juno-labs/simple_wikipedia huggingface dataset:
Thomas Midgley

**Thomas Midgley** (May 18, 1889 – November 2, 1944), was an American inventor. His two most famous inventions are both now banned because they are dangerous for the world environment: the use of lead in petrol (gasoline)  and the use of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) in refrigerators.  Midgley was accidentally killed by something he was inventing.

## Early life

Midgley was born in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania.  His father was also an inventor.  He grew up in Columbus, Ohio, and graduated from Cornell University in 1911 with a degree in mechanical engineering.

## Discovery of Leaded Gasoline/Petrol

Midgley began working at General Motors in 1916. In December 1921 Midgley discovered that the addition of Tetraethyllead to gasoline prevented "knocking" in internal combustion engines.

## Discovery of Freon

In the 1930s Midgley  developed a non-poisonous substance called CFC (chlorinated fluorocarbon) for use in refrigerators, inhalers and aerosol spray cans.  He was given many high awards for his work and in 1944 he became president and chairman of the American Chemical Society.

## His death

In 1940, at the age of 51, Midgley became ill with polio which left him disabled. It was to the point where it was hard to do every day tasks; like getting  out of bed.  He decided to invent a complicated  system of strings and pulleys to lift him from his bed. However, this plan backfired, and he got caught up in the ropes and died of strangulation.

## After his death

Midgley died before the days when people realized that CFCs were destroying the ozone layer which prevents harmful rays from the sun reaching the earth.  They are now banned in refrigerators, but are still used in some countries.

In the United States it was not until 1973 that people started to produce gasoline without lead and, in 1996, the Clean Air Act banned the sale of leaded fuel for use in on-road vehicles.  However it was still legal in the U.S. for aircraft, racing cars, farm equipment, and marine engines until 2008. Leaded gasoline is still common in South America, Africa, and some parts of Asia and the Middle East.
Hovhannes Shiraz

**Hovhannes Shiraz** (Armenian: Հովհաննես Շիրազ) (April 27, 1915 - April 14, 1984) was a notable Armenian poet.

He was born Hovhannes (Onig) Garabedyan in the city of Alexandropol, then part of the Russian Empire (now Gyumri, Armenia). His first work called Beginning of Spring was published in 1935. Novelist Atrpet gave the talented poet the epithet "Shiraz", because "this youth's poems have the fragrance of roses, fresh and covered with dew, like the roses of Shiraz." Shiraz being one of Iran's major cities, famous for its roses and poets. Most of Shiraz's publications were poetry.

He married famous Armenian poetess Silva Kaputikyan. His son with Kaputikyan, Ara Shiraz, is a sculptor. A street in Julfa of Isfahan is named after him. In 2005 Levon Mkrtchyan released a documentary film titled "**Hovhannes Shiraz**".  Hayk Studio 43min.
Polar low

A **polar low** is a small sized and short-lived atmospheric low pressure system that is found over the ocean areas pole ward of the main polar front in both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. The systems usually have a horizontal length scale of less than 1,000 km and live for less than a couple of days. They are part of the larger class of mesoscale weather systems. Polar lows can be difficult to detect using standard weather reports and are a problem to high-latitude operations, such as shipping and gas and oil platforms.

Polar lows have been also known as by using many other terms, such as _comma cloud_, _mesocyclone_, _polar mesoscale vortex_, _Arctic hurricane_, _Arctic low_, and _cold air depression_. Today the term is usually set aside for the more-energetic systems that have near-surface winds of at least gale force (17 m/s).

## Other websites

- European Polar Lows Working Group
- NSIDC
- Polar Low Forecasting by MetEd

### Further reading

Rasmussen,E.A. and Turner,J.(2003). Polar Lows: Mesoscale Weather Systems in the Polar Regions, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, pp 612.
Wind speed

**Wind speed** is the speed of the weather related air movement from one place to the next.

Wind speeds usually mean the movement of air in an outside environment, but the speed of movement of air inside is also important in many cases, including weather forecasting, aircraft and maritime operations, construction and civil engineering. High wind speeds can cause unpleasant side effects, and strong winds often have special names, including gales, hurricanes, and typhoons. The highest non-tornadic wind speed ever measured on earth, 253 miles per hour, was recorded on Barrow Island, Australia.

## Measurement

The most simple method of measuring wind speed is to estimate the speed from the observed event against the Beaufort Scale. Obviously, this method is not the most accurate available, so each value on the scale represents a range of values, three on the scale, for example, covers the wind speeds between seven and ten knots.

## Notes

es:Viento#Características físicas de los vientos
Thebes, Greece

**Thebes** is a city in Central Greece in Boeotia. Today, about 23,000 people live there. It lies on the border of Boeotia and Attica. Archaeologists have found a Mycenaean settlement. They have also found clay tablets written in Linear B script. Thebes was once a super-power in Greece until the rise of Macedonia. It became a dominant power after their victory over the Spartans at the Battle of Leuctra in 371 BC.
Minoan civilization

The **Minoan civilization** was a civilization on Crete named after Minos. It began in the Bronze Age between 3000 and 2700 BC. It lasted until about 1450 BC.

The Minoan civilization is famous for its sea trading and well-planned cities. The Minoans had an agricultural system, which relied mainly on olives and grapes. Their religion worshipped mostly goddesses.

Their civilization was later replaced by the Mycenaean culture.

## Architecture

Cretans built palaces during their architecture era, from 2000 BC to 1450 BC. The Cretans might have gotten the money to create their palaces from working for the Egyptians.

Most of the palaces that Cretans built are very large. They were used as many things: government centers, storerooms, stores, and administrative offices. A non-royal palace had many small rooms with cooler places to sit, because Crete got very hot in the summer.

