title: Verzuz

text: Each battle is often paired up by the genre of categories. Where a Music producer will go up against another Music Producer, Songwriter against Songwriter, Vocal Production (example: Vocal Artist against Vocal Artist [Sub category: "Singer vs. Singer" or "Rapper vs. Rapper"]). Each artist has up to 20 tracks prepared to use in the battle. The guidelines for competing are to have produced, written or sang on the track used. As for many rap artists, they can use their collaborations or 'feature' segments from other artist tracks. Producers who 'remixed' a track have been called in question, especially if they are not the originator of the song produced, as a pun joke from Babyface, but is still acceptable as it is a form of their own works. The winners are solely to the discretion of the viewers' preference, there are no direct chosen winners, however accolades surrounding an artist's accomplishments may make one person outshine the next. The real winners are the views counted by how many tuned in to watch as it shows the popularity and support given. During the battle, they are allowed to gloat, flaunt, tease as it is friendly competition. Spectators, whether celebrities or general viewing public, keep score on who they believe won each round sometimes losing count. The challenger usually feeds off the last contender's song choice or word play 'puns' to complement the flow. The curators who preside over the live feed remotely monitor the competition.


title: Verzuz

text: Verzuz went under new rule changes and technical maintenance to provide quality performances and returned on May 31, 2020, with a special Verzuz.


title: Verzuz

text: ♥♥ *A Special "VERZUZ" webcast titled "The Healing" was streamed live on May 31, 2020, in honor of lifting awareness and providing comfort from the racial climate of ongoing police brutality in the United States. The event began with opening word and prayer by Bishop T.D. Jakes. Kirk Franklin & Fred Hammond celebrated various music from their catalog. During the webcast, special appearances were made by notable stars in the gospel genre: Grammy Nominated Gospel Artist Marvin Sapp, appeared to interlude his landmark song ""Never Would Have Made It"" and Grammy Award winner, Tamela Mann appeared to fully sing live, ""Take Me To The King"". Even though this special verzuz was a celebration with no intentions to battle and was used as a platform service to uplift and heal the world, Revolt TV declared Kirk Franklin as champion scoring at 17–4.


title: Verzuz

text: ≠ DRAW/TIE - According to the Billboard Magazine Scorecard, Gladys Knight & Patti LaBelle both won for their Verzuz match, respectively. Making them the first contenders judged from Billboard to score a draw in the series.


title: Verzuz

text: A lot of heavy criticism about the behavior and pitch quality of vocals from majority of the artists were overshadowed from the overall celebration, particularly centered and focused more on Ray J and Omarion, who were falling flat on their notes during their performances, as they both complained the sound systems were not in their favor. Expressing they could not hear themselves singing due to the microphone leveling and music playback leveling. During all the matches, it was met with intense hardcore back and forth banter and hype between the artists. During the pre-show match, Sammie imitated the vocal hook of Ray J's song "One Wish" where he confidently teased "I sound better than you on your shit", which later set the tone to Ray J being overshadowed by Bobby V., Pleasure P, and Sammie who huddled as they repeatedly harmonized the hook, after Ray J's vocal struggle performing the song.


title: Verzuz

text: It briefly deflected the attention away from Ray J, which he seemed to show a slight frustration and disappointment by his facial expressions, walking away. He responded by telling the artist they don't own their own records, which was an unfinished conversation and debate by Ray J, Sammie and Bobby V. who went live on Instagram a few days earlier and disputed their claims of ownership of records. Ray J also expressed his excuse as to why he was pitchy due to feeling both "lit" (tipsy or drunk), and because he was holding his son due to him and his wife level of comfortability of anyone having access of their child. Pleasure P expressed he felt he had more hits than anyone on stage, due to his writing production and credits, while Bobby V showcased his ability to woo the crowd. The pre-show time ran overtime as Omarion and Mario were about 2 hours late to the event.


title: Verzuz

text: During the main event, Mario started off by insulting Omarion with an imitation B2K to acknowledge he needed his group members to help him but failed to bring them to the event to do so. Omarion struggled majority of the night with keeping up with his vocals but was able to make efforts to rebound particularly with his signature dance sequences and a few antics. He showcased his innuendo sexual skills by gyrating the microphone stand on stage as well as inviting his brother O'Ryan, who served as his DJ, to come center stage and showcase their cunnilingus skills using a quarter of a fraction-sliced watermelon. Mario simply crooned the crowd round by round with his strong and crisp vocals which became as effortless, proving himself by boasting after every song out loud claiming "It's me" and acknowledged he didn't need any gimmicks to showcase his ability, calling out Omarion labeling him a "dancing (expletive N-word)" Mario was also viewed as the villain and antagonist as he bluntly and aggressively bullied Omarion throughout the event shaming him playfully telling him and others they sound "crazy".


title: Verzuz

text: One actual moment where Mario ridiculed Omarion was as Omarion finished the B2K song "Gots Ta Be", Mario exposed Omarion to own up and confess that the vocals on the track were actually vocals recorded by legendary group Troop member, Steve Russell, which the members of B2K later confirmed. Omarion brought out Jeremih as a guest, but quickly turned sour as his vocals were pitchy while trying to serenade the audience with roses by a brief a cappella ad-lib freestyle leading to the chorus of his own song "Oui". Omarion also brought out Tank to sing the song "O" which Tank wrote for him, and they shared a brief vocal moment to which Mario sidelined by stepping in the middle and competing his vocals against theirs showing more vocal range against the other two. Many viewers unanimously in their own opinion crowned Mario the champion by the end of the evening, as well as favored Sammie as their unsung heroes, claiming them as underrated singers. Mario went on to claim his own victory after the event reposting many memes and adding his own bragging rights. The next day had an online banter between B2K members Raz-B, J-Boog and Lil' Fizz who expressed themselves over how they felt about their fellow lead member. They simultaneously posted a video clip of the biopic The Temptations, where member David Ruffin was being fired or exiled from the group as the rest of the members watched from the distance.


title: Verzuz

text: The post was captioned by all three members quoting "YOU GOT SERVED" with a pen in hand emoji symbol. To which Omarion responded hours later calling them "background dancers" and claimed they always been "praying for his downfall" since they were in the group. Hours later J-Boog, backed by the other 2 members rebutted on social media to expose and slander Omarion with a long 10-page meme rant post written by J-Boog about their journey before and during their history while active in the music boy band to which he expressed his anger and frustration. Raz B followed by releasing an official legal contract which displayed Omarion's dismissal from the group a few year prior. All of these issues were unfolding to the public eye online, while Sammie and Bobby V shared healthy competitive spirit while making an appearance at a venue they shared on the same day. Ray J sister, Brandy, also took to social media to express her disappointment towards her brother in a lengthy comment under the blog site The Shade Room post, to which he kept deleting her comment from his own profile posts. She expressed that if he would have listened to her instructions on being on vocal rest and drink the tea that their father sent, he might have performed better. This Verzuz was the most talked about Verzuz all on social media platforms as it went viral with humiliating memes, videos and opinionated posts.


title: Verzuz

text: In early November 2022, Swizz Beatz and Timbaland announced via instagram that a new season would be coming soon. This announcement comes after the success of the lawsuit settlement with Triller.


title: Verzuz

text: On January 15, 2021, Verzuz announced to partner with the NFL for a 4-day special presentation event, ""The" "NFL Pro Bowl Verzuz"", where NFL stars go head to head for 10 rounds showcasing their best on and off-field highlights from the 2020 season and fans get to judge who had the better plays. The event was aired during the dates of January 26 until the 29th on the Verzuz Instagram account live feed as well as NFL on YouTube live feed. The presentation was presented by Verizon. Deion Sanders, Maurice Jones-Drew and MJ Acosta-Ruiz served as the host with special guests who appeared to provide support for the players.


title: Verzuz

text: R.S.V.P. is an independent American R&B/Hip hop supergroup created and developed by Ray J, Bobby V, Sammie and Pleasure P after their post appearance on the Triller webcast series Verzuz in June of 2022. The formation of the band came from an idea to collaborate into a singing group after making viral headlines from the event as an experiment.


title: Verzuz

text: During one of the final battles of Verzuz season 2 with the headliner competitors Omarion vs Mario, the pre-battle undercard opening act between Ray J & Bobby V vs Sammie & Pleasure P created a series of viral moments between the 4 singers. The four men would then meet on Instagram live multiple days after the match to recap on their performances and tease each other boasting about their flaws and victories which led to an idea of collaborating and forming a supergroup between the solo singers naming themselves R.S.V.P. ("Ray J, Sammie, Bobby V, Pleasure P").


title: Verzuz

text: During one of the lives, Ray J insisted that the four can create a marketing strategy from this special project adding a suggestion of pitching reality television deals with either BET (as a possible season 2 of ""), VH1 or Zeuz to be negotiated. However, there are no details if they reached the deal with any of those networks as of yet. The four men were in limbo deciding if the project would be a one-track collaborative effort or to record a full EP album. Sammie jokingly admitted that the band may never make it through completion of the project and success due to their playful yet ego and personalities which led to distractions to get started. The men were early criticized from many other R&B artists and others of the entertainment industry particularly Q Parker of 112 and RL of Next who watched their Verzuz battle and claimed they were misrepresenting what R&B was and stood for in the male genre and by their behavior and punctual preparedness, which led to a few rebuttals from Pleasure P, Sammie and Bobby V expressing themselves in their rants on social media. They then coined themselves ""The Bad Boys of R&B"" expressing that R&B doesn't always have to be 'soft' or 'crooning', particularly spoken by Pleasure P, who had responded and voiced himself against Q Parker and others who made judgements about the men involved in the full Verzuz lineup. Q Parker later apologized for his rant on video self accessing his opinion and stated it was taking out of context.


title: Verzuz

text: The supergroup began meeting in late July 2022 and began v-logging their progress recording music in early August, hoping to release their project in the near future. According to their social media posts, the four men shared their experience with the public of their newly found journey and expressed working together has been creative, fun, comedic and at times distractive. The "RSVP" project would become Verzuz first offspring independent collaborative project. According to their Instagram profile "officalrsvp", the group was seen teasing their R-rated seductively infused first single ""Money Everywhere"" set to be released late 2022, as mentioned by Sammie in the 7-minute video post. The track hints at a sexual fantasy pleading, ""Girl, let's turn this bedroom to a strip club...with money everywhere, there's money everywhere"" as the main line of the chorus.


