ejaasaari/simplewiki-2025-04-01 huggingface dataset:
Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog is an Internet Musical written by Joss Whedon and starring Neil Patrick Harris. Harris plays a Mad scientist named Billy, also known as Dr. Horrible, who wants to join a Supervillain team called the Evil League of Evil which will only let him in if he murders someone. Plot. Act 1. Billy, pretending to be a villain named Dr. Horrible, records a video of him talking to his audience. Reading his email in the video, he talks about someone he has simply referred to as "her" and explains his plan to have her fall in love with him using his freeze ray so she will notice him in the laundromat ("My Freeze Ray"). Billy's evil roommate Moist enters the room with Billy's mail. Billy finds a letter from the leader of the supervillain league he applied to, called the Evil League of Evil. In the letter, the leader, named Bad Horse, explains to Billy that he will be graded based on his next crime ("Bad Horse Chorus"). The next day, the girl is trying to get people to help people who don't have places to live ("Caring Hands") Meanwhile, Billy tries to steal an element called Wonderflonium to power his freeze ray by stealing a van. He is interrupted by the girl from the laundromat, named Penny. She asks for him to sign a piece of paper to help her cause, which he does. Billy then changes into Dr. Horrible and returns to stealing the van. His plan fails when his enemy, Captain Hammer, appears and destroys the remote control Billy was using to control the van. Hammer accidentally steers the van towards Penny, whom he then pushes into a pile of garbage bags. Hammer and Penny talk to each other while Dr. Horrible sneaks away with the Wonderflonium ("A Man's Gotta Do"). Act 2. Billy finds out that Penny and Captain Hammer have been seeing each other in public, so he watches them and complains about what they're doing ("My Eyes"). Billy is back in his house recording another video, outlining his plans to take down Hammer with the freeze ray. The camera cuts to him
The Independent Alliance is a parliamentary faction in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom. It is made up of five members of Parliament (MPs) who were elected as independents. The group is not a political party, but a technical group. The Independent Alliance was formed on 2 September 2024 by Jeremy Corbyn, formerly leader of the Labour Party, alongside Shockat Adam, Adnan Hussain, Ayoub Khan and Iqbal Mohamed.
Shockat Hussain Adam Patel (born November 1972) is a British businessman, optometrist, and independent politician. He has been a Member of Parliament for Leicester South since 2024.
Adnan Hussain (born July 1989) is a British independent politician and solicitor. He has been a Member of Parliament (MP) for Blackburn since 2024.
Ayoub Khan (born 1972 or 1973) is a British Independent politician. He has been a Member of Parliament (MP) for Birmingham Perry Barr since 2024.
Iqbal Hussain Mohamed is a British independent politician, engineer, and IT consultant. He has been the Member of Parliament for Dewsbury and Batley since 2024. He is known for his pro-Palestine stance. He became the first independent MP to be elected to a seat in Yorkshire since 1907.
A Bernal sphere is a type of space habitat intended as a long-term home for permanent residents, first designed in 1929 by John Desmond Bernal. Bernal's original proposal described a hollow non-rotating spherical shell, filled with air, 10 miles (16 km) in diameter, with a target population of 20,000 to 30,000 people. In 1975-1976, Dr. Gerard K. O'Neill designed "Island One", a changed Bernal sphere with a diameter of only 500 m (1,600 ft) for a population of 10,000. It would rotate about twice each minute to produce a full Earth artificial gravity at the sphere's equator. A "Crystal Palace", formed by multiple rings next to the sphere at both ends, would be used for agriculture. Sunlight was to be provided to the interior of the sphere using external mirrors to direct it in through large windows near the poles. O'Neill also designed a larger version, "Island Two", 1800 meters in diameter, with an equatorial circumference of nearly 6.5 km (4 miles). In addition to "Island One" and "Island Two" Bernal spheres, Gerard K. O'Neill also designed another type of space habitat: "Island Three", also known as O'Neill cylinder, with an even far larger size than "Island Two".
