title: Gaelic Ireland

text: A typical medieval Irish army included light infantry, heavy infantry and cavalry. The bulk of the army was made up of light infantry called "ceithern" (anglicized 'kern'). The ceithern wandered Ireland offering their services for hire and usually wielded swords, skenes (a kind of long knife), short spears, bows and shields. The cavalry was usually made up of a king or chieftain and his close relatives. They usually rode without saddles but wore armour and iron helmets and wielded swords, skenes and long spears or lances. One kind of Irish cavalry was the hobelar. After the Norman invasion there emerged a kind of heavy infantry called "gallóglaigh" (anglicized 'gallo[w]glass'). They were originally Scottish mercenaries who appeared in the 13th century, but by the 15th century most large "túatha" had their own hereditary force of Irish "gallóglaigh". Some Anglo-Norman lordships also began using "gallóglaigh" in imitation of the Irish. They usually wore mail and iron helmets and wielded sparth axes, claymores, and sometimes spears or lances. The "gallóglaigh" furnished the retreating plunderers with a "moving line of defence from which the horsemen could make short, sharp charges, and behind which they could retreat when pursued". As their armor made them less nimble, they were sometimes planted at strategic spots along the line of retreat. The kern, horsemen and "gallóglaigh" had lightly armed servants to carry their weapons into battle.


title: Gaelic Ireland

text: Warriors were sometimes rallied into battle by blowing horns and warpipes. According to Gerald de Barri (in the 12th century), they did not wear armour, as they deemed it burdensome to wear and "brave and honourable" to fight without it. Instead, most ordinary soldiers fought semi-naked and carried only their weapons and a small round shield — Spenser wrote that these shields were covered with leather and painted in bright colours. Kings and chiefs sometimes went into battle wearing helmets adorned with eagle feathers. For ordinary soldiers, their thick hair often served as a helmet, but they sometimes wore simple helmets made from animal hides.


title: Gaelic Ireland

text: Artwork from Ireland's Gaelic period is found on pottery, jewellery, weapons, drinkware, tableware, stone carvings and illuminated manuscripts. Irish art from about 300 BC incorporates patterns and styles which developed in west central Europe. By about AD 600, after the Christianization of Ireland had begun, a style melding Irish, Mediterranean and Germanic Anglo-Saxon elements emerged, and was spread to Britain and mainland Europe by the Hiberno-Scottish mission. This is known as "Insular art" or "Hiberno-Saxon" art, which continued in some form in Ireland until the 12th century, although the Viking invasions ended its "Golden Age". Most surviving works of Insular art were either made by monks or made for monasteries, with the exception of brooches, which were likely made and used by both clergy and laity. Examples of Insular art from Ireland include the "Book of Kells", Muiredach's High Cross, the Tara Brooch, the Ardagh Hoard the Derrynaflan Chalice, and the late Cross of Cong, which also uses Viking styles.


title: Gaelic Ireland

text: Although Gerald de Barri had an overtly negative view of the Irish, in "Topographia Hibernica" (1188) he conceded that they were more skilled at playing music than any other nation he had seen. He claimed that the two main instruments were the "harp" and "tabor" (see also bodhrán), that their music was fast and lively, and that their songs always began and ended with B-flat. In "A History of Irish Music" (1905), W. H. Grattan Flood wrote that there were at least ten instruments in general use by the Gaelic Irish. These were the "cruit" (a small harp) and "clairseach" (a bigger harp with typically 30 strings), the "timpan" (a small string instrument played with a bow or plectrum), the "feadan" (a fife), the "buinne" (an oboe or flute), the "guthbuinne" (a bassoon-type horn), the "bennbuabhal" and "corn" (hornpipes), the "cuislenna" (bagpipes – see Great Irish Warpipes), the "stoc" and "sturgan" (clarions or trumpets), and the "cnamha" (castanets). He also mentions the fiddle as being used in the 8th century as compliment to Irish music.


title: Gaelic Ireland

text: As mentioned before, Gaelic Ireland was split into many clann territories and kingdoms called "túath" (plural: "túatha"). Although there was no central government or parliament, a number of local, regional and national gatherings were held. These combined features of assemblies and fairs.


title: Gaelic Ireland

text: In Ireland, the highest of these was the "feis" at Teamhair na Rí (Tara), which was held every third Samhain. This was a gathering of the leading men of the whole island – kings, lords, chieftains, druids, judges etc. Below this was the "óenach" (modern spelling: "aonach"). These were regional or provincial gatherings open to everyone. Examples include that held at Tailtin each Lughnasadh, and that held at Uisneach each Bealtaine. The main purpose of these gatherings was to promulgate and reaffirm the laws – they were read aloud in public that they might not be forgotten, and any changes in them carefully explained to those present.


title: Gaelic Ireland

text: Each túath or clann had two assemblies of its own. These were the "cuirmtig", which was open to all clann members, and the "dal" (a term later adopted for the Irish parliament – see Dáil Éireann), which was open only to clann chiefs. Each clann had a further assembly called a "tocomra", in which the clann chief ("toísech", modern taoiseach) and his deputy/successor ("tánaiste") were elected.


title: Gaelic Ireland

text: The prehistory of Ireland included a protohistorical period, when the literate cultures of Greece and Rome first began to take notice of the Irish, and a further proto-literate period of ogham epigraphy, before the early historical period began in the early 5th century.


title: Gaelic Ireland

text: During this period, the Gaels traded with the Roman Empire and also raided and colonized Britain during the end of Roman rule in Britain. The Romans of this era called these Gaelic raiders "Scoti" and their homeland "Hibernia" or "Scotia". "Scoti" was a Latin name that first referred to all the Gaels, whether in Ireland or Great Britain, but later came to refer only to the Gaels in northern Britain. As time went on, the Gaels began intensifying their raids and colonies in Roman Britain (c. 200–500 AD).


title: Gaelic Ireland

text: For much of this period, the island of Ireland was divided into numerous clan territories and kingdoms (known as túatha).


title: Gaelic Ireland

text: The early medieval history of Ireland, often called Early Christian Ireland, spans the 5th to 8th centuries, from a gradual emergence out of the protohistoric period (Ogham inscriptions in Primitive Irish, negative mentions in Greco-Roman ethnography) to the beginning of the Viking Age.


title: Gaelic Ireland

text: The introduction of Christianity to Ireland dates to sometime before the 5th century. With Palladius the eventual first Bishop of Ireland being sent during this period (mid-5th century) by Pope Celestine I to preach ""ad Scotti in Christum"" or in other words to minister to the Scoti or Irish "believing in Christ". Early medieval traditions credit Saint Patrick as being the first Primate of Ireland.


title: Gaelic Ireland

text: The Gaelic Kingdom of Dál Riata is said to have been founded in the 5th century by the legendary king "Fergus Mór mac Eirc" or Fergus Mór in Argyll or ""the coast of the Gaels"" located in modern-day Scotland. The Dál Riata had a strong seafaring culture and a large naval fleet.


title: Gaelic Ireland

text: From the 5th century on, clerics of Christianised Ireland such as Brigid of Kildare, Saint MacCul, Saint Moluag, Saint Caillín, Columbanus as well as the Twelve Apostles of Ireland: Saint Ciarán of Saighir, Saint Ciarán of Clonmacnoise, Saint Brendan of Birr, Saint Brendan of Clonfert, Saint Columba of Terryglass, Saint Columba, Saint Mobhí, Saint Ruadhán of Lorrha, Saint Seanán, Saint Ninnidh, Saint Laisrén mac Nad Froích and Saint Canice were active in ministry in Ireland and as missionaries throughout Europe in Gaul, the Isle of Mann, in Scotland, in the Anglo-Saxon Kingdoms of England and in the Frankish Empire thus spreading Gaelic cultural influence to Continental Europe and even as far away as Iceland.


title: Gaelic Ireland

text: By the 8th century, the King of the Picts, "Óengus mac Fergusso" or Angus I expanded the influence of his kingdom using conquest, subjugation and diplomacy over the Gaels of Dal Riata, the Britons of Strathclyde and the Anglo-Saxons of Northumbria.


title: Gaelic Ireland

text: During this period, in addition to kingdoms or túatha, the 5 main over-kingdoms begin to form. (Old Irish "cóiceda", Modern Irish "cúige"). These were Ulaid (in the north), Connacht (in the west), Laighin (in the southeast), Mumhan (in the south) and Mide (in the centre).


title: Gaelic Ireland

text: The history of Ireland 800–1169 covers the period in the history of Ireland from the first Viking raids to the Norman invasion.


title: Gaelic Ireland

text: Beginning in 795, small bands of Vikings began plundering monastic settlements along the coast of Ireland. By 853, Viking leader Amlaíb had become the first king of Dublin. He ruled along with his brothers Ímar and Auisle. His dynasty, the Uí Ímair ruled over the following decades. During this period there was regular warfare between the Vikings and the Irish, and between two separate groups of Norse from Lochlann: the Dubgaill and Finngaill (meaning dark and fair foreigners). Norse settlements were established at Dublin, Wexford, Waterford, Cork and Limerick, which became the first large towns in Ireland.


title: Gaelic Ireland

text: In the mid-9th century, the crowns of both the Gaelic Dál Riata and the Celtic Pictish Kingdom were combined under the rule of one person, "Cináid Mac Ailpin" or Kenneth McAlpin. Kenneth became the first High King of Alba. Combining the territories of both kingdoms to form a new Gaelic over-kingdom in Northern Britain, the Kingdom of Alba, which comprises most of what is now modern-day Scotland.


title: Gaelic Ireland

text: Gaelic Ireland of this era still consisted of the many semi-independent territories called (túatha), and attempts were made by various factions to gain political control over the whole of the island. For the first two centuries of this period, this was mainly a rivalry between putative High Kings of Ireland from the Northern and Southern branches of the Uí Néill. The one who came closest to being de facto king over the whole of Ireland, however, was "Brian Bóruma", the first high king in this period not belonging to the Uí Néill.


title: Gaelic Ireland

text: Through military might, Brian went about building a Gaelic Imperium under his High Kingship as ""Imperator Scottorum"," or ""Emperor of the Gaels"", even gaining the submission of "Máel Sechnaill mac Domnaill", his long time rival and a previous High King of Ireland himself. Both Brian and Máel Sechnaill were involved in several battles against the Vikings and each other: the Battle of Tara, the Battle of Glenmama and finally the Battle of Clontarf in 1014. The last of which saw Brian's demise. Brian's campaign is glorified in the Cogad Gáedel re Gallaib ("The War of the Gaels with the Foreigners").


