is recognised as a national language. This community is based on a diaspora that moved up from the Cape in South Africa upon the setting up of Rhodesia with Cecil Rhodes.


title: Xhosa people

text: Some archaeological evidence has been discovered that suggests that Xhosa-speaking people have lived in the Cape area since at least the 7th century AD. The modern Xhosa are a blend of ancient Bantu agro-pastoralists (farmers & pastoralists), Khoi pastoralists & San hunter-gatherers.


title: Xhosa people

text: The Xhosa people are partial descendants of ǀXam hunter-gatherers, Khoi pastoralists as well as partial descendants of the ancestors of Ngunis who in ancient times migrated from North Africa to Africa's Great Lakes Region, eventually settling in Southern Africa. Xhosa oral history also mentions a historical settlement called 'Eluhlangeni' believed to have been in East Africa in which the Ngunis lived in for some time before continuing with their migration.


title: Xhosa people

text: Upon crossing mountains and rivers in South Africa, these farm-working agro-pastoralists brought their cattle and goats with them and absorbed the weaker San groups in the region. They also brought weapons, notably their assegais and their shields and would form groups or chiefdoms and kingdoms mainly in what is now the Eastern Cape.


title: Xhosa people

text: According to oral tradition, the modern Xhosa Kingdom was founded somewhere before the 15th century by Tshawe (whom the royal clan of the Xhosas is named after) who overthrew his brother Cirha (assisted by his brother Jwarha) with the help of the clan of the amaMpondomise Kingdom. Tshawe and his army then incorporated formerly independent Nguni clans into the Xhosa Kingdom. Also Khoikhoi tribes were incorporated, these include the Inqua, the Giqwa and the (both khoi and sotho origin).


title: Xhosa people

text: Formerly independent clans (many of khoi origin) and chiefdoms in the region became tributary to the and spoke isiXhosa as their main language.


title: Xhosa people

text: Xhosa identity became political, rather than narrow ethnic, and anyone who accepted the House of Tshawe as rulers became Xhosa.


title: Xhosa people

text: The Xhosa polity achieved political ascendancy over most of the Cape Khoi extending to the very fringes of the Cape Peninsula.


title: Xhosa people

text: With the settlement of the Cape by Europeans in 1652, the native populations were gradually pushed eastwards, until, in the 1700s, the borders of the Cape Colony had pushed populations far enough east (with relations between colonist and native significantly broken down) to create a critical mass of hostile population to resist the colonists in the Eastern Cape. This sparked off the Cape frontier wars, which represent some of the longest military resistance to colonialism.


title: Xhosa people

text: The historical end-result would be the containment of large portions of the Cape native population into native reserves in the Easternmost part of the Cape. However these populations would also continually serve as the labour inside the Cape Colony. These native reserves would be re-branded "homelands" in the 20th century and would only be fully dismantled in 1994 with populations moving back into the wider Cape.


title: Xhosa people

text: In the 19th century, the Xhosas fought and repulsed many tribes that were escaping the Zulus in Natal, this was during the historical mfecane. Those who were accepted were assimilated into the Xhosa cultural way of life and followed Xhosa traditions. The Xhosas called these various tribes AmaMfengu, meaning wanderers, and were made up of clans such as the , , , and Rhadebe. To this day, the descendants of the amaMfengu are part of the Xhosa people and they speak isiXhosa and practice the Xhosa culture .


title: Xhosa people

text: Xhosa unity and ability to fight off colonial encroachment was to be weakened by the famines and political divisions that followed the cattle-killing movement of 1856–1858. Historians now view this movement as a millennialist response, both directly to a lung disease spreading among Xhosa cattle at the time, and less directly to the stress to Xhosa society caused by the continuing loss of their territory and autonomy.


title: Xhosa people

text: Some historians argue that this early absorption into the wage economy is the ultimate origin of the long history of trade union membership and political leadership among Xhosa people. That history manifests itself today in high degrees of Xhosa representation in the leadership of the African National Congress (ANC), South Africa's ruling political party in the government.


