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# Sex (book) Sex is a 1992 coffee table book written by American singer Madonna, with photography by Steven Meisel Studio and Fabien Baron. It was edited by Glenn O'Brien and published by Warner Books, Maverick and Callaway. The book features adult content including softcore pornography and simulations of sexual acts including sadomasochism. Madonna developed Sex after Judith Regan of Simon & Schuster publishers suggested a book of erotic photographs. She wrote it as a character named "Mistress Dita", inspired by 1930s film actress Dita Parlo. It was influenced by punk rock and fashion figures including Guy Bourdin, Helmut Newton and Robert Mapplethorpe. The photos were shot in early 1992 in New York City and Miami, in locations including hotels, burlesque theaters, and city streets. The book includes cameos by actress Isabella Rossellini, rappers Big Daddy Kane and Vanilla Ice, model Naomi Campbell, gay porn star Joey Stefano, actor Udo Kier, and socialite Princess Tatiana von Fürstenberg. The cover is made of aluminium, spiral bound and wrapped in a Mylar sheet. Madonna's publishers were apprehensive about the release and the book's commercial potential. It was released on October 21, 1992, the day after Madonna's fifth studio album Erotica. A CD single was also packaged with the book which contained the song "Erotic", a song similar in composition to her similarly named single "Erotica". It sold over 150,000 copies on its first day in the United States, and topped the New York Times Best Seller list for three weeks. In a matter of days, Sex went on to sell more than 1.5 million copies worldwide and remains the best and fastest-selling coffee table book. It also remains as one of the most in-demand out-of-print publications of all time. Sex attracted extensive media attention and backlash, but Madonna remained unapologetic. Though it initially received negative reviews from fans and critics, who felt she had "gone too far", later reviews have been more positive, with academics deeming it a defining phase in Madonna's career. Sex is noted for its social and cultural impact and is considered a bold post-feminist work. ## Background and development According to Giselle Benatar of Entertainment Weekly, two versions explain how Madonna came up with the idea for the book. One is that she conceived the idea of an erotic photography book during the shooting of the film A League of Their Own in the summer of 1991. The other is that Judith Regan, vice-president and editor-in-chief of Simon & Schuster, armed with a proposal for a collection of photo-erotica, flew to Los Angeles in March 1991 to meet with Madonna and her manager Freddy DeMann. She verified Regan had not approached other celebrities with the concept as she was only interested in the project if it was a unique idea. By the end of the meeting Madonna had agreed "in principle" to do a book titled Madonna's Book of Erotica and Sexual Fantasies. She told Regan that DeMann would call her and work out the book's details. However, Madonna never got back to Regan who assumed she did not want to go ahead with the idea. Madonna's publicist Liz Rosenberg has never confirmed nor denied Regan's claim they had an agreement. According to Benatar, Madonna began working on Sex before wrapping up shooting A League of Their Own. At first, Warner Bros. Records and the executive directors of Time Warner were reluctant to allow Madonna to publish such a book, but finally agreed. Madonna had to sign a contract that forbade the book from including images of child pornography, bestiality, or religious imagery. Not long after signing the agreement, Madonna founded Maverick, a multi-media entertainment company in partnership with Time Warner. Since by contract she had total artistic control over any work released by Maverick, who were now the book's publisher, the agreement she signed with Time Warner over the content in Sex was null and void. Sex's stylized, sado-masochistic look had a range of influences from punk rock, to early fashion iconoclasts like Guy Bourdin and his surrealism, and Helmut Newton. Photographs from Brassaï's 1933 book Paris de nuit (Paris by Night) also inspired several of the book's series of images. The book was also influenced by Robert Mapplethorpe's infamous three-part XYZ portfolio, particularly the X portfolio. Madonna had considered using X as a title during the formative stages of Sex, but she changed her mind when promotion for Spike Lee's film Malcolm X began. (It was released three weeks after the book). She would go on to tell Vogue magazine: "We were gonna call it X [...] but then the whole thing with the Malcolm X movie started. At first I thought, 'Fuck it, it's a really good symbol and I thought of it first'. But I realized it might be confusing or look like I was copying Spike [Lee]. Besides, Sex is almost as powerful: it's universal, it doesn't need translation – and it's only two letters more than X." Madonna hired top-notch talent for the book's development, and counted on the help of friends from the music, film and fashion industry. She hired Fabien Baron as the art director, fashion photographer Steven Meisel, editor Glenn O'Brien, make-up artist Francois Nars and hairstylist Paul Cavaco. Madonna originally wanted the book to be an oval shape to simulate a condom, but its printing and manufacturing would have been too expensive. Meisel would later comment: "Madonna and I can keep up with each other", noting "I'm doing things to make people think too. It's not really to antagonize or to push people's buttons. It's really to present another way of seeing things." During the photo sessions for Sex, photographer Steven Meisel was accompanied by art director Fabion Baron who filmed the shoots on Super 8 film for use in the music video for the song "Erotica". The photo sessions took place in New York City and Miami. Locations in New York City included the Hotel Chelsea and Times Square's all-male burlesque Gaiety Theatre whose dancers participated in one of the book's photo sessions along with porn star Joey Stefano and actor Udo Kier. Many of the Miami photo sessions took place at Madonna's Coconut Grove mansion that she had recently purchased before beginning the Sex book project, while other sessions were done on several beaches and streets close to her home. One morning during the four-day Florida shoot Madonna was prancing naked around her 14-bedroom house in Miami when someone jokingly suggested she go out on the street, which she did on two occasions – topless with Vanilla Ice and completely nude while pretending to hitchhike. According to Baron on the street "cars screeched to a halt, motorists whistled, and one entranced cyclist fell off his bike". During the photo shoots Baron said, "[Madonna]'d do something crazy and then we'd come up with something even crazier". One of the most shocking photographs features two women in post-punk attire flanking Madonna with one of them holding a knife to her crotch. It was considered too violent to be used. While the book was being produced some of the photographs were stolen but were quickly recovered by the FBI. According to New York magazine, there were approximately 80,000 photographs taken for the book; only a handful of them were used. It took 15 days to print the book. The total production process took about eight months. Warner Bros. commented that Sex was very difficult to produce, requiring contributions from many printing companies. They noted that to make a profit the book needed to sell at least 350,000 copies. ## Design and content Wrapped and sealed in a polyethylene terephthalate (PET) Mylar bag, Sex has 128 pages and is spiral bound with an aluminium cover that has the word "Sex" stamped in the middle and a warning label. The front page shows Madonna against a sky blue backdrop. Three different types of paper were used for the printing. Madonna and Baron & Baron Inc. (consisting of Fabien Baron and the photographer Siung Fat Tjia), who also collaborated with her designing the cover art for her fifth studio album, Erotica, oversaw the design. As this was Maverick's first project, the packaging was crucial. Madonna had no faith in Warner Book's "mass-market" publication process, however, so Baron suggested they transfer the packaging job to Nicholas Callaway's bespoke Callaway Editions. Charles Melcher, the book's co-publisher with Callaway, said they usually published "exquisite art books, $100 high end, beautiful things". It was a challenge for them to process Madonna's ideas into reality. The artist wanted the packaging to be sealed, so the reader had to tear it open to read the book. They considered various kinds of clasps before deciding on a sealed bag as a reference to a condom package. The metal cover was Madonna's idea. She was inspired by the 1979 album Metal Box by Public Image Ltd. Melcher recalls, "We were talking about materials for the cover, and we went into her kitchen. [Madonna] pointed at the metal plate at the back of her stove and said, 'I want something like this'. I was very impressed with the way she interacted with her world to source things". The company bought about 1,500,000 pounds (680,000 kg) of aluminium, roughly a pound for each book. The designers oversaw the production of the front and back covers, which were stamped and anodized while the aluminium was rolling on a press. The book opens with the introduction: "Everything you are about to see and read is a fantasy, a dream, pretend." Throughout Sex, Madonna offers poems, stories, and essays. She used the pseudonym "Mistress Dita" as an homage to German actress Dita Parlo; her friends in the stories are Bunny, Dex, Stella, Chiclet and Stranger. According to biographer J. Randy Taraborrelli, a big part of the book reads like a letter to a pornographic magazine. Madonna wanted to explore the notion of power in Sex. Melcher said she wanted to talk about "gentle and hard, soft and violent [in Sex]. She was playing out all those elements in her book. That was reflected in the materials: uncoated, soft paper on the inside and hard metal coating on the outside". Like the text—which was mostly printed on the photographs—they are highly sexual and depict nudity, simulations of sexual acts, bondage, homosexuality and analingus, with accessories such as knives, whips, masks and chains; however, intercourse is never shown. Actress Isabella Rossellini, rappers Big Daddy Kane and Madonna's then-boyfriend Vanilla Ice, model Naomi Campbell, gay porn star Joey Stefano, actor Udo Kier, socialite Princess Tatiana von Fürstenberg, and nightclub owner Ingrid Casares and unknown models are featured in the book. Its heterosexual photos involve only Madonna and Vanilla Ice. Madonna herself is featured partially or completely naked. One of the book's most famous photographs shows a naked Madonna hitchhiking in Miami. The book also reflects Dita's perspective towards her own sexuality. She writes that her "pussy" is a temple of learning and exposing it, is really an homage to it. "It's hard to describe it smells like a baby to me fresh and full of life. I love my pussy, it is the complete summation of my life." Sex contains statements like "ass fucking is the most pleasurable way to get fucked and it hurts the most too". "There is something comforting about being tied up. Like when you were a baby and your mother strapped you in the car seat. She wanted you to be safe. It was an act of love". "I wouldn't want a penis. It would be like having a third leg. it seems like a contraption that would get in the way. I think I have a dick in my brain". Dita also points out "A lot of people are afraid to say what they want. That's why they don't get what they want". Since they recovered stolen pictures during the making of Sex, Madonna thanked the FBI for "rescuing photographs that would have made J. Edgar Hoover roll over" in the book's credits. ## Publication and promotion The book's imminent release caused a great deal of controversy. One photo showed a nude Madonna wearing a rabbit's tail, shaving the pubic hair of a naked man, and cavorting outdoors with a dog, suggesting bestiality. The Vatican urged its followers to boycott the book, saying that it was "morally intolerable". Indian customs officials said the book offended the country's public morality. The Press Trust of India (PTI), India's domestic news agency, quoted a top customs official as saying the book would be seized under a section of the Customs Act prohibiting entry of indecent literature. Citizens of Alexandria, Louisiana, filed a complaint with the city's police department on behalf of the Rapides Parish Chapter of the American Family Association, claiming Sex violated Louisiana's anti-obscenity laws. U.S. Southern Baptists did not want their Bibles printed on the same printing presses as Sex and threatened to stop doing business with the printer RR Donnelley. The Nashville-based Baptist Sunday School Board, a division of the Southern Baptist Convention, reviewed their $2.1 million ($ in dollars) printing contract with Donnelley. Board President James Draper said he was infuriated Donnelley printed "such an obscene book". Entertainment Tonight reported Madonna had initiated the mayhem with the explicit content in the music video for "Erotica", walking bare breasted at designer Jean Paul Gaultier's fashion show and posing nude in Vanity Fair magazine. A writer for The Sacramento Bee said that since the press wanted "controversy", Madonna was willing to give them "fodder" with her "antiques". Madonna claimed she was publishing Sex "to liberate America — free us all of our hang-ups". She told Spin: "We live in a very repressed society, and I deal with erotic themes. The point I try to make is: Why should we feel ashamed of our sexuality?". She stated later that the book "does not condone unsafe sexual practices". Nicholas Callaway of Callaway Arts & Entertainment said the book was "inevitably going to be controversial. The book explores every aspect of sexual fantasy. It's hard to calculate the effect, [but], Sex should be considered 'art'". It was rumored that Time Warner was nervous about the book's release, however, in an interview with Vanity Fair, William Sarnoff, president of Warner Books, said he felt Madonna "should pursue all avenues of creativity as she defines it". The Warner company said they would make sure Sex reached its target audience. They reminded the public the book was safely wrapped in a Mylar bag to prevent in-store peeping and contained a warning label. Michael Kilian of the Chicago Tribune published a tongue-in-cheek article on October 7, 1992, about the coming release: "Prepare thyself, [...], The mega-event of the millennium is to occur in precisely two weeks. It's an event far more mega than the November election, the collapse of communism or even the crowning of Leanza Cornett as the new Miss America." Kilian went on to write: "The word on the street (which is precisely where it belongs) is that this is the hottest Truly Twisted personal sexual fantasy picture book in all Christendom, that it goes far beyond all previous Truly Twisted personal sexual fantasy picture books-perhaps beyond all imagining what such a book could be. On October 15, Madonna threw a pre-release party at New York City's Industria Superstudio having signed all the invitations with "Dita" her Sex alter ego. She dressed as Little Bo Peep carrying a stuffed toy lamb. Madonna's publicist Liz Rosenberg expressed concern at first about "what the parents of America's impressionable teens will soon be thinking" of Madonna, but said that it "all depends on your idea of lovemaking, which in Madonna's case, should give new meaning to the word erotic". Waldenbooks and Barnes & Noble prepared corporate statements store managers could share with customers who were offended by Sex. (Both statements defended the right of bookstores to provide "diversity and choice" to customers, saying censorship is not the role of bookstores.) Many book stores stated the book would not be sold to anyone under 18 and it would only be on display behind the cash register. Bookstore owner David Epstein said, "The feeling of most people who have ordered the book is that Madonna is something special, that this is cutting-edge art [...] they're not the kind of people who are buying it because it's smut and dirty pictures. People are interested in it as art." Sex was released on October 21, 1992, the day after Madonna's fifth studio album Erotica. A comic book title Dita in The Chelsea Girl and a promotional single titled "Erotic", wrapped in packaging representing a condom wrapper, was included with the book. "Erotic", a stripped-down arrangement of the song "Erotica", offered an alternate vocal take not used on the album version. Upon its release, the book was banned in India, Ireland, Japan and some Australian states. Given the controversy surrounding the book there was no need for Madonna to promote it. One of the few promotions she did, however, was to appear on the cover of the October edition of Vogue, dressed in "Hippie trip" fashion. These photographs were taken by Meisel. On October 22, 1992, MTV aired a special called The Day in Madonna, hosted by Kurt Loder (a pun on the title of their daily show The Day in Rock). It profiled the release of Madonna's Sex and her album Erotica, even taking the book to the streets to allow people, including a sex therapist and a group of real-life New York City dominatrices, to view it. MTV also interviewed people who had looked at the book on the day of its release at the HMV music store in New York City. To celebrate its release, the store held a Madonna look-alike contest and set up a booth where people could view the book for one dollar a minute, with the proceeds going to Lifebeat, the music industry organization founded to help fund AIDS research. ## Critical response Critics, conservative, feminist and anti-porn groups reacted negatively to the book because of its sexually explicit photographs, which many characterized as hardcore pornography. J. Randy Taraborrelli, in his biography of Madonna, wrote that much of the book appears surprising, not shocking. He derided the concept as childish and impetuous. Though Madonna insisted she was trying to demystify sexuality altogether, he believed she just wanted to publish pornographic text and pictures and get away with it: "She was being a brat, not a revolutionary." Author Lucy O'Brien declared the book a bold, harrowing exercise in frustration, and despite Madonna's attempt at invincibility, it appeared to be "a curious act of self-destruction". Anthony DeCurtis of Rolling Stone said "The overwhelming effect of the book is numbing". Describing the photographs as "derivative", he wrote that "Madonna herself seems far too eager to shock; that, not even prurient arousal, seems the ideal response the book tirelessly seeks. The potency of Sex's subject matter is dissipated by Madonna and Meisel's self-congratulatory – and silly – sense of their own 'bravery,' as if their naughty games were somehow revolutionary." Roger Catlin of the Hartford Courant said some passages from the book were "too dirty to quote ... even the funny ones". The Daily Beast said "the book is neither groundbreaking (save that it features a major star) nor particularly sexy [...] Sex is convincing only when it's playful, as when she appears nude in a Miami pizzeria, chewing a slice while a baffled customer looks on. Elsewhere, she's simply undressed with no place to go." Richard Harrington of The Washington Post, in a mixed review, wrote: "Is Sex shocking? Not really. Mostly because it's Madonna, and somehow we've come to expect this from her. Is Sex boring? Surprisingly, yes." British author Zoë Heller of The Independent wrote that it was "the women who once saw Madonna as a witty feminist role model who have been most alarmist about her latest pornographic incarnation ... Previously, they say, Madonna played with traditional images of feminine sexuality in a subversive, 'empowering' way. But now, with sado-masochism and rape fantasies, she has gone too far." Calvin Tomkins, author and art critic for The New Yorker, wrote that "unfortunately, the book is going to be mistaken for pornography". Vanity Fair deemed it "the dirtiest coffee table book to ever be published". Caryn James, in The New York Times, wrote: "There is plenty here to offend the meek (whips and chains), the self-righteous (gay men and lesbians), not to mention the tasteful (a tacky and cluttered art design)". The Times' Vicki Goldberg was dismissive, writing, "Unfortunately, not many of the images are very good photographically. Many are just pictures, or just porn." Writing for Spin, Bob Guccione, Jr. gave the book a particularly unfavorable review: > Madonna has overstayed her welcome. She's becoming the human equivalent of the Energizer Bunny, flashing us her breasts in every magazine that'll let her. [...] Her book Sex, is a rip-off. Because it's not about sex, it's more about a hatred of it. [...] The book is not erotic. It's all somehow, astonishingly, dead. As sexy as a body chart at the doctor's office. Because it's just as precise and soulless. [Sex] is a con job because instead of being flagrant pornography, it dresses itself up as Great Art. The text is pretentious and derives most, if not all, of its impact from the fact that it's Madonna talking, quite a lot... Any other model would sound no more or less coarse, just uninteresting. ## Commercial reception ### Pre-release With Sex, Madonna broke several worldwide records. The retail price of the book was $50 in the United States, or around $ in dollars. Across Europe, Sex was sold for £25 in the United Kingdom, and for pta 7500 in Spain (an equivalent of $70 at the time or $ in ). The most expensive sales were found in Argentina with a retail price of $89, which is about $ in dollars. The initial print run for the first edition was one million copies in five continents and in five languages. It set the record for the largest first printing of an illustrated book in publishing history. Callaway pointed out the book was an "unprecedented hit", because the print run of an average art book ranges between 5,000 and 10,000 units. Hundreds of copies of the book were pre-ordered, prompting book sellers to say that Sex was "shattering their sales records for advance purchases". John Robinson from Santa Cruz Sentinel informed that many booksellers agreed that "Sex sold, like nothing else before" and "they've never seen anything like it, especially for a $50 book". In Canada, H.B. Fenn and Company, distributors of Sex, reported an order for more than 45,000 copies from bookstores across the country by October 22. ### Release In the United States, Sex sold 150,000 copies on its release day, with additional 500,000 units a week later. The book also reached the number one on both The Washington Post and The New York Times Best Seller list, topping the latter for three weeks. By the end of the year, Sex ended among the Top 15 of the best-selling titles in the United States with sales of over 750,000 units. The book became a "huge bestseller" in Canada after a "careful review" by customs authorities according to Quill & Quire. It sold out 45,000 copies across the country, becoming one of the fastest-selling books in Canadian history. In the United Kingdom, Sex sold 100,000 copies in its first day, including 80,000 units in the first half an hour in London according to Creative Camera. Sex ended as the second best-selling hardcover book of 1992 in the UK, behind Andrew Morton's Diana biography. In France, Madonna held the record for the highest first-month sales for a book in history, before being surpassed by Thierry Meyssan with L'Effroyable Impasture in 2002. In Paris alone, 23,000 copies were sold in the first hour of release. Sex sold 7,220 units in Spain within its first two days, and 2,000 copies in the first five-hours in the city of Buenos Aires, Argentina. In Italy, the book moved 5,000 copies. By October 24, a spokeswoman for Australian distributors, Octopus Publishing, informed thousands of copies of Sex had been sold in Western Australia. Despite the censorship, Sex was able to sell 150,000 units of an edited version of the initial printing in Japan, topping the national best-selling list upon its release. According to the Chinese state newspaper, the book sold 5,000 copies in the first-week in the city of Shanghai alone. Although the book was censored shortly after its publication, several hundred of copies were sold in the Irish capital. Worldwide, the book sold 700,000 units in its first day. In summary, Sex went on to sell 1.5 million copies worldwide in a matter of days, becoming the fastest-selling coffee table book in history. It remains the best-selling coffee table book of all time. In 1999, Ed Brown from Fortune called Sex the best-selling illustrated book in history, further comparing that "for most publishers, selling 20,000 copies of a coffee-table book is a minor miracle". ### Reactions By December 1992, Paul Craig from McClatchy called it the biggest wonder of the year in literature. Giselle Benatar described Sex as "the publishing event of the century". A day prior its release, Tyra Braden of The Morning Call concluded that the book "might become a collector's item a few years down the road". Writing for San Francisco Chronicle in 1999, Joel Selvin noted the prices for the book on the web, ranging from $200 to $500 for sealed copies; ten times the original $50 cover price. According to Barry Walters from Rolling Stone in 2019, Sex remains one of the most in-demand out-of-print publications of all time. A long-lasting title at BookFinder.com's lists, Sex featured as the most requested out-of-print publication from 2011 to 2015. In their database, AbeBooks recalls: "The most famous out-of-print book of modern times is Madonna's Sex book, which remains in demand but the pop star refuses to republish it". ## Social impact and aftermath The book, though widely panned by the press, is regarded as one of the factors that shaped the social reaction and criticism of Madonna during the early 1990s. Her fifth studio album Erotica was affected by the negative press surrounding the book. In March 1993, Spin wrote an article praising the book. Months later in Mexico, social communicologist Nino Canún dedicated an episode of his morning talk show ¿Y usted qué opina? (English: So what's your opinion?), to Madonna. Some members of the audience, among them a priest, presented their arguments why The Girlie Show concert tour by "this morally clueless singer" should not be allowed in Mexico. Later, during the Mexican concert, in response to these comments, Madonna wore a charro sombrero and simulated an orgy with her dancers onstage. Continuing her provocative work, Madonna starred in the erotic thriller Body of Evidence, which features her fully nude engaging in simulated sexual acts. In March 1994, she was a guest on Late Show with David Letterman, used profanity, and handed Letterman a pair of her underwear asking him to smell it. The release of her sexually explicit works, and the aggressive appearance on Letterman led some critics to see Madonna as a sexual renegade. She also faced a strong negative reaction from critics and fans who commented that "she had gone too far" and that her career was over. Author Lucy O'Brien commented: > The perfect iconic goddess of True Blue had all gone. In the same way that sixties beauties like Nico, Marianne Faithfull and Brigitte Bardot set about destroying their beauty after they were famous, the very thing they felt limited them, Madonna annihilated hers. Within a few short years she moved from teasing flirtation to desperate sexual display. It is ironic that after the triumph of Like a Prayer, she hits this bathos. Being a blond again set her off in the wrong direction. It was as if with the Sex book she showed the underside of the Hollywood dream. Madonna responded to the huge backlash with the song "Human Nature", from her next album Bedtime Stories (1994), with the lyrics "Did I say something wrong? Oops, I didn't know I couldn't talk about sex," while declaring "And I'm not sorry. It's human nature." She later explained: "I wouldn't say I regret it. I've made mistakes and learned from them. Most people want to hear me say that I regret publishing my Sex book. I don't. The problem was releasing my Erotica album at the same time. I love that album and it got overlooked." In 2003, Madonna said: "I'm not apologizing in any shape or form [...] I was interested in pushing buttons and being rebellious and being mischievous and trying to bend the rules. There was a lot of irony in the Sex book and I am poking fun at a lot of things and I am being kind of silly and adolescent and I am being very f you, if a man can do it, I can do it." In 2002, Naomi Campbell said she had "a lot of respect for Madonna being bold enough to come out and do a book on sex. I've never reneged on that." In 2009, rapper Vanilla Ice confessed to being unhappy with the book once he saw it. "My friends were like, 'Dude, that's cool man', but I was like, 'I'm dating her, it's not cool to see your girlfriend with all these other people' [...] It kinda ruined the whole thing. I wonder what her kids think of that book? Here she is writing kids' books now but they're going to see it and go, 'Mommy, what were you thinking?'" Another of the book's models, actress Isabella Rossellini, told Out that she regretted her participation: "I don't think the book worked, even though the photos were extraordinary, and some of them quite memorable. I think there was a little bit of a moralistic sort of 'I'll teach you how to be free\!' – and that bothered the hell out of me." Later reviews of Sex have been more positive. The authors of The Porning of America: The Rise of Porn Culture, What It Means, and Where We Go from Here (2008) commented that "the book is particularly interesting in the way that, like many of Madonna's works, it portrays sex in terms of domination and power". Jane Raphaely, editor-in-chief of Cosmopolitan (South Africa) praised Madonna's "liberated behavior in Sex [...] the fact that she takes all forms of pornography and systematically demystifies it by putting it under her control", in an article in 1996. Brian McNair, author of Striptease Culture: Sex, Media and the Democratisation of Desire (2002) praised this period of Madonna's career, saying she had "porno elegance" and that "Sex is a cultural phenomenon of global proportions" which "established her iconic status and cultural influence". Priya Elan of The Guardian, wrote: "That the Sex book came after a record-breaking album and tour felt like a shrink-wrapped curve ball. But Madge was expressing something unique." Elan felt the book was part of a "slower reveal that began with confessional tracks such as 'Oh Father' (from 1989's Like a Prayer) and continued with the many scenes of narcissism captured in In Bed With Madonna". ## Legacy Several writers consider Sex a bold, post-feminist work of art besides being labeled a "cultural book". Martin Amis of The Observer wrote an essay discussing the book's cultural meaning. Critical theorist Douglas Kellner affirmed that with Sex "Madonna became herself, an artifact of pop culture". French academic writer Georges-Claude Guilbert described Sex as "one of the most successful publicity stunts in history", whereas Russell W. Belk, author of Handbook of Qualitative Research Methods in Marketing, feels its success was a product of marketing. Despite the negative feedback, sales of Sex generated more than US$20 million ($ million in dollars) for Madonna in 1992 from its first print-run. It was deemed as an "unprecedented entrepreneurial coup". Overall, Sex generated US$70 million in sales at retail. Taraborrelli commented in his book, Madonna: An Intimate Biography, that Madonna's friends knew the book and her behavior were a barrier to shield her from the world. She was tired of the extreme scrutiny from the public and media which she had provoked. Annoyed, Madonna fought back by creating the persona of a renegade, someone so outrageous as to defy explanation, someone found objectionable by most people. Taraborrelli said that in Madonna's view, "she had no other way of fighting back". According to some writers, Sex also helped Madonna make a name in the porn industry, and earned her the title of S\&M's first cultural ambassador earning her praise for recreating "porn-chic". Humberto Quiroga Lavié pointed out because Sex was considered pornographic that helped it to become a bestseller. Steve Bachmann, in his book Simulating Sex: Aesthetic Representations of Erotic Activity pointed out that "perhaps one of the most interesting aspects of Madonna's sexual phenomenon is the extent to which her book marked a new threshold in the pornographic franchise". McNair wrote in his book that, "Sex brought out the personal underground to the surface of pop culture". London art critic Sarah Kent wrote in Time Out that the timing of Sex was "impeccable. Obsession about the human body was in vogue. Along with Madonna's book were artist Andres Serrano's "cumming shots" and Jeff Koons' The Jeff Koons Handbook portraying fairy tale pictures of the artist having sex with his pornographic actor wife, Cicciolina. Sex has also become an important book in the LGBT community. Mark Blankenship, of the LGBT-oriented website New Now Next said that "literature changed forever" with the publishing of Sex. Madonna's portrayal of lesbian love scenes in the book sparked debates about her own sexual orientation. This was an adjunct to her public relationship with comedian Sandra Bernhard with whom she visited lesbian nightclubs and partied. The LGBT community felt it was an important portrayal for them. They debated whether Madonna was "ripping" them off for publicity. Carolin Grace of Diva said: "Madonna became meaningful in the early nineties, when Sex came out, and at that point lesbian culture was really changing." She felt women were coming out about their sexuality and the book's handling of the taboo issue was "a legacy, our contribution to the show", stressing "[t]he lesbian sub-cultural references borrowed by Madonna aren't our only possessions." O'Brien argues in her book Madonna: Like an Icon, the book had a confusing philosophy. According to female critics, who pointed out the vacuousness of Madonna's remarks about porn and abuse, she did not understand that behind the fantasies the "reality is too hard" for a woman to endure, referring to the daily hustles that women have to face in red light districts and brothels. The author felt that despite the courageous premise of genuine exploration of queer sex, the book crossed over into pornography and was a wrong portrayal for the community, while being flippant and commercial. She used the example of the death of pornographic actor Joey Stefano, one of the models in the book, from a drug overdose. Stefano had been thrilled to be a part of the book but was underpaid. Once Madonna and her team were done with the shoot, "they packed up and left the Gaiety... They left behind the mundane reality and the boys who have to deal with it seven days a week". In 2017, Matthew Jacobs from the HuffPost wrote that it was "an audacious thesis statement, calculated enough to piss people off but seemly enough to maintain artistic integrity. No one today would dare emulate it", calling it "the most radical career move a pop star has ever made". ### 30th anniversary Art Basel exhibition and Christie's auction From November 29 to December 4, 2022, Madonna partnered with Yves Saint Laurent for an art pop-up exhibition titled Sex by Madonna, at Art Basel in Miami Beach. Curated by Madonna and Anthony Vaccarello, large format prints from the book were shown in a temporarily constructed art gallery on the beach. 800 copies of the Sex book were re-issued, with a handful personally signed by Madonna. The price ranged from $1500–3000 and the signed copies were held up for auction, to raise proceeds for Raising Malawi. Various celebrities attended the event. On May 10, 2023, Christie's announced a collaborative auction on October 6, 2023, with Madonna and Steven Meisel titled Madonna x Meisel – the SEX photographs. The auction will feature over 40 photographs that will go on sale, with proceeds going to Madonna's charity Raising Malawi. Darius Himes, Christie's Deputy Chairman describes the photos as sitting "at a moment in art history of the late 20th century that both summarizes a moment, playful and prescient, and hints at the future of public stardom driven by image-conscious figures. These images are nothing short of brilliant". ## In popular culture Sex has also become an object of modern culture references. American performance artist Ann Magnuson, who worked with Madonna on the 1985 film Desperately Seeking Susan, released a parody of the book's photo sessions, where she simulated sex with a giant stuffed bear. In 2010, writer-performer Greg Scarnici released a book titled Sex in Drag, which featured over 70 images parodying photos in Sex. In a deleted scene from a 1993 episode ("Krusty Gets Kancelled") of the animated sitcom The Simpsons, aired as part of "The Simpsons 138th Episode Spectacular", Krusty the Clown attempts to market a book like Sex to resolve his financial woes. He is seen in a suggestive pose on the front cover. Unlike Madonna, however, Krusty apparently never appeared fully nude, as he quickly claimed that he used a body double. In 2008, People magazine ranked Madonna's look and attire at the Sex pre-release party as one of her 50 Looks We Can't Forget. In April 2012, a nude picture of Madonna taken by Meisel was put up for sale. An outtake from the book, it features a naked Madonna sporting bleach-blonde hair and dark eye make-up; lying on a bed and partially covered by a sheet, she is smoking a cigarette. An unnamed collector purchased it for almost US$24,000 ($ in dollars). In 2015, Rolling Stone included the book on its list of 20 Great Moments in Rock Star Nudity. Author Keith Harris wrote that "no celebrity had ever commanded control over her own naked image so audaciously".

# Physical (Dua Lipa song) "Physical" is a song by English and Albanian singer Dua Lipa from her second studio album, Future Nostalgia (2020). Lipa wrote the song with Jason Evigan, Clarence Coffee Jr. and Sarah Hudson, taking inspiration from 1980s music and the 1983 film Flashdance. It was produced by Evigan and Koz, and stemmed from a Persian flute synth sample that was played by the former. An uptempo dance-pop, power pop and synth-pop song, the song features a chugging synth bassline, drums and various percussion instruments. Lipa uses a spoken word, belting and chanting vocal delivery. The lyrics describe the honeymoon phase of a relationship and the importance of trusting one's instincts. "Physical" was released through Warner Records for digital download and streaming as the album's second single on 31 January 2020. It was met with acclaim from music critics. Critics viewed the high energy of the song and Lipa's vocals as uniquely reinterpreting the 1980s era. It was nominated for Song of the Year at the 2021 Brit Awards and appeared on numerous 2020 year-end lists, including ones published by Billboard, The Guardian and NME. The song reached number one in Bulgaria, Croatia, Israel, Lebanon, Slovakia and Poland, and peaked in the top 10 of 17 additional countries, including the UK Singles Chart, where it peaked at number three, becoming Lipa's eighth UK top 10 single. The song is certified Gold or higher in sixteen countries including diamond in France and Poland and platinum in the UK. The accompanying high concept music video was directed by Spanish production team Canada, and is based on a Venn diagram by Swiss artist duo Peter Fischli and David Weiss from their series of works, Order and Cleanliness (1981). The video shows Lipa dancing in various coloured warehouse stage sets and features anime-inspired animation. The music video received praise from critics for its high-concept nature and rejection of heteronormativity. The video received numerous accolades, including Best Visual Effects at the 2020 MTV Video Music Awards. Further promotion came from the release of a 1980s-inspired workout video, in which Lipa is an aerobics class instructor as well as numerous remixes, including one featuring Hwasa as well as one by Mark Ronson featuring Gwen Stefani that appears on Lipa and the Blessed Madonna's remix album Club Future Nostalgia (2020). Lipa performed the song on numerous occasions, including at the 2021 Brit Awards, 2020 LOS40 Music Awards and 2020 NRJ Music Awards. ## Writing and production "Physical" was written by Lipa, Clarence Coffee Jr., Sarah Hudson, and its producer Jason Evigan. The song was inspired by 1980s music and the 1983 film Flashdance. It was created at Evigan's home studio in Tarzana, Los Angeles, where Hudson used a tarot card reading as an icebreaker for the session. Lipa wanted the track to be fun, upbeat, and unique from what was played by radio stations at the time, and she suggested the use of world music instruments. "Physical" thus started with a Persian flute sample Evigan played. Koz later fine-tuned the production, filtering down the volume of the flute sample, which was nearly excluded according to Evigan. Coffee Jr. and Hudson recorded backing vocals with Lipa, simultaneously in the same booth. Lipa described the writing process as a puzzle of collaborative ideas being put together, which Hudson noted down in all caps. Lyrics such as, "You got me feeling diamond rich / Nothing on this planet compares to it", were written with inspiration from the 1980s era. Lipa came up with the bridge melody when experimenting with a bedroom microphone. The "Let's get physical" line in the chorus of "Physical" is also used in Olivia Newton-John's 1981 song of the same name. However, the former was not based on it, although Lipa acknowledged afterwards that there is "definitely a nod" to the song. According to her, "Physical" was a "spur-of-the-moment kind of song, which at times had a Eurythmics vibe to it". The song was recorded at London's the Bunker at 13 and RAK Studios as well as Modulator Music in Toronto; the vocals were recorded at TaP Studio in London. Matty Green mixed the song at Studio 55 in Los Angeles and Chris Gehringer mastered it at Sterling Sound in Edgewater, New Jersey. ## Music and lyrics Musically, "Physical" is an uptempo dance-pop, power pop and synth-pop song with dance-rock, dark wave and Italo disco elements. The song has a length of 3:13, and is composed in time in the key of A minor, with an energetic tempo of 147 beats per minute and a looping chord progression of Am–F–C–G, the same used in Newton-John's song of the same name. The track has a structure of verse, bridge, chorus, verse, bridge, chorus, double middle eight, double chorus. Lipa's vocals range from A₃ to D₅. It has several 1980s and disco tropes in its production, which makes use of a synthwave bassline, techno and disco beats, as well as synth-pop instrumentals and grooves. It opens with a chugging synth bassline that plays an eighth note pattern, combining two sawtooth wave synths with an analogue modelling synthesizer and a heavily processed bass guitar. The drums have a simpler, repeating kick and snare sequence, but are accented with a shaker over the beat throughout the verses and tapping percussion in the build-up to the chorus. Lipa uses a deadpan delivery in a lower vocal register prior to the song's spoken word bridge. Prior to the chorus, a suction effect is used where the production briefly disappears before appearing again. The chorus is led by a synth flute similar to the Japanese shakuhachi instrument. The chords are introduced in this section alongside a cymbal, eighth note hi-hats, and various impact effects. Lipa belts each chorus which all end with her intensely chanting, "Come on / Let's get physical\!". In the middle eight, her vocals reach a higher register, changing her pleas to commands while building to an ending crescendo. Lyrically, "Physical" is a statement of purpose where Lipa celebrates the honeymoon phase in an intoxicating and lustful relationship. She sings about trusting her instincts, sex and female empowerment, in the sense where women are not waiting for a man to save them. ## Release and promotion Spotify first revealed the song's title in an advertisement for Future Nostalgia on 6 January 2020. On 22 and 23 January 2020, Lipa shared teaser images captioned with lyrics from "Physical" on social media. The single's cover art was shared on 24 January of that year and shows Lipa contortedly posing in a dress that has contrasting coloured animal print. On 28 January 2020, Lipa shared a teaser video on social media, featuring a 19-second snippet of the track. "Physical" was released for digital download and streaming as the album's second single on 30 January 2020. The song was sent for radio airplay in Italy on 14 February 2020. Lipa delivered her first live performance of "Physical" on 29 February 2020 at the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras. A vertical video for the song was released via Spotify on 14 March 2020. "Physical" was included as the fourth track on Future Nostalgia, released 27 March 2020. On 9 April 2020, a lyric video for the song was shared to YouTube. Lipa performed the song at her 27 November 2020 Studio 2054 livestream concert, as the sixth track on the setlist. On 5 December 2020, she performed it at both the 2020 LOS40 Music Awards and 2020 NRJ Music Awards as a medley with her 2020 single "Levitating". The song was included in a medley of Future Nostalgia tracks for Lipa's performance at the 2021 Brit Awards. It was included on the setlist of Lipa's 2022 Future Nostalgia Tour as the opening song. ## Critical reception "Physical" was met with acclaim from music critics. Chris Taylor of The Line of Best Fit called it "this decade's perfect workout song". Gigwise's Jordan Emery regarded the song among "the most well crafted and fun pop songs heard in recent memory", saying it "throws you around the room with its frenetic intensity". In his review for Entertainment Weekly, Marc Snetiker described the song as "immediately, irresistibly catchy". Music critic Peter Robinson referred to it as Lipa's best single since 2015's "Be the One", and said the former is "so powerful it could reverse Brexit". In The Irish Times, Louise Bruton called the song "riveting" and "a perfect pop song". Writing for The Boston Globe, Nora Princiotti viewed "Physical" as an "instant-classic" and a "spine-tingling endorphin blast" with a "huge chorus". The Daily Beast's Kevin Fallon thought it signaled the "old-meets-new, disco-meets-techno, electronica-meets-soulfulness" of the album. In his review for Pitchfork, Eric Torres wrote that the song's "vigorous chorus is as fit for the gym as the dancefloor" and appreciated that it "brushes past simplistic, imitative devotion". Music critic Maura Johnston expressed similar feelings, writing that "Physical" resisted "the urge to let familiarity do the heavy lifting" and the reference to Newton-John's track was "reinterpreted in exciting ways". Meanwhile, Jonathan Wright of God Is in the TV wrote that Lipa "manages to take the perhaps overused lyric, 'let's get physical' and deliver it with a thrilling energy". The Independent's Helen Brown favoured Lipa's vocals for being "muscular with authority" and said, "Each note gets down and gives her 20." Similarly, Conrad Duncan of Under the Radar appreciated the singer's "spirited" vocals, while Brad Garcia from Exclaim\! complimented the use of her higher vocal register and named it among Lipa's "strongest performances". Yasmin Cowan from Clash said Lipa is "ferocious in her execution" and succeeds in "putting her own feminist spin" on a "formulaic theme". Nick Malone of PopMatters described the song's imagery and production as "gleefully campy", and said it "confidently [toes] the line between taste and the total lack thereof", and "could aptly soundtrack both a high-speed chase montage and Jamie Lee Curtis in Perfect". In The New York Times, Caryn Ganz wrote that "Physical" is "not as iron-clad" as Lipa's previous single "Don't Start Now", but "has enough sizzle to winningly live up to the album's title". On the other hand, Sal Cinquemani of Slant Magazine called it "a bit of a bait-and-switch" for referencing Newton-John's "Physical", but viewing the song as akin to "the frenetic future-pop" of her 1983 song "Twist of Fate". Vulture's Craig Jenkins compared the chorus melody to that of Patti LaBelle's 1984 single "New Attitude". ## Awards and nominations "Physical" was nominated for International Song of the Year at the 2020 NRJ Music Awards and Song of the Year at the 2021 Brit Awards, while also winning the 2020 Popjustice £20 Music Prize and the 2020 OGAE Song Contest. The song also placed on numerous 2020 year-end lists, including unranked ones published by BuzzFeed, E\! News, Esquire, Glamour, Nylon and Thrillist. NME and Popjustice both thought it was 2020's second best song while Dazed ranked it at number five on their year-end list. It was placed at number 20 on Cosmopolitan's year-end list and number 18 on one published by i-D. The BBC and Billboard ranked it at number nine and 28 on their respective year-end lists. In Pitchfork, they published it as the 49th best song of 2020 while Stereogum placed it as the fifth best pop song of the year. In The Guardian, the song was hailed as the eighth best song of the year and the song placed on unranked lists published by the publication's writers Michael Cragg, Alexis Petridis, Dave Simpson and Kate Solomon. ## Commercial performance In February 2020, "Physical" debuted at number 12 on the UK Singles Chart, with first-week sales of 29,700 units. Following the release of Future Nostalgia, the song experienced a 30% sales increase and peaked at number three, selling 44,921 units. The track was Lipa's eighth single to chart in the top 10 of the UK Singles Chart and her fourteenth overall entry. The song spent a total of 24 weeks on the chart. In September 2022, "Physical" was certified double platinum by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) for track-equivalent sales of 1,200,000 units in the United Kingdom. In Ireland, "Physical" became Lipa's sixth single to reach the top 10 of the Irish Singles Chart and peaked at number two, being held off the top spot by Saint Jhn's track "Roses" (2016). In Australia, "Physical" debuted at number 30 on the ARIA Singles Chart issue dated 16 February 2020. Following Future Nostalgia's release, the song rose to a peak of number nine on the chart. It was awarded a double platinum certification from the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) for selling 140,000 track-equivalent units in the country. In New Zealand the song reached the sixteenth position and was awarded a platinum certification from Recorded Music NZ (RMNZ) for track-equivalent sales of 30,000 units in the country. On the German Singles Chart published by GfK Entertainment, the song debuted at number 39 and ultimately peaked at number 14. In Belgium, the song reached number two in the Wallonia region of the country and number three in the Flanders region. On the US Billboard Hot 100, "Physical" debuted at number 60, but was not released to radio in the country, and spent only two weeks on the chart. In Canada, the track peaked at number 54 on the Canadian Hot 100 and lasted for 11 weeks on the chart. The song was awarded a platinum certification in the former country from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and a triple platinum certification in the latter country from Music Canada. In the US it sold 1,000,000 track-equivalent units while in Canada it sold 240,000. The Hwasa remix peaked at number 127 on South Korea's Gaon Digital Chart. The track charted at number 38 in Brazil's monthly streaming chart, where it was later certified double diamond by Pro-Música Brasil for sales of 320,000 units. In September 2020, Billboard launched their Global 200 chart and "Physical" debuted at number 117. ## Music video ### Production and concept The music video for "Physical" was directed by Lope Serrano and Nicolás Méndez of the Catalan production company Canada. Lipa contacted Canada through their London office to direct the video, and it was filmed at Fira de Barcelona in Plaça d'Espanya, Barcelona. The video was shot over the time span of three 16-hour working days in December 2019. A budget of €500,000 was used for the production, which involved the hiring of about 80 staff and over 150 dancers, the majority of whom were Catalan professionals. The video was choreographed by Charm La'Donna. Ariadna Martín was hired as Lipa's stunt double, mainly for the scene which required balancing on a revolving stage that rotated at 60 km/h (37 mph). She had to dye her hair because there were no wigs available in Lipa's hair colour. The coloured pants in the video were created by Pepe Jeans London as part of the brand's SS20 Dua for Pepe Collection. The high-concept music video is based on a Venn diagram by Swiss artist duo Peter Fischli and David Weiss from their 1981 series of works Order and Cleanliness. The video matches four primary universal concepts in the diagram; human being, emotions, animals, and matter, to the four primary colours. Each concept is intersected to form new concepts such as technology and meat, and this results in the central concept of an orgasm forming. The dancers in each colour category all have individual slogans on the back of their shirts relating to each concept from the Venn diagram. The concept of the video was inspired by the song's increasing trajectory and crescendo, which Serrano likened to sexual arousal. According to Lipa, the video is about "the feeling of being alive, and coming together, and all those parts of you dancing at the same time and getting physical". ### Synopsis The video begins in a dark, red-lit setting, where Lipa walks towards a male dancer who takes off his jacket, pulling out a paper heart and blows it away. After Lipa puts her hand on his chest, the scene cuts to an anime-inspired animation, in which she pulls out the dancer's heart. Returning to the human scene, Lipa holds his light-emitting diode heart in her hand. The lights switch on and the two of them start to dance in a red circle with other dancers, while she throws his heart away. Cutting to the animation, two cardinals land on the heart in Lipa's hand, turning it into sparkling dust. Lipa is then shown in a human scene, licking her finger and wearing a Yves Saint Laurent black minidress. As the video progresses, Lipa dances in various coloured warehouse stage sets, changing the colour of her Helmut Lang tank top and Pepe Jeans London straight-cut jeans to match each set. She is next shown in a blue set, reclining in a sports car while people continue to dance and an animated heart beats. Lipa then dances with a group in the purple set and in an animation, presses her fingers into the heart. Returning to the blue set, Lipa and the male dancer run onto a plank and dance over a large hole. During the green set, she encounters a second version of herself and walks backwards towards a building while the set's dancers dance in single file. In the following yellow segment, Lipa rollerblades with the male dancer on a rotating platform. Their hands animate when they touch and sparkles from her eyes animate, forming a heart. For the climax, dancers from each colour set flood to the middle of the stage, forming a rainbow colour palette around Lipa. They dance together in mixed and same-gender couples. Serrano explained that in this final scene "all the colours (concepts) break their chromatic group obedience and meet together in a purely human celebration of lust and freedom and eclecticism". ### Release and reception Lipa first teased the music video on social media 15 December 2019, sharing a selfie in costume for it. She shared another photo of herself in costume for it on 16 January 2020, with the caption, "New music coming soon to a galaxy near you...". On 20 January 2020, she shared an image on social media of the sports car featured in the video, with the caption, "Remember the signs..." The music video was released to YouTube on 31 January 2020 at 05:00 PT (12:00 UTC). It was preceded by the release of teaser trailer on the platform, and two teaser clips shared on social media by Lipa. The trailer showed Lipa solving a Rubik's Cube while staring out of an apartment window. On 21 February 2020, a director's cut of the music video was shared via YouTube. Brian O'Flynn of i-D wrote that the music video marked the return of high-concept pop videos, calling it Lipa's "ascent to art girl glory", and appreciating its diversity, and rejection of heteronormativity. Brendan Wetmore of Paper said the visual "nearly broke gay Twitter". For MTV, Patrick Hosken felt the video manifested Lipa's newfound confidence as a singer and called it "an opus" with "eye-popping production detail". W magazine's Kyle Munzenreider viewed the music video as "a literal kaleidoscope of late '90s and early '00s music video signifiers simmered down to their essence and built up into something new". Rachel Hahn of Vogue said the fashion eschewed maximalist trends, while also favouring deceptive simplicity over extravagance. ### Accolades The music video for "Physical" placed on numerous year-end lists, including at number four in Elite Daily, number five in IndieWire, number six in Insider, number 13 in Idolator, as well as an unranked list published by Slant Magazine. The video also received numerous awards and nominations, including nominations for Best Video at the 2020 LOS40 Music Awards, Best International Video at the 2021 MVPA Awards, Video of the Year at the 2020 NRJ Music Awards and Favorite Music Video Choreography at the 2021 iHeartRadio Music Awards. It was nominated for Best Music Video and Best Cinematography at the Camerimage Music Video Awards in 2020 while placing in silver for both Best Achievement in Music Video Production and Best Music Promo Film at the Creative Circle Awards. At the 2020 MTV Video Music Awards, the video was nominated for Best Art Direction and Best Choreography as well as winning Best Visual Effects. It was nominated for Best Pop Video, Best Production Design in a Video, Best Styling in a Video and Best Editing in a Video at the 2020 UK Music Video Awards. ## Workout video A 1980s-inspired workout video for "Physical" was released to YouTube on 6 March 2020. It was directed by Daniel Carberry and filmed in New York City on 17 February 2020. The video was created as Lipa desired her own Jane Fonda-like workout video. Branded merchandise from the video was made available for purchase on Lipa's website the same day as the video's release. A version of the video mixed entirely in Sony's 360 Reality Audio from the usage of MPEG-H 3D Audio was released through Amazon Music, Tidal and Deezer. Lipa teased the release with several images on social media and a mock VHS cover art. The workout video begins with Lipa dressed in a yellow leotard, introducing herself as the instructor of Physical: Get Fit in Under 6. She starts the aerobics class with a breathing exercise and introduction of the attendees; Ginger Snap, Good Ol' Steve, Chitter & Chad, Extra-Va, Bruce the Juice, Sunny & Delight, Tardy B & Upset, and Shay & Dee. Their outfits are imprinted with manga versions of Lipa. Throughout the workout, she does several voice-overs of encouragement as they do routines such as the Hip Thruster, the Fonda, Step Back Step Touch, the Rump Shaker, and the Crybaby. The class also makes time for a water stop, with Lipa noting, "Make sure you stay hydrated during your workout." The video features various 1980s-style neon graphics and technicolour visual effects. Guy Pewsey of Grazia said the workout video surpassed "Physical" by Newton-John and "Call on Me" by Eric Prydz to become "without question, the most iconic fitness-themed music video of all time". Robin Murray of Clash described it as "tongue in cheek panache" and a homage to "the glory years of workout videos". Newsbeat reporter Steve Holden said Lipa helped lead a re-emergence of 1980s inspiration in pop music in 2020 with the video, calling it "a camp and colourful homage" to televised aerobics classes from the 1980s. In The New York Times, Joe Coscarelli wrote that the video's relevance was renewed during the COVID-19 pandemic. ## Remixes On 17 March 2020, a remix of the song, featuring South Korean singer Hwasa, was released. It features Hwasa singing the first verse in Korean and the bridge in English, while the middle eight is performed bilingually by both singers. An extended play (EP) for remixes of "Physical", including those by Ofenbach, Claptone and Erika de Casier was released on 25 March 2020. A remix of the song by Brazilian DJ Alok was released on 9 April. Lipa and Alok appeared together in an Instagram Live video to promote the remix's release. A remix of "Physical" by Mark Ronson, featuring Gwen Stefani is included on Lipa and the Blessed Madonna's DJ Mix crafted remix album, Club Future Nostalgia, released on 28 August 2020, while the unmixed version was released on 11 September 2020. An electro track, Ronson took apart the original intending for a Ruff Ryders direction, and electronic-R\&B mood. After being approached for a "Hollaback Girl" sample on Mr. Fingers' "Hallucinate" remix, Stefani expressed her desire to be on the album. Ronson and the Blessed Madonna quickly incorporated a place for her on "Physical", shortly thereafter. Stefani's vocals were produced and recorded by Lauren D'Elia at Westlake Recording Studios in Los Angeles. The remix was mixed by Brandon Bost. ## Awards ## Track listings - Digital download and streaming 1. "Physical" – 3:13 - Streaming – 360 reality audio 1. "Physical" (360 reality audio) – 5:39 - Digital download and streaming – Hwasa remix 1. "Physical" (featuring Hwasa) – 3:13 - Digital download and streaming – Alok remix 1. "Physical" (Alok remix) – 3:09 - Digital download and streaming – Mark Ronson remix 1. "Physical" (featuring Gwen Stefani) [Mark Ronson remix] – 3:06 - Digital EP – remixes 1. "Physical" (Ofenbach remix) – 2:53 2. "Physical" (Alok remix) – 3:09 3. "Physical" (Claptone remix) – 3:09 4. "Physical" (Erika de Casier remix) – 3:08 5. "Physical" (Leo Zero Disco remix) – 4:16 6. "Physical" (featuring Hwasa) – 3:13 ## Personnel - Dua Lipa – vocals - Jason Evigan – production, engineering, drums, synthesizer, vocal production - Koz – production, drums, synthesizer - Todd Clark – backing vocals - Clarence Coffee Jr. – backing vocals - Sarah Hudson – backing vocals - Lorna Blackwood – programming, vocal production - Gian Stone – engineering, vocal production - Daniel Moyler – engineering - Matt Snell – assistant engineering - Rafael "Come2Brazil" Fadal – additional engineering - Cameron Gower Poole – vocal engineering - Matty Green – mixing - Chris Gehringer – mastering - Will Quinell – mastering assistant ## Charts ### Weekly charts ### Monthly charts ### Year-end charts ## Certifications ## Release history ## See also - List of top 10 singles in 2020 (Australia) - List of UK top-ten singles in 2020 - List of Media Forest most-broadcast songs of the 2020s in Romania

# Let's Kill Hitler "Let's Kill Hitler" is the eighth episode of the sixth series of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, and was first broadcast on BBC One, Space and BBC America on 27 August 2011. It was written by Steven Moffat and directed by Richard Senior. In the episode, alien time traveller the Doctor (Matt Smith) and his companions Amy Pond (Karen Gillan) and her husband Rory Williams (Arthur Darvill) crash land in 1938 Berlin when the TARDIS is hijacked by Amy and Rory's childhood friend, Mels (Nina Toussaint-White). They accidentally save Adolf Hitler (Albert Welling) who was scheduled for torture by the Teselecta, a time-travelling justice department. When shot by Hitler, Mels unexpectedly regenerates into River Song, the grown version of Amy and Rory's child who had been taken away from them. As River is a criminal herself due to her future execution of the Doctor, the Teselecta pursue her instead, whilst the Doctor faces death from her poisoned lipstick. Moffat intended for "Let's Kill Hitler" to be more lighthearted than the series opener, and he intended to make fun of Hitler. The episode concludes many elements of River Song's arc. The episode was filmed around March and April 2011, although the opening sequence, set in a cornfield, was filmed much later in the final scenes shot for the series as the production crew had to wait for the corn to grow. Much of Berlin was filmed in Swansea, while the Temple of Peace in Cardiff was also used as a location. In the UK, the episode attracted 8.10 million viewers, the second most-watched episode of the series. Critical reception was mostly positive, though some were critical of the Teselecta and various aspects of the setting and characters. ## Plot ### Prequel On 15 August 2011, the BBC released a short "prequel" to "Let's Kill Hitler", written by Steven Moffat. In the prequel, Amy calls the Eleventh Doctor and leaves a message for the Doctor on the TARDIS's answer phone, begging him to find her child, Melody. Though Amy knows Melody will grow up to be River Song, she does not want to miss seeing her grow up. As she ends her message, it is revealed that a very upset Doctor was listening but did not pick up the phone, even though Amy had pleaded for him to. ### Synopsis In modern-day Leadworth, Amy and Rory create a crop circle to gain the Doctor's attention via its newspaper coverage. He arrives with his TARDIS, but Amy and Rory's childhood friend Mels coerces them to travel back in time to "kill Hitler". Inside the TARDIS, Mels fires a gun, damaging the TARDIS and sending it out of control. Back in 1938 Berlin, the Teselecta, a shape-changing, human-looking robot manned by a human crew from the future miniaturised inside it, is seeking to deliver justice on major criminals from the past by torturing them. The TARDIS crashes into Hitler's office as the Teselecta tortures Hitler and knocks over the Teselecta. Hitler shoots at the Teselecta, but accidentally hits Mels instead. As Rory locks Hitler in a cupboard, Mels regenerates, becoming the woman the Doctor knows as River Song. River, having been trained by her captors to kill the Doctor, kisses him with a poisonous lipstick which will kill the Doctor within the hour. The Doctor orders Amy and Rory to follow River, while he returns to the TARDIS. The Teselecta, aware that the Doctor's death in 2011 is a "fixed point in time", follows River, having identified her as a war criminal who is responsible for the Doctor's death. The dying Doctor, having become aware of the Teselecta's nature, stops the Teselecta from punishing River at the Hotel Adlon. The captain, Carter, speaks to the Doctor, informing him that River has been trained to kill him by the Silence, a religious order that believes that silence will fall when "the oldest question in the universe" is asked. Amy forces the crew to abandon the Teselecta. Amy, Rory, and River find the Doctor near death; the Doctor asks River to find "River Song" and give her a message, then whispers something in her ear before he dies. River, who at this point still only knows herself as Melody Pond, asks Amy who River Song is. Amy uses the Teselecta records to show her who she will become. With this, River sacrifices her remaining regenerations to bring the Doctor back to life, and passes out. The Doctor, Amy, and Rory take her to a hospital in the far future, leaving a diary as a gift by her bedside, and depart. Aboard the TARDIS, the Doctor has discovered the date of his death from the records aboard the Teselecta. ### Continuity This episode reveals the origins to several facets of the River Song character. Before transforming into River, Mels states that she was the young girl seen regenerating at the end of "Day of the Moon", becoming "a toddler" who presumably grew up to become Mels. River's worn TARDIS-coloured diary, which the Doctor and his companions have seen in her relative future, is given to her brand-new by the Doctor. The Doctor introduces her to the concept of "spoilers", seen originally in the Tenth Doctor story "Silence in the Library"/"Forest of the Dead", and becoming a virtual catchphrase for River. River's aptitude for flying the TARDIS—having been taught how by the machine itself—is demonstrated in "The Time of Angels"; River explains she "had lessons from the very best" (which the Doctor assumes refers to himself) and that the Doctor was "busy that day". The Teselecta crew consider River a wanted, dangerous criminal; River is shown being in prison in her personal future in "The Time of Angels" for killing "the best man I ever knew". In this episode's epilogue, River joins the Luna University to become an archaeologist, in order to find the Doctor. Her previous appearances (events which take place later in River's personal timeline) show that she will/has acquired her degrees. When River wakes up in hospital, the Doctor says "Rule One: The Doctor lies". This rule is 'repeated' by River herself in "The Big Bang", a future event in her own personal timeline. While activating the voice interface aboard the TARDIS, the Doctor is shown holograms of his former companions Rose Tyler (Billie Piper), Martha Jones (Freema Agyeman) and Donna Noble (Catherine Tate). He rejects these, as they all cause him guilt. He eventually settles on the young Amelia (Caitlin Blackwood), who also appears (in flashback scenes of Amy's past) interacting with a younger Mels and Rory. The young Amelia voice interface brings up "fish fingers and custard", an allusion to the Doctor's meal with the real Amelia in "The Eleventh Hour". The concept of "fixed points in time" has been explored before, such as in "The Fires of Pompeii". The supposed "state of temporal grace" within the TARDIS was previously asserted by the Fourth Doctor during The Hand of Fear (1976). ## Production ### Writing and casting Serving as the mid-series premiere, it is the opposite of the tone of the opening story "The Impossible Astronaut" / "Day of the Moon", which was "grim and dark". Writer Steven Moffat wanted to show Hitler in a comedic light and "take the mickey out of him" instead of making him "an icon of evil". He compared it to a scene in an Indiana Jones film which made fun of Hitler. Moffat enjoyed writing Mels' regeneration scene, finding comedy in her checking out her new body. He asserts that the episode is the beginning of River's story and shows how she became the woman the Doctor met in previous episodes. During the moments after her regeneration, River reenacts the iconic scene between Mrs Robinson (Anne Bancroft) and Benjamin (Dustin Hoffman) from the movie The Graduate, calling out to the Doctor "Hello, Benjamin". The camera angle is also a tribute to the film. The Doctor previously likened River to Mrs Robinson in "The Impossible Astronaut". The cast and crew felt that the costume and make-up artists did a good job with Albert Welling, as he looked so much like Hitler it was a "surreal" experience. Ella Kenion, who plays Harriet in this episode, later appeared in the Fourth Doctor audio drama The Wrath of the Iceni where she played Boudica. Arthur Darvill was pleased that his character, Rory, was more of an "action hero" in the episode. Before broadcast, actor Matt Smith stated that it was "maybe [his] favorite episode to date...it just rockets along". Smith's Doctor debuted his secondary jacket, a long dark-green military overcoat, for the first time in this episode. In an interview for the previous series concerning the Eleventh Doctor's costume, executive producer Piers Wenger said, "I think he'd really like to evolve it next series. He's really keen to have a coat." Smith explained that he wanted a coat because of the cold weather. ### Filming and effects The read-through for "Let's Kill Hitler" took place on 21 March 2011. The opening shots in the cornfield were the last ones filmed of the series on 11 July 2011. The scene was filmed last because the crew had to wait for the corn to grow; Moffat had written the scene in February. Much of Berlin was filmed in Swansea. Vintage vehicles from the period were used; Darvill loved the motorbike, although he was not allowed to ride it as it was the job of the stuntman. The Temple of Peace in Cardiff used in the episode for the German dinner party was also used for Karen Gillan's first Doctor Who appearance, when she played a Soothsayer in "The Fires of Pompeii". Smith, Gillan and Darvill had previously filmed in the Temple of Peace for "Cold Blood" in the previous series. Hitler's office was one of the biggest sets that had been built for the show. Typically it would have been filmed in a real building, but the TARDIS had to crash through the wall and thus the set had to be destroyed with an air cannon. The Large Hadron Collider in Switzerland was the inspiration for the design of the Teselecta corridors. One scene involving the Teselecta (disguised as a German soldier) chasing Amy and Rory on motorcycles through Berlin was cut from filming due to budget issues. AT\&T, who wanted to advertise in the United States broadcast of the episode on BBC America as a tie-in to their "Rethink possible" slogan, brought the idea of using a motion comic to create a bridging scene within the advertising break where this scene would have been placed. AT\&T and BBC America worked with Moffat and Senior to create the 60 second scene, which was animated by Double Barrel Motion Labs. ## Broadcast and reception "Let's Kill Hitler" was first broadcast on 27 August 2011 on BBC One in the United Kingdom. Internationally, it was broadcast in America on sister station BBC America on 27 August as well as on Space in Canada. Overnight ratings showed that the episode was watched by 6.2 million viewers on BBC One, the second most viewed show of the day behind The X Factor. The episode also came in at number one on the BBC iPlayer service the day after it aired as well as topping the requests on the service for the month of August with 0.99 million views. The episode also received an Appreciation Index of 85, considered "excellent". Final viewing figures came in at 8.10 million, the eleventh most watched programme of the week. It was also the second most-watched episode of the sixth series, behind "The Impossible Astronaut". Some viewers complained to the BBC believing they heard a German guard say the profanity "where the fuck is he?" However, the BBC stated he said, "Halt, was machen Sie?", which means "Stop, what are you doing?" in German. ### Critical reception The episode received mostly positive reviews from critics. Dan Martin, writing for The Guardian, was more pleased with "Let's Kill Hitler" as an opener than "A Good Man Goes to War" as a finale, and said it was "an energetic, timey-wimey tour de force with gags and flourishes like the car and the crop circles that still maintained a strong sense of what it was about". He also commended Alex Kingston's performance, saying that "she got to steal her every scene even more completely than usual, masterfully swerving the episode into a properly emotional final act". Martin later rated it the sixth best episode of the series, though the finale was not included in the list. He commented that it may be "divisive" amongst fans as it was criticised for not making sense to casual viewers of the programme, but Martin said he "loved it". Michael Hogan of The Daily Telegraph gave the episode four out of five stars, praising it for being "jam-packed full of ideas, twists, turns and wibbly-wobbly time-bending stuff" and "giddily thrilling entertainment, albeit rather exhausting". He also praised the way it allowed Rory to "finally find his niche". Writing for The Independent, Neela Debnath praised the lighter mood and "great slapstick moments". Though she thought the identity of Mels was "obvious to everyone but the characters", she said that Nina Toussaint-White was "excellent" and that "it was shame that she regenerated so early on because she brought a different energy to the character". Radio Times reviewer Patrick Mulkern, unlike Debnath, admitted that Mels' true identity "took [him] completely by surprise". He thought that a plot hole was generated in terms of what Melody did in between regenerating in 1969 and joining Amy and Rory, still as a child, 20 years later, but said that "the episode moves too fast for such quibbles to stick, and it is hilarious". Ken Tucker of Entertainment Weekly called it "a marvelously energetic, funny, clever, noble mid-season start" and praised the acting of Smith, Gillan, Darvill, and particularly Kingston, as well as the emotion that developed in the episode. IGN's Matt Risley gave the episode a score of 9 out of 10, saying that it was "arguably Moffat's most unashamedly fun Time Lord romp yet". While he praised the humour, plot and character development, he was critical of the Teselecta; though they "score[d] high on the sci-fi kitsch factor" they were "anything but memorable". SFX magazine critic Richard Edwards gave "Let's Kill Hitler" five out of five stars, thinking it "has to rank among the cleverest Who episodes Moffat has ever written". While he praised Kingston's performance, he wrote that "it's Matt Smith who steals the show, in one of his finest performances as the Doctor...he's utterly magnificent, whether acting the joker, or living out 32 minutes (ish) of death scene. The mix of optimism...and sadness is a tricky thing to pull off, yet Smith does it in a quintessentially Doctor way". Keith Phipps of The A.V. Club graded the episode as a B+, saying that he was "a bit divided". He praised Moffat's River Song arc, which made "the mind [reel]...in a good way", as well as the dialogue and "big concepts". On the other hand, he did not think the Teselecta's mission was developed and "as characters they seem kind of bland". What "really trouble[d]" him was that it did not have the "impact" of some previous episodes and he thought it unlikely that Amy and Rory were willing to quickly accept that they were meant to raise their daughter as a school friend. Jim Shelley of The Daily Mirror was also negative about the episode, especially towards Alex Kingston, who appeared to be acting while "the rest of the cast play their parts perfectly naturally". The Daily Telegraph reviewer Gavin Fuller said that Moffat "delivered a pacy romp" and praised the concept of the Teselecta, but was disappointed with the "wasted opportunity" of the setting. He thought that the setting offered "great dramatic potential" but was "little more than window dressing for the story". He also felt using Hitler as a comic relief "struck a wrong note given the nature of the man and the regime he led" and that it was "an odd way to treat such an historically significant character". He was also critical of Moffat's "seeming keenness to kill the regular cast in some way, shape or form". However, Entertainment Weekly's Tucker thought that it "didn't need Hitler to be an excellent [Doctor Who] episode". ## See also -

# Life Is Strange (video game) Life Is Strange is an episodic adventure game developed by Dontnod Entertainment and published by Square Enix. The first installment of the Life Is Strange series, the game was released in five episodes periodically throughout 2015 for PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Windows, Xbox 360, and Xbox One. It was ported to OS X and Linux in 2016, and iOS and Android in 2017 and 2018. The plot focuses on Max Caulfield, an 18-year-old photography student who discovers that she has the ability to rewind time at any moment, leading her every choice to enact the butterfly effect. The player's actions can alter the narrative as it unfolds, and the player can in many cases rewind time to choose a different option and thus reshape the story. Fetch quests and making environmental changes represent the forms of puzzle solving in addition to using branching choices for conversation. Development of the game began in April 2013. It was formed with an episodic structure in mind, for reasons both financial and creative. The developers conducted field research on the setting by traveling to the Pacific Northwest, and subverted known archetypes to make the characters. Player feedback influenced the adjustments made to the episodes. Story and character arc serve as the central point in the game. Life Is Strange received critical acclaim and was commended for its character development, rewind game mechanic, emotional depth, and tackling of taboo subjects. Criticisms included the slang that was used, poor lip-syncing, and tonal inconsistencies in the story. The game garnered over 75 Game of the Year awards and listings, and has reached 20 million players as of November 2023. A prequel, Life Is Strange: Before the Storm, was released in August 2017, while a remastered version of the game was released as part of the Life Is Strange Remastered Collection in February 2022. A direct sequel, Life Is Strange: Double Exposure, was released in October 2024. ## Gameplay Life Is Strange is a graphic adventure played from a third-person view. The player takes control of Max Caulfield, whose time rewinding ability allows the player to redo almost any action that has been taken. The player can examine and interact with objects, which enables puzzle solving in the form of fetch quests and making changes to the environment. Items that are collected before time travelling are kept in the inventory after the fact. The player can explore various locations in the fictional setting of Arcadia Bay and communicate with non-playable characters. Dialogue exchanges can be rewound while branching options are used for conversation. Once an event is reset, the details provided earlier are permitted to avail themselves in the future. In some instances, choices in dialogue alter and affect the story through short or long-term consequences. For each one of the choices, something good in the short term could turn out worse later. ## Plot In October 2013, 18-year-old Maxine "Max" Caulfield (Hannah Telle) returns to Arcadia Bay, Oregon to attend Blackwell Academy. During her class with photography teacher Mark Jefferson (Derek Phillips), Max experiences a catastrophic vision of a tornado destroying a lighthouse and approaching the town. Leaving for the restroom to regain her composure, she witnesses classmate Nathan Prescott (Nik Shriner) shoot and kill a young woman in a fit of rage. In a sudden effort, she develops the ability to rewind time and saves the woman, revealed to be her childhood friend Chloe Price (Ashly Burch). The two reunite and visit the lighthouse, where Max reveals to Chloe her powers. Strange weather and other anomalies begin to occur throughout Arcadia Bay. The next day, Max's class is halted when Kate Marsh (Dayeanne Hutton), a fellow student who is being bullied for a viral video depicting her kissing several students at a party, commits suicide by jumping off the roof of the girls' dorm. Max manages to rewind time and reaches the roof, giving her the opportunity to talk Kate down. Depending on the player's dialogue choices, Max can either save Kate, or fail to convince her to not jump. Ultimately, she resolves to uncover what happened to Kate and Chloe's missing friend Rachel Amber. Max and Chloe break into the principal's office that night, discovering multiple clues pointing to Nathan. The next morning, they sneak into the motorhome of drug dealer Frank Bowers (Daniel Bonjour), and learn that Rachel was in a relationship with Frank but kept it from Chloe. Max later examines a childhood photo of her and Chloe, but is suddenly transported to the day the picture was taken. She prevents Chloe's father William (Joe Ochman) from dying in a traffic collision, which inadvertently creates an alternative reality where William is alive but Chloe has been paralysed from the neck down as a result of her own accident. Heartbroken, Max uses the photo to undo her actions and return to the present day. Continuing their investigation, Max and Chloe discover a bunker under a derelict barn owned by the Prescotts, where they find a collection of binders filled with pictures of girls tied up. They find photos of Kate, and, much to their horror, find photos of Rachel's corpse being buried. Panicked, Max and Chloe head to a scrapyard, where they discover Rachel's remains, much to Chloe's despair. The two head to a school party to confront Nathan, but instead receive a text from him threatening to destroy the evidence. They hurry back to the scrapyard but are ambushed by Jefferson, who anaesthetises Max and kills Chloe with a gunshot to the head. Max wakes up in the bunker, where Jefferson has been drugging and photographing young girls to "capture the moment when innocence turns into corruption." Jefferson reveals that he took Nathan under his wing but killed him before abducting Max, and that Nathan gave Rachel an overdose when he tried to mimic Jefferson's work. Jefferson intends to murder Max after he has the photos of her that he wants. Max escapes into a photograph and emerges back at the beginning in Jefferson's class. She alerts David Madsen (Don McManus), Chloe's stepfather and Blackwell head of security, saving herself and Chloe and leading to the arrest of Jefferson and Nathan. Max is given the opportunity to go to San Francisco, traveling with Principal Wells instead of Jefferson, and have one of her photos displayed in an art gallery. She calls Chloe from the event, realising that, for all her effort, the storm has reached Arcadia Bay. Max travels back to the time at which she took the gallery photo, which eventually leads her to sojourn alternative realities as they devolve into a dreamscape nightmare. She reunites with Chloe at the lighthouse, where they confront the possibility that Max brought the storm into existence by saving Chloe from being shot by Nathan earlier in the week. Max must make a choice: rewind time and sacrifice Chloe's life to save Arcadia Bay, or stay in the timeline and spare Chloe but sacrifice Arcadia Bay. If Max chooses the former, she tearfully allows Chloe to be shot. Nathan and Jefferson are arrested, the storm never appears, and Chloe's death is mourned. If Max chooses the latter, the storm hits Arcadia Bay before ceasing. The pair then depart from the now-devastated town. ## Development Development of Life Is Strange began in April 2013 with a team of 15, and more people were added when the collaboration with Square Enix began. The episodes were originally aimed to release about 6 weeks apart. Dontnod co-founder Jean-Maxime Moris was originally the game's Creative Director. Dontnod told Square Enix London about Life Is Strange only after they had turned down a pitch for a larger game. Before signing with Square Enix, Life Is Strange was imagined as a full-length video game that Dontnod would self-publish. However, the publisher surmised that it would be more successful as an episodic title. The game was originally codenamed What If but the name was not used because of the film with the same name. A developer diary was published before release that said most prospective publishers were unwilling to publish a game unless it had a male protagonist. They said most publishers had the same objection to Dontnod's first project, Remember Me, which also had a female protagonist. Dontnod CEO Oskar Guilbert also challenged the idea at the start. The developers said Square Enix was the only publisher with no intention of changing this. Life Is Strange was born from the rewind mechanic idea, which the developer had already experimented on with their last game Remember Me. The lead character Max was created with the ability to rewind time to supplement this mechanism. The episodic format was decided upon by the studio for creative reasons, financial restrictions and marketing purposes, allowing them to tell the story in its preferred slow pace. The Pacific Northwest was picked as the setting for the purpose of conveying a nostalgic and autumnal feel. The development team visited the region, took photographs, looked at local newspapers and used Google Street View to make sure the environment was accurately portrayed. It was decided early on that most of the budget be spent on the writing and voice actors. The original story was written in French by Jean-Luc Cano, and converted into a game script by the co-directors and design team. It was subsequently handed over to Christian Divine and Cano to be fine tuned in English. Story and character development were highlighted over point-and-click puzzles, making choice and consequence integral to how the narrative unfolds. Hannah Telle auditioned for Max Caulfield in July 2014 and was offered the part; Ashly Burch auditioned for both Max and her given role Chloe Price. The recording sessions were done in Los Angeles, California, with the French developer brought in via Skype. The game has been compared to Remember Me, which holds significant differences but addresses similar themes of memory and identity. Life Is Strange was specified as an analogue look at human identity in contrast to Remember Me, the digital view of the same theme. Running on an improved version of Unreal Engine 3, it makes use of the tools and special effects like lighting and depth of field engineered for Remember Me as well as subsequent advances. Visual effects like post-processes, double exposure and overlapping screen space particles were used as an artistic approach to be displayed while the lead character rewinds time. The textures seen in the game were entirely hand painted, adapted to achieve what art director Michel Koch called "impressionistic rendering". Elements were adjusted based on player feedback, with influences like The Walking Dead, Gone Home and Heavy Rain in mind. Additional sources of inspiration include the visual novel Danganronpa, in terms of balancing gameplay and story, and the novel The Catcher in the Rye, whose protagonist Holden Caulfield shares a surname with Max, the game's lead. The characters were created using known archetypes, at first to establish an entry point for the player, and then to subvert them. For the sake of serving the realism, the supernatural elements were designed as a metaphor for the characters' inner conflict, and experts were consulted to tackle the subject of teen suicide. The score was composed by Jonathan Morali of the band Syd Matters. Inspired by modern indie folk music, the soundtrack was intended to inform the mood. The music contains a blend of licensed tracks and composed pieces. Featured artists include José González, Mogwai, Breton, Amanda Palmer, Brian Viglione, Bright Eyes, Message to Bears, Local Natives, Syd Matters, Sparklehorse, Angus & Julia Stone, alt-J, Mud Flow and Foals. ## Release Square Enix announced Life Is Strange at Gamescom on 11 August 2014. The episodes were released digitally on PC via Steam, PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4 via PlayStation Network, and Xbox 360 and Xbox One via Xbox Live between 30 January 2015 and 20 October 2015. Two season pass options were available for reduced prices, one with episode 1-5 and one with episode 2-5. A demo of the first 20 minutes was released simultaneously with episode 1 for consoles and later for PC. In November 2014, the publisher said they were interested in releasing physical copies of the game, but said that at that time they were "100 per cent focused on the digital release". One year later, the retail edition was set to be released for the PC, PS4 and Xbox One in North America on 19 January 2016 and in Europe on 22 January 2016; the limited edition had an artbook, the soundtrack, score, and a director's commentary. The director's commentary was also released as a free DLC. A Japanese dubbed version was released for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4 on 3 March 2016. Feral Interactive ported Life Is Strange for OS X, released on 16 June 2016, and Linux, released on 21 July 2016. That same day, the first episode was made indefinitely available for free on Linux, Windows, OS X, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360 and Xbox One. Life Is Strange was included on PlayStation Plus (for America and PAL regions) the month of June 2017. It was released for iOS between 14 December 2017 and 29 March 2018, and launched on Android on 18 July 2018, both ported by Black Wing Foundation. ## Reception Life Is Strange received critical acclaim. Metacritic reported that critical reception consisted of "generally favorable reviews". While some reviewers criticised the games's lip-syncing and use of dated slang, they lauded the character development and time travel component, suggesting that there should be more games like it. Eurogamer said it was "one of the best interactive story games of this generation" and Hardcore Gamer said it was the sleeper hit of 2015. Legendary Entertainment stated it received over 75 Game of the Year awards and listings. In April 2017, Xbox One UK ranked it first in its list of Xbox One games priced under £20. Game director Yoko Taro listed it as one of his favourite PlayStation 4 games. Kevin VanOrd of GameSpot said Episode 1: Chrysalis is "an involving slice of life that works because its situations eloquently capture a peculiar early-college state of mind", while Game Informer's Kimberley Wallace said the game's tackling of "subjects that are usually taboo for video games" was impressive. Destructoid's Brett Makedonski said the episode's strongest characteristic was exploration—both "self- and worldly". Mitch Dyer of IGN said the story was ultimately obstructed by its "laughable" script and "worse performances". In response to Episode 2: Out of Time, Polygon's Megan Farokhmanesh also said that the emphasis on self-exploration had considerable impact on the enjoyment of the game. Other critics said the ending was an "emotional high point" and that it brought meaning to the choices from both the first and second episodes. Mike Williams said in USgamer that the pacing of Episode 2: Out of Time was "slower and less exciting" than that of episode one. PopMatters' Eric Swain described the episode as generally sincere but containing moments that strained credibility. Adnan Riaz of Hardcore Gamer said Episode 3: Chaos Theory was a dramatic improvement that presented a "thrilling, poignant, fascinating and ... enticing" narrative whose outcome from past decisions also added a sense of realism. Peter Paras of Game Revolution complimented the character beats, particularly the development of Chloe Price, who he said "really comes into her own as [a] fully-formed character". Though GameSpot's Alexa Ray Corriea said that the fetch quests interfered with its emotional quality, the episode built up to a "killer cliffhanger" according to Farokhmanesh. GameZone's Matt Liebl said Episode 4: Dark Room was "easily the most emotional episode" and that the mystery of Rachel Amber had done a "tremendous job in keeping us hooked". Tom Hoggins of The Telegraph said the developer's venture into subjects like social division, online bullying, parental conflict and suicide were "bold". Critics said there were tonal problems, caused by the game's "cheap ways" of progressing the plot, such as character inconsistency and superfluous shock value. Critics were more favourable towards the episode's puzzles and relationships. They said the final episode, Polarized, had a "fitting conclusion" to the coming of age story of Max Caulfield and the relationship between the two leads was carried out successfully. One stealth sequence was described as "tedious" and "out-of-place" while other aspects inhabiting the same course of events were favoured. Reviewers were divided on the ending. ### Sales Life Is Strange reached one million sales in July 2015, having accumulated over 1.2 million unique players worldwide; the attach rate to units between the complete season and season pass proved to be "extremely strong", divulged Square Enix. The retail edition made seventh place in the top ten UK game sales chart for the week ending 23 January 2016. As of May 2017, it was purchased by 3 million unique players. By November 2023, the game had garnered "20 million total players". ### Awards In 2015, PlayStation Official Magazine recognized Life Is Strange in its Best Episodic Adventure category and Episode 2's conclusion in the Best Moment category. The end of Episode 2 was also runner-up for Best Moment or Sequence in Giant Bomb's 2015 Game of the Year Awards. The game ranked first on Vulture's Top 10 video games of 2015, second on Red Bull Games' Top 10 video games of 2015, fourth on Vice Canada's Top 20 video games of 2015, seventh on Polygon's Games of the Year 2015, eighth on Ars Technica's best video games of 2015, and tenth on Eurogamer's Top 10 video games of 2015 lists. New Statesman also named it Best Game on their Top 10 video games of 2015 list, while Apple labeled it Game of the Year at its Best of 2016 awards. At Destructoid's Best of 2015 Awards, Life Is Strange was nominated for Best Xbox One Game. It was runner-up for Best Adventure Game at Hardcore Gamer's Best of 2015 Awards. PlayStation Blog's Best of 2015 nominated the game for Best PS4 Game, and chose it as runner-up in the Best Story, Best Soundtrack, and Best Digital-Only Release classifications. It won New Games IP – PC/console and Use of Narrative at the Develop Industry Excellence Awards in 2015. At the Global Game Awards, Episode 1 won Best Adventure and Best Original Game, and came in second place for Best Story and Game of the Year. ## Legacy and impact After Life Is Strange achieved financial and commercial success, Dontnod Entertainment started to become more prominent in the video game industry; publishers pursued the studio for the first time, whereas they previously had to pursue publishers themselves. CEO Oskar Guilbert said that the game saved his company financially after the mediocre sales of Remember Me. The Washington Post noted it as passing the "Steven Spielberg test" for video games as an art form – that "video games will prove their worth as a potent storytelling art form 'when somebody confesses that they cried at level 17.'" – in their review. Fans speculated and made theories about the plot, as well as predicting part of a possible ending. In 2016, Square Enix sponsored its own "Everyday Heroes" photography contest, inspired by the game, offering a scholarship for the winning entry. Square Enix also coordinated with Parent Advocacy Coalition for Educational Rights (PACER) to support an anti-bullying initiative based on themes within the game and donated a total amount of $25,000. In July 2016, Legendary Digital Studios and Square Enix announced that they would be adapting Life Is Strange as a digital series. At the time of the announcement, they were meeting with potential writers for the series adaptation, which would be set in Arcadia Bay. In 2017, dj2 Entertainment sold the rights to the series to streaming service Hulu. Life Is Strange: Before the Storm, a prequel developed by Deck Nine, launched on 31 August 2017. Other games in the series featuring new locations and characters include Life Is Strange 2, released in September 2018, three months after the launch of its free spin-off The Awesome Adventures of Captain Spirit, and Life Is Strange: True Colors, released in September 2021. A comic book series of the same name, set after the "Sacrifice Arcadia Bay" ending of the game, was released by Titan Comics beginning November 2018. The comic is written by Emma Vieceli, with interior and cover art by Claudia Leonardi and colours by Andrea Izzo. Square Enix also partnered with Titan Comics to produce Life Is Strange: Welcome to Blackwell Academy, a tie-in book about Blackwell Academy and the town of Arcadia Bay, written by Matt Forbeck. Remastered versions of Life Is Strange and Before the Storm were released in February 2022 as Life Is Strange Remastered Collection on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows, Google Stadia and at a later date on Nintendo Switch. The remaster includes previously released content with updated visuals and gameplay puzzles, improved character animation, engine and lighting upgrades, and full facial motion capture. Developed by Deck Nine, Life Is Strange: Double Exposure features an older Max Caulfield who discovers the ability to experience two parallel timelines simultaneously as she tries to prevent the murder of her friend Safi. It was released on 29 October 2024, for Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5, and PC.

# Shine Ya Light "Shine Ya Light" is a song by English singer Rita Ora from her debut studio album, Ora (2012). The song was written by Chris Loco, Fraser T. Smith and LP, with the production handled by Loco and Smith. It was released as the third single from the album, serviced for radio airplay in the United Kingdom on 17 October 2012 by Columbia and Roc Nation. Containing a motivational message, it is an urban song blending dubstep and reggae influences. The song garnered positive reception from music critics, several of whom applauded its appeal and message. "Shine Ya Light" entered the top 30 of the record charts in Ireland, Scotland and the UK and attained a silver certification from the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) in the third country. The accompanying music video premiered on 27 October 2012. Directed by Emil Nava, the video is a tribute to Ora's homeland Kosovo, exploring her return and journey in Pristina. To promote the song, the singer performed it live at Jimmy Kimmel Live\! and on the ninth season of The X Factor UK in 2012. Other performances were broadcast during Vevo's Lift campaign as well as MTV's Unplugged series. ## Background and composition "Shine Ya Light" was written by Chris Loco, Fraser T. Smith and LP, and produced by Loco and Smith with assistance from Nikki Flores. The song's mastering was completed by Tom Coyne, with its mixing performed by Smith, who was further responsible for the programming with Loco. Other involved personnel included Anna Ugarte, who acted as the assistant engineer, as well as Beatriz Artola and Jim Caruana, who functioned as the recording engineers. "Shine Ya Light" was released as the third single of Ora's debut studio album Ora (2012). The song was serviced for radio airplay in the United Kingdom on 17 October 2012 and in Italy on 16 November. Several remixes, which were done by the 2 Bears, Bimbo Jones, Dannic and Gregor Salto, were released for digital download and streaming by Roc Nation as part of an extended play (EP) on 2 November 2012. In talking about the song, Ora elaborated: "[It] was one of those songs that I wanted to do that came from a different kind of world [...] You can hear my influences in it. Reggae is one of my big influences. I love mixing and matching genres. That's who I am. It feels good. It reminds me of an anthem." "Shine Ya Light" is an urban song, with dubstep and reggae influences, fusing a "poppy" sounding bridge, "rocky and gritty" chorus and a "reggae-esque" verse. The lyrics contain a motivational message as Ora sings "And we don't give up till we run out of desire". ## Reception "Shine Ya Light" was met with positive reception from music critics upon release. In reviewing Ora, Fred Thomas from AllMusic deemed the song, along with "How We Do (Party)" (2012) and "R.I.P." (2012), as "meticulously constructed anthems of partying, empowerment, and romance". Ryan Porter for Flare labelled the song as a "stadium slow jam". Julien Goncalves of Pure Charts praised the "street style", with it being reminiscent of Ora's previous singles from the album. Claudiu Petru Ciubotaru from Daily Magazine found the message of the song to be "for each of us, to shine [...] as much as possible". Hannah Crompton for River Online felt that "this song will not do as well as her previous tracks because it sounds so different and cannot be categorised into one genre of music". "Shine Ya Light" debuted at number 47 on the UK Singles Chart issue dated 10 November 2012 and reached its peak at number 10 a week later, standing as Ora's fifth charting single in the UK. In 2019, the song received a silver certification by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) for selling 200,000 units in the country. The song also reached number 10 on the Scottish Singles Chart and number 25 on the Irish Singles Chart. It was further listed at number 13 on the Billboard Euro Digital Song Sales ranking for the week ending 24 November 2012. ## Music video and promotion The official music video for "Shine Ya Light" was uploaded to Ora's YouTube channel on 27 October 2012, preceded by the release of a trailer on 25 September. A series of behind-the-scenes footage from various stages of filming the video was published on the aforementioned platform on 2 November 2012. Taking place in Ora's birthplace Pristina, Kosovo, the music video was filmed on five different settings across the city over two days. It was directed by British director Emil Nava, who also directed the video for the singer's previous single "R.I.P.". The attires worn by her in the visual included designs by French fashion designers Christian Louboutin and Jean Paul Gaultier. In talking about the video's location and given her Albanian heritage, Ora stated, "I can't explain to you what this means [...] This is the only place I wanted to shoot my video." During an interview with Rap-Up, the singer further explained, "I'm proud to kind of put [Kosovo] on the map [...] We are a very patriotic country, so we always try to mention us wherever we can because it's such a great place." The four-minute and eight-second video is a tribute to Ora's homeland Kosovo, exploring her return and journey in the country. It opens with a dark-lighted shot of Ora wearing a gold outfit and a baseball cap being introduced on stage to a cheering crowd of people. Next a close-up view of the singer wearing a kerchief over her mouth in the style of the Kosovo flag, positioned on top of a rooftop with a panorama view of Pristina behind her, is presented. She is then progressively shown with a dog on a leash walking across the streets, accompanied by a group of children. As the video continues, the singer performs from the back of a motorcycle as she and a group of other bikers ride down the city next to a police escort. These scenes are interspersed with shots of Pristina and several popular monuments. During the final scene, she is depicted on top of the Newborn monument performing to the song and dancing a traditional Albanian dance, also being surrounded by a large number of people. X. Alexander for Idolator praised the music video and felt that there "is a majorly positive vibe coming off [...] the accompanying visuals". Eric Diep from Complex complimented the video for "carry[ing] a motivational message, which [Ora] manag[ed] to convey". For Pure Charts, Julien Goncalves further wrote that "[she] sends a message of hope. It is therefore logical that she takes us to Pristina in Kosovo, her hometown." Courtney E. Smith for CBS News highlighted the singer's overall fashion and added that it "[is] almost as big a star as Kosovo". Darwin L. from MTV shared similar sentiments, applauding her fashion, writing that "it wouldn't be a Rita Ora video without a fashion show, right? Let's break it down\!" To promote the song, Ora provided several live performances of "Shine Ya Light" throughout 2012. She performed the song live on the American talk show Jimmy Kimmel Live\! in September and the ninth series of the British reality talent show of The X Factor in November. Footage of the singer performing the song was also broadcast during Vevo's Lift campaign in June as well as MTV's Unplugged series in September. ## Track listing - Digital download and streaming 1. "Shine Ya Light" – 3:30 - Digital download and streaming – Remixes 1. "Shine Ya Light" (The 2 Bears Full Length) – 5:29 2. "Shine Ya Light" (The Bimbo Jones Dub) – 7:11 3. "Shine Ya Light" (Dannic Club Mix) – 4:59 4. "Shine Ya Light" (Gregor Salto Remix) – 5:53 ## Charts ## Certifications ## Release history

# Venom Venom or zootoxin is a type of toxin produced by an animal that is actively delivered through a wound by means of a bite, sting, or similar action. The toxin is delivered through a specially evolved venom apparatus, such as fangs or a stinger, in a process called envenomation. Venom is often distinguished from poison, which is a toxin that is passively delivered by being ingested, inhaled, or absorbed through the skin, and toxungen, which is actively transferred to the external surface of another animal via a physical delivery mechanism. Venom has evolved in terrestrial and marine environments and in a wide variety of animals: both predators and prey, and both vertebrates and invertebrates. Venoms kill through the action of at least four major classes of toxin, namely necrotoxins and cytotoxins, which kill cells; neurotoxins, which affect nervous systems; myotoxins, which damage muscles; and haemotoxins, which disrupt blood clotting. Venomous animals cause tens of thousands of human deaths per year. Venoms are often complex mixtures of toxins of differing types. Toxins from venom are used to treat a wide range of medical conditions including thrombosis, arthritis, and some cancers. Studies in venomics are investigating the potential use of venom toxins for many other conditions. ## Evolution The use of venom across a wide variety of taxa is an example of convergent evolution. It is difficult to conclude exactly how this trait came to be so intensely widespread and diversified. The multigene families that encode the toxins of venomous animals are actively selected, creating more diverse toxins with specific functions. Venoms adapt to their environment and victims, evolving to become maximally efficient on a predator's particular prey (particularly the precise ion channels within the prey). Consequently, venoms become specialized to an animal's standard diet. ## Mechanisms Venoms cause their biological effects via the many toxins that they contain; some venoms are complex mixtures of toxins of differing types. Major classes of toxin in venoms include: - Necrotoxins, which cause necrosis (i.e., death) in the cells they encounter. The venoms of vipers and bees contain phospholipases; viper venoms often also contain trypsin-like serine proteases. - Neurotoxins, which primarily affect the nervous systems of animals, such as ion channel toxins. These are found in many venomous taxa, including black widow spiders, scorpions, box jellyfish, cone snails, centipedes and blue-ringed octopuses. - Myotoxins, which damage muscles by binding to a receptor. These small, basic peptides are found in snake (such as rattlesnake) and lizard venoms. - Cytotoxins, which kill individual cells and are found in the apitoxin of honey bees and the venom of black widow spiders. ## Taxonomic range Venom is widely distributed taxonomically, being found in both invertebrates and vertebrates, in aquatic and terrestrial animals, and among both predators and prey. The major groups of venomous animals are described below. ### Arthropods Venomous arthropods include spiders, which use fangs on their chelicerae to inject venom, and centipedes, which use forcipules—modified legs—to deliver venom, while scorpions and stinging insects inject venom with a sting. In bees and wasps, the stinger is a modified ovipositor (egg-laying device). In Polistes fuscatus, the female continuously releases a venom that contains a sex pheromone that induces copulatory behavior in males. In wasps such as Polistes exclamans, venom is used as an alarm pheromone, coordinating a response from the nest and attracting nearby wasps to attack the predator. In some species, such as Parischnogaster striatula, venom is applied all over the body as an antimicrobial protection. Many caterpillars have defensive venom glands associated with specialized bristles on the body called urticating hairs. These are usually merely irritating, but those of the Lonomia moth can be fatal to humans. Bees synthesize and employ an acidic venom (apitoxin) to defend their hives and food stores, whereas wasps use a chemically different venom to paralyse prey, so their prey remains alive to provision the food chambers of their young. The use of venom is much more widespread than just these examples; many other insects, such as true bugs and many ants, also produce venom. The ant species Polyrhachis dives uses venom topically for the sterilisation of pathogens. ### Other invertebrates There are venomous invertebrates in several phyla, including jellyfish such as the dangerous box jellyfish, the Portuguese man-of-war (a siphonophore) and sea anemones among the Cnidaria, sea urchins among the Echinodermata, and cone snails and cephalopods, including octopuses, among the Molluscs. ### Vertebrates #### Fish Venom is found in some 200 cartilaginous fishes, including stingrays, sharks, and chimaeras; the catfishes (about 1000 venomous species); and 11 clades of spiny-rayed fishes (Acanthomorpha), containing the scorpionfishes (over 300 species), stonefishes (over 80 species), gurnard perches, blennies, rabbitfishes, surgeonfishes, some velvetfishes, some toadfishes, coral crouchers, red velvetfishes, scats, rockfishes, deepwater scorpionfishes, waspfishes, weevers, and stargazers. #### Amphibians Some salamanders can extrude sharp venom-tipped ribs. Two frog species in Brazil have tiny spines around the crown of their skulls which, on impact, deliver venom into their targets. #### Reptiles Some 450 species of snake are venomous. Snake venom is produced by glands below the eye (the mandibular glands) and delivered to the target through tubular or channeled fangs. Snake venoms contain a variety of peptide toxins, including proteases, which hydrolyze protein peptide bonds; nucleases, which hydrolyze the phosphodiester bonds of DNA; and neurotoxins, which disrupt signalling in the nervous system. Snake venom causes symptoms including pain, swelling, tissue necrosis, low blood pressure, convulsions, haemorrhage (varying by species of snake), respiratory paralysis, kidney failure, coma, and death. Snake venom may have originated with duplication of genes that had been expressed in the salivary glands of ancestors. Venom is found in a few other reptiles such as the Mexican beaded lizard, the gila monster, and some monitor lizards, including the Komodo dragon. Mass spectrometry showed that the mixture of proteins present in their venom is as complex as the mixture of proteins found in snake venom. Some lizards possess a venom gland; they form a hypothetical clade, Toxicofera, containing the suborders Serpentes and Iguania and the families Varanidae, Anguidae, and Helodermatidae. #### Mammals Euchambersia, an extinct genus of therocephalians, is hypothesized to have had venom glands attached to its canine teeth. A few species of living mammals are venomous, including solenodons, shrews, the European mole, vampire bats, male platypuses, and slow lorises. Shrews have venomous saliva and most likely evolved their trait similarly to snakes. The presence of tarsal spurs akin to those of the platypus in many non-therian Mammaliaformes groups suggests that venom was an ancestral characteristic among mammals. Extensive research on platypuses shows that their toxin was initially formed from gene duplication, but data provides evidence that the further evolution of platypus venom does not rely as much on gene duplication as was once thought. Modified sweat glands are what evolved into platypus venom glands. Although it is proven that reptile and platypus venom have independently evolved, it is thought that there are certain protein structures that are favored to evolve into toxic molecules. This provides more evidence of why venom has become a homoplastic trait and why very different animals have convergently evolved. ## Venom and humans Envenomation resulted in 57,000 human deaths in 2013, down from 76,000 deaths in 1990. Venoms, found in over 173,000 species, have potential to treat a wide range of diseases, explored in over 5,000 scientific papers. In medicine, snake venom proteins are used to treat conditions including thrombosis, arthritis, and some cancers. Gila monster venom contains exenatide, used to treat type 2 diabetes. Solenopsins extracted from fire ant venom has demonstrated biomedical applications, ranging from cancer treatment to psoriasis. A branch of science, venomics, has been established to study the proteins associated with venom and how individual components of venom can be used for pharmaceutical means. ## Resistance Venom is used as a trophic weapon by many predator species. The coevolution between predators and prey is the driving force of venom resistance, which has evolved multiple times throughout the animal kingdom. The coevolution between venomous predators and venom-resistant prey has been described as a chemical arms race. Predator/prey pairs are expected to coevolve over long periods of time. As the predator capitalizes on susceptible individuals, the surviving individuals are limited to those able to evade predation. Resistance typically increases over time as the predator becomes increasingly unable to subdue resistant prey. The cost of developing venom resistance is high for both predator and prey. The payoff for the cost of physiological resistance is an increased chance of survival for prey, but it allows predators to expand into underutilised trophic niches. The California ground squirrel has varying degrees of resistance to the venom of the Northern Pacific rattlesnake. The resistance involves toxin scavenging and depends on the population. Where rattlesnake populations are denser, squirrel resistance is higher. Rattlesnakes have responded locally by increasing the effectiveness of their venom. The kingsnakes of the Americas are constrictors that prey on many venomous snakes. They have evolved resistance which does not vary with age or exposure. They are immune to the venom of snakes in their immediate environment, like copperheads, cottonmouths, and North American rattlesnakes, but not to the venom of, for example, king cobras or black mambas. Among marine animals, eels are resistant to sea snake venoms, which contain complex mixtures of neurotoxins, myotoxins, and nephrotoxins, varying according to species. Eels are especially resistant to the venom of sea snakes that specialise in feeding on them, implying coevolution; non-prey fishes have little resistance to sea snake venom. Clownfish always live among the tentacles of venomous sea anemones (an obligatory symbiosis for the fish), and are resistant to their venom. Only 10 known species of anemones are hosts to clownfish and only certain pairs of anemones and clownfish are compatible. All sea anemones produce venoms delivered through discharging nematocysts and mucous secretions. The toxins are composed of peptides and proteins. They are used to acquire prey and to deter predators by causing pain, loss of muscular coordination, and tissue damage. Clownfish have a protective mucus that acts as a chemical camouflage or macromolecular mimicry preventing "not self" recognition by the sea anemone and nematocyst discharge. Clownfish may acclimate their mucus to resemble that of a specific species of sea anemone. ## See also - Schmidt Sting Pain Index

# Annabel Breuer Annabel Breuer (born 23 October 1992) is a wheelchair fencer and 1.5 point wheelchair basketball player. She has played for SKV Ravensburg and Sabres Ulm in the German wheelchair basketball league. In December 2012 she was contracted to play for first division club RSV Lahn-Dill as well as Sabres Ulm. She has also played the national team, with which she won two European titles, was runner-up at 2010 World Championships, and won a gold medal at the 2012 Summer Paralympics in London. After the London Games, President Joachim Gauck awarded the team Germany's highest sporting honour, the Silbernes Lorbeerblatt (Silver Laurel Leaf). ## Biography Annabel Breuer was born on 23 October 1992. She lives with her three siblings, her parents and her dog in Birkenhardt, a small town in Swabia roughly halfway between Lake Constance and Ulm. She became a paraplegic as a result of an automotive accident when she was a child. Breuer started playing wheelchair fencing recreationally. She won silver at the 2006 Wheelchair Fencing World Cup in Turin at the age of 13. but was unable to participate in the 2008 Summer Paralympics in Beijing due to surgery on her spinal cord. At the 2009 European Championships in Warsaw she won gold with the German epee team, and silver and bronze in the singles. As a result, the German Sports Foundation named 16-year-old Breuer as its Junior Sportsman of the Year for 2009 in Disability Sport. She competed in the 2010 World Championships in Paris, but was placed fifth and did not medal. She was awarded the Hilde Frey Prize in 2011, and said that her goal was to be at the 2012 Summer Paralympic Games in London. Breuer attended the Paralympics in London, but as a wheelchair basketball player rather than as a fencer. She was introduced to the sport by a friend, and spotted by a national trainer. Breuer played for Sabines Ulm, where she was the only woman on a mixed gender side. She is classified as a 1.5 point player, but women get a 1.5 point bonus when playing on a mixed team, making her in effect a zero-point player. Her classification, along with her high technical acumen, means that she is a valuable asset on any team. Breuer was part of the German national team which won gold at the 2011 European Championships in Nazareth, Israel, defeating the Netherlands in the final, 48–42. In June 2012 she was named as one of the team that competed at the 2012 Summer Paralympic Games in London. In the Gold Medal match, the team faced the Australia women's national wheelchair basketball team, a team that had defeated them 48–46 in Sydney just a few months before. They defeated the Australians 44–58 in front of a crowd of over 12,000 at the North Greenwich Arena to win the gold medal, They were awarded another Silver Laurel Leaf by President Joachim Gauck in November 2012, and were again named Team of the Year for 2012. In a ceremony in Ulm, Breuer was congratulated by the Lord Mayor, Ivo Gönner, and her name was entered in the Golden Book of the city. In December 2012, it was announced that in addition to playing for second division Sabres Ulm, she would also play for five-time Champions League winning first division club RSV Lahn-Dill in 2013. As of February 2013, due to the constant interruptions to her education due to training and competitions, Breuer, who speaks English, French, German and Spanish, had yet to complete her final high school examinations at Matthias Erzberger school in Biberach. The German team claimed silver at the 2014 Women's World Wheelchair Basketball Championship in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, and beat the Netherlands in the 2015 European Championships, to claim its tenth European title. At the 2016 Paralympic Games, it won silver after losing the final to the United States. ## Achievements - 2006: Silver Wheelchair Fencing World Cup (Turin, Italy) - 2009: Gold (team), Silver and Bronze (individual) European Championships (Warsaw, Poland) - 2010: Silver World Championships (Birmingham, Great Britain) - 2011: Gold European Championships (Nazareth, Israel) - 2012: Gold Paralympic Games (London, England) - 2013: Silver European Championships (Frankfurt, Germany) - 2014: Silver at the World Championships (Toronto, Canada) - 2015: Gold at the European Championships (Worcester, England) - 2016: Silver at the Paralympic Games (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) ## Awards - 2009: Junior Sportsman of the Year in Disability Sport - 2012: Team of the Year - 2012: Silver Laurel Leaf - 2012: Entry in the Golden Book of the city of Ulm - 2015: Gold at the European Championships (Worcester, England)

# WXTV-DT WXTV-DT (channel 41) is a television station licensed to Paterson, New Jersey, United States, serving as the Univision outlet for the New York City area. It is one of two flagship stations of the Spanish-language network (the other being WLTV-DT in Miami–Fort Lauderdale). WXTV-DT is owned and operated by TelevisaUnivision alongside Newark-licensed UniMás outlet WFUT-DT (channel 68) and Smithtown, New York–licensed True Crime Network affiliate WFTY-DT (channel 67). The stations share studios on Frank W. Burr Boulevard in Teaneck, New Jersey; WXTV-DT and WFUT-DT share transmitter facilities at the Empire State Building in Midtown Manhattan. WXTV's programming is simulcast to Long Island on WFTY's third digital subchannel (virtual channel 67.3, UHF channel 23.3) from its transmitter in Middle Island, New York. ## History ### Channel... 37? In 1962, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) received two applications for the channel 37 allocation belonging to Paterson, New Jersey—one from the Spanish International Broadcasting Corporation, which at the time only owned two stations, and another from Progress Broadcasting, owner of WHOM (1480 AM). Additionally, use of channel 37 in Paterson had been contemplated for a potential educational station for northern New Jersey. However, even as the channel had picked up a further two interested parties by April 1963, it was not a broadcaster at all that drove the proceedings. The Vermilion River Observatory in Danville, Illinois, a radio astronomy facility, objected to any channel 37 facility being built—the channel having been allocated to 19 communities across the country—because their observatory was designed to detect signals in the 608–614 MHz range, coinciding with channel 37; using these frequencies, the observatory could detect specific types of radiation that existed at no other wavelength. The FCC, arguing that there was no other available channel for a station in Paterson, proposed initially to award no channel 37 station within 600 miles (970 km) of Danville and that all stations would have overnight broadcasts curtailed. An editorial in The New York Times called on the FCC to reserve the channel on a national basis for radio astronomy. In October 1963, the FCC opted to devote channel 37 entirely to radio astronomy uses until at least 1974 and announced it would allocate another channel to Paterson. The four channel 37 applicants—Spanish International Broadcasting Corporation, Progress Broadcasting, Bartell Broadcasters, and Trans-Tel—would have to wait until the FCC assigned another channel to Paterson. Originally, 66 was proposed, but by 1965, channel 41 had instead been assigned. Trans-Tel, which proposed a station airing programming for the tri-state area's Spanish-speaking and Black communities, came out the winner in a settlement that also saw Bartell drop out and Spanish International get the option to acquire 50 percent of the permit. This option was exercised in 1967. Initially planned to broadcast from the Empire State Building, construction was sped up when the FCC allowed the station—taking the call letters WXTV—to move its transmitter to the Cities Service Building until the World Trade Center was completed, becoming the first television station to use the mast and first broadcast station since 1950. The station went on the air August 4, 1968, from studios at 641 Main Street in Paterson, a property it leased from former mayor Frank X. Graves, Jr. The station focused on filmed programs from Mexico and Puerto Rico at the outset, though it also aired local news, and some English-language programming, primarily public affairs material for North Jersey, including a news wrap-up and election debates. Additionally, because the electricity supply to the Cities Service Building meant the transmitter could only be powered when the air conditioning and elevator systems were off, channel 41 could only broadcast at first in the evenings. ### Tower woes For several years, the location of the transmitter was a hot-button issue. Rene Anselmo, one of the founders of the Spanish International Network, claimed that when WXTV initially inquired as to space at the Empire State Building, it was told it would have to sign a 20-year lease. Because all of the other stations were scheduled to move to the World Trade Center, it opted to wait at the Cities Service Building. However, when the center neared completion, it began causing reception issues for WXTV, particularly because the Cities Service transmitter was closer to the towers than the other stations at the Empire State Building. The station blamed the Port of New York Authority for poor reception and implored viewers to complain to Austin Tobin; the Port Authority complained that the intention of channel 41's actions was to try and move its transmitter to the WTC. Claiming that the Port Authority was stalling on prior agreements to move the stations to the WTC, WXTV ran a full-page advertisement in the Daily News imploring viewers to "Wake Up\!" and declaring that "The Port Authority is killing your TV reception...and doesn't give a damn\!". It also threatened to sue the Port Authority; Anselmo wrote to FCC commissioner Robert E. Lee and the governors of New York and New Jersey asking for their intercession. The station was successful in getting FCC approval to operate from the World Trade Center in 1974, but delays continued for years. In April 1980, the Port Authority finally reached an agreement to allow WXTV and its direct competitor, WNJU-TV, to operate from its antenna site on the north tower. However, further pushbacks by the Port Authority over radiation concerns for visitors to the south tower's 107th-story observation deck led Anselmo to start a hunger strike in an RV parked at the base of the towers in May 1980. Finally, in June, an agreement was approved to allow WXTV and WNJU to broadcast from the tower. ### Growth In 1978, after ten years based in its city of license, WXTV announced it would move its studios to Secaucus, New Jersey, where they were consolidated with the station's Manhattan advertising offices. The move would save money and pay for the relocation of the transmitter to the World Trade Center. Meanwhile, as SIN became a pioneer in the use of television translators to extend its reach, WXTV soon began to spread outside of the New York City area. On May 3, 1980, a channel 35 translator went on the air in Philadelphia, which was followed by a second translator on channel 61 for Hartford, Connecticut, the next month. WXTV was not the only Spanish-language TV station for the New York market—WNJU was already on the air—and the two began a healthy competition for viewers. However, the mix of programs on SIN and Univision, which emphasized Mexican novelas, sometimes hurt WXTV in a market with more Dominicans, Puerto Ricans, and Cubans. This allowed WNJU to beat WXTV at times. In the late 1990s, WXTV made substantial strides in the general-market ratings. In February 1999, it topped WWOR-TV in total-day ratings, a historic first in New York; despite this, it had just $44 million in advertising revenue compared to $155 million for WWOR. The September 11, 2001, terror attacks on the World Trade Center did not affect WXTV's over-the-air signal, as WXTV's transmitter is located at the Empire State Building. The station had filed in 1989 to return there from the World Trade Center and completed the move in 1992. WXTV and WCBS-TV (channel 2), which had a full-powered backup transmitter at the Empire State Building, were the only major New York City stations whose over-the-air signals were not disrupted. For a time until the other English stations could re-establish emergency transmission bases at Empire or the Armstrong Tower, WXTV's anchors reported in both languages for viewers without pay access to local English stations; the station had also done so when the towers were bombed in 1993. ## Newscasts Local news began with the station, originally in the form of half-hour newscasts at 7 and 11 p.m. (later changed to 6 and 11). From 1981 to 1985, Enrique Gratas was WXTV's news director. In 1999, an hour-long morning newscast was added to the station's evening news broadcasts, the first Spanish-language morning news program in the New York market. In addition to the newscasts, the station produces news updates for Altice USA's News 12 Networks on weekdays. Since the late 1990s, as the Hispanic population in New York has grown, WXTV's ratings have grown to become competitive with the market's English-language stations. WXTV won the July 2008 sweeps period and also became the first Spanish-language television station to win all three evening slots (local newscasts at 6 and 11 and the national news at 6:30 pm). WXTV's 6 p.m. newscast was also No. 1 among the 25–54 demographic, followed by WABC-TV, WCBS-TV, WNJU, WNYW and WNBC. WXTV's 6 p.m. newscast ended the 2011 calendar year as the number-one newscast in that timeslot in the entire United States in any language among adults 18–49. In 2020, the late newscast, Solo a las Once (Only at 11), was retooled with an in-depth format. ### Notable current on-air staff - Adriana Vargas – weeknight anchor - Rafael Bello – weekday meteorologist and entertainment anchor ### Notable former on-air staff - María Celeste Arrarás - Daisy Fuentes - Denisse Oller - Rafael Pineda (retired in 2013) ## Technical information ### Subchannels ### Analog-to-digital conversion WXTV discontinued regular programming on its analog signal, over UHF channel 41, on June 12, 2009, as part of the federally mandated transition from analog to digital television; the station's digital signal remained on its pre-transition UHF channel 40, using virtual channel 41. In the incentive auction, WXTV's spectrum was sold for $198,965,211, and the station's license was consolidated onto one channel with co-owned WFUT.

# Jocelin of Wells Jocelin of Wells (died 19 November 1242) was a medieval Bishop of Bath (and Glastonbury). He was the brother of Hugh de Wells, who became Bishop of Lincoln. Jocelin became a canon of Wells Cathedral before 1200, and was elected bishop in 1206. During King John of England's dispute with Pope Innocent III, Jocelin at first remained with the king, but after the excommunication of John in late 1209, Jocelin went into exile. He returned to England in 1213, and was mentioned in Magna Carta in 1215. Jocelin was one of the bishops that crowned John's son Henry III, and throughout the rest of Jocelin's life was involved in royal administration. He was also active in his diocese, ordering construction on the cathedral at Wells, and issuing rules for his diocesan clergy. During his time as bishop, he settled a dispute between his diocese and Glastonbury Abbey that had started during the bishopric of his predecessor. The memorial brass on his tomb in Wells Cathedral is probably one of the earliest in England. ## Early life Jocelin born in Wells in Somerset, and was the son of Edward of Wells, a small landowner in the city of Wells. His brother Hugh de Wells, was archdeacon of Wells and Bishop of Lincoln. Some historians say that another relative, although the exact relationship is unknown, was Simon of Wells, who became Bishop of Chichester in 1207, but other historians dispute this. The name Jocelin Trotman or Thotman, by which he was occasionally known by some modern historians, only dates from the Margam Annals, and is not contemporary with his life. Jocelin was a royal justiciar in 1203, as well as the custodian of the vacant diocese of Lincoln. He was a royal clerk as well as a canon of Wells, becoming a canon and a deacon by 1200. The previous bishop of Wells died in 1205, and on 3 February 1206, Jocelin was elected bishop. He was consecrated on 28 May 1206, at Reading by Bishop William of Sainte-Mère-Eglise of London. It is unclear if the cathedral chapters of Bath and of Wells took the action on their own, or if King John was the driving force behind the election. ## Advisor to King John Jocelin was one of the main advisors of King John during the dispute with the pope over Stephen Langton's appointment to the Archbishopric of Canterbury. Jocelin did not immediately leave England after Pope Innocent III placed an interdict on England. Jocelin encouraged John to settle with Innocent in early 1209, worried that Innocent would expand the interdict into an excommunication, forcing John's advisors to choose between serving the king or obeying the pope. Nothing came of the negotiations, however. Jocelin did leave England when John was excommunicated in late 1209. Jocelin, along with Gilbert Glanvill, the Bishop of Rochester, was the subject of a mocking song on his conduct during the interdict. Jocelin and Hugh were in exile together in Bordeaux in 1212, but they both returned to England in May 1213, along with the other English bishops. Jocelin was one of the bishops in August 1214 who refused to pay a scutage to the king. In 1215, Jocelin sided with Stephen Langton and the barons, and Magna Charta lists Jocelin as one of the king's councillors. ## Henry III's reign Jocelin and Peter des Roches, the Bishop of Winchester, anointed and crowned King Henry III, the young son of John, after John's death. Later, Jocelin was present at the battle with Eustace the Monk in 1217, which helped to secure Henry's rule. Jocelin supported Hubert de Burgh's work of ejecting French forces from England and regaining control of royal castles seized by Falkes de Breauté and other barons. In 1218, Jocelin was one of the itinerant justiciars for southwestern England. In 1218 and 1219, Jocelin also ended the dispute between his diocese and Glastonbury Abbey. Jocelin gave up any claim to control of the abbey, and the abbey gave the bishopric a number of estates. Previously, the bishops, as part of their attempt to annexe Glastonbury to their bishopric, had been known as the Bishop of Bath and Glastonbury. They also had held the office of abbot. In 1218, as part of the settlement, a new abbot was elected at Glastonbury. The papacy had never acknowledged Jocelin's claiming of the title of abbot. The historian J. A. Robinson felt that as part of the settlement, Jocelin began to use the title Bishop of Bath and Wells, but another historian, David Knowles, disagreed. After 1223, Jocelin was a baron of the exchequer. In 1225 he served the king as head of one of the receivers of the tax of a fifteenth. After the dismissal of Walter Mauclerk as treasurer, at first Jocelin, along with Richard Poore, the Bishop of Durham, took over many of the treasurer's functions, but this did not last long, and after 1233, Jocelin no longer was involved with financial affairs. He occasionally witnessed charters, however. After the fall of Peter des Roches in April 1234, Jocelin was given control of the Wardrobe. After this, he appears less regularly in royal government, but he did witness the reconfirmation of Magna Carta in 1237. ## Diocesan affairs With his brother Hugh, Jocelin founded St. John's Hospital at Wells. Jocelin promulgated a set of constitutions for the diocese, ordered that his diocesan clergy reside in their benefices, and gave land and income to the cathedral school. Glastonbury Abbey complained of Jocelin that he plundered lands of the abbey. Jocelin was also involved in mediating between William de Blois, the Bishop of Worcester, and Tewkesbury Abbey over William's rights over the abbey. Jocelin finally settled the dispute in 1232. Jocelin funded the building of Wells Cathedral, begun at the east end in the Early English Gothic style under Reginald Fitz Jocelin. The nave was completed, the west front begun. The new cathedral was consecrated on 23 October 1239 by Jocelin. Other construction work undertaken by Jocelin included the cloisters and bishop's palace at Wells, and a manor house at Wookey. ## Death Jocelin died on 19 November 1242 at Wells and was buried in the choir of Wells Cathedral. He may have been the father of Nicholas of Wells. The memorial brass on his tomb is allegedly one of the earliest brasses in England. He employed the medieval architect Elias of Dereham as a household official.

# Istro-Romanians The Istro-Romanians ( or rumâri) are a Romance ethnic group native to or associated with the Istrian Peninsula. Historically, they inhabited vast parts of it, as well as the western side of the island of Krk until 1875. However, due to several factors such as the industrialization and modernization of Istria during the socialist regime of Yugoslavia, many Istro-Romanians emigrated to other places, be they Croatian cities such as Pula and Rijeka or places such as New York City, Trieste and Western Australia. The Istro-Romanians dwindled severely in number, being reduced to eight settlements on the Croatian side of Istria in which they do not represent the majority. It is known that the Istro-Romanians are actually not indigenous to Istria, since the differences between the Istro-Romanian language and the now extinct geographically close Dalmatian are notable. In addition, they count several similarities with the Transylvanian Romanians and Timok Vlachs, suggesting that the Istro-Romanians originate from the current areas west of Romania or Serbia. Although it is not known exactly how and when, the Istro-Romanians settled in Istria, where they would remain for centuries until they began to assimilate. Even now, with several associations and projects that aim to preserve their culture and with the support of both Croatian and Romanian governments, the Istro-Romanians are not officially recognized as a national minority. Although it has become widely popular and is now used almost exclusively, the term "Istro-Romanian" is a somewhat controversial scientific invention, which is not used by them to identify themselves. The Istro-Romanians prefer to use names derived from their native villages, which are Jesenovik, Kostrčani, Letaj, Nova Vas, Šušnjevica, Zankovci, the Brdo area and the isolated Žejane. Others also use "Vlach", but to refer to the entire Istro-Romanian population, the names rumâri and rumeri are often employed. Their language is highly similar to Romanian, both being part of the Eastern Romance languages family alongside Aromanian and Megleno-Romanian, all descending from Proto-Romanian. However, Romania regards these ethnic groups as part of a "broad definition" of what a Romanian is, which is debatable and does not have a widely accepted view. The Istro-Romanian culture has costumes, dances and songs with many similarities to those of Romania. Literature in Istro-Romanian is small, with the first book published in 1905. Historically, they were peasants and shepherds, with many of them being poor and without having received education until the 20th century. Today, the Istro-Romanian language has little use in education, media and religion, with Croatian imposing itself in these and other domains. They are so few that they have been described as "the smallest ethnolinguistic group in Europe". It is thought that if their situation does not change, the Istro-Romanians will disappear in the following decades. ## Names ### Endonym The term "Istro-Romanian" is commonly used among researchers and linguists to identify this Eastern Romance people from the Istrian Peninsula. However, it is a relatively recent creation from the middle of the 19th century based on geographic rather than scientific criteria. This denomination was used for the first time by the Romanian writer and historian Gheorghe Asachi (as istroromâni), and then by the Slovene philologist Franz Miklosich, (as istrischen Rumunen and istro-rumunisch), from which the name of the Istro-Romanian language and its speakers would be generalized. Nowadays, it is almost exclusively employed, and highlights the similarity of this language with the Romanian one. However, the Istro-Romanians do not identify with this name, and the use of "Istro-Romanian" outside the context of linguistics can be controversial until a certain point. Some people use the more recent name "Vlashki and Zheyanski language". To refer to themselves as a whole, the Istro-Romanians may use rumâri, derived from the Latin romanus. The similar rumeri is also used since the 17th century, but this endonym (internal name, used by the ethnic group in question) does not appear in documents until its reuse by the Istro-Romanian writer and professor Andrei Glavina and the Romanian historian Constantin Diculescu and then by the Romanian journalist and professor Alexandru Leca Morariu in the 20th century. Due to the influence of Romanian researchers, Istro-Romanians also use the Croatian word rumunji, especially in contact with foreigners. Given the weakness of Istro-Romanian national sentiment, some elder people call themselves Romanians or Romanian-speaking Croats or even Italians (except in Žejane) to differentiate themselves from the surrounding Croats. Many Istro-Romanians prefer to use a demonym derived from the name of their native village. For example, those from Šušnjevica use șușnevți and șușnevski or šušnjevski for their language, those from Nova Vas use novosani and novosanski or novošånski for their language, those from Kostrčani use costărčånți and those from the Brdo area use brijånski for their language. Generally, the Istro-Romanians from the villages south of the Učka mountain range also use the name vlåš (singular vlåh) and vlaška or vlaški for their language, taken from the South Slavic word "Vlach". On the other hand, in the northern village of Žejane, the only other one in which Istro-Romanian is spoken, jeianți or žejånci is used for the people and jeianski, žejanski or po jeianski cuvinta for the language. Croats also call them jeianci or vlaski, but the inhabitants of Žejane do not identify as Vlachs. ### Exonym The Istro-Romanians have been called in many ways by the peoples that lived alongside them or in their surroundings. One of the earliest exonyms (external names) used for Istro-Romanians is Ćići, given by the Croats. It appears in Latin documents in the form of chichii, in Italian ones first in the form of chichi and later as cici or cicci, and in German ones as tschizen, tschitzen, zitschen, tschitschen, ziegen and zische. There exist several theories on its etymological origin. It has been suggested that it could come from the Italian word cicaleccio, derived from the verb cicalare, meaning "insistent and confused (indistinct) talking", since Slavs could not understand the Istro-Romanians. The Croatian linguist Petar Šimunović similarly proposed as the possible origin the Croatian verb variations čičerati or čičarati, čačarat and k'ik'rat, all of which mean "speak". The Croatian linguist Josip Ribarić noted that Croats in Istria meant "speaking Istro-Romanian" when using the term čičerati, and the term drakulati (from draku, "dragon", "devil") was used in the villages of Male Mune and Vele Mune for the Istro-Romanian speech of Žejane. Šimunović also proposed the interrogative pronoun ći in the meaning "what?", while Ribarić proposed that the syllable či appeared in all the mentioned words that the Romance-speaking Vlachs often used and was unusual to the Slavs. In Istro-Romanian, as a result of secondary palatalization, t becomes ț ("c") in Šušnjevica and č in Nova Vas and Žejane, hence the term cincari or tsinstari could come from Vulgar Latin tsintsi (compare to Megleno-Romanian ținți), meaning "five" and deriving as tsintsi-ținți-cinci-činči-(n)-čiči-ćići. The also proposed derivation from the Slavic word čičā ("old man", "uncle") is improbable. Today, the ethnonym (name given to an ethnic group, be it internal or external) Ćići is imprecise, because it also refers to the Croats and Slovenes of the region of Ćićarija. Another name used by the Croats is Ćiribirci, believed to come from Istro-Romanian words čire (lat. qui ne, ține-cine-țire-cire-čire, who/you) and bire from bine (lat. bene, good), meaning a greeting "hold well". Since it is usually said as a joke, it may be offensive for some native speakers. Those of the island of Krk were often called by the local Croats as "Vlachs", commonly in negative context. Another name is "Vlach" (from Greek βλάχοι, in Latin documents vlachi, in Croatian and Serbian vlahi, later vlasi), used for the Istro-Romanians (including those in Krk) since the Middle Ages, but it has different meanings depending on the persons that used or use it and depending on the epoch. The Byzantines used it for all the Romance-speaking peoples in the Balkans, but in Croatian and Serbian documents it designated shepherds of any ethnicity from the territories inhabited by South Slavs. Today, in Greek, the term also denotes the Aromanians and the Megleno-Romanians, and in Serbian and Bulgarian, the Timok Vlachs. The term "Morlach" (in Greek μαυρόβλαχοι, in Latin moroulahi, in Croatian morlaci, in Italian morlacchi) was originally used for all the Western Vlachs, from which the Istro-Romanians may originate, but it also designated shepherds of other ethnicities, and is no longer used at present. More names have been used in the academic community for the Istro-Romanians. The erudite scientist Antonio Covaz called them rimgliani or vlahi d'Istria, rimljani being the term used by Croats and Serbs for Roman citizens. ## History ### Origins and arrival The first mention of a Romance-speaking population in Istria during the Middle Ages dates back to 940 when the Byzantine emperor Constantine VII reported in his De Administrando Imperio that there were Romance peoples in the peninsula which called themselves Romans although they did not come from Rome. Theories about the Istro-Romanians descending from a Roman indigenous population in Istria were initially supported by Italian and some Romanian researchers. However, this point of view is now refuted due to the similarities of the Istro-Romanians with the Romanians from the west of Romania and the Timok Valley and the differences with the geographically close Dalmatian language (now extinct). Two other dominant theories are distinguished. According to the theory of the Romanian philologist and linguist Ovid Densusianu, the Istro-Romanians originate from the southwest of Transylvania and Banat, and would have emigrated from there between the years 1000 and 1400. He bases this theory on language traits, for example, the simple intervocalic rhotacism (sound change that converts one consonant into a "R-like" sound) of [n] ([n]\> [r]) in the words of Latin origin, as in the Țara Moților dialect in Romania. In addition, there are Istro-Romanian popular stories about their arrival in Istria during the Middle Ages. According to local legends, there were seven caravans that came from Transylvania and settled in Istria, six south of the Učka and one north of it. This theory is also embraced by other scholars like Vasile Frățilă. Other authors say that the Istro-Romanians migrated much earlier, in the second half of the first millennium, before the start of the Hungarian influence on Romanian, since the Istro-Romanian language does not have these influences. Another theory, that of the Romanian linguist and philologist Sextil Pușcariu, claims a south Danubian origin for the Istro-Romanians, specifically in current Serbia, but with contact with the Romanians at the west of Romania. He places their separation from the other Eastern Romance peoples in the 13th century. With distinctions as to the exact location, Pușcariu's theory is also adopted by several scholars. There is also an intermediate theory belonging to Elena Scărlătoiu suggesting that the "great mass of Istro-Romanians" came from several nuclei in the center, west and northwest of Transylvania, as well as from the south of the Danube, namely, the area between the Timok Valley and Prizren. However, none of these hypotheses is universally accepted by the scientific community and therefore the question about the provenience of this people remains uncertain. Regardless of the place of origin, the Istro-Romanians are usually considered to be the last Eastern Romance people to break away from the others and migrate to the west, mainly becoming shepherds. Giuseppe Vassilich and Sextil Pușcariu consider that the old Istro-Romanians are attested in Byzantine documents under the name μαυρόβλαχοι, literally "black Vlach". Μαυρόβλαχοι has been romanized as moroulahi, morovlachi, moroblachi, morolachi, morlachi or murlachi in Italian, morlacchi, and in Croatian and Serbian, morlaci. Eventually, the use of "Vlach" in the different languages would also refer to Slavified Romanian shepherds, as well as shepherds in general, no matter of the ethnicity. The Istro-Romanians probably already arrived in Dalmatia as early as the 11th century considering that the names "Danulus" and "Negulus" found in documents of 1018 and 1070 respectively are most likely Romanian. ### Late Middle Ages and further During the following centuries, people of possible Istro-Romanian ethnicity in and around Istria will continue to be mentioned. In 1181, an abbess of the Patriarchate of Aquileia named Ermelinda reported the appearance of a person named Radul (considered a Romanian name by some) to whom lands have been attributed in what is now the Italian province of Friuli-Venezia Giulia. In the 14th century, Vlach shepherds are attested near the cities of Split, Trogir, Šibenik and Zadar, as well as in the islands of Rab, Pag and Krk. But the first clear and definitive attestation of the Istro-Romanian presence in Istria dates back from 1321, when a country of Vlachs was mentioned in the region where they now live. In a document of 1329 referring to Buzet in Istria, the name of one Vlach appears; Pasculus Chichio, a name derived from the exonym "Ćići" used by Croats for Istro-Romanians. It is known that during this century the Istro-Romanians used caravans to sell their dairy products and transport other goods. In the Ragusan trade, caseus vlachescus or vlachiscus (brença, cheese, as it appears in a document from 1357) was of such importance that it was also used as a payment method, and its price was set by the authorities. They also traded with salt on the Adriatic coast. In the 15th century, there were epidemics of devastating plague in Istria, and the Senate of the Republic of Venice, ruler of the peninsula, favored the settlement of Morlachs, as well South Slavs who escaped from the Ottoman Empire. Due to this, in 1449, Vlachs are mentioned in the Istrian town of Buje. The word cici first appeared as a proper ethnonym in a document of 1463. Based on names and other historical objects, it has been calculated that during this century, the Istro-Romanians formed about 15% of the Istrian population. In addition, the governor of the island of Krk since 1451, Ivan VII Frankopan, was in need of manpower. Therefore, during the second half of the 15th century, he started to settle the less populated or uninhabited parts, such as the western zone of the island, that is, in and around the areas of Dubašnica and Poljica and in the land between the castles of Dobrinj and Omišalj. Most of the settlers were Vlachs and Morlachs, who came from the south of the Velebit mountain range and around the Dinara mountain. The Croatian linguist and onomastics expert Petar Skok affirms that this people was composed of Romanian shepherds, as they preserved Romanian numbering until the 20th century. They crossed the Velebit Channel, in Italian, Canale della Morlacca ("Channel of the Morlach"), and settled in western Krk. Today, there are some toponyms such as Fȁreča (from Romanian ferece, fern), Fintȉra (from Romanian fîntînă, fountain) and Sekara (from Romanian secară, ryn) left in Krk. It is also known that the current Croatian dialect of Krk has a few Istro-Romanian loans, like špilišôr or špirišôr (from Romanian spin, "spine", + the suffix șor), a common name for the plant Sonchus whose leaves have small spines. It is thought that some of these Vlachs and Morlachs continued their way to Istria, where they settled, but like the other theories, this cannot be confirmed. By the year 1523, the Istro-Romanians were already referred to as cicerani or ciceliani by the Italian and Austrian chancelleries. Carsia, the former name of the region in which Žejane is located, was changed to Cicceria (now Ćićarija). In this century, they are spread almost everywhere inside the peninsula, especially in the areas of Žejane, Male Mune and Vele Mune, north of the Učka, as well as in Šušnjevica and other villages at the south of the mountain range, populating more than thirty settlements of varying sizes between 1510 and 1599. In a 1641 work about Istria, the scholar and bishop of Cittanova (now Novigrad) Giacomo Filippo Tomasini mentions the name morlaci, claiming that "they have their own language, which is in many words similar to Latin". During the 16th century, some Croatian writers saw the Istrian Vlachs as part of the same ethnic group as the Romanians from Trajanic Dacia, and considered Dacia as the "Morovlasca Zemlja" ("Morlach Country"). Also, the Italian monk Ireneo della Croce, in a work of Trieste of 1698, mentions people who, instead of using a Slavic language, speak a language composed of many Latin words that is similar to the Wallachian one. Later, he says that the chichi call themselves in their own language as rumeri. This word reflects the phonetic changes produced in the evolution from Latin to the Eastern Romance languages in general ([o] not accentuated \> [u], [a] accentuated followed by [n] + vowel \> [ɨ], represented in Italian as [e]) and one specific to Istro-Romanian: [n] simple intervocalic \> [r]. He also gave thirteen single nouns (like copra, goat, or lapte, milk), eight nouns with determiners and two sentences from their language with the Italian translation. This is the first attestation of the language apart from toponyms and person names, which had previously appeared in writings. It is assumed that during this time, the Istro-Romanians already extended to Trieste. The Istro-Romanians could be around 10,000 by these times. ### Assimilation and Austro-Hungarian rule During the 17th and 18th centuries, the Istro-Romanian population would begin to fall under the assimilation of the local population, only preserving its identity and language in the most densely populated settlements such as Žejane and the villages south of the Učka. The only thing left of the smallest settlements in the Croatian and Slovenian region of Ćićarija and the rest of Istria is the toponomy of the places, which proves that at some point, the Istro-Romanians were more widespread. Examples are Bolovani, Catun, Carbune, Floričići, Murari and Vlahi. Unlike the other Romance peoples such as the Romanians or the Aromanians, the Istro-Romanians did not suffer a national renaissance, probably due to the small size of their population and the influence of assimilation factors. It would not be until the time of the Revolutions of 1848 when Romanians from the two principalities (Wallachia and Moldavia) "discovered" this population in Istria. This would start a period of interest among Romanians to study and contact the Istro-Romanians. During this period, the amount of their population is estimated at 6,000. Towards the end of the 19th century, Istria was part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, of the Austrian Littoral crown land, and was inhabited by several ethnic groups, mainly Croats and Italians. The Istro-Romanians were not recognized as a national minority unlike other peoples. Actually, researchers of the time point the discrimination they suffer. The German linguist Gustav Weigand mentions that their schoolarization is very poor. Both Croats and Italians seek to assimilate them, and as a result, in the Istro-Romanian villages there are no schools in the Croatian or Italian languages, and even less in Istro-Romanian. Weigand's statement is partly contradicted by the fact that the Italians supported this demand, but they were less numerous than the Croats. Various authors mention that church services were given in Latin and Croatian, with priests striving to hinder the cultural development of the parishioners. It is estimated that between 1850 and 1859, there were 2,955 Istro-Romanians. Meanwhile, the Istro-Romanians of Krk had been suffering severe assimilation since long before and many of them abandoned their language. They disappeared completely in 1875 when Mate Bajčić Gašpović from Bajčići (near Poljica), the last person with knowledge of Istro-Romanian on the island, died. During this period, the Romanian media provoked activity in the area. In the newspaper Giovine pensiero of 27 October 1887, there was a request signed by many Istro-Romanians to establish a school teaching in the Romanian language. This was discussed in the autumn of 1888 in the Diet of Istria. The Croatian representative impugned the existence of the Istro-Romanians and tried to prove that they were Slavs. Although the subsequent proposals had the support of several Italian deputies, the Croatian majority rejected all of them. In 1905, a school teaching in Croatian was established, with little popularity among students despite the efforts of the priest of Šušnjevica. The Romanian ethnographer and folklorist Teodor Burada found in 1896 that poverty was high among Istro-Romanians during this time: pastoralism had fallen, zootechnics were neglected and agriculture was poorly productive. They started to cultivate vineyards, but they were destroyed by the grape phylloxera bug. A way to increase their income through the work in the soil was the cultivation of culinary sage, especially in Šušnjevica. The population of Istro-Romanians between 1880 and 1884 was composed by around 2,600 people. ### Italian annexation and interwar period At the beginning of the 20th century, the Istro-Romanian from Šušnjevica Andrei Glavina returned to Istria from Romania (where he studied at the Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iași) to awaken the identity of his people. This person is known for writing the first work entirely in Istro-Romanian in collaboration with Diculescu, Calindaru lu rumeri din Istrie (Calendar of the Romanians of Istria), published in 1905. During the first years of the century, he promoted campaigns in newspapers and tried to contact with deputies of Austria-Hungary, without success due to the Croatian pressure. Nevertheless, after the First World War, Istria was annexed to the Kingdom of Italy. Glavina made the same request again, which was accepted immediately. Glavina became leader of the school of Frascati-Susgnevizza (Šušnjevica), which was named Împăratul Traian (in Romanian, "Emperor Trajan") and became very popular, reaching 443 students at its peak. The textbooks were in Romanian and Italian, but the classes were taught in the local language. He also became mayor of the municipality of Valdarsa (an Italian name for Šušnjevica), a municipality created to unify all the Istro-Romanian villages south of the Učka, with 2,301 inhabitants during its establishment. He improved the economic conditions of the villages and worked on their infrastructure. Glavina died in 1925 from tuberculosis, which led to the closure of the school and its replacement by an Italian one. Due to his efforts for the preservation of the language and culture of the Istro-Romanians, Glavina is known as the "Apostle of the Istro-Romanians". Four years before his death, an Italian official census registered 1,644 ethnic Istro-Romanians in Istria. The municipality of Valdarsa continued to exist until 1947, Glavina being succeeded as mayor by Francesco Bellulovich, also from Šušnjevica. The interest and research on the part of Italian and Romanian academics continued. It is remarkable the work of Sextil Pușcariu, who published three volumes of his studies on the Istro-Romanians in 1906, 1926 and 1929, respectively. Morariu published in 1928 the second book in Istro-Romanian, Lu frati noștri: libru lu rumeri din Istrie (To our brothers: book of the Romanians of Istria). In 1932, Italy completed the recovery of the Arsa River (now Raša River) basin, a project that dates back to 1771, previously proposed by the Republic of Venice and the Austrian Empire. This improved the quality of life of the locals, but also caused certain immigrationist phenomena. There even was a project led by the Romanian academic Sever Pop [ro] in which he would take two Istro-Romanian children (one from Šušnjevica and one from Žejane) to Romania to educate them there (as happened with Glavina), with the aim of opening new Romanian schools in both villages. In 1934, a road was established connecting the municipality with Fiume (now Rijeka), and another one with Pisino (now Pazin) in 1941, thus reducing the isolation of the villages. The majority of the population was peasant, although there were also some sailors on the river. The last mayor of Valdarsa was Guglielmo Barchiesi. ### Second World War and postwar period It is known that during Second World War, the Istro-Romanians did not support the Italian expansion over Croatia and Slovenia. Žejane was later occupied by German-Italian forces on 5 May 1944, burning a large number of houses and farms. There, a concentration camp was established. In the Istro-Romanian villages, houses and especially churches were destroyed during the last phase of the Second World War by the Nazis as a reprisal for the actions of the Partisans. However, Italy's defeat resulted in most of Istria being passed to the new socialist Yugoslavia. Between 1945 and 1956, the Istrian-Dalmatian exodus occurred in which around 250,000 Italians were expelled from Istria, Dalmatia and Fiume. In the Istrian inland, Italians suffered mass killings (known as foibe massacres), property confiscations and hard forced labour. This greatly reduced the Romance-speaking population of Istria. After the establishment of the socialist regimes in Romania and Yugoslavia, the efforts, projects and support for the preservation of the Istro-Romanian culture were branded as fascist and were canceled. Immediately after the end of the war, the villages and Istria in general began to depopulate quickly. This may be due to the political and social changes that came when it united with other Croatian-speaking lands and the Yugoslav socialist regime, as well as the industrialization, modernization and urbanization of the place. The young villagers started to prefer industrial and service jobs, leaving the agricultural lifestyle of the villages. In addition, interethnic marriage became more common both for those who abandoned their hometowns and those who decided to stay. Regular and universal education and media in Croatian commenced to spread, and the Istro-Romanian language lost value. Barely 8 years after the Second World War, the villages had already lost more than a quarter of their population. Some Istro-Romanians also began to leave Istria completely and emigrate to other countries such as Australia, the United States, Canada, France and Italy (especially Trieste), a sizeable amount estimated to be composed by 500 people since 1945. Although weaker, interest in the Istro-Romanians continued after the war, now with Croats (like the linguist August Kovačec) studying them as well. Not much else is known about the life of the Istro-Romanians during this time since they only appeared in mainly linguistic articles, with practically no news about them. In 1961, there were approximately 1,140 Istro-Romanians (understanding by people with Istro-Romanian ancestry or able to speak their language) in Istria, and 1,250 in 1974. ### Present In 1991, Croatia declared independence, inheriting most of Istria from Yugoslavia. In this year, there were 810 people self-declared as Istro-Romanians and 22 as Morlachs in Istria. After the fall of socialism, the press of Romania and other countries would begin to give more importance to the Istro-Romanian community. The Croatian authorities also started to show more interest in them, with the Croatian state itself promising to do everything possible to preserve this ethnic group. The Istro-Romanian culture would begin to suffer a "revival", with a great number of associations and projects being created. On 19 April 1994, the Cultural Association of the Istro-Romanians "Andrei Glavina" was created in Trieste with the purpose of saving and preserving the Istro-Romanians, with Emil Petru Rațiu as president. Another association, Soboru lu Istrorumeri (In Istro-Romanian, "Union of the Istro-Romanians"), appeared in 1995. The first newspaper in Istro-Romanian, Scrisoare către fråț rumer (in Istro-Romanian, "Letter to the Romanian brothers"), came out in 1996 and contains fiction (original or translated from Romanian), notes on their history and ethnicity and news about the Aromanians and their life, among others. In 1997, the Congress of the Federal Union of European Nationalities adopted a resolution appealing Croatia to officially recognize the Istro-Romanians and the use of their language in education, media and religion. The Istro-Romanian diaspora, notably that of Canada and the United States, has also been putting its efforts to help the community in Istria. For example, the reparation and renovation of the clock tower of the hamlet of Brdo, as well as the construction of a museum about the Istro-Romanian culture in Žejane, were carried out with its funds. There are also several websites presenting the culture and history of the Istro-Romanians, notably Marisa Ciceran's (part of the diaspora), created in 1999. On 27 September 2007, the Ministry of Culture of Croatia gave to the Istro-Romanian language the status of "non-material cultural wealth" and registered it in the Register of Cultural Goods of Croatia. In 2008, the Moldovan politician Vlad Cubreacov initiated a draft resolution presented in Strasbourg called "Istro-Romanians must be saved", in which he urges Croatia and Romania to give more financial and institutional support. On 8 November 2016, the Šušnjevica school was reopened. The inauguration was attended by Constantin Mihail Grigorie, then ambassador of Romania in Croatia, and the previous one, Cosmin Dinescu. Regional authorities of the Istria County also stayed there. This project cost 451,600 kunas (around 61,100 euros), of which Romania gave 100,000 kunas (around 13,550 euros). The school teaches in Istro-Romanian and has a museum, "The Paths of the Vlachs". It was estimated that in 2016, there were only 120 speakers of Istro-Romanian in their villages, 450 speakers elsewhere in Croatia and another 500 in the rest of the world. Therefore, the diaspora is larger than the native Istrian community. Currently, there is a website dedicated to the digital archiving of photos, maps, books, articles, songs and audio and video recordings regarding the Istro-Romanians and their life. It also includes a Croatian–Istro-Romanian dictionary. The website is called "Preservation of the Vlaški and Žejanski Language", and is led by the Croatian linguist and professor Zvjezdana Vrzić. Romania officially supports the rights of the so-called "Romanians abroad", that is, all those who "assume a Romanian cultural identity, people of Romanian origin and persons that belong to the Romanian linguistic and cultural vein, Romanians who live outside Romania, regardless how they are called". This legislation includes not only the Istro-Romanians, but also the Aromanians, Megleno-Romanians, Moldovans, Vlachs and many others; all seen as ethnic Romanians by the Romanian state. Based on this, in 2021, the Balkan Romanianness Day was approved as a holiday in the country for the allegedly ethnic Romanian peoples living south of the Danube. This includes the Aromanians, the Megleno-Romanians and the Istro-Romanians. It celebrates the establishment of the Ullah millet in the Ottoman Empire in 1905 every 10 May. Today, the Istro-Romanians are not officially recognized as a national minority in Croatia and are not protected under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. They are more exposed than ever to assimilation and are declining in number rapidly, with risks of disappearing completely in the following decades. The communities south of the Učka and Žejane have historically had very few contacts until the intervention of Romanian researchers, as they spoke Croatian at local fairs. Because of this, the feeling of ethnic and linguistic unity between both communities is weak. Currently, very few Istro-Romanians identify themselves as Romanian, and never with much enthusiasm. A large part of them affiliate with the region in which they live, that is, Istria. Not only Istro-Romanians adhere to an Istrian identity; approximately 25,000 people in Istria declare to be Istrian before any other nationality. Those Istro-Romanians who preferred to declare a national affiliation chose Croatian and a few Italian. Many Istro-Romanians think that the Croatian Government is not doing enough for the survival of their language and culture. They express a strong ethnic pride and their desire to pass their language to other generations, although those in the villages south of the Učka are more pessimistic about their future. There, the language shift to Croatian is more advanced than in Žejane, but the inhabitants are more protectionist regarding their culture. In Žejane, some Istro-Romanians still speak in Istro-Romanian with their grandchildren, and express less awareness about their extinction. Nowadays, the biggest goal of the Istro-Romanians is the full recognition by Croatia as an ethnic minority and a wider use of their language in education, newspapers, TV broadcasting and radio, all of this with the support of the Croatian Government. ## Geographical distribution The territory where the Istro-Romanians live was once covered with forests, pastures and lakes, ideal for livestock or charcoal production. Their extent was vast, being scattered throughout almost all of Istria and the western part of Krk and leaving a large number of toponyms. They even formed up to 15% of the Istrian population at one point. However, the forests would begin to disappear and the lakes were drained. The soil stopped allowing productive agriculture, increasing poverty in the zone. They began to lose their traditional occupations as shepherds and began to be exposed to assimilation, ending with the Istro-Romanian presence of Krk in 1875. Those in Ćićarija were also assimilated, just maintaining their culture on the Croatian side, in Žejane. Many Istro-Romanians emigrated to the big cities. All this caused a decrease in the number of Istro-Romanians, which have been reduced to only eight settlements today. Now, there are two identifiable groups of Istro-Romanians. The first is that of Žejane, an isolated village near the border with Slovenia. The second is in the villages south of the Učka. These are Šušnjevica, Nova Vas and Jesenovik, where the Istro-Romanians are more numerous, and Letaj, Kostrčani, Zankovci, the Brdo area (Brdo was a separate frazione during the interwar period that included Kostrčani, Zankovci and several hamlets) and the hamlets Miheli, Dražine, Draga and Jelavici (all part of the Brdo area) in smaller proportion. Of all of them, the one with the largest number of Istro-Romanian speakers is Nova Vas. Each of the Istro-Romanian villages has a name in its own language different from the official Croatian one. Thus, Žejane, Šušnjevica, Nova Vas, Jesenovik, Letaj, Kostrčani, Zankovci and Brdo become Jeiăn, Sușńévițę, Nóselo or Nósolo, Sucódru, Letåi, Costârčan, Zankovci and Bârdo (Brig for the hamlet). Other regions such as Ćićarija or Istria are called Cicearia and Istria, respectively. According to the memory of some, Istro-Romanian was also spoken in Gradinje and Grobnik and the hamlets Dolišćina, Trkovci and Perasi until recently. All of these villages at the south of the Učka constituted the Italian municipality of Valdarsa. Detailed information of an unspecified date reports that, of the 134 inhabitants of Žejane, 53 (39%) can speak Istro-Romanian. In the southern villages, the Istro-Romanians make up a bit more than a quarter of the population, with approximately 75 (27%) speakers out of 276 in 2016. Therefore, there are about 120 Istro-Romanians living in their villages. Both communities, although now connected with roads, live in different Croatian administrative regions; the southern villages are located in the Istria County and Žejane, despite being geographically in Istria, is part of Primorje-Gorski Kotar County. However, the number of ethnic Istro-Romanians or people with Istro-Romanian ancestry in Istria could be as high as 1,500, even if they no longer speak the language and practice only some (or none) of their traditions. After the end of the Second World War, many Istro-Romanians abandoned their native villages. In fact, the population of the villages today are less than a fifth of what they were in 1945. Many of them moved to nearby cities and towns, such as Kršan, Labin, Matulji, Opatija, Pazin, Pula and Rijeka. It is estimated that a total of 450 Istro-Romanians live in Croatia outside their settlements. Others decided to emigrate to other parts of the world, especially to New York City and Western Australia. The Istro-Romanian community living outside Croatia is made up of around 500 people. It is estimated that the total of Istro-Romanians of Žejane who now live abroad is 195, four times larger than the population residing in Žejane. Although the exact number of the diaspora of the Istro-Romanians from the south of the Učka is unknown, it is probably higher than that of Žejane since the emigration there was more potent and the population itself of the villages together was bigger than that of Žejane. ## Culture ### Folklore #### Dances and songs Istro-Romanian art is characterized by the domination of dances and songs. Istro-Romanian holidays tend to be somewhat austere, but accompanied by traditional musical instruments and dances. In one of these dances, called Columbaro, the peasants of the villages spend hours holding each other's hands in a closed circle, giving steps without order and with jumps without cadence. Dancers often form an arch with their hands through which a human chain passes underneath. According to Morariu, this dance is similar to those of Bukovina (a part of which is in Romania). One of the favorite dances of the Istro-Romanians is the Kolo, initially with a circular shape and then developing in skkocigori, that is, with high jumps. The dancers hold their hands and form a circle, slowly spinning all together under the music. Another dance is literally called "under the feet", in which a man and a woman or two of each dance together while hugging. Researchers who have studied Istro-Romanian dances have highlighted their primitivism. Romanian researchers have showed great interest in the Istro-Romanian traditional music, publishing them in several magazines and works. That is why some of them have classified them into the following categories: songs, elegant songs, satires and diverse creations. Traian Cantemir, a Romanian researcher, published in 1935 Motivele dispariției poeziei populare la istroromâni ("Reasons for the disappearance of popular poetry of the Istro-Romanians") in the magazine Făt-Frumos, expressing concern regarding the future of their poetry. Most of the time, the verses of the poems were accompanied by a song, becoming popular songs for travels. Some foreign non-native travelers reported that their songs were like "ancient poems" and that "a long exclamation or rather, a barbaric and prolonged cry precedes any verse". The Istro-Romanian traveler could casually find a partner with whom he had a musical dialogue, keeping both entertained and with whom they practiced improvisation. Another author who investigated in depth the Istro-Romanian songs was the Romanian writer Petru Iroaie, identifying their similarities with those of Maramureș and Bukovina and the main motifs of them. Italian and especially Croatian influence diminished the knowledge of these songs, being mostly maintained by the elderly during the beginning of the 20th century. In addition, songs with some Croatian influences gradually began to circulate in the villages. Today, some young Istro-Romanians have some distrust or even fear of giving voice to those songs. In the Istro-Romanian language, as in other ones, the song is related to social realities, whereby the main subjects dealt with work in the field, love, warfare and interethnic relations. Today, the Istro-Romanians cannot remember certain words of their language, and therefore some old lyrics and verses can no longer be read. This has led Cantemir to define them as "fossils". However, some Istro-Romanian songs have managed to prevail until today. Among them are Knd am tire ("When [I asked] you"), Mes-am oča ši kola ("I went around"), Oj ljepure nu žuka ("Do not dance, rabbit") and Fina feta ("A nice girl"). The famous folk group Žejanski Zvončari (Žejane's Bell Ringers), founded by Mauro Doričić in 1997, advocates the preservation of the old carnivalesque Istro-Romanian traditions. It is made up of the zvončari (bell ringers), an exclusively male carnival dance group, and the "Kntaduri" (singers), an a cappella singing group. The association has also published new songs mainly in the Istro-Romanian dialect of Žejane, such as Tu ver fi ama ("You will be mine"), Pustu an Žejan ("Carnival in Žejane") and even an anthem, Žejanska, in both Croatian and Istro-Romanian. On the day of the carnival, the zvončari ring their bells from morning to evening, going from house to house and receiving food like bacon or eggs. At night, sandwiches made with the food received from the houses are distributed. On the day of the carnival there are also crabulele, boys and girls between 10 and 20 years old with harmonics and masks, who go from house to house dancing and telling jokes. One of the children has a basket for the gifts and the rest sticks to defend against strangers if necessary. #### Costumes The inhabitants of Žejane wore unique hats that "scared" the nearby populations. These were put so that the back of the hat covered the face, so that they could steal to those who had money, for reasons that researchers have described as "well grounded". Another hat worn in Žejane was the comaracu, with several colored ropes. The lower rope was made of velvet and the rest of silk. In the elderly, these ropes were dark, and in the youth, colorful and bright (dominating blue, yellow, red and green). The hats of the latter were decorated with peacock feathers and flower bouquets. These hats were similar to the ones worn between the Mureș and Târnava rivers in Transylvania. The costumes of men had a tight shirt with long, low and narrow suspenders, as well as opinci (traditional shoes, similar to those of the Romanians). On the shirt, they wore a waistcoat called crujat. In winter, they wore a cape called halea, and on the neck they had a scarf called fașă. During the 18th century, women wore a headscarf with their hair braided. In the 19th century they used a tulpan. The white shirt reached to the knees and was covered by a colorful dress called barhan. They also had opinci. According to Burada, their legs were covered by socks called bicivele and with garters called podvezi. Today's Istro-Romanians have difficulty describing the traditional costumes of their ancestors and few know the names of each clothes. These traditional costumes are still preserved in Žejane, but only during the carnival or artistic events. However, the number of owners is very low, most of them being parents or grandparents, who pass them to the youth as a special symbol of the Istro-Romanian identity. Today's women's costumes are made up of a fațo (red scarf), an opleici (white shirt with an embroidery at the base of the neck), a pocirneka (black dress with a red ribbon and sleeveless) and a firtuhu (an apron put on the dress). Under the dress there is a white and tight skirt, to give a special look to the costume. At the waist, the dress is connected with the coanița (the widest "belt") and the tisuta (the thinnest "belt"), both with different colors. The legs, covered with the bicivi, wear black postole as footwear. Now, men wear a shirt or a black jacket. The pants, which can be white or black, are called braghesi. On the head they wear a black hat, and on the feet, postole, like women. The costume of the zvončari consists of a typical sailor shirt with two fațole (white batistes). On the back is a sheepskin garment to which three large bells are attached. A kumaroak is carried on the head, in which hundreds of colorful strips that extend to the person's back are connected. Above the strips, there are two roses that symbolize the sun. The pants and footwear are not really different from those of the traditional costume. ### Language Istro-Romanians speak the Istro-Romanian language (sometimes abbreviated as IR), part of the Eastern Romance languages spoken exclusively natively in Istria, Croatia. They have been described as the smallest ethnolinguistic group in Europe. Their language is classified by the UNESCO as a "seriously endangered language" because of the small number of fluent speakers the language has, education in Istro-Romanian is limited and the language is not usually used in many domains and the majority of younger speakers are adults, among others. Vrzić's revitalization project fulfills some of these points, however. According to several mostly Romanian researchers, the Istro-Romanian language is one of the four traditional and historical dialects of Romanian, alongside Aromanian, Megleno-Romanian and Daco-Romanian (linguistic name for the Romanian from Romania and its surroundings), all with a common ancestor, Proto-Romanian. However, Istro-Romanian can also be considered a language separated from Romanian by others, so there is no widely accepted view. Anyway, it is considered the daughter language (descendant) of Daco-Romanian, both being closer to each other than Aromanian and Megleno-Romanian are. Nevertheless, Istro-Romanian is strongly influenced by Croatian, with it affecting its morphology and with many linguistic loans, including function words. This has led some authors to describe it as a "mixed language". The Istro-Romanian consists of two main variants, a northern one (in Žejane) and a southern one (in the villages south of the Učka). For example, for the oblique case, the variety of Žejane ("Zejanski") preserves synthetic marking, while the southern variety ("Vlaski") uses only prepositional marking, but neither of them marks the accusative case (e.g. "I can see Lara" would be "poč vedę Lara", literally "can see Lara"). Another difference is that in Zejanski, generally masculine nouns of Slavic origin mark the vocative case with "-e", while those of Latin origin with "-(u)le". In Vlaski, some nouns are marked with "-e" and some "-u". But although Istro-Romanian has two main dialects, each village has its own speech, differing slightly among the southern villages. The dialect of Krk, called by Croatian researchers as krčkorumunjski ("Krko-Romanian"), has been little studied and knowledge of it is minimal. The only texts known are Hail Mary and The Lord's Prayer. Even so, it is known that "Krko-Romanian" was an Istro-Romanian dialect as it had its characteristic rhotacism, as can be seen in Fintȉra and špirišôr. There has never been a consensus on what writing system should be used for the Istro-Romanian alphabet, so Croatian and Romanian researchers have been recording and transcribing texts using different systems, with Croatian, Romanian or mixed orthographic elements. Vrzić has proposed the idea of unifying the writing system, which has been implemented on her website and is based on Croatian spelling. These changes may vary, for example, the word "when", to kând (Croatian-based), cănd (Romanian-based) and când (mixed). However, Istro-Romanian is not the only language spoken by the Istro-Romanians. In fact, they represent a diglossic community (that is, they use more than one language), with no monolingual speakers of Istro-Romanian remaining. They usually also use the Chakavian dialect of Croatian and the elderly who attended to Italian schools, Italian or Istro-Venetian (the Istrian dialect of Venetian). Generally, the youth have no knowledge or understanding of the language, and prefer to use Croatian. Those Istro-Romanians who left the villages and migrated to the cities often use Croatian as the family language. The diaspora does not usually have knowledge of the language, result of intermarriages. Therefore, it is estimated that currently around the world, the Istro-Romanian speakers are only 1,000. The following is an example of a text written in Istro-Romanian: ### Houses and lifestyle The Istro-Romanian houses are adapted to the simplicity of typical mountain homes. These are built in stone, with double walls, one or two floors and are covered with reed mace or burnt clay. Inside this "carp", there is a large chimney with a column above where "a vault that receives the smoke and takes it to the oven" is placed. Near the chimney is the paleta or lopărița, a long metal "shovel" or "pole" with which the wood is moved or removed. In the center of the vault above the chimney there is usually a large chain called catena where the cadera (a cauldron) is attached. In it, water is boiled for cooking and polenta (mămăliga). According to Burada, plates and cutlery were hung around the chimney. The "carp" that covers the house, bigger than the Romanian ones in Transylvania, serves as a refuge for people and also for animals such as chickens, pigs and sometimes, goats. To the left of the carp there is a room without chimney, with the door with the other room always open in winter to warm it. In this room there are several objects that are used only at special moments of the life of the owners. There is a misă (table), scanie (chairs) and a scriniu (closet), and on the boards over the ceiling, several portions of food such as cheese, bacon and pork legs, where "they smoke very well, as if they were in the vault of the chimney". The sheets are of great importance among Istro-Romanian women. These can be in square stone supports or in wooden beds. In these beds there can be sacks of straw or maize on which there were pillows at their ends, some of them stuffed with straw and maize as well and others with goose feathers or horsehair. With the exception of the shirts and headscarfs that cover women's heads, every textile products used at home are usually made of wool and worked at home. Those Istro-Romanians with social status or numerous families may have another room. Their houses have retained much of the architectural features of the past, and therefore have not changed much over time. ### Literature and proverbs Literature written in the Istro-Romanian language is scarce and quite recent. The first book written in this language, Calindaru lu rumeri din Istrie, was barely published in 1905. Its two authors were Glavina, an Istro-Romanian who always advocated the education of his people, and Diculescu. In this book, they gather words, proverbs and stories of the Istro-Romanians. Glavina would publish more works later, such as I romeni dell'Istria (The Romanians of Istria) and L'educazione nazionale (The national education) in the early 1920s. However, these texts, although about the Istro-Romanians, are in the Italian language. After his death, his wife Fiorella Zagabria published Promemoria e lettere, a posthumous work in which Glavina's last texts are collected. The "Istro-Romanian hymn", showed below, is located there. The second book in Istro-Romanian, Lu frati noștri: libru lu rumeri din Istrie, was published in 1928. Its author was a Romanian, Alexandru Leca Morariu, who made a trip to Istria in 1927 and another one in 1928 to study the Istro-Romanians. The first Istro-Romanian newspaper, Scrisoare către fråț rumer, has been publishing cult literature, such as the poems of the brothers from Nova Vas Gabriela and Gabriel Vretenar of 1997. In 2011, the Istro-Romanian Antonio Dianich publishes Vocabolario istroromeno‐italiano. La varietà istroromena di Briani (Băršcina), a dictionary for Italian and the Istro-Romanian dialect of Brdo. In 2016, the picture book Šćorica de lisica ši de lupu (The Story of The Fox and The Wolf) was published by a group of enthusiasts and researchers led by Vrzić. The Istro-Romanians had many proverbs in the past. Today, they know less than before. Some of the best known proverbs are nu ie cårne far de ose ("there is no meat without bones"), lu Domnu și lu Drîcu nu se pote sluji o votę ("you cannot serve God and the Devil at the same time"), mora bure måcire și bovån ("the good mill can [even] grind rocks"), din cala lu omu bet și Domnu se dåie la o bande ("even God avoids the drunk") and cåsta lume făcuta ie cu scåle: uri mergu ăn sus, ål'ți ăn jos ("the world is made of stairs: some go up, others down"). ### Occupations Traditionally and historically, the Istro-Romanians were shepherds, an occupation that would disappear with the centuries. They carried their sheep dressed in wool suits, a hat and opinci with knots around the feet. They also had a walking stick carved with things of daily life that were sung to pass the time faster. The sheep were taken to pastures in which they would remain a month, time in which a small shepherd hut of wood was built. Inside it were sheepherding tools such as a cauldron for caș (a type of cheese), a kind of container of dry soil where food was eaten and spoons, the kikara (a cup), where fresh caș was placed during a day, and the bucket with which the sheep were milked, among others. The process of making caș of the Istro-Romanians is the same as in Romania. Since the end of the 19th century, the economy and wealth of the Istro-Romanians has weakened severely. Their wine crops dried up, and agriculture is no longer as productive as before. They tried to replace the dried grapevines with American ones, which became increasingly difficult for them. Droughts are another problem. The situation in livestock is no different. They never practiced animal breeding much. According to a work published in 1992 by Romanian researchers Richard Sârbu and Vasile Frățilă, "the horses can't stand. In Šušnjevica there are only three horses. Among the birds there are only chickens. Sheepherding is weak. I have barely been able to find cheese for sale in Žejane. There are few sheep, and no goats". A characteristic of the inhabitants of Žejane was the production of charcoal, taking place in the mountains and then selling them in mostly Rijeka or Opatija. To produce it, once the wood (always beech) was collected, the Istro-Romanians stayed in a haystack called gljevaricsa, two to three meters high and six to seven meters wide. Then, the wood was placed in the middle surrounded by straw and dry wood so that the fire could extend when it was lighted. Once produced, the charcoal was taken to the cities in order to market them. Specially practiced by men was cultivation in Šušnjevica of culinary sage, "undertaking a great business". Burada is, however, the only one to present this occupation. Many of them worked in other places outside the villages. Women, on the other hand, were generally housewives, although they could also be furlani, a kind of itinerant weavers. Other Istro-Romanians became miners or sailors. From the 20th century onwards, the Istro-Romanians' needs and occupations change due to the modernization of the society in which they live. Some chose to go to the cities and others stayed. Currently, the Istro-Romanians in Žejane are mainly engaged in agriculture and wood exploitation; very few continue with sheepherding. A good part of the men are workers in nearby cities. In the southern villages, agriculture is the largest source of income. There are still people cultivating grapevines in Brdo. Material conditions are relatively better in Žejane than in the southern villages, and therefore it has a better quality of life. The production of charcoal is no longer very active, and is generally practiced for tourists. ### Religion The Istro-Romanians are Christians, being the only Eastern Romance people belonging to the Catholic Church. Historically, the church has been the largest point of exposure for the Istro-Romanians to Croatian assimilation. Currently, it does not support the Istro-Romanian cause, with all services being given in Croatian. This has been the case since the second half of the 19th century. In fact, it is recorded that Croatian priests attracted mayors and other persons through corruption to act as they liked, disfavoring the Istro-Romanians. Prior to this, the Austrian Empire allowed the ordination of priests among the Istro-Romanians (such as Micetici, born in Brdo), with sermons and confessions being given in Istro-Romanian (the rest of liturgical services used Latin at the time). Nowadays, it has been proposed that the Catholic Church in Romania could delegate three or four Romanian-speaking priests to the villages. Examples of religious terms in Istro-Romanian are besęreca ("church"), catolica ("Catholic"), Domnedzeu ("God"), Isus ("Jesus") and svântă ("holy"), all of which are similar to the Romanian terms. ## Notable figures The following is a list of notable Istro-Romanians or people of Istro-Romanian descent. In parentheses is the village of origin of each person or of their Istro-Romanian roots, if known. - Alberto Cvecich (Nova Vas), priest. - Antonio Dianich (father from Šušnjevica, mother from Kostrčani), professor of Italian and Latin, author of an Italian–Istro-Romanian dictionary (from the dialect of Brdo). - Severino Dianich (father from Šušnjevica, mother from Kostrčani), priest and theologian. - Andrei Glavina (Šušnjevica), politician, professor and one of the writers of the first book in Istro-Romanian. - Giancarlo Pepeu, pharmacologist and professor. Potentially of distant Istro-Romanian descent. In the Pepeu family, it has been passed down that the family's name is of Istro-Romanian origin. - Zvjezdana Vrzić (Zankovci), linguist and professor. Only partially Istro-Romanian. ### Alleged - Matthias Flacius Illyricus, Lutheran reformer and theologian. According to Emil Petru Rațiu, president of the Andrei Glavina Cultural Association of the Istro-Romanians, Flacius could have had Istro-Romanian roots or been one himself. He based this on the fact that Labin (Flacius' hometown) had in the early 16th century (when Flacius was born) a notorious Istro-Romanian presence. Rațiu also claimed that the house in which Flacius was raised was on a place called the "Plain of the Vlachs" and that the surname of his father, Andrea Vlacich, could come from the word "Vlach", which would have subsequently been Latinized as "Flacius". Furthermore, a fringe claim attributing Istro-Romanian origins to inventor, engineer and futurist Nikola Tesla also exists. ## See also - Aromanians - Megleno-Romanians - Romanians - Vlach - Croatia–Romania relations - Istrian Italians - Vlachs in the history of Croatia

