IN: Graeme Obree (born 11 September 1965), nicknamed The Flying Scotsman, is a Scottish racing cyclist who twice broke the world hour record, in July 1993 and April 1994, and was the individual pursuit world champion in 1993 and 1995. He was known for his unusual riding positions and for the Old Faithful bicycle he built which included parts from a washing machine. He joined a professional team in France but was fired before his first race. Obree has created some radical innovations in bicycle design and cycling position but has had problems with the cycling authorities banning the riding positions his designs required.

Obree was born in Nuneaton, Warwickshire but has lived almost all his life in Scotland and considers himself Scottish. An individual time triallist, his first race was a 10-mile time trial to which he turned up wearing shorts, anorak and Doc Marten boots. He thought the start and finish were at the same place and stopped where he had started, 100 metres short of the end. He had started to change his clothes when officials told him to continue. He still finished in "about 30 minutes." Obree suffers from bipolar disorder. He attempted suicide in his teens by gassing himself. He was saved by his father, who had returned early from work. In the 1990s he took an overdose of aspirin washed down by water from a puddle. He had personality problems, sniffed the gas he used to weld bicycles, and was being chased for PS492 owed in college fees. The bike shop that he ran failed and he decided the way out of his problems was to attack the world hour velodrome record. It had been held for nine years by Francesco Moser, at 51.151 kilometres. Obree said: The record had fascinated me since Moser broke it. It was the ultimate test - no traffic, one man in a velodrome against the clock. I didn't tell myself that I will attempt the record, I said I would break it. When your back is against the wall, you can say it's bad or you can say: 'I'll go for it.' I decided, that's it, I've as good as broken the record.

Did he marry?

OUT: no

IN: Rise Against is an American melodic hardcore band from Chicago, Illinois, formed in 1999. The band's current line-up comprises vocalist/rhythm guitarist Tim McIlrath, lead guitarist Zach Blair, bassist Joe Principe and drummer Brandon Barnes. Former members are guitarists Dan Wlekinski, Kevin White, Todd Mohney and Chris Chasse, and drummer Toni Tintari. The band spent its first four years signed to the independent record label Fat Wreck Chords, on which they released two studio albums, The Unraveling (2001) and Revolutions per Minute (2003).

After a year and a half of touring, Rise Against reconvened at the Blasting Room to record their fourth album, The Sufferer & the Witness. The band members were dissatisfied with Richardson's contributions to Siren Song of the Counter Culture, as he produced a more polished and heavier album than their previous works. As a result, they decided to return to Stevenson and Livermore, whom they felt had accurately captured the raw punk sound they strove for on Revolutions per Minute. Unlike the stressful recording sessions for Siren Song of the Counter Culture, the band had a much more enjoyable time with The Sufferer & the Witness, as they no longer sought the approval of Geffen executives. According to McIlrath: "It went great, the songs just flowed out of us. There were really few questions and the song lyrics would just come out of us, it went really well and everyone really liked them." The Sufferer & the Witness was released on July 4, 2006. The album sold 48,327 copies in its first week of release in the United States, and peaked at number ten on the Billboard 200. The Sufferer & the Witness also charted in seven other countries, including number five on the Canadian Albums Chart, making it the band's first album to chart outside of the United States. It was certified gold in three countries, and platinum by Music Canada. The album was well received by critics, who praised the production value, and noted how Rise Against was able to mature in their sound and simultaneously retain their punk roots. Three songs from The Sufferer & the Witness were released as singles: "Ready to Fall", "Prayer of the Refugee", and "The Good Left Undone". These three songs also charted on the Modern Rock Tracks chart, with "Prayer of the Refugee" and "The Good Left Undone" in particular peaking within the top ten. Rise Against supported the album with The Sufferer & the Witness Tour throughout the second half of 2006 and all of 2007. The band was a headliner on the 2006 Warped Tour, during which author and filmmaker Davy Rothbart recorded several of the band's live performances, and interviewed some of their fans. This footage was used in the Rise Against DVD documentary Generation Lost. In 2007, the band released the EP This Is Noise, and participated in a tour with My Chemical Romance. Prior to this tour, Chasse left the band, citing touring fatigue as the reason for his departure; Zach Blair of the band Only Crime joined shortly thereafter, as Rise Against's fifth different guitarist. At the time he received the call about joining Rise Against, Blair was a construction worker living paycheck to paycheck.

Was the album popular?

OUT:
The Good Left Undone" in particular peaking within the top ten.