title: Xhosa people

text: Xhosa is an agglutinative tonal language categorized under Bantu linguistic classification. While the Xhosas call their language "isiXhosa", it is usually referred to as "Xhosa" in English. Written Xhosa uses a Latin alphabet–based system. Xhosa is spoken by about 18% of the South African population, and has some mutual intelligibility with Zulu, especially Zulu spoken in urban areas. Many Xhosa speakers, particularly those living in urban areas, also speak Zulu and/or Afrikaans and/or English.


title: Xhosa people

text: Traditional healers of South Africa include diviners ('). This job is mostly taken by women, who spend five years in apprenticeship. There are also herbalists ('), prophets ('), and healers (') for the community.


title: Xhosa people

text: The Xhosas have a strong oral tradition with many stories of ancestral heroes; according to tradition, the leader from whose name the Xhosa people take their name was the first King of the nation. One of Xhosa's descendants named Phalo gave birth to two sons, Gcaleka kaPhalo, the heir, and Rarabe ka Phalo, a son from the Right Hand house. Rarabe was a great warrior and a man of great ability who was much loved by his father. Gcaleka was a meek and listless man who did not possess all the qualities befitting of a future king. Matters were also complicated by Gcaleka's initiation as a diviner, which was a forbidden practice for members of the royal family.


title: Xhosa people

text: Seeing the popularity of his brother and fearing that he might one day challenge him for the throne, Gcaleka attempted to usurp the throne from his father, but Rarabe would come to his father's aid and quell the insurrection. With the blessing of his father, who provided him retinue and also accompanied him; Rarabe would leave the great place and settle in the Amathole Mountains region. There, he destroyed the weaker Khoikhoi tribes and killed Hinsati of the and bought the land. He would then rule over the various Xhosa clans there and the Right Hand House of the Xhosa Kingdom was founded.


title: Xhosa people

text: The key figure in the Xhosa oral tradition is the ' (plural: ') or praise singer. ' traditionally live close to the chief's "great place" (the cultural and political focus of his activity); they accompany the chief on important occasions – the ' Zolani Mkiva preceded Nelson Mandela at his presidential inauguration in 1994. ' poetry, called "", praises the actions and adventures of chiefs and ancestors.


title: Xhosa people

text: The supreme being is called or . In Xhosa tradition, the ancestors act as intermediaries between the living and God; they are honoured in rituals in order to bring good fortune. Dreams play an important role in divination and contact with ancestors. Traditional religious practice features rituals, initiations, and feasts. Modern rituals typically pertain to matters of illness and psychological well-being.


title: Xhosa people

text: Christian missionaries established outposts among the Xhosa in the 1820s, and the first Bible translation was in the mid-1850s, partially done by Henry Hare Dugmore. Xhosa did not convert in great numbers until the 20th century, but now many are Christian, particularly within the African initiated churches such as the Zion Christian Church. Some denominations combine Christianity with traditional beliefs.


title: Xhosa people

text: The Xhosa are a South African cultural group who emphasise traditional practices and customs inherited from their forefathers. Each person within the Xhosa culture has their place which is recognised by the entire community. Starting from birth, a Xhosa person goes through graduation stages which recognise their growth and assign them a recognised place in the community. Each stage is marked by a specific ritual aimed at introducing the individual to their counterparts and also to their ancestors. Starting from ', a ritual performed to introduce a new born to the ancestors, to ' (the homecoming), from ' (a boy) to ' (a man). These rituals and ceremonies are sancrosact to the identity and heritage of the Xhosa and other African descendents. Though some western scholars question the relevance of these practices today, even urbanised Xhosa people do still follow them. The "ulwaluko" and "" are also traditions which separated this tribe from the rest of the Nguni tribes. These are performed to mark the transition from child to adulthood. Zulus once performed the ritual but King Shaka stopped it because of war in the 1810s. In 2009, it was reintroduced by King Goodwill Zwelithini Zulu, not as a custom, but as a medical procedure to curb HIV infections.


