ejaasaari/simplewiki-2025-04-01 huggingface dataset:
A padlock is a type of portable lock that has a U-shaped shackle that will not come apart from the body of the lock unless the correct key is inserted or the correct combination is dialed. The U-shape of the lock allows for a wide variety of uses. Typically the padlock is used to lock two things together, for example, a door and its frame, two or more chains, or a chain and a fixed object. Padlocks are not recommended for high-security applications because the shackle is easily cut with a bolt cutter or hacksaw. Some newer padlocks have hardened boron alloy shackles or shrouded (hidden or covered) shackles to make them more difficult to cut. Construction. The combination padlock is usually made with a metal "can" with three tumblers inside connected to a dial on the front. The mechanism is very similar to combination locks used in safes. When the correct combination is entered, the notches on the tumblers line up and allow a latch to fall into the notches, releasing the shackle. Combination locks of this type are not recommended for outdoor use because they can fill up with rain water which causes them to rust.  Some padlocks have a laminated body, constructed from a series of metal plates that are riveted together.  The shackle of most padlocks is made from hardened steel, although more expensive padlocks may have boron alloy steels to make them more difficult to cut. Inexpensive padlocks usually have a shackle made of ordinary steel. Corrosion-resistant padlocks usually have a brass or stainless steel shackle although these materials have low hardness and are easily cut with bolt-cutters. The material that the shackle is made of is usually stamped in the center of the shackle. For example, a hardened steel shackle will be stamped "HARDENED" or a boron alloy shackle will be stamped "BORON ALLOY". Alloy steels with appropriate heat treating provide much higher cutting resistance to bolt-cutters. Alloy steel shackles are plated with another metal such as nickel or chrome to protect them from rust. The body of the padlock is usually also plated. Brass and stainless
A market economy is economy in which the prices of the products and services are chosen in a free price system that is decided by supply and demand. It began around the late 18th century, after the Industrial Revolution. A key work was Adam Smith's "The Wealth of Nations", 1776. Market economics has been widely used because of its efficiency (ability to work well). However, it has also been criticized for its selfishness and the difference between the rich and poor. In the real world, market economies are not purely market economies, as societies and governments control them in some ways instead of market forces. The expression "free-market economy" is sometimes used as the same as market economy. Nobel Prize in Economics winner Ludwig von Mises said that a market economy is still a market economy even if the government joins in pricing. In a market economy, the following will be true: Sometimes, market economy does not work as expected, the following may be observed:
Mayra Verónica (named Mayra Verónica Aruca Rodríguez) is a Cuban model and singer. She was born in Havana, Cuba and grew up in the United States. Verónica appeared on Hispanic Univision, television commercials, FHM magazines and calendar and music videos. She works with the USO. Early life. Mayra Verónica was born in Havana, Cuba on 20 August 1980. Sometimes her birth date appears as 20 August 1980 or 20 August 1983. "Celebrity Birthday" lists her as 32 years old (July 2010), born in 1977. In 1984, she came to the US with her mother, Mayra Rodriguez. They left behind the rest of her family– her father Arturo Aruca, and sister Giselle Guzman. Her father came to the US a year later and reunited with Veronica and her mother, while her sister was unable to meet them until 13 years later. Verónica spoke about her difficult childhood. She grew up with little money and food was sometimes scarce. Verónica was a good student. She learned ballet with help from paying students from her school who could afford the training. In junior