cahya/simple-wikipedia huggingface dataset:
The Indian national calendar (sometimes called Saka calendar) is the official civil calendar in India. It is used by the Gazette of India, news broadcasts by All India Radio, and in calendars and communications issued by the Government of India.

Calendar structure 

The months in the first half of the year all have 31 days. This was done to take in account for the slower movement of the sun across the sky during that time.

In leap years, Chaitra has 31 days and starts on March 21.

Other websites 
 Calendars and their History (by L.E. Doggett) 
 Indian Calendars (by Leow Choon Lian, pdf, 1.22mb)
 Positional astronomy in India
 India Image website 
 Hindu Panchang

Calendars
A crane is a type of tall wading birds from the family Gruidae (order Gruiformes). There are 15 species in 4 genera. The tallest is the sarus crane, Grus antigone, which can grow to a height of up to 1.8 m (5.9 ft),

Cranes look a lot like herons but they are usually larger, and have a partly naked head, and a more heavy bill. When they are flying, their long neck is stretched out in front, and the legs trail out behind.

The earliest fossils of cranes were discovered in North America. Living forms are living everywhere all over the world except in Antarctica and South America. Many populations are endangered by hunting and habitat destruction.

Description 
Cranes are tall birds with long legs. Cranes are large birds, the world's tallest flying birds. They range in size from the demoiselle crane, which is 90 cm (35 in) in length, to the sarus crane, which may be up to 176 cm (69 in). The heaviest is the red-crowned crane, which can weigh 12 kg (26 lb) before migrating.  They are usually brown, white, or gray in color. There are over 15 kinds of species of cranes. They look rather like herons. The whooping crane (Grus americana) is the tallest American bird. Adults stand 5 feet tall and have a wingspan of up to 7 feet.

Life 
Cranes are omnivores. They eat many kinds of plants, reptiles, small mammals, and other birds. The average life time of a crane is from 20 to 25 years. Cranes are highly social birds that live in large flocks. Some species of cranes are thought as holy in Asia, especially in Japan.

Reproduction 
Cranes usually build their nests in marshy areas and lay two eggs at a time. Cranes can make sounds that are heard from far away. Cranes dance special dances when they mate, and they include stepping quickly, high leaps, stretching, and bowing. Crane chicks grow very quickly and at two to four months, they develop their flight feathers. Cranes are very vocal. They use several different types of calls. They also communicate with their bodies.

Behaviour 
All cranes are able to defend themselves quite well. They are mostly quite large, and peck, kick and batter opponents with their wings. They are territorial, and males will fight even more vigorously than usual at mating seasons. Zookeepers use acrylic riot shields to protect themselves against crane attacks.

Evolution 
Cranes are an ancient type of wading bird. Their first definite fossils are in the Eocene epoch, The rails (family Rallidae) are their nearest relatives in the order Gruiformes. Most of the other groups in the Gruiformes are flightless birds. These lived in forests, and left little or no fossil record.

Threatened 
The biggest threats to cranes are hunting and habitat destruction. Cranes need large  habitats. All cranes are protected by international agreement.

Related pages 
Grus
Black-necked crane
Common crane
Grey crowned crane
Red-crowned crane
Sandhill crane
Sarus crane	
Siberian crane

References

Other websites 
 Saving Cranes website (ICF)
 Craneworld website 
 Gruidae videos on the Internet Bird Collection
 Origami crane
A fee is the price one gives as payment for services, especially the honorarium paid to a doctor, lawyer, consultant or member of a learned profession. Traditionally, a fee is different to a payment, salary, or wage, because the fee usually is paid only once for the professional's services.

Economics
Eccentricity or extravagance is a word used to describe unusual behaviour in a person. People who have habits which many people think are very strange may be called eccentric. Eccentric behaviour is not necessarily good or bad in itself.

Eccentric people are always better known by their eccentricities. Explained to be an unusually odd behavior, eccentricity tends to reflect from various aspects of a human personality. There is no definition to classifying someone as ‘eccentric’, and neither is there a limit to the very many facets of individual expression which may get labeled as eccentric. It is neither insanity nor a disorder.

Some clever people (geniuses) have behaviour which might be described as eccentric. It is not always clear whether behaviour is just eccentric or whether it is madness. 

Famous people who were eccentric in their different ways include Albert Einstein, Nero, Alan Turing, Howard Hughes, Ludwig II of Bavaria and Lord Berners.

Traits of an Eccentric Person 

 Nonconforming attitude
 Creative
 Highly motivated by curiosity
 Idealistic
 Happily obsessed with hobbyhorses (one or more)
 Not interested in the company or opinions of others
 Knowing since childhood that he or she is different from others
 Opinionated and outspoken; believing that I am always right, and the rest of the world is wrong

References 
Sociology
Human behavior
Květinov is a small village in the Havlíčkův Brod District, Vysočina Region of the Czech Republic. 243 people live there. It covers 7,08 km². It was first documented in 1436.

Villages in the Czech Republic
Úsobí is a village in the Havlíčkův Brod District, Vysočina Region of the Czech Republic. 707 people live in Úsobí. It covers 12.97 km². It was first documented in 1307.

Villages in the Czech Republic
A conversation is two or more people talking about something. It is spontaneous, usually unplanned, though the people may have interests in common. 

