juno-labs/simple_wikipedia huggingface dataset:
George Ryan

**George Homer Ryan, Sr.** (February 24, 1934 – May 2, 2025) was an American politician. He is a Republican. He was the former Governor of Illinois. He is a member for the United States Republican Party. His political career was tarnished due to scandals and corruption: Ryan was found guilty on almost all charges and sent to prison. He was released in 2013. Ryan was Illinois' Governor beginning 1999 until 2003. He is listed as Federal Inmate Number 16627-424, and was scheduled July 4, 2013. He was released in June 2013.

Ryan died on May 2, 2025 under hospice care in Kankakee, Illinois at the age of 91.

## Infobox (officeholder)

- **name**: George Ryan, Sr.
- **image**: 2007 Governor George Ryan crop4.JPG
- **order**: 39th
- **office**: Governor of Illinois
- **term start**: January 11, 1999
- **term end**: January 13, 2003
- **lieutenant**: Corinne Wood
- **predecessor**: Jim Edgar
- **successor**: Rod Blagojevich
- **office2**: 36th Illinois Secretary of State
- **term start2**: January 14, 1991
- **term end2**: January 11, 1999
- **governor2**: Jim Edgar
- **preceded2**: Jim Edgar
- **succeeded2**: Jesse White (politician), Jesse White
- **office3**: 42nd Lieutenant Governor of Illinois
- **governor3**: James R. Thompson
- **term start3**: January 10, 1983
- **term end3**: January 14, 1991
- **preceded3**: Dave O'Neal
- **succeeded3**: Bob Kustra
- **office4**: 65th Speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives
- **governor4**: James R. Thompson
- **term start4**: January 14, 1981
- **term end4**: January 10, 1983
- **preceded4**: William A. Redmond
- **succeeded4**: Arthur A. Telcser
- **birth place**: Maquoketa, Iowa, Maquoketa, Iowa, U.S.
- **death place**: Kankakee, Illinois, U.S.
- **blank1**: Parents
- **data1**: Thomas J. and Jeanette (Bowman) Ryan
- **spouse**: Lura Lynn Lowe (June 10, 1956 – June 28, 2011) (her death)
- **children**: 6
- **alma mater**: Ferris State College, Bachelor of Pharmacy 1961
- **profession**: Pharmacist and Businessperson, businessman
- **party**: Republican Party (United States), Republican
Nouria Mérah-Benida

**Nouria Mérah-Benida** (born October 19, 1970 in Algiers) is an Algerian middle distance runner.

At the 1999 All-Africa Games in Johannesburg Mérah-Benida won silver medals in both 800 metres and 1500 metres. At the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney she won the gold medal. In 2000 she also won an 800 m silver medal and a 1500 m gold medal at the African Championships.
Ali Saïdi-Sief

**Ali Saidi-Sief** (born March 15, 1978 in Constantine) is an Algerian Olympic runner.  His speciality is the 1500 m race.  He won a silver medal in the 2000 Summer Olympics for the 5000 m.

Saidi-Sief received a two-year suspension from the International Association of Athletics Federations.  He failed a urine test at the 2001 World Championships in Athletics in Edmonton, Canada.  He tested positive for nandrolone, a banned performance-enhancing steroid.
Djabir Saïd-Guerni

**Djabir Saïd-Guerni** (born March 29, 1977 in Algiers) is an Algerian retired athlete. He ran in the 800 metres. He won a bronze medal in the 2000 Summer Olympics.

He announced his retirement on 6 May 2007, following injury problems. His personal best time was 1:43.09 minutes.  He got this in September 1999 in Brussels.

## Achievements

- 2005 World Championships in Athletics - fifth place
- 2004 Olympic Games - seventh place
- 2003 World Championships in Athletics - gold medal
- 2002 IAAF World Cup - silver medal
- 2002 African Championships in Athletics - gold medal
- 2000 Olympic Games - bronze medal
- 2000 African Championships in Athletics - gold medal
- 2000 African Championships in Athletics - gold medal (4 x 400 m relay)
- 1999 World Championships in Athletics - bronze medal
- 1999 Summer Universiade - fourth place
- 1999 Military World Games - gold medal
- 1999 All-Africa Games - silver medal
- 1998 African Championships in Athletics - bronze medal
- 1997 Pan Arab Games - 800 m gold medal, 1500 m bronze, 4x400 m relay gold
- 1997 Mediterranean Games - bronze medal
- 1997 Summer Universiade - fourth place

## References

- IAAF Focus on Athletes
Abderrahmane Hammad

**Abderrahmane Hammad Zaheer** (born May 27, 1977 in Dellys) is a former Algerian track and field athlete.  He was in the high jump. He won the bronze medal in the 2000 Summer Olympics.  He was also in the 2004 Athens Olympics. His personal best of 2.34 m is the Algerian record for the event. He retired from the sport in 2010.

Hammad began his international career as a junior in 1994.  He won the high jump silver medals at the African Junior Athletics Championships and Pan Arab Junior Championships. He went on to win the African Junior gold medal the following year.  Then he won the Arab Junior title in 1996. He was at the 1996 World Junior Championships in Athletics but did not make it into the final round.

Hammad had his first international success at senior level in 1997.  He won the silver at both the Pan Arab Championships and the 1997 Pan Arab Games.

The 2000 season was the top of his career.  He kept his title at the 2000 African Championships in Athletics in Algiers.  He made his areer best jump of 2.34 m. He then was in his first Olympicss at the 2000 Sydney Games. He won the bronze medal. He won the high jump at the 2001 Mediterranean Games.  He was ninth at the 2001 World Championships in Athletics. He won his third high jump title in a row at the 2002 African Championships in Athletics.  He took bronze at the 2002 IAAF Grand Prix Final.  He placed fourth for Africa at the 2002 IAAF World Cup.

