title: AMC Gremlin

text: In 1974 a production car was modified and dubbed the Gremlin XP prototype. It has a larger glass hatchback and additional side quarter windows. A pronounced crease started from the mid-body section and wraps over the roof while the rear quarter panels feature bulges around the wheel well openings. The rear panel has a recessed and blacked-out area with four lights. The design of the concept car improved visibility around the Gremlin's original wide C-pillar.


title: AMC Gremlin

text: Another 1974 Gremlin was modified with a front end from the Hornet. The concept car received a special grille, but the most radical design feature was its fastback roofline. This concept car turned out to be similar to the Gremlin's replacement, the liftback Spirit model introduced for the 1979 model year.


title: AMC Gremlin

text: In 1977 American Motors presented six show cars to illustrate the automaker's commitment to smaller, fuel-efficient vehicles for the 1980s. Three of them, the "Concept I", "Concept II", and "Concept Grand Touring" represented new subcompact designs.


title: AMC Gremlin

text: Design elements from the AMC's show cars "Concept II" and "Concept GT" were incorporated into the Gremlin's replacement, the AMC Spirit that was introduced in 1979.


title: AMC Gremlin

text: The 1970s were one of the most volatile periods in the history of the automobile industry which is renowned for its ups and downs. A total of 671,475 Gremlins were sold in the United States and Canada, making it the most popular single generation body style/chassis produced by AMC (other models, such as the Rambler and even Hornet, have higher production numbers, but consisted of more than one chassis design and body style in the case of the Rambler, multiple body styles for the Hornet).


title: AMC Gremlin

text: A book about the popular history of the 1970s introduces it as the decade of "pet rocks, shag carpets, platform shoes, and the AMC Gremlin." It is among the cars that people who were in high school in the late 1970s and early 1980s would be familiar with because it was one of the first cars they drove and among most often seen in student parking lots. Kiplinger's personal finance magazine, "Changing Times", listed the AMC Gremlin as first among the best subcompact used cars as "selected by top mechanics for good value, good service." Five years after the Gremlin's introduction, the mechanics liked the six-cylinder engine and most preferred automatic transmission. Comments included, "I have one. It's the greatest. I own one with a 304 V-8 engine. Have no trouble outside of normal maintenance."


title: AMC Gremlin

text: During the early 1970s American cars "are remembered far more often for their power than their style, and ... throughout the decade, the character of cars became blurred. Only a handful of cars had real personalities..." the AMC Gremlin was one of them, "a pioneering hatchback". According to Tom and Ray Magliozzi, "it's easy to criticize this car now, because just about any car from the early '70s would look bad next to today's cars. They had no fuel injection, no independent suspension, no air bags, no anti-lock brakes, no nothing! But compared with the other cars of its era, the Gremlin wasn't bad."


title: AMC Gremlin

text: Officially discontinued after the 1978 model year, the Gremlin was restyled, including a new model that featured a sloping liftback for 1979 and the model line renamed the AMC Spirit. This restyled continuation of the familiar chopped-tail two-door and the new hatch coupe caused sales to increase to 52,478 units for 1979. The original "Kammback" body style continued in production until 1982 as the Spirit Sedan with larger rear side windows. The basic design was also used for the small AMC Eagle Kammback in 1981 and 1982.


title: AMC Gremlin

text: American Motors lacked the funds to come up with a separate platform for a sub-compact car, so it did something different with an existing model, and "although car snobs make fun of the chop-tailed Gremlin, it was a huge sales hit." The authors of the book "365 Cars You Must Drive" "that any self-respecting auto enthusiast just has to know and experience from the driver's seat" describe that "driving a Gremlin isn't about the drive; it's about being seen in one, making a statement that you dig the mid-1970s, and also wouldn't be caught dead in something normal." An article published by "Time" in 2007 included the Gremlin as one of "The 50 Worst Cars of All Time", describing it as an AMC Hornet with the rear end whacked off, and criticizing its exterior proportions, with a long low snout, long front overhang, and a truncated tail, "like the tail snapped off a salamander".


title: AMC Gremlin

text: In 2007, "Popular Science" magazine included the AMC Gremlin as one of six historic cars that took "Small Steps to a Smart Future" in a special issue about the "Future of the Car: Efficiency".


title: AMC Gremlin

text: "Bill Clinton drove the back roads of Northwest Arkansas in his green AMC Gremlin" during his 1974 campaign for the only attempt he made for a seat in the United States Congress.


title: AMC Gremlin

text: An AMC Gremlin with a Levi interior was owned by the George H. W. Bush family and driven by George W. Bush in 1973 while getting his Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree.


title: AMC Gremlin

text: Scarcity, and the fact that it is a 1970s car, makes the Gremlin collectible, and it has a following among old car hobbyists and collectors of historic vehicles. In some cases, the Gremlin enjoys "a cult-like following in today's collectible car market". In 2007, "Business Week" reported that 1970s cars such as the Gremlin were increasingly attractive to buyers, and an insurance provider for collector-car owners reported that values were rising at that time.


title: AMC Gremlin

text: In light of rising gasoline prices, the Gremlin offers a relatively economical alternative to muscle cars and the more massive American cars of its era-especially for buyers leaning toward the eccentric. AMC said the Gremlin got "the best gas mileage of any production car made in America", and its gas tank allowed or more between fill-ups.


title: AMC Gremlin

text: Scarcity makes any Gremlin in good condition worth preserving as a unique piece of automotive history. Original Gremlins with the V8 engine, X package models, Levi's trim, and also the 1978 GT versions, are the most sought-after and command higher prices. By 2019, the cars described as gaining legitimacy as a collector car and a Gremlin winning the Platinum Pick Judge's Award and the Concours Gold awards at the 2018 Muscle Car and Corvette Nationals.


title: AMC Gremlin

text: Gremlins share numerous parts and components with other AMC models especially service and mechanical replacements are available. There are reproduction parts, but trim pieces for a restoration such as a grille can be more difficult. The Gremlin's original low price and throwaway nature makes good ones fairly scarce today. Many were chopped up during the late 1970s and the 1980s to make dirt-track racers. The body of choice on the dirt circuit was the Gremlin and AMC Eagle. The subcompact bodies fit Modified chassis and of special interest was the Gremlin's slab top and sides with a contour that was easy to duplicate in sheet metal.


title: AMC Gremlin

text: Over the years, some owners have converted the economy-versions of Gremlins into home-built "muscle cars" because any AMC engine up to the "just drops right in".


title: AMC Gremlin

text: Hot Wheels designer Paul Tam created a "bizarre but beautifully rendered model of a six-wheeled AMC Gremlin called “Open Fire" with the extra pair of wheels under a giant, exposed metal engine. Other than the engine, extra wheels, and elongated hood, "the Open Fire retains many accurate styling details of AMC's quirky 1970s econocar. Later on, in the Flying Colors range, Hot Wheels made the Gremlin Grinder: A rear-jacked Gremlin with a huge open engine that was produced through the mid-1970s in either green or chrome. The last one was a stockcar or rally car custom version of the Gremlin that was first made in the early 1980s and is still popular today, "The Greased Gremlin".


title: Willis Towers Watson

text: Willis Towers Watson Public Limited Company is a British-American multinational insurance advisor company. The company was founded in 2016, following a merger of the Willis Group and Towers Watson.


title: Willis Towers Watson

text: WTW operates in more than 140 countries and has a workforce of more than 40,000 employees. It joined the Hedge Fund Standards Board and follows the voluntary code of standards of best practice endorsed by its members.


title: Willis Towers Watson

text: The former Willis Towers Watson formed as a merger of equals between London based Willis Group and Arlington based Towers Watson. Towers Watson was formed as a merger between Towers Perrin and Watson Wyatt in 2009.


title: Willis Towers Watson

text: The companies announced the merger on June 30, 2015 in a deal valued at $18 billion. Willis Towers Watson would maintain its domicile in Ireland and list on the New York Stock Exchange. Later in 2015, the company moved its domicile to Virginia in the US and delisted from the NYSE and relisted on the NASDAQ. Willis Group exercised its right to acquire the remainder of Gras Savoye and agreed to purchase 85% of Miller, the leading London independent wholesale insurance broker.


title: Willis Towers Watson

text: Critics of the deal pointed out that the original offer would not be beneficial to Towers Watson shareholders as they would receive a package of shares and a special cash dividend that is valued at $125.13 per share. This value was 9.3% lower than the trading price of Towers Watson's stock was at the time of the announcement of the deal. The revised offer in November increased the value to $130.26 per share, which was still lower than the trading price of Towers Watson shares at the time of the announcement. The deal also gave Willis Group shareholders more control despite the company having a lower market capitalization compared to Towers Watson.


title: Willis Towers Watson

text: In an open letter, investment adviser Driehaus Capital Management urged Towers Watson shareholders to vote against a proposed merger. Driehaus argued that Towers Watson was worth between 39% and 53% more as a standalone company than by merging with Willis Group. It was also reported that Towers Watson CEO John Haley had disposed of his shares in the company in early March 2015 while the merger negotiations were ongoing.


title: Willis Towers Watson

text: On 18 November 2015, the board of Towers Watson failed to get enough investor support for the deal, with only 40% of shareholders voting in favor of the proposed merger with Willis Group. This rejection led to Willis Group increasing its special cash dividend for Towers Watson shareholders to USD $10 per share. This revised offer was approved by Towers Watson shareholders on 11 December 2015.


title: Willis Towers Watson

text: The merger closed on January 5, 2016 once all regulatory approvals were received. Willis Towers Watson publicly announced their name change on January 5. Willis Group shareholders owned 50.1% while those of Towers Watson shareholders owned 49.9% of the combined company.


title: Willis Towers Watson

text: On completion, Towers Watson CEO, John Haley, became the CEO, Willis Group CEO, Dominic Casserley, became the President and Deputy CEO while Willis Group Chairman, James McCann, became the chairman of the merged group with the twelve board seats shared equally between the two companies.


title: Willis Towers Watson

text: On 9 March 2020, Aon announced its planned acquisition of Willis Towers Watson for nearly $30 billion in an all-stock deal that would have created the world’s largest insurance broker. The deal was called off on 26 July 2021 after failing to reach agreement with the US Department of Justice.