Conversations are one of the basic types of human communication. They can be about any subject, and do not necessarily have any fixed purpose. They allow people with different views of a topic to learn from each other. A conversation may be contrasted with formal presentations. A talk or speech, for example is an oral presentation by one person directed at a group. It is basically a one-way communication.

Conversations do not have to happen in person, they can happen over the telephone or on the Internet.

Banter 
Banter is short witty sentences that bounce back and forth between individuals. Often banter uses clever put-downs and witty insults. It can contain misunderstandings (often intentional), zippy wisecracks, zingers, flirtation, and puns. The idea is each line of banter should "top" the one before it. It is a verbal war of wit without any physical contact.

Related pages 
 Conversation analysis
 Consensus
 Intensity of preference

References

Other websites 
 Advice  on initiating conversations and links to conversational organizations 
 Article on developing basic communication skills 
 Conversation Cafè, devoted to creating a "culture of conversation."
 Empathic listening skills 
 Lifehack howto on Small Talk 
 "The art of conversation", Economist, 19th December 2006

Human communication
Everyday life
Wit is a form of intellectual humour. A wit is someone skilled in making witty remarks. A witty remark is a smart observation, put with humor and said in the perfect moment. Forms of wit include: the quip and the repartee.

Witty remarks may be intentionally cruel, and perhaps more ingenious than funny. 

A quip is an observation or saying that has some wit but perhaps descends into sarcasm, or otherwise is short of point; a witticism also suggests the diminutive. Repartee is the wit of the quick answer. (Wilde: "I wish I'd said that." Whistler: "You will, Oscar, you will".)

Language

es:Ingenio (desambiguación)
The shamisen or samisen (Japanese: , literally "three taste strings"), also called sangen (literally "three strings") is a Japanese musical instrument with three strings, that is played with a big plectrum called a bachi. The pronunciation in Japanese is usually "shamisen".

Other websites
 Buy shamisen and other traditional Japanese instruments
 God of Shamisen is a progressive/metal band that has implemented the acoustic and amplified sound of the tsugaru-jamisen.
 About the shamisen 
 Buy shamisens and shamisen accessories

Audio
 Play with a shamisen
 Listen to a shamisen (in modern times)
 Listen to arrangements with shamisen of nagauta pieces Kokaji, Tsurukame, Echigo Jishi and Musume Dojoji

Video
 Shamisen Player - Public Performance #2 
 Shamisen Player - Public Performance 

Japanese music
Plucked string instruments
Obi (帯, おび) is a Japanese word meaning "belt" or "band". Mostly, it is used to describe the types of sash worn with kimono and keikogi.

Obi are worn by both men and women. They can be very simple, made of one layer of lightweight fabric, or decorated heavily, made of stiff, woven material, embroidered and dyed with different designs.

Obi for men are less wide and shorter than obi for women. Men mostly wear kaku obi, but sometimes wear heko obi, which are made of much softer material. Heko obi are worn casually, but kaku obi can be worn casually and formally.

Obi for women are much wider and longer. Most women usually wear a nagoya obi, which is wider at one end. In summer, women wear hanhaba obi with yukata. Formal obi for women can be woven from metallic yarns, covered in embroidery, or dyed in an elegant design.

Obi for women are usually the most expensive part of a kimono outfit. However, obi for men can be expensive as well. Expensive obi are usually made by very skilled artists. Some of these people are called National Living Treasures because they are so skilled.

Obi worn for practicing martial arts are a lot thinner and shorter than other kinds of obi. They come in different colours, and the colours show how skilled someone is in practicing martial arts. When someone becomes skilled enough, they wear a new colour of obi. Both men and women wear the same size and length of obi in martial arts, and they are not decorated with embroidery or dyes designs.

Japanese clothing
Britské listy is an Internet cultural and political daily published in the Czech Republic. It specialises in critical analysis of Czech politics; some Czech commentators consider this as "left-wing views".  It is editorially open and will publish stimulating pieces by authors from any part of the political spectrum

Other websites 
 Britské listy
 Focus on the Czech Republic (The best of Czech daily Britské listy)

Czech Republic
Politics of Europe
Publications
The nitrogen cycle is the way that nitrogen in nature is changed into many different forms that are used by living organism[s]. 

Air is about 78% nitrogen. Nitrogen chemicals are needed for life. Nitrogen is a necessary part of proteins, DNA, and RNA. In plants, nitrogen is needed for photosynthesis and growth.  However, living things cannot use the elemental nitrogen in the air for these things. Nitrogen fixation is needed to change the nitrogen in air (N2) into forms that can be used by life. Most nitrogen fixation is done by microorganisms called bacteria. These bacteria have an enzyme that combines N2 with hydrogen gas (H2) to make ammonia (NH3).                                                                                                                 

Some of these bacteria live in the roots of plants (mostly legumes). In these roots, they make ammonia for the plant and the plant gives them carbohydrates. Other plants take nitrogen compounds out of the soil through their roots. All nitrogen in animals comes from eating plants.

Ammonium (NH4) in soil is made by nitrogen-fixing bacteria and decomposers, bacteria and fungi that break down dead life into its parts. This process is called ammonification. Ammonium has a positive charge. It easily joins to clay and humus in the soil. Ammonia and ammonium are poisonous to fish and other animals. Sewage and other waste-water is regularly measured because of this. If ammonia levels are too high, nitrification must happen. 

