cahya/wikipedia-simple-en huggingface dataset:
Epic poetry

Epic poetry tells a dramatic story in a poem. There are characters in the story. It is usually long, and takes place in different settings. Epic poems started in prehistoric times as part of oral tradition. The Kyrgyz Epic of Manas is one of the longest written epics in history.

Beowulf is a typical example, written in Old English. Well-known people who wrote epics were Homer, Virgil, Ovid, Dante, Edmund Spenser and Milton. William Wordsworth's Prelude plays with epic ideas though the poem is autobiography.

Characteristics 
Epics have seven main characteristics: 
 The hero is outstanding. They might be important, and historically or legendarily significant.
 The setting is large. It covers many nations, or the known world.
 The action is made of deeds of great valor or requiring superhuman courage.
 Supernatural forces—gods, angels, demons—insert themselves in the action.
 It is written in a very special style (verse as opposed to prose).
 The poet tries to remain objective.
 Epic poems are believed to be supernatural and real by the hero and the villain
 
Conventions of epics: 
 It starts with the theme or subject of the story.
 In epics inspired from Western civilization the writer invokes a Muse, one of the nine daughters of Zeus.  The poet prays to the Muses to provide divine inspiration to tell the great story.  
 Narrative opens in medias res, or in the middle of things, usually with the hero at his lowest point. Usually flashbacks show earlier portions of the story.
 Catalogues and genealogies are given. These long lists of objects, places, and people place the finite action of the epic within a broader, universal context. Often, the poet is also paying homage to the ancestors of audience members.
 Main characters give extended formal speeches.

 Use of the epic simile.
 Heavy use of repetition or stock phrases.
 It presents the heroic ideals such as courage, honour, sacrifice, patriotism and kindness.
 An epic gives a clear picture of the social and cultural patterns of the contemporary life. Beowulf thus shows the love of wine, wild celebration, war, adventure and sea-voyages.

Examples

Ancient 
20th to 10th century BC:
Epic of Gilgamesh  (Mesopotamia)
8th century BC to 3rd century AD:
Mahābhārata  (Indian mythology)
8th to 6th century BC:
Iliad and Odyssey, ascribed to Homer  (Greek mythology)
1st century BC:
Aeneid, Vergil (Latin)

Medieval 
Song of Roland
8th to 10th century AD
Beowulf (Old English)
12th to 13th century AD
Sirat Bani Hilal (Arabic)    *[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taghribat_Bani_Hilal]*
10th to 12th century AD
Njál's saga (Old Norse)
14th century AD
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight (dialect of middle English)

Contemporary 
Omeros (1990), Derek Walcott

Empire of Dreams (1988), Giannina Braschi

Other page 
Lyric poetry - contrary notion

References

Poetry forms
Kousuke Atari

Kousuke Atari (, Atari Kōsuke; born July 13, 1980 in Amami island, Kagoshima) is a Japanese singer and Shimauta utasha.

Albums

Other websites 
  
 Sony Music Online Japan Artist 
 Kousuke Atari at EPIC-JP.net

1980 births
Living people
Japanese singers
People from Kagoshima Prefecture
Knot (speed)

A knot is a unit of speed. It is abbreviated kt or kn. It is a non-SI unit accepted for use with the SI. It is used around the world in meteorology and for maritime and aviation purposes.

Definition 
1 international knot = 1 nautical mile per hour = 1.852 kilometres per hour exactly. This is based on the internationally agreed length of the nautical mile, as adopted by the US in 1954 (which previously used the US nautical mile of 1853.248 m), the UK in 1970 (which previously used the UK or Admiralty nautical mile of 1853.184 m) and other countries. This is the definition used in most, if not all, modern circumstances.  Knot is sometimes used for the nautical mile itself, but this is incorrect.

The speed of a vessel relative to the fluid in which it travels is usually measured in knots.  This may be referred to as 'boat speed', 'vessel speed' and, for aircraft, 'air speed'. The speeds of relevant fluids, such as tidal streams, river currents and wind speeds, are also usually specified in knots. Knots are then also used to describe the actual speed of a vessel over the ground (SOG) and for its rate of progress toward a distant point ('velocity made good' or VMG).