# Preggers "Preggers" is the fourth episode of the American television series Glee. The episode premiered on the Fox network on September 23, 2009, and was written and directed by executive producer Brad Falchuk. "Preggers" sees glee club member Kurt (Chris Colfer) join the football team and come out as gay to his father, Burt (Mike O'Malley). Cheerleader Quinn (Dianna Agron) discovers she is pregnant and tells her boyfriend Finn (Cory Monteith) the baby is his, when in fact the father is his best friend Puck (Mark Salling). Faculty members Sue Sylvester (Jane Lynch) and Sandy Ryerson (Stephen Tobolowsky) team up in an effort to bring down the glee club, luring away a disillusioned Rachel (Lea Michele), who quits when club director Will (Matthew Morrison) refuses to award her a solo song. This episode features the first appearance of O'Malley as Burt Hummel. "Preggers" features covers of two songs, and several dance performances of Beyoncé's "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)". A studio recording of Michele's cover of "Taking Chances" was released as a single, available for digital download and features on the album Glee: The Music, Volume 1. The scene in which Kurt comes out to his father was based on the personal experience of series creator Ryan Murphy. Murphy's intention was to move away from previous shows he has worked on in which gay characters have not been given happy endings, by allowing Kurt to succeed and be accepted. The episode was watched by 6.64 million United States viewers and received mixed reviews from critics. Shawna Malcom of the Los Angeles Times praised the show's fast pacing; however, The New York Times's Mike Hale felt that key characters were not given enough screen time. The football team's performance of "Single Ladies" and Kurt's coming out to his father were generally well received; however, Rachel's actions garnered little sympathy, and several reviewers commented negatively on Quinn's pregnancy, with Eric Goldman of IGN deeming it "a very soap opera plotline". However, the episode has grown in stature in later years, with many recognizing it as a key episode in building the major plotlines for the show's first season. In 2020, it was included on The Ringer's list of the 100 best television episodes of the 21st century. ## Plot Glee club member Kurt Hummel (Chris Colfer) is caught dancing to Beyoncé's "Single Ladies" by his father Burt (Mike O'Malley), and claims that it is a football exercise, and that he is now part of the team. Fellow glee club member and football quarterback Finn Hudson (Cory Monteith) helps Kurt to practice, and finds him to be a skilled kicker. Finn convinces coach Ken Tanaka (Patrick Gallagher) to let Kurt try out for the team. Ken is delighted to find such an asset for the team and adds Kurt as the kicker. Finn's girlfriend Quinn Fabray (Dianna Agron) tells him she is pregnant, claiming her pregnancy as a result of Finn's premature ejaculation when they made out in Quinn's hot tub. Finn worries that his future prospects will be diminished by fatherhood. He asks glee club director Will Schuester (Matthew Morrison) to coach the football team at dancing, believing it will help them to improve, increasing his chances of securing a football scholarship. Finn confides Quinn's news to his best friend Puck (Mark Salling), who later confronts Quinn, claiming to be the baby's father, since she said she was a virgin when they had sex. Quinn rejects Puck, calling him a "Lima loser" who could never support her and the baby like Finn. Will's wife Terri (Jessalyn Gilsig) reveals to her sister Kendra (Jennifer Aspen) that she experienced a hysterical pregnancy and is not really carrying Will's baby. Kendra suggests that they acquire a baby, and when Terri learns of Quinn's pregnancy from Will, she confronts her, asking questions about her prenatal care. Cheerleading coach Sue Sylvester (Jane Lynch) approaches former glee club director Sandy Ryerson (Stephen Tobolowsky) and enlists him in her plan to sabotage the club. She blackmails Principal Figgins (Iqbal Theba) into appointing Sandy as the school's new Arts director, and together they hold auditions for a school production of Cabaret, hoping to entice away the glee club's star, Rachel Berry (Lea Michele). Rachel feels slighted when Will awards Tina Cohen-Chang (Jenna Ushkowitz) a solo that she wanted, so she auditions for the musical and is given the lead role. When Will refuses to reassign the solo to Rachel, she quits the club. The football team puts their dance training into practice by performing the "Single Ladies" routine in the middle of a game, confusing and distracting the opposition, and with Kurt's help is able to win. Buoyed by his success, Kurt comes out to his father Burt and tells him that he's gay; Burt tells him he knew all along and loves Kurt just the same. ## Production "Preggers" was written and directed by Glee's executive producer and co-creator Brad Falchuk. Kurt Fuller guest stars as local news station owner Mr. McClung. The episode features covers of "Taking Chances" by Celine Dion and "Tonight" from West Side Story. Beyoncé's "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)" is also featured in several dance performances. Kurt's backup dancers for "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)" are series regular Tina (Jenna Ushkowitz) and recurring character Brittany (Heather Morris). Dancer Morris was one of Beyonce's backup dancers for "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)" appearing on The Today Show, Ellen, and others. A studio recording of "Taking Chances" was released as a single, available for digital download, and appeared on the album Glee: The Music, Volume 1. The track charted at number 79 in Australia, 73 in Canada and 71 in the United States. The scene in which Kurt comes out to his father was taken verbatim from series creator Ryan Murphy's own life. Murphy felt that the scene was "a great thing to put on television", as, while audiences have seen gay characters isolated and attacked, they have rarely seen them ultimately winning and triumphing. He commented that: "The show is about making you feel good in the end. It's about happy endings and optimism and the power of your personal journey and making you feel that the weird thing about me is the great thing about me. I've done other shows with gay characters, and I will say that in many of those cases, the gay characters didn't have a happy ending. And I thought you know what? Enough." Colfer has commented that his biggest challenge was in ensuring the scene felt "honest" and not comical or "used as a punchline". He explained: "I think it's probably the first time a character's sexuality has been respected and almost dignified in a way, and I think that's really important, and there needs to be more of that on TV." ## Reception "Preggers" was watched by 6.64 million United States viewers and attained a 3.1/8 rating/share in the 18-49 demographic. It was the twenty-second most watched show in Canada for the week of broadcast, with 1.39 million viewers. In the UK, the episode was watched by 1.804 million viewers (1.397 million on E4, and 407,000 on timeshift), becoming the most-watched show on E4 and E4+1 for the week, and the most-watched show on cable for the week, as well as the most watched episode of the series at the time. The episode received mixed reviews from critics. Shawna Malcom for the Los Angeles Times reviewed the episode positively, praising the football team's performance of the "Single Ladies" dance and Kurt coming out to his father. Malcom also commented positively on the show's fast pacing; however, Mike Hale of the New York Post was less favorable, deeming the episode "overstuffed with story lines". He felt that key characters did not receive enough screentime, and that: "There was so much exposition going on that there didn't seem to be much room for laughs." Tim Stack for Entertainment Weekly wrote that, although the dancing in the episode was fun, "Preggers" was lacking in "big singing moments" apart from Rachel's performance of "Taking Chances". He deemed Quinn's pregnancy "a good dramatic twist", but hoped that it would not be a long-lasting storyline. Eric Goldman of IGN rated the episode 8.8 out of 10. He called the "Single Ladies" performance "a memorable TV moment", and wrote that Quinn's pregnancy was a "very soap opera plotline" however commented: "luckily Glee is the kind of show to handle it with humor." James Poniewozik for Time deemed Kurt's coming out "beautifully handled", commenting: "the fact that Dad (Mike O'Malley, who has turned out to be a pretty good character actor) ends up not being the boor we think he's going to be is one of the first signs that Glee is growing up as a series, that having established a world of primary-color stereotypes, it's now willing to subvert those expectations." Raymund Flandez of The Wall Street Journal criticized Rachel's actions in the episode, and felt that: "Rachel has become insufferable. The disagreements with Mr. Schue about her own development as a bona fide triple-threat have branded her as an overbearing prima donna to the rest of Glee." The comedic pairing of Sue and Sandy attracted some praise, with Stack deeming them "the best villains ever". Goldman said that: "Tobolowsky is terrific in this role, as Sandy manages to make everything he says [...] sound amazingly disturbing." Hale criticized Lynch as Sue, however, writing that she gave a "one-note performance", suggesting that she had been miscast in the role.

# I Have Questions "I Have Questions" is a song by American singer and songwriter Camila Cabello. It was released on May 22, 2017, by Epic Records and Syco. It was first featured as an intro on the music video for her debut single "Crying in the Club". It was written by Cabello with Bibi Bourelly and Jesse Shatkin, who also produced, recorded and programmed the track. Cabello wrote the song while she was still touring with her then-group Fifth Harmony. It was the first song she wrote for her debut album, inspiring the direction of the project that was then called The Hurting. The Healing. The Loving. According to her, this was "The Hurting" part of the album. The song, however, was not included in the final standard track listing after the album's re-imagination. It is included in the Japan limited pressing of Cabello's debut studio album Camila (2018) as a bonus track, and is the B-side of the 7-inch single of her solo debut "Crying in the Club". "I Have Questions" is built around melancholic lyrics. The singer does not understand why her friend has betrayed her and has questions for them. Its dark production features a prominent cello line and drum machine beats that begin after the second chorus. On its release, the song charted in Spain, Portugal and France. Cabello performed the song at the 2017 Billboard Music Awards, the 2017 iHeartRadio Much Music Video Awards and Britain's Got Talent. ## Background and release In 2012, Cabello auditioned as a solo contestant on the American version of The X Factor. After failing as a soloist, she was selected to compete on the show in a group with four other contestants. Together, they formed Fifth Harmony, finished third in the competition, and then signed a joint record deal with Simon Cowell's label Syco Records and L.A. Reid's label Epic Records. Cabello collaborated as a member of the group for three years, releasing two studio albums, an extended play and eight singles. According to Nielsen Soundscan, the group had sold more than seven million digital downloads in the United States before her departure in December 2016. While touring to promote their second album 7/27 (2016), Cabello felt lonely and sad and wrote songs to express her feelings and to help her to get negative things "off her chest". She wrote "I Have Questions" in a hotel bathroom during a very low moment of her life. She explained in May 2017: > "I started writing (it) in a hotel bathroom on tour a little over a year ago. I was completely broken during that time, I was in the kind of pain that's uncomfortable to talk about, and it was the kind of chapter you never want to read out loud." In an interview with Latina magazine, she commented on her decision to leave Fifth Harmony and her future plans saying: "I needed to follow my heart and my artistic vision. I'm grateful for everything we had in Fifth Harmony and for [this new] opportunity. I am less focused on success and more on doing my best and pursuing my artistic vision to the fullest, wherever that takes me." In early 2017, she started recording her solo debut album which she titled The Hurting. The Healing. The Loving. During recording sessions, Cabello returned to writing "I Have Questions", forcing herself to confront her feelings. The results inspired Cabello to keep writing songs where she could express her feelings, making music that was helping her to "heal". As she explained in a message posted on social media: "I realized I wasn't making music just to make an album anymore, I was making this music to heal, it wasn't until I had made enough songs to listen back to and realized I could hear myself coming back through these songs. I didn't write it with the intention of delivering a message, but I realized the message was in the hurting, the healing, and the loving." In May 2017, she finally teased her first solo material revealing the title of the album, and a release date for her first solo single, "Crying in the Club". It was released on May 19, 2017, along with its music video, which features an intro that incorporates the lines from the first verse of "I Have Questions". On May 22, she published the lyric video for the song. It was later released to music stores and streaming services. However, later in the year, Cabello announced that the album's title would be changed and all the previously released material, including "I Have Questions", would not be included on the final cut. The album's new title was Camila. In interview with Zane Lowe for Beats 1, Cabello explained that she no longer felt those songs represented the artist she had become. She confirmed that the only previously released track appearing on the album would be "Havana." The song is featured as the thirteenth track on the Japanese limited edition CD. ## Composition and lyrics "I Have Questions" has a dark, melancholic sound with themes of abandonment and the acknowledgement that a former companion was not who they appeared to be. Cabello has explained that the song is about a friendship that went awry, adding that she wrote it with one person in mind, but there are others to whom the song is directed. As the song title implies, the singer has many questions for the song's subject. Throughout the song, she expresses her confusion, looking for answers and explanations. As the song opens, she airs out her feelings in the first verse, over a soft cello line, "Why did you leave me here to burn? / I'm way too young to be this hurt / I feel doomed in hotel rooms / Staring straight up at the wall / Counting wounds and I am trying to numb them all / Do you care? / Why don't you care?" Singing the second verse, Cabello wonders how someone could cut her so deeply: "Number one, tell me who you think you are / You got some nerve trying to tear my faith apart / Number two, why would you try and play me for a fool? / I should have never ever ever trusted you." The song continues with drum machine beats and hi-hat reminiscent of trap music. Lucas Villa from AXS noted that instead of "staying a victim", Cabello expresses herself as a "survivor on this haunting and honest interrogation session". Mike Pell of MTV News felt that the song's production recalls Britney Spears' "Everytime" (2004). Rolling Stone's Althea Legaspi wrote that Cabello sings with "raw emotion". ## Reception Reviewing Camila, Kitty Empire of The Guardian commented on the change of the material for the album. She felt the exclusion of "I Have Questions" was "unexpected" as she views the song as "excellent". Rob Sheffield of Rolling Stone magazine, described it as "brooding" and praised its stripped-down production, while Taylor Weatherby of Billboard characterized it as "poignant". On its release, "I Have Questions" had minimal commercial success. It debuted at number 94 in France, number 82 in Portugal and peaked at number nine in Spain — Cabello's third top ten on the Spanish chart. In the United States, the song did not appear on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, only managing to chart on the US Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles at number 24. ## Live performances Cabello performed "I Have Questions" as an introduction to "Crying in the Club" at the 2017 Billboard Music Awards on May 21, 2017. Following the event, she performed the whole song during a special encore performance on Xfinity. For this performance, Cabello dressed in white on a dark stage with red petals surrounding her. She also performed the song at the 2017 iHeartRadio Much Music Video Awards, and on Britain's Got Talent on May 31, 2017. Mike Nied of Idolator described it as an "impactful performance that featured strong vocals". ## Credits and personnel Credits adapted from the liner notes of Crying in the Club. Publishing - Published by Sony/ATV Songs LLC (BMI) O/b/O Sony ATV Music Publishing (UK) Ltd./Maidmetal Limited (PRS)/Milamoon Songs (BMI) // EMI April Music, Inc. (ASCAP) O/b/O itself and Aidenjulius Music (ASCAP) // BMG Gold Songs (ASCAP)/Arjouni Publishing (ASCAP) Recording and management - Recorded at the Big Cage, Los Angeles, California - Mixed at MixStar Studios, Virginia Beach, Virginia - Mastered at the Mastering Palace, New York City, New York - Bibi Bourelly appears courtesy of Def Jam Recordings Personnel - Camila Cabello – songwriting, lead vocals - Bibi Bourelly – songwriting, background vocals - Frank Dukes – additional production - Serban Ghenea – mixing - Dave Kutch – mastering - Jesse Shatkin – songwriting, production, instruments, programming, recording - John Hanes – engineering - Sam Dent – additional engineering ## Charts ## Certifications ## Release history

# NASA Astronaut Group 7 NASA Astronaut Group 7 was a group of seven astronauts accepted by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) on August 14, 1969. It was the last group to be selected during the Project Apollo era, and the first since the Mercury Seven in which all members were active-duty military personnel, and all made flights into space. The Manned Orbiting Laboratory (MOL) was a semi-secret United States Air Force (USAF) space project, with a public face but a covert reconnaissance mission. Seventeen astronauts were selected for the program in three intakes in 1965, 1966 and 1967. They were drawn from the USAF, US Navy and US Marine Corps, but all were graduates of the USAF Aerospace Research Pilot School. The MOL program intended to use a modified NASA Project Gemini spacecraft known as Gemini B. When the MOL program was canceled in June 1969, fourteen astronauts remained in the program. NASA accepted the seven youngest as NASA astronauts. By the time they joined NASA, all Apollo flight assignments had been lined up, but they were given non-flying support assignments for Apollo, Skylab and the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project. The former MOL astronauts went on to form the core of early Space Shuttle pilots, upgrading to commander after their first flight, and flying 17 missions between them. ## Background On August 25, 1962, the United States Air Force began studies of a manned spy satellite, which became the Manned Orbiting Laboratory (MOL). President Lyndon Johnson announced the MOL Program on August 25, 1965. Military astronauts would use the Gemini B spacecraft. MOL was a semi-secret project, with public experiments but a covert reconnaissance mission. ## Selection The selection criteria for MOL astronauts was: - Qualified military pilots; - Graduates of the Aerospace Research Pilot School (ARPS); - Serving officers, recommended by their commanding officers; and - Holding US citizenship from birth. No call for volunteers was issued for the first group; fifteen candidates, all ARPS graduates, were selected for a week of medical evaluation in October 1964. The evaluations were similar to those conducted for the NASA astronaut groups. The names of the first group of eight MOL astronauts were publicly announced on November 12, 1965. Five more were announced on June 17, 1966, and four more on June 30, 1967. ## Transfer to NASA On June 10, 1969, the MOL Project was canceled. Fourteen of its seventeen astronauts were still with the program; John L. Finley had returned to the Navy, Michael J. Adams transferred to the X-15, and Robert H. Lawrence died during training. Many had hoped since childhood to travel to space. The program asked NASA if it could use MOL resources, including astronauts. Most of the 14 wanted to transfer. Director of Flight Crew Operations Deke Slayton told the MOL group that he did not need more astronauts for a diminishing number of Apollo and Apollo Applications Program flights. Manned Spacecraft Center director Robert R. Gilruth agreed, but Deputy Administrator of NASA George Mueller thought that sooner or later the agency would need help from the USAF, and maintaining good relations was good policy. Slayton and Gilruth agreed to take the seven who were 35 or younger. NASA also took Albert H. Crews as a test pilot. The transfer of the seven MOL astronauts was announced on August 14, 1969. ## Group members ## Operations The seven NASA transfers under the age limit did not go through a selection process. Some immediately started working for the agency, and others in 1970 after a year of further education. They had not trained for specific MOL missions but had received useful generic training, including jungle and water survival and Scuba school, and helped develop MOL systems. While Slayton warned the MOL transfers that they would probably not fly until the space shuttle around 1980, he did have many duties for them. The first step was selection to a mission support crew. Fullerton served on the support crews for the Apollo 14 and 17 lunar landing missions, Hartsfield and Peterson on that of Apollo 16, and Overmyer on that of Apollo 17, and they performed CAPCOM duties on those missions. Fullerton was also CAPCOM on Apollo 15 and 16. Crippen, Hartsfield and Truly served on the support crews for the Skylab missions, and Bobko, Crippen, Overmyer and Truly served on that of the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project. On February 24, 1976, NASA announced the two crews of two astronauts to fly the Approach and Landing Tests in the . In each case, one of the MOL astronauts was paired with an experienced member of NASA Astronaut Group 5. The commander of the first crew was Fred Haise, with Fullerton as pilot, and the second was commanded by Joe Engle, with Truly as pilot. By this time, only 31 of the 73 pilot and scientist astronauts selected between 1959 and 1969 remained with NASA, and they would soon be outnumbered by the 35 newcomers selected in 1978. All seven MOL astronauts flew on the Space Shuttle, starting with Crippen on STS-1, the first mission, in April 1981. The pattern of a senior astronaut flying as command with a member of the seven MOL astronauts as pilot was followed for the first six shuttle missions, after which all members of the group had flown. Although they had trained for Gemini spacecraft in which they would work in pairs, the April 1983 STS-6 mission was the only one in which two of them flew on the same mission. Peterson's extravehicular activity on that mission, the first in the Space Shuttle program, was the only one conducted by a member of the group. All the others would fly at least one more mission, as the mission commander, before they retired. Hartsfield commanded the last mission flown by a member of the group, STS-61A, in October and November 1985. The group flew 17 missions in total.

# Battle of Kehl (1796) During the Battle of Kehl (23–24 June 1796), a Republican French force under the direction of Jean Charles Abbatucci mounted an amphibious crossing of the Rhine River against a defending force of soldiers from the Swabian Circle. In this action of the War of the First Coalition, the French drove the Swabians from their positions in Kehl and subsequently controlled the bridgehead on both sides of the Rhine. Although separated politically and geographically, the fates of Kehl, a village on the eastern shore of the Rhine in Baden-Durlach, and those of the Alsatian city of Strasbourg, on the western shore, were united by the presence of bridges and a series of gates, fortifications and barrage dams that allowed passage across the river. In the 1790s, the Rhine was wild, unpredictable, and difficult to cross, in some places more than four or more times wider than it is in the twenty-first century, even under non-flood conditions. Its channels and tributaries wound through marsh and meadow and created islands of trees and vegetation that were alternately submerged by floods or exposed during the dry seasons. The fortifications at Kehl and Strasbourg had been constructed by the fortress architect Sébastien le Préstre de Vauban in the seventeenth century. The crossings had been contested before: in 1678 during the French-Dutch war, in 1703 during the War of the Spanish Succession and in 1733 during the War of the Polish Succession. Critical to success of the French plan would be the army's ability to cross the Rhine at will. Consequently, control of the crossings at Hüningen, near the Swiss city of Basel, and at Kehl, would give them ready access to most of southwestern Germany; from there, French armies could sweep north, south, or east, depending on their military goal. ## Background The Rhine Campaign of 1795 (April 1795 to January 1796) opened when two Habsburg Austrian armies under the overall command of François Sébastien Charles Joseph de Croix, Count of Clerfayt defeated an attempt by two Republican French armies to cross the Rhine River and capture the Fortress of Mainz. At the start of the campaign the French Army of the Sambre and Meuse led by Jean-Baptiste Jourdan confronted Clerfayt's Army of the Lower Rhine in the north, while the French Army of Rhine and Moselle under Pichegru lay opposite Dagobert Sigmund von Wurmser's army in the south. In August, Jourdan crossed and quickly seized Düsseldorf. The Army of the Sambre and Meuse advanced south to the Main River, completely isolating Mainz. Pichegru's army made a surprise capture of Mannheim so that both French armies held significant footholds on the east bank of the Rhine. The French fumbled away the promising start to their offensive. Pichegru bungled at least one opportunity to seize Clerfayt's supply base in the Battle of Handschuhsheim. With Pichegru unexpectedly inactive, Clerfayt massed against Jourdan, beat him at Höchst in October and forced most of the Army of the Sambre and Meuse to retreat to the west bank of the Rhine. About the same time, Wurmser sealed off the French bridgehead at Mannheim. With Jourdan temporarily out of the picture, the Austrians defeated the left wing of the Army of Rhine and Moselle at the Battle of Mainz and moved down the west bank. In November, Clerfayt gave Pichegru a drubbing at Pfeddersheim and successfully wrapped up the siege of Mannheim. In January 1796, Clerfayt concluded an armistice with the French, allowing the Austrians to retain large portions of the west bank. During the campaign Pichegru had entered into negotiations with French Royalists. It is debatable whether Pichegru's treason or bad generalship was the actual cause of the French failure. which lasted until 20 May 1796, when the Austrians announced that it would end on 31 May. This set the stage for continued action during the campaign months of May through October 1796. ### Terrain The Rhine River flows west along the border between the German states and the Swiss Cantons. The 80-mile (130 km) stretch between Rheinfall, by Schaffhausen and Basel, the High Rhine cuts through steep hillsides over a gravel bed; in such places as the former rapids at Laufenburg, it moved in torrents. A few miles north and east of Basel, the terrain flattens. The Rhine makes a wide, northerly turn, in what is called the Rhine knee, and enters the so-called Rhine ditch (Rheingraben), part of a rift valley bordered by the Black Forest on the east and Vosges Mountains on the west. In 1796, the plain on both sides of the river, some 19 miles (31 km) wide, was dotted with villages and farms. At both far edges of the flood plain, especially on the eastern side, the old mountains created dark shadows on the horizon. Tributaries cut through the hilly terrain of the Black Forest, creating deep defiles in the mountains. The tributaries then wind in rivulets through the flood plain to the river. The Rhine River itself looked different in the 1790s than it does in the twenty-first century; the passage from Basel to Iffezheim was "corrected" (straightened) between 1817 and 1875. Between 1927 and 1975, a canal was constructed to control the water level. In the 1790s, the river was wild and unpredictable, in some places four or more times wider than the twenty-first century incarnation of the river, even under regular conditions. Its channels wound through marsh and meadow, and created islands of trees and vegetation that were periodically submerged by floods. It was crossable at Kehl, by Strasbourg, and Hüningen, by Basel, where systems of viaducts and causeways made access reliable. ### Political complications The German-speaking states on the east bank of the Rhine were part of the vast complex of territories in central Europe called the Holy Roman Empire. The considerable number of territories in the Empire included more than 1,000 entities. Their size and influence varied, from the Kleinstaaterei, the little states that covered no more than a few square miles, or included several non-contiguous pieces, to the small and complex territories of the princely Hohenlohe family branches, to such sizable, well-defined territories as the Kingdoms of Bavaria and Prussia. The governance of these many states varied: they included the autonomous free imperial cities, also of different sizes and influence, from the powerful Augsburg to the minuscule Weil der Stadt; ecclesiastical territories, also of varying sizes and influence, such as the wealthy Abbey of Reichenau and the powerful Archbishopric of Cologne; and dynastic states such as Württemberg. When viewed on a map, the Empire resembled a "patchwork carpet". Both the Habsburg domains and Hohenzollern Prussia also included territories outside the Empire. There were also territories completely surrounded by France that belonged to Württemberg, the Archbishopric of Trier, and Hesse-Darmstadt. Among the German-speaking states, the Holy Roman Empire's administrative and legal mechanisms provided a venue to resolve disputes between peasants and landlords, between jurisdictions, and within jurisdictions. Through the organization of imperial circles, also called Reichskreise, groups of states consolidated resources and promoted regional and organizational interests, including economic cooperation and military protection. ### Disposition The armies of the First Coalition included the contingents and the infantry and cavalry of the various states, amounted to about 125,000 troops (including the three autonomous corps), a sizable force by eighteenth century standards but a moderate force by the standards of the Revolutionary wars. Archduke Charles, Duke of Teschen and brother of the Holy Roman Emperor, served as commander-in-chief. In total, Charles' troops stretched in a line from Switzerland to the North Sea. Habsburg troops comprised the bulk of the army but the thin white line of Habsburg infantry could not cover the territory from Basel to Frankfurt with sufficient depth to resist the pressure of the opposition. Compared to French coverage, Charles had half the number of troops covering a 211-mile front, stretching from Renchen, near Basel to Bingen. Furthermore, he had concentrated the bulk of his force, commanded by Count Baillet Latour, between Karlsruhe and Darmstadt, where the confluence of the Rhine and the Main made an attack most likely, as it offered a gateway into eastern German states and ultimately to Vienna, with good bridges crossing a relatively well-defined river bank. To the north, Wilhelm von Wartensleben's autonomous corps stretched in a thin line between Mainz and Giessen. In spring 1796, drafts from the free imperial cities, and other imperial estates in the Swabian and Franconian Circles augmented the Habsburg force with perhaps 20,000 men at the most. The militias, most of which were Swabian field hands and day laborers drafted for service in the spring of that year, were untrained and unseasoned. As he gathered his army in March and April, it was largely guess work where they should be placed. In particular, Charles did not like to use the militias in any vital location. Consequently, in May and early June, when the French started to mass troops by Mainz and it looked as if the bulk of the French army would cross there—they even engaged the imperial force at Altenkirchen (4 June) and Wetzler and Uckerath (15 June)—Charles felt few qualms placing the 7000-man Swabian militia at the crossing by Kehl. ## French plans An assault into the German states was essential, as far as French commanders understood, not only in terms of war aims, but also in practical terms: the French Directory believed that war should pay for itself, and did not budget for the feeding of its troops. The French citizen's army, created by mass conscription of young men and systematically divested of old men who might have tempered the rash impulses of teenagers and young adults, had already made itself unwelcome throughout France. It was an army entirely dependent for support upon the countryside it occupied for provisions and wages. Until 1796, wages were paid in the worthless assignat (France's paper currency); after April 1796, although pay was made in metallic value, wages were still in arrears. Throughout that spring and early summer, the French army was in almost constant mutiny: in May 1796, in the border town of Zweibrücken, the 74th Demi-brigade revolted. In June, the 17th Demi-brigade was insubordinate (frequently) and in the 84th Demi-brigade, two companies rebelled. The French faced a formidable obstacle in addition to the Rhine. The Coalition's Army of the Lower Rhine counted 90,000 troops. The 20,000-man right wing under Duke Ferdinand Frederick Augustus of Württemberg stood on the east bank of the Rhine behind the Sieg River, observing the French bridgehead at Düsseldorf. The garrisons of Mainz Fortress and Ehrenbreitstein Fortress included 10,000 more. The remainder held the west bank behind the Nahe River. Dagobert Sigmund von Wurmser, who initially commanded the whole operation, led the 80,000-strong Army of the Upper Rhine. Its right wing occupied Kaiserslautern on the west bank while the left wing under Anton Sztáray, Michael von Fröhlich and Louis Joseph, Prince of Condé guarded the Rhine from Mannheim to Switzerland. The original Austrian strategy was to capture Trier and to use their position on the Rhine's west bank to strike at each of the French armies in turn. However, after news arrived in Vienna of Napoleon Bonaparte's successes in northern Italy, Wurmser was sent to Italy with 25,000 reinforcements; the Aulic Council gave Archduke Charles command over both Austrian armies and ordered him to hold his ground. On the French side, the 80,000-man Army of Sambre-et-Meuse held the west bank of the Rhine down to the Nahe and then southwest to Sankt Wendel. On this army's left flank, Jean Baptiste Kléber had 22,000 troops entrenched at Düsseldorf. The right wing of the Army of the Rhine and Moselle, under Jean Victor Moreau's command, was positioned east of the Rhine from Hüningen (on the border with the French provinces, Switzerland, and the German states) northward, with its center along the Queich River near Landau and its left wing extended west toward Saarbrücken. Pierre Marie Barthélemy Ferino commanded Moreau's right wing at Hüningen, Louis Desaix commanded the center and Laurent Gouvion Saint-Cyr directed the left wing and included two divisions commanded by Guillaume Philibert Duhesme, and Alexandre Camille Taponier. Ferino's wing included three infantry and cavalry divisions under François Antoine Louis Bourcier, and general of division Augustin Tuncq, and Henri François Delaborde. Desaix's command included three divisions led by Michel de Beaupuy, Antoine Guillaume Delmas and Charles Antoine Xaintrailles. The French plan called for its two armies to press against the flanks of the Coalition's northern armies in the German states while simultaneously a third army approached Vienna through Italy. Specifically, Jean-Baptiste Jourdan's army would push south from Düsseldorf, hopefully drawing troops and attention toward themselves, which would allow Moreau's army an easier crossing of the Rhine and Huningen and Kehl. If all went according to plan, Jourdan's army could feint toward Mannheim, which would force Charles to reapportion his troops. Once Charles moved the mass of his army to the north, Moreau's army, which early in the year had been stationed by Speyer, would move swiftly south to Strasbourg. From there, they could cross the river at Kehl, which was guarded by 7,000-man inexperienced and lightly trained militia—troops recruited that spring from the Swabian circle polities. In the south, by Basel, Ferino's column was to move speedily across the river and advanced up the Rhine along the Swiss and German shoreline, toward Lake Constance and spread into the southern end of the Black Forest. Ideally, this would encircle and trap Charles and his army as the left wing of Moreau's army swung behind him, and as Jourdan's force cut off his flank with Wartensleben's autonomous corps. ## Feint and a dual-pronged attack Everything went according to the French plan, at least for the first six weeks. On 4 June 1796, 11,000 soldiers of the Army of the Sambre-et-Meuse, commanded by François Lefebvre, pushed back a 6,500-man Austrian force at Altenkirchen. On 6 June, the French placed Ehrenbreitstein fortress under siege. At Wetzlar on the Lahn, Lefebvre ran into Charles' concentration of 36,000 Austrians on 15 June. Casualties were light on both sides, but Jourdan pulled back to Niewied while Kléber retreated toward Düsseldorf. Pál Kray, commanding 30,000 Austrian troops, rushed into battle with Kléber's 24,000 at Uckerath, east of Bonn on 19 June, prompting the French to continue withdrawal to the north, enticing Kray to follow him. The actions confirmed to Charles that Jourdan intended to cross at the mid-Rhine, and he quickly moved sufficient of his force into place to address this threat. Responding to the French feint, Charles committed most of his forces on the middle and northern Rhine, leaving only the Swabian militia at the Kehl-Strasbourg crossing, and a minor force commanded by Karl Aloys zu Fürstenberg at Rastatt. In addition, a small force of about 5,000 French royalists under the command of the Louis Joseph, Prince of Condé, supposedly covering the Rhine from Switzerland to Freiburg im Breisgau. Once Charles committed his main army to the mid and northern Rhine, however, Moreau executed an about face, and a forced march with most his army and arrived at Strasburg before Charles realized the French had even left Speyer. To accomplish this march rapidly, Moreau left his artillery behind; infantry and cavalry move more swiftly. On 20 June, his troops assaulted the forward posts between Strasbourg and the river, overwhelming the pickets there; the militia withdrew to Kehl, leaving behind their cannons, which solved part of Moreau's artillery problem. Early in the morning on 24 June, Moreau and 3,000 men embarked in small boats and landed on the islands in the river between Strasbourg and the fortress at Kehl. They dislodged the imperial pickets there who, as one commentator observed "had not the time or address to destroy the bridges which communicate with the right bank of the Rhine; and the progress of the French remaining unimpeded, they crossed the river and suddenly attacked the redoubts of Kehl." Once the French had controlled the fortifications of Strasbourg and the river islands, Moreau's advance guard, as many as 10,000 French skirmishers, some from the 3rd and 16th Demi-brigades commanded by the 24-year-old General Abbatucci, swarmed across the Kehl bridge and fell upon the several hundred Swabian pickets guarding the crossing. Once the skirmishers had done their jobs, Charles Mathieu Isidore Decaen's and Joseph de Montrichard's infantry of 27,000 infantry and 3,000 cavalry followed and secured the bridge. The Swabians were hopelessly outnumbered and could not be reinforced. Most of Charles' Army of the Rhine was stationed further north, by Mannheim, where the river was easier to cross, but too far to support the smaller force at Kehl. The only troops within relative easy distance were the Prince Condé's émigré army at Freiburg and Karl Aloys zu Fürstenberg's force in Rastatt, neither of which could reach Kehl in time. A second attack, simultaneous with the crossing at Kehl, occurred at Hüningen near Basel. After crossing unopposed, Ferino advanced in a dual-prong east along the German shore of the Rhine with the 16th and 50th demi-brigades, the 68th and 50th and 68th line infantry, and six squadrons of cavalry that included the 3rd and 7th Hussars and the 10th Dragoons. Within a day, Moreau had four divisions across the river at Kehl and another three at Hüningen. Unceremoniously thrust out of Kehl, the Swabian contingent reformed at Renchen on the 28th, where Count Sztáray and Prince von Lotheringen managed to pull the shattered force together and unite the disorganized Swabians with their own 2,000 troops. On 5 July, the two armies met again at Rastatt. There, under command of Fürstenberg, the Swabians managed to hold the city until the 19,000 French troops turned both flanks and Fürstenberg opted for a strategic withdrawal. Ferino hurried eastward along the shore of the Rhine, to approach Charles' force from the rear and cut him off from Bavaria; Bourcier's division swung to the north, along the east side of the mountains, hoping to separate the Condé's émigrés from the main force. Either division presented a danger of flanking the entire Coalition force, either Bourcier's on the west side of the Black Forest, or Ferino's on the east side. The Condé marched north and joined with Fürstenberg and the Swabians at Rastatt. ## Aftermath The immediate personnel losses seemed minor: at Kehl, the French lost about 150 killed, missing or wounded. The Swabian militia lost 700, plus 14 guns and 22 ammunition wagons. Immediately, the French set about securing their defensive position by establishing a pontoon bridge between Kehl and Strasbourg, which allowed Moreau to send his cavalry and captured artillery across the river. Strategic losses seemed far greater. The French army's ability to cross the Rhine at will gave them an advantage. Charles could not move much of his army away from Mannheim or Karlsruhe, where the French had also formed across the river; loss of the crossings at Hüningen, near the Swiss city of Basel, and the crossing at Kehl, near the Alsatian city of Strasbourg, guaranteed the French ready-access to most of southwestern Germany. From there, Moreau's troops could fan out over the flood plain around Kehl to prevent any approach from Rastadt or Offenburg. To avoid Ferino's flanking maneuver, Charles executed an orderly withdrawal in four columns through the Black Forest, across the Upper Danube valley, and toward Bavaria, trying to maintain consistent contact with all flanks as each column withdrew through the Black Forest and the Upper Danube. By mid-July, the column to which the Swabians were attached encamped near Stuttgart. The third column, which included the Condé's Corps, retreated through Waldsee to Stockach, and, eventually Ravensburg. The fourth Austrian column, the smallest (three battalions and four squadrons) commanded by Ludwig Wolff de la Marselle, retreated the length of the Bodensee's northern shore, via Überlingen, Meersburg, Buchhorn, and the Austrian city of Bregenz. The subsequent territorial losses were significant. Moreau's attack forced Charles to withdraw far enough into Bavaria to align his northern flank in a roughly perpendicular line (north to south) with Wartensleben's autonomous corps. This array protected the Danube valley and denied the French access to Vienna. His own front would prevent Moreau from flanking Wartensleben from the south; similarly, Wartensleben's flank would prevent Jourdan from encircling his own force from the north. Together, he and Wartensleben could resist the French onslaught. However, in the course of this withdrawal, he abandoned most of the Swabian Circle to the French occupation. At the end of July, eight thousand of Charles' men under command of Fröhlich executed a dawn attack on the Swabian camp at Biberach, disarmed the remaining three thousand Swabian troops, and impounded their weapons. The Swabian Circle successfully negotiated with the French for neutrality; during negotiations, there was considerable discussion over how the Swabians would hand over their weapons to the French, but it was moot: the weapons had already been taken by Fröhlich. As Charles withdrew further east, the neutral zone expanded, eventually encompassing most of southern German states and the Ernestine duchies. The situation reversed when Charles and Wartensleben's forces reunited to defeat Jourdan's army at the battles of Amberg, Würzburg and 2nd Altenkirchen. On 18 September, an Austrian division under Feldmarschall-Leutnant Petrasch stormed the Rhine bridgehead at Kehl, but a French counterattack drove them out. Even though the French still held the crossing between Kehl and Strasbourg, Petrasch's Austrians controlled the territory leading to the crossing. After battles at Emmendingen (19 October) and Schliengen (24 October), Moreau withdrew his troops south to Hüningen. Once safe on French soil, the French refused to part with Kehl or Hüningen, leading to over 100 days of siege at both locations. ## Orders of battle ### French Adjutant General Abbatucci commanding: - Generals of Brigade Decaen, Montrichard \*3rd Demi-brigade (light) (2nd battalion) \*11th Demi-brigade (light) (1st battalion) \*31st, 56th and 89th Demi-brigade (line) (three battalions each) ### Habsburg/Coalition The Swabian Circle Contingent: - \*Infantry Regiments: Württemberg, Baden-Durlach, Fugger, Wolfegg (two battalions each) \*Hohenzollern Royal and Imperial (KürK) Cavalry (four squadrons) \*Württemberg Dragoons (four squadrons) \*two field artillery battalions ## Notes and citations ## Alphabetical listing of sources cited - Bertaud, Jean Paul, R.R. Palmer (trans). The Army of the French Revolution: From Citizen-Soldiers to Instrument of Power. Princeton University Press, 1988. . - Blanning, Timothy. The French Revolutionary Wars. New York, Oxford University Press, 1996. - Clarke, Hewson, The History of the War from the Commencement of the French Revolution, London, T. Kinnersley, 1816. - Dodge, Theodore Ayrault, Warfare in the Age of Napoleon: The Revolutionary Wars Against the First Coalition in Northern Europe and the Italian Campaign, 1789–1797, USA, Leonaur, 2011. - Gates, David, The Napoleonic Wars 1803–1815, New York, Random House, 2011. - Graham, Thomas, Baron Lynedoch. The History of the Campaign of 1796 in Germany and Italy. London, 1797. . - Hansard, Thomas C (ed.). Hansard's Parliamentary Debates, House of Commons, 1803, Official Report. Vol. 1. London: HMSO, 1803, pp. 249–252 - Haythornthwaite, Philip. Austrian Army of the Napoleonic Wars (1): Infantry. Oxford, Osprey Publishing, 2012. - Knepper, Thomas P. The Rhine. Handbook for Environmental Chemistry Series, Part L. New York: Springer, 2006, . - Nafziger, George. French Troops Destined to Cross the Rhine, 24 June 1796. US Army Combined Arms Center. Accessed 2 October 2014. - Philippart, John, Memoires etc. of General Moreau, London, A.J. Valpy, 1814. - Phipps, Ramsay Weston The Armies of the First French Republic: Volume II The Armées du Moselle, du Rhin, de Sambre-et-Meuse, de Rhin-et-Moselle. USA, Pickle Partners Publishing, 2011 [1923–1933]. - Rickard, J. Combat of Uckerath, 19 June 1796, History of War, Feb 2009 version, accessed 1 March 2015. - Rothenberg, Gunther E. "The Habsburg Army in the Napoleonic Wars (1792–1815)." Military Affairs, 37:1 (Feb 1973), 1–5. - Smith, Digby. The Napoleonic Wars Data Book. London, Greenhill, 1998. - Vann, James Allen. The Swabian Kreis: Institutional Growth in the Holy Roman Empire 1648–1715. Vol. LII, Studies Presented to International Commission for the History of Representative and Parliamentary Institutions. Bruxelles, 1975. - Volk, Helmut. "Landschaftsgeschichte und Natürlichkeit der Baumarten in der Rheinaue." Waldschutzgebiete Baden-Württemberg, Band 10, pp. 159–167. - Walker, Mack. German Home Towns: Community, State, and General Estate, 1648–1871. Ithaca, Cornell University Press, 1998. - Whaley, Joachim. Germany and the Holy Roman Empire: Volume I: Maximilian I to the Peace of Westphalia, 1493–1648. Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2012. - Wilson, Peter Hamish. German Armies: War and German Politics 1648–1806. London, UCL Press, 1997. . [Kehl](Category:Battles_of_the_War_of_the_First_Coalition "wikilink") [Kehl](Category:Battles_of_the_French_Revolutionary_Wars "wikilink") [Kehl](Category:Battles_involving_the_Holy_Roman_Empire "wikilink") [Kehl](Category:Battles_involving_France "wikilink") [Kehl](Category:Conflicts_in_1796 "wikilink") [1796 in the Holy Roman Empire](Category:1796_in_the_Holy_Roman_Empire "wikilink") [Kehl](Category:Military_history_of_Baden-Württemberg "wikilink")

# Infinity on High Infinity on High is the third studio album by American rock band Fall Out Boy, released on February 6, 2007, by Island Records. Recorded from July to October 2006 at Pass Studios in Los Angeles, California, its music was composed by lead singer and guitarist Patrick Stump and the lyrics were penned by bassist Pete Wentz. The album features collaborations with new producers and guest artists, such as Babyface and Jay-Z, and sees the band experimenting with genres including R\&B, soul, and flamenco. Fall Out Boy also utilized instruments such as horns, violins, and pianos, which had not been used on previous releases. As reported by Billboard, the band "[drifted] further from its pop punk roots to write increasingly accessible pop tunes", a slight departure from the group's previous sound. Critics felt that its lyrics served as a response to the band's rise to fame. Fall Out Boy embarked on several tours to promote the album, including the Friends or Enemies Tour, the Honda Civic Tour, and the Young Wild Things Tour. Infinity on High debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200, selling over 260,000 copies in its first week of sales and becoming the band's first number-one album. It also reached number one in New Zealand and peaked within the top-five of countries including Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Five songs were released as singles, four of which charted on the US Billboard Hot 100; the second single, "This Ain't a Scene, It's an Arms Race", peaked at number two. The album received generally positive reviews from critics, with many praising Stump's vocals and the band's new musical direction, and has sold over two million copies worldwide and over 1.4 million in the United States alone. ## Background After taking a two-month break following the band's Black Clouds and Underdogs tour in promotion of their 2005 album From Under the Cork Tree, Fall Out Boy returned to the studio to begin work on their follow-up effort. The band began writing songs for the new album while touring, and intended to quickly make a new album in order to keep momentum in the wake of their breakthrough success. Vocalist Patrick Stump stated that he wished to begin working on the record earlier, but the group's management urged the members to take time off to recuperate from their constant touring schedule. The band's label, Island Records, underwent changes while the group prepared to record, which postponed the studio schedule for three weeks. Bassist/lyricist Pete Wentz asserted that "We're definitely writing all the time, so we're not going to try to squeeze every last drop out of the stone. That's part of what's been wrong with the rock industry: they keep fans waiting far too long, and bands go away and disappear off the face of the planet. That's not the way it's going to be for Fall Out Boy." During this time off, Fall Out Boy contributed a cover of the song "What's This?" for the 2006 rerelease of The Nightmare Before Christmas soundtrack, as well as a remix of their song "Of All the Gin Joints in All the World" for the Snakes on a Plane soundtrack. Wentz also purchased a house in Los Angeles, where he spent much time writing lyrics to new songs. ## Recording and production While writing the album, Fall Out Boy began searching for potential producers. The band sought out R\&B singer/producer Babyface, as they admired his work on the soundtrack to the 2001 film version of Josie and the Pussycats. Babyface saw one of the interviews in which the band discussed its desire to work with him and contacted the group. Babyface produced two of the songs, "I'm Like a Lawyer with the Way I'm Always Trying to Get You Off (Me & You)" and "Thnks fr th Mmrs". Neal Avron, who also produced the band's previous album, handled production for eleven of Infinity on Highs fourteen tracks. Before recording, the band began with six weeks of pre-production, which was encouraged by Avron. This period included both rehearsals and writing, as well as working out all the sounds and arrangements. It began in Chicago before the group relocated to the Swing House studios in Los Angeles. Additionally, some rough recordings of songs were created to be used in the studio as a future reference. Infinity on High was recorded from July to October 2006 at the Pass Studios in Los Angeles. Much of the writing process was done individually by the band members. Generally, Wentz would write his lyrics first and send them to Stump, who would create a melody by playing guitar along to the words to "find a groove". Stump's goal with his songs was to create his music while changing Wentz's original lyrics as little as possible. After a melody was written, Stump would create a general rhythm for the song. Although Fall Out Boy has no specific rhythm or lead guitar roles, Stump viewed himself as more of a rhythm guitarist on the album due to his experience as a drummer in previous bands. Guitarist Joe Trohman often wrote his guitar parts after hearing Stump's work, filling in the "empty spaces" in the songs with "tons of guitars and Johnny Marr-type atmospheric parts". The group felt that this writing process helped create a more full sound. Upon listening to the finished tracks, the members selected guest appearances they felt would work with the songs. The group "aim[ed] for the stars" on its choices of collaborators, with Wentz stating, "I want to bring in people who no one would expect...This year it's like, we made some new friends, like Lil Wayne. Or let's get Jay-Z on there." Wentz commented on working with Jay-Z, saying "It was insane. We called him up and thought we were gonna talk to his assistant. Then he answers the phone, like, 'Yo, this is Hov,' and we were like, 'Um ...' It just happened like that. And it was pretty crazy." Jay-Z recorded his introduction to the album's opening song "Thriller" while on tour in Australia and sent it to the band, who later put the vocal on the album. At a fashion show in Los Angeles, Wentz met rapper Kanye West, who invited Wentz and Stump to his home to share new music. West then agreed to create a remix of "This Ain't a Scene, It's an Arms Race" three weeks before the scheduled release of the album. The band was unable to include the remix on the album due to time constraints, but a remix of West's version featuring Lil Wayne, Lupe Fiasco, Travis McCoy, Paul Wall and Tyga was released in July 2007. During the recording of the album, the band members pursued other various activities. Stump, who co-produced "Don't You Know Who I Think I Am?" from Infinity on High, was also working on fellow Fueled By Ramen act The Hush Sound's album Like Vines. Wentz was conceiving a social networking website called FriendsOrEnemies.com as well as designing for his clothing line, Clandestine Industries. Wentz was often interviewed about the album at Clandestine fashion shows. ## Composition ### Music The album marked a departure in Fall Out Boy's sound in which the band implemented a diverse array of musical styles. As reported by Billboard, Fall Out Boy "drifts further from its hardcore punk roots to write increasingly accessible pop tunes," a slight departure from the group's previous more pop-punk sound. Infinity on High has been compared to the work of pop-punk bands such as Green Day, with Ann Powers of the Los Angeles Times commenting, "Whatever snot and feedback courses through these songs, sweetness always triumphs, carried forth by bubblegum bass lines, snappy drums and tunes as comforting as lullabies." Stump explained that the album contains a variety of different moods: "It's one of those things where you get older as a band and you do your own thing...The older Fall Out Boy elements, from the early records, are definitely there, and this album is an extension of that." The album opens with the song Thriller, which was named after the 1982 Michael Jackson album Thriller, and which itself led with a spoken introduction from Jay-Z, who owned the record label that produced the album, Def Jam Recordings. Pete Wentz told the music television channel MTV that the band called Jay Z on the phone to get his introduction for the song. In an interview with Fall Out Boy, drummer Andy Hurley stated that the opening parts in "Thriller" were copied from "Islands to Burn" by Racetraitor, a band he once drummed for. The song was created as an reflection on the band's previous two years. Some lyrics reflect on previous mediocre album reviews the band received. The lyrics also call out the rise of the band's popularity, "But by fall we were a cover story". In context the song's opening lines are, "Last summer we took threes across the board, but by fall we were a cover story now in stores. Make us poster boys for your scene, but we are not making an acceptance speech." The song also features the lyric "Fix me in 45" which refers to the way singles were released on vinyl records. Some reviewers complained that the album did not have a hardcore edge, but the song "Thriller" was an exception. Slant Magazine said the song features "a crunching, emo-fied knockoff of the riff from Metallica's "One"", while Jack Phinney of the Northern Valley Suburbanite reviewed the album and called the song "spectacular". Alternative Press opined in February 2023 that the song was dominated by the soaring vocals of Patrick Stump and his pop arrangement, and described it as the tenth heaviest song in the Fall Out Boy body of work. Writing in August 2023, Tamzin Kraftman wrote that the song's "chugging pulse", played by Fall Out Boy guitarist Joe Trohman, "electrifies the track". In February 2013, the band led a concert at Webster Hall with the track; Rolling Stones Andy Greene opined that, upon launching into the song, the audience's "squeals were deafening". Stump called "This Ain't a Scene, It's an Arms Race" the "funkiest thing we've ever done", and attributes the change in musical style to his love of soul music, which he acquired by listening to oldies stations as a child. Wentz describes the song "a bit of '70s funk mixed with [the band's 2003 album] Take This to Your Grave with tight verses and big, fat choruses". The song closing sing-along was influenced by Justin Timberlake's "Señorita". Cory Apar of Allmusic compared the Babyface-produced track "I'm Like a Lawyer with the Way I'm Always Trying to Get You Off (Me & You)" to Maroon 5. Wentz characterized Stump's vocal performance on the song as "straight-up Motown", continuing to say "If there wasn't a rock band playing, it'd be straight R\&B, and he'd go on tour with just an upright bass and a drum and open up for R. Kelly." "The Carpal Tunnel of Love" has been referred to as "a prime slab of what the boys have become famous for: highly caffeinated pop-punk mixed with a little white-boy soul and some hard-core yelping." The song features Stump singing in a falsetto in the chorus over Trohman's "crunchy" guitars, as well as a breakdown in which Wentz employs death growl-style vocals. The band also used instruments that did not appear on previous albums, such as horns and violins. The members became more open to experimentation, but attempted to not over-produce the album; Stump stated that he "had to resist the temptation to use a lot of strings." "Golden" consists exclusively of vocals, piano and organ, and Stump dubbed the song "much softer than anything we've ever done". The group utilizes a full horn section on "I've Got All This Ringing in My Ears and None on My Fingers", a track which has been likened to Queen. Violins are used on both "Thnks fr th Mmrs", in addition to an acoustic guitar strummed flamenco-style, and "The (After) Life of the Party", which also features electronic-influenced sounds. Commenting on the instruments used on "Thnks fr th Mmrs", Stump stated "I never thought I'd get a euphonium onto a Fall Out Boy record". "You're Crashing, But You're No Wave" features a gospel choir, while "Thriller" contains a spoken-word intro from Jay-Z. Barry Nicolson of NME referred to the song as a "towering, Foo Fighters-esque slice of thunderous rhythm and radio-friendly melody." Critics have described the album as being a pop-punk, pop rock, pop, and alternative rock album. ### Lyrics While writing the album, Wentz drew lyrical inspiration from rapper Lil Wayne, whom he called "the best lyricist of [2006]." Speaking of Infinity on Highs lyrical themes, Wentz stated, "On the last record, the lyrics were about 'This is where we're going to be a year from now, and this is what you're going to be saying about us.' But this time, we realized that a lot of bands should spend less time running their mouths and more time writing their songs." In 2013, Wentz reflected, "on a record like Infinity on High, I feel like I tried really hard to explain my perspective – and when I look back on it in hindsight I think it's an extremely unrelatable record. Critics felt that much of the lyrics address the band's rise to fame and the pressure of maintaining a loyal fanbase. Sasha Frere-Jones of The New Yorker commented that "The only top-ten acts that talk about fame as much as Fall Out Boy does are rappers, although their take on selling records is less conflicted." Cory Apar of Allmusic opined that "Wentz' lyrics are oftentimes resentful, full of fame-induced angst, and really emphasize his need to drive home his position that stardom has not changed the band." "Thriller" serves as an autobiographical recap of the two years following From Under the Cork Tree"'s release, referencing the band's mediocre CD reviews and breakout success, as well as thanking their "diehard" fans. The song discusses the band's Best New Artist Grammy loss, and Wentz calls it the "most narcissistic song on the album". The line "Fix me in forty-five" is a reference to the length of a therapy session. On "This Ain't a Scene, It's an Arms Race", Wentz uses wartime-inspired metaphors to discuss their newfound popularity; he called the song "kind of a tongue-in-cheek look at the way we are so addicted and obsessed with new arts, cultures and loves – to the point where it just becomes oversaturated." "I'm Like a Lawyer..." has been described as "about as close to a love song as you'll get from this band, a rare moment of tenderness among songs about blog entries, guest lists, and therapy sessions." In a tribute to the politicized Chicago hardcore scene, Wentz describes the story of a rigged court case of African-American civil rights activist Fred Hampton Jr. in "You're Crashing, But You're No Wave". The song has been described as a "very well-written track, a welcome respite from the one-liners which permeate the majority of the record." ## Packaging and title The album's title is taken from a letter written by Vincent van Gogh to his brother Theo in 1888, in which he describes his renewed health and the positive effect it has had on his painting. Originally written in Dutch, Van Gogh's phrasing has been translated as "Be clearly aware of the stars and infinity on high. Then life seems almost enchanted after all". Speaking of the title shortly after its announcement in November 2006, Wentz stated "As for what that means in relation to the record, we'll just let it unfold when people hear it." While Wentz declined to reveal the relationship between the title and the album's songs, MTV reporter James Montgomery opined that "It's not difficult to see it as a statement about the band rising above detractors and finding strength within themselves." The photography for the album was done by Pamela Littky, and the sets on the album artwork were designed by Todd Fjelsted. Chuck Anderson of NoPattern designed the artwork for the album. A winged sheep named Franklyn is depicted on the cover of the album in a bedroom with the moon and stars in the background, while the inside of the CD booklet features "tarot card" designs with photos of each of the band members. ## Promotion Promotion for the album began in November 2006 with the band performing "This Ain't a Scene, It's an Arms Race" for the first time at the American Music Awards on November 21. The song was shipped to radio the same night as the performance. In the week following the performance, the single was the top added track at Pop and Alternative radio. While the song was the first song revealed from the album, it would not receive an official single release until January 2007. "The Carpal Tunnel of Love" was released as a digital single in December 2006. It was a minor hit in the United States, peaking at 81 on the Billboard Hot 100. The band then began the Friends or Enemies Tour in January 2007 to build interest in the album. The tour consisted of intimate club shows in fifteen cities throughout the United States, with New Found Glory, The Early November, Permanent Me and Lifetime. Two weeks before Infinity on High was released, the album was leaked online, which led to rumors on the band's message boards that the album would be released a week early. Although these rumors were incorrect, Fall Out Boy responded to the leak by including an exclusive live EP, Leaked in London, recorded in London's Hammersmith Palais at their sold-out show on January 29, 2006, with each purchase to encourage fans to buy the album. The EP could be downloaded from the band's website between Tuesday, February 6, 2007 and Tuesday, February 13, 2007 using CDPass software along with inserting a physical copy of Infinity on High into the CD-ROM drive of one's computer. Infinity on High was the final release from Rabid Neurosis, a warez organization responsible for leaking 20,000 albums before their release. On February 6, 2007, the day of the album's release, Fall Out Boy played three free shows, each in a different city in the United States. The day started with a morning performance in Times Square in New York City, followed by a gig in the band's hometown of Chicago, and then a late-night show in Los Angeles. In March 2008, Fall Out Boy attempted to enter The Guinness Book of World Records for being the only band to perform in all seven continents in nine months, planning to perform in Antarctica for an audience of scientists while working with Greenpeace to raise awareness about global warming. However, the group was unable to make the flight from Punta Arenas, Chile to Antarctica due to poor weather. Instead, Wentz and Stump went on to break the world record for the most interviews conducted by a duo in a 24-hour period, setting the mark at seventy-four. To promote the album after its release, Fall Out Boy embarked on an extensive tour schedule, with concerts across the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Europe and Asia. It began with the 2007 Honda Civic Tour with Paul Wall, +44, The Academy Is..., and Cobra Starship. The tour was originally planned to begin on April 18, 2007 but the band decided to postpone the date until May 11, citing health issues and exhaustion. Wentz stated "It's a health issue, but not a health issue that anyone needs to worry about. It's not life-threatening, it's more about being overworked and worn down." In honor of the tour, the group designed a custom Honda Civic Hybrid which was given away to a fan in a contest. Wentz described the tour as "our biggest show ever", with Stump adding that "We've been working really hard to make this show look and sound the best it's ever been for Fall Out Boy." For a Kiss-inspired fan contest, Wentz's brother created prints of images based on the record, created with ink mixed with the band members' blood. The band gave away prints to winners at every stop on the Honda Civic Tour. Wentz hoped that the contest would serve to "[shed] some light on the much-needed support for blood drives." A live concert CD and DVD recorded at a show in Phoenix was later released in 2008, entitled Live in Phoenix. The band also headlined the Young Wild Things Tour, an international arena tour featuring Gym Class Heroes, Plain White T's and Cute Is What We Aim For. Of the thirty one dates, twenty nine were in the US with two in Canada. The tour was inspired by Maurice Sendak's 1963 children's book Where the Wild Things Are, and included sets designed by artist Rob Dobi containing images from the book. Commenting on the decision to incorporate elements from the book, Wentz explained "Where the Wild Things Are is a great narrative. It encapsulates pretty much every FOB song ever written: You know, tantrums and monster islands and all." ## Singles Four songs were released as singles from the album's fourteen tracks, of which three charted on the US Billboard Hot 100 and all reaching international charts. Infinity on High was spurred on by the lead single "This Ain't a Scene, It's an Arms Race", which became the highest-charting song for band and their first to chart worldwide. Wentz commented on the band's decision to pick "This Ain't a Scene..." as the first single, saying "There may be other songs on the record that would be bigger radio hits, but this one had the right message." It was sent to radio weeks before its digital release in January 2007; upon digital release the track debuted and peaked at number two on the Hot 100 where it stayed at that position for two consecutive weeks, spending nine weeks in the top ten. The single sold 162,000 digital downloads in its opening week, breaking various music industry records and becoming the highest debut of 2007. With this total it was the largest opening-week tally for a group since Nielsen SoundScan began tracking digital sales in 2003 and set a new record for the highest bow for a band since radio only titles joined the chart in 1998. It also reached number one on the defunct-Pop 100, number one on Billboard Digital Songs and came at number eight on Alternative Songs. Internationally, "This Ain't a Scene..." debuted and peaked inside the top ten of many charts. It reached number one in New Zealand, number two in the UK, number four and Platinum status in Australia, number four on the Canadian Hot 100 and in Ireland, and placed at number nine on the European Hot 100. "Thnks fr th Mmrs" was released as the second single in the US in March 2007. It peaked at number eleven on the Hot 100 with twenty-eight chart weeks before it was retired. It came at number five on Digital Songs, but performed weaker on the Radio Songs chart at number forty. It reached the two-million sales mark week ending December 27, 2009 in the US. Its highest charting was in Australia where it peaked at number three on the Australian ARIA chart and achieved Platinum status in the region. In New Zealand, the UK, Canada and Ireland "Thnks fr th Mmrs" reached the top twenty. ""The Take Over, the Breaks Over"" was released in August 2007 in the US as the third single and failed to chart on the Hot 100, although it did reach number 48 on the UK Singles Chart, with its highest position at number seventeen in Australia, becoming the third consecutive top twenty hit from Infinity on High in that region. The fourth and last single, "I'm Like a Lawyer with the Way I'm Always Trying to Get You Off (Me & You)" managed to reach number 68 in the US and made the top 30 in Australia. "The Carpal Tunnel of Love" was not an official single but it was released online by the band before Infinitys release and was later given as an exclusive download to iTunes; it managed to reach number eighty-one on the Hot 100. ## Critical reception Critical response for Infinity on High was generally positive, with many praising Stump's vocals and the album's new musical direction. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 75, based on 23 reviews, which indicates "generally favorable reviews". Jody Rosen of Entertainment Weekly commended the band's "new sense of swing" on its R\&B-influenced songs and noted that Stump "has evolved into a superb frontman." Dave de Silva of Sputnikmusic agreed about Stump's new vocal style, saying that "his tone is smoother and more well-rounded, he's cut out the borderline screechy high-end which made parts of the previous album unlistenable and, though occasionally still nasally, his tones are far more varied and adaptable to different styles" as well as calling Wentz' lyrics "as sharp as ever". Andrew Blackie of PopMatters called the album "wildly exciting and experimental" and felt it greatly improved upon From Under the Cork Tree. Aaron Burgess of The A.V. Club enjoyed the disc's new pop direction and felt that the songs that were more typical of Fall Out Boy's original sound, such as "The Carpal Tunnel of Love" undermined the album's potential. Sven Philipp of Billboard called Infinity on High a "shamelessly melodic, wild and powerful pop record" and referred to Stump as the album's "true surprise". The album was ranked No. 38 on Qs 50 Best Albums of 2007. However, some critics felt that the album was overly ambitious and that the band's musical departure may alienate listeners. Chad Grischow of IGN felt that the album's dramatic hooks seem "bloated" at times: "The band does a great of focusing on what they do best, but the album does drown itself a bit with all the overwhelming enormity of it all." Scott Shetler of Slant disliked the "melodramatic" undertones of "I've Got All This Ringing in My Ears and None on My Fingers" and "Golden", writing "they don't handle that style quite as well as Panic\! at the Disco". Cory Apar of AllMusic opined that the album's pop direction contradicts the band's lyrical claims of wishing to stick to their roots. He called the album's various styles "hit and miss", yet commented that "Once Infinity on High sinks in, it's indeed a fun record. But for a band that was once so self-assured and able to utilize its talents so compellingly, the album is regrettably haphazard." Caroline Sullivan of The Guardian believed that the album was overly sullen, but noted that "They may not be happy, but they haven't forgotten to be catchy." Barry Nicholson of NME found the number of guest producers to be unnecessary and disliked some of the songs, but admired the album's "infectious" nature. ## Commercial performance Infinity on High was a major commercial success, debuting at number one on the US Billboard 200 chart, with first week sales of 260,000 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan. As of February 2013, Infinity has sold 1.4 million copies in the US. It was the band's first US number one album and second consecutive top ten effort, as its previous release, From Under the Cork Tree, peaked at number nine. The album spent its first six weeks in the top ten, out of a total of fifty two chart weeks. Infinity on High also opened at number one on Billboards Rock Albums, Tastemaker Albums, and Digital Albums charts, with over 27,000 digital sales making up the total first week tally. In its second week, it fell to number five on the Billboard 200, selling 119,000 copies with a 54% decline during a post-Grammy week. The album rose to number three in its third week with 79,000 units sold. In its fourth week, the disc slipped to number four and sold 67,000 copies. Infinity on High's sales again fell in its fifth week, moving 58,000 copies and descending to number eight on the chart. In its sixth and last week in the top ten it fell to number nine and sold 43,000 copies. In April 2007, the album was certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), denoting the shipment of one million copies. It finished the year at number twenty-one on IFPI's list of the "Top 50 Global Best Selling Albums of 2007". Infinity on High has shipped over two million copies worldwide. The album also charted inside the top five worldwide, making it the band's most successful and breakthrough album internationally. Infinity on High charted all over Europe, debuting at number eight on Billboards European Albums chart. In Australia, it debuted at its peak of number four on the Australian ARIA Albums Chart. It remained on the Australian chart for a total of fifty weeks, spending its first seven weeks in the top ten. In its 31st chart week it broke into the top ten again where it remained for another six weeks in a row, accumulating a total of thirteen weeks in the top ten. The CD was certified Double Platinum by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA), denoting shipments of 140,000 copies. Infinity on High debuted at number one in New Zealand, and remained at the top position for six consecutive weeks, logging a total of thirty-seven chart weeks, making it the fifth longest chart sitter on the New Zealand charts in 2007. After marking its first twelve weeks in the top ten, it went on to spend a combined total of twenty-six weeks inside the top twenty and received a Platinum accreditation from the Recording Industry Association of New Zealand (RIANZ) for 15,000 shipments. In the United Kingdom, the album debuted at number three with 64,054 first week sales and made nine weeks in the top twenty, being certified Platinum by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) for 300,000 units shipped. It went on to sell 446,807 in the UK to date January 2015. The album debuted at number two in Canada with 21,000 first week sales. Infinity was certified Platinum by Music Canada for shipments of 100,000 units. In Ireland, the record peaked at number six according to the Irish Recorded Music Association with fourteen weeks within the top twenty, and also went Platinum there. After entering the French albums chart at number 64, Infinity on High reached its peak of number 17 and held on for 64 weeks in the top 150. ## Track listing ### Original release ### Australian/New Zealand tour edition bonus DVD ### Deluxe edition ## Personnel Fall Out Boy - Patrick Stump – lead vocals, rhythm guitar, piano - Pete Wentz – bass guitar, backing vocals, unclean vocals on "The Carpal Tunnel of Love", additional vocals on "Bang the Doldrums" - Joe Trohman – lead guitar, backing vocals - Andy Hurley – drums, percussion Guest artists - Jay-Z – Intro and outro in "Thriller" - Ryan Ross – guitar solo in "The Take Over, the Breaks Over" - Chad Gilbert – guitar solo in "The Take Over, the Breaks Over" - Butch Walker – guest vocalist in "You're Crashing, But You're No Wave"; crowd vocals on "This Ain't a Scene, It's an Arms Race", "Hum Hallelujah", and "Bang the Doldrums" - Sofia Toufa – crowd vocals on "This Ain't a Scene, It's an Arms Race", "Hum Hallelujah", and "Bang the Doldrums" - Lindsey Blaufarb – crowd vocals on "This Ain't a Scene, It's an Arms Race", "Hum Hallelujah", and "Bang the Doldrums" - Babyface – mandolin on "Thnks fr th Mmrs" and B3 organ on "I'm Like a Lawyer with the Way I'm Always Trying to Get You Off (Me & You)". - Los Angeles Master Chorale – crowd vocals in "You're Crashing, But You're No Wave" - Ken Wiley – French horn - Nick Lane – bass trombone - Darrell Leonard – euphonium - Guy Bettison – pan flute Design - Nate Newell and Liz Roth – styling - Louis Marino – art direction - Chuck Anderson – illustration and design - Pamela Litty – photography Production"' - Neal Avron – producer, mixing - Babyface – producer on tracks: 4 and 7 - Butch Walker, Patrick Stump – producers on "Don't You Know Who I Think I Am?" - Erich Talaba – engineer - Zeph Sowers, Scott Riebling – assistant recording - Tom Lord-Alge – mixing on tracks: 4 and 7 - George Gumbs – mixing assistant - Ted Jensen – mastering at Sterling Sound, New York City ## Charts ### Weekly charts ### Year-end charts ## Certifications

# Tom Nichols (footballer) Tom Andrew Nichols (born 28 August 1993) is an English professional footballer who plays as a striker for club Mansfield Town. Having come through Exeter City's academy, Nichols made his first-team debut for the club in May 2011. Whilst at Exeter City, he had loan spells at Dorchester Town, Hereford United and Bath City before establishing himself as a first team player in League Two. He joined Peterborough United of League One on a four-and-a-half-year contract for an undisclosed fee on 1 February 2016, but joined Bristol Rovers on a three-year contract in summer 2017. Following a loan spell at Cheltenham Town in the second half of the 2019–20 season, he was released by Bristol Rovers at the end of his three-year contract in summer 2020, and subsequently signed for League Two side Crawley Town on a one-year contract. He joined Gillingham in January 2023. ## Early and personal life Nichols was born in Wellington and attended Court Fields School. His father ran the King's Arms pub in Wellington. He supported Sunderland as a child. ## Career ### Exeter City Nichols joined Exeter City from local club Twyford Spartans as a youth at the under-11 age group. He signed his first professional contract in April 2011, aged 17. He made his professional debut on 7 May 2011, coming on as a half-time substitute for Bertrand Cozic in a 2–1 League One victory away to Sheffield Wednesday in the final match of the 2010–11 season. Nichols made his first appearance of the 2011–12 season as a 76th-minute substitute in a 2–0 League Cup win at home to Yeovil Town. He scored his first professional goal in a 2–1 victory against Chesterfield at St James Park on 27 August 2011, the eve of his 18th birthday. On 7 January 2012, it was announced that Nichols had joined Conference South side Dorchester Town on a one-month loan. He made his debut for Dorchester Town that same day in a 3–0 win over Thurrock, with Nichols scoring his first goal for the club after coming on as a substitute. In response to Nichols' debut appearance, Dorchester Town manager Alan Knight stated: "It was an encouraging performance and it was nice that he got his goal." After scoring three goals in three games for Dorchester Town, his loan was extended by a further month in February 2012. He returned to Exeter City in April 2012, having made 12 appearances and scored nine goals for the Magpies during his loan at the club. Nichols also made 12 appearances for Exeter City across the 2011–12 season, scoring one goal, as the club were relegated to League Two after finishing 23rd. In August 2012, Nichols joined Conference side Hereford United on a one-month loan deal, stating that he was 'pleasantly surprised' that Hereford wanted to sign him. He made his debut for the Bulls on 10 August 2012 against Macclesfield Town after coming on as a substitute. He scored his first goal for the club on 18 August 2012 in a 3–0 win away to Alfreton Town. His loan deal was extended for a further month in September 2012, though Nichols was recalled from his loan later that month by his parent club. He made nine appearances and scored one goal for the Bulls. He made his first Exeter appearance of the season as a substitute in a 3–2 home league victory over Wycombe Wanderers on 18 September 2012. In November 2012, Nichols joined Conference South side Bath City on a one-month loan. After making his debut for Bath City on 1 December in a 2–2 draw with Eastbourne Borough, he made seven appearances and scored one goal for the city, prior to being recalled by Exeter City on 25 January 2013. In March 2013, Nichols re-joined Conference South side Dorchester Town on loan, where he made five appearances and scored one goal. Nichols also made three appearances without scoring for Exeter City across the 2012–13 season. At the end of the season, he was offered a new contract with Exeter City for the 2013–14 season, which he signed in July 2013. Nichols' first appearance of the 2013–14 season came on 2 November 2013 as an 83rd-minute substitute in a 3–2 defeat away to Portsmouth. He scored his first goal of the season in his fourth appearance, with a 77th-minute equaliser in a 2–2 draw at home to Bury after coming on as a substitute. On his first start of the season in the following match on 14 December, he scored a brace in the first 11 minutes of a 3–2 win away to Accrington Stanley. After scoring his fourth goal of December from 25 yards in a 3–1 victory over Torquay United, Nichols was nominated for the League Two Player of the Month award for December 2013, but lost out to Deon Burton of Scunthorpe United. He went on to make 29 appearances and score six goals during the 2013–14 League Two season, finishing the season as City's joint top goalscorer alongside Scot Bennett. Nichols scored the opening goal of Exeter's 2014–15 season with a 27th-minute volley in a 1–1 draw at home to Portsmouth on 9 August, but did not score again for Exeter until 26 October when he scored their second goal of a 2–0 victory away to Morecambe. He then scored five goals in his following four league matches across November 2014, leading to his nomination for the League Two Player of the Month award for that month, though it was instead given to David Worrall of Southend United. Nichols received a straight red card for kicking out at an opponent in Exeter's 1–1 draw at home to Morecambe on 28 March 2015, resulting in a three-match ban. He finished the season as the club's leading goalscorer with 15 goals in 39 appearances for the Grecians. Nichols scored Exeter's first goal of the 2015–16 season with a first-half penalty in a 3–2 win over Yeovil Town on 8 August 2015. After playing in Exeter's first and second round FA Cup victories against Didcot Town and Port Vale respectively, scoring in the former, he scored and was named the man of the match in Exeter's 2–2 draw against Premier League club Liverpool in the third round of the FA Cup on 8 January 2016. He later stated that the atmosphere was "the best I'd ever heard at St James Park". He came on as a half-time substitute in the replay on 20 January as Exeter lost 3–0 and were eliminated from the competition. He scored 12 goals in 28 games for Exeter during the 2015–16 season. ### Peterborough United On 1 February 2016, Nichols joined League One side Peterborough United on a four-and-a-half-year contract for an undisclosed fee, later revealed be £352,000 including fees and add-ons. Nichols described the move as a 'no-brainer really' due to Peterborough United's record of developing younger players. He made his debut on 6 February 2016 and scored the winner with a close range shot in a 1–0 victory away to Chesterfield. He appeared in six further matches without scoring in the 2015–16 season for Peterborough. Nichols made his first appearance of the 2016–17 season as a 74th-minute substitute in a 3–2 victory away to Rochdale. He scored his first goals of the season in his following match with Peterborough's first and third goals of a 3–2 EFL Cup win over AFC Wimbledon after coming on as a substitute. He scored his first league goal of the season in the 68th-minute of a 5–1 win at home to Millwall, having already provided three assists in that match. Nichols scored for Peterborough United in a 4–1 defeat to Chelsea in the FA Cup third round on 8 January 2017, which he later described as a "career highlight". In April he suffered a medial ligament tear injury and missed the rest of the season. He scored 13 goals in 51 matches for Peterborough over the course of the 2016–17 season. ### Bristol Rovers On 17 July 2017, Nichols joined League One side Bristol Rovers for a fee of £350,000, subject to him passing a medical. Rovers initially had a bid for Nichols rejected, though Nichols requested to leave the club after he claimed his name was booed by about four Peterborough supporters prior to a friendly with Queens Park Rangers on 15 July 2017. He debuted for Bristol Rovers as a 15th-minute substitute for James Clarke in a 1–0 defeat away to Charlton Athletic, despite the hosts having a player sent off after six minutes. It took Nichols until 28 October to score his first goal for Rovers when he scored the opening goal of a 2–0 win against Milton Keynes Dons in his 19th appearance for the club. After scoring his first goal for the club, he told the Bristol Post that his goal for the club was "a big weight off the shoulders". Nichols followed up with a second goal three days later against West Ham United under-23s in the EFL Trophy. He scored 2 goals in 45 games across the 2017–18 season. Having started Bristol Rovers opening match of the 2018–19 season, he scored his first goal of the season, and first for over a year, on 21 November 2018, with Bristol Rovers' only goal of a 2–1 FA Cup defeat to Barnet. He scored his second goal of the season on 22 January 2019, converting a penalty in a 3–0 EFL Trophy win over Port Vale, before scoring his first league goal of the season the following week with the opening goal of a 2–2 League One draw with Peterborough United, again from the penalty spot. He scored 3 goals in 44 appearances across the 2018–19 season. Nichols scored his first league goal of the 2019–20 season in a 3–1 home win against Oxford United. The striker was later on the scoresheet in an EFL Cup home tie against Brighton & Hove Albion in August, as well as an EFL Trophy match against Plymouth Argyle in September 2019. In early January 2020, he was told by new manager Ben Garner that he was free to leave the club, and subsequently signed for Cheltenham Town on a six-month loan deal on 31 January 2020. He made his debut for Cheltenham as a substitute in a 2–1 win at home to Morecambe on 1 February 2020. He scored 4 goals in 28 appearances for Bristol Rovers across the 2019–20 season, whilst he made 7 appearances for Cheltenham as they finished 4th on points per game after the season was ended early due to the COVID-19 pandemic and qualified for the play-offs, where they were eliminated by Northampton Town in the semi-final. At the end of the 2019–20 season, Nichols was released by Bristol Rovers. In an interview with Bristol Post in December 2020, Nichols stated that his time at Bristol Rovers "didn't go to plan", but that he does "look back with fondness". ### Crawley Town Following a trial spell with Swindon Town, on 7 September 2020, Nichols joined League Two club Crawley Town on a one-year deal, reuniting him with former Exeter assistant John Yems. He made his debut for Crawley as a substitute in a 2–0 away defeat to Port Vale on 12 September, and scored his first goal of the season the following match as Crawley defeated Scunthorpe United 1–0. On 8 November 2020, he scored a hat-trick as Crawley progressed to the second round of the FA Cup after defeating Torquay United 6–5 after extra time. Nichols scored a brace for Crawley in a 2–1 win away to second-placed Forest Green Rovers, attracting praise from manager Yems who said that "he [Nichols] is full of heart and determination." Having missed Crawley's FA Cup second round victory over AFC Wimbledon through injury, Nichols started the third round tie against Premier League side Leeds United and provided the assist for Crawley's second goal as they won 3–0 on 10 January 2021. Despite scoring for Crawley in the following round's tie away to AFC Bournemouth on 26 January, Crawley were eliminated from the FA Cup following a 2–1 defeat. He won the League Two Goal of the Month award for March 2021 for his goal against Tranmere Rovers on 6 March after receiving 43% of the public vote, with the goal described as a "delightful team goal". On 20 April 2021, he was shown a straight red card after elbowing Newport County defender Liam Shephard in the head in the 89th-minute of a 2–0 defeat. Having scored 15 goals in 46 appearances, Nichols was awarded Crawley Town's Player of the Year for the 2020–21 campaign. The club took up their option to extend Nichols' contract by a year. Nichols made his first appearance of the 2021–22 season on 4 September 2021 in a 1–0 defeat to Bristol Rovers, and signed a new two-year contract with the option of a further year that day. The following match saw Nichols net his first goal for six months, "drilling the ball in" for the opening goal of a 2–1 home victory over Carlisle United. Across the 2021–22 season, he scored 10 goals in 39 league matches. After appearing 23 times and scoring 4 goals during the 2022–23 season, Nichols was left out of the matchday squad on two consecutive occasions in December 2022, leading to rumours he was to be involved in a transfer away from the club. Nichols later stated in an interview that " I got told that [Crawley] had accepted an offer for me from another club and I couldn't play any more", adding that "at the time I was not asking to leave at all". ### Gillingham On 28 December 2022, it was announced that Nichols had signed for League Two's bottom club Gillingham for an undisclosed fee, officially joining the club on 1 January 2023. The fee was rumoured to be around £60,000. He made his debut against Hartlepool United on 14 January and scored Gillingham's first goal and assisted the second in a 2–0 victory. He scored in both of his following two appearances for the Gills, and also picked up a further assist, leading to his nomination for the League Two Player of the Month award for January, but again lost out, this time to Conor McAleny. He scored a further three goals in the club's remaining 20 league matches, as Gillingham finished 17th and 12 points clear of the relegation places. During the 2023–24 season, Nichols scored thrice across 32 appearances in all competitions for Gillingham prior to leaving the club. ### Mansfield Town Nichols joined Mansfield Town on an 18-month contract for an undisclosed fee on 1 February 2024. After making his debut as an 81st-minute substitute against Notts County on 3 February, and scored on his full debut in a 4–0 win over Forest Green Rovers on 10 February. He made 16 further appearances across the 2023–24 season, scoring twice, as Mansfield were promoted to League One following a 3rd-place league finish. ## Style of play Nichols plays as a striker, with Nichols describing himself as "the platform to play off", adding that "they play up to me and I try to hold the ball up and get the team up the pitch". Peterborough United manager Grant McCann described Nichols as a "very good footballer", going on to say that "he moves well and links up play well". ## Career statistics ## Honours Mansfield Town - EFL League Two third–place promotion: 2023–24 Individual - League Two Goal of the Month: March 2021 - Crawley Town Player of the Year: 2020–21

# Sergio Brown Sergio Brown (born May 22, 1988) is an American former professional football player who was a safety in the National Football League (NFL) for seven seasons. He played college football for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and was signed by the New England Patriots as an undrafted free agent after the 2010 NFL draft. He was also a member of the Indianapolis Colts, Jacksonville Jaguars, and Buffalo Bills. Brown attended Proviso East High School in Maywood, Illinois, where he played as a wide receiver and defensive end. Following high school, he chose to play college football for the University of Notre Dame after receiving scholarship offers from several major Division I programs. Brown was a reserve for his first two seasons before being named a starter in his junior year, where he appeared in 13 games including a victory against the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors in the 2008 Hawaii Bowl. In his senior season, he led all FBS Independent schools in forced fumbles. After going undrafted in the following year's draft, Brown signed with the Patriots in April 2010. He last played professional football in the 2016 NFL season. In September 2023, Brown was reported missing after his mother was found dead outside of her home; he was later located in Mexico. During the period of his disappearance, Brown posted several cryptic messages on social media. In October 2023, Brown was apprehended by Mexican authorities. He was later extradited to the United States and arrested on charges of first-degree murder and concealing a homicide. ## Early life Sergio Brown was born on May 22, 1988, in Maywood, Illinois to Myrtle Simmons and Mario Brown. His father was the first African-American basketball player at Texas A\&M. His older brother, Nick, was a USA Junior National Champion in track and field and competed at the University of Illinois. Brown attended Proviso East High School in Maywood, where he starred in football, basketball, and track and field. He played wide receiver, safety, quarterback, placekicker, and punter for Proviso alongside future professional basketball player Brian Carlwell. As a senior, he recorded eight touchdowns as a receiver, five interceptions for touchdown returns as a safety, and was named a Second Team All-State defensive pick by the Chicago Tribune. Brown was also a standout track and field athlete; in his senior year, he was a state qualifier in the long jump, achieving a career-best leap of 21 feet, 9 inches and recording a 4.38 second 40-yard dash. Brown did not initially attract much attention from recruiters; by the end of May 2005, he had not received a scholarship offer. However, following an impressive performance at a Nike combine in Michigan, Brown received offers from several Division I football programs, including Notre Dame, Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, Minnesota, Northwestern, and Purdue. He was evaluated as a three-star recruit and ranked 32nd nationally at his position by Rivals.com, while 247Sports ranked him as the 31st best safety recruit in the nation. On September 27, 2005, Brown committed to Notre Dame. ## College career As a true freshman at Notre Dame, Brown played in eleven of twelve games as a substitute strong safety and gunner. For the 2006 season, he recorded a total of three solo tackles and one assisted tackle over three games against Georgia Tech, Stanford, and Air Force. As a sophomore, Brown remained a substitute, playing in nine games as the team finished with a record low 3-9 win–loss record. He recorded four solo and three assisted tackles for a total of seven over six games against Georgia Tech, Penn State, Purdue, UCLA, Boston College, and USC. Brown was promoted to starting nickel back safety in his junior season and played in all twelve regular season games. In his first career start against San Diego State, Brown made a season-high six total tackles and deflected two passes in a 21–13 victory. The Fighting Irish improved their record from the previous year, finishing with a balanced 6–6 record. This performance secured them an invitation to play in the 2008 Hawaii Bowl, where they achieved a decisive 49–21 victory over the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors. During the game, Brown contributed with six individual tackles, one pass deflection, and a blocked punt. Over thirteen games, Brown logged 21 solo and seven assisted tackles for a total of 28 tackles, averaging over two tackles per game. He led FBS Independent schools in pass deflections, with six total for the 2008 season. In his last season at Notre Dame, Brown had a standout season, starting in all twelve games as a member of the team's leadership committee. In a November 7 game against the Navy Midshipmen, Brown achieved a career-high of 9 total tackles. He ended his senior season with a total of 49 combined tackles, two pass deflections, and two forced fumbles, leading the FBS Independent conference in forced fumbles and achieving a 10th-place ranking in solo tackles with a total of 37. ## Professional career ### New England Patriots #### 2010 season Brown signed with the New England Patriots on April 25, 2010, as an undrafted free agent. He was waived during final cuts on September 4, 2010, but was re-signed to the team's practice squad two days later. Following an injury to Jarrad Page and the release of running back Thomas Clayton, Brown was promoted to the 53-man roster and signed a 4-year, $1.82 million contract with the Patriots on October 23. He made his NFL debut the next day against the San Diego Chargers, recording four tackles, including a late game third-down tackle on Chargers tight end Antonio Gates. By the end of the 2010 regular season, Brown had 11 tackles and one fumble recovery in 11 career games played as a reserve. He made his NFL playoff debut on January 16, 2011, in a 21–28 loss against the New York Jets in the AFC Divisional round, recording one tackle in the contest. Collectively, the Patriots finished with the first seed in the American Football Conference (AFC), with a league-best regular season record of 14–2. #### 2011 season Prior to the start of the 2011 NFL season, the Patriots released safeties Brandon Meriweather and James Sanders, promoting Brown to second-string safety behind Patrick Chung. In a game against the San Diego Chargers on September 18, Brown started a game for the first time, recording a combined seven tackles and his only career interception in the contest. Over the 15 regular season games that he appeared in, Brown started three games, making 37 total tackles. He played in all three playoff games for the Patriots, including a 17–21 loss against the New York Giants in Super Bowl XLVI. For the second season in a row, the Patriots finished as the first seed in the AFC, with a record of 13–3. On August 31, 2012, Brown was waived by the Patriots before the beginning of the 2012 NFL season. ### Indianapolis Colts #### 2012 season The Colts claimed Brown off waivers on September 2, 2012, where he would play as a gunner and backup safety to fellow Notre Dame alum Tom Zbikowski. In his first regular season with the Colts, Brown played in all 16 games, recording 11 total tackles and a pass deflection; however, he did not start in any contests. During a November 19 match against his former team, the Patriots, Brown delivered a hit on former teammate Rob Gronkowski while blocking for an extra point play, breaking Gronkowski's arm. He made a single tackle in a 9–24 loss against the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC Wild Card game. The Colts ended the season with an 11–5 record, second in the AFC South division. #### 2013 season In the 2013 preseason, Brown incurred a hamstring injury during practice; he was later cleared to play in the Colts' season opener against the Oakland Raiders on September 8. During the regular season, Brown played in 14 games, logging seven tackles and two fumble recoveries. In the postseason, he made one tackle in the Colts' 45–44 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Wild Card game. The Colts matched their previous season's performance, finishing with an 11–5 record and ranking first in the AFC South. #### 2014 season In the 2014 season, Brown played in 15 regular season games, starting eight, with 33 total tackles including 24 solo tackles and nine assists. He recorded one tackle for loss, two quarterback hits, and recovered one fumble for 26 yards in a November 3 game against the New York Giants. Following a touchdown by running back Jonas Gray during a November 16 game against the Patriots, Rob Gronkowski forcefully blocked Brown out of bounds, resulting in Gronkowski receiving an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty and a $8,268 fine. Brown participated in all three playoff games, adding one solo tackle in a 7–45 loss against the Patriots in the AFC Championship Game. For the third consecutive year, the Colts ended the regular season with an 11–5 record and topped the AFC South standings for the second straight year. Following the end of the season, Brown was not resigned and became an unrestricted free agent. ### Jacksonville Jaguars #### 2015 season On March 10, 2015, Brown signed a three-year, $7 million contract with the Jacksonville Jaguars. In his only season with the team, he played 15 games and started in four. He accumulated 31 solo tackles, seven assist tackles, and two tackles for loss. Brown also recorded two defended passes and two quarterback hits. In a December 6 game against the Tennessee Titans, Brown achieved a season-high five combined tackles and an interception. The Jaguars finished third in the AFC South, with a season record of 5–11. On April 18, 2016, the Jaguars released Brown. ### Atlanta Falcons On August 20, 2016, Brown was signed by the Atlanta Falcons. He was released during final roster cuts on August 27, 2016. ### Buffalo Bills On November 2, 2016, Brown was signed by the Buffalo Bills. He played in eight games with no starts, recording five combined tackles for the season. ## Post-NFL career and personal life Brown last played professional football in the 2016 NFL season. In 2017, Brown began a position as a digital advertising account manager at Google. He holds a master's degree in business administration from the University of Miami. ## Legal issues On September 16, 2023, police in Maywood, Illinois launched a search after family members expressed concern at not being able to reach Brown or his mother, Myrtle Simmons-Brown. Officers discovered the body of Simmons-Brown near a creek behind her home; the Cook County Medical Examiner ruled the death as a homicide caused by blunt force trauma. Brown was not found at the scene of the crime, and was later declared a missing person. Three days later, Brown appeared in an Instagram video tagged in Mexico, in which he claimed that he believed his mother was "on vacation in Sinaloa" and alleged that he had been kidnapped by the FBI. Other videos posted to the same Instagram account showed Brown repeatedly dismissing reports of his mother's death as fake news and ridiculing claims of his disappearance by referencing the film Finding Nemo. On October 1, Brown was seen partying at a club in Tulum. On October 7, Brown was detained by Mexican authorities in Mexico City, where he was found in possession of several of his mother's belongings, including her credit cards and cell phone. He was later deported to San Diego following an altercation with Mexican police on a flight to Tijuana. On October 24, Brown was extradited to Illinois and formally charged with first-degree murder and concealing a dead body. Brown pleaded not guilty on December 6, 2023; he is currently in custody at Cook County Jail awaiting trial.

# Agrippa Postumus Marcus Agrippa Postumus (12 BC – AD 14), later named Agrippa Julius Caesar, was a grandson of Roman Emperor Augustus. He was the youngest child of Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa and Julia the Elder. Augustus initially considered Postumus as a potential successor and formally adopted him as his heir, before banishing Postumus from Rome in AD 6 on account of his ferocia ("beastly nature"). In effect, though not in law, the action cancelled his adoption and virtually assured Tiberius' emplacement as Augustus' sole heir. Postumus was ultimately executed by his own guards shortly after Augustus' death in AD 14. Postumus was a member of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, the first imperial family of the Roman Empire. His maternal grandparents were Augustus and his second wife, Scribonia. Postumus was also a maternal uncle of Emperor Caligula, who was the son of Postumus' sister Agrippina the Elder, as well as a great-uncle of Nero, the last Julio-Claudian emperor, whose mother, Agrippina the Younger, was Caligula's sister. ## Name Postumus was initially named "Marcus Agrippa" in honour of his father, who died shortly before his birth and so the surname Postumus was added. After the death of his older brothers, Lucius and Gaius Caesar, Postumus was adopted by his maternal grandfather, Augustus. A lex curiata ratified his adoption from which Postumus assumed the filiation Augusti f., meaning "son of Augustus". Postumus was then legally the son of Augustus, as well as his biological grandson. As a consequence, Postumus was adopted into the Julia gens and took the name "Julius Caesar". His name was changed to Agrippa Julius Caesar. ## Early life and family Agrippa Postumus was born in Rome in 12 BC, approximately three months after his father, Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa, died in the summer. He was born into the equestrian gens Vipsania. His father was one of Augustus' leading generals, and his mother, Julia the Elder, was the daughter of Augustus and his second wife, Scribonia. Postumus was the third son and last child of Agrippa and Julia; his older siblings were Gaius Caesar, Julia the Younger, Lucius Caesar and Agrippina the Elder. Both of his brothers, Gaius and Lucius, were adopted by Augustus after the birth of Lucius in 17 BC. Before Gaius left Rome for Asia, Gaius and Lucius had been given the authority to consecrate the Temple of Mars Ultor (1 August 2 BC), and they managed the games that were held to celebrate the Temple's dedication. Postumus, still a student, participated in the Lusus Troiae ("Trojan Games") with the rest of the equestrian youth. At these games, according to Cassius Dio, 260 lions were slaughtered in the Circus Maximus, there was gladiatorial combat and a naval battle between the "Persians" and the "Athenians" and 36 crocodiles were slaughtered in the Circus Flaminius. ### Adoption At first, Augustus opted not to adopt Postumus so that Agrippa would have at least one son to carry on his family name. However, the untimely deaths of principes Lucius (d. AD 2) and Gaius (d. AD 4) forced Augustus to adopt Postumus, his only remaining biological grandson, and Tiberius, Augustus' eldest stepson from his third wife, Livia, on 26 June AD 4 to secure the succession. He agreed to adopt Tiberius if Tiberius first adopted Germanicus. Upon his adoption into the Julii Caesares, Postumus assumed the name "Marcus Julius Caesar Agrippa Postumus". After the adoptions of AD 4, in the event of Augustus' death, the title of princeps would pass first to Tiberius and then to Germanicus. It was not intended that Postumus receive the emperorship; instead, he was meant to be the heir to Augustus' bloodline. He would receive Augustus' name, property, and bloodline but not the title of princeps. Indeed, Postumus was not given any special schooling or treatment after his adoption. In AD 5, at the age of 17, he received the toga virilis, and his name was added to the list of aristocratic youth eligible for training as military officers. That differed greatly from the honours received by his brothers, both of whom were inducted into the Roman Forum by Augustus himself to commemorate their adoptions, given the title Princeps Iuventutis ("Leader of the Youth") and promised the consulship five years in advance, to be held when they reached 19. ## Exile In AD 6, an uprising began in the Roman province of Illyricum. Augustus sent Tiberius to crush the revolt with his army, and after a year of delayed results, he sent Germanicus in his capacity as quaestor to assist in bringing the war to a swift end. The reason, Dio says, that Germanicus was chosen over Postumus is because Postumus was of an "illiberal nature". Postumus was known for being brutish, insolent, stubborn and potentially violent. He possessed great physical strength and reportedly showed little interest in anything other than fishing. He resisted all efforts to improve his behavior, which forced Augustus to "abdicate" him from the Julii in AD 6 and banish him to a villa at Surrentum, near Pompeii. As an abdicated adoptee (adoptatus abdicatus), he lost the Julian name and returned to the gens Vipsania. The ancient historian Velleius Paterculus had this to say of the banishment: The following year, in 7 AD, Augustus had the Senate make Postumus' banishment permanent and had him moved to Planasia (now Pianosa, Italy), a small island between Italy and Corsica. Augustus bolstered the natural inaccessibility of the rocky island by having an armed guard installed there. The Senate was ordered never to allow his release. No consensus has emerged as to why Augustus banished Postumus. Tacitus suggests that Augustus' wife, Livia, had always disliked and shunned Postumus, as he stood in the way of her son Tiberius succeeding to power after Augustus since Postumus was a direct biological descendant of Augustus, unlike Tiberius. Some modern historians theorise that Postumus may have become involved in a conspiracy against Augustus. Postumus was held under intense security. Postumus' sister Julia was banished around the same time (AD 8), and her husband, Lucius Aemilius Paullus, was executed for allegedly plotting a conspiracy against Augustus. There was later a conspiracy to rescue Julia and Postumus by Lucius Audasius and Asinius Epicadus. Audasius was an accused forger of advanced age, and Asinius was half-Illyrian. According to Suetonius, Audasius and Epicadus had planned to take Julia and Postumus by force to the armies. It is unclear what their exact plan was or even to which armies Suetonius was referring because the conspiracy was discovered early in its planning, possibly before they had even left Rome. ### Events of AD 14 Augustus made no effort to contact Postumus until AD 14. In the summer of that year, Augustus left Rome, never to see the capital again. The main ancient sources of information about the period, Tacitus and Cassius Dio, suggest that Augustus left Rome in the company of only one trusted friend, the senator Paullus Fabius Maximus. They left for Planasia to pay Augustus' banished grandson a highly-controversial visit. Fabius and then Augustus died on their return without revealing what they had been doing. Tacitus reports their visit to Planasia as a rumour although Dio reports it as fact. According to the historian Robin Lane Fox, the alleged visit has sometimes been dismissed by modern scholars. However, it has been shown that Augustus and Fabius were absent from Rome in mid-May of AD 14. Augustus' adopted grandson, Drusus the Younger, was then being admitted into the Arval Brethren, and an inscription (ILS, 5026) shows that both Augustus and Fabius voted in absentia to admit him into the priesthood. There was much gossip over the outcome of their expedition. Tacitus recounts the rumour that Augustus had decided to reverse his decision and make Postumus his successor. In his account, Fabius indiscreetly told his wife what had occurred during the trip, and that cost him his life. Augustus' wife, Livia, too was said to have poisoned her husband to prevent Postumus from becoming the successor and thus supplanting her son Tiberius. While modern historians, including Fox, agree that such stories are highly unlikely, there is evidence that Augustus' journey was historical. "It is the last act in Augustus' long marathon of finding and keeping an heir to the new Empire". ### Deaths of Augustus and Postumus Augustus died on 19 August AD 14. Despite being banished, Postumus had not legally been disinherited and so could claim a share in Augustus' inheritance. According to Augustus' will, sealed on 3 April AD 13, Tiberius would inherit two thirds of his estate and Livia one third. There is no mention of Postumus in the document. Tiberius gave the eulogy at Augustus' funeral and made a show of reluctantly accepting the title of princeps. At almost the same time as Augustus' death, Postumus was killed by the centurion Gaius Sallustius Crispus, the great-nephew and adopted son of the historian Sallust. When Crispus reported to Tiberius that "his orders have been carried out", Tiberius threatened to bring the matter before the Senate and professed that he had given no such orders. Tiberius denied any involvement, argued that he had been en route to Illyricum when he was recalled to Rome, and later issued a statement that it was Augustus who had given the order that Agrippa Postumus not survive him. It is not clear if the killing was carried out before or after Tiberius became emperor. ## Legacy Two years later, there was an attempt by Postumus' former slave Clemens to impersonate him. Clemens was able to impersonate Postumus because people did not remember what Postumus looked like, but Dio also says there was a resemblance between them. The impersonation was carried out by the same slave who had set out in AD 14 to ship Postumus away, and the act was met with considerable success among the plebs. According to the historian Erich S. Gruen, various contemporary sources state that Postumus was a "vulgar young man, brutal and brutish, and of depraved character". The Roman historian Tacitus defended him, but his praise was slight: "[He was] the young, physically tough, indeed brutish, Agrippa Postumus. Though devoid of every good quality, he had been involved in no scandal." It was common for ancient historians to portray Postumus as dim-witted and brutish. Velleius portrays Postumus as having had a deformed or perverse character, Dio records a propensity to violence ("He had an impetuous temper...") and a devotion to "servile pursuits", and both Tacitus and Suetonius describe him as fierce ("ferox"). Contemporaries were reported to have described Postumus as wild ("trux"), and Suetonius is in agreement with Dio's "servile pursuits" depiction. The historian Andrew Pettinger argues that the descriptions of Postumus reveal a moral inadequacy, not a mental disorder. ### In fiction Postumus is depicted in many works of art due to his relationship with the leading family of the early Roman Empire. They include: - I, Claudius (1934), a novel by Robert Graves, presents Postumus in a positive light, as a boyhood friend of the narrator, Claudius. It creates a fictional incident in which Postumus is framed by Livia and her granddaughter Livilla for the attempted rape of Livilla, as a means of all but guaranteeing Tiberius' succession to the emperorship. Postumus is banished to Planasia but escapes execution when Augustus arranges for his impersonation by his freed slave Clemens, who is later executed by Crispus, unwittingly in Postumus' stead. The real Postumus spends time on the run, but is eventually captured and executed by Tiberius. - In The Caesars (1968), a television series by Philip Mackie, Postumus was played by Derek Newark. Here Postumus is sentenced to death by Augustus, who decides to permanently remove his only remaining grandson as an obstacle to the succession of Tiberius. - In I, Claudius (1976), a television series by Jack Pulman based on Graves' novels, Postumus was played by John Castle. This retains the story from the novel of Postumus being framed for the assault on Livilla, and the later visit to Planasia by Augustus, but removes his fictional survival and shifts the events concerning his banishment to after the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest. He is killed by Sejanus on Planasia after Augustus' death. ## Ancestry

# Topaz War Relocation Center The Topaz War Relocation Center, also known as the Central Utah Relocation Center (Topaz) and briefly as the Abraham Relocation Center, was an American concentration camp in which Americans of Japanese descent and immigrants who had come to the United States from Japan, called Nikkei were incarcerated. President Franklin Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066 in February 1942, ordering people of Japanese ancestry to be incarcerated in what were euphemistically called "relocation centers" like Topaz during World War II. Most of the people incarcerated at Topaz came from the Tanforan Assembly Center and previously lived in the San Francisco Bay Area. The camp was opened in September 1942 and closed in October 1945. The camp, approximately 15 miles (24.1 km) west of Delta, Utah, consisted of 19,800 acres (8,012.8 ha), with a 640 acres (259.0 ha) main living area. Most internees lived in the main living area, though some lived off-site as agricultural and industrial laborers. The approximately 9,000 internees and staff made Topaz into the fifth-largest city in Utah at the time. The extreme temperature fluctuations of the arid area combined with uninsulated barracks made conditions very uncomfortable, even after the belated installation of pot-bellied stoves. The camp housed two elementary schools and a high school, a library, and some recreational facilities. Camp life was documented in a newspaper, Topaz Times, and in the literary publication Trek. Internees worked inside and outside the camp, mostly in agricultural labor. Many internees became notable artists. In the winter of 1942–1943, a loyalty questionnaire asked prisoners if they would declare their loyalty to the United States of America and if they would be willing to enlist. The questions were divisive, and prisoners who were considered "disloyal" because of their answers on the loyalty questionnaire were sent to the Tule Lake Segregation Camp. One internee, James Wakasa, was shot and killed for being too close to the camp's fence. Topaz prisoners held a large funeral and stopped working until administrators relaxed security. In 1983, Jane Beckwith founded the Topaz Museum Board. Topaz became a U.S. National Historic Landmark in 2007. After many years of organizing, fundraising, and collecting information and artifacts, the Topaz Museum was built in Delta and debuted with a display of the art created at Topaz. Permanent exhibits, installed in 2017, chronicle the people who were interned there and tell their stories. ## Terminology Since the end of World War II, there has been debate over the terminology used to refer to Topaz and the other camps in which Americans of Japanese ancestry and their immigrant parents were imprisoned by the United States government during the war. Topaz has been referred to as a "relocation camp", "relocation center", "internment camp", and "concentration camp", and the controversy over which term is the most appropriate continued throughout the late 1990s. In a preface to a 1997 book on Topaz written and published by the Topaz Museum, the Topaz Museum Board states that it is accurate to refer to the camps as a "detention camp" or "concentration camp" and its residents as "prisoners" or "internees". ## History In December 1941, the Imperial Japan attacked Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. Shortly afterwards in February 1942, President Franklin Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066. The order forced approximately 120,000 Americans of Japanese descent (Nisei) and Japanese-born residents (Issei) in California, Oregon, Washington, and Alaska on the West Coast of the United States to leave their homes. About 5,000 left the off-limits area during the "voluntary evacuation" period, and avoided internment. The remaining 110,000 were soon removed from their homes by Army and National Guard troops. Topaz was opened September 11, 1942, and eventually became the fifth-largest city in Utah, with over 9,000 internees and staff, and covering approximately 31 square miles (80.3 km²) (mostly used for agriculture). A total of 11,212 people lived at Topaz at one time or another. Utah governor Herbert B. Maw opposed the relocation of any Japanese Americans into the state, stating that if they were such a danger to the West Coast, they would be a danger to Utah. Most internees arrived at Topaz from the Tanforan or Santa Anita Assembly Centers; the majority hailed from the San Francisco Bay Area. Sixty-five percent were Nisei, American citizens born to Japanese immigrants. The camp was governed by Charles F. Ernst until June 1944, when the position was taken over by Luther T. Hoffman following Ernst's resignation. It was closed on October 31, 1945. Topaz was originally known as the Central Utah Relocation Authority, and then the Abraham Relocation Authority, but the names were too long for post office regulations. The final name, Topaz, came from Topaz Mountain which overlooks the camp from 9 miles (14.5 km) away. Topaz was the primary internment site in the state of Utah. A smaller camp existed briefly a few miles north of Moab, which was used to isolate a few men considered to be troublemakers prior to their being sent to Leupp, Arizona. A site at Antelope Springs, in the mountains west of Topaz, was used as a recreation area by the residents and staff of Topaz. ## Life ### Climate Most internees came from the San Francisco Bay Area, which has a warm-summer Mediterranean climate, with moist mild winters and dry summers. Topaz had an extreme climate, located at 4,580 feet (1,400 m) above sea level in the Sevier Desert. A "Midlatitude Desert" under the Köppen classification, temperatures could vary greatly throughout the day. The area experienced powerful winds and dust storms. One such storm caused structural damage to 75 buildings in 1944. Temperatures could reach below freezing from mid-September until the end of May. The average temperature in January was 26 °F (−3 °C). Spring rains turned the clay soil to mud, which bred mosquitoes. Summers were hot, with occasional thunderstorms and temperatures that could exceed 100 °F (38 °C). In 1942, the first snowfall occurred on October 13, before camp construction was fully complete. ### Architecture and living arrangements Topaz contained a living complex known as the "city", about 1 square mile (2.6 km²), as well as extensive agricultural lands. Within the city, 42 blocks were for internees, 34 of which were residential. Each residential block housed 200–300 people, housed in barracks that held five people within a single 20-by-20-foot (6.1 by 6.1 m) room. Families were generally housed together, while single adults would be housed with four other unrelated individuals. Residential blocks also contained a recreation hall, a mess hall, an office for the block manager, and a combined laundry/toilet/bathing facility. Each block contained only four bathtubs for all the women and four showers for all the men living there. These packed conditions often resulted in little privacy for residents. Barracks were built out of wood frame covered in tarpaper, with wooden floors. Many internees moved into the barracks before they were completed, exposing them to harsh weather. Eventually, they were lined with sheetrock, and the floors filled with masonite. While the construction began in July 1942, the first inmates moved in in September 1942, and the camp was not completed until early 1943. Camp construction was completed in part by 214 interned laborers who volunteered to arrive early and help build the camp. Rooms were heated by pot-bellied stoves. There was no furniture provided. Inmates used communal leftover scrap wood from construction to build beds, tables, and cabinets. Some families also modified their living quarters with fabric partitions. Water came from wells and was stored in a large wooden tank, and was "almost undrinkable" because of its alkalinity. Topaz also included a number of communal areas: a high school, two elementary schools, a 28-bed hospital, at least two churches, and a community garden. There was a cemetery as well, although it was never used. All 144 people who died in the camp were cremated and their ashes were held for burial until after the war. The camp was patrolled by 85–150 policemen, and was surrounded by a barbed wire fence. Manned watchtowers with searchlights were placed every .25 miles (400 m) surrounding the perimeter of the camp. ### Daily life The camp was designed to be self-sufficient, and the majority of land within the camp was devoted to farming. Topaz inmates raised cattle, pigs, and chickens in addition to feed crops and vegetables. The vegetables were high-quality and won awards at the Millard County Fair. Due to harsh weather, poor soil, and short growing conditions, the camp was not able to supply all of its animal feed. Topaz contained two elementary schools: Desert View Elementary and Mountain View Elementary. Topaz High School educated students grades 7–12, and there was also an adult education program. The schools were taught by a combination of local teachers and internees. They were under-equipped and overcrowded, but enthusiastic teachers did their best. Topaz High School developed a devoted community, with frequent reunions after internment ended, and a final reunion in 2012. Sports were popular within the schools as well as within the adult population, with sports including baseball, basketball, and sumo wrestling. Cultural associations sprung up throughout the camp. Topaz had a newspaper called the Topaz Times, a literary publication called Trek, and two libraries which eventually contained almost 7,000 items in both English and Japanese. Artist Chiura Obata led the Tanforan Art School at Topaz, offering art instruction to over 600 students. Internment rules usurped parental authority, and teenagers often ate meals with their friends and only joined their families to sleep at night. This combined with a lack of privacy made it difficult for parents to discipline and bond with their children, which contributed to teenage delinquency in the camp. Some internees were permitted to leave the camp to find employment. In 1942, internees were able to get permission to leave the camp for employment in nearby Delta, where they filled labor shortages caused by the draft, mostly in agricultural labor. In 1943, over 500 internees obtained seasonal agricultural work outside the camp, with another 130 working in domestic and industrial jobs. Polling showed that a majority of Utahns supported this policy. One teacher at the camp art school, Chiura Obata, was allowed to leave Topaz to run classes at nearby universities and churches. Internees were also sometimes permitted to leave the camp for recreation. A former Civilian Conservation Corps camp at Antelope Springs, in mountains 90 miles (144.8 km) to the west, was taken over as a recreation area for internees and camp staff, and two buildings from Antelope Springs were brought to the central area to be used as Buddhist and Christian churches. During a rock hunting expedition in the Drum Mountains, 16 miles (26 km) west of Topaz, Akio Uhihera and Yoshio Nishimoto discovered and excavated a 1,164 pounds (528 kg) rare iron meteorite, which the Smithsonian Institution acquired. ### Camp politics In 1943, the War Relocation Authority (WRA) issued all adult internees a questionnaire assessing their level of Americanization. It was entitled "Application for Leave Clearance". Questions asked about what language they spoke most frequently, their religion, and recreational activities. Participating in judo and kendo were "Japanese" activities, while playing baseball or being Christian were considered "American". Two questions asked prisoners if they were willing to fight in the US Armed Forces and if they would swear allegiance to the United States and renounce loyalty to the Emperor of Japan. Many Japanese-born Issei, who were barred from attaining American citizenship, resented the second question, feeling that an affirmative answer would leave them effectively stateless. Some Issei volunteered to join the army, even though there was no enlistment procedure for non-citizens. Others objected on other political grounds. In Topaz, nearly a fifth of male residents answered "no" to the question about allegiance. Inmates expressed their anger through a few scattered assaults against other inmates who they perceived as too close to the administration. Chiura Obata was among those attacked, resulting in his immediate release for fear of further assaults. A reworded version of the questionnaire for Issei did not require them to renounce their loyalty to the emperor of Japan. In response to the questionnaires, some Nisei formed the Resident Council for Japanese American Civil Rights, which encouraged other prisoners to register for the draft if their civil rights were restored. A military sentry fatally shot 63-year-old chef James Hatsuaki Wakasa on April 11, 1943, while he was walking his dog inside the camp fence. Internees went on strike protesting the death and surrounding secrecy. They held a large funeral for Wakasa as a way to express their outrage. In response, the administration determined that fears of subversive activity at the camp were largely without basis, and significantly relaxed security. The military decided that officers who had been at war in the Pacific would not be assigned to guard duty at Topaz. The guard who shot Wakasa was reassigned after being found not guilty of violating military law; this information was not given to internees. Topaz internees Fred Korematsu and Mitsuye Endo challenged their internment in court. Korematsu's case was heard and rejected at the US Supreme Court (Korematsu v. United States), the largest case to challenge internment, while Endo's case was upheld. Chief Justice John Roberts repudiated and effectively overturned the Korematsu decision in his majority opinion in the 2018 case of Trump v. Hawaii. ## After closing After Topaz was closed, the land was sold and most of the buildings were auctioned off, disassembled, and removed from the site. Even the water pipes and utility poles were sold. Numerous foundations, concrete-lined excavations and other ground-level features can be seen at the various sites, but few buildings remain, and natural vegetation has taken over most of the abandoned areas. In 1976, the Japanese American Citizens League placed a monument on the northwestern corner of the central area. On March 29, 2007, United States Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne designated "Central Utah Relocation Center Site" a National Historic Landmark. In 1982, Delta High School teacher Jane Beckwith and her journalism students began to study Topaz. She spearheaded the creation of the Topaz Museum Board in 1983, which oversaw the Topaz Museum, which initially shared space with the Great Basin Museum. Funding from the Japanese-American Confinement Sites organization enabled the Topaz Board to construct its own museum building in 2013. In 2015, the museum formally opened with an exhibition of art created at Topaz, entitled "When Words Weren't Enough: Works on Paper from Topaz, 1942–1945". The museum closed for remodeling in November 2016, and reopened in 2017 as a traditional museum focused on the history of Topaz. By 2017, the Topaz Museum and Board had purchased 634 of the 640 acres of the original internment site. ## In media ### In film Using a smuggled camera, Dave Tatsuno shot film of Topaz. The documentary Topaz uses film he shot from 1943 to 1945. This film was an inductee of the 1997 National Film Registry list, with the added distinction of being the second "home movie" to be included on the Registry and the only color footage of camp life. Topaz War Relocation Center is the setting for the 2007 film American Pastime, a dramatization based on actual events, which tells the story of Nikkei baseball in the camps. A portion of the camp was duplicated for location shooting in Utah's Skull Valley, approximately 40 miles (64.4 km) west of Salt Lake City and 75 miles (120.7 km) north of the actual Topaz site. The film used some of Tatsuno's historical footage. In addition to Tatsuno's Topaz, Ken Verdoia made a 1987 documentary, also entitled Topaz. ### In literature Yoshiko Uchida's young adult novel Journey to Topaz (published in 1971) recounts the story of Yuki, a young Japanese American girl, whose world is disrupted when, shortly after Pearl Harbor, she and her family must leave their comfortable home in the Berkeley, California suburbs for the dusty barracks of Topaz. The book is largely based on Uchida's personal experiences: she and her family were interned at Topaz for three years. Julie Otsuka's novel When the Emperor was Divine (published in 2002) tells the story of a family forced to relocate from Berkeley to Topaz in September 1942. Each of the novel's five chapters is told from the point of view of a different character. Critics praised the book's "precise but poetic evocation of the ordinary" and "ability to empathize". In his poetry collection Topaz (published in 2013), Brian Komei Dempster examines the experience of his mother and her family, tying the history of persecution and internment to subsequent generations' search for a 21st-century identity. ### In art Much of the art made by detainees at the camp depicted life there, and survives. Drawings and woodcuts by Chiura Obata and Matsusaburō (George) Hibi are among the most prominent. Some of it is collected in The Art of Gaman: Arts and Crafts from the Japanese American Internment Camps, 1942–1946 by Delphine Hirasuna, and has been exhibited in Topaz and at the Wight Art Gallery. In 2018, the Utah Museum of Fine Arts exhibited many Chiura Obata's works, including some made at Topaz. ## See also - Japanese American Internment - List of Japanese American Confinement Sites - List of inmates of Topaz War Relocation Center

# Mississippi Highway 462 Mississippi Highway 462 (MS 462) is a state highway in western Mississippi. The route starts at U.S. Route 61 (US 61) near Port Gibson, and it travels eastward. The road then turns northeastward, and the route ends at Willows Road and Old Port Gibson Road near Willows. MS 462 was designated around 1958, as a gravel road extending eastward from US 61 near Port Gibson. The road was extended to MS 461 from 1960 to 1963, then to the Natchez Trace Parkway from 1967 to 1998. ## Route description All of MS 462 is located in Claiborne County. In 2017, the Mississippi Department of Transportation (MDOT) calculated 470 vehicles traveling on MS 462 southwest of Vellie Morand Road on average each day. The route is legally defined in Mississippi Code § 65-3-3, and it is maintained by MDOT as part of the Mississippi State Highway System. MS 462 starts at the intersection with US 61 and Grand Gulf Road north of Port Gibson, and it travels eastward. The road first travels along Pierre Bayou, and it soon turns northeastward into a forested area. The route crosses Lick Branch, and it intersects Vellie Morand Road. MS 462 then turns eastward near the unincorporated area of Willows, and state maintenance ends near Willows Road and Old Port Gibson Road. The road continues as Old Port Gibson Road, which continues to Raymond. ## History Around 1958, a gravel road was constructed from US 61 near Port Gibson to a point 4.5 miles (7.2 km) away from the western terminus, and it was designated as MS 462. By 1960, the route was connected to MS 461 via a gravel county road that crossed Big Black River. The state-maintained section of MS 462 was also paved around this time. Three years later, MS 461 was decommissioned, and the eastern terminus of MS 462 was rerouted to a state-maintained gravel road near the then-proposed Natchez Trace Parkway. The route was completely paved by 1967, and it was connected to the parkway. In 1975, a project to add overlay to 4.621 miles (7.437 km) of MS 462 started. By 1998, only the section near US 61 was part of the state highway system. ## Major intersections |}

# Apple Venus Volume 1 Apple Venus Volume 1 is the thirteenth studio album by the English rock band XTC, released on March 2, 1999. It was the first on the band's own Idea Records label, distributed through Cooking Vinyl in the United Kingdom and TVT Records in the United States. The album relies heavily on strings, acoustic guitars and keyboards, expanding upon the more orchestral approach developed on the group's previous LP Nonsuch (1992), whilst its lyrics reflect themes of paganism, middle age, romance and rebirth. Apple Venus Volume 1 was met with critical acclaim and moderate commercial success, peaking at number 42 on the UK Albums Chart and number 106 on the Billboard 200 in the US. Bandleader Andy Partridge, who wrote most of Apple Venus, characterised it as "orchustic" (a portmanteau of "orchestral" and "acoustic"). He meant for the album title to refer to "a beautiful woman". The album effectively marked a comeback for XTC, who spent half the decade on strike against their former label Virgin Records. Apple Venus was originally planned as a double album, but because the group did not have enough money to record all the material they had stockpiled, they elected to split the more rock-oriented songs as "volume two" (released one year later as Wasp Star). The making of Volume 1 was fraught with personal conflicts, budgetary concerns and numerous false starts. Most of the orchestral portions were rush-recorded in one day with a 40-piece symphony at Abbey Road Studios, and had to be edited over a months-spanning period. It was the group's last album with guitarist and keyboardist Dave Gregory, who departed during the sessions due to frustrations with Partridge. By the time of its release, Partridge no longer viewed XTC as a band, and preferred it to be known as a "brand" covering his and Colin Moulding's music. In late 1999, XTC released Homespun, a version of Apple Venus consisting of its demos. This was followed in 2002 with Instruvenus, containing the album's backing tracks. In 2003, Mojo ranked Apple Venus at number 47 in its list of the "Top 50 Eccentric Albums". The album was included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die. ## Background XTC's previous album, Nonsuch, was received with critical acclaim when released in April 1992. The song "Wrapped in Grey" was intended as the third single from the album, but was immediately withdrawn by their label Virgin Records. This left bandleader Andy Partridge particularly dismayed with the label. In 1993, he conceived the band's next project to be an album of bubblegum pop songs; the LP would have disguised itself as a retrospective compilation featuring 12 different groups from the early 1970s. The lyrics were heavily sexual, with song titles such as "Lolly (Suck It and See)" and "Visit to the Doctor". Partridge recalled playing some demos for Virgin agents, who rejected the project; he compared their reaction to the "Springtime for Hitler" scene from Mel Brooks' film The Producers. Virgin also denied Partridge's requests to renegotiate or revoke XTC's contract. A\&R representative Paul Kinder said: "What XTC wanted and what Virgin were prepared to do were poles apart. The contract was so old it got to the point where Andy wanted the moon and Virgin weren't prepared to give it him." Whatever new music the band recorded would have been automatically owned by Virgin, and so the group went on strike, refusing to record new material. Partridge was also beset by health issues and in the process of divorcing his first wife at the time. In 1997 (also reported as in late 1994), the band found themselves freed from financial debt and Virgin after "making some heavy concessions"; Partridge fantasied that the label had taken pity on the band for giving them a "rotten deal". He expressed distaste with the word "comeback" to describe Apple Venus, telling an interviewer in 1998: "We never went away\! We just weren't legally allowed to work. Comebacks always have such glittery-suit, Fablon, working-men's clubs connotations." ## Composition and lyrics By 1997, Partridge and bassist Colin Moulding had amassed over 40 new songs, most of which were written by the former. The 11 that were ultimately selected for Apple Venus Volume 1 were written between 1992 and 1994. Partridge's offerings were an elaboration on the orchestral style he had developed on the Nonsuch tracks "Omnibus", "Wrapped in Grey" and "Rook". When Nonsuch was completed, Partridge purchased an E-mu Proteus, and felt inspired by its samples, even though he was not a proficient keyboard player. His writing process changed in that, for some cases, the arrangement was completed before the actual composition. The songs changed little from how they were conceived on their early demo tapes when recorded in a professional studio. Most of the lyrical content of Apple Venus is centred on pagan themes, including the songs "River of Orchids", "Easter Theatre", "Greenman" and "Harvest Festival". Partridge thought the new material was "some of the best stuff, if not the best stuff" that he had ever written, calling it "more intensely passionate than before." In particular, he viewed "Easter Theatre" as one of the few "perfect songs" of his career, feeling that he had "exorcized a lot of those kind of Lennon-and-McCartney, Bacharach-and-David, Brian Wilson type ghosts out of my system by doing all that." "Greenman" was inspired by Green Man sculptures and pagan-derived nursery rhymes he saw Martin Carthy perform on a children's television program. He denied that the song was supposed to be Middle Eastern-sounding. "Harvest Festival" is Partridge's reflection on school harvest festivals from his youth. In an interview with New Sounds, Partridge confirmed that it was him, not Gregory, who played the guitar solo on "Easter Theatre": "I was determined not to tremolo like he would have done." Even though the record's instrumental palette relies largely on orchestral strings, acoustic guitars and keyboards, there are a few exceptions where electric instrumentation can be heard. Additional textures are provided by brass, violins, woodwinds and only a few instances of percussion. Moulding felt that "something a bit different" was appropriate for the band at this juncture, and shared Partridge's desire for a cohesive LP similar to soundtracks such as My Fair Lady and "stuff that Burt Bacharach wrote for various [films]". The only songs of Moulding's that were included were "Fruit Nut" and "Frivolous Tonight", which ended up as the album's most uptempo tracks. According to Moulding, "Frivolous Tonight" was harmonically inspired by the Beach Boys and had a melody similar to "the theme song from Steptoe and Son...I smashed them together, and it worked out very well." "Your Dictionary" was Partridge's reaction to the dissolution of his marriage. He initially did not want to include it on the album, but was persuaded by acquaintances who enjoyed the song. The same was true of "I Can't Own Her", which Partridge thought was "a little square, and a little wet". He credited "the core of the song" to the album's orchestral arranger Mike Batt. "I'd Like That" was inspired by a rekindled relationship with Erica Wexler, an American woman he met in the 1980s and would later marry. The music for the closing track "The Last Balloon" stemmed from an aborted collaboration between Partridge and an Italian musician, whereas the title came from The Last Balloon Home, one of the working titles for Nonsuch. It features a flugelhorn solo and lyrics about "that hope for the future, for your children -- for them not to make the same fucking mistakes as you\!" ## Production The group elected to divide the Apple Venus project into two parts: one of rock songs, and the other of "orchustic" songs augmented by a 40-piece symphony. "It's still a pop album," Moulding said. "It's not like 'XTC Meets the London Philharmonic.'" They found a label, Cooking Vinyl, and a producer, Haydn Bendall, who previously engineered the band's 1977 debut EP 3D and had experience recording orchestras. Former Tubes drummer Prairie Prince, who had played on XTC's 1986 album Skylarking, returned for the sessions. It soon became apparent that the band did not have the funds to record all the material they had. Moulding, Bendall and guitarist Dave Gregory wanted to reduce the project to one disc, but Partridge insisted on spreading it over two LPs. It was decided that the group would release one album with the orchestral material ("volume 1") and leave the rock songs for "volume 2". Preliminary "programming sessions" were conducted at Bendall's home in late 1997. The group then commenced recording at Chris Difford's home studio in Sussex, but the sessions fell apart after two weeks. Moulding said that the group had to leave because the studio was not yet fully functioning. According to Partridge in a 2007 interview, Difford "stole" the master tapes from these sessions, forcing the band to re-record the album from scratch twice (as the second run-through was deemed unsatisfactory). In early 1998, the group reconvened at Chipping Norton Recording Studios and recorded backing tracks over the course of six weeks. A single orchestral session was held at Abbey Road Studios, but its recording was rushed and had to be edited over a three-month period. According to Gregory, the band had no money left at this point, and the session had to be funded by a Japanese record label. John Morrish of The Independent reported that "the human string players could not match the mathematical precision of 'River of Orchids' ... Nor could the woodwinds cope with the computerised ostinato in 'Greenman' ... The orchestra became a glorified sample, cut and pasted together to achieve the 'Vaughan Williams with a hard-on' sound required." Much of this work was done in Pro Tools, with the assistance of Bendall "until he had to quit to work on other projects." The rest of the album, which mostly involved vocal, bass and acoustic guitar overdubs, was recorded in Moulding's garage. ## Gregory's departure In March 1998, a few weeks into the Chipping Norton sessions, Gregory abruptly quit the band. Partridge told journalists that Gregory left because he grew impatient with the recording of the orchestral material and wanted to quickly move on to the recording of the second volume of the project. He attributed Gregory's frustration to diabetic mood swings: "one minute he'd be quite jolly, the next minute he's 'this is all shit, destroy it, wipe it, it's all terrible"". Moulding was not present for an "enormous row" between Gregory and Partridge at the studio, but he corroborated that Gregory's diabetes caused "terrible mood swings, and his negativity was sometimes hard to take. But also, there really wasn't much for him to do on this record and he felt left out." Discussing the incident at Chipping Norton, Gregory said Partridge had behaved like "a cunt, frankly." Partridge said "I really blew up. I had a go at everyone but a lot of it was directed at Dave, telling him to pull his weight and get into it more. I don't think he ever forgave me." Gregory denied that his leaving pertained to "musical differences", and said that it was more "personal problems" related to Partridge spending the entire recording budget on the Abbey Road session. Another source of frustration was his keyboard playing; he did not feel that he had the skill that was demanded from Partridge and Bendall, "and the end result wasn't justifying the means." When Partridge requested Gregory to write musical charts for the 40-piece orchestra, Gregory turned in a cheaper arrangement for four players, which was rejected; Gregory quoted Partridge saying "Compromise equals crap art". Once another arranger was hired, he began distancing himself from the band. Partridge remembered: "You'd be doing an interview and you'd say the band's doing so-and-so, and he'd interrupt and say, 'Band? It's not a bloody band, it's two people making solo albums and a guitarist ... Anyway, carry on.'" Gregory also refused to sign an American distribution contract with TVT Records. He had telephoned artists who worked for the label and got "the worst possible reaction ... 'You will not be paid,' those were the four words I remember." Gregory told Partridge that Apple Venus was not "the album we should be making after six years," calling it "the vegetarian alternative." By the time the album was released, he maintained that "Andy's done a good job in recording the songs." Partridge also no longer viewed XTC as a band, instead preferring it to be known as a "brand" covering his and Moulding's music. ## Title and packaging The album's title was meant to refer to "a beautiful woman". The phrase originated as a lyric on the previous XTC record, Nonsuch, specifically in Partridge's song "Then She Appeared" ("then she appeared / apple venus on a half-open shell"). This continued a trend that began with Oranges & Lemons (1989) and Nonsuch: both album titles had appeared as lyrics on a track from their respective prior albums. According to Partridge, this was at first "pure coincidence, probably a sub-conscious kind of thing. You have a certain caterpillar track of words that kind of trundle around in your head." However, it was deliberate in the case of Apple Venus. Partridge's working title for the album, A History of the Middle Ages, was vetoed by his bandmates. He settled on Apple Venus after finding an illustration of a peacock feather that resembled an uvula, which evoked to him something "very vulvic and female". Written underneath the track listing on the back of the album cover is a version of the Wiccan Rede: "do what you will but harm none." Partridge thought it was a "fantastic" message; when responding to an interview question about his knowledge of Wicca, he explained: "I have a smattering of knowledge of that sort of thing, but I['m] also ... interested in the pre-Christian appreciation of the land and the spirit of things, spirits in animate things and inanimate things." in Japan, the liner notes included comments from musicians such as Tamio Okuda and Aiha Higurashi of Seagull Screaming Kiss Her Kiss Her (named after the XTC song from The Big Express). ## Release Released on 2 March 1999, Apple Venus Volume 1 was met with critical acclaim and moderate sales. It had minimal promotion. PopMatters' Sarah Zupko deemed the album "more than worth the wait. Andy Partridge and Colin Moulding used their time off well, lavishing extra care and attention on this set of tunes that rank among the best music they have ever produced. ... this record is a shoo-in for one of 1999's best records". Scott Schinder gave the album an A− for Entertainment Weekly, writing: "The gorgeous yet vaguely unsettling arrangements are well suited to the exquisitely flawed humanism of Andy Partridge's and Colin Moulding's compositions, lending an appropriately uneasy edge to bittersweet tunes like 'I Can't Own Her,' 'Greenman,' and 'The Last Balloon.'" In comparing the album to the group's earlier work, Pitchfork's Zach Hooker said: "Apple Venus finds them picking up pretty much where they left off. Or maybe even a little bit before they left off." Stylistically, he regarded the album as a midpoint between Oranges and Lemons and Skylarking and "a little nestegg of excellent songs". Rolling Stone's Barry Walters wrote that the LP "packs the wit and nerve that made their rock snap but does it with brass, acoustic guitars, violins, woodwinds and minimal percussion. ... instead of evoking the Sixties, Partridge and Moulding suggest a timeless pastoral past rich with melody and subtlety." Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic noted: "Although there are similarities with the pastoral Skylarking or parts of Nonsuch, there is really no comparable record in XTC's canon, given its sustained mood, experimentalism, and glimpses of confession ... [Apple Venus] easily ranks as one of XTC's greatest works". Conversely, Robert Christgau wrote that "Studio rats being studio rats, the lyrics aren't as deep as Andy and Colin think they are, but at least irrelevant doesn't equal obscure, humorless, or lachrymose." The Chicago Tribune's Greg Kot warned that the album could be "perhaps too radical [of a] departure" for veteran fans. The Daily Telegraph's Alexis Petridis commented that while it is a "minor quibble", the album's "worst excess" may be its "whimsy". NME's Jim Wirth wrote that even though Partridge and Moulding have a "nasty habit of hammering really hard on the twee pedal in moments of boredom, there's still enough of that psychedelic bumpkin magic to make this worth celebrating." In late 1999, XTC released Homespun, a compilation of demo recordings of the album's songs. This was followed in 2002 with Instruvenus, containing the album's backing tracks. Wasp Star (Apple Venus Volume 2) was released on 23 May 2000. ## Track listing ## Personnel Per liner notes. XTC - Colin Moulding – vocals, bass guitar - Andy Partridge – vocals, guitars, keyboards, programming Additional musicians - Mike Batt – orchestral arrangements and conductor on "Greenman" and "I Can't Own Her" - Haydn Bendall – keyboards - Guy Barker – trumpet and flugelhorn solo on "The Last Balloon" - Nick Davis – keyboards - Dave Gregory – piano, keyboards, programming, guitars, backing vocals - Prairie Prince – drums, percussion - Steve Sidwell – trumpet solo on "Easter Theatre" - All arrangements played by the London Session Orchestra under their leader Gavin [sic] Wright Production - Haydn Bendall – original production, engineering - Nick Davis – additional production, engineering, mixing - Simon Dawson – mix assistance - Alan Douglas – recording engineering - Barry Hammond – recording engineer - Tim Young – mastering ## Charts

