title: 2007 Atlantic hurricane season

paragraphs: The 2007 Atlantic hurricane season was a time of year when tropical cyclones happened in the year 2007. The season started June 1, 2007, and ended on November 30, 2007, but the last storm did not die until December 12, 2007. Most of the storms that form in the Atlantic Ocean during the year happen between these two dates. But Subtropical Storm Andrea formed early on May 9, 2007, which was before the start of the season. This was the second time in five years that a storm formed before the season start date. Tropical Storm Ana in the 2003 Atlantic hurricane season also formed before June 1.

paragraphs: On May 9, a extratropical cyclone formed into Subtropical Storm Andrea while about 140 miles (225 km) southeast of Savannah, Georgia. Tropical storm watches were immediately issued for parts of coastal Georgia and Florida, though were later dropped. It is the first named storm to form in May since Arlene in the 1981 Atlantic hurricane season, and the first pre-season storm since Ana in April 2003. Later, the pattern of the system became bad with a large lowering in convection as it moved over cooler waters, and on May 10 it weakened to a subtropical depression and NHC issued its final advisory on Andrea at 11 PM EST, May 10. However, on the morning of May 11 convection flared up over the center, indicating that the cyclone might be acquiring tropical characteristics once again. However, it did not.

paragraphs: The storm produced rough surf along the coastline from Florida to North Carolina, causing beach erosion and some damage. One surfer drowned in Florida from the rough surf. Five people died during Andrea's initial extratropical phase. High winds from Andrea have been reported as fueling severe wildfires in northern Florida and southern Georgia. Andrea was blamed for providing stiff winds that acted like a "chimney", fueling the blaze to firestorm levels beyond the control of firefighting officials. Strong winds from the storm spread smoke from local brush fires through the Tampa Bay area to Miami.

paragraphs: On May 30, a large low pressure area formed in the Gulf of Honduras. The system slowly became stronger as it moved through the northwest Caribbean Sea into the southeast Gulf of Mexico. On June 1, the first day of the Atlantic hurricane season, this cyclone organized into Tropical Storm Barry, even thought it was in an area of high wind shear. Warnings were immediately issued along the Western Florida coastline. Barry gave much-needed rain to parts of Florida and Georgia which were experiencing drought conditions from January to May. Barry made landfall near Tampa Bay, Florida on June 2 as a weak tropical storm. Shortly after, Barry weakened into a tropical depression as it became an extratropical storm. On June 3, the cyclone moved up the coast of the Carolinas bringing rains into the Mid-Atlantic states and New England. By June 5 its center had moved northward into Eastern Canada.

paragraphs: An area of low pressure area formed near the Bahamas on July 28, and slowly organized while moving to the north-northeast. Late on July 30, it was upgraded to a tropical depression, the third of the season, after developing deep convection near the center for most of the day. On July 31, the system strengthened into a tropical storm south of Nova Scotia, the first storm in nearly two months after Barry. The storm quickly became extratropical late that day though as it moved towards Newfoundland over the cooler waters of the north Atlantic.

paragraphs: On August 1, flooding was reported from Placentia to the capital city of St. John's, where about 100 mm (4 inches) of rain held up the annual Royal St. John's Regatta. Up to 150 mm (6 inches) of rain fell in the Whitbourne area, according to Environment Canada. The most serious flooding was across the southern Avalon Peninsula, where dozens of roads were washed out, houses were flooded above their basements and several communities were isolated. Ferry service between Argentia and North Sydney, Nova Scotia, was stopped, and one ferry was forced to change its course to Port aux Basques.

paragraphs: States of emergency were declared in at least five communities in the areas surrounding Placentia Bay and Conception Bay, and the Newfoundland and Labrador Municipal Affairs Minister Jack Byrne has requested a federal disaster area declaration. Damage is estimated to be well into the millions of dollars, with at least $4 million in damage in the town of Placentia alone.

paragraphs: A strong tropical wave moved off the west coast of Africa in the second week of August. It quickly gathered itself and turned into into a low on August 12. Tropical Depression Four was made on August 13 in the east part of the Atlantic from the tropical wave to the south of Cape Verde. The depression was already having continuing deep thunderstorms, but mostly at the west part of its spinning because of wind shear from the east. The depression was supposed to become stronger a lot over the next few days due to wind shear becoming more weak and warmer sea surface temperatures which made conditions better for it to become stronger. The depression moved west very fast, south of a deep layered high, quickly running away from the shear from the east. Looking at satellite pictures and microwave and QuikSCAT information, the depression was changed to Tropical Storm Dean on August 14. It was changed to a category one then a category two hurricane on August 16, 2007. It got to category three then category four on August 17, 2007. It got to category five on August 20, 2007. Dean made landfall in the Yucatan Peninsula as a category 5. The hurricane made another landfall in Mexico on August 22 and Dean died the next day.

paragraphs: On August 9, an area of convection developed just south of Jamaica in association with a trough of low pressure. The system moved west-northwestward, and by August 10 it had a broad surface trough with minimal shower activity. Convection increased on August 11, and by August 12 a tropical wave and an upper-level low began to merge which resulted in a large area of disorganized thunderstorms extending from the western Caribbean Sea into the central Bahamas. Upper-level winds slowly became more beneficial for development, and on August 13 a large low pressure area formed about 90 miles (145 km) north-northeast of Cancún, Quintana Roo. Late on August 14, a reconnaissance flight into the system reported a small circulation center, but at the time was not well-defined enough to result in the initiation of tropical cyclone advisories. However, deep convection was found near the increasingly organizing center, and at 0300 UTC on August 15 the National Hurricane Center upgraded it as Tropical Depression Five about 425 miles (685 km) southeast of Brownsville, Texas.

paragraphs: Looking at reconnaissance info gotten from an NOAA plane investigating the depression, it was upgraded to Tropical Storm Erin on August 15.

paragraphs: It weakened to a tropical depression as it made landfall near Lamar, Texas, on August 16 and the NHC gave out its last advisory on the system soon after as it moved inland; but the HPC then began taking the responsibility of making advisories as long as the system was still tropical and a flood threat.

paragraphs: Two people were killed when a warehouse broke down in Texas. In all, 17 people died because of Erin.

paragraphs: On August 31, an area of weather east of the Windward Islands became strong enough, and was named Tropical Depression Six. Early on September 1, it was changed to a tropical storm and named Felix. Later that day, Felix was changed to a hurricane. On September 2, Felix was changed to a major hurricane. Felix hit land as a category 5 in northeastern Nicaragua, making it the second hurricane in 2007 to do this. At least 133 people were killed.

paragraphs: An extratropical storm off the coast of the eastern United States was classified as "Subtropical Storm Gabrielle" by the National Hurricane Center late on September 7. It was later reclassified as a tropical storm on September 8. After passing over the Outer Banks of North Carolina, it weakened to a depression on September 10, and the final advisory was issued the next day as it no longer had a well-defined surface circulation.

paragraphs: Gabrielle poured 4-6 inches of rain in the immediate area of landfall, but reports showed minimal damage and no fatalities were reported.

paragraphs: Tropical Depression Eight formed from a tropical wave 1130 mi (1815 km) east of the Lesser Antilles on September 12, just before the system that eventually became Humberto formed. It was slow to develop and became Tropical Storm Ingrid early on September 14. Shearing winds from a tropical upper tropospheric trough soon weakened the cyclone, it returned to depression strength on September 15, and the final advisory was issued on September 17 as the system degenerated into an open wave north of the Leeward Islands. Ingrid was the first storm of the 2007 season not to threaten land, and there were no reports of damage or casualties.

paragraphs: Tropical Depression Nine formed from a non-tropical low in the north-western Gulf of Mexico on September 12. Three hours later it had strengthened sufficiently to be named Tropical Storm Humberto. It rapidly became a hurricane until dissipating over North Carolina. Damage is at a half a billion dollars.

paragraphs: An extratropical low formed off the east coast of Florida on September 18. It slowly tracked westward, breaking itself away from a trough over the Atlantic while crossing the Florida Peninsula on September 19, emerging in the Gulf of Mexico on September 20. It slowly organized itself and was classified as a subtropical depression on the morning of September 21 just south of the Florida Panhandle. Three hours later, it was reclassified as fully tropical. At 8 pm EDT (0000 UTC) later that day, Tropical Depression Ten began to move onshore, and never reached tropical storm strength.

paragraphs: Damage from the precursor low was reported in Eustis, Florida from one or more tornadoes that damaged or destroyed about 50 houses, but caused no serious injuries.

paragraphs: Early on September 23, a subtropical depression formed from a previously extratropical low about 1060 miles (1710 km) west of the Azores. It quickly strengthened into Subtropical Storm Jerry later that morning while remaining far from land. It transitioned into a fully tropical storm early on September 24, but weakened the same day as it moved over cooler waters. As it accelerated northward, it strengthened back into a tropical storm and reached its peak intensity of 45 mph (75 km/h) late on September 24. Shortly afterward, Jerry was absorbed into a larger extratropical low.

paragraphs: In the fourth week of September, a very large tropical wave emerged off the coast of Africa and tracked south of Cape Verde. It slowly became organized, by early on September 25, it became a tropical depression, and 6 hours later was upgraded to Tropical Storm Karen. It was slow to become stronger at first, but on September 26, Karen quickly became stronger and was made a hurricane early in the day before added wind shear stopped the intensification and began to slowly weaken the storm. Karen was declared to have been at hurricane strength by the NHC on November 27, 2007.

paragraphs: On September 21, an area of convection developed in the western Caribbean Sea in association with a trough of low pressure. Convection increased and a broad area of low pressure developed on September 22 as the convection moved northwestward towards the Yucatan Peninsula. On September 23 the area of low pressure moved over the Yucatan Peninsula and was producing thunderstorms from the southern Gulf of Mexico to the northwestern Caribbean Sea. Over the next few days the broad area of low pressure was moving erratically over the southwestern Gulf of Mexico but convection remained limited due to strong upper-level winds. By September 25 upper-level winds started to become more favorable for tropical cyclone formation and by that morning visible satellite imagery indicated that a tropical depression could be forming about 180 mi (290 km) east of Tampico, Mexico.

paragraphs: During the evening of September 25 a United States Air Force Hurricane Hunter aircraft found that the area of low pressure had developed into a tropical depression. The depression tracked slowly to the south and southwest into the Bay of Campeche. On September 26 convection increased and the depression was getting closer to being a tropical storm. At 0300 UTC September 27 the Government of Mexico issued a tropical storm watch for parts of the Mexican Gulf Coast as the depression was forecasted to strengthen into a tropical storm. Rapid intensification took place on September 27, and the depression became Tropical Storm Lorenzo around midday. Continued intensification that afternoon brought Lorenzo to near hurricane intensity. Early that evening, less than 7 hours after first being upgraded to a tropical storm, it was upgraded to Hurricane Lorenzo. It hit land on Mexico a little while after.