Conversions 
One (international) knot is the same as 1.852 kilometres per hour (km·h−1), and is approximately equal to the following:

 101.268591 feet per minute
 1.687810 feet per second
 514.4444 mm per second (mm·s−1) 
 1.150779 mile (statute) per hour (mph)
 0.99936 Admiralty knot

Discussion 
Although knots do not fit within the primary SI system, they are used for nautical and aviation use  for navigational reasons, because the length of a nautical mile is almost identical to a minute of latitude. As a result, distance in nautical miles on a navigational chart can easily be measured by using dividers and the latitude indicators on the side of the chart.

Related pages
 Metre per second

References

Other websites 
 Non-SI units accepted for use with the SI, and units based on fundamental constants  - At one time, the knot, along with the nautical mile, was discouraged for use by the BIPM, but it is now officially accepted for use (as of the 8th edition of the SI brochure), since its use is "expected to continue indefinitely", as well as having an exact SI definition.
 OnlineConversion.com: What is a knot? What is a nautical mile?

Units of measurement
Water transport
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra

The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (RPO) is a British orchestra based in London. It travels around to give concerts in many places.

History 
The RPO was started just after World War II, in 1946, by the conductor Sir Thomas Beecham. Beecham did not start to get his players together until three weeks before the first concert which took place in Croydon on September 15, 1946. Beecham was principal conductor until his death in 1961.

When the orchestra toured the United States in 1950 they were the first British orchestra to visit America since the London Symphony Orchestra in 1912.

Beecham controlled all the organization of the orchestra. After Beecham’s death, the orchestra was made into a self-governing group, like the other London orchestras. They went through some difficult years. In 1963 the Royal Philharmonic Society decided they would stop asking the RPO to play for their concerts, and in Glyndebourne, where the RPO had played for the opera since 1948, the London Philharmonic Orchestra became the resident orchestra instead. Sir Malcolm Sargent helped the orchestra to put on its own concerts at a cinema in north London.

The orchestra had made an agreement with the Royal Philharmonic Society about the concerts it would play. This meant it could call itself “Royal”. In the 1960s the work they were doing no longer allowed them to call themselves “Royal”, so in 1966 the Queen officially gave them the title “Royal”.

In 1992 the orchestra appointed Peter Maxwell Davies as associate conductor and composer of the RPO.

On April 7, 1994, the Royal Philharmonic had the honour of performing at the Vatican in the historic "Papal Concert to Commemorate the Holocaust" with Sir Gilbert Levine.

The RPO give a series of concerts in the Cadogan Hall, London, and in the Royal Albert Hall. They tour all over Britain and also abroad. In the period 2002-2007 they played in 30 different countries.

Recordings 
The orchestra made many recordings with Sir Thomas Beecham. In 1964 Igor Stravinsky recorded his opera "The Rake's Progress" with the RPO. From 1964 to 1979 they recorded many Gilbert and Sullivan operas with the D’Oyly Carte Opera Company.

Non-classical work 
The Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra is part of the same organization. They spend their time playing lighter classical music. The RPO have also worked with pop music groups and has given its own series of children’s concerts. In 2007 they announced a series of free educational workshops for the local community.

Conducting leadership 
 Thomas Beecham (1946-1961)
 Rudolf Kempe (1962-1975)
 Antal Doráti (1975-1978)
 Walter Weller (1980-1985)
 André Previn (1985-1992)
 Vladimir Ashkenazy (1987-1994)
 Yuri Temirkanov (1992-1998)
 Daniele Gatti (1996-2009)
Charles Dutoit (2009-present)

Other websites 
 Royal Philharmonic Orchestra official website

British orchestras
Adrian Boult

Sir Adrian Cedric Boult CH (8 April 1889 – 22 February 1983) was an English conductor.

Life

Early years
Boult was born in Chester. He went to school in Westminster School and studied at Christ Church, Oxford. He then went to the Leipzig Conservatory where he learnt to conduct by watching the great Hungarian conductor Arthur Nikisch. He sang in choral festivals and at the Leeds Festival of 1913, where he went to watch Nikisch conduct.

