title: Mirra Alfassa

text: On the insistence of the British in 1915, Richard was ordered to move out of Pondicherry. After an unsuccessful attempt to stay, both Mirra and Richard left for Paris on 22 February 1915. After a few years, Richard was ordered to promote French trade in Japan (which was then an ally of France and Britain) and China. Mirra left for Japan along with Richard, never to return to Paris again.


title: Mirra Alfassa

text: Mirra and Richard stayed in Japan and made acquaintances among the Indian community. Their time in Japan was relatively peaceful, and they spent the following four years there. On 24 April 1920 Mirra returned with Richard to Pondicherry accompanied by Dorothy Hodgson. Mirra moved to live near Sri Aurobindo in the guest house at Rue François Martin. Richard did not stay long in India; he spent a year travelling around North India returning to France and remarried in England after officially divorcing Mirra. After working a few years as a professor in the United States he died in 1968. On 24 November 1920 due to a storm and heavy rain, Sri Aurobindo asked Mirra and Dorothy Hodgson (later known as Dutta) to move into Sri Aurobindo's house, and she started living in the house along with other residents.


title: Mirra Alfassa

text: With time many influenced by "Arya Magazine" and others who had heard about Sri Aurobindo started to come to his residence either permanently to reside or to practise Sri Aurobindo's yoga. Mirra was initially not totally accepted by the other household members and was considered an outsider. Sri Aurobindo considered her to be of equal yogic stature and started calling her "The Mother", and she was known to the whole community as such from then on. Around 1924 onwards Mother was starting to organise the day-to-day functioning of the household and slowly the house was turning into an ashram with many followers flowing in every day. After 1926 Sri Aurobindo started to retire from regular activities and put his complete focus towards yogic practises. The community had grown to 85 members by then and the group had slowly turned into a spiritual ashram.


title: Mirra Alfassa

text: The Mother was a revered yoga teacher in a modern context. On 24 November 1926, later declared as Siddhi Day (Victory Day) and still celebrated by Sri Aurobindo Ashram, Mother and Sri Aurobindo declared that overmind consciousness had manifested directly in physical consciousness, allowing the possibility for human consciousness to be directly aware and be in the overmind consciousness.


title: Mirra Alfassa

text: Sri Aurobindo had received a few complaints against Mother on the daily running of the ashram. To settle this matter in finality, Sri Aurobindo declared 'The Mother' to be in sole charge of further activities of the ashram through a letter in April 1930. By August 1930, the ashram members had grown to a number of 80 to 100 residents, a self-sustaining community with all basic amenities fulfilled.


title: Mirra Alfassa

text: Sri Aurobindo and Mother's work and principles of yoga was named by them: integral yoga, an all-embracing yoga. This yoga was in variance with older ways of yoga because the follower would not give up the outer life to live in a monastery, but would be present in regular life and practise spirituality in all parts of life.


title: Mirra Alfassa

text: By 1937 the ashram residents had grown to more than 150, so there was a need for an expansion of buildings and facilities, helped by Diwan Hyder Ali, the Nizam of Hyderabad who had made a grant to the ashram for further expansion. Under the guidance of Mother, Antonin Raymond, the chief architect, assisted by Franticek Sammer and George Nakashima, constructed a dormitory building. By this time the second world war erupted delaying the construction but was finally completed after ten years and was named Golconde. In 1938 Margaret Woodrow Wilson, the daughter of US President Woodrow Wilson, came to the ashram and chose to remain there for the rest of her life.


title: Mirra Alfassa

text: By 1939 World War II had broken out. Although some of the members of the ashram may have supported Hitler indirectly because Britain was attacked, but both Mother and Sri Aurobindo publicly declared their support for the Allied forces, mainly by donating to the Viceroy's war fund, much to the surprise of many Indians.


title: Mirra Alfassa

text: On 2 December 1943 Mother started a school for about twenty children inside the ashram. She considered this was a considerable movement away from usual life in the ashram, which was until then about practising total renunciation of the outside world. However, she found that the school would gradually align to the principles of Sri Aurobindo's integral yoga. The school later became known as the Sri Aurobindo International Centre of Education. From 21 February 1949 she started a quarterly magazine called "The Bulletin" in which Sri Aurobindo published a series of eight articles under the title "The supramental manifestation upon earth" wherein for the first time he wrote about transitional being between man and superman.


title: Mirra Alfassa

text: Sri Aurobindo died on 5 December 1950. This was a very difficult experience for Mother. All the activities in the ashram were suspended for twelve days, after which Mother had to decide the future course of the ashram. Mother decided to take up the entire work of the ashram and also to continue the integral yoga internally. The years from 1950 to 1958 were the years where she was mostly seen by her disciples.


title: Mirra Alfassa

text: On 15 August 1954 French Pondicherry became a union territory of India. Mother declared dual citizenship for India and France. Jawaharlal Nehru visited the ashram on 16 January 1955 and met with Mother. This meeting cleared many doubts he had about the ashram. During his second visit to the ashram on 29 September 1955, his daughter Indira Gandhi accompanied him. Mother had a profound effect on her, which developed into a close relationship in later years. Mother continued to teach French after the passing away of Sri Aurobindo. She started with just simple conversations and recitations, which later expanded into deeper discussions about integral yoga where she would read a passage from Sri Aurobindo's or her own writings and comment on them. These sessions grew into a seven-volume book called "Questions and Answers".


title: Mirra Alfassa

text: After 1958, Mother slowly started to withdraw from outer activities. The year 1958 was also marked by greater progress in yoga. She stopped all her activities from 1959 onwards to devote herself completely towards yoga. On 21 February 1963, on her 85th birthday, she gave her first Darshan from the terrace that had been built for her. From then on she would be present there, on Darshan days where visitors below would gather around to catch a glimpse of her. Mother regularly met with many disciples and one them was Satprem. He had recorded their conversations, which later he gathered in a volume of 13 books called "Mother's Agenda".


title: Mirra Alfassa

text: Mother had published an article titled "The Dream" in which she suggested a place on earth that no nation could claim as its sole property, for all humanity with no distinction. In 1964 it was finally decided to build this city. On 28 February 1968 they drew up a charter for the city, Auroville, meaning City of the Dawn (derived from the French word aurore), a model universal township where one of the aims would be to bring about human unity. The city still exists and continues to grow (although not in terms of permanent residents as recorded by census).


title: Mirra Alfassa

text: Many politicians visited Mother on a regular basis for her guidance. She had visits from V.V. Giri, Nandini Satpathy, Dalai Lama, and especially Indira Gandhi who was in close contact with her and often visited her for guidance. By the end of March 1973 she became critically ill. After 20 May 1973 all meetings were cancelled. She gave her final Darshan on 15 August of the same year, visiting the outside terrace where thousands of followers were waiting to catch a glimpse of her. Mother left her body at 7:25 p.m on 17 November 1973. On 20 November she was laid to rest in Samadhi, next to Sri Aurobindo's body in the courtyard of the main ashram building.


title: Isa Guha

text: Isa Tara Guha (born 21 May 1985) is an English cricket commentator, television and radio cricket broadcaster, and a former England cricketer who played in the 2005 World Cup and the 2009 World Cup. She cites winning the World Cup in 2009 as a career highlight. She played as a right-arm fast-medium bowler and right-handed batter. She appeared in 8 Test matches, 83 One Day Internationals and 22 Twenty20 Internationals for England between 2001 and 2011. She played domestic cricket for Thames Valley and Berkshire.


title: Isa Guha

text: Guha's parents came to the UK in the 1970s from Calcutta, West Bengal, India She was born in High Wycombe, England.


title: Isa Guha

text: Guha started playing cricket with her older brother when she was about eight, and was selected for the Development England side at 13.


title: Isa Guha

text: She went to Wycombe High School, a state school for girls. She graduated with a degree in biochemistry and molecular biology and gained an MPhil in neuroscience, both at University College London.


title: Isa Guha

text: A right arm fast-medium bowler, Guha made her Test debut at 17 against India during their tour in 2002. As part of the same tour, Guha played in the 2002 Women's Tri-Series, and performed well, taking three wickets in England's loss against New Zealand in the final. She was the first woman of Indian heritage to play for England.


title: Isa Guha

text: In 2002, Guha was named BBC Asian Network Sports Personality of the Year. Her best bowling in 44 One-Day Internationals is the 5 for 14 she took against the West Indies in 2008. As of 31 December 2008, she was ranked the number one bowler in the ICC Women's One Day International rankings. She took a career best 5 for 40 in her seventh Test match, against Australia at the Bradman Oval in Bowral in February 2008 and took nine wickets in the match, winning the player of the match award as England retained the Ashes. She was part of the England team which won the 2009 World Cup. She announced her retirement from international cricket on 9 March 2012, although she said she would continue to play county cricket for Berkshire.


title: Isa Guha

text: Guha, along with Lynsey Askew, shares the world record partnership for the ninth wicket – 73 runs – in Women's ODI history.


title: Isa Guha

text: Guha writes a column for the BBC Sport website and is a Test Match Special commentator. She joined ITV Sport in April 2012 as a co-presenter of ITV4's coverage of the Indian Premier League.


title: Isa Guha

text: In 2016, Guha was a member of the inaugural Triple M radio Test cricket commentary team in Australia. In 2018, she was a commentator for Sky Sports for the England/Pakistan Test matches, and was named as a commentator for Fox Cricket for their Australian cricket coverage. She was also a member of the commentary team at the 2019 Cricket World Cup. In 2020 she was the lead presenter of a new BBC TV Test and ODI highlights show.


title: Isa Guha

text: Guha married her long-time boyfriend, musician Richard Thomas who is a member of the band Brother and Bones, in September 2018.


title: Pontus (region)

text: Pontus or Pontos (; , "Sea") is a region on the southern coast of the Black Sea, located in the modern-day eastern Black Sea Region of Turkey. The name was applied to the coastal region and its mountainous hinterland (rising to the Pontic Alps in the east) by the Greeks who colonized the area in the Archaic period and derived from the Greek name of the Black Sea: "("")", "Hospitable Sea", or simply "Pontos" () as early as the Aeschylean "Persians" (472 BC) and Herodotus' "Histories" (circa 440 BC).


title: Pontus (region)

text: Having originally no specific name, the region east of the river Halys was spoken of as the country "()", "on the [Euxinos] Pontos", and hence it acquired the name of Pontus, which is first found in Xenophon's "Anabasis" (). The extent of the region varied through the ages but generally extended from the borders of Colchis (modern western Georgia) until well into Paphlagonia in the west, with varying amounts of hinterland. Several states and provinces bearing the name of Pontus or variants thereof were established in the region in the Hellenistic, Roman and Byzantine periods, culminating in the late Byzantine Empire of Trebizond. Pontus is sometimes considered as the original home of the Amazons, in ancient Greek mythology and historiography (e. g. by Herodotus and Strabo).


