title: VFA-103

text: In August 1990 when Kuwait was invaded by Iraq, USS "Saratoga" was in the Mediterranean and soon joined in the Red Sea. VF-84 was part of the Battle Group during Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm. VF-103 and VF-74 worked together to develop the fighter tactics which were used during the Gulf War. When the war started in January 1991, VF-103 conducted fighter escort for the air wing's strike packages, reconnaissance and bomb damage assessment and combat air patrols. On the fourth day of the war, while on an escort mission, a VF-103 F-14A+ was shot down by what is believed to be an SA-2 "Guideline" surface-to-air missile. After ejecting from his aircraft, the Radar Intercept Officer, Lieutenant Larry Slade, was captured by Iraqi troops and held in Baghdad as a POW until the end of the war. The pilot, Lieutenant Devon Jones, was able to evade capture and, after eight hours deep in enemy territory, was rescued by USAF Special Operations Forces.


title: VFA-103

text: On 1 October 1995, VF-84 was disestablished bringing an end to the "Jolly Rogers". Not wanting the "Jolly Rogers" insignia to fade away from U.S. Naval Aviation, VF-103 requested to do away with their "Slugger" moniker and adopt the "Jolly Rogers" name and insignia that had been previously used by VF-84.


title: VFA-103

text: Also in 1995, VF-103 conducted the fleet feasibility testing of the U.S. Air Force's LANTIRN targeting pod in a rapid prototyping initiative that led to adoption of the LANTIRN for the Tomcat community. When they deployed with in the summer of 1996, VF-103 became the first Tomcat squadron to introduce the LANTIRN targeting pod to operational service. The LANTIRN radically improved the F-14's strike capabilities by providing an autonomous precision strike capability.


title: VFA-103

text: In 1997 VF-103 transferred from USS "Enterprise" to , and set sail to former Yugoslavia in June 1998 in support of NATO operations in Kosovo. In November, the carrier moved to the Persian Gulf in response to aggressive Iraqi posturing.


title: VFA-103

text: In June 2002, VF-103 and its carrier deployed to the North Arabian Sea and the Persian Gulf and participated in Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Southern Watch. VF-103 supported Coalition forces in Afghanistan flying Close Air Support, Forward Air Controller and TARPS missions. VF-103 was already on their way home by the start of Operation Iraqi Freedom in early 2003.


title: VFA-103

text: VF-103 returned to the Persian Gulf for its final Tomcat cruise with on 10 July 2004 and ten days later the squadron bombed an insurgent position. The unit participated in Operation Phantom Fury in October 2004 to provide aerial support over Fallujah for the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force and Iraqi Army soldiers. During one mission an F-14 from VF-103 provided laser designation for an AH-1W Super Cobra helicopter's AGM-114 Hellfire missile to destroy a building where insurgents had taken cover. This operation had never previously been attempted with a Hellfire, but the missile successfully hit the building, neutralizing the enemy fire that the US troops were receiving. The F-14 crew was ordered to two drop additional GBU-12 laser-guided bombs on the building, leveling the structure. During another mission, air support was requested for Marines fighting on the ground. An F-14 from VF-103 provided close air support and suffered a ruptured hydraulic line. The F-14 declared an in flight emergency and landed without incident at Al Asad Air Base. Repairs took a few days on the base as the starboard engine had to be removed and later the crew flew the F-14 back to the John F. Kennedy.


title: VFA-103

text: After a last deployment USS "John F. Kennedy" with CVW-17 and returning to NAS Oceana in December 2004, VF-103 retired their F-14B Tomcats and began transition to the F/A-18F Super Hornet and transfer to Carrier Air Wing Seven (CVW-7). Following their transition to the F/A-18F, the squadron was officially re-designated as VFA-103 in February 2005.


title: VFA-103

text: The first deployment with the F/A-18F commenced in 2006 and ended in the spring of 2007. During the cruise with USS "Dwight D. Eisenhower", VFA-103 and VFA-143 supported Operations Iraqi Freedom, Enduring Freedom and operations off the Somali coast, and combined with VFA-131 and VFA-83, they dropped 140 precision guided weapons and performed nearly 70 strafing runs. For their outstanding performance on this deployment, VFA-103 was awarded the AIRLANT Battle "E" for both 2006 & 2007, as well as the Wade McClusky Award as the best Attack Squadron in the US Navy for 2007.


title: VFA-103

text: VFA-103 temporarily embarked with CVW-17 in 2008 as USS "George Washington" sailed to the Pacific Ocean to replace in Japan. On 21 February 2009 VFA-103 and CVW-7 embarked aboard USS "Dwight D. Eisenhower" for a deployment supporting Operation Enduring Freedom and maritime security operations in the Persian Gulf. On 30 July 2009, USS "Dwight D. Eisenhower" returned to Naval Station Norfolk after almost a six-month deployment.


title: VFA-103

text: VFA-103 and the rest of CVW-7 embarked on board USS "Dwight D. Eisenhower" on 2 January 2010 for a six-month deployment in support of 5th and 6th Fleet operations. On 27 July 2010, the squadron returned home to NAS Oceana after completion of their latest deployment.


title: VFA-103

text: After a successful maintenance and workup cycle, VFA-103 embarked with CVW-7 on board USS "Dwight D. Eisenhower" on 22 June 2012 for a scheduled nine-month deployment in the 5th Fleet Area of Operations. However, due to changes in operational requirements, VFA-103, CVW-7 and "Dwight D. Eisenhower" returned to NAS Oceana on 21 December 2012, to perform maintenance in preparation of returning to sea shortly thereafter. VFA-103 returned to sea on 21 February 2013 after the short turnaround, and along with the rest of CVW-7 and Carrier Strike Group Eight, supported operations in the 5th Fleet Area of Operations. After a combined eleven months at sea in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and Persian Gulf presence operations, the squadron returned to NAS Oceana on 3 July 2013.


title: VFA-103

text: In honor of the Jolly Rogers' 70th anniversary, the squadron undertook a massive redesign of the immensely recognizable skull and crossbones insignia, choosing to feature the original VF-17 patches, colors, and tail fin.


title: VFA-103

text: The Jolly Rogers' F/A-18Fs were seen launching from USS "Harry Truman" in June 2016 participating in Operation Inherent Resolve, striking Daesh targets in Iraq and Syria, with multiple aircraft exhibiting signs of heavy combat, with a number of front fuselages being covered with bomb silhouettes representing munitions being dropped in combat air strikes.


title: VFA-103

text: A fictional version of the squadron, the "Jolly Wrenches", appeared in the Disney aviation film Planes, using the same livery, but the skull and crossbones are replaced by a piston-head and wrenches.


title: Gwen Taylor

text: Gwen Taylor (born 19 February 1939) is an English actress who has appeared in many British television programmes. She is known for her roles as Amy Pearce in the sitcom "Duty Free" (1984–1986); Barbara Liversidge in the sitcom "Barbara" (1999–2003); Peggy Armstrong in the drama series "Heartbeat" (2005–2009), Anne Foster in the long-running ITV soap opera "Coronation Street" (2011–2012), and Vi Highway in BBC One soap opera "EastEnders" (2021–present). She was nominated for the 1990 BAFTA TV Award for Best Actress for her role as Rita Simcock in the comedy series "A Bit of a Do" (1989). Her film appearances include "Monty Python's Life of Brian" (1979) and "The Lady in the Van" (2015).


title: Gwen Taylor

text: Taylor was born in Crich, Derbyshire. Her initial career was in banking, but when she was an assistant area manager for the National Provincial Bank in Derby she became increasingly interested in amateur dramatics. Her first professional acting role was as a Green Bean in 'Jack and the Beanstalk' at the Derby Playhouse. Gwen Taylor trained at East 15 Acting School, London. In 1973 she played Pamela Dean, the sister of the murder victim Victor Dean, in


title: Gwen Taylor

text: "Murder Must Advertise", an adaptation of Dorothy L Sayers novel. In 1975 she played the role of Jack Regan’s girlfriend, a probation officer named Anne Knightley in fourth episode of the second series of the British police drama, "The Sweeney": episode "Big Brother".


title: Gwen Taylor

text: Later in the 1970s, she was one of the regulars on Eric Idle's "Rutland Weekend Television". She also appeared in other Monty Python spin-offs such as "The Life of Brian" and "Ripping Yarns", and in a dual role as both Chastity and Mrs. Iris Mountbatten in the Beatles parody "All You Need Is Cash". On the film's DVD commentary Eric Idle described her as 'the best comedy actress I ever worked with. She could do anything'. However, she turned down a role in "The Meaning of Life" as she thought that being covered in intestines as a man exploded in a restaurant would be "tasteless".


title: Gwen Taylor

text: In 1990 she was nominated for a BAFTA as Best Actress for her role in "A Bit of a Do" opposite Sir David Jason. Between 2005 and 2009 she played the role of Peggy Armstrong in the drama "Heartbeat". In July 2011 it was announced that Gwen Taylor would be joining the cast of "Coronation Street", playing Anne, the mother of Frank Foster. She departed the series after her character was revealed as the killer of her rapist son on 19 March 2012. In November 2012 she appeared with Don Warrington in the stage version of "Driving Miss Daisy" on a UK-wide tour. Taylor played various roles in "Tracey Ullman's Show" on the BBC in 2016 and 2017, and played Lillian in an episode of the Sky 1 sitcom "Trollied" in 2018. In May 2021, she joined the cast of BBC soap opera "EastEnders" playing Violet Highway.


title: Sightless

text: Sightless is a 2020 American psychological thriller film written and directed by Cooper Karl, based on his 2017 short film of the same name. The film stars Madelaine Petsch and Alexander Koch.


title: Sightless

text: The film had its world premiere at Dances with Films Festival on September 2, 2020. It was released digitally and on demand on September 29, 2020, by MarVista Entertainment.


title: Sightless

text: Following a brutal attack, violinist Ellen Ashland (Madelaine Petsch) is left blind. Clayton (Alexander Koch) is hired to care for her and she begins to adjust to life without her sight. One night, Ellen hears a distressed woman's voice; she initially believes the woman is in her apartment but then realises the noise is coming through the vent. The following morning, her neighbour shows up and introduces herself as Lana.


title: Sightless

text: As time goes on, Ellen grows suspicious of Lana. When she touches Lana's face, she feels a wound with stitches and is alarmed. Lana reacts by warning Ellen to trust no one and then flees Ellen's apartment upon the arrival of her abusive husband, Russo. Ellen contacts Detective Bryce who sends Officer Neiman to check on Lana; he confirms she is okay and does not have any recent wounds. Ellen expresses her concerns to Clayton who starts to show a romantic interest in Ellen, but when he confesses his feelings, she turns him down.