title: Willis Towers Watson

text: In August 2021, Carl Hess was selected as the company’s president and next CEO to succeed on January 1, 2022 upon John Haley’s retirement. A new global leadership team was also announced in August 2021. In January 2022, Carl Hess formally succeeded John Haley as CEO and Willis Towers Watson became WTW.


title: Willis Towers Watson

text: Investors Starboard Value and Elliott Management were reported to have taken substantial stakes in the company in 2021.


title: Willis Towers Watson

text: In July 2022, Willis Towers Watson acquired Butterwire, a FinTech provider of data analytics, artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning platforms.


title: Tyrel Jackson Williams

text: Tyrel Jackson Williams (born March 16, 1997) is an American actor. He starred as Leo Dooley in the Disney XD series "Lab Rats". Williams also co-starred in the 2014 Disney XD television film "Pants on Fire". From 2017 to 2020 he co-starred in the comedy series "Brockmire".


title: Tyrel Jackson Williams

text: Williams had roles in the feature films "" in 2005, and "Failure to Launch" in 2006. He has also appeared in national commercials for companies such as Target, Verizon, McDonald's, Chex Mix and General Mills. Williams appeared in two episodes of the television series "Everybody Hates Chris" starting in 2005, as a younger version of Chris who was played by his older brother Tyler James Williams.


title: Tyrel Jackson Williams

text: In 2011 Williams was cast in the Disney XD series "Lab Rats" which premiered in 2012, playing the main role of Leo who stumbles upon the existence of the titular bionic heroes. He had a starring role in the 2014 Disney XD television film "Pants on Fire". He was also a singing actor for Tyrone in the Nickelodeon animated television series "The Backyardigans".


title: Tyrel Jackson Williams

text: In 2016 Williams was cast in the role of Charles, an internet whiz who has been hired to be the assistant to a minor league baseball team and its sports announcer (Hank Azaria), in the 2017 IFC comedy series "Brockmire".


title: Coronary arteries

text: The coronary arteries are the arterial blood vessels of coronary circulation, which transport oxygenated blood to the heart muscle. The heart requires a continuous supply of oxygen to function and survive, much like any other tissue or organ of the body.


title: Coronary arteries

text: The coronary arteries wrap around the entire heart. The two main branches are the left coronary artery and right coronary artery. The arteries can additionally be categorized based on the area of the heart for which they provide circulation. These categories are called "epicardial" (above the epicardium, or the outermost tissue of the heart) and "microvascular" (close to the endocardium, or the innermost tissue of the heart).


title: Coronary arteries

text: Reduced function of the coronary arteries can lead to decreased flow of oxygen and nutrients to the heart. Not only does this affect supply to the heart muscle itself, but it also can affect the ability of the heart to pump blood throughout the body. Therefore, any disorder or disease of the coronary arteries can have a serious impact on health, possibly leading to angina, a heart attack, and even death.


title: Coronary arteries

text: The coronary arteries are mainly composed of the left and right coronary arteries, both of which give off several branches, as shown in the 'coronary artery flow' figure.


title: Coronary arteries

text: The left coronary artery arises from the aorta within the left cusp of the aortic valve and feeds blood to the left side of the heart. It branches into two arteries, the left anterior descending and the left circumflex. The left anterior descending artery perfuses the interventricular septum and anterior wall of the left ventricle. The left circumflex artery perfuses the left ventricular free wall. In approximately 33% of individuals, the left coronary artery gives rise to the posterior descending artery which perfuses the posterior and inferior walls of the left ventricle. Sometimes a third branch is formed at the fork between left anterior descending and left circumflex arteries, known as a "ramus" or "intermediate artery".


title: Coronary arteries

text: The right coronary artery (RCA) originates within the right cusp of the aortic valve. It travels down the right coronary sulcus, towards the crux of the heart. The RCA primarily branches into the right marginal arteries, and, in 67% of individuals, gives place to the posterior descending artery. The right marginal arteries perfuse the right ventricle and the posterior descending artery perfuses the left ventricular posterior and inferior walls.


title: Coronary arteries

text: There is also the conus artery, which is only present in about 45 percent of the human population, and which provides collateral blood flow to the heart when the left anterior descending artery is occluded.


title: Coronary arteries

text: Narrowing of the arteries can be caused by a process known as atherosclerosis (most common), arteriosclerosis, or arteriolosclerosis. This occurs when plaques (made up of deposits of cholesterol and other substances) build up over time in the walls of the arteries. Coronary artery disease (CAD) or ischemic heart disease are the terms used to describe narrowing of the coronary arteries.


title: Coronary arteries

text: As the disease progresses, plaque buildup can partially block blood flow to the heart muscle. Without enough blood supply (ischemia), the heart is unable to work properly, especially under increased stress. Stable angina is chest pain on exertion that improves with rest. Unstable angina is chest pain that can occur at rest, feels more severe, and/or last longer than stable angina. It is caused by more severe narrowing of the arteries.


title: Coronary arteries

text: A heart attack results from a sudden plaque rupture and formation of a thrombus (blood clot) that completely blocks blood flow to a portion of the heart, leading to tissue death (infarct).


title: Coronary arteries

text: CAD can also result in heart failure or arrhythmias. Heart failure is caused by chronic oxygen deprivation due to reduced blood flow, which weakens the heart over time. Arrhythmias are caused by inadequate blood supply to the heart that interferes with the heart's electric impulse.


title: Coronary arteries

text: The coronary arteries can constrict as a response to various stimuli, mostly chemical. This is known as a coronary reflex.


title: Coronary arteries

text: There is also a rare condition known as spontaneous coronary artery dissection, in which the wall of one of the coronary arteries tears, causing severe pain. Unlike CAD, spontaneous coronary artery dissection is not due to plaque buildup in arteries, and tends to occur in younger individuals, including women who have recently given birth or men who do intense exercise.


title: Coronary arteries

text: Coronary artery dominance is described as the coronary artery that give branches to supply the right posterior descending artery and supplies the inferior wall of the heart. In 80 to 85% of the population, the right coronary artery supplies the posterior descending artery, making it right heart dominant while in 7 to 13% of the population, the left coronary artery supplies the posterior descending artery, making it left heart dominant. In 7 to 8% of the population, both right and left coronary arteries supplies the posterior descending artery, making it right and left co-dominance. Narrowing of coronary arteries is more frequent in those who are left dominant when compared to those who have right dominant or co-dominant hearts.


title: Coronary arteries

text: The word "" is a Latin word meaning "crown", from the Ancient Greek (, “garland, wreath”). It was applied to the coronary arteries because of a notional resemblance (compare the photos).


title: Coronary arteries

text: The word "arterie" in Anglo-French (' in Old French, and ' in Latin) means "windpipe" and "an artery." It was applied to the coronary arteries because the arteries do not contain blood after death.


title: Next Italian general election

text: The next Italian general election will occur no later than 22 December 2027, and may be called earlier as a snap election.


title: Next Italian general election

text: The electoral law currently in force in Italy assignes seats in both houses of the Italian Parliament using mixed-member majoritarian representation.


title: Next Italian general election

text: For Italian residents, each house member is to be elected in single ballots, including the constituency candidate and their supporting party lists. In each single-member constituency, the deputy or senator is elected on a plurality basis, while the seats in multi-member constituencies are allocated nationally. In order to be calculated in single-member constituency results, parties need to obtain at least 1% of the national vote and be part of a coalition obtaining at least 10% of the national vote. In order to receive seats in multi-member constituencies, parties need to obtain at least 3% of the national vote. Elects from multi-member constituencies would come from closed lists.


title: Next Italian general election

text: The voting paper, which is a single one for the FPTP and the proportional systems, shows the names of the candidates to single-member constituencies and in close conjunction with them the symbols of the linked lists for the proportional part, each one with a list of the relative candidates. The voter is able to cast their vote in three different ways, among them:


title: Giant otter

text: The giant otter or giant river otter (Pteronura brasiliensis) is a South American carnivorous mammal. It is the longest member of the weasel family, Mustelidae, a globally successful group of predators, reaching up to . Atypical of mustelids, the giant otter is a social species, with family groups typically supporting three to eight members. The groups are centered on a dominant breeding pair and are extremely cohesive and cooperative. Although generally peaceful, the species is territorial, and aggression has been observed between groups. The giant otter is diurnal, being active exclusively during daylight hours. It is the noisiest otter species, and distinct vocalizations have been documented that indicate alarm, aggression, and reassurance.


title: Giant otter

text: The giant otter ranges across north-central South America; it lives mostly in and along the Amazon River and in the Pantanal. Its distribution has been greatly reduced and is now discontinuous. Decades of poaching for its velvety pelt, peaking in the 1950s and 1960s, considerably diminished population numbers. The species was listed as endangered in 1999 and wild population estimates are typically below 5,000. The Guianas are one of the last real strongholds for the species, which also enjoys modest numbers – and significant protection – in the Peruvian Amazonian basin. It is one of the most endangered mammal species in the Neotropics. Habitat degradation and loss is the greatest current threat. The giant otter is also rare in captivity; in 2003, only 60 animals were being held.


title: Giant otter

text: The giant otter shows a variety of adaptations suitable to an amphibious lifestyle, including exceptionally dense fur, a wing-like tail, and webbed feet. The species prefers freshwater rivers and streams, which are usually seasonally flooded, and may also take to freshwater lakes and springs. It constructs extensive campsites close to feeding areas, clearing large amounts of vegetation. The giant otter subsists almost exclusively on a diet of fish, particularly characins and catfish, but may also eat crabs, turtles, snakes and small caimans. It has no serious natural predators other than humans, although it must compete with other predators, such as the Neotropical otter, jaguar, and various crocodilian species, for food resources.


title: Giant otter

text: The giant otter has a handful of other names. In Brazil it is known as "ariranha", from the Tupí word , meaning water jaguar (). In Spanish, river wolf () and water dog () are used occasionally (though the latter also refers to several different animals) and may have been more common in the reports of explorers in the 19th and early 20th centuries. All four names are in use in South America, with a number of regional variations. "Giant otter" translates literally as and in Spanish and Portuguese, respectively. Among the Achuar people, they are known as "wankanim", among the Sanumá as "hadami" and among the Makushi as "turara". The genus name, "Pteronura", is derived from the Ancient Greek words (, feather or wing) and (, tail), a reference to its distinctive, wing-like tail.


