title: God Hates Us All

text: "God Hates us All" received generally positive reviews from music critics. On Metacritic, the album has a score of 80 out of 100 based on 12 reviews. "Kerrang!" Jason Arnopp described the album as: "easily Slayer's most convincing collection since "Seasons in the Abyss"," awarding the album five out of five. "Rolling Stone" Rob Kemp wrote the record was "Slayer's most brutal record since 1986's immortal (or undead) "Reign in Blood"," describing the music as "galloping double bass-drum salvos which switch on a dime to furious double-time pummeling as ominous power chords and jagged shred solos slice and dice with Formula One precision." Kemp awarded the album three and a half out of five. AllMusic reviewer Jason Birchmeier commented: "nearly 20 years into their evolution, Slayer have abandoned the extravagancies and accessibility of their late-'80s/early-'90s work and returned to perfect the raw approach of their early years. A near flawless album," and that Araya's performance possibly makes "the most exhausting Slayer album yet."


title: God Hates Us All

text: Not all critics were impressed with the album. Blabbermouth.net reviewer Borivoj Krgin dismissively labeled the album as "another failure on the band's part to take the initiative and reinvent themselves." Krgin described King as "the weaker and less inventive of the two main songwriters" feeling the album "follows a familiar direction that almost always sounds tired and forced." Krgin also singled out Araya for criticism and called the vocalist: "a hollow shell of his former self, boasting a singing style that is monotonous, devoid of creativity and at times virtually unlistenable." Krgin awarded the record 6 out of 10, and ended the review by observing that: "Slayer's rapidly diminishing record sales is a sign that the band is in dire need of a new lease on life." "The Washington Post" gave it a mixed review, stating: "Of course, what Slayer says isn't supposed to be nearly as important as how it says it. The riffs are all overdriven and suffocating and that's a conscious decision. In its simplest form, a song like "Exile" could pass for Motorhead pushed through the blades of a lawn mower but that's selling Slayer short. Guitarist Kerry King actively fights the groove that naturally comes from playing heavy rock-and-roll."


title: God Hates Us All

text: The song "Disciple" received a Grammy Award nomination for "Best Metal Performance" at the 44th Grammy Awards. This was the band's first nomination. Although they did not expect to win they thought it was "cool" to be nominated. The ceremony took place on February 27, 2002 with Tool winning the award for their song "Schism".


title: God Hates Us All

text: Paul Bostaph sustained a chronic elbow injury that hindered his ability to drum and resulted in his decision to leave the band. His third-to-last performance with Slayer was recorded on "War at the Warfield" which Bostaph has not viewed the footage of, likening the experience to: "breaking up with a girlfriend," and saying he wants to move on with his life. Having no regrets from his time spent with the band Bostaph described the period as a high point in his career. He eventually rejoined Slayer in 2013 once again replacing Dave Lombardo.


title: God Hates Us All

text: Without a drummer and unable to finish their "God Hates Us All" tour Hanneman contacted original drummer Dave Lombardo and asked him if he would be willing to play for the remainder of the tour. Lombardo accepted the offer and played for the remaining 21 shows. However, he did not take on a permanent position with the band.


title: God Hates Us All

text: Following the tour, the band continued their search for a permanent drummer, and sought solicitation via demo tape and snail mail. Interested fans sent video recordings of renditions of the songs "Disciple," "God Send Death," "Stain of Mind," "Angel of Death", "Postmortem/Raining Blood," "South of Heaven," "War Ensemble," and "Seasons in the Abyss"; complete with résumés. The band listened to hundreds of demo tapes and created a "good pile" and "ungood pile" though the "ungood pile" was much larger. Those whose performances the band were pleased with were offered an audition in Dallas, San Francisco or Peoria, Illinois. Many applicants, however, were unable to attend due to flight costs. The band auditioned roughly two to three drummers a day and their top choice was one of Lombardo's recommendations: drummer Kevin Talley.


title: God Hates Us All

text: Slayer ultimately returned to Lombardo after deciding that they could not find a drummer who suited the job. He re-joined Slayer and attended music festivals worldwide to promote "God Hates Us All" and also recorded drums on the 2006 album "Christ Illusion".


title: Sonic 3D Blast

text: The concept for "Sonic 3D Blast" originated during the development of "Sonic the Hedgehog 3" (1994). Most of the programming was outsourced to the British studio Traveller's Tales, as the Japanese Sonic Team staff was preoccupied with "Nights into Dreams" (1996). Development lasted eight months, and the team drew inspiration from "Donkey Kong Country" (1994) and "Sonic Labyrinth" (1995). "Sonic 3D Blast" was developed alongside the Saturn game "Sonic X-treme". When "X-treme" was canceled, Sega commissioned a port of "3D Blast" featuring improved graphics for the Saturn.


title: Sonic 3D Blast

text: Both versions were published by Sega in November 1996, with a Windows port released the following year. "Sonic 3D Blast" was the final "Sonic" game for the Genesis, and has been re-released through "Sonic" compilations and digital distribution platforms. Though commercially successful, it received mixed reviews. Criticism was directed at its isometric gameplay, controls, and pace, although the visuals and soundtrack were praised. An unofficial director's cut version, featuring adjusted gameplay elements and improved controls, was released by the Genesis version's lead programmer, Jon Burton, in 2017.


title: Sonic 3D Blast

text: "Sonic 3D Blast" is a platform game presented from an isometric perspective. Players control Sonic the Hedgehog, whose goal is to save the Flickies, collect the seven Chaos Emeralds, and defeat Doctor Robotnik and his robot army. Sonic retains most of his abilities from prior games: he can jump and spin in mid-air to defeat robots or hop on platforms, perform a spin-dash on the ground to gain speed, and collects rings as a form of health. Sonic can also collect power-ups, such as elemental shields, speed shoes, or invincibility, by breaking television monitors containing them.


title: Sonic 3D Blast

text: The game is split into several levels called zones. Every zone has three acts: two standard levels, where the player must collect Flickies by defeating robots in order to proceed; and a boss fight against Robotnik, without any Flicky-collecting involved. In normal levels, once the player collects all five Flickies from each section of an act, Sonic is either further advanced into the act or taken to the next act. If Sonic and the following Flickies are hit by an obstacle or enemy, the Flickies and the rings Sonic collected will scatter. Each individual Flicky's color determines its behavior: blue, pink and orange Flickies make an effort to find Sonic, while green and red Flickies wander off at random; the latter even jumping about, making them harder to recollect. Sonic starts the game with four lives; if he is hit with no Flickies or rings in his possession, he will lose a life. Losing all lives results in a game over. Lives can be replenished by collecting a 1-up, and continues are obtained by collecting ten Sonic-shaped medals.


title: Sonic 3D Blast

text: As with previous games, "Sonic 3D Blast" includes "special stages", in which the player collects Chaos Emeralds. Obtaining all seven Emeralds allows the player to play the final boss battle and discover the true ending of the game. To access these stages, the player must find one of Sonic's friends (either Tails or Knuckles the Echidna) hidden within a level, and stand next to them with at least 50 rings collected. Doing so allows the player to exchange the rings in order for the chance to play the game's special stage. During special stages, the camera shifts to behind Sonic as he runs down a preset path and must collect rings while avoiding obstacles that, when run into, make him lose rings. A certain number of rings need to be obtained at certain checkpoints to continue through the stage, and ultimately be able to make it to the end in order to receive a Chaos Emerald. Collecting all seven Chaos Emeralds also allows the "Final Fight" level to be played, consisting of a final boss fight and the good ending of the game.


title: Sonic 3D Blast

text: Doctor Robotnik discovers mysterious birds called Flickies that live on an island in an alternate dimension. He learns that they can travel anywhere using large rings, so he decides to exploit them by turning them into robots to help him search for the Chaos Emeralds. Sonic arrives at the island only to discover the presence of Robotnik, and he is tasked with saving the Flickies and defeating his nemesis.


title: Sonic 3D Blast

text: Sonic travels through the island, saving the Flickies and clashing with Robotnik in his various machines. If the player collects all the Chaos Emeralds, Sonic proceeds into a black void, where he engages in a final battle with Robotnik, who pilots a large robot. Sonic manages to destroy the robot's weapons and defeats Robotnik, freeing the Flickies. If the player fails to collect the Emeralds, Robotnik escapes in their possession.


title: Sonic 3D Blast

text: "Sonic 3D Blast" was the final "Sonic the Hedgehog" game produced for the 16-bit Sega Genesis, and was developed as a swan song for the system. Sega had discontinued support for the Genesis in 1995, but produced the game because games typically sell for one to two years after their platforms' discontinuation. The basic concept was conceived by members of Sonic Team during the development of "Sonic the Hedgehog 3" (1994), but most of the programming was done by the British studio Traveller's Tales because Sonic Team was developing "Nights into Dreams" (1996) at the time. According to founder Jon Burton, Traveller's Tales had just finished developing a "Toy Story" game and wanted to start developing games for 32-bit systems such as the Saturn and PlayStation. Sega, impressed with their work on "Toy Story" and "Mickey Mania", approached them with "3D Blast"; as "Sonic" was extremely popular at the time, the concept "got their attention". In retrospect, Burton stated that he believed the game was commissioned because "Sonic X-treme", in development for the Saturn at the time, was struggling, and Sega wanted to bring Sonic into the 3D era of gaming.


title: Sonic 3D Blast

text: The game was developed from scratch in eight months, beginning in July 1995. It was originally titled "Sonic Spindrift". Burton, who served as lead programmer, implemented an exception handler where, should an error occur, the game would greet the player with a secret level select screen instead of crashing; this was done so the game could easily pass Sega's approval process for publishing games. Burton also gave the game a unique full motion video intro sequence, and used compression methods to make the video fit in the 4MB cartridge and appear higher resolution. The game makes use of some pre-rendered 3D models converted into sprites. The team decided to use 3D instead of 2D because they thought "it was time for something new." Inspiration for the isometric viewpoint was drawn from "Sonic Labyrinth" (1995) and "Super Mario RPG" (1996). The item collection was influenced by the 1984 "Flicky" game, and the graphics were inspired by "Donkey Kong Country" (1994). Sonic Team provided Traveller's Tales with game, level, and character designs. Burton remembered the partnership with Sega fondly, recalling that he greatly enjoyed "making a machine do something you haven't seen it do". Towards the end of development, Traveller's Tales began to expand its scope, and Burton passed the rest of programming to his employees.


