title: Ida Rubinstein

paragraphs: Ida Lvovna Rubinstein 5 October 1885 – 20 September 1960) was a Russian ballerina, actress, personality and patron.

paragraphs: Rubinstein was born in Kharkov, or possibly St. Petersburg, into a wealthy Jewish family. She was orphaned at an early age. She had, by the standard of Russian ballet, little formal training. Tutored by Mikhail Fokine, she made her debut in 1908. This was a single private performance of Oscar Wilde's "Salomé", in which she stripped nude in the course of the "Dance of the Seven Veils".

paragraphs: Sergei Diaghilev took her with the Ballets Russes and she danced the title role of "Cléopâtre" in the Paris season of 1909, and Zobéide in "Scheherazade" in 1910. Both ballets were choreographed by Fokine, and designed by Leon Bakst. Her partner in "Scherazade" was Nijinsky. "Scherezade" was admired at the time for its racy sensuality, costumes and design. Its music is by Rimsky-Korsakov. For a long time the ballet was rarely performed. It is in the repertoire of the Mariinsky Ballet at present, and was performed by them in London 2011. Rubinstein left the Ballets Russes in 1911.

paragraphs: Bisexual, in 1911 Rubinstein began a three-year affair with the painter Romaine Brooks, who created a striking portrait. She used the dancer as a nude model for Venus.

paragraphs: After leaving the Ballets Russes, Rubinstein formed her own dance company. She had inherited money, and she used it to commission several lavish productions. In 1911 she performed in "Le Martyre de Saint Sebastien". The creative team was Fokine (choreography); Bakst (design); and score by Debussy. This was a triumph for its stylized modernism, and a scandal. The Archbishop of Paris prohibited Catholics from attending because St. Sebastian was being played by a woman and a Jew.

paragraphs: In the 1920s and 30s, Rubinstein appeared in a number of plays, and in Staat's "Istar" at the Paris Opera in 1924. Between 1928 and 1929, she directed her own company in Paris with Nijinska as choreographer. She commissioned and performed in Maurice Ravel's "Boléro" in 1928. Other works developed in 1928 were Massine's "David", with music by Sauguet; and "Le Baiser de la fée", with music by Stravinsky, and choreography by Nijinska. The repertoire also included The Firebird ("L'Oiseau de Feu") with music by Stravinsky, and choreography by Fokine; this had been one of the most sensational creations for the Ballets Russes. Her company was revived in 1931 and 1934, with new works. She closed the company in 1935, and gave her last performance in the play "Jeanne d'Arc au bûcher" in Paris, 1939.

paragraphs: Rubinstein often staged free ballet events and continued to dance until the start of the Second World War.

paragraphs: Rubinstein was not a front-rank ballerina; she began her training too late for that. She did have tremendous 'stage presence' and was able to act. She was also a significant patron, and commissioned works that suited her, works that mixed dance with drama and stagecraft. In 1934 the French government awarded her the Légion d'honneur, and then in 1939 the Grand Cross of the order, their highest honour. In 1935 she was awarded honorary French citizenship, and in 1936 she converted to Roman Catholicism.

paragraphs: In 1940 she left France and made her way to England via Algeria and Morocco. There she helped wounded Free French soldiers until 1944. She returned to France after the war. She lived finally at "Les Olivades" at Vence, where she died in 1960. She is buried nearby.


title: Richard Tsien

paragraphs: Richard Winyu Tsien (born 3 March 1945) is a noted American neurobiologist (or neuroscientist). Tsien has received many honours and awards.

paragraphs: Richard Tsien was born in Tating, Kweichow, China. He is the eldest of three brothers. Tsien's youngest brother Roger Y. Tsien, a cell biologist, won the 2008 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. He is a descendant of the King Wuyue Tsien Liu. He is the son of Hsue-Chu Tsien, a famous aeronautical mechanic who became the chief engineer for Boeing.

paragraphs: Soon after his birth, Tsien's family moved to the United States. Tsien received BS in 1965 and MS in 1966 both in electrical engineering and both from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Tsien then won the Rhodes Scholarship and studied in the United Kingdom at Wadham College, Oxford from 1966 to 1969. Tsien obtained PhD in biophysics from Oxford in 1970.

paragraphs: From 1968 to 1970, Tsien was a Weir Junior Research Fellow at University College, Oxford. From 1969 to 1970, Tsien was a teaching fellow at Balliol College, Oxford.

paragraphs: In 1970, Tsien went back to the United States, became an assistant professor in the Department of Physiology at Yale University School of Medicine from 1970 to 1974. From 1974 to 1979, Tsien was an associate professor in the same department, and promoted to full professor in 1979 until 1988.

paragraphs: In 1988, Tsien went to Stanford and founded the Stanford University Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, where he also served the first chairman. From 1991 to 2001, Tsien was the Director Silvio Conte - National Institutes of Mental Health Center for Neuroscience Research. Since 1988, Tsien has been the George D. Smith Professor of Stanford Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology. And since 2000, Tsien has been the Co-Director for the Stanford Brain Research Centre.

paragraphs: Tsien did important work on calcium channels, their mechanisms and roles in cell signaling pathways. Tsien's research also helps us understand the long-term plasticity of synapses.

paragraphs: From 1987 to 1988, Tsien was the President of the Society of General Physiologists. In August 2000, Tsien also served the Section Chair of Neurobiology of the United States National Academy of Sciences.


title: Contemporary R&B

paragraphs: Contemporary R&B is a music genre of R&B. It mixes rhythm and blues, soul, funk, pop, hip hop, electronic and dance. Contemporary R&B is currently a dominant music genre for the Top 40 radios. Artists of this type of music includes, Beyoncé, Michael Jackson, Mariah Carey, Stevie Wonder, and Whitney Houston. Contemporary R&B became a popular music genre after the disco era in the 1980s. Contemporary R&B is an African American type of music, however, there has been other artists who are not African American that record contemporary R&B.


title: Guy du Merle

paragraphs: Guy du Merle was a French aerospace engineer, pilot and writer. He was the first head of the French Civil Aviation University.

paragraphs: Du Merle graduated from the "École Polytechnique" (1927) and the "École nationale supérieure de l'aéronautique et de l'espace" (1932). He began his career as a military pilot, from 1933 to 1935, on more than hundred types of aircraft. From 1940 to 1950, he taught aerospace engineering at the "École nationale supérieure de l'aéronautique et de l'espace". In 1948, he became the first director of the French Civil Aviation University, until 1951.

paragraphs: A roundabout of the city of Toulouse bears his name.


title: Trey Lorenz

paragraphs: Trey Lorenz (born Lloyd Lorenz Smith; January 19, 1969) is an American singer and songwriter. He has been a backing vocalist for Mariah Carey and Selena. His 1992 single "Someone to Hold", reached number 19 on the US "Billboard" Hot 100, number five on the Hot R&B/Hip Hop Songs and number 65 on the UK Singles Chart.


title: Gordian knot

paragraphs: The Gordian Knot is a legend of associated with Alexander the Great. It is often used as a metaphor for a problem which has no easy or obvious solution.

paragraphs: In Phrygia (modern Turkey), there was a legendary prophesy about a unique knot which could only be loosened by the man who would rule all of Asia. It was called the "Gordian" knot because it was preserved in Gordium. It supposed to have been created by a man named Gordius.

paragraphs: The knot was complex and tangled. This mythical knot was tied around the part of a wooden cart or wagon.

paragraphs: According to traditional version of the story, Alexander the Great cut the knot with his sword.

paragraphs: In another version of the story, Alexander took away the wooden part which was at the center of the knot; and in this way, the knot was undone.

paragraphs: Alexander solved the problem in a way no one had expected. Then he went on to lead Greek armies which conquered much of the known world.

paragraphs: Today the phrase implies "make it happen" or "get things done".

paragraphs: "Cutting the Gordian knot" has come to mean resolving a difficult problem with one forceful action.

paragraphs: It may mean a problem that has no solution.


title: Top 40

paragraphs: The Top 40 is a radio format that measures the top forty songs in any music genre. The Top 40 became a dominant radio format in the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s.


paragraphs: The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) is a not-for-profit performance rights organisation. The ASCAP protects its members' musical copyrights. They do this by monitoring public performances of their music. In 2012, ASCAP collected over US$941 million in licensing fees, and gave out $829 million in royalties to its members. In the United States, ASCAP competes with two other PROs — Broadcast Music Incorporated (BMI) and the Society of European Stage Authors and Composers (SESAC).


title: Sudden infant death syndrome

paragraphs: Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) is the sudden and unexpected death of a human baby which is unexplained even after an autopsy and investigation. SIDS is sometimes referred to as cot death or crib death.

paragraphs: The name is only applied to cases where the baby is less than one year old. By definition, SIDS deaths occur under the age of one year. Most happen when the infant is 2 to 4 months of age. This is a critical period because the infant's ability to arouse from sleep is not yet mature. SIDS is defined as a syndrome.

paragraphs: Babies are at the highest risk for SIDS during their sleep. Male infants die more often than female infants; about 60% of the cases are male infants. Infants also die more often during winter months.

paragraphs: The reason for SIDS are unknown, but there are different theories:

paragraphs: Infanticide and child abuse cases may be misdiagnosed as SIDS due to lack of evidence. and caretakers of infants with SIDS are sometimes falsely accused. Accidental suffocations are also sometimes misdiagnosed as SIDS and "vice versa". Grief support for families affected by SIDS is particularly important. The death of the infant is typically sudden, without witnesses, and requires an investigation.

paragraphs: A broader term, “sudden and unexpected infant death” (SUID) is used to describe "all such deaths, regardless of cause". Cases of SUID that remain unexplained after a complete autopsy and review of the circumstances of death and clinical history are classified as SIDS. Thus, SIDS is one of the causes of SUID and accounts for 80% of such deaths.

paragraphs: Nobody knows what causes SIDS. However, there are some known risk factors for SIDS.

paragraphs: Not every infant who has one of these risk factors dies from SIDS. Risk factors just make it more likely for a baby to have SIDS.

paragraphs: SIDS happens more in infants of mothers who smoke while they are pregnant. The higher the levels of nicotine in the infant's blood, the higher the risk of SIDS. Nicotine causes important changes in the way a fetus develops during pregnancy, which have been linked to SIDS as well as miscarriages.

paragraphs: Infants who are put to sleep on their stomachs or sides are more likely to die of SIDS. This risk is highest in infants who are two to three months old. The "Back to Sleep" movement has encouraged parents to put their infants to sleep on their backs to prevent SIDS.

paragraphs: Other things that increase the risk for SIDS while an infant is sleeping include:

paragraphs: Some researchers think these things can make it difficult for infants to control their body temperature, making them unable to control their breathing.

paragraphs: Infants are more likely to die of SIDS if they share a bed with parents or older children. This risk is highest:

paragraphs: The American Academy of Pediatrics says that if parents share a room with an infant without sharing a bed, they can cut their infant's risk of SIDS in half.