Nitrification is the oxidation of ammonia and ammonium to nitrite (NO2−) and then to nitrate ( NO3−) by bacteria. Because nitrite and nitrate have a negative charge they do not easily join to soil and will wash out of the soil during rain and irrigation.  High nitrate levels in drinking water is harmful for babies and can cause blue-baby syndrome.   High nitrate levels can also cause too much algae growth in lakes and pools.  This eutrophication can be harmful to fish and other water animals.  The use of fertilizers is controlled because of this. 

Where there is no oxygen, some bacteria will make nitrate into nitrogen gas (N2) to extract energy. This starts the nitrogen cycle over again. This process is called denitrification.

References 

Ecology
Lomonosov Moscow State University (MSU; ), also known as Moscow State University, is the largest and oldest university in Russia. It was made in 1755 and is in Moscow. It was made by Ivan Shuvalov and Mikhail Lomonosov. It is named after Lomonosov.

The university building is an example of Stalinist architecture. In total, there are seven such towers around Moscow. The tower at the university is the largest one. The tower was designed by architect Lev Vladimirovich Rudnev. It was built after the war. He was awarded the Stalin Prize for its construction, in 1949. The building was the largest skyscraper outside New York for a long time. It was the tallest buildimg in Europe, until 1988. The central tower is 240m high. It has 36-stories. It is flanked by four huge wings of student and faculty accommodations. It is said to contain a total of 33 kilometers of corridors and 5,000 rooms. Facilities that are inside the building include a concert hall, a theatre, a museum, various administration services, a library, a swimming pool, a police station, a post office, a laundry, a hairdresser's salon, a canteen, bank offices, shops, cafeterias, and a bomb shelter. Along with the university administration, four of the main faculties - Faculty of Mechanics and Mathematics, the Faculty of Geology, the Faculty of Geography, and the Faculty of Fine and Performing Arts - now are in the Main building. The star on the top of the tower is large enough so that it has a small room and a viewing platform; it weighs 12 tons. The building's facades are decorated with giant clocks, barometers, and thermometers, statues, carved wheat sheaves, and Soviet crests (recently renovated). It stands before a terrace featuring statues of male and female students gazing optimistically and confidently into the future.

Other websites 

 Moscow State University
 Pictures of Lomonosov Moscow State University 
 Moscow State University campus on Google Maps

Colleges and universities in Russia
Buildings and structures in Moscow
1755 establishments
A boarding school is a school where students live and sleep. Some boarding schools have day students who go home at the end of the school day. If the school costs money, they don't have to pay as much money. A person who stays at a boarding school is called a "boarder". In the UK 1% of children go to boarding schools and 13% of private school pupils are boarders. Most boarding schools are private. This means that as well as having to pay to sleep there, students have to pay for their education.  

In Ghana most secondary schools are boarding.

Famous private boarding schools include Eton College, Rugby School and Harrow School in the United Kingdom, Phillips Exeter Academy in the United States and Cornway College in Zimbabwe.

There are therapeutic boarding schools which offer treatment for psychological difficulties. Special needs education for children are catered for in some boarding schools. Some boarding schools offer 'democratic education', such as Summerhill School (where pupils make many of the decisions). Others are determinedly international, such as the United World Colleges. Military schools or academies provide discipline and may offer a way into military service. Gordonstoun in Scotland is a co-educational school for both day and boarding pupils.

Some famous novels use boarding schools as their setting. Examples include the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling; A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett; The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger; the Malory Towers, St. Clare's and The Naughtiest Girl series by Enid Blyton; and Nicholas Nickleby by Charles Dickens.

References

Types of educational institutions
Sacha Noam Baron Cohen  (born 13 October 1971) is an English comedian, writer and actor. He was born in Hammersmith in London.

In 2021, Cohen was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role as Abbie Hoffman in The Trial of the Chicago 7.

Career
He made a television series called Da Ali G Show, in the series he had three characters:
 Ali G - An English "wannabe" (someone who wants to be something they are not) rapper.
 Borat Sagdiyev - A news reporter from Kazakhstan, often uses phrases in the movie that are not "real Kazakh," but are intended to be such. Some of these phrases are; "very nice" and "woo woo wiwa" Borat likes to make fun of Jews and is a very talented song writer. His most famous song is called "In My Country there is Problem" (often called "Throw the Jew Down the Well") The lyrics for "In My Country there is Problem" can be found below:                            Lyrics:                                                                                                                                                                              In my country there is problem, And that problem is transport. It take very very long, Because Kazakhstan is big. Chorus 1 Throw transport down the well (repeat line) So my country can be free (repeat line) We must make travel easy (repeat line) Then we?ll have a big party (repeat line) Verse 2 In my country there is problem And that problem is the Jew They take everybody money And they never give it back Chorus 2 Throw the jew down the well (repeat line) So my country can be free (repeat line) You must grab him by his horns (repeat line) Then we have a big party (repeat line) Verse 3 If you see the Jew coming You must be carefull of his teeth You must grab him by his money And I tell you what to do (Repeat Chorus 2 twice)
 Bruno - A gay fashion reporter from Austria.

He also made a movie about the character Borat called Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan. This movie made Cohen an international celebrity.

In 2009 he made a movie about Bruno called Brüno. The movie about Borat made about $26.4 million in its debut.

In 2012 Cohen played Thénardier in Les Misérables.

In 2012, Cohen made a movie called The Dictator in which he played Admiral General Aladeen.