Gary Bruce Ruvkun (born 26 March 1952) is an American molecular biologist. He is a professor of genetics at Harvard Medical School in Boston.  Ruvkun was elected a Member of the American Philosophical Society in 2019.  Ruvkun was awarded the 2024 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine with Victor Ambros for their discovery of microRNA.
Victor R. Ambros (born December 1, 1953) is an American developmental biologist. He discovered the first known microRNA (miRNA). He is a professor at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. Ambros received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine with Gary Ruvkun in 2024 for their research on microRNA.
The billiard table also known as a pool table, or pool break is a type of sports table. Billiard tables are typically used to play billiard on. The game usually has 16 balls, which have to be inserted inside of pockets using a cue.
Ninh Thuận is a province of Vietnam. Its capital is Phan Rang–Tháp Chàm.
The Tehran Conference (codenamed Eureka) was a meeting of Joseph Stalin, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Winston Churchill from 28 November to 1 December 1943. It was held at the Soviet Union's embassy at Tehran in Iran. It was the first of the World War II conferences of the "Big Three" Allied leaders (the Soviet Union, the United States, and the United Kingdom). The main result of the Tehran Conference was the Western Allies' commitment to open a second front against Nazi Germany. The conference also addressed the Big Three Allies' relations with Turkey and Iran, operations in Yugoslavia and against Japan.
Đắk Lắk is a province of Vietnam. Its capital is Buôn Ma Thuột.
Khánh Hòa is a province of Vietnam. Its capital is Nha Trang.
Phú Yên is a province of Vietnam. Its capital is Tuy Hòa.
Bình Định is a province of Vietnam. Its capital is Quy Nhơn.
Quảng Ngãi is a province of Vietnam. Its capital is Quảng Ngãi.
Mephistopheles, also known as Mephisto, is a demon featured in German folklore. He originally appeared in literature as the demon in the Faust legend and has since become a stock character appearing in other works of arts and popular culture. During the Renaissance, he was known by the name Mephostophiles, from which one of his possible etymologies is derived, according to which the name comes from the combination of the Greek negative particle μὴ (not), φῶς (light), φιλής (he who loves), or what is the same: he who does not love the light. However, the meaning of the word has not been fully established. Butler mentions that the name suggests conjectures in Greek, Persian or Hebrew languages. Among the suggested names, there are Mephophiles (enemy of light), Mefaustophiles (enemy of Faust), or Mefiz-Tofel (destroyer-liar). Extended by Romanticism and universalized by Faust, it symbolizes the process of loss of faith and concretization to the practical according to a moral system typical of advanced societies as a consequence of the Scientific and Industrial Revolution. Mephistopheles is often portrayed as a tragicomic figure, caught between his victory in getting the masses to stop considering God the center of all things, and his defeat in losing relevance himself for the same reason. Graphically, Mephistopheles has been shown as the most refined representation of evil, being characterized with lavish clothing typical of nobility and with a cold, rational mind with a high level of logic, the same one he would use to mentally trap people and make them follow his designs.
Sally Svendelin (born 19 November 1939) is a Swiss archer. Svendelin competed at the 1972 Summer Olympics.
Lucien Trepper (born 19 May 1953) is a Swiss archer. Trepper competed at the 1972 Summer Olympics.
Charlotte "Lotti" Tschanz (born 10 July 1933) is a Swiss retired archer. Tschanz competed at the 1980 Summer Olympics.
The flag of Etzatlán () It is colored and the coat of arms in the center in white, was created in 2023. It has a white diagonal cross divided the field into alternating blue and yellow areas. The center of the cross merges into a white disk, on which there are eight solid six-pointed stars outlined in yellow. The ratio of the flag was 2:3 until 27 September 2023. The ratio of the flag is 3:4.
The Hephthalites, also known as the White Huns (Sanskrit: Sveta-huna; Old Persian: Spet Xyon; Bactrian: Εβοδαλο, or Ebodalo in Romanized form), were an ethnic group whose members lived in Central Asia from the 5th to 8th century CE, part of the larger group of the Iranian Huns. History. The Hephthalites formed an empire, sometimes called the Imperial Hephthalites, and were militarily significant from 450 CE, when they defeated the Kidarites, to 560 CE, when combined forces from the First Turkic Khaganate and the Sassanid Empire defeated them. After 560 CE, they established "principalities" in the area of Tokharistan, under the suzerainty of the Western Turkic Khaganate (Traditional Chinese: 西突厥汗國) – north of the Oxus – and of the Sassanid Empire – in the areas south of the Oxus – before the Tokhara Yabghus took over the region in 625 CE.
