title: Elvis Presley

paragraphs: Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 − August 16, 1977) was an American singer, musician and actor. He is often regarded as the most influential and most famous musician of the 20th century, and is widely regarded as a cultural icon. He was one of the first and most famous in rock and roll music. He also starred in many movies. His fame has lasted for a long time after his death and is currently still one of the most popular men in history. He is one of the most well-known people from the 20th century in the world. He is so popular that some people know him as only "Elvis". He is also referred to as "The King of Rock and Roll", or just "The King".

paragraphs: Presley was born in Tupelo, Mississippi. He and his family moved to Memphis, Tennessee, when he was 13 years old. His music career began there in 1954. He first started to work with Sam Phillips who was the owner of Sun Records. RCA Records acquired his contract in a deal arranged by Colonel Tom Parker. Presley's first RCA single, "Heartbreak Hotel" was released in January 1956. It was a number-one hit in the US. He became the leading figure of rock and roll after many of television appearances and chart-topping records. His energetic attitude towards his music and his performance style, made him very popular—and controversial.

paragraphs: In November 1956, he made his film debut in "Love Me Tender". In 1958, he was drafted into military service. When he resumed his recording career two years later, he made some of his most successful work. In the 1960s, Presley gave most of his time to making Hollywood movies. After a long seven-year break from live performances, he returned to the stage in 1968. In 1973, Presley was featured in the first globally broadcast concert. Several years of prescription drug abuse damaged his health, and he died in 1977 at the age of 42.

paragraphs: Elvis Presley was born on January 8, 1935 in Tupelo, Mississippi to 18-year-old Vernon Elvis Presley and 22-year-old Gladys Love Presley (born Smith), in the two-room shotgun house built by Vernon's father in preparation for the child's birth. Jesse Garon Presley, his identical twin brother, was delivered stillborn 35 minutes before him. As an only child, Presley became close to both parents and formed an unusually tight bond with his mother. The family attended an Assembly of God church, where he found his initial musical inspiration. Presley's ancestry was primarily a Western European mix: on his mother's side, he was Scots-Irish, with some French Norman; one of Gladys' great-great-grandmothers was Cherokee. According to a third cousin of Presley's, one of Gladys's great-grandmothers was Jewish. There is no evidence that Presley or his mother shared this belief in a Jewish heritage. Syndicated columnist Nate Bloom has challenged the cousin's account, which he calls a "tall tale". Presley's father's forebears were of Scottish and German ancestry. Gladys was regarded by relatives and friends as the dominant member of the small family. Vernon moved from one odd job to the next, evidencing little ambition. The family often relied on help from neighbors and government food assistance. The Presleys survived the F5 tornado in the 1936 Tupelo-Gainesville tornado outbreak. In 1938, they lost their home after Vernon was found guilty of altering a check written by the landowner. He was jailed for eight months, and Gladys and Elvis moved in with relatives. He moved to Memphis, Tennessee with his family when he was 13 years old. Presley was one of the first musicians to play a type of music called rockabilly, which combined country music with rhythm and blues. His first No.1 hit, "Heartbreak Hotel", from 1955, and was one of the first popular rock and roll songs.

paragraphs: Presley entered the military in 1958, and was stationed in Germany. He was honorably discharged from the military, and returned to the United States in 1960. In Germany, he met Priscilla Beaulieu, whom he married in 1967. They had a daughter which they named Lisa Marie (who was married to pop singer Michael Jackson).

paragraphs: In 1973, Priscilla and Elvis divorced. By this point, he had become addicted to many prescription drugs.

paragraphs: In November 2018, Presley received posthumous the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Donald Trump.

paragraphs: Presley's rise to national attention in 1956 changed the field of popular music forever. It also had a great effect on popular culture. Because his music had racially mixed origins, gave a new acceptance and appreciation of black culture. Presley was one of the first celebrities in the era of mass communication: at age 21, within a year of his first appearance on the American television network, he was already one of the most famous men in the world. He is the best-selling solo artist in history, with sales between 600 million to 1 billion records. His name, image and voice are instantly recognizable worldwide. It has inspired many imitators. Being a Elvis impersonator can be a professional job. In polls and surveys, he is recognized as one of the most important and influential American musical artists in history.

paragraphs: He died on August 16, 1977 from a heart attack. He was discovered dead in his bathroom.


title: Sherwood Forest

paragraphs: Sherwood Forest is an ancient woodland near Nottingham, England. It is famous as the home of the mythical outlaw, Robin Hood and his men (and Maid Marian). Legend claims that they lived near the Major Oak. Its branches are now supported by props.


title: Mount Everest

paragraphs: Mount Everest is the highest mountain on Earth. Mount Everest is in the Himalayas, the highest mountain range in the world. It is about high.

paragraphs: Its peak is on the border of Nepal and China. It is above the Death Zone where the air is too thin for a human being to live, so usually compressed gas tanks with different gas mixes for different altitudes are used when climbing. The Death Zone refers to the parts of Mount Everest that are above above sea level.

paragraphs: Two other mountains also can be named as the "highest" mountains - the Hawaiian volcano Mauna Loa on Hawaii island is the highest mountain measured from the base underwater to the summit (more than 11 kilometres), and the summit of Mount Chimborazo is the fixed point on Earth which is the greatest distance from the center. This is because of the shape of the Earth: the circumference around the Equator is greater than around the poles.

paragraphs: "Everest Base Camp" is used to mean the two base camps on opposite sides of Mount Everest. South Base Camp is in Nepal at an altitude of (). North Base Camp is in Tibet at (). These camps are simple campsite shelters at the bottom (or base) of the mountain. They are used by mountain climbers during their journey up or down the mountain. Supplies are provided there and climbers rest, heal and make trip preparations.

paragraphs: South Base Camp is used when climbing up the southeast ridge. North Base Camp is used when climbing up the northeast ridge.

paragraphs: Supplies are shipped to the South Base Camp by Sherpas or porters, and with the help of animals, usually yaks. The North Base Camp has vehicle access (at least in the summer months). Climbers usually rest at base camp for several days for their bodies to get used to the thin air of high altitudes.

paragraphs: This reduces the risks and severity of altitude sickness.

paragraphs: Mount Everest has a very cold and snowy climate. Winds can speed up to . The coldest month is January with a high of and the warmest month in mount everest is July with a high of .

paragraphs: Because of climate change, the glaciers around Mount Everest may disappear over the next few decades.

paragraphs: A survey of India in 1856 recorded Everest. It was called Peak XV. This first published height was . Everest was given its official English name in 1865 by the Royal Geographical Society.

paragraphs: British people began exploring the area around Mount Everest in 1921. The first expedition to try to climb to the top of Everest was in 1922. On June 8th, 1924, George Leigh Mallory and climbing partner Andrew Irvine tried to climb to the summit of Mount Everest. They disappeared into the fog and were not seen again until Mallory's dead body was found by Conrad Anker in 1999.

paragraphs: The top of Mount Everest was first reached in May 1953 by the Sherpa Tenzing Norgay and the New Zealander Sir Edmund Hillary.

paragraphs: In March 2020, Nepal closed the mountain to climbing. This was part of the effort to stop the 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic.

paragraphs: Sherpas are the local people who live near the foot of Mount Everest. For the Sherpas, Mount Everest is a sacred mountain and before they climb Mount Everest they always do a sacrificial offering.


title: Luanda

paragraphs: Luanda is the capital and the largest city of Angola. Its former name was Loanda. It is a main seaport of the country on the Atlantic Ocean. In 1995, about 3 million people lived there.

paragraphs: It is a center of manufacturing, but very destroyed because of a long civil war.

paragraphs: It was founded by Portuguese in 1575 as São Paulo de Luanda and has been the administrative center of Angola since 1627 (except for 1640–1648). When Angola got independence in 1975, it became the capital of Angola.


title: Pepsi

paragraphs: Pepsi is a carbonated cola soft drink made by PepsiCo. A can of Pepsi (330ml) has 8 cubes of sugar in it, whereas Coca-Cola has 7.

paragraphs: They often sponsor (help fund/advertise on an event) sports events and music events, like the Super Bowl. Pepsi also has huge sponsorships for the MGM Mirage hotels in Las Vegas, Nevada. They only serve Pepsi products at the hotels.

paragraphs: Pepsi comes in many different flavors, and forms. A few of the different Pepsi types include Diet Pepsi, Pepsi Max, Pepsi ONE, Crystal Pepsi, Pepsi Wild Cherry, etc.

paragraphs: It was first introduced as "Brad's Dunka" in New Bern, North Carolina in 1898 by Caleb Bradham, who made it at his pharmacy where the drink was sold. It was later named Pepsi Cola, possibly due to the digestive enzyme pepsin and kola nuts used in the recipe. Bradham sought to create a fountain drink that was delicious and would aid in digestion and boost energy.

paragraphs: In 1903, Bradham moved the bottling of Pepsi-Cola from his drugstore to a rented warehouse. That year, Bradham sold 7,968 gallons of syrup. The next year, Pepsi was sold in six-ounce bottles, and sales increased to 19,848 gallons. In 1909, automobile race pioneer Barney Oldfield was the first celebrity to endorse Pepsi-Cola, describing it as "A bully drink. refreshing, invigorating, a fine bracer before a race".

paragraphs: During the Great Depression, Pepsi gained popularity following the introduction in 1936 of a 12-ounce bottle. Initially priced at 10 cents, sales were slow, but when the price was slashed to five cents, sales increased substantially. With a radio advertising campaign featuring the jingle "Pepsi-Cola hits the spot/Twelve full ounces, that's a lot/Twice as much for a nickel, too/Pepsi-Cola is the drink for you," arranged in such a way that the jingle never ends. Pepsi encouraged price-watching consumers to switch, obliquely referring to the Coca-Cola standard of six ounces per bottle for the price of five cents a nickel, instead of the 12 ounces Pepsi sold at the same price. Coming at a time of economic crisis, the campaign succeeded in boosting Pepsi's status. In 1937 500,000,000 bottles of Pepsi were consumed. From 1936 to 1938, Pepsi-Cola's profits doubled. In 1962 the name is changed to Pepsi.

