title: 2000 United States census

text: Another issue that concerned gay rights advocates involved the automatic changing of data during the tabulation process. This automatic software data compiling method, called "allocation", was designed to counteract mistakes and discrepancies in returned questionnaires. Forms that were filled out by two same-sex persons who checked the "Husband/wife" relationship box were treated as a discrepancy. The Census Bureau explained that same-sex "Husband/wife" data samples were changed to "unmarried partner" by computer processing methods in 99% of the cases. In the remaining 1%, computer systems used one of two possibilities: a) one of the two listed sexes was changed, making the partnership appear heterosexual, or b) if the two partners were more than 15 years apart in age, they might have been reassigned into a familial parent/child relationship. The process of automatic reassignment of same-sex marriage data was initiated so that the Census Bureau would not contravene the Defense of Marriage Act passed in 1996. The Act states:


title: 2000 United States census

text: With allocation moving married same-sex couples to the unmarried partner category, social scientists lost information that could have been extracted relating to the social stability of a same-gender couple who identify themselves as married.


title: Gears of War: Ultimate Edition

text: Gears of War: Ultimate Edition is a science fiction third-person shooter video game. It is a remastered edition of the 2006 video game "Gears of War", the first installment of the "Gears of War" series. Developed by The Coalition and published by Microsoft Game Studios, "Ultimate Edition" is based on the original game's source code; The Coalition's goal for the project was to accurately preserve the original gameplay experience while updating its visual presentation for a contemporary console generation. "Ultimate Edition" was released for the Xbox One in August 2015 and for Microsoft Windows in March 2016.


title: Gears of War: Ultimate Edition

text: Reviews for the console version of "Gears of War: Ultimate Edition" by video game publications were predominantly positive, whereas the PC version was less positively received due to its technical issues. Praise was directed towards the improved graphics, sound, and the minimal deviations from the original gameplay experience, while criticism focused on AI issues and the dated design of campaign levels.


title: Gears of War: Ultimate Edition

text: "Gears of War: Ultimate Edition" is a remaster of "Gears of War", a 2006 third-person shooter video game developed by Epic Games. The game features remastered graphics, textures, and sound. The game is natively displayed at 1080p or Full HD, and runs at 30 frames per second in the campaign, and 60 frames per second in multiplayer modes. Additional features include mechanics from newer "Gears of War" games, such as spotting and switching weapons while roadie running. Skill-based matchmaking is added for the game's multiplayer modes.


title: Gears of War: Ultimate Edition

text: "Ultimate Edition" has the same plot as the original game, with visual upgrades and some stylistic changes. It adds five single-player chapters, which were exclusive to the PC version of the original game, to the campaign's fifth act. The additional chapters take place before the original Xbox 360 release's Special Delivery chapter, which describe the events of Delta Squad escaping a giant creature called a Brumak between the fourth and fifth acts, culminating in a boss fight with the Brumak. The ending cutscene is also changed to show a glimpse of Myrrah, the Locust Queen; in the original game, only her voice could be heard.


title: Gears of War: Ultimate Edition

text: Following the acquisition of the "Gears of War" intellectual property by Microsoft from Epic Games in early 2014, The Coalition was formed and charged with the continuation and development of the franchise. "Gears of War: Ultimate Edition" was announced during Microsoft's press conference at E3 2015. It was the first "Gears of War" title developed by The Coalition under the leadership of studio head Rod Fergusson.


title: Gears of War: Ultimate Edition

text: The developmental period for "Ultimate Edition" took 18 months in total including pre-production, and included the remastering of over 3,000 art assets, original motion capture, and refinement of the control scheme. During the pre-production stage, the development team had to choose between starting with the original codebase, starting with the most recent iteration of the Unreal Engine 3, or update the entirety into Unreal Engine 4. It was determined that the team ought to maintain a playable build of the game throughout development, and so the best starting point was with the original codebase; from a content perspective, this meant things would already be working on the first day of developmental cycle. As they had limited exposure to the gameplay code, the team worked closely with Epic Games, the original developers, which included making site visits to their office for discussions and meetings. Technical Lead Jaysen Huculak said that the technical inconveniences and lack of efficiency encountered by dealing with the original gameplay scripting on the original engine is offset by the fact they did not have to rebuild everything from scratch and that the final product would be "true to the original".


title: Gears of War: Ultimate Edition

text: As part of their "always playable" design philosophy, the team's budget for the project were set and maintained by monitoring real world performance in the game. The developers' decision to lock in 30 frames per second for the single-player campaign mode and 60 frames per second for multiplayer early in production was by deliberate design as opposed to a solution for technical limitations. Technical director Mike Rayner explained that they wanted to present "Ultimate Edition" as a visual showcase for Xbox One, just as the original game was for Xbox 360, and that it made sense to run the campaign at a consistent 30fps when its visuals are displayed at 1080p, as the results would not be as aesthetically pleasing otherwise.


title: Gears of War: Ultimate Edition

text: Only select elements from the original were retained and unchanged, including voice performances and the score composed by Kevin Riepl. The raw animation data for characters had been kept to preserve the original gameplay experience, while the models themselves were revamped: as an example, the armor and skin ratio on a character model is weighted more appropriately so that the armor did not stretch as much and any objects holstered on a character's belts would display animations during the campaign. During an in-depth interview with "Eurogamer", Huculak noted that all changes and enhancements to the original source code were implemented based on recommendations from their rendering team. Huculak said both the developers and the publisher have a good understanding of how different rendering features would perform on the Xbox One, which allowed the team to start with the original games' features running on Xbox One and, which were then combined with features from more up-to-date versions of the Unreal Engine 3 as well as Unreal Engine 4: the majority of the editor-facing features were drawn from Unreal Engine 3, while the developers also implemented Xbox One specific enhancements like eSRAM management or physically-based shading technology drawn from the Unreal Engine 4. Huculak cited the Unreal Engine lighting solution, codenamed Lightmass, as an example of the technical expertise and knowledge involved with lighting in the developmental process.


title: Gears of War: Ultimate Edition

text: According to the Technical Director of the Windows 10 port, Cam McRae, "Ultimate Edition" was developed with DirectX 12 in mind, which he said had allowed the team "much better control over the CPU load with heavily reduced driver overhead", some of which had been moved to the game where the team could have more control. Their main effort was in "parallelising the rendering system to take advantage of multiple CPU cores", with the "command list creation and D3D resource creation" being the focus, while optimization techniques from Unreal Engine 4 such as pipeline state object caching were pulled in where relevant. In contrast to its console counterpart, the PC version would support higher resolutions and frame rates, by scaling up on higher end hardware and supporting displays in 4K resolution. McRae said they intended to uncap the frame rate for the PC port and implement a built-in benchmark mode.


title: Gears of War: Ultimate Edition

text: A promotional trailer released for "Gears of War: Ultimate Edition" paid homage to the original 2006 television advertisement, using the same cover by Gary Jules of the Tears for Fears song "Mad World". It was released worldwide for the Xbox One in North America and Asian-Pacific countries on August 25, 2015, and in Europe on August 28. Players who purchased the "Ultimate Edition" received early access to the multiplayer beta of "Gears of War 4", which was released on April 18, 2016. It was subsequently released for Microsoft Windows on March 1, 2016.


title: Gears of War: Ultimate Edition

text: The Gnasher Shotgun, a staple choice for close-range combat in multiplayer games since the first "Gears of War", occasionally failed to register damage from point-blank range in the multiplayer mode for "Ultimate Edition" shortly after its launch. The issue was considered to be unrelated to latency issues as it was also noted to occur on local split-screen multiplayer. The Coalition previously indicated that the Gnasher works the same way it did in the original game, as the way the shotgun pellets were distributed when firing was randomised. In response to player feedback, the Coalition released an update on September 24, 2015, and explained that they changed the Gnasher's randomised spread to the same shape pellet spread, so players can better predict and estimate the damage they are doing to opponents more accurately and consistently.


title: Gears of War: Ultimate Edition

text: The initial PC release of "Gears of War: Ultimate Edition", which was exclusively developed for Microsoft's Universal Windows Platform (UWP), suffered from significant display problems and stuttering on contemporary top-end hardware, especially with AMD Radeon graphic cards. Games developed for UWP are known to be subject to technical restrictions, including incompatibility with multi-video card setups, difficulties modding the game, overlays for gaming-oriented chat clients, or key binding managers. The specific technical issues observed in "Ultimate Edition" were linked to the developer's transition of the game to DirectX 12 and the implementation of ambient occlusion. Reports later emerged that driver updates and a subsequent patch released by the developers helped address the technical issues.


title: Gears of War: Ultimate Edition

text: According to review aggregator Metacritic, "Gears of War: Ultimate Edition" received "generally favorable reviews" on Xbox One, whereas it received "mixed to average" reviews on PC.


title: Gears of War: Ultimate Edition

text: Reviewing "Ultimate Edition" shortly after its release in August 2015, Brian Albert praised "Ultimate Edition" as a "beautiful game with smart cover mechanics, great core combat, and commitment to an over-the-top tone", and though it "occasionally shows signs of age", they were few and far between. Albert highly recommended "Ultimate Edition" as a starting point for newcomer players to the series, as it successfully preserved the original's "strong style and great gameplay", and made it enjoyable and relevant long after the original was released.


title: Gears of War: Ultimate Edition

text: Matt Miller gave a favorable review of "Ultimate Edition" and praised the final product of The Coalition's visual and audio overhauls as "restored beauty". Miller found the gameplay to be mostly true to the original for better or worse, conceding that some of the shooting mechanics feel dated. Nevertheless, Miller described his experience with "Ultimate Edition" as a "fun and visually impressive trip down memory lane", and said that "new and old players alike should feel no hesitation about seeing this as the definitive way to play the opening story of the "Gears" epic".


title: Gears of War: Ultimate Edition

text: Mike Mahardy from GameSpot considered "Ultimate Edition" to be a remake in all but name, as the alterations included a variety of content and design changes. To Mahardy, among the highlights for "Ultimate Edition" include 1080p and 60fps multiplayer, the well-tuned controls and cover mechanics which reinforces the title's status as "the apex of third-person shooters", and the visual improvements to the original's horror-driven single-player campaign which thoroughly reinforces a dark and personal tone. While less enthused about the campaign's late-game chapters and "frustrating AI", Mahardy summarized that the return trip "might have revealed a few more cracks than we remembered, but it also serves as a shield for our nostalgia".