He represented Algeria for a second time at the Olympics at the 2004 Games in Athens.  He failed to reach the final. He was at the 2004 Pan Arab Games and took the high jump title.

## Achievements

- 2004 Pan Arab Games - gold medal
- 2002 IAAF Grand Prix Final - third place
- 2002 African Championships - gold medal
- 2001 Mediterranean Games - gold medal
- 2000 Summer Olympics - bronze medal
- 2000 African Championships - gold medal
- 1999 All-Africa Games - silver medal
- 1998 African Championships - gold medal
- 1997 Arab Championships - silver medal
- 1997 Pan Arab Games - silver medal
Mohamed Allalou

**Mohamed Allalou** (born September 28, 1973) is an Algerian boxer. He was in the Men's Light Welterweight division at the 2000 Summer Olympics.  He won the bronze medal. He was also in the 1996 Summer Olympics.

## 1996 Olympic results

- Defeated Peter Bulinga (Kenya) 17-3
- Defeated Jacek Bielski (Poland) 19-8
- Lost to Fethi Missaoui (Tunisia) 15-16

## 2000 Olympic results

- Defeated Lukáš Konečný (Czech Republic) 17-9
- Defeated Ben Neequaye (Ghana) 15-6
- Defeated Sven Paris (Italy) 22-8
- Lost to Mahammatkodir Abdoollayev (Uzbekistan) RSC

## References

- sports-reference

## Infobox (boxer)

- **name**: Mohamed Allalou
- **fullname**: محمد علالو
- **weight class**: Light Welterweight
Epiktetos

**Epiktetos** was an ancient Greek potter and vase painter. His name means "newly acquired". He may have been a slave, as were most potters and painters in ancient Greece. He worked mostly with cups and plates between 520 and 490 BC in the red-figure style. He signed more than half his works. He was an expert with the _tondo_the circular picture at the bottom of a cup. He painted mostly everyday scenes rather than mythological ones. His end is unknown.

## Related pages

- Youth Riding a Rooster (Epiktetos)
Soraya Haddad

**Soraya Haddad** (born September 30, 1984 in El-Kseur) is an Algerian judoka. She won the bronze medal in the Women's 52 kg weight class at the 2008 Summer Olympics. She was African champion four times: 2004, 2005, 2008 and 2011.  She also won the bronze medal in the 48 kg category in the 2005 World Championships in Egypt.
Amar Benikhlef

**Amar Benikhlef** (born 11 January 1982) is an Algerian judoka.  He won the silver medal in the 90 kg group of Judo in 2008.

## Achievements

|Year|Tournament|Place|Weight class|
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
|2008|African Judo Championships|1st|Middleweight (90 kg)|
|2007|All-Africa Games|2nd|Middleweight (90 kg)|
|2006|African Judo Championships|3rd|Middleweight (90 kg)|
|2004|African Judo Championships|1st|Half middleweight (81 kg)|

## References

- Factfile on JudoInside.com
Kalos inscription

A **_kalos_ inscription** is a marking on ancient Greek pottery. They were prevalent during the Classical period (550 to 450 BC). _Kalos_ (καλός) means "beautiful", and in these inscriptions it had an erotic meaning. The word kalos was followed by the beloved's nameusually a youth, but sometimes a girl or woman working as a prostitute. These inscriptions are usually found on the drinking cups used during a drinking party. They were probably declarations of love. They are sometimes found as graffiti on walls.
Koji Murofushi

is a Japanese athlete.  He is best known as a hammer thrower who took part in four Summer Olympic Games.

## Early life

Murofushi was born in Numazu, Shizuoka Prefecture. His family were international sports competitors. His early interest in the hammer was encouarged by his father, Shigenobu Murofushi, who is an Olympic athlete and Asian Games champion.  He is the brother of Yuka Murofushi, who is also an Olympian.

## Career

Murofushi won the gold medal in the hammer throw at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens.

He won the bronze medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.

## Related pages

- Sports in Japan
- Japan at the Olympics

## Other websites

- Koji Murofush at International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF)
Lachesis (genus)

***Lachesis***, also known as the "bushmasters", is a genus of venomous Pit vipers found in forests of Central and South America. The name "_Lachesis_" is also the name of one of the Three Fates in Greek mythology. There are currently three species found.

## Description

Adult bushmasters can grow up to the length of 2 meters (6.5 ft) to 2.5 meters (8.25 ft), but there have been some which have grown up to the length of 3 meters (10 ft). The largest one ever found was 3.65 meters (12 ft) long, making the bushmasters the longest venomous snake in the Western Hemisphere and the longest vipers in the world. They are not the heaviest vipers in the world, but adults usually weigh up to 3 to 5 kg (6.6 to 11 Ib).

## Distribution

Bushmasters are found in forest areas of Central and South America. They are also found on the island Trinidad.

## Reproduction

Bushmasters are oviparous: they lay eggs. This makes bushmasters different to other pit vipers found in the New World, because other pit vipers are viviparous,  they give live birth instead of laying eggs. A female can lay around a dozen eggs at a time. The female stays with her eggs until they have hatched and may attack any predator that comes near the nest.

## Venom

The bushmasters are one of the largest and most dangerous snakes in South America, and can inject a large amount of venom into their enemies. Even young bushmaster's bites are harmful, but bushmasters are nocturnal (they are active at night), so not a lot of people have been bitten by them.

## Species

- Black-headed bushmaster, _L. melanocephala_
- South American bushmaster, _L. muta_
- Central American bushmaster, _L. stenophrys_
Leonid Yengibarov

**Leonid Georgievich Yengibarov** (; ; March 15, 1935 – July 25, 1972) was a Soviet clown and actor.

Yengibarov was born in Moscow. His father was Armenian. His mother was Russian. He started his career as a boxer. In 1955 he joined the State School of Circus Art. After graduation in 1959 he moved to Yerevan and joined the Armenian state circus.