paragraphs: An area of low pressure associated with a tropical wave near the Cape Verde islands developed into a tropical depression on September 28, after slowly developing for almost two days. Early the next day it strengthened to become Tropical Storm Melissa, the eighth named storm to form in September, tying the record for most storms to form in a month. It soon weakened under the influence of shearing winds.

paragraphs: On October 11, a tropical depression formed in the central Atlantic east of Bermuda out of a previously non-tropical low, which could possibly have involved the remnants of Tropical Storm Karen. It dissipated without further development.

paragraphs: During the evening of October 27, a low pressure system that had been slowly developing over the eastern Caribbean gained enough organization to be declared Tropical Depression Sixteen. It steadily intensified and became a tropical storm on the afternoon of October 28. It made landfall in Haiti on October 29, and then meandered across the western Caribbean near Cuba for the next three days. Noel brought torrential rain to the region, killing at least 120 people. It then accelerated northeastward, passing through the Bahamas before strengthening to a hurricane on November 1. Noel began an extratropical transition on November 2. While sustained winds were still at category 1 strength, the NHC issued its final advisory that afternoon. Meanwhile, the Canadian Hurricane Centre is still issuing advisories as it approaches Canadian territory.

paragraphs: In the second week of December, after the official end of the hurricane season, a low developed east of the northernmost Lesser Antilles. It slowly acquired subtropical characteristics, and late on December 10, the NHC declared it Subtropical Storm Olga while just north of Puerto Rico. It is the first post-season storm since Tropical Storm Zeta in the 2005 season, making this season one of the few with activity both before and after the official bounds of the hurricane season. The storm made landfall on December 11 on the eastern tip of the Dominican Republic. Later that evening, Olga transitioned into a tropical storm just after making landfall. Further weakening took place and the storm degenerated into a remnant low late on December 12.

paragraphs: Flooding and mudslides caused at least 22 deaths - one in Puerto Rico, two in Haiti and at least 19 in the Dominican Republic.

paragraphs: The following names will be used for named storms that form in the Atlantic basin in 2007. Due to the devastation caused by Hurricanes Dean, Felix and Noel, these names were retired by the World Meteorological Organization. The names not retired from this list will be used again in the 2013 season. A storm was named Andrea for the first time in 2007. The list is the same as the 2001 list except for Andrea, Ingrid, and Melissa, which replaced Allison, Iris, and Michelle, respectively. Names that have not been assigned are marked in .

paragraphs: The table on the right shows the Accumulated Cyclone Energy (ACE) for each storm in the season. ACE is, basically speaking, a measure of the power of the hurricane multiplied by the length of time it existed, so storms that last a long time, as well as particularly strong hurricanes, have high ACEs. ACE is only calculated for full advisories on tropical systems at or exceeding 34 knots (39 mph, 63 km/h) or tropical storm strength. While Subtropical Storm Andrea was a named storm of the 2007 season, NOAA does not officially include subtropical storms' ACE ratings in season totals. Andrea's ACE would have been 0.603 10kt² if it was tropical. Values accrued while Gabrielle, Jerry and Olga were subtropical are not included in their totals.


title: Yul Brynner

paragraphs: Yul Brynner (July 11, 1920 – October 10, 1985) was a Broadway and Hollywood actor. He was born in Russia. He moved to the United States and became an American citizen. He appeared in many movies and stage productions in the United States. He is famous for his role as the Siamese king in the musical "The King and I" on theater and in the movie, as well as Rameses II in the 1956 Cecil B. DeMille movie "The Ten Commandments" and as "Chris Adams" in "The Magnificent Seven". He played a killer robot in the 1976 science fiction film "Westworld".

paragraphs: He was known for his shaved head which he kept as a personal sign since his role in "The King and I".

paragraphs: He is mentioned in the song "One Night in Bangkok".


title: Robert Redford

paragraphs: Robert Redford (born Charles Robert Redford, Jr. on August 18, 1937), is a retired American movie actor, director, producer, businessman, and model. One of Hollywood's biggest superstars, Redford has kept his appeal as the decades pass.

paragraphs: In August 2018, Redford announced his retirement from acting.


title: Salvia pratensis

paragraphs: Salvia pratensis (Meadow Clary or Meadow Sage; syn "Salvia virgata") is a perennial sage in the family Lamiaceae, that grows in Europe, western Asia and northern Africa.

paragraphs: It is a herbaceous perennial plant and grows up to 1.5 m tall. The leaves are arranged in opposite pairs, the leaves on the lower part of the stem up to 15 cm long, higher up the stem they are smaller. The flowers are dark blue-purple, rarely pink or white.

paragraphs: It is usually grows in unimproved soils, which is typical for grasslands, scrub edges, and woodland borders.


title: Raymond Burr

paragraphs: Raymond William Stacey Burr (May 21, 1917 – September 12, 1993) was a Canadian actor and vintner, famous for his roles in the television dramas "Perry Mason", for which he was awarded two Emmy Awards, and "Ironside".

paragraphs: Burr's mother was of English and Scottish ancestry; his father was Irish.

paragraphs: Burr may have been acloseted homosexual.


title: Michelle Pfeiffer

paragraphs: Michelle Marie Pfeiffer (born April 29, 1958) is an American actress who has been nominated for the Oscar three times. Pfeiffer has appeared in movie such as "Scarface", "The Fabulous Baker Boys", "Batman Returns" and "Hairspray".

paragraphs: Since 1981 until 1988 she was married to Peter Horton.

paragraphs: Since November 13, 1993 she is married to David E. Kelley. They have two children, Claudia Rose Kelley (born in May 1993, was adopted) and son John Henry Kelley (born on August 5, 1994).


title: Plant stem

paragraphs: A stem is one of two main structural axes of a vascular plant. The stem is normally divided into nodes and internodes, the nodes hold leaves, flowers, cones, axillary buds, or other stems etc.

paragraphs: The term "shoots" is often confused with "stems". A "shoot" generally refers to "new fresh plant growth" including both stems and other structures like leaves or flowers.

paragraphs: The other main structural axis of plants is the root. In most plants, stems are above the soil surface but some plants have underground stems called stolons or rhizomes.

paragraphs: Stems have four main functions which are:

paragraphs: The normal life span of plant cells is one to three years. Much of the longer-lasting tissue in trees consists of cells which are no longer living. Bark and xylem vessels are examples of this.

paragraphs: Stems are often specialized for storage, asexual reproduction, protection or photosynthesis, including the following:

paragraphs: The most important tissue inside the stem is the vascular tissue. This plays a major part in the transpiration of water and nutrients. There are many hollow tubes, including the xylem vessel and schlerenchyma fibres. The phloem contains living tissue.

paragraphs: There are thousands of species whose stems have economic uses. Stems provide a few major staple crops such as potato and taro. Sugar cane stems are a major source of sugar. Maple sugar is obtained from trunks of maple trees. Vegetables from stems are asparagus, bamboo shoots, cactus pads, kohlrabi, and water chestnut. The spice, cinnamon is bark from a tree trunk.

paragraphs: Cellulose from tree trunks is a food additive in bread, grated Parmesan cheese, and other processed foods. Gum arabic is an important food additive obtained from the trunks of "Acacia senegal" trees. Chicle, the main ingredient in chewing gum, is obtained from trunks of the chicle tree.

paragraphs: Medicines obtained from stems include quinine from the bark of cinchona trees, camphor distilled from wood of a tree in the same genus that provides cinnamon, and the muscle relaxant curare from the bark of tropical vines.

paragraphs: Wood is a used in thousands of ways, e.g. buildings, furniture, boats, airplanes, wagons, car parts, musical instruments, sports equipment, railroad ties, utility poles, fence posts, pilings, toothpicks, matches, plywood, coffins, shingles, barrel staves, toys, tool handles, picture frames, veneer, charcoal and firewood. Wood pulp is widely used to make paper, cardboard, cellulose sponges, cellophane and some important plastics and textiles, such as cellulose acetate and rayon. Bamboo stems also have hundreds of uses, including paper, buildings, furniture, boats, musical instruments, fishing poles, water pipes, plant stakes, and scaffolding. Trunks of palm trees and tree ferns are often used for building. Reed stems are also important building materials in some areas.

paragraphs: Tannins used for tanning leather are obtained from the wood of certain trees, such as quebracho. Cork is obtained from the bark of the cork oak. Rubber is obtained from the trunks of "Hevea brasiliensis." Rattan, used for furniture and baskets, is made from the stems of tropical vining palms. Bast fibers for textiles and rope are obtained from stems include flax, hemp, jute and ramie. The earliest paper was obtained from the stems of papyrus by the ancient Egyptians.

paragraphs: Amber is fossilized sap from tree trunks; it is used for jewelry and may contain ancient animals. Resins from conifer wood are used to produce turpentine and rosin. Tree bark is often used as a mulch and in growing media for container plants.

paragraphs: Some ornamental plants are grown mainly for their attractive stems, e.g.:


title: NNDB

paragraphs: NNDB, standing for Notable Names Database, produced by Soylent Communications, is an online database of biographical information of notable people. As of March 2007, NNDB contains more than 60,000 articles for over 22,000 important people. Readers may suggest additions or corrections which are later checked by a NNDB staff member.


title: Vascular plant

paragraphs: The vascular plants, or tracheophytes, are plants that have specialized tissues for conducting water, minerals, and photosynthetic products through the plant. They include the ferns, clubmosses, horsetails, flowering plants, conifers and other gymnosperms. They are often called the higher plants.

paragraphs: The vascular plants are set apart in two main ways:

paragraphs: Water transport happens in either xylem or phloem: xylem carries water and inorganic solutes upward toward the leaves from the roots, while phloem carries organic solutes throughout the plant.


paragraphs: The Treaty on the Final Settlement with Respect to Germany ( ) is sometimes called the 2 + 4 Treaty.

paragraphs: It was signed by the two Germanys (West and East) and the four Wartime Allies (France, the United States, the United Kingdom, and the Soviet Union (USSR)) on 12 September 1990, in Moscow, USSR.

paragraphs: The treaty formally ended the Second World War. The Allies of World War II gave up the powers and duties they had had in the two Germanys and in Berlin since the Nazi Surrender in 1945 stopped the fighting in World War II.

paragraphs: Six countries signed the treaty but only five ratified (confirmed) it. This is because Germany united under one government on 3 October 1990, three weeks after the treaty was signed.

