text: In the greater short-nosed fruit bat, copulation by males is dorsoventral and the females lick the shaft or the base of the male's penis, but not the glans, which has already penetrated the vagina. While the females do this, the penis is not withdrawn and research has shown a positive relationship between length of the time that the penis is licked and the duration of copulation. Post copulation genital grooming has also been observed.


title: Non-reproductive sexual behavior in animals

text: The presence of same-sex sexual behaviour was not scientifically reported on a large scale until recent times. Homosexual behaviour does occur in the animal kingdom outside humans, especially in social species, particularly in marine birds and mammals, monkeys, and the great apes. As of 1999, the scientific literature contained reports of homosexual behavior in at least 471 wild species.


text: Homosexual behavior exists on a spectrum, and may or may not involve insertion. Apart from sexual activity, it can refer to homosexual pair-bonding, homosexual parenting and homosexual acts of affection. Engaging in homosexual behavior may allow species to obtain benefits such as gaining practice, relieving tension, and experiencing pleasure. Georgetown University professor Janet Mann has specifically theorised that homosexual behaviour, at least in dolphins, is an evolutionary advantage that minimizes intraspecies aggression, especially among males.


text: After studying bonobos for his book "Bonobo: The Forgotten Ape", primatologist Frans de Waal, a professor of psychology at Emory University in Atlanta, says that such expressions of intimacy are consistent with the homosexual behaviour of what he terms "the erotic champions of the world". "Same-sex, opposite-sex — bonobos just love sex play," de Waal said in an interview. "They have so much sex, it gets boring."


text: Homosexual behaviour is found in 6–10% of rams (sheep) and associated with variations in cerebral mass distribution and chemical activity.


text: Approximately eight percent of [male] rams exhibit sexual preferences [that is, even when given a choice] for male partners (male-oriented rams) in contrast to most rams, which prefer female partners (female-oriented rams). We identified a cell group within the medial preoptic area/anterior hypothalamus of age-matched adult sheep that was significantly larger in adult rams than in ewes ...


text: Male bighorn sheep are divisible into two kinds: the typical males among whom homosexual behaviour, including intercourse, is common and "effeminate sheep", or "behavioural transvestites", which are not known to engage in homosexual behaviour.


text: Male-male copulation has been observed in captive penguins and homosexual behaviour has been observed among bats, in particular, the fruit bat.


text: Homosexual pair-bonding can be established several ways; two of the main ways are pair bonding as partners or as companions. As partners, both animals will engage in sexual activities with each other. In companion bonding, sexual engagement is not necessary in the relationship. This form of homosexuality is more of a partnership and friendship; they spend all their time together. More than 70 species of birds engage in one of these two bonding.


text: Homosexual parenting (sometimes referred to as cooperative breeding) occurs in a wide variety of species in the animal kingdom. Homosexual parenting can occur in different ways, one of the most common being two females (typically related) coming together to help one another raise their offspring. An example of this is in meadow vole populations. Summer is peak breeding season for meadow voles; however, going into winter and spring there is a division between the male and female meadow vole populations. They prefer communal nesting (because of the thermoregulatory benefits), and therefore, in the winter and spring female meadow voles will commonly not only nest with another female, but nurse their offspring together as well. This kind of communal nursing, and same-sex social bonds, among meadow voles is actually thought to benefit the young — increasing growth and survival rates.


text: Homosexual parenting is especially present among certain species of birds, one of the most famous examples being Laysan albatross. It is fairly uncommon among different species for unrelated individuals of the same sex to raise offspring together, but female-female pairings in Laysan albatross populations are one of the exceptions. This same-sex pairing and mutual cooperation in chick-rearing often occurs in the Laysan albatross populations which have uneven sex ratios (and an overall greater surplus of females). Also, Laysan albatross are known for being monogamous, and this tendency actually allows same-sex parenting to persist.


text: Genital-genital rubbing, or GG rubbing, among non-human animals is sexual activity in which one animal rubs his or her genitals against the genitals of another animal. The term "GG rubbing" is frequently used by primatologists to describe this type of sexual intimacy among female bonobos, and is stated to be the "bonobo's most typical sexual pattern, undocumented in any other primate". The term is sometimes used in reference to GG rubbing among male bonobos, under the term "penis fencing", which is the non-human form of frot that human males engage in. Such rubbing between males is thought, according to varying evolutionary theorists, to have existed before the development of hominids into humans and bonobos, and may or may not have occurred in the homosexual activity of both of these genetically related species.


text: Genital rubbing has been observed once among male orangutans and several times in a small group of lar gibbons, where two males thrust their genitals together, sometimes resulting in ejaculation in one of the partners. It has been observed among bull manatees, in conjunction with "kissing", and is also common among homosexually active mammals.


text: Some animals opportunistically mate with individuals of another species. This is more commonly observed in domesticated species and animals in captivity, possibly because captivity is associated with a decrease in aggression and an increase in sexual receptivity. Nevertheless, animals in the wild have been observed to attempt sexual activity with other species. It is mostly documented among species that belong to the same genus, but sometimes occurs between species of distant taxa. Alfred Kinsey cites reports of sexual activity involving a female eland with an ostrich, a male dog with a chicken, a male monkey with a snake, and a female chimpanzee with a cat.


text: A 2008 review of the literature found 44 species pairs that had been observed attempting interspecies mating, and 46 species pairs that had completed interspecies matings, not counting cases that had resulted in hybridization. Most were known from laboratory experiments, but field observations had also been made. It may result in fitness loss because of the waste of time, energy, and nutrients.


text: Male sea otters have been observed forcibly copulating with seals, and male seals have been observed forcibly copulating with penguins. Inter-species sexual behavior has also been observed in sea lions. Male grasshoppers of the species "Tetrix ceperoi" often mount other species of either sex and even flies, but are normally repelled by the larger females. Males of the spider mite species "Panonychus citri" copulate with female "Panonychus mori" mites almost as often as with their own species, even though it does not result in reproduction.


text: Male stoats ("Mustela erminea") will sometimes mate with infant females of their species. This is a natural part of their reproductive biology – they have a delayed gestation period, so these females give birth the following year when they are fully grown.


text: In one reported observation, a male spotted hyena attempted to mate with a female hyena, but she succeeded in driving him off. He eventually turned to her ten-month-old cub, repeatedly mounting and ejaculating on it. The cub sometimes ignored this and sometimes struggled "slightly as if in play". The mother did not intervene.


text: Juvenile male chimpanzees have been recorded mounting and copulating with immature chimps. Infants in bonobo societies are often involved in sexual behaviour. Immature male bonobos have been recorded initiating genital play with both adolescent and mature female bonobos. Copulation-like contact between immature bonobo males and mature female bonobos increases with age and continues until the male bonobo has reached juvenile age. In contrast, adult gorillas do not show any sexual interest in juvenile or infant members of their species. Primates regularly have sex in full view of infants, juveniles and younger members of their species.


text: Necrophilia describes when an animal engages in a sexual act with a dead animal. It has been observed in mammals, birds, reptiles and frogs. It sometimes occurs in the Adélie penguin. Homosexual necrophilia has been reported between two male mallard ducks. One duck was believed to be pursuing another duck with the goal of rape (a common aspect of duck sexual behaviour) when the second duck collided with a window and died immediately. The observer, Kees Moeliker, suggested that "when one died the other one just went for it and didn't get any negative feedback—well, didn't get any feedback." The case study earned Moeliker an Ig Nobel Prize in biology, awarded for research that cannot or should not be reproduced.


title: UFC 268

text: UFC 268: Usman vs. Covington 2 was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on November 6, 2021, at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York, United States.


title: UFC 268

text: A UFC Welterweight Championship rematch between the current champion Kamaru Usman (also welterweight winner) and former interim champion Colby Covington headlined the event. Serving as the event headliner, they previously met at UFC 245 in December 2019, where Usman defended his title via fifth-round technical knockout. Vicente Luque served as backup and potential replacement for this fight. At the weigh-ins, Luque weighed in at 172.2 pounds, 2.2 pounds over the welterweight title fight limit making him ineligible to compete for the title.


title: UFC 268

text: A UFC Women's Strawweight Championship rematch between current two-time champion Rose Namajunas and former champion Zhang Weili took place as the co-main event. They previously met at UFC 261, where Namajunas won the title via first-round knockout.


title: UFC 268

text: A women’s bantamweight bout between former UFC Women's Featherweight Champion Germaine de Randamie and Irene Aldana was expected to take place at the event. However, de Randamie withdrew in early September due to injury.


title: UFC 268

text: A middleweight bout between former Strikeforce and UFC Middleweight Champion Luke Rockhold and Sean Strickland was expected to take place at the event. However on October 11, Rockhold withdrew due to a herniated disc.


title: UFC 268

text: Phil Hawes and Chris Curtis were expected to meet in a middleweight bout at a month earlier, but due to Curtis being tapped as a replacement just a day before that event, Hawes declined the matchup. They met at this event.


title: UFC 268

text: A featherweight contest between Melsik Baghdasaryan and T.J. Laramie was scheduled for the event. However, Laramie was forced to pull out after he was diagnosed with an MRSA infection. He was replaced by promotional newcomer Bruno Souza. At the weigh-ins, Souza weighed in at 148.4 pounds, 2.4 pounds over the featherweight non-title fight limit. The bout proceeded at a catchweight and he forfeited 20% of his purse to Baghdasaryan.


title: UFC 268

text: A light heavyweight fight between Aleksa Camur and John Allan was scheduled for the event. However, Camur pulled out of the bout citing an undisclosed injury and was replaced by Dustin Jacoby.


title: UFC 268

text: At the weigh-ins, CJ Vergara weighed in at 127.4 pounds, 1.4 pounds over the flyweight non-title fight limit. His bout proceeded at a catchweight and he forfeited 20% of his purse to his opponent Ode' Osbourne.


title: Rob Minkoff

text: Robert Ralph Minkoff (born August 11, 1962) is an American filmmaker. He is best known for co-directing "The Lion King" (along with Roger Allers), and live-action films including "Stuart Little" (1999), "Stuart Little 2" (2002), "The Haunted Mansion" (2003), and "The Forbidden Kingdom" (2008). In recent decades, he returned to feature animation with "Mr. Peabody & Sherman" (2014) and "" (2022). His wife, Crystal Kung Minkoff, is a cast member on "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills".