paragraphs: Infants who are breastfed are less likely to die of SIDS. The more an infant has been breastfed, the less likely they are to die of SIDS.

paragraphs: SIDS is less likely to happen in infants of older mothers. Infants of teenage mothers are at the highest risk.

paragraphs: An infant is also at a higher risk of SIDS if:

paragraphs: SIDS only happens at certain ages. The risk of SIDS is highest in infants from two to four months old. After the infant reaches one year old, the risk decreases and eventually reaches zero.

paragraphs: Genetics affect the risk of SIDS. Baby boys have about a 50% higher risk of SIDS than baby girls. Scientists think this might be because of an allele that exists on the X chromosome. They think this allele helps protect against episodes where the brain does not get enough oxygen (transient cerebral anoxia). Baby boys would be more likely to be missing this allele.

paragraphs: Scientists think that about 10 to 20% of SIDS cases are caused by inherited defects in the ion channels that help the heart squeeze out blood.

paragraphs: The risk of SIDS seems to be affected by things like how much education an infant's mother got, race, ethnicity, and poverty.

paragraphs: Vaccinations do not increase the risk of SIDS. Most studies have shown that getting vaccinations cuts an infant's risk of a SIDS death in half.

paragraphs: SIDS may be more common in babies with "Staphylococcus aureus" or "Escherichia coli" ("E. coli") infections, but scientists are not sure.

paragraphs: Putting infants to sleep on their backs can help prevent SIDS. The number of SIDS deaths has fallen in countries where this is commonly done. Also, if parents share a room with their infant but do not share a bed, they can cut their baby's risk of SIDS in half.

paragraphs: Parents can help prevent SIDS by not using pillows, very soft mattresses, stuffed animals, or fluffy blankets in their infant's crib. Dressing the infant warmly and keeping the crib "naked" lowers the risk of SIDS.

paragraphs: If an infant has a blanket in the crib, they should be covered only up to their chest, with their arms left outside the blanket. This makes it harder for the infant to move the blanket over their head, which could cause breathing problems.

paragraphs: In colder places where infants need help staying warm, the American Academy of Pediatrics suggests using a "sleep sack." This is like a sleeping bag for a baby, but with holes for the baby's arms and head. The bag is closed around the baby with a zipper. This helps keep the baby warm without covering their head. Sleep sacks are especially helpful for babies with low birth weight, who have more trouble keeping themselves warm.

paragraphs: Many studies have shown that vaccines normally given to infants help prevent SIDS. For example, one very large research study showed that giving infants vaccines for diptheria, tetanus, and pertussis helps prevent SIDS.

paragraphs: Getting normal infant vaccines cuts infants' risk of SIDS in half, according to many studies.


title: TLC (group)

paragraphs: TLC is an American girl group. It originally had three members, but it now there are two. TLC was one of the first R&B and hip hop stars of the 1990s. They formed the band in Atlanta, Georgia in 1991. TLC (an acronym for "T-Boz, Left Eye and Chilli") consisted of Tionne "T-Boz" Watkins, Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes (1971-2002) and Rozonda "Chilli" Thomas. Lisa Pebbles, was the band manager.

paragraphs: TLC's debut album "Ooooooohhh... On the TLC Tip" (1992) sold 4,000,000 copies in the United States. It released four singles "Ain't 2 Proud 2 Beg", "What About Your Friends", "Hat 2 Da Back", and "Baby, Baby, Baby". In 1994, band member Lopes had set her boyfriend, Andre Rison's, house on fire. After she was released from rehab, she was put on probation. That same year, "CrazySexyCool" was released. It became their breakthrough release. It sold 11,000,000 copies in the United States and was certified 8x Platinum in Canada, Platinum in United Kingdom and 1x Diamond in the United States. "Rolling Stone" magazine ranked the album #377 of the "500 greatest albums of all time" list. The singles "Red Light Special", "Waterfalls", "Creep" and "Diggin' on You" all entered the "Billboard" Hot 100 chart.

paragraphs: TLC filed for bankruptcy in 1995, despite their success of "CrazySexyCool". The band had owe too much money to their manager Pebbles. The albums sales were not enough to pay her back. TLC filed for a lawyer and was able to terminate the record deal signed with Pebbles. Because of the label and producer trouble, and health problems (Watkins' struggled with sickle cell anemia), postponed any developments for their next album.

paragraphs: "Fanmail" was released in 1999. The album became a hit record. The singles "No Scrubs", "Unpretty", and "Silly Ho" helped the album to reach #1 on the "Billboard" 200 pop chart. The album's fourth single "Dear Lie" was not successful. The album was given positive feedback from music critics. The band began arguing with each other because of Lopes, who continued to be on tabloid magazines. Watkins married Mack 10, a rapper. However, her health problems were helping her to not be near recording studios. Lopes had begun a solo career. In 2002, Lopes was killed during a car accident in Honduras. The remainder of the group announced that they continue recording their fourth album. Lopes had recorded a few verses before she was killed.

paragraphs: The album, "3D" was released later that year. The single "Girl Talk" was a tribute to Lopes. The other single "Hands Up" was not successful. The album's third single "Damaged" was more successful and was on the Hot 100 until 2003. In 2004, the reality television show "R U The Girl?" aired on FOX. The show was about searching for great African American singers. The show had over 4,000,000 average viewers. O'so Krispie from Atlanta was chosen as the winner. TLC later said that they never wanted to replace Lopes and disbanded the group.

paragraphs: In July 2013 TLC signed a new record contract. TLC will start a tour in 2014.


title: Ali-Ollie Woodson

paragraphs: Ali-Ollie Woodson (September 12, 1951 – May 30, 2010) was an American R&B singer, songwriter, keyboardist and actor. He was known for singing with The Temptations, starting in 1984. He has also worked with Aretha Franklin and Bill Pinkney. Woodson was diagnosed with throat cancer. He died in southern California after battling with leukemia for 18 months.


title: My Heart Will Go On

paragraphs: "My Heart Will Go On" is a hit song by Canadian singer Celine Dion. It was in the movie "Titanic". Its music was composed by James Horner. The lyrics were written by Will Jennings. The song won the Academy Award for Best Original Song.

paragraphs: The song reached number one in over 10 countries. It became Dion's signature song. It helped her become a popular singer. It was one of the best selling singles worldwide. It was the best-selling single of 1998.

paragraphs: Australian/Brazilian/European/UK/Korean CD maxi single

paragraphs: European CD maxi single #2 / UK 12" single


title: Tokio Hot 100

paragraphs: , also known as McDonald's Tokio Hot 100, is the official music chart program of J-Wave. It is also the flagship program of the Japan FM League's Hot 100 music chart series. It ranks the most popular 100 songs every week. It is published on "Billboard" magazine.


title: Helmet (band)

paragraphs: Helmet is an alternative metal band from New York. The band was formed in 1989 by vocalist and lead guitarist Page Hamilton, who is their only constant member.

paragraphs: Helmet became popular when they released their 1992 major-label debut "Meantime", which peaked at number 68 on the "Billboard" 200 and featured their best known songs "Unsung" and "In the Meantime". "Meantime" is also Helmet's only album to go gold in the United States. They made two more albums before breaking up in 1998. However, Helmet reformed in 2004 and released a new album later that year. The album was called "Size Matters" and was their last release on their longtime label Interscope Records. Helmet was briefly signed to Warcon Records, who released their next album "Monochrome" in 2006, but today, they are signed to Work Song Records. That label released their latest album "Seeing Eye Dog" in 2010.

paragraphs: So far, Helmet has released seven full-length studio albums, which include:


title: Kyuss

paragraphs: Kyuss is an American rock band from Palm Desert, California. They started in 1987 as Katzenjammer, became Sons of Kyuss in 1989 and then changed their name to Kyuss in 1991. The band now performs as Vista Chino.

paragraphs: Kyuss was considered guitarist Josh Homme's band before their 1995 breakup.

paragraphs: The band was formed in 1987 and its first name was "Katzenjammer" (A German slang word for "hangover") but changed this to Sons of Kyuss in 1989 and recorded an EP. This EP is the only release by the band that features bass player Chris Cockrell.

paragraphs: After Chris Cockrell left, Nick Oliveri (who played guitar in the band when they were called "Katzenjammer") replaced him and the band shortened their name to "Kyuss".

paragraphs: After performing shows in the Palm Desert area and gaining fans, the band signed to Dali records and released their first album "Wretch" in 1991. The band were unhappy with the album, as it didn't sound the way they wanted it to, because it wasn't produced properly and not enough money was spent on making it.

paragraphs: In 1992, the band hired a new producer who would be more capable to making their next album sound how the band wanted it to. This next album was called Blues For The Red Sun. It was more successful than Wretch and is considered their best album. However, bassist Nick Oliveri left after the band finished recording the album, and Scott Reeder became his replacement.

paragraphs: When Dali Records had problems with money, the band signed to Elektra (a bigger label) and recorded another album. The album is supposed to be called "Kyuss" but fans call it "Welcome To Sky Valley" because of the sign on the front cover. Like Blues For The Red Sun, the album was successful, although it took over a year for the album to be brought out due to the band changing record labels. Drummer Brant Bjork left shortly after it was recorded as well, and was replaced with Alfredo Hernandez.

paragraphs: In 1995, the band released the last album of their initial run, called ...And The Circus Leaves Town. The album wasn't quite as successful as the previous two and fans and critics had mixed opinions of it. After the band broke up later that year, people started to respect the album more.

paragraphs: For several years after the breakup, people wondered if the band would ever reform. Guitar player Josh Homme (who had formed a band called Queens Of The Stone Age since the breakup) was unhappy with the idea of it, believing it would be wrong after a "great history" they had between 1987-1995. However, bass player Scott Reeder believed the other members of the band would be happy to reunite.

paragraphs: Eventually, in 2010, A Kyuss reunion had begun. However, Josh Homme still didn't agree with a reunion, so guitar player Bruno Fevery replaced him, playing with singer John Garcia, bass player Nick Oliveri, and drummer Brank Bjork as "Kyuss Lives!". John Garcia decided to go with this name as he believes there is not a "Kyuss" without Josh Homme.

paragraphs: Because of a lawsuit filed by Homme, Kyuss Lives! changed their name to Vista Chino. Nick Oliveri has since left again to be replaced by Billy Cordell. Vista Chino released their debut album "Peace" in September 2013.

paragraphs: So far, the band has released five full-length studio albums, all released as Kyuss unless otherwise noted. They are:


title: Spock

paragraphs: Spock is a character in "Star Trek". He is often called Mr. Spock by others. He has been played by Leonard Nimoy and by Zachary Quinto. Jacob Kogan played Spock when he was a child in the 2009 movie "Star Trek". Spock is half Vulcan and half human.

paragraphs: Spock first appeared in "" and he was in many of the Star Trek movies. He also appeared in two episodes of "".

paragraphs: Spock's signature gesture was the Vulcan salute.


title: Anting

paragraphs: Anting is a behavior in which birds rub insects (usually ants) on their feathers. This releases liquids with chemicals such as formic acid onto the bird's feathers. Instead of ants, birds can also use millipedes. Over 200 species of bird have been known to ant.