paragraphs: The treaty allowed East and West German reunification into one country. It said that Germany will be peaceful, and not start wars. Germany promised to limit the size of its Army, Navy, and Air force, and not to make nuclear bombs.

paragraphs: The treaty also set guidelines about moving the foreign troops that were in Germany. The USSR was to move all of its troops out of Eastern Germany and Eastern Berlin by 1994. The three Western allies were asked to keep their troops in Berlin until the Soviets had left. Germany also promised not to allow NATO troops to move into Eastern Germany, and not to allow certain types of weapons in the East either.

paragraphs: The treaty also set Germany's borders, and the German government confirmed that the treaty it made with Poland in 1970 about the border between the countries, was to stay in force.

paragraphs: On 15 March 1991, the treaty treaty took effect, and Germany became fully sovereign (that is, able to control everything in its own territory, including Berlin).


title: Non-vascular plant

paragraphs: Non-vascular plants is a general term for those plants without a vascular system (xylem and phloem). Although non-vascular plants do not have these tissues, some of them have other tissues for internal transport of water.

paragraphs: Nonvascular plants have no roots, stems, or leaves. These structures always have some vascular tissue.

paragraphs: The term "non-vascular plant" is no longer used in biological classification. Non-vascular plants include two quite different groups:

paragraphs: In the past, the term "non-vascular plant" included all the algae, but also the fungi as well. Today, it is recognized that these groups are not closely related to plants, and have a very different biology.


title: Vascular tissue

paragraphs: Vascular tissue is a complex tissue found in vascular plants. Complex means that it is composed of more than one cell type.

paragraphs: The primary components of vascular tissue are the xylem and phloem. These two tissues transport fluid and nutrients internally. There is a meristem associated with vascular tissue: the vascular cambium. All the vascular tissues within a particular plant together constitute the vascular tissue system of that plant.


title: Phloem

paragraphs: In vascular plants, phloem is the living tissue made up of small tubes which carry watery sap containing sugar and other organic nutrients to all parts of the plant where the nutrients are used for growth, or stored until needed. The sugar is made by photosynthesis. In trees, the phloem is the innermost layer of the bark, therefore the name, that comes from the Greek word φλοιος ("phloios") for "bark".

paragraphs: Aphids (greenfly) and other insects feed on the phloem by inserting a fine tube into the plant, penetrating the tiny phloem cells deep within the plant. The high pressure in the phloem tubes forces the phloem sap into the insect. Most of the sugar passes right through the insect, so that nearby surfaces get sticky and often become black due to the growth of fungus.

paragraphs: Water, which is absorbed by the plant's roots, travels up the stem to the leaf through the xylem. This means that the xylem helps during photosynthesis by bringing water up the plant. It does the same job that blood vessels do in animals.


title: Walter Matthau

paragraphs: Walter Matthau (October 1, 1920–July 1, 2000) was an American comedy actor, most famous for his role as "Oscar Madison" in "The Odd Couple" and his many collaborations with fellow "Odd Couple" star Jack Lemmon. He won the Oscar in 1966 for his role in "The Fortune Cookie".


title: Susan Sarandon

paragraphs: Susan Sarandon (born October 4, 1946) is an American actress. She was born in New York City and grew up in Edison, New Jersey. She has received many awards in her career for her work, including the Academy Award in 1995 for her role at the movie "Dead Man Walking", written and directed by her partner, actor and director Tim Robbins.


title: Tim Robbins

paragraphs: Timothy Francis Robbins (born October 16, 1958) is an American actor, screenwriter, director, producer, activist, and amateur musician. He has won many awards in his career, including the Academy Award in 2004 for his work in "Mystic River".

paragraphs: He was born in West Covina, Los Angeles County and raised in New York City. He was the partner of actress Susan Sarandon from 1988-2009.


title: Tigran Chukhajian

paragraphs: Tigran Chukhajian was a famous Armenian composer and the founder of the first opera institution in the Ottoman Empire. He composed the first Armenian opera, "Arshak II", about the life of Armenian king Arshak II.


title: Jamie Lee Curtis

paragraphs: Jamie Lee Curtis, Lady Haden-Guest (born November 22, 1958) is an American actress and author. Although at the beginning of her career she was known as “The one girl” because of her roles in many horror movies beginning in her first ever movie "Halloween" (1978) as Laurie Strode, Curtis has since worked in a lot of different movie genres. She has received an Grammy Award nomination and two Golden Globe Awards. Her 1998 book, "Today I Feel Gross, and Other Grammy That Make My Day", made the best-seller list in "The New York Times".

paragraphs: In late the 2010s, Curtis returned as Strode in the horror movie "Halloween" (2018) and in the upcoming sequels "Halloween Kills" (2020) and "Halloween Ends" (2021). She also played Linda Drysdale in the mystery comedy movie "Knives Out" (2019).

paragraphs: Curtis was born in Santa Monica, California. She is the daughter of actor Tony Curtis and actress Janet Leigh. Her paternal grandparents were Hungarian Jewish immigrants and two of her maternal great-grandparents were Danish. Curtis's parents divorced in 1962, after which her mother married Robert Brandt. Curtis has an older sister, Kelly Curtis, who is also an actress, and several half-siblings (all from her father's remarriages), Alexandra, Allegra, Ben, and Nicholas Curtis (who died in 1994 of a drug overdose). Curtis attended Westlake School (now Harvard-Westlake School) in Los Angeles and Beverly Hills High School, and graduated from Choate Rosemary Hall. Returning to California in 1976, she attended the University of the Pacific in Stockton, California. She considered majoring in social work, but quit after one semester to pursue an acting career.

paragraphs: She is married to actor Christopher Guest (Baron Haden-Guest) and, as the wife of a Baron, she has the title Baroness Haden-Guest and she could be called The Lady Haden-Guest, but she chooses not to use the title nor the style when in the United States.


title: People's Republic

paragraphs: People's Republic (sometimes called Popular Republic) is a name for a communist, usually Marxist-Leninist country. Currently, the People's Republic of China (PRC) is the only Marxist-Leninist state in the world that uses the title "People's Republic". Because of this, "People's Republic" is sometimes used to refer to China.

paragraphs: The term is also found in the official name of North Korea - Democratic people's republic of Korea.


title: Michael J. Fox

paragraphs: Michael J. Fox (born Michael Andrew Fox on June 9, 1961) is a Canadian-American movie and television actor. He was born and raised in Canada. He later gained American citizenship and retains his Canadian citizenship. His most famous roles include "Marty McFly" from the "Back to the Future" trilogy (1985-1990); "Alex P. Keaton" from "Family Ties" (1982-1989), for which he won three Emmy Awards and a Golden Globe Award; and "Mike Flaherty" from "Spin City" (1996-2000), for which he won an Emmy, three Golden Globes, and two Screen Actors Guild Awards.

paragraphs: Fox found out he had Parkinson's disease in 1991, and told this to the public in 1998. As his disease became worse, he retired from acting in 2000.


title: Hurt (Christina Aguilera song)

paragraphs: "Hurt" is a song sung by Christina Aguilera, from her 2006 album "Back to Basics". The song was written by Aguilera, Linda Perry and Mark Ronson. It is a slow, emotional ballad. It was released as the second single from her "Back to Basics" album, after "Ain't No Other Man". It charted in many countries in the world.


title: Christopher Reeve

paragraphs: Christopher D'Olier Reeve (September 25, 1952 – October 10, 2004) was an American actor, director, producer and writer. He was a famous theater actor before playing the role of Superman in four movies, from 1978 to 1987. In the 1980s, he starred in several movies, including "Somewhere in Time" (1980), "Deathtrap" (1982), "The Bostonians" (1984), and "Street Smart" (1987). He also starred in many theater plays, including the Broadway plays "Fifth of July" (1980 - 1982) and "The Marriage of Figaro" (1985). In 1987, started a public movement of protest in support of 77 Chilean actors, directors, and playwrights who had been sentenced to death by the dictator Pinochet for criticizing his government in their works. Pinochet canceled the sentence after this, and Reeve was given with three national awards from Chile for his actions. In the 1990s, Reeve acted in such movies as "Noises Off" (1992), "The Remains of the Day" (1993), and "Village of the Damned" (1995).

paragraphs: In May 1995, Reeve was paralyzed in an accident when riding a horse. He had to use a wheelchair for the rest of his life. He then made many campaigns in support of people with spinal cord injuries. He founded the Christopher Reeve Foundation and co-founded the Reeve-Irvine Research Center. Reeve died at age 52 on October 10, 2004 from heart problems caused by an infection. Director Richard Donner dedicated his new version of "Superman II" (2006) to Reeve. The TV series episode ""Devoted"" from season four of "Smallville", which ran in 2004, is also dedicated to his memory. Also, "Everyone's Hero", which he directed, and 2006's "Superman Returns" are dedicated to him and his wife, Dana.

paragraphs: Reeve married Dana Morosini in April 1992. They had a son, Will. Reeve also had two children, Matthew and Alexandra, from a relationship he had before with Gae Exton.


title: Movie producer

paragraphs: A movie producer creates the conditions for making movies. The producer checks and controls things such as getting the money to make the movie, employing personnel, and arranging for distributors. The producer is involved in all parts of the process of making a movie from the beginning to completion of a project. Usually, the producer is considered the chief of staff and is in control of the non-artistic side of movie making, while the director is in charge of the filming and the artistic part.


title: Gastroenteritis

paragraphs: Gastroenteritis is a medical term for inflammation of the stomach and intestines. It causes diarrhea, vomiting and stomach pain. It usually happens because of infection by a virus or bacteria.

paragraphs: Other common terms for gastroenteritis include infectious diarrhea, stomach bug, and stomach virus. It is sometimes called stomach flu or gastric flu, but it is "not" related to the influenza virus (which is often shortened to 'flu').


title: Television pilot

paragraphs: Television pilot, usually called just a "pilot", is a test episode made to sell a television series. It may be broadcast as the first episode if the series is sold to a network or cable channel, and sometimes has different actors or other differences to the real series. There are also many series whose pilot episodes are titled ""Pilot"". While many pilots are made, few make it to the screen, and even fewer go on to become full television series because of big competition between networks and producers.


title: James Doohan

paragraphs: James Montgomery Doohan (March 3, 1920 – July 20, 2005) LVO was a Canadian actor and voice actor. He is best known for his role as "Montgomery "Scotty" Scott" in the movie and television series "Star Trek". Doohan's character was one of the most typical elements in the "Star Trek" franchise.

paragraphs: Doohan was also a veteran of World War II. After his success with "Star Trek", he showed a lot of support through the years for his fans by making many public appearances.