During World War I he worked for the War Office, and while he was there in 1918 he planned a series of concerts with the London Symphony Orchestra, which included several important new British works including Gustav Holst's The Planets, A London Symphony by Ralph Vaughan Williams, and Elgar's Symphony No. 2. When Boult was a boy he had already met Elgar. Elgar now wrote to him and said he felt sure the future of his music was safe in Boult's hands. Boult was at the start of a great career in which he conducted a lot of 20th century British music.

Birmingham and the BBC
In 1924 Boult became conductor of the City of Birmingham Orchestra—now the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra — and in 1930 he was made Director of Music at the BBC. When the BBC formed the BBC Symphony Orchestra, Boult also became its chief conductor, combining both jobs.

Boult became famous for conducting a wide repertoire, including the very modern-sounding music of Arnold Schoenberg. In 1933 he married Ann Wilson, the ex-wife of the singer and administrator Steuart Wilson. The marriage lasted until Boult's death. Boult was knighted in 1937.

War years and after
During World War II the BBC Symphony Orchestra was evacuated to Bristol.  Even there it was not safe from the bombing and they moved again to Bedford.
After the war the BBC started the BBC Third Programme and Boult was involved in many new plans for concerts and recordings.

In 1948, Steuart Wilson became Director of Music at the BBC. Some people were saying that the music on the BBC was not so good and that Boult ought to retire when he became 60 in 1949.  He then became conductor of the London Philharmonic Orchestra with whom he made many recordings.

Later years
Boult continued to conduct until he was very old.  His many recordings, including music he had heard Nikisch conduct many years before.  His last public performance was conducting Elgar's ballet The Sanguine Fan for London Festival Ballet at the Coliseum, in London on 24 June 1978. 

Boult was made a Companion of Honour in 1969.

Writings
Boult wrote two books about conducting, Thoughts on Conducting and A handbook on the technique of conducting.  He also wrote an autobiography:  My Own Trumpet (the expression “to blow one’s own trumpet” means: “to boast about oneself).  He also gave talks on the radio.  He spoke in a very polite, formal style.

His conducting
Boult always conducted with a baton (conductor’s stick).  His conducting was very graceful, his movements were very simple and clear.

1889 births
1983 deaths
British autobiographers
British conductors
Companions of Honour
Knights Bachelor
Musicians from Cheshire
People from Chester
Franz Lehár

Franz Lehár (born 30 April 1870; died 24 October 1948) was an Austrian composer of Hungarian descent. He was the leading composer of operettas in the 20th century. He is still one of the most popular composers of light music.

His life
Lehár was born in Komáron in the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Today the town is called Komárno and it is in Slovakia. He was the eldest son of a bandmaster in the Austro-Hungarian army. He studied violin and composition at the Prague Conservatory. Antonín Dvořák told him he should be a composer. After graduation in 1899 he joined his father's band in Vienna, as assistant bandmaster. In 1902 he became conductor at the historic Vienna Theater an der Wien, where his first opera Wiener Frauen was performed in November of that year.

He is most famous for his operettas. The best known one is The Merry Widow (in German: Die lustige Witwe) which is probably the most popular of all operettas. He also wrote sonatas, symphonic poems, marches, and a number of waltzes, some of which come from his famous operettas. Some of the songs from his operettas have become very well-known, especially "Vilja" from The Merry Widow and "You Are My Heart's Delight" ("Dein ist mein ganzes Herz") from The Land of Smiles.

The tenor Richard Tauber sang in many of his operettas. Six of them had parts especially written for him.

Lehár died in 1948 in Bad Ischl, near Salzburg where he was also buried. His villa in Bad Ischl is now a museum in his memory.

1870 births
1948 deaths
Romantic composers
20th-century composers
Hungarian composers
Igor Diakonov

Igor Mikhailovich Diakonov (December 30, 1914 (January 12, 1915), Petrograd – May 2, 1999, St Petersburg) was a Russian historian, linguist, and translator.