He was one of the first Soviet clowns to create the poetic, intellectual clownery. He was invited to work in cinema. His first film was _A Path to the Arena_.

In 1960s he was known as one of the best clowns in the USSR and Eastern bloc. He created a pantomime troupe, and managed to stage only a single piece, "Star Rain" before his death in 1972.

## Family

Wife: Jarmila Galamkova

Daughter: Barbara Yengibarova (Born in 1965)

## Filmography

- 1963: _A Path to the Arena_, _Путь на арену_
- 1964: _Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors_, _Тени забытых предков_
- 1966: _Aybolit-66_, _Айболит-66_
- 1971: _A Necklace for My Beloved_, _Ожерелье для моей любимой_. (Comedy, directed by Tengiz Abuladze, cast in the Georgian SSR, Soviet Union)
- 1972: _Stoves-Benches_, _Печки-лавочки_

Films about him
- _Please meet Leonid Yengibarov_,
- _2 Leonid 2_, _2 Леонид 2_
Great Sandy Desert

The **Great Sandy Desert** is a desert in the northwest of Australia, mostly in Western Australia. It is the second-largest desert in Australia (after the Great Victoria Desert). It covers about . South of the Great Sandy Desert is the Gibson Desert, and to the east is the Tanami Desert.

There are not many people living in the Great Sandy Desert. Most of them  are Aboriginal communities and mining towns. The Aboriginal people of the desert fall into two main groups: the Martu in the west and the Pintupi in the east. They both speak Western Desert languages.

The area does not get much rain, but even in the driest parts rainfalls rarely drop below . The rate of evaporation (how quickly the water dries up) is very high. Most of the rain comes from thunderstorms. Many drought years end with a monsoon or tropical cyclone. On average for most of the area, there are about 20-30 days where thunderstorms form.

Most of the plants growing across the Great Sandy Desert are spinifex grasses. Animals living in the desert include  dingos, red kangaroo, monitor lizards, bilbies, marsupial mole, thorny devils, bearded dragons and many other species of lizard.

The first European to cross the desert was Peter Warburton. He made the journey from Alice Springs leaving in April 1873 and arriving at De Grey Station in January 1874. When Warburton arrived, he was starving and blind in one eye. He thanked his survival on his Aboriginal companion Charley.
The Disrobing of Christ (painting)

***The Disrobing of Christ*** is an oil painting by El Greco. It was completed in the spring of 1579 for the High Altar of the sacristy of the Cathedral of Toledo, where it still hangs. It measures 285 x 173cm. Harold Wethey says that the painting is a "masterpiece of extraordinary originality". The power of the picture depends upon El Greco's original and forceful use of color.
Azemiopinae

**Azemiopinae**, commonly known as the "_Fea's vipers_", is a monotypic subfamily made for a monotypic genus, _Azemiops_, which contains the venomous viper, ***Azemiops Feae***. It is found on the mountains of Southeast Asia.

## Description

The Feas's vipers can grow up to the length of 77 cm. They are blueish-gray or black in color with orange crossbands, the head is orange while the chin and throat is yellow, it also has yellow eyes.

## Where they live

The Fea's viper is found in northern Vietnam, southern China, south-east Myanmar, and south-east Tibet. In China the Fea's viper is found in Fujien, Guangxi, Jiangxi, Kweichow, Sichuan, Yunnan, Zhejiang.

### Habitat

The Fea's viper is found on mountains which have an altitude of 1000 meters. It prefers to live in cool climates which have an average temperature of 18-25 °C. In Vietnam it is found in bamboo forests.

## Behavior

The Fea's viper is said to be nocturnal, but some people say that it crepuscular, and it hibernates in the winter. When disturbed, the Fea's viper flattens its body to make it look wider, and opens its mouth widely to show its fangs, giving its head a triangular shape. It sometimes also vibrates it tail. Fea's vipers are said to eat small mammals.
Parable of the Prodigal Son

The **Parable of the Prodigal Son** is one of the parables of Jesus. It is found only in the Gospel of Luke at 15:11-32.  The parable is about a son who wastes his share of his father's estate. He loses all his money and gets work feeding pigs—one of the lowest jobs a person can do according to the Jewish religion.  He repents and returns to his father's house. He is welcomed and a feast is held.  His older, dutiful brother, who has worked without reward for his father, resents the fuss made over the prodigal son. His father reminds him that all he has is his. He says they should still celebrate the return of the younger boy because he has come back to them. In the Western Catholic church, this parable is usually read on the third Sunday of Lent. In the Eastern Orthodox Church it is read on the _Sunday of the Prodigal Son_. The parable is the subject of much art, music, literature, and stage works.

This is the last of three parables about loss and redemption. It follows the Parable of the Lost Sheep and the Parable of the Lost Coin. Jesus tells this parable after the Pharisees and religious leaders accuse him of welcoming and eating with "sinners." The father's joy described in the parable reflects divine love, the "boundless mercy of God," and "God's refusal to limit the measure of his grace."
Parable of the Mustard Seed

The **Parable of the Mustard Seed** is one of the parables of Jesus.  It is found in three of the Gospels of the New Testament: Gospel of Matthew (13:31–32), Gospel of Mark (4:30–32), and Gospel of Luke (13:18–19). The differences among the three tellings are minor.

In Matthew and Luke, this parable is followed by the Parable of the Leaven. The Parable of the Leaven also has a theme about the Kingdom of Heaven growing from small beginnings. A version of the parable also occurs in the non-canonical Gospel of Thomas 20.