# Destruction Derby Destruction Derby is a 1995 vehicular combat racing video game developed by Reflections Interactive and published by Psygnosis for MS-DOS, PlayStation and Sega Saturn. Based on the sport of demolition derby, the game tasks the player with racing and destroying cars to score points. The developers implemented simulated physics to make the results of collisions easier to predict, and they kept the game's tracks small to increase the number of wrecks. Critics found Destruction Derby enjoyable and praised its graphics and car damage system, although the Saturn release received mixed reviews. The game started the Destruction Derby series, beginning with its 1996 sequel, Destruction Derby 2. ## Gameplay Destruction Derby is a vehicular combat racer based on the sport of demolition derby. The game contains three vehicles. Collisions in the game affect the controls of each car, limiting their steering and maximum speed. Frontal collisions risk damage to the car's radiator, which causes the car to overheat and stop running. Four game modes are available: Destruction Derby, Wreckin' Racing, Stock Car Racing and Time Trial. In Destruction Derby, the player earns points by destroying other cars in a large, trackless arena called The Bowl; in Stock Car Racing, the player must finish in first place, and no points are awarded for destroying cars. Wreckin' Racing is a hybrid of the two, in which the player earns points both by winning the race and by destroying other cars. Time Trial is a solo time attack mode. The PlayStation version features system link play for two players, while the MS-DOS version has an online multiplayer mode. ## Development and release The British development studio Reflections Interactive began creating Destruction Derby for the PlayStation in late 1994. It was published by Sony Computer Entertainment's Psygnosis branch, which allowed Reflections to receive PlayStation development kits long before that console's release. The game debuted at the May 1995 Electronic Entertainment Expo, and its initial title was variously reported as Demolition Derby and Demolish 'em Derby. Writers for Edge and Next Generation commented that the game could "trounce" Ridge Racer upon the PlayStation's release. To make the results of car collisions easier to predict, Reflections implemented simulated physics into Destruction Derby. Director Martin Edmondson believed that the game would otherwise be "completely unplayable", as with "pool when the collisions are all off". Producer Tony Parks noted that the physics were simplified to improve performance and to compensate for the PlayStation's digital controller, and that the team sought a balance between "realism and playability". Performance was also improved by optimising the game's graphics, and by reducing the level of detail of objects in the distance. Destruction Derby's game engine supports up to twenty cars on screen simultaneously, which no console racing game, other than Daytona USA, had achieved until that time. However, a single wire-frame model, differentiated by texture maps, was used for every vehicle. Damage to vehicles is modelled in real-time, based on the speed and angle of the cars involved. The team made the game's tracks small to "keep the density of the cars on the track very high", which allowed for large-scale wrecks. Plans were made to support up to eight players with the PlayStation Link Cable. Destruction Derby was officially released on 20 October 1995 on PlayStation and then MS-DOS. Perfect Entertainment worked on the port to Sega Saturn; this version lacks transparencies. GameFan's Ryan Lockhart estimated that the port was "80% ready" in the magazine's August 1996 issue, and it was released in August 1996, in Europe and Japan only. The PlayStation version was re-released through the PlayStation Network store in 2007, and then was included in the PlayStation Classic in 2018. ## Reception ### Sales The game sold more than 1 million copies by August 1996. ### Critical Writing for GamePro, Captain Squideo called Destruction Derby "the most raucous racing experience of the fall". He believed that its "graphics are almost all you could want for a game" of this type, but wrote that "nothing here stands out as graphically spectacular". He complained that the game does not let players customise cars, and he disliked its lack of split-screen multiplayer. He summarised, "Limited options keep Destruction Derby out of the winner's circuit, but this rowdy stock-car racer still generates a stadium full of thrashin' fun." Victor Lucas of The Electric Playground stated that "the beauty of the game" is the strategy involved in making "calculated strikes" against enemy vehicles, and he wrote, "If you go all out and try to make big noise on the track, more than likely you'll be limping to the scrap yard in seconds." He believed that the game's Stock Car racing mode "is no match for the white knuckle inertia of either Wipeout or Ridge Racer", and that the demolition derbies in The Bowl were "most fun to be had" in the game. He praised the game's graphics and physics, and concluded, "Destruction Derby is a winner in every capacity." A reviewer for Next Generation was extremely pleased with the concept of smashing into other cars, saying it taps into a near-universal fantasy. He remarked the single-player mode is indefinably "lacking" but the multiplayer offers unqualified enjoyment. The IGN reviewer commented that the controls are "way, way too loose". The PC port was also well received. Lee Buchanan of PC Gamer US praised "the spectacular visuals that bring to life the most jarring collisions I've seen on a computer", and he noted that "[car] damage is depicted beautifully". Like Lucas, he wrote that the player "can't just mindlessly smash into other cars; this is thinking man's destruction". Although he found the game too easy "even at the toughest difficulty level", he found this to be a minor issue that did not detract from the experience. He considered the game's online play to be a high point, and he finished, "Destruction Derby is a blast, and a welcome change of pace from high-end driving simulations." Peter Olafson of Computer Gaming World called the game "a great simulation" of demolition derbies, and he wrote that the wrecks are "convulsive and realistic". He believed that the game "has never-before-seen quality that will instantly make it a showpiece game to demonstrate to open-mouthed friends and relatives", and he considered the car damage to be "especially marvelous—and unprecedented for this sort of game". However, he found that its "useful life span is surprisingly short" and he hoped for a track editor in its sequel. He summarised, "Despite its limitations, this is a great game, but it has a lot more potential." A reviewer for Next Generation remarked that while the game is a straight port of the PlayStation version, it is an impeccably accurate one. He applauded the authentic modelling of vehicle crashes, multiple modes, smoothness of gameplay, and inclusion of both network and modem options, and found the game's only downside is that the camera zooms out so little that it can be difficult to see nearby cars. Computer & Video Games said that the port is an "incredible conversion of the PS game which runs easily as fast and with as much detail." Reviewing the game's Sega Saturn version, Kim Randell of Computer & Video Games noted its "inferior graphics" that do not have "the sheen and glossiness of its PlayStation counterpart". Randell believed that it was made "much too late to cause the kind of sensation that WipEout did. Comparisons with the PlayStation version are inevitable, and the rather haphazard conversion means that the Saturn version lacks the polish of its rival." Rob Allsetter's review in Sega Saturn Magazine (from the same publisher as Computer & Video Games) recycled most of the text from Randell's review, including the closing remarks. #### Retrospective Mike Channell of Top Gear in 2021 called Destruction Derby "technologically impressive" for its time. He further praised the strategic side to the "chaos": "You'd need to use reverse gear for as long as possible to avoid hobbling your radiator immediately". In a 2023 article by IGN as part of their '90s Week, Peer Schneider selected the game as one of three "forgotten launch gems" of the PlayStation, stating "you couldn't ask for a better tech demo to dazzle your friends than showing off 20 cars on screen, peeling out and crashing into each other." ## Sequels Destruction Derby received two sequels on the PlayStation: Destruction Derby 2 (1996) and Destruction Derby Raw (2000). There was also a Nintendo 64 exclusive title, Destruction Derby 64 (1999). The only PlayStation 2 title, and the last in the series, was Destruction Derby Arenas (2004). ## See also - Demolition Racer - FlatOut - Wreckfest - Destruction AllStars

# Lee Chong Wei Lee Chong Wei DB, DCSM, PJN, DSPN, AMN, OLY (Chinese: 李宗伟; pinyin: Lǐ Zōngwěi; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Lí Chong-úi; born 21 October 1982) is a Malaysian former professional badminton player. As a singles player, Lee was ranked first worldwide for 349 weeks, including a 199-week streak from 21 August 2008 to 14 June 2012. He is the fifth Malaysian player after Foo Kok Keong, Rashid Sidek, Roslin Hashim and Wong Choong Hann to achieve such a ranking (since official rankings were first kept in the 1980s), and is the only Malaysian shuttler who has held the number one ranking for more than a year. On 2 May 2023, Lee was inducted to BWF Badminton Hall of Fame. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest badminton players of all time. Lee is a triple silver medalist at the Olympic Games, and the sixth Malaysian to win an Olympic medal. He won his first silver medal in 2008, also the first time a Malaysian had reached the finals in the men's singles event. This achievement earned him the title Datuk. He repeated the achievement twice more in 2012 and 2016, thus making him the most successful Malaysian Olympian in history. On 13 June 2019, Lee announced his retirement after struggling to return to full fitness following a nose cancer diagnosis. He was appointed as Malaysia's chef de mission for the 2020 Summer Olympics, but skipped the event due to his health concerns. He retained his role, albeit serving it virtually. ## Early life Lee was born in Bagan Serai, Perak, into a Malaysian Chinese family, to Lee Ah Chai and Khor Kim Choi. In his early years, he favoured basketball, however his mother soon banned him from the game due to the searing heat of the outdoor basketball court. Lee began to learn badminton at the age of 11, when his father, who liked to play the game, brought him to the badminton hall. He attracted the attention of local coach Teh Peng Huat, who asked Lee's father if he could take him as a student. After receiving his father's consent, Teh began to train Lee after school. Discovered by Misbun Sidek, he was drafted into the national squad in 2000 when he was seventeen years old. ## Career ### 2002–2007 Lee picked up only one minor title during the 2002 and 2003 seasons. He reached his first final of a major tournament at the 2003 Malaysia Open where he was defeated by Chen Hong of China. Lee then secured two titles in 2004, the Malaysia Open and the Chinese Taipei Open. Lee gained a spot for the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens. In his first Olympic appearance, Lee defeated Ng Wei of Hong Kong in the first round. His journey ended in the second round when he was defeated by Chen Hong. Lee scored another two titles in 2005, his second Malaysia Open title and the Denmark Open. Lee won a bronze in his first appearance in the world meet, the 2005 World Championships after losing to eventual winner Taufik Hidayat in the semi-final. Lee won three titles out of six finals in 2006. He was crowned as the winner of the Swiss Open, Asian Badminton Championships and his third Malaysia Open title. He also reached the final of the Chinese Taipei Open, Macau Open and Hong Kong Open. In the Malaysia Open, Lee fought back from 13 to 20 down in the rubber match and saved eight match points against Lin Dan, and finally won the game with a score of 23–21 to secure the title. Lee won Malaysia's two gold medals in the badminton event for 2006 Commonwealth Games, in both the men's singles and mixed team events. Lee reached the top spot twice in the Badminton World Federation's world rankings in 2006, and he participated in the World Championships as top seed. However, he was upset by Bao Chunlai of China in the quarter-final despite Lee winning at their previous meeting. The match was also marred by two controversial line calls that were not in favour of Lee. During the 2007 season, Lee failed to reach the final of the Malaysia Open for the first time in five years. He also suffered an early exit in five competitions afterward. Later on that season he took the Indonesia Open crown, his first title since the 2006 Malaysia Open after reuniting with former coach Misbun Sidek from Li Mao. His performance at the second half of the year was solid, as he achieved three titles in the Philippines Open, the Japan Open, and the French Open. He also managed to reach the final of the China Open and Hong Kong Open, despite his knee injury haunting him on both occasions. Lee won all matches he played in the Sudirman Cup in June, despite Malaysia finishing just fifth in the tournament. Lee's low point of the year was in the World Championships, despite the tournament being held in front of his home crowd and his solid performance during the second half of the year, he was defeated in the third round by Indonesia's Sony Dwi Kuncoro. Lee criticised the chief coach, Yap Kim Hock for treating him indifferently and putting pressure on him before the world championships. While the chief of Badminton Association of Malaysia, Datuk Nadzmi Mohd Salleh encouraged Lee and the chief coach, Yap Kim Hock to improve their relationship. ### 2008 Lee kicked off 2008 with success, capturing his fourth Malaysia Open title in five years. However, Lee only captured one more other title that year, the Singapore Open, which was the final tournament in his pre-Olympic preparations. Other tournaments he took part in were the Korea Open; the All England Open; the Swiss Open; the Badminton Asia Championships; and Thomas Cup in Jakarta, Indonesia where Lee helped Malaysia advance to the semi-final. In the semi-final he defeated Lin Dan to give Malaysia a 1–0 lead in its clash with defending champion China, but Malaysia eventually lost 2–3 due to the defeat of its first doubles team in the vital final match. In the 2008 Olympic Games, Lee was given a bye in the first round. He cruised to straight game victories over Ronald Susilo in the second round, Kęstutis Navickas in the third round, and Sony Dwi Kuncoro in the quarter-finals. In the semi-finals Lee Hyun-il gave him a tough fight, but eventually Lee was able to beat the South Korean and reach the final. However, it was a one-sided final, as Lee was completely outplayed by Lin Dan and salvaged only 20 points, losing 12–21, 8–21. He came second place overall. Lee participated in several tournaments after the Olympic Games without capturing a title. He advanced to the finals of the Japan Open, the Macau Open and the China Open, but lost to Sony Dwi Kuncoro, Taufik Hidayat, and Lin Dan respectively. In the French Open Lee was eliminated in the semi-finals. His coach, Misbun Sidek, cited the pressure of being ranked world number one to explain Lee's recent failure to capture a title. Lee ended his last Super Series tournament of the year, the Hong Kong Open, with a sudden withdrawal due to a knee injury, conceding a walkover to Germany's Marc Zwiebler. His last minute withdrawal led to the Chinese media tagging him as the "weakest world number one". The Chinese media speculated that three factors had hampered Lee's performance since the Olympic Games: the stress of the Olympic final, a phobia of Lin Dan due to his lopsided Olympic defeat at Lin's hands, and (echoing Misbun Sidek's conjecture) the pressure of being the world number one. Despite Lee's difficulties in international play, he recorded his seventh consecutive victory at the National Badminton Grand Prix Final in Kedah on 12 December 2008, thus breaking the record of six consecutive titles set by Misbun Sidek. Lee ended the year with a title in the Super Series Masters Finals. However, Lin Dan and China's other top players did not compete, their association citing injuries and fatigue. ### 2009 Lee Chong Wei started the 2009 season with his fifth Malaysia Open title. He failed to secure his first Korea Open and All England Open title despite marching into the final. However, he secured his second title of the year in the Swiss Open which was held in Basel, defeating Lin Dan in straight sets and marking his first win in the finals against the Chinese opponent outside home turf. Next, Lee was defeated by Chen Long of China in the India Open. Lee claimed he lost because of food poisoning and insisted that authorities improve the conditions before the World Championships. In May, Lee helped Malaysia reach the semi-finals of the Sudirman Cup, the first in national history, despite his unbeaten record in the tournament being blown out by Lin Dan. He won another two titles in June, the Indonesia Open and the Malaysia Open Grand Prix Gold, despite failing to defend his Singapore Open title when he was taken by Nguyễn Tiến Minh in the second round. Lee kicked off the second half of the season with defeat by Sony Dwi Kuncoro in the world meets, but went on to win the Macau Open in August. He reached the semi-final in the China Masters, but once again failed to beat his all time rival Lin Dan. Then, Lee participated in the Japan Open. He only managed to reach the second round of the Open, before winning the Hong Kong Open in November. His inconsistency saw him tumble down in the first round of the China Open. In December, Lee defended his Super Series Masters Finals title, which saw the competition played without the top badminton players in the world. ### 2010 Lee started the year with the title in all events he took part, his first treble in the Super Series titles. He gained his first ever Korea Open crown, sixth Malaysia Open, and defeated Kenichi Tago to win the oldest and most prestigious badminton championship in the world, the All England Open, his first since he took part in 2004. Lee participated in the Thomas Cup in his home ground. He managed to defeat Kenichi Tago and take the first point, despite Malaysia's eventual loss (2–3) to Japan. In the quarter-finals, he beat Peter Gade, thus helping to secure Malaysia's place in the semi-finals. In the semi-finals against China, Lee was defeated by Lin Dan, which ended his 18-match unbeaten record since the start of the year. In June, Lee participated in the Singapore Open losing in the quarter-finals. However, Lee bounced back winning the Indonesia Open, Malaysian Open Grand Prix Gold in July, and Macau Open in August. In late August, Lee suffered a shock exit in another attempt for the World Championships, but was beaten by Taufik Hidayat in the quarter-finals. Misbun cited that the loss was due to the back injury he picked up after the match against Rajiv Ouseph in the third round. On 26 September, Lee beat his archrival Lin Dan in the Japan Open, the only title not taken by Chinese players in the tournament. In October, he helped Malaysia to beat India to defend the gold medal at the 2010 Commonwealth Games mixed team event, then he successfully defended his gold medal once again in the singles event a few days later. The following month he won a silver medal at the Asian Games. Despite beating reigning World Champion Chen Jin in the semi-final, Lee once again tasted defeat at the hands of his rival, Lin Dan, in the final. At season's end, he won his second consecutive Hong Kong Open title, and third consecutive Super Series Master Finals title, where the tournament was held in January 2011. ### 2011 In January, Lee won his seventh Malaysia Open title by defeating Taufik Hidayat from Indonesia in the final. However, he failed to defend the Korea Open title, the world's first ever million-dollar badminton tournament, after being beaten by Lin Dan from China in three games. In March, Lee cruised into the final of the All England Open for the third consecutive time and retained his title successfully with a convincing straight games victory over Lin Dan, and was praised by prime minister Najib Tun Razak. On Labour Day, he won his first ever India Open, and also his third consecutive Malaysia Open Grand Prix Gold title a week later. Despite the fact that Lee won all the matches he played during the Sudirman Cup, Malaysia's journey ended in quarterfinals, after being beaten by South Korea 2–3. In late June, he won the Indonesia Open, becoming the first non-Indonesian player to complete the hat-trick in the tournament. Lee's hopes of becoming the first Malaysian to win gold in the World Championships were dashed after defeat by Lin Dan in the final. Lee led for most of the match but lost two important match points in the rubber game. In September, Lee also failed to defend his Japan Open crown after losing to China's rising star Chen Long. In October, he lost to Chen Long again in his bid for his second Denmark Open title. He won the French Open a week later. This was followed by triple semi-finals exit in the Hong Kong Open, the China Open, and the Super Series Master Finals. ### 2012 Lee started the Olympic year with the first Super Series tournament of the season, the Korea Open. In a repeat of the previous year's final, he avenged his loss to Lin Dan by defeating him in three sets. A week later, he captured his fifth straight and eighth Malaysia Open title, thus equalling the number of home titles held by Wong Peng Soon who won them between 1940 and 1953. In March, Lee lost in the All England Open when he bowed out in the second game after receiving medical help on three occasions. This also dashed Lee's hopes of becoming the first man to win three successive All England Open titles. In April, he was defeated by South Korean Shon Wan-ho in the final of the India Open, but retained his Malaysia Open Grand Prix Gold title for the fourth time in a row in May. Lee was out for three to four weeks after suffering an ankle injury during the Thomas Cup Group C tie against Denmark. Lee returned to the court for the first time after recovering from his injury to play in the London Olympic Games. He closely beat Ville Lång of Finland in rubber games for the first round, and blamed pressure for the close defeat. In the second round, he eased to a victory against Indonesia's Simon Santoso, before beating Kashyap Parupalli of India in the quarter-finals. In the semi-finals, he beat Chen Long of China in straight sets despite early predictions that Chen would be difficult to beat, and set up a repeat of 2008's final against Lin Dan. This was the second meeting in the Wembley Arena for both players after the 2011 World Championships. Lee led the match after winning the first game but Lin brought it to the rubber games. Despite leading for most of the time in the third game, Lin managed to level the point and edge him narrowly by 21–19, forcing Lee to settle for silver once more. BBC Sport analyst Gail Emms said, "You couldn't have asked for any more from Lee Chong Wei." This epic episode was documented in an academic article entitled "Silver lining in winning silver: an exploratory study of supporters' reactions and coping on the social media towards Lee Chong Wei's London Olympics defeat". He won the Japan Open and Denmark Open on his return since the London Olympic Games, but lost in the final of the Hong Kong Open, only a few days after his marriage. Lee ended the year with a loss in the opening match of the Super Series Master Finals and subsequently pulled out of tournament due to a thigh injury. ### 2013 Lee took the Korea Open title for the third time. A week later, he captured his ninth Malaysia Open title, which broke the record of eight titles previously held by Wong Peng Soon. Lee then lost in the final of the All England Open to Chen Long. Lee said he was disappointed with his performance during the tournament, despite marching into the final. In April, he lost in the semi-finals of the Australia Open to the young Chinese player Tian Houwei. He then won his second India Open title and fifth Indonesia Open. In August, Lee marched into the final of the World Championships, but his hopes were once again dashed in a repeat of his 2011 final and 2010 Asian Games defeats against Lin Dan. He suffered leg cramps late into the third game. After attempting to continue, he had to retire and was subsequently stretchered to hospital. After the World Championships Lee participated in four Super Series tournaments. First, he took the Japan Open title for the fourth time. Then he lost in the final of the Denmark Open and semifinal of the French Open, and triumphed again in the Hong Kong Open. Lee won a record fourth Masters Finals title, the season ending Super Series tournament. ### 2014 In January, Lee lost in the final of Korea Open to Chen Long, his fourth straight defeat by the Chinese. He recorded his tenth Malaysia Open title a week later. Soon after the triumph, he announced it would be his last Malaysia Open outing, as he would assess his condition after the Asian Games and might retire if the results were not good. However, his form improved and he won his third All England Open and India Open titles, although he was beaten by Simon Santoso in final of the Singapore Open. In the Thomas Cup, Lee won every match he played. Malaysia reached the finals, but lost to Japan with a score of 3–2. In June, he won the Japan Open for the third consecutive year and fifth time overall. He then lost in the semifinals of the Indonesia Open, ending his hopes of nine straight Super Series finals. Due to a serious hamstring injury, Lee withdrew from the 2014 Commonwealth Games in July, also ending his hopes of being the first men's singles shuttler to win 3 back-to-back gold medals at the games. Lee resumed play in August where he finished second for the third time at the World Championships, losing to Chen Long of China in straight sets. He again lost to Chen in the semifinals of Asian Games team competition, and to Lin Dan in the semifinals of the singles event a few days later. #### Doping In October 2014, local media reported that the Badminton Association of Malaysia confirmed that one of the nation's top shuttlers tested positive for dexamethasone after urine samples were taken during the World Championships in late August. The identity of the shuttler was not revealed but was widely believed to be Lee Chong Wei. Dexamethasone is not a performance-enhancing drug but a commonly administered anti-inflammatory corticosteroid that is not illegal when used off-season for injury rehabilitation, but deemed illegal if discovered in an athlete's body during competition. On 5 November 2014, Lee flew to Norway to witness the testing of his "B" sample at the Oslo University Hospital after the "A" sample had already tested positive in October. The results were announced on 8 November 2014 by a Malaysian sports official who confirmed that the "B" sample had tested positive as well. He declined to identify the player but confirmed to The Associated Press that it was Lee. On 11 November 2014, the Badminton World Federation confirmed that Lee was temporarily suspended from competing due to an apparent anti-doping regulation violation. The hearing was held on 11 April 2015 in Amsterdam. On 27 April 2015, it was announced that Lee had been handed a backdated eight-month ban for his anti-doping rule violation. The panel was convinced that Lee had no intent to cheat and allowed him to resume his career by 1 May 2015. Lee was stripped of his silver medal from the 2014 World Championships but allowed to keep his two bronze medals from the 2014 Asian Games. ### 2015 The Sudirman Cup was Lee's first tournament after serving an eight-month suspension for a doping violation. He went on to win all three matches he played in the tournament. He then took back to back titles by winning the US Open and Canada Open. Lee again had to settle for second place at the World Championships as he lost to Chen Long in the final. After the World Championships, Lee endured three early-round exits. First, in the second round of the Japan Open, followed by the qualifying rounds of the Korea Open, and then in the second round of Denmark Open. After three early-round losses, Lee bounced back to win the French Open, followed by his first ever China Open title, thus making him the first-ever men's singles shuttler to have won all Super Series titles. The following week, Lee won the Hong Kong Open. However Lee did not qualify for the Super Series Finals, ending the year with three back-to-back titles. ### 2016 In January, Lee won his fifth Malaysia Masters title. In March, Lee lost in the first round of All England Open, and also in the second round of the India Open. In April, Lee won his 11th Malaysia Open title, then followed by his second Badminton Asia Championships title. At the Thomas Cup in May, Malaysia lost to eventual winners Denmark in the semi-finals despite Lee winning all the matches he contested in the tournament. In June, Lee won his 6th and record-equaling Indonesia Open title, becoming the third shuttler and first non-Indonesian to win the title six times. He was set to play in the Australian Open, but withdrew due to a muscle injury. On 5 August 2016, Lee led the Malaysia contingent during the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games. In the men's singles competition he made it to the final, defeating his longtime rival Lin Dan in the semifinals in a dominating performance. However, he was defeated by Chen Long in the final, his third successive defeat in the final of the Olympic Games. In September, Lee won his sixth Japan Open title. Since then, Lee has failed to win any tournament he participated in: he was defeated in the third round of the Denmark Open, pulled out from the French Open due to a hamstring injury, and ended the year with a group stage exit in the Super Series Finals. ### 2017 He started 2017 season with his fourth win in All England Open. He nearly missed out on the tournament after tearing the medial collateral ligament during a training session at the new Academy Badminton Malaysia (ABM), this caused his feud with technical director Morten Frost, as Frost was not receptive to his complaint, asking for the slippery mats to be replaced. Lee lost to Lin Dan for two consecutive tournaments, the first in the final of Malaysia Open, and the second in semifinals of Badminton Asia Championships. In May, Lee won all the matches he contested during the Sudirman Cup. A month after, he lost in the second round of Indonesia Open. In August, Lee was upset by Brice Leverdez in the first round of the World Championships, soon after, he apologises to Malaysians for his defeat in his Twitter account but received some touching reply from the fans. In September, he lost in his 100th career final, the Japan Open. He was knocked off in the early rounds of next three Super Series tournament, second round of Denmark Open, first round of French Open, and quarter-finals of the China Open. He won the Hong Kong Open title, only his second title this year. He ended the year with lost in the final of Super Series Finals. ### 2018 Lee won his fifth Commonwealth Games gold medal in April, and settled for silver in the mixed team event. He failed to win any World Tour titles in first half of the year. He bowed out in the first round of Malaysia Masters, a tournament which he claimed he did not intend to participate in, third round of All England Open, and semi-finals of Badminton Asia Championships. In the team event, Lee managed to win all his matches, in both the Badminton Asia Team Championships and Thomas Cup. Malaysia reached the semi-finals and quarter-finals in the respective events. In July 2018, Lee extended his own record at the Malaysia Open, taking a 12th title in his 14th final, and reached the semi-finals of the Indonesia Open. A week before the World Championships, the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) announced that Lee would not be able to take part in the championships and also the Asian Games as he has to undergo treatment for a respiratory-related disorder. His participation in these two tournaments was in doubt even before the announcement after media reported that he was absent from the training. He was diagnosed with early stage of nasopharynx cancer and received treatment in Taiwan. ## Retirement On 13 June 2019, Lee announced his retirement after almost a year since he was diagnosed with nose cancer and failed to return to competition despite dropping several hints that he would make a return in early 2019. This ended his 19-year-long international badminton career. The retirement came under his doctor's advice to avoid high-intensity training to avoid a relapse of his cancer. Members of the media and players alike paid tribute to him after the announcement. His career-long rival, Lin Dan, wrote on Sina Weibo that he now has to "head into battle alone, as he no longer has a companion anymore (独自上场没人陪我了)", and shared a song titled "Don't Cry, Friend" (朋友别哭). ## Personal life Lee received RM 300,000 on 21 August 2008, as a reward for his silver medal effort in the 2008 Olympic Games. Also, he received RM 3,000 a month as a lifetime pension beginning in August 2008. He was appointed as the UNICEF Malaysia's National Ambassador in February 2009. He was in a relationship with Wong Mew Choo, his teammate. In 2009, Lee and Wong announced they are no longer together during the 2009 World Championships in Hyderabad, India. However, Lee announced his reconciliation with Mew Choo after winning a silver medal in the 2012 Summer Olympics. They were married on 9 November 2012, and have three children, Kingston, Terrance and Anson who were born in April 2013, July 2015 and November 2022 respectively. On 16 March 2011, Lee received Permodalan Nasional Berhad shares worth RM100,000 after his triumph in the All England Open. He was appointed as KDU University College ambassador on 31 July 2011. Lee's autobiography Dare to be a Champion was officially published on 18 January 2012. ## Awards Below is the list of awards won by Lee. Lee also won the lifetime athlete award in 2016. ## Honours Lee was conferred Member of the Order of the Defender of the Realm (Ahli Mangku Negara) (AMN) effective 3 June 2006 in conjunction with the 12th Yang di-Pertuan Agong Syed Sirajuddin Syed Putra Jamalullail's 63rd birthday. On 30 August 2008, Lee was made Officer of the Order of the Defender of State (Darjah Setia Pangkuan Negeri) (DSPN), which carried the title "Dato'" by the Governor of Penang, Abdul Rahman Abbas, following his achievement at the 2008 Summer Olympics. On 6 June 2009, Lee became the second of only two recipients to date of the Order of Merit (Darjah Bakti) (DB), receiving the honour from Mizan Zainal Abidin in conjunction with His Majesty the 13th Yang di-Pertuan Agong's official birthday. On 5 July 2012, Lee was conferred the rank of Lieutenant Commander (Honorary) of the Royal Malaysian Navy Volunteer Reserve Unit. On 7 October 2016, Lee was promoted to the rank of Commander (Honorary) in recognition of his achievement at the 2016 Summer Olympics. On 15 October 2016, Lee was conferred Knight Commander of the Exalted Order of Malacca (Darjah Cemerlang Seri Melaka) (DCSM), carrying the title of "Datuk Wira", from the 6th Governor of Malacca, Mohd Khalil Yaakob. Lee was made Commander of the Order of Meritorious Service (Panglima Jasa Negara) (PJN) effective 9 September 2017, which carries the title "Datuk", by the 15th Yang di-Pertuan Agong Muhammad V in conjunction with His Majesty's official birthday. On 1 October 2021, Lee was announced as one of 10 recipients to be made a Justice of the Peace (JP) in conjunction with the 68th-birthday of the 10th Governor of Sabah, Juhar Mahiruddin. On 2 December 2021, Lee was conferred an honorary doctorate in sports science by Syed Sirajuddin Jamalullail, the 8th Raja of Perlis and chancellor of the Science University of Malaysia (Universiti Sains Malaysia, USM), in conjunction with the university's 58th convocation ceremony. On 26 May 2023, Lee was inducted into the BWF's Hall of Fame along with long-time rival, Lin Dan at Kuala Lumpur. - Malaysia: - Member of the Order of the Defender of the Realm (AMN) (2006) - Recipient of the Order of Merit (DB) (2009) - Commander of the Order of Meritorious Service (PJN) – Datuk (2017) - Penang: - Officer of the Order of the Defender of State (DSPN) – Dato' (2008) - Malacca: - Knight Commander of the Exalted Order of Malacca (DCSM) – Datuk Wira (2016) - Sabah: - Justice of the Peace (JP) (2021) ## Achievements ### Career finals (69 titles, 34 runners-up) - Super Series tournament Grand Prix Gold and Grand Prix tournament ## In popular culture In December 2017, the first trailer for his biopic movie was released. Entitled Lee Chong Wei, the biopic premiered on 9 March 2018 at the Bukit Jalil National Stadium, Kuala Lumpur, and was released nationwide on 15 March 2018. ## See also - Lee–Lin rivalry

# Mr. Monk and the Actor "Mr. Monk and the Actor" is the first episode of the fifth season of the American comedy-drama detective television series Monk, and the show's 62nd episode overall. The series follows Adrian Monk (Tony Shalhoub), a private detective with obsessive–compulsive disorder and multiple phobias, and his assistant Natalie Teeger (Traylor Howard). In this episode, Monk has to link two different cases while an actor hired to play him in a film emotionally disturbs him. Written by Hy Conrad and Joe Toplyn, and directed by Randall Zisk, "Mr. Monk and the Actor" guest starred Stanley Tucci. The staff envisioned the episode after imagining the possibility of Monk becoming a famous detective. When the episode first aired in the United States on the USA Network on July 7, 2006, it was watched by over 5.1 million viewers. Critics gave it a positive reception, especially praising Tucci's performance. It also led Tucci to win the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series. ## Plot While a car dealer, Jack Leverett (Greg Grunberg), is cheating on his wife with a woman named Michelle Cullman (Susan Ward), he finds a hidden camera and, fighting for the camera, accidentally kills her. The following day, Monk (Tony Shalhoub) tells his therapist, Dr. Charles Kroger (Stanley Kamel), that he will go on his first vacation since the murder of his wife Trudy. Later, Monk goes to the crime scene to investigate, finding watch glass fragments. Monk is informed by Captain Stottlemeyer (Ted Levine) and Lieutenant Disher (Jason Gray-Stanford) that a film about him will be produced. As method actor David Ruskin (Stanley Tucci)—set to play Monk in the film—is there to observe his mannerisms, Monk tries to impress him. The next day, Ruskin follows Monk again as he investigates a case at a pawnshop in which its owner was shot during a robbery. Monk is intrigued as to why the burglar entered through the wall and only stole a small amount of money and a wristwatch. Natalie (Traylor Howard) and Monk find the murder weapon. Monk notices the same glitter on the firearm as he had found in Cullman's hair, deducing that the same person committed both crimes, stealing the watch to replace his own broken watch. Meanwhile, Natalie first worries that Ruskin's presence can harm Monk, then that the reverse is true. Later, Stottlemeyer and Disher attend the film's production. Natalie's warning is right: Ruskin has so adopted Monk's persona that he is distracted by minor details of the set and is unable to complete the scene. He leaves the studio, goes to Monk's house to learn why Monk does his job, and explores Monk's files on Trudy's murder, grieving Monk. An afflicted Monk goes to Natalie's house, where he solves the case when he sees a note that Julie tore up to prevent Natalie from reading it. The pawnshop is adjacent to a restaurant where clients are drawn on the wall each night by an artist, and it was the restaurant side of the wall that was significant. On the evening of the first crime, Leverett and Cullman were sketched together while dining there, and Leverett later returned to destroy that evidence. Ruskin goes to Trudy's murder scene, where he is mistaken for Monk and told that Leverett is "the killer". When Stottlemeyer and Disher arrive at Leverett's business to arrest him for killing Cullman and the pawnshop owner, Ruskin has already arrived and is holding him hostage for killing Trudy. Monk enters and stops Ruskin, but is emotionally shaken when Ruskin says he could have saved Trudy. At the end, he talks with Dr. Kroger and cancels his holiday trip. ## Production "Mr. Monk and the Actor" was co-written by Hy Conrad and Joe Toplyn, and was directed by Randall Zisk. The concept for the episode first emerged while the staff was working on fourth season episode "Mr. Monk and the Astronaut", and they wondered if Monk would become famous. The first idea was to use the same set and actors from "Mr. Monk and the Astronaut" to create an episode in which a made-for-TV film is recorded about that case. It was not done but writers still wanted to create an episode focusing on a TV film, which eventually became "Mr. Monk and the Actor". On its original script, it exceeded the runtime by about six minutes so a scene involving a child mistaking a gun for a toy was cut. It would be the murder weapon, and even though a six-year-old actor was hired for the scene it was not filmed. Shalhoub and Tucci had been friends since they met each other at the Yale Repertory Theater in 1989 when they acted on John Guare's play Moon Over Miami. In 1996, they co-starred in the film Big Night, which Conrad said was the main reason Tucci was "always our first choice for the actor role." Tucci said it was a "funny thing" since the role of Monk was offered to him after Big Night but he declined it. Shalhoub affirmed he had requested Tucci to appear on Monk for a long time before this episode but Tucci had theretofore rejected due to scheduling conflicts. Another guest star for the episode, Peter Weller, was on set to direct "Mr. Monk, Private Eye" and volunteered for the role of the actor who plays Captain Stottlemeyer. ## Release and reception "Mr. Monk and the Actor" was first available via video on demand service on June 30, 2006, and its television premiere through USA Network was on July 7, 2006 at 9 pm EST. According to an USA's press release, the episode was viewed by an estimated number of 5.3 million viewers, while Nielsen Media Research indicated a viewership of 5.1 million and a 3.89 rating. Gary Levin of USA Today called it a "shy" if compared to season four premiere's figure of 6.4 million. USA, however, said it was the most watched scripted hour in basic cable ever from its time slot. The episode was well-received; IGN's Colin Moriarty gave it a score of 9 out 10, it was deemed "excellent" by John White of The Digital Fix, and it was elected by The Futon Critic's Brian Ford Sullivan the 49th best television episode of the year. Kevin McDonough, a critic for the United Feature Syndicate, called it "a great episode" and compared it to a Seinfeld episode with a similar premise. Several critics praised Tucci's performance and his interactions with Shalhoub. Diane Werts wrote for Newsday, "Which one's nuttier? It's a toss-up, and a fascinating one with the terrific Tucci as Shalhoub's emotional tango partner." An anonymous reviewer for Times Colonist commented "Watching Shalhoub pretend to be Monk pretending to be a suave, sophisticated sleuth is a delight in its own right. Watching Tucci take Monk's nervous tics to ridiculous extremes is even more of a delight, especially when its appears that Monk's nervous disorder may be catching." In contrast to other reviewers, Adam Finley of AOL TV elected the best moment of the episode Disher's reaction to the fact his role is played by a woman who dates Stottlemeyer. Moriarty, Matt Crowley of The A.V. Club and Variety's Paula Hendrickson used it as example of how Monk can fit comedy scenes during dramatic ones. Ann Zivotsky, a writer for the North County Times, commented, "Watching Tucci and Shalhoub play this for laughs would have been enough for some shows, but the Monk writers take the opportunity to let the movie actor share with Monk the insights he's learned about the detective, which may help, or hurt, Monk." Finley and David Kronke of Los Angeles Daily News also highlighted the line "[Ruskin] wanted to play a character that wasn't so depressing and dark. He's in England doing Hamlet." Criticism to the episode was done by Finley who said, "So much of this show is dependent on Monk's subtle mannerisms, but he exaggerates them to an absurd degree as he tries to impress the actor who's playing him." Similarly, Werts said "Shalhoub pushes a tad too far with the compulsions." Robert Bianco of USA Today was also critical of its "excessive quirks and overall credibility-busting silliness." Although praised Shalhoub–Tucci dynamic, Rich Heldenfels of Akron Beacon Journal criticized it as "the actor-imitating-life thing has been done before on TV and in the movies, and the gag well is pretty dry." At the 59th Primetime Emmy Awards, Tucci won the award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series for his role on this episode.

# Washington State Route 27 State Route 27 (SR 27) is a 90-mile-long (145 km) state highway serving Whitman and Spokane counties, located in the eastern region of the U.S. state of Washington. The highway travels generally north from U.S. Route 195 (US 195) through Pullman, Palouse, Tekoa, and Spokane Valley to SR 290 north of an interchange with Interstate 90 (I-90). SR 27 serves the Palouse region as part of the Palouse Scenic Byway and travels between US 195 to the west and US 95 to the east in Idaho, with several auxiliary routes connecting to the two other highways. The highway has been part of the state highway system since 1913, as a part of the Second Division of the Eastern Route of the Inland Empire Highway between Pullman and Oakesdale that later became a branch of Primary State Highway 3 (PSH 3), as well as Secondary State Highway 3H (SSH 3H) in 1937. Both highways were combined to form SR 27 during the 1964 highway renumbering and the designation was extended south to the US 195 bypass of Pullman in 1975 and north to SR 290 in 1991. ## Route description SR 27 begins its 90-mile-long (145 km) route as Grand Avenue and part of the Palouse Scenic Byway at an intersection with US 195 south of Pullman. The highway travels through downtown Pullman and becomes concurrent with SR 270 as it passes west of the Washington State University main campus. Grand Avenue crosses the South Fork Palouse River and leaves the city of Pullman, parallel to a Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) rail line as it travels into the Palouse. SR 27 travels northeast to the city of Palouse and crosses the Palouse River before a short concurrency with SR 272. The highway continues northwest alongside the WSDOT rail line through the town of Garfield and Oakesdale before serving as the southern terminus of SR 271 west of Oakesdale Airport. SR 27 travels northeast and crosses Hangman Creek into Tekoa as Crosby Street before it intersects SR 274, locally known as Poplar Street, at the north end of the city. The highway turns west onto Poplar Street and travels under a bridge carrying the John Wayne Pioneer Trail before leaving Tekoa and Whitman County for Spokane County. SR 27 continues north along a Union Pacific rail line through Latah and Fairfield toward Rockford, where it serves as the western terminus of SR 278 and the Palouse Scenic Byway ends. The highway travels north out of the Palouse and to the Spokane Valley neighborhood of Opportunity, and widens to four lanes as Pines Road. SR 27 intersects I-90 in a diamond interchange that utilizes Indiana Avenue and Montgomery Drive as exit ramps. The highway continues north and crosses two rail lines, belonging to the Spokane International branch of Union Pacific and BNSF, before the designation ends at Trent Avenue, signed as SR 290. Every year, WSDOT conducts a series of surveys on its highways in the state to measure traffic volume. This is expressed in terms of annual average daily traffic (AADT), which is a measure of traffic volume for any average day of the year. In 2011, WSDOT calculated that the busiest section of SR 27 was its interchange with I-90 in Spokane Valley, serving 27,000 vehicles, while the least busy section was between Tekoa and Latah, serving 640 vehicles. ## History SR 27 was first codified as part of the Second Division of the Eastern Route of the Inland Empire Highway between Pullman and Oakesdale in 1913 and later became a paved branch of PSH 3 during the creation of the primary and secondary state highways in 1937. The branch route traveled 68.71 miles (110.58 km) north from US 195 at the Idaho state border through Pullman and Oakesdale to PSH 3 and US 195 south of Rosalia. SSH 3H was also established in 1937, traveling 38.69 miles (62.27 km) north from the PSH 3 branch in Oakesdale through the Palouse to PSH 2 and US 10 in Spokane Valley. The two highways were combined to form SR 27 during the 1964 highway renumbering, part of a new state highway system still in place today. A western bypass of Pullman for US 195 was originally planned in the late 1960s and was opened in 1974 as part of a proposed ring road around the city. US 195 was routed onto the completed segment and SR 27 was extended south over its former route to intersect the new highway in 1975, while the rest of the bypass would become the un-built SR 276. The highway was extended north within Spokane Valley from its interchange with I-90 to Trent Avenue, signed as SR 290, in 1991. The highway between Pullman and Tekoa was designated as part of the Palouse Scenic Byway on December 19, 2002, as part of the Washington State Scenic and Recreational Highways program. The scenic byway was extended north in 2011 to SR 278 in Rockford. A section of SR 27 near Spokane Valley was renamed the Sam Strahan Memorial Highway in 2017, honoring the lone victim of a school shooting at Freeman High School. The northern terminus of SR 27 is planned to be rebuilt by the Spokane Valley government as part of a railroad grade separation project beginning in 2024. The rebuilt highway would travel under the BNSF Railway and curve east before reaching a roundabout with SR 290 adjacent to the Spokane River. It is expected to cost $40 million and will be primarily funded by federal and regional grants. The underpass was first proposed in the late 1990s but its funding lagged behind other grade separation projects in Spokane Valley. ## Major intersections |}

# Mount Morning Mount Morning is a shield volcano at the foot of the Transantarctic Mountains in Victoria Land, Antarctica. It lies 100 kilometres (62 mi) from Ross Island. Mount Morning rises to an elevation of 2,723 metres (8,934 ft) and is almost entirely mantled with snow and ice. A 4.1 by 4.9 kilometres (2.5 mi × 3.0 mi) wide summit caldera lies at the top of the volcano and several ice-free ridges such as Hurricane Ridge and Riviera Ridge emanate from the summit. A number of parasitic vents mainly in the form of cinder cones dot the mountain. The volcano was initially active during the Miocene and erupted in two separate stages with a hiatus in between. The older stage has a different chemical composition than the recent one and is heavily eroded by glaciers. The most recent parasitic vents were active about 20,000 years ago and the volcano could erupt again. ## Geography and geomorphology Mount Morning lies in Victoria Land, about 100 kilometres (62 mi) from Ross Island and at the foot of the Transantarctic Mountains. The Koettlitz Glacier runs along the northwestern foot of Mount Morning and separates it from the Royal Society Range 25 kilometres (16 mi) away. Mount Discovery lies next to Mount Morning and is separated from it by the Discovery Glacier. The volcano was originally described in the early to middle 20th century, before more detailed analyses took place in the 1970s, 1980s and 2000s. The volcano rises to 2,723 metres (8,934 ft) above sea level and is capped by a 4.1 by 4.9 kilometres (2.5 mi × 3.0 mi) wide caldera that may be the source of a glacier at its northeastern end. Mount Morning has been defined as a 30 by 36 kilometres (19 mi × 22 mi) large shield volcano that consists of a central volcano overlying an older volcanic complex. With a volume of 1,785 cubic kilometres (428 cu mi) it is one of the largest volcanoes in the region. Fissure vents have produced at least 185 parasitic vents on the slopes of Mount Morning. They are cinder cones, fissure ridges, lava domes and volcanic necks, and their diameters range from a few metres to a few hundred metres. Many of the vents form alignments, some cone craters overlap or the vents themselves have linear shapes. These linear patterns define northeast–southwest trends, with a minor northwest–southeast alignment. Lava flows emanate from cones and make up the present-day surface of the volcano. Mount Morning is almost entirely covered with snow and ice except where it is ablated by southerly winds. Outcrops of volcanic rocks form the north-northeastern Riviera Ridge and northeastern Hurricane Ridge on the northern flank, Mason Spur on the southern flank and on Helms Bluff on the eastern flank. Gandalf Ridge is a promontory formed by northward-tilted debris and penetrated by Dikes. It is located at the foot of Hurricane Ridge, and Pinnacle Valley is located on the Riviera Ridge. Dikes, lava domes, lava flows and pyroclastic deposits are found in outcrops. Mason Spur also contains breccias from pillow lavas, while Gandalf Ridge features a diamictite and a cross-cutting fault. Mason Spur was considered by Martin et al. 2021 to be a separate volcano from Mount Morning. Owing to the lack of running water, the main edifice (unlike Mason Spur) is uneroded and parasitic vents have a young appearance. Glacial erosion has eroded some parts of the volcano, leaving volcanic necks in Pinnacle Valley, has etched glacial striations into exposed volcanic rocks and deposited glacial till. The Vereyken Glacier descends the northeastern slopes of Mount Morning between Hurricane Ridge and Riviera Ridge. Moraines occur on these two ridges and moraines dating to the Wisconsin glaciation have been reported. Glaciers descending from Mount Morning feed the Koettlitz Glacier. Several lakes are found on the volcano and at its foot, including Lake Morning at the end of the Riviera Ridge and Lake Discovery at the foot of the Hurricane and Gandalf ridges. ## Geology The West Antarctic Rift is a major geological feature in Antarctica and one of Earth's largest continental rifts. It is a region of active crustal extension and spreading, which may be ongoing today. Volcanic activity occurs at the rift and includes the McMurdo Volcanic Group, a 2,000 kilometres (1,200 mi) long chain of volcanoes in Victoria Land. This volcanic group has erupted alkaline lavas during the course of the Cenozoic. It is subdivided into three provinces, the Hallett, the Melbourne and the Erebus province; Mount Morning is the southernmost volcano of the Erebus province. Mount Morning rises from a Paleozoic basement, the Koettlitz Group which crops out close to Gandalf Ridge in the form of granite and metasedimentary rocks. Based on rocks erupted by Mount Morning, the crust appears to be thin and has a calc-alkaline composition. Tectonic sutures in this basement may have allowed magma to ascend to the surface in the Mount Morning region. ### Composition Basanite is the dominant rock of outcrops, with phonolite less common and picrobasalt and tephrite rare. Outcrops of older rocks include mugearite, rhyolite and trachyte. Textures range from porphyritic to seriate. Various phenocrysts are found within the volcanic rocks, including aegirine, augite, clinopyroxene, alkali feldspar, kaersutite, nepheline, olivine, plagioclase, quartz and sanidine. Aegirine, aenigmatite, amphibole, augite, clinopyroxene, alkali feldspar, glass, iron oxide-titanium oxide, nepheline, plagioclase and quartz make up the groundmass. The volcanic rocks contain xenoliths consisting of syenite and of rocks from older stages of Mount Morning activity. Spinel peridotite and less commonly clinopyroxenite, dunite, harzburgite, lherzolite, norite, pyroxenite and websterite have been reported as xenoliths. The early volcanic rocks of Mount Morning are comparable to mildly alkaline rocks from Mount Melbourne, while the more alkaline late volcanic rocks resemble these from Mount Erebus. The older rocks define the "Mason Spurr lineage" while the younger ones are referred to as the "Riviera Ridge lineage". Basaltic rocks are concentrated on the lower slopes, while phonolite is mainly found in the upper sector of Mount Morning. The composition changes between the early and late volcanic activity of Mount Morning may be due to alteration in crustal magma processes. ## Eruption history Mount Morning has been active during the Miocene, Pliocene and Pleistocene. Argon-argon dating and potassium-argon dating have been used to infer the duration of volcanic activity at Mount Morning. Gandalf Ridge has yielded ages of 18.7±0.3-15.5±0.5 million years, Pinnacle Valley 15.2±0.2-13.0±0.3 million years, Mason Spur 12.8±0.4-11.4±0.2 million years, rocks below the summit of 6.13±0.20-\~1.00 million years and 4.51±0.31-0.02 million years on other formations. Some of these eruptions may have deposited volcanic ash over the McMurdo Sound area and in the Transantarctic Mountains. Even older activity at Mount Morning may be recorded in volcanic deposits from Cape Roberts which go back to 24.1 million years ago. This is a long lifespan for a volcano by Antarctic standards, and may be due to tectonic factors that kept magma generation focused on Mount Morning for a long time. Loading by glaciers may have influenced volcanic activity at Mount Morning. Volcanic activity has been subdivided into two phases separated by a hiatus, an early phase lasting between 11.4±0.2-18.7±0.3 million years ago and a late phase from 6.13±0.02 million years ago to almost present-day. These phases are also known as the phase I or the Mason Spur Lineage, and as the phase II or the Riviera Ridge Lineage. The early phase produced mildly alkaline volcanic rocks, the late phase which makes up most of the outcrops strongly alkaline rocks. The early phase has produced ignimbrites from a caldera at Mason Spur, an otherwise rare type of volcanoes in Antarctica. The older rocks have undergone significant glaciation, while the younger ones are largely uneroded and make up the present-day edifice. Volcanic activity mostly occurred under the atmosphere, with the exception of some lavas that may have been erupted in a subaqueous environment and hyaloclastites which have been used to infer that glaciers existed there 15.4 million years ago. Volcanic activity was focused along geologic lineaments on Mount Morning, which were reused during more recent eruptions. Eruptions took place at Mount Morning about 20,000 years ago, forming well-preserved cinder cones. In the 1960s thermal anomalies were observed at Gandalf Ridge, implying that the volcano may still be active, although ground surveys did not detect fumarolic activity. Thus, Mount Morning was considered dormant by Martin, Cooper and Dunlap 2010 and might be the source of tephra layers found in the area. ## History and name The volcano was discovered by the Discovery Expedition in 1901-1904 and named after a relief ship that took part in the expedition. ## Features Features, from north to south, include: ### Gandalf Ridge A volcanic ridge at the northwest end of Hurricane Ridge, to the north of Mount Morning on Scott Coast. Gandalf is a whimsical name put forward by geologist Philip R. Kyle, Institute of Polar Studies, The Ohio State University, who examined the ridge in December 1977. The discovery of very hard volcanic rock at this ridge led to the naming: Gandalf, after a crusty character (a wizard) in J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings. ### Hurricane Ridge . The eastern of two broad, mainly ice-free ridges that descend north from Mount Morning. Riviera Ridge is the other, to the west, and Gandalf Ridge and Lake Discovery are located at the north end of this ridge. The name was suggested by geologist Anne C. Wright, Department of Geoscience, New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, a member of the NMUMT field party that camped on the ridge in the 1985–86 season. The party's tent was blown to shreds by 100-knot winds, requiring evacuation of the party by helicopter. This ridge is renowned for consistently strong winds. Juxtaposed with Riviera Ridge, which is similar in appearance to this ridge to the west. ### Vereyken Glacier A glacier which, together with Morning Glacier, drains the northeast slopes of Mount Morning. Vereyken Glacier flows north between Riviera Ridge and Hurricane Ridge into Koettlitz Glacier. Named by US-ACAN (1994) after Jill Vereyken, ASA manager of Field Support Services, McMurdo Station, who was active in coordination and planning of science support in Antarctica from 1984. ### Riviera Ridge . This name has been included as a US-ACAN proposal even though it was apparently applied in about 1977 by Anne Wright (now Grassham) who worked on the ridge with P.M. Kyle. The name alludes to the warm sunny conditions experienced on the ridge in contrast to the storm conditions previously experienced on nearby "Hurricane Ridge". ### Testa Ridge A volcanic ridge, 2.7 nautical miles (5.0 km; 3.1 mi), extending north–south between Weidner Ridge and Riviera Ridge on the north slope of Mount Morning. Named by Advisory Committee on Antarctic Names (US-ACAN) (1994) after J. Ward Testa, biologist, University of Minnesota (later of University of Alaska); conducted seal studies during ten field seasons in McMurdo Sound and other coastal regions, 1980–94. ### Campbell Crag A rock peak rising to 1,918 metres (6,293 ft) high at the south end of Testa Ridge on the north slope of Mount Morning. Named by US-ACAN (1994) after Richard J. (Rick) Campbell, ASA, fixed-wing Flight Operations Coordinator at McMurdo Station, active in science support in Antarctica from 1981. ### Weidner Ridge . A linear volcanic outcrop, approximately 4.1 kilometres (2.5 mi) long, between and parallel to Savage Ridge and Testa Ridge on the north slope of Mount Morning. Named by US-ACAN after George A. Weidner, Department of Meteorology (later Space Science and Engineering Center), University of Wisconsin. Along with Charles Stearns he developed the use of automatic weather stations in Antarctica in the period 1982–2005. ### Savage Ridge . A linear volcanic outcrop approximately 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) long descending from the northwest slope of Mount Morning. Parallel to and about 1 kilometre (0.62 mi) from Weidner Ridge. Named by US-ACAN (1994) after Michael L. Savage, Department of Meteorology, University of Wisconsin. Along with Charles Stearns, he developed the use of automatic weather stations in Antarctica during four field seasons, 1980–86. ### Morning Glacier . A glacier on the northeast slope of Mount Morning. The glacier flows from the peak for about 8.5 kilometres (5.3 mi), terminating partway down the mountain, approximately 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) south of Lake Morning, and west of the upper Vereyken Glacier. Named by US-ACAN (1994) in association with Mount Morning. ### Mason Spur . An elevated spur, partially ice-covered and over 1,300 metres (4,300 ft) high, which projects eastward from Mount Morning. Named by US-ACAN in 1963 for Robert Mason, USARP Representative at McMurdo Station, 1962–63.

# On Her Majesty's Secret Service (film) On Her Majesty's Secret Service is a 1969 spy film and the sixth in the James Bond series produced by Eon Productions. It is based on the 1963 novel by Ian Fleming. Following Sean Connery's decision to retire from the role after You Only Live Twice, Eon selected George Lazenby, a model with no prior acting credits, to play the part of James Bond. During filming, Lazenby announced that he would play the role of Bond only once. Connery returned to portray Bond in 1971's Diamonds Are Forever. In the film, Bond faces Blofeld (Telly Savalas), who is planning to hold the world to ransom by threatening to render all food plants and livestock infertile through the actions of a group of brainwashed "angels of death". Along the way Bond meets, falls in love with, and eventually marries Contessa Teresa di Vicenzo (Diana Rigg). It is the only Bond film to have been directed by Peter R. Hunt, with this serving as his directorial debut, who had served as a film editor and second unit director on previous films in the series. Hunt, along with producers Albert R. Broccoli and Harry Saltzman, decided to produce a more realistic film that would follow the novel closely. It was shot in Switzerland, England, and Portugal from October 1968 to May 1969. Although its cinema release was not as lucrative as its predecessor You Only Live Twice, On Her Majesty's Secret Service was still one of the top-performing films of the year. Critical reviews upon release were mixed, but the film's reputation has improved greatly over time and it is now regarded as one of the strongest entries in the series as well as one of the most faithful adaptations of a Fleming novel. The title of the book and film is a play on the phrase "On Her Majesty's Service". ## Plot James Bond saves a woman on the beach from an attempted suicide by drowning, and later meets her again in a casino. The woman, Contessa Teresa "Tracy" di Vicenzo, invites Bond to her hotel room to thank him, but when Bond arrives he is attacked by an unidentified man. After subduing the man, Bond returns to his own room and finds Tracy there; she claims she was unaware of the attacker's presence. The next morning, Bond is kidnapped by several men, including the one he fought, who take him to meet Marc-Ange Draco, the head of the European crime syndicate Unione Corse. Draco reveals that Tracy is his only daughter and tells Bond of her troubled past, offering Bond one million pounds if he will marry her. Bond refuses, but agrees to continue romancing Tracy if Draco helps him track down Ernst Stavro Blofeld, the head of SPECTRE. Upon returning to London, M relieves Bond of his mission to assassinate Blofeld. Furious, Bond dictates a letter of resignation to Moneypenny, which she alters into a request for leave. Bond heads for Draco's birthday party in Portugal. There, Bond and Tracy begin a whirlwind romance, and Draco directs Bond to a law firm in Bern, Switzerland. Bond breaks into the office of Swiss lawyer Gebrüder Gumbold and learns that Blofeld is corresponding with London College of Arms genealogist Sir Hilary Bray, attempting to claim the title Count Balthazar de Bleuchamp. Posing as Bray, Bond goes to meet Blofeld, who has established a clinical allergy research institute atop Piz Gloria in the Swiss Alps. Bond meets twelve young women, later referred to by Blofeld as his "angels of death", who are patients at the institute's clinic, apparently cured of various allergies. After dinner, Bond goes to the room of one patient, Ruby, who wrote her room number on his bare leg. At midnight, while still with Ruby, Bond discovers the women go into a sleep-induced hypnotic state while Blofeld implants subliminal audio instructions. In fact, they are being brainwashed to distribute bacteriological warfare agents throughout the world. Bond tries to trick Blofeld into leaving Switzerland so that MI6 can arrest him without violating Swiss sovereignty. Blofeld refuses and Bond is eventually caught by henchwoman Irma Bunt. Blofeld reveals that he identified Bond after his attempt to lure him out of Switzerland, and tells his henchmen to take Bond away. Bond eventually makes his escape by skiing down from Piz Gloria while Blofeld and his men give chase. Tracy finds Bond in the village of Lauterbrunnen, and they escape Bunt and her men after a car chase, luring their pursuers into a stock car chase which results in their vehicle overturning. A blizzard forces them to a remote barn, where Bond professes his love to Tracy and proposes marriage to her, which she happily accepts. The next morning, as the chase continues on skis, Blofeld sets off an avalanche. Tracy is captured, while Bond is buried but manages to escape. Back in London at M's office, Bond is informed that Blofeld intends to hold the world to ransom by threatening to destroy its agriculture using his brainwashed women, demanding amnesty for all past crimes, and that he be recognised as the current Count de Bleuchamp. M tells 007 that the ransom will be paid and forbids him to mount a rescue mission. Bond instead enlists Draco and his forces to attack Blofeld's headquarters, while also rescuing Tracy from Blofeld's captivity. The facility is destroyed, and Blofeld escapes the destruction alone in a bobsleigh, with Bond pursuing him. The chase ends when Blofeld is trapped in a collision with the branch of a tree. Bond and Tracy marry in Portugal, then drive away in Bond's Aston Martin DBS. When Bond pulls over to the roadside to remove flowers from the car, Blofeld and Bunt commit a drive-by shooting of the couple's car. Bond survives, but Tracy is killed. ## Cast - George Lazenby as James Bond, MI6 agent 007. - Diana Rigg as Countess Tracy di Vicenzo, a vulnerable countess and Marc-Ange Draco's daughter, who captures Bond's heart. - Telly Savalas as Ernst Stavro Blofeld, also known as Comte Balthazar de Bleuchamp, Bond's nemesis, leader of SPECTRE and in hiding. - Gabriele Ferzetti as Marc-Ange Draco, Head of the Unione Corse, a major crime syndicate and Tracy's father. - Ilse Steppat as Irma Bunt, Blofeld's henchwoman who assists in the attempts to eliminate Bond. - Lois Maxwell as Miss Moneypenny, M's secretary. - George Baker as Sir Hilary Bray, Herald in the London College of Arms, whom Bond impersonates in Piz Gloria. Baker also provided the voice of Bond while he is imitating Bray. - Bernard Lee as M, Head of the British Secret Service. - Bernard Horsfall as Shaun Campbell, 007's colleague who tries to aid Bond in Switzerland as part of Operation Bedlam, before being killed by Blofeld or his henchmen when Bond is unmasked as an agent. - Desmond Llewelyn as Q, Head of MI6's technical department. - Yuri Borienko as Grunther, Blofeld's brutish chief of security at Piz Gloria. - Virginia North as Olympe, Draco's lover. Nikki van der Zyl provided the uncredited voice for Olympe. - Geoffrey Cheshire as Toussaint, one of Draco's thugs who joins in the assault of Piz Gloria. - Irvin Allen as Che Che, Tracy's bodyguard who fights James Bond, but later serves as an ally. - Terry Mountain as Raphael - James Bree as Gumbold - John Gay as Hammond - Brian Worth as Manuel (uncredited) - Bessie Love as Baccarat Player (uncredited) ### Blofeld's Angels of Death The angels of death are 12 beautiful women from all over the world being brainwashed by Blofeld under the guise of allergy or phobia treatment to spread the Virus Omega. There is at least one blonde, a brunette, a redhead, as well as Asian women and a Black woman. A number appeared in the representative styles of dress of their particular nation. Their unwitting mission is to help Blofeld contaminate and ultimately sterilise the world's food supply. - Angela Scoular as Ruby Bartlett, an English girl at the clinic suffering from an allergy to chickens, whom Bond seduces. Scoular also played Buttercup in the 1967 Bond comedy Casino Royale. - Anouska Hempel as an Australian girl - Catherina von Schell as Nancy, a Hungarian girl at the clinic whom Bond also beds - Dani Sheridan as an American. - Helena Ronee as an Israeli. - Ingrid Back as a German. - Jenny Hanley as an Irish woman. - Joanna Lumley as an Englishwoman. - Julie Ege as Helen, a Scandinavian. - Mona Chong as a Chinese woman. - Sylvana Henriques as a Jamaican. - Zaheera (Credited as Zara) as an Indian. ## Production The novel On Her Majesty's Secret Service was first published after the film series started and contains "a gentle dig at the cinematic Bond's gadgets"; Broccoli and Saltzman had originally intended to make On Her Majesty's Secret Service after Goldfinger and Richard Maibaum worked on a script at that time. Thunderball was filmed instead, after the ongoing rights dispute over the novel was settled between Fleming and Kevin McClory. On Her Majesty's Secret Service was due to follow that, but problems with a warm Swiss winter and inadequate snow cover led to Saltzman and Broccoli postponing the film again, favouring production of You Only Live Twice. Between the resignation of Sean Connery at the beginning of filming You Only Live Twice and its release, Saltzman had planned to adapt The Man with the Golden Gun in Cambodia and use Roger Moore as the next Bond, but political instability meant the location was ruled out and Moore signed up for another series of The Saint. After You Only Live Twice was released in 1967, the producers once again picked up with On Her Majesty's Secret Service. Peter Hunt, who had worked on the five preceding films, had impressed Broccoli and Saltzman enough to earn his directorial debut as they believed his quick cutting had set the style for the series. It was also the result of a long-standing promise from Broccoli and Saltzman for a directorial position, which they honored after Lewis Gilbert declined to direct. Hunt also asked for the position during the production of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, and he brought along with him many crew members, including cinematographer Michael Reed. Hunt was focused on making his mark – "I wanted it to be different than any other Bond film would be. It was my film, not anyone else's." On Her Majesty's Secret Service was the last film in the series on which Hunt worked. ### Writing Screenwriter Richard Maibaum, who had worked on all the previous Bond films except for You Only Live Twice, was responsible for On Her Majesty's Secret Service's script. Saltzman and Broccoli decided to drop the science fiction gadgets from the earlier films and focus more on plot, as in From Russia with Love. Peter Hunt asked Simon Raven to write some of the dialogue between Tracy and Blofeld in Piz Gloria, which was to be "sharper, better and more intellectual"; one of Raven's additions was having Tracy quoting James Elroy Flecker. When writing the script, the producers decided to make the closest adaptation of the book possible: virtually everything in the novel occurs in the film and Hunt was reported to always enter the set carrying an annotated copy of the novel. With the script following the novel more closely than the other film adaptations of the eponymous source novels, there are several continuity errors due to the films taking place in a different sequence, such as Blofeld not recognising Bond, despite having met him face-to-face in the previous film You Only Live Twice. In the original script, Bond undergoes plastic surgery to disguise him from his enemies; the intention was to allow an unrecognisable Bond to infiltrate Blofeld's hideout and help the audience accept the new actor in the role. However, this was dropped in favour of ignoring the change in actor. To make audiences not forget it was the same James Bond, just played by another actor, the producers inserted many references to the previous films, some as in-jokes. These include Bond breaking the fourth wall by stating "This never happened to the other fellow"; the credits sequence with images from the previous instalments; Bond visiting his office and finding objects from Dr. No, From Russia with Love, and Thunderball; and a caretaker whistling the theme from Goldfinger. Maibaum later said he thought "Lazenby was not ideal for the part" but that "it was a marvellous script." ### Casting In 1967, after five films, Sean Connery resigned from the role of James Bond and was not on speaking terms with Albert Broccoli during the filming of You Only Live Twice. Over 400 actors, including many of the most famous performers in the Commonwealth, were considered for the role of James Bond. The confirmed front runners were Englishman John Richardson, Dutchman Hans De Vries, Australian Robert Campbell, Scotsman Anthony Rogers, Greek Giorgos Fountas and Australian George Lazenby. Broccoli also met with Terence Stamp about playing the part. Broccoli was interested in rising star Oliver Reed but decided his public image was already too distinct. Future Bond star Timothy Dalton was asked to audition after his appearance in The Lion in Winter but considered himself too young, as he was 25 years old and did not want to succeed Connery as Bond. In an interview in 1987 when he was playing Bond in The Living Daylights, Dalton said "I was 24–25 then, I had a good career then as a young man in films like The Lion in Winter and Mr Broccoli kindly asked me if I was interested, I think I'm just too young for this role. I think Bond should be between 35 and 40, and as a 25–26 year old I wouldn't have been right". Broccoli and Hunt eventually chose Lazenby after seeing him in a Fry's Chocolate Cream advertisement. Lazenby dressed the part by sporting several sartorial Bond elements such as a Rolex Submariner wristwatch and a Savile Row suit (ordered for, but uncollected by, Connery), and going to Connery's barber at the Dorchester Hotel. Broccoli noticed Lazenby as a Bond-type man based on his physique and character elements, and offered him an audition. The position was consolidated when Lazenby accidentally punched a professional wrestler, who was acting as stunt coordinator, in the face, impressing Broccoli with his ability to display aggression. Lazenby was offered a contract for seven films; however, he was convinced by his agent Ronan O'Rahilly that the secret agent would be archaic in the liberated 1970s, and as a result he left the series after the release of On Her Majesty's Secret Service in 1969. For Tracy Draco, the producers wanted an established actress opposite neophyte Lazenby. Brigitte Bardot was invited, but after she signed to appear in Shalako opposite Sean Connery, the deal fell through, and Diana Rigg—who had already been the popular heroine Emma Peel in The Avengers—was cast instead. Rigg said one of the reasons for accepting the role was that she always wanted to be in an epic film. Hunt and Maibaum admired Donald Pleasence's performance as Blofeld in You Only Live Twice but wanted to recast the character. Maibaum originally wrote the role of Blofeld with Max von Sydow in mind; coincidentally, von Sydow later played Blofeld in the non-Eon Bond film Never Say Never Again. Telly Savalas was ultimately cast following a suggestion from Broccoli. Hunt's neighbour George Baker was offered the part of Sir Hilary Bray. Baker's voice was also used when Lazenby was impersonating Bray, as Hunt considered Lazenby's imitation not convincing enough. Gabriele Ferzetti was cast as Draco after the producers saw him in We Still Kill the Old Way, but Ferzetti's heavy Italian accent also led to his voice being redubbed by English actor David de Keyser for the final cut. ### Filming Principal photography began in the Canton of Bern, Switzerland, on 21 October 1968, with the first scene shot being an aerial view of Bond climbing the stairs of Blofeld's mountain retreat to meet the women. The scenes were shot at the revolving restaurant Piz Gloria, located atop the Schilthorn near the village of Mürren. The location was found by production manager Hubert Fröhlich after three weeks of location scouting in France and Switzerland. The restaurant was still under construction, but the producers found the spectacular location visually interesting for film-making, and had to finance the provision of electricity and the aerial lift to make filming there possible. The first chase scene in the Alps was shot at the Schilthorn and the second one at Saas-Fee, while the Christmas celebrations were filmed in Grindelwald, and some scenes were shot on location in Bern. Production was hampered by weak snowfall which was unfavourable to the skiing action scenes. The producers even considered moving to another location in Switzerland, but it was taken by the production of Downhill Racer. The Swiss filming ended up running 56 days over schedule. In March 1969, production moved to England, with London's Pinewood Studios being used for interior scenes, and M's house being shot in Marlow, Buckinghamshire. In April, the filmmakers went to Portugal, where principal photography wrapped in May. The pre-credit coastal and hotel scenes were filmed at Hotel Estoril Palacio in Estoril and Guincho Beach, Cascais, while Lisbon was used for the reunion of Bond and Tracy, and the ending employed a mountain road in the Arrábida National Park near Setúbal. Harry Saltzman wanted these scenes to be in France, but after searching there, Peter Hunt considered that not only were the locations not photogenic, but were already "overexposed". While the first unit shot at Piz Gloria, the second unit, led by John Glen, started filming the ski chases. The downhill skiing involved professional skiers, and various camera tricks. Some cameras were handheld, with the operators holding them as they were going downhill with the stuntmen, and others were aerial, with cameramen Johnny Jordan – who had previously worked in the helicopter battle of You Only Live Twice — developing a system where he was dangled by an 18 feet (5.5 m) long parachute harness rig below a helicopter, allowing scenes to be shot on the move from any angle. The bobsledding chase was also filmed with the help of Swiss Olympic athletes, and was rewritten to incorporate the accidents the stuntmen suffered during shooting, such as the scene where Bond falls from the sled. Blofeld getting snared with a tree was performed at the studio by Savalas himself, after the attempt to do this by the stuntman on location came out wrong. Heinz Lau and Robert Zimmermann served as the stunt doubles for Bond and Blofeld during the bobsleigh scene. Glen was also the editor of the film, employing a style similar to the one used by Hunt in the previous Bond films, with fast motion in the action scenes and exaggerated sound effects. The avalanche scenes were due to be filmed in co-operation with the Swiss army, which annually used explosions to prevent snow build-up by causing avalanches, but the area chosen naturally avalanched just before filming. The final result was a combination of a man-made avalanche at an isolated Swiss location shot by the second unit, stock footage, and images created by the special effects crew with salt. The stuntmen were filmed later, added by optical effects. For the scene where Bond and Tracy crash into a car race while being pursued, an ice rink was constructed over an unused aeroplane track, with water and snow sprayed on it constantly. Lazenby and Rigg did most of the driving due to the high number of close-ups. For the cinematography, Hunt aimed for a "simple, but glamorous style like the 1950s Hollywood films I grew up with", as well as something realistic, "where the sets don't look like sets". Cinematographer Michael Reed added he had difficulties with lighting, as every set built for the film had a ceiling, preventing spotlights from being hung from above. While shooting, Hunt wanted "the most interesting framings possible", which would also look good after being cropped for television. Lazenby said he experienced difficulties during shooting, not receiving any coaching despite his lack of acting experience, and with director Hunt never addressing him directly, only through his assistant. Lazenby claimed that Hunt also asked the rest of the crew to keep a distance from him, as "Peter thought the more I was alone, the better I would be as James Bond." Allegedly, there also were personality conflicts with Rigg, who was already an established star. However, according to Hunt, these rumours are untrue and there were no such difficulties—or else they were minor—and may have started with Rigg joking to Lazenby before filming a love scene, "Hey George, I'm having garlic for lunch. I hope you are\!" Hunt also declared that he usually had long talks with Lazenby before and during shooting. For instance, to shoot Tracy's death scene, Hunt brought Lazenby to the set at 8 o'clock in the morning and made him rehearse all day long, "and I broke him down until he was absolutely exhausted, and by the time we shot it at five o'clock, he was exhausted, and that's how I got the performance." Hunt said that if Lazenby had remained in the role, he would also have directed the successor film, Diamonds Are Forever, and that his original intention had been to conclude the film with Bond and Tracy driving off following their wedding, saving Tracy's murder for the pre-credit sequence of Diamonds Are Forever. The idea was discarded after Lazenby quit the role. On Her Majesty's Secret Service was the longest Bond film until Casino Royale was released in 2006. Even so, two scenes were deleted from the final print: Irma Bunt spying on Bond as he buys a wedding ring for Tracy, and a chase over London rooftops and into the Royal Mail underground rail system after Bond's conversation with Sir Hilary Bray was overheard. ### Music The soundtrack for On Her Majesty's Secret Service has been called "perhaps the best score of the series." It was composed, arranged and conducted by John Barry; it was his sixth successive Bond film. Barry opted to use more electronic instruments and a more aggressive sound in the music – "I have to stick my oar in the musical area double strong to make the audience try and forget they don't have Sean ... to be Bondian beyond Bondian." Barry felt it would be difficult to compose a theme song containing the title "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" unless it were written operatically, in the style of Gilbert and Sullivan. Leslie Bricusse had considered lyrics for the title song but director Peter R. Hunt allowed an instrumental title theme in the tradition of the first two Bond films. The theme is built around a lament bass, which establishes the story as a tragedy. Barry's composition was described as "one of the best title cuts, a wordless Moog-driven monster, suitable for skiing at breakneck speed or dancing with equal abandon." Barry also composed the love song "We Have All the Time in the World", with lyrics by Burt Bacharach's regular lyricist Hal David, sung by Louis Armstrong. It is heard during the Bond–Tracy courtship montage, bridging Draco's birthday party in Portugal and Bond's burglary of the Gebrüder Gumbold law office in Bern, Switzerland. Barry recalled Armstrong was very ill, but recorded the song in one take. Armstrong did, however, make some further recordings in 1970 and 1971. The song was re-released in 1994, achieving the number three position during a 13-week spell in the UK charts. The song was reused for a second Bond movie, when it was used as the soundtrack for the closing credits for the 2021 release No Time to Die. Barry and David also wrote two other songs for the film, both performed by Danish singer Nina. One, entitled "Do You Know How Christmas Trees Are Grown?", was featured in the film in several scenes. The other, "The More Things Change", was recorded by Nina at the same session but did not end up in the finished film. Instead, it appeared as the B-side of the UK single of "Do You Know How Christmas Trees Are Grown?" and an instrumental version of it appeared on John Barry's 1970 LP Ready When You Are J.B.. The theme, "On Her Majesty's Secret Service", is used in the film as an action theme alternative to Monty Norman's "James Bond Theme", as with Barry's previous "007" themes. "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" was covered in 1997 by the British big beat group the Propellerheads for the Shaken and Stirred album. Barry's orchestrator Nic Raine recorded an arrangement of the escape from Piz Gloria sequence and it was featured as a theme in the trailers for the 2004 Pixar animated film directed by Brad Bird, The Incredibles. Barry was the first choice to do the score for The Incredibles. However, he declined to do the score, as he did not wish to duplicate the sound of his older work. ## Release and reception On Her Majesty's Secret Service was released on 18 December 1969 with its premiere at the Odeon Leicester Square in London. The avalanche sequence in the film had been recorded in stereo and the Odeon installed a new speaker system to highlight the effect. Lazenby appeared at the premiere with a beard, looking "very un-Bond-like", according to the Daily Mirror. Lazenby claimed the producers had tried to persuade him to shave it off to appear like Bond, but by then he had already decided not to make another Bond film and rejected the idea. The beard and accompanying shoulder-length hair "strained his already fragile relationship with Saltzman and Broccoli". Because Lazenby had informed the producers that On Her Majesty's Secret Service was to be his only outing as Bond and because of the lack of gadgets used by Bond in the film, few items of merchandise were produced for the film, apart from the soundtrack album and a film edition of the book. Those that were produced included a number of Corgi Toys, including Tracey's Mercury Cougar (1969), Campbell's Volkswagen and two versions of the bobsleigh—one with the 007 logo and one with the Piz Gloria logo. On Her Majesty's Secret Service was nominated for only one award: George Lazenby was nominated in the New Star of the Year – Actor category at the 1970 Golden Globe Award ceremony, losing out to Jon Voight. ### Box office The film topped the United States box office when it opened with a gross of $1.2 million for the week. It was the highest-grossing film in January 1970. The film closed its box-office run with £750,000 in the United Kingdom (the highest-grossing film of the year), $64.6 million worldwide, half of You Only Live Twice's total gross, but still one of the highest-grossing films of 1969. It was one of the most popular movies in France in 1969, with admissions of 1,958,172. Nonetheless, this was a considerable drop from You Only Live Twice. After re-releases, the total box office was $82,000,000 worldwide. ### Contemporary reviews The majority of reviews were critical of either the film, Lazenby, or both, while most of the contemporary reviews in the British press referred to George Lazenby at some point as "The Big Fry", a reference to his previous acting in Fry's chocolate advertisements. Derek Malcolm of The Guardian was dismissive of Lazenby's performance, saying that he "is not a good actor and though I never thought Sean Connery was all that stylish either, there are moments when one yearns for a little of his louche panache." For all the criticism of Lazenby, however, Malcolm says that the film was "quite a jolly frolic in the familiar money-spinning fashion". Tom Milne, writing in The Observer was even more scathing, saying that "I ... fervently trust (OHMSS) will be the last of the James Bond films. All the pleasing oddities and eccentricities and gadgets of the earlier films have somehow been lost, leaving a routine trail through which the new James Bond strides without noticeable signs of animation." Donald Zec in the Daily Mirror was equally damning of Lazenby's acting abilities, comparing him unfavourably to Connery: "He looks uncomfortably in the part like a size four foot in a size ten gumboot." In yet another unfavourable comparison of Lazenby to Connery, Gene Siskel of the Chicago Tribune remarked that he "doesn't fill Sean Connery's shoes, Aston-Martin, or stretch pants. The new 007 is more boyish and consequently less of a man. He doesn't order food with the same verve, and generally lacks the self-satisfied smirk that Connery kept with him and transmitted to his audience." A. H. Weiler of The New York Times also weighed in against Lazenby, saying that "Lazenby, if not a spurious Bond, is merely a casual, pleasant, satisfactory replacement." Zec was kinder to Lazenby's co-star, saying that "there is style to Diana Rigg's performance and I suspect that the last scene which draws something of a performance out of Lazenby owes much to her silken expertise." Siskel also wrote that Rigg "is well-cast as the girl, but we lose her for about an hour In the film, only to have her return in a most implausible location and time." One of the few supporters of Lazenby amongst the critics was Alexander Walker in the London Evening Standard who said that "The truth is that George Lazenby is almost as good a James Bond as the man referred to in his film as 'the other fellow'. Lazenby's voice is more suave than sexy-sinister and he could pass for the other fellow's twin on the shady side of the casino. Bond is now definitely all set for the Seventies." Judith Crist of New York also found the actor to be a strong point of the movie, stating that "This time around there's less suavity and a no-nonsense muscularity and maleness to the role via the handsome Mr. Lazenby". The feminist film critic Molly Haskell also wrote an approving review of the film in The Village Voice: "In a world, an industry, and particularly a genre which values the new and improved product above all, it is nothing short of miraculous to see a movie which dares to go backward, a technological artefact which has nobly deteriorated into a human being. I speak of the new and obsolete James Bond, played by a man named George Lazenby, who seems more comfortable in a wet tuxedo than a dry martini, more at ease as a donnish genealogist than reading (or playing) Playboy, and who actually dares to think that one woman who is his equal is better than a thousand part-time playmates." Haskell was also affected by the film's emotional ending: "The love between Bond and his Tracy begins as a payment and ends as a sacrament. After ostensibly getting rid of the bad guys, they are married. They drive off to a shocking, stunning ending. Their love, being too real, is killed by the conventions it defied. But they win the final victory by calling, unexpectedly, upon feeling. Some of the audience hissed, I was shattered. If you like your Bonds with happy endings, don't go." ### Retrospective reviews Modern reception of the film has seen a strong positive reversal, to the point that many Bond connoisseurs have ranked it as their personal favourite, including multiple Academy Award winners and participants in a magazine fan poll. Film critic James Berardinelli summed this up in his review of the movie: "with the exception of one production aspect, [it] is by far the best entry of the long-running James Bond series. The film contains some of the most exhilarating action sequences ever to reach the screen, a touching love story, and a nice subplot that has agent 007 crossing (and even threatening to resign from) Her Majesty's Secret Service." Julia Sirmons, writing in CrimeReads, also regarded it as the best Bond film, highlighting its mix of romance, the strong Bond girl, its cheekiness, and Lazenby. The American film reviewer Leonard Maltin has suggested that if it had been Connery in the leading role instead of Lazenby, On Her Majesty's Secret Service would have epitomised the series. On the other hand, Danny Peary wrote, "I'm not sure I agree with those who insist that if Connery had played Bond it would definitely be the best of the entire Bond series ... Connery's Bond, with his boundless humor and sense of fun and self-confidence, would be out of place in this picture. It actually works better with Lazenby because he is incapable of playing Bond as a bigger-than-life hero; for one thing he hasn't the looks ... Lazenby's Bond also hasn't the assurance of Connery's Bond[,] and that is appropriate in the crumbling, depressing world he finds himself. He seems vulnerable and jittery at times. At the skating rink, he is actually scared. We worry about him ... On Her Majesty's Secret Service doesn't have Connery and it's impossible to ever fully adjust to Lazenby, but I think that it still might be the best Bond film, as many Bond cultists claim." Peary also described On Her Majesty's Secret Service as "the most serious", "the most cynical" and "the most tragic" of the Bond films. Brian Fairbanks differed in his opinion of Lazenby, saying that the film "gives us a James Bond capable of vulnerability, a man who can show fear and is not immune to heartbreak. Lazenby is that man, and his performance is superb." Fairbanks also thought On Her Majesty's Secret Service to be "not only the best Bond, it is also the last truly great film in the series. In fact, had the decision been made to end the series, this would have been the perfect final chapter." The filmmaker Steven Soderbergh writes that "For me there's no question that cinematically On Her Majesty's Secret Service is the best Bond film and the only one worth watching repeatedly for reasons other than pure entertainment ... Shot to shot, this movie is beautiful in a way none of the other Bond films are". The director Christopher Nolan also stated that On Her Majesty's Secret Service was his favourite Bond film; in describing its influence on his own film Inception (2010), Nolan said: "What I liked about it that we've tried to emulate in this film is there's a tremendous balance in that movie of action and scale and romanticism and tragedy and emotion." Due to previous criticism, (which has more recently seen it reappraised as one of the best) it has often been referred to as the most overlooked/underrated of the Bond Movies. The review-aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes gives the film a score of 81% based on 54 reviews, and a weighted average of 6.78 out of 10. The website's critical consensus states, "George Lazenby's only appearance as 007 is a fine entry in the series, featuring one of the most intriguing Bond girls in Tracy di Vincenzo (Diana Rigg), breathtaking visuals, and some great ski chases." IGN ranked On Her Majesty's Secret Service as the eighth-best Bond film, Entertainment Weekly as the sixth, and Norman Wilner of MSN ranked it fifth. Digital Spy listed the film as the best James Bond film to date. The film also became a fan favourite, seeing "ultimate success in the home video market". In September 2012, it was announced that On Her Majesty's Secret Service had topped a poll of Bond fans run by 007 Magazine to determine the greatest ever Bond film. Goldfinger came second in the poll and From Russia With Love was third. ## See also - Outline of James Bond

# Bertram Fletcher Robinson Bertram Fletcher Robinson (22 August 1870 – 21 January 1907) was an English sportsman, journalist, editor, author and Liberal Unionist Party activist. During his life-time, he wrote at least three hundred items, including a series of short stories that feature a detective called 'Addington Peace'. Following his untimely death at the age of just 36 years, speculation grew that Robinson was the victim of a curse bestowed upon him by an Egyptian antiquity at the British Museum, which he had researched whilst working as a journalist for a British newspaper. However, Robinson is perhaps best remembered for his literary collaborations with his friends and fellow Crimes Club members, Arthur Conan Doyle, P. G. Wodehouse and Max Pemberton. ## Early life ### Family Bertram Fletcher Robinson (Aka 'Bobbles' or 'Bertie') was born on 22 August 1870 at 80 Rose Lane, Mossley Hill in Liverpool. During 1882, he relocated with his family to Park Hill House at Ipplepen in Devon. Robinson's father, Joseph Fletcher Robinson (1827–1903) was the founder of a general merchant business in Liverpool (c. 1867), which is now called Meade-King, Robinson & Company Limited (also known as, 'MKR'). Previously, around 1850, Joseph had travelled to South America where he was befriended by Giuseppe Garibaldi and fought alongside him, and the Uruguayans, against the Argentine dictator, Juan Manuel de Rosas in the Guerra Grande. Robinson's uncle, Sir John Richard Robinson (1828–1903), was the long-time editor-in-chief of the Daily News and also a prominent committee member of the Liberal Reform Club. His friends included James Payn, William Black, Sir Wemyss Reid, George Augustus Sala and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. On 3 June 1902, 31‐year‐old Robinson married 22-year-old Gladys Hill Morris at St. Barnabas Church, Kensington, London. Gladys was an actress and a daughter of the noted Victorian era artist Philip Richard Morris ARA (1833–1902). The Robinsons had no children of their own but they were godparents to Geraldine Winn Everett, the daughter of Sir Percy Everett. 'Winn', as she was affectionately referred to by both family and friends, later worked as a GP in Essex. ### Education Between 1882 and 1890, Robinson was schooled at a Proprietary college in Newton Abbot, which was directed by the headmaster, George Townsend Warner. Robinson was educated alongside Percy Harrison Fawcett who later became a famous explorer of South America. Later, their mutual friend, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, would use Fawcett's Amazonian field reports as the inspiration for his popular novel, The Lost World. Between 1890 and 1894, Robinson attended Jesus College, Cambridge, which was directed by the Master, Dr. Henry Arthur Morgan. He studied both History and Law and was awarded a Second Class History Tripos Bachelor of Arts degree (1893), Part I of the Law Tripos Bachelor of Arts degree (1894) and a Master of Arts degree (1898). During his time as an undergraduate, Robinson won three Rugby Football Blues and, according to his obituary in the Daily Express (22 January 1907), he would have played rugby union for England but for an 'accident'. Robinson also represented his college in cricket and rowing, and was a member of the Jesus College crew, which won the Thames Challenge Cup at the Henley Royal Regatta on 7 July 1892. On 12 February 1894, The Times reported that Robinson was trialled for the position of fourth oar with the Cambridge 'Trial Eight' ahead of the annual Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race (The Boat Race 1894). On 17 June 1896, it was reported within the Council of Legal Education section of The Times newspaper that Robinson had passed the Bar examination. He subsequently accepted an invitation to join the Inner Temple and thereby qualified as a Barrister but he never practised this profession. ## Writing and editorial career Bertram Fletcher Robinson held editorial positions with The Newtonian (1887–1889), the Granta (1893–1895), The Isthmian Library (1897–1901), Daily Express (July 1900 – May 1904), Vanity Fair (May 1904 – October 1906), The World (journal) (October 1906 – January 1907) and The Gentleman's Magazine (January 1907). Between 1893 and 1907, writing under the pen names of B. Fletcher Robinson or B. F. Robinson, Robinson is known to have authored or coauthored at least 44 articles (for 15 different periodicals), nine satirical playlets, 54 short stories, four lyrics, 128 bylined newspaper reports, 24 poems and eight books. His first book titled Rugby Football was published by 'A.D. Innes & Company' of London during 1896. Robinson also made contributions to the plots of two Sherlock Holmes stories written by Arthur Conan Doyle and edited eight books about various sports and pastimes for The Isthmian Library (1897–1901). In December 1896, the position of editor at Cassell's Family Magazine passed from the Reverend Henry George Bonavia Hunt to the popular novelist, Max Pemberton. Pemberton had recently edited Robinson's book titled Rugby Football for The Isthmian Library before relinquishing to him the position of editor for this series about various sports and pastimes. Between March 1897 and April 1900, Robinson wrote 25 items for the Cassell's periodical, which included a series of five articles about the major cities of Europe titled Capitals at Play (January–May 1898), a series of six articles about night-shift workers titled London Night by Night (June–November 1899) and six articles about the British military titled Famous Regiments (December 1899 – May 1900). In January 1899, Robinson had a non-fictional article titled The Duke's Hounds. A Chat about the Badminton published in Cassell's Magazine (pp. 206–210). This article describes the membership and history of the Gloucestershire Hunt and it is illustrated throughout with photographs. Both Robinson and his father, were members of the South Devon Hunt and Dart Vale Harriers until 1895. In July 1899, the first of Robinson's 54 short stories titled Black Magic: The Story of the Spanish Don was published in the renamed Cassell's Magazine. This story is illustrated by F. H. Townsend and it is told in the first-person narrative by an old Sailor to an educated gentleman in a pub overlooking a Cornish harbour. The narrator recalls meeting a strange Spanish-speaking passenger (the 'Don'), aboard a trading brig, during a voyage to Africa around 1856. It transpires that the Don has recently murdered his friend for gold. The Don becomes convinced that the murdered man has possessed a shark, which is following the ship and is intent on exacting revenge against him. References to nautical terms, kerosene and palm-oil, suggest that Robinson may have adapted this story from tales told to him by his father. In March 1900, Robinson had an item titled A True Story (Wherein all golfers may learn something to their advantage), published in Pearson's Magazine. This periodical was owned by the British newspaper magnate and publisher, Cyril Arthur Pearson. It appears that Pearson admired Robinson's ongoing series of articles about the British military in Cassell's Magazine because during the Spring of 1900, he recruited Robinson to work as his chief war correspondent for his new daily newspaper, the Daily Express. Launched on 24 April 1900, this tabloid was the first British daily newspaper to put news on the front page. Robinson's first assignment was to travel to South Africa to report on the Second Boer War and between 4 May and 30 June 1900, he had 13 related dispatches published in the Daily Express. Once again, Pearson appeared impressed because he recalled Robinson to London and promoted him to the position of 'Day Editor' of the Daily Express. In July 1900, Robinson and the creator of Sherlock Holmes, Arthur Conan Doyle, 'cemented' their friendship while they were aboard a passenger ship that was travelling to Southampton from Cape Town. The following year, Robinson told Doyle legends of ghostly hounds, recounted the supernatural tale of Squire Richard Cabell III and showed him around grimly atmospheric Dartmoor. The pair had previously agreed to co-author a Devon-based story but in the end, their collaboration led only to Doyle's novel The Hound of the Baskervilles, which was first published in book form by George Newnes Ltd on 25 March 1902. Robinson himself was content to concede that his part in this collaboration was restricted to that of an 'assistant plot producer'. Befittingly, Doyle wrote the following acknowledgement note, which featured within the first of nine monthly instalments of this story, when it commenced serialisation in The Strand Magazine from August 1901: > This story owes its inception to my friend, Mr. Fletcher Robinson, who has helped > me both in the general plot and in the local details. — A.C.D. Between December 1902 and August 1903, The Windsor Magazine published seven short stories of adventure fiction by Robinson and Malcolm Fraser, under the collective title of The Trail of the Dead: The Strange Experience of Dr. Robert Harland. In February 1904, six of these stories were republished in a book titled The Trail of the Dead (Ward, Lock & Co.), which is illustrated by Adolf Thiede. During 1998, the seventh story, titled 'Fog Bound', was republished as 'Fogbound' in a compendium of short stories, which was edited by Jack Adrian and titled Twelve Tales of Murder. In April 2009, all seven tales were included and republished in a book titled Aside Arthur Conan Doyle: Twenty Original Tales by Bertram Fletcher Robinson, which was compiled by Paul Spiring. During 1903, Robinson also contributed an idea to the plot of a second Sherlock Holmes short story, The Adventure of the Norwood Builder. This is one of the very few Holmes stories in which a fingerprint provides a good clue to the nature of the problem. The pivotal wax thumbprint reproduction idea was devised by Robinson, and Doyle paid him a fee of £50 for the use of it. The story was first published in Collier's (US) on 31 October 1903 and in The Strand Magazine (UK) in November 1903, and it also features as the second tale in the 1905 collection of thirteen Sherlock Holmes stories titled The Return of Sherlock Holmes. During May 1903, Robinson had a short story titled The Battle of Fingle's Bridge published in Pearson's Magazine (Vol. XV, pp. 530–536). This is a fairy tale, told by a small boy who falls asleep on a moor and witnesses a battle between the people of the ferns and rushes and the people of the gorse and heather. All these people are only six inches tall and are dressed in medieval garb and armour and have miniature horses and weapons. The boy, aided by a fairy, becomes involved in the battle and finally awakens to find signs of the battle on the moor. There is a Fingle Bridge, over the River Teign, which is a famous tourist beauty spot near Drewsteignton, on the North-Eastern borders of Dartmoor. This story was illustrated by Nathan Dean. On 14 September 1903, the British Liberal Unionist Party politician, Joseph Chamberlain resigned his position within the cabinet of the Conservative-led coalition government of Prime Minister, Arthur Balfour. Robinson responded to this news by writing the lyrics to a popular song titled "The John Bull's Store", which was published as sheet music by Elkin & Company Limited (London). Robinson's song extols the virtues of Chamberlain and the Tariff Reform League (or 'TRL') and it is set to music that was composed by Robert Eden and first arranged by Herman Finck. "The John Bull's Store" was performed publicly in London's West End theatre by the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company and recordings were made by various artists including the male baritone vocalists David Brazell and Leo Stormont. Following this endeavour, Robinson and Eden collaborated on a second popular song titled "The Little Loafer", which decries free trade and espouces imperial preference. This collaboration was also published as sheet music by Elkin & Company Limited during January 1904. During the final quarter of 1903, under Robinson's editorship, the Daily Express newspaper published a series of 48 poems, which were collectively titled The Parrot. Under the slogan, 'Your food will cost you more' these satirical poems lambast the tax law policies of Arthur Balfour's Government and they commend the cause of the TRL, which at this time was chaired by Robinson's employer, Cyril Arthur Pearson. All but one of this series of poems was published on the newspaper's front page alongside the daily headlines. None carried a by-line, but it appears that P. G. Wodehouse contributed 19 of these poems, and Robinson the remainder. Just two years later, the Liberal Party led by Henry Campbell-Bannerman, achieved a landslide victory in the 1906 British General Election and Balfour lost his own parliamentary seat in Manchester East. Between December 1903 and January 1907, Robinson ('Bobbles') and P. G. Wodehouse ('Plum'), co-wrote four playlets, which were published in three different periodicals. Each playlet is written in the style of a pantomime and they lampoon notable opponents of the TRL and imperial preference within the late Victorian and early Edwardian eras. During July 2009, these playlets were compiled and republished in facsimile form by Paul Spiring in a book titled Bobbles & Plum. This book also features a foreword by Hilary Bruce, the Chairman of The PG Wodehouse Society (UK), an introduction by the acclaimed Wodehouse scholars, Lieutenant-Colonel Norman T.P. Murphy and Tony Ring and annotations by W.S. Gilbert scholar, Andrew Crowther. Between August 1904 and January 1905, Robinson had the first in a series of six new detective short-stories published in The Lady's Home Magazine. In June 1905, these six stories together with two new ones were collected and published in a book, which is illustrated by Thomas Heath Robinson (no relation) and titled The Chronicles of Addington Peace (Harper & Brothers). The main protagonist 'Detective Inspector Addington Peace' works for Scotland Yard within their Criminal Investigation Department and he is partnered by a Dr. Watson-like biographer, neighbour and artist called 'James Phillips'. Upon their first encounter, Phillips describes Peace as follows: > ... a tiny slip of a fellow, of about five and thirty years of age. A stubble of brown hair, a hard, clean-shaven mouth, and a confident chin are my first impression. During September 1904, Robinson had a non-fictional article entitled The Fortress of the First Britons. A Description of the Fortress of Grimspound, on Dartmoor published in Pearson's Magazine (Vol. XVIII, pp. 273–280). This article is illustrated throughout with both drawings and photographs and it was republished during 2008 by Brian Pugh and Paul Spiring in their biography about Robinson, which is titled Bertram Fletcher Robinson: A Footnote to the Hound of the Baskervilles. In July 1905, Robinson was invited to make a contribution to a regular section titled My Best Story in The Novel Magazine. This periodical was owned by his former employer, Cyril Arthur Pearson and it was edited by his close friend, Percy Everett. In the preamble to his featured story, The Debt of Heinrich Hermann, Robinson wrote: > Sir Arthur Conan Doyle is a type of the strong, clear-headed, generous Englishman [sic], a very contrast to all that appertains to decadence. Yet there are many horrors in 'Sherlock Holmes'. It was from assisting him in 'The Hound of the Baskervilles' that I obtained my first lesson in the art of story construction. Imagination without that art is poor enough. This quote is the last recorded comment made by Robinson about his collaboration with Doyle over The Hound of the Baskervilles. Writing in The Sherlock Holmes Journal during 2009, Paul Spiring asserts that it is '...important for several reasons. Firstly, it reveals that Robinson continued to hold Doyle in high esteem some four years after the story was published. Secondly, it reveals that it was Doyle that devised...the narrative.' Nevertheless, Doyle paid Robinson a 1⁄3 Royalty payment for his contributions to the story, which amounted to over £500 by the end of 1901. During 1906, P. F. Collier & Son of New York published the first in a series of three anthologies entitled Great Short Stories, Volume 1 (1): Detective Stories, which was edited by William Patten. This book features 12 stories written by Broughton Brandenburg (one), Arthur Conan Doyle (two), Anna Katharine Green (one), Edgar Allan Poe (three) and Robert Louis Stevenson (four). The twelfth and final story is The Vanished Millionaire by Robinson and it is preceded by the following introduction: > Fletcher Robinson is a London Journalist, the editor of "Vanity Fair," and author of a dozen detective stories in which are recorded the startling adventures of Mr. Addington Peace of Scotland Yard. He collaborated with Conan Doyle in "The Hound of the Baskervilles." When some of these stories appeared in the American magazines, for an unexplained reason (presumably editorial) the name of the hero was changed to Inspector Hartley. On 7 June 1906, Robinson had a short story titled The Mystery of Mr. Nicholas Boushaw published in Vanity Fair (pp. 725–726). This ninth and final Addington Peace story is much shorter than the preceding eight stories and the narrator is not specifically involved in the case in the same way that Phillips is in the other stories. In this story, Peace logically deduces that the body of a missing man has been hidden in a recently dug grave within a cemetery. Robinson records in a footnote to this story, that a real-life murderer had concealed the body of his victim in this way and that the body went undiscovered for 11 years. The story is set within a fictional village called 'Crone' in Dorset. The description of Crone bears a closer resemblance to Newton Abbot than to anywhere in Dorset. There is also an interesting reference to a nearby location called 'Heatree' in the story. There is no village or town called Heatree in Dorset, or anywhere else in England, but there is a 'Heatree House' on the edge of Dartmoor near the infamous Jay's Grave. In January 1907, during the same month as his death, Robinson's 54th and final short story titled How Mr. Denis O'Halloran Transgressed His Code was published in Appleton's Magazine. This story is set in England at about the time of the Battle of Culloden and the exploits of Bonnie Prince Charlie and it centres upon a tragic domestic dispute between one 'Colonel Francis Yorke' and his stepmother. The story is illustrated by the noted American artist and illustrator, Arthur E. Becher. ## Death Bertram Fletcher Robinson died aged 36 years on 21 January 1907, at 44 Eaton Terrace, Belgravia, London. The official cause of his death is recorded as 'enteric fever (3 weeks) and peritonitis (24 hours)'. His friend, Sir Max Pemberton reported that Robinson had become ill after drinking contaminated water during a visit to the Paris Motor Show in December 1906. However, other contemporaries with a bent for the occult attributed Robinson's death to a curse associated with an Egyptian artefact called the Unlucky Mummy, which he had investigated in 1904, and which would later be linked to the sinking of RMS Titanic. Obituaries were published in The World (journal), The Times, Daily Express, The Western Guardian, Western Morning News, The Sphere, The Gentleman's Magazine, The Athenaeum, The Illustrated London News, The Mid-Devon and Newton Times, Vanity Fair, The Book of Blues and the Annual Report of the Jesus College Cambridge Society (1907). The English poet and journalist, Jessie Pope also wrote the following eulogy to Robinson, which was published in the Daily Express on 26 January 1907: > Good Bye, kind heart; our benisons preceding, > Shall shield your passing to the other side. > The praise of your friends shall do your pleading > In love and gratitude and tender pride. > To you gay humorist and polished writer, > We will not speak of tears or startled pain. > You made our London merrier and brighter, > God bless you, then, until we meet again\! ## Funeral and memorial services At 3:30pm on Thursday 24 January 1907, a funeral service was held for Robinson at St. Andrew's Church in Ipplepen. His friend, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was unable to attend either the funeral service or the subsequent memorial service because he was at that time, busily campaigning for the release from prison of one George Edalji. Doyle did, however, send a floral tribute to the funeral service, with the handwritten message 'In loving memory of an old and valued friend from Arthur Conan Doyle.' Another message read 'From 'Our Society', with deepest regrets from fellow members'. Robinson was buried in a grave beside that of his parents. At 4:00pm on Thursday 24 January 1907, The Reverend Septimus Pennington conducted a memorial service for Robinson at St. Clement Danes, Strand, London. According to a report in the Daily Express newspaper (Saturday 26 January 1907), the congregation included the following notable figures: Arthur Hammond Marshall, (Sir) Owen Seaman, (Sir) Max Pemberton, (Sir) Cyril Arthur Pearson, (Sir) Percy Everett, (Lord) Alfred Harmsworth, (Sir) Joseph Lawrence, Sir Felix Semon (Physician to the King), Sir William Bell, (Sir) Anthony Hope, Clement King Shorter, Gerald Fitzgerald Campbell, (Sir) Leslie Ward ('Spy'), Thomas Anstey Guthrie, (Sir) Evelyn Wrench and Henry Hamilton Fyfe. The congregation sang Peace, Perfect Peace (hymn), which was written by (Bishop) Edward Henry Bickersteth in 1875. ## Posthumous reaction During 1949, Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine listed Robinson's The Chronicles of Addington Peace as one of the most influential collections of crime short stories ever written. 'Ellery Queen' was the name of a fictional American detective created by the writing partnership of Frederic Dannay and Manfred B. Lee. The former was principally responsible for compiling the historical index of crime fiction, which was titled Queen's Quorum: A History of the Detective-Crime Short Story as Revealed by the 106 Most Important Books Published in This Field Since 1845. The first book version of this index was published in 1951 by (Little, Brown and Company, Boston). However, supplements were published until 1969, by which time the index had increased to 125 titles. In July 1973, Robinson's Addington Peace Story titled The Vanished Millionaire was republished as The Vanished Billionaire in the Mike Shayne Mystery Magazine. This influential American pulp digest magazine ran for nearly 30 years and it specialised in the publication of classic fiction from the horror, mystery and crime genres. The Vanished Billionaire was first published in the United States in February 1905 but it was slightly re-written to meet the requirements of the American readership. In his introduction to this story, the writer and critic Sam Moskowitz offers the following assessment of Robinson's two collections of short stories: > A very remarkable series he wrote was The Trail of the Dead...six connected stories which ran...after he had assisted...Doyle on The Hound of The Baskervilles. This series contains a full mosaic of background horror which Robinson managed to inject into those stories and introduced Sir Henry Graden, famous explorer and scientist cast in the detective's role. His nemesis was Rudolf Marnac, an arch criminal that almost made Professor Moriarty seem like a gentle, reasonable sort of soul. Those stories, like others of Robinson's were not published in the United States. However, he achieved a popular reception in America with his Inspector Hartley stories...The waspish little inspector from Scotland Yard proved a brilliant diagnostician of the most confounding clues. The Vanished Billionaire is an excellent example of the indomitable Inspector Hartley in action...His works are well worth reviving. ## Posthumous speculation During 1993, in his 'Introduction' to The Oxford Sherlock Holmes edition of The Hound of the Baskervilles, the Devon-born literary critic and scholar, Professor William Wallace Robson wrote that the 'exact role of Robinson in the concoction of The Hound of the Baskervilles may now be impossible to determine ... The most probable solution to the question of authorship is that the legend recounted by Robinson, whatever exactly it was, pulled the creative trigger'. Professor Robson adds that once the element of Sherlock Holmes was added to the original idea, the novel evolved beyond the joint project that was originally posited. In September 1993, William S. Cramer had an article titled The Enigmatic B. Fletcher Robinson and the Writing of The Hound of the Baskervilles published in The Armchair Detective (Vol. 26, No. 4, pp. 72–76). This periodical was founded in the autumn of 1967 by the well-known crime fan and bibliographer Allen J. Hubin. Cramer worked as an assistant professor and Reference Librarian at Oakland State University in Michigan. Conjecturing upon the extent of Doyle's collaboration with Robinson over The Hound of the Baskervilles, Cramer concludes: > So, the last summation to this intriguing literary mystery would seem to be that Doyle was amenable to a collaboration, perhaps even encouraging it, but Robinson for reasons unknown and unknowable rejected this proposal. A very private individual who left no personal record for researchers to delve into, one can only surmise that he wanted to concentrate on his journalistic endeavors [sic] and choose not to spend his time and energies writing fiction. During 2007, British teacher and Chartered Biologist, Paul Spiring wrote three articles about the circumstances surrounding the collaboration between Doyle and Robinson over The Hound of the Baskervilles, for the now defunct website, BFRonline.BIZ (2007–2017). In the third and final item titled The Hound of the Baskervilles (Conclusion), Spiring speculates that Robinson was content to settle for footnote acknowledgments within the first serialised and book editions of the story, due to six pressing personal and professional considerations. Spiring also reports that Robinson conceded to friends that his contribution to the venture was limited to that of an 'assistant plot producer'. ## Legacy Shortly before his death, Robinson had commissioned Charles Eamer Kempe to design a stained-glass window to commemorate his late mother Emily Robinson (died 14 July 1906). This window, which depicts the Good Shepherd with Saint Peter and Saint Paul was added to the north-side of the chancel at St. Andrew's Church in Ipplepen, directly opposite the memorial window, which Emily had dedicated to her husband, Joseph (died 11 August 1903). After his death, Robinson's name was added to the inscription on the window, which commemorates his mother as follows: > To the glory of God and in ever loving > memory of Emily Robinson, who entered > into rest xivth July mcmvi aged lxvii years; > this window is the gift of her son > Bertram Fletcher Robinson who only > survived her six months. On 16 February 1907, Robinson's estate was proved at £35,949 and his life-long friend and solicitor, Harold Michelmore was granted probate. Robinson left £2,000 each to Michelmore and several cousins. He also bequeathed £2,000 in-trust to Newton College (previously called 'Newton Abbot Proprietary College') for a 'Fletcher Robinson Modern Languages Scholarship' and £1,000 in-trust to the Old Newton Abbot Hospital for a 'Fletcher Robinson Bed'. Robinson's wife, Gladys was named as the principal beneficiary and she inherited the remaining balance of his estate. In January 1908, just one year after Robinson's death, his former editor, friend and fellow Crimes Club member, the popular English novelist, Max Pemberton had a story published by Cassell (publisher), which is titled, Wheels of Anarchy: The Story of an Assassin as Recited from the Papers and the Personal Narrative of His Secretary Mr. Bruce Ingersoll. This book includes the following book dedication in the form of an 'Author's Note': > This story was suggested to me by the late B. Fletcher Robinson, > deeply mourned. The subject was one in which he had interested himself for > some years; and almost the last message I had from him expressed the desire > that I would keep my promise and treat of the idea in a book. This I have now > done, adding something of my own to the brief notes he left me, but chiefly > bringing to the task an enduring gratitude for a friendship which nothing can > replace. Wheels of Anarchy is an adventure tale about anarchists and assassins, which is set across Continental Europe. The novel's hero and narrator 'Bruce Driscoll', is like Robinson, a graduate of Jesus College, Cambridge and appears to be modelled upon him. In December 2010, Wheels of Anarchy by Max Pemberton was compiled, introduced and republished in facsimile form by Paul Spiring and Hugh Cooke. During 1909, Gladys Robinson sold both Park Hill House and 44 Eaton Terrace and she then appears to have moved to France. During World War I, Gladys met Major William John Frederick Halliday (Distinguished Service Order), a Royal Artillery officer born in London in 1882 and affectionately referred to as "Fred". The couple got married at the British Diplomatic mission in Paris on 7 January 1918 and thereafter, they relocated to Henley-on-Thames in Oxfordshire. Gladys died in Henley on 8 January 1946 aged 66 years having never had children. In October 1912, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's novel The Lost World was published by Hodder & Stoughton. This story is narrated by a character named 'Edward Dunn Malone'. It is possible that Malone is modelled upon Robinson because like Robinson, Malone was raised in the West Country, exceeded six feet in height, became an accomplished amateur rugby union player, worked as a London-based journalist, and he loved a woman called Gladys. On 3 April 1923, just six weeks after Howard Carter unsealed the burial chamber in the tomb of Tutankhamun, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle arrived in New York to begin a four-month lecture tour on Spiritualism. Two days later he was asked by a reporter whether he connected the breaking news of Lord Carnarvon's death with the curse of the pharaohs. Doyle responded to this question by drawing parallels between the deaths of Robinson and Carnarvon, and his comments were reported in an article, which appeared in the Daily Express newspaper on 7 April 1923, as follows: > It is impossible to say with absolute certainty if this is true...If we had proper occult powers we could determine it, but I warned Mr Robinson against concerning himself with the mummy at the British Museum. He persisted, and his death occurred...I told him he was tempting fate by pursuing his enquiries...The immediate cause of death was typhoid fever, but that is the way in which the elementals guarding the mummy might act. They could have guided Mr Robinson into a series of such circumstances as would lead him to contract the disease, and thus cause his death – just as in Lord Carnarvon's case, human illness was the primary cause of death. During 1998, both Robinson's collaboration with Sir John Malcolm Fraser, which is titled, The Trail of the Dead and his most notable work, The Chronicles of Addington Peace, were republished as a single volume by the Battered Silicon Dispatch Box (Ontario, Canada). This book features an introduction to the stories, which was written by the noted American author, editor and publisher, Peter Ruber. On 5 June 2008, Robinson's story The Terror in the Snow was republished in a compendium of short stories titled The Werewolf Pack, which was edited by Mark Valentine (Wordsworth Editions Ltd., Hertfordshire). This story was the second tale in Robinson's 1905 book titled The Chronicles of Addington Peace. In September 2008, Brian Pugh and Paul Spiring published a biography about Bertram Fletcher Robinson, which is titled Bertram Fletcher Robinson: A Footnote to The Hound of the Baskervilles. This book includes an extensive and factual account of the circumstances, which surrounded the literary collaboration between Arthur Conan Doyle and Robinson, over the novel of the same name. During January 2009, Ipplepen Parish Council gave permission for a commemorative plaque and bench to be situated outside Caunters Close in Ipplepen. Later that same year, Paul Spiring had a book published, which is titled The World of Vanity Fair by Bertram Fletcher Robinson. This book features nearly two hundred items of chromolithography that were originally published in Vanity Fair and were created by artists including Leslie Ward and Carlo Pellegrini (caricaturist). Spiring's book is a facsimile of fifteen articles that Robinson wrote for The Windsor Magazine, under the title of Chronicles in Cartoon, while he was the editor of Vanity Fair (1904–1906). In these articles, Robinson reviews the most prominent caricatures, which appeared in Vanity Fair between 1868 and 1907, and collectively they offer an insight into high society during the mid to late Victorian era. In February 2010, Robinson's first book, Rugby Football was compiled and republished in facsimile form by Paul Spiring. This book includes a comprehensive introduction by rugby historians and authors, Hugh Cooke and Patrick Casey. It also features a foreword by the rugby enthusiast, Robinson-family descendent and Chairman of Meade-King, Robinson & Co. Ltd., Anthony Graeme de Bracey Marrs, MBE. In June 2010, Brian Pugh, Paul Spiring and retired psychiatrist, Doctor Sadru Bhanji (brother of the acclaimed international actor, Sir Ben Kingsley), had a book published, which is titled, Arthur Conan Doyle, Sherlock Holmes and Devon. This book contends that the success of Sherlock Holmes is partly attributable to Bertram Fletcher Robinson and two other former Devon residents called Doctor George Turnavine Budd (medical doctor) and (Sir) George Newnes (Doyle's original publisher). On 1 September 2011, Short Books Limited released a novel titled The Baskerville Legacy by the respected British journalist, John O'Connell. This book presents a highly fictionalised account of the circumstances that led Arthur Conan Doyle and Bertram Fletcher Robinson to conceive The Hound of the Baskervilles. On 8 January 2012, the BBC broadcast The Hounds of Baskerville, which is the second episode of the second series of the multi-award winning, television crime-drama series, Sherlock. This episode is a contemporary adaptation of The Hound of the Baskervilles and it is centred on a fictional Dartmoor-based animal testing facility called 'Baskerville', which is operated by the Ministry of Defence. This same episode also features a character called 'Fletcher', who is played by the actor Stephen Wight and is modelled on Robinson. The second series of Sherlock was written by co-creator Mark Gatiss and directed by Paul McGuigan.

# Cody Ross Cody Joseph Ross (born December 23, 1980), nicknamed "Toy Cannon" and "Ross the Boss," is an American former professional baseball outfielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for 12 seasons; with the Detroit Tigers (2003), Los Angeles Dodgers (2005–2006), Cincinnati Reds (2006), Florida Marlins (2006–2010), San Francisco Giants (2010–2011), Boston Red Sox (2012), Arizona Diamondbacks (2013–2014) and Oakland Athletics (2015). Ross won a World Series with the San Francisco Giants in 2010. He is one of the few Major League players to bat right-handed and throw left-handed. Following high school, Ross embarked on his professional career, getting selected by the Detroit Tigers in the fourth round of the 1999 Major League Baseball draft. He reached the Major Leagues in 2003, but suffered a torn ACL which caused him to miss most of September. He was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers following spring training in 2004, appearing in a handful of games with them in 2005. In 2006, he played for the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Cincinnati Reds, and the Florida Marlins. It was in Florida that he finally established himself, as he played with the Marlins through 2010. He was used mainly as a reserve outfielder in 2006 and 2007, but during the 2008 season he took over a starting role. He would be a starting outfielder for the rest of his Marlins career, playing center field or right field. In 2009, he hit a career-high 24 home runs and won the Marlins' Charlie Hough Good Guy award. During the 2010 season, the Marlins placed Ross on waivers, and he was claimed by the San Francisco Giants. Named their starting right fielder for the 2010 playoffs, he went on to win the National League Championship Series Most Valuable Player Award, hitting five home runs in the postseason while helping the Giants win the 2010 World Series over the Texas Rangers. He re-signed with San Francisco in 2011, batting .240 during the year. In 2012, he signed a one-year contract with the Boston Red Sox, hitting 22 home runs while playing every day despite the fact that the Red Sox originally expected him to be a reserve player for them. The Arizona Diamondbacks signed him to a three-year contract in December 2012, but a season-ending hip injury limited Ross to 94 games during his first year with the team. ## Early life Ross was born in Portales, New Mexico. Ross's father was a chiropractor and professional bull rider; and as a youth, Ross wanted to become a rodeo clown. He used to attend his father's bull-riding matches in clown outfits, complete with makeup. He did not give up on the aspiration until his family moved to Dallas, Texas. The Ross family eventually moved back to New Mexico, and Ross played high school baseball at Carlsbad High School. Ross also played football until ninth grade. During high school, he was a Baseball America All-American selection. As a senior, he threw a five-inning perfect game. He graduated in 1999. ## Professional career ### Draft and minor leagues Ross was drafted by the Detroit Tigers in the fourth round of the 1999 Major League Baseball draft. He began his minor league career that year with the rookie Gulf Coast League Tigers, batting .218 with 31 hits, eight doubles, three triples, four home runs, and 18 runs batted in (RBI) in 42 games. In 2000, he played for the A West Michigan Whitecaps of the Midwest League, getting named the Midwest League Player of the Week from June 18–24 after he scored four runs, had two doubles and a triple, drove in six runs, and batted .636. In 122 games, he batted .267 with 116 hits, 17 doubles, nine triples, seven home runs, 68 RBI, and 11 stolen bases. His nine triples were tied for second in the league. After the season, Baseball America said he had the best outfield arm in the Detroit system. Ross played for the A-advanced Lakeland Tigers of the Florida State League in 2001. He was the league's player of the week from June 18–24 after stealing four bases and batting .516 with 11 runs scored, three doubles, two home runs, and five RBI. Then, he was named Player of the Week from August 13 to 19 after batting .385. In 127 games (10th in the league), Ross batted .276 with 84 runs scored (fifth), 133 hits (eighth), 34 doubles (second to Matt Padgett's 37), five triples (tied with eight other players for seventh), 15 home runs (tied with Jason Jones for eighth), 80 RBI (seventh), and 28 stolen bases (tied with Josh McKinley for eighth). After the season, Baseball America ranked him the ninth best Tigers' prospect and again said he had the best outfield arm in the organization. In 2002, Ross played for the AA Erie SeaWolves of the Eastern League, getting named to both the regular season and postseason All-Star teams for the league. He was named the Tigers' Minor League Player of the Month in June after hitting .336 with 29 runs, 10 doubles, two triples, eight home runs, 30 RBI, and 10 stolen bases; he earned the same honor from Topps. A broken toe forced him out of action from July 1 through August 2 and limited him to 105 games. He finished the year with 112 hits, 28 doubles, three triples, 72 RBI, and 16 stolen bases. His 19 home runs were tied with Andy Phillips and Aaron McNeal for ninth in the league. After the season, he played for the Mesa Solar Sox of the Arizona Fall League. For the third year in a row, Baseball America said he had the best outfield arm in the Tigers' system. Ross began 2003 with the AAA Toledo Mud Hens of the International League. ### Detroit Tigers (2003) On July 4, he was called up by the Tigers. He made his Major League debut that day, going hitless in two at bats before exiting after getting hit by a pitch in the sixth inning as the Tigers lost 9–8 to the Kansas City Royals. He got his first hit on July 9, an RBI single against Bartolo Colón in a 4–2 victory over the Chicago White Sox. After he had one hit in four games, he was optioned back to Toledo on July 16 to make room for Danny Patterson, who was returning from the disabled list. From July 27 to 29, and again from August 17 to 18, Ross homered in three consecutive games for the Mud Hens. In 124 games for the Mud Hens, Ross batted .287 with 135 hits, 35 doubles (tied for sixth in the International League with Andy Abad and Luis Rodríguez), six triples (tied for fourth with Ross Gload and Coco Crisp), 20 home runs (tied for third with Brandon Larson behind Fernando Seguignol's 28 and Ernie Young's 21), 61 RBI, and 15 stolen bases. He was recalled to the big leagues in September when rosters expanded. On September 2, he hit a grand slam off Cliff Lee for his first Major League home run in an 8–6 victory over the Cleveland Indians, becoming the first Tiger since Milt Cuyler in 1991 to hit a grand slam for his first home run. In that same game, he tore his ACL running to first base, which required season-ending surgery. In six games with the Tigers, Ross had four hits in 19 at bats, including five RBI. Ross was named the Tigers' Minor League Player of the Year, and he was named to Baseball America's postseason All-Star team. For the final time, he was rated as having the best outfield arm in the Detroit organization. In 2004, Ross was supposed to begin the season in the minors for Detroit. However, with Detroit desperate for bullpen help, Ross was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers on April 1 for relief pitcher Steve Colyer. He was assigned to the AAA Las Vegas 51s of the Pacific Coast League, where he was teammates with Jayson Werth and Shane Victorino, whom he went on to face in the 2010 National League Championship Series (NLCS). Injuries marred Ross's 2004 campaign; a knee injury kept him out for two weeks early in the season, he missed time from May 26 to July 15 after smashing his hand in a car door and breaking his finger, and he broke his wrist on August 25 which ended his season. In 60 games, he batted .273 with 65 hits, 17 doubles, 14 home runs, and 49 RBI. Ross spent most of 2005 with Las Vegas. From July 26 to August 11, he hit 10 home runs and had 25 RBI in 17 games. In 115 games, he batted .267 with 105 hits, 21 doubles, 22 home runs, and 63 RBI. ### Los Angeles Dodgers (2005–2006) On June 24, 2005, Ross was recalled by the Dodgers to give them another bat during interleague play. He appeared in 14 games, batting .160 with four hits (one double, no home runs) and one RBI before getting sent back down on July 14 in favor of Steve Schmoll. He was not called up in September. Ross was out of options in 2006 and made the Dodgers Opening Day roster as a backup outfielder only because of an injury to Kenny Lofton. On April 13, he hit a tie-breaking grand slam and a three-run home run in a 13–5 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates. He batted .500 in eight games for the Dodgers before getting designated for assignment on April 17 to make room for Óscar Robles on the roster. ### Cincinnati Reds (2006) A week later, he was traded to the Cincinnati Reds for cash or a player to be named later (Ben Kozlowski). Ross broke his finger in his debut with the Reds on April 29 and went on the disabled list. He returned to the Reds on May 23 and appeared in one more game before getting traded to the Florida Marlins on May 26 for cash considerations. ### Florida Marlins (2006–2010) #### 2006 Upon joining the Marlins in 2006, Ross was forced to shave his beard, in order to comply with the Marlins' no-facial-hair policy. Manager Joe Girardi quipped, "Maybe he can put it on top of his head." He was used as a backup outfielder but got many starts at all three outfield positions throughout the year, especially from June 10 through 30, July 21 through August 8, and September 11 through the end of the season. On September 11, Ross hit a three-run home run against David Williams and a pair of two-run home runs against Heath Bell and Royce Ring in a 16–5 win over the New York Mets. His three home runs and seven RBI in the game tied Marlins records. Ross's five home runs and 14 RBI in September were more than he had in any other month that season. In 91 games (250 at bats) with the Marlins in 2006, Ross batted .212 with 53 hits, 11 doubles, 11 home runs, and 37 RBI. #### 2007 Again a reserve outfielder in 2007, Ross batted .673 before going on the disabled list with a strained left hamstring on May 6. He returned on July 19 and continued to be used in a variety of roles for the Marlins. For much of the year, he platooned with Alfredo Amézaga in centerfield. On April 20, he hit his first career pinch-hit home run against Chad Cordero to tie the Marlins with the Washington Nationals in the ninth inning; however, the Marlins went on to lose 6–5 in 14 innings. Four days later, he homered and had five RBI against Mark Redman in an 11–6 loss to the Atlanta Braves. He had another pinch-hit home run on August 23 against Brad Thompson in an 11–3 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals. In 66 games (173 at bats), Ross hit .335 with 58 hits, 19 doubles, 12 home runs, and 39 RBI. #### 2008 Ross began 2008 platooning with Amézaga again in center field, though Amézaga was eventually replaced by Jacque Jones as Ross's centerfield partner. Ross played against left-handed pitchers as Amézaga and Jones faced right-handers. Ross struggled in April, batting .159 with no home runs and two RBI. After receiving a text message from his father at the beginning of May saying he would improve, Ross declared that he was restarting his season and had 10 home runs and 18 RBI in the month. During the month, Ross had a stretch where nine out of 10 hits were home runs, becoming the first player to have a streak of that sort since Mark McGwire in 2001. On May 14, he hit a game-tying three-run ninth inning home run against Francisco Cordero in a 10-inning, 7–6 loss to the Reds. Then, on June 7 he hit a game-winning three-run home run in the bottom of the ninth inning against Cordero to give the Marlins an 8–7 victory over the Reds. Jones was designated for assignment on June 11, putting Ross in sole control of centerfield. In a four-game series with the Colorado Rockies from July 3 through 6, Ross had 15 RBI, becoming the first player to have that many in a four-game series since Carlton Fisk in 1977. Fourteen of those RBI came from July 4 through 6, the most in a three-game span since Sammy Sosa had 16 in 2002. In 145 games (461 at bats), Ross hit .260 with 120 hits, 29 doubles, 22 home runs, and 73 RBI. #### 2009 For the first time in his career in 2009, Ross was a starting outfielder for the entire season. He began the year as the right fielder for the Marlins, who wanted prospect Cameron Maybin to play centerfield. On April 26, he pitched a scoreless ninth inning for the Marlins to finish a 13–2 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies. After Maybin batted only .202, Ross moved back to centerfield on May 10 when he was sent down. On June 12, he hit his third grand slam of the season against Brandon League to give the Marlins a 7–3 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays. The grand slam tied Bobby Bonilla's and Jeff Conine's record for grand slams in a season by a Marlin. Dan Uggla and he hit back-to-back solo home runs against Kevin Gregg in the ninth inning on August 2 to give the Marlins a 3–2 victory over the Chicago Cubs. On August 16, he set a team record by notching six hits in a doubleheader against the Rockies. Ross returned to right field on August 31 when Maybin was recalled. He set career-highs in most categories in 2009. In 151 games (559 at bats), he batted .270 with 151 hits, 37 doubles, 24 home runs, and 90 RBI. In the daytime, he batted .349, the fourth-highest mark in the NL. Following the season, he was named the Marlins Charlie Hough Good Guy award winner. #### 2010 Ross began 2010 in right field, but he moved to center field when Maybin was sent down on June 17. He had four hits on April 7 in a 10-inning, 7–6 victory over the Mets. On May 10, he stole home as part of a double steal with Maybin in a 4–2 victory over the Cubs, marking the first time a Marlin had stolen home since Reggie Abercrombie did so in 2006. Six days later, he again had four hits in a 10–8 victory over the Mets. In his first 120 games (452 at bats), Ross batted .265 with 120 hits, 24 doubles, 11 home runs, and 58 RBI. After the Marlins fell out of contention in 2010 and with Ross due for a pay raise the following year, the Marlins put him on waivers in August in order save money and give their young players more playing time. ### San Francisco Giants (2010–2011) On August 21, 2010, Ross was awarded to the San Francisco Giants on a waiver claim, partly to prevent him from being acquired by the San Diego Padres. He appeared in 33 regular season games for the Giants, batting .288 with three home runs. In 153 games combined with Florida and San Francisco (525 at bats), he batted .269 with 141 hits, 28 doubles, 14 home runs, and 65 RBI. The Giants went on to overtake the Padres late in the season to win the NL West Division title. Ross was named the Giants' starting right fielder for the playoffs because of a neck injury to José Guillén, according to Bruce Bochy at the start of the postseason. However, it was later revealed that Guillén had been left off the roster after a package of human growth hormone was intercepted as it was being shipped to his house. In the ensuing NL Division Series (NLDS) against the Atlanta Braves, Ross started all four games in right field, hit a home run to tie the deciding fourth game, and drove in the winning runs in two of the Giants' three wins. Ross hit two home runs off of Roy Halladay in Game 1 in the following NLCS against the Phillies, and hit a solo home run against Roy Oswalt in Game 2. Following the Giants' Game 6 win of the NLCS, Ross was awarded the MVP award for the series, in which he hit .350 with three home runs, three doubles and recorded five RBI. Three of his five postseason home runs broke up no-hitters. His home run off the Braves' Derek Lowe was the Giants' first hit in Game 4 of the NLDS. His first home run off Halladay in Game 1 of the NLCS, in addition to being the first hit off Halladay in the game, was the first hit off Halladay in 11 innings, as Halladay had thrown a no-hitter in his previous start. Finally, his home run off Oswalt in Game 2 of the NLCS was the Giants' first hit of the game. In Game 3 of the World Series against the Texas Rangers, he hit the first home run for the Giants off Colby Lewis; however, the Giants went on to lose 4–2. He won his first World Series ring as the Giants defeated the Rangers in five games to win their first World Series since 1954. In 2011, Ross re-signed with the Giants on a one-year contract worth $6.3 million. Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle called it a "mild surprise" that Ross did not sign at least a two-year deal. He began the season on the disabled list with a sprained right calf, but he assumed the Giants' right field job upon his return on April 20. On May 10, Ross had a game-ending single against David Hernandez in a 1–0 victory over the Diamondbacks. After May 10, Ross began playing left field most of the time when Pat Burrell was moved to the bench. On May 18, Ross hit a three-run home run with two outs in the ninth inning against Lance Cormier to give the Giants an 8–5 victory over the Dodgers. From August through the end of the year, Ross began moving around between all three outfield positions, only once making four straight starts at the same position. He hit the 100th home run of his career against Alex White on September 16 in a 9–1 victory over Colorado. In the same game, Ross pulled his right hamstring, forcing him to miss the rest of the season. In 121 games (405 at bats), Ross hit .240 with 97 hits, 25 doubles, 14 home runs, and 52 RBI. He led the Giants with a career-high 49 walks. ### Boston Red Sox (2012) On January 26, 2012, Ross finalized a one-year contract with the Boston Red Sox. He was supposed to provide depth off the bench, but injuries, particularly to Carl Crawford, led to him holding a starting role for the entire season. He started almost every day for Boston in all three outfield positions, but mainly right field. On April 14, Ross hit his first home run in a Red Sox uniform, a two-run shot off the Tampa Bay Rays's Dane De La Rosa in a 13–5 Red Sox victory. The next day, Ross hit a three-run homer in the bottom of the second inning off Matt Moore in a 6–4 victory over the Rays. On May 18, 2012, Ross suffered a fractured foot after fouling a ball off his foot. He was placed on the disabled list and expected to miss from six to eight weeks. On June 19, Ross was activated from the disabled list. His first game back, he hit a home run against Mark Buehrle over the Green Monster at Fenway Park in a 7–5 victory over the Miami Marlins. Five days later, he hit two home runs and had five RBI in a 9–4 victory over the Braves. He hit two consecutive three-run home runs against Pedro Hernández of the White Sox on July 18 in a 10–1 Red Sox victory. The next day, he hit a three-run home run against Addison Reed for a walk-off win against the White Sox. For the season, he had a .267 average, 127 hits, 34 doubles, 22 home runs, and 81 RBI in 130 games (476 at bats). ### Arizona Diamondbacks (2013–2014) On December 22, 2012, Ross agreed to a three-year contract with the Arizona Diamondbacks worth a reported $26 million, with a club option and a $1 million buyout. An injured left calf caused him to miss the beginning of the season; he made his return April 13. He began the 2013 season playing right field, but in May and for the rest of the season he split time between right and left field. On June 19, he hit a pinch-hit three-run home run against Mike Dunn in a 3–1 victory over the Marlins. He hit a three-run home run against Matt Harvey to put the Diamondbacks ahead 3–2 on July 3; the Diamondbacks would wind up defeating the Mets 5–2. Three days later, he set a career high with five hits and added three runs scored in an 11–1 victory over Colorado. On August 2, he had four hits, two doubles, and three RBI, including a game-winning solo home run against Pedro Beato in a 7–6 victory over Boston. On August 11, Ross dislocated his right hip while running to first base. He was placed on the disabled list and missed the rest of the season. In 94 games (317 at bats) in 2013, Ross batted .278 with 88 hits, 17 doubles, eight home runs, and 38 RBI. On April 4, 2015, Ross was released by the Diamondbacks. ### Oakland Athletics (2015) On April 8, 2015, Ross signed a one-year deal with the Oakland Athletics for the league minimum salary of $507,500, with the Diamondbacks paying the remainder of his salary with them. He was released on May 3, 2015. ## Post-playing career On May 15, 2016, Ross referred to himself as "not playing anymore" on his Twitter page. In February 2017, he joined the Giants as a spring training instructor, a role he returned to in 2018. ## Legacy Ross was a streaky player throughout his career. He described this in 2006: "I have gotten in grooves before, and you try to stay in it as long as you can until it ends. And it does end. I've been notorious for that my whole career, where I'll hit five or six in a week, where it seems like I can't miss the pitch and I feel good in the batter's box." The most famous of these came in 2010, when Ross's hitting in the playoffs helped San Francisco win the 2010 World Series. Years later, when asked about the two home runs he hit against Roy Halladay in Game 1 of the 2010 NLCS, Ross recalled an earlier encounter from the same season: Roy Halladay's perfect game against the Marlins, for whom Ross played before being acquired by the Giants. "That was one of the most incredible things I've been part of, and I was on the wrong side of it," Ross said. "When I hear his name, I still think of him as the toughest pitcher I've ever faced or seen." During his career, Ross has earned a reputation for bringing energy to his teams and being a positive influence to his teammates. He has been a fan favorite in his career, especially in Florida and San Francisco, where he earned the nicknames "Toy Cannon" and "Ross the Boss", respectively. Ross bats right-handed and throws left-handed; one of the rarest dominant bats/throws combinations in the history of Major League baseball. The only position player in the Baseball Hall of Fame with this combination of "bats/throws" is Rickey Henderson, who, like Ross, also had stints with the Dodgers, Red Sox and Athletics. ## Personal life Ross and his wife, Summer, live most of the year in Scottsdale, Arizona, with their three children: Hudson, Haven Leigh, and Harley. His father, Kenny, played strong safety at the University of New Mexico but became a chiropractor and bull rider after undergoing three knee surgeries in college. Ross has a sister, Sarah, who was a long-jumper and basketball player growing up. Ross' cousin, Trevor Rogers, plays in MLB.

# SMS Schwalbe (1887) SMS Schwalbe ("His Majesty's Ship Schwalbe—Swallow") was an unprotected cruiser built for the German Kaiserliche Marine (Imperial Navy), the lead ship of the Schwalbe class. She had one sister ship, Sperber. Schwalbe was built at the Kaiserliche Werft (Imperial Dockyard) in Wilhelmshaven; her keel was laid down in April 1886 and her completed hull was launched in August 1887. She was commissioned for service in May 1888. Designed for colonial service, Schwalbe was armed with a main battery of eight 10.5-centimeter (4.1 in) guns and had a cruising radius of over 3,000 nautical miles (5,600 km; 3,500 mi); she also had an auxiliary sailing rig to supplement her steam engines. Schwalbe spent the majority of her career overseas. She served in German East Africa from 1889 to 1893, and during this period she assisted in the suppression of the Abushiri Revolt. In 1893, she returned to Germany for a major overhaul. She was decommissioned until 1898, when she returned to service for another tour abroad. She initially returned to German East Africa, where she patrolled South African waters to protect German shipping during the Second Boer War. The outbreak of the Boxer Uprising in China in 1900 prompted the Kaiserliche Marine to send Schwalbe to join the European forces battling the Boxers. Schwalbe spent 1901 and 1902 in Chinese waters, blockading the mouth of the Yangtze and suppressing local unrest. The ship returned to Germany in 1903 for another major overhaul and another stint in reserve. She ended her career as a barracks ship during World War I, and as a target ship in 1918. She was ultimately broken up for scrap in 1922. ## Design Through the 1870s and early 1880s, Germany built two types of cruising vessels: small, fast avisos suitable for service as fleet scouts and larger, long-ranged screw corvettes capable of patrolling the German colonial empire. A pair of new cruisers was authorized under the 1886–1887 fiscal year, intended for the latter purpose. General Leo von Caprivi, the Chief of the Imperial Admiralty, sought to modernize Germany's cruiser force. The Schwalbes were the first modern unprotected cruiser to be built for the Kaiserliche Marine (Imperial Navy), marking the first step in Caprivi's plans. Schwalbe was 66.9 meters (219 ft) long overall and had a beam of 9.36 m (30.7 ft) and a draft of 4.4 m (14 ft) forward. She displaced 1,111 t (1,093 long tons) normally and up to 1,359 t (1,338 long tons) at full load. Her propulsion system consisted of two horizontal 2-cylinder double-expansion steam engines powered by four coal-fired cylindrical fire-tube boilers. These provided a top speed of 13.5 knots (25.0 km/h; 15.5 mph) and a range of approximately 3,290 nautical miles (6,090 km; 3,790 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph). To supplement the steam engines, she was fitted with a barquentine rig. Schwalbe had a crew of 9 officers and 108 enlisted men. The ship was armed with a main battery of eight 10.5 cm (4.1 in) K L/35 guns in single pedestal mounts, four in sponsons fore and aft to give a measure of end-on fire, and the remaining four amidships on the main deck. Four guns could fire on either broadside. The guns were supplied with 765 rounds of ammunition in total. They had a range of 8,200 m (9,000 yd). The gun armament was rounded out by five 37 mm (1.5 in) Hotchkiss revolver cannon for defense against torpedo boats. ## Service history The keel for Schwalbe was laid down at the Kaiserliche Werft (Imperial Dockyard) in Wilhelmshaven in April 1886. Her completed hull was launched on 16 August 1887; then-Konteradmiral (Rear Admiral) Alexander von Monts gave the launching speech. She was commissioned for sea trials on 8 May 1888, and they lasted until 8 August. Schwalbe was formally placed into service on 12 November and assigned to the East Africa Station in German East Africa. The assignment came following requests for reinforcement from Konteradmiral Karl August Deinhard, the local commander of naval forces in the region, to help suppress the Abushiri Revolt. She departed Germany eight days later and arrived in Zanzibar on 31 December, and was joined by the aviso Pfeil. The two ships reinforced the old sail corvettes Leipzig and Sophie. ### First deployment to East Africa On 3 January 1889, Schwalbe bombarded rebel positions at Bagamoyo before taking Deinhard aboard to Dar es Salaam. The next day, she ran aground on the reef surrounding Fungu Yasini Island. The ship remained stranded for two days before Leipzig and the British steamer SS Woodcock arrived to pull her free. She thereafter took her place in a blockade line to prevent contraband from reaching the rebels; Schwalbe patrolled the line from Kiswere to Ras Kimbiji. On 1 March, she was moved to the area between Kilwa Kisiwani and Mafia Island. Schwalbe, Leipzig, and the corvette Carola sent a contingent of naval infantry ashore at Kunduchi to attack rebel forces there; the three warships also provided artillery support to the landing force. Korvettenkapitän (KK–Corvette Captain) Hirschberg, Schwalbe's captain, commanded the operation. Schwalbe returned to Bagamoyo on 8 May to launch another attack; further engagements took place at Saadani on 6 June and at Pangani on 8 July. Schwalbe and her crew were given a respite from the conflict from 20 July to 17 August for a period of rest and refit at Port Louis in Mauritius. On 29 August, Schwalbe returned to the blockade line off German East Africa. During this period, she frequently carried Deinhard on special trips. Between 7 and 10 October, she carried the station commander to survey the colony's northern border with British Kenya in company with the British gunboat HMS Mariner. Schwalbe continued to operate against insurgent forces, particularly to support Reichskommissar (Imperial Commissioner) Hermann Wissmann's forces. At the end of October, Schwalbe was joined by her sister ship Sperber. In early December, Schwalbe and Sperber were present at ceremonial reception of the Emin Pasha Relief Expedition at Bagamoyo. Both ships were also involved with settling the border of Wituland on 27–29 December. In mid-January 1890, Pfeil, Leipzig, and Sophie left East Africa, leaving Schwalbe, Sperber, and Carola on the station. Schwalbe went to Cape Town in South Africa for an overhaul that lasted from 3 March until mid-April. Following her return from Cape Town, Schwalbe returned to supporting operations to pacify the coastal area in southern German East Africa carried out by Wissmann. During this period, several artillery pieces were captured, one of which was taken aboard Schwalbe before eventually being given to the Training Inspection for the colonial troops. By mid-May, the uprising had finally been suppressed. Schwalbe thereafter conducted the normal peacetime routine of cruising the coast to show the German flag. Hirschberg contracted malaria and became severely ill, prompting his return to Germany on 24 June to recover; KK Rüdiger arrived on 13 July to take over command of the ship. On 9 October, Rüdiger presided over a ceremony to dedicate a memorial in Tanga to the naval personnel who had been killed in the Abushiri revolt. Meanwhile, on 1 July, Wituland had been ceded to Britain as part of the Heligoland–Zanzibar Treaty; this development upset the Sultan of Wituland, who ordered the killing of several Europeans in the colony, mostly Germans. The British launched a punitive expedition, and Schwalbe remained in the area as an observer until the end of October. In June 1891, Schwalbe went to Mahé in the Seychelles to rest her crew. Rüdiger was promoted to the position of Deputy Governor of the colony in October, and KK Oelrichs replaced him aboard the ship. Schwalbe then departed to visit Bombay, returning to German East Africa on 27 January 1892. Unrest in Moshi required Schwalbe's presence to provide support for the Schutztruppen. She was anchored off Tanga by June, and in October, the death of Ali bin Said, the Sultan of Zanzibar, caused a succession crisis that forced Schwalbe and other vessels to steam to the island to help mediate the disputes. By January 1893, Schwalbe was free to return to Bombay for repairs. In May, Schwalbe received the order to return to Germany. She arrived in Kiel on 6 August, and was decommissioned on 25 August. The Kaiserliche Werft in Kiel took the ship into drydock for an extensive overhaul and modernization. She remained out of service after the repair work was completed, until 1 April 1898, when she was recommissioned for another tour in German East Africa, to replace the cruiser Seeadler. ### Second deployment overseas On 20 April, Schwalbe left Germany and arrived off Zanzibar a month and a half later, on 7 June. She went to Cape Town for periodic maintenance from 10 October to mid-November. In January 1899, she towed the disabled German East-Africa Line steamer SS Setos to Dar es Salaam. For this, the Line donated a sum to the Navy, which the Reichsmarineamt (Imperial Navy Office) used to improve the sailors' barracks. In October, the Second Boer War broke out between British South Africa and the Boer Orange Free State and the Transvaal. Schwalbe and the cruiser Condor were sent to South Africa to protect German shipping, since the British had begun aggressively searching foreign freighters to prevent contraband from reaching the Boers. Despite the presence of the two cruisers, several German ships, including the Imperial post steamers SS Bundesrat and SS General, the freighter SS Hans Wagner, and the barque Marie were seized by the Royal Navy. This caused a major diplomatic incident and led to the passage of the Second Naval Law in Germany. During her patrol of South African waters, she stopped in Durban from 19 to 21 January 1900, Port Elizabeth, East London, Cape Town, and Delagoa Bay. Tensions eased as the Boers began to suffer several defeats in early 1900, and on 7 May, Schwalbe was back in Dar es Salaam. From here, she was ordered to leave for East Asian waters to reinforce the German East Asia Squadron and assist with suppressing the Boxer Uprising in China. She arrived in Chinese waters in late September, and was assigned to the blockade of the mouth of the Yangtze. She spent the period from 14 February to 3 March 1901 in the German concession at Qingdao, after which she returned to the Yangtze. The blockade of the river ended in June, and on 10 June she returned to Qingdao. From 4 September to 11 November, she underwent an overhaul in Shanghai. She then returned to Qingdao and the Yangtze area, before riots in Zhejiang province forced her to steam to Ningbo to assist in suppressing the unrest on 9 April 1902. On 16 April, she left for repairs at Shanghai. On 23 July, while Schwalbe was moored in Qingdao, she received the order to return to Germany. On 16 August, she departed Qingdao and arrived in Danzig on 10 December. There, she was decommissioned a second time three days later. Another lengthy overhaul followed, which lasted from 1903 to 1905 at the Kaiserliche Werft in Danzig. ### Later career Schwalbe remained in reserve following the completion of her overhaul in 1905, until 26 October 1911, when she was recommissioned for use as a special-purpose ship. The Navy planned to convert her into a survey ship for use abroad, but in 1912 the Navy instead decided to use her to replace the old aviso Grille as a training ship. After the outbreak of World War I in August 1914, she was converted into a barracks ship based in Kiel. She served in this capacity until 1918, when she was used as a target ship outside Kiel. She was stricken from the naval register on 6 December 1919 and sold for scrapping on 7 August 1920. Schwalbe was ultimately broken up for scrap in 1922 in Hamburg.

# Woodland Sketches Woodland Sketches, Op. 51, is a suite of ten short piano pieces by the American composer Edward MacDowell. It was written during an 1896 stay at MacDowell's summer retreat in Peterborough, New Hampshire, where each piece was inspired by a different aspect of the surrounding nature and landscape. The suite was first published in 1896, with pieces such as "To a Wild Rose" (No. 1) and "To a Water-lily" (No. 6) becoming some of MacDowell's most popular works. While some pieces are notable for their use of impressionistic techniques in depicting the New England wilderness, others are based on elements from Native American and Southern music. Woodland Sketches is considered by critics and historians to contain some of MacDowell's most skillful and distinctive works. ## History In 1896, MacDowell and his wife Marian fulfilled their dream of owning a country home with the purchase of a farm in Peterborough, New Hampshire. The farm served as MacDowell's summer retreat, where he composed Woodland Sketches. During the summer of 1896, MacDowell was inspired by the nature around his summer home and began composing brief melodies every morning, of which he later disposed. That past April, MacDowell explained how his composing occurred mostly in the summer as well as the importance of inspiration to his work: > I never attempt composition in the winter, but give all my time to routine work. In the summer I hire a house somewhere out in the country ... in fact live like a human being once more. Then when I have sufficiently worn off the effect of living in town I begin to think seriously of work. Some fine day I feel just in the mood for it and sit down to it. I almost never make any notes beforehand, but when I get an idea go to work and finish it up at once. It's of no use to say before I begin what I am going to do. I can only work as I feel, and sometimes accomplish nothing at all when I have felt that I was beautifully primed up... At the suggestion of his wife, MacDowell recovered one of the thrown-away pieces and titled it "To a Wild Rose". It became the first in a set of ten pieces MacDowell composed that summer, which were first published as Woodland Sketches that fall by P. L. Jung in New York. The work was then assigned to the publisher Arthur P. Schmidt in 1899. The suite grew popular, and upon MacDowell's death in 1908, had reportedly sold over one hundred thousand copies. The appeal of MacDowell's pieces was due in part to their accessibility to amateur pianists during a time when many households owned a piano. The music historian Richard Crawford wrote in 1996 that Woodland Sketches's source of inspiration in the American landscape may have been one way for MacDowell to "[claim] an identity as an American composer". Some time prior to composing the sketches, MacDowell told the American writer Hamlin Garland: > I am working toward a music which shall be American in the creative sense. Our music thus far has been a scholarly restatement, old world themes. In other words it is derived from Germany as all my earlier pieces were. ## Pieces The suite (Op. 51) consists of ten pieces for piano: - No. 1, "To a Wild Rose" — A major ("With simple tenderness") - No. 2, "Will o' the Wisp" — F-sharp minor ("Swift and light; fancifully") - No. 3, "At an Old Trysting-place" — A-flat major ("Somewhat quaintly, not too sentimentally") - No. 4, "In Autumn" — F-sharp minor ("Buoyantly, almost exuberantly") - No. 5, "From an Indian Lodge" — C minor ("Sternly, with great emphasis") - No. 6, "To a Water-lily" — F-sharp major ("In dreamy, awaying rhythm") - No. 7, "From Uncle Remus" — F major ("With much humor, joyously") - No. 8, "A Deserted Farm" — F-sharp minor ("With deep feeling") - No. 9, "By a Meadow Brook" — A-flat major ("Gracefully, merrily") - No. 10, "Told at Sunset" — F minor ("With Pathos") Most of the works in Woodland Sketches are in ternary form, consisting of simple melodies with chordal accompaniment. Many of the pieces' subjects are indicative of the nature and wildlife surrounding MacDowell's farm ("To a Wild Rose", "Will o' the Wisp", "To a Water-lily", "By a Meadow Brook") or are inspired by the MacDowells' frequent walks in the woods ("At an Old Trysting-place", "From an Indian Lodge", "A Deserted Farm"). According to the musicologist Douglas E. Bomberger, the pieces "are suggestive of extramusical ideas without telling a specific story". The musicologist Michael Broyles drew a connection between the suite and the short piano pieces of Norwegian composer Edvard Grieg, a Norse similarity that is also evident in MacDowell's piano sonatas. ### "To a Wild Rose" (No. 1) The suite's first piece, "To a Wild Rose", is "MacDowell's best known single work" according to the musicologist H. Wiley Hitchcock, and it achieved what Bomberger described as "phenomenal popularity". MacDowell believed the work's popularity arose because the publisher spread its score generously across two pages. The piece begins with a spare melody, based on a simple one from the Brotherton Indians. The melody is played in short fragments and accompanied by chords and pedal points. The climax consists of a repeated dominant ninth chord, which can also be heard as a version of the Tristan chord. The piece concludes with a Scotch snap rhythm. Crawford opined that the piece's harmony "saves it from blandness". ### "Will o' the Wisp" (No. 2) Bomberger considered "Will o' the Wisp" to be "the most virtuosic of the set", evoking MacDowell's love for "extreme speed". The music historian Neil Leonard cited "Will o' the Wisp" as an example of MacDowell's "concern for atmospheric effects" in depicting the titular lights with his impressionistic and economic style. ### "At an Old Trysting-place" (No. 3) "At an Old Trysting-place" is the shortest piece in the suite. The music portrays the return to a place where one has once met their lover. It consists of a "long-breathed" melody, in contrast to the melodic fragments in "To a Wild Rose". ### "In Autumn" (No. 4) "In Autumn" begins with a "brisk, staccato theme" followed by chromatic runs. The music shifts to a mysterious and questioning tone in the middle section before returning to the joyous opening theme. ### "From an Indian Lodge" (No. 5) "From an Indian Lodge" opens with bare octaves, introducing a musical depiction of a pow wow in a wigwam. The piece ends on loud, orchestral-like chords. Just as "To a Wild Rose", "From an Indian Lodge" uses a melody from the Brotherton Indians. However, the piece also incorporates other Native American motifs; the first eight measures correspond to the "Songs of the Walla-Walla Indians, Nos. 1 and 2", while measures 9 to 25 correspond to the "Song of the Brotherton Indians". These melodies are compiled in the musicologist Theodore Baker's 1882 German dissertation Über die Musik der nordamerikanischen Wilden (), which MacDowell received in 1891. ### "To a Water-lily" (No. 6) "To a Water-lily" has what the music historian John F. Porte described as "one of the most exquisite and perfect lyrics MacDowell ever composed for the pianoforte". The piece is mostly played on the black keys, with a meter change in the short middle section between two rounds of the opening passage scored on three staffs. MacDowell's inspiration for the piece came when his wife introduced him to the titular plant on one of their walks. To illustrate the floating flowers, MacDowell uses triple piano and pedal effects. Bomberger noted that this piece was an early example of impressionistic textures in American music, and it rivaled "To a Wild Rose" in popularity. ### "From Uncle Remus" (No. 7) "From Uncle Remus" reflects MacDowell's nostalgia from reading Joel Chandler Harris' stories of the titular African American. In the piece, MacDowell attempts to imitate the banjo and elements of Southern culture despite never having directly experienced the American South. Nevertheless, Bomberger assessed the result as "charmingly nostalgic", and Porte found the piece "delightfully frank". ### "A Deserted Farm" (No. 8) The music critic Lawrence Gilman described "A Deserted Farm" as the "quintessence of [MacDowell]'s style". The piece opens and ends with a grave theme in the minor key. This is contrasted by a middle section in the major key, marked "pianissimo as heard from afar" to indicate echoes from past barn dances. For this work, MacDowell was inspired by an abandoned farmstead where he and his wife previously had lunch. ### "By a Meadow Brook" (No. 9) "By a Meadow Brook" is MacDowell's impression of the Nubanusit Brook, which flows past his Peterborough property. The piece suggests what MacDowell's wife described as "the busy, noisy, little stream rushing over a rocky bed" before closing on a diminuendo. ### "Told at Sunset" (No. 10) The tenth and last piece, "Told at Sunset", recalls material from earlier pieces like "At an Old Trysting-place". The piece opens with a theme similar to "A Deserted Farm", which dies away before a new theme grows louder and then also dies away. A more expressive form of the theme from "A Deserted Farm" returns before reaching the piece's conclusion: silence followed by stern chords from the introduction to "From an Indian Lodge" that begin soft but finish in fortissimo. MacDowell used the Scotch snap rhythm extensively in "Told at Sunset", leading Bomberger to call the piece "The Apotheosis of the Scotch Snap". ## Reception In his 1908 study on MacDowell's life, Lawrence Gilman considered some of the Woodland Sketches to be among "the choicest emanation of MacDowell's genius". He later wrote that in Woodland Sketches, MacDowell's speech "assumes for the first time some of its most engaging and distinctive characteristics" and that the pieces "have an inescapable fragrance, tenderness, and zest". Gilman recognized "At an Old Trysting-place", "From an Indian Lodge", "To a Water-lily", "A Deserted Farm", and "Told at Sunset" to be pieces of "a different calibre", remarkable for their "richness of emotion", "dramatic purpose", and "tactful reticence". He commented that the other five pieces "are slight in poetic substance, though executed with charm and humour". In his 1991 treatise on American music, Nicholas E. Tawa deemed that "the finest of MacDowell's short characteristic pieces" are found in Woodland Sketches, as well as in three of MacDowell's subsequent suites: Sea Pieces, Op. 55 (1898); Fireside Tales, Op. 61 (1902); and New England Idylls, Op. 62 (1902). Michael Broyles wrote in 1998 that MacDowell's "sense of color, focus, and economy of means was extraordinary" in these suites.

