title: Ming Tsai

text: Tsai began his television career on chef Sara Moulton's cooking show "Cooking Live" while she had him fill in for one week for her in 1997. He hosted "East Meets West" on the Food Network from 1998 to 2003. He hosts "Simply Ming", a food show on PBS.


title: Ming Tsai

text: In 2005, he was a judge on the PBS show "Cooking Under Fire". Ming Tsai challenged Iron Chef Bobby Flay in the sixth episode of season one of "Iron Chef America" in 2005; Tsai defeated Flay. Tsai was a contestant in "The Next Iron Chef" in 2010, where he was eliminated in the seventh week. Tsai appeared on an episode of "Top Chef" in 2014.


title: Ming Tsai

text: His other television appearances include participation in a Zoom Out on "Zoom", a show distributed by PBS, in 2005 and on the PBS children's television show "Arthur" episode in 2006.


title: Ming Tsai

text: In 1998, Tsai and Polly Talbott opened his first restaurant, Blue Ginger, in Wellesley, Massachusetts. Blue Ginger, an Asian Fusion restaurant, has become a Zagat and James Beard-recognized establishment, winning many other regional awards as well. The year that the restaurant opened, Tsai was named "Chef of the Year" by "Esquire Magazine". On March 30, 2010 Tsai opened Blue Ginger Noodle Bar, a mini-restaurant, inside Blue Ginger. In June 2017, Tsai closed Blue Ginger after 19 years of business. The reason was due to the end of a lease and Tsai's focus on a new fast-casual stir-fry concept restaurant, ChowStirs, scheduled to open in Boston during the early part of 2018.


title: Ming Tsai

text: Tsai opened Blue Dragon in 2013 in the Fort Point Channel area of Boston, an east–west tapas-style gastropub that has become a Zagat's recognized restaurant, which was named an "Esquire Magazine" "Best New Restaurant" in its opening year.


title: Ming Tsai

text: Tsai is the author of five cookbooks: "Blue Ginger", "Simply Ming", "Ming's Master Recipes", "Simply Ming: One-Pot Meals", and "Simply Ming in Your Kitchen".


title: Ming Tsai

text: Tsai won the Daytime Emmy award in 1999, in the category Outstanding Service Show Host. Tsai's Blue Ginger Restaurant was inducted into the Culinary Hall of Fame in 2012. In 2000, Ming was on the 50 Most Beautiful People list published by "People" magazine.


title: Ming Tsai

text: Tsai and Polly Talbott have been married since April 1996. They have two sons, David and Henry. David Talbott, Tsai's squash coach at Yale, and Mark Talbott, a former World No. 1 hardball squash player, are Tsai's brothers-in-law. His niece is Lauren Tsai. According to Henry Louis Gates's PBS program "Finding Your Roots", Tsai is a 116th-generation descendant of Qin Shi Huang (259 BC – 210 BC), founder of the Qin dynasty and the first emperor of a unified China.


title: Ming Tsai

text: Tsai was a squash player at Yale, playing number two for the team, and he was named as an All-Ivy League player in 1986. While attending culinary school in France, Tsai played professionally on the European circuit. In 2004, Tsai played a celebrity squash match against professional golfer Brad Faxon at a Boston squash club. In 2005, he played against Mark Talbott in a charity match at a squash club in San Francisco.


title: Ming Tsai

text: One of Tsai's sons has food allergies, and Tsai has become a food allergy advocate who promotes awareness of food allergens. Since 2005, he has been a national spokesman for the Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network (FAAN) and in December 2012 was awarded a lifetime achievement award for his advocacy work from the organization, including his work on the state of Massachusetts food safety bill. Tsai was heavily featured on Season 1, Episode 5 of Netflix’s “Rotten” discussing his thoughts and observations on the restaurant industry; specifically about food-allergic individuals being able to dine out safely. Tsai is currently the President of the National Advisory Board for Family Reach, an organization that provides a financial lifeline to families fighting cancer.


title: Eric Bledsoe

text: Eric Bledsoe (born December 9, 1989) is an American professional basketball player for the Shanghai Sharks of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA). He plays the point guard position. After a season of college basketball with the Kentucky Wildcats, he was selected by the Oklahoma City Thunder with the 18th overall pick in the 2010 NBA draft and subsequently traded to the Los Angeles Clippers. Bledsoe had a four-year tenure with the Phoenix Suns between 2013 and 2017, before being traded to the Milwaukee Bucks.


title: Eric Bledsoe

text: Bledsoe attended Parker High School in Birmingham, Alabama. As a senior in 2008–09, he averaged 20.3 points, 9.4 rebounds and 11.5 assists per game, and helped lead Parker to a 5A state championship runner-up finish. Considered a five-star recruit by Rivals.com, Bledsoe was listed as the No. 3 point guard and the No. 23 player in the nation in 2009.


title: Eric Bledsoe

text: Bledsoe played one season at Kentucky in 2009–10, and averaged 11.3 points, 3.1 rebounds and 2.9 assists in 37 games (35 starts) to help the Wildcats to a 35–3 record and Elite Eight appearance. He was named to the Sporting News SEC All-Freshman Team and was a CollegeInsider.com Freshman All-American. He scored in double digits 20 times, including four games with at least 20 points. In four NCAA tournament games, he averaged 15.3 points and set a Kentucky school record of eight made three-pointers in an NCAA tournament game against East Tennessee State in scoring a career-high 29 points (9–11 FG, 8–9 3 FG). Despite being a natural point guard, Bledsoe often filled the shooting guard role playing alongside fellow freshman John Wall.


title: Eric Bledsoe

text: On April 7, 2010, Bledsoe declared for the NBA draft, forgoing his final three seasons of collegiate eligibility.


title: Eric Bledsoe

text: In September 2010, it was reported that Bledsoe may have been ineligible to play his one season for Kentucky when discrepancies were found in his high school transcripts. The Alabama Public School System hired the independent law firm of White Arnold & Dowd to investigate claims that one of Bledsoe's grades was improperly changed. His algebra grade had been changed from a C to an A, thus raising his GPA high enough that he was eligible for the NCAA.


title: Eric Bledsoe

text: Though the investigators concluded that the instructor's reasons for changing the grade were "not credible", and that a significant number of his high school grades were written over to reflect higher grades, the school board voted to allow the grade to stand, and the NCAA declared its investigation of Bledsoe's eligibility closed the following week.


title: Eric Bledsoe

text: During pre-draft workout, Bledsoe was touted for his quickness, ball handling ability, and ability to make three-point field goals. He was subsequently selected with the 18th overall pick in the 2010 NBA draft by the Oklahoma City Thunder, but was traded to the Los Angeles Clippers. In his first season, he averaged 6.7 points and 3.6 assists and started 25 games. As a result, he was named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team. In his second season, due to the Clippers' acquisition of Chris Paul, he played only an average of 11 minutes per game, with only one start, and his stats dropped. In fact, during that season, he ended up being assigned to the Clippers' NBA Development League affiliate team, the Bakersfield Jam. However, during his third season, his statistics ended up rising in spite of still being behind Chris Paul for most of the games that he played. Bledsoe also participated in the 2013 All-Star Game's Slam Dunk Contest.


title: Eric Bledsoe

text: On July 10, 2013, Bledsoe was traded to the Phoenix Suns alongside teammate Caron Butler in a three-way trade with the L.A. Clippers and the Milwaukee Bucks that sent the Suns' Jared Dudley and the Bucks' JJ Redick to the Clippers with two different second round picks going to the Bucks. On his opening night debut with the Suns, Bledsoe helped the team by getting 22 points, 6 rebounds, and 7 assists in a 104–91 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers. In his second game with the Suns, Bledsoe hit his first ever game-winning shot in an 87–84 home victory over the Utah Jazz. Before the November 19, 2013, game against the Sacramento Kings, Bledsoe's shin collided with teammate P. J. Tucker during practice. He would miss six games before returning with 17 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 steals in a 112–101 victory against the Jazz on November 29, 2013. Bledsoe scored a then-career-high 28 points in a 116–107 victory against the Sacramento Kings on December 13, 2013. Bledsoe also got his first double-double with the Suns by scoring 16 points, grabbing 11 rebounds, and putting up 7 assists in a blowout 117–90 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on December 23, 2013.


title: Eric Bledsoe

text: During the third quarter of the Suns' last game of 2013 against the Clippers, Bledsoe injured his left shin. What began as a shin injury eventually turned into a meniscus injury that would leave him sidelined for nearly two and a half months. His injury was a leading factor in the Suns signing former player Leandro Barbosa back onto the team for the rest of that season. Bledsoe returned to action on March 12, 2014 against the Cleveland Cavaliers. He started for the Suns again and racked up 17 points and 10 rebounds two days later in an 87–80 victory against the Boston Celtics. He continued to start for the team throughout the rest of the season. On November 14, 2019, Bledsoe scored 31 points, setting a new NBA career high, in a 124–115 victory over the Chicago Bulls.


title: Eric Bledsoe

text: On June 27, 2014, the Suns extended a qualifying offer to Bledsoe, thus making him a restricted free agent. After months of deliberation and rumors concerning his future, Bledsoe and the Suns reached an agreement on a new five-year, $70 million contract on September 24, 2014. In the Suns' 2014–15 season opener against the Los Angeles Lakers on October 29, 2014, Bledsoe recorded 16 points, nine assists, and six rebounds before he drew his second technical foul and was ejected with 30 seconds left in the third quarter. Despite Bledsoe's ejection, the Suns went on to win 119–99.


title: Eric Bledsoe

text: On December 8, 2014, Bledsoe recorded his first career triple-double with 27 points, 11 rebounds and 16 assists in the 120–121 overtime loss to his former team, the Los Angeles Clippers. On December 23, Bledsoe recorded his second career triple-double and first one without resulting in an overtime, as he recorded 16 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists in the 124–115 win over the Dallas Mavericks. On January 21, 2015, Bledsoe recorded a career-high 33 points, along with 10 rebounds and 6 assists, in a 118–113 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers. On February 26, 2015, Bledsoe recorded a near triple-double with 28 points on 11-of-16 shooting, 13 rebounds, and 9 assists, as well as 4 blocks and a steal in a 117–113 overtime win over the Oklahoma City Thunder. In doing so, he became just the ninth player in NBA history to record similar kinds of statistics during the regular season, as well as the first point guard to record 50% shooting for 28 or more points while recording 13 or more rebounds, 9 or more assists, 4 or more blocks, and at least one steal in a game. On March 21, he scored a career-high 34 points in a 117–102 win over the Houston Rockets.


title: Eric Bledsoe

text: On October 31, 2015, Bledsoe was only two points shy from tying his career-high in points scored, finishing with 33 points and 6 assists in a 101–90 win over the Portland Trail Blazers. On November 12, Bledsoe was one assist shy of recording a triple-double, finishing with 26 points, 10 rebounds and 9 assists in a 118–104 win over the Los Angeles Clippers. On December 13, in a win over the Minnesota Timberwolves, Bledsoe recorded 23 points with nine assists plus four steals and tied a career-high with four blocked shots. It was the NBA's first "four-by-four" (at least four rebounds, four assists, four steals and four blocks) by a guard since Dwyane Wade did it on February 28, 2009. On December 29, he underwent successful surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee and was subsequently ruled out for the remainder of the 2015–16 season. With Bledsoe out, the Suns managed just 11 more wins over the final three months of the season.