title: Verzuz

text: The new venture was off to a great start until an alleged physical altercation between Sammie and Ray J happened in Atlanta after leaving Magic City in late August. Ray J stated on his Instagram live video, that he fought Sammie due to his intoxicated behavior and felt bad due to Sammie not fighting back, but expressed that he had nothing but love for him. He also felt his actions led to him being verbally kicked out the group, but clarified 'we're at peace now, we good...we straight' and believed this happened because they were 'partying' too much. On a video Sammie posted as he went live on Instagram the next day, he took surprise at hearing that Ray J hit him, but clarified and stated he was too tipsy as he was reaching for the SUV door and fell, displaying his bruises from the right side of his raised cheekbone towards his eye and scarring on the same side of his face. He also acknowledged that he had no issues being a solo artist before, problems only rose since he became part of a singing group. He then stated he had support from his fellow bandmate Pleasure P after realizing what happened the next morning. He believes they were both intoxicated, but wishes he could have fought him back. In an effort to display there was still comradery in the group and issues between the two have subsided, both were later shown on video partnering together as they were creating choreography to one of their songs. Sammie however explained in multiple media interviews months after, that the alleged altercation was misled by social media and that there actually wasn't any physical altercation at all, and that his bruised cheek was from falling out of his SUV, while Ray J joked on Instagram saying that he hit him. They both took the rumor and ran with it to create buzz.


title: Verzuz

text: On December 1 2022, RSVP released their debut independent single ""Money Everywhere"" on music streaming platforms, despite discrepancies and disagreements within the group coming to a mutual agreement when the single was to be released. Ray J, Bobby V and Sammie met live on Instagram to express concern and disagreement over the promotion of the song and production publishing rights and invited Pleasure P to join to explain his side, to which there was a discrepancy with the rollout of the release listed under his touring company. He then further expressed his frustration on his separate Instagram live assuring there were minor mistakes and made certain moves based on a business standpoint. A music video is currently in development.


title: Verzuz

text: Ray J as a solo artist, is currently releasing an upcoming visual music video album titled ""Raydiation X: One Wish Anniversary Album"" with a reprise intro of the hit song "One Wish" with a 60s/70s era inspired style featuring appearances from RSVP members "(Sammie, Valen & Pleasure P)" as well as appearances from actors Jackie Long, Hasaan Johnson, Derrell Britt, Merci Mi, and Lil' Zane.


title: Verzuz

text: A total number of viewership across social media platforms was recorded and began midway Season 1 of Verzuz:


title: Verzuz

text: ▲- The AshantI vs Keyshia Cole Verzuz currently holds the highest total viewers on Verzuz TV Instagram live with over 6 million views based on approximate incoming Instagram profile visitors.


title: Verzuz

text: "The views are not to be confused with the concurrent estimated apex peaks during the live Instagram presentation, as number of viewers gradually gain throughout the live, and results are totaled at the end of the live with the approximate number of visitors who visited the page."


title: Verzuz

text: On August 16, 2022, Timbaland and Swizz Beatz filed a lawsuit at the Los Angeles County Superior Court against Triller, to pay over $28 million in damages, legal fees, plus applicable interest, as well as further relief that Court may deem just and proper after selling the rights of the brand Verzuz to the streaming app, which had undisclosed terms. In part of the agreement within the partnership with Triller there was a guarantee of an allocation among the 43 artists who had appeared past to present on Verzuz, that would obtain an equity share for their participation in the series.


title: Verzuz

text: According to the lawsuit, Swizz and Timbaland was not compensated from January 2022 in which Triller failed to make, but did agree to a settlement to be made by March 20, 2022, requiring Triller to pay them $1 million per month for the following 10 months, making $18 million in total spilt between the co-creators. However to date, Triller allegedly has not made any payments towards Timbaland or Swizz, which in jeopardy the owing the monetary in as 'past due'.


title: Verzuz

text: At the time of the press release, Triller representatives did not respond to a request for comment, however in September 2022 Swizz and Timbaland reached an amicable agreement with Triller in which the case was settled. Triller Executive Chairman Bobby Sarnevesht stated that the “Creators started this and will continue building it, this is a victorious moment in the Triller and "Verzuz" relationship as we march together toward the public markets.”


title: Verzuz

text: "Billboard" magazine gave a scorecard sheet ranking the battles from least to favorable, placing the "Jill Scott vs Erykah Badu" battle at the number 1 spot.


title: Verzuz

text: The series popularity quickly drew in many viewers as a way to cope while on quarantine during the COVID-19 pandemic, it became a vehicle for viewers to laugh, sing-a-long, dance, go back in time feeling nostalgic, watch other entertainers communicate and interact with one another through comments and replies while watching and also with each other on-screen during battle, and also it united everyone together during the crisis.


title: Verzuz

text: The battles are rooted to pit each artist up against each other, but is done tastefully, ending in praises and celebration. One battle noted of this, was the "Erykah Badu vs. Jill Scott" match-up, where both were classy and honored each other by complimenting their successes. It was a way to empower women.


title: Verzuz

text: "VERZUZ" has won the Webby Award in the category of Special Achievement – "'Break the Internet' Award" in May 2020, breaking the Instagram record for live streaming with over 750K viewers. Verzuz creators Timbaland & Swizz Beatz were the Honoree recipients of the "Shine A Light Award" shared with DJ D-Nice at the 2020 BET Awards.


title: Verzuz

text: Bloomberg Businessweek honored Swizz Beatz & Timbaland by listing them as one of the 50 Most Influential People: "'The People who changed global business"' on December 4, 2020.


title: Verzuz

text: Verzuz was nominated and won in the category of Outstanding Variety Show "" for the 52nd NAACP Image Awards, on BET.


title: Meredith Eaton

text: Meredith Hope Eaton Gordon (sometimes credited as Meredith Eaton-Gilden; born August 26, 1974) is an American actress. She is tall, and refers to herself as a "short-stature actress". She is known for portraying the attorney Emily Resnick on the CBS television series "Family Law" (in which she was the first female with dwarfism to fill a regular role in an American prime time series), for her recurring role as Bethany Horowitz on the ABC series "Boston Legal", and for her lead role as Matilda "Matty" Webber on the CBS series "MacGyver".


title: Meredith Eaton

text: Eaton was born on Long Island, New York, to a clinical social worker mother and an administrative law judge father. She attended Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York, where she was an active member of the Delta Phi Epsilon sorority; she graduated in 1996 with a degree in interdisciplinary studies, minoring in theater. In June 2007, she was named by Hofstra University as their Alumnus of the Month.


title: Meredith Eaton

text: She later earned a master's degree in clinical psychology from the Derner Institute of Advanced Psychological Studies at Adelphi University, where she achieved a 4.0 grade point average. She would later credit her training in psychology for giving her a better ability to understand character dynamics in preparing for acting roles.


title: Meredith Eaton

text: Eaton's acting career began in 1999 when she attended an open casting call for the comedy film "Unconditional Love". Despite it being her first audition, she won out over 500 women from Canada, the United States, and the United Kingdom to be cast in the role of Maudey Beasley.


title: Meredith Eaton

text: "Unconditional Love" was not released until 2002. Her performance was seen by Paul Haggis, who created the role of Emily Resnick for her on "Family Law". Joining the cast in 2002, she continued with the series until its cancellation later that same year. She later had significant guest appearances on "NYPD Blue", "Dharma & Greg", "", "House" and "NCIS". She also appeared as herself in "Standing Tall at Auschwitz", which was a History Channel documentary on the Ovitz family, and in "No Bigger Than a Minute", an independent documentary on dwarfism which aired on the PBS program "P.O.V."


title: Meredith Eaton

text: In 2006, she joined the cast of "Boston Legal" as Bethany Horowitz, a love interest to William Shatner's character Denny Crane. The role was written specifically for her by David E. Kelley.


title: Meredith Eaton

text: Meredith has portrayed Carol Wilson, a recurring character on CBS' "NCIS" for over 6 seasons and its spin-off "", an immunologist who works for the CDC and is a friend of forensic scientist Abby Sciuto. In 2013 Meredith starred opposite Christopher Walken and Bill Nighy in David Hare's "Turks & Caicos". In 2016, Meredith became a series regular on the CBS show "MacGyver". She plays Matilda "Matty" Webber, MacGyver's boss and the new director of operations at The Phoenix Foundation.


title: Meredith Eaton

text: Eaton married Brian Gordon on October 12, 2008. Gordon is a professional photographer. They have one child together, a daughter.


title: Matthew 7:7–8

text: Matthew 7:7–8 are the seventh and eighth verses of the seventh chapter of the Gospel of Matthew in the New Testament and is part of the Sermon on the Mount. These verses begin an important metaphor generally believed to be about prayer.


title: Matthew 7:7–8

text: The most common interpretation of these verses, which are also found at , is that they are a return to the issue of prayer, which was discussed in the last chapter and is quite clearly addressed by the subsequent verses. In this view asking, seeking, and knocking are all metaphors for the act of prayer. In the original language the terms ask, seek, and knock are/were intended to mean a continuous act versus a one-time act: Ask (and keep asking), and it will be given you. Seek (and keep seeking), and you will find. Knock (and keep knocking) and the door will be opened for you. For everyone who asks (and keeps on asking) receives. He who seeks (and keeps on seeking) finds. To him who knocks (and keeps on knocking) the door will be opened. Hendriksen notes that asking implies humility, an inferior asking for aid from a superior. Morris notes that idea of "seeking" does not completely mesh with the prayer metaphor. The person praying who prays to God has obviously already decided that it is there that their answers are to be found. Morris feels that "seeking" in prayer means that the person does not know exactly what they need, and feel that they can seek the answer to this question through God. Fowler feels that the verb seek emphasizes the effort and concentration that must be put into prayer. Hendriksen summarizes this by describing seeking as "asking plus acting." Knocking, according to France, was also a metaphor for prayer in the Jewish literature of this period. Later in Matthew, however, knocking will be a metaphor for gaining admittance to the Kingdom of Heaven. The present imperative tense is used for the verbs in these verses. This implies that the asking, seeking, and knocking are all described as continuous actions, and this implies that prayer to be effective should also be a continual habit, rather than an occasional plea. Nolland posits that knocking may be linked to the Narrow Gate metaphor found in .