title: Pontus (region)

text: Pontus remained outside the reach of the Bronze Age empires, of which the closest was Great Hatti. The region went further uncontrolled by Hatti's eastern neighbors, Hurrian states like Azzi and (or) Hayasa. In those days, the best any outsider could hope from this region was temporary alliance with a local strongman. The Hittites called the unorganized groups on their northeastern frontier the Kaška. As of 2004 little had been found of them archaeologically.


title: Pontus (region)

text: In the wake of the Hittite empire's collapse, the Assyrian court noted that the "Kašku" had overrun its territory in conjunction with a hitherto unknown group whom they labeled the Muški. Iron Age visitors to the region, mostly Greek, noted that the hinterlands remained disunited, and they recorded the names of tribes: Moskhians (often associated with those Muški), Leucosyri, Mares, Makrones, Mossynoikoi, Tibarenoi, Tzans and Chalybes or Chaldoi.


title: Pontus (region)

text: The Armenian language went unnoted by the Hittites, the Assyrians, and all the post-Hittite nations; an ancient theory – first conjectured by Herodotus – is that its speakers migrated from Phrygia, past literary notice, across Pontus during the early Iron Age. The Greeks, who spoke a closely related Indo-European tongue, followed them along the coast. The Greeks are the earliest long-term inhabitants of the region from whom written records survive. During the late 8th century BC, Pontus further became a base for the Cimmerians, another Indo-European speaking people; however, these were defeated by the Lydians, and became a distant memory after the campaigns of Alyattes.


title: Pontus (region)

text: Since there was so little literacy in northeastern Anatolia until the Persian and Hellenistic era, one can only speculate as to the other languages spoken here. Given that Kartvelian languages remain spoken to the east of Pontus, some are suspected to have been spoken in eastern Pontus during the Iron Age: the Tzans are usually associated with today's Laz.


title: Pontus (region)

text: The first travels of Greek merchants and adventurers to the Pontus region occurred probably from around 1000 BC, whereas their settlements would become steady and solidified cities only by the 8th and 7th centuries BC as archaeological findings document. This fits in well with a foundation date of 731 BC as reported by Eusebius of Caesarea for Sinope, perhaps the most ancient of the Greek colonies in what was later to be called Pontus. The epical narratives related to the travels of Jason and the Argonauts to Colchis, the tales of Heracles' navigating the Black Sea, and Odysseus' wanderings into the land of the Cimmerians, as well as the myth of Zeus constraining Prometheus to the Caucasus mountains as a punishment for his outwitting the Gods, can all be seen as reflections of early contacts between early Greek colonists and the local, probably Caucasian, peoples. The earliest known written description of Pontus, however, is that of Scylax of Korianda, who in the 7th century BC described Greek settlements in the area.


title: Pontus (region)

text: By the 6th century BC, Pontus had become officially a part of the Achaemenid Empire, which probably meant that the local Greek colonies were paying tribute to the Persians. When the Athenian commander Xenophon passed through Pontus around a century later in 401-400 BC, in fact, he found no Persians in Pontus.


title: Pontus (region)

text: The peoples of this part of northern Asia Minor were incorporated into the third and nineteenth satrapies of the Persian empire. Iranian influence ran deep, illustrated most famously by the temple of the Persian deities Anaitis, Omanes, and Anadatos at Zela, founded by victorious Persian generals in the 6th century BC.


title: Pontus (region)

text: The Kingdom of Pontus extended generally to the east of the Halys River. The Persian dynasty which was to found this kingdom had during the 4th century BC ruled the Greek city of Cius (or Kios) in Mysia, with its first known member being Ariobarzanes I of Cius and the last ruler based in the city being Mithridates II of Cius. Mithridates II's son, also called Mithridates, would proclaim himself later Mithridates I Ktistes of Pontus.


title: Pontus (region)

text: As the "Encyclopaedia Iranica" states, the most famous member of the family, Mithradates VI Eupator, although undoubtedly presenting himself to the Greek world as a civilized philhellene and new Alexander, also paraded his Iranian background: he maintained a harem and eunuchs in true Oriental fashion; he gave all his sons Persian names; he sacrificed spectacularly in the manner of the Persian kings at Pasargadae (Appian, Mith. 66, 70); and he appointed “satraps” (a Persian title) as his provincial governors. Iranica further states, and although there is only one inscription attesting it, he seems to have adopted the title “king of kings.” The very small number of Hellenistic Greek inscriptions that have been found anywhere in Pontus suggest that Greek culture did not substantially penetrate beyond the coastal cities and the court.


title: Pontus (region)

text: During the troubled period following the death of Alexander the Great, Mithridates Ktistes was for a time in the service of Antigonus, one of Alexander's successors, and successfully maneuvering in this unsettled time managed, shortly after 302 BC, to create the Kingdom of Pontus which would be ruled by his descendants mostly bearing the same name, until 64 BC. Thus, this Persian dynasty managed to survive and prosper in the Hellenistic world while the main Persian Empire had fallen.


title: Pontus (region)

text: This kingdom reached its greatest height under Mithridates VI or Mithridates Eupator, commonly called the Great, who for many years carried on war with the Romans. Under him, the realm of Pontus included not only Pontic Cappadocia but also the seaboard from the Bithynian frontier to Colchis, part of inland Paphlagonia, and Lesser Armenia. Despite ruling Lesser Armenia, King Mithridates VI was an ally of Armenian King Tigranes the Great, to whom he married his daughter Cleopatra. Eventually, however, the Romans defeated both King Mithridates VI and his son-in-law, Armenian King Tigranes the Great, during the Mithridatic Wars, bringing Pontus under Roman rule.


title: Pontus (region)

text: With the subjugation of this kingdom by Pompey in 64 BC, little changed in the daily lives of either the oligarchies that controlled the cities or for the common people there and in the hinterland, though the meaning of the name Pontus underwent a change. Part of the kingdom was now annexed to the Roman Empire, being united with Bithynia in a double province called Pontus and Bithynia: this part included only the seaboard between Heraclea (today Ereğli) and Amisus (Samsun), the "ora Pontica". The larger part of Pontus, however, was included in the province of Galatia.


title: Pontus (region)

text: Hereafter the simple name Pontus without qualification was regularly employed to denote the half of this dual province, especially by Romans and people speaking from the Roman point of view; it is so used almost always in the New Testament. The eastern half of the old kingdom was administered as a client kingdom together with Colchis. Its last king was Polemon II.


title: Pontus (region)

text: In AD 62, the country was constituted by Nero a Roman province. It was divided into the three districts: Pontus Galaticus in the west, bordering on Galatia; Pontus Polemoniacus in the centre, so called from its capital Polemonium; and Pontus Cappadocicus in the east, bordering on Cappadocia (Armenia Minor). Subsequently, the Roman Emperor Trajan moved Pontus into the province of Cappadocia itself in the early 2nd century AD. In response to a Gothic raid on Trebizond in 287 AD, the Roman Emperor Diocletian decided to break up the area into smaller provinces under more localized administration.


title: Pontus (region)

text: With the reorganization of the provincial system under Diocletian (about AD 295), the Pontic districts were divided up between three smaller, independent provinces within the Dioecesis Pontica:


title: Pontus (region)

text: By the time of the early Byzantine Empire, Trebizond became a center of culture and scientific learning. In the 7th century, an individual named Tychicus returned from Constantinople to establish a school of learning. One of his students was the early Armenian scholar Anania of Shirak.


title: Pontus (region)

text: Under the Byzantine Empire, the Pontus came under the Armeniac Theme, with the westernmost parts (Paphlagonia) belonging to the Bucellarian Theme. Progressively, these large early themes were divided into smaller ones, so that by the late 10th century, the Pontus was divided into the themes of Chaldia, which was governed by the Gabrades family, and Koloneia. After the 8th century, the area experienced a period of prosperity, which was brought to an end only by the Seljuk conquest of Asia Minor in the 1070s and 1080s. Restored to the Byzantine Empire by Alexios I Komnenos, the area was governed by effectively semi-autonomous rulers, like the Gabras family of Trebizond.


title: Pontus (region)

text: The region was secured militarily from the 11th through the 15th centuries with a vast network of sophisticated coastal fortresses.


title: Pontus (region)

text: Following Constantinople's loss of sovereignty to the Fourth Crusade in 1204, the Pontus retained independence as the Empire of Trebizond under the Komnenos dynasty. Through a combination of geographic remoteness and adroit diplomacy, this remnant managed to survive, until it was conquered by the Ottomans in 1461 after the Fall of Constantinople itself. This political adroitness included becoming a vassal state at various times to both Georgia and to various inland Turkic rulers. In addition, the Empire of Trebizond became a renowned center of culture under its ruling Komnenos dynasty.


title: Pontus (region)

text: Under the subsequent Ottoman rule which began with the fall of Trebizond, particularly starting from the 17th century, some of the region's Pontic Greeks became Muslim through the Devşirme system. But at the same time some valleys inhabited by Greeks converted voluntarily, most notably those in the Of valley. Large communities (around 25% of the population) of Christian Pontic Greeks remained throughout the area (including Trabezon and Kars in northeastern Turkey/the Russian Caucasus) until the 1920s, and in parts of Georgia and Armenia until the 1990s, preserving their own customs and dialect of Greek. One group of Islamicized Greeks were called the Kromli, but were suspected of secretly having remained Christians. They numbered between 12,000 and 15,000 and lived in villages including Krom, Imera, Livadia, Prdi, Alitinos, Mokhora, and Ligosti. Many of the Islamized Greeks continued speaking their language, known for its unique preservation of characteristics of Ancient Greek and still today there are some in the Of valley that still speak the local Ophitic dialect.


title: Pontus (region)

text: The Republic of Pontus ( ) was a proposed Pontic Greek state on the southern coast of the Black Sea. Its territory would have encompassed much of historical Pontus and today forms part of Turkey's Black Sea Region. The proposed state was discussed at the Paris Peace Conference of 1919, but the Greek government of Eleftherios Venizelos feared the precarious position of such a state and so it was included instead in the larger proposed state of Wilsonian Armenia. Neither state came into existence and the Pontic Greek population was subjected to genocide and expelled from Turkey after 1922 and resettled in the Soviet Union or in Macedonia. This state of affairs was later formally recognized as part of the population exchange between Greece and Turkey in 1923.


title: Pontus (region)

text: The Black Sea Region (), comprising all or parts of 22 provinces, is one of Turkey's seven census-defined geographical regions. It encompasses but is larger than historic Pontus.