The parable from Matthew reads: "The Kingdom of Heaven is like a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field; which indeed is smaller than all seeds. But when it is grown, it is greater than the herbs, and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in its branches." The parables from Mark and Luke are similar.
Parable of the Lost Sheep

The **Parable of the Lost Sheep** is one of the parables of Jesus. It is found in the Gospel of Matthew at 18:12–14 and the Gospel of Luke at 15:3–7. It also appears in the non-canonical Gospel of Thomas. The parable is one of three that tell of loss and redemption. The others are The Lost Coin and The Prodigal Son. The Lost Sheep tells of a shepherd who leaves his 99 sheep to search for one sheep that is lost. Joel B. Green writes that "these parables are ... about God, ... their aim is to lay bare the nature of the divine response to the recovery of the lost." The parable has been depicted often in art.
Brandenburg Gate (Potsdam)

The **Brandenburg Gate** () on the _Luisenplatz_ in **Potsdam**, should not be confused with the gate of the same name on Berlin's _Pariser Platz_, it was built in 1770/71 by Carl von Gontard and Georg Christian Unger by order of Frederick II of Prussia. It stands at the western end of _Brandenburger Straße_, which runs in a straight line up to the Church of St. Peter and St. Paul.

Previously, from 1733, there was another, simpler gate on the same spot, which resembled a castle gateway. Together with the city wall, a form of toll barrier, and the other gates it was intended to prevent desertion and smuggling.

Towards the end of the Seven Years' War, Frederick the Great had the old gate demolished and built, in its stead, this new Brandenburg Gate, as a symbol of his victory.

Since the city wall was demolished around 1900 the Brandenburg Gate has been a free-standing structure.

## Sources

- Paul Sigel, Silke Dähmlow, Frank Seehausen und Lucas Elmenhorst, Architekturführer Potsdam, Dietrich Reimer Verlag, Berlin 2006, .
Frogs as pets

Frogs have become a popular exotic pet. They can be kept in basic conditions, compared to reptiles. They are not expensive and their food is easily purchased. Common pet frogs includes ranids, hylids, bufonids, leptodactylids, and dendrobatids.

Pet frogs can be fed a lot of different live foods. These include crickets, rodents and fish. Small pet frogs will only eat crickets, fruit flies, springtails and other small arthropods. Medium-sized pet frogs can be fed larger crickets, mealworms, butterworms, silkworms, grasshoppers and small fish. Large pet frogs like _Ceratophrys_ can be fed small fish, other frogs, reptiles, and small mammals such as mice or rats.

Amphibians of all sizes would need different terrariums. Tree frogs like to climb and can escape if a pet owner does not add a top cover for their tanks. Semi-aquatic amphibians need both land and water divided in the tank. Tropical frogs would need mist and high humidity in their terrariums. All water for amphibians must be dechlorinated. The chlorine can kill amphibians, and may be in tap water. Many amphibians are popular exotic pets and are found in some pet stores.
Bombinatoridae

**Bombinatoridae** or **fire-bellied toads** is a family of toads. It includes two genus _Barbourula_ and _Bombina_. They have bright colors which means that they are toxic.

## Species

Family **Bombinatoridae**
- Genus _Barbourula_
    - _Barbourula busuangensis_ - Busuanga Jungle Toad
    - _Barbourula kalimantanensis_ - Kalimantan Jungle Toad
- Genus _Bombina_
    - _Bombina bombina_ - Common Firebelly Toad
    - _Bombina fortinuptialis_ - Guangxi Firebelly Toad
    - _Bombina lichuanensis_ - Lichuan Firebelly Toad
    - _Bombina maxima_ - Yunnan Firebelly Toad
    - _Bombina microdeladigitora_ - Hubei Firebelly Toad
    - _Bombina orientalis_ - Oriental Firebelly Toad
    - _Bombina pachypus_ - Apennine Firebelly Toad
    - _Bombina variegata_ - Yellow-bellied Toad
Debbie Allen

**Deborrah Kaye "Debbie" Allen** (born January 16, 1950, Houston ) is an American dancer, actress and television producer. She also taught choreography and acted in Broadway plays.
Ascaphidae

**Ascaphidae** is a family of frogs. They are called **tailed frogs** because they have an organ that looks like a tail. The tail helps them to live in fast-moving streams. They live in North America.

## Other websites

- Excerpt from Zeiner et al. 1988 describing tailed frogs
- Type information from the American Museum of Natural History
Pipidae

The **Pipidae** is a family of frogs. They do not have tongues. There are over 30 species of Pipidae frogs. They are found in tropical places in South America and Africa.

## Genera

Family **Pipidae**
- _Hymenochirus_ - Dwarf clawed frogs
- _Pseudhymenochirus_ - Merlin's clawed frog
- _Xenopus_ - Common clawed frogs
- _Silurana_ - Tropical clawed frogs
- _Pipa_ - Surinam toads
African bullfrog

The **African bullfrog** (_Pyxicephalus adspersus_) is a species of frog. They are in the Ranidae family. They are commonly named **pixie frog** because of their Latin name. They are found in Angola, Botswana, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Eswatini, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and possibly Democratic Republic of the Congo. They live in dry savannas, subtropical or tropical habitats. Males are bigger and longer than females.

**Growth Divergence:** Sexual size differences were studied in the African bullfrog (_Pyxicephalus adspersus_), a species in which adult males are about 2.5 times larger than females. The growth profile shows that males and females begin to differentiate in growth at 4 weeks after metamorphosis, at the same time as the appearance of differentiated gonads.

**Parental Care:** The African frog (_Pyxicephalus adspersus_) expresses its parental care by scraping tadpole passages to larger water bodies. This gives cooler conditions for their young to survive in frequent overheating and rapid drying breeding pits.