# Federalist No. 3 Federalist No. 3, titled "The Same Subject Continued: Concerning Dangers from Foreign Force and Influence", is a political essay by John Jay, the third of The Federalist Papers. It was first published in The Independent Journal on November 3, 1787, under the pseudonym Publius, the name under which all The Federalist papers were published. It is the second of four essays by Jay on the benefits of political union in protecting Americans against foreign adversaries, preceded by Federalist No. 2 and followed by Federalist No. 4 and Federalist No. 5. Federalist No. 3 considers whether a federal government is better equipped to manage foreign policy and prevent war than state governments. Jay argues that a federal government has advantages in that it can select better statesmen from a larger population and that it can apply treaties more consistently than individual states. He also argues that state governments are more likely to act provocatively when their states are at the center of a conflict, while the federal government can give more even consideration of an issue. ## Summary Jay begins by arguing that the people ultimately make the best decisions for their own governance, and he says that union of the states is an example of such a decision. He says that safety of the people is the first responsibility of government and that union is the best way to guarantee safety. He explains that the most wars are caused by violations of treaties or acts of violence and says that individual states are more likely to engage in these causes than an empowered national government. He argues that this is a concern because the United States regularly engages with several powerful nations with the capacity to wage war. Jay lists four reasons why he believes a national government is better equipped for handling diplomacy. First, he argues that the men chosen to run the national government would be more qualified than those running the states, as they would have to stand out amongst a much larger group of candidates across the country. He then argues that a strong national government could better preserve peace, stating that a federal government would be less likely to provoke other nations to attack due to a consistency in the application of treaties. He also argues that states directly involved in disputes may be disposed to act irrationally out of passion and that a national government is necessary to temper this response. Finally, he argues that should the people within a state support such irrational action, a national government would be immune to this popular will. Jay then says that the same arguments apply to acts of violence on national borders. He says that some of the American Indian Wars had been caused by state governments, but none had been caused by the national government. He expresses concern of similar conflict on the borders with Britain and Spain. Jay concludes by arguing that, in the event of an international conflict, a foreign power would be more likely to come to terms with a united America. He observes that, in 1685, Genoa was forced to send its national leadership to France to ask pardon from Louis XIV; Jay questions whether France would have demanded such tribute from any "powerful nation." Thus a "strong united nation" could better preserve the peace since it would find it easier to settle causes of war. ## Background and publication Federalist No. 3 was written by John Jay. Like all of the Federalist Papers, Federalist No. 3 was published under the pseudonym Publius in New York newspapers with the intention of explaining the provisions of the Constitution of the United States and persuading New York to ratify it. It was first published in the Independent Journal on November 3, 1787, followed by the Daily Advertiser on November 5 and the New-York Packet on November 6. Federalist No. 3 directly follows the arguments of Federalist No. 2, building on its description of historical unity between the states to argue that it benefits national security. As with Federalist No. 2, Jay assumes that failure to ratify the constitution will result in disunion between the states. Anti-federalists generally supported union, even when opposing the constitution. At the time he wrote these essays, Jay was the nation's leading diplomat and would have been involved with diplomatic issues facing the United States. ## Analysis Federalist No. 3 argued that the foreign policy of a unitary federal government would be superior to those of individual state governments. Jay believed that a union would protect the states and that individual states would be more likely to provoke war than a single national government. At the time the Federalist Papers were written, international law had not developed beyond treaties and philosophical concepts of natural law. To discuss the law of war, Jay divided it into just war and unjust war, focusing primarily on the causes of just war and how a national government would prevent them. He described the primary justifications of war as violations of treaties and acts of violence, and he argued that any one state on its own was more likely to provoke one of these causes than a national government. ### Advantages of federal government Federalist No. 3 presented the argument that a national government would be advantageous because it would be better equipped to engage in diplomacy. Jay argued that the combined population of the 13 states would provide more options to appoint the most skilled politicians, while individual states may not always be able to find experienced statesmen capable of diplomacy from their own populations. Jay also believed that consistent practice of international law and custom was necessary to prevent war and that it would take a federal government to ensure this. In particular, he saw it as a responsibility of the federal judiciary to ensure that this consistency occurred. His concern was that the states would interpret treaties differently, depending on their own legal systems and their own interests, increasing the likelihood of conflict with a foreign nation. Under a strong national government, a single foreign policy could be implemented for all of the states. Federalist No. 3 established a clear objective for the government, describing safety as the first priority for a free people. In particular, he worried of "dangers from foreign arms and influence". As with his other essays in the Federalist Papers, Jay ended Federalist No. 3 by playing to the fears of Americans. In this case, he warned of the power of larger nations such as Britain and Spain would have over the states if they were to be divided. Jay's prominent involvement in American foreign policy point positioned him to have a broad understanding of foreign threats to the United States. ### Decision making Jay argued in Federalist No. 3 that limiting diplomatic powers to a national government with representatives from various states would prevent individual states from taking rash action based on their own involvement in a dispute. He invoked concepts relating to the motives of different governments and the opportunities that they have to act on them. Jay believed that a national government would be better equipped in both cases, in that its motives would not be clouded by direct involvement, while it would have greater opportunity to resolve conflict due to its increased scope. Conversely, the motives of individual states risked war if they were given powers over diplomacy, and they lacked the opportunities to prevent it. Jay emphasized the threat he perceived from border states that were in proximity with the British Empire, the Spanish Empire, and the Indigenous Nations. He feared that violent incidents on national borders would provoke war, arguing that the judgement of a national government was needed to prevent and address such incidents. This position was consistent with the general distrust of state governments that would persist throughout the Federalist Papers. State governments had already restricted the rights of British subjects and intruded on the territory of the Indigenous Nations in ways that could create conflict with these foreign nations. The constitution would give the federal government power to regulate such activity, effectively resolving diplomatic conflict of the states with foreign powers and with one another. Federalist No. 3 introduced a theme that would recur throughout the Federalist Papers, expressing the belief that the people of a nation will generally make reasoned decisions about their own government, but that this is sometimes interrupted by brief periods where popular opinion allows poor decisions to prevail. In this context, Jay doubted that popular will was capable of considering foreign policy issues, and he indicated that it would be better addressed by a professional class of diplomats. Jay also applied this contrast to the state governments, arguing that the federal government would be more reasoned in its approach, as it would consider the interest of all states and avoid irrational decisions propelled by the passion of a state's population. ## Aftermath Jay continued his treatment of this subject in No. 4 and No. 5, and the arguments that a united nation would have access to better statesmen would be revisited by James Madison in No. 10. Jay remained committed to his belief that the federal judiciary would determine how to consistently follow international law when he served as Chief Justice of the United States two years later. The role of local and state affairs in foreign policy has remained a concern in American foreign policy. Interactions between state governments and Mexican nationals have caused diplomatic conflicts with Mexico continuing into the 21st century, particularly in the context of illegal immigration to the United States.

# Hal Johnson and Joanne McLeod Hal Johnson and Joanne McLeod are Canadian television hosts and former international-level athletes. They are best known for their television segments called BodyBreak, which have been in intermittent production since 1988. The program is considered a cult classic among Canadian pop culture. Johnson and McLeod were both international-level athletes, Johnson with baseball and McLeod with the track and field discipline of hurdles. The duo self-financed the pilot for BodyBreak in 1988. Rejected by over 40 companies, the first 65 episodes were funded by ParticipACTION. Over 300 short episodes have been produced, as well as a single-season television series. They have expanded the program into speaking engagements, exercise equipment, and other projects. As a result of racism that Johnson and his parents experienced, their programs and products have intentionally sought to feature an inclusive cast. ## Biographies ### Hal Johnson Johnson was born in the United States, and grew up in North York, Ontario, the child of Black and Irish parents. (Johnson has spoken on the racism they faced for their mixed marriage.) Johnson was diagnosed with dyslexia as a child; he would later memorize all the lines for BodyBreak. The captain of his high school's hockey, baseball, basketball and football teams, Johnson attended the University of Colorado on a baseball scholarship, earning a business degree. An all-star first baseman, he represented Canada at the World Baseball Championship. For a 10 year period, Johnson lived in the United States, attending the University of Colorado, and living in Washington, D.C., Long Beach, San Francisco, Denver, and Boulder. After his athletic career, Johnson was hired at TSN as a sports reporter. Network executives rescinded that offer the same day it was made, stating that they didn't want a second Black reporter. As an extra in an advertisement for Woodbine Racetrack, during the 1980s, Johnson was moved so that he wouldn't be sitting next to a white woman. These experiences of racism, as well as the experiences of his parents, helped push Johnson to create BodyBreak as a countermeasure. The show deliberately sought inclusive casting. Johnson has commented that "the media has not only a tremendous responsibility, but a tremendous power" to influence public perception and acceptance. In 2020, the topic of racism became central, following the protests initiated by the murder of George Floyd. Johnson recorded an unscripted video titled "How We Battled Racism". The video received wide attention in Canada, and led to Johnson speaking on the subject on many media outlets. TSN issued an apology. Johnson appeared on Off the Record with Michael Landsberg over 100 times. He acted in various television series between 1988 and 1990, including day player roles in T. and T., Alfred Hitchcock Presents, and E.N.G. Johnson is famous for his thick moustache, which he shaved at some point before his 2013 audition for The Amazing Race Canada. ### Joanne McLeod McLeod is of German and Italian heritage, and grew up in the Toronto suburb of Scarborough, Ontario with her adoptive family. McLeod's high school physical education teacher, who had competed at the 1968 Olympic Games, encouraged her to join a track club. She became a 4-time national and 7-time provincial hurdle champion. She represented Canada at events including the Pacific Conference Games, World Cup, Tri-Meet-Canada/PolandEngland, and the 1978 Commonwealth Games. As of 2013, McLeod was reported to be still running marathons. ### As a couple Johnson and McLeod met in a gym, and started to date. They married in 1999. Together they tour the country doing speaking engagements related to health and teamwork. After living for a time in Mississauga, the couple has lived in Oakville, Ontario since 2000. ## BodyBreak ### Segments Over 300 90-second episodes of BodyBreak have been produced, with the first 128 segments created between 1988 and 1994. The show focuses on how exercise can be incorporated into daily life. The program was conceived by McLeod and Johnson after meeting in a gym. The show was designed to be different than other fitness shows of the era: friendly, representing the sexes equally, and showing racial and physical diversity, a result of Johnson's experiences. Collectively, they financed the show's pilot with their last $2000. Johnson worked on the series, while McLeod worked at Canada Life insurance to pay their bills. Three two-minute segments were filmed in July 1988, in Toronto's Sherwood Park, as a pilot. More than 40 TV stations, ad agencies, and other corporations turned the pitch down. More than one was concerned with the image of people of different ethnic backgrounds interacting as equals. One was open to airing the program, but only if Joanne McLeod was joined by a white man; at least one report lists that broadcaster as TSN. Johnson decided to seek funding for the project from ParticipACTION, a federal government program. The organization commissioned five segments, with an additional order placed in January 1989, before the first airing. The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation was the first network to air the spots. ParticipACTION dropped the hosts in 1991, after they had completed 65 segments, despite being the agency's most popular spots. They found different funding, and were able to continue production in 1992. They produced segments with Canada's Vitality project from 1993 to 1995. The segments were broadcast during commercial breaks as public service announcements on many Canadian television channels, but the most frequent broadcaster of the program was TSN. ### Television series In 1995, Life Network commissioned a 13 half-hour episode series based on the popular segments, which it aired in primetime. Most of the episodes included people with disabilities. ### Business Johnson has stated that the duo has "no business plan," so that they don't close themselves off from unexpected opportunities. In 2020, Johnson commented that "as many successes that we've had, we've had a hundred failures. I expect that. I expect to fail... I'll find another way around it." The BodyBreak brand has been used on a treadmill, Ab Master Workout, Step Workout, and other products. Hal and Joanne have also endorsed products without the trademark, including BackJoy. ### Appearances The couple competed in season 1 of The Amazing Race Canada. The duo spent months preparing for the competition, including studying prime ministers and Air Canada routes, as well as practising driving stick shift Chevrolet (one of the show's sponsor) cars at the dealership. They finished in sixth place. They felt they were portrayed in the series as "very vanilla," until the final episode, in which McLeod accidentally swore. In the months following The Amazing Race, they were the grand marshals of the 2013 Kitchener-Waterloo Oktoberfest Parade, and guest "anchors" on news comedy program This Hour Has 22 Minutes. Johnson and McLeod appeared in the music video for Sam Weber's "Anybodys'", chasing an anthropomorphized version of Johnson's mustache. They self-parodied in a promotion for Netflix zombie series Santa Clarita Diet; BuzzFeed deemed them "the cutest cannibals." They created a COVID-19 physical distancing segment for Vancouver International Airport. Maclean's magazine has mused that "Trying to explain the cultural significance that "Hal and Joanne" have taken on since then is like trying to explain the cultural significance of Tim Hortons."

# Michel Aflaq Michel Aflaq (‎, ; 9 January 1910 – 23 June 1989) was a Syrian philosopher, sociologist and Arab nationalist. His ideas played a significant role in the development of Ba'athism and its political movement; he is considered by several Ba'athists to be the principal founder of Ba'athist thought. He published various books during his lifetime, such as "The Road to Renaissance" (1940), The Battle for One Destiny (1958) and The Struggle Against Distorting the Movement of Arab Revolution (1975). Born into a middle-class family in Damascus, Syria, Aflaq studied at the Sorbonne, where he met his future political companion Salah al-Din al-Bitar. He returned to Syria in 1932, and began his political career in communist politics. Aflaq became a communist activist, but broke his ties with the communist movement when the Syrian–Lebanese Communist Party supported colonial policies through the Popular Front under the French Mandate of Syria. Later in 1940 Aflaq and al-Bitar established the Arab Ihya Movement (later renaming itself the Arab Ba'ath Movement, taking the name from Zaki al-Arsuzi's group by the same name). The movement proved successful, and in 1947 the Arab Ba'ath Movement merged with al-Arsuzi's Arab Ba'ath organisation to establish the Arab Ba'ath Party. Aflaq was elected to the party's executive committee and was elected "'Amid" (meaning the party's leader). The Arab Ba'ath Party merged with Akram al-Hawrani's Arab Socialist Party to establish the Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party in 1952; Aflaq was elected the party's leader in 1954. During the mid-to-late 1950s the party began developing relations with Gamal Abdel Nasser, the President of Egypt, which eventually led to the establishment of the United Arab Republic (UAR). Nasser forced Aflaq to dissolve the party, which he did, but without consulting with party members. Shortly after the UAR's dissolution, Aflaq was reelected as Secretary General of the National Command of the Ba'ath Party. Following the 8th of March Revolution, Aflaq's position within the party was weakened to such an extent that he was forced to resign as the party's leader in 1965. Aflaq was ousted during the 1966 Syrian coup d'état, which led to a schism within the Ba'ath Party. He escaped to Lebanon, but later went to Iraq. In 1968 Aflaq was elected Secretary General of the Iraqi-led Ba'ath Party; during his tenure he held no de facto power. He held the post until his death on 23 June 1989. Aflaq's theories about society, economics, and politics, which are collectively known as Ba'athism, hold that the Arab world needs to be unified into one Arab Nation in order to achieve an advanced state of development. He was critical of both capitalism and communism, and critical of Karl Marx's view of dialectical materialism as the only truth. Ba'athist thought placed much emphasis on liberty and Arab socialism – a socialism with Arab characteristics, which was not part of the international socialist movement as defined by the West. Aflaq believed in the separation of state and religion, and was a strong believer in secularisation, but was against atheism. Although a Christian, he believed Islam to be proof of "Arab genius". In the aftermath of the 1966 Ba'ath Party split, the Syrian-led Ba'ath Party accused Aflaq of stealing al-Arsuzi's ideas, calling him a "thief" and later sentenced him to "death via absentia" in 1971. The Iraqi-led Ba'ath Party rejects this, and does not believe that al-Arsuzi contributed to Ba'athist thought. ## Early life Born on 9 January 1910 in Damascus to a middle class Orthodox Christian family, his father, Joseph, worked as a grain merchant. Aflaq was first educated in the Westernized schools of the French Mandate of Syria. In 1929, he left Syria to study philosophy abroad at the Sorbonne in Paris. During his stay, Aflaq was influenced by the works of Henri Bergson and met his longtime collaborator Salah al-Din al-Bitar, a fellow Syrian nationalist. Aflaq founded an Arab Student Union at the Sorbonne and discovered the writings of Karl Marx. He returned to Syria in 1932, and became active in communist politics, but left the movement when the government of Léon Blum, supported by the French Communist Party (FCP), continued France's old politics towards its colonies. Aflaq, and others, had believed that the FCP followed pro-independence policies towards the French colonies. It did not help that the Syrian–Lebanese Communist Party (SLCP) supported the FCP's decision. From then on Aflaq saw the communist movement as a tool of the Soviet Union. He was impressed by the organisation and ideology of Antun Saadeh's Syrian Social Nationalist Party. ## Political career ### Arab Ba'ath Movement: 1940–1947 Upon their return to Syria, Aflaq and al-Bitar became teachers at Tajhiz all'-Ula, "the most prestigious secondary school in Syria". Aflaq taught history, while al-Bitar taught math and physics. By 1940, Aflaq and al-Bitar had managed to set up a student circle, which usually met on Fridays. That year, the Arab Ihya Movement, a political party, was established by Aflaq and al-Bitar. They used most of their spare time in 1941 to agitate for the party. It was in 1942 that Aflaq showed his skills as "a compelling speaker" who was able to utilize the "theatrical pause" to great effect. The party changed its name to Arab Ba'ath Movement to signify the radical changes which were sweeping the Middle East; Rashid Ali al-Gaylani, the Prime Minister of Iraq, had challenged Britain's domination over Iraq. The replacement of the word "Revival" with "Ba'ath" (, literally means resurrection/rebirth) signified that Arab revival had been replaced ideologically by the need for an Arab rebirth. The change of name led Zaki al-Arsuzi, leader of the Arab Ba'ath Party, to accuse Aflaq and al-Bitar of stealing his party's name from him. Though both men were promoting a party platform based on an Arab nationalist stance, Aflaq and al-Arsuzi became bitter rivals. On 24 October 1942, both Aflaq and al-Bitar resigned from their teaching positions, now determined to devote themselves fully to the political struggle. In 1941 the Syrian Committee to Help Iraq was established to support the Iraqi Government led by Rashid Ali al-Gaylani against the British invasion during the Anglo–Iraqi War. Al-Arsuzi, the leader of the other Arab Ba'ath movement, was skeptical of the new committee, and opposed helping the Iraqis on the ground that they would lose anyway. In 1941 the movement began publishing documents under the name the "Arab Ihya Movement". Later, in 1945, Aflaq and al-Bitar asked the French Mandate authorities to grant the movement a party license. The Arab Ba'ath Movement did not become an official party until 1947, when it merged with al-Arsuzi's Arab Ba'ath Movement to found the Arab Ba'ath Party. The Arab Ba'ath Movement, led by Aflaq and al-Bitar, drew supporters from al-Arsuzi's Ba'ath Movement; during the 1940s, al-Arsuzi started to seclude himself from the public eye, he developed a deep distrust of others and became, according to some of his associates, paranoid. When the two Ba'ath movements merged and established the Arab Ba'ath Party in 1947, the only subject discussed was how much socialism to include; Wahib al-Ghanim and Jalal al-Sayyid from the al-Arsuzi led Ba'ath movement wanted Aflaq and al-Bitar to adopt more radical socialist policies. ### Founding and early years The Arab Ba'ath Party's first congress was held in Damascus in 1947. Aflaq took the pre-eminent position of Amid, sometimes translated as 'doyen' or as 'leader'; and was elected to a four-member executive committee. Under the constitution adopted at the congress, this made him effective leader of the party, with sweeping powers within the organisation; al-Bitar was elected Secretary General of the National Command. Zaki al-Arsuzi, the leader of the Arab Ba'ath, was not given any position, or membership in the party. Aflaq as Amid was responsible for ideological affairs and became the party's mentor, while al-Bitar controlled the party's day-to-day management. The merger would prove problematic, several members of the al-Arsuzi-led Ba'ath Party were more left-leaning, and would become, later in Aflaq's tenure as leader, highly critical of his leadership. In the late 1940s, Aflaq and al-Bitar gave free lessons on Ba'athist thought, and in 1948 they established the newspaper al-Ba'ath (English: rebirth/resurrection). Aflaq tested the Ba'ath Party's strength during the 1948 Arab–Israeli War after early Syrian defeats – he led several demonstrations against the government led by President Shukri al-Quwatli. He personally led demonstrations and claimed that al-Quwatli, a landowner, was a corrupt and capitalistic politician, who was to blame for the Syrian army's defeat. Aflaq called for al-Quwatli's resignation, and wrote several al-Ba'ath articles criticising his presidency and his prime minister, Jamil Mardam Bey. Aflaq was later arrested on the orders of al-Quwatli's prime minister Bey. Al-Quwali's government was brought down in a coup d'état led by military officer Husni al-Za'im. Al-Za'im banned all parties, claiming that Syria was not ready to establish a liberal democracy yet. Aflaq, who had been set free, was rearrested during al-Zai'm's presidency and sent to the notorious Mezzeh Prison. Al-Za'im's rule did not last for long, and in August 1949, he was toppled, and Hashim al-Atassi, who was democratically elected, took his place. Al-Atassi established a national unity government, and Aflaq was appointed to the post of Minister of Education, the only government post he would ever hold; he held it from August to December 1949. Al-Attasi's presidency did not last for very long either, and in 1951 Adib Shishakli took power in a military coup. Aflaq at first extended his support to the new government, believing that he and the Ba'ath Party could collaborate with Shishakli because they shared the same Arab nationalist sentiments. His analysis of Shishakli proved to be wrong, and one of Shishakli's first decisions as ruler was to ban all political parties, including the Ba'ath Party. The Ba'ath Party leadership, and several leading members, escaped to Lebanon in the wake of increased government repression. In Lebanon Aflaq and al-Bitar agreed to a merger of the Arab Ba'ath Party and the Arab Socialist Party (ASP), led by Akram al-Hawrani, to establish the Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party in 1952. The newly formed party worked as a base of operation against Shishali's rule – Aflaq and the rest cooperated with non-Ba'athist opposition forces too. Shishakli was toppled in February 1954. ### Power politics: 1954–1963 Following the overthrow of al-Shishakli, Syria held its first democratic elections in five years. The Ba'ath Party, led by Aflaq, al-Bitar and al-Hawrani, had 22 members elected to parliament. This increase in influence can largely be attributed to al-Hawrani – several old ASP strongholds voted for the Ba'ath Party because of al-Hawrani's presence. By this time Aflaq was losing much of his power to al-Hawrani and his supporters, who were in a majority in the party. proof of this was the decision of the Ba'ath Party to collaborate openly with the Syrian Communist Party (SCP), a move Aflaq opposed. Aflaq was elected the party's Secretary General of the newly established National Command, a title equivalent to 'party leader', by the party's Second National Congress. When, under the United Arab Republic (UAR), Aflaq was forced by Nasser to dissolve the party, he disbanded the party by himself, instead of convening a congress on the matter. The UAR proved to be disastrous for the Ba'ath Party – the party was sidelined to a great extent by Nasser's government. The Ba'ath movement, which was on the verge in 1958 of becoming the dominant Arab nationalist movement, found itself in disarray after three years of Nasserist rule. Only a handful of Ba'athists were given public office in the UAR's government, al-Hawrani became vice president and al-Bitar became Minister of Culture and Guidance. Several members, mostly young, blamed Aflaq for this situation; it was he who dissolved the party in 1958 without consulting the National Congress. Hafez al-Assad and Salah Jadid amongst others, eventually established the Military Committee to save the Syrian Ba'ath movement from annihilation. The party's Third National Congress in 1959 supported Aflaq's decision to dissolve the party, but a 1960 National Congress, in which Jadid was a delegate representing the then-unknown Military Committee, reversed the decision and called for the Ba'ath Party's reestablishment. The Congress also decided to improve relations with Nasser by democratising the UAR from within. A faction within the party, led by al-Hawrani, called for Syria's secession. When the UAR broke up in 1961, some members applauded the dissolution, among them was al-Bitar. The Ba'ath Party captured 20 seats, down from 22, in the 1961 election. In 1962, after four years, Aflaq convened the Fifth Congress in Homs. Al-Hawrani was not invited; cells that had stayed active and defied Aflaq's orders, and Ba'athists who became Nasserists during the period of the UAR, were not invited to the congress. Aflaq was reelected as the National Command's secretary general, and ordered the reestablishment of the Syrian-regional Ba'ath organisation. During the congress, Aflaq and the Military Committee, through Muhammad Umran, made contact for the first time; the committee asked for permission to initiate a coup d'état; Aflaq supported the conspiracy. Following the success of the February 1963 Iraqi coup d'état, led by the Ba'ath Party's Iraqi Regional Branch, the Military Committee hastily convened to hatch a coup against Nazim al-Kudsi's presidency. The 8th of March Revolution, a military coup launched in 1963, proved successful, and a Ba'athist government in Syria was established. The plotters' first order was to establish the National Council of the Revolutionary Command (NCRC), consisting entirely of Ba'athists and Nasserists, and controlled by military personnel rather than civilians from the very beginning. ### The beginning: 1963–1964 The relationship between the Ba'athists and the Nasserists was at best, uncomfortable. The Ba'ath Party's rise to power in Iraq and Syria put Nasser, as he put it, "between the hammer and the anvil". The establishment of a union between Iraq and Syria would weaken his credentials as a pan-Arab leader. Nasser started launching bitter propaganda attacks against the party; Aflaq was dismissed as an ineffectual theorist who was mocked as a puppet "Roman emperor" and accused of being a "Cypriot Christian". In several Ba'ath Party meetings, Aflaq responded with pure anger, and became an anti-Nasserist. Because of the position he took, Aflaq had a falling out with al-Bitar who still believed there was a chance to reestablish good ties with Nasser. The break with Nasser weakened the original leaders of the Ba'ath Party, which in turn gave the Military Committee room to expand. After taking power, the Military Committee looked for theoretical guidance, but instead of going to Aflaq to solve problems (which was usual before), they contacted the party's Marxist faction led by Hammud al-Shufi. At the Syrian Ba'athist Regional Congress, the Military Committee "proved" that it was rebelling equally against Aflaq and the traditional leadership, as against their moderate social and economic policies. The Military Committee was bent on removing Aflaq from a position of power, believing that he had become old and frail. At the Sixth National Congress held in October 1963, Aflaq was barely able to hold on to his post as Secretary General – the Marxist factions led by al-Shufi and Ali Salih al-Sa'di, in Syria and Iraq respectively, were the majority group. Another problem facing Aflaq was that several of his colleagues were not elected to party office, for instance, al-Bitar was not reelected to a seat in the National Command. Instead of the traditional civilian leadership, a new leadership consisting of military officers was gradually growing; Jadid and Amin al-Hafiz from Syria and Ahmed Hassan al-Bakr and Salih Mahdi Ammash from Iraq were elected to the National Command. While the Military Committee was in fact taking control over the Ba'ath Party from the civilian leadership, they were sensitive to such criticism, and stated, in an ideological pamphlet, that civilian-military symbiosis was of major importance, if socialist reconstruction was to be achieved. To the outside world, Aflaq seemed to be in charge. As the Tunisian newspaper " put it; "The philosopher who made two coups [Iraqi and Syrian coups] in a month". The Ba'ath movement was not running as smoothly as the rest of the world believed; the Iraqi Regional Branch was already starting to lose membership. The Iraqi military and the party's militant arm, the National Guard, detested each other. Al-Sadi, the Regional Secretary of the Iraqi Regional Branch, was eventually exiled to Madrid, Spain on 11 November by several military officers and moderate Ba'athists. An anxious Aflaq hastily traveled from Syria and dissolved the Regional Command of the Iraqi Regional Branch, exclaiming that the National Command would rule Iraq in its place until a new Regional Command was elected. This was not greeted warmly by the majority of Iraqi military officers and Ba'athists – the idea that a Christian was to rule over a Muslim country was considered "insensitive". The situation in Iraq did not improve, Abdul Salam Arif, the President of Iraq and a Nasserist, plotted a coup against the Ba'ath Party on 18 November, which succeeded. The dream of cornering Nasser's pan-Arab project was over; instead, it was Nasser and the Nasserists who were cornering the Ba'ath movement. On hearing the news, Aflaq and several Ba'athists fled Iraq for Syria. ### The schism: 1964–1965 After a falling out with the Military Committee, of which he was a member, Muhammad Umran told Aflaq about the committee's secret plans to oust the civilian leadership, led by Aflaq, and take over the Ba'ath Party. Shortly after, Umran was sent into exile as Ambassador to Spain for supporting the Aflaq faction. Aflaq responded to the threat posed to his leadership by invoking his office as secretary general, and calling for the National Command to dissolve the Regional Command. He was forced to withdraw his request, when the majority of Ba'ath Party members proved to oppose such a move. A contest for power, between Aflaq and the Military Committee, ensued in the open; but it was a struggle Aflaq was losing. It was plain from the very beginning that the initiative lay with the anti-Aflaq forces. To counter the military threat, Aflaq invoked party rules and regulations against them. To counter this, the Military Committee befriended a staunchly anti-Aflaq civilian faction calling themselves the "Regionalists" – this group had not dissolved their party organisations as ordered by Aflaq in the 1950s. The Regional Congress of the Syrian Regional Branch, in March 1965, devolved power from the center, the National Command, to the Regional Command. From then on, the Regional Secretary of the Regional Command was considered Syria's ex officio head of state. The Regional Secretary had the power to appoint the Prime Minister, the cabinet, the chief of staff and top military commanders. Aflaq was unsettled by the way things were moving, and in May he convened the Eighth National Congress to get a showdown between his followers and those of the Military Committee. However, this never came to fruition. Several civilian members of the National Command, such as the Lebanese Jibran Majdalani and the Saudi Ali Ghannam, advised caution, believing that if he pressed the Military Committee too hard the military would take over the Syrian Regional Branch, and then the Ba'ath Party—as had happened in Iraq following the ousting of the Iraqi Regional Branch. Because of their concerns, Aflaq kept quiet. But to his astonishment, keeping quiet caused him to lose his post as Secretary General – Aflaq was succeeded as Secretary General of the National Command by Munif al-Razzaz, a Jordanian of Syrian origin. However, the power between the two camps was unexpectedly reshuffled when Amin al-Hafiz defected to Aflaq's camp. In contrast to other military officers al-Hafiz had very little influence within or outside the party. Al-Hafiz's defection led to a resurgence of activity within Aflaq's faction, al-Bitar and Umran were brought back from Spain to form a new government. ### Downfall: 1966–1968 Al-Razzaz, Aflaq's successor as secretary general, came from the pro-Aflaq faction. With the defection of al-Hafez, he ordered that the National Command was the de jure ruling body of the Ba'ath Party. He appointed al-Bitar Prime Minister, Umran defence minister, Mansur al-Atrash as Chairman of the National Council of the Revolutionary Command and al-Hafiz retained his post as President of Syria. Salah Jadid, the Military Committee's strongman, responded by arresting several Umran supporters. Umran responded by dismissing a handful of pro-Jadid officials. The most important of these dismissals was the removal of Ahmad Suwaydani from the post of head of the country's military intelligence to head of the Officer Administration. On 23 February a coup d'état led by Jadid and Hafez al-Assad overthrew the Syrian Government and the Ba'ath Party leadership. Aflaq was exiled from Syria, and ordered never to return to his homeland. Members of the party's other factions fled; Aflaq was captured and detained, along with other pro-Aflaq supporters, in a government guest house. When the new rulers launched a purge in August that year, Aflaq managed to make his escape, with the help of Nasim Al Safarjalani and Malek Bashour, both closely trusted friends and colleagues, and hence was able to flee to Beirut, Lebanon, and later to Brazil. Aflaq's downfall caused a split within the Ba'ath Party; the party was de facto dissolved and two Ba'ath Parties were established, one Iraqi-led Ba'ath Party and one Syrian-led Ba'ath Party. The Syrian-led party was led by Jadid and his supporters and hailed Zaki al-Arsuzi, the founder of the Arab Ba'ath in 1940, as the father of Ba'athist thought, while the Iraqi-led party led by Ahmed Hassan al-Bakr and Saddam Hussein, still proclaimed Aflaq to be the founder of Ba'athist thought. In February 1966 at the Ninth National Congress, held after the coup which ousted the pro-Aflaq faction, the Iraqi delegation split with the Syrian Ba'athists. The Iraqis held the true Ninth National Congress in February 1968 in Beirut, and elected Aflaq as Secretary General of the National Command. Aflaq's election to the secretary generalship also proved to be his final break with al-Bitar; before the congress convened al-Bitar announced that he had left the Ba'ath Party and given up on the Ba'athist movement as a whole. ### Iraqi-led Ba'ath Party: 1968–1989 Aflaq moved to Baghdad following his reelection to the secretary generalship in February 1968. He stayed there until 1970, when Black September happened, he criticized the Ba'ath leadership for doing too little to help the Palestine Liberation Organisation during the conflict. During the conflict, Aflaq lobbied extensively for Yasser Arafat and the PLO. Aflaq wanted Iraqi intervention; al-Bakr, however, refused to get Iraq involved in such a conflict. Because of this, Aflaq returned to Lebanon in self-imposed exile. The government of Hafez al-Assad, the President of Syria, condemned Aflaq to death in absentia in 1971. ## Later life and death After four years of self-imposed exile Aflaq returned to Iraq in 1974, a year before the Lebanese Civil War broke out. He refrained from taking part in Iraqi politics. He published several works during this period, the most notable being The Struggle Against Distorting the Movement of Arab Revolution in 1975. Aflaq regained some of his influence when he befriended Saddam Hussein, President of Iraq from 1979 until 2003. During the Iran–Iraq War the Iranian leadership accused Hussein of being under the control of a Christian, and Aflaq himself was labelled "a Christian infidel". Effectively, throughout his tenure as secretary general in Iraq, Aflaq was given all due honour as the founder of the Ba'ath movement, but on policy-making, he was ignored. Aflaq died on 23 June 1989 in Paris, after undergoing heart surgery there. ## Alleged conversion to Islam Saddam Hussein claimed that Aflaq converted to Islam before his death. According to anonymous Western diplomats, Aflaq's own family disagreed with that claim, however Aflaq's son, Iyad, confirmed that his father thought about conversion in 1980. Upon his disputed conversion, he supposedly adopted "Ahmad" as a first name. According to the German orientalists Martin Robbe and Gerhard Höpp, the conversion happened before 1988. Regardless of the disagreements about his religion, he was given an Islamic funeral. According to the Berkley Center, anonymous members of Aflaq's family claimed that Aflaq's conversion was a lie made up by Saddam Hussein which he used as a tool to distance Ba'athism from Christianity. The tomb constructed on the orders of Hussein was later used as a military barrack by American soldiers after the 2003 American invasion of Iraq for troops stationed within the Green Zone. Aflaq's family reported that the tomb was badly damaged during the invasion. ## Funeral Upon his death in 1989 he was given a state funeral. A large tomb and mausoleum were erected to form a shrine for him. The tomb, widely regarded as a work of great artistic merit, designed by Iraqi architect Chadagee, was located on the western grounds of the Ba'ath Party Pan-Arab Headquarters, at the intersection of Al-Kindi street and the Qādisiyyah Expressway overpass. Although there were rumors and accusations that his tomb was destroyed during the 2003 Iraq War, the burial chamber and building above it were left untouched. Its blue-tiled dome can be seen above the concrete T-walls surrounding the Camp's perimeter. ## Thought ### "Unity, liberty, socialism" The Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party slogan "Unity, liberty, socialism" is the key tenet of Aflaq's and Ba'athist thought. Unity meant the unification of the Arab people into one nation, the Arab Nation. The creation of an Arab Nation would have direct implications on Arab development. The establishment of this new state would lead to an Arab Ba'ath (literally meaning "Renaissance"). The Arab nations of his time could only progressively "decline" if not unified; these nations had various ailments – "feudalism, sectarianism, regionalism, intellectual reactionism". The only way to "cure" the Arab nations was, according to Aflaq, through a revolutionary movement. Aflaq was influenced by Marxism in that he saw the need for a vanguard party to rule the Arab Nation for an indefinite period of time (the period would be a transition from the old to the new). The need for liberty was one of the defining features of Ba'athism, however, liberty not in the sense used by liberal democracies. Aflaq was a strong believer in pluralism of thought, but against pluralism in the form of votes. In theory, the Ba'ath Party would rule, and guide the people, in a transitional period of time without consulting the people because the party knew what was right. The last tenet, 'socialism', did not mean socialism as it is defined in the West, but rather a unique form of Arab socialism. Aflaq coined the word Arab socialism for his variant of socialism. Socialism, in its original form in the Arab world had, according to Aflaq, first come into being under the rule of Muhammad. The point of Arab socialism was not to answer questions such as: how much state control was necessary, or economic equality; but instead Arab socialism was a system that freed the Arab people from oppression and enslavement, which in turn created independent individuals. Aflaq opposed Marx's view that dialectical materialism was the only truth, but believed that the "importance of material economic conditions in life" was one of the greatest discoveries in modern history. Even so, Aflaq was critical of both capitalism and communism, and did not want either of the two power blocs to collapse during the Cold War, believing that the Cold War was a sort of check and balance on their power. For more than 2 decades, Michel Aflaq's essay compilation titled "Fi Sabil al-Ba'ath" (trans: "The Road to Renaissance") was the primary ideological book of the Ba'ath party. The work was published by Aflaq in 1940. ### Views on religion Aflaq's advocacy of a national revival conflicted with the problem of reconciling goals of Arab nationalism with the universal Islamic values so engrained in Arab life. His answer was to assert that Islam was the most sublime expression of Arabism: one had out grown out of the other and there is no contradiction between them. Arguing that Islam, from its inception, revealed in Arabic Qur'an, meets Arab needs, embodies Arab values and launched Arabs on their conquest of the known world. The idea of Islam being a culture rather than a faith took special attention from Arab Christians such as Aflaq. These views, however, were highly unorthodox and controversial when aired in lectures at Damascus University. They garnered significant criticism from devout Muslims, who viewed the suggestion that the Arab genius was the flowering of Islam rather than the revelation of God as offensive. Additionally, Christians accused him of selling out and nicknamed him 'Muhammed 'Aflaq'. Being influenced by a mixture of radical Hobbesian and Marxist ideas, Michel Aflaq viewed religion as the "opiate of the masses", which subverted efforts for the advancement of a socialist revolution. In 1956, Aflaq asserted that religion was a tool used by the elites of the traditional social order to maintain a corrupt system which facilitated the oppression and exploitation of the weaker classes of the society. He also claimed that religion was regularly exploited by oppressive elites to sedate the people and prevent the outbreak of mass revolutions against the prevailing socio-political order. Aflaq wrote in his collection of essays titled "Fi Sabil al-Ba'ath" (trans. "The Road to Renaissance"): > "... the oppressed who see religion in this era a weapon that the oppressors rely upon ... those who exploit the corrupt situation exploit this corruption because it drugs the people and because it prevents the people from a revolution against its oppressors and its enslavers." What Aflaq saw in Islam was a revolutionary movement. In contrast to other nationalities, the Arab awakening and expansion was attributed to a religious message. Because of this, Aflaq believed that the Arabs' spirituality was directly linked to Islam, therefore, one could never take Islam out of the equation of what is essentially, and essentially is not, Arab. Arab nationalism, just as Islam had been during the lifetime of Muhammad, was a spiritual revolutionary movement, leading the Arabs towards a new renaissance: Arab nationalism was the second revolution to appear in the Arab world. All Arab religious communities should, according to Aflaq, respect and worship the spirituality of Islam, even if they did not worship Islam in a religious sense – Aflaq was a Christian who worshipped Islam. Aflaq did not believe it was necessary to worship Muhammad, but believed that all Arabs should strive to emulate Muhammad. In the words of Aflaq himself, Arabs "belong to the nation that gave birth to a Muhammad; or rather, because this Arab individual is a member of the community which Muhammad put all his efforts into creating [...] Muhammad was all the Arabs; let us today make all the Arabs Muhammad." The Muslim of Muhammad's days were, according to Aflaq, synonymous with Arabs – the Arabs were the only ones to preach the message of Islam during Muhammad's lifetime. In contrast to Jesus, who was a religious leader, but not a political leader, Muhammad was both – the first leader of Islam and of the Arab world. Therefore, secularisation could not take the same shape in the Arab world as it did in the West. Aflaq called on all Arabs, both Muslim and non-Muslim alike, to admire the role Islam had played in creating the Arab character. But his view on Islam was purely spiritual, and Aflaq emphasised that Islam "should not be imposed" on state and society. Time and again Aflaq emphasised that the Ba'ath party was against atheism, but also equally against fundamentalism. For him, any fundamentalism represented a "shallow, false faith." According to Ba'athist ideology, all religions were equal. Despite his anti-atheist stance, Aflaq was a strong supporter of secular government, and stated that a Ba'athist state would replace religion with a state "based on a foundation – Arab nationalism, and a moral – freedom." ## Reception and legacy Fouad Ajami criticised Aflaq for a lack of real substance, stating, "Nearly three hundred pages of text yield no insight, on his part, into what went wrong and what needed to be done; there is only the visible infatuation with words", and "Aflaq summons the party to renounce power and go back to its 'pure essence'. There is some truth in this critique." Aflaq spent much time and energy writing optimistically about the future, and the past, of the Arab Nation, and how the Arab World could be unified. As Kanan Makiya, the author of Republic of Fear: The Politics of Modern Iraq, notes: for "Aflaq, reality is confined to the inner world of the party." In contrast to other philosophers, such as Karl Marx or John Locke, Aflaq's ideological view of the world makes no clear stand on the materialistic or socioeconomic behavior of humanity. While other philosophers make distinctions between what is real and what is not real, that is between prescriptive and descriptive analysis, Aflaq did not as a rule define what is and what ought to be. In his thought, both are molded into the same category: that which is attainable. In contrast to his longtime friend and colleague Salah al-Din al-Bitar, who was more practical when it came to politics, Aflaq was a "visionary, the dreamer rather unfitted for political life". Aflaq was described by his associates as an "ascetic, shy and intense figure living a simple and unpretentious life." He has been accused of seeking help from other people instead of fulfilling his goal by himself or with others he led; Aflaq collaborated with Gamal Abdel Nasser, Abd al-Karim Qasim and Abdul Rahman Arif in 1958, to Ahmed Hassan al-Bakr and Ali Salih al-Sadi in 1963 and finally in the 1970s to Saddam Hussein. There are several Ba'athists, mostly from the Syrian-led Ba'ath Party, who believe Aflaq stole Ba'athist ideology from its original founder, Zaki al-Arsuzi. These individuals have denounced, and labelled, Aflaq as a "thief". In his writings, Aflaq had been stridently in favor of free speech and other human rights and aid for the lower classes. During the Military Committee's gradual takeover of power in Syria, Aflaq rallied against what he saw as the establishment of a military dictatorship, instead of the democracy for which Aflaq had planned. These ideals were never realized by the governments that used his ideology. Most scholars see the Assad government in Syria and Saddam Hussein's government in Iraq to have only employed Aflaq's ideology as a pretense for dictatorship. ## Selected works - في سبيل البعث (English: On the Way of Resurrection, published 1947) - اتحاد سوريا و مصر (English: Unity Between Syria and Egypt, published 1958) - معركة المصير الوحيد (English: The Battle for One Destiny, published 1958) - نقطة البداية (English: The Starting Point, published 1971) - البعث و الوحدة (English: The Ba'ath and Arab Unity, published 1972) - البعث و الاشتراكية (English: The Ba'ath and Socialism, published 1973) - النضال ضد تشويه حركة الثورة العربية (English: The Struggle Against Distorting the Movement of Arab Revolution", published 1975)

# LACM 149371 LACM 149371 (Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County specimen 149371) is an enigmatic fossil mammalian tooth from the Paleogene (66 to 23 million years ago, mya) of Peru. It is from the Santa Rosa fossil site, which is of uncertain age but possibly late Eocene (55 to 34 mya) or Oligocene (34 to 23 mya). The tooth is poorly preserved and may have been degraded by acidic water or because it passed through a predator's digestive tract. Its largest dimension is 2.65 mm. It is triangular in shape and bears six cusps that surround the middle of the tooth, where there are three basins (fossae). Crests connects the cusps and separate the fossae. The microscopic structure of the enamel is poorly preserved. LACM 149371 was described in 2004 by Francisco Goin and colleagues, who tentatively interpreted the tooth as a left last upper molar. Although they saw similarities with South American ungulates, some early rodents, and multituberculates, they believed the tooth was most likely of a gondwanathere. Among gondwanatheres—a small and poorly known group otherwise known from the Cretaceous through Eocene of some of the southern continents (Gondwana)—they thought the Cretaceous Argentinian Ferugliotherium to be the most similar. ## Discovery and context LACM 149371 was discovered in 1998 at the Santa Rosa fossil site in the Ucayali Region of Peru. The Santa Rosa fauna also contains fossils of various unique species of marsupials and hystricognath rodents, a possible bat, and some notoungulates. The fauna was published in a volume of the Science Series of the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County in 2004, which included a paper by Francisco Goin and colleagues that described and discussed LACM 149371. The age of the Santa Rosa fauna remains highly uncertain, as the outcrop where the fossils were found cannot easily be placed in a known stratigraphical unit, and the fossils are so distinct from other known fossil faunas that biostratigraphy cannot provide a precise estimate. In a summary of the 2004 volume, Kenneth Campbell tentatively referred Santa Rosa to the Mustersan South American Land Mammal Age (SALMA), which he placed near the Eocene–Oligocene boundary, around 35 million years ago. However, Mario Vucetich and colleagues suggested in 2010 that the Santa Rosa fauna may be substantially later—perhaps as young as the Deseadan SALMA (late Oligocene, around 25 million years ago). According to Campbell, the Santa Rosa mammals likely lived in a savanna habitat that contained rivers. ## Description LACM 149371 is a poorly preserved molar-like tooth that largely lacks a recognizable enamel surface and shows many small grooves and holes on the crown surface. This suggests the tooth may have been chemically degraded, perhaps by acidic water or because it passed through the digestive tract of a predator. The roots are broken off, but remaining pulp cavities suggest the presence of four main roots, which are partially joined into two pairs. A smaller pulp cavity between those roots suggests the likely presence of a fifth root and a slight depression in the tooth may represent another root. The crown of the tooth is triangular and contains six cusps, connected by low crests, that surround two prominent, low-lying fossae (basins) and a third, smaller fossa. Because of the complexity of the crown, Goin and colleagues interpreted it as a molar; because of the number of roots, the arrangement of the cusps, and the shape of the tooth, as an upper molar; and because it tapers towards the end, as a last molar. One side, the longest, is flat and low compared to the others, suggesting it is the labial (outer) face. This would imply that the tooth is from the left jaw. Under this interpretation, the length of the tooth is 2.65 mm, width is 2.20 mm, height at the labial side is 1.05 mm, and height at the lingual side is 1.30 mm. For convenience, Goin and colleagues designated the six cusps as A through F: A on the front labial corner of the tooth; B on the labial face; C on the back corner; D on the lingual (inner) face; E on the front lingual corner; and F on the front face. The large front fossa is located between cusps A, B, D, E, and F; the smaller intermediate fossa is between cusps B and D; and the much smaller back fossa is just in front of cusp C. All three are nearly round. Cusp A, the largest cusp, is triangular in shape and is separated from the smaller, rounded B by a deep valley; a low crest connects the two cusps further lingually, separating the valley from the front fossa. At its back, B connects to a long crest that reaches the back fossa and behind it the small cusp C, which has a groove on its labial side. A valley separates it from cusp D. D itself is crest-shaped and forms the lingual wall of the intermediate fossa; it is described as "very odd", and may in fact consist of two fused, triangular cusps. A crest issuing from D separates the back from the intermediate fossa, and another, larger crest separates the front from the back fossa and nearly reaches cusp B. Cusp E is triangular and separated from cusps F and D by valleys, which are bordered internally by crests connecting the cusps. F is rounded. The microstructure of the tooth enamel is not clearly recognizable, evidently because the tooth is degraded, though structures resembling enamel prisms (bundles of hydroxyapatite crystals) and Hunter-Schreger bands are recognizable. ## Identity Because of the complexity of the crown, Goin and colleagues identified the tooth as a mammal; although some non-mammalian groups, like crocodylians, may have complex teeth, none approach the level of complexity seen in LACM 149371. They could find no resemblance to australosphenidans including monotremes, metatherians including marsupials, xenarthrans, and some related groups. They did see some general resemblances to the upper premolars of the early South American ungulates, but the cusp arrangement is different from that of any ungulate. There are also some resemblances to the early rodents Ivanantonia from Asia and Nonomys from North America, but Ivanantonia has a central groove and lacks fossae, and Nonomys has a prominent cingulum (shelf) at the edges of the tooth and also lacks the fossae of LACM 149371. The tooth resembles multituberculates—a large group of extinct mammals with many-cusped teeth—in the shapes of the valleys and crests, but multituberculates lack fossae and usually have quadrangular teeth with two longitudinal rows of cusps separated by a central valley. In the same features, LACM 149371 resembles gondwanatheres, a small and enigmatic group of mammals from the Cretaceous through Eocene of the southern (Gondwanan) continents that may be related to multituberculates. In particular, Ferugliotherium from the late Cretaceous of Argentina has similarly formed cusps and also has crests that connect the cusps to the center of the tooth. However, the upper molars are unknown, and the low-crowned teeth of Ferugliotherium lack deep fossae. Members of the higher-crowned gondwanathere family Sudamericidae do have fossae. Goin and colleagues conclude that LACM 149371 most likely represents a member of the gondwanathere family Ferugliotheriidae; if so, it would be among the youngest known gondwanatheres.

# 1492 papal conclave The 1492 papal conclave (6–11 August) was convened after the death of Pope Innocent VIII (25 July 1492). It was the first papal conclave to be held in the Sistine Chapel. Cardinal Rodrigo Borja was elected unanimously on the fourth ballot as Pope Alexander VI. The election is notorious for allegations that Borja bought the votes of his electors, promising them lucrative appointments and other material gifts. Concerns about this conclave were among the reasons that Pope Julius II — who was at the time of the election one of the foremost candidates and participants, as Cardinal Giuliano della Rovere — enacted stronger rules against simony in 1503, shortly after Alexander VI's death in the same year. In the 1492 conclave, Charles VIII of France reportedly bankrolled 200,000 ducats (plus 100,000 ducats from the Doge of Genoa) for the election of Giuliano della Rovere. ## Cardinal electors Of the 23 cardinals participating in the conclave, fourteen had been elevated by Pope Sixtus IV. The cardinals of Sixtus IV, known as the "Sistine Cardinals" and led by Giuliano della Rovere, had controlled the conclave of 1484, electing one of their own, Giambattista Cibo as Pope Innocent VIII. Since 1431 the composition of the College of Cardinals had been radically transformed, increasing the number of cardinal-nephews (from 3 to 10), crown-cardinals (from 2 to 8), and representatives of powerful Roman noble families (from 2 to 4). With the exception of three curial officials and one pastor, the cardinals were "secularly-minded princes largely unconcerned with the spiritual life of either the Latin church or its members." At the time of Innocent VIII's death, the names of Cardinals Gherardo and Sanseverino (both created in pectore), had not been published, thus making them ineligible to participate in the conclave; however, both were published as an act of the College in sede vacante, Gherardo having been pushed by Giovanni Battista Orsini and Sanseverino by Ascanio Sforza. Gherardo was assigned the title of Santi Nereo e Achilleo, which it was believed Innocent VIII had intended for him; Sanseverino was given the poor and undesirable diaconate of San Teodoro to ensure that the future pontiff would confirm his assignment. According to the account of bishop ambassador Giovanni Andrea Boccaccio, at least seven cardinals considered themselves papabile, having dismantled the furnishings of their palaces as a precaution against the traditional pillaging of the pope-elect's residence by the Roman populace: da Costa, di Campofregoso, Michiel, Piccolomini, Domenico della Rovere, Savelli, and Zeno. ### Absent cardinals There is no evidence that the 4 absent cardinals made an attempt to reach Rome for the conclave. ## Procedures As dictated by the prescriptions Ubi periculum and Ne Romani, the conclave should have begun on 4 August, ten days after the death of Innocent VIII; however, the conclave was delayed to await the slow arrival of the aged Gherardo, bearing a letter from Venice's Council of Ten urging his acceptance into the College. The cardinals had decided as early as their first meeting on 24 July to use the Sistine Chapel for the balloting and assembly of the conclave. Johann Burchard, the German papal master of ceremonies, who presided over the conclave, as well as the previous one in 1484, kept an extensive diary, noting that each cardinal was provided: > A table, a chair, a stool. A seat for the dischargement of the stomach. Two urinals, two small napkins for the table of the lord. Twelve little napkins for the same lord and four hand towels. Two little cloths for wiping cups. Carpet. A chest or box for the garments of the lord, his shirts, rochets, towels for wiping the face and a handkerchief. Four boxes of sweets for provisions. One vessel of sugared pine-seeds. Marzipan. Cane sugar. Biscuits. A lump of sugar. A small pair of scales. A hammer. Keys. A spit. A needle case. A writing case with penknife, pen, forceps, reed pens, and pen stand. A quire of paper for writing. Red wax. A water jug. Salt cellar. Knives. Spoons. Forks [...]. The Mass of the Holy Spirit (celebrated by Giuliano della Rovere rather than Borja who as Dean would traditionally have been the celebrant) and then a speech by Bernardino Lopez de Carvajal, a Spaniard and the ambassador to Ferdinand and Isabella, on the "evils afflicting the Church" preceded the beginning of the conclave on 6 August 1492. Another Spaniard, Gonzalo Fernandez de Heredia, archbishop of Tarragona, was appointed prefect of the Vatican. Two important offices during sede vacante were filled with compatriots of Cardinal Borja, and it is believed that they both were chosen by Borja in his capacity as Dean to strengthen his position before the conclave. The remainder of 6 August was consumed by the drafting and subscription to the conclave capitulation, which—although not extant—is known to have restricted the number of new cardinals which could be created by the new pope. ## Vote count The first ballot ("scrutiny"), held on 8 August was said to have resulted in nine votes for Carafa, seven for Borja, Costa, and Michiel, and five for Giuliano della Rovere, with Sforza notably receiving zero votes. The second ballot produced nine for Carafa, eight for Borja, seven for Michiel, and five for Giuliano della Rovere. According to the Florentine Ambassador, one of the guards of the conclave, as of 10 August there had been three unsuccessful ballots, favoring Costa and Carafa, but in no way indicating Borja might be chosen. According to Sigismondo de' Conti, papal secretary and chronicler, the vote was unanimous on the fourth ballot, taken early in the morning on 11 August although Borja had only 15 votes prior to the accessus; other accounts say Borja received all the votes except for his own, which he gave to Carafa. According to the Catholic Encyclopedia, the election of Rodrigo Borja was "almost entirely due to" Giambattisti Orsini. ## Allegations of simony According to Pastor, 'the corruption during the reign of Pope Innocent VIII had increased to such an extent that it became possible by bribery to procure the election of such a successor as Pope Alexander VI The Venetian envoy to Milan informed his confrère in Ferrara: "that by simony and a thousand villanies and indecencies the papacy has been sold, which is a disgraceful and detestable business", adding that he expected Spain and France to withhold their support from the new pontiff. After the conclave, a ubiquitous epigram within Rome was: "Alexander sells the Keys, the Altar, Christ Himself—he has a right to for he bought them." On 10 August after the third ballot, Ascanio Sforza allegedly came to believe his own ambitions of being elected pope were impossible and became susceptible to Borja's offer: the office of Vice-Chancellor and the associated Palazzo Borgia, the Castle of Nepi, the bishopric of Erlau (with annual revenue of 10,000 ducats) and other benefices. Sforza was also reputed to have received four mule-loads of silver (some sources say gold), which Borja ordered to be delivered immediately after the deal was struck. The price of the other cardinals was as follows: Orsini, the fortified towns of Monticelli and Soriano, the legation of the Marches, and the bishopric of Cartagena (with annual revenue of 5,000 ducats); Colonna, the abbey of Subiaco and its environs (with annual revenue of 3,000 ducats); Savelli, Civita Castellana and the bishopric of Majorca; Pallavicini, the bishopric of Pampeluna (Pamplona); Michiel, the suburbicarian see of Porto; Riario, Spanish benefices with annual income of 4,000 ducats and the return of a house in the Piazza Navona (which Sforza had occupied) to the children of Count Girolamo. Sanseverino's compensation included Rodrigo Borgia's house in Milan. Cardinals Sclafenati and Domenico della Rovere were to receive abbacies and/or benefices. Cardinals Andicino della Porta and Conti followed Sforza, whom they had originally supported. The aforementioned cardinals plus Borja's own vote numbered 14, one short of the required two-thirds majority. However, Cardinals Carafa, Costa, Piccolomini, Cibò, and Zeno, followed by Medici, were unwilling to be bribed. Cardinal Giuliano della Rovere, followed by Basso, was intractably opposed to Borja's election. Thus, the eighty-six-year-old Gherardo, the Cardinal Patriarch of Venice, who was paid only 5,000 ducats, constituted the deciding vote. According to Professor Picotti, who extensively researched the conclave and came to the conclusion that simony had occurred, no accounts of papal income and expenditure exist in the registers of Introitus et Exitus for August 1492, and debts from the Apostolic Camera to Cardinals Campofregoso, Domenico della Rovere, Sanseverino, and Orsini appeared soon afterwards. The Spannocchi bank, which housed much of Borja's wealth, was said to have nearly crashed after the conclave due to the velocity of transactions. Some sources say that Charles VIII of France had bankrolled 200,000 ducats (plus 100,000 ducats from the Doge of Genoa) for the election of Giuliano della Rovere, although several otherwise bribable cardinals were hostile to French interference. Other historians regard politics as a stronger factor within the conclave than pure simony, with the personal rivalry between Giuliano della Rovere and Ascanio Sforza (who had met to discuss the upcoming conclave in Castel Gandolfo even before Innocent VIII had died) substituting for the ancient struggle between Naples and Milan, with the intractability between the two parties making Borja a viable candidate. ## Aftermath When Giuliano della Rovere was elected Pope Julius II in 1503, he issued a bull annulling any papal election brought about by simony, and defrocking and excommunicating any cardinal who sold his vote. Although the twenty-six day reign of Pope Pius III intervened between Alexander VI and Julius II, the alleged unscrupulousness of the Borgia pope was still firmly in the institutional memory of the Roman Curia. While cardinal during the reign of Alexander VI, Julius II had been assailed politically and often militarily outside the sturdy wall of his Castle of Ostia. ## Media The conclave is fictionalized in the 2011 premiere episode of the Showtime series The Borgias, with Jeremy Irons as Borja and Colm Feore as della Rovere, and across several episodes of Tom Fontana's Borgia of the same year, with John Doman as Borja and Dejan Čukić as della Rovere. For multiple years academic and author Ada Palmer held a course simulating the 1492 papal conclave.

# Whitburn, Tyne and Wear Whitburn is a village in South Tyneside, in the metropolitan county of Tyne and Wear on the coast of North East England. It is located 3 miles (4.8 km) north of the city of Sunderland and 4 miles (6.4 km) south of the town of South Shields. Historically, Whitburn is part of County Durham. Other nearby population centres include Seaburn, Cleadon and Marsden. The village lies on a south-facing slope, part of Durham's Magnesian Limestone plateau, which overlooks Sunderland. The population for the combined Whitburn and Marsden Ward in the 2011 UK Census was 7,448. For much of its history, Whitburn was a fishing and agricultural community. The village contains three schools, three churches, a cricket club, recreational grounds, a pub and a variety of shops. ## Etymology The first written instance of Whitburn is in the Boldon Book of 1183, where the village is recorded as Whitberne. This name may refer to a stream or burn running through the village. Alternatively, the origin could come from Hwita Byrgen, or Hwita's tumulus, the place where the Saxon nobleman Hwita was buried. Other possible origins are Kwit-Berne, an Anglo-Saxon word for a tithe barn, or hwīt + bere-ærn, Old English for "white barn". ## History The earliest evidence of human occupation in Whitburn dates back to the Mesolithic period (8,000–4,500BC). Lumps of burnt daub have been discovered at Potter's Hole on the coast, probably from a timber structure. Archaeological deposits and Mesolithic flint scatters have been found at nearby sites, including St Peter's Church, Monkwearmouth. Neolithic and Bronze Age flints have also been found in Whitburn. A Bronze Age cist burial was uncovered in Wheatall Farm in 1929 which contained a 35-year-old person buried with an arrowhead, flints and limpets. When the bishopric of Monkwearmouth was founded in 674, the king gifted all of the royal estates east of Dere Street and north of the River Wear – which included Whitburn – to the Church. Cuthbert, the Bishop of Lindisfarne at the time, was responsible for spreading Christianity throughout the North East. Whitburn was located within an important centre of European learning and culture at this time, being situated between the monasteries of Jarrow and Monkwearmouth. Part of the village to the south has been designated as an Area of Potential Archaeological Importance as it is the site of a medieval village. During the Middle Ages, Whitburn was both a township and a parish. Whitburn Parish included the townships of Whitburn and Cleadon. By the 12th century, Whitburn appears to have been well-established as a two row green village (two rows of properties facing onto a linear green). Whitburn had a tithe barn, a stone building which formed part of the village's feudal system, situated off Church Lane until it was destroyed by a bomb in the Second World War. Whitburn Parish Church (constructed in the 13th century) and Whitburn Hall (constructed in the 16th century) became the focal points of the village. Whitburn is recorded in the Boldon Book of 1183 as Whitberne and was listed alongside Cleadon. The combined land area of Cleadon and Whitburn was approximately 3,309 acres (5.2 sq mi), suggesting that the settlements were well-established by the time of the Boldon Book. The entry in the Boldon Book mentions a "John of Whitburn" who "holds 40 acres and 1 toft and returns 8s and goes on missions for the Bishop." The use of the word "cornage", an old form of taxation pre-dating the Anglo-Saxon period, further suggests that Whitburn was among the oldest of settlements in the area. In 1183, Whitburn and Boldon formed part of the bishop's estates and much of the surrounding land belonged to the Prior of Durham Cathedral. 200 years after the Boldon Book, the Bishop of Durham (Thomas Hatfield) commissioned the Hatfield Survey. Cleadon and Whitburn are again listed together as a single parish with two townships. The survey also mentions Whitburn Windmill. Whitburn operated under a manorial system until 1718 when the Land Enclosure Act came into force and a number of farms were created. Until the mid-late 19th century, Whitburn was a largely agricultural and fishing community. Throughout the 19th century, the population of Whitburn Parish grew from 675 in 1801 to 2,738 in 1891, largely driven by increased industrialisation. A contemporary description from 1834 describes the villages as having "a more sheltered and comfortable appearance than most places on the bare-eastern coast." Another description of the village from 1857 records it as having "a Wesleyan Methodist chapel, a post-office, a brewery, and three public houses." The 1891 census reveals that Whitburn's population included wealthy industrialists, entrepreneurs, coalminers and fishermen. Detached villas and terraces were built along with two schools and the Wesleyan Chapel, which was replaced by the current Methodist Church in 1881. Whitburn Colliery (also known as Marsden Colliery) opened in the 1840s, stimulating the local brick and iron industries and fulfilling the growing demand for coal. By 1931, Whitburn Colliery produced over 18,000 tons of coal per week, serving the surrounding Marsden pit village. It closed on 1 June 1968 and the village was demolished. In 1931 the parish of Whitburn had a population of 6,082. On 1 April 1936 the parish was abolished with most of the area, including the village itself, becoming part of Boldon Urban District and a smaller part going to South Shields. Boldon Urban District was abolished in 1974 when the area was transferred from County Durham to Tyne and Wear. No successor parish was created for the former urban district and so it became an unparished area. Lewis Carroll visited his cousin Margaret Wilcox while she lived in Whitburn, along with Lady Hedworth Williamson of Whitburn Hall (second cousin of Alice Liddell). It is popularly believed that Carroll wrote The Walrus and the Carpenter while holidaying in Whitburn. During the First World War, Whitburn had primary shore and cliff defences. The stretch of east coastline from Sunderland to Whitburn was established by the 3rd Battalion of the Cheshire Regiment, and the stretch from Whitburn to the Tyne was established by the 3rd Battalion of the Durham Light Infantry. In 1918, the War Office report recorded a training ground at Marsden Farm in Whitburn. Prefabricated hutment camps were also recorded in West Hall and South Bents Farm in Whitburn. Two rifle ranges from the time are still visible today in the village. In 1921, a war memorial was erected on the village green. During the Second World War, the coastline at Whitburn often came under attack from German bombing raids. On one occasion on 9 August 1940, a Heinkel He 111H-E crashed into the sea after dropping bombs on Sunderland. The German airmen all survived and were rescued from the water. The cottages at Whitburn Bents were also badly damaged during heavy bombing in 1940. Whitburn had a few wartime defences. A bombing decoy, known as a starfish site, was built at Wellands Farm near Whitburn. It was designed to look like a city on fire in order to confuse bombers travelling to the Tyne and Sunderland docks. A heavy anti-aircraft battery was installed at Lizard Lane in 1940, and Whitburn windmill was used by observer corps as an observation post to warn of oncoming enemies at sea. Throughout the 20th century, there was much residential development in Whitburn largely to the north and east of the village's historic core. This led to the village's function as a commuter settlement. ## Demography At the time of the 2001 UK Census, Whitburn had a population of 5,235. In the 2011 UK Census, the Whitburn and Marsden Ward had 7,448 usual residents. The average age of the residents was 43.6, slightly above the average for South Tyneside. The vast majority (97.9%) of residents identified as white and 97.5% were born in the UK. The largest religious group was Christianity (75.2% of residents). The majority of residents (58.2%) were in employment, with wholesale and retail trade and health and social work activities being the most common industries for the area. The most common occupation was 'Professional' (16.2%). ## Governance In the UK national parliament, Whitburn is part of the South Shields constituency. Until the 2010 UK General Election, Whitburn was part of the Jarrow constituency. Boundary changes caused the village to move into the South Shields constituency prior to the election. As of 2022, Emma Lewell-Buck (Labour) his the local MP and has been since May 2013. In the 2019 General Election, Lewell-Buck won with a 9,585 vote majority. As of 2022, the ward of Whitburn and Marsden is represented by local councillors Peter Boyack, Tracey Dixon, and Joyce Welsh (all Labour). ## Features Whitburn has retained its village character, with its main street, parish church, cricket ground and park with bowling greens and tennis courts. The street plan of the medieval core of the village largely remains today and can be seen in the layout of Front Street. ### Whitburn windmill Whitburn windmill, dating from the 18th century, is a Grade 2 listed building and a local landmark. It is located to the north of the village. It is the oldest surviving of local stone tower mills. The original windmill was a wooden post mill which is recorded in a 1779 coastal shipping survey. The original mill blew down in a storm and was replaced by the current limestone magnesian structure in around 1796. The windmill would have ground corn from local farms which was then used to make bread. Towards the end of the 19th century, however, steam-powered mills grew in prominence and Whitburn mill eventually ceased operation in 1896. South Tyneside Council took over ownership of the windmill in 1960, and in 1991–1992, they undertook a restoration project of the mill for which it was awarded the Civic Trust Award. ### Whitburn Bents Whitburn Bents is an area located on the coastline to the south of the village. It features a small arch of early 20th century cottages on the site of a former fisherman's cottage and an 18th century farmstead. The land was formerly a fishing hamlet. The name "Bents" is derived from the coarse grass (agrostis, or bentgrass) that can be found in the local coastal area. Whitburn Bents and Whitburn Village were historically recognised as two separate communities, largely due to the difference in the inhabitants' occupations; by the 19th century, Bents was a farming and fishing community, whereas residents of Whitburn Village had a more diverse range of occupations including industrialists and coalminers. In 1938, Sir Hedworth Williamson demolished the cottages at Bents and rebuilt them in a manner which resembles their current crescent form. These buildings were badly damaged by bombing during the Second World War. After the Second World War, the cottages were rebuilt with their original design largely retained. South Bents Farm, originally established in the 18th century, remained in use until the 1960s. South Bents Farmhouse, located to the south of the concave of cottages, is a Grade 2 listed building. Much of the evidence of early farming activities has been lost due to modern developments, ### Whitburn Coastal Park To the north of the village, near Marsden village, is Whitburn Coastal Park. It is situated on the site of the former Whitburn Colliery and consists of a range of grassland, woodland and scrub habitats. It is cared for by the National Trust. The area was designated as a Local Nature Reserve in 2003. This recreation area is a popular haunt for birdwatchers. The coastline from Trow Point to Whitburn is an International and European Wildlife Site. The birds that visit each winter arrive in internationally significant numbers, including purple sandpiper and turnstone which arrive from Scandinavia. Sanderling, ringed plover and redshank also appear on the coastline here in nationally significant numbers. Seals and dolphins have also been spotted on the coastline. ### Shops, amenities and recreation Whitburn contains shops which include convenience stores, a butchers, an ice-cream parlour, an antiques store and pubs. Historically, a recreational ground was gifted to the village in 1897. Today, Cornthwaite Park to the south of the village is Whitburn's primary recreational space. The Park, named after a local councillor, was constructed in the 1960s and was built on open land previously known as Church Fields. It contains flower beds, ornamental tree planting, a children's play area, a bowling green, and tennis courts. Whitburn Cricket Club was established in 1862 in the grounds of Whitburn Hall. The club still survives today, located on East Street to the north of Cornthwaite Park. Another local sports club, Whitburn Golf Club, is located to the east of Cleadon Hills. ### Schools The village's first school was built in 1824 and a second was built in 1856. Today, there are three schools in Whitburn: Whitburn Village Primary School, Marsden Primary School and Whitburn Church of England Academy (formerly Whitburn Comprehensive School). The schools' latest Ofsted inspections records all three as being "Good". ### Religion Whitburn has three churches: Whitburn Parish Church, St Vincent's Catholic Church and Whitburn Methodist Church. Whitburn Parish Church is a Grade 2 listed building and is the oldest surviving building in the village. Little is known of the church's history and there is no record of its dedication. However, there is evidence that it dates from the 13th century. The top of the tower was added in the 15th century, and the church was restored by Newcastle architects Austin & Johnson in 1867-8. Following the attack of the Spanish Armada on England in 1588, two Spanish galleons ran aground on Whitburn Rocks and it is thought that two bells from one of the galleons were placed in Whitburn Church when it was restored. Until All Saints' Church in Cleadon was built in 1869, the residents of Cleadon used Whitburn Parish Church as their place of worship. The church contains an effigy tomb dating from 1689 which contains the bodies of Michael and Isobel Matthew – a couple from the Matthew family of Cleadon who originally built the historic building of Cleadon Tower. The tomb is a testimony to the family's wealth and significance. Michael Matthew is represented on the tomb as an elderly gentleman lying down, his head on a pillow, and holding a book with the inscription shall not lye here but rise. Saint Vincent's Catholic Church is a small church built in the 1950s located on Mill Lane at the corner of Poplar Drive. Whitburn Methodist Church is located on the corner of Lizard Lane. It was constructed in 1881 to replace the original Wesleyan Chapel. Wesleyan influence entered the area when John Wesley visited Sunderland and Cleadon in the mid-18th century. ## Transport Whitburn lies on the A183 which connects Sunderland to South Shields. Whitburn was historically quite an isolated settlement; a road connecting the Bents to Sunderland was constructed in 1865, and only in 1929 was the north-south route (now the A183) completed. By the 1920s, a regular bus route operated on this road running from Sunderland to South Shields. However, low connectivity to and from the village has continued into the 21st century. Only a few roads connect Whitburn to surrounding population centres (the A183 to South Shields, Roker and Sunderland, and the B1299 to East Boldon). No railway lines enter Whitburn and so the area is not directly served by the Tyne and Wear Metro. The nearest Metro stations are East Boldon and Seaburn. The area is served by the Go North East and Stagecoach North East bus operators. ## Notable people - Thomas Elliot Harrison – engineer. Lived and died in Whitburn. - Jimmy Seed – footballer, striker for Tottenham Hotspur where he won the FA Cup in 1921. Brought up in Whitburn. - Jack Young and Billy Henderson (footballers) – both full-backs played for West Ham United in the 1923 FA Cup Final. Born in Whitburn. - Jack Smith – footballer for Portsmouth Football Club. Born in Whitburn. - Jack Weddle – footballer, striker for Portsmouth and Blackburn Rovers. Lived in Whitburn. - Sep Smith – footballer, player for Leicester City F.C. Born in Whitburn. - Bill Robinson – footballer, striker for Sunderland, member of Charlton Athletic's 1947 FA Cup-winning side, and West Ham United. Born in Whitburn. - Dave Clelland – Scottish footballer. Died in Whitburn aged 80. - Julie Elliott – Labour Party MP for Sunderland Central. Born in Whitburn. - Nadine Shah – musician. Grew up in Whitburn.

# PTV (Family Guy) "PTV" is the fourteenth episode in the fourth season of the American animated television series Family Guy. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on November 6, 2005. The episode sees the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) censor the shows on television after a controversial wardrobe malfunction at the Emmy Awards. Peter starts to create his own TV network which he calls PTV, broadcasting classic shows unedited and uncut, as well as original programming. PTV is a big success, and Stewie and Brian join him, creating shows for the network. Lois calls the FCC to close PTV as she is concerned how children would be influenced by Peter's programming. Not only do the FCC close down the network, but they also start censoring the citizens of Quahog, so the Griffin family travels to Washington, D.C., and convinces Congress to have the FCC's rules reversed. The episode was written by Alec Sulkin and Wellesley Wild and was directed by Dan Povenmire. The episode is a response to the FCC's measures to the Super Bowl XXXVIII halftime show controversy. Show creator Seth MacFarlane commented that the episode's plot was inspired by the rage of the Family Guy crew towards the strict rules that the FCC made after the controversy. The episode contains a sequence of various scenes from different previous episodes. Many of the scenes were cut from the episodes they were originally made for owing to Fox's internal censors. With a Nielsen rating of 4.4, "PTV" was the nineteenth most-watched episode of the week in which it was broadcast. The episode gained mostly positive responses from critics, and received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Animated Program (for Programming Less Than One Hour) as well as an Annie Award nomination for directing. ## Plot In a sequence unconnected to the remainder of the episode, Stewie prevents Osama bin Laden from sending a hostile message to the United States by attacking him and killing several of his henchmen (though before that happens, the terrorists were messing around when Laden was unable to recover from a slip of the tongue when first making the video), and (in a parody of the opening scene from The Naked Gun) rides off on his Big Wheel, cycling through scenes from various films and video games. He eventually arrives at his house, where he runs over Homer Simpson. Upon seeing Homer on the ground, Peter asks "Who the hell is that?" In the episode itself, Peter awakens Lois by noisily installing a red carpet in their bedroom, anticipating watching the Emmy Awards, but Lois forces him to go to Meg's school play (which resembles the musical Godspell) instead. After David Hyde Pierce's wardrobe malfunction during the ceremony, the FCC, led by Cobra Commander, receives an insignificant volume of phone calls concerning the incident, and decides to censor any content from television that could be even slightly harmful to viewers. The censorship is applied to such content as Chrissy Snow's cleavage from Three's Company, Ralph Kramden's threats of spousal abuse on The Honeymooners and even Dick Van Dyke's name. Peter is outraged, and on advice from Tom Tucker, starts his own TV network, PTV, on which he broadcasts classic shows unedited. He also includes original programming, such as Brian and Stewie's sitcom Cheeky Bastard, Quagmire's Midnight Q, Dogs Humping, and The Peter Griffin Sideboob Hour. PTV is successful, but Lois is furious about everyone's interest in perverted TV, as she is concerned over how children will be influenced by Peter's programming (in the DVD release, Peter and Cleveland, in a parody of Jackass, defecate on top of Lois' car; the theme to the Jackass parody would later be used in the episode "The Man with Two Brians" while the Griffins are actually watching Jackass). Brian comes to Peter's defense by arguing that parents and legal guardians are the ones who should ultimately take responsibility for what their kids watch—he also notes that there are much worse influences for kids besides what they see in pop culture. Regardless, Lois calls the FCC to have PTV switched off for good. This prompts Peter, along with Brian and Stewie, to perform an elaborate musical number lampooning the FCC's regulations. Although impressed with the song, the arriving FCC representatives shut down PTV. When Peter tells them that they cannot prevent people from being who they are even after they censor television, they decide to take on the challenge. The representatives start to censor any foul language and inappropriate behavior in Quahog, ruining moments of privacy: a "censor's bar" is pulled over Peter's genitals by FCC employees as he leaves the shower, all expletives are drowned out with an air horn, audible farts are overdubbed with Steven Wright punchlines, and Mayor Adam West is cautioned for shaking his penis more than once after using a urinal. Everyone in Quahog is outraged by this change except for Lois, who believes that the citizens need a lesson in decency. However, she discovers that the FCC's guidelines ultimately prevent her and Peter from having sex. Realizing the consequences of her actions and that they were self-righteous as she haven't sex in two weeks, Lois apologizes to Peter and admits that he was right all along (prompting him to unveil a banner reading "Peter's Right\!" which he had set up 15 years earlier in preparation for such an event; a clown was also supposed to appear, but he ended up dying and being reduced to a skeleton). They lobby Congress to have the FCC's rulings reversed; at first they disagree due to their strong support of the FCC, but they relent when Peter retorts by making them realize the resemblance of many Washington buildings to various private parts, including the Washington Monument to a penis, the Capitol Building to a breast and The Pentagon to an anus. With the oppression of the FCC finally over, Lois congratulates Peter, and the family watches an episode of The Brady Bunch that prominently features toilet humor. ## Production The episode was co-written by Alec Sulkin and Wellesley Wild. Patrick Meighan, John Viener, Cherry Chevapravatdumrong, Tom Devanney and Kirker Butler acted as staff writers in the episode. The plot of "PTV" is a parody of the FCC's measures after Janet Jackson's wardrobe malfunction during the Super Bowl XXXVIII halftime show. In an interview, MacFarlane was asked where the inspiration to the episode's plot came from, in his response he commented that "In the case of 'PTV' it came out of rage. Rage over all the crap we have to deal with since Janet Jackson showed her 67 year old boob." The episode was directed by Dan Povenmire, while Peter Shin contributed as supervising director. Various scenes in "PTV" were taken out of the episode due to Fox's internal censors. As the writers worked on the episode the producers ended up, as the Chicago Tribune describes it, "horse trading" with Fox, removing a body-part reference in exchange for a dirty word. While the writing staff of the show was disappointed with the number of scenes that were removed from the episode, they were happy with the final result. The opening sequence, of which Family Guy's creator Seth MacFarlane was particularly proud, was added into the episode after the producers discovered the episode ran three minutes short. The episode contained a montage which showcased the most bawdy moments of the previous seasons; Povenmire recalled the sequence; about it he stated that "I just found those off the DVD and digitized them and edited them in. Basically because I didn't want to draw all those things\! I found the most disgusting images from the first three seasons. And we actually got network notes on two of them saying, 'You're gonna have to cut that\!' And I went, 'This has been on the air\! And I'm only showing 8 frames of it\!' And it turns out we cut them now when they're on the air. So apropos for the FCC episode." "PTV" and the thirteen other episodes from Family Guy's fourth season were released on a three-disc DVD set in the United States, in Europe, and in Australia on November 16, 2006, April 24, 2006 and May 29, 2006 respectively. The DVDs included brief audio commentaries by Seth MacFarlane, various crew and cast members from several episodes, a collection of deleted scenes, and a special mini-feature that shows director Peter Shin drawing Stewie. The episode was shown in the William S. Paley Television Festival, with which various writers, directors and voice actors of the show assisted. All the main Family Guy cast members lent their voices to the episode, along with semi-regulars Lori Alan, Adam West, Ralph Garman, Gary Cole and Phil LaMarr. Staff writers Chris Sheridan and John Viener also had minor speaking roles. Guest appearances included voice actors Keith Ferguson, Maurice LaMarche, Hunter Gomez, Wally Wingert, and actress Stacey Scowley. Like with most episodes, the music in the episode was composed by Walter Murphy, including the song titled "The Freaking FCC", with additional music edited by Ron Jones, who also composed for other episodes until 2014. ## Cultural references "PTV" contained various cultural references. "PTV" has been described as a satire on the "government's ever-increasing reach into our living rooms" by Television Watch executive director Jim Dyke. The opening sequence in which Stewie beats up members of Al-Qaeda and then rides his tricycle through various movie and game scenes is a reference to the opening sequence of Bobby's World and The Naked Gun series of films. The movies from which animated scenes are shown are The Wizard of Oz, Ben-Hur, The Shining, and The Sound of Music. Actual footage of The Empire Strikes Back and the video game Doom were also used. The FCC censors various television shows, such as Ralph Kramden's threats of physical violence in The Honeymooners, two-thirds of Dick Van Dyke's name in The Dick Van Dyke Show ("dick" and "dyke" being slang terms for penis and lesbian, respectively), Archie Bunker and wife Edith dressed as Ku Klux Klan members from All in the Family, John-Boy being caught masturbating in The Waltons and Chrissy Snow's bikini in a Three's Company episode. Former Frasier cast member David Hyde Pierce was briefly mentioned in the episode. The extreme reaction of the FCC to Pierce's incident is a parody of the FCC's reaction to Janet Jackson's "wardrobe malfunction" during Super Bowl XXXVIII. Bob Hope, Wile E. Coyote, Ozzy Osbourne, Cobra Commander, Apache Chief, George W. Bush and Homer Simpson made appearances in cutaway gags. Terrorist Osama bin Laden was depicted prominently in the opening sequence. Stewie and bin Laden's sword fight has the same choreography as Yoda and Count Dooku's fight in the film Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones. In the uncensored version, one of PTV's shows, "Douchebags" is a parody of the MTV's Jackass, both the TV show and its series of films. The end of the episode is a parody to the ending of The Brady Bunch. ## Reception The episode was broadcast on November 6, 2005 on Fox. It gained a Nielsen rating of 4.4, making it the nineteenth most watched program in the week of October 31 to November 6. The episode was positively received by critics. Maureen Ryan of the Chicago Tribune called "PTV" "Family Guy's most rebellious outing yet". TV Squad critic Ryan Budke considered "PTV" his favorite episode ever. Jacqueline Cutler of The Star-Ledger called "PTV" " the funniest, most sardonic half-hour on TV in a while." While exclusively airing the sixth season of Family Guy for British audiences, BBC Three aired this episode as part of the Family Guy 100th Anniversary special, declaring it to be "The Best Episode...So Far". The Hartford Courant, however, gave it a largely negative review, stating it was "not even funny for a second." MacFarlane revealed in an interview that the crew received a letter of inquiry from the U.S. regulatory board regarding the episode, but much to his surprise, "they actually thought it was funny." The 59th Primetime Emmy Awards opened with Stewie and Brian singing about the upcoming TV season using the tune from "The FCC Song", originating from this episode. The altered version of the song contained references to shows such as Scrubs, Two and a Half Men, The Sopranos and Cavemen. Tom Eames of entertainment website Digital Spy placed the episode at number eight on his listing of the best Family Guy episodes in order of "yukyukyuks" and noted the episode was show writer's "way of aiming all their anger at the agencies who get in the way." He added that episode was "one of those episodes where all the jokes worked" and featured "the show's first over-the-top song numbers". IGN ranked PTV sixth in its "Top 15 Family Guy Episodes," compiled in 2014 for the 15th anniversary of the series. "PTV" received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination in the Outstanding Animated Program (for Programming Less Than One Hour) category. Povenmire was nominated for an Annie Award for Directing in an Animated Television Production, but lost the award to Peter Shin, who directed the Family Guy episode "North by North Quahog". On June 1, 2007, the FCC song was voted second on The Paley Center for Media special "TV's Funniest Moments," behind The Chris Rock Show segment "Black Progress." The song was also voted sixth on IGN's list of Family Guy's "Top 10 Musical Moments", IGN stated "if there's a song that perfectly resonates what Family Guy is all about, then this is it." ## See also - Channel J, public-access television channel featuring nude TV talk shows and other adult content

# Ogre Battle Gaiden: Prince of Zenobia Ogre Battle Gaiden: Prince of Zenobia is a 2000 real-time tactical role-playing game developed and published by SNK for the Neo Geo Pocket Color. The game is a spin-off within the Ogre Battle series, originally created by Quest Corporation. The storyline takes place parallel to Ogre Battle: The March of the Black Queen, and follows the path of Prince Tristan of Zenobia during his quest to reclaim his kingdom. As with other Ogre Battle titles, the player controls squads of an army, moving to different parts of the map accomplishing tasks and battling armies encountered on the route. Choices made during the narrative impact the ending. Prince of Zenobia was developed by a self-appointed internal team at SNK after the intellectual property was licensed from Quest, with a casual atmosphere compared by staff to a doujin project. Production was described as troubled, with a delay being necessary to both adjust the scenario and polish the gameplay. The characters were designed by Eisuke Ogura, an SNK artist known his work on the Fatal Fury series. The game was supplemented by a guidebook, and a novelization with cover illustration by Ogura. The game sold over 14,000 units in its first three days, reaching into the top ten best-selling titles of that week. Reception from critics has been mixed to positive, noting its graphical quality for the platform and replication of the series gameplay in portable form. Due to the failure of the Neo Geo console and consequent closure of SNK's North American offices after its buyout by Aruze, Prince of Zenobia was never officially released outside Japan. A fan translation patch was released in 2015. Some journalists have cited the title as needing a re-release on modern hardware. ## Gameplay Ogre Battle Gaiden: Prince of Zenobia is a tactical role-playing game in which the player progresses through up to thirteen levels. The player, as protagonist Tristan, commands squads across area maps to fulfil set objectives. Before starting the game, the player determines the protagonist's attributes in the form of seven Major Arcana tarot cards. The player is given six cards based on their answers to six questions from a random pool of twenty-two, and then freely selects one additional card. Basic gameplay is similar to that of Ogre Battle: The March of the Black Queen, though with simplified mechanics and enemy behavior. Players move squads of units across 2D maps, occupying different towns and strongholds, and fighting enemy units in arena-like battle zones in real-time. Battles trigger when two sets of units meet, and combat ends when all units have completed their turns; the winning party is the one which has dealt the most damage overall. Battlefields have a day-night cycle impacting the efficiency of army units, and the actions of troops impact the morale of the inhabitants, influencing how characters interact and story events play out. Each unit has a character class which dictates their abilities, such as fighters with strong melee attacks, or magic users with offensive and defensive spells. The classes are divided between unisex, male, female and monster-exclusive classes. Choices made in the scenario branch into different level sets exclusive to that route. If the player's units are defeated, they must resume from the latest save point. The game features a limited form of multiplayer; two consoles with the game can be connected via the link cable, with selected squads engaging in single skirmishes. ## Synopsis Prince of Zenobia is set within March of the Black Queen. The people of Zenobia are in rebellion against the occupying Holy Zeteginean Empire. The storyline follows Tristan, a side character from March of the Black Queen, as he seeks to reclaim his kingdom from the control of the Black Knight Baldr. During the story's opening act, Tristan first organises an army of volunteers and pushes back bandits who have overtaken his land. During the second act, Tristan concentrates his efforts on Jenga, leader of the bandits. Depending in the route taken after the third act's opening battle, Tristan either liberates the prisoners of Sikto Prison, or proceeds straight to Baldr's forward base of Megaholten. Tristan's alignment to law or chaos is determined by the player's choice of routes, as well as their answers to a series of questions asked by Baldr. Following the dispersal of the volunteer army and depending on previous choices, Tristan either flees alone to divert the Empire's attention from his allies, remain in Zenobia to rebuild, or marches with chosen companions to topple the Empire. ## Development The Ogre Battle series was originally created by Quest Corporation, which had made games on the Super Famicom, PlayStation and Nintendo 64. Quest agreed to license the Ogre Battle rights to SNK, the creators of the Neo Geo Pocket Color (NGPC), allowing them to develop and publish a game for their system. It was the first Ogre Battle to be developed for a handheld game console. The title was produced by Kazuto Kono, and had a team of five programmers led by Kaneko Michiaki. Unlike a standard production, the team assembled itself from across SNK based on self-recommendation and love of the Ogre Battle series, leading staff to compare the game's development to a doujin production. Due to cartridge limitations, some areas and battles from March of the Black Queen needed to be cut. The production proved turbulent for the team, particularly during the mastering process when major bugs were detected. The title was a point of heavy discussion. While "Ogre Battle Gaiden" was chosen at an early stage, the scenario was still in flux and the subtitle was ultimately suggested by Kono in reference to the planned storyline. While the game acted as a side story to March of the Black Queen, it was an original story created by SNK, requiring effort to keep events consistent with the original game's narrative. The scenario was co-written by Hideto Kanzaki and Shinji Goto. Fairly late into production, once the gameplay systems were mostly solidified, the team felt that their narrative was lacking compared to the original. While it was too late to change the overall narrative without a delay, Kanzaki agreed to rewrite the dialogue to be more mature. Still, the game was delayed so the gameplay could be polished and the rewrite could be finished, leading to more costs that could only be covered with a higher sales target. The characters for Prince of Zenobia were designed by Eisuke Ogura, an in-house artist recognised for his work on SNK's Fatal Fury series. When choosing who would create the artwork, all team members submitted artwork in secret to be judged by the team as a whole, and Ogura's artwork of protagonist Tristan was chosen at the suggestion of the game's graphic designer, an artist credited as Shinbo. The staff were impressed at Ogura's competence with the illustration work as he was a relative newcomer in the company. In addition to character designs, Ogura created promotional artwork for magazines. Ogura continued working even through an illness, impressing the rest of his team. ## Release In September 1999, Prince of Zenobia was announced for release in March 2000. It was later rescheduled for April. SNK displayed the game at the 2000 Tokyo Game Show, with a final release date of June 22, 2000. The team held a launch party to celebrate with their families, before they were dispersed into other projects. Along with the standard release, SNK also released a limited edition packaged with the NGPC. The release was supplemented by a guidebook published by Enterbrain in July, and a novelization written by Masaru Takeuchi and published by MediaWorks in September. The novel's cover art was created by Ogura. The game was never announced for a Western release, and the commercial failure of the NGPC meant it would never happen: Aruze acquired SNK and shut down its North American offices in 2000. It remains the only Ogre Battle title not to have an official English release. A fan translation is currently being worked on, with the most recent update in 2019. ## Reception During its first three days on sale, Prince of Zenobia reached eighth place in game sales charts, selling over 14,200 units. This was noted as high sales for an NGPC game, which had a very low market share compared to other portable consoles. In a preview of the game, IGN's Peer Schneider positively noted its many replicated mechanics, and expressed excitement for any possible Western release. GameFan's Eric C. Mylonas, in a preview of Ogre Battle 64, criticized the lack of localization for Prince of Zenobia in reference to the niche status of Ogre Battle as a whole. Japanese gaming magazine Famitsu was generally positive about the title, calling it an accurate reproduction of the Ogre Battle series gameplay, with criticism focusing on shortcomings caused by its hardware limitations. Spanish gaming magazine GamesTech noted Prince of Zenobia as SNK's "definitive attempt" to attract fans to their platform, citing its graphics as some of the system's best and noting its ease of play. In 2014, HobbyConsolas listed Prince of Zenobia as one of the twenty best games for the NGPC. Kurt Kalata of Hardcore Gaming 101 described the title as "not remarkable, but it's definitely worthwhile", noting both its replication of series gameplay on the platform and its scaling back of mechanics following the release of Ogre Battle 64. Both Kerry Brunskill of Nintendo Life and Siliconera's Graham Russell mentioned Prince of Zenobia as a Neo Geo title deserving a modern re-release. In 2023, Time Extension also identified Prince of Zenobia as one of the best games for the NGPC.

# Singapore at the 2018 Winter Olympics Singapore sent a delegation to compete at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, from 9 to 25 February 2018. This marked the debut for Singapore at the Winter Olympics. The country was represented by single competitor, speed skater Cheyenne Goh. She did not advance out of the qualifying round of her event, the women's 1500 metres race. ## Background Singapore, then a British colony, first joined Olympic competition at the 1948 Summer Olympics, and have participated in every Summer Olympic Games since, except 1964, where Singaporean athletes competed as part of the Malaysian team, and the boycotted 1980 Summer Olympics. This was Singapore's debut appearance at a Winter Olympic Games. The only athlete Singapore qualified was Cheyenne Goh, a short-track speed skater. A former Olympian in table tennis for Singapore in the 2004 Summer Olympics, Tan Paey Fern, was named as the chef de mission of the team. Goh was chosen as the flag bearer for the parade of nations during the opening ceremony, while a volunteer from the PyeongChang Organizing Committee for the 2018 Olympic & Paralympic Winter Games carried the Singaporean flag for the closing ceremony. On carrying the flag, Goh said "I'm really excited and it's a pretty big honour to be able to be doing this, I think it's really cool," ## Short track speed skating On 23 November it was announced by the International Skating Union (ISU) that Singapore had received a qualifying place for the women's 1500 m speed skating competition. Goh, who was 18 years old at the time of the Peyongchang Olympics, put her studies on hold to pursue competing in the Olympics. She was born in Singapore, but has lived in Canada since the age of four. The women's 1500 metres race took place on 17 February. Goh finished fifth in her heat with a time of 2 minutes and 36.9 seconds, and failed to advance to the semi-finals. ## See also - Singapore at the 2017 Asian Winter Games - Singapore at the 2018 Commonwealth Games

# HMS Birkenhead (1845) HMS Birkenhead, also referred to as HM Troopship Birkenhead or Steam Frigate Birkenhead, was one of the first iron-hulled ships built for the Royal Navy. She was designed as a steam frigate, but was converted to a troopship before being commissioned. While transporting troops and a few civilians to Algoa Bay, the Birkenhead was wrecked on 26 February 1852 at Danger Point near Gansbaai, 87 miles (140 km) from Cape Town in the Cape Colony. There were insufficient serviceable lifeboats for all the passengers, and the soldiers famously stood in ranks on board, allowing the women and children to board the boats safely and escape the sinking. Only 193 of the estimated 643 people on board survived, and the soldiers' chivalry gave rise to the unofficial "women and children first" protocol when abandoning ship, while the "Birkenhead drill" of Rudyard Kipling's poem came to describe courage in the face of hopeless circumstances. ## Description and history The Birkenhead was laid down at John Laird's shipyard at Birkenhead as the frigate HMS Vulcan, but renamed Birkenhead soon afterwards after the town where she was built. She had two 564 horsepower (421 kW) steam engines from Forrester & Co that drove a pair of 6-metre (20 ft) paddle wheels, and two masts rigged as a brig. According to her designer, John Laird: > The designs I submitted, and which were finally approved, were of a vessel 210 feet (64 m) long (being about 20 feet (6.1 m) longer than any vessel of her class had been built), and 37 feet 6 inches (11.43 m) beam with a displacement of 1,918 long tons (1,949 t) on the load water-line of 15 feet 9 inches (4.80 m). The only change made by authorities at the Admiralty in these designs was the position of the paddle shaft, which they ordered to be moved several feet more forward; the change was unfortunate as it makes the vessel, unless due care is taken in stowing the hold, trim by the head. With this exception, I am answerable for the model, specification, displacement and general arrangement of the hull of the vessel. The ship was divided into eight watertight compartments, while the engine room was divided by two longitudinal bulkheads into four compartments, making 12 watertight compartments in total. She had a round stern and a bow that ended in a large figurehead of Vulcan, holding a hammer in one hand, and some of "the bolts of Jove" that he had just forged in the other. Her armament was originally intended to be two 96-pounder pivot guns, one forward and the other aft, and four 68-pounder broadside guns. ### Launch and early life The Birkenhead was launched on 30 December 1845 by the Marchioness of Westminster. Her hull then weighed 903 tons and drew 9.75 feet (2.97 m), although she was at this time missing approximately 15 tons of cabin fittings. Machinery, stores, and other fittings were expected to add an additional 1,000 or so tons, increasing her draught six more feet. She undertook her maiden voyage to Plymouth in 1846, averaging 12 knots (22 km/h) to 13 knots (24 km/h) for the journey. She remained laid up for some time, before being put to varied use around England, Scotland and Ireland. In November 1846, Isambard Kingdom Brunel's iron ship SS Great Britain ran aground on the sands of Dundrum Bay, Ireland. There was doubt as to whether she could be re-floated. Brunel advised that if anyone could rescue the ship then the man to do it was the naval engineer, James Bremner. He was engaged and the Great Britain was re-floated on 27 August 1847 with the assistance of HMS Birkenhead. The Birkenhead was never commissioned as a frigate, as two factors came into play while she was still under construction that resulted in her being converted into a troopship. Firstly, the Royal Navy's warships were switched from paddle wheels to more efficient propeller propulsion, following an experiment by the Admiralty in 1845 in which the benefits of the propeller over the paddle wheel were dramatically demonstrated. Secondly, the Admiralty had doubts about the effects of cannon shot against iron hulls – in a number of trials carried out at the Royal Arsenal in 1845, at lower velocities shot made a jagged hole that was hard to plug. On 15 September 1847, Birkenhead ran down and sank the brig Oratio in the English Channel off The Lizard, Cornwall. The owners of the brig sued for their loss in the Admiralty Court. Birkenhead was found to be to blame as she had no look-out posted, being nineteen short in her crew. As part of her conversion to a troopship in 1851, a forecastle and poop deck were added to the Birkenhead to increase her accommodation, and a third mast was added, to change her sail plan to a barquentine. Although she never served as a warship, she was faster and more comfortable than any of the wooden sail-driven troopships of the time, making the trip from the Cape in 37 days in October 1850. ## Final voyage (1852) In January 1852, under the command of Captain Robert Salmond RN, the Birkenhead left Portsmouth conveying troops from ten different regiments, including the 2nd Regiment of Foot and the 74th Regiment of Foot, to the Eighth Xhosa War against the Xhosa in the Cape Colony. On 5 January, she picked up more soldiers at Queenstown (now Cobh), Ireland, and conveyed some officers' wives and families. On 23 February 1852, Birkenhead docked briefly at Simon's Town, near Cape Town. Most of the women and children disembarked along with a number of sick soldiers. Nine cavalry horses, several bales of hay and 35 tons of coal were loaded for the last leg of the voyage to Algoa Bay. She sailed from Simon's Bay at 18:00 on 25 February 1852 with between 630 and 643 men, women and children aboard, the exact number being in some doubt. In order to make the best possible speed, Captain Salmond decided to hug the South African coast, setting a course that was generally within 3 miles (4.8 km) of the shore. Using her paddle wheels, she maintained a steady speed of 8.5 knots (15.7 km/h). The sea was calm and the night was clear as she left False Bay and headed east. Shortly before 02:00 on 26 February, while Birkenhead was travelling at a speed of 8 knots (15 km/h), the leadsman made soundings of 12 fathoms (22 m). Before he could take another sounding, she struck an uncharted rock at with 2 fathoms (3.7 m) of water beneath her bows and 11 fathoms (20 m) at her stern. The rock lies near Danger Point (near Gansbaai, Western Cape). Barely submerged, this rock is clearly visible in rough seas, but it is not immediately apparent in calmer conditions. Captain Salmond rushed on deck and ordered the anchor to be dropped, the quarter-boats to be lowered, and a turn astern to be given by the engines. However, as the ship backed off the rock, the sea rushed into the large hole made by the collision and the ship struck again, buckling the plates of the forward bilge and ripping open the bulkheads. Shortly, the forward compartments and the engine rooms were flooded, and over 100 soldiers were drowned in their berths. ### Sinking The surviving soldiers mustered and awaited their officers' orders. Salmond ordered the senior military officer, Colonel Seton, to send men to the chain pumps. Sixty were directed to this task, sixty more were assigned to the tackles of the lifeboats, and the rest were assembled on the poop deck in order to raise the forward part of the ship. The women and children were placed in the ship's cutter which lay alongside. Two other large boats (capacity 150 each) were manned, but one was immediately swamped and the other could not be launched due to poor maintenance and paint on the winches. This left only three smaller boats available. The surviving officers and men assembled on deck, where Lieutenant-Colonel Seton of the 74th Foot took charge of all military personnel and stressed the necessity of maintaining order and discipline to his officers. As a survivor later recounted: "Almost everybody kept silent, indeed nothing was heard, but the kicking of the horses and the orders of Salmond, all given in a clear firm voice." Ten minutes after the first impact, the engines still turning astern, the ship struck again beneath the engine room, tearing open her bottom. She instantly broke in two just aft of the mainmast. The funnel went over the side and the forepart of the ship sank at once. The stern section, now crowded with men, floated for a few minutes before sinking. Just before she sank, Salmond called out that "all those who can swim jump overboard, and make for the boats". Colonel Seton, however, recognising that rushing the lifeboats would risk swamping them and endangering the women and children, ordered the men to stand fast, and only three men made the attempt. The cavalry horses were freed and driven into the sea in the hope that they might be able to swim ashore. The soldiers did not move, even as the ship broke up barely 20 minutes after striking the rock. Some of the soldiers managed to swim the 2 miles (3.2 km) to shore over the next 12 hours, often hanging on to pieces of the wreck to stay afloat, but most drowned, died of exposure or were killed by sharks. > I remained on the wreck until she went down; the suction took me down some way, and a man got hold of my leg, but I managed to kick him off and came up and struck out for some pieces of wood that were on the water and started for land, about two miles off. I was in the water about five hours, as the shore was so rocky and the surf ran so high that a great many were lost trying to land. Nearly all those that took to the water without their clothes on were taken by sharks; hundreds of them were all round us, and I saw men taken by them close to me, but as I was dressed (having on a flannel shirt and trousers) they preferred the others. I was not in the least hurt, and am happy to say, kept my head clear; most of the officers lost their lives from losing their presence of mind and trying to take money with them, and from not throwing off their coats. The next morning, the schooner Lioness discovered one of the cutters and, after saving the occupants of the second boat, made her way to the scene of the disaster. Arriving in the afternoon, she found 40 survivors still clinging to the rigging. It was reported that, of the approximately 643 people aboard, only 193 were saved. Captain Edward W.C. Wright of the 91st Argyllshire Regiment was the most senior army officer to survive; he was made a brevet major for his actions during the ordeal, dated 26 February 1852. The number of personnel aboard is in some doubt, but an estimate of 638 was published in The Times. It is generally thought that the survivors comprised 113 soldiers (all ranks), 6 Royal Marines, 54 seamen (all ranks), 7 women, 13 children and at least one male civilian, but these numbers cannot be substantiated, as muster rolls and books were lost with the ship. Of the horses, eight made it safely to land, while the ninth had its leg broken while being pushed into the sea. ### Aftermath A number of sailors were court martialled as a result of the accident. The court was held on 8 May 1852 on board HMS Victory in Portsmouth, and attracted a great deal of interest. However, as none of the senior naval officers of the Birkenhead survived, no one was found to be to blameworthy. Captain Wright told the court martial: > The order and regularity that prevailed on board, from the moment the ship struck till she totally disappeared, far exceeded anything that I had thought could be effected by the best discipline; and it is the more to be wondered at seeing that most of the soldiers were but a short time in the service. Everyone did as he was directed and there was not a murmur or cry amongst them until the ship made her final plunge – all received their orders and carried them out as if they were embarking instead of going to the bottom – I never saw any embarkation conducted with so little noise or confusion. In 1895, a lighthouse was erected at Danger Point to warn shipping of the dangerous reef. The lighthouse is about 18 metres (59 ft) tall and is visible for approximately 25 nautical miles (46 km). In 1936, a remembrance plate for the Birkenhead was affixed to its base by the Navy League of South Africa. A new Birkenhead memorial was erected nearby in March 1995. In December 2001, the plaque was moved closer to the lighthouse. A memorial in St Giles' Cathedral, Edinburgh, bears the following inscription: > In memory of Lieut.-Colonel Alexander Seton, Ensign Alex. C. Russell, and forty-eight N.C.O.s and men of the 74th Highlanders who were drowned at the wreck of H.M.S. 'Birkenhead' on the 26th February 1852, off Point Danger, Cape of Good Hope, after all the women and children on board had been safely landed in the ship's boats. Frederick William IV of Prussia was so impressed by the bravery and discipline of the soldiers that he ordered an account of the incident to be read at the head of every regiment in his army. Queen Victoria ordered the erection of an official Birkenhead monument at the Chelsea Royal Hospital. In 1892, Thomas M. M. Hemy painted a widely admired maritime depiction of the incident, "The wreck of the Birkenhead". Prints of this painting were distributed to the public. In 1977, the South African mint issued a "Heroes of the Birkenhead Medallion" gold coin commemorating the 125 years since the sinking, featuring Hemy's painting on one of the faces of the coin. ## Legacy ### Birkenhead drill The sinking of the Birkenhead is one of the earliest maritime disaster evacuations during which the concept of "women and children first" is known to have been applied. "Women and children first" subsequently became standard procedure in relation to the evacuation of sinking ships, in fiction and in life. The term "Birkenhead drill" became defined as courageous behaviour in hopeless circumstances and appeared in Rudyard Kipling's 1893 tribute to the Royal Marines, "Soldier an' Sailor Too": > > To take your chance in the thick of a rush, with firing all about, Is nothing so bad when you've cover to 'and, an' leave an' likin' to shout; But to stand an' be still to the Birken'ead drill is a damn tough bullet to chew, An' they done it, the Jollies – 'Er Majesty's Jollies – soldier an' sailor too\! Their work was done when it 'adn't begun; they was younger nor me an' you; Their choice it was plain between drownin' in 'eaps an' bein' mopped by the screw, So they stood an' was still to the Birken'ead drill, soldier an' sailor too\! ### Birkenhead treasure There was a rumour that the Birkenhead was carrying a military payroll of £240,000 in gold coins weighing about three tons, which had been secretly stored in the powder-room before the final voyage. Numerous attempts have been made to salvage the gold. In 1893, the nephew of Colonel Seton wrote that a certain Mr. Bandmann at the Cape obtained permission from the Cape Government to dive the wreck of the Birkenhead in search of the treasure. A June 1958 salvage attempt by a renowned Cape Town diver recovered anchors and some brass fittings but no gold. In 1986–1988, a combined archaeological and salvage excavation was carried out by Aqua Exploration, Depth Recovery Unit and Pentow Marine Salvage Company. Only a few gold coins were recovered, which appear to have been the possessions of the passengers and crew. The rumour of treasure and the shallow depth of the wreck at 30 metres (98 ft) have resulted in the wreck being considerably disturbed, despite its being a war grave. In 1989, the British and South African governments entered into an agreement over the salvage of the wreck, sharing any gold recovered. ### HMS Birkenhead as namesake Three placenames in the Canadian province of British Columbia were conferred in honour of the Birkenhead disaster by Hudson's Bay Company explorer Alexander Caulfield Anderson, a boyhood friend and cousin of Lt-Col. Seton of the 74th Regiment of Foot, on a traverse of uncharted country between the Fraser Canyon and the coastal Lower Mainland in 1846. Named after his cousin, Seton Lake cuts west through the Coast Mountains from the Fraser Canyon town of Lillooet, beyond which is its twin Anderson Lake. A few miles southwest from the head of Anderson Lake is Mount Birkenhead, named by Anderson, on the north side of the low pass connecting the valley of those lakes to that of the Birkenhead River. The river, the valley area near Mount Birkenhead known as Birken, and Birkenhead Lake at the summit of the pass were in turn named after the mountain, and not directly by Anderson. ### Other name legacies According to local tradition, Salmonsdam Nature Reserve in the Overberg—a region in South Africa—is named after Captain Robert Salmond. Locals to this day refer to Great White Sharks as "Tommy Sharks," after the Tommys that were taken by them in water. ## See also - Arniston, a wreck in 1815 on the same coast that also involved the 73rd Regiment of Foot - SS Tyndareus, a troopship which hit a mine in the same area in 1917; the orderly evacuation of troops was compared to Birkenhead, although there were no casualties and the ship was saved from sinking by skilled seamanship and damage control.

# The Christmas Invasion "The Christmas Invasion" is a 60-minute special episode of the British science fiction television programme Doctor Who, first broadcast on BBC One on 25 December 2005. This episode features the first full-episode appearance of David Tennant as the Doctor. It is also the first specially produced Christmas special in the programme's history, commissioned following the success of the first series earlier in the year, to see how well the show could do at Christmas. It was written by showrunner and executive producer Russell T Davies and was directed by James Hawes. In the episode, principally set in London, the newly regenerated Tenth Doctor is out of action, leaving Rose, Mickey and Jackie to combat the invasion of an alien race known as the Sycorax. The Sycorax demand that either humanity have to surrender half of themselves as slaves or one third of them will die through the Sycorax's blood control. "The Christmas Invasion" was watched by 9.8 million viewers, the highest-rated episode of the Tenth Doctor, up until the "Voyage of the Damned", which achieved an audience of 13.8 million viewers. The episode received positive reviews from critics, who welcomed Tennant to the show, and is considered one of the best Christmas specials of the show, with its success leading to the Christmas special becoming an annual tradition. ## Plot The newly regenerated Tenth Doctor takes Rose back to her old estate, and collapses in front of Mickey and Jackie. They take the Doctor to Jackie's flat where they put him to bed. Mickey and Rose go Christmas shopping, but are attacked by robot Father Christmases using trombones and flamethrowers. The couple get a taxi back to her home where they discover a new, unfamiliar Christmas tree, which starts spinning with razor-sharp blades, Rose, Mickey and Jackie shelter in the room with the comatose Doctor. The Doctor wakes up and destroys the homicidal tree with his sonic screwdriver, before warding off further attack by the robot Father Christmases; however, he is soon unconscious again. Early on Christmas morning, the Mars space probe Guinevere One is intercepted by a giant spaceship heading for Earth. When the probe's broadcast is shown on Earth, the face of a Sycorax appears. He uses blood control to cause a third of the world's population to go into a hypnotic state and threatens to make these people commit suicide unless half of the world's population is given to them as slaves. Harriet Jones, the Prime Minister, attempts further negotiations with the Sycorax, and is teleported aboard the ship, along with a few officials. Rose, Mickey and Jackie evacuate the Doctor to the TARDIS as the Sycorax ship approaches London. The TARDIS is detected by the Sycorax and is teleported aboard their ship. Rose buys enough time for the Doctor to finally recover. The Doctor shuts down the Sycorax blood control and then challenges the leader to a sword fight for the Earth. The leader severs the Doctor's hand, which he immediately re-grows due to leftover regeneration energy. The Sycorax leader submits, but then attempts to attack from behind. The Doctor hits a sensor with a satsuma he found, triggering part of the wing to fold and dropping the leader to his death. The Doctor orders the Sycorax to leave Earth and never return before taking the humans back to Earth. As the Sycorax ship moves away, Harriet orders Torchwood to destroy the ship. The Doctor becomes furious with Harriet, threatens to bring down her government, and whispers to Harriet's aide: "Don't you think she looks tired?" The Doctor joins Rose, Jackie, and Mickey for Christmas dinner. They watch Harriet on television fending off rumours about her health, with a vote of confidence looming. ## Production ### Writing The Christmas special is a tradition in British television series, and while this is the first story for Doctor Who clearly labelled as a Christmas special, the seventh episode of The Daleks' Master Plan, titled "The Feast of Steven", was written as a Christmas episode, even featuring a fourth wall-breaking Christmas wish to the viewers by William Hartnell. Christmas specials became an annual staple for Doctor Who, until 2018, where it was replaced by a New Years special. Although not shown at Christmas, "The Unquiet Dead" was set on Christmas Eve, 1869. The production of the special, along with the entirety of the second series, began before the broadcast of the first series, and therefore none of Davies' team knew if the script would ever see production. Davies wished to have an adversary having a prosthetic face while retaining the actor's actual eyes and mouth; he also stated that he had always found the idea of Santa, "an old man creeping into children's rooms at night", creepy. As a result, the enemies fought included the alien Sycorax, as well as murderous robot Santas. Seeking also to endear Tennant's Doctor to those who had grown to attached to the Ninth Doctor, he brought back Harriet Jones as Prime Minister, a future event that the Doctor had mentioned in "World War Three". ### Filming The episode shared a production block with the first two episodes of the next series, with primary filming for the special taking place between 22 July and 19 August. Additional shots were filmed sporadically in the lead-up to the special in September-November, along with the required CGI effects. The episode's opening shot is a repeat of the opening shot of "Rose". The cone-shaped building which has all its glass blown out from the ship's shockwave is 30 St Mary Axe, also known as the Swiss Re Building or "The Gherkin". The climactic scenes of the episode were shot on location at Wallis House, Brentford, one of the Golden Mile's few remaining Art Deco buildings, and parts of the episode were filmed at the Clearwell Caves in Gloucestershire. The Tenth Doctor speaks with an Estuary English accent, in contrast to the Ninth Doctor's Northern one. In a 23 December interview on BBC Radio 1, Tennant explained that a line had been scripted for the Christmas special explaining that the newly regenerated Doctor had imprinted on Rose's accent, "like a chick hatching from an egg," but the line was cut from the final programme. ### Casting This special was the first full episode starring David Tennant as the Tenth Doctor; he was only shown briefly at the end of "The Parting of the Ways" for the regeneration sequence. His costume was chosen just before filming begun, one more casual and lighter, contrasted with converse shoes and a long coat with a lot of fingers, because Tennant likes to play about with his costume in what he terms "pocket acting". Penelope Wilton returned as Harriet Jones, as a means to add continuity between the two Doctors. Liking her character, Wilton begged that Jones not be brought down at the end of the episode, but the script remained unchanged. Noel Clarke and Camille Coduri also returned as Mickey Smith and Jackie Tyler respectively. They were both set to appear in many episodes in the second series, so as soon as the success of the first series seemed assured, their contracts for the second series were drawn up. It was also confirmed at the BAFTA preview of the series one finale that Billie Piper would return for the Christmas Special and all 13 episodes of the second series. ### Promotion Trailers for the special first appeared on the 26 October on BBC One. A 7-minute "mini-episode", set between "The Parting of the Ways" and "The Christmas Invasion", was shown as part of the Children in Need charity telethon on 18 November 2005. Interviews with the cast and crew followed up during the next month: such as Tennant's on ITV1 on 13th December, and Davies' with Sunday Herald on 19th December. On 3 December 2005, the annual Christmas edition of the BBC's listings magazine Radio Times was released, featuring a Doctor Who cover to tie-in with "The Christmas Invasion". This was the first time Doctor Who had featured on the Christmas edition cover in the show's forty-two-year history, and the first Christmas cover for an individual BBC television drama since EastEnders in 1986; the Christmas Radio Times cover usually features artwork of a generic Christmas scene, with Doctor Who being the first one featured in 16 years. Russell T Davies later confirmed in the episode commentary that the Doctor Who section of the issue contained a hidden message explaining what saves the Doctor: many of the paragraphs in the articles have an oversized first letter, which taken consecutively spell out "A cup of tea". During the live broadcast, the front page of the official BBC website stated: "THE CHRISTMAS INVASION is on BBC One NOW. HARRIET JONES SAYS: Switch this website off for Britain." The tie-in website "Who is Doctor Who?" was also updated with a message from Mickey referencing the Guinevere One website, and an appeal to the Doctor to bring back Rose. ### Music The song playing during the wardrobe sequence, "Song for Ten" (named in reference to the Tenth Doctor), was composed by Murray Gold for the episode and sung by Tim Phillips. The closing credits had a new theme arrangement restoring the traditional "middle eight" section of the theme, which had been omitted in the 2005 series. This was performed by the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, conducted by Gold. This arrangement was subsequently used for the closing titles of the 2006 series. Various pieces of music featured in this episode were released in December 2006 as part of the Doctor Who Soundtrack (produced by Silva Screen). These included the "Song for Ten", the music played behind Harriet Jones' speech and the music played as the spaceship arrives over London. ## Broadcast and reception It was broadcast on Christmas Day on BBC1, the first episode to debut on Sunday. The Canadian presentation on the CBC on 26 December 2005 was hosted by Piper, attired for the occasion in a red Roots "Canada" sweatshirt. She gave a special introduction to the episode, which was scheduled in a 90-minute-long slot. It premiered on BBC America in 2007, but was edited down to fit inside a one-hour timeslot with commercial breaks. ### Ratings Overnight ratings for the episode gave a peak viewing audience of 9.8 million viewers, and an average of 9.4 - the second highest rated programme of the evening, behind EastEnders, and only the 12th time the show had been top 10 for the week. This episode was the highest-rated episode of the Tenth Doctor era, with final ratings at 9.84 million, up until the "Voyage of the Damned", which achieved an audience of 13.8 million viewers. ### Reception The performance of Tennant was praised, especially how he so quickly "endears" the Doctor when he wakes up and "takes control of the plot", defusing the threat that "had griped the humans for hours in a matter of minutes". "The ferocity and fear" arising from the "power and voice", that terrified the humans is shown to dissipate the moment the Sycorax language is translated, a sign that "the Doctor has woken up". Piper's performance was also praised, in "shouldering the episode", and encapsulating the "terror and helplessness" that the human race faces when the Doctor is indisposed, and "their resilience". The episode was characterised as one of many of Davies' attempts at "epic", being full of "big speeches and big emotions". Neither the Doctor's monologue about not knowing who he is and or the Sycorax defining him as Earth's champion, nor Rose's emotional breakdown when she thinks the Doctor has abandoned her were considered subtle. Even so, A.V Club's Alasdair Wilkins still called it a solid episode, achieving "the best of what it aspires to be", and Radio Times"'s Patrick Mulkern giving it a perfect score of 5 stars, finding that it mixed "the impact of the story" and "the jolly nature of the day" perfectly. It is considered one of the best Christmas specials of the show. In 2014, over 7,000 readers of Radio Times voted "The Christmas Invasion" as the greatest Doctor Who Christmas special with around a quarter of the votes going to it, 24.92%, a whole 10% more votes than the second favourite. ## Commercial releases ### Home media This episode was released together with "New Earth" as a basic DVD with no special features on 1 May 2006, and as part of a second series boxset on 20 November 2006. This release included an in-vision commentary with Russell T Davies, Julie Gardner (Head of Drama for BBC Wales) and Phil Collinson, recorded before the story aired. This commentary was also made available as an MP3 on the BBC Doctor Who website. The ten Christmas specials between "The Christmas Invasion" and "Last Christmas" inclusive were released in a boxset titled Doctor Who – The 10 Christmas Specials on 19 October 2015. The episode was also included as part of the "Christopher Eccleston and David Tennant" box set in 2018, containing this episode and all other episodes of the era, plus hours of DVD extras like documentaries, commentaries and more. ### In print A novelisation of this story written by Jenny T. Colgan including the storyline from the 2005 Children in Need special was released in paperback and digital formats 5 April 2018 as part of the Target Collection". ## See also - List of fictional prime ministers of the United Kingdom

# Don't Forget About Us "Don't Forget About Us" is a song by American R\&B singer-songwriter Mariah Carey. It was written by Carey, Jermaine Dupri, Bryan-Michael Cox and Johntá Austin, and produced by Carey, Dupri and Cox. On October 10, 2005, it was released as the lead single from the reissue of her tenth studio album, The Emancipation of Mimi: Ultra Platinum Edition (2005). The song is influenced by R\&B and hip hop soul music genres, and lyrically chronicles the emotions felt by the protagonist after the loss of their relationship. Carey explained that the true meaning of the song is to be interpreted by the listener, therefore not disclosing its entire meaning publicly. The song received generally positive reviews from music critics, with many heavily comparing it to Carey's previous single "We Belong Together". Several reviewers felt the song's similarity marked Carey's lack of creativity with it, while others embraced its radio-friendly formula. "Don't Forget About Us" became Carey's seventeenth chart topping single on the US Billboard Hot 100, tying the record for most number-one singles by a solo artist set by Elvis Presley 36 years before. Internationally, the song topped the charts in Finland, and reached the top-ten in Hungary. Carey performed the song at the 33rd Annual American Music Awards, and during the half-time of the Thanksgiving game between the Detroit Lions and the Atlanta Falcons. Additionally, the song was included on the set-lists of Carey's The Adventures of Mimi and Angels Advocate Tours. The song's music video chronicles the two time frames, Carey in the present, as well as the past memories she shared with her ex-lover that continue to haunt her. "Don't Forget About Us" was nominated for two awards at the 49th annual Grammy Awards held on February 11, 2007. ## Background and release After being branded Carey's "comeback album" by music critics, and becoming the highest selling album of her career post-Glitter (2001), The Emancipation of Mimi inspired Carey to return to the studio, in hopes of writing and producing new material for her next studio album. During a writing session with Jermaine Dupri, Carey wrote "Don't Forget About Us" as a possible single for her next album, reminiscent of the material on The Emancipation of Mimi. After hearing the unfinished version of the song, L.A. Reid, CEO at the time of Carey's label Island Records, was very satisfied with the song. He convinced Carey to continue writing and producing new songs, and suggested on re-releasing the album, which had already sold over four million units in the United States alone. Carey agreed to the idea of re-releasing The Emancipation of Mimi, feeling eager to release the song, as well as other material to her fans, instead of making them wait for a brand new album. In an interview with MTV News, Carey discussed the decision of releasing the song immediately, as well as the re-release of the album: > 'Don't Forget About Us' was a song that Jermaine [Dupri] and I started writing and didn't finish, and L.A. Reid heard it. He was excited about it and he was like, 'We should re-release the album. I agreed because were trying to figure out what to do with the song because we loved it so much, and we didn't want to wait until the next album to send it to radio. After completing the song, Carey announced on October 13, 2005, via her official website, that she would be re-releasing The Emancipation of Mimi. Additionally, she explained how the album would contain four new songs, and would be promoted internationally by the new single, "Don't Forget About Us". The song was released throughout the globe as the fifth official single from The Emancipation of Mimi, and the first from the re-release, tentatively titled, Ultra Platinum Edition. The song was first serviced to American contemporary hit, rhythmic contemporary, and urban contemporary radio stations on October 10, 2005. In Australia, a CD single was issued on December 5, 2005. The following Monday, on December 12, a CD single was issued in the United Kingdom. On January 27, 2006, a CD was released in Austria and Germany. A release in Italy followed on February 6 and in Taiwan on February 17. On January 29, 2021, an EP was issued. ## Composition "Don't Forget About Us" is a mid-tempo song lasting three minutes and fifty-three seconds, while drawing influence from pop and R\&B with downtempo beats music genres. Written by Carey, Jermaine Dupri, Bryan-Michael Cox and Johntá Austin, and produced by the former three, the song drew comparisons to Carey's "We Belong Together". According to Michael Paoletta from Billboard, the song features a similar tempo, lyrical style, instrumentation and production as the latter song, and incorporates a reminiscent vocal performance from Carey. The song is in the key of B major and has a "moderately slow" tempo of 72 beats per minute. Carey's vocal range spans three octaves and six semitones from the low-note of D₃ to the high-note of A₆. Lyrically, the song describes the potency of a "first love", and features a protagonist pleading to her lover to "not forget about them". Critics noted that the song's lyrics both let go of a lover, as well as cherishing their memory. Carey sings, "You just let it die / With no goodbyes", indicating a relationship that has long decayed, and how she has let it drift away, while also adding, "There's only one me and you / And how we used to shine / No matter what you go through / We are one, that's a fact that you can't deny", indicating that while they are no longer together, she will continue to cherish the memory of them and how strong their love was. According to Carey, she refrained from giving away too much of the song's lyrical meaning, in order to allow fans to possibly interpret the song in their own way: > I try not to get too specific so that people can apply the lyrics to their own lives. When I was growing up and listening to the radio and I would hear a song that reminded me of a certain person or a situation or whatever, I would want to be able to completely connect it to that moment. And then if I heard someone explaining it and making it into something totally different, it ruined it for me. So I kind of like to keep it open for people's imaginations. It evokes something different depending on who listens to it and at what time. "Don't Forget About Us" could give you a good, happy memory, or you could be miserable, crying, listening to it over and over. All in all, I think it's good to have music you can live vicariously through, and that's what a lot of people have told me this record has been for them. ## Critical reception "Don't Forget About Us" garnered generally positive reviews from music critics, though many compared it to, and felt it shared several similarities with Carey's previous single, "We Belong Together". Bill Lamb from About.com rated the song four out of five stars, who while noting the song's careful formula, complimented Carey's more mature and lower range vocals: "Mariah is clearly settling into a more mature style and lower range vocals than in her early career." Additionally, Lamb commented that although not as "strong" as "We Belong Together", the song was marginally better than another single from The Emancipation of Mimi, "Shake It Off". Billboard's Michael Paoletta drew heavy comparisons to "We Belong Together", noting the song's similar tempo, lyrical style, instrumentation and vocal stamp. He commented that although "Don't Forget About Us" was "satisfying" on its own, it suggested that Carey had hit a creative wall. Andre Meyer from CBC News described the song as "stronger" than anything Carey released from 2001 to 2005, and wrote "[It] cops the jittery R\&B vibe that made Destiny's Child so potent." Reviewers from The New Yorker and Music Week were both taken aback by the single, calling it "beautiful" and "gentle", respectively. Todd Martens from the Los Angeles Times compared it heavily to Carey's 2008 single "Bye Bye", describing their piano melody as "a close match". In 2007, "Don't Forget About Us" was nominated for two Grammy Awards, in the "Best Female R\&B Vocal Performance" and "Best R\&B Song" categories, although not winning either. ## Chart performance "Don't Forget About Us" was released as the fourth international single from The Emancipation of Mimi (2005), and the first from its re-release, the Ultra Platinum Edition. The song reached the top of the Billboard Hot 100 in its eleventh week, spending two consecutive weeks at the position. "Don't Forget About Us" became Carey's 17th chart-topping single in the United States, tying the record set by Elvis Presley for most number-one singles by a solo artist (Carey has since surpassed this record with "Touch My Body" in 2008 and "All I Want for Christmas is You" in 2019.) Currently, the only act to hold more US number-one singles than Carey are The Beatles, who gained twenty throughout their career while Carey has accumulated 19 to date. "Don't Forget About Us" stayed in the top forty for eighteen weeks and reached number one on other Billboard component charts, including the Hot R\&B/Hip-Hop Songs. The song was certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), denoting shipments of over 1,000,000 units. Outside the United States, the song achieved moderate international charting. In Australia, "Don't Forget About Us" debuted at its peak position of number twelve on the singles chart, during the week of December 18, 2005. In its second week, the song stalled at number twelve, before beginning its eleven-week descent on the chart. In Finland, "Don't Forget About Us" peaked at number one, becoming Carey's second number-one single in that country and first since "Anytime You Need a Friend" (1994). On the Italian singles charts, the song charted for only one week, peaking at number eleven. In both the Wallonian and Flemish territories in Belgium, the song peaked at numbers two and one, although plummeting outside the top-fifty the following week. On the Dutch Top 40 chart, "Don't Forget About Us" debuted at number ninety-two during the week dated February 2, 2006. Spending one week at its peak position of number four, the song dropped to thirty-two the following week. In New Zealand, it peaked at number twelve, and spent a total of four weeks fluctuating in the singles chart. Similarly on February 26, 2006, the song debuted and peaked at number nineteen on the Swiss Singles Chart, and spent a total of five weeks on the chart. On the UK Singles Chart week dated December 12, 2005, "Don't Forget About Us" began its seven-week run at its peak of number eleven. ## Music video ### Background Filmed in Los Angeles, the music video reunited Carey with Paul Hunter, director of the video for her 1997 single, "Honey". Since its release, Carey claimed it to be one of her favorite videos, due to its complex scenery and fun nature. She explained that she had wanted to work with Hunter again for some time, and was happy to be able to film another music video alongside him. In an interview with MTV News, Carey described her feelings regarding the video, as well as sentiments towards the video's director, Hunter: "But I was so happy to work with him again 'cause ever since 'Honey' I've been trying to relive the splendor of that moment. It's more of just a plain beauty piece with sentimental overtones, but it was great to work with Paul again." Following a tale of love and separation, the video alternates between two different time frames. The first of these involves a tearful Carey in the present, while the second invokes memories of a relationship with a former lover (played by Dolce & Gabbana model Christian Monzon). When questioned regarding a possible relationship with Monzon, Carey said "Erm, how do we play this? OK, he's a very nice guy, he's been in a fabulous Dolce & Gabbana advert - did you see it? And we've had some nice conversations and, um, a nice time. OK, I'll say he definitely did a very good job in the video." Additionally, Carey and Hunter placed several secrets within the video's scenery, that would be intended for the "die-hard fans". Following the video's completion, it premiered on MTV and several other music video channels on November 1, 2005. Aside from the video's script, Carey channeled Marilyn Monroe, one of her icons growing up. During a pool scene, Carey re-enacts a part from Monroe's film Something's Got to Give (1962). In an interview with MTV News, Carey spoke of the re-enactment: > That shot was totally and completely inspired by 'Something's Got to Give,' Marilyn Monroe's last movie that never got finished. It's an homage to her, because I've never seen anyone re-create it. So many people have emulated so many of Marilyn's classic moments, but it's just that I'm a big fan of hers, and I thought it was really pretty at night with the pool. No one could ever be as fabulous as Marilyn was, but it's in honor and homage to her. ### Synopsis The music video chronicles two alternative time frames, with the first of Carey in the present, tearful and remorseful their separation, while the other of several different past memories in which she shared with her lover. The video begins with Carey wearing a long brown blouse, laying on a sofa in an elegantly furnished home. As the song begins, she stands up and walks around the living room, while remembering and lamenting her failed relationship. As the first memory of Carey and her lover together on a soccer field is shown, she is once again shown in the present, however clothed in a large white sweater while tears trickle down her cheek. As the memory continues of that night on the soccer field, they are seen together, caressing each other and holding each other in a tight embrace. Carey, in the present, makes her way into a heated pool, where she lays her leg on the deck, re-enacting a famed scene from Marilyn Monroe's unreleased film, Something's Got to Give (1962). The next memory is of the pair together in the same pool, however in happier times. During the song's bridge, the scenes alternate from Carey at her home in the present, to the duo holding each other intimately in a car. The video ends with Carey alone in the car, while wearing her lover's jacket. ### Chart performance "Don't Forget About Us" music video peaked at \#1 on Billboard's Hot Videoclip Tracks chart. ## Remixes The main remix of "Don't Forget About Us" was produced by Jermaine Dupri and is known as the Mr. Dupri mix. It features guest appearances from rappers Juelz Santana, Krayzie Bone and Layzie Bone. The Mr. Dupri mix was added to iTunes Music Store for download, while several dance remixes (by Ralphi Rosario & Craig J., Quentin Harris and Tony Moran & Warren Rigg) were produced and made available for sale at other download retailers. In January 2006, a new remix titled the Desert Storm remix, produced by DJ Clue (who also remixed "We Belong Together" and "Shake It Off") featuring Styles P and Fabolous, was released to U.S. radio. This remix appeared on DJ Clue's album Fidel Cashflow 2006. A video was also helmed for the Desert Storm mix and can be found on Clue's official MySpace page; it has shots of Carey, Styles P, DJ Clue and Fabolous in the studio and enjoying themselves. ## Live performances Carey performed "Don't Forget About Us" on several televised appearances, as well on all of her tours following its release. On November 15, 2005, the Chicago Tribune announced that Carey would perform during the half-time on the Thanksgiving game between the Detroit Lions and the Atlanta Falcons. Airing on the 24th, Carey performed "Shake It Off", as well as her newly released single from the album's re-release, "Don't Forget About Us". On November 22, 2005, Carey opened the 33rd annual American Music Awards with a performance of "Don't Forget About Us", held at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles. Appearing on stage in a "sequined, silver, spaghetti-strap gown slit to the waist", Carey completed the song before accepting the first award of the evening. Dave West from Digital Spy described it as a "blistering performance", and claimed Carey "wowed" the crowd with her live rendition of the song. Two months later, she celebrated the new year on television, placing as the featured performer at the Times Square Ball drop on New Year's Eve in New York. The special, titled Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest, aired on ABC at 10 pm on December 31, and featured Carey on stage wearing a short sparkling dress, and performing a selection of the album's singles. On Carey's 2006 The Adventures of Mimi Tour stop at Madison Square Garden, she sang "Don't Forget About Us" while wearing a sparkling bikini top and black leggings. She introduced the song as a "thank you" to fans for "making this my 17th number one single". Four years later during Carey's Angels Advocate Tour in 2010, she had not performed the song on the first few runs of the tour. At the show in Phoenix, she told the crowd that she had forgotten the song until that night: "I had forgotten about this song the whole tour and I don't know why. Funny I should forget it, considering the title." Dressed in a "form-fitting short dress with a flared, tutu-like bottom" for the first portion of the night, Carey completed the song as the fourth on the set-list. ## Formats and track listings Digital download 1. "Don't Forget About Us" (Radio Edit) – 3:53 Digital download - remix 1. "Don't Forget About Us" (Remix feat. Juelz Santana & Bone Thugs-n-Harmony) – 3:32 Digital download - Quentin Shelter Anthem 1. "Don't Forget About Us" (Quentin Shelter Anthem Mix) – 12:29 Digital download - Ralphi Rosario and Craig Martini Vocal 1. "Don't Forget About Us" (Ralphi Rosario and Craig Martini Vocal) – 7:41 Digital download - Tony Moran & Warren Rigg Dance Floor Anthem 1. "Don't Forget About Us" (Tony Moran & Warren Rigg Dance Floor Anthem) – 9:32 Digital download - Ralphi and Jody DB Anthomic Dub 1. "Don't Forget About Us" (Ralphi and Jody DB Anthomic Dub) – 11:43 European CD single 1. "Don't Forget About Us" – 3:53 2. "Don't Forget About Us" (Remix feat. Juelz Santana & Bone Thugs-n-Harmony) – 3:33 European enhanced CD single 1. "Don't Forget About Us" – 3:53 2. "Don't Forget About Us" (Ralphi & Craig J. Anthomic Vocal Mix) – 9:50 3. "Don't Forget About Us" (Tony Moran Mix) – 4:18 4. "Don't Forget About Us" (Video) UK CD single 1 1. "Don't Forget About Us" (Radio Edit) – 3:56 2. "Don't Forget About Us" (Ralphi Rosario & Craig J. Martini At XO Vocal Edit) – 3:40 UK CD single 2 1. "Don't Forget About Us" (Radio Edit) – 3:55 2. "Don't Forget About Us" (Dance Floor Anthem Mix) – 9:32 3. "Shake It Off" (Remix feat. JAY-Z & Young Jeezy) – 5:05 UK 12-inch vinyl - A1. "Don't Forget About Us" (Radio Edit) – 3:53 A2. "Don't Forget About Us" (Raphi Rosario & Craig J. Anthomic Vocal Edit) – 9:50 B. "Don't Forget About Us" (Quentin Harris Re-Production Shelter Anthem Mix) – 12:29 Australasian enhanced CD single 1. "Don't Forget About Us" (Album Version) – 3:53 2. "Don't Forget About Us" (Dance Floor Anthem) [Tony Moran & Warren Rigg] – 9:32 3. "Don't Forget About Us" (Ralphi & Craig Martini Vocal) – 7:41 4. "Don't Forget About Us" (Quentin Shelter Anthem Mix) – 12:29 5. "Don't Forget About Us" (Video) US double 12-inch vinyl (The Emancipation Remixes) - A. "Don't Forget About Us" (Dance Floor Anthem) – 9:32 B. "Don't Forget About Us" (Ralphi And Craig Martini Vocal) – 7:41 C. "Don't Forget About Us" (Quentin Shelter Anthem Mix) – 12:29 D. "Don't Forget About Us" (Ralphi And Jody Anthomic Dub) – 11:43 Don't Forget About Us EP 1. "Don't Forget About Us" (Radio Edit) – 3:53 2. "Don't Forget About Us" (Desert Storm Remix feat. Fabolous & Styles P.) – 4:48 3. "Don't Forget About Us" (Remix feat. Juelz Santana & Bone Thugs-n-Harmony) – 3:32 4. "Don't Forget About Us" (Instrumental) – 3:38 5. "Don't Forget About Us" (Tony Moran & Warren Rigg Dance Floor Anthem) – 9:32 6. "Don't Forget About Us" (Tony Moran & Warren Rigg Radio Mix) – 4:16 7. "Don't Forget About Us" (Quentin Shelter Anthem Mix) – 12:30 8. "Don't Forget About Us" (Quentin Radio Mix) – 4:41 9. "Don't Forget About Us" (Ralphi Rosario & Craig J. Martini At XO Vocal Mix) – 7:42 10. "Don't Forget About Us" (Ralphi Rosario & Craig J. Martini At XO Vocal Edit) – 3:40 11. "Don't Forget About Us" (Ralphi Rosario & Craig J. Martini Anthomic Vocal Remix) – 9:51 12. "Don't Forget About Us" (Ralphi Rosario & Jody DB Anthomic Dub) – 11:43 ## Credits and personnel Credits are adapted from The Emancipation of Mimi liner notes. - Mariah Carey – songwriter, producer, vocalist - Jermaine Dupri – songwriter, producer - Bryan-Michael Cox – songwriter, producer - Johntá Austin – songwriter - Brian Garten – recording ## Charts ## Certifications and sales ## See also - List of Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles of 2005 and 2006 (U.S.) - List of number-one R\&B singles of 2005 (U.S.) - List of number-one dance singles of 2006 (U.S.) - List of number-one dance airplay hits of 2006 (U.S.)