title: Rob Minkoff

text: Minkoff was born to a Jewish family in Palo Alto, California to Jack Robert Minkoff (1922–1998) and Tola Fay Minkoff (née Stebel). He studied at Palo Alto High School and graduated from the California Institute of the Arts in the early 1980s in the Character Animation department. During his studies, Minkoff had met Chuck Jones and credited him as an inspiration. He recalled, "I met Chuck during my first year at CalArts and he became a mentor to me ...I had always been a big fan of his and having the opportunity to learn from him has really meant a great deal to me professionally as well as personally."


title: Rob Minkoff

text: During the summer of 1982, Minkoff received an internship at Walt Disney Productions, and was apprenticed by Eric Larson, a senior animator who was one of the "Nine Old Men". The following year, he was employed as an in-between artist for "The Black Cauldron" (1985). He was then a supervising animator for "The Great Mouse Detective" (1986) for the character Olivia, before working as a character designer for "The Brave Little Toaster" (1987). He also wrote the song "Good Company" for "Oliver & Company" (1988), and subsequently served as a character animator for "The Little Mermaid" (1989). On the film, he provided character designs and early animation tests for the villain Ursula.


title: Rob Minkoff

text: In 1988, "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" had become a critical and commercial success, which revived a new interest in theatrical cartoon shorts. To produce further "Roger Rabbit" media, Disney opened the Walt Disney Feature Animation Florida in Orlando, located within the Disney-MGM Studios theme park. He then became a director for "Tummy Trouble" (1989) accompanied with "Honey, I Shrunk the Kids" (1989). He directed the next cartoon short "Roller Coaster Rabbit" (1990), which was attached with "Dick Tracy" (1990). In the meantime, Minkoff was approached to direct "Beauty and the Beast" (1991), but he demanded creative control over the project which then-studio chairman Jeffrey Katzenberg was unwilling to give. He also directed a Mickey Mouse short, which was shown at the Disney-MGM Studios, titled "Mickey's Audition" (1992).


title: Rob Minkoff

text: Eager to direct a live-action film, Minkoff was handed the script for a feature-length "Roger Rabbit" sequel, and was hired to develop the project. However, after a year in development, the project was cancelled. On April 1, 1992, he became the co-director for "The Lion King" (1994) alongside Roger Allers. On the film, the directorial process began with several sequences divided between Allers and Minkoff. Each director brought their own vision to the sequences, but there was a constant exchange of viewpoints to better ensure a stylistic uniformity. In a 2011 interview, Minkoff stated he had directed the "Circle of Life" sequence while Allers directed the "I Just Can't Wait to Be King" sequence.


title: Rob Minkoff

text: In January 1995, it was reported he was to direct an untitled "fantasy feature" film that was meant to be his first live-action project. The project went unproduced, in which Minkoff explained: "I had told Jeffrey [Katzenberg] before he left Disney that I wanted to do a live-action picture, and he was trying to get me to commit to doing an animated picture before that ...We were in the middle of figuring out what was the right step to take when he resigned [in 1994]." Not long after, he worked briefly with Robert Zemeckis on a film project with Universal Pictures and a version of "Mr. Popper's Penguins" with producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron. In 1997, Minkoff re-teamed with them on a film adaptation of "Into the Woods" for Columbia Pictures. When development had stalled, Minkoff learned from the studio's production head about "Stuart Little", and after subsequently reading M. Night Shyamalan's script, he agreed to direct.


title: Rob Minkoff

text: In 1998, Sony Pictures had announced Minkoff was directing "Stuart Little" (1999). Principal photography had spanned 12 weeks before wrapping in mid-November 1998. Released in December 1999, "Stuart Little" was a commercial success, grossing $300 million worldwide. In November 2000, Minkoff, along with his producing partner Jason Clark, had signed a three-year first-look deal at Columbia Pictures, in which he also agreed to direct the sequel, "Stuart Little 2" (2002).


title: Rob Minkoff

text: Soon after, Minkoff was attached to direct a live-action "Jetsons" film and a remake of "The Sorcerer's Apprentice", which both went unproduced. In 2002, Minkoff was hired to direct "The Haunted Mansion" (2003) starring Eddie Murphy. The film reunited him with producer Don Hahn, who had both worked on "The Lion King" (1994).


title: Rob Minkoff

text: Sometime in the 2000s, Minkoff founded his own production company, Sprocketdyne Entertainment. In June 2003, it was reported that Minkoff's Sprocketdyne


title: Rob Minkoff

text: Entertainment was developing a live-action/CGI feature film titled "Mr. Peabody & Sherman" (based on Mister Peabody from the animated series "The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle and Friends") with Sony Pictures. At one point, he took the project to Walden Media, but the studio was occupied with "The Chronicles of Narnia" film series. Minkoff then toyed with self-financing the film himself, before bringing the film to DreamWorks Animation in 2005. In 2011, DreamWorks Animation announced it was producing the project as a computer-animated film, which reunited Minkoff with Jeffrey Katzenberg. "Mr. Peabody & Sherman" was finally released in March 2014.


title: Rob Minkoff

text: In 2010, Minkoff had been attached to direct the fantasy action adventure "Chinese Odyssey". Minkoff served as a director on the 2018 animated Netflix original animated series of the late Anna Dewdney picture book franchise "Llama Llama", overseeing all aspects of production. In November 2015, Minkoff and his producing partner Pietro Ventani had signed a two-picture deal with Le Vision Pictures to co-develop and produce a CGI-animated adaptation of "Wolf Totem" based on the Jiang Rong novel and a live-action comedy titled "Silkworms".


title: Rob Minkoff

text: In 2010, Minkoff was pitched the idea for "Blazing Samurai" by writer Ed Stone, who had initially envisioned an all-human cast. However, Minkoff suggested an all-animal cast, and in 2014, he was attached as a producer. After years in development, Minkoff took the director's chair after Chris Bailey had stepped down. The film was re-titled "", and released in theaters on July 15, 2022.


title: Rob Minkoff

text: Minkoff met his wife Crystal Kung Minkoff, a cast member on "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills", at a party in his office in 2003, and they attended the "Finding Nemo" premiere as their first date. Minkoff proposed to her on Valentine's Day 2006, and they married on September 29, 2007. They have a son named Max and a daughter named Zoe.


title: Rob Minkoff

text: Kung claims to be a 76th-generation descendant of Confucius. Her brother is Jeffrey Kung, a singer and radio VJ in China.


title: Rob Minkoff

text: He participates as a member of the jury for the NYICFF, a local New York City film festival dedicated to screening films for children between the ages of 3 and 18.


title: The Deep End of the Ocean (film)

text: The Deep End of the Ocean is a 1999 American drama film directed by Ulu Grosbard, and starring Michelle Pfeiffer, Treat Williams, Jonathan Jackson, John Kapelos, and Whoopi Goldberg. It is based on the 1996 novel of the same name by Jacquelyn Mitchard, a bestseller that was the very first novel selected by Oprah Winfrey to be discussed on "Oprah's Book Club" in 1996. The film tells the story of a family’s reaction, when Ben, the youngest son is kidnapped and then found nine years later, living in the same town where his family had just moved. The film was released in theaters on March 12, 1999 by Columbia Pictures, and was a box office flop, grossing $28 million worldwide.


title: The Deep End of the Ocean (film)

text: During her high school reunion in a crowded hotel lobby, Beth Cappadora's 3-year-old son Ben vanishes. Police are called to the scene as a frantic search begins but it is unsuccessful, and Beth experiences a nervous breakdown. Unable to cope with her devastation, she unintentionally neglects her other children, Vincent and Kerry.


title: The Deep End of the Ocean (film)

text: After nine years, the Cappadora family has seemingly accepted that Ben has gone forever, when a familiar-looking boy turns up at their new house, offering to mow their lawn. He introduces himself as Sam, but Beth becomes convinced that he is actually Ben, and begins an investigation.


title: The Deep End of the Ocean (film)

text: Beth discovers Ben was kidnapped at the reunion by Cecil Lockhart, a mentally unstable woman who was an old classmate of Beth's. She brought Ben up as her child, until she later takes her life.


title: The Deep End of the Ocean (film)

text: The attempted reintegration of Sam/Ben back into the Cappadora family produces painful results for everyone, so Beth and her husband Pat eventually decide to return him to his adoptive father.


title: The Deep End of the Ocean (film)

text: One night, Vincent leaves the house and Beth later wakes up to a phone call at 4:22 am to be told he is in jail. Beth and Pat discuss his erratic behavior with Candy Bliss, a detective in Ben's case who became a family friend, and Candy reassures Beth that Vincent loves her. They eventually reconcile their relationship, but while Vincent is in jail, Beth and Pat develop relationship problems after continuous arguments, and they start sleeping in separate beds.


title: The Deep End of the Ocean (film)

text: Days later, Sam turns up at the jail and reveals he has remembered something from before his abduction; he was playing hide and seek with Vincent and got stuck in a trunk, but Vincent found him, which made him feel safe.


title: The Deep End of the Ocean (film)

text: Pat later bails Vincent out of jail and, one night, finds him playing basketball outside with Sam. Vincent, who has carried guilt for not watching Ben at the reunion, letting go of his hand and telling him to get lost, is forgiven by Sam/Ben, who says that he has decided to go back to living with his blood family. But he first plays a game of basketball with his brother, and the loser gets to carry Sam’s remarkably heavy suitcase into the house.


title: The Deep End of the Ocean (film)

text: According to a small behind-the-scenes booklet featured on the DVD release, the film began production on October 27, 1997 and was predominantly shot in Los Angeles. Oprah Winfrey was considered for the role of Det. Candace "Candy" Bliss before Whoopi Goldberg was cast. Coincidentally, the novel in which this movie is based was the very first book selected by Winfrey to be discussed on "Oprah's Book Club" in 1996.


title: The Deep End of the Ocean (film)

text: A different ending was filmed which tested poorly with audiences who felt it was too grim. Despite being the original ending of the book, not to mention Michelle Pfeiffer's preferred ending, the studio opted for the more conventional happy ending. Extensive rewrites and re-shoots caused the film to be delayed from its planned fall 1998 release to spring of 1999.


title: The Deep End of the Ocean (film)

text: "The Deep End of the Ocean" holds a rating of 43% on Rotten Tomatoes, and a score of 45 on Metacritic, indicating mixed reviews.


title: The Deep End of the Ocean (film)

text: In "The New York Times", Janet Maslin praised the director and lead actress but criticised the music: "With a fine, impassioned performance from Michelle Pfeiffer as the story's raw-nerved heroine, the film moves beyond the detective-story aspects of its material to concentrate on what kind of shock waves batter a family after an event like this... Grosbard mercifully avoids melodrama. And he paces the film so simply and determinedly that its early scenes are like a string of picture postcards, each one depicting a new phase of the family's ordeal. Only when the film seeks tidy resolution for a tangled set of problems does this restraint seem overwhelmed by the complexity of the situation. But the only real false notes are musical ones, from a score by Elmer Bernstein that turns familiar and trite when the film does not."