The royal palace was very different. Everyone had toilets, baths, and running water. The king's and queen's palace was very fancy.

The architecture era was ended by a great fire.

## Further reading

- http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/greeks/history/minoans.htm
- http://photo.pds.org:5005/student/article?id=ar028740
- Minoan civilization -Academic Kids
Alliance

An **alliance** is an agreement made between two or more parties to benefit them.

The word is used mainly in war. Two or more countries that make an alliance promise to help one other during war. Such countries are called _allies_. Those countries are said to be _allied_.

An example of an alliance with more than two countries is the Central Powers during World War I. That alliance was made up of Germany, Austria-Hungary, the Ottoman Empire, and Bulgaria.
Persia (disambiguation)

**Persia** is another name for Iran, a country in Western Asia. Sometimes it means only the southwestern part of Iran.

The **Persian Empire** ( - **') is another name for a few empires that ruled over modern-day Iran.

- Achaemenid Empire (550 BC – 330 BC), the first Persian Empire.
- Sassanid Empire (224 – 651 AD),  the second Persian Empire.
- Persia (1501-1935) under thé Safavid dynasty, Afsharid dynasty, Zand dynasty, Qajar dynasty and Pahlavi dynasty
- Persian Empire, dynastic-states of Iranian origin that ruled Iran from the Medes to the Pahlavi period.

**Persia_' may also refer to:
- Persia, Iowa, a city in the United States
- Persian Gulf, an extension of the Indian Ocean between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula
- Fars Province, a province in Iran, also known as Pārs

## Related pages

- Persian (disambiguation)
- _Prince of Persia'', a series of video games
Epic poetry

**Epic poetry** tells a dramatic story in a poem. It is usually long, has characters, and takes place in different settings. Epic poems started in prehistoric times as part of oral tradition.

_Beowulf_ is a famous example, written in Old English. Well-known people who wrote epics were Homer, Virgil, Ovid, Dante, Edmund Spenser and Milton. William Wordsworth's Prelude plays with epic ideas, though the poem is autobiographical. The Kyrgyz Epic of Manas is one of the longest written epics in history.

## Characteristics

Epic poems have seven main characteristics:
1. The hero is outstanding. They might be important, and historically or legendarily significant.
1. The setting is large. It covers many nations, or the known world.
1. The hero's actions require great or superhuman courage.
1. Supernatural forces—gods, angels, demons—insert themselves in the action.
1. The poem is written in a very special style (verse as opposed to prose).
1. The poet tries to remain objective.
1. Epic poems are believed to be supernatural and real by the hero and the villain.

Usually, in epic poems:
1. The poem starts with the theme or subject of the story.
1. In epics inspired from Western civilization, the writer invokes a Muse, one of the nine daughters of Zeus.  The poet prays to the Muse for divine inspiration to tell the great story.
1. The narrative opens _in medias res_, or in the middle of things, usually with the hero at his lowest point. Usually flashbacks show earlier portions of the story.
1. Catalogues and genealogies are given. Often, the poet is honoring audience members' ancestors.
1. Main characters give extended formal speeches.
1. The poem uses the epic simile.
1. Repetition or stock phrases are used frequently.
1. The poem presents heroic ideals like courage, honour, sacrifice, patriotism and kindness.
1. The poem gives a clear window of the social and cultural patterns of the contemporary life. (For example, Beowulf shows how people at the time loved wine, wild celebration, war, adventure and sea voyages.)

### Ancient

- 20th to 10th century BC:
    - _Epic of Gilgamesh_  (Mesopotamia)
- 8th century BC to 3rd century AD:
    - _Mahābhārata_  (Indian mythology)
- 8th to 6th century BC:
    - _Iliad and_ _Odyssey,_ ascribed to Homer  (Greek mythology)
- 1st century BC:
    - _Aeneid_, Vergil (Latin)

### Medieval

- Song of Roland
- 8th to 10th century AD
    - _Beowulf_ (Old English)
- 12th to 13th century AD
    - **Sirat Bani Hilal** (Arabic)    **10th to 12th century AD
    - _[Njál's saga(556421)_ (Old Norse)
- 14th century AD
    - _Sir Gawain and the Green Knight_ (dialect of middle English)

### Contemporary

Omeros (1990), Derek Walcott

Empire of Dreams (1988), Giannina Braschi

## Related pages

- Lyric poetry - contrary notion
- Narrative poetry
Water lillies

**Water lilies** could mean:
- The water flowers named _Nymphaea_
- The famous series of paintings by Claude Monet: _Water Lilies_
Kousuke Atari

**Kousuke Atari** (, _Atari Kōsuke_; born July 13, 1980 in Amami island, Kagoshima) is a Japanese singer and Shimauta utasha.

## Albums

|Release|Title|Chart|
| --- | --- | --- |
|2006|なつかしゃのシマ (_Natsukasha no Shima_) - Mini album|65|
|2006 2006 2006|触動心弦 (_Chung Dong Xin Xian_) - Asian limited edition|**1**|
|2007|ユライ花 (_Yurai Bana_) - 1st studio album|7|
|2007 2007|花間道 (_Hua Jian Dao_) - "Yurai Bana" Asian edition|5|

## Other websites

- Sony Music Online Japan Artist
- Kousuke Atari at EPIC-JP.net

## Infobox (musical artist)

- **name**: Kousuke Atari

- **img**: EAG2009 closing22.JPG
- **background**: solo_singer
- **origin**: Kagoshima Prefecture, Kagoshima, Japan
- **instrument**: Shamisen, Piano
- **genre**: Shimauta, J-Pop
- **occupation**: Singer, Utasha
- **years active**: 1999 - present
- **label**: Epic Records Japan
- **url**: [http://www.atarikousuke.jp/ www.atarikousuke.jp]
Knot (speed)

A **knot** is a unit of speed. It is abbreviated kt or kn. It is a non-SI unit accepted for use with the SI. It is used around the world in meteorology and for maritime and aviation purposes.