# Texas City refinery explosion The Texas City refinery explosion occurred on March 23, 2005, when a flammable hydrocarbon vapor cloud ignited and violently exploded at the isomerization process unit of the BP oil refinery in Texas City, Texas, killing 15 workers, injuring 180 others and severely damaging the refinery. All the fatalities were contractors working out of temporary buildings located close to the unit to support turnaround activities. Property loss was $200 million ($ million in ). When including settlements ($2.1 billion), costs of repairs, deferred production, and fines, the explosion is the world's costliest refinery accident. The direct cause of the explosion was the ignition of a heavy hydrocarbon vapor cloud which emanated from raffinate liquids overflowing from the top of a blowdown stack. The source of ignition was probably a running vehicle engine. The release of liquid followed the automatic opening of a set of relief valves on a raffinate splitter column caused by overfilling. Subsequent investigation reports by BP, the U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB), and an independent blue-ribbon panel led by James Baker identified numerous technical and organizational failings at the refinery and within corporate BP. The disaster had widespread consequences on both the company and the industry as a whole. The explosion was the first in a series of accidents (which culminated in the Deepwater Horizon oil spill) that seriously tarnished BP's reputation, especially in the U.S. The refinery was eventually sold as a result, together with other North American assets. In the meantime, the industry took action both through the issuance of new or updated standards and more radical regulatory oversight of refinery activities. ## Background ### The refinery The refinery was established in 1933 by Pan American Refining Corporation. Pan American merged with Standard Oil of Indiana in 1954 to form Amoco. BP acquired the refinery as part of its merger with Amoco in 1999. As of January 2005, it was the second largest oil refinery out of 23 in Texas (behind Baytown Refinery), and the fourth overall out of 142 in the United States in terms of operating capacity, which was 475,000 barrels (75,500 m³) per stream day. At the time of the accident it was one of three refineries in Texas City, the other two belonging to Marathon Petroleum and Valero Energy. The refinery was also one of five BP refineries in the U.S. and BP's largest worldwide. It could produce around 10 million gallons (38 million L) of gasoline per day, or about 2.5% of the entire volume sold in the United States. It also produced jet fuels, diesel fuels, as well as chemical feed stocks. Its 1,200-acre (490 ha) site was covered by 29 oil refining units and four chemical units. It employed around 1,800 BP workers. At the time of the accident, about 800 contractors were onsite to support turnaround works. At the time of the 1999 merger, the plant was losing money, but BP was extremely successful in turning the tide. In fact, the complex had performed at an all-time record profitability in 2004, with over $1 billion in profit, "more than any other refinery in the BP system" in the words of business unit leader and complex manager Don Parus. By early 2005 the refinery was making profits of around $100 million on a monthly basis. ### Safety and maintenance record Since 1974 there had been 23 fatalities in 20 separate accidents at the refinery. Three of these occurred in 2004, the year prior to the explosion. Almost half of these fatalities were due to fires or explosions ensuing process fluid releases. A very serious explosion affected the complex in July 1979, when hydrocarbons at 265 psi (1,830 kPa) were released from a failed 12 inches (30 cm) elbow in the depropanizer overhead condensing system of the sulfuric acid alkylation unit. More than 4,000 US gallons (15 m³) of liquids were discharged. A large vapor cloud formed and traveled downwind about 640 feet (200 m) to the fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) unit, where ignition occurred. A control building, the alkylation unit, the FCC unit, and the carbon monoxide boiler sustained heavy damage. Windows were broken up to 1.5 miles (2.4 km) away. Although no fatalities occurred, property loss was very significant ($24 million, or $ million in ). Another large explosion took place in March 2004. Although no one was injured, BP temporarily evacuated the refinery. The police closed the access roads and asked residents not to leave their houses. The plant had been poorly maintained for several years. Starting in the early 1990s, Amoco and later BP made substantial budget cuts, especially affecting maintenance expenditure. Immediately after the merger, in fact, BP ordered a 25% cut in operating costs, which was achieved in part with lower spending in maintenance and training and cutting back on safety staff. In 2002, BP contracted consulting firm A.T. Kearney to understand "the historical facts which have led to the deterioration of the Texas City refinery performance." The report connected the significant reductions in spending with the deterioration in the refinery's integrity and reliability. An internal BP audit conducted in 2003 found that a "checkbook mentality", blame, and status culture eroded HSE as well as general performance; the condition of assets and infrastructure was poor; management had not created meaningful action plans; and that there were insufficient resources. A similar audit in 2004 found fault across all elements of process safety management. Another external audit report was produced by consulting firm Telos in January 2005. It identified numerous safety issues including "broken alarms, thinned pipe, chunks of concrete falling, bolts dropping, cigarettes falling 60 feet (18 m) and staff being overcome with fumes." The report's co-author stated, "We have never seen a site where the notion 'I could die today' was so real." The report also stated, "Most interviewees say that production and budget compliance gets recognized and rewarded before anything else", "Most interviewees at the production level say that the pressure for production, time pressure, and understaffing are the major causes of accidents at Texas City" and that > There is an exceptional degree of fear of catastrophic incidents at Texas City. People talked or wrote at length about serious hazards are in the operating units from CUI, abandoned asbestos, piping integrity issues, inadequate spare pumps and parts, and other equipment and operating hazards. Of these, piping integrity was repeated again and again. Even where there have been recent investments in piping integrity, people reported that they often could not shut the unit down to in fact replace the pipe they had fabricated. The tolerance of these kinds of risk "distracted" people from routine safe practices at the task level, or made them feel skeptical about the commitment to safety at the plant. Some key reports on the preoccupying conditions of the refinery made their way to company board level. In early March 2005, mere weeks before the explosion, an internal e-mail warned, "I truly believe that we are on the verge of something bigger happening and that we must make some critical decisions [...] over getting the workforce's attention around safety." Management turnover had been high in the years leading to the explosion, with the complex having had five managers in the six years since the merger, with the result that employees were under the impression that any new initiative would not last and that efforts were focused on short-term profit rather than long-term sustainability. The complex was still largely using Amoco safety management processes pre-dating the merger. ### The ISOM plant The isomerization plant (ISOM) at the site was designed for the conversion of low-octane hydrocarbons, through various chemical processes, into hydrocarbons with higher octane ratings that could then be blended into unleaded gasoline. This is achieved by converting straight-chain hydrocarbon molecules into branched ones. The main feed to the unit was a mix of n-pentane and n-hexane, with isopentane and isohexane being the main product. The plant consisted of a desulfurization system, a Penex isomerization reactor, a vapor recovery and liquid recycle unit, and a raffinate splitter. The 170-foot (50 m) tall tower-shaped splitter, a distillation column, was used to separate lighter hydrocarbon components from the top of the tower (mainly pentane and hexane), which condensed and were then pumped to a light raffinate storage tank, while the heavier components (mainly C7 and C8) were recovered lower down in the splitter, then pumped to a heavy raffinate storage tank. The unit had an operational capacity of 45,000 barrels (7,200 m³) per day. Excess hydrocarbon vapors and liquids from vent and relief were sent to vessel F-20, a blowdown stack. This was designed to disperse vapors from the top and convey any liquids through a gooseneck into the plant closed sewer network. It was a 10-foot (3.0 m) diameter vertical drum with a 113-foot (34 m) vertical flue pipe. F-20 was put in commission in the 1950s and had gone through several modifications over the years. ### Unit turnarounds and use of portable buildings Remedial work had been started on the raffinate splitter from February 21, 2005. Two turnaround activities were also taking place at the adjacent ultracracker unit (UCU) and at the aromatics recovery unit (ARU) at the same time. Portable buildings and trailers were often installed for use as offices during construction and maintenance. In 2004, 122 trailers were in the refinery with an estimated occupancy of 800. BP allowed trailers to be placed near process units based on the results of a screening process. In 1995 a site-wide temporary siting analysis report had been created at the facility that established an acceptable layout of trailers and other temporary structures with respect to nearby hazardous process facilities. The report was revalidated in 2002, still based on Amoco's standards although more than three years had passed since the BP–Amoco merger. In turn, Amoco's Facility Siting Screening Workbook was based on the American Petroleum Institute's Recommended Practice 752. The next siting analysis was due to take place in 2007 and, therefore, any siting changes before then would have to be under the management of change (MOC) process. Plans were made late in 2004 to accommodate contractors due to work on the UCU in 2005 in nine single trailers and one double-wide trailer immediately west of the ISOM process unit. The team carrying out the MOC assessment for the placement of the double-wide trailer identified that the structure would be less than 350 feet (110 m) from the ISOM plant, a distance below which a dedicated risk analysis had to be carried out under Amoco's Workbook provisions. This team, however, lacked the expertise to complete the risk assessment. The introduction of the nine single trailers in the picture was not assessed in an MOC. Further, contrary to procedure, recommendations issued in the analysis of the change involving the placement of the double-wide trailer were still open when the trailers were occupied in November 2004. ## Circumstances of the accident ### Early morning The start-up process commenced with the night-shift lead operator on March 23 carrying out the initial filling of the splitter tower. Because plant start-ups are especially prone to unexpected situations, operational practice requires the application of a controlled and approved pre-start-up safety review (PSSR) procedure. BP had one, but it was not adopted in this case. The process control level transmitter was designed to indicate the raffinate level within a 5-foot (1.5 m) span from the bottom of the splitter tower to a 9-foot (2.7 m) level. A high-level alarm dependent on this transmitter sounded as intended at 3:09 am, when a level of 7.6 feet (2.3 m) from the bottom was reached. However, during start-up it was common to ignore this alarm and fill up to a level of 99% (as indicated by the transmitter) to prevent damage to the furnace heating the splitter bottom. Unbeknown to the operators, the process control level transmitter, which was used to monitor the level in the splitter during the whole start-up operation, was not calibrated and its readings were not reliable. An independent level alarm triggered by a high-level switch should also have sounded at 7.9 feet (2.4 m) but failed to. At 5:00 am, the lead operator in the ISOM satellite control room briefed the central control room and went home early. At 6:00 am, the day-shift board operator (central control room operator) arrived and started his thirtieth consecutive day on a 12-hour shift duty. By this time, the level was still believed to be below the 9-foot mark, but it was already at 13 feet (4.0 m). At 7:15 am, more than one hour late on the commencement of his shift (6:00 am), one of the two day-shift supervisors ("A") arrived at the central control room. Because of his lateness, he could not go through the required handover with the night shift. During the morning meeting on March 23, it was discussed that the heavy raffinate storage tanks were nearly full and, therefore, a second day-shift supervisor ("B") was told that the start-up procedure should not continue, but this information was not passed on. Therefore, the start-up procedure resumed just before 9:30 am under instructions from the day-shift supervisor A. The splitter level control valve into the heavy storage tank was placed in manual mode (rather than having its opening regulated by the level transmitter) and set at 4,300 bpd. However, the flow transmitter on this line was in error and the valve had actually been closed shut. This, coupled with the malfunctioning of all the splitter tower instruments, allowed the level of liquid in the tower to increase without anyone noticing and caused the operators to lose all situational awareness. The circulation process was restarted just before 10 am and raffinate was once again fed into the tower, even though the level was already too high. Since the level-control valve was shut and, therefore, there was no circulation out of the tower (i.e. no heavy raffinate being transferred to the storage tank), the splitter tower inevitably began to fill up. The defective level transmitter continued to show the level at less than 100%, and since the external sight glass was opaque, a visual check to verify the level in the splitter tower was not possible. Day-shift supervisor A, the more experienced of the two, left at 10:50 am due to a family emergency. Contrary to the operating rules, no supervisor was left in the central control room. A single, unsupervised, and very tired board operator was now left to supervise the ISOM and two other units during a critical start-up procedure. ### Late morning Two burners in the furnace had been turned on at 9:55 am to pre-heat raffinate going into the tower and to heat the raffinate in the tower bottom. Two more were lit at 11:16 am. The required temperature for the tower reboiler return flow was 135 °C (275 °F) with a rate increase of 10 °C (18 °F) per hour, but this procedure was not followed: during start-up, the return flow temperature reached 153 °C (307 °F) at a rate of 23 °C (41 °F) per hour. The defective level transmitter still erroneously indicated an ongoing safe level condition in the tower. However, there was still no flow of heavy raffinate from the splitter tower to the storage tank as the level control valve remained closed; instead of the hydrocarbon liquid level being at 8.65 feet (2.64 m), i.e. 93% of the instrument range, as indicated, it had actually reached 67 feet (20 m). Just before midday, with heat increasing in the tower, the actual fluid level had risen to 98 feet (30 m). Pressure started to build up in the system as the hydrocarbon vapors and the nitrogen remaining in the tower and associated pipework from when it had been put back in service became compressed with the increasing volume of raffinate. The operations crew thought that the pressure rise was a result of overheating in the tower bottoms as this was a known start-up issue, so the pressure was released. ### Explosion By 12:42 pm, the furnaces had been turned down and the level control valve was finally opened, draining heavy raffinate from the splitter tower. The gas fueling the furnace was shut off, but the raffinate feed into the splitter tower was not. The operators believed the level transmitter reading which was now down to 78% (7.9 feet [2.4 m]) but the fluid level in the 170-foot (52 m) tall splitter tower had now reached 158 feet (48 m). While the opening of the heavy raffinate flow should have diminished the level in the column, the fact that this hot flow was used to pre-heat the feed meant that the temperature inside the splitter increased dramatically, which led to significant increase in vaporization and the lifting of a slug of liquid over the top of the column into the overheads line. At 1:13 pm, the hydrostatic head of this liquid had built to over 42 psi (290 kPa). This was sufficient to open the relief valves. With the relief valves fully open, over 51,900 US gallons (196 m³) of heated raffinate passed directly into the collection header over a 6-minute period before the valves closed, as pressure within the splitter overheads pipe dropped below their minimum closing set point (37.2 psi (256 kPa) above atmospheric pressure). Hot raffinate flowed into the blowdown drum and stack, and as it filled, some of the fluid started to flow into the ISOM unit sewer system via a 6-inch (15 cm) pipeline at the base of the blowdown drum. As the blowdown drum and stack filled up, hot raffinate shot out of the top of the stack and into the air, forming a 20-foot (6 m) "geyser". The equivalent of a nearly full tanker truck of raffinate rained down on the ground, ran down the side of the blowdown drum and stack, and pooled at the base of the unit. A radio call was received in the control room that hot hydrocarbons were overflowing from the stack. The plant evacuation alarm was not sounded, a fact that prevented people in the vicinities to evacuate before ignition took place. A diesel pick-up truck, with its engine left idling, had been parked about 25 feet (8 m) from the blowdown stack. The vapor cloud reached the vehicle, and hydrocarbon fumes were drawn into the engine's air intake, causing the engine to race. Nearby workers frantically tried to shut down the engine, without success. The expanding vapor cloud forced the workers who were trying to shut down the overspeeding truck engine to retreat. The cloud continued to spread across the ISOM plant, across the pipe-rack to the west and into the trailer area unimpeded. No emergency alarm sounded, and at approximately 1:20 pm, the vapor cloud was ignited by a backfire, as observed (by nearby witnesses) to be originating from the overheating truck engine. Equipment and piping congestion contributed to accelerate the flame front. This triggered a massive vapor cloud explosion that was heard for miles. The blast pressure wave struck the cluster of contractor trailers located as close as 121 feet (37 m) from the blowdown stack, completely destroying them. The explosion sent debris flying, instantly killing 15 people manning the closest trailers and injuring 180 others. Workers in trailers received injuries as far as 480 feet (150 m) from the blowdown drum, with heavy damage reaching some trailers as far as 600 feet (180 m) away. Over 40 trailers were damaged. All the fatalities and many of those injured in the accident were contractors. Fifty storage tanks sustained structural damage, although the largest portion of the tank farm was more than 250 feet (76 m) from the explosion. Over 2,750 pounds (1,250 kg) of benzene escaped from one of the damaged tanks. An area estimated at 200,000 square feet (19,000 m²) of the refinery was badly burned by the fire that followed the violent explosion, damaging refinery equipment worth millions of dollars. The pressure wave was so powerful it blew out windows offsite up to three-quarters of a mile (1.2 km) away. ### Emergency response The site emergency response team intervened immediately, mounting a search and rescue operation. An order was issued for the shelter-in-place of 43,000 people. Mutual aid provided by IMAS (Texas City Industrial Mutual Aid System) and Memorial Hermann Life Flight resources were mobilized by 1:45 pm. The feed to the raffinate splitter was not shut down, but it stopped at 2:45 pm when electrical power went down. Fires were brought under control by 150–200 firefighters after two hours. Ambulances and Life Flight stood down by 4:44 pm. The final body was found under a heap of debris at about 11:00 pm. ## Investigation reports BP's in-house experts as well as various authorities and committees investigated the explosion in relation to technical, organizational, and safety culture aspects. BP internal investigations included a panel (the Mogford investigation, from the name of the lead investigator) tasked with reconstructing the accident causation chain and conducting a detailed root-cause analysis, and two other teams (the Bonse and Stanley investigations) who remained focused on underlying procedural and cultural factors as well as managerial accountabilities. An independent, high-profile panel (the Baker panel) was commissioned by BP on an urgent recommendation by the U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB), to look into management and safety culture issues. The CSB conducted their own detailed and extensive investigation, focused both on technical and procedural aspects. The different panels and investigations found organizational failings including corporate cost-cutting, a failure to invest in the plant infrastructure, a lack of corporate oversight on both safety culture and major accident prevention programs, a focus on occupational safety as opposed to process safety, a defective management of change process (which allowed the siting of contractor trailers too close to the ISOM process unit), the inadequate training of operators, a lack of competent supervision for start-up operations, poor communication between individuals and departments and the use of outdated and ineffective work procedures which were often not followed. Technical failings included the use of a blowdown drum that was both insufficiently sized and outdated, a lack of preventive maintenance on safety-critical systems, and inoperative alarms and level sensors in the ISOM process unit. ### BP internal investigations #### Mogford report A team of experts led by John Mogford, the senior BP Group vice president for safety and operations, examined the technical aspects of the explosion and suggested corrective actions. An interim report was issued on May 12, 2005. Reacting to the report, Scott Berger, director of the Center for Chemical Process Safety (CCPS) of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE), expressed surprise at the emphasis the report put on individual responsibility by plant operators and supervisors. On December 9, 2005, BP published the final revision of the Mogford report. It identified four critical factors without which the explosion would not have happened or would have had a lesser impact: "loss of containment; raffinate splitter start-up procedures and application of knowledge and skills; control of work and trailer siting; and design and engineering of the blowdown stack." Furthermore, five critical underlying cultural issues were identified: - "Business context", including a working environment that resisted change and was dominated by lack of motivation, trust and sense of purpose. This was coupled with unclear expectations about management and supervision. - "Safety as a priority", in that management did not give process safety the necessary importance within the business. - "Organizational complexity and capability", in the sense of a lack of clarity in accountabilities and poor communication. - "Inability to see risk", or a tendency to accept high levels of risk due to poor hazard awareness. - "Lack of early warning", or the inability to recognize and action signals revealing plant and procedures deterioration. The Mogford final report did not, however, find evidence that anyone intentionally made decisions or took actions that put others at risk. #### Stanley report The company also put together a team of BP and external experts for conducting a process and operational audit review of the refinery. James W. Stanley, former deputy director of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), was the team leader. The audit focused on processes and operations; incident management, control of work, risk assessment, and compliance assessment; employee and contractor management; and maintenance, reliability, and integrity. The Stanley report was issued internally on June 15, 2005. It concluded that significant performance and behavior change on the part of senior and extended management would be needed, in spite of well-designed and documented procedures and processes being available and the workforce being generally capable of good performance. Among the issues "preventing the successful execution of some key work processes", the team singled out: leadership factors, including failure to hold people accountable for safety and silo mentality, among other issues; risk awareness, indicated by complacency and repeated failure to heed recommendations arising from previous accidents; measures for control of work, which was found to be both insufficient and unadhered to; negative workplace conditions, as shown by poor housekeeping and insufficient plant maintenance; and a contractor management philosophy lacking diversity and inclusion values. #### Bonse report Another internal team was led by Wilhelm Bonse-Geuking [de], who was BP Group vice president of Europe. The Bonse team investigated the level of compliance by plant managers with BP's management framework and corporate code of conduct. The final report – which was only released to the public after a court ordered it on May 3, 2007 – identified numerous management failures. It further noted that management responsibilities within BP Group were unclear, and that the poor state of the plant equipment and the insufficiency of spending on maintenance were contributing factors to the accident. > In sum, the Texas City Refinery had a culture of risk taking coupled with a failure to understand the process safety implications of prior incidents [...], a long tradition of failure to comply with simple procedures, the desire to avoid conflict within its organization, and a penchant for placing persons in key roles who lacked adequate professional training. The report identified four executives for dismissal: Pat Gower, regional vice president for U.S. refining; Mike Hoffman, group vice president for North American refining and marketing; Texas City complex manager Don Parus; and Willie Willis, Texas City West plant supervisor. As of the date of publication of the report none had actually been sacked. ### Baker Panel report After the March explosion, two more serious process safety incidents occurred at the plant: - On July 28, 2005, a hydrogen gas heat exchanger pipe on the resid hydrotreater unit ruptured, causing a release of hydrogen that erupted into a large jet fire. Fires lasted for about two hours. One person received minor injuries and property damaged amounted to $30 million. The Chemical Safety Board found that a contractor had accidentally swapped a low-alloy steel elbow for a carbon steel pipe elbow during maintenance, causing a failure mode known as high-temperature hydrogen attack (HTHA). The CSB found that BP should have required positive materials verification using an X-ray fluorescence test device and maintained or required the contractor to maintain materials identification using tagging to prevent misplacement of components when reassembling the equipment. - On August 10, 2005, a gasoil hydrotreater developed a leak caused by corrosion and high-temperature sulfidation which resulted in the release of toxic gases including carbon monoxide (CO), hydrogen sulfide (H₂S), and sulfur dioxide (SO₂), as well as flammable hydrocarbon vapors. Property damage was around $2 million. Both accidents required community shelter-in-place alerts. Following these events, on August 17, 2005, the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) issued an urgent recommendation that BP commission an independent panel to investigate the safety culture and management systems at BP North America. A blue-ribbon panel was assembled, led by former U.S. Secretary of State James A. Baker III. A figure of this stature and curriculum was specifically selected by BP to publicly show to U.S. opinion-makers that the company was eager to learn the lesson and make strides to change. The Baker Panel differed from BP's and the CSB's investigations in that it was not charged to conduct a root cause investigation. Its scope was broader, focused on BP's corporate safety oversight, corporate safety culture, and its process safety management systems and included all five BP refineries in the United States. The Baker Panel report was released on January 16, 2007. It cited weak safety culture driven by poor process safety leadership and low employee empowerment as underlying causes of the accidents plaguing the refinery. It also highlighted that despite BP's comprehensive safety management system, this was not sufficiently enforced in their refineries. It also showed that BP's focus in measuring its safety performance relied overwhelmingly on occupational safety indicators to the detriment of process safety performance monitoring. It further stressed that worker fatigue and a system that encouraged overtime had detrimental effects on safe plant operation, and that the company had failed to deal with deficiencies arising from known incidents, risk assessments and audits. Implementation of good engineering practices was also found lacking. Additionally, the panel interviewed a number of employees, managers and contractors at all five of BP's U.S. refineries. They also created and administered to the refineries a process safety culture survey. They concluded that the Toledo and Texas City plants had the worst process safety culture, while the Cherry Point refinery, located in Birch Bay, Washington, had the best process safety culture. The survey results also showed that managers and white-collar workers generally had a more positive view of the process safety culture at their plants when compared with the viewpoint of blue-collar operators and maintenance technicians. The report made 10 recommendations on various aspects of process safety (leadership; management system; competence; culture; expectations and accountability; leading and lagging performance indicators; and auditing), as well as on support for line management and industry stewardship. ### CSB report Given the extent of the disaster the Chemical Safety Board examined both the safety management in the Texas City refinery and the role of the BP Group as well as the role of OSHA as a regulatory body. The CSB investigation team was on site 48 hours after the accident. Some 13 CSB investigators remained onsite for three months. For its investigation, the CSB used a budget of $2.5 million and reviewed more than 30,000 documents, interviewed 370 witnesses, and performed computer modeling and testing. The results of the investigation of the agency were published on March 20, 2007 in a 341-page long report, the most extensive conducted up to that point by the then nine-year-old agency. The report findings were presented on the same day at a public meeting in Texas City. #### Design deficiencies One of the key findings of the CSB was that the blowdown system used at the ISOM unit was antiquated and totally inadequate, being located as it was amid the plant and liable to spew unignited heavy vapors down into normally manned areas. The CSB found that BP had failed to heed or implement multiple warnings and safety recommendations made before the blast regarding the ISOM blowdown system. Among them were: - In 1991, the Amoco refining planning department proposed eliminating blowdown systems that vented to the atmosphere, but funding for this plan was not included in the budget. - In 1992, OSHA issued a citation to Amoco for unsafe design of a similar blowdown system elsewhere in the refinery. However, Amoco successfully persuaded OSHA to drop this citation by relying on the less-stringent requirements in API Recommended Practice 521. - In 1993, the "Amoco Regulatory Cluster Project" proposed eliminating atmospheric blowdown systems, but again, funding was not approved. - Despite Amoco's "Process Safety Standard No. 6", which prohibited new atmospheric blowdown systems and called for the phasing out of existing ones, in 1997, Amoco replaced the 1950s-era blowdown drum/vent stack that served the raffinate splitter tower with an identical system, instead of upgrading to recommended alternatives that were safer. - In 2002, an opportunity to tie the ISOM relief system into the new naphtha desulfurization unit flare system was not taken, due to a US$150,000 incremental cost. - Also in 2002, BP's "Clean Streams Project" proposed converting the blowdown drum to a flare knock-out tank, and routing discharges to a flare. When it was found that a needed relief study of the ISOM system had not been completed due to budget constraints, the Clean Streams decided not to pursue the option. Between 1994 and 2004, at least eight similar cases occurred in which flammable vapors were emitted by the ISOM blowdown drum/vent stack, of which two resulted in a fire. Yet no corrective action was taken. Furthermore, the blowdown drum was not designed to deal with a vessel overfill. This was not necessarily attributable to Amoco or BP, but rather to a lack of guidance in the API Recommended Practice 521. Other design issues included: - The range of the remote level instruments at the splitter was too narrow and inadequate for start-up operations. - Additionally, redundant means to assess liquid level for the safe start-up of a distillation column, such as e.g., a bottom pressure transmitter, were missing altogether. - Instrumented systems relied decisively on manual operator intervention instead of automatic action. As a consequence, there was no automatic process shutdown upon the liquid level in the splitter reaching an assigned high level. - The human–machine interface used in the control rooms was poorly designed, in that it did not show the splitter incoming and outgoing flows on the same screen, nor did it calculate the total liquid in the tower. #### Plant integrity Several items, most of which safety-critical, were not operational and contributed to the chain of events. In particular, none of the four available level readings and alarms on the splitter worked. The affected instruments were the process control system displacer-type level transmitter, the two independent high- and low-level switches (although the low-level one did not play a role in the accident), and the level sight glass at the bottom of the splitter tower, as well as the flow transmitter reading the flowrate of heavy raffinate. The splitter tower mechanical conditions were seen as degraded, so in 2004 the set point of the pressure relief valves was decreased from 70 psi (480 kPa) to approximately 40 psi (280 kPa). If this change had not been implemented, the valves would not have opened on the day of the accident and the explosion would not have occurred, because the static head above them would not have reached the valve set point. #### Systemic management and safety culture issues The CSB found that organizational and safety deficiencies at all organizational levels of BP contributed to the refinery explosion, such as cost cuts and spending cuts in the safety area, although a large part of the refinery infrastructure and process equipment were in poor condition. In addition, the committee said that BP had cut the budget for training and reduced staff. Carolyn W. Merritt, chairman and chief executive officer of the CSB, stated that findings about BP's safety culture were similar to those by the Baker Panel, and that "[t]he combination of cost-cutting, production pressures, and failure to invest caused a progressive deterioration of safety at the refinery." She pointed out that, beginning in 2002, BP commissioned several studies through which it became aware of serious safety problems, including insufficient maintenance and training. Merritt highlighted that the studies were shared with key executives in London, but BP's response was inadequate, with the little investment made not addressing the real issues in Texas City. In fact, BP executives challenged their refineries to cut another 25% from their budgets for 2005. In addition, safety improvements between 2002 and 2005 were "largely focused on personal safety—such as slips, trips, falls, and vehicle accidents, rather than on improving safety performance," according to supervisory investigator Don Holmstrom. #### Need for updated industry standards The CSB also issued a recommendation for the American Petroleum Institute (API) and the United Steelworkers (USW, the trade union representing refinery workers) to work together to develop a guideline for understanding, recognizing and dealing with fatigue during shift work, as well as to create performance indicators specific to process safety in the refining and petrochemical industries, since measuring safety purely based on eminently occupational indicators such as lost-time incidents was seen as insufficient in the context of preventing major process accidents. Other recommendations addressed to API were to update Recommended Practice 752 to include guidelines on the safe placement of trailers and temporary buildings in process plants; and to update Recommended Practice 521 Guide for Pressure-Relieving and Depressuring Systems to identify overfilling vessels as a potential hazard for evaluation, to mandate sizing disposal drums for credible worst-case liquid relief scenarios, to warn against the use of atmospheric blowdown drums and stacks attached to piping systems receiving flammable discharges from multiple relief valves, and to urge the use of appropriate inherently safer alternatives such as a flare system. The CSB judged that the Amoco–BP merger had negatively impacted the ability of the organization to deal with process hazards, because organizational changes occurred without getting assessed in terms of their consequences on safety. Therefore, the Board recommended to OSHA that their Process Safety Management of Highly Hazardous Chemicals regulation, promulgated in 1992 and usually referred to as Process Safety Management (PSM), should include a requirement for management of organizational changes, in addition to the existing rules on equipment and procedural changes. A complementary recommendation was addressed to the Center for Chemical Process Safety, to the effect of developing guidelines on how to perform organizational management of change reviews. #### Lack of regulatory oversight In the United States, the PSM regulation is the key piece of legislation supporting the safe operation of a process facility handling hazardous materials, like the Texas City refinery (and indeed any refinery or sizeable chemical plant). OSHA is the enforcing agency for the regulation. However, the CSB found that OSHA had as supervising authority failed to carry out planned inspections of the refinery and did not enforce safety rules, although there were many warning signs. The CSB also found that only a limited number of OSHA inspectors received the specialized training and experience necessary for complex investigations in refineries. The report further negatively compared OSHA's available resources with those of other agencies, like the British Health and Safety Executive or the Contra Costa County, California hazardous materials programs, that were much more prepared in spite of their smaller scope of oversight. The refinery also fell under the statutes of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)'s Risk Management Program (RMP) rule, a process safety management scheme similar to OSHA's. The CSB found that the EPA had not conducted any audits or inspections on RMP compliance since the rule had been promulgated. However, the CSB did not issue recommendations to the EPA. Merritt stated in a Senate hearing that they were unable to do so because the EPA did not share critical information, without which meaningful recommendations could not be formulated. ## Aftermath Property damage from the explosion amounted to $200 million ($ million in ). The explosion caused the shutdown of several units at the refinery. In anticipation of Hurricane Rita later in 2005, the entire refinery was shut down. BP then focused on repairing the damage caused by the explosion as well as the hurricane. Process units restart commenced in March 2006. Costs of repairs and deferred production amounted to over $1 billion. BP pled guilty to federal environmental crimes, for which it paid $50 million. The company also paid at least around $2.1 billion in civil settlements. Additionally, BP paid $84.6 million and $27 million in fines to the federal government on OSHA's and the EPA's request, respectively, and a $50 million fine to the government of Texas for environmental violations. The disaster is the world's costliest refinery accident. ### BP's response and fate of the refinery BP initiated a crisis management plan only six hours after the explosion. The following day, a website was set up to publish updates on the accident. Chief Executive Lord John Browne visited the plant on the day after the explosion. In the months after the accident BP tended to put the blame on its operators and supervisors. Victims and union leaders considered this amounted to simple scapegoating. At this point, the company consistently chose not to publicly apologize for the accident. This changed on May 17, 2005, when Ross Pillari, president of BP Products North America, made a public apology, saying "We regret that our mistakes have caused so much suffering. We apologize to those who were harmed and to the Texas City community" and promising "financial support and compensation" to the injured and the families of the dead. On December 9, BP said they would put in place a budget of $1 billion to be spent over five years to improve safety at their Texas City refinery. BP also said that it would eliminate all blowdown drums/vent stack systems in flammable service, of which there were 11 at Texas City, and install new flares in line with their new policy prohibiting atmospheric venting of-heavier-than-air light hydrocarbons. They also relocated trailers away from areas where explosions are possible and started a trial of an electronic integrated safe system of work (ISSOW). Group-wide initiatives were also taken. Not long after the explosion and the other accidents at Texas City in 2005, however, BP's image in the U.S. was further tarnished by the near-sinking of the semi-submersible oil platform Thunder Horse PDQ in July of the same year and, more crucially, in March 2006 when an oil pipeline spill was discovered in Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, while multiple investigations into the Texas City explosion were still ongoing. CSB chairman Carolyn Merritt said there were striking similarities between the accidents of Texas City and Prudhoe Bay, including "long delays in implementation, administrative documentation of close-out even though remedial actions were not actually taken, or simple non-compliance" as well as "flawed communication of lessons learned, excessive decentralization of safety functions, and high management turnover." A further serious accident occurred at BP Texas City in 2007, when 143 workers at the refinery claimed that they were injured when they inhaled toxic vapors released at the plant. CEO John Browne resigned in 2007 over unrelated issues, although he did not escape criticism for the lax safety culture and the budget cuts at BP's U.S. refineries. Tony Hayward took over at the helm of the company. Hayward shifted emphasis from Lord Browne's focus on alternative energy, announcing that safety would be the company's "number one priority". By this time, BP had already taken a markedly apologetic stance over recent accidents, especially Texas City, with their executives and technical experts giving presentations about what went wrong and how they were working to prevent that from happening again. However, only three years later, the 2010 Deepwater Horizon explosion and oil spill occurred, causing a very serious impact on the company on a global scale, again stemming from BP's operations in the U.S. As a result, Hayward resigned, and his role was taken over by American-born Bob Dudley. Under Dudley, BP announced in 2011 that it was selling its Texas City refinery as part of its divestment plan to pay for ongoing compensation claims and remedial activities following the Deepwater Horizon disaster. The sale of the refinery was successfully completed at the start of 2013 to Marathon Petroleum Corporation for US$2.5 billion. Marathon already owned the adjoining Galveston Bay Refinery and in 2018 merged the two sites into one refining complex. Two congressional hearings were held specifically on the Texas City disaster. Among those heard were API, Baker Panel, CCPS, CSB, EPA, and USW representatives, as well as victim relatives.' In other congressional hearings dedicated to subsequent BP accidents in the U.S., the Texas City case history was consistently presented within the pattern of degraded safety culture at BP. ### Settlements with victims BP was named in lawsuits from the victims' families and the wounded. The case of Eva Rowe, a young woman who lost her parents in the explosion, attracted nationwide attention. Rowe said that she would not accept a settlement from BP and would drag the group to justice. Ed Bradley, a well-known American journalist, made her story known in the television magazine 60 Minutes. On November 9, 2006, BP settled the case with Rowe as the last applicant after her lawyers had tried to invite John Browne, BP's chief executive officer at the time of the accident, as witness. The amount of compensation for Eva Rowe remained unknown. BP also paid $32 million to hospitals and education and research institutions nominated by Rowe, including the Mary Kay O'Connor Process Safety Center at Texas A\&M University ($12.5 million), the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston and its Truman G. Blocker Adult Burn Unit ($12.5 million), the College of the Mainland in Texas City ($5 million), St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee ($1 million), and the Hornbeck, Louisiana school system ($1 million). Furthermore, BP was forced to publish about seven million pages of internal documents, including the Telos and Bonse reports. Rowe would later participate in one of the congressional hearings held over the accident. As of September 2007, BP had settled at least 1,350 of around 3,000 lawsuits related to the accident. By February 2008, about 4,000 claims were filed, of which half had settled, for a total exceeding $1.6 billion. BP also said that they had set aside a further $525 million for other claims. By August 2008 only one of the approximately 4,000 claims remained open. ### Criminal prosecution On February 4, 2008, U.S. district judge Lee Rosenthal heard arguments regarding BP's offer to plead guilty to a federal environmental crime for two violations of the Clean Air Act (CAA) with a $50 million fine. At the hearing, blast victims and their relatives objected to the plea, calling the proposed fine "trivial". However, the plea was eventually agreed, together with a three-year probation period for BP. This was the first and, for several years, remained the only federal conviction for an accidental chemical release under the CAA. ### Fines In September 2005, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, which in the CSB report would be found lacking in oversight and competency, gave BP a record $21 million fine for committing 301 violations of the Process Safety Management rule. In October 2009, OSHA imposed a fine of $87 million, which shattered its 2005 record, after claiming that BP had failed to implement safety improvements following the disaster and noting that four further fatal accidents occurred in the refinery since the previous fine. In its new report, OSHA cited 709 safety violations. BP announced that it would challenge the fine. On August 12, 2010, BP announced that it had agreed to pay $50.6 million of the 2009 fine, while continuing to contest the remaining $30.7 million (the fine had been reduced by $6.1 million between when it was levied and when BP paid the first part). In July 2012 OSHA and BP agreed that the outstanding $30.7 million would be reduced to $13 million, which BP paid. Following the explosion, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency inspected the refinery for compliance with the Clean Air Act (CAA) and found BP in violation of the CAA as well as its Risk Management Program (RMP) rule. Most of the violations were not directly related to the explosion but rather to other events, like the two later accidents in 2005. A first fine of $12 million was imposed on BP by the EPA in February 2009. This settlement also included BP's agreement to spend nearly $170 million to improve its environmental performance, with over $150 million dedicated to management of benzene emissions and the remainder addressing chlorofluorocarbons and asbestos. In September 2010, the EPA and BP agreed on a settlement of $15 million on additional counts of violation. This was both the largest civil penalty recovered for CAA violations at an individual facility and the largest ever for civil violations of the RMP. At the request of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ), the Texas Attorney General opened proceedings against BP for violations of the Texas Health and Safety Code and Texas Water Code, including the release of hydrocarbons through the blowdown stack on March 23, 2005, the prolonged release of benzene from a tank damaged in the explosion, which lasted more than 25 days, and tens of other events. In a 2011 settlement, BP agreed to pay a $50 million fine covering 72 other emissions in excess of BP's operating permits. This included legal costs of $500,000. In return, the Justice Department agreed not to allow additional criminal charges against BP in connection with the refinery explosion. ## Impact on process safety The disaster had a notable impact in the domain of process safety. Texas City has become a classic case history used to explain failings in both management and technical barriers in process plants. The Baker Panel report became well-known among process safety engineers, who felt its findings were relevant to other plants and it was important for strengthening process safety awareness in the chemical process industry. This fulfilled the Panel's wish as stated in the report: > Although we necessarily direct our report to BP, we intend it for a broader audience. We are under no illusion that deficiencies in process safety culture, management, or corporate oversight are limited to BP. Other companies and their stakeholders can benefit from our work. We urge these companies to regularly and thoroughly evaluate their safety culture, the performance of their process safety management systems, and their corporate safety oversight for possible improvements. We also urge the same companies to review carefully our findings and recommendations for application to their situations. ### Analysis of weak implementation of process safety management The accident has been extensively analyzed in the specialized literature, which highlighted how several elements of process safety management (PSM) were implemented weakly and poorly managed. Observations made on PSM elements as defined in OSHA's rule include: - Employee participation: The refinery suffered from workers' fear of punishment from reporting incidents or hazards. - Process hazard analysis: the plant hazard and operability analysis (HAZOP) failed to identify the column overfilling scenario and the risk assessment for the placement of temporary buildings was not complete and, for the most part, erroneous. - Operating procedures: Deviations from key procedures like the start-up of the ISOM plant had become routine. Additionally, the same start-up procedure lacked sufficient instructions. - Training: Training for key plant operators was largely insufficient, especially regarding abnormal situation management and verification of operator knowledge and qualifications. - Contractors: Management of contractors disregarded important safety aspects. As an example, those occupying trailers in proximity to the ISOM plant were not told of the start-up. All the fatalities and many of those injured in the accident were contractors. - Pre-start-up safety review: This key review in preparation to a particularly hazardous operation was not conducted. - Mechanical integrity: Multiple instruments and valves were not operational, because they had not been tested or maintained. - Management of change: This failed in multiple respects, namely the changes to the unit start-up procedure that required the operators to work the splitter above a safe level, the lacking or incomplete MOCs for the placement of trailers in the vicinity of a highly hazardous unit, and the lack of a formal change process assessing the elimination of critical operator positions to manage the ISOM plant. - Incident investigation: Learning from past incidents and near misses was impaired by the near absence of internal investigations and the consequent spreading of useful lessons learned. - Emergency planning and response: The evacuation alarm was not sounded, and this may have contributed to the number of fatalities, since the contractors in the trailers did not have a chance to leave the area. - Compliance audits: Audits were conducted but, by BP's own admission, "[audit] action items did not appear to be tracked and effectively closed." Additional elements of process safety are defined in the Center for Chemical Process Safety's (CCPS) PSM scheme, and the refinery was also lacking in some of these: - Process safety culture: This failed at all levels, as mentioned in all investigation reports. - Measurement and metrics: Metrics for safety performance management were focused only on occupational accidents. This contributed to give a distorted picture of the health of safety management, since no performance indicators were used to assess the impact of past and the possibility of future process accidents in connection with critical losses of containment of hazardous materials. Other essential safety practices that failed included: - Shift handover and communication between operators was also very poor, a problem that contributed to several other disasters such as Piper Alpha, the Esso Longford gas plant fire and the Buncefield fire. - Control of ignition sources also failed, as demonstrated by the laxness in managing vehicle access in close proximity to live hydrocarbon process equipment. ### New industry guidelines and initiatives API actioned the recommendations from the CSB's report, thus creating new standards and guidelines for the industry: - Standard 521: API issued a new revision of its document on Pressure-relieving and Depressuring Systems and upgraded its status from Recommended Practice to Standard. The new standard had more stringent requirements on the atmospheric venting of process gas and an instruction to include overfilling from upstream equipment among the design cases of blowdown systems. - Recommended Practice 753: API issued new guidance on the location of trailers and portable buildings within hazardous process sites. The scope of Recommended Practice 752 was reduced to permanent buildings only starting with the third edition. - Recommended Practice 754: API addressed the need for process safety performance indicators in this new Recommended Practice on Process Safety Performance Indicators for the Refining and Petrochemical Industries. In general, in the wake of Texas City, awareness of the difference between occupational and process safety became more widespread in light of the investigations' findings. - Recommended Practice 755"': This new guideline was directed to refineries and petrochemical plants and detailed how to put in place a fatigue risk management system (FRMS). This document includes recommendations for work on rotating shifts, for the maximum acceptable number of overtime hours and the number of days to be worked on without interruption. The CCPS published an extensive guideline on organizational management of change to address another related recommendation from the CSB report. After being singled out for lack of initiative and competency in assessing and inspecting large hazardous process plants, and refineries in particular, OSHA took action, initiating a refinery Process Safety Management National Emphasis Program (NEP) and enforcing a dedicated inspection audit program between 2007 and 2011. This was the most significant PSM enforcement action since the regulation was issued in 1992. OSHA also issued an internal memorandum to address the CSB's recommendation on updating the PSM regulation to include requirements for hazardous process facilities to extend their management-of-change procedures to capture organizational changes. However, the CSB did not deem this initiative sufficient to close the recommendation, which, as of January 2024^[ref], was still open. ## TV documentaries The accident has been featured in a number of documentaries: - National Geographic's series Seconds from Disaster, season 3, episode 10 "Texas Oil Explosion", first aired on November 6, 2006. - History Channel's series Modern Marvels, season 12, episode 56 "Engineering Disasters 20", first aired on December 6, 2006. - Science Channel's series Engineering Catastrophes, season 4, episode 4 "Terror in Texas", first aired on July 7, 2021. ## See also - 1984 Romeoville petroleum refinery disaster - Phillips disaster of 1989 - 2019 Philadelphia refinery explosion - National Geographic Seconds from Disaster" episodes ## Explanatory notes

# 1906 Mississippi hurricane The 1906 Mississippi hurricane was a deadly and destructive hurricane during the 1906 Atlantic hurricane season. The fourth hurricane of the season, the system was originally observed in the western Caribbean on September 22; however, modern research revealed that the system became a tropical depression on September 19. The system slowly intensified, eventually becoming a major hurricane by September 24. The system made landfall near Pascagoula, Mississippi, during the evening of September 27, devastating the cities of Pensacola and Mobile and the state of Mississippi. Damage totaled to at least $19,221,000, and more than 134 people were killed. ## Meteorological history The first documented information on the storm places it in the western Caribbean Sea on September 22, although modern reanalysis of this storm identifies it as a tropical depression on September 19. The storm drifted north from the Yucatán Channel on September 24, while it was a weak hurricane with winds of 75 mph (120 km/h). The hurricane was south-southwest of Havana by morning, and as it drifted north-northwestward during the evening hours of September 24, the system intensified into a Category 2 hurricane. The hurricane was documented to have been about 300 miles (480 km) west-northwest of Cuba on September 25. Near this area, the hurricane had intensified further into a Category 3 hurricane, with maximum sustained winds of 115 mph (185 km/h). The system finished its passage into the Gulf of Mexico by September 27. During the afternoon, the hurricane made landfall near Pascagoula, Mississippi, as a Category 2 hurricane. The hurricane moved inland, weakening to a Category 1 hurricane and eventually to a tropical storm. The storm weakened to a tropical depression, and dissipated on September 29 as it transitioned into an extratropical storm. ## Preparations and impact ### Florida The city of Pensacola suffered the most severe damage caused by the storm. Several tugboats, vessels, fishing boats, and other watercraft were tossed along the shore of the city. Large numbers of trees were uprooted and the roofs of houses were torn off. At its highest, the storm surge of the hurricane was 8.5 feet (2.6 m) above the normal tide, the highest recorded in the city at the time. The city's waterfront was completely flooded, along with some houses near the waterfront. Muscogee wharf was partially destroyed, broken into two pieces. On either side of the wharf, railroad tracks had been washed away. A total of 39 freight cars carrying coal were also washed away. In addition, the grain elevator of the Louisville and Nashville Railroad was destroyed during the hurricane. A timber boom was demolished during the hurricane, leaving wood and debris on the beach. Along Intendencia Street, several cottages were flooded; in some areas, the floodwaters were 10 feet (3.0 m) deep. The southern end of West Main Street was completely inundated and was swept away. There was devastation between Barcelona and Perdido streets, with several boats wrecked. Between Palafox Street and Wright Street, many houses' roofs were torn away. Rail service in and out of Pensacola was severely affected; one train arrived several hours later than scheduled, and it was said that it had to stop "every few yards" in order to remove trees and debris covering the track. Between Magnolia Bluff and Milton, the track was destroyed and the Escambia Bridge was partially demolished. The fishing industry of Pensacola was estimated to have suffered at least $500,000 in damage. Many wharfs had been completely destroyed during the hurricane. Electricity was shut off during the hurricane. Fort Barrancas, Fort Pickens, and Fort McRee suffered severe damage. At Forts Pickens and Barrancas, damage was estimated to be around $10,000. In the Bayou Grande area of Pensacola, the tide was estimated to be about 12 feet (3.7 m) above normal. At the intersection of Cedar and Baylen streets, oyster boats, steam tugs, wood, and other debris were scattered. A boat identified as the Wolverine was tossed into a lot near the corner. Trees and chimneys were blown down, and a tin roof was peeled off a house as a result of strong winds. On the 26th port, one bark was completely destroyed, while another eleven were tossed around. A schooner that sank during the hurricane was tipped over. At the 38th port, 29 schooners were thrown ashore, and another sixteen were completely destroyed. Only eight of the 36 lumber barges floated, while three of eight tugs were floating, and of those three of them were wrecked. Other debris was scattered around the city, including pieces of shattered glass. A fire occurred at a hotel in Pensacola. At the navy yard of Pensacola, all but three boats—the Isle de Luzon and two "water boats"—were either sunk or thrown ashore. A steel dock owned by Spain was untouched, but areas surrounding it were littered with debris. In the towns of Wosley and Warrington, waterfronts were severely damaged and some houses washed away. At Pensacola Bay, the tide was 10 feet (3.0 m) high; at East Bay, the tide was measured at 9 feet (2.7 m); at St. Andrews Bay, the tide was 6 feet (1.8 m) high; and at Apalachicola Bay, the tide was 5 feet (1.5 m) high. The damage caused in the city totaled to at least $2,620,000, while the damage within the vicinity of the city amounted to more than $1,230,000. The total damage caused within Pensacola and the surrounding areas totaled to greater than $3,850,000. The hurricane was considered the worst in the city in 170 years. However, there was widespread praise by residents and newspapers for the Weather Bureau for tracking the hurricane and issuing storm warnings three days before the storm made landfall. A total of 35 people were killed in Pensacola. ### Louisiana In New Orleans, observations at the backwater of the Mississippi River indicated a storm surge of about 6 feet (1.8 m) in height on the morning of September 27. The highest sustained winds recorded during the storm in New Orleans were measured at 49 mph (79 km/h), while the minimum pressure recorded was 987 mbar (hPa; 29.15 inHg). In the town of Burrwood, a wharf was impacted by the hurricane's storm surge. In addition, local crops and railroads suffered severe damage. Lake Pontchartrain overflowed during the hurricane, with its waters 5 feet (1.5 m) above normal levels, flooding New Orleans. Telegraph wires were down in New Orleans after the hurricane, resulting in the loss of contact with the city. Chimneys were blown down in the city; and a resort along Lake Pontchartrain was underwater, and many houses were swept away near the hotel. Telephone service in New Orleans went down during the hurricane. It was reported that Fort St. Philip was flooded by boaters along the Mississippi River. The hurricane set a new 24-hour-record for rainfall at Colliston, where rainfall amounted to 4.55 inches (11.6 cm) accumulated during the hurricane. ### Alabama The lowest air pressure recorded in Mobile was 977 mbar (hPa; 28.84 inHg). At the highest point, the tide was measured at 9.87 feet (3.01 m), while the maximum sustained wind during the hurricane reached 94 mph (151 km/h). About twenty small buildings and houses were destroyed by the hurricane's winds. Most of the buildings in the city were either slightly or moderately damaged. Some shingles and roofs were blown off, while telegraph wires were down, along with other services that required electricity. In the Mobile River and Bay, a total of eleven steamships, seventeen barks and schooners, and 12 tugboats, had either been sunk or blown ashore. About 6.4 inches (16 cm) of rain was measured during the hurricane. In the areas surrounding Mobile, approximately half of all timber to be converted into turpentine was destroyed, and between 5 and 35 percent of other wood had been destroyed. The hurricane caused at least $1,650,000 in damage throughout Mobile. Telegraph wires were cut off from Mobile after the hurricane, resulting in the loss of communication with the city. It was estimated that five thousand houses were damaged in Mobile during the hurricane. The steamer Camp Carney was thrown onto St. Francis Street. Between Franscati Street and Three Mile Creek, all wharves were destroyed. At the Christ Church Cathedral in Mobile, about $40,000 in damage was suffered, while at the St. Francis Baptist Church, damage totaled to about $10,000. Several steamers sank during the storm, including the J. P. Sehuh, Mary E. Staples, Mary S. Blees, Cama, Overton, Hattie B. Moore, City of Camden, and numerous others. One child was killed in Mobile. At Fort Morgan, many trees fell, roofs caved in, and windows were "smashed as though of tissue paper". Telegraph buildings in the city were flooded and moderately damaged. Five hotels suffered damage totaling to $21,000, while the Southern Supply Company, which was headquartered in the city, suffered $100,000 in damage. The fort's port suffered about $100,000 in damages. Six civilians were killed at the fort. Between Flomaton and Pensacola, railroad tracks of the Louisville and Nashville Railroad were torn up and blocked by trees. The section of railroad tracks between Georgian and Graceville was affected by similar damage. The railroad cancelled all services following the hurricane. ### Mississippi In Scranton, the steamer Winona reported a minimum air pressure of 965 mbar (hPa; 28.50 inHg). Lieutenant B.L. Brockway speculated that Scranton was near the center of the hurricane at the time, due to the low pressure readings. At Biloxi, Moss Point, and Mississippi City, communications were not received. However, Moss Point reported that floodwaters were 5 feet (1.5 m) deep before communications were lost. In Macon, a hotel had been demolished during the hurricane, resulting in the deaths of two people. Jackson and Brookhaven suffered a loss of at least 300,000 cotton bales, amounting to $12,000,000 in damage. In Vicksburg and McComb, many buildings were damaged, along with damage to shipping in Vicksburg, with a broken dock. The railroads and trees of Monticello suffered moderate damage: the railroad tracks were covered in trees, and service was suspended east of the town. In Hattiesburg, many cabins were blown down during the storm. Damage in Hattiesburg amounted to $300,000. In McNeil, one person was killed by a tree that was blown down. At the Horn Island lighthouse, the hurricane killed the lighthouse keeper and his wife and daughter. In addition to the death of the three at the lighthouse, it was noted that the schooner Daisy had been dismantled there, with one person killed. A person who was climbing a small tree was thrown away by the wind and drowned. Several people were trapped in their homes after a creek topped its banks. A warehouse and four other buildings were destroyed, while a bank's roof was blown off. A train near Brookhaven was washed away along the tracks of the Mississippi Central Railroad, resulting in the injury of five people. 25 schooners along the Mississippi coastline were completely destroyed. Two barks, the Nuremberg and Hercules were destroyed during the hurricane. Mandeline, owned by Norway, was filled with water, while Sigrav suffered severe damage, completely torn apart. A boat known as the Florine was washed ashore. A total of 78 fatalities occurred. ## See also - List of Florida hurricanes (1900–1949)

# Turkish Airlines Flight 301 Turkish Airlines Flight 301 was a passenger flight operated by a Fokker F28-1000 Fellowship of Turkish Airlines registered as TC-JAO that crashed during takeoff at İzmir Cumaovası Airport on 26 January 1974 while en route to Istanbul Yeşilköy Airport, killing 67 of its 73 passengers and crew. The aircraft spent the night prior to the accident outside in freezing temperatures, causing frost accumulation on the wings, which was unnoticed by the crew before departure. During takeoff, the pilots over-rotated the plane, causing it to stall, which together with the frost caused the aircraft to climb to just 8–10 metres (26–33 ft) before pitching down and veering left, crashing into the ground and subsequently catching fire. In 1990, it was claimed that the accident was caused by two of the pilots being drunk. Autopsy results confirmed alcohol was found in the blood of the captain and flight engineer, but that it was not the cause of the accident. ## Aircraft and crew The aircraft was a Fokker F28-1000 Fellowship registered as TC-JAO with serial number 11057. It made its first flight on 5 September 1972, joined Turkish Airlines on 9 January 1973, and had flown for 2,269 hours over 3,133 flights prior to the accident. The Fokker F28 was named Van for the city Van; its airworthiness certificate was valid until 13 December 1974. The captain and pilot in command of the flight was İlhan Günaydın (37). He was a former Turkish Air Force pilot who graduated from the air force academy in 1958. He flew 2,600 hours in military aircraft until he resigned and joined Turkish Airlines in 1970. He became a Fokker F28 captain in 1972 and had accumulated 577 flight hours on the type. The co-pilot was Kaya Künelgin (36). Künelgin was also a former air force pilot with 2,794 hours in military aircraft. He resigned from the air force in 1973 and joined Turkish Airlines. He had 395 flight hours with the Fokker F28. Flight engineer Erdal Parlakbilek was also present in the cockpit. There were two cabin crew members: Aynur Sürücü and Serap Özgenç. A day before the accident, the same crew and aircraft had made the Izmir–Athens–Izmir flight without reporting any issues, and stayed at Izmir for the night. The captain's wife however, claimed that he had called her the night before and said: "the plane is defective, let's see what we will do." The same aircraft was "recently" forced to return to Van Ferit Melen Airport after take-off after one of its doors opened mid-flight. According to an unnamed Turkish Airlines official, a group of Dutch technicians came to Istanbul and performed maintenance on the aircraft to fix its issues "some time ago". ## Accident The pilot in command, İlhan Günaydın, completed the pre-flight walk-around and the plane was ready for departure at 07:07 local time (05:07 GMT) to fly to Istanbul. The aircraft taxied to runway 35 and started its roll after receiving clearance from the tower to do so. The aircraft started lifting off after using 3,200 feet (980 m) of the runway and climbed to a maximum altitude of 8–10 metres (26–33 ft), after which it started banking to the left and pitching down. The left wing made contact with the ground first, followed by the left fuselage belly which struck the 50-centimetre (20 in) bank of a drainage ditch located 28 metres (92 ft) left of the runway. The impact ruptured the fuel tank located inside the left wing, causing the plane to catch fire. The plane started to break up as the tail section was separated first. The tail section overtook the fuselage and impacted it between the cockpit and the passenger cabin, causing them to disintegrate as well and turning the latter upside down. The nose section travelled further until it hit a stack of empty drums 2–3 metres (6.6–9.8 ft) tall and 150 metres (490 ft) away from the runway. ## Wreckage and recovery Witnesses of the crash ran to the accident site to assist with the evacuation. The emergency services at the airport were already on stand-by when the aircraft started its engines and were quickly at the accident scene. Ten minutes later, a team of firefighters from Gaziemir Air Base and the city itself arrived to assist with the flames. The fire was extinguished within 30 minutes. The flight recorder was found in good condition. The whole aircraft apart from the cockpit and tail sections was destroyed by the fire, which made it impossible to save all the occupants with facilities available at the airport. Minister of Transport Ferda Güley, who started his duty only a day prior to the accident, requested a brain surgeon for a critically injured crew member. Removal of the wreckage started on 28 January, the runway was cleared and the airport was opened on the same day. ## Victims Most passengers on board the flight were Turkish immigrants living in Germany, who had been on leave from their work. Initial reports mentioned that 62 people perished; 51 died on-site, while 11 others, including all three pilots, died in hospital after being taken out of the wreckage in a critical condition. An additional passenger was reported dead on 1 February. Identification of the bodies was difficult as most were completely burnt and several bodies were melted into each other. According to the final report, of the 68 passengers, 62 died; while six, including an infant, survived. Only one of the five crew members, Aynur Sürücü, survived the initial crash, but died later on 12 December 1975 due to her injuries. She had been in a vegetative state since the crash and was being treated in a hospital in Geneva, Switzerland until her death. Her family blamed the airline for "not caring for her". Families of the victims received 50,000 Turkish lira as compensation from an insurance company. It was the worst accident involving a Fokker F28 and second-deadliest aviation accident in Turkey at that time. As of October 2023, it is the second-deadliest crash involving the type and the fifth-deadliest in the nation. ## Investigation Newly elected Prime Minister Bülent Ecevit's first order in office was for the Minister of Transport to visit the accident scene and start an investigation to determine the cause. The day after the crash, a flight instructor on board as a passenger claimed that the plane rotated too early and stalled as a result. Five different commissions met with Güley on 27 January at Izmir. Güley announced after the meeting that both flight recorders were recovered and sent to Istanbul. The cockpit voice recorder in the aircraft was found to be defective as the device had not recorded anything; investigators were unable to listen to the tape, which only produced a whizzing sound. On 12 March 1975, Gündüz Sevilgen, a member of the 15th Parliament of Turkey from the National Salvation Party, wrote several questions to the Grand National Assembly of Turkey related to Turkish Airlines, including the causes of accidents. He received a response from the Minister of Transport, Sabahattin Özbek, on 18 March. The response included a short list of causes of all Turkish Airlines crashes to date. The cause for Flight 301 was: "[t]ake off made with an out-of-limit take off angle and icing on the wing causing the plane to crash with a lack of speed." ### Final report The final report was translated to English and released by the International Civil Aviation Organization in 1977. After the crash, some aircraft components were sent to Rolls-Royce and Fokker for examination, which showed no failures with the respective parts. According to the weather reports, it was 0 °C (32 °F) with 95% humidity during the night with the plane outside. Investigators determined that these conditions were enough for frost accretion on the wings and elevators, as had happened to another Fokker F28 the following day during similar conditions. This accretion was not noticed by the captain during his walk-around. The probable cause mentioned in the final report was that "[t]he aircraft stalled on take-off due to over-rotation and frost accretion on the wings." Calculations based on temperature and load showed that the plane would have reached its takeoff speed after 2,800 feet (850 m) of runway. The flight data recorder showed that the plane rotated after a roll of 3,200 feet (980 m) at a speed of 124 knots (230 km/h). The speed increased up to 133 knots (246 km/h), but then dropped back to 124 knots while veering to the left. The investigators attributed this loss of speed to a "more than normal" angle of attack, meaning that the pilots over-rotated the aircraft, causing it to stall. The low altitude of the aircraft made it impossible for the pilots to recover. Had there been no frost accretion, the plane would have taken off safely despite the other factors. ### 1990 claims On 18 May 1990, Milliyet newspaper, based on the admissions made by Güley in his book Kendini Yaşamak: Anılar, reported that the cause of the accident was due to the pilots being drunk. Güley wrote that the autopsy revealed that both the captain and the flight engineer had alcohol in their blood. He stated that he kept the secret with Ecevit to not "lose the trust of the people", as an accident like this "would've left a black mark that Turkish Airlines wouldn't have been able to clear for years." Güley additionally stated that the emergency services at the airport were insufficient, which led to more deaths. The confession caused the topic of the crash to be taken to the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, where Minister of Transport Cengiz Tuncer revealed the state archives related to the crash. The documents confirmed that captain Günaydın had 242 mg/kg of alcohol in his blood while flight engineer Parlakbilek had 26 mg/kg. According to the documents, alcohol consumption by the pilots was not associated with the cause of the crash. ## See also - Turkish Airlines Flight 981 - much deadlier crash of a Turkish Airlines aircraft that occurred two months after the crash of Flight 301

# Central American squirrel monkey The Central American squirrel monkey (Saimiri oerstedii), also known as the red-backed squirrel monkey, is a squirrel monkey species from the Pacific coast of Costa Rica and Panama. It is restricted to the northwestern tip of Panama near the border with Costa Rica, and the central and southern Pacific coast of Costa Rica, primarily in Manuel Antonio and Corcovado National Parks. It is a small monkey with an orange back and a distinctive white and black facial mask. It has an omnivorous diet, eating fruits, other plant materials, invertebrates and some small vertebrates. In turn, it has a number of predators, including raptors, cats and snakes. It lives in large groups that typically contain between 20 and 75 monkeys. It has one of the most egalitarian social structures of all monkeys. Females do not form dominance hierarchies, and males do so only at breeding season. Females become sexually mature at 2+1⁄2 years, and males at 4 to 5 years. Sexually mature females leave the natal group, but males can remain with their natal group their entire life. The Central American squirrel monkey can live for more than 15 years. The Central American squirrel monkey population declined precipitously after the 1970s. This decline is believed to be caused by deforestation, hunting, and capture to be kept as pets. Efforts are underway to preserve the species. ## Taxonomy The Central American squirrel monkey is a member of the family Cebidae, the family of New World monkeys containing squirrel monkeys, capuchin monkeys, tamarins and marmosets. Within the family Cebidae, it is a member of the subfamily Saimiriinae, the subfamily containing squirrel monkeys. It is one of five recognized species of squirrel monkey, and the only species occurring outside South America. The Central American Squirrel Monkey is placed in genus Saimiri (Voigt, 1831) along with all the other squirrel monkey species. Among the squirrel monkeys, the Central American squirrel monkey is most closely related to the Guianan squirrel monkey (Saimiri sciureus) and the bare-eared squirrel monkey (Saimiri ustus) and these three species form the S. sciureus species group. The binomial name Saimiri oerstedii was given by Johannes Theodor Reinhardt in honor of his fellow Danish biologist Anders Sandøe Ørsted. There are two subspecies of the Central American squirrel monkey: - Black-crowned Central American squirrel monkey, Saimiri oerstedii oerstedii - Grey-crowned Central American squirrel monkey, Saimiri oerstedii citrinellus S. o. oerstedii lives in the western Pacific portion of Panama and the Osa Peninsula area of Costa Rica (including Corcovado National Park), while S. o. citrinellus lives in the Central Pacific portion of Costa Rica. The largest estimate (most recently in 2003) is that the remaining wild population of S. o. citrinellus is only 1,300 to 1,800 individuals. ## Physical description The Central American squirrel monkey differs in coloration from South American squirrel monkeys. While South American squirrel monkeys tend to be primarily greenish in color, the Central American species has an orange back with olive shoulders, hips and tail, and white undersides. The hands and feet are also orange. There is a black cap at the top of the head, and a black tip at the end of the tail. Males generally have lighter caps than females. The face is white with black rims around the eyes and black around the nose and mouth. The two subspecies are similar in coloration, but differ in the shade of the cap. The northern subspecies, living in Central Pacific Costa Rica, has a lighter cap than the southern subspecies, which lives in Panama and in parts of Costa Rica near Panama. The southern subspecies also has more yellowish limbs and underparts. Adults reach a length of between 266 and 291 millimetres (10+1⁄2 and 11+1⁄2 inches), excluding tail, and a weight between 600 and 950 grams (21 and 34 ounces). The tail is longer than the body, and between 362 and 389 mm (14+1⁄4 and 15+3⁄8 in) in length. As with other squirrel monkeys, there is considerable sexual dimorphism. On average, males weigh 16% more than females. Males have an average body weight of 829 g (29+1⁄4 oz) and females average 695 g (24+1⁄2 oz). Squirrel monkeys have the largest brains of all primates relative to their body size; the Central American squirrel monkey's brain weighs about 25.7 g (29⁄32 oz), or about 4% of its body weight. Unlike larger relatives, such as the capuchin, spider and howler monkeys, Central American squirrel monkeys do not have a fully prehensile tail, except as newborn infants, and the tail is primarily used to help with balance. ## Behavior ### Social structure The Central American squirrel monkey is arboreal and diurnal, and most often moves through the trees on four legs (quadrupedal locomotion). It lives in groups containing several adult males, adult females, and juveniles. The group size tends to be smaller than that of South American squirrel monkeys, but is still larger than for many other New World monkey species. The group generally numbers between 20 and 75 monkeys, with a mean of 41 monkeys. Groups in excess of 100 sometimes occur, but these are believed to be temporary mergers of two groups. On average, groups contain about 60% more females than males. The squirrel monkey groups have a home range of between 35 and 63 hectares (86 and 156 acres). Group ranges can overlap, especially in large, protected areas such as Manuel Antonio National Park. Less overlap occurs in more fragmented areas. Groups can travel between 2,500 and 4,200 m (8,200 and 13,800 ft) per day. Unlike some other monkey species, the group does not split into separate foraging groups during the day. Individual monkeys may separate for the main group to engage in different activities for periods of time, and thus the group may be dispersed over an area of up to 1.2 hectares (3 acres) at any given time. The group tends to sleep in the same trees every night for months at a time, unlike other squirrel monkeys. There are no dominance hierarchies among the females, and the females do not form coalitions. Males in the group are generally related to each other and thus tend to form strong affiliations, and only form dominance hierarchies during the breeding season. This is especially the case among males of the same age. Neither males nor females are dominant over each other, an egalitarian social system that is unique to Central American squirrel monkeys. In South American species, either the females (S. boliviensis) or males (S. sciureus) are dominant over the other sex, and both sexes form stable dominance hierarchies. Groups of Central American squirrel monkeys generally do not compete or fight with each other. Male Costa Rican squirrel monkeys are known to have very close bonds with each other. Although South American species of squirrel monkeys often travel with and feed together with capuchin monkeys, the Central American squirrel monkey only rarely associates with the white-headed capuchin. This appears to be related to the fact that the food the Central American squirrel monkey eats is distributed in smaller, more dispersed patches than that of South American squirrel monkeys. As a result of the different food distribution, associating with capuchin monkeys would impose higher foraging costs for the Central American squirrel monkey than for their South American counterparts. In addition, while male white-headed capuchins are alert to predators, they devote more attention to detecting rival males than to detecting predators, and relatively less time to detecting predators than their South American counterparts. Therefore, associating with capuchins would provide less predator detection benefits and impose higher foraging costs on the Central American squirrel monkey than on South American squirrel monkeys. An alternative explanation is that capuchin groups are larger than squirrel monkey groups in Central America, but in South America the squirrel monkey groups are larger. In one study a slight tendency was observed in which Central American squirrel monkeys were more likely to travel near mantled howler monkeys if the howlers were vocalizing loudly within their home range, but no physical contact or obvious social interaction was observed. Variegated and red-tailed squirrels may join Central American monkey groups without eliciting a reaction from the monkeys. Certain bird species associate with the Central American squirrel monkey. The birds follow the monkeys in an attempt to prey on insects and small vertebrates that the monkeys flush out. At Corcovado National Park, bird species known to regularly follow squirrel monkeys include the double-toothed kite, the grey-headed tanager and the tawny-winged woodcreeper, but other woodcreepers and such species as motmots and trogons do so as well. This activity increases during the wet season, when arthropods are harder to find. ### Diet The Central American squirrel monkey is omnivorous. Its diet includes insects and insect larvae (especially grasshoppers and caterpillars), spiders, fruit, leaves, bark, flowers, and nectar. It also eats small vertebrates, including bats, birds, lizards, and tree frogs. It finds its food foraging through the lower and middle levels of the forest, typically between 4.5 and 9 metres (15 and 30 feet) high. Two-thirds to three-quarters of each day is spent foraging for food. It has difficulty finding its desired food late in the wet season, when fewer arthropods are available. It has a unique method of capturing tent-making bats. It looks for roosting bats by looking for their tents (which are made of a folded leaf). When it finds a bat it climbs to a higher level and jumps onto the tent from above, attempting to dislodge the bat. If the fallen bat does not fly away in time, the monkey pounces on it on the ground and eats it. The Central American squirrel monkey is an important seed disperser and a pollinator of certain flowers, including the passion flower. While it is not a significant agricultural pest, it does sometimes eat corn, coffee, bananas and mangos. Other fruits eaten include cecropias, legumes, figs, palms, cerillo, quiubra, yayo flaco and wild cashew fruits. ### Communication The Central American squirrel monkey is noisy. It makes many squeals, whistles and chirps. It also travels through the forest noisily, disturbing vegetation as it moves through. It has four main calls, which have been described as a "smooth chuck", a "bent mask chuck", a "peep" and a "twitter". ### Predators Predators of the Central American squirrel monkey include birds of prey, cats and snakes. Constricting and venomous snakes both prey on squirrel monkeys. Raptors are particularly effective predators of Central American squirrel monkeys. The oldest males bear most of the responsibility for detecting predators. When a Central American squirrel monkey detects a raptor, it gives a high-pitched alarm peep and dives for cover. All other squirrel monkeys that hear the alarm call also dive for cover. The monkeys are particularly cautious about raptors, and give alarms when they detect any raptor-like object, including small airplanes and even falling branches and large leaves. Predator detection by males becomes particularly important during the period when the infants are born. Raptors spend significantly more time near the squirrel monkey troops during this period, and prey on a significant number of newborn infants. Other animals that prey on Central American squirrel monkey infants include toucans, tayras, opossums, coatis, snakes, and even spider monkeys. ## Reproduction The breeding season for the Central American squirrel monkey is in September. All females come into estrus at virtually the same time. A month or two before the breeding season begins, males become larger (seasonal sexual dimorphism). This is not due to extra muscle, but to altered water balance within the male's body. This is caused by the conversion of the male hormone testosterone into estrogen; thus the more testosterone a male produces, the more he grows in advance of the breeding season. Since males within a group have not been observed fighting over access to females during the breeding season, nor attempting to force females to copulate with them, it is believed that female choice determines which males get to breed with females. Females tend to prefer the males that expand the most in advance of breeding season. This may be because the most enlarged males are generally the oldest and the most effective at detecting predators, or it may be a case of runaway intersexual selection. Males sometimes leave their group for short periods of time during the breeding season in order to try to mate with females from neighboring groups. Females are receptive to males from other groups, although resident males attempt to repel the intruders. The gestation period is six months, and the infants are born within a single week during February and March. Typically, a single infant is born. Only 50% of infants survive more than six months, largely due to predation by birds. The infant remains dependent on its mother for about one year. Females give birth every 12 months, so the prior infant becomes independent at about the same time the new infant is born. Females become sexually mature at 2+1⁄2 years old, while males become sexually mature at between 4 and 5 years old. The females leave their natal group upon reaching sexual maturity, while males usually remain with their group for their entire lives. This is different from South American squirrel monkey species, where either males disperse from their natal group or both sexes disperse. Males of the same age tend to associate with each other in age cohorts. Upon reaching sexual maturity, an age cohort may choose to leave the group and attempt to oust the males from another group in order to attain increased reproductive opportunities. The lifespan of the Central American squirrel monkey in the wild is unknown, but captive specimens have been known to live more than 15 years. Other squirrel monkey species are known to be able to live more than 20 years. ## Distribution and habitat The Central American squirrel monkey has a restricted distribution in Costa Rica and Panama. It lives only near the Pacific coast. Its range covers Central Pacific Costa Rica in the north through western Panama. It lives in two of Costa Rica's national parks—Manuel Antonio National Park and Corcovado National Park—where it can be seen by visitors, but it is not as commonly seen in these parks as the white-headed capuchin or the mantled howler monkeys. It lives in lowland forests and is restricted to secondary forests and primary forests which have been partially logged. It requires forests with abundant low and mid-level vegetation and has difficulty surviving in tall, mature, undisturbed forests that lack such vegetation. Its specialization for coastal lowland forest may explain its restricted distribution. ## Conservation status It was once believed that the Central American squirrel monkey was just a population of a South American species of squirrel monkey brought to Central America by humans. Evidence for this theory included the very small range of the Central American squirrel monkey and the large gap from the range of any other squirrel monkey species. A study of nuclear and mitochondrial DNA demonstrated that the Central American squirrel monkey is indeed a separate species that apparently diverged from the South American species long ago – at least 260,000 years ago and possibly more than 4 million years ago. A genetic study by Lynch Alfaro, et al. in 2015 estimated that the Central American squirrel monkey diverged from S. scuireus a little less than 1 million years ago. One popular theory is that squirrel monkeys did live in Colombia during the late Miocene or Pliocene and these squirrel monkeys migrated to Central America, becoming the ancestors of the current Central American species. According to this theory, the Guatemalan black howler migrated to Central America around the same time. Passage through the isthmus of Panama later closed due to rising oceans, and eventually opened up to another wave of migration about 2 million years ago. These later migrants, ancestors to modern populations of white-headed capuchins, mantled howlers and Geoffroy's spider monkeys, out-competed the earlier migrants, leading to the small range of the Central American squirrel monkey and Guatemalan black howler. Ford suggested that high water levels during the Pleistocene not only cut off the Central American squirrel monkey from other squirrel monkeys, but was also responsible for the formation of two subspecies. Lynch Alfaro, et al. suggested that the separation of the Central American squirrel monkey from other squirrel monkeys may have resulted from a period of high aridity in northern South America. The population density has been estimated at 36 monkeys per square kilometer (93 per square mile) in Costa Rica and 130 monkeys per square kilometer (337 per square mile) in Panama. It has been estimated that the population of the Central American squirrel monkey has been reduced from about 200,000 in the 1970s to less than 5,000. This is believed to be largely due to deforestation, hunting, and capture for the pet trade. There are significant efforts within Costa Rica to try to preserve this monkey from extinction. A reforestation project within Panama tries to preserve the vanishing population of the Chiriqui Province. As of 2021, the Central American squirrel monkey is listed as endangered from a conservation standpoint by the IUCN. This is due mainly to deforestation ongoing habitat loss, but other sources such as capture for the pet trade also contribute.

# Christmas Party (The Office) "Christmas Party" is the tenth episode of the second season of the American comedy television series The Office and the show's sixteenth episode overall. It was written by Michael Schur and directed by Charles McDougall. It was first broadcast on December 6, 2005 on NBC. The episode guest stars David Koechner as Todd Packer. The series depicts the everyday lives of office employees in the Scranton, Pennsylvania branch of the fictional Dunder Mifflin Paper Company. In this episode, the office throws a Christmas party and plays Secret Santa. Jim Halpert (John Krasinski), having put much effort into finding a gift for Pam (Jenna Fischer), becomes frustrated when Michael Scott (Steve Carell) makes everyone play "Yankee Swap", and an iPod that Michael bought for Ryan Howard (B. J. Novak) becomes the hot object of the game. The episode received positive reviews from television critics, with many applauding Michael's "Yankee Swap" scene. The episode was nominated for two Primetime Emmy awards, one for Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Comedy Series, and one for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series. "Christmas Party" earned a Nielsen rating of 4.3 in the 18–49 demographic, being viewed by 9.7 million viewers, making it, at the time of its airing, the highest-rated episode of the season. ## Plot The office staffers hold a "Secret Santa" gift exchange at their Christmas party. Jim Halpert received Pam Beesly's name, and got her a teapot filled with some mementos and a personal letter from him to her. Michael Scott buys a $400 video iPod as his gift to Ryan Howard, far exceeding the $20 limit. He is disappointed by the handmade oven glove he receives from Phyllis Lapin and insists on turning the exchange into a "Yankee Swap". This goes amiss as many of the gifts, such as a decorative name plate with Kelly Kapoor's name on it, are specific to the recipients. The staff competes for the iPod, and Pam opts to swap for it rather than keep Jim's gift. Phyllis is hurt when Michael trades away the oven glove with undisguised enthusiasm. Jim's present for Pam ends up with Dwight Schrute. Jim tries to convince Dwight to do a post-swap with him, but Dwight refuses, saying he plans to use the teapot for nasal cleansing. Pam elects to trade the iPod for Jim's gift after her fiancé Roy tells her he was planning on getting her an iPod and has no other decent ideas for gifts, but to spare Jim's feelings she tells him she swapped out of appreciation for the effort he put into it. While she goes through the various aspects of her gift, Jim sneaks the letter for her into his pocket. After ruining his staff's mood, Michael disobeys company policy by buying vodka for the party to compensate. Everyone ends up having a good time, with the exception of Angela Martin, who is furious over not receiving appreciation for her efforts toward arranging the party, as well as Kelly kissing Dwight, whom Angela is secretly dating. The party ends with a drunken Meredith Palmer exposing herself to Michael, who takes a picture and then leaves. ## Production ### Writing "Christmas Party" was written by Michael Schur, who portrays Mose Schrute in the series. The episode was his third contribution after the first season entry "The Alliance" and second-season episode "Office Olympics". B. J. Novak later noted that, compared to Schur's previous episode "The Alliance", the "driving force of the mayhem" in the episode is Michael's desire to make all of his workers "happy", rather than him being "a jerk". The scene wherein Dwight plugs the Christmas tree in, only for the office to be underwhelmed by the dismal lights was based on a real moment Schur and his wife experienced during their first Christmas together. Schur based the Christmas party sequences on a scene in Rushmore that happens after the main character does his Vietnam play. He noted that he wanted it to be "pastiche-y" and feature "small groups of people talking to each other". Meredith flashing Michael was based on a real-life experience Greg Daniels's dad had at a former job; at the end of one particular Christmas party, there was a stain on the office couch, which he called an "inappropriate ending" for the party. Daniels's father kept pressuring him to make a Christmas episode of The Office, and so Daniels utilized this experience. Daniels was unsure as to what to call the Christmas exchange. He had heard the names "Nasty Christmas", "White Elephant", and "Yankee Swap" used to describe the game, and so he wrote all three into the script in order "to cover all regions of the country". Schur created a list of who receives what gift in order to preserve continuity in the episode. Gifts featured in the episode include Toby giving Angela a baby poster, Kelly getting Oscar a shower radio, Michael buying Ryan an iPod, Kevin buying a foot bath for himself, Creed giving Jim an old shirt, Oscar buying Creed a keychain, and Jim purchasing Pam a teapot. The teapot was chosen because it needed to fit other gifts inside of it, as well as be something that Dwight could have a use for later on in the episode. Fischer was allowed to pick the color of the teapot featured in the episode. She picked teal, due to it being her then-husband James Gunn's favorite color. Jenna Fischer recalled that fans always ask her what Jim wrote in Pam's note. Fischer noted that John Krasinski wrote the note himself and that the contents are "a secret". Jim finally gives Pam the note in the penultimate ninth season episode "A.A.R.M." In a 2020 interview on the Office Ladies podcast, Jenna Fischer later revealed that the note contained a personal message from Krasinski to Fischer on what their time on the show meant to Krasinski. The writers for the show wanted Michael to "give a cool gift that the show's co-workers would later resent". They eventually decided that he would buy an iPod for Ryan. Apple Inc. received over four minutes of publicity for the device, despite the fact that the company did not pay for the placement. The poster that Toby gives to Angela was created by one of the show's prop workers. The two children in the poster were brought in from a talent agency. Naya Soto is the child pictured on the left. Schur revealed in the commentary for the episode that Stanley bought Kelly her nameplate, Dwight's paintballs were intended for Phyllis, Meredith bought Dwight shot glasses, Ryan got Toby a book of short stories, Angela purchased Stanley a picture frame, and Pam drew Meredith a picture of the office. Pam's picture was initially drawn by an on-staff artist. However, the producers felt that he was not able to capture Pam's "feminine side" and so several young female artists were asked to draw the building. One was eventually chosen, and the artists returned to draw Pam's doodles in the later episode "Boys and Girls". ### Filming The episode was directed by Charles McDougall, his first credit for the series. According to Kinsey, McDougal, in order to set the characters' moods, would start every scene by saying "everyone happy, Angela pissed\!" McDougal sought to bring movement to the Secret Santa scene, due to it being a largely stationary sequence. The cold opening was shot four different times, and almost every time, the ceiling tile that Michael displaces with a tree "crashed through the ceiling and almost killed Steve Carell". The scene wherein Angela starts crying when the Christmas party descends into chaos was based on a deleted scene from the earlier season two episode "The Fire", in which Angela starts crying during a talking head due to the stress of the situation. The fake snow was created by a company that specialized in producing fake snow. Daniels was initially worried that the shots would look fake, but he was pleased with the final results. According to Fischer, on the last day of shooting, the cast had a snowball fight—a scene that is included in the episode—which she called a "magic moment". In order to make her scenes more real Phyllis Smith forced herself to cry for "30 minutes" between takes. Many of the cast members asked her what was wrong, but Smith refused to speak to them, in order to stay in character. The series' writers researched local Pennsylvania laws and discovered one that requires a liquor salesman must wear a tie. Thus, the show features a liquor store worker wearing a tie. Several of the scenes were improvised. During the sequence in which Angela angrily throws Christmas bulbs at a wall, Angela Kinsey was unable to get them to break, so she decided to stomp on them. Kate Flannery improvised her line about not drinking during the week while she was filming her talking head. During the flashing scene, Carell told Flannery that he "wasn't staring at" her breasts; rather, he was looking at her clavicle. Despite what appears on camera, Flannery was not completely topless, as she was wearing pasties. The scene was shot several times; Flannery admitted that the shooting was excruciating and it felt like they had been shooting the one scene for "14 hours". To preserve Flannery's modesty, the series' monitors were shut off and the memory card for the digital camera was removed. Carell actually took pictures during the Christmas party shoot. All of the photos were released online. The season two DVD contains a number of deleted scenes from this episode. Notable cut scenes include Oscar and Creed moving a desk, Dwight confirming that Phyllis is bringing a date to the party and Pam is not, Dwight saying he prefers the way humans give presents to the way bears give them, Kevin singing "Christmas in Hollis" by Run DMC, Oscar revealing that he was not really enthusiastic about the shower radio because Kelly gave him the same thing last year, Toby and Kelly doing a post-swap trade of the name plate for the book of short stories, and Michael explaining that Christmas is about seeing people envy the gifts that you give to others. ## Reception "Christmas Party" originally aired on NBC in the United States on December 6, 2005. The episode received a 4.3 rating/10 percent share among adults between the ages of 18 and 49. This means that it was seen by 4.3 percent of all 18- to 49-year-olds, and 10 percent of all 18- to 49-year-olds watching television at the time of the broadcast. The episode was ranked number one in adults, men, and women in the 18–23 demographic and number one in all key adult male demographics as well. The episode was viewed by 9.7 million viewers, making it, at the time, the highest-rated episode of the season. An encore presentation of the episode on December 28 received a 3.2 rating/8 percent share and was viewed by over 6.5 million viewers and was ranked number one in the adults 18–34 demographic. The episode received largely positive reviews from television critics. M. Giant of Television Without Pity gave the episode an "A" grade. Matt Fowler of IGN named the episode the second-best Christmas special of the series, calling it "a classic full of holiday cheer" with "one of the best comedic experiences ever". The Cincinnati Post named the episode, and specifically the scene where Michael makes the office play "Yankee Swap," one of the 2005 "Holiday Highlights". In addition, the episode was nominated for two Primetime Emmy awards, one for Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Comedy Series, and one for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series. Erik Adams of The A.V. Club awarded the episode an "A−", and applauded its vignette-style presentation, noting that this format "work[s] in the show's favor". He also applauded the characterization of Michael, writing that it allowed him to "indulge in some David Brent-like behavior without it coming off as a lackluster impression or a bad shade on the show." Ultimately, he positively commented upon the fact that the episode started The Office's tradition of delivering usually strong Christmas-themed episodes. Several lines from the episode were met with critical praise. Fowler cited Michael's line apologizing for Jesus' birthday being "so lame" as the best in the episode. TV Fanatic reviewed several of the quotes for the episode. The site ranked Kevin's admission that he got himself in Secret Santa, Dwight's declaration that "Yankee Swap" is like "Machiavelli meets Christmas", Michael's explanation about the true meaning of Christmas, and Michael's question about whether 15 bottles of vodka is enough "to get 20 people plastered", a five out of five.

# Northern Celestial Masters The Northern Celestial Masters are an evolution of the Daoist Way of the Celestial Master (simplified Chinese: 天师道; traditional Chinese: 天師道; pinyin: Tiān Shī Dào) in the north of China during the Southern and Northern Dynasties. The Northern Celestial Masters were a continuation of the Way as it had been practiced in Sichuan province by Zhang Lu and his followers. After the community was forced to relocate in 215 CE, a group of Celestial Masters established themselves in Northern China. Kou Qianzhi, from a family who followed the Celestial Master, brought a new version of Celestial Master Daoism to the Northern Wei. The Northern Wei government embraced his form of Daoism and established it as the state religion, thereby creating a new Daoist theocracy that lasted until 450 CE. The arrival of Buddhism had great influence on the Northern Celestial Masters, bringing monasticism and influencing the diet of practitioners. Art produced in areas dominated by the Northern Celestial Masters also began to show Buddhist influence. When the theocracy collapsed, many Daoists fled to Louguan, which quickly became an important religious center. The Northern Celestial Masters survived as a distinct school at Louguan until the late 7th century CE, when they became integrated into the wider Daoist movement. ## History ### Northern Wei (424-450) Kou Qianzhi was a member of Celestial Master family that came from an area near Chang'an. Inspired by the burgeoning Taoist movement in Southern China, Kou retreated to Mount Song in Henan to receive inspiration. On the mountain, as described by the text The History of the Wei Dynasty, he was visited twice by Laozi. In his first visit in 415, Laozi revealed to Kou a text known as the Laojun Yinsong Jiejing (New Code). This text contained precepts designed for a new religious community. In 423, a messenger of Laozi came and offered Kou a new text called the Lutu Zhenjing (Perfect Scripture of Registers and Charts), which is now lost, and appointed him as the new Celestial Master. In 424, Kou took these texts with him to the Wei court. There, he was welcomed by Emperor Taiwu and garnered the support of Cui Hao, the prime minister. Even though Cui Hao was a Confucianist, he greatly admired Kou and was immediately drawn to him. Cui also appreciated Kou's mathematical skills and hoped that he might help him improve his own longevity techniques. They also shared a dream of a 'purified society,' a land where peace and justice prevailed. Kou's 'New Code' was promulgated throughout the realm, and a large altar was built near the capital where 120 Taoist practitioners performed rites and prayers daily. Cui gained a great deal of power in the court, and in 444 began to purge the Buddhist clergy. This led to a major persecution against Buddhists in 446. In 448, Kou Qianzhi was 'released' from his body, and Cui lost his greatest supporter at the court. Shortly after Kou's death, Cui had a national history of Wei dynasty containing unflattering portraits of its rulers carved in stone. This so enraged the emperor, that he had Cui executed in 450. After Cui's execution, the Taoist community was forced to flee, with many of them settling at the Taoist center of Louguan. ### Louguan (450-688) By the late 470s, Taoists fleeing from the Northern Wei court had transformed Louguan into an important religious center. According to legend, Louguan used to be the home of Yin Xi, the first recipient of the Dao de jing. At this time, the center's buildings were greatly expanded, and many Taoist scriptures were collected, including materials from the Lingbao and Shangqing schools. During the 7th century, the school had a prominent role in a series of debates that examined whether Buddhism or Taoism would be better suited to bring stability to the realm. The first debate surrounded Fu Yi, a scholar and Taoist who proposed that Buddhism be abolished in China. Naturally, the Buddhists were not happy with his suggestions and countered his arguments in several treatises. The second debate concerned Lu Zhongqing, a friend of Fu Yi, who wrote about Buddhism's inferiority to Taoism. The Tang emperors were in support of the Taoists, and in 637 issued an edict that secured the precedence of Taoism over Buddhism. This edict remained in place until 674, when Empress Wu Zetian came to power. At the same time, Louguan also served as a refuge for Taoists fleeing the persecution of Emperor Wu of the Liang dynasty to the south. The final Northern Celestial Master, Yin Wencao arrived at Louguan in 636 and later achieved the favor of the Gaozong Emperor. After Yin's death in 688, Louguan remained an important place of Taoist learning, but ceased to be considered part of a distinct school. ## Texts The most important text from the Northern Wei period of the Northern Celestial Masters is the Laojun Yinsong Jiejing (New Code). This text was revealed to Kou Qianzhi in 415, and is now mostly lost apart from a few fragments. The surviving text contains thirty-six precepts that outline rules which a Daoist had to abide by. The behavioral rules outlined proper public conduct and what to do in case of sickness. There were also guidelines describing how banquets were to be set up, as well ritual instructions concerning funeral rites, immortality practice and petitions. One of the most important text's from the school's Louguan period is called the Xishengjing (The Scripture of Western Ascension). This text describes Laozi's emigration to India and the transmission of the Daode Jing to Yin Xi. However, the text is not really a narrative, but uses the stories as a framework to describe how an adept should live his life. The text describes how an adept can make use of the Dao that is inherent in the world, outlines meditation techniques, and discusses the results of living a sagely life and what happens after death. ## Beliefs The Northern Celestial Master variety of Daoism was both similar and different from Zhang Lu's earlier form. Unlike prior incarnations of the Celestial Masters, which supported sexual practices as a means of achieving immortality, Kou's text urged that the sexual arts be purged from the religion. In addition, he also states that religion must be purged of the imposition of religious taxes on the faithful and the inheritance of religious titles. In the Northern Celestial Masters, Laozi became closely linked with the Buddha, who was claimed to be a student of Laozi. There were also very specific dietary requirements that had to be followed, as well as other rules, many of which were influenced by Buddhism. The Northern Celestial Masters were also the first Daoists to practice a form of monasticism, another idea that came from Buddhism. Kou also condemned messianic movements and called for texts such as the Daodejing to be copied and recited. Those people who were good in life would gain immortality in a new age, whereas those who were bad would be reborn as insects or animals. Some similarities between earlier Celestial Master Daoism include the role of Laozi. Laozi was viewed as the personification of the Dao, who existed for eternity and created the world. He was believed to be the creator of the universe and came to earth intermittently to bring forth sacred scriptures, including the Daode Jing and Xisheng Jing. Moreover, Laozi continued to appear periodically and bring forth new scriptures to both Kou Qianzhi and adherents at Louguan, surrounded by a celestial entourage and announced by a celestial envoy. Laozi was also extremely closely linked with the Buddha, and in certain sources, even became the Buddha or announced Yinxi as the Buddha. ## Practices The Northern Celestial Masters followed certain regular, communal rites. One of these communal rites involved formal banquets. These feasts could last as long as seven days. In order to purify themselves for feasts, members had to abstain from eating meat, garlic, green onions, ginger, leeks and onions. A banquet consisted of three courses – wine, rice and a vegetarian meal. Ritual activity during feasts and other activities usually involved a series of bows and prostrations as well as the burning of incense. Banquets were also held when someone died. During these banquets, attendees would perform rituals aimed at remitting the sins of the deceased. While monasticism had existed in Chinese Buddhism, the Northern Celestial Masters were one of the first Daoist groups to practice it. Kou lived a monastic lifestyle on Songshan, known today for being the location of the Shaolin Monastery. Monasticism developed further during the Louguan phase of the Northern Celestial Masters due to this influence of Buddhism. During this period, a clear distinction developed between lay and monastic followers in Daoism. The ordination, precepts and way in which monks sought salvation were all influenced by Buddhism. ## Art Many art objects were produced in Northern China during the time of the Northern Celestial Masters. These objects were closely modeled on Buddhist designs. The image of the god (usually Laozi), would be carved on the front side of a stone stele, with inscriptions on the back or side of the carving. The inscriptions were usually prayers to the dead, a wish for the happiness of family members or wishes for political peace. The iconography and contents of the inscriptions show that a close relationship between Daoism and Buddhism existed in the Northern Wei state. This relationship is especially evident in some four-sided stelae that had carvings of both Laozi on two sides and the Buddha on the other two.

# El Chico del Apartamento 512 "El Chico del Apartamento 512" (English: The boy from Apartment 512) is a song recorded by American recording artist Selena for her fourth studio album, Amor Prohibido (1994). It was released along with "Fotos y Recuerdos" in January 1995, serving as its B-side track. Written by Ricky Vela, "El Chico del Apartamento 512" is a cumbia song with influences of Colombian and South American music. Lyrically, the song describes a female protagonist who knocks on her love interest's apartment door (number 512) and is heartbroken when his sister (who she initially mistakes for his girlfriend) answers it. Justino Aguilar of Billboard magazine, called "El Chico del Apartamento 512" as one of Selena's "most memorable songs". The track posthumously peaked at number one on the U.S. Billboard Regional Mexican Digital Songs chart in 2011. ## Background and composition "El Chico del Apartamento 512" was written by Ricky Vela, the keyboardist of Selena y Los Dinos. The song was co-written by Selena's brother-producer A.B. Quintanilla who, along with Argentine musician Bebu Silvetti, served as producers. Musicologist Howard Blumenthal called the song's production "perfect" in his book The World Music CD Listener's Guide (1998). "El Chico del Apartamento 512" is a Spanish-language cumbia with influences of Colombian and South American music. Vela said in a 2002 interview that the track was "the least Tejano music song" because of its musically diverse sounds. Musicologists Ilan Stavans and Harold Augenbraum called the song "brassy" and noticed how the lyrics are constructed in story-song form. The "512" in the song's title is a reference to Corpus Christi, Texas' former area code. The recording is written in the key of C major and is played in a moderate groove of 102 beats per minute. It incorporates music from several musical instruments, including the French horn, violin and piano. "El Chico del Apartamento 512" is musically similar to Selena's 1994 single "Bidi Bidi Bom Bom"; author James E. Perone called them recurring themes where the protagonist is "attracted to a young man". Lyrically, Selena is heartbroken after knocking on her love interest's apartment door (number 512) and mistaking his sister for his girlfriend, before the sister asks "are you looking for my brother?". Italian essayists Gaetano Prampolini and Annamaria Pinazzi called the song a "funny love reversal". ## Critical reception and legacy Justino Aguilar of Billboard magazine, called "El Chico del Apartamento 512" as one of her "most memorable songs". "El Chico del Apartamento 512" was later reworked and included on Selena's posthumously released remix/duet album Enamorada de Ti (2012). Writer Joey Guerra of the San Antonio Express-News, called it a "bouncy cumbia" that was "taken down a few notches to a chirpy midtempo." and wrote that the new sound is "not bad, but it loses a lot of the melody's force." Guerra believed American entertainer Selena Gomez (who was featured on "Bidi Bidi Bom Bom" for the album) should have been used on "El Chico del Apartamento 512" instead. Domingo Banda of the Semana News called "El Chico del Apartamento 512" a "relaxed reggae" track. Brian Galindo of BuzzFeed called "El Chico del Apartamento 512" danceable and "catchy". Selena performed the song on her final performance on March 19, 1995 during the Calle Ocho Festival in Miami, which attracted over 100,000 fans. Selena was shot and killed by Yolanda Saldívar, her friend and former manager of the singer's Selena Etc. clothing boutiques, on March 31, 1995. The song is still played at events throughout Texas. Since its release, the song has been included on music critics "best of Selena songs" list including BuzzFeed (at number ten), and Latina magazine (at number six). American singer Kris Melody and Mexican group Los Tigrillos recorded the song for the tribute album Mexico Recuerda a Selena (2005). Mexican singer Graciela Beltrán performed and recorded "El Chico del Apartamento 512" for the live televised tribute concert Selena ¡VIVE\! in April 2005. Dominican bachata singer Antony Santos recorded the song for his album Ay\! Ven (2006). ## Track listing - US Single 1. "Fotos y Recuerdos" – 2:45 2. "El Chico del Apartamento 512" – 3:29 ## Charts ## Certifications ## Credits and personnel Credits adapted from Amor Prohibido liner notes. - Selena – vocals - Joe Ojeda – keyboards - Ricky Vela – keyboards - Chris Pérez – guitar - Suzette Quintanilla – drums - Los Dinos – bajo sexto - A.B. Quintanilla – writer - Pete Astudillo – writer - Lisette Lorenzo – art direction - A.B. Quintanilla III, Bebu Silvetti – producers ## See also - Latin music in the United States

# Tropical cyclone forecast model A tropical cyclone forecast model is a computer program that uses meteorological data to forecast aspects of the future state of tropical cyclones. There are three types of models: statistical, dynamical, or combined statistical-dynamic. Dynamical models utilize powerful supercomputers with sophisticated mathematical modeling software and meteorological data to calculate future weather conditions. Statistical models forecast the evolution of a tropical cyclone in a simpler manner, by extrapolating from historical datasets, and thus can be run quickly on platforms such as personal computers. Statistical-dynamical models use aspects of both types of forecasting. Four primary types of forecasts exist for tropical cyclones: track, intensity, storm surge, and rainfall. Dynamical models were not developed until the 1970s and the 1980s, with earlier efforts focused on the storm surge problem. Track models did not show forecast skill when compared to statistical models until the 1980s. Statistical-dynamical models were used from the 1970s into the 1990s. Early models use data from previous model runs while late models produce output after the official hurricane forecast has been sent. The use of consensus, ensemble, and superensemble forecasts lowers errors more than any individual forecast model. Both consensus and superensemble forecasts can use the guidance of global and regional models runs to improve the performance more than any of their respective components. Techniques used at the Joint Typhoon Warning Center indicate that superensemble forecasts are a very powerful tool for track forecasting. ## Statistical guidance The first statistical guidance used by the National Hurricane Center was the Hurricane Analog Technique (HURRAN), which was available in 1969. It used the newly developed North Atlantic tropical cyclone database to find storms with similar tracks. It then shifted their tracks through the storm's current path, and used location, direction and speed of motion, and the date to find suitable analogs. The method did well with storms south of the 25th parallel which had not yet turned northward, but poorly with systems near or after recurvature. Since 1972, the Climatology and Persistence (CLIPER) statistical model has been used to help generate tropical cyclone track forecasts. In the era of skillful dynamical forecasts, CLIPER is now being used as the baseline to show model and forecaster skill. The Statistical Hurricane Intensity Forecast (SHIFOR) has been used since 1979 for tropical cyclone intensity forecasting. It uses climatology and persistence to predict future intensity, including the current Julian day, current cyclone intensity, the cyclone's intensity 12 hours ago, the storm's initial latitude and longitude, as well as its zonal (east-west) and meridional (north-south) components of motion. A series of statistical-dynamical models, which used regression equations based upon CLIPER output and the latest output from primitive equation models run at the National Meteorological Center, then National Centers for Environmental Prediction, were developed between the 1970s and 1990s and were named NHC73, NHC83, NHC90, NHC91, and NHC98. Within the field of tropical cyclone track forecasting, despite the ever-improving dynamical model guidance which occurred with increased computational power, it was not until the decade of the 1980s when numerical weather prediction showed skill, and until the 1990s when it consistently outperformed statistical or simple dynamical models. In 1994, a version of SHIFOR was created for the northwest Pacific Ocean for typhoon forecasting, known as the Statistical Typhoon Intensity Forecast (STIFOR), which used the 1971–1990 data for that region to develop intensity forecasts out to 72 hours into the future. In regards to intensity forecasting, the Statistical Hurricane Intensity Prediction Scheme (SHIPS) utilizes relationships between environmental conditions from the Global Forecast System (GFS) such as vertical wind shear and sea surface temperatures, climatology, and persistence (storm behavior) via multiple regression techniques to come up with an intensity forecast for systems in the northern Atlantic and northeastern Pacific oceans. A similar model was developed for the northwest Pacific Ocean and Southern Hemisphere known as the Statistical Intensity Prediction System (STIPS), which accounts for land interactions through the input environmental conditions from the Navy Operational Global Prediction System (NOGAPS) model. The version of SHIPS with an inland decay component is known as Decay SHIPS (DSHIPS). The Logistic Growth Equation Model (LGEM) uses the same input as SHIPS but within a simplified dynamical prediction system. Within tropical cyclone rainfall forecasting, the Rainfall Climatology and Persistence (r-CLIPER) model was developed using microwave rainfall data from polar orbiting satellites over the ocean and first-order rainfall measurements from the land, to come up with a realistic rainfall distribution for tropical cyclones based on the National Hurricane Center's track forecast. It has been operational since 2004. A statistical-parametric wind radii model has been developed for use at the National Hurricane Center and Joint Typhoon Warning Center which uses climatology and persistence to predict wind structure out to five days into the future. ## Dynamical guidance The first dynamical hurricane track forecast model, the Sanders Barotropic Tropical Cyclone Track Prediction Model (SANBAR), was introduced in 1970 and was used by the National Hurricane Center as part of its operational track guidance through 1989. It was based on a simplified set of atmospheric dynamical equations (the equivalent barotropic formulation) using a deep layer-mean wind. During 1972, the first model to forecast storm surge along the continental shelf of the United States was developed, known as the Special Program to List the Amplitude of Surges from Hurricanes (SPLASH). In 1978, the first full-physics hurricane-tracking model based on atmospheric dynamics – the movable fine-mesh (MFM) model – began operating. The Quasi-Lagrangian Limited Area (QLM) model is a multi-level primitive equation model using a Cartesian grid and the Global Forecast System (GFS) for boundary conditions. In the early 1980s, the assimilation of satellite-derived winds from water vapor, infrared, and visible satellite imagery was found to improve tropical cyclones track forecasting. The Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory (GFDL) hurricane model was used for research purposes between 1973 and the mid-1980s. Once it was determined that it could show skill in hurricane prediction, a multi-year transition transformed the research model into an operational model which could be used by the National Weather Service for both track and intensity forecasting in 1995. By 1985, the Sea Lake and Overland Surges from Hurricanes (SLOSH) Model had been developed for use in areas of the Gulf of Mexico and near the United States' East coast, which was more robust than the SPLASH model. The Beta Advection Model (BAM) has been used operationally since 1987 using steering winds averaged through the 850 hPa to 200 hPa layer and the Beta effect which causes a storm to drift northwest due to differences in the coriolis effect across the tropical cyclone. The larger the cyclone, the larger the impact of the beta effect is likely to be. Starting in 1990, three versions of the BAM were run operationally: the BAM shallow (BAMS) average winds in an 850 hPa to 700 hPa layer, the BAM Medium (BAMM) which uses average winds in an 850 hPa to 400 hPa layer, and the BAM Deep (BAMD) which is the same as the pre-1990 BAM. For a weak hurricane without well-developed central thunderstorm activity, BAMS works well, because weak storms tend to be steered by low-level winds. As the storm grows stronger and associated thunderstorm activity near its center gets deeper, BAMM and BAMD become more accurate, as these types of storms are steered more by the winds in the upper-level. If the forecast from the three versions is similar, then the forecaster can conclude that there is minimal uncertainty, but if the versions vary by a great deal, then the forecaster has less confidence in the track predicted due to the greater uncertainty. Large differences between model predictions can also indicate wind shear in the atmosphere, which could affect the intensity forecast as well. Tested in 1989 and 1990, The Vic Ooyama Barotropic (VICBAR) model used a cubic-B spline representation of variables for the objective analysis of observations and solutions to the shallow-water prediction equations on nested domains, with the boundary conditions defined as the global forecast model. It was implemented operationally as the Limited Area Sine Transform Barotropic (LBAR) model in 1992, using the GFS for boundary conditions. By 1990, Australia had developed its own storm surge model which was able to be run in a few minutes on a personal computer. The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) developed its own Typhoon Model (TYM) in 1994, and in 1998, the agency began using its own dynamic storm surge model. The Hurricane Weather Research and Forecasting (HWRF) model is a specialized version of the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model and is used to forecast the track and intensity of tropical cyclones. The model was developed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, the University of Rhode Island, and Florida State University. It became operational in 2007. Despite improvements in track forecasting, predictions of the intensity of a tropical cyclone based on numerical weather prediction continue to be a challenge, since statistical methods continue to show higher skill over dynamical guidance. Other than the specialized guidance, global guidance such as the GFS, Unified Model (UKMET), NOGAPS, Japanese Global Spectral Model (GSM), European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts model, France's Action de Recherche Petite Echelle Grande Echelle (ARPEGE) and Aire Limit ́ee Adaptation Dynamique Initialisation (ALADIN) models, India's National Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasting (NCMRWF) model, Korea's Global Data Assimilation and Prediction System (GDAPS) and Regional Data Assimilation and Prediction System (RDAPS) models, Hong Kong/China's Operational Regional Spectral Model (ORSM) model, and Canadian Global Environmental Multiscale Model (GEM) model are used for track and intensity purposes. ### Timeliness Some models do not produce output quickly enough to be used for the forecast cycle immediately after the model starts running (including HWRF, GFDL, and FSSE). Most of the above track models (except CLIPER) require data from global weather models, such as the GFS, which produce output about four hours after the synoptic times of 0000, 0600, 1200, and 1800 Universal Coordinated Time (UTC). For half of their forecasts, the NHC issues forecasts only three hours after that time, so some "early" models – NHC90, BAM, and LBAR – are run using a 12-hour-old forecast for the current time. "Late" models, such as the GFS and GFDL, finish after the advisory has already been issued. These models are interpolated to the current storm position for use in the following forecast cycle – for example, GFDI, the interpolated version of the GFDL model. ## Consensus methods Using a consensus of forecast models reduces forecast error. Trackwise, the GUNA model is a consensus of the interpolated versions of the GFDL, UKMET with quality control applied to the cyclone tracker, United States Navy NOGAPS, and GFS models. The version of the GUNA corrected for model biases is known as the CGUN. The TCON consensus is the GUNA consensus plus the Hurricane WRF model. The version of the TCON corrected for model biases is known as the TCCN. A lagged average of the last two runs of the members within the TCON plus the ECMWF model is known as the TVCN consensus. The version of the TVCN corrected for model biases is the TVCC consensus. In early 2013, The NAVGEM replaced the NOGAPS as the Navy's primary operational global forecast model. For the 2013 season, and until model verification can occur, it is not being utilized in the development of any consensus forecasts. For intensity, a combination of the LGEM, interpolated GFDL, interpolated HWRF, and DSHIPS models is known as the ICON consensus. The lagged average of the last two runs of models within the ICON consensus is called the IVCN consensus. Across the northwest Pacific and Southern Hemisphere, a ten-member STIPS consensus is formed from the output of the NOGAPS, GFS, the Japanese GSM, the Coupled Ocean/Atmosphere Mesoscale Prediction System (COAMPS), the UKMET, the Japanese TYM, the GFDL with NOGAPS boundary conditions, the Air Force Weather Agency (AFWA) Model, the Australian Tropical Cyclone Local Area Prediction System, and the Weber Barotropic Model. ## Ensemble methods No model is ever perfectly accurate because it is impossible to learn exactly everything about the atmosphere in a timely enough manner, and atmospheric measurements that are taken are not completely accurate. The use of the ensemble method of forecasting, whether it be a multi-model ensemble, or numerous ensemble members based on the global model, helps define the uncertainty and further limit errors. The JMA has produced an 11-member ensemble forecast system for typhoons known as the Typhoon Ensemble Prediction System (TEPS) since February 2008, which is run out to 132 hours into the future. It uses a lower resolution version (with larger grid spacing) of its GSM, with ten perturbed members and one non-perturbed member. The system reduces errors by an average of 40 kilometres (25 mi) five days into the future when compared to its higher resolution GSM. The Florida State Super Ensemble (FSSE) is produced from a suite of models which then uses statistical regression equations developed over a training phase to reduce their biases, which produces forecasts better than the member models or their mean solution. It uses 11 global models, including five developed at Florida State University, the Unified Model, the GFS, the NOGAPS, the United States Navy NOGAPS, the Australian Bureau of Meteorology Research Centre (BMRC) model, and Canadian Recherche en Prévision Numérique (RPN) model. It shows significant skill in track, intensity, and rainfall predictions of tropical cyclones. The Systematic Approach Forecast Aid (SAFA) was developed by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center to create a selective consensus forecast which removed more erroneous forecasts at a 72‐hour time frame from consideration using the United States Navy NOGAPS model, the GFDL, the Japan Meteorological Agency's global and typhoon models, as well as the UKMET. All the models improved during SAFA's five-year history and removing erroneous forecasts proved difficult to do in operations. ## Sunspot theory A 2010 report correlates low sunspot activity with high hurricane activity. Analyzing historical data, there was a 25% chance of at least one hurricane striking the continental United States during a peak sunspot year; a 64% chance during a low sunspot year. In June 2010, the hurricanes predictors in the US were not using this information. ## Hurricane forecast model accuracy The accuracy of hurricane forecast models can vary significantly from storm to storm. For some storms the factors affecting the hurricane track are relatively straightforward, and the models are not only accurate but they produce similar forecasts, while for other storms the factors affecting the hurricane track are more complex and different models produce very different forecasts. ## See also - Tropical cyclone forecasting - Tropical cyclone rainfall forecasting - Weather forecasting

# The End (The X-Files) "The End" is the 20th and final episode of the fifth season, and 117th overall of the science fiction television series The X-Files. The episode first aired in the United States and Canada on May 17, 1998. "The End" subsequently aired in the United Kingdom on March 17, 1999, on BBC One. The episode was written by executive producer Chris Carter, and directed by R. W. Goodwin. "The End" earned a Nielsen household rating of 11.9, being watched by 18.76 million people in its initial broadcast. The episode received mixed to positive reviews from television critics. The show centers on FBI special agents Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) and Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson) who work on cases linked to the paranormal, called X-Files. Mulder is a believer in the paranormal, while the skeptical Scully has been assigned to debunk his work. In this episode, the assassination of a chess grandmaster leads Mulder and Scully to learn that the real target was a telepathic boy named Gibson Praise. The two agents soon learn that Praise may hold the secrets to all the mysteries that they have been seeking answers to in the X-Files. The episode was originally supposed to be the series finale for the show, allowing the series to evolve into a film franchise following the release of the 1998 movie. However, the series proved too profitable for Fox and a sixth season was ordered. "The End" would be the last episode of the original run to be filmed in Vancouver until the show's tenth season, as production for the subsequent four seasons moved to Los Angeles, California. "The End" features the first appearance of Diana Fowley, portrayed by Mimi Rogers, who would become a recurring character. As a season finale, it created loose ends for both the feature film and the subsequent season opener, "The Beginning". ## Plot In Vancouver, an international chess tournament is held at an arena between Anatole Klebanow, a Russian grandmaster, and Gibson Praise (Jeff Gulka), a young American prodigy. In the rafters, the Shooter, an assassin, prepares to fire at Gibson. However, Gibson senses the Shooter's presence and manages to discreetly dodge the shot, which kills Klebanow instead. Elsewhere in Canada, the Smoking Man (William B. Davis) is found by Alex Krycek (Nicholas Lea). At FBI Headquarters, Walter Skinner (Mitch Pileggi) reveals to Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) that Jeffrey Spender (Chris Owens) is leading the case investigating the shooting. Despite Spender's request that Mulder not be involved, he bursts into the briefing and offers the explanation that the assassin was firing at Gibson, not Klebanow. Attending the meeting is Diana Fowley (Mimi Rogers), an acquaintance from Mulder's past. The Smoking Man is reunited with members of the Syndicate, including the First Elder and the Well-Manicured Man, who want him to help them with the situation concerning Gibson. Fowley accompanies Mulder and Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson) when they visit Gibson in Gaithersburg, Maryland. Mulder believes that Gibson can read minds, hence his expertise at chess. Scully learns that Mulder and Fowley know each other from long ago. Mulder visits the Shooter, despite Spender's objections, offering immunity in exchange for testimony; the Shooter refuses. Gibson proves his abilities to a group of clinicians while Scully and Fowley watch. Meanwhile, a prison guard hands the Shooter a flattened Morley cigarette box, which conveys he's a dead man. Scully visits the Lone Gunmen, wanting them to analyze the data from Gibson. She asks them who Fowley is, and they tell her she worked closely with Mulder when he first discovered the X-files. The Smoking Man meets with Spender in the FBI parking lot but disappears when Mulder spots them talking. Scully and Mulder present to Skinner on Gibson, who displays extraordinary brain activities. Mulder believes that Gibson can unlock all the mysteries in the X-Files and wants to make a deal with the Shooter. Skinner and Fowley think this may result in adverse attention from the Attorney General, and that the X-Files could be closed down if things go wrong. Mulder dismisses the risk. Mulder meets with the Shooter again, who tells him that Gibson is a missing link. Mulder believes that Gibson has genes that are dormant in most humans. The Smoking Man dismisses the Well-Manicured Man's concerns about Mulder's actions. At the prison, the guard kills the Shooter. Fowley, protecting Gibson in a hotel room, is shot shortly afterwards, and Gibson is captured by the Men in Black. Skinner tells Mulder of the Shooter's death, and that a flattened Morley cigarette box was found in his cell. Mulder confronts Spender, accusing him of working with the Smoking Man. The Smoking Man turns Gibson over to the Well-Manicured Man. Scully is informed by Skinner that the Justice Department is seeking to have the X-files shut down. Mulder realizes that this was all part of a plan. The Smoking Man takes Samantha Mulder's X-file from Mulder's office, which sets on fire. As he leaves, he meets Spender and tells him that he's his father. By the time Mulder and Scully arrive, the X-files are completely destroyed. ## Production ### Writing Originally, the fifth season of The X-Files was supposed to be its last, and "The End" would have segued the series into a movie franchise. David Duchovny explained, "We were saying, 'Okay, we're going to do five. We'll get out of here at five.' And then five came around, and no one was going anywhere." This is largely because the series was so lucrative for Fox that two additional seasons were ordered. Thus, "The End" had to segue into both The X-Files movie, as well as the sixth-season premiere, "The Beginning". Near the beginning of the episode, Praise plays a Russian grandmaster at chess. The Complete X-Files notes that a "chess motif" is weaved throughout the episode, perhaps most symbolically in the way The Smoking Man "plays Mulder to a checkmate, using Jeffrey as a pawn." Because of this, and his past actions, many fans finally came to believe that The Smoking Man was the true villain of the story. William B. Davis, who played The Smoking Man, however, felt that the character was the hero. He noted, "I used to go to conventions and try to convince everyone that I was the hero of the series and Mulder was the bad guy. [...] I got a lot of laughs, but it's certainly true of how one plays the character. Nobody thinks they're evil." ### Casting and filming The episode introduced two new characters in Gibson Praise, played by Jeff Gulka, and Diana Fowley, portrayed by Mimi Rogers. Kim Manners later said of Gulka, "There was something about that kid's personality that really came off on screen. He really exuded an intelligence that was pretty special. Chris saw what Bob Goodwin did with him and he knew that this kid was a special storytelling tool for the chronicle of the X-Files". Chris Carter said that Fowley "was a character you were destined to hate because she was a competitor for Mulder's affection with Scully". Gillian Anderson said, "She didn't make it easy on Scully. I think she was aware of her effect on Mulder and on the situation." This episode was the last to be filmed in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada until the show's tenth season in 2015. The show moved to Los Angeles for its sixth through ninth seasons, a move influenced in part by David Duchovny's desire to be closer to his wife. The audience at the chess match was made up of local fans as a way of saying thanks to the city for hosting production during its first five years. The chess match was filmed at Rogers Arena—then known as GM Place—then the home of the Vancouver Canucks as well as the Vancouver Grizzlies. While the producers expected five thousand people to show up, twelve thousand appeared. During breaks between shooting, actors Duchovny and Anderson answered questions for the audience and over thousands of dollars worth of equipment was raffled off. In order to properly send off the Vancouver crew, Chris Carter personally directed the second unit filming for this episode. ## Reception ### Ratings "The End" premiered on the Fox network on May 17, 1998. The episode earned a Nielsen household rating of 11.9 with an 18 share, meaning that roughly 11.9 percent of all television-equipped households, and 18 percent of households watching television, were tuned in to the episode. A total of 18.76 million viewers watched the episode during its original airing. The episode was later included on The X-Files Mythology, Volume 3 – Colonization, a DVD collection that contains episodes involved with the alien Colonist's plans to take over the earth. ### Reviews "The End" received mixed to positive reviews from critics. Lon Grahnke of Chicago Sun-Times reacted positively towards the episode, describing it as "pivotal". Paula Vitaris from Cinefantastique gave the episode a positive review and awarded it three stars out of four. She wrote that the episode "is an effective, sometimes even moving, conclusion to a scattershot season." Vitaris wrote that the entry was "far superior" to the season four finale "Gethsemane" and praised the various character introductions, most notably that of Gibson Praise and Diana Fowley. She did, however, criticize the reappearance of Krycek and the fact that The Smoking Man was again working for the Syndicate. In a 2000 review of season five for the New Straits Times, Francis Dass called "The End" a "gem" and praised the acting of Jeff Gulka, saying that he was a "great child actor". Other reviews were more mixed. Zack Handlen of The A.V. Club gave the episode a mixed review and graded it C+. Handlen criticized the episode's lack of resolution, writing that "The show can feed our social paranoia [...] but when it comes time to deliver on all this, to finally pull back the curtain and move on to the next stage, it fumbles things." Furthermore, he called the Mulder/Scully/Fowley love triangle "immediately off-putting" and criticized Mimi Rogers's characterization. However, Handlen did call The Smoking Man's return "thrilling" and wrote that the burning of Mulder's office was "arguably one of the most iconic visuals in the run of the series". Robert Shearman and Lars Pearson, in their book Wanting to Believe: A Critical Guide to The X-Files, Millennium & The Lone Gunmen, rated the episode three-and-a-half stars out of five. The two criticized the closing down of the X-Files division, due largely to the fact that "we've seen [it] before", a reference to the division's closing at the end of the first season. However, Shearman and Pearson wrote that "'The End' works in spite of itself", citing the arrival of Diana Fowley and the confrontation between The Smoking Man and Jeffrey Spender as positive points in the episode.

# Grief Counseling (The Office) "Grief Counseling" is the fourth episode of the third season of the American comedy television series The Office and the show's 32nd overall. The episode was written by co-executive producer Jennifer Celotta and directed by Roger Nygard, making it Nygard's only series credit. It first aired on NBC in the United States on October 12, 2006. The series depicts the everyday lives of office employees in the Scranton, Pennsylvania branch of the fictional Dunder Mifflin Paper Company. In the episode, Michael Scott (Steve Carell) is overcome with grief when he learns about the death of his former boss Ed Truck. Michael spends the rest of the day attempting grief counseling for the mostly grief-lacking office. Meanwhile, in Stamford Jim Halpert (John Krasinski) and Karen Filippelli (Rashida Jones) embark on a quest for a particular brand of potato chips. The outdoor scenes were filmed during the summer, although the cast had to pretend like it was in the middle of winter; this included wearing coats. "Grief Counseling" earned a Nielsen rating of 4.1 with an 11 percent share in the 18- to 49-year-old demographic and was watched by 8.83 million viewers. The episode was viewed favorably by most television critics; Pam's pranks and the bird funeral were a particular source of praise, as was Michael's monologue on the five stages of grief. ## Synopsis Michael Scott is informed by Jan Levinson that his former boss Ed Truck has died. Kelly Kapoor and Phyllis Lapin console Michael after he breaks the news to a mostly unmoved staff. Later, Creed Bratton tells Michael that Truck, heavily inebriated, was decapitated in a truck accident while speeding drunk on U.S. Route 6. Michael summons the staff to a primitive grief counseling session involving a collapsible Hoberman sphere ball, in which Michael tells members of the staff to give stories of deceased love ones. This leads to the staff telling stories about losing loved ones based on death scenes in movies (Million Dollar Baby, The Lion King, and Weekend at Bernie's) with Ryan Howard saying he would elaborate more on his story, but it would take about an hour and a half to do it. Michael becomes frustrated at the office's lack of remorse for Ed Truck's death, stating that Ed Truck sat at Michael's desk and no one seems to care he's gone. Pam begins to realize Michael is juxtaposing his own fear of not being mourned or missed onto Ed Truck's death. Toby Flenderson tells Michael death is a part of life, and uses an example of a bird that flew into a first-floor window that morning. Michael charges outside, picks up the deceased animal and tries in vain to revive it. Michael schedules a parking lot funeral for the bird. Pam Beesly fashions a makeshift coffin and reads a prepared speech that comforts Michael and visibly moves him. Pam then proceeds to sing "On the Wings of Love" as Dwight Schrute accompanies her on his recorder. The coffin is placed in a box of shredded paper and set afire. Meanwhile, in Stamford, Connecticut, Jim Halpert gains authority over Karen Filippelli's schedule for the day. When Karen mentions her favorite kind of Herr's potato chips is missing from the vending machine, Jim tells Karen that they cannot work until they find her chips. The duo spends the rest of the day searching stores and vending machines around town in a vain attempt to find the chips. But at the end of the day, Karen finds a bag of Herr's on her desk. Jim tells the documentary crew that he traced the chips from the manufacturer to the distributor to the vending machine company to an adjacent office building. ## Production "Grief Counseling" was written by co-executive producer Jennifer Celotta, and was directed by Roger Nygard, his only episode of The Office to date. In a later interview with Den of Geek, Nygard found that "television episodes are the domain of the writer-producers. You are there to service their vision. The Office is fully scripted, but there's always a little room to play when it's warranted. The first cuts are around 45 minutes, so you often have to cut the episodes in half for air." Though "Grief Counseling" broadcast before the fifth episode, "Initiation", its filming took place after that episode due to the availability of shooting on Dwight's fictional beet farm. The episode's plot involved the death of former boss Ed Truck, a character who had been played by Ken Howard in the second-season episode "The Carpet". As part of the episode took place outdoors, the cast had to wear coats despite the hot summer weather. Actress Kate Flannery commented in a weekly blog she wrote for TV Guide that "we suffered while shooting the outdoor scenes... We had to act like it was cold when it was warm. For hours and hours. You would never know it by looking at us. Isn't that crazy?" Flannery also wrote, "I love this episode because it's dark, for a comedy. This time The Office tackles gutsy subject matter." In her memoir Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?, Mindy Kaling wrote that the episode resulted in the worst disagreement she ever had during her years on the show, where she and Greg Daniels, normally a "very nice" person, disagreed on a story point to the extent that Daniels told her that if "you [were] going to resist what I'm doing here, you can just go home." Kaling briefly left the set before returning, with no further problems or repercussions noted. Deleted scenes of the episode were released in the third season DVD. Such scenes included a coworker showing Jim photographs of her baby, Dwight telling everyone to delete their records of Ed Truck, Michael talking about a need for a grief counselor, Toby holding a grief counseling session for the office, and Roy telling Pam of the birth of a cousin's twins. ## Reception "Grief Counseling" first aired on October 12, 2006 on NBC in the United States. It received a Nielsen rating of 4.1/11. This means that it was seen by 4.1% of all 18- to 49-year-olds, and 11% of all 18- to 49-year-olds watching television at the time of the broadcast. The episode was viewed by 8.83 million viewers and placed as the 24th most-watched episode for the week in the 18- to 49-year-old demographic. IGN columnist Brian Zoromski rated "Grief Counseling" 9.5/10, an indication of an "amazing" episode. Writing that the opening sequence "excellently set" the tone of the episode, he found a "ton of great moments", such as Michael's "totally awkward speeches on Ed Truck's death" and his conversation with Dwight over a robot statue. Zoromski saved the most praise for Pam and her pranks, particularly her "completely ridiculous bird funeral... It was all so brilliantly over-the-top it becomes clear that the Scranton office will continue to be enjoyable to watch, as Pam takes over the mocking of the office all on her own, to a hilarious extreme." AOL TV's Michael Sciannamea also lauded Pam and her pranks, especially highlighting her actions during the opening sequence and her song during the bird funeral. Sciannamea assumed that "she feels liberated from Roy (and Jim, to some extent) [and] is allowing her personality and sense of humor to come out even more." He concluded that it was "another solid episode with Steve Carell at his best." Entertainment Weekly's Abby West expressed praise for an episode that "restored balance and order to our favorite paper-pushers while still nicely forwarding the storylines of TV's plainest super-non-couple." West was also pleased "to have Michael back to his usual insanity", and wrote that Pam "was priceless tonight, from the spot-on reaction shots to the movie-plotlines-as-my-pain gag she started to the almost-believably tender eulogy she delivered for the singing, er, impressionist bird, complete with the most tricked-out pencil-case coffin you've ever seen." Television Without Pity graded the episode with a B−. Michael's monologue about the five stages of grief has also been isolated for praise; Michael Sciannamea called it "the best line of the night," and in 2011, IGN's Cindy White selected it as one of the series' best.

# Coat of arms of Albany, New York The coat of arms of Albany, New York, is the heraldic symbol representing the city of Albany, the capital of the U.S. state of New York. The coat of arms is rarely seen by itself; it is almost always used in the city seal or on the city flag. The current coat of arms was adopted in 1789, although prior to that it was significantly simpler, ranging from stylized lettering to a caricature of a beaver. Included in the coat of arms are references to Albany's agricultural and fur-trading past. It is supported by a white man and an American Indian and is crested by a sloop. The coat of arms is meant to represent the "symbols of industry and its rewards to man and beast on land and sea". ## History Albany began as the Dutch fur-trading post Fort Orange in 1624. Around the fort grew the village of Beverwijck (), which was incorporated in 1652. In 1664, the English sacked New Netherland and Beverwyck was renamed Albany in honor of the Duke of York and Duke of Albany (later James II of England). When the city was incorporated by provincial governor Thomas Dongan in 1686 under the Dongan Charter, it was empowered to have its own seal: > The said Mayor, Aldermen and Commonalty of the City of Albany, and their successor shall and may forever hereafter, have one common seal to serve for the sealing of all and singular their affairs and business touching or concerning the said corporation. And it shall and may be lawful to and for the said Mayor, Aldermen and Commonalty of the said city of Albany, and their successors, as they shall see cause, to break, change, alter and new make their said common seal, and as often as to them shall seem convenient. The first known use of the seal was on a deed from the city of Albany sold at auction. Signed by Albany's first mayor, Pieter Schuyler, the document was sealed with red wax, the design on which was an octagon with a monogram of the letters ALB in the center topped with a crown (see Figure 1). This document was found in 1886. This seal was again seen on a document from 1736, though that too was not found until 1886. The letters are presumed to be an abbreviation of the name of the city. However the meaning of the crown is unknown; it was noted for being "hardly a kingly crown, nor in shape like a coronet, the head attire of nobility". Prior to 1752 (but after 1736), the seal had a beaver at center, with the letters "ALB" above it. This seal was replaced in 1752 with the abbreviation removed and replaced with "Albany" above the beaver and the year below as such: > Resolved and ordered by this Board—That the old seal of this corporation, now in the hands of the Mayor, be changed and altered, and that there be a new seal in its place, which new seal, being now produced to this board and approved of by them, the same is ordered to be lodged in the hands of our present clerk in his office for the use and behoof of this corporation, and that the present now new seal be henceforth our seal and called, deemed and esteemed the common seal of this corporation until it be altered and changed and the aforesaid former seal be null and void and dead in law to all intents and purposes whatsoever. The seal from 1752 is shown in Figure 2. The beaver honored Albany's past as an important fur trading port. Adding to the history of this seal, one historian states, "[The seal] displays the beaver, but looking in the original, more like a drowned cat than the fat and sleek animal, it was intended to represent. Neither the resolution nor the records state why the change was made." In 1755 the original seal (Figure 1) was reinstated for use by the mayor in licensing businesses. So at this point the city had two seals, one corporate and one public. The earlier seal, however, was last seen in 1761 and the beaver continued as the sole city seal from then on. The current seal was adopted in 1789 and first shows up in 1790, when Simeon De Witt, Albany's city surveyor, included the arms on his map of the city. An updated map from 1794 also includes the arms. Both versions include a full landscape in the upper portion of the shield including multiple beavers and trees, as opposed to just one beaver and tree in the current version. There is no documented reasoning for changing the seal from the beaver to the coat of arms, and the coat of arms itself "seems to [have] no record authority" making it in any way official. ## Description The current coat of arms consists of numerous traditional heraldic attributes. The shield is party per fess argent and gules; that is, split horizontally in two with a red lower half and silver upper half. Its lower half contains two golden sheaves of wheat on a red background; this design represents Albany's agricultural past. The upper half, which has a silver background, depicts a beaver gnawing at the stump of a fallen tree. This scene represents Beverwyck's former fur trade, which was vital to the development of Albany. One supporter can be seen on each side of the shield. The man on the left is a European-descended farmer dressed in simple clothes; he is supporting the shield with his left hand. His right hand rests on his hip and a sickle hangs from his waist; this references Albany's former agricultural society. The man on the right is an American Indian dressed in a loin cloth and wearing moccasins and a quiver. He supports the shield with his right hand and holds a bow over his left shoulder. The two men supporting the shield together represent the cooperation between white immigrants and Indians in the early development of the city, which would not have existed without the Indian fur trade. The men stand on a scroll displaying the motto Assiduity, meaning "the quality of acting with constant and careful attention". The torse is argent and gules, following the pattern of the shield. The crest is a sloop under full sail facing left, "denoting Albany's supremacy at the head of the sloop navigation of the Hudson River". The coat of arms represents the "symbols of industry and its rewards to man and beast on land and sea". At the time of Albany's bicentennial (1886), it was believed that only New York City and Albany possessed arms charged on a shield upheld by supporters. ## Uses Albany's coat of arms is best known for its use on the city seal and flag. The seal incorporates the coat of arms in an outlined, white circle, with the letters, "The Seal of the City of Albany" above it. The flag is a horizontal tricolor of orange, white, and blue, and was adopted in 1909 as part of the tricentennial celebration of Henry Hudson's discovery of the Hudson River. It was based on the Prince's Flag as flown by the Dutch East India Company (VOC), for which Hudson sailed in 1609. Its flag was also a tricolor and included the company's logo where the Albany coat of arms is located today. The flag also reflects the Dutch heritage of New York State. Like Albany's flag, the Prince's Flag was an orange, white, and blue tricolor. The orange was derived from the coat of arms of the Prince of Orange, William the Silent. After 1660, the orange stripe had been replaced by a red one, as the Dutch flag still remains, though no particular reason is cited. Albany chose to use the historic flag as its base. The flag was surrounded by controversy in 1916, when Albany's Common Council voted to change the colors to red, white, and blue as a show of patriotism during World War I. The change was vetoed by Mayor Joseph Stevens. A life-size sculpture of the coat of arms was created by artist and former Times Union political cartoonist Hy Rosen in 1986. Rosen took some liberty with the design, such as adding farm tools to emphasize the city's agricultural and trading history, as well as adding previously undocumented detail; the left supporter also takes on more of the look of an explorer (e.g., Henry Hudson) than a farmer. The statue was commissioned by Norstar Bank President Peter D. Kiernan as part of the park across Broadway from the then-newly renovated Union Station, which Norstar used as its headquarters until buyer Bank of America moved its employees out of the building in 2010. The statue still stands in Tricentennial Park on Broadway.

# New York State Route 446 New York State Route 446 (NY 446) is a state highway in the Southern Tier of New York in the United States. The highway extends for 6.76 miles (10.88 km) on a northeast–southwest alignment from an intersection with NY 16 north of the hamlet of Hinsdale to a junction with NY 305 in the village of Cuba. It parallels the Southern Tier Expressway (NY 17 and Interstate 86 or I-86) very closely for its entire length. NY 446 was originally designated as part of Route 4, an unsigned legislative route, in 1908. The Hinsdale–Cuba highway received its first posted designation in 1924 when it was included as part of NY 17. It was renumbered twice, becoming part of NY 63 in 1930 and NY 408 in the 1940s, before gaining its current designation on July 1, 1974. ## Route description NY 446 begins at an intersection with NY 16 in the Hinsdale hamlet of Maplehurst, located a quarter-mile (0.40 km) north of exit 27 on the Southern Tier Expressway (I-86 and NY 17) and roughly one mile (1.6 km) north of the larger community of Hinsdale. The route heads northeast through the town of Hinsdale along the base of a valley surrounding Oil Creek. While NY 446 follows the north bank of the creek, the Southern Tier Expressway and the adjacent Western New York and Pennsylvania Railroad (WNYP) run along the southern bank. Near the Cattaraugus–Allegany county line, Route 446, Oil Creek, and the WNYP all turn east toward Cuba; however, the expressway continues on a northeasterly alignment to bypass the village to the north. Upon entering Allegany County, NY 446 passes under the Southern Tier Expressway and becomes known as Water Street as it enters Cuba from the west upon traversing Oil Creek. The route continues eastward for three blocks to NY 305 (Genesee Street), where both Water Street and NY 446 terminate approximately a quarter-mile (0.40 km) south of exit 28 on the Southern Tier Expressway. ## History All of modern NY 446 was originally designated as part of Route 4, a cross-state unsigned legislative route defined by the New York State Legislature in 1908. Route 4 continued south from Hinsdale on what is now NY 16 and east from the village of Cuba on County Route 20. The legislative route system was replaced by the modern state route system in 1924, at which time most of Route 4 was designated NY 17, including from Hinsdale to Cuba. In the 1930 renumbering of state highways in New York, NY 17 was moved onto a more southerly alignment (now NY 417) between Olean and Wellsville. Its former routing between Hinsdale and the Amity hamlet of Belvidere became the southwesternmost part of the new NY 63, which continued north from Belvidere to the Lake Ontario shoreline. NY 63 was rerouted south of Mount Morris in the early 1940s to follow its current alignment to Wayland. The former alignment of NY 63 from Hinsdale to Mount Morris was redesignated as NY 408. In the early 1970s, construction began on the portion of the Southern Tier Expressway between Olean and Corning. From Hinsdale to Belvidere, the new highway closely followed NY 408. By 1974, the highway was open from Olean to Hinsdale and from Almond to Corning. The segment between Hinsdale and NY 19 in Belvidere was completed by January 1975, and the leg between Belvidere and Almond opened to traffic on January 30, 1975, completing the Olean–Corning portion of the expressway. The bypassed section of NY 408 between Cuba and Belvidere was subsequently transferred to Allegany County, and NY 408 was truncated to its current southern terminus in Nunda as a result. The portion of NY 408's former routing between Hinsdale and Cuba was retained as a state highway and renumbered to NY 446 on July 1, 1974. ## Major intersections ## See also -

# Leigh Saufley Leigh Ingalls Saufley (born June 21, 1954) is an American lawyer who is the dean of the University of Maine School of Law. She was previously Chief Justice of the Maine Supreme Judicial Court. Saufley grew up in South Portland, Maine, and attended the University of Maine and the University of Maine School of Law. She was first appointed to the Maine District Court in 1990, and to the Supreme Judicial Court in 1997. She was sworn in as Chief Justice of the Supreme Judicial Court in 2001, becoming both Maine's first woman and the youngest person ever to serve in the position. She served as chief justice until 2020 when she was hired as the eighth Dean of the University of Maine School of Law. ## Early life and education Saufley was born in Portland, Maine, on June 21, 1954, to Richard and Janet Ingalls. She grew up in South Portland, Maine with two younger brothers, Andrew and Jim, attended South Portland High School and graduated in 1972. She was a member of Phi Beta Kappa at the University of Maine, graduating with a degree in psychology in 1976. Saufley graduated from the University of Maine School of Law with her Juris Doctor in 1980. ## Career ### Judiciary path Shortly after graduating from law school, Saufley accepted a position in a small Ellsworth law firm working with the Maine Attorney General's Office and the Department of Health and Human Services on family law policy, becoming one of the first female deputy attorneys general there. She was also the Assistant to the General Counsel at the U.S. Veterans Administration counsel's office at Togus for a short time. Governor John R. McKernan Jr. appointed Saufley to the Maine District Court bench in 1990 and to the Superior Court in 1993. In October 1997, Governor Angus King appointed her Associate Justice of the Maine Supreme Judicial Court, and on December 6, 2001, King swore her in as Maine's first female Chief Justice of the Supreme Judicial Court and at the age of 47, becoming the youngest judge ever to serve as chief justice. Saufley began her second seven-year term as chief justice in 2009 and was sworn in by Governor John Baldacci; her third term began in 2016 when she was sworn in by Governor Paul LePage. ### Accomplishments as Chief Justice Saufley is credited with several key changes in the Maine judicial system during her tenure. She improved the relationship between the Judicial, Legislative and Executive branches of the Maine state government; oversaw the rewriting of the Court's major practice and ethics rules; and helped increase the involvement of Maine Law students with the courts, especially in the area of service to traditionally underserved communities. In 2019, Saufley participated in a task force reexamining sentencing possibilities for juvenile offenders in Maine and voiced her concern with the lack of options available for teen offenders. She also emphasized to the task force the importance of addressing the disproportionate number of juveniles of color and LGBT juveniles in the Maine system. Saufley's annual State of the Judiciary address reliably contained requests for the Maine Legislature to increase funding for court administration. She secured funding to increase court security, to establish a publicly accessible e-filing system to replace Maine's entirely paper-based files, and to completely replace the Kennebec, Penobscot and Waldo County courthouses and renovate several others. In the early 2000s, Saufley and Representative John L. Martin conceived of a way to use the court to teach and promote civic education throughout Maine. In 2005, the appellate court began touring high schools across the state, turning auditoriums into courtrooms and giving students, faculty and staff the opportunity to observe arguments firsthand. In 2010, U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts appointed Saufley to the Federal-State Jurisdiction Committee of the Judicial Conference of the United States. Saufley has been a member of the Conference of Chief Justices, serving on their Committee on Courts, Children and Families; on the Government Affairs committee; and as chair of the New England Regional Chief Justices Committee. ### Notable rulings In 2016, Maine voters approved a referendum question establishing ranked-choice voting for both primary and general elections for governor, U.S. Senate, U.S. House and state legislature beginning in 2018. In 2017, Saufley wrote a 2017 unanimous advisory opinion of the Supreme Judicial Court that the new law was unconstitutional. In 2015, Governor Paul LePage vetoed more than 65 bills after the established deadline for doing so, citing the fact that the Maine Legislature was adjourned. The Maine Supreme Judicial Court's advisory ruling unanimously ruled against LePage, upholding the laws. ### Law school dean On April 8, 2020, following a national search, the University of Maine School of Law announced that Saufley would be accepting the position of eighth dean of the school. She retired from the Supreme Judicial Court bench on April 14, 2020, and began her position at Maine Law on April 15. Due to a recent restructuring, Saufley became the first dean to report directly to University of Maine System Chancellor Dannel Malloy instead of to the president of the University of Southern Maine, where the law school was once located. ## Personal life Saufley has been married to Bill Saufley, whom she met while they were both students at the University of Maine School of Law, since 1981. They have two adult children. During her February 2018 annual address, Saufley announced that she had been diagnosed with breast cancer in 2017, had undergone surgery and radiation, and was "on the other side". ## Awards and honors - 1998 L. Kinvin Wroth Alumna of the Year Award, University of Maine School of Law - 2002 Distinguished Alumna Award, University of Maine - 2002 Women of Achievement Award, YWCA - 2004 Honorary Doctor of Laws, University of New England - 2004 Maryann Hartman Award, Women of Achievement, University of Maine - 2005 Caroline Duby Glassman Award, Maine State Bar Association - 2005 Portland Regionals Chamber Neal W. Allen Award - 2008 Deborah Morton Award, University of New England - 2008 Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters, University of Maine at Presque Isle - 2010 Woman Who Makes a Difference Award, International Women's Forum - 2013 University of Southern Maine's Sampson Catalyst for Change Award - 2013 State Partner's Award, Maine Children's Trust - 2021 Maine Women's Hall of Fame inductee

# Revelations (The X-Files) "Revelations" is the eleventh episode of the third season of the science fiction television series The X-Files. It premiered on the Fox network on December 15, 1995. It was written by Kim Newton and directed by David Nutter. The episode is a "Monster-of-the-Week" story, unconnected to the series' wider mythology. "Revelations" earned a Nielsen household rating of 10, being watched by 15.25 million people in its initial broadcast. The episode received mixed to positive reviews. The show centers on FBI special agents Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) and Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson) who work on cases linked to the paranormal, called X-Files. Mulder is a believer in the paranormal, while the skeptical Scully has been assigned to debunk his work. In this episode, Mulder and Scully investigate a case where fake stigmatics are being murdered. When a boy shows signs of being a real stigmatic, Mulder and Scully attempt to protect him, fearing that he will be the latest victim. "Revelations" became a minor storyline milestone for the series with the exploration of Scully's faith as a Roman Catholic. Throughout the remainder of the series, her Catholic faith served as a cornerstone, although at times a contradiction to her otherwise rigid skepticism of the paranormal. Furthermore, while Mulder is usually the believer and Scully is usually the skeptic, "Revelations" features a role reversal with Scully becoming the believer and Mulder becoming the skeptic, a move that Duchovny called "a refreshing change of pace." ## Plot A minister named Reverend Patrick Findley (R. Lee Ermey) in Waynesburg, Pennsylvania fakes stigmatic injuries to his hands during a sermon. Afterwards, Reverend Findley is visited by a white-haired man named Simon Gates, who strangles him—his hands smoking while he does so. Agents Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) and Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson) investigate the case. Mulder says that the minister was the eleventh fake stigmatic who has been killed over the past three years in a series of international murders. Meanwhile, at an elementary school in Loveland, Ohio, a boy, Kevin Kryder starts bleeding from the palms of his hands. The agents arrive and meet with a social worker, who claims that Kevin has suffered injuries before and that his father was institutionalized, adding that Kevin was in danger from evil forces. The agents visit Kevin's father, who claims that his son is the chosen one and that evil forces will come to kill him as part of a great war "between good and evil". Kevin is abducted by a strange-looking bald man. Kevin's mother recognizes the man's description as that of Owen Jarvis (Michael Berryman), who had done yard work for the family in the past. Owen claims to be Kevin's guardian angel. As the agents arrive, Kevin mysteriously disappears. Owen claims he was asked by God to protect Kevin and criticizes Scully for her faith not being as strong as his. Owen jumps out the window and escapes. Kevin arrives at his home and is pursued by Gates, who kills Owen when he arrives to protect Kevin. Scully performs an autopsy and finds that Owen's corpse is not decaying, reminding her of "incorruptibles" that she learned about in Catechism. Mulder tells Scully to not let her faith cloud her judgment. Scully finds that handprints on Owen's neck belong to Simon Gates, a rich and powerful executive. Kevin travels with his mother in a car which breaks down. Gates arrives offering to help fix the car, and Kevin, who appears in two places at once, is able to distract him and help them escape. However, Kevin's mother - becoming faint after being hurt by Gates - runs the car into a ditch and dies as a result. Scully tells Kevin she'll protect him. They bring him to a hotel where Scully notices an additional wound on Kevin's side. Scully becomes upset that Mulder will not even consider that a miracle is possible. As they talk, Gates breaks into the bathroom, kidnapping Kevin by prying an opening in the barred window. Scully returns to see Kevin's father but finds him heavily drugged. Scully theorizes that Gates has brought Kevin to a recycling plant he owns in Jerusalem, Ohio. Mulder thinks that he has headed to the airport, as a man matching Gates' description was reported headed there. Mulder thinks Scully believes that she's been chosen to protect Kevin. Scully arrives at the recycling plant where Gates tells Kevin that he must die for the 'New Age' to come. Gates attempts to jump into a paper shredding machine with Kevin, but Kevin grabs onto the side as Gates falls into the shredder and is killed. Scully is able to pull Kevin to safety. Two days later, Scully and Kevin say goodbye; Kevin tells Scully he'll see her again. Scully goes to confession for the first time in six years, admitting that she was raised a Catholic but has drifted away from the Church since then. She admits to being unsettled by the things she has witnessed, and even more unsettled by the fact that Mulder, usually the more credulous of the two of them, has not seen them. The priest advises her "Sometimes we must come full circle to find the truth" (unconsciously echoing the recycling symbol Scully has seen several times earlier in the episode) and ask her if she is starting to doubt her own judgment. Scully says that mostly it makes her afraid: that if miracles really do occur, then that means "God is speaking... but that no one's listening." ## Production "Revelations" was written by Kim Newton and directed by David Nutter, his final episode of The X-Files. Nutter decided that, after the episode, he wished to pursue different things and that the series was in excellent hands with fellow directors Rob Bowman and Kim Manners. Actor Kenneth Welsh, who appears in the episode as the demonic Simon Gates, had previously portrayed a chief antagonist in the critically acclaimed 1990 serial drama Twin Peaks, alongside Duchovny. The episode contains a role reversal with Dana Scully the believer and Fox Mulder the skeptic, which David Duchovny called "a refreshing change of pace." Nutter believed that by examining faith, the show's creators were able to explore the nuances and seeming contradictions of Scully and her worldview. The episode was the first to discuss Scully's faith in-depth. Series creator Chris Carter later emphasized that the theme of the episode was more on personal belief rather than organized religion, noting, "[The episode] deals with faith, not religion with a capital 'R' or Catholicism with a capital 'C'". The producers for the series were cautious about presenting an overtly religious episode of the series for fear of "pissing certain people off", but, according to Carter, the show "handled it in such a way as to make it about miracle belief, or lack of belief." According to co-producer Paul Rabwin, the episode had been rewritten a number of times, even when it was already in production. The producers felt it was difficult "to sell the concept of religious magic" (for instance, bi-locating). The episode went through a detailed editing process, including additional tweaks to the script. These changes required actor Kevin Zegers to fly back to Vancouver and film reshoots and additional scenes. The producers claimed to be in awe by the way the episode turned out after all the additional work had been done. Several of the scenes were altered or cut during post-production, such as the scene with the priest; the producers were unhappy with the voice of the actor, so they recorded a voice-over and mixed it in during post-production. A scene with Kevin's father speaking in tongues, quoting the famous "Klaatu barada nikto" line from The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951), was cut in the final edit of the episode. ## Reception "Revelations" premiered on the Fox network on December 15, 1995. This episode earned a Nielsen rating of 10, with a 17 share, meaning that roughly 10 percent of all television-equipped households, and 17 percent of households watching television, were tuned in to the episode. This totaled 15.25 million viewers. Critical reception to the episode was moderately positive. Zack Handlen from The A.V. Club gave the episode a B+ and wrote positively of Scully's portrayal, noting "Really, this works best as a Scully episode. I prefer Darin Morgan's version of the character [...], but I doubt that version could support a full episode about God in the same way that this more searching, and lost, Scully does." However, Handlen was critical of some of the religious aspects of the episode, noting that "If there's a Christian God in the X-Files universe, doesn't that trump just about everything else that Mulder and Scully have spent their time on? ... There are too many implications here for the show to support, and while it doesn't destroy the episode, it does make it difficult for me to back it as fully as I'd like to." John Keegan from Critical Myth gave the episode a 7 out of 10 rating, noting "Overall, this episode highlights Scully and her faith, and in the process, manages to presage many of the future plot developments for the series and her character. The spiritual war at the foundation of the series mythology is reflected in a situation that speaks directly to Scully and her upbringing, and though some of the religious metaphors are heavy-handed, it works well enough." Entertainment Weekly gave the episode a B+ and wrote positively of the episode's "inventiveness," which "derives from its choice of the most mainstream paranormality of all—Christianity." The review also wrote positively of the Mulder-Scully role reversal, calling the change "always welcome". Paula Vitaris from Cinefantastique gave the episode a moderately positive review and awarded it two-and-a-half stars out of four. She noted that "Scully's search to reconcile her religious beliefs and her scientific training makes for powerful drama, and Gillian Anderson is up to the challenge." Vitaris, however, criticized elements of the plot, most notably the "un-saintly" quality of Kevin and Kevin's lack of emotion after his mother is killed. Furthermore, she called the ending "a real mess". Not all reviews were positive. Robert Shearman, in his book Wanting to Believe: A Critical Guide to The X-Files, Millennium & The Lone Gunmen, rated the episode two stars out of five, calling it a "peculiarly bloodless episode". The author criticized the fact that many of Kevin's powers were only helpful in certain isolated scenes, such as his ability to bilocate. Shearman concluded that the show should "take a serious subject by all means, but then take the subject seriously." Director David Nutter was pleased with the finished product. He was most notably happy with Anderson's acting, saying that she delivered a sparkling performance, particularly in the final scene. He also stated "I really love working with Gillian. She's got such an ability to emote and give from the inside." Actor Michael Berryman has said that this was his favorite role in his career, and he credits it for reversing typecasting that always put him in the role of the monster.

# Statue of Lenin (Seattle) The Statue of Lenin is a 16 ft (5 m) bronze statue of Russian communist revolutionary Vladimir Lenin in the Fremont neighborhood of Seattle, Washington, United States. It was created by Bulgarian-born Slovak sculptor Emil Venkov and initially put on display in the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic in 1988, the year before the Velvet Revolution. After the revolutions of 1989 and dissolution of the Soviet Union, a wave of de-Leninization in Eastern Europe brought about the fall of many monuments in the former Soviet sphere. In 1993, the statue was bought by an American who had found it lying in a scrapyard. He brought it home with him to Washington State but died before he could carry out his plans to formally display it. Since 1995, the statue has been held in trust waiting for a buyer, standing on temporary display for the last years on a prominent street corner in Fremont. It has become a local landmark, frequently being either decorated or vandalized. The statue has sparked political controversy, including criticism for being communist chic and not taking the historic meaning of Leninism and communism seriously (or taking it too seriously), or by comparing the purported acceptance of such a charged political symbol to the removal of Confederate monuments and memorials. Much of the debate ignores the statue's private ownership and installation on private property, with the public and government having virtually no say in the matter. ## Commission and construction The statue was constructed by Bulgarian-born Slovak sculptor Emil Venkov (1937–2017) under a 1981 commission from the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia. While following the bounds of his commission, Venkov intended to express his vision of Lenin as a violent revolutionary, in contrast to the traditional portrayals of Lenin as a philosopher and educator. According to freemont.com, "it is believed to be the only representation portraying Lenin surrounded by guns and flames instead of holding a book or waving his hat." Venkov's work was completed and installed in Poprad, Czechoslovak Socialist Republic (now Slovakia), in 1988 at a cost of 334,000 Kčs, (), shortly before the fall the communist regime in Czechoslovakia during the 1989 Velvet Revolution. ## Sale and move to Seattle Lewis E. Carpenter, an English teacher in Poprad originally from Issaquah, Washington, found the hollow monumental statue lying in a scrapyard with a homeless man living inside it. The Lenin statue was waiting to be cut up and sold for the price of the bronze. Carpenter had met and befriended Venkov in an earlier visit to Czechoslovakia. Carpenter's initial interest in buying the statue was to preserve it for its historic and artistic merit. Later he intended to use it to attract customers for an ethnic Slovak restaurant he wanted to open in Issaquah. In close collaboration with a local journalist and good friend, Tomáš Fülöpp, Carpenter approached Poprad city officials, saying that despite its current unpopularity, the statue was still a work of art worth preserving, and offered to buy it for US$13,000 (). After bureaucratic hurdles, he signed a contract with the Mayor of Poprad on March 16, 1993. The Mayor then began to reconsider, and asked the City Council to vote on the sale. After voting to approve it, the Poprad council reconsidered and asked the Slovak Ministry of Culture for its blessing, which was given four months later. After final approval to buy and move the statue out of the country, Carpenter consulted with both Venkov and the architect who had overseen the original casting of the bronze before deciding to cut the statue into three pieces and ship it 1,500 miles (2,400 km) to Rotterdam, and then on to the United States, all of which ultimately cost US$40,000 (). Carpenter financed much of that by mortgaging his home. The statue arrived in Issaquah in August 1993, and Carpenter planned to install it in front of a Slovak restaurant. He died in a car collision in February 1994, during public debates on whether to display the statue in Issaquah that ended in rejection from the suburb's residents. After Carpenter's death, his family planned to sell the statue to a Fremont foundry to be melted down and repurposed into a new piece. The foundry's founder, Peter Bevis, sought instead to display the statue in Fremont, and agreed to have the Fremont Chamber of Commerce hold the statue in trust for 5 years or until a buyer was found. The statue was unveiled on June 3, 1995, at the corner of Evanston Avenue North and North 34th Street on private property, one block south of the Fremont Rocket, another artistic Fremont attraction. The owners moved the statue two blocks north to the intersection of Fremont Place North, North 36th Street and Evanston Avenue North in 1996, on a property with commercial retail spaces occupied by a Taco del Mar and a gelato shop at the time. The new location is three blocks west of the Fremont Troll, a Fremont art installation under the Aurora Bridge. The Carpenter family continues to seek a buyer for the statue. As of 2015, the asking price was US$250,000, up from the 1996 price of US$150,000 (). ## Fremont curiosity The statue of Lenin became a Fremont landmark and object of curiosity, representing the quirky nature of the artistic neighborhood, whose motto is Libertas Quirkas – freedom to be peculiar. Like the Fremont Troll and the Waiting for the Interurban sculpture, the Lenin statue has often been decorated, appropriated, or vandalized with various intentions, both whimsical and serious. Knute Berger, acknowledging that "we are supposed to be amused" by the "hippie whimsy" of a Soviet symbol in the middle of an American city, said that seeing the statue cannot help but remind us of the killing and repression Lenin inspired. But Berger reflected that perhaps the meaning of this Soviet relic is the opposite, that it is "a trophy of Western triumphalism", representing the victory over communism and the fall of the Berlin Wall. By removing the statue from its original context where it was meant to keep the Slovak people in awe, given a new context where it oppresses no one and is used entirely in the service of free enterprise and profit making. Berger goes on to compare the Lenin statue with Native American totem poles, so many of which were once on display in the city that they became a "symbol of Seattle". Some of Seattle's most iconic 'totem poles' (actually Alaskan Tlingit carved house posts) were brazenly stolen from an Alaska village by respected members of the scientific and business community, the Harriman Alaska expedition, so immersed in the triumph of their own culture over that of Native Americans that little thought was given to what Dr. Robin K. Wright of the Burke Museum called "a very clear case of theft". Berger said the story of victory of one culture over another told by the totem pole, or the Lenin statue, make it "an icon, but if you know the story, a complicated one." A glowing Soviet-style red star or Christmas lights have been added to the statue during the holiday season since 2004. For the 2004 Solstice Parade, the statue was made to look like John Lennon. During Gay Pride Week, the statue is dressed in drag. The statue was highlighted in the media after protesters removed Lenin statues in Ukraine. The statue's hands are often painted (and repainted) red to protest what critics perceive as the glorification of what they see as a historical villain who has blood on his hands. The Taco del Mar restaurant, one of the retail property's tenants, constructed a monumental-scale burrito wrapped in foil for the statue to hold, which one Fremont publisher said did not turn out as intended, but rather "looked like a doobie." In June 2017, the statue's sculptor, Emil Venkov, died at age 79. The Association of Slovak Artists noted the loss of an artist whose long career helped define Slovak monumental and architectural sculpture, creating works distinctive for their subtext. Some groups have called for removal of Fremont's Lenin statue. On August 16, 2017, in the wake of the Charlottesville, Virginia Unite the Right rally, conservative commentator Jack Posobiec led a gathering of several protesters at the statue to demand its removal. The same day, Mayor Ed Murray said his office contacted Lake View Cemetery to "express our concerns" about the United Confederate Veterans Memorial there, and ask for its removal. On August 17, Murray added that he believed the Lenin statue should go as well, because we should "not idolize figures who have committed violent atrocities and sought to divide us", though he was aware the Lenin statue was also on private property. In the following days, a city staffer told The Washington Post off the record that the Seattle City Council was considering debating a symbolic resolution on removing the Lenin statue and the Confederate memorial, though the city government has no power to remove either against the wishes of the owners, since neither monument, nor the properties they are on, are city-owned. In an article discussing Confederate monuments in USA Today, Allen Guelzo said that there should be a movement of protesters asking that the statue be removed, as Lenin's "murderous ideas and deeds dwarf any of [the] sins" of Robert E. Lee. A bill introduced to the state legislature in early 2019 by a group of Republican representatives called for the statue's removal and replacement, in response to a bill reconsidering a statue of Marcus Whitman at the Washington State Capitol. One of Fremont's major landowners, businesswoman Suzie Burke, told KUOW radio that if any of the bill's sponsors actually lived in the Seattle area, she would have invited them to come to Fremont to discuss it, and she would have reminded them that the government does not have the authority to remove privately owned artwork on private property. One of the bill's sponsors said he would never infringe on private property rights, and that the bill was intended as a tongue-in-cheek reaction to State Senate opposition to the Whitman statue. ## See also - Demolition of monuments to Vladimir Lenin in Ukraine - Fallen Monument Park

# 1885 Navy Midshipmen football team The 1885 Navy Midshipmen football team represented the United States Naval Academy in the 1885 college football season. The team was the fourth intercollegiate football squad to represent the United States Naval Academy, and marked the first time that the school played a multiple-game season. The squad was captained by halfback Cornelius Billings. The year began with a blowout victory over St. John's College, but was followed by close losses to Johns Hopkins University and the Princeton Tigers reserves squad. The season continued a seven-season, eight game rivalry between the Naval Academy and Johns Hopkins, and began a ten-game, seven-year rivalry with St. John's. ## Prelude According to Ellsworth P. Bertholf's biographer C. Douglas Kroll, the first evidence of a form of football at the United States Naval Academy came in 1857, but the school's cadets lost interest in the game shortly afterward. The Naval Academy's first ever football team was fielded in 1879. The squad was entirely student-operated, receiving no official support from Naval Academy officials. The team was entirely funded by its members and their fellow students. The 1879 team participated in just one game, which resulted in a scoreless tie. It was played against the Baltimore Athletic Club, apparently on the Academy superintendent's cow pasture. Navy would not field a football team in 1880 or 1881, due to the lack of support from officials. When football returned to the academy in 1882, the squad was led by player-coach Vaulx Carter, and won 8–0 in a match with Johns Hopkins, starting a seven-year rivalry between the schools. The 1883 season resulted in Navy's first ever loss, a 2–0 defeat by Johns Hopkins. Navy returned the favor the following year, defeating Hopkins in a close 9–6 game. ## Schedule ## Season summary The Naval Academy scheduled three games for the 1885 season, breaking from the tradition of playing only Johns Hopkins. According to Morris Allison Bealle, "Football at Annapolis had shed its swaddling clothes when the autumn of 1885 rolled around. Some of the faculty actually gave in and admitted that football might, at that, be or become an interesting diversion" so the squad was allowed to schedule three games. The first was played against St. John's College, also located in Annapolis. The game kicked off a brief rivalry with St. John's, which would conclude in 1911 with Navy winning eighteen of twenty-one contests. The 1885 match was a 46–10 blowout victory over St. John's. The second game of the season was the annual Thanksgiving Day match against Johns Hopkins. After winning the previous year, Navy fell to Johns Hopkins 12–8. The season concluded with the Naval Academy challenging the Princeton freshman team, a game which ended in a 10–0 shutout loss for Navy. ## Players The 1885 Naval Academy team was made up of thirteen players at four different positions. The squad consisted of seven rushers, two fullback, three halfbacks, and a quarterback: Rushers - George Hayward - Sam Darby - Tom Jewett - Joe Ricketts - Fred Moore - Clarence Stone - John Ubsdell Quarterback - Bill Faust Fullbacks - Joe Welsh - George Loyall Halfbacks - Julius Dashiell - Cornelius Billings (capt.) - Bill Cloke ## Postseason and aftermath The first postseason college football game would not be played until 1902, with the Pasadena Tournament of Roses' establishment of the east–west tournament game, later known as the Rose Bowl. The Midshipmen would not participate in their first Rose Bowl until the 1923 season, when they went 5–1–2 and tied with the Washington Huskies 14–14 in the match. As a result of the lack of a competition, there were no postseason games played after the 1885 season. According to statistics compiled by Billingsly, Houlgate, the National Championship Foundation, Parke Davis, and the Helms Athletic Foundation, Princeton was declared the 1885 season champion. The 1885 season brought Navy's overall win–loss record to an even 3–3–1. It also brought the Academy's record against Johns Hopkins to 2–2 tie. The season marked the first time a team for the Naval Academy would play a multiple-game season. In 1886, their schedule was expanded from three games to five, and continued to grow through subsequent years. It was the worst single-season record for the Academy until 1888, when they went 1–4. Navy would finish the 1880s with four winning seasons, and an overall record of 14–12–2. The school would outscore their opponents 292–231, and would finish the 19th century with an overall record of 54–19–3.

