title: Magi

text: In Arabic, "Magians" ("majus") is the term for Zoroastrians. The term is mentioned in the Quran, in sura 22 verse 17, where the "Magians" are mentioned alongside the Jews, the Sabians and the Christians in a list of religions who will be judged on the Day of Resurrection.


title: Magi

text: In the 1980s, Saddam Hussein's Ba'ath Party used the term "majus" during the Iran–Iraq War as a generalization of all modern-day Iranians. "By referring to the Iranians in these documents as "majus", the security apparatus [implied] that the Iranians [were] not sincere Muslims, but rather covertly practice their pre-Islamic beliefs. Thus, in their eyes, Iraq's war took on the dimensions of not only a struggle for Arab nationalism, but also a campaign in the name of Islam."


title: Magi

text: In India, the Sakaldwipiya Brahmins are considered to be the descendants of the ten Maga (Sanskrit मग) priests who were invited to conduct worship of Mitra (Surya) at Mitravana (Multan), as described in the Samba Purana, Bhavishya Purana and the Mahabharata. Their original home was a region named as Sakadvipa. According to Varahamihira (c. 505 – c. 587), the statue of the Sun god (Mitra), is represented as wearing the "northern" (central Asian) dress, specifically with horse riding boots. Several Brahmin communities of India trace their descent from the Magas. Several of the classical astronomers and mathematicians of India such are Varahamihira are considered to be the descendants of the Magas.


title: Magi

text: Varahamihira specifies that installation and consecration of the Sun images should be done by the Magas. Albiruni mentions that the priests of the Sun Temple at Multan were Magas. The Magas had colonies in a number of places in India, and were the priests at Konark, Martanda and other sun temples.


title: Magi

text: Victor H. Mair (1990) suggested that Chinese "wū" (巫 "shaman; witch, wizard; magician") may originate as a loanword from Old Persian *"maguš" "magician; magi". Mair reconstructs an Old Chinese *'. The reconstruction of Old Chinese forms is somewhat speculative. The velar final "-g" in Mair's *' (巫) is evident in several Old Chinese reconstructions (Dong Tonghe's *"mwag", Zhou Fagao's *"mjwaγ", and Li Fanggui's *"mjag"), but not all (Bernhard Karlgren's *"mwo" and Axel Schuessler's *"ma").


title: Magi

text: Mair adduces the discovery of two figurines with unmistakably Caucasoid or Europoid features dated to the 8th century BCE, found in a 1980 excavation of a Zhou Dynasty palace in Fufeng County, Shaanxi Province. One of the figurines is marked on the top of its head with an incised ☩ graph.


title: Magi

text: Mair's suggestion is based on a proposal by Jao Tsung-I (1990), which connects the "cross potent" Bronzeware script glyph for "wu" 巫 with the same shape found in Neolithic West Asia, specifically a cross potent carved in the shoulder of a goddess figure of the Halaf period.


title: Joy Ride (2001 film)

text: Joy Ride (known as Roadkill in the United Kingdom) is a 2001 American road horror film directed by John Dahl and written by J. J. Abrams and Clay Tarver. Paul Walker stars as Lewis Thomas, a college freshman embarking on a cross-country road trip during summer break to pick up his childhood crush Venna (Leelee Sobieski).


title: Joy Ride (2001 film)

text: Along for the ride is Lewis' brother Fuller (Steve Zahn), a practical joker who uses the car's CB radio to play a cruel prank on a trucker known only by the handle Rusty Nail. The victim of Fuller's gag, a psychotic murderer, pursues them relentlessly to get revenge at any cost. The film was released on October 5, 2001, and received generally positive reviews from critics.


title: Joy Ride (2001 film)

text: While traveling from California to Colorado to pick up his childhood friend and crush Venna Wilcox, Lewis Thomas is forced to make a stop in Salt Lake City on the way after he learns his estranged older brother Fuller has been arrested again. Lewis bails him out and Fuller tags along for the trip. At a gas station, Fuller has a CB radio installed in Lewis' car and the two begin listening in on truckers' chatter. Fuller coaxes Lewis into playing a prank on a truck driver nicknamed Rusty Nail, asking him to pretend to be a woman named Candy Cane. They set up a meeting with Rusty Nail in a Wyoming motel where Lewis and Fuller are spending the night; they tell Rusty Nail that Candy Cane will be in room 17, the room of an irritable and racist businessman with whom Fuller had an unpleasant encounter at the check in desk, and the brothers listen from room 18. When Rusty Nail arrives, an argument and sounds of a scuffle are briefly heard.


title: Joy Ride (2001 film)

text: The next morning, Lewis and Fuller learn that the police found the businessman on the highway, with his lower jaw ripped off. Lewis admits they were involved and Sheriff Ritter accosts them for their role in the incident, but lets them go. Back on the road, Rusty Nail is heard again on the CB radio looking for Candy Cane. Lewis reveals the prank to Rusty Nail and tells him that he is Candy Cane. Rusty Nail demands an apology, but Fuller insults him instead. Rusty Nail then notes they should get their taillight fixed, indicating he is following behind them. They quickly drive to a nearby gas station and unsuccessfully attempt to contact Sheriff Ritter. Seeing a large truck pull into the gas station, they flee from the scene into a dead end, with the truck driver chasing them. The driver turns out to be a kind stranger trying to return Lewis's credit card, which he left behind in panic. The real Rusty Nail then shows up in his truck and, as he slowly crushes Lewis's car against a tree, Fuller hysterically apologizes. Rusty Nail drives away, declaring his actions to be simply a retaliatory joke.


title: Joy Ride (2001 film)

text: Believing themselves safe, the brothers arrive at the University of Colorado and pick up Venna. They stop at a motel and, as Lewis falls asleep, Rusty Nail calls his room, revealing he has noticed Venna has joined them. They flee from the motel, but see messages from Rusty Nail spray painted on road signs, instructing them to look in the trunk. There, they find the CB radio Fuller had previously thrown from the window of the car. Rusty Nail then contacts them again via the radio, announcing that he has kidnapped Venna's friend Charlotte, and he directs them to a cornfield where the three get split up. Rusty Nail kidnaps Venna.


title: Joy Ride (2001 film)

text: Rusty Nail sets up a meeting at another motel in room 17, mirroring the false date with which he was pranked. He sets up a trap that will kill Venna if the room door is opened. Fuller attempts to get in the room by a back window, but is injured by Rusty Nail and stuck outside. Lewis attempts to free Fuller as the police arrive to help Venna. Meanwhile, Rusty Nail's truck appears uphill and begins rolling down towards the motel. The brothers free Venna in time and everyone escapes as the truck crashes into the motel. As the police investigate Rusty Nail's truck, they see a dead body in the driver's seat and Charlotte, still alive, in the back.


title: Joy Ride (2001 film)

text: Lewis, Fuller and Venna are treated for their injuries at an ambulance. At this point, the dead man found inside the truck turns out to be the friendly truck driver who returned Lewis's credit card from earlier. From the CB in the ambulance, the group hears Rusty Nail's voice, learning that he is alive and free.


title: Joy Ride (2001 film)

text: On the DVD release, there is a 29-minute-long alternate ending, and four other shorter alternate endings. The main one featured Rusty Nail's shotgun suicide and numerous bodies are found by the police in his trailer. One featured Rusty Nail being arrested, another being beaten in a fight with both Thomas brothers, another wherein he is blown up in his truck, and another saw Rusty Nail run over with his own truck. The ending featured in the actual theatrical cut of the film is the only ending in which Rusty Nail lives. There are also numerous deleted scenes.


title: Joy Ride (2001 film)

text: In the alternate ending where Rusty Nail's truck explodes, you can see a water tower behind the truck as it burns. The original intention was to have the truck hit the water tower and have the water come down and put the flames out so that it would be believable if Rusty Nail survived. However, time constraints kept the scene from being filmed. The water tower cost over $100,000.


title: Joy Ride (2001 film)

text: Sobieski filmed two romantic interludes, one with Zahn and one with Walker during the shooting and re-shooting of the film. Both scenes ended up getting cut. This may explain why Venna appears to be romantically interested in both of them.


title: Joy Ride (2001 film)

text: "Joy Ride" opened theatrically on October 5, 2001, in 2,497 venues and earned $7.3 million in its opening weekend, ranking number five in the US box office. By the end of its run, the film grossed $22 million in the US and $14.7 million overseas for a worldwide total of $36.6 million.


title: Joy Ride (2001 film)

text: On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating 74% based on 114 reviews, with an average rating of 6.61/10. The website's critics consensus states: "A well-constructed B-movie thriller, "Joy Ride" keeps up the necessary level of tension and chills. Critics also liked Zahn's performance as the goofball older brother." On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 75 out of 100 based on 31 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B+" on an A+ to F scale.


title: Edward Zwick

text: Edward M. Zwick (born October 8, 1952) is an American filmmaker and producer of film and television. He has worked primarily in the comedy drama and epic historical film genres, including "About Last Night, Glory, Legends of the Fall," and "The Last Samurai." He is also the co-creator of the television series "thirtysomething" and "Once and Again".


title: Edward Zwick

text: During his career he has worked with Tom Cruise, Leonardo DiCaprio, Denzel Washington, Brad Pitt, Daniel Craig, Jennifer Connelly, Tobey Maguire, Jake Gyllenhaal, Anne Hathaway and Liev Schreiber


title: Edward Zwick

text: Zwick's body of work has earned numerous accolades, including an Academy Award and BAFTA Award for Best Picture as a producer, and Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Drama Series, Outstanding Writing in a Limited Series, and Outstanding Dramatic Special. He has additionally been nominated for multiple Golden Globe Awards.


title: Edward Zwick

text: Zwick was born into a Jewish family in Chicago, Illinois, the son of Ruth Ellen ("née" Reich) and Allen Zwick. He attended New Trier High School, received an A.B. at Harvard in 1974, and attended the AFI Conservatory, graduating with a Master of Fine Arts degree in 1975.


title: Edward Zwick

text: His films include "Glory" (1989), "Legends of the Fall" (1994), "The Siege" (1998), "The Last Samurai" (2003), "Blood Diamond" (2006), and "Defiance" (2008). Along with Marshall Herskovitz, Zwick runs a film production company called The Bedford Falls Company (inspired by the name of the town featured in Frank Capra's "It's a Wonderful Life"). This company has produced such notable films as "Traffic" and "Shakespeare in Love" and the TV shows "thirtysomething", "Relativity", "Once and Again", and "My So-Called Life".


title: Edward Zwick

text: He was one of the recipients of the Academy Award for Best Picture for "Shakespeare in Love"; he was also nominated in the same category for "Traffic".