paragraphs: Pepsi's success under Guth came while the Loft Candy business was faltering. Since he had initially used Loft's finances and facilities to establish the new Pepsi success, the near-bankrupt Loft Company sued Guth for possession of the Pepsi-Cola company. A long legal battle, "Guth v. Loft", then ensued, with the case reaching the Delaware Supreme Court and ultimately ending in a loss for Guth.

paragraphs: In 1975, Pepsi introduced the Pepsi Challenge marketing campaign where PepsiCo set up a blind tasting between Pepsi-Cola and rival Coca-Cola. During these blind taste tests the majority of participants picked Pepsi as the better tasting of the two soft drinks. PepsiCo took great advantage of the campaign with television commercials reporting the results to the public.

paragraphs: In 1976 Pepsi, RKO Bottlers in Toledo, Ohio hired the first female Pepsi salesperson, Denise Muck, to coincide with the United States bicentennial celebration.

paragraphs: In 1996, PepsiCo launched the highly successful Pepsi Stuff marketing strategy. By 2002, the strategy was cited by Promo Magazine as one of 16 "Ageless Wonders" that "helped redefine promotion marketing."

paragraphs: In 2007, PepsiCo redesigned their cans for the fourteenth time, and for the first time, included more than thirty different backgrounds on each can, introducing a new background every three weeks. One of their background designs includes a string of repetitive numbers 73774. This is a numerical expression from a telephone keypad of the word "Pepsi."

paragraphs: In late 2008, Pepsi overhauled their entire brand, simultaneously introducing a new logo and a minimalist label design. The redesign was comparable to Coca-Cola's earlier simplification of there can and bottle designs. Also in 4th quarter of 2008 Pepsi teamed up with Google/Youtube to produce the first daily entertainment show on Youtube, Poptub. This daily show deals with pop culture, internet viral videos, and celebrity gossip. Poptub is updated daily from Pepsi.

paragraphs: Since 2007, Pepsi, Lay's, and Gatorade have had a "Bring Home the Cup," contest for Canada's biggest hockey fans. Hockey fans were asked to submit content (videos, pictures or essays) for a chance at winning a party in their hometown with the Stanley Cup and Mark Messier.

paragraphs: In 2009, "Bring Home the Cup," changed to "Team Up and Bring Home the Cup." The new installment of the campaign asks for team involvement and an advocate to submit content on behalf of their team for the chance to have the Stanley Cup delivered to the team's hometown by Mark Messier.

paragraphs: Pepsi has official sponsorship deals with three of the four major North American professional sports leagues: the National Football League, National Hockey League and Major League Baseball. Pepsi also sponsors Major League Soccer.

paragraphs: Pepsi also has sponsorship deals in international cricket teams. The Pakistan cricket team is just one of the teams that the brand sponsors. The team wears the Pepsi logo on the front of their test and ODI test match clothing.

paragraphs: On July 6, 2009, Pepsi announced it would make a $1 billion investment in Russia over three years, bringing the total Pepsi investment in the country to $4 billion.

paragraphs: In July 2009, Pepsi started marketing itself as Pecsi in Argentina in response to its name being mispronounced by 25% of the population and as a way to connect more with all of the population.

paragraphs: In October 2008, Pepsi announced that it would be redesigning its logo and re-branding many of its products by early 2009. In 2009, Pepsi, Diet Pepsi and Pepsi Max began using all lower-case fonts for name brands, and Diet Pepsi Max was re-branded as Pepsi Max. The brand's blue and red globe trademark became a series of "smiles," with the central white band arcing at different angles depending on the product. Pepsi released this logo in US. in late 2008, and later it was released in 2009 in Canada, Brazil, Bolivia, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador, Colombia, Argentina, Puerto Rico, Costa Rica, Panama, Chile and Australia; in the rest of the world the new logo was released in 2010.


title: Penguin

paragraphs: Penguins are seabirds in the family Spheniscidae. They use their wings to travel underwater, but they cannot travel in the air. They eat fish and other seafood. Penguins lay their eggs and raise their babies on land.

paragraphs: Penguins live only in the Southern Hemisphere of the world: Antarctica, New Zealand, Australia, South Africa and South America. The furthest north they get is the Galapagos Islands, where the cold Humboldt Current flows past.

paragraphs: All penguins have a white belly and a dark, mostly black, back. This is a type of camouflage to keep them safe when they swim, because it makes them blend in with their background. The white and black colors make an effect called countershading. When a predator looking from below sees the white belly and wings of a swimming penguin, they can not see the penguin well because the light is coming from above. However, when seen from above, the penguin's black back blends in with the dark water below, so they are hard to see.

paragraphs: The biggest penguins may stand nearly 4 feet tall (110 cm) and can weigh almost 100 pounds (40 kg). The smallest kinds are only about one foot (32 cm) tall.

paragraphs: Penguins have a thick layer of blubber that helps them keep warm, and their feathers are very tightly packed to make another cover. They also have a layer of woolly down feathers, under the outer veined feathers that are coated with a type of oil that makes them waterproof.

paragraphs: Penguins have webbed feet used for paddling in the water. They cannot walk well, so they waddle. Penguins cannot fly, but they can swim very well. Their wings have become stiff and small swimming flippers. They have good hearing and can see underwater.

paragraphs: Most penguins lay two eggs per year but emperor penguins lay only one. After the penguins mate, the mother lays her egg or eggs and soon goes in the ocean to eat. The father and mother take turns keeping the eggs warm, and the chicks warm after hatching. The parent on baby duty has nothing to eat. Parent penguins call to find each other amongst the thousands of birds when they return from the feeding grounds. The time one parent is alone with the eggs or chicks and going hungry may be weeks or months depending on what kind of penguin they are. If one parent does not return, the other must abandon the egg to go and eat.

paragraphs: Penguins eat krill, fish, squid, and other small animals from the ocean, which they catch. They are at home in the ocean. They come up on the land or ice to lay their eggs and raise the chicks. They don't eat there because they live in places where the land has no food for them. In most species the birds all nest together in a huge group, called a rookery. They usually make nests on the ground with rocks or mud.

paragraphs: Penguins cannot taste fish. This was discovered when a research team noticed they were missing some key genes for taste. A closer look at the DNA of penguins showed that all species lack functioning genes for the receptors of sweet, umami, and bitter tastes. It doesn't matter to them, because they swallow the fish whole.

paragraphs: There are 15-20 living species (types) of penguins. The white-flippered penguin is today generally considered a subspecies of the little penguin. It is still unclear if the royal penguin is a subspecies of the macaroni penguin. Scientists are also uncertain whether rockhopper penguins are one, two, or three species.


title: Cannibalism

paragraphs: Cannibalism is where a person eats the flesh of another person. It is also called anthropophagy. Anthropologists are not sure how widespread it was, but it did happen in some societies.

paragraphs: The word 'cannibalism' comes from the Island Carib people of the Lesser Antilles. They got a long-standing reputation as cannibals when their legends were recorded in the 17th century. Some controversy exists over the accuracy of these legends.

paragraphs: Cannibalism was widespread in the past among humans in many parts of the world, continuing into the 19th century in some isolated South Pacific cultures, and to the present day in parts of tropical Africa. Cannibalism was certainly practiced in New Guinea and in parts of the Solomon Islands, and flesh markets existed in some parts of Melanesia. Fiji was once known as the 'Cannibal Isles'. Cannibalism has been well documented around the world, from Fiji to the Amazon Basin to the Congo to Māori New Zealand.


title: Halloween

paragraphs: Halloween is a celebration on the night of October 31. It is most practised in the United States and Canada. Children wear costumes and go to people's homes saying "Trick or treat!" to ask for candy (sweets in the UK) and people give it to them. The suggestion is: "Give me a treat or I will play a trick on you." People mainly dress up as ghosts, witches, or other scary things for Halloween. It is often referred to as ‘the scariest time of the year’.

paragraphs: For Christians it is the eve of All Saints' Day, which begins the three-day observance of Allhallowtide. This covers the three days – October 31 (All-Hallows Eve or Hallowe'en), November 1 (All Saints) and November 2 (All Souls). All Hallows' Eve is a Christianized feast influenced by Celtic harvest festivals, and pagan roots.

paragraphs: The pagan holiday "Samhain", which the "All Saints" holy day replaced, was also known as the "Day of the Dead". Many wiccans and modern pagans celebrate the "Day of the Dead". This is a "happy" holiday (even though it celebrates death). It is the day that some believed the souls of dead people come back to Earth.

paragraphs: Many Lutheran churches celebrate a holiday on November 2 called the Reformation. This holiday celebrates the day that Martin Luther put The Ninety-Five Theses on a church door.

paragraphs: During Halloween some people wear a costume. People have worn costumes at Halloween for centuries. Wearing a costume may come from Celtic festivals of Samhain and Calan Gaeaf. It could also be from the Christian Allhallowtide.

paragraphs: Early costumes were usually scary. They were often supernatural beings or from folklore. In the 1930s costumes of characters from literature, radio, or movies became popular. Scary costumes are still popular.


title: Frida Kahlo

paragraphs: Magdalena Carmen Frida Kahlo y Calderón (6 July 1907 – 13 July 1954), usually known as Frida Kahlo, was a Mexican painter. She was known for her surreal and very personal works. She was married to Diego Rivera, also a well-known painter.