title: Giant otter

text: The otters form the subfamily Lutrinae within the mustelids and the giant otter is the only member of the genus "Pteronura". Two subspecies are currently recognized by the canonical "Mammal Species of the World", "P. b. brasiliensis" and "P. b. paraguensis". Incorrect descriptions of the species have led to multiple synonyms (the latter subspecies is often "P. b. paranensis" in the literature). "P. b. brasiliensis" is distributed across the north of the giant otter range, including the Orinoco, Amazon, and Guianas river systems; to the south, "P. b. paraguensis" has been suggested in Paraguay, Uruguay, southern Brazil, and northern Argentina, although it may be extinct in the last three of these four. The World Conservation Union (IUCN) considers the species' presence in Argentina and Uruguay uncertain. In the former, investigation has shown thinly distributed population remnants. "P. b. paraguensis" is supposedly smaller and more gregarious, with different dentition and skull morphology. Carter and Rosas, however, rejected the subspecific division in 1997, noting the classification had only been validated once, in 1968, and the "P. b. paraguensis" type specimen was very similar to "P. b. brasiliensis". Biologist Nicole Duplaix calls the division of "doubtful value".


title: Giant otter

text: An extinct genus, "Satherium", is believed to be ancestral to the present species, having migrated to the New World during the Pliocene or early Pleistocene. The giant otter shares the South American continent with three of the four members of the New World otter genus "Lontra": the Neotropical river otter, the southern river otter, and the marine otter. (The North American river otter ("Lontra canadensis") is the fourth "Lontra" member.) The giant otter seems to have evolved independently of "Lontra" in South America, despite the overlap. The smooth-coated otter ("Lutrogale perspicillata") of Asia may be its closest extant relative; similar behaviour, vocalizations, and skull morphology have been noted. Both species also show strong pair bonding and paternal engagement in rearing cubs. Giant otter fossil remains have been recovered from a cave in the Brazilian Mato Grosso.


title: Giant otter

text: Phylogenetic analysis by Koepfli and Wayne in 1998 found the giant otter has the highest divergence sequences within the otter subfamily, forming a distinct clade that split away 10 to 14 million years ago. They noted that the species may be the basal divergence among the otters or fall outside of them altogether, having split even before other mustelids, such as the ermine, polecat, and mink. Later gene sequencing research on the mustelids, from 2005, places the divergence of the giant otter somewhat later, between five and 11 million years ago; the corresponding phylogenetic tree locates the "Lontra" divergence first among otter genera, and "Pteronura" second, although divergence ranges overlap.


title: Giant otter

text: The giant otter is clearly distinguished from other otters by morphological and behavioural characteristics. It has the greatest body length of any species in the mustelid family, although the sea otter may be heavier. Males are between in length from head to tail and females between . The animal's well-muscled tail can add a further to the total body length. Early reports of skins and living animals suggested exceptionally large males of up to ; intensive hunting likely reduced the occurrence of such massive specimens. Weights are between for males and for females.


title: Giant otter

text: The giant otter has the shortest fur of all otter species; it is typically chocolate brown, but may be reddish or fawn, and appears nearly black when wet. The fur is extremely dense, so much so that water cannot penetrate to the skin. Guard hairs trap water and keep the inner fur dry; the guard hairs are approximately 8 millimetres (one-third of an inch) in length, about twice as long as the fur of the inner coat. Its velvety feel makes the animal highly sought after by fur traders and has contributed to its decline. Unique markings of white or cream fur color the throat and under the chin, allow individuals to be identified from birth. Giant otters use these marks to recognize one another, and upon meeting other otters, they engage in a behavior known as "periscoping", displaying their throats and upper chests to each other.


title: Giant otter

text: Giant otter muzzles are short and sloping and give the head a ball-shaped appearance. The ears are small and rounded. The nose (or rhinarium) is completely covered in fur, with only the two slit-like nostrils visible. The giant otter's highly sensitive whiskers (vibrissae) allow the animal to track changes in water pressure and currents, which aids in detecting prey. The legs are short and stubby and end in large webbed feet tipped with sharp claws. Well suited for an aquatic life, it can close its ears and nose while underwater.


title: Giant otter

text: At the time of Carter and Rosas' writing, vision had not been directly studied, but field observations show the animal primarily hunts by sight; above water, it is able to recognize observers at great distances. The fact that it is exclusively active during the day further suggests its eyesight should be strong, to aid in hunting and predator avoidance. In other otter species, vision is generally normal or slightly myopic, both on land and in water. The giant otter's hearing is acute and its sense of smell is excellent.


title: Giant otter

text: The giant otter is large, gregarious, and diurnal. Early travelers' reports describe noisy groups surrounding explorers' boats, but little scientific information was available on the species until Duplaix's groundbreaking work in the late 1970s. Concern over this endangered species has since generated a body of research.


title: Giant otter

text: The giant otter is an especially noisy animal, with a complex repertoire of vocalizations. All otters produce vocalizations, but by frequency and volume, the giant otter may be the most vocal. Duplaix identified nine distinct sounds, with further subdivisions possible, depending on context. Quick "hah" barks or explosive snorts suggest immediate interest and possible danger. A wavering scream may be used in bluff charges against intruders, while a low growl is used for aggressive warning. Hums and coos are more reassuring within the group. Whistles may be used as advance warning of nonhostile intent between groups, although evidence is limited. Newborn pups squeak to elicit attention, while older young whine and wail when they begin to participate in group activities. An analysis published in 2014 cataloged 22 distinct types of vocalization in adults and 11 in neonates. Each family of otters was shown to have its own unique audio signature.


title: Giant otter

text: The giant otter is a highly social animal and lives in extended family groups. Group sizes are anywhere from two to 20 members, but likely average between four and eight. (Larger figures may reflect two or three family groups temporarily feeding together.) The groups are strongly cohesive: the otters sleep, play, travel, and feed together.


title: Giant otter

text: Group members share roles, structured around the dominant breeding pair. The species is territorial, with groups marking their ranges with latrines, gland secretions, and vocalizations. At least one case of a change in alpha relationship has been reported, with a new male taking over the role; the mechanics of the transition were not determined. Duplaix suggests a division between "residents", who are established within groups and territories, and nomadic and solitary "transients"; the categories do not seem rigid, and both may be a normal part of the giant otter life cycle. One tentative theory for the development of sociality in mustelids is that locally abundant but unpredictably dispersed prey causes groups to form.


title: Giant otter

text: Aggression within the species ("intraspecific" conflict) has been documented. Defence against intruding animals appears to be cooperative: while adult males typically lead in aggressive encounters, cases of alpha females guarding groups have been reported. One fight was directly observed in the Brazilian Pantanal in which three animals violently engaged a single individual near a range boundary. In another instance in Brazil, a carcass was found with clear indications of violent assault by other otters, including bites to the snout and genitals, an attack pattern similar to that exhibited by captive animals. While not rare among large predators in general, intraspecific aggression is uncommon among otter species; Ribas and Mourão suggest a correlation to the animal's sociability, which is also rare among other otters.


title: Giant otter

text: A capacity for aggressive behavior should not be overstated with the giant otter. Researchers emphasize that even between groups, conflict avoidance is generally adopted. Within groups, the animals are extremely peaceful and cooperative. Group hierarchies are not rigid and the animals easily share roles.


title: Giant otter

text: Giant otters build dens, which are holes dug into riverbanks, usually with multiple entrances and multiple chambers inside. They give birth within these dens during the dry season. In Cantão State Park, otters dig their reproductive dens on the shores of oxbow lakes starting around July, when waters are already quite low. They give birth between August and September, and the young pups emerge for the first time in October and November, which are the months of lowest water when fish concentrations in the dwindling lakes and channels are at their peak. This makes it easier for the adults to catch enough fish for the growing young, and for the pups to learn how to catch fish. The entire group, including nonreproductive adults, which are usually older siblings to that year's pups, collaborates to catch enough fish for the young.


title: Giant otter

text: Details of giant otter reproduction and life cycle are scarce, and captive animals have provided much of the information. Females appear to give birth year round, although in the wild, births may peak during the dry season. The estrous cycle is 21 days, with females receptive to sexual advances between three and 10 days. Study of captive specimens has found only males initiate copulation. At Tierpark Hagenbeck in Germany, long-term pair bonding and individualized mate selection were seen, with copulation most frequently taking place in water. Females have a gestation period of 65 to 70 days, giving birth to one to five pups, with an average of two. Research over five years on a breeding pair at the Cali Zoo in Colombia found the average interval between litters was six to seven months, but as short as 77 days when the previous litter did not survive. Other sources have found greater intervals, with as long as 21 to 33 months suggested for otters in the wild.


title: Giant otter

text: Mothers give birth to furred and blind cubs in an underground den near the river shore and fishing sites. Males actively participate in rearing cubs and family cohesion is strong; older, juvenile siblings also participate in rearing, although in the weeks immediately after birth, they may temporarily leave the group. Pups open their eyes in their fourth week, begin walking in their fifth, and are able to swim confidently between 12 and 14 weeks old. They are weaned by nine months and begin hunting successfully soon after. The animal reaches sexual maturity at about two years of age and both male and female pups leave the group permanently after two to three years. They then search for new territory to begin a family of their own.


title: Giant otter

text: Studies of giant otters in captivity have given indications about the environment necessary to both maintain a physically and behaviorally healthy population and allow successful cub-rearing. These include providing at least the minimum recommended land-to-water area ratio, and that all enclosure land surfaces (both artificial and natural) are nearly entirely covered with the recommended substrate conditions (e.g. tree-bark mulch and soft pebble-free sand/soil). Ensuring that the animals have sufficient privacy from human disturbances (visual and acoustic, from zoo staff or visitors) at parturition and during cub-rearing is also essential, but not sufficient. Insufficient land area proportions and unsuitable substrate conditions in zoos have historically been the primary cause of high cub mortality and physical and behavioral health problems among giant otters. For example, stress to the parents during cub-rearing due to inappropriate enclosure conditions has been the primary reason for cub neglect, abuse and infanticide.