title: Eric Bledsoe

text: On September 15, 2016, Bledsoe was cleared for his first five-on-five scrimmage play. He made his return to the court in the Suns' season opener on October 26 against the Sacramento Kings. In his first game since injuring his knee in December 2015, Bledsoe recorded 16 points, six rebounds, five assists and one steal in a 113–94 loss. On November 2, he scored 20 points and hit the game-winning three-pointer in overtime to give the Suns their first win of the season with a 118–115 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers. On November 27, he scored a career-high 35 points in a 120–114 loss to the Denver Nuggets. On December 13, he had a 31-point game in a 113–111 overtime win over the New York Knicks. It was his third straight 30-point game, thus becoming the first Suns player with three straight since Amar'e Stoudemire in March 2010. On December 23, Bledsoe recorded 24 points and a season-high 11 assists in a 123–116 win over the Philadelphia 76ers. On January 16, 2017, Bledsoe fell just short of his third career triple-double with 31 points, nine rebounds and nine assists in a 106–101 loss to the Utah Jazz. Six days later, he recorded a career-high 40 points and a season-high 13 assists in a 115–103 win over the Toronto Raptors. He surpassed that mark on January 28 with a 41-point effort in a 123–112 loss to Denver. Two games later on February 1, Bledsoe tied his career high with another 41-point effort in a 124–114 loss to his former team, the Los Angeles Clippers. Bledsoe's three 40-points games within 11 days is the fewest days needed to post three 40-point games in Suns history—the record was previously 13, set by Charlie Scott in 1973. In the Suns' last game before the 2017 NBA All-Star Weekend, on February 15, Bledsoe recorded his third career triple-double with 25 points, 10 rebounds, and 13 assists in a 137–101 win over the Los Angeles Lakers. On March 15, he was shut down for the remainder of the season after battling knee soreness. He finished with career highs in points and assists.


title: Eric Bledsoe

text: On October 22, 2017, just three games into the season, Bledsoe tweeted out "I Dont wanna be here", which Suns general manager Ryan McDonough took as a slight against the organization and dismissed him from playing with the team. Bledsoe claimed that the tweet referred to being in a hair salon. On November 5, 2017, Bledsoe was fined $10,000 by the NBA for his tweet. That same day, it was reported that Bledsoe would return to Suns team facilities to work out with staff members.


title: Eric Bledsoe

text: On November 7, 2017, Bledsoe was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks in exchange for Greg Monroe and a protected first and second-round draft pick. He made his debut for the Bucks three days later, recording 13 points and seven assists in a 94–87 win over the San Antonio Spurs. On November 22, in his return to Phoenix, Bledsoe scored 30 points in a 113–107 overtime win over the Suns. On March 30, 2018, he scored 39 points in a 124–122 overtime win over the Los Angeles Lakers. On April 9, 2018, he had his fourth career triple-double with 20 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists in a 102–86 win over the Orlando Magic.


title: Eric Bledsoe

text: On January 19, 2019, Bledsoe scored 30 points in a 118–108 win over the Magic. On February 27, he recorded 26 points, 13 assists and 12 rebounds in a 141–140 overtime win over the Sacramento Kings. On March 1, he scored 31 points in a 131–120 win over the Lakers. On March 4, he signed a four-year, $70 million contract extension with the Bucks. At the season's end, he was named to the NBA All-Defensive First Team. On December 14, 2019, the Milwaukee Bucks announced that Bledsoe had suffered from a right fibula avulsion fracture during a 127–114 seasons win over the Memphis Grizzlies and was expected to be sidelined for about two weeks. Bledsoe helped the Bucks capture the best record in the league for the second consecutive season, however Milwaukee once again failed to appear in the NBA Finals, losing to the eventual Eastern Conference champion Miami Heat in five games in the Semi-Finals, with Bledsoe missing Game 1 due to a hamstring injury.


title: Eric Bledsoe

text: On November 24, 2020, Bledsoe was traded, along with two future first round picks and two pick swap rights, to the New Orleans Pelicans for Jrue Holiday as part of a deal also involving the Oklahoma City Thunder and Denver Nuggets. In his debut with the Pelicans, Bledsoe recorded 18 points, two rebounds and six assists in a 113–99 win over the Toronto Raptors.


title: Eric Bledsoe

text: On July 26, 2021, it was reported that the Pelicans had agreed to trade Bledsoe, Steven Adams, and the rights to New Orleans' first and second-round picks in the 2021 NBA draft to the Memphis Grizzlies for Jonas Valančiūnas and to rights to Memphis' first and second-round picks in the same draft. On August 7, 2021, the trade was completed, with New Orleans sending Bledsoe, Adams, the rights to Ziaire Williams and Jared Butler, and a 2022 protected first round pick to Memphis for Valančiūnas and the rights to Trey Murphy III and Brandon Boston Jr. On August 16, Bledsoe was then traded to the Los Angeles Clippers for Patrick Beverley, Rajon Rondo, and Daniel Oturu. On October 21, 2021, Bledsoe suited up as a Clipper for the first time since 2013, recording 22 points, along with 3 steals, in a 115–113 loss to the Golden State Warriors.


title: Eric Bledsoe

text: On February 4, 2022, Bledsoe was traded, alongside Keon Johnson, Justise Winslow and a 2025 second-round pick, to the Portland Trail Blazers in exchange for Norman Powell and Robert Covington. In Portland, he reunited with Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups, whom he was teammates with during the 2011–12 NBA season with the Clippers. On March 28, Bledsoe was ruled out for the remainder of the season with pain in his left Achilles tendon. He was waived on July 6, having never played a game as a member of the team.


title: Eric Bledsoe

text: Bledsoe's mother, Maureen Reddick, worked several jobs and raised three children on her own in Birmingham, Alabama. Bledsoe has five children: sons Ethan and Emory and daughters Eriauna, Norah, and Noor.


title: Conor Leslie

text: Conor Marie Leslie (born April 10, 1991) is an American actress. Beginning her career in the late 2000s, her first major role was in the thriller film "Chained" (2012). She has worked frequently in television, including as a series regular on the Discovery Channel historical Western "Klondike" (2014), the Yahoo! Screen science fiction comedy "Other Space" (2015), and the Fox crime drama "Shots Fired" (2017). From 2015 to 2018, she also appeared in the first three seasons of the Amazon Prime Video alternate history thriller "The Man in the High Castle". Leslie gained further prominence for portraying Donna Troy / Wonder Girl on the DC Universe / HBO Max superhero series "Titans" (2018–2021) and was part of the main cast in the first three seasons.


title: Conor Leslie

text: Leslie was born in Livingston, New Jersey and resided in Millburn. Along with acting, Leslie developed an interest in photography. She attended Millburn High School, graduating as a junior in 2008, and subsequently moved to New York City.


title: Conor Leslie

text: After appearing in commercials with a friend, Leslie said she became dedicated to her acting career at age 15. She was cast in the Spike Lee-directed pilot for "M.O.N.Y." in 2007, but the pilot did not receive a series order. Her television debut came in 2009 with a guest appearance on "The Unusuals" as Karen Delmonte, the high school girlfriend of Detective Eric Delahoy. The following year, she played Eliza, a 17-year-old caught exposing herself on webcam in the series finale of "Law & Order", Mia Caruso, a magazine intern whose publisher is murdered on "", and flirtatious student Parker on "90210". She also made her film debut in "Beware the Gonzo" as Amy, a popular high school student. Leslie's guest roles on television continued in 2011 with an appearance on "No Ordinary Family" as Chloe Cotten, a new friend of the Powell family.


title: Conor Leslie

text: In 2012, Leslie portrayed Angie in the psychological thriller film "Chained", a young woman abducted by a serial killer to be murdered by his reluctant apprentice. DVD Talk reviewer Jamie S. Rich praised her performance and although critical of the overall film, wrote that Leslie played her character "with heartbreaking gravity".


title: Conor Leslie

text: After being cast in the unaired pilot for "Widow Detective", Leslie appeared on the series "Rizzoli & Isles" as Ms. Barlow, the law clerk of a murdered judge, and "Revenge" as Bianca, a maid working for the Grayson family, in 2013. She also played enigmatic college student Greta in "Campus Life", a 2013 film created for the website JumpView. A re-edited version of the film was later released to home media in 2015 as "Campus Code". Additionally, Leslie was featured in the music video for the Dan Godlin song "Did She Look" as Godlin's love interest.


title: Conor Leslie

text: Leslie landed her first series regular role as young courtesan Sabine on "Klondike", a Discovery Channel miniseries about the Klondike Gold Rush. The first scripted series broadcast by the Discovery Channel, it aired in early 2014. She also appeared as sociopath Kelly Donovan on an episode of "Hawaii Five-0" and Des, a former girlfriend of Penn Badgley's character, in the film "Parts per Billion" during the year.


title: Conor Leslie

text: Leslie's on-screen appearances in 2015 began with "The Man in the High Castle" as Trudy Walker, the half-sister of Juliana Crain. Although the character was killed in the first episode, she returned for the second and third seasons, which revealed Trudy was alive in a different timeline. Leslie went on to portray spaceship computer Natasha as a series regular on Yahoo! Screen's science fiction comedy "Other Space". Yahoo! Screen would be shut down the following year, preventing the series from being renewed for a second season. In addition to "The Man in the High Castle" and "Other Space", she played Gwen Hollander, the fiancée of a socialite exploited by Tom Keen on the series "The Blacklist", Mary Lowe, the sister of a woman believed to have been murdered by her husband on the series "Major Crimes", and Nicole, an unrequited love interest of Ricky Mabe's character in the film "Dirty Beautiful".


title: Conor Leslie

text: During 2016, Leslie was cast as Molly Parsons, a dating site employee with a tragic background on an episode of "Elementary". She was later featured in a recurring role on "Graves" as Tasha Ludwig, a girlfriend of Jeremy Graves.


title: Conor Leslie

text: In 2017, Leslie played Sarah Ellis, the aide to Helen Hunt's fictional North Carolina governor, as a regular role on Fox's miniseries "Shots Fired". Additionally, she portrayed sexual assault victim Holly Greco on an episode of "Gone" and Amber, a young woman unaware of her boyfriend's homosexuality in the short film "Down", directed by her brother Dylan.


title: Conor Leslie

text: Leslie starred in the 2018 short film "Shrimp" as Sasha, a dominatrix at a BDSM den. The short premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival and was picked up by Gunpowder & Sky to become a potential television series.