paragraphs: She was born in Coyoacán, Mexico. She had polio that left her disabled when she was 6 years old and some people think that she may have had spina bifida (a birth defect affecting the development of part of the spine) as well. She studied medicine and was going to become a doctor. Because of a traffic accident at age 18 which badly injured her, she had periods of severe pain for the rest of her life. After this accident, Kahlo no longer continued her medical studies but took up painting. She used ideas about things that had happened to her. Her paintings are often shocking in the way they show pain and the harsh lives of women, especially her feelings about not being able to have children. Fifty-five of her 143 paintings are of herself. She was also influenced by native Mexican culture, shown in bright colors, with a mixture of realism and symbolism. Her paintings attracted the attention of the artist Diego Rivera, whom she later married. She was openly bisexual and was a communist. She died of a pulmonary embolism caused by bronchopneumonia in Coyoacán.

paragraphs: Kahlo's work is sometimes called "surrealist", and although she organized art shows several times with European surrealists, she herself did not like that label. Her attention to female themes, and the honesty in her painting them, made her something of a feminist cult figure in the last decades of the 20th century. Some of her work is seen at the Frida Kahlo Museum, found in her birthplace and home in suburban Mexico City.


title: Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas

paragraphs: Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas: A Savage Journey to the Heart of the American Dream is a book written by Hunter S. Thompson. The book is based on an article Thompson wrote for "Rolling Stone" magazine. It was later made into a movie directed by Terry Gilliam and starring Johnny Depp and Benicio Del Toro.

paragraphs: What originally was a two-hundred-fifty-word photo-caption-job for "Sports Illustrated" grew to a novel-length feature story for "Rolling Stone". Thompson said publisher Jann Wenner had "liked the first 20 or so jangled pages enough to take it seriously on its own terms and tentatively scheduled it for publication — which gave me the push I needed to keep working on it". He had first submitted a 2,500 word manuscript to "Sports Illustrated" that was "aggressively rejected".

paragraphs: Raoul Duke and Dr. Gonzo were based on Thompson and Acosta's life and experiences. Thompson wrote that he concluded their March trip by spending some thirty-six hours alone in a hotel room "feverishly writing in my notebook" about his experiences. The genesis of "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas: A Savage Journey to the Heart of the American Dream" is in that notebook.

paragraphs: The novel does not have a clear plot. Frequently, it is difficult for a reader to know what is imaginary to the fictional characters and what is really happening as fact.

paragraphs: The story accounts for two trips to Las Vegas, Nevada, that Hunter S. Thompson and attorney Oscar Zeta Acosta took in March and April 1971. The first trip spawned from an exposé Thompson was writing for "Rolling Stone" magazine about the Mexican-American television journalist Ruben Salazar, whom officers of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Office had shot and killed with a tear gas grenade fired at close range during the National Chicano Moratorium March against the Vietnam War in 1970. Thompson was using Acosta — a prominent Mexican-American political activist and attorney — as a central source for the story, and the two found it difficult for a brown-skinned Mexican to talk openly with a white reporter in the racially tense atmosphere of Los Angeles, California. The two needed a more comfortable place to discuss the story and decided to take advantage of a "Sports Illustrated" magazine offer to write photograph captions for the annual Mint 400 desert race being held in Las Vegas.

paragraphs: Weeks later, Thompson and Acosta returned to Las Vegas to report for "Rolling Stone" on the National District Attorneys Association's Conference on Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs being held from the April 25 to 29, 1971, and to add material to the larger "Fear and Loathing" narrative. Besides attending the attorneys' conference, Thompson and Acosta looked for ways in Vegas to explore the theme of the American Dream, which was the basis for the novel's second half, which Thompson referred at the time as "Vegas II". On April 29, 1971, he began writing the full manuscript in a hotel room in Arcadia, California, in his spare time while completing "Strange Rumblings in Aztlan", the article chronicling the slain Chicano journalist Rubén Salazar.

paragraphs: In November 1971, "Rolling Stone" published the combined texts of the trips as "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas: A Savage Journey to the Heart of the American Dream" as a two-part article illustrated by Ralph Steadman, who, two years before, had worked with Thompson on a "Scanlan's Monthly" article titled "The Kentucky Derby is Decadent and Depraved".

paragraphs: The next year, Random House quickly published the hardcover edition, with additional Steadman illustrations; The "New York Times" said it is "by far the best book yet on the decade of dope", with Tom Wolfe describing it as a "scorching epochal sensation".


title: Graham Chapman

paragraphs: Graham Chapman (8 January 1941 – 4 October 1989) was a British actor, comedian and writer. He was most famous as a member of Monty Python. He was openly gay and was in a long-term relationship with writer David Sherlock. Chapman was born in Leicester. He studied medicine at Emmanuel College, Cambridge. He died of oropharyngeal cancer in Maidstone, Kent.


title: Michael Palin

paragraphs: Sir Michael Edward Palin (born 5 May 1943) is an English actor, comedian, world traveller and author.

paragraphs: Palin was born in Broomhill, Sheffield, West Riding of Yorkshire. He studied modern history at Brasenose College, Oxford.

paragraphs: He became famous as a member of Monty Python in the 1970s. Afterwards he had his own television series, "Ripping Yarns", and also appeared in many movies, such as "A Fish Called Wanda." Over the last 20 years, he has become very well known as a television travel broadcaster ("Around The World in 80 Days", etc.).


title: Terry Jones

paragraphs: Terry Jones (1 February 1942 – 21 January 2020) was a Welsh writer, actor, and historian. He was a member of Monty Python.

paragraphs: Jones was born on 1 February 1942 in Colwyn Bay, North Wales, United Kingdom. He was married to Alison Telfer, and later to Anna Söderström.

paragraphs: In September 2016 it was announced that Jones had been diagnosed with primary progressive aphasia, a rare form of dementia that impairs the ability to speak and communicate, and that he was no longer able to give interviews. On 21 January 2020, Jones died from problems caused by the disease, at his home in North London, aged 77.


title: New York (state)

paragraphs: New York is one of the 50 states of the United States and was one of the original Thirteen Colonies, which were the first thirteen states to make up the US. New York is in the northeastern United States, bordered by Lake Ontario and Canada on the north, Lake Erie and Canada on the west, Pennsylvania on the west and south, Vermont, Massachusetts, and Connecticut on the east, and New Jersey on the south in the eastern parts of the state.

paragraphs: New York was originally New Netherland, started by the Dutch Empire in the early 17th century. Late in the century, it surrendered to an English fleet during the Anglo-Dutch Wars and became part of the British Empire. About half the Dutch colony was given to neighboring English colonies. The Battle of Long Island, Battle of Saratoga, and other important battles of the American Revolution were fought in New York and it joined the new United States.

paragraphs: The United States Census Bureau says that, as of 2005, New York had the fourth most people (population) in the United States, after California, Texas, and Florida. New York's estimated population is 19,297,729.

paragraphs: Many famous people were born in New York, including politicians, scientists, soldiers, artists, writers, entertainers, and others.

paragraphs: The biggest city in New York is also called New York, located in the south-eastern part of the state and built on the Hudson River; it is by far the biggest city in the U.S.. Part of New York City is on Long Island, a large island in the Atlantic Ocean, and another part of it is on Staten Island, which is to the southwest of Manhattan, the central business district. Most people living in New York state live in the New York metropolitan area, one of the world's biggest metropolitan areas, which also includes part of eastern New Jersey.

paragraphs: The larger part of New York, north and northwest of the metropolitan area, is called "Upstate New York". Cities in this part of New York include Buffalo, the state's second largest city, Rochester, Syracuse, and the state capital of Albany. These places became cities because of the Erie Canal. Between 1788 and 1797, the Legislature moved the state capital around between Albany, Kingston, Poughkeepsie, and New York City. Albany became the permanent capital from 1797.


title: Rolling Stone

paragraphs: Rolling Stone is an American popular culture magazine. It mainly features articles about music, as well as sports, movies, and celebrities. It also features movie and album reviews, "greatest of all time" lists, and political editorials and commentary.

paragraphs: It was founded in 1967 in San Francisco, California.

paragraphs: Some of the magazine's famous staffers include Hunter S. Thompson, Peter Travers, Ralph Steadman, PJ O'Rourke, Cameron Crowe (whose experience for the magazine lead him to create the movie, "Almost Famous"), and Annie Leibowitz.


title: Ralph Steadman

paragraphs: Ralph Steadman (born Wallasey, 15 May 1936) is a British cartoonist and illustrator. He is best known for his artwork for the books and articles of Hunter S. Thompson.

paragraphs: Steadman was born in Wallasey, Cheshire, and brought up in Towyn, North Wales. He went to Ysgol Emrys Ap Iwan (high school), Abergele, East Ham Technical College and the London College of Printing during the 1960s. There, he did freelance work for "Punch", "Private Eye", the "Daily Telegraph," "The New York Times" and "Rolling Stone".

paragraphs: Steadman lives with his wife in Kent, England.


title: Tunisia

paragraphs: Tunisia (or formally, the Republic of Tunisia) is a country in North Africa. Tunis is its capital.

paragraphs: Since history has been recorded, there were Berber tribes living in what is now Tunisia. Most of them built little towns and ports along the coastline so they could trade with different travellers from everywhere in the Mediterranean Sea.

paragraphs: Most of the travellers that used to pass by Tunisia were Phoenicians who started to settle on the Tunisian coast during the 10th Century BC.

paragraphs: Later, in the 8th Century BC, Carthage was built by some settlers that came from Phoenicia and regions abroad.

paragraphs: After many wars against Greece in 6th Century BC, Carthage dominated the Mediterranean Sea.

paragraphs: During the Second Punic War, Carthage invaded Italy with an army led by Hannibal.

paragraphs: The series of wars between the Roman Empire and Carthage ended with the destruction of Carthage in the 2nd Century BC. Its territory in Africa became part of the Africa Province of the Roman Empire.

paragraphs: When the Roman Empire became weak, the Vandals occupied that region. This was in the 5th Century AD, and one hundred years after that, it became under the control of the Byzantine emperor Justinian.

paragraphs: In the 7th Century, it was conquered by the Arab Muslims who built a city which they called Kairouan. This was the first Arab Muslim city in Tunisia. Many Muslim dynasties (monarchies) ruled Tunisia. One of the best known dynasties was the Zirids dynasty. The Zirids were Berber people and followed the rules of the Fatimides, a bigger dynasty in Cairo.