title: Sonic 3D Blast

text: Sega also commissioned a version of the game for the Sega Saturn in case "Sonic X-treme" was canceled. This cancellation did indeed occur, so "Sonic 3D Blast" was safely released in time for Christmas 1996 in its stead. The game was ported in seven weeks, during development of the Sega Genesis version. While it does feature graphical changes, such as weather effects and higher resolution textures, the game largely plays the same as the original version. It features a higher quality opening video and improved graphics. Sonic Team filled in for development of the special stage in the Saturn version of the game, which includes polygonal graphics as opposed to sprites only. This version is also compatible with the Saturn's analog control pad. The team attempted to rework "X-treme" into bonus stages in the Saturn version. However, they were unable to properly transfer Sonic's model from "X-treme" into "3D Blast", so the feature was scrapped.


title: Sonic 3D Blast

text: The soundtrack for the Genesis version, which features 24 tracks in total, was primarily composed by Jun Senoue and Tatsuyuki Maeda, with Masaru Setsumaru and Seirou Okamoto composing the final boss and staff roll themes respectively. The Saturn version features a different soundtrack by Richard Jacques and features a vocal ending theme titled "You're My Hero", performed by Debbie Morris. The musical styles on the soundtrack were described by "Sega Saturn Magazine" as both traditional "Sonic" music and "hardcore techno".


title: Sonic 3D Blast

text: "Sonic 3D Blast" was released for the Genesis in North America and Europe in November 1996. The launch coincided with the release of the Game Gear game "Sonic Blast", which also features pre-rendered 3D graphics. The Saturn version of "Sonic 3D Blast" was released in North America later that year and in Europe in February 1997. In Japan, only the Saturn port was released, on October 14, 1999. A port of the Sega Saturn version was released for Windows in Europe on September 11, 1997, and worldwide later that year.


title: Sonic 3D Blast

text: The Genesis version of the game is available in several "Sonic"-themed compilations. These include "Sonic Mega Collection" for the GameCube; "Sonic Mega Collection Plus" for the PlayStation 2, Xbox, and Windows; and "Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection" for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. It was also re-released for the Wii's Virtual Console in 2007 and on Steam in 2010.


title: Sonic 3D Blast

text: Reception to the Genesis version of "Sonic 3D Blast" was generally positive upon its original release. While Dan Jevons of "Mean Machines Sega" was initially skeptical of the first 3D "Sonic" game appearing on the Genesis, he proclaimed "Sonic 3D Blast" to be "a legitimate addition to the "Sonic" series, and a smart game in its own right". He and Angus Swan of the same publication were grateful for the change in gameplay style, which they said added depth to the structure of the series formula. They additionally praised the music, controls, and sense of inertia in Sonic's movement. Ed Lomas of "Computer and Video Games" considered "Sonic 3D Blast" to be "the first essential Mega Drive game in years", and remarked that the new gameplay style would appeal to all fans of the series, as well as those who "couldn't be bothered with running right all the time". Although Art Angel of "GamePro" considered the levels cleverly designed, he was initially frustrated by the isometric perspective, which he felt steepened the learning curve for the controls; Dan Hsu of "Electronic Gaming Monthly" experienced a similar adjusting period. Shawn Smith and Sushi-X, also of "Electronic Gaming Monthly", admired the size of the levels, though Hsu wished for a map due to becoming sidetracked on occasion, and found the level designs too similar. Lomas and "Electronic Gaming Monthly"s Crispin Boyer observed a lack of secret locations to discover in relation to previous "Sonic" entries, which the former felt lowered the replay value. Jevons and Swan regarded the difficulty as somewhat low for experienced gamers, with Art Angel likewise finding the game easy to beat upon mastering the controls, whereas Lomas deemed it to be harder and longer than most other "Sonic" titles.


title: Sonic 3D Blast

text: The graphics were widely praised, with Lomas finding the game's rendered intro and fluid animation impressive for the console. Art Angel additionally noted that the sprites and animations never glitch regardless of the action's intensity. Smith and Hsu deemed the game the pinnacle of the Genesis's capabilities in terms of its color palette and sense of 3D. While the "Mean Machines Sega" reviewers and Lomas found the checkerboard floor patterns repetitive, Lomas deemed them necessary for judging difficult sections correctly. Art Angel approved of the eclectic music selection, which he described as ranging from techno pop to contemporary jazz, and the "Mean Machines Sega" reviewers cited the remixes for the second act of each stage as a positive point. Mike Wallis, an employee of Sega at the time, recalled in an interview that the Genesis version was successful for the company, eventually selling over 700,000 copies. "Electronic Gaming Monthly" named "Sonic 3D Blast" a runner-up for Genesis Game of the Year (behind "Vectorman 2").


title: Sonic 3D Blast

text: Reception to the Saturn version was mixed. Though Lee Nutter of "Sega Saturn Magazine" compared the gameplay unfavorably to previous "Sonic" games, he found it had a great deal of fun to offer and praised it as being more challenging than any previous "Sonic" game. "GameSpot"'s Jeff Gerstmann appreciated this version's superior handling of certain animations. "Entertainment Weekly", however, noted the game's unusually similar presentation on two platforms with differing expectations, claiming that "while "3D Blast" is super by 16-bit standards, it falls flat on Sega Saturn, where 32-bit games with far more sophisticated 3-D graphics and gameplay are the norm." Smith and Hsu of "Electronic Gaming Monthly" agreed that the Saturn version is overly similar to the Genesis version, though Hsu added, "that's a compliment to the Genesis, not a rip on the Saturn". Hsu and Boyer both also said that the game's controls are considerably improved with the Saturn's analog controller, though Sushi-X found it of little help. The Saturn version was also a commercial success and was one of the system's better-selling games, according to Wallis.


title: Sonic 3D Blast

text: The staff of "GameSpot" saw the PC version as similar to the others, but pointed out some slowdown effects while the camera scrolled, attributing these to its wide colour palette.


title: Sonic 3D Blast

text: Critical opinions of the game have lessened over time. Reviewers generally disapproved of "Sonic 3D Blast"s gameplay style, some finding its isometric perspective limiting. Lucas M. Thomas of "IGN" lamented that "the sense of speed and intense action that Sonic's name was built on is absent here, replaced by, essentially, a looping, lazy fetchquest". Austin Shau of "GameSpot" echoed this concern, calling the gameplay "an exercise in tedium". Besides the game's goals, Shau and Thomas criticized the controls, particularly in the area of Sonic's overly slow-paced movement and slippery deceleration. Thomas did admit that the game "has its moments" of quick-footed vigor, but characterized these as few and far between, and Shau summarized that, while not unsalvageable in isolation, the game's elements violently clashed and customers would be "spending 800 Wii points for a vat of oil and water". Damien McFerran of "Nintendo Life" stated that its repetition was broken only by its boss battles and special stages, the latter of which Shau wrote off as "childishly easy". However, reflecting on its complaints years earlier upon the game's inclusion in "Sonic Mega Collection Plus", Jeremy Parish of "1UP.com" called the game "much better than you might be led to believe". Brett Alan Weiss of "AllGame" voiced a similar opinion, feeling it was a "nice departure" from the style of the side-scrolling "Sonic" games.


title: Sonic 3D Blast

text: Reviewers remained positive about the game's presentation. McFerran greatly enjoyed the game's visuals and welcomed the graphical improvements of the Saturn version: "the CGI visuals are stunning considering the hardware, the animation is excellent and the level design is colourful and varied". Thomas praised the game's "valiant" pre-rendered graphics, especially taking its limited hardware into account. Shau stated that the graphics and sound were the only areas in which the game bore a welcome resemblance to its Genesis predecessors, and particularly appreciated the return of the ring-scattering sound effect and similarly music. Z-Roc of "Game Revolution" praised the rounded, cartoon-like graphics, referring to them as "some of the sharpest graphics we have ever seen." Weiss wrote that the visuals, though not an improvement from other games artistically, were well-produced and high-quality. Thomas gave the music a subscore of 7.5/10, the highest of any element of the game, and noted that its themes would be memorable to players.


title: Sonic 3D Blast

text: Some journalists have called "Sonic 3D Blast" one of the worst games in the "Sonic" franchise. "USgamer" and "Complex" wrote that the game did not feel like a true "Sonic" game, the latter exclaiming it was "offensive" to call it 3D. "PC Gamer" described it as "the first sign that "Sonic" in 3D was just plain not going to work". The game is remembered as a black sheep in the franchise.


title: Sonic 3D Blast

text: Archie Comics published a comic book adaptation of "Sonic 3D Blast" for a 48-page special in December 1996, written by Mike Gallagher. A loose adaptation of the game also appeared in issues 104 through 106 (May through July 1997) of "Sonic the Comic".


title: Sonic 3D Blast

text: Senoue re-arranged two of his musical pieces from the Genesis version for "Sonic Adventure" (1998), saying he wanted the Japanese market to hear them as the Genesis version was not released in Japan. He also used an cut theme as the boss theme in "".


title: Sonic 3D Blast

text: After "Sonic 3D Blast", Traveller's Tales and Sonic Team collaborated again on the Saturn racing game "Sonic R" (1997). "Sonic 3D Blast" was one of Traveller's Tales earliest games; the studio later became known for their work on video games based on the Lego toy line, through which it would revisit the "Sonic" franchise as part of the 2015 crossover game "Lego Dimensions". In 2017, Burton released an unofficial director's cut patch for the Mega Drive version of "Sonic 3D Blast", with improved controls and additions such as a level editor, a password save system, time attack challenges, and the ability to transform into Super Sonic.


title: Methods of Mayhem

text: Methods of Mayhem is an American rap rock band formed in 1999 by Tommy Lee, who had temporarily quit his position as Mötley Crüe's drummer.


title: Methods of Mayhem

text: Lee formed Methods of Mayhem on the eve of his divorce from Pamela Anderson. The band's self-titled debut album was released in late 1999 and went on to be certified gold. The album featured appearances by Fred Durst, Crystal Method, U-God, Kid Rock, Snoop Dogg, Lil' Kim, George Clinton and Mix Master Mike. "It's pretty good for what it is," Lee's former Mötley Crüe band member Nikki Sixx conceded in 2000, "I guess you'd call it rap-rock." The band disbanded for the first time in September 2000.


title: Methods of Mayhem

text: In March 2009, Lee announced that he was reforming Methods of Mayhem and would start recording new music. Drummer Will Hunt, guitarist J3, guitarist Phil X (who contributed to the first album), and touring bassist Marty O'Brien contributed to the sophomore album, "A Public Disservice Announcement", released in September 2010. A live performance on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" saw Morgan Rose (of Sevendust) playing drums, DJ Aero on turntables, J3 on guitar and vocals, and Lee on vocals and guitar. No bass player was on stage during the performance. Methods of Mayhem later signed to Loud & Proud/Roadrunner Records.


title: Methods of Mayhem

text: On April 2, 2019, it was announced that Lee had resurrected the project and had plans to release a new album in the future.