title: Matthew 7:7–8

text: The verse presents prayer as certain to be answered, and the following verses explain why this is. This of course cannot mean that every demand made of God will be met in full. Fowler notes that in - Jesus has already laid out some rules for proper prayer. These verses thus cannot apply to all prayer, but only those who truly seek God. Christian theology has long tried to address the issue of prayers that seem unanswered. One notion is that God only gives good gifts. Even if you ask for something that will harm you, he will not provide it. Thus a prayer for wealth may not be answered, as such wealth may damage one's spiritual soul.


title: Matthew 7:7–8

text: In Jesus also states that prayer is not necessary as God knows what a person needs even before they ask him. Fowler feels that while prayer is not useful to God, it is useful to humans. If we do not have to toil through continuous prayer before receiving God's grace we will grow soft. The metaphor could also be one for religious study. Schweizer notes that Rabbis of the period and the Qumran community both put important stress on the pursuit of religious knowledge. Both groups believed that the true believer should strive to get to know God and the Law. The asking, seeking, and knocking, may be searches for knowledge just as much as for aid. This verse can thus be read as a support for inquisitiveness. A third view, rejected by almost all scholars, is that these verses are outlining a specific religious ritual involving asking, seeking, and knocking, and that the verse is not a metaphor at all. Luz notes that this alternative interpretation was central to Gnosticism, and this was one of the defining verses of that branch of Christianity. To Gnostics the continuous seeking for the hidden God was a central part of their faith. By contrast most other Christian groups describe believers as those who have found God, not those who are still seeking. The verse is elaborated upon by saying 92 in the Gospel of Thomas.


title: Matthew 7:7–8

text: The common English expressions "Ask, and you shall receive" and "Seek, and ye shall find" are both derived from this verse.


title: Matthew 7:7–8

text: Jerome: Having before forbidden us to pray for things of the flesh, He now shows what we ought to ask, saying, Ask, and it shall be given you.


title: Matthew 7:7–8

text: Augustine: Otherwise; when He commanded not to give the holy thing to dogs, and not to cast pearls before swine, the hearer conscious of his own ignorance might say, Why do you thus bid me not give the holy thing to dogs, when as yet I see not that I have any holy thing? He therefore adds in good season, Ask, and ye shall receive.


title: Matthew 7:7–8

text: Glossa Ordinaria: We ask with faith, we seek with hope, we knock with love. You must first ask that you may have; after that seek that you may find; and lastly, observe what you have found that you may enter in.


title: Matthew 7:7–8

text: Augustine: Asking, is that we may get healthiness of soul that we may be able to fulfil the things commanded us; seeking, pertains to the discovery of the truth. But when any has found the true way, he will then come into actual possession, which however is only opened to him that knocks.


title: Matthew 7:7–8

text: Augustine: How these three differ from one another, I have thought good to unfold with this travail; but it were better to refer them all to instant prayer; wherefore He afterwards concludes, saving, He will give good things to them that ask him.


title: Matthew 7:7–8

text: Chrysostom: And in that He adds seek, and knock, He bids us ask with much importunateness and strength. For one who seeks, casts forth all other things from his mind, and is turned to that thing singly which he seeks; and he that knocks comes with vehemence and warm soul.


title: Matthew 7:7–8

text: Pseudo-Chrysostom: He had said, Ask, and ye shall receive; which sinners hearing might perchance say, The Lord herein exhorts them that are worthy, but we are unworthy. Therefore He repeats it that He may commend the mercy of God to the righteous as well as to sinners; and therefore declares that everyone that asketh receiveth; that is, whether he be righteous or a sinner, let him not hesitate to ask; that it may be fully seen that none is neglected but he who hesitates to ask of God. For it is not credible that God should enjoin on men that work of piety which is displayed in doing good to our enemies, and should not Himself (being good) act so.


title: Matthew 7:7–8

text: Augustine: Wherefore God hears sinners; for if He do not hear sinners, the Publican said in vain, Lord, be merciful to me a sinner; (Luke 18:13.) and by that confession merited justification.


title: Matthew 7:7–8

text: Augustine: He who in faith offers supplication to God for the necessities of this life is heard mercifully, and not heard mercifully. For the physician knows better than the sick man what is good for his sickness. But if he asks that which God both promises and commands, his prayer shall be granted, for love shall receive what truth provides.


title: Matthew 7:7–8

text: Augustine: But the Lord is good, who often gives us not what we would, that He may give us what we should rather prefer.


title: Matthew 7:7–8

text: Augustine: In that God sometimes delays His gifts, He but recommends, and does not deny them. For that which is long looked for is sweeter when obtained; but that is held cheap, which comes at once. Ask then and seek things righteous. For by asking and seeking grows the appetite of taking. God reserves for you those things which He is not willing to give you at once, that you may learn greatly to desire great things. Therefore we ought always to pray and not to fail.


title: Comicstaan

text: Comicstaan is an Indian stand-up comedy competition television series created by Only Much Louder for Amazon Prime Video. The show brings together budding Indian comedians to find the next big name in stand-up comedy.


title: Comicstaan

text: The series premiere and three following episodes dropped on 13 July 2018. In its first week, "Comicstaan" became the most watched show on Amazon Prime Video in India. The judges for Season 1 were Biswa Kalyan Rath, Tanmay Bhat , Sapan Verma, Kaneez Surka, Kanan Gill, Kenny Sebastian, and Naveen Richard and it was hosted by Abish Mathew and Sumukhi Suresh. The grand finale of Season 1 was released on 17 August 2018 and Nishant Suri, a contestant from Noida, emerged as the winner.


title: Comicstaan

text: On 6 August 2018, "Comicstaan" was renewed for a second season. Comedian Zakir Khan was reported to be included in the lineup of judges and mentors for Season 2 with Sapan Verma and Naveen Richard not expected to return. Additionally, Tanmay Bhat was dropped from Season 2 on 14 November 2018, a month after he was ousted from All India Bakchod due to allegations of inaction against sexual harassment. Season 2 premiered on 12 July 2019 with the addition of judges Neeti Palta and Sumukhi Suresh (who co-hosted Season 1) as judges and mentors and Urooj Ashfaq joining as co-host.


title: Comicstaan

text: Comicstaan Season 2 premiered on 12 July 2019 where it released its first three episodes along with one bonus episode. This season had Biswa Kalyan Rath, Kaneez Surka, Kanan Gill, Zakir Khan, Neeti Palta and Kenny Sebastian as judges.


title: Comicstaan

text: The winner of Season 1 was Nishant Suri. The winning trophy of Season 2 was jointly shared by Samay Raina and Akash Gupta. The winner of Season 3 is Aashish Solanki.


title: Comicstaan

text: In September and October 2017, auditions for Season 1 took place in Mumbai, New Delhi, and Bangalore in the form of open mics. No contestants were chosen on the spot; videos of their performances were viewed by all judges and hosts together before they decided on the best 10.


title: Comicstaan

text: During the course of the shows, the 10 contestants went through 7 rounds of performances in order to secure a spot in the grand finale. Each round, the contestants performed in a different genre of comedy and, unlike most competition television series, there were no eliminations till the last round. Comedic genres the contestants performed in included anecdotal, topical, observational, improv, sketch, comedy of terrors, and alternative comedy.


title: Comicstaan

text: Before each round, the contestants were mentored in each genre by one of the judges, who is touted as the expert of that specific type of comedy. The contestants had a week to prepare fresh material and practice before performing that set live in front of an audience and the judges. After their performance, each contestant was given a score, between 1 and 10, by both the audience and all the judges (except for the expert for that round). Each contestant was given feedback by the judges before revealing their score. Two separate scores were revealed to each contestant - an average of the audience's score and an average of the judges'. The mean of both scores became the final score of the round for each contestant. The finals scores were aggregated each round and, at the end of the 7th round, 5 contestants receiving the best aggregate scores were given places in the finale.


title: Comicstaan

text: For round 4 (improv), the 10 contestants were separated into 2 groups of 5. Each team was scored and their team's score also became the contestant's individual score. For round 5 (sketch), the contestants were paired up and there were 5 performances. Similarly to round 4, each pair was scored, which then became both contestants' individual scores. Aggregates of the points received by all performers each round were given to the mentor of that week. The best mentor was revealed in the grand finale and Naveen Richard came first and Kaneez Surka and Kenny Sebastian were first and second runners-up, respectively.


title: Comicstaan

text: For the grand finale, the top 5 contestants performed in the Royal Opera House, Mumbai on 20 December 2017. They were allowed to perform in any of the 7 forms of comedy they were mentored in, including a combination of them. They were scored in a similar process as the previous rounds however, the scores were not aggregated with their previous scores. At the end, Nishant Suri, the contestant with the highest score, won the competition along with prize money of 10,00,000.


title: Comicstaan

text: On 10 October 20, auditions for Season 2 took place. This year the top 22 applicants auditioned for the judges in Mumbai itself on the main Comicstaan set. Applicants had to submit an application to the Comicstaan website and then the shortlisted few (around 100 people) met with producers and submitted themselves for vigorous background checks. The top few were invited to Mumbai to audition for the judges. The judges debated and scored the top 22 and based on an 8-hour gruelling debate session, they select the top 10 contestants.


title: Comicstaan

text: During the shows, the 10 contestants went through 7 rounds of performances to secure a spot in the grand finale. Each round, the contestants performed in a different genre of comedy and, unlike most competition television series, there were no eliminations till the last round. Comedic genres the contestants performed in included anecdotal, topical, observational, improv, sketch, comedy of terrors, and alternative comedy.