title: Gaelic Ireland

text: Following Brian's death, the political situation became more complex with rivalry for high kingship from several clans and dynasties. Brian's descendants failed to maintain a unified throne, and regional squabbling over territory led indirectly to the invasion of the Normans under Richard de Clare (Strongbow) in 1169.


title: Gaelic Ireland

text: Ireland became Christianized between the 5th and 7th centuries. Pope Adrian IV, the only English pope, had already issued a Papal Bull in 1155 giving Henry II of England authority to invade Ireland as a means of curbing Irish refusal to recognize Roman law. Importantly, for later English monarchs, the Bull, "Laudabiliter", maintained papal suzerainty over the island:


title: Gaelic Ireland

text: In 1166, after losing the protection of High King Muirchertach Mac Lochlainn, King Diarmait Mac Murchada of Leinster was forcibly exiled by a confederation of Irish forces under King Ruaidri mac Tairrdelbach Ua Conchobair. Fleeing first to Bristol and then to Normandy, Diarmait obtained permission from Henry II of England to use his subjects to regain his kingdom. By the following year, he had obtained these services and in 1169 the main body of Norman, Welsh and Flemish forces landed in Ireland and quickly retook Leinster and the cities of Waterford and Dublin on behalf of Diarmait. The leader of the Norman force, Richard de Clare, 2nd Earl of Pembroke, more commonly known as Strongbow, married Diarmait's daughter, Aoife, and was named tánaiste to the Kingdom of Leinster. This caused consternation to Henry II, who feared the establishment of a rival Norman state in Ireland. Accordingly, he resolved to visit Leinster to establish his authority.


title: Gaelic Ireland

text: Henry landed in 1171, proclaiming Waterford and Dublin as Royal Cities. Adrian's successor, Pope Alexander III, ratified the grant of Ireland to Henry in 1172. The 1175 Treaty of Windsor between Henry and Ruaidhrí maintained Ruaidhrí as High King of Ireland but codified Henry's control of Leinster, Meath and Waterford. However, with Diarmuid and Strongbow dead, Henry back in England, and Ruaidhrí unable to curb his vassals, the high kingship rapidly lost control of the country. Henry, in 1185, awarded his younger son, John, the title "Dominus Hiberniae" or "Lord of Ireland" at the Council of Oxford. This kept the newly created title, the Lordship of Ireland and the Kingdom of England personally and legally separate. During the same year, 1185, Prince John made his first expedition to Ireland. However, when John unexpectedly succeeded his brother as King of England in 1199, the Lordship of Ireland fell back into personal union with the Kingdom of England, securing its place within the greater Angevin Empire. In the legal terminology of John's successors, the "lordship of Ireland" referred to the sovereignty vested in the Crown of England; the corresponding territory was referred to as the "land of Ireland".


title: Gaelic Ireland

text: By 1261, the weakening of the Anglo-Norman Lordship had become manifest following a string of military defeats. In the chaotic situation, local Irish lords won back large amounts of land. The invasion by Edward Bruce in 1315–18 at a time of great famine weakened the Norman economy. The Black Death arrived in Ireland in 1348. Because most of the English and Norman inhabitants of Ireland lived in towns and villages, the plague hit them far harder than it did the native Irish, who lived in more dispersed rural settlements. After it had passed, Gaelic Irish language and customs came to dominate the country again. The English-controlled area shrank back to the Pale, a fortified area around Dublin. Outside the Pale, the Hiberno-Norman lords intermarried with Gaelic noble families, adopted the Irish language and customs and sided with the Gaelic Irish in political and military conflicts against the Lordship. They became known as the Old English, and in the words of a contemporary English commentator, were "more Irish than the Irish themselves."


title: Gaelic Ireland

text: The authorities in the Pale worried about the Gaelicisation of Norman Ireland, and passed the Statutes of Kilkenny in 1366 banning those of English descent from speaking the Irish language, wearing Irish clothes or inter-marrying with the Irish. The government in Dublin had little real authority. By the end of the 15th century, central English authority in Ireland had all but disappeared. England's attentions were diverted by the Hundred Years' War (1337–1453) and then by the Wars of the Roses (1450–85). Around the country, local Gaelic and Gaelicised lords expanded their powers at the expense of the English government in Dublin.


title: Gaelic Ireland

text: Following the failed attempt by the Scottish King Edward Bruce (see Irish Bruce Wars 1315–1318) to drive the Normans out of Ireland, there emerged a number of important Gaelic kingdoms and Gaelic-controlled lordships.


title: Gaelic Ireland

text: From 1536, Henry VIII of England decided to conquer Ireland and bring it under English control. The FitzGerald dynasty of Kildare, who had become the effective rulers of the Lordship of Ireland (The Pale) in the 15th century, had become unreliable allies and Henry resolved to bring Ireland under English government control so the island would not become a base for future rebellions or foreign invasions of England. To involve the Gaelic nobility and allow them to retain their lands under English law the policy of surrender and regrant was applied.


title: Gaelic Ireland

text: In 1541, Henry upgraded Ireland from a lordship to a full kingdom with the Crown of Ireland Act 1542, partly in response to changing relationships with the papacy, which still had suzerainty over Ireland, following Henry's break with the church. Henry was proclaimed King of Ireland at a meeting of the Irish Parliament that year. This was the first meeting of the Irish Parliament to be attended by the Gaelic Irish princes as well as the Hiberno-Norman aristocracy.


title: Gaelic Ireland

text: With the technical institutions of government in place, the next step was to extend the control of the Kingdom of Ireland over all of its claimed territory. This took nearly a century, with various English administrations in the process either negotiating or fighting with the independent Irish and Old English lords. The conquest was completed during the reigns of Elizabeth and James I, after several bloody conflicts including the suppression of the Desmond, Tyrone and Inishowen rebellions. The defeat of the Gaelic nobility at the Siege of Kinsale in 1601 and final suppression of the various rebellions in Ulster by 1608 marked the end of the conquest. The war ended in defeat for the Irish Gaelic alliance, and its aftermath brought an end to the independence of the last Irish Gaelic kingdoms.


title: Gaelic Ireland

text: In 1603, with the Union of the Crowns, King James of Scotland also became King of England and Ireland. James saw the Gaels as a barbarous and rebellious people in need of civilizing and believed that Gaelic culture should be wiped out. James started official policies of Anglicisation in order to convert the Gaelic nobility of Ireland to that of a Late Feudal model based upon English Law. He also set about colonising the land of the defeated rebel lords with English-speaking Protestant settlers from Britain, in what became known as the Plantation of Ulster. It was meant to establish a loyal British Protestant colony in Ireland's most rebellious region and to sever Gaelic Ireland's historical and cultural links with Gaelic Scotland.


title: Gaelic Ireland

text: The Flight of the Earls in 1607 is seen as a watershed moment for Gaelic Ireland. The flight of both Earl O'Neill of Tyrone and Earl O'Donnell of Tyrconnell into exile marked the destruction of the Ireland's independent nobility. This and the aftermath of the Tudor conquest had cleared the way for the Plantation of Ulster. After this point, the English authorities in Dublin established greater control over Ireland, establishing - or, at least, attempting to establish - a centralised government for the entire island, and successfully disarmed the Gaelic lordships. Hugh Red O'Donnell died in the archive castle of Simancas, Valladolid, in September 1602, when petitioning Philip III of Spain (1598–1621) for further assistance. His son, Rory O'Donnell, succeeded him as the Earl of Tyrconnell. Hugh O'Neill died in exile in Rome on the 20th of July 1616. Upon news of his death, the court poets of Ireland engaged in the contention of the bards.


title: Gaelic Ireland

text: Hugh's son, Shane O'Neill was active in armies fighting for Madrid in the Low Countries and Spain. He died in Spanish Service near Barcelona at the Battle of Montjuïc in 1641, fighting against the Kingdom of France. During the Irish Confederate Wars in 1641, many of these Gaelic exiles returned to fight for their home, including one of O'Neill's nephews, Owen. Owen Roe O'Neill was deeply opposed to British rule and returned home from exile in distinguished Spanish service. These Gaelic exiles brought with them invaluable knowledge of modern military tactics including push of pike warfare and Anti-Siege expertise. This knowledge was used to devastating effect by Owen and fellow O'Neill clan members Hugh and Felim during different stages of these conflicts at the Battle of Benburb, the Siege of Clonmel and the Siege of Charlemont respectively.


title: Gaelic Ireland

text: The outright invasion and conquest by England's New Model Army under Oliver Cromwell and the "free-fire" zones and scorched earth tactics they used in the later stages of Wars of the Three Kingdoms marked a turning point. The plague, famine, oppressive Cromwellian Settlements, plantation that followed and deliberate refugee crisis in the West of Ireland further suppressed the local Gaelic populace. The Glorious Revolution of William and Mary in England and corresponding Williamite War in Ireland further negatively affected the local Gaels. The last vestiges of Gaelic Ireland and its ancient nobility were completely wiped away following the Jacobite defeats at the Battle of the Boyne and Battle of Aughrim. The period that followed saw the Protestant Ascendancy in Ireland and the passage of repressive Anti-Catholic laws.


title: Gaelic Ireland

text: England and Scotland merged politically in 1707 after the crowns of both counties were united in 1603, but the crown of Ireland did not merge with the Union until 1800. Part of the attraction of the Union for many Irish Catholics was the promise of Catholic Emancipation, allowing Roman Catholic MPs, who had not been allowed in the Irish Parliament. This was however blocked by King George III who argued that emancipating Roman Catholics would breach his Coronation Oath, and was not realised until 1829.


title: Gaelic Ireland

text: The Gaelic roots that defined early Irish history still persist to this day, despite the Anglicisation of Irish culture and politics. Christianity became a prominent expression of Irish identity in Ireland. In the time leading up to the Great Famine of the 1840s, many priests believed that parishioner spirituality was paramount, resulting in a localized morphing of Gaelic and Catholic traditions.


title: Gaelic Ireland

text: The Gaelic revival was the late-nineteenth-century national revival of interest in the Irish language (also known as Gaeilge) and Gaelic culture (including folklore, sports, music, arts, etc.) and was an associated part of a greater Celtic cultural revivals in Scotland, Brittany, Cornwall, Continental Europe and among the Celtic Diaspora communities: Irish, Scottish, Breton, Cornish and Welsh. With organizations in Ireland such as Conradh na Gaeilge and An Comunn Gàidhealach attempting to restore the prestige of Gaelic culture and the socio-communal hegemony of the Gaelic languages. Many of the participants in the Irish Revolution of 1912–1923 were inspired by these ideals and so when a sovereign state was formed in Ireland, post-colonial enthusiasm for the re-Gaelicisation of Ireland was high and promoted through public education. Results were very mixed however and the Gaeltacht where native speakers lived continued to retract. In the 1960s and 70s, pressure from groups such as Misneach (supported by Máirtín Ó Cadhain), the Gluaiseacht Chearta Siabhialta na Gaeltachta and others; particularly in Connemara; paved the way for the creation of development agencies such as Údarás na Gaeltachta and state television and radio in Irish.