Personal life
Cohen became engaged to Isla Fisher in 2004. The couple married in 2010. They have two daughters and a son. Cohen is Jewish.

References

Other websites 
 
 
 Sacha Baron Cohen audio interview with NPR's Robert Siegel
 Official Borat Homesite
 Yahoo biography
 Sacha Baron Cohen's characters video collection 
 'Borat' Earns Glorious $26.4M in Debut

1971 births
Living people
Actors from London
BAFTA Award winners
Comedians from London
Commanders of the Order of the British Empire
English movie actors
English movie producers
English television actors
English television writers
Golden Globe Award winning actors
Jewish British actors
Jewish British writers
Jewish comedians
People from Hammersmith
Screenwriters from London
{{Infobox person
| name          = Mandy Moore
| image         = Mandy Moore 2011.jpg
| caption       = Moore at the 83rd Academy Awards in 2011
| birth_name    = Amanda Leigh Moore
| birth_date    = 
| birth_place   = Nashua, New Hampshire, United States
| spouse        = 
| nationality   = American
| occupation    = 
| net_worth     = US $23 million
| misc = }}Amanda Leigh Moore, known as Mandy Moore' (born April 10, 1984) is an American pop singer-songwriter and actress. She was born in Nashua, New Hampshire and grew up in Longwood, Florida, outside of Orlando. She has been active since the late 1990s. She is known for singles like "I Wanna Be with You" and "Candy".

Moore is also a cast member of the 2016 American dramedy series This Is Us.

Discography
 So Real (1999)
 I Wanna Be with You (2000)
 Mandy Moore (2001)
 Coverage (2003)
 Wild Hope (2007)
 Amanda Leigh'' (2009)

References

Other websites 
 

Actors from Florida
Actors from New Hampshire
American child actors
American child singers
American movie actors
American pop musicians
Musicians from Florida
Singers from Florida
Musicians from New Hampshire
Singers from New Hampshire
American singer-songwriters
American television actors
American voice actors
1984 births
Living people
were courtesans in Japan. Oiran were part of Japanese society during the Edo Period, (1600–1868). Prostitution was legal then, but only in special neighborhoods that were closed to  outsiders. There were different kinds of oiran, depending on their beauty, skills in art, education, and more. High-ranking oiran were called . Only nobles could be with one. Tayū had many servants, and when they went outside, their servants carried them and followed them, making a procession. They wore very expensive clothes and jewelry. Any man who wished to be with an oiran had to follow difficult rituals and etiquette.

Geisha replaced oiran. Geisha practiced common types of entertainment enjoyed by the people of that time. They became more popular than oiran. The last known oiran was in 1761. A few women still practice the arts of the oiran today (without sex) to continue the cultural heritage.

Other websites 
Tayu no Dochu
Niigata Prefecture Bunsui Sakura Festival Oiran Parade 

Personal service occupations
Japanese culture
Prostitution
means simply "drum" in Japanese. Outside Japan, the word is used to refer to any of the different kinds of Japanese drums (, wadaiko, "Japanese drum" in Japanese) and to the more or less new art of taiko drumming bands (sometimes better called, "kumi-daiko", ). The taiko drum originated in the country of Japan. This drum was created by Daihachi Oguchi in 1951. The taiko drum makes a very loud, deep sound.

In a traditional Japanese village the odaiko (big drum) defined the extent of the village land. In modern Japan, wadaiko has become more of a performance art, seen only during festivals or in concert. The most famous Wadaiko performance group are 'Kodo' (meaning heart-beat). They are not only the worlds most respected Japanese drumming group, they also maintain many traditional art forms. They group lives on the island 'Sado Higashima' and live together as a community in a traditional way. Many other cultures have adopted this style of drumming, from Germany and the United States to Australia.

References

Other websites

Taiko history
Taiko drums
Taiko

Japanese music
Drums
Parkour is an activity in which the goal is to move from one place to another as quickly and efficiently as possible, using the abilities of the human body. Parkour helps to overcome barriers, and is practiced in rural and urban areas. Parkour practitioners are called traceurs, or traceuses for females.

Founded by David Belle in France, practitioners only use efficient movements to develop their bodies and minds, and to be able to overcome barriers in an emergency. It may also be a form of entertainment or a hobby.

Acrobatics (such as flips and wall flips) are not part of parkour, because of inefficiency in a difficult situation (emergency). Freerunning is the branch of parkour, when such flips are used rather than efficient movement.

In 1988, David Belle was 15 years old. His father Raymond Belle was a great fireman. David was influenced by his father. He left school at the age of 16 and his father helped him to make him stronger. David and his classmates began to create new actions to train themselves. They named it parkour. 

The basic motion of parkour
1. Landing
2. Roll
3. Rolling
4. Swan dive
5. Balance
6. Cat balance
7. Precision one foot take off
8. Precision 2 footed take off
9. Dismount
10. Turn vault
11. Wall run
12. Tic tac
13. Tic tac to precision
14. Crane
15. Moonstep
16. Catleap
17. 180% cat　　
18. Running cat　　
19. Tic tac to cat
20. Monkey vault
21. Kingkong vault　　
22. Double kingkong
23. Diving kingkong
24. Kong precision
25. Kingkong cat　　
26. Dash vault
27. Kingkong dash
28. Lazy vault
29. Speed vault
30. Underbar
31. Lache
32. Hand stand
33. Flag
34.Palmspin　　
35. Wall spin
36. Aerial。
37. Sideflip
38. Backflip
39. Frontflip
40. Star Jumping

Parkour does involve risks and many people get injured every day. Injuries can range from a simple concussion to a broken limb or even worse: death.