title: Pontus (region)

text: Mentioned thrice in the New Testament, inhabitants of Pontus were some of the very first converts to Christianity. mentions them present in Jerusalem on the Day of Pentecost; mentions a Jewish tentmaker from Pontus, Aquila, who was then living in Corinth with his wife Priscilla, who had both converted to Christianity, and in , Peter the Apostle addresses the Pontians in his letter as the "elect" and "chosen ones".


title: Pontus (region)

text: As early as the First Council of Nicea, Trebizond had its own bishop. Subsequently, the Bishop of Trebizond was subordinated to the Metropolitan Bishop of Poti. Then during the 9th century, Trebizond itself became the seat of the Metropolitan Bishop of Lazica.


title: Casting Crowns

text: Casting Crowns is a contemporary Christian and Christian rock band started in 1999 by youth pastor Mark Hall, who serves as the band's lead vocalist, as part of a youth group at First Baptist Church in Downtown Daytona Beach, Florida. They later moved to Stockbridge, Georgia, and more members joined. Some members of the band currently work as ministers for Eagle's Landing First Baptist Church in McDonough, Georgia. The band has won a Grammy and a Dove Award.


title: Casting Crowns

text: Christian rock group Casting Crowns began as a student worship band in Daytona Beach, Florida, in 1999. Led by singer, songwriter, and youth pastor Mark Hall, the group initially included guitarists Juan DeVevo and Hector Cervantes, violinist Melodee DeVevo, and drummer Rob Cervantes (a.k.a. Chavez). The group relocated to Georgia, in 2001, adding Chris Huffman on bass, Megan Garrett on keyboards and accordion, and drummer Andy Williams. This augmented version of Casting Crowns released two independent albums on CD, both of which were well received in the Atlanta area. Both independent albums were efforts on the part of Mark Hall and the rest of the group as outreach projects for youth in the area. The group won the GMA regional songwriters competition at Palm Beach Atlantic University, West Palm Beach, Florida, in both the "Best Song" and the "Best Artist" categories in 2004. Although the group was not searching for a record label, one of the group's albums found its way into the hands of Mark Miller, lead singer for country group Sawyer Brown, who was struck by Casting Crowns' driving pop/rock style and Hall's vocal delivery of his hard-hitting but devout songs. Miller signed Casting Crowns to his fledgling Beach Street Records, a division of Reunion Records with distribution by the Provident Label Group, making Casting Crowns the first artist signed to Beach Street Records.


title: Casting Crowns

text: Mark Miller took the group into the studio along with co-producer Steven Curtis Chapman, himself a popular artist on the CCM musical scene. The resulting eponymous album, "Casting Crowns", was released in 2003 on the Beach Street imprint. The album quickly made them one of the fastest selling debut artists in Christian music history. The album's third single, "Voice of Truth", spent a record-breaking fourteen consecutive weeks at No. 1 beginning in 2003. "Voice of Truth" is also used in the trailer and the ending from the movie "Facing the Giants". The album was certified platinum in 2005, and in 2011, the group received their first gold certification for a single for the song 'Who Am I' from their debut record.


title: Casting Crowns

text: "Lifesong" followed in 2005, debuting at No. 9 on the "Billboard" 200 chart. The album had three singles: "Lifesong", "Praise You in this Storm", and "Does Anybody Hear Her?". "Lifesong" spent nine weeks in the top spot, with "Praise You in This Storm" remaining at No. 1 for seven weeks. Apart from being successful in the charts, "Lifesong" earned Casting Crowns their first Grammy Award for their work on the album in 2006.


title: Casting Crowns

text: In 2006, the group released "Lifesong Live", which included live performances of songs from their studio album "Lifesong".


title: Casting Crowns

text: The band's third studio album "The Altar and the Door" debuted at No. 2 on the "Billboard" 200 albums chart and No. 1 on the Hot Christian Albums chart upon its release in August 2007. Ten weeks after the album's release date, it was certified gold by the RIAA. On September 27, 2007, the band embarked on the 'Altar and the Door' tour with Leeland and John Waller . The tour was highly successful, grossing $4.4 million in ticket sales. Casting Crowns broke their own record in 2007 when the single "East to West" from "The Altar and the Door" hit sixteen consecutive weeks at No. 1. The song ended up enjoying the top spot for a total of nineteen weeks, now their most successful single to date. "Slow Fade" was also released as a single, and was included in the soundtrack of the Kirk Cameron film "Fireproof".


title: Casting Crowns

text: In 2008, Casting Crowns scored their eighth number one hit with "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day", a track from their newly released Christmas album titled "Peace on Earth".


title: Casting Crowns

text: Casting Crowns was one of the rare American bands to ever have been invited to North Korea. They attended the 2009 Spring Friendship Arts Festival in Pyongyang where they performed with the Annie Moses Band. This was Casting Crowns' second invitation to the festival sponsored by Global Resource Services, the first time being in 2007. On August 30, 2009, Casting Crowns performed on "Huckabee", Mike Huckabee's political show.


title: Casting Crowns

text: Casting Crowns' fourth major studio album, "Until the Whole World Hears", was released on November 17, 2009, debuting at No. 4 on the "Billboard" 200 and selling over 167,000 copies in its first week alone, setting a new record for the highest Christian album debut in history. It was certified gold within four weeks. The title track and first single from the album became the group's ninth No. 1 single in January 2010.


title: Casting Crowns

text: In April 2010, Casting Crowns won the Dove Award for Artist of the Year, their first ever win in that category. A music video for the title track of "Until the Whole World Hears" was posted on the band's YouTube page on August 23, 2010.


title: Casting Crowns

text: The track "Glorious Day" was released as a single in 2011 and reached No. 1 on "Billboard" Christian Songs during the week of April 23, 2011.


title: Casting Crowns

text: "Courageous", was released as a single on July 19, 2011. The music video for the song was released on June 13, 2011 and promotes the film "Courageous". The song was featured on, "Come to the Well", which was released on October 18, 2011. "Jesus, Friend of Sinners", the album's second single, was released in 2012.


title: Casting Crowns

text: In early 2013, the band recorded their own version of the hymn "I Surrender All" for the album "Jesus, Firm Foundation". Also, lead singer Mark Hall recorded the title song with Mike Donehey of Tenth Avenue North, Steven Curtis Chapman, and Mandisa. To end the year, the band joined Chapman, Natalie Grant, Matthew West, and other artists on "The Story Tour 2013" performing songs from "The Story".


title: Casting Crowns

text: In September 2013, the band released "All You've Ever Wanted", the first single from "Thrive" which was released on January 28, 2014. and charted No. 6 in "Billboard"s Top 200 in its first week.


title: Casting Crowns

text: In early 2015, Casting Crowns released the hymns-album, "Glorious Day - Hymns of Faith", exclusively through Cracker Barrel Old Country Stores. The album includes Casting Crowns' "Until the Whole World Hears" singles "Glorious Day" and "Blessed Redeemer", and acoustic versions of "If We Are the Body" and "Praise You in This Storm" as well as eight hymns, mostly covers.


title: Casting Crowns

text: In November 2015, the band released "A Live Worship Experience". The album was recorded live at the band's home church, Eagle's Landing First Baptist Church, and features 12 songs, including worship songs "Great Are You Lord," and "Good Good Father," and Casting Crowns' songs "Just Be Held" and "Thrive."


title: Casting Crowns

text: On September 16, 2016, the band released their seventh studio album, "The Very Next Thing", which was preceded by the single "One Step Away". It was followed by a second single from the album, "Oh My Soul".


title: Casting Crowns

text: On October 20, 2017, the band released a new EP, "It's Finally Christmas", and embarked on "A Glorious Christmas" tour with for KING & COUNTRY shortly after its release.


title: Casting Crowns

text: On October 11, 2018, the band announced "Only Jesus", scheduled for release on November 16, 2018, with a video introduction by Mark Hall and made the title track available to those on their fans list. On October 12, 2018, they also released a second track, "Nobody", featuring Matthew West, to fans. On October 19, they released a third track, "In the Hands of the Potter" to those on their fans list. On September 25, they released the deluxe edition.


title: Casting Crowns

text: Andy Williams, the band's former drummer, died on July 9, 2021 at age 49 from injuries sustained in a June 27 motorcycle accident.


title: Casting Crowns

text: Mark Hall is youth minister at Eagle's Landing First Baptist Church in McDonough, Georgia, while the other members are active in their respective churches. They do the band part-time around their full-time work of raising families and church service. They often tour from Thursday to Saturday so that they can be home for church on Sunday morning and Wednesday night.


title: My Little Pony: Pony Life

text: My Little Pony: Pony Life is an animated children's television series that aired on Discovery Family from November 7, 2020 to May 22, 2021. It is based on Hasbro's "My Little Pony" franchise. The series, acting as a successor, spin-off and reboot to 2010's "" and the fourth animated series based on the franchise overall, was produced by Entertainment One, in collaboration with Boulder Media.


title: My Little Pony: Pony Life

text: It has some of the writers and most of the voice cast returning from "Friendship Is Magic", but it also features a different art style and a slice-of-life narrative. Unlike "Friendship Is Magic", each episode is 11 minutes long, consisting of two five-minute segments. A second season for the series premiered on April 10, 2021. The series finale aired on May 22, 2021.


title: My Little Pony: Pony Life

text: The main setting of "Pony Life" is Sugarcube Corner, a bakery operated by Pinkie Pie that she and her friends from "Friendship Is Magic", Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Twilight Sparkle, Rarity and Fluttershy often use as a hangout. The series explores comedic, slice of life stories that they experience, primarily at Sugarcube Corner. The series uses an art style based on Japanese chibi. As a reboot, it has no continuity with "Friendship Is Magic". This allows for the existence of new characters such as Pinkie Pie's brother Octavio Pie, as well as the adapting out of certain other characters from the original series.


title: My Little Pony: Pony Life

text: With the exception of Cathy Weseluck, who voiced Spike, the main voice actors from "" reprise their roles in "Pony Life".


title: My Little Pony: Pony Life

text: "My Little Pony: Pony Life" was originally slated to premiere on Discovery Family in the United States on June 13, 2020, but it was postponed to a later date in the summer of that year. However, on October 12, 2020, a promo revealed that the show would be premiering on Discovery Family on November 7, 2020. Clips of several episodes have also been uploaded to the MLP YouTube channel. On September 10, 2020, it was officially announced that it would be released on YouTube at an unspecified date, listed as coming "soon". On September 17, 2020, it was reported that a second season was in production. The second season premiered on April 10, 2021.


title: My Little Pony: Pony Life

text: In the United Kingdom, the series premiered on Tiny Pop on September 1, 2020. The second season premiered on the network on April 2, 2021.


title: My Little Pony: Pony Life

text: On May 22, 2021, production had quietly ceased with no official announcement of an official end or cancellation, marking the end of G4.