title: Methods of Mayhem

text: The band's self-titled debut featured a rap metal style, while "A Public Disservice Announcement" was more varied in style, covering genres such as rap rock, nu metal and dance-rock.


title: Helen, Georgia

text: Helen is a city in White County, Georgia, United States, located along the Chattahoochee River. The population was 531 at the 2020 census.


title: Helen, Georgia

text: Helen was platted in 1912, and named after the daughter of a lumber official. The town was incorporated in 1913.


title: Helen, Georgia

text: Formerly a logging town that was in decline, the city resurrected itself by becoming a replica of a Bavarian alpine town, in the Appalachians instead of the Alps. This design is mandated through zoning first adopted in 1969, so that the classic south-German style is present on every building, even on the small number of national franchisees present (such as Huddle House and Wendy's).


title: Helen, Georgia

text: In 1975, DOCUMERICA photographer Al Stephenson documented the life, recreation, and economy of the Helen area before and during the construction of Alpine Helen.


title: Helen, Georgia

text: Tourism is a key economic activity in Helen, catering mostly to weekend visitors from the Atlanta area and also motorcyclists who enjoy riding the roads in Helen and its surrounding areas. Helen can be crowded in late October, when autumn leaves typically peak. It also hosts its own Oktoberfest during September, October and November. Events and festivals are held throughout the year, including the "Southern Worthersee", which is a stateside Volkswagen and Audi event that pays tribute to the Worthersee Tour in Austria. An annual hot-air balloon race is also held here on the first weekend in June.


title: Helen, Georgia

text: The main road through town is north/south Georgia 75. The Helen stream gauge (HDCG1) is located on its bridge over the Chattahoochee in the middle of downtown. A parallel route to the west is labeled Georgia 75 Alt to identify it as a bypass route around the town and its traffic jams in the autumn and on some weekends.


title: Helen, Georgia

text: Unicoi State Park and Lodge, spanning , is located immediately northeast of Helen on Georgia 356. The park encompasses Unicoi Lake, a freshwater lake, offering outdoor activities for all seasons. Among these are a swimming beach, trout streams, wheelchair-accessible fishing docks, seasonal canoe, kayak and paddle boat rentals, seven picnic shelters with charcoal grills, three playgrounds for children, spots for birding, of hiking within the park (with adjacent trails in the Chattahoochee National Forest), of mountain biking trails within the park, and a number of places to enjoy the natural environment of the lake and park. Unicoi State Park also offers lodging in several forms. Access to Anna Ruby Falls, part of the Chattahoochee National Forest, is through the park.


title: Helen, Georgia

text: Georgia State Routes 17 and 75 are the main routes through the city, and run through the downtown area together as North Main Street. GA-17/75 lead north together to Hiawassee. The two highways split south of the city, with GA-17 leading southeast to Clarkesville and GA-75 leading south to Cleveland, the White County seat.


title: Helen, Georgia

text: As of the 2020 United States census, there were 531 people, 271 households, and 161 families residing in the city. The total population figure is disputed by city officials, as it is triple what it was a decade earlier. The discrepancy may be due changes in Census Bureau counting methodology.


title: Helen, Georgia

text: As of the census of 2000, there were 430 people, 208 households, and 112 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 319 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 82.56% White, 5.12% African American, 0.23% Native American, 10.93% Asian, 0.23% Pacific Islander, 0.47% from other races, and 0.47% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.02% of the population.


title: Helen, Georgia

text: There were 208 households, out of which 25.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.0% were married couples living together, 11.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 45.7% were non-families. 42.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.07 and the average family size was 2.83.


title: Helen, Georgia

text: In the city the population was spread out, with 20.5% under the age of 18, 6.7% from 18 to 24, 27.9% from 25 to 44, 28.8% from 45 to 64, and 16.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.9 males.


title: Helen, Georgia

text: The median income for a household in the city was $32,917, and the median income for a family was $40,781. Males had a median income of $39,107 versus $23,750 for females. The per capita income for the city was $22,281. About 6.7% of families and 8.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.1% of those under age 18 and 8.8% of those age 65 or over.


title: Helen, Georgia

text: "Smokey and the Bandit" (1977) includes a scene filmed on Chimney Mountain Rd. just outside of Helen.


title: Helen, Georgia

text: In the episode "Helen" from Season 2: "Robbin' Season" of the television series "Atlanta", main characters Vanessa and Earn visit Helen for a Fastnacht celebration. The character Vanessa, played by Zazie Beetz, is from Helen and is fluent in German. The episode aired on March 22, 2018.


title: American Silver Eagle

text: It was first released by the United States Mint on November 24, 1986. It is struck only in the one-troy ounce, which has a nominal face value of one dollar and is guaranteed to contain one troy ounce of 99.9% pure silver. It is authorized by and codified as (e)-(h). Its content, weight, and purity are certified by the United States Mint. In addition to the bullion version, the United States Mint has produced a proof version and an uncirculated version for coin collectors. The Silver Eagle has been produced at three mints: the Philadelphia Mint, the San Francisco Mint, and the West Point Mint. The American Silver Eagle bullion coin may be used to fund Individual Retirement Account investments.


title: American Silver Eagle

text: The design on the coin's obverse was taken from the "Walking Liberty" design by Adolph A. Weinman, which originally had been used on the Walking Liberty Half Dollar coin of the United States from 1916 to 1947. As this iconic design had been a public favorite—and one of the most beloved designs of any United States coinage of modern times, silver or otherwise—it was revived for the Silver Eagle decades later. The obverse is inscribed with the year of minting or issuance, the word "LIBERTY", and the phrase " IN GOD WE TRUST".


title: American Silver Eagle

text: The newly designed reverse of the 2021 American Silver Eagle was designed by Emily Damstra and shows an eagle landing on a branch; much like that of the reverse of the 1971 Eisenhower Dollar Coins. The reverse is inscribed with the phrases "UNITED STATES OF AMERICA", "1 OZ. FINE SILVER~ONE DOLLAR", and "E PLURIBUS UNUM", as well as the mintmark if applicable.


title: American Silver Eagle

text: From 1986 to 2021, the reverse was designed by John Mercanti and portrayed a heraldic eagle behind a shield; the eagle grasping an olive branch in its right talon and arrows in its left talon, echoing the Great Seal of the United States; above the eagle are thirteen five-pointed stars representing the Thirteen Colonies. The reverse was inscribed with the phrases "UNITED STATES OF AMERICA", "1 OZ. FINE SILVER~ONE DOLLAR", and "E PLURIBUS UNUM" (on the banner that the eagle holds in its beak), as well as the mintmark if applicable.


title: American Silver Eagle

text: The impetus of the American Silver Eagle bullion program ultimately comes from executive plans through the 1970s and early 1980s to sell off silver from the Defense National Stockpile. As "The Wall Street Journal" explained, "Several administrations had sought unsuccessfully to sell silver from the stockpile, arguing that domestic production of silver far exceeds strategic needs. But mining-state interests had opposed any sale, as had promilitary legislators who wanted assurances that the proceeds would be used to buy materials more urgently needed for the stockpile rather than merely to reduce the federal deficit." Throughout the period, such sell-offs that did occur, as well as announcements of planned sell-offs, caused immediate declines in the price of silver. "The Wall Street Journal" reported in September 1976, "When the US government makes noises about selling silver from the federal stockpile, futures traders start unloading futures contracts in speculation that such a sale would depress prices."


title: American Silver Eagle

text: Despite congressional opposition to the sale of stockpiled silver through early June 1981, the House Armed Services Committee decided on June 10 to approve a Reagan administration request to sell government-owned silver beginning in fiscal year 1982 to help balance the federal budget. In July 1981, the House and Senate agreed to allow the sale of 75% of the stockpiled silver (105.1 million troy ounces) over a three-year period, and in September the price of silver fell 11% in response. Just before the first sale in October 1981, a group of politicians from Idaho—a major silver-producing state—attempted to block the auction, claiming that the sale could have a "disastrous effect" on the United States silver mining industry in general and several Idaho silver mining companies in particular. On December 3, 1981, Senator James A. McClure (R-Idaho) proposed an amendment (S.UP.AMDT.738) to the Department of Defense appropriation bill () to end the government's sale of silver "until the President, not later than July 1, 1982, redetermines that the silver authorized for disposal is excess to the requirements of the stockpile." The appropriations bill was signed into law (Public Law 97-114) with the amendment intact, effectively stopping the further sale of stockpiled silver.


title: American Silver Eagle

text: On May 27, 1982, Senator McClure introduced bill , "A bill to provide for the disposal of silver from the National Defense Stockpile through the issuance of silver coins", to "redirect the sale of silver from our national defense stockpile in an effort to minimize its affect on the already depressed price of silver." An identical companion bill, , was introduced on June 22 by Representative Larry E. Craig (R-Idaho) but both bills were referred to committees and never were enacted. "The Wall Street Journal" reported on June 30 that the price of silver "soared after Interior Secretary James Watt announced that sales of the government's silver stockpile will be indefinitely postponed" as the government's legally required study on potential methods of selling the silver had been delayed.


title: American Silver Eagle

text: On January 27, 1983, Senator McClure introduced another bill () almost identical to S. 2598. As he had in the earlier bill, the senator asked,


title: American Silver Eagle

text: The bill was referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs which held hearings on April 15, 1983, however, it was not enacted.


title: American Silver Eagle

text: Some two years later, with sales still suspended, Senator McClure again introduced legislation aimed at requiring potential sales of stockpiled silver to be conducted through the issuance of coins minted from the silver. This time his legislation took the form of an amendment (S.AMDT.418) to , the "Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Commemorative Coin Act". McClure's amendment—the "Liberty Coin Act"—added a new section (Title II) to H.R. 47. The amendment may be summarized into the following points:


title: American Silver Eagle

text: Proposed on June 21, 1985, the Senate agreed to McClure's amendment by voice vote on the same day and it was added to H.R. 47; the House approved the amended bill three days later and it was signed into law by President Reagan on July 9, 1985. Thus, the authorizing law for the American Silver Eagle bullion program is codified as (e)-(h).


title: American Silver Eagle

text: The authorizing legislation for the American Silver Eagle bullion program stipulated that the silver used to mint the coins be acquired from the Defense National Stockpile with the intent to deplete the stockpile's silver holdings slowly over several years. By 2002, it became apparent that the stockpile would be depleted and that further legislation would be required for the program to continue. On June 6, 2002, Senator Harry Reid (D-Nevada) introduced bill S. 2594, "Support of American Eagle Silver Bullion Program Act", "to authorize the Secretary of the Treasury to purchase silver on the open market when the silver stockpile is depleted." The bill was passed by the Senate on June 21 and by the House on June 27 and signed into law () by President Bush on July 23, 2002.