title: The Deep End of the Ocean (film)

text: In "Variety", Emanuel Levy praised all aspects of the film: "Michelle Pfeiffer and Treat Williams give such magnetic performances that they elevate the film way above its middlebrow sensibility and proclivity for neat resolutions... In the first reel, Pfeiffer is brilliant as an anxious mother consumed with finding her lost son. Dominating scene after scene, she conveys anguish and guilt in an all-out performance that ranks with her best... Coming from the theater, Grosbard has always coaxed strong performances from his handpicked casts, but "Deep End"'s technical sheen places this outing at the top of his oeuvre. Stephen Goldblatt's clean lensing, Elmer Bernstein's evocative score, Dan Davis' crafty production design, Susie DeSanto's authentic costumes and, particularly, John Bloom's fluent editing serve as models for efficient storytelling, representing mainstream cinema at its best."


title: The Deep End of the Ocean (film)

text: In the "San Francisco Chronicle", Edward Guthmann commended Pfeiffer and Jackson but was ultimately unimpressed: "Pfeiffer, who segued into mother roles in her past two films, "One Fine Day" and "A Thousand Acres", brings heart and soul to this domestic melodrama, but it's not enough. "The Deep End of the Ocean" has nothing but the noblest of intentions, and Grosbard's direction is meticulous, sober and tasteful, but the movie is so deliberate, so enervated that you feel as if you're watching it through glass... In a difficult role that he doesn't quite pull off, Ryan Merriman plays Sam, the 12-year-old whose allegiance is split between two homes. As his damaged older brother, Jonathan Jackson brings such confidence, maturity and self-possession that he seems to belong in another movie. And Whoopi Goldberg - all-purpose, you-got-a-part-I'll-play-it Whoopi - shows up as a helpful detective named Candy Bliss."


title: The Deep End of the Ocean (film)

text: In "Rolling Stone", Peter Travers held a similar view: ""The Deep End of the Ocean", from Jacquelyn Mitchard's best-selling novel about parents who find their lost son nine years after his abduction, benefits from a customarily fine performance by Michelle Pfeiffer as the boy's mother. Treat Williams excels as the husband, as does Whoopi Goldberg, a detective who helps the parents in their search. Director Ulu Grosbard ("Georgia") and screenwriter Stephen Schiff ("Lolita") commendably try to avoid the usual kidnapping clichés in favor of family dynamics, but the film ultimately gives in to a case of TV-movie blahs."


title: The Deep End of the Ocean (film)

text: In "Entertainment Weekly", Michael Sauter also found the lead performances superior to the film as a whole: "The first half of this drama, with Pfeiffer and Williams as parents whose 3-year-old son vanishes, is almost unbearably wrenching... Far less effective, however, is the rest of the story, set nine years later, when the boy resurfaces... But if the film was less than satisfying as a big-screen event, it's still worth renting for Pfeiffer, who valiantly portrays the devastating complexities of grief and guilt."


title: The Deep End of the Ocean (film)

text: Two extremely negative reviews came from Roger Ebert in the "Chicago Sun-Times" and Desson Howe in "The Washington Post". Ebert wrote that "Ulu Grosbard's "The Deep End of the Ocean" is a painfully stolid movie that lumbers past emotional issues like a wrestler in a cafeteria line, putting a little of everything on his plate. It provides big roles for Michelle Pfeiffer and Treat Williams, but doesn't provide them with the screenplay support they need; the result is that awkwardness when characters express emotions that the audience doesn't share." Howe described the "moments in "The Deep End of the Ocean" that will break your heart. After all, the movie – based on Jacquelyn Mitchard's novel – is about losing a child. This is, essentially, emotional blackmail for anyone with a family. Two hundred monkeys fighting over one word processor could make you cry over material like that. Yet producer/star Michelle Pfeiffer, director Ulu Grosbard and scriptwriter Stephen Schiff still mess things up. Apart from the previously mentioned occasions, and nice performances from Jonathan Jackson and Ryan Merriman, the movie's a floating longboat that ought to be ignited and pushed out to sea, Viking style."


title: The Deep End of the Ocean (film)

text: Elmer Bernstein's original score to "The Deep End of the Ocean" was released in 1999 by Milan Records.


title: The Deep End of the Ocean (film)

text: Ryan Merriman won a Young Artist Award for Best Performance in a Feature Film - Supporting Young Actor.


title: White pudding

text: White pudding, oatmeal pudding or (in Scotland) mealy pudding is a meat dish popular in Ireland, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Northumberland, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland.


title: White pudding

text: White pudding is broadly similar to black pudding, but does not include blood. Modern recipes consist of suet or fat, oatmeal or barley, breadcrumbs and in some cases pork and pork liver, filled into a natural or cellulose sausage casing. Recipes in previous centuries included a wider range of ingredients.


title: White pudding

text: White pudding is often thought of as a very old dish that, like black pudding, was a traditional way of making use of offal following the annual slaughter of livestock. Whereas black pudding-type recipes appear in Roman sources, white pudding likely has specifically medieval origins, possibly as a culinary descendant of medieval sweetened blancmange-type recipes combining shredded chicken, rice and almonds, or as a way of lightening up offal with the addition of cream, eggs and breadcrumbs. Meatless versions were common, as they could be eaten during the Lenten period of abstinence. Many older recipes are sweetened: a 15th-century British pudding combined pork liver, cream, eggs, breadcrumbs, raisins and dates, while a 1588 recipe collection featured a white pudding made of beef suet, breadcrumbs, egg yolk and currants, flavoured with nutmeg, sugar and cinnamon. A similar recipe given in Woolley's 1670 book "The Queen-Like Closet" used hog's lights and was filled into intestine sausage-skins. By the mid-18th century, Elizabeth Raffald's white pudding recipe, "White Puddings in Skins", combined rice, lard, ground almonds, currants and egg, using sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon and mace as flavourings; by this period the inclusion of offal such as liver or lights, as well as sweet flavourings, was becoming rarer.


title: White pudding

text: An oatmeal pudding recipe found in the 18th century "Compleat Housewife" is made with beef suet and cream, thickened with oatmeal and mixed up with egg yolks, then baked in a dish with marrow.


title: White pudding

text: Alongside these more refined and elaborate recipes, a simpler form of white pudding was popular in Ireland, Scotland, and some parts of Northern England, combining suet, oatmeal (or barley in Northumberland), seasoning and onions, in sheep's or cow's intestines. In Gaelic-speaking parts of Scotland and Ireland they were referred to by the names or . These oatmeal-based puddings survived into modern Irish and Scottish cuisine, although with significant regional differences. Modern commercially made Scottish white puddings are generally based on oatmeal, onions, and beef suet; the same mixture simply fried in a pan is known as skirlie. In Ireland, white puddings also include a substantial proportion of pork or pork liver and pork fat. Most modern white puddings are filled into a synthetic cellulose casing and boiled or steamed; typical spices used include white pepper, nutmeg, and sage.


title: White pudding

text: White pudding may be cooked whole, or cut into slices and fried or grilled. Irish white pudding is an important feature of the traditional Irish breakfast. Scottish white pudding is often served, like skirlie, with minced beef and potatoes, or is available deep fried in many chip shops.


title: White pudding

text: White puddings were once also associated with south-western England: Taylor, in the 17th century, mentions "the white puddings of Somersetshire". Hog's pudding, still made in Somerset, Cornwall and Devon, is very similar to other white puddings although is somewhat more highly spiced.


title: .450 Bushmaster

text: The .450 Bushmaster is a rifle cartridge developed by Tim LeGendre of LeMag Firearms, and licensed to Bushmaster Firearms International. The .450 Bushmaster is designed to be used in standard M16s and AR-15s, using modified magazines and upper receiver assemblies.


title: .450 Bushmaster

text: The .450 Bushmaster is descended from the Thumper concept popularized by the gun writer Jeff Cooper. Cooper was dissatisfied with the small-diameter 5.56×45mm NATO (.223 Remington) of the AR-15, and envisioned a need for a large bore (.44 cal or greater) cartridge in a semi-automatic rifle to provide one-shot kills on big-game animals at 250 yards. Inspired by this, LeGendre developed his .45 Professional cartridge, and later built and delivered an AR-15 in .45 Professional to Cooper.


title: .450 Bushmaster

text: Bushmaster requested the ammunition manufacturer Hornady to produce the .45 Professional cartridge for this project, but Hornady wanted to shorten the cartridge case and overall length to accommodate their 0.452 in. 250-grain pointed SST flex-tip bullet. Bushmaster and LeGendre approved the change from a 1.772 in. (45 mm) case and 2.362 in. (60 mm) OAL to the now standard 1.700 in. (43.18 mm) case and 2.260 in. (57.40 mm) OAL. This permitted operation in the more abundant and popular AR-15 platform versus the AR-10 platform. Also, a name change to ".450 Bushmaster" was approved.


title: .450 Bushmaster

text: The .450 Bushmaster makes use of .452 in. bullets because the lower impact velocities and energies would not adequately expand the heavier jacketed .458 in. bullets. The cartridge is chambered in bolt-action rifles by Ruger, Savage, Mossberg, and Remington, Ruger's No. 1 single shot rifle, AR-15 rifles, as well as an AR-15 pistol by Franklin Armory.


title: .450 Bushmaster

text: Ballistically, the .450 Bushmaster has a rather flat trajectory out to 200 yards; if the firearm is zeroed at 150 yards, the user can expect to see a rise of 1.8 inches at 100 yards, zero at 150 yards, and a drop of 4.9 inches at 200 yards. The cartridge fits single-stacked in a standard AR-15 magazine with a single-stack follower. A 10-round AR-15 magazine body yields a four-round magazine, a 20-round AR-15 magazine body yields a five- to seven-round magazine, and a 30-round body yields a nine-round magazine. Hornady, Remington and Federal now manufacture ammunition for the rifle, and Starline manufactures empty brass for handloading.


title: Duncan Idaho

text: Duncan Idaho is a fictional character in the "Dune" universe created by Frank Herbert. Introduced in the first novel of the series, 1965's "Dune", he became a breakout character and was revived in 1969's "Dune Messiah". He is the only character to feature in all six of Herbert's original "Dune" novels.


title: Duncan Idaho

text: Idaho was portrayed by Richard Jordan in David Lynch's 1984 film version of "Dune", and by James Watson in the 2000 Sci-Fi Channel miniseries. Edward Atterton assumed the role in the 2003 miniseries "Children of Dune". The character is played by Jason Momoa in the 2021 Denis Villeneuve film "Dune".