Reference

Other websites 

 American Parkour - American parkour and free running community full of information about parkour and how to get started practicing the art
 Parkourpedia of Australian Parkour Association
 Parkour.NET  - International parkour community.

Leisure
The  is a Japanese flute which is played vertically (up-down) like a recorder, instead of horizontally (from side to side) like the Western transverse flute. Its name means "1.8 foot", its size. It is traditionally made of bamboo, but ones made of wood or plastic exist today. It was used by the monks of Zen Buddhism in the practice of suizen (blowing meditation).

Related pages
Flute

Other websites 
 Shakuhachi info websites
 Archive of articles about the shakuhachi
 Shakuhachi Playing Tips  from Kakizakai Kaoru
 An online calculator for the positioning of the holes while constructing a Shakuhachi - German
 Shakuhachi in Federal Prison
 Open Directory Project - Shakuhachi 
 Shakuhachi playing tips  from Phil Nyokai James
 The Shakuhachi Blog - News & Information 

 Shakuhachi groups websites
 Myspace Shakuhachi Community
 Listing of Shakuhachi Schools and Organizations 
 International Shakuhachi Society
 Shakuhachi Society of British Columbia 
 Seattle Shakuhachi Society
 Australian Shakuhachi Society
 Shakuhachi Mailing List web archive 
 ShakuhachiForum.com — world shakuhachi discussion
 Shakuhachi Chamber Music International

Japanese music
Flutes
The London Borough of Enfield is the northernmost London borough. It is controlled by the Labour party. It is an area with people from many countries and cultures in it.

London Borough of Enfield
Squashes are a kind of vegetables. They originally came from the New World. Gourds are in the same family as squashes. Pumpkins and Zucchini (courgette) are types of squashes.  Although squash is a fruit according to its botanical classification, it is generally considered a vegetable in food preparation.

Word origin 

The English word "squash" comes from askutasquash (which means "a green thing eaten raw"). This is a word from the Narragansett language, which was documented by Roger Williams in his 1643 publication A Key Into the Language of America. There are similar words for squash in related languages of the Algonquian family such as Massachusett.

Squash and art 

The squash has been an important crop in the Andes mountains since the pre-Columbian Era. The Moche culture from Northern Peru made ceramics from earth, water, and fire. This pottery was used to represent important themes. Squash are a popular shape in Moche ceramics.

Images

References

Other websites 

 Squash Display at Missouri Botanical Garden - Pics of 150 varieties from The Great Pumpkin Patch, Arthur, IL
 Big-Pumpkins.de  This is a very informative site for the new as well as experienced giant pumpkin (Riesenkürbis) and squash grower aimed towards the German speaking audience, though all growers are welcome.
 The Great Squash Cook-off - Recipe contest for winter squash in Brooklyn, NY

Vegetables
Cucurbitaceae
Fruits
Nelumbo is a genus of water plants which are also known as lotus.  Lotus flowers are large – up to 20 cm (8 inches) across – and they smell sweet.

The Sacred lotus of Asia has pink flowers. The American lotus has yellow flowers.

In India the lotus is considered a symbol of purity

The lotus flowers grow over the water. Lotus leaves often float on top of the water. The roots of lotus plants are in the mud (wet dirt) under the water. Every part of every plant must have air for respiration (breathing). Air spaces in the stems and roots make the lotus able to live and respire under water.

People can eat lotus roots and seeds. Cattle (cows) like to eat the leaves and flowers.

Lotuses look rather like water lilies from the Nymphaeaceae family.  It is the "National flower" of both India and Vietnam and also the "Provincial flower" of Sindh province, Pakistan. 

Plant families
Proteales
Plants of Pakistan
National symbols of India
Aquatic plants
Ugly Betty is a Golden Globe- and Peabody Award-winning American comedy-drama television series. It stars America Ferrera, Vanessa Williams, and Eric Mabius. It premiered on September 28, 2006, on ABC in the United States. The series follows the life of Betty Suarez (Ferrera), and her incongruous job at the ultra-chic New York City fashion magazine "Mode". Betty's status as a "fish out of water" drives much of the plot. Ugly Betty ended on April 14, 2010 after low ratings during season 4.

Seasons
USA TV ratings

Based on average total viewers per episode of Ugly Betty on ABC:

In popular culture 
Since the show's debut, the main characters have become the latest fixures in the lexicon of pop media culture. They have already had parodies, news media stories and art-imitating-life situations, as well as recognition from the United States Congress itself.

References

Other websites
 Bettysuarez.com Betty's "personal site"
 
 
 Bettyalamode.com  Ugly Betty Fansite
 Ugly Betty Italia  The first Italian site about Ugly Betty
 Ugly Betty UK A UK Ugly Betty Blog

2006 American television series debuts
2010 American television series endings
2000s American television series
2010s American television series
ABC network shows
American comedy-drama television series
American sitcoms
Golden Globe Award winning programs
Peabody Award winners
Television series set in New York City
English-language television programs
A Shinto shrine is a sacred place or site where people worship in the Shinto religion. Many Shinto shrines have buildings, gates, and natural areas such as forests and rivers around them. The usual Japanese word for a Shinto shrine is .