title: American Silver Eagle

text: The first American Silver Eagle coin was struck in San Francisco on October 29, 1986. Secretary of the Treasury James A. Baker III presided over the striking ceremony held at the San Francisco Assay Office. According to a "Chicago Sun-Times" article, as Baker "reached for the electronic button on press No. 105, he turned to the audience and said, 'I don't need a pick and shovel to start the San Francisco Silver Rush of 1986.'"


title: American Silver Eagle

text: Bullion Silver Eagle coins do not have mintmarks. From 1986 to 1998, they were produced at the San Francisco Mint. From 1999 to 2000, they were produced at the Philadelphia Mint and West Point Mint.


title: American Silver Eagle

text: In March 2011, the San Francisco Mint conducted trial strikes of bullion Silver Eagle coins in preparation for the resumption of full production later in the spring. The added production capacity provided by the San Francisco Mint supplements the output of the West Point Mint.


title: American Silver Eagle

text: From 1986 to 1992, proof Silver Eagle coins were minted at San Francisco and these coins bear the "S" mintmark. From 1993 to 2000, they were minted at Philadelphia and these coins bear the "P" mintmark. From 2001 to 2008, they were minted at West Point and these coins bear the "W" mintmark. No proof versions were minted in 2009. Beginning again in 2010, the proof coins were minted at West Point and bear the "W" mintmark.


title: American Silver Eagle

text: From 2006 to 2008 and beginning again in 2011, the United States Mint issued a collectible uncirculated Silver Eagle coin produced at West Point (bearing the "W" mintmark). The coins are struck on specially burnished blanks and sometimes are referred to as "W Uncirculated" or "Burnished Uncirculated". Aside from the standard-issue burnished Eagles, there has been one burnished Eagle issue produced at San Francisco bearing the "S" mintmark for release in the "American Eagle 25th Anniversary Silver Coin Set" in 2011.


title: American Silver Eagle

text: The first significant variety of the Silver Eagle series appeared in 2008 and is known as the "2008-W Silver Eagle Reverse of 2007 Variety". The United States Mint made slight alterations to the reverse design between 2007 and 2008 and some 2008 uncirculated coins inadvertently were struck with the 2007 reverse type die resulting in a die error. The variety is distinguishable by differences in the "U" in "UNITED STATES" and the dash between "SILVER" and "ONE".


title: American Silver Eagle

text: As a result of the global recession, the demand from investors for bullion coins as a hedge against inflation and economic downturn surged. This increased demand began to affect the availability of American Silver Eagle bullion coins in February 2008 when sales to authorized dealers were suspended temporarily. In March 2008, sales increased ninefold from the month before (from 200,000 to 1,855,000). In April 2008, the United States Mint began an allocation program, effectively rationing Silver Eagle bullion coins to authorized dealers on a weekly basis due to "unprecedented demand". At least one observer has questioned the legality of the allocation program, as the Treasurer of the United States is required by law () to mint and issue these coins "in quantities sufficient to meet public demand". On June 6, 2008, the Mint announced that all incoming silver planchets were being used to produce only bullion issues of the Silver Eagle and not proof or uncirculated collectible issues. The 2008 Proof Silver Eagle became unavailable for purchase from the United States Mint in August 2008 and the 2008 Uncirculated Silver Eagle sold out in January 2009 (however, it was available as part of the "2008 Annual Uncirculated Dollar Coin Set" until it sold out on January 28, 2010).


title: American Silver Eagle

text: On March 5, 2009, the United States Mint announced that the proof and uncirculated versions of the Silver Eagle coin for that year were temporarily suspended due to continuing high demand for the bullion version. The allocation program that had been put in place in March 2008 was lifted on June 15, 2009, leading to speculation that proof and uncirculated versions might be produced before the end of the year. However, on October 6, 2009, the Mint announced that the collectible versions of the Silver Eagle coin would not be produced for 2009. The disappointment of collectors was expressed in a December 1 article by Representative Gary C. Peters (D-Michigan). Peters offered alternative scenarios to the cancellation of 2009 proof and uncirculated Silver Eagles and explained that he would be sending a letter to Mint Director Edmund C. Moy urging him to begin minting these products as soon as possible and continuing to do so until the end of the year. This effort was not successful and the collectible versions were not produced. The sale of 2009 Silver Eagle bullion coins was suspended from November 24 to December 6 and the allocation program was re-instituted on December 7; the product sold out on January 12, 2010.


title: American Silver Eagle

text: Production of the 2010 Silver Eagle bullion coins began in January of that year (as opposed to beginning typically in December preceding the year of issue) and the coins were distributed to authorized dealers under an allocation program until September 3.


title: American Silver Eagle

text: On July 20, 2010, Mint Director Edmund C. Moy provided testimony to the House Subcommittee on Domestic Monetary Policy and Technology on the matter of proof and uncirculated Silver Eagle coins, referencing the possibility of a legislative solution. Moy explained:


title: American Silver Eagle

text: On September 22, 2010, Representative Melvin L. Watt (D-North Carolina) introduced the "Coin Modernization, Oversight, and Continuity Act of 2010" () to amend (e) and (i) by giving the Secretary of the Treasury authority to mint American Eagle silver and gold coins in "qualities [e.g. bullion, proof, or uncirculated] and quantities" sufficient to meet public demand. The bill was signed into law () by President Barack Obama on December 14, 2010.


title: American Silver Eagle

text: On October 4, 2010, the Mint announced that 2010-dated proof American Silver Eagle coins would be available for purchase beginning on November 19, 2010, at a price of $45.95 per coin and that 2010-dated uncirculated Silver Eagle coins would not be produced.


title: American Silver Eagle

text: In January 2013, the Mint suspended sales of American Silver Eagle bullion coins after the first week due to high demand. The Mint resumed the allocation program that had been implemented from 2008 to 2010.


title: American Silver Eagle

text: The Silver Eagle coins were sold out in the first week of July 2015. The Mint said its facility in West Point, New York, continued to produce coins and it resumed sales at the end of July 2015. This was the second time the mint's silver coins had sold out in the past nine months. The Mint ran out of 2014-dated American Eagles in November 2014. In 2013, the historic drop in silver increased demand for silver coins, forcing the mint to ration silver coin sales for 18 months.


title: American Silver Eagle

text: On March 28, 2020, the West Point Mint, believed to be the only producer of bullion American Silver Eagles from 2018 up until early 2020, was shut down for cleaning after an employee tested positive for SARS-CoV-2. The facility reopened on April 1, and bullion coin production was reduced to prevent employee exposure to COVID-19, before once again being shut down on April 15 due to safety concerns.


title: American Silver Eagle

text: To make up for the reduced and later suspended production of silver bullion coins, the Philadelphia Mint struck 240,000 American Silver Eagles from April 8 through April 20, making them among the rarest uncirculated issues to date. Although these coins were physically identical to the West Point coins, coin grading companies began certifying Philadelphia Mint Silver Eagles as "Emergency Issues." Production at West Point continued on April 21.


title: American Silver Eagle

text: Sales of American Silver Eagle bullion coins began on November 24, 1986, and initial inventories sold out "immediately due to the phenomenal demand".


title: American Silver Eagle

text: Silver Eagle bullion coins, along with American Gold Eagle bullion coins, were planned as "viable investment alternatives to the gold and silver bullion coins produced by other countries. ..." To ensure wide distribution of the coins, the United States Mint awarded a contract to Grey Advertising to assist in marketing and publicizing the coins domestically and internationally. Advertising efforts were expanded in fiscal years 1987 and 1988.


title: American Silver Eagle

text: Like the American Gold Eagle and American Platinum Eagle bullion coins, Silver Eagle bullion coins are not sold directly to the public by the United States Mint. In order to provide "effective and efficient distribution, which maximizes the availability of the coins in retail markets as well as major investment markets" the Mint utilizes a network of "authorized purchasers" to distribute the coins. The coins are sold in bulk at a premium ($2.00 per coin effective October 1, 2010) over the spot price of silver. The coins are sold to banks, brokerage companies, coin dealers, precious metal firms, and wholesalers that meet the following requirements:


title: American Silver Eagle

text: Authorized purchasers must order a minimum of 25,000 coins which they sell to secondary retailers that sell them, in turn, to the public. When sales of Silver Eagle bullion coins began in November 1986, the Mint had approved twenty-eight authorized purchasers to market the coins throughout the world.


title: American Silver Eagle

text: Bullion coins are shipped in so-called "monster boxes". Each green plastic box holds 500 coins which are packaged in 20-coin plastic tubes. On the lid of each box are two raised Department of the Treasury seals and the phrase "United States Mint" in raised lettering. Before shipping, the boxes are sealed with straps by the Mint and labeled with the year of issue and a serial number.


title: American Silver Eagle

text: Proof American Silver Eagle coins dated 1986 through 2008 were sold directly to the public by the United States Mint at a fixed price. The coins were packaged in a protective plastic capsule mounted in a satin-lined, velvet-covered presentation case and accompanied by a certificate of authenticity. Proof Silver Eagle coins first became available through the United States Mint's subscription program in October 2002. Uncirculated coins dated 2006 through 2008 were sold directly to the public by the United States Mint in packaging similar to that of the proof coins; however, the 2006 coin's capsule was housed in a velvet drawstring bag. Special issues and sets are sold directly to the public by the United States Mint.


title: American Silver Eagle

text: American Silver Eagle bullion coins carry a face value of US$1. This is their legal value reflecting their issue and monetization as coins. Per , the coins are legal tender for all debts public and private at their face value. This value does not reflect their intrinsic value which is much greater than their $1 legal tender face value. American Silver Eagle Coin prices and premiums are mainly dictated by the fluctuating silver spot price and ongoing supply-demand.


title: American Silver Eagle

text: Mintages, and thus prices, of bullion, proof, and uncirculated Silver Eagle coins have varied widely, and the potential collector is advised to check a standard reference book before buying them. Generally, the bullion versions have been minted in the millions, while the proof and uncirculated versions were issued in the hundreds of thousands each. Most dates of the bullion issue are not particularly expensive (around $25 as of September 2016) and are traded at a premium above the intrinsic value of the silver they contain; most proof versions (around $65–$75 as of 2016) and uncirculated versions (around $25–$75 as of 2016) sell for more. Some issues sell for significant sums, for example, the 1995-W proof ($3,800 as of 2016) and the 2006 20th anniversary set containing a special "Reverse Proof" coin along with a regular proof coin and the new "Burnished Uncirculated" coin ($250 as of 2016).


title: Philadelphia Stars (2022)

text: The Philadelphia Stars are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are one of eight members of the United States Football League (USFL).