title: Margaret Colin

text: Margaret Colin (born May 26, 1958) is an American actress. She is known for her roles as Margo Hughes on "As the World Turns" and as Eleanor Waldorf-Rose on "Gossip Girl".


title: Margaret Colin

text: Margaret Colin was born in Brooklyn, New York City, and was raised in Baldwin, New York, on Long Island. She is of Irish descent and was raised in a Catholic family; She graduated from Baldwin Senior High School in 1976, and after attended Hofstra University.


title: Margaret Colin

text: Colin began her acting career in the soap opera "The Edge of Night", playing an heiress and former terrorist. In seven months on that show, her character survived seven murder attempts and ended up marrying her stepbrother. She followed that role with a longer stint on "As the World Turns", originating the role of Margo Montgomery, a character that endured nearly 30 years.


title: Margaret Colin

text: She has appeared on a number of primetime television shows, starting with "Foley Square", "Leg Work", and several early episodes of "Chicago Hope". She played Lisa Wiseman on the 1999 series "Now and Again", with Eric Close and Dennis Haysbert. In 2003, she appeared in an episode of "" titled "Tortured", playing a mother/bakery owner who was later arrested for abetting a murder.


title: Margaret Colin

text: From 2007 to 2012, Colin played the recurring role of Eleanor Waldorf, mother of Blair Waldorf, on the teen drama television series "Gossip Girl". In the pilot episode, Eleanor was played by "One Life to Live" actress Florencia Lozano.


title: Margaret Colin

text: Colin has also been in a number of films, some of the most well-known including "Something Wild" (1986), "Three Men and a Baby" (1987), "The Butcher's Wife" (1991), "Independence Day" (1996), "The Devil's Own" (1997), "Unfaithful" (2002), and "First Daughter" (2004). She also appeared in the play "Jackie: An American Life", in which she played Jacqueline Kennedy.


title: Margaret Colin

text: During her 2003 performance of the English play "A Day in the Death of Joe Egg" on Broadway, Colin smoked her way through the second half of the show and dedicated the performance to Mayor Michael Bloomberg in defiance of the state's smoking ban. After the play finished its run, she gave up smoking.


title: Margaret Colin

text: In 2017, Colin appeared as a recurring character throughout the sixth season of the HBO comedy series "Veep", playing fictional CBS News anchor Jane McCabe. Along with her fellow cast members, Colin won the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series. In 2019, she reprised her role as McCabe in the seventh season premiere of "Veep" and again in the series finale.


title: Margaret Colin

text: Colin met actor Justin Deas when he played her love interest, Tom Hughes, on "As the World Turns". They were married in January 1988. The couple have two sons, Sam and Joe, and Colin is stepmother of her husband's daughter from his first marriage. The family moved to Upper Montclair, New Jersey in the late 1990s.


title: Margaret Colin

text: She is an anti-abortion activist and was formerly the honorary co-chair of Feminists for Life, an organization opposed to abortion. Colin is an honorary board member of the group Feminists for Nonviolent Choices.


title: Changes in Star Wars re-releases

text: Changes in "Star Wars" re-releases vary from minor differences in color timing, audio mixing, and take choices to major insertions of new visual effects, additions of characters and dialogue, scene expansions, and replacement of original cast members with newer ones. Though changes were also made to the prequel trilogy, the original trilogy saw the most alteration. Dissatisfied with the original theatrical cuts of the original "Star Wars" film, "The Empire Strikes Back", and "Return of the Jedi", creator George Lucas altered the films in ways that were ostensibly not initially possible, primarily due to limitations of time, budget, and technology.


title: Changes in Star Wars re-releases

text: The first substantial changes were made in 1997 with the release of a Special Edition remaster in commemoration of the franchise's twentieth anniversary. These changes were largely made as visual effects tests for the forthcoming prequel films, demonstrating the possibilities of computer-generated imagery (CGI). Additional notable changes were made when the original trilogy was released on DVD in 2004, in an attempt to create more consistency with the prequel trilogy. More changes were made to the films for their Blu-ray release in 2011 and for their 4K Ultra HD release in 2019.


title: Changes in Star Wars re-releases

text: Although some critics felt that many smaller changes were improvements, innocuous, or understandable, most larger changes were received negatively by fans and critics—particularly those made to the original trilogy.


title: Changes in Star Wars re-releases

text: Prior to making "Star Wars", franchise creator George Lucas experienced dissatisfaction with the re-editing by studios of both of the films he had directed. His first feature, "THX 1138" (1971), had five minutes removed by Warner Bros. Universal Pictures had his subsequent film, "American Graffiti" (1973), edited to remove a couple of minutes.


title: Changes in Star Wars re-releases

text: Following the success of "Star Wars", in 1977, Lucas's original version of "THX 1138" was theatrically released. The restored cut of "American Graffiti" was released theatrically in 1978; this was altered for 1998 DVD with a computer-generated (CGI) change to the opening shot. In 2004, Lucas supervised a director's cut of "THX 1138", restoring the picture while adding some modern special effects.


title: Changes in Star Wars re-releases

text: The first film was released in 1977 under the title "Star Wars". The subtitle "Episode IVA New Hope" was retroactively added to the opening crawl in a subsequent release. Lucasfilm dates the addition to the theatrical re-release on April 10, 1981. This change was made to bring the original film in line with the titling of its sequel, "" (1980).


title: Changes in Star Wars re-releases

text: Some scenes on Tatooine were modified for the 1997 Special Edition, most notably an alteration to the Greedo scene and the restoration of a deleted scene featuring Jabba the Hutt. Two newly filmed shots of stormtroopers and CGI dewbacks were inserted before a shot in which the static creature in the background was replaced with moving CGI. Other modifications introduced in various releases include a CGI replacement of the Jawa sandcrawler, a different sound effect for Obi-Wan Kenobi making a krayt dragon call to scare off the Tusken Raiders, the addition of rocks in front of the cave R2-D2 hides in, the replacement of an external shot of Obi-Wan's hut with a new angle showing Luke Skywalker's parked landspeeder, and color and continuity changes involving the binary sunset. The shadow of the landspeeder was redone in one shot, and creatures, robots, and ships were added to Mos Eisley, including elements created for the "Shadows of the Empire" multimedia campaign. Some of the aliens in the cantina were replaced with new CGI designs, and a shot of the "Millennium Falcon" fighting its way out of Mos Eisley was added.


title: Changes in Star Wars re-releases

text: Han Solo (Harrison Ford) is cornered in the Mos Eisley cantina by the Rodian bounty hunter Greedo (Paul Blake), and Han shoots under the table to kill Greedo. The 1997 release of the film alters the scene so that Greedo shoots first and misses (with Han's head digitally pivoted away from the laser blast). The scene was changed again for the 2004 DVD release of the film so that Han and Greedo shoot almost simultaneously; this was shortened by several frames for the 2011 Blu-ray. The scene was further modified for the 2019 4K Ultra HD release with the addition of a close-up shot of Greedo speaking (without subtitles), the removal of a reverse shot of Greedo, and a re-rendering of the visual effects.


title: Changes in Star Wars re-releases

text: The original version of the Greedo scene is considered iconic, while the altered version is one of the most controversial changes to the film. Fans have coined the phrase "Han shot first" to protest the change, which according to "Polygon" alters Han's moral ambiguity and his fundamental character. Lucas has stated that he always intended for Greedo to shoot first. In 2015, a replica of an early script for "Star Wars" was discovered in the archives of the University of New Brunswick library. In the script, dated March 15, 1976, only Han shoots.


title: Changes in Star Wars re-releases

text: The original script for "Star Wars" included a scene between Han and Jabba the Hutt, set in a Mos Eisley docking bay. The scene was filmed by a second unit with Declan Mulholland wearing a furry vest as a stand-in for Jabba. Lucas intended to replace Mulholland in post-production with a stop-motion character, but due to time limitations and budget constraints, the scene was cut. In the 1997 edition, the scene was reinserted with a CGI Jabba replacing Mulholland. This marks an early example of a fully CGI character with dialogue to appear in a film, preceding the introduction of Jar Jar Binks in "The Phantom Menace" by two years.


title: Changes in Star Wars re-releases

text: In the original footage, Ford walked through the area where Jabba's tail would be. As a workaround, Han was digitally moved to appear as if he steps on Jabba's tail, with the Hutt squealing as a result; this has been poorly received, including by its original animator. Several Rodians (at least one of whom is a look-alike of Greedo) appear in the background. Boba Fett was also added to the end of the scene, and seems to break the fourth wall.


title: Changes in Star Wars re-releases

text: The insertion of this scene into the film was criticized for being superfluous to the previous cantina scene with Greedo, slowing down the pacing without moving the plot forward, and undermining the reveal of the "Millennium Falcon" in the next scene as well as Jabba's original debut in "Return of the Jedi". The 1997 CGI Jabba has been described as "atrocious", and for the 2004 DVD release was replaced with a higher-fidelity model resembling his CGI appearance in "The Phantom Menace". On the 2004 audio commentary for "A New Hope", Lucas reflected that while he did not mind cutting the scene when he was not sure if he would make sequels, he subsequently wanted it to be included as it introduces a character important to Han's story arc. "ScreenCrush" later reflected that the 2004 version "was an improvement, but only in the way that nausea is an improvement over vomit".


title: Changes in Star Wars re-releases

text: During the training scene aboard the "Millennium Falcon", Luke's lightsaber—which in some releases had erroneously appeared green—was corrected to blue in the 2011 release.


title: Changes in Star Wars re-releases

text: For the Special Edition, a scene of Han chasing a squad of stormtroopers on the Death Star was altered to replace several stormtroopers at the end of the corridor with dozens in formation. "Den of Geek" criticized the change as being "too much" and making Han's shooting back at them less believable. Two "ScreenRant" writers call the updated version "utterly ridiculous" but "much funnier". Another shot of a stormtrooper hitting his head on a door had a sound effect added in 2004, making it seem like the goof was intentional.


title: Changes in Star Wars re-releases

text: In the original version of Obi-Wan and Darth Vader's duel, Obi-Wan's saber appeared to "short out" when foreshortened toward the camera (a result of the in-camera effects failing to account for this viewing angle). A glow was added in 2004, and a fully finished blade was added to these shots in 2019. Also in the 2019 version, Obi-Wan's lightsaber was adjusted to appear consistently blue, and the flash effects of the lightsabers clashing was redone.


title: Changes in Star Wars re-releases

text: Both the explosions of Alderaan and the Death Star had shockwaves added to them starting with the 1997 edition.


title: Changes in Star Wars re-releases

text: The Special Edition of "A New Hope" incorporated a deleted scene on Yavin 4, in which Luke is briefly reunited with his childhood friend Biggs Darklighter. This was felt by some to strengthen the relationship of the characters during the climactic Death Star attack run.