title: Gears of War: Ultimate Edition

text: Richard Leadbetter from "Eurogamer" opined that "Ultimate Edition" is "a full-on remake done right - fans and purists will have their own view on how the game should have been updated for the current-gen era, but there's no doubt that the vast majority of the game's visuals are updated beautifully", which he felt honored the spirit of the sourced material while presenting a radically new look based on modern rendering principles at the same time. Leadbetter noted that a performance analysis for the Xbox One version of "Ultimate Edition" conducted by the Digital Foundry team from "Eurogamer" showcased "mostly consistent performance across all modes with just some occasional hiccups".


title: Gears of War: Ultimate Edition

text: In his review of "Ultimate Edition", Arthur Gies from "Polygon" mused that it "doesn't feel new, exactly, but it does feel surprisingly relevant" in validating the original game as a landmark release in the video game industry, and declared that its "bonafides as a shooter classic feel less in dispute than ever". For Gies, "Ultimate Edition" "eloquently" demonstrates an adage that, "No medium is as beholden to the passage of time as video games." Gies said the result of The Coalition's insistence on delivering a "completely intact, gameplay-identical version of "Gears"' campaign, albeit one with a complete visual overhaul, and a revamped vision of the original game's multiplayer" made the final product "both better and worse" that one might remember of the original game, though he did consider "Ultimate Edition" to be an improvement overall.


title: Gears of War: Ultimate Edition

text: Not all reception to "Ultimate Edition" had been positive. Jeff Gerstmann from Giant Bomb, who reviewed the original Xbox 360 version when he was employed at GameSpot, gave a negative review: he criticized the game's AI and campaign mode, noting that it "aged pretty poorly". Although certain publications such as "GameStar" have favorably reviewed the PC version, its technical issues attracted widespread criticism of the developer and Microsoft's Universal Windows Platform. Both "GameRevolution" and "Hardcore Gamer" gave favorable reviews for the Xbox One version in 2015, but published reviews with lower ratings for the PC version when it released the following year.


title: Flag of Prussia

text: The state of Prussia had its origins in the separate lands of the Margraviate of Brandenburg and of the Duchy of Prussia. The Margraviate of Brandenburg developed from the medieval Northern March of the Holy Roman Empire, passing to the House of Hohenzollern in 1415. The Duchy of Prussia originated in 1525 when Albert of Brandenburg-Ansbach, a member of a cadet branch of the Hohenzollerns, secularized the eastern lands of the Teutonic Knights as a Polish fief. Prince-elector John Sigismund, Elector of Brandenburg, inherited the Duchy of Prussia in 1618, thus uniting Brandenburg and Prussia under one ruler in a personal union; the Elector's state became known as Brandenburg-Prussia. The Kingdom of Prussia formed when Elector Frederick III assumed the title of Frederick I, King in Prussia, on 18 January 1701.


title: Flag of Prussia

text: Hohenzollern monarchical rule of Prussia ceased in 1918 after the fall of the German Empire in the aftermath of World War I; the Kingdom becoming instead the Free State of Prussia. The Allied Control Council decreed the formal abolition of the state of Prussia in 1947 following World War II.


title: Flag of Prussia

text: The Prussian national and merchant flag was originally a simple black-white-black flag issued on May 22, 1818, but this was replaced on March 12, 1823, with a new flag. The revised one (3:5) was parted black, white, and black (1:4:1), showing in the white stripe the eagle with a blue orb bound in gold and a scepter ending in another eagle. On its breast were the intertwined initials "FR" for "". The axis of the eagle is at two-fifths of the flag's total length.


title: Flag of Prussia

text: The Prussian war flag (3:5), adopted November 28, 1816, was originally swallow-tailed for one-fifth of the total length; the tail was later abandoned. At two fifths it showed the Prussian eagle (two-thirds of the flag's height). In the canton, the Iron Cross was placed (one-third of the flag's height).


title: Flag of Prussia

text: The Iron Cross was established in 1813 during the war against Napoleon I as a decoration for courageous common soldiers. It was renewed in the Franco-Prussian War of 1870 and in World War I. It also appeared in the canton of the war flag of the German Empire.


title: Flag of Prussia

text: The royal standard of Prussia showed the Iron Cross charged with the shield and crown of the small state arms surrounded by the collar of the Order of the Black Eagle. On the blades of the cross is the motto "". Between the arms were Prussian eagles along the edges and a royal crown in carré with them, all on a purple or red background.


title: Flag of Prussia

text: After the German Revolution of 1918–19, the Prussian state was slow to adapt its heraldry to republican forms. Only July 11, 1921, new arms were decreed by the Prussian prime minister. The 'gothic' eagle made way for the more natural-looking flying one and lost all its garments.


title: Flag of Prussia

text: On December 16, 1921, the Ministry of State decreed that the Prussian flag was to be only black and white.


title: Flag of Prussia

text: On February 24 and April 23, 1922, the ministry issued a service flag similar to the national flag of the 19th century – black borders above and below, being one-sixth of the total height of the flag, with the new eagle.


title: Flag of Prussia

text: The Germany national football team home dress has always been a white jersey and black shorts, the colors of the Prussian flag.


title: Alendronic acid

text: Alendronic acid, sold under the brand name Fosamax among others, is a bisphosphonate medication used to treat osteoporosis and Paget's disease of bone. It is taken by mouth. Use is often recommended together with vitamin D, calcium supplementation, and lifestyle changes.


title: Alendronic acid

text: Common side effects (1 to 10% of patients) include constipation, abdominal pain, nausea, and acid reflux. Use is not recommended during pregnancy or in those with poor kidney function. Alendronic acid works by decreasing the activity of cells that break down bone.


title: Alendronic acid

text: Alendronic acid was first described in 1978 and approved for medical use in the United States in 1995. It is available as a generic medication. In 2020, it was the 94th most commonly prescribed medication in the United States, with more than 7million prescriptions.


title: Alendronic acid

text: Alendronate inhibits osteoclast-mediated bone-resorption. Like all bisphosphonates, it is chemically related to inorganic pyrophosphate, the endogenous regulator of bone turnover. But while pyrophosphate inhibits both osteoclastic bone resorption and the mineralization of the bone newly formed by osteoblasts, alendronate specifically inhibits bone resorption without any effect on mineralization at pharmacologically achievable doses. Its inhibition of bone-resorption is dose-dependent and approximately 1,000 times stronger than the equimolar effect of the first bisphosphonate drug, etidronate. Under therapy, normal bone tissue develops, and alendronate is deposited in the bone-matrix in a pharmacologically inactive form. For optimal action, enough calcium and vitamin D are needed in the body in order to promote normal bone development. Hypocalcemia should, therefore, be corrected before starting therapy.


title: Alendronic acid

text: Etidronate has the same disadvantage as pyrophosphate in inhibiting mineralization, but all of the potent "N"-containing bisphosphonates, including alendronate, risedronate, ibandronate, and zoledronate, do not.


title: Alendronic acid

text: As with all potent bisphosphonates, the fraction of the drug that reaches the circulatory system intact (systemic bioavailability) after oral dosing is low, averaging only 0.6–0.7% in women and in men under fasting conditions. Intake together with meals and beverages other than water further reduces the bioavailability. The absorbed drug rapidly partitions, with approximately 50% binding to the exposed bone surface; the remainder is excreted unchanged by the kidneys. Unlike with most drugs, the strong negative charge on the two phosphonate moieties limits oral bioavailability, and, in turn, the exposure to tissues other than bone is very low. After absorption in the bone, alendronate has an estimated terminal elimination half-life of 10 years.


title: Henry VII, Holy Roman Emperor

text: Henry VII (German: "Heinrich"; c. 1273 – 24 August 1313), also known as Henry of Luxembourg, was Count of Luxembourg, King of Germany (or "Rex Romanorum") from 1308 and Holy Roman Emperor from 1312. He was the first emperor of the House of Luxembourg. During his brief career he reinvigorated the imperial cause in Italy, which was racked with the partisan struggles between the divided Guelf and Ghibelline factions, and inspired the praise of Dino Compagni and Dante Alighieri. He was the first emperor since the death of Frederick II in 1250, ending the Great Interregnum of the Holy Roman Empire; however, his premature death threatened to undo his life's work. His son, John of Bohemia, failed to be elected as his successor, and there was briefly another anti-king, Frederick the Fair, contesting the rule of Louis IV.


title: Henry VII, Holy Roman Emperor

text: Born around 1273 in Valenciennes, he was a son of Count Henry VI of Luxembourg and Béatrice from the House of Avesnes. Raised at the French court, he was the lord of comparatively small properties in a peripheral and predominantly French-speaking part of the Holy Roman Empire. It was symptomatic of the empire’s weakness that during his rule as the Count of Luxembourg, he agreed to become a French vassal, seeking the protection of King Philip the Fair of France. During his rule of Luxembourg, he ruled effectively, especially in keeping the peace in local feudal disputes.Henry became caught up in the internal political machinations of the Holy Roman Empire with the assassination of King Albert I on 1 May 1308. Almost immediately, King Philip of France began aggressively seeking support for his brother, Charles of Valois, to be elected the next King of the Romans. Philip thought he had the backing of the French Pope Clement V (established at Avignon), and that his prospects of bringing the empire into the orbit of the French royal house were good. He lavishly spread French money in the hope of bribing the German electors. Although Charles of Valois had the backing of Henry, Archbishop of Cologne, a French supporter, many were not keen to see an expansion of French power, least of all Clement V. The principal rival to Charles appeared to be Rudolf, the Count Palatine.


title: Henry VII, Holy Roman Emperor

text: Given his background, although he was a vassal of Philip the Fair, Henry was bound by few national ties, an aspect of his suitability as a compromise candidate among the electors, the great territorial magnates who had lived without a crowned emperor for decades, and who were unhappy with both Charles and Rudolf. Henry's brother, Baldwin, Archbishop of Trier, won over a number of the electors, including the Archbishop of Cologne, in exchange for some substantial concessions. Consequently, Henry skillfully negotiated his way to the crown, elected with six votes at Frankfurt on 27 November 1308. The only elector who did not support him was Henry, King of Bohemia. Henry was subsequently crowned at Aachen on 6 January 1309.


title: Henry VII, Holy Roman Emperor

text: In July 1309, Pope Clement V confirmed Henry's election. He agreed to crown Henry emperor at Candlemas 1312 personally, the title having been vacant since the death of Frederick II. Henry in exchange, swore an oath of protection to the Pope, agreed to defend the rights and not attack the privileges of the cities of the Papal States, and also agreed to go on Crusade once he had been crowned emperor. Yet the newly crowned king had local issues to deal with before he could seek the imperial crown. Henry was approached by part of the Bohemian nobility and some important and influential ecclesiastics to intervene in Bohemia. Unhappy with the rule of Henry of Carinthia, and wary of the claims of the Habsburgs who had some legitimate claim on the crown, they convinced Henry to marry his son John I, Count of Luxemburg to Elizabeth, the daughter of Wenceslas II, and so establish a claim to the Bohemian crown. In July 1310 he engineered the removal of Henry of Carinthia.