title: Duncan Idaho

text: In "Dune" (1965), Duncan is described as a handsome man with "curling black hair" to whom women are easily attracted. Paul Atreides notes Duncan's "dark round face" and "feline movements, the swiftness of reflex that made him such a difficult weapons teacher to emulate." And in "Dune Messiah" (1969) he is described as having "high cheekbones" and "definite epicanthic folds." Lady Jessica calls him "the admirable fighting man whose abilities at guarding and surveillance are so esteemed." Duncan is fiercely loyal to House Atreides, a skilled pilot, and as a Swordmaster of the Ginaz is a gifted hand-to-hand fighter. In the fight that ends with his death in "Dune", Duncan kills an unheard-of 19 Sardaukar, the Padishah Emperor's fearsome supersoldiers. The Sardaukar sell his body to the Tleilaxu; subsequent gholas of Duncan possess the rebellious streak of the original.


title: Duncan Idaho

text: In 1976's "Children of Dune", Lady Jessica tells Duncan that he was drawn to her daughter Alia because "you wanted a girl you saw as a younger version of me." In "God Emperor of Dune" (1981), the latest Duncan ghola discovers that one of his predecessors had fathered a child with a woman named Irti who closely resembles Jessica.


title: Duncan Idaho

text: At the time of Frank Herbert's original novel "Dune" (1965), Idaho is a Swordmaster of the Ginaz in the service of House Atreides and one of Duke Leto's right-hand men (with Gurney Halleck and Thufir Hawat). When the Atreides take over the planet Arrakis at the order of the Padishah Emperor Shaddam IV, Idaho becomes Leto's ambassador to the Fremen, the desert people of Dune that Leto hopes will ally with him in the coming war against the Emperor and the Harkonnens. Idaho goes to live with the Fremen, serving both Leto and Fremen leader Stilgar. When the Emperor's dreaded Sardaukar attack Arrakis in the guise of Harkonnen troops, Idaho initially survives the assault and saves Leto's son Paul Atreides and concubine Lady Jessica. When they are cornered at a Botanical Testing Station, Paul and Jessica flee while Idaho holds off the enemy, but he is ultimately killed. It is noted in "Dune Messiah" (1969) that a "grievous head wound" had caused Idaho's death, and made clear in "Children of Dune" (1976) that Idaho had killed an unheard-of tally of nineteen Sardaukar before dying.


title: Duncan Idaho

text: Idaho returns in "Dune Messiah" (1969) as a ghola made by the Tleilaxu and given to Paul Atreides, now Emperor. The purpose of the gift is 'psychic poison': the ghola, named Hayt, is supposed to tempt the Kwisatz Haderach Paul into becoming that which he despises. Trained as a Mentat and a Zensunni philosopher, Hayt has no memory of his former life, but constantly feels vague hints and reminders of his previous incarnation that make him hope he can recover those memories.


title: Duncan Idaho

text: The seemingly harmless dwarf Bijaz recognizes that Hayt is failing to destroy the Emperor psychologically. As the ghola is of Tleilaxu design, Bijaz employs a specific humming intonation that renders Hayt open to implanted commands. Bijaz programs Hayt to kill Paul when he says the words "She is gone," in the depths of grief over the death of his concubine Chani. But this is only part of the true plan; the emotional distress of the attempt allows Hayt to recover the buried memories of Duncan Idaho, up to and including his death at the hands of the Imperial Sardaukar. This is the culmination of the Tleilaxu plot, as masterminded by the Face Dancer Scytale—to demonstrate to Paul that the Tleilaxu can create for him an exact duplicate of his dead concubine, and lover, Chani—but only if he abdicates his throne and relinquishes his CHOAM holdings. Paul resists the temptation, killing Scytale himself and having Hayt/Duncan kill Bijaz.


title: Duncan Idaho

text: Also in "Dune Messiah", hints are dropped of a growing attraction between Idaho and Paul's sister, Alia. In one scene, Duncan even kisses Alia, which infuriates her; he replies that he took no more than what was offered. When a blinded Paul abdicates and wanders into the desert to die (as is the tradition for blind Fremen), Alia asks Idaho for his continued support and affection to help her get through the times ahead.


title: Duncan Idaho

text: In 1976's "Children of Dune", Idaho is now Alia's husband and Mentat. She has assumed power as Holy Regent in the name of Paul's children, Leto II and Ghanima. Alia becomes possessed by the memory-ego of her ancestor, the Baron Vladimir Harkonnen, who sets out to destroy the Atreides empire. Recognizing this, Idaho remains loyal to the Atreides, and flees to the desert to protect the children. In order to get Stilgar to join the Fremen opposition to Alia's rule, Duncan kills Javid, Alia's secret lover, on the neutral ground of Sietch Tabr. He also insults Stilgar three times, by saying to him the three deadliest insults a Fremen could ever hear: "You wear a collar!", "You are a servant! You've sold Fremen for their water!" and "You have no immortality! None of your descendents carry your blood!" Duncan then allows himself to be struck down by an enraged Stilgar, who realizes afterward that Alia would be forced by political necessity to execute him and his only hope of survival is to join the Fremen rebels—which is what Duncan had planned from the beginning. Duncan's last gasping words were, "Two deaths for the Atreides. The second for no better reason than the first."


title: Duncan Idaho

text: "God Emperor of Dune" (1981) reintroduces Idaho as a serial ghola: Leto II has ruled as a sandworm-human hybrid for 3,500 years, and has continually had an Idaho ghola to serve him. Beyond his personal affection for Idaho, to Leto Idaho represents loyalty, humanity, and the spirit of the unknown, something which the God Emperor, having perfect prescience, knows nothing of. It is also implied that Duncan is needed for Leto's plan for humanity's ultimate survival — called the Golden Path — to come to fruition. However, the Idaho gholas, with their memories restored, struggle to deal with what the Atreides have become. Where before, the hallmark of Atreides rule was justice, Leto's reign has been one of godhood and oppression. Idaho's old-fashioned conscience rebels, leading the Idaho ghola to attempt to kill Leto (who as a sandworm is invulnerable to all but water and extreme violence). Leto notes that only nineteen of "his" Duncans have survived long enough to die what is considered a "natural death." In just about all of these rebellions, the Idaho ghola is killed by the God Emperor. After a certain time, the God Emperor orders another one from the Tleilaxu, or the Tleilaxu themselves just send another one as a token for their security.


title: Duncan Idaho

text: The novel chronicles the perceptions and actions of a new Duncan that has just been ordered from the Tleilaxu. Like the others before him, Duncan is appalled at what Atreides rule has become, but Leto appoints him as the head of his otherwise all-female military, the Fish Speakers. Leto also reveals that he has repeatedly used his Duncan gholas in his breeding program to genetically improve the Atreides line. The current Duncan is intended to mate with Siona Atreides, the end product of Leto's breeding program: she is invisible to prescient sight. Duncan is extremely reluctant and protests, saying that he is not Leto's stud. He does catch the eye of Hwi Noree, the Ixian Ambassador sent to Arrakis with the explicit purpose of wooing the Emperor. Leto forbids Duncan from having any relations with her, but he disobeys and sleeps with Hwi.


title: Duncan Idaho

text: Duncan eventually joins Siona's rebels and works with her to assassinate Leto. His plan is successful, but Hwi is killed in the process. Leto reveals that he knew of their plan, and that his death is simply another step to ensuring the Golden Path. Siona, having seen the Golden Path during her trial in the desert, realizes she was bred as a key figure for humanity's survival. At the end of the novel, she schemes on how to carefully seduce Duncan and mate with him, as Leto had originally intended. None of their descendants will be able to be tracked by prescience, forever free of any one person's vision and ensuring that humanity could never be completely found and destroyed.


title: Duncan Idaho

text: Fifteen hundred years later in "" (1985), the Bene Gesserit Bellonda assesses the many Duncans who came before:


title: Duncan Idaho

text: In the original and early gholas, his character had been dominated by impulsiveness. Quick to hate, quick to give loyalty. Later Idaho-gholas tempered this with cynicism but the underlying impulsiveness remained. The Tyrant had called it to action many times. Bellonda recognized a pattern. He can be goaded by pride. His long service to the Tyrant fascinated her. Not only had he been a Mentat several times but there was evidence he had been a Truthsayer in more than one incarnation.


title: Duncan Idaho

text: The Bene Gesserit become the consumers of Idaho gholas in "Heretics of Dune" (1984) and "Chapterhouse Dune" (1985). However, the gholas are repeatedly assassinated after several years, and the Sisterhood suspect the Tleilaxu. Not knowing exactly what purpose Idaho will serve, the Bene Gesserit believe that the Tleilaxu are using the gholas to control the timing of his release upon the universe, implying some Tleilaxu purpose in addition to their own. The current ghola survives such an attempt and Miles Teg is able to restore the memories of Duncan Idaho to the ghola, but Duncan can feel that the Tleilaxu planted something else in his mind. When Murbella, an Honored Matre, tries to sexually bond Idaho, he entraps and enslaves her, revealing the Tleilaxu purpose: To conquer the Honored Matres by using a better version of their own sexual techniques. When Murbella tries to bond Duncan, the Tleilaxu's plan comes to fruition, and he becomes aware of the memories of all the other Idaho gholas, though he is also imprinted to her. It is later determined that the Tleilaxu had mixed the cells from almost all of the Idaho gholas to make this one. Idaho and Murbella are confined to a no-ship on Chapterhouse. There, Idaho trains young men to go out into the universe and enslave Honored Matres. Duncan also inherits an awkward prescient vision, wherein he sees an old man and woman staring back at him. Duncan restores the memories of the Miles Teg ghola, and escapes in the no-ship, evading the trap set for him by the strange couple.


title: Duncan Idaho

text: Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson continued from the original series with "Hunters of Dune" (2006) and "Sandworms of Dune" (2007), originally planned to be "Dune 7" by Frank Herbert. Duncan continues his travels on the no-ship, now named the "Ithaca" by its passengers. He is accompanied by Miles Teg, Sheeana and a group of her Bene Gesserit sisters, the last Tleilaxu Master Scytale, and many others.