## Other websites

- The Natural History of the African Bullfrog, copyright 2002 by Terry Gampper.
- Natural History, Care and Breeding Information for African Bullfrogs / Pyxie frogs
Twyla Tharp

**Twyla Tharp** (born July 1 1941) is an American dancer and choregraher.  She lives and works in New York City.

Her work often uses classical music, jazz, and contemporary pop music.  In 1973, Tharp choreographed the ballet _Deuce Coupe_ to the music of The Beach Boys.  It is considered to be the first crossover ballet.  Later she choreographed _Push Comes to Shove_.  That ballet featured Mikhail Baryshnikov and is now thought to be the best example of the crossover ballet.

Tharp has choreographed dances for many important ballet companies around the world.  She also has had success on Broadway.  In 1985, her staging of _Singin' in the Rain,_ played at the Gershwin for 367 performances.  Her dance musical _Movin' Out_ ran for 1,331 performances on Broadway. The musical is set to the music and lyrics of Billy Joel. It received 10 Tony Award nominations and Tharp was named Best Choreographer.

## Honors and awards

Twyla Tharp received two Emmy Awards, 19 honorary doctorates, the Vietnam Veterans of America President’s Award, the 2004 National Medal of the Arts.

Tharp was inducted into the Academy of Achievement in 1993.

She was named a Kennedy Center Honoree for 2008.

## Movies

- _Hair_
- _Ragtime_
- _Amadeus_
- _White Nights_
- _I'll Do Anything_

## Infobox (person)

- **name**: Twyla Tharp
- **image**: Twyla Tharp.jpg
- **imagesize**: 180px
- **caption**: Twila Tharp in 2004
- **birth place**: Portland, Indiana, U.S.
- **occupation**: Choreographer, dancer
- **years active**: 1960s–present
- **website**: [http://www.twylatharp.org/ www.TwylaTharp.org]
- **awards**: **Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Choreography**, 2003 _Movin' Out (musical), Movin' Out_
 **Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Choreography** 1985 _Baryshnikov by Tharp With American Ballet Theatre_
 **Tony Award for Best Choreography** 2003 _Movin' Out (musical), Movin' Out_
Chytridiomycosis

**Chytridiomycosis** is a disease that can kill amphibians, for example frogs.  A fungus causes it.  The chytrid fungus _Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis_ causes the disease.  Chytridiomycosis has caused more loss of biodiversity on Earth than any other disease that humans have seen. Chytridiomycosis one reason why there are fewer amphibians on Earth than there were.  It has already killed more than 200 species. The fungus has decreased the amphibian population by 30% worldwide.  Many species are now extinct because they died of chytridiomycosis.  In some species, only a few animals die, but in other species, they all die.  This is called 100% mortality.  In some species, the frog gets sick but does not die. This frog can carry the fungus to new places where other frogs catch the fungus and die.

The animals can catch it from each other.  The fungus can also live in and spread in water. The fungus goes into the frog's skin. It lives in the part of the skin with the most of the protein keratin. The sick frogs stop eating and look and act very tired and weak. Then parts of their skins turn gray and fall off.  Some frogs turn red, shake and cannot stop, or cannot turn themselves right-side-up when they are upside down in the water.

People have seen chytridiomycosis fungus all over the world, from sea level to 5,348 meters above sea level in the Andes Mountains.

## Other websites

- Article in National Geographic Magazine, April 2009
- Wildlife Trade and Global Disease Emergence
- Main preventative management strategies for the Chytrid fungus
- Amphibian chytridiomycosis at Amphibian Diseases Home Page
- 'Amphibian Ark' aims to save frogs from fungus
Temnospondyl

**Temnospondyls** are an order of small to giant batrachomorph tetrapods. They lived worldwide from the Carboniferous to the Triassic. A few species continued into the Lower Cretaceous.

The Temnospondyls are similar or identical to the Labyrinthodonts minus the Lepospondyls. It is probably an evolutionary grade, not monophyletic. It is convenient to use, because all these early amphibia were so different from present-day amphibia.<sup>p169</sup> Many in the early Permian looked more like reptiles because they were adapted to life in a drier climate. Nevertheless, they were amphibians, and many larval stages have been found.

They are a large group of some 40 families and 160 genera.<sup>p322</sup> Fossils have been found on every continent. Their evolutionary history spans 210 million years. During this time, they adapted to a wide range of habitats including fresh water, terrestrial, and even coastal marine environments.

Fossils are known from the larval stage, metamorphosis, and maturity.<sup>p184</sup> Most temnospondyls were semiaquatic, although some were almost fully terrestrial, returning to the water only to breed. These temnospondyls were some of the first vertebrates fully adapted to life on land. Although temnospondyls are considered amphibians, many had characteristics such as scales, claws, and armour-like bony plates which modern amphibians do not have.

The youngest known temnospondyl is the Australian Koolasuchus that lived about 120 million years ago during the Early Cretaceous.

## Other websites

- Temnospondyli  Tree of Life project page on temnospondyls.
- Temnospondyli Palaeos page on temnospondyls.
Lepospondyl

The **Lepospondyli** are a large group of batrachomorph tetrapods from the Palaeozoic era. They are sometimes included in the Labyrinthodonts.

They lived during the Carboniferous to the early Permian. There are six different groups. The Acherontiscidae, Adelospondyli, Aïstopoda, Lysorophia, Microsauria and Nectridea. The included species which looked somewhat like newts, eels, snakes and lizards. Some of them were aquatic, semi-aquatic, and terrestrial animals. None of them were big animals.