title: Craig Kimbrel

text: Craig Michael Kimbrel (born May 28, 1988) is an American professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the San Diego Padres, Boston Red Sox, Atlanta Braves, Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox and Los Angeles Dodgers. He is an eight-time All-Star, two-time Reliever of the Year, and a 2018 World Series champion. He is known for his triple-digit fastball, as well as his unique pre-pitch stare. Listed at and , he both throws and bats right-handed.


title: Craig Kimbrel

text: As a rookie with the Braves in 2011, Kimbrel was named their closer, and set an MLB record for saves by a rookie, with 46. He was awarded the National League's (NL) 2011 Rookie of the Year Award. He led the NL in saves for four consecutive seasons (2011– 2014). He recorded his 200th save in June 2015 with the Padres, and his 300th save in May 2018 with the Red Sox, making him the youngest pitcher in MLB history to reach the milestone.


title: Craig Kimbrel

text: Craig is the son of Mike and Sandy Kimbrel. He attended Lee High School in Huntsville, Alabama, where he played baseball and was a quarterback for the football team. In baseball, Kimbrel was a teammate of Buddy Boshers.


title: Craig Kimbrel

text: Kimbrel attended Wallace State Community College. While at Wallace State in 2007, Kimbrel had an 8–0 win–loss record with a 1.99 earned run average (ERA) as a freshman in 2007, serving as the team's closer and a spot starter. In 2008, he was 9–3 with a 2.88 ERA, striking out 123 hitters in 81 innings pitched, mainly as a reliever.


title: Craig Kimbrel

text: The Atlanta Braves selected Kimbrel in the 33rd round of the 2007 MLB draft, but he elected to remain at Wallace State in order to improve his draft position. He was then taken by the Braves in the third round, with the 96th overall selection, of the 2008 MLB draft.


title: Craig Kimbrel

text: Kimbrel got his first call-up from the Gwinnett Braves on May 15, 2010, to replace the injured Jair Jurrjens on the roster. He was called up for the second time in his career on June 4, 2010, to replace Takashi Saito, who was placed on the 15-day DL. He earned his first major league save on September 19, 2010, against the New York Mets. Kimbrel's record for the 2010 season was 4–0, with one save and a 0.44 ERA in innings. He recorded 40 strikeouts and 16 walks. In the 2010 NLDS, he was the losing pitcher in Game 3 against the eventual World Series Champion San Francisco Giants.


title: Craig Kimbrel

text: Kimbrel made the roster to start the 2011 season as the team's primary closer. He was successful in his first four save opportunities before blowing his first career save on April 21, 2011. On June 3, 2011, in a game versus the New York Mets, Kimbrel passed the record for most saves by a National League rookie before the All-Star break. He is the fastest Braves pitcher to reach 100 career strikeouts, doing so in career innings. His new record surpassed the previous record set by John Rocker in the 1998–1999 season, where it took Rocker 70 career innings to reach the 100 career strikeout mark. On July 5, his 26th save matched Jonathan Papelbon's record for most saves by a rookie before the All-Star break. On July 7, Kimbrel's 27th save of the year against the Colorado Rockies broke Papelbon's record.


title: Craig Kimbrel

text: Kimbrel was selected to the 2011 All Star Game during his first full season in the majors. San Francisco Giants manager Bruce Bochy chose Kimbrel as a replacement for Giants pitcher Matt Cain.


title: Craig Kimbrel

text: On July 22, 2011, in a game versus the Cincinnati Reds, Kimbrel broke the Braves rookie record for saves in a season (31).


title: Craig Kimbrel

text: On August 9, 2011, in a game versus the Florida Marlins, Kimbrel tied the National League rookie record for saves in a season (36 by Todd Worrell of the St. Louis Cardinals in 1986). He broke that record on August 17 in a game versus the San Francisco Giants. On August 21, 2011, Kimbrel recorded his 100th strike out which coincided with his 39th save of the season and a string of innings without yielding a run. On August 23, 2011, Kimbrel recorded his 40th save, tying the rookie save record of Neftalí Feliz. He subsequently broke this record with his 41st save on August 31 with two strikeouts in a game against the Washington Nationals. At the time, he led the majors in saves and had not given up a run in his last 34 innings. The following night, Kimbrel surpassed Cliff Lee's mark of 34 scoreless innings with scoreless innings for the longest scoreless streak in the majors in 2011. He was named the NL Rookie of the Month and Delivery Man of the Month for August 2011. His scoreless inning streak came to an end after innings, on September 9, 2011.


title: Craig Kimbrel

text: The Braves' season ended when Kimbrel blew a save against the Philadelphia Phillies in the last game of the season. The loss knocked Atlanta out of playoff contention, completing a historic late-season collapse that squandered an early September lead of games in the National League Wild Card race. Kimbrel's mediocre September (4.76 ERA) led to charges that manager Fredi González had overworked him over the course of the season.


title: Craig Kimbrel

text: Kimbrel ended the season tied for the National League lead with 46 saves—surpassing the previous rookie record of 40, set by Feliz in 2010—and led major league relievers with 127 strikeouts in 77 innings.


title: Craig Kimbrel

text: On November 14, the Baseball Writers' Association of America announced the results of their 2011 National League Rookie of the Year vote; Craig Kimbrel received all 32 first-place ballots—the first unanimous selection since 2001 winner Albert Pujols—for 160 points. Freddie Freeman finished second in the voting with 21 second-place votes and seven third-place votes, for a total of 70 points—making the pair the first teammates to take the top two spots since 1989, when the Chicago Cubs' Jerome Walton and Dwight Smith came in first and second in the balloting. The only other time two Braves finished in the top five, the organization was still located in Milwaukee—Gene Conley was voted third-best rookie of the 1954 season; Hank Aaron came in fourth. He was also named the "Players Choice Awards" NL Outstanding Rookie by the Major League Baseball Players Association.


title: Craig Kimbrel

text: Kimbrel again made the All-Star team in 2012. He struck out the two batters he faced. He won the Delivery Man of the Month Award for September 2012. On September 26, he struck out four batters in the ninth inning.


title: Craig Kimbrel

text: Kimbrel was thoroughly dominant throughout the 2012 season. He led the National League with 42 saves (in 45 opportunities) and Win Probability Added among pitchers. He struck out 116 batters in innings, producing a K/9 rate of 16.7. In so doing, he also became the first pitcher in history to strike out at least half the batters he faced during a season. He also went to an 0–2 count on 56% of the batters he faced. Kimbrel allowed only 3.9 hits and 2.0 walks per 9 innings he pitched, giving him a WHIP of 0.65 and a batting average against of .126. He finished with an ERA of 1.01. He won the NL Rolaids Relief Man Award. Kimbrel finished fifth in the 2012 National League Cy Young Award voting, and eighth in the 2012 National League MVP voting.


title: Craig Kimbrel

text: Kimbrel began the 2013 season with three blown saves during his first nine save opportunities, tying his personal record for blown saves during the entire 2012 season. Nonetheless, on May 9, 2013, in a game against the San Francisco Giants, Kimbrel earned his 100th save making him the second youngest player in MLB history to reach that mark. With a save against the Cardinals on July 27, 2013, he became only the second Atlanta pitcher after John Smoltz to have three 30-save seasons. Kimbrel surpassed John Smoltz's Braves record of 27 consecutive saves on August 17, 2013.


title: Craig Kimbrel

text: On September 27, Kimbrel recorded his 50th save of the season in a game against the Philadelphia Phillies. In doing so, he became the 11th pitcher in Major League history to have a 50-save season. He won the Delivery Man of the Year Award (across all of MLB) and also was voted the "GIBBY Awards" Closer of the Year – by the fans, media, team front-office personnel, former players, and SABR.


title: Craig Kimbrel

text: On February 16, 2014, Kimbrel agreed to a four-year, $42 million extension with the Braves that ran through 2017, with an option for 2018. On April 2, Kimbrel tied Gene Garber's 141 saves with the Braves, good for second in franchise history. Two days later, April 4, Kimbrel recorded his 142nd career save, to move into sole possession of second place. On April 25, 2014, Kimbrel became the fastest pitcher ever to reach 400 strikeouts—reaching the mark in 236 innings' worth of work. On June 6, 2014, Kimbrel recorded his 155th save in a game against the Arizona Diamondbacks, surpassing John Smoltz as the new franchise leader in saves. On August 29, 2014, Kimbrel recorded his 40th save of the season. He became the third pitcher to reach that single-season milestone in four straight seasons. Kimbrel finished the season with a 1.61 ERA and 95 strikeouts in innings. He led the National League with 47 saves, becoming the first pitcher to lead the NL in saves for four consecutive seasons since Bruce Sutter (1979–82).


title: Craig Kimbrel

text: On April 5, 2015, Kimbrel was traded to the San Diego Padres along with outfielder Melvin Upton, Jr., in exchange for Carlos Quentin, Cameron Maybin, prospects Matt Wisler, Jordan Paroubeck, and the 41st overall pick in the 2015 MLB draft.


title: Craig Kimbrel

text: On June 8, Kimbrel recorded his 200th career save against his former team, the Braves. He became the fastest pitcher ever to reach that milestone, taking only 318 games to do so.


title: Craig Kimbrel

text: In his one season with the Padres, Kimbrel made 61 appearances, finishing 53 games while recording 39 saves; he struck out 87 while walking 22 in innings pitched with a 2.58 ERA.


title: Craig Kimbrel

text: On November 13, 2015, the Padres traded Kimbrel to the Boston Red Sox in exchange for Manuel Margot, Javy Guerra, Carlos Asuaje, and Logan Allen.


title: Craig Kimbrel

text: On July 8, 2016, Kimbrel injured his knee while taking warmups. The next day, an MRI revealed that there was a tear in the medial meniscus of the left knee. The injury required surgery, and three to six weeks to recover. He returned to the bullpen at the start of August.


title: Craig Kimbrel

text: For the 2016 Red Sox, Kimbrel made 57 regular season appearances, finishing 47 games while recording 31 saves. In 53 innings pitched, he had a 3.40 ERA while striking out 83 and walking 30.


title: Craig Kimbrel

text: In the 2016 American League Division Series, Kimbrel made two appearances; he retired all four batters he faced, three by strikeout, as the Red Sox were swept by the Cleveland Indians.


title: Craig Kimbrel

text: On May 11, 2017, against the Milwaukee Brewers at Miller Park, Kimbrel struck out the side in the ninth inning on nine consecutive pitches, joining Pedro Martínez and Clay Buchholz as the only pitchers in franchise history to accomplish this feat, commonly referred to as an immaculate inning. Two weeks later, Kimbrel recorded a second four-strikeout inning while facing the Texas Rangers. Kimbrel was subsequently named AL Reliever of the Month for May.