paragraphs: We do not know why birds ant. Birds may ant because the chemicals released by the insects kill parasites on their feathers. Another reason is that it releases the chemicals the ants make onto the bird's feathers. The bird can then eat the ant without being hurt by the chemicals.

paragraphs: There are two forms of anting: active anting and passive acting. Active anting is when a bird picks up ants in its bill and wipes them on its feathers. Passive anting is when the bird lies down in a group of ants and opens up its wings so that the ants will crawl up into its feathers.


title: Bug spray

paragraphs: Bug spray is a chemical in a spray can that is used for killing bugs or keeping them away.

paragraphs: Some bug sprays are sprayed at the bug to kill it. Other bug sprays are sprayed around a house or picnic area. Bugs that come too close to this kind of bug spray will usually die.

paragraphs: Bug repellent is never sprayed at a bug. Bug repellents can be used to keep bugs from coming into a house or picnic area. Some kinds of sunscreen have bug repellent that keeps mosquitos away. Some bug repellents are spread over the skin of a person.


title: Epigynum

paragraphs: Epigynum (plural epigyna) is the sex organ on a female spider. It is found on the underside of her abdomen. A male spider covers its pedipalps in sperm and puts them inside the female spider's epigynum.


title: Fang

paragraphs: A fang is a sharp tooth used for catching prey found on many animals, such as wolves and spiders. Spiders, tarantulas, and venomous snakes have hollow fangs. Venom glands fill these hollow fangs with venom so that when these animals catch their prey with their fangs, they paralyze the prey to make it easier to eat. The fangs on a snake can be folded under the skin like a cat's claws. Spider and tarantula fangs are found outside of their mouth instead of inside it.


title: Woke Up This Morning

paragraphs: "Woke Up This Morning" is a song by Alabama 3 (also known as A3) from their 1997 album "Exile on Coldharbour Lane". The song is best known as the opening theme music for the HBO drama series "The Sopranos" which used the "Chosen One Mix".

paragraphs: There are two versions of the song, the mix "The Sopranos" used and the original.


title: Crafoord Prize

paragraphs: The Crafoord Prize is an annual science prize established in 1980 by Holger and Anna-Greta Crafoord. It is administered by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences.

paragraphs: The prize is for "international basic research in the disciplines Astronomy, Mathematics, Geosciences, and Biosciences, with particular emphasis on ecology, and rheumatoid arthritis" (the disease from which Holger severely suffered in his last years). According to the Academy, "these disciplines are chosen so as to complement those for which the Nobel Prizes are awarded."

paragraphs: Only one award is given each year, according to a rotating scheme – astronomy and mathematics; then geosciences; then biosciences. A Crafoord Prize is only awarded for arthritis when a committee decides that substantial progress in the field has been made. On Crafoord Day in April, the prize is presented by the King of Sweden, who also presents the Nobel Prize Awards at the ceremony in December. The prize is to fund further research by the prize winner. In 2012 it is US$600,000.


title: David Petraeus

paragraphs: David Howell Petraeus (pronunciation: /pɨˈtreɪ.əs/; born November 7, 1952) was the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency. He was sworn in on September 6, 2011. Prior to his assuming the directorship of the CIA, Petraeus was a four-star general serving over 37 years in the United States Army. On November 9, 2012, Petraeus resigned as CIA director following a marital scandal.


title: Leon Panetta

paragraphs: Leon Edward Panetta (born June 28, 1938) was the 23rd United States Secretary of Defense from 2011 until 2013. Before that, he served as director of the CIA from 2009 to 2011 and as Bill Clinton's White House Chief of staff from 1994 to 1997.

paragraphs: Panetta was born on June 28, 1938 in Monterey, California to an Itallian-American family. He studied at Santa Clara University. He served in the army from 1964 until 1966. He had won an Army Commendation Medal for his services in the force. Panetta is married to Sylvia Panetta.


title: April Bowlby

paragraphs: April Michelle Bowlby (born 30 July 1980 in Vallejo, California ) is an American actress. She is best known for her role as Kandi in the sitcom "Two and a Half Men".


title: Denton Burn

paragraphs: Denton Burn is an area of housing in the city of Newcastle, United Kingdom. The area has 3 schools and has many shops and take-aways. It is close to Benwell and Scotswood.


title: WWE Hall of Fame

paragraphs: The WWE Hall of Fame is a hall of fame for wrestlers thought by WWE to be very important. It started in 1993 when André the Giant died. He was the first to go in. Other people have been added in 1994, 1995, 1996, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012. Some choices for the Hall of Fame have not been popular like famous people who did not wrestle. Sometimes WWE will show Hall of Fame announcements and ceremonies on TV.

paragraphs: The early Hall of Famers are the ones who helped build WWE and are considered pioneers. These include Arnold Skaaland, Buddy Rogers, Chief Jay Strongbow, Freddie Blassie, Gorilla Monsoon, Antonino Rocca, Ernie Ladd, The Fabulous Moolah, George "The Animal" Steele, The Grand Wizard, Ivan Putski and Pedro Morales. James Dudley was inducted for being a dear friend of the McMahon family and for being loyal to the company for a long time. Vince McMahon, Sr. was inducted because he first started WWE and might be the most important member. It is his family that still owns and runs the company to this day. Bobo Brazil was the first great black wrestling star. Killer Kowalski was a great villain wrestler.

paragraphs: Later inductees included the top stars of the 1980s which was the greatest time in wrestling history. Those wrestlers are Jimmy Snuka, Pat Patterson, Lou Albano, "Cowboy" Bob Orton, Hulk Hogan, The Iron Sheik, classic manager Jimmy Hart, Nikolai Volkoff, Paul Orndorff and "Rowdy" Roddy Piper. A wrestler who usually lost his matches, Johnny Rodz was also inducted. The famous baseball legend Pete Rose was inducted to the surprise of many wrestling fans.

paragraphs: Wrestlers from the 1970s who were inducted are The Valiant Brothers (Jimmy and Johnny), "Superstar" Billy Graham and Peter Maivia. "Baron" Mikel Scicluna was inducted despite rarely winning.

paragraphs: Other inductees included more great names from the 80s such as Big John Studd, Bobby Heenan, Don Muraco, Greg Valentine, Jesse Ventura, Junkyard Dog, Sgt. Slaughter, Tito Santana and Jim Duggan.

paragraphs: Harley Race, one of the great wrestlers of all time, was inducted during a time when WWE began to think about wrestlers who had more success in places other than WWE. These stars include Dory Funk, Jr., Terry Funk, Dusty Rhodes, Jerry "The King" Lawler, Nick Bockwinkel, The Sheik, commentator Gordon Solie, Verne Gagne, who started the American Wrestling Association (AWA) and won the AWA championship belt 10 times and promoter Eddie Graham.

paragraphs: More recent inductees include some of the greatest wrestlers in WWE history such as Shawn Michaels, Bret Hart, Eddie Guerrero, "Mr. Perfect" Curt Hennig, Ted DiBiase and former National Wrestling Alliance World Heavyweight Champions Ric Flair and Jack Brisco.

paragraphs: Other inductees include The Blackjacks (Mulligan and Lanza), Gene Okerlund, "Sensational" Sherri, Tony Atlas, Koko B. Ware, Mr. Fuji and The Wild Samoans (Afa and Sika). Football star William "The Refrigerator" Perry was inducted for being in a battle royale match at WrestleMania II.

paragraphs: The rest of the WWE Hall of Fame are as follows:


title: Crop protection

paragraphs: Crop protection is a branch of horticulture, aimed at protecting crops. This is done so that the yield of the crop does not diminish. Common approaches are:


title: Leeds Trinity University College

paragraphs: Leeds Trinity University College is a university in Horsforth, Leeds, England. It has about 3,000 students. It is one of the smallest universities in the country.


title: Batasuna

paragraphs: Batasuna (formerly Herri Batasuna) was a political party in Spain. Herri Batasuna was founded after the fall of the Franco regime, in 1978. In 2001, the party changed its name into Batasuna. In 2003, the party was outlawed in Spain, but it continues to be a political party in France. The party was suspected to have close ties with ETA. The party was active in the Basque Country, and Navarre. It wanted to form an independent state of the Basque country. The region where Basque is spoken is split between the Basque country, Navarre in Spain and the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in France. The area is known as "Euskal Herria" (literally,: Basque country).

paragraphs: Spain, the European Court of Human Rights and the European Union see Batasuna as the political wing of ETA.

paragraphs: Because it was outlawed, the party has had different names, such as Euskal Herritarrok, Sozialista Abertzaleak, Ezker Abertzaleak and AUB, Aukera Guztiak.

paragraphs: Bastasina sees itself as a nationalist, left-wing party. It is also called socialist (with Marxist and Libertarian tendencies). Other ideas of the party include to fight for feminism, and to be seen as "envirnomentalist". Batasuna is the only party in the did not condemn the violent attacks carried out by ETA. According to Batasuna, it is sterile and hypocritical to condemn only one form of violemce; by the same token, the violence of Spain should be condemned, which oppresses the Basque people. According to the Spanish state, there were no violations of human rights after the fall of the Franco regime, and the use of violence for political reasons is inacceptable.

paragraphs: Batasuna has run in elections in the French part of the Basque country, in Ustaritz, about 12 km from Bayonne.


title: Simon Amstell

paragraphs: Simon Marc Amstell (born 29 November 1979) is a British comedian, television presenter, writer and actor.

paragraphs: Amstell was born and raised in Gants Hill, London in a Jewish family. He is openly gay.

paragraphs: Amstell has presented "Popworld" and "Never Mind the Buzzcocks". He writes and stars in "Grandma's House".


title: Laboratory for analysis and architecture of systems

paragraphs: The Laboratory for Analysis and Architecture of Systems ("Laboratoire d'Analyse et d'Architecture des Systèmes"), LAAS, is one of the big research laboratories of the French National Center for Scientific Research ("Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, CNRS") in Toulouse, France, and is usually named LAAS-CNRS. It is associated with the six founding members of the University of Toulouse: The Paul Sabatier University, the National Institute of Applied Sciences of Toulouse (INSA Toulouse), the National Polytechnic Institute of Toulouse (INP toulouse), the "Institut supérieur de l'aéronautique et de l'espace" (ISAE), which is the merger between ENSICA (the National Superior School of Aeronautic Construction Engineers) and SUPAERO (National Superior School of Aeronautics and Space), the University of Toulouse II Mirail and the Toulouse 1 University Capitole.


title: Irgun

paragraphs: The Irgun (), (full title: Irgun Zevai Leumi) (from , "The National Military Organization in the Land of Israel"), was a Zionist paramilitary group in Palestine between 1931 and 1948.

paragraphs: Irgun is best known for the bombing of the King David Hotel in Jerusalem in 1946.

paragraphs: In the 1940s, Irgun was labelled as a terrorist organization.