# West Concord station West Concord station is an MBTA Commuter Rail station located in West Concord, Massachusetts. It is served by the Fitchburg Line. The station has two side platforms serving the line's two tracks, with mini-high platforms for accessibility. The adjacent station building, now a restaurant, is not used for railroad purposes. Concord Junction station opened in 1871 at the junction of the Fitchburg Railroad and the Framingham and Lowell Railroad, replacing an earlier station at Damon Mill to the west. It soon became an important railroad junction, and a new union station was built in 1894. Passenger service declined during the 20th century, though commuter service to Boston was retained. The station and surrounding village were renamed as West Concord in 1927. The interior of the station building was restored in the 1980s; it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1989 as Union Station. The exterior was restored with the original tri-color paint scheme in the 2000s. Since 1990, the building has been used as a restaurant, Club Car Cafe. ## History ### Union Station The Fitchburg Railroad opened through Concord in 1844; a station was located at Damon Mill west of the modern station location. When the Framingham and Lowell Railroad (F\&L) opened in 1871, Concord Junction station was established where the two lines crossed in the Warnerville section of Concord. The small station was soon joined by a freight house, engine house, and turntable. The Nashua, Acton and Boston Railroad opened in 1873, with trackage rights over the F\&L to Concord Junction. The railroad offered Concord Junction–Nashua service timed to meet Fitchburg Railroad trains, making Concord Junction an important transfer point. In 1882, the state legislature allowed the installation of automatic signals when different railroads crossed at grade. Since 1855, trains had been required to stop at such crossings. Signals were installed at Concord Junction in 1884. Industrial activity in Concord soon clustered around the three railroad lines; by the 1890s, Concord Junction was a busier village center than Concord itself, with 125 trains stopping per day. The new Union Station opened in January 1894; the older wooden station was reused as a boardinghouse on Derby Street. The single-story L-shaped Queen Anne style structure incorporated a passenger waiting room, freight office, and a baggage room in three separate buildings under one roof. A bay window protruded from the right angle of the station to give the stationmaster views down the rail lines. The asymmetrical design, slate roof, eyelid dormers, stained glass windows, and bright three-color paint scheme were unusual for the area. Among the regular passengers at the station was John F. Fitzgerald, who frequently used it between 1897 and 1903. ### Decline The Nashua, Acton and Boston became part of the Boston and Maine Railroad in 1895, followed by the Fitchburg Railroad in 1900. The F\&L went through several ownership changes; it was acquired by the Old Colony Railroad in 1879, which was leased by the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad in 1893. Passenger service declined in the 20th century; service to Nashua ended in 1924, and the line was abandoned the next year. Passenger service on the F\&L ended in 1933, though north-south freight service through Concord Junction continued. At that time, the freight office (the northwest part of the station) and part of the roof were demolished. With passenger service only remaining on the Fitchburg mainline, in 1927 the station and village became known as West Concord. Intercity service past Fitchburg ended in 1960, leaving only commuter service to West Concord. The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) was formed in 1964 to subsidize suburban commuter rail operations. This public funding stabilized remaining service on the Boston and Maine system in 1965. The station building was reused as a restaurant by 1968. The MBTA bought the Boston and Maine commuter assets in 1976. In 1982, a faux-brick exterior was added to the building and the space between the waiting room and baggage room was enclosed. Freight service on the ex-F\&L from West Concord south to South Sudbury ended that year. The diamond crossing was soon removed and moved slightly south, where it was put on display in a small park. ### Preservation The station building fell into private ownership and hosted a pizza restaurant for a time; when the restaurant closed, the building was locked and did not provide passenger accommodations. In 1987, MBTA riders urged the town to purchase the building, which would help to restore access to the waiting room and restrooms, and the MBTA indicated that they would enforce a 1964 deed that required public access regardless of ownership. Representatives visited other stations nearby, including Hartford, Connecticut, to consult on how a station like West Concord could be renovated. Following successful appeals, a group of residents renovated the interior of the station. In 1989, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places as Union Station. The Club Car Cafe opened in the building in 1990; it provides a waiting room for passengers during weekday commute hours. Freight service north of West Concord ended in 1993; the north-south line has since been converted to the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail. Mini-high platforms were installed shortly after the 1990 passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act, making West Concord one of the first MBTA Commuter Rail stations to become accessible. The Friends of the West Concord Depot group formed in 2006 to support renovations of the deteriorated station building. The town and the MBTA split the cost of exterior renovations, which restored the original tri-color exterior design. The renovations were completed around 2009. ## See also - National Register of Historic Places listings in Concord, Massachusetts

# Something Nice Back Home "Something Nice Back Home" is the tenth episode of the American Broadcasting Company's fourth season of the serial drama television series Lost and 82nd episode overall. It was aired on May 1, 2008, on ABC in the United States and on CTV in Canada. The episode was written in February and March by co-executive producers Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz and directed in March and April by supervising producer Stephen Williams. Critical reviews were mixed and the broadcast of "Something Nice Back Home" brought in 13 million American viewers, one of the smallest audiences for an original episode of Lost in the show's history. The narrative begins on December 28, 2004, 98 days after the crash of Oceanic Airlines Flight 815. The leader of the survivors, Jack Shephard (played by Matthew Fox) develops appendicitis and Juliet Burke (Elizabeth Mitchell) operates on him. Meanwhile, James "Sawyer" Ford (Josh Holloway), Miles Straume (Ken Leung), Claire Littleton (Emilie de Ravin), and her baby Aaron continue their trek to the beach from the Barracks. In a flashforward, Jack experiences visions of his deceased father Christian Shephard (John Terry), while his relationship with Kate Austen (Evangeline Lilly) is strained soon after he proposes marriage. Kitsis said that the episode "was interesting because [it shows] a time, maybe brief, where Jack was happy." ## Plot ### On the beach After feeling ill for a day, Jack faints. Juliet diagnoses him with appendicitis and deems an appendectomy necessary. She sends Sun Kwon (Yunjin Kim) to get medical supplies from the Staff Dharma Initiative medical station. Sun is accompanied by Jin-Soo Kwon (Daniel Dae Kim), Daniel Faraday (Jeremy Davies) and Charlotte Lewis (Rebecca Mader); the latter pair are increasingly distrusted by the survivors. Jin realizes that Charlotte is fluent in Korean and confronts her after their successful trip, threatening to hurt Daniel if she continues to lie about her agenda and does not get Sun off the island. Jack convinces Juliet to allow him to remain awake during the surgery, with Kate holding a mirror, so that he can see and direct the surgery. As Juliet operates, Jack's consciousness proves to be a detriment and her nurse—dentist Bernard Nadler (Sam Anderson)—knocks him out with chloroform. The appendectomy is a success; afterwards, Juliet tells Kate that Jack really does love Kate and not Juliet. When Kate leaves, Juliet tells Jack that she knows he's awake, after which he opens his eyes. ### In the Jungle En route back to the beach camp, Sawyer, distrustful of Miles, gives him a "restraining order" to keep him away from Claire as they travel to the survivors' beach camp with Claire's infant son, Aaron. On their way, Miles discovers the partially buried bodies of Danielle Rousseau (Mira Furlan) and Karl (Blake Bashoff). They encounter Frank Lapidus (Jeff Fahey), who saves their lives by instructing them to hide from the nearby band of mercenaries led by Martin Keamy (Kevin Durand), who are revealed not to have been killed by the smoke monster in the previous episode. The mercenaries are on their way back to the helicopter to return to the freighter Kahana. At night, Miles watches Claire as she leaves with her deceased father, Christian. Sawyer awakes the next morning to find Aaron alone under a nearby tree and calls out for Claire with no response. ### Flashforwards In flashforwards, Jack has returned to work as a doctor in Los Angeles. He is engaged to Kate and lives with her while helping to raise Aaron (William Blanchette). Jack visits Hugo "Hurley" Reyes (Jorge Garcia), who is in a mental institution. Hurley has not been taking his medication and suffering from hallucinations of his deceased friend, Charlie Pace (Dominic Monaghan). He believes that the Oceanic Six have died and gone to heaven. Hurley gives Jack a message from Charlie: "You're not supposed to raise him." Charlie has also told Hurley that Jack will be receiving a visitor. On two separate occasions, Jack sees his father; Jack asks his colleague Erika Stevenson (April Parker Jones) to prescribe him the anti-anxiety drug clonazepam. After overhearing a phone call, Jack becomes suspicious of Kate. The next night, a heated argument ensues, in which she reveals that she is doing an errand for Sawyer, who Jack says is on the island by choice. Aaron walks into the room as Jack blurts out that Kate and Aaron are not related. ## Production The episode was written by March 10, 2008 and was done alongside "The Shape of Things to Come" and "Cabin Fever". Shooting began by March 24, alongside filming of the previous episode and continued through April 4. The flashforwards were written partially to explain what led Jack to become the drug addict that he is in third-season finale's flashforwards, who believes that his father is alive. Matthew Fox stated that the fourth season is "starting to close the loop on the end of [the third] season. Jack in the future is a man marked by weakness, but the Jack [on the island in December 2004] is strong. ['Something Nice Back Home' explains] how he made that transition." When asked why Hurley does not take drugs to see Charlie, but Jack starts his drug addiction to try not to see Christian, Edward Kitsis said that "Jack has ... always been a man of science, and there has to be something logical. The scene where Jack is staring at the bench where Hurley sits when Charlie visits him, I think in that moment he's thinking, my life right now is pretty good, I don't want to end up here." In regard to the contrast in Kate's character on the island and after the island, Kitsis said that "you could say [that] motherhood suits her. In the flashforwards ... there's a sense of purpose to her, there's some clarity to her. There's so much devotion to that child, and she appears to be such a great mother ... taking care of Aaron may have helped her put away some other issues." ## Reception "Something Nice Back Home" was viewed live or recorded and watched within four hours of broadcast by 10.726 million American viewers, scoring a 4.7/13 in the key adults 18–49 demographic, ranking Lost as the twenty-first most watched series of the week and setting a ratings low for the series. A total of 12.946 million Americans watched the episode live or recorded it and watched it within seven days; this number was factored into the season's average. The episode was viewed by 1.322 million Canadians, making Lost the nineteenth most watched show of the week. 647,000 in the United Kingdom tuned in to the local broadcast. In Australia, "Something Nice Back Home" was watched by 505 000 people, having been moved to a later timeslot of 10.30 pm, outside the prime time viewing block. Verne Gay of Newsday described it as "another fine, fine Lost". The San Diego Union-Tribune's Karla Peterson gave the episode an "A", calling it "one of those dense, chewy episodes in which a lot of stuff happened to a lot of people, and the foundation was laid for one hell of a season finale." She praised Fox, Evangeline Lilly, Jorge Garcia, Elizabeth Mitchell and Jeremy Davies's work in "Something Nice Back Home", while Tom Iacuzio of The Daytona Beach News-Journal deemed Jeremy Davies's performance deserving of an Emmy Award. The Palm Beach Post's Kevin Thompson "thought [that] Matthew [Fox] did a nice job conveying a wide range of emotions—scared, haunted, frustration, horny, jealousy, just to name a few." Jeff Jensen of Entertainment Weekly said that "Something Nice Back Home" "was partly a transitional passage in the Lost saga, a busywork episode designed to put all the characters in position for the year's big finale" and "[Jack's] appendicitis [was] the kind of hardcore castaway survival plotline we haven't really seen since season 1. Combined with a strong character-driven flash story, it was very old school Lost." Jensen also "liked how the episode neatly neutralized one of [his] least favorite season 4 moments, the Jack-Juliet smooch". TV Guide's Michael Ausiello wrote that "Fox quietly solidified his status as one of the tube's most reliable and unshowy stalwarts" and deemed him deserving of a Primetime Emmy Award nomination. Oscar Dahl of BuddyTV gave the episode a positive review, saying that he was "shocked and baffled" and writing that "Lost ... can give me an exciting, well-done episode while making me fear where the series is going ... [because] ghosts aren't my thing." The Huffington Post"'s Jay Glatfelter decided that "what made this episode great was the fact that it just contained so much story [with] Jack's flashforward [making] this one of his most interesting 'centric' episodes. ... Not only was Jack's story interesting for a change, but the inclusion of [many] other characters ... and giving them great story and character development [was also intriguing]." Daniel of TMZ graded "Something Nice Back Home" as a "B". In his recap, he wrote that "if that's the last we ever see of Claire again, that would be BEYOND awesome." Robert Bianco of USA Today praised Fox's performance, saying that it was almost worthy of an Emmy Award nomination. The Star-Ledger's Alan Sepinwall gave the episode a mixed review, saying that "I find [Jack] and his love life simultaneously boring and obnoxious ... [and] insufferable"; however, he enjoyed the subplots and commended the acting by Matthew Fox and Jorge Garcia. James Poniewozik of Time did not enjoy the flashforwards, commenting that they were "the first of the flashforwards that resembled one of the bad old flashbacks, in that it just reconfirmed character traits we already knew and showed Jack and Kate falling into patterns we knew from the past ... I didn't get much from it". IGN's Chris Carabott gave the episode a 7.5/10, making it his least favorite episode of the season. Carabott wrote that "this season [Lost"'s main character Jack] seems to have been relegated to playing second fiddle ... oddly enough, even in his own episode, Jack really isn't given much to do" and stated that "the possible rekindling of Jack and Kate's romantic relationship on the island is juxtaposed quite well with their relationship during the flashforward." Dan Compora of SyFy Portal wrote that "the pace ... was a bit too slow" and "I usually like the Jack-centered episodes, but a bout of appendicitis simply does not make for high drama or stimulating action"; however, he noted that "all in all, this was a good episode, but it was nothing special." Compora praised Fox's increasingly good acting, but said that "this season has seen much stronger lead performances from Michael Emerson [in 'The Shape of Things to Come' as Ben Linus] and Henry Ian Cusick [as Desmond Hume in 'The Constant']." Erin Martell of AOL's TV Squad called "Something Nice Back Home" "a break after last week's action- and information-packed episode", argued that Rousseau was not given a proper death and enjoyed Rose and Bernard's roles. UGO's Sara shared Martell's sentiments in regard to Rose and Bernard's appearances and speculated that "Something Nice Back Home" would not be enjoyed by fans who like Rousseau or do not like Jack. Ben Rawson-Jones of Digital Spy gave the episode three out of five stars, saying that "the Jack-Kate romantic intrigue is rather dull, while the appendix plot feels like an unnecessary narrative obstacle for viewers to surmount."

# The Boat Race 1927 The 79th Boat Race took place on 2 April 1927. Held annually, the Boat Race is a side-by-side rowing race between crews from the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge along the River Thames. Oxford's crew was marginally heavier than their opponents, and saw five participants return with Boat Race experience, compared to Cambridge's four. Umpired for the first time by former Oxford rower Charles Burnell, Cambridge won by three lengths in a time of 20 minutes 14 seconds. It was the first race in the history of the event to be broadcast live on BBC Radio. The victory took the overall record in the event to 40–38 in Oxford's favour. The inaugural Women's Boat Race was contested this year, with Oxford securing the victory. ## Background The Boat Race is a side-by-side rowing competition between the University of Oxford (sometimes referred to as the "Dark Blues") and the University of Cambridge (sometimes referred to as the "Light Blues"). The race was first held in 1829, and since 1845 has taken place on the 4.2-mile (6.8 km) Championship Course on the River Thames in southwest London. The rivalry is a major point of honour between the two universities; it is followed throughout the United Kingdom and, as of 2014, broadcast worldwide. Cambridge went into the race as reigning champions, having won the 1926 race by five lengths, with Oxford leading overall with 40 victories to Cambridge's 37 (excluding the "dead heat" of 1877). This year also saw the inaugural running of the Women's Boat Race, between female crews from the two universities. Oxford were coached by H. R. Baker (who rowed for the Dark Blues in the 1908 and 1909 races), G. C. Bourne (who had rowed for the university in the 1882 and 1883 races), R. C. Bourne (who had rowed four times between 1909 and 1912) and P. C. Mallam (a Dark Blue from 1921 to 1924 inclusive). Cambridge were coached by William Dudley Ward (who had rowed in 1897, 1899 and 1900 races), Francis Escombe and David Alexander Wauchope (who had rowed in the 1895 race). For the first year the umpire was Charles Burnell, who had rowed for Oxford in the 1895, 1896, 1897 and 1898 races. It was the first time that the progress of the race was broadcast on BBC Radio from the umpire's launch Magician. Poet J. C. Squire and Olympic gold medallist and former Oxford rower Guy Nickalls provided the commentary, with transmission equipment on the boat weighing in excess of 1,000 pounds (450 kg), and using a number of specially built reception points along the course. It was the second live outdoor commentary ever broadcast, the first being the Scotland versus England match of the 1927 Five Nations Championship. ## Crews The Oxford crew weighed an average of 12 st 8.625 lb (79.9 kg), 2.25 pounds (1.0 kg) per rower more than their opponents. Cambridge's boat contained four participants with Boat Race experience, including cox J. A. Brown who was steering the Light Blues for the fourth consecutive year. Oxford saw five members of the previous year's crew return, including E. C. T. Edwards and James Douglas Wishart Thomson, both of whom were rowing for the third time in the event. Cambridge's Australian number six J. B. Bell and his opposite number, American Howard T. Kingsbury of Yale University, were the only non-British participants registered in the race. According to author and former Oxford rower George Drinkwater, neither crew could "be classed in a very high standard", claiming Cambridge's selection was poor and Oxford's coaches indecisive. Ten days before the race, Oxford's W. S. Llewellyn was struck down by German measles and was replaced by A. M. Hankin who was placed at stroke. ## Race Oxford won the toss and elected to start from the Surrey station, handing the Middlesex side of the river to Cambridge. In a strong wind and "big spring tide", Burnell started the race at 1:30 p.m. After a level start, Oxford held a canvas-length lead by the time the crews passed Craven Steps, but the Light Blues levelled the race using the advantage of the bend in the river at Craven Cottage. The crews passed the Mile Post level whereupon Oxford retook the lead, slightly out-rating their opponents and passed below Hammersmith Bridge with a half-length advantage. Nearly clear by The Doves pub, the Dark Blues ran into strong wind and rough water and Cambridge started to reduce their lead. A lead of one-third of a length at Chiswick Steps was soon overhauled by the Light Blues who were almost clear at Barnes Bridge. They rowed on to win "comfortably" by three lengths in a time of 20 minutes 14 seconds. It was Cambridge's fourth consecutive victory and their eighth win in nine races, and took the overall record in the event to 40–38 in Oxford's favour. Following the race, the tide was so high that spectators were forced to wade through water that was knee-deep. Oxford won the inaugural women's race by 15 seconds despite not rowing together; the crews were not permitted to compete side-by-side, that style of competition being considered "unladylike".

# Juniper MX Series The Juniper MX Series is a family of ethernet routers and switches designed and manufactured by Juniper Networks. In 2006, Juniper released the first of the MX-series, the MX960, MX240, and MX480. The second generation routers, called MX "3D", were first released in 2009 and featured a new Trio chipset and IPv6 support. In 2013, the MX routers were improved to increase their bandwidth, and a virtualized MX 3D router, the vMX 3D, was released in 2014. Utilizing the Juniper Extension Toolkit (JET), third party software can be integrated into the routers. ## History ### Early releases On October 18, 2006, the MX Series was publicly announced. Before its release, Ethernet aggregation was a missing component of Juniper's edge network products, which was causing it to lose market-share to Alcatel. The MX Series was late to market, but it was well received by analysts and customers. It was part of a trend at-the-time to incorporate additional software features in routers and switches. The first product release of the MX series was the MX960, a 14-slot, 480 Gbit/s switch and router. In late 2006, Juniper introduced the MX240 and MX480, which are smaller versions of the 960. They had a throughput of 240 Gbit/s and 480 Gbit/s respectively. ### Further development In 2009 a new line of MX "3D" products were introduced, using Juniper's programmable Trio chipset. Trio is a proprietary semiconductor technology with custom network instructions. It provides a cross between network processing units and ASICs. IPv6 features were added and the MX80, a smaller 80 Gbit/s router, was introduced the following year. In 2011 new switch fabric cards increased the capacity of MX 3D routers. In May 2011 Juniper introduced several new products including the MX5, MX10 and MX40 3D routers, which have a throughput of 20, 40 and 60 Gbit/s respectively and can each be upgraded to an MX80. A collection of features called MobileNext was introduced in 2011 at Mobile World Congress, then discontinued in August 2013. According to Network World, it allowed MX 3D products to serve as a mobile "gateway, an authentication and management control plan for 2G/3G and LTE mobile packet cores and as a policy manager for subscriber management systems." In October 2012, Juniper introduced the MX2020 and 2010 3D Universal Edge Routers, with throughputs of 80 Tbit/s and 40 Tbit/s respectively. Juniper also released a video caching system for the MX family and a suite of software applications that include parental control, firewall and traffic monitoring. New "Virtual Chassis" features allowed network operators to manage multiple boxes as though they were a single router or switch. ### Recent developments In 2013, Juniper introduced new line cards for the MX series and a new switch fabric module, intended to upgrade the MX series' for higher bandwidth needs and for software-defined networking applications. The capacity of the MX240, 480 and 960 were increased by double or more. A new Multiservice Modular Interface Card (MS-MIC) was incorporated that supports up to 9 Gbit/s for services like tunneling software. In March 2013, Juniper released the EX9200 switch, which isn't part of the MX Series, but uses the same software and Trio chipset. A virtualized MX series 3D router, the vMX 3D, was introduced in November 2014. A suite of updates were announced in late 2015. New MPC line cards were introduced, which have a throughput of up to 1.6 Tbit/s. Simultaneously the Juniper Extension Toolkit (JET) was announced. JET is a programming interface for integrating third-party applications that automate provisioning, maintenance and other tasks. The Junos Telemetry Interface was also announced at the same time. It reports data to applications and other equipment to automate changes to the network in response to faults or in order optimize performance. ## Current products and specifications According to Juniper's website, Juniper's current MX Series products include the following:

# Rise Bar Rise Bar, or simply Rise, is a gay bar in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City. Opened in 2015, it is a small establishment surrounded by a number of larger LGBTQ nightlife venues. The bar is most popular among gay men and some women. It features pop music and hosts weekly entertainment including drag shows, open-mic nights and karaoke. Though Rise's owners invested in soundproofing before it opened, noise concerns from nearby residents initially led the local community board and state liquor authority to require the venue to close at an earlier hour than its competitors. Following a contentious series of applications to modify Rise's operating schedule and liquor license, this requirement was overturned for weekend nights. The establishment has received praise for its welcoming, diverse atmosphere. ## Description Rise Bar is located in Hell's Kitchen, Manhattan, a few blocks north of the neighborhood's other gay venues, including Industry Bar and Flaming Saddles Saloon. Its exterior is characterized by heavy wooden doors with large handles. The interior, described by Gothamist as "sleek" and "open", has a white bar, black tables, a glitter ball, a stage and television screens playing music videos. A 2015 New York Times article categorized most of the clientele as gay men in their 30s and 40s, noting that female customers also frequent the bar early in the night. A 2016 Gothamist piece classed one Saturday night crowd as "young, hot twenty-somethings". The establishment's daily happy hour runs from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. and features half-price drinks. Its ambient music consists predominantly of pop and top 40 artists, with Wednesday playlists being rock-themed. According to ShermansTravel, the scene inside "turns into a thumping dance party most nights". The venue regularly hosts nighttime drag shows, karaoke, open-mic nights, Broadway-themed events and weekend drag brunches. Prior to her 2017 appearance on Drag Race, Peppermint hosted one of the bar's weekly shows. In September 2019, Luxembourg Prime Minister Xavier Bettel and his husband, Gauthier Destenay, visited Rise to attend a drag performance by Marti Gould Cummings. ## History Ted Arenas, John Blair and Beto Sutter opened Rise Bar in November 2015. Because noise was an ongoing concern for residents of the nightlife-saturated neighborhood, the trio invested heavily in soundproofing infrastructure ahead of the venue's debut. A 2014 DNAinfo article quoted Blair saying that the owners spent $70,000 to make sure their neighbors would have "a good quality of life". The publication later reported that the bar's landlord spent $90,000 on "soundproofing throughout the building" and that Blair spent about $20,000 "hiring a sound engineer to install paneling and conduct sound checks". Nevertheless, Manhattan Community Board 4 narrowly approved the bar's liquor license, and the state liquor authority (SLA) greenlit the application only on the condition that the venue close daily by 2 a.m. for its first year of operation. In late 2016, Blair—a former member of the community board—filed to change Rise's closing time to 4 a.m. on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. He argued that the bar was unable to compete with other LGBTQ venues nearby—including Industry, Therapy, Fairytail Lounge and Hardware—because they were all allowed to operate until 4 a.m. He presented letters of support from more than 800 people—including 21 living above the bar—and from Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer, Councilman Corey Johnson and Senator Brad Hoylman. Approximately a dozen residents attended board meetings in person to speak in favor of Rise, which some described as a "haven" for the local gay community. Opponents of the change voiced concerns about "noise, late-night crowds and unruly patrons". Others said that when the owners first applied for the establishment's liquor license, they had misrepresented it as a lounge without live entertainment, and its drag shows and karaoke nights meant that it was, in practice, operating as a nightclub. Some residents of apartments above the bar stated that noise disrupted their sleep. Altogether, the board directly received 66 letters of opposition to the 4 a.m. closing time and 16 e-mails in favor of it. The co-chairman of the 50–51 Block Association objected to the letters of support penned by Brewer, Johnson and Hoylman, stating that they were written without constituent input. However, no "specific problematic instances", such as noise violations or incidents of unruly behavior, were submitted to the board's Business Licenses and Permits committee, which issued preliminary approval to Blair's application. The full board subsequently voted 20–18 to extend the bar's hours, and it issued a request that the SLA "consider asking the operators to ... modify their method of operation, in light of the [live entertainment they host]". The bar then applied to change its liquor license to include a provision for live piano music, which again provoked opposition from neighbors who felt the owners had not been upfront about their intentions for the space. Rise's lawyer refuted this, asserting that plans for drag shows and karaoke had been disclosed from the beginning and that karaoke should not be classified as live music since no instruments are played on site. The Business Licenses and Permits committee ultimately approved the proposal, "provided the bar wrap up any and all live performances before 1 a.m. and conduct sound tests in the apartments of residents with complaints". The venue presented a compromise by amending its request to the SLA, soliciting a 4 a.m. closing time only on Fridays and Saturdays; it volunteered to keep its 2 a.m. Thursday curfew. A few weeks later, in January 2017, the board voted 24–10 in favor of the license modification. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the business next door to Rise shut down. Rise's owners took over the lease for that space and doubled the venue's size, adding a second bar and dance floor. They also launched a food menu. ## Reception Gothamist included Rise Bar on its 2016 list of "the 12 best gay bars in NYC". Michael Musto described it as "a warm hangout that is unpretentious yet polished", further stating that its high volume of female customers "[makes] for shocking diversity". During the bar's application process for later operating hours, patrons who attended board meetings commented that Rise was a comfortable place that "fostered a sense of community". ShermansTravel lists the establishment among "the best gay and queer bars in Manhattan". Get Out\! Magazine named Rise its Best Bar of the Year in 2022. ## See also - LGBT culture in New York City

# Ken Bone (personality) Kenneth Bone (born 1982) is an American citizen who became a viral phenomenon after asking a question as an undecided voter at the October 9 presidential debate during the 2016 United States election. Bone subsequently received national media attention and inspired a large number of Internet memes. ## 2016 election At the October 9 presidential debate during the 2016 United States elections, Ken Bone, a coal power plant operator from Belleville, Illinois, was one of several local undecided voters invited to participate in the debate between Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton and Republican nominee Donald Trump. Bone asked the question: > What steps will your energy policy take to meet our energy needs while at the same time remaining environmentally friendly and minimizing job loss for fossil power plant workers? Bone quickly became a viral sensation on social media, immediately gaining over 80,000 followers on Twitter after the debate. Multiple parody and fan pages were created under his name on various platforms. Bone's red sweater, use of a disposable camera before and after the debate, and general demeanor was received positively by viewers of the event, and spawned numerous Internet memes. Bone maintained that he would remain an undecided voter after the debate. He ultimately voted for Clinton in the 2016 presidential election. After the debate, Bone made appearances on Jimmy Kimmel Live\!, @midnight, and ESPN College GameDay. Bone was also parodied on Saturday Night Live and The Ellen DeGeneres Show. Bone capitalized on his sudden fame by endorsing ridesharing company Uber with a tweet, filming a commercial for Izod, and partnering with merchandise company Represent to market T-shirts. An emoji with Bone's likeness was briefly available on Twitter, and would appear whenever the hashtag \#MyVote2016 was used. Bone also auctioned off the red sweater he wore during the debate, raising $10,000 for the charity Greater St. Louis Honor Flight. On October 13, 2016, Bone hosted a Reddit AMA under the username "StanGibson18". After the post went live, Bone received backlash for comments he previously made using his personal account regarding the 2014 celebrity nude photo leak and killing of Trayvon Martin. As a result of the media attention, Bone was also swatted and received threats directed at him and his family. ## Post-election Bone continued to make public appearances related to United States politics after the 2016 election, appearing on Real Time with Bill Maher and at the 2017 Conservative Political Action Conference. Since 2016, Bone expressed dissatisfaction towards the Trump administration, first implying that he would likely vote for Joe Biden in the 2020 presidential election and later endorsing Andrew Yang. Bone voted for Libertarian Party nominee Jo Jorgensen in the 2020 election. He was the subject of an October 2020 New Yorker documentary, in which he reflects on the 2016 election and the effect fame had on his life. ## Personal life Bone is married to Heather Bone, whom he met in high school. They have a son named Logan. ## See also - Milkshake Duck

# Pe̍h-ōe-jī Pe̍h-ōe-jī (, English approximation: /peɪweɪˈdʒiː/ pay-way-JEE; abbr. POJ; lit. 'vernacular writing'), sometimes known as Church Romanization, is an orthography used to write variants of Hokkien Southern Min, particularly Taiwanese and Amoy Hokkien, and it is widely employed as one of the writing systems for Southern Min. During its peak, it had hundreds of thousands of readers. Developed by Western missionaries working among the Chinese diaspora in Southeast Asia in the 19th century and refined by missionaries working in Xiamen and Tainan, it uses a modified Latin alphabet and some diacritics to represent the spoken language. After initial success in Fujian, POJ became most widespread in Taiwan and, in the mid-20th century, there were over 100,000 people literate in POJ. A large amount of printed material, religious and secular, has been produced in the script, including Taiwan's first newspaper, the Taiwan Church News. During Japanese rule (1895–1945), the use of pe̍h-ōe-jī was suppressed and Taiwanese kana encouraged; it faced further suppression during the Kuomintang martial law period (1947–1987). In Fujian, use declined after the establishment of the People's Republic of China (1949) and by the early 21st century the system was not in general use there. However, Taiwanese Christians, non-native learners of Southern Min, and native-speaker enthusiasts in Taiwan are among those that continue to use pe̍h-ōe-jī. Full computer support was achieved in 2004 with the release of Unicode 4.1.0, and POJ is now implemented in many fonts, input methods, and is used in extensive online dictionaries. Versions of pe̍h-ōe-jī have been devised for other Southern Chinese varieties, including Hakka and Teochew Southern Min. Other related scripts include Pha̍k-oa-chhi for Gan, Pha̍k-fa-sṳ for Hakka, Bǽh-oe-tu for Hainanese, Bàng-uâ-cê for Fuzhou, Pe̍h-ūe-jī for Teochew, Gṳ̿ing-nǎing Lô̤-mǎ-cī for Northern Min, and Hing-hua̍ bán-uā-ci̍ for Pu-Xian Min. In 2006, the Taiwanese Romanization System (Tâi-lô), a government-sponsored successor based on pe̍h-ōe-jī, was released. Despite this, native language education, and writing systems for Taiwanese, have remained a fiercely debated topic in Taiwan. POJ laid the foundation for the creation of new literature in Taiwan. Before the 1920s, many people had already written literary works in POJ, contributing significantly to the preservation of Southern Min vocabulary since the late 19th century. On October 14, 2006, the Ministry of Education in Taiwan announced the Taiwanese Romanization System or Tâi-lô based on POJ as the standard spelling system for Southern Min. ## Name The name pe̍h-ōe-jī (Chinese: 白話字; pinyin: Báihuà zì) means "vernacular writing", written characters representing everyday spoken language. The name vernacular writing could be applied to many kinds of writing, romanized and character-based, but the term pe̍h-ōe-jī is commonly restricted to the Southern Min romanization system developed by Presbyterian missionaries in the 19th century. The missionaries who invented and refined the system used, instead of the name pe̍h-ōe-jī, various other terms, such as "Romanized Amoy Vernacular" and "Romanized Amoy Colloquial." The origins of the system and its extensive use in the Christian community have led to it being known by some modern writers as "Church Romanization" (教會羅馬字; Kàu-hōe Lô-má-jī; Jiàohuì Luōmǎzì) and is often abbreviated in POJ itself to Kàu-lô. (教羅; Jiàoluō) There is some debate on whether "pe̍h-ōe-jī" or "Church Romanization" is the more appropriate name. Objections to "pe̍h-ōe-jī" are that it can refer to more than one system and that both literary and colloquial register Southern Min appear in the system and so describing it as "vernacular" writing might be inaccurate. Objections to "Church Romanization" are that some non-Christians and some secular writing use it. POJ today is largely disassociated from its former religious purpose. The term "romanization" is also disliked by some, who see it as belittling the status of pe̍h-ōe-jī by identifying it as a supplementary phonetic system instead of a standalone orthography. ## History The history of pe̍h-ōe-jī has been heavily influenced by official attitudes towards the Southern Min vernaculars and the Christian organizations that propagated it. Early documents point to the purpose of the creation of POJ as being pedagogical in nature, closely allied to educating Christian converts. ### Early development The first people to use a romanized script to write Southern Min were Spanish missionaries in Manila in the 16th century. However, it was used mainly as a teaching aid for Spanish learners of Southern Min, and seems not to have had any influence on the development of pe̍h-ōe-jī. In the early 19th century, China was closed to Christian missionaries, who instead proselytized to overseas Chinese communities in South East Asia. The earliest origins of the system are found in a small vocabulary first printed in 1820 by Walter Henry Medhurst, who went on to publish the Dictionary of the Hok-këèn Dialect of the Chinese Language, According to the Reading and Colloquial Idioms in 1832. This dictionary represents the first major reference work in POJ, although the romanization within was quite different from the modern system, and has been dubbed Early Church Romanization by one scholar of the subject. Medhurst, who was stationed in Malacca, was influenced by Robert Morrison's romanization of Mandarin Chinese, but had to innovate in several areas to reflect major differences between Mandarin and Southern Min. Several important developments occurred in Medhurst's work, especially the application of consistent tone markings (influenced by contemporary linguistic studies of Sanskrit, which was becoming of more mainstream interest to Western scholars). Medhurst was convinced that accurate representation and reproduction of the tonal structure of Southern Min was vital to comprehension: > Respecting these tones of the Chinese language, some difference of opinion has been obtained, and while some have considered them of first importance, others have paid them little or no intention. The author inclines decidedly to the former opinion; having found, from uniform experience, that without strict attention to tones, it is impossible for a person to make himself understood in Hok-këèn. The system expounded by Medhurst influenced later dictionary compilers with regard to tonal notation and initials, but both his complicated vowel system and his emphasis on the literary register of Southern Min were dropped by later writers. Following on from Medhurst's work, Samuel Wells Williams became the chief proponent of major changes in the orthography devised by Morrison and adapted by Medhurst. Through personal communication and letters and articles printed in The Chinese Repository a consensus was arrived at for the new version of POJ, although Williams' suggestions were largely not followed. The first major work to represent this new orthography was Elihu Doty's Anglo-Chinese Manual with Romanized Colloquial in the Amoy Dialect, published in 1853. The manual can therefore be regarded as the first presentation of a pre-modern POJ, a significant step onwards from Medhurst's orthography and different from today's system in only a few details. From this point on various authors adjusted some of the consonants and vowels, but the system of tone marks from Doty's Manual survives intact in modern POJ. John Van Nest Talmage has traditionally been regarded as the founder of POJ among the community which uses the orthography, although it now seems that he was an early promoter of the system, rather than its inventor. In 1842 the Treaty of Nanking was concluded, which included among its provisions the creation of treaty ports in which Christian missionaries would be free to preach. Xiamen (then known as Amoy) was one of these treaty ports, and British, Canadian and American missionaries moved in to start preaching to the local inhabitants. These missionaries, housed in the cantonment of Gulangyu, created reference works and religious tracts, including a bible translation. Naturally, they based the pronunciation of their romanization on the speech of Xiamen, which became the de facto standard when they eventually moved into other areas of the Hokkien Sprachraum, most notably Taiwan. The 1858 Treaty of Tianjin officially opened Taiwan to western missionaries, and missionary societies were quick to send men to work in the field, usually after a sojourn in Xiamen to acquire the rudiments of the language. ### Maturity Quanzhou and Zhangzhou are two major varieties of Southern Min, and in Xiamen they combined to form something "not Quan, not Zhang" – i.e. not one or the other, but rather a fusion, which became known as Amoy Dialect or Amoy Chinese. In Taiwan, with its mixture of migrants from both Quanzhou and Zhangzhou, the linguistic situation was similar; although the resulting blend in the southern city of Tainan differed from the Xiamen blend, it was close enough that the missionaries could ignore the differences and import their system wholesale. The fact that religious tracts, dictionaries, and teaching guides already existed in the Xiamen tongue meant that the missionaries in Taiwan could begin proselytizing immediately, without the intervening time needed to write those materials. Missionary opinion was divided on whether POJ was desirable as an end in itself as a full-fledged orthography, or as a means to literacy in Chinese characters. William Campbell described POJ as a step on the road to reading and writing the characters, claiming that to promote it as an independent writing system would inflame nationalist passions in China, where characters were considered a sacred part of Chinese culture. Taking the other side, Thomas Barclay believed that literacy in POJ should be a goal rather than a waypoint: > Soon after my arrival in Formosa I became firmly convinced of three things, and more than fifty years experience has strengthened my conviction. The first was that if you are to have a healthy, living Church it is necessary that all the members, men and women, read the Scriptures for themselves; second, that this end can never be attained by the use of the Chinese character; third, that it can be attained by the use of the alphabetic script, this Romanised Vernacular. A great boon to the promotion of POJ in Taiwan came in 1880 when James Laidlaw Maxwell, a medical missionary based in Tainan, started promoting POJ for writing the Bible, hymns, newspapers, and magazines. He donated a small printing press to the local church, which Thomas Barclay learned how to operate in 1881 before founding the Presbyterian Church Press in 1884. Subsequently, the Taiwan Prefectural City Church News, which first appeared in 1885 and was produced by Barclay's Presbyterian Church of Taiwan Press, became the first printed newspaper in Taiwan, marking the establishment of POJ in Taiwan, giving rise to numerous literary works written in POJ. As other authors made their own alterations to the conventions laid down by Medhurst and Doty, pe̍h-ōe-jī evolved and eventually settled into its current form. Ernest Tipson's 1934 pocket dictionary was the first reference work to reflect this modern spelling. Between Medhurst's dictionary of 1832 and the standardization of POJ in Tipson's time, there were a number of works published, which can be used to chart the change over time of pe̍h-ōe-jī: Competition for POJ was introduced during the Japanese era in Taiwan (1895–1945) in the form of Taiwanese kana, a system designed as a teaching aid and pronunciation guide, rather than an independent orthography like POJ. During the Japanese rule period, the Japanese government began suppressing POJ, banning classes, and forcing the cessation of publications like the Taiwan Church News. From the 1930s onwards, with the increasing militarization of Japan and the Kōminka movement encouraging Taiwanese people to "Japanize", there were a raft of measures taken against native languages, including Taiwanese. While these moves resulted in a suppression of POJ, they were "a logical consequence of increasing the amount of education in Japanese, rather than an explicit attempt to ban a particular Taiwanese orthography in favor of Taiwanese kana". The Second Sino-Japanese War beginning in 1937 brought stricter measures into force, and along with the outlawing of romanized Taiwanese, various publications were prohibited and Confucian-style shobō (Chinese: 書房; pinyin: shūfáng; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: su-pâng) – private schools which taught Classical Chinese with literary Southern Min pronunciation – were closed down in 1939. The Japanese authorities came to perceive POJ as an obstacle to Japanization and also suspected that POJ was being used to hide "concealed codes and secret revolutionary messages". In the climate of the ongoing war the government banned the Taiwan Church News in 1942 as it was written in POJ. ### After World War II Initially the Kuomintang government in Taiwan had a liberal attitude towards "local dialects" (i.e. non-Mandarin varieties of Chinese). The National Languages Committee produced booklets outlining versions of Zhuyin fuhao for writing the Taiwanese tongue, these being intended for newly arrived government officials from outside Taiwan as well as local Taiwanese. The first government action against native languages came in 1953, when the use of Taiwanese or Japanese for instruction was forbidden. The next move to suppress the movement came in 1955, when the use of POJ for proselytizing was outlawed. At that point in time there were 115,000 people literate in POJ in Taiwan, Fujian, and southeast Asia. Two years later, missionaries were banned from using romanized bibles, and the use of "native languages" (i.e. Taiwanese Hokkien, Hakka, and the non-Sinitic Formosan languages) in church work became illegal. The ban on POJ bibles was overturned in 1959, but churches were "encouraged" to use character bibles instead. Government activities against POJ intensified in the late 1960s and early 1970s, when several publications were banned or seized in an effort to prevent the spread of the romanization. In 1964, use of Taiwanese in schools or official settings was forbidden, and transgression in schools was punished with beatings, fines and humiliation. The Taiwan Church News (printed in POJ) was banned in 1969, and only allowed to return a year later when the publishers agreed to print it in Chinese characters. In the 1970s, the Nationalist government in Taiwan completely prohibited the use of POJ, causing it to decline. In 1974, the Government Information Office banned A Dictionary of Southern Min, with a government official saying: "We have no objection to the dictionary being used by foreigners. They could use it in mimeographed form. But we don't want it published as a book and sold publicly because of the Romanization it contains. Chinese should not be learning Chinese through Romanization." Also in the 1970s, a POJ New Testament translation known as the "Red Cover Bible" (Âng-phoê Sèng-keng) was confiscated and banned by the Nationalist regime. Official moves against native languages continued into the 1980s, the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of the Interior decided in 1984 to forbid missionaries to use "local dialects" and romanizations in their work. It was not until the late 1980s, with the lifting of martial law, that POJ slowly regained momentum under the influence of the native language movement. With the ending of martial law in 1987, the restrictions on "local languages" were quietly lifted, resulting in growing interest in Taiwanese writing during the 1990s. For the first time since the 1950s, Taiwanese language and literature was discussed and debated openly in newspapers and journals. There was also support from the then opposition party, the Democratic Progressive Party, for writing in the language. From a total of 26 documented orthographies for Taiwanese in 1987 (including defunct systems), there were a further 38 invented from 1987 to 1999, including 30 different romanizations, six adaptations of bopomofo and two hangul-like systems. Some commentators believe that the Kuomintang, while steering clear of outright banning of the native language movements after the end of martial law, took a "divide and conquer" approach by promoting Taiwanese Language Phonetic Alphabet (TLPA), an alternative to POJ, which was at the time the choice of the majority within the nativization movement. Native language education has remained a fiercely debated topic in Taiwan into the 21st century and is the subject of much political wrangling. ## Current system The current system of pe̍h-ōe-jī has been stable since the 1930s, with a few minor exceptions (detailed below). There is a fair degree of similarity with the Vietnamese alphabet, including the distinction and the use of in Vietnamese compared with in POJ. POJ uses the following letters and combinations: Chinese phonology traditionally divides syllables in Chinese into three parts; firstly the initial, a consonant or consonant blend which appears at the beginning of the syllable, secondly the final, consisting of a medial vowel (optional), a nucleus vowel, and an optional ending; and finally the tone, which is applied to the whole syllable. In terms of the non-tonal (i.e. phonemic) features, the nucleus vowel is the only required part of a licit syllable in Chinese varieties. Unlike Mandarin but like other southern varieties of Chinese, Taiwanese has final stop consonants with no audible release, a feature that has been preserved from Middle Chinese. There is some debate as to whether these stops are a tonal feature or a phonemic one, with some authorities distinguishing between as a tonal feature, and , , and as phonemic features. Southern Min dialects also have an optional nasal property, which is written with a superscript and usually identified as being part of the vowel. Vowel nasalisation also occurs in words that have nasal initials (⟨m-⟩, ⟨n-⟩, ⟨ng-⟩), however in this case superscript is not written, e.g. nūi (). The letter n appears at the end of a word except in some interjections, such as hanh (), however more conservative users of Pe̍h-ōe-jī write such words as hahn. A valid syllable in Hokkien takes the form `(initial) + (medial vowel) + nucleus + (stop) + tone`, where items in parentheses indicate optional components. The initials are: Vowels: Coda endings: POJ has a limited amount of legitimate syllables, although sources disagree on some particular instances of these syllables. The following table contains all the licit spellings of POJ syllables, based on a number of sources: ### Tone markings In standard Amoy or Taiwanese Hokkien there are seven distinct tones, which by convention are numbered 1–8, with number 6 omitted (tone 6 used to be a distinct tone, but has long since merged with tone 7 or 2 depending on lexical register). Tones 1 and 4 are both represented without a diacritic, and can be distinguished from each other by the syllable ending, which is a vowel, , , or for tone 1, and , , , and for tone 4. Southern Min dialects undergo considerable tone sandhi, i.e. changes to the tone depending on the position of the syllable in any given sentence or utterance. However, like pinyin for Mandarin Chinese, POJ always marks the citation tone (i.e. the original, pre-sandhi tone) rather than the tone which is actually spoken. This means that when reading aloud the reader must adjust the tone markings on the page to account for sandhi. Some textbooks for learners of Southern Min mark both the citation tone and the sandhi tone to assist the learner. There is some debate as to the correct placement of tone marks in the case of diphthongs and triphthongs, particularly those which include and . Most modern writers follow six rules: 1. If the syllable has one vowel, that vowel should be tone-marked; viz. , , 2. If a diphthong contains or , the tone mark goes above the other vowel; viz. , , 3. If a diphthong includes both and , mark the ; viz. , 4. If the final is made up of three or more letters, mark the second vowel (except when rules 2 and 3 apply); viz. , , 5. If occurs with or , mark the (except when rule 4 applies); viz. , 6. If the syllable has no vowel, mark the nasal consonant; viz. , , ### Hyphens A single hyphen is used to indicate a compound. What constitutes a compound is controversial, with some authors equating it to a "word" in English, and others not willing to limit it to the English concept of a word. Examples from POJ include "forty", "circus", and "recover (from illness)". The non-final syllables of a compound typically undergo tone sandhi, but exact rules have not been clearly identified by linguists. A double hyphen is used when POJ is deployed as an orthography (rather than as a transcription system) to indicate that the following syllable should be pronounced in the neutral tone. It also marks to the reader that the preceding syllable does not undergo tone sandhi, as it would were the following syllable non-neutral. Morphemes following a double hyphen are often (but not always) grammatical function words. Some authors use an interpunct in place of the second hyphen. ### Audio examples ### Regional differences In addition to the standard syllables detailed above, there are several regional variations of Hokkien which can be represented with non-standard or semi-standard spellings. In the Zhangzhou-type varieties, spoken in Zhangzhou, parts of Taiwan (particularly the northeastern coast around Yilan City), and parts of Malaysia (particularly in Penang), there is a final , for example in "egg" and "cooked rice" , which has merged with in mainstream Taiwanese. Zhangzhou-type varieties may also have the vowel /ɛ/, written as or (with a dot above right, by analogy with ), which has merged with in Taiwanese. ## Texts Due to POJ's origins in the Christian church, much of the material in the script is religious in nature, including several Bible translations, books of hymns, and guides to morality. The Tainan Church Press, established in 1884, has been printing POJ materials ever since, with periods of quiet when POJ was suppressed in the early 1940s and from around 1955 to 1987. In the period to 1955, over 2.3 million volumes of POJ books were printed, and one study in 2002 catalogued 840 different POJ texts in existence. Besides a Southern Min version of Wikipedia in the orthography, there are teaching materials, religious texts, and books about linguistics, medicine and geography. - Lán ê Kiù-chú Iâ-so͘ Ki-tok ê Sin-iok (1873 translation of the New Testament) - Lāi-goā-kho Khàn-hō͘-ha̍k, by George Gushue-Taylor, 1917 - Chinese–English dictionary of the vernacular or spoken language of Amoy, by Carstairs Douglas, 1873 - Lear Ông, translation of King Lear by Tē Hūi-hun ## Computing POJ was initially not well supported by word-processing applications due to the special diacritics needed to write it. Support has now improved and there are now sufficient resources to both enter and display POJ correctly. Several input methods exist to enter Unicode-compliant POJ, including OpenVanilla (macOS and Microsoft Windows), the cross-platform Tai-lo Input Method released by the Taiwanese Ministry of Education, and the Firefox add-on Transliterator, which allows in-browser POJ input. When POJ was first used in word-processing applications it was not fully supported by the Unicode standard, thus necessitating work-arounds. One employed was encoding the necessary characters in the "Private Use" section of Unicode, but this required both the writer and the reader to have the correct custom font installed. Another solution was to replace troublesome characters with near equivalents, for example substituting for or using a standard followed by an interpunct to represent . With the introduction into Unicode 4.1.0 of the combining character in 2004, all the necessary characters were present to write regular POJ without the need for workarounds. However, even after the addition of these characters, there are still relatively few fonts which are able to properly render the script, including the combining characters. ### Unicode codepoints The following are tone characters and their respective Unicode codepoints used in POJ. The tones used by POJ should use Combining Diacritical Marks instead of Spacing Modifier Letters used by bopomofo. As POJ is not encoded in Big5, the prevalent encoding used in Traditional Chinese, some POJ letters are not directly encoded in Unicode, instead should be typed using combining diacritical marks officially. Superscript n is also required for POJ to indicate nasalisation: Characters not directly encoded in Unicode (especially O͘ series which has 3 different permutations) requires premade glyphs in fonts in order for applications to correctly display the characters. ### Font support Fonts that currently support POJ includes: - Charis SIL - DejaVu - Doulos SIL - Linux Libertine - Taigi Unicode - Source Sans Pro - I.Ming (8.00 onwards) from Ichiten Font Project - Fonts made by justfont foundry - Fonts modified and release in GitHub repository POJFonts : POJ Phiaute, Gochi Hand POJ, Nunito POJ, POJ Vibes, and POJ Garamond. - Fonts modified and released by But Ko based on Source Han Sans: Genyog, Genseki, Gensen ; based on Source Han Serif: Genyo, Genwan, Genryu. ## Han-Romanization mixed script One of the most popular modern ways of writing Taiwanese is by using a mixed orthography called Hàn-lô (simplified Chinese: 汉罗; traditional Chinese: 漢羅; pinyin: Hàn-Luó; lit. 'Chinese-Roman'), and sometimes Han-Romanization mixed script, a style not unlike written Japanese or (historically) Korean. In fact, the term Hàn-lô does not describe one specific system, but covers any kind of writing in Southern Min which features both Chinese characters and romanization. That romanization is usually POJ, although recently some texts have begun appearing with Taiwanese Romanization System (Tâi-lô) spellings too. The problem with using only Chinese characters to write Southern Min is that there are many morphemes (estimated to be around 15 percent of running text) which are not definitively associated with a particular character. Various strategies have been developed to deal with the issue, including creating new characters, allocating Chinese characters used in written Mandarin with similar meanings (but dissimilar etymology) to represent the missing characters, or using romanization for the "missing 15%". There are two rationales for using mixed orthography writing, with two different aims. The first is to allow native speakers (almost all of whom can already write Chinese characters) to make use of their knowledge of characters, while replacing the missing 15% with romanization. The second is to wean character literates off using them gradually, to be replaced eventually by fully romanized text. Examples of modern texts in Hàn-lô include religious, pedagogical, scholarly, and literary works, such as: - - ## Adaptations for other Chinese varieties POJ has been adapted for several other varieties of Chinese, with varying degrees of success. For Hakka, missionaries and others have produced a Bible translation, hymn book, textbooks, and dictionaries. Materials produced in the orthography, called Pha̍k-fa-sṳ, include: - - - - A modified version of POJ has also been created for Teochew. ## Current status Most native Southern Min speakers in Taiwan are unfamiliar with POJ or any other writing system, commonly asserting that "Taiwanese has no writing", or, if they are made aware of POJ, considering romanization as the "low" form of writing, in contrast with the "high" form (Chinese characters). For those who are introduced to POJ alongside Hàn-lô and completely Chinese character-based systems, a clear preference has been shown for all-character systems, with all-romanization systems at the bottom of the preference list, likely because of the preexisting familiarity of readers with Chinese characters. POJ remains the Taiwanese orthography "with the richest inventory of written work, including dictionaries, textbooks, literature [...] and other publications in many areas". A 1999 estimate put the number of literate POJ users at around 100,000, and secular organizations have been formed to promote the use of romanization among Taiwanese speakers. Outside Taiwan, POJ is rarely used. For example, in Fujian, Xiamen University uses a romanization known as Bbánlám pìngyīm, based on Pinyin. In other areas where Hokkien is spoken, such as Singapore, the Speak Mandarin Campaign is underway to actively discourage people from speaking Hokkien or other non-Mandarin varieties in favour of switching to Mandarin instead. In 2006, Taiwan's Ministry of Education chose an official romanization for use in teaching Southern Min in the state school system. POJ was one of the candidate systems, along with Daī-ghî tōng-iōng pīng-im, but a compromise system, the Taiwanese Romanization System or Tâi-lô, was chosen in the end. Tâi-Lô retains most of the orthographic standards of POJ, including the tone marks, while changing the troublesome character for , swapping for , and replacing in diphthongs with . Supporters of Taiwanese writing are in general deeply suspicious of government involvement, given the history of official suppression of native languages, making it unclear whether Tâi-lô or POJ will become the dominant system in the future.

# María Lionza (statue) María Lionza is a large statue depicting the titular goddess, María Lionza, riding a tapir. The original is located on Sorte mountain in Yaracuy, said to be the goddess' home. A replica is located between lanes of the Francisco Fajardo freeway next to the University City campus of the Central University of Venezuela, in Caracas. The original was created by Alejandro Colina in 1951 to sit outside the university's Olympic Stadium for that year's Bolivarian Games; it was moved to the highway in 1953 and, after several years in storage with the replica on display in its place, was illicitly relocated to Sorte in 2022. The replica is a cast made by Silvestre Chacón in 2004; it has received generally negative reactions, and its construction damaged the original. It remains on the highway, while another replica is also at Sorte. Colina often depicted indigenous figures like María Lionza, and it is said to be his most famous sculpture. In the statue, the goddess is shown nude, which is unusual for representations of her. Nevertheless, the statue, and versions of it, are worshiped by her followers. ## Background The statue is of Venezuelan goddess María Lionza, a cult figure and nature goddess from Yaracuy; the artist, Alejandro Colina, made many sculptures based on indigenous folklore. In the 1920s he spent eight years living in some of western Venezuela's indigenous communities, and later chose to depict related iconography in his monumental sculptures. According to Venezuelan folklorist Gilberto Antolínez, in the 1940s Colina was also involved in a movement to mythologize María Lionza. Antolínez recalled: "In 1939 we created a social movement aimed at extolling the ancestral values of Venezuela. I myself, the sculptor Alejandro Colina, and the architect Hermes Romero joined together in a group [...] We organized a series of conferences and popularizing events and [...] used such occasions to 'mythologize' María Lionza, both in her legend and in the sculpture that nowadays stands on the main Caracas highway". Social anthropologist Roger Canals, who directed the 2016 film A goddess in motion: María Lionza in Barcelona, noted that in the religious cult of María Lionza, idols were not traditionally used, with most worship occurring in natural spots up to the early 20th century. María Lionza's followers grew in number the 1950s, and so depictions of her increased. Though the depictions of her in rituals and on altars vary, the most common are either that of her face, showing a fair-skinned mestizo queen, or an image based on Colina's statue, depicting an indigenous Venezuelan. ## Construction and location ### Olympic Stadium The monumental statue was originally made to sit outside the Central University of Venezuela (UCV)'s Olympic Stadium for the 1951 Bolivarian Games; during the Bolivarian Games, the Olympic flame was held in the pelvis at the top of the statue. There is another monumental statue, Francisco Narváez' El Atleta, that is also located by the Olympic Stadium and was made in 1951. Unlike the other works of art at the university, which were part of the modernist Synthesis of the Arts movement under the design of architect Carlos Raúl Villanueva, the statue of María Lionza was commissioned by the dictator Marcos Pérez Jiménez, who wanted to make her a symbol of Venezuela. Villanueva had not wanted the statue in the campus, as it was not in line with his design principles. ### Francisco Fajardo freeway In the years after the Bolivarian Games, with the expansion of the city, the road system was made larger and the new Francisco Fajardo freeway passed closely around the campus near the stadium. In 1953 the statue was moved a short distance to its prominent location on the highway. The university had been asking for it to be removed, aware of the growing cult status of María Lionza and fearing that rituals would begin to be performed by her followers on campus grounds. Pérez Jiménez shared the concern: though he had elevated her to a national symbol, his dictatorship followed the Catholic Church and heavily persecuted other belief systems under a law enacted against paganism. As he did not want the symbol of María Lionza to become an icon of a religious cult, he ordered the statue to be moved to what was believed to be an inaccessible and dangerous location, between lanes in the center divide of the busy highway. The Guardian reported in 2019 that while the Catholic Church of Venezuela still disapproves of the indigenous religion, it "has long since abandoned its attempts to suppress it". Though located just outside of the university, the statue is generally seen as part of the campus environs. It is under the authority of the university, and is protected as part of the campus World Heritage Site. ### Sorte mountain On 2 October 2022, the Institute of Cultural Heritage (IPC) removed the original statue from storage, apparently doing so without the knowledge or permission of the university; on 3 October, UCV and the Scientific, Criminal and Criminalistic Investigation Service Corps (CICPC) forensic police announced on social media that the statue had gone missing. The IPC, a government agency, quickly admitted to taking the statue, explaining they did so to "protect, preserve and relocate the statue... in accordance with its historical, [national cultural] and spiritual significance"; Ernesto Villegas, Minister of Culture, accused the university of having "virtually kidnapped" the sculpture years before. The Venezuelan Federation of Spiritualism said that the statue would be placed at the foot of Sorte mountain, a spiritual home of the religion, where another replica is already located; the IPC only wanted it to be on public display, though requested it be moved to the forest area where the María Lionza legend originated. Runrunes reported that the statue arrived in Yaracuy on 4 October, received with a celebration dedicated to the goddess, with El País saying that the statue had been moved to Quibayo, on Sorte mountain, in time for the 12 October worship day. ## Appearance The statue depicts the indigenous Venezuelan fertility goddess María Lionza nude and holding a woman's pelvis in both hands high above her head while riding astride a tapir that stands on a snake. The faux stone statue stands at 5.9 × 1.2 × 3.74 metres (19' 4.25" × 3' 11.25" × 12' 3.25"), excluding the pedestal. Followers of María Lionza believe that Colina did not artistically create the image of the goddess on the tapir for the statue, but that he "had a vision" of her in this position and, "during the vision, the goddess gave him the mission of creating a statue reproducing her appearance". The Chicana/o studies professor and ethnologist Maria Herrera-Sobek explains that the statue draws on the 'Yara' identity of the goddess (who is known by different names with different stories), representing fertility. Discussing the iconography of the statue, she wrote that the depiction in nude and riding the tapir "represents female strength and courage, the essence of a woman warrior". Canals wrote that other depictions of María Lionza, those used in public rituals and often made from mannequins, are typically fully clothed and are given much make-up and careful hair styling. He said that these clothed depictions are designed to emphasize María Lionza's sexuality and make her look like a fairy tale princess, contrasting them with Colina's statue. According to him, the statue is more sensual and erotic than the depictions of María Lionza as the mestizo queen, due to the nudity, and deliberately contrasts the feminine María Lionza with the masculine represented by the tapir, but still shows "a woman with a serious face, an athletic body with powerful legs and strong arms". ## Replacement The work is protected by the university's artwork commission for the University City of Caracas campus World Heritage Site. In 2004, a replica was commissioned by the council of the City of Caracas so that the original statue could be protected. The replica was made by Silvestre Chacón. However, during the process of casting the replica, the original was significantly damaged; it has since been repaired by restorer Fernando de Tovar, who described the replica as "ridiculous". Despite the repair and calls to put the original back on display, until 2022 it was kept locked in a workshop at UCV. While the original was being repaired, the Caracas council had fought and lost a legal battle with the university to assume care of it; in response, then-mayor Freddy Bernal placed the replica on the highway pedestal before the university could reinstate the original. Between then and the illicit removal of the statue in 2022, the rivalry of ownership and the ideological significance of the statue intensified. The Institutional Assets and Monuments of Venezuela project wrote that objections to the replacement suggest that because the original statue is the one that holds heritage value, it is the one that the public should be able to appreciate. Followers of María Lionza also debated the benefits of returning the statue to its original location on the campus; some members of the university and the government instead wanted to move the statue further away from the city center. Another replica was installed at Chivacoa, near Sorte mountain, in 2006. ## Legacy The statue quickly became an icon of Caracas, impressing both the elite of the city and its artistic circles, as well as María Lionza's followers. The followers began leaving tributes at the statue in the 1960s, and many copies are made in miniature to be placed on altars. Even as a replica, it is still given many tributes: in 2012, Herrera-Sobek wrote that "no day passes without lit candles and flowers appearing at the bottom of the sculpture", though it is dangerous to place them there due to the busy highway. In discussion of the miniature replicas created by María Lionza's followers, Canals said that these idols are less detailed but also more erotic, which he explained is part of a process of goddess sexualization (done by exaggerating typically feminine features) seen in many religious cults. Clothes are also put on them in some instances out of respect for the divine, though Canals writes that this explicitly acknowledges the sexual nature by shrouding it. In popular culture, the statue has been the inspiration for works of literature. In the 1990s, the statue was used as the cover for a series of poetry collections called The Goddess, with each edition containing a dedication to María Lionza and "her metaphor – a queen, naked, exuberant, who roams the countryside mounted on a tapir". The statue also forms a major symbolic plot point in the 2009 Margaret Mascarenhas novel The Disappearance of Irene Dos Santos. Panamanian musician Rubén Blades wrote a song about the goddess that mentions the statue. In 2001, it was the inspiration for distinguished poet Yolanda Pantin's poem "The pelvic bone"; in the poem, the narrator travels into Caracas for a protest and sees the statue. The image of the pelvis – its "most notable feature" – stays in the narrator's mind, and the poem goes on to address the statue directly. In their book, Venezuela experts David Smilde and Daniel Hellinger write that, in Pantin's poem, the statue is seen to represent María Lionza as the mother of the nation, and the pelvis represents its symbolic birth. They also note that the narrator is a non-believer in terms of María Lionza, but is still drawn in by the statue and refers to it with familiarity, as well as speaking collectively, suggesting that all Venezuelans see her as their goddess and a symbol of hope in a broken nation. This imagery is reiterated later in the poem with a ray of light shining through the pelvis onto the protesters. ## See also - List of artworks in University City of Caracas -

# SM UB-50 SM UB-50 was a German Type UB III submarine or U-boat in the German Imperial Navy () during World War I. The U-boat was ordered on 20 May 1916. She was commissioned into the Pola Flotilla of the German Imperial Navy on 12 July 1917 as SM UB-50. The submarine conducted seven patrols and sank 40 ships during the war for a total loss of 97,922 gross register tons (GRT) and 16,499 tons. She operated as part of the Pola Flotilla based in Cattaro. UB-50 surrendered on 16 January 1919 with the remainder of the Pola Flotilla following an order by Admiral Reinhard Scheer to return to port. During her passage through the Straits of Gibraltar, she managed to sink the battleship HMS Britannia. UB-50 was later broken up at Swansea. ## Construction UB-50 was ordered by the German Imperial Navy on 20 May 1916. She was built by Blohm & Voss, Hamburg and following just under a year of construction, launched at Hamburg on 6 January 1917. UB-50 was commissioned later that same year under the command of Kapitänleutnant (Kptlt.) Franz Becker. Like all Type UB III submarines, UB-50 carried 10 torpedoes and was armed with an 8.8 cm (3.5 in) SK L/30 deck gun. UB-50 could carry a crew of up to 34 men and had a cruising range of 9,040 nautical miles (16,740 km; 10,400 mi). UB-50 had a displacement of 516 t (508 long tons) while surfaced and 651 t (641 long tons) when submerged. Her engines enabled her to travel at 13.6 knots (25.2 km/h; 15.7 mph) when surfaced and 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph) when submerged. ## Service history ### First patrol Soon after she left Pola, UB-50 encountered the William H. Crawford, a 1,593 GRT American sailing ship. It sank after an attack from the U-boat stopped her. Four days later, UB-50 sighted the 800 GRT British barge R.B.40. UB 50 launched a torpedo which instead hit the British tug towing the ship, the 121 GRT H.s.3. The tug sank, but the barge was not sunk. The following day, UB-50 found two Portuguese sailboats Correiro De Sines and Comizianes Da Graca at 32 GRT and 32 GRT respectively. They were sunk 6 nautical miles (11 km; 6.9 mi) north of Cape Sines. A day later, she found the Portuguese 196 GRT ship Sado, which she sank about 16 nautical miles (30 km; 18 mi) south of her prey the day before. Four days later, UB-50 finally encountered and sank a merchant, this being the 3,611 GRT British Polar Prince, carrying coal for Malta. Two days later, she sank the Fabian, a 2,246 GRT British steamer going to Liverpool, killing three. Later that day, she sank the Gioffredo Mameli, a 4,124 GRT ton Italian steamer carrying ore. The 2,464 GRT coal carrying Greek steamer Alkyon was attacked two days later by UB-50, sinking close off Oran. The UB 50 followed up with the sinking of the 1,670 GRT Norwegian steamer John Knudsen, killing one. Four days later, the 296 GRT Italian sailboat Ciro was scuttled after being hit by UB-50, the last ship she would sink before returning to base. ### Second patrol SM UB-50 began her second patrol with the sinking of the Marc Fraissinet, a 3,060 GRT French steamer carrying wood, munitions, and hay to Bizerte. It sank 15 nautical miles (28 km; 17 mi) north of Tabarca after being torpedoed by UB-50. Later that day UB 50 encountered the Senegal, an 845 GRT Italian steamer, sinking her off the coast of Algeria with no casualties. Three days after that, the Margram Abbey, a 4,367 GRT British steamer carrying coal, was found and torpedoed by UB-50. It was beached off the coast of Algeria, but the torpedo damage, which killed two, had wrecked the ship. UB 50 attacked the Antaeus, a 3,061 GRT British steamer, three days later off Cape Bon. There were no casualties, but the captain was taken prisoner. On the following day, UB 50 torpedoed the Amberton, a 4,556 GRT British steamer, but she was only damaged. Four days later, the submarine found her last target of her second patrol, the 2,774 GRT American steamer Rizal, which sank 9 nautical miles (17 km; 10 mi) from Cape Cavallo. ### Third patrol UB-50 started out her third patrol by finding and sinking the 96 GRT Italian sailboat S. Giuseppe B. off the coast of Africa. She sank the 8,293 GRT British steamer City of Lucknow two days later 50 nautical miles (93 km; 58 mi) northeast of the Cani Rocks. On Christmas Day, 1917, UB-50 sank the Sant' Antonio, an 843 GRT Italian sailing vessel, by gunfire near Bizerte. On New Year's Day, 1918, the Egyptian Transport, a 4,648 GRT British steamer, was damaged during an attack by UB-50, which killed five men. It was later beached but refloated. Two days later, the Allanton, a 4,253 GRT British steamer carrying coal, was sunk by UB-50, which also sunk the Steelville, a 3,649 GRT British steamer also carrying coal later that day. Four days later, UB-50 torpedoed the Arab, a 4,191 GRT British steamer coal off the coast of Cape Serrat, killing 21. ### Fourth patrol UB-50's fourth patrol was very successful. In less than a month, she sank six vessels. The first victim was the 2,457 GRT French steamer Saint Jean Ii, which went down 22 March 1918 off Cap Bon. That same day, UB-50 managed to damage the British steamer Shadwell off Bizerta. Four days later UB-50 sank the 11,495 GRT Italian steamer Volturno off Bone (Annaba), Algeria. On 6 April, UB-50 sank the French vessel Madeleine Iii and on 11 April, she sank the Italian sailing ship Carmela G and the British vessel Highland Prince. ### Fifth patrol UB-50 began her fifth war patrol by damaging the 3,926 GRT British steamer Elswick Grange carrying coal off the coast of Oran, killing one. Two days later, she ran across the 3,152 GRT British steamer Mavisbrook carrying coal. She was torpedoed south east of Cabo de Gata, killing 18. On that same day, she came upon the 168 GRT Danish three-masted iron-hulled schooner Kirstine Jesen, sinking after being fired upon from UB-50's deck gun with no deaths. Two days later, the New Sweden, a 5,319 GRT Swedish steamer, was hit by UB-50 and sank. Two days later, UB-50 found the 180 GRT Spanish steamer Maria Pia, which sank with no casualties. Three days after that, the 117 GRT French sailboat Animal Lafont and 257 GRT Italian sailboat Santa Teresa were torpedoed by the U-boat with no casualties. ### Sixth patrol Shortly before her sixth patrol, Oberleutnant zur See Heinrich Kukat took over command from Kptlt. Becker. On her sixth patrol, UB-50 encountered the Imber, a 2,514 GRT British steamer and torpedoed her south of Cape St. Maria di Leuca, though she survived. Three days later, UB-50 sank the War Swallow, a 5,216 GRT British merchant ship carrying coal from the River Tyne to Port Said. Another three days passed before UB-50 found her next target, the Italian steamer Adria 1, a ship carrying cotton from Palermo to Tunis. It sank, but there were no deaths. Two days later, the 5,257 GRT British steamer Upada was torpedoed by UB-50 killing three, but was only damaged. UB-50 sank the Messidor, a 3,883 GRT British coal steamer two days later, sinking the ship and killing one. The following day, she torpedoed the Rutherglen, a 4,214 GRT British steam merchant carrying coal. That was followed by an attack on the Magellan, a 3,642 GRT British steamer on the following day. She sank with one man. The last ship sunk on the patrol was the Antonio S., a 175 GRT Italian sailboat sunk off the coast of Tunisia. ### Seventh patrol On 9 November 1918, two days before the Armistice with Germany, UB-50 sank the British battleship HMS Britannia. The Britannia was on a voyage to Gibraltar when she was torpedoed off Cape Trafalgar. After the initial explosion, the ship began listing ten degrees to port. A few minutes later, another explosion started a fire in a 9.2 in (230 mm) magazine, which resulted in a cordite explosion in the magazine. The Britannia stayed at 10-degrees for 21⁄2 hours before sinking. Its 16,350-tons made it the largest ship the U-boat ever sank, and the only one UB-50 would sink during her last patrol. ## Summary of raiding history

# Soviet destroyer Sovershenny (1940) Sovershenny ([Совершенный] Error: : invalid parameter: |lit= (help)) was one of 18 Storozhevoy-class destroyer (officially known as Project 7U) built for the Soviet Navy during the late 1930s. Although she began construction as a Project 7 Gnevny-class destroyer, Sovershenny was completed in 1941 to the modified Project 7U design. The ship struck a mine while running her acceptance trials in September. While under repair in November, she was hit by two bombs that virtually wrecked her; the Soviets subsequently disarmed her. Repairs resumed in early 1942 until Sovershenny was sunk by an artillery shell in June. Her wreck was scrapped in late 1945. ## Design and description Originally built as a Gnevny-class ship, Sovershenny and her sister ships were completed to the modified Project 7U design after Joseph Stalin, General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, ordered that the latter be built with their boilers arranged en echelon, instead of linked as in the Gnevnys, so that a ship could still move with one or two boilers disabled. Like the Gnevnys, the Project 7U destroyers had an overall length of 112.5 meters (369 ft 1 in) and a beam of 10.2 meters (33 ft 6 in), but they had a reduced draft of 3.98 meters (13 ft 1 in) at deep load. The ships were slightly overweight, displacing 1,727 metric tons (1,700 long tons) at standard load and 2,279 metric tons (2,243 long tons) at deep load. The crew complement of the Storozhevoy class numbered 207 in peacetime, but this increased to 271 in wartime, as more personnel were needed to operate additional equipment. Each ship had a pair of geared steam turbines, each driving one propeller, rated to produce 54,000 shaft horsepower (40,000 kW) using steam from four water-tube boilers, which the designers expected would exceed the 37-knot (69 km/h; 43 mph) speed of the Project 7s because there was additional steam available. Sovershenny reached 36 knots (67 km/h; 41 mph) in trials. Variations in fuel oil capacity meant that the range of the Project 7Us varied from 1,380 to 2,700 nautical miles (2,560 to 5,000 km; 1,590 to 3,110 mi) at 19 knots (35 km/h; 22 mph). The Project 7U-class ships mounted four 130-millimeter (5.1 in) B-13 guns in two pairs of superfiring single mounts fore and aft of the superstructure. Anti-aircraft defense was provided by a pair of 76.2-millimeter (3 in) 34-K anti-aircraft (AA) guns in single mounts and three 45-millimeter (1.8 in) 21-K AA guns, as well as four 12.7-millimeter (0.5 in) DK or DShK machine guns. They carried six 533 mm (21 in) torpedo tubes in two rotating triple mounts amidships. The ships could also carry a maximum of 58 to 96 mines and 30 depth charges. They were fitted with a set of Mars hydrophones for anti-submarine work, although these were useless at speeds over 3 knots (5.6 km/h; 3.5 mph). ## Construction and career Sovershenny was laid down at Shipyard No. 200 (named after 61 Communards) in Nikolayev as yard number 1073 on 17 September 1936 as a Gnevny-class destroyer with the name Besstrashny. She was relaid down as a Project 7U destroyer in 1938 and launched on 25 February 1939. After launching, she was transferred to Shipyard No. 201 (Sergo Ordzhonikidze) in Sevastopol as yard number 245 for completion. The ship was renamed Sovershenny on 25 September 1940 and was 90% complete when the Germans invaded the Soviet Union on 22 June 1941 (Operation Barbarossa). She began acceptance trials during September. While conducting trials off Chersonesus on 30 September, the day slated for her official acceptance by the navy, she accidentally entered a Soviet minefield. At 16:42, the ship struck a mine that blew a 30-square-meter (320 sq ft) hole in her hull, which flooded both forward boiler rooms and the forward engine room, in addition to starting a fire in one of the forward boiler rooms. The destroyer lost power and took on 1,000 metric tons (980 long tons) of water. After an attempt by the rescue tug Merkury to pump out the flooded compartments, Sovershenny was towed into the shallows of Kazachya bay for the night due to fears of her sinking from loss of reserve buoyancy. On the next morning, pontoons were placed under the hull and she was towed back to Sevastopol, being placed in a floating dock to patch the hole in her hull on 2 October. The destroyer was subsequently transferred to the drydock of Shipyard No. 201. During an attack by German aircraft on 12 November, the destroyer was struck by two bombs during a raid by Heinkel He 111s of the First Group of Kampfgeschwader 27 (I./KG 27) and Junkers Ju 88s of KG 51. The bombs broke Sovershenny's back, already weakened by the mine explosion, and started extensive fires fueled by remaining oil in her tanks, which burned out her stern. They also damaged the drydock so that it flooded and the water gave the ship a 25° list. Two days later, she was struck by a pair of 150 mm (5.9 in) artillery shells. Sovershenny was disarmed in early December and her main guns were used to form a coastal artillery battery, positioned on Malakhov kurgan and manned by 65 of her sailors. The drydock was repaired and drained on 20 February 1942, after which repairs resumed, which reconstructed her hull in two months. Sovershenny was removed from drydock in early May and moored in Korabelnaya bay for completion, but in early June she was damaged by several near misses from bombs and another landed in a boiler room. The explosion of a German heavy artillery shell near a starboard boiler room on 15 June holed the ship, causing flooding that tugboats failed to pump out, and Sovershenny sank with only her forward superstructure unsubmerged. After the end of the war, her wreck was refloated by an emergency rescue detachment of the Black Sea Fleet on 28 October 1945; she was deemed irreparable and struck from the Soviet Navy on 27 December of that year, being sent to the Sevastopol Glavvtorchermet base at Inkerman for scrapping.

# My Boxer "My Boxer" is a song recorded by Danish singer and songwriter Oh Land. It was included on her third studio album, Wish Bone (2013), and released digitally on 10 July 2013 by Tusk or Tooth Records and A:larm Music. The track was written by Nanna Øland Fabricius and Dan Carey; Carey also served as the sole producer. An electropop recording with a rhythmic beat, its lyrics were inspired by an event where Oh Land walked a blind lady across the street. She compared the experience to having a boxer living in her ear. Music critics found the track to be both "weird" and "excellent", leaving other reviewers to have a mixed opinion towards it. The song was compared to the works of several artists, including Robyn, Santigold and Gwen Stefani. An accompanying music video was released on 12 July 2013 and features Oh Land riding a bike through various streets with a small dog in her bicycle basket. ## Background and composition "My Boxer" was the first track released for her then-upcoming third studio album, and she premiered it digitally on Spin's official website on 10 July 2013. It was written by Oh Land, while Dan Carey helped with the writing and its production. It was recorded at Mr. Dans recording studios in London in 2013. While creating music for her third record, Wish Bone (2013), Oh Land wanted to incorporate pop music that was more complex. Also, the singer hoped that listeners of her album would find it weird and enjoy it because of that. Incorporating these ideas, she claimed that "My Boxer" was inspired by an embarrassing event that occurred in her life: > There was this one time where I had to take a blind lady across the street and I'd never done that before. I took her hand which is so obviously wrong\! You don't take a stranger's hand\! Like a 45-year-old woman\! But once you take someone's hand you can't just let go because then you're admitting your own awkwardness. I just held her hand and in the middle of the street she turns around and is like, 'Do you mind if we don't hold hands.' "My Boxer" is an electropop song with an "aggressive and rhythmic" sound that has a duration of two minutes and 50 seconds. It was one of the few tracks not produced by musician Dave Sitek and was instead handled by Carey who used "bobs and weaves with jabbing percussion, glitchy electronics, and a dangerously hummable melody" in its production. Regarding its genre, Jim Carroll of The Irish Times stated that it can be placed under "smart premier league pop" and also said it is cheerful. AllMusic's James Christopher Monger described "My Boxer" as a "forced dancefloor rave" and compared it to the works of American singer Santigold. Similarly, Michael Jose Gonzalez from Gaffa felt the singer took influence from Robyn, while The Argus's Rosie Clarke found its lyrics resembled Gwen Stefani's catalogue. The singer asks herself within the lyrics on various occasions, "Is that weird?", responding to her questions concerning whether or not a boxer living in her ear is strange. Her pondering is accompanied by a "pulsating beat" that resembles a live boxer. At one point during the song, Oh Land speaks into a megaphone and quizzes her lover: "Does baby like weird?". ## Critical reception The Guardian's Paul MacInnes applauded the song, finding it as proof that Oh Land's artistry varies on Wish Bone and declaring it "excellent". Michelle Geslani, a writer for Consequence of Sound called the song "a little" weird but then continued, "but we like weird". Jennifer Jof from Neon Tommy singled out "My Boxer" from Wish Bone and declared it the unofficial "anthem" on the album due to its uniqueness. She claimed the "insane and nonsensical lyrics" make the track "so fun to listen to". Monger from AllMusic was more mixed towards both "My Boxer" and single "Cherry on Top", writing that "neither song is a deal breaker, especially when they're tempered by better versions of themselves", citing album tracks "Pyromaniac" and "Love You Better" as examples. ## Music video An accompanying music video for "My Boxer" premiered on 12 July 2013 through her official website and YouTube account. The clip features Oh Land riding on a bike through various streets. Towards the beginning of the video, an elderly lady stares at the singer as she steers with a small puppy in her bicycle basket.

# Ethiopian highland hare The Ethiopian highland hare (Lepus starcki) or Starck's hare is a medium-sized species of mammal in the rabbit and hare family, Leporidae. Its dorsal pelage is grizzled, buff white and spotted and streaked with black, while its belly fur is pure white and fluffy. It is endemic to the Ethiopian Highlands, ranging over the Afroalpine regions of the Shoa, Bale, and Arsi Provinces of Ethiopia. A herbivore, it mostly feeds on moorland grasses. The IUCN rates it as a species of least concern. ## Taxonomy The Ethiopian highland hare was first described by the French zoologist Francis Petter in 1963. It was originally described as a subspecies of the cape hare (Lepus capensis), but was later given a species status by Renate Angermann in 1983. In 1987, Maria Luisa Azzaroli-Puccetti also listed the Ethiopian highland hare as a separate species, although she suggested it to be a primitive form of the European hare (Lepus europaeus), and is closely related to it, due to the similarity of their skulls. She mentioned that after an interglacial period, the retraction of glaciers Might have isolated the populations of the European hare on the Ethiopian plateau, which evolved as a different subspecies. Thus, the scientific name she suggested was L. europaeus starcki. In 2005, R.S. Hoffmann and A.T. Smith, following Angermann, listed the Ethiopian highland hare as a separate species. No subspecies are recognized for the Ethiopian highland hare. ## Description The Ethiopian highland hare is a medium-sized hare, measuring 46 to 60 cm (18 to 24 in) in length, and weighing 2 to 3.5 kg (4.4 to 7.7 lb). The skull is 7.7 to 9.3 cm (3.0 to 3.7 in) long, and the head is mottled tawny, similar to the back, with whitish chin, tawny nape, and cinnamon tinged lips. A few individuals have white eye-rings. It has medium-sized ears measuring 10 to 11.5 cm (3.9 to 4.5 in) in length, with the upper quarter being black, and the outer surface having white fringe hairs at the outer margin, and wide, whitish or buff-colored fringe hairs at the inner margin, except at the tip. In a few hares, the black color of the upper quarter extends along the inner surface's inner margin and along the outer surface's outer margin, reaching up to the base of the ear. It has grizzled, buff white dorsal pelage which is spotted and streaked with black. The dorsal hairs are 20 to 25 mm (0.79 to 0.98 in) long, and have whitish gray bases, with black, wide subterminal bands, white terminal bands, and black tips. The ventral pelage is pure white and fluffy. The flanks have pale gray hairs at the base, with buff or whitish subterminal band, and black or white tips. The lower flanks are cinnamon russet, with white hairs having cinnamon tips. The underparts are white, and the rump is gray. The nuchal patch is bright cinnamon or reddish brown in color, and does not extend to the neck-sides. It has gray or grayish white, dense underfur. It has a 7 to 12 cm (2.8 to 4.7 in) medium-sized tail which is completely white for that occurring in the Shoa Province, and white with a mid-dorsal black stripe for that occurring in the Bale Mountains. The feet are densely padded with brown hairs. The forelimbs are long, pale cinnamon colored. The hindfeet measure 8.8 to 12 cm (3.5 to 4.7 in) in length, and are cinnamon-buff-colored above, and medium brown below. The principal incisors are wide grooved. The Ethiopian highland hare is similar to the Abyssinian hare (Lepus habessinicus) which has grizzled, silvery gray dorsal pelage and has a narrow, black rim at the tip of the ears. It is also similar to the African savannah hare (Lepus victoriae) which has brown dorsal pelage grizzled with black, and ears having lesser black on tip. Its nuchal patch is brownish-orange to orange, and it has not been observed to occur in the Ethiopian plateau. ## Distribution and habitat The Ethiopian highland hare is endemic to the central Ethiopian Highlands, occurring in the Afroalpine regions of Ethiopia. It occurs on the central plateau of the Shoa Province, and in the mountains of Bale and Arsi Province except in the Great Rift Valley which parts the two provinces. The complete distribution of the Ethiopian highland hare, according to Angermann, falls in between 6° 50' N and 9° 35' N latitudes, and 38° E and to slightly east of 40° E longitudes. There is very little information about the habitat and ecology of the Ethiopian highland hare, but it is known to inhabit restricted montane moorlands or grasslands, in open highland regions of its distribution. It is found at 2,500 to 4,000 m (8,200 to 13,100 ft) of elevation from the sea level. The Ethiopian highland hare is sympatric in part of its range with the Abyssinian hare. In afroalpine grasslands of the Sanetti Plateau, its population density is evaluated to be 0.3 individuals per hectare, in Helichrysum scrub of the Tullu Deemtu Mountain (Bale) as 0.2 individuals per hectare, and in the Web Valley grasslands (Bale) as 0.17 individuals per hectare. ## Behavior and ecology The Ethiopian highland hare is a herbivore, and mostly feeds on moorland grasses such as bentgrass (Agrostis), goosegrass (Eleusine), Festuca, fountaingrass (Pennisetum) and bluegrass (Poa). At such altitudes in which the Ethiopian highland hare lives, it is expected to reproduce in dry seasons. The female produces one offspring per breeding season. Not much has been recorded about its reproduction and behavior. The Ethiopian highland hare is predated by the Ethiopian wolf (Canis simensis) and statistically forms 1.6% of its diet numerically, or 11.6% by weight. The tawny eagle (Aquila rapax) is also a known predator of the Ethiopian highland hare. ## Status and conservation Since 1996, the Ethiopian highland hare is rated as a species of least concern on the IUCN Red List of Endangered Species. This is because, although it has a restricted range in Ethiopia, it is thought to be an abundant species within its distribution. It is recorded as "quite abundant and sufficiently represented in existing protected areas." The current state of its population trend is unclear, but the status has been reported as "relatively numerous" by John E.C. Flux and Angermann in 1990. Its population numbers are reported to be fluctuating. It occurs in the protected area of the Bale Mountains. There are no known threats to the Ethiopian highland hare.

# Sharon Audubon Center The Sharon Audubon Center is a wildlife sanctuary of the National Audubon Society in Sharon, Connecticut. The 1,147 acres (464 ha) of the Sharon Audubon Center property is primarily forest land with two ponds with 11 miles (18 km) of trails for visitors to use. Its facilities include a raptor aviary, a herb garden, a garden to attract birds and butterflies, a sugar house, a memorial room to Hal Borland, a small museum and store. Sharon Audubon Center is located at 325 Cornwall Bridge Road. Associated with the Sharon Audubon Center is the Emily Winthrop Miles Wildlife Sanctuary, which currently encompasses 1,500 acres (610 ha) of land that is situated in 5,000 acres (2,000 ha) of protected open space. The residential facility within the wildlife sanctuary is used by interns and scientists who are conducting work in the area; none of the buildings are currently open to the public. Parking and access is available at 99 West Cornwall Road. The Sharon Audubon Center offers environmental education programs for school groups. The Center also has summer and weekend environmental programs for adults and children. ## Sharon Audubon Center Prior to the creation of the Sharon Audubon Center, the land was owned by Clement and Keyo Ford who lived on a property known as Bog Meadow Farm. In 1961, the Fords donated the estate to the National Audubon Society to serve as an educational nature center for future generations. The main building features the Hal Borland Room, a memorial to the nature writer whose work first appeared in The New York Times in 1941. Some of Borland's essays were collected and published as Sundial of the Seasons in 1964. The room includes photos, his books and typewriter. ### Trails The Sharon Audubon Center has a collection of trails available for visitors to walk, including the wheelchair accessible Lucy Harvey Multiple Use Interpretative area, totaling 11 miles (18 km). Hal Borland is also honored with a 0.75 miles (1.21 km) trail that begins near the "native wildflower garden and continues through brushland and deciduous forest to a streamside hemlock forest." The native wildflower garden includes Virginia bluebells, Aquilegia, and white violets. Another trail, the Fern Trail, is a narrow and rocky 1 mile (1.6 km) woodland trail that follows the northern shore of Ford Pond. Over 70 species of birds have been recorded on the trail and there are many varieties of ferns to be seen. The Ford Trail is a 1.6-mile (2.6 km) trail through the deciduous and hemlock forest. The Hazelnut Trail is a 1-mile (1.6 km) loop trail. The Woodchuck Trail is a 2.35-mile (3.78 km) trail through open fields and the deciduous forest. The Hendrickson Bog Meadow Trail is a 1.6-mile (2.6 km) loop trail through the deciduous forest and along Bog Meadow Pond's shore. ## Emily Winthrop Miles Wildlife Sanctuary The Emily Winthrop Miles Wildlife Sanctuary was originally property owned by Emily Winthrop Miles, a poet, writer and artist, who acquired 740 acres (300 ha) of land in Sharon, Connecticut. In 1962, as part of her will, Miles donated the property to the National Audubon Society. The property now includes 1,500 acres of land that is situated amidst 5,000 acres of protected open space. The wildlife sanctuary includes forested land and two miles of Carse Brook Wetlands, home to endangered flora and fauna species. ## See also - List of nature centers in Connecticut

# The Eternaut The Eternaut () is a science fiction Argentine comic created by Héctor Germán Oesterheld with artwork by Francisco Solano López. It was first published in Hora Cero Semanal between 1957 and 1959, initially published as a serialized comic strip. The story is focused on a handful of survivors of a deadly alien invasion in Buenos Aires. After other failed attempts to continue the story, Oesterheld made a remake in 1969, with art by Alberto Breccia and a more overt political tone. Oesterheld became the spokesman of the Montoneros guerrilla by the time he started the sequel, El Eternauta: segunda parte, again with Solano López. The Dirty War against guerrilla groups forced Oesterheld to go into hiding, but he completed the story nonetheless. He was a victim of an enforced disappearance shortly after that. His widow Elsa Oesterheld sold the rights of the character to the publisher Ediciones Record, and tried later to annul the contract, leading to a lengthy copyright dispute. The story had many sequels in later years, sometimes with conflicting canonicity. Netflix announced the release of a miniseries in 2020 based on the comic, The Eternaut, starring Ricardo Darín as the lead character. ## Publication history The Eternauta was first published in the first issue of the comic book anthology Hora Cero by Editorial Frontera, on September 4, 1957. It was written by Héctor Germán Oesterheld, author of all the comics in the anthology, and was illustrated by Francisco Solano López. Solano López had been working with Oesterheld on the comic Rolo, el marciano adoptivo (), and although he was still interested in science fiction, he asked for a story with less fantasy. "I was doing Rolo in Hora Cero, I wanted to do science fiction, but with a more realistic approach, something more committed, closer to the reader, and that gave Héctor the idea of the Eternaut". Oesterheld would explain that "The Eternaut started as a short story, just 70 panels. Then it turned into a long story, an adaptation of sorts of the topic of Robinson Crusoe. I was captivated by the idea of a family that is suddenly alone in the world, surrounded by death and by an unknown and unreachable enemy. I thought of myself, of my family, isolated in our chalet, and started asking questions". He also explained that, although there was a general outline, the plots were largely improvised during publication, which led to the creation of characters and situations that were not considered in the early stages of writing. The series became a success, and ran until 1959. However, Solano López said that, although the comic was selling well, they had no way to measure the popularity of each specific comic, and were not aware of the Eternaut's popularity at the time. Hora Cero was closed shortly after the story's conclusion, as artists found it more lucrative to work abroad than in Frontera, Oesterheld knew little of finances, and interest in serial comics declined. Editorial Frontera was then absorbed by Editorial Emilio Ramírez. The closure of Frontera and the emigration of Solano López to Europe forced Oesterheld to cancel his plans for a sequel. Emilio Ramírez then sold the titles to the magazine "Vea y lea" in 1961, which republished the story. The republication made slight changes to the originals, removing the opening panels and some closing panels whose texts were redundant with the texts of the following entry, to allow a smoother read. Oesterheld wrote the plots intended for the sequel as a novel, which was published by Emilio Ramírez. In 1969, Oesterheld rebooted the series as The Eternaut 1969, with more political references. It became an open critique of dictatorial regimes and advanced anti-imperialist ideas: instead of a classic alien invasion that destroys all the world, the story states that the global powers abandoned Latin America to the invaders to guarantee their own survival. This version featured artwork by Alberto Breccia, who drew the story in an experimental and unique style diverging from the original expression. It was first published on May 29, 1969 in the weekly Gente. The story was cancelled, so the ending was rushed to avoid leaving it unfinished. The following years the series was also published in Europe. This publications were a success and made Oesterheld, Breccia, and the character known in Europe. Oesterheld met Lito Fernández in the early 1970s and invited him to work on a sequel set in La Plata. The basic plot would have been about the aliens starting a new invasion elsewhere after their defeat in Buenos Aires, using La Plata as a beachhead from where to raise a counter-attack. The comic would have been published by El Día. Oesterheld and Fernández gathered information about the city, and flew in a helicopter above it to take photos and brainstorm ideas. However, the project was never published and the few unpublished pages made for it were destroyed years later. In December 1975, Ediciones Record started a sequel in Skorpio, by Ediciones Record, titles El Eternauta: segunda parte. Oesterheld resumed the story, with artwork once again by Solano López. Solano López had returned to Argentina, seeking to retrieve his original artworks from Emilio Ramírez. Oesterheld joined the leftist organization Montoneros and became their spokesman, and went into hiding when the organization was banned during the Dirty War. To keep writing the comic he delivered the plots in secrecy or using intermediaries. Solano López only saw him in person a couple of times. The plot of the comic was in line with the political agenda of Montoneros. Oesterheld, who had introduced himself as a character in a brief cameo at the beginning and end of the original story, now upgraded his self-character to an active sidekick of the hero, while keeping the role of narrator. Solano López did not like it because he rejected both the military government and the Montoneros, and felt that the characterization of Juan Salvo was out-of-character in relation to the first entry. Oesterheld was victim of an enforced disappearance in 1977, shortly after concluding the story. Elsa Sánchez de Oesterheld, his widow, inherited the rights over the character after his death. A third story, El Eternauta: tercera parte, was published in 1981, after the death of Oesterheld. It was published both in Argentina in Skorpio and in Italy in L'Eternauta. Ediciones Record requested Solano López to take part in it, but he refused because of the troubling circumstances of the previous comic. He only agreed to draw a few faces in the first chapters, because of the editorial insistence. The story had no credited authors, and although it kept Oesterheld as a lead narrator character as in the 1975 story, it was written by Alberto Ongaro, with illustrations by Oswal, Mario Morhain, and Carlos Meglia. Some years later Ediciones Record found an unpublished draft of a third part of The Eternaut by Oesterheld, written in the 1970s. Alfredo Scutti, director of Ediciones Record, offered to Pez, an artist from the Fierro magazine, to work on it. The story featured Juan Salvo as the ruthless dictator of a post-apocalyptic Buenos Aires, until he gradually recovers his memories. It would have been published monthly, but after a brief time the work was halted and the comic was never published. Solano López began projects to restore the character in the 1990s. His first project, when he was still living in Brazil, was with the writer Ricardo Barreiro, but was discarded when Sánchez de Oesterheld and her grandsons refused to let the writer work with the character. The second project, called "La Vencida", was a new third part that would ignore the third part published by Ediciones Record. He invited the writer Juan Sasturain to work together with his protégé Pablo Maiztegui, but Sasturain preferred to work alone. First it was offered to the newspaper Clarín, which refused it for its ideological tone. Then it was offered to the newspaper Página 12, which could not pay the intended wages to the artists. Both newspapers refused as well because The Eternaut was still a property of Ediciones Record, and wanted to avoid a lawsuit. The project was cancelled, with only two pages made. Sánchez de Oesterheld and Solano López signed a contract with El Club del Comic to make a new story, "El mundo arrepentido". The story was written by Pablo Maiztegui and was set within the interdimensional travels mentioned by the lead character at the end of the first story. It was the first one made in color. Comic Press, owned by Ediciones Record, also started a comic book, "Odio Cósmico", closer to the style of American comic books, with plots of Ricardo Barreiro. The death of Barreiro and the legal complaints of Sánchez de Oesterheld and Solano López, who did not authorize the comic, led to its cancellation after 3 issues. In 2015, Fantagraphics Books published the first translation of the work into English, under the title The Eternaut. It was translated by Erica Mena. The publication was nominated for the 2016 Eisner Award in the categories for Best U.S. Edition of International Material, Best Publication Design, and Best Archival Collection/Project—Strips. It received the award in the last category. ### Copyright disputes Héctor Oesterheld sold the copyright of several of his characters, including the Eternaut, when Editorial Frontera was closed. Initially those rights were acquired by Editorial Emilio Ramírez, who then sold them to others. Alfredo Scutti from Ediciones Record acquired the rights in the 1970 decade and republished the story in 1976. Oesterheld and Solano López signed a contract with Scutti, confirming his rights over the character, in exchange for part of the money perceived by Ediciones Record for the republication. As it was a success, they signed a similar contract to write the sequel, "El Eternauta Segunda Parte". Oesterheld was killed by the military and Solano López left for Europe shortly after the sequel was finished. The heirs of Oesterheld were his widow Elsa Sánchez de Oesterheld and his grandchildren, still minors. The series was a success in Italy and there were rumors of a possible film adaptation. To secure his rights Scutti signed a more detailed contract with Sánchez de Oesterheld. She was facing a difficult economic situation, coupled with the still recent loss of her husband and her imminent age of retirement, and accepted. She signed the contract for a sum of 10,000 dollars. She started a judicial case to annul the contract, as she felt later that she had made a mistake and had not understood what she was doing. Her lawyer said that did not have the legal right to sell the rights over the character, as she ignored the rights of Oesterheld's grandchildren. Scutti based his defense on the contracts signed with Héctor while he was still alive, earlier than the one with Sánchez de Oesterheld, and considered that she was mixing commercial deals with personal tragedies. He also provided documentation proving that she authorized the making of the third sequel for another payment. Solano López also complained about the contract, claiming that it ignored his own rights over the character. When he left for Europe, knowing of Sánchez de Oesterheld's economic problems, he told her that he gave her full leeway to profit from the character the way she saw fit. He clarified later that he never meant to renounce his share of the copyright over the character, and that it was only a verbal proposal with no legal weight. He pointed out that the document made between Ediciones Record and Sánchez de Oesterheld described The Eternaut as a literary work, created solely by Héctor Oesterheld, with no mention of him. And, although Oesterheld would write a literary novel about the character later, it was born as a comic book character, with a joint work of the writer and the artist. Sánchez de Oesterheld did not agree with that view and considered Solano López a mere interpreter of the work of her husband. She also said that The Eternaut was an idea that Oesterheld had for some years before he started working on it. The comic El mundo arrepentido, made by Solano López and Pol, was also initially a source of conflict. Oesterheld's grandsons said that new projects involving the character, such as sequels, merchandising, or adaptations, had to have the approval of Solano López, but that he did not have the right to decide such things completely by himself. Both parties eventually agreed to work together in the new release. The judiciary ruled in 1996 that the sale of the characters of Oesterheld to Emilio Ramírez was null and void, restoring them to Oesterheld's heirs. Ediciones Record started their own case, stating that they owned the rights to the franchise. Although initially the lower courts ruled favorably to Ediciones Record, in 2018 the Supreme Court ruled favorably to the heirs of Oesterheld and closed the case, with the vote of Ricardo Lorenzetti, Elena Highton de Nolasco, Juan Carlos Maqueda, Horacio Rosatti and Carlos Rosenkrantz. ## Series ## Plot Oesterheld, the author of the comic, appears as a character at the beginning of the story. He is writing late at night when a man suddenly appears out of thin air in his room. He introduces himself as Juan Salvo, and narrates his story. All the comic is thus narrated by Salvo, in first-person narrative. Salvo lived with his wife Elena and his daughter Martita. According to Salvo, mysterious deadly snowfall suddenly covers Buenos Aires and his neighborhood in the nearby Vicente López, wiping out all life upon touch. Salvo and his family survive because his home was completely closed. At the time of the snowfall, he was playing truco with his friends, Favalli, Lucas, and Polski. Polski tries to return to his home, worried about his family, and dies moments after leaving, having come into contact with the snowflakes. The others prepare insulated suits to be able to leave the house and gather supplies. A young child, Pablo, joins them, and Lucas is killed by a deranged survivor. Realizing that the catastrophe generated a violent state of anarchy, they try to escape from Buenos Aires, but before doing so they are recruited by an improvised army. Salvo, Favalli, and Pablo join them, while Elena and Martita stay at home. It turns out that the snowfall was part of an ongoing alien invasion. The army first attacks a group of giant insects similar to beetles, armed with giant lightthrowers, at the General Paz highway. All beetles have devices on their necks that reveal that the real invaders control them from afar. The army sets its base inside the River Plate stadium, as its enormous walls could serve as a trench against the lightthrowers. Salvo and Franco, a metal worker recruited by the army, leave the stadium during the night to gather intelligence. They discover that the beetles are controlled by an alien known as "Hand", because of their hands with several fingers. The "Hand" also controls other survivors turned into automatons by a similar device. The alien is in turn also controlled by aliens that he does not name; later referred to as just "Them". The army is then lured into a trap at Plaza Italia. They are decimated by giant beasts known as "Gurbos", and only Salvo, Favalli and Franco survive. They seek further intelligence and find the main invasion at the Plaza del Congreso. They blow up the dome with "Them" and escape; they find Pablo and the historian Mosca, who survived the attack at Plaza Italia but got separated from them, and leave just before Buenos Aires is nuked. The aliens continue the invasion and lure the pockets of survivors to fake "snow-free zones". Favalli, Pablo and Mosca allow themselves to be captured and turned into automatons so that Salvo and his family can escape. They seize a spaceship and Salvo accidentally turns on a time machine while randomly pressing buttons. He ends up in a pocket universe, with Elena and Martita stranded somewhere else. He eventually learns to travel between universes and timelines, which is why he appeared at Oesterheld's house. After finishing his narration Salvo realizes that he is in Buenos Aires, only a few years before the invasion. He runs back home, reunites with his family in a stable time loop, and forgets about it all. Oesterheld, unable to do anything else about the future invasion, decides to write a comic about it. ## Reception Martín Hadis wrote in the prologue for the Fantagraphics edition that one of the strongest points of the story for the Argentine audience was the sight of an alien invasion in Buenos Aires, with its distinctive buildings and monuments disfigured or destroyed by the alien devices or the war actions; most works of fiction about the theme are set in other countries, such as the United States. However, he also pointed out that the story has appeal beyond that, as it has been successful in Spain, Mexico, Italy, Greece, Croatia, France, etc; where the sight of Buenos Aires would be less meaningful. He points that the scientific aspects of the alien invasion are mostly handwaved and that the story narrates a global disaster from the point of view of a small group of survivors. Hadis explains the appeal of the series in the contrast between home, family and friendship with death and the utterly alien, an appeal that would transcend localisms. Rachel Cooke from The Guardian praises the ingenuity of the characters to survive truly hopeless situations. It has also been noted that, except for the aliens known as "Them", none of the invaders are truly evil; they are noble beings forced to carry out the orders of others. Juan Sasturain believes that Oesterheld was writing an anti-war comic, and Fernando García considers it instead an allegory of class struggle. Tom Shapira from The Comics Journal says that, adding to the frequent in-story references to Robinson Crusoe, he found the story similar to Moby-Dick, as it features a hero who is actually a witness of the acts of heroism carried out by others. Shapira also criticized some aspects of the story, such as the presence of flying saucers that he found to make the story look dated. He also criticized the lack of relevant female characters, stating that Elena and Martita had no actual weight in the plot save as reminders for the protagonist of the family he longs for. Shapira additionally criticized what he perceived as the over-reliance on cliffhangers, while also noting that the story was initially published in serialized form, which left several cliffhangers at the moments when the original publication likely ended the chapters. El Eternauta: primera parte was listed among the classics of Argentine literature in 2000 by Clarín. In 2009, the Congress of Argentina declared 4 September, the day of the first publication of The Eternaut, "Day of the Argentine Comic"; in 2010, the Argentine Ministry of Education ordered several thousand copies of The Eternaut to be distributed in secondary schools. Néstor Kirchner expressed his admiration for The Eternaut; in 2010, Kirchner ran an advertisement of himself drawn as the Eternaut in support of Cristina Kirchner's presidential campaign. ## Adaptations In 1968, advertisement production company Gil & Bertolini acquired the rights to The Eternaut to make an animated television series, to be presented at the First World Comic Book Biennial. Each episode would be introduced by Oesterheld himself, and the animation would be rotoscoped, a very expensive technique at the time. The project was cancelled after the production of a 24-minute pilot. For the following twenty years, financial and copyrights problems prevented different adaptations of The Eternaut for film and television. Argentine directors such as Fernando "Pino" Solanas and Gustavo Mosquera expressed their interest on adapting the material, as did Adolfo Aristarain. At the time, Aristarain said that the only way to produce the film would be in English, given it would cost at least US$10–15 million and American actors would be conditional to get the necessary funds from American production companies, but "that wouldn't be the correct way" because he considered Argentine culture an integral part of The Eternaut. In 1995, there was a miniseries project led by a TV network from Buenos Aires, with special effects in charge of computer animation company Aicon. A preliminary contract had been signed with a major Hollywood studio. In 2007, an Italian production company worked on an adaptation of The Eternaut, in agreement with Oesterheld's widow and grandsons. It entered negotiations with Argentine studios and the National Institute of Cinema and Audiovisual Arts (INCAA) for a possible co-production. In 2008, director Lucrecia Martel was invited for a film adaptation of The Eternaut. The script would have taken place in the present day, but the Oesterheld family felt it to be too different from the source material. The producers stepped down and the project went stagnant. In 2018, Spanish filmmaker Álex de la Iglesia expressed interest in making an adaptation, with actor Ricardo Darín on board to star in the project. In February 2020, it was announced that The Eternaut would be adapted into a TV series for Netflix, The Eternaut. The series will be directed by Bruno Stagnaro and will be contextualized in the present. Ricardo Darín will play the main character, and the cast also features Carla Peterson, Marcelo Subiotto, César Troncoso, Andrea Pietra and Ariel Staltari [es].

# Shin Megami Tensei If... Shin Megami Tensei If..., stylized as Shin Megami Tensei if..., is a role-playing video game developed and published by Atlus in 1994 for the Super Famicom. It is a spin-off from the Shin Megami Tensei series, itself part of the larger Megami Tensei franchise. Since release, it has been ported to mobile devices, PlayStation and Microsoft Windows; it had also been re-released on the Virtual Console in Japan on Wii in 2011 and Wii U in 2013, as well as Nintendo Switch Online in 2021. The story follows a student of Karukozaka High School after their school is sucked into the realm of demons by a vengeful student's demon summoning spell going wrong. Shin Megami Tensei If... was developed as a change from previous Shin Megami Tensei titles, focusing on a small-scale environment and threat rather than a large-scale environment as in previous titles. Upon release, If... received a positive reception from critics and fans, and inspired multiple tie-in print adaptations and a mobile prequel. Positive response to its setting and spin-off status was the impetus for the creation of the spin-off Persona and Devil Summoner series. ## Gameplay Shin Megami Tensei If... is a role-playing video game in which players take the role of the protagonist (an unnamed boy or girl, who appears in later Megami Tensei titles as a girl named Tamaki Uchida). As the protagonist, the player explores both the demon-infested Karukozaka High School and five towers based on the Seven Deadly Sins. During the course of the game, using a wrist-mounted device called a COMP, the player fights demons through a turn-based battle system, using physical and magical attacks to deal damage, as well as healing party members and casting status buffs and ailments on enemies. Demons can be talked with in battle and recruited if the right conversation is initiated. Once a part of the player's party, they will fight alongside them. In addition to standard demons, the player can ally with one human companion, with three being available on the first playthrough and a fourth unlocking during the second. When the player or their human partner dies in battle, they are granted a Guardian Spirit, who revives them at the last save point and teaches them new skills and alter the player's stats. The Guardian's specialties affect how stats are changed: a higher power ranking will raise the player's strength, but lower magic will decrease their Magic Point meter. The Guardian changes each time the player dies. ## Synopsis At Karukozaka High School, bullied and brilliant student Ideo Hazama attempts to summon a demon from the Expanse to exact revenge on his tormentors. The summoning goes wrong and Hazama is possessed by the demon, declaring himself as the "Demon Emperor" and throws the school into the demon's realm. The protagonist is among those trapped in the school, along with fellow students Reiko Akanezawa, Yumi Shirakawa, Shinji "Charlie" Kuroi and Akira Miyamoto. Should the protagonist side with Yumi or Shinji, they navigate the demon-infested school and towers, finally confronting and killing Hazama. In Yumi's route, the school is restored as if nothing happened, while in Shinji's route the school and its students remain trapped in the Expanse. If the Protagonist allied with Reiko, they enter the Demon Emperor's mind after he is first defeated, and see Hazama's motivations for his actions. Reiko, Hazama's sister, calms him and stays with him in the Expanse while the protagonist is teleported back to the human world and the school is returned to normal. In another route unlocked on a second playthrough, the protagonist can ally with Akira, who seeks vengeance against the demons who sucked the school into the demon's realm. Travelling to the Land of Nomos, Akira is killed and possessed by the demon Amon, who after defeating Hazama takes his place as the Demon Emperor, sending the protagonist back to the human world alone. ## Development Shin Megami Tensei If... was developed as a spin-off from the main series. Its smaller world scope came about because the game's director Kouji Okada felt he had reached the limit of what he could do with large-scale worlds in the previous Shin Megami Tensei games. The main concept was for a high school setting rendered in three dimensions where a portal to hell would open, creating a more self-contained adventure. The modelling for Karukozaka High School was based on pictures from writer Ryutaro Ito's school album as they had no other visual resources. The project's working title was Shin Megami Tensei X. The Partner system was divided into main and sub categories, with three to four playable characters available. The ability for sub characters to wield COMPs and need to be rescued was planned, but both were rejected. The Guardian system was designed by future Megami Tensei director Katsura Hashino. The game's music was written by Tsukasa Masuko. One of the game's main themes, the Karukozaka High School school song heard during the ending, had lyrics written by Ito, who based them on the lyrics of his own school's song. Masuko was unimpressed when Ito asked for the lyrics to be added to the song. While only one line is ever heard in-game, Ito created three lines. If... was completed in a very short span of time, so much so that in 2003 Okada later described the development time as being "unthinkable" for any developer. If... was designed to represent the series' titular theme of reincarnation, which had been markedly absent from previous Shin Megami Tensei titles, along with enabling players to continue enjoying the game even after their party was defeated. It also acted as a "lifeboat" for players that regularly died in battle. The cast's names were drawn from multiple real-life and fictional sources. The names for Yumi, Reiko and Shinji were inspired by pitchers in the Japanese baseball team Nippon-Ham Fighters. Akira's transformation into Amon was inspired by the similar transformation of the main character in the manga Devilman. Akira's name was also taken from the main character of the manga. Hazama's surname is taken from the titular character of the manga Black Jack. His given name, Ideo, is based on the English word "ideology". Sato, a member of the school's computer club and the one who first introduces the Devil Summoner Program, got his name from the Japanese physicist Katsuhiko Sato. Similarly, two side characters related to Shinji took their names from Ryuichi Sakamoto and Akiko Yano. The characters were designed by regular series artist Kazuma Kaneko. He would later call the game one of his favorites, liking the uniformity of his designs and its relatable story themes. ## Release Shin Megami Tensei If... was first released on the Super Famicom on October 28, 1994. It was re-released on December 26, 2002 for the PlayStation. The PlayStation port contains additional elements such as an easy mode, along with retouched graphics and updated character art. This port was released on the PlayStation Network on September 8, 2010. It was also ported to Microsoft Windows for the i-Revo PC system in 2006. The Super Famicom version has been ported to Nintendo's Virtual Console for Wii and Wii U. A port of the game for iOS was released on March 22, 2013, marking the game's first appearance on a portable platform. On April 22, 2004, Atlus released a mobile game titled Shin Megami Tensei If...: Hazama's Chapter (真・女神転生if...ハザマ編, Shin Megami Tensei ifu... Hazama-hen) for FOMA 900i mobiles. It acts as a prologue to the events of Shin Megami Tensei If..., following Hazama's activities prior to the incident. Hazama's Chapter was intended for inclusion as part of the original release of If..., but space limitations forced it to be cut. The team considered offering it as a limited ROM cartridge for players, but budgetary constraints prevented this. An English fan translation of the Super Famicom version was released on October 25, 2018 by the Aeon Genesis team. ## Reception and legacy Famicom Tsūshin gave the Super Famicom version a score of 29 out of 40. Famitsu Weekly's review of the PlayStation port gave it a score of 28 out of 40. The reviewers, while enjoying the music and story, found the graphics dated and felt that players new to the series would find playing through the game difficult. According to Hashino, the game's high school setting was popular with fans of the series. Kurt Kalata and Christopher J. Snelgrove at Hardcore Gaming 101 thought the game was fun, but noted that it lacked the "philosophical and religious quandaries" present in the first two Shin Megami Tensei titles. They also noted that it was shorter than the previous two games, but that the different dungeons and endings the game offers depending on who the player chooses as their partner resulted in a high replayability factor. They found the Guardian system interesting, but considered it a strange decision to force the player to die on purpose to get a new Guardian. RPGFan's Kyle Miller thought that the game's music was worse than that in previous Shin Megami Tensei games, but still enjoyable. A manga based on the game written and illustrated by Kazuaki Yanagisawa, Shin Megami Tensei If...: Demon Envoy of the School (真・女神転生if... 学園の悪魔使い, Shin Megami Tensei ifu... Gakuen no Akuma Tsukai), was published in 1995. It was released in France in 2006 as Shin Megami Tensei If.... A second manga also written and illustrated by Yanagisawa, Shin Megami Tensei Kahn, was released in 2008. This manga was also licensed for release in English. A light novel adaptation of the game, titled Shin Megami Tensei If...: Djinn of Demon Realm (真・女神転生if... 魔界のジン, Shin Megami Tensei ifu: Makai no Jin) and written by Yoru Yoshimura and Eiji Kaneda, was published in 2002. The game's setting proved popular enough for Atlus to create a game focused around it titled Megami Ibunroku Persona, the first game in the Persona series. The Guardian system also provided inspiration for the series' titular gameplay mechanic. Karukozaka High School was later featured as the setting for an optional story quest in the PlayStation Portable remake of Persona 2: Innocent Sin. Its popularity and modern-day setting also influenced the development of Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner, the first game in the Devil Summoner series. Accessories and outfits from Shin Megami Tensei If... have also been featured in the massively multiplayer online role-playing game Shin Megami Tensei: Imagine, and as downloadable content for the game Persona 5 along with Shin Megami Tensei If... music.

# Kabul City Center Kabul City Center () is a shopping mall in Shahr-e Naw, Kabul, Afghanistan. Opened in 2005, it consists of 100 stores and a food court. It is equipped with see-through elevators and escalators and is notable for being the first building in Kabul to be equipped with functional escalators. The building also includes the Safi Landmark Hotel, a 4-star hotel that occupies the top six of the building's ten floors. The Safi Landmark has become one of the most famous hotels in Kabul for visitors and foreigners. The building has been subject to two terrorist attacks, in 2010 and 2011. In 2013, the mall received media attention for housing an unofficial Apple Store. ## History When Ghulam Hazrat Safi returned to Kabul from Dubai, United Arab Emirates, he invested US$35 million to build both Kabul City Center shopping mall and its adjacent hotel, the Safi Landmark Hotel. The hotel employs 150 local staff and 100 Indian staff. On 26 February 2010, the mall was attacked by a Taliban suicide bomber, who killed 16 people inside the building, 11 of whom were foreigners (nine Indians, an Italian, and a French person). Three Afghani policemen and two persons of unknown origin were also killed. The bombing caused the windows from the building to shatter, dropping debris onto the pedestrian street nearby. The Ministry of External Affairs for India described the bombing as a targeted attack on both Indian and Afghan people, as the victims were mostly Indians. However, Zabiullah Mujahid, a spokesman for the Taliban, denied the motive behind the bombing was to intentionally target Indian people and attempt to erode Afghanistan–India relations, instead claiming that European people were their primary target. US$4 million was spent to bring the mall back to operation within two months of the attack. Immediately after the first bombing, the mall was renovated to install explosive resistant glass windows and screening of all visitors by metal detectors before they were allowed to enter was begun. This screening stopped a suicide bomber from entering the mall on 14 February 2011. ## Features Kabul City Center consists of 100 shops, including a jewelry store, electronics store, boutique, antique shop and bookstore, with food court located on the ground floor which are very similar to most of the European shopping malls. The main visitors to the mall are mainly foreigners and expatriates. Initially the restaurant was mostly occupied only by men, however a year later after the opening, more women started to visit the mall, with restaurant becoming a common meeting place for men and women. One of the notable features of the mall is the escalator, which has become one of the most famous attractions in the city, as Kabul City Center was the first building in Kabul to be equipped with escalators, and after its construction became the only building in Afghanistan with working escalators. Kabul City Center garnered further media attention when an unofficial Apple Store was opened inside the mall in August 2010. According to an interview with the store manager conducted by Quartz in April 2013, their products are more expensive than the retail price in America. For example, the iPhone 5 16 GB was sold in Afghanistan for US$700, which is $50 more than the original price in the United States. The shop's products are imported from Dubai and sales are reported to be healthy, with six iPhones and two MacBooks sold each day, despite limited stock. Most of the store's customers are young people who work in the private sector. The store manager has considered expansion by adding a service and repair center, as well as opening a second branch in another area of Kabul. The store's manager claims to have mailed a photo of the store's grand opening to Apple Inc. without reply. ## Public reception The mall has been described as luxurious and expensive by many Afghani citizens as most of the products sold inside are considered unaffordable by the majority of the population. Many people who visit the mall are known as "gawkers", asking the price of an item and, once it is revealed by salesman, leaving the store without making a purchase. The electronics sold inside the mall are considered beyond the imagination of many Afghanis, the majority of whom still lack access to electricity. Despite the unaffordability, many people visit the mall to experience the escalator, which cannot be found elsewhere in Afghanistan. Because many Afghanis do not have experience with the technology inside the mall, some have trouble using the facilities. One woman is reported to have injured herself after trying to walk down the 'up' escalator. Some citizens have argued that, instead of spending money building luxurious shops in the mall, investment should be made in building factories, which would create job opportunities for the unemployed.

# Obi Ezeh Obi Pius Ezeh (February 2, 1988 – May 3, 2024) was an American college football player who was a linebacker for the Michigan Wolverines. He was included on both the 2009 mid-season and the 2009 preseason watchlist for the Butkus Award. He ended his career as the Wolverines' active career leader in tackles. In high school, he played running back on offense more regularly than linebacker on defense. He shared running back duties as a sophomore and junior before becoming the starting running back as a senior at Catholic Central High School in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He established his school career rushing record of nearly 3,000 yards. As a senior, he scored a two-point conversion to give his school a one-point victory and a berth in the 2005 Michigan High School Athletic Association state championship game at Ford Field. He was also a member of a three-time state champion high school rugby team and was invited to try out with the United States national rugby union team. At Michigan, he redshirted as a true freshman. Then, as a redshirt freshman for the 2007 Michigan Wolverines football team, he battled for the starting middle linebacker position and appeared to have lost the position early in the season. However, after an injury he became a regular starter. He concluded the season with thirteen and twelve tackle efforts against bitter rivals Michigan State and Ohio State, respectively. He started his redshirt sophomore season with a Big Ten Conference defensive player of the week, fifteen-tackle effort for the 2008 Michigan Wolverines football team. He finished the season as an honorable mention All-Big Ten Conference selection. Just after earning 2009 midseason Butkus Award watchlist recognition, he was removed from the starting lineup and saw limited action in the final four games. After his senior season in 2010, Ezeh declared for the 2011 NFL draft, where he went undrafted. He later signed as an undrafted free agent with the Washington Redskins. ## High school As a youth, Ezeh was unable to play football because he was too big for the local leagues according to Grand Rapids area officials. As a sophomore running back for the 2003 Catholic Central Cougars football team, Ezeh had several 100-yard games as well as multiple touchdown games, even though he was not the primary weapon in the backfield. Ezeh was also a member of the Cougars rugby team that placed 11th at the 2004 United States High School Rugby National Championships. As a junior running back, he opened his football season with 170 yards on 18 carries. In the 2004 district championship game, he rushed for 88 yards in the first half, but was held to 5 in the second half as Catholic Central lost 33–20. Over the course of the season he compiled 907 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns. Ezeh was recognized as a Detroit News Class B All-state honorable mention linebacker. He was also selected as Grand Rapids All-area honorable mention, according to The Grand Rapids Press. He also helped lead the 2005 rugby team to a State Championship threepeat. In 2005, Ezeh entered his senior season as the focal point of his school's running game and was rated as the seventh-best football prospect in the state of Michigan, according to The Detroit News. He was also invited to try out for the United States national rugby union team as an outside center. During the season, Ezeh was regularly among the leading rushers in the area. In the Division 4 state semifinal game, Ezeh returned a kickoff 80 yards for a touchdown and rushed for 136 yards on 24 carries. During the game, after Catholic Central scored on a quarterback sneak with 2:28 remaining, Ezeh scored on a two-point conversion to give his team a 35–34 victory. This led them to the 2005 MHSAA state championship game at Ford Field, which they lost 17–10 to Powers Catholic High School. By the end of the season, Ezeh had compiled a school record 2,914 career rushing yards, which included 33 touchdowns. During his senior year, he also occasionally played linebacker, recording 34 tackles (16 for a loss). Although, he missed part of the season with an ankle injury, he totaled 1,391 yards and 10 touchdowns on 217 carries and added seven pass receptions, including one touchdown, and he was recognized as a 2nd-team All-area running back. The Detroit News recognized him as their postseason number six blue chip prospect in the state, and he was selected to play in the Michigan High School Football Coaches Association's annual all-star game. In February 2006, he signed his letter of intent to play for Michigan, where it was unclear whether he would play fullback, tight end or linebacker. ## Michigan As expected, Ezeh, who had suffered a shoulder injury, redshirted his freshman year. Prior to his redshirt freshman season, he changed jersey numbers from 44 to 45 as he converted from fullback to linebacker. On May 22, 2007, he was charged with suspicion of operating a vehicle while intoxicated for an incident when his vehicle struck a utility pole on the same street on which he lives while his blood-alcohol content was 0.11% (the legal limit in Michigan is 0.08%). Ezeh pleaded not guilty, and the trial was scheduled for September 19 in the 15th District Court. The time of the accident was outside the permissible times for Ezeh's restricted driving license that resulted from a prior non-alcohol-related accident. On the football field, redshirt freshman Ezeh entered the 2007 NCAA Division I FBS football season for the 2007 Michigan Wolverines football team in a three-way battle to replace NFL-bound David Harris at middle linebacker with redshirt junior John Thompson and junior college transfer Austin Panter, who had been named national junior college defensive player of the year. Harris also hailed from Grand Rapids and had worn the number 45. The week before the season opener, The Detroit News declared Ezeh the starter, however, the Ann Arbor News and Ezeh's hometown The Grand Rapids Press both stated that the race between Ezeh and Thompson was undecided heading into the game. In the aftermath of the September 1, opening game loss to two-time defending FCS champion Appalachian State Mountaineers, more was made of the fact that both players had trouble playing the position than who had started the game. Ezeh started the first game, but lost his spot to Thompson in the next two. After three weeks of play, Thompson, who had been voted the hardest hitter on the team the previous two seasons, had established himself as the starter by ranking second on the team in tackles. However, although Thompson had stepped up to the role he was notable for having trouble with pass coverage. Ezeh accumulated no statistics in the third and fourth game, but recorded his first interception in the fifth game on September 29 against Northwestern on a deflected pass. Ezeh started that game because of an injury. The following week, he again started in place of the injured Thompson and recorded nine tackles against Eastern Michigan. He also forced a fumble and fielded one kickoff return. Even though Thompson recovered from his ankle injury after four weeks, Ezeh retained the starting job the remainder of the season for a total of ten starts. Thompson only recorded four tackles the rest of the year. On November 1, his lawyer stated that on August 29 Ezeh had pleaded guilty to an operating while visibly intoxicated charge, which is a serious misdemeanor but a lesser charge than the original operating a vehicle while intoxicated, and had sought alcohol counseling prior to his sentence. The plea resulted in a year's probation, three days in a work release program, a substantial payment covering fines, court costs and restitution. He committed to attend a Mothers Against Drunk Driving class. In the November 3 Paul Bunyan Trophy victory against Michigan State he recorded a season-high 13 tackles and two sacks. One of the sacks occurred on Michigan State's final series of downs in Michigan territory to help secure the 28–24 win. Ezeh recorded 12 tackles in the Michigan – Ohio State rivalry game against Ohio State on November 17 to end the regular season. After the graduation of Shawn Crable and Chris Graham there was again a notable battle for linebacker positions entering the 2008 NCAA Division I FBS football season for the 2008 Michigan Wolverines football team. Ezeh who had posted 68 tackles in 2007 was the leading returning tackler. As the only returning starting linebacker, Ezeh assumed the role of mentor. Ezeh won the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week award on September 1, 2008, for a game against the Utah Utes where he recorded 15 tackles and an interception. He also earned an ABC Player of the Game recognition. Ezeh also posted fifteen tackles in the October 4 game against the Illinois Fighting Illini, which earned him his second ABC Player of the Game award. He posted two other double digit tackle games, including a ten tackle effort in his second Paul Bunyan Trophy game. Ezeh finished the season seventh in the Big Ten in tackles. He was recognized as an honorable mention All-Big Ten selection by both the coaches and the media. He won the 2008 Roger Zatkoff Award as Michigan's top linebacker. Ezeh entered the 2009 NCAA Division I FBS football season opener with the third most career starts (23) on the 2009 Michigan Wolverines football team behind punter Zoltan Mesko (38) and offensive lineman Stephen Schilling (26). As a redshirt junior during the 2009 season for the Wolverines, Ezeh posted fourteen tackles against Michigan State bringing his three-game career total to 37 tackles against the Spartans. Ezeh had grown up in a neighborhood with many Michigan State fans who flew their Michigan State flags, and he once attended Michigan Football camp wearing a Michigan State shirt. He was included on both the 2009 midseason and the 2009 preseason watchlist for the Butkus Award. The midseason list includes sixteen linebackers. Although he was added to the midseason Butkus watchlist in mid October, on October 31 he was removed from the starting lineup after starting 29 straight games. During the 2010 NCAA Division I FBS football season he started the first six games for the 2010 Michigan Wolverines football team before losing the starting middle linebacker position to Kenny Demens. Ezeh's final regular start was against Michigan State on October 9, when he tied his season-high with nine tackles and boosted his career total against Michigan State to 46. When Jonas Mouton was unavailable for the Purdue game on November 13 due to a chest injury, Ezeh stepped in and recorded his first sack of the season as well as eight solo tackles. ## Professional career At his initial March 17, 2011, pro day, he posted modest numbers: 40-yard dash - 5.07 seconds; vertical jump 30 inches (76.2 cm) and standing broad jump 9 feet 2 inches (2.79 m). However, after hiring a new trainer he posted better numbers at an April regional combine: 40-yard dash - 4.81 seconds; vertical jump 34.5 inches (87.6 cm) and standing broad jump 9 feet 4 inches (2.84 m) as well as a 4.81 time in the 20-yard shuttle. He went undrafted in the 2011 NFL draft and in the first few days following the 2011 NFL lockout he went unsigned, before signing with the Washington Redskins as an undrafted free agent on July 31, 2011. He was waived on August 19. ## Personal life and death Born on February 2, 1988, Ezeh was the son of Pius and Nkechy. He had four siblings: Onyinye, Kaka, Nnenna and Nicole. His hometown was Grand Rapids, Michigan. Ezeh died in his sleep on May 3, 2024. He was 36.

# The Feast of the Goat The Feast of the Goat () is a 2000 novel by the Peruvian Nobel Prize in Literature laureate Mario Vargas Llosa. The book is set in the Dominican Republic and portrays the assassination of Dominican dictator Rafael Trujillo, and its aftermath, from two distinct standpoints a generation apart: during and immediately after the assassination itself, in May 1961; and thirty-five years later, in 1996. Throughout, there is also extensive reflection on the heyday of the dictatorship, in the 1950s, and its significance for the island and its inhabitants. The novel follows three interwoven storylines. The first concerns a woman, Urania Cabral, who is back in the Dominican Republic, after a long absence, to visit her ailing father. Eventually, she ends up recalling incidents from her youth before recounting a long-held secret to her aunt and cousins. The second story line focuses on the last day in Trujillo's life from the moment he wakes up onwards, and shows us the regime's inner circle, to which Urania's father once belonged. The third strand depicts Trujillo's assassins, many of whom had previously been government loyalists, as they wait for his car late that night; after the assassination, this story line shows us the assassins' persecution. Each aspect of the book's plot reveals a different viewpoint on the Dominican Republic's political and social environment, past and present. Readers are shown the regime's downward spiral, Trujillo's assassination, and its aftermath through the eyes of insiders, conspirators, and a middle-aged woman looking back. The novel is therefore a kaleidoscopic portrait of dictatorial power, including its psychological effects and its long-term impact. The novel's themes include the nature of power and corruption, and their relationship to machismo or sexual perversion in a rigidly hierarchical society with strongly gendered roles. Memory, and the process of remembering, is also an important theme, especially in Urania's narrative as she recalls her youth in the Dominican Republic. Her story (and the book as a whole) ends when she recounts the terrible events that led to her leaving the country at the age of 14. Vargas Llosa interlaces fictional elements and historical events: the book is not a documentary and the Cabral family, for instance, is completely fictional. On the other hand, the characters of Trujillo and Trujillo's assassins are drawn from the historical record; Vargas Llosa weaves real historical incidents of brutality and oppression into these people's stories, to further illuminate the nature of the regime and the responses it provoked. In Vargas Llosa's words, "It's a novel, not a history book, so I took many, many liberties. [...] I have respected the basic facts, but I have changed and deformed many things in order to make the story more persuasive—and I have not exaggerated." The Feast of the Goat received largely positive reviews, with several reviewers commenting on the book's depiction of the relationship between sexuality and power, as well as the graphic descriptions of violent events. It has been described as a powerful exploration of the atrocities associated with dictatorship, and a testament to the dangers of absolute power. A film version of the novel was released in 2005, starring Isabella Rossellini, Paul Freeman, and Tomas Milian. Jorge Alí Triana and his daughter, Veronica Triana, wrote a theatrical adaptation in 2003. ## Background The Feast of the Goat is only the second of Vargas Llosa's novels to be set outside Peru (the first being The War of the End of the World). It is also unusual because it's the first to have a female protagonist: as critic Lynn Walford writes of the leading character in The Feast of the Goat, and also Vargas Llosa's subsequent book The Way to Paradise, "both are utterly unlike any of the other female characters in his previous novels". The novel examines the dictatorial regime of Rafael Leónidas Trujillo Molina in the Dominican Republic. Trujillo was, in historian Eric Roorda's words, "a towering influence in Dominican and Caribbean history" who presided over "one of the most durable regimes of the twentieth century" during the thirty-one years between his seizure of power in 1930 and his assassination in 1961. Trujillo had trained with the United States Marine Corps during the United States occupation of the island, and graduated from the Haina Military Academy in 1921. After the U.S. departed in 1924, he became head of the Dominican National Police which, under his command, was transformed into the Dominican National Army and Trujillo's personal "virtually autonomous power base". Trujillo was officially dictator only from 1930 to 1938, and from 1942 to 1952, but remained in effective power throughout the entire period. Though his regime was broadly nationalist, Daniel Chirot comments that he had "no particular ideology" and his economic and social policies were basically progressive. The novel's title is taken from the popular Dominican merengue Mataron al Chivo ("They Killed the Goat"), which refers to Trujillo's assassination on May 30, 1961. Merengue is a style of music created by Ñico Lora in the 1920s and actively promoted by Trujillo himself. It's now considered the country's national music. Cultural critics Julie Sellers and Stephen Ropp comment about this particular merengue that, by envisaging the dictator as an animal who could be turned into a stew (as frequently happened with goats struck down on the Dominican Republic's highways), the song "gave those performing, listening to, and dancing to this merengue a sense of control over him and over themselves that they had not experienced for over three decades." Vargas Llosa quotes the lyrics to Mataron al Chivo at the beginning of his novel. ## Plot summary The novel's narrative is divided into three distinct strands. One is centred on Urania Cabral, a fictional Dominican character; another deals with the conspirators involved in Trujillo's assassination; and the third focuses on Trujillo himself. The novel alternates between these storylines, while jumping back and forth from 1961 to 1996, with frequent flashbacks to periods earlier in Trujillo's regime. The Feast of the Goat begins with the return of Urania to her hometown of Santo Domingo, a city which had been renamed Ciudad Trujillo during Trujillo's time in power. This storyline is largely introspective, dealing with Urania's memories and her inner turmoil over the events preceding her departure from the Dominican Republic thirty-five years earlier. Urania escaped the crumbling Trujillo regime in 1961 by claiming she planned to study under a tutelage of nuns in Michigan. In the following decades, she becomes a prominent and successful New York lawyer. She finally returns to the Dominican Republic in 1996, on a whim, before finding herself compelled to confront her father and elements of her past she has long ignored. As Urania speaks to her ailing father, Agustin Cabral, she recalls more and more of the anger and disgust that led to her thirty-five years of silence. Urania retells her father's descent into political disgrace, while revealing the betrayal that forms a crux between both Urania's storyline and that of Trujillo himself. The second and third storylines are set in 1961, in the weeks prior to and following Trujillo's assassination on May 30. Each assassin has his own background story, explaining his motivation for their involvement in the assassination plot. Each has been wronged by Trujillo and his regime, by torture and brutality, or through assaults on their pride, religious faith, morality, and loved ones. Vargas Llosa weaves the tale of the men as memories recalled on the night of Trujillo's death, as the conspirators lie in wait for "The Goat". Interconnected with these stories are the actions of other famous Trujillistas of the time: Joaquín Balaguer, the puppet president; Johnny Abbes García, the merciless head of the Military Intelligence Service (SIM); and various others—some real, some composites of historical figures, and some purely fictional. The third storyline is concerned with the thoughts and motives of Rafael Leónidas Trujillo Molina himself. The chapters concerning The Goat recall the major events of his time, including the slaughter of thousands of Dominican Haitians in 1937. They also deal with the Dominican Republic's tense international relationships during the Cold War, especially with the United States under the presidency of John F. Kennedy and Cuba under Castro. Vargas Llosa also speculates upon Trujillo's innermost thoughts and paints a picture of a man whose physical body is slowly failing him. Trujillo is tormented by both his incontinence and impotence. Eventually, his storyline intersects with Urania's narrative when it's revealed that Urania was sexually assaulted by Trujillo. He is unable to achieve an erection with Urania and, in frustration, rapes her with his bare hands. This event is the core of Urania's shame and hatred towards her own father. In addition, it's the cause of Trujillo's repeated anger over the "anemic little bitch" who witnessed his impotence and emotion, as well as the reason he's en route to sleep with another girl on the night of his assassination. In the novel's final chapters, the three storylines intersect with increasing frequency. The tone of these chapters is especially dark as they deal primarily with the horrific torture and death of the assassins at the hands of government agents, the failure of the coup, the rape of Urania, and the concessions made to Trujillo's most vicious supporters allowing them to enact their horrific revenge on the conspirators and escape the country. The book ends as Urania prepares to return home, determined this time to keep in touch with her family back on the island. ## Characters ### Modern day Urania Cabral and her father Agustín Cabral appear in both the modern day and historical portions of the novel. In the year 1996, Urania returns to the Dominican Republic for the first time since her departure at the age of 14. She is a successful New York lawyer who has spent most of the past 35 years trying to overcome the traumas of her childhood, a goal she pursues through an academic fascination with Trujillo and Dominican history. Urania is deeply troubled by the events of her past, and is compelled to confront her father Agustín about his role in those events. Urania visits her father, finding him weakened by age and a severe stroke, so much so that he is barely able to respond physically to her presence, let alone speak. Agustín listens helplessly as Urania recounts his past as "Egghead Cabral", a high-ranking member of Trujillo's inner circle, and his drastic fall from grace. Urania details Agustín's role in the events that led to her rape by the Dominican leader, and subsequent lifetime of celibacy and emotional trauma. Agustín's character in the modern day portion of the novel serves primarily as a sounding board for Urania's recollections of the Trujillo era, and the events that surrounded both Agustín Cabral's disgrace and Urania's escape from the country. His responses are usually minimal or non-vocal, despite the ardency of Urania's accusations and the enormity of his own actions during Trujillo's reign. ### The Trujillo regime Rafael Trujillo, known also as The Goat, The Chief, and The Benefactor, is a fictionalized character based on the real dictator of the Dominican Republic from 1930 to 1961 and the official President of the Republic from 1930 to 1938 and 1943 to 1952. In The Feast of the Goat, Vargas Llosa imagines the innermost thoughts of the dictator, and retells the Goat's last hours from his own perspective. Trujillo's character struggles with aging and the physical problems of incontinence and impotence. Through fictional events and first person narrative, the reader is given insight into the man who, during his "thirty-one years of horrendous political crimes", modernized the country's infrastructure and military, but whose regime's attack against its enemies overseas (particularly the attempted assassination of Rómulo Betancourt, president of Venezuela) led to the imposition of economic sanctions on the Dominican Republic by the Organization of American States in the 1950s. The resultant economic downturn, in conjunction with other factors, leads to the CIA supported assassination plot that ended Trujillo's life on May 30, 1961. Trujillo's regime is supported by Johnny Abbes García, the head of the Military Intelligence Service (SIM), a brutal man to whom many "disappearances, ... executions, ... sudden falls into disgrace" are attributed. Abbes and his intelligence officers are notorious for their cruelty, particularly their habit of killing dissidents by throwing them into shark-infested waters. Colonel Abbes "may be the devil, but he's useful to the Chief; everything bad is attributed to him and only the good to Trujillo". Trujillo's son, Ramfis Trujillo, is a loyal supporter of the Chief. After unsuccessful attempts at schooling in the United States, Ramfis returns to the Dominican Republic to serve in his father's military. He's a well-known womanizer. Upon Trujillo's death, Ramfis seeks revenge, even going so far as to torture and kill his uncle by marriage, General Jose Roman, for his part in the assassination conspiracy. Joaquín Balaguer, Trujillo's puppet president is also a supporter, and initially his seemingly innocuous character holds no real power. Following Trujillo's death, the calm and serenity of Balaguer bring about real change in his character, and General Román comments that "this insignificant man whom everyone had always considered a mere clerk, a purely decorative figure in the regime, began to acquire surprising authority". It's Balaguer who guides much of the action in the last sections of the book. ### Conspirators The storyline concerning the assassination primarily follows the four conspirators who directly participate in Trujillo's death. Antonio Imbert Barrera is one of the few conspirators who survives the violent reprisals that follow Trujillo's assassination. Imbert is a politician who becomes disillusioned with the deception and cruelty of Trujillo's regime. His first plan to kill Trujillo was foiled by the unsuccessful attempted overthrow of the regime by Cuban paramilitary forces. Now convinced of the difficulty of his task, Imbert joins the other conspirators in plotting Trujillo's death. Among the others is Antonio de la Maza, one of Trujillo's personal guards. Antonio's brother is killed as part of a government cover-up and Antonio swears revenge upon Trujillo. Salvador Estrella Sadhalá, known as "Turk", is a devout Catholic who, in indignation at the regime's many crimes against God, swears an oath against Trujillo. Turk eventually turns himself in for fear that the regime was torturing his family. Both Turk and his innocent brother are then tortured for months. His father remains loyal to Trujillo and disowns Turk in his face. Despite all of this, Turk refuses to commit suicide and doesn't lose faith in God. He is later executed by Ramfis and other high level government men. Turk's close friend, Amado García Guerrero, known as Amadito, is a Lieutenant in the army who gave up his beloved as proof of his loyalty to Trujillo, and then later was forced to kill her brother to prove himself to Trujillo. Amadito's disgust with himself and disillusionment with the regime lead to his decision to help kill Trujillo. Following the assassination, he hides out with de la Maza and dies fighting. In the aftermath of the assassination, Amadito and Antonio de la Maza choose to fight the members of SIM who come to arrest them, opting to die in battle rather than be captured and tortured. ## Major themes The Feast of the Goat"'s major themes include political corruption, machismo, memory, and writing and power. Olga Lorenzo, reviewer for The Melbourne Age, suggests that overall Vargas Llosa's aim is to reveal the irrational forces of Latin tradition that give rise to despotism. ### Political corruption The structure of Dominican society was hierarchical, with strongly gendered roles. Rafael Trujillo, the ruler, was a cruel dictator who haunts the people of Santo Domingo even 35 years after his death. He is a true caudillo, ruling with brutality and corruption. He creates a personality cult in his capitalist society and encourages decadence within his regime. Prior to their promotion for a position of responsibility, an officer is required to pass a "test of loyalty". His people must remain loyal to him all cost. Their obedience is periodically tested by public humiliation and censure, even though acts of disloyalty were rare. Trujillo violates both women and children as an expression of his political/sexual power. In some cases, he sexually assaults the wife or child of his own lieutenants, many of whom still remain blindly loyal. Even the church and military institutions are employed to give women to the tyrant for pleasure. Many of the assassins had belonged to Trujillo's regime or had at one point been his staunch supporters, only to find their support for him eroded by the state's crimes against its own citizens. Imbert, one of the assassins, sums up this realization in a comment prompted by the murder of the Mirabal sisters: "They kill our fathers, our brothers, our friends. And now they're killing our women. And here we sit, resigned, waiting our turn." In an interview, Vargas Llosa describes the corruption and brutality of Trujillo's regime: "He had more or less all the common traits of a Latin American dictator, but pushed to the extreme. In cruelty, I think he went far far away from the rest—and in corruption, too." ### Machismo According to literary scholar Peter Anthony Neissa, the two important components of machismo are aggressive behaviour and hyper-sexuality. Aggressive behaviour is exhibited by displays of power and strength, while hyper-sexuality is revealed through sexual activity with as many partners as possible. These two components shape the portrayal of Trujillo and his regime in The Feast of the Goat. As Lorenzo observes, Vargas Llosa "reveals traditions of machismo, of abusive fathers, and of child-rearing practices that repeat the shaming of children, so that each generation bequeaths a withering of the soul to the subsequent one." In a display of both aspects of machismo, Trujillo demanded that his aides and cabinet provide him with sexual access to their wives or daughters. Mario Vargas Llosa wrote of Trujillo's machismo and treatment of women, "[h]e went to bed with his ministers' wives, not only because he liked these ladies but because it was a way to test his ministers. He wanted to know if they were ready to accept this extreme humiliation. Mainly the ministers were prepared to play this grotesque role—and they remained loyal to Trujillo even after his death." Trujillo's sexual conquests and public humiliations of his enemies also serve to affirm his political power and machismo. In Neissa's words, "The implication is that maximum virility equals political dominance." Trujillo's attempted sexual conquest of Urania is an example of both political manipulation of Agustín Cabral and sexual power over young women. However, as Trujillo's penis remains flaccid throughout the encounter and he is humiliated in front of the young girl, the encounter fails to satisfy his requirements for machismo. ### Memory All of the novel's storylines concern memory in some sense or another. The most apparent confrontation of memory is on the part of Urania Cabral, who has returned to the Dominican Republic for the first time in 30 years. Soon, Urania is forced to confront her father and the traumas that led her to leave the country at 14. She was the victim of sexual abuse at the hands of Trujillo himself, a sacrifice her father made to try to gain favor with the dictator again (a fact to which she alludes throughout the book, but which is only revealed at the very end). The book concludes with her recounting the memory of that night to her aunt and cousins, who never knew the true reason she left the country. When her aunt is surprised that she remembers all these details, Urania responds that while she forgets many things, "I remember everything about that night." For Urania, forgetting the atrocities committed by the regime is unacceptable. Her father, on the other hand, is not capable of joining her in this process of remembering, since he has suffered a stroke and is not capable of speaking. However, Urania is angry that he chose to forget these things while he was still capable of acknowledging them. Memory is also important in the sections of the novel that deal with the assassins. Each recalls the events that led him to take part in the assassination of Trujillo. These incidents included the 1956 Galindez kidnapping and murder, the 1960 murder of the Mirabal sisters, and the 1961 split with the Catholic Church. These historical events are used by Vargas Llosa to connect the assassins with specific moments that demonstrate the violence of Trujillo's regime. Trujillo, too, is shown reflecting on the past, not least his own formation and training at the hands of the US Marines. But above all, Mario Vargas Llosa uses the fictional Urania to facilitate the novel's attempt at remembering the regime. The novel opens and closes with Urania's story, effectively framing the narrative in the terms of remembering the past and understanding its legacy in the present. In addition, because of her academic study of the history of the Trujillo regime, Urania is also confronting the memory of the regime for the country as a whole. This is in keeping with one purpose of the book, which is to ensure that the atrocities of the dictatorship and the dangers of absolute power will be remembered by a new generation. ### Writing and power In her treatment of the novel, María Regina Ruiz claims that "power gives its wielder the ability to make prohibitions; prohibitions that are reflected in history, the study of which reveals what is and what is not told." The government's actions in The Feast of the Goat demonstrate the discourse of prohibition: foreign newspapers and magazines were prohibited from entering Trujillo's country as they were seen as a threat to the government's ideas. Mario Vargas Llosa takes part in this discourse by recounting what was prohibited. Ruiz notes that writing also has the power to transform reality. It brings the reader back to the past, allowing the reader to comprehend myths or distorted stories told by historians. Ruiz contends that knowing the past is crucial to one's understanding of the present that takes us to postmodernism, and argues that The Feast of the Goat can thus be seen as a postmodern discourse that gives power to history recreation. The construction of fictions surrounding the events of Trujillo's regime allow a degree of freedom from the horrors that took places. Author Julia Alvarez contends that these events can "only finally be understood by fiction, only finally be redeemed by the imagination", while Richard Patterson claims that Vargas Llosa "reconfigures, and to a large degree demythologizes" Trujillo and his brutal reign through use of narrative structure. Vargas Llosa's writing acts as a cathartic force for this period in history. ## Fact and fiction The novel is a combination of fact and fiction. Blending together these two elements is important in any historical novel, but especially in The Feast of the Goat because Vargas Llosa chose to narrate an actual event through the minds of both real and fictional characters. Some characters are fictional, and those that are non-fictional still have fictionalized aspects in the book. The general details of the assassination are true, and the assassins are all real people. While they lie in wait for the Dictator to arrive, they recount actual crimes of the regime, such as the murder of the Mirabal sisters. However, other details are invented by Vargas Llosa, such as Amadito's murder of the brother of the woman he loved. Those within the regime are also a mix of fictional characters and real people. President Balaguer is real, but the entire Cabral family is completely fictional. According to Wolff, Vargas Llosa "uses history as a starting point in constructing a fictionalized account of Trujillo's "spiritual colonization" of the Dominican Republic as experienced by one Dominican family. The fictional Cabral family allows Vargas Llosa to show two sides of the Trujillo regime: through Agustin, the reader sees ultimate dedication and sacrifice to the leader of the nation; through Urania, the violence of the regime and the legacy of pain it left behind. Vargas Llosa also fictionalized the internal thoughts of the characters who were non-fictional, especially those of the Goat himself. According to literary scholar Richard Patterson, "Vargas Llosa's expands all the way into the very "dark area" of Trujillo's consciousness (as the storyteller dares to conceive it)." Vargas Llosa also built an image of the regime with the troubled historical events. With regard to the historical accuracy of the book, Vargas Llosa has said "It's a novel, not a history book, so I took many, many liberties. The only limitation I imposed on myself was that I was not going to invent anything that couldn't have happened within the framework of life in the Dominican Republic. I have respected the basic facts, but I have changed and deformed many things in order to make the story more persuasive—and I have not exaggerated." ## Critical reception The realist style of The Feast of the Goat is recognized by some reviewers as being a break from a more allegorical approach to the dictator novel. The novel received largely positive reviews, most of which were willing to accept sacrifices of historical accuracy in favour of good storytelling. The Daily Telegraph reported on reviews from several publications with a rating scale for the novel out of "Love It", "Pretty Good", "Ok", and "Rubbish": Times, Independent, Independent On Sunday, and Spectator reviews under "Love It" and Daily Telegraph and New Statesman reviews under "Pretty Good" and Literary Review review under "Ok". The Guardian gave the novel an average rating of 9 out of 10 based on reviews from multiple British newspapers. According to Book Marks, based on mostly American press, the book received "positive" reviews based on fourteen critic reviews with five being "rave" and six being "positive" and three being "mixed." Globally, Complete Review saying on the consensus "Almost all impressed -- an important, solid work". A common comment on the novel is the graphic nature of the many acts of torture and murder, which are depicted in the novel. Vargas lets the reader see the realities of an oppressive regime with a degree of detail not often used by his compatriots in Latin American literature, as Michael Wood suggests in the London Review of Books: "Vargas Llosa ... tells us far more about the details of day-to-day intrigue, and the sordid, sadistic minutiae of torture and murder." Walter Kirn of The New York Times suggests that the "grisly scenes of dungeon interrogations and torture sessions" cast other aspects of the novel in a pale light, draining them of their significance and impact. Similarly, Kirn implies that the "narrative machinery" mentioned by Wood as being somewhat unwieldy also produces a largely superfluous storyline. The plot line centered on Urania Cabral is described by Sturrock as being an emotional centre that focuses the novel, and Wood agrees that her confrontations with past demons hold the readers attention. In contrast, Kirn's review states that Urania's segments are "talky and atmospheric ... [and] seem to be on loan from another sort of book." Most reviews of The Feast of the Goat make either indirect of direct reference to the relationship between sexuality and power. Salon reviewer Laura Miller, writer for The Observer Jonathan Heawood, Walter Kirn, and Michael Wood each detail the connection between Trujillo's gradual loss of ultimate control, both over his body and his followers. The means by which Trujillo reinforces political power through sexual acts and begins to lose personal conviction as his body fails him, are topics of frequent discussion among reviewers. In 2011 Bernard Diederich, author of the 1978 non-fiction book Trujillo: The Death of the Goat, accused Vargas-Llosa of plagiarism. ## Adaptations An English-language film adaptation of the novel was made in 2005, directed by Luis Llosa, Mario Vargas Llosa's cousin. It stars Isabella Rossellini as Urania Cabral, Paul Freeman as her father Agustin, Stephanie Leonidas as Uranita and Tomas Milian as Rafael Leonidas Trujillo. It was filmed in both the Dominican Republic and in Spain. Reviewing the film for the trade paper Variety", critic Jonathan Holland called it "less a feast than a somewhat rushed, but thoroughly enjoyable, three-course meal", commenting that the main difference from the source novel was the sacrifice of psychological nuance. The novel has also been adapted for the stage, by Jorge Alí Triana and his daughter Veronica Triana, directed by Jorge Triana: the play was put on (in Spanish, but with simultaneous translation to English) at Repertorio Español (www.repertorio.org/chivo) in New York in 2003; and the production moved to Lima in 2007. A feature of the novel's stage version is that the same actor plays both Agustin Cabral and Rafael Trujillo. For reviewer Bruce Weber, this makes the point "that Trujillo's control of the nation depended on gutless collaborators".