title: Duncan Idaho

text: Duncan and the other refugees from Chapterhouse are still on the run from the Unknown Enemy that hunts them. They don't learn until near the end that the Enemy is the revived empire of thinking machines, and the old couple are actually the computer-entity Omnius and the robot Erasmus. In the final confrontation with Omnius, Paul Atreides (brought back as a ghola and with his power of prescience just restored), and then Norma Cenva (the Oracle of Time to the Navigators), both reveal that Duncan is the Ultimate Kwisatz Haderach; not Paul ( who is an "imperfect" Kwisatz Haderach) nor any other Atreides, nor their descendants. Overwhelmed by the unexpected revelations, Duncan decides to unite humanity and the thinking machines—after Cenva permanently removes Omnius from existence—rather than bring about the absolute destruction of intelligent technology for the second time in history.


title: Duncan Idaho

text: Assuming the responsibility of mediator between the two sides, and with Erasmus' willing participation (the robot being left as the leader and controlling-force of the thinking machines), Duncan does something similar to Bene-Gesserit Sharing with the robot; possibly along with what seems to be a physical-bonding (similar to what Leto II did with the sandtrout) into something of a human-machine hybrid. Erasmus then voluntarily "dies", while remaining an Other Memory speaking to Duncan. In addition to being the Final Kwisatz Haderach of the humans, Duncan becomes the new evermind of the thinking machines, guiding their joint future.


title: Duncan Idaho

text: According to the "Prelude to Dune" prequel trilogy (1999–2001) by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson, Duncan Idaho is born on the planet Giedi Prime, under the Harkonnen Regime. His hatred for the Harkonnens is established when, at eight years of age, his parents are murdered in front of him by Glossu Rabban. Rabban subsequently chooses young Idaho to be the prey for one of his hunts, but Idaho's resourcefulness and the aid of a woman who wants to punish the Harkonnens enables him to escape Giedi Prime for the planet Caladan. Upon arriving at the Atreides palace, he becomes a stableboy at Duke Paulus Atreides' request. After Paulus' death, Idaho expresses his desire to become a Ginaz Swordmaster. In the trilogy's second installment "", Duncan undergoes the immense rigors needed to be a Swordmaster; he is promoted to the title, alongside a Grumman friend named Hiih Resser, and helps defeat a mob of insurgent students. At the time of "", Duncan is an instrumental part of the liberation of the planet Ix from the Sardaukar and Tleilaxu, and even manages to defeat Count Hasimir Fenring in single combat.


title: Duncan Idaho

text: In the 1984 film "Dune", Duncan is played by Richard Jordan, and James Watson portrays the character in the 2000 miniseries "Frank Herbert's Dune". As in the novel "Dune", Duncan has only a minor role in both of these adaptations.


title: Duncan Idaho

text: In the 2003 miniseries sequel "Frank Herbert's Children of Dune", the ghola of Duncan (known in the novels as "Hayt") is played by Edward Atterton. Emmet Asher-Perrin of "Tor.com" writes that Atterton "plays the mentat ghola reincarnation of Idaho with all the upright stoicism and vulnerability that the character is owed."


title: Yuja Wang

text: Yuja Wang (; born February 10, 1987) is a Chinese classical pianist. She was born in Beijing, began studying piano there at age six, and went on to study at the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing and the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia. By the age of 21, she was already an internationally recognized concert pianist, giving recitals around the world. She has a recording contract with Deutsche Grammophon. Wang tours internationally and has received critical praise for her performances. Yuja Wang lives in New York City.


title: Yuja Wang

text: Wang comes from an artistic family. Her mother, Zhai Jieming, is a dancer and her father, Wang Jianguo, is a percussionist. Both live in Beijing.


title: Yuja Wang

text: Wang began studying piano at age six. At age seven, she began seven years of study at Beijing's Central Conservatory of Music. At 11, Wang entered the Morningside Music Bridge International Music Festival (at Mount Royal University in Calgary, Alberta) as the festival's youngest student.


title: Yuja Wang

text: At age 15, Wang entered the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, where she studied for five years with Gary Graffman and graduated in 2008. Graffman said that Wang's technique impressed him during her audition, but "it was the intelligence and good taste" of her interpretations that distinguished her.


title: Yuja Wang

text: In 1998 (aged 11), Wang won third prize in the Ettlingen International Competition for Young Pianists in Ettlingen, Germany. In 2001, in the piano section at the first Sendai International Music Competition in Sendai, Japan she won third prize and the special jury prize (awarded to an especially superior finalist of less than 20 years in age, with prize money of 500,000 Japanese Yen).


title: Yuja Wang

text: In 2003, Wang made her European debut with the Tonhalle Orchester Zürich, Switzerland, playing Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 4 under the baton of David Zinman. She made her North American debut in Ottawa in the 2005–2006 season, replacing Radu Lupu performing that Beethoven concerto with Pinchas Zukerman conducting.


title: Yuja Wang

text: On September 11, 2005, Wang was named a 2006 biennial Gilmore Young Artist Award winner, given to the most promising pianists age 22 and younger. As part of the award, she received $15,000, appeared at Gilmore Festival concerts, and had a new piano work commissioned for her.


title: Yuja Wang

text: In 2006, Wang made her New York Philharmonic debut at the Bravo! Vail Music Festival. The following season, she performed with the orchestra under Lorin Maazel during a tour of Japan and Korea by the Philharmonic.


title: Yuja Wang

text: In March 2007, Wang's breakthrough came when she replaced Martha Argerich in concerts held in Boston. Argerich had cancelled her appearances with the Boston Symphony Orchestra on four subscription concerts from March 8 to 13. Wang performed Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No. 1 with Charles Dutoit conducting.


title: Yuja Wang

text: In 2008, Wang toured the U.S. with the Academy of St Martin in the Fields led by Sir Neville Marriner. In 2009, she performed as a soloist with the YouTube Symphony Orchestra, led by Michael Tilson Thomas at Carnegie Hall. Wang performed with the Lucerne Festival Orchestra conducted by Claudio Abbado in Beijing, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in Spain and in London, and the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra.


title: Yuja Wang

text: In 2009, Wang performed and recorded Mendelssohn's Piano Concerto in G Minor with Kurt Masur at the Verbier Festival, accompanied by Kirill Troussov, David Aaron Carpenter, Maxim Rysanov, Sol Gabetta, and Leigh Mesh. Her performance of Rimsky-Korsakov's "Flight of the Bumblebee" is featured on the Verbier Festival highlights DVD from 2008.


title: Yuja Wang

text: In 2012, Wang toured with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra and conductor Zubin Mehta in Israel and the U.S., with a performance at Carnegie Hall in New York in September.


title: Yuja Wang

text: Wang toured Asia in November 2012 with the San Francisco Symphony and its conductor Michael Tilson Thomas.


title: Yuja Wang

text: In February 2013, Wang performed and recorded Prokofiev's Concerto No. 2 and Rachmaninoff's Concerto No. 3 with Conductor Gustavo Dudamel and the Venezuelan Orquesta Sinfónica Simón Bolívar. Also in 2013, Wang's recital tour of Japan culminated with her recital debut at Tokyo's Suntory Hall.


title: Yuja Wang

text: Wang made her Berlin Philharmonic debut in May 2015, performing Sergei Prokofiev's 2nd Piano Concerto with Conductor Paavo Järvi. The performance was broadcast live through the orchestra's Digital Concert Hall.


title: Yuja Wang

text: In a departure from her previously predominantly Russian repertoire, she played Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 9, the "Jeunehomme", in February 2016 at David Geffen Hall in New York on four successive nights with Charles Dutoit conducting, then, in her debut with the Vienna Philharmonic under Valery Gergiev in Munich and Paris. In March 2016, Wang played for three nights in Messiaen's "Turangalîla-Symphonie" with Esa-Pekka Salonen conducting. In a recital at Carnegie Hall in May 2016, she played Beethoven's Piano Sonata No. 29, the , and two Brahms "Ballades" and Robert Schumann's "Kreisleriana".


title: Yuja Wang

text: Wang performed with the National Youth Orchestra of China for its Carnegie Hall premiere on July 22, 2017, with conductor Ludovic Morlot of the Seattle Symphony, performing Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No. 1 in B-Flat Minor.


title: Yuja Wang

text: In 2019, she paid tribute to Kennedy Center Honoree Michael Tilson Thomas with a rendition of "You Come Here Often?"


title: Yuja Wang

text: As of 2020, Wang has performed with many orchestras in the U.S., including Boston, Chicago, Cleveland, Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Santa Cruz, and Washington. Internationally, she has performed with the Berlin Philharmonic, Staatskapelle Berlin, Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, China Philharmonic, Filarmonica della Scala, Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Israel Philharmonic, London Philharmonic, Oslo Philharmonic, Orchestre de Paris, Orquesta Nacional de España, Orquesta Sinfónica Simón Bolívar, the NHK Symphony in Tokyo, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Orchestra Mozart, and Santa Cecilia.


title: Yuja Wang

text: Although there are reports Wang released a debut CD in 1995, there is little information available about it.


title: Yuja Wang

text: In June 2012, Joshua Kosman of the "San Francisco Chronicle" wrote that Wang is "quite simply, the most dazzlingly, uncannily gifted pianist in the concert world today, and there's nothing left to do but sit back, listen and marvel at her artistry."


title: Yuja Wang

text: From a May 2013 Carnegie Hall concert, "The New York Times" reported that Wang's "fortissimos were fearsome, but so, in a quieter way, were the longing melodic lines of the first movement of Rachmaninoff's Sonata No. 2." The reviewer added:


title: Yuja Wang

text: The liquidity of her phrasing in the second movement of Scriabin's Sonata No. 2 eerily evoked the sound of woodwinds. In that composer's Sonata No. 6 she juxtaposed colors granitic and gauzy to eerily brilliant effect before closing the written program with a rabid rendition of the one-piano version of "La valse", accentuating the sickliness of Ravel's distorted waltzes.


title: Yuja Wang

text: Ms. Wang's virtuosity goes well beyond uncanny facility. Right through this Beethoven performance she wondrously brought out intricate details, inner voices and harmonic colorings. The first movement had élan and daring. The scherzo skipped along with mischievousness and rhythmic bite. In the grave, great slow movement, she played with restraint and poignancy. She kept you on edge during the elusive transition to the gnarly, dense fugue, which she then dispatched with unfathomable dexterity.


title: Yuja Wang

text: This was not a probing or profound "Hammerklavier". But I admired Ms. Wang's combination of youthful energy and musical integrity.


title: Yuja Wang

text: Wang has received attention for her eye-catching outfits and glamorous stage presence as well as for her piano playing. In a much-quoted 2011 review of a concert at the Hollywood Bowl, "Los Angeles Times" classical music critic Mark Swed wrote:


title: Yuja Wang

text: Swed was criticised for this aspect of his review in a "Washington Post" article titled "Which offends? Her short dress or critic's narrow view?".