title: Changes in Star Wars re-releases

text: The original film includes a two-shot sequence of X-wing fighters flying past Yavin towards the Death Star (showing the fighters from behind, then the front). For the 1997 edition, these were replaced with a 180° turn of CGI (seen from the front, then the back). "Wired" points out that the addition of the moon (Yavin 4) in the background places it "very clearly in range of the Death Star from the very beginning of the battle." Additionally, engine sounds were added to the battle scene which make parts of the musical score difficult to hear.


title: Changes in Star Wars re-releases

text: For his appearance as a hologram in "The Empire Strikes Back", the Emperor was originally portrayed by an actress wearing a mask and a male voice actor. For the 2004 DVD edition and subsequent releases, this was replaced by new footage of Ian McDiarmid, who plays the character in later films. The dialogue was changed in the new version, making Vader seem to have been unaware of Luke's paternity despite knowing his last name.


title: Changes in Star Wars re-releases

text: "ScreenCrush" argues that this change is the worst to any "Star Wars" film, owing to the altered dialogue. "Wired" writes that it is unclear whether the new dialogue is meant to portray Vader and the Emperor "deliberately testing one another", and also that McDiarmid "looks more like he did 20 years before in the timeline than he does a year later in "Return of the Jedi"". Sources such as "Polygon" and "io9" regard the actor replacement itself as logical,


title: Changes in Star Wars re-releases

text: and "ScreenRant" praises it as "a change that blends seamlessly with the original film, due in large part to the relative ease of swapping one holographic image for another".


title: Changes in Star Wars re-releases

text: Boba Fett's dialogue in the film was originally recorded by Jason Wingreen. Subsequently, "Attack of the Clones" revealed Boba to be a clone of Jango Fett, played by Temuera Morrison. To reflect this, Morrison re-recorded Boba's lines for the 2004 edition of the film.


title: Changes in Star Wars re-releases

text: In the shot when the "Millennium Falcon" detaches from the Star Destroyer, Boba Fett's ship, the "Slave I", was replaced with a CGI version following the "Falcon" more closely. Both "WhatCulture" and "Wired" opine that the change makes it hard to believe that Han could not see Fett.


title: Changes in Star Wars re-releases

text: New establishing shots were added to Cloud City, which according to Lucas were added partially because director Irvin Kershner was dissatisfied with the limitations of the location's set. The additions create some inconsistencies with later shots. Another shot has a railing added to it, which does not reflect properly. New shots of Cloud City's citizens reacting to Lando Calrissian's evacuation orders were also added.


title: Changes in Star Wars re-releases

text: In the 1997 edition, the scene of Luke dropping down the chute to escape Vader was modified to include an audible scream—created using the sound of the Emperor screaming as he falls down the shaft in "Return of the Jedi"; this received criticism and was removed in later releases.


title: Changes in Star Wars re-releases

text: Following the initial limited theatrical release, Lucas added three exterior shots to the denouement to clarify that Lando and Chewbacca are on the "Falcon," not the Rebel frigate that Luke, Leia, and the droids are on.


title: Changes in Star Wars re-releases

text: In the 1997 edition, a line of Vader's dialogue was replaced and a shot of his shuttle landing in his Star Destroyer (using stock footage of the second Death Star from "Return of the Jedi") was inserted into the sequence in which Luke uses the Force to contact Leia. "Wired" calls this "Yet another addition that answers a question no one had."


title: Changes in Star Wars re-releases

text: In the Special Edition, an establishing shot of a bantha herd was inserted, and a CGI beak and extra tentacles were added to the sarlacc. Jabba's dialogue is given subtitles, although translates most of his lines. The 2011 edition extended the front door of Jabba's palace, making the door appear three times longer from the outside than it does on the inside. The Blu-ray also added a Dug to the inside of the palace, which was criticized as standing out from puppet aliens in the same scene.


title: Changes in Star Wars re-releases

text: The scene in which Jabba feeds the dancer Oola to his rancor opens with a performance by the Max Rebo Band and its lead singer, Sy Snootles. In the original theatrical release, the song is "Lapti Nek", sung in the fictional language Huttese. The Special Edition changed the performance to the new song "Jedi Rocks", which mostly received negative criticism. "Polygon"s Owen Good describes the new vocals as difficult to listen to and having "the volume and vocal fry of a higher pitched Tina Turner but none of the soul". The puppet used for Snootles was also replaced with CGI. According to Special Edition producer Rick McCallum, this change was made because Lucas could not originally achieve the "large musical number" he envisioned because characters could not move in certain ways; Snootles could not open her mouth to lip sync correctly, and her eyes did not move. The Special Edition increased the size of the Max Rebo Band from three members to twelve. Additional footage was filmed of Boba Fett flirting with one of the dancers; original Fett actor Jeremy Bulloch thought this was somewhat contrary to the character's nature.


title: Changes in Star Wars re-releases

text: In the theatrical release of the film, Oola's death is filmed from outside the rancor pit: she falls into the pit, and her scream is heard from off-screen. In the 1997 edition, extra shots were inserted depicting her in the pit, including shots where she looks up to the crowd, the pit door being raised, and a shot of her terror. The rancor and Oola as she screams remain off-screen. Femi Taylor, who played Oola, impressed critics with her ability to reprise the role over a decade later without visible difference. "Wired" notes that "they put a different eyeshadow color on her, so she's not exactly seamless." James Whitbrook at "io9" praised the additions to the scene, writing that it teased the rancor well while still keeping the monster a surprise for Luke's later battle with it. Conversely, "Den of Geek UK" criticized the additions as unnecessary and felt that they made the audience familiar with the pit, weakening Luke's scene.


title: Changes in Star Wars re-releases

text: In 2004, Lucas revealed that he had considered adding a shot of Fett escaping the sarlacc, but decided against it because it would have detracted from the scene's focus: Jabba's death. Fett's survival was eventually depicted in the Disney+ live-action streaming series "The Mandalorian" (2019–present) and "The Book of Boba Fett" (2021–2022).


title: Changes in Star Wars re-releases

text: At the climax of the film, the Emperor tortures Luke with Force lightning, prompting Darth Vader to throw the Emperor down a chasm. In the original version of the scene, Vader has no dialogue. Starting with the 2011 edition, Vader mutters "No" and then yells a drawn-out "No!", creating a parallel with his near-identical cry at the end of "Revenge of the Sith". This addition was described as being unnecessary at best, and at worst being clumsy, sounding terrible, and seeming to mock the scene in the prequel. A "Polygon" writer argues that the change displays a distrust in the audience's ability to interpret Vader's emotions and further that it made the emotional scene "laughable".


title: Changes in Star Wars re-releases

text: In the scene where Anakin Skywalker is unmasked, the 2004 edition digitally removed his eyebrows to reflect Anakin burning on Mustafar at the end of "Revenge of the Sith". Actor Sebastian Shaw's brown eyes were also digitally changed to blue to match Hayden Christensen's eye color.


title: Changes in Star Wars re-releases

text: The film ends with a scene of the Rebel Alliance and a village of Ewoks on Endor celebrating the death of the Emperor and victory over the Empire. The original theatrical release of the film featured the song "Ewok Celebration", also known as "Yub Nub", playing over the celebration. The 1997 edition release of the film replaced "Ewok Celebration" with score composed by John Williams titled "Victory Celebration", and the scene was lengthened to include shots of celebration on the planets Coruscant, Bespin, and Tatooine. The 2004 edition further added a shot set on Naboo, in which a Gungan is given a line of dialogue, and added the Senate building and Jedi Temple to Coruscant.


title: Changes in Star Wars re-releases

text: At the end of the film, Darth Vader is redeemed by killing the Emperor to save Luke Skywalker's life, then dies of his injuries shortly after, and appears to Luke as Anakin Skywalker alongside the Force spirits of Yoda and Obi-Wan Kenobi. In the original version, Sebastian Shaw plays this Force spirit in addition to an unmasked Vader. Hayden Christensen later played Anakin in the prequel trilogy films "Attack of the Clones" and "Revenge of the Sith". To reflect this, the 2004 edition of "Return of the Jedi" replaced Shaw's appearance as the Force spirit with Christensen. Some considered the change controversial, with "Den of Geek" rating it as the worst change to the original trilogy. "The Digital Bits" notes that the 2019 restoration made it more obvious where Anakin's head was replaced.


title: Changes in Star Wars re-releases

text: The DVD released in 2001 features a slightly extended cut of the podrace sequence, as well as a brief scene on Coruscant focusing on Anakin and Jar Jar Binks.


title: Changes in Star Wars re-releases

text: The extended podrace includes a longer introduction of the racers and the second lap of the race, both of which "ScreenRant" says do not contribute to the story, and potentially negatively affect the film's pacing. Additionally, Watto cheering for Anakin's rival Sebulba was removed for home media releases.


title: Changes in Star Wars re-releases

text: In the original version of "The Phantom Menace", a puppet was used to portray Yoda except in two wide shots which required CGI. This was changed for the 2011 release, with the puppet being replaced with a CGI model, similar to those used for the film's sequels, "Attack of the Clones" and "Revenge of the Sith".


title: Changes in Star Wars re-releases

text: A few special effects which were not ready for the initial wide release were completed for release in digital-projection theaters. The DVD features the digital version with some extended lines of dialogue. The 2011 edition features a small editing change to the Coruscant speeder chase, adds a voiceover to Anakin's vision of Shmi, and changes the order of shots depicting Count Dooku's escape.


title: Changes in Star Wars re-releases

text: The theatrical release had a diagonal wipe from Obi-Wan leaving Mustafar to Anakin using his hand to crawl from the lava. The DVD changed this to a direct cut, which was reverted on the Blu-ray. The latter release also has additional clone trooper dialogue as they land on Utapau, and added moss to the treehouse on Kashyyyk.


title: Changes in Star Wars re-releases

text: Various media outlets have called attention to the changes deemed the most offensive and condemned them. These include: in "A New Hope", making Greedo shoot first and the restored Jabba scene; in "The Empire Strikes Back", changes to the Emperor's dialogue; in "Return of the Jedi", the new song in Jabba's palace, Vader yelling "No!" at the climax, and Christensen replacing Shaw as Anakin's spirit.


title: Changes in Star Wars re-releases

text: In 2015, Lance Ulanoff of "Mashable" viewed the original theatrical print of "Star Wars" submitted to the Library of Congress, and noted merit to Lucas's belief that technology did not allow him to achieve his vision, citing a visible marquee around Leia's ship "so jarring that it temporarily pulls me out of the film" because the original print is "lack[ing] the seamless quality [he has] come to expect from sci-fi and fantasy". Despite this, Ulanoff wrote that he "hate[s] each and every one" of the later added CGI effects. In 2017, a writer argued that the Special Edition changes to the original "Star Wars" "stripped the film of every aspect that it had won its Academy Awards for", including those for Best Visual Effects, Best Production Design, and Best Original Score.