title: Spiritual but not religious

text: "Spiritual but not religious" (SBNR), also known as "spiritual but not affiliated" (SBNA), is a popular phrase and initialism used to self-identify a life stance of spirituality that does not regard organized religion as the sole or most valuable means of furthering spiritual growth. Historically, the words "religious" and "spiritual" have been used synonymously to describe all the various aspects of the concept of religion, but in contemporary usage "spirituality" has often become associated with the interior life of the individual, placing an emphasis upon the well-being of the "mind-body-spirit", while "religion" refers to organizational or communal dimensions.


title: Spiritual but not religious

text: Historically, the words "religious" and "spiritual" have been used synonymously to describe all the various aspects of the concept of religion. However, religion is a highly contested term with scholars such as Russell McCutcheon arguing that the term "religion" is used as a way to name a "seemingly distinct domain of diverse items of human activity and production". The field of religious studies cannot even agree on one definition for religion and since spirituality overlaps with it in many ways it is difficult to reach a consensus for a definition for spirituality as well.


title: Spiritual but not religious

text: The specific expression was used in several scholarly works, including an anthropological paper in 1960 and in Zinnbauer et al.'s seminal paper "Religiousness and Spirituality: Unfuzzying the Fuzzy". SBNR as a movement in America was delineated by author Sven Erlandson in his 2000 book "Spiritual but not Religious". The phenomenon possibly started to emerge as a result of a new Romantic movement that began in the 1960s, whereas the relationship between the two has been remotely linked to William James' definition of religious experience, which he defines as the "feelings, acts and experiences of individual men in their solitude, so far as they apprehend themselves to stand in relation to whatever they may consider the divine." Romantic movements tend to lean away from traditional religion and resemble spiritual movements in their endorsement of mystical, unorthodox, and exotic ways. Owen Thomas also states that the ambiguity and lack of structure present in Romantic movements are also present within spiritual movements.


title: Spiritual but not religious

text: According to a study conducted by Pew Research Center in 2012, the number of Americans who do not identify with any religion has increased from 15% in 2007 to 20% in 2012, and this number continues to grow. One fifth of the US public and a third of adults under the age of 30 are reportedly unaffiliated with any religion but identify as being spiritual in some way. Of these religiously unaffiliated Americans, 37% classify themselves as spiritual but not religious, while 68% say they do believe in God, and 58% feel a deep connection to the Earth.


title: Spiritual but not religious

text: Increased popular and scholarly attention to "spirituality" by scholars like Pargament has been related to sociocultural trends towards deinstitutionalization, individualization, and globalization.


title: Spiritual but not religious

text: Generational replacement has been understood as a significant factor of the growth of religiously unaffiliated individuals. Significant differences were found between the percentage of those considered younger Millennials (born 19901994) as compared with Generation Xers (born 19651980), with 34% and 21% reporting to be religiously unaffiliated, respectively.


title: Spiritual but not religious

text: Demographically, research has found that the religiously unaffiliated population is younger, predominately male, and 35% are between the ages of 18 and 29. Conversely, only 8% of religiously unaffiliated individuals are 65 and older. Among those unaffiliated with organized religion as a whole, 56% are men and 44% are women.


title: Spiritual but not religious

text: Another possible explanation for the emergence of SBNR is linguistic. Owen Thomas highlights the fact that spirituality movements tend to be localized to English and North American cultures. The meaning of the term "spirit" is more narrow in English than that of other languages, referring to all of the uniquely human capacities and cultural functions.


title: Spiritual but not religious

text: Yet, according to Siobhan Chandler, to appreciate the "god within" is not a twentieth century notion with its roots in 1960s counter culture or 1980s New Age, but spirituality is a concept that has pervaded all of history.


title: Spiritual but not religious

text: According to Abby Day, some of those who are critical of religion see it as rigid and pushy, leading them to use terms such as atheist, agnostic to describe themselves. For many people, SBNR is not just about rejecting religion outright, but not wanting to be restricted by it.


title: Spiritual but not religious

text: According to Linda Mercadante, SBNRs take a decidedly anti-dogmatic stance against religious belief in general. They claim not only that belief is non-essential, but that it is potentially harmful or at least a hindrance to spirituality.


title: Spiritual but not religious

text: According to Philip D. Kenneson, many of those studied who identify as SBNR feel a tension between their personal spirituality and membership in a conventional religious organization. Most of them value curiosity, intellectual freedom, and an experimental approach to religion. Many go as far to view organized religion as the major enemy of authentic spirituality, claiming that spirituality is private reflection and private experience—not public ritual. To be "religious" conveys an institutional connotation, usually associated with Abrahamic traditions: to attend worship services, to say Mass, to light Hanukkah candles. To be "spiritual," in contrast, connotes personal practice and personal empowerment having to do with the deepest motivations of life. As a result, in cultures that are deeply suspicious of institutional structures and that place a high value on individual freedom and autonomy, spirituality has come to have largely positive connotations, while religion has been viewed more negatively.


title: Spiritual but not religious

text: According to Robert Fuller, the SBNR phenomenon can be characterized as a mix of intellectual progressivism and mystical hunger, impatient with the piety of established churches.


title: Spiritual but not religious

text: According to Robert Wuthnow, spirituality is about much more than going to church and agreeing or disagreeing with church doctrines. Spirituality is the shorthand term used in Western society to talk about a person's relationship with God. For many people, how they think about religion and spirituality is certainly guided by what they see and do in their congregations. At a deeper level, it involves a person's self-identity—feeling loved by God, and these feelings can wax and wane.


title: Spiritual but not religious

text: SBNR is related to feminist spiritual and religious thought and ecological spiritualities, and also to Neo-Paganism, Wicca, Shamanic, Druidic, Gaian and ceremonial magic practices. Some New Age spiritual practices include astrology, Ouija boards, Tarot cards, the "I Ching," and science fiction. A common practice of SBNRs is meditation, such as mindfulness and Transcendental Meditation.


title: Spiritual but not religious

text: Some representatives of organized religion have criticized the practice of spirituality without religiosity. Lillian Daniel, a liberal Protestant minister, has characterized the SBNR worldview as a product of secular American consumer culture, far removed from community and "right smack in the bland majority of people who find ancient religions dull but find themselves uniquely fascinating". James Martin, a Jesuit priest, has called the SBNR lifestyle "plain old laziness", stating that "spirituality without religion can become a self-centered complacency divorced from the wisdom of a community".


title: Spiritual but not religious

text: Other critics contend that within the "Spiritual but not Religious" worldview, self-knowledge and self-growth have been problematically equated with knowledge of God, directing a person's focus inward. As a result, the political, economic, and social forces that shape the world are neglected and left untended. Further, some scholars have noted the relative spiritual superficiality of particular SBNR practices. Classical mysticism within the world's major religions requires sustained dedication, often in the form of prolonged asceticism, extended devotion to prayer, and the cultivation of humility. In contrast, SBNRs in the Western world are encouraged to dabble in spiritual practices in a way that is often casual and lacking in rigor or any reorganization of priorities. Sociologist Robert Wuthnow suggests that these forms of mysticism are "shallow and inauthentic". Other critics take issue with the intellectual legitimacy of SBNR scholarship. When contrasted with professional or academic theology, spiritual philosophies can appear unpolished, disjointed, or inconsistently sourced.


title: Spiritual but not religious

text: Wong and Vinsky challenge SBNR discourse that posits religion as "institutional and structured" in contrast to spirituality as "inclusive and universal" (1346). They argue that this understanding makes invisible the historical construction of "spirituality", which currently relies on a rejection of EuroChristianity for its own self-definition. According to them, Western discourses of "spirituality" appropriate indigenous spiritual traditions and "ethnic" traditions of the East, yet racialized ethnic groups are more likely to be labeled "religious" than "spiritual" by white SBNR practitioners. Wong and Vinsky assert that through these processes, colonial othering is enacted through SBNR discourse.


title: Benzocaine

text: Benzocaine, sold under the brand name Orajel amongst others, is an ester local anesthetic commonly used as a topical pain reliever or in cough drops. It is the active ingredient in many over-the-counter anesthetic ointments such as products for oral ulcers. It is also combined with antipyrine to form A/B otic drops to relieve ear pain and remove earwax. In the US, products containing benzocaine for oral application are contraindicated in children younger than two years old. In the European Union, the contraindication applies to children under 12 years of age.


title: Benzocaine

text: However, there have been reports of serious, life-threatening adverse effects (e.g., seizures, coma, irregular heart beat, respiratory depression) with over-application of topical products or when applying topical products that contain high concentrations of benzocaine to the skin.


title: Benzocaine

text: Overapplication of oral anesthetics such as benzocaine can increase the risk of pulmonary aspiration by relaxing the gag-reflex and allowing regurgitated stomach contents or oral secretions to enter the airway. Applying an oral anesthetic and consuming beverages before going to bed can be particularly hazardous.


title: Benzocaine

text: The topical use of higher concentration (10–20%) benzocaine products applied to the mouth or mucous membranes has been found to be a cause of methemoglobinemia, a disorder in which the amount of oxygen carried by the blood is greatly reduced. This side effect is most common in children under two years of age. As a result, the FDA has stated that benzocaine products should not be used in children under two years of age, unless directed by and supervised by a healthcare professional. In European countries, the contraindication applies to children under 12 years of age. Symptoms of methemoglobinemia usually occur within minutes to hours of applying benzocaine, and can occur upon the first-time use or after additional use.


title: Benzocaine

text: Pain is caused by the stimulation of free nerve endings. When the nerve endings are stimulated, sodium enters the neuron, causing depolarization of the nerve and subsequent initiation of an action potential. The action potential is propagated down the nerve toward the central nervous system, which interprets this as pain. Benzocaine acts to inhibit the voltage-dependent sodium channels (VDSCs) on the neuron membrane, stopping the propagation of the action potential.


title: Benzocaine

text: Benzocaine is the ethyl ester of "p"-aminobenzoic acid (PABA). It can be prepared from PABA and ethanol by Fischer esterification or via the reduction of ethyl "p"-nitrobenzoate. Benzocaine is sparingly soluble in water; it is more soluble in dilute acids and very soluble in ethanol, chloroform, and ethyl ether. The melting point of benzocaine is 88–90 °C, and the boiling point is about 310 °C. The density of benzocaine is 1.17 g/cm.