title: Comicstaan

text: Before each round, the contestants were mentored in each genre by one of the judges, who is touted as the expert of that specific type of comedy. The contestants had a week to prepare fresh material and practice before performing that set live in front of an audience and the judges. After their performance, each contestant was given a score between 1 and 10, by both the audience and all the judges (except for the expert for that round). Each contestant was given feedback by the judges before revealing their score. Two separate scores were revealed to each contestant - an average of the audience's score and an average of the judges'. The mean of both scores became the final score of the round for each contestant. The final scores were aggregated each round and at the end of the 7th round, 5 contestants receiving the best aggregate scores were given places in the finale.


title: Comicstaan

text: For the grand finale, the top 5 contestants perform in any of the 7 forms of comedy they were mentored in, including a combination of them. They are scored in a similar process however, the scores were not aggregated with their previous scores. In the end, the highest scorer wins the competition along with prize money of ₹10,00,000.


title: Comicstaan

text: After two spectacular seasons in Hindi, Comicstaan has expanded in Tamil Language. In 2019, auditions took place, applicants had to submit an application to the comicstaan website and then the shortlisted few met with producers and submitted themselves for vigorous background checks. Then top 6 contestants were selected.


title: Comicstaan

text: During the shows, the 6 contestants went through 7 rounds of performances to secure a spot in the grand finale. Each round, the contestants performed in a different genre of comedy and, unlike most competition television series, there were no eliminations till the last round. Comedic genres the contestants performed in included anecdotal, topical, observational, sketch, comedy of terror and character work.


title: Comicstaan

text: Before each round, the contestants were mentored in each genre by one of the judges, who is touted as the expert of that specific type of comedy. The contestants had a week to prepare fresh material and practice before performing that set live in front of an audience and the judges. After their performance, each contestant was given a score between 1 and 10, by both the audience and all the judges (except for the expert for that round). Each contestant was given feedback by the judges before revealing their score. Two separate scores were revealed to each contestant - an average of the audience's score and an average of the judges'. The mean of both scores became the final score of the round for each contestant. The final scores were aggregated each round and at the end of the 7th round, 3 contestants receiving the best aggregate scores were given places in the finale.


title: Comicstaan

text: For the grand finale, the top 3 contestants perform in any of the 7 forms of comedy they were mentored in, including a combination of them. They are scored in a similar process however, the scores were not aggregated with their previous scores. In the end, the highest scorer wins the competition along with prize money of ₹10,00,000.


title: Comiket

text: , more commonly known as or , is a semiannual "doujinshi" convention in Tokyo, Japan. A grassroots market focused on the sale of "doujin" (self-published) works, Comiket is a not-for-profit fan convention administered by the volunteer-run Comic Market Preparatory Committee (ComiketPC). Inaugurated on 21 December 1975 with an estimated 700 attendees, Comiket has since grown to become the largest fan convention in the world, with an estimated turnstile attendance of 750,000 in 2019. Comiket is typically held at Tokyo Big Sight in August and December, with the two events distinguished as and , respectively.


title: Comiket

text: Comiket is focused primarily on the sale of "dōjin": non-commercial, self-published works. Approximately 35,000 circles (a term for groups or individuals who create "dōjin") participate in each edition of Comiket. Different circles exhibit on each day of Comiket; circles producing works on a common subject, such as a particular media franchise or , are typically grouped on the same day. The most common item sold at Comiket is "dōjinshi" (self-published comics, novels or magazines), while a smaller number of circles sell "dōjin" soft, analog (board/card/etc.) games, music, clothing, and other goods. These are often derivative fan works based on anime, video games, and other media, legal according to Japanese law (shinkokuzai). Since Comiket's inauguration, sample copies of all works sold at Comiket are collected and archived by ComiketPC, with over 2.1 million works having been archived.


title: Comiket

text: Comiket is a major outlet for cosplay enthusiasts. Since Comiket 80 in 2011, restrictions on cosplaying have been gradually relaxed, with a shift from regulating objects (e.g. a ban on items that could be used as weapons) to regulating behavior (e.g. a ban on swinging around long objects). Some general contemporary guidelines include not wearing clothes that are too revealing, not imitating uniformed officers, and being out of cosplay when arriving/departing from Comiket.


title: Comiket

text: Comiket hosts 190 corporate booths each year. This includes both large commercial companies, such as video game studios and manga publishers, as well as celebrity meet and greet sessions.


title: Comiket

text: Comiket is held twice yearly, in August and December. These events are distinguished as "Summer Comic Market" ("Natsukomi") and "Winter Comic Market" ("Fuyukomi"). Since 1995, both events have run for three days each, with Summer Comiket generally occurring Friday to Sunday in mid-August, and Winter Comiket generally occurring the three days prior to New Year's Day. Starting with Comiket 96, the events have been four days long. Both events run daily from 10:00a.m. to 4:00p.m, with corporate booths open until 5:00p.m and the entire convention closing an hour early on the final day of the event. Comiket has been held at Tokyo Big Sight in Ariake, Tokyo since 1996. Comiket 98, which was planned for August 2020, was the event's first cancellation in its history as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic; Comiket 99, which would have been held in December 2020 was instead held in December 2021, two years after the last time it was held, and ran for only two days.


title: Comiket

text: Comiket is the largest fan convention in the world, growing from fewer than 10,000 attendees in 1982 to over half a million by 2004. Since 2007, attendee numbers have fluctuated in the region of 500,000 for Winter Comiket and 560,000 for Summer Comiket. Because of the extremely high volume of attendance at Comiket, mobile phone companies set up temporary antennas, while the Tokyo Metro makes special arrangements to accommodate the large crowds. Hour-long queues to enter Comiket during peak hours are common, while some attendees queue up to five hours before the event to ensure early admission. Popular circles are frequently placed near the venue's loading docks so that their queues can extend outside. ComiketPC recommends that first-time attendees arrive in the afternoon to avoid queues.


title: Comiket

text: For every Comiket, a catalog is released that contains information about the event. The catalog includes a list of all participating circles, maps of the convention layout, directions to and from the convention, rules for the convention, results from surveys held among Comiket participants, articles about topics relevant to "dōjinshi" creators, and one to two pictures ("circle cuts") for every participating circle. It is available in print and DVD-ROM format, and since Comiket 83, is available online behind a partial paywall.


title: Comiket

text: Catalogs are made available for sale at stores two weeks before the event. The print version is roughly the size of an average phone book, while the DVD-ROM version includes features such as advanced search functions and a clickable map. To date, there is no English edition of the catalog available, though the catalog does contain a four-page basic guide for attending Comiket in English, Chinese, and Korean.


title: Comiket

text: Prior to Comiket 96, a purchased catalog was not required for admission to Comiket (see 2020 Summer Olympics changes below).


title: Comiket

text: The overwhelming majority of Comiket circle participants are amateur and hobbyist artists: 70% of participating circles lose money, while only 15% turn a profit. The majority of circle participants at Comiket are female, with women composing 57% of participating circles at Comiket 84. General attendees at Comiket tend to skew male, with men comprising 64% of attendees at Comiket 78.


title: Comiket

text: Of the Comiket circle participants, a 2011 poll showed that nearly half participated because attending the event and showing off their work is enjoyable, and a significant percentage came to spread their works to the public. A smaller percentage of dōjinshi creators' goal is to promote an idea or opinion through attending Comiket.


title: Comiket

text: The majority of those participating in circles in 2010 said that they are a part of a one-person circle (59%), while two-person (20%) and three person (8%) circles were also common.


title: Comiket

text: Since 1993, ComiketPC has donated over ¥60 million to sustainable forest management to offset paper used in the production of dōjinshi. Since 2007, ComiketPC has worked with the Japanese Red Cross Society to organize bloodmobiles at Comiket events, with donors given Comiket-exclusive posters depicting characters from anime and video games. The Red Cross receives an estimated 1,500 blood donations at each Comiket.


title: Comiket

text: Comiket was inaugurated in 1975 by , a "dōjin" circle founded by Yoshihiro Yonezawa, Teruo Harada, and Jun Aniwa while studying at Meiji University. The first Comiket was organized amid a period of immense change and upheaval for manga as a medium, characterized by the closure of the experimental manga magazine "COM" and the ascendance of the Year 24 Group. A 1975 incident in which a "dōjin" creator applying for Nihon SF Taikai was refused admission after criticizing the convention's focus on professional guests over "dōjin" creators in her application became a catalyst for the founding of Comiket as a fan convention.


title: Comiket

text: As Comiket grew, a lottery system to allocate exhibition space was implemented in 1979, as the number of applications from circles began to surpass available space. In 1981 the event moved to and began publishing an event catalog in 1982. Comiket would change locations frequently throughout the late 1980s and 1990s, as the Japanese bubble economy led to an upsurge in trade shows that made it difficult to secure a consistent venue. The murders by Tsutomu Miyazaki and subsequent moral panic against otaku would lead to further difficulties in Comiket's ability to secure a venue. Tokyo Big Sight hosted Comiket for the first time in 1996, and remains the convention's primary venue.


title: Comiket

text: In 2012, anonymous threats made against circles creating works related to "Kuroko's Basketball" led Comiket to prohibit the sale of all "Kuroko's Basketball"-related items at Comiket 85 (see Kuroko's Basketball § Controversies). Organizers refunded the registration fees for the roughly 900 circles producing "Kuroko's Basketball" items, resulting in a loss for Comiket of roughly ¥10 million. In 2015, ComiketPC organized a special event specifically focused on doujinshi related to the series. Affectionately nicknamed "Kuroket", the event hosted approximately 2,400 circles producing "Kuroko's Basketball" items.