title: Craig Kimbrel

text: For the 2017 Red Sox, Kimbrel made 67 regular season appearances, finishing 51 games while recording 35 saves. In 69 innings pitched, he had a 1.43 ERA while striking out 126 and walking 14. Of all MLB pitchers, he held right-handed batters to the lowest batting average, .108 (in 30 or more innings).


title: Craig Kimbrel

text: In the 2017 American League Division Series, Kimbrel made two one-inning appearances; he faced a total of 12 batters, giving up four hits, one walk, and one run while recording two strikeouts, as the Red Sox lost to the eventual World Series champions, the Houston Astros.


title: Craig Kimbrel

text: On May 5, 2018, facing the Texas Rangers, Kimbrel recorded his 300th career save. He achieved this milestone in fewer games (494), fewer save opportunities (330), and at a younger age (29) than any other pitcher. On July 8, Kimbrel recorded his 27th save of the season, and was named to the 2018 MLB All-Star Game. For the 2018 regular season, Kimbrel recorded 42 saves in 63 appearances, pitching to a 2.74 ERA with 96 strikeouts in innings.


title: Craig Kimbrel

text: In the postseason, Kimbrel recorded six saves while allowing seven earned runs in innings, as the Red Sox went on to win the World Series over the Los Angeles Dodgers in five games. On November 12, Kimbrel declined Boston's one-year, $17.9 million qualifying offer, thus becoming a free agent.


title: Craig Kimbrel

text: Kimbrel did not sign with any teams during the off-season, remaining a free agent into the 2019 season.


title: Craig Kimbrel

text: On June 7, 2019, Kimbrel signed with the Chicago Cubs on a three-year contract, reportedly worth $43 million. On June 27, he was added to the Cubs' major league roster from the Triple-A Iowa Cubs, and recorded his first save of the season, against Atlanta. On August 5, 2019, he was placed on IL for a knee inflammation. On August 18, 2019, he was reactivated from the IL to help the Cubs beleaguered bullpen. He finished the year 0–4 with 13 saves and a 6.53 ERA in 23 games.


title: Craig Kimbrel

text: In the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, Kimbrel went 0–1 with a 5.28 ERA and recorded 28 strikeouts and 12 walks in innings.


title: Craig Kimbrel

text: On May 26, 2021, Kimbrel advanced to 11th on the all time saves list after the Cubs beat the Pirates 4–1 at Pittsburgh. On June 24, 2021, Kimbrel pitched a combined no-hitter against the Los Angeles Dodgers along with Zach Davies, Ryan Tepera, and Andrew Chafin.


title: Craig Kimbrel

text: On July 30, 2021, the Cubs traded Kimbrel to the Chicago White Sox in exchange for Nick Madrigal and Codi Heuer. Out of the closer role, Kimbrel had a 5.09 ERA in 24 regular season games and a 9.00 ERA in three playoff games for the White Sox. On November 22, the White Sox exercised his $16 million option for the 2022 season.


title: Craig Kimbrel

text: On April 1, 2022, the White Sox traded Kimbrel to the Los Angeles Dodgers in exchange for A. J. Pollock. He pitched in 63 games for the Dodgers and finished with a 6–7 record, 3.75 ERA and 22 saves. However, by the end of the season he had been removed from the closer role.


title: Craig Kimbrel

text: Kimbrel was named the closer for Team USA in the 2013 World Baseball Classic. Despite not surrendering one lead off double all year with the Braves in 2012, Kimbrel gave one up to Nelson Cruz of the Dominican Republic in their round two matchup. Kimbrel would go on to give up two runs in the game, and be the losing pitcher in Team USA's 3–1 loss to the eventual champions.


title: Craig Kimbrel

text: Kimbrel uses a combination of a four-seam fastball and a power curveball to get outs. His fastball averages and occasionally tops out at . His curve, thrown with a "spike" grip, stays in the mid-to-upper 80s. The whiff rate of his four-seamer is 33%, and the curve is at 52%. This combination contributes to a career strikeouts per nine innings rate of 14.7 (). He is also tied for third among all pitchers from 2002–2012 in the highest percentage of pitches that resulted in swinging strikes.


title: Craig Kimbrel

text: Kimbrel's four-seam fastball was the 12th-fastest among Major League relievers in the 2011 season. In addition, he threw the hardest curveball, averaging . His fastball had the fifth-highest whiff rate among relief pitchers (32%), and he also had the highest whiff rate of any reliever's curveball, at better than 55%. His pre-pitch stance has also been widely noted and has been dubbed "Kimbreling" or "Spider Arms".


title: Craig Kimbrel

text: Kimbrel has two brothers, Alan and Matt. Matt Kimbrel played baseball in the Braves minor league system for three seasons before being released.


title: Craig Kimbrel

text: Kimbrel married former Wallace State cheerleader Ashley Holt in 2012. The couple's daughter was born on November 3, 2017. She was born with heart defects and has undergone two surgeries.


title: Markéta Irglová

text: Markéta Irglová () (born 28 February 1988) is a Czech-Icelandic singer-songwriter, musician and actress, who starred in the film "Once", which earned her a number of major awards, including the Academy Award for Best Original Song for "Falling Slowly", with co-writer and co-star Glen Hansard.


title: Markéta Irglová

text: Irglová is a member of the band The Swell Season with Glen Hansard. The band released its eponymous album on Overcoat Recordings in 2006. In 2007, Irglová co-starred in the indie film "Once". Irglová co-wrote many of the songs for the film including "Falling Slowly", which received an Academy Award for Best Original Song. The film won the World Cinema Audience Award for a dramatic film at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival. Irglová appeared on the 2007 "I'm Not There" soundtrack with the Swell Season's version of Bob Dylan's "You Ain't Goin' Nowhere".


title: Markéta Irglová

text: While accepting the Academy Award she and Hansard were played off before she could begin her acceptance speech. Later in the evening comedian Jon Stewart stopped the show to bring her back on stage to complete her speech. She ended it by wishing "fair play to those who dare to dream."


title: Markéta Irglová

text: The 2012 Broadway stage adaption of Once (musical) won eight Tony awards and the Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album.


title: Markéta Irglová

text: In 2022, Irglová was announced as one of the participants in "Söngvakeppnin 2022", the Icelandic national final for the Eurovision Song Contest 2022, where she is competing with the song "Mögulegt" / "Possible".


title: Markéta Irglová

text: Irglová met Glen Hansard in 2001 when she was 13 years old. Her parents organized a music festival in the Czech Republic and booked The Frames. Hansard played a large part not only in her development as an artist and songwriter but also in launching her career. Although they met years earlier, her romantic relationship with Hansard began during the making of the film "Once" and ended in 2009.


title: Markéta Irglová

text: In 2012, Irglová moved to Reykjavík, Iceland where she met Icelandic music producer Sturla Míó Þórisson (Sturla Mio Thorisson) while recording her first solo album, Anar. They later married and now have three children together. Irglová speaks fluent Icelandic and is a dual citizen of the Czech Republic and Iceland.


title: Markéta Irglová

text: Irglova's first full-length solo album was titled "Anar". Citing references ranging from Otis Redding, to Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, to the soundtrack from Jesus Christ Super Star, Irglova pulled from numerous influences to create a delicate balance of ethereal vocals and expanding instrumentals on her 12-track debut, including the R&B influenced “Go Back” and heart-felt song “Crossroads.” Cover illustration by Nahid Hagigat.


title: Markéta Irglová

text: "Muna" is an album that takes the Oscar-winning singer’s music further into the realm of the ethereal. If her debut ANAR explored the dynamic of intimate personal relationships, the new record is a document of spiritual searching. Written over the course of a year, and recorded in six months with producer/engineer Sturla Mio Thorisson, it utilises full choral, string and percussion sections, plus guests Rob Bochnik (The Frames), Iranian daf player and vocalist Aida Shahghasemi, and Marketa’s own sister Zuzi on backing vocals. All told, the album’s cast-list runs to some 27 players.


title: Markéta Irglová

text: Muna means “to remember” in Icelandic. Remembering that which has been forgotten is a recurring theme throughout this record. “I had been to Iceland for the first time with the Swell Season,” Marketa says. “I fell in love with it then and was sad to leave, although I knew someday something would bring me back. I am inspired by the open space, the wilderness of the nature, the strong energy coming from the land. There is a harmony, a balance, something that allows for a freer flow of creativity. It is easier to be one with oneself and one with everything and everyone around. This makes for better art, in my opinion.”


title: Markéta Irglová

text: In keeping with the choral textures, MUNA is an album of saints, angels and psalms (the Lord’s Prayer makes an appearance in ‘Without A Map’). The songs were, admits Marketa, partly inspired by Andrew Lloyd Webber’s and Tim Rice’s rock opera Jesus Christ Superstar.


title: Markéta Irglová

text: Overall, MUNA’s musical and lyrical themes take solace from the smallness of individual concerns when contrasted with the scale of the universe. It is the result, Marketa says, of a process of growing up, of “going through difficult times and getting lost and feeling left alone to find my way back. Turning to something – or someone – bigger than me to make some sense of things that did not make sense at all. Feeling encouraged to zoom out and widen the lens through which I look at the world – from personal to worldwide to eventually universal. It is much easier to feel victimized when living in the micro-cosmos of our personal dramas. But once we open our minds to the macro-cosmos that we are part of, the issues that seemed so big start to seem small, and that is the beginning of us rising above them and changing our lives for the better.”


title: Markéta Irglová

text: "Lila" is the third in a trilogy of solo albums, presenting a dreamlike collection of songs on the theme of Love, in all its guises: False love. Vulnerable love. Imagined love. Filial love. Childlike love. Parental love. Sensual love. Young love. Past love. True love. Purest love. Confusing love. Romantic love. Unitive love. Eternal love.


title: Markéta Irglová

text: With its confessional-like nature, the record offers insight into Irglova’s journey and how she has managed to find balance in her career as an artist, wife and mother, while embracing the full paradox of love, which softens even as it provides strength.


title: Markéta Irglová

text: The central premise of LILA’s nine-song journey is one of LOVE. It finds Irglova living her dream life offering insight into the healing power of love and being at peace with that which you cannot control. As Irglova states: “Simply sitting with things I can’t change, rather than trying to solve them or run away from them, has brought me into a deeper place in my heart and I am grateful for that.”


title: Markéta Irglová

text: The record comes after a 8 year long hiatus, during which Irglova married, had three children, and built a studio, all while working on music near constantly in the intermitting years.