# Better Call Saul season 4 The fourth season of the American television drama series Better Call Saul premiered on August 6, 2018, and concluded on October 8, 2018. The fourth season consists of 10 episodes and aired on Mondays at 9:00 pm (Eastern) in the United States on AMC. A spin-off prequel of Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul was created by Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould, both of whom also worked on Breaking Bad. The first and second seasons mainly took place in 2002, with season three advancing the storyline to 2003. The fourth season also takes place mainly in 2003, with the last four episodes taking place in 2004 after a time jump in the seventh episode. In season four, Jimmy and Kim struggle to cope with Chuck's death. Howard believes that he is responsible for Chuck's death, and suffers with depression and disengagement from work. Mike begins security inspections at Madrigal, disregarding the fact that his consulting contract was supposed to be only a paper transaction. Gus is suspicious of Nacho after Hector's stroke. Nacho becomes a mole for Gus inside the Salamanca organization. Gus hires an engineer and construction crew to begin construction of the meth "superlab" under the industrial laundry. Lalo Salamanca arrives to begin running the family's drug business. The fourth season of Better Call Saul received acclaim from critics and audiences, particularly for its pacing and character development, and six nominations for the 71st Primetime Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Drama Series. ## Production AMC renewed Better Call Saul for a 10-episode fourth season in June 2017. The fourth season premiered in August 2018, and aired on Mondays at 9:00 pm (Eastern); the fourth season premiered later in the year than previous seasons, as both season 1 and 2 premiered in February 2015 and 2016, and season 3 premiered in April 2017. Screen Rant speculated that because the season was not confirmed until after the third season had finished airing, that the writers had a later start at writing, and the season did not begin filming until January 2018. ### Filming Better Call Saul is set and filmed in Albuquerque, New Mexico, the same location as its predecessor. Filming for the fourth season of Better Call Saul began in January 2018. The first episode was directed by Minkie Spiro. On May 30, 2018, screenwriter Thomas Schnauz confirmed in a tweet that production of the fourth season had finished. In the first scene of the season, Jimmy is hiding his real identity under his Gene Takavic alias while working at a Cinnabon in a shopping mall in Omaha, Nebraska. The Cinnabon scenes in Better Call Saul are set in Omaha, but filmed at the Cottonwood Mall in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Mark Margolis, who plays drug kingpin Hector Salamanca, required brain surgery after suffering severe head injuries in an accidental fall during filming. The episode "Piñata" was directed by Andrew Stanton, who is better known for writing and directing several Pixar films, including Finding Nemo and WALL-E. During a conversation with Mark Johnson and Melissa Bernstein, the show's executive producers, he was given the suggestion that he accept an opportunity to direct a Better Call Saul episode, which he jumped at, as he had already been a fan of both Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul, and wanted the opportunity to work with the creators Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould. ### Casting Returning main cast members are Bob Odenkirk as Jimmy McGill, Jonathan Banks as Mike Ehrmantraut, Rhea Seehorn as Kim Wexler, Patrick Fabian as Howard Hamlin, Michael Mando as Nacho Varga, and Giancarlo Esposito as Gus Fring. Michael McKean (Chuck McGill), who was credited as a main cast member in previous seasons, does not return as a series regular following Chuck's death in the third season finale. In a June 2017 interview following the third-season finale, McKean commented on the possibility of returning to the series, stating "I know they want to bring me in for some flashbacks this coming season." McKean made a guest appearance in a flashback sequence at the beginning of the sixth episode, "Piñata", and again in the season finale, "Winner". In May 2018, it was reported that Stefan Kapičić would have a recurring role in the fourth season. Kapičić stated, "I'm thrilled that I have a chance to become a part of Better Call Saul family. It is one of my favorite shows on TV and it's a dream come true be a part of the Breaking Bad universe." Lalo Salamanca, portrayed by Tony Dalton, is introduced in the eighth episode of the season. The character was first mentioned in the Breaking Bad episode "Better Call Saul". The episode "Something Beautiful" marks the first Better Call Saul appearance of Gale Boetticher, a supporting character from Breaking Bad played by David Costabile. Costabile had been in Albuquerque filming Dig while Better Call Saul's team was wrapping up production of the first season. He met with Gould, and they agreed to have Gale appear on Better Call Saul. Costabile was able to work in filming for Better Call Saul between filming on Billions, but had only about a week to memorize both his dialogue and the lyrics to Tom Lehrer's "The Elements" which he had to sing karaoke-style in his scenes. This short period contrasted with his past singing performances on Breaking Bad, when he had more time to learn the lyrics. ## Plot The death of Jimmy's brother Chuck serves as a catalyst for his further transformation into Saul Goodman, and Jimmy's entrance into the criminal world puts a strain on his relationship with Kim and his future as a lawyer. Chuck's death also deeply affects Kim and Howard. Mike becomes a contracted security consultant for Madrigal. Nacho's attempted murder of Hector Salamanca causes Hector's stroke and disability, and affects the operations of Don Eladio's drug cartel and Gus Fring's plot to take it over. Gilligan said in January 2018 that Better Call Saul "gets darker this season," and Odenkirk said that the fourth season would go to "another level." ## Cast and characters ### Main - Bob Odenkirk as Jimmy McGill / Saul Goodman, suspended New Mexico attorney, turned cell phone sales manager, moonlighting in prepaid phone sales to criminals. In the present, he manages a Cinnabon store in Omaha under the alias Gene Takavic. - Jonathan Banks as Mike Ehrmantraut, Madrigal corporate security consultant, gradually becoming a "fixer" for Gus Fring's criminal ambitions. - Rhea Seehorn as Kim Wexler, now primarily a corporate banking lawyer with a moral passion for public defense cases, Jimmy's girlfriend and legal confidant. - Patrick Fabian as Howard Hamlin, sole managing partner of the now flailing Hamlin, Hamlin & McGill, executor of Chuck's estate, suffering from insomnia and depression. - Michael Mando as Nacho Varga, a lieutenant in Don Eladio's Mexican cartel, now overseeing daily operations in Albuquerque; torn between the vicious Salamanca enforcers and Gus Fring's ambitions for complete takeover and secession from Eladio, co-opted by Fring after trying to kill Hector Salamanca. - Giancarlo Esposito as Gus Fring, a Chilean national, now Albuquerque cocaine distributor in Don Eladio's cartel, using his fried chicken chain, Los Pollos Hermanos, as a legitimate front. ### Recurring - Mark Margolis as Hector Salamanca, the patriarch of a brutal family of drug enforcers in Don Eladio's Mexican cartel, incapacitated via a stroke at the end of season three. - Kerry Condon as Stacey Ehrmantraut, Mike's widowed daughter-in-law and the mother of Kaylee Ehrmantraut - Jeremiah Bitsui as Victor, Gus' henchman. - Vincent Fuentes as Arturo, a criminal associate of Nacho Varga and Hector Salamanca. - Ann Cusack as Rebecca Bois, Chuck's ex-wife. - Dennis Boutsikaris as Rich Schweikart, the attorney for Sandpiper Crossing in the class action lawsuit Jimmy develops. - Andrew Friedman as Mr. Neff, manager of Neff Copiers. - Poorna Jagannathan as Dr. Maureen Bruckner, Johns Hopkins stroke-recovery specialist, funded by Gus Fring's grant to oversee Hector's treatment. - Daniel Moncada and Luis Moncada as Leonel and Marco Salamanca, Hector's nephews, Tuco's cousins, brutal hitmen for the Eladio cartel. - Javier Grajeda as Juan Bolsa, Eladio cartel under boss - Ray Campbell as Tyrus Kitt, a henchman on Gus Fring's payroll. - Juan Carlos Cantu as Manuel Varga, Nacho's father, owner of an upholstery shop. - Abigail Zoe Lewis as Kaylee Ehrmantraut, Mike's granddaughter. - Rex Linn as Kevin Wachtell, the CEO of Mesa Verde Bank, now Kim's only client. - Cara Pifko as Paige Novick, the senior counsel of Mesa Verde Bank and Trust. - Franc Ross as Ira, a burglar with whom Jimmy conspires, and the owner of Vamonos Pest. - Keiko Agena as Viola Goto, Kim's paralegal. - Tommy Nelson as Rocco, the leader of the thugs who mug Jimmy at House of Dogs. - Carlin James as Zane, a thug who mugs Jimmy. - Cory Chapman as Jed, a thug who mugs Jimmy. - Eileen Fogarty as Mrs. Nguyen, owner of a nail salon and Jimmy's landlord. - David Costabile as Gale Boetticher, an idealistic college chemistry student on scholarship. - Rainer Bock as Werner Ziegler, a German engineer hired by Gus to plan and oversee the construction of his underground meth "superlab" - Stefan Kapičić as Casper, a member of Werner Ziegler's team for the construction of Gus's meth "superlab" - Ben Bela Böhm as Kai, a member of Werner Ziegler's construction team, who Mike holds in contempt - Lavell Crawford as Huell Babineaux, a professional pickpocket hired by Jimmy for security. - Michael McKean as Chuck McGill, who appears in flashbacks, Jimmy's deceased elder brother and a founding partner of HHM. Chuck committed suicide at the end of the third season. - Josh Fadem as Camera Guy, a UNM film student, helps Jimmy on various endeavors. - Hayley Holmes as Drama Girl, UNM film student who helps Jimmy on various projects and schemes. - Julian Bonfiglio as Sound Guy, UNM film student who helps Jimmy. - Tony Dalton as Lalo Salamanca, acting head of the Salamanca family of drug dealers, part of Don Eladio's cartel. - Ethan Phillips as Benedict Munsinger, a judge. ### Guest stars - Ed Begley Jr. as Clifford Main, founding partner of Davis & Main, Jimmy's former employer in the second season. - Don Harvey as Jeff, a cab driver Gene encounters. - Laura Fraser as Lydia Rodarte-Quayle, a Madrigal Electromotive executive and associate of Gus Fring. - JB Blanc as Barry Goodman, Gus Fring's medical counsel. - Joe DeRosa as Dr. Caldera, a veterinarian who serves as Mike and Jimmy's liaison to the criminal underworld. - Tamara Tunie as Anita, a member of Mike's widower's support group. - Tina Parker as Francesca Liddy, Jimmy's receptionist. - Peter Diseth as Bill Oakley, a deputy district attorney. - Max Arciniega as Krazy-8 Molina, a cocaine distributor working for Nacho and the Salamanca family. - Brandon K. Hampton as Ernesto, Chuck's paralegal/assistant, appears in a flashback. ## Episodes ## Reception ### Critical response The fourth season, much like the previous three, received critical acclaim, particularly for its pacing and character development. On Metacritic, the season has a score of 87 out of 100 based on 16 critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, the season has a 99% approval rating with an average score of 8.9 out of 10 based on 185 reviews. The site's critical consensus states, "Well-crafted and compelling as ever, Better Call Saul deftly balances the show it was and the one it will inevitably become." Based on the first three episodes, Liz Shannon Miller of IndieWire gave the series a highly positive review with an "A" grade. She wrote that season four is "better, deeper, and more daring" and that it is "one of the most subtle and brilliant shows on TV." Spencer Kornhaber of The Atlantic said of the season premiere: "Old dynamics flip, long-gestating character studies pay off, and feelings geyser up in surprising places." Following the season finale, Judy Berman of Time wrote, "In showing us one individual's preordained moral downfall, Better Call Saul spent Season 4 demonstrating how a hypocritical criminal justice system can ensnare a whole class of people for life". Chris Evangelista of /Film wrote after the finale: "Better Call Saul remains one of the best shows on TV right now. Not only did Jimmy change this season, he changed those around him – and for the worst." Lalo Salamanca, portrayed by Tony Dalton, is introduced as a recurring character in this season, Alan Sepinwall of Rolling Stone said Dalton "makes a solid first impression in the role, so hopefully this will turn out to be more than filling in a blank most viewers had long since forgotten existed." #### Critics' top ten list ### Ratings ## Accolades In 2018, Better Call Saul was named one of the top 10 television programs of the year by the American Film Institute. The series won the award for Outstanding Achievement in Drama at the 35th TCA Awards. For the 71st Primetime Emmy Awards, the series received six nominations–for Outstanding Drama Series, Odenkirk for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series, Banks and Esposito each for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series, McKean for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series, and Schnauz and Gould for Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series for the episode "Winner". ## Home media The fourth season was released on Blu-ray and DVD in region 1 on May 7, 2019. The set contains all 10 episodes, plus audio commentaries for every episode and several behind-the-scenes featurettes. ## International broadcast Outside the U.S. in certain international markets, season 4 was released on Netflix with episodes available the day after the episodes were broadcast on AMC. ## Related media ### Madrigal Electromotive Security Training Similar to the series of fictional employee training videos used during season three, AMC posted ten mini-episodes of Madrigal Electromotive Security Training to YouTube and its social media accounts during the run of season four. The videos feature a mix of live-action footage of Banks portraying Mike in providing training to new security employees of Madrigal and animated segments. Jonathan Banks and the series were initially nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Actor in a Short Form Comedy or Drama Series and Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Short Form Comedy or Drama Series, respectively, but the nominations were pulled by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences after they discovered the episodes were shorter than the category's required runtime, stating "This decision is in no way a diminishment of the quality of Better Call Saul Employee Training or Mr. Banks' performance in it".

# U.S. Route 195 U.S. Route 195 (US 195) is a north–south United States Highway, of which all but 0.65 miles of its 94.02 miles (1.05 of 151.95 km) are within the state of Washington. The highway starts in rural Idaho north of the city of Lewiston as a state highway in an interchange with US 95. As the road crosses into Washington it becomes a state highway that connects communities in the Palouse region of Eastern Washington. US 195 travels north, serving the cities of Pullman, Colfax and Rosalia in Whitman County before continuing into Spokane County to its terminus in the city of Spokane at an interchange with Interstate 90 (I-90). The first section of US 195 designated as part of Washington's state highway system was codified in 1913 from Colfax to Spokane as the Inland Empire Highway and from the Idaho state line to Pullman as the Second Division of the Eastern Route of the Inland Empire Highway. The two highways were included as part of State Road 3 in 1923 and US 195 during the creation of the US Highway System on November 11, 1926. Originally, the northern terminus of the highway was at US 95 in Sandpoint, but was truncated to Spokane after US 2 was extended west from Bonners Ferry in 1946. US 195 was cosigned with Primary State Highway 3 (PSH 3) from US 95 to Spokane and PSH 6 from Spokane to Newport from the creation of the primary and secondary state highways in 1937 until the 1964 highway renumbering. US 195 was extended south into Idaho after the relocation of US 95, designated as the North and South Highway in 1916, onto its present freeway in 1975. Bypasses of Pullman, Rosalia, and Plaza were completed during the early 1970s, converting portions of US 195 into a divided highway. ## Route description US 195 runs 94.02 miles (151.31 km) in Idaho and Washington and is listed in its entirety as part of the National Highway System, a system of roads crucial to the nation's economy, defense and mobility. As a state highway in both states, the roadway is maintained by the Idaho Transportation Department (ITD) and Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT). ### Idaho US 195 travels within Idaho for 0.577 miles (0.929 km) from an interchange with US 95 to the Washington state line, entirely north of Lewiston atop the Lewiston Hill in unincorporated Nez Perce County. ITD surveys the roads under its control on a regular basis to measure the amount of traffic using the state's highways. These traffic counts are expressed in terms of annual average daily traffic (AADT), a calculation of the average daily number of vehicles on a segment of roadway. A July 2011 survey reported average daily traffic of 6,761 vehicles being served the US 95 interchange. Administratively, US 195 does not exist in Idaho. According to ITD's milepoint log, both carriageways are officially US 95 ramps into Washington state. ### Washington US 195 travels 93.37 miles (150.26 km) north through the Palouse region of Eastern Washington, from the Idaho state line north to Spokane. The highway serves as an important link between Pullman and Spokane as well as part of the Palouse Scenic Byway and a main north–south route in the region alongside State Route 27 (SR 27). US 195 enters Washington north of Clarkston in unincorporated Whitman County and travels west to an intersection with its 0.61-mile-long (0.98 km) spur route, providing a connection to US 95 northbound towards Moscow. The highway continues northwest through farmland and the towns of Uniontown and Colton along Union Flat Creek towards Pullman. US 195 intersects SR 27, also part of the Palouse Scenic Byway, and travels west of Pullman on a highway bypass of the city. The bypass travels through the termini of SR 194 and SR 270 as it leaves the Pullman area heading north towards Colfax along the South Fork Palouse River. US 195 becomes Main Street within Colfax and travels through the town along a WSDOT rail line to the eastern terminus of SR 272 and SR 26. The highway continues north along Pine Creek and the WSDOT rail line past the northern terminus of SR 271, a diamond interchange south of Rosalia, before leaving the Palouse Scenic Byway at the Spokane County border. The roadway heads north through a diamond interchange in Plaza and along Spangle Creek past the community of Spangle. US 195 enters the city of Spokane as a four-lane highway along Hangman Creek and ends at a partial cloverleaf interchange with I-90, cosigned with US 2 and US 395. US 195 is defined by the Washington State Legislature as SR 195. Every year, WSDOT conducts a series of surveys on its highways in the state to measure traffic volume. This is expressed in terms of AADT, which is a measure of traffic volume for any average day of the year. In 2012, WSDOT calculated that the busiest section of US 195 within Washington was in Hangman Valley before the I-90 interchange in Spokane, serving 19,000 vehicles, while the least busiest section was between Pullman and Colfax, serving 3,100 vehicles. The entire route of US 195 is designated as a Highway of Statewide Significance by WSDOT, which includes highways that connect major communities in the state of Washington. ## History The Inland Empire Highway was originally a collection of gravel county roads that have existed since 1898 in the Spokane area and 1905 in the Pullman area. These roads roughly followed an early territorial highway built in the 1870s between Colfax and Spokane. The highway was added to the state highway system in 1913, traveling within the Palouse region between Colfax and Spokane. The Second Division of the Eastern Route of the Inland Empire Highway was also established in 1913, traveling northwest from Sampson Trail Y at the Idaho–Washington state line to Pullman. The Idaho portion of US 195 became part of the North and South Highway in 1916 and was not numbered under Idaho's state highway system in 1953. The gap in the Second Division between Pullman and Colfax was named by Whitman County as a highway of importance the following year and was not built until 1925 as part of State Road 3. State Road 23, connecting Spokane to Newport, was designated in 1915 before it was renamed to the Pend O'Reille Highway and renumbered to State Road 6 in 1923. The Inland Empire Highway was numbered as State Road 3 in 1923 and retained the designation as PSH 3 in 1937, while State Road 6 became PSH 6. The United States Highway System was established on November 11, 1926, during its adoption by the American Association of State Highway Officials (AASHO) and included US 195, traveling north from US 95 within Washington through Pullman and Spokane before ending at US 95 in Sandpoint, Idaho. The present four-lane divided highway along Hangman Creek in Spokane was constructed in 1939 as part of general improvements to Eastern Washington highways, relocating the route of the creek and a nearby Northern Pacific Railway line. The section of US 195 between Spokane and Sandpoint became co-signed with an extension of US 2 from Bonners Ferry, Idaho to Everett, Washington in 1946, and the highway was truncated to US 10 and US 395 in 1969. During the 1964 highway renumbering, Washington converted its highways to the present state route system, to take effect in 1970. US 195 replaced PSH 3 and its branches along its present route, with its southern terminus at US 95 atop Lewiston Hill in Idaho and its northern terminus at I-90 in Spokane at an interchange that was opened in December 1965, along with a new 7.2-mile (11.6 km) segment between Thornton and Rosalia. Between 1973 and 1975, State Department of Highways completed construction of three highway bypasses around Pullman, Rosalia, and Plaza. Funds that were originally intended for the canceled Bay Freeway project in Seattle were instead redirected to the bypasses earlier in the decade. A four-lane bypass of Colfax was approved for construction in 1971, but deferred indefinitely due to a lack of funding. The western bypass of Pullman was completed in 1974 at a cost of $1.04 million. US 95 was relocated onto its present freeway, bypassing Washington state, in 1977 and US 195 was extended south into Idaho to the new interchange with a spur route traveling towards northbound US 95. The highway between Uniontown and Rosalia was designated as part of the Palouse Scenic Byway on December 19, 2002, as part of the Washington State Scenic and Recreational Highways program. In 2002, WSDOT adopted a long range plan to upgrade US 195 within the Hangman Valley in Spokane to limited-access standards by constructing new interchanges at four intersections. One of the interchanges, at Cheney–Spokane Road, was completed in 2014 at a cost of $9.4 million. Funding for the remaining interchange projects, estimated to cost $106 million in 2002 dollars, was not allocated and WSDOT is instead considering lower-cost improvements to the intersections. Increased traffic congestion on US 195 in Spokane lead to a development moratorium in place until capacity improvements are made to the highway. The first ramp meter in the Spokane area was installed at US 195's interchange with I-90 in 2019. ## Major junctions |} ## Spur route US 195 has a 0.54-mile-long (870 m) spur route near its southern terminus on the Washington–Idaho state line that travels east from US 195 to serve US 95 northbound atop Lewiston Hill. The unsigned highway, also known as the Genesee Spur, was established in 1979 on the former alignment of US 95 as it passed briefly through Washington before it was moved onto its present alignment. WSDOT included the road in its annual AADT survey in 2012 and calculated that 100 vehicles per day used the spur route. ITD designates the spur route as US-95 Spur in their milepoint log. ### Major intersections |}

# Namco × Capcom (pronounced as "Namco Cross Capcom") is a tactical role-playing (RPG) crossover video game developed by Monolith Soft for the PlayStation 2 and published by Namco in 2005. The gameplay combines tactical RPG and action sequences during battles, featuring characters from video game series owned by Namco and Capcom. The narrative sees original characters Reiji Arisu and Xiaomu, operatives for paranormal investigative group Shinra, confront distortions bringing characters from other realities into their own. The project was proposed by Monolith Soft to celebrate Namco's 50th anniversary, and Capcom was contacted as a partner due to their large character roster. Development began in 2003, directed and written by former Banpresto staff member Soichiro Morizumi. The artwork was cooperatively designed by Soulcalibur artist Takuji Kawano, Kazue Saito of Super Robot Wars, and veteran artist Kazunori Haruyama. The soundtrack uses arrangements of themes from the represented series, with original themes composed by Yuzo Koshiro. First announced in January 2005, the game was never released outside Japan, a fact attributed to the obscurity of some characters and the scale of its script. Releasing to strong sales, the game was given mixed reviews by Japanese and English journalists. Following Namco × Capcom, Monolith Soft would work on some other crossover titles, including the successor Project X Zone in 2012 for the Nintendo 3DS. ## Gameplay Namco × Capcom is a tactical role-playing game which puts players in control of teams of characters drawn from the video game properties of Namco and Capcom. Gameplay is divided into levels, which are unlocked as the player progresses through the narrative. These levels are split between story segments told through character interactions and gameplay where party members face off against enemy parties, with victory conditions which include clearing the field of enemies. In addition to normal story missions, the player can engage in training levels using training dummies to practice moves. They can also purchase items for healing or character boosts at shops using currency won during battles and through a gambling minigame activated between certain story chapters. Character moves and actions are dictated by Ability Points (AP), of which a set amount is assigned to each character at the beginning of a battle. The game's turn-based battles play out in a grid-based arena from an overhead perspective; each unit on both sides has their turn placed according to their current AP. Any character with ten AP can move and perform actions, with AP being recovered by doing little or nothing for each turn. Movement distance varies between characters, with some walking or flying and others being able to pass over obstacles. Playable characters appear in both pairs and as solo units, with different characters specializing in short or long-range attacks based on their abilities in their native series. When units engage in battle, the game transitions into a horizontal view. Timed button presses trigger different attacks. Each unit's attack number is dictated by a counter labelled "Branch". When the Branch counter is depleted, the battle ends, and if the enemy unit is defeated, they disappear from the map. Successful attacks begin a combination, which increase a character's experience point (EXP) reward. Continual attacks also raise a character's fatigue level, which when maxed out will prevent them from moving for several turns. Successful attacks build up special meters which allow for both a unit-specific special attack and a Multi-Assault attack where another character is called in to deal extra damage. The player party can also engage in a defensive battle when attacked, with successful defending decreasing or nullifying damage and regaining AP. The player can also directly counterattack, which drains AP. With each battle, player characters gain experience levels based on earned EXP. ## Synopsis The story opens with Reiji Arisu and his kitsune mentor Xiaomu, operatives for the supernatural investigative task force Shinra, being called to deal with interdimensional rifts opening in their world. These rifts pull in beings from alternate realities, many of which ally with Reiji and Xiaomu to fight both the forces behind the rifts and opponents drawn from their native universes. The group is opposed by Ouma, a group dedicated to causing chaos, with their main rival being Ouma operative Saya, a being similar to Xiaomu. It is eventually revealed that Ouma wishes to resurrect a dark deity dubbed "99" through the merging of multiple realities. Reiji's father Shougo fought Saya to prevent this ten years before and was forced to sacrifice himself with Xiaomu's aid to succeed. While initially defeated, Ouma succeeds in merging the worlds, and 99 is resurrected using Saya as a host. While Reiji is prepared to sacrifice himself as Shougo did, his and Xiaomu's allies return from their realities and combine their powers to cripple 99. Saya allows herself to be killed by Reiji to destroy 99 permanently. At a celebratory party which all their allies attend, Reiji and Xiaomu mutually declare their love for each other. ### Characters #### Pair units - Reiji Arisu and Xiaomu - Klonoa and Guntz (Klonoa) - Krino Sandra and Sabine (The Legend of Valkyrie) - Stahn Aileron and Rutee Katrea (Tales of Destiny) - Gilgamesh and Ki (The Tower of Druaga) - Shion Uzuki and M.O.M.O. (Xenosaga) - Toby Masuyo (Baraduke) and Hiromi Tengenji (Burning Force) - Bravoman (Bravoman) and Wonder Momo (Wonder Momo) - Tarosuke (Yokai Dochuki) and Taira no Kagekiyo (Genpei Tōma Den) - King (Tekken) and Felicia (Darkstalkers) - Baby Head and Mack the Knife (Captain Commando) - Morrigan Aensland and Lilith (Darkstalkers) - Unknown Soldier 1P and Unknown Soldier 2P (Forgotten Worlds) - MegaMan Volnutt and Roll Caskett (Mega Man Legends) - Tron Bonne and Servbot (Mega Man Legends) - Hideo Shimazu and Kyoko Minazuki (Rival Schools: United By Fate) - Chun-Li and Cammy (Street Fighter) - Sakura Kasugano and Karin Kanzuki (Street Fighter Alpha) - Hsien-Ko (Darkstalkers) and Fong Ling (Resident Evil: Dead Aim) - Guy (Final Fight) and Ginzu the Ninja (Captain Commando) - Bruce McGivern (Resident Evil: Dead Aim) and Regina (Dino Crisis) #### Solo units - Waya-Hime (Bravoman) - Taizo Hori (Dig Dug) - Valkyrie (The Legend of Valkyrie) - Heishirō Mitsurugi (Soulcalibur) - Taki (Soulcalibur) - Judas (Tales of Destiny 2) - Heihachi Mishima (Tekken) - Jin Kazama (Tekken) - Armor King (Tekken) - KOS-MOS (Xenosaga) - Captain Commando (Captain Commando) - Demitri Maximoff (Darkstalkers) - Mike Haggar (Final Fight) - Sylphie (Forgotten Worlds) - Arthur (Ghosts 'n Goblins) - Ryu (Street Fighter) - Ken Masters (Street Fighter) - Rose (Street Fighter Alpha) - Strider Hiryu (Strider) ## Development Namco × Capcom was developed by Monolith Soft, then a subsidiary of Namco consisting of former Square employees who had gained fame through their work on the Xenosaga series and Baten Kaitos: Eternal Wings and the Lost Ocean. The game was directed and written by Soichiro Morizumi, a former employee of Banpresto and veteran of their Super Robot Wars franchise. The producer was Kouji Ishitani, who had served as an assistant director for Xenosaga Episode I and Baten Kaitos. Development began in 2003, and was initially proposed by Monolith Soft as an internal crossover of Namco characters for the company's 50th anniversary. This led to a roster of around 100 characters, but the team wanted a larger roster. To achieve this and create a "more exciting" experience, Namco reached out to Capcom to collaborate on the project. Capcom agreed, breaking the accepted reality of the time for large rival companies not to cooperate on a project. The game was Capcom's second major collaboration with another publisher following the SNK vs. Capcom series. Namco × Capcom was Morizumi's first project for Monolith Soft, and he was in charge of writing the game's scenario. The main theme of the story was "Love", a theme common to Morizumi's later writing. The antagonistic Saya was originally written as "brutal and irritating", but the character's interactions with Xiaomu and the input of her voice actress Ai Orikasa changed Saya into a woman with a big sister persona. This forced multiple rewrites to the script. While he remembered it fondly in later years, Morizumi found the project exhausting. Shinichiro Okamoto, one of the game's executive producers, described the project as difficult for him and credited the rest of the staff with helping the game reach completion. The character redesigns for Namco and Capcom characters were done by Takuji Kawano, an artist from the Soulcalibur series. The original characters were designed by Kazue Saito, who like Morizumi had worked on the Super Robot Wars franchise. Saito also designed the sprite graphics, and cut-in graphics for battles. The conversation portraits for characters were designed by veteran artist Kazunori Haruyama. The design of main protagonist Reiji was based on the builds of professional wrestlers. The game's opening animation was produced by Production I.G, famous for their work on anime and video game series. Namco × Capcom was announced in January 2005; at this point, the game was 70% complete. When first announced, Mega Man creator Keiji Inafune praised the initiative behind the project. Namco × Capcom was released in Japan on May 26, 2005. The game was never released internationally, with several outlets citing both its large amount of text and a lack of worldwide recognition for many of the represented characters as potential reasons for this. A fan translation was created by a group called TransGen, made up of ten development team members and thirty beta testers. The translation was completed over two years, releasing in 2008. ### Music The soundtrack consists mainly of arrangements of themes from represented series. The only credited arranger is Yasunori Mitsuda, who worked on his own tracks for Xenosaga Episode I. The opening and ending themes were composed by Yuzo Koshiro. The game was Koshiro's first time writing vocal themes. Koshiro was brought in to work on Namco × Capcom due to Ishitani being a fan of his work, with the vocal themes being the composer's only contribution to the soundtrack. The lyrics were written by Morizumi and both songs were performed by Flair. A special soundtrack album containing selected tracks was released as a first-print bonus with early buyers of the game. A full soundtrack album, which included an extended version of "Brave New World" and karaoke versions of both songs, was released by Capcom's music label Suleputer on August 31, 2005. ## Reception During the weeks following its release, the game came among the top ten best-selling games, reaching sales of nearly 117,000 units by late June. By the end of the year, the game was among the top 100 best-selling games in Japan, with total sales of 131,600. Japanese magazine Famitsu positively noted the use of kyōgen comedy routines in dialogue, but found other characters lacking development. One reviewer enjoyed the combination-based battles, but another faulted the game's balance. Gaming website Hardcore Gaming 101 said the game was "all about fan service", enjoying the character interactions but finding the gameplay itself very shallow. Siliconera similarly noted shallow and repetitive gameplay, but said that fans of both Namco and Capcom would enjoy the crossover elements. Hirohiko Niizumi of GameSpot felt that players needed extensive background knowledge of the represented series to enjoy the game, but enjoyed the interactions between characters. He also noted the simplicity of the gameplay, attributed to the need for broad appeal. Anoop Gantayat, writing for IGN, found the visuals lacking despite the game's hardware, and called the story structure "pretty plain". He was also disappointed by the shallow RPG elements. ## Legacy Following the release of Namco × Capcom, the two companies would collaborate on future projects, particularly Street Fighter X Tekken and the Mobile Suit Gundam VS series. The Namco × Capcom development team would later collaborate with Banpresto on the 2008 Nintendo DS game Super Robot Taisen OG Saga: Endless Frontier. They released its DS sequel Endless Frontier Exceed, in 2010. Monolith Soft and Banpresto later co-developed the 2012 Nintendo 3DS title Project X Zone. Designed as a successor to Namco × Capcom with similar gameplay and narrative, Project X Zone combined characters from Sega franchises with returning ones from Namco and Capcom. Its 2015 sequel, Project X Zone 2, would be developed solely by Monolith Soft and feature additional collaborations with Nintendo franchises.

# Music of the Final Fantasy Tactics series The music of the Final Fantasy Tactics series, composed of Final Fantasy Tactics, Tactics Advance, Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift, and The War of the Lions, was primarily composed by Hitoshi Sakimoto. He was assisted by Masaharu Iwata in composing the music for Final Fantasy Tactics. The Final Fantasy Tactics Original Soundtrack, a compilation of almost all of the music in the game, was released by DigiCube in 1997, and re-released by Square Enix in 2006. No separate soundtrack has been released for Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions. The soundtrack was well received by critics, who found it to be astounding and one of the best video game music soundtracks in existence at the time of its release. The music of Final Fantasy Tactics Advance was again composed by Hitoshi Sakimoto, with assistance from Nobuo Uematsu, Kaori Ohkoshi, and Ayako Saso. The Final Fantasy Tactics Advance Original Soundtrack, a compilation of almost all of the music in the game, was released by DigiCube in 2003. A new age arrangement album entitled White: Melodies of Final Fantasy Tactics Advance, a selection of musical tracks from the game arranged by Yo Yamazaki, Akira Sasaki, and Satoshi Henmi, was released by SME Visual Works in 2003. Final Fantasy Tactics Advance Original Soundtrack was well received by critics, who praised the album's composition. Critics did not react as well to the White: Melodies of Final Fantasy Tactics Advance album, finding it to be a mediocre album with poor arrangements. The music for Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift was also composed by Hitoshi Sakimoto, this time with the assistance of composers from his company Basiscape. The music was released as Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift Original Soundtrack by Square Enix in 2007. It was enjoyed by reviewers, who found it to be pleasant and rewarding. ## Albums ### Final Fantasy Tactics Original Soundtrack Final Fantasy Tactics Original Soundtrack is a soundtrack album of video game music from Final Fantasy Tactics, and was composed by Hitoshi Sakimoto and Masaharu Iwata. Sakimoto composed 46 tracks for the game, and Iwata composed the other 25. The album was first released on two Compact Discs by DigiCube on June 21, 1997, bearing the catalog number SSCX-10008, and was re-released by Square Enix on March 24, 2006, with the catalog numbers SQEX-10066-7. It spans two discs and 71 tracks, covering a duration of 2:31:03. The Final Fantasy Tactics Original Soundtrack reached \#62 on the Japan Oricon charts, selling over 12,400 copies. It received positive reviews from critics such as Patrick Gann of RPGFan. Ryan of Square Enix Music Online praised the way that the two composers' pieces blended together, and termed the album "one of the greatest soundtracks ever made and a true work of inspiration". Track list ### Final Fantasy Tactics Advance Original Soundtrack Final Fantasy Tactics Advance Original Soundtrack is a soundtrack album of video game music from Final Fantasy Tactics Advance. The album contains the musical tracks from the game, composed mainly by Hitoshi Sakimoto, with assistance from Nobuo Uematsu, Kaori Ohkoshi, and Ayako Saso. It spans 74 tracks and covers a duration of 2:05:27. The first disk includes every piece of music from the game, as it sounds through the Game Boy Advance hardware. The second disk contains synthesized versions of 32 of the same 42 tracks. The album was released on February 19, 2003, by DigiCube. The release bears the catalog numbers SSCX-10083-4 or SQEX-10070-1 (reprint). The album reached \#130 on the Oricon charts, selling over 1,800 copies. It was received favorably by critics; Richard Vardaro of RPGFan found it to be "beautifully composed" and compared it favorably to the soundtrack to Final Fantasy Tactics. However, he questioned the inclusion of the Game Boy Advance version of the soundtrack, finding it to be "tinny and raspy". Chris of Square Enix Music Online also enjoyed the soundtrack, seeing it as "creative, appealing, and mature" and "a must-have". Track list ### White: Melodies of Final Fantasy Tactics Advance White: Melodies of Final Fantasy Tactics Advance is an arranged album of music from Final Fantasy Tactics Advance. The album contains the musical tracks from the game, composed mainly by Hitoshi Sakimoto, with assistance from Nobuo Uematsu, Kaori Ohkoshi, and Ayako Saso, and arranged by Yo Yamazaki, Akira Sasaki, and Satoshi Henmi. It spans 11 tracks and covers a duration of 46:10. It was released on February 26, 2003, by SME Visual Works. The release bears the catalog number SVWC-7172. White was not received well by critics, with Patrick Gann finding it to be a mediocre album and saying that he felt "very disappointed" with it. He found the "new-age" style to be poorly chosen and the arrangements to be sub-par. Zeugma of Square Enix Music Online was more approving of the album, saying that it conveyed the "quiet mood" it promised, but finding it to sometimes be "dangerously close to muzak" with too many synthesized instruments and too little variation. ### Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift Original Soundtrack Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift Original Soundtrack is a soundtrack album of music from Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift. The album contains the musical tracks from the game, composed mainly by Hitoshi Sakimoto, with assistance of composers from Basiscape, his composing studio. Several compositions were also taken from the scores of Final Fantasy Tactics Advance and Final Fantasy XII. It spans 56 tracks across two disks and covers a duration of 2:13:10. It was released on November 28, 2007, by Square Enix. The release bears the catalog numbers SQEX-710102-3. The album received positive reviews from critics, with Vincent Chorley of RPGFan terming it "one of the most rewardingly pleasant soundtracks this year". Ovelia of Square Enix Music Online also enjoyed the soundtrack, saying that it was "mature yet still playful", but worried that it hinted at a stagnation in Sakimoto's musical style. Track list ## Legacy A radio drama based on Final Fantasy Tactics Advance was broadcast starting in January 2003, preceding the release of the game. The shows were compiled in a series of four CDs entitled Final Fantasy Tactics Advance Radio Edition vol. 1-4. The CDs were released by DigiCube on February 26, March 26, April 23, and May 21, 2003, with the catalog numbers SSCX-10082, SSCX-10088, SSCX-10092, and SSCX-10094, respectively. Additionally, a single was released by Sony Records on November 27, 2002, with the catalog number SRCL-5513 containing the song "Shiroi hana", performed by Zone, which was used as an image song for commercials for Final Fantasy Tactics Advance. A medley of pieces from Final Fantasy Tactics A2 was played at the Fantasy Comes Alive concert in Singapore on April 30, 2010. Selections of music from the Final Fantasy Tactics series have also appeared on Japanese remix albums, called dojin music, and on English remixing websites.

# Malcolm Sargent Sir Harold Malcolm Watts Sargent (29 April 1895 – 3 October 1967) was an English conductor, organist and composer widely regarded as Britain's leading conductor of choral works. The musical ensembles with which he was associated included the Ballets Russes, the Huddersfield Choral Society, the Royal Choral Society, the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company, and the London Philharmonic, Hallé, Liverpool Philharmonic, BBC Symphony and Royal Philharmonic orchestras. Sargent was held in high esteem by choirs and instrumental soloists, but because of his high standards and a statement that he made in a 1936 interview disputing musicians' rights to tenure, his relationship with orchestral players was often uneasy. Despite this, he was co-founder of the London Philharmonic, was the first conductor of the Liverpool Philharmonic as a full-time ensemble, and played an important part in saving the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra from disbandment in the 1960s. As chief conductor of London's internationally famous summer music festival the Henry Wood Promenade Concerts ("the Proms") from 1947 to 1967, Sargent was one of the best-known English conductors. When he took over the Proms, he and two assistants conducted the two-month season between them. By the time he died, he was assisted by a large international roster of guest conductors. At the outbreak of the Second World War, Sargent turned down an offer of a musical directorship in Australia and returned to Britain to bring music to as many people as possible as his contribution to national morale. His fame extended beyond the concert hall: to the British public, he was a familiar broadcaster in BBC radio discussion programmes, and generations of Gilbert and Sullivan devotees have known his recordings of the most popular Savoy Operas. He toured widely throughout the world and was noted for his skill as a conductor, his championship of British composers, and his debonair appearance, which won him the nickname "Flash Harry". ## Life and career Sargent's parents lived in Stamford, Lincolnshire, but he was born in Ashford, in Kent while his mother was staying with a family friend. He was the elder child and only son of Henry Edward Sargent (1863–1936) and his wife Agnes, née Hall (1860–1942). Henry Sargent was chief clerk at a Stamford coal merchant, an amateur musician and local church organist; before their marriage his wife had been the matron of the Stamford High School for Girls. The young Sargent won a scholarship to Stamford School, where he was a pupil from 1907 to 1912. At the same time he was preparing for the musical career his father envisaged for him. He studied piano and organ, and joined the local amateur operatic society, making his stage debut in The Mikado aged 13 and conducting for the first time the following year when the regular conductor was unavailable. On leaving school, Sargent was articled to Haydn Keeton, organist of Peterborough Cathedral, and was one of the last musicians to be trained in that traditional way. At the age of 16 he gained his diploma as Associate of the Royal College of Organists, and at 18 he was awarded the degree of Bachelor of Music by the University of Durham. ### Early career Sargent worked first as an organist at St Mary's Church, Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire, from 1914 to 1924, except for eight months in 1918 when he served as a private in the Durham Light Infantry during the First World War. He was chosen for the organist post over more than 150 other applicants. In addition to his organ playing he worked on many musical projects in Leicester, Melton Mowbray and Stamford, where he not only conducted but also produced the operas of Gilbert and Sullivan and others for amateur societies. The Prince of Wales and his entourage often hunted in Leicestershire and watched the annual Gilbert and Sullivan productions there, together with the Duke of York and other members of the Royal Family. At the age of 24 Sargent became England's youngest Doctor of Music, with a degree from Durham. Sargent's break came when Sir Henry Wood visited the De Montfort Hall, Leicester, early in 1921 with the Queen's Hall orchestra. As it was his custom to commission a piece from a local composer, Wood invited Sargent to write a piece. Sargent did so – a tone poem, An Impression on a Windy Day, a seven-minute orchestral allegro impetuoso. He completed it too late for Wood to have enough time to learn it, and Wood called on him to conduct the first performance. Wood recognised not only the worth of the piece but also Sargent's talent as a conductor and gave him the chance to make his London debut, conducting the work at the Proms – the annual season of the Henry Wood Promenade Concerts – in the Queen's Hall on 11 October of the same year. Sargent as composer attracted favourable notice in a Prom season when other composer-conductors included Gustav Holst with his Planets suite, and the next year Wood included Sargent's "Nocturne and Scherzo" in the Proms programme, also conducted by the composer. Sargent was invited to conduct his Impression again in the 1923 season, but it was as a conductor that he made the greater impact. On the advice of Wood, among others, he soon abandoned composition in favour of conducting. He founded the amateur Leicester Symphony Orchestra in 1922, which he continued to conduct until 1939. Under Sargent, the orchestra's prestige grew until it was able to obtain such top-flight soloists as Alfred Cortot, Artur Schnabel, Solomon, Guilhermina Suggia and Benno Moiseiwitsch. Moiseiwitsch gave Sargent piano lessons without charge, judging him talented enough to make a successful career as a concert pianist, but Sargent chose a conducting career. At the instigation of Wood and Adrian Boult he became a lecturer at the Royal College of Music in London in 1923. ### National fame In the 1920s Sargent became one of the best-known English conductors. In London, he succeeded Boult as conductor of the Robert Mayer Concerts for Children from 1924 to 1939. In the provinces he conducted the British National Opera Company in The Mastersingers on tour in 1924 and 1925, winning praise from music critics around the country. In 1925 he conducted his first broadcast performance for the BBC: more than two thousand more followed over the next four decades. In 1926 Sargent began an association with the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company that lasted, on and off, for the rest of his life. He conducted London seasons at the Prince's Theatre in 1926 and the newly rebuilt Savoy Theatre in 1929–30. He was criticised by The Times for allegedly adding "gags" to the Gilbert and Sullivan scores, although the writer praised the crispness of the ensemble, the "musicalness" of the performance and the beauty of the overture. Rupert D'Oyly Carte wrote to the paper stating that Sargent had worked from Arthur Sullivan's manuscript scores and had merely brought out the "details of the orchestration" exactly as Sullivan had written them. Some of the principal cast members objected to Sargent's fast tempi, at least at first. The D'Oyly Carte seasons brought Sargent's name to a wider public with an early BBC radio relay of The Mikado in 1926 heard by up to eight million people. The Evening Standard commented that this was "probably the largest audience that has ever heard anything at one time in the history of the world". In 1927 Sergei Diaghilev engaged Sargent to conduct for the Ballets Russes, sharing the conducting with Igor Stravinsky and Sir Thomas Beecham. In 1928 Sargent was appointed conductor of the Royal Choral Society; he retained this post for four decades until his death. The society was famous in the 1920s and 1930s for staged performances of Samuel Coleridge-Taylor's Hiawatha at the Royal Albert Hall, a work with which Sargent's name soon became synonymous. Elizabeth Courtauld, wife of the industrialist and art collector Samuel Courtauld, promoted a popular series of subscription concerts beginning in 1929 and on Schnabel's advice engaged Sargent as chief conductor, with guest conductors including Bruno Walter, Otto Klemperer and Stravinsky. The Courtauld-Sargent concerts, as they became known, were aimed at people who had not previously attended concerts. They attracted large audiences, bringing Sargent's name before another section of the public. In addition to the core repertory, Sargent introduced new works by Bliss, Honegger, Kodály, Martinů, Prokofiev, Szymanowski and Walton, among others. At first, the London Symphony Orchestra was engaged for these concerts, but the orchestra, a self-governing co-operative, refused to replace key players whom Sargent considered sub-standard. As a result, in conjunction with Beecham, Sargent set about establishing a new orchestra, the London Philharmonic. In these years Sargent tackled a wide repertoire, recording much of it, but he was particularly noted for performances of choral pieces, most notably Handel's Messiah, performed with large choruses and orchestras. He joked that his career was based on "the two M's – Messiah and Mikado". He promoted British music, as he would throughout his career, and conducted the premieres of At the Boar's Head (1925) by Holst; Hugh the Drover (1924); Sir John in Love (1929) by Vaughan Williams; and Walton's cantata Belshazzar's Feast (at the Leeds Triennial Festival of 1931). The chorus for the last of these found Walton's music difficult, but Sargent engaged them with it, telling them they were helping to make musical history, and reminding them that Berlioz's Requiem and Elgar's The Dream of Gerontius had been considered impossible at first. He drew from them and the LSO what The Times described as "a performance of unflagging energy and amazing volume of tone under Dr. Malcolm Sargent", ### Difficult years and war years In October 1932 Sargent suffered a near-fatal attack of tuberculosis. For almost two years he was unable to work, and it was only later in the 1930s that he returned to the concert scene. In 1936 he conducted his first opera at Covent Garden, Gustave Charpentier's Louise. He did not conduct opera there again until 1954, with Walton's Troilus and Cressida, although he did conduct the incidental music for a dramatisation of The Pilgrim's Progress given at the Royal Opera House in 1948. Although Sargent was popular with choral singers, his relations with orchestras were sometimes strained. After giving a Daily Telegraph interview in 1936 in which he said that an orchestral musician did not deserve a "job for life" and should "give of his lifeblood with every bar he plays," Sargent lost much favour with orchestral musicians. They were particularly aggrieved because of their support of him during his long illness, and thereafter he faced frequent hostility from British orchestras. Being popular in Australia with players as well as the public, Sargent made three lengthy tours of Australia and New Zealand, beginning in 1936. He was on the point of accepting a permanent appointment with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation when, at the outbreak of the Second World War, he felt it his duty to return to his country, resisting strong pressure from the Australian media for him to stay. During the war, Sargent directed the Hallé Orchestra in Manchester (1939–1942) and the Liverpool Philharmonic (1942–1948) and became a popular BBC Home Service radio broadcaster, particularly in the discussion programme The Brains Trust. He helped boost public morale during the war by extensive concert tours around the country conducting for nominal fees. On one occasion, an air raid interrupted a performance of Beethoven's Symphony No. 7. Sargent stopped the orchestra, reassured the audience that they were safer inside the hall than fleeing outside, and resumed conducting. He later said that no orchestra had ever played so well and that no audience in his experience had ever listened so intently. In May 1941 he conducted the last performance heard in the Queen's Hall. Following an afternoon concert comprising the Enigma Variations and The Dream of Gerontius – praised by The Times as "performances of real distinction" – the hall was destroyed during an overnight incendiary raid. In 1945 Arturo Toscanini invited Sargent to conduct the NBC Symphony Orchestra. In four concerts Sargent chose to present all English music, with the exception of Sibelius's Symphony No. 1 and Dvořák's Symphony No. 7. Two concertos, Walton's Viola Concerto with William Primrose, and Elgar's Violin Concerto with Yehudi Menuhin, were programmed as part of these concerts. Menuhin judged Sargent's conducting of the latter "the next best to Elgar in this work". ### The Proms Sargent was made a Knight Bachelor in the 1947 Birthday Honours for services to music. He performed in numerous English-speaking countries during the post-war years and continued to promote British composers, conducting the premieres of Walton's opera, Troilus and Cressida (1954), and Vaughan Williams's Symphony No. 9 (1958). Sargent was a dominant figure at the Proms in the post-war era. He was chief conductor of the Proms from 1947 until his death in 1967, taking part in 514 concerts. A 1947 Prom under his baton was the first concert to be televised in Britain. As conductor of the Proms, Sargent gained his widest fame, making the "Last Night" of each season into a high-ratings broadcast celebration aimed at ordinary audiences, a popular, theatrical flag-waving extravaganza presided over by himself. He was noted for his witty addresses in which he good-naturedly chided the noisy promenaders. In his programmes he often conducted choral music and music by British composers, but his range was broad: the BBC's official history of the Proms lists selected programmes from this period showing Sargent conducting works by Bach, Sibelius, Dvořák, Berlioz, Rachmaninoff, Rimsky-Korsakov, Richard Strauss and Kodály in three successive programmes. During his chief conductorship, prestigious foreign conductors and orchestras began to perform regularly at the Proms. In his first season in charge, Sargent and two assistant conductors conducted all the concerts among them; by 1966 there were Sargent and 25 other conductors. Those making their Prom debuts in the Sargent years included Carlo Maria Giulini, Georg Solti, Leopold Stokowski, Rudolf Kempe, Pierre Boulez and Bernard Haitink. Sargent was chief conductor of the BBC Symphony Orchestra from 1950 to 1957, succeeding Boult. He was not the BBC's first choice, but John Barbirolli and Rafael Kubelik turned the post down, and it went to Sargent, despite reservations about his commitment. Unlike Boult he refused to join the staff of the BBC and remained a freelance, accepting other engagements as he pleased. The historian of the BBC Asa Briggs has written, "Sargent sometimes ruffled the orchestra in a way that Boult had never done. Indeed there were many people inside the BBC who profoundly regretted Boult's departure." Briggs adds that Sargent was the target of criticism from the BBC's own Music Department for "not devoting enough time to the orchestra". The music journalist Norman Lebrecht goes so far as to say that Sargent "almost wrecked" the BBC orchestra. The orchestra objected to his "autocratic and prima-donna attitude towards orchestral players" and flatly refused to accede to his demand that they all stand up when he came on to the platform. He rapidly became equally unpopular with the BBC music department, ignoring its agenda and pursuing his own. A senior BBC manager wrote: It did not help that Sargent was universally acknowledged to be at his finest in choral music. His reputation in big works for chorus and orchestra such as The Dream of Gerontius, Hiawatha and Belshazzar's Feast was unrivalled, and his large-scale performances of Handel oratorios were assured packed houses. But his regular programming of such works did nothing to lift the spirits of the BBC SO: orchestral musicians regarded playing the instrumental accompaniment for large choirs as drudgery. Although there were complaints within the BBC, there was praise from outside it for Sargent's work with the orchestra. His biographer Reid wrote, "Sargent's liveliness and drive soon gave BBC playing a gloss and briskness which had not been conspicuous before". Another biographer, Aldous, wrote, "Everywhere Sargent and the orchestra performed there were ovations, laurel wreaths and terrific reviews." The orchestra's reputation both in Britain and internationally grew during Sargent's tenure. Briggs records that conductor had "great moments of triumph ... both at festivals overseas and during the Proms". In the 1950s and 1960s he made many recordings with the BBC Symphony, as well as other ensembles, as described below. In this period, also, he conducted the concerts that opened the Royal Festival Hall in 1951 and returned to the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company for the summer 1951 Festival of Britain season at the Savoy Theatre and the winter 1961–62 and 1963–64 seasons at the Savoy. In August 1956 the BBC announced that he would be replaced as Chief Conductor of the BBC orchestra by Rudolf Schwarz. Sargent was given the title of "Chief Guest Conductor" and he remained Conductor-in-Chief of the Proms. ### Overseas and last years Sargent made two tours of South America. In 1950 he conducted in Buenos Aires, Montevideo, Rio de Janeiro and Santiago. His programmes included Vaughan Williams's London and 6th Symphonies; Haydn's Symphony No. 88, Beethoven's Symphony No. 8, Mozart's Jupiter symphony, Schubert's 5th, Brahms's 2nd and 4th and Sibelius's 5th symphonies, Elgar's Serenade for Strings, Britten's The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra, Strauss's Till Eulenspiegel's Merry Pranks, Walton's Viola Concerto and Dvořák's Cello Concerto with Pierre Fournier. In 1952 Sargent conducted in all the above-mentioned cities and also in Lima. Half his repertory on that tour consisted of British music and included Delius, Vaughan Williams, Britten, Walton and Handel. When the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra was in danger of extinction after Beecham's death in 1961, Sargent played a major part in saving it, doing much to win back the good opinion of orchestral players that he had lost because of his 1936 interview. In the 1960s, he toured Russia, the United States, Canada, Turkey, Israel, India, the Far East and Australia. By the mid-1960s his health began to deteriorate. His final conducting appearances were on 6 and 8 July 1967, with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra at the Ravinia Festival. On 6 July he conducted Holst's The Perfect Fool, Wieniawski's Second Violin Concerto with Itzhak Perlman, and Vaughan Williams's A London Symphony. On 8 July he conducted Vaughan Williams's Overture The Wasps, Delius's The Walk to the Paradise Garden, Prokofiev's Piano Concerto No. 4 with David Bar-Illan, and Sibelius's Symphony No. 2. Sargent underwent surgery in July 1967 for pancreatic cancer and made a valedictory appearance at the end of the Last Night of the Proms in September that year, handing over the baton to his successor, Colin Davis. He died two weeks later, at the age of 72. He was buried in Stamford cemetery alongside members of his family. ### Musical reputation and repertoire Toscanini, Beecham and many others regarded Sargent as the finest choral conductor in the world. Even orchestral musicians gave him credit: the principal violist of the BBC Symphony Orchestra wrote of him, "He is able to instil into the singers a life and efficiency they never dreamed of. You have only to see the eyes of a choral society screwing into him like hundreds of gimlets to understand what he means to them." Boult thought him "a great all-rounder", but added, "he never developed his potentialities, which were enormous, simply because he didn't think hard enough about music – he never troubled to improve on a successful interpretation. He was too interested in other things, and not single-minded enough about music." Although orchestral players resented Sargent for much of his career after the 1936 interview, instrumental soloists generally liked working with him. The cellist Pierre Fournier called him a "guardian angel" and compared him favourably with George Szell and Herbert von Karajan. Artur Schnabel, Jascha Heifetz and Yehudi Menuhin thought similarly highly of him. Cyril Smith wrote in his autobiography, "...he seems to sense what the pianist wants of the music even before he begins to play it.... He has an incredible speed of mind, and it has always been a great joy, as well as a rare professional experience, to work with him." For this reason, among others, Sargent was continually in demand as a conductor for concertos. The Times obituary said Sargent "was of all British conductors in his day the most widely esteemed by the lay public... a fluent, attractive pianist, a brilliant score-reader, a skilful and effective arranger and orchestrator... as a conductor his stick technique was regarded by many as the most accomplished and reliable in the world.... [H]is taste... was moulded by the Victorian cathedral tradition into which he was born." It commented that, in his later years, his interpretations of the standard classical and romantic repertoire were "prepared... down to the last detail" but sometimes "unexuberant", though his performances of "the music composed within his lifetime... remained lucid and continually compelling". The flute player Gerald Jackson wrote, "I feel that [Walton] conducts his own music as well as anyone else, with the possible exception of Sargent, who of course introduced and always makes a big thing of Belshazzar's Feast." The composers whose works Sargent regularly conducted included, from the eighteenth century, Bach, Handel, Gluck, Mozart and Haydn; and from the nineteenth century, Beethoven, Berlioz, Schubert, Schumann, Mendelssohn, Brahms, Wagner, Tchaikovsky, Smetana, Sullivan and Dvořák. From the twentieth century, British composers in his repertoire included Bliss, Britten, Delius, Elgar (a favourite, especially Elgar's choral works The Dream of Gerontius, The Apostles and The Kingdom and symphonies), Holst, Tippett, Vaughan Williams and Walton. With the exception of Alban Berg's Violin Concerto, Sargent avoided the works of the Second Viennese School but programmed works by Bartók, Dohnányi, Hindemith, Honegger, Kodály, Martinů, Poulenc, Prokofiev, Rachmaninoff, Shostakovich, Sibelius, Strauss, Stravinsky and Szymanowski. ## Personal life, reputation and legacy ### Private life In 1923 Sargent married Eileen Laura Harding Horne (1898–1977). She was the younger daughter of Frederick William Horne – a prosperous miller, farmer, coal merchant and carter – and the niece of Evangeline Astley Cooper of Hambleton Hall in Rutland, where she lived in the early 1920s. Sargent was a guest there in the same period, and his name occurs alongside hers in local press reports of social gatherings such as hunt balls. When they married, the press headlined her name rather than that of her still little-known husband. The couple were married at St Mary's Church, Drinkstone, the service conducted by the bride's uncle, who, as her grandfather had been, was rector there. By 1926, the couple had two children, a daughter, Pamela, who died of polio in 1944, and a son Peter. Sargent was much affected by his daughter's death, and his recording of Elgar's The Dream of Gerontius in 1945 was an expression of his grief. The marriage was unhappy and ended in divorce in 1946. Before, during and after his marriage, Sargent was a continual womaniser, which he did not deny. Among his reported affairs were long-standing ones with Diana Bowes-Lyon, Princess Marina and Edwina Mountbatten. Less savoury encounters are alluded to by the young woman who said, "Promise me that whatever happens I shan't have to go home alone in a taxi with Malcolm Sargent." Away from music, Sargent was elected a member of The Literary Society, a dining club founded in 1807 by William Wordsworth and others. He was also a member of the Beefsteak Club, for which his proposer was Sir Edward Elgar, the Garrick, and the long-established and aristocratic White's and Pratt's clubs. His public service appointments included the joint presidency of the London Union of Youth Clubs, and the presidency of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Despite Sargent's vanities and rivalries, he had many friends. Sir Thomas Armstrong in a 1994 broadcast interview stressed that Sargent "had many good generous virtues; he was kind to many people, and I loved him...". Nevertheless, even friends such as Sir Rupert Hart-Davis, secretary of the Literary Society, considered him a "bounder", and the composer Dame Ethel Smyth called him a "cad". Yet despite his philandering and ambition, Sargent was a deeply religious man all his life and was comforted on his deathbed by visits from the Anglican Archbishop of York, Donald Coggan and the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Westminster, Cardinal Heenan. He also received telephone calls from Queen Elizabeth and Prince Charles, and had a reconciliation with his son, Peter, from whom he had been estranged. ### "Flash Harry" A number of purported explanations have been advanced for Sargent's nickname, "Flash Harry". Reid opines that it "was first in circulation among orchestral players before the war and that they used it in no spirit of adulation". It may have arisen from his impeccable and stylish appearance – he always wore a red or white carnation in his buttonhole (the carnation is now the symbol of the school named for him). This was perhaps reinforced by his brisk tempi early in his career, and by a story about his racing from one recording session to another. Another explanation, that he was named after Ronald Searle's St Trinian's character "Flash Harry", is certainly wrong: Sargent's nickname was current long before the first appearance of the St Trinian's character in 1954. Sargent's devoted fans, the Promenaders, used the nickname in an approving sense, and shortened it to "Flash", though Sargent was not especially fond of the sobriquet, even thus modified. Beecham and Sargent were allies from the early days of the London Philharmonic to Beecham's final months when they were planning joint concerts. They even happened to share the same birthday. When Sargent was incapacitated by tuberculosis in 1933, Beecham conducted a performance of Messiah at the Albert Hall to raise money to support his younger colleague. Sargent enjoyed Beecham's company, and took in good part his quips, such as his reference to the image-conscious young conductor Herbert von Karajan as "a kind of musical Malcolm Sargent" and, on learning that Sargent's car was caught in rifle fire in Palestine, "I had no idea the Arabs were so musical." Beecham declared that Sargent "is the greatest choirmaster we have ever produced ... he makes the buggers sing like blazes". And on another occasion he said that Sargent was "the most expert of all our conductors – myself excepted of course". ### Honours and memorials In addition to his own doctorate from Durham, Sargent was awarded honorary degrees by the Universities of Oxford and Liverpool and by the Royal Academy of Music, the Royal College of Organists, the Royal College of Music and the Swedish Academy of Music. He was awarded the highest honour of the Royal Philharmonic Society, its Gold Medal, in 1959. Foreign honours included the Order of the Polar Star (Sweden), 1956; the Order of the White Rose (Finland), 1965; and Chevalier of France's Légion d'honneur, 1967. After his death Sargent was commemorated in a variety of ways. His memorial service in Westminster Abbey in October 1967 was attended by 3,000 people including the royalty of three countries, official representatives from France, South Africa, and Malaysia, and notables as diverse as Princess Marina of Kent; Bridget D'Oyly Carte; Pierre Boulez; Larry Adler; Elgar's daughter; Beecham's widow; Douglas Fairbanks Junior; Léon Goossens; the Master of the Queen's Music; the Secretary of London Zoo; and representatives of the London orchestras and of the Promenaders. Colin Davis and the BBC Chorus and Symphony Orchestra performed the music. Since 1968, the year after Sargent's death, the Proms have begun on a Friday evening rather than as previously a Saturday, and in memory of Sargent's choral work, a large-scale choral piece is customarily given. Beyond the world of music, a school and a charity were named after him: the Malcolm Sargent Primary School in Stamford and the Malcolm Sargent Cancer Fund for Children. Merging with another charity (Cancer and Leukaemia in Childhood) in 2005, it was renamed CLIC Sargent. In 2021 the charity was renamed again as Young Lives vs Cancer; it is the UK's leading children's cancer charity. In 1980 the Royal Mail put the image of Sargent on its 15p postage stamp in a series portraying British conductors. At Albert Hall Mansions, next to the Albert Hall, where Sargent lived, there is a blue plaque placed in his memory. ## Recordings Sargent's own composition, An Impression on a Windy Day, has been recorded for CD by the Royal Ballet Sinfonia conducted by Gavin Sutherland on the ASV label. Sargent's first recordings as a conductor, made for HMV in 1923 using the acoustic process, were of excerpts from Vaughan Williams's opera Hugh the Drover. In the early days of electrical recording, he took part in a pioneering live recording of extracts of Mendelssohn's Elijah at the Albert Hall with the Royal Choral Society. Subsequently, in the recording studio, Sargent was most in demand to record English music, choral works and concertos. He recorded prolifically and worked with many orchestras, but made the most recordings (several dozen major pieces) with the BBC Symphony Orchestra (BBC), the London Symphony Orchestra (LSO), the New Symphony Orchestra of London, the Philharmonia Orchestra and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (RPO). ### English music Sargent conducted Gilbert and Sullivan recordings in four different decades. His early recordings with the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company for HMV included The Yeomen of the Guard (1928), The Pirates of Penzance (1929), Iolanthe (1930), H.M.S. Pinafore (1930), Patience (1930), Yeomen (excerpts 1931), Pirates (excerpts 1931), The Gondoliers (excerpts 1931), Ruddigore (1932) and Princess Ida (1932). More than 30 years later, for Decca, he recorded Yeomen (1964) and Princess Ida (1965) with the D'Oyly Carte company. In addition, between 1957 and 1963, Sargent recorded nine of the Gilbert and Sullivan operas for EMI, with the Glyndebourne Festival Chorus and soloists from the world of oratorio and grand opera. These were Trial by Jury, Pinafore, Pirates, Patience, Iolanthe, The Mikado, Ruddigore, Yeomen and The Gondoliers. According to the Gilbert and Sullivan scholar Marc Shepherd, "The [Glyndebourne] recordings' musical excellence is undisputed, but many listeners object to Sargent's lugubrious tempi and the singers' lack of feeling for the G\&S idiom." Sargent used an orchestra of thirty-seven players at the Savoy Theatre (the same number as Sullivan), but sometimes added a few more when recording. During the Second World War, Sargent and the Liverpool Philharmonic accompanied Albert Sammons, the dedicatee, in his 1944 recording of the Delius Violin Concerto. Later, in 1965, with Jacqueline du Pré, in her début recording, Sargent recorded Delius's Cello Concerto, coupled with the Songs of Farewell (1965). At the end of the war, Sargent turned to recording Elgar. The first of Sargent's two versions of Elgar's The Dream of Gerontius with Heddle Nash as tenor and the familiar Sargent pairing of the Huddersfield Choral Society and the Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra was recorded in 1945, and six decades later was still regarded as a classic. Sargent was the conductor for Heifetz's 1949 recording of Elgar's Violin Concerto and Paul Tortelier's first recording of the Cello Concerto in 1954. He also recorded Elgar's Wand of Youth Suite No. 2, with the BBC; the Pomp and Circumstance Marches 1 and 4 with the LSO; and the Enigma Variations with the Philharmonia. He made two recordings of Holst's The Planets: a monaural version with the LSO for Decca (1950) and a stereo version with the BBC for EMI (1960). He also recorded shorter Holst pieces: The Perfect Fool ballet music and the Beni Mora suite. In 1958 Sargent recorded Walton's Belshazzar's Feast, one of his specialities, which was reissued on CD in 1990 and again in 2004. He recorded Walton's Orb and Sceptre March and Façade Suites. He also made a stereo recording of Walton's First Symphony in the presence of the composer, but Walton privately preferred André Previn's recording, issued in January 1967, the same month as Sargent's. Of Vaughan Williams's shorter pieces, Sargent recorded, with the BBC in 1960, the Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis (which he also recorded with the Philharmonia), and with the LSO, Serenade to Music (1957; choral version) and Toward the Unknown Region. He recorded Vaughan Williams's overture The Wasps with the LSO. Although the heyday of live performances of Sargent's Coleridge-Taylor signature piece at the Albert Hall was by then long gone, Sargent, the Royal Choral Society and the Philharmonia made a stereo recording in 1962 of Hiawatha's Wedding Feast, which has been reissued on CD. In 1963, Sargent recorded Gay's The Beggar's Opera, one of his few operas on record other than Gilbert and Sullivan. This was also reissued on CD. ### Other choral recordings In addition to those choral pieces mentioned above, Sargent recorded Handel's Messiah four times, in 1946, 1954 1959 and 1964. Though the advent of "authentic" period performance at first relegated Sargent's large scale and rescored versions to the shelf, they have been reissued and are now attracting favourable critical comment as being of historical interest in their own right. Sargent also conducted the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic and the Huddersfield Choral Society in recordings of Handel's Israel in Egypt and Mendelssohn's Elijah in 1947, both of which have been reissued on CD. ### Concertos Sargent was continually in demand as a conductor for concertos. In addition to the concertos noted above, other composers whose concertos he conducted on record, with soloists noted, include: Bach (Heifetz-Friedman, NSO), Bartók (Rostal, LSO), Beethoven (Oistrakh, Knushevitzky, Oborin, Philharmonia), Bliss (Trevor Barnard, Philharmonia), Bruch (Heifetz, LSO and NSO), Cimarosa (Léon Goossens, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic), Dvořák (Tortelier), Mendelssohn (Gioconda de Vito, LSO), Mozart (Heifetz, LSO), Rachmaninoff (Lympany, RPO), Rawsthorne (Curzon; Matthews, LSO), Rubbra (Matthews, LSO), Schumann (Pierre Fournier), Tchaikovsky (Ricci, NSO) and Vieuxtemps (Heifetz, NSO). Other soloists included Mstislav Rostropovich and Cyril Smith. ### Other recordings Neville Cardus said of Sargent's Beethoven, "I have heard performances which critics would have raved about had some conductor from Russia been responsible for them conducting them half as well and truthfully." Sargent recorded Beethoven's Fourth and Fifth Symphonies for Decca with Sidney Beer's National Symphony Orchestra. His 1940s accompaniments for Artur Schnabel in the piano concertos have been admired. A 1961 stereo recording of the Eroica Symphony has been reissued on CD. Sargent was an enthusiastic champion of Sibelius's music, even recording it with the Vienna Philharmonic when it was not part of their repertory. Their recordings of Finlandia, En saga, The Swan of Tuonela and the Karelia Suite were issued in 1963 and reissued on CD in 1993. Sargent and the BBC recorded the first, second and fifth Symphonies in 1956 and 1958 respectively, reissued on CD in 1989, as well as Pohjola's Daughter in 1959. He also recorded the Valse triste with the RLPO. Sargent recorded a wide variety of other European composers, including Bach's Sinfonia from the Easter Oratorio, with Goossens and the RLPO; Chopin's Les Sylphides ballet suite (LPO); Grieg's Lyric Suite (National Symphony Orchestra); Haydn's Symphony No. 98 (LSO); Rachmaninoff's Paganini Rhapsody (Cyril Smith, RLPO) among others; and Wagner's "Prelude" from Das Rheingold and "Ride of the Valkyries" from Die Walküre. He also recorded Smetana's complete Má vlast cycle with the RPO in 1964. With the Royal Opera Orchestra he recorded, among other pieces, Gioachino Rossini's William Tell and La Boutique Fantasque, Prokofiev's Sinfonia Concertante, and Schubert's Unfinished Symphony, Rosamunde and Overture Zauberharfe. With the LSO, he recorded Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition and Night on the Bare Mountain, Prokofiev's Symphony No. 5 and Lieutenant Kijé Suite, and Shostakovich's Symphony No. 9. With the Philharmonia, he recorded, among other things, Rachmaninoff's Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Tchaikovsky's Variations on a Rococo Theme and Theme and Variations from Suite No. 3, and Dvořák's Symphonic Variations. With the BBC, he also recorded Rachmaninoff's Symphony No. 3, Handel's Water Music, which he also recorded with the RPO, Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 5, Mendelssohn's A Midsummer Night's Dream incidental music, Humperdinck's overture to Hänsel und Gretel, and one of Britten's best known works, The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra (1946, RLPO; 1958, BBC). He also conducted Britten's Simple Symphony with the RPO. Sargent narrated and conducted Instruments of the Orchestra, an educational film produced by the British government. ## Notes, references and sources

# Toni Preckwinkle Toni Lynn Preckwinkle (née Reed; born March 17, 1947) is an American politician and the current County Board president in Cook County, Illinois, United States. She was elected to her first term as president of the Cook County Board of Commissioners, the executive branch of Cook County government, in November 2010, becoming the first woman elected to that position. Preckwinkle previously served as a five-term alderman in the Chicago City Council, representing Chicago's 4th ward centered in Hyde Park. During her tenure, she emerged as the council's prominent defender of affordable housing. She was also the runner-up in the 2019 election for mayor of Chicago. Among other issues, she is known for championing the county's controversial sweetened beverage tax, sponsorship of living wage ordinances, concerns about the costs and benefits of Chicago bid for the 2016 Summer Olympics, and her strong stance against police brutality and excessive force. ## Early life, education, and career Toni Lynn Reed was born in St. Paul, Minnesota, and attended local schools there. She graduated from Washington High School in St. Paul in 1965. During high school, she worked on the campaign of Katie McWatt, who was the first African American person to run for St. Paul City Council. She moved to Chicago to study at the University of Chicago in the Hyde Park community area, where she earned her bachelor's in 1969, and later a master's degree in 1977. After college, Preckwinkle taught history for ten years in several high schools in the Chicago metropolitan area, including Calumet High School, the Visitation School, and Aquinas. In 1985 and 1986, Preckwinkle served as President of the Disabled Adult Residential Enterprises (DARE). She was active in community organizations, serving as a member of the board of directors of the Illinois Council Against Handgun Violence, and Political Action Director of the Near South Chapter of the Independent Voters of Illinois (IVI-IPO). During and after her 1987 aldermanic election campaign, she worked as a planner for the Chicago Department of Economic Development. By 1990, she was working as executive director of the Chicago Jobs Council and become allied with civil rights attorney R. Eugene Pincham. ## Unsuccessful 1983 and 1987 Chicago City Council campaigns Chicago's fourth ward is on the South Side of Chicago, adjacent to the Lake Michigan lakefront. It includes all of the Kenwood and Oakland community areas, and portions of Hyde Park, Washington Park, Grand Boulevard, Douglas and the South Loop community areas. The northern part of the ward (North of 45th Street) is predominantly African American, while the more racially diverse southern half is predominantly middle and upper middle-class. In her first two aldermanic campaigns for the 4th ward, in 1983 and 1987, Preckwinkle lost to the incumbent, Timothy C. Evans, who had been in office since 1973. Evans was Chicago Mayor Harold Washington's City Council floor leader and lieutenant. In 1983, Preckwinkle, supported by many independent voters, received enough support in the preliminary election to force a runoff election (Chicago Aldermen are elected without regard to political party affiliation, but must earn a majority of votes or the top two candidates have a runoff election). In the runoff, Preckwinkle carried traditionally "independent" precincts in Hyde-Park, but Evans carried the precincts in the north of the Ward. In the 1987 elections, Evans defeated Preckwinkle by a 77% to 21% margin. In 1987, although both the Chicago Tribune and Chicago Sun-Times endorsed Evans, they praised Preckwinkle for qualities including her intelligence and independence, and expressed hopes she would continue in politics. Preckwinkle was endorsed by then state Rep. Carol Moseley Braun and also by the Independent Voters of Illinois-Independent Precinct Organization. Mayor Harold Washington endorsed Evans. ## Chicago City Council (1991–2010) ### 1991 election In 1991, Preckwinkle and four others challenged Evans for the 4th ward alderman's position. In the first round of voting on February 26, 1991, she won nearly one-third popular vote in the ward by winning 20 of 58 precincts (all in the Hyde Park-Kenwood community). Evans and Preckwinkle again advanced to a runoff election, as they had in 1983. This time the majority of the eliminated candidates endorsed Preckwinkle. On April 2, 1991, Preckwinkle performed better in the northern part of the ward and was elected by a 109-vote margin, defeating the 17-year incumbent alderman Evans. ### Overview of tenure Preckwinkle was initially sworn into office in 1991, and was reelected to four-year terms in 1995, 1999, 2003, and 2007. In City Council, Preckwinkle developed a reputation for progressiveness. She was known as being independent of then-Mayor Richard M. Daley, with whom she dissented more often than did any other alderman. In addition, Preckwinkle was one of the few aldermen on the City Council occasionally critical of the policies of former Chicago Mayor Richard J. Daley. In 2004, she and Dorothy Tillman were the only aldermen to vote against the mayor's city budget, and in 2005, Preckwinkle was the lone dissenter on the mayor's budget. Preckwinkle has supported the majority of legislation advanced by the mayor and his allies, including most of Daley's annual budget proposals; his controversial use of tax increment financing, an economic development program in which tax revenues are funneled into accounts controlled almost exclusively by the mayor; and, ultimately, his quest to host the 2016 Summer Olympics. ### Affordable housing Preckwinkle championed set-asides for affordable housing as her signature issue. The municipal ordinances she sponsored in 1993 and 1999 for affordable housing increased city expenditures on low and moderate income housing by 50 percent. In 2007, she pushed for increases in the existing Affordable Requirements Ordinance. This mandates that housing developers using land bought at a discount from the city, must reserve at least 10 percent of their housing units as "affordable", or to contribute money to an affordable-housing fund that would be equivalent to increasing the percentage to 15 percent. Affordable housing is considered a key element in the debate about ending homelessness in Chicago. Preckwinkle's depth of knowledge of public housing has been recognised in the national press, which cited her defense of the maligned Vince Lane when the federal government took over Chicago's public housing projects. ### Police accountability Preckwinkle was outspoken in support of the city settling the Jon Burge police torture case, rather than continuing to spend money in the litigation process. She was also proactive in the effort to pursue compensation for victims of police brutality in the related Burge cases, and sought hearings on the initial special prosecutor's report. She has been a critic of the decades-long delay in settling the case, and supported the settlement. In 2007, Preckwinkle pursued disclosure of Chicago Police Department officers who were accused of using excessive force. The United States District Court had ruled that the records be unsealed and made available to the public. However, on July 13, 2007, the city filed an emergency motion to stay the judge's order. When the city argued in the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals against disclosure, it said that aldermen would have access to the information. But Preckwinkle's August 23, 2007, request for the data was denied. ### Economic policy Preckwinkle was a co-sponsor of the living wage ordinances that passed the city council in 1998 and 2002. On July 26, 2006, Preckwinkle was one of 35 aldermen who voted to approve the 2006 Chicago Big Box Ordinance sponsored by Alderman Joe Moore (49th). For 7 weeks, until the law was overturned, Chicago was the largest United States city to require big-box retailers to pay a "living wage." ### Ward-level issues In October 2007, Preckwinkle opposed naming a landmark in the 4th ward for Saul Bellow, the 1976 Nobel literature laureate, reportedly because Bellow had made remarks that Preckwinkle considered racist. She also opposed the renaming of a stretch of street near the original Playboy Club as "Hugh Hefner Way." In 2006, Preckwinkle decided to paint over two 36-year-old, neglected and severely damaged public murals in the 47th Street Metra underpass. The murals had been created by graffiti artists, working with permission from the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs, and had represented themes that included Latin-American, African, Mayan, Indian, and Native American spiritual practices. The walls were later covered with murals that were newly commissioned by the city: one is made up of a series of ceramic tiles and the other is a traditional painted mural, featuring the city and important historical South Side figures, including former Alderman Dorothy Tillman. #### Chicago 2016 Olympic bid The Chicago 2016 Olympic bid would have placed the main site of the $1.1 billion residential complex in the 4th Ward, to accommodate athletes in an Olympic Village. Chicago was not chosen. Preckwinkle expressed her reservations about the initial plan, and was involved in plan revisions. Since the construction was planned almost entirely in her ward, she expressed concern that her constituents had not been offered a chance to voice their concerns with the plan. She was an early advocate of moving what would have been the Olympic Village from the McCormick Place truck yard to the Michael Reese Hospital site. She also had concerns about how the proposed project would be financed. On March 14, 2007, Preckwinkle joined four other South Side aldermen in voting against a $500 million public-funded guarantee to back up Chicago's Olympics bid. But on September 9, 2009, Preckwinkle voted to authorize Mayor Richard Daley to sign the International Olympic Committee's host city contract, which included financial guarantees putting full responsibility for the Olympics and its proposed $4.8 billion operating budget on taxpayers. ## Cook County Board President (2010–present) Since December 2010, Preckwinkle has served as president of the Cook County Board of Commissioners. Her tenure as president has seen her wield a great amount of top-down control on what has been a rather unified legislative body. This is in contrast to the discord that the Board saw in its four years under her immediate predecessor, Todd Stroger. John Byrne and Alice Yin of the Chicago Tribune have characterized Preckwinkle as pursuing and implementing a "progressive agenda" as Board president. ### 2010 election Preckwinkle announced in January 2009, that she would run for president of the Cook County Board of Commissioners. She launched her campaign website on June 18, 2009. On February 2, 2010, she won a strong victory the Democratic Party primary election, defeating the incumbent Board President Todd Stroger and fellow challengers Dorothy Brown (the clerk of the Cook County Circuit Court) and Terrence J. O'Brien. Preckwinkle received 48.99% in the primary despite their being a four-way race. as well as Green Party nominee Thomas Dresser. Preckwinkle received 69.54% of the vote in the general election. Preckwinkle faced Republican nominee Roger A. Keats in the November general election. The four years prior to the 2010 election had seen the county government endure some of the greatest tumult that it had experienced in decades. As a candidate, Preckwinkle pledged that she would reform the Cook County government stability and repair the county's finances. Winning the general election, Preckwinkle became the first woman elected as president of the Cook County Board of Commissioners. She won over two-thirds of the vote. After her Republican opponent received 26% of the vote, he moved out of the state. ### First term Resigning as alderman in order to take the office of County Board president, Preckwinkle recommended that Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley appoint William D. Burns to succeed her as fourth ward alderman, but Burns preferred to run in an open primary. Mayor Daley appointed Shirley Newsome as a "caretaker" alderman on January 12, 2011. Preckwinkle had urged this appointment. Burns handily won the election for the seat a month later. After taking office as the chief executive of the United States' second-most-populous county, Preckwinkle made newly-elected Cook County Commissioner Chuy García her floor leader on the county board. At the time she first took office, Cook County had the largest jail population of any county in the United States. The county was also considered to have a high level of political corruption in its government. In her first term, Preckwinkle saw all of the initiatives she achieve passage by the county board, with the Board effectively resembling a "rubber stamp" to Preckwinkle. This was in major contrast to the preceding tenure of Todd Stroger, under whom the council saw intense infighting. On the few matters where Preckwinkle did not prevail on matters, the motivating factor for dispute was typically based upon political feuds between members of the Board rather than policy disagreements with Preckwinkle's position. Very few votes were divided. However, on the votes that did see division, the most frequent opposition to Preckwinkle's position arose from three Democratic members that had been allies of Todd Stroger: Earlean Collins, Joan Patricia Murphy, and William Beavers (prior to his November 2012 departure from the Board). These three were more frequent opponents to Preckwinkle's positions than the four Republican members of the Cook County Board of Commissioners were. Fiscal issues that Preckwinkle inherited included an overgrown county payroll and a county government pension crisis. Preckwinkle's first three budgets each passed with no more than a single opposing vote. Preckwinkle championed a 1% decrease to the county's sales tax that was passed by the county board. Cook County had had what was, at the time, the highest sales tax rate of any county in the United States. On September 7, 2011, the county board voted (aligned with Preckwinkle's position) to pass an ordinance that would have the county disregard a request by the federal government that the county jails detain suspects for an additional two days if there were questions about their immigration status in order to allow time to verify their immigration status. Preckwinkle's position had been that she would be unwilling to heed this request unless the federal government would reimburse the county for the expenses it incurred from such extended detentions, and the federal government had refused to compensate the county. Preckwinkle faced criticism for proclaiming that the ordinance to ignore the federal governments' request would actually enhance public safety. Four Republican members of the United States Senate's Committee on the Judiciary wrote a letter to Janet Napolitano, the secretary of homeland security, decrying the county ordinance as a "serious threat to public safety". This generated national news coverage of the ordinance. In August 2012, Dr. Nancy Jones, former head of the Cook County Morgue, referred to Preckwinkle as "evil" in criticizing her handling of the management and budgeting of the Morgue. Jones alleged that bodies had piled up and conditions were filthy. Also in August 2012, Preckwinkle defended Chicago's action to decriminalize possession of small amounts of cannabis by allowing police to write tickets. She asserted that drug laws had unfairly resulted in more minorities being incarcerated for minor offenses. ### Second term Preckwinkle was reelected in November 2014, going unchallenged on the ballot in both the Democratic primary and the general election. This lack of any challenger was unusual. Her two immediate elected predecessors, John Stroger and Todd Stroger, had usually faced primary election opponents during their reelection campaigns. During her second term, Preckwinkle saw nearly all of the legislation she supported get passed by the county board. By January 2018, Preckwinkle had only seen two votes by the board go against a position she and her floor leader, Chuy García, had supported, with these two votes being a resolution about "stop and frisk" procedures by the Chicago Police Department and the repeal of the county's "soda tax". Very few votes by the County Board saw any division among its commissioners. The matters that tended to see the most divided votes were regarding budgeting and taxes. By January 2018, the board had seen any dissent on only 140 votes. This lack of divided votes came despite the fact that the board had four Republican members during this term, including Illinois Republican Party Chairman Tim Schneider and Cook County Republican Party Chair Sean M. Morrison. However, the frequency of divided votes was still greater than it had been Preckwinkle's previous term. The 70 divided votes seen in the first year of Preckwinkle's second term alone eclipsed the mere 70 which had occurred in the first three years of her previous term. In Preckwinkle's second term, the county reached a number of benchmarks she had set as goals. This included seeing a decrease in residents' cost of healthcare, coinciding with an increase in enrollment in health coverage provided through the Affordable Care Act (ACA) which increased state and federal healthcare funding to the county. Preckwinkle had placed great effort in increasing the county's enrollment in the ACA. This also included a 3,800 person decrease in the daily inmate population in the county's jails by the start of 2018 as well as a decrease to the per-inmate cost of operating the prisons. It also included an 11% decrease of county government debt by the start of 2018. The county government had decreased its spending while increasing the taxes it imposed. Despite being regularly mentioned as a possible challenger to incumbent Rahm Emanuel for the Chicago mayoralty, Preckwinkle declined to run in the 2015 Chicago mayoral election. Preckwinkle declined to make an endorsement in that election, despite the fact that her own county board floor leader, Chuy García, was Emanuel's prime challenger. In order to balance increased spending and significant pension debt owed by the county, the Cook County Board of Commissioners voted on July 15, 2015, to pass a measure proposed by Preckwinkle which raised the county's sales tax to the level that it had been prior to her earlier 1% decrease. On March 22, 2016, Preckwinkle announced that she had selected Brian Hamer, who served as the state's revenue director under Gov. Rod Blagojevich and then Quinn, to replace Tasha Green Cruzat as her chief of staff. Preckwinkle championed a "soda tax" taxing all retail sales of sweetened beverages made in the county at a rate of once cent per ounce. The tax was adopted by the county board on November 10, 2016. Exempted from the tax were purchases that were made using Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits since federal law prohibited state and local taxes from being imposed on purchases made with SNAP benefits. 870,000 Cook County residents received SNAP benefits at the time. The "soda tax" was unpopular with Cook County residents. A poll commissioned by the Illinois Manufacturer's Association conducted shortly after the adoption of the tax found 87% disapproval of the tax by Cook County residents. Preckwinkle remained steadfast in her support for the tax. In defense of the tax, Preckwinkle argued that it was a justified means of achieving the public health goal of decreasing Cook County residents' consumption of sugar. She would, after its repeal, admit that health concerns had not been the sole motivation behind adopting the tax, remarking, that the greater motivation for its adoption was the generation of revenue for the county. In October 2017, against Preckwinkle's wishes, the county board repealed the tax by a vote of 15–2. The repeal of the tax created a $200 million hole in the county's budget for 2018. ### Third term Preckwinkle was reelected to a third term in 2018. Preckwinkle had been challenged by Bob Fioretti, a former Chicago alderman who attempted to capitalize on the unpopularity of the "soda tax". Preckwinkle easily defeated Fioretti, winning 60.82% of the vote to Fioretti's 39.18%. Preckwinkle was unchallenged on the ballot in the general election. During the 2018 elections, anticipating a potential wave election year for Democrats, Preckwinkle made a concerted effort to increase the Democrats' majority on the Cook County Board of Commissioners, focusing her efforts on three of the Board's four Republican-held seats. Preckwinkle-backed Democratic nominees succeeded in ousting Republican incumbents in the 14th and 15th districts, but fell roughly a mere 2,000 votes shy of unseating the 17th district's Republican incumbent. Preckwinkle did not target the Republican-held 9th district seat, as the incumbent Republican, Peter N. Silvestri, was both popular and a political centrist and had a reputation for being a peacemaker on the Board at times when conflict arose between its members. In 2018, under Preckwinkle's leadership, Cook County controversially requested an easement to build a road at taxpayer expense (\~$750K-$1M) to pave public green space and the 10th hole of the Canal Shores Golf Course in the northern suburbs, which benefited of State Senators President John Cullerton and a private developer. The easement was approved by the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago despite strong opposition by local residents and the Wilmette Park District. In 2018, Preckwinkle launched an unsuccessful candidacy for mayor of Chicago. She advanced to the runoff of the 2019 Chicago mayoral election, but suffered a landslide defeat against Lori Lightfoot. Preckwinkle did not make an endorsement ahead of the 2020 Illinois Democratic presidential primary. In January 2021, the "Fair Transit South Cook" pilot program was launched. The three-year pilot program halves the standard fares on Metra's Electric District and Rock Island District commuter services. It also expands service and frequency on Pace's Halsted 352 bus route, which provides a connection between the 95th Street CTA station and the Chicago Heights, Illinois Pace bus terminal. The effort to launch this program had been led by Preckwinkle. It is targeted at making transit more affordable and available to those residing in the southern suburbs of Chicago as well as those traveling to those suburbs. The program had an aim of addressing problems of transit access in southern Chicago communities. A mobility study had previous shown that a sizable share of residents of Southern Cook County did not have a personal automobile, spend in excess of half of their income on transit costs, and had work commutes in excess of two hours round-trips. Preckwinkle had been advancing the program since 2019. Chicago Mayor Lightfoot opposed the pilot program, alleging that it draws ridership away from the CTA Red Line. An initially-cited primary goal of the program had been to increase ridership on the transit services targeted. In 2022, the pilot program's first annual report claimed that the effort had been successful. While it had not generated the increase in overall ridership than had been hoped for on the Metra services, Cook County leadership touted it as providing an important improvement in transit access for thousands of residents residing in "transit deserts". Additionally, despite an overall decline in ridership on the Metra services involved, the study showed that stations in low-income areas along the services saw an increase in ridership. Preckwinkle advocated for adopting an integrated fare between Metra and Pace services and Chicago Transit Authority services. ### Fourth term On 25 June 2019, during a fundraiser held at the Chicago Cultural Center, Preckwinkle reversed a decision she made not to run for another term and announced that she would seek a fourth term as Cook County Board President in 2022. She was reelected to a fourth term. In the Democratic primary, Preckwinkle won a landslide victory over former Cook County Commissioner Richard Boykin. In his single term on the County Board (from 2014 through 2018), Boykin had previously fought with Preckwinkle on the matter of the "soda tax", with Boykin leading the effort that ultimately led to the tax's repeal. In 2018, Preckwinkle supported Brandon Johnson's successful campaign to unseat Boykin. In the general election, Preckwinkle again faced Bob Fioretti (who this time ran as the Republican Party's nominee) as well as Libertarian Party nominee Thea Tsatsos. Preckwinkle won 68.54% of the vote to Fioretti's 28.30% and Tsatsos's 3.16%. For the runoff election of the 2023 Chicago mayoral election, Preckwinkle endorsed the successful candidacy of Cook County Commissioner Brandon Johnson. Johnson was generally allied with Preckwinkle as a member of the Cook County Board of Commissioners, and his initial county board campaign in 2018 also received Preckwinkle's backing. In February 2023, Preckwinkle became co-chair of the new national organization Counties for Guaranteed Income, a group which advocates for the federal government to support universal basic income programs. In 2024, Preckwinkle personally endorsed Mariyana Spyropoulos's campaign to unseat incumbent Democrat Iris Martinez in the election for Cook County clerk of courts. The Cook County Democratic Party also endorsed Spyropoulos, who defeated Martinez in the primary for the Democratic nomination. With Preckwinkle's support, the county board unanimously approved a resolution in December 2023 that requires most employers in suburban Cook County to provide up to 40 hours of paid leave annually to their employees. The ordinance allowed for suburban municipalities to individually opt-out of this policy. The ordinance went into effect in January 2024. ## 2019 Chicago mayoral candidacy On September 20, 2018, Preckwinkle announced her candidacy for mayor of Chicago in the 2019 election to replace Rahm Emanuel, who had recently announced his decision. not to seek reelection. Preckwinkle launched a number of challenges to the petitions of several candidates. She received criticism from other candidates for choosing to challenge candidates that were female and people of color. She launched five challenges against candidates that were women. Preckwinkle was recognized by the public as being connected to alderman Edward M. Burke. This proved problematic for her candidacy following Burke's January 2019 indictment for corruption by the FBI. Burke had allegedly pressured fast-food executive Shoukat Dhanani to make an illegal $10,000 donation to Preckwinkle's campaign. Preckwinkle ultimately returned over $100,000 that had been raised for her campaign committee by Burke. She also called for Burke to resign from the city council. Despite denials by Preckwinkle of allegations that she had hired Burke's son as a six-figure county employee as part of a quid pro quo, Preckwinkle was proven to have previously met with Burke just prior hiring his son. Ahead of the first round, Chicago magazine predicted that many progressive voters, expecting Bill Daley to advance to runoff and wanting a strong progressive opponent to him, might tactically vote for Preckwinkle, even those progressive voters that might also like candidates Lori Lightfoot and Amara Enyia. Preckwinkle placed second in the primary election, narrowly behind Lightfoot and narrowly ahead of third-place finisher Daley. Because no candidate reached the necessary 50% of the vote needed to win the election outright, Preckwinkle and Lori Lightfoot advanced to a runoff election. In the runoff, both the Chicago Sun-Times and the Chicago Tribune endorsed Lightfoot. Several former candidates, including Mendoza, Chico, Paul Vallas, and fourth-place finisher Willie Wilson also endorsed Lightfoot in the runoff. In an additional blow to Preckwinkle, Chuy García, who had been previously an ally of Preckwinkle's and floor leader for her on the Cook County County Board of Commissioners, endorsed Lightfoot. Preckwinkle herself had declined to endorse García's own candidacy in the runoff of the previous 2015 Chicago Mayoral election. Lightfoot held a substantial lead over Preckwinkle in polls conducted during the runoff campaign. In the runoff, Preckwinkle highlighted her depth of government experience and sought to emphasize a contrast with Lightfoot's lack of experience in elected office. Lightfoot won the April 2, 2019, runoff election with more than 73% of the vote. Lightfoot won every ward of the city. Preckwinkle had only managed to beat Lightfoot in a mere 20 of the city's 2,069 voting precincts, carrying less than 1% of the city's precincts. At the request of Rev. Jesse Jackson, both Preckwinkle and Lightfoot held a unity press conference at the Rainbow/PUSH headquarters on April 3, 2019, pledging to work together and not to get in the way of each other's political careers. ## Democratic Party roles ### Democratic Party Committeeman for the 4th ward (1992–2018) Each of the 50 wards of the city and the 30 townships of Cook County elect a Democratic Committeeman to the Cook County Central Committee. These committeemen form the official governing body of the Cook County Democratic Party which, among other purposes, endeavors to attract, endorse, and support qualified Democratic candidates for office. Preckwinkle succeeded Evans as 4th Ward Democratic committeeman in 1992, defeating former Evans administrative assistant Johnnie E. Hill by 6,227 to 2,327 votes in the March 17, 1992, primary election. Evans had filed nominating petitions to run for re-election as committeeman and run for judge of the Cook County Circuit Court, but withdrew his name from the ballot for committeeman in order to concentrate on the judgeship (to which he was elected). Preckwinkle was re-elected as 4th Ward Democratic committeeman on March 19, 1996, running unopposed on the ballot after her successful challenges to the nominating petitions of Charles S. Williams and her 1995 and 1999 aldermanic challenger Kwame Raoul. They were each a few dozen signatures short of the number required to earn a place on the ballot. Preckwinkle was re-elected, again running unopposed on the ballot, as 4th Ward Democratic committeeman in March 2000, March 2004, and February 2008. On November 6, 2004, the 10 Democratic ward committeemen whose wards make up parts of the 13th Illinois legislative district, voted to appoint Kwame Raoul to the state senate seat vacated two days earlier by U.S. Senator-elect Barack Obama. 4th Ward Democratic committeeman Preckwinkle and 5th Ward Democratic committeeman Leslie Hairston had the largest says in the appointment, with 29% and 27%, respectively, of the weighted-vote based on the percentage of votes cast in each ward in the 13th legislative district for Obama in the November 5, 2002, general election. Preckwinkle chairs the ward organization, the Fourth Ward Democratic Organization. It was among 16 Chicago Democratic ward organizations named in a complaint filed on August 31, 2005, with the Illinois State Board of Elections by the Cook County Republican Party, charging that Democratic Party ward organizations are illegally housed in city-funded neighborhood ward offices. Taxpayers fund aldermanic service centers, which are open to the general public, but state law prohibits the use of public funds by any candidate for political or campaign purposes. The complaint against Preckwinkle's ward organization was one of nine that a Hearing Officer appointed by the Board recommended proceeding to the next step of the hearing process, an Open Preliminary Hearing. On October 17, 2005, at a regularly scheduled meeting of the Board of Elections, the Board entered an executive session and voted, in a 4–4 tie, along strict party lines. It failed to adopt the recommendation of the Hearing Officer, and ordered the complaints dismissed. The complaint against Preckwinkle's ward organization was among eight that the Cook County Republican Party appealed to the Supreme Court of Illinois. On January 23, 2009, the Illinois Supreme Court unanimously ordered the Illinois appellate court to conduct a judicial review of the Board's dismissals of the complaints. Preckwinkle nominated Joseph Berrios for re-election as Chairman of the Democratic Party of Cook County at a meeting of the Cook County Democratic Central Committee on March 3, 2010. At the time Berrios was the incumbent chairman as well as a commissioner with the Cook County Board of Review and the Democratic candidate for Cook County Assessor. Berrios was re-elected. In 2016, Preckwinkle was a presidential elector from Illinois. ### Chair of the Cook County Democratic Party (2018–present) Preckwinkle was elected Chair of the Cook County Democratic Party by acclamation on April 18, 2018, after then chair Joseph Berrios lost in a primary challenge as Cook County Assessor. ## Political relationship with Barack Obama Preckwinkle supported Barack Obama in his political pursuits. She endorsed him in his campaigns for Illinois Senate in 1995–96, U.S. House in 1999–2000, and U.S. Senate in 2004. She was among those who encouraged Obama to make his first run for the United States Congress in 2000, taking a political risk in supporting his unsuccessful challenge to incumbent congressman Bobby Rush. She was also an early supporter when he ran for United States Senate in 2004. When Obama was elected in 2004 as a United States Senator, Preckwinkle had a large say in his Illinois State Senate replacement. She became Obama's alderman when he moved from Hyde Park to South Kenwood in June 2005. Preckwinkle's views on Obama were prominently featured in a July 2008 New Yorker cover story on then-presidential candidate Barack Obama's political origins. The article begins by recounting a 1995 meeting between Preckwinkle and Obama in which he discussed a possible run for the Illinois Senate seat then held by Alice Palmer. According to The New Yorker, Preckwinkle "soon became an Obama loyalist, and she stuck with him in a State Senate campaign that strained or ruptured many friendships but was ultimately successful." In 1997, she successfully challenged the signatures of Obama's opponents in the Democratic Primary for the Illinois Senate, allowing Obama to run unopposed. According to the New Yorker article, Preckwinkle became "disenchanted" with Obama. The article's author suggested that Preckwinkle's "grievances" against Obama were motivated by her perception that Obama was disloyal. Preckwinkle still served as an Obama delegate at the 2008 Democratic National Convention. Ahead of the Democratic Party primary in 2018 reelection election for president of the County Board of Commissioners, Obama endorsed Preckwinkle's reelection campaign. However, the following year, Obama opted not to endorse any candidate in the 2019 Chicago mayoral election. It had been reported that, during her campaign in runoff of the election, Preckwinkle had unsuccessfully sought to persuade both Barack Obama and his wife Michelle Obama to endorse her faltering candidacy. Barack Obama had not stayed neutral in the city's previous mayoral election, having endorsed Rahm Emanuel's 2015 reelection campaign. ## Electoral history \*Uncertified results published in the Chicago Tribune on February 25, 1987 ## Personal life From 1969 to 2013, she was married to Zeus Preckwinkle, then a seventh- and eighth-grade teacher at Ancona Montessori School. They have two children. Her former husband is European-American, and as "a lightly complexioned black woman," when she ran for city council against Evans in the 1980s, Evans and Luella Young (his precinct captain) used Preckwinkle's interracial marriage against her. Both Evans and Young are African-American. Preckwinkle's son, Kyle, has been summonsed twice, once on a charge of assault and once on a charge of battery. However, he was not arrested for either incident, which is contrary to normal procedure. The two separate judges that heard these matters both issued acquittals from the bench.

# Japanese cruiser Kasuga Kasuga (春日, Vernal Sun) was the name ship of the Kasuga-class armored cruisers of the Imperial Japanese Navy, built in the first decade of the 20th century by Gio. Ansaldo & C., Sestri Ponente, Italy, where the type was known as the Giuseppe Garibaldi class. The ship was originally ordered by the Royal Italian Navy as Mitra in 1901 and sold in 1902 to Argentine Navy who renamed her Bernardino Rivadavia during the Argentine–Chilean naval arms race, but the lessening of tensions with Chile and financial pressures caused the Argentinians to sell her before delivery. At that time tensions between the Empire of Japan and the Russian Empire were rising, and the ship was offered to both sides before she was purchased by the Japanese. During the Russo-Japanese War of 1904–05, Kasuga participated in the Battle of the Yellow Sea and was lightly damaged during the subsequent Battle of Tsushima. In addition, she frequently bombarded the defenses of Port Arthur. The ship played a limited role in World War I and was used to escort Allied convoys and search for German commerce raiders in the Indian Ocean and Australasia. Kasuga became a training ship in the late 1920s and was then disarmed and hulked in 1942 for use as a barracks ship. The ship capsized shortly before the end of World War II in 1945 and was salvaged three years later and broken up for scrap. ## Background Kasuga was the next-to-last of the 10 Giuseppe Garibaldi-class armored cruisers to be built. The first ship had been completed in 1895 and the class had enjoyed considerable export success and had been gradually improved over the years. The last two ships of the class were ordered on 23 December 1901 by the Royal Italian Navy and sold the next year to the Argentine Navy in response to the order placed with a British shipbuilder by Chile for two second-class battleships. The possibility of war between Argentina and Chile, however, abated before the vessel was completed, and a combination of financial problems and British pressure forced Argentina to dispose of Bernardino Rivadavia and her sister ship Mariano Moreno. The Argentine government attempted to sell the ships to Russia, but negotiations failed over the price demanded by the Argentinians. The Japanese government quickly stepped in and purchased them due to increasing tensions with Russia despite the high price of ¥14,937,390 (£1,530,000) for the two sisters. Already planning to attack Russia, the government delayed their surprise attack on Port Arthur that began the Russo-Japanese War until the ships had left Singapore and could not be delayed or interned by any foreign power. ## Design and description Kasuga had an overall length of 111.73 meters (366 ft 7 in), a beam of 18.71 meters (61 ft 5 in), a molded depth of 12.1 meters (39 ft 8 in) and a deep draft (ship) of 7.31 meters (24 ft 0 in). She displaced 7,700 metric tons (7,600 long tons) at normal load. The ship was powered by two vertical triple-expansion steam engines, each driving one shaft, using steam from 8 coal-fired Scotch marine boilers. Designed for a maximum output of 13,500 indicated horsepower (10,100 kW) and a speed of 20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph), Kasuga barely exceeded this, reaching a speed of 20.05 knots (37.13 km/h; 23.07 mph) during her sea trials on 20 September 1903 despite 14,944 ihp (11,144 kW) produced by her engines. She had a cruising range of 5,500 nautical miles (10,200 km; 6,300 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph). Her complement consisted of 560 officers and enlisted men. Her main armament consisted of one 40-caliber Armstrong Whitworth 10 in (254 mm) Type 41 gun in a single turret forward and two 45-caliber 8 in (203 mm) Type 41 guns, in a twin-gun turret aft. Ten of the 40-caliber quick-firing (QF) 6 in (152 mm) Type 41 guns that comprised her secondary armament were arranged in casemates amidships on the main deck; the remaining four guns were mounted on the upper deck. Kasuga also had ten QF 3 in (76 mm) Type 41 guns and six QF 3-pounder (1.5 in (38 mm)) Hotchkiss guns to defend herself against torpedo boats. She was fitted with four submerged 18 in (460 mm) torpedo tubes, two on each side. In 1924 two of her 3 in guns were removed, as were all of her QF 3-pounder Hotchkiss guns, and a single 3-inch 3rd Year Type anti-aircraft gun was added. By August 1933, all ten of her casemated 6-inch guns had been removed in addition to four more 3 in guns. The ship's waterline armor belt had a maximum thickness of 150 millimeters (5.9 in) amidships and tapered to 70 millimeters (2.8 in) towards the ends of the ship. Between the main gun barbettes it covered the entire side of the ship up to the level of the upper deck. The ends of the central armored citadel were enclosed by transverse bulkheads 120 millimeters (4.7 in) thick. The forward barbette, the conning tower, and gun turrets were also protected by 150-millimeter armor while the aft barbette only had 100 millimeters (3.9 in) of armor. Her deck armor ranged from 20 to 40 millimeters (0.8 to 1.6 in) thick and the 6-inch guns on the upper deck were protected by gun shields. ## Construction and career The ship's keel was laid down on 10 March 1902 with the temporary name of San Mitra and she was launched on 22 October 1902 and renamed Bernardino Rivadavia by the Argentinians. The vessel was sold to Japan on 30 December 1903 and renamed Kasuga, after Kasuga Shrine in Nara prefecture, on 1 January 1904. Kasuga and her newly renamed sister Nisshin were formally turned over to Japan and commissioned on 7 January. The sisters departed Genoa on 9 January under the command of British captains and manned by British seamen and Italian stokers. When they arrived at Port Said, Egypt, five days later, they encountered the Russian protected cruiser Aurora and reached Suez on the 16th, accompanied by the British armored cruiser King Alfred. The Japanese ships reached Singapore on 2 February where they were slightly delayed by a coolie strike. ### Russo-Japanese War Kasuga and Nisshin reached Yokosuka on 16 February just as Japan initiated hostilities with its surprise attack on Port Arthur, and began working up with Japanese crews. The sisters were assigned to reinforce the battleships of the 1st Division of the 1st Fleet under the overall command of Admiral Tōgō Heihachirō on 11 April. In an effort to block the Russian ships in Port Arthur, Togo ordered a minefield laid at the mouth of the harbor on 12 April and Kasuga and Nisshin were tasked to show themselves "as a demonstration of our power". Tōgō successfully lured out a portion of the Russian Pacific Squadron, including Vice Admiral Stepan Makarov's flagship, the battleship Petropavlovsk. When Makarov spotted the five Japanese battleships and Kasuga and Nisshin, he turned back for Port Arthur and his flagship ran into the minefield just laid by the Japanese. The ship sank in less than two minutes after one of her magazines exploded, and Makarov was one of the 677 killed. In addition to this loss, the battleship Pobeda was damaged by a mine. Emboldened by his success, Tōgō resumed long-range bombardment missions, making use of the long-range capabilities of Kasuga and Nisshin's guns to blindly bombard Port Arthur on 15 April from Pigeon Bay, on the southwest side of the Liaodong Peninsula, at a range of 9.5 kilometers (5.9 mi). In early May, the sisters fired at ranges up to 18 kilometers (11 mi) although this proved to be ineffective. On 15 May, the battleships Yashima and Hatsuse were sunk by Russian mines. That same day, off Port Arthur, Kasuga collided in the fog with the protected cruiser Yoshino, which capsized and sank with the loss of 318 officers and enlisted men. With a third of Japan's battleships lost, Tōgō decided to use Kasuga and Nisshin in the line of battle together with his four remaining battleships. The first test of this decision would have occurred on 23 June when the Pacific Squadron sortied in an abortive attempt to reach Vladivostok, but the new squadron commander, Rear Admiral Wilgelm Vitgeft, ordered the squadron to return to Port Arthur when it encountered the Japanese battleline (including Kasuga and Nisshin) shortly before sunset, as he did not wish to engage his numerically superior opponents in a night battle. On 27 July, the sisters forced a Russian force of one battleship and several cruisers and gunboats to return to port because of long-range gun fire after they sortied to provide fire support to the Russian Army. Kasuga and Nisshin participated in the Battle of the Yellow Sea on 10 August, but only played a minor role as they were in the rear of the Japanese battleline. During the battle, the ship's executive officer was Kantarō Suzuki, later Prime Minister of Japan. Kasuga was not significantly damaged, although she was hit three times with 11 crewmen wounded. Kasuga fired 33 ten-inch shells along with an unknown number of eight-inch shells during the battle. After the battle the sisters returned to Pigeon Bay where they engaged the Russian fortifications. At the Battle of Tsushima on 26 May 1905, Kasuga was fifth in the line of battle. At about 14:10, Kasuga opened fire on the battleship Oslyabya, the lead ship in the second column of the Russian fleet. Due to the limited visibility and heavy smoke during the battle detailed knowledge is not available about her activities during the rest of the day's action. The surviving Russian ships had been located near the Liancourt Rocks by the Japanese the following morning and Tōgō reached them about 10:00. Heavily outnumbering the Russians, he opted for a long-range engagement to minimize any losses and Kasuga opened fire at the obsolete battleship Imperator Nikolai I at a range of 9,100 meters (10,000 yd). The ship hit her target's funnel on her third salvo and the Russians surrendered shortly afterwards. During the course of the battle, Kasuga fired 50 ten-inch and 103 eight-inch shells; due to the poor visibility and sinking of many Russian ships, the only confirmed hits made by the ship were two against the battleship Oryol with ten-inch shells, one of which broke up on the armor of the aft twelve-inch (305 mm) turret. In return she was struck by one 12-inch, one 6-inch, and one unidentified shell, none of which significantly damaged her. Shortly after the Battle of Tsushima, Kasuga was assigned to the 3rd Fleet) for the invasion and occupation of Sakhalin in July–August. On 2 September 1911, the ship escorted the ex-Russian torpedo depot ship Anegawa to Vladivostok to be returned to the Russians. At the start of 1914, Kasuga was overhauled with her boilers replaced by 12 Kampon Type 1 water-tube boilers. ### World War I Kasuga served as the flagship of Destroyer Squadron (Suiraisentai) 3 from 13 December 1915 to 13 May 1916 and 12 September 1916 to 13 April 1917. After the incursion of the German commerce raider SMS Wolf into the Indian Ocean in March 1917, the British Admiralty requested that the Japanese government reinforce its ships already present, there and in Australian waters. The ship was sent south and escorted Allied shipping between Colombo, Ceylon and Fremantle, Australia in April–May. She was based at Singapore through November. On 13 January 1918, Kasuga ran aground on a sandbank in the Bangka Strait, in the Dutch East Indies, where she was stuck until June, when she could finally be refloated for repairs. ### Interwar years and World War II Kasuga arrived in Portland, Maine on 3 July 1920 for the centennial celebrations of the State of Maine and then made port visits in New York City and Annapolis, Maryland. In August 1920 Kasuga visited the city of Cristobal in the Republic of Panama, after transiting the Panama Canal, from 22 to 25 August 1920, with an official reception for the crew before heading to San Francisco. She was used to transport Japanese soldiers and supplies to Siberia in 1922 as part of Japan's Siberian Intervention. During the time, Kasuga was commanded by Mitsumasa Yonai, another future Prime Minister of Japan. On 15 June 1926, the ship helped to rescue the crew of the freighter SS City of Naples that struck a rock off the coast of Japan and broke up. Two of her crewmen were later awarded silver medals for gallantry during the rescue by King George V. From 1927 to 1942, Kasuga was used as a training vessel for navigators and engineers. On 27 July 1928 she rescued the crew of the semi-rigid airship N3 after it exploded in heavy weather during fleet maneuvers. In January–February 1934, Kasuga ferried 40 scientists to Truk to observe a total solar eclipse on 14 February. She was hulked and disarmed in July 1942 and used as a floating barracks for the rest of the Pacific War. Kasuga capsized at her mooring at Yokosuka on 18 July 1945 during an air raid by United States Navy aircraft from TF-38. Her wreck was salvaged in August 1948 and broken up for scrap by the Uraga Dock Company.

# Naval battles of the American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War saw a series of battles involving naval forces of the British Royal Navy and the Continental Navy from 1775, and of the French Navy from 1778 onwards. Although the British enjoyed more numerical victories, these battles culminated in the surrender of the British Army force of Lieutenant-General Earl Charles Cornwallis, an event that led directly to the beginning of serious peace negotiations and the eventual end of the war. From the start of the hostilities, the British North American station under Vice-Admiral Samuel Graves blockaded the major colonial ports and carried raids against patriot communities. Colonial forces could do little to stop these developments due to British naval supremacy. In 1777, colonial privateers made raids into British waters capturing merchant ships, which they took into French and Spanish ports, although both were officially neutral. Seeking to challenge Britain, France signed two treaties with America in February 1778, but stopped short of declaring war on Britain. The risk of a French invasion forced the British to concentrate its forces in the English Channel, leaving its forces in North America vulnerable to attacks. France officially entered the war on 17 June 1778, and the French ships sent to the Western Hemisphere spent most of the year in the West Indies, and only sailed to the Thirteen Colonies from July until November. In the first Franco-American campaign, a French fleet commanded by Vice-Admiral Comte Charles Henri Hector d'Estaing attempted landings in New York and Newport, but due to a combination of poor coordination and bad weather, d'Estaing and Vice-Admiral Lord Richard Howe naval forces did not engage during 1778. After the French fleet departed, the British turned their attention to the south. In 1779, the French fleet returned to assist American forces attempting to recapture Savannah from British forces, however failing leading the British victors to remain in control till late 1782. In 1780, another fleet and 6,000 troops commanded by Lieutenant-General Comte Jean-Baptiste de Rochambeau, landed at Newport, and shortly afterwards was blockaded by the British. In early 1781, General George Washington and the comte de Rochambeau planned an attack against the British in the Chesapeake Bay area coordinated with the arrival of a large fleet commanded by Vice-Admiral Comte François Joseph Paul de Grasse from the West Indies. British Vice-Admiral Sir George Brydges Rodney, who had been tracking de Grasse around the West Indies, was alerted to the latter's departure, but was uncertain of the French admiral's destination. Believing that de Grasse would return a portion of his fleet to Europe, Rodney detached Rear-Admiral Sir Samuel Hood and 15 ships of the line with orders to find de Grasse's destination in North America. Rodney, who was ill, sailed for Europe with the rest of his fleet in order to recover, refit his fleet, and to avoid the Atlantic hurricane season. British naval forces in North America and the West Indies were weaker than the combined fleets of France and Spain, and, after much indecision by British naval commanders, the French fleet gained control over Chesapeake Bay, landing forces near Yorktown. The Royal Navy attempted to dispute this control in the key Battle of the Chesapeake on 5 September but Rear-Admiral Thomas Graves was defeated. Protected from the sea by French ships, Franco-American forces surrounded, besieged and forced the surrender of British forces commanded by General Cornwallis, concluding major operations in North America. When the news reached London, the government of Lord Frederick North fell, and the following Rockingham ministry entered into peace negotiations. These culminated in the Treaty of Paris in 1783, in which King George III recognised the independence of the United States of America. ## Early actions, 1775–1778 ### First skirmishes The Battle of Lexington and Concord on 19 April 1775 drew thousands of militia forces from throughout New England to the towns surrounding Boston. These men remained in the area and their numbers grew, placing the British forces in Boston under siege when they blocked all land access to the peninsula. The British were still able to sail in supplies from Nova Scotia, Providence, and other places because the harbour remained under British naval control. Colonial forces could do nothing to stop these shipments due to the naval supremacy of the British fleet and the complete absence of any sort of rebel armed vessels in the spring of 1775. Nevertheless, while the British were able to resupply the city by sea, the inhabitants and the British forces were on short rations, and prices rose quickly Vice-Admiral Samuel Graves commanded the Royal Navy around occupied Boston under overall leadership of Governor General Thomas Gage. Graves had hired storage on Noddle's Island for a variety of important naval supplies, hay and livestock, which he felt were important to preserve, owing to the "almost impossibility of replacing them at this Juncture". During the siege, with the supplies in the city running shorter by the day, British troops were sent to the Boston Harbour to raid farms for supplies. Graves, apparently acting on intelligence that the Colonials might make attempts on the islands, posted guard boats near Noddle's Island. These were longboats that included detachments of Marines. Sources disagree as to whether or not any regulars or marines were stationed on Noddle's Island to protect the naval supplies. In response, the Colonials began clearing Noddle's Island and Hog Island of anything useful to the British. Graves on his flagship HMS Preston, taking notice of this, signalled for the guard marines to land on Noddle's island and ordered the armed schooner Diana, under the command of his nephew Lieutenant Thomas Graves, to sail up Chelsea Creek to cut off the colonists' route. This contested action resulted in the loss of two British soldiers and the capture and burning of Diana. This setback prompted Graves to move HMS Somerset, which had been stationed in the shallow waters between Boston and Charlestown, into deeper waters to the east of Boston, where it would have improved manoeuvrability if fired upon from land. He also belatedly sent a detachment of regulars to secure Noddle's Island; the colonists had long before removed or destroyed anything of value on the island. The need for building materials and other supplies led Admiral Graves to authorise a loyalist merchant to send his two ships Unity and Polly from Boston to Machias in the District of Maine, escorted by the armed schooner Margaretta under the command of James Moore, a midshipman from Graves' flagship Preston. Moore also carried orders to recover what he could from the wreck of HMS Halifax, which had apparently been run aground in Machias Bay by a patriot pilot in February 1775. After a heated negotiation, the Machias townspeople seized the merchant vessels and the schooner after a short battle in which Moore was killed. Jeremiah O'Brien immediately outfitted one of the three captured vessels with breastwork, armed her with the guns and swivels taken from Margaretta and changed her name to Machias Liberty. In July 1775, Jeremiah O'Brien and Benjamin Foster captured two more British armed schooners, Diligent and Tatamagouche, whose officers had been captured when they came ashore near Bucks Harbour. In August 1775, the Provincial Congress formally recognised their efforts, commissioning both Machias Liberty and Diligent into the Massachusetts Navy, with Jeremiah O'Brien as their commander. The community would be a base for privateering until the war's end. Their resistance, and that of other coastal communities, led Graves to authorise a reprisal expedition in October whose sole significant act was the Burning of Falmouth. On 30 August, Royal Naval Captain James Wallace, commanding Rose fired into the town of Stonington, after the townspeople there prevented Rose's tender from capturing a vessel it had chased into the harbour. Wallace also fired on the town of Bristol, in October, after its townspeople refused to deliver livestock to him. The outrage in the colonies over these action contributed to the passing of legislation by the Second Continental Congress that established the Continental Navy. The US Navy recognises 13 October 1775, as the date of its official establishment — the Second Continental Congress had established the Continental Navy in late 1775. On this day, Congress authorised the purchase of two armed vessels for a cruise against British merchant ships; these ships became Andrew Doria and Cabot. The first ship in commission was Alfred purchased on 4 November and commissioned on 3 December by Captain Dudley Saltonstall. John Adams drafted its first governing regulations, adopted by Congress on 28 November 1775, which remained in effect throughout the Revolution. The Rhode Island resolution, reconsidered by the Continental Congress, passed on 13 December 1775, authorising the building of thirteen frigates within the next three months, five ships of 32 guns, five with 28 guns and three with 24 guns. ### Foundation of the Continental Navy The desperate shortage of gunpowder available to the Continental Army had led the Congress to organise a naval expedition, one of whose goals was the seizure of the military supplies at Nassau. While the orders issued by the Congress to Esek Hopkins, the fleet captain selected to lead the expedition, included only instructions for patrolling and raiding British naval targets on the Virginia and Carolina coastline, additional instructions may have been given to Hopkins in secret meetings of the Congress' Naval Committee. The instructions that Hopkins issued to his fleet's captains before it sailed from Cape Henlopen, Delaware on February 17, 1776, included instructions to rendezvous at Great Abaco Island in the Bahamas. The fleet that Hopkins launched consisted of: Alfred, Hornet, Wasp, Fly, Andrew Doria, Cabot, Providence, and Columbus. In addition to ships' crews, it carried 200 marines under the command of Samuel Nicholas. In early March, the fleet (reduced by one due to tangled rigging en route) landed marines on the island of New Providence and captured the town of Nassau in the Bahamas. After loading the fleet's ships, (enlarged to include two captured prize ships), with military stores, the fleet sailed north on 17 March, with one ship dispatched to Philadelphia, while the rest of the fleet sailed for the Block Island channel, with Governor Browne and other officials as prisoners. Outbreaks of a variety of diseases, including fevers and smallpox, resulting in significant reductions in crew effectiveness, marked the fleet's cruise. The return voyage was uneventful until the fleet reached the waters off Long Island. On 4 April, the fleet encountered and captured a prize, Hawk, which was laden with supplies. The next day brought a second prize Bolton, which was also laden with stores that included more armaments and powder. Hoping to catch more easy prizes, Hopkins continued to cruise off Block Island that night, forming the fleet into a scouting formation of two columns. The need to man the prizes further reduced the fighting effectiveness of the fleet's ships. The fleet finally met resistance on April 6, when it encountered the Glasgow, a heavily armed sixth-rate ship. In the ensuing action, the outnumbered Glasgow managed to escape capture, severely damaging the Cabot in the process, wounding her captain, Hopkins' son John Burroughs Hopkins, and killing or wounding eleven others. Andrew Doria"'s Captain Nicholas Biddle described the battle as "helter-skelter". They reached New London on 8 April. Although Continental Congress President John Hancock praised Hopkins for the fleet's performance, its failure to capture Glasgow gave opponents of the Navy in and out of Congress opportunities for criticism. Nicholas Biddle wrote of the action, "A more imprudent, ill-conducted affair never happened". Abraham Whipple, captain of Columbus, endured rumours and accusations of cowardice for a time, but eventually asked for a court-martial to clear his name. Held on 6 May by a panel consisting of officers who had been on the cruise, he was cleared of cowardice, although he was criticised for errors of judgment. John Hazard, captain of Providence, was not so fortunate. Charged by his subordinate officers with a variety of offences, including neglect of duty during the Glasgow action, he was convicted by court-martial and forced to surrender his commission. Commodore Hopkins came under scrutiny from Congress over matters unrelated to this action. He had violated his written orders by sailing to Nassau instead of Virginia and the Carolinas, and he had distributed the goods taken during the cruise to Connecticut and Rhode Island without consulting Congress. He was censured for these transgressions, and dismissed from the Navy in January 1778 after further controversies, including the fleet's failure to sail again (a number of its ships suffered from crew shortages, and also became trapped at Providence by the British occupation of Newport late in 1776). American forces were not strong enough to dislodge the British garrison there, which was also supported by British ships using Newport as a base. On Lake Champlain, Benedict Arnold supervised the construction of 12 vessels to protect access into Hudson River's uppermost navigable reaches from advancing British forces. A British fleet destroyed Arnold's in the Battle of Valcour Island, but the fleet's presence on the lake managed to slow down the British progression enough until winter came before they were able capture Fort Ticonderoga. By mid-1776, a number of ships, ranging up to and including the thirteen frigates approved by Congress, were under construction, but their effectiveness was limited; they were completely outmatched by the mighty Royal Navy, and nearly all were captured or sunk by 1781. Privateers had some success with 1,697 letters of marque being issued by Congress. Individual states and American agents in Europe and in the Caribbean also issued commissions. Taking duplications into account, various authorities issued more than 2,000 commissions. Lloyd's of London estimated that Yankee privateers captured 2,208 British ships, amounting to almost $66 million, a significant sum at the time. ## France enters the war, 1778–1780 ### French movements For its first major attempt at co-operation with the Americans, France sent Vice-Admiral Comte Charles Henri Hector d'Estaing, with a fleet of 12 ships of the line and some French Army troops to North America in April 1778, with orders to blockade the British North American fleet in the Delaware River. Although British leaders had early intelligence that d'Estaing was likely headed for North America, political and military differences within the government and navy delayed the British response, allowing him to sail unopposed through the Straits of Gibraltar. It was not until early June that a fleet of 13 ships of the line under the command of Vice-Admiral John Byron left European waters in pursuit. D'Estaing's Atlantic crossing took three months, but Byron (who was called "Foul-weather Jack" due to his repeated bad luck with the weather) was also delayed by bad weather and did not reach New York until mid-August. The British evacuated Philadelphia to New York City before d'Estaing's arrival, and their North American fleet was no longer in the river when his fleet arrived at Delaware Bay in early July. D'Estaing decided to sail for New York, but its well-defended harbour presented a daunting challenge to the French fleet. Since the French and their American pilots believed his largest ships were unable to cross the sandbar into New York harbour, their leaders decided to deploy their forces against British-occupied Newport, Rhode Island. While d'Estaing was outside the harbour, British Lieutenant-General Sir Henry Clinton and Vice-Admiral Lord Richard Howe dispatched a fleet of transports carrying 2,000 troops to reinforce Newport via Long Island Sound; these reached their destination on 15 July, raising the size of Major General Sir Robert Pigot's garrison to over 6,700 men. ### French arrival at Newport On 22 July, when the British judged the tide high enough for the French ships to cross the sandbar, d'Estaing sailed instead from his position outside New York harbour. He sailed south initially before turning northeast toward Newport. The British fleet in New York, eight ships of the line under the command of Lord Richard Howe, sailed out after him once they discovered his destination was Newport. D'Estaing arrived off Point Judith on 29 July, and immediately met with Major Generals Nathanael Greene and Gilbert du Motier, marquis de Lafayette, to develop a plan of attack. Major General John Sullivan's proposal was that the Americans would cross over to Aquidneck Island's (Rhode Island) eastern shore from Tiverton, while French troops using Conanicut Island as a staging ground, would cross from the west, cutting off a detachment of British soldiers at Butts Hill on the northern part of the island. The next day, d'Estaing sent frigates into the Sakonnet River (the channel to the east of Aquidneck) and into the main channel leading to Newport. As allied intentions became clear, General Pigot decided to redeploy his forces in a defensive posture, withdrawing troops from Conanicut Island and from Butts Hill. He also decided to move nearly all livestock into the city, ordered the levelling of orchards to provide a clear line of fire, and destroyed carriages and wagons. The arriving French ships drove several of his supporting ships aground, which were then burned to prevent their capture. As the French worked their way up the channel toward Newport, Pigot ordered the remaining ships scuttled to hamper French access to Newport's harbour. On 8 August d'Estaing moved the bulk of his fleet into Newport Harbour. On 9 August d'Estaing began disembarking some of his 4,000 troops onto nearby Conanicut Island. The same day, General Sullivan learned that Pigot had abandoned Butts Hill. Contrary to the agreement with d'Estaing, Sullivan then crossed troops over to seize that high ground, concerned that the British might reoccupy it in strength. Although d'Estaing later approved of the action, his initial reaction, and that of some of his officers, was one of disapproval. John Laurens wrote that the action "gave much umbrage to the French officers". Sullivan was en route to a meeting with d'Estaing when the latter learned that Admiral Howe's fleet had arrived. ### Storm damage Lord Howe's fleet was delayed departing New York by contrary winds, and he arrived off Point Judith on 9 August. Since d'Estaing's fleet outnumbered Howe's, the French admiral, fearful that Howe would be further reinforced and eventually gain a numerical advantage, reboarded the French troops, and sailed out to do battle with Howe on 10 August. As the two fleets prepared to battle and manoeuvreered for position, the weather deteriorated, and a major storm broke out. Raging for two days, the storm scattered both fleets, severely damaging the French flagship. It also frustrated plans by Sullivan to attack Newport without French support on 11 August. While Sullivan awaited the return of the French fleet, he began siege operations, moving closer to the British lines on 15 August and opening trenches to the northeast of the fortified British line north of Newport the next day. As the two fleets sought to regroup, individual ships encountered enemy ships, and there were several minor naval skirmishes; two French ships (including d'Estaing's flagship), already suffering storm damage, were badly mauled in these encounters. The French fleet regrouped off Delaware, and returned to Newport on 20 August, while the British fleet regrouped at New York. Despite pressure from his captains to sail immediately for Boston to make repairs, Admiral d'Estaing instead sailed for Newport to inform the Americans he would be unable to assist them. Upon his arrival on 20 August he informed Sullivan, and rejected entreaties that the British could be compelled to surrender in just one or two days with their help. Of the decision, d'Estaing wrote: "It was [...] difficult to persuade oneself that about six thousand men well entrenched and with a fort before which they had dug trenches could be taken either in twenty-four hours or in two days". Any thought of the French fleet remaining at Newport was also opposed by d'Estaing's captains, with whom he had a difficult relationship because of his arrival in the navy at a high rank after service in the French army. D'Estaing sailed for Boston on 22 August. ### D'Estaing reaches Boston The French decision brought on a wave of anger in the American ranks and its commanders. Although General Greene penned a complaint that John Laurens termed "sensible and spirited", General Sullivan was less diplomatic. In a missive containing much inflammatory language, he called d'Estaing's decision "derogatory to the honor of France", and included further complaints in orders of the day that were later suppressed when cooler heads prevailed. American writers from the ranks called the French decision a "desertion", and noted that they "left us in a most Rascally manner". The French departure prompted a mass exodus of the American militia, significantly shrinking the American force. On 24 August, Sullivan was alerted by General George Washington that Clinton was assembling a relief force in New York. That evening his council made the decision to withdraw to positions on the northern part of the island. Sullivan continued to seek French assistance, dispatching Lafayette to Boston to negotiate further with d'Estaing. In the meantime, the British in New York had not been idle. Lord Howe, concerned about the French fleet and further reinforced by the arrival of ships from Byron's storm-tossed squadron, sailed out to catch d'Estaing before he reached Boston. General Clinton organised a force of 4,000 men under Major General Charles Grey, and sailed with it on 26 August, destined for Newport. The inflammatory writings of General Sullivan arrived before the French fleet reached Boston; Admiral d'Estaing's initial reaction was reported to be a dignified silence. Under pressure from Washington and the Continental Congress, politicians worked to smooth over the incident while d'Estaing was in good spirits when Lafayette arrived in Boston. D'Estaing even offered to march troops overland to support the Americans: "I offered to become a colonel of infantry, under the command of one who three years ago was a lawyer, and who certainly must have been an uncomfortable man for his clients". General Pigot was harshly criticized by Clinton for failing to await the relief force, which might have successfully entrapped the Americans on the island. He left Newport for England not long after. Newport was abandoned by the British in October 1779 with economy ruined by the war. ### Other actions The relief force of Clinton and Grey arrived at Newport on 1 September. Given that the threat was over, Clinton instead ordered Grey to raid several communities on the Massachusetts coast. Admiral Howe was unsuccessful in his bid to catch up with d'Estaing, who held a strong position at the Nantasket Roads when Howe arrived there on 30 August. Admiral Byron, who succeeded Howe as head of the New York station in September, was also unsuccessful in blockading d'Estaing: his fleet was scattered by a storm when it arrived off Boston, while d'Estaing sailed away, bound for the West Indies. The British Navy in New York had not been inactive. Vice-Admiral Sir George Collier engaged in a number of amphibious raids against coastal communities from Chesapeake Bay to Connecticut, and probed at American defences in the Hudson River valley. Coming up the river in force, he supported the key outpost capture of Stony Point, but advanced no further. When Clinton weakened the garrison there to provide men for raiding expeditions, Washington organised a counterstrike. Brigadier General Anthony Wayne led a force that, solely using the bayonet, recaptured Stony Point. The Americans chose not to hold the post, but their morale was dealt a blow later in the year, when their failure to co-operate with the French led to an unsuccessful attempt to dislodge the British from Savannah. Control of Georgia was formally returned to its royal governor, James Wright, in July 1779, but the backcountry would not come under British control until after the 1780 Siege of Charleston. Patriot forces recovered Augusta by siege in 1781, but Savannah remained in British hands until 1782. The damage sustained at Savannah forced Marseillois, Zélé, Sagittaire, Protecteur and Experiment to return to Toulon for repairs. John Paul Jones in April 1778 led a raid on the western English town of Whitehaven, representing the first engagement by American forces outside of North America. ## Yorktown Campaign ### French and American planning for 1781 French military planners had to balance competing demands for the 1781 campaign. After the unsuccessful American attempts of co-operation leading to failed assaults at Rhode Island and Savannah, they realised more active participation in North America was needed. However, they also needed to co-ordinate their actions with Spain, where there was potential interest in making an assault on the British stronghold of Jamaica. It turned out that the Spanish were not interested in operations against Jamaica until after they had dealt with an expected British attempt to reinforce besieged Gibraltar, and merely wanted to be informed of the movements of the West Indies fleet. As the French fleet was preparing to depart Brest, France in March 1781, several important decisions were made. The West Indies fleet, led by the Rear-Admiral Comte François Joseph Paul de Grasse, after operations in the Windward Islands, was directed to go to Cap-Français (present-day Cap-Haïtien, Haiti) to determine what resources would be required to assist Spanish operations. Because of a lack of transports, France also promised six million livres to support the American war effort instead of providing additional troops. The French fleet at Newport was given a new commander, the Comte Jacques-Melchior de Barras Saint-Laurent. He was ordered to take the Newport fleet to harass British shipping off Nova Scotia and Newfoundland, and the French army at Newport was ordered to combine with Washington's army outside New York. In orders that were deliberately not fully shared with General Washington, De Grasse was instructed to assist in North American operations after his stop at Cap-Français. The French Lieutenant-General Comte Jean-Baptiste de Rochambeau, was instructed to tell Washington that de Grasse might be able to assist, without making any commitment (Washington learned from John Laurens, stationed in Paris, that de Grasse had discretion to come north). ### Opening moves In December 1780, General Clinton sent Brigadier General Benedict Arnold (who had changed sides the previous September) with about 1,700 troops to Virginia to carry out raiding and to fortify Portsmouth. Washington responded by sending the Marquis de Lafayette south with a small army to oppose Arnold. Seeking to trap Arnold between Lafayette's army and a French naval detachment, Washington sought the Admiral Chevalier Destouches, the commander of the French fleet at Newport for help. Destouches was restrained by the larger British North American fleet anchored at Gardiner's Bay off the eastern end of Long Island, and was unable to help. In early February, after receiving reports of British ships damaged by a storm, Destouches decided to send a naval expedition from his base in Newport. On 9 February, Captain Arnaud de Gardeur de Tilley sailed from Newport with three ships (ship of the line Eveille and frigates Surveillante and Gentile). When de Tilley arrived off Portsmouth four days later, Arnold retreated his ships, which had shallower drafts, up the Elizabeth River, where the larger French ships could not follow. Unable to attack Arnold's position, de Tilley could only return to Newport. On the way back, the French captured HMS Romulus, a 44-gun frigate sent to investigate their movements. This success and the pleas of General Washington, permitted Destouches to launch a full-scale operation. On 8 March, Washington was in Newport when Destouches sailed with his entire fleet, carrying 1,200 troops for use in land operations when they arrived in the Chesapeake. Vice-Admiral Mariot Arbuthnot, the British fleet commander in North America, was aware that Destouches was planning something, but did not learn of Destouches' sailing until 10 March, and immediately led his fleet out of Gardiner Bay in pursuit. He had the advantage of favourable winds, and reached Cape Henry on 16 March, slightly ahead of Destouches. Although suffering a tactical defeat, Arbuthnot was able to pull into Chesapeake Bay, thus frustrating the original intent of Destouches' mission, forcing the French fleet to return to Newport. After transports delivered 2,000 men to reinforce Arnold, Arbuthnot returned to New York. He resigned his post as station chief in July and left for England, ending a stormy, difficult, and unproductive relationship with General Clinton. ### Arrival of the fleets The French fleet sailed from Brest on 22 March. The British fleet was busy with preparations to resupply Gibraltar, and did not attempt to oppose the departure. After the French fleet sailed, the packet ship Concorde sailed for Newport, carrying the comte de Barras, Rochambeau's orders, and credits for the six million livres. In a separate dispatch sent later, Admiral de Grasse also made two important requests. The first was that he be notified at Cap-Français of the situation in North America so that he could decide how he might be able to assist in operations there, and the second was that he be supplied with 30 pilots familiar with North American waters. On 21 May Generals George Washington and the comte de Rochambeau, respectively the commanders of the American and French armies in North America, met to discuss potential operations against the British. They considered either an assault or siege on the principal British base at New York City, or operations against the British forces in Virginia. Since either of these options would require the assistance of the French fleet then in the West Indies, a ship was dispatched to meet with de Grasse who was expected at Cap-Français, outlining the possibilities and requesting his assistance. Rochambeau, in a private note to de Grasse, indicated that his preference was for an operation against Virginia. The two generals then moved their forces to White Plains, New York to study New York's defences and await news from de Grasse. De Grasse arrived at Cap-Français on 15 August. He immediately dispatched his response, which was that he would make for the Chesapeake. Taking on 3,200 troops, he sailed from Cap-Français with his entire fleet, 28 ships of the line. Sailing outside the normal shipping lanes to avoid notice, he arrived at the mouth of Chesapeake Bay on 30 August and disembarked the troops to assist in the land blockade of Cornwallis. Two British frigates that were supposed to be on patrol outside the bay were trapped inside the bay by de Grasse's arrival; this prevented the British in New York from learning the full strength of de Grasse's fleet until it was too late. British Vice-Admiral Sir George Brydges Rodney had been warned that de Grasse was planning to take at least part of his fleet north. Although he had some clues that he might take his whole fleet (he was aware of the number of pilots de Grasse had requested, for example), he assumed that de Grasse would not leave the French convoy at Cap-Français, and that part of his fleet would escort it to France. So Rodney accordingly divided his fleet, sending Rear-Admiral Sir Samuel Hood north with 15 ships of the line and orders to find de Grasse's destination in North America and report to New York. Rodney, who was ill, took the rest of the fleet back to Britain in order to recover, refit his fleet, and to avoid the Atlantic hurricane season. Hood sailed from Antigua on 10 August, five days after de Grasse. During the voyage, one of his ships became separated and was captured by a privateer. Sailing more directly than de Grasse, Hood's fleet arrived off the entrance to the Chesapeake on 25 August. Finding no French ships there, he then sailed on to New York to meet with Rear-Admiral Sir Thomas Graves, in command of the North American station following Arbuthnot's departure, whom had spent several weeks trying to intercept a convoy organised by John Laurens to bring much-needed supplies and hard currency from France to Boston. When Hood arrived at New York, he found that Graves was in port (having failed to intercept the convoy), but had only five ships of the line that were ready for battle. De Grasse had notified his counterpart in Newport, the comte de Barras Saint-Laurent, of his intentions and his planned arrival date. De Barras sailed from Newport on 27 August with 8 ships of the line, 4 frigates, and 18 transports carrying French armaments and siege equipment. He deliberately sailed via a circuitous route to minimise the possibility of an encounter with the British, should they sail from New York in pursuit. Washington and Rochambeau, in the meantime, had crossed the Hudson on 24 August, leaving some troops behind as a ruse to delay any potential move on the part of General Clinton to mobilise assistance for Cornwallis. News of de Barras' departure led the British to realise that the Chesapeake was the probable target of the French fleets. By 31 August Graves had moved his ships over the bar at New York harbour. Taking command of the combined fleet, now 19 ships, Graves sailed south, and arrived at the mouth of the Chesapeake on 5 September. His progress was slow; the poor condition of some of the West Indies ships (contrary to claims by Admiral Hood that his fleet was fit for a month of service) necessitated repairs en route. Graves was also concerned about some ships in his own fleet; Europe in particular had difficulty manoeuvring. The squadrons' clash started with Marseillois exchanging shots with the 64-gun HMS Intrepid, under Captain Anthony Molloy. ## Aftermath The British retreat in disarray set off a flurry of panic among the Loyalist population. The news of the defeat was also not received well in London. King George III wrote (well before learning of Cornwallis's surrender) that "after the knowledge of the defeat of our fleet [...] I nearly think the empire ruined". The French success at completely encircling Cornwallis left them firmly in control of Chesapeake Bay. In addition to capturing a number of smaller British vessels, de Grasse and de Barras assigned their smaller vessels to assist in the transport of Washington's and Rochambeau's forces from Head of Elk, Maryland to Yorktown. It was not until 23 September that Graves and Clinton learned that the French fleet in the Chesapeake numbered 36 ships. This news came from a dispatch sneaked out by Cornwallis on the 17th, accompanied by a plea for help: "If you cannot relieve me very soon, you must be prepared to hear the worst". After effecting repairs in New York, Admiral Graves sailed from New York on 19 October with 25 ships of the line and transports carrying 7,000 troops to relieve Cornwallis. It was two days after Cornwallis surrendered at Yorktown. General Washington acknowledge to de Grasse the importance of his role in the victory: "You will have observed that, whatever efforts are made by the land armies, the navy must have the casting vote in the present contest". The eventual surrender of Cornwallis led to peace two years later and British recognition of the independent United States of America. Admiral de Grasse returned with his fleet to the West Indies. In a major engagement that suspended Franco-Spanish plans for the capture of Jamaica in 1782, he was defeated and taken prisoner by Rodney in the Battle of the Saintes. His flagship Ville de Paris" was lost at sea in a storm while being conducted back to England as part of a fleet commanded by Admiral Graves. Despite the controversy over his conduct in this battle, Graves continued to serve, rising to full admiral and receiving an Irish peerage. ## See also - Quasi War - War of 1812

# Carry On (Supernatural) "Carry On" is the series finale of the American television series Supernatural. It serves as the 20th episode of the fifteenth season, and the 327th overall. The episode was originally broadcast on The CW on November 19, 2020, and was written by showrunner and executive producer Andrew Dabb and directed by co-showrunner Robert Singer. The show stars Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles as Sam and Dean Winchester, two brothers who hunt demons, ghosts, monsters, and other supernatural beings. The episode shows Sam and Dean six months after the events of the previous episode, as they begin their final hunt together which ends in tragedy. In January 2019, the CW renewed the series for a fifteenth season. In March, various cast members revealed that the new season of the show would be its last, with the series finale scheduled to air on May 18, 2020. However, production was shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic with two episodes left to film, which resumed in August, and concluded in September 2020. The finale, which was rescheduled to air on November 19, 2020, was preceded by a special titled The Long Road Home. In its initial broadcast, "Carry On" received positive reviews from critics, who deemed the episode a satisfactory conclusion to the series. As revealed in the season finale of The Winchesters, for Dean, the spin-off show takes place following Dean's death in "Carry On", but before he reunites with Sam in Heaven at the end of the episode. ## Plot Six months after the events of the previous episode, Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean Winchester (Jensen Ackles) resume their regular lives hunting monsters. Sam is still expressing sadness with his allies Castiel (Misha Collins) and Jack Kline (Alexander Calvert) gone but Dean reassures him that they now have a chance to live a "more normal life". In Akron, Ohio, intruders break into a family's house. The father is killed with his body drained of blood, the mother has her tongue removed and the children are kidnapped. Sam and Dean investigate and use their father's journal to identify the intruders as vampires he had hunted in 1986, predicting that their next target is Canton, Ohio. Following them, they kill one of the intruders and force the other to reveal the location of the children, who are at a barn. Once there, Sam and Dean free the children but they fight the vampires, with Sam being knocked out. One of the vampires is Jenny (Christine Chatelain), a woman that they had failed to save from being turned into a vampire 15 years prior. Sam wakes up and they kill the vampires but Dean is impaled in the back by a spike. Sam intends to leave to find medical supplies but Dean has him stay, as his wound appears to be fatal. Dean reassures him that this was always how it was going to end for him and thanks Sam for everything, telling him he loves him and is proud of him. After saying goodbye, Dean dies in Sam's arms. The next day, Sam burns Dean's body in a funeral pyre. Dean finds himself in Heaven and reunites with Bobby Singer (Jim Beaver) outside of the Roadhouse bar. Bobby reveals that after becoming God, Jack and Castiel reshaped Heaven to give everyone anything they wanted and tore down all of the walls keeping the souls separated from each other. After being told that his friend Rufus Turner (Steven Williams), and his parents John Winchester (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) and Mary Winchester (Samantha Smith) live in the surrounding area, Dean takes the Chevrolet Impala for a ride through Heaven as "Carry On Wayward Son" plays on the radio. Sam continues with his life, getting married and having a child, whom he names after Dean. As he grows older and his health deteriorates, he is visited by Dean Jr. who is shown to have become a hunter as well before Sam peacefully dies of natural causes. He then reunites with Dean in Heaven, on a version of the bridge first seen in the pilot episode. ## Production In January 2019, The CW renewed Supernatural for a fifteenth season. In March 2019, cast members Jared Padalecki, Jensen Ackles, and Misha Collins confirmed that the fifteenth season would be the last. Series creator Eric Kripke commented that "In a show about family, it is amazing, and it is the pride of his life, that it became family. So thank you guys for that." With 15 seasons and 327 episodes, the show holds the title as the longest-running show in The CW's history. The series finale was originally set to air on May 18, 2020. However, in March 2020, Warner Bros. Television shut down production on the series due to the COVID-19 pandemic with two episodes, including the finale, left to go. Showrunner and executive producer Andrew Dabb revealed that the season would go on hiatus after episode 13 of the season, broadcast on March 23. Dabb clarified that the series had completed production on 18 of the 20 episodes for the season, but the post-production process could not be completed on the episodes because of the shutdown in production. Dabb also assured that the series' cast and crew, The CW, and Warner Bros. were fully committed to filming and airing the unproduced episodes with its proper finale. In August 2020, The CW announced that the season would resume airing on October 8, 2020, and that the series finale would air on November 19, which was preceded by a special titled The Long Road Home. Filming on the last two episodes began in Vancouver on August 18, and concluded on September 10, 2020. ### Original Ending According to an interview with Entertainment Weekly, the original plans for the series' final moments would have had Dean going to Heaven and finding a party being held in a version of the Roadhouse Bar. In attendance would have been various characters from throughout the series along with Kansas themselves performing the titular song. The pandemic forced the studio to cancel this idea and the ending was rewritten. ## Reception ### Viewers The episode received 1.4 million viewers and was the most-watched Supernatural episode since April 2019. ### Critical reception "Carry On" received mainly positive reviews. Emily Tannenbaum of IGN gave the episode an "amazing" 9 out of 10 and wrote in her verdict that "the Supernatural series finale took its time, gracefully balancing reference and nostalgia with a hunt and endgame worthy of its legacy." Alex McLevy of The A.V. Club gave the episode a B+ and praised the episode for its story, conclusion of major character arcs, and its ending that gave him an "emotional gut punch" and ended the series as "a damn good one." While Saim Cheeda of Screen Rant lauded the episode for focusing on the Winchesters, Maryann Sleasman of TV Guide wrote, "I may not be thrilled by where we ended up, but the trip has been incredible."