1914 births
1999 deaths
Russian historians
Baudouin I of Belgium

Baudouin I (French: Baudouin Albert Charles Léopold Axel Marie Gustave or Dutch: Boudewijn Albert Karel Leopold Axel Marie Gustaaf)  (7 September 1930 – 31 July 1993) was the King of the Belgians from 1951 to 1993. 

The king was the oldest son of King Leopold III (1901-1983) and his first wife, Princess Astrid of Sweden (1905-1935). 

On 15 December 1960, Baudouin was married in Brussels to Doña Fabiola de Mora y Aragón. The King and Queen had no children. All of the Queen's five pregnancies ended in miscarriage. Badouin died of heart failure. Having had no children, the crown passed on to his brother, Albert II of Belgium, following his death.

During Baudouin's reign the colony of Belgian Congo became independent.

Titles and styles
7 September 1930 – 17 February 1934: His Royal Highness The Count of Hainaut
17 February 1934 – 10 August 1950: His Royal Highness The Duke of Brabant
10 August 1950 – 17 July 1951: His Royal Highness The Prince Royal, Duke of Brabant
17 July 1951 – 31 July 1993: His Majesty The King of the Belgians

References

1930 births
1993 deaths
Belgian Roman Catholics
Cardiovascular disease deaths in Spain
Deaths from heart failure
Disease-related deaths in Andalusia
Kings and Queens of Belgium
Knights of the Golden Fleece
People from Brussels
Mesocyclone

A mesocyclone is a vortex of air, about 2 to 10 km in diameter (the mesoscale of meteorology), inside a convective storm.
That is, it is air that rises and rotates around a vertical axis, usually in the same direction as low pressure systems in a given hemisphere. They are most often cyclonic, that is, related with a localized low pressure area inside a severe thunderstorm. Such storms can create strong surface winds and a lot of hail. Mesocyclones often happen together with updrafts in supercells, where tornadoes may form. 

The word mesocyclone originated around 1970–75; meso- + cyclone] This word is first recorded in the period 1970–75. meso- is a combining form meaning “middle,” used in the formation of compound words.

Mesocyclones are normally relatively very small in size; they lie between the synoptic scale (hundreds of kilometers) and small scale (hundreds of meters).

References

Other websites
 Electronic Journal of Severe Storms Meteorology

Weather
Florida International University

Florida International University (FIU) is a public research university in Miami, Florida in the United States. the University is the largest university in South Florida and also the fifth-largest university in Florida, and the thirteenth-largest university in the country. FIU's programs in law, architecture and business are amongst its most well-ranked and most known programs. The mascot of FIU is a panther, named Roary, and students and fans of the university's athletic teams are often called "Panthers".

On March 15, 2018, a pedestrian bridge at the university collapsed and killed six people.

References

Colleges and universities in Florida
Oak Ridge Associated Universities
Conference USA
Miami, Florida
1965 establishments in the United States
1960s establishments in Florida
Sash

A sash is of a cloth belt used to hold a robe together, and usually tied about the waist. The Japanese equivalent of a sash, called an obi, serves to hold a kimono together. Decorative sashes may pass from the shoulder to the hip rather than around the waist. Sashes traditionally form part of formal military uniform and the royal attire.

The meaning "strip of cloth worn about the waist or over the shoulder" was first recorded in 1681.

References 

Accessories
Willow

Willows are a family of trees and shrubs which may be called sallows or osiers. Their latin name is Salix.

Willows have many differences in size and type of growth, but are very much alike in other respects. There are about 350 species of this plant, usually found on moist soils in cooler zones in the Northern Hemisphere. Many hybrids are known, both naturally occurring and in cultivation, because willows are very fertile between their own species.

Willows have watery bark sap, charged with salicylic acid (defence against herbivory). They have soft, usually pliant (bendy), tough wood, slender branches, and large, fibrous, often stoloniferous roots. The roots are remarkable for their toughness, size, and are hard to kill. Roots readily sprout from aerial parts of the plant.

Willows are dioecious, with male and female flowers appearing as catkins on separate plants. The catkins are produced early in the spring, often before the leaves.