title: Xhosa people

text: All these rituals are symbolic of one's development. Before each is performed, the individual spends time with community elders to prepare for the next stage. The elders' teachings are not written, but transmitted from generation to generation by oral tradition. The "iziduko" (clan) for instance—which matters most to the Xhosa identity (even more than names and surnames) are transferred from one to the other through oral tradition. Knowing your ' is vital to the Xhosas and it is considered a shame and ' (lack-of-identity) if one doesn't know one's clan. This is considered so important that when two strangers meet for the first time, the first identity that gets shared is "". It is so important that two people with the same surname but different clan names are considered total strangers, but two people from the same clan but with different surnames are regarded as close relatives. This forms the roots of "ubuntu" (human kindness) – a behaviour synonymous to this tribe as extending a helping hand to a complete stranger when in need. Ubuntu goes further than just helping one another – it is so deep that it even extends to looking after and reprimanding your neighbour's child when in the wrong. Hence the saying "it takes a village to raise a child".


title: Xhosa people

text: One traditional ritual that is still regularly practiced is the manhood ritual, a secret rite that marks the transition from boyhood to manhood, . After ritual circumcision, the initiates ("") live in isolation for up to several weeks, often in the mountains. During the process of healing they smear white clay on their bodies and observe numerous customs.


title: Xhosa people

text: In modern times the practice has caused controversy, with over 825 circumcision- and initiation-related deaths since 1994, and the spread of sexually transmitted infections, including HIV, via the practice of circumcising initiates with the same blade. In March 2007, a controversial mini-series dealing with Xhosa circumcision and initiation rites debuted on South African Broadcasting Corporation. Titled "Umthunzi Wentaba", the series was taken off the air after complaints by traditional leaders that the rites are secret and not to be revealed to non-initiates and women. In January 2014 the website ulwaluko.co.za was released by a Dutch medical doctor. It features a gallery of photographs of injured penises, which sparked outrage amongst traditional leaders in the Eastern Cape. The South African Film and Publication Board ruled that the website was "scientific with great educative value", addressing a "societal problem needing urgent intervention".


title: Xhosa people

text: Girls are also initiated into womanhood (Intonjane). They too are secluded, though for a shorter period. Female initiates are not circumcised.


title: Xhosa people

text: Other rites include the seclusion of mothers for ten days after giving birth, and the burial of the afterbirth and umbilical cord near the village. This is reflected in the traditional greeting "?", literally "where is your navel?" The answer "tells someone where you live, what your clan affiliation is, and what your social status is and contains a wealth of undisclosed cultural information. Most importantly, it determines where you belong".


title: Xhosa people

text: Xhosa marriage, ", is one that is filled with a number of customs and rituals which relate to the upkeep of Xhosa traditional practices. These rituals have been practiced for decades by the Xhosa people and have been incorporated into modern day Xhosa marriages as well. The purpose of the practices is to bring together two different families and to give guidance to the newly wed couple throughout.


title: Xhosa people

text: To start off the procedures the male intending to marry goes through ' which entails him choosing his future bride and making his intentions of marriage known, however this practice was not done by all the tribes within the Xhosa people. In modern day, the man and woman would most likely have been in courtship or a relationship prior to '. Decades before " would entail legal bridal abduction, where the man could choose a woman of his liking to be his bride and go into negotiations with the family of the bride without her knowledge or consent. She would have to abide to the marriage as per tradition.


title: Xhosa people

text: Following ', the man will then be in discussion with his parents or relatives to inform them of his choice in bride. During this discussion the clan name, ', of the woman would be revealed and researched. If it were found that the woman and the man share the same clan name they would not be allowed to proceed with the marriage as it is said that people with the same clan name are of the same relation and cannot be wed.


title: Xhosa people

text: Once discussions with the family are complete and satisfactory information about the woman is acquired then the family of the man will proceed to appoint marriage negotiators. It is these very negotiators that will travel to the family of the woman to make known the man and his intentions. Once the negotiators reach the family of the woman they will be kept in the kraal, ', of the woman's family. If the family does not possess a kraal they will simply be kept outside the household as they will not be allowed to enter the household without the acknowledgment and acceptance of the woman's family. It is here where the ' (dowry) negotiations will begin. The family of the woman will give them a bride-price and a date for which they must return to pay that price. The bride-price is dependent on numerous things such as her level of education, the wealth status of her family in comparison to that of the man's family, what the man stands to gain in the marriage and the overall desirability of the woman. The payment of the bride-price could be in either cattle or money depending on the family of the woman. The modern Xhosa families would rather prefer money as most are situated in the urban cities where there would be no space nor permits for livestock.