# Jamestown, Saint Helena Jamestown is the capital city of the British Overseas Territory of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha, located on the island of Saint Helena in the South Atlantic Ocean. It is also the historic main settlement of the island and is on its north-western coast. Before the development of the port at Rupert's Bay, it was the island's only port and the centre of the island's road and communications network. It was founded when colonists from the English East India Company settled on the island in 1659 and was briefly occupied by the Dutch East India Company in 1673 before being recaptured. Many of the buildings built by the East India Company in the 18th century survive and give the town its distinctive Georgian flavour. The city briefly hosted Napoleon in 1815 during his exile on St. Helena and later served as a base for the Royal Navy's efforts to suppress the slave trade. It had no role during the First World War and only played a minor role during the Second World War. ## History Jamestown was founded in 1659 by the East India Company and is named after James, Duke of York, the future King James II of England. A fort, originally named the Castle of St John, was quickly built and, with the restoration of the monarchy in 1660, the fort was renamed James Fort, the town Jamestown and the valley James Valley. The fort and associated gun batteries dominated James Bay and were sporadically improved over the years. In January 1673 the Dutch East India Company briefly seized control of the island until the English East India Company recaptured it in May. Since then the town has been continuously inhabited under English and then British rule. After his defeat in the Battle of Waterloo in June 1815 and the subsequent occupation of Paris, the Emperor of the French, Napoleon, surrendered to the British and was exiled to St Helena. He arrived on 21 October aboard the 74-gun ship HMS Bellerophon and resided at the Briars in Jamestown for several months until he was transferred to Longwood House in a more remote part of the island in December. Jamestown was chosen to host a vice admiralty court and a naval base for British efforts to stop the slave traffic between Africa and the Americas. Captured slave ships were often brought to Jamestown to be sold and their cargos were off-loaded in Rupert's Valley. By the time that the naval station was closed in the 1870s, an estimated 25,000 slaves had been rescued, although about 5,000 died shortly after arrival and were buried in Rupert's Valley. Their graves, long lost, were rediscovered in 2006 in conjunction with preliminary digging for the airport. A team of archaeologists arrived in mid-2008 to excavate the graves. Some of the finds from the excavations are on exhibit at the International Slavery Museum in Liverpool, England. The island was too isolated to play any role in the First World War and only played a minimal one during the Second World War. The oil tanker RFA Darkdale was sunk by the in James Bay on 22 October 1941 with only nine of the 50-man crew surviving. She had been sent to St Helena a few months earlier to refuel ships operating in the South Atlantic. The wreck continued to leak small amounts of oil until June 2015 when the Ministry of Defence sent a team of divers to pump out all the remaining oil. ## Geography and description The city is built on igneous rock in the James Valley, sandwiched between steep cliffs. It is therefore rather long and thin. The walls of the valley are rough and steep, and rockfalls have been a problem, although now minimised by netting. A small stream, the Run, runs through the valley. The city is commonly divided into lower and upper parts, depending on the distance up James Valley. Being the island's main port (and with the Saint Helena Airport only receiving its first scheduled flight in October 2017) the city is still currently the main entrance to the island to visitors. Despite not being connected to Jamestown proper by road, Rupert's Valley, the next valley north, is also part of the city. It houses much of the island's infrastructure, such as its power station and associated fuel storage, and a one-ship wharf was completed in June 2016. The city has over 100 listed buildings, mostly from the Georgian era. Main Street has been described as "one of the best examples of unspoilt Georgian architecture anywhere in the world." Many buildings are built out of local volcanic rock. St James' Church dates from 1772 and is the oldest Anglican church in the Southern Hemisphere. Another of the city's prominent features is Jacob's Ladder, a staircase of 699 steps, built in 1829 to connect Jamestown to the former fort on Ladder Hill. The ladder is very popular with tourists, is lit at night and a timed run takes place there every year, with people coming from all over the world to take part. The Museum of Saint Helena is situated in Jamestown, one of two museums on the island (the other being Longwood House). ## Formal status Jamestown is formally a city, a status granted by Queen Victoria in 1859, and its full name is the "City of James Town". It is also one of the 8 districts (administrative divisions) and is the capital of both the island of Saint Helena and the British overseas territory of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha. The Castle, one of the oldest buildings in the city, is one of the main government buildings. ## Climate Jamestown features a tropical hot desert climate (Köppen climate classification: BWh) with essentially consistent temperatures throughout the year. Despite the fact that the city has a desert climate, its temperatures are moderated by the adjacent ocean and cold currents therein, leading to a cool climate for the deep tropical latitude. As a result, it seldom gets very hot in Jamestown. The temperature in the Jamestown area is some 5 °C (9 °F) warmer than the rest of the island, because of the difference in altitude. While Jamestown receives less than 5 inches (13 cm) of rainfall per year, the higher parts of the island are also wetter than the city, which lies on the drier coast and in a sheltered location. The highlands above Jamestown receive up to 39 inches (99 cm) per year of precipitation and are lush with vegetation. The surrounding waters can be quite rough at times, and there is a sea wall to protect the settlement. ## Population As of 2016, the district Jamestown had 629 residents, a significant decline since the 2008 population of 714. The city's population has been shrinking and it is no longer the largest settlement on the island, having been surpassed by Half Tree Hollow, Saint Paul's and Longwood. ## Education As a British territory, the island follows the British education system. There is one primary school, serving children ages four to eleven, in Jamestown, Pilling Primary School, which was created by the amalgamation of Jamestown First School and Pilling Middle School in September 2007. The island's only secondary school is Prince Andrew School in Saint Paul's. ## Religion The Anglican Parish of St. James is one of the three parishes of the Diocese of St Helena on the island. St James' Church is the primary church in the parish and is the oldest Anglican Church in the southern hemisphere; the present building was put up in 1772. There are 3 daughter churches: St John's, in Upper Jamestown, St Mary's, the Briars, and St Michael's, in Rupert's Valley. The sole Catholic Church in St Helena, Sacred Heart Church, is located in Jamestown; as is a Baptist church. ## See also - List of towns in Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha

# Good Good (Ashanti song) "Good Good" is a song by American singer Ashanti from her fourth studio album The Declaration (2008), which was released as the album's second single. Jermaine Dupri and Manuel Seal produced the song and wrote it with Ashanti. The lyrics revolve around sexuality and innuendo with the title phrase "Good Good". It received positive reviews from music critics, and several commentators cited it as the best track from the album. The song peaked at number 30 on the Hot R\&B/Hip-Hop Songs Billboard chart. A well-received music video, directed by Melina Matsoukas, was released to promote the single; Ashanti said that it focused on sexual fantasy with influences from pin-up models. She promoted "Good Good" through live performances. ## Background and composition Jermaine Dupri and Manuel Seal produced "Good Good" and wrote it with Ashanti. The song was recorded by John Horesco IV, and it samples Elton John's 1974 single "Bennie and the Jets" and Michael Jackson's 1982 single "The Girl Is Mine". "Good Good" includes the piano melody from the John song, which Billy Johnson Jr. of Yahoo\! Music described as a "more subdued" take on the original in order "to escape a barrage of comparisons to Elton's version". In 2008, "Good Good" was the second single from Ashanti's fourth studio album The Declaration (2008). It was released through The Inc., Universal, and Written Entertainment. The song's lyrics revolve around sexual innuendo with the phrase "Good Good". American singer-songwriter Kehlani re-used the concept in her 2015 song of the same name. According to Ashanti, Nelly developed the idea during a recording session. She sings about her lover through the lyrics: "Ladies don't believe half what you hear, cause it's all a waste of time/ If you know you got that good, good good, everything will be just fine." "Good Good" also features Ashanti discussing "her abilities to please in bed". Her mother and manager Tina Douglas referred to it as a "feel-good record", and said that Ashanti requested that the composition have a "bounce". A writer for The Post-Tribune described the instrumental as "playful". ## Reception "Good Good" received positive reviews from music critics. In an article for International Women's Day, Da'Shan Smith of Billboard included it in its list of songs about female empowerment. From the same publication, a separate reviewer praised Ashanti's confidence and vocals. A writer for Rap-Up, Steve Jones of USA Today, and a contributor for Metacritic cited it as the strongest track from The Declaration. Praising the track as "bouncy [and] attitude-laden", Ashante Infantry of the Toronto Star felt that it should have been the album's lead single. In a more negative review, Brett Johnson, writing for the Associated Press, said Ashanti's "sexy-soul" songs, "Good Good" and "Body on Me", contradict the album's "good-girl balladry", "Mother" and "Shine". Commercially, "Good Good" peaked at number 30 on the Hot R\&B/Hip-Hop Songs Billboard chart on September 27, 2008, and remained on the chart for 20 weeks. ## Promotion A music video, directed by Melina Matsoukas, was released to promote the single, and features Nelly as one of the lead characters. While discussing the visual, Ashanti said that it focused on reality versus fantasy with influences from pin-up models. She felt that the video's message was about how to keep your significant other through sex appeal, citing a scene in which she cleans the house while wearing high heels, diamonds, and sunglasses as an example. The music video received positive reviews from critics. In an article about the video, a contributor for Uproxx wrote: "Is it just me or Ashanti keeps getting sexier?" A reviewer from Rap-Up praised its art direction, and identified it as Ashanti's strongest release at that point. A writer from the same publication described it as one of the top ten music videos from 2008. It was uploaded on Ashanti's YouTube account on December 19, 2009, and a behind-the-scenes video was released on YouTube on January 25, 2011. Ashanti also promoted the song through live performances. On June 13, 2008, she performed "Good Good" on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. During a 2008 tour, she sang it while dressed in a tight black outfit and posed in front of an oversized milkshake prop. The same year, she performed the single as part of J\&R's MusicFest. ## Credits and personnel Credits adapted from the liner notes of The Declaration: - Co-producer – Manuel Seal - Producer – Jermaine Dupri - Recorded By – John Horesco IV - Written By – Ashanti Douglas, Jermaine Dupri, Manuel Seal ## Charts

# Cornelius P. Rhoads Cornelius Packard "Dusty" Rhoads (June 9, 1898 – August 13, 1959) was an American pathologist, oncologist, and hospital administrator who was involved in a racist scandal and subsequent whitewashing in the 1930s. Beginning in 1940, he served as director of Memorial Hospital for Cancer Research in New York, from 1945 was the first director of Sloan-Kettering Institute, and the first director of the combined Memorial Sloan–Kettering Cancer Center. For his contributions to cancer research, Rhoads was featured on the cover of the June 27, 1949, issue of Time magazine under the title "Cancer Fighter". During his early years with the Rockefeller Institute in the 1930s, Rhoads specialized in anemia and leukemia, working for six months in Puerto Rico in 1932 as part of the Rockefeller Foundation International Health Board contingent. During World War II, he worked for the United States Army helping to develop chemical weapons and set up research centers. Research on mustard gas led to developments for its use in chemotherapy at Sloan Kettering. In early 1932, a letter Rhoads had written in November 1931, which disparaged Puerto Ricans and makes claims (which he referred to later as jokes) he had intentionally injected cancer cells into his patients, was given by a lab assistant to Puerto Rican nationalist leader Pedro Albizu Campos. He publicized the letter in the Puerto Rican and American media, which led to a scandal, an official investigation, and a US whitewashing campaign to protect Rhoads and, by extension, Rockefeller interests. In the ensuing investigation, Rhoads defended himself, saying he had written his comments in anger and as a joke to a New York colleague. Neither Puerto Rico's Attorney General nor the medical community found evidence of his or the project's giving any inappropriate medical treatment, and the scandal was forgotten. In 2002, the controversy was revived. Alerted to the incident, American Association for Cancer Research (AACR), which had established the Cornelius P. Rhoads Memorial Award in 1979, commissioned a new investigation. It was led by Jay Katz, emeritus professor at Yale Law School and a specialist in medical ethics. He concluded there was no evidence of unethical human experimentation, but the letter was so offensive that the prize should be renamed. AACR concurred and stripped the honor from Rhoads because of his racism. ## Early life and education Rhoads was born June 20, 1898, in Springfield, Massachusetts, as the son of an ophthalmologist, Dr. George H. Rhoads, and his wife. He received his early education in Springfield, later attending Bowdoin College in Maine, where he graduated in 1920. He entered Harvard Medical School, where he became class president, and in 1924, he received his M.D., cum laude. Rhoads became an intern at Peter Bent Brigham Hospital, and contracted pulmonary tuberculosis. During his treatment and recovery, he developed a lifelong interest in disease research. ## Early career After recovering from TB, Rhoads published a paper on the tuberculin reaction with Fred W. Stewart, who became his longtime colleague. Rhoads taught as a pathologist at Harvard and conducted research on disease processes. In 1929, Rhoads joined the staff of the Rockefeller Institute for Medical Research, now Rockefeller University, where he worked for Simon Flexner. He was also staff pathologist at Rockefeller Hospital. His early research interests included hematology and poliomyelitis. He worked at Rockefeller until 1939. ## Puerto Rico While working for the Rockefeller Institute, in 1931 Rhoads was invited by hematologist William B. Castle to join his Rockefeller Anemia Commission, to conduct clinical research at Presbyterian Hospital in San Juan, Puerto Rico. This was part of the Rockefeller Foundation's sanitary commission on the island through the International Health Division. Castle's research interest was pernicious iron deficiency anemia, specifically as caused by the parasitic hookworm, which was endemic on the island at rates of 80%, and tropical sprue. An effective treatment for the latter had just been developed, although the disease's causes remained obscure. As recently as 2010, these conditions continued to cause high mortality in Puerto Ricans, as reported in the scientific journal Revista de Hematologia. The cause of tropical sprue has still not been identified, but since the 1940s, it can be treated with folic acid and a 3 to 6-month course of antibiotics. Rhoads was to assist Castle, and they established a base in San Juan at the Presbyterian Hospital. Rhoads corresponded often with Simon Flexner at the Rockefeller Institute in New York regarding his research and career interests. In Puerto Rico, the Rockefeller group had more than 200 patients; historian and ethicist Susan E. Lederer notes that, while referred to as patients, they were primarily clinical subjects whose conditions were studied to advance medical research. Because of the effects of anemia and the suspicion that tropical sprue was related to diet, Rhoads experimentally controlled patients' diets. Lederer notes that in letters from this time, Rhoads referred to his patients as "experimental 'animals'." He wrote: "If they don't develop something they certainly have the constitutions of oxen." Rhoads sought to experimentally induce the conditions he was studying in his patients rather than simply treat them. If they did develop tropical sprue, he could treat it with liver extract. Castle wanted to perform a similar study in Cidra, in conjunction with the School of Tropical Medicine, which was doing related research, but this was not approved. Rhoads also collected polio serum samples for his boss Flexner at the Rockefeller Institute, for which he was assisted by contacts at the university. ### Scandal On 10 November, 1931, Rhoads was at a party at a Puerto Rican co-worker's house in Cidra. After having some drinks, he left, and found that his car had been vandalized and several items stolen. He went to his office, where he wrote and signed a letter addressed to "Ferdie" (Fred W. Stewart, a colleague from Boston, by then working at the Memorial Hospital for Cancer Research in New York). He wrote the following: > Dear Ferdie: > > The more I think about the Larry Smith appointment the more disgusted I get. Have you heard any reason advanced for it? It certainly is odd that a man out with the entire Boston group, fired by Wallach, and as far as I know, absolutely devoid of any scientific reputation should be given the place. There is something wrong somewhere with our point of view. > > The situation is settled in Boston. Parker and Nye are to run the laboratory together and either Kenneth or MacMahon to be assistant; the chief to stay on. As far as I can see, the chances of my getting a job in the next ten years are absolutely nil. One is certainly not encouraged to make scientific advances, when it is a handicap rather than an aid to advancement. I can get a damn fine job here and am tempted to take it. It would be ideal except for the Porto Ricans [sic]. They are beyond doubt the dirtiest, laziest, most degenerate and thievish race of men ever inhabiting this sphere. It makes you sick to inhabit the same island with them. They are even lower than Italians. What the island needs is not public health work but a tidal wave or something to totally exterminate the population. It might then be livable. I have done my best to further the process of extermination by killing off 8 and transplanting cancer into several more. The latter has not resulted in any fatalities so far... The matter of consideration for the patients' welfare plays no role here — in fact all physicians take delight in the abuse and torture of the unfortunate subjects. > > Do let me know if you hear any more news. > > Sincerely, "Dusty" His unmailed letter was found by one of his staff and circulated among workers at the Anemia Commission. When Rhoads learned of this, he quickly made a public apology at a meeting of all staff and doctors. A while later, he was dismayed to hear that the letter was going to be discussed at a meeting of the Puerto Rico Medical Association. With relations having deteriorated locally, he returned to New York in December 1931. ### Publicity and investigations At the end of December, Rhoads' former lab technician Luis Baldoni resigned; he later testified that he feared for his safety. In January 1932 he gave the Rhoads letter to Pedro Albizu Campos, president of the Puerto Rican Nationalist Party. Albizu Campos sought publicity about the incident, sending copies of the letter to the League of Nations, the Pan American Union, the American Civil Liberties Union, newspapers, embassies, and the Vatican. In addition to distributing the letter to the media, Albizu wrote his own, charging that Rhoads was part of a US plot to exterminate Puerto Ricans. He linked the letter to other complaints about American imperialism, saying that the US governors in Puerto Rico encouraged labor emigration rather than improving employment, and promoted birth control, which was offensive to the majority Catholic residents. A photograph of the Rhoads' letter was published on January 27, 1932 in La Democracia, the Unionist newspaper of Antonio Rafael Barceló, with a translation in Spanish of the entire letter. It did not support Albizu Campos' theory of a US conspiracy against Puerto Rico. On February 13, El Mundo published the entire letter, in both Spanish and English. The Rhoads' letter created one of the first crises for James R. Beverley, newly appointed as the acting Governor of Puerto Rico. He said the letter was a "confession of murder" and "a libel against the people of Puerto Rico", and ordered an investigation, one of his first acts. Beverley said of Rhoads that "he was just a damned fool, ... a good doctor, but not very strong mentally on anything else." Rhoads, already back in New York, released an official response to the media and the governor. He insisted that he was joking in his letter, which was intended to be confidential, calling it a "fantastic and playful composition written entirely for my own diversion and intended as a parody on supposed attitudes of some American minds in Porto Rico," explaining that nothing "was ever intended to mean other than the opposite of what was stated." Rhoads offered to return to clear things up, but never did. The governor's inquiry concluded that Rhoads did not commit the acts included in his letter, nor any other crimes. Later that year, Governor Beverley struggled with a greater political crisis than the Rhoads letter over his own remarks encouraging birth control use on the island. Residents were outraged and he was removed from office. Rhoads and his work were investigated by the Puerto Rican Attorney General Ramon Quinones, with review of medical aspects by Dr. P. Morales Otero, representative of the Puerto Rico Medical Association, and Dr. E. Garrido Morales, representing the Commissioner of Health. Sworn testimony was taken from several of Rhoads' patients as well as his colleagues, including Castle, William Galbreath, and George C. Payne. They reviewed the case files for the 257 patients treated by Rhoads and the Rockefeller Commission, including the 13 patients who died during this period. They found no evidence of the crimes described in Rhoads' unmailed letter. The Attorney General and medical community joined in absolving Rhoads of the Nationalist charges that he was part of a U.S. plot to exterminate Puerto Ricans. Rhoads was subject to separate investigations ordered by the acting American governor of Puerto Rico, Beverley, and the Rockefeller Institute, and "neither...was able to uncover any evidence that Dr. Rhoads had exterminated any Puerto Ricans." Confirmed in Lederer's 21st century account, "records at Presbyterian Hospital in San Juan, Puerto Rico, where Rhoads had performed his research, revealed no patients in the young pathologist's care had died under suspicious circumstances." Additionally, the investigators were "unable to confirm Rhoads's other claim (omitted in Time's account) that he had 'transplanted cancer into several patients.'" During the investigations, Ivy Lee, who handled public relations for the Rockefeller family, and a team at the Institute began a campaign to defend Rhoads' reputation. He was seen as a promising researcher. The Rockefeller Foundation also wanted to protect its working relationship with medical organizations in Puerto Rico and avoid problems with critics of human experimentation in the U.S. During the early 1930s, there was a revival of the anti-vivisectionist movement in the U.S., which also was concerned about the use of vulnerable populations as human subjects of experimentation: children (especially orphans), prisoners, and soldiers. As Lederer observed, "some members of the medical community...monitored the popular and medical press." Francis Peyton Rous of the Rockefeller Institute was editor of the Journal of Experimental Medicine through the 1930s and 1940s. Although it accepted few articles on clinical research, he was careful about their wording in an effort to avoid criticism by the anti-vivisectionists. Lee was given access to pre-published versions of the articles on the controversy by both The New York Times and Time. He persuaded Time to eliminate the words "and transplanting cancer into several more," from its published version of the letter. Also, based on the positive testimony of some patients, The New York Times headlined its article as "Patients Say Rhoads Saved Their Lives" and reported on this aspect as well. Rhoads had returned to New York before the scandal broke in Puerto Rico. After the Attorney General's report and that of the Rockefeller Institute in 1932, the controversy quickly faded in the United States. Reaction to the Rhoads scandal and controversy was mixed in the United States, in part due to the Rockefeller campaign. Starr says (in his 2003 article on the scandal) that Rhoads' colleagues did not believe the researcher's attempt to cast his letter as a "fantastic and playful composition...intended as a parody." Some were worried about Rhoads' mental health at the time. A superior dismissed the incident as a case of local ingratitude. Time magazine headlined the incident as "Porto Ricochet"; Starr suggests they meant that Rhoads's humanitarian work in Puerto Rico had come back to bite him. In Puerto Rico, Albizu Campos used the Rhoads scandal as part of his anti-colonial campaign, attracting followers to the Nationalist Party. In 1950, longtime Puerto Rican pro-independence activists Oscar Collazo and Griselio Torresola tried to assassinate President Truman to bring their cause to the world stage. When later interviewed, Collazo said that as a young man, in 1932 he heard Albizu Campos speak about the Rhoads letter and decided to devote his life to the Nationalist movement. ## Hematology Following his study in Puerto Rico, in 1933 Rhoads was chosen to lead a special service at the Rockefeller Institute in clinical hematology, to study diseases of the blood-forming organs. He built on his research on anemia and tropical sprue. In 1934, Rhoads and another researcher published results of the success in using liver extract therapy to treat tropical sprue (and relieve anemia). Their work was recognized as contributing benefit in treatment of the disease by others in the field. ## Memorial Hospital and World War II In 1940, Rhoads was selected as director of Memorial Hospital, which was devoted to cancer care and research, and had recently moved into a new building. Rhoads was selected for his interest in clinical investigation in addition to laboratory research, as the hospital did research as well as treatment. He succeeded James Ewing, a noted oncologist. Ewing had written about cancer transplantation in 1931, a subject which Rhoads had referred to in his scandalous letter written in November of that year. In 1941 Rhoads was studying the use of radiation to treat leukemia. During World War II, Rhoads was commissioned as a colonel and assigned as chief of medicine in the Chemical Weapons Division of the U.S. Army. He established the U.S. Army chemical weapons laboratories in Utah, Maryland, and Panama. With his enthusiastic participation, secret experiments including race-based tests involving African Americans, Japanese Americans, and Puerto Ricans were performed on more than 60,000 U.S. soldiers. Many were left suffering from debilitating, lifelong aftereffects. For this work, he won the Legion of Merit for "combating poison gas and other advances in chemical warfare" in 1945. In 2003, the chemical warfare experiments conducted at San Jose Island were also reviewed as a part of the investigation into Rhoads' actions in Puerto Rico. Yale bioethicist Jay Katz described the chemical warfare tests as "unconscionable," saying that they were based on the "cheap availability of human beings" and the soldiers were "manipulated, exploited, and betrayed." Due to his casualty studies on mustard gas from an accident during the war in Italy, Rhoads became interested in its potential for cancer treatment. For the rest of his life, his research interest was in developing chemotherapy for cancer treatment, but he served primarily as an administrator and scientific director at Memorial and Sloan-Kettering. From studies of mustard gas, he developed a drug called mechlorethamine or Mustargen. Its success in clinical trials during the war years was the basis for the development of the field of anti-cancer chemotherapy. Rhoads also became interested in total body irradiation, which led to early work on chemotherapy. ## Post-war In 1945, the Sloan-Kettering Institute was founded as a cancer research center, in the hopes that an industrial approach to research would yield a cure. It opened in 1948. While still director of Memorial, from 1945 until 1953 Rhoads also served as the first director of the Sloan-Kettering Institute. He was "praised by Memorial for his 'essential role in the evolution of the hospital into a modern medical center.'" As director of Sloan-Kettering, he had oversight as well over research related to Department of Defense radiation experiments through 1954. For instance, that year, a Sloan-Kettering team began a multi-year study of "Post-Irradiation Syndrome in Humans." In 1953, Rhoads stepped back slightly, becoming scientific director of the newly merged Memorial Sloan–Kettering Cancer Center. He also continued as the scientific director of Sloan-Kettering operations. He also was an adviser to the United States Atomic Energy Commission regarding nuclear medicine. Some AEC funding supported Sloan-Kettering research into the use of iodine to transport radiation to cancer tumors. Rhoads continued to serve as scientific director of the Memorial Sloan–Kettering Cancer Center until his death. He died of a coronary occlusion on August 13, 1959, in Stonington, Connecticut. In 1979, on the 20th anniversary of his death, the American Association for Cancer Research established the Cornelius P. Rhoads Memorial Prize in his honor, as an annual award to a promising young researcher. ## Honors - Legion of Merit in 1945 for Rhoads' work for the US Army during WWII. - Trustee of the Charles Kettering Foundation. - Awarded three honorary doctorates, two for science and one for law. - Posthumously awarded the Katherine Berkin Judd Award for outstanding contributions to oncology research. - The American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) established the Cornelius P. Rhoads Memorial Award posthumously in his honor in 1979.(In 2002, it renamed the award due to Rhoads' racism expressed in his 1932 letter.) ## Revival of controversy In 1982, Puerto Rican social scientist and writer Pedro Aponte-Vázquez discovered new information at various archives which raised questions about the investigations conducted on Rhoads and Rockefeller Project. Most prominent among his findings was a 1932 letter written by Governor Beverly to the associate director of the Rockefeller Foundation, stating that Rhoads had written a second letter "even worse than the first" and which, according to Beverley, the [Puerto Rican] government had suppressed and destroyed. In 1932 the Puerto Rican Attorney General, aided by top-ranking Puerto Rican doctors, had investigated all of the work of Rhoads and the Rockefeller Project, including 13 deaths that occurred among nearly 300 patients treated. They found no evidence of wrongdoing or crimes. In addition, Rhoads' superior at the Rockefeller Project had conducted a close investigation of the 13 patients who died under Rhoads' tenure, but found no evidence of wrongdoing. But in 1982 Aponte-Vázquez urged the Puerto Rico Department of Justice to reopen the case. It refused as Rhoads had been dead for so long. In 2002, Edwin Vazquez, a biology professor at the University of Puerto Rico, came across Rhoads' 1932 letter and contacted the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) about it. Given the letter's offensive nature, he demanded that Rhoads' name be removed from the AACR award. Others also contacted the AACR, including Puerto Rico's Secretary of State Ferdinand Mercado. Revival of the issue generated a fresh wave of publicity. The AACR, which said it had not known of the 1932 controversy, commissioned an investigation led by Jay Katz, a bioethicist from Yale University. Katz said although "there was no evidence of Dr. Rhoads' killing patients or transplanting cancer cells, the letter itself was reprehensible enough to remove his name from the award." The AACR agreed with his conclusion. Eric Rosenthal of Oncology Times in 2003 characterized the case as the AACR having to "deal with the embarrassment of having history catch up to modern-day sensibilities." He wrote, > The complicated legacy of Cornelius "Dusty" Rhoads, who died in 1959, should not cause society to promote nor deny his existence but should provide a perspective that neither condones what he wrote or thought—or the whitewashing of the incident by institutions and media of the 1930s—but that does give him due appropriate credit for his accomplishments as well as acknowledgement of his faults and sins." In 2003 the AACR renamed the award, stripping the honor from Rhoads posthumously, to the Award for Outstanding Achievement in Cancer Research. The AACR indicated that the new name would be retroactive and past awardees would receive updated plaques. ## Representation in other media - During the 1980s, the Puerto Rican political satire comedy group, Los Rayos Gamma, performed parodies of Rhoads with Jacobo Morales portraying a Cornelio Rodas as an insane, Frankenstein-like scientist bent on the elimination of Puerto Ricans. - Roberto Busó-García wrote and directed the dramatic film, The Condemned (2013), which he said was loosely based on the Rhoads' controversy in Puerto Rico.

# HMS Tourmaline (1919) HMS Tourmaline was a Thornycroft S-class destroyer, which served with the Royal Navy during the Greco-Turkish War and the Russian Civil War. Tourmaline was one of three destroyers ordered from Thornycroft in June 1917 with more powerful geared turbines than the majority of the class as well as design changes that improved seakeeping. Launched on 19 April 1919, the vessel operated as part of the Fourth Destroyer Flotilla serving with the Atlantic and Mediterranean Fleets. After serving in the Black Sea and Sea of Marmara, during which sister ships Speedy and Tobago were lost, Tourmaline led the Gibraltar Local Defence Flotilla. The London Naval Treaty, signed 1930, required the retirement of some destroyers to meet the Royal Navy's tonnage requirement and Tourmaline was chosen for retirement. The destroyer was decommissioned on 28 November 1931 after 12 years of service and broken up. ## Design Tourmaline was one of three S-class destroyers ordered by the British Admiralty from Thornycroft in June 1917 as part of the Twelfth War Construction Programme. The design was based on the R-class destroyer Rosalind built by the shipyard. Compared to the standard S-class vessels, the design, also known as Modified Rosalind, was longer, with a raised forward gun position and 18 in (457 mm) torpedo tubes moved to a new position, both of which improved seakeeping. They also had provision for triple torpedo tubes. In a similar way to previous designs, Thornycroft also installed more powerful machinery to give the warship a higher top speed. This also enabled a more stable hull design with a greater beam and a metacentric height of 2 ft 10 in (0.86 m). Tourmaline had a overall length of 275 ft 9 in (84.05 m) and a length of 266 ft 9 in (81.31 m) between perpendiculars. Beam was 27 ft 4 in (8.33 m) and draught 10 ft 4 in (3.15 m). Displacement was 1,087 long tons (1,104 t) normal and 1,240 long tons (1,260 t) full load. Three Yarrow boilers fed steam to two sets of Brown-Curtis geared steam turbines rated at 29,000 shaft horsepower (22,000 kW) and driving two shafts, giving a design speed of 36 knots (67 km/h; 41 mph) in light load and 32 knots (59 km/h; 37 mph) at full load. Two funnels were fitted, the forward one larger in diameter. A total of 250 long tons (250 t) of fuel oil was carried, giving a design range of 3,450 nautical miles (6,390 km; 3,970 mi) at 20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph). Armament consisted of three QF 4-inch (102 mm) Mk IV guns on the ship's centreline. One was mounted raised on the forecastle, one between the funnels and one aft. The ship also mounted a single 2-pounder (40 mm) pom-pom anti-aircraft gun for air defence. A total of eight torpedoes were fitted, consisting of six 21-inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes in two triple rotating mounts aft and two 18 in (460 mm) tubes on fixed mounts fitted athwartships. Complement was 90 officers and ratings. ## Service Laid down in January 1918 at Thornycroft's yard in Woolston, Southampton, Tourmaline was launched on 19 April 1919. On completion on 18 December that year, the ship joined the Fourth Destroyer Flotilla of the Atlantic Fleet under the C-class light cruiser Castor. As part of fleet led by the dreadnought battleship Iron Duke, the ship was assigned to Constantinople as part of a wider presence to represent British interests in the conflicts in the Black Sea. The fleet was soon in action in support of the Volunteer Army fighting in the Southern Front of the Russian Civil War. For the destroyers, this often involved operations close to the coast in areas were the risks were highest. For example, while Tourmaline and sister ship Tobago patrolled the area of the Black Sea between Novorossiysk and Tuapse between 1 and 10 November 1920, Tobago was fatally crippled after striking a mine. Soon afterwards, Tourmaline was also damaged. After a period back in UK waters, when departing Portland on 17 January 1921 to rejoin the Fleet, the ship collided with the Yarrow-built S-class destroyer Turquoise and had to instead sail to Portsmouth for repairs. Soon afterwards, the Flotilla was allocated to the Mediterranean Fleet. The destroyer formed part of a fleet part of the Royal Navy's presence in the Greco-Turkish War. The ship was allocated to Constantinople and patrolled the areas around the Sea of Marmara While on this service, the ship took on the survivors from sister ship Speedy when that vessel sank on 24 September 1922 with the loss of ten lives. In September 1923, it was announced that Tourmaline and sister-ship Splendid, part of the 8th Destroyer Flotilla, would be transferred to the Local Defence Flotilla at Gibraltar, replacing the R-class destroyers Romola and Rigorous. On 15 May 1926, Tourmaline was recommissioned in Gibraltar to lead the Local Defence Flotilla. On 22 April 1930, the London Naval Treaty was signed, which limited total destroyer tonnage in the Navy. Tourmaline was one of those chosen to be retired and, on 28 November 1931, the destroyer was sold to Thos. W. Ward and broken up at Grays. ## Pennant numbers

# Bart the Daredevil "Bart the Daredevil" is the eighth episode of the second season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on Fox in the United States on December 6, 1990. In the episode, Bart decides he wants to become a daredevil after watching famous stunt performer Lance Murdock at a monster truck rally. The episode was written by Jay Kogen and Wallace Wolodarsky and directed by Wes Archer. Series creator Matt Groening called the episode his favorite of the series, and it is also considered among the series' best by several critics. ## Plot The Simpsons attend a monster truck rally featuring Truckasaurus, a giant robotic dinosaur that crushes their car when they accidentally drive into the arena. The rally's grand finale features a death-defying stunt by legendary daredevil Lance Murdock. Though Murdock succeeds in performing the stunt, he ends up badly injured and hospitalized when taking a bow, though it inspires Bart to be a daredevil. Bart injures himself trying to jump the family car on his skateboard. At the hospital, Dr. Hibbert shows Bart a ward full of children who have been hurt by dangerous stunts. Undeterred, Bart keeps performing daredevil stunts, and during a class trip to Springfield Gorge, announces he will jump the gorge on his skateboard the next Saturday. Lisa persuades him to visit Murdock at the hospital, hoping he will discourage Bart from jumping the gorge, but instead, Murdock encourages Bart to do it. Homer insists jumping the gorge is too dangerous and forbids Bart to do it. None of Homer's punishments or arguments dissuade Bart, who goes to the gorge that Saturday. As Bart is about to perform the stunt, Homer arrives, tackles Bart and decides to jump the gorge himself to show him what it feels like to see a family member unnecessarily risking his life. Not wanting to see his father get hurt on his account, Bart ultimately promises to stop being a daredevil; as Homer hugs Bart in relief, the skateboard accidentally rolls down a hill and flies over the gorge with Homer still on it. It appears Homer will make it safely across, but he loses momentum, and plunges onto several jagged rocks during his fall until he hits the bottom of the gorge. Homer is then airlifted into an ambulance, which crashes into a tree, causing him to fall down the gorge again. In the hospital, Homer ends up in the same hospital room with Murdock. He tells him, "You think you've got guts, try raising my kids\!" ## Production The episode was written by Jay Kogen and Wallace Wolodarsky and directed by Wes Archer. The character Lance Murdock was based on Evel Knievel, an American motorcycle daredevil and entertainer famous in the United States and elsewhere between the late 1960s and early 1980s. Kogen, Wolodarsky, and many other members of the Simpsons' staff were fans of Knievel's stunts, and Wolodarsky named "Bart the Daredevil" as his favorite episode among the episodes that he wrote for The Simpsons, because it is "near and dear to [his] heart". Dr. Hibbert makes his first appearance on the series in the episode. In Kogen and Wolodarsky's original script for "Bart the Daredevil", Hibbert was a woman named Julia Hibbert, who they named after comedic actress Julia Sweeney (Hibbert was her last name, through marriage, at the time). When the Fox network moved The Simpsons to prime time on Thursdays to compete against the National Broadcasting Company's (NBC) top-rated The Cosby Show, the writing staff instead decided to make Hibbert a parody of Bill Cosby's character Dr. Cliff Huxtable. The episode was originally too short to air, so Al Jean and Mike Reiss wrote a filler piece, which was a parody of cartoon shorts from the 1940s called "Nazis on Tap." In the short, amongst other things, Mr. Burns would be making planes for the war effort at his aircraft plant, Bart's spiky hair would be replaced by a pointy Jughead cap and Moe Szyslak would be a dog. Matt Groening thought the piece was too weird and nixed it, thinking it was too early in the series to present something so offbeat to the audience. Audio from the piece was released online by Simpsons storyboard artist John Mathot in 2006. Simpsons character designer Phil Ortiz adapted the short as a four-page comic book and handed out copies at Wizard World Philadelphia on June 2, 2016. The music video for the "Do the Bartman" single premiered after this episode. ### Springfield Gorge scene The episode has been referenced in numerous clip shows and flashback episodes throughout the series. In particular, the scene of Homer plummeting down Springfield Gorge has become one of the most used The Simpsons clips. In the scene, Homer falls down the cliff on the skateboard, bouncing off the cliff walls and finally landing at the bottom, where the skateboard lands on his head. After being loaded into an ambulance at the top of the cliff, the ambulance crashes into a tree, and the gurney rolls out, causing Homer to fall down the cliff again. The scene was first featured outside "Bart the Daredevil" in the season four episode "So It's Come to This: A Simpsons Clip Show". When the clip is shown in that episode, additional footage is seen of Homer bouncing down the cliff the second time, and after he lands at the bottom, the gurney lands on his head. Contrary to popular belief, the second fall down the gorge (ending with Homer getting hit by the gurney) was not a deleted scene from "Bart the Daredevil", but rather a scene animated exclusively for the clip show. The scene is also referenced in the "behind the scenes" parody episode "Behind the Laughter" from season eleven. The scene, which also features added more graphic animation of Homer hitting the jagged rocks at the bottom of the gorge, is followed by his recovery from the fall where he becomes addicted to painkillers. In the season thirteen episode "The Blunder Years", when the family is trying to find out why Homer cannot stop screaming after he is hypnotized, Homer flashes back to his greatest moment: jumping the Springfield Gorge, only to be interrupted by Lisa saying "Everyone's sick of that memory," referring to the fact that the scene has been referenced so many times. The scene is also referenced in the season fourteen episode "Treehouse of Horror XIII", in which numerous Homer's clones created in the episode fall down the gorge. "Bart the Daredevil" was once again referenced in The Simpsons Movie when Bart and Homer jump over Springfield Gorge on a motorcycle, and when they land on the other side, the ambulance from this episode can be seen in the background (still smashed against the tree). It is also referenced in the Family Guy season thirteen episode "The Simpsons Guy", where Homer and Peter Griffin fell down to Earth in Kang and Kodos' ship and jump the gorge during their fight. In "Lisa the Boy Scout", a fake deleted scene is "leaked" in which Homer awakens from a long coma after jumping the gorge, thereby "revealing" all the outlandish episode plot lines were all a coma dream. This was a reference to a real fan theory, although the original theory was about Homer's coma in "So It's Come to This: A Simpsons Clip Show". In "Bart's Birthday", Conan O'Brien presents an alternate version of the gorge scene that apparently would have ended the series, in which Homer is killed when the falling skateboard impales him in the head. According to him, the scene was rewritten as the result of Rupert Murdock getting a large bill for the Bart balloon at the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. ## Cultural references At the beginning of the episode, Lisa, Bart and Bart's friends watch professional wrestling. The Russian wrestler in the ring, Rasputin, is named after mystic Grigori Rasputin. The monster truck at the rally, Truckasaurus, is a parody of the Robosaurus monster truck. In the hospital, Dr. Hibbert shows Bart a patient who tried to fly like Superman, and he also mentions the "three stooges" ward. The song Otto is heard humming while driving the school bus is "Shoot You In The Back" from the album Ace of Spades by the British rock band Motörhead. Lance Murdock is a parody of famous daredevils such as Evel Knievel and Matt Murdock, the alter ego of the Marvel Comics superhero Daredevil. Bart's attempt to jump over Springfield Gorge is a reference to Knievel's 1974 attempt to jump Snake River Canyon at Twin Falls, Idaho, with a Skycycle X-2. Bart appearing at Springfield Gorge in the distance is based on Omar Sharif's entrance in Lawrence of Arabia. ## Reception In its original American broadcast, "Bart the Daredevil" finished 20th in Nielsen ratings for the week of December 3–9, 1990, with a 15.0/24 rating/share and 26.2 million viewers, making The Simpsons the highest-rated television series on the Fox network that week. To promote The Simpsons Sing the Blues, the music video for the album's lead single, "Do the Bartman", premiered shortly after this episode's first broadcast. In an interview conducted by Entertainment Weekly in 2000 celebrating the show's tenth anniversary, Groening named "Bart the Daredevil" his favorite episode of the series, and chose the scene in which Homer is loaded into an ambulance and then falls out of it as the funniest moment in the series. Writing for the book I Can't Believe It's a Bigger and Better Updated Unofficial Simpsons Guide, Simpsons writers Jay Kogen and Wallace Wolodarsky noted that "Bart the Daredevil"'s sequence in which Homer falls down the gorge is the one that "everyone remembers", noting that "he's getting much stupider by this point." Kogen also considers the episode to be his favorite of the ones he has written. Since airing, the episode has received positive reviews from critics. Michael Moran of The Times ranked it as the third best in the show's history. DVD Movie Guide's Colin Jacobson enjoyed the episode, and referred to its opening by claiming that "any episode that starts with the brilliance that is Truckasaurus has to be good." He liked the decent morals explored in the episode, and called the conclusion a "great one", making it a "consistently fine episode". Jeremy Kleinman of DVD Talk considered "Bart the Daredevil" one of his favorite episodes of the season. He found the daredevil scenes to be funny, but also appreciated the episode's scenes with "true heart". Kleinman concluded by noting that the episode helps The Simpsons stand apart from other animated and live action sitcoms by focusing more on the relationships between the characters than "just a humorous weekly plotline". In his book Doug Pratt's DVD, DVD reviewer and Rolling Stone contributor Doug Pratt chooses the episode as one of the funniest of the series.

# Ducie Island Ducie Island (/ˈduːsi/; ) is an uninhabited atoll in the Pitcairn Islands group, which also includes Pitcairn, Henderson and Oeno islands. Ducie lies east of Pitcairn Island, and east of Henderson Island, and has a total area of 1.5 square miles (3.9 km²), which includes the lagoon. It is 1.5 miles (2.4 km) long, measured northeast to southwest, and about 1 mile (1.6 km) wide. The island is composed of four islets: Acadia, Pandora, Westward and Edwards. Despite its sparse vegetation, the atoll is known as the breeding ground of a number of bird species. More than 90% of the world population of Murphy's petrel nests on Ducie, while pairs of red-tailed tropicbirds and fairy terns make around 1% of the world population for each species. Ducie was first discovered in 1606 by Pedro Fernandes de Queiros, who named it Luna Puesta, and rediscovered by Edward Edwards, captain of HMS Pandora, who was sent in 1790 to capture the mutineers of HMS Bounty. He named the island Ducie in honour of Francis Reynolds-Moreton, 3rd Baron Ducie. In 1867, a claim on the island was made under the United States's Guano Islands Act, but the claim was never bonded. The United Kingdom annexed the island on 19 December 1902 as part of the Pitcairn Islands. Due to its inaccessibility and the distance from Pitcairn, Ducie is rarely visited, receiving one to two visits a year from cruise ships. ## History The island was discovered by a Spanish expedition led by Portuguese sailor Pedro Fernandes de Queirós on 26 January 1606, during an expedition that began in Callao, Peru. Supported by Pope Clement VIII and Philip III of Spain, Queirós was given the command of the San Pedro, San Pablo and Zabra. The fleet was nicknamed Los Tres Reyes Magos ("The Three Wise Men"). The objective of the expedition was to take soldiers, friars and provisions to establish a colony in the Santa Cruz Islands. Ducie Island was the first of eighteen discoveries on the trip. Queirós named the island Luna Puesta (roughly, "moon that has set"). On the same day, he also sighted two more islands, one that he named San Juan Bautista ("St John the Baptist"), and the other La Encarnación ("the Incarnation"). It is unclear which one was Henderson island and which one was Pitcairn. The confusion was later compounded when a chart produced by Admiral José de Espinosa marked Ducie as La Encarnación, rather than as Luna Puesta. The island was rediscovered and named Ducie Island on 16 March 1791 by Captain Edward Edwards, of HMS Pandora, who had been despatched from Britain in 1790 to arrest the Bounty mutineers. Edwards named it in honour of Francis Reynolds-Moreton, 3rd Baron Ducie, under whom he had served earlier in his career. HMS Pandora turned northwards from Ducie and, because of this change of course, Edwards did not sight the other islands of the group. If HMS Pandora had maintained its course, it would eventually have reached Pitcairn Island and found the Bounty mutineers. The crew of the whaleship Essex, which a whale had attacked and sunk in November 1820, mistakenly believed that they had reached Ducie after a month at sea in two whaleboats. In fact they had reached Henderson Island. Captain Thomas Raine of Surrey, who was searching for the survivors of Essex, in 1820 made the first recorded landing on Ducie. Frederick William Beechey, who arrived in HMS Blossom during November 1825, wrote the first comprehensive description of the island. Beechey's expedition did not land in the atoll, but members of the crew sailed around it in small boats. Based on Beechey's survey, the first Admiralty chart of the island was published in 1826. For nearly a hundred years it was the only available map of the island. In March 1867, John Daggett filed a claim on Ducie Island (referring to it as 'Ducer Island') with the U.S. State Department under the Guano Islands Act. Daggett was instructed to provide further information, including to affidavits of the quality and quantity of guano present on the island; however, according to a 1933 State Department report, Daggett never provided the additional information and the claim was never accepted by the United States. On 5 June 1881, the mail ship Acadia ran aground on the island while returning from San Francisco, Peru after unloading its cargo. On the way to Queenstown or Falmouth for new orders, Master Stephen George calculated a route passing 15 to 20 miles (24 to 32 km) to the east of Ducie. George left the first mate in command at 6 am. Half an hour later, the first mate saw a white line, which he disregarded on the assumption that it was phosphorescence in the water. Later, realising that it was land, he manoeuvred to avoid running aground, but failed. The look-out excused himself by saying that he thought that the white land was a cloud. The crew made several unsuccessful attempts to re-float the ship, after which the master sailed one of the ship's boats to Pitcairn Island. He was assisted there by the local inhabitants and returned aboard the Edward O'Brien, an American boat, to rescue the rest of the crew. The incident was later investigated in a court in Liverpool, where the ultimate cause of the wreck was left undetermined, though possible causes included a calculation error by the master or an unknown current that carried the ship to the island. The court declared the master not guilty of any wrongdoing. A stone marker with a memorial inscription is located at the landing point on Acadia Islet. It was unveiled to commemorate the recovery of the anchor in 1990. The wreck lies offshore from the memorial stone in about 10 metres of water. In 1969, the atoll was proposed as an "Island for Science", and was later recommended as a Ramsar Site. Major expeditions that came to the island to record its biota include the Whitney South Seas Expedition in 1922, the National Geographic Society-Oceanic Institute Expedition to Southeast Oceania of 1970–71 and the Smithsonian expedition of 1975. More recent expeditions include the MV Rambler Expedition by the Smithsonian in 1987, one by Raleigh International in the same year, the Sir Peter Scott Commemorative Expedition to the Pitcairn Islands of 1991–1992 (aka The Pitcairn Islands Scientific Expedition), In 2012, National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence Enric Sala produced Sharks of Lost Island including Ducie and all the Pitcairn Islands. Because of its inaccessibility, Ducie is rarely approached, but cruise ships make one or two landings per year. In addition, a book published in 2000 made the (unsubstantiated) claim that; unrecorded visits are known to be made by freighters and tankers that dump residues on the island or in the nearby waters. ### Sovereignty Although Captain Edward Edwards discovered the atoll in 1791, Ducie was not considered a British possession. In 1867 Ducie was claimed by the United States under the Guano Islands Act, which established that an uninhabited territory with guano deposits could be claimed as a US possession, so long as it was unclaimed by any other country. Despite claims on several other territories, based on various documents such as the Guano Islands Act, neither the United States nor the United Kingdom recognised the sovereignty claimed by each other. Neither of the two considered that the mere discovery of an island was sufficient to claim sovereignty over it, and often a formal act of possession was considered the proper procedure to claim rights over a territory. Ultimately, the United States did not assert its sovereignty over most of its claimed territories. Under the 1893 Pacific Order in Council, Pitcairn Island was governed by the High Commissioner of the British Western Pacific Territories in Fiji. On 19 December 1902, commissioned by R. T. Simmons, the British Consul in Tahiti, Captain G. F. Jones and a group of Pitcairners visited the nearby islands and annexed them to the United Kingdom. In 1903 Ducie was annexed by the same procedure and placed under the authority of the Western Pacific High Commissioner. R. T. Simmons stated in a dispatch to the Foreign Office that James Russell McCoy had assured him that the islands had always been considered as dependencies of Pitcairn, and that he and other Pitcairners had frequently visited them in the past. This claim is contested by Donald McLoughlin on grounds of the distance between Pitcairn Island and Ducie Island and the lack of a suitable boat to navigate the distance between the two, casting doubt on whether they had ever visited Ducie. On 4 August 1937, Captain J. W. Rivers-Carnac, commander of HMS Leander, reaffirmed British sovereignty over Ducie by hoisting the Union Flag and placing boards proclaiming the island to be the property of King George VI. Ducie was one of several islands thought valuable for potential seaplane bases, though they did not materialise. In 1953, the Pacific Order in Council ceased to have effect and the British Governor of Fiji was appointed Governor of the Pitcairn Islands, which became a separate British colony. A new constitution for the Pitcairn Islands was enacted on 10 February 2010, establishing that Ducie and the rest of the islands are ruled by a governor designated by the British monarch. The governor has a duty to enforce the provisions of the constitution. ## Geography Ducie lies 290 miles (470 km) east of Pitcairn Island and is claimed by some to be the southernmost atoll in the world at 24°41' S latitude. However, Elizabeth Reef in the Tasman Sea is at 29°57 S latitude, so the assertion on behalf of Ducie Island is doubtful. Ducie Island's land area is 170 acres (69 ha) and its maximum elevation, occurring on the Westward islet, is 15 feet (4.6 m). Ducie is located 620 miles (1,000 km) west of the edge of the Easter Plate. It was formed approximately 8 million years ago, after Oeno Island was formed by a hotspot that later caused a magma leak generated in the Oeno lineation. The leak spread over fracture zone FZ2, which was formed by the third movement of the Pacific Plate. The atoll is part of the Oeno-Henderson-Ducie-Crough seamount, speculated to be part of the southern Tuamotus. The atoll consists of four islets: Acadia—which is by far the largest—Pandora, Westward and Edwards. All three of the smaller islets can be accessed on foot from Acadia at low tide. The islets were named by Harald Rehder and John Randall, who visited the atoll during an expedition by the Smithsonian Institution in 1975. - Acadia Islet, along the atoll's north and east rim, is several times larger than the other three islets combined, measuring 140 acres (57 ha). Very long and thin, the islet is largely forested and is composed of ridges of coral rubble. It is named after the Acadia, a ship that was wrecked on Ducie in 1881. - Pandora Islet, in the south, is the second largest. It is composed of sand and coral rubble that borders the lagoon. It is named after HMS Pandora. - Edwards Islet lies immediately to the east of Pandora Islet and has the same characteristics. It is named after Edward Edwards, captain of HMS Pandora. - Westward Islet, west of Pandora Islet, is the smallest. It appears sandy from a distance, but the soil is composed of coral rubble and dead shells. Its highest point rises 15 feet (4.6 m) above average sea level. It is named after the Westward, the ship that carried the members of the National Geographic Society and the Oceanic Institute during their 1970–71 expedition. The atoll has a central lagoon, accessible by boat only by way of a channel 100 yards (91 m) wide located in the southwest, between Pandora and Westward Islets. It has a maximum depth of 52 feet (16 m) and its bottom consists of sand and coral. Whirlpools in the lagoon are common, caused by caves that drain the water from the lagoon into the ocean. Pandora is known as being one of the three coastline vertices for Point Nemo, the set of coordinates in the South Pacific Ocean that represents the furthest point from any land in three directions. ## Flora The vegetation in the atoll is sparse, because of the lack of fresh water. Only two species of vascular plant are currently known to grow there – one of the smallest such floras on any island. Acadia, Pandora and Edwards Islets are forested with Heliotropium foertherianum, but Westward Islet is not. Pemphis acidula has also been recorded on Ducie; specimens were found during an expedition in 1991. During the expedition of Hugh Cuming in 1827 and the 1922 Whitney South Sea Expedition, Lepturus grass was found on Acadia Islet. However, it disappeared when storm waves deforested the island some time before the Smithsonian expedition of 1975. Thus H. foertherianum now dominates the vegetation of the islets. Additionally, there are a number of species of coralline algae, including Porolithon onkodes, Porolithon gardineri, and Caulerpa racemosa. ## Fauna The atoll is populated by several species of birds, fish, and reptiles. In the lagoon, sparse, living coral can be found; the dominant species is Montipora bilaminata (family Acroporidae). Most of the coral in the lagoon is dead, presumed to have been killed by influxes of cold water. ### Birds Though no terrestrial birds are found on the atoll, Ducie Island is known for the seabirds that breed there. Birds that have been recorded nesting on the atoll include the red-billed tropicbird, red-tailed tropicbird, white tern, great frigatebird, masked booby, and red-footed booby. Wintering bristle-thighed curlews have been recorded as well. A number of tern species, including the sooty tern, blue noddy, brown noddy, lesser noddy, and white tern have been recorded, as have several members of the family Procellariidae: Kermadec petrel, Trindade petrel, Murphy's petrel, and Christmas shearwater. The island is particularly important for Murphy's petrel, as more than 90% of its world population breeds on Ducie. Around 3,000 pairs of Christmas shearwaters, about 5% of the world's total population, can be found on the island too. Meanwhile, the red-tailed tropicbirds and white terns that breed on Ducie are around 1% of the world population of each species. Phoenix petrels, which previously inhabited the atoll, apparently disappeared between the Whitney expedition in 1922 and the 1991–92 Pitcairn Scientific Expedition. The island has been identified by BirdLife International as an Important Bird Area (IBA), principally for its colonies of Murphy's, herald, and Kermadec petrels, and Christmas shearwaters. ### Fish In the lagoon there are around 138 fish species, which also inhabit southeastern Oceania, the Western Pacific, and the Indian Ocean. The lagoon is noted for its poisonous fish and dangerous sharks. The yellow-edged lyretail, the blacktip grouper, and the greasy grouper are known to cause ciguatera poisoning. The lagoon is also inhabited by Galápagos sharks and the whitetip reef shark. The Galápagos shark is dangerous to humans, while the whitetips are seldom aggressive unless provoked. Five species are found exclusively around the Pitcairn Islands: Sargocentron megalops (a species of squirrelfish), the spiny butterflyfish, the Henderson triplefin (a species of threefin blenny), an unnamed species of Alticus (a genus of combtooth blenny), and an unnamed species of Ammodytes (a genus of sand lance). ### Terrestrial vertebrates Lizards that inhabit the island include the white-bellied skink (Emoia cyanura), photographed by E. H. Quayle during an expedition in 1922, and a lizard reported in the journal of an expedition in 1935 by James Chapin. The species of the latter was uncertain, but it was thought to be a gecko, possibly either an oceanic gecko (Gehyra oceanica), or a mourning gecko (Lepidodactylus lugubris). The 1991–92 Pitcairn Islands Scientific Expedition found specimens of both the mourning gecko and the white-bellied skink. The only mammal known to inhabit Ducie is the Polynesian rat; In 1997, there was a successful project to eradicate these by Brian Bell (WMIL) and Graham Wragg (S/V Te Manu), to aid the conservation of bird species threatened by the rat population. Green sea turtles feed on Ducie, but have not been seen to breed there. ## See also - List of Guano Island claims - List of islands - Desert island

# SS Empire Miniver The SS Empire Miniver was a British steam merchant ship. She was originally an American merchant, launched in 1918 as SS West Cobalt. During a brief stint in the United States Navy in 1919, she was known as USS West Cobalt (ID-3836). SS West Cobalt was built as a steam-powered cargo ship in 1918 for the United States Shipping Board (USSB). She was part of the West boats, a series of steel-hulled cargo ships built on the West Coast of the United States for the First World War war effort, and was the 11th ship built at Columbia River Shipbuilding Company in Portland, Oregon. Though she was completed too late for the war, she was commissioned into the Naval Overseas Transportation Service (NOTS) of the United States Navy as USS West Cobalt (ID-3836) in January 1919. After her one overseas trip for the Navy—delivering grain products to Danzig—she was decommissioned in May 1919 and returned to the USSB. West Cobalt had a relatively uneventful merchant career for the USSB and, after her 1933 sale, for the Lykes Brothers Steamship Company. In June 1940, West Cobalt was sold to British interests and renamed Empire Miniver. Just over four months later, the ship was torpedoed and sunk by while carrying supplies to the UK in Convoy SC 7 during the Second World War. Three crewmen were killed in the attack; the master and 34 others were rescued by a British corvette. ## Design and construction The West ships were cargo ships of similar size and design built by several shipyards on the West Coast of the United States for the USSB for emergency use during the First World War. All were given names that began with the word West, like West Cobalt, the ninth of some 30 West ships built by the Columbia River Shipbuilding Company of Portland, Oregon. West Cobalt (Columbia River Shipbuilding yard number 11) was launched on 26 October 1918, and was completed in December. West Cobalt was 5,724 gross register tons (GRT), and was 410 feet 1 inch (124.99 m) long (between perpendiculars) and 54 feet 0 inches (16.46 m) abeam. She had a steel hull that displaced 12,424 t with a mean draught of 24 feet 2 inches (7.37 m). Her hold was 29 feet 9 inches (9.07 m) deep and she had a deadweight tonnage of . West Cobalt's power plant consisted of a single steam turbine driving a single screw propeller which moved the ship at up to 11 knots (20 km/h). ## US Navy career Upon completion of West Cobalt in December 1918, a month after the end of fighting in the First World War, she was handed over to the United States Navy for use in the NOTS. She was commissioned as USS West Cobalt (ID-3836) on 29 December at the Puget Sound Navy Yard in Bremerton, Washington. After undergoing sea trials, West Cobalt sailed for San Pedro, California, on 11 January to load a cargo of grain on behalf of the American Relief Administration. Six days later, West Cobalt headed for Norfolk, Virginia, where she arrived on 10 February. After fuel replenishment, West Cobalt sailed on 19 February for Plymouth, where she arrived on 11 March, the Hook of Holland, and Danzig. After delivering her cargo, used to help feed the hungry in the aftermath of the war, she steamed for New York on 8 April. After reaching New York on 24 April, West Cobalt was decommissioned on 5 May and returned to the USSB. ## Civilian career Many details of West Cobalt's post-Navy career remain undiscovered, but mentions in shipping reports in contemporary newspapers offer hints at her activities. In 1924, for example, reports in The New York Times mention a departure from New York for Manchester on 27 August, and an arrival at Liverpool on 8 September. By 1930, West Cobalt was reported in The Washington Post as sailing on a New Orleans – London route. On 15 October of that year, the captain and four other officers of West Cobalt were arrested at New Orleans after 12 US quarts (11 L) of liquor—against the law under Prohibition—were found on board the ship. The five men were held under $1,000 bond each. In 1933, West Cobalt was sold to the Lykes Brothers Steamship Company, which assigned her to its Ripley Steamship Company subsidiary. During the 1930s, Lykes Brothers operated cargo ships between Gulf Coast and Caribbean ports, and though there is little specific information available regarding West Cobalt's movements, it is likely that she called at Gulf coast and Caribbean ports as well. One specific mention of the ship is found in a report in The New York Times in 1937, when the newspaper reported West Cobalt's arrival in New York on 30 October, ten days after sailing from New Orleans. ## Second World War In June 1940, the United States Maritime Commission (USMC) granted permission to Lykes to sell West Cobalt and three other ships to the Bank Line of Glasgow for transfer to British registry. West Cobalt, loaded with scrap iron, sailed from Hampton Roads, Virginia, on 28 June for Halifax. After arriving there on 2 July, West Cobalt sailed the next day in Convoy HX 55 for Liverpool. On the night of 15/16 July, West Cobalt dropped astern of the convoy and was last sighted at 01:00 by British merchant ship Loch Don. West Cobalt continued on, however, and reached Liverpool independently on 18 July. Soon transferred to the Ministry of War Transport, the newly renamed ship, now named Empire Miniver, was assigned to Andrew Weir & Co. of London for operation. She sailed from Liverpool in her first wartime convoy under her new name, Convoy OB-205, on 29 August 1940. The convoy dispersed the next day after coming under attack from at least four German submarines: , , , and . Though three ships from the convoy were sunk, two were damaged, and a sixth was a total loss, Empire Miniver arrived at Hampton Roads, on 15 September and at Baltimore two days later. After a nine-day turnaround, Empire Miniver sailed independently to Sydney, Nova Scotia, with a cargo of 4,500 tons of pig iron and 6,200 tons of steel, arriving on 2 October. At Sydney, she joined the ill-fated Convoy SC 7, bound for Newport, for her return journey. The convoy had only a single escort to start with, the sloop Scarborough. The convoy was located by a wolfpack of U-boats from 16 October, and they quickly overwhelmed the convoy, sinking many of the ships. Empire Miniver was torpedoed and sunk by at 22:06 on 18 October, while some 100 nautical miles (190 km) west by south of Barra Head. Out of a total complement of 38, three crew members were lost. The master and 34 crew members were picked up by Bluebell and were landed at Greenock on 20 October. Including Empire Miniver, 20 ships—over half of the ships in Convoy SC 7—were sunk by 8 different U-boats.

# 2001 Gator Bowl The 2001 Gator Bowl was a post-season American college football bowl game between the Clemson Tigers and the Virginia Tech Hokies at Alltel Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida on January 1, 2001. The game was the final contest of the 2000 NCAA Division I-A football season for both teams, and ended in a 41–20 victory for Virginia Tech. Virginia Tech entered the game headed by star quarterback Michael Vick, who led the Hokies to a 10–1 regular-season record despite being injured for a part of the season. Clemson entered the game with a regular-season record of 9–2 under the command of head coach Tommy Bowden, who was in the second year of his tenure. The contest featured two high-scoring offenses that emphasized different aspects of the game. These aspects were exemplified in the game, which saw Clemson pass for more yards than Virginia Tech, while the Hokies ran for more yards than the Tigers. Virginia Tech jumped out to an early lead and maintained it throughout the game. Vick had a 23-yard touchdown run on the game's opening drive, then helped the Hokies expand their lead to 14–0 by the end of the first quarter. The Tigers narrowed Tech's lead to 14–10 in the second quarter, but the Hokies scored another touchdown before halftime and went into the second half with a 21–10 lead. Injuries knocked Clemson's two leading running backs out of the game, and starting Clemson quarterback Woodrow Dantzler was removed from the game after he proved ineffective against the Virginia Tech defense. Despite these changes, the Tigers were unable to reduce Virginia Tech's lead, which stood at 34–13 at the end of the third quarter. A late Clemson touchdown moved the Tigers within two touchdowns, but Virginia Tech answered with a touchdown of its own, making the final score 41–20. In recognition of his performance in leading his team to a victory, Vick was named the game's most valuable player. It was his final collegiate game, and four months after the Gator Bowl, he was selected with the first overall selection in the 2001 NFL draft. A handful of other players who participated in the Gator Bowl also were selected in the draft. ## Team selection For the 2000–01 college football season, the Gator Bowl had the right to select the No. 2 bowl-eligible team from both the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) and the Big East Conference. The bowl game's administrators also had a contract to include Notre Dame if that school met certain entry requirements. The conference champions of the ACC and Big East were guaranteed a spot in a Bowl Championship Series game, and there also was the possibility of an at-large BCS selection for any team in each conference if it finished high enough in the BCS Poll but did not win the conference championship. ### Clemson The Clemson Tigers entered the 2000–2001 college football season after a 6–6 season in 1999 under first-year head coach Tommy Bowden. Fans and college football analysts predicted Bowden would continue Clemson's resurgence from a 3–8 season during the year before Bowden was hired. Some pointed to Bowden's undefeated season in the second year after assuming the head coaching job at Tulane University as a sign of what to expect from Clemson. Most analysts, however, anticipated a more moderate improvement over the previous year. In the annual preseason poll of media who covered Atlantic Coast Conference football, Clemson tied for second with Georgia Tech. Both teams were far behind perennial favorite Florida State, however. Nationally, Clemson debuted at No. 17 in the preseason AP Poll and No. 20 in the preseason coaches' poll. The Tigers opened their season against Division I-AA opponent The Citadel, whom they beat handily, 38–0. That victory was followed by two blowout wins: 62–9 against Missouri and 55–7 against ACC opponent Wake Forest. Those three games were typical of Clemson's first eight, which the Tigers won in succession. After the win against Wake Forest, Clemson beat Virginia, Duke, North Carolina State, Maryland, and North Carolina. In the final win of that streak, starting quarterback Woodrow Dantzler was replaced by backup Willie Simmons in the second quarter due to an injury to Dantzler. With an 8–0 record and a No. 5 national ranking, Clemson hosted Georgia Tech. In the game, the Yellow Jackets posted a school-record offensive effort in an upset victory over the Tigers. Clemson took a 28–24 lead with 1:52 remaining in the game, but the Yellow Jackets drove 80 yards in 11 plays before ending with a one-handed catch for a touchdown, giving Clemson its first loss of the season. The defeat eliminated the Tigers from national championship contention, but they still had a chance to win the conference championship if they defeated Florida State the following week. The Florida State Seminoles are coached by Bobby Bowden, father of Tommy Bowden. Their 2000 matchup marked only the second time that a father and son had faced each other as opposing head football coaches. The only other meeting had been the previous year, when Tommy lost by three points to his father. In the 2000 meeting, No. 4 Florida State dominated No. 10 Clemson from the start of the game. In an effort to impress BCS voters, Florida State ran up the score and the game ended with the Seminoles on top, 54–7. The Seminoles' win gave them the ACC football championship and dropped Clemson to a No. 16 ranking. With its spot as the No. 2 ACC team assured, Clemson accepted a bid to the Gator Bowl on November 14, prior to its annual in-state rivalry game against South Carolina. In that game, South Carolina took a one-point lead with 59 seconds remaining, but Clemson drove the length of the field and kicked a field goal as time expired, giving the Tigers a 16–14 win to end the regular season. ### Virginia Tech During the 1999–2000 college football season, Virginia Tech went undefeated during the regular season but lost to Florida State in the 2000 BCS National Championship Game. In the offseason following the championship-game loss, Tech fans and pundits anticipated a possible repeat of the Hokies' undefeated regular season and national championship run. In the annual preseason poll of media members covering Big East Conference football, Virginia Tech was picked to finish second; Tech received nine first-place votes to Miami's 15. In the preseason Associated Press college football poll, Virginia Tech was 11th. When games for the 2000 college football season were scheduled, Virginia Tech was picked to host the annual Black Coaches & Administrators Classic, the opening game of the national Division I-A season. Georgia Tech was picked as the opponent, but on the day of the game, severe lightning storms hit the Blacksburg, Virginia area. ESPN commentator Lee Corso's rental car was struck by lightning, and the game was postponed due to severe weather. It was never rescheduled and eventually was canceled. After the BCA Classic was canceled, Virginia Tech opened the regular season with a 52–23 blowout win over Akron. This was followed by a 45–28 win over East Carolina and a 49–0 shutout of Rutgers. The three wins typified the early part of Virginia Tech's schedule, which also featured wins against Boston College, Temple, West Virginia, Syracuse, and Pittsburgh. By virtue of winning its first eight games of the season, Tech rose to a No. 2 national ranking prior to facing No. 3 Miami on November 4. Virginia Tech star quarterback Michael Vick suffered a severely sprained ankle in the game against Pittsburgh, and strong-performing wide receiver André Davis was temporarily crippled by bursitis in his left foot. Despite these injuries, commentators predicted a high-scoring game that was sometimes referred to as "the Big East's game of the year". It was predicted that the winner likely would be a shoo-in for that year's national championship game. With Vick injured, backup quarterback Dave Meyer started the game for the Hokies, who fell behind 14–0 in the first quarter. In desperation, Vick tried to play despite his injury, but he participated in only 19 plays before leaving the game for good. Miami quarterback Ken Dorsey threw three long touchdown passes, and Miami won the game, 41–21. The loss knocked Tech out of contention for the national championship and the conference championship, since Miami was a fellow member of the Big East. The Hokies also fell to No. 8 in the AP Poll during the week after the game. In that week, they rebounded by beating the University of Central Florida, 44–21. Ranked No. 6 after the win, Tech defeated in-state rival Virginia, 42–21, in the annual battle for the Commonwealth Cup. Though the loss to Miami knocked the Hokies out of contention for the Big East championship and its accompanying automatic BCS bid, there was the possibility that Tech could receive an at-large BCS game bid if it scored high enough in the final BCS poll and the administrators of a BCS game wanted to invite the Hokies. Tech was considered a long shot due to the availability of Oregon State and Notre Dame, two teams with large followings that would attract greater television revenue and ticket sales. Gator Bowl officials made plans based on different possibilities. If Virginia Tech was selected for a BCS bowl but Notre Dame was not, the Fighting Irish would play in the Gator Bowl. If both were selected, Big East No. 3 Pittsburgh would be given the nod for the Gator Bowl. On December 3, the BCS selections were announced: The Fiesta Bowl selected No. 5 Oregon State and No. 10 Notre Dame instead of No. 6 Virginia Tech. This left the Hokies available for the Gator Bowl, which picked them on the next day. ## Pregame buildup In the weeks before the Gator Bowl, media and fan attention focused on Virginia Tech's possible disappointment at not being selected for a BCS game, the coaching situations at the two schools, and the issue of whether or not Tech quarterback Michael Vick would return for another year of collegiate football. After the Virginia Tech-Clemson matchup was announced for the Gator Bowl, spread bettors favored Virginia Tech to win by 6.5 points. The betting line remained there throughout the month of December and until the game began. There were almost no off-field incidents involving players from either team: The only notable event involved two backup players from Clemson who were indicted for money counterfeiting and were suspended for the Gator Bowl. In exchange for appearing in the game, the teams were guaranteed to split a payout of $3,313,610. ### Virginia Tech disappointment Immediately after the Fiesta Bowl bypassed Virginia Tech in favor of lower-ranked Notre Dame, protests from Tech fans and opponents of the BCS system erupted. Some said the selection was "unfair", that Virginia Tech was "hosed", or that the pick of Notre Dame was a "snub" of the Hokies. In an interview immediately after the selection, Vick said the Gator Bowl bid provided motivation to win the Gator Bowl. "We're going to go out there and make a statement, play a great game and show the nation", he said. Clemson, on the other hand, was enthusiastic about the Gator Bowl bid. A win in the game would have given the Tigers their first 10-win season since 1990, and the Gator Bowl appearance marked a continued improvement over its showing the previous year. Clemson players viewed the game as a reward for a successful season, while Virginia Tech players perceived it from a more workmanlike point of view. Due to revenue-sharing agreements among Big East schools, Virginia Tech's selection by the Gator Bowl resulted in a payment of $1.7 million less than if it had been selected by a BCS bowl game. Instead of receiving about $3.5 million from the revenue agreement and bowl payout, Tech received about $1.8 million. ### Coaching changes Both Clemson and Virginia Tech endured questions about their coaching staffs in the weeks and months prior to the Gator Bowl. Virginia Tech head coach Frank Beamer was interviewed by North Carolina prior to the end of the regular season, and he debated whether or not to accept that school's head football coaching job. On November 27, one week before Tech's selection by the Gator Bowl, Beamer announced that he would not be departing for North Carolina or any other school. Beamer also was considered for the vacant head-coaching position with the NFL's Washington Redskins, but he also declined that position. Other Virginia Tech football coaches were targeted by teams to fill vacant head-coaching positions. Virginia Tech offensive coordinator Rickey Bustle was interviewed for a job at Toledo, but he declined the position. Virginia Tech defensive coordinator Bud Foster was interviewed for the head-coaching job at Virginia, but he likewise declined the job. Tech's situation was not reflected at Clemson, where offensive coordinator Rich Rodriguez announced that he was leaving the team for the head football coach job at West Virginia University, where he competed as a player in the 1980s. Rodriguez did not participate in Clemson's practices prior to the Gator Bowl, and he did not coach during the game. Replacing Rodriguez as temporary offensive coordinator was Brad Scott. Joining him in the press box during the Gator Bowl was Mike O'Cain, who was hired as Clemson's new quarterbacks coach. In an effort to prevent further defections, Clemson awarded head coach Tommy Bowden a seven-year contract extension worth $1.1 million annually plus incentives. ### Michael Vick debate Throughout the regular season, a constant question hanging over the Virginia Tech Hokies football team was whether or not star quarterback Michael Vick would return for another year at the school. The National Football League requires that players be at least three years out of high school before they are eligible for the NFL Draft. Vick, who had not played during his freshman year at the school, would be three years out of high school in the spring following the Gator Bowl. Vick attempted to defuse the discussion when he announced on December 15 that he would be returning for his fourth year with the team. But in late December, Vick wavered on that decision when it became clear that if he left the team, he would be selected as the No. 1 overall pick in the draft. Heading into the Gator Bowl, his decision was still up in the air. ### Clemson offense During the regular season, Clemson was No. 10 in rushing yards, averaging 236.4 per game. Its passing offense was somewhat weaker, ranked No. 63 and averaging 210.1 yards per game. In total, however, Clemson's offense ranked No. 10 when the two amounts were added together. In scoring offense, the Tigers averaged 36.0 points per game, good enough for No. 14 in the country in that category. Clemson's offense was led by quarterback Woodrow Dantzler, who finished the regular season having completed 58 percent of his passes for 1,691 yards, 10 touchdowns, and six interceptions. He also ran the ball extremely successfully, gaining 947 yards and 13 touchdowns on the ground. In the running game, Dantzler had the second-most yards on the team. No. 1 was running back Travis Zachery, who ran 201 times for 1,012 yards and 13 touchdowns. Zachery also was one of Dantzler's favorite passing targets. He caught 27 passes for 288 yards and four touchdowns during the regular season. Wide receivers Rod Gardner and Jackie Robinson were the No. 1 and No. 3 recipients, respectively, of Dantzler's passes. Gardner caught 51 passes for 956 yards and six touchdowns. Robinson, unrelated to the baseball player of the same name, caught 24 passes for 276 yards and three touchdowns. ### Virginia Tech offense Virginia Tech's offense was No. 5 nationally in rushing yards, averaging 270.5 per game. Their passing offense was abysmal, however. The Hokies were ranked No. 100 in that category after averaging 155.9 yards per game during the regular season. Combined, Tech was ranked No. 20 in total offense. In scoring offense, they found success comparable to their rushing game. After averaging 40.3 points per game, they were ranked No. 5. Virginia Tech's offense was led by quarterback Michael Vick, who carried the ball 104 times for 617 yards and eight touchdowns despite an ankle injury that limited his mobility in the final six games of the regular season. Tech also had two successful running backs: Lee Suggs and Andre Kendrick. Suggs had 222 carries for 1,207 yards and 27 touchdowns during the regular season, while Kendrick had 102 rushes for 547 yards and three touchdowns. Suggs was the No. 1 rusher in the Big East in terms of touchdowns and rushing yards. In recognition of his accomplishments, he was given the Dudley Award, which recognizes the top college football player in Virginia. One of Vick's favorite targets in the limited Tech passing attack was wide receiver André Davis, who caught 24 passes for 318 yards and two touchdowns. Davis was limited by the fact that he played in only nine of Tech's 11 games, but he still finished as the Hokies' No. 2 receiver in terms of yardage. Tech's No. 1 receiver was Emmett Johnson, who caught 34 passes for 574 yards and three touchdowns. ### Clemson defense Clemson's defense was strongest against the rush. During the regular season, the Tigers allowed an average of 101.8 yards per game on the ground, good enough for No. 18 nationally. Their passing defense was not nearly as successful. On average, the Tigers allowed 238.6 yards per game through the air, making their pass defense the 97th best in division I-A football during the regular season. With both categories combined, the defense was ranked No. 37. In terms of points allowed, rather than yardage, the Tigers were ranked No. 23 after giving up an average of 19.3 yards per game. Linebacker Chad Carson was the team's defensive leader. He had 146 tackles (the most on the team), two pass breakups, and one forced fumble during the regular season. Fellow linebacker Keith Adams was No. 2 on the team in tackles with 138, including five sacks. He also had one interception, three forced fumbles, and three pass breakups. In pass defense, the Tigers' highest achiever was cornerback Alex Ardley, who led the team in interceptions with five. He also had seven pass breakups. One notable absence from the Tigers' defense during the Gator Bowl was defensive end Nick Eason, who led the team in sacks but suffered a torn Achilles tendon during a mid-December practice. Backup defensive end Marcus Lewis also missed the game due to injury. He tore an anterior cruciate ligament in a pregame practice. ### Virginia Tech defense Virginia Tech's defense likewise was more successful against opponents' rushing offense than their passing attack. Tech permitted an average of 99.3 yards per game on the ground (16th), but allowed 224.4 yards per game through the air (79th). In total, Tech was ranked the No. 27 defense in the country—slightly better than Clemson. In scoring defense, the Hokies allowed 22.6 points per game on average, good enough for No. 45. In this category, they were worse than the Tigers. Linebacker Ben Taylor was the Hokies' defensive leader. He was No. 1 on the team in tackles with 103. That figure included 1.5 sacks. He also had two interceptions, five pass breakups, and one forced fumble. Four year starting linebacker Jake Houseright was the team's No. 2 tackler. He had 75, including five tackles for loss. He also had five pass breakups and recovered one fumble. Free safety Willie Pile, who was in his first year as a starter on the defense, was Tech's leading performer in pass coverage. He had six interceptions—the most on the team—broke up 10 passes, forced one fumble, and recovered one fumble. ## Game summary The 2001 Gator Bowl kicked off on January 1, 2001, at Alltel Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida. At kickoff, the weather was partly cloudy at 45 °F (7 °C) degrees, with 41 percent humidity and a 6 miles per hour (10 km/h) wind from the northwest. Virginia Tech won the traditional pregame coin toss to determine first possession and elected to kick off to Clemson to begin the game. ### First quarter Clemson fielded the opening kickoff at the two-yard line and returned it to their 25-yard line, where the Tigers' offense performed the game's first offensive play, a one-yard scramble by Dantzler. A subsequent running play and an incomplete pass caused Clemson to go three-and-out before punting. Clemson punter Jamie Somaini mishandled the ball, however, and Virginia Tech's defense tackled him at the Tigers' 23-yard line. On Tech's first play after the turnover, quarterback Michael Vick completed a 23-yard pass to Jared Ferguson for a touchdown. The extra point kick by Carter Warley was successful, and Virginia Tech had a 7–0 lead with 13:23 remaining in the first quarter. Virginia Tech's post-touchdown kickoff was downed at the Clemson 26-yard line, where the Tigers began their second offensive possession. It began no better than the first, as Dantzler was tackled for a three-yard loss by defensive tackle Lamar Cobb. A rush for no gain and a short pass forced Clemson to again punt before gaining a first down. Somaini's second punt was kicked cleanly, and the Hokies returned the punt to their 42-yard line. Two rushes and a pass to the 50-yard line were not enough for a first down, and Tech punted to the Clemson 17-yard line. The Tigers' third possession didn't produce anything more than their first two possessions did. A running play was stopped for no gain, Dantzler was sacked for a loss of three yards by David Pugh, and a scramble by Dantzler gained only four yards. Clemson's punt was downed at the Tech 41-yard line, and the Hokies had another chance on offense. On the first play of the drive, Vick scrambled for a nine-yard gain. On the next play, Tech gained a first down on a run by backup running back Andre Kendrick to the Clemson 46-yard line. After an incomplete pass, Vick completed a six-yard toss to Kendrick. A five-yard offsides penalty gave Tech a first down at the Clemson 35-yard line, then Vick completed a six-yard throw to wide receiver Emmett Johnson. This was followed by Vick scrambling for a first down at the Clemson 19-yard line. A reverse run by Johnson picked up five yards, then a run up the middle gained a first down at the Clemson nine-yard line. Two rushes by Kendrick failed to reach the five-yard line, then Vick ran six yards for Tech's second touchdown of the game. The extra point was good, and Tech extended its lead to 14–0 with 1:08 remaining in the quarter. Virginia Tech's kickoff was returned to the Clemson 26-yard line, and the drive began with an incomplete pass from Dantzler. After that, the Tigers gained their first down of the game with a pass from Dantzler to wide receiver Rod Gardner at the 38-yard line. A run by Dantzler gained three yards, then Zachery gained five more with a run to the left side. Zachery's run ran the final seconds off the clock in the first quarter, which ended with Virginia Tech leading, 14–0. ### Second quarter The second quarter began with Clemson in possession of the ball and facing third and two at its 46-yard line. The Tigers gained a first down with the first play of the quarter, a four-yard rush by Zachery. From midfield, Dantzler threw an incomplete pass then ran for no gain. On third down, Dantzler completed a long pass to Justin Watts, who gained a first down at the Tech 23-yard line. On the next play, Dantzler completed a pass to Zachery, who ran into the end zone for Clemson's first points of the game. During the play, Zachery broke his foot and was kept out of the rest of the game. The extra point was good, and the Tigers narrowed Tech's lead to 14–7 with 13:34 remaining in the first half. Clemson's post-touchdown kickoff was bobbled by kick returner Andre Kendrick at the Tech one-yard line, but Kendrick broke free of the Clemson defense for a 34-yard return to the 35-yard line. Tech's first play after the return was an 11-yard run by Lee Suggs up the right side of the field. After the first down, Suggs ran straight ahead for a short gain, then Vick scrambled to the Clemson 37-yard line and another first down. Suggs then gained 18 yards on a run to the left side of the field. At the Clemson 19-yard line, Suggs was stopped for a loss of one yard, then Vick was sacked for a loss of five yards. The third-down play was an incomplete pass, and Carter Warley entered the game to attempt a 42-yard field goal. The kick bounced off the field goal crossbar but did not cross it, thus denying the Hokies three points. With 10:33 remaining in the half, Tech still had a 14–7 lead. Following the missed field goal, Clemson's offense started at its 25-yard line. On the first play of the drive, Dantzler completed a pass to wide receiver Rod Gardner, who ran for 25 yards and a first down at the 50-yard line. A nine-yard shovel pass play was followed by a run up the middle for a first down at the Tech 37-yard line. Dantzler completed an eight-yard pass, then a running play was stopped short of the first-down marker. On third down, Dantzler faked a quarterback sneak in order to attempt a long pass downfield. Dantzler was unable to pass, however, and was sacked for a four-yard loss. Rather than attempt a field goal or punt the ball, Clemson coach Tommy Bowden had his team attempt to gain a first down. Dantzler scrambled forward, but didn't gain the five yards needed. The Tigers thus turned the ball over on downs at the Tech 28-yard line. Tech began its drive with an incomplete pass, which was followed by a short run. On third down, Vick prepared to throw the ball, but he was hit by Clemson defender Keith Adams and fumbled the ball. Fellow Clemson defender Terry Jolly recovered the loose football and returned it to the Tech 14-yard line before he was tackled. Following the turnover, Dantzler was stopped on a short run then threw two incomplete passes. Rather than again attempt to convert a fourth down, Bowden sent in kicker Aaron Hunt to attempt a 28-yard field goal. The kick soared through the uprights, and Clemson narrowed Virginia Tech's lead to 14–10 with 5:45 remaining in the quarter. Kendrick returned Clemson's post-score kickoff to the Tech 23-yard line. A two-yard run by Suggs was followed by a pass to Davis at the Tech 39-yard line for a first down. Two running plays set up third down and two, then Vick completed a 50-yard pass to Kendrick, who picked up a first down at the Clemson four-yard line. From there, it took Suggs two rushes to pass the goal line for Virginia Tech's third touchdown of the game. The extra point was good, and Tech extended its lead to 21–10 with 2:26 before halftime. Tech's post-touchdown kickoff bounced to the Clemson two-yard line before it was returned to the Clemson 12-yard line. An incomplete pass on first down was followed by a first-down pass to Gardner at the 22-yard line. Dantzler then completed a pass to Watts at the 34-yard line for another first down. After an incomplete pass, Dantzler scrambled for a first down at the Clemson 47-yard line, where he completed a 17-yard pass to Robinson as time ticked below one minute remaining. From the Tech 36-yard line, Dantzler completed a pass to Gardner at the Tech 29-yard line. After a time out with 33 seconds remaining, Dantzler threw an incomplete pass. This was followed by another incomplete pass, and Clemson converted the first down with a pass to the Tech 24-yard line. An incomplete pass on first down was followed by another on second down. Following the play, there was only eight seconds left on the clock, and coach Bowden ordered Hunt into the game to attempt a 41-yard field goal. The kick was short and to the right, and Clemson turned the ball over with two seconds remaining. Vick took a knee to run the final seconds off the clock, and Virginia Tech entered halftime with a 21–10 lead. ### Third quarter Because Clemson received the ball to begin the game, Virginia Tech received the ball to begin the second half. Kendrick received the kickoff at the Tech goal line and returned it to the 20-yard line, where the Hokies started the first possession of the second half. On the first play, Virginia Tech committed a 10-yard holding penalty. Suggs gained five yards with a run up the middle, then Vick completed a pass to tight end Browning Wynn at the 28-yard line. On third down, the Hokies were stopped short of the first down marker and punted for only the second time in the game. During the kick, Clemson committed a 15-yard roughing the kicker penalty. The penalty allowed the Hokies to retain the football and gave them a first down at their 44-yard line. On the first play after the penalty, Vick completed a 55-yard pass to Davis at the Clemson one-yard line. After the pass, Suggs ran straight ahead for his second touchdown of the game. The extra point was missed by Warley, but Tech still extended its lead to 27–10 with 12:19 remaining in the quarter. Virginia Tech's kickoff was recovered and Clemson's kick returner ran out of bounds at the Tigers' 12-yard line. Dantzler scrambled for two yards, but Virginia Tech linebacker Jake Houseright was injured during the play and left the game. After a delay while the injured Houseright was helped off the field, Dantzler scrambled for six yards. Bernard Rambert gained a first down with a two-yard run, then he gained five yards on a run up the middle. Dantzler followed the gain with a 13-yard run of his own and a first down at the Clemson 40-yard line. Rambert caught a five-yard pass from Dantzler, then he ran for one yard up the left side of the field. During the play, Rambert was injured and had to be helped off the field. He was replaced by third-string freshman running back Keith Kelly. Dantzler threw an incomplete pass on third down, then Somaini punted the ball to Virginia Tech. The kick bounced off the chest of the Virginia Tech kick returner, and the loose ball was scooped up by Robert Carswell of Clemson. Following the turnover, Clemson's offense had a first down at the Tech 20-yard line with 8:44 remaining in the quarter. Kelly gained one yard on first down, then Dantzler picked up 11 yards and a first down on a run up the middle of the field. An incomplete pass was followed by a run for no gain and another incomplete pass. Facing fourth and goal at the eight-yard line, Bowden sent in his field-goal kicker. After the Tigers called a time out, Hunt completed a 27-yard field goal attempt and cut Virginia Tech's lead to 27–13 with 7:19 remaining in the quarter. Clemson's post-score kickoff was fielded at the five-yard line by Kendrick and returned to the Tech 25-yard line. The first play of the drive was an option run with Vick and Kendrick, who broke free of the Clemson defense for a 45-yard run and a first down at the Clemson 29-yard line. Two short rushes were followed by a pass to fullback Cullen Hawkins at the 10-yard line for a first down. Clemson committed a five-yard offsides penalty, then Ferguson ran straight ahead for a touchdown. The extra point kick was good, and Tech took a 34–13 lead with 5:14 left in the quarter. The post-touchdown kickoff was returned to the Clemson 30-yard line, where it was fumbled. The loose football jetted forward and was recovered by a Clemson player at the 34-yard line, where the Tigers' offense began another drive. The first play of the possession was a nine-yard pass from Dantzler to Kelly, and it was followed by a shovel pass to Kelly, who gained a first down at the Tech 47-yard line. From there, Kantzler ran straight ahead for 27 yards and a first down at the Tech 20-yard line. After two incomplete passes, Clemson completed a five-yard false-start penalty. A one-yard run by Dantzler was followed by an unsuccessful fourth-down conversion attempt. Dantzler attempted a pass downfield, but the ball was intercepted by Ronyell Whitaker, who returned the ball to the Tech 32-yard line. In possession of the ball and a large lead, Virginia Tech proceeded to start running out the clock by executing running plays, which do not halt the game clock at their conclusion as do incomplete passing plays. Suggs gained nine yards on a run up the middle, then Ferguson was tackled for a loss after an incomplete pass by Vick. Tech punted, and the ball was downed at the 26-yard line. Following the punt, Clemson put backup quarterback Willie Simmons into the game. On his first play, Simmons was sacked by Jim Davis for a five-yard loss. The second play was a repeat of the first, as Davis again sacked Simmons, this time for an 11-yard loss. On third down, Simmons threw an incomplete pass, and Clemson punted after going three and out. The kick bounced out of bounds at the Clemson 44-yard line, and Virginia Tech's offense returned to the field. On the first play, Vick attempted a pass into the end zone. The throw was intercepted by Clemson defender Robert Carswell, who downed the ball in the end zone for a touchback. The interception was the final play of the third quarter, which ended with Virginia Tech in the lead, 34–13. ### Fourth quarter The fourth quarter began with Clemson in possession of the ball and starting a drive at its 20-yard line following a touchback. On the first play of the drive, Simmons threw an interception to Virginia Tech defender Willie Pile at the 50-yard line. Following the turnover, the Hokies continued running out the clock with rushing plays up the middle of the field. A short gain by Suggs was followed by a five-yard offsides penalty against Clemson, which advanced the Hokies to the Clemson 45-yard line. Ferguson then gained a first down on a run to the 32-yard line. On first down, Vick was slightly injured after attempting to pitch the ball forward. He left the game and was replaced by backup quarterback Dave Meyer. Tech advanced the ball on short runs, setting up fourth down and seven. Tech coach Frank Beamer called a time out, allowing Vick to re-enter the game. The fourth-down play was an incomplete pass, and Tech turned the ball over on downs with 11:49 remaining in the game. Following the turnover, Clemson received the ball at its 28-yard line. Simmons ran the ball straight ahead for an eight-yard gain, gained one yard on a run, then Kelly ran for a first down at the 40-yard line. On first down, Simmons completed an 18-yard pass to Gardner at the Tech 42-yard line. Simmons then completed a six-yard pass before throwing a shovel pass to Kelly for a first down at the Tech 32-yard line. An incomplete pass was followed by six-yard toss and a pass to Watts at the 12-yard line. Simmons ran out of bounds for a two-yard loss, then completed a touchdown pass to Gardner. The extra point kick was good, and Clemson closed Virginia Tech's lead to 34–20 with 7:19 remaining. With limited time remaining, Clemson attempted an onside kick in an effort to retain possession and have a chance to make up some of the scoring deficit. The kick was recovered by Virginia Tech, however, and the Vick-led Tech offense returned to the field at the Clemson 44-yard line. Suggs was stopped for no gain on a run up the middle, Vick threw an incomplete pass, then he completed a 14-yard pass to Wynn for a first down at the Clemson 30-yard line. After the first down, Ferguson gained a few yards on a run up the middle, then Suggs advanced the ball to just short of the first-down marker. On third down, Suggs gained the first down with a run up the middle. Following the first down, Clemson defender Alex Ardley was called for a personal foul and ejected from the game. The penalty gave Virginia Tech a first down at the Clemson 10-yard line. From there, Clemson was called for a five-yard offsides penalty. On the first play after the consecutive penalties, Vick pitched the ball to Suggs, who ran into the end zone untouched. The extra point kick was good, and Virginia Tech extended its lead to 41–20 with 3:41 remaining in the game. Virginia Tech's post-touchdown kickoff was returned to the 23-yard line, and Clemson went three and out after Simmons threw three incomplete passes. The Tigers' punt was returned to the Tech 30-yard line, and the Hokies began another possession. Vick was again replaced by Meyer at the quarterback position, and running back Dwayne Ward ran up the middle of the field for a short gain. Third-string running back Keith Burnell gained more yardage with a run up the middle, then Ward picked up a first down with a run up the left side of the field. During the play, Tech committed a 10-yard penalty, but the resulting yardage was still enough for a first down. Tech proceeded to run out the remaining seconds on the clock, and the Virginia Tech Hokies earned a 41–20 victory. ## Statistical summary In recognition of his success in leading the Hokies to a bowl game win, Virginia Tech quarterback Michael Vick was named the most valuable player of the winning team. Vick finished the game having completed 10 of 18 passes for 205 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. Vick also ran the ball nine times for a gain of 21 yards and a touchdown. He was sacked twice, resulting in a loss of two yards. On the opposite side of the ball, Clemson wide receiver Rod Gardner was named the MVP of the losing team. He caught seven passes for 94 yards and a touchdown during the game. Virginia Tech outgained Clemson on the ground by a nearly 3:1 margin. Tech running back Lee Suggs carried the ball 20 times for 73 yards and three touchdowns. At the time, Suggs' three touchdowns were a Virginia Tech bowl game record and tied the Gator Bowl record for most touchdowns by a player. Fellow running backs Andre Kendrick and Jarrett Ferguson gained 52 yards and 26 yards, respectively. Suggs' scores and the two by Ferguson also marked the first time the Hokies had two players with two or more touchdowns in a bowl game. On the other side of the ball, Clemson's 44 pass attempts and 21 pass completions were the most allowed by Virginia Tech in any bowl game to that point. The Tigers outgained Virginia Tech through the air by almost 40 yards, and Clemson's two quarterbacks performed consistently throughout the game. Dantzler completed 15 of 32 passes for one touchdown and 180 yards, while Simmons completed six of 12 passes for 63 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions. On the ground, Dantzler led all rushers with 18 carries for 81 yards. Clemson's No. 2 rusher was Zachery, who had five carries for 15 yards. Defensively, Virginia Tech intercepted two Clemson passes and sacked Clemson quarterbacks six times for a loss of 28 yards. The Tech defense held Clemson without a first down and to -2 yards of total offense until less than two minutes were left in the first quarter. Clemson's defense sacked Vick twice for a total loss of two yards. ## Postgame effects Clemson's loss lowered it to a final record of 9–3, while Virginia Tech's win brought it to a final record of 11–1. Clemson remained relatively stationary in the polls. The Tigers remained at No. 16 in the Associated Press poll and dropped from No. 13 to No. 14 in the Coaches' Poll. Despite the Hokies' win, they did not advance in either the Associated Press or Coaches' polls. Tech ended the year ranked No. 6 in both polls and No. 5 in the BCS. The victory was the first in three bowl trips for the Hokies. The loss was Clemson's fifth straight in a bowl game and fourth in eight trips to the Gator Bowl at that point. ### Michael Vick Immediately after the conclusion of the Gator Bowl, Vick was asked by an NBC broadcaster if he intended to return to Virginia Tech for another year of collegiate football. He responded that he would discuss matters with his family and Tech head coach Frank Beamer before making a decision. That announcement sparked a fresh round of speculation from sports pundits and fans wondering if Vick would choose to return to school or enter the 2001 NFL draft. Virginia Tech, through its football coaching staff, began an intensive lobbying campaign in an effort to convince Vick to stay. On January 11, 2001, Vick held a press conference to announce that he would be forgoing his final two years of collegiate eligibility to enter the NFL Draft. Immediately after the announcement, he was predicted to be the No. 1 pick in the draft, a hypothesis realized on April 21, when he was selected by the Atlanta Falcons, who had traded draft picks in order to have the right to select Vick. ### 2001 NFL Draft Vick was not the only player for whom the 2001 Gator Bowl was the final collegiate contest. Virginia Tech had two other players selected in the draft, and Clemson had three. From the Hokies, defensive back Cory Bird was selected with the 91st pick and center Matt Lehr was taken with the 137th selection. Clemson's first NFL draft selection was wide receiver Rod Gardner, who was taken 15th. Also picked was defensive back Robert Carswell (244th).

# Hugh Boustead Colonel Sir John Edmond Hugh Boustead KBE CMG DSO MC & Bar (14 April 1895 – 3 April 1980) was a British military officer, modern pentathlete, and diplomat who served in numerous posts across several Middle Eastern countries, including ambassador to Abu Dhabi from 1961 to 1965. The son of a tea planter from Sri Lanka, Boustead began his career with the Royal Navy, but soon joined the British Army to fight in the trenches during World War I, where he earned his first of two Military Crosses. Following an appearance at the 1920 Summer Olympics, Boustead spent several years as a mountaineer and explorer prior to being appointed commander of the Sudan Camel Corps, with whom he served through World War II. He then embarked on a diplomatic career until his 1965 retirement and published an autobiography, The Wind of Morning, in 1971, nine years prior to his death in Dubai. ## Early life Boustead was born on 14 April 1895 in Nuwara Eliya, Sri Lanka, the son of a local tea planter who later became a director of The Imperial Ethiopian Rubber Company. He was educated at the Cheam School and attended Britannia Royal Naval College (then Royal Naval College, Dartmouth) prior to the onset of World War I, where he began the conflict as a midshipman in the Royal Navy, having attained that rank on 15 January 1913. On 15 May 1915 he was promoted to acting Sub-Lieutenant, but deserted this post one month later while on leave in Simon's Town to engage in trench warfare as a member of the Transvaal Scottish Regiment from South Africa. He earned a Military Cross at the Battle of Arras, which was gazetted on 26 July 1917 with the citation: > SOUTH AFRICAN FORCE. > > 2nd Lt. Hugh Boustead, Infy. > > For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. As intelligence and sniping officer he showed great skill and initiative in posting the snipers. His fine leadership and good disposition largely contributed to the success of the operation. Boustead received the honour from George V of the United Kingdom on 15 August 1917 and transferred to the British Indian Army ten days later. He was posted to the 2nd battalion 4th Gurkha Rifles. He was promoted to lieutenant on 6 August 1918. He returned to the South African Army on 30 September 1918. A Bar to the MC followed, for actions on 25 August 1919 at Kardel, fighting alongside the Cossacks against the Bolshevik Red Armyat Tsaritsyn. The citation was gazetted on 23 April 1920 and read: > SOUTH AFRICAN FORCE. > > 2nd Lt. (A./Capt.) Hugh Boustead, M.C. S. Afr. Infy. > > For conspicuous gallantry at Kardel, on the 25th August, 1919, when by the skilful manner in which he personally handed Lewis guns he assisted in beating off several hostile cavalry attacks, and by his example greatly inspired the Lewis-gun sections of the Russian regiment to which he was attached. > > (M.C. gazetted 26th July, 1917.) At this time he was officially an "Instr[uctor], Physical Training" with the infantry. His gallantry eventually led to the pardoning of his earlier desertion. ## Career A boxing champion in the lightweight division during his service with the British army, Boustead was recruited to captain the British team in the modern pentathlon at the 1920 Summer Olympics. He finished joint 14th in a field of 23 competitors in his only Olympic appearance. He then continued his military career and, after transferring to the Gordon Highlanders, he was seconded from them to serve in Sudan beginning 19 November 1924. A seasoned explorer, he participated in both the 1926 British expedition to Kangchenjunga and the 1933 expedition to Mount Everest, organized his own mountaineering expedition in Sikkim, explored the Libyan desert with Ralph Alger Bagnold in 1932, and traversed the wastes of Greenland. Boustead was promoted to the rank of captain on 1 March 1927 and served as a General Staff Officer, Third Grade from 22 July 1929 to 26 November 1930. He was promoted to local major on 3 February 1931, a secondment that culminated in his appointment as commander of the Sudan Camel Corps later that year. He was then promoted to local lieutenant colonel on 17 October 1931 and awarded a brevet majority on 1 January 1933. He was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire in the 1934 King's Birthday Honours. His secondment ended on 19 November 1934 and he returned to regimental duty with the Gordons in his substantive rank of captain. He retired in April 1935 to begin a career with the Sudan Political Service and spent five years as District Commissioner in Darfur. Boustead rejoined the military following the onset of World War II to raise, train, and command the Sudanese Frontier Force. As a local Lieutenant-Colonel and commander of its Camel Corps he led some of the units that helped restore Emperor Haile Selassie I to the throne of Ethiopia in 1941. For his actions in this conflict, he was recommended for the Distinguished Service Order by Orde Wingate on 15 August 1941, which he received on 30 December 1941, being Mentioned in Despatches on the same date. His World War II service officially ended on 7 December 1946 and the honorary rank of Colonel was bestowned upon him. After the conflict Boustead served as a diplomat in several Middle Eastern countries including Sudan, Yemen, and Oman, prior to spending nine years (1949–1958) as a Resident Adviser in the Aden Protectorate. His next post was the then-Sultanate of Muscat and Oman, where he held the position of Development Secretary. He was appointed political agent (then equivalent to ambassador) of Abu Dhabi in 1961, a post that he held until 1965. He was promoted Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the New Year Honours that year, and presented with the Lawrence of Arabia Memorial Medal of the Royal Society for Asian Affairs. ## Later life Following his 1965 retirement Boustead went on a lecture tour in the United States, and eventually settled down in Mezyad in the U.A.E., where he was asked by Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan to oversee his stable of horses in Al Ain. In 1971 he published his autobiography, The Wind of Morning, which was well received. In addition to his knighthood, DSO, and receiving the Military Cross and Bar, he was appointed Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George in the 1954 Queen's Birthday Honours and awarded the St George's Military Medal with 1 Palm by Haile Selassie. He died on 3 April 1980 in Dubai at the age of 84, having never married. At Boustead's death, British MP Richard Luce claimed that no one had a greater impact in "cement[ing] relations between the British and the Arabs" as Boustead. ## See also - Armathwaite Hall

# The Flag of His Country The Flag of His Country is a 1910 American silent short drama film produced by the Thanhouser Company. The patriotic film focuses on a man aptly named Walter North who sides with the Union and whilst his wife sides with the Confederacy in the American Civil War. The family is reunited thirty years later at a Grand Army of the Republic reunion through the actions of their grandchild. Little is known about the production and cast of the film, but the role of granddaughter was played by Marie Eline. Released on July 1, 1910, the film took place within living memory of the war and a reviewer in The Moving Picture World noted that the film would not offend its audience members. The film is presumed lost. ## Plot Though the film is presumed lost, a synopsis survives in The Moving Picture World from July 2, 1910. It states: "Walter North is a New York man, married to a Southern girl. At the opening of the play their baby daughter is christened, and the young couple is living happily in their home in Baltimore. This is in 1861, the opening of the Civil War. At the first rumors of hostilities, Mrs. North's brother enlisted in the ranks of the Confederacy. When North refuses to follow his example, and casts his lot with the Union army, his wife bids him good-bye forever. She asked him to choose between his flag and her. He salutes Old Glory, and goes to war. Four years later when he returns he finds his old home deserted, and although he tries in every way to discover the whereabouts of his wife and child he is unsuccessful. He moves to a northern home and there becomes commander of a Grand Army of the Republic post. Mrs. North, who believed that her husband was killed in the war, comes North with her brother and her little grandchild to attend the reunion of the Confederate veterans and the Grand Army of the Republic. While out working with her grandmother, the little girl is lost, and is picked up by North on his way to attend the reunion. Through the police the grandmother and uncle are notified of the whereabouts of the child, and when they come to claim her at the Grand Army of the Republic post, there are mutual recognitions, and Mr. and Mrs. North are reunited. There is but one flag now, the blue and the gray clasp hands beneath its folds." ## Production The writer of the scenario is unknown, but it was most likely Lloyd Lonergan. Lonergan was an experienced newspaperman employed by The New York Evening World while writing scripts for the Thanhouser productions. He was the most important script writer for Thanhouser, averaging 200 scripts a year from 1910 to 1915. The film director is unknown, but it may have been Barry O'Neil. Bowers does not attribute a cameraman for this production, but two possible candidates exist. Blair Smith was the first cameraman of the Thanhouser company, but he was soon joined by Carl Louis Gregory who had years of experience as a still and motion picture photographer. The role of the cameraman was uncredited in 1910 productions. The only credit known for the cast is that of Marie Eline in the role of the granddaughter. Other members cast may have included the other leading players of the Thanhouser productions, Anna Rosemond, Frank H. Crane and Violet Heming. Bowers states that most of the credits are fragmentary for 1910 Thanhouser productions. ## Release The single reel drama, approximately 1,000 feet long, was released on July 1, 1910. An article in The Moving Picture World gave a positive review, but recognized that the tensions amongst the Union and Confederate states of the Civil War could pose a concern for viewers and stated that no offense will come from the showing of this patriotic picture. The reviewer said that it would please American audiences and foreign ones as well. This possibility of an audience taking offense over the content of the picture was a reasonable one because the film was within living memory. The movement and influence of members in the Grand Army of the Republic was strong and memberships still exceeded 200,000 persons in 1910. A review by The New York Dramatic Mirror stated, "This is a sure enough 'classy' picture, full of human feeling and good acting. It is one of the kind that is giving the Thanhouser people the fine reputation they are gaining. ... The picture is strongly effective." One advertisement billed the film as a patriotic masterpiece and would have musical accompaniment by the vaudeville musician Etta Hyland. ## See also - List of American films of 1910

# Mirabel Madrigal Mirabel Madrigal is a fictional character that appears in the Walt Disney Animation Studios' film, Encanto (2021). Created by directors Byron Howard and Jared Bush, Mirabel is depicted as an imperfect, quirky, emotional, and empathetic 15-year-old girl who is the only member of the Madrigal family who does not receive a magical gift. When their "miracle" begins to fade, Mirabel takes it upon herself to save the magic, learning of her familial troubles. From the outset of the character's development, Mirabel was conceived as the only member of her family without a gift. The film's draft plot depicted her desperately searching for a gift, but the character's motivation was adjusted to a desire to be noticed, which was deemed more relatable for the audience. Mirabel's physical appearance is based on that of tourist guide Alejandra Espinosa Uribe; Mirabel's design began with her skirt, whose extensive embroidery represents her personality. American actress Stephanie Beatriz provides Mirabel's voice; Beatriz first auditioned for the role of Luisa but was deemed perfect for Mirabel. Her characterization garnered a variety of awards, with critics praising the character as relatable and heartfelt. Beatriz's performance was also lauded as "terrific" and "perfectly cast". Mirabel's relationship with her family has been the subject of discussion among therapists and immigrant groups, who related to the ways in which she deals with generational trauma. ## Development ### Conception After finishing Zootopia (2016), directors Byron Howard and Jared Bush wanted their next project to be a musical, which became a Latin American musical after Lin-Manuel Miranda joined the project. The developers discussed their common experiences of having large extended families and decided to make a musical film about a large extended family with twelve main characters. Howard and Bush discussed Latin American culture at length with Juan Rendon and Natalie Osma, who had worked with them on the making-of documentary Imagining Zootopia. Rendon and Osma are from Colombia; they drew upon their personal experiences with Colombian culture in their discussions, which caused Howard, Bush, and Miranda to focus their research on that country. Rendon and Osma became the first of several cultural experts hired by Disney Animation as consultants on the film, forming what Disney called the "Colombian Cultural Trust". The Encanto production team had finalized the basic idea of a girl who is the only member of her family without a supernatural gift. When the group began developing the characters, they realized the vulnerability of Mirabel's situation. Mirabel's lack of powers quickly established her as the ideal plot device, as well as a character with whom audiences could sympathize. The reason behind her lack of powers is deliberately not explained in the film. Bush and Howard said that as a magic realism film, Encanto is meant to "function just as well as a story" in the absence of magic. As a result, Mirabel saves her family by resolving tensions rather than by using magic. The directors challenged the animators to make Mirabel distinctive from prior Disney female heroes; she had to be both capable and imperfect but not merely clumsy. Mirabel's original name was Beatriz, which was changed two years before casting her voice actor Stephanie Beatriz. The character's name originated from the word Mira, which means look in Spanish. According to Bush; "in the early days we always question if we have the right names – 'miracle' etymology and rhyme with Mirabel reinforced it". The character's name is also a Latin word that means wonderful, which represents her curiosity. As Encanto's story evolved, the writers and story artists considered Mirabel's motives and imperfections. The film's draft plot depicted her desperately searching for a gift, but the crew realized she would have grown past this. Bush stated that her hope to be noticed, rather than an adventure for a magical gift, felt considerably more relatable. The plot and family connections were eventually written around this motive. One version of the film featured Mirabel narrating until the start of the third act, in which Abuela Alma's point of view would be shown; this concept was scrapped because it was regarded as too distracting. ### Voice Beatriz initially auditioned for Luisa, but when they heard her read, the production crew decided she was perfect for Mirabel. According to Smith, Beatriz secured the part because of her personality, humor, and distinctive voice. During her audition for Mirabel, Beatriz sang "You're Welcome" from Moana and performed a scene in which Mirabel comforts Antonio before he receives his gift. The directors wanted to let the actors explore their roles and to feel at ease "messing around and improvising in the moment". Beatriz initially believed Mirabel should sound young, so she voiced her with a high pitch. Howard and Bush, however, insisted on making her sound more mature; they considered she had to take care of herself most of the time because her family is full of "stars". According to Beatriz, Mirabel must manage her own needs, requiring a certain amount of maturity. Beatriz said finding time to breathe while singing was the most challenging part of voicing Mirabel; "You got to literally plan out 'Okay. On this eighth note or whatever I've got to ... ' So that I'm ready for the next big chunk of it." When recording Mirabel's "I Want" song "Waiting on a Miracle", Beatriz was nine months pregnant; she worked with a vocal coach to learn proper breathing techniques and ensure she was properly supporting herself. Much of her voice work was recorded during the COVID-19 pandemic. Sometimes, she acted with only Miranda or the directors, but on some occasions, many other crew members would listen to her. As she recorded for Mirabel, Beatriz received many sketches, which she described as "really special" because the character bore a resemblance to herself at the same age. For "What Else Can I Do?", Beatriz watched the sequence's initial animation, which she credited for her finding a way to "weave [her] way through the song using [her] voice". ### Design While researching the film in Barichara, Howard and Bush befriended Alejandra Espinosa Uribe, a local tour guide who showed them around the town, later hiring her to consult on the film's historical and cultural authenticity. Espinosa Uribe influenced several aspects of Mirabel's characteristics, including her curly, black hair, large eyeglasses, and gestures. Velasquez and the film's character technical director Xinmin Zhao looked for real-life references across "the whole studio" for Mirabel's hair and were inspired by Castro Smith's curls. The animators took inspiration from Beatriz's characteristics and mannerisms to make Mirabel as distinct as possible. Mirabel's clothes are intended to look handmade. As a unique member of her family, Mirabel lacks a color palette that connects her to Casita, so her outfit incorporates most of her family's colors. Because Encanto is set in the Andean region, its traditional fashions were an important inspiration for the film's costumes. During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, women from the region usually dressed in white tops with needlework, long skirts, and matching petticoats. They would also wear alpargatas (traditional Colombian shoes) created from fique. Design work was not linear; Disney artists repeatedly moved between different stages to iteratively improve the character. For example, the modelers sent the production team a work-in-progress model after building a first iteration based on visual development artists' drawings of Mirabel. The artists would make draw-overs to give feedback to the modelers, adding to her anatomy and design. Initial designs depicted Mirabel in an oversized coat, an idea the production crew explored for some time. Earlier versions of Mirabel's body shape were more stylized than later ones. When Abuela Alma's body was revised to a more naturalistic shape, Mirabel's body was also revised in the same way, which meant the shape of Mirabel's neckline more closely resembled human anatomy. Mirabel's design began with her skirt, which is inspired by those from the Vélez area as well as traditional Colombian ones in general. The skirt was decorated with embroidery that is intended to look imperfect and handcrafted. Look-development artist Jose Luis "Weecho" Velasquez "virtually stitched all the embroidery by hand" on a computer to build the texture of Mirabel's skirt. Disney artists designed symbols for the skirt to represent each member of her family and her affection for them. These symbols include a candle for Alma, animals for Antonio, flowers for Isabela, a sun for Pepa, and a chameleon for Camilo. According to Screen Rant, the incorporation of her family's gifts on her skirt displays her Madrigal pride and indicates her character, her lack of resentment and envy of her family, and her active support for them and their gifts. Mirabel's full name, and an image of her own face wearing her glasses, are sewn into the skirt to show she lacks a gift. "Loud" aspects, such as pink tassels, are used to represent Mirabel's desire to be noticed. According to associate production designer Lorelay Bové, Mirabel's skirt is similar to "a 15-year-old girl's scrapbook". Mirabel's shirt has a butterfly pattern that references the Madrigal family. In accordance with the film's theme of significant changes, butterfly designs, including one on the candle, are seen throughout Casita. Mirabel is the first Disney female hero to wear glasses. They are a significant part of her appearance. A primary theme of the film, according to Bové, is perspective; Mirabel's glasses are a deliberate choice to highlight that concept. Mirabel embarks on an adventure to see her family anew and other people's true characters; according to Bush: "we gave her glasses on purpose because it was a part of her journey[,] and we wanted it to be baked into her character". She also wears them because part of her name comes from the Spanish word Mira. The glasses are green as a reference to Bruno, her uncle, who wears green clothing. ## Appearances ### Encanto At age five, Mirabel is seemingly denied a gift from her family's miracle. From this point onward, everyone's expectations of her change, and everyone, including Mirabel herself, sees her differently. Ten years later, she is accidentally excluded from a family picture and feels she is not truly a part of the Madrigal family. Because she wishes to have a gift, Mirabel notices Casita cracking and the candle flickering, which Alma, her abuela, says would never happen. Mirabel warns everyone, but the cracks disappear, and no one believes her. Mirabel hears Alma questioning whether the miracle is dying, and she takes it upon herself to save it. Luisa, Mirabel's older sister, suggests Mirabel search her missing uncle Bruno's room for a clue because of a rumor that he had a vision about the magic. Mirabel finds the vision and sees herself surrounded by a cracked Casita, implying she might be the cause of the miracle's dying. Dolores later reveals the secret to everyone. Mirabel finds Bruno hiding inside the house's walls and questions him about his vision; Bruno says he only knows the fate of the Madrigal family will depend on her. When Bruno makes another vision, Mirabel sees a butterfly and herself hugging someone, whom she and Bruno identify as Isabela, her eldest sister. Annoyed due to Isabela's entitled personality, Mirabel insincerely asks her for a hug, which she refuses. Isabela inadvertently reveals that she struggles with the constant pressure to be perfect. Mirabel persuades Isabela to become truer to herself, and they reconcile, partially healing the cracks near the candle. Alma sees them and accuses Mirabel of trying to hurt the family out of spite for lacking a gift. Despondent with this treatment, Mirabel realizes that she and the rest of the family will never be good enough for Alma and that the miracle is dying because of her. The house breaks and collapses as a result of their heated argument. Mirabel tries to save the candle, but it extinguishes in her hands. Distraught and heartbroken, Mirabel runs away. Alma finds Mirabel at the river and apologizes for her accusation and high expectations for their family. Mirabel and Alma reconcile, and return to a broken Casita; Mirabel tells her family they are more than their gifts, while Alma apologizes for seeing her family's powers as the miracle instead of their existence. The family, with the townspeople, rebuild Casita. The Madrigals make a doorknob bearing an "M" for Mirabel to place into the front door, causing Casita to be restored, and the family regains their powers. Later, the family takes a group photograph, this time with Mirabel at the center of her family. ### Merchandise In December 2021, Disney released the Mirabel Singing Doll, which sings "The Family Madrigal" from the film, on shopDisney. A separate doll sold by Jakks Pacific says more than 15 "Encanto-inspired" phrases. Funko Pop released a set of four-inch (10 cm) vinyl figurines of Madrigal family members, including Mirabel, in January 2022. ### Video games Mirabel was added to Disney Dreamlight Valley in a February 2023 update as one of the "villagers" of the titular Dreamlight Valley. She also appears as a playable character in the world building game Disney Magic Kingdoms. ### Disney parks From November 2021, Mirabel started making appearances for meet and greets in the Adventureland areas of Disney parks. In April 2022, the Madrigal family and the song "We Don't Talk About Bruno" were incorporated into the "It's a Small World" attraction through numerous projections. As of April 5, 2022, early ideas for the Main Street Electrical Parade's 14 grand finale stories included Mirabel and Antonio. ## Reception ### Critical response Mirabel has been praised by film critics. According to Screen Daily, Mirabel radiates warmth in caring for her younger relatives and acting as the family's emotional glue. San Francisco Chronicle's G. Allen Johnson considered her one of Disney's most appealing works, possessing "the greatest superpower" of all. For Denver Post, John Wenzel stated that Mirabel, as well as Moana (2016) and Raya and the Last Dragon (2021)'s titular characters, signified more independent Disney heroines. Kristen Lopez of IndieWire found it impossible to find Mirabel unrelatable in a family where one might be perceived as non-standard; CinemaBlend's Dirk Libbey agreed, calling Mirabel Disney's most relatable character to date. Brian Truitt, writing for USA Today, singled out her awkwardness, humor, and heart, commenting that these elements made her "quite [an] enjoyable character to watch on a journey of identity and acceptance". Jonathan Sim of ComingSoon.net gave particular praise to Mirabel's distinctiveness, charisma, quirkiness, and weirdness. Critics have found Beatriz's voice work for the character magnificent, terrific, perfectly cast, spectacular, excellent, spirited, and exceptional. IGN said Beatriz "brings just the right amount of charm and sincerity to the non-magical teenager". Bleeding Cool critic Kaitlyn Booth thought Mirabel's sadness and frustration were well expressed within her performance. ### Impact Since its release, Encanto has been discussed among therapists. Mirabel has been interpreted as the "[t]he healer trying to keep her family whole". Immigrants stated they identify with her since they are "born into this duality, and ... not seen in one, and ... not seen in the other" after their parents come to another country to escape war and violence. Other clients relate to Mirabel's hopes for acknowledgment from her elders expressed during "Waiting on a Miracle". Psychology Today stated that despite attempting to use "positive self-talk" at the start of the film, Mirabel's sense of self-worth and belonging is harmed by her lack of powers. The website interpreted Alma's later understanding that Mirabel's existence is a gift as a message of self-appreciation. On the topic of family dynamics, therapist and YouTuber Steph Anya stated that since her viewpoint is different from her family's, Mirabel is blamed for all the problems that occur, and because she lacks a gift, she can see the Madrigals' suffering and "starts the family's healing journey". According to USA Today, many Latino millennials wanting to end generational trauma hope to do what Mirabel does: confronting the problem's source and the person who is causing pain. Polygon writer José María Luna drew comparisons between the people of Colombia and Mirabel, stating: "We're a country of Mirabels, all struggling to figure out how to fix these evils that seem like our birthright." Marcela Rodriguez-Campo, a Colombian academic, believed that casting Mirabel, a non-white, mestiza heroine, as the primary character was a crucial decision. However, Camilo Garzón expressed concern that when a non-white figure is inspirational, there is a risk that the character may become representative of a whole culture, as was the case with Moana and Coco (2017). ### Accolades Mirabel won Best Animated Female at the 2022 Alliance of Women Film Journalists Awards and 2021 Women Film Critics Circle Awards, in addition to the Visual Effects Society Award for Outstanding Animated Character in an Animated Feature. Stephanie Beatriz has also received several nominations for her voice performance, including the Annie Award for Outstanding Achievement for Voice Acting in a Feature Production.

# Clearview AI Clearview AI, Inc. is an American facial recognition company, providing software primarily to law enforcement and other government agencies. The company's algorithm matches faces to a database of more than 20 billion images collected from the Internet, including social media applications. Founded by Hoan Ton-That and Richard Schwartz, the company maintained a low profile until late 2019, until its usage by law enforcement was first reported. Use of the facial recognition tool has been controversial. Several U.S. senators have expressed concern about privacy rights and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has sued the company for violating privacy laws on several occasions. U.S. police have used the software to apprehend suspected criminals. Clearview's practices have led to fines and bans by EU nations for violating privacy laws, and investigations in the U.S. and other countries. In 2022, Clearview reached a settlement with the ACLU, in which they agreed to restrict U.S. market sales of facial recognition services to government entities. Clearview AI was the victim of a data breach in 2020 which exposed their customer list. This demonstrated 2,200 organizations in 27 countries had accounts with facial recognition searches. ## History Clearview AI was founded in 2017 by Hoan Ton-That and Richard Schwartz after transferring the assets of another company, SmartCheckr, which the pair originally founded in 2017 alongside Charles C. Johnson. The company was founded in Manhattan after the founders met at the Manhattan Institute. The company initially raised $8.4 million from investors including Kirenaga Partners and Peter Thiel. Additional fundraising, in 2020, collected $8.625 million in exchange for equity. The company did not disclose investors in the second round. In 2021, another fundraising round received $30 million. Early use of Clearview's app was given to potential investors in their Series A fundraising round. Billionaire John Catsimatidis used it to identify someone his daughter dated and piloted it at one of his Gristedes grocery markets in New York City to identify shoplifters. In October 2020, a company spokesperson claimed that Clearview AI's valuation was more than $100 million. The company announced its first chief strategy officer, chief revenue officer, and chief marketing officer in May 2021. Devesh Ashra, a former deputy assistant secretary with the United States Department of the Treasury, became its chief strategy officer. Chris Metaxas, a former executive at LexisNexis Risk Solutions, became its chief revenue officer. Susan Crandall, a former marketing executive at LexisNexis Risk Solutions and Motorola Solutions, became its chief marketing officer. Devesh Ashra and Chris Metaxas left the company in 2021. In August 2021, Clearview AI announced the formation of an advisory board including Raymond Kelly, Richard A. Clarke, Rudy Washington, Floyd Abrams, Lee S. Wolosky, and Owen West. The company claimed to have scraped more than 10 billion images as of October 2021. In May 2022, Clearview AI announced that it would be expanding sales of its facial recognition software to schools and lending platforms outside the U.S. Clearview AI hired a notable legal team to defend the company against several lawsuits that threatened their business model. Their legal staff includes Tor Ekeland, Lee S. Wolosky, Paul Clement, Floyd Abrams, and Jack Mulcaire. Abrams stated the issue of privacy rights versus free speech in the First Amendment could reach the Supreme Court. ## Usage Clearview AI provides facial recognition software where users can upload an image of a face and match it against their database. The software then supplies links to where the "match" can be found online. The company operated in near secrecy until the release of an investigative report in The New York Times titled "The Secretive Company That Might End Privacy as We Know It" in January 2020. It maintained this secrecy by publishing fake information about the company's location and employees and erasing social media for the founders. Citing the article, over 40 tech and civil rights organizations sent a letter to the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board (PCLOB) and four congressional committees, outlining their concerns with facial recognition and Clearview, and asking the PCLOB to suspend use of facial recognition. Clearview served to accelerate a global debate on the regulation of facial recognition technology by governments and law enforcement. Law enforcement officers have stated that Clearview's facial recognition is far superior in identifying perpetrators from any angle than previously used technology. After discovering Clearview AI was scraping images from their site, Twitter sent a cease-and-desist letter to Clearview, insisting that they remove all images as scraping is against Twitter's policies. On February 5 and 6, 2020, Google, YouTube, Facebook, and Venmo sent cease and desist letters as it is against their policies. Ton-That responded in an interview that there is a First Amendment right to access public data. He later stated that Clearview has scraped over 50 billion images from across the web. The New Zealand Police used it in a trial after being approached by Clearview's Marko Jukic in January 2020. Jukic said it would have helped identify the Christchurch mosque shooter had the technology been available. The usage of Clearview's software in this case raised strong objections once exposed, as neither the users' supervisors or the Privacy Commissioner were aware or approved of its use. After it was revealed by RNZ, Justice Minister Andrew Little stated, "It clearly wasn't endorsed, from the senior police hierarchy, and it clearly didn't get the endorsement from the [Police] Minister... that is a matter of concern." Clearview's technology was used for identifying an individual at a May 30, 2020 George Floyd police violence protest in Miami, Florida. Miami's WTVJ confirmed this, as the arrest report only said she was "identified through investigative means". The defendant's attorney did not even know it was with Clearview. Ton-That confirmed its use, noting that it was not being used for surveillance, but only to investigate a crime. In December 2020, the ACLU of Washington sent a letter to Seattle mayor Jenny Durkan, asking her to ban the Seattle Police Department from using Clearview AI. The letter cited public records retrieved by a local blogger, which showed one officer signing up for and repeatedly logging into the service, as well as corresponding with a company representative. While the ACLU letter raised concerns that the officer's usage violated the Seattle Surveillance Ordinance, an auditor at the City of Seattle Office of the Inspector General argued that the ordinance was designed to address the usage of surveillance technologies by the Department itself, not by an officer without the Department's knowledge. After the January 6 riot at the United States Capitol, the Oxford Police Department in Alabama used Clearview's software to run a number of images posted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in its public request for suspect information to generate leads for people present during the riot. Photo matches and information were sent to the FBI who declined to comment on its techniques. In March 2022, Ukraine's Ministry of Defence began using Clearview AI's facial recognition technology "to uncover Russian assailants, combat misinformation and identify the dead". Ton-That also claimed that Ukraine's MoD has "more than 2 billion images from the Russian social media service VKontakte at its disposal". Ukrainian government agencies used Clearview over 5,000 times as of April 2022. The company provided these accounts and searches for free. In a Florida case, Clearview's technology was used by defense attorneys to successfully locate a witness, resulting in the dismissal of vehicular homicide charges against the defendant. Law enforcement use of the facial recognition software grew rapidly in the United States. In 2022 more than one million searches were conducted. In 2023, this usage doubled. ## Marketing efforts and pushback Clearview AI encouraged user adoption by offering free trials to law enforcement officers rather than departments as a whole. The company additionally used its significant connections to the Republican Party to connect with police departments. In onboarding emails, new users were encouraged to go beyond running one or two searches to "[s]ee if you can reach 100 searches". During 2020, Clearview sold their facial recognition software for one tenth the cost of competitors. Clearview's marketing claimed their facial recognition led to a terrorist arrest. The identification was submitted to the New York Police Department tip line. Clearview claims to have solved two other New York cases and 40 cold cases, later stating they submitted them to tip lines. NYPD stated they have no institutional relationship with Clearview, but their policies do not ban its use by individual officers. In 2020, thirty NYPD officers were confirmed to have Clearview accounts. In April 2021, documents obtained by the Legal Aid Society under New York's Freedom Of Information Law demonstrated that Clearview had collaborated with the NYPD for years, contrary to past NYPD denials. Clearview met with senior NYPD leadership and entered into a vendor contract with the NYPD. Clearview came under renewed scrutiny for enabling officers to conduct large numbers of searches without formal oversight or approval. The company was sent a cease and desist letter from the office of New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewal after including a promotional video on its website with images of Grewal. Clearview had claimed that its app played a role in a New Jersey police sting. Grewal confirmed the software was used to identify a child predator, but he also banned the use of Clearview in New Jersey. Tor Ekeland, a lawyer for Clearview, confirmed the marketing video was taken down the same day. In March 2020, Clearview pitched their technology to states for use in contact tracing to assist with the COVID-19 pandemic. A reporter found Clearview's search could identify him while he covered his nose and mouth like a COVID mask would. The idea brought criticism from US senators and other commentators because it seemed the crisis was being used to push unreliable tools that violate personal privacy. Contrary to Clearview's initial claims that its service was sold only to law enforcement, a data breach in early 2020 revealed that numerous commercial organizations were on Clearview's customer list. For example, Clearview marketed to private security firms and to casinos. Additionally, Clearview planned expansion to many countries, including authoritarian regimes. Senator Edward J. Markey wrote to Clearview and Ton-That, stating "Widespread use of your technology could facilitate dangerous behavior and could effectively destroy individuals' ability to go about their daily lives anonymously." Markey asked Clearview to detail aspects of its business, in order to understand these privacy, bias, and security concerns. Clearview responded through an attorney, declining to reveal information. In response to this, Markey wrote a second letter, saying their response was unacceptable and contained dubious claims, and that he was concerned about Clearview "selling its technology to authoritarian regimes" and possible violations of COPPA. Senator Markey wrote a third letter to the company with concerns, stating "this health crisis cannot justify using unreliable surveillance tools that could undermine our privacy rights." Markey asked a series of questions about what government entities Clearview has been talking with, in addition to unanswered privacy concerns. Senator Ron Wyden voiced concerns about Clearview and had meetings with Ton-That cancelled on three occasions. In April 2021, Time magazine listed Clearview AI as one of the 100 most influential companies of the year. ## Technology ### Accuracy In October 2021 Clearview submitted its algorithm to one of two facial recognition accuracy tests conducted by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) every few months. Clearview ranked amongst the top 10 of 300 facial recognition algorithms in a test to determine accuracy in matching two different photos of the same person. Clearview did not submit to the NIST test for matching an unknown face to a 10 billion image database, which more-closely matches the algorithm's intended purpose. This was the first third-party test of the software. Clearview, at various times throughout 2020, has claimed 98.6%, 99.6%, or 100% accuracy. However, these results are from tests conducted by people affiliated with the company and have not used representative samples of the population. In 2021, Clearview announced that it was developing "deblur" and "mask removal" tools to sharpen blurred images and envision the covered part of an individual's face. These tools would be implemented using machine learning models that fill in the missing details based on statistical patterns found in other images. Clearview acknowledged that deblurring an image and/or removing a mask could potentially make errors more frequent and would only be used to generate leads for police investigations. Assistant Chief of Police of Miami, Armando Aguilar, said in 2023 that Clearview's AI tool had contributed to the resolution of several murder cases, and that his team had used the technology around 450 times a year. Aguilar emphasized that they do not make arrests based on Clearview's matches alone, and instead use the data as a lead and then proceed via conventional methods of case investigation. Several cases of mistaken identity using Clearview facial recognition have been documented, but "the lack of data and transparency around police use means the true figure is likely far higher." Ton-That claims the technology has approximately 100% accuracy, and attributes mistakes to potential poor policing practices. Ton-That's claimed accuracy level is based on mugshots and would be affected by the quality of the image uploaded. ### Data breaches Clearview AI experienced a data breach in February 2020 which exposed its list of customers. Clearview's attorney, Tor Ekeland stated the security flaw was corrected. In response to the leaks, the United States House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology sent a letter to the company requesting further insight into their bio-metric and security practices. While Clearview's app is only supposed to be privately accessible to customers, the Android application package and iOS applications were found in unsecured Amazon S3 buckets. The instructions showed how to load an enterprise (developer) certificate so the app could be installed without being published on the App Store. Clearview's access was suspended, as it was against Apple's terms of service for developers, and as a result the app was disabled. In addition to application tracking (Google Analytics, Crashlytics), examination of the source code for the Android version found references to Google Play Services, requests for precise phone location data, voice search, sharing a free demo account to other users, augmented reality integration with Vuzix, and sending gallery photos or taking photos from the app itself. There were also references to scanning barcodes on a drivers license and to RealWear. In April 2020, Mossab Hussein of SpiderSilk, a security firm, discovered Clearview's source code repositories were exposed due to misconfigured user security settings. This included secret keys and credentials, including cloud storage and Slack tokens. The compiled apps and pre-release apps were accessible, allowing Hussein to run the macOS and iOS apps against Clearview's services. Hussein reported the breach to Clearview but refused to sign a non-disclosure agreement necessary for Clearview's bug bounty program. Ton-That reacted by calling Hussein's disclosure of the bug as an act of extortion. Hussein also found 70,000 videos in one storage bucket from a Rudin Management apartment building's entrance. ### Insight Camera Clearview also operates a secondary business, Insight Camera, which provides AI-enabled security cameras. It is targeted at "retail, banking and residential buildings". Two customers have used the technology, United Federation of Teachers and Rudin Management. The website for Insight Camera was taken down following BuzzFeed's investigation into the connection between Clearview AI and Insight Camera. ## Customer list Following a data leak of Clearview's customer list, BuzzFeed confirmed that 2,200 organizations in 27 countries had accounts with activity. BuzzFeed has the exclusive right to publish this list and has chosen not publish it in its entirety. Clearview AI claims that at least 600 of these users are police departments. These are primarily in the U.S. and Canada, but Clearview has expanded to other countries as well. Although the company claims their services are for law enforcement, they have had contracts with Bank of America, Kohls, and Macy's. Several universities and high schools have done trials with Clearview. The list below highlights particularly notable users. - ; American law enforcement and government - ; International law enforcement ## Legal challenges Clearview AI has had its business model challenged by several lawsuits in multiple jurisdictions. It responded by defending itself, settling in some cases, and exiting several markets. The company's claim of a First Amendment right to public information has been disputed by privacy lawyers such as Scott Skinner-Thompson and Margot Kaminski, highlighting the problems and precedents surrounding persistent surveillance and anonymity. Former New York City Police Commissioner and executive chairman of Teneo Risk Chief Bill Bratton challenged privacy concerns and recommended strict procedures for law enforcement usage in an op-ed in New York Daily News. ### United States After the release of The New York Times January 2020 article, lawsuits were filed by the states of Illinois, California, Virginia and New York, citing violations of privacy and safety laws. Most of the lawsuits were transferred to New York's Southern District. Two lawsuits were filed in state courts; in Vermont by the attorney general and in Illinois on behalf of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), which cited a statute that forbids the corporate use of residents' faceprints without explicit consent. Clearview countered that an Illinois law does not apply to a company based in New York. In response to a class action lawsuit filed in Illinois for violating the Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA), in May 2020 Clearview stated that they instituted a policy to stop working with non-government entities and to remove any photos geolocated in Illinois. On May 28, 2020, ACLU and Edelson filed a new suit Clearview in Illinois using the BIPA. Clearview agreed to a settlement in June 2024, offering 23% of the company (valued at $52 million at the time) rather than a cash settlement, which was likely to bankrupt the company. In May 2022, Clearview agreed to settle the 2020 lawsuit from the ACLU. The settlement prohibited the sale of its facial recognition database to private individuals and businesses. In the Vermont case, Clearview AI invoked Section 230 immunity. The court denied the use of Section 230 immunity in this case because Vermont's claims were "based on the means by which Clearview acquired the photographs" rather than third party content. ### Canada In July 2020, Clearview AI announced that it was exiting the Canadian market amidst joint investigations into the company and the use of its product by police forces. Daniel Therrien, the Privacy Commissioner of Canada condemned Clearview AI's use of scraped biometric data: "What Clearview does is mass surveillance and it is illegal. It is completely unacceptable for millions of people who will never be implicated in any crime to find themselves continually in a police lineup." In June 2021, Therrien found that the Royal Canadian Mounted Police had broken Canadian privacy law through hundreds of illegal searches using Clearview AI. ### European Union and UK In January 2021, Clearview AI's biometric photo database was deemed illegal in the European Union (EU) by the Hamburg Data Protection Authority (DPA). The deletion of an affected person's biometric data was ordered. The authority stated that the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is applicable despite the fact that Clearview AI has no European branch. In March 2020, they had requested Clearview AI's customer list, as data protection obligations would also apply to the customers. The data protection advocacy organization NOYB criticized the DPA's decision as the DPA issued an order protecting only the individual complainant instead of an order banning the collection of any European resident's photos. In May 2021, the company had numerous legal complaints filed in Austria, France, Greece, Italy and the United Kingdom for violating European privacy laws in its method of documenting and collecting Internet data. In November 2021, Clearview received a provisional notice by the UK's Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) to stop processing its citizens' data citing a range of alleged breaches. The company was also notified of a potential fine of approximately $22.6 million. Clearview claimed that the ICO's allegations were factually inaccurate as the company "does not do business in the UK, and does not have any UK customers at this time". The BBC reported on 23 May that the company had been fined "more than £7.5m by the UK's privacy watchdog and told to delete the data of UK residents". Clearview was also ordered to delete all facial recognition data of UK residents. This fine marked the fourth of its type placed on Clearview, after similar orders and fines issued from Australia, France, and Italy. However, in October 2023, this fine was overturned following an appeal based on the jurisdiction of the ICO over acts of foreign governments. In September 2024, Clearview AI was fined €30.5 million by the Dutch Data Protection Authority (DPA) for constructing what the agency described as an illegal database. The DPA's ruling highlighted that Clearview AI unlawfully collected facial images, including those of Dutch citizens, without obtaining their consent. This practice constitutes a significant violation of the EU's GDPR due to the intrusive nature of facial recognition technology and the lack of transparency regarding the use of individuals' biometric data. ## See also - hiQ Labs v. LinkedIn - DataWorks Plus

# HMS Dreadnought (1875) HMS Dreadnought was an ironclad turret ship built for the Royal Navy during the 1870s. Construction was halted less than a year after it began and she was redesigned to improve her stability and buoyancy. Upon completion in 1879, the ship was placed in reserve until she was commissioned in 1884 for service with the Mediterranean Fleet. Upon her return 10 years later, she became a coast guard ship in Ireland for two years. The ship then became a depot ship in 1897 before she was reclassified as a second-class battleship in 1900. Dreadnought participated in the annual fleet manoeuvres for the next two years before she became a training ship in 1902. The ship was taken out of service three years later and sold for scrap in 1908. ## Background and design Dreadnought was originally named Fury and was designed by the Director of Naval Construction (DNC), Sir Edward Reed, as an improved and enlarged version of the preceding Devastation-class ironclad turret ships. The ship was laid down, fully framed and partially plated up to the bottom of the waterline belt armour when work was ordered stopped in 1871 in light of the loss of the ironclad turret ship Captain in a heavy storm the previous year. A Committee on Designs was formed in January 1871 to evaluate existing ship designs with special consideration as to their stability and buoyancy and found that the designs of Devastation and Fury were lacking in both qualities and needed to be modified. Reed had resigned before Captain was lost and he vehemently opposed the changes made by the new DNC, Nathaniel Barnaby and his assistant, William White, himself a future DNC. The main changes were to increase the beam by 18 inches (457 mm) and widen Reed's armoured breastwork to cover the full width of the hull. This increased the ship's freeboard amidships which improved buoyancy and stability and provided additional, badly needed accommodation for the crew. In addition, the maximum thickness of the armour was increased from 12 to 14 inches (305 to 356 mm), it was extended all the way to the bow and reinforced the ram. Barnaby and White's initial plan was to extend the breastwork fore and aft, almost to the ends of the ship, but this was changed to run all the way to the ends after the results of Devastation's sea trials in 1873–74 revealed that her low bow caused major problems in head seas. Other changes was the substitution of more economical inverted vertical compound-expansion steam engines for Reed's original horizontal, low-pressure engines, more powerful 12.5-inch (320 mm) guns for the 12-inch (305 mm) ones first chosen, and the fitting of hydraulic pumps to work the gun turrets. ## Description Dreadnought had a length between perpendiculars of 320 feet (97.5 m) and was 343 feet (104.5 m) long overall, some 35 feet (10.7 m) longer than the Devastation class. She had a beam of 63 feet 10 inches (19.5 m), and a draught of 26 feet 6 inches (8.1 m). The ship displaced 10,886 long tons (11,061 t). Dreadnought was the first ship to have a longitudinal watertight bulkhead that divided the engine and boiler rooms down the centreline. Her crew consisted of 369 officers and ratings. She proved to be a very steady ship with minimal rolling, although she was very wet as high seas usually swept her deck from end to end. The ship was the first large ironclad to have two 3-cylinder inverted vertical compound-expansion steam engines. These were built by Humphry & Tennant and each drove a single four-bladed, 20-foot (6.1 m) propeller. Dreadnought's engines were powered by a dozen cylindrical boilers with a working pressure of 60 psi (414 kPa; 4 kgf/cm²). The engines were designed to produce a total of 8,000 indicated horsepower (6,000 kW) for a speed of 14 knots (26 km/h; 16 mph), this was 2,400 ihp (1,800 kW) more and 1.5 knots (2.8 km/h; 1.7 mph) faster than the Devastation class. Dreadnought reached a maximum speed of 14.5 knots (26.9 km/h; 16.7 mph) from 8,216 ihp (6,127 kW) during her sea trials. The ship carried a maximum of 1,800 long tons (1,829 t) of coal, enough to steam 5,650 nautical miles (10,460 km; 6,500 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph). Dreadnought was originally intended to be equipped with a pair of RML 12-inch rifled muzzle-loading guns in each turret, but these were replaced by RML 12.5-inch guns while the ship was being redesigned. The shell of the 12.5-inch gun weighed 809 lb (367 kg) while the gun itself weighed 38 long tons (38.6 t). The shell had a muzzle velocity of 1,575 ft/s (480 m/s) and was credited with the ability to penetrate a nominal 18.4 inches (470 mm) of wrought iron armour at the muzzle. The gun turrets were rotated by steam power and loaded by hydraulic power. The ship had a complete wrought iron, waterline armour belt that was 14 inches (356 mm) thick amidships and tapered to 8 inches (203 mm) outside the armoured citadel towards the ends of the ship. The armour plates were tapered to a thickness of 8 inches at their bottom edge and they extended 3 feet (0.9 m) above the waterline and 5 feet 3 inches (1.6 m) below it. The 184-foot-long (56.1 m) armoured citadel protected the bases of the gun turrets, the funnel uptakes and the crew's quarters. The sides of the citadel were 11 to 14 inches (279 to 356 mm) thick and it had 13-inch (330 mm) thick curved ends. The turrets were protected by two 7-inch (178 mm) plates, each backed by wood. The aft 13-inch bulkhead of the original design was retained, but the forward one was made redundant by the forward extension of the belt. The conning tower ranged in thickness from 14 to 6 inches (356 to 152 mm) and the upper deck was 3 inches (76 mm) thick inside the citadel and 2.5 inches (64 mm) outside. ## Construction and career Dreadnought, the fifth ship of her name to serve in the Royal Navy, was laid down on 10 September 1870 at No. 2 Slip, Pembroke Dockyard, Wales with the name of Fury. Construction was subsequently halted for a time in 1871 to redesign the ship and she was renamed Dreadnought on 1 February 1875. The renamed ship was launched on 8 March by Mrs. Agnes Wood, daughter of William Courtenay, 11th Earl of Devon. She was completed on 15 February 1879 at a cost of £619,739. The ship was then immediately placed in reserve until 1884 when she was commissioned for service with the Mediterranean Fleet. Dreadnought was fitted with ten 1-inch (25 mm) Nordenfelt guns on the hurricane deck when she was commissioned. The ship sailed for the Mediterranean Sea on 14 October and remained there for the next decade. The future King George V served aboard in 1886–88. She returned to British waters in September 1894 and began a refit at Chatham Dockyard that included the replacement of her Nordenfelt guns with six quick-firing (QF) 6-pounder 2.2 in (57 mm) and ten QF 3-pounder 1.5 in (37 mm) Hotchkiss guns. Dreadnought became a coast guard ship at Bantry Bay, Ireland in March 1895. Two years later, in March 1897, she was relieved of that duty and became a depot ship in July at Devonport. The ship was reboilered and had more QF guns installed in 1898. Dreadnought was reclassified as a second-class battleship in 1900 and took part in British fleet manoeuvres in that year and the following one. In June 1902, she was refitted at Chatham to serve as a tender to HMS Defiance, torpedo school ship at Devonport, and later as a depot ship. She took part in the fleet review held at Spithead on 16 August 1902 for the coronation of King Edward VII, and was commissioned as tender four days later, on 20 August 1902. Lieutenant Harry Louis d′Estoteville Skipwith was appointed in command in October 1902. She was taken out of service and transferred to the Kyles of Bute in 1905. The ship was sold to Thos. W. Ward for scrap for £23,000 on 14 July 1908 and was broken up by February 1909.

# Confessions of a Broken Heart (Daughter to Father) "Confessions of a Broken Heart (Daughter to Father)" is a song by American actress and singer Lindsay Lohan from her second studio album A Little More Personal (Raw) (2005). The song was written by Lohan as a letter to her father Michael, who survived a car crash for which he was charged with driving under the influence. Additional writing and production was done by Kara DioGuardi and Greg Wells, while Lohan recorded her vocals on her trailer during the filming of Herbie: Fully Loaded in late 2004. "Confessions of a Broken Heart (Daughter to Father)" was first previewed at AOL Music's First Listen on September 30, 2005, and was sent to radio in the United States on October 18, 2005, by Casablanca Records as the lead single from A Little More Personal (Raw). "Confessions of a Broken Heart (Daughter to Father)" received mixed reviews from music critics, who praised Lohan's conviction on the song, but considering it a cliché "I-hate-you-Daddy" lament. The single achieved mild commercial success, peaking at number seven in Australia, number 74 in Austria and at number 57 on the US Billboard Hot 100. The accompanying music video, directed by Lohan herself, portrays Lohan and her actual sister Aliana, listening to her parents arguing and fighting in the living room of their home. "Confessions of a Broken Heart (Daughter to Father)" was performed by Lohan at the 33rd Annual American Music Awards. ## Background and release "Confessions of a Broken Heart (Daughter to Father)" was written by Lohan as a letter to her father, who was incarcerated in June 2005 after surviving a car crash for which he was charged with a DUI. Additional writing and song production was done by Greg Wells and Kara DioGuardi, who revealed, "If you solo the vocals you'll hear race cars, because we brought the studio to [Lindsay's] trailer on Herbie: Fully Loaded. I'm not kidding\! She had no time to do the record, so she would be on her lunch break, and I'd be like, 'Throw that thing down your throat and get over here, 'cause we got to finish these vocals\!' So I sat for 14 hours on the set and would grab her for, like, 10 minutes at a time. The poor girl. That's the reality of young Hollywood. When they're hot, they're worked to death. It was 18/20-hour days. ... And I swear: 'Vroom\! Vroom\!' You can hear it in the back." "Confessions of a Broken Heart (Daughter to Father)" was first previewed at AOL Music's First Listen on September 30, 2005. ## Composition According to the digital music sheet published at Musicnotes.com, the song is composed in the key of G minor and is set in time signature of common time with a tempo of 120 beats per minute, while Lohan's vocal range spans from F₃ to D₅. When asked about the lyrical content of the song, Lohan revealed, "A lot of people go through family issues, abuse and that kind of thing. I think it's important to show that other people go through it. [...] I hope [my father] see what I say in the song is, 'I love you,' so many times, that I need him and the crazy things in my life. I hope he sees the positive side of the video rather than the negative. The video is kind of offensive, but it is very raw. He's my father. I need someone to walk me down the aisle when I get married." The single's B-side, "My Innocence", features a similar message to Lohan's father. ## Critical reception "Confessions of a Broken Heart (Daughter to Father)" received mixed reviews from critics. Brian Hiatt of Rolling Stone noted "the album de-emphasizes the (very) guilty pop pleasures of her 2004 debut in favor of leaden I-hate-you-Daddy laments such as "Confessions of a Broken Heart" and "My Innocence". Entertainment Weekly writer Leah Greenblatt commented that "it's hard to imagine a more explicit snapshot of the highly publicized family problems that have plagued the star than "Confessions of a Broken Heart (Daughter to Father)"". PopMatters's Whitney Strub said "Confessions of a Broken Heart (Daughter to Father)" "immediately commences with a line about 'wait[ing] for the postman to bring me a letter', which suggests songwriters dipping into the well of cliché without worrying about freshness," while commenting that "the world might not need another version of Britney Spears' 'E-Mail My Heart', but good lord, that song came out in 1999. Perhaps a text-message might arrive faster than snail-mail in late 2005, should Lohan's song-persona deign to enter the 21st century". ## Chart performance "Confessions of a Broken Heart (Daughter to Father)" achieved mild chart success around the globe, including reaching number seven in Australia on the week of its debut on chart. The single spent 13 weeks on the chart, peaking at number 45 on the last. In Austria, the single reached number 74 on the week of March 24, 2006. In the United States, the single peaked at number 14 on Billboards Digital Songs chart on the week of December 3, 2005, while reaching number 57 on Billboard Hot 100 on the week of December 24, 2005, becoming her first and only single, to date, to chart on the Billboard Hot 100. ## Music video The music video for "Confessions of a Broken Heart (Daughter to Father)" was directed by Lohan in Chelsea, Manhattan, on September 28 and 29. It references her father's alcoholism and alleged domestic abuse. Tommy Mottola, head of Casablanca Records, encouraged Lohan to take the role of director: "'No one knows this song better than you, no one knows this situation better than you.' It's a lot to take on, but I told her she's ready, and we'll give her all the support she needs". Lohan said that the video's storefront setting was chosen because, in her words, "my life is on display". Lohan also wanted to break a mirror during the bathroom scenes, but settled on cracking it. Assistant director Jeb Bryan said to Lohan, "This is real glass, Lindsay. We weren't prepared for you to break these things. [...] Do you want this slow motion? Regular frame will make it more violent." She responded, "I don't want it to be too pretty". The music video was first aired on MTV's Making the Video, and later released to iTunes Store on October 25, 2005. ### Synopsis In the music video, Lohan hides in the bathroom and prays a rosary as her parents, Michael and Dina (played by Drake Andrew and Victoria Hay, respectively), argue and fight in the living room. Her sister, Aliana (who plays herself, according to Lohan), goes to her bedroom after coming home from ballet class, breaks into tears, saying a rosary. The three rooms are shown behind a department store window, outside which a crowd of observers form. At the end of the video, Lohan stands behind the glass and photographs of memories fly up onto it, from which she breaks out. ### Reception The music video received widespread critical acclaim, with some calling it one of the greatest heartbreaking music videos of all time. When reviewing the video, VH1 stated that ""Daddy issues" is an understatement when it comes to this melodramatic—and we admit, effective—clip." As a response to the music video, Lohan's father wrote a letter to the New York Daily News, saying, "while I always considered and expressed how truly blessed Lindsay, as well as my other children are, I never realized how blessed I am to have a daughter as amazing as Lindsay. Hold onto my shirt honey, soon enough you'll be able to hold on to me\!" ## Track listing and formats - CD single 1. "Confessions of a Broken Heart (Daughter to Father)" – 3:41 2. "Confessions of a Broken Heart (Daughter to Father)" (Dave Audé Remix) – 4:45 3. "My Innocence" – 4:19 4. "Confessions of a Broken Heart (Daughter to Father)" (music video) – 4:01 - Digital download' 1. "Confessions of a Broken Heart (Daughter to Father)" – 3:41 2. "Confessions of a Broken Heart (Daughter to Father)" (Dave Audé Remix) – 4:45 3. "My Innocence" – 4:19 ## Charts ### Weekly charts ## Release history