title: Philadelphia Stars (2022)

text: They currently play their home games at Protective Stadium and Legion Field in Birmingham, Alabama, which also hosts the University of Alabama at Birmingham Blazers.


title: Philadelphia Stars (2022)

text: The Philadelphia Stars were one of eight teams that were officially announced as a USFL franchise on "The Herd with Colin Cowherd" on November 22, 2021.


title: Philadelphia Stars (2022)

text: On January 6, 2022, It was announced on "The Herd with Colin Cowherd" that former CFL Head coach Bart Andrus was named the Head coach and General manager of the Stars. Andrus later announced most of his staff on January 28, 2022 on the "Dan Sileo Show".


title: Philadelphia Stars (2022)

text: On April 11, 2022, the Stars unveiled their mascot, a monstrous red creature that drew comparisons to other Philadelphia sports mascots Gritty and the Phillie Phanatic. The Stars then held a Twitter poll asking fans whether the mascot should be named "Astro", "Cosmo", or "Blob". "Blob" took 65 percent of the vote, and the name was confirmed on April 15. The Stars have offered few details about Blob besides describing him as "out of this world" and noting that he enjoys dancing.


title: Philadelphia Stars (2022)

text: Initially, each team carried a 38-man active roster and a 7-man practice squad, but the rosters were increased to 40 active players and 50 total in May, 2022.


title: Bill Black

text: William Patton Black Jr. (September 17, 1926 – October 21, 1965) was an American musician and bandleader who is noted as one of the pioneers of rock and roll. He played in Elvis Presley's early trio. Black later formed Bill Black's Combo.


title: Bill Black

text: William Patton Black Jr. was born on September 17, 1926, in Memphis, Tennessee, to a motorman for the Memphis Street Railway Co. He was the oldest of nine children. His father played popular songs on the banjo and fiddle to entertain the family. Black learned to play music at the age of 14 on an instrument made by his father—a cigar box with a board nailed to it and strings attached. At the age of sixteen, Black was performing "honky-tonk" music on acoustic guitar in local bars.


title: Bill Black

text: During World War II, Black was stationed with the U.S. Army at Fort Lee in Virginia. While in the Army, he met Evelyn, who played guitar as a member of a musical family. They married in 1946 and returned to Memphis. Black worked at the Firestone plant.


title: Bill Black

text: He began playing the upright double bass, modeling his "slap bass" technique after one of his idols, Fred Maddox, of Maddox Brothers and Rose. Black also developed a "stage clown" persona in the same way that Maddox entertained audiences. Black performed as an exaggerated hillbilly with blacked-out teeth, straw hat and overalls. According to his son, Black said his goal was always to give his audience "a few moments of entertainment and maybe a little bit of humor that'll tickle 'em for a while."


title: Bill Black

text: In 1952, Black began playing in clubs and on radio shows with the guitarist Scotty Moore. Along with two other guitarists and a fiddler, they performed country music tunes by Hank Williams and Red Foley in Doug Poindexter's band, the Starlight Wranglers. Black and Moore also played in a band with Paul Burlison, Johnny Burnette, Dorsey Burnette on steel guitar, and a drummer.


title: Bill Black

text: In July 1954, Sam Phillips, of Sun Records, asked Black and Moore to play backup for the as-yet-unknown Elvis Presley. Black slap played the double bass with Moore on lead guitar, while Presley played rhythm guitar and sang lead. Neither musician was overly impressed with Presley, but they agreed a studio session would be useful to explore his potential.


title: Bill Black

text: On July 5, 1954, the trio met at Sun studios to rehearse and record a handful of songs. According to Moore, the first song they recorded was "I Love You Because", but after a few country music songs that weren't impressive they decided to take a break. During the break, Presley began "acting the fool" with Arthur Crudup's "That's All Right (Mama)," a blues song. When the other two musicians joined in, Phillips taped the song. The upbeat sound was original. Black remarked, "Damn. Get that on the radio and they'll run us out of town."


title: Bill Black

text: The next day, the group recorded four more songs, including “Blue Moon of Kentucky," by the bluegrass musician Bill Monroe, which he had written and recorded as a slow waltz. Sources credit Black with initiating the song, with Presley and Moore joining in. Moore said, "Bill is the one who came up with "Blue Moon of Kentucky." ... We're taking a little break and he starts beating on the bass and singing "Blue Moon of Kentucky," mocking Bill Monroe, singing the high falsetto voice. Elvis joins in with him, starts playing and singing along with him ..." They ended up with a fast version of the song in 4/4 time. After an early take, Phillips can be heard on tape saying, "Fine, man. Hell, that’s different—that's a pop song now, nearly ʼbout."


title: Bill Black

text: Phillips took several acetates of the session to DJ Dewey Phillips (no relation) of Memphis radio station WHBQ's "Red, Hot and Blue" show. From August 18 through December 8, "Blue Moon of Kentucky" was consistently higher on the charts, and then both sides began to chart across the South.


title: Bill Black

text: Black and Moore became Presley's backup group and were paid 25% of his earnings. Moore and Black left the Starlite Wranglers after the success of "That's All Right," jealousy within the group forcing them to split. Their recordings at Sun were released with the credits as "Elvis Presley, Scotty and Bill." The group was later billed as "Elvis Presley and the Blue Moon Boys."


title: Bill Black

text: Over the next 15 months, the trio released five singles, toured across the South, and appeared regularly on the "Louisiana Hayride". They had auditioned for the Grand Ole Opry in October 1954, but they failed to impress the people in charge, or the audience, and were not invited back.


title: Bill Black

text: In 1955, Black went to RCA Victor along with Presley and Moore when Presley's contract was sold to that company. Except for the RCA reissue of "Mystery Train" and "I Forgot to Remember to Forget" (“with Scotty and Bill”), they were no longer credited on record labels.


title: Bill Black

text: Black played on early Presley recordings including "Good Rockin' Tonight", "Heartbreak Hotel", "Baby Let's Play House", "Mystery Train", "That's All Right", and "Hound Dog", and eventually became one of the first bass players to use the Fender Precision Bass (bass guitar) in popular music, on "Jailhouse Rock", in the late 1950s.


title: Bill Black

text: Black, Moore and the drummer D. J. Fontana toured extensively during Presley's early career. Black continued his onstage "clown" persona and developed comedy routines with Presley. Black's onstage personality was a sharp contrast to the introverted stage presence of Moore. The balance fit the group's performances.


title: Bill Black

text: According to Black's son Louis, Moore said, "Elvis used to just stand up there and not move, and Bill would jump around on the bass. Your daddy would come down through there and get everybody to laughing and loosen them up." Fontana called Black the mainstay of the band in the early days. "He was a comedian who could warm up a crowd. That was necessary for us because we played for a lot of country crowds that weren't used to people jumping up and down on stage."


title: Bill Black

text: In 1959, Black joined a group of musicians which became Bill Black's Combo. The lineup was Black (bass), Joe Lewis Hall (piano), Reggie Young (guitar), Martin Willis (saxophone), and Jerry Arnold (drums). There were several personnel changes. While Young was in the army, his position was filled by Hank Hankins, Chips Moman and Tommy Cogbill. On sax, Ace Cannon took over touring duties from Willis who remained in Memphis for the studio work and movie appearances. Carl McVoy replaced Hall in the studio, while Bobby Emmons replaced him on tour.


title: Bill Black

text: The band released blues instrumental "Smokie" for Hi Records in December 1959. "Smokie, Part 2" became a No. 17 U.S. pop hit, and made number one on the "black" music charts. It sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc by the RIAA. A follow-up release, "White Silver Sands" (Hi 2021), was a Top 10 hit (#9) and, like its predecessor, topped the R&B charts for four weeks.


title: Bill Black

text: The Combo appeared in the 1961 film "Teenage Millionaire" and on "The Ed Sullivan Show", where they performed a medley of "Don't Be Cruel," "Cherry Pink," and "Hearts of Stone", and were voted Billboard's number one instrumental group of 1961.


title: Bill Black

text: Albums with themes included "Bill Black's Combo Plays Tunes by Chuck Berry", "Bill Black's Combo Goes Big Band", "Bill Black's Combo Goes West", and "Bill Black's Combo Plays the Blues". The Combo's sound of danceable blues became a popular accompaniment for striptease dancers. Another characteristic of the Combo was Reggie Young thwacking on the guitar with a pencil.


title: Bill Black

text: In 1962, Bill Black opened a recording studio called "Lyn-Lou Studios" (a shortened nickname "Linda-Lou" he had for his daughter Nancy), and a record label named "Louis" after his son, on Chelsea Street in Memphis, Tennessee, with Larry Rogers (Studio 19, Nashville) as his engineer and producer. Johnny Black, Bill's brother and also upright bass player, who knew Elvis at Lauderdale Courts before Bill, recalls visiting Bill at the studio and reported that Bill would be totally absorbed mixing and playing back tracks.


title: Bill Black

text: Bob Tucker and Larry Rogers purchased Lyn-Lou Studios after Bill Black's death in 1965. The studio recorded many Bill Black Combo albums (with billings such as "The Best Honky Tonk Band in America" and "The band who opened for the Beatles") and produced number-one country hits for Charly McClain, T.G. Shepard, Billy Swan and others. The house band for these sessions was the Shylo Band, featuring guitarist/songwriter Ronnie Scaife, nephew of Cecil Scaife, famed Sun Studio engineer.


title: Bill Black

text: Early in 1963, Black sent from two to five different versions of the Combo to different regions of the country at the same time, while staying off the road himself, wanting to concentrate on his business, family and his health.


title: Bill Black

text: Black himself had been ill for the past year and a half and unable to travel. Nonetheless, he insisted that the band continue without him. The Bill Black Combo created musical history in 1964 when they became the opening act for the Beatles (at their request) on their historic 13-city tour of America after their appearance on "The Ed Sullivan Show". Black himself was not well enough to make the tour.


title: Bill Black

text: After two surgeries and lengthy hospital stays, Black died of a brain tumor on October 21, 1965, at age 39. His death occurred during his third operation that doctors had hoped would eradicate the tumor permanently. Black's body was buried, next to his father, William Patton Black Sr., at Forest Hill Cemetery in Memphis, Tennessee. Presley was criticized for not attending the funeral, but he believed that his presence would turn it into a media frenzy. He decided instead to visit the family privately after the service to express his condolences. According to Louis Black, Presley said, "If there's anything that y'all need, you just let me know and it's yours."


title: Bill Black

text: Black's widow sold Bob Tucker and Larry Rogers the rights to use the name Bill Black's Combo. The band changed to country music when it joined Columbia Records, and won Billboard's Country Instrumental Group of the Year award in 1976.