title: Conor Leslie

text: Later in the year, Leslie became the first actress to portray Donna Troy, the original Wonder Girl, in live-action with her casting on the DC Universe series "Titans". Following the character's on-screen introduction in the self-titled eighth episode, Chancellor Agard of "Entertainment Weekly" described Leslie as "perfect as Donna" and wrote that Donna was "automatically [his] favorite thing about the show". Appearing as a guest star during the first season, Leslie was named a series regular for "Titans" second season in 2019. She returned for the third season in 2021, which aired on HBO Max, and departed after the finale.


title: Conor Leslie

text: In between the second and third season of "Titans", Leslie appeared in the 2020 music video for the Rhye song "Helpless" as a yoga instructor who becomes the subject of a student's romantic fantasies. She also appeared in the 2021 comedy-thriller film "" as a renegade NSA agent seeking membership to the eponymous organization. The film was directed by her "Titans" co-star Alan Ritchson, although it also marked the first time they worked together. On casting Leslie, Ritchson described her as "the perfect leading lady".


title: Red (King Crimson album)

text: Red is the seventh studio album by English progressive rock band King Crimson. It was released on 6 October 1974 through Island Records in the United Kingdom and Atlantic Records in North America and Japan. The album was recorded at Olympic Studios in London in July and August 1974, and produced by the band themselves. The track "Providence" was a free improvisation recorded at their 30 June 1974 concert at the Palace Theater in the city of the same name. Parts of some of the pieces were conceived during previous improvisations performed by the band live. "Starless" was originally considered for their previous album, "Starless and Bible Black" (1974), but was deemed incomplete at the time. The lengthy version included on this album was refined and performed during concerts throughout 1974.


title: Red (King Crimson album)

text: "Red" is a progressive rock album with a noticeably heavier sound than their previous albums; it was later called one of the 50 "heaviest albums of all time" by "Q". This was achieved with the performances of just three band members: guitarist Robert Fripp, bassist and vocalist John Wetton and drummer Bill Bruford. The dense sound of the album was created by use of significant layering, multiple guitar overdubs, and key guest appearances by musicians including founding King Crimson member Ian McDonald, classical oboist Robin Miller and English jazz trumpeter Mark Charig.


title: Red (King Crimson album)

text: Roughly two weeks prior to the release of "Red", King Crimson disbanded. The album turned out to be their lowest-charting album at that time, spending only one week in the UK Albums Chart at No. 45 and the US "Billboard" 200 at No. 66. However, it was well received among fans and critics. It has received further praise retrospectively, being recognized as one of the band's best works, and has been re-issued many times.


title: Red (King Crimson album)

text: Near the conclusion of King Crimson's 1974 US and Canada tour, the decision was made to ask David Cross to leave the band. EG, the band's management, urged Fripp not to tell Cross until after the final date of the tour, but he would not be able to do this anyway as Fripp would not return from the US until after Cross would return to Europe. Fripp reached an agreement with EG management that they would tell Cross, "on proviso that [Cross] was told that I objected to not telling him personally." Despite reaching this agreement, Cross would not be told by EG until 7 July, the day before the recording of "Red" began.


title: Red (King Crimson album)

text: "Red" was recorded in studio 2 of Olympic Studios in Barnes, London. The band reunited with recording engineer George Chkiantz, who had previously worked with them on "Starless and Bible Black". Chkiantz remembered Fripp placing himself and his guitar amplifier in the drummer's booth, "sitting on a stool with the light off, quite possibly with the door pulled to, basically playing when the stuff was counted in." Once Bruford was no longer needed in the studio he cycled home, leaving Wetton and Chkiantz to record the vocals. With the backing tracks put down, the band brought back several contributors to past albums in Cross's stead: Robin Miller on oboe, Mark Charig on cornet, former King Crimson members Ian McDonald and Mel Collins on saxophones, as well as uncredited players on cello and double bass.


title: Red (King Crimson album)

text: "Red" sees King Crimson follow in the direction established by their previous two albums, "Larks' Tongues in Aspic" (1973) and "Starless and Bible Black" (1974), but in contrast to those albums, "Red" features more layered production with multiple overdubs, as well as the return of the earlier instrumentation of the guest players. "Red"'s heavier tone was largely due to the influence of the rhythm section of Wetton and Bruford, whom Fripp has referred to as "a flying brick wall". During the recording of the album Fripp, increasingly unsure of the group's direction, took a "backseat" when making large decisions, leaving Wetton and Bruford to call the shots over the final content. Wetton and Bruford believed Fripp was merely "pulling another moody", but in the week prior to recording "Red" Fripp had discovered the works of mystic John G. Bennett and decided to take "a year's sabbatical ... at Bennett's Institute". Fripp offered the idea of McDonald rejoining the band in his absence to EG. When this idea was met with lack of interest, Fripp abruptly disbanded King Crimson on 24 September 1974, and "Red" was released two weeks later.


title: Red (King Crimson album)

text: Much of the material on "Red" has origins in improvisation. Motifs that would eventually be used for "Fallen Angel" were first played by Fripp in 1972 as part of improvs performed with the quintet line-up that recorded "Larks' Tongues in Aspic". These improvisations are documented as "Fallen Angel" and "Fallen Angel Hullabaloo" on the "" box set, as well as standalone releases of their respective concerts. The distinctive introduction to "One More Red Nightmare" was deployed by Wetton and Fripp in various improvs throughout 1974, which can be heard in the "Starless" and "The Road to Red" box sets. Lastly, "Providence" itself was an improv, taken from the group's show on 30 June 1974 in Providence, Rhode Island. It was released in its uncut form on several releases, such as "The Great Deceiver" box set and the 40th anniversary edition of "Red" itself.


title: Red (King Crimson album)

text: "Red" was composed solely by Fripp. In an analysis of the piece by composer Andrew Keeling, he describes "Red" as "an instrumental piece scored for electric guitar (multi-tracked in three layers), bass guitar and drums," as well as "one of the more muscular pieces of Robert Fripp's, in particular the deployment of open strings and heavily attacked and syncopated bass and drums." In an online diary from 2012, Fripp wrote about its development: "A motif; moved from [the missing piece] "Blue" to "Red": the opening and closing theme of "Red" itself. The driving, relentless figure that follows it, and the middle figure played by the basses, weren't enough for a complete piece." Once the track was put down Fripp recalled: "We played it back and Bill said, 'I don't get it, but if you tell me it's good, I trust you.' ... I said, 'We don't have to use it.' John was in no doubt: 'We'll use it.'" An unused variation of the song's middle section would later emerge in the writing rehearsals for "Three of a Perfect Pair" (1984). Though it went unused, it finally saw light as the middle section of the instrumental "VROOOM VROOOM" on "THRAK" (1995).


title: Red (King Crimson album)

text: "Starless" was originally written by Wetton, with the intent of it being the title track for "Starless and Bible Black". At the time, the piece consisted only of the vocal section of the song, and Wetton claims that it got a "cold reception" from Fripp and Bruford. Later, an introductory theme was devised by Fripp and performed on violin by Cross, and two additional sections were added after the vocal, one being contributed by Bruford. The final section reprises various themes heard earlier in the song, and it also reuses a bass part which was originally written for "Fracture" on "Starless and Bible Black". This early arrangement of "Fracture" can be heard on the "Starless" box set, as well as the standalone releases of their respective concerts. The lyrics went through several iterations, with one early verse later included by Wetton in "Caesar's Palace Blues", a song he would perform with U.K. Since the title "Starless and Bible Black" was already used for an improvisation on the group's previous album, the song's title was shortened to "Starless". On "Red", "Starless" is credited to the quartet, as well as lyricist Richard Palmer-James.


title: Red (King Crimson album)

text: During the mixing stage, ideas for the album's title and artwork were discussed. The needles on the VU meters on the studio's mixing desk were observed to be "bouncing and crashing sharply into the red". For Wetton, this symbolised where the direction of where band's music was heading and, for a while, was to influence the front cover of "Red". However, EG had the album's marketing potential in mind, and suggested a group photograph was easier to sell, particularly for the American market. EG director Mark Fenwick pitched to hire John Kosh, who subsequently commissioned Gered Mankowitz to produce photographs of the VU meters and the group, but the difficult group relations at the time led to the decision to photograph each member alone and form a composite to appear as if they are standing together. The severe shadowing has drawn comparisons to the front of "With the Beatles" (1963). Fripp recalled: "I loathed the session and was ill at ease with all of it."


title: Red (King Crimson album)

text: The lyrics to the three songs on the album were not originally included as part of the packaging for the album, unlike all previous Crimson studio albums, which had lyrics printed either on the inside of the gatefold covers or on the custom inner sleeves. The first printing of the lyrics would occur 26 years after the album's initial release, on the 30th anniversary edition released in 2000.


title: Red (King Crimson album)

text: Released in October 1974, "Red" spent only one week on the British charts, at No. 45, whereas all the band's previous studio albums had reached the top 30. In the United States, it reached No. 66 on the "Billboard" 200. However, it remained a popular album with fans and critics.


title: Red (King Crimson album)

text: At the time of release, "Sounds" reporter Steve Peacock believed the group's disbanding was merely a marketing ploy to boost album sales. Retrospective reviews were resoundingly positive. In theirs, AllMusic declared "Red" to be weaker than its two predecessors, but nonetheless a superlative work: "few intact groups could have gotten an album as good as "Red" together. The fact that it was put together by a band in its death throes makes it all the more impressive an achievement." Robert Christgau also applauded the album, having been generally critical of the group's past work, calling it "Grand, powerful, grating, and surprisingly lyrical" and commenting that "this does for classical-rock fusion what John McLaughlin's "Devotion" did for jazz-rock fusion." Greg Kot of "The Chicago Tribune" praised "Red" as "progressive rock's finest hour." "Classic Rock" reviewer considered "Red" "a walk down a lightless corridor and an unhappy and ferocious counterbalance to the frolics of King Crimson's beginnings", and described it as "dark, brooding and laden with heavily distorted sections and a decidedly melancholic vibe".


title: Red (King Crimson album)

text: Like most of King Crimson's catalogue, "Red" has been re-released numerous times since 1974. First issued on Compact Disc in 1986, it has also been released as part of the "Definitive Edition" series in 1989, and the "30th Anniversary Edition" series in 1999. In 2009, "Red" was chosen, alongside "In the Court of the Crimson King" and "Lizard", to launch the "40th Anniversary Edition" series. As part of this series, each album is presented in a CD/DVD-A package, with new stereo and 5.1 surround mixes crafted by Steven Wilson. Unlike the other editions in the series, however, "Red" launched with no new stereo mix. In 2013, Wilson and Fripp created a new stereo mix for "The Road To Red" boxed set, and this mix was also issued separately as part of a 2CD package.


title: Red (King Crimson album)

text: In 2001, "Q" magazine named "Red" as one of the "50 Heaviest Albums of All Time" and "Pitchfork" ranked "Red" number 72 in its "Top 100 Albums of the 1970s" list, stating that "For a band that was very obviously about to splinter, King Crimson's music sounds remarkably of a single mind. On "Red", they achieved a remarkable balance between bone-crushing brutality and cerebral complexity." "Rolling Stone" ranked the album at number 15 on their list of the 50 best progressive rock albums of all time.