title: Changes in Star Wars re-releases

text: A smaller number of changes have been cited as an improvement. A 2015 "Polygon" article asserts that "there was a solid logic behind" a number of minor changes, such as adding windows to Cloud City or sparks to Jango Fett's jetpack, saying these "angered, to a close approximation, nobody". "A New Hope"'s restored Biggs scene has garnered mostly favorable feedback. In 2021, "ScreenRant" praised special effects additions to "A New Hope", including the CGI dewback replacement, the Mos Eisley establishing shots, and the explosions of Alderaan and the Death Star. In 2022, citing Lucas's opinion that the Special Edition had improved "A New Hope" from representing 60% of his vision to 80%, an "io9" writer argued that the film could be further altered "to turn that 80% into 100%".


title: Changes in Star Wars re-releases

text: George Lucas' name is often used as a verb to mean making retroactive changes to films or TV series. In early 2002, filmmaker (and friend of Lucas) Steven Spielberg re-released "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial" in a digitally altered 20th-anniversary Special Edition, which notably replaced guns carried by federal agents with walkie-talkies. This prompted the creators of "South Park" to parody both Spielberg and Lucas's changes to their films in an episode of their show. Other adult animation series and stand-up comedians have targeted retroactive changes to "Star Wars", including "Family Guy", which in 2007 lampooned Christensen's snippy appearance as a spirit, and Brian Posehn, who argued in his 2017 special that the original trilogy "already was special".


title: Changes in Star Wars re-releases

text: Lucas's changes have come to be cited as a primary point of reference for retroactive changes to other films. By contrast, some media outlets positively reviewed the 2020 4K release of Peter Jackson's "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy, which was remastered and adjusted for color consistency with "The Hobbit" trilogy, but not otherwise significantly altered.


title: Changes in Star Wars re-releases

text: Asked why he was opposed to releasing the original versions of the films alongside the modified versions, Lucas stated in 2004: "To me, [the original movie] doesn't really exist anymore. ... I'm sorry you saw half a completed film and fell in love with it. But I want it to be the way I want it to be." In addition to a number of extant continuity errors throughout the films, a CGI character omission in "The Phantom Menace" has never been corrected—despite special effects supervisor John Knoll calling attention to it in the film's 2001 DVD commentary. "ScreenRant" says this "highlights how George Lucas' motivations for tweaking the "Star Wars" movies are more about improving and updating than removing imperfections."


title: Changes in Star Wars re-releases

text: In 2019, Kathleen Kennedy, president of Lucasfilm since the 2012 acquisition of the company by Disney, stated that she would not make alterations to Lucas's original trilogy, because "those will always remain his." While promoting "The Rise of Skywalker", director J. J. Abrams expressed his hopes that the original versions of the trilogy would be officially released, but said that the powers that be had told him "that that's not necessarily possible". On whether he thought the sequel trilogy should be altered at some point, Abrams stated, "I respect anyone who feels like they want to go back and adjust and add; I get that. But I also feel like it's not the way I think about projects ... I feel like [when] you're done with a thing, ... that's what it is." Contrarily, some media outlets have called for the climax of "The Rise of Skywalker" to be altered to show the Force spirits of the Jedi who aid Rey. Fan pleas for a director's cut of the film trended on social media following the release of "Zack Snyder's Justice League".


title: Changes in Star Wars re-releases

text: Some sources have incorrectly claimed the existence of other alternate versions of the films. In 2020, a YouTube clip purported to show an audience reaction to "The Empire Strikes Back"s twist ending, adding "Luke" to Vader's famous "I am your father" line—a common false memory of the dialogue. Additionally, in May 2021, "The Rise of Skywalker" was misbelieved to have been color corrected on Disney+ to reduce its green hue, apparently due to confusion over whether Night Shift software was active. Following the release of many Marvel Cinematic Universe films in the IMAX format on Disney+, "SlashGear" suggested that "The Force Awakens"'s IMAX version could be released in the future.


title: Finger Lakes

text: The Finger Lakes are a group of eleven long, narrow, roughly north–south lakes located south of Lake Ontario in an area called the "Finger Lakes region" in New York, in the United States. This region straddles the northern and transitional edge, known as the Finger Lakes Uplands and Gorges ecoregion, of the Northern Allegheny Plateau and the Ontario Lowlands ecoregion of the Great Lakes Lowlands.


title: Finger Lakes

text: The geological term "finger lake" refers to a long, narrow lake in an overdeepened glacial valley, while the proper name "Finger Lakes" goes back to the late 19th century. Cayuga and Seneca Lakes are among the deepest in the United States, measuring and respectively, with bottoms well below sea level. Though none of the lakes' widths exceed , Seneca Lake is long, and , the largest in total area.


title: Finger Lakes

text: The origin of the name "Finger Lakes" is uncertain. Currently, the oldest known published use of "finger lakes" for this group of 11 lakes is in a United States Geological Survey paper by Thomas Chamberlin that was published in 1883. This paper was later cited and "Finger Lakes" formally used as a proper name by R. S. Tarr in a Geological Society of America paper published in 1893. Older usage of "Finger Lakes" in either maps, papers, reports, or any other documents remains to be verified.


title: Finger Lakes

text: Cazenovia Lake to the east, although smaller, is sometimes called "the 12th Finger Lake", because it is similar in shape and limnology. It is in Appalachian hill terrain, lying mostly in the historic village of Cazenovia, and is linked to other Finger Lakes by US 20 and NY 13. It may have been formed in the same manner as the Finger Lakes, as satellite photos show three valleys similar in character and spacing to the Finger Lakes east of Otisco Lake. The first is the Tully Valley, which includes a chain of six small lakes called the Tully Lakes at the south end that could collectively be a "Finger Lake" that never formed because of a terminal moraine. The moraine caused the Tioughnioga River to flow south instead of north, the opposite of the Finger Lakes' waters. The next two valleys to the east contain Butternut Creek, which flows north, and the East Branch of the Tioughnioga River, which flows south. The next valley contains Limestone Creek, which flows north. Other lakes have also made the claim of being the 12th Finger Lake, including Silver and Onondaga lakes, although Onondaga, as a dimictic lake, has some significant limnological differences.


title: Finger Lakes

text: DeRuyter Reservoir, sometimes called Tioughnioga Lake or DeRuyter Lake, a man-made Finger Lake southwest of Cazenovia Lake on Limestone Creek, is 8 miles from the northernmost point on the Finger Lakes Trail, but was built as a feeder reservoir for the Erie Canal. It is maintained by the New York State Canal Corporation.


title: Finger Lakes

text: Oneida Lake, to the northeast of Syracuse, is sometimes included as the "thumb", although it is shallow and somewhat different in character from the rest. As with Onondaga and Cazenovia Lakes, it drains into Lake Ontario via the Oswego River and then into the St. Lawrence River ultimately draining into the Atlantic Ocean. Chautauqua Lake, Findley Lake and Kinzua Lake to the west are not considered Finger Lakes; all three drain into the Allegheny River and eventually into the Gulf of Mexico, and in the case of Kinzua and Findley, as with DeRuyter to the east, the lakes are the artificial creation of dams.


title: Finger Lakes

text: Conesus, Hemlock, Canadice, Honeoye, and Otisco are considered the minor Finger Lakes. Other, smaller lakes, including Silver, Waneta, and Lamoka lakes, dot this region. Silver Lake, west of Conesus Lake, would seem to qualify because it is in the Great Lakes watershed, but Waneta and Lamoka lakes, sometimes called the "fingernail" lakes, are part of the Susquehanna River watershed, draining into a tributary of the Chemung River.


title: Finger Lakes

text: East of Oneida and Cazenovia Lakes are the headwaters of the Susquehanna River and Hudson River watersheds (the former in the foothills of the Catskills, the latter through the Mohawk Valley and southern Adirondack Mountains).


title: Finger Lakes

text: These glacial finger lakes originated as a series of northward-flowing streams. Around two million years ago, the area was glaciated by first of many continental glaciers of the Laurentide Ice Sheet moved southward from the Hudson Bay area. During the glacial maximums, subglacial meltwater and glacial ice widened, deepened, and accentuated the existing river valleys to form subglacial tunnel valleys. Glacial debris, possibly terminal moraine left behind by the receding ice, acted as dams, allowing lakes to form. Despite the deep erosion of the valleys, the surrounding uplands show little evidence of glaciation, suggesting the ice was thin, or at least unable to cause much erosion at higher elevations. The deep cutting by glacial erosion left some tributaries hanging high above the lakes—both Seneca and Cayuga have tributaries hanging as much as above the valley floors. Based upon sediments cores, seismic stratigraphy, and radiocarbon dates, the finger lakes became ice-free about 14,400 BP calendar. At this time scouring by ice and meltwater ceased and these lakes filled initially with proglacial lake rhythmites. The deposition of proglacial lake rhythmites occurred between 14,400 and 13,900 BP calendar. After the magins of the Layrentide Ice Sheet retreated into the Ontario lowlands after 13,900 BP calendar, The accumulation, at first, of massive gray clays followed by dark gray to black, laminated, organic-rich muds, accumulated without interruption until present within the Finger Lakes.


title: Finger Lakes

text: Detailed studies of Marine Isotope Stage 3 and 4 age sediments exposed at a locality called the "Great Gully" on the eastern flank of the Cayuga Lake, near Union Springs, New York, record the presence of a paleolake that existed prior to Cayuga Lake. This paleolake, which is called Glacial Lake Nanette, was a proglacial lake that filled the bedrock valley currently occupied by Cayuga Lake from about 50,000 BP calibrated until it was overridden by a glacial readvance that occurred prior to 30,000 BP calendar and buried it beneath younger glacial till. This research shows that bedrock valleys, in which the Finger lakes lie, existed prior to the Last Glacial Maximum and developed over multiple glaciations.


title: Finger Lakes

text: Finally, although sub-glacial scour during the Last Glacial Maximum removed the majority of pre-existing sediment down to the bedrock bottoms of the Finger Lakes, patches of interglacial deposits are likely preserved locally within or near hanging valleys on the margins of their valleys. For example, the principle site that has been well-studied is the "Fembank" exposure of interglacial deposits on the west margin of Cayuga. This deposit provides direct evidence that some version of Cayuga Lake and its bedrock valley existed prior to Last Glacial Maximum.