title: Xhosa people

text: Upon return of the man's family on the given date, they will pay the bride-price and bring along gifts of offering such as livestock and alcoholic beverages, ', to be drunk by the family of the bride. Once the ' from the man's negotiators is accepted then they will be considered married by the Xhosa tradition and the celebrations would commence. These include slaughtering of the livestock as a grateful gesture to their ancestors as well as pouring a considerable amount of the alcoholic beverages on the ground of the bride's household to give thanks to their ancestors. The groom's family is then welcomed into the family and traditional beer, ", will be prepared for the groom's family as a token of appreciation from the bride's family.


title: Xhosa people

text: To solidify their unity the family of the bride will head to the groom's household where the elders will address her with regards to how to carry herself and dress appropriately at her newly found household, this is called ". Furthermore, a new name will also be given to her by the women of the groom's family and this name signifies the bond of the two families.


title: Xhosa people

text: Burial practices and customs include a specific sequence of events and rituals which need to be performed in order to regard a funeral as dignified. Once the family has been notified that a member has died, the extended family comes together in preparation for the burial of the deceased.


title: Xhosa people

text: The "" (to accompany) ritual is performed in order to accompany the spirit of the deceased to the land of the ancestors. The local male clan leader or his proxy is the one who facilitates the process. The purpose of is to keep the bonds between the deceased person and the bereaved alive so that the deceased may be able to return later and communicate as an ancestor.


title: Xhosa people

text: During this ritual, an animal such as a goat is slaughtered. A larger animal like a cow may also be slaughtered for an important person like a head of the family whilst a goat without a blemish may be slaughtered for others.


title: Xhosa people

text: Further customs include the emptying the main bedroom of the bereaving family, known as ". This room is where most of the last respects will be paid by family and friends. The emptying of the room is done in order to create space for extended family members to be able to mourn in the main room. The first family members and/or neighbours to arrive arrange the main bedroom to accommodate this seating arrangement by placing a traditional grass mat () or mattress on the floor.


title: Xhosa people

text: Mourners do not require an invitation to attend a funeral and everyone who can and would like to attend is welcome. This means that the bereaved family has to cater for an unknown number of mourners. Traditionally, mourners were fed with ", which is boiled dried corn and water, and the corn was taken from the family food reserves as well as donated by family members and neighbours. In the 21st century, it is regarded as taboo to feed mourners with " and, as a result of shame, funeral catering has become a lucrative business for the industry during burial events.


title: Xhosa people

text: On the day of burial, before extended family members disperse to their homes, the (cleansing) ritual occurs and a goat or sheep or even a fowl is slaughtered.


title: Xhosa people

text: A cleansing ritual is done the day after the burial, in which the bereaved women of the family go to the nearest river to wash all the materials and blankets that were used by the deceased before death. Furthermore, the clothes of the deceased are removed from the house and the family members shave their hair. The shaving of hair is an indication that life continues to spring up even after death.


title: Xhosa people

text: The Xhosa settled on mountain slopes of the Amatola and the Winterberg Mountains. Many streams drain into great rivers of this Xhosa territory, including the Kei and Fish Rivers. Rich soils and plentiful rainfall make the river basins good for farming and grazing making cattle important and the basis of wealth.


title: Xhosa people

text: Traditional foods include beef (), mutton (), and goat meat (), sorghum, milk (often fermented, called "amasi"), pumpkins (), Mielie-meal (maize meal), samp (), beans (), vegetables, like ""rhabe"", wild spinach reminiscent of sorrel, """", the sweet sap of an aloe, or """", a mushroom that grows after summer rains.


title: Xhosa people

text: Traditional music features drums, rattles, whistles, flutes, mouth harps, and stringed-instruments and especially group singing accompanied by hand clapping. There are songs for various ritual occasions; one of the best-known Xhosa songs is a wedding song called "", performed by Miriam Makeba as "Click Song #1". Besides Makeba, several modern groups record and perform in Xhosa.


title: Xhosa people

text: Missionaries introduced the Xhosa to Western choral singing. "Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika", part of the National anthem of South Africa is a Xhosa hymn written in 1897 by Enoch Sontonga.


title: Xhosa people

text: The first newspapers, novels, and plays in Xhosa appeared in the 19th century, and Xhosa poetry is also gaining renown.