title: Giant otter

text: In the wild, it has been suggested, although not systematically confirmed, that tourists cause similar stresses: disrupted lactation and denning, reduced hunting, and habitat abandonment are all risks. This sensitivity is matched by a strong protectiveness towards the young. All group members may aggressively charge intruders, including boats with humans in them.


title: Giant otter

text: The longest documented giant otter lifespan in the wild is eight years. In captivity, this may increase to 17, with an unconfirmed record of 19. The animal is susceptible to a variety of diseases, including canine parvovirus. Parasites, such as the larvae of flies and a variety of intestinal worms, also afflict the giant otter. Other causes of death include accidents, gastroenteritis, infanticide, and epileptic seizures.


title: Giant otter

text: The giant otter is an apex predator, and its population status reflects the overall health of riverine ecosystems. It feeds mainly on fish, including cichlids, perch, characins (such as piranha), and catfish. One full-year study of giant otter scats in Amazonian Brazil found fish present in all fecal samples. Fish from the order Perciformes, particularly cichlids and perch, were seen in 97% of scats, and Characiformes, such as characins, in 86%. Fish remains were of medium-sized species that seem to prefer relatively shallow water, to the advantage of the probably visually oriented giant otter. Prey species found were also sedentary, generally swimming only short distances, which may aid the giant otter in predation. Hunting in shallow water has also been found to be more rewarding, with water depth less than having the highest success rate. The giant otter seems to be opportunistic, taking whatever species are most locally abundant. If fish are unavailable, it will also take crabs, snakes, and even small caimans and anacondas.


title: Giant otter

text: The species can hunt singly, in pairs, and in groups, relying on sharp eyesight to locate prey. In some cases, supposed cooperative hunting may be incidental, a result of group members fishing individually in close proximity; truly coordinated hunting may only occur where the prey cannot be taken by a single giant otter, such as with small anacondas and juvenile black caiman. The giant otter seems to prefer prey fish that are generally immobile on river bottoms in clear water. Prey chase is rapid and tumultuous, with lunges and twists through the shallows and few missed targets. The otter can attack from both above and below, swiveling at the last instant to clamp the prey in its jaws. Giant otters catch their own food and consume it immediately; they grasp the fish firmly between the forepaws and begin eating noisily at the head. Carter and Rosas have found captive adult animals consume around 10% of their body weight daily—about , in keeping with findings in the wild.


title: Giant otter

text: The species is amphibious, although primarily terrestrial. It occurs in freshwater rivers and streams, which generally flood seasonally. Other water habitats include freshwater springs and permanent freshwater lakes. Four specific vegetation types occur on one important creek in Suriname: riverbank high forest, floodable mixed marsh and high swamp forest, floodable low marsh forest, and grass islands and floating meadows within open areas of the creek itself. Duplaix identified two critical factors in habitat selection: food abundance, which appears to positively correlate to shallow water, and low sloping banks with good cover and easy access to preferred water types. The giant otter seems to choose clear, black waters with rocky or sandy bottoms over silty, saline, and white waters.


title: Giant otter

text: Giant otters use areas beside rivers for building dens, campsites, and latrines. They clear significant amounts of vegetation while building their campsites. One report suggests maximum areas long and wide, well-marked by scent glands, urine, and feces to signal territory. Carter and Rosas found average areas a third this size. Giant otters adopt communal latrines beside campsites, and dig dens with a handful of entrances, typically under root systems or fallen trees. One report found between three and eight campsites, clustered around feeding areas. In seasonally flooded areas, the giant otter may abandon campsites during the wet season, dispersing to flooded forests in search of prey. Giant otters may adopt preferred locations perennially, often on high ground. These can become quite extensive, including "backdoor" exits into forests and swamps, away from the water. Otters do not visit or mark every site daily, but usually patrol all of them, often by a pair of otters in the morning.


title: Giant otter

text: Research generally takes place in the dry season and an understanding of the species' overall habitat use remains partial. An analysis of dry season range size for three otter groups in Ecuador found areas between . Utreras presumed habitat requirements and availability would differ dramatically in the rainy season: estimating range sizes of 1.98 to as much as 19.55 square kilometres (0.76 to 7.55 sq miles) for the groups. Other researchers suggest approximately and note a strong inverse correlation between sociality and home range size; the highly social giant otter has smaller home range sizes than would be expected for a species of its mass. Population densities varied with a high of reported in Suriname and with a low of found in Guyana.


title: Giant otter

text: In 2021, conservationists at Fundación Rewilding spotted a wild giant river otter swimming in the Bermejo River in Impenetrable National Park, located in the Chaco province of northeast Argentina.


title: Giant otter

text: Adult giant otters living in family groups have no known serious natural predators, however there are some accounts of black caimans in Peru and yacare caimans in the Pantanal preying on giant otters. In addition, solitary animals and young may be vulnerable to attacks by the jaguar, cougar, and anaconda, but this is based on historical reports, not direct observation. Pups are more vulnerable, and may be taken by caiman and other large predators, although adults are constantly mindful of stray young, and will harass and fight off possible predators. When in the water, the giant otter faces danger from animals not strictly preying upon it: the electric eel and stingray are potentially deadly if stumbled upon, and piranha may be capable of at least taking bites out of a giant otter, as evidenced by scarring on individuals.


title: Giant otter

text: Even if without direct predation, the giant otter must still compete with other predators for food resources. Duplaix documented interaction with the Neotropical otter. While the two species are sympatric (with overlapping ranges) during certain seasons, there appeared to be no serious conflict. The smaller neotropical otter is far more shy, less noisy, and less social; at about a third the weight of the giant otter, it is more vulnerable to predation, hence, a lack of conspicuousness is to its advantage. The neotropical otter is active during twilight and darkness, reducing the likelihood of conflict with the diurnal giant otter. Its smaller prey, different denning habits, and different preferred water types also reduce interaction.


title: Giant otter

text: Other species that prey upon similar food resources include the caimans and large fish that are themselves piscivores. Gymnotids, such as the electric eel, and the large silurid catfish are among aquatic competitors. Two river dolphins, the tucuxi and boto, might potentially compete with the giant otter, but different spatial use and dietary preferences suggest minimal overlap. Furthermore, Defler observed associations between giant otters and the Amazon river dolphins, and suggested that dolphins may benefit by fish fleeing from the otters. The spectacled caiman is another potential competitor, but Duplaix found no conflict with the species in Suriname.


title: Giant otter

text: The IUCN listed the giant otter as "endangered" in 1999; it had been considered "vulnerable" under all previous listings from 1982 when sufficient data had first become available. It is regulated internationally under Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) meaning commercial trade in specimens (including parts and derivatives) is prohibited.


title: Giant otter

text: The animal faces a variety of critical threats. Poaching has long been a problem. Statistics show between 1959 and 1969 Amazonian Brazil alone accounted for 1,000 to 3,000 pelts annually. The species was so thoroughly decimated, the number dropped to just 12 in 1971. The implementation of CITES in 1973 finally brought about significant hunting reductions, although demand did not disappear entirely: in the 1980s, pelt prices were as high as US$250 on the European market. The threat has been exacerbated by the otters' relative fearlessness and tendency to approach human beings. They are extremely easy to hunt, being active through the day and highly inquisitive. The animal's relatively late sexual maturity and complex social life makes hunting especially disastrous.


title: Giant otter

text: More recently, habitat destruction and degradation have become the principal dangers, and a further reduction of 50% is expected in giant otter numbers within the 20 years after 2004 (about the span of three generations of giant otters). Typically, loggers first move into rainforest, clearing the vegetation along riverbanks. Farmers follow, creating depleted soil and disrupted habitats. As human activity expands, giant otter home ranges become increasingly isolated. Subadults leaving in search of new territory find it impossible to set up family groups. Specific threats from human industry include unsustainable mahogany logging in parts of the giant otter range, and concentrations of mercury in its diet of fish, a byproduct of gold mining. Water pollution from mining, fossil fuel extraction, and agriculture is a serious danger; concentrations of pesticides and other chemicals are magnified at each step in the food chain, and can poison top predators such as the giant otter.


title: Giant otter

text: Other threats to the giant otter include conflict with fishermen, who often view the species as a nuisance (see below). Ecotourism also presents challenges: while it raises money and awareness for the animals, by its nature it also increases human effect on the species, both through associated development and direct disturbances in the field. A number of restrictions on land use and human intrusion are required to properly maintain wild populations. Schenck "et al.", who undertook extensive fieldwork in Peru in the 1990s, suggest specific "no-go" zones where the species is most frequently observed, offset by observation towers and platforms to allow viewing. Limits on the number of tourists at any one time, fishing prohibitions, and a minimum safe distance of are proposed to offer further protection.


title: Giant otter

text: The giant otter has lost as much as 80% of its South American range. While still present in a number of north-central countries, giant otter populations are under considerable stress. The IUCN lists Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela as current range countries. Given local extinctions, the species' range has become discontinuous. Total population numbers are difficult to estimate. An IUCN study in 2006 suggested 1,000 to 5,000 otters remain. Populations in Bolivia were once widespread but the country became a "black spot" on distribution maps after poaching between the 1940s and 1970s; a relatively healthy, but still small, population of 350 was estimated in the country in 2002. The species has likely been extirpated from southern Brazil, but in the west of the country, decreased hunting pressure in the critical Pantanal has led to very successful recolonization; an estimate suggests 1,000 or more animals in the region.


title: Giant otter

text: In 2006, most of this species lived in the Brazilian Amazon and its bordering areas. A significant population lives in the wetlands of the central Araguaia River, and in particular within Cantão State Park, which, with its 843 oxbow lakes and extensive flooded forests and marshlands, is one of the best habitat patches for this species in Brazil.


title: Giant otter

text: Suriname still has significant forest cover and an extensive system of protected areas, much of which protects the giant otter. Duplaix returned to the country in 2000 and found the giant otter still present on the Kaburi Creek, a "jewel" of biodiversity, although increased human presence and land use suggests, sooner or later, the species may not be able to find suitable habitat for campsites. In a report for World Wildlife Fund in 2002, Duplaix was emphatic about the importance of Suriname and the other Guianas:


title: Giant otter

text: Other countries have taken a lead in designating protected areas in South America. In 2004, Peru created one of the largest conservation areas in the world, Alto Purús National Park, with an area similar in size to Belgium. The park harbors many endangered plants and animals, including the giant otter, and holds the world record for mammal diversity. Bolivia designated wetlands larger than the size of Switzerland as a freshwater protected area in 2001; these are also home to the giant otter.