Related pages
Ichinomiya
Japanese mythology

Other websites
 Shinto Rites & Procedures - How to perform Shinto rites.
 omiyasan.com in Japanese.
, born Masako Tanaka on November 2, 1949 in Kyoto, was Japan's number one  geiko (geisha) until she retired at the age of 29. She entertained many important people when they visited Japan, like Queen Elizabeth and Prince Charles. She retired because she was tired of the profession, and wanted to start a family.

Author Arthur Golden did an interview to her and used her as inspiration for his book Memoirs of a Geisha, that was later made a movie. Iwasaki later said that the book was full of lies, and that nothing that Golden said ever happened to her. She put a lawsuit against Golden for this, and they solved it out of court in 2003. After the publication of Memoirs of a Geisha, Iwasaki wrote her autobiography, Geisha, A Life.

Related pages
 Geisha
 Kyoto

Other websites
"Q & A: Remaking a Memoir" (interview by Tamara Wieder, from The Boston Phoenix, October 10-17, 2002)

Iwasaki, Mineko
Autobiographers
1949 births
Living people
People from Kyoto Prefecture
Libra is an astrological sign,  related to the constellation Libra, in the Southern Hemisphere near Scorpius and Virgo. In the tropical zodiac, the Sun meets Libra from September 23 to October 23, and in the sidereal zodiac, it ends on November 15. Libra, (The Scales of Balance), is the only symbol of the zodiac that is inanimate (it is not represented by an animal or person). The opposite sign to Libra is Aries.

The corresponding month in the Babylonian calendar is Tišritum, made for Shamash (the Sun).

Symbol
Libra's symbol, like the scales, is the only symbol in the zodiac that is not represented by an animal or person.

Mythology 
In mythology  a Libra is related to the Greek Goddess of Justice, Themis, the Greek mythology version of Atalanta (meaning balanced), and Astraea (daughter of Themis), who went up to heaven and became the constellation of Virgo, and carried the scales of justice, which is the constellation Libra.

Libra is also related to the Greco-Roman goddess Aphrodite/Venus and sometimes also the goddesses Eris/Discordia & Harmonia/Concordia,Dike, Themis, Hera/Juno, Ishtar, Freyja, Persephone, Frigg and Forsetti the god Xolotl.

Traditional relationships with Libra 
Birthstone: Opal, Tourmaline, Philosopher
Colours: Pink, Pale Green, Blue, Lavender
Gemstones: Lapis, Tourmaline, Aventurine
Metal: Steel, Gold, Platinum

Libra People 
Kate Winslet - English Actress
James Earl Carter - thirty-ninth president of the United States of America
Al Capp - cartoonist
Michael Douglas - actor, movie producer
Mahatma Gandhi - activist, pacifist, philosopher
Bob Geldof - musician, humanitarian
Julio Iglesias - singer
Margot Kidder - actress
Groucho Marx - comedian, filmmaker
Roger Moore - actor
Eleanor Roosevelt - politician
Bashar Rahal - actor,producer
Susan Sarandon - actress
Bobby Seale - activist
Dmitri Shostakovich - composer
Desmond Tutu - cleric, activist
Sting - musician
Captain Row Robinson - New Zealand Maori Chief and Fisherman
Truman Capote - Novelist, Playwright, Story Writer
Crystal Sinclair
Dustin Dukes
 Ne-Yo - Musician
 Zac Efron - Actor
 Marina Diamandis - Singer/Songwriter
Will Smith - Actor
Eminem - Rapper
Park Jimin- South Korean singer
Cardi B-Rapper
Lil Wayne-Rapper
Kim Kardashian-socialite
Usher-R&B singer
Hilary Duff-Disney actress and singer 
Bella Thorne-Disney actress and singer 
Bruno Mars-Singer 
Snoop Dogg -Rapper 
Avril Lavigne-Singer

References 

Astrological signs
Hindus believe that the Matsya was the first important avatar of Vishnu. As the Matsya avatar, Vishnu took the form of a big fish. Sometimes, it is said that he took the form of a half-man and half-fish. There is a story about this in Hindu scriptures. The story tells about a demon (an asura). That asura was very wicked. He snatched the Vedas, the holy books of the Hindus, and went deep inside the sea. At this point, Vishnu changed his form. He became a matsya, that is, a fish. He entered the sea and brought back the Vedas. He gave the Vedas to Manu. The Hindu scriptures say that Manu was the first man in the world. He may be compared with Noah or Adam.

Hinduism
Hindu mythology
Kurma is an avatar in the Hindu religion. Hindus believe that Vishnu, an important god of Hinduism, had several forms, or avatars, and the second important avatar is called the Kurma avatar. In this avatar, Vishnu took the form of a kurma to help tha devtas and asuras to churn the Kshira Sagara, to gain amrita. This avatar took the Mount Mandaar on his back and helped the mount to churn the ocean. Kurma is a Sanskrit language word that means a tortoise. As a kurma, Vishnu is the symbol of strength and stability.

Hinduism
Hindu mythology
Hindus believe that Vishnu had many important Avatars, and the Varaha avatar was the third avatar of Vishnu. In this avatar, Vishnu took the form of a black varaha. Varaha is a Sanskrit language word that means a boar. The Hindu scriptures tell a story about this avatar. There was a daitya (a demon) named Hiranyaksha. He threw the Earth (called Prithivi by the Hindus) into the waters of the ocean. The earth was about to sink in the ocean. At this point, Vishnu took the form of a black boar. He entered the water and carried the earth on its body and brought the earth safely to where it should be. Thus, Vishnu as a varaha saved the earth from being destroyed. This is a parody on the Judeo-Christian story of Noah's Ark.