title: Red (King Crimson album)

text: "Red" was also ranked as the twentieth best progressive rock song of all time by "PopMatters", as well as number 87 in "Rolling Stone"s list of "The 100 Greatest Guitar Songs". "Red" has been regarded as being highly influential to the development of avant-garde metal and math rock. Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain said that "Red" influenced the sound of their album "In Utero".


title: Red (King Crimson album)

text: Musicologists Eric Tamm and Edward Macan both consider "Red", particularly the track "Starless", to be the highlight of King Crimson's recorded output. "Starless" is played over the opening titles of the 2018 horror film "Mandy".


title: Erica Mendez

text: Erica Mendez is an American voice actress who has voiced in English dubs for Funimation, Bang Zoom! and Studiopolis. She studied graphic design in college for three years prior to becoming a voice actress.


title: Erica Mendez

text: Mendez's first major voice role was the titular character Pac-Man in the "Pac-Man and the Ghostly Adventures" video game, which was released in 2013. In 2014, Mendez starred as Aladdin in the "" series and Ryuko Matoi in the English dub of "Kill la Kill", the latter of which was broadcast on the Toonami block on Adult Swim. Some of Mendez's other major roles include Haruka Tenoh/Sailor Uranus in the Viz Media English dub of "Sailor Moon", Maki Harukawa in "", Gon Freecss in the English dub of the 2011 anime adaptation of "Hunter x Hunter" and Retsuko in the English dub of Netflix anime series "Aggretsuko", Annie in the fighting game "Skullgirls", Kamisato Ayaka in "Genshin Impact", Wang Ai Ling in the English-language Chinese animated series "Stitch & Ai", Diane in "The Seven Deadly Sins", Arle Nadja in the "Puyo Puyo" series, Emma in "The Promised Neverland" and Itsuki Sumeragi in the English dub of the Netflix anime "Kakegurui".


title: Joseph Valachi

text: Joseph Michael Valachi (September 22, 1904 – April 3, 1971) was an American mobster in the Genovese crime family who is notable as the first member of the Italian-American Mafia to acknowledge its existence publicly in 1963. He is credited with the popularization of the term "cosa nostra".


title: Joseph Valachi

text: Valachi was convicted of drug trafficking in 1959, and sentenced to 15 years' imprisonment. In 1962 while he and Genovese family boss Vito Genovese were in prison together, he murdered an inmate he thought was a hitman sent by Genovese, and was sentenced to life imprisonment. Valachi subsequently became a government witness, and the next year testified before a U.S. Senate committee in what became known as the Valachi hearings. He disclosed previously unknown information about the Italian-American Mafia, including its structure, operations, rituals, and membership. His testimony was the first major violation of omertà, the Mafia's code of silence, and the first concrete evidence that the Italian-American Mafia existed to federal authorities and the general public. Valachi died in prison on April 3, 1971.


title: Joseph Valachi

text: Valachi was born on September 22, 1904, in the East Harlem area of New York City, United States, into an impoverished Italian immigrant family from the region of Campania. His father was a violent alcoholic, and Valachi later blamed his background for his having turned to organized crime.


title: Joseph Valachi

text: Valachi's criminal career began with a small gang, known as the Minutemen, which was so called for carrying out smash-and-grab burglaries and escaping within a minute. Valachi was the driver for the gang, and his ability to make a quick getaway earned him a reputation as a rising star in the New York City criminal underworld. In 1921, Valachi was arrested on grand larceny charges, and in 1923, he was arrested in the aftermath of a botched robbery. He pleaded guilty to attempted burglary and was sentenced to 18 months' imprisonment at Sing Sing but was released after he had served only nine months. Valachi returned to discover he had been replaced with a new driver by the Minutemen and so he formed a new burglary gang.


title: Joseph Valachi

text: In 1930, Valachi was inducted as a made man into the American Mafia. He soon became a "soldato" (soldier) in the Reina family, now known as the Lucchese family, led by Gaetano Reina. Valachi joined during the height of the Castellammarese War, a violent power struggle within Italian organized crime between the factions of Joe Masseria and Salvatore Maranzano over control of operations in the United States. Reina was assassinated after he had switched allegiances from Masseria to Maranzano. Valachi fought as part of the Reina family on the side of Maranzano, which eventually emerged victorious after Masseria's assassination on April 15, 1931. Maranzano proclaimed himself "capo di tutti i capi" ("boss of all bosses") in the Italian-American Mafia, and Valachi became one of his bodyguards. That position was short-lived, as Maranzano himself was assassinated five months after the end of the Castellammarese War by a coalition of his subordinates, led by Charles "Lucky" Luciano. Valachi then became a soldier in the family headed by Luciano, eventually known as the Genovese family, in the crew headed by Anthony "Tony Bender" Strollo. In July 1932, Valachi married Carmela Reina, the eldest daughter of Gaetano Reina.


title: Joseph Valachi

text: In 1953, boss Vito Genovese allegedly ordered the murder of mobster Steven Franse. Genovese had given Franse the task of supervising his wife Anna while he hid in Italy. Outraged over Anna's potential love affairs and her lawsuit against him, Genovese ordered Valachi to set up Franse's murder. On June 18, 1953, Valachi lured Franse to his restaurant in the Bronx, where Franse was strangled to death by Pasquale Pagano and Fiore Siano (Valachi's nephew).


title: Joseph Valachi

text: Valachi was convicted of narcotics violations in 1959 and sentenced to 15 years in prison. Valachi's motivations for becoming an informer had been the subject of some debate: Valachi claimed to be testifying as a public service and to expose a powerful criminal organization that he had blamed for ruining his life, but it is also possible he was hoping for government protection as part of a plea bargain in which he was sentenced to life imprisonment instead of the death penalty for a murder, which he had committed in 1962 while in prison for his narcotics violation.


title: Joseph Valachi

text: Valachi and Genovese were both serving sentences for heroin trafficking. While in prison, Valachi murdered a man whom he feared Genovese had ordered to kill him. On June 22, 1962, using a pipe left near some construction work, Valachi bludgeoned an inmate to death whom he had mistaken for Joseph DiPalermo, a Mafia member whom he believed had been contracted to kill him. After time with FBI handlers, Valachi came forward with a story of Genovese giving him a kiss on the cheek, which he took as a "kiss of death." A $100,000 bounty for Valachi's death had been placed by Genovese.


title: Joseph Valachi

text: When Valachi decided to co-operate with the U.S. Justice Department, Attorney William G. Hundley became his protector and later stated, "We'd put dark glasses and wigs on him and take him to the Roma restaurant. He was a hell of a guy... My days with Valachi convinced me that the Cosa Nostra was the most overrated thing since the Communist Party."


title: Joseph Valachi

text: In October 1963, Valachi testified before Arkansas Senator John L. McClellan's Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations of the U.S. Senate Committee on Government Operations, known as the Valachi hearings, stating that the Italian-American Mafia actually existed, the first time a member had acknowledged its existence in public. Valachi's testimony was the first major violation of omertà, breaking his blood oath. He was the first member of the Italian-American Mafia to acknowledge its existence publicly, and is credited with the popularization of the term "cosa nostra".


title: Joseph Valachi

text: Although Valachi's disclosures never led directly to the prosecution of any Mafia leaders, he provided many details of history of the Mafia, operations and rituals; aided in the solution of several unsolved murders; and named many members and the major crime families. The trial exposed American organized crime to the world through Valachi's televised testimony.


title: Joseph Valachi

text: After the Justice Department first encouraged and then blocked publication of Valachi's memoirs, a biography, heavily influenced by the memoirs as well as interviews with Valachi, was written by journalist Peter Maas and published in 1968 as "The Valachi Papers", forming the basis for a later film of the same title, starring Charles Bronson in the titular role.


title: Joseph Valachi

text: On April 3, 1971, Valachi died of a heart attack while he was serving his sentence at the Federal Correctional Institution, La Tuna, in Anthony, Texas. He was buried four days later at the Gate of Heaven Cemetery in Lewiston, New York.


title: 1989 NBA Finals

text: The 1989 NBA Finals was the championship round of the 1988–89 National Basketball Association (NBA) season, and the conclusion of the 1989 NBA Playoffs. The series was a rematch of the previous year's championship round between the Eastern Conference playoff champion Detroit Pistons and the defending NBA champion and Western Conference playoff champion Los Angeles Lakers. This, along with the 1983 NBA Finals, were the only two NBA championships of the 1980s not to be won by either the Lakers or the Boston Celtics; every NBA Finals of that decade featured either the Lakers or Celtics, and sometimes both (1984, 1985, 1987). Coincidentally, the Lakers were also swept in the 1983 NBA Finals, that time by the Philadelphia 76ers.


title: 1989 NBA Finals

text: During the season, the Lakers had won their division, with Magic Johnson collecting his second MVP award. The team swept the first three playoff series (Pacific Division foes: Portland, Seattle, and Phoenix), resulting in a rematch with the Detroit Pistons in the Finals.


title: 1989 NBA Finals

text: The Pistons had dominated the Eastern Conference, winning 63 games during the regular season. After sweeping the Boston Celtics and Milwaukee Bucks, the Pistons beat the Chicago Bulls in six games, earning a second straight trip to the NBA Finals. In the season before, the Lakers had beaten them in a tough, seven-game series.


title: 1989 NBA Finals

text: The Pistons won the series in a four-game sweep of the injury-riddled Lakers, marking the first time a team (Lakers) had swept the first three rounds of the playoffs, only to be swept in the finals. As of today, the Pistons are the most recent Eastern Conference team to sweep an NBA Finals. The Pistons teams clinched all four series on the road, which were later followed by the 1999 San Antonio Spurs and the 2016 Cleveland Cavaliers.


title: 1989 NBA Finals

text: For their rough physical play, and sometimes arrogant demeanor, Pistons' center Bill Laimbeer nicknamed the team 'The Bad Boys'. The name became an unofficial 'slogan' for the Pistons throughout the next season as well.


title: 1989 NBA Finals

text: Following the series, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar announced his retirement at 42, after 20 years with the NBA.


title: 1989 NBA Finals

text: Prior to the 2014 NBA Finals, the Pistons were the last Finals champion to have been runner-up to the same opponent the previous season as they did in the 1988 Finals.


title: 1989 NBA Finals

text: Before the season began, the Pistons moved from the Silverdome in Pontiac, Michigan to the brand-new The Palace of Auburn Hills, Michigan. The new arena was envisioned by Pistons owner William Davidson. The arena consisted of luxury boxes and club seating, which added profits compared to older arenas. The Pistons sold out all 41 games at The Palace.


title: 1989 NBA Finals

text: The team itself was also an improvement, highlighted by a mid-season trade that sent Adrian Dantley to the Dallas Mavericks for Mark Aguirre. With Aguirre taking over the starting small forward spot, the Pistons went on a tear, winning 31 of its final 37 games to finish with a league-best 63–19 record.