title: Bill Black

text: Bill Black's Combo cut more than 20 albums, toured the United States and Europe and won awards as the best instrumental group in America in 1966 and 1967. Bob Tucker worked for the University of Memphis as Professor of Music Business while leading the combo.


title: Bill Black

text: Black's main stand-up bass is today owned by ex-Beatle Paul McCartney, who received the instrument as a birthday present from his wife Linda in the late 1970s. The bass can be seen in the video clip to McCartney's song "Baby's Request". In the documentary film "In the World Tonight", McCartney can be seen playing it and singing his version of "Heartbreak Hotel". In 1995, he played it on "Real Love", the last "new" Beatles record (one of two in which McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr overdubbed a full arrangement onto a John Lennon home recording from the late 1970s).


title: Bill Black

text: Actor Blake Gibbons portrayed Black in the short-lived 1990 TV series "Elvis", starring Michael St. Gerard.


title: Bill Black

text: In 2005, Clay Steakley portrayed Black in the 2005 CBS miniseries "Elvis", starring Jonathan Rhys Meyers.


title: Thai cat

text: The Thai or Wichien Maat (, , , meaning 'diamond gold') is a newly renamed but old cat breed, related to but different from the Western, modern-style Siamese cat. This natural breed is descended from the cats of Thailand, and, among various groups of breeders in different times and places has also been called the Old-Style Siamese, Traditional Siamese, Classic Siamese; Wichien Maat (anglicised from the Thai name); and the Applehead, a nickname that originated in the 1950s (originally as a pejorative used by breeders of the modern-style, more extreme-featured Siamese). According to The International Cat Association: "The Thai is breed dedicated to preserving the native pointed cat of Thailand in as close to its original form as possible."


title: Thai cat

text: Compared to the modern-style, more extreme-featured Siamese, the traditional Thai breed (and native "" specimens) have a much more moderate appearance.


title: Thai cat

text: Cats that were imported from Siam (today, Thailand) to Western countries in the 19th and early 20th century were more moderate in conformation than the modern Western Siamese. While the Thai has common ancestry with the Western Siamese, separate breeding, beginning after World War II, led to the development of two distinct breeds, with more extreme features dominating the cat show circuit and becoming the dominant variety of Siamese in the West. Starting in the 1980s, various breed clubs in both North America and Europe appeared that were dedicated to preserving the type that represents the early 20th-century Siamese and still found in Thailand. The World Cat Federation (WCF) recognized the original style as a separate breed, Thai, with full championship competitive status, in 1990.


title: Thai cat

text: In the United Kingdom and in North America, the cats continued to be registered as Siamese. In 1999, in North America, the independent club PREOSSIA coined the name Old-Style Siamese to refer specifically to the moderate, original type of registered Siamese. In 2000, the Old-style Siamese Club, or OSSC, formed in the UK. It was originally called The Classic Siamese Club but changed the name after someone in the USA claimed to have copyright over the name.


title: Thai cat

text: Native pointed cats were imported directly from Thailand, beginning in 2001, to refresh the gene pool of the Western, pedigreed Thai breeding programs and ensure that the traits of the indigenous Southeast Asian cats are preserved and distinct in these bloodlines.


title: Thai cat

text: Beginning in 2007, members of PREOSSIA began the new breed application process in The International Cat Association (TICA). It was necessary to request separate breed status from the Siamese in order to permit the Old-Style Siamese to be bred and shown using different registration rules and a different breed standard. However, TICA refused to allow the name Old-Style Siamese for the "new" breed, and breeders decided to follow the example of the Europeans and use the name Thai. In January, 2010, the Thai was granted Championship status in TICA, enabling it to compete for top honours along with the other breeds of pedigreed cats. Although by this time, the Thai had been recognized by WCF for 20 years, one major European registry still had not recognized the breed. At last, in 2015, Fédération Internationale Féline (FIFe) accepted the Thai in its "Preliminary Recognized Breeds" class.


title: Thai cat

text: Long before its re-branding as the Thai, the old type of Siamese was part of the foundation stock of a variety of new 20th century breeds, such as the Himalayan, Ocicat, and Havana Brown. Near the end of the 20th century, modern Siamese were used more frequently for this purpose, as in the case of the Cornish Rex and Peterbald.


title: Thai cat

text: As breeds, the Thai and the modern Siamese share common ancestry, the point colouration gene, and the outgoing, people-loving, vocal personality made famous in the West by the early 20th century imports. They differ only in "type," meaning the conformation of body and head.


title: Thai cat

text: The primary features of the Thai are that it is a "pointed" cat (blue eyes, dark extremities, pale body) of foreign body type (more elongated than the average Western domestic cat, but noticeably less so than the modern Siamese or Oriental); has a modified wedge shaped head; a long flat forehead; a nose with no more than a slight concave curve at eye level; has a short, flat-lying single coat; does not carry the longhair gene; and it "usually" has a registered pedigree dating back to the late 19th century Siamese, with no Western domestic shorthair ancestors. In TICA, unregistered cats with import documentation proving origin in Thailand are "also" permitted to register as Thais—and Thailand imports have all the same breeding and show privileges that Western bred Thais have. In order to permit British Thai breeders (isolated by still restrictive British rabies quarantine laws) to work with GCCF Old-Style Siamese, TICA also allows outcrossing to registered Siamese of moderate type. In WCF and FIFe, natural, unregistered cats born in Thailand are not allowed to register as Thais or be used as outcrosses. Outcrossing to Siamese is also prohibited. However, when the Thai breed was new to WCF, there was a temporary period during which unregistered pointed European cats were allowed to register as Thais and outcrossing to other Western breeds was allowed.


title: Thai cat

text: While the foundation and concept of the Thai varies somewhat from one country's registry to the next, all define the Thai as a breed that preserves the characteristics of early Western Siamese. TICA uniquely defines the Thai as preserving the native, natural pointed cats of Thailand as well as the earliest Western Siamese. The goal of Thai breeders is always to preserve the old look, provide plenty of genetic diversity for a healthy future, and guarantee the authenticity and personality of the old type of Siamese.


title: Thai cat

text: In Thailand, the ancestor of this elegant cat is known as the ' which means 'moon diamond '. The ', along with other cats, was named, described and illustrated centuries ago in the "Tamra Maew" book of cat poems. Over the years, the " has stayed true to its original breeding, which is still seen today in Thailand where it remains a popular cat.


title: Thai cat

text: Starting in the late 1800s, the " was first imported to the West by British cat breeders, and the cats became known as "Siamese," after the name of the country Siam (today Thailand). Cat fanciers were impressed with the graceful, "marten-faced" cats so very different from the cobby, rounder native breeds and longhairs. Western breeders wanted to emphasize and augment the qualities that made the cats so different and through selective breeding, they developed an increasingly elongated, angular, finer-boned type of Siamese. This "modern" or "show-style" type of Siamese dominated in the show halls by the latter half of the 20th century. As the new look became prevalent, some breeders in England, Europe, and North America decided to buck the trend and instead preserve the look of the old type of Siamese. These breeders tend to work with a variety of different registries, but they have long exchanged breeding stock with each other, and they still do. While some call their cats Old-Style Siamese, others call them Thais. They are the same basic cat.


title: Bingsu

text: Bingsu (), sometimes written as bingsoo, is a Korean shaved ice dessert with sweet toppings that may include chopped fruit, condensed milk, fruit syrup, and red beans.


title: Bingsu

text: The most common variety is pat-bingsu (), the red bean shaved ice. The main ingredient of ice was natural ice in the past, but later artificial ice was produced and high-quality sweeteners were developed, and now it has been improved into boiled red bean shaved ice or fruit shaved ice mixed with various fruits. At first, the ice-cutting machine was a simple tool in the shape of a plane, but now the electric power is widely used after a manual rotation by hand.


title: Bingsu

text: The earliest forms of "bingsu" existed during the Joseon dynasty (1392–1897). The government records show that the officials shared the crushed ices topped with various fruits, which were distributed from the ancient Korean ice storage called "seokbinggo" (). The early forms of "patbingsu" consisted of shaved ice and two or three ingredients, typically red bean paste, tteok, and ground nut powder.


title: Bingsu

text: The modern versions of the iced desserts were began to be sold in "Taegeukdang" (), the oldest bakery in Seoul that opened in 1946. With the western influences after the Korean War, more various and richer ingredients, such as cereals, syrups, ice creams, or whipped creams, were added to "patbingsu".


title: Bingsu

text: "Patbingsu" (, , sometimes anglicized as "patbingsoo", literally "red beans shaved ice") is a popular Korean shaved ice dessert with sweet toppings that may include chopped fruit, condensed milk, fruit syrup, and red beans.


title: Bingsu

text: The food began as ice shavings with red beans (known as "pat", ). Many varieties of "patbingsu" exist in contemporary culture.


title: Bingsu

text: There are a variety of "bingsu" types and flavors. Many "bingsu" do not necessarily follow tradition, and some do not include the red bean paste. Some popular flavors are: green tea, coffee, and yogurt.


title: Bingsu

text: In addition to the existing "patbingsu", several Korean franchises have made shaved ice made from various ingredients such as Injeolmi shaved ice, melon shaved ice, coffee shaved ice, and green tea shaved ice. Since the Joseon Dynasty, it was the first time to mix honey and fruit with ice taken from seokbinggo, and after the Korean War, condensed milk, syrup, and chocolate were introduced from the United States and modern "Korean shaved ice" began to be made. Now, bingsu can be found at almost every dessert shop in Korea.


title: Bingsu

text: In a tea shop in Kagoshima, Shirokuma (the white bear, ) was made, and the shape of white condensed milk poured over shaved ice in a round bowl and fruits such as sweet red beans, cherries, and tangerines was named after what looked like a white bear's face.


title: Bingsu

text: Due to the characteristics of mangoes, mango shaved ice with many mangoes is also famous, as served in a store in Singapore. The "Monster bingsu" is also famous for freezing various flavors of milk, grinding it into layers, and putting chocolate shaped like eyeballs. This variant has shaved ice grounded to show the grain of milk rather than ice with water.


title: Velvet (TV series)

text: Velvet (also known as Galerías Velvet) is a Spanish drama television series created by Ramón Campos and Gema R. María and produced by Bambú Producciones for Antena 3. Its budget is estimated in 500,000 euros per episode. The main storyline of the show is the love story of Alberto Márquez (played by Miguel Ángel Silvestre), heir of Galerías Velvet, one of the most prestigious fashion houses in the Spain of the late 1950s, and Ana Ribera (Paula Echevarría), who works as a seamstress there.