## Other websites

- Lepospondyli - Palaeos
- Lepospondyli
- Lepospondyli - phylogeny
Peltobatrachus

**Peltobatrachus** (from Greek pelte, meaning shield and batrakhos, meaning frog) is an extinct genus of temnospondyl amphibians from the late Permian period of Tanzania. They were large and slow-moving animals. They reached 70 centimeters (2.3 ft) in length. They were terrestrial amphibians. They only went back to the water to lay their eggs. They eat insects, worms and snails.
Terrestrial animal

A **terrestrial animal** is an animal that lives on land such as dog, cat, an ant or an emu. It can also be used for some species of amphibians that only go back to the water to lay their eggs. It is usually a term to describe the difference between animals that live in water, (such as lobsters and fish), from animals that live on land.

## Books

- Clark J. A. (2002). _Gaining ground: the origin and evolution of tetrapods_. Indiana University Press, 369 pp., .
- Cloudsley-Thompson J. L. (1988). _Evolution and adaptation of terrestrial arthropods_. Springer, 141 pp., .
- Little C. (1983). _The colonisation of land: Origins and adaptations of terrestrial animals_. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge. 290 pp., .
Sister group

A **sister group** or **sister taxon** is a term used to describe the closest relatives of an organism (or other taxon) in a phylogenetic tree. It is a term in cladistics.

The sister group of organism A is B. The sister group of the clade B+A, is C.
Reptiliomorpha

**Reptiliomorpha** is a clade of the amniotes and those tetrapods that share a more recent common ancestor with amniotes than with living amphibians (lissamphibians).

Unfortunately, different experts have used the term in several different ways. It has even been used for fossils of early amphibians. It is best used for animals which lay cleidoic eggs, but are not synapsids. Otherwise precursors of reptiles (sauropsids) get lumped together with precursors of mammals (synapsids).

Its only justification is that it may not always be possible to decide which group a fossil is from. But gradually, as with _Seymouria_, it is possible to separate fossils into more specific grouups.
Youth Riding a Hippalektryon (Epiktetos)

***Youth Riding a Hippalektryon*** is a circular painting (tondo) in the bottom of the bowl of an ancient Greek terracotta drinking cup. It was painted by Epiktetos. It is dated to the Archaic period of Greek art (ca. 530–520 BC). The cup stands about 5 1/8 in. (13 cm) tall. A hippalektryon is a mythical creature, part horse and part rooster. The cup is held in the collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. The museum writes, "Late sixth-century vases connected with drinking occasionally have subjects that go beyond the familiar gorgons, griffins, or sphinxes. The hippalektryon belongs to this category. It is interesting to compare this piece to the fine early red-figure plate by Epiktetos showing a youth riding a rooster."
Spy-fi

The genre known as **Spy-fi** is a cross-over between the genres of spy fiction and science fiction. The story usually involves a spy with advanced technological weapons or gadgets, and sometimes the villain is a mad scientist or evil genius with robots or advanced technological weapons and gadgets. The film and novel series _James Bond_ was a popularizer of the genre, as well as such TV shows as The Man from UNCLE, Mission: Impossible, and I Spy.
Amanda Marshall

**Amanda Marshall** (born August 29, 1972) is a Canadian pop-rock singer. Her self-titled first record was in 1995. It was a major success in Canada. Her most successful single was "Birmingham". Marshall has released many singles. She has not had a studio album since around 2001.
Singing Reveler (Epiktetos)

***Singing Reveler*** is the tondo (circular painting) in a terracotta drinking cup said to have been painted by Epiktetos. It is dated about 520510 BC.  The cup measures 3 1/16 x 9 15/16 x 7 1/16 to 7 3/16 in. The cup is in the collections of The J. Paul Getty Museum.

The tondo depicts an older, balding man reclining on a couch and singing. The setting is probably a drinking party (_symposium_). These cups were meant to be used at such parties and were often decorated with party scenes.

The tondo presented problems to painters. It was difficult to present upright figures in a circle. Epiktetos solved this problem by using the couch as a line. The man's mantle slipping from the couch creates depth and space. The museum writes, "Epiktetos also used the circular frame of the tondo as part of the composition: it supports the man's pillow, and he props his foot on it."
Pentathletes (Carpenter Painter)

***Pentathletes*** is a painting on an ancient Greek terracotta drinking cup from Athens. It is said to be the work of the Carpenter Painter. It is dated about 510500 BC.  The cup measures 4 5/16 x 15 x 13 3/16 in. In the circular painting (tondo) at the bottom of the bowl of the cup, a youth pulls an older man to him for a kiss. The outside of the cup depicts bearded men and youths exercising with discus and javelin. A youth in a long robe plays music. The pictures reflect the interests of the aristocrats who would have used such a cup at a drinking party.
Salt pan

A **salt plain** (also known as a **salt pan** or **salt flat**) is a flat area of ground covered with salt and other minerals. They are usually purely white. They are found in desert areas. In areas where salt plains form, the rate of evaporation (how quickly water dries up) is faster than the rate of precipitation (how often rain falls). A salt plain is formed where a lake or pond would otherwise be found. When the water dries up, the minerals stay left behind on the suface of the ground. Over thousands of years, the minerals (usually salts) build up on the surface.

Large salt plains are common in the Sahara Desert, the Kalahari Desert, the Rann of Kutch, the western United States and the central deserts of Australia. The Altiplano in Bolivia has the world's largest salt plan, the Salar de Uyuni.

## Related pages

- Salt lake
Witchetty grub

A **witchetty grub** (also spelled **witchety grub** or **witjuti grub**) is the large, white larva of a moth. It is a name used in Australia. Normally, it refers to the larvae of the cossid moth _Endoxyla leucomochla_, found in central Australia. These moths eat the roots of the witchetty bush (a plant named after the grubs). It is also sometimes used to refer to the larvae of other cossid moths, as well as those of ghost moths (Hepialidae). It is used mainly when the larvae are being thought of as food. Because it contains a lot of protein, the grub is the most important insect food of the desert. It was a staple in the diets of nomadic Aboriginal people living in the outback.