title: Yuja Wang

text: In 2017, Michael Levin of the "HuffPost" described Wang after her concert with Leonidas Kavakos at David Geffen Hall as "one of the most talented, enthralling, and even mesmerizing performers on the world scene".


title: Bojan Bogdanović

text: Bojan Bogdanović (; born 18 April 1989) is a Croatian professional basketball player for the Detroit Pistons of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He also represents the Croatian national team internationally. Standing at , he plays the small forward position. He has also played with the Brooklyn Nets, Washington Wizards, Indiana Pacers, and Utah Jazz.


title: Bojan Bogdanović

text: Born in Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bogdanović started his basketball career in 2004 with his hometown club Zrinjski Mostar where he played for one season. In 2005, he signed a five-year deal with Real Madrid, but was loaned back to Zrinjski Mostar for the 2005–06 season. In 2006–07 and 2007–08, he played for Real Madrid's junior team, Real Madrid B, in Spain's 4th-tier league, the Liga EBA. In 2008, he was loaned to CB Murcia for the 2008–09 season. In January 2009, he re-joined Real Madrid's junior team, Real Madrid B. Following the 2008–09 season, he parted ways with Real Madrid.


title: Bojan Bogdanović

text: In August 2009, Bogdanović signed a four-year deal with Cibona Zagreb. In July 2010, he signed a three-year contract extension with Cibona. Following the 2010–11 season, he parted ways with Cibona.


title: Bojan Bogdanović

text: On 19 June 2011, Bogdanović signed a multi-year deal with Fenerbahçe Ülker. On 23 June 2011, he was selected with the 31st overall pick in the 2011 NBA draft by the Miami Heat. He was later traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves, and then again to the New Jersey Nets on draft night.


title: Bojan Bogdanović

text: In September 2012, Fenerbahçe confirmed Bogdanović would return for the 2012–13 season. In July 2013, following a breakdown in negotiations with the Brooklyn Nets on a possible contract buy-out, Bogdanović announced his decision to return to Fenerbahçe for the 2013–14 season.


title: Bojan Bogdanović

text: On 20 July 2014, Bogdanović signed a three-year, $10 million contract with the Brooklyn Nets. After starting the first 19 games of the 2014–15 season alongside Joe Johnson on the wing, Bogdanović lost his starting spot on 10 December against the Chicago Bulls in favor of Sergey Karasev. He later regained his starting spot on 10 January against the Detroit Pistons. In the Nets' regular season finale on 15 April against the Orlando Magic, Bogdanović had a season-best game with 28 points on 12-of-17 shooting to help the Nets clinch the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference with a 101–88 win. The Nets lost to the Atlanta Hawks 4–2 in the first round of the playoffs.


title: Bojan Bogdanović

text: On 11 November 2015, Bogdanović helped the Nets record their first win of the season, scoring a season-high 22 points in a 106–98 victory over the Houston Rockets. He topped that season high mark with 24 points on 25 February 2016 in a 116–106 win over the Phoenix Suns. On 15 March 2016, he scored a career-high 44 points in a 131–114 win over the Philadelphia 76ers. His total was the most for a Nets player since Deron Williams scored 57 on 4 March 2012, and the most by any Nets player since the team moved to Brooklyn prior to the 2012–13 season. In the Nets' regular season finale on 13 April, he tied his career high with seven three-pointers and scored 29 points in a 103–96 loss to the Toronto Raptors. The Nets lost their final 10 games of the season and finished with a 21–61 win–loss record.


title: Bojan Bogdanović

text: In the Nets' season opener on 26 October 2016, Bogdanović scored a team-high 21 points in a 122–117 loss to the Boston Celtics.


title: Bojan Bogdanović

text: On 22 February 2017, Bogdanović was traded, along with Chris McCullough, to the Washington Wizards in exchange for Andrew Nicholson, Marcus Thornton and a 2017 protected first round draft pick. On 1 March 2017, he had a 27-point effort in a 105–96 win over the Toronto Raptors. Four days later, he scored 15 of his 27 points and made five of his career-high eight three-pointers, including the game-winner, during the fourth quarter of the Wizards' 115–114 win over the Orlando Magic. On 7 March, he scored 29 points and set a franchise record for free throws made by going 16 of 16 in a 131–127 win over the Phoenix Suns.


title: Bojan Bogdanović

text: On 10 July 2017, Bogdanović signed with the Indiana Pacers. In his debut for the Pacers in their season opener on 18 October 2017, Bogdanović scored 14 points in a 140–131 win over the Brooklyn Nets. On 5 February 2018, he scored a season-high 29 points in a 111–102 loss to the Washington Wizards. On 5 March 2018, he tied his season high with 29 points in a 92–89 win over the Milwaukee Bucks. In Game 3 of the Pacers' first-round playoff series against the Cleveland Cavaliers, Bogdanović scored 19 of his playoff career-high 30 points in the second half, finishing 7 of 9 on 3-pointers, in a 92–90 win that saw the Pacers take a 2–1 lead. The Pacers went on to lose the series in seven games.


title: Bojan Bogdanović

text: On 1 December 2018, Bogdanović scored a then season-high 27 points in a 111–110 loss to the Sacramento Kings. On 2 February 2019, he set a new season high with 31 points in a 95–88 win over the Miami Heat. On 7 February, he scored 29 points in a 116–92 win over the Los Angeles Clippers. On 11 February, he was named Eastern Conference Player of the Week for Week 17 of the 2018–19 season, thus marking his first career player of the week award. On 28 February, he set a new season high with 37 points in a 122–115 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves. On 24 March, he scored 26 of his 35 points in the first half of the Pacers' 124–88 win over the Denver Nuggets.


title: Bojan Bogdanović

text: On 7 July 2019, Bogdanović signed a four-year, $73 million contract with the Utah Jazz, making him the all-time highest-paid Croatian athlete. He hit two buzzer-beating game-winners in his first season with Utah: 8 November 2019, against the Milwaukee Bucks and 9 February 2020, at the Houston Rockets. On 19 May 2020, the Jazz announced that Bogdanović had undergone a successful surgery in repairing a ruptured ligament in his right wrist and was expected to be sidelined for the remainder of the 2019–20 season.


title: Bojan Bogdanović

text: On May 1, 2021, Bogdanović scored a season-high 34 points on 12-of-22 shooting from the field and 6-of-11 from the three, in addition to four rebounds and four assists across 39 minutes in a 106–102 win against the Toronto Raptors. On May 7, Bogdanović scored a career-high 48 points on 16-of-23 shooting from the field and 8-of-11 from the arc in a 127–120 win over the Denver Nuggets.


title: Bojan Bogdanović

text: On April 16, 2022, during Game 1 of the first round of the playoffs, Bogdanović logged 26 points and four assists in a 99–93 win over the Dallas Mavericks. Two days later, he scored 25 points in a Game 2 104–110 loss.


title: Bojan Bogdanović

text: On September 26, 2022, Bogdanović was traded to the Detroit Pistons in exchange for Kelly Olynyk, Saben Lee, and cash considerations.


title: Bojan Bogdanović

text: Bogdanović played for the Croatian Under-16 national team in 2005, the Under-18 team in 2006 and 2007, and the Under-20 team in 2009. In 2010, he joined the senior Croatian national team for the 2010 FIBA World Championship. In July 2012, the Croatian national team's head coach, Jasmin Repeša, kicked Bogdanović off the team for disciplinary reasons.


title: Bojan Bogdanović

text: He re-joined Croatia for the 2013 EuroBasket and the 2014 FIBA World Cup. He also represented Croatia at the 2015 EuroBasket, where they were eliminated in the eighth finals by Czech Republic. Over six tournament games, he averaged 10.8 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.2 assists on 31.5% shooting from the field.


title: Bojan Bogdanović

text: Bogdanović also represented Croatia at 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. He led all scorers with 25.3 points per game, while shooting 50.6 percent from the field and 45 percent from the 3-point line.


title: The BFG

text: The BFG (short for The Big Friendly Giant) is a 1982 children's book written by British novelist Roald Dahl and illustrated by Quentin Blake. It is an expansion of a short story from Dahl's 1975 book "Danny, the Champion of the World". The book is dedicated to Dahl's late daughter, Olivia, who died of measles encephalitis at the age of seven in 1962.


title: The BFG

text: An animated adaptation was released in 1989 with David Jason providing the voice of the BFG and Amanda Root as the voice of Sophie. It has also been adapted as a theatre performance. A theatrical Disney live-action adaptation directed by Steven Spielberg was released in 2016.


title: The BFG

text: As of 2009, the novel has sold 37 million copies, with more than 1 million copies sold around the world every year. In 2003, "The BFG" was listed at number 56 in "The Big Read", a BBC survey of the British public. In 2012, the novel was ranked number 88 among all-time best children's novels in a survey published by "School Library Journal", a US monthly. In 2012, the BFG and Sophie appeared on Royal Mail commemorative postage stamps.


title: The BFG

text: Sophie, an eight-year-old girl in an orphanage, cannot sleep. Looking out of her window, she sees a mysterious Giant Man in the street, carrying a suitcase and a trumpet. The giant sees Sophie, who tries to hide in bed, but the giant picks her up through the window. Sophie is carried to a large cave in the middle of a desolate land, where the giant sets her down. Believing that he intends to eat her, Sophie pleads for her life, but the giant laughs and dismisses the idea. He explains that although most giants do eat humans, he does not, because he is the Big Friendly Giant, or BFG.


title: The BFG

text: The BFG explains, in a unique and muddled speech, that his nine neighbours are much bigger and stronger giants, who all happily eat humans every night. They vary their choice of destination both to avoid detection and because the people's origins affect their taste. For example, people from Greece taste greasy, and so no giant goes there, while people from Panama taste of hats. As he will never allow Sophie to leave in case she tells anyone of his existence, the BFG reveals the purpose of his suitcase and trumpet: he catches dreams in Dream Country, collects them in jars, and gives the good ones to children all around the world, but destroys the bad ones. Since he does not eat people, he must eat the only crop which grows in his land—the repulsive snozzcumber, which looks like a cucumber.


title: The BFG

text: When the Bloodbottler, one of the other giants, enters the cave, Sophie hides in the snozzcumber; not knowing this, the BFG tricks the Bloodbottler into eating the vegetable. Luckily, the larger giant spits her out and leaves in disgust. They then drink frobscottle, a delicious fizzy drink where the bubbles sink downwards rather than upwards, causing noisy flatulence, which the BFG calls "whizzpopping". The BFG takes Sophie to Dream Country, but is bullied along the way by his neighbours, led by Fleshlumpeater, the largest and strongest. Sophie watches the BFG catch two dreams—while one would be a good dream, the other is a nightmare. The BFG uses it on Fleshlumpeater, who has a dream about a giant-killer named Jack and accidentally starts a brawl with his companions.