paragraphs: Irgun is considered an early version of Ḥerut which was an Israeli political party. Irgun is also an early version of today's Likud political party in Israel.


title: Would I Lie to You? (TV series)

paragraphs: Would I Lie to You? is a British comedy panel game shown on BBC One. It began on 16 June 2007. The first two series were presented by Angus Deayton. Since then it has been presented by Rob Brydon. There are two teams of three people, a team captain and two celebrity guests. The captains are David Mitchell and Lee Mack.

paragraphs: During each episode, the contestants take turns to make statements about themselves. The other team try to work out whether the statement is true or false, by questioning the person who has made the statement.


title: Potentiometer

paragraphs: Potentiometers are variable resistors. Potentiometers are resistors where the resistance can be changed using a knob or a slider. Potentiometers are used to control many things, including how bright or dim the lights in your house are and the volume controls on your television. Some are used in voltage dividers.

paragraphs: The idea of a device that could be used to control the amount of electricity going to a component was thought by many people, but the carbon potentiometer we commonly use today was invented by Thomas Edison in 1872 at the age of 25. He called this device a "coiled resistance wire rheostat". His patent for this device was issued in 1872. Carbon resistors, as said above, are the most commonly used resistors today. They are used in radios to control the volume, in televisions to control picture brightness, contrast, and color response.

paragraphs: There are many different types of potentiometers. These different types include carbon potentiometers, plastic potentiometers, and wire potentiometers. Carbon potentiometers are the most common potentiometers that we use today because they are inexpensive to make and are easy to put together. Wire potentiometers are the most powerful type out of the three listed above. The wire inside the potentiometer is wound so that it has more power. Plastic potentiometers have the same amount of power that carbon potentiometers do, but are of a higher quality. They are made of a special kind of plastic that conducts electricity just as effectively as carbon potentiometers. It as a better life than carbon potentiometers do. Trimmer potentiometers are small. They are adjustable with a screwdriver.


title: Supélec

paragraphs: École Supérieure d'Électricité, commonly known as Supélec, is a French university in electric energy and information sciences.

paragraphs: Founded in 1894 and initially located in the 15th district of Paris, it was moved to Gif-sur-Yvette in 1975. After that, two more campuses were established in Rennes in 1972 and Metz in 1985. It is a member of the "Conférence des Grandes Écoles".


title: Shitoku

paragraphs: Shitoku (至徳) was a Japanese era name (年号, "nengō", lit. year name) of the Northern Court during the Nanboku-chō period after Eitoku and before Kakei. This period started in February 1384 and ended in August 1387. The pretender in Kyoto was . Go-Komatsu' Southern Court rival in Yoshino during this time was .


title: Electrical filament

paragraphs: An incandescent light bulb has a small thin wire with two bigger wires holding it up. This wire is called a filament. The filament is the part of the light bulb that produces light.

paragraphs: Filaments in incandescent light bulbs are made of tungsten. Whenever an electric current goes through the filament, the filament glows. It may also be known as the electron emitting element in a vacuum tube. To make the bulb produce more light, the filament is usually made of coils of fine wire, also known as the coiled coil.


title: Kakei

paragraphs: Kakei (嘉慶) was a Japanese era name (年号, "nengō", lit. year name) of the Northern Court during the Nanboku-chō period after Shitoku and before Kōō. This period started in August 1387 and ended in February 1389. The pretender in Kyoto was . Go-Komatsu's Southern Court rival in Yoshino during this time was .


title: Kōō (Nanboku-chō period)

paragraphs: , also romanized as Kō-ō, was a Japanese era name (年号, "nengō", lit. year name) of the Northern Court during the Nanboku-chō period after Kakei and before Meitoku. This period started in February 1389 and ended in March 1390. The pretender in Kyoto was . Go-Komatsu's Southern Court rival in Yoshino during this time was .


title: Meitoku

paragraphs: Meitoku (明徳) was a Japanese era name (年号, "nengō", lit. year name) of the Northern Court during the Nanboku-chō period after "Kōō" and before "Ōei". This period started in March 1390 and ended in July 1394. After October 1392, Meitoku replaced the Southern Court's "nengō" ("Genchū"). The pretender in Kyoto was Go-Komatsu's Southern Court rival in Yoshino until 1392 was ..


title: Cryptopsy

paragraphs: Cryptopsy is a Canadian death metal band from Montreal, Quebec, formed in 1988. The band has sold over 300,000 records.


title: Katra

paragraphs: Katra is a Finnish symphonic metal band featuring vocalist Katra Solopuro.


title: Mad scene

paragraphs: A mad scene is a scene in a play, ballet, opera, or other theatre work that shows a character either insane or going insane. Three famous mad scenes are those in the play "Hamlet", in the ballet "Giselle", and the opera "Lucia di Lammermoor". In "Hamlet", Ophelia is truly mad while Hamlet pretends to be mad.


title: Summerland, British Columbia

paragraphs: Summerland is a town in the Canadian province of British Columbia. It is in the interior of British Columbia, on the west side of Okanagan Lake. The population of Summerland was 10,828 in 2006. The mayor of Summerland is Janice Perrino. It is known for its world renowned wineries. It is also home to the historic Kettle Valley Steam Railway. The town was originally known as Trout Creek and was renamed Summerland in 1902 when Sir Thomas Shaughnessy bought the Barclay Ranch. The nickname for Summerland is Town of Festivals. The sister city of Summerland is Toyokoro, Japan.


title: Bruno Sammartino

paragraphs: Bruno Sammartino (October 6, 1935 – April 18, 2018) was an Italian-American retired wrestler. He was born on October 6, 1935 in Italy. He became a wrestler in 1959. He would often beat opponents with his bearhug.

paragraphs: On May 17, 1963, Bruno beat Buddy Rogers to become the second World Wide Wrestling Federation champion. He held this title for over seven years, a record for professional wrestling world champions. He had his first match in Japan in 1967. He lost to Ivan Koloff on January 18, 1971. On December 10, 1973, Sammartino beat Stan Stasiak to once again be the champion. Billy Graham won the championship from Bruno on April 30, 1977 in Baltimore. World Wide Wrestling Federation became the World Wrestling Federation in March 1979. Sammartino wrestled less often after but he did have classic feud with Larry Zbyszko that ended in a steel cage match at Shea Stadium in 1980. He retired in 1987.

paragraphs: Sammartino was also a commentator with Vince McMahon.

paragraphs: In 2013, he accepted an invitation for induction into the WWE Hall of Fame, after he declined many times in prior years.

paragraphs: Sammartino died on April 18, 2018 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania of multiple organ failure caused by heart disease at the age of 82.


title: Kemmu

paragraphs: In 1333-1336, the Kemmu Restoration was an attempt by Emperor Go-Daigo to restore Imperial authority after the fall of the Kamakura shogunate. The failure of this effort led to the creation of two rival Imperial courts.

paragraphs: The previous era ended and the new one commenced in "Shōkei" 1 as time was reckoned in the Northern Court in Kyoto; and the era began in "Genkō" 4, as time was ordered in the Southern Court in Yoshino.


paragraphs: , also known as JOGMEC, is an Independent Administrative Institution which was created by the Japanese government in 2004.

paragraphs: In 2004, JOGMEC was established by the Law Concerning the Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corporation.

paragraphs: JOGMEC was created when the Japan National Oil Corporation (JNOC) merged with the former Metal Mining Agency of Japan (MMAJ).

paragraphs: Rare metal stockpiles are managed by JOGMEC.

paragraphs: In March 2013 JOGMEC successfully extracted methane hydrate from seabed for the first time in the world.


title: Elector of the Palatinate

paragraphs: The Elector of the Palatinate () ruled the Palatinate of the Rhine in the Kingdom of Germany and the Holy Roman Empire from 915 to 1803.


title: Mary Cheney

paragraphs: Mary Claire Cheney (born March 14, 1969) is an American businesswoman and the younger daughter of former U.S. Vice President, Dick Cheney and his wife, former second lady, Lynne Cheney. She is openly lesbian and has stated support for same-sex marriage along with her father. She is in a long relationship with Heather Poe, a former parking ranger with whom she has had 2 children, Samuel David and Sarah Lynne. On June 22, 2012, Cheney married her long time partner Heather Poe. Cheney has a sister, Elizabeth Cheney (born 1966).


title: Shore crabs

paragraphs: Shore crabs ("Carcinus maenas") are a common crustacean. They are often found around the sea shore.

paragraphs: They come in a variety of colours. They are often green or brown. They have eight legs and two large pincers. The width across the shell is up to . The usual width is about .

paragraphs: They are normally found in the North Atlantic or the Baltic Sea but are beginning to live in many other areas of the world. Shore crabs live on beaches and rocky shores.

paragraphs: Shore crabs are a nocturnal predator which means it hunts at night. They eat small crustaceans, molluscs, worms and some fish.

paragraphs: A female shore crab can lay up to nearly 200 thousand eggs at once. They carry the eggs with them until they hatch. Like most crabs, when a shore crab gets too big for its shell, it sheds its shell. After that, it has a new soft shell which soon hardens.


title: Phytosaur

paragraphs: Phytosaurs are an extinct group of large semi-aquatic Upper Triassic archosaurs.

paragraphs: Phytosaurs were long-snouted and heavily armoured, bearing a remarkable resemblance to modern crocodiles in size, appearance, and lifestyle. This is an example of convergence or parallel evolution. The name 'phytosaur' means 'plant reptile': the first fossils of phytosaurs were mistakenly thought to belong to plant eaters. The sharp teeth in phytosaur jaws clearly show they were predators.

paragraphs: Although phytosaurs were not true crocodilians themselves, they were more closely related to the crocodilians than to other modern reptiles. Crocodiles did not become phytosaur-like until the Lower Jurassic. "Consensus generally places phytosaurs as basal crurotarsans, possibly the basal-most group".

paragraphs: Phytosaurs had a nearly global distribution. Fossils have been recovered from Europe, North America, India, Morocco, Thailand, Brazil and Madagascar.


title: Ooooooohhh... On the TLC Tip

paragraphs: Ooooooohhh... On the TLC Tip is the debut album by American band TLC. It was released on February 25, 1992 by LaFace Records. The album reached number 14 on the US "Billboard" 200 chart, number two on the Top Heatseekers, and number three on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums. The album shipped 4,000,000 copies in the United States.

paragraphs: Ken Tucker of "Entertainment Weekly" gave a positive review on the album. Steve Huey of Allmusic gave a "mixed" review on the album and believed it helped TLC to become more popular. According to Nielsen SoundScan, the album has sold 2,500,000 copies in the United States. It was later certified 4x Platinum by the RIAA.


title: CrazySexyCool

paragraphs: CrazySexyCool is the second studio album by American R&B band TLC. It was released on November 15, 1994 by LeFace Records. The album reached number three on the US "Billboard" 200, number two on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and number four on the UK Albums Chart. The album became TLC's best-selling album, it was known as their "breakthrough album". "Rolling Stone" magazine ranked the album number 377 of the "500 greatest albums of all time" list. The album was certified 1x Diamond in the United States. TLC became the first and only girl group to have a diamond-certified album. The album features more of a R&B and soul sound than hip hop sound due the fact that Left Eye wasn't able to record much of her own raps for the album due to being in rehab for setting her then-boyfriend's house on fire.