paragraphs: When the Zirids angered the Fatimides, the Fatimides sent some tribes known as Banu Hilal who ravaged (destroyed and vandalized) Tunisia.

paragraphs: After a brief occupation of Tunisia by the Normans of Sicily in the 12th Century, the Almohad re-conquered it. After that came the Hafsids.

paragraphs: In the last years of their reign, the Hafsids became weak and Spain took control of many cities on the coast until they were finally occupied by the Ottoman Empire.

paragraphs: In 1705, Tunisia became virtually independent during the Hussein dynasty, but still had to follow orders from the Ottoman Empire.

paragraphs: Some controversial financial decisions (money-lending) taken by the Bey in mid-1800s in an attempt to repair the country led Tunisia to become under the control of France.

paragraphs: Tunisia became officially a French protectorate in on May 12, 1881, but with the strong opposition of the kingdom of Italy because there was a huge Italian community in Tunisia.

paragraphs: Important parts of the North African Campaign of World War II were fought in Tunisia from 1941 to 1943.

paragraphs: General Erwin Rommel, the German commander in Africa, wished to defeat the Allies in Tunisia, as the Germans had done in the Battle of France when the Allies were inexperienced against the German Blitzkrieg. On February 19, 1943, Rommel launched an attack against the U.S. Forces, with his German and Italian troops, in the western area of Tunisia. That was a disaster for the United States.

paragraphs: After that, the Allies understood the importance of tank warfare. With better supplies than the Germans, they easily broke into the German lines in southern Tunisia on March 20, 1943. In May 11, 1943 the last German troops surrendered, followed two days later by the Italian troops.

paragraphs: Tunisia became independent in 1956 with the former Bey of Tunis as King. Prime Minister Habib Bourguiba became the first president in 1957 when it became a republic. Bourguiba focused on education and economic development. He was supportive of women's rights. However, he had a cult of personality around him and most of the power in the country was held by Bourguiba.

paragraphs: In 1987, Bourguiba was removed from power by Zine el Abidine Ben Ali. Ben Ali ruled as dictator of the country until 2011, when he was overthrown in a revolution. The revolution was the first major revolution of the Arab Spring. Tunisia began becoming more democratic, and in 2014, the country held its first free presidential election. The election was won by Beji Caid Essebsi, a secular, liberal candidate.

paragraphs: Tunisia is in the northern part of Africa. The Mediterranean Sea joins Tunisia in the north and east; the coastline of Tunisia on the Mediterranean Sea is about 1,300 km. Tunisia is also bordered by Algeria to the west and Libya to the south-east.

paragraphs: The Sahara Desert covers 40% of Tunisia. The other 60% is a fertile area.

paragraphs: Standard Arabic is the official language by the Tunisian constitution. But Tunisians speak Tunisian Arabic.

paragraphs: Tunisian Arabic is a mix of many languages of people that live or lived in Tunisia. It is called Darija or Tunsi.

paragraphs: A small number of people living in Tunisia still speak a Berber dialect, known as Shelha.

paragraphs: Most people now living Tunisia are Maghrebin Arab. However, small groups of Berbers and Jews live in Tunisia.

paragraphs: The constitution says that Islam is the official state religion. It also requires the President to be Muslim.

paragraphs: Tunisia is divided into 24 governorates. They are:

paragraphs: Tunisia's economy has many sectors: agriculture (fruit, vegetable oil and vegetables), tourism (when people come from other countries to visit), mining (extracting goods from under the ground), and petroleum (fuel and gas oil).

paragraphs: The government used to control the economy, but now it has sold some public companies. This is called privatization.

paragraphs: Tunisia was also the first Mediterranean country to make an agreement with the European Union. This association agreement was signed on March 1, 1995.

paragraphs: Tunisia has plans for two nuclear power stations, to be working by 2019.


title: Malaysia

paragraphs: Malaysia is a country in Southeast Asia. It is a federation which has 13 states. It is divided into two parts by the South China Sea. Its mainland is on the Malay Peninsula. It faces the Straits of Malacca on its west coast and the South China Sea on its east coast. The other part of this country, sometimes known as East Malaysia, is on the northern part of the island of Borneo in the South China Sea. Kuala Lumpur on the Malay Peninsula is its capital. The federal capital was recently moved to Putrajaya, a newly created city exclusively designed for administration.

paragraphs: The country is multi-ethnic and multi-cultural, with most people being Malay, but there are also Chinese and Indians. Its official language is Malay written in the Latin alphabet. English is a recognised language and also the official language in Sarawak state along with Malay. Tamil and Chinese is also often used. There are over 130 other languages spoken in Malaysia, with 94 in Malaysian Borneo and 40 on the peninsula. Islam is the official religion, but non-Malay citizens have the freedom to practice other religions.

paragraphs: Between China and India, Malaysia was an ancient trading place. When Europeans came to this area, Malacca became an important trade port.

paragraphs: The states of Malaysia became a colony of the British Empire, starting with Penang in 1786. The peninsular part became independent on 31 August 1957 as the Federation of Malaya. In September 1963, Malaya, Singapore and the Borneo part joined together to become Malaysia. In 1965, Singapore was expelled from the federation and declared independence.

paragraphs: Malaysia has 13 states, which are Johor, Kedah, Kelantan, Melaka, Negeri Sembilan, Pahang, Perak, Perlis, Penang, Sabah, Sarawak, Selangor and Terengganu, and three federal territories, Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya and Labuan. The number of points of the star on the flag represents the number of states Malaysia has, but it has 14 because Singapore was one of the states in Malaysia during its creation. The 14th point now represents the federal territories, called Wilayah Persekutuan. The head of state of Malaysia is known as the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, otherwise called the "King of Malaysia". That title is currently held by Sultan Abdullah of Pahang. Malaysia's head of government is the Prime Minister. Its current prime minister is Mahathir Mohamad, upon being elected in May 2018 at age 92. It also has a parliament and a court system. It is a founding member of ASEAN. Its economy is steadily growing and it is a relatively rich country in Southeast Asia.

paragraphs: The following is a list of places in Malaysia. They are in order by the date they were given city status.

paragraphs: Malaysia is a multi-religious society, and Islam is the largest

paragraphs: Malaysia is a multi-ethnic, multi-cultural and multilingual society, consisting of 65% Malays and other indigenous tribes, 25% Chinese, 7% Indians. The Malays, which form the largest community, are all Muslims since one has to be Muslim to be legally Malay under Malaysian law. The Malays play a dominant role politically and are included in a grouping identified as bumiputera.

paragraphs: Many cultures from within the country and from surrounding areas have influenced the cuisine. Much of the influence comes from the Malay, Chinese, Indian, Thai, Javanese, and Sumatran cultures, largely because the country was part of the ancient spice route.

paragraphs: Food from one culture is sometimes also cooked using ways taken from another culture, for example, shrimp paste (belacan) and sambal are commonly used by Chinese restaurants for cooking. This means that although much of Malaysian food can be traced back to a certain culture, they have their own identity. Rice is popular in many dishes. Chili is commonly found in local cuisine, although this does not necessarily make them spicy. Examples are laksa, which is a spicy noodle dish common in Malaysia and teh tarik, which is a popular drink.

paragraphs: Malaysia's national sports centre is the Bukit Jalil Sports Complex. Nicol David (squash) and Lee Chong Wei (badminton) are notable athletes from Malaysia. Malaysia won 12 gold medals in the Commonwealth Games 2010 in India, and broke their Commonwealth Games target.

paragraphs: Malaysia's road network covers 98,721 kilometres (61,342 mi) and includes 1,821 kilometres (1,132 mi) of expressways. The longest highway of the country, the North-South Expressway, extends over 800 kilometres (497 mi) between the Thai border and Singapore. The road systems in Sabah and Sarawak are less developed and of lower quality in comparison to that of Peninsular Malaysia. Malaysia has 118 airports, of which 38 are paved. The official airline of Malaysia is Malaysia Airlines, providing international and domestic air service alongside two other carriers. The railway system is state-run, and covers a total of 1,849 kilometres (1,149 mi). There are also Light Rail Transit in Kuala Lumpur.


title: Mickey Mouse

paragraphs: Mickey Mouse is a cartoon character. He was created by Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks in 1928.

paragraphs: He is the Walt Disney company's mascot. He is the main character in "Fantasia". Mickey Mouse also has television shows with other characters including Donald Duck, Goofy, Minnie Mouse, and Pluto. Minnie Mouse is his girlfriend. His birthday is November 18, 1928. This is the same day as Minnie Mouse.

paragraphs: Mickey Mouse has a pet; a dog named Pluto. Pluto has 5 puppies with Minnie's dog Fifi.


title: HIV

paragraphs: Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a type of virus called a retrovirus, which infects the human immune system (the system in the body which is in charge of fighting off illness). HIV may cause AIDS (a collection of diseases and symptoms) by eventually killing the white blood cells, which a healthy body uses to fight off disease.

paragraphs: It is possible that a person can get infected with HIV if any body liquid with the virus gets into their body. The body liquids that carry HIV are blood, semen, liquid from the vagina, and breast milk. The liquids can go into the body through injured skin. The liquids can also enter through the mouth, eyes, nose, vagina, anus, or penis. However, though HIV might enter the body through any of these places, when people get HIV by having sex, the virus usually enters the body through the vagina or anus.

paragraphs: A person cannot get infected with HIV from non-sexual touching, like a hug or handshake, or touching someone else's saliva. A person cannot get HIV from an insect bite, a cough, or a sneeze. People also cannot get HIV from touching light switches, using toilets, or drinking from the same glass as a person with HIV.