title: Giant otter

text: Throughout its range, the giant otter interacts with indigenous groups, who often practice traditional hunting and fishing. A study of five indigenous communities in Colombia suggests native attitudes toward the animal are a threat: the otters are often viewed as a nuisance that interferes with fishing, and are sometimes killed. Even when told of the importance of the species to ecosystems and the danger of extinction, interviewees showed little interest in continuing to coexist with the species. Schoolchildren, however, had a more positive impression of the animal.


title: Giant otter

text: In Suriname, the giant otter is not a traditional prey species for human hunters, which affords some protection. (One researcher has suggested the giant otter is hunted only in desperation due to its horrible taste.) The animal sometimes drowns in nets set across rivers and machete attacks by fishermen have been noted, according to Duplaix, but "tolerance is the rule" in Suriname. One difference in behavior was seen in the country in 2002: the normally inquisitive giant otters showed "active avoidance behavior with visible panic" when boats appeared. Logging, hunting, and pup seizure may have led groups to be far more wary of human activity.


title: Giant otter

text: Local people sometimes take pups for the exotic pet trade or as pets for themselves, but the animal rapidly grows to become unmanageable. Duplaix relates the story of an Arawak Indian who took two pups from their parents. While revealing of the affection held for the animals, the seizure was a profound blow to the breeding pair, which went on to lose their territory to competitors.


title: Giant otter

text: The species has also appeared in the folklore of the region. It plays an important role in the mythology of the Achuar people, where giant otters are seen as a form of the "tsunki", or water spirits: they are a sort of "water people" who feed on fish. They appear in a fish poisoning legend where they assist a man who has wasted his sexual energy, creating the anacondas of the world from his distressed and extended genitals.


title: Giant otter

text: The Bororó people have a legend on the origin of tobacco smoking: those who used the leaf improperly by swallowing it were punished by being transformed into giant otters; the Bororo also associate the giant otter with fish and with fire. A Ticuna legend has it that the giant otter exchanged places with the jaguar: the story says jaguar formerly lived in the water and the giant otter came to the land only to eat. The indigenous Kichwa peoples from Amazonian Peru believed in a world of water where Yaku runa reigned as mother of the water and was charged with caring for fish and animals. Giant otters served as Yaku runa's canoes. A Maxacali creation story suggests that the practice of otter fishing may have been prevalent in the past.


title: Marimba

text: The marimba () is a musical instrument in the percussion family that consists of wooden bars that are struck by mallets. Below each bar is a resonator pipe that amplifies particular harmonics of its sound. Compared to the xylophone, the timbre of the marimba is warmer, deeper, more resonant, and more pure. It also tends to have a lower range than that of a xylophone. Typically, the bars of a marimba are arranged chromatically, like the keys of a piano. The marimba is a type of idiophone.


title: Marimba

text: Today, the marimba is used as a solo instrument, or in ensembles like orchestras, marching bands (typically as a part of the front ensemble), percussion ensembles, brass and concert bands, and other traditional ensembles.


title: Marimba

text: The term "marimba" refers to both the traditional version of this instrument and its modern form. Its first documented use in the English language dates back to 1704. The term is of Bantu origin, deriving from the prefix meaning 'many' and meaning 'xylophone'. The term is akin to Kikongo and Swahili or .


title: Marimba

text: Instruments like the marimba are present throughout the entirety of sub-Saharan Africa. The instrument Itself is most similar and shares its name with the marimbas of modern-day Angola and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Although it is also similar to instruments that exist in West Africa such as the balafon of the Mandinka people, known as gyil among the Gur peoples in and around northern Ghana and Burkina Faso.


title: Marimba

text: The marimba is popular throughout Central America, with its popularity spreading from southern Mexico to Nicaragua. The first historical account in Central America is from 1550 where enslaved Africans in Guatemala are reported playing it. By 1680 accounts of Maya musicians using marimbas with gourd resonator were made in Guatemala. It became more widespread during the 18th and 19th centuries, as Maya and Ladino ensembles started using it on festivals. In 1821, the marimba was proclaimed the national instrument of Guatemala in its independence proclamation.


title: Marimba

text: Marimba's second range of popularity in Latin America is in the Pacific coast of Colombia and Ecuador. The instruments were brought there via the African diaspora and their cultural significance has survived to the present day. The Afro-Latino communities that take part in preserving and playing it value its importance as a touchstone of their resilience.


title: Marimba

text: In Colombia the most widespread marimba is the "marimba de chonta" (peach-palm marimba). Marimba music has been listed on UNESCO as an intangible part of Colombian culture. In recent times "marimberos" (marimba players) and the marimba genres as a whole have started to fade out in popularity. Nonetheless, the genre is still popular in the departments of Chocó and Cauca.


title: Marimba

text: In Ecuador the most widespread marimba is the "marimba esmeraldeña" (Esmeralda marimba). Marimbas are an important aspect of Afro-Ecuadorian culture: many religious ceremonies and songs are accompanied with marimba music along with festivals and dances. It is most popular in the province of Esmeraldas where in the 16th century Alonso de Illescas, a maroon, found a maroon settlement near the area around modern day Esmeraldas. In that province, it evokes a sense of pride for the community in which years centuries marimba music has been prohibited after government encroachment upon the Esmeraldas province.


title: Marimba

text: Marimbas have become widely popular around the world being used throughout Africa, South East Asia, Europe, North America, South America and Central America.


title: Marimba

text: In 1850, Mexican marimbist Manuel Bolán Cruz (1810-1863), modified the old bow marimba, by the wooden straight one, lengthening the legs so that the musicians could play in a standing mode, expanded the keyboard and replaced the gourd resonators by wooden boxes.


title: Marimba

text: In 1892, Mexican musician expanded marimba to include the chromatic scale by adding another row of sound bars, akin to black keys on the piano.


title: Marimba

text: The name "marimba" was later applied to the orchestra instrument inspired by the Latin American model. In the United States, companies like J.C. Deagan and the Leedy Manufacturing Company company adapted the Latin American instruments for use in western music. Metal tubes were used as resonators, fine-tuned by rotating metal discs at the bottom; lowest note tubes were U-shaped. The marimbas were first used for light music and dance, such as vaudeville theater and comedy shows. Clair Omar Musser was a chief proponent of marimba in the United States at the time.


title: Marimba

text: French composer Darius Milhaud introduced marimbas into Western classical music with his 1947 "Concerto for Marimba and Vibraphone". Four-mallet grip was employed to play chords, enhancing interest for the instrument. In the late 20th century, modernist and contemporary composers found new ways to use marimba: notable examples include Leoš Janáček ("Jenufa"), Carl Orff ("Antigonae"), Karl Amadeus Hartmann, Hans Werner Henze ("Elegy for Young Lovers"), Pierre Boulez ("Le marteau sans maître") and Steve Reich.


title: Marimba

text: Marimba bars may be made of either wood or a synthetic fiberglass material. For the best sound quality, rosewood is the most desirable, while padauk is a popular affordable alternative. Synthetic fiberglass bars are often sold under trade names such as Kelon (for Ludwig-Musser), Klyperon (for J.C. Deagan), or Acoustalon (for Yamaha), among others. Bars made from synthetic materials generally fall short in sound quality and generally have a longer decay in comparison to wooden bars, but they are often less expensive and yield added durability and weather resistance, making them suitable for outdoor use. For wooden bars, changes in humidity or temperature may alter the moisture levels within the wood. This may negatively affect the pitch and tonality of the bar.


title: Marimba

text: Bubinga ("Guibourtia demeusei") and mahogany have also been cited as comparable to rosewood in quality for use as marimba bars. The specific rosewood, "Dalbergia stevensonii", only grows in Southern Guatemala and Belize, formerly the British Honduras. This wood has a Janka rating of 2200, which is about three times harder than silver maple. The bars are wider and longer at the lowest pitched notes, and gradually get narrower and shorter as the notes get higher. During the tuning, wood is taken from the middle underside of the bar to lower the pitch. Because of this, the bars are also thinner in the lowest pitch register and thicker in the highest pitch register.


title: Marimba

text: Marimba bars produce their fullest sound when struck just off center, while striking the bar in the center produces a more articulate tone. On chromatic marimbas, the accidentals can also be played on the extreme front edge of the bar, away from the node (the place where the string goes through the bar) if necessary. Playing on the node produces a sonically weak tone, and the technique is only used when the player or composer is looking for a muted sound from the instrument.


title: Marimba

text: There is no standard range of the marimba, but the most common ranges are 4.3 octaves, 4.5 octaves and 5 octaves; 4, 4.6 and 5.5 octave sizes are also available.


title: Marimba

text: The range of the marimba has been gradually expanding, with companies like Marimba One adding notes up to F above the normal high C (C) on their 5.5 octave instrument and marimba tuners adding notes lower than the low C on the 5 octave C. Adding lower notes is somewhat impractical; as the bars become bigger and the resonators become longer, the instrument must be taller and the mallets must be softer in order to produce a tone rather than just a percussive attack. Adding higher notes is also impractical because the hardness of the mallets required to produce the characteristic tone of a marimba are much too hard to play with in almost any other, lower range on the instrument.


title: Marimba

text: The marimba is a non-transposing instrument with no octave displacement, unlike the xylophone, which sounds one octave higher than written, and the glockenspiel, which sounds two octaves higher than written.


title: Marimba

text: Part of the key to the marimba's rich sound is its resonators. These are tubes (usually aluminum) that hang below each bar.


title: Marimba

text: In the most traditional versions, various sizes of natural gourds are attached below the keys to act as resonators; in more sophisticated versions carved wooden resonators are substituted, allowing for more precise tuning of pitch. In Central America and Mexico, a hole is often carved into the bottom of each resonator and then covered with a delicate membrane taken from the intestine of a pig to add a characteristic "buzzing" or "rattling" sound known as "charleo". In more contemporary-style marimbas, wood is replaced by PVC tubing. The holes in the bottoms of the tubes are covered with a thin layer of paper to produce the buzzing noise.