MCA DiscoVision, Inc. was a division of entertainment giant MCA (Music Corporation of America), established in 1969 to develop and sell an optical videodisc system. DiscoVision was the original name for what would later be known as the LaserDisc format. The format was intended as a home video distribution system using reflective optical discs. History. MCA DiscoVision launched in Atlanta, Georgia, in 1978, with discs pressed in Carson and Costa Mesa, California. The company released titles from major studios, including Universal Pictures, Paramount Pictures, Warner Bros. Pictures, and Disney. There were also agreements with Columbia Pictures and United Artists, though no discs were released under the DiscoVision label from these studios. Eventually, several of these companies began releasing titles under their own labels. The first to do so was Paramount Home Video, which released a dozen films on the format in the summer of 1981. DiscoVision's quality issues with disc pressings led to a partnership between MCA and IBM to form DiscoVision Associates (DVA), aiming to improve the quality of the product. However, significant improvements were never realized. In 1981, responsibility for the LaserDisc format was sold to Pioneer Electronic Corporation. This partnership included the establishment of disc pressing plants in Japan and the creation of the Pioneer PR-7820 player, the first industrial model of a DiscoVision player, launched in 1978. Decline and Legacy. In the same year (1981), MCA discontinued the DiscoVision branding, as the format was rebranded to LaserDisc under Pioneer’s ownership. MCA's LaserDisc releases were now produced by Pioneer under the new "MCA Videodisc" banner, which was later unified with VHS releases under the "MCA Home Video" name. Some of DiscoVision's technical staff later went on to form MCA Video Games, which focused on producing video game cartridges. Films Released. DiscoVision released a number of films from major studios, including:
A patent holding company (PHC) exists to hold patents on behalf of one or more other companies. Unlike operating companies, PHCs typically do not manufacture products or provide services based on the patents they hold. Their main function is patent ownership, which can be used for licensing purposes or strategic management of intellectual property. Purpose. Patent holding companies may be formed for several reasons: Patent Assertion Entities (PAEs). Patent holding companies that aggressively enforce their patents through litigation or threats of litigation are referred to as patent assertion entities (PAEs). These entities typically do not manufacture products or provide services themselves but focus solely on enforcing patent rights. PAEs have been criticized for engaging in what is commonly known as "patent trolling". Criticism and Patent Trolling. Patent trolls are companies or individuals that acquire patents primarily to profit from enforcing them against alleged infringers, rather than for developing or marketing the technology themselves. On June 4, 2013, the National Economic Council and the Council of Economic Advisers in the United States released a report entitled "Patent Assertion and U.S. Innovation," which found that PAEs harm the economy by hindering innovation and imposing significant legal costs on companies. The report made several recommendations to curb the negative effects of PAEs. In the same year, President Obama expressed criticism of companies that do not produce anything but instead leverage others' inventions to extract payments through patent claims. He stated that such behavior stifled innovation and entrepreneurship. Examples of Patent Holding Companies. Some well-known examples of patent holding companies or PAEs include:
Octane Fitness, LLC v. ICON Health &amp; Fitness, Inc. (572 U.S. 545) is a United States Supreme Court decision issued on April 29, 2014, which dealt with the standard for awarding attorney's fees in patent litigation under 35 U.S.C. § 285. The Court made it easier for courts to require the losing party to pay the attorney's fees of the prevailing party in cases deemed "exceptional," which includes frivolous lawsuits. Background. In the underlying lawsuit, ICON Health &amp; Fitness, the company behind brands like NordicTrack and ProForm, sued Octane Fitness, a smaller manufacturer of elliptical machines, for patent infringement. ICON claimed that Octane's elliptical machines violated its patents. However, Octane Fitness argued that its products did not infringe ICON's patent, and the district court ruled in favor of Octane Fitness on summary judgment. After prevailing, Octane moved for reimbursement of its attorney's fees under 35 U.S.C. § 285, which allows courts to award fees in "exceptional cases." The district court denied this motion, stating that ICON’s claims were not objectively baseless, even though they lost the case. Supreme Court Decision. The United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit affirmed