title: Henry VII, Holy Roman Emperor

text: On 15 August 1309, Henry VII announced his intention to travel to Rome, having sent his ambassadors to Italy to prepare for his arrival, and so consequently expected his troops to be ready to travel by 1 October 1310. Prior to leaving Germany, he sought to smooth relations with the Habsburgs, who had been forced against their will to accept the accession of Henry’s son in Bohemia, cowed by the threats of making the Duchy of Austria dependent on the Bohemian crown. He therefore confirmed them in their imperial fiefs by October 1309; in exchange, Leopold of Habsburg agreed to accompany Henry in his Italian expedition, and to provide a body of troops as well.


title: Henry VII, Holy Roman Emperor

text: Henry felt he needed to obtain a papal imperial coronation, partly because of the lowly origins of his house, and partly because of the concessions he had been forced to make to obtain the German crown in the first place. He also saw it, together with the crowns of Italy and Arles, as a necessary counterweight to the ambitions of the French king. To ensure the success of his Italian expedition, Henry entered into negotiations with Robert, King of Naples in mid-1310, with the intent of marrying his daughter, Beatrix to Robert’s son, Charles, Duke of Calabria. It was hoped that this would lessen the tensions in Italy between the anti-imperial Guelphs, who looked to the King of Naples for leadership, and the pro-imperial Ghibellines. Negotiations broke down due to Robert’s excessive monetary demands, as well as through the interference of Philip, who did not want such an alliance to succeed.


title: Henry VII, Holy Roman Emperor

text: While these negotiations were taking place, Henry began his descent into northern Italy in October 1310, with his eldest son John remaining in Prague as the Imperial vicar. As he crossed the Alps and travelled into the Lombard plain, nobles and prelates of both Guelph and Ghibelline factions hastened to greet him, and Dante circulated an optimistic open letter addressed to the rulers and the people. As emperor, Henry had planned to restore the glory of the Holy Roman Empire, but he did not reckon on the bitterly divided state that Italy had now become. Decades of warfare and strife had seen the rise of dozens of independent city-states, each one nominally Guelph or Ghibelline, backed by either urban nobles supporting a powerful ruler (such as Milan), or the rising non-noble merchant classes embedded in oligarchic republican states (such as Florence). Each of these contests had created bitter losers, each of whom looked to the emperor-elect for restitution. Henry expressed both his high-minded idealism and lack of political craft in his plan to require all the cities of Lombardy to welcome back their exiles, of whatever their political stripe. He received both parties, Guelph or Ghibelline, courteously; in the beginning he showed no obvious favoritism to either party, hoping that his magnanimity would be reciprocated by both sides. Nevertheless, he insisted that the current rulers in all of the Italian city-states had usurped their powers. He insisted that the towns should come under the immediate control of the Empire, and that their exiles should be recalled. He eventually forced the cities to comply with his demands, and the despots had to surrender their keys. Although Henry rewarded their submission with titles and fiefs, it did cause a great deal of resentment that only grew over time. This was the situation confronting the king when he arrived in Turin in November 1310, at the head of 5,000 soldiers, including 500 cavalry.


title: Henry VII, Holy Roman Emperor

text: After a brief stay at Asti where Henry intervened in the political affairs in the town, much to the consternation of the Italian Guelphs, Henry proceeded to Milan, where he was crowned King of Italy with the Iron Crown of Lombardy on 6 January, 1311. The Tuscan Guelphs refused to attend the ceremony, and began preparing for resistance to Henry’s imperial dreams. As part of his program of political rehabilitation, he recalled the Visconti, the ousted former rulers of Milan from exile. Guido della Torre, who had thrown the Visconti out of Milan, objected and organised a revolt against Henry that was ruthlessly put down, and the Visconti were returned to power, with Henry appointing Matteo I Visconti as the Imperial vicar of Milan. He also imposed his brother-in-law, Amadeus of Savoy, as the vicar-general in Lombardy. These measures, plus a massive levy imposed on the Italian towns, caused the Guelph cities to turn against Henry, and he encountered further resistance when he sought to enforce imperial claims on what had become communal lands and rights, and attempted to replace communal regulations with imperial laws. Nevertheless, Henry managed to restore some semblance of imperial power in parts of northern Italy. Cities such as Parma, Lodi, Verona and Padua all accepted his rule.


title: Henry VII, Holy Roman Emperor

text: At the same time any resistance of the north Italian communes was ruthlessly suppressed; however, the punishments levied on cities that submitted stiffened the resistance of others. Cremona was the first to feel Henry’s wrath, after the Torriani family and their supporters had fled from Milan, falling on 26 April 1311, after which he razed the city walls. Henry then expended much of his initial capital of good-will with delays, such as the four-month siege of Brescia (in which his brother Waleran fell) in 1311, delaying his journey to Rome. Popular opinion began to turn against Henry, with Florence allying itself with the Guelph communities of Lucca, Siena and Bologna, and engaging in a propaganda war against the king. This was successful in that Pope Clement V, under increasing pressure from King Philip of France, began to distance himself from Henry and to take up the cause of the Italian Guelphs who had been appealing to the Papacy for support.


title: Henry VII, Holy Roman Emperor

text: Despite plague and desertions, he managed to extract Brescia’s surrender in September 1311. Henry then passed through Pavia before arriving in Genoa, where he again tried to mediate between the warring factions within the town. During his stay in the city, his wife Margaret of Brabant died. Also while in Genoa he discovered that King Robert of Naples had decided to oppose the spread of imperial power in the Italian peninsula, and resumed his traditional position as head of the Guelph parties, as Florence, Lucca, Siena and Perugia all declared their support for Robert. Henry attempted to intimidate Robert by ordering him to attend his imperial coronation, and to swear fealty for his imperial fiefs in Piedmont and Provence. With Florence’s encouragement, much of Lombardy flared into open rebellion against Henry, with uprisings throughout December 1311 and January 1312, while in the Romagna, King Robert strengthened his position. Nevertheless, Henry’s supporters managed to capture Vicenza, and he received an embassy from Venice, who offered him the friendship of their city. Henry also began legal proceedings against Florence, laying charges of Lèse majesté against the city and placing it under an Imperial ban in December 1311.


title: Henry VII, Holy Roman Emperor

text: After spending two months in Genoa, Henry continued on to Pisa by ship, where he was eagerly received by the inhabitants, who were the traditional enemies of Florence and were Ghibelline. Here he again began negotiating with Robert of Naples, before deciding to enter into an alliance with Frederick III of Sicily, strengthening his position and hopefully putting pressure on Robert of Naples. He left Pisa in 1312 to go to Rome to be crowned as emperor, but on his way he discovered that Clement V was not going to crown him there.


title: Henry VII, Holy Roman Emperor

text: Rome was in a state of confusion as Henry approached the city walls. The Orsini family had adopted the cause of Robert of Naples, while the Colonna family threw their weight behind Henry. With their partisans fighting in the streets, Henry was also confronted with the news that the Castel Sant'Angelo and the Vatican quarter were securely in the hands of Robert, the Angevin king of Naples, who had decided, with help from the Florentines that his own dynastic interests were not in favour of renewed Imperial presence in Italy.


title: Henry VII, Holy Roman Emperor

text: On 7 May, Henry’s German troops forced their way across the Ponte Milvio and entered Rome, but found it impossible to throw out the Angevin troops from around St. Peter's Basilica. As the Colonna family had possession of the area around the Basilica of St. John Lateran, Santa Maria Maggiore and the Colosseum, Henry was forced to perform his coronation on 29 June 1312 at the Lateran. The ceremony was performed by three Ghibelline cardinals who had joined Henry on his way through Italy. Robert of Naples, in the meantime, had made increasing demands upon Henry, including Henry making Robert’s son the Imperial vicar of Tuscany, and that Henry had to depart Rome within four days of his coronation. Henry, in his turn, declared that the imperial prerogative overrode papal authority, and that the entirety of Italy was subject to the emperor. He then refused to commit, as Pope Clement V had requested, to seek a truce with Robert of Naples, and he didn’t rule out attacking the southern kingdom. After Henry concluded a formal treaty signed with Robert's rival to the Sicilian throne, Frederick of Aragon, the chaos in the city of Rome forced Henry to leave, and, following the advice of Tuscan Ghibellines, he travelled north to Arezzo.


title: Henry VII, Holy Roman Emperor

text: At Arezzo, in September 1312, Henry proceeded to pass a sentence against Robert of Naples, as a rebel vassal. Meanwhile, at Carpentras near Avignon, Clement was unwilling to fully support Henry, since Robert, of a cadet line of the French, was the representative of French power in Italy, and Clement was far from independent of French policies, as well as considerations about encirclement by Henry should he successfully defeat Robert. But before Henry could move against Robert of Naples, he had to deal with the troublesome Florentines, who had been sending money to the Lombard cities that held out against Henry, and who had been strengthening the city’s fortifications in anticipation of a siege.


title: Henry VII, Holy Roman Emperor

text: In mid September, Henry approached the city and very quickly, it was obvious that the city militia and the Guelph cavalry could not match the emperor in an open battle against his battle-hardened soldiers from the north. The Florentine army was outmanoeuvred and lacking in provisions, so it retreated back into Florence during the night. Siena, Bologna, Lucca, and smaller cities, sent men to help man the walls. So began the siege of Florence, Henry possessing some 15,000 infantrymen and 2,000 cavalry, up against a combined Florentine strength of 64,000 defenders. Florence was able to keep every gate open except that which faced the emperor, and it kept all of her commercial routes open. For six weeks Henry battered the walls of Florence, and was eventually forced to abandon the siege. Nevertheless, by the end of 1312, he had subdued a large part of Tuscany, and had treated his defeated enemies with great leniency. By March 1313, Henry was back in his stronghold of Pisa, and from here he formally charged Robert of Naples with treason after Robert finally agreed to accept the office of the captain of the Guelph League. By now his patience was at an end, and he ordered that throughout Italy, all the inhabitants of all rebellious cities were to be captured, stripped and hanged for treason. While he loitered in Pisa, waiting for reinforcements from Germany, he attacked Lucca, a traditional enemy of Pisa. Henry now prepared for his next move; after taking as much money as he could from Pisa (Henry ultimately cost Pisa some 2 million florins), he began his long delayed campaign against Robert of Naples on 8 August 1313. His Italian allies were loath to join him, and so his army consisted of some 4,000 knights, while a fleet was prepared to attack Robert’s realm directly.