title: Marimba

text: The length of the resonators varies according to the frequency that the bar produces. Vibrations from the bars resonate as they pass through the tubes, which amplify the tone in a manner very similar to the way in which the body of a guitar or cello would. In instruments exceeding octaves, the length of tubing required for the bass notes exceeds the height of the instrument. Some manufacturers, such as DeMorrow and Malletech, compensate for this by bending the ends of the tubes. This involves soldering smaller straight sections of tubes to form "curved" tubes. Both DeMorrow and Malletech use brass rather than aluminium. Others, such as Adams and Yamaha, expand the tubes into large box-shaped bottoms, resulting in the necessary amount of resonating space without having to extend the tubes. This result is achieved by the custom manufacturer Marimba One by widening the resonators into an oval shape, with the lowest ones reaching nearly a foot in width, and doubling the tube up inside the lowest resonators—a process known as "Haskelling", originally used in pipe organ resonators, and named for its inventor, William E. Haskell.


title: Marimba

text: Resonator tuning involves adjusting "stops" in the tubes themselves to compensate for temperature and humidity conditions in the room where the instrument is stored. Some companies offer adjustment in the upper octaves only. Others do not have any adjustable stops. Still some companies (Malletech and DeMorrow) offer full-range adjustable stops.


title: Marimba

text: On many marimbas, decorative resonators are added to fill the gaps in the accidental resonator bank. In addition to this, the resonator lengths are sometimes altered to form a decorative arch, such as in the Musser M-250. This does not affect the resonant properties, because the end plugs in the resonators are still placed at their respective lengths.


title: Marimba

text: The mallet shaft is commonly made of wood, usually birch, but may also be rattan or fiberglass. The most common diameter of the shaft is around . Shafts made of rattan have a certain elasticity to them, while birch has almost no give. Professionals use both depending on their preferences, whether they are playing with two mallets or more, and which grip they use if they are using a four-mallet grip.


title: Marimba

text: Appropriate mallets for the instrument depend on the range. The material at the end of the shaft is almost always a type of rubber, usually wrapped with yarn. Softer mallets are used at the lowest notes, and harder mallets are used at the highest notes. Mallets that are too hard will damage the instrument, and mallets that might be appropriate for the upper range could damage the notes in the lower range (especially on a padouk or rosewood instrument). On the lower notes, the bars are larger, and require a softer mallet to bring out a strong fundamental. Because of the need to use varying hardnesses of mallets, some players, when playing with four or more mallets, might use graduated mallets to match the bars that they are playing (softer on the left, harder on the right).


title: Marimba

text: Some mallets, called "two-toned" or "multi-tonal", have a hard core, loosely wrapped with yarn. These are designed to sound articulate when playing at a loud dynamic, and broader at the quieter dynamics.


title: Marimba

text: Modern marimba music calls for simultaneous use of between two and four mallets (sometimes up to six or eight), granting the performer the ability to play chords or music with large interval skips more easily. Multiple mallets are held in the same hand using any of a number of techniques or "grips". For two mallets in each hand, the most common grips are the Burton grip (made popular by Gary Burton), the traditional grip (or "cross grip") and the Musser-Stevens grip (made popular by Leigh Howard Stevens). Each grip is perceived to have its own benefits and drawbacks. For example, some marimbists feel the Musser-Stevens grip is more suitable for quick interval changes and mallet independence, while the Burton grip is more suitable for stronger playing or switching between chords and single-note melody lines. The traditional grip gives a greater dynamic range and freedom of playing. The choice of grip varies by region (the Musser-Stevens grip and the Burton grip are more popular in the United States, while the traditional grip is more popular in Japan), by instrument (the Burton grip is less likely to be used on marimba than on a vibraphone) and by the preference of the individual performer.


title: Marimba

text: Six-mallet grips consist of variations on these three grips. Six-mallet marimba grips have been used for years by Mexican and Central American marimbists, but they are generally considered non-standard in the Western classical canon. Keiko Abe has written a number of compositions for six mallets, including a section in her concerto "Prism Rhapsody". Other marimbists/composers using this technique include Rebecca Kite (who commissioned composer Evan Hause to write "Circe", a major work for six mallets, in 2001), Dean Gronemeier, Robert Paterson, and Kai Stensgaard. Paterson's grip is based on the Burton grip, and his grip and technique have been called the Paterson grip, and even the Wolverine grip. Paterson states that his technique differs from others in that there is less emphasis places on block chords on the lower bank of notes (the naturals or white notes) and more emphasis on independence, one-handed rolls, and alternations between mallets 12-3 or 1–23 in the left hand (or 45-6 or 4–56 in the right hand, respectively), and so on. Ludwig Albert published at first a work for eight mallets and demonstrated the Ludwig Albert eight-mallet grip based on the traditional grip from 1995.


title: Marimba

text: The first solo marimba concerto, Concertino for Marimba, was composed by Paul Creston in 1940, after a commission by Frédérique Petrides. The Concertino for Marimba premiered on 29 April 1940 in Carnegie Hall with marimba soloist Ruth Stuber Jeanne and the Orchestrette Classique.


title: Marimba

text: The Oregon Symphony Orchestra commissioned Tomáš Svoboda to compose Concerto for Marimba and Orchestra, Op. 148, in 1995, was recorded in 2003 with Niel DePonte on marimba. The recording was nominated for the 2003 Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Soloist(s) Performance (with orchestra).


title: Marimba

text: The marimba is the most popular solo keyboard percussion instrument in classical music. Popular marimba solos range from beginner solos such as "Yellow After the Rain" and "Sea Refractions" by Mitchell Peters to more advanced works such as "Variations on Lost Love" by David Maslanka and "Rhythmic Caprice" by Leigh Howard Stevens.


title: Marimba

text: Traditional marimba bands are especially popular in Guatemala, where they are the national symbol of culture, but are also strongly established in the Mexican states of Chiapas, Tabasco, and Oaxaca. They are also very popular in other Central American nations such as Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica, as well as among Afro-Ecuadorians and Afro-Colombians.


title: Marimba

text: There have been numerous jazz vibraphonists who also played the marimba. Notable among them are Gary Burton, David Friedman, Stefon Harris, Bobby Hutcherson, Joe Locke, Steve Nelson, Red Norvo, Dave Pike, Gloria Parker, Dave Samuels, and Arthur Lipner.


title: Marimba

text: Marimbist and vibraphonist Julius Wechter was the leader of a popular 1960s Latin-flavored band called Baja Marimba Band. Herb Alpert and his Tijuana Brass made frequent use of the marimba.


title: Marimba

text: The marimba sound has also become recognizable through its role as the default ringtone in Apple's iOS mobile operating system.


title: Mary Beth Hurt

text: Mary Beth Hurt ("née" Supringer; born September 25, 1946) is an American actress of stage and screen. She is a three-time Tony Award-nominated actress.


title: Mary Beth Hurt

text: Notable films in which Hurt has appeared include "Interiors" (1978), "The World According to Garp" (1982), "The Age of Innocence" (1993), and "Six Degrees of Separation" (1993). She has also collaborated with her husband, filmmaker Paul Schrader, in such films as "Light Sleeper" (1992) and "Affliction" (1997).


title: Mary Beth Hurt

text: Hurt was born Mary Beth Supinger in Marshalltown, Iowa, the daughter of Delores Lenore (née Andre) and Forrest Clayton Supinger. Her childhood babysitter was actress Jean Seberg, also a Marshalltown native. Hurt studied drama at the University of Iowa and at New York University's Graduate Acting Program at the Tisch School of the Arts.


title: Mary Beth Hurt

text: Hurt made her New York stage debut in 1974. She was nominated for three Tony Awards for her Broadway performances in "Trelawny of the Wells", "Crimes of the Heart" (for which she won an Obie Award), and "Benefactors".


title: Mary Beth Hurt

text: Hurt made her film debut in Woody Allen's dramatic film "Interiors" (1978) as Joey, the second of three sisters dealing with the emotional fallout of a family's disintegration and their mother's descent into mental illness. Hurt's powerful turn in that film earn her a BAFTA. Other film roles include Laura in "Chilly Scenes of Winter" (1979); Helen Holm Garp in "The World According to Garp" (1982); and Regina Beaufort in Martin Scorsese's "The Age of Innocence". Hurt also played Jean Seberg, in voiceover, in Mark Rappaport's 1995 documentary "From the Journals of Jean Seberg".


title: Mary Beth Hurt

text: Hurt was nominated for the Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Female for her performance in 2006 movie "The Dead Girl". For her role in "Crimes of the Heart" (1981) she was nominated for Drama Desk Award and earned an Obie Award. In addition to these honors, Hurt also received a Clarence Derwent Award in 1975 for Best Supporting Female for her role in the Off-Broadway production of the play "Love for Love".


title: Mary Beth Hurt

text: Hurt was married to actor William Hurt from 1971 to 1982. She married writer/film director Paul Schrader in 1983; the couple have a daughter and a son. She is close friends with fellow actor Glenn Close, who understudied her in the play "Love for Love" in 1974.


title: Jammu and Kashmir (princely state)

text: Jammu and Kashmir, officially known as the Princely State of Kashmir and Jammu, was a princely state during the Company rule in India from 1757 to 1858 as well as the British Raj in India from 1846 to 1952. The princely state was created after the First Anglo-Sikh War, from the territories that had earlier been in the Sikh Empire.


title: Jammu and Kashmir (princely state)

text: At the time of the partition of India and the political integration of India, Hari Singh, the ruler of the state, delayed making a decision about the future of his state. However, an uprising in the western districts of the state followed by an attack by raiders from the neighbouring Northwest Frontier Province, supported by Pakistan, forced his hand. On 26 October 1947, Hari Singh acceded to India in return for the Indian military being airlifted to Kashmir to engage the Pakistan-supported forces, starting the Kashmir conflict. The western and northern districts presently known as Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan passed to the control of Pakistan, while the remaining territory remained under Indian control as the Indian-administered union territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.


title: Love Island (2015 TV series, series 7)

text: The seventh series of "Love Island" began broadcasting on 28 June 2021 and is hosted by Laura Whitmore on ITV2. Iain Stirling returned to narrate the series. The series was originally planned to air in the summer of 2020, but was postponed due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.


title: Love Island (2015 TV series, series 7)

text: Singer Mabel made a cameo appearance at a Spotify party in the villa performing some of her hits including her new single "Let Them Know".