title: The BFG

text: Sophie persuades the BFG to approach the Queen of England for help with the other giants. She navigates the giant to Buckingham Palace, where he places her in the Queen's bedroom. He then gives the Queen a nightmare which closely parallels real events; because the BFG placing Sophie in her bedroom was part of the dream, the Queen believes her and speaks with the giant over breakfast. Fully convinced, she authorises a task force to travel to the giants' homeland and secure them as they sleep. The BFG guides a fleet of helicopters to the sleeping giants. Eight are successfully shackled, but Fleshlumpeater awakes; Sophie and the BFG trick him into being tied up. Having collected the BFG's dream collection, the helicopters carry the giants back to England, where they are imprisoned in a massive pit.


title: The BFG

text: Every country that the giants had visited in the past send thanks and gifts to the BFG and Sophie, for whom residences are built in Windsor Great Park. Tourists come in huge numbers to watch the giants in the pit, who are now fed only on snozzcumbers; they receive an unexpected snack when three drunks manage to climb the fence and fall in. The BFG receives the official title of Royal Dream-Blower, and continues bestowing dreams upon children; he also learns to speak and write more intelligibly, writing a book identified as the novel itself, under another's name.


title: The BFG

text: The BFG first appears as a story told to Danny by his father in "Danny, the Champion of the World". The ending is almost the same as "James and the Giant Peach", when he writes a story about himself, by himself. Also, Mr. Tibbs relates to Mrs. Tibbs, the friend of Mr. Gilligrass, the U.S. president in "Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator".


title: The BFG

text: "The BFG" has won numerous awards including the 1985 Deutscher Jugendliteraturpreis as the year's best children's book, in its German translation "Sophiechen und der Riese" and the 1991 Read Alone and Read Aloud BILBY Awards from the Children's Book Council of Australia.


title: The BFG

text: In 2003 it was ranked number 56 in The Big Read, a two-stage survey of the British public by the BBC to determine the "Nation's Best-loved Novel". The U.S. National Education Association listed "The BFG" among the "Teachers' Top 100 Books for Children" based on a 2007 online poll. In 2012, it was ranked number 88 among all-time children's novels in a survey published by "School Library Journal", a monthly with primarily U.S. audience. It was the fourth of four books by Dahl among the Top 100, more than any other writer.


title: The BFG

text: Between 1986 and 1998, the novel was adapted into a newspaper comic by journalist Brian Lee and artist Bill Asprey. It was published in the "Mail on Sunday" and originally a straight adaptation, with scripts accepted by Roald Dahl himself. After a while the comic started following its own storylines and continued long after Dahl's death in 1990.


title: The BFG

text: On 25 December 1989, ITV broadcast an animated film based on the book and produced by Cosgrove Hall Films on television, with David Jason providing the voice of the BFG and Amanda Root as the voice of Sophie. The film was dedicated to animator George Jackson who worked on numerous Cosgrove Hall productions.


title: The BFG

text: A theatrical live-action film adaptation was produced by Walt Disney Pictures, directed by Steven Spielberg, and starring Mark Rylance as the BFG, as well as Ruby Barnhill, Penelope Wilton, Jemaine Clement, Rebecca Hall, Rafe Spall, and Bill Hader. The film was released on 1 July 2016, to positive critical reception. However, the film was financially unsuccessful.


title: The BFG

text: A TV series based on "The BFG" is being developed as part of Netflix's "animated series event", based on Roald Dahl's books.


title: Saint George's Cross

text: In heraldry, Saint George's Cross, the Cross of Saint George, is a red cross on a white background, which from the Late Middle Ages became associated with Saint George, the military saint, often depicted as a crusader.


title: Saint George's Cross

text: Associated with the crusades, the red-on-white cross has its origins in the 10th century. It has been used as the ensign of the Republic of Genoa from perhaps as early as the 10th century.


title: Saint George's Cross

text: The symbol was adopted by the Swabian League in the pre-Reformation Holy Roman Empire. George became associated as patron saint of England after the English reformation. Since then this flag is commonly identified as the national flag of England. Saint George is the patron saint of the Spanish semi-autonomous region of Catalonia and of the country of Georgia. It figures in the emblem (crest) of FC Barcelona, in Ecuadoran premier side Barcelona S.C. and as two quarters of the Flag of Barcelona. The national flag of Georgia (since 2004) supplements this cross with Jerusalem crosses.


title: Saint George's Cross

text: Across the rest of Northern Italy as the symbol of Bologna, Padua, Reggio Emilia, Mantua, Vercelli, and Alessandria, the form has only received a cult of Saint George bolstering and simplification to the cross of Saint Ambrose, the origin of the cross in their civic designs, as the latter was adopted by the Commune of Milan in 1045, Ambrose having been a late 4th century bishop of that city.


title: Saint George's Cross

text: Saint George became widely venerated as a warrior saint during the Third Crusade. There was a legend that he had miraculously assisted Godfrey of Bouillon; also that Richard the Lionheart had placed himself under his protection.


title: Saint George's Cross

text: According to legend, the crusaders received miraculous help at the siege of Antioch on 28 June 1098 from a great army on white horses, clothed in white and bearing white banners, led by St George, St Demetrius, and St Mercurius. However, there was no association of the red cross with St George before the end of the crusades.


title: Saint George's Cross

text: The "red" cross in particular was associated with the Knights Templar, from the time of the Second Crusade (1145),


title: Saint George's Cross

text: but in 1188 red and white crosses were chosen to identify the French and English troops in the "Kings' Crusade" of Philip II of France and Henry II of England, respectively.


title: Saint George's Cross

text: Together with the Jerusalem Cross, the plain red-on-white became a recognizable symbol of the crusader from about 1190, and in the 13th century it came to be used as a standard or emblem by numerous leaders or polities who wanted to associate themselves with the crusades.


title: Saint George's Cross

text: Saint George was depicted as a crusader knight during this time, but the red cross had no particular association with him. A in the crypt of Trani cathedral shows Saint George wearing a white cross on a red surcoat. The white-on-red version was chosen as the "Reichsbanner" ("imperial banner") by the German crusaders in the 12th century, and Emperor Frederick II used it in his European campaigns of the 1250s after he had returned from the crusades. It continued to be used as the "Reichssturmfahne" ("imperial war flag") of the Holy Roman Empire, eventually giving rise to the flag of Savoy and the present-day flags of Switzerland and Denmark.


title: Saint George's Cross

text: A "vexillum beati Georgii" is mentioned in the Genovese annals for the year 1198, referring to a red flag with a depiction of St George and the dragon. An illumination of this flag is shown in the annals for the year 1227. The Genoese flag with the red cross was used alongside this "George's flag", from at least 1218, and was known as the " insignia cruxata comunis Janue" ("cross ensign of the commune of Janua"). The flag showing the saint himself was the city's principal war flag, but the flag showing the plain cross was used alongside it in the 1240s.


title: Saint George's Cross

text: The cross ceased to be a symbol directly associated with the "taking of the cross", the resolve to fight in a crusade, after the failure of the crusades in the 14th century. With the development of systematic heraldry, there was great demand for variations of the cross symbol and associated terminology. Juliana Berners reports that there were "Crossis innumerabull born dayli". The term "St George's cross" was at first associated with any plain Greek cross touching the edges of the field (not necessarily red on white).


title: Saint George's Cross

text: Early representations of Saint George as a crusader knight with bearing a red-on-white cross still date to the late 13th century, and become widespread as the saint's attributed arms in the 14th and 15th centuries.


title: Saint George's Cross

text: Edward III of England chose Saint George as the patron saint of his Order of the Garter in 1348, and also took to using a red-on-white cross in the hoist of his Royal Standard.


title: Saint George's Cross

text: There was a historiographical tradition claiming that Richard the Lionheart himself adopted both the flag and the patron saint from Genoa at some point during his crusade. This idea can be traced to the Victorian era, Perrin (1922) refers to it as a "common belief", and it is still popularly repeated today even though it cannot be substantiated as historical.


title: Saint George's Cross

text: On the origins of the flag and its connection to the Genoese flag, Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, said in a speech in Genoa in 1992:


title: Saint George's Cross

text: The St. George's flag, a red cross on a white field, was adopted by England and the City of London in 1190 for their ships entering the Mediterranean to benefit from the protection of the Genoese fleet. The English Monarch paid an annual tribute to the Doge of Genoa for this privilege.


title: Saint George's Cross

text: The red cross was introduced to England by the late 13th century, but not as a flag, and not at the time associated with Saint George. It was worn by English soldiers as an identification from the early years of the reign of Edward I (1270s), and perhaps originated a few years earlier, in the Second Barons' War (specifically in the Battle of Evesham of 1265, during which, according to chronicler William Rishanger, Simon de Montford observed that the king had taken from him the idea of having his soldiers marked with a cross).


title: Saint George's Cross

text: Saint George rose to the position of "patron saint of England" in a process beginning in 1348 with the foundation of the Order of the Garter and culminating with the abolition of all saint's banners except for the St George's banner in 1552. From 1348 and throughout the 15th century, the Saint George's Cross was shown in the hoist of the Royal Standards of the Plantagenet kings of England.


title: Saint George's Cross

text: A combined British flag was created in 1606 (after the dynastic union of England and Scotland in 1603, the so-called "Union of the Crowns") by combining Saint George's Cross with the Saint Andrew's Cross (the flag of Scotland). The flag was initially for maritime display, later restricted to the King's ships. Afterwards, the Saint George flag remained the flag of England for other purposes until the Acts of Union 1707. At the union, the first Union Flag became official for all purposes in the new Kingdom of Great Britain.


title: Saint George's Cross

text: From this time, the Saint George's Cross came to be seen as a symbol of England and Wales when used alongside symbols for Scotland or Ireland; so in the flags of the Commonwealth of England during 1649 to 1660.


title: Saint George's Cross

text: The flag of Saint George is also the rank flag of an Admiral in the Royal Navy, and civilian craft are forbidden to fly it. However, surviving little ships of Dunkirk, which participated in the Dunkirk evacuation during World War II, are allowed to fly it as a jack. This is normally done in the defaced form of the Dunkirk jack.


title: Saint George's Cross

text: Churches belonging to the Church of England may fly the Saint George's Cross (unless another flag is flown by custom for special reasons). The correct way for the church to fly the Saint George's cross (since an order from the Earl Marshal in 1938) is with the arms of the diocese in the upper left-hand corner of the flag.