title: Henry VII, Holy Roman Emperor

text: His first target was the Guelph city of Siena, which he began to besiege, but within a week, Henry succumbed to malaria, which fast saw him become seriously ill. Fading rapidly, he left Siena on 22 August, and was sheltering in the little town of Buonconvento near Siena when he died on 24 August 1313. His body was taken to Pisa. Henry was only 40 years old when he died, and the high hopes for an effective Imperial power in Italy died with him.


title: Henry VII, Holy Roman Emperor

text: At Henry's death, and for the following decades, the central figure in Italian policy remained his nemesis, Robert of Naples. In the Empire, Henry's son, John the Blind, was elected King of Bohemia in 1310. After the death of Henry VII, two rivals, the Wittelsbach Ludwig of Bavaria and Frederick the Handsome of the House of Habsburg, laid claim to the crown. Their dispute culminated in the Battle of Mühldorf on 28 September 1322, which was lost by Frederick. Louis' Italian expedition (1327–29), made in the spirit of righting the wrongs done to Henry, was also abortive. The legacy of Henry was clearest in the successful careers of two among the local despots he made Imperial Vicars in northern cities, Cangrande I della Scala of Verona and Matteo Visconti of Milan.


title: Henry VII, Holy Roman Emperor

text: Pisa was a Ghibelline city, which means that the city supported the Holy Roman Emperor. When Henry VII died, Pisans built a monumental tomb inside their cathedral. The tomb was centered behind the High Altar in the apse. The choice of place was intended to demonstrate the devotion of the Pisans to the Emperor.


title: Henry VII, Holy Roman Emperor

text: The tomb, constructed in 1315 by Sienese sculptor Tino di Camaino, was built above the grave itself, with the statue of Henry VII lying above it and many other statues and angels. The tomb did not have a long life: for political reasons it was dismantled and the parts were reused in other places in the square. By 1985, the grave of the Emperor had been shifted to the right transept of the cathedral, near the tomb of Saint Ranieri; a couple of statues were put on the top of the façade and a number of statues portraying Henry VII himself and his counsellors were in the Cemetery. Nowadays the statues, the textiles and goldwork gathered around the funeral shroud have been moved to and are featured in the in Pisa, while the tomb remains in the cathedral.


title: Henry VII, Holy Roman Emperor

text: Henry VII is the famous "alto Arrigo" in Dante's "Paradiso", in which the poet is shown the seat of honor that awaits Henry in Heaven. Henry in "Paradiso" xxx.137f is "He who came to reform Italy before she was ready for it". Dante also alludes to him numerous times in "Purgatorio" as the savior who will bring imperial rule back to Italy, and end the inappropriate temporal control of the Church. In 1921, on the occasion of the 600th anniversary of Dante's death, Henry VII's tomb was opened and examined.


title: Henry VII, Holy Roman Emperor

text: Henry VII's tomb was opened and studied again in 2013, 700 years after his death. The remains had been wrapped in a large rectangular colorful silk shroud, described in the 1921 study as "a fine shroud woven in bands", which was retrieved from the coffin for analysis and subsequently moved to be displayed at the Museum of the Opera del Duomo. The skeleton was recomposed and its analysis led to the estimation that Henry VII's height was 1.78 metres. The bones were also examined by X-ray diffraction, infrared spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy to study medieval post-mortem practices.


title: Henry VII, Holy Roman Emperor

text: Henry was married in Tervuren 9 July 1292 to Margaret of Brabant, daughter of John I, Duke of Brabant, and had the following children:


title: Rick Hendrick

text: Joseph Riddick "Rick" Hendrick III (born July 12, 1949), nicknamed "Mr. H", is an American businessman. He is best known as the owner of the NASCAR team Hendrick Motorsports. He is also a co-owner of JR Motorsports and founder of the Hendrick Automotive Group, a network of over 100 car dealerships.


title: Rick Hendrick

text: As of 2021, his team has won 280 NASCAR Cup Series races, making him the winningest team owner in NASCAR. His team has also won a combined total of 18 NASCAR Championships (14 in the NASCAR Cup Series: 7 by Jimmie Johnson, 4 by Jeff Gordon, and 1 by (Chase Elliott, Terry Labonte, Kyle Larson) (3 in the NASCAR Truck Series: all by Jack Sprague) (1 in the NASCAR Xfinity Series with Brian Vickers in 2003). He is one of only three owners in history to win NASCAR Championships in the top three series, joining Richard Childress and Jack Roush. Hendrick was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame class of 2017 and was inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America on March 17, 2020.


title: Rick Hendrick

text: Hendrick began drag racing at age 14 in a self built 1931 Chevrolet. Two years later, at age 16, Hendrick won the Virginia division of the Chrysler-Plymouth Troubleshooting Contest, a two-part test consisting of a written exam and a timed hands-on diagnosis and repair of defects planted on a car.


title: Rick Hendrick

text: Afterward, Hendrick opened a small used-car lot with Mike Leith. Leith, an established new-car dealer, was convinced to name Hendrick the general sales manager of the company, at age 23. In 1976, he sold his assets to purchase a franchise in Bennettsville, South Carolina. After doing so, he became the youngest Chevrolet dealer in the United States. Hendrick's influence increased sales to make the once troubled location become the region's most profitable. The success of Bennettsville was a precursor to the Hendrick Automotive Group, which now has over 100 franchises and 10,000 employees across 13 states. Headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, his company had a revenue in excess of US$3.5 billion in 2009, after selling 100,000 vehicles and servicing 1.5 million, and is the sixth-largest dealership in the United States. Hendrick is also the chairman of the company.


title: Rick Hendrick

text: Hendrick drove in two races during the 1987 and 1988 Winston Cup Series, with finishes of 33rd and 15th, respectively. He also had a single start in both the Busch Series and the Craftsman Truck Series. He also had been a pit crew member for the Flying 11 that Ray Hendrick (no relation) drove in the 1960s. In 1997, Hendrick began the Hendrick Marrow Program, a non-profit works with the Be The Match Foundation to support the National Marrow Donor Program.


title: Rick Hendrick

text: In the late 1970s, Hendrick founded a drag boat racing team that won three consecutive championships, as well as setting a world record of with Nitro Fever. He then moved to the NASCAR Model Sportsman Series (now Xfinity Series), in which he earned one victory with Dale Earnhardt at Charlotte Motor Speedway. In 1984, he founded All-Star Racing (now Hendrick Motorsports). With five full-time employees and of workspace, he fielded one NASCAR Winston Cup team. With Geoff Bodine the driver, his team managed to race in all 30 races to finish ninth in the final standings with three wins and pole positions. Throughout his career as a team owner, Hendrick has won 18 Drivers' championships (14 Cup Series, 1 Xfinity Series, and 3 Camping World Truck Series), 347 race wins (252 Cup Series, 67 Xfinity Series 23 with Hendrick Motorsports and 44 with JR Motorsports, and 26 Truck Series), and 291 pole positions (216 Sprint Cup Series, 53 Xfinity Series, 36 with Hendrick Motorsports, and 17 JR Motorsports, and 22 Truck Series). He is widely considered to be the most successful team owner in NASCAR history. On December 13, 2018, Hendrick announced that when he retires as owner of Hendrick Motorsports, there are plans in the works for Jeff Gordon to replace him.


title: Rick Hendrick

text: During the late 1980s, Hendrick owned the Goodwrench IMSA GTP Corvette driven by Sarel Van der Merwe and Doc Bundy. The car was actually built by Lola but resembled later Corvette models and was powered by GM's twin-turbo V-6 engine. The GTP team was based in a tiny shop on Gasoline Alley (formerly Roena Street) in Indianapolis, Indiana and managed by Ken Howes of South Africa. The team experienced mixed successes, setting track records and winning many pole positions but few races. The project was abandoned after only a few seasons.


title: Rick Hendrick

text: Hendrick was born in Warrenton, North Carolina and was raised on his family's farm in South Hill, Virginia, where he attended Park View High School.


title: Rick Hendrick

text: He is the father of the late Ricky Hendrick, a former NASCAR driver, who died in a plane crash in 2004 along with other members of the Hendrick family and Hendrick Motorsports crew members.


title: Rick Hendrick

text: On October 31, 2011, Hendrick and his wife, Linda, were involved in a plane crash in Key West, Florida, when the plane landed long at Key West International Airport. Linda suffered minor injuries while Rick suffered three broken ribs and a fractured clavicle.


title: Rick Hendrick

text: In 1997, Hendrick pleaded guilty to mail fraud. In the 1980s, Honda automobiles were in high demand and Honda executives allegedly solicited bribes from dealers for larger product disbursements. Hendrick admitted to giving hundreds of thousands of dollars, BMW automobiles, and houses to American Honda Motor Company executives. Hendrick was sentenced in December 1997 to a $250,000 fine, 12 months' home confinement (instead of prison, due to his leukemia), three years probation, and to have no involvement with Hendrick Automotive Group (which was run by Jim Perkins) or Hendrick Motorsports (run by his brother John) during his year of confinement. In December 2000, Hendrick received a full pardon from President Bill Clinton.


title: Nine Lives (2016 film)

text: Nine Lives is a 2016 English-language comedy film directed by Barry Sonnenfeld, written by Gwyn Lurie, Matt R. Allen, Caleb Wilson, Dan Antoniazzi and Ben Shiffrin, and starring Kevin Spacey, Jennifer Garner, Robbie Amell, Cheryl Hines, Malina Weissman and Christopher Walken. It is an international co-production between France and China. The plot follows a workaholic father who has his mind trapped inside his daughter's new cat. The film was released by EuropaCorp on 5 August 2016 and grossed $57 million. The film has received negative reviews from critics, who called it unoriginal and unfunny.


title: Nine Lives (2016 film)

text: Tom Brand is a major business tycoon in New York City whose workaholic attitude ruined his first marriage with Madison, and his adult son David now works for him and strives for his approval. He now lives with his second wife Lara, who is a little more tolerant of the fact that he is never at home, and his daughter Rebecca. (And possibly David as he is seen in the house most of the movie) His eponymous company FireBrand is nearing completion on its greatest achievement to date: the tallest skyscraper in the northern hemisphere that will be the new headquarters. In the opening scene, he skydives out of a plane and lands on the top of the new skyscraper, while David his oldest child, who is his assistant, remains in the plane, refusing to jump.


title: Nine Lives (2016 film)

text: Rebecca's 11th birthday was coming and she has always wanted a cat, but Tom has always refused as he hates cats. Not wanting to disappoint her, he rushes to get a last-minute present for his daughter's birthday, but as he is distracted, the GPS redirects him to a mysterious pet store called Purrkins Pet Shop, brimming with odd and exotic cats. The store's eccentric owner Felix Perkins tells him he does not pick the cat, the cat picks him. The tomcat that picks him is called Mr. Fuzzypants, who, Perkins says, has used up seven of his nine lives. Tom buys the cat.