title: Bed

text: Most modern beds consist of a soft, cushioned mattress on a bed frame. The mattress rests either on a solid base, often wood slats, or a sprung base. Many beds include a box spring inner-sprung base, which is a large mattress-sized box containing wood and springs that provide additional support and suspension for the mattress. Beds are available in many sizes, ranging from infant-sized bassinets and cribs, to small beds for a single person or adult, to large queen and king-size beds designed for two people. While most beds are single mattresses on a fixed frame, there are other varieties, such as the murphy bed, which folds into a wall, the sofa bed, which folds out of a sofa, the trundle bed, which is stored under a low, twin-sized bed and can be rolled out to create a larger sleeping area, and the bunk bed, which provides two mattresses on two tiers as well as a ladder to access the upper tier. Temporary beds include the inflatable air mattress and the folding camp cot. Some beds contain neither a padded mattress nor a bed frame, such as the hammock. Other beds are made specifically for animals.


title: Bed

text: Beds may have a headboard for resting against, and may have side rails and footboards. "Headboard only" beds may incorporate a "dust ruffle", "bed skirt", or "valance sheet" to hide the bed frame. To support the head, a pillow made of a soft, padded material is usually placed on the top of the mattress. Some form of covering blanket is often used to insulate the sleeper, often bed sheets, a quilt, or a duvet, collectively referred to as bedding. Bedding is the removable non-furniture portion of a bed, which enables these components to be washed or aired out.


title: Bed

text: In Europe, mattresses were stuffed with straw, chaff, animal hair (for instance horsehair, used for its resilience), coarse wool, or down feathers, and stacked, softest topmost. This pile of mattresses, and the sheets, blanket, and pillows, was what early Europeans called a "bed"; it might be packed away during the day (a usage which survives in words like ). The bedframe, even when present, supported the bed, but was not considered part of it. Later innovations made bedframes more portable, and increased their importance.


title: Bed

text: In August 2020 scientists reported the discovery of the oldest grass bedding from at least 200,000 years ago, much older than the oldest previously known bedding. They speculate that insect-repellent plants and ash layers, sometimes due to burned older grass beddings, found beneath the bedding have been used for a dirt-free, insulated base and to keep away arthropods.


title: Bed

text: Early beds were little more than piles of straw or some other natural material (e.g. a heap of palm leaves, animal skins, or dried bracken). An important change was raising them off the ground, to avoid drafts, dirt, and pests. In the Miocene period, lasting from twenty-three to five million years ago, before the emergence of humans, apes began creating beds composed of a sleeping platform including a wooden pillow.


title: Bed

text: Bedding dated around to 3600 BC was discovered in Sibudu Cave, South Africa. The bedding consists of sedge and other monocotyledons topped with the leaves of "Cryptocarya woodii".


title: Bed

text: Beds found in a preserved northern Scottish village, which were raised boxes made of stone and likely topped with comfortable fillers, were dated to between 3200 BC and 2200 BC.


title: Bed

text: The "Odyssey", an ancient Greek epic poem, describes the bed of its protagonist, Odysseus, and explains that he crafted the bed for himself and his wife, Penelope, out of a huge olive tree trunk that used to grow on the spot. The poem's author, Homer, also mentions the inlaying of the woodwork of the bed with gold, silver, and ivory.


title: Bed

text: Ancient Roman mattresses were stuffed with reeds, hay, or wool. Feathers were used towards the end of the Republic, when custom demanded luxury. Small cushions were placed at the head and sometimes at the back. The bedsteads were high and could only be ascended by the help of steps. They were often arranged for two people, and had a board or railing at the back, as well as the raised portion at the head. The counterpanes were sometimes very costly, generally purple embroidered with figures in gold; and rich hangings fell to the ground masking the front. The bedsteads themselves were often of bronze inlaid with silver, and Elagabalus had one of solid silver. In the walls of some houses at Pompeii bed niches are found which were probably closed by curtains or sliding partitions. Ancient Romans had various kinds of beds for repose. These included:


title: Bed

text: The Greeks and Romans were also having their meals in bed. They would recline on one side and reach out to pick up food from a nearby table.


title: Bed

text: The Egyptians had high bedsteads which were ascended by steps, with bolsters or pillows, and curtains to hang around. The elite of Egyptian society such as its pharaohs and queens even had beds made of wood, sometimes gilded. Often there was a head-rest as well, semi-cylindrical and made of stone, wood, or metal. Ancient Assyrians, Medes, and Persians had beds of a similar kind, and frequently decorated their furniture with inlays or appliques of metal, mother-of-pearl, and ivory.


title: Bed

text: The adjacent image showcases a headrest. Headrests like this were used in life to support the head while sleeping. They are also found supporting a mummy's head in the coffin. This headrest perhaps was made specifically for the tomb, since the offering prayer has been inscribed on the supporting column, although the prayer may have been added after the death of the owner.


title: Bed

text: Medieval Europeans lay on the floor on beds of leaves covered with skins, or in a kind of shallow chest filled with leaves and moss. In the early Middle Ages they laid carpets on the floor or on a bench against the wall, placed upon them were mattresses stuffed with feathers, wool, or hair, and used skins as a covering. Curtains were hung from the ceiling or from an iron arm projecting from the wall. They appear to have generally lain naked in bed, wrapping themselves in large linen sheets which were stretched over the cushions.


title: Bed

text: In the 12th century, luxury increased and bedsteads were made of wood much decorated with inlaid, carved, and painted ornamentation. They also used folding beds, which served as couches by day and had cushions covered with silk laid upon leather. At night a linen sheet was spread and pillows placed, while silk-covered skins served as coverlets. The Carolingian manuscripts show metal bedsteads much higher at the head than at the feet, and this shape continued in use until the 13th century in France, many cushions being added to raise the body to a sloping position. In 12th-century manuscripts, the bedsteads appear much richer, with inlays, carving, and painting, and with embroidered coverlets and mattresses in harmony. Curtains were hung above the bed and a small hanging lamp is often shown.


title: Bed

text: In the 14th century the woodwork became of less importance, generally being entirely covered by hangings of rich materials. Silk, velvet, and even cloth of gold were frequently used. Inventories from the beginning of the 14th century give details of these hangings lined with fur and richly embroidered. It was then that the Four poster bed (also known as a "tester bed") made its first appearance, the bed being slung from the ceiling or fastened to the walls, a form which developed later into a room within a room, shut in by double curtains, sometimes even to exclude all drafts. The space between the bed and the wall was called the "ruelle", and very intimate friends were received there. The 14th century was also the time when feather beds became highly prized possessions. Beds in aristocratic residences can be distinguished by enclosed curtains, these beds would have mattresses and pillows that were filled with feathers. Sheets were made of linen and blankets of wool. Rails attached to the beds would be for hanging clothes or to hold candles. In less wealthy houses, the bed would be made of three planks and a mattress made of dried heather or fern, they would sleep with a single sheet and an old blanket.


title: Bed

text: In the 15th century beds became very large, reaching by . The mattresses were often filled with pea-shucks, straw, or feathers. At this time great personages were in the habit of carrying most of their property about with them, including beds and bed hangings, and for this reason the bedsteads were for the most part mere frameworks to be covered up; but about the beginning of the 16th century bedsteads were made lighter and more decorative, since the lords remained in the same place for longer periods.


title: Bed

text: In the 17th century, which has been called "the century of magnificent beds", the style "a la duchesse", with tester and curtains only at the head, replaced the more enclosed beds in France, though they lasted much longer in England. Louis XIV had an enormous number of sumptuous beds, as many as 413 being described in the inventories of his palaces. Some of them had embroideries enriched with pearls, and figures on a silver or golden ground. The great bed at Versailles had crimson velvet curtains on which "The Triumph of Venus" was embroidered. So much gold was used that the velvet scarcely showed.


title: Bed

text: In the 18th century feather pillows were first used as coverings in Germany, which in the fashions of the bed and the curious etiquette connected with the bedchamber followed France for the most part. The beds were "a la duchesse", but in France itself there was great variety both of name and shape. The custom of the "bed of justice" upon which the king of France reclined when he was present in parliament, the princes being seated, the great officials standing, and the lesser officials kneeling, was held to denote the royal power even more than the throne.


title: Bed

text: Louis XI is credited with its first use and the custom lasted until the end of the monarchy. In the "chambre de parade", where the ceremonial bed was placed, certain persons, such as ambassadors or great lords, whom it was desired to honour, were received in a more intimate fashion than the crowd of courtiers. At Versailles women received their friends in their beds, both before and after childbirth, during periods of mourning, and even directly after marriage—in fact in any circumstances which were thought deserving of congratulation or condolence. During the 17th century this curious custom became general, perhaps to avoid the tiresome details of etiquette. Portable beds were used in high society in France until the end of the "Ancien Régime". The earliest of which mention has been found belonged to Charles the Bold. They had curtains over a light framework, and were in their way as fine as the stationary beds.


title: Bed

text: Iron beds appear in the 18th century; the advertisements declare them as free from the insects which sometimes infested wooden bedsteads. Elsewhere, there was also the closed bed with sliding or folding shutters, and in England—where beds were commonly quite simple in form—the four poster was the usual citizen's bed until the middle of the 19th century.


title: Bed

text: Bed sizes vary considerably around the world, with most countries having their own standards and terminology.


title: Bed

text: One of the largest beds in the world is the Great Bed of Ware, made in about 1580. It is wide, long. The bed is mentioned by Shakespeare in "Twelfth Night". It is now in the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) in London. Another bed in the V&A is the Golden Bed created by William Burges in 1879.


title: Bed

text: In 1882, an Indian Maharajah had a bed made of solid silver. At each corner of the bed there was a life-sized statue of a naked woman holding a fan. When the Maharajah lay on the bed, his weight started a mechanism that made the women wave their fans.


title: Bed

text: In 1865, a convertible bed in the form of an upright piano was available, which could provide home entertainment while saving space.


title: Bed

text: Bed frames, also called bed steads, are made of wood or metal. The frame is made up of head, foot, and side rails. For heavy duty or larger frames (such as for queen- and king-sized beds), the bed frame also includes a center support rail. The rails are assembled to create a box for the mattress or mattress/box spring to sit on.


title: Bed

text: Although not truly parts of a bed frame, headboards, footboards, and bed rails can be included in the definition. Headboards and footboards can be wood or metal. They can be stained, painted, or covered in fabric or leather.


title: Bed

text: Bed rails are made of wood or metal and are attached to a headboard and footboard. Wooden slats are placed perpendicular to the bed rails to support the mattress/mattress box spring. Bed rails and frames are often attached to the bed post using knock-down fittings. A knock-down fitting enables the bed to be easily dismantled for removal. Primary knock-down fittings for bed rails are as follows:


title: Bed

text: Safety rails, or cot sides, can be added to the sides of a bed (normally a child or elderly person's bed) to stop anyone falling out of the sides of the bed. A safety rail is normally a piece of wood that attaches to the side rails, on one or both sides of the bed. They are made so that they can be easily removed when no longer required.