## Definition

1 international knot = 1 nautical mile per hour = 1.852 kilometres per hour exactly. This is based on the internationally agreed length of the nautical mile, as adopted by the US in 1954 (which previously used the US nautical mile of 1853.248 m), the UK in 1970 (which previously used the UK or Admiralty nautical mile of 1853.184 m) and other countries. This is the definition used in most, if not all, modern circumstances.  Knot is sometimes used for the nautical mile itself, but this is incorrect.

The speed of a vessel relative to the fluid in which it travels is usually measured in knots.  This may be referred to as 'boat speed', 'vessel speed' and, for aircraft, 'air speed'. The speeds of relevant fluids, such as tidal streams, river currents and wind speeds, are also usually specified in knots. Knots are then also used to describe the actual speed of a vessel over the ground (SOG) and for its rate of progress toward a distant point ('velocity made good' or VMG).

## Conversions

One (international) knot is the same as 1.852 kilometres per hour (km·h<sup>−1</sup>), and is approximately equal to the following:

- 101.268591 feet per minute
- 1.687810 feet per second
- 514.4444 mm per second (mm·s<sup>−1</sup>)
- 1.150779 mile (statute) per hour (mph)
- 0.99936 Admiralty knot

## Discussion

Although knots do not fit within the primary SI system, they are used for nautical and aviation use  for navigational reasons, because the length of a nautical mile is almost identical to a minute of latitude. As a result, distance in nautical miles on a navigational chart can easily be measured by using dividers and the latitude indicators on the side of the chart.

## Related pages

- Metre per second

## Other websites

- Non-SI units accepted for use with the SI, and units based on fundamental constants  - At one time, the knot, along with the nautical mile, was discouraged for use by the BIPM, but it is now officially accepted for use (as of the 8th edition of the SI brochure), since its use is "expected to continue indefinitely", as well as having an exact SI definition.
- OnlineConversion.com: What is a knot? What is a nautical mile?
Knot (disambiguation)

**Knot** could mean:

- knot – a fastening or securing of linear material such as rope, by tying or interweaving
    - List of knots
    - Knotted rope or _quipu_, an Incan record-keeping device
    - Decorative knotwork in East Asia, including Chinese and Korean knots
    - Knots per sq cm, a measure of quality in hand-knotted carpets
    - Celtic knot, a decorative graphic representation of a knot

- knot (mathematics), an abstract representation of an interwoven linear object
    - knot theory, the study of mathematical knots
    - list of mathematical knots and links
    - In the theory of splines, a knot is an interpolating point on the spline.

- knot (speed), a unit of water or air speed ideally equaling 1 nautical mile per hour, depending on the relative motion of the medium

- knot (wood), a mark left in timber by the origin of branches; the knot's grain travels in a different direction to the trunk of the tree

- Knotwork, a neofolk musical duo comprising journalist Michael Moynihan and Annabel Lee.

In **biology**:
- Red Knot, a wading bird (simply called "Knot" in Europe)
- Great Knot, a wading bird
- Knotted Marjoram, an alternative name for the herb Marjoram
- Knotted wrack, a seaweed
- Knotgrass or _knotweed_, a member of the buckwheat family

**Knot** could also mean:
- the _bulbus glandis_, a part of the penis of a canine, in animal anatomy
- a knot garden, an elaborate interlace of tightly-clipped low hedging
- a tight cluster or group, in statistics
- a type of join, in figurative language, as in a marriage
- a small, hard, tender spot in a muscle referred to as a kink or trigger point
- Cramp, a strong muscle contraction resulting in pain

**Knots** could mean:
- _Knots_ (film), a 2004 film starring Scott Cohen and Annabeth Gish
- Knots, a 1970 book on psychology by R. D. Laing.

## Related pages

- Knott
- _Knots Landing_, an American soap opera
- Gordian Knot (disambiguation)
- In some languages, the words for "node" and "knot" are the same.
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra

The **Royal Philharmonic Orchestra** (**RPO**) is a British orchestra based in London. It travels around to give concerts in many places.

## History

The RPO was started just after World War II, in 1946, by the conductor Sir Thomas Beecham. Beecham did not start to get his players together until three weeks before the first concert which took place in Croydon on September 15, 1946. Beecham was principal conductor until his death in 1961.

When the orchestra toured the United States in 1950 they were the first British orchestra to visit America since the London Symphony Orchestra in 1912.

Beecham controlled all the organization of the orchestra. After Beecham’s death, the orchestra was made into a self-governing group, like the other London orchestras. They went through some difficult years. In 1963 the Royal Philharmonic Society decided they would stop asking the RPO to play for their concerts, and in Glyndebourne, where the RPO had played for the opera since 1948, the London Philharmonic Orchestra became the resident orchestra instead. Sir Malcolm Sargent helped the orchestra to put on its own concerts at a cinema in north London.

The orchestra had made an agreement with the Royal Philharmonic Society about the concerts it would play. This meant it could call itself “Royal”. In the 1960s the work they were doing no longer allowed them to call themselves “Royal”, so in 1966 the Queen officially gave them the title “Royal”.

In 1992 the orchestra appointed Peter Maxwell Davies as associate conductor and composer of the RPO.