title: Javanese language

paragraphs: The Javanese language (Basa Jawa, Hanacaraka: ꦧꦱꦗꦮ, Pegon: باسا جاوا) is a Austronesian language. It is spoken mostly on Java, in Indonesia.

paragraphs: Javanese is spoken throughout Indonesia, neighboring Southeast Asian countries, the Netherlands, Suriname, New Caledonia and other countries. However, the greatest concentration of speakers is in the six provinces of Java itself, and in the neighboring Sumatran province of Lampung.

paragraphs: Below, a table with the number of native speakers in 1980 is provided.


title: Michael Douglas

paragraphs: Michael Kirk Douglas (born September 25, 1944) is an American actor and producer and activist. He has acted in movies and on television, who came to fame as "Insp. Steve Keller" in the popular 1970s television series "The Streets of San Francisco".

paragraphs: He later became a successful movie star, and won the Academy Award in 1987 for his work in "Wall Street". Douglas has acted in many other successful movies, including "Fatal Attraction" and "Basic Instinct".

paragraphs: He is the eldest son of actors Kirk Douglas and Diana Dill, and the husband of actress Catherine Zeta-Jones. In 2010, he was diagnosed with throat cancer; in 2011 he said he had recovered.


title: Kirk Douglas

paragraphs: Kirk Douglas (born Issur Danielovitch December 9, 1916) is an American actor and movie producer. His parents were Jews from the Russian Empire. Douglas has acted in many of Hollywood's most well-known of all time, including "Spartacus". He also starred as Vincent van Gogh in "Lust for Life".

paragraphs: He is also father to actor and producer Michael Douglas. He came in at #17 on AFI's list of the greatest male American screen legends of all time and was one of two living actors on the list (Sidney Poitier is the other).

paragraphs: In 1995, he was given an Honorary Academy Award. In 1956, he won a Golden Globe Award.


title: James Stewart

paragraphs: James Maitland Stewart (May 20, 1908 – July 2, 1997) was one of the most famous American movie and stage actors of all times. In his career, he starred in many movies considered classics and was nominated for five Oscars, winning one in competition and one life achievement. He also had an important military career, and made it to the rank of Brigadier General in the United States Air Force. Stewart became so familiar to the American public that he was most usually referred to by them as "Jimmy" Stewart.

paragraphs: He was named the third Greatest Male Star of All Time by the American Film Institute.


title: James Cagney

paragraphs: James Francis Cagney, Jr. (July 17, 1899 – March 30, 1986) was an American movie actor who had many roles in his long career, and won the Oscar for Best Actor in 1942 for his role in "Yankee Doodle Dandy".

paragraphs: Like James Stewart, Cagney became so familiar to the public that they usually referred to him as "Jimmy" Cagney. In 1999, the American Film Institute ranked Cagney eighth among the Greatest Male Stars of All Time.


title: Spencer Tracy

paragraphs: Spencer Tracy (April 5, 1900 – June 10, 1967) was an American movie and stage actor who appeared in 74 movies from 1930 to 1967. Tracy is considered generally as one of the best actors in motion picture history.

paragraphs: In 1999, the American Film Institute named Tracy among the Greatest Male Stars of All Time, ranking 9th on the list of 100. He was nominated for nine Academy Awards for Best Actor, and won it two times, in 1937 and 1938. Along with Tom Hanks, he is one of the only two actors to ever be given two Oscars in two consecutive years. He was a long-time live-in partner of famous actress Katharine Hepburn whilst remaining legally married to another woman until his death. He was diabetic and died of a heart attack. He was a devout Catholic.


title: Gary Cooper

paragraphs: Gary Cooper (born Frank James Cooper May 7, 1901 – May 13, 1961) was an American movie actor who spent his career for thirty six years. Cooper received five Oscar nominations for Best Actor, and won it two times, in 1941 and 1952. He also received an Honorary Award from the Academy in 1961. In 1999, the American Film Institute named Cooper among the Greatest Male Stars of All Time, ranking at No. 11.


title: James Edward Keeler

paragraphs: James Edward Keeler (September 10 1857 – August 12 1900) was an American astronomer.

paragraphs: He worked at Lick Observatory beginning in 1888 but was appointed director of the University of Pittsburgh's Allegheny Observatory in 1891. He returned to Lick Observatory as its director in 1898, but died not long after in 1900. He had married in 1891 and left a widow and two children.

paragraphs: He discovered two asteroids, although the second was lost and only recovered about 100 years later.


title: Cassini–Huygens

paragraphs: Cassini–Huygens was a spacecraft, sent to study the planet Saturn, its rings, and its moons.

paragraphs: The mission was made by NASA, the European Space Agency (ESA), and Italian Space Agency (ASI). The spacecraft had two main parts: the Cassini orbiter and the Huygens probe. It was launched on October 15, 1997 and entered into orbit around Saturn on July 1, 2004. It was the first spacecraft to orbit Saturn and the fourth one to visit Saturn (the others were "fly-by's" and did not enter orbit). The mission ended September 2017.

paragraphs: The orbiter was named after the Italian-French astronomer Giovanni Domenico Cassini, who discovered some moons of Saturn. Most of the orbiter was designed and built by NASA, although ASI built and programmed some parts that talked to the Huygens probe. The spacecraft spent 13 years in orbit, sending back data. It visited many parts of the Saturn system until it was short of fuel. The Cassini–Huygens ended with a controlled crash into Saturn's atmosphere on September 15, 2017.

paragraphs: ESA (European Space Agency) made the Huygens probe, named after the Dutch astronomer, mathematician, and physicist Christiaan Huygens who discovered Titan. On December 25 2004, the Huygens probe left the orbiter. A couple weeks later, the probe parachuted onto Saturn's largest moon Titan. Astronomers have wondered what the surface of Titan was like, since it was hidden under thick clouds. It is the only moon in our solar system with a thick atmosphere. The probe descended and sent pictures and other data back for scientists to study. After 90 minutes on the moon, the spacecraft stopped working, as expected. It is the farthest place we have ever landed a spacecraft. The pictures sent while parachuting showed rivers, probably of liquid methane. The surface is much too cold for water.


title: Fern

paragraphs: Ferns are a group of about 20,000 species of plants (of which about 10,000 are living) in the division Pteridophyta. Unlike bryophytes, ferns have xylem and phloem, which makes them vascular plants.

paragraphs: Most ferns belong to the Class Leptosporangiata (or Pteridopsida). This includes most of those you see in gardens and woods. The horsetails belong to another class, the Equisetopsida, which was extremely important in the Carboniferous period. Only one genus survives. The other classes of fern are also quite small today.

paragraphs: Ferns do not have waxes or special cells on their surface that keep water from evaporating. They have roots, stems, leaves. Their stems may form runners, called stolons above the ground, or rhizomes below ground. The leaves are green and large, and may bear spores on the underside. Some ferns can grow large in moist places. They can survive in more places than moss, but not so many as flowering plants.

paragraphs: During the Carboniferous period – from 350 million years ago – ferns lived everywhere on land. Horsetails grew up to 30 metres. There were huge forests of ferns and mosses, full of giant insects. Today, there are not so many large ferns.

paragraphs: Ferns do not have seeds. Instead, they reproduce through spores.


title: Horror movie

paragraphs: A horror movie is a movie made to scare the viewer. The main stories of horror movies often involve supernatural forces or characters of evil origin. Horror movies are often confused with thrillers, which are similar.

paragraphs: Popular horror movie characters usually include monsters. Early horror movies often took ideas from classic literature, such as "The Mummy", "Dracula" and "The Wolf Man".

paragraphs: Slasher movies are a subgenre of horror movies. They are often also a type of thriller movie. Slasher movies normally have a psychopathic killer killing a sequence of people. This is usually in a very violent way. The genre may have been inspired by "giallo", a similar movie genre originating in Italy.

paragraphs: While movies made as early as 1932 had aspects of slasher movies in them, the genre was not really defined until the late 1970s. The 1974 movie "Black Christmas" is considered the first slasher movie.. "Halloween" (1978), "Friday the 13th" (1980) and "Scream" (1996) did very well at the box office and showed that slasher movies could make lots of money.

paragraphs: Psychological horror movies are a subgenre of traditional horror movies which focuses more on the mental instability of its characters than on graphic violence, serial killers or monsters, for example. Most of the time this genre deal with the character's phobias, psychological traumas, paranoia, and etc. The genre often overlaps with psychological thriller as well. "Dead Silence" (2007), "The Shining" and "Babadook" (2014), are some examples of psychological horror movies.

paragraphs: Those are movies which blends horror and comic elements in its plot. Unlike common, traditional horror movies, in this movie genre, the viewer may be scared and laugh at the same time. Most of time, the type of humour used in these movies is black comedy.

paragraphs: Some examples includes "Zombieland" (2009), "The Raven" (1963) and "Shaun of The Dead" (2004).


title: Laurence Fishburne

paragraphs: Laurence Fishburne III (born July 30, 1961) is an American actor of movies and theater, playwright, director, and producer. He was nominated for the Oscar, and won the Emmy and Tony Awards. He is famous for his roles in successful movies like "Apocalypse Now" and "The Matrix". Fishburne was the first African-American actor to play Perry White in "Man of Steel".

paragraphs: Fishburne was born in Augusta, Georgia and moved to Brooklyn, New York City during his childhood.


title: Martin Sheen

paragraphs: Martin Sheen (born August 3, 1940) is an American actor. He is best known for his role as "Captain Willard" in the film "Apocalypse Now" and, most recently, as President "Josiah Bartlet" on the acclaimed and long-running television drama series "The West Wing". He won both the Emmy and Golden Globe Awards for his works. His mother was an Irish immigrant; his father was a Spanish immigrant.


title: Marlene Dietrich

paragraphs: Marlene Dietrich ; (27 December 1901 – 6 May 1992) was a German-American actress, singer, and entertainer. She is considered to have been the first German actress to become successful in Hollywood.

paragraphs: In her long career, starting as a cabaret singer, chorus girl and movie actress in Berlin in the 1920s, Hollywood movie star in the 1930s, World War II entertainer at the front of war during the 1940s, and finally as an international theatre show performer from the 1950s to the 1970s, Dietrich became one of the most important movie icons of the 20th century. The American Film Institute ranked Dietrich No. 9 amongst the Greatest Female Stars of All Time.

paragraphs: Dietrich was bisexual. She became an American citizen in 1937.


title: Northern Kurdistan

paragraphs: Northern Kurdistan, or Turkish Kurdistan, is a part of Turkey in the Middle East.


title: Mount Etna

paragraphs: Mount Etna is a volcano on the east coast of Sicily, part of southern Italy. It is the largest active volcano in Europe. Mount Etna erupts every few years.