paragraphs: The album sold 127,000 copies on the first day of release. According to Nielsen SoundScan, the album has sold 7,200,000 copies in the United States. It was certified 1x Diamond, which means 10,000,000 copies of the album were shipped to the United States. The album was also certified 11x Platinum (11,000,000 copies shipped) by the RIAA.


title: FanMail

paragraphs: FanMail is the third studio album by American band TLC. It was released on February 23, 1999. It was released by LeFace Records.

paragraphs: On the first day of release, the album sold 318,000 copies in the United States. It debuted at number one on the US "Bollboard" 200 and the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. It also reached the top ten in Canada, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom. The album was given eight Grammy Awards nominations. It won the Grammy Award for "Album of the Year". According to Nielsen SoundScan, the album sold 4,700,000 copies in the United States. It was certified 6x Platinum (6,000,000 copies shipped) by the RIAA.


title: Death Proof

paragraphs: Death Proof is a 2007 American crime movie directed by Quentin Tarantino. The movie has action and thrilling car chases. It is set in Texas and Tennessee.


title: Inglourious Basterds

paragraphs: Inglourious Basterds is a 2009 German-American war movie directed by Quentin Tarantino. It takes place in Nazi-occupied France during World War II. The movie was rated 4 out of 4 stars by movie reporter Roger Ebert.


title: Japanese Sign Language

paragraphs: , also known as JSL or NS, is the main sign language in Japan.

paragraphs: In 1878, the first school for the deaf was established in Kyoto.

paragraphs: In 1948, Deaf children were required to attend school.

paragraphs: In the late-20th century, Japanese sign language began to be recognized.

paragraphs: The Japanese Federation of the Deaf is for those Japanese whose primary language is JSL.

paragraphs: JSL has a friend in the Imperial family. Kiko, Princess Akishino has studied JSL and is a trained sign language interpreter. She also signs in informal Deaf gatherings.

paragraphs: In 2006, the Japanese government amended the "Supporting Independence of People with Disabilities Act." The new language in the law encourages local governments to increase the number and use of JSL interpreters.

paragraphs: As in other sign languages, JSL (usually called simply 手話 "shuwa", "hand talk") consists of words, or signs, and the grammar with which they are put together.


title: Raging Bull

paragraphs: Raging Bull is a 1980 American sports drama movie. It is based on boxer Jake LaMotta's life. LaMotta is played by Robert De Niro. The movie is directed by Martin Scorsese and produced by Irwin Winkler. Many people say that the movie is very well done especially De Niro's acting role which won him awards.


title: Mark Spitz

paragraphs: Mark Andrew Spitz (born February 10, 1950) is an American retired swimmer of Jewish descent. He won seven gold medals at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich. That achievement was only passed by Michael Phelps who won eight golds at the 2008 Olympics.


title: Jesse Ventura

paragraphs: James George Janos, better known as Jesse Ventura, is an American statesman, actor, author, and former professional wrestler. He served as the 38th Governor of Minnesota from 1999 to 2003. He was elected in 1998. He was Mayor of Brooklyn Park, Minnesota from 1991 to 1995.

paragraphs: Ventura served as a Navy UDT during the Vietnam War. As an actor, he appeared in "The Running Man" and "Predator". He called wrestling matches with Vince McMahon for TV shows and with Gorilla Monsoon for pay-per-views in the WWF. In WCW, he called matches with Jim Ross. Ventura and Ross teamed up again to call XFL football games.

paragraphs: Ventura was born on July 15, 1951 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. His height is 6' 4". His wife is Theresa Larson Masters since 1975.

paragraphs: In September 2019, Ventura expressed interest in running for President in 2020 under an Independent bid.


title: Ilya Repin

paragraphs: Ilya Yefimovich Repin (, – 29 September 1930) was an important Russian painter and sculptor.

paragraphs: Repin was born in a village near Kharkov, Russian Empire (now part of Ukraine). He came from a poor family. Repin first learned to paint from an icon painter. He studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Saint Petersburg. Later he became a professor of painting at the same academy. He is best known for his paintings of scenes from Russian history and his portraits.


title: Ship's bell

paragraphs: A ship's bell is a bell usually made of bronze that is used on ships and sailboats. It is most often rung to announce the time, such as at the hour and half-hour.

paragraphs: Sometimes a ship's bell may be used as a percussion instrument in an orchestra.


title: John Roberts (actor)

paragraphs: Jonathan "John" Roberts (born 1979) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, voice arist, and comedian. He is the voice of Linda Belcher in "Bob's Burgers".


title: Dan Mintz

paragraphs: Daniel "Dan" Mintz (born 1981) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, voice arist, and comedian. He is the voice of Tina Belcher in "Bob's Burgers".


title: Eugene Mirman

paragraphs: Eugene Boris Mirman (born 1974) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, and voice actor. He is the voice of Gene Belcher in "Bob's Burgers".


title: Kristen Schaal

paragraphs: Kristen Schaal (born January 24, 1978 ) is an American stand-up comedienne, actress and voice artist. She is the voice of Mabel in Gravity Falls. She also is the voice of character Louise Belcher in "Bob's Burgers". Schaal was born in Longmont, Colorado.


title: Loren Bouchard

paragraphs: Loren Hal Bouchard (born June 4, 1970 ) is an American stand-up comedian, actor and voice arist. He is best known as the creator of "Bob's Burgers".


title: Tony Leondis

paragraphs: Anthony "Tony" Leondis (born 1972) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, voice artist, and comedian. He is the voice of Master Croc in "".


title: Anthony Michael Hall

paragraphs: Michael Anthony Hall (born April 14, 1968) is an American actor, movie producer and director. He is known as Anthony Michael Hall. He was in several movies for teens in the 1980s. Hall began his career in commercials and on stage as a child. He first made a movie in 1980. Hall was born in West Roxbury, Boston, Massachusetts and grew up in New York, New York.

paragraphs: He expanded his jobs to abstain from turning out to be pigeonholed as his nerd persona, joining the cast of Saturday Night Live (1985–1986) and featuring in movies, for example, Out of Bounds (1986), Johnny Be Good (1988), Edward Scissorhands (1990) and Six Degrees of Separation (1993). After a progression of minor jobs during the 1990s, he featured as Microsoft's Bill Gates in the 1999 TV film Pirates of Silicon Valley. He had the main job in the USA Network arrangement The Dead Zone from 2002 to 2007. In 2020, he showed up in ABC's The Goldbergs.


title: Susie Essman

paragraphs: Susan "Susie" Essman (born May 31, 1955 ) is an American stand-up comedian, actor and voice artist. She plays Susie Greene in "Curb Your Enthusiasm", Helen Higgins in "Crank Yankers", and Mittens in "Bolt".

paragraphs: Essman was born Susan Essman in New York City, New York.


title: Wing-banded Antbird

paragraphs: The Wing-banded Antbird (Myrmornis torquata) is a species of bird in the Thamnophilidae family.

paragraphs: It is found in Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela. It feeds by hopping on the ground, turning dead leaves over in search of insects. It uses its long bill to do this, and never picks the leaves up.


title: Seine

paragraphs: The Seine is a river in France. It flows into the English Channel between Le Havre and Honfleur. It is long. It is the second-longest river in France. Other important cities along its course are Paris, Troyes and Rouen. Its drainage basin has a surface of . The Seine starts in Source-Seine, in Côte-d'Or, Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, at an height of .

paragraphs: Between Rouen and the sea, ocean-going vessels of up to in length, and 150,000 tons in weight can travel the Seine. This section of the river has a length of about . Ships of a draft of up to can circulate. Draft is a word describe the height of the part of a ship that is below the water line. There are three bridges in this section. They can be raised. The maximum air draft (or height above the water line) of a ship is . Because there are few briges, the river can be crossed by ferry, at different locations. The port of Rouen is an important maritime port in France; it is the most important port in Europe for cereals, and the most important port in France for flour and fertilizers. Even if the port of Le Havre is more important for petroleum, that of Rouen is still important. About 25 million tons of produce is handled by the port of Rouen each year.

paragraphs: The course of the river was corrected between Rouen and Paris in the 19th century. There are seven locks. Barges with merchanise, of a capacity of up to 350 t can circulate. The dimension of the lock determines the maximum dimension of the ship. When most canals were built in France, the mister for public works, Charles de Freycinet determined the maximum length of the locks. As a result, the maximum dimension of the ship are by , with a draft of . In the case of the French canals, the maximum draft is . The load of a peniche is about that of ten lorries or eight rail waggons. Other ship types that can circulate have a capacity of to . Convois of barges with a length between to and can transport betweeen and of freight. Other ships include river-vessels that can transport up to of freight.

paragraphs: The port of Paris is the most important fluvial port in France: About 20.2 million tons of merchanise are handled each year, 20 miilon tons of this merchandise come from fluvial transport. There is a project called Seine–Nord Europe Canal, to build a high-capacity canal to connect the Paris region to the Ports of Antwerp, Dunkerque and Rotterdam, for large ships of a with of width and length.

paragraphs: Different floods of the river have been reported. The oldest report is from Emperor Julian who reported a flood of the river in his work Misopogon in the year 358. Gregory of Tours reported a flood in February 528 in his Historia Francorum.

paragraphs: The river has inspired different painters, mainly in the 19th and 20th century. Honoré de Balzac describes it in many of his books. Gustave Flaubert uses the river as a metaphor or image to describe the flow of time. Other authors include Jacques Prévert, and Guillaume Apollinaire.


title: Louie Anderson

paragraphs: Louie Perry Anderson (born March 24, 1953) is an American stand-up comedian. Anderson made the cartoon series "Life with Louie" and has written three books. He was the host of the second revival of the game show "Family Feud", from 1999 to 2002.


title: National Assembly of Belarus

paragraphs: The National Assembly of the Republic of Belarus is the parliament of Belarus. The two parts of the National Assembly are:

paragraphs: The houses meet every year. The first session starts October 2. It cannot be more than 80 days. The second session starts April 2. It does not last more than 90 days. Sometimes the President can have them meet a third time.

paragraphs: The Council of the Republic is the upper house. It has 64 members. The members are based geographically. Eight members of the Council are picked by the President of Belarus. The remaining members are elected by secret vote: eight members of the Council are elected from each of the country's regions and Minsk City. Members must aged 30 and more and live in the region they are elected from for at least five years.

paragraphs: The House of Representatives is the lower house. It has 110 deputies. Any citizen of 21 years is eligible for election.


title: Seine department

paragraphs: Seine was a département in France. It was created as "Paris" in 1790, and renamed to Seine in 1795. On the 1st of January 1968 it was abolished, together with the departement Seine-et-Oise which surrounded it. The area was distributed into 4 departements, Paris, Hauts-de-Seine, Seine-Saint-Denis, and Val-de-Marne. In 1968, about 5.7 million people lived in the area; about 2.5 million lived in the city of Paris.