the district court’s decision, and Octane Fitness appealed to the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court unanimously reversed the lower courts’ rulings. Writing for the Court, Justice Sonia Sotomayor held that the previous standard for awarding attorney's fees under § 285 was too rigid and imposed an unnecessarily high burden on prevailing parties. The Court stated that district courts should have discretion to determine whether a case is "exceptional" based on the totality of the circumstances, without needing to show that the losing party’s claims were "objectively baseless." The ruling made it easier for courts to award attorney's fees in patent litigation, providing more leeway to deter frivolous or unreasonable lawsuits, often associated with so-called patent trolls. Impact. The decision had a significant impact on patent litigation, especially concerning patent assertion entities (PAEs), which are often referred to as patent trolls. PAEs acquire patents primarily to
An elliptical trainer, also known as a cross-trainer, is a stationary exercise machine used to simulate walking, running, or stair climbing. It offers a low-impact form of cardiovascular exercise that reduces strain on the joints, making it a popular option for people with joint issues or those recovering from injuries. By engaging both the upper and lower body, elliptical trainers provide a full-body workout. History. Elliptical trainers were first introduced in the 1990s by the fitness equipment manufacturer Precor. Their first model, the Elliptical Fitness Crosstrainer (EFX), was released in 1995. It featured a rear flywheel design and allowed the user's foot to roll naturally from heel to toe, replicating the motion of walking or running. The patented four-bar linkage system that Precor developed enabled smooth, elliptical motion and significantly reduced the impact on joints compared to other cardio equipment like treadmills. Types. Elliptical trainers are generally categorized based on the placement of the drive system: Benefits. The elliptical trainer is favored for its low-impact nature, as it provides a cardiovascular workout without the jarring effects on the joints, common in running or stair climbing. The adjustable resistance and ability to change speeds allow users to customize their workouts, varying from light to intense. Many elliptical models also include movable handlebars, offering users the ability to work their upper body in conjunction with their lower body, providing a full-body workout. Common usage. Elliptical trainers are used widely in gyms, fitness centers, and homes as part of a cardiovascular exercise routine. They are particularly effective for individuals looking for a low-impact workout to build endurance and strengthen muscles without over-straining joints.
A grandfather clause, also known as grandfather policy or grandfathering, is a legal provision that allows individuals or entities to continue operating under an old rule, even after a new rule or regulation has been implemented. Those who benefit from this clause are said to have "grandfather rights" or to have been "grandfathered in." The exemption generally applies to situations that existed before the introduction of new laws or regulations, while future scenarios are subject to the updated rules. Grandfather clauses are often used in contexts such as regulatory changes, voting rights, or licensing laws, as a practical way to avoid disrupting established practices. Origin. The term "grandfather clause" originated in the late 19th century in the Southern United States as part of efforts to disenfranchise African American voters. After the American Civil War and the abolition of slavery, Southern states sought to limit the political power of freedmen. Legislators passed new requirements for voter registration, including literacy tests, payment of poll taxes, and residency or property restrictions. To ensure poor and illiterate whites were not excluded, many states included clauses that exempted individuals from these requirements if their grandfathers had been eligible to vote before the American Civil War or before a certain date. These laws effectively allowed many white voters to bypass restrictions while disenfranchising African Americans, who were largely unable to meet the new criteria. The first grandfather clauses appeared in the state constitutions and laws of states like Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, North Carolina, Oklahoma, and Virginia between 1890 and 1908. These provisions were part of the Jim Crow laws designed to enforce racial segregation and suppress the political rights of African Americans. Legal challenges and unconstitutionality. In 1915, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the grandfather clauses in voting laws were unconstitutional in the case of "Guinn v. United States". The Court found that the clauses violated the Fifteenth Amendment of the United States Constitution, which prohibits denying the right to vote based on race. Despite this ruling, states continued to find other methods of disenfranchising black voters, such as implementing literacy tests and poll taxes. Modern usage. Though the original use of the term "grandfather clause" was related to