title: Benzocaine

text: Benzocaine is commonly found, particularly in Britain, as an additive in street cocaine and also as a bulking agent in "legal highs". Whilst giving a numbing effect similar to cocaine, users prefer Benzocaine as it is a better bulking and binding agent that can't be detected once mixed. Benzocaine is the most popular cutting agent worldwide. Treatment of benzocaine with hydrazine leads to aminostimil, a compound related to isoniazid.


title: Benzocaine

text: Benzocaine can be prepared by esterification using 4-aminobenzoic acid and ethanol. It can also be prepared by reduction of ethyl 4-nitrobenzoate to the amine. In industrial practice, the reducing agent is usually iron and water in the presence of a little acid.


title: Benzocaine

text: Benzocaine was first synthesized in 1890 by the German chemist Eduard Ritsert (1859–1946), in the town of Eberbach and introduced to the market in 1902 under the name "Anästhesin".


title: Typhoon Rai

text: Typhoon Rai, known in the Philippines as Super Typhoon Odette, was the second most costliest typhoon in Philippine history behind Typhoon Haiyan in 2013. Rai was a powerful rare tropical cyclone that struck the Philippines in December 2021. Rai became the first Category 5-equivalent super typhoon to develop in the month of December since Nock-ten in 2016, and the third Category 5 super typhoon recorded in the South China Sea, following Pamela in 1954 and Rammasun in 2014. The 22nd tropical storm, the ninth typhoon, and the fifth super typhoon of the 2021 Pacific typhoon season, the system originated from a tropical disturbance near the equator on December 10, forming near the site of another low-pressure area that had dissipated on the previous day. Conditions around the system were favorable for further development, and it slowly developed into a tropical depression on December 12. On the same day, the United States Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) issued a Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert (TCFA) on the consolidating depression. Further intensification ensued, and Rai was upgraded to a tropical storm the next day, before passing south of Ngulu Atoll. After passing near Palau and impacting the island nation, Rai entered the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) by the night of December 14, where the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) named it "Odette". On the next day, both the JMA and JTWC raised the system's intensity to a low-end Category 1-equivalent typhoon, as an eye continued to appear. While approaching the Philippines, Rai unexpectedly rapidly intensified into a Category 5 super typhoon just before its first landfall across Siargao. It then slowly but steadily weakened as it traversed the Visayas, exiting into the Sulu Sea. After making its last landfall over Palawan, Rai continued to weaken before unexpectedly re-intensifying into a Category 5-equivalent typhoon by December 18, while nearing Vietnam. On the next day, Rai entered yet another weakening phase, dissipating on December 21, southeast of Hong Kong.


title: Typhoon Rai

text: As Rai pounded the Philippines, heavy rainfall and strong and gusty winds impacted several areas around the storm's path. Many areas across the Visayas and Mindanao lost electricity with several provinces and areas being deprived further of communication services. Downed trees obstructed many roadways, and flooding was a major problem across the affected regions, particularly Bohol, where the storm was described as "one of the worst for the province". Rivers also overflowed across Cagayan de Oro, while numerous buildings sustained damage. Surigao City was reported to be completely damaged, and appealed for aid. Bohol also pleaded for help from the government due to the damages Rai brought to the area. A state of calamity has been placed in the province and Cebu. So far, 410 people have died, a large portion of which were from the severely affected island of Bohol. Damages at the aforementioned location were projected to be worth ₱5 billion ($100 million), with those in Siargao being estimated to be worth ₱20 billion ($401 million) and those in Negros Occidental being estimated to be worth ₱5.9 billion ($118 million).


title: Typhoon Rai

text: At 06:00 UTC on December 9, the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) started to monitor a low-latitude area of convection in the Pacific Ocean at , located about to Palau's east-southeast. A broad circulation was identified by the agency, with flaring convection over it. The circulation had a marginal environment with low to moderate wind shear, fair outflow, and warm sea surface temperatures. Despite its given environment, however, the disturbance failed to intensify and dissipated by 06:00 UTC the next day. Another new area of low pressure formed on December 10, near the location of the previous disturbance. Analysis on the system revealed a degraded and disorganized low-level circulation center. Position fixes by 02:30 UTC on December 11 determined that its center had shifted to the north over a developing surface trough, while convective bursts occurred around the system. An ASCAT pass featured below gale-force winds on its northwest quadrant.


title: Typhoon Rai

text: The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) (the official Regional Specialized Meteorological Center for the western Pacific Ocean) first upgraded the system to a tropical depression with winds of , at 00:00 UTC the next day, followed by the JTWC upgrading the storm's chances of developing to "high" and subsequently issuing a Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert. By 03:00 UTC on December 13, the JTWC upgraded the system to a weak tropical depression, highly based on Dvorak ratings of T1.5. Nine hours later, the JMA classified the system as a tropical storm based on Dvorak ratings and named the storm "Rai". It was not until 15:00 UTC that day when the JTWC upgraded Rai to a tropical storm, as it began tracking northwestward. Three hours later, Rai began to pass south of Ngulu State, while continuing to intensify and organize. By December 14 in the early morning, the system was upgraded to a severe tropical storm by the JMA. By 09:00 UTC, the JTWC noted that the system's cloud tops became warm; however, it further organized while tracking towards the small island country of Palau. The storm entered the Philippine Area of Responsibility around 11:00 UTC (19:00 PHT), and was named "Odette" by the PAGASA. Four hours later, Rai began to exhibit an eye which was first seen on microwave images. The JMA further upgraded the system to a typhoon by the next day, followed by the JTWC three hours later as Rai began to take a westward motion under the influence of a subtropical ridge to its north. Steady intensification occurred on Rai while moving near the country, reaching high-end Category 1-equivalent typhoon intensity by 15:00 UTC. At this time, the JTWC only forecasted a landfall equivalent to a Category 2 storm.


title: Typhoon Rai

text: Rai unexpectedly underwent rapid intensification on December 15, from to by December 16, while nearing landfall. At this time, a small eye was seen along with strong convection. The storm began an eyewall replacement cycle (ERC) shortly after reaching peak intensity. On December 16, the typhoon made landfall over Siargao Island in the province of Surigao del Norte around 1:30 PM local time (05:30 UTC) and a second landfall over Dinagat Islands around 3:10 PM local time (07:10 UTC). A third landfall occurred in Liloan, Southern Leyte at 3:40 PM local time (7:40 UTC). A fourth landfall occurred at Panaon Island, also at Liloan, at around 4:50 PM (8:50 UTC). Padre Burgos, Southern Leyte was the fifth at 5:40 PM (09:40 UTC), followed nearly one-hour later at President Carlos P. Garcia, Bohol and approximately another hour at Bien Unido, still at Bohol. The eighth landfall occurred at Carcar, Cebu by 10:00 PM (14:00 UTC) and the ninth over La Libertad, Negros Oriental, two hours later. The JMA estimated a minimum central pressure of by 03:00 UTC, earlier that day, two hours before its landfall. The same situation slightly weakened the system into a Category 4-equivalent super typhoon by 09:00 UTC, and its intensity continued to degrade, six hours later while crossing Visayas. As Rai entered the Panay Gulf, its eye further weakened and its convective signature becoming disorganized as the JTWC further downgraded it to a Category 3 system six hours later. It continued to weaken while tracking towards the Sulu Sea by the next day at 03:00 UTC. A new eye also struggled to form as the system was nearing landfall.


title: Typhoon Rai

text: By 07:10 UTC (15:10 PHT), the system made another and last landfall over Roxas, Palawan as it continued to lose intensity. It then entered the South China Sea with more organization but its intensity remaining the same. Rai then started to slightly strengthen as it turned northwestward, away from the Philippine archipelago. The system then left the PAR by 12:40 PHT (04:40 UTC). For the first time since Typhoon Rammasun in 2014 and the third after Pamela of 1954 and the aforementioned storm, Rai unexpectedly attained Category 5-equivalent super typhoon status in the South China Sea, due to the favorable environment in that region, at 21:00 UTC on December 18, as it underwent a secondary period of rapid intensification.


title: Typhoon Rai

text: By 03:00 UTC the next day, Rai again weakened below Category 5-equivalent super typhoon intensity, while turning in a west-northwesterly direction. Its eye was cloud-filled by this time, with the storm rapidly weakening afterward. The storm was still rapidly weakening as of 12:00 UTC on December 20, being forecasted to dissipate off the coast of Guangdong, China. As forecasted, Rai dissipated two days later off the coast of Guangdong Province, China.


title: Typhoon Rai

text: On March 23, 2022, as PAGASA issued their revised tropical cyclone scale, Rai (Odette) was considered as a super typhoon.


title: Typhoon Rai

text: Upon the system's intensification into a tropical depression, a typhoon watch was issued by the US National Weather Service in Tiyan, Guam, in Koror and Kayangel while a tropical storm warning was placed for Ngulu Atoll. The island of Yap was placed also under tropical storm watch. This was further upgraded into a typhoon warning for Palau as Rai further intensifies. The alerts for Ngulu and Yap were first canceled by 09:00 UTC of December 14 and six hours later, the typhoon warning were also canceled for Palau.


title: Typhoon Rai

text: PAGASA began issuing Tropical Cyclone Advisories as early as December 12 given the forecasted track of the storm. In its first advisory, PAGASA forecasted the possibility of Signal #4 being raised over the Visayas and Mindanao regions, later lowered to Signal #3. The PAGASA also forecasted winds of up to prior to landfall. On December 14, storm signals were raised in Caraga and Eastern Visayas as the storm entered the Philippine Area of Responsibility. Starting on the night of December 13, land travel on bound to Visayas, Mindanao, the province of Masbate and Catanduanes were canceled according to an approved request of the Office of the Civil Defense in the country. The Land Transportation Office also placed the same travel restrictions in Mindanao and Luzon as a precaution. All types of vessels are also prohibited to leave the country's ports if there are any storm signals raised. Fishermen living near coastal areas were also urged by the country's coast guard to leave their homes "as soon as possible". Other Philippine provinces like Bohol and Aklan were also prepared for possible work cancelations and evacuation premises in regards to the storm. Floating cottages in General Santos City, as well as fishing boats were brought to shore and safety. The vaccination operations across the possible affected areas were earlier suspended by December 20–22. Over 23,642 food packs for evacuees were also readied by the country's Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), over 18,665 non-edible items as well as over ₱752,250 (US$14,950) worth of standby funds. The airline carrier Cebu Pacific also suspended three flights in the country.