Pictures

Other websites
 Salix alba at plants for a future
 Salix purpurea at plants for a future
 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica
 Salix caroliniana images at bioimages.vanderbilt.edu 
 Salix nigra images at bioimages.vanderbilt.edu 
 Salix humboldtiana or Chilean willow images

Trees
Malpighiales
Elegance

Elegance is the attribute of being unusually effective and simple. It is frequently used as a standard of {tastefulness, particularly in the areas of fashion and decoration.

Some associate elegance with simplicity of design. Others understand the word in an opulent light as in tasteful richness of design or ornamentation, like in "the elegance of clothings."

Visual stimuli are considered elegant if a small number of colors and stimuli are used. The color white is often associated with elegance, usually along with blue or black.

Related pages
 Aesthetics

Vocabulary
Courtesan

A courtesan  was often a high-class prostitute or mistress, especially one associated with rich, powerful, or noble men who gave 
luxuries and status in exchange for her services. In Renaissance Europe, courtesans had an important role in high class society, sometimes taking the place of wives at social roles requiring diplomacy. Courtesans usually enjoyed more freedom than was typical of women at the time. For example, they did not have money problems, and were more independent. Madame de Pompadour (1721–1764), the famous mistress and favorite of King Louis XV of France, was a courtesan. Courtesans also existed in many countries outside Europe, such as India and Japan.

Related pages
Geisha
Oiran

References
 Freundschuh, Aaron.  The Courtesan and the Gigolo:  The Murders in the Rue Montaigne and the Dark Side of Empire in Nineteenth-Century Paris.  Stanford University Press, 2017.

Griffin, Susan. The Book of the Courtesans: A Catalogue of Their Virtues. New York: Broadway Books, 2001.
Hickman, Katie. Courtesans: Money, Sex, and Fame in the Nineteenth Century. New York: HarperCollins, 2003.
Lawnes, Lynne. Lives of the Courtesans: Portraits of the Renaissance. New York: Rizzoli, 1987.
Rounding, Virginia. Grandes Horizontales: The Lives and Legends of Four Nineteenth-Century Courtesans. London: Bloomsbury, 2003.

Other websites
Defining the Courtesan  (Mt. Holyoke College)

Personal service occupations
Prostitution
Jester

A jester, joker, fool, or buffoon, is a type of entertainer mostly (but not always) associated with the Middle Ages. Jesters typically wore brightly colored clothing. Their hats, sometimes called the cap ’n bells or cockscomb, were special; made of cloth, they were floppy with three points (liliripes) each of which had a jingle bell at the end. 

The three points of the hat represent the asses' ears and tail worn by jesters when they first appeared. Other typical things about the jester were his constant laughter and his mock scepter, known as a bauble or maharoof.

Other websites
 BBC News site story about the Tongaon Royal Jester's involvement in financial scandal 2003
 Royal decree proclaiming the Jester title by the Tongan Royal 1999 
 BBC News site story about Kester the Jester's appointment to English Heritage 2004
 University of California, Berkeley Online Medieval and Classical Library (OMACL) & links for medieval studies 
 Picture of Will Somers with Henry the Eighth 
 Mulla Nasruddin 
 Gesundheit! Institute
 Shakespeare search engine - A keyword search such as "fool", "folly", "jester" or "clown" reveals every reference in Shakespeare 

 Rumpelstiltskin - A rare modern day jester with an impressive resumé
 Fooling Around the World (A history of the court jester)
 Foolish Clothing: Depictions of Jesters and Fools in the Middle Ages and Renaissance What 14th-16th century jesters wore and carried, as seen in illustrations and museum collections

Entertainment occupations
Middle Ages
Etiquette

Etiquette, one aspect of decorum, is a code that rules how everyone is expected to behave, according to the social conventions and norms, in society, in a social class, or group. It is usually unwritten, but it may be put in written form. Because they are a product of the society's culture and history, the rules of etiquette are very different from time to time, and from one place and social group to another.

References

Other websites 

 Debrett's 
 Etiquette in Society, in Business, in Politics and at Home, by Emily Post (1922)
 Global Guide to Etiquette and Customs  by Kwintessential
 Are Paris Waiters Rude Or Is It You?, by Michel Endene. A web article on cultural differences and etiquette.
 Cellphone Etiquettes 
 Email Etiquette
 Etiquette & Dress
 Wiki Etiquette Wiki about etiquette from Wikia

Sociology
Traditions
Hairstyle

A hairstyle is the way hair is cut and styled. A haircut may be just practical, but a hairdo suggests professional styling. The fashioning of hair is an aspect of fashion, and cosmetics, especially for females. Practical, cultural, and popular considerations also influence hairstyles.