title: Finger Lakes

text: Much of the Finger Lakes area lies upon the Marcellus Shale and the Utica Shale, two prominent natural gas reserves. Due to the recent increase in fracking technology, the natural gas is now accessible for extraction. While some large landowners have leased their lands, and a number of small landowners would like to follow suit, many residents of the Finger Lakes oppose the fracking process due to concerns about groundwater contamination and the industrial impact of the extraction-related activities. The first direct actions and local legislative actions against fracking occurred in the Finger Lakes bioregion. In December 2014, the government of New York banned all fracking in the state, citing pollution risks.


title: Finger Lakes

text: The Finger Lakes region is a central part of the Iroquois homeland. The Iroquois tribes include the Seneca and Cayuga nations, for which the two largest Finger Lakes are named. The Tuscarora tribe lived in the Finger Lakes region as well, from ca. 1720. The Onondaga and Oneida tribes lived at the eastern edge of the region, closer to their namesake lakes, Oneida Lake and Onondaga Lake. The easternmost Iroquois tribe was the Mohawk.


title: Finger Lakes

text: The Finger Lakes region contains sites of unknown cultural affiliation and age. The Bluff Point Stoneworks is one such site as its age and who may have constructed these enigmatic stone structures has not been determined.


title: Finger Lakes

text: During colonial times, many other tribes moved to the Finger Lakes region, seeking the protection of the Iroquois. For example, in 1753, remnants of several Virginia Siouan tribes, collectively called the Tutelo-Saponi, moved to the town of Coreorgonel at the south end of Cayuga Lake near present-day Ithaca and lived there until 1779, when their village was destroyed by the Sullivan Expedition.


title: Finger Lakes

text: Major Iroquois towns in the Finger Lakes region included the Seneca town of Gen-nis-he-yo (present-day Geneseo), Kanadaseaga (Seneca Castle, near present-day Geneva), Goiogouen (Cayuga Castle, east of Cayuga Lake), Chonodote (Cayuga town, present-day Aurora), Catherine's Town (near present-day Watkins Glen) and Ganondagan State Historic Site in Victor, New York.


title: Finger Lakes

text: As one of the most powerful Indian nations during colonial times, the Iroquois were able to prevent European colonization of the Finger Lakes region for nearly two centuries after first contact, often playing the French off against the British interests in savvy demonstrations of political competence. The renowned ingenuity and adaptability of the Iroquois people were key tools of resistance against hostile European powers rapidly spreading throughout North America, eager to dominate and increasingly brutal toward native Americans in the Finger Lakes and beyond.


title: Finger Lakes

text: By the late 18th century, with the French governmental influence gone from Canada, Iroquois power had weakened relative to the steady growth in European-Americans' populations, and internal strife eroded the political unity of the Iroquois Confederacy as it faced pressures from colonists itching to move west and a desire to keep them out of Amerindian lands. During the American Revolutionary War, some Iroquois sided with the British and some with the Americans, resulting in civil war among the Iroquois. In the late 1770s, British-allied Iroquois attacked various American frontier settlements, prompting counter-attacks, culminating in the Sullivan Expedition of 1779, which destroyed most of the Iroquois towns and effectively broke Iroquois power. After the Revolutionary War, the Iroquois and other Indians of the region were assigned reservations. Most of their land, including the Finger Lakes region, was opened up to purchase and settlement.


title: Finger Lakes

text: Roughly the western half of the Finger Lakes region comprised the Phelps and Gorham Purchase of 1790. The region was rapidly settled at the turn of the 19th century, largely by a westward migration from New England, and to a lesser degree by northward influx from Pennsylvania. The regional architecture reflects these area traditions of the Federal and Greek Revival periods.


title: Finger Lakes

text: The Finger Lakes region, together with the Genesee Country of Western New York, has been referred to as the burned-over district. There, in the 19th century, the Second Great Awakening was a revival of Christianity; some new religions were also formed.


title: Finger Lakes

text: The region was active in reform and utopian movements. Many of its Underground Railroad sites have been documented. For example, the Harriet Tubman Home at Auburn recalls the life and work of the African-American "Moses of her people."


title: Finger Lakes

text: On the northern end of the Finger Lakes are also Seneca Falls, the birthplace of the women's suffrage movement; Waterloo, the birthplace of Memorial Day; and Palmyra, the birthplace of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. An annual outdoor drama, The "Hill Cumorah Pageant", produced by the church, draws thousands of visitors each year.


title: Finger Lakes

text: Hammondsport was the home of aviation pioneer Glenn Curtiss, and favorable air currents make the area a popular spot for glider pilots. Elmira, just to the south, was the home of Mark Twain in his later life, and the site of an infamous Civil War prison. Corning is most noted as the home of Corning Glass Works and the Corning Museum of Glass. Hornell, just southwest of the Finger Lakes, was a major railroad center; locomotives were repaired there for many years and rail passenger cars are built there today (2022).


title: Finger Lakes

text: Conesus remains the home of the oldest producer of pure grape sacramental wine in the Western hemisphere.


title: Finger Lakes

text: Notable among the historic buildings of the region (most linked below) is the Granger Homestead (1816), a large village house in Federal Style at Canandaigua, New York. Another example of the Federal Style is the Prouty-Chew House (1829) at Geneva, portions of which were altered at various times in new fashions.


title: Finger Lakes

text: Three Greek Revival mansions are situated near three lakes: The Richard DeZeng House, Skaneateles (1839); Rose Hill, Geneva (1839); and Esperanza, Penn Yan (1838). The latter two are open to the public.


title: Finger Lakes

text: The Seward House in Auburn, a National Historic Landmark, is a mansion more characteristic of the Civil War era, virtually unchanged from the nineteenth century. Belhurst Castle, Geneva, a stone mansion in the Romanesque Revival style, now serves as an inn. Sonnenberg mansion at Canandaigua is a later nineteenth-century residence in the Queen Anne style, known for its restored period gardens. Geneva on the Lake is a villa (1910–14) that recalls those on Italian lakes. Now an inn, it has European-style gardens. Many buildings and historic districts of the Finger Lakes region are notable, in addition to these historic houses.


title: Finger Lakes

text: Implemented in August, 2010, the Hemlock-Canadice State Forest covers that encompass the two western Finger Lakes, Hemlock and Canadice. These lakes have provided drinking water for the City of Rochester for more than 100 years. To protect water quality, the city acquired much of the property around the lakes. Over the decades, the land reforested, but a few traces of its past, such as stone walls or cottage foundations, remain. Today these two lakes, with their steep, forested, largely-undeveloped shorelines and deep, clear water, provide visitors a glimpse of the Finger Lakes of the past. The Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) manages this State Forest for compatible public access for recreation, including fishing, hunting, nature study, boating and hiking. Activities in Hemlock-Canadice State Forest are subject the DEC's Rules and Regulations for the Use of State Lands, 6 NYCRR Part 190, as well as any other applicable state statutes, rules and regulations. These are sensitive areas because they protect public drinking water.


title: Finger Lakes

text: The 584-mile (939.9 km) Finger Lakes Trail and its branch trails run through the southern portion of the Finger Lakes region and also constitute a portion of the 4,600 mile North Country National Scenic Trail.


title: Finger Lakes

text: Hemlock Lake is home to the state's oldest nesting bald eagle site, dating back to the early 1960s. The nesting bald eagles of Hemlock Lake have fostered a resurgence of bald eagles throughout New York State. Hemlock Lake, originally known as "O-Neh-Da" which is Seneca for "Lake of Hemlock Trees", is home to the nation's oldest sacramental winery, founded by Bishop McQuaid in 1872. Today, O-Neh-Da Vineyard continues to make premium natural pure grape wine for churches and foodies alike.


title: Finger Lakes

text: The Finger Lakes region is New York's largest wine-producing region. Over 400 wineries and vineyards surround Seneca, Cayuga, Canandaigua, Keuka, Conesus, and Hemlock Lakes. Because of the lakes' great depth, they provide a lake effect to the lush vineyards that flank their shores. Due to the size and concentration of these lakes, the region retains residual summer warmth in the winter and winter's cold in the spring; as a result, the grapes are protected from disastrous spring frost during shoot growth, and early frost before the harvest. Additionally, due to the long, narrow, north-to-south positioning of the Finger Lakes, the slopes on the east and west side provide for variations in sunlight exposure, temperature, soil, and more; this leads to a great diversity of growing environments within the region and ultimately in the yielded wine.


title: Finger Lakes

text: The main grape varieties grown are Chardonnay, Riesling, Gewürztraminer, Pinot noir, Cabernet Franc, Vidal blanc, Seyval blanc and many "Vitis labrusca" (American native) varieties or cultivars.


title: Finger Lakes

text: With the passage of the Farm Winery Act in 1976, numerous wineries are now open to visitors. Wineries are a growth industry of the region, contributing through their production and by attracting visitors. The Finger Lakes American Viticulture Area (AVA) includes two of America's oldest wineries, O-Neh-Da Vineyard (1872) on Hemlock Lake and The Pleasant Valley Wine Company (1860) on Keuka Lake.


title: Finger Lakes

text: Aside from wine, the craft beer industry has exploded in the region, with the number of breweries doubling since 2012.


title: Finger Lakes

text: The area is also known for higher-education learning. The largest is Ivy League institution Cornell University, in Ithaca. Other notable schools are Ithaca College, also in Ithaca; Syracuse University, SUNY Upstate Medical University, State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry, and Le Moyne College, in Syracuse; Tompkins Cortland Community College in Dryden, Ithaca, and Cortland; Wells College in Aurora; Hobart and William Smith Colleges in Geneva; Keuka College in Keuka Park; Finger Lakes Community College in Canandaigua and Geneva; New York Chiropractic College in Seneca Falls and Cayuga Community College in Auburn.


title: Finger Lakes

text: Nearby the Finger Lakes is Binghamton University (SUNY), the University of Rochester, Nazareth College, St. John Fisher College, Roberts Wesleyan College and Rochester Institute of Technology in Rochester; Elmira College in Elmira; Corning Community College in Corning; and the State University of New York at Geneseo.


title: Finger Lakes

text: The Finger Lakes region is home to several museums. These include the Corning Museum of Glass, the Johnson Museum of Art at Cornell University, the Strong National Museum of Play, the Glenn H. Curtiss Museum, the Finger Lakes Boating Museum, the Wings of Eagles Discovery Center, the Sciencenter, the Museum of the Earth, the National Soaring Museum, the Rockwell Museum, the Seward House Museum, the William H. Seward and the Samuel Warren Homesteads of the New York Historical Society, birthplace of New York State's first successful commercial winery.


title: Finger Lakes

text: The Women's Rights National Historic Park is in Seneca Falls. The park includes the home of Elizabeth Cady Stanton and the Wesleyan Chapel, where she held the first convention on women's rights in 1848.


title: Casa Batlló

text: The local name for the building is ' (House of Bones), as it has a visceral, skeletal organic quality. It is located on the in the Eixample district, and forms part of a row of houses known as the ' (or ', the "Block of Discord"), which consists of four buildings by noted ' architects of Barcelona.