paragraphs: Etna's most destructive eruption in historic times started on 11 March 1669. It produced lava flows that destroyed 10 villages and reached the town of Catania five weeks later, on 15 April. Many buildings were destroyed and few people were killed.

paragraphs: Major twentieth century eruptions occurred in 1928, 1949, 1971, 1983 and 1992, as well as the 2001 eruption. In 1971, it buried the Etna Observatory (built in the late 19th century) under lava. The 1992 eruption saw the town of Zafferana threatened by a lava flow, but successful diversion efforts saved the town with the loss of only one building a few hundred metres outside it.

paragraphs: In 2002–2003, the biggest series of eruptions for many years threw up a huge column of ash that could easily be seen from space and fell as far away as Libya, on the far side of the Mediterranean Sea. Seismic activity in this eruption caused the eastern flanks of the volcano to slip by up to two metres, and many houses on the flanks of the volcano were damaged. The eruption also destroyed the Rifugio Sapienza, a ski resort on the southern flank of the volcano.


title: Rojava

paragraphs: Rojava, or Western Kurdistan, or Syrian Kurdistan, is a part of divided Kurdistan in the Middle East. It consists of three areas called 'cantons' in Northern Syria but the Syrian government is not in control there. Instead, since a revolution which happened early on in the Syrian Civil War, it has had its own independent government, although it does not claim to be a new independent country, calling itself a 'federal autonomous region' inside of Syria instead.

paragraphs: Many people in Rojava are Kurds, but there are also many different ethnic groups living there, such as Turkmen,Arabs, Syriacs, Assyrians, and Yezidis. Kurds are the largest ethnic minority group in Syria. Before the civil war, many human rights organizations such as Amnesty International said that the Syrian government treated the Kurds very poorly. Kurds in Syria are not allowed to officially use the Kurdish language, and also not allowed to register children with Kurdish names, start businesses that do not have Arabic names, build Kurdish private schools, or publish any books or other materials written in Kurdish. But this is no longer enforced due to the civil war.

paragraphs: This gave the Kurds many reasons to support a revolution against the government. They also needed to organize an army to defend themselves from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) which almost took control of Rojava because the government could not defend it due to the civil war. ISIL is still at war with Rojava. As of 2017, there is a truce between Rojava and the Syrian government. The United States have given money and weapons to Rojava to help defeat ISIL but some say that they are supporting ISIL.

paragraphs: Rojava is claiming to be a democracy. It has a constitution which says that women's rights and the rights of ethnic and religious minorities have to be respected. In the Middle East this is very unusual. There are two military organisations one for men, the YPG, and an army for women, the YPJ.


title: Eastern Kurdistan

paragraphs: Eastern Kurdistan or Iranian Kurdistan is the unofficial name for the parts of Iran inhabited by Kurds. Between five and seven million kurds live there. Most are Sunni, but about 1.5 million are Shia Kermanshahi Kurds, who have not interest in Kurdistan becoming independent.


title: John Terry

paragraphs: John George Terry (born 7 December 1980) is a former English professional football player. Terry played as a defender and captained Chelsea in the English Premier League and the England national team.

paragraphs: Terry is known as one of the best defenders in the world. He was voted best defender in the UEFA Champions League in 2005. He was also the only English player to be named in the group of best players for the 2006 FIFA World Cup. He wears the number 26 shirt for Chelsea and the number 6 shirt for England. Terry missed the penalty which could have won the Champions League 2008. He slipped when he was taking the penalty, giving Manchester United the title.

paragraphs: Terry was a Chelsea Youth player. Before he became a defender he was a midfielder in 1992. To help Terry get some first team experience he was loaned out to Nottingham Forest in 2000 until 2002, when he came back to Chelsea.

paragraphs: Terry is married to his childhood sweetheart Toni Poole, who supported him financially when he was a Chelsea F.C trainee. They married on 15 June 2007, in Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire. They have twins, Georgie and Summer, born in 2006.


title: Umbrella (song)

paragraphs: "Umbrella" is a song by Barbadian singer Rihanna and features American rapper Jay-Z. It is the lead single from Rihanna's third studio album "Good Girl Gone Bad". It was written by Jay-Z, Terius Nash and Christopher Stewart. It was released on March 29, 2007 as a single and digital download. It was very successful worldwide reaching number one in numerous countries. The song is 4 minutes and 35 seconds long.

paragraphs: The songwriters of "Umbrella" offered the song to a number of labels before Rihanna finally accepted and recorded it. The song was first offered by Britney Spears but she turned it down. Although it was released officially on March 29, 2007, it was released in some parts of the United States on March 28. In the United Kingdom, the single was released as a digital download on May 14 and as a physical single on May 28.

paragraphs: The music video for "Umbrella" was directed by Chris Applebaum on April 13, 2007. It premiered on April 26 at the thisisrihanna.com website. The video was released on May 11, and reached the number one spot for eight weeks.

paragraphs: The video features Jay-Z rapping in the beginning while in a rain of sparks. Rihanna is then shown singing in a steamy place. In the first chorus, Rihanna walks around en pointe while in the rain. In the second verse, she is seen dancing with an umbrella in a different place. Later, she is painted silver and posing in several positions while nude. At the end of the video, Rihanna is again dancing with an umbrella while in a shower of sparks falling like rain.

paragraphs: A number of remixes were made for the song. Lil' Mama is featured in one remix. Chris Brown performed an answer song with different lyrics, called "Cinderella."

paragraphs: "Umbrella" reached the number one spot in a number of countries. It topped the charts in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Poland, Austria, Belgium, Norway and Switzerland at the same time. It peaked at the top spot in the United Kingdom for ten weeks in a row from May 20 to July 29, 2007. It was the longest running number one song since "Love Is All Around" by Wet Wet Wet in 1994 (that song spent 15 weeks). It was knocked off the number one spot in the UK by Timbaland's "The Way I Are".

paragraphs: The song's reign at number one in the UK happened when the country was hit by extreme rainfall and flooding, which led some people to jokingly suggest the two events were related, calling it the "Rihanna Curse". Interestingly in Greece (the single's worst performing market) "Umbrella" was released at a time when people were suffering through a summer of several heatwaves topping 45C/113F and the worst forest fires of modern history, killing 60. The song only reached number fourteen in the Greek singles chart.

paragraphs: "Umbrella" was at number one in the American Billboard Hot 100 for seven weeks and in the Australian ARIA Charts for six weeks.


title: Shirley MacLaine

paragraphs: Shirley MacLaine (born April 24, 1934) is an American movie and theatre actress. She is famous for her acting as well as her strong belief in reincarnation. She is also the writer of a many autobiographical works, some about her New Age beliefs, as well as her Hollywood career. She is the older sister of Warren Beatty. She won the Academy Award for "Best Actress" in 1983, and has also received many other awards in her career, like the Emmy, Golden Globe and BAFTA Awards.


title: Crown dependencies

paragraphs: A British crown dependency is a special type of state. The head of state is the British monarch, who is represented by a Lieutenant-Governor. Each dependency has a parliament, government and prime minister to make all laws, except laws about defence and foreign affairs. Defence and foreign affairs are looked after by the British Government.

paragraphs: But the British government in London has no power in the dependencies, unless the government of the dependency agrees.

paragraphs: Some colonies also have a government, but they were created by the British government and can be ended by the British government.


title: Lieutenancies Act 1997

paragraphs: The Lieutenancies Act 1997 (1997 c. 23) is an Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom.

paragraphs: A Lord Lieutenant is the Queen's representative in a county or other area.

paragraphs: The Lieutenancies Act sets out the areas in which Lords-Lieutenant work in Great Britain. It came into force on 1 July 1997.

paragraphs: These areas are usually called "ceremonial counties" or "preserved counties" in Wales. In Scotland a Statutory Instrument (rule written by a minister) defines the size of the lieutenancy. They are usually one local council area, but some council areas are too small or to large for one Lord Lieutenant.

paragraphs: For a list of the areas in England see Ceremonial counties of England


title: Meristem

paragraphs: A meristem is a tissue in plants made of dividing cells. They are in parts of the plant where growth can take place.

paragraphs: Plant cells which are differentiated generally cannot divide or produce cells of a different type. Therefore, cell division in the meristem is necessary to get new cells. This allows for the growth of tissues and new organs needed by the plant.

paragraphs: Meristematic cells have the same function for plants as stem cells have for animals. They are incompletely or not at all differentiated, and are capable of continued cell division.

paragraphs: The cells are small and protoplasm fills the cell completely. The vacuoles are extremely small. The cytoplasm does not contain plastids (such as chloroplasts, but they are there in rudimentary form ('proplastids'). Meristematic cells are packed closely together without intercellular cavities. The cell wall is a very thin primary cell wall.

paragraphs: The apical meristem, or growing tip, is found in the buds and growing tips of roots in plants.

paragraphs: It begins growth of new cells in young seedlings at the tips of roots and shoots (forming buds, among other things). Specifically, an active apical meristem lays down a growing root or shoot behind itself, pushing itself forward. Apical meristems are very small, compared to the cylinder-shaped lateral meristems.

paragraphs: Apical meristems may differentiate into three kinds of primary meristem:

paragraphs: These meristems are responsible for primary growth, or an increase in length or height.

paragraphs: These meristems cause secondary growth, or an increase in width. There are two types of secondary meristems:


title: Vascular cambium

paragraphs: It is the source of both the secondary xylem (inwards, towards the pith) and the secondary phloem (outwards), and is between these tissues in the stem and root. Only a few leaves even have a vascular cambium.

paragraphs: Vascular cambium is a type of meristem - a tissue consisting of embryonic (not specialized) cells which can produce other (and more differentiated) plant tissues originate. Primary meristems are the apical meristems on root tips and shoot tips. Another lateral meristem is the cork cambium, which produces cork, part of the bark.


title: Cork cambium

paragraphs: Cork cambium is a tissue in many vascular plants as part of the bark (periderm).

paragraphs: The cork cambium is a lateral meristem and is responsible for secondary growth that replaces the epidermis in roots and stems. It is found in woody and many herbaceous dicots, gymnosperms and some monocots, which usually have no secondary growth.

paragraphs: Cork cambium is one of the plant's meristems - the tissues that consist of embryonic (not specialized) cells from which the plant grows. It is one of the many layers of bark, between the cork and primary phloem. The function of cork cambium is to produce the cork, a tough protective material.

paragraphs: Synonyms for cork cambium are bark cambium, pericambium or phellogen.


title: Cork (material)

paragraphs: Cork is a material that is harvested for commercial use primarily from the bark of the Cork Oak tree. As the cork is harvested.

paragraphs: Portugal produces 50% of cork worldwide.