title: Comiket

text: In August 2018, ComiketPC announced modified schedules for Comikets 96, 97, and 98 due to the 2020 Summer Olympics. As the east wing of Big Sight closed in 2019 for renovations in advance of the Olympics, the corporate booths of C96 and C97 were moved to Aomi Exhibition Hall, and both events expanded to four days of programming. Admission to both events required the purchase of a wristband – the first time in Comiket's history it was not free to attend – in order to offset the cost of running the event across four days, and to depress attendance in light of the smaller venue space. Wristbands for all four days were included with the purchase of a print event catalog, while individual wristbands for each day were available to purchase at Big Sight the day of the event. C98 in 2020 was slated to be moved to Golden Week in May in order to not conflict with the Olympics in August. On 27 March 2020, ComiketPC announced that C98 had been cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, making it the first time a Comiket event has been cancelled. On 12 July 2020, it was announced that Comiket 99 would be postponed to 2021, taking place during Golden Week as C98 would have in order to not conflict with the Summer Olympics, which were also postponed. A virtual event titled "Air Comiket" was held in December to replace its originally planned dates. Comic Market 99 was ultimately delayed to December 2021, and ran for only two days with entry limited to 55,000 people per day by requiring ticket purchases.


title: H.O.T.

text: H.O.T. (; pronounced "H. O. T.", acronym for Highfive Of Teenagers) was a South Korean boy band that was created by SM Entertainment in 1996. They are considered to be the first K-pop "idol group" and their successful formula became the model for many K-pop groups that followed them. The group consisted of five members: Moon Hee-joon, Jang Woo-hyuk, Tony Ahn, Kangta, and Lee Jae-won.


title: H.O.T.

text: H.O.T. sold over 6.4 million records in South Korea during their career. They were also commercially successful in China and Japan, and were among the first stars of the Korean Wave in Asia.


title: H.O.T.

text: The group broke up in 2001 following a contract disagreement with SM Entertainment, prompting hundreds of fans to stage protests against the company.


title: H.O.T.

text: H.O.T. was formed in 1996 by record producer Lee Soo-man, the founder of SM Entertainment. Lee had polled high school students to find out what their ideal pop group would be like, and he used this information to create H.O.T.


title: H.O.T.

text: The first member to join the group was Kangta, who Lee discovered at an amusement park. Next to join were friends and singing partners Moon Hee-joon and Lee Jae-won. The fourth to join was Jang Woo-hyuk who attracted Lee's attention after winning first place in a dance contest. Finally, Tony Ahn joined the group after auditioning for Lee in Los Angeles.


title: H.O.T.

text: H.O.T. debuted in September 1996 with the album "We Hate All Kinds of Violence," which was a success, selling 1.5 million copies. Their first single, "Descendants of Warriors," was a critique of schoolyard bullying, while their second single, "Candy", was a cheerful bubblegum pop song that established H.O.T.'s popularity, especially among teenage girls. That year, H.O.T. won Best New Artist at the Golden Disc Awards.


title: H.O.T.

text: In July 1997, H.O.T. released their second album, "Wolf and Sheep," which sold 1 million copies in ten days. The album included the singles "Wolf and Sheep," "Happiness," and "We Are the Future," the first of which was banned from airplay due to its use of strong language. Nonetheless, the album was both commercially and critically successful, winning the Grand Prize at both the 1997 Golden Disc Awards and the 1997 Seoul Music Awards. Additionally, "We Are the Future" was nominated for an International Viewer's Choice Award at the 1998 MTV Video Music Awards. By this time, H.O.T. had become a "social sensation" in South Korea, and with their success came the rise of K-pop fan culture. In 1997, H.O.T. also released their first Chinese album, the sales of which helped the group survive the slump in South Korean record sales that followed the Asian financial crisis.


title: H.O.T.

text: H.O.T. released their third album, "Resurrection", in September 1998. The album, which featured a variety of styles including hardcore hip hop, sold more than 1.1 million copies by the following year. At the 1998 Seoul Music Awards, "Resurrection" was awarded the Grand Prize, which it shared with "Special Album" by Sechs Kies. Netizens accused the album of plagiarism on account of alleged similarities between the album's lead single "Line Up!" and "Killing In The Name," a song by American rock band Rage Against the Machine. However, the song won the International Viewer's Choice Award for MTV Korea at the 1999 MTV Video Music Awards.


title: H.O.T.

text: H.O.T. released a live greatest hits album in April 1999. On June 25, H.O.T. performed alongside Michael Jackson and popular South Korean girl group S.E.S. at a benefit concert in Seoul arranged by Jackson. In September 1999, H.O.T. released their fourth album, "I Yah!". The album's title track was about a 1999 fire that killed kindergarten students at the Sealand Youth Training Center in South Korea. The album sold more than 1.3 million copies. Within that same month, H.O.T. became the first K-pop group to perform at the Seoul Olympic Stadium, where 72,000 fans saw them perform.


title: H.O.T.

text: In February 2000, H.O.T. performed for 13,000 fans in Beijing at their first concert in China. The group became immensely popular among Chinese teenagers, and their success inspired S.M. Entertainment and other South Korean entertainment companies to promote their artists in China. H.O.T. released their fifth album, "Outside Castle", in September 2000. That year, the group also starred in the sci-fi movie "Age of Peace," in which they portrayed soccer players living in a futuristic society. Despite H.O.T.'s popularity at the time, the movie was not a hit.


title: H.O.T.

text: H.O.T. announced its disbandment at a press conference in Seoul in May 2001. Members An, Lee and Jang told the press that they were leaving S.M. Entertainment because they could not come to an agreement with the company over a new contract. In the following days, hundreds of the group's fans protested outside of S.M. Entertainment headquarters. Some fans blocked roads and threw rocks at the company headquarters' windows to protest what they believed were unjust actions against H.O.T. on the part of S.M. Entertainment. It was later reported that the contractual disagreements between H.O.T. and S.M. Entertainment concerned the group members' pay, which was only about $10,000 USD for every 1 million albums they sold.


title: H.O.T.

text: After the split, Kangta and Moon were offered lucrative contracts by S.M. Entertainment as solo artists. An, Lee and Jang signed to Yejeon Media and formed a three-member group called jtL, which experienced moderate success before they disbanded in 2003. All five former H.O.T. members have since pursued solo careers and are still active in the entertainment industry.


title: H.O.T.

text: In February 2018, H.O.T. was featured on the South Korean variety show "Infinite Challenge" in the "Saturday, Saturday is for Singers" () special, a recurring segment on the show which showcases famous singers from the 1990s and was notably responsible for the reunion of their first-generation counterparts Sechs Kies. All five members appeared on the show, marking their first appearance as a complete group since 2003.


title: H.O.T.

text: During the years in between disbandment and the reunion, the possibility of a reunion had been repeatedly brought up. Following the successful reunions of their fellow first-generation groups g.o.d and Fly to the Sky in 2014, a Naver online poll revealed that H.O.T ranked first as the first-generation idol group K-pop fans most wanted to see again. In 2016 it was reported that the members had been in contact with one another and met with Lee Soo-man to discuss the possibility of reuniting for the 20th anniversary of their debut but it ultimately did not come to fruition.


title: H.O.T.

text: On August 31, 2018, it was announced that H.O.T. would be independently holding their reunion concert, 'Forever [Highfive Of Teenagers]', on October 13 and 14 in Seoul Olympic Main Stadium with 100,000 attendees.


title: Sunny Lane

text: Sunny Lane is an American pornographic actress and nude model. She is a member of the NightMoves, AVN, and XRCO Halls of Fame.


title: Sunny Lane

text: Lane's parents, Shelby and Mike, worked in air-freight. In her youth she was a competitive roller skater and ice skater, and later worked as an instructor teaching yoga and pilates.


title: Sunny Lane

text: She trained as an ice dancer under James Millns and was in preparation for the Olympic trials when she required bunion surgery. Unable to skate due to the recovery period, she started dancing nude in order to support herself financially. She became an exotic dancer and won Déjà Vu Showgirl of the Year during her first year of dancing in 2004. Lane was invited to attend the AVN Awards ceremony in 2005 by Serenity, where, at an after-show party hosted by Sean Michaels, she encountered an agent from "Playboy". She started to appear in adult movies in the same year.


title: Sunny Lane

text: Her career is supported and managed by her parents. Lane credits her parents' participation in naturist recreation, and generalized "free thinking" and "open-minded" attitudes for their comfort with her involvement in the adult entertainment industry. She attributes the ease with which she was able to transition from ice skating to adult entertainment to the body image instilled by her own practice of naturism with her parents at home during her childhood.


title: Sunny Lane

text: She appeared on the first episode of the Fox reality series "My Bare Lady," which aired December 7, 2006, and on an episode of "" defending her career. Television audiences also saw her with her parents on Fox News' "Geraldo at Large" on March 18, 2007, using the alias, "Sunny Lee." Lane was featured on the television show "Pants-Off Dance-Off" on Fuse TV.


title: Sunny Lane

text: Her performance in the 2007 film "Goo Girls 26" earned Lane the 2008 AVN award for Best POV Sex Scene. In 2008 she starred in "Big Wet Asses 13" performing her first anal scene; the scene won the AVN Award for best anal scene.


title: Sunny Lane

text: She is bisexual. In June 2011, Lane announced that she was engaged and was taking a hiatus from making adult films in order to concentrate upon her upcoming marriage.


title: Sunny Lane

text: In November 2012, she announced her return to the adult industry to star in "Not the Love Boat XXX" and other adult movies as well as to entertain clients at the Moonlite BunnyRanch.


title: Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip

text: Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip is an American comedy-drama television series created and primarily written by Aaron Sorkin. The series was about the production of a live comedy series, similar to "Saturday Night Live". Produced by Warner Bros. Television, "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip" ran on NBC for 22 episodes, from September 18, 2006, to June 28, 2007. On May 14, 2007, NBC cancelled the series after one season. It is the only one of the four television shows created by Sorkin not to air for more than one season.


title: Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip

text: The series takes place behind the scenes of a live sketch comedy show (also called "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip" or "Studio 60") on the fictional television network NBS (National Broadcasting System), whose format is similar to that of NBC's "Saturday Night Live". National Broadcasting System is owned by the TMG Corporation. The show-within-a-show is run by executive producers Matt Albie (Matthew Perry) and Danny Tripp (Bradley Whitford). Matt serves as the head writer and Danny produces the show.


title: Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip

text: "Studio 60" features an ensemble cast portraying the personnel involved in the production of a late-night comedy show.