The name _witchetty_ (or _witjuti_) comes from the Adnyamathanha language. The name comes from the words _wityu_ (meaning "hooked stick") and _vartu_ (meaning "grub").

## Other websites

- Witchetty Grub on Australian Insects
Carpenter Painter

The **Carpenter Painter** was a red-figure vase painter. He worked in Athens. He was active between 515 and 500 BC.  He chiefly painted cups. His real name is unknown. "Carpenter Painter" is taken from his depiction of a carpenter at work on a cup in the British Museum. Few of his works are known. The way he painted nipples, pectorals, hands, garments, and other details identify his work.

## Related pages

- Pentathletes (Carpenter Painter)
John Astin

**John Allen Astin** (born March 30, 1930) is an American movie, television, stage, voice, and radio actor. He has acted in many movies and television shows. He is best known for his role as Gomez Addams in _The Addams Family_, his role in _Evil Roy Slade_, and other comedic characters.

Astin was born on March 30, 1930 in Baltimore, Maryland. He studied at Washington & Jefferson College and at Johns Hopkins University.

Astin was married to Suzanne Hahn from 1956 until they divorced in 1972. He was married to Patty Duke from 1972 to 1985. He married Valeri Ann Sandobal in 1989. Astin had five sons; three by Hahn (David, Allen, and Tom), one by Duke (Mackenzie) and one adopted by Astin and Duke (Sean). Astin lives in Baltimore, Maryland.

## Infobox (person)

- **name**: John Astin
- **image**: John_Astin_Operation_Petticoat_1977.JPG
- **image caption**: Astin in a 1977 publicity photo for Operation Petticoat (TV series), Operation Petticoat
- **birth name**: John Allen Astin
- **birth place**: Baltimore, Maryland
- **occupation**: Actor, director, voice actor
- **years active**: 1954–2021
- **television**: The Addams Family (1964 TV series), The Addams Family
- **children**: 5, including Sean Astin, Sean and Mackenzie Astin, Mackenzie
- **relatives**: Alexander Astin
 (brother)
Cerastes

**Cerastes** is a genus of small venomous vipers growing up to the length of around 50 cm. There are currently three species found. They are usually known as the "_Horned Vipers_", the "_North African Desert Vipers_", or the "_Cerastes Vipers_".

## Behavior

The Horned Viper is nocturnal and terrestrial (lives on the ground), and is usually found buried underneath the sand. They are said to be slow moving, but they are able to do sidewinding. When they do sidewinding they can move faster across the sand. They are able to sink into the sand by moving in a rocking motion. They sink into the sand tail first and keep on sinking deeper into the sand until only their eyes and nose are sticking out of the sand. The reason they do this is so they can ambush prey which come close to it. They are oviparous, meaning they lay eggs. They live in the deserts of North Africa, Arabia, and Iran.

### Feeding

The Horned Viper catch their prey by ambushing. They eat mainly rodents, birds and lizards.

## Species

- Desert Horned Viper, _C. Cerastes_
- Arabian Horned Viper, _C. Gasperettii_
- Sahara Sand Viper, _C. Vipera_
Las Vegas culture

**Las Vegas culture** is the name for a number of setltements on the coast of present-day Ecuador. These settlements were created between roughly 8000 and 4600 BCE. In total, there are 31 settlements. The people who lived there were hunter-gatherers. They had also started agriculture. Bone points and a spatula have been discovered. They may have been used for making nets or textiles, along with various tools and containers shaped of shell; wood, bamboo, reeds, and bark are also believed to have been used in the tool industry.

No mummies have been found on the coast of Ecuador. The Las Vegas people had similarities with the people whose remains are preserved as the Chinchorro mummies of the north coast of Chile.They also lived at the same time.
Yu Kil-chun

**Yu Kil-chun** (, 1856 – 1914) was a Korean politician, philosopher, thinker, reform activist and independence activist during the Joseon Dynasty. His nickname was **Gudang**, **Chunmin**, **Guyil**.

## Life

Yu Kil-chun was born in Kwangju. In his early years he studied under Park Kyu-su and Oh Kyung-suk. As a young man in 1881, he went to Meiji Japan to study at Keio University. He then went to the United States in 1884 to study mathematics. After that, he was accused of supporting the _Gaehwadang_ (enlightenment party). He was arrested and put in jail from 1885 to 1894.

Between 1894 and 1895, Yu worked for the government of prime minister Kim Hongjip. He was Vice Minister of State for Home Office. In October 1895, Korea's King Gojong claimed that Yu was involved in the assassination of Queen Min. Kim was killed and his cabinet was disbanded. Yu went to the Russian embassy and escaped the country for exile in Japan. He returned to Korea in 1907 after he was pardoned by Emperor Sunjeong.

In 1910, when Korea was annexed by Imperial Japan, Yun started a movement against the annexation. Yu was offered the title _danshaku_ by the Government of Japan, but he refused it. He died in 1914 of a heart problem. He was aged 58.

## Works

- Seoyugyonmun (서유견문)

## Sources

- De Ceuster, Koen. “The World in a Book: Yu Kilchun’s Soyu kyonmun.” In Remco E. Breuker, ed. Korea in the Middle: Korean Studies and Area Studies: Essays in Honour of Boudewijn Walraven. Leiden: CNWS Publications, 2008.