title: Saint George's Cross

text: The flag of St George has enjoyed a resurgence in popularity since the late 20th century, partly due to football-inspired nationalism, and also in response to the devolution movements in Scotland and Wales.


title: Saint George's Cross

text: During the 2010 World Cup, UK Prime Minister David Cameron told Parliament that the flag would fly above his official residence at "no extra cost to the tax payer" while England played in the contest.


title: Saint George's Cross

text: Most of the derived usage is from the flag of England. That article has illustrations of its derivations particularly across Canada, eastern Australia, the Caribbean and the Channel Islands apart from Jersey since Guernsey commonly used the English flag from 1936 (then moved to its present variant in 1985), however the illustrations below have an extremely complex or nil derivation from that flag.


title: Saint George's Cross

text: The flag of the City of London use the St George's Cross on a white background, with a red sword in the canton. The sword is believed to represent the sword that beheaded Saint Paul who is the patron saint of the city.


title: Saint George's Cross

text: Saint George is the patron saint of the nation of Georgia, and the Saint George flag was supposedly used in the 5th century by Georgian king Vakhtang Gorgasali. In the 13th century, Queen Tamar of Georgia used the Saint George flag during her campaign against Seljuk Turks. The four Jerusalem crosses were later added by King George V of Georgia, who drove out the Mongols from Georgia in 1334.


title: Saint George's Cross

text: The flag fell out during the Russian annexation of Georgia and abolition of the Georgian monarchy. However, the flag was revived by the Georgian patriotic movement in the 1990s. A majority of Georgians supported the restoration of the medieval flag of Georgia, including the influential Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia Ilia II of the Georgian Orthodox Church. The flag was finally adopted by the Georgian parliament on 14 January 2004. It was formally endorsed by a presidential decree signed by Mikheil Saakashvili on 25 January, following his election as President of Georgia.


title: Production (economics)

text: Production is the process of combining various inputs, both material (such as metal, wood, glass, or plastics) and immaterial (such as plans, or knowledge) in order to create output. Ideally this output will be a good or service which has value and contributes to the utility of individuals. The area of economics that focuses on production is called production theory, and it is closely related to the consumption (or consumer) theory of economics.


title: Production (economics)

text: The production process and output directly result from productively utilising the original inputs (or factors of production). Known as primary producer goods or services, land, labour, and capital are deemed the three fundamental production factors. These primary inputs are not significantly altered in the output process, nor do they become a whole component in the product. Under classical economics, materials and energy are categorised as secondary factors as they are byproducts of land, labour and capital. Delving further, primary factors encompass all of the resourcing involved, such as land, which includes the natural resources above and below the soil. However, there is a difference in human capital and labour. In addition to the common factors of production, in different economic schools of thought, entrepreneurship and technology are sometimes considered evolved factors in production. It is common practice that several forms of controllable inputs are used to achieve the output of a product. The production function assesses the relationship between the inputs and the quantity of output.


title: Production (economics)

text: Economic well-being is created in a production process, meaning all economic activities that aim directly or indirectly to satisfy human wants and needs. The degree to which the needs are satisfied is often accepted as a measure of economic well-being. In production there are two features which explain increasing economic well-being. They are improving quality-price-ratio of goods and services and increasing incomes from growing and more efficient market production or total production which help in increasing GDP.


title: Production (economics)

text: In order to understand the origin of economic well-being, we must understand these three production processes. All of them produce commodities which have value and contribute to the well-being of individuals.


title: Production (economics)

text: The satisfaction of needs originates from the use of the commodities which are produced. The need satisfaction increases when the quality-price-ratio of the commodities improves and more satisfaction is achieved at less cost. Improving the quality-price-ratio of commodities is to a producer an essential way to improve the competitiveness of products but this kind of gains distributed to customers cannot be measured with production data. Improving the competitiveness of products means often to the producer lower product prices and therefore losses in incomes which are to be compensated with the growth of sales volume.


title: Production (economics)

text: Economic well-being also increases due to the growth of incomes that are gained from the growing and more efficient market production. Market production is the only production form that creates and distributes incomes to stakeholders. Public production and household production are financed by the incomes generated in market production. Thus market production has a double role in creating well-being, i.e. the role of producing goods and services and the role of creating income. Because of this double role, market production is the “primus motor” of economic well-being and therefore here under review.


title: Production (economics)

text: The underlying assumption of production is that maximisation of profit is the key objective of the producer. The difference in the value of the production values (the output value) and costs (associated with the factors of production) is the calculated profit. Efficiency, technological, pricing, behavioural, consumption and productivity changes are a few of the critical elements that significantly influence production economics.


title: Production (economics)

text: Within production, efficiency plays a tremendous role in achieving and maintaining full capacity, rather than producing an inefficient (not optimal) level. Changes in efficiency relate to the positive shift in current inputs, such as technological advancements, relative to the producer's position. Efficiency is calculated by the maximum potential output divided by the actual input. An example of the efficiency calculation is that if the applied inputs have the potential to produce 100 units but are producing 60 units, the efficiency of the output is 0.6, or 60%. Furthermore, economies of scale identify the point at which production efficiency (returns) can be increased, decrease or remain constant.


title: Production (economics)

text: This element sees the ongoing adaption of technology at the frontier of the production function. Technological change is a significant determinant in advancing economic production results, as noted throughout economic histories, such as the industrial revolution. Therefore, it is critical to continue to monitor its effects on production and promote the development of new technologies.


title: Production (economics)

text: There is a strong correlation between the producer's behaviour and the underlying assumption of production – both assume profit maximising behaviour. Production can be either increased, decreased or remain constant as a result of consumption, amongst various other factors. The relationship between production and consumption is mirror against the economic theory of supply and demand. Accordingly, when production decreases more than factor consumption, this results in reduced productivity. Contrarily, a production increase over consumption is seen as increased productivity.


title: Production (economics)

text: In an economic market, production input and output prices are assumed to be set from external factors as the producer is the price taker. Hence, pricing is an important element in the real-world application of production economics. Should the pricing be too high, the production of the product is simply unviable. There is also a strong link between pricing and consumption, with this influencing the overall production scale.


title: Production (economics)

text: In principle there are two main activities in an economy, production and consumption. Similarly, there are two kinds of actors, producers and consumers. Well-being is made possible by efficient production and by the interaction between producers and consumers. In the interaction, consumers can be identified in two roles both of which generate well-being. Consumers can be both customers of the producers and suppliers to the producers. The customers' well-being arises from the commodities they are buying and the suppliers' well-being is related to the income they receive as compensation for the production inputs they have delivered to the producers.


title: Production (economics)

text: Stakeholders of production are persons, groups or organizations with an interest in a producing company. Economic well-being originates in efficient production and it is distributed through the interaction between the company's stakeholders. The stakeholders of companies are economic actors which have an economic interest in a company. Based on the similarities of their interests, stakeholders can be classified into three groups in order to differentiate their interests and mutual relations. The three groups are as follows:


title: Production (economics)

text: The customers of a company are typically consumers, other market producers or producers in the public sector. Each of them has their individual production functions. Due to competition, the price-quality-ratios of commodities tend to improve and this brings the benefits of better productivity to customers. Customers get more for less. In households and the public sector this means that more need satisfaction is achieved at less cost. For this reason, the productivity of customers can increase over time even though their incomes remain unchanged.


title: Production (economics)

text: The suppliers of companies are typically producers of materials, energy, capital, and services. They all have their individual production functions. The changes in prices or qualities of supplied commodities have an effect on both actors' (company and suppliers) production functions. We come to the conclusion that the production functions of the company and its suppliers are in a state of continuous change.


title: Production (economics)

text: Those participating in production, i.e., the labour force, society and owners, are collectively referred to as the producer community or producers. The producer community generates income from developing and growing production.


title: Production (economics)

text: The well-being gained through commodities stems from the price-quality relations of the commodities. Due to competition and development in the market, the price-quality relations of commodities tend to improve over time. Typically the quality of a commodity goes up and the price goes down over time. This development favourably affects the production functions of customers. Customers get more for less. Consumer customers get more satisfaction at less cost. This type of well-being generation can only partially be calculated from the production data. The situation is presented in this study.


title: Production (economics)

text: The producer community (labour force, society, and owners) earns income as compensation for the inputs they have delivered to the production. When the production grows and becomes more efficient, the income tends to increase. In production this brings about an increased ability to pay salaries, taxes and profits. The growth of production and improved productivity generate additional income for the producing community. Similarly, the high income level achieved in the community is a result of the high volume of production and its good performance. This type of well-being generation – as mentioned earlier - can be reliably calculated from the production data.


title: Production (economics)

text: A producing company can be divided into sub-processes in different ways; yet, the following five are identified as main processes, each with a logic, objectives, theory and key figures of its own. It is important to examine each of them individually, yet, as a part of the whole, in order to be able to measure and understand them. The main processes of a company are as follows:


title: Production (economics)

text: Production output is created in the real process, gains of production are distributed in the income distribution process and these two processes constitute the production process. The production process and its sub-processes, the real process and income distribution process occur simultaneously, and only the production process is identifiable and measurable by the traditional accounting practices. The real process and income distribution process can be identified and measured by extra calculation, and this is why they need to be analyzed separately in order to understand the logic of production and its performance.


title: Production (economics)

text: Real process generates the production output from input, and it can be described by means of the production function. It refers to a series of events in production in which production inputs of different quality and quantity are combined into products of different quality and quantity. Products can be physical goods, immaterial services and most often combinations of both. The characteristics created into the product by the producer imply surplus value to the consumer, and on the basis of the market price this value is shared by the consumer and the producer in the marketplace. This is the mechanism through which surplus value originates to the consumer and the producer likewise. Surplus values to customers cannot be measured from any production data. Instead the surplus value to a producer can be measured. It can be expressed both in terms of nominal and real values. The real surplus value to the producer is an outcome of the real process, real income, and measured proportionally it means productivity.


title: Production (economics)

text: The concept “real process” in the meaning quantitative structure of production process was introduced in Finnish management accounting in the 1960s. Since then it has been a cornerstone in the Finnish management accounting theory. (Riistama et al. 1971)


title: Production (economics)

text: Income distribution process of the production refers to a series of events in which the unit prices of constant-quality products and inputs alter causing a change in income distribution among those participating in the exchange. The magnitude of the change in income distribution is directly proportionate to the change in prices of the output and inputs and to their quantities. Productivity gains are distributed, for example, to customers as lower product sales prices or to staff as higher income pay.