paragraphs: Cork's elasticity together with its near-impermeability makes it suitable as a material for bottle stoppers, especially for wine bottles. Cork stoppers represent about 60% of all cork based production. Cork's low density makes it a suitable material for fishing floats and buoys, as well as handles for fishing rods (as an alternative to neoprene). Cork is also used in the manufacture of musical instruments, particularly woodwind instruments, where it is used to fasten together different segments of the instrument and make the seams airtight.

paragraphs: The cork industry is generally regarded as environmentally friendly. The sustainability of its production and the easy recycling of cork products and by-products are two of its most distinctive aspects.

paragraphs: Cork demand has increased due to a larger proportion of wine being sealed with cork rather than being sold in bulk. Top quality corks are quite expensive, so many cheaper brands have switched to lower quality cork, synthetic plastic stoppers, screwcaps, or other closures.


title: Cork oak

paragraphs: The cork oak ("Quercus suber") is a medium-sized, evergreen oak tree. It grows southwest Europe and northwest Africa.

paragraphs: It grows to up to 20 m, but in its native environment it is usually not that tall. The leaves are 4–7 cm long, dark green above, paler beneath, with the leaf margins often downcurved. The acorns are 2–3 cm long.

paragraphs: The tree forms a thick, corky bark. Over time this bark can develop considerable thickness and this is harvested every 10–12 years as cork. The harvesting of cork does not harm the tree and a new layer of cork regrows, making it a renewable resource. The tree is widely cultivated in Spain, Portugal, Algeria, Morocco, France, Italy and Tunisia. Cork oak forests cover approximately 2.5 million hectares in those countries. Portugal accounts for 50% of the world cork harvest. Cork oaks cannot legally be cut down in Portugal, except for forest management felling of old, unproductive trees.

paragraphs: Cork oaks live about 150–250 years. Virgin cork (or 'male' cork) is the first cork cut from generally 25-year-old trees. Another 10–12 years is required for the second harvest, and a tree can be harvested a dozen times in its lifetime. Cork harvesting is done entirely without machinery.

paragraphs: The European cork industry produces 340,000 tonnes of cork a year, with a value of €1.5 billion. 30,000 people work at it. Wine corks represent 15% of cork usage by weight but 66% of revenues.

paragraphs: Cork oaks are sometimes planted as individual trees. So they provide a small income to their owners. The tree is also sometimes cultivated for ornament. Hybrids with turkey oak ("Quercus cerris") are regular, both in the wild in southwest Europe and in cultivation; the hybrid is known as Lucombe Oak "Quercus × hispanica".

paragraphs: Some cork is also produced in eastern Asia from the related Chinese cork oak ("Quercus variabilis").

paragraphs: In many different species of trees seed predation is considered a problem for the continued growth and reproduction of trees, in this case Rabbits are affecting the cork oak tree. During the development of a plant species the seed / acorn stage in development is considered to be the most important yet most vulnerable stage. The cork oak tree encounters many challenges during its seedling stage.

paragraphs: Seeds are often found in the form of acorns that fall to the ground close by to the base of the tree. Those acorns become the beginning development of new trees, which develop over time. However many different species use those acorns as a source of food. When rabbits are living in the same area as the cork oak tree seed regeneration is not affected in a negative way.

paragraphs: An acorn that has partial damage is classified as only having damage to the non-vital parts of the propagule. Therefore, when the acorn embryo is damaged the development of the seed is negatively affected. The affected development causes a difference in shoot and root biomass because the cotyledon is lost. The cotyledon is a necessity of plants and in this case becomes the leaves of the plant. In other cases it helps scientists determine which type of flowering plant it will later develop into. The cotyledons are also an essential source of energy for the development of the seed and plant.

paragraphs: There are two common types of soil that are used in scientific studies, nutrient rich soil and nutrient poor soil. The predation of the seeds is not as important as the nutrient level of the soil. Different plants over time have adapted to grow in these different conditions over time. The acorns of the cork oak tree have better regeneration and development in nutrient rich soil. The smaller cotyledon acorns that grow in nutrient rich soil develop.


title: Acorn

paragraphs: The acorn is the fruit of the oak tree. It is a nut, and contains a single seed (rarely two seeds), enclosed in a tough, leathery shell. Acorns vary from 1 – 6 cm long and 0.8 – 4 cm broad. Acorns take between about 6 or 24 months (depending on the species) to mature.

paragraphs: Acorns are one of the most important wildlife foods in areas where oaks grow. Creatures that make acorns an important part of their diet include birds, such as jays, pigeons, some ducks and several species of woodpeckers. Small mammals that feed on acorns include mice, squirrels and several other rodents. Such large mammals as pigs, bears, and deer also consume large amounts of acorns: they may constitute up to 25% of the diet of deer in the autumn. In some of the large oak forests in southwest Europe, traditionally called "dehesas", pigs are still turned loose in oak groves in the autumn, to fill and fatten themselves on acorns.

paragraphs: Acorns contain tannins, which are toxic to some animals such as horses. The tannins can be soaked out, using water.


title: President of Belarus

paragraphs: The president of the Republic of Belarus (, ) is the head of state of Belarus. The office was created in 1994. A president is chosen by other Belarusians every five years in a national vote. Alexander Lukashenko is the only person who has been president.


title: Jay

paragraphs: The jays are several species of medium-sized, usually colorful and noisy birds in the crow family Corvidae.


title: Clubmoss

paragraphs: Clubmosses are a group of plants in the Lycopodiophyta, which are the most ancient group of land plants. The clubmosses are an order Lycopodiales, (or a subclass Lycopodiopsida).

paragraphs: Clubmosses are thought to be structurally similar to the earliest vascular plants, with small, scale-like leaves, homosporous spores borne in sporangia at the bases of the leaves, branching stems (usually dichotomous), and generally simple form.

paragraphs: A powder known simply as "lycopodium", consisting of dried spores of the common clubmoss, was used in Victorian theater to produce flame-effects. A blown cloud of spores burned rapidly and brightly, but with little heat. It was considered safe by the standards of the time.

paragraphs: The group is now split into two families:


title: Horsetail

paragraphs: The horsetails are a class in the Pteridophyta (ferns). They were one of the most important plant groups in the Palaeozoic era. They are seen in the coal measures of the Carboniferous period, and some were trees reaching up 30 metres. The group is now almost extinct, but one genus survives. They are vascular plants that reproduce by spores and not by seeds. The name "horsetail" arose because the branched species somewhat resemble a horse's tail.

paragraphs: Equisetum is the only living genus of horsetails. The name "Equisetum" comes from the Latin ("equus" = horse; and "seta" = bristle). The genus includes 15 species.

paragraphs: Horsetails are native on all continents except Australasia and Antarctica. They are perennial plants, either herbaceous, they die back in winter (most temperate species) or they are evergreen (some tropical species, and the temperate species "Equisetum hyemale, E. scirpoides, E. variegatum" and "E. ramosissimum"). They mostly grow 0.2-1.5 m tall, though "E. telmateia" can exceptionally reach 2.5 m, and the tropical American species "E. giganteum" 5 m, and "E. myriochaetum" 8 m.

paragraphs: In these plants the leaves are very small, in whorls joined together to make sheaths around the stem. The stems are green and photosynthetic, also distinctive in being hollow, jointed and ridged, usually with 6-40 ridges. There may or may not be whorls of branches at the nodes; when present, these branches are identical to the main stem except smaller.

paragraphs: A superficially similar flowering plant ("Hippuris", "mare's tail", in the family Plantaginaceae), unrelated to the genus "Equisetum", is occasionally misidentified as a horsetail.


title: Green algae

paragraphs: Green algae are microscopic protists. One can find them in all sorts of natural water: salt water, freshwater and brackish water. The group is less used in classification today. Although most are descended from a common ancestor, some are not. Some of their descendants, the land plants are not included in the group, so the group is not monophyletic.

paragraphs: The green algae are the large group of algae from which the higher plants developed.

paragraphs: The green algae include unicellular and colonial flagellates, usually but not always with two flagella per cell, as well as various colonial, coccoid, and filamentous forms. In the Charales, the closest relatives of higher plants, full differentiation of tissues occurs. There are about 6000 species of green algae. Many species live most of their lives as single-cells, other species form colonies or long filaments.


title: Brackish water

paragraphs: Brackish water (less commonly brack water) is salt water and fresh water mixed together. It is saltier than fresh water, but not as salty as seawater. It may result from mixing of seawater with fresh water, as in estuaries, or it may occur in brackish fossil aquifers.

paragraphs: Some human activities can produce brackish water, mostly certain civil engineering projects such as dikes and the flooding of coastal marshland to produce brackish pools for freshwater prawns.

paragraphs: Technically, brackish water contains between 0.5 and 30 grams of salt per litre—more often expressed as 0.5 to 30 parts per thousand (ppt or ‰). Thus, "brackish" covers a range of salinity regimes and is not considered a precisely defined condition. It is characteristic of many brackish surface waters that their salinity can vary considerably over space and/or time.

paragraphs: The term brackish water comes from the Low German word "Brack", which is a small lake made when a storm tide breaks a dike and floods land behind the dike.

paragraphs: The most important brackish water habitats are estuaries, where a river meets the sea, mixing salt and fresh water. The River Thames flowing through London is one of the most familiar of river estuaries.

paragraphs: Another important brackish water habitat is the mangrove swamp or mangal.

paragraphs: Some seas and lakes are brackish. The Baltic Sea is a brackish sea adjoining the North Sea.

paragraphs: The Caspian Sea is the world's largest lake and contains brackish water with a salinity about one-third that of normal seawater. The Caspian is famous for its peculiar animal fauna, including one of the few non-marine seals (the Caspian seal) and the great sturgeons, the source of caviar.


title: Flagellate

paragraphs: Flagellates are cells with one or more whip-like organelles called flagella. Some cells in animals may be flagellate, for instance the spermatozoa of most phyla. Flowering plants and fungi do not produce flagellate cells, but the closely related green algae and chytrids do. Many protists take the form of single-celled flagellates. They are found in most lines of eukaryotes, and it is likely that all surviving eukaryotes developed from them.


title: Sustainable energy

paragraphs: Sustainable energy is energy that is created in an environmentally friendly way.

paragraphs: It involves both energy efficiency and renewable energy. Both resources help to stabilize and reduce carbon dioxide emissions.

paragraphs: Efficient energy use allows energy demand to slow so that rising clean energy supplies can make big cuts in fossil fuel burning. If energy use grows too fast, renewable energy development will chase a receding target. Likewise, unless clean energy supplies come online rapidly, slowing demand growth will only begin to reduce total emissions; reducing the carbon content of energy sources is also needed.