high school, her now famous curves developed. She said it made ballet difficult, but boys liked it. Her first boyfriend at the age of 15 was an artist of the same age who often painted her in little or no clothing. Verónica attended Florida International University where she studied psychology and theater. Work. Modeling. After joining a local beauty and becoming Miss Miami, she met a photographer who took pictures for the event. The photographer invited her to his studio for free photo sessions. Mayra's first modeling job led to another job as a reporter for a local TV celebrity news show. She had no reporting experience, but she was a competent reporter. She was promoted to hostess for the show, where she interviewed Donald Trump, Ivana Trump, Oscar de la Renta, Burt Reynolds, Dennis Rodman, Hugh Hefner, Marc Anthony, and many more. Verónica continued actress training in New York. Verónica obtained a made-for-TV movie role called
Epidexipteryx ('display feather') is a genus of small maniraptoran dinosaurs, known from one fossil specimen in Beijing. "Epidexipteryx" is the earliest known example of ornamental feathers in the fossil record. It is a small maniraptoran dinosaur from the Middle or Upper Jurassic age Daohugou Beds of Inner Mongolia, China (perhaps 160 to 168 million years ago). Structure. It is known from a well preserved partial skeleton that includes four long feathers on the tail, composed of a central rachis and vanes. However, unlike in modern-style tail feathers, the vanes were not branched but made up of a single ribbon-like sheet. "Epidexipteryx" also preserved a covering of simpler body feathers. They are unique in that some appear to arise from a "membranous structure". In all, the skeleton of "Epidexipteryx hui" measures 25 centimeters (10 inches) in length (44.5 cm or 17.5 in including the incomplete tail feathers), and the authors estimated a weight of 164 grams, smaller than most other early dinobirds. The skull of "Epidexipteryx" is also unique in a number of features. It had teeth only in the front of the jaws, with unusually long front teeth angled forward, a feature only seen in "Masiakasaurus" among other theropods. The tail of "Epidexipteryx" bore unusual vertebrae towards the tip which resembled the feather-anchoring pygostyle of modern birds and some oviraptors. Despite its close relationship to avialan birds, "Epidexipteryx" appears to have lacked wing feathers, and so it could not fly. Zhang "et al." suggest that unless "Epidexipteryx" evolved from flying ancestors and subsequently lost its wings, this may indicate that advanced display feathers on the tail may have predated flying or gliding flight. Dating. There is uncertainty about the age of the Daohugou Beds in which this fossil was found. Various papers have
Taylor Daniel Lautner (; born February 11 1992) is an American actor. He is best known for playing Jacob Black in the "Twilight Saga" movie series, though he has also been in family movies and done voiceover work for animated cartoons. Early life. Lautner was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan. His parents are Deborah, who works for a software development company, and Daniel Lautner, a commercial airline pilot. Lautner was raised as a Roman Catholic in Hudsonville, Michigan. He went to Jamestown Elementary School until the age of eleven, when the family moved to the Santa Clarita area. Lautner is of mostly Dutch, French, and German ancestry, and claims some Native American ancestry through his mother. He has a younger sister, Makena. He has learnt karate since the age of six.
The Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi, (simplified Chinese: 汉语水平考试; traditional Chinese: 漢語水平考試; hanyu pinyin: Hànyǔ Shuǐpíng Kǎoshì), shortened as HSK, is the People's Republic of China's only standardized test of Standard Mandarin Chinese proficiency for non-native speakers, such as foreign students, overseas Chinese, and members of ethnic minority groups in China. It is also known as the "Chinese Proficiency Test". Every year, HSK certificates are issued to those who score well enough. The HSK is primarily conducted in Simplified Chinese.