Hinduism
Hindu mythology
The wild boar (Sus scrofa) belongs to the family of the real pig (Suidae) from the order of artiodactyls. They live today in almost every part of the world, even many countries that are not their natural habitats.

The wild boar is native to Eurasia and North Africa. Wild boars are omnivorous and easily adapt to changes. They were hunted in Europe from long ago for many of their body parts, and were shown in the mythology of many ancient civilizations. Greek, Phoenician, and Persian mythology showed them as fierce, sometimes evil, while others showed them as brave, powerful animals. Again, others saw them as parasitic. Even today many people see wild boars very differently.

The hair of the boar was often used when making the toothbrush until the 1930s. The hair for the bristles usually came from the neck area of the boar. The brushes were popular because the bristles were soft. However, this was not the best material for oral hygiene because the hairs dried slowly and usually held bacteria.

Appearance 

The body of the wild boar, when seen from the side, often looks very big. This impression is partly because, compared to the large body mass, the legs of the wild boar are short and do not look very strong. The wild boar's head is very large. Its eyes are high up on the head, while the ears are small with bristles around it. Its tail can move very quickly, and the wild boar often uses it to show when his mood. If seen from the front, the body looks quite narrow. The wild boar has 44 teeth in its jaw, which helps its strong bite. The male and the female wild boars' snout shapes are different.

Piglets 

A wild boar usually gives birth to about 4 – 6 piglets at a time. Piglets weigh from about 750 – 1000g when they are first born. They are fully weaned after 3 – 4 months. They begin eating solid foods such as worms and grubs after about 2 weeks.

In culture 
Wild boar appears in European culture as symbol of warrior virtues. It also appears in Greek, Norse mythologies, vaishnavism, hinduism. 

 Erymanthian Boar
 Hildisvini 
 Sæhrímnir
 Varaha
 Kalki

References

Further reading 
  "Hunt goes on to find missing boar" (from BBC News)

Other websites

 Wild Boar (Sus scrofa) photos
 Scoring system, official rules and category links 

Pigs
Narasimha, according to Hinduism, was the fourth avatar of Vishnu. In this form, Vishnu had the body of a man, but he had a head of a lion. This avatar of Vishnu is also a symbol of great strength. 

The Hindu scriptures tell this story about Narashimha. There was a demon (a daitya) named Hiranyakashipu. He was against all gods. But, his son named Prahlad used to worship the gods, especially Vishnu. Hiranyakashipu was not happy at his son and wanted to burn him to death. Hiranyakashipu also wanted to kill everyone who worshipped the gods and make everyone worship him instead. Vishnu became Narasimha, and protected Prahlad and other people who worshipped the gods by stopping Hiranyakashipu. Brahma had granted Hiranyakashipu a boon that kept him safe so that he could not be killed by a human, animal or deva. He also could not be killed in the day or night, or inside or outside of his palace. This made Hiranyakashipu believe that no one could kill him. When he wanted to kill his son for worshiping Vishnu, Vishnu came to earth incarnated as a half-man, half-lion creature (neither man nor human). This way Vishnu killed Hiranyakashipu in the twilight (neither day, nor night) and on the porch of the palace (neither inside, nor outside), without disrupting the boon given to him by Brahma. Now, Narasimha Jayanti is celebrated across the world.

Hinduism
Hindu mythology
Hindus believe that Prahlada was a good person. He was the son of Hiranyakashipu, his evil father, and he worshipped Vishnu.  Narasimha protected him from Hiranyakashipu.

Hinduism
This article is about the Yugas in Hinduism. For the Indian meditation exercise, go to Yoga.

Hindus believe that there are periods of time called yugas ("ages" or "eras"): Satya Yuga, Treta Yuga, Dvapara Yuga, and Kali Yuga. When Kali Yuga ends, a new Satya Yuga begins.

 Satya Yuga (also called Krita Yuga) is the first age, which lasts for 1,728,000 years. It is "the age of truth" or "Golden Age", when all humans are good and very religious. They are ruled by gods and live for many centuries.
 Treta Yuga is the second age, which lasts for 1,296,000 years. During the last Treta Yuga, god Vishnu's avatars Vamana, Parashurama, and Ramachandra were born. The Indian epic legend Ramayana is set in that period.
 Dvapara Yuga is the third age, which lasts for 864,000 years, when humans are still religious but their lives are much shorter. The last Dvapara Yuga ended with the death of Krishna and Mahabharata is set in its final years.
 Kali Yuga is the fourth and final age, which lasts for 432,000 years. It is the "dark age" when humans lose their spirituality and are abandoned by gods. Hindus believe that we currently live in a Kali Yuga.