title: Xhosa people

text: Several films have been shot in the Xhosa language. "" is a modern remake of Bizet's 1875 opera "Carmen". It is shot entirely in Xhosa, and combines music from the original opera with traditional African music. It takes place in the Cape Town township of Khayelitsha. The movie "Black Panther" also features the Xhosa language.


title: Xhosa people

text: Beads are small round objects made of glass, wood, metal, nutshell, bone seed and the likes, which are then pierced for stringing. Before glass beads were introduced, people used natural materials to make beads. Xhosa people relied on the San to sell beads to them through trade or barter exchange. Xhosa people would give hemp to the San in exchange for beads. The beads made by the San were made out of ostrich egg shells which were chipped to small size, bored and polished and strung into sinews. Producing them took a long time, so they were scarce, highly priced, valued and in demand. It is recorded that it was only in the 1930s that the Portuguese introduced glass beads through trade.


title: Xhosa people

text: Adornments serve a particular purpose across different cultures as social markers. They are used to ascertain where one belongs to with regards to identity, history and geographical location. They reveal personal information with regards to age and gender and social class as some beads were meant to be worn by royalty. Beadwork creates a sense of belonging and cultural identity and traditions hence people draw their cultural ways of living and meanings, as Xhosa people use them as social markers. Xhosa people believe that the beads also create a link between the living and the ancestors as diviners use them during rituals. Thus beads have some spiritual significance.


title: Xhosa people

text: Social identities/markers with regards to age, gender, grade, marital status, social rank or role and the spiritual state can be ascertained through Xhosa beadwork. Symbolic references are drawn from the beads through the colour, pattern, formation and motifs. However, it ought to be taken into cognisance that some of these messages are limited to a certain group or between two people. In Xhosa culture beads represent the organisational framework of the people and the rites of passage that people have gone through as the beads are representative of the stages of one's life. Motifs on the beads often used include trees, diamonds, quadrangles, chevrons, triangles, circles, parallel lines that form a pattern that is exclusive to certain age groups. Although the beadwork has some cultural significance with certain motifs having exclusive meanings, the creator of the beadwork has creative control and can create and draw meaning from individual preference. Thus the meanings drawn from the beadwork are not rigidly set.


title: Xhosa people

text: Among the Thembu (a tribe in the Eastern Cape often erroneously referred to be a Xhosa tribe), after circumcision, the men wore, and still wear, skirts, turbans and a wide bead collar. A waistcoat, long necklaces, throat bands, armbands, leggings and belts are part of his regalia. The dominant colours in the beadwork are white and navy blue, with some yellow and green beads symbolising fertility and a new life, respectively.


title: Xhosa people

text: Xhosa people regard white as the colour of purity and mediation; white beads are still used as offerings to spirits or to the creator. Amagqirha/diviners use white beads when communicating with the ancestors . These diviners also carry with them beaded spears, which are associated with the ancestors that inspire the diviner; beaded horns; and calabashes, to hold medicinal products or snuff. "Amageza", a veil made of beads, is also part of their regalia, they use these beads by swaying them in someone's eyes so as to induce a trance-like state.


title: Xhosa people

text: Inkciyo is a beaded skirt that serves as a garment covering the pubic area. Among the Pondo people (Xhosa clan) the beads are turquoise and white in colour. This skirt is worn during a virginity testing ceremony among Xhosa people undergoing their rites of passage into womanhood.


title: Xhosa people

text: Impempe is a whistle that has a necklace on it. The whistle symbolises one's introduction to adolescence.


title: Xhosa people

text: Xhosa beadwork and other cultural beadworks have cultural ties, but nowadays beads are also worn as fashion pieces, too, either as cultural appreciation or appropriation. The use of cultural beadworks as fashion pieces means that anyone can wear these pieces without having to belong to that cultural group.


title: Xhosa people

text: The Xhosa culture has a traditional dress code informed by the individuals social standing portraying different stages of life. The 'red blanket people' (Xhosa people) have a custom of wearing red blankets dyed with red ochre, the intensity of the colour varying from tribe to tribe. Other clothing includes beadwork and printed fabrics. Although in general, Xhosa lifestyle has been adapted to Western traditions, the Xhosa people still wear traditional attire for special cultural activities.