On April 7, 1994, the Royal Philharmonic had the honour of performing at the Vatican in the historic "Papal Concert to Commemorate the Holocaust" with Sir Gilbert Levine.

The RPO give a series of concerts in the Cadogan Hall, London, and in the Royal Albert Hall. They tour all over Britain and also abroad. In the period 2002-2007 they played in 30 different countries.

## Recordings

The orchestra made many recordings with Sir Thomas Beecham. In 1964 Igor Stravinsky recorded his opera "The Rake's Progress" with the RPO. From 1964 to 1979 they recorded many Gilbert and Sullivan operas with the D’Oyly Carte Opera Company.

## Non-classical work

The Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra is part of the same organization. They spend their time playing lighter classical music. The RPO have also worked with pop music groups and has given its own series of children’s concerts. In 2007 they announced a series of free educational workshops for the local community.

## Conducting leadership

- Thomas Beecham (1946-1961)
- Rudolf Kempe (1962-1975)
- Antal Doráti (1975-1978)
- Walter Weller (1980-1985)
- André Previn (1985-1992)
- Vladimir Ashkenazy (1987-1994)
- Yuri Temirkanov (1992-1998)
- Daniele Gatti (1996-2009)
- Charles Dutoit (2009-present)

## Other websites

- Royal Philharmonic Orchestra official website
Franz Lehár

**Franz Lehár** (born 30 April 1870; died 24 October 1948) was an Austrian composer of Hungarian descent. He was the leading composer of operettas in the 20th century. He is still one of the most popular composers of light music.

## His life

Lehár was born in Komáron in the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Today the town is called Komárno and it is in Slovakia. He was the eldest son of a bandmaster in the Austro-Hungarian army. He studied violin and composition at the Prague Conservatory. Antonín Dvořák told him he should be a composer. After graduation in 1899, he joined his father's band in Vienna, as assistant bandmaster. In 1902 he became conductor at the historic Vienna Theater an der Wien, where his first opera _Wiener Frauen_ was performed in November of that year.

He is most famous for his operettas. The best known one is _The Merry Widow_ (in German: _Die lustige Witwe_) which is probably the most popular of all operettas. He also wrote sonatas, symphonic poems, marches, and a number of waltzes, some of which come from his famous operettas. Some of the songs from his operettas have become very well-known, especially "Vilja" from _The Merry Widow_ and "You Are My Heart's Delight" ("Dein ist mein ganzes Herz") from _The Land of Smiles_.

The tenor Richard Tauber sang in many of his operettas. Six of them had parts especially written for him.

Lehár died in 1948 in Bad Ischl, near Salzburg where he was also buried. His villa in Bad Ischl is now a museum in his memory.
Igor Diakonov

**Igor Mikhailovich Diakonov** (December 30, 1914 (January 12, 1915), Petrograd – May 2, 1999, St Petersburg) was a Russian historian, linguist, and translator.
Baudouin I of Belgium

**Baudouin I** ( or ; 7 September 1930 – 31 July 1993) was the King of the Belgians from 1951 to 1993.

The king was the oldest son of King Leopold III (1901-1983) and his first wife, Princess Astrid of Sweden (1905-1935).

On 15 December 1960, Baudouin was married in Brussels to Doña Fabiola de Mora y Aragón. The King and Queen had no children. All of the Queen's five pregnancies ended in miscarriage. Badouin died of heart failure. Having had no children, the crown passed on to his brother, Albert II of Belgium, following his death.

During Baudouin's reign the colony of Belgian Congo became independent.

## Titles and styles

- **7 September 1930 – 17 February 1934:** _His Royal Highness_ The Count of Hainaut
- **17 February 1934 – 10 August 1950:** _His Royal Highness_ The Duke of Brabant
- **10 August 1950 – 17 July 1951:** _His Royal Highness_ The Prince Royal, Duke of Brabant
- **17 July 1951 – 31 July 1993:** _His Majesty_ The King of the Belgians

## Infobox (_monarch)

- **name**: Baudouin
- **title**: King of the Belgians
- **image**: King Baudouin of Belgium.jpg
- **caption**: King Baudouin in 1960
- **reign**: 17 July 1951 - 31 July 1993
()
- **predecessor**: Leopold III of Belgium, Leopold III
- **successor**: Albert II of Belgium, Albert II
- **spouse**: Queen Fabiola of Belgium, Fabiola de Mora y Aragón
- **royal house**: Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
- **father**: Leopold III of Belgium, Leopold III
- **mother**: Astrid of Sweden
- **birth date**: 7 September 1930
- **birth place**: Laeken, Belgium
- **death place**: Motril, Spain
- **burial place**: Brussels, Belgium
- **signature**: 1992 signature of King Baudouin of Belgium.jpg
Core

**Core** generally is the heart or inner part of a thing, as of a column, wall, rope, of a boil, etc.; especially, the central part of fruit, containing the kernels or seeds; as, the core of an apple or quince.

Core could mean:

In **media**:
- _Core_ (album), an album by Stone Temple Pilots
- _Core_ (Persefone album)
- Core (radio station), a digital radio station in the United Kingdom
- _The Core_, a 2003 science fiction film
- Core Design, a videogame developer best known for the _Tomb Raider_ series
- C.O.R.E., a computer animation studio

In **science and academics**:
- Core (group), in mathematics, an object in group theory
- Core (functional analysis), in mathematics, a subset of the domain of a closable operator
- core (graph theory), in mathematics, the homomorphically minimal subgraph of a graph
- core of a triangulated category in mathematics.
- Core (economics), the collection of stable allocations that no coalition can improve upon
- Planetary core, in planetary science, the center of a planet
    - Earth's core
- Solar core, the region of the Sun where nuclear fusion takes place
- Lithic core, in archaeology, a stone artifact left over from toolmaking
- Core curriculum, in education, an essential part of the curriculum
- Core sample, in Earth science, a sample obtained by coring
- Core countries, in dependency theory, an industrialized country on which peripheral countries depend
- Core (anatomy), in anatomy is everything except the appendages.