title: 1989 NBA Finals

text: Their second-half momentum carried over to the playoffs, sweeping both the Boston Celtics and the Milwaukee Bucks in the first two rounds. However, they lost two of the first three games to their archrival Chicago Bulls in the conference finals, but after devising the Jordan Rules scheme to contain Michael Jordan, the Pistons won the final three games to earn another Finals berth.


title: 1989 NBA Finals

text: Prior to the season, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar announced that the 1988–89 season was to be his last. Therefore, his 'retirement tour' consisted of pregame tributes in every arena to pay homage to the retiring Lakers captain.


title: 1989 NBA Finals

text: Seeking to become the first team since the Boston Celtics dynasty of the 1960s to win three consecutive championships, the Lakers managed to put up a conference-best 57–25 record. The team's core remained mostly intact, save for veteran forward Kurt Rambis, who was drafted by the Charlotte Hornets in the expansion draft. Their most notable addition was former Chicago Bulls forward Orlando Woolridge.


title: 1989 NBA Finals

text: In the playoffs, the Lakers turned it up a notch. They became the first team to win their first 11 playoff games, as they swept the Portland Trail Blazers, Seattle SuperSonics and Phoenix Suns in each of the first three rounds. Magic Johnson won the MVP award that year.


title: 1989 NBA Finals

text: Just before Game 1, Lakers guard Byron Scott suffered a severe hamstring injury in practice; he would miss the series. His absence would especially be felt on the defensive end. Magic Johnson had a size advantage, but was too slow to defend against the Pistons' three-headed backcourt monster of Joe Dumars, Isiah Thomas, and Vinnie Johnson. Super-sub Michael Cooper would have to log more minutes than he was accustomed to, and rookie David Rivers was inexperienced. Another option was Tony Campbell, but he played very little during the season.


title: 1989 NBA Finals

text: Without Scott's quick switches and help defense, the Piston guards smoked the Lakers in Game 1. Thomas had 24 points, Dumars 22, and Johnson 19. With six minutes left, Detroit led 97-79, and the final score was 109–97.


title: 1989 NBA Finals

text: The short-handed Lakers snapped right back in Game 2, pounding the boards and taking a strong first-quarter lead. Joe Dumars had a hot first half with 24 points (he would finish with 33) to keep Detroit close. Los Angeles held a 62–56 lead at halftime.


title: 1989 NBA Finals

text: With about four minutes left in the third period, a major misfortune would befall the Lakers, leading 75–73. John Salley blocked a Mychal Thompson shot, which started a Detroit fast break. Magic Johnson dropped back to play defense, and in so doing, pulled his hamstring. Magic was visibly hurt and frustrated, and had to be coaxed into leaving the floor. Dick Stockton, commentating for CBS, said, "I've never seen him (Magic) look like that", referring to Magic's look of intense pain combined with resignation.


title: 1989 NBA Finals

text: The Pistons had made the bucket on the break to tie the game at 75–75, but the Lakers, minus Johnson, charged to a 90–81 lead late in the period. In the fourth, however, the Lakers missed three easy baskets and committed an offensive foul as Detroit first tied the game, then went up 102–95. The gritty Lakers charged back and cut the lead to 106–104. The Pistons committed a 24-second violation, giving the Lakers the ball with eight seconds left.


title: 1989 NBA Finals

text: James Worthy drove to the basket and was fouled, giving him an opportunity to tie the game. But the 1988 Finals MVP missed the first free throw. He made the second, bringing the Lakers within one, 106–105. Isiah Thomas then hit two free throws with one second remaining to give the Pistons a three-point lead and the Lakers, who called timeout to advance the ball to midcourt, one last chance to force overtime, but Jeff Lamp lost the ball on the inbound pass, and the horn sounded, ending Game 2 with the Pistons winning, 108–105, to take a 2–0 series lead.


title: 1989 NBA Finals

text: The Pistons had a 2–0 series lead, but knew it would be tough going in L.A. Magic Johnson tried to play, but the pain of his hamstring injury was just too great. He left Game 3 after just five minutes with the Lakers leading, 11–8.


title: 1989 NBA Finals

text: Without Magic, the Lakers made a heroic effort. James Worthy scored 26 points, and the 42-year-old Kareem Abdul-Jabbar found the fountain of youth, contributing 24 points and 13 rebounds. Michael Cooper, the last remaining backcourt veteran, had 13 assists and 15 points. But it wasn't enough.


title: 1989 NBA Finals

text: Dennis Rodman, despite suffering from painful back spasms, pulled down 19 rebounds between trips to the sideline for rubdowns. But the main effort came from the guards. Joe Dumars scored 31, including a remarkable third quarter in which he scored 17 consecutive points (21 in all for the period). Vinnie Johnson added 17, including 13 points in the fourth. Isiah Thomas pitched in with 26 points and eight assists, including six and three in the final period.


title: 1989 NBA Finals

text: The Pistons led 113–108 with 15 seconds left when Thomas allowed A. C. Green to tie him up and steal the ball. Thomas then fouled Lakers rookie point guard David Rivers, who made both free throws, pulling Los Angeles to within three at 113–110 with 13 seconds left. Dumars then lost the ball out of bounds with nine seconds left, giving the Lakers a shot at the tie.


title: 1989 NBA Finals

text: The Lakers then ran a play where Rivers got free for an open three-pointer in the corner. Dumars lunged and blocked the shot, and saved the ball from going out of bounds. The Pistons then ran out the clock after Bill Laimbeer's free throw to close the game with a 114–110 win, putting them on the verge of an unexpected sweep.


title: 1989 NBA Finals

text: With the Lakers' backs to the wall, coach Pat Riley admonished key offensive player James Worthy to step up his game. Worthy responded with a championship effort of 40 points on 17-of-26 field-goal shooting with Rick Mahorn in his face every step of the way. The Forum crowd was also anticipating Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's possible curtain call. During the pregame warmups and introductions, Kareem received several ovations.


title: 1989 NBA Finals

text: With Worthy playing out of his mind, the Lakers took a 35–23 lead at the end of the first period. Despite trouble at the free-throw line (11 missed), the Pistons began to claw back as Los Angeles led 55–49 at intermission.


title: 1989 NBA Finals

text: The Pistons started fast in the third quarter, beginning with a three-point basket by Bill Laimbeer. Mahorn then scored four quick points, and the Pistons took a 59–58 lead moments later. Dumars hit a driving bank shot, drew the foul and made the free throw, giving him 19 points on the evening. Mahorn followed that with another bucket and the Lakers called timeout. Worthy led the Lakers back into a 78–76 lead at the end of the third, but they knew the Pistons were coming on.


title: 1989 NBA Finals

text: The Pistons took control of the game in the fourth, with James Edwards scoring particularly well. With 3:23 left and the Pistons leading 100–94, the crowd rose to a standing ovation as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar left the game. For the next two minutes, it seemed nobody wanted to hit a shot. Abdul-Jabbar reentered the game and spun and hit a bank shot with 1:37 left, his last two NBA points, cutting the Pistons' margin to 100–96. Kareem went out of the game with 47 seconds remaining amid thunderous applause.


title: 1989 NBA Finals

text: Laimbeer hit a jumper at the 28-second mark, and the Pistons began celebrating. Riley sent Abdul-Jabbar back in after the timeout, but Michael Cooper missed a three-pointer and Isiah Thomas was fouled. Riley then sent Orlando Woolridge in for Abdul-Jabbar, this time for good, prompting a standing ovation from the crowd and acknowledgment from the players on both the Lakers and, in a rare show of sportsmanship, the Pistons. Thomas then hit the foul shots, closing out the 105–97 win and the championship. Dumars was named Finals MVP.


title: 1989 NBA Finals

text: This was the first NBA Finals that ended in a four-game sweep since the Finals went to the 2–3–2 format in 1985.


title: 1989 NBA Finals

text: This series was aired on CBS. Dick Stockton and Hubie Brown called the action. Stockton also narrated the season-ending documentary "Motor City Madness" for NBA Entertainment.


title: 1989 NBA Finals

text: That year, Pat O'Brien filled in for Brent Musburger for Game 2 as pre-game, half-time and post-game host as Musburger was on assignment for CBS Sports, the same thing that happened in 1988. CBS used three sideline reporters which were O'Brien (the Pistons' sideline), Lesley Visser (the Lakers' sideline) and James Brown (both teams). This was Musburger's last NBA Finals assignment for CBS, as he was fired on April 1, 1990, months before NBA's television contract with CBS expired. Musburger moved to ABC and ESPN, and later called nine NBA Finals series for ESPN Radio between and .


title: 1989 NBA Finals

text: For the start of 1989 NBA Finals CBS completely revamped their opening montage for their NBA broadcasts. The computer-generated imagery (once again set in and around a virtual arena) was made to look more realistic (live-action footage was incorporated in the backdrops). Also, the familiar theme music (an uptempo series of four notes and three bars composed by Allyson Bellink since the 1983 NBA Finals) each was rearranged to sound more intricate and to have a more emotional impact, along the lines of the network's later World Series coverage. Between the 1989 NBA Finals and the 1990 NBA Finals' intros, the theme music was slightly revised; the 1989 Finals intro incorporated more of a guitar riff, while the 1990 Finals intro featured a little more usage of trumpets.


title: 1989 NBA Finals

text: With the Michigan Wolverines winning the 1989 NCAA Basketball championship two months prior, the Metro Detroit area was home to a National Champion and NBA champion in the same season or calendar year, a similar distinction would occur once more in 1997, when the Detroit Red Wings and Michigan Wolverines won the Stanley Cup and the College Football National Championship respectively.


title: 1989 NBA Finals

text: The Pistons would repeat as champions in 1990. The Pistons won 59 games that season, then defeated the Indiana Pacers (3-0), New York Knicks (4-1) and Chicago Bulls (4-3) in the first three rounds, before overcoming the Portland Trail Blazers 4–1 in the Finals.


title: 1989 NBA Finals

text: The Lakers earned the league's best record with a 63–19 record in the 1989–90 NBA season, despite losing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to retirement. However the Lakers fell to the Phoenix Suns 4–1 in the Western Conference Semifinals, after which head coach Pat Riley resigned. The Lakers did make it back to the finals in 1991 but fell to the Bulls in five games.


title: 1989 NBA Finals

text: The Pistons and Lakers met again in the 2004 NBA Finals. Much had changed since they last met, but they still took on the personalities of their respective teams: the more physical, defensive Pistons against the finesse, offensively-minded Lakers. In the rematch, the underdog Pistons, led by Ben Wallace, Chauncey Billups, Richard Hamilton, Rasheed Wallace and Tayshaun Prince, and coached by Larry Brown, upset the star-studded future Hall-of-Fame Lakers team of Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O'Neal, Karl Malone and Gary Payton, and coached by Phil Jackson, in five games.


title: 1989 NBA Finals

text: Two-time NBA All-Star Isaiah Thomas was named after Isiah Thomas as a consequence of this series. The former Thomas' father, a lifelong Lakers fan, bet his son's name on his team winning the series.


