The Sony Pictures Studios is a television and movie studio complex in Culver City, California. It is owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment. Many movies and television shows are taped there, including the popular television game shows "Wheel of Fortune" and "Jeopardy!". It houses the movie companies Columbia Pictures and TriStar Pictures.
The complex started in 1915 as the Triangle Studios (1915-1918), then Paramount Culver Studios (1918-1921), then Goldwyn Studios (1921-1924)
It was acquired by American film and television company Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and renamed it MGM Studios in 1924. Many famous MGM movies such as "The Wizard of Oz" and "Singin' in the Rain" were produced there. Between 1927 and 1963, 52 movies a year were shot there.
In 1986, MGM sold it's studio lot to Lorimar.
In 1989, It was later purchased by Sony Pictures Entertainment and redone as the Sony Pictures Studios.
In 2016, while all the Sony and Columbia titles are later named after TriStar, it was purchased by Pinewood Group and restored as the Pinewood Studios Hollywood
The complex is open for daily studio tours. It has sixteen different sound stages, where the company's movies and television shows are shot.
Pegasus (band)
Pegasus is a Swiss pop/rock-band from Biel. From childhood on they were sharing song ideas and a basement rehearsal room.
Three of them (Veraguth, Spahni and Spahr) grew up in the same street and went to the same schools. They made a lot of music in their childhood.
After Stefan Brenner came to the band, they tried to get a recording contract. They made their first album in 2007. It was called "A Place To Be". It was quite successful, the reviews were positive.
Their second album was called "Heroes & Champions" (2010). For this album they got the Swiss Music Award in the category Best Newcomer National. It includes the hits "Listen To The Music", "Come Down With Me" and "Easy".
The third most successful album is "Human.Technology" produced in 2011. 0n the 27th of July 2012 it was on second place in the Swiss charts.
They made a special edition called "Human.Technology 2.0". in 2012. The most popular songs are "Man On Mars", "Rise Up (Black Dog)" and "Skyline" (only on "Human.Technology 2.0"). "Skyline" was used as official Swiss Olympic song in London 2012. It was a number one hit in Swiss charts.
In September they started their Human.Technology Tour, in February a second one.
Noah Veraguth is also known for his work with Stress and Bastian Baker. In 2011 he produces a song with Stress called "Elle". Together with M.A.M and Karolyn they made an album called "Noël’s Room" (2012) which is very successful.
In 2010 they won the award in the category Newcomer National. In 2013 they got Best Hit National for "Skyline".
Erotica (Madonna album)
Erotica is the fifth studio album from American singer Madonna. It was released on October 20, 1992 through Maverick Records. Six singles were released from the album, one being the title song. The album caused strong controversy. It was less successful than earlier albums by Madonna: it peaked at number two in the United States. Other songs were "Deeper and Deeper" and "Bad Girl".
Dutch Golden Age painting
There was a period in the 17th century, where Dutch trade, science and art were among the most advanced in Europe. The period is known as the Dutch Golden Age. In general, this period started in the second half of the Eighty Years' War. After the war, there was the Dutch Republic which was the most propsperous nation in Europe. The historical period of the time was called Baroque. Many of the paintings of this period show the scenes more pretty than they really were. This is called 'idealisation'. The Dutch paintings of the time often lack this feature. Artists of the movement include Peter Paul Rubens, Johannes Vermeer, Bartholomeus van der Helst, and Jacob van Loo.
There were relatively few paintings with religious themes during this period. The reason for this was that most Dutch were Calvinist. Calvinism forbade religious painting in churches. Even though such subjects were acceptable in private homes, they were not very popular. The other traditional classes of history and portrait painting were present, but the period is more notable for a huge variety of other genres, sub-divided into numerous specialized categories, such as scenes of peasant life, landscapes, townscapes, landscapes with animals, maritime paintings, flower paintings and still lifes of various types. The development of many of these types of painting was decisively influenced by 17th-century Dutch artists.
There was a theory in painting, that some types of painting were more prestigious than others. This theory is known as "hierarchy of genres". Because history painting was at the top of the list, many painters wanted to produce historical paintings. The problem with this was that historical paintings were the most difficult to sell. To be able to live from their painting, many painters were forced to produce portraits or genre scenes, which sold much more easily. The hierarchy was as follows:
The Dutch concentrated heavily on the "lower" categories, but by no means rejected the concept of the hierarchy. Most paintings were relatively small – the only common type of really large paintings were group portraits. Painting directly onto walls hardly existed; when a wall-space in a public building needed decorating fitted framed canvas was normally used. For the extra precision possible on a hard surface many painters continued to use wooden panels, some time after the rest of Western Europe had abandoned them; some used copper plates, usually recycling plates from printmaking. In turn the number of surviving Golden Age paintings was reduced by them being overpainted with new works by artists throughout the 18th and 19th century – poor ones were usually cheaper than a new canvas, stretcher and frame. There was very little Dutch sculpture during the period; it is mostly found in tomb monuments and attached to public buildings, and small sculptures for houses are a noticeable gap, their place taken by silverware and ceramics. Painted delftware tiles were very cheap and common, if rarely of really high quality, but silver, especially in the auricular style, led Europe. With this exception, the best artistic efforts were concentrated on painting and printmaking.
Starving Time
The Starving Time at Jamestown in Virginia Colony was a period of starvation during the winter of 1609–1610. During this time, all but 60 of the 500 colonists died. Lack of rain and access to water had crippled the agricultural production during the summer. Also, the water that the colonists drank was brackish and only drinkable half the year.
According to historical accounts, the colonists ate dogs, snakes, cats, rats, horses, books and shoe leather through the winter. There is forensic evidence of at least one instance of cannibalism. The remains of a teenage girl ( 1595–1609), named "Jane" by researchers, showed signs of being butchered (cut up for eating). Examination of Jane's shin bone indicates she was probably 14 years old at the time of her death. Based on studies of the isotopes in a tooth, she was probably from southern England. She was possibly the daughter of a gentleman or a maid in a gentleman's home because she had consumed generous amounts of protein (meat). Jane likely arrived in Virginia in August 1609.
It is almost certain Jane was removed from her grave before being butchered and eaten. She was not murdered. In 1625, George Percy, president of Jamestown during the starvation period, wrote that the hunger was so intense “thatt notheinge was Spared to mainteyne Lyfe and to doe those things which seame incredible, as to digge upp deade corpes outt of graves and to eate them." Five other accounts refer to cannibalism during the bitter winter.