title: Nine Lives (2016 film)

text: On his way home for the party, Tom meets with Ian Cox, one of the top managers of the company in charge of the new building, and learns that another building in Chicago will be taller. They have an argument while on the roof that ends with Tom firing Ian, but lightning strikes the antenna. Tom is blown off the building along with the cat, and without any effort from Ian to save him, he plummets off the side of the skyscraper, but his leg gets snagged on some stray equipment and gets flung back inside through a window as he passes out. When he wakes up, he realizes that his human body is in the hospital in a state of coma, and his consciousness is trapped inside the cat's body.


title: Nine Lives (2016 film)

text: Tom is visited by Felix, who is able to talk to him and knows what happened. Felix warns Tom to reevaluate his priorities, connect with his family, and avoid past mistakes within one week or else remain as a cat forever. When Lara and Rebecca take Mr. Fuzzypants home, he acts in an odd and stubborn way to try to convince his wife and daughter that he is actually Tom. This only drives them mad and he slowly comes to see how much he has ignored his family. He suspects that Lara is cheating on him with model Josh Myers and they had been looking at houses together as a prelude to divorcing him. This motivates him to try to make her happy. He also learns that Ian is trying to make the company public with the help of the board of directors to take power from Tom, even though David is trying to stop him. Ian fires David from the company and plans to announce that the company will be sold at the party for the new tower opening.


title: Nine Lives (2016 film)

text: Eventually, Rebecca realizes that Mr. Fuzzypants is really her father. Meanwhile, Tom's body is in crisis at the hospital and Lara, David, and Rebecca all go there. Rebecca has the cat hidden in her backpack. In a moment alone, David apologizes to Tom for failing to save the company and takes Tom's ID badge, implying he will commit suicide at the tower. At the hospital, Lara and Dr. Cole plan for Lara to sign a DNR, which is a legal form, indicating that if Tom's heart stops beating, they won't save him. Rebecca calls to the cat to come prove he is really Tom, but Tom remembers what Felix said about love being sacrifice and decides to save David instead, sacrificing his only chance at regaining his humanity.


title: Nine Lives (2016 film)

text: At the tower, David jumps off the building and the cat jumps after him pulling a cable. It is then revealed that David is wearing a BASE jumping parachute. He lands in the middle of the party, presents the articles of incorporation of the company, and announces that he now controls his father's 51% of the stock. He says the company will remain a family company and fires Ian. Although the cat is not seen landing, Tom wakes up from his coma just in time to see David's announcement on the television. Meanwhile, Ian passes Felix who tells him to hang up his cell phone. Ian ignores him, but is then hit by a car, and his consciousness transfers into a cat that Felix takes back to his shop.


title: Nine Lives (2016 film)

text: Tom and Rebecca return to Felix where Tom asks if he has any dogs. Felix says he does not, but presents Mr. Fuzzypants,who has one life left.


title: Nine Lives (2016 film)

text: On 12 January 2015, it was announced Barry Sonnenfeld would direct the film. On 28 January 2015, Kevin Spacey joined the cast. On 25 March 2015, Malina Weissman joined the cast. On 31 March 2015, Christopher Walken joined the cast to play Felix Perkins, the owner of a mystical pet shop, and on 9 April 2015, Jennifer Garner and Robbie Amell joined as well. On 13 April 2015, Mark Consuelos was cast in the film, and on 27 April 2015, Talitha Bateman was cast as well. Principal photography began on 4 May 2015, and ended on 24 July 2015. Filming took place in Montreal.


title: Nine Lives (2016 film)

text: The film was originally scheduled to be released on 29 April 2016, by EuropaCorp, but was pushed back to 5 August 2016.


title: Nine Lives (2016 film)

text: "Nine Lives" grossed $19.7 million in North America and $38.1 million in other territories for a worldwide total of $57.8 million against a budget of $30 million.


title: Nine Lives (2016 film)

text: The film was released in North America on 5 August 2016 alongside "Suicide Squad". The film was projected to gross $10 million from 2,264 theaters in its opening weekend. The film made $2.4 million on its first day. It went on to gross $6.2 million in its opening weekend, finishing 6th at the box office.


title: Nine Lives (2016 film)

text: On Rotten Tomatoes, a review aggregator, the film holds an approval rating of 14% based on 72 reviews, with an average rating of 3.2/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Not meow, not ever." On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 11 out of 100, based on 16 critics, indicating "overwhelming dislike". Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B+" on an A+ to F scale.


title: Nine Lives (2016 film)

text: "IndieWire"s David Ehrlich gave the film a grade of D, saying the film was “less funny than the average cat gif and approximately 1,000 times as long... Cats may have nine lives, but you only get one, and it’s too precious to waste on this drivel. You’re better off watching a gif of a cat whose face is stuck in a slice of bread. It will save you $20 and a few hours of your time". David Palmer of "The Reel Deal" gave the film 3/10, writing, "The only reason this 'comedy' won't derail Kevin Spacey's career is no one will ever watch this outside of military interrogation rooms". "Rolling Stone"s Peter Travers gave the film zero out of four stars and wrote, "At 87 torturous, laugh-free minutes, the film could change the most avid cat fancier into a kitty hater".


title: Nine Lives (2016 film)

text: The film was released on DVD and Blu-ray on 1 November 2016, by Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment in the United States. It was released on DVD and Blu-ray in Australia on 7 December 2016, by Madman Entertainment under the alternate title "Mr. Fuzzypants".


title: People Can Fly

text: People Can Fly is a Polish video game developer based in Warsaw. The studio was founded in February 2002 by Adrian Chmielarz, previously the co-founder of Metropolis Software, together with acquaintances Michał Kosieradzki and Andrzej Poznański. The studio's first game was "Painkiller" (2004). Its success led to a deal with THQ for the game "Come Midnight", which allowed the studio to expand. After the game was cancelled, People Can Fly found itself in financial trouble. Epic Games acquired a majority share in People Can Fly in August 2007 and collaborated with the studio on projects such as "Bulletstorm" (2011) and "" (2013).


title: People Can Fly

text: Epic bought the studio outright in August 2012. Chmielarz, Kosieradzki and Poznański subsequently left the studio and later founded The Astronauts. People Can Fly was rebranded Epic Games Poland in November 2013. The studio spun off under its former name and logo in June 2015 under the lead of chief executive officer Sebastian Wojciechowski. As of April 2021, the company employs 350 people in eight locations. Its most recent game is "Outriders", which was released on 1 April 2021.


title: People Can Fly

text: Before People Can Fly, Adrian Chmielarz had founded Metropolis Software with Grzegorz Miechowski, his friend since high school, in 1992. They successfully published a number of titles in Europe, including "Teenagent". Due to a personal conflict with Miechowski, Chmielarz opted to leave Metropolis in 2002. He considered leaving the video game industry due to the strain on his friendship with Miechowski but, after a few months, decided to try a new venture. He contacted previous acquaintances Andrzej Poznański and Michał Kosieradzki, and together they founded People Can Fly in February 2002 with the aim to bring Polish game development to a much wider audience. Chmielarz said that, at the time, most games developed in Poland had some success locally, but were not given much attention from the rest of the world, a sentiment shared by many other Polish developers that he had talked to. Chmielarz, Kosieradzki and Poznański served as the creative lead, lead artist and principal artist respectively. Expanding to about twenty developers, some of whom left established jobs at other studios to join People Can Fly, the studio developed its first title, "Painkiller", which was released in 2004 to critical success.


title: People Can Fly

text: Stemming from the success of "Painkiller", People Can Fly struck a partnership with THQ to produce "Come Midnight". Using THQ's multi-million dollar financing, the studio expanded to 70 people. The team worked on the game for about a year and a half, developing a proprietary game engine for it, before THQ cancelled the project in 2006 and withheld the remaining payment of approximately . With only about one month of operating capital left, Chmielarz contacted Epic Games and requested an evaluation copy of their Unreal Engine, intending for the studio to make a quick demo that they could pitch to other publishers for further funding. Epic Games' vice-president, Mark Rein, having known People Can Fly's work, personally handled the agreement. The studio created a demo within a month, and Rein was impressed with the quality of it and the speed at which it was created. He, therefore, arranged for the studio to work on a port of Epic Games' "Gears of War" to personal computers (PCs), saving the studio. Epic Games also acquired a majority stake in the studio in August 2007.


title: People Can Fly

text: Epic's interest in People Can Fly led to the two companies collaborating on "Bulletstorm" and "", with People Can Fly reaching about 120 staff members around this time. During the development of "Gears of War: Judgement", Epic Games began to discuss the full acquisition of People Can Fly, which they completed in August 2012. Chmielarz, Kosieradzki and Poznański subsequently announced their departure from the studio, founding another studio, The Astronauts, shortly thereafter. Chmielarz stated the reason for their departures was due to the nature of how Epic Games was approaching game development, partially influenced by Tencent's prior investment in the company to help them develop games as a service. Chmielarz felt this approach would be limiting for them to develop narrative-driven games. He said of Epic Games' approach: "It's not about being right or wrong. Hopefully, my vision of the future and their vision of the future are both valid, because it's actually possible. They're not in opposition to each other." Chmielarz was able to bring a number of other People Can Fly developers over to The Astronauts, which went on to develop the ideas that they had for "Come Midnight" into "The Vanishing of Ethan Carter". Both Chmielarz and Rein described the founding trio's departure as amicable.


title: People Can Fly

text: In November 2013, People Can Fly was rebranded Epic Games Poland, falling in line with Epic Games' other worldwide studios. On 24 June 2015, the studio announced that it split from Epic Games to become an independent company again, reverting to its former name and logo. According to Sebastian Wojciechowski, the chief executive officer of People Can Fly following the split, the studio had been working on others' intellectual property (IP) since the release of "Gears of War: Judgement" and wanted to return to making their own IP. While the exact details of the split were not made public, Wojciechowski described it as a "real management buyout". The company retained the rights to the "Bulletstorm" franchise and revealed an unannounced project made using Unreal Engine 4. People Can Fly continued working with Epic Games on their projects "Fortnite" and "Spyjinx" alongside developing their own IP.