title: Typhoon Rai

text: Over 10,000 individuals in barangays across Mindanao, Visayas, and further north into Southern Luzon were also urged by the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) to immediately leave their homes. The whole of Bicol Region was also under red alert starting on December 14. The higher authorities there also warned its people of possible landslides and lahar flow from the Mayon Volcano. Cebu was also under a "state of preparedness" due to the storm. Furthermore, many individuals, of which the majority are going into the Bicol Region in the Parañaque Integrated Terminal Exchange (PITX) were also stranded due to ferry suspensions. Capiz already started voluntary evacuations at this time, first focused on people living in coastal areas. Liloan, Cebu also initiated forced evacuations by the afternoon of December 15. Several flights into Visayas and Mindanao from Ninoy Aquino International Airport were also delayed, rescheduled, and/or canceled, mainly from the earlier Cebu Pacific, Philippine Airlines and Airasia. Some face-to-face classes in the affected areas were also halted. Many billboards in Bohol were also removed and the annual Binirayan festival in Antique was canceled due to Rai. The city of Surigao was already soaked by the rains of Odette by the afternoon of December 15, including the whole of Eastern Visayas. Thousands of evacuees rushed into safety shelters in the area whereas in one case, they became full. Sandbags were also placed over some houses in Tacloban City in Leyte and many individuals rushed into a grocery store in Alangalang to stock up on essential supplies.


title: Typhoon Rai

text: Four hours after, Rai entered the PAR, PAGASA started to hoist Tropical Cyclone Warning Signal #1 for southeastern Eastern Samar and over the Surigao provinces, including the Dinagat Islands. This was further extended into some provinces in the Central Visayas and further south of Mindanao, until Agusan del Sur. Signal #2 were further placed for the Surigao provinces and further into some parts of Visayas as Odette further intensified into a typhoon, with Signal #1 spreading further into the remaining part of the region and Mimaropa and Southern Tagalog provinces. The storm's further intensification led to PAGASA raising the Signal #3 warning in some portions of Caraga and as Rai underwent rapid intensification, into eastern Visayas before Signal #4 was raised in those areas.


title: Typhoon Rai

text: On December 15, militants of the New People's Army attacked troops evacuating residents in Surigao del Sur prior to the storm, killing three civilians. On December 16, the PAGASA raised the signal in western Bohol, Dinagat Islands, and Surigao to Signal #5. 9,720 thousand were evacuated as Typhoon Rai made landfall. Following Rai's impact, around 332,000 people have been evacuated from their homes in total as of December 17.


title: Typhoon Rai

text: As Rai approached Vietnam after clearing the Philippines, officials held a meeting in which more than 243,254 houses across eight Vietnamese provinces were identified as "unsafe", while rice crops were harvested by farmers in preparation for the storm. Vietnam Airlines' flight operations were also halted due to the typhoon, while marine equipment, particularly fishing boats, were moved onto shores as a precautionary measure. Lý Sơn Island also prepared to evacuate over 7,800 individuals. Towing vessels were also readied in case of marine emergencies over the South China Sea. Medicine and food packs were also prepared while houses over the areas that are foreseen to be affected by Rai were secured. 305,000 individuals were also readied to be evacuated from Quảng Bình to Bình Thuận. Heavy rainfall, strong winds and rough waves were also forecasted.


title: Typhoon Rai

text: In Macau, the Macao Meteorological and Geophysical Bureau (SMG) hoisted the typhoon warning signal number one in the early hours at 1AM on 20 December 2021 (MST). In Hong Kong, the Hong Kong Observatory issued the number 1 tropical cyclone signal at 11:20AM (HKT) on 20 December 2021, as Typhoon Rai approached the territory. Rai is the first typhoon on record to neccistate the issuance of typhoon warning signal in the territory in mid-December, on 20 December 2021, and the second on record in December. The last time such a signal warning was issued in Hong Kong in December was in 1974 as a response to Typhoon Irma. and was cancelled at 12:20PM HKT the following day. In China, Blue Typhoon warnings were issued in Hainan and Guangdong Provinces by the China Meteorological Administration.


title: Typhoon Rai

text: Rai caused severe and widespread damage throughout the Southern Philippines, killing at least 409. As of February 7, 2022, the NDRRMC has reported ₱29.3 billion (US$571 million) of infrastructure damages, along with ₱22.3 billion (US$435 million) of agricultural damage and ₱63 million (US$1.2 million) worth of damages to houses, with a combined total of ₱51.8 billion (US$1.02 billion).


title: Typhoon Rai

text: Over 100,000 people were moved to higher ground as flooding occurred. Strong winds and heavy rainfall also impacted Guiuan, Eastern Samar, with rough waves bashing the shores of the province, according to a news correspondent of "24 Oras". The same situation was also felt across the entirety of Western Visayas. As Rai impacted Liloan in Southern Leyte, an area there was described as "cut-off", indicating that there was no electricity or means of communications in the place. A GMA News reporter recalling his experience inside the storm reported that the building where his team was sustained considerable damage, comparing it to Typhoon Haiyan in terms of ferocity. Their vehicles also received damage from the storm. After the storm passed over the area, the whole municipality was reported to be isolated. Many provinces in Mindanao also were severely affected by the typhoon. In Cagayan de Oro, despite rushing water, rescue teams continued to save many people in their houses from the floods. A house was heavily destroyed by Odette's strong winds in Agusan del Norte while a barge of unknown origins was left stranded by the storm's waves on a shore, still in the province. Storm surge also impacted the coast boulevards of Surigao del Norte while Iligan's Mandulog River overflowed. The incident was a horror to many residents there, due to the same effect Tropical Storm Washi in 2011 brought. Further south, it also caused rough waves over Cateel. The Cagayan de Oro River also overflowed, causing several homes to be near-completely inundated. The first fatality from the storm was reported at Iloilo, where a woman was crushed to death in her house by a bamboo tree.


title: Typhoon Rai

text: Surigao City was deprived of electricity and communications due to downed power lines while scores of trees left many roads impassable. Many buildings in the area were also devastated and the overall impact of Rai in the area were described as "widespread". Clean water supply became a problem in the city while almost all coastal houses were destroyed by the typhoon's storm surge. The main wet market of the area was also closed, still due to the effects of the system. Authorities are verifying a possible second death due to Rai in the city and a third elsewhere in southern Mindanao. The mayor of Surigao City, Ernesto Matugas also estimated that 100% of the area was devastated due to Odette, also appealing for aid to the government. Aid was also requested by the province of Bohol, where a chief of the area's Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) described Rai as the "one of the worst ever for the province". Many areas in the island were severely inundated, including Loboc, among the worst hit. The whole province also lost power services. The governor of the province, Arthur Yap estimated the damages at ₱5 billion (). A terminal in Siargao Airport was also totally destroyed; the overall island was also wrecked according to the first district representative of Surigao del Norte, Francisco Jose Matugas II. Southern Surigao confirmed a death, while two people lost their lives in Bukidnon. Three individuals were killed due to various reasons across Negros Occidental. Numerous houses there were also destroyed by downed trees, with a triage of the Ignacio Locsin Arroyo Memorial District Hospital being wrecked. Some areas in Kabankalan were also inundated due to a river overflowing there. The Philippine National Police (PNP) also listed two people to be unaccounted for from Western Visayas.


title: Typhoon Rai

text: Further assessments of the NDRRMC reported at least 12 killed due to the typhoon across the affected areas, while seven people were missing. A briefing with the Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte occurred on the night of December 17, where the agency noted that many provinces were also pleading for help, especially Cebu. The governor of Surigao also observed that over 99 percent of individuals of Surigao were affected. Aerial operations were also conducted by the Philippine Coast Guard, where they saw the total devastation of the island. The area were also reported to have been isolated from any means of transportations except for air. The government there also estimated damages to be (). The Dinagat Islands were also wrecked due to Rai, with their governor Arlene Bag-ao also requesting aid from the government, and saying the islands was "levelled to the ground". 95 percent of houses were estimated to have lost their roofs, and emergency shelters were destroyed. Almost all of Visayas have been left without electricity, according to the Department of Energy (DOE). In Negros Occidental, the agricultural damage is estimated at , and damage rose up to from the Department of Agriculture and Department of Public Works and Highways.


title: Typhoon Rai

text: At least 332,000 people were evacuated from their homes. The storm affected areas that were still rebuilding from storms late last year. At least 140,000 people were severely affected, with the United Nations estimating 13 million were affected in some way. Military-released aerial photos showed General Luna was destroyed by the typhoon. As the ravaged areas were examined, the death toll rose to 75, the majority of which were from Bohol. 12 were further reported by December 19, making the casualty toll at 87 as of that day. A landslide also caused the deaths of five people and left six missing, out of 11, further raising the toll to 92. The Associated Press, however indicated that over 112 were killed during the storm. 78 marine vessels in Cebu also experienced sea mishaps, according to the PCG, while over 4,000 houses in Southern Leyte were destroyed due to the storm-induced storm surge. In northern Palawan, where Rai made its last landfall before clearing the country, many houses were downed and trees obstructed several roadways. Many locations in the province, including the major city Puerto Princesa were left without electricity, water supply and communication signals. 630,000 people were displaced, 438,000 were in 2,841 evacuation centers. At least 41 areas were flooded, 227 municipalities experienced power outages, and 135 saw telecommunication issues. Three days after the storm, 9% were estimated to have their outages fixed, and 70% communication restored. 139,000 houses were damaged, with 54,000 being totally damaged and 82,000 partially.


title: Typhoon Rai

text: On Pag-asa Island of the Spratly Islands, some residential houses, schools, and government facilities including the new coast guard station were severely damaged by the typhoon.


title: Typhoon Rai

text: Rai wreaked havoc across Vietnamese-held isles in the Spratly Islands. An observation tower in Southwest Cay recorded sustained winds up to and a gust of during the afternoon of December 18 before being knocked down. The storm destroyed of civilian house tiles, 27 solar batteries, of farmland, and knocked down 90% of the trees on the island; no casualties were reported there. Rai began to batter the Central Vietnamese coast at night, with winds in several provinces averaging . Heavy rainfall was unleashed on Thừa Thiên – Huế to Khánh Hòa, with reports showing an average of of rainfall; some places recorded up to of rain. In Nghệ An province, two crew members of a fishing vessel were reported missing in the waters off Bạch Long Vĩ Island.


title: Typhoon Rai

text: On December 19, one person (fisherman) was reported dead in Tuy Phong, five ships were capsized and three others were damaged off the coast of Bình Thuận. Rough storm waves damaged and destroyed 90 lobster herds on Bình Hưng Island, Cam Ranh, where losses is estimated to be more than 200 billion VND ($8.72 million).