paragraphs: Any serious vision of a sustainable energy economy thus requires major commitments to both efficiency and renewables.


title: Neoprene

paragraphs: Neoprene is the DuPont Performance Elastomers trade name for a family of synthetic rubbers based on polychloroprene (polymer form of Chloroprene). Neoprene was invented by DuPont scientists after Dr. Elmer K. Bolton of DuPont attended a lecture by Fr Julius Arthur Nieuwland, a professor of chemistry at the University of Notre Dame.

paragraphs: It is used in a wide variety of environments, such as in wetsuits, laptop sleeves, cars, bombs, electrical insulation, and car fan belts. Its chemical inertness makes it well suited for industrial applications such as gaskets, hoses, and corrosion-resistant coatings. It can also be used as a base for adhesives.


title: Pioneer 11

paragraphs: Pioneer 11 (also known as Pioneer G) was the second mission to visit Jupiter and the first mission to visit Saturn. The spacecraft was launched on April 6, 1973 and flew by Jupiter on December 4, 1974 and Saturn on September 1, 1979. The probe was last heard from November 1995 when the last communication between Earth and the probe ended due to power limitation and vast diatance.

paragraphs: Both Pioneer 10 and Pioneer 11 had plaques etched in gold. The plaques were designed by a team lead by Carl Sagan to communicate with extraterrestrial life should the spacecraft come into contact with it.


title: Medical tourism

paragraphs: Medical Tourism is when patients visit other countries for medical care. The patients usually come from developed countries to find treatment at lower prices. Over 50 countries have identified medical tourism as a national industry.

paragraphs: Examples of common medical procedures done for medical tourists are surgeries like joint replacement, heart surgery, cosmetic surgery, dental treatment, and addictions rehabilitation (or recovery from addiction).

paragraphs: The term "medical tourism" can also be called medical travel, health tourism or global healthcare. it was initially developed by travel agencies and the mass media to describe the rapidly-growing practice of travelling across international borders to obtain health care.mainly it is for curing people and a lot of countries believe on this.

paragraphs: Countries that are popular for Medical Tourism are:

paragraphs: To get an idea of the potential cost savings from medical tourism, in Denver, Colorado, USA, a person without health insurance who needs a hip replacement will pay about US $60,000 (EUR 44751). In comparison, in Cuba, going through medical tourism firm Choice Medical Services, the same procedure costs about US $8000 (EUR 5967) or about an 80 percent savings.


title: Burrowing parakeet

paragraphs: The Burrowing parakeet (Cyanoliseus patagonus) is a species of parrot in the Psittacidae family. It is found in Argentina, Chile, Falkland Islands, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, and Uruguay. It lives in subtropical or tropical dry shrubland, subtropical or tropical high-altitude shrubland, and pastureland. It is also known as the burrowing parrot.


title: Aquifer

paragraphs: An aquifer is an underground layer where the material contains water. That can be less solid material like sand, gravel, clay or silt, but it can be rock as well, as long as the rock allows water to get in (that means that it is water-bearing).

paragraphs: From such layers or groundwater can be usefully extracted using a well. The study of water flow in aquifers and the characterization of aquifers is called hydrogeology.

paragraphs: Groundwater may exist in underground rivers (e.g., caves where water flows freely underground). This may occur in eroded limestone areas known as karst topography, which make up only a small percentage of Earth's area. More usual is that the pore spaces of rocks in the subsurface are simply saturated with water — like a kitchen sponge — which can be pumped out for agricultural, industrial, or municipal uses.

paragraphs: If a rock unit of low porosity is highly fractured, it can make a good aquifer (via fissure flow), if the water can get through it. Porosity is important, but, "alone", it does not make an aquifer. The Deccan Traps (a flood basaltic lava) in west central India are good examples of rock with high porosity but low permeability, so they are poor aquifers. The (Upper Cretaceous) Chalk of south east England has a reasonably high porosity, but low grain-to-grain permeability. Much of its good water-yielding characteristics being due to micro-fracturing and fissuring.

paragraphs: Aquifers can occur at various depths. Those closer to the surface are not only more likely to be exploited for water supply and irrigation, but are also more likely to be topped up by the local rainfall. Many desert areas have limestone hills or mountains within them or close to them which can be exploited as groundwater resources. If more water is taken out than get in again one speaks of over-harvesting. Along the coastlines of certain countries, such as Libya and Israel, population growth has led to over-population which has caused the lowering of water table and the subsequent contamination of the groundwater with saltwater from the sea (saline intrusions). In these cases the aquifer contains brackish water.

paragraphs: When water seeps (comes slowly) out of the ground, it is called a seep or "spring (water)". It usually means there is an aquifer under the ground.


AFI


title: Voyager 2

paragraphs: Voyager 2 is a spacecraft used by NASA to explore Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. It is the only spacecraft that has come near to Uranus and Neptune. Because of this, a majority of pictures we see of these two ice planets came from this spacecraft. It was identical in form to its sister ship, "Voyager 1". The probe is currently moving away from the solar system, and is heading out into interstellar space.

paragraphs: "Voyager 2" was launched on August 20, 1977.

paragraphs: Both "Voyager 1" and "Voyager 2" include the Voyager Golden Record, which is a recording of sounds and images of life on Earth. It was designed by a team headed by Carl Sagan to communicate with extraterrestrial life.

paragraphs: In 2018, NASA announced that Voyager 2 had reached the heliopause on 5 November of that year.


title: World Party Day

paragraphs: World Party Day (P-Day) is celebrated on April 3 as a synchronized global mass celebration of a better world and the creation of desirable reality.

paragraphs: The idea of a coordinated synchronized worldwide party appeared as a work of fiction in the book "Flight, A Quantum Fiction Novel", by American writer Vanna Bonta. In the ending of the book, published in 1995, all people in the world celebrated at the same time.

paragraphs: Masses of people grew larger by connecting with groups who shared ideals of peace and goals of using human intelligence and resources toward humanitarian progress.

paragraphs: A massive worldwide phenomenon now in progress involves millions of individuals, organizations and corporations around the world who are realizing a responsibility and ability to contribute positively to the collective future of humanity and Earth.

paragraphs: The internet, media and communication has accelerated one of the biggest social transformations in human history, facilitating the organization of global movements. Research has begun documenting the emerging social transformation of people around the world uniting for a positive, joyful future for humanity, through a common task.

paragraphs: Many cities and regions in the United States, France, England, Africa, Italy, China, Korea, Vietnam, India, and Thailand have notable celebrations of World Party Day (P-Day). Radio stations and internet communities spread the event with podcasts of "World Party I."

paragraphs: Simultaneous (at the same time) celebration of World Party Day occurs in every continent of the world, including the Middle East and Africa.

paragraphs: The celebration has no religious or political connections. The theme of World Party Day celebrations is a "universal human right to fun, peace and life." The only requirement is to celebrate and party from any place, whether a formal event or private party, large or small, or alone.

paragraphs: Global podcasts in 2007 featured a variety of music, including the African Children's Choir, Hip Hop artists, and radio stations reading from the novel Flight.

paragraphs: Events have been organized as dance parties, concerts, and meditations, however, the only mandatory observance is a synchronized mass awareness of the human right to enjoy life, and displaying hospitality. Some public celebrations organize multicultural food and music events.

paragraphs: Since 2000, synchronized global events have escalated, such as The Quadrille Dance Parade, at which in 2007, its 7th year, 24,000 people danced at once. In 2006, 23,600 danced simultaneously in a total of 36 cities.

paragraphs: Petitions circulate to world leaders to officially declare the holiday with the objective of complete world participation every April 3, with everyone in the world having a party in their own way, where ever they are.


title: Tony Curtis

paragraphs: Tony Curtis (born Bernard Schwartz; June 3, 1925 – September 29, 2010) was an American movie actor. He was most popular during the late 1950s and early 1960s. He is famous for his light comic roles, especially his musician escaping from gangsters in "Some Like It Hot" (1959). He has also acted in more serious and dramatic movies, like "The Defiant Ones" (1958), for which he received an Academy Award nomination. He has appeared in over 100 movies since 1949, and made frequent television appearances. He was the father of actresses Jamie Lee Curtis and Kelly Curtis.

paragraphs: Curtis was born in The Bronx, New York. His birth name is Bernard Schwatz. He is one of three sons of Helen (nee Klein) and Emanuel Schwartz. His parents were Hungarian Jewish immigrants from Mátészalka, Hungary. Hungarian was Curtis's only language until he was five or six, postponing his schooling. His father was a tailor and the family lived in the back of the shop—his parents in one corner and Curtis and his brothers Julius and Robert in another. His mother once made an appearance as a participant on the television show "You Bet Your Life", hosted by Groucho Marx. Curtis said, "When I was a child, Mom beat me up and was very aggressive and antagonistic." His mother was later diagnosed with schizophrenia. His brother Robert was also institutionalized with the same mental illness.

paragraphs: He died on September 29, 2010, aged 85 of cardiac arrest in Henderson, Nevada.


title: Jack Lemmon

paragraphs: John Uhler "Jack" Lemmon III (February 8, 1925 – June 27, 2001), was an American actor and director who received many awards in his long career. He got two Academy and five Golden Globe awards. Lemmon acted in many movies, and was famous for being very good at comedy and drama. He made a famous comedic couple at many movies with actor Walter Matthau. Lemmon died of colon cancer and bladder cancer.


title: Errol Flynn

paragraphs: Errol Leslie Thomson Flynn (20 June 1909 – 14 October 1959) was an Australian-American movie actor. He is known for his swashbuckler roles in movies like "Adventures of Don Juan" and "The Sea Hawk".

paragraphs: Errol Flynn was born in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia. His father Theodore Thomson Flynn, was a lecturer (1909) and later professor (1911) of biology at the University of Tasmania. Flynn was born at the Queen Alexandra Hospital in Battery Point. His mother was born Lily Mary Young. She dropped the first names Lily Mary shortly after she was married and changed her name to Marelle. Flynn described his mother's family as ""seafaring folk"". This may account for his lifelong love of the sea and boats.

paragraphs: He became a naturalized American citizen in 1942. He is remembered for his successful on-screen partnership with Olivia de Havilland. They appeared together in eight movies: "Captain Blood" (1935, his first great success), "The Charge of the Light Brigade" (1936), "The Adventures of Robin Hood" (1938), "Four's a Crowd" (1938), "Dodge City" (1939), "The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex" (1939), "Santa Fe Trail" (1940), and "They Died with Their Boots On" (1941). This partnership started rumors of romance. De Havilland denied these rumors. She said her relationship with Flynn was one of friendship only.