## Other websites

- 구당 유길준(矩堂 兪吉濬):2003년 12월의 문화 인물
- Yu Kil-chun
- Yu Kil-chun , Korean historical person information
- Yu Gil-jun
- Yu Gil-jun
- Yu Gil-jun

## Infobox (korean name)

- **img**: Yu Kil-chun.jpg
- **hangul**: 유길준
- **rr**: Yu Gil-jun
- **mr**: Yu Kil-chun
- **hanjaho**: , ,
- **hangulho**: 구당, 천민, 구일
- **rrho**: Gudang, Cheonmin, Guyil
- **mrho**: Kudang, Chonmin, Kuyil
- **hangulja**: 성무
- **rrja**: Seongmu
- **mrja**: Sŏngmu
Plot

**Plot** may mean:

- The events and scheme of a book, film or other medium
    - Fiction#Plot
    - Narrative

- A conspiracy, usually secret, against a person or a regime
Katherine Jackson

**Katherine Esther Jackson** (born May 4, 1930 as **Katherine Esther Scruse**) is the matriarch of the Jackson family of musicians and singers, including Michael Jackson, La Toya and Janet Jackson. She is the widow of Joe Jackson.

Jackson had 10 children. Several of the children became famous.  In 1986 _Essence_ honored her as "Mother of the Year".

In 1990, Jackson released her autobiography, _My Family_.  The book told about her elderly  years and her relationship with her husband and their children.

In 2009, Michael died. Katherine was granted temporary guardianship of Michael's three children. In 2012 her guardianship was suspended for a short time.  The guardianship resumed with TJ Jackson, Michael's nephew, added as a co-guardian.

## Children

- Maureen Reillette "Rebbie" Jackson (born May 29, 1950)
- Sigmund Esco "Jackie" Jackson (born May 4, 1952)
- Toriano Adaryll "Tito" Jackson (October 15, 1953 – September 15, 2024)
- Jermaine La Jaune Jacksun (born December 11, 1954)
- La Toya Yvonne Jackson (born May 29, 1956)
- Marlon David Jackson (born March 12, 1957)
- Brandon Jackson (March 12, 1957 – March 12, 1957)
- Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009)
- Steven Randall "Randy" Jackson (born October 29, 1961)
- Janet Damita Jo Jackson (born May 16, 1966)

## Infobox (person)

- **name**: Katherine Jackson
- **birth name**: Katherine Esther Scruse
- **birth place**: Barbour County, Alabama, U.S.
- **spouse**: Joe Jackson
(1949–2018; his death)
- **parents**: Martha Bridges (1907–1990)
Prince Albert Scruse (1907–1997)
- **children**: 10
Fax

**Fax** (short for **facsimile**),  or **telecopying**, is the transmission of scanned printed material (both text and images), to a telephone number connected to a printer or other output device.

The original document is scanned with a **fax machine** (or a **telecopier**), which turns the contents (text or images) into a bitmap, then the bitmap is sent through the telephone system. The receiving fax machine reconverts the coded image, printing a paper copy.

Businesses usually have some kind of fax system, but the technology has faced increasing competition from Internet-based methods. Fax machines still retain some advantages, particularly in the transmission of sensitive material which, if sent over the internet, may be intercepted. However, encryption (a secret coding system) can make internet messages secure.

In some countries, because electronic signatures on contracts are not recognized by law while faxed contracts with copies of signatures are, fax machines enjoy continuing support in business.

In many businesses, standalone fax machines have been replaced by fax servers which receive and store incoming faxes electronically. The servers route them to users on paper or via a secure email. Such systems reduce costs by eliminating unnecessary printouts and reducing the number of inbound phone lines needed by an office.

### Wire transmission

Scottish inventor Alexander Bain worked on chemical mechanical fax type devices and in 1846 was able to reproduce graphic signs in laboratory experiments. He received the first fax patent in 1843.  Frederick Bakewell made several improvements on Bain's design and demonstrated a telefax machine. The Pantelegraph was invented by the Italian physicist Giovanni Caselli  He introduced the first commercial telefax service between Paris and Lyons in 1865, some 11 years before the invention of telephones.

In 1881, English inventor Shelford Bidwell constructed the _scanning phototelegraph_ that was the first telefax machine to scan any two-dimensional original, not requiring manual plotting or drawing. Around 1900, German physicist Arthur Korn invented the _Bildtelegraph_. It became widely used in continental Europe after a wanted-person photograph was transmitted from Paris to London in 1908. Its main competitors were the _Bélinograf_ by Édouard Belin first, then since the 1930s the _Hellschreiber_, invented in 1929 by German inventor Rudolf Hell, a pioneer in mechanical image scanning and transmission.

Transmission by landline was replaced by radiotransmission, and from  1960 by satellite transmission. Digital systems are now universal. Faster, more efficient and cheaper fax machines have allowed even small companies to own a fax machine. The technology is now world-wide.
Audrey Meadows

**Audrey Meadows** (born February 8 1922; died February 3 1996) was an American actress. She was best known for her role as Alice Kramden on the 1950s American television comedy _The Honeymooners_. She was born in New York City by the name **Audrey Cotter**. Meadows died as a result of lung cancer on February 3, 1996.
Carl von Gontard

**Carl von Gontard** (January 13, 1731 in Mannheim – September 23, 1791 in Breslau) was a German architect; he worked primarily in the German cities Berlin, Potsdam, and Bayreuth.

He modified the original Deutscher Dom and Französischer Dom cathedrals in Berlin and added the domed towers.
Cloris Leachman

**Cloris Leachman** (April 30, 1926 – January 27, 2021) was an American actress.

## Personal Life

She was in many stage plays, movies, and television programs. She won eight Primetime Emmy Awards and one Daytime Emmy Award. She was a vegetarian. Leachman was born in Des Moines, Iowa.

Leachman won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress in 1971 for her role as Ruth Popper _The Last Picture Show_.

## Death

Leachman died on January 27, 2021, at her home in Encinitas, California at the age of 94. The cause of death was a stroke caused by COVID-19.