title: Typhoon Rai

text: Social media coverage of the typhoon was much less than expected the day after Rai. Possible effects from the newly emerged COVID-19 Omicron variant were feared to be worsened by the typhoon's effects. The DSWD further elaborated that over ₱900 million ($18 million) worth of standby funds were already prepared for the people affected by Odette. Food and water was sparse for those impacted by the storm. The storage of COVID-19 vaccines and vaccine kits were also feared to be disrupted due to power outages. While there were reports of vaccine wastage due to the typhoon, the Department of Health assured that the impact of the typhoon was minimal. Immediately after the storm, presidential aspirants for the 2022 elections set up relief and recovery operations for the victims of the storm, particularly in Samar and Leyte provinces. Major telecommunication networks in the country reported communication disruptions in Visayas and Mindanao but assured that their respective teams are trying to restore services. Other local government units sent aid to the areas severely affected by the typhoon.


title: Typhoon Rai

text: On December 17, the provinces of Cebu and Bohol were placed into a state of calamity due to widespread damages. Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte announced that he will tour Leyte, Surigao, Bohol and Cebu to check the situation there. Recovery funds up to ₱2 billion ($40 million) were promised by the national government for the affected areas of the storm. Duterte started to tour Surigao City, Siargao, Maasin, and Dinagat Islands on December 18. Aid teams were not able to enter into certain affected areas due to waterlogging, debris, and other obstacles. Thousands of emergency personnel were deployed. 2 people died of dehydration after Rai passed. Catholic Bishops in the country declared Christmas Day and December 26 as national days of prayer and mourning for Rai's victims. The government's promise for 35,000 food packs took longer than expected to arrive, and was found to not be enough for people affected. Days later in Bohol, power outages still ranged in the millions. The provinces governor, Arthur Yap, feared the situation could worsen due to a lack of a contingency fund, with supplies of necessities running dry. Looting as a potential problem also rose among affected populations.


title: Typhoon Rai

text: News coverage regarding the impacts of Rai was limited in the days after the typhoon struck, a fact partly attributed to the shutdown of the regional news stations of media network ABS-CBN, which had earlier been denied a renewal of its congressional franchise. With internet service knocked out and mobile phone networks brought down in the wake of the typhoon, news from the typhoon-hit areas was very limited in the critical first days after the disaster.


title: Typhoon Rai

text: After Rai hit the Philippines, the governments of Canada, China, the United Kingdom, European Union, South Korea, Singapore, Japan and the United Nations had so far announced their intention to assist the country.


title: Typhoon Rai

text: Apple CEO Tim Cook has pledged to commit itself to rebuilding communities in both Malaysia and the Philippines while also providing short term relief and recovery efforts.


title: Typhoon Rai

text: Due to the extensive damage brought by the typhoon in the Philippines, the PAGASA announced that "Odette" will be stricken from the rotating list of typhoon names, and will no longer be used in the future. On March 21, 2022, the PAGASA chose the name "Opong" as its replacement for the 2025 season.


title: Inveraray Castle

text: Inveraray Castle ( ; Scottish Gaelic "Caisteal Inbhir Aora" ) is a country house near Inveraray in the county of Argyll, in western Scotland, on the shore of Loch Fyne, Scotland's longest sea loch. It is one of the earliest examples of Gothic Revival architecture.


title: Inveraray Castle

text: James V stayed at the old castle of Inveraray in September 1533. A new lute was bought for him in Glasgow and carried to Inveraray by his servant Troilus.


title: Inveraray Castle

text: The present castle was built in the Gothic Revival style. Improvements on the estate were begun in 1743 by Archibald Campbell, Earl of Ilay, soon to become 3rd Duke of Argyll. The foundation stone of the new castle was laid in October 1746, and it replaced an earlier 15th-century castle.


title: Inveraray Castle

text: It is one of the earliest Gothic Revival buildings, together with Strawberry Hill House. Originally, all the roofs were flat and crenellated. Later, a third floor with pitched roof and dormer windows was added on all four wings, and steep conical roofs were added to the four round towers. In the 1770s, the village of Inveraray was demolished and rebuilt a short distance away, to give the castle a more secluded setting.


title: Inveraray Castle

text: Designers who worked on the new castle include William Adam and Roger Morris. The interior has a number of neoclassical rooms created later in the 18th century for the 5th Duke by Robert Mylne. These are among the rooms open to the public. James Lees-Milne was not impressed by the house when he visited it in 1943, noting the "ugly" grey stone and calling it "grim and forbidding".


title: Inveraray Castle

text: In 1975 a devastating fire struck Inveraray and for some time the 12th Duke and his family lived in the castle's basement, while restorations were carried out, funded by a worldwide fundraising drive.


title: Inveraray Castle

text: The castle is open to visitors. Its collection includes more than 1,300 pikes, muskets, swords and other weapons.


title: Inveraray Castle

text: The 13th Duke and his family live in private apartments occupying two floors and set between two of the four crenellated circular towers. Recent renovations included the installation of the house's first central heating system, powered by burning wood-chips from the family's forestry holdings. It was previously heated only by open fires.


title: Inveraray Castle

text: Inveraray Castle is a Category A listed building. It is surrounded by a garden and an estate of . Besides welcoming visitors to the castle, the estate's activities include commercial forestry, tenanted farming, wind and hydro power, and deer stalking.


title: Inveraray Castle

text: The 2012 Christmas episode of "Downton Abbey" was partly filmed here, the castle portraying the fictional "Duneagle Castle". Inveraray Castle also featured in "Great Estates Scotland" made by American broadcaster PBS in 2014. In 2020, Susan Calman's "Secret Scotland" filmed at Inveraray Castle.


title: Inveraray Castle

text: The "Best of the West" festival, organised by the Duchess, was held at the castle each September until 2018.


title: Inveraray Castle

text: The castle was featured on an episode of "An American Aristocrat's Guide to Great Estates" on the Smithsonian Channel and Amazon Prime Video. It first aired in 2020.


title: The Mermaid (2016 film)

text: The Mermaid () is a 2016 Chinese-Hong Kong romantic comedy fantasy film directed, co-written and produced by Stephen Chow, which stars Lin Yun, Deng Chao, Zhang Yuqi and Show Lo. The film tells the story of a playboy businessman (Deng Chao) who falls in love with a mermaid (Lin Yun) sent to assassinate him.


title: The Mermaid (2016 film)

text: The film was released in China on 8 February 2016, and broke numerous box office records, including biggest opening day and biggest single-day gross through its seventh day of release. "The Mermaid" had the biggest opening week of all time in China, where it became the ninth-highest-grossing film of all time.


title: The Mermaid (2016 film)

text: Playboy property tycoon Liu Xuan (Deng Chao) purchases the Green Gulf, a coastal wildlife reserve, for a land reclamation project, and uses sonar technology to get rid of the sea life in the area. Unknown to him, the Green Gulf is the home of merpeople and the sonar (in addition to heavy pollution) has caused many of them to die or get sick. The few survivors live in an abandoned shipwreck in the gulf, and want to assassinate Xuan for his deeds. The merfolk send Shan (Lin Yun), a beautiful young mermaid, who has been trained to walk on her fins and hide among humans, to seduce and kill Xuan. At an extravagant party celebrating Xuan's business success, Shan, pretending to be a dancer, asks him to call her.


title: The Mermaid (2016 film)

text: Xuan, believing that Shan is an escort, calls her number in order to make Ruolan (Zhang Yuqi), his business partner (and ex-girlfriend), jealous. Shan attempts to kill Xuan, but all her attempts backfire. Xuan decides to escort Shan back home, and along the way Shan takes him to a funfair where she works. While there, Shan shows Xuan there are more important things than money, and Xuan is impressed with Shan's simple, amusing antics. They spend the day together and develop feelings for each other. When Xuan finally takes Shan home, Shan quickly sends Xuan away before her people can kill him. The next day, Xuan takes Shan out on another date and proposes to her. Xuan admits that even though they only met the day before, he already knows that she is the one for him. A conflicted Shan rejects him and admits that she was sent there to kill him. Xuan kisses her, but Ruolan interrupts them. Shan runs out, and as Xuan attempts to follow her, Ruolan stops him. Angered, Xuan demands Ruolan to cancel their business deal.


title: The Mermaid (2016 film)

text: That night, as Shan gets into an argument with the other merpeople, Xuan goes to Shan's house to talk to her. There, he discovers that she and her family are merpeople. Against Shan's wishes, the others capture Xuan and explain that he is killing them with his land development project. Xuan is about to be killed when Shan helps him escape. Octopus (Show Lo), one of Shan's friends, gets mad and realizes that she has fallen in love with him. Xuan returns home and, after the shock has worn off, decides to investigate the consequences of his project. He turns off the sonar but tells Ruolan that Shan is a mermaid and reveals where the other merpeople live. Ruolan tells Xuan that George, her henchman, also believes in mermaids and has been trying to find one. She is angered at Xuan's lack of affection and vows to kill Shan. Xuan tries to stop them but they dismiss him and proceed to the abandoned ship. The merpeople are attacked by Ruolan's mercenaries, and many of them are killed. The merpeople soon realize that the sonar had been turned off and return to the ocean. As Shan attempts to escape, she is shot and forced onto land. Xuan, using a jetpack, arrives in time to retrieve a badly-injured Shan. As he is carrying her to the ocean, Ruolan angrily shoots him, but George stops her before she could injure him any further. Shan insists that Xuan leave her, but he continues to carry her to safety. The police arrive and while Ruolan and George get arrested, Xuan collapses from his wounds.


title: The Mermaid (2016 film)

text: Three years later, a student arrives at Xuan's home to thank him for setting up a scholarship for research into environmental protection. The student asks Xuan whether merpeople are real and if the story that he fell in love with a mermaid is true, but Xuan denies it. Xuan then introduces the student to his wife, "Lucy", who is actually Shan in a human disguise. Xuan and Shan encourage the student to travel and explore the world. The screen then goes to Xuan and Shan swimming in the ocean along with the other merpeople.


title: The Mermaid (2016 film)

text: The story was inspired by Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tale of "The Little Mermaid" in which a mermaid loves a human, but Chow wanted to make it a modern interpretation: "I saw great creative space and development potential from the story". In another interview, Chow said: "I'm actually a big fairy-tale fan. All my previous titles can be understood as fairy tales. In the world of fairy tales, the evil are punished and the good see a happy ending. I buy that idea."


title: The Mermaid (2016 film)

text: Another inspiration comes from Chow's own childhood experiences. "I lived near the sea at a young age and I looked at the sea every day. I was frightened and curious. I was very nervous when I swam in the sea and felt there might be something hidden below. I’ve been fascinated with the (mermaid) story since then, and I felt I could do the film, creating the concept 6 years ago and beginning to write the script four or five years ago."