title: Velvet (TV series)

text: In the 2014 edition of MIPTV Media Market, the rights for "Velvet" were acquired by Italy's RAI and France's M6. RAI also got the rights for a remake. In Lithuania, it started airing on LNK on 1 June 2014. In Greece and Cyprus, it is airing on Nova Life and from 20 June is airing also from ANT1 and ANT1 Cyprus. In Finland, the series started airing in December 2015 on YLE Teema. In Slovenia the premiere was on RTVSLO on 15 May 2016 and in Slovakia it was on TV Doma on 4 July 2016. Czech republic Prima LOVETV on 13.10.2018


title: Velvet (TV series)

text: This series is also available on the Netflix streaming service in the USA, Latin America, Canada, Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, The Netherlands, Germany, the UK, and Thailand.


title: Velvet (TV series)

text: On 9 February 2017, subscription platform Movistar+ announced they had acquired the rights to produce a spin-off series of "Velvet", titled "Velvet Colección", which will be centered on the opening of a second Galerías Velvet store in Barcelona in 1967. Adrián Lastra as Pedro Infantes, Asier Etxeandia as Raúl de la Riva, Llorenç González as Jonás Infantes, Javier Rey as Mateo Ruiz Lagasca, Marta Hazas as Clara Montesinos, Diego Martín as Enrique Otegui, and Aitana Sánchez-Gijón as Blanca Soto reprise their roles; Paula Echevarría and José Sacristán also appear as Ana Ribera and Emilio López respectively in the first episode. New actors include Imanol Arias, Adriana Ozores, Mónica Cruz, Andrea Duro and Marta Torné. The series premiered on 21 September 2017.


title: Virtua Fighter

text: Similar to most other fighting games, the default gameplay system of the "Virtua Fighter" series involves two combatants needing to win two of three rounds, with each round being 30 seconds long or more. Combatants utilize various attacks in an attempt to deplete the other fighter's stamina gauge and deal a knockout (K.O.), winning a round. If a character is knocked out (or falls out) of the ring, their opponent wins the round in a Ring Out. An extra round is necessary if a double knockout (both players knocking each other out at the same time) occurs in a previous round and the match is tied one round each. In this round, players fight on a small stage wherein one hit is enough to knock the other out and achieve victory.


title: Virtua Fighter

text: The basic control scheme is simple, using only an 8-way control stick and three buttons (Punch, Kick, Guard). Through various timings, positions, and button combinations, players input normal and special moves for each character. This allows extensive lists of moves to exist for a given character within the limited control scheme. Traditionally, in the single-player mode, the player runs a gauntlet of characters in the game (which may include one's doppelgänger) all the way to the final boss.


title: Virtua Fighter

text: "Virtua Fighter" also owes its simplistic game design to a notable lack of secondary game mechanics, such as any special meters or other emergent elements present in the vast majority of modern fighting games. In addition, every playable character introduced throughout the "Virtua Fighter" series utilizes a fighting style heavily based in real-world martial arts. Although some creative liberties are taken for the effective execution of certain techniques and styles, the series features no supernatural powers and scarce few superhuman feats, creating a grounded and semi-realistic system of combat.


title: Virtua Fighter

text: The brainchild of Sega AM2's Yu Suzuki, "Virtua Fighter" was released in 1993 as an arcade game using hardware jointly developed by aerospace simulation technology by the company that is now known as Lockheed Martin and Sega's most prominent and well known studio AM2, originally crafted for the arcade system dubbed the Model 1. It is considered the first polygon-based fighting game. It introduced the eight initial fighters as well as the boss, Dural. Sony developers have confirmed that the game inspired Sony to create the first PlayStation console and to focus more on 3D games, more so than the main competitor in Japan, the Sega Saturn.


title: Virtua Fighter

text: "Virtua Fighter 2" was released in November 1994, adding two new fighters: Shun Di and Lion Rafale. It was built using the Model 2 hardware, rendering characters and backgrounds with filtered texture mapping and motion capture. A slightly-tweaked upgrade, "Virtua Fighter 2.1", followed soon after.


title: Virtua Fighter

text: "Virtua Fighter 3" came out in 1996, with the introduction of Taka-Arashi and Aoi Umenokoji. Aside from improving the graphics via use of the Model 3 (such as mipmapping, multi-layer anti-aliasing, trilinear filtering and specular highlighting), the game also introduced undulations in some stages and a fourth button, Dodge. "Virtua Fighter 3tb" in 1997 was the first major update in series history, implementing tournament battles featuring more than two characters (though not simultaneously as in "Tekken Tag Tournament").


title: Virtua Fighter

text: "Virtua Fighter 4", which introduced Vanessa Lewis and Lei-Fei and removed Taka-Arashi, was released on the NAOMI 2 hardware in 2001 instead of hardware from a joint collaboration with Lockheed Martin. The game also removed the uneven battlegrounds and the Dodge button from the previous game. The title is consistently popular in its home arcade market. "Virtua Fighter 4: Evolution", released in 2002, was the first update to add new characters, these being Brad Burns and Goh Hinogami. "Virtua Fighter 4: Final Tuned", an upgrade to "Evolution", was released in the arcades in 2004. In Japan, "Virtua Fighter 4" was famous for spearheading and opening the market for internet functionality in arcades. VF.NET started in Japan in 2001, and since companies have created their own arcade networks, E-Amusement by Konami, NESiCAxLive by Taito and Square Enix, and ALL.Net by Sega.


title: Virtua Fighter

text: "Virtua Fighter 5" was released in Japan on July 12, 2006 for Sega's Lindbergh arcade board and introduced yet two more new characters, Eileen and El Blaze. Similar to its predecessor, two revisions were later released. "Virtua Fighter 5 R", released on July 24, 2008, saw the return of Taka-Arashi while introducing a new fighter, Jean Kujo. "Virtua Fighter 5 Final Showdown" was released in arcades on July 29, 2010.


title: Virtua Fighter

text: The first "Virtua Fighter" game was ported to the Saturn in 1994 (1995 outside Japan), just months before fellow 3D-fighter "Tekken" was released. The console port, which was nearly identical to the arcade game, sold at a nearly 1:1 ratio with the Saturn hardware at launch. The port of "Virtua Fighter 2" on the Saturn for Christmas 1995 was considered faithful to the arcade original. While the game's 3D backgrounds were now rendered in 2D, resulting in some scenery such as the bridge in Shun Di's river stage being removed, the remainder of the game was kept intact. It became the top-selling Saturn game in Japan. Ports of the original "Virtua Fighter" and "Virtua Fighter 2" with enhanced graphics were also released for the PC. "Virtua Fighter 2" was remade as a 2D fighter for the Mega Drive/Genesis in 1996, omitting the characters Shun and Lion, and later re-released on the PlayStation 2 as a part of the "Sega Ages" series. "Yakuza 5" was released in 2012 in Japan and in 2015 worldwide and features Virtua Fighter 2 as a mini-game. The only port of "Virtua Fighter 3" was for the Sega Dreamcast by Genki (instead of AM2) with "Virtua Fighter 3tb" in 1998 for the Japanese release of the console.


title: Virtua Fighter

text: In a reverse of the usual development cycle for the series, an update of the original "Virtua Fighter" called "Virtua Fighter Remix" was released for the Saturn and later ported to the arcade.


title: Virtua Fighter

text: "Virtua Fighter Mini", based on the anime series, was created for the Game Gear and released in North America and Europe as "Virtua Fighter Animation". The game was later ported to the Master System by Tec Toy and released only in Brazil. Brazil itself was a market where the series was very popular.


title: Virtua Fighter

text: Following Sega's exit from the hardware market in mid-2001, "Virtua Fighter 4" was ported by Sega to the PlayStation 2 in 2002. Outside of a slight downgrade in graphics, the port of the game was considered well done. This port was followed by "Virtua Fighter 4: Evolution", an update that added two new characters as well as a host of game balancing tweaks, in 2003. "Evolution" was immediately released under the PlayStation 2's "Greatest Hits" label in the United States, which lowered its initial sticker price.


title: Virtua Fighter

text: With the 2003 PlayStation 2 release of "Virtua Fighter 4: Evolution" arriving in time for the series' tenth anniversary, a remake of "Virtua Fighter", "Virtua Fighter 10th Anniversary", was released exclusively on the PlayStation 2. While the music, stages and low-polygon visual style were retained from the first game, the character roster, animations, mechanics and movesets were taken from "Evolution". In the previous PS2 release of "Virtua Fighter 4", a button code would make the player's character look like a "VF1" model. In Japan, the game was included as part of a box set with a book titled "Virtua Fighter 10th Anniversary: Memory of a Decade" and a DVD. The box set was released in November 2003 and was published by Enterbrain. In North America, the game was included within the home version of "Evolution", and in Europe it was only available as a promotional item; it was not sold at retail.


title: Virtua Fighter

text: A port of "Virtua Fighter 5" was released for the PlayStation 3 in Japan and North America in February 2007, and March 2007 in Europe. The PlayStation 3 port is considered extremely faithful to the arcade original, due in part to the arcade hardware (based on Sega Lindbergh platform) and PlayStation 3 hardware sharing NVidia-provided GPUs of comparable capability. A port for the Xbox 360 was released in October 2007 in Japan and North America, and December 2007 in Europe, and contains the additions of online fighting via Xbox Live, improved graphics, and gameplay balances from the newer revision of the arcade game. For years, the designers have held strong on their refusal to add an online mode to console versions of the games; because the gameplay relies so much on timing, any lag would ruin the experience. Eventually, with the Xbox 360 release of "VF5", Sega decided to add online capabilities via Xbox Live. "Virtua Fighter 5 Final Showdown" was released as a downloadable title for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 in June 2012, with online play available in both versions. An updated version of "Virtua Fighter 5 Final Showdown" named "Version B" was released in Japanese arcades in 2015. "" was released for "PlayStation 4" in 2016 in Japan and 2018 worldwide and the game features "Virtua Fighter 5 Final Showdown Version B" as a mini-game, making the release of "Yakuza 6" also the "PlayStation 4" debut for the "Virtua Fighter" series.


title: Virtua Fighter

text: Due to the success of "Virtua Fighter 2", a super deformed version called "Virtua Fighter Kids" was released for the Sega Saturn and arcades in 1996. 1996 also saw the release of "Fighters Megamix" for the Sega Saturn, a crossover that pitted the cast of "Virtua Fighter 2" against the cast of "Fighting Vipers" as well as other characters in AM2-developed games. "Megamix" served as a home preview to "Virtua Fighter 3" in a few ways, as the game featured the dodge ability found in "VF3" and the "Virtua Fighter" characters had their moves updated to those found in "VF3". Some stages and music from "VF3" are also in the game. The "Virtua Fighter Kids" versions of Akira and Sarah appear as hidden playable characters in the game; the character Siba, who was omitted from the first "Virtua Fighter" also appears as a hidden playable character.