paragraphs: HIV causes a person to become more prone to illness, so infected people need treatment options. However, there is no cure for HIV. To help ease negative symptoms, drugs called anti-retroviral therapy (ART) are available. This treatment is also called high active anti-retroviral therapy (HAART). HAART treatment begins with one non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI) and two nucleoside analogue reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs). The NRTI drug could be named zidovudine (AZT), tenofovir (TDF), andlamivudine (3TC), or emtricitabine (FTC).

paragraphs: These drugs slow the progression of the HIV virus in the body. Usually, these treatments consist of a combination of three or more drugs, and each drug performs a different job in fighting the virus. In general, HAART prevents the HIV from multiplying and destroying CD4 cells. CD4 cells are necessary to help protect the body from infections and cancer. Since the HIV virus destroys CD4 cells, it causes people with HIV to be more prone to illness.

paragraphs: It is recommended to start HAART if a person has HIV and has a CD4 cell count of less than or equal to 350 cells/mm3. This number can be determined by a doctor. A person’s age, sex, and other infections determine which treatment he or she should take. These medication regimens can help HIV-infected people live longer, healthier lives, and can also help prevent the HIV from advancing to AIDS.

paragraphs: There has been controversy surrounding when the correct time to start therapy should be after a person discovers that he or she has HIV. Recently, the answer has been that earlier treatment is recommended. This is because, first, effective therapy can prevent non-AIDS-related deaths. Second, therapy can prevent harm to a person’s immune system. Third, therapy can help prevent transmission of HIV to others, and can therefore reduce HIV prevalence overall. Although there are some negative side effects of antiretroviral medications, the benefits of therapy usually outweigh the negative effects.

paragraphs: Patients on HAART have reported significant improvements in physical health, emotional health, mental health, and daily function compared to HIV-positive patients not yet on treatment. Most research has occurred in developing countries, and little research has been done on the impacts of ART on household wellbeing.

paragraphs: Although HAART can be an effective means to treating HIV, there can be many negative side effects. Negative side effects can vary by drug, by ethnicity, and by drug interactions in the body. The following list contains the most common and serious negative side effects associated with HAART medications to treat HIV.

paragraphs: Nucleoside Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors (NRTIs)

paragraphs: Nonnucleoside Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors (NNRTIs)

paragraphs: Many people living with HIV have tried using alternative treatment methods, known as complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). Some types of CAM include stress management, natural health products, massage/therapeutic touch, acupuncture, and homeopathy. Stress management can increase quality of life for a person with HIV. Even with little evidence of its effectiveness, many people chose to try CAM because of the many negative side effects associated with HAART and the few negative side effects associated with CAM. Some HIV-infected people also try herbal medicines to treat HIV, but there has been no evidence showing any positive outcomes with the use of herbal remedies.

paragraphs: Another type of alternative therapy for treating HIV is micronutrient supplementation. Micronutrients are vitamins and minerals, so these supplements would be in the form of a general daily multivitamin. These supplements have been proven to help treat HIV because HIV can cause micronutrient deficiencies, so the supplements can help replenish these needed vitamins and minerals. Although the supplements may not help ease all negative symptoms, they offer some benefits and are safe for HIV-infected patients. Supplements are also safe for HIV-infected pregnant women and their children. Specifically, vitamin A and zinc have shown positive health effects. There are no major negative side effects of vitamin and mineral supplements.

paragraphs: Alternative therapies can help to reduce symptoms of diseases like HIV, but do not cure the disease, or stop the disease from spreading to other people.

paragraphs: "PREP" or "PrEP" is "pre-exposure prophylaxis". This means a person takes a drug before having risky sex. The drug 'Truvada' is a combination of two different anti-viral treatments: "tenofovir" and "emtricitabine". Truvada is very expensive, and not available on the UK's National Health Service.


title: Frank Zappa

paragraphs: Frank Vincent Zappa (December 21, 1940 - December 4, 1993) was an American musician and composer. He was known for his strange style of music, which was often weird and funny. He made various types of music and many albums. Zappa worked with many other musicans, most notably his 1960s group The Mothers of Invention and his friend and blues singer Captain Beefheart. Some people think he is the best composer in popular music or even any non-classical music.

paragraphs: Zappa was born in Baltimore, Maryland, but spent most of his life in Southern California. He grew up in Baltimore, in Florida, and in Monterey, Claremont and El Cajon, California. His mother was of French and Italian descent; his father was an immigrant from Sicily. Zappa had four children with his wife Gail. They gave them all very unusual names: Moon Unit, Dweezil, Ahmet, and Diva.

paragraphs: Zappa was openly against drugs, Televangelism, and censoring music. He often tried to see what he could get away with.

paragraphs: Zappa died from prostate cancer in Los Angeles, California.


title: Tasmania

paragraphs: Tasmania is a large island off the southern coast of mainland Australia. It is a state of Australia. Its capital and the largest city is Hobart. The island was joined to the mainland until the end of the most recent ice age about 10,000 years ago.

paragraphs: It is the home of rare animals such as eastern quolls and Tasmanian devils.

paragraphs: Tasmania is a state of Australia. Unlike the other states, it is an island. The Bass Strait separates it from the Australian mainland. Australian aboriginals were the native people of Tasmania. The last Tasmanian Aboriginal died in 1905. Abel Janszoon Tasman landed on the island in 1642. He called it "Van Diemen's Land". It was later called Tasmania. Much later, people came from Europe, mostly from the British Empire, to live on the island.

paragraphs: Tasmania has four cities: capital city Hobart, Launceston, Devonport and Burnie.

paragraphs: Tasmania is the smallest state in Australia. It also has the smallest population. The total population of Tasmania is just over 500,000 (September 2014).

paragraphs: Tasmania has some of the most popular tourist attractions in the world. They range from old country towns to up to date cities.


title: M*A*S*H

paragraphs: M*A*S*H was an American media franchise that had several novels and a movie. Several television series have also been based on it. These include "M*A*S*H (movie)" (1970), "M*A*S*H (TV show)" (1972), "AfterMASH" and "Trapper John, M.D.".

paragraphs: "M*A*S*H" started as a novel written by Richard Hooker. It was released in 1968, and was about a group of rebellious doctors at a MASH (Mobile Army Surgical Hospital) during the Korean War in the early 1950s. Several sequels were also written after the first book was successful. A movie and television series were based on the story.

paragraphs: "M*A*S*H" was made into a movie in 1970 that was liked by critics and audiences. It was directed by Robert Altman, and starred a large cast of talented actors that included Donald Sutherland, Elliott Gould, Tom Skerritt, Sally Kellerman, and Robert Duvall.

paragraphs: The movie won the Golden Palm award that year, which is the highest award at the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, France. The movie was also a big hit with young people for its anti-establishment, wild feel. This was especially true because it was really seen to be about criticizing the Vietnam War that was going on at the time. That theme was only hidden somewhat by the setting of the movie during the earlier and less controversial Korean War.

paragraphs: It is also the #56 movie on AFI's 100 Years... 100 Movies list and #7 on AFI's 100 Years... 100 Laughs list.

paragraphs: The success of the books and movie inspired the very popular comedy television series, "M*A*S*H". The series ran from 1972 to 1983 on CBS and is one of the most popular American television shows ever. Reruns are still shown on cable and broadcast channels, and most of the show's seasons are sold on DVDs. Though it is not as popular as it was, it is still popular today.

paragraphs: The cast included Alan Alda, Wayne Rogers, Mike Farrell, McLean Stevenson, Harry Morgan, Loretta Swit, Larry Linville, David Ogden Stiers, Jamie Farr, Allan Arbus, William Christopher, and Gary Burghoff.

paragraphs: Burghoff played the naive, innocent, teenage, but gifted company clerk, "Radar" O'Reilly. His role was small but memorable in the "M*A*S*H" movie, and he was the only actor from that movie to also play his character on the television series.

paragraphs: The show's final episode which aired on February 28, 1983 was one of the most watched shows in TV history. It was viewed by 125 million people. There have been several spin-off series of "M*A*S*H". The first was "AfterMASH", which was about a Veteran's Hospital soon after the war was over. It was about Colonel Potter (Harry Morgan), who got a job there, Maxwell Klinger (Jamie Farr), who became his assistant, and Father Mulcahy (William Christopher), who came there as a patient who abused alcohol after he lost his hearing in the TV series. All three of them were major characters on the original series. The second spin-off was "W*A*L*T*E*R*", which was about Walter "Radar" O'Reilly (Gary Burghoff). It was an unsold pilot that was shown as a special television program. The most successful "M*A*S*H" spin-off was "Trapper John, M.D.", a spin-off of the movie. It starred Trapper John McIntyre (Pernell Roberts), but never talks about anything from the movie. It lasted 151 episodes across seven seasons.

paragraphs: Tim Kelly made a play about the novel, movie, and TV series in 1973.


title: Donald Sutherland

paragraphs: Donald McNichol Sutherland OC (born July 17, 1935) is a Canadian actor. He has appeared in more than 100 movie and television shows.

paragraphs: Sutherland is known for his roles in "Fellini's Casanova", "Klute", "Don't Look Now", "Invasion of the Body Snatchers", "JFK", "Ordinary People", "Pride & Prejudice," and "The Hunger Games". He is the father of actor Kiefer Sutherland.

paragraphs: Sutherland was born in Saint John, New Brunswick. His ancestry includes Scottish, as well as German and English. When Sutherland was a child, he had rheumatic fever, hepatitis and poliomyelitis. He studied at Victoria College and at University of Toronto. He studied acting London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. Sutherland started off working as a radio DJ at the age of 14.

paragraphs: Sutherland's acting career began in 1962 with a small role in the television series "The Avengers". He then starred in some major roles in movies such as "Dr. Terror's House of Horrors" with Christopher Lee. He had a recurring role in the 1970 television series "M*A*S*H".

paragraphs: Sutherland soon gained fame in the Academy Award-winning movie "Klute" with Jane Fonda. He then starred in the movie "Don't Look Now". He then starred in the movie "Buffy the Vampire Slayer".