title: The Mermaid (2016 film)

text: Stephen Chow picked Deng Chao to play the film's lead male character Liu Xuan, even though Show Lo (who played Octopus in the film, and had previously worked with Chow in "") was also in the consideration. Chow explained that he ultimately chose Deng Chao for the lead role due to his overwhelming popularity in China, and he also had confidence in Deng's comedic talent, having observed his performances in the slapstick-style hit "The Breakup Guru".


title: The Mermaid (2016 film)

text: Zhang Yuqi first worked with Chow in "CJ7" and gained fame from that role. They both later fell out in a highly publicized contractual dispute. But the personal relationship between them was not intense and Zhang once defended Chow when he was under personality attacks from former disgruntled collaborators and employees. When Zhang got a call from Chow, she was in a foreign country while her car broke down. She said yes to join the cast to play the film's villain, and described the role as a personal challenge.


title: The Mermaid (2016 film)

text: The selection of the female lead character, the "Mermaid" Shan, was one of the most publicized parts of the filming process. As reported on "Oriental Daily News", the then 18-year-old actress Lin Yun was selected by Chow and his casting team from over 120,000 participants due to her demure personality in a talent contest held in Shenzhen. Reportedly, throughout the 13 casting-training period, Lin Yun caught the casting team's eyes for being calm and collected while other participants tried their hardest to steal the spotlight. According to Lin Yun, she entered the audition at her friends' recommendation, and has always admired Stephen Chow.


title: The Mermaid (2016 film)

text: The mass audition was from 31 July – 15 August 2014 when everyone could submit the CVs to the website for online votes and for the casting team to choose. A total of 43 contestants were selected after the first round, and then were shortlisted to 13 finalists to participate in the final contest held on 15 September 2014. Among them, six were chosen to continue in the audition process. Lin Yun eventually won the role of the film.


title: The Mermaid (2016 film)

text: "The Mermaid" began filming in October 2014, with shoots taking place in Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Dongguan, and in Beijing. Before the filming, confirmed cast members include Deng Chao, Show Lo, Zhang Yuqi, and newcomer Lin Yun was from a talent contest held specifically for "The Mermaid" in Shenzhen.


title: The Mermaid (2016 film)

text: The film's production was a well-kept secret. A major set was built up in a large factory, which was used once for glass production, in Shenzhen as the shelter of mermaids in the film. Reports say that most of the scenes in his latest film have been shot more than 50 times to meet his exacting standards. Chow has even personally coached most of the cast on acting-from lead stars Deng, Zhang Yuqi and Lin Yun to Show Lo, as well as other cast members. To get the best result, Chow once let Deng Chao and Lin Yun eat 150 roasted chickens for shooting a scene. Lin Yun said Chow has never shouted at her and would often watch out for her. Playing the role of a mermaid, Lin often had to put on the safety harness when filming her underwater scenes. As she was not used to it, she often incurred injuries all over her body, and on one occasion, Yun nearly became disfigured.


title: The Mermaid (2016 film)

text: Filming wrapped up in Beijing on 2 February 2015, and then went into post-production, adding visual effects by Ken Law and his Different Digital Design Ltd., as well as by MACROGRAPH，Ltd. from South Korea, both of which worked for Chow's previous film "Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons".


title: The Mermaid (2016 film)

text: Directors Tsui Hark and Stephen Chow collaborated for the first time in "The Mermaid". The two film directors had never worked together during their careers, despite each spanning three decades. Tsui Hark said they had discussed collaboration for years but Chow was so busy that Tsui had to wait until then. At a press conference in Beijing to promote "The Mermaid", it was revealed that director Tsui Hark and actor Kris Wu would have cameo appearances in the film.


title: The Mermaid (2016 film)

text: Other notable cameos include actor Wen Zhang, who was in Chow's previous blockbuster "Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons", and the comedian duo Kong Lianshun and Bai Ke (White. K) from the popular web series "Surprise", and the 2015 fantasy comedy film "Surprise".


title: The Mermaid (2016 film)

text: Stephen Chow was on a 20-city tour in China to promote "The Mermaid", including many fan meetings. Nine companies, including China Film Group, Hehe (Shanghai) Pictures and Enlight Media, invested in the production, while four companies, Star Overseas, Hehe Pictures, Maxtimes Culture, and Union (Beijing) Pictures collaborated in terms of marketing and promotion.


title: The Mermaid (2016 film)

text: On 24 May 2016, Stephen Chow, Deng Chao and Lin Yun joined Chinese government ministers in Wellington for a screening of "The Mermaid" as the opening of the "New Zealand China Film Week" at New Zealand's national museum to bring cultural exchange between the China and New Zealand film-making communities.


title: The Mermaid (2016 film)

text: There were three trailers released before "The Mermaid's" debut. In the first trailer, the tycoon, played by Deng Chao, tells police that he has met and been kidnapped by a mermaid. In its final 90-second trailer released on 31 January 2016, it showed the love story between Liu Xuan and Shan, the two main characters, as well as the killing and hunting of the mermaids. An interesting twist and a historical link was seen in the second trailer, where there was a clue hinting at legendary Chinese mariner Zheng He's voyages in the 15th century. However, much of the storyline was kept a secret and the trailers didn't reveal too much as the marketing team held the belief to make the trailers "less amazing than the actual movie", in order to lower the hype and expectation, and so that when audiences saw the film, they would be "surprised".


title: The Mermaid (2016 film)

text: Chow also adopted "hunger marketing" this time to maintain high secrecy and mystery by not letting anyone, including theater managers and film critics, see the film in advance at any premieres until it actually opened in theaters.


title: The Mermaid (2016 film)

text: The theme song of "The Mermaid" is titled "Invincible". The song was written and composed by Stephen Chow and performed by Deng Chao. Film score composer Raymond Wong ("Shaolin Soccer," "Kung Fu Hustle", "CJ7" and "Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons") made the arrangement, while the music producer Patrick Tsang (who produced records for Faye Wong, Eason Chan and more) mixed it. The song also has a music video in which Deng Chao sings in studio while Stephen Chow, Kris Wu and Lin Yun appear to sing the song too. Their vocals are never heard as there is only one vocal track by Deng.


title: The Mermaid (2016 film)

text: Adam Cheng, Lin Yun, Stephen Chow and Karen Mok appeared at a press conference in Beijing on 18 January 2016, to release the promotional song "You Are the Best in the World" for the film. The song is Cheng and Mok's cover of the popular old song from the 1983 TV series "The Legend of the Condor Heroes." The music video of "You Are the Best in the World" shows a duet by Adam Cheng and Karen Mok with Stephen Chow adding background vocals.


title: The Mermaid (2016 film)

text: A rumored deal of a two billion yuan box office guarantee was widely reported by the media. The deal would enable Chow and the film's producers to receive a huge chunk of advance income before box office grosses actually hit two billion yuan in China. If the gross eventually surpasses that figure, the distributors will take priority in collecting dividends. Yang Wei, Chairwoman of Hehe Pictures, "admitted there was such deal but she would not reveal the exact number since the details were covered by a secrecy clause in the agreement."


title: The Mermaid (2016 film)

text: The "box office guarantee model" has existed for more than a decade now in the Chinese film industry. Chow's last film "", along with many other recent blockbuster comedies such as "Breakup Buddies" also used this kind of approach. It is said "The model offers not only risk control, securing the production party's interests, but also gives distributors priority in financing blockbusters-to-be, as well as showing their confidence in the films' future box office performance."


title: The Mermaid (2016 film)

text: "I can confirm Hehe Pictures is the principal party of the deal and paid all the box office guarantees," Yang said.


title: The Mermaid (2016 film)

text: As "The Mermaid" has become the highest-grossing film in China, a new poster was released to mark the milestone.


title: The Mermaid (2016 film)

text: "The Mermaid" was released in China on 8 February 2016. In the U.S., it was given a limited release by Sony Pictures on 19 February across 35 theaters. In the Philippines, the film was also given a limited released in theaters on 11 May 2016, simply titled Mermaid, with Columbia Pictures Philippines and Edko Films as distributors.


title: The Mermaid (2016 film)

text: Buoyed by anticipation from fans as well as having the advantage of opening a day after the Chinese New Year, "The Mermaid" earned an opening day record of US$40.9 million, at the time this was the biggest opening day for a Chinese film and the second biggest of all time there behind the opening day of "Furious 7". US$1 million came from midnight screenings. The film set a record for the fastest film to earn (US$152.4 million), doing so within four days of release, and also recorded the largest five-day gross receipts (US$187.3 million). Through its seven-day opening week, it grossed US$275.1 million, breaking records for the biggest seven-day gross and the biggest opening week of all time in China (breaking the record of "Furious 7"), and the third biggest of all time, behind Hollywood films "" (US$390.8 million) and "Jurassic World" (US$296.2 million). It grossed US$120.4 million alone for the three-day opening weekend (Friday to Sunday), the biggest of all time in China and the second biggest three-day gross behind the Saturday-to-Monday gross of "Furious 7". This along with "From Vegas to Macau III" (US$119 million) and "The Monkey King 2" (US$116 million) helped the Chinese box office to break the "Guinness World Record" for the biggest box office week with $548 million from 8 – 14 February 2016. The previous record was set in the week of 26 December 2015 – 1 January 2016 when "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" led the box office with US$261 million and the box office that week totalled US$529.6 million. The previous biggest Chinese box office week had been set in July 2015 when "Monster Hunt", "Pancake Man", and "", combined for a then total US$253 million during their first week.


title: The Mermaid (2016 film)

text: On 19 February 2016 – 12 days after release – the film became the highest-grossing film in China with , overtaking the previous record holder, "Furious 7". In its second weekend, its receipts fell by 53% to US$55.9 million from 155,704 screenings for a 14-day total of US$419.2 million. On 26 February, it was announced that "The Mermaid" had grossed three billion yuan (US$459 million) on its 19th day since release on Chinese mainland. It was the first film ever to launch the three-billion-yuan club in China's film industry and set a new milestone. On 5 March, it became the first film to gross over in China and the seventh overall in a single territory. "The Mermaid" grossed 3.39 billion yuan (US$525 million) in China, Due to its success, its theatrical release in China was extended to June 2016.


title: The Mermaid (2016 film)

text: The film also found success outside of China, scoring the largest opening day of all time for a Chinese film both in Malaysia ($838,000) and in Singapore ($528,000). It also opened in first place in Malaysia with US$3.8 million (ahead of "Deadpool") and in Vietnam with US$2 million. In Singapore it debuted in second place with US$1.6 million. In Hong Kong, "The Mermaid" broke the local opening day record with HK$4.96 million (US$638,352), surpassing the previous record holder "Kung Fu Hustle" (HK$4.42 million) which was also directed by Chow. As of 3 April 2016, it had grossed US$7.69 million there.