In **computers and technology**:
- Semiconductor intellectual property core, part of a CPU design
- Multi-core (computing), a type of microprocessor design in which multiple processors coexist on the same chip
- Intel Core, in processors, a brand of computer processor
- Magnetic core memory, in computing, the primary memory
- Core dump, in computing, a record of the core memory
- Nuclear reactor core, a portion containing the fuel components
- Magnetic core, in electricity and electronics, ferromagnetic material around which wires are wound
- the signal-carrying portion of an optical fiber

**Acronyms**:
- Central Organization For Railway Electrification, an organization in India
- Congress of Racial Equality, United States civil rights organization
- Coordinated Online Register of Electors, central database in the United Kingdom
- Challenge of Reverse Engineering, a warez group
- Comment on Reproductive Ethics, a Christian pressure group in the United Kingdom
Mesocyclone

A **mesocyclone** is a vortex of air, about 2 to 10 km in diameter (the mesoscale of meteorology), inside a convective storm.
That is, it is air that rises and rotates around a vertical axis, usually in the same direction as low pressure systems in a given hemisphere. They are most often cyclonic, that is, related with a localized low pressure area inside a severe thunderstorm. Such storms can create strong surface winds and a lot of hail. Mesocyclones often happen together with updrafts in supercells, where tornadoes may form.

The word mesocyclone originated around 1970–75; meso- + cyclone] This word is first recorded in the period 1970–75. meso- is a combining form meaning “middle,” used in the formation of compound words.

Mesocyclones are normally relatively very small in size; they lie between the synoptic scale (hundreds of kilometers) and small scale (hundreds of meters).

## References

<div class="references-small">

</div>

## Other websites

- Electronic Journal of Severe Storms Meteorology
Florida International University

**Florida International University** (FIU) is a public research university in Miami-Dade County, Florida, west of the Miami city limits in the United States. (The campus has a Miami mailing address.) The university is the largest university in South Florida and also the fifth-largest university in Florida, and the thirteenth-largest university in the country. FIU's programs in law, architecture and business are amongst its most well-ranked and most known programs. The mascot of FIU is a panther, named Roary, and students and fans of the university's athletic teams are often called "Panthers".

On March 15, 2018, a pedestrian bridge at the university collapsed and killed six people.

## Infobox (university)

- **name**: Florida International University
- **image**: FIU-GreenLibrary.jpg
- **caption**: Green Library
- **logo**: Florida International University logo.svg
- **motto**: Spes scientia facultas
- **motto lang**: Latin
- **mottoeng**: Hope, knowledge, opportunity
- **established**: 1965
- **type**: Public
- **endowment**: $92 million
- **president**: Modesto A. Maidique
- **staff**: 4,800
- **students**: 36,614
- **undergrad**: 29,695
- **postgrad**: 8,919
- **city**: Miami, Florida, Miami
- **state**: Florida
- **country**: United States
- **campus**: Urban area, Urban
- **athletics**: NCAA Division I FBS
- **nickname**: Puma, Panthers
- **mascot**: Roary the Panther

Oak Ridge Associated Universities, ORAU, Conference USA
- **website**: [http://www.fiu.edu/ www.fiu.edu]
Sash

A **sash** is of a cloth belt used to hold a robe together, and usually tied about the waist. The Japanese equivalent of a sash, called an _obi_, serves to hold a kimono together. Decorative sashes may pass from the shoulder to the hip rather than around the waist. Sashes traditionally form part of formal military uniform and the royal attire.

The meaning "strip of cloth worn about the waist or over the shoulder" was first recorded in 1681.
Willow

**Willows** are a group of trees and shrubs which may be called sallows or osiers. Their Latin name is _Salix_.

Willows have many differences in size and type of growth, but are very much alike in other respects. There are about 350 species of this plant, usually found on moist soils in cooler zones in the Northern Hemisphere. Many hybrids are known, both naturally occurring and in cultivation, because willows are very fertile.

Willows have watery bark sap, charged with salicylic acid (defence against herbivory). They have soft, usually pliant (bendy), tough wood, slender branches, and large, fibrous, often stoloniferous roots. The roots are remarkable for their toughness, size, and are hard to kill. Roots readily sprout from aerial parts of the plant.

Willows are dioecious, with male and female flowers appearing as catkins on separate plants. The catkins are produced early in the spring, often before the leaves.

## Other websites

- Salix alba at plants for a future
- _Salix purpurea_ at plants for a future
- 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica
- _Salix caroliniana_ images at bioimages.vanderbilt.edu
- _Salix nigra_ images at bioimages.vanderbilt.edu
- _Salix humboldtiana_ or Chilean willow images
Elegance

**Elegance** is an attribute. It means something is unusually effective and simple, or in other words; very useful and easy.

### Example

Visual stimuli are considered elegant if a small number of colors and stimuli are used. The color white is often associated with elegance, usually along with blue or black.

## Use

It is often used as a standard of tastefulness or how likeable something is, mostly in fashion and decoration.

## Common conceptions

Some associate elegance with simplicity of design. Others understand the word in an opulent light as in tasteful richness of design or ornamentation, like in "the _elegance_ of clothings."