title: Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip

text: "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip" was tentatively titled "Studio 7 on the Sunset Strip" during its development stage. The series prompted NBC and CBS to engage in an intense bidding war for the rights to the show in October 2005, with NBC agreeing to a "near-record license fee" in order to obtain the rights. It was the show most anticipated by media buyers prior to the network upfront presentations, according to "MediaLife". Among the online public the show was also highly anticipated, receiving the most online "mentions" and the most positive sentiment of any new 2006 show.


title: Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip

text: Sorkin drew from his own experience as a writer in creating the characters (the Harriet/Matt relationship was based on Sorkin's relationship with Kristin Chenoweth, who played Annabeth Schott on "The West Wing"). In "Studio 60"s pilot, one of the reasons that Matt and Harriet broke up was Harriet's decision to appear on "The 700 Club" to support her Christian music album. In 2005, Chenoweth made a similar appearance on "The 700 Club", sparking a negative reaction from some of her gay fans because of the views of "700 Club" host Pat Robertson. Unlike Matt and Harriet, Sorkin and Chenoweth did not work together on "The West Wing". Sorkin left after "The West Wing"s fourth season and Chenoweth joined the cast during season six.


title: Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip

text: The Jordan McDeere character was loosely based on former ABC Entertainment President Jamie Tarses, who was a consultant on the show.


title: Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip

text: The conflict between NBS and the FCC regarding uncensored language of American soldiers in Afghanistan parallels the decision by a small number of PBS affiliates to air the Oscar-nominated documentary "" in full, despite potentially hefty fines for unedited obscenities used by American soldiers describing their experiences in Iraq.


title: Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip

text: Following Sorkin's trend of putting real-life behind-the-scenes conflict into the writing of the show, the latter episodes of the series focus on Matt and Danny having to come up with more money for the show. The duo determine that they could raise extra money by remaking the stage as a form of product placement. This mirrors the real-world struggle of the show and its constant attempts to reduce the budget of the show and also generate more money. The new stage and its advertisements would have generated money for "Studio 60", the fictional show, as well as the real life "Studio 60" program. This last-ditch attempt was not enough to save the show.


title: Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip

text: Two shows debuting on 2006–07 NBC lineup, "30 Rock" and "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip", revolved around the off-camera happenings on a "Saturday Night Live"-analogue sketch comedy series. Similarities between the two led to speculation that only one of them would be picked up. "30 Rock" co-star Alec Baldwin said, "I'd be stunned if NBC picked up both shows. And ours has the tougher task, as a comedy, because, if it's not funny, that's it." Kevin Reilly, then president of NBC Entertainment, was supportive of "30 Rock" creator, writer, producer and star Tina Fey, describing the situation as a "high-class problem":


title: Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip

text: Evidence of the overlapping subject matter between the shows, as well as the conflict between them, arose when Aaron Sorkin asked Lorne Michaels to allow him to observe "Saturday Night Live" for a week, a request Michaels denied. Despite this, Sorkin sent Fey flowers after NBC announced it would pick up both series, and wished her luck with "30 Rock". Fey said that "it's just bad luck for me that in my first attempt at prime time I'm going up against the most powerful writer on television. I was joking that this would be the best pilot ever aired on Trio. And then Trio got canceled."


title: Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip

text: Although "30 Rock"s first-season ratings proved lackluster and were lower than those of "Studio 60", "Studio 60" was more expensive to produce. "Studio 60" was canceled after one season while "30 Rock" was renewed, and would ultimately last for seven seasons and 138 episodes, the last of which aired during the 2012–13 season.


title: Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip

text: "Studio 60" consists of a single season of 22 episodes. Its pilot episode was written by series creator Aaron Sorkin, and directed by executive producer Thomas Schlamme. Its pilot was ostensibly based on Sorkin and Schlamme's experience on "The West Wing". Sorkin wrote or co-wrote all of the episodes. Schlamme directed four episodes, a total exceeded only by Timothy Busfield, who directed five episodes and co-directed a sixth.


title: Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip

text: The series includes two two-part episodes ("Nevada Day" and "The Harriet Dinner") and concludes with a story arc featuring a three-part episode "K & R" (kidnap & ransom) that is capped off with a fourth and final episode ("What Kind of Day Has It Been").


title: Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip

text: Television critics named "Studio 60" their "Best Overall New Program" in a poll conducted by "Broadcasting and Cable", based on the pilot episode. In their 2006 year-end issue, the "New York Daily News" listed "Studio 60" as number 6 on their best "Series of the Year" list, and it was also listed in best standout performances as number 9 for Matthew Perry.


title: Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip

text: Glenn Garvin of the "Miami Herald" named "Studio 60" as number 2 on his list of best "Series of the Year." "Studio 60" earned a collective rating of 75 out of 100 based on 33 reviews by TV critics and received 8.2 out of 10 from 276 votes by users on Metacritic.


title: Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip

text: The pilot was seen by an average of 13.4 million total viewers in its initial airing on NBC, although it experienced significant viewer falloff from the first half-hour to the second half-hour, and the second episode's Nielsen ratings were down by 12% from the pilot. The erosion continued through episode 5, with a 43% viewer drop off from its premiere, but subsequently leveled off.


title: Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip

text: On October 27, 2006, NBC gave a conditional "vote of confidence" by ordering three additional scripts on top of the initial order of 13. Despite the order, "Studio 60" performed poorly in the ratings, which led to speculation that the network was seriously considering canceling the show.


title: Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip

text: Gossip blogger Roger Friedman of Fox News reported on October 30, 2006, that cancellation of the show was imminent. This was denied the next day by an NBC representative who stated that the show "is profitable at this point" and that rather than a cancellation, it is more likely that the show's time slot will change.


title: Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip

text: On November 9, 2006, NBC announced that the show had been picked up for a full season, citing its favorable demographics as the reason. According to NBC's press release: ""Studio 60" has consistently delivered some of the highest audience concentrations among all primetime network series in such key upscale categories as adults 18–49 living in homes with $75,000-plus and $100,000-plus incomes and in homes where the head of household has four or more years of college."


title: Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip

text: In its December 17, 2006, issue, "Time" listed "Studio 60" as one of "5 Things That Went From Buzz to Bust", sharing the distinction with other "phenomena that captivated the media for a spell, then turned out to be less than huge." "Entertainment Weekly" named "Studio 60" the worst TV show of 2006. Comedy writers were largely disdainful of "Studio 60", with comments like "People in television, trust me, are not that smart", "[Sorkin] wants to get big ideas across and change people's minds. No comedians work that way. They go for the laughs first and the lesson second", and "["Saturday Night Live"] is so dark, they could never show what actually happens there."


title: Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip

text: "The New Yorker" described the short-lived "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip" as a show people loved to hate-watch, as "it was bad in a truly spectacular way—you could learn something from it, about self-righteous TV speechifying and failed satire and the dangers of letting a brilliant showrunner like [Aaron] Sorkin run loose to settle all his grudges in fictional form".


title: Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip

text: On July 19, 2007, the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences announced their nominations for the 2007 Primetime Emmy Awards. "Studio 60" was nominated in five categories. The pilot episode earned three nominations: Outstanding Directing (Thomas Schlamme), Outstanding Cinematography for a Single-Camera Series, and Outstanding Casting in Dramatic Series. Both John Goodman and Eli Wallach were nominated Outstanding Guest Actor in Dramatic Series. "Studio 60" Emmy nominations surpassed several other shows, such as "Friday Night Lights" and "Dexter", which got two and three, respectively. The show also tied with "" and "24".


title: Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip

text: On December 2, 2006, NBC announced that "Studio 60" would be sharing the Monday at 10 p.m. timeslot with "The Black Donnellys"; as a result, "Studio 60" was on hiatus from December 4, 2006, to January 22, 2007. It then ran non-stop until February 26, 2007, when it was scheduled to take another hiatus.


title: Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip

text: On February 13, 2007, NBC announced that "Studio 60" would go on hiatus one week early, and that the last episode would air on February 19, 2007. This was at least partially due to the show's delivering its lowest ratings to date on the Monday preceding the announcement.


title: Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip

text: During the hiatus on NBC, "The Black Donnellys" (premiered February 26), "Thank God You're Here" (premiered April 9), "The Real Wedding Crashers" (premiered April 23, after "Thank God You're Here" moved to Wednesdays), and "" (aired its last two episodes of the season starting May 14) occupied the Monday 10 p.m. time period.


title: Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip

text: On April 2, 2007, NBC announced that "Studio 60" would not reclaim its Monday at 10 p.m. time slot at the conclusion of "The Black Donnellys" run and that "The Real Wedding Crashers", a reality show based on the popular movie, would occupy the timeslot from April 23, 2007, through the end of the TV season. However, on April 26, NBC announced that "Studio 60" would return from its hiatus on Thursday, May 24, at 10:00 p.m.


title: Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip

text: In a 2011 reference to the cancelled "Studio 60", Aaron Sorkin appeared in "Plan B", a fifth-season episode of "30 Rock"; he played himself, depicted as looking for work alongside an also-struggling Liz Lemon. He refers to his achievements, such as "The West Wing" and "The Social Network", but when Liz Lemon mentions "Studio 60", he quickly replies, "Shut up!" During the March 2012 promotion of "Bent", an NBC romantic comedy series starring Amanda Peet, Peet commented on what the issue was with "Studio 60", saying it was "too expensive and there was too much anticipation. I guess all together we seemed like this arrogant monolith, but individually, none of us felt very arrogant."


title: Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip

text: "Key: Rating is the estimated percentage of all TVs tuned to the show, share is the percentage of all TVs in use that are tuned in. Viewers is the estimated number of actual people watching, in millions, while ranking is the approximate ranking of the show against all prime-time TV shows for the week (Monday through the following Sunday)."


title: Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip

text: While the show premiered with high ratings, there was a large drop during the second half. This trend continued through nearly every episode of the show.


title: Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip

text: Seasonal rankings (based on average total viewers per episode) of "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip" on NBC:


title: Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip

text: On December 29, 2006, Nielsen Media Research reported the results of having, for the first time, monitored viewers who use a Digital Video Recorder to pre-record shows for later viewing. According to the Nielsen numbers, adding these viewers increased "Studio 60"'s ratings the most in percentage terms of all network shows. These ratings, called "live plus seven", include all viewers who use a DVR to record the show and then watch it within a week of its initial airing.