title: People Can Fly

text: People Can Fly opened a development studio in Newcastle upon Tyne in September 2017, which included a number of former Ubisoft developers, among others. They opened a second Poland studio in Rzeszów in May 2018, bringing on many former CI Games developers following layoffs at that studio. This brought the total number of People Can Fly employees to about 160, up from around 40 in 2015. This accompanied news that People Can Fly was working with Square Enix on a AAA shooter. A fourth studio, People Can Fly New York, was opened in June 2019, bringing People Can Fly's total employee count to around 200. In July 2020, the studio announced that a AAA action-adventure game was in production at its New York studio for PC, next-generation consoles, and streaming platforms. By this time, People Can Fly had reached 250 employees. The studio became a public company on the Warsaw Stock Exchange in December 2020. In April 2021, People Can Fly acquired Chicago-based Phosphor Studios (rebranded as PCF Chicago) and Game On in Montreal, raising its headcount to over 350. Wojciechowski explained that People Can Fly was eyeing acquisitions primarily in the United States and United Kingdom because Polish studios were too expensive. People Can Fly announced on 13 December 2021 that they have acquired Polish-based Incuvo Studios, bringing its head count to 490 around the world.


title: Mercedes-Benz SLK-Class (R171)

text: The second generation Mercedes-Benz SLK, internally designated model R171, is a two-passenger, front-engine, rear-drive, retractable hardtop roadster, unveiled at the 74th Geneva International Motor Show—and manufactured and marketed for model years 2004–2010. Currently in its third generation and manufactured at Mercedes' Bremen plant, the SLK nameplate designates "Sportlich" (sporty), "Leicht" (light), and "Kurz" (compact).


title: Mercedes-Benz SLK-Class (R171)

text: The R171 features a number of revisions compared to its predecessor, the R170: a 30mm longer wheelbase, increased length (72mm) and width (65mm), 40% increased use of high strength steel, seven-speed automatic transmission, adaptive two-stage airbags, head/thorax sidebags and a revised roof mechanism (marketed as the Vario roof) deployable in 22 seconds (previously 25 seconds) with a rotary-pivoting rear window enabling a more compact folded roof stack and trunk storage increased by 63 litres with the roof retracted. Optional features include remote operation of the retractable hardtop as well as an innovative forced air, neck-level heating system integral to the headrests, marketed as "Airscarf".


title: Mercedes-Benz SLK-Class (R171)

text: The fully galvanized bodywork, which features 19 percent improvement in static bending and 46 percent improvement in torsional strength with the roof down, also features a 3% improvement in aerodynamic efficiency, with a Cd value of 0.32. The design has been aerodynamically optimized to minimize interior draughts with the top retracted and includes a fabric windblocker which can be pulled up over the two roll-over bars. Mercedes marketed the R171's tapering front end styling by designer Steve Mattin as "Formula One-inspired".


title: Mercedes-Benz SLK-Class (R171)

text: In 2008, the SLK reached sales of 500,000. The R171 made Car and Driver's Ten Best list for 2005 and won the Canadian Car of the Year Best New Convertible award.


title: Mercedes-Benz SLK-Class (R171)

text: The R171 SLK were the last series that a manual transmission was available in a 6 Cylinder Mercedes-Benz Convertible. The successor to the R171, R172, only offered manual transmission in their 4-cylinder vehicles.


title: Mercedes-Benz SLK-Class (R171)

text: Car and Driver reviewed the manual transmission in November 2004 and rated the transmission glowingly as "..the love child of a Honda S2000 and BMW M3...". The review further wrote that with the SLK350 the engine "...has a willing personality that is perfectly suited to a manual transmission-you'll definitely not regret choosing it over the automatic."


title: Mercedes-Benz SLK-Class (R171)

text: For the facelifts: SLK 280 fuel economy was improved while emissions were reduced. In addition to power boosts on the SLK 200 KOMPRESSOR and SLK 350, the engine speed limit was raised to 6800 rpm, with temporary boost to 7200 rpm across the family (except SLK 55 AMG). Other changes include a higher compression ratio, a new intake manifold and an extensively modified valvetrain.


title: Mercedes-Benz SLK-Class (R171)

text: Terminal speed electronically limited to per "gentlemen's agreement" in 1986. The optional extra-cost AMG Driver's Package for SLK 55 AMG raises the terminal speed to .


title: Mercedes-Benz SLK-Class (R171)

text: It is a version with engine upgraded to at 5750 rpm and of torque at 4000 rpm, restyled AMG front apron with large air intakes, additional transmission oil cooler and the high-performance steering gear oil cooler, aluminium front strut brace, new carbon fiber side air outlets, wider carbon fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP) front fenders, CFRP non-retractable hardtop, 19-inch light alloy wheels with 235/35ZR19 front and 265/30ZR19 rear tires (optional sport tires are available without extra charge), black pearl velour AMG sport bucket seats without side airbags, CF trunk spoiler, carbon fibre door panel lining and trim parts. The vehicle has curb weight of , lighter than the basic vehicle. Engine performance increase comes largely from the long tube headers and a revised ECU.


title: Mercedes-Benz SLK-Class (R171)

text: "Edition 10" (2007): a version commemorating the 10th anniversary of SLK-Class vehicles. The concept vehicle originally appeared in 2006 Paris Motor show and was based on SLK 280 with 7G-TRONIC transmission, matte-grey metallic body; dark-grey painted, high-sheen light-alloy wheels in a ten-spoke design with 225/45R17 front and 245/40R17 rear tires; black leather seats and interior with silver-coloured under layer; AIRSCARF neck-level heating system, THERMOTRONIC automatic climate-control system, PARKTRONIC parking aid, COMAND system with Europe-wide navigation.


title: Mercedes-Benz SLK-Class (R171)

text: The production versions were available in SLK 200 KOMPRESSOR, SLK 280, SLK 350 models, which include 'allanite grey Magno' body, wheel and tires, and interior from the show car. AIRSCARF, THERMOTRONIC, and COMAND were offered separately.


title: Mercedes-Benz SLK-Class (R171)

text: 2LOOK Edition (2009): a limited appearance package available for SLK 200 KOMPRESSOR, SLK 300 and SLK 350 models, which included calcite white, black, obsidian black metallic, or designo mystic white (300 units total for obsidian black metallic and designo mystic white) body 18-inch 5-twin-spoke titanium silver or chrome shadow alloy wheels with 225/40R18 front and 245/35R18 rear tires, discreet emblems on the wings and a windblocker of transparent acrylic glass, nappa leather seats with the seat centre panels in white and the contoured bolsters in black, contrasting black-and-white doors and centre armrest in leather.


title: Mercedes-Benz SLK-Class (R171)

text: The updated model includes a revised front bumper with a modified air-dam arrangement and a more pronounced arrow shape. The rear end was modified by introducing a diffuser-style lower section that makes the Roadster appear more powerful when viewed from behind. The larger exterior mirrors feature LED indicators with a pronounced arrow shape, while the range of light-alloy wheels is also almost entirely new. Interior was optimised to be more driver-oriented. Instrument cluster was updated to include NTG 2.5 audio and telematics with optional LINGUATRONIC voice-operated control, optional harman/kardon Logic7 sound system.


title: Mercedes-Benz SLK-Class (R171)

text: A "gullwing red" leather option, inspired by the original 300 SL gullwing, is added. Further new additions include nappa leather appointments in "natural beige", which complement the new "pale burr walnut" and "black ash grain" wood trims perfectly.


title: Mercedes-Benz SLK-Class (R171)

text: Direct steering assist system with variable steering assistance becomes an option (standard in SLK 55 AMG). SLK 55 AMG included a new apron with a black-painted cross strut and side air outlets as well as darkened headlamps.


title: Mercedes-Benz SLK-Class (R171)

text: In November 2012, "Road & Track" ranked the SLK350 9th in their Best All Around Sports Car. In particular, Road Test Editor Patrick Hong noted that the facelifted model "... with its improved manual transmission, is finally worth considering as a real sports car. The previous model was more of a cruiser, but this new SLK350 is different in that its engine is peppier, coming on when needed." The article further noted that the SLK 350 had the best ride out of all the vehicles tested with a "solid yet velvety ride quality" and that it's a sports car with a "bias towards grand touring over high performance."


title: Two Sigma

text: Two Sigma Investments is a New York City-based hedge fund that uses a variety of technological methods, including artificial intelligence, machine learning, and distributed computing, for its trading strategies. The firm is run by John Overdeck and David Siegel.


title: Two Sigma

text: Two Sigma Investments was founded in 2001 by John Overdeck, David Siegel and Mark Pickard. Siegel is a computer science Ph.D. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and held the position of Chief Information Officer for D. E. Shaw & Co. prior to starting Two Sigma. Overdeck is an International Mathematical Olympiad Silver Medalist who subsequently studied mathematics at Stanford University and then rose to the position of Managing Director at D. E. Shaw prior to leaving to co-found Two Sigma. Pickard served as the President of the firm from its inception until his retirement in 2006.


title: Two Sigma

text: According to Two Sigma, the firm's name was chosen to reflect the duality of the word sigma. A lower case sigma, σ, designates the volatility of an investment's return over a given benchmark, and an upper case sigma, Σ, denotes sum. By adding together the volatilities of individual positions measured against the benchmark, Two Sigma can amplify forecast signals, the company's website says.


title: Two Sigma

text: In October 2013, Two Sigma Private Investments announced that it was joining with Stephen Hannahs to form Wings Capital Partners, a commercial aviation private equity, investment, advisory and financing company. In July 2014, it was announced that Simon Yates, Citigroup's global head of equity derivative sales and trading, left the bank to join Two Sigma.


title: Two Sigma

text: In February 2014, "Forbes" reported that former Two Sigma employee Kang Gao, aged 29, was prosecuted by the Manhattan District Attorney and is accused of using a remote-access device to view Two Sigma's proprietary trading models and emailing this information to his personal email account, lifting quantitative trading strategies, trading models, a marketing presentation, and a scientific white paper. The case, New York. v. Kang Gao, led to Gao receiving 8 months in jail as of October 2014. In February 2015, Gao pleaded guilty to "illegally accessing and duplicating proprietary and confidential information related to the firm's trading methods."


title: Two Sigma

text: As of early 2017, Two Sigma had used crowdsourcing options to find trading signals. By March 2017, the fund was running a competition on Kaggle to code a trading algorithm.


title: Two Sigma

text: The fund managed around $8 billion in November 2011, $23 billion in October 2014, and $32 billion by the end of 2015. , the fund had assets reaching more than $50 billion. In May 2019, the fund had assets reaching $60 billion. This number slightly dropped to $58 billion in October 2020, after Two Sigma saw losses in its risk premia, absolute return, and macro funds.


title: Two Sigma

text: At the end of 2016, Two Sigma Investments introduced an artificial intelligence challenge called Halite. Halite is a programming game inviting coding enthusiasts to build smart bots whose goal is to gain control of a virtual grid. Due to the success of Halite I, Two Sigma decided to develop a second season of Halite called Halite II. This ran from October 2017 to January 2018, and in this version players competed for control of planets using ships. In October 2022, Two Sigma became a Chainlink node operator to help expand the use cases of blockchain-based hybrid smart contracts.