title: Philip Seymour Hoffman

paragraphs: Philip Seymour Hoffman (July 23, 1967 – February 2, 2014) was an American actor.

paragraphs: He was born in Fairport, New York. He had a brother, writer Gordy Hoffman (born 1964) and two sisters. Hoffman's mother was a Roman Catholic of Irish origin. His father was a Protestant of part-German origin. Hoffman studied at New York State Summer School of the Arts and at Tisch School of the Arts.

paragraphs: Hoffman first started acting in 1991 in an episode of "Law & Order". His first movie role was as Matt in the 1992 movie "Leap of Faith". He then acted in many movies. His performance as Truman Capote in "Capote" earned him an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award and a Golden Globe Award. He also acted on television and in theater. His last movie was "" and in "A Most Wanted Man".

paragraphs: Hoffman lived in Manhattan with his partner Mimi O'Donnell. They were a couple from 1999 until 2013. They had a son and two daughters.

paragraphs: On February 2, 2014, Hoffman was found dead in his Manhattan apartment, of an apparent drug overdose. His funeral was held at St. Ignatius Loyola church, Manhattan, on February 7, 2014.


title: Pecados y Milagros

paragraphs: Pecados y Milagros () is the seventh album by Mexican Latin singer Lila Downs. It was released in 2011. It reached the top of the charts in Mexico, Germany, Argentina, Colombia, Spain and the United States. It also reached the top ten in other major markets. Downs did a tour for the album called the "Pecados y Milagros World Tour". The singles on "Pecados y Milagros" are: "Palomo del Comalito", "Zapata se Queda" and "Mezcalito". In 2012 the album "Pecados y Milagros" won a Grammy Award for "Best Regional Mexican Music Album (Including Tejano)". The same year it won a Latin Grammy Award for "Best Folk Album". The main music genres which make up the album are pop, folk and ska.


title: Shake Away

paragraphs: Ojo de Culebra () is the sixth studio album by Mexican Latin singer Lila Downs.

paragraphs: This album was recorded in New York and Mexico. All the songs on this album were composed by Lila Downs and Paul Cohen, except "I Envy The Wind" (by Lucinda Williams) and "I Would Never" (by Paul Buchanan). It includes a version of "Black Magic Woman" by Peter Green. In "Ojo de Culebra" they mix instruments and electronic music. It includes collaborations with Enrique Bunbury, La Mari, Mercedes Sosa and Ramon Gutierrez, among others.

paragraphs: The album had the following chart activity in 2008:


title: Kathryn Joosten

paragraphs: Kathryn Joosten (December 20, 1939 – June 2, 2012) was an American television and voice actress. She was born in Chicago, Illinois. She won two Emmy Awards. She died of lung cancer in Westlake Village, California.


title: Japan Atomic Energy Agency

paragraphs: The or JAEA, is a Japanese organization that seeks to research, promote, and monitor the peaceful use of nuclear energy. It is an Independent Administrative Institution.

paragraphs: The Japan Atomic Energy Agency was formed October 1, 2005 by a merger of the Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute (JAERI) and the Japan Nuclear Cycle Development Institute (JNC).

paragraphs: The "Japan Atomic Energy Agency Act of 2005" established the scope of agency concerns, including


title: Seven (movie)

paragraphs: Seven is a 1995 American neo-noir crime horror thriller movie. It was directed by David Fincher and produced by Arnold Kopelson. It stars Brad Pitt as David Mills and Morgan Freeman as William Somerset, police detectives who are working together to catch serial killer John Doe, played by Kevin Spacey. Doe murders people he believes are guilty of the seven deadly sins. Mills' wife Tracy is played by Gwyneth Paltrow.


title: Core (Stone Temple Pilots album)

paragraphs: Core is the first album by the American rock band Stone Temple Pilots. It was released on September 29, 1992 through Atlantic Records. The album made #1 on the "Billboard" Heatseekers chart and #3 on the "Billboard" 200. It was the band's best-selling album.

paragraphs: All lyrics written by Scott Weiland, except where noted.


title: 21 Grams

paragraphs: 21 Grams is an American drama movie directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu and written by Guillermo Arriga. It stars Sean Penn, Naomi Watts, Benicio del Toro, whose lives are connected when del Toro's character Jack Jordan kills the husband and two daughters of Watts' character Cristina Peck in a hit-and-run road accident. His heart is transplanted into Penn's character, mathematician Paul Rivers.


title: Celia Cruz

paragraphs: Celia Cruz (October 21, 1925 – July 16, 2003) was a Cuban-American salsa performer. She earned twenty-three gold albums. She was called the "Queen of Salsa" as well as "La Guarachera de Cuba."

paragraphs: She spent most of her career living in New Jersey. She worked in the United States and several Latin American countries. Leila Cobo of "Billboard Magazine" once said "Cruz is indisputably the best known and most influential female figure in the history of Cuban music."


title: South West Trains

paragraphs: South West Trains was a train running company in the UK. It served 213 stations and ran 177. It had 337 trains and ran the Island Line as well.

paragraphs: In August 2017, South Western Railway took over the franchise.


title: Island Line Trains

paragraphs: Island Line Trains is a train operating company in England. It is owned by South Western Railway. It runs a single 8.5 mile line on the Isle of Wight with 7 trains and 8 stations managed.


title: London Midland

paragraphs: London Midland is a train operating company in the UK. It runs of track. It serves 146 stations. During 2007, it carried 591.5 million passengers.


title: Heineken

paragraphs: Heineken is a Dutch beer (5% abv pale lager) which has been brewed by Heineken International since 1873. It is the flagship product of the Heineken company and is made of processed, impure water, sometimes advertised as purified water, malted barley, hops, and yeast. In 1886 H. Elion finished the development of the "Heineken A-yeast", which is still used in the brewing process today. The beer is force carbonated. It is popular worldwide.


title: Chiltern Railways

paragraphs: Chiltern Railways is a train operating company in the UK. It serves 62 stations and runs 27 of them.


title: Heathrow Express

paragraphs: Heathrow Express is a train service in London that provides an airport rail link service between Paddington station and Heathrow Airport. It is operated by the Heathrow Express Operating Company, owned by the same company which owns Heathrow Airport itself, and the first train ran on 23 June 1998.

paragraphs: The Heathrow Express service runs every 15 minutes throughout the day and evening, seven days a week. It runs non-stop between Paddington and the airport. (The Heathrow Connect uses the same route but make some stops in between.) At the airport, trains from Paddington stop at two stations, both of which are located underground: Heathrow Central (for terminals 2 and 3) and Heathrow Terminal 5. There is also a shuttle train that goes between Heathrow Central and a station at Terminal 4, which is also underground. The 14 trains used on services between Paddington and Heathrow are Class 332s, while the shuttle service to Terminal 4 uses one Class 360.

paragraphs: Heathrow Express is not part of National Rail, and is not run as a franchise, even though it shares track with National Rail trains for much of its journey and ends its trip at a London mainline station.


title: Heathrow Connect

paragraphs: Heathrow Connect is a train service in London that runs between Paddington station and Heathrow Airport. It is provided by the Heathrow Express company together with First Great Western and the first train ran on 12 June 2005.

paragraphs: The Heathrow Connect service runs every half-hour throughout the day and evening from Monday to Saturday and every hour on Sunday. It follows the same route as the Heathrow Express service, but while Heathrow Express runs non-stop between Paddington and the airport, Heathrow Connect stops at some stations in between. Altogether, there are eight stations at which Heathrow Connect trains stop, so the train can connect places in west London with each other, the airport, and Central London. The trains used on the line are five Class 360s made by Siemens.

paragraphs: On 20 May 2018 TfL Rail took over operation of the Heathrow Connect service.


title: Abellio Greater Anglia

paragraphs: Abellio Greater Anglia is a British train operating company that provides suburban and express passenger rail services from Liverpool Street station in the City of London to destinations in the East of England. In August 2016, it was announced that Abellio had won the franchise again until 2025. They promise to replace all its trains by 2020.


title: Luis Miguel

paragraphs: Luis Miguel Gallego Basteri (April 19, 1970) is a Puerto Rican singer. He is widely known only by the name Luis Miguel. He is often called "El Sol de México" (The Sun of Mexico) or simply "El Sol" (The Sun).

paragraphs: Luis Miguel has won five Grammys and four Latin Grammys among other numerous awards. He is considered as one of the top male pop vocalists in the world. At the age of fifteen, Luis Miguel received his first Grammy for his duet "Me Gustas Tal Como Eres" (I Like You Just The Way You Are) with Sheena Easton. Luis Miguel is the only Latin artist to have two Spanish-language albums ("Romance" and "Segundo Romance") go platinum in the USA. His album "Luis Miguel" got gold and platinum certifications in four countries, including the United States, within just three days of its release.


title: Maná

paragraphs: Maná is a Mexican rock band from Guadalajara, Jalisco. Their career has been more than three decades. The group has earned four Grammy Awards, seven Latin Grammy Awards, five MTV Video Music Awards Latin America, five Premios Juventud awards, nine Billboard Latin Music Awards and 13 Premios Lo Nuestro awards.

paragraphs: The band formed in 1986 and released its first album, "Falta Amor", in 1990. In 1992, the group released "¿Dónde Jugarán Los Niños?", which sold more than 3 million copies worldwide. It was the best selling Spanish-language rock album of all time.

paragraphs: The band's sound comes from the pop rock, Latin pop, calypso, and reggae music genres. They first received international commercial success in Australia and Spain. They have since gained popularity in the US, Western Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. Their worldwide sales stand at more than 25 million albums as of 2011.


title: RBD

paragraphs: RBD was a two-time Latin-Grammy nominated Mexican pop group. They gained popularity from Televisa's teen drama series "Rebelde". RBD sold over 17 million digital downloads and over 57 million albums worldwide in four years. The band was officially formed on October 4, 2004. They announced their separation on August 15, 2008.


title: Thalía

paragraphs: Ariadna Thalía Sodi Miranda (born August 26, 1971), known as Thalía, is a Mexican singer, songwriter and actress. She has sold over 25 million albums worldwide. She has sung in Spanish, English, French, Portuguese and Tagalog.

paragraphs: Thalia has been nominated for various Latin Grammy, Latin Billboard and many other awards.

paragraphs: She was also in very successful soap operas like Marimar and María la del Barrio. She is also an occasional author, businesswoman and fashion designer.


title: Olga Tañón

paragraphs: Olga Tañón (born April 13, 1967) is a two-time Grammy Award and three-time Latin Grammy-winning Merengue and Latin Pop artist. Tañón has earned 5 Latin Grammy Awards and 28 Premios Lo Nuestro awards during her career.

paragraphs: Tañón is the youngest of four children born to José Tañón and Carmen Gloria Ortíz in the Santurce district of San Juan, Puerto Rico. She was raised in Levittown, a suburb of San Juan, located in the municipality of Toa Baja, Puerto Rico, where she received her primary and secondary education.