The Foxtrot, or "Slow foxtrot", is an English ballroom dance which developed from American band music. It is now one of the international standard ballroom dances. All ballroom dance competitions controlled by the World Dance Council include the Foxtrot. History. All the standard ballroom dances had their origins abroad, but were adapted and modified by English dancers into their modern style. The Waltz came from Germany around 1810. The Tango came from Argentina. The Foxtrot and Quickstep were greatly influenced by American music. Influences from America. The Boston. An American dance called the Boston arrived in England about 1903. This had fairly slow, gliding steps. It is a characteristic of the Foxtrot that in the basic steps, unlike the other dances, the feet slide past each other rather than coming together. The Boston seems to have been the first dance to move the feet in this way. The Boston also was the first ballroom dance to be done with feet parallel (rather than turned out, as in ballet). "The Boston, surely, was the first true example of the smooth flow and natural walking movement of this form".p165 The Boston, like much else, was finished off by the First World War. Crowded dance floors in wartime left no room for it, and new musical imports arrived from America. Ragtime. Ragtime and jazz came to Europe, and were great sensations. Both the music, and the many 'craze' dances contributed. After the war the big bands of Paul Whiteman took centre stage. He played 'arranger's jazz', meaning, the band played from charts rather than by ear. Whiteman's bands were hugely successful (there were several).  The craze dances. "The decade between 1910 and 1920", said one writer, "was the period in which America went dance mad".p369 "From 1912 through 1914", said another, "over one hundred new dances found their way in and out of our fashionable ballrooms".p76 These are a few examples: The Shimmy, The Grind, The Turkey Trot, The Bunny Hug, The Texas
The United Service Organizations Inc. (USO) offers recreational support for members of the U.S. military. The USO provides programs in 140 centers worldwide funded by private and public donations and support from the United States Department of Defense. It is not a government agency. USO Tours. USO works to boost military . Since 1941, the USO became the soldier's "home away from home" and began a tradition of entertaining the troops with live performances called "Camp Shows" that continues today. These "tours" typically feature big name actors or actresses, comedians, pop musicians, and models. Support and services. The USO serves both in time of war and during time of peace. During the 1990s, the USO provided services to 5 million active duty service members and their families, and more support after start of the Afghanistan and Iraq wars.
Symphony No. 8 in E-flat major by Gustav Mahler (1860–1911) is one of the largest choral works in classical music. It needs a huge orchestra to play it and a huge choir to sing. Because so many performers are needed it is often called "Symphony of a Thousand", but that is not a name that Mahler gave to it. Mahler worked very hard at it, composing it in quite a short time at Maiernigg in southern Austria in the summer of 1906. It was the last of Mahler's works that was to be given its first performance in his lifetime. The symphony was given its first performance in Munich on 12 September 1910. Symphonies are usually pieces of music played just by an orchestra, but Beethoven started a tradition of having singing in symphonies: his Ninth Symphony is the famous one with the Ode to Joy in the last movement. Mahler took up this idea of combining singing with symphony. His Symphonies Nos 2, 3, and 4 all have singing in them. The next three are just for orchestra, but in No. 8 he uses singing again. Symphony No. 8 is very unusual because he does not have the usual three or four movements with traditional forms such as sonata form. The whole symphony is in two parts. Part I is based on the Latin text of a ninth-century Christian hymn for Pentecost, "Veni Creator Spiritus" ("Come, Creator Spirit"). Part II is in German. The words come from the closing scene of Goethe's "Faust".  The two parts have a common idea: the idea of being saved through the power of love. Musically Mahler does this by sharing tunes throughout the symphony. The symphony expresses the confidence of the eternal human spirit. For many years after Mahler’s death it was not often performed. It is, of course, a very expensive symphony to perform because of the vast numbers of musicians needed. It also needs to be performed in a very large concert hall. Today it is played more often. The 100th anniversary of its first performance was celebrated in July 2010 in the opening concert of the BBC Proms is the Royal Albert Hall, London. Opinions about the symphony have been divided. Some people did not think the optimism expressed in the music was really convincing. Other people have said it is one of the greatest musical expressions of humanity.