title: Casa Batlló

text: Like everything Gaudí designed, is only identifiable as or Art Nouveau in the broadest sense. The ground floor, in particular, has unusual tracery, irregular oval windows and flowing sculpted stone work. There are few straight lines, and much of the façade is decorated with a colorful mosaic made of broken ceramic tiles (). The roof is arched and was likened to the back of a dragon or dinosaur. A common theory about the building is that the rounded feature to the left of centre, terminating at the top in a turret and cross, represents the lance of Saint George (patron saint of Catalonia, Gaudí's home), which has been plunged into the back of the dragon.


title: Casa Batlló

text: In 2005, became an UNESCO World Heritage Site among the other Works of Antoni Gaudí, and is visited by people from around the world.


title: Casa Batlló

text: The building that is now was built in 1877, commissioned by Lluís Sala Sánchez. It was a classical building without remarkable characteristics within the eclecticism traditional by the end of the 19th century. The building had a basement, a ground floor, four other floors and a garden in the back.


title: Casa Batlló

text: The house was bought by Josep Batlló in 1903. The design of the house made the home undesirable to buyers but the Batlló family decided to buy the place due to its centralized location. It is located in the middle of , which in the early 20th century was known as a very prestigious and fashionable area. It was an area where the prestigious family could draw attention to themselves.


title: Casa Batlló

text: In 1906, Josep Batlló still owned the home. The Batlló family was very well known in Barcelona for its contribution to the textile industry in the city. Mr. Josep Batlló i Casanovas was a textile industrialist who owned a few factories in the city. Mr. Batlló married Amàlia Godó Belaunzarán, from the family that founded the newspaper "La Vanguardia". Josep wanted an architect that would design a house that was like no other and stood out as being audacious and creative. Both Josep and his wife were open to anything and they decided not to limit Gaudí. Josep did not want his house to resemble any of the houses of the rest of the Batlló family, such as Casa Pía, built by the Josep Vilaseca. He chose the architect who had designed Park Güell because he wanted him to come up with a risky plan. The family lived on the principal floor of until the middle of the 1950s.


title: Casa Batlló

text: In 1904, Josep Batlló hired Gaudí to design his home; at first his plans were to tear down the building and construct a completely new house. Gaudí convinced Josep that a renovation was sufficient and was also able to submit the planning application the same year. The building was completed and refurbished in 1906. He completely changed the main apartment which became the residence for the Batlló family. He expanded the central well in order to supply light to the whole building and also added new floors. In the same year the Barcelona City Council selected the house as a candidate for that year's best building award. The award was given to another architect that year despite Gaudí's design.


title: Casa Batlló

text: Josep Batlló died in 1934 and the house was kept in order by the wife until her death in 1940. After the death of the two parents, the house was kept and managed by the children until 1954. In 1954, an insurance company named Seguros Iberia acquired Casa Batlló and set up offices there. In 1970, the first refurbishment occurred mainly in several of the interior rooms of the house. In 1983, the exterior balconies were restored to their original colour and a year later the exterior façade was illuminated in the ceremony of La Mercè.


title: Casa Batlló

text: In 1993, the current owners of Casa Batlló bought the home and continued refurbishments throughout the whole building. Two years later, in 1995, Casa Batlló began to hire out its facilities for different events. More than 2,500 square meters of rooms within the building were rented out for many different functions. Due to the building's location and the beauty of the facilities being rented, the rooms of Casa Batlló were in very high demand and hosted many important events for the city.


title: Casa Batlló

text: The local name for the building is "Casa dels ossos" (House of Bones), as it has a visceral, skeletal organic quality. The building looks very remarkable — like everything Gaudí designed, only identifiable as Modernisme or Art Nouveau in the broadest sense. The ground floor, in particular, is rather astonishing with tracery, irregular oval windows and flowing sculpted stone work.


title: Casa Batlló

text: It seems that the goal of the designer was to avoid straight lines completely. Much of the façade is decorated with a mosaic made of broken ceramic tiles (trencadís) that starts in shades of golden orange moving into greenish blues. The roof is arched and was likened to the back of a dragon or dinosaur. A common theory about the building is that the rounded feature to the left of centre, terminating at the top in a turret and cross, represents the lance of Saint George (patron saint of Catalonia, Gaudí's home), which has been plunged into the back of the dragon.


title: Casa Batlló

text: The loft is considered to be one of the most unusual spaces. It was formerly a service area for the tenants of the different apartments in the building which contained laundry rooms and storage areas. It is known for its simplicity of shapes and its Mediterranean influence through the use of white on the walls. It contains a series of sixty catenary arches that creates a space which represents the ribcage of an animal. Some people believe that the “ribcage” design of the arches is a ribcage for the dragon's spine that is represented in the roof.


title: Casa Batlló

text: The noble floor is larger than seven-hundred square meters. It is the main floor of the building. The noble floor is accessed through a private entrance hall that utilizes skylights resembling tortoise shells and vaulted walls in curving shapes. On the noble floor, there is a spacious landing with direct views to the blue tiling of the building well. On the Passeig de Gracia side is Mr. Batlló's study, a dining room, and a secluded spot for courting couples, decorated with a mushroom-shaped fireplace. The elaborate and animal-like décor continues throughout the whole noble floor.


title: Casa Batlló

text: In 2002, the house opened its doors to the public, and people were allowed to visit the noble floor. The building was opened to the public as part of the celebration of the International Year of Gaudí. Casa Batlló met with very much unanticipated success, and visitors became eager to see the rest of the house. Two years later, in celebration of the one hundredth anniversary of the beginning of work on Casa Batlló, the fifth floor was restored and the house extended its visit to the loft and the well. In 2005, Casa Batlló became a UNESCO World Heritage Site.


title: Casa Batlló

text: The roof terrace is one of the most popular features of the entire house due to its famous dragon back design. Gaudí represents an animal's spine by using tiles of different colors on one side. The roof is decorated with four chimney stacks, that are designed to prevent backdraughts.


title: Casa Batlló

text: The façade has three distinct sections which are harmoniously integrated. The lower ground floor with the main floor and two first-floor galleries are contained in a structure of Montjuïc sandstone with undulating lines. The central part, which reaches the last floor, is a multicolored section with protruding balconies. The top of the building is a crown, like a huge gable, which is at the same level as the roof and helps to conceal the room where there used to be water tanks. This room is currently empty. The top displays a trim with ceramic pieces that has attracted multiple interpretations.


title: Casa Batlló

text: The roof's arched profile recalls the spine of a dragon with ceramic tiles for scales, and a small triangular window towards the right of the structure simulates the eye. Legend has it that it was once possible to see the Sagrada Família through this window, which was being built simultaneously. As of 2022, the partial view of the Sagrada Família is available from this vantage point, with its spires visible over newer buildings. The tiles were given a metallic sheen to simulate the varying scales of the monster, with the color grading from green on the right side, where the head begins, to deep blue and violet in the center, to red and pink on the left side of the building.


title: Casa Batlló

text: One of the highlights of the façade is a tower topped with a cross of four arms oriented to the cardinal directions. It is a bulbous, root-like structure that evokes plant life. There is a second bulb-shaped structure similarly reminiscent of a thalamus flower, which is represented by a cross with arms that are actually buds announcing the next flowering. The tower is decorated with monograms of Jesus (JHS), Maria (M with the ducal crown) and Joseph (JHP), made of ceramic pieces that stand out golden on the green background that covers the façade. These symbols show the deep religiosity of Gaudí, who was inspired by the contemporaneous construction of his basilica to choose the theme of the holy family.


title: Casa Batlló

text: The bulb was broken when it was delivered, perhaps during transportation. Although the manufacturer committed to re-do the broken parts, Gaudí liked the aesthetic of the broken masonry and asked that the pieces be stuck to the main structure with lime mortar and held in with a brass ring.


title: Casa Batlló

text: The central part of the façade evokes the surface of a lake with water lilies, reminiscent of Monet's "Nymphéas", with gentle ripples and reflections caused by the glass and ceramic mosaic. It is a great undulating surface covered with plaster fragments of colored glass discs combined with 330 rounds of polychrome pottery. The discs were designed by Gaudí and Jujol between tests during their stay in Majorca, while working on the restoration of the Cathedral of Palma.


title: Casa Batlló

text: Finally, above the central part of the façade is a smaller balcony, also iron, with a different exterior aesthetic, closer to a local type of lily. Two iron arms were installed here to support a pulley to raise and lower furniture.


title: Casa Batlló

text: The façade of the main floor, made entirely in sandstone, and is supported by two columns. The design is complemented by joinery windows set with multicolored stained glass. In front of the large windows, as if they were pillars that support the complex stone structure, there are six fine columns that seem to simulate the bones of a limb, with an apparent central articulation; in fact, this is a floral decoration. The rounded shapes of the gaps and the lip-like edges carved into the stone surrounding them create a semblance of a fully open mouth, for which the Casa Batlló has been nicknamed the "house of yawns". The structure repeats on the first floor and in the design of two windows at the ends forming galleries, but on the large central window there are two balconies as described above.


title: Kyle Larson

text: Kyle Miyata Larson (born July 31, 1992) is an American professional auto racing driver. He competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, driving the No. 5 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for Hendrick Motorsports. Larson is the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series champion, the 2012 NASCAR K&N Pro Series East champion and Rookie of the Year, the 2013 NASCAR Nationwide Series Rookie of the Year, and the 2014 Cup Series Rookie of the Year. Before and throughout his stock car racing career, Larson has been highly successful in dirt track racing, with wins in prestigious events including the Kings Royal, Knoxville Nationals, and Chili Bowl Nationals. He is also an overall winner of the 24 Hours of Daytona sports car race, having won the event with Chip Ganassi Racing in 2015.


title: Kyle Larson

text: Born on July 31, 1992, in Elk Grove, California, Larson attended his first race with his parents a week after his birth. He began racing at the age of seven in outlaw karts in Northern California. As a teenager, he raced open-wheel cars, including United States Auto Club (USAC) midget, Silver Crown and sprint cars, competing for Keith Kunz Motorsports and Hoffman Racing with Toyota backing; During his early career in USAC, a series official gave Larson the nickname "Yung Money" in recognition of his talent. He also raced in World of Outlaws sprint cars. His first sprint car race win came at Placerville Speedway, where he was one of the youngest drivers to ever compete. He won the 2011 4-Crown Nationals at Eldora Speedway, winning in all three types of USAC cars in a single night, only the second driver in history to accomplish the feat. He won two Silver Crown races that season and was awarded the series' 2011 Rookie of the Year. He holds the sprint car track record at Ocean Speedway in Watsonville, California, set in 2010. In 2012, he won six USAC National Midget races including the Turkey Night Grand Prix. Even during his stock car career, Larson continued racing open-wheel cars for midweek races in addition to going to New Zealand in some off-seasons to race.