title: Two Sigma

text: Two Sigma has been noted in the business press for its unusually high rate of return, comparable to its older and more mature competitors D. E. Shaw & Co. and Renaissance Technologies. In October 2014, Two Sigma had raised $3.3 billion for a macro hedge fund in one of the largest new pools of such capital raised since the 2008 financial crisis.


title: Two Sigma

text: There are a few specialized divisions which focus on private investments, venture capital investments (with a focus on companies operating in the realm of data science), advising institutional clients, and running a high frequency broker-dealer.


title: Pulmonary aspiration

text: Pulmonary aspiration is the entry of material such as pharyngeal secretions, food or drink, or stomach contents from the oropharynx or gastrointestinal tract, into the larynx (voice box) and lower respiratory tract, the portions of the respiratory system from the trachea (windpipe) to the lungs. A person may inhale the material, or it may be delivered into the tracheobronchial tree during positive pressure ventilation. When pulmonary aspiration occurs during eating and drinking, the aspirated material is often colloquially referred to as "going down the wrong pipe".


title: Pulmonary aspiration

text: Consequences of pulmonary aspiration range from no injury at all, to chemical pneumonitis or pneumonia, to death within minutes from asphyxiation. These consequences depend on the volume, chemical composition, particle size, and presence of infectious agents in the aspirated material, and on the underlying health status of the person.


title: Pulmonary aspiration

text: In healthy people, aspiration of small quantities of material is common and rarely results in disease or injury. People with significant underlying disease or injury are at greater risk for developing respiratory complications following pulmonary aspiration, especially hospitalized patients, because of certain factors such as depressed level of consciousness and impaired airway defenses (gag reflex and respiratory tract antimicrobial defense system). The lumen of the right main bronchus is more vertical and slightly wider than that of the left, so aspirated material is more likely to end up in this bronchus or one of its subsequent bifurcations.


title: Pulmonary aspiration

text: Pulmonary aspiration of particulate matter may result in acute airway obstruction which may rapidly lead to death from arterial hypoxemia.


title: Pulmonary aspiration

text: Pulmonary aspiration of acidic material (such as stomach acid) may produce an immediate primary injury caused by the chemical reaction of acid with lung parenchyma, and a later secondary injury as a result of the subsequent inflammatory response.


title: Pulmonary aspiration

text: Pulmonary aspiration may be followed by bacterial pneumonia. Community-acquired aspiration pneumonia is usually caused by anaerobic bacteria, whereas hospital-acquired aspiration pneumonia is more often caused by mixed flora, including both aerobic and anaerobic bacteria.


title: Pulmonary aspiration

text: Pulmonary aspiration resulting in pneumonia, in some patients, particularly those with physical limitations, can be fatal. Famous people like John Bonham have died of it.


title: Pulmonary aspiration

text: Risk factors for pulmonary aspiration include conditions which depress the level of consciousness (such as traumatic brain injury, alcohol intoxication, drug overdose, and general anesthesia). A decreased gag reflex, upper esophageal sphincter and lower esophageal sphincter tone, gastroesophageal reflux, full stomach, as well as obesity, stroke, and pregnancy can all increase the risk of aspiration in the semiconscious. Tracheal intubation or presence of a gastric tube (for example, a feeding tube) may also increase the risk.


title: Pulmonary aspiration

text: The lungs are normally protected against aspiration by a series of "protective reflexes" such as coughing and swallowing. Significant aspiration can only occur if the protective reflexes are absent or severely diminished (in neurological disease, coma, drug overdose, sedation or general anesthesia). In intensive care, sitting patients up reduces the risk of pulmonary aspiration and ventilator-associated pneumonia.


title: Pulmonary aspiration

text: Measures to prevent aspiration depend on the situation and the patient. In patients at imminent risk of aspiration, tracheal intubation by a trained health professional provides the best protection. A simpler intervention that can be implemented is to lay the patient on their side in the recovery position (as taught in first aid and CPR classes), so that any vomitus produced by the patient will drain out their mouth instead of back down their pharynx. Some anesthetists will use sodium citrate to neutralize the stomach's low pH and metoclopramide or domperidone (pro-kinetic agents) to empty the stomach. In veterinary settings, emetics may be used to empty the stomach prior to sedation. Due to growing issues with patients not complying with fasting recommendations before surgery, some hospitals will now also routinely administer emetics prior to anesthesia. Newer operating rooms are often equipped with dedicated vomitoria for this purpose.


title: Pulmonary aspiration

text: People with chronic neurological disorders, for example, after a stroke, are less likely to aspirate thickened fluids on an instrumental swallowing assessment. However, this does not necessarily translate into reduced risk of pneumonia in real life eating and drinking. Also, pharyngeal residue is more common with very thickened fluids: this may subsequently be aspirated and lead to a more severe pneumonia.


title: Pulmonary aspiration

text: The location of abscesses caused by aspiration depends on the position one is in. If one is sitting or standing up, the aspirate ends up in the posterior basal segment of the right lower lobe. If one is on one's back, it goes to the superior segment of the right lower lobe. If one is lying on the right side, it goes to the posterior segment of the right upper lobe, or the posterior basal segment of the right upper lobe. If one is lying on the left, it goes to the lingula.


title: Face Dances

text: Face Dances is the ninth studio album by English rock band the Who. It was released in 1981 by Warner Bros. in the United States (it was the band's first release on that label) and on Polydor in the United Kingdom. It is one of two Who studio albums with drummer Kenney Jones, who joined the band after Keith Moon's death three years earlier.


title: Face Dances

text: Despite mixed reviews from "Rolling Stone" and other critics, the album peaked at No. 4 on the US "Billboard" Top LPs & Tape chart and No. 2 on the UK Albums Chart.


title: Face Dances

text: The album cover features 16 paintings of the band members by 16 British painters, who were commissioned by Peter Blake, designer of the cover of the Beatles' album "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" (1967). Artists include Tom Phillips, Richard Hamilton, Allen Jones, David Hockney, Clive Barker, R. B. Kitaj, Howard Hodgkin, Patrick Caulfield, David Inshaw, Mike Andrews, Joe Tilson, Patrick Procktor, David Tindle and Blake himself.


title: Face Dances

text: Photographer Gavin Cochrane took a reference photo of each of the four members of the band (Pete Townshend, Roger Daltrey, John Entwistle and Kenney Jones) which the 16 artists used to paint on 6" x 6" canvases the portraits of each member of the band for the front cover of "Face Dances". Roger Daltrey was painted by Mike Andrews, Allen Jones, David Inshaw and David Hockney. Kenney Jones was painted by Peter Blake, Joe Tilson, Patrick Procktor and David Tindle.


title: Face Dances

text: R. B. Kitaj did a charcoal portrait on Ingres paper of John Entwistle. Kitaj (1932-2007) was a Jewish American from Chagrin Falls, Ohio but made his home in England for many years and was elected to the Royal Academy in 1991 – the first American to do so since John Singer Sargent in the 1890s.


title: Face Dances

text: David Inshaw painted a portrait of Roger Daltrey which features on the cover of "Face Dances". David Inshaw was a member of the Brotherhood of Ruralists along with Peter Blake and Jann Howarth and Graham and Annie Ovenden in the 1970s. In 1973, his painting 'The Badminton Game' was exhibited at the ICA Summer Exhibition and was subsequently acquired by the Tate.


title: Face Dances

text: The late Richard Hamilton, RA (1922-2011) did a portrait of Pete Townshend for the cover of "Face Dances". Hamilton was one of the first British Pop artists renowned for his painting and collage work. Richard Hamilton was the cover designer of The Beatles' "White Album" (1968) and its iconic poster insert, and for his painting 'Swingeing London 67 (f)' which depicted Mick Jagger and art dealer Robert Fraser in handcuffs following their arrest on drug charges.


title: Face Dances

text: In 1997, the album was remixed, remastered and re-released by MCA with three outtakes as well as two live tracks. The live track "How Can You Do It Alone" is an edited version of the live performance.


title: Face Dances

text: "You Better You Bet" was the first single released from the album; its music video was one of the first music videos aired on MTV in 1981, and was the first to be repeated on the channel. "Don't Let Go the Coat" was the second single to be released from the album, and it also had its own music video. While a video was shot for "Another Tricky Day" it was not released as a single commercially but it was a US Album Rock Top 10 track.


title: Face Dances

text: "Face Dances" celebrated its 40th anniversary with the release on 12 June 2021 on Record Store Day 1 of a 2-LP expanded coloured vinyl version (LP1 is blue and LP2 is yellow). Both discs have been mastered by Jon Astley at Close To The Edge and cut at half speed by Miles Showell at the Abbey Road Studios. The pressing was limited to 6500 copies.


title: Face Dances

text: LP1 is the newly re-mastered version of the album while LP2 has a side of studio out-takes and four live tracks from the band's 1981 Rockpalast show which appear for the first time on vinyl.


title: Face Dances

text: Every song on this album, with the exception of "Daily Records", has been performed live by either the Who or one of its members' outside bands.


title: Face Dances

text: On the band's 1981 tour supporting the album, five songs were performed live: "You Better You Bet", "Don't Let Go the Coat", "The Quiet One", "Did You Steal My Money", and "Another Tricky Day". However, only "You Better You Bet", "The Quiet One" and "Another Tricky Day" were played after the tour.


title: Face Dances

text: "You Better You Bet" is one of the band's more famous live songs, being played in almost every tour following 1981, namely 1989, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2013, 2015, 2019, and 2022. Live performances of this song did not differ much from the studio arrangement, save for the guitar solo, which was usually played differently.


title: Face Dances

text: "The Quiet One" was written by Entwistle to replace "My Wife" on stage, and it did for the years of 1981 and 1982. However, in the later tours, it was not played again and "My Wife" was brought back.


title: Face Dances

text: "Did You Steal My Money" was only played four times on the 1981 tour, three of those times as an encore, and usually leading into another song.


title: Face Dances

text: "How Can You Do It Alone" was first performed live much earlier than the release date of the album. In fact, all of its live performances came before its release. In 1979, Townshend introduced this song with a different, faster arrangement with different lyrics during the encores of the US/Canada leg of the tour. It was played once more in 1980. A version more similar to the studio version (though still quite different) was played at a concert at the Cornwall Coliseum in St Austell on 30 January 1981. By that time, the lyrics had been more or less set in stone. However, it was never played again after that concert.