title: Gwynedd

text: Gwynedd (; ) is a county and preserved county (latter with differing boundaries; includes the Isle of Anglesey) in the north-west of Wales. It shares borders with Powys, Conwy County Borough, Denbighshire, Anglesey over the Menai Strait, and Ceredigion over the River Dyfi. The scenic Llŷn Peninsula and most of Snowdonia National Park are in Gwynedd. Bangor is the home of Bangor University.


title: Gwynedd

text: As a local government area, it is the second largest in Wales in terms of land area and also one of the most sparsely populated. A majority of the population is Welsh-speaking. "Gwynedd" also refers to being one of the preserved counties of Wales, covering the two local government areas of Gwynedd and Anglesey. Named after the old Kingdom of Gwynedd, both culturally and historically, "Gwynedd" can also be used for most of North Wales, such as the area that was policed by the Gwynedd Constabulary. The current area is , with a population of 121,874 as measured in the 2011 Census.


title: Gwynedd

text: In the past, historians such as J. E. Lloyd assumed that the Celtic source of the word "Gwynedd" meant "collection of tribes" – the same root as the Irish "fine", meaning "tribe". Further, a connection is recognised between the name and the Irish "Féni", an early ethnonym for the Irish themselves, related to "fían", "company of hunting and fighting men, company of warriors under a leader". Perhaps "*u̯en-, u̯enə" (strive, hope, wish) is the Indo-European stem. The Irish settled in NW Wales, and in Dyfed, at the end of the Roman era. "Venedotia" was the Latin form, and in Penmachno there is a memorial stone from c. AD 500 which reads: "Cantiori Hic Iacit Venedotis" ("Here lies Cantiorix, citizen of Gwynedd"). The name was retained by the Brythons when the kingdom of Gwynedd was formed in the 5th century, and it remained until the invasion of Edward I. This historical name was revived when the new county was formed in 1974.


title: Gwynedd

text: Gwynedd was an independent kingdom from the end of the Roman period until the 13th century, when it was conquered by England. The modern Gwynedd was one of eight Welsh counties created on 1 April 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972. It covered the entirety of the historic counties of Anglesey and Caernarfonshire, and all of Merionethshire apart from Edeirnion Rural District (which went to Clwyd); and also a few parishes of Denbighshire: Llanrwst, Llansanffraid Glan Conwy, Eglwysbach, Llanddoged, Llanrwst and Tir Ifan.


title: Gwynedd

text: The Local Government (Wales) Act 1994 abolished the 1974 county (and the five districts) on 1 April 1996, and its area was divided: the Isle of Anglesey became an independent unitary authority, and Aberconwy (which included the former Denbighshire parishes) passed to the new Conwy County Borough. The remainder of the county was constituted as a principal area, with the name Caernarfonshire and Merionethshire, as it covers most of the areas of those two historic counties. As one of its first actions, the Council renamed itself Gwynedd on 2 April 1996. The present Gwynedd local government area is governed by Gwynedd Council. As a unitary authority, the modern entity no longer has any districts, but Arfon, Dwyfor and Meirionnydd remain as area committees.


title: Gwynedd

text: The pre-1996 boundaries were retained as a preserved county for a few purposes such as the Lieutenancy. In 2003, the boundary with Clwyd was adjusted to match the modern local government boundary, so that the preserved county now covers the two local government areas of Gwynedd and Anglesey. Conwy county borough is now entirely within Clwyd.


title: Gwynedd

text: A Gwynedd Constabulary was formed in 1950 by the merger of the Anglesey, Caernarfonshire and Merionethshire forces. A further amalgamation took place in the 1960s when Gwynedd Constabulary was merged with the Flintshire and Denbighshire county forces, retaining the name Gwynedd. In one proposal for local government reform in Wales, Gwynedd had been proposed as a name for a local authority covering all of north Wales, but the scheme as enacted divided this area between Gwynedd and Clwyd. To prevent confusion, the Gwynedd Constabulary was therefore renamed the North Wales Police.


title: Gwynedd

text: The Snowdonia National Park was formed in 1951. After the 1974 local authority reorganisation, the park fell entirely within the boundaries of Gwynedd, and was run as a department of Gwynedd County Council. After the 1996 local government reorganisation, part of the park fell under Conwy County Borough, and the park's administration separated from the Gwynedd council. Gwynedd Council still appoints nine of the eighteen members of the Snowdonia National Park Authority; Conwy County Borough Council appoints three; and the Welsh Government appoints the remaining six.


title: Gwynedd

text: The county has a mixed economy. An important part of the economy is based on tourism: many visitors are attracted by the many beaches and the mountains. A significant part of the county lies within the Snowdonia National Park, which extends from the north coast down to the district of Meirionnydd in the south. But tourism provides seasonal employment and thus there is a shortage of jobs in the winter.


title: Gwynedd

text: Agriculture is less important than in the past, especially in terms of the number of people who earn their living on the land, but it remains an important element of the economy.


title: Gwynedd

text: The most important of the traditional industries is the slate industry, but these days only a small percentage of workers earn their living in the slate quarries.


title: Gwynedd

text: Industries which have developed more recently include TV and sound studios: the record company Sain has its HQ in the county.


title: Gwynedd

text: The education sector is also very important for the local economy, including Bangor University and Further Education colleges, Coleg Meirion-Dwyfor and Coleg Menai, both now part of Grŵp Llandrillo Menai.


title: Gwynedd

text: Gwynedd has the highest proportion of people in Wales who can speak Welsh. According to the 2011 Census, 65.4% aged three and over stated that they could speak Welsh. It is estimated that 83% of the county's Welsh-speakers are fluent, the highest percentage of all counties in Wales. The highest percentages of Welsh speakers in Gwynedd are within the 5–15 age group, with 92.3% of those people stating that they could speak Welsh.


title: Gwynedd

text: The proportion of Welsh speakers in Gwynedd declined between 1991 and 2001, from 72.1% to 68.7%, even though the proportion of Welsh speakers in Wales as a whole increased during that decade to 20.5%. The Annual Population Survey estimates that as of 30 June 2022, 76.3% of those in Gwynedd who are three-years-old and above can speak Welsh.


title: Gwynedd

text: There has been considerable inwards migration to Gwynedd, particularly from England. According to the 2011 census, 66.8% were born in Wales whilst 27.4% were born in England. According to the 2021 census, 66.6% were born in Wales whilst 27.1% were born in England.


title: Long Cool Woman in a Black Dress

text: "Long Cool Woman in a Black Dress" (also titled "Long Cool Woman" or "Long Cool Woman (in a Black Dress)") is a song written by Allan Clarke, Roger Cook, and Roger Greenaway and performed by the British rock group The Hollies. Originally appearing on the album "Distant Light", it was released as a single on 17 April 1972 (on Parlophone in the United Kingdom), selling 2 million copies worldwide, including 1.5 million in the United States. It reached No. 2 on the "Billboard" Hot 100 in September 1972 for two weeks, behind Gilbert O'Sullivan's "Alone Again (Naturally)". "Billboard" ranked it as the No. 24 song for 1972.


title: Long Cool Woman in a Black Dress

text: On the day "Long Cool Woman" was recorded at AIR Studios, the group's producer, Ron Richards, was ill and, as a result, the song was produced by the group. The song is different from most other Hollies songs in that there are no three-part vocal harmonies, and the song features lead guitar and lead vocal work by Allan Clarke. Upon his return, Ron Richards mixed the recording.


title: Long Cool Woman in a Black Dress

text: The song was written initially in the country/rockabilly style of Jerry Reed then adapted over recording more to the swamp rock style of Creedence Clearwater Revival, in terms of the vocal, rhythm, and melodic style. Clarke imitated John Fogerty's vocal style, which was based on the Creedence song "Green River". According to Clarke, the song was written "in about five minutes".


title: Long Cool Woman in a Black Dress

text: U.S. music-business magazine "Cash Box" said of the song: "rockin' in the tradition of Creedence and T Rex, the Hollies at their most commercial since 'He Ain't Heavy.'" The similarity to Creedence Clearwater Revival was not lost on that group's lead singer, John Fogerty. He was of the opinion that the song was "too close" to his trademark sound, and sued the Hollies over the issue. The suit was settled out of court for an undisclosed sum of money.


title: Long Cool Woman in a Black Dress

text: In the Hollies' native United Kingdom, the song was only a modest success, peaking at number 32 on the charts. However, it was a hit in the United States, peaking at number 2 for two weeks, making it the group's highest charting single ever in the U.S. It topped the charts in South Africa, and also reached number 2 in Australia and New Zealand. By that time, Clarke had left the band, but he feels that "it wasn't unfortunate", since he had co-written the song. Clarke rejoined the Hollies in the summer of 1973, partly due to the success of the song.


title: Toothbrush

text: A toothbrush is an oral hygiene tool used to clean the teeth, gums, and tongue. It consists of a head of tightly clustered bristles, atop of which toothpaste can be applied, mounted on a handle which facilitates the cleaning of hard-to-reach areas of the mouth. They should be used in conjunction with something to clean between the teeth where the bristles of the toothbrush cannot reach - for example floss, tape or interdental brushes.


title: Toothbrush

text: They are available with different bristle textures, sizes, and forms. Most dentists recommend using a soft toothbrush since hard-bristled toothbrushes can damage tooth enamel and irritate the gums.


title: Toothbrush

text: Because many common and effective ingredients in toothpaste are harmful if swallowed in large doses and instead should be spat out, the act of brushing teeth is most often done at a sink within the kitchen or bathroom, where the brush may be rinsed off afterwards to remove any debris remaining and then dried to reduce conditions ideal for germ growth (and, if it is a wooden toothbrush, mold as well).


title: Toothbrush

text: Some toothbrushes have plant-based handles, often bamboo. However, numerous others are made of cheap plastic; such brushes constitute a significant source of pollution. Over 1 billion toothbrushes are disposed of into landfills annually in the United States alone. Bristles are commonly made of nylon (which, while not biodegradable, as plastic is, may still be recycled) or bamboo viscose.


title: Toothbrush

text: Before the invention of the toothbrush, a variety of oral hygiene measures had been used. This has been verified by excavations during which tree twigs, bird feathers, animal bones and porcupine quills were recovered.


title: Toothbrush

text: The predecessor of the toothbrush is the chew stick. Chew sticks were twigs with frayed ends used to brush the teeth while the other end was used as a toothpick. The earliest chew sticks were discovered in Sumer in southern Mesopotamia in 3500 BC, an Egyptian tomb dating from 3000 BC, and mentioned in Chinese records dating from 1600 BC.