paragraphs: Recently, Sutherland portrayed President Snow in the movie adaptation of "The Hunger Games", released in March 2012. He repeated the role in its sequel, "" (2013).

paragraphs: In 2018, Sutherland played J. Paul Getty in the television series "Trust".

paragraphs: Sutherland was married to Lois Hardwick from 1959 until they divorced in 1966. Then he was married to Shirley Douglas from 1966 until they divorced in 1970. Since 1972, Sutherland has been married to his current wife Francine Racette. He has five children, three of whom are actors.

paragraphs: Sutherland became a blogger for the American news website "The Huffington Post" during the 2008 United States presidential election campaign. In his blogs, he openly stated his support for Barack Obama.

paragraphs: During the Opening Ceremony of the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver he narrated the events. He was also one of the Olympic flag bearers.


title: Paul Martin

paragraphs: Paul Martin Jr. (born August 28, 1938) is a Canadian politician. He was the 21st Prime Minister of Canada. He was also the leader of the Liberal Party of Canada. He became prime minister December 12, 2003, when Jean Chrétien stepped down. He won an election on June 28, 2004, because the Liberals won more seats than the other political parties; but they did not win a majority of the seats, so he led a minority government. There was another election on January 23, 2006; his party lost this election, so Stephen Harper became the next prime minister.

paragraphs: Martin was greatly respected, as a Finance Minister, around the world for his fiscal management, because of the growth in the economy and for taking the government out of deficit.

paragraphs: His tenure as Prime Minister is generally seen as a disaster by most Canadians.

paragraphs: Martin was born in Windsor, Ontario. His father was a member of the Canadian House of Commons for thirty-three years and was a part of the cabinet. Martin graduated from the University of Toronto in 1961 with a B.A. in history and philosophy and from the University of Toronto Law School in 1965. He married Sheila Martin in 1965.

paragraphs: He was elected to parliament from the riding of LaSalle-Émard in Montreal, Quebec in 1988. He was finance minister from 1993 until 2002. He became known for balancing the budget (ending government borrowing of money). In 2003, he was elected leader of the Liberal party, and was appointed prime minister one month later.

paragraphs: Mr. Martin's government made same-sex marriage legal. It also had problems with the Sponsorship scandal in 2004. In 2006, Parliament passed a vote of no confidence, which forced a national election to be held on January 23. The Liberals lost the election and Martin lost his position as prime minister. Soon afterwards, he resigned his position as leader of the Liberal Party.

paragraphs: After fourteen months in office, Paul Martin got the nickname "Mr. Dithers". He was called so by the magazine "The Economist". They say this is because he changed his opinion too often.


title: Machine gun

paragraphs: A machine gun is a weapon that can fire one bullet after another as long as the trigger is pulled and there are bullets ready to fire. This is called automatic fire. A more general name for this type of weapon is an automatic weapon. Machine guns fire bullets delivered from a long chain of cartridges called an ammunition ('ammo') "belt", or use spring-loaded boxes called "magazines". Machine guns are usually divided into heavy-duty machine guns, light machine guns, and sub-machine guns.

paragraphs: Heavy machine guns (HMG) are placed on the ground, supported on a tripod, or on a vehicle. The vehicle would have a support for the gun with a rotating base or turret. Heavy machine guns often need two men to operate it, one to assist with loading ammunition, and one to aim and fire. It always takes two or more men to carry one. Famous examples include the M2 Browning machine gun, the MG42, the M1919 Browning, the M134 minigun, the Type 92 heavy machine gun, and the Maxim gun.

paragraphs: Light machine guns (LMG) are usually carried and fired by one man. Despite the name, an LMG is almost always rested on a bipod or a tripod while firing since the gun is normally too heavy to fire while standing, although some LMGs such as the Bren LMG and the BAR are light enough to be fired without a bipod or tripod when a sling is worn around the user. Famous examples include the Bren, the BAR, the SAW M249, the M240, the RPD, the RPK, the PK, and the M-60.

paragraphs: Submachine guns (SMG) are lighter weapons which fire less powerful bullets (usually pistol bullets). They are much easier to conceal and carry than the heavier versions. Submachine guns have handles (stocks), and are carried by individual soldiers or police officers. Famous examples include the Uzi, the Heckler & Koch MP5, the Thompson (a.k.a. Tommy gun), the MAC-10, the PPSh, and the MP-40.

paragraphs: Assault rifles have automatic capabilities but they are not called machine guns. They are used mainly in semi-automatic fire, and also normally fire lighter bullets than machine guns.

paragraphs: Many heavy machine guns, such as the Browning M2 .50 caliber machine gun, are exact enough to hit distant targets. During the Vietnam War, Carlos Hathcock shot at 7382 ft (2250 m) using a .50 caliber heavy machine gun with a telescopic sight.


title: Robin Hood

paragraphs: Robin Hood is a folk hero from the Middle Ages in England. He is a legendary person whom people have told stories about for many years. Robin Hood is one who still remains popular. His story has been featured in books, plays, movies and cartoons as well.

paragraphs: There are many variations of his stories. Usually, Robin Hood is an outlaw who lives in Sherwood Forest near the town of Nottingham, England. His enemies are Prince John (who is temporarily on the throne because his brother, King Richard the Lionheart is away in the Middle East fighting in the Crusades), and the corrupt Sheriff of Nottingham, who abuse their powers and take money from the people who need it. Robin Hood uses his archery skills and his wits to steal the money back, and return it to the poor. Accompanying Robin are his faithful followers The Merry Men. They include Little John. Much the Millers son, Will Scarlet, Friar Tuck and Alan a Dale. Later stories also had a Maid Marian.

paragraphs: There have been many movies about Robin Hood, including "The Adventures of Robin Hood" starring Errol Flynn. In the 1970s, Disney made a movie where the characters were shown to be animals. Robin and his lover (Marian) are foxes.


title: Basketball

paragraphs: Basketball is a team sport where two teams, usually consisting of five players on each team, play against each other on a rectangular court. The objective is to get the ball through a hoop mounted high on a backboard on the opponent's side of the court, while preventing the opponent from shooting it into your team's hoop. It is a very popular sport worldwide, played with a round and usually orange(orange-brown) ball that bounces. Basketball players mainly use skills such as dribbling, shooting, running, and jumping. Each made basket is worth two points, while a basket made from beyond the three-point line is worth three points. If a player gets into too much physical contact, they may be given free throws which are worth one point each. The game typically lasts for four-quarters and the team with the most points at the end of the four-quarters win the game. If the score is tied at the end of the game, there will be something called overtime, which is additional play time to allow one team to win the match.

paragraphs: The game is played between men's teams or between women's teams. Basketball has been played in the Summer Olympic Games since 1936. The shot clock rule started in 1954. The first basketball game took place in 1892, where the court was half the size of what it is today.In 1891 the game was invented by James Naismith.

paragraphs: In early December 1891, James Naismith (1861–1939), a Canadian physical education teacher at Springfield College in Springfield, Massachusetts, invented an indoor game called basketball. He invented the sport to keep his students from becoming bored during the winter. Naismith wrote the basic rules and then nailed a peach basket onto a 20-foot tall pole. Unlike modern basketball hoops, the bottom of the peach-basket was still there, so after a point was scored, somebody had to get the ball out of the basket with a long stick. Over time, people made a hole at the bottom of the basket so the ball could go through more easily. The first game of basketball was played at the International Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA) in Springfield, Massachusetts. The score of the first game of basketball ever played was 1-0. There is a sculpture in Springfield, outside where the first game was held. The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is also in Springfield.

paragraphs: For that first game of basketball in 1891, Naismith used two half-bushel peach baskets as goals, which gave the sport its name. The students were enthusiastic. After much running and shooting, William R. Chase made a midcourt shot, which was the only score in that historic contest. Word spread about the newly invented game, and numerous associations wrote Naismith for a copy of the rules, which were published in the January 15, 1892, issue of the "Triangle", the YMCA Training School's campus paper.

paragraphs: Since the rules had not been formally written, there was no maximum number of players then, unlike today. This also meant that there were no set rules to the game; Naismith only observed how it was played and changed the rules accordingly.

paragraphs: The aim of basketball is to score more points than the other team, by making the ball in the basket. Players on one team try to stop players on the other team from scoring. Baskets can be worth 1, 2, or 3 points. Each normal score is worth two points; however, if a player throws the ball into the hoop from behind the large arched line on the court, called the "3-point line," the score is worth three points. You get points by "shooting" (throwing or dropping) the ball into the opponents' basket. The team with the most points at the end of the game wins.

paragraphs: The ball is moved forward by shooting, passing (throwing or handing off) or dribbling it. The ball may not be carried by a player who is walking or running without dribbling it. If this rule is violated, it is called a travel.

paragraphs: The court, where the game is played, is a rectangle, and at both end lines there is a goal called a "hoop" in the shape of a circle basket with the bottom cut out.

paragraphs: In each game of basketball these things are required:

paragraphs: Basketball is played with two teams, with 5 players from each team on the court at one time. The maximum number of players on the bench differs by the league. In international play, a maximum of 7 players is allowed on the bench, resulting in a roster of 12 players. The NBA has 13-player rosters; college and high school teams have 15-player rosters. When a player wants to substitute for another player on the court, they let the score bench know. The referees will signal for the player waiting to come into the court. The player that was in the game comes off the court and the player that was sitting on the bench goes inside the game. This is called a substitution. In regional matches, in some areas, a minimum of 3 players are required to be on the bench. In India, there might be leeway in the number depending on the category of the tournament you're playing in.

paragraphs: A game of basketball is made up of four different quarters, each ten (or in the National Basketball Association, 12) minutes long. In the NCAA, or National Collegiate Athletic Association, there are 2 20 minute halves. At the start of every game the referee throws the basketball up in the air, and one player from each team tries to hit it to their teammates, that is called a "jump ball."