title: Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip

text: According to Nielsen, "Studio 60" added nearly 11%, or almost a million viewers, to its total every week as a result of these "live plus seven" viewers.


title: Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip

text: According to "Medialife" Magazine, "The live-plus-seven-day rating for NBC's "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip" is 136% higher than its live rating in DVR homes."


title: Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip

text: On June 27, 2007, the day before the airing of the show's final episode, Warner Home Video announced an October 16 release date for the "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip: Complete Series" DVD set.


title: Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip

text: NBC made the pilot episode of "Studio 60" available on DVD to Netflix subscribers on August 5, 2006. The DVD also includes the pilot episode for "Kidnapped", another show which aired on NBC in the fall and also got canceled. AOL also premiered the first episode of "Studio 60" in its entirety on its online television channel.


title: Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip

text: The pilot episode was screened to the general public for the first time at the 31st MediaGuardian Edinburgh International Television Festival, a British industry and media event held annually over the August bank holiday weekend (August 25–27, 2006). The pilot episode was screened outdoors on a "giant billboard style screen" in Conference Square, next to the Edinburgh International Conference Centre.


title: Giant oceanic manta ray

text: The giant oceanic manta ray, giant manta ray, or oceanic manta ray (Mobula birostris) is a species of ray in the family Mobulidae, and the largest type of ray in the world. It is circumglobal and is typically found in tropical and subtropical waters, but can also be found in temperate waters. Until 2017, the species was classified in the genus "Manta", along with the smaller reef manta ray ("Mobula alfredi"). DNA testing revealed that both species are more closely related to rays of the genus "Mobula" than previously thought. As a result, the giant manta was renamed as "Mobula birostris" to reflect the new classification.


title: Giant oceanic manta ray

text: The giant oceanic manta ray can grow up to in maximum length and to a disc size of across with a weight of about but average size commonly observed is . It is dorsoventrally flattened and has large, triangular pectoral fins on either side of the disc.


title: Giant oceanic manta ray

text: At the front, it has a pair of cephalic fins which are forward extensions of the pectoral fins. These can be rolled up in a spiral for swimming or can be flared out to channel water into the large, forward-pointing, rectangular mouth when the animal is feeding.


title: Giant oceanic manta ray

text: The eyes and the spiracles are on the side of the head behind the cephalic fins, and the gill slits are on the ventral (under) surface.


title: Giant oceanic manta ray

text: It has a small dorsal fin and the tail is long and whip-like. The manta ray does not have a spiny tail as do the closely related devil rays ("Mobula" spp.) but has a knob-like bulge at the base of its tail.


title: Giant oceanic manta ray

text: The skin is smooth with a scattering of conical and ridge-shaped tubercles. The colouring of the dorsal (upper) surface is black, dark brown, or steely blue, sometimes with a few pale spots and usually with a pale edge. The ventral surface is white, sometimes with dark spots and blotches. The markings can often be used to recognise individual fish.


title: Giant oceanic manta ray

text: "Mobula birostris" is similar in appearance to "Mobula alfredi" and the two species may be confused as their distribution overlaps. However, there are distinguishing features.


title: Giant oceanic manta ray

text: The oceanic manta ray is larger than the reef manta ray, 4 to 5 metres in average against 3 to 3.5 metres. However, if the observed rays are young, their size can easily bring confusion. Only the colour pattern remains an effective way to distinguish them. The reef manta ray has a dark dorsal side with usually two lighter areas on top of the head, looking like a nuanced gradient of its dark dominating back coloration and whitish to greyish, the longitudinal separation between these two lighter areas forms a kind of "Y". While for the oceanic manta ray, the dorsal surface is deep dark and the two white areas are well marked without gradient effect. The line of separation between these two white areas form meanwhile a "T".


title: Giant oceanic manta ray

text: Difference can also be made by their ventral coloration, the reef manta ray has a white belly with often spots between the branchial gill slits and other spots spread across trailing edge of pectoral fins and abdominal region. The oceanic manta ray has also a white ventral coloration with spots clustered around lower region of its abdomen. Its cephalic fins, inside of its mouth and its gill slits are often black.


title: Giant oceanic manta ray

text: The giant oceanic manta ray has a widespread distribution in tropical and temperate waters worldwide. In the Northern Hemisphere, it has been recorded as far north as southern California and New Jersey in the United States, Aomori Prefecture in Japan, the Sinai Peninsula in Egypt, and the Azores in the northern Atlantic. In the Southern Hemisphere, it occurs as far south as Peru, Uruguay, South Africa, and New Zealand.


title: Giant oceanic manta ray

text: It is an ocean-going species and spends most of its life far from land, travelling with the currents and migrating to areas where upwellings of nutrient-rich water increase the availability of zooplankton. The oceanic manta ray is often found in association with offshore oceanic islands.


title: Giant oceanic manta ray

text: There are few public aquariums with giant manta ray in captivity. Since 2009, captive manta rays have been classified as "Ꮇ. alfredi" and there have been no facilities to display "Ꮇ. birostris" for some time.


title: Giant oceanic manta ray

text: Since late 2018 it has been exhibited at Nausicaä Centre National de la Mer in France and Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium in Japan.


title: Giant oceanic manta ray

text: There are also reports that they were kept at the Marine Life Park, part of the Resorts World Sentosa in Singapore.


title: Giant oceanic manta ray

text: When traveling in deep water, the giant oceanic manta ray swims steadily in a straight line, while further inshore it usually basks or swims idly around. Mantas may travel alone or in groups of up to 50 and sometimes associate with other fish species, as well as sea birds and marine mammals. About 27% of their diet is based on filter feeding, and they will migrate to coastlines to hunt varying types of zooplankton such as copepods, mysids, shrimp, euphausiids, decapod larvae, and on occasion, varying sizes of fish. When foraging, it usually swims slowly around its prey, herding the planktonic creatures into a tight group before speeding through the bunched-up organisms with its mouth open wide. While feeding, the cephalic fins are spread to channel the prey into its mouth and the small particles are sifted from the water by the tissue between the gill arches. As many as 50 individual fish may gather at a single, plankton-rich feeding site. Research published in 2016 proved about 73% of their diet is mesopelagic (deep water) sources including fish. Earlier assumptions about exclusively filter feeding were based on surface observations.


title: Giant oceanic manta ray

text: The giant oceanic manta ray sometimes visits a cleaning station on a coral reef, where it adopts a near-stationary position for several minutes while cleaner fish consume bits of loose skin and external parasites. Such visits occur most frequently at high tide. It does not rest on the seabed as do many flat fish, as it needs to swim continuously to channel water over its gills for respiration.


title: Giant oceanic manta ray

text: Males become sexually mature when their disc width is about , while females need to be about wide to breed. When a female is becoming receptive, one or several males may swim along behind her in a "train". During copulation, one of the males grips the female's pectoral fin with his teeth and they continue to swim with their ventral surfaces in contact. He inserts his claspers into her cloaca and these form a tube through which the sperm is pumped. The pair remains coupled together for several minutes before going their own way.


title: Giant oceanic manta ray

text: The fertilized eggs develop within the female's oviduct. At first, they are enclosed in an egg case and the developing embryos feed on the yolk. After the egg hatches, the pup remains in the oviduct and receives nourishment from a milky secretion. As it does not have a placental connection with its mother, the pup relies on buccal pumping to obtain oxygen. The brood size is usually one but occasionally two embryos develop simultaneously. The gestation period is thought to be 12–13 months. When fully developed, the pup is in disc width, weighs and resembles an adult. It is expelled from the oviduct, usually near the coast, and it remains in a shallow-water environment for a few years while it grows.


title: Giant oceanic manta ray

text: The oceanic manta has one of the largest brains, weighing up to 200 g, (five to ten times larger than a whale shark brain) and the largest brain-to-mass ratio of any fish. It heats the blood going to its brain and is one of the few animals (land or sea) that might pass the mirror test, seemingly exhibiting self-awareness.


title: Giant oceanic manta ray

text: Because of its large size and velocity in case of danger (24 km/h escape speed), the oceanic manta ray has very few natural predators that could be fatal to it. Only large sharks and dolphins, such as the tiger shark ("Galeocerdo cuvier"), the great hammerhead shark ("Sphyrna mokarran"), the bullshark ("Carcharhinus leucas"), the false killer whale ("Pseudorca crassidens"), and the killer whale ("Orcinus orca"), are capable of preying on the ray. Nonlethal shark bites are very common occurrences, with a vast majority of adult individuals bearing the scars of at least one attack.


title: Giant oceanic manta ray

text: The oceanic manta ray is considered to be endangered by the IUCN’s Red List of Endangered Species because its population has decreased drastically over the last twenty years due to overfishing. Because "M. birostris" feeds in shallow waters, there is a higher risk of them getting caught in fishing equipment, especially in surface drift gillnets and bottom set nets. Whatever the type of fishing (artisanal, targeted or bycatch), the impact on a population which has a low fecundity rate, a long gestation period with mainly a single pup at a time, and a late sexual maturity can only be seriously detrimental to a species that cannot compensate for the losses over several decades.


title: Giant oceanic manta ray

text: Since the 1970s, fishing for manta rays has been significantly boosted by the price of their gill rakers on the traditional Chinese medicine market. In Chinese culture, they are the main ingredient in a tonic that is marketed to increase immune system function and blood circulation, though there is no strong evidence that the tonic is actually beneficial to health. For this reason and others, gill rakers are sold at relatively high prices – up to $400 per kilogram – and are sold under the trade name "pengyusai". In June 2018 the New Zealand Department of Conservation classified the giant oceanic manta ray as "Data Deficient" with the qualifier "Threatened Overseas" under the New Zealand Threat Classification System.


