A land mine (called a "mine" when a naval mine is clearly not what is meant) is an explosive weapon that is put on the ground or just underneath the ground so that it explodes when a person or vehicle goes by. They are called "mines" because people who put them there often dig a tunnel under the ground (like miners who dig for coal etc.). Many people can be killed by mines, including civilians. Sometimes mines can lie in the ground and kill and injure people years after a war has ended.
There are different types of land mines. Big anti-vehicle mines are against vehicles. Smaller infantry mines are used against foot soldiers.
Charles Wood
Charles Wood (born Armagh, 15 June 1866; died Cambridge, 12 July 1926) was an Irish composer and teacher.
Charles Wood was born in Armagh, Ireland. His father sang in the Cathedral choir. Charles had music lessons from the cathedral organist, then he went to the Royal College of Music where he studied composition with C.V.Stanford and Hubert Parry. He also learned to play the horn and piano. After four years he went to Selwyn College, Cambridge, at first to study, then to teach harmony and counterpoint. In 1889 he got a teaching job at Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge. Soon he became their first Director of Music and Organist. When Stanford died, Wood became Professor of Music at Cambridge.
Wood is mainly remembered today for his Anglican church music. He wrote music for the Communion Service and service settings of the Magnificat and Nunc dimittis. These are often sung today in cathedrals and churches. He wrote many fine anthems including "O thou, the central orb". In Cambridge he is remembered for the chimes he wrote for the clocks of Gonville and Caius College.
His pupils included Ralph Vaughan Williams at Cambridge and Herbert Howells at the Royal College of Music.
The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, ed. Stanley Sadie ISBN 1-56159-174-2
Arthur Bliss
Sir Arthur Bliss CH KCVO (London, 2 August 1891; died London, 27 March 1975) was a British composer (a person who writes music). When he started composing, his music sounded very modern and harsh. As he got older he changed his style and wrote more Romantic music in the style of English composer Edward Elgar. For more than twenty years he was Master of the Queen's Music.
His father was American, his mother was English. He went to school at Rugby. He went to Cambridge University where he studied with Irish composer Charles Wood. Wood also taught the composer Ralph Vaughan Williams. Bliss got to know Elgar whose music influenced him very much.
For a short time he learned music from Charles Villiers Stanford at the Royal College of Music. During World War I he served in the army.
After the war he started to play his music in public. These compositions show the influence of Stravinsky, Ravel and Les Six. His music even sounded jazzy. After a few years his music became more Romantic. Elgar asked him to write something for the Three Choirs Festival in 1922. The piece he composed was his "Colour Symphony" in which he tries to describe colours in music.
During the 1920s his music became more traditional. He wrote a lot of music for movies including music for the movie "Things to Come" (H.G.Wells). He loved the theatre and composed music for the ballets "Checkmate" and "Miracle in the Gorbals". One of his best works is the choral symphony "Morning Heroes" (1930). This was written to remember those who were killed in World War I.
When World War II started he was in the USA. He stayed there and taught at Berkeley, California until 1941. Then he returned to England. For a time he was Director of Music of the BBC. He wrote an opera "The Olympians". In 1953 he was made Master of the Queen's Music. He kept that position until his death, writing many pieces of music for official royal occasions.
He was given many honours, including the Companion of Honour and the Royal Victorian Order.
In his later years he composed several works for orchestra as well as for choirs.
He died on 27 March 1975. His wife, Gertrude died on 21 November 2008 at the age of 104.
The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, ed. Stanley Sadie
Plumbing
Plumbing (which comes from the Latin word "plumbum", which means lead, as pipes were once made from lead) is the job of working with pipes, tubing and plumbing fixtures for drinking water systems and getting rid of waste. A plumber is someone who fixes or puts in piping systems, plumbing fixtures and equipment such as water heaters. Many plumbers are construction workers. The plumbing industry is an important part of every developed economy because people need clean water and safe ways to move and store waste.
Plumbing also refers to a system of pipes and fixtures put in a building to move water and the get rid of waste that is in water. Plumbing is different from water and sewage systems because plumbing system serves one building, while water and sewage systems serve a group of buildings or a city.
Plumbing was very rare until modern cities grew in the 19th century. At about the same time, public health leaders began wanting better systems to get rid of waste. Before this, people got rid of waste by collecting it and dumping it onto the ground or into rivers. However, there were some plumbing pipes in the city settlements of the Indus Valley Civilization by 2700 B.C. Plumbing was also used during the ancient civilizations such as the Greek, Roman, Persian, Indian, and Chinese civilizations as they built public baths and needed drinking water, and somewhere to drain waste. The Romans used pipe inscriptions to stop people from stealing water.
These systems did not improve much over the years. There were almost no improvements from the time of the Roman aqueducts and sewers until the 19th century. Eventually the development of separate, underground water and sewage systems got rid of open sewage ditches and cesspools. Most large cities today send solid wastes through pipes to sewage treatment plants. Treatment separates water from waste and makes the water more pure before it goes into streams or other bodies of water. Most places stopped using lead for drinking water after World War II because of the dangers of lead poisoning. At this time, copper piping was started because it was safer than using lead pipes.
Water systems in ancient times used gravity to move water. They used pipes or channels usually made of clay, lead, bamboo or stone. Today, water-supply systems use a network of high-pressure pumps, and pipes are now made of copper, brass, plastic, or other nontoxic material. Drain and vent lines are made of plastic, steel, cast-iron, and lead. Lead is not used in pipes today because it can be poisonous.
The 'straight' sections of plumbing systems are of pipe or tube. A pipe is usually made by casting or welding, where a tube is made through extrusion. Pipe usually has thicker walls and may be threaded or welded, where tubes have thinner walls, and needs special joining techniques such as 'brazing', 'compression fitting', 'crimping', or for plastics, 'solvent welding'.
As well as the straight pipe or tubing, many fittings are required in plumbing systems, such as valves, elbows, tees, and unions.
Plumbing fixtures are designed for the people who use the water. Some examples of fixtures include water closets (also known as toilets), urinals, bidets, showers, bathtubs, utility and kitchen sinks, drinking fountains, ice makers, humidifiers, air washers, fountains, and eye wash stations.
Much of the plumbing work in places where many people live is done under government rules. Putting in plumbing and fixing plumbing generally must be done according to plumbing and building codes to protect the people who live or work in the buildings.
Copepod
Copepods (meaning "oar feet") are small, shrimp-like crustaceans that swim in seas, lakes, and ponds. Copepods are very important in the food web, and many animals eat them.