title: Sightless

text: When Clayton leaves the apartment one afternoon, another person enters and attacks Ellen. She manages to dial 911 before she passes out. She is awaken by a paramedic and Detective Bryce who reassures her that after Clayton left her apartment, nobody else entered. Detective Bryce confirms to Ellen that her friend Sasha, who was having an affair with Ellen's ex-husband, is the prime suspect in Ellen's attack. Feeling alone and unsure of anyone, Ellen decides to commit suicide. She writes letters to her brother, Sasha, and Clayton, and then jumps from her apartment balcony.


title: Sightless

text: Ellen wakes up on the floor of a soundproof room and quickly realises the apartment she was staying in was fake, and all of the noises "outside" were coming from a speaker system. She explores the hallway only to find she cannot escape. Ellen goes to Lana for help, who tells her that this is home. Clayton then arrives to cook Ellen dinner and she realises all of the people she has interacted with since her attack - the doctors, the detective, the paramedic, Russo - were all Clayton, dressed up differently. Ellen knocks Clayton unconscious and finds Lana who reveals she is Clayton's sister and she helped him kidnap Ellen. She then tells Ellen their only hope of escape is by using the hidden vent in Clayton's room.


title: Sightless

text: Clayton finds and once again captures Ellen. He confesses that after his mother's death, his father kept him captive in the basement for three years, during which time Lana played Ellen's music for him, thus resulting in his obsession. Ellen tries to escape via the vent and finds a vial, which she realises is the same substance that was used in her attack that made her lose her sight. She finds her way back to her apartment, chased by Clayton, and sprays the substance in his face. Upon seeing Clayton disabled, Lana guides Ellen to an exit into the outside world.


title: Sightless

text: Six months later, Ellen prepares to go on stage to the sound of an elated crowd, as an assistant asks her if she needs any help.


title: Sightless

text: On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, "Sightless" holds an approval rating of based on reviews, with an average rating of . From "Ready Set Cut", Jonathon Wilson gave the film two stars out of five, criticizing it for its predictable twist, calling it "a drab", and summarizing it as "the kind of film that has been sat on a shelf for a while for reasons that are entirely understandable". Johnny Loftus, giving his review from "Decider", compared the film and its ending to "Wait Until Dark" (1967) and "Shutter Island" (2010), and recommended readers to watch it online. Writing for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, a journalist gave the film three stars and a half out of five, and said that ""Sightless" ticks the boxes for [...] an over-the-top thriller that is not afraid to ramp things up to eleven, its manic climax just one of its many enjoyable charms."


title: Marder (infantry fighting vehicle)

text: The Schützenpanzer Marder 1 (""Schützen" carrying "Armour"-ed fighting vehicle "Marten 1"") is a German infantry fighting vehicle designed for use with the West German Panzergrenadiere units (mechanized infantry specialized for IFV combat). It has been operated by the German Army as the main Panzergrenadiere IFV from 1970s through to the present day. Developed as part of the rebuilding of West Germany's armoured fighting vehicle industry, the Marder has proven to be a successful and solid infantry fighting vehicle design. While it used to include a few unique features, such as a fully remote machine gun on the rear deck and gun ports on the sides for infantry to fire through, these features have been deleted or streamlined in later upgrade packages to bring it more in line with modern IFV design (the MG has been moved to be a coaxial, the gun ports entirely welded shut and uparmored). It is overall a simple and conventional machine with one large rear exit hatch and three top hatches for mounted infantry to fire from.


title: Marder (infantry fighting vehicle)

text: Around 2,100 were taken into service by the West German army in the early 1970s, but the vehicle in its German variant was not sold to any foreign militaries. As the West German Army began to retire older vehicles, the Chilean government agreed to acquire 200 Marders; the government of Greece has considered the purchase of 450 retired vehicles in the past. Argentina uses a simplified and locally produced variant, the VCTP, and has a number of vehicles based on that platform constructed by Henschel and built by TAMSE.


title: Marder (infantry fighting vehicle)

text: The intended successor to the Marder 1 was initially the Marder 2 project in the 1990s, but after its cancellation the successor became the Puma in the 2010s. The Marder is currently being replaced by the Puma.


title: Marder (infantry fighting vehicle)

text: Development of the Marder ran from January 1960, when the first development contracts were issued, to 7 May 1971, when the first production vehicles were given to the West German army.


title: Marder (infantry fighting vehicle)

text: The vehicle was intended to be an improvement over the Schützenpanzer Lang HS.30. The main requirements were:


title: Marder (infantry fighting vehicle)

text: Initially, development contracts were awarded to two groups of companies: the Rheinstahl group (Rheinstahl-Hanomag, Ruhrstahl, Witten-Annen, Büro Warnecke) and the second group comprising Henschel Werke and the Swiss MOWAG company. This resulted in the production of seven prototype vehicles. A second set of eight prototype vehicles were built between 1961 and 1963. Development priority was then switched for a while to the development of the Jagdpanzer 90 mm Kanone.


title: Marder (infantry fighting vehicle)

text: In 1967, after military requirements were finalized, a third and final set of ten prototypes were built. Final development work was completed by the Rheinstahl group, and 10 pre-production vehicles were built and completed troop trials with the West German army between October 1968 and March 1969. In May 1969, the vehicle was officially named the "Marder" and in October Rheinstahl was chosen as the prime contractor.


title: Marder (infantry fighting vehicle)

text: The first production Marder was handed to the West German army on 7 May 1971. Production of the vehicle continued until 1975, with 2,136 vehicles being completed.


title: Marder (infantry fighting vehicle)

text: In 1975, the Milan missile was first adapted to be fired by commander from his open hatch, and between 1977 and 1979 Milan missiles were fitted to army vehicles.


title: Marder (infantry fighting vehicle)

text: A number of upgrade programs were carried out, that included fitting night vision equipment and a thermal imager, as well as an upgraded ammunition feed to the 20 mm cannon.


title: Marder (infantry fighting vehicle)

text: Around 1985, the designation was changed to Marder 1 (until then it was simply Marder) since a follow-up IFV was under construction. The new vehicle was supposed to be the partner of the Leopard 2, just like Marder was the companion to the Standardpanzer/Leopard 1, it was named Marder 2 and the older vehicles re-designated.


title: Marder (infantry fighting vehicle)

text: The A3 upgrade program began in 1988, with Thyssen-Henschel being awarded a contract to upgrade 2,100 Marder 1 A1/A2 series vehicles to A3 standard at a rate of 220 a year. The first upgraded vehicles reached the West German army on 17 November 1989. The modification package included:


title: Marder (infantry fighting vehicle)

text: The hull of the Marder 1 is all welded steel, giving protection from small-arms fire and shell fragments with the front of the hull providing protection from up to 20 mm armour-piercing discarding sabot (APDS) rounds. Later variants had increased protection up to 30mm APDS, in response to the 30 mm autocannon armed BMP-2 and the development of top attack cluster bomblets.


title: Marder (infantry fighting vehicle)

text: The Marder is a relatively conventional design, with the driver sitting at the front left side of the hull with the engine to his right. The driver has three day periscopes mounted in a hatch that opens to the right. The center periscope can be replaced by a passive night vision device. Behind the driver is a seat for a single infantryman. In early versions of the Marder, this man had a hatch that opened to the right and a periscope that could be rotated through 360 degrees; this hatch was removed in the 1A3 variant onwards.


title: Marder (infantry fighting vehicle)

text: In the center of the hull is the two-man turret, which holds the commander on the right and the gunner on the left. Only the commander is provided with a hatch. The commander has eight day periscopes for all round observation and the gunner has an additional three. The primary sighting system is the PERI-Z11 sight, which has either 2× or 6× optical magnification. From version 1A2 on, there was an additional thermal sight with 2x and 8x magnification. To the rear of the turret is the troop compartment, which can hold six infantry men, sitting back to back facing outwards along the center of the hull.


title: Marder (infantry fighting vehicle)

text: The Marder is capable of fording in up to 1.5 meters of water unprepared, and can be fitted with a kit allowing it to ford water up to 2.5 meters deep.


title: Marder (infantry fighting vehicle)

text: The vehicle is powered by an MTU MB 833 Ea-500 six-cylinder liquid-cooled diesel engine which delivers approximately at 2,200 rpm. The cooling radiators are mounted at the rear of hull either side of the exit ramp. The engine is coupled to a Renk four speed HSWL 194 planetary gear box with four forward and four reverse gears. The transmission also provides steering and braking via a stepless hydrostatic unit which transmits power to two drive units mounted at the front of the hull. The vehicle carries 652 liters of fuel, giving it a road range of around 500 kilometers. Early Marders could achieve a road speed of 75 km/h in 4th gear, but the extra armour of later vehicles reduced this to 65 km/h.


title: Marder (infantry fighting vehicle)

text: The Marder is propelled by a Diehl track, which can be fitted with rubber road pads. The drive mechanism consists of six rubber tyred road wheel with a drive sprocket at the front of the hull and an idler at the rear. Three return rollers are also fitted. The suspension is a torsion bar system, with additional hydrostatic shock absorbers fitted to the front two and last two road wheels.


title: Marder (infantry fighting vehicle)

text: Primary armament is the 20 mm Rheinmetall MK 20 Rh202 autocannon, which is mounted in the small two-man turret and can fire either armour-piercing or HE rounds. Mounted coaxially to the left of the cannon is a 7.62 mm MG3 machine gun. The turret has 360 degree traverse, and can elevate from −17 degrees to +65 degrees at a rate of 40 degrees per second while traversing at a rate of 60 degrees a second. Early Marders up to and including version 1A1 had a second MG3 mounted on the rear deck in a remote controlled pod. Typically, 1,250 rounds are carried for the 20 mm cannon, along with a further 5,000 rounds for the MG3.


title: Marder (infantry fighting vehicle)

text: On models since version 1A1A, a MILAN anti-tank guided missile launcher can be attached to the turret to provide enhanced anti-armour capabilities. Typically, four missiles are carried inside the vehicle.


title: Marder (infantry fighting vehicle)

text: There are four (two per side) gun ports, which can be used by mounted infantry to provide additional fire against attacking infantry targets. Only Marder 1A1 and 1A2 were equipped with this. Marder 1A3 and above do not have gun ports due to the fitting of an extra layer of armour and outside storage boxes.