title: Melody Thornton

text: Melody Thornton (born September 28, 1984) is an American singer and television personality. After graduating high school, Thornton became one the main vocalists of the pop girl group the Pussycat Dolls and released the albums "PCD" (2005) and "Doll Domination" (2008) becoming one of the world's best-selling girl groups. As part of the group, she has received a Grammy Award nomination.


title: Melody Thornton

text: Following her departure from the group in 2010, Thornton independently released a mixtape, "P.O.Y.B.L" (2012), and an EP, "Lioness Eyes" (2020). Outside her music, she has competed on reality shows, "Popstar to Operastar" (2011), "Dancing on Ice" (2019) and won the fourth season of the Australian version of "The Masked Singer" (2022). She has also done several stage works, including playing Rachel Marron in the musical "The Bodyguard".


title: Melody Thornton

text: Melody Thornton is a native of Phoenix, Arizona and was born on September 28, 1984, to a family of Mexican and African-American descent. She was educated in Camelback High School. Her first performance was at her school, where she sang "This Little Light of Mine" at the age of six, and continued to perform at local talent shows in Arizona. After high school, she enrolled in college with the intention to major in music engineering, but dropped after one semester to join the Pussycat Dolls.


title: Melody Thornton

text: At the age of 19, Thornton traveled to Burbank, California to audition for the Pussycat Dolls. The group's founder Robin Antin, struck a deal with Interscope Geffen A&M Records' Jimmy Iovine to develop the Pussycat Dolls into a brand and create a separate recording pop group. Thornton was selected to strengthen their vocal ability and joined Carmit Bachar, Ashley Roberts, Nicole Scherzinger, Jessica Sutta, and Kimberly Wyatt, and signed a contract with the Pussycat Dolls partnership, receiving a percentage of the group's revenues. Thornton along with Bachar supplied vocals as secondary vocalists, while Scherzinger assumed the majority of the vocals as the lead singer. Thornton was the youngest and the only member who did not have a background in dance. The group released their first single, "Don't Cha" (featuring Busta Rhymes), which stands as group's most successful single to date peaked number two on the "Billboard" Hot 100 chart and reached the top in other 15 countries. Thornton didn't like the song in the beginning, as she found too controversial. They released their self-titled debut album in September 2005. Subsequent singles, "Stickwitu and "Buttons" also reached the top five on the "Billboard" Hot 100 chart. "PCD" went on to sell seven million copies worldwide and established the Pussycat Dolls as viable in the music industry earning them a reputation among the century's few breakout successes.


title: Melody Thornton

text: Thornton was featured on Jibbs' single "Go Too Far", which was released on March 2007; it entered the top-twenty on the New Zealand Singles Chart. Their second and final studio album "Doll Domination" was released in September 2008, the album attained its highest peak position on the US "Billboard" 200, but it is considered a commercial disappointment selling less than 400,000 copies in the US. "Doll Domination" included the singles "When I Grow Up" and "I Hate This Part", which reached the top twenty on the US "Billboard" Hot 100 chart. In January 2009, the group embarked on the Doll Domination Tour, their second headlining concert tour, which highlighted stops in Europe, Oceania and Asia, and grossed over $14 million. Following the release of the group's single 2009 "Jai Ho! (You Are My Destiny)", tensions in the group rose due to Scherzinger being billed as a featured artist on the release. This would go on to lead to a public outburst by Thornton during the group's tour appearance while opening for The Circus Starring Britney Spears.


title: Melody Thornton

text: The group would then announce a hiatus; Thornton then cameoed on Keri Hilson's music video "Slow Dance" and appeared as a panelist on E!'s "Bank of Hollywood" in which contestants must appeal to a celebrity panel to receive money. It lasted for one season. In June 2010, Thornton confirmed she had departed the Pussycat Dolls and was working on a solo album.


title: Melody Thornton

text: Since her departure from the Pussycat Dolls, Thornton has remained an independent artist. On February 20, 2010, in an interview for "The Source" Thornton explained that her songs will be different from the group's sound but will not going to abandon that pop demographic that she acquired through the Pussycat Dolls.


title: Melody Thornton

text: In June 2010 "Rap-Up" first announced that Thornton was working on her solo album with collaborators including Cee Lo Green, Polow da Don, and Lil Wayne. On "Vibe" Magazine she stated that she is also working with Dre and Vidal. Thornton's recording of the Cee Lo produced song "Love Gun" leaked to the internet around this time. The song was eventually recorded by Green and Lauren Bennett for his album "The Lady Killer".


title: Melody Thornton

text: On June 16, 2011, Thornton's first official single, "Sweet Vendetta", was released. On June 26, 2011, Thornton announced plans to have her debut solo album released sometime in 2012. On March 5, 2012, Lipstick & Guilt was released as a promotional single. On March 15, 2012, her first mixtape "P.O.Y.B.L", an acronym for Piss on Your Black List, was released. The mixtape contains 10 tracks of five remakes and four originals all written by Melody. The project includes production from Andre Harris ("Smoking Gun"), Church and State ("Sweet Vendetta"), Mark Vinten ("Intro"), and Melody on the self-produced "Hit the Ground Runnin'," plus a duet with Bobby Newberry (a cover of La Roux's "Bulletproof").


title: Melody Thornton

text: On May 24, 2012, a music video for the cover version of "Bulletproof" from "P.O.Y.B.L", featuring Bobby Newberry, premiered. On June 14, 2012, she made a cameo appearance in a Bobby Newberry's music video for his debut single "Dirrty Up", alongside ex-Pussycat Doll member Ashley Roberts.


title: Melody Thornton

text: On April 30, 2013, Thornton was a featured vocalist on LL Cool J's 2013 album "Authentic" on the track "Something About You (Love The World)" along with Charlie Wilson and Earth, Wind & Fire.


title: Melody Thornton

text: In 2017, Thornton returned to British television by appearing on the second series of "Celebs Go Dating" and "Celebrity Island with Bear Grylls". She then landed the lead role of Rachel Marron in the musical "The Bodyguard", which toured in China for several months. In 2019, Thornton was eliminated on the eight week and placed fifth on the eleventh series of "Dancing on Ice". This was followed with stage roles on "Rip It Up – The 70s", a show inspired by music of the 70s and played the part of Cinderella in the New Wimbledon Theatre production of the family pantomime, "Cinderella".


title: Melody Thornton

text: Thornton opted out to join the November 2019 reunion of the Pussycat Dolls in order to focus on her solo endeavors. She collaborated with UK DJ producer Harrison on the dance track "Freak Like Me" and released her first solo track in seven years, "Love Will Return". A ballad that is a nod to her heritage and serves as the lead single for her debut EP, "Lioness Eyes". The EP, which includes seven songs was released on August 7.


title: Melody Thornton

text: In 2022, Thornton competed and won the fourth season of the Australian version of "The Masked Singer". as "Mirrorball". She will reprise the role of Rachel Marron in the 2023 UK and Ireland production of the musical "The Bodyguard".


title: Melody Thornton

text: Thornton was inspired to sing after her father's favorite artists, BB King, Aretha Franklin, and The Jacksons. In another interview, she named Mariah Carey as a vocal inspiration. Her vocals were likened to Christina Aguilera's.


title: Princess Hours

text: Princess Hours (; lit. Palace) is a 2006 South Korean television series, starring Yoon Eun-hye, Ju Ji-hoon, Kim Jeong-hoon and Song Ji-hyo. It is based on Korean manhwa "Goong" by . It aired on MBC from January 11 to March 30, 2006 on Wednesdays and Thursdays at 21:55 for 24 episodes.


title: Princess Hours

text: The show was the tenth most popular drama of 2006, with a peak rating of 28.3%. It also became a hit across Asia, contributing to the Korean Wave. Due to its success, a spin-off series, "Prince Hours", was broadcast in 2007.


title: Princess Hours

text: The show is set in an alternate, 21st-century Korea which has retained its monarchy and imperial family since 1945. The series focuses on the lives of Crown Prince Lee Shin of Korea, and his new bride, Chae-kyeong.


title: Princess Hours

text: The series starts off with the news that Shin's father, Emperor Lee Hyeon of Korea, is seriously ill. There is a grim outlook on the Emperor's health, driving the imperial family to find Shin a suitable consort that will allow him to ascend to the throne if the situation requires. Despite being in love with the ambitious and talented ballerina Hyo-rin (whom he initially proposed to and was rejected), Prince Shin eventually marries a commoner to whom he was betrothed by his grandfather, the late Emperor Seongjo, in an agreement with the girl's grandfather. His new wife is the headstrong yet lovable Chae-kyeong, and despite initially feeling nothing for each other, love eventually blossoms between the couple.


title: Princess Hours

text: Matters are further complicated with the return of Lee Yul and his mother, Lady Hwa-young, who was once Crown Princess before the death of her husband, the late Crown Prince Lee Soo, and older brother of the reigning Emperor. Yul and his mother were driven out of the palace some time after the death of his father, and it is revealed that this was because the Emperor discovered an affair between Lady Hwa-young and the current Emperor, who is his father's younger brother. Lady Hwa-young has returned to restore her son's place in the line of succession to the throne, which she believes remains rightfully his. A series of events befalls the palace with the schemes Yul's mother carries out, and these are further intensified by the various scandals involving the imperial family. Shin maintains an extramarital affair with his old flame, Hyo-rin, while Yul himself developing feelings for Chae-kyeong. Things get out of hand and the imperial family takes matters into their own hands.


title: Princess Hours

text: A spin-off series, "Goong S" or "Prince Hours", revolves around a young worker at a Chinese restaurant who suddenly discovers that he is a member of the imperial family and subsequently enters the palace. Hwang mentioned that he would be looking for Shin Chae-kyeong's male counterpart, of sorts. This spinoff has no relation to the first season, and had a new cast and plot.


title: Princess Hours

text: In October 2006, Korean pop star Se7en was chosen to play the leading role in the spinoff. He will play the character of "Yi Hoo". The rest of the main cast are Huh E-jae (who plays the female protagonist Yang Soon-ae), Kang Doo (who plays Yi Joon), and Park Shin-hye (who plays Shin Sae-ryung). Many of the supporting cast, who played minor characters, reprised their roles. Filming started in November 2006.


title: Princess Hours

text: The name for the spin-off changed from "Goong 2" to "Goong S – Prince Hours" ("궁 S") due to copyright infringement problems. Filming continued despite Group 8 facing lawsuits due to the unlawful use of "Goong" in the title. However, MBC has looked into this issue with Eight Peaks and have stated that the channel station and original production company both own the rights of the name. "Goong S" will still be used for this season, with the subtitle of ""Prince Who"". "Goong S" was broadcast from January 10 to March 15, 2007, to moderate success.