## Related pages

- Aesthetics
- Beauty
- Design
- Simplicity
Courtesan

A **courtesan**  was often a high-class prostitute or mistress, especially one associated with rich, powerful, or noble men who gave
luxuries and status in exchange for her services. In Renaissance Europe, courtesans had an important role in high class society, sometimes taking the place of wives at social roles requiring diplomacy. Courtesans usually enjoyed more freedom than was typical of women at the time. For example, they did not have money problems, and were more independent. Madame de Pompadour (1721–1764), the famous mistress and favorite of King Louis XV of France, was a courtesan. Courtesans also existed in many countries outside Europe, such as India and Japan.

## Related pages

- Geisha
- Oiran
- Geji

## References

- Freundschuh, Aaron.  The Courtesan and the Gigolo:  The Murders in the Rue Montaigne and the Dark Side of Empire in Nineteenth-Century Paris.  Stanford University Press, 2017.

- Griffin, Susan. _The Book of the Courtesans: A Catalogue of Their Virtues_. New York: Broadway Books, 2001.
- Hickman, Katie. _Courtesans: Money, Sex, and Fame in the Nineteenth Century_. New York: HarperCollins, 2003.
- Lawner, Lynne. _Lives of the Courtesans: Portraits of the Renaissance._ New York: Rizzoli, 1987.
- Rounding, Virginia. _Grandes Horizontales: The Lives and Legends of Four Nineteenth-Century Courtesans_. London: Bloomsbury, 2003.

## Other websites

- Defining the Courtesan  (Mt. Holyoke College)
Jester

A **jester**, **joker**, **fool**, or **buffoon**, is a type of entertainer mostly (but not always) associated with the Middle Ages. Jesters typically wore brightly colored clothing. Their hats, sometimes called the _cap ’n bells_ or _cockscomb_, were special; made of cloth, they were floppy with three points (liripipes) each of which had a jingle bell at the end.

The three points of the hat represent the asses' ears and tail worn by jesters when they first appeared. Other typical things about the jester were his constant laughter and his mock scepter, known as a _bauble_ or _maharoof._

## Other websites

- BBC News site story about the Tongaon Royal Jester's involvement in financial scandal 2003
- Royal decree proclaiming the Jester title by the Tongan Royal 1999
- BBC News site story about Kester the Jester's appointment to English Heritage 2004
- University of California, Berkeley Online Medieval and Classical Library (OMACL) & links for medieval studies
- Picture of Will Somers with Henry the Eighth
- Mulla Nasruddin
- Gesundheit! Institute
- Shakespeare search engine - A keyword search such as "fool", "folly", "jester" or "clown" reveals every reference in Shakespeare
- Rumpelstiltskin - A rare modern day jester with an impressive resumé
- Fooling Around the World (A history of the court jester)
- Foolish Clothing: Depictions of Jesters and Fools in the Middle Ages and Renaissance What 14th-16th century jesters wore and carried, as seen in illustrations and museum collections
Joker

**Joker** may refer to:

- Jester, a person employed to tell jokes and provide entertainment
- Joker (comics), a DC Comics character
    - Joker (_The Dark Knight_), the character in the 2008 movie _The Dark Knight_
    - _Joker_ (2016 movie), an Indian Tamil movie by Raju Murugan
    - _Joker_ (2019 movie), an American movie starring Joaquin Phoenix
Fool

**Fool** can mean several different things:
- A jester or a clown
- Foolishness, having poor judgement
- The Fool (Tarot card), a Tarot card
- The meaning of _fou_, French term for the piece which in English is called "bishop". See chess.
Etiquette

**Etiquette**, one aspect of decorum, is a code that rules how everyone is expected to behave, according to the social conventions and norms, in society, in a social class, or group. It is usually unwritten, but it may be put in written form. Because they are a product of the society's culture and history, the rules of etiquette are very different from time to time, and from one place and social group to another.

## Other websites

- Debrett's
- Etiquette in Society, in Business, in Politics and at Home, by Emily Post (1922)
- Global Guide to Etiquette and Customs  by Kwintessential
- Are Paris Waiters Rude Or Is It You? , by Michel Endene. A web article on cultural differences and etiquette.
- Cellphone Etiquettes
- Email Etiquette
- Etiquette & Dress
- Wiki Etiquette  Wiki about etiquette from Wikia
Hairstyle

A **hairstyle** is the way hair is cut and styled. A **haircut** may be just practical, but a **hairdo** suggests professional styling. The fashioning of hair is an aspect of fashion, and cosmetics, especially for females. Practical, cultural, and popular considerations also influence hairstyles.

People in many cultures cut their hair, rather than letting it grow naturally. Hair styles are often used to signal cultural, social, and ethnic identity and can be used to show social status or get attention.

Generally, hairstyles are influenced by gender.  Women's styles are often longer than men's.  Fashion trends may have a great influence depending on the person.

## Galleria

There is a great variety of hairstyles. This can best be explained by examples:

## Other websites

- History of Hairdressing
Patronage

**Patronage** is the support, encouragement, privilege and often financial aid given by a person or an organization. It can also refer to the business given by a regular customer, and the guardianship of saints.

In some countries the term is often used to describe the corrupt use of state money and goods to benefit groups, families, ethnicities or races in exchange for votes. These **patronage systems** are different depending on the area in which they are practiced.

The term comes from the Latin _patronatus_.

## Sources and other websites

- Johannes Baptist Sägmüller. Patron and Patronage, _The Catholic Encyclopedia_, Volume XI, 1911, Robert Appleton Company. This is the reference for the Canon law section.
- The role of patrons in the Renaissance
Reputation

**Reputation** is the opinion of the public towards a person, a group of people, or an organization. It is an important factor in many fields, such as business, online communities or social status.