People in many cultures cut their hair, rather than letting it grow naturally. Hair styles are often used to signal cultural, social, and ethnic identity and can be used to show social status or get attention.  Generally, hairstyles are influenced by gender.  Women's styles are different from men's. Fashion trends may have a great influence depending on the person.

Galleria 
There is a great variety of hairstyles. This can best be explained by examples:

Men

Women

References

Other websites 

 History of Hairdressing 

 
Care
Patronage

Patronage is the support, encouragement, privilege and often financial aid given by a person or an organization. It can also refer to the business given by a regular customer, and the guardianship of saints.

In some countries the term is often used to describe the corrupt use of state money and goods to benefit groups, families, ethnicities or races in exchange for votes. These patronage systems are different depending on the area in which they are practiced.

The term comes from the Latin patronatus.

Sources and other websites
Johannes Baptist Sägmüller. Patron and Patronage, The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume XI, 1911, Robert Appleton Company. This is the reference for the Canon law section.
 The role of patrons in the Renaissance 

Politics
Art
Reputation

Reputation is the opinion of the public towards a person, a group of people, or an organization. It is an important factor in many fields, such as business, online communities or social status.

Other websites
 Reputation by Roger Dingledine, Michael J Freedman, David Molnar, David Parkes, Paul Syverson

Society
Appointment

Appointment can also mean:

An appointment is a time reserved for something such as a doctor visit, much like a .
An appointment, in government also refers to the assignment of a person by an official to perform a duty, such as a presidential appointment of a judge to a court.  This may also happen for an office which is normally elected, but has an unexpected vacancy.  A person appointed but not yet in office is a designate.
The power of appointment, in law, is the ability of a testator to select another person to dispose of the testator's property.
An appointment of clergy, in Christianity, is made by a bishop to a particular ministry setting, particularly in denominations which practice episcopal forms of church government and polity (such as Anglicanism and United Methodist Church.) Typically, a pastor is appointed to a particular church or parish.
Appointment is used to describe a system of selecting candidates in which the choice is made by an individual or panel rather than by a poll of the populace in general (election), or through random selection (allotment/sortition) as used to select juries.
Lagunaria

Lagunaria is a garden plant famous for its colour.

Malvaceae
Warwick Estevam Kerr

Warwick Estevam Kerr (born September 9, 1922, Santana do Parnaíba, São Paulo, Brazil- 15 September 2018) is a Brazilian engineer, geneticist, entomologist, and professor. He made many discoveries in the genetics and sex determination of bees. He is also responsible for the spread of africanized bees across the world.

Other websites 
Warwick Estevam Kerr Biography . Brazilian Academy of Sciences.

1922 births
2018 deaths
Biologists
São Paulo (state)
Brazilian scientists
Indian national calendar

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
Crane (bird)

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
Estimation

Estimation is the approximation of a result that one can use even if they are using information that is not clear or is incomplete. It is like making an educated, reasonable guess based on the information given.

If an estimate is more than the actual amount, then it is called an overestimate. If the estimate was less than the actual result, then it is called an underestimate. This is different from a prediction.

References

Other websites

 Estimation chapter from "Applied Software Project Management" (PDF)

Mathematics
Fee

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
Maid

A maid, housemaid or, formerly, maidservant is a female employed in domestic worker. Maids perform typical domestic chores such as cooking, ironing, washing, cleaning the house, grocery shopping, caring for pets, and taking care of children like a nanny. In many places in some poor countries, maids often take on the role of a nurse in taking care of the elderly and people with disabilities. Many maids are required by their employers to wear a uniform.

In June 2011, International Labour Organization has made its Convention No.189 for domestic workers including maids.