Simon Boccanegra is an opera by Giuseppe Verdi. It is divided into a prologue and three acts. The libretto is by Francesco Maria Piave. The story was based on a play "Simón Bocanegra" (1843) by Antonio García Gutiérrez. "Simon Boccanegra" was first performed at Teatro La Fenice, Venice on 12 March 1857. It was not very successful, and many years later Verdi made a lot of changes to it. He was helped by the writer Arrigo Boito who made changes to the plot. The new version was first performed at La Scala, Milan on 24 March 1881. This is the version that is normally performed today. The story of the opera. The story is supposed to take place in the middle of the 14th century in Genoa. Genoa (in Italian: Genova) is now a town in Italy, but in those days Italy was not yet one country, and Genoa, like Venice, was a small republic, ruled by a Doge (pronounced “Doadz” in English. It is an Italian word meaning “duke”). Until the time of this story the Doge had always been chosen from one of the rich patricians. The ordinary, common people (the plebeians), could not be chosen to be the Doge. At the beginning of the story Fiesco is the Doge of Genoa. He has a daughter Maria. Maria has fallen in love with Simon Boccanegra who is a plebeian, so he would not be important enough to be allowed to marry her, even though he has become a hero because he has fought lots of pirates. Simon and Maria had a child, a young girl. After she was born she was given to an old woman to look after, but one day the old woman died and the small child wandered off alone. She was found wandering by the sea shore by Count Grimaldi who took her and looked after her as if she were his own child. No one knows what has happened to the child. Count Grimaldi does not know who she is. He thinks
A fire hydrant, also known as a fire plug or johnny pump, is a tool used for fighting fires. They are usually found easily on streets, stuck to the road. The first fire hydrant recorded was in Philadelphia. A fire hydrant is the primary method of firefighting in a municipal area. It is basically an outlet with a valve that provides water to the fire pumps or fire jeeps engaged in firefighting. Laws for keeping operational fire hydrants at specific intervals and with free access in buildings, factories, urban and developed areas are an important component of fire control and safety.
Elizabeth Ruth Grable (18 December 1916 – 2 July 1973) was an American actress, pin-up girl, dancer, singer, and model who was born in St. Louis, Missouri. Her swimsuit photo made her the number 1 pin-up girl during World War II. Her photo later appeared in "LIFE magazine's" "100 Photos that Changed the World". She was awarded a star (a metal award plaque set in sidewalk cement) on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and a star on the St. Louis Walk of Fame. She died of lung cancer in Santa Monica, California at the age of 56. Movies. She appeared in many movies:
A geyser is a hot spring which shoots out water and steam. They erupt when pressure has built up, often at regular intervals. There are about a thousand geysers around the world. About half are in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, United States. Causes. Geysers are made in special geological conditions. Only a few places on Earth have these conditions. Because of this, geysers are not very common. One place is the Yellowstone National Park, which is the remains of a gigantic volcano. Another is Iceland, which sits on top of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, where new Earth's crust is formed. Geysers are often near active volcanos. This is because the geyser is caused by magma. Surface water usually goes down to about . There, it mixes with hot rocks. The pressurized water begins to boil. When it is pressured enough, hot water and steam burst out of the geyser. Form and function. Individual geysers do not last forever, but "systems" of geysers last as long as the geological situation continues. The oldest individual geysers are only a few thousand years old. Geysers are usually near volcanic areas. As the water boils, the pressure increases. This forces hot steam and water to the surface through the geyser. Geysers are usually made because of three things that are around volcanoes. A geyser needs a lot of heat . This heat comes from magma. This magma needs to be near the surface of the earth. Geysers need much more heat than is usually found near the earth's surface. This is why they are often around volcanoes or volcanic areas. The water that bursts from a geyser must travel underground through deep, high-pressure cracks in the earth's crust. For the heated water to form a geyser, a plumbing system is needed. The water needs to be held while it is being heated. The plumbing system is made up of a system of fractures, fissures, spaces and sometimes cavities (holes). Most importantly, the temperatures near the bottom of the geyser become high enough to start boiling the water. Steam bubbles come out of the top
Sir Charles Mackerras, (born 17 November 1925; died 14 July 2010) was an Australian conductor. He was very famous for his conducting of operas, especially the operas of Janáček and Mozart, and the comic operas of Gilbert and Sullivan. Mackerras was born in Schenectady, New York, and was brought up in Sydney, Australia. He went to the New South Wales Conservatory to study oboe, piano and composing. He became an oboe player with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra during World War II, and was made the principal oboist in 1946. He conducted the orchestra at the opening of the Sydney Opera House in 1973. Five years later he was the first Australian conductor to be the orchestra's principal conductor. Mackerras received many honours, including Companion of the Order of Australia, Order of the Companions of Honour, Commander of the Order of the British Empire (1979). He died from cancer in London, where he lived for many years.
