Larry's birthday was celebrated on 15 February 2016. A month later Larry's importance to the UK was compared favourably to a team of dolphins being trained by the Russian Navy. In April Larry's ability to be a good mouser was again questioned. So a new neighbour, Palmerston the cat, moved into the Foreign Office. Just a week later Palmerston made his first kill, a mouse.
During President Obama's April visit to the UK, Larry got much coverage in American social media and news reports.
In June 2016 it was reported that Larry is undecided about the Brexit decision. Whether he gets to keep living at 10 Downing Street, he will still get his daily dinner.
Civil law (common law)
Civil law is a branch of the law in common law countries. The other branch of common law is criminal law. Civil law is concerned with the duties individuals owe to other people or to their government. This excludes the duty not to commit crimes. The American form of civil justice is considerably different from European systems. Two features stand out, class actions and the awarding of punitive damages in tort cases. Many people in other countries are amazed at the number of civil cases in the United States. Americans sue in a wide variety of cases for compensation and medical expenses that are covered in other countries by national health insurance and government compensation programs.
Civil law is concerned with cases such as divorce, child custody and support and related lawsuits. Contract cases, tort cases (when someone is hurt and seeks compensation) and crimes which are tried in a criminal court and then tried in a civil case. Examples would be cases resulting from drunk driving or hit and run.
Civil cases use a lower preponderance of the evidence standard of proof whereas criminal cases use the higher standard of beyond a reasonable doubt. An example of the differences and that the same crime can result in both criminal and civil trials is the O. J. Simpson trials. In his criminal trial a jury decided the evidence did not meet the higher standard so he was acquitted of murder charges. But in the civil wrongful death trial he was found guilty.
The right to a jury trial in civil cases is found in the United States but in very few other places. England, Canada, Australia and New Zealand have all but done away with civil jury trials in favor of bench trials. Fewer than 1 percent of civil trials in the US are jury trials. Where juries are used, the presence of a jury has changed the form of civil proceedings. A jury has to be impaneled, they must hear witnesses and go over evidence before reaching a verdict. The verdict, in turn, must follow the instructions given by a judge.
Bench trials in civil cases are usually conducted differently than jury trials. Judges usually prefer settlements to trials and prefer bench trials because they save time. A judge can streamline a case by asking for what he wants to see and hear, not what is presented for the benefit of a jury.
Bench trials have several advantages. They are usually much less formal than a jury trial. Attorneys for both sides can usually agree on the facts of a case before the trial starts. This can save a great deal of time otherwise spent on hearing witnesses and reviewing evidence. This can save on the costs of a trial. In a jury trial, the judge is required to give instructions to the jury before they deliberate. If a judge makes an error in his instructions, this is called a reversible error and can be used as a basis for an appeal. In a bench trial, the judge gives no instructions since there is no jury. This means the judge cannot be reversed due to an error in the instructions.
CBGB
CBGB was a New York City music nightclub. The letters "CBGB" stand for "country, bluegrass, blues". The club was opened in 1973 by Hilly Kristal. CBGB, soon afterward, became a place where new wave and punk rock bands played. These included Patti Smith Group, Blondie and Talking Heads. From the early 1980s onward, CBGB was known for hardcore punk.
One store next to CBGB became the "CBGB Record Canteen", a record shop and café. In the late 1980s, CBGB Record Canteen was changed into an art gallery and second performance space. The name was "CB's 313 Gallery." CB's Gallery was played by artists of milder sounds, such as acoustic rock, folk, jazz or experimental music. On the other side, CBGB had a small cafe and bar in the mid 1990s. The cafe served classic New York pizza.
In October 2006, the original CBGB closed after its final concert. The concert was by Patti Smith. CBGB Radio started on the iHeartRadio platform in 2010. In 2013, its previous building, 315 Bowery, was added to the National Register of Historic Places as part of the Bowery Historic District.
2015–16 UEFA Champions League – Group stage
The 2015–16 UEFA Champions League group stage began on 15 September and ended on 9 December 2015. A total of 32 teams competed in group stage to decide the 16 places in the knockout phase of the 2015–16 UEFA Champions League.
Wilberforce (cat)
Wilberforce was a cat who lived and worked at 10 Downing Street, the home of the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. He lived there between October 1973 and 13 November 1987. His title was "Chief Mouser to the Cabinet Office".
He served under four British Prime Ministers: Edward Heath, Harold Wilson, Jim Callaghan, and Margaret Thatcher. His chief job was to catch mice. While he was alive, he was said to be "the best mouser in Britain" as fit his role.
He retired on 3 April 1987, and was succeeded by Humphrey who was born in 1988, the year Wilberforce died.
Wilberforce was just a kitten when he was adopted from a London branch of the RSPCA in 1973. This was while Edward Heath was Prime Minister. He was appointed the Office Manager's cat, with a living allowance for his care. The black-and-white cat turned out to be a terrific mouser. The policeman on security duty at the front door of Number 10 had to ring the bell for Wilberforce whenever he wanted to come in.
According to Bernard Ingham, the former press secretary to Margaret Thatcher, Wilberforce was a normal cat for whom Thatcher once bought "a tin of sardines in a Moscow supermarket". Ingham was allergic to cats and did his best to avoid Wilberforce. "Bloody Wilberforce used to sit under my desk and I would have a fit of sneezing. I hate cats", he said.
On the BBC coverage of the 1983 UK general election, presenter Esther Rantzen was allowed to hold Wilberforce and introduce him to viewers.
Wilberforce retired in 1986, after 13 years of loyal service. He went to live with a retired caretaker from No. 10 in the country. He died in his sleep on 19 May 1988.
Delegate
A delegate someone who is either chosen or elected to vote or act for others. In organizations like the United Nations, each country sends delegates to represent them.
Before a general election in the US, the process to select candidates begins with delegates. At the state level each of the major political parties selects delegates to attend a national convention. The two ways delegates are selected are the caucus and the Primary election. Each state may have different ways to select delegates as do political parties. The Republican Party lets each state decide how to select delegates. The Democratic Party uses a proportional method for awarding delegates. The percentage of delegates each candidate is awarded depends on the caucus or how many are elected for each candidate. Candidate "X" may have 40 percent, candidate "Y" may have 20 percent while candidate "Z" may have 50 percent. Any remaining percent may be undecided votes or for other candidates.