title: Princess Hours

text: This drama was later adapted into a musical titled "Goong: The Musical" (Hangul: 뮤지컬 궁). Producer Song Byung-joon, CEO of production company Group Eight, collaborated with the drama's screenwriter In Eun-ah for the stage rendition, and also brought in theater director Kim Jae-sung. The creative team constructed flamboyant stage sets, which were visualized through digital devices to show off the dramatic effects and fantasies on stage. A variety of music genres from traditional court music, classics, hip-hop and jazz was used, along with varying dance styles such as ballet, court dances and b-boy.


title: Princess Hours

text: When the musical debuted at the Yong Theater at the National Museum of Korea in September 2010, the lead role of Crown Prince Lee Shin was played by U-Know Yunho of TVXQ.


title: Princess Hours

text: Kim Kyu-jong of SS501 played Shin during the musical's run at the Minami-za Kabuki Theater in Kyoto, Japan in June–July 2011, and Kangin of Super Junior alternated with Sungmo of Supernova to take over the role at the Gotanda U-Port Hall in Tokyo, Japan in September 2012.


title: Princess Hours

text: In 2014, Shinee's Taemin, Kim Dongjun, U-KISS Soohyun and Hoon alternately played the part of Prince Lee Shin in the Japan run of Goong held from May 10 to 24 (25 stages) in Akasaka ACT Theater, Tokyo, Japan.


title: Princess Hours

text: In 2017, "Princess Hours Thailand" (Thai title: "รักวุ่นๆ เจ้าหญิงจอมจุ้น") is broadcast on True4U. The starring is Ungsumalynn Sirapatsakmetha as Khaning and Sattaphong Phiangphor as Crown Prince Inn.


title: Déraciné

text: Déraciné is a 2018 first-person adventure game developed by FromSoftware and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment for the PlayStation 4. The player takes the role of a fairy in an isolated boarding school who attempts to solve a mystery in virtual reality via the PlayStation VR headset. "Déraciné" was met with mixed reception.


title: Déraciné

text: The Faerie wakes up in an orphanage and learns from a mysterious voice that they must acquire a red ring on their hand that stores life energy, and a blue ring on their left that manipulates time. The Faerie then meets a girl named Yuliya, who requests that the Faerie convince the orphanage's other children that the Faerie exists. The Faerie manipulates artifacts and objects to convince the other children. Once the inhabitants of the orphanage are convinced, the Headmaster makes a request of the Faerie. Holding out a golden wand, he asks the Faerie to use his remaining time to prevent the incident that wounded Rozsa's leg. The Faerie does so, fixing Rozsa's leg in the present. Happy to have a friendly Faerie at their boarding school, the children begin working on various ways to honor the being. This culminates in a concert in which the Faerie brings Nils' pet mouse back from the dead in order to repair the music box in the music hall.


title: Déraciné

text: Afterward, the Faerie learns that it has actually been talking to a ghost of Yuliya, and the other children, now inspired by the Faerie's ability to bring back the dead, have made a plan to bring back Yuliya. Yuliya's ghost informs the Faerie that the children have wandered into the forest in search of something large enough to revive Yuliya, and pleads for the Faerie to save them. The Faerie follows the children's trail and discovers that it is too late to prevent an evil faerie from sucking their life energy. Lorinc survives and decides to sacrifice himself so the Faerie can go back and prevent their doomed excursion. The Faerie travels in time, attempting to dissuade the children from entering the forest, but finds them unconvinced. The Faerie travels further back to revive Yuliya, discovering the body of another caretaker, Margareta, who committed suicide after her daughter Alexis died. Taking the red ring from Margareta's corpse, the Faerie places it on Yuliya's. This quickly goes poorly as she transforms into an evil faerie herself, stealing the life force of the children and Headmaster. A remorseful Yuliya allows the Faerie to use the life force she has accumulated for the Faerie to travel to the night of Yuliya's death.


title: Déraciné

text: The Faerie learns the Headmaster and Margareta were scholars from the city of Rohn studying faeries, but the city burned down and evil faeries stole life force through the land. The Headmaster and Margareta set up the orphanage to continue their experiment. Concluding that humans with regrets will become evil, and that a newborn is the perfect candidate, they attempted to turn Alexis into a faerie, resulting in her death. The Faerie realizes that it is the faerie version of Alexis, summoned when Yuliya stole the Headmaster's golden wand and wished to see Alexis again, inadvertently trading her own life force.


title: Déraciné

text: Ultimately, history will prove to repeat itself unless the Faerie decides to return Yuliya's life to her instead of taking the ring for itself. Yuliya comes to the realization of how special her own life is, and resolves to live her life to the fullest. However, this means the Faerie sacrifices its own ability to interact with the world, slowly fading away into nothing. Yuliya lives happily with her friends and the Headmaster.


title: Déraciné

text: "Déraciné" is a first-person adventure game developed for virtual reality (VR) by FromSoftware, with assistance from Japan Studio, and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment for the PlayStation 4 via its PlayStation VR add-on peripheral. It was announced at E3 2018 and directed by Hidetaka Miyazaki, better known for creating the "Dark Souls" series of action role-playing games. Miyazaki's goal for the game was to recreate the first-person adventure game genre in VR. Miyazaki sought to explore the theme of "existence versus non-existence," which he felt would only be possible via VR. Due to the change in perspective, the development team placed more focus on facial expressions in comparison to previous FromSoftware games, which presented a challenge. "Déraciné" was developed using Unreal Engine.


title: Déraciné

text: "Déraciné" received mixed reviews from critics according to review aggregator Metacritic. It debuted at number thirteen on the Japanese charts, selling 3,086 copies in its first week.


title: Archduchess Marie Valerie of Austria

text: Archduchess Marie Valerie Mathilde Amalie of Austria (22 April 1868 – 6 September 1924) was the youngest child of Emperor Franz Joseph I and Empress Elisabeth of Austria. She was usually called Valerie.


title: Archduchess Marie Valerie of Austria

text: On 31 July 1890, she married Archduke Franz Salvator of Austria; the marriage caused a rift between her and her siblings as their marriages had to be dynastic, while Marie Valerie's was, as Empress Elisabeth allowed, for love and desire.


title: Archduchess Marie Valerie of Austria

text: Archduchess Marie Valerie was born on 22 April 1868 in Buda, Hungary to Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria and his wife, Duchess Elisabeth in Bavaria. She had an older sister, Archduchess Gisela, and an older brother, Crown Prince Rudolf. Her eldest sibling, Archduchess Sophie had already died by the time she was born. Her mother was especially attached to Valerie, who was born ten years after the imperial couple's third child, and whom Elisabeth was allowed to raise herself while her first three children were taken from her in infancy and raised by the Emperor's mother, Archduchess Sophie. Sophie herself wrote to Elisabeth's mother, Duchess Ludovika in Bavaria, "Sisi is completely absorbed by her love and care for this irresistible little angel."


title: Archduchess Marie Valerie of Austria

text: She was Elisabeth's favorite child by far, and was acidly referred to by some courtiers as ""die Einzige"" ("the only child") because Elisabeth paid so much more attention to her than to her siblings. Valerie loved her mother, but according to her diaries, she often felt embarrassed and overwhelmed by Elisabeth's concentration on her, particularly as she was modest and practical.


title: Archduchess Marie Valerie of Austria

text: Another of Valerie's nicknames was "the Hungarian child", as her birth had been a concession by Elisabeth, who disliked physical intimacy and pregnancy, in exchange for Franz Joseph's reconciliation with Hungary, her most favored part of the Empire. This process culminated in their joint coronation in Buda on 8 June 1867 as King and Queen of Hungary. Valerie was born a little over nine months later.


title: Archduchess Marie Valerie of Austria

text: Elisabeth deliberately chose Hungary as her child's birthplace; no royal child had been born in Hungary for centuries. Had Valerie been a boy, she would have been named Stephen after Hungary's canonized King and patron saint. According to historian Brigitte Hamann, a boy born to the Queen of Hungary in the castle at Budapest would have raised the possibility of his someday becoming its king, separating Hungary from the Austrian empire. Due to this, there was universal relief at the Viennese court that Valerie was a girl.


title: Archduchess Marie Valerie of Austria

text: Malicious rumors began to spread that Valerie was in truth the daughter of Elisabeth's friend and admirer Gyula Andrássy, the Hungarian prime minister. These persisted into Valerie's childhood, hurting her deeply. However, she physically resembled Franz Joseph more than any of her siblings, even more so as she grew older, and eventually the hearsay stopped. Due to the atmosphere they created, Valerie developed a lifelong antipathy toward anything to do with Hungary, exacerbated by Elisabeth's insistence on speaking to her only in Hungarian. She was joyful when she was given permission to speak German with her father, whom she worshipped. In addition, she spoke English, French, and Italian fluently. She loved to write plays and poems, and was a talented amateur artist who particularly enjoyed painting flowers. She was a great supporter of the Burgtheater in Vienna, and attended its productions as often as possible.


title: Archduchess Marie Valerie of Austria

text: In Bad Ischl on 31 July 1890, Valerie married her third cousin Archduke Franz Salvator. They had met in 1886 at a ball, but Valerie waited several years to be sure that her feelings toward Franz Salvator were strong enough for a successful marriage. It was hoped by many at court that she would marry someone like the Crown Prince of Saxony, the Prince Royal of Portugal or Prince Alfons of Bavaria as she courted with him. Nonetheless, Empress Elisabeth declared that Valerie would be allowed to marry even a chimney sweep if she so desired (in contrast to her other children, who both had to make dynastic marriages). Valerie chose Franz Salvator, a relatively minor prince from the Tuscan branch of the Austrian imperial family who had no great wealth to offer, and Elisabeth, as promised, supported her favorite daughter. This caused a deep rift between Valerie and her siblings for a time, but eventually Rudolf reconciled with her when Valerie and Franz became engaged on Christmas 1888. However, the relationship between Valerie and Rudolph's wife Princess Stéphanie of Belgium remained cold even after Rudolf's death.


title: Archduchess Marie Valerie of Austria

text: Valerie's solemn renunciation of her rights to the Austrian throne, which was necessary for the marriage to proceed, took place on 16 July 1890 at the Hermesvilla. The young couple's festive wedding followed in the parish church of Bad Ischl on 31 July. The ceremony was conducted by the Bishop of Linz, Franz Maria Doppelbauer. Afterwards, Valerie and Franz honeymooned in Italy, Switzerland and Bavaria.


title: Archduchess Marie Valerie of Austria

text: At first, Valerie and Franz lived at the Schloss Lichtenegg. Though on 11 June 1895, the couple purchased Schloss Wallsee on the Danube River from its then owner, Alfred, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, and completely renovated it. When the renovation was finished, a ceremony marking their moving into the new palace was held on 4 September 1897. There was great celebration of the event in Wallsee due to Valerie's popularity.


title: Archduchess Marie Valerie of Austria

text: She was known and loved for her generous involvement in local charitable endeavors. In 1900, she became a patron of the Red Cross, for which she founded hospitals and raised considerable sums of money; she was also patron of seven other charities. During World War I she created a hospital barracks in the castle itself and helped care for the wounded. She was a devout Catholic who also spent much time supporting religious charities and was known to the people as the "Angel of Waldsee". She was also a Dame of the Star Cross Order.