paragraphs: Flynn tried to enlist in every branch of the United States Armed Services during WWII. He was classified 4F because of numerous health issues. Hollywood executives kept his health issues a secret to protect his screen image. He never served and was criticized for this. As the years passed, Flynn's manly image diminished. He became an alcoholic, gained weight, and had a seedy appearance. Flynn wrote his autobiography "My Wicked, Wicked Ways" in 1959. He died of a heart attack at age 50. His last words were reportedly, "I've had a hell of a lot of fun and I've enjoyed every minute of it".

paragraphs: Flynn was married three times: first to actress Lili Damita from 1935 until 1942 (one son, Sean Flynn, 1941–70?); to Nora Eddington from 1943 until 1949 (two daughters, Deirdre born 1945 and Rory born 1947); and to actress Patrice Wymore from 1950 until his death (one daughter, Arnella Roma, 1953–1998).

paragraphs: Flynn had a reputation for womanizing and freewheeling fun. His hedonistic lifestyle caught up with him in 1942 when two under-age girls, Betty Hansen and Peggy Satterlee, accused him of statutory rape. The two girls said that the event occurred at the Bel Air home of Flynn's friend Frederick McEvoy. A group was organized to support Flynn. It was called the American Boys' Club for the Defense of Errol Flynn (ABCDEF). Its members included William F. Buckley, Jr. The trial took place in January and February 1943. Flynn was cleared of the charges.


title: David Niven

paragraphs: David Niven (March 1, 1910 – July 29, 1983) was an English actor. He won the Academy Award for "Best Actor" for his role in the movie "Separate Tables" in 1958. Originally, he was the actor who was to play the first James Bond, but the producers later decided to give the role to Sean Connery instead. Some of the movies that he was in include The Pink Panther, Around the World in 80 Days, The guns of Navarone, and Casino Royale.


title: Rudolph Valentino

paragraphs: Rudolph Valentino (May 6, 1895 – August 23, 1926) was an Italian actor of silent movies. He was born Rodolfo Alfonso Raffaello Piero Filiberto Guglielmi in Castellaneta, Italy. He became popular as one of the first sex symbols in Hollywood in the 1920s.

paragraphs: Valentino did not live long enough to see movies with sound replace silent movies. He died of peridontis on August 23, 1926, at the age of 31.


title: Raquel Welch

paragraphs: Jo Raquel Tejada (born September 5, 1940), usually called Raquel Welch, is an American actress and model. She became famous during the 1960s as one of the most beautiful women in Hollywood. She won the Golden Globe Award in 1975.


title: Rita Hayworth

paragraphs: Margarita Carmen Cansino, usually called Rita Hayworth (October 17, 1918 – May 14, 1987), was an American actress of Spanish and Irish origin who became famous as the greatest sex symbol of the 1940s.


title: Tommy Lee Jones

paragraphs: Thomas "Tommy" Lee Jones (born September 15, 1946) is an American actor and movie director. He won the Academy and the Golden Globe awards in 1993 for his role in the movie "The Fugitive".

paragraphs: He was born in Texas in 1946. His mother, Lucille Marie (née Scott), was a police officer, school teacher, and beauty shop owner, and his father, Clyde C. Jones, was an oil field worker. The two were married and divorced twice. Jones has stated that his grandmother was of Cherokee ancestry. He was raised in Midland, Texas. Jones was given an athletic scholarship to go to a school in Dallas, Texas. After finishing school he worked on the oil rigs before going to Harvard University to study English.

paragraphs: He finished university in 1969 and moved to New York to be an actor. His first role was in the Broadway play, "A Patriot For Me." He had many small parts until he got the main role in the movie "JFK". He won the Academy Award for the best actor in a supporting role for the movie "The Fugitive".


title: James Garner

paragraphs: James Garner (born James Scott Bumgarner; April 7, 1928 – July 19, 2014) was an American movie and television actor. He acted in several television series in a career of more than fifty years, including his roles as "Bret Maverick" in the popular 1950s western-comedy series, "Maverick" and "Jim Rockford" in the popular 1970s detective drama, "The Rockford Files". He also acted in many movies, including "The Great Escape" (1963) and Paddy Chayefsky's "The Americanization of Emily" (1964).

paragraphs: Garner died from a massive heart attack at his Los Angeles, California home, aged 86.


title: Anthony Quinn

paragraphs: Anthony Quinn (April 21, 1915 – June 3, 2001) was a Mexican-American actor, as well as a painter and writer. He is famous in the United States for his roles in two Hollywood films, the star role in "Zorba the Greek" and "Viva Zapata!". He won two Academy Awards during his very long career.


title: Rock Hudson

paragraphs: Rock Hudson (November 17, 1925 – October 2, 1985) was an American movie and television actor. He is famous for his good looks and remembered as a romantic star during the 1950s and 1960s, especially several movies where he starred with actress Doris Day.

paragraphs: Hudson was voted "Star of the Year" and "Favorite Leading Man," by many movie magazines and was one of the most popular movie stars of the time. He made nearly 70 movies and acted in several television productions during a career of more than three decades, and he received the Golden Globe Award four times.

paragraphs: Hudson was a closeted homosexual. He was one of the first major Hollywood personalities to die from AIDS.


title: Olivia de Havilland

paragraphs: Dame Olivia Mary de Havilland (July 1, 1916 – July 26, 2020) was a British-American actress. She was one of two the only living star of "Gone with the Wind", but there are also actors with smaller roles in said movie who are still alive. She has won the Academy Award two times. She is the sister of late actress Joan Fontaine, who also won the Academy Award. They did not get along ever since they were children.

paragraphs: De Havilland was born in Tokyo to British parents. She became an American citizen in 1941. She lived in Paris from 1956 until her death in 2020.

paragraphs: De Havilland died on 26 July 2020 at her home in Paris at the age of 104.


title: Woody Allen

paragraphs: Woody Allen (born Allen Stewart Konigsberg on December 1, 1935) is an American screenwriter, director, actor, comedian, author, playwright and musician whose career spans forover fifty years. He has won the Academy Award three times, and many others in his very long career. His many works and his cerebral movie style, mixing satire and humor, have made him one of the most respected movie directors in the modern era. Allen writes and directs his movies and has also acted in most of them. To inspire himself for his movies, Allen uses literature, philosophy, psychology, Judaism, European cinema, and New York City, where he was born and has lived all life.

paragraphs: Allen was born at Mount of Eden Hospital in The Bronx, He was raised in Brooklyn, New York City. His parents were Nettie (born Cherrie; November 8, 1906 – January 27, 2002), a bookkeeper at her family's delicatessen, and Martin Konigsberg (December 25, 1900 – January 13, 2001), a jewelry engraver and waiter. His family was Ashkenazi Jewish; his grandparents immigrated from Russia and Austria, and spoke Yiddish, Hebrew, and German. Both parents were born and raised on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. Allen has a sister, Letty, who was born in 1943, and was raised in Midwood, Brooklyn.

paragraphs: Allen started writing scripts for "The Ed Sullivan Show", "The Tonight Show" and other television shows when he was 19. He started working as a comedian in 1961. His first movie, "What's New Pussycat?", was released in 1965. In 1966 he wrote his first play, the Broadway play "Don't Drink the Water". In 1986 Allen's movie "Hannah and Her Sisters" made $18 million.

paragraphs: Allen has had three wives. He dated Mia Farrow for 12 years. However, they never married and lived in different houses. Allen and Farrow adopted Dylan and Mosche Farrow together. Mia said in 1994 that Allen molested her 7 year old daughter, Dylan Farrow. In February, 2014 an open letter by Dylan was published by the "New York Times". In the letter, Dylan said that Allen had molested her. Her brother Mosche, who is now known as Moses Farrow, said that Allen did not molest her. Allen said the allegations were "untrue and disgraceful". On February 7 2014, Allen wrote a response to Dylan in the "New York Times".

paragraphs: In 1992 Farrow realized that Allen was cheating on her with her adopted daughter Soon-Yi Previn. She found naked pictures of Soon-yi in Allen's house. Farrow and Allen broke up. In 1997 Allen married Previn. Previn and Allen have two adopted daughters.


title: Maximus the Confessor

paragraphs: Saint Maximus the Confessor (also known as Maximus the Theologian and Maximus of Constantinople) (born 580 – 13 August, 662) was a Christian monk, theologian, and scholar. In his early life, he was a civil servant. He was also an aide to the Byzantine Emperor Heraclius. However, he gave up this life to become a monk.


title: Toraja people

paragraphs: The Toraja are an ethnic group, indigenous to a part of South Sulawesi, Indonesia. There are about 650,000 of them around the world. 450,000 of these still live in the regency of Tana Toraja ("Land of Toraja"). Most of them are Christian. Others of them are Muslim or have local animist beliefs known as "aluk" ("the way"). The Indonesian government has recognized this animist belief as "Aluk To Dolo" ("Way of the Ancestors").


title: Backmasking

paragraphs: Backmasking (also known wrongly as "backward masking") is a recording technique. In backmasking, a sound or message is recorded backwards onto a track that is meant to be played forwards. It was made popular by The Beatles. Some people think that backmasking causes subliminal persuasion.


title: Separation of powers

paragraphs: Separation of Powers means that the three branches of government are separated.

paragraphs: Separation of Powers helps to protect freedom. The executive branch carries out the laws but cannot make laws to make themselves powerful. Also the judiciary is responsible for making sure that criminals are punished, so that members of the government or legislature cannot ignore the law as the judiciary can check on them.

paragraphs: Separation of powers is also called a system of "checks and balances" because the branches can check up on each other and if any of the branches get too strong, that branch will be balanced by the others.

paragraphs: In the United States the three branches of government are completely separate except for the Vice President who is President of the Senate. In the United Kingdom the three branches of Government are mixed but the checks and balances are provided by history and "custom" (the rule that says something should happen because that is how it has been done for a long time). The Queen is Head of State (the executive), but is also part of Parliament (the legislative branch) and is the Fountain of Justice (the head of the judicial branch). But by convention she does not do anything without the advice of Ministers and never refuses to pass an Act of Parliament. The Queen has a lot of power but the power is controlled and balanced by the need to act in certain ways or only use the power at certain times.

paragraphs: In some countries the leaders of the executive branch are members of the legislature. This system is called responsible government.

paragraphs: The first to talk about separation of powers in the modern age was Charles-Louis Montesquieu. Montesquieu published his book "De l'esprit des lois" ("The Spirit of Laws") in 1748.


title: Exclusionary rule

paragraphs: The Exclusionary rule is a rule in United States constitutional law. It says that evidence from people who were forced to talk is not allowed in court. Also, evidence taken from an illegal search of property may not be used in court.