title: Xhosa people

text: The various tribes have their own variations of traditional dress which includes the colour of their garments and beadwork. This allows for different Xhosa groups to be able to be distinguishable from one another due to their different styles of dress. The Gcaleka women, for instance, encase their arms and legs in beads and brass bangles and some also wear neck beads.


title: Xhosa people

text: Unmarried women often wear wraps tied around their shoulders, leaving their breasts exposed. Engaged women redden their plaited hair and let it screen their eyes, this was done as a sign of respect for their fiancés. Xhosa women wear some form of headdress to cover their heads as a sign of respect to the head of the family which is either their father or husband. Elderly Xhosa women are allowed to wear more elaborate headpieces because of their seniority.


title: Xhosa people

text: Xhosa men traditionally filled the roles as hunters, warriors and stockman, therefore animal skin forms an important part of their traditional wear.


title: Xhosa people

text: Men often wear goatskin bags in which to carry essentials such as tobacco and a knife. The bag is usually made from skin that had been removed in one piece, cured without removing the hair, and turned inside out.


title: Xhosa people

text: On special occasions such as weddings or initiation ceremonies, Xhosa men wear embroidered skirts with a rectangular cloth over the left shoulder alternatively, a tunic and strands of beaded necklaces can be worn.


title: Xhosa people

text: Men wear 'ingcawa' a white and black blanket, adorned with 'ukurhaswa'. Men wear beads around their neck. 'Isichebe' is a short bead while 'Isidanga' is a long bead necklace with different colors. Men wear beads around their wrists and foot called 'amaso'. Beads that are worn on the head are called 'unngqa' or 'igwala'. Men smoke pipes that are decorated by 'ukurhaswa'. The traditional smoking pipes are called 'umbheka phesheya'.


title: Xhosa people

text: Xhosa people currently make up approximately 18% of the South African population. The Xhosa are the second largest cultural group in South Africa, after the Zulu-speaking nation.


title: Xhosa people

text: Under apartheid, adult literacy rates were as low as 30%, and studies estimated the literacy level of first-language Xhosa speakers at approximately 50%. There have been advances since then, however.


title: Xhosa people

text: Education in primary-schools serving Xhosa-speaking communities is conducted in Xhosa, but this is replaced by English after the early primary grades. Xhosa is still considered as a studied subject, however, and it is possible to major in Xhosa at university level. Most of the students at Walter Sisulu University and University of Fort Hare speak Xhosa. Rhodes University in Grahamstown, additionally, offers courses in Xhosa for both mother-tongue and non-mother-tongue speakers. These courses both include a cultural studies component. Professor Russel H. Kaschula, Head of the School of Languages at Rhodes, has published multiple papers on Xhosa culture and oral literature.


title: Xhosa people

text: The effects of government policies during the years of apartheid can still be seen in the poverty of the Xhosa who still reside in the Eastern Cape. During this time, Xhosa males could only seek employment in the mining industry as so-called migrant labourers. Since the collapse of apartheid, individuals can move freely.


title: Xhosa people

text: After the breakdown of apartheid, migration to Gauteng and Cape Town has become increasingly common, especially amongst rural Xhosa people.


title: Load (album)

text: Load is the sixth studio album by the American heavy metal band Metallica, released on June 4, 1996 by Elektra Records in the United States and by Vertigo Records internationally. The album showed more of a hard rock side of Metallica than the band's typical thrash metal style, which alienated much of the band's fanbase. It also featured influences from genres such as Southern rock, blues rock, country rock, and alternative rock. Drummer Lars Ulrich said about "Load" more exploratory nature, "This album and what we're doing with it – that, to me, is what Metallica are all about: exploring different things. The minute you stop exploring, then just sit down and fucking die." At 79 minutes, "Load" is Metallica's longest studio album.


title: Load (album)

text: "Load" received mixed reviews from critics but was a commercial success, debuting and spending four consecutive weeks at number one on the US "Billboard" 200 chart. "Load" sold 680,000 units in its first week, making it the biggest opening week for Metallica as well as the biggest debut of 1996. It was certified 5× platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for shipping five million copies in the United States. Four singles—"Until It Sleeps", "Hero of the Day", "Mama Said", and "King Nothing"—were released as part of the marketing campaign for the album.