title: Kyle Larson

text: While he expressed some interest in IndyCar racing, Larson was signed for the 2012 racing season by Earnhardt Ganassi Racing (EGR) as part of the team's driver development program. In February 2012, at the Pete Orr Memorial Orange Blossom 100 at New Smyrna Speedway, Larson made his first start in a full-bodied stock car and won the race, leading only the final lap. A week later, he won again at the speedway during the World Series of Asphalt. Larson ran full-time in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East, driving for Rev Racing. In the first race of the season at Bristol Motor Speedway, Larson finished 9th after starting 6th. At the Bowman Gray Stadium, Larson started on the pole and later finished 5th. He won his first K&N Pro Series East win at Gresham Motorsports Park in Jefferson, Georgia. Larson earned his 2nd career win at New Hampshire. On June 15, 2012, Larson made his ARCA Racing Series debut at Michigan International Speedway, driving for Eddie Sharp Racing; he finished 13th in the event. Larson won the 2012 NASCAR K&N Pro Series East championship with 2 wins and 12 top tens in 14 races, overcoming the five wins of Corey LaJoie (son of two-time Busch Series champion Randy). Larson was also named the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East Rookie of the Year. On June 7, 2014, Larson won his first ARCA win at Pocono Raceway from the pole.


title: Kyle Larson

text: In late June 2012, Larson made his Camping World Truck Series debut at Kentucky Speedway, driving the No. 4 Chevrolet Silverado for Turner Motorsports. He finished 10th in the race.


title: Kyle Larson

text: In April 2013, Larson won his first Truck Series win at Rockingham Speedway in a close finish with Joey Logano. During the celebration, Larson performed donuts without his steering wheel on, a practice he had acquired when racing go karts. The celebration prompted NASCAR to request him to keep it attached, regarding safety concerns because Larson would not have much control of the truck without the steering wheel. He finished 2nd in the inaugural Mudsummer Classic at Eldora Speedway.


title: Kyle Larson

text: In 2016, Larson drove the No. 24 truck on a part-time basis for GMS Racing. At Martinsville, Larson finished 4th after starting 5th. He won at Eldora Speedway, holding off Christopher Bell after being penalized one lap early in the race.


title: Kyle Larson

text: In 2020, Larson announced he would be re-joining GMS Racing to drive the No. 24 truck for the Homestead race, pursuing a bounty offered by Kevin Harvick to full-time Cup drivers to beat Kyle Busch. Following his suspension from NASCAR, Larson was released from the team.


title: Kyle Larson

text: Larson returned to the Truck Series in 2021, driving the No. 44 truck for Niece Motorsports in the new Bristol dirt race. He finished 35th in the race after a crash on lap 100.


title: Kyle Larson

text: In 2013, Larson moved full-time to the NASCAR Nationwide Series, driving the No. 32 Chevrolet Camaro for Turner Scott Motorsports. On the last lap of the DRIVE4COPD 300 at Daytona International Speedway, he was involved in a violent crash in which his car went airborne and pierced the catchfence, completely ripping the front end of his car off. He was unharmed, but the debris hurt several spectators in the stands. In the inaugural Nationwide Children's Hospital 200 at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, Larson was sent off the track and into the tire barriers on lap one. However, after falling three laps down due to repairs, Larson recovered to finish on the lead lap in 14th. Larson won the Nationwide Series Rookie of the Year, becoming the first Asian-American and first Drive for Diversity participant to win a Rookie of the Year Award in one of NASCAR's national touring series.


title: Kyle Larson

text: In 2014, while Larson moved full-time to the Cup Series, he drove the No. 42 car on a part-time basis. At Bristol, Larson started on the pole and finished 2nd to Kyle Busch. On March 22, Larson won his first ever Nationwide Series win at Auto Club Speedway, holding off Kyle Busch and Kevin Harvick. In victory lane, Larson stated, "Those last 11, 12 laps were the longest laps of my life. I've been so close to winning so many times, but the fashion we did it in was extra special." Larson once again celebrated by doing burnouts in the infield without a steering wheel. On May 24, Larson earned his second career win at Charlotte Motor Speedway, edging Brad Keselowski.


title: Kyle Larson

text: In 2015, Larson drove the No. 42 car part-time for HScott Motorsports. At Daytona, Larson finished 8th after being spun out on the last lap. He won at Homestead-Miami Speedway after holding off Austin Dillon, and the first win for HScott Motorsports.


title: Kyle Larson

text: In 2016, Larson continued to drive the No. 42 part-time for Chip Ganassi Racing (CGR). During the race at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Larson passed Joey Logano with 15 laps to go and nearly won the race until a caution came out with 2 laps to go. Larson lost the race to Denny Hamlin and finished 6th. Larson won at Pocono after the race was called due to rain on lap 53. He would win again later in the season at Texas Motor Speedway.


title: Kyle Larson

text: Larson ran 11 Xfinity races in 2017. He won at Auto Club Speedway after holding off Joey Logano. Larson won at Richmond International Raceway. He also won at Dover after leading 137 laps.


title: Kyle Larson

text: In 2022, Larson returned to the Xfinity Series for the first time since 2018. He drove the No. 17 Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports at Road America. He won the first two stages and led the most laps, but eventually lost to Ty Gibbs on the final lap and finished second. Larson drove the No. 88 car for JR Motorsports at Watkins Glen and went on to win his 13th career win after William Byron and Gibbs spun together while fighting for the lead during the final laps. At the September Darlington race, Larson finished fifth after a three-car battle with Noah Gragson and Sheldon Creed on the closing laps.


title: Kyle Larson

text: On August 27, 2013, "The Charlotte Observer" reported that Larson will drive the No. 42 car in the Sprint Cup Series for Chip Ganassi Racing starting in the 2014 season and would compete for the Rookie of the Year honors. The deal was officially announced on August 30, 2013. On October 1, it was announced that Larson would make his Sprint Cup Series debut at Charlotte Motor Speedway, driving the No. 51 car for Phoenix Racing to prepare for his rookie season. At Charlotte, Larson qualified 21st and finished 37th after an engine failure on lap 247. Larson made his second Cup start at Martinsville Speedway where started 26th and finished 42nd after another engine failure.


title: Kyle Larson

text: In his Daytona 500 debut, Larson got into the wall twice and despite fixing the damage, he spun out on lap 22. Larson finished 38th after being crashed out by Austin Dillon on lap 163. At the Auto Club 400, Larson qualified 11th and later finished second to Kyle Busch. At Richmond, Larson recorded a speed of . After qualifying was rained out, Larson started first based on being the fastest in practice. During the race, he was spun out by Clint Bowyer on lap 1, but recovered later and finished 16th. Larson finished ninth at Talladega after starting 29th. He had a very impressive run at Pocono Raceway where he ran in the top ten the entire race and finished fifth. At Michigan, Larson spun out on lap 7; despite that, he spent 33 laps recovering from 43rd to finish eighth.


title: Kyle Larson

text: During the Michigan race, Larson blocked one of his strong supporters Tony Stewart trying to go for the lead; the block damaged Stewart's grille. In response, Stewart tried to retaliate under a yellow-flag period. When told that Stewart was mad at him for the block, Larson shrugged it off replying "Tony being Tony I guess. I was pretty tight on whoever was inside of me on the restart, and I was looking in my mirror and saw him juke to the right so I juked to the right and he hit me, and I don't know, he was just trying to teach me a lesson I'm guessing." Before the Sonoma race Stewart warned Larson, angrily saying "He'll learn not to block me anytime soon." Larson crashed early in the Coke Zero 400 where he finished 36th. He rebounded the next race at Loudon with a third-place finish. Larson finished seventh in the Brickyard 400. He earned his first Cup Series pole at Pocono Raceway where he set the track record with a lap speed of .


title: Kyle Larson

text: Larson missed his chance to make the Chase after poor finishes in the final two regular-season races. At Chicagoland, Larson led 20 laps and finished third. At New Hampshire, Larson finished second to Joey Logano. At Kansas, he finished second again to Logano and his third runner-up finish. At the season finale at Homestead, Larson finished 13th and won the Sprint Cup Series Rookie of the Year over Austin Dillon with his statistics being higher than other rookie seasons in history, such as those of Richard Petty and Jeff Gordon.


title: Kyle Larson

text: In 2015, Larson began the season with a crash in the Daytona 500 where he finished 34th. Larson finished eighth at Las Vegas, his first Top 10 of the year. He finished 10th at Phoenix. During an autograph session at Martinsville Speedway, Larson fainted and was hospitalized. He was replaced by Regan Smith. Two days later, He was released from the hospital with a diagnosis of dehydration as being the cause of the faint.


title: Kyle Larson

text: Larson started on the pole in the Quaker State 400 at Kentucky Speedway after qualifying was canceled due to rain and finished 35th, two laps down. After a 12th-place finish at Richmond, Larson failed to make the Chase. During the Charlotte race, Larson and Kyle Busch both collided at the entrance of pit road which ended Larson's chances of winning and finished 21st with one lap down.


title: Kyle Larson

text: Larson started the 2016 season with a seventh-place finish at Daytona, marking his first Top 10 and first non-DNF. Larson ran very well at Martinsville where he finished third. He also had a Top 5 car at Kansas before being caught up in a crash with Denny Hamlin, Joey Logano, and Brad Keselowski and finished 35th. At Dover, Larson started 23rd and spent five laps a lap down before getting the free pass on lap 120. Matt Kenseth lead the race with less than 50 laps to go, with Larson in second, chasing him down during the final laps, but couldn't take the advantage of Kenseth's mistakes and finished second. Afterward, Larson stated, "Matt Kenseth, in my eyes is the cleanest racer out there. I didn't want to drive him dirty because he always races me clean. Looking back, I'd do stuff different but my time is coming." At the Sprint Showdown, Larson battled with Chase Elliott for the win in the final segment. While the two made contact as they approached the start/finish line, Larson beat Elliott to lock himself into the All-Star Race. During the All-Star Race, Larson took the lead on the final restart, but was caught by Joey Logano and hit the wall with two laps to go and finished 16th. At the 2016 Pure Michigan 400, Larson won his first-ever Sprint Cup Series race, holding off Chase Elliott. The win also qualified him into the Chase for the first time. In his first Chase appearance, Larson finished 18th at Chicagoland and finished 10th at New Hampshire. He was eliminated from the Round of 16 after a 25th-place finish at Dover. At Homestead, Larson finished second to Jimmie Johnson and ended up 9th in the standings.