## Other websites

- Reputation by Roger Dingledine, Michael J Freedman, David Molnar, David Parkes, Paul Syverson
Appointment

**Appointment** can mean:

- An **appointment** is a time reserved for something such as a doctor visit, much like a .
- An **appointment**, in government also refers to the assignment of a person by an official to perform a duty, such as a presidential appointment of a judge to a court.  This may also happen for an office which is normally elected, but has an unexpected vacancy.  A person appointed but not yet in office is a **designate**.
- The **power of appointment**, in law, is the ability of a testator to select another person to dispose of the testator's property.
- An **appointment of clergy**, in Christianity, is made by a bishop to a particular ministry setting, particularly in denominations which practice episcopal forms of church government and polity (such as Anglicanism and United Methodist Church.) Typically, a pastor is appointed to a particular church or parish.
- Appointment is used to describe a system of selecting candidates in which the choice is made by an individual or panel rather than by a poll of the populace in general (election), or through random selection (allotment/sortition) as used to select juries.
Warwick Estevam Kerr

**Warwick Estevam Kerr** (born September 9, 1922, Santana do Parnaíba, São Paulo, Brazil- 15 September 2018) is a Brazilian engineer, geneticist, entomologist, and professor. He made many discoveries in the genetics and sex determination of bees. He is also responsible for the spread of africanized bees across the world.

## Other websites

- Warwick Estevam Kerr Biography . Brazilian Academy of Sciences.
Indian national calendar

The **Indian national calendar** (sometimes called **Saka calendar**) is the official civil calendar in India. It is used by the Gazette of India, news broadcasts by All India Radio, and in calendars and communications issued by the Government of India.

## Calendar structure

||Month|Length|Start date (Gregorian)||
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
|align="right"|1|Chaitra|30/31|March 22*|
|align="right"|2|Vaisakha|31|April 21|
|align="right"|3|Jyaistha|31|May 22|
|align="right"|4|Asadha|31|June 22|
|align="right"|5|Sravana|31|July 23|
|align="right"|6|Bhadra|31|August 23|
|align="right"|7|Asvina|30|September 23|
|align="right"|8|Kartika|30|October 23|
|align="right"|9|Margashirsh (Agrahayana)|30|November 22|
|align="right"|10|Pausa|30|December 22|
|align="right"|11|Magha|30|January 21|
|align="right"|12|Phalguna|30|February 20|

The months in the first half of the year all have 31 days. This was done to take in account for the slower movement of the sun across the sky during that time.

In leap years, Chaitra has 31 days and starts on March 21.

## Other websites

- Calendars and their History (by L.E. Doggett)
- Indian Calendars (by Leow Choon Lian, pdf, 1.22mb)
- Positional astronomy in India
- India Image website
- Hindu Panchang
Crane (bird)

A **crane** is a type of tall wading birds from the family **Gruidae** (order Gruiformes). There are 15 species in 4 genera. The tallest is the sarus crane, _Grus antigone_, which can grow to a height of up to 1.8 m (5.9 ft),

Cranes look a lot like herons but they are usually larger, and have a partly naked head, and a more heavy bill. When they are flying, their long neck is stretched out in front, and the legs trail out behind.

The earliest fossils of cranes were discovered in North America. Living forms are living everywhere all over the world except in Antarctica and South America. Many populations are endangered by hunting and habitat destruction.

## Description

Cranes are tall birds with long legs. Cranes are large birds, the world's tallest flying birds. They range in size from the demoiselle crane, which is 90 cm (35 in) in length, to the sarus crane, which may be up to 176 cm (69 in). The heaviest is the red-crowned crane, which can weigh 12 kg (26 lb) before migrating.  They are usually brown, white, or gray in color. There are over 15 kinds of species of cranes. They look rather like herons. The whooping crane (_Grus americana_) is the tallest American bird. Adults stand 5 feet tall and have a wingspan of up to 7 feet.

## Life

Cranes are omnivores. They eat many kinds of plants, reptiles, small mammals, and other birds. The average life time of a crane is from 20 to 25 years. Cranes are highly social birds that live in large flocks. Some species of cranes are thought as holy in Asia, especially in Japan.

### Reproduction

Cranes usually build their nests in marshy areas and lay two eggs at a time. Cranes can make sounds that are heard from far away. Cranes dance special dances when they mate, and they include stepping quickly, high leaps, stretching, and bowing. Crane chicks grow very quickly and at two to four months, they develop their flight feathers. Cranes are very vocal. They use several different types of calls. They also communicate with their bodies.

### Behaviour

All cranes are able to defend themselves quite well. They are mostly quite large, and peck, kick and batter opponents with their wings. They are territorial, and males will fight even more vigorously than usual at mating seasons. Zookeepers use acrylic riot shields to protect themselves against crane attacks.

## Evolution

Cranes are an ancient type of wading bird. Their first definite fossils are in the Eocene epoch, The rails (family Rallidae) are their nearest relatives in the order Gruiformes. Most of the other groups in the Gruiformes are flightless birds. These lived in forests, and left little or no fossil record.

## Threatened

The biggest threats to cranes are hunting and habitat destruction. Cranes need large  habitats. All cranes are protected by international agreement.

## Related pages

- _Grus_
- Black-necked crane
- Common crane
- Grey crowned crane
- Red-crowned crane
- Sandhill crane
- Sarus crane
- Siberian crane

## Other websites

- Saving Cranes website (ICF)
- Craneworld website
- Gruidae videos on the Internet Bird Collection
- Origami crane
Estimation

**Estimation** is the approximation of a result that one can use with information that is not clear or is incomplete. It is like making an educated, reasonable guess based on the information given.