paragraphs: At the start of each quarter the team who has the possession arrow pointing towards their hoop gets the ball. Then the arrow is switched, and the next team gets the ball next quarter.

paragraphs: After four-quarters, the team who scores the most points wins. If the two teams score the same number of points, there is a five-minute "overtime" to see who can score more points. "Overtime" can be played over and over until one team finally scores more points.

paragraphs: If a player does something illegal in the game, it is called a "foul." If a player fouls someone on the other team who is shooting the basketball, the player who was fouled gets to shoot "free throws" from the "foul line." A free throw is a shot that no one is allowed to try to block. A free throw is shot from the straight line in front of the hoop. Each successful free throw is worth one point.

paragraphs: If a player fouls an opponent who is not shooting, the other team gets the ball, and can throw it in bounds from the sideline. Players can do three things with the ball: "dribble" (bounce) the ball, "pass" the ball to a teammate, or "shoot" the ball at the hoop. The player with the ball tries to keep the ball and not let the other team get it.

paragraphs: The ball can't be kicked or hit with the fist. If this is violated, the other team gets possession of the ball and gets to throw it in from the nearest out of bounds area.

paragraphs: Once a player commits five fouls, he is no longer allowed to play in the game, and a player on the bench must go in the game immediately. If a team commits four fouls, the opposing team gets to shoot a free throw on any next foul that doesn't involve shooting. (Depending on the league).

paragraphs: In a game of basketball, there are a number of officials who are not from either team, who are there to help. Officials are important to the game, and help it run efficiently. Here is a list of some of these people:

paragraphs: Fans and media in North America will often use "referee" to describe all on-court officials, whether their formal titles are "referee", "umpire", or "crew chief".

paragraphs: There are some basketball terms that players have to understand when playing the game. Here are some terms:

paragraphs: In professional basketball teams, each player has a position. A position is a job or role that a player has to take part in to play the game. If everyone is doing their job correctly, the team is usually successful.

paragraphs: Other positions, more usual in professional basketball teams, are used in basketball.

paragraphs: There are many types of basketball. Some are for people with disabilities, others are played more by a specific group, some are played using only half the court, and some are for when there are fewer players.

paragraphs: This is the most popular "pick up game" variation of basketball. Pick up games are when teams are chosen on the court instead of having official teams. Due to there being no referee, this more casual game has more relaxed rules than official games. Instead of 5 players, there are only three players on each team, hence the name.

paragraphs: While the exact rules vary from place to place, there are several common rules typically found in most games, including:

paragraphs: There are officially sponsored 3 on 3 tournaments, though the game is mostly played without an official league.

paragraphs: Variations with 2 player and 4 player teams often follow this same format.

paragraphs: Twenty-one (21) is a variation of basketball that does not include teams. It is often played with odd-numbers of players or when there are too few players for 3 on 3 games.

paragraphs: The object of 21 is to score "exactly" 21 points. Players keep track of their own scores and call out their points after making a basket. All players play defense against all other players and compete for the rebound on a miss.

paragraphs: When a player makes a shot, he or she scores 2 points and is then awarded a chance to score an additional 3 points by attempting a series of free-throws. If a player makes a free-throw, he or she is awarded an additional point and an additional free-throw. If a player makes three straight free-throws they are then given the ball a the top of the key and the other players may then defend.

paragraphs: One special rule is that if a player gets 20 points and then misses a free-throw, or scores 17 points and then makes all three free-throws, their score is set back to 15. This is because their next basket would put them over 21 points, and the object of the game is to get exactly 21.

paragraphs: Due to there being no teams, there are a number of special rules to 21:

paragraphs: The game H-O-R-S-E, (pronounced horse) is played by two or more players. The player in control of the ball tries to make a shot however they want. The other layer has to repeat their shot. If they miss, they get an H added, until they get enough letters to finish the word horse and they lose. If the player who has the ball missed their shot, no letter is added and control moves to the next player.

paragraphs: In this variation, the players are all seated in a wheelchair. This is often played by people who cannot walk or are unable to play normal basketball. The rules are altered slightly, but the game follows the same general concepts.


title: Folk hero

paragraphs: A folk hero is a person, who may or may not have existed, and is famous and well liked by people, or people of a certain country. Usually it is someone who helped the common people or fought against the authorities, such as a bad king. People tells stories about folk heroes, most of their stories have been passed down orally, and changed to fit the situations. They usually have a special skill or trait of some sort (Paul Bunyan is very tall).


title: Seth Green

paragraphs: Seth Benjamin Green (born Seth Benjamin Gesshel-Green; February 8, 1974) is an American actor, comedian, and voice talent. He became famous in the late 1990s after appearing in many teen movies. His most notable roles include Scott Evil in the "Austin Powers" series of movies, Chris Griffin on the television series "Family Guy", Patrick Wisely in "", Dan Mott in "Without a Paddle" and Daniel "Oz" Osborne on the series "Buffy the Vampire Slayer", in which he is cast as Willow Rosenberg's werewolf boyfriend. Green is also the creator of Adult Swim's Robot Chicken.


title: Ashton Kutcher

paragraphs: Ashton Christopher Kutcher, is an American actor, producer, and former model. He became well known when he played Michael Kelso on "That '70s Show". In 2003, Kutcher produced and starred in his own series, "Punk'd", as the host.

paragraphs: In May 2011, Kutcher was announced as Charlie Sheen's replacement on the series "Two and a Half Men". Kutcher's contract was for one year and was believed to be worth nearly $20 million.

paragraphs: Kutcher was born in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. He is the son of Diane (née Finnegan), a Procter & Gamble employee, and Larry M. Kutcher, a factory worker. His father is of Bohemian (Czech) ancestry and his mother is of Irish, German, and Bohemian ancestry. Kutcher was raised in a conservative Roman Catholic family, Kutcher has a twin brother, Michael, who had a heart transplant when the brothers were young children. Kutcher's twin brother also has cerebral palsy.

paragraphs: In 2006, "People" magazine ranked him third in its yearly list of "The Sexiest Men Alive".

paragraphs: In 2003, Kutcher started a relationship with older actress Demi Moore. They married in 2005. The couple separated in 2011. The couple's divorce was finalized in November 2013. Kutcher has been in a relationship with Mila Kunis since April 2012. The couple became engaged in February 2014. Their daughter was born in September 2014.

paragraphs: Kutcher is in advertisements for Nikon cameras. In July 2011, Brazilian fashion label Colcci hired Kutcher and Alessandra Ambrosio to be in a denim advertisement.

paragraphs: On April 16, 2009, Kutcher became the first user of Twitter to have more than 1,000,000 followers.


title: Linus Torvalds

paragraphs: Linus Benedict Torvalds is a computer scientist, born December 28, 1969, in Helsinki, Finland.

paragraphs: His parents named him after Linus Pauling. He studied at the University of Helsinki from 1988 to 1996. He became famous because of the success of his operating system, Linux. He started making this system as a student project in 1991. He based it on the popular UNIX operating system. Today, Linux has become the most popular free operating system.

paragraphs: Linus is the leader of the Linux project, which has many members around the world. He is the one person who can make decisions about changes or future development on the operating system. He also made the revision control system Git. He now lives with his family in the United States.

paragraphs: Linus chose the penguin to be the logo of Linux. A picture of penguin appears on many desktop computers that run Linux.


title: Thomas Jefferson

paragraphs: Thomas Jefferson (April 13, 1743 – July 4, 1826) was the third President of the United States. He wrote the Declaration of Independence while others signed it and wrote the Statute of Religious Freedom.

paragraphs: He was also a planter with many slaves, though he often fought for their freedom.

paragraphs: Jefferson, the third of ten children, was born on April 13, 1743 in Shadwell, Virginia into a planter family. His parents were Peter and Jane Jefferson. He had six sisters and three brothers. At 9 years old, Thomas Jefferson began studying Latin, Greek, and French; he also learned to ride horses, with highest honors. He went on to become a lawyer.

paragraphs: In January 1772, Jefferson married Martha Wayles Skelton, with whom he had 6 children.

paragraphs: Jefferson wanted the Thirteen Colonies to be free from Great Britain. Jefferson quickly assumed a leadership rule among like-minded men of his generation. He was a member of the Second Continental Congress. He was chosen to be in the group of officials that wrote the Declaration of Independence and was its main writer.

paragraphs: He was minister to France from 1785–1789.

paragraphs: He was selected by George Washington as the first Secretary of State. Jefferson thought that the federal government should be small. He had the opposite view of Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton about the federal government. Together with James Madison in 1792, he founded a party to oppose Hamilton and the Federalist Party. This party was the Democratic-Republican Party. One fraction of the party became the modern-day Democratic Party.

paragraphs: Jefferson ran for president against John Adams. He got the second highest number of votes and, as was the law at the time, became vice-president.

paragraphs: Jefferson ran again as the Democratic-Republican candidate in 1800 and got a victory. He was elected again in 1804. Jefferson made the Louisiana Purchase, which doubled the size of the United States.

paragraphs: He sent the Lewis and Clark Expedition to explore the land the United States got by the Louisiana Purchase. Jefferson had to deal with the threat of war during his second term. Great Britain and France were at war for almost all of his time as president. Each side did things that could have made the United States enter the war. Jefferson worked hard to keep the United States out of the war and not be a part of it.

paragraphs: Jefferson passed the Embargo Act of 1807, which made it illegal for the United States to trade with other countries. This upheld his isolationist policy, or separation from the rest of the world.

paragraphs: Jefferson started the University of Virginia.

paragraphs: The British burned Washington D.C. (or the Capitol building, as it was known,) during the War of 1812. When they did, many books in the Library of Congress were burned. Jefferson sold his own personal library to replace the lost books.

paragraphs: He died on July 4, 1826 from pneumonia complicated by uremia, on the 50th anniversary of the day the Declaration of Independence became valid. John Adams died on the same day. Jefferson is considered one of the greatest U.S. presidents.