title: Marder (infantry fighting vehicle)

text: Six 76-millimeter-diameter smoke grenade dischargers can create a visual and infrared blocking smoke screen.


title: Marder (infantry fighting vehicle)

text: With the first unit delivered in summer 1971, the Marder IFV remained untested in combat for 38 years until July 2009 when they defended a German combat outpost against the Taliban in Chahar Dara district of Afghanistan's Kunduz Province, killing and wounding scores of enemies. Since then, the Marders have been involved in heavy fighting several times. The vehicles have proved to be extremely useful and have been praised as a great tactical asset by German troops. However, the crews have been subject to great physical stress as none of the vehicles are equipped with air conditioning systems. Two Marders were damaged by Improvised explosive devices in the course of a German-led offensive on Taliban fighters in Quatliam, on 31 October 2010. Later in the battle, code-named by the Coalition "Operation Halmazag", a single Marder beat off a Taliban attempt to outflank positions held by German paratroopers. In June 2011, a German Marder was destroyed near Kunduz by a 200 kg (440.91 lbs.) IED, killing one soldier and injuring five others.


title: Marder (infantry fighting vehicle)

text: The Marder was also deployed during the Kosovo War as part of the German peacekeeping forces sent as part of NATO's Kosovo Force (KFOR).


title: Marder (infantry fighting vehicle)

text: The Marder 1A3 is the currently most common version of this system, and is in service with the German Bundeswehr, the Marder 1A4 differs from the 1A3 only by the use of a cryptography-capable radio-set. The newest version of the Marder is the Marder 1A5 with advanced mine protection. Only a small number of this variant is in service.


title: Marder (infantry fighting vehicle)

text: The Marder served as the basis for Thyssen-Henschel's medium tank design which became the TAM for Argentina. A simplified version of the Marder is also employed as an infantry fighting vehicle, mortar carrier and command vehicle by the Argentine Army, realising most of the versions originally planned for the Bundeswehr and later abandoned due to costs and/or the availability of cheap alternatives like the M106 mortar carrier.


title: Marder (infantry fighting vehicle)

text: The Marder is also used as a carrier for the Roland air defence system. The Kanonenjagdpanzer and Raketenjagdpanzer 2 started development as part of the Marder family but were realised based on the second batch of prototypes using different engines etc. The Kanonenjagdpanzer built for Belgium are a hybrid between the original Bundeswehr version and Marder parts. Some 4–6 test models of a 120 mm mortar on a Marder chassis were built and at least one is in use as a firefighting vehicle at the WTS Meppen. Tests with an AAA tank were performed but the high weight of the system resulted in a switch to the heavier Standardpanzer chassis, resulting in the Gepard AAA system. At least one first or second generation prototype was equipped with the 110 mm artillery rocket system that later became the truck-mounted LARS system.


title: Marder (infantry fighting vehicle)

text: During Eurosatory Show 2012, Rheinmetall Landsysteme GmbH offered two further upgrades as part of the Marder Evolution family. The first upgrade were the Marder APC which features a new M151 Protector remotely controlled weapon, replacing the original Rheinmetall MK 20 Rh 202 automatic cannon, ballistic protection comparable to STANAG Level 4+, and mine protection comparable to Level 3a/3b+. The top deck has been lifted to enable improved ergonomics and uses a MTU MB883 diesel. The other upgrade were the Marder Medium Tank which features a rifled, stabilized 105 mm OTO-Melara gun in a new turret.


title: Marder (infantry fighting vehicle)

text: In the Indo Defence 2016, Rheinmetall exhibited the Marder Medium Tank RI ("RI" stands for "Republic of Indonesia"), which was offered to the Indonesian Army, at the time already operating the Marder 1A3. The tank used Marder 1A3 hull, with three-crew Leonardo HITFACT turret armed with OTO-Melara 105 mm gun and two 7.62 mm machine guns used in coaxial and roof-mounted positions. The HITFACT turret were equipped with advanced fire control system linked with the commander and gunner sights, laser rangefinder, and day/thermal sights for both the commander and gunner. Other improvements also includes upgraded suspension, new MTU diesel engine with , and also availability to mount modular armour package.


title: Marder (infantry fighting vehicle)

text: Schützenpanzer Marder 2 was a 1991 prototype German infantry fighting vehicle intended as a replacement design to the Schützenpanzer Marder 1. The project started in 1984 and was cancelled in 1992.


title: Zabaykalsky Krai

text: Zabaykalsky Krai (, lit. "Transbaikal krai"; ) is a federal subject of Russia (a krai) that was created on March 1, 2008 as a result of a merger of Chita Oblast and Agin-Buryat Autonomous Okrug, after a referendum held on the issue on March 11, 2007. The Krai is now part of the Russian Far East as of November 2018 in accordance with a decree issued by Russian President Vladimir Putin. The administrative center of the krai is located in the city of Chita. As of the 2010 Census, the population was 1,107,107.


title: Zabaykalsky Krai

text: The krai is located within the historical region of Transbaikalia (Dauria) and has extensive international borders with China (Inner Mongolia and Heilongjiang) (998 km) and Mongolia (Dornod Province, Khentii Province and Selenge Province) (868 km); its internal borders are with Irkutsk and Amur Oblasts, as well as with the Buryatia and the Sakha Republic. The Khentei-Daur Highlands are located at the southwestern end. The Ivan-Arakhley Lake System is a group of lakes lying west of Chita.


title: Zabaykalsky Krai

text: The first traces of human presence in the area dates to 35-150 thousand years ago. Early evidence was found on the surface of ancient river gravels Gyrshelunki (tributary of the Khilok River) near the city of Chita, near Ust-Menza on the Chikoy River.


title: Zabaykalsky Krai

text: Based on toponyms, Zabaykalsky might have once been inhabited by a non documented, extinct Yeniseian language.


title: Zabaykalsky Krai

text: Mongolic-related Slab Grave cultural monuments are found in Baikal territory. The territory of Zabaykalsky Krai has been governed by the Xiongnu Empire (209 BC-93 CE) and Mongolian Xianbei state (93-234), Rouran Khaganate (330-555), Mongol Empire (1206-1368) and Northern Yuan (1368-1691).


title: Zabaykalsky Krai

text: Medieval Mongol tribes like Merkit, Tayichiud, Jalairs and Khamag Mongols inhabited in the krai. In the 17th century, some or all of Mongolic-speaking Daurs lived along the Shilka, upper Amur, and on the Bureya River. They thus gave their name to the region of Dauria, also called Transbaikal, now the area of Russia east of Lake Baikal. Today Buryat-Mongols remained in the territory of the krai.


title: Zabaykalsky Krai

text: Preliminary work on the unification of the Chita Oblast and Agin-Buryat Autonomous Okrug was started at the level of regional authorities in April 2006. The governor of Chita Oblast Ravil Geniatulin, mayor of the Agin-Buryat Autonomous Okrug Bair Zhamsuyev, head of the regional parliament Anatoly Romanov, and Dashi Dugarov sent a letter to the President of Russia, Vladimir Putin, and on November 17, 2006, he supported the initiative.


title: Zabaykalsky Krai

text: A referendum on unification took place on March 11, 2007. In Chita Oblast, "yes" was the predominant answer to the following question:


title: Zabaykalsky Krai

text: In Chita Oblast, 90.29% (535,045 voters) of the voters voted for the union versus - 8.89% (52,698 voters) who voted against it. 72.82% of the electorate participated. In the Aga Buryat Autonomous Region 94% (38,814 voters) voted for the union versus - 5.16% (2129 voters). 82.95% of the electorate voters participated.


title: Zabaykalsky Krai

text: On July 23, 2007, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a federal constitutional law "On Establishment in the Russian Federation of a new subject of the Russian Federation in the merger of Chita Oblast and Agin-Buryat Autonomous Okrug", adopted by the State Duma on July 5, 2007. and approved by the Federation Council on July 11, 2007.


title: Zabaykalsky Krai

text: Large companies in the region include the Priargunskoe Mining and Chemical Association, Territorial Generating Company №14, Novo-Shirokinsky mine, Kharanorskaya State District Power Plant, Kharanorskiy coal mine.


title: Zabaykalsky Krai

text: Ravil Geniatulin, the Governor of Chita Oblast, was elected Governor of Zabaykalsky Krai on February 5, 2008 by the majority of the deputies of both Chita Oblast Duma and Agin-Buryat Autonomous Okrug Duma. He assumed the post on March 1, 2008. United Russia candidate Natalia Zhdanova was elected governor with 54% of the vote on September 18, 2016.


title: Zabaykalsky Krai

text: According to the 2010 Census, Russians made up 89.9% of the population while Buryats were 6.8%. Other significant groups were Ukrainians (0.6%), Tatars (0.5%), Armenians (0.4%), Azeris (0.2%), Kyrgyz (0.2%). 19,981 people were registered from administrative databases, and could not declare an ethnicity. It is estimated that the proportion of ethnicities in this group is the same as that of the declared group.


title: Zabaykalsky Krai

text: 2010 - 1.87 | 2011 - 1.87 | 2012 - 2.00 | 2013 - 2.01 | 2014 - 2.08 | 2015 - 2.06 | 2016 - 1.98 | 2017 - 1.87 | 2018 - 1.82 | 2019 - 1.74 | 2020 - 1.75


title: Zabaykalsky Krai

text: As of a 2012 survey 25% of the population of Zabaykalsky Krai adheres to the Russian Orthodox Church, 6.25% to Buddhism, 6% declares to be generically unaffiliated Christian (excluding Protestant churches), 2% is an Orthodox Christian believer without belonging to any church or being member of other (non-Russian) Orthodox churches. In addition, 28% of the population declares to be "spiritual but not religious", 17% to be atheist, and 16.15% follows other religion or did not give an answer to the survey.


title: Amontillado

text: Amontillado () is a variety of sherry wine characterised by being darker than fino but lighter than oloroso. It is named after the Montilla region of Spain, where the style originated in the 18th century, although the name "Amontillado" is sometimes used commercially as a simple measure of colour to label any sherry lying between a fino and an oloroso. It features prominently in the Edgar Allan Poe short story "The Cask of Amontillado".


title: Amontillado

text: An Amontillado sherry begins as a fino, fortified to approximately 15.5% alcohol with a cap of flor yeast limiting its exposure to the air. A cask of fino is considered to be amontillado if the layer of flor fails to develop adequately, is intentionally killed by additional fortification, or is allowed to die off through non-replenishment. Without the layer of flor, amontillado must be fortified to approximately 17.5% alcohol so that it does not oxidise too quickly. After the additional fortification, Amontillado oxidises slowly, exposed to oxygen through the slightly porous American or Canadian oak casks, and gains a darker colour and richer flavour than fino.


title: Amontillado

text: Amontillado is characterized by nutty aromas, tobacco, aromatic herbs and often ethereal, polished notes of oak. The fusion of two different ageing processes gives Amontillado wines a specific flavour.


title: Amontillado

text: Amontillado can be produced in several different manners. A "fino amontillado" is a wine that has begun the transformation from a fino to an amontillado, but has not been aged long enough to complete the process. "Amontillado del puerto" is an amontillado made in El Puerto de Santa María. Naturally dry, they are sometimes sold lightly to medium sweetened but these can no longer be labelled as amontillado. On 12 April 2012, the rules applicable to the sweet and fortified denominations of origin Montilla-Moriles and Jerez-Xérès-Sherry were changed to prohibit sweet amontillado. They have to be labelled as Medium Sherry: blend of Amontillado or suchlike.


title: Amontillado

text: Amontillado is usually served slightly chilled and may be served either as an apéritif or as an accompaniment to food such as chicken or rabbit. Classically it was served with a fine, or thin, soup, such as a beef consommé.


title: Amontillado

text: Due to its oxidative aging and preparation, amontillado is more stable than fino and may be stored for a few years before opening. After opening, it can be kept for up to two weeks, if corked and refrigerated.


title: Starkville, Mississippi

text: Starkville is a city in, and the county seat of, Oktibbeha County, Mississippi, United States. Mississippi State University is a land-grant institution and is located partially in Starkville but primarily in an adjacent unincorporated area designated by the United States Census Bureau as Mississippi State, Mississippi. The population was 25,653 in 2019. Starkville is the most populous city of the Golden Triangle region of Mississippi. The Starkville micropolitan statistical area includes all of Oktibbeha County.


title: Starkville, Mississippi

text: The growth and development of Mississippi State in recent decades has made Starkville a marquee American college town. College students and faculty have created a ready audience for several annual art and entertainment events such as the Cotton District Arts Festival, Super Bulldog Weekend, and Bulldog Bash. The Cotton District, North America's oldest new urbanist community, is an active student quarter and entertainment district located halfway between Downtown Starkville and the Mississippi State University campus.


title: Starkville, Mississippi

text: The Starkville area has been inhabited for over 2,100 years. Artifacts in the form of clay pot fragments and artwork dating from that time period have been found east of Starkville at the Herman Mound and Village site, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The village site can be accessed from the Indian Mound Campground. The earthwork mounds were made by early Native Americans of moundbuilder cultures as part of their religious and political cosmology.


title: Starkville, Mississippi

text: Shortly before the American Revolutionary War period, the area was inhabited by the Choccuma (or Chakchiuma) tribe. They were annihilated about that time by a rare alliance between the Choctaw and Chickasaw peoples.


title: Starkville, Mississippi

text: The modern European-American settlement of the Starkville area was started after the Choctaw inhabitants of Oktibbeha County surrendered their claims to land in the area in the Treaty of Dancing Rabbit Creek in 1830. Most of the Native Americans of the Southeast were forced west of the Mississippi River during the 1830s and Indian Removal.


title: Starkville, Mississippi

text: White settlers were drawn to the Starkville area because of two large springs, which Native Americans had used for thousands of years. A mill on the Big Black River southwest of town produced clapboards, giving the town its original name, Boardtown in 1834. The first court met in 1834 under a large tree. In 1835, when Boardtown was established as the county seat of Oktibbeha County, it was renamed as Starkville in honor of Revolutionary War hero General John Stark. A log courthouse and a one-room jailhouse were constructed in 1835. The jailhouse was unusual in that it had no doors or windows. Prisoners were made to climb a ladder to the roof and then let down through a trap door using a rope.


title: Starkville, Mississippi

text: The first newspaper was founded in 1847. Originally titled "The Starkville Whig", it was later renamed "The Broad Ax".


title: Starkville, Mississippi

text: In 1865, during reconstruction, the officer in charge of Starkville allowed a black man accused of raping a white girl to be lynched by running him down with hounds.


title: Starkville, Mississippi

text: A carpetbagger named McLaughlin, who served as the local head of the Freedmen's Bureau, assisted in the establishment of a black Methodist church and established a cooperative store for blacks in his home. This enraged the white citizens so the Klan attacked the store.


title: Starkville, Mississippi

text: On May 5, 1879, two black men who had been accused of burning a barn, Nevlin Porter and Johnson Spencer, were taken from the jail by a mob of men and hung from crossties of the Mobile and Ohio Railroad.


title: Starkville, Mississippi

text: Several newspapers were founded in this time period, including "The Starkville News" in 1891. Early banks included The Peoples Bank in 1889 and Security State Bank in 1896.


title: Starkville, Mississippi

text: A yellow fever epidemic in 1898 resulted in a quarantine of Starkville's railroads by the towns of West Point, Columbus, Artesia and Kosciusko. This resulted in a depletion of medical and other supplies which ultimately resulted in intervention by the state.


title: Starkville, Mississippi

text: Before the Civil War, Colonel Montgomery imported cattle from the isle of Jersey, initiating the areas prominence as a dairy center. In 1912, the co-operative creamery was created, and in 1926 the Borden Condensary was established.


title: Starkville, Mississippi

text: In April 1912, Gabe (sometimes reported as Abe) Coleman, an African-American man was accused of attacking a farmer's wife and was shot to death by a mob. Nine men were tried for the murder. In February 1912, another African-American man, Mann Hamilton, was murdered by a mob for allegedly attacking a woman. Following an incident in which whites fired into a Republican Meeting at a church in Chapel Hill, Mississippi, killing a black man, a group of black men planned a march in Starkville. They were met at a bridge near the A & M dairy barn by white men from Starkville and West Point armed with cannon loaded with buckshot and iron.


title: Starkville, Mississippi

text: In 1915, two African-American men, Dit Seals and Peter Bolen, were hanged in a public execution while a crowd of 5,000, including blacks and whites, and children watched and sang "There is a Land of Pure Delight". The crowd ate lunch while the execution was being conducted. Vendors were on hand selling popcorn, soda water and sandwiches. The men had been convicted of killing Willie Taylor, an African-American porter on the Mobile and Ohio Railroad. The story was widely reported as a "gala hanging" sponsored by the merchants of Starkville by various newspapers including the "New York World" and "Chicago Tribune", while the Detroit Times described it as little better than a lynching.


title: Starkville, Mississippi

text: In 1926 the Borden Condensery was established, the first condensery in the southern U.S. At the time, Starkville was served by two railroads, the Illinois Central and the Mobile and Ohio.


title: Starkville, Mississippi

text: In 1970, several Black organizations organized a boycott or "selective buying" campaign. This was met with firebombings, and a crowd of African-Americans assembled near Henderson High School was broken up by gunfire.


title: Starkville, Mississippi

text: On March 21, 2006, Starkville became the first city in Mississippi to adopt a smoking ban for indoor public places, including restaurants and bars. This ordinance went into effect on May 20, 2006.


title: Starkville, Mississippi

text: In February 2018, Starkville denied a local LGBTQ organization a permit to host a pride parade. The organizers initiated legal action, after which the city reversed its decision. The parade was held in March 2018 with almost 3,000 attendees.


title: Starkville, Mississippi

text: According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 25.8 square miles (66.9 km²), of which 25.7 square miles (66.5 km) is land and 0.2 square miles (0.4 km) (0.58%) is water.


title: Starkville, Mississippi

text: U.S. Route 82 and Mississippi Highways 12 and 25 are major roads through Starkville. US 82 runs east to west across the northern portion of the city as a bypass, leading east 25 mi (40 km) to Columbus and northwest 28 mi (45 km) to Eupora. Route 25 leads south 31 mi (50 km) to Louisville and Route 12 leads southwest 26 mi (42 km) to Ackerman. The nearest airport with scheduled service is Golden Triangle Regional Airport (GTR). George M. Bryan Field (KSTF) serves as Starkville's general aviation airport. There are multiple privately owned airstrips in the area.


title: Starkville, Mississippi

text: As of the 2020 United States Census, there were 24,360 people, 10,092 households, and 4,895 families residing in the city.


title: Starkville, Mississippi

text: As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 23,888 people, 9,845 households, and 4,800 families residing in the city. The population density was 936.4 people per square mile (328.7/km). There were 11,767 housing units at an average density of 396.7/sq mi (153.2/km). The racial makeup of the city was 58.5% white, 34.06% African American, 0.2% Native American, 3.75% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 0.64% from other races, and 1.3% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 1.8% of the population.


title: Starkville, Mississippi

text: There were 9,845 households, out of which 24.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 34.1% were married couples living together, 13.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 50.1% were non-families. 32.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 2.92.


title: Starkville, Mississippi

text: The age distribution, strongly influenced by the presence of Mississippi State, was 18.8% under 18, 29.7% from 18 to 24, 26.6% from 25 to 44, 15.2% from 45 to 64, and 9.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 25 years. For every 100 females, there were 102.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 101.5 males.


title: Starkville, Mississippi

text: The median income for a household in the city was $31,357, and the median income for a family was $40,557. Males had a median income of $35,782 versus $23,711 for females. The per capita income for the city was $22,787. About 19.1% of families and 33.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 29.3% of those under age 18 and 17.8% of those age 65 or over.


title: Starkville, Mississippi

text: Starkville has more than 80 places of worship, which serve most religious traditions. Faculty, staff and students at Mississippi State University, including those from other nations, have greatly increased the city's diversity. As of October 2007, approximately half (49.74%) of the residents of Starkville claim a religious affiliation; most are Christian. Of those claiming affiliation, 41.59% self-identify as Protestant, including 25% Baptist and 11% Methodist. Lower percentages identify as Catholic, Mormon, Hindu and Muslim.


title: Starkville, Mississippi

text: The Cotton District is a neighborhood located in Starkville that was redeveloped as part of the new urbanism movement. It was founded in 1969 by Dan Camp, who was the developer, owner and property manager of much of the area. The architecture of the Cotton District has historical elements and scale, with Greek Revival mixed with Classical or Victorian. It is a compact, walkable neighborhood that contains many restaurants and bars, in addition to thousands of unique residential units.


title: Starkville, Mississippi

text: The Starkville-Oktibbeha County Public Library System is headquartered at its main branch in Downtown Starkville. In addition to the local public library, the Mississippi State University Library has the largest collection in Mississippi. The Mississippi State Mitchell Memorial Library also hosts the Ulysses S. Grant Presidential Library and the Frank and Virginia Williams Collection of Lincolniana.


title: Starkville, Mississippi

text: Executive and legislative authority in the city of Starkville is respectively vested in a mayor and seven-member board of aldermen concurrently elected to four-year terms. Since 2017 the mayor has been Lynn Spruill, a Democrat and the first female mayor elected in Starkville's history. Starkville has a strong-mayor government, with the mayor having the power to appoint city officials and veto decisions by the board of aldermen.


title: Starkville, Mississippi

text: Starkville is split between Mississippi House districts 38 and 43, currently represented by Democrat Cheikh Taylor and Republican Rob Roberson. The city is similarly split between Mississippi Senate districts 15 and 16 represented by Republican Bart Williams and Democrat Angela Turner-Ford. Starkville and Oktibbeha County are in the northern districts of the Mississippi Transportation Commission and Public Service Commission, represented by Republican John Caldwell and Democrat Brandon Presley.


title: Starkville, Mississippi

text: In 1927, the city and the Rosenwald Foundation opened a pair of schools, the Rosenwald School and the Oktibbeha County Training School, later known as Henderson High School, for its African-American residents. In 1970, integration caused the merger of these schools with the white schools.


title: Starkville, Mississippi

text: Until 2015, Starkville and much of the surrounding area was served by the Starkville School District (SSD) while Oktibbeha County was served by Oktibbeha County School District (OCSD). The two districts were realigned following integration in 1970 in a way that placed Starkville and majority-white, relatively affluent areas immediately outside of the city limits into SSD while the remaining portions of Oktibbeha County, which are over 90% Black, were placed into OCSD. As a result of this disparity in the racial demographics of the two districts, Oktibbeha County was placed under a Federal desegregation order. Previous attempts to consolidate the two districts during the 1990s and in 2010 had been unsuccessful, but following an act of the Mississippi Legislature the two were consolidated in 2015. Contrary to predictions, the public schools experienced an inflow of students from private schools when the predominantly white Starkville School district merged with the predominantly black Oktibbeha schools.


title: Starkville, Mississippi

text: The following schools of the Starkville Oktibbeha Consolidated School District are located in Starkville:


title: Starkville, Mississippi

text: In 2015 it was announced that SOCSD and Mississippi State University would cooperate in establishing a partnership school. The school will be for all grade 6 and 7 students in Oktibbeha County and will be located on the Mississippi State University campus. The school will serve as an instructional site for students and faculty of Mississippi State University's College of Education, and as a one-of-a-kind rural education research center. Construction on the partnership school began in spring 2017. The school opened in August 2020.


title: Starkville, Mississippi

text: Prior to integration, African-American students in Starkville attended the historic Henderson High School. The school was later re-purposed as Starkville School District's junior high school and is now an elementary school.


title: Starkville, Mississippi

text: Starkville Academy has been described as a segregation academy. Despite fears that the consolidation of the Starkville and Oktibbeha County school districts in 2015 would lead to additional White flight to private schools, district consolidation actually resulted in decreased enrollment at area private schools as more white parents living in Oktibbeha County opted to enroll their children in the consolidated district.


title: Starkville, Mississippi

text: Mississippi State University is partially in the Starkville city limits, and partially in the Mississippi State census-designated place.


title: Starkville, Mississippi

text: East Mississippi Community College is the designated community college for the county, but does not operate facilities in it.


title: Starkville, Mississippi

text: Pilot Charles Lindbergh, the first to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean, made a successful landing on the outskirts of Starkville in 1927 during his Guggenheim Tour. He stayed overnight at a boarding house in the Maben community. Lindbergh later wrote about that landing in his autobiographical account of his barnstorming days, titled "WE."


title: Starkville, Mississippi

text: Starkville is one of several places in the United States that claims to have created Tee Ball. Tee Ball was popularized in Starkville in 1961 by W.W. Littlejohn and Dr. Clyde Muse, members of the Starkville Rotarians.


title: Starkville, Mississippi

text: Johnny Cash was arrested for public drunkenness (though he described it as being picked up for picking flowers) in Starkville and held overnight at the city jail on May 11, 1965. This inspired his song "Starkville City Jail":


title: Starkville, Mississippi

text: From November 2 to 4, 2007, the Johnny Cash Flower Pickin' Festival was held in Starkville. At the festival, Cash was offered a symbolic posthumous pardon by the city. They honored Cash's life and music, and the festival was expected to become an annual event. The festival was started by Robbie Ward, who said: "Johnny Cash was arrested in seven places, but he only wrote a song about one of those places."


title: Starkville, Mississippi

text: In 2021, a Mississippi Country Music Trail marker honoring Cash was installed in Starkville near the Oktibbeha County Jail.


title: Starkville, Mississippi

text: In 2014, Gordon Ramsay visited the Hotel Chester in his series Hotel Hell in a successful attempt to help the struggling hotel remain in business.


title: Out for Justice

text: Out for Justice is a 1991 American neo-noir action film directed by John Flynn, and produced by and starring Steven Seagal. He plays Gino, a veteran police detective who sets out to avenge his partner Bobby's murder by killing Richie, the trigger-happy, drug-addicted mafioso culprit.


title: Out for Justice

text: Gino Felino is an NYPD detective from Dyker Heights, Brooklyn, who has strong ties within his neighborhood. Gino and his partner Bobby Lupo wait to bust up a multimillion-dollar drug deal, but Gino sees a pimp violently assaulting one of his girls and intervenes. Shortly afterward, Richie Madano murders Bobby in broad daylight in front of his wife, Laurie, and his two children.


title: Out for Justice

text: Richie is a crack addict who grew up with Gino and Bobby. He has become psychotic and homicidal due to rage and drug use, and seems not to care about the consequences of his actions. Richie then murders a woman at a traffic stop because she abruptly tells him to move his car. He heads off into Brooklyn alongside his goons, who are horrified by what he does, but continue to work alongside him.


title: Out for Justice

text: Gino knows that Richie is not going to leave the neighborhood. Ronnie Donziger, his captain, gives him the clearance for a manhunt and provides him with a shotgun and an unmarked car. Gino visits his mob connection Frankie and his boss Don Vittorio, and he tells them he will not get out of the way of their own plans to take out Richie, whom they view as a loose cannon. While driving, Gino sees a fellow driver discard something moving from his car. Upon investigating, Gino rescues an abandoned German Shepherd puppy.


title: Out for Justice

text: Gino starts the hunt for Richie at a bar run by Richie's brother Vinnie Madano. Vinnie and his friends all refuse to provide information, so Gino beats up a number of them. He still does not find out where Richie is, but his concern about getting an attitude problem has been taken care of. Gino attempts to get Richie out of hiding by arresting his sister Pattie and by talking to his estranged, elderly father.


title: Out for Justice

text: Afterwards, Gino and his wife, Vicky, who are in the middle of a divorce, decide not to get one and reconcile, but they, along with their son, Tony, are attacked by Richie's men when they storm into their apartment. Gino kills them all and saves his wife and son. Richie later comes back to the bar and beats up Vinnie for not killing Gino when the situation was one cop against a bar full of armed men. He also has information leaked to the mob that he is at the bar, then emerges from hiding and ambushes the mob's hitmen in a shoot-out.


title: Out for Justice

text: After visiting a number of local hangouts and establishments trying to find information, Gino discovers Richie killed Bobby because Bobby was having an affair with two women – Richie's girlfriend, Roxanne Ford, and a waitress named Terry Malloy. When Gino goes to Roxanne's home, he finds she is dead. Gino believes that Richie killed Roxanne before he killed Bobby. Gino goes to Laurie's house and tells the widow what is going on. In Laurie's purse, Gino finds the picture that Richie dropped on Bobby's body after killing him. Bobby turns out to have been a corrupt cop who had wanted a money-making lifestyle like Richie's, and Laurie knew Bobby was corrupt. Laurie had found a picture of Bobby and Roxanne having sex. She had given Richie the picture out of jealousy, never expecting Richie to kill Bobby for sleeping with Roxanne. Laurie took the picture away from where Richie dropped it on Bobby because she wanted to protect her husband's reputation.


title: Out for Justice

text: Following a tip from his local snitch Picolino, Gino eventually finds Richie in a house in the old neighborhood having a party. Gino kills or wounds all of Richie's men. Gino then finds Richie and fights him hand-to-hand. After beating Richie senseless, Gino finally kills him by stabbing him in the forehead with a corkscrew. The mobsters arrive soon after, also intent on killing Richie. Gino uses the lead mobster's gun to shoot the already-dead Richie several times, then tells him to return to his boss and take credit for Richie's death.


title: Out for Justice

text: Gino and his wife adopt the puppy as a family pet, naming him Coraggio (Italian for courage or bravery). While out walking, they encounter the same man who abandoned the puppy earlier, and Gino confronts him. When the man attacks him, Gino defends himself, knocking the man down. Gino and his wife laugh as the puppy urinates on the man's head.


title: Out for Justice

text: John Flynn later claimed the original title was "The Price of Our Blood", "meaning Mafia blood. That was the title that Steven and I wanted, but Warner Bros. said no. It had to be a three-word title like the other Steven Seagal films ("Above the Law", "Hard to Kill", and "Marked for Death")."


title: Out for Justice

text: The movie was originally much longer and included more plot and characters. Steven Seagal cut some of William Forsythe's scenes because he felt that Forsythe was upstaging him. Also, Warner Bros. brought in editor Michael Eliot to re-edit the original cut of the movie so that it would be shorter and more profitable at the box office. Eliot did the same job on a few other Warner Bros. movies - Wes Craven's sci-fi horror "Deadly Friend" (1986) and Mark L. Lester's action movie "Showdown in Little Tokyo" (1991). Some scenes were deleted and some others were cut for pacing, so two montage scenes with no dialogue are in the movie. Re-editing also caused some minor continuity mistakes. The theatrical trailer shows two deleted scenes: Richie shooting inside a clothing store from which he took a new shirt (in his first few scenes, he is wearing one shirt, then all of a sudden he is wearing another shirt for the rest of the movie), and a scene where the police captain tells Gino that body count is going up. Some TV versions of the movie included two deleted scenes: Richie stealing the new shirt from store because his got blood on it (also seen in trailer), and Richie and his guys breaking into the house where Gino's wife is and trying to find her, but leaving when some neighbors show up.


title: Out for Justice

text: I really liked working with Bill Forsythe and Jerry Orbach and all those guys in the car who played the killers. But I didn't get along with Steven. He was always about an hour late for work and caused a lot of delays. We shot until October 31, 1990, because an IATSE strike was threatened. (International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, Moving Picture Technicians, Artists and Allied Crafts - Ed.) Warner Bros. told us we had to be on a plane by November 1. So we shot for about a month in Brooklyn. The rest of "Out for Justice" was shot in and around south Los Angeles. We filmed those scenes on Lacy Street, in a slummy area of old wooden buildings that could pass for Brooklyn.


title: Out for Justice

text: While on the production set, Seagal possibly claimed that due to his aikido training, he was "immune" to being choked unconscious. At some point. Gene LeBell (who was a stunt coordinator for the movie) heard about the claim, and may have given Seagal the opportunity to prove it. He supposedly placed his arms around Seagal's neck, and once Seagal said "go", choked him into unconsciousness, urination and defecation. After refusing to comment for many years, LeBell circumspectly referred to the story in 2012 when questioned on the matter in an interview; some outlets chose to consider this confirmation of the story, despite LeBell refusing to directly comment.


title: Out for Justice

text: "Out for Justice" debuted at number one for the U.S. box office, the third straight Seagal movie to do so. It eventually grossed $40 million, about a third less than his prior movie, "Marked for Death".


title: Out for Justice

text: The movie received generally negative reviews. It was originally rated NC-17 for its brutal and graphic violence. Several cuts were made for the film's release overseas. In the United Kingdom in particular, several of the gruesome action scenes were trimmed for the video release, cutting the duration by 54 seconds. It was later released uncut for DVD.


title: Out for Justice

text: On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 23% based on reviews from 22 critics. On Metacritic, the film has a score of 38 out of 100 based on reviews from 12 critics.


title: Barbara Mikulski

text: Barbara Ann Mikulski ( ; born July 20, 1936) is an American politician and social worker who served as a United States senator from Maryland from 1987 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, she also served in the United States House of Representatives from 1977 to 1987. Mikulski is the longest-serving woman in the history of the United States Congress, the second-longest-serving female United States Senator, and the longest-serving U.S. Senator in Maryland history.


title: Barbara Mikulski

text: Raised in the Fell's Point neighborhood of East Baltimore, Mikulski attended Mount Saint Agnes College and the University of Maryland School of Social Work. Originally a social worker and community organizer, she was elected to the Baltimore City Council in 1971 after delivering a highly publicized address on the "ethnic movement" in America. She was elected to the House of Representatives in 1976, and in 1986, she became the first woman elected to the United States Senate from Maryland.


title: Barbara Mikulski

text: From the death of Senator Daniel Inouye in December 2012 until 2015, Mikulski chaired the Senate Appropriations Committee. She was the first woman and first Marylander to hold the position. At her retirement, she was the ranking minority member of the committee. She also served on the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee and the Select Committee on Intelligence.


title: Barbara Mikulski

text: On March 2, 2015, Mikulski announced that she would retire after five terms in the Senate and would not seek reelection in 2016. In January 2017, Mikulski joined Johns Hopkins University as a professor of public policy and advisor to University President Ronald J. Daniels.


title: Barbara Mikulski

text: Mikulski was born and raised in the Fell's Point neighborhood of East Baltimore, the eldest of the three daughters of Christine Eleanor ("née" Kutz) and William Mikulski. Her parents were both of Polish descent; her immigrant great-grandparents had owned a bakery in Baltimore. During her high school years at the Institute of Notre Dame, she worked in her parents' grocery store, delivering groceries to elderly neighbors who were unable to leave their homes.


title: Barbara Mikulski

text: After graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from Mount Saint Agnes College (now a part of Loyola University Maryland) in 1958, she obtained her master's degree in social work (MSW) from the University of Maryland School of Social Work in 1965. She worked as a social worker for Catholic charities and Baltimore's Department of Social Services, helping at-risk children and educating seniors about the Medicare program. Mikulski became an activist social worker when she heard about plans to build Interstate 95 through Baltimore's Fells Point and Canton neighborhoods. She helped organize communities on both sides of the city and successfully fought to stop the construction of the road. Her efforts to prevent the highway from running through Southeast Baltimore also resulted in the establishment of the Southeast Community Organization, a non-profit which worked to improve Baltimore neighborhoods.


title: Barbara Mikulski

text: Mikulski first received national attention in 1970 because of her remarks at a conference at The Catholic University of America regarding "Ethnic Americans" convened by Msgr. Geno Baroni. Her message became one of the major documents of the "ethnic movement". Mikulski's remarks included the following:


title: Barbara Mikulski

text: Mikulski's activism led to a seat on the Baltimore City Council in 1971. In 1973 incoming Chairperson of the Democratic National Committee Robert S. Strauss appointed then Baltimore City Councilperson Mikulski to chair the Democratic Party Commission on New Delegate Selection and Party Structure. She was instrumental in solidifying democratizing reforms to the national delegate selection process.


title: Barbara Mikulski

text: In 1976, Paul Sarbanes gave up his seat in Maryland's 3rd congressional district to make a successful run for the Senate. Mikulski won a crowded seven-way Democratic primary—the key election given a heavily Democratic district—and won easily in the November elections. She was reelected four more times, never facing substantive opposition.


title: Barbara Mikulski

text: Mikulski first ran for the U.S. Senate in 1974, winning the Democratic nomination to face Republican incumbent Charles Mathias. Although well known to residents in her city, Mikulski had limited name recognition in the rest of the state.


title: Barbara Mikulski

text: As an advocate for campaign finance reform, Mathias refused to accept any contribution over $100 to "avoid the curse of big money that has led to so much trouble ". However, he still managed to raise over $250,000, nearly five times Mikulski's total. Ideologically, Mikulski and Mathias agreed on many issues, such as closing tax loopholes and easing taxes on the middle class. On two issues, however, Mathias argued to reform Congress and the U.S. tax system to address inflation and corporate price fixing, contrary to Mikulski. In retrospect, "The Washington Post" felt the election was "an intelligent discussion of state, national, and foreign affairs by two smart, well-informed people".


title: Barbara Mikulski

text: With Maryland voters, Mathias benefited from his frequent disagreements with the Nixon administration and his liberal voting record. On November 5, 1974, he was re-elected by a 57% to 43% margin, though he lost badly in Baltimore City and Baltimore County, where Mikulski was popular. This election is the only election that Mikulski has ever lost.


title: Barbara Mikulski

text: Mathias announced his retirement before the 1986 elections. At the time of this announcement, it was expected that then-Governor Harry Hughes would be the favorite to succeed Mathias. However, Hughes became caught up in the aftermath of the Maryland savings and loan crisis. He lost popularity with voters, opening the door for Mikulski's bid for the Senate. The Republican nominee was Linda Chavez, who left her post as Assistant to the President for Public Liaison in an attempt to win the seat. The election was the second time in modern U.S. history that two women faced each other in a statewide general election. The race was covered by national media, with observers noting that Chavez was very unlikely to win.


title: Barbara Mikulski

text: In the campaign, Chavez attacked Mikulski, a lifelong Baltimore resident, as a "San Francisco-style, George McGovern, liberal Democrat". Chavez was accused of making Mikulski's sexual orientation a central issue of the political campaign. Chavez wrote that the term referred to Jeane Kirkpatrick's 1984 Republican National Convention "Blame America First" speech, in which she coined the phrase "San Francisco Liberal" in reference to the Democratic National Convention in San Francisco. Using political advertisements and press conferences, Chavez attacked Mikulski's former aide Teresa Brennan as "anti-male" and a "radical feminist", implying that Brennan and Mikulski were radical lesbians and that "fascist feminism" was Mikulski's political philosophy. Brennan had not been part of Mikulski's staff for five years, but Chavez implied Brennan was still working on Mikulski's campaign. Mikulski did not respond in kind to the attacks. She defeated Chavez with 61% of the vote. She also served alongside Paul Sarbanes, the man she'd succeeded in the House.


title: Barbara Mikulski

text: Mikulski, popularly known as "Senator Barb", was re-elected with large majorities in 1992, 1998, 2004, and 2010. Having won re-election in 2010, she has surpassed Margaret Chase Smith as the longest-serving female senator. ABC News named Mikulski its "Person of the Week" for that milestone. On March 17, 2012, she became the longest-serving female member of Congress in the history of the United States, surpassing the previous record-holder, Rep. Edith Nourse Rogers of Massachusetts, who served from 1925 to 1960.


title: Barbara Mikulski

text: In September 2009, the "tell-all" book "The Clinton Tapes" revealed that during the 2000 presidential election, President Bill Clinton suggested Mikulski as a running mate for Al Gore, who instead chose his colleague Joe Lieberman. In 2007, Mikulski endorsed her colleague, Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY), for President of the United States, praising her as a leader and citing her desire to break the "glass ceiling" by electing the first woman president. Senator Mikulski nominated Hillary Clinton for President of the United States at the Democratic National Convention on July 26, 2016.


title: Barbara Mikulski

text: From 2007 to 2017, Mikulski served alongside Ben Cardin, who succeeded her in the 3rd District and held it for 20 years until succeeding Sarbanes in the Senate.


title: Barbara Mikulski

text: On June 3, 2013, Mikulski introduced the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 2013 (S. 1086; 113th Congress), which passed in the Senate. The bill would reauthorize the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 1990 to provide block grants to the states to help low-income parents find child care for their children. In addition to reauthorizing the program, it also makes amendments to the law to try to improve it. Some of those improvements include required background checks on grant recipients and annual inspections. Mikulski argued that "this bill ensures that all children get the care they need and deserve."


title: Barbara Mikulski

text: On April 1, 2014, Mikulski introduced the Paycheck Fairness Act (S. 2199; 113th Congress), a measure that aims to strengthen the Fair Labor Standards Act's protections against pay inequalities based on gender. It is a bill that "punishes employers for retaliating against workers who share wage information, puts the justification burden on employers as to why someone is paid less and allows workers to sue for punitive damages of wage discrimination". Mikulski said that "it brings tears to my eyes to know women are working so hard and being paid less" and that "it makes me emotional when I hear that... I get angry, I get outraged and I get volcanic".


title: Barbara Mikulski

text: In the 114th Congress, Mikulski served on the following Senate committees (standing committees in bold):


title: Barbara Mikulski

text: Women were not allowed to wear pants on the U.S. Senate floor until 1993. In 1993, Senators Mikulski and Carol Moseley Braun wore pants onto the floor in defiance of the rule, and female support staff followed soon after, with the rule being amended later that year by Senate Sergeant-at-Arms Martha Pope to allow women to wear pants on the floor so long as they also wore a jacket.


title: Barbara Mikulski

text: Mikulski was one of 11 senators to vote against both the 1991 and 2002 resolutions authorizing the use of force in Iraq.


title: Barbara Mikulski

text: Mikulski has opposed predatory lending, and has been an outspoken opponent of Fairbanks Capital (now Select Portfolio Servicing), alleged to have illegally foreclosed on over 100 homes in Maryland.


title: Barbara Mikulski

text: Mikulski has been an outspoken advocate for the Equal Rights Amendment. She has also spoken in support of abortion rights and has stated she does not view the opposition to this issue as misogynistic.


title: Barbara Mikulski

text: On October 1, 2008, Mikulski voted in favor of HR1424, the Senate version of the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008, which provided a $700 billion bailout to the United States financial market.


title: Barbara Mikulski

text: In 1979, the Supersisters trading card set was produced and distributed; one of the cards featured Mikulski's name and picture.


title: Barbara Mikulski

text: The NASA-funded Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) in Baltimore named one of the world's largest astronomy databases after Mikulski (Barbara A. Mikulski Archive for Space Telescopes), as she was a long time champion of the Hubble and James Webb space telescopes.


title: Barbara Mikulski

text: In 2012, when NASA discovered an exploding star, they named it "Supernova Mikulski" in her honor. Also in 2012, Mikulski was presented the Harriet Ross Tubman Lifetime Achievement Award by the Maryland African American Tourism Council.


title: Barbara Mikulski

text: On August 22, 2013 the President of Poland Bronisław Komorowski honored Mikulski with a Commander's Cross with Star of the Order of Polonia Restituta for "outstanding achievements in the development of Polish-American cooperation and activity for Poles living in the United States".


title: Barbara Mikulski

text: In November 2015, Mikulski was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama at a ceremony in the White House.


title: Barbara Mikulski

text: In 2020, the Senator Barbara A. Mikulski Room, with mementos and Mikulski’s Presidential Medal of Freedom, was opened in the Enoch Pratt Free Library.


title: Barbara Mikulski

text: On June 8, 2022, a room in the United States Capitol was named after Mikulski. It is the Barbara Mikulski room, S-115, located on the first floor of the side of the Capitol where the Senate is. It is one of the first two rooms in the Capitol to be named after women who were senators, the other being the Margaret Chase Smith room, which was named on the same day.


title: Underwater diving

text: Underwater diving, as a human activity, is the practice of descending below the water's surface to interact with the environment. It is also often referred to as diving, an ambiguous term with several possible meanings, depending on context.


title: Underwater diving

text: Immersion in water and exposure to high ambient pressure have physiological effects that limit the depths and duration possible in ambient pressure diving. Humans are not physiologically and anatomically well-adapted to the environmental conditions of diving, and various equipment has been developed to extend the depth and duration of human dives, and allow different types of work to be done.


title: Underwater diving

text: In ambient pressure diving, the diver is directly exposed to the pressure of the surrounding water. The ambient pressure diver may dive on breath-hold (freediving) or use breathing apparatus for scuba diving or surface-supplied diving, and the saturation diving technique reduces the risk of decompression sickness (DCS) after long-duration deep dives. Atmospheric diving suits (ADS) may be used to isolate the diver from high ambient pressure. Crewed submersibles can extend depth range, and remotely controlled or robotic machines can reduce risk to humans.


title: Underwater diving

text: The environment exposes the diver to a wide range of hazards, and though the risks are largely controlled by appropriate diving skills, training, types of equipment and breathing gases used depending on the mode, depth and purpose of diving, it remains a relatively dangerous activity. Professional diving is usually regulated by occupational health and safety legislation, while recreational diving may be entirely unregulated.


title: Underwater diving

text: Diving activities are restricted to maximum depths of about for recreational scuba diving, for commercial saturation diving, and wearing atmospheric suits. Diving is also restricted to conditions which are not excessively hazardous, though the level of risk acceptable can vary, and fatal incidents may occur.


title: Underwater diving

text: Recreational diving (sometimes called sport diving or subaquatics) is a popular leisure activity. Technical diving is a form of recreational diving under more challenging conditions. Professional diving (commercial diving, diving for research purposes, or for financial gain) involves working underwater. Public safety diving is the underwater work done by law enforcement, fire rescue, and underwater search and recovery dive teams. Military diving includes combat diving, clearance diving and ships husbandry.


title: Underwater diving

text: "Deep sea diving" is underwater diving, usually with surface-supplied equipment, and often refers to the use of standard diving dress with the traditional copper helmet. "Hard hat" diving is any form of diving with a helmet, including the standard copper helmet, and other forms of free-flow and lightweight demand helmets.


title: Underwater diving

text: The history of breath-hold diving goes back at least to classical times, and there is evidence of prehistoric hunting and gathering of seafoods that may have involved underwater swimming. Technical advances allowing the provision of breathing gas to a diver underwater at ambient pressure are recent, and self-contained breathing systems developed at an accelerated rate following the Second World War.


title: Underwater diving

text: Immersion in water and exposure to cold water and high pressure have physiological effects on the diver which limit the depths and duration possible in ambient pressure diving. Breath-hold endurance is a severe limitation, and breathing at high ambient pressure adds further complications, both directly and indirectly. Technological solutions have been developed which can greatly extend depth and duration of human ambient pressure dives, and allow useful work to be done underwater.


title: Underwater diving

text: Immersion of the human body in water affects the circulation, renal system, fluid balance, and breathing, because the external hydrostatic pressure of the water provides support against the internal hydrostatic pressure of the blood. This causes a blood shift from the extravascular tissues of the limbs into the chest cavity, and fluid losses known as immersion diuresis compensate for the blood shift in hydrated subjects soon after immersion. Hydrostatic pressure on the body from head-out immersion causes negative pressure breathing which contributes to the blood shift.


title: Underwater diving

text: The blood shift causes an increased respiratory and cardiac workload. Stroke volume is not greatly affected by immersion or variation in ambient pressure, but slowed heartbeat reduces the overall cardiac output, particularly because of the diving reflex in breath-hold diving. Lung volume decreases in the upright position, owing to cranial displacement of the abdomen from hydrostatic pressure, and resistance to air flow in the airways increases because of the decrease in lung volume. There appears to be a connection between pulmonary edema and increased pulmonary blood flow and pressure, which results in capillary engorgement. This may occur during higher intensity exercise while immersed or submerged.


title: Underwater diving

text: The diving reflex is a response to immersion that overrides the basic homeostatic reflexes. It optimises respiration by preferentially distributing oxygen stores to the heart and brain, which allows extended periods underwater. It is exhibited strongly in aquatic mammals (seals, otters, dolphins and muskrats), and also exists in other mammals, including humans. Diving birds, such as penguins, have a similar diving reflex. The diving reflex is triggered by chilling the face and holding the breath. The cardiovascular system constricts peripheral blood vessels, slows the pulse rate, redirects blood to the vital organs to conserve oxygen, releases red blood cells stored in the spleen, and, in humans, causes heart rhythm irregularities. Aquatic mammals have evolved physiological adaptations to conserve oxygen during submersion, but apnea, slowed pulse rate, and vasoconstriction are shared with terrestrial mammals.


title: Underwater diving

text: Cold shock response is the physiological response of organisms to sudden cold, especially cold water, and is a common cause of death from immersion in very cold water, such as by falling through thin ice. The immediate shock of the cold causes involuntary inhalation, which if underwater can result in drowning. The cold water can also cause heart attack due to vasoconstriction; the heart has to work harder to pump the same volume of blood throughout the body, and for people with heart disease, this additional workload can cause the heart to go into arrest. A person who survives the initial minute after falling into cold water can survive for at least thirty minutes provided they do not drown. The ability to stay afloat declines substantially after about ten minutes as the chilled muscles lose strength and co-ordination.


title: Underwater diving

text: Hypothermia is reduced body temperature that happens when a body loses more heat than it generates. Hypothermia is a major limitation to swimming or diving in cold water. The reduction in finger dexterity due to pain or numbness decreases general safety and work capacity, which in turn increases the risk of other injuries. Body heat is lost much more quickly in water than in air, so water temperatures that would be tolerable as outdoor air temperatures can lead to hypothermia, which may lead to death from other causes in inadequately protected divers.


title: Underwater diving

text: Breath-hold diving by an air-breathing animal is limited to the physiological capacity to perform the dive on the oxygen available until it returns to a source of fresh breathing gas, usually the air at the surface. As this internal oxygen supply reduces, the animal experiences an increasing urge to breathe caused by buildup of carbon dioxide and lactate in the blood, followed by loss of consciousness due to cerebral hypoxia. If this occurs underwater, it will drown.


title: Underwater diving

text: Blackouts in freediving can occur when the breath is held long enough for metabolic activity to reduce the oxygen partial pressure sufficiently to cause loss of consciousness. This is accelerated by exertion, which uses oxygen faster, and can be exacerbated by hyperventilation directly before the dive, which reduces the carbon dioxide level in the blood. Lower carbon dioxide levels increase the oxygen-haemoglobin affinity, reducing availability of oxygen to brain tissue towards the end of the dive (Bohr effect); they also suppress the urge to breathe, making it easier to hold the breath to the point of blackout. This can happen at any depth.


title: Underwater diving

text: Ascent-induced hypoxia is caused by a drop in oxygen partial pressure as ambient pressure is reduced. The partial pressure of oxygen at depth may be sufficient to maintain consciousness at that depth and not at the reduced pressures nearer the surface.


title: Underwater diving

text: Barotrauma, an example of dysbarism, is physical damage to body tissues caused by a difference in pressure between a gas space inside, or in contact with the body, and the surrounding gas or fluid. It typically occurs when the organism is exposed to a large change in ambient pressure, such as when a diver ascends or descends. When diving, the pressure differences which cause the barotrauma are changes in hydrostatic pressure.


title: Underwater diving

text: The initial damage is usually due to over-stretching the tissues in tension or shear, either directly by expansion of the gas in the closed space, or by pressure difference hydrostatically transmitted through the tissue.


title: Underwater diving

text: Barotrauma generally manifests as sinus or middle ear effects, decompression sickness, lung over-expansion injuries, and injuries resulting from external squeezes. Barotraumas of descent are caused by preventing the free change of volume of the gas in a closed space in contact with the diver, resulting in a pressure difference between the tissues and the gas space, and the unbalanced force due to this pressure difference causes deformation of the tissues resulting in cell rupture. Barotraumas of ascent are also caused when the free change of volume of the gas in a closed space in contact with the diver is prevented. In this case the pressure difference causes a resultant tension in the surrounding tissues which exceeds their tensile strength. Besides tissue rupture, the overpressure may cause ingress of gases into the adjoining tissues and further afield by bubble transport through the circulatory system. This can cause blockage of circulation at distant sites, or interfere with the normal function of an organ by its presence.


title: Underwater diving

text: Provision of breathing gas at ambient pressure can greatly prolong the duration of a dive, but there are other problems that may result from this technological solution. Absorption of metabolically inert gases is increased as a function of time and pressure, and these may both produce undesirable effects immediately, as a consequence of their presence in the tissues in the dissolved state, such as nitrogen narcosis and high pressure nervous syndrome, or cause problems when coming out of solution within the tissues during decompression.


title: Underwater diving

text: Other problems arise when the concentration of metabolically active gases is increased. These range from the toxic effects of oxygen at high partial pressure, through buildup of carbon dioxide due to excessive work of breathing, increased dead space, or inefficient removal, to the exacerbation of the toxic effects of contaminants in the breathing gas due to the increased concentration at high pressures. Hydrostatic pressure differences between the interior of the lung and the breathing gas delivery, increased breathing gas density due to ambient pressure, and increased flow resistance due to higher breathing rates may all cause increased work of breathing, fatigue of the respiratory muscles, and a physiological limit to effective ventilation.


title: Underwater diving

text: Underwater vision is affected by the clarity and the refractive index of the medium. Visibility underwater is reduced because light passing through water attenuates rapidly with distance, leading to lower levels of natural illumination. Underwater objects are also blurred by scattering of light between the object and the viewer, resulting in lower contrast. These effects vary with the wavelength of the light, and the colour and turbidity of the water. The human eye is optimised for air vision, and when it is immersed in direct contact with water, visual acuity is adversely affected by the difference in refractive index between water and air. Provision of an airspace between the cornea and the water can compensate, but causes scale and distance distortion. Artificial illumination can improve visibility at short range. Stereoscopic acuity, the ability to judge relative distances of different objects, is considerably reduced underwater, and this is affected by the field of vision. A narrow field of vision caused by a small viewport in a helmet results in greatly reduced stereoacuity, and an apparent movement of a stationary object when the head is moved. These effects lead to poorer hand-eye coordination.


title: Underwater diving

text: Water has different acoustic properties from those of air. Sound from an underwater source can propagate relatively freely through body tissues where there is contact with the water as the acoustic properties are similar. When the head is exposed to the water, some sound is transmitted by the eardrum and middle ear, but a significant part reaches the cochlea independently, by bone conduction. Some sound localisation is possible, though difficult. Human hearing underwater, in cases where the diver's ear is wet, is less sensitive than in air. Frequency sensitivity underwater also differs from that in air, with a consistently higher threshold of hearing underwater; sensitivity to higher frequency sounds is reduced the most. The type of headgear affects noise sensitivity and noise hazard depending on whether transmission is wet or dry. Human hearing underwater is less sensitive with wet ears than in air, and a neoprene hood causes substantial attenuation. When wearing a helmet, hearing sensitivity is similar to that in surface air, as it is not greatly affected by the breathing gas or chamber atmosphere composition or pressure. Because sound travels faster in heliox than in air, voice formants are raised, making divers' speech high-pitched and distorted, and hard to understand for people not used to it. The increased density of breathing gases under pressure has a similar and additive effect.


title: Underwater diving

text: Tactile sensory perception in divers may be impaired by the environmental protection suit and low temperatures. The combination of instability, equipment, neutral buoyancy and resistance to movement by the inertial and viscous effects of the water encumbers the diver. Cold causes losses in sensory and motor function and distracts from and disrupts cognitive activity. The ability to exert large and precise force is reduced.


title: Underwater diving

text: Balance and equilibrium depend on vestibular function and secondary input from visual, organic, cutaneous, kinesthetic and sometimes auditory senses which are processed by the central nervous system to provide the sense of balance. Underwater, some of these inputs may be absent or diminished, making the remaining cues more important. Conflicting input may result in vertigo, disorientation and motion sickness. The vestibular sense is essential in these conditions for rapid, intricate and accurate movement. Proprioceptive perception makes the diver aware of personal position and movement, in association with the vestibular and visual input, and allows the diver to function effectively in maintaining physical equilibrium and balance in the water. In the water at neutral buoyancy, the proprioceptive cues of position are reduced or absent. This effect may be exacerbated by the diver's suit and other equipment.


title: Underwater diving

text: Taste and smell are not very important to the diver in the water but more important to the saturation diver while in accommodation chambers. There is evidence of a slight decrease in threshold for taste and smell after extended periods under pressure.


title: Underwater diving

text: There are several modes of diving distinguished largely by the breathing gas supply system used, and whether the diver is exposed to the ambient pressure. The diving equipment and support equipment are largely determined by the mode.


title: Underwater diving

text: The ability to dive and swim underwater while holding one's breath is considered a useful emergency skill, an important part of water sport and Navy safety training, and an enjoyable leisure activity. Underwater diving without breathing apparatus can be categorised as underwater swimming, snorkelling and freediving. These categories overlap considerably. Several competitive underwater sports are practised without breathing apparatus.


title: Underwater diving

text: Freediving precludes the use of external breathing devices, and relies on the ability of divers to hold their breath until resurfacing. The technique ranges from simple breath-hold diving to competitive apnea dives. Fins and a diving mask are often used in free diving to improve vision and provide more efficient propulsion. A short breathing tube called a snorkel allows the diver to breathe at the surface while the face is immersed. Snorkelling on the surface with no intention of diving is a popular water sport and recreational activity.


title: Underwater diving

text: Scuba diving is diving with a self-contained underwater breathing apparatus, which is completely independent of surface supply. Scuba gives the diver mobility and horizontal range far beyond the reach of an umbilical hose attached to surface-supplied diving equipment (SSDE).


title: Underwater diving

text: Scuba divers engaged in armed forces covert operations may be referred to as frogmen, combat divers or attack swimmers.


title: Underwater diving

text: Open circuit scuba systems discharge the breathing gas into the environment as it is exhaled, and consist of one or more diving cylinders containing breathing gas at high pressure which is supplied to the diver through a diving regulator. They may include additional cylinders for decompression gas or emergency breathing gas.


title: Underwater diving

text: Closed-circuit or semi-closed circuit rebreather scuba systems allow recycling of exhaled gases. The volume of gas used is reduced compared to that of open circuit, so a smaller cylinder or cylinders may be used for an equivalent dive duration. They greatly extend the time spent underwater as compared to open circuit for the same gas consumption. Rebreathers produce fewer bubbles and less noise than scuba which makes them attractive to covert military divers to avoid detection, scientific divers to avoid disturbing marine animals, and media divers to avoid bubble interference.


title: Underwater diving

text: A scuba diver moves underwater primarily by using fins attached to the feet; external propulsion can be provided by a diver propulsion vehicle, or a towboard pulled from the surface. Other equipment includes a diving mask to improve underwater vision, a protective diving suit, equipment to control buoyancy, and equipment related to the specific circumstances and purpose of the dive. Scuba divers are trained in the procedures and skills appropriate to their level of certification by instructors affiliated to the diver certification organisations which issue these diver certifications. These include standard operating procedures for using the equipment and dealing with the general hazards of the underwater environment, and emergency procedures for self-help and assistance of a similarly equipped diver experiencing problems. A minimum level of fitness and health is required by most training organisations, and a higher level of fitness may be needed for some applications.


title: Underwater diving

text: An alternative to self-contained breathing systems is to supply breathing gases from the surface through a hose. When combined with a communication cable, a pneumofathometer hose and a safety line it is called the diver's umbilical, which may include a hot water hose for heating, video cable and breathing gas reclaim line. The diver wears a full-face mask or helmet, and gas may be supplied on demand or as a continuous free flow. More basic equipment that uses only an air hose is called an airline or hookah system. This allows the diver to breathe using an air supply hose from a high pressure cylinder or diving air compressor at the surface. Breathing gas is supplied through a mouth-held demand valve or light full-face mask. Airline diving is used for work such as hull cleaning and archaeological surveys, for shellfish harvesting, and as snuba, a shallow water activity typically practised by tourists and those who are not scuba-certified.


title: Underwater diving

text: Saturation diving lets professional divers live and work under pressure for days or weeks at a time. After working in the water, the divers rest and live in a dry pressurised underwater habitat on the bottom or a saturation life support system of pressure chambers on the deck of a diving support vessel, oil platform or other floating platform at a similar pressure to the work depth. They are transferred between the surface accommodation and the underwater workplace in a pressurised closed diving bell. Decompression at the end of the dive may take many days, but since it is done only once for a long period of exposure, rather than after each of many shorter exposures, the overall risk of decompression injury to the diver and the total time spent decompressing are reduced. This type of diving allows greater work efficiency and safety.


title: Underwater diving

text: Commercial divers refer to diving operations where the diver starts and finishes the diving operation at atmospheric pressure as surface oriented, or bounce diving. The diver may be deployed from the shore or a diving support vessel and may be transported on a diving or in a diving bell. Surface-supplied divers almost always wear diving helmets or full-face diving masks. The bottom gas can be air, nitrox, heliox or trimix; the decompression gases may be similar, or may include pure oxygen. Decompression procedures include in-water decompression or surface decompression in a deck chamber.


title: Underwater diving

text: A wet bell with a gas filled dome provides more comfort and control than a stage and allows for longer time in water. Wet bells are used for air and mixed gas, and divers can decompress on oxygen at . Small closed bell systems have been designed that can be easily mobilised, and include a two-man bell, a handling frame and a chamber for decompression after transfer under pressure (TUP). Divers can breathe air or mixed gas at the bottom and are usually recovered with the chamber filled with air. They decompress on oxygen supplied through built in breathing systems (BIBS) towards the end of the decompression. Small bell systems support bounce diving down to and for bottom times up to 2 hours.


title: Underwater diving

text: A relatively portable surface gas supply system using high pressure gas cylinders for both primary and reserve gas, but using the full diver's umbilical system with pneumofathometer and voice communication, is known in the industry as "scuba replacement".