If an estimate is more than the actual amount, then it is called an **overestimate**. If the estimate was less than the actual result, then it is called an **underestimate**. This is different from a prediction.

## Other websites

- Estimation chapter from "Applied Software Project Management" (PDF)
Fee

A **fee** is the price someone pays for services, especially the honorarium paid to a doctor, lawyer, consultant or member of a learned profession. Traditionally, a fee is different to a _payment_, salary, or wage, because the fee usually is paid only once for the professional's services.
Maid

A **maid**, **housemaid** or, formerly, **maidservant** is a female employed as a domestic worker. Maids perform typical domestic chores such as cooking, ironing, washing, cleaning the house, grocery shopping, caring for pets, and taking care of children like a nanny. In many places in some poor countries, maids often take on the role of a nurse in taking care of the elderly and people with disabilities. Many maids are required by their employers to wear a uniform.

In June 2011, International Labour Organization has made its Convention No.189 for domestic workers including maids.
Embroidery

**Embroidery** is the art of decorating fabric or other materials with designs stitched in strands of thread or yarn using a needle. Embroidery may also incorporate other materials such as metal strips, pearls, beads, quills, and sequins. Sewing machines can be used to create machine embroidery.

## Qualifications

City and Guilds qualification in Embroidery allows embroiderers to become recognized for their skill. This qualification also gives them the credibility to teach. For example, the notable textiles artist, Kathleen Laurel Sage, began her teaching career by getting the City and Guilds Embroidery 1 and 2 qualifications. She has now gone on to write a book on the subject.

## Other websites

- The _Crimson Thread of Kinship_  at the National Museum of Australia
Style

**Style** may refer to:

- Genre, design, format, or looks
- Fashion, applies to a mode of expression, i.e. clothing.
- Carpel, in Botany: part of the pistil of a flower
- The artistic characteristics that make an artist's work special or unique
- Painting style, in art and painting style can refer either to the aesthetic values followed in choosing what to paint (and how) or to the physical techniques employed
- Music genre, category (or genre) of pieces of music that share a certain **style** or "basic musical language"
- Cascading Style Sheets, in web design
- Style guide and literary genre, in writing
- Stylistics (linguistics), in Linguistics: Variation in the language use of an individual, such as formal/informal style.
- Style (band), pop music group from Sweden
- Style (address), how you address a person; titles, honorifics or courtesy names
Banquet

A **banquet** is a large public meal or feast, complete with main dishes and desserts. It usually serves a purpose, such as a ceremony, or a celebration. Sometimes a banquet is made only of desserts.

## Related pages

- Festival

## Other websites

- Banquet Preparation  and keeping things organized
Eccentricity

**Eccentricity** or **extravagance** is a word used to describe unusual behaviour in a person. People who have habits which many people think are very strange may be called **eccentric**. Eccentric behaviour is not necessarily good or bad in itself.

Some clever people (geniuses) have behaviour which might be described as eccentric. It is not always clear whether behaviour is just eccentric or whether it is madness.

Famous people who were eccentric in their different ways include Albert Einstein, Nero, Alan Turing, Howard Hughes, Ludwig II of Bavaria and Lord Berners.
Květinov

**Květinov** is a small village in the Havlíčkův Brod District, Vysočina Region of the Czech Republic. 243 people live there. It covers 7,08 km². It was first documented in 1436.
Úsobí

**Úsobí** is a village in the Havlíčkův Brod District, Vysočina Region of the Czech Republic. 707 people live in Úsobí. It covers 12.97 km². It was first documented in 1307.
Conversation

A **conversation** is two or more people talking about something. It is spontaneous, usually unplanned, though the people may have interests in common.

Conversations are one of the basic types of human communication. They can be about any subject, and do not necessarily have any fixed purpose. They allow people with different views of a topic to learn from each other. A conversation may be contrasted with formal presentations. A talk or speech, for example is an oral presentation by one person directed at a group. It is basically a one-way communication.

Conversations do not have to happen in person, they can happen over the telephone or on the Internet.

## Banter

Banter is short witty sentences that bounce back and forth between individuals. Often banter uses clever put-downs and witty insults. It can contain misunderstandings (often intentional), zippy wisecracks, zingers, flirtation, and puns. The idea is each line of banter should "top" the one before it. It is a verbal war of wit without any physical contact.

## Related pages

- Conversation analysis
- Consensus
- Intensity of preference

## Other websites

- Advice  on initiating conversations and links to conversational organizations
- Article on developing basic communication skills
- Conversation Cafè, devoted to creating a "culture of conversation."
- Empathic listening skills
- Lifehack howto on Small Talk
- "The art of conversation", _Economist_, 19th December 2006
FK Viktoria Žižkov

**FK Viktoria Žižkov** is a football club in the Czech Republic. It was founded in 1903 in the city of Prague. Viktoria Žižkov won Czechoslovak championship in 1928 and won the National cup in 1994 and 2001.

## Historical names

- 1903 - Sportovni kroužek Viktoria Žižkov
- 1904 - SK Viktoria Žižkov
- 1950 - Sokol Viktoria Žižkov
- 1951 - Sokol ČSAD Žižkov
- 1952 - Club was merged with Avia Čakovice
- 1952 - TJ Slavoj Žižkov
- 1965 - TJ Viktoria Žižkov
- 1973 - TJ Viktoria Žižkov Strojimport
- 1982 - TJ Viktoria Žižkov PSO
- 1992 - FK Viktoria Žižkov

## Other websites

- Official site
- Official site Fans