Williams v. Mississippi, 170 U.S. 213 (1898), was a landmark United States Supreme Court case that upheld the constitutionality of Mississippi’s voter registration provisions, which included a poll tax, literacy test, and the grandfather clause for voter eligibility. The plaintiff, Henry Williams, an African American man convicted of murder by an all-white jury, challenged the validity of these provisions under the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. Background. In 1890, Mississippi adopted a new state constitution that included a number of provisions aimed at disenfranchising African American voters. These provisions included a poll tax, literacy tests, and a grandfather clause that allowed illiterate whites to vote if their grandfathers had voted before the American Civil War. The laws disproportionately affected African Americans, who, due to generations of inequality, were more likely to be poor and illiterate than whites. Williams was convicted of murder by an all-white jury, and he argued that his indictment was invalid because African Americans had been systematically excluded from jury service through the state's discriminatory voter registration laws. Under Mississippi's laws, only registered voters could serve on juries, and because African Americans were effectively disenfranchised, they were excluded from juries as well. Legal argument. Williams' appeal claimed that the state’s voting laws violated the Fourteenth Amendment, as they were designed to disenfranchise African Americans and deny them equal protection under the law. He argued that because African Americans were excluded from voter rolls, they were also excluded from jury service, making his trial by an all-white jury inherently biased. Decision. On April 25, 1898, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled unanimously against Williams in a 9–0 decision. Writing for the Court, Justice Joseph McKenna held that Mississippi’s voting laws were not discriminatory on their face and did not violate the Fourteenth Amendment, even if they resulted in the exclusion of African Americans from voting and jury service. McKenna noted that the laws could apply to all races equally, and any discrimination that occurred was the result of local officials' application of the laws, not the laws themselves. McKenna wrote: "The constitution of Mississippi and its statutes do not on their face discriminate
Hollingsworth v. Perry, 570 U.S. 693 (2013), was a landmark United States Supreme Court case that effectively restored same-sex marriage in California. The case began in 2009 when two same-sex couples challenged Proposition 8, a California state constitutional amendment that banned same-sex marriage, under the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. Background. In May 2008, the California Supreme Court ruled in "In re Marriage Cases" that laws restricting marriage to opposite-sex couples violated the state's constitution. As a result, same-sex couples gained the right to marry. However, in November 2008, California voters passed Proposition 8, which reinstated the ban on same-sex marriage by amending the state constitution. Shortly after its passage, several lawsuits were filed to challenge Proposition 8. In "Strauss v. Horton" (2009), the California Supreme Court upheld Proposition 8, but also ruled that marriages performed before its passage would remain valid. In May 2009, two same-sex couples, Kristin Perry &amp; Sandra Stier and Paul Katami &amp; Jeffrey Zarrillo, filed a federal lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California challenging Proposition 8 under federal law. The case was led by attorneys David Boies and Theodore Olson, who famously argued opposite sides in "Bush v. Gore", the case that decided the 2000 presidential election. District Court ruling. In August 2010, Judge Vaughn Walker ruled in "Perry v. Schwarzenegger" that Proposition 8 violated the U.S. Constitution by denying same-sex couples the fundamental right to marry, thus violating the Equal Protection and Due Process Clauses of the Fourteenth Amendment. Judge Walker's decision was a landmark ruling that laid the groundwork for further legal battles over marriage equality. Supreme Court ruling. The case reached the Supreme Court of the United States in 2013 as "Hollingsworth v. Perry". The key issue before the Court was not whether same-sex marriage was constitutional, but whether the proponents of Proposition 8 had the legal standing to defend the law after state officials, including Governor Jerry Brown and Attorney General
The T4 Eastern Suburbs and Illawarra Line is a rail service operated by Sydney Trains. History. The line between Town Hall and Bondi Junction opened on 23 June 1979.