Other websites 

Personal service occupations
Domestic work
Embroidery

Embroidery is the art of decorating fabric or other materials with designs stitched in strands of thread or yarn using a needle. Embroidery may also incorporate other materials such as metal strips, pearls, beads, quills, and sequins. Sewing machines can be used to create machine embroidery.

Qualifications 
City and Guilds qualification in Embroidery allows embroiderers to become recognized for their skill. This qualification also gives them the credibility to teach. For example, the notable textiles artist, Kathleen Laurel Sage, began her teaching career by getting the City and Guilds Embroidery 1 and 2 qualifications. She has now gone on to write a book on the subject.

References

Other websites
 The Crimson Thread of Kinship  at the National Museum of Australia

Needlework
Banquet

A banquet is a large public meal or feast, complete with main dishes and desserts. It usually serves a purpose, such as a ceremony, or a celebration. Sometimes a banquet is made only of desserts.

Related pages
 Festival

Other websites 
 Banquet Preparation  and keeping things organized

Meals
Eccentricity

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

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

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
Conversation

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
FK Viktoria Žižkov

FK Viktoria Žižkov is a football club in the Czech Republic. It was founded in 1903 in the city of Prague. Viktoria Žižkov won Czechoslovak championship in 1928 and won the National cup in 1994 and 2001.

Historical names 
 1903 - Sportovni kroužek Viktoria Žižkov
 1904 - SK Viktoria Žižkov
 1950 - Sokol Viktoria Žižkov
 1951 - Sokol ČSAD Žižkov
 1952 - Club was merged with Avia Čakovice
 1952 - TJ Slavoj Žižkov
 1965 - TJ Viktoria Žižkov
 1973 - TJ Viktoria Žižkov Strojimport
 1982 - TJ Viktoria Žižkov PSO
 1992 - FK Viktoria Žižkov

Other websites
 Official site
 Official site Fans 

Viktoria Zizkov
Wit

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)
Joss stick

Joss sticks are a type of incense. They are traditionally burned before an Asian religious image, idol, buddha statue, or shrine. But some joss stick burning rituals (and the prayers that come with it) do not need to be done in front of religious images. They can be burned before anything without limits; like in front of a door, or open window as an offering. In modern days, the burning of joss sticks can be used for any reason, like making the smell of a room better or lighting fireworks up.

Religious objects
Perfumery
AFK Union Žižkov

AFK Union Žižkov is a football club in the Czech Republic. It was founded in 1907 in the city of Prague.

Historical names 
 AFK Union Žižkov (1907–?)
 ASK Union Žižkov (?–1948)
 Sokol Union Žižkov (1948–1950)
 Sokol Žižkov B (1950–1952)
 ZSJ Pošta Žižkov (1952–1953)
 TJ Dynamo Žižkov Spoje (1953–?)
 TJ Spoje Žižkov
 TJ Union Žižkov
 AFK Union Žižkov

Other websites 
 Official site 

Union Zizkov
1907 establishments in Europe
Flirting

Flirting is a form of human behavior from one person toward another person, or between two people, usually showing a sexual or romantic interest in the other person. It can include conversation, body language (such as winking), or short physical contact.

Other websites
FlirtDictionary  The largest database of pick-up lines. Shared and voted on by the community.
SIRC Guide to Flirting
Nonverbal Courtship Patterns In Women: Context and Consequences 
Psychology Today - Flirting Fascination  –Reviews several studies on flirting

Human communication
Trustworthiness

Trustworthiness or honesty is mainly a moral value. A trustworthy person is someone in whom we can place our trust and be sure that the trust will not be betrayed. Examples could be 
Do we trust this person to look after our children when we are not present?
Do we trust this person to carry out a complicated repair to a piece of machinery?

The first example is moral. It depends on what we know about the person, their family and upbringing.

The second example is technical. We would need to know what kind of jobs the person had done before and, perhaps, what kind of training he had.

In order for one to trust another,their worth and integrity must be proven over time. That applies especially to the first (moral) case.
Trustworthiness in technical matters may be identified by attributes such as reliability, dependability and qualifications.

Related pages
Virtue
Loyalty

Virtues
Shamisen

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

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

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
Nitrogen cycle

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
Moscow State University

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
Boarding school

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