title: Archduchess Marie Valerie of Austria

text: Valerie was greatly affected by the suicide of her brother Rudolf on 30 January 1889, and the assassination of her mother Elisabeth in September 1898. She and her sister Gisela were a great support to their father in the aftermath of these tragedies. Together with Elisabeth's ladies-in-waiting Valerie also sorted out Elisabeth's literary legacy, her letters and correspondences. In her diary Valerie noted that her parents' relationship and alienation had only improved during the last few years of her mother's life. She also felt that taking care of her aging father, Emperor Franz Joseph, was some sort of "a trial".


title: Archduchess Marie Valerie of Austria

text: While the marriage of Valerie and Franz was harmonious at first, it became less so with time. Franz had many affairs, including one with a dancer Stephanie Richter, who was later known as "Hitler's Spy Princess" for her espionage activities before and during World War II. In 1914, she gave birth to a son by him, Franz Joseph, whom he acknowledged as his while Valerie was still alive. Valerie faced these blows stoically, confiding only in her journal.


title: Archduchess Marie Valerie of Austria

text: After the end of World War I, Valerie officially recognized the end of the Habsburg monarchy and signed documents renouncing all rights toward the same for herself and her descendants. The renunciation allowed her to keep her home and possessions.


title: Archduchess Marie Valerie of Austria

text: Valerie died in Schloss Wallsee on 6 September 1924 of lymphoma. Shortly before her death, her sister Gisela wrote in a letter, "I must add that I have seen Valerie - fully conscious, completely aware of her condition, and so devoutly accepting, even joyfully anticipating her impending departure, that I believe an unexpected recovery would actually disappoint her." She is buried in a crypt behind the high altar at the parish church in Sindelburg, Austria. Several thousand people followed her coffin to its resting place.


title: Archduchess Marie Valerie of Austria

text: On 28 April 1934, ten years after Valerie's death, Franz married a second time, to Freiin (a title corresponding to "Baroness") Melanie von Riesenfels. This was a morganatic marriage; the wedding took place in Vienna. The pair had met after Valerie's death at Melanie's home, Seisenegg Palace, where she lived with her sisters Maria Anna and Johanna. After their wedding, the couple lived at Seisenegg.


title: Archduchess Marie Valerie of Austria

text: The Mária Valéria bridge joining Hungarian town Esztergom and Slovak town Štúrovo (then Parkány) across the river Danube was opened in 1895. It was named after Marie Valerie.


title: Maywand District murders

text: The Maywand District murders were the thrill-killings of at least three Afghan civilians perpetrated by a group of U.S. Army soldiers from June 2009 to June 2010, during the War in Afghanistan. The soldiers, who referred to themselves as the "Kill Team", were members of the 3rd Platoon, Bravo Company, 2nd Battalion, 1st Infantry Regiment, and 5th Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division. They were based at FOB Ramrod in Maiwand, from Kandahar Province of Afghanistan.


title: Maywand District murders

text: During the summer of 2010, the military charged five members of the platoon with the murders of three Afghan civilians in Kandahar Province and collecting their body parts as trophies. In addition, seven soldiers were charged with crimes such as hashish use, impeding an investigation, and attacking the whistleblower Private first class Justin Stoner.


title: Maywand District murders

text: In March 2011, U.S. Army Specialist Jeremy Morlock pleaded guilty to three counts of premeditated murder. He told the court that he had helped to kill unarmed native Afghans in faked combat situations. Under a plea deal, Morlock received 24 years in prison for murdering three Afghan civilians in return for testimony against other soldiers. Staff Sergeant Calvin Gibbs, the highest-ranking soldier and the ringleader, was also convicted on three counts of premeditated murder and sentenced to life in prison. Private First Class Andrew Holmes pleaded guilty to murder without premeditation and was sentenced to seven years in prison. Specialist Adam C. Winfield, who informed his father after the first murder and whose father attempted to alert the Army, pleaded guilty to manslaughter and was sentenced to three years in prison. In total, eleven of the twelve soldiers charged were convicted of crimes. All charges against the twelfth soldier, Specialist Michael Wagnon, were dropped by the U.S. military "in the interest of justice" without further explanation. PFC Justin Stoner, who initiated the case by reporting the murders to his superiors, was not charged.


title: Maywand District murders

text: All three of the staged killings of Afghan civilians occurred in the Maywand District of Afghanistan:


title: Maywand District murders

text: "Der Spiegel" published three photos of U.S. soldiers posing with the bodies of Afghans they had killed. One of the photos shows SPC Jeremy Morlock next to one of them. He appears to be smiling and raising the head of a corpse by the hair. Other images published later in "Rolling Stone" include one of two unidentified Afghans cuffed together around a milestone and wearing a cardboard handwritten sign made out of an MRE package box that read "Talibans are Dead". Other photos were taken of mutilated body parts, among them one of a head being maneuvered with a stick. In Kabul, senior officials at NATO's International Security Assistance Force have compared the pictures published to the images of U.S. soldiers abusing prisoners in Abu Ghraib in Iraq.


title: Maywand District murders

text: Gibbs used medical shears to sever several fingers that he kept as a form of human trophy collecting. He gave one of them to Holmes, who kept it dried in a Ziploc bag.


title: Maywand District murders

text: Five of the Army soldiers faced murder charges while seven others were charged with participating in a coverup.


title: Maywand District murders

text: David Bram from Vacaville, California was charged with conspiracy to commit assault and battery, unlawfully striking another soldier, violating a lawful order, dereliction of duty, cruelty and maltreatment, and endeavoring to impede an investigation. In May 2011, additional charges were filed against Bram, including solicitation to commit premeditated murder, aggravated assault on Afghan civilians, planting evidence, and unlawfully discussing murder scenarios with subordinates. He was convicted by an enlisted panel sitting as a general court-martial of conspiracy to commit assault and battery, failure to obey a general order, dereliction of duty, maltreatment of a subordinate, assault consummated by battery, obstruction of justice, and solicitation of another to commit murder. Bram was sentenced to 5 years in prison, reduced in rank to Private, and dishonorably discharged. The U.S. Army Court of Criminal Appeals affirmed the conviction and sentence, and the Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces denied review. Bram has since been released from prison.


title: Maywand District murders

text: The Kill Team ringleader, Staff Sergeant Calvin Gibbs, from Billings, Montana, was the highest-ranking soldier in the case. He was charged with conspiracy and three counts of premeditated murder for plotting to kill three Afghan civilians and then murdering them.


title: Maywand District murders

text: A report in "The Guardian" said that soldiers told the Army's Criminal Investigation Command (CID) that Gibbs bragged of his exploits while serving in the Iraq War, saying how easily one could "toss a grenade at someone and kill them." Prosecutors said Gibbs was found in possession of "finger bones, leg bones and a tooth taken from Afghan corpses".


title: Maywand District murders

text: Gibbs was convicted by a military jury on 15 counts, including the premeditated murder of Mudin, Agha, and Adahdad as well as illegally cutting off pieces of their corpses and planting weapons to make the men appear to be Taliban fighters. In November 2011, Gibbs was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 20 years, reduced in rank to Private, ordered to forfeit all pay and allowances, and dishonorably discharged. He expressed regret for human trophy collecting but not for the killings in which he participated, claiming that all were justified.


title: Maywand District murders

text: Andrew Holmes's attorneys argued they were constrained in defending him by the Army's decision to conceal photos of the man he had allegedly shot in January. The National Institute of Military Justice argued that the gruesome corpse photos should be made public.


title: Maywand District murders

text: Holmes has also said Morlock threatened his life if he told anyone that the killing of Gul Mudin was staged and unnecessary. A doctor testified at Holmes's trial that there were no machine gun wounds on the victim that prosecutors said was shot by Holmes's machine gun. Another soldier testified that the body was riddled with wounds and that it appeared to him that it was Holmes's weapon that killed Mudin.


title: Maywand District murders

text: In September 2011, Holmes pleaded guilty to unpremeditated murder and illegal drug use, and was sentenced to 7 years in prison. At his sentencing, he apologized and called Gibbs "a psychopath". He was released from prison on October 25, 2015.


title: Maywand District murders

text: Jones, of Pomona, California, faced charges that he beat up another soldier and fired at Afghan civilians who did not pose a threat to him. He was sentenced to seven months in prison for assault and reduced in rank to Private.


title: Maywand District murders

text: Kelly, of Montesano, Washington, was convicted of conspiring to harm SPC Justin Stoner. He was sentenced to 60 days of hard labor and given a bad conduct discharge.


title: Maywand District murders

text: PFC Moore, of Severna Park, Maryland, faced the fewest charges among the group. Moore pleaded guilty to using hashish during the deployment. He was demoted to private and had to forfeit half a month's pay.


title: Maywand District murders

text: SPC Corey Moore, of Redondo Beach, California, pleaded guilty to illegal drug use, assault for kicking a witness, and desecrating a corpse for stabbing a body. He was sentenced to 60 days of hard labor and given a bad conduct discharge.


title: Maywand District murders

text: Jeremy Morlock, a 22-year-old Army specialist from Wasilla, Alaska, was sentenced to 24 years in prison, reduced in rank to Private, and dishonorable discharged after pleading guilty to three counts of premeditated murder, conspiracy, obstruction of justice, and illegal drug use. He agreed to testify against the other soldiers allegedly involved. During his hearing, he was asked by Judge Lieutenant Colonel Kwasi Hawks "Were you going to shoot at (civilians) to scare them and it got out of hand?". Morlock replied: "The plan was to kill people, sir". Morlock challenged his guilty plea, but the Army Court of Criminal Appeals affirmed the conviction and sentence.


title: Maywand District murders

text: Morlock's mother accused the U.S. government of scapegoating him: "I think the government is just playing these guys as scapegoats. The leaders dropped the ball. Who was watching over all this?" she said in a "Seattle Times" interview.


title: Maywand District murders

text: Quintal was given a bad-conduct discharge and sentenced to 90 days of hard labor in a plea deal for frequently using drugs during his combat deployment, joining an assault on a comrade, and keeping digital photos of Afghan casualties. He was also required to testify against others in the case.


title: Maywand District murders

text: Robert Stevens, an Army medic from Portland, Oregon, knew Gibbs while serving with him in A-52, the Brigade Commander's Personnel Security Detachment, where they served under CPT Samuel Lynn. The two maintained a close friendship and remained in contact after Gibbs had been transferred from A-52 to 2–1 Infantry. SSG Stevens was sentenced to nine months in prison as part of a plea deal to testify against 11 other Lewis-McChord based Stryker soldiers. He pleaded guilty to four charges, including shooting "in the direction of" two Afghan farmers for no reason. Stevens said Gibbs ordered him to shoot on the two farmers and that he regretted "not trying to stop Staff Sergeant Gibbs from trying to kill innocent people."


title: Maywand District murders

text: PFC Justin Stoner was the soldier who caused the investigation to begin. Stoner was not charged and was honorably discharged in 2012.