title: Giant oceanic manta ray

text: There is also the threat of microplastics in the diets of oceanic manta rays. A 2019 study in Indonesia's Coral Triangle was performed to determine if the filter-feeding megafauna of the area were accidentally ingesting microplastics, which can be eaten by filter-feeders either directly (by ingesting layers of plastic polymers that float on the surface of the water in feeding areas) or indirectly (by eating plankton that previously ate microplastics). The results of the study provided ample evidence that filter feeders, such as oceanic manta rays, that lived in the area were regularly consuming microplastics. Though it was also proven via stool samples that some of the plastic simply passed through the digestive systems of manta rays, the discovery is a concern because microplastics create sinks for persistent organic pollutants like dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethanes (DDTs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Manta rays that consume microplastics harboring these pollutants can suffer from a variety of health effects that range from short-term negative effects such as the reduction of bacteria in their guts, or long-term effects including pollutant-induced weakening of the population's reproductive fitness over future generations, which could negatively affect population levels of the rays in the future.


title: Giant oceanic manta ray

text: "M. birostris" are also victims of bioaccumulation in certain regions. There has been at least one study that has shown how heavy metals such as As, Cd, and Hg can be introduced to the marine environment via pollution and can travel up the trophic chain. For example, there was a study in Ghana that involved the testing of tissue samples from six "M. birostris" carcasses; all of them showed evidence of high concentrations of As and Hg (about 0.155–2.321 μg/g and 0.001–0.006 μg/g respectively). While the sample size was not the most ideal, it is a first step towards further understanding the true amount of bioaccumulation that "M. birostris" undergoes due to human pollution. These high levels of metals can cause harm to the people who consume "M. birostris", and could also cause health problems for the "M. birostris" species itself. More studies need to be done in order to further confirm the negative health effects of bioaccumulation on "M. birostris".


title: Giant oceanic manta ray

text: Climate change combined with rising temperatures, are projected to cause a 10% decrease in the global population of phytoplankton with a potential 50% decrease in tropical areas. With these reductions could come a decrease in "M. birostris" populations.


title: Permanent residency

text: Permanent residency is a person's legal resident status in a country or territory of which such person is not a citizen but where they have the right to reside on a permanent basis. This is usually for a permanent period; a person with such legal status is known as a permanent resident. In the United States, such a person is referred to as a green card holder but more formally as a Lawful Permanent Resident (LPR).


title: Permanent residency

text: Permanent residency itself is distinct from right of abode, which waives immigration control for such persons. Persons having permanent residency still require immigration control if they do not have right of abode. However, a right of abode automatically grants people permanent residency. This status also gives work permit in most cases. In many Western countries, the status of permanent resident confers a right of abode upon the holder despite not being a citizen of the particular country.


title: Permanent residency

text: All European Union countries have a facility for someone to become a permanent resident, as EU legislation allows an EU national who moves to another EU country to attain permanent resident status after residing there for five years. The European Union also sets out permanent residency rights for long-term resident third country nationals under directive (2003/109/EC). A novel approach was the granting of rights across the national borders of states adhering to the directive.


title: Permanent residency

text: As for Hong Kong and Macau, both special administrative regions of China, they do not have their own citizenship laws, the term "permanent residents" refer to persons with the right of abode in these territories. Most permanent residents of Chinese descent are Chinese citizens according to Chinese nationality law.


title: Permanent residency

text: Other countries have varying forms of such residency and relationships with other countries with regards to permanent residency.


title: Permanent residency

text: A "golden visa" is a permanent residency visa issued to individuals who invest, often through the purchase of property, a certain sum of money into the issuing country. Dating back to the 1980s, golden visas became much more popular and available in the 21st century. Golden visas require investments of anywhere from $100,000 in Dominica up to £2,000,000 in the UK. The most common method for obtaining a golden visa is through the purchase of real estate with a minimum value. Some countries such as Cyprus and Malta also offer "golden passports" (citizenship) to individuals if they invest a certain sum.


title: Permanent residency

text: Depending on the country, permanent residents usually have the same rights as citizens except for the following:


title: Permanent residency

text: Permanent residents may be required to fulfill specific residence obligations to maintain their status. In some cases, permanent residency may be conditional on a certain type of employment or maintenance of a business.


title: Permanent residency

text: Many countries have compulsory military service for citizens. Some countries, such as Singapore, extend this to permanent residents. However, in Singapore, most first generation permanent residents are exempted, and only their sons are held liable for national service.


title: Permanent residency

text: In a similar approach, the United States has Selective Service, a compulsory "registration" for military service, which is required of all male citizens and permanent residents ages 18 to 26; this requirement theoretically applies even to those residing in the country illegally. Applications for citizenship may be denied or otherwise impeded if the applicant cannot prove having complied with this requirement.


title: Permanent residency

text: Permanent residents may be required to reside in the country offering them residence for a given minimum length of time (as in Australia and Canada). Permanent residents may lose their status if they stay outside their host country for more than a specified period of time (as in the United States).


title: Permanent residency

text: Permanent residents may lose their status if they fail to comply with residency or other obligations imposed on them. For example:


title: Permanent residency

text: Usually, permanent residents may apply for citizenship by naturalization after a period of permanent residency (typically five years) in the country concerned. Dual/multiple citizenship may or may not be permitted.


title: Permanent residency

text: In many nations, an application for naturalization can be denied on character grounds, sometimes allowing people to reside in the country (as non-domiciled) but not become citizens. In the United States, the residency requirements for citizenship are normally five years, even though permanent residents who have been married to a U.S. citizen for three years or more may apply in three years. Those who have served in the armed forces may qualify for an expedited process allowing citizenship after only one year, or even without any residence requirement.


title: Permanent residency

text: Since the 1990s, in addition to golden visas, some countries have begun to offer golden passports to foreign nationals who invest (often through the purchase of real estate properties) a certain sum into the issuing country's economy. The issuing of EU passports by Cyprus and Malta has sparked controversy but is expected to produced billions of euros in revenue for the issuing countries.


title: Permanent residency

text: In some cases (e.g. the member states of the European Union), citizens of participating countries can live and work at will in each other's states, but don't have a status fully equivalent to that of a permanent resident. In particular, under the Trans-Tasman Travel Arrangement, Australia and New Zealand grant each other's citizens the right to reside permanently and work in each country; however, the rights and entitlements of New Zealanders living in Australia under this arrangement (the so-called Special Category Visa) are somewhat short of those of Australian permanent residents, in particular with respect to unemployment benefits and similar benefits.


title: Permanent residency

text: People who are granted permanent residency in a country are usually issued some sort of documentary evidence as legal proof of this status. In the past, many countries merely stamped the person's passport indicating that the holder was admitted as a permanent resident or that he/she was exempt from immigration control and permitted to work without restriction. Other countries would issue a photo ID card, place a visa sticker or certificate of residence in the person's passport, or issue a letter to confirm their permanent resident status.


title: Permanent residency

text: The European Union Settlement Scheme is a scheme launched in 2019 by the UK Home Office to process the registration of EU citizens resident in the United Kingdom prior to its departure from the European Union.


title: Permanent residency

text: Successful applicants receive either 'Pre-settled status' or 'Settled status', depending on the length of time they have been resident in the United Kingdom.


title: Herbivore men

text: Herbivore men or grass-eater men (草食(系)男子, "Sōshoku(-kei) danshi") is a term used in Japan to describe young men who express little interest in getting married or being assertive in relationships with women. The term was coined by the author Maki Fukasawa, who initially intended for it to describe a new form of masculinity that was not reliant on the proactivity and assertiveness typically associated with masculinity in Japan. Philosopher Masahiro Morioka defines herbivore men as "kind and gentle men who, without being bound by manliness, do not pursue romantic relationships voraciously and have no aptitude for being hurt or hurting others." A similar term denoting more proactive and assertive women is Carnivorous women (肉食系の女性, "Nikushoku-kei no josei")


title: Herbivore men

text: According to Fukasawa, herbivore men are "not without romantic relationships, but have a non-assertive, indifferent attitude toward desires of flesh."


title: Herbivore men

text: The term was quickly sensationalized by the media, gaining a negative connotation suggesting young men who had lost their "manliness" were responsible for Japan's declining birth rate and stagnating economy. Through mass media, the label of herbivore man came to be associated with irresponsible, overly feminine men who cared too much about their appearances rather than marriage or finding a stable job, which were seen as traditionally masculine goals. The definition of herbivore men is still debated because of this, making it difficult to estimate how many men in Japan identify as herbivore men, particularly considering the social stigma associated with the term.


title: Herbivore men

text: Although the term "herbivore man" does not have a universally accepted definition, there are a few defining characteristics for herbivore men that seem widely agreed upon. This is largely because the traits associated with herbivore men are defined by popular culture and media rather than through academic fields, as demonstrated in the contrast between the perspective on masculinity that Maki Fukusawa intended to convey in coining the term compared to its current connotation.


title: Herbivore men

text: Since the boundaries for what defines herbivore men are unclear, popularly cited surveys such as the one conducted by LifeNet concluded that in a sample group of 1000 unmarried men and women in their 20s and 30s, 378 men reported that they considered themselves "herbivorous." However, the survey asked participants to choose between whether they considered themselves carnivorous or herbivorous, with 45.9% of respondents clarifying that while they would not explicitly define themselves as herbivorous, they preferred it in comparison to carnivorous. Additionally, LifeNet's definition for "herbivorous" was based on two defining aspects: a general passivity about love and a preference to keep to themselves even if they have something to say.


title: Herbivore men

text: Indifference to marriage and committed relationships has been an observable trend in many socially and economically advanced societies. Japan's unique labor market structured around supporting salarymen as well as its recent economic decline have been cited as reasons for the rise in herbivore men. Economic decline showed the fragility of salarymen and permanent employment became less appealing, with many youth rejecting this employment path after schooling and choosing to work as part-timers. As of 2007, approximately 920,000 men are freeters, young people working exclusively part-time jobs. The youth unemployment rate peaked in 2010 at 9.47%. Many of these young men also find it difficult to marry because work and marriage in Japan are so interrelated. Many women refuse to marry men who do not have steady jobs since stable employment is seen as a sign of maturity, operating under the idea that men should be the breadwinners of the family. The view of freeters as ambitionless, irresponsible and un-masculine match many of the characteristics associated with herbivore men, with both groups often acting as scapegoats for Japan's economic decline.