title: The Mermaid (2016 film)

text: In the U.S., the film grossed $985,000 in its opening weekend – at an average of $28,144 per theater – making it the biggest opening weekend to date for a limited release Chinese-language film.


title: The Mermaid (2016 film)

text: The "Apple Daily", however, reported that Taiwan would not be releasing "The Mermaid". Taiwanese quota regulations at the time permitted only ten Chinese mainland films to be released in Taiwan in any given year. Chinese mainland movies were required to draw lots; only those with numbers 1–10 received permission. "The Mermaid" drew #44. This was the first time that Taiwan audiences missed a Stephen Chow film, and fans protested against Taiwan's cultural ministry about the matter.


title: The Mermaid (2016 film)

text: Response to the film was generally positive. It earned a 95% score on Rotten Tomatoes based on 37 critic reviews. The website's critical consensus reads, ""The Mermaid" requires a willingness to embrace the strange, but backs up its wacky flights of fancy with a big-hearted fairy tale and a resonant message." It earned a 69% score on Metacritic.


title: The Mermaid (2016 film)

text: Glenn Kenny of "The New York Times" noted that The Mermaid is "no ordinary fantastical rom-com…encompassing as it does weaponized sea urchins, incredibly delicious roasted chickens, man-octopus self-mutilation and other comic oddities." Bilge Ebiri of "New York Magazine" praised the film, saying that it's "amazing how distinctive and strange Mermaid manages to be, especially given the highly derivative concept - how personal it feels, amid all the absurdist, go-for-broke humor. It deserves to be seen." Dylan Kickham of "Entertainment Weekly" thought the film was "at its best when embracing the ridiculous, no-holds-barred, farcical comedy that Chow had become known for, thanks to films like "Kung Fu Hustle" and "Shaolin Soccer". From the start, and throughout the middle of the movie, Chow and his actors present a full-force farce." Simon Abrams of "RogerEbert.com" noted that "It doesn't matter if you don't like subtitles. It doesn't matter if you've never heard of the director. It doesn't matter if you've never seen a Chinese movie in your life. It will make you laugh. Guaranteed." "South China Morning Post" film critic Ben Sin gave the film three out of five stars and described it as "a solid dramedy with heart and, more importantly, a message", though he opined that, being Chow's second film where he stayed behind the camera, it "has to be disappointing to Hongkongers". James Marsh of "Screen International" said that actress Lin "brings a delightfully quirky demeanour to her literal fish-out-of-water" and "the occasionally hokey CGI only adds to the film’s oddball charm." Zhang Rui of "China.org.cn" commented that "The film has a simple and strong message to deliver: Love can transcend race and other barriers. You could hardly expect to see such a pure fairy tale and such a clean theme in blockbusters for a long time, but Chow has done it with a pure and childlike heart." Elizabeth Kerr of "The Hollywood Reporter" said that "the fantastical "Mermaid" delivers its message without a shred of subtlety (and is unapologetic about it) but with considerable charm, wit and darkness to make up for it." MovieXclusive.com gave the film four out of five stars and said that the film "is a complete package – a stellar cast which delivers fun performances, a decent story about environmentalism, and most importantly: a barrelful of laughs guaranteed to entertain the whole family."


title: Kyle Carpenter

text: William Kyle Carpenter (born October 17, 1989) is a medically retired United States Marine who received the United States' highest military honor, the Medal of Honor, for his actions in Marjah, Helmand Province, Afghanistan in 2010. Carpenter is the youngest living Medal of Honor recipient.


title: Kyle Carpenter

text: Carpenter was born in Jackson, Mississippi on October 17, 1989, and raised in Flowood by his parents James and Robin. He is a graduate of W.W. King Academy in Batesburg, South Carolina. He enlisted in the Marine Corps' delayed entry program at age 19 in February 2009, and completed Recruit Training in July 2009 at Marine Corps Recruit Depot, Parris Island, South Carolina.


title: Kyle Carpenter

text: Carpenter completed his initial training at the Camp Geiger School of Infantry, Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. In July 2010, as a Private First Class, he was assigned to Fox Company, 2nd Battalion, 9th Marines, Regimental Combat Team One, 1st Marine Division (Forward), 1st Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward), in Helmand Province, Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, where he served as a Squad Automatic Weapon (SAW) gunner beginning September 2009.


title: Kyle Carpenter

text: On November 21, 2010, Carpenter and another Marine, Nick Eufrazio, were manning a rooftop security post during defense of the village of Marjah, Helmand Province from a Taliban attack. According to his Medal of Honor citation,


title: Kyle Carpenter

text: Carpenter's jaw and right arm were shattered, and he lost his right eye and most of his teeth; he has undergone dozens of surgeries.


title: Kyle Carpenter

text: After his July 2013 medical retirement, Carpenter enrolled at the University of South Carolina in Columbia, and received a degree in international studies in 2017. He is a 2013 initiate of the Chi-Omega chapter of the Kappa Sigma Fraternity at the University of South Carolina.


title: Kyle Carpenter

text: In 2019, Carpenter co-authored a book with Don Yaeger titled "You Are Worth It: Building a Life Worth Fighting For" about the events leading up to his becoming a Medal of Honor recipient.


title: Kyle Carpenter

text: Carpenter appeared in a video, "Still in the Fight," to raise money for the Fisher House Foundation, which provides free and low-cost housing to veterans and families receiving treatment at military hospitals.


title: Khaleda Zia

text: After a military coup in 1982, led by Army Chief General Hussain Muhammad Ershad, Zia helped lead the movement for democracy until the fall of Ershad in 1990. She became the prime minister following the BNP party win in the 1991 general election. She also served briefly in the short-lived government in 1996, when other parties had boycotted the first election. In the next round of general elections of 1996, the Awami League came to power. Her party came to power again in 2001. She has been elected to five separate parliamentary constituencies in the general elections of 1991, 1996 and 2001.


title: Khaleda Zia

text: She developed a reputation as the "Uncompromising leader" due to her staunch opposition against military dictatorship of Ershad in the 1980s and her commitment to restore democracy in Bangladesh. She was put under house arrest several times by Ershad government, and later by Sheikh Hasina led government. She was honored as “Fighter for Democracy” by the New Jersey’s State Senate in 2011.


title: Khaleda Zia

text: In its list of the 100 Most Powerful Women in the World, "Forbes" magazine ranked Zia at number 14 in 2004, number 29 in 2005, and number 33 in 2006.


title: Khaleda Zia

text: Following her government's term end in 2006, the scheduled January 2007 elections were delayed due to political violence and in-fighting, resulting in a bloodless military takeover of the caretaker government. During its interim rule, it charged Zia and her two sons with corruption.


title: Khaleda Zia

text: Since the 1980s, Zia's chief rival has been Awami League leader Sheikh Hasina. Since 1991, they have been the only two serving as the Prime Minister of Bangladesh.


title: Khaleda Zia

text: Zia was jailed for a total of 17 years for the Zia Orphanage Trust corruption case and Zia Charitable Trust corruption case in 2018. A local court handed her the verdict for abusing power as the prime minister while disbursing a fund in favor of newly formed Zia Orphanage Trust. Referring to the international and domestic legal experts, the U.S. State Department in its 2020 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices opined that “lack of evidence to support the conviction” suggests the case was a political ploy to remove her from the electoral process. Amnesty International raised concerns that her “fair trial rights are not respected.”


title: Khaleda Zia

text: Zia was transferred to a hospital for medical treatment in April 2019. In March 2020, she was released for six months on humanitarian grounds with the conditions that she would stay at her home in Gulshan, Dhaka and not travel abroad. The 6-month period suspension was granted for the fifth time in March 2022.


title: Khaleda Zia

text: Khaleda Khanam "Putul" was born in 1945 in Jalpaiguri in the then undivided Dinajpur District in Bengal Presidency, British India (now in Jalpaiguri District, India). She was the third of five children. She was the daughter of tea-businessman Iskandar Ali Majumder, who was in turn the son of Salamat Ali Majumdar, who was the son of Azgar Ali Majumdar, who was the son of Nahar Muhammad Khan, who was the son of Murad Khan, a 16th-century Middle Eastern immigrant. Her mother, Taiyaba Majumder, was from Chandbari (now in Uttar Dinajpur District). After the partition of India in 1947, they migrated to Dinajpur town (now in Bangladesh). Khanam first attended Dinajpur Missionary School and later completed her matriculation from Dinajpur Girls' School in 1960. In the same year, she married Ziaur Rahman, then a captain in the Pakistan Army. She then used the name "Khaleda Zia" or "Begum Khaleda Zia". Zia then studied at Dinajpur Surendranath College until 1965 when she went to West Pakistan to stay with her husband. In March 1969, they moved from Karachi to Dhaka. Following Rahman's posting, the family then moved to Sholoshohor area in Chittagong.


title: Khaleda Zia

text: She was a prisoner at Dhaka Cantonment in 1971 at the time of Freedom Fight/Liberation War of Independence under custody of Pakistan Army's Major General Jamshed.


title: Khaleda Zia

text: Zia's first son, Tarique Rahman (b. 1967), got involved into politics and went on to become the acting chairman of Bangladesh Nationalist Party. Her second son, Arafat Rahman "Koko" (b. 1969), died of a cardiac arrest in 2015. Zia's sister, Khurshid Jahan (1939–2006) served as the Minister of Women and Children Affairs during 2001–2006. Her younger brother, Sayeed Iskander (1953–2012), was also a politician who served as a Jatiya Sangsad member from the Feni-1 constituency during 2001–2006. Her second brother, Shamim Iskandar, is a retired flight engineer of Bangladesh Biman. Her second sister is Selina Islam.


title: Khaleda Zia

text: On 30 May 1981, Khaleda Zia's husband, the-then President of Bangladesh Ziaur Rahman, was assassinated. After his death, on 2 January 1982, she got involved into politics by first becoming a member of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) - the party which was founded by Rahman. She took charge of the vice-chairman position in March 1983.


title: Khaleda Zia

text: In March 1982, the then chief of Bangladesh Army, Hussain Muhammad Ershad forced Bangladesh's President Justice Abdus Sattar to resign and become the Chief Martial Law Administrator (CMLA) of the country. This marked the beginning of a nine-year-long military dictatorship in Bangladesh.


title: Khaleda Zia

text: Begum Khaleda Zia, from the first day of Ershad's rule, protested the military dictatorship and had a very uncompromising stance. She became the Senior Vice-President of BNP by May 1983. Under her active leadership, BNP started discussing the possibilities of a unified movement with six other parties on 12 August 1983 and formed a '7 party alliance' by the first week of September 1983. BNP, led by Khaleda Zia also reached an action-based agreement with other political parties to launch a movement against Ershad.