The Renault Mégane is a car produced by Renault in four generations since 1995. First generation (1995–2003). The first Mégane arrived in late 1995 to replace the 19. It came in many bodystyles and engines, the model formed the basis for the Scénic, Europe's first compact MPV which arrived in late 1996. The range was facelifted in April 1999 and an estate/wagon version appeared but wasn't sold in the UK. Although a new Mégane arrived in late 2002, the original was sold into 2003 until all bodystyles were redesigned.  Second generation (2002–2010). The second Mégane arrived in late 2002 with the hatchback models, other versions appeared during 2003. The hatchback models became known for their distinctive rear end styling which resulted in Renault doing an advert for it based on that. It was facelifted in early 2006.  Third generation (2008–2016). The third Mégane arrived in late 2008 with the hatchback and coupé models. Other models arrived during 2009. It received a mild facelift in early 2012 then a more thorough one in late 2013. It entered its fourth generation in 2016.  Fourth generation (2016-present). The fourth Mégane arrived in late 2015 with the hatchback model. The estate and the revived saloon model arrived in 2016. The coupé and CC was discontinued. It was facelifted in 2020. Mégane E-Tech Electric (2022-present). The Mégane E-Tech was revealed in early 2022. It switched from a hatchback body style to a electric crossover SUV.
The Renault Laguna is a car produced by Renault in three generations from 1994 to 2015.  First generation (1994–2001). The first Laguna arrived in early 1994 to replace the 21, it came as a hatchback at first and then it was joined by an estate/wagon version in late 1995. It got a facelift in 1998.  Second generation (2000–2007). The second Laguna arrived at the end of 2000 and again, hatchback and estate/wagon bodystyles were offered. In 2001, it became the first car to receive 5 stars in the Euro NCAP crash testing, making it one the safest models at the time. It received a facelift in March 2005.  Third generation (2007–2015). The third Laguna went on sale in October 2007 and became available in hatchback, estate/wagon and coupe bodystyles. It received a mild facelift in late 2010. Then in 2015 it was replaced by a new model called the Talisman.  Talisman (2015-2022). The Talisman was revealed in late 2015 as a successor to the Laguna. It switched from a liftback bodystyle to a conventional sedan. It was facelifted in 2020 and discontinued in 2022.
Market capitalization (often market cap) is a measurement of the size of a business corporation. It is equal to the price of one share of stock, times the number of shares of stock in a public company. Owning stock in a company is owning a part of the company. Market capitalization shows the public opinion of a company's value. The total market capitalization of all publicly traded companies in the world was US$51.2 trillion in January 2007. In May 2008 it rose to US$57.5 trillion, but by September 2008 had dropped to a little more than US$40 trillion.  Valuation. Market capitalization represents the public opinion of the value of a company's equity. A public corporation, including all of its assets, may be bought and sold as stock. These purchases and sales will define the price of the company's share price. Market capitalization is the share price times by the number of shares in issue. This provides a total value for the company's shares and the value the company. Some companies have stock that is privately owned, and not publicly traded. Many Stock markets adjust the market cap on the value of the publicly traded part of the company. In this case, market capitalization is based on the publicly traded stocks. Note that market capitalization is a market estimate of a company's value. It is based how the public believes the company will perform in the future. There are many things that can affect the stock price. These include economic conditions and mergers and acquisitions. Categorization of companies by capitalization. In the past, companies were separated into large-cap, mid-cap, and small-cap. New categories 'micro-cap' and 'nano-cap' have been added. There are general guidelines to know what category a company is in. These guidelines are adjusted over time due to changes in the market and the economy. For example, $1 billion was a large market cap in 1950 but it is not very large now.  Different numbers are used by different stock markets. There is no official definition of the exact cutoffs. They also may be done by percentiles rather than fixed cutoffs. Related measures. Market cap reflects only the "equity" value of a company. A more comprehensive measure is enterprise value (EV), which includes debt and other factors. Insurance firms use a value called the embedded value (EV).