title: Kyle Larson

text: In 2017, Larson took the lead on the final lap in the Daytona 500 but ran out of fuel and finished 12th. At Atlanta, Larson finished 2nd to Brad Keselowski. He would go on to finish second in the next two races at Las Vegas and Phoenix, which allowed him to take the points lead for the first time in his career. Larson earned his second career Cup Series win at the Auto Club 400 after starting from the pole, increasing his points lead. A 17th-place finish at Martinsville Speedway hurt him, but he still maintained a four-point lead over Chase Elliott. In the 2017 O'Reilly Auto Parts 500, Larson rebounded from struggles early to finish second.


title: Kyle Larson

text: At Michigan International Speedway, Larson picked up his third career pole and then he led 96 laps to get his third career win, holding off Chase Elliott. At the Kentucky race, Larson started at the rear of the field after he was unable to set a qualifying time as he was stuck in an inspection. He finished second to Martin Truex Jr., but lost his points lead when he was penalized 35 points for an improper rear brake cooling assembly; crew chief Chad Johnston was suspended for three races and Tony Lunders took his place. A week later, Larson won the pole at Loudon's Overton's 301, but was forced to surrender it to Truex after failing post-qualifying inspection for an unapproved rear deck fin lid. He finished second in the event after starting 39th. Larson earned his fourth career win at Michigan and his 3rd consecutive Michigan win after making a four-wide pass for the lead with two laps to go. Larson earned his fifth career win at Richmond (and his first win that is not a two-mile track) in the final race of the regular season.


title: Kyle Larson

text: Larson would enter the playoffs as the second seed tied for the most wins in the regular season with four. During the Playoffs, Larson was able to easily get to the round of 12 after scoring Top 5 finishes at Chicagoland, New Hampshire, and Dover. Unfortunately, Larson would end up being eliminated after the Round of 12 after blowing an engine at Kansas, resulting in a dismal 39th-place finish. He would struggle after being eliminated, finishing 37th at Martinsville and Texas, both due to crashes, and a last-place finish at Phoenix from an expired engine. Larson finished third at Homestead and would finish eighth in the standings. On November 29, Larson was named the Mobil 1 Driver of the Year.


title: Kyle Larson

text: Despite not winning a race throughout the 2018 season, Larson made it to the Playoffs by staying consistent with five second-place finishes, eight Top 5's, and 13 Top 10's. Larson started the Playoffs with his sixth runner-up finish of the season to Brad Keselowski at Las Vegas. At the Charlotte Roval race, Larson was involved in a multi-car wreck on a late restart that also included playoff contenders Brad Keselowski and Kyle Busch. Larson's heavily damaged No. 42 car took advantage of Jeffrey Earnhardt being spun out by Daniel Hemric on the final lap and limped across the finish line in 25th place and would advance to the round of 12. He experienced further bad luck at the Talladega fall race when a right front tire blew and spun out on lap 105. He finished 11th in the race but was docked 10 driver and 10 owner points after the team violated the damaged vehicle policy by using metal tabs instead of fasteners and/or tape to repair the torn right front fender. Larson was eliminated from the Round of 12 after the Kansas fall race despite finishing third. He finished 13th at Homestead and ended up ninth in the points standings, the highest of the winless drivers in 2018 along with a third consecutive Top 10 points finish.


title: Kyle Larson

text: Before the start of the 2019 season, Larson lost his primary sponsor DC Solar, whose headquarters had been raided by the FBI. Larson started out the season with a 7th-place finish at Daytona, his first top 10 of the year. On February 19, 2019, McDonald's announced they would serve as a primary sponsor for Kyle Larson throughout the 2019 season. At Atlanta, Larson led over 100 laps before being tagged for speeding on pit road; sending him to the back of the field and finished 12th. On February 26, 2019, Larson sparked controversy on the NBC Sports segment "Splash & Go!" with host Rick Allen when he jokingly implied that Hendrick Motorsports starts "cheating and finding some speed" a couple of months into the start of a season. He later apologized to Rick Hendrick for his comments. At the GEICO 500 at Talladega, Larson was involved in a major accident on the final lap, resulting his car going airborne and rolling over multiple times. He was uninjured and was credited with a 24th-place finish.


title: Kyle Larson

text: On May 18, Larson won the Monster Energy Open to transfer into the All-Star Race. Later that night, Larson won his first All-Star Race and became the third Cup driver to win both the Monster Energy Open and the All-Star race. Larson won the pole at Sonoma for the third straight year and finished 10th in the race. A week later at Chicagoland, Larson finished second after getting passed by Alex Bowman for the lead with six laps to go. After a second-place finish at Darlington, Larson clinched his spot in the playoffs for the fourth straight year despite no wins. He finished 13th at the Charlotte Roval to advance to the Round of 12.


title: Kyle Larson

text: At Dover, Larson started second and went on to score his sixth career win, ending his 75-race winless streak. The win also locked him into the Round of 8. Larson finished 39th at Talladega after getting involved in a big crash on lap 108 that left him with a fractured lower rib. He finished 14th at Kansas. Despite finishing 4th at Phoenix, he was eliminated in the Round of 8. At Homestead, Larson finished 40th after an engine failure on lap 209. He ended up sixth in the final points standings, his career-best to date.


title: Kyle Larson

text: Larson began the 2020 season with a tenth-place finish in the Daytona 500. During the Auto Club 400, Larson hit the turn one wall after Denny Hamlin collided with him, relegating him to a 21st-place finish. When the season was placed on hold after four races due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Larson was seventh in the point standings with three top-ten finishes.


title: Kyle Larson

text: On April 13, 2020, CGR suspended Larson indefinitely without pay after it became known that during an "iRacing" event the day before, Larson stated: "You can't hear me? Hey, nigger," believing he had lost communication. Shortly after Ganassi's announcement, NASCAR also suspended him indefinitely and ordered him to complete sensitivity training before he is allowed to race again. Larson would also be suspended by the World of Outlaws, but had that suspension lifted prior to their return to racing. Multiple corporations such as McDonald's, Credit One Bank, and Chevrolet also terminated their sponsorship of Larson. The following day, CGR fired Larson. Matt Kenseth took over as Larson's replacement in the No. 42 for the rest of the 2020 season.


title: Kyle Larson

text: In October 2020, after months of inactivity on social media, Larson posted an essay on his website, apologizing for using the slur and denying that it was representative of who he was. In the statement, Larson said that when racing overseas he encountered people who used the word regularly. He accepted accountability for his actions, including his suspension and dismissal from CGR, and said that although he finished the sensitivity training, he did more than what was required of him to change his behavior; for instance, he visited Minnesota days after George Floyd was murdered and participated in a variety of classes to learn more on the African-American community. The statement also said that some of the people in his career, including Ganassi, kept in touch with him during his rehabilitation in which convinced him to have hope in saving his career. Larson also said that he hopes his setback "was a lesson for everyone," and was in the process of seeking reinstatement to the Cup Series. In mid-October, it was reported that Larson officially applied for reinstatement. On the same month, it was announced that NASCAR had reinstated Larson's competition privileges effective on January 1, 2021.


title: Kyle Larson

text: On October 28, 2020, it was announced that Hendrick Motorsports signed Larson to a multi-year deal to drive the No. 5 car for the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series season. At the time of the announcement, it was also announced that the No. 5 car was not sponsored yet, though Hendrick announced that he would self-sponsor the car through his HendrickCars.com and NationsGuard companies until they found long-term sponsors. It was also announced later on that, although Hendrick normally did not allow their drivers to race anywhere other than their NASCAR team, the team negotiated a clause in the contract allowing Larson to continue racing dirt races, provided that he focused primarily on the Cup program. In only his fourth start with HMS, Larson won at Las Vegas; he had finished second nine times on 1.5-mile tracks prior to his victory. At The Coca-Cola 600, Larson dominated the race, leading 327 of 400 laps on his way to his second win of the season. Larson's victory was the 269th career Cup victory for Hendrick Motorsports, surpassing Petty Enterprises for the most Cup victories as a race team in NASCAR history. The following race in the Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma Raceway, Larson earned his 3rd win of the season after leading 57 laps. A week later, Larson earned his second All-Star win and became the 9th driver to win the All-Star Race more than once after starting from the pole, passing Chase Elliott during the final segment, and holding off Brad Keselowski. Larson also became the 8th driver in NASCAR Cup Series history to win the Coca-Cola 600 and the All-Star race in the same season. Larson earned his 10th career win at Nashville, leading 264 of 300 laps and winning a third consecutive race (All-Star races, as they are not points-paying, are not included). At the Pocono doubleheader, Larson was leading on the final lap until the tire went down and hit the turn 3 wall and his teammate Alex Bowman ended up winning the race. Larson would finish 9th. Despite resorting to a backup car the following day as a result of the incident, Larson rebounded to finish 2nd to Kyle Busch after a fuel gamble.


title: Kyle Larson

text: At Road America, Larson was accidentally spun out by Bowman while running in the top 5 and he would end up 16th. The next week at Atlanta, Larson was running 4th before being penalized for speeding on the final round of pit stops, finishing 18th. He would finish 7th at New Hampshire, the highest placing Chevrolet in the field.


title: Kyle Larson

text: On August 8, Larson passed Martin Truex Jr. for the lead during the final pit cycle at Watkins Glen and earned his 5th win of the season, a career high, after holding off his teammate Chase Elliott.


title: Kyle Larson

text: After the Watkins Glen race, Larson and Denny Hamlin were tied for the points lead in the regular season standings. Larson moved up to 1st in the regular-season standings after Hamlin got spun out by Chase Briscoe at the Indianapolis road course. Following the 2021 Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona, Larson clinched the Regular Season Championship.


title: Kyle Larson

text: In the Round of 16, Larson finished 2nd to Hamlin after leading the most laps at Darlington. Following a 6th-place finish at Richmond, Larson would lead 175 laps and make a pass on Kevin Harvick to win his 6th win of the season at Bristol. His win would somewhat be overshadowed by an altercation between Harvick and Chase Elliott after the race due to an on-track incident.


title: Kyle Larson

text: In the Round of 12, Larson finished 10th at Las Vegas and 37th at Talladega. At the Charlotte Roval race, Larson overcame early technical issues to pass Hamlin for the lead with eight laps to go and would go on to win his 7th race of the season. Larson became the first driver in NASCAR Cup history to win three different road courses in the same season and he also became the first driver since Kasey Kahne in 2006 to sweep both Charlotte races.


title: Kyle Larson

text: In the Round of 8, Larson won in a dominating fashion in the 2021 Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 500 at Texas Motor Speedway for his 8th win of the season to secure a spot in the Championship 4 for the first time. The following week, Larson earned his 9th win of the season in the Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway. Larson also became the first driver since Dale Earnhardt in 1987 to win three straight races twice in the same season.