title: Virtua Fighter

text: In 1996, AM2 began developing a Saturn RPG based on the series, titled "Virtua Fighter RPG: Akira's Story", with Akira as the hero. Development moved to the Dreamcast, the "Virtua Fighter" connection was dropped and the game became "Shenmue", released in 1999. "Virtua Quest", a simplified role-playing video game (which was also known as "Virtua Fighter RPG") with new characters aimed at the children's market, was released for the GameCube in 2004 and the PlayStation 2 in 2005. The Virtua Fighters had their incarnations from "Virtua Fighter 4".


title: Virtua Fighter

text: During the late 2000s, both Sega and Namco showed interest in a possible cross over between "Virtua Fighter" and "Tekken". This crossover would combine all the characters and fighting styles from both games, but any other inclusions are unknown at the moment. Prior to that, both franchises were represented as Mii Brawler costumes in the Nintendo crossover "Super Smash Bros. for 3DS and Wii U", in which Ryu from the "Street Fighter" series is playable too, whereas Akira himself (based on 10th Anniversary version) physically appeared in the sequel "Super Smash Bros. Ultimate" as an assist trophy character.


title: Virtua Fighter

text: A 35 episodes-long anime television series "Virtua Fighter" was produced by Tōkyō Movie Shinsha, originally airing on TV Tokyo between 1995 and 1996. In 1995 Shogakukan began publishing a "Virtua Fighter 2" manga, with creative oversight from Sega AM2 to ensure the characters were portrayed consistently with their original vision. The games' manga adaptation was written by Kyōichi Nanatsuki and illustrated by Yoshihide Fujiwara starting in 1997. In Japan, "Virtua Fighter CG Portrait Series", wherein each character in the series had their own Saturn CD showcasing various poses of the fighter, was released around the same time as well. People who collected all the discs could send in their proof of purchases to get a special Portrait CD of Dural. In 2014, Sega formed the production company Stories International for film and TV projects based on their games with "Virtua Fighter" as an animated project.


title: Virtua Fighter

text: The first "Virtua Fighter" merchandise was a set of dolls of the first "Virtua Fighter" cast which Sega produced for their UFO Catchers (a model of claw crane). These proved so popular that supplies ran out almost immediately, so Sega made additional batches and began producing other "Virtua Fighter" merchandise to put in the UFO Catchers. When these also proved successful, Sega realized that "Virtua Fighter" merchandise had mainstream potential, and began licensing the property to merchandise producers such as Bandai.


title: Virtua Fighter

text: Sega has also released soundtrack CDs for the games, and even an album of original theme music for the characters called "Dancing Shadows".


title: Virtua Fighter

text: In Sega's music video game "Project DIVA 2nd", Vocaloid Megurine Luka can obtain a Sarah Bryant outfit for gameplay. Jacky Bryant and Akira Yuki appear in "Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing" as partners competing against other Sega characters in races. Akira Yuki, Sarah Bryant and Pai Chan, appear as guest characters in Tecmo Koei's "Dead or Alive 5", followed by Jacky Bryant in "Dead or Alive 5 Ultimate". Akira Yuki, Pai Chan and Dural appear in the crossover RPG "Project X Zone", which features characters from Capcom, Namco Bandai Games, and Sega. Akira Yuki, Pai Chan and Dural return in "Project X Zone 2" along with Kage-Maru. In "Dengeki Bunko Fighting Climax", Akira Yuki and Pai Chan appears as a playable guest boss where Akira is playable and Pai as assist, though they became regulars in the "Ignition" update. In "Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U" and "Super Smash Bros. Ultimate", Mii Brawler costumes based on Jacky Bryant's modern appearance and Akira Yuki's first appearance were released as downloadable content. Akira would also appear in "Ultimate" as an assist trophy in his appearance in "Virtua Fighter 10th Anniversary" (a polygonal form from the first game with both voice lines and a move set from "Virtua Fighter 4 Evolution").


title: Virtua Fighter

text: The original "Virtua Fighter" sold more than 40,000 arcade units worldwide by 1996, with each unit costing between and £14,000 / . "Virtua Fighter 2" also sold more than 40,000 arcade units worldwide, adding up to more than 80,000 unit sales of both games by 1996. "Virtua Fighter" and "Virtua Fighter 2" became Sega's best-selling arcade games of all time, surpassing "Out Run" (1986), which itself had sold 30,000 arcade cabinets by 1994. "Virtua Fighter 3" sold a further 30,000 arcade cabinets by 1997, adding up to 110,000 arcade unit sales for the three games combined by 1997.


title: Virtua Fighter

text: In 1994, "Virtua Fighter" was the year's highest-grossing arcade game in Japan, one of the year's top five highest-grossing arcade video games in the United States, and one of the year's most popular coin-ops in the United Kingdom. In 1995, "Virtua Fighter 2" was the year's highest-grossing arcade game in Japan, and one of the year's top ten best-selling arcade games in the United States.


title: Virtua Fighter

text: On the Sega Saturn, "Virtua Fighter" and "Virtua Fighter 2" had sold more than copies worldwide by 1996. "Virtua Fighter" and "Virtua Fighter Remix" sold a combined 1,067,036 copies in Japan. "Virtua Fighter 2" sold copies in Japan, and more than 500,000 bundled copies in the United States, for a combined copies sold in Japan and the United States.


title: Virtua Fighter

text: "Virtua Fighter" is often considered to be the grandfather of 3D fighting games, with each iteration being noted for advancing the graphical and technical aspects of games in the genre. Many 3D fighting game series such as "Tekken" and "Dead or Alive" were heavily influenced by "Virtua Fighter", and the original "Dead or Alive" ran on the Model 2 hardware. In 1998, the series was recognized by the Smithsonian Institution for contributions in the field of Art and Entertainment, and became a part of the Smithsonian Institution's Permanent Research Collection on Information Technology Innovation. Its arcade cabinets are kept at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History, where "Virtua Fighter" is the only video game on permanent display. In 1999, "Next Generation" listed the "Virtua Fighter" series as number 8 on their "Top 50 Games of All Time", commenting that, ""Virtua Fighter" is the most elegant fighting game ever created. With only two attack buttons, the game still offers an astonishingly wide range of martial art styles."


title: Virtua Fighter

text: "Virtua Fighter" played a crucial role in popularizing 3D polygon graphics. The success of the "Virtua Fighter" series resulted in Guinness World Records awarding the series seven world records in "Guinness World Records Gamer's Edition 2008", including "First Polygon Based Fighting Game", "First 3D Fighting Game", and "First Fighting Game for a 32-bit Console". 1UP listed "Virtua Fighter" as one of the 50 most important games of all time, crediting it for creating the 3D fighting game genre, and more generally, demonstrating the potential of 3D polygon human characters (as the first to implement them in a useful way), showing the potential of realistic gameplay (introducing a character physics system and realistic character animations for the time), and introducing fighting game concepts such as the ring-out and the block button. "Virtua Fighter 2" on the Sega Model 2 introduced the use of texture-mapped 3D characters, and motion capture animation technology. "Virtua Fighter 3" on the Sega Model 3 further advanced real-time graphics technology, with "Computer and Video Games" in 1996 comparing it to CGI and referring to it as "the most astounding display of video game graphic muscle ever in the history of this industry." In 1997, "Next Generation" stated that "Virtua Fighter" had supplanted "Street Fighter" as the premier fighting game series.


title: Virtua Fighter

text: Some of the Sony Computer Entertainment (SCE) staff involved in the creation of the original PlayStation video game console credit "Virtua Fighter" as inspiration for the PlayStation's 3D graphics hardware. According to SCE's Shigeo Maruyama, the PlayStation was originally being considered as a 2D-focused hardware, and it was not until the release of "Virtua Fighter" that they decided to design the PlayStation as a 3D-focused hardware. Toby Gard also cited "Virtua Fighter" as an influence on the use of polygonal characters in "Tomb Raider" and the creation of Lara Croft. John Romero also cited "Virtua Fighter" as a major influence on the creation of 3D first-person shooter "Quake". Team Ico's Fumito Ueda also cited "Virtua Fighter" as an influence on his animation work.


title: Virtua Fighter

text: A late 1995 article in "Next Generation" declared that "The "Virtua Fighter" series has been, and will continue to be, the yardstick by which all next generation arcade and console fighting games will be measured for a long time coming." According to Eurogamer: "One of Yu Suzuki's most enduring creations once christened every round of new arcade hardware, was a pioneer in 3D graphics and helped establish online fighting. All the while, beneath those achievements emerged a game of exceptional depth and nuance." 1UP.com opined: "Due to its innovation, "Virtua Fighter" not only influenced competitors' games -- it basically created a genre. Technically, every 3D fighter that came after it owes "Virtua Fighter" for establishing that a 3D fighter could work. Even today, "Tekken" still takes inspiration from Sega's series." "Game Informer"'s Andy McNamara wrote: "It has always been my opinion that the "Virtua Fighter" series is the most intense and balanced of all the 3D fighters on the market. Its control scheme is intuitive, its pacing perfect, and its depth unmatched." in 2006, IGN ranked "Virtua Fighter" as the 25th greatest game series of all time, explaining that "no other 3D fighter has equaled "VF" in terms of difficulty and depth."


title: Kangaroo Island

text: Kangaroo Island, also known as Karta Pintingga (literally 'Island of the Dead' in the language of the Kaurna people), is Australia's third-largest island, after Tasmania and Melville Island. It lies in the state of South Australia, southwest of Adelaide. Its closest point to the mainland is Snapper Point in Backstairs Passage, which is from the Fleurieu Peninsula.


title: Kangaroo Island

text: The native population of Aboriginal Australians that once occupied the island (sometimes referred to as the Kartan people) disappeared from the archaeological record sometime after the land became an island following the rising sea levels associated with the Last Glacial Period around 10,000 years ago. It was subsequently settled intermittently by sealers and whalers in the early 19th century, and from 1836 on a permanent basis during the British colonisation of South Australia.


title: Kangaroo Island

text: Since then the island's economy has been principally agricultural, with a southern rock lobster fishery and with tourism growing in importance. The largest town, and the administrative centre, is Kingscote. The island has several nature reserves to protect the remnants of its natural vegetation and native animals, with the largest and best-known being Flinders Chase National Park at the western end.


title: Kangaroo Island

text: The island is long West/East and between from its narrowest to widest North/South points. Its area covers . Its coastline is long, and its highest point of 307 metres (1007 ft) is in Flinders Chase National Park, west of the junction of the Playford and West End Highways. The second highest point is Mount MacDonnell at above sea level. It is separated from Yorke Peninsula to the northwest by Investigator Strait and from Fleurieu Peninsula to the northeast by Backstairs Passage. A group of islets, the Pages, lie off the eastern end of the island.