title: Toothbrush

text: The Indian way of using tooth wood for brushing is presented by the Chinese Monk Yijing (635–713 CE) when he describes the rules for Monks in his book:


title: Toothbrush

text: "Every day in the morning, a monk must chew a piece of tooth wood to brush his teeth and scrape his tongue, and this must be done in the proper way. Only after one has washed one’s hands and mouth may one make salutations. Otherwise both the saluter and the saluted are at fault.


title: Toothbrush

text: In Sanskrit, the tooth wood is known as the dantakastha—danta meaning tooth, and kastha, a piece of wood. It is twelve finger-widths in length. The shortest is not less than eight finger-widths long, resembling the little finger in size. Chew one end of the wood well for a long while and then brush the teeth with it."


title: Toothbrush

text: The Greeks and Romans used toothpicks to clean their teeth, and toothpick-like twigs have been excavated in Qin Dynasty tombs. Chew sticks remain common in Africa, the rural Southern United States, and in the Islamic world the use of chewing stick miswak is considered a pious action and has been prescribed to be used before every prayer five times a day. Miswaks have been used by Muslims since the 7th century. Twigs of Neem Tree have been used by ancient Indians. Neem, in its full bloom, can aid in healing by keeping the area clean and disinfected. In fact, even today, Neem twigs called "datun" are used for brushing teeth in India, although not hugely common.


title: Toothbrush

text: The first bristle toothbrush resembling the modern one was found in China. Used during the Tang Dynasty (619–907), it consisted of hog bristles. The bristles were sourced from hogs living in Siberia and northern China because the colder temperatures provided firmer bristles. They were attached to a handle manufactured from bamboo or bone, forming a toothbrush. In 1223, Japanese Zen master Dōgen Kigen recorded in his "Shōbōgenzō" that he saw monks in China clean their teeth with brushes made of horsetail hairs attached to an oxbone handle. The bristle toothbrush spread to Europe, brought from China to Europe by travellers. It was adopted in Europe during the 17th century. The earliest identified use of the word toothbrush in English was in the autobiography of Anthony Wood who wrote in 1690 that he had bought a toothbrush from J. Barret. Europeans found the hog bristle toothbrushes imported from China too firm and preferred softer bristle toothbrushes made from horsehair. Mass-produced toothbrushes made with horse or boar bristle continued to be imported to Britain from China until the mid 20th century.


title: Toothbrush

text: In the UK, William Addis is believed to have produced the first mass-produced toothbrush in 1780. In 1770, he had been jailed for causing a riot. While in prison he decided that using a rag with soot and salt on the teeth was ineffective and could be improved. After saving a small bone from a meal, he drilled small holes into the bone and tied into the bone tufts of bristles that he had obtained from one of the guards, passed the tufts of bristle through the holes in the bone and sealed the holes with glue. After his release, he became wealthy after starting a business manufacturing toothbrushes. He died in 1808, bequeathing the business to his eldest son. It remained within family ownership until 1996. Under the name Wisdom Toothbrushes, the company now manufactures 70 million toothbrushes per year in the UK. By 1840 toothbrushes were being mass-produced in Britain, France, Germany, and Japan. Pig bristles were used for cheaper toothbrushes and badger hair for the more expensive ones.


title: Toothbrush

text: Hertford Museum in Hertford, UK, holds approximately 5000 brushes that make up part of the Addis Collection. The Addis factory on Ware Road was a major employer in the town until 1996. Since the closure of the factory, Hertford Museum has received photographs and documents relating to the archive, and collected oral histories from former employees.


title: Toothbrush

text: The first patent for a toothbrush was granted to H.N. Wadsworth in 1857 (U.S.A. Patent No. 18,653) in the United States, but mass production in the United States did not start until 1885. The improved design had a bone handle with holes bored into it for the Siberian boar hair bristles. Unfortunately, animal bristle was not an ideal material as it retained bacteria, did not dry efficiently and the bristles often fell out. In addition to bone, handles were made of wood or ivory. In the United States, brushing teeth did not become routine until after World War II, when American soldiers had to clean their teeth daily.


title: Toothbrush

text: During the 1900s, celluloid gradually replaced bone handles. Natural animal bristles were also replaced by synthetic fibers, usually nylon, by DuPont in 1938. The first nylon bristle toothbrush made with nylon yarn went on sale on February 24, 1938. The first electric toothbrush, the Broxodent, was invented in Switzerland in 1954. By the turn of the 21st century nylon had come to be widely used for the bristles and the handles were usually molded from thermoplastic materials.


title: Toothbrush

text: Johnson & Johnson, a leading medical supplies firm, introduced the "Reach" toothbrush in 1977. It differed from previous toothbrushes in three ways: it had an angled head, similar to dental instruments, to reach back teeth; the bristles were concentrated more closely than usual to clean each tooth of potentially cariogenic (cavity-causing) materials; and the outer bristles were longer and softer than the inner bristles. Other manufacturers soon followed with other designs aimed at improving effectiveness.


title: Toothbrush

text: In spite of the changes with the number of tufts and the spacing, the handle form and design, the bristles were still straight and difficult to maneuver. In 1978 Dr. George C. Collis developed the Collis Curve toothbrush which was the first toothbrush to have curved bristles. The curved bristles follow the curvature of the teeth and safely reach in between the teeth and into the sulcular areas.


title: Toothbrush

text: In January 2003, the toothbrush was selected as the number one invention Americans could not live without according to the Lemelson-MIT Invention Index.


title: Toothbrush

text: It has been discovered that compared to a manual brush, the multi-directional power brush might reduce the incidence of gingivitis and plaque, when compared to regular side-to-side brushing. These brushes tend to be more costly and damaging to the environment when compared to manual toothbrushes. Most studies report performances equivalent to those of manual brushings, possibly with a decrease in plaque and gingivitis. An additional timer and pressure sensors can encourage a more efficient cleaning process.


title: Toothbrush

text: Electric toothbrushes can be classified, according to the speed of their movements as: standard power toothbrushes, sonic toothbrushes, or ultrasonic toothbrushes. Any electric toothbrush is technically a powered toothbrush. If the motion of the toothbrush is sufficiently rapid to produce a hum in the audible frequency range (20 Hz to 20,000 Hz), it can be classified as a sonic toothbrush. Any electric toothbrush with movement faster than this limit can be classified as an ultrasonic toothbrush. Certain ultrasonic toothbrushes, such as the Megasonex and the Ultreo, have both sonic and ultrasonic movements.


title: Toothbrush

text: There are different electric toothbrush heads designed for sensitive teeth and gums, increased stain removal, or different-sized bristles for tight or gapped teeth. The hand motion with an electric toothbrush is different than a manual toothbrush. They are meant to have the bristles do the work by just placing and moving the toothbrush. Fewer back and forth strokes are needed.


title: Toothbrush

text: An interdental or interproximal ("proxy") brush is a small brush, typically disposable, either supplied with a reusable angled plastic handle or an integral handle, used for cleaning between teeth and between the wires of dental braces and the teeth.


title: Toothbrush

text: The use of interdental brushes in conjunction with tooth brushing has been shown to reduce both the amount of plaque and the incidence of gingivitis when compared to tooth brushing alone. Although there is some evidence that after tooth brushing with a conventional tooth brush, interdental brushes remove more plaque than dental floss, a systematic review reported insufficient evidence to determine such an association.


title: Toothbrush

text: The size of interdental brushes is standardized in ISO 16409. The brush size, which is a number between 0 (small space between teeth) and 8 (large space), indicates the "passage hole diameter". This corresponds to the space between two teeth that is just sufficient for the brush to go through without bending the wire. The color of the brushes differs between producers. The same is the case with respect to the wire diameter.


title: Toothbrush

text: The small round brush head comprises seven tufts of tightly packed soft nylon bristles, trimmed so the bristles in the center can reach deeper into small spaces. The brush handle is ergonomically designed for a firm grip, giving the control and precision necessary to clean where most other cleaning aids cannot reach. These areas include the posterior of the wisdom teeth (third molars), orthodontic structures (braces), crowded teeth, and tooth surfaces that are next to missing teeth. It can also be used to clean areas around implants, bridges, dentures and other appliances.


title: Toothbrush

text: A chewable toothbrush is a miniature plastic moulded toothbrush which can be placed inside the mouth. While not commonly used, they are useful to travelers and are sometimes available from bathroom vending machines. They are available in different flavors such as mint or bubblegum and should be disposed of after use. Other types of disposable toothbrushes include those that contain a small breakable plastic ball of toothpaste on the bristles, which can be used without water.


title: Toothbrush

text: A musical toothbrush is a type of manual or powered toothbrush designed to make tooth brushing habit more interesting. It is more commonly introduced to children to gain their attention and positively influence their tooth brushing behavior. The music starts while child starts brushing, it continuously plays during the brushing and it ends when the child stops brushing.


title: Toothbrush

text: It is not recommended to share toothbrushes with others, since besides general hygienic concerns, there is a risk of transmitting diseases that are typically transmittable by blood, such as Hepatitis C.


title: Toothbrush

text: After use, it is advisable to rinse the toothbrush with water, shake it off and let the toothbrush dry.


title: Toothbrush

text: Studies have shown that brushing to remove dental plaque more often than every 48 hours is enough to maintain gum and tooth health. Tooth brushing can remove plaque up to one millimeter below the gum line, and each person has a habitual brushing method, so more frequent brushing does not cover additional parts of the teeth or mouth.


title: Toothbrush

text: Most dentists recommended patients brush twice a day in the hope that more frequent brushing would clean more areas of the mouth.


title: Toothbrush

text: Tooth brushing is the most common preventive healthcare activity, but tooth and gum disease remain high, since lay people clean at most 40% of their tooth margins at the gum line. Videos show that even when asked to brush their best, they do not know how to clean effectively.


title: Toothbrush

text: Teeth can be damaged by several factors including poor oral hygiene, but also by wrong oral hygiene. Especially for sensitive teeth, damage to dentin and gums can be prevented by several measures including a correct brushing technique.


title: Toothbrush

text: It is beneficial, when using a straight bristled brush, not to scrub horizontally over the necks of teeth, not to press the brush too hard against the teeth, to choose a toothpaste that is not too abrasive, and to wait at least 30 minutes after consumption of acidic food or drinks before brushing.


title: Toothbrush

text: Harder toothbrushes reduce plaque more efficiently but are more stressful to teeth and gum; using a medium to soft brush for a longer cleaning time was rated to be the best compromise between cleaning result and gum and tooth health.


title: Toothbrush

text: A study by University College London found that advice on brushing technique and frequency given by 10 national dental associations, toothpaste and toothbrush companies, and in dental textbooks was inconsistent.