paragraphs: In 1992, Tañón signed a contract with the WEA Latina record label to record a solo album. Her first recorded album was titled "Sola" (Alone). Among the songs in the album were, "Me Cambio por Ella" (I Change Places With Her), and "Quiero estar contigo" (I Want To Be With You). In 1993, she recorded her second album for WEA Latina, "Mujer de Fuego" (Woman of Fire). Tañón also debuted as a composer with the song, "Presencié tu Amor" (I Witnessed Your Love).[3] That year, Tañón received three Lo Nuestro Awards nominations in the Tropical/Salsa field: Album of the Year (Sola), Female Artist and New Artist.[4]

paragraphs: In 1994, Tañón earned her first double platinum record and in 1995, she earned 3 more platinum records with her album, "Siente el Amor" (Feel the Love). This album also included another of her compositions, "Unicornio" (Unicorn), which was written to the rhythm of Salsa and also included the unforgettable Merengue song, "Es Mentiroso" (He's a Liar). Tañón had gained fame and recognition throughout Latin America.

paragraphs: Tañón recorded a Tex-Mex CD with Mexican singer Marco Antonio Solís, "Nuevos Senderos". She was now being heard internationally, and with that recording she became the first Puerto Rican musician to be certified by the RIAA to sell over half a million records. The lead single, the ballad "Basta Ya!" topped the U.S. Billboard Top Latin Tracks for several weeks and became Tañón's first #1.[3] For the album Tañón earned 3 Lo Nuestro Awards nominations for Pop Album of the Year, Pop Song of the Year and Pop Singer of the Year.[5]

paragraphs: In 1997 Tañón debuted as an actress in the Puerto Rican version of the popular production of "Jesus Christ Superstar", produced by Rafo Muñiz. She played the part of Mary Magdalene. This version had a tropical feel to it and included some of Tañón's songs. In 1998, Tañón married Juan González a Puerto Rican major-league baseball star. They had a daughter, Gabriella Marie, but divorced in 1999.[3]

paragraphs: In 2000 Tañón, now known as the "Woman of Fire" or "Mujer de Fuego" by her fans, recorded her first concert, titled, "Olga Viva...Viva Olga" in the House of Blues in Orlando, Florida. This production was named by the National Foundation of Popular Culture as one of the year's top 20 productions. The record went platinum and Tañón earned her first Grammy Award. In August 2000, Tañón sold out 12 shows in the Antonio Paoli Hall at the Luis A. Ferre Center of the Fine Arts in San Juan. Later that month she debuted in the Bass Performance Hall in Fort Worth, Texas. Her performances received rave reviews in the Fort Worth Star Telegram and the Dallas Morning News. At the end of 2000, Tañón presented her musical spectacular at Panama's Anayansi Theater and toured the southeastern United States with Mexican singer Alejandro Fernández.[3]

paragraphs: In 2001 Tañón recorded a CD titled, "Yo por Ti" (Me for You), which won both American and Latin Grammys. The first single, Como Olvidar, topped the U.S. Billboard Top Latin Tracks. The CD became a best-seller in Puerto Rico, Latin America, and among the Hispanic population in the United States. In 2002 Tañón toured many countries, including Venezuela, Panama and the United States. That year she became the first merengue artist to successfully score a chart topper in the Middle East when her partnership with Egyptian music singer Hakim yielded the highly successful Arabian hit, Ah Ya Albi. In 2003, Tañón toured Europe and made a total of ten recordings for WEA Latina. In 2003 she released Sobrevivir and won her fourth Grammy. She also married Billy Denizard, with whom she had two sons, Indiana Noa and Ian Nahir.[3]

paragraphs: As part of an international tour called "Evolution Tour 2008", Tañón traveled to Italy where she made a presentation at the Festival Latinoamericano on July 5, 2008.[6] In 2005, Tañón released her hit album, "Una Nueva Mujer", which won Best Contemporary Tropical Album at the 2006 Latin Grammys.

paragraphs: In support of Latin American immigrants in the U.S., in 2006 Tañón recorded, "Nuestro Himno" in collaboration with Pitbull, Carlos Ponce, and Wyclef Jean. On May 2, 2010, Tañón first performed in Iquitos a concert where presented her classic songs. The concert was part of her tour, which started in Peru.[7][8]

paragraphs: On February 22, 2007 Tañón won 3 awards at the 19th edition of Premio Lo Nuestro.[9] During the 2006 show, she won in the categories: "Album of the Year", "Female Artist" and "Song of the Year". She holds the record as the artist who has won the most "Premio Lo Nuestro Awards", with a total of 29.

paragraphs: In June 2009, Tañón released a new hit single called "Amor Entre Tres" which is the theme song for the new soap opera in Venezuela called "La Vida Entera." That month, WEA Latina released "25 Exitos de Fuego Vol. 1 & Vol. 2." Each CD has a set of greatest hits through her entire career of merengue and Latin pop. In September 2009 participated, next to Juanes and other internationally acclaimed artists, in "Concierto por la Paz" at Plaza de la Revolucion in La Habana, Cuba.[3]

paragraphs: In 2011 the first of three Tañon albums was released on the Mia Musa Label: "Ni Una Lagrima más’". In 2013 "Una Mujer" was released, and in 2017 "Olga Tañon y Punto".[1


title: Los Temerarios

paragraphs: Los Temerarios are a Mexican romantic music group. They were started in 1978 by brothers Adolfo Angel and Gustavo Angel and their cousin Fernando Angel. During their early years they were known as "Conjunto La Brisa".

paragraphs: "Los Temerarios" have recorded more than 20 albums and been honored with multiple awards and award nominations. In 1991, they earned 5 Billboard awards nominations in the Latin categories.


title: Great Lake Swimmers

paragraphs: Great Lake Swimmers is a Canadian folk rock and Indie band originally from Wainfleet, Ontario and now based in Toronto, Ontario. They released their self-titled debut album on January 28, 2003 and it was re-released on April 5, 2005. Great Lake Swimmers has five members in the band; the current band members are Tony Dekker, Erik Arnesen, Greg Millson, Miranda Mulholland and Bret Higgins. The band was named Favourite Folk/Roots Artist/Group in 2010 by the Canadian Indie Awards.


title: Bottle tree

paragraphs: The bottle tree is a plant that has adapted to hot climates, such as the desert. They are called bottle trees because the shape of their trunk is a bottle shape. There are several different species including:

paragraphs: The name bottle tree is also used to describe an artificial tree made of glass bottles, usually of colored glass. Associated with Hoodoo and primarily found in the Southern United States.


title: Principality of Polotsk

paragraphs: The Principality of Polotsk, also known as the Kingdom of Polotsk or the Duchy of Polotsk was a medieval principality of the Early East Slavs. It was considered one of the principalities in the Kievan Rus'. It had a wide degree of power to make its own rules. It was started around the ancient town of Polotsk. It is not clear the date it started. Polotsk is mentioned in the mid 9th century as part of Novgorod. In the second half of 10th century Polotsk was ruled by its own dynasty. The first ruler that is mentioned in the history was a semi-legendary Rogvolod (? - 978). Rogvolod is better known as the father of Rogneda. The Principality was in several succession crises of the 11-12th centuries and a war with the Land of Novgorod. By the 13th century it was added into the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. At the time it was largest the principality stretched over large parts of today's northern and central Belarus and a smaller part of today's southeastern Latvia.


title: Grand Duchy of Lithuania

paragraphs: The Grand Duchy of Lithuania was a European state from the 12th

paragraphs: –13th century until 1569. In 1569 it became a part of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth until 1791. It was started by the Lithuanians. The duchy grew to include large parts of the former Kievan Rus' and other Slavic lands. It covered the land of present-day Belarus, Latvia, Lithuania and parts of Estonia, Moldova, Poland, Russia and Ukraine. At its biggest in the 15th century, it was the largest state in Europe. There was great diversity in languages, religion, and cultural heritage.

paragraphs: Bringing together of the Lithuanian lands began in the late 12th century. Mindaugas, the first ruler of the Grand Duchy, was crowned as Catholic King of Lithuania in 1253. The pagan state was targeted in the religious crusade by the Teutonic Knights and the Livonian Order. When Gediminas began to rule, he allowed people to have different religions. This grew under his son Algirdas. In 1386 Jogaila changed the religion to Catholicism. He also made a dynastic union between the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the Kingdom of Poland.

paragraphs: Vytautas the Great grew the land of the Grand Duchy. He also led the defeat of the Teutonic Knights in the Battle of Grunwald in 1410. After Vytautas's death, Lithuania's relationship with the Kingdom of Poland was not good. The Union of Lublin of 1569 created a new state, the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. In this federation, the Grand Duchy of Lithuania had a separate government, laws, army, and treasury. They were invaded by Russia in 1792. The land was divided out among the Russian Empire, Prussia and Austria in 1795.


title: Kievan Rus'

paragraphs: Kyivan Rus was a medieval state in Europe. It was from the late 9th to the mid 13th century. It broke apart under the Mongol invasion of 1237–1240.

paragraphs: The state was called "land of the Rus' " . The name "Kyivan Rus' " was used in the 19th century to mean the time when the center was in Kyiv.

paragraphs: The early part of the state is sometimes known as the "Rus Khaganate". The history of Rus' proper begins in 882. This is when the capital was moved from Novgorod to Kyiv. This was after Varangians (Vikings), who were called Rus, freed this slavic city from the Khazars' tribute.

paragraphs: The state reached its most powerful in the mid 11th century. Its lands went south to the Black Sea, east to the Volga, and west to the Kingdom of Poland and to the Grand Duchy of Lithuania.

paragraphs: Volodimir the Great (980–1015) and his son Yaroslav I the Wise (1019–1054) ruled in the "Golden Age" of Kyiv. With the end of the Viking age, the state lost power in the late 11th and during the 12th century. The broke apart into various rival regional powers.

paragraphs: The various East Slavic principalities were brought together in the Russian Empire in the 18th century. The modern East Slavic states of Ukraine, Belarus, and Russia all get their identity from the early medieval state.


title: The Australian Ballet

paragraphs: The Australian Ballet is the largest classical ballet company in Australia. It was started in 1962 by J. C. Williamson Theatres Ltd. and the Australian Elizabethan Theatre Trust. The first artistic director was Dame Peggy van Praagh, the English-born dancer, teacher, repetiteur and director. Today, it is recognised as one of the world's major international ballet companies.


title: Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic

paragraphs: The Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic was one of fifteen constituent republics of the Soviet Union (USSR). In 1922, it was one of the four founding members of the Soviet Union. The other three were the Ukrainian SSR, the Transcaucasian SFSR and the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic (RSFSR). Byelorussia was one of several Soviet republics occupied by Nazi Germany during World War II. The BSSR, along with the Ukrainian SSR and the Soviet Union, were founding members of the United Nations Organization (UN) in 1945. The end of the Soviet Republic occurred in 1991. The nation became an independent republic.