paragraphs: There is a Thomas Jefferson Memorial near the National Mall in Washington, D.C. Jefferson is one of the four presidents on Mount Rushmore in South Dakota. Also, visitors can visit his home at the Monticello near Charlottesville, Virginia.


title: Tahiti

paragraphs: Tahiti is an island in the southern Pacific Ocean. It is part of the French Polynesia. Papeete is the capital and largest city. Other major cities are Faaa and Mahina. About 169 674 people live there (2002). The languages that are spoken in Tahiti are French and Tahitian which are both official. In Tahiti (in the Society group) – was claimed by the French in 1768. The Faaa International Airport is the main way of transportation on the island. Air Tahiti Nui is the main plane of the airport which flies to Los Angeles and Paris. Other planes fly to Hawaii, Japan, and other islands in the Pacific Ocean. Air Tahiti flies to other islands in French Polynesia such as Bora Bora.Coconut trees grow along the coast of Tahiti.


title: Geneva (canton)

paragraphs: Geneva is a canton in Switzerland. The capital of the canton is Geneva City.

paragraphs: The French name is "Genève", The German name is "Genf", in Italian it is "Ginevra".

paragraphs: Geneva is the seat of many institutions of the United Nations. It has about 186.000 inhabitants and a very old university. About 960.000 people live in the urban area. Some of the urban area is in France. Only Zürich has more inhabitants in Switzerland.

paragraphs: In 1815, the city-state of Geneva became a part of Switzerland. It had at one time been the capital of the Kingdom of Burgundy.

paragraphs: The first traces of human civilization in Geneva, discovered on the shores of Lake Geneva , date from around 3000 BC. The hill of the Old City, however, was not inhabited until 1000 BC. Later, when Rome conquered Geneva, it was defended by a small Celtic tribe. In 58 BC, Julius Caesar drove off an attack by the Helvetii. At the height of the Roman Empire, around 400 AD, Geneva was granted its own bishop.

paragraphs: Geneva does not have any districts. There are 45 municipalities in the canton:


title: H. John Heinz III

paragraphs: Henry John Heinz III (October 23, 1938 – April 4, 1991) was an American politician from Pennsylvania and the great-grandson of the founder of H. J. Heinz Company. He was a member of the United States House of Representatives from 1971 to 1977 and was a US senator from 1977-1991. He was killed in a plane crash in 1991.

paragraphs: Heinz married Teresa Simões-Ferreira on February 5, 1966 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The couple had three sons together: H. John Heinz IV, André, and Christopher.

paragraphs: A number of places are named after Heinz, including:


title: The Tempest

paragraphs: The Tempest is one of William Shakespeare's last comedies. It tells the story of a wizard who drives a ship to the island he lives on, in order to undo something that happened to him in the past. Unlike most of Shakespeare's plays, it does not appear to be based off an earlier story.

paragraphs: The play is set on an island where a magician called Prospero lives with his daughter Miranda. The only company is Ariel, a spirit that Prospero rescued, and Caliban, a monster that Prospero has enslaved. Prospero conjures a storm that drives a ship to the island. Prospero explains to Miranda that there are men on board the ship who have done wrong against him. He used to be the Duke of Milan but was overthrown by his brother Antonio, with the help of Alonso, the King of Naples. Prospero and Miranda were cast out to sea in a boat, which took them to the island. Miranda was only a baby at the time, and can only remember living on the island.

paragraphs: The passengers of the ship escape onto the island and are separated into groups. Alonso and his son Ferdinand both think each other is dead. Alonso is left with his brother Sebastian, Antonio and his kindly advisor Gonzalo. Ferdinand meets Miranda and falls in love. Prospero tests Ferdinand to see if he is worthy enough for his daughter, and decides that he is. Antonio and Sebastian plot to kill Alonso and Gonzalo, but are stopped by Ariel. Meanwhile, Caliban meets two servants, Trinculo and Stephano. He persuades them to overthrow Prospero so that they can rule the island. Prospero stops them by summoning goblins and hounds to chase them away.

paragraphs: Ariel transforms into a fearsome bird-like creature and confronts Antonio, Alonso and Sebastian, telling them they should be sorry for overthrowing Prospero. They flee and eventually find Prospero. He announces that he will forgive everyone who plotted against him (including Caliban), give up magic and return to Milan. They react in different ways; Alonso is sorry for what he has done, while Antonio thinks the forgiveness is "unnatural". It is revealed that the ship and all the passengers survived the "shipwreck". Prospero sets Ariel free, and he and Miranda join everyone else in heading off back to Italy.

paragraphs: The 1956 science fiction film "Forbidden Planet" set the story on a planet in space, Altair IV, instead of an island.

paragraphs: Professor Morbius (Walter Pidgeon) and his daughter Altaira (Anne Francis) are the Prospero and Miranda figures (both Prospero and Morbius having harnessed the mighty forces that inhabit their new homes). Ariel is represented by the helpful Robbie the Robot, while Sycorax is replaced with the powerful race of the Krell. Caliban is represented by the dangerous and invisible "monster from the id", a projection of Morbius' psyche born from the Krell technology instead of Sycorax's womb.


title: Calendar

paragraphs: A calendar is a tool for organizing days. People use calendars to say when something happened, and for planning things that have not happened yet. The calendar gives the days names and numbers, called calendar dates. The "dates" are usually made based on how things in the sky seem to move. The year and month are based on motions of the Sun and moon. By knowing what day something happened or will happen, people have an easier life. Since the beginning of history, knowing when the seasons would start for crops was very important for farmers and people who eat.

paragraphs: Calendar systems have a beginning time or era. The calendar era is often a religion-based event, such as the birth of Jesus, but it may be a political event such as a coronation or the founding of a state. Dates that are counted from the coronation are called "regnal".

paragraphs: The three principal calendars most used today are the Gregorian, Hebrew, and Islamic calendars. Other calendar systems from many different parts of the world are also used.

paragraphs: Calendars are based on three natural things:

paragraphs: The Earth turns all the way around its axis about 24 hours. It is called the Solar Day. Days of most calendars are strongly based on the Solar Day.

paragraphs: The Moon turns all the way around the Earth about 29 days, 12 hours, 44 minutes and 2 seconds. Months of some calendars are still strongly based on the Moon. These are called Lunar calendars, which lasts about 354-355 days. Solar calendars ignore the moon, and depend entirely on the Sun.

paragraphs: The Earth goes all the way around the Sun in about 365 days, 5 hours, 48 minutes and 46 seconds. This is called the Tropical Year. Years of most calendars are strongly based on the Tropical Year.


title: Randall Cobb

paragraphs: Randall "Tex" Cobb (born 1950) was an American boxer from Texas. He fought champion boxer Larry Holmes for the WBC World Heavyweight title at Houston's Astrodome on November 26, 1982. Holmes beat Cobb, winning all 15 rounds on two scorecards, and fourteen out of fifteen on the third (scores of 150-135 twice and 149-136). This fight surprised sportscaster Howard Cosell so much that he said that he would never cover another fight. After this many sportsfans all over the world wrote to Cobb and thanked him for trying. Cobb was a fighter who had hitting power, as shown by his eighth-round knockout win over Earnie Shavers. He was never knocked out. Cobb briefly became a kickboxer and then a Hollywood actor. He has played "bad guys" in movies like "The Naked Gun" and "Raising Arizona".

paragraphs: Cobb also fought Michael Dokes twice during his boxing career, losing both fights.


title: Aquilino Pimentel Jr.

paragraphs: Aquilino Quilinging Pimentel Jr. (December 11, 1933 – October 20, 2019), also known as Nene, was a politician in the Philippines.

paragraphs: He was first elected as a delegate to the 1971 Constitutional Convention. He then went into exile when President Ferdinand Marcos declared martial law. He came back in 1980 and was elected as mayor of Cagayan de Oro City in Misamis Oriental. He was removed as mayor 1982. He returned as mayor again in 1984. He was elected as an Assemblyman in the Batasang Pambansa (National Assembly), serving from 1984 to 1986.

paragraphs: After the EDSA Revolution, President Corazon Aquino appointed him as Minister of Local Government and Presidential adviser/chief negotiator with the Muslim insurgents in Mindanao. He then was elected Senator (1987–1992). As senator, he wrote the Local Government Code. He tried to become Vice President in 1992. He ran under the Liberal Party with Jovito Salonga running for President. He finished fifth among the vice presidential candidates with 9.9% of the vote.

paragraphs: In 1995, He ran for another term as senator but lost. Cheating was suspected in that election. He took the case to the Supreme Court. He won the suit in 2004. In 1998, he ran again for another term in the Senate of the Philippines, from 1998 to 2004 and won. He was also elected as the 19th President of the Senate. He served as president from 2000 to 2001. He finally left the Senate on June 30, 2010.

paragraphs: As chair of the Blue Ribbon Committee, Pimentel recommended the prosecution of top government officials of previous administrations in relation to the Expo Pilipino centennial scam and the misuse of the funds of the Retirement and Separation Benefits Systems of the Armed Forces. He also recommended the prosecution of certain people working for the Land Registration Administration for involvement in making false land titles. His committee also conducted series of investigations into the jueteng scandal.

paragraphs: As Chair of the Committee on Local Government, he has supported far-reaching amendments to strengthen the role of local government units (LGUs) in national development. He also got senate approval to return the police to the supervision of LGUs and has wrote a law to fix the date for elections of ARMM officials.

paragraphs: He was the president and founder of the PDP-Laban party.

paragraphs: Pimentel Jr. died on October 20, 2019 in Manila of pneumonia caused by lymphoma at the age of 85.


title: Pat Robertson

paragraphs: Pat Robertson (born March 22, 1930) is an American evangelist and host of the 700 Club, a Christian news and talk show on television. He ran for President in 1988 against George H.W. Bush, but did not win the primaries. He has said several times that natural disasters, such as Hurricane Katrina and the 2010 Haiti earthquake, were punishments from God.