title: Love Island (2015 TV series, series 7)

text: On 23 August 2021, the series was won by Liam Reardon and Millie Court with 42.02% of the final vote, becoming the first couple of late entrants to win a series. Chloe Burrows and Toby Aromolaran finished as runners-up. This series was watched by an average of 4.17 million viewers which includes catch up figures.


title: Love Island (2015 TV series, series 7)

text: During the final of the previous series on 23 February 2020, it was confirmed that "Love Island" would return for a seventh series due to air later in the year. However, on 4 May 2020, "Love Island" announced the cancellation of the summer 2020 show due to the COVID-19 pandemic." It was later confirmed that the show would not be airing a winter version of the series in 2021 due to uncertainties regarding the pandemic and international travel.


title: Love Island (2015 TV series, series 7)

text: On 4 March 2021, ITV confirmed that the show would return in the summer after an 18-month hiatus. In April 2021, during the application process, it was reported that LGBT contestants were being encouraged to apply for the first time, via dating app Tinder, however in June, ITV commissioner Amanda Stavri stated that the inclusion of LGBT contestants presents "logistical difficulties". The first 10-second trailer for the series aired on 29 May 2021 featuring presenter Laura Whitmore breaking a heart-shaped fire alarm with a hammer, followed by the tagline "This is not a drill". A full length trailer was released on 5 June 2021.


title: Love Island (2015 TV series, series 7)

text: On 16 June 2021, ITV released details of its duty of care protocols for the new series, with detailed welfare plans in place to support participants before, during and after filming. Some of the episodes in this series were aired outside of the usual 9pm timeslot due to Euro 2020.


title: Love Island (2015 TV series, series 7)

text: The Islanders for the seventh series were released on 21 June 2021, just one week before the launch. The series was won by Liam Reardon and Millie Court.


title: Love Island (2015 TV series, series 7)

text: Official ratings are taken from BARB which include ITV2 +1 and any playback within 7 days of the original broadcast. Because the Saturday episodes are "Unseen Bits" episodes rather than nightly highlights, these are not included in the overall averages. Week 3’s Sunday episode which aired on 11 July went up against 30 million viewers watching the UEFA Euro 2020 Final.


title: Christ Church, Oxford

text: Christ Church (, the temple or house, "ædēs", of Christ, and thus sometimes known as "The House") is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. Founded in 1546 by King Henry VIII, the college is uniquely a joint foundation of the university and the cathedral of the Oxford diocese, Christ Church Cathedral, which both serves as the college chapel and whose dean is "ex officio" the college head.


title: Christ Church, Oxford

text: The college is amongst the largest and wealthiest of colleges at the University of Oxford, with an endowment of £596m and student body of 650 in 2020. As of 2022, the college had 661 students. Its grounds contain a number of architecturally significant buildings including Tom Tower (designed by Sir Christopher Wren), Tom Quad (the largest quadrangle in Oxford), and the Great Dining Hall, which was the seat of the parliament assembled by King Charles I during the English Civil War. The buildings have inspired replicas throughout the world in addition to being featured in films such as "Harry Potter" and "The Golden Compass", helping Christ Church become the most popular Oxford college for tourists with almost half a million visitors annually"."


title: Christ Church, Oxford

text: The college's alumni include 13 British prime ministers out of the 30 educated at Oxford (the highest number of any college at Oxford or Cambridge), as well as former prime ministers of Pakistan and Ceylon. Other notable alumni include King Edward VII, King William II of the Netherlands, the founder of Pennsylvania, William Penn, seventeen archbishops, writers Lewis Carroll (author of "Alice in Wonderland") and W. H. Auden, philosopher John Locke, and scientist Robert Hooke. Albert Einstein was also associated with the college. The college has several cities and places named after it.


title: Christ Church, Oxford

text: In 1525, at the height of his power, Thomas Wolsey, Lord Chancellor of England and Cardinal Archbishop of York, suppressed St Frideswide's Priory in Oxford and founded Cardinal College on its lands, using funds from the dissolution of Wallingford Priory and other minor priories. He planned the establishment on a magnificent scale, but fell from grace in 1529, with the buildings only three-quarters complete, as they were to remain for 140 years.


title: Christ Church, Oxford

text: In 1531 the college was itself suppressed, but it was refounded in 1532 as King Henry VIII's College by Henry VIII, to whom Wolsey's property had escheated. Then in 1546 the King, who had broken from the Church of Rome and acquired great wealth through the dissolution of the monasteries in England, refounded the college as Christ Church as part of the reorganisation of the Church of England, making the partially demolished priory church the cathedral of the recently created Diocese of Oxford.


title: Christ Church, Oxford

text: Christ Church's sister college in the University of Cambridge is Trinity College, Cambridge, founded the same year by Henry VIII. Since the time of Queen Elizabeth I the college has also been associated with Westminster School. The dean remains to this day an "ex officio" member of the school's governing body.


title: Christ Church, Oxford

text: Major additions have been made to the buildings through the centuries, and Wolsey's Great Quadrangle was crowned with the famous gate-tower designed by Sir Christopher Wren. To this day the bell in the tower, Great Tom, is rung 101 times at 9 pm at the former Oxford time (9:05 pm GMT/BST) every night, for the 100 original scholars of the college (plus one added in 1664). In former times this was done at midnight, signalling the close of all college gates throughout Oxford. Since it took 20 minutes to ring the 101, Christ Church gates, unlike those of other colleges, did not close until 12:20. When the ringing was moved back to 9:00 pm, Christ Church gates still remained open until 12.20, 20 minutes later than any other college. Although the clock itself now shows GMT/BST, Christ Church still follows Oxford time in the timings of services in the cathedral.


title: Christ Church, Oxford

text: King Charles I made the Deanery his palace and held his Parliament in the Great Hall during the English Civil War. In the evening of 29 May 1645, during the second siege of Oxford, a "bullet of IX lb. weight" shot from the Parliamentarians' warning-piece at Marston fell against the wall of the north side of the Hall.


title: Christ Church, Oxford

text: Several of Christ Church's deans achieved high academic distinction, notably Owen under the Commonwealth, Aldrich and Fell in the Restoration period, Jackson and Gaisford in the early 19th century and Liddell in the high Victorian era.


title: Christ Church, Oxford

text: For over four centuries Christ Church admitted men only; the first female students at Christ Church matriculated in 1980.


title: Christ Church, Oxford

text: Christ Church, formally titled "The Dean and Chapter of the Cathedral Church of Christ in Oxford of the Foundation of King Henry the Eighth", is the only academic institution in the world which is also a cathedral, the seat (cathedra) of the Bishop of Oxford. The Visitor of Christ Church is the reigning British sovereign (currently King Charles III), and the Bishop of Oxford is unique among English bishops in not being the Visitor of his own cathedral.


title: Christ Church, Oxford

text: The head of the college is the Dean of Christ Church. Christ Church is unique among Oxford colleges in that its Head of House, who is head of both college and cathedral, must be an Anglican cleric appointed by the crown as dean of the cathedral church. The Dean lives on site in a grand sixteenth-century house in the main quadrangle. The college's activities are managed by a senior and a junior censor (formally titled the "Censor Moralis Philosophiae" and the "Censor Naturalis Philosophiae") the former of whom is responsible for academic matters, the latter for undergraduate discipline. They are chosen from among the members of the governing body. A "Censor Theologiae" is also appointed to act as the dean's deputy; this post is currently held by Professor Ian Watson.


title: Christ Church, Oxford

text: The form "Christ Church College" is considered incorrect, in part because it ignores the cathedral, an integral part of the unique dual foundation.


title: Christ Church, Oxford

text: The governing body of Christ Church consists of the dean and chapter of the cathedral, together with the "Students of Christ Church", who are not junior members but rather the equivalent of the fellows of the other colleges. Until the later 19th century, the Students differed from fellows in that they had no governing powers in their own college, as those resided solely with the dean and chapter. The governing body of Christ Church now has around 60 members. Serving alongside the seven members of Chapter, the other members include statutory professors and associate professors with joint appointments (employed both by the University and Christ Church) as well as early-career Career Development Fellows on fixed-term contracts. Sir John Bell and Sir Tim Berners-Lee are both members of the governing body of Christ Church.


title: Christ Church, Oxford

text: Christ Church sits in approximately 175 acres (71 hectares) of land. This includes the Christ Church Meadow (including Merton Field and Boathouse Island), which is open to the public all year round. In addition Christ Church own Aston's Eyot (purchased from All Souls College in 1891), Christ Church recreation ground (including the site of Liddell buildings), and School Field which has been leased to Magdalen College School since 1893. The meadow itself is inhabited by English Longhorn cattle. In October 1783 James Sadler made the first hot air balloon ascent in Britain from the meadow. The college gardens, quadrangles, and meadow are Grade I listed on the Register of Historic Parks and Gardens.


title: Christ Church, Oxford

text: The college buildings and grounds are the setting for parts of Evelyn Waugh's "Brideshead Revisited", as well as a small part of Lewis Carroll's "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland". More recently it has been used in the filming of the movies of J. K. Rowling's "Harry Potter" series and also the film adaptation of Philip Pullman's novel "Northern Lights" (the film bearing the title of the American edition of the book, "The Golden Compass"). Distinctive features of the college's architecture have been used as models by a number of other academic institutions, including the NUI Galway, which reproduces Tom Quad. The University of Chicago, Cornell University, and Kneuterdijk Palace have reproductions of Christ Church's dining hall (in the forms of Hutchinson Hall, the dining hall of Risley Residential College, and the Gothic hall of Kneuterdijk Palace, respectively). ChristChurch Cathedral in New Zealand, after which the City of Christchurch is named, is itself named after Christ Church, Oxford. Stained glass windows in the cathedral and other buildings are by the Pre-Raphaelite William Morris group with designs by Edward Burne-Jones.


title: Christ Church, Oxford

text: Historically, there has been a resident tortoise for the annual Oxford tortoise races. However, since 2020, due to the pandemic, there has not been a tortoise. Recently, there have been two "resident" ducks, which can be seen in Tom Quad, affectionally named "Tom" and "Peck" after two of the famous quadrangles in Christ Church.