paragraphs: The country renamed itself as the Republic of Belarus. In earlier time periods, Western Europeans called Byelorussian territory as White Russia. During its early years in the USSR, the republic was sometimes known as the White Russian Soviet Socialist Republic.


title: Republics of the Soviet Union

paragraphs: The Republics of the Soviet Union or the Union Republics of the Soviet Union were administrative units that report directly to the Government of the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union was a highly centralized state.


title: Artillery (band)

paragraphs: Artillery is a thrash metal band from Denmark. They started in 1982 and have split up and reformed twice.

paragraphs: So far, as of 2012, Artillery has released six studio albums, which include:


title: Voivod

paragraphs: Voivod is a heavy metal band from Canada. Their musical style has been changing since their beginnings. They started out as a speed metal band, but eventually began adding a mix of progressive metal and thrash metal to create their own unique metal style.

paragraphs: Today, Voivod have released eleven studio albums as well as one EP, one live album, two compilations, seven demos and one DVD featuring a live concert. They rose to popularity with their fifth studio album "Nothingface" (1989), which was the first Voivod album to enter the "Billboard" 200 charts, peaking at number 114, and is their most successful one yet. The last studio album Voivod released is "Target Earth", from 2013. They are working on a new album.

paragraphs: Voivod is also the band bassist Jason Newsted joined after he left Metallica in 2001.


title: Soviet invasion of Poland

paragraphs: The 1939 Soviet invasion of Poland was a Soviet military operation that started without a formal declaration of war on 17 September 1939. It was during the early stages of World War II. Sixteen days after Nazi Germany invaded Poland from the west, the Soviet Union did so from the east. The invasion ended on 6 October 1939. Germany and the Soviet union divided the whole of the Second Polish Republic.

paragraphs: In early 1939, the Soviet Union asked the United Kingdom, France, Poland, and Romania to make an alliance against Nazi Germany. The Soviet Union wanted Poland and Romania to let Soviet troops go through their territory. Poland and Romania both said no. The Soviet Union made a secret deal with Nazi Germany on 23 August. They planned to divide Northern and Eastern Europe into German and Soviet lands. One week later, German forces invaded Poland from the north, south, and west. Polish forces then withdrew to the southeast to wait for French and British support. The Soviet Red Army invaded the Kresy on 17 September. The Soviet government said it was acting to protect the Ukrainians and Belarusians. They lived in the eastern part of Poland.

paragraphs: The Soviet government added the land they won. In November 1939 they made the 13.5 million formerly Polish citizens become citizens of the Soviet Union. They sent hundreds of thousands of people from this region to Siberia and other remote parts of the Soviet Union.

paragraphs: Soviet forces stayed in eastern Poland until the summer of 1941. They were moved by the invading German army in the course of Operation Barbarossa. The area was under Nazi occupation until the Red Army reconquered it in the summer of 1944. An agreement at the Yalta Conference let the Soviet Union add almost all of their part of the Second Polish Republic. The People's Republic of Poland got the southern half of East Prussia and lands east of the Oder-Neisse Line. The Soviet Union added the lands into the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic and the Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic.


title: Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic

paragraphs: The Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic or in short, the Ukrainian SSR or Soviet Ukraine was in the southwestern part of the Soviet Union. It had the second largest population of the fifteen republics of the Soviet Union. This lasted from 1922 to 1991.

paragraphs: The Ukrainian SSR was a founding member of the United Nations. It did not really have much power because it was tightly controlled by Moscow authorities. When the Soviet Union broke apart, the Ukrainian SSR became Ukraine.

paragraphs: During its 72-year history, the republic's borders changed many times. The eastern city of Kharkiv was the republic's first capital. However, in 1934, it was moved to the city of Kiev. Kiev is still the capital of Ukraine.


title: Linear Pottery culture

paragraphs: The Linear Pottery culture was an important culture in the Neolithic(later Stone Age) of Europe. It was from 5500–4500 BC.

paragraphs: It is abbreviated as LBK and is also known as the Linear Band Ware, Linear Ware, Linear Ceramics or Incised Ware culture.

paragraphs: The most evidence for the culture is in Central Europe. It is important evidence for early farming in Europe. The pottery after which it was named has simple cups, bowls, vases and jugs, without handles. They were made as kitchen dishes, or for carrying food and drink. The pots had line patterns on them.

paragraphs: The LBK people lived over a period of 1000 years, long before the Bronze Age and farmed crops like wheat, lentils and peas. They also kept cows and dogs, and sometimes hunted in the forests around them for other animals, like deer.

paragraphs: Their diet probably didn't contain enough energy for them, as they often did not grow as tall as the people who came before them, or as people do now. This might have also been because of disease, which can spread more easily in a village than it can when people are moving about a lot and not seeing many other people, as people did before the Neolithic. People in the LBK culture probably died quite young, in their twenties or thirties, and many of their children would die before they grew up.

paragraphs: If a person was very sick and in a lot of pain, the LBK people might have had access to opium which did not make them better but took away the pain. They probably knew how to make some illnesses better by using wild herbs as medicine.

paragraphs: The LBK people probably worshiped a mother goddess, who represented the fertility of the land they farmed.

paragraphs: Because this was before the Bronze or Iron Ages, there were no metal tools, and everything the LBK people had was made from either stone, wood and plants (such as flax which could be made into clothing, and things that could be got from animals (like leather or fur). They even had sickles, which are used for cutting down grass and are half-moon shaped blades with a handle coming off one end; however theirs were made of wood with sharp stone points glued into them for the cutting.

paragraphs: The LBK people lives in rectangular longhouses, and digging up an area often shows several clusters of about 6 of these long houses. The people in nearby clusters of houses probably knew each other and shared or traded their goods. Their houses were made of wood, mud and straw and they might have let their animals stay in there too.

paragraphs: Some LBK settlements have palisades, or long walls around them, to defend themselves from other people who might attack them. There are also some skeletons of LBK people that look like they died from battle injuries, and some look like they may have even been eaten by cannibals. This shows that there was a lot of war between nearby groups.

paragraphs: Important sites include Nitra in Slovakia; Bylany in the Czech Republic; Langweiler and Zwenkau in Germany; Brunn am Gebirge in Austria; Elsloo, Sittard, Köln-Lindenthal, Aldenhoven, Flomborn and Rixheim on the Rhine; Lautereck and Hienheim on the upper Danube; Rössen and Sonderhausen on the middle Elbe.

paragraphs: The Excavations at Oslonki in Poland had a large fortified settlement. There were nearly 30 longhouses and over 80 graves. This makes it one of the richest settlements in archaeological finds from all of central Europe.


title: Cimmerians

paragraphs: The Cimmerians or Kimmerians were ancient horse-riding nomads of Indo-European origin.

paragraphs: According to the Greek historian Herodotus, the Cimmerians lived in the north of the Caucasus and the Black Sea during the 8th and 7th centuries BC. They lived in what is now Ukraine and Russia. Others have said there is no evidence of Cimmerians in the southern parts of Russia.

paragraphs: Where the Cimmerians come from is unclear. Most think they belong to either Iranian or Thracian speaking groups. A recent DNA analysis (Oct. 2018) of three Cimmerians indicate "the appearance of East Asian haplogroups in the steppe populations might be associated with the Iron Age nomads, starting with the Cimmerians." The authors found it "noteworthy that the oldest of the Cimmerians studied here (cim357) carried almost equal proportions of Asian and West Eurasian components, resembling the Pazyryks, Aldy-Bel, and Iron Age individuals from Russia and Kazakhstan. The second oldest Cimmerian (cim358) was also the only one with both uniparental markers pointing toward East Asia. The Q1* Y chromosome sublineage of Q-M242 is widespread among Asians and Native Americans and is thought to have originated in the Altai Mountains. It has previously been identified in numerous ancient samples from Siberia, the Americas, and in representatives of the Siberian Bronze Age and nomadic populations. This is the first indication that Cimmerians did not originate in the PCS region but were nomads tracing their origin to the Far East." A new study in July 2019 revealed that 2 other Cimmerians were of haplogroup R1a-Z645 and R1a2c-B111.


title: Varangians

paragraphs: The Varangians or Varyags was the name given by Greeks and East Slavs to Vikings. Between the 9th and the 11th centuries they ruled the medieval state of Rus'. They were the personal bodyguards of the Byzantine Emperors, and formed the Byzantine Varangian Guard.

paragraphs: A group of Varangians known as the Rus' settled in Novgorod in 864, under the leadership of Rurik. Rurik's relative Oleg conquered Kiev in 882. He made the state of Kievan Rus', which was later ruled by Ruriks descendants. The name of the Rus' is the origin of the name Russia.

paragraphs: Varangians did trade, piracy and mercenary activities. They move around using the river systems and portages of Gardariki. The Gardariki was the areas north of the Black Sea. They had trade routes that connected Dark Age Europe with rich Arab Caliphates and the Byzantine Empire. Wanting the riches of Constantinople, Rus' Varangians started a number of Rus'-Byzantine Wars. Most of them, both in Byzantium and in Eastern Europe, were converted from paganism into Orthodox Christianity. The Varangians were slowly taken over by East Slavs by the late 11th century.


title: Yaroslav the Wise

paragraphs: Yaroslav I, Grand Prince of Rus<nowiki>'</nowiki>, known as Yaroslav the Wise (c. 978 – February 20, 1054) was Grand Prince of Novgorod and Kiev. He brought together the two principalities for a time under his rule.

paragraphs: A son of the Varangian (Viking) Grand Prince Vladimir the Great, he was vice-regent of Novgorod at the time of his father’s death in 1015. His oldest surviving brother, Svyatopolk the Accursed, killed three of his other brothers and took power in Kiev. Yaroslav, with the support of the Novgorodians and the help of Varangian mercenaries, defeated Svyatopolk. He became the Grand Prince of Kiev in 1019. Yaroslav started to write down the legal customs. This served as the basis for a law code called the Russkaya Pravda ("Russian Justice"). During his long reign, Rus' reached the height of its cultural flowering and military power.


paragraphs: Lithuanian–Belorussian Soviet Socialist Republic or Litbel was a Soviet socialist republic. It was in the territories of modern Belarus and eastern Lithuania. It existed for about seven months during 1919. It was formed after the merger of Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic and the Socialist Soviet Republic of Byelorussia. The republic was went away after the Polish Army took over its claimed territory of eastern Lithuania during the Polish–Soviet War.


title: Belarusian People's Republic

paragraphs: The Belarusian People's Republic, historically called the White Ruthenian Democratic Republic, was a self-declared independent Belarusian state. They said they were independent in 1918. It is also called the "Belarusian Democratic Republic" or the "Belarusian National Republic". This is to be separate from the Communist People's Republics. The BNR was recognized by several Central Powers and former Russian countries. It was not recognized by most of the international community. They country ended when Belarus went under Soviet control. The Belorussian SSR was founded in 1919.

paragraphs: The leaders of the government went into exile. They still say the Belarusian People's Republic is a country.