Related pages
 Ages of Man
 Five Suns

Other websites 
 The Hindu concept of Time
 Vedic Age of the Universe

Hinduism
Time
Hindus believe that Vishnu has many important avatars. The Vamana avatar was the fifth avatar. In this avatar, Vishnu was in the form of a human.Vamana avatar is basically in the form of a bramhin(a caste in hinduism which is responsible for ancient spiritual, cultural, educational activitiesand the highest in the Varnas) was taken for a demon king 'Bali'. Lord Vishnu in this avatar asked Bali to offer him 'three feet land' as a form of offering a king offered to a brahmin as a goodwill during ancient times in hindu culture. The story goes when king Bali captured the Adobe of hindu demigods and caused them a fierce battle. 'Aditi' - the mother figure of demigods in hinduism prayed to Lord Vishnu and pleased by her prayers, Lord Vishnu appeared and assured her  a boon. In a thought of revenge , she wished that may Bali loose his whole wealth and power." 
Lord Vamana (lord Vishnu) when asked Bali for three feet land then Bali laughed and said "Brahamandeva (O Brahmin) you might have asked many luxurious things from me as dakshina but you asked such a menial thing of land of a three feet quantity?" After which Lord Vamana grew so large in size as his one feet could cover whole Earth and other whole heaven! That means, whole land property of Bali was under control of lord Vamana. As per Bali's oath, there was no more land to donate and one feet of lord was remaining. Bali asked lord about who is greater, the thing or who gives the thing? Lord answer was the donar or giver of the thing is greater than the thing. Then king Bali asked the Lord to keep his third feet on his (Bali) head! Pleased by this act of Bali lord promised him the rule of 'Patal' (the underEarth) and promised to protect Bali and his kingdom and slay whosoever disobeys Bali in patal. 
It is believed that for 3 day during 'savan'or rainy season , king Bali returns to Earth. These three days are celebrated as Onam in Indian state of 'kerala'. During this festival , the idols of lord Vishnu and king bali are made out of rice and worshiped. A famous boat race is also organised across kerala in honour of king Bali. The people from every faith in kerala celebrate this feast. It is a regional festival of Keralites.

Hinduism
Hindu mythology
Hindus believe that Vishnu has many important avatars. The Parashurama also known as parshurama avatar was the sixth important avatar.  In this avatar, Vishnu was in the form of a human.  He came to Earth to stop bad people he was the son of sage jamdagni a sage who was known for his temper. it is believed that parashurma was cheiranjiv it means that he was immortal he was the great devotee of Lord Shiva.parshuram s,mother Renuka Devi was daughter of kshatriya after receiving parashurma from Lord Shiva as a boon it was impossible to defeat parashurma in earth. He was the firstbrahmakshatriya (both brahmin and kshatriya warrior) 
It is said that he was born before the Lord Rama and still he is alive.in Mahabharata he tought
Dronacharya Bhishma and karna.it is believed that he will teach war skills to the tenth avatar of Vishnu (kalki) once he cutt of the right tusk of Lord Ganesha. 
Because Ganesha  was not letting him in to meet Lord Shiva when Goddess Parvati and Lord Shiva grew up with  anger after hearing this but after they  forgive parashurma.

Hinduism
Hindu mythology
Ba Đình Square (Vietnamese: Quảng Trường Ba Đình) is a place in the Vietnamese capital, Hà Nội. It is where Vietnamese President Hồ Chí Minh declared the independence of the Democratic Republic of Việt Nam from French imperialist rule on 2 September 1945, the same day that World War II ended.  This is now where his mausoleum is.

Hanoi
National squares
The Hồ Chí Minh Mausoleum (Vietnamese: Lăng Hồ Chí Minh) is a large memorial to Vietnamese independence leader Hồ Chí Minh. It is located in Ba Ðình Square in Hà Nội.  This is where his body is kept for people to pay their respects.  President Hồ Chí Minh did not want a mausoleum at all.  In his will, he said he wanted to be cremated and to have his ashes buried in the hills of the north, center, and south of Việt Nam.  He said that he liked cremation because it was healthier than burial or a mausoleum and saved farmland.  His successors did not let him have this wish. The government kept that part of his will secret.  The government also pretended he died a day after he really did, because he really died on Independence Day and they did not tell anyone.

Many aspects of "Uncle Ho's" last will and testament were altered or, as stated above, ignored. In his last days he was surrounded by those who formed what is now Vietnam's political system, while those loyal to him and his wishes were systematically kept or chased away. Others were put on a bus and executed.

Buildings and structures in Vietnam
Burial monuments and structures
Hanoi
A kippah (Hebrew) or yarmulke (Yiddish) is a small cloth cap worn by Jews. 
Traditionally it was worn only by men, but in modern times the push for equality between the sexes in the practice of Judaism has led some women to wear yarmulkes. Some Jews only wear yarmulkes while praying; others wear yarmulkes the entire day, making sure not to walk more than four cubits without head covering (especially outside).
The basis for wearing a head covering is a story in the Talmud (tractate Shabbat).

 

Often, the color and fabric of the yarmulke can be a sign of adherence to a specific religious movement. The Israeli National Religious community is often referred to by the name kipot srugot כיפות סרוגות, literally "woven yarmulkes". Similarly, some Haredi sects are referred to by the name kipot shkhorot כיפות שחורות, literally "black yarmulkes".

Etymology 
The etymology of yarmulke is unclear. Linguists (e.g. Max Vasmer) maintain that the Yiddish word is derived (via Russian or Polish) from the Turkic , meaning 'raincoat'.

Traditionally, yarmulke is considered to have originated from the Aramaic phrase "" (in awe of the Lord), in keeping with the principle that the yarmulke is supposed to reflect someone's fear of heaven. Or perhaps, "yira malkah" (fear of the King).

Judaism
Religious clothing
Headgear