title: Christ Church, Oxford

text: Outside the Meadow Building in the Christ Church Meadow, there are also cows present during the day. The cows are of rare English Longhorn breed.


title: Christ Church, Oxford

text: Christ Church is unique in that it has both a cathedral choir and a college choir. The cathedral choir comprises twelve adults and sixteen boys. The adults are made up of lay clerks and choral scholars, or academical clerks. The choir was all male until 2019, when they welcomed alto Elizabeth Nurse, the first female clerk of Christ Church Cathedral Choir. The boys, whose ages range from eight to thirteen, are chosen for their musical ability and attend Christ Church Cathedral School. Aside from the director, there is also a sub-organist and two organ scholars. The college choir, however, is always a student-run society, and sings Evensong once a week in term time. In vacations the services are sung by the Cathedral Singers of Christ Church - a choir drawn from semi-professional singers in and around Oxford. The cathedral also hosts visiting choirs from time to time during vacations.Throughout its history, the cathedral choir has attracted many distinguished composers and organists - from its first director, John Taverner, appointed by Cardinal Wolsey in 1526, to William Walton. The present director of music (known as the organist), is Steven Grahl who succeeded Stephen Darlington in September 2018. In recent years, the choir have commissioned recorded works by contemporary composers such as John Tavener, William Mathias and Howard Goodall, also patron of Christ Church Music Society.


title: Christ Church, Oxford

text: The choir, which broadcasts regularly, have many recordings to their credit and were the subject of a Channel 4 television documentary "Howard Goodall's Great Dates" (2002). The documentary was nominated at the Montreux TV Festival in the arts programme category - and has since been seen internationally. The choir's collaboration with Goodall has also led to their singing his TV themes for "Mr. Bean" and "Vicar of Dibley". They appeared in "Howard Goodall's Big Bangs", broadcast in the United Kingdom on Channel 4 in March 2000. "Treasures of Christ Church" (2011) is an example of the choir's recording and debuted as the highest new entry in the UK Specialist Classical chart. The disc featured on BBC Radio 3's "In Tune" on 26 September 2011 and on Radio 3's "Breakfast Show" on 27 September that year.


title: Christ Church, Oxford

text: Christ Church holds one of the most important private collections of drawings in the UK, including works by Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael and Michelangelo. The collection is composed of approximately 300 paintings and 2,000 drawings, a rotated selection of which are available to the public for viewing in the purpose-built Christ Church Picture Gallery. Many of the works were bequeathed by a former member of the college, General John Guise (1682/3-1765), enabling the creation of the first public art gallery in Britain.


title: Christ Church, Oxford

text: The college arms are those of Cardinal Wolsey and were granted to him by the College of Arms on 4 August 1525. They are blazoned: "Sable, on a cross engrailed argent, between four leopards' faces azure a lion passant gules; on a chief or between two Cornish choughs proper a rose gules barbed vert and seeded or". The arms are depicted beneath a red cardinal's galero with fifteen tassels on either side, and sometimes in front of two crossed croziers.


title: Christ Church, Oxford

text: There are also arms in use by the cathedral, which were confirmed in a visitation of 1574. They are emblazoned: "Between quarterly, 1st & 4th, France modern (azure three fleurs-de-lys or), 2nd & 3rd, England (gules in pale three lions passant guardant or), on a cross argent an open Bible proper edged and bound with seven clasps or, inscribed with the words and imperially crowned or."


title: Christ Church, Oxford

text: The first part of the grace is read by a scholar or exhibitioner before formal hall each evening, ending with the words "Per Iēsum Christum Dominum nostrum" ("Through Jesus Christ our Lord.") The remainder of the grace, replacing "Per Iēsum Christum" etc., is usually only read on special occasions.


title: Christ Church, Oxford

text: There is also a long postprandial grace intended for use after meals, but this is rarely used. When High Table rises (by which time the Hall is largely empty), the senior member on High Table simply says "Benedictō benedīcātur" ("Let the Blessed One be blessed", or "Let a blessing be given by the Blessed One"), instead of the college postprandial grace.


title: Christ Church, Oxford

text: As well as rooms for accommodation, the buildings of Christ Church include the cathedral, one of the smallest in England, which also acts as the college chapel, a great hall, two libraries, two bars, and separate common rooms for dons, graduates and undergraduates. There are also gardens and a neighbouring sports ground and boat-house.


title: Christ Church, Oxford

text: Accommodation is usually provided for all undergraduates, and for some graduates, although some accommodation is off-site. Accommodation is generally spacious with most rooms equipped with sinks and fridges. Many undergraduate rooms comprise 'sets' of bedrooms and living areas. Members are generally expected to dine in hall, where there are two sittings every evening, one informal and one formal (where gowns must be worn and Latin grace is read). The college offers subsidies on the costs of accommodation and dinners for UK and ROI students from families with lower household incomes. The buttery next to the Hall serves drinks around dinner time. There is also a college bar (known as the Undercroft), as well as a Junior Common Room (JCR) and a Graduate Common Room (GCR), equivalent to the Middle Common Room (MCR) in other colleges.


title: Christ Church, Oxford

text: There is a college lending library that supplements the university libraries (many of which are non-lending). Law students have the additional facility of the Burn Law Library, named for Edward Burn. Most undergraduate tutorials are carried out in the college, though for some specialist subjects undergraduates may be sent to tutors in other colleges.


title: Christ Church, Oxford

text: Croquet is played in the Masters' Garden in the summer. The sports ground is mainly used for netball, cricket, tennis, rugby and football and includes Christ Church cricket ground. In recent years the Christ Church Netball Club, which competes on the inter-college level in both mixed and women's matches, has become known as a popular and inclusive sport. Rowing and punting is carried out by the boat-house across Christ Church Meadow - the Christ Church Boat Club is traditionally strong at rowing, having been Head of the River more than all other colleges except Oriel College. The college also owns its own punts which may be borrowed by students or dons.


title: Christ Church, Oxford

text: The college beagle pack (Christ Church and Farley Hill Beagles), which was formerly one of several undergraduate packs in Oxford, is no longer formally connected with the college or the university but continues to be staffed and followed by some Oxford undergraduates.


title: Christ Church, Oxford

text: Notable former students of the college have included politicians, scientists, philosophers, entertainers and academics. Thirteen British prime ministers have studied at the college including, Anthony Eden (Prime Minister 1955–1957), William Ewart Gladstone (1828–1831), Sir Robert Peel (1841–1846) and Archibald Primrose (1894–1895). Other former students include Charles Abbot (Speaker of the House of Commons 1802–1817), Frederick Curzon (Conservative Party statesman 1951–), Nicholas Lyell (Attorney General 1992–1997), Nigel Lawson (Chancellor of the Exchequer 1983–1989), Quintin Hogg (Lord Chancellor 1979–1987) and William Murray (Lord Chief Justice 1756–1788 and Chancellor of the Exchequer 1757). From outside the UK, politicians from Canada (Ted Jolliffe), Pakistan (Zulfikar Ali Bhutto) and the United States (Charles Cotesworth Pinckney) have attended the college.


title: Christ Church, Oxford

text: Prominent philosophers including John Locke, John Rawls, A. J. Ayer, Gilbert Ryle, Michael Dummett, John Searle and Daniel Dennett studied at Christ Church.


title: Christ Church, Oxford

text: There are numerous former students in the fields of academia and theology, including George Kitchin (the first Chancellor of the University of Durham 1908–1912 and Dean of Durham Cathedral 1894–1912), John Charles Ryle (first Bishop of Liverpool 1880–1900), John Wesley (leader of the Methodist movement), Rowan Williams (Archbishop of Canterbury 2002–2012), Richard William Jelf (Principal of King's College London 1843–1868), Ronald Montagu Burrows (Principal of King's College London 1913–1920) and William Stubbs (Bishop of Oxford 1889–1901 and historian).


title: Christ Church, Oxford

text: Two Olympic rowing gold medallists studied at the college: Jonny Searle and Spanish Civil War volunteer Lewis Clive.


title: Christ Church, Oxford

text: In the sciences, polymath and natural philosopher Robert Hooke, developmental biologist John B. Gurdon (co-winner of the 2012 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine), physician Sir Archibald Edward Garrod, the Father of Modern Medicine Sir William Osler, biochemist Kenneth Callow, radio astronomer Sir Martin Ryle, psychologist Edward de Bono and epidemiologist Sir Richard Doll are all associated with the college. Albert Einstein was a learned research fellow.


title: Christ Church, Oxford

text: In other fields, Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss, twins associated with the founding of Facebook, King Edward VII (1841–1910), King of the United Kingdom and Emperor of India, King William II of the Netherlands, Prince Paul of Yugoslavia, entrepreneur and founder of Pennsylvania William Penn, broadcaster David Dimbleby, MP Louise Mensch, BBC composer Howard Goodall, actor Riz Ahmed, the writer Lewis Carroll, poet W. H. Auden, and the former officer of arms Hubert Chesshyre are other notable students to have previously studied at Christ Church.


title: Vox Media

text: Vox Media, Inc. is an American mass media company based in Washington, D.C., and New York City. The company was established in November 2011 by Jim Bankoff and Trei Brundrett to encompass "SB Nation" (a sports blog network founded in 2005 by Tyler Bleszinski, Markos Moulitsas, and Jerome Armstrong) and "The Verge" (a technology news website launched alongside Vox Media). Bankoff had been the CEO for "SB Nation" since 2009.


title: Vox Media

text: Vox Media owns editorial brands, primarily "The Verge", "Vox", "SB Nation", "Eater", "Polygon", and "New York". "New York" further incorporates the websites "Intelligencer", "The Cut", "Vulture", "The Strategist", "Curbed", and "Grub Street". The former "Recode" was integrated into "Vox", while "Racked" was shut down. Vox Media's brands are built on Concert, a marketplace for advertising, and Chorus, its proprietary content management system. The company's lines of business include the publishing platform Chorus, Concert, Vox Creative, Vox Entertainment, Vox Media Studios, and the Vox Media Podcast Network. As of 2020, the company operates additional offices in San Francisco, Chicago, Los Angeles, Austin, and London. In June 2010, the network featured over 300 sites with over 400 paid writers. As of April 2021, Comscore ranks Vox Media as the 33rd-most popular media company among users from the United States.