title: Face Dances

text: "Another Tricky Day" was also performed live first before 1981. Townshend introduced some lyrics of the song during a jam of "Dance It Away" in Los Angeles on the 1980 tour. 1981 performances of this song featured a lengthy jam at its conclusion, and these versions could reach as long as eight minutes. In 2002, this song was brought back for the North American tour as a tribute to Entwistle, who died right before the start of the tour. The song was played a few more times in 2004 as well, and was brought back for the second leg of the Hits Back! tour in 2022.


title: Face Dances

text: "Cache Cache" and "You" were never performed live by The Who, but Daltrey performed the former once on his 2009 "Use It or Lose It tour", while the John Entwistle Band sometimes played the latter during their concerts.


title: Face Dances

text: In the order they are presented on the sleeve (left to right, top to bottom), the pictures are painted by:


title: Boeing Insitu RQ-21 Blackjack

text: The Boeing Insitu RQ-21 Blackjack, company name Integrator, is an American unmanned air vehicle designed and built by Boeing Insitu to meet a United States Navy requirement for a small tactical unmanned air system (STUAS). It is a twin-boom, single-engine monoplane, designed as a supplement to the Boeing Scan Eagle. The Integrator weighs and uses the same launcher and recovery system as the Scan Eagle.


title: Boeing Insitu RQ-21 Blackjack

text: The RQ-21 was selected in June 2010 over the Raytheon Killer Bee, AAI Aerosonde, and General Dynamics/Elbit Systems Storm.


title: Boeing Insitu RQ-21 Blackjack

text: The RQ-21A Integrator first flew on 28 July 2012. On 10 September 2012, the Integrator entered developmental testing with a 66-minute flight. The Navy launched one using a pneumatic launcher and a recovery system known as Skyhook. This eliminates the need for runways and enables a safe recovery and expeditionary capability for tactical missions on land or sea. At the current testing rate, Initial Operational Capability (IOC) was expected in 2013.


title: Boeing Insitu RQ-21 Blackjack

text: On 10 February 2013, the Integrator completed its first at-sea flight from the USS "Mesa Verde", a "San Antonio"-class amphibious transport dock. This followed completing three months of land-based flights.


title: Boeing Insitu RQ-21 Blackjack

text: On 19 February 2013, Insitu completed the first flight of the RQ-21A Block II. It weighs and flew for 2 hours. It was controlled by a new ground control system meant to integrate dissimilar UAV systems. The Block II has the sensor from the Nighteagle, the night version of the ScanEagle, and is designed to operate in high-temperature environments.


title: Boeing Insitu RQ-21 Blackjack

text: On 15 May 2013, the Department of the Navy announced that the RQ-21A Integrator received Milestone C approval authorizing the start of low-rate initial production. With Milestone C approval, the Integrator entered production and deployment.


title: Boeing Insitu RQ-21 Blackjack

text: On 12 June 2013, the RQ-21A completed its first East Coast flight from Webster Field Annex, starting the next phase of tests for the Integrator. The UAV was launched with a pneumatic launcher, flew for 1.8 hours, and was recovered with an Insitu-built system known as the STUAS Recovery System (SRS), which allows safe recovery of the STUAS on land or at sea. This phase of testing was to validate updates made to the aircraft which include software, fuselage, and camera enhancements. The Integrator was test flown at lower density altitudes. Integrated Operational Test and Evaluation (IOT&E) was scheduled for October 2013.


title: Boeing Insitu RQ-21 Blackjack

text: In September 2013, the Integrator was renamed the RQ-21A Blackjack. On 28 November 2013, the U.S. Navy awarded Boeing Insitu an $8.8 million contract for one low-rate production aircraft in preparation for full-rate production.


title: Boeing Insitu RQ-21 Blackjack

text: In January 2014, the first low-rate production RQ-21A Blackjack began IOT&E for the U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps. Testing was conducted over the next several months to demonstrate its effectiveness in realistic combat conditions. The Navy ordered three Blackjack systems in December 2014. By July 2015, the Navy had received two Blackjack systems. In July 2018, the Marines phased out the RQ-7 Shadow in favor of the Blackjack.


title: Boeing Insitu RQ-21 Blackjack

text: The RQ-21A Blackjack is designed to support the U.S. Marine Corps by providing forward reconnaissance. A Blackjack system is composed of five air vehicles and two ground control systems. The air vehicles can be launched on land or on a ship by a rail and land using a "skyhook" recovery system, where a vertical wire must be hooked onto its wing; when on the ground, the launch and recovery systems are towable by vehicles. Its wingspan is and it can carry a payload. The day/night camera can achieve resolution rating of 7 on the NIIRS scale at .


title: Boeing Insitu RQ-21 Blackjack

text: The Marines are working with Insitu to modify the Blackjack fuselage to carry greater and more various payloads. Enlarging the fuselage would increase its maximum takeoff weight from to and lengthen endurance from 16 hours to 24 hours. New turrets are being explored as well as other payloads including a synthetic-aperture radar to track ground targets, a laser designator to mark targets for precision-guided munitions, and foliage-penetration capabilities for foreign customers operating in lush environments. The Office of Naval Research (ONR) plans to add a sensor to the Blackjack that combines an electro-optical camera, wide area imager, short wave infrared hyperspectral imager, and a high-resolution camera for use as an inspection sensor into a single payload by 2020.


title: Boeing Insitu RQ-21 Blackjack

text: In Marines service, the Blackjack sometimes uses the designation MQ-21, where the 'M' prefix indicates a multipurpose operations platform, versus the 'R' prefix indicating a primary reconnaissance mission.


title: Boeing Insitu RQ-21 Blackjack

text: The U.S. Marine Corps deployed its first RQ-21A Blackjack system to Afghanistan in late April 2014. One Blackjack system is composed of five air vehicles, two ground control systems, and launch and recovery support equipment. It supports intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) missions using multi-intelligence payloads including day and night full-motion video cameras, an infrared marker, a laser range finder, a communications relay package, and automatic identification system receivers. The models in Afghanistan were early operational capability (EOC) aircraft without shipboard software or testing. Deploying the aircraft on the ground was a method to detect and fix problems early to avoid delaying the project. The RQ-21 returned from its deployment on 10 September 2014 after flying nearly 1,000 hours in 119 days in theater. EOC Blackjacks will continue to be used for training, while completion of shipboard testing is planned to result in the system's first ship-based deployment in spring 2015.


title: Boeing Insitu RQ-21 Blackjack

text: The Marine Corps declared Initial Operational Capability (IOC) for the RQ-21A Blackjack in January 2016. During the summer of 2016, MARSOC deployed the RQ-21A to Iraq.


title: Boeing Insitu RQ-21 Blackjack

text: Full rate productions of the RQ-21A has been delayed because of serious system quality issues. The Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) issued reviews on the program in 2013, 2014, and 2015. The 2015 report indicates that many of these issues have not been resolved, despite OSD reporting issues in previous years. The 2015 report stated that the RQ-21A was "not operationally effective", "not operationally suitable", that the "system has exploitable cyber security vulnerabilities, and the overall assessment pointed out several major requirements failures.


title: Boeing Insitu RQ-21 Blackjack

text: The fielding of the RQ-21A Blackjack unmanned aerial system achieved full operational capability in 2019. In March 2020, the RQ-21A Blackjack team at Patuxent River was awarded the NAVAIR Commander's Award for Platform Team With Highest Readiness. In April 2021, the Naval Supply Systems Command Weapon Systems Support (NAVSUP WSS) Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) Integrated Weapon System Team (IWST) was able to support the achievement of both 100% Mission Capable (MC) and 100% Fully Mission Capable (FMC) rate for the UAS RQ-21A "Blackjack" platform; a feat rarely, if ever, seen by any Type Model Series.


title: 2010 Texas gubernatorial election

text: The 2010 Texas gubernatorial election was held on Tuesday, November 2, 2010, to elect the Governor of Texas. Incumbent Republican Governor Rick Perry ran successfully for election to a third consecutive term. He won the Republican primary against U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison and political newcomer, Debra Medina. The former mayor of Houston, Bill White, won the Democratic nomination. Kathie Glass, a lawyer from Houston and previous candidate for Texas Attorney General, won the Libertarian nomination. Deb Shafto was the nominee of the Texas Green Party. Andy Barron, an orthodontist from Lubbock, was a declared write-in candidate.


title: 2010 Texas gubernatorial election

text: Exit polls showed Perry winning Whites (71% to 29%), while White performed well among African Americans (88% to 12%) and Latinos (61% to 38%)


title: 2010 Texas gubernatorial election

text: Perry's fourth inauguration for a third full four-year term began on January 18, 2011, on the State Capitol South Grounds.


title: 2010 Texas gubernatorial election

text: Texas does not have term limits for its governors; thus, gubernatorial incumbents are free to run as often as they want if they are eligible for the office.


title: 2010 Texas gubernatorial election

text: The Republicans and Democrats chose their gubernatorial nominees based on the results of primary votes held on March 2, 2010 (the first Tuesday in March.) Both parties' candidates received at least 20 percent of the total votes cast for governor in the 2006 election; thus, they must nominate their candidates via primary election.


title: 2010 Texas gubernatorial election

text: Any third-party which obtains ballot access must nominate its candidates via a statewide convention, which by law must be held on June 12, 2010 (the second Saturday in June.) The Libertarian Party obtained ballot access automatically due to its 2008 showing, in which one of its nominees attracted over one million votes.


title: 2010 Texas gubernatorial election

text: In the primary election the party's winning candidate must garner a majority (over 50%) of votes cast; otherwise, the top two candidates face each other in a runoff election. However, in the general election, the winning candidate needs only a plurality of votes to be elected Governor (as was the case with the 2006 election and the 1990 election, in which Libertarian Jeff Daiell attracted over 129,000 votes).


title: 2010 Texas gubernatorial election

text: Independent and write-in candidates may seek ballot access; however, the criteria for such access are quite strict (see "Ballot Access" below). Nevertheless, in the 2006 election, two independent candidates, Carole Keeton Strayhorn, the Republican State Comptroller, and Kinky Friedman, a popular Texas country musician, obtained enough signatures to qualify. The Libertarian nominee, James Werner, was on the ballot automatically because of that party's Texas showing in the 2004 general election.


title: 2010 Texas gubernatorial election

text: Any political party whose candidate for governor, during the 2006 election, garnered at least 20 percent of the total votes cast, must nominate all its candidates for all offices sought via primary election. In the 2006 election, both the Democratic candidate (Chris Bell) and the Republican candidate (Rick Perry) received this many votes; thus, both parties must hold primary elections using the two-round system. The primary elections must be held on the first Tuesday in March, and a candidate must receive a majority of votes cast in the primary election; otherwise, a